[City of Atlas]
After the machine uprising, both the city of Atlas and Mantle suffered damage during the attack. But unlike Mantle, Atlas was not as badly affected. The greatest damage was concentrated mainly on storage buildings and stores related to technology or raw materials.
Meanwhile, businesses unrelated to that sector did not receive serious impacts. Whether due to pressure from a wealthy clientele, eager to keep shopping, or because the commercial district had its own Dust reserves, many establishments reopened quickly.
It did not matter that their sister city was on the verge of freezing. The pace of Atlas barely changed.
Inside one of those high-end tailoring shops, Weiss walks back and forth holding Aegis in one hand, who does not put up much resistance, while a tailor takes Daniel's measurements.
Around them, several employees follow her closely, holding clothing catalogs and waiting for her approval.
"From now on, you'll need to maintain an image," she says, making a quick gesture to point at some models in the catalogs.
"Say goodbye to beggar clothes."
"Uh-huh..."
"And since we're going to present ourselves as a couple, you'll wear white. That way it'll be easier for people to associate us."
Daniel shifts a bit, limiting himself to looking around with some discomfort as he sees how the employees invade his personal space.
"Is it really necessary to have so many suits?" he asks, giving her a slightly frustrated look. "You wear the same clothes all the time."
That makes Weiss turn around immediately, crossing her arms, annoyed.
"It's not the same clothes!" she says, holding back her irritation. "They're several identical dresses!"
Daniel frowns, visibly confused. "Okey, but why are they all the same?"
Weiss lets out a sigh, lowering her gaze slightly.
"I'm training to be a huntress. During missions, in the middle of a Grimm attack, there's chaos and confusion. Wearing a recognizable outfit helps other hunters identify me quickly and allows me to stand out among civilians."
She pauses briefly, clicking her tongue before spinning on her heels.
"Why are we talking about this?" she complains, looking at Daniel, who simply shrugs.
"I don't know, I thought it was an interesting topic," he replies, causing Weiss to mutter under her breath as she walks toward the manager.
"Forget it. We're done here."
She throws a quick glance at the manager, who nods firmly.
"Pack everything and send it to the Atlas Academy. It should be ready to be picked up by Weiss Schnee."
Even though her tone sounds annoyed, Weiss really isn't. Maybe just a bit tense after Daniel's speech in front of the council the day before. Having gotten them to approve the Jaeger Core project, everything had sped up.
With the materials almost ready and the permits in order, it's likely the project will start today. And if that happens, Daniel will be completely occupied for the next few weeks.
Because of that, Weiss does not intend to waste time. She wants to have him prepared for what's coming, making sure he has the right clothes, the proper image, and everything necessary so he's ready for his debut, both in high society and in the world of major companies.
As she walks toward the counter to pay, she can't help but smile, thinking about the future that awaits them.
Wasting no time, she pulls out her card and hands it to the employee, hoping to finish quickly. But just as it is swiped through the reader, a sharp sound interrupts her plans.
"ERRK!"
Weiss blinks, confused, looking at the employee who holds the card with a bit of discomfort before handing it back to her.
"I'm sorry… card declined."
"What?!" she responds immediately, frowning, more surprised than angry.
"It must be a mistake. Try this one instead."
She hands over a second card, convinced everything will be resolved in a moment. The employee repeats the process, swiping the new card without saying anything.
"ERRK!"
The same sound, the same result.
Weiss says nothing, letting out a small sigh as she pulls out her scroll and starts checking her accounts. As soon as the screen loads, she feels a jolt when she sees that all her bank accounts appear frozen.
She doesn't need much time to understand the reason.
"This is my father's doing…" she thinks, defeated, remembering all the calls she's been ignoring since yesterday.
"I guess this is his way of telling me not to ignore him," she reflects, exhaling with resignation.
"Broke?" asks Daniel, who's standing next to her, peeking at the screen with one eyebrow slightly raised.
Weiss is slightly surprised to hear him.
"What?! No… It's just that..." but she trails off, giving up halfway through the sentence. "It looks like my father has canceled my cards."
Daniel nods slowly, as if he understands her situation.
"That's inconvenient. But does it matter?" he says, shrugging. "We have a lot of money."
Weiss looks at him, hesitating for a moment, unsure if she heard him correctly.
"It would be very sad if my public relations director, accountant, representative, and only employee had no money," he continues, showing a half-smile.
"Take whatever you need, and let's consider this…" he says, pointing at all the packages the employees are still wrapping up "…as business expenses."
Weiss exhales, feeling the tension slip from her shoulders, more relieved than she expected. Not depending on her father lifts a huge weight off her.
With that resolved, completing the purchase doesn't take much longer. Weiss pays for all the clothes using company money, and soon the two of them are leaving the store.
She stops for a moment before continuing to walk, looking around, observing the progress of Atlas's reconstruction. The pace is fast, thanks to the automated workforce. Robots hauling rubble, raising structures, installing wiring without pause.
Casting a quick glance at Daniel, who walks calmly at her side, Weiss realizes that the silence between them, though comfortable, could be filled with something more.
"So… have you thought of a name for the company yet?" she asks, testing the waters a bit.
To her surprise, Daniel smiles as if he had been waiting for that exact question.
"Of course I have!" he responds with enthusiasm, raising his hands almost dramatically.
"It'll be called… THE GREAT COMPANY OF DANIEL---!"
He doesn't finish the sentence. His words cut off suddenly, as if something stopped him, and he drops his head, defeated.
"Aperture Science…" he says now in a more neutral tone, regaining some composure.
"The company will be called Aperture Science… What do you think?"
Weiss brings a hand to her chin, thinking for a moment as she considers the name.
"Mmm… better than the first option."
Her response seems to have a positive effect on Daniel. She sees him smile genuinely, his spirits lifting almost instantly.
"And the motto will be! We do what we must because we can."
Weiss listens in silence, letting the phrase echo inside her more than she expected.
"We do what we must because we have the ability, the strength, and the opportunity to do it."
It strikes her as a good motto. Direct, meaningful, and very fitting for what she knows of Daniel. She genuinely likes it.
But just as she begins to relax, enjoying the moment, Aegis, who had been resting on Daniel's shoulder, lets out a sharp chirp that makes her turn her gaze immediately.
Daniel's eyes go wide, and in a movement so fast she can barely follow it, he throws himself to the side.
An instant later, a bullet passes through the space where his head had just been.
BAM!
The impact bursts through part of the nearby wall. Weiss feels the sound pull her out of her initial shock. She reacts instantly, activating her aura as several glyphs appear around them, surrounding them both.
Chaos erupts all around.
"AAAH!"
The screams of the people fill the air. Some run, others throw themselves to the ground looking for cover.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
A second, third, and fourth shot hit directly against her glyphs, which begin to crack under the force. Weiss clenches her teeth, trying to maintain control.
From the power of the shots, she knows they're facing a hunter, or at least someone with aura, probably hiding in a nearby building.
It didn't matter. The only clear thing is that she couldn't move. Daniel was obviously the target.
If she dropped the glyphs to search for the sniper, she would expose him completely. It would be almost a death sentence for him. So she stands firm, focusing on reinforcing her glyphs and waiting for the next shots.
But seconds pass… and nothing.
No more bullets. Everything remains in a nearly heavy silence, but Weiss doesn't dare let her guard down.
It could very well be a trap. Maybe the attacker is waiting for exactly that: for her to lower her defense to shoot again.
"I could really use a bit of backup right now…"
And as if someone heard her, several Bullheads appear above the city, descending quickly.
Atlas special forces arrive in formation, accompanied by hunters who surround them without wasting any time.
"Move!" orders a woman in military uniform, taking control of the situation.
Reluctantly, Weiss lets her glyphs fade away, though she keeps her aura active, covering Daniel and not stepping away from his side for even a second as they're quickly escorted to one of the military Bullheads.
Once aboard, the vehicle takes off without delay, carrying them away from the scene.
Weiss barely leans toward the window as they leave, watching patrols move through the streets and other Bullheads fly over the area from where she's sure the shots came.
It seemed like they had managed to track him, and the Atlas forces were moving in response to the whole scene, and now, with the adrenaline slowly wearing off, she can't help but ask herself:
"What just happened?"
-/-
[Atlas Tower]
"Assassination attempt…"
The phrase repeats in the general's mind as he walks with firm steps down the hallway. His expression remains cold, but inside he burns with frustration.
At his side, Winter follows without saying a word, adjusting her pace to stay perfectly in sync.
Not even a single day had passed since the Council approved Daniel's Jaeger Core project, and they already had to deal with an attack in the middle of the city of Atlas , no less—and in broad daylight, too.
If it hadn't been for GLaDOS and her immediate alert, he doesn't even want to imagine how the situation could have ended.
From the moment the criminal fired the first shot, the alarms were triggered, triangulating his position and dispatching agents to intercept him.
The capture itself wasn't the problem.
What really worries him is knowing who's behind it. He knows that sniper is nothing more than a pawn, someone who probably doesn't even know the person who truly gave the order.
It doesn't take them long to reach the hangar, just in time to see the Bullhead land on one of the platforms.
The doors open immediately, and one of his agents steps out escorting Weiss and Daniel. The agent takes a step forward as soon as she sees him, standing at attention.
Ironwood responds with a slight nod.
"Good work. You may go."
The agent nods briefly and leaves without saying anything else.
As soon as she walks away, Winter breaks the silence and rushes forward, almost running toward her sister. She wraps her arms around her, checking her from head to toe with a mix of relief and nervousness.
"Are you okay?" she asks, her voice a little shaky, revealing the tension she had been holding in.
Weiss looks visibly uncomfortable with her sister's reaction. "I'm fine. I just used up a bit of my aura, that's all."
Winter exhales slowly, letting some of the relief she feels show through.
Ironwood watches them in silence, recalling the recordings of the incident—how Weiss had reacted by activating her glyphs to protect Daniel from multiple shots.
"Good job protecting Daniel," he says in a firm tone, keeping his gaze fixed on her.
"Thank you, General," she responds immediately, but lowers her gaze slightly, without showing any real sense of pride.
"But I don't think I did a good job. I only reacted after Daniel dodged the first shot."
Ironwood nods calmly, fully understanding what she feels. That frustration of having reacted too late, even if in the end it had been enough.
He's felt that same self-criticism more times than he would like to admit.
"It's not your fault. No one could have predicted something like this," he says, trying to make his voice sound more understanding than usual.
Even so, his attention eventually shifts to Daniel, who seems calm, almost relaxed. No real sign of nerves or fear after having been in a sniper's sights.
He remembers seeing him act like this before: during the tower incident, his reaction wasn't fear, but control.
"How did you know to dodge?" he asks.
There is no suspicion in his voice, only genuine interest. After everything Daniel has done for Atlas, he has no reason to doubt him.
But he does want to understand.
Daniel smiles when he hears the question and raises a hand, pointing to the small mantis shrimp resting on his shoulder.
"He's not just for show," he says, letting a slightly wider smile escape.
"Aegis has excellent vision and is trained to alert me to danger. Pretty useful, right?"
"Is that why he made that screeching sound?" says Weiss, surprised.
Her comment serves as silent confirmation for Ironwood that Daniel is telling the truth.
The general shifts his gaze toward the small mantis shrimp, observing it more closely. As he does, he makes a mental note to investigate its capabilities in detail and its possible applications in security.
If one was able to alert a civilian in time to dodge a sniper's bullet… in what other ways could it be used?
"Something like a guide dog," he thinks, keeping his eyes fixed on the creature. "I'll have to bring this up later."
Daniel's smile doesn't last long, shifting into a more serious expression.
"What happened?" he asks bluntly, getting straight to the point.
Ironwood sighs inwardly, preparing his response.
"An attempted assassination."
Daniel nods, not very surprised, as if he had already anticipated it, unlike Weiss, who visibly tenses, her words coming out quickly.
"Why? By who?"
The questions come one after another, only calming down a little when Winter places a firm hand on her shoulder, reminding her to keep her composure.
"I suppose the Jaeger Core didn't sit well with everyone, did it?" says Daniel calmly.
"It hasn't been confirmed that the Jaeger Project is related… But it's very possible that it is."
"Why would someone do something like this?" asks Weiss, her disbelief clear. "The Jaeger Core is the energy solution Atlas needs. Who would oppose that?"
"Mhmm..." murmurs Daniel, raising his hand with a calm, almost amused air, and beginning to count on his fingers.
"Let's see… high-ranking officials who fear losing power, the ones who attacked the tower, faunus extremists who don't want Atlas to recover, companies that would be economically affected… it's a long list, honestly."
When he finishes, he shrugs, which causes Weiss to look visibly annoyed.
"Don't shrug like it doesn't matter!" she snaps, her tone full of frustration.
"Take this seriously!"
In response, Daniel keeps his calm posture, unshaken, which only seems to irritate her more. But before the situation escalates further, Weiss takes a deep breath, forcing herself to regain control, and turns her gaze back to him.
"What happened to the shooter?" she asks, trying to regain focus.
"He was captured and is currently being transported for interrogation."
Ironwood pauses briefly, choosing his words carefully before continuing.
"But while this incident is being clarified, I'm going to have to request that both of you remain inside Atlas facilities, at least for now."
To his relief, Daniel nods right away, showing no resistance. "Sounds reasonable, I guess."
His tone remains calm, even relaxed.
"I wasn't planning on going out for the next few weeks anyway."
Daniel's acceptance helps ease the atmosphere a bit, lowering the tension that had built up.
"And how are the facilities where the Jaeger Core will be built?" asks Daniel, perhaps wanting to steer the conversation away or ease the tension of the moment.
Whatever the reason, Ironwood appreciates it. Finally, a question that allows him to share some good news.
"The facilities are ready to begin. I think you'll enjoy seeing them," he says, a slight smile crossing his face as he speaks.
Without waiting any longer, he turns around and begins to walk, leading the way with a confident stride.
-/-
Daniel walks calmly beside Weiss, following the general without showing any urgency. Maybe a bit too calmly for someone who just survived an assassination attempt.
It's not that he doesn't care that someone tried to blow his head off, but if someone asked, he would say he already expected something like this to happen sooner or later. Still, he would like to know who it was. But for that, he decides to wait until he's alone with GLaDOS to get some answers.
It doesn't take long for them to reach the tower's elevator. However, this time, instead of going up, the elevator goes down.
And not just a little. It descends several levels, taking them toward the very heart of Atlas.
When the doors finally open, the first thing he sees is a network of underground corridors, lit with cold white lights.
They follow the general through long hallways until they reach a thick, reinforced door protected by several security systems.
The door only yields when the general himself scans his retina and places his hand to read his fingerprint.
When it finally opens, it reveals a space much larger than Daniel expected. Bigger even than the Bullhead hangars he had seen just a short while ago.
"What do you think?" asks the general, showing a faint expression of pride.
"It used to be a storage area, but it was quickly repurposed following GLaDOS's instructions."
Daniel observes in silence, nodding slowly.
"Pretty adequate."
Truthfully, he has no idea if it's adequate or not, but if GLaDOS gave the instructions, he trusts that it's fine. He sees no real reason to question it.
Though the chosen location for building the core does catch his attention. They could have built it anywhere, but they chose to do it right beneath Atlas.
"Security? Convenience?" he wonders silently, trying to figure out the reason.
It didn't really matter all that much. He himself had already explained that there was no risk of explosion. Maybe that gave them the confidence to build it beneath their feet. But what really matters now is not the reason, it's getting started.
"How are the materials?" he asks, turning toward the general, eager to move forward.
Before Ironwood can open his mouth, GLaDOS's voice rings out, clear and firm, through the facility's speakers.
"All materials necessary for the construction of the Jaeger Core are present. I recommend that construction begin immediately."
Daniel claps his hands together, catching everyone's attention, while showing a broader smile.
"Well, you heard her. I think it's time to get this started" He turns slightly, speaking directly to Ironwood.
"Oh, General… I'm going to need no one entering while the core is under construction. I don't want to risk any sabotage."
Ironwood nods, showing calm in response to the request.
"You can rest assured. Security has been reinforced. The only way to access this level is through this elevator, with multiple identification protocols. In addition, there are assigned guards and constant access monitoring."
The general pauses briefly, as if remembering something, and fixes his gaze on Daniel.
"But what about the labor force?"
Daniel barely opens his mouth to answer when the response comes on its own. Several dozen robots enter the room in orderly formation, walking with mechanical steps.
"I've got that covered," he says, relaxed, gesturing toward the machines with his hand.
His gaze quickly shifts to Weiss. "You won't be able to come in either."
"What?!" exclaims Weiss, visibly surprised.
"It's not that I don't trust you, but I can't risk anyone interrupting the process," says Daniel, motioning toward the cameras placed all around the room, clearly visible in every corner.
"If you're worried about me, they can monitor me from there and follow all the progress in real time."
But his words don't seem to reassure her, and she steps closer.
"Excuse us for a moment," she says, changing her tone, while taking him by the arm and dragging him a few steps away, out of earshot of the general and Winter.
"You're not going to tell them?"
Daniel blinks, a bit confused.
"Tell them what?"
Weiss opens her mouth, nearly incredulous.
"That this wasn't your first assassination attempt?!" she growls, holding herself back from raising her voice too much.
For a second, Daniel's gaze goes blank, not understanding what she means… until Weiss gives him a hint.
"Your father?!"
"Ahhh…" It clicks immediately.
"Right... I did say that. Wow, she actually believed it. I should've come up with something better," he thinks, almost amused. But now it didn't matter—at least not right now.
The only thing he can do is stick to the lie. He calmly raises a hand, trying to calm her down.
"Weiss, Weiss… that has nothing to do with this."
"How do you know?" she asks, still with some distrust.
"Maybe someone recognized you when you gave the speech."
"That's not possible."
"And how are you so sure?!"
He's sure because those people don't exist, but he can't tell her that. His mind works quickly to improvise something believable.
"Because I've changed a lot, Weiss. I changed my name, my appearance… do you really think my hair is naturally white? Or that my eyes are blue?"
As he speaks, he brings a finger to his eye, carefully removing a contact lens and revealing his real iris, a silvery shade.
Weiss watches in silence, clearly surprised. She obviously wasn't expecting that.
"What else are you hiding from me?"
"Very few things, and none of them important," he replies without hesitation. "But I'm not going to tell you… that way we keep the relationship interesting."
As he says it, he lets out a soft laugh, which Weiss doesn't find amusing at all. She frowns, clearly not entertained.
Daniel holds her gaze, serious this time.
"Just trust me when I say it's not possible that they recognized me. And you don't need to tell anyone about my past."
Weiss presses her lips together, holding back what seems like a scream. In the end, all that comes out is a loud sigh—a mix of frustration and resignation.
For Daniel, that's enough. As long as she doesn't say anything, there won't be any problems. Because if the general starts digging too deeply and discovers that his story is a lie, things could get problematic.
Not the end of the world… but definitely annoying.
"I'm going to need to make a list of all my lies," he thinks, trying to recall them all as he naturally takes Weiss's hand and they both walk back toward the general.
[10 minutes later]
The room is now empty, the doors have closed, and no one else remains inside. Daniel takes a deep breath before breaking the silence with a clear voice.
"Ahh… alright then, who's the son of a bitch that wants to kill me?" he asks.
GLaDOS's voice answers immediately through the speakers, filling the space with her playful tone.
"I'd bet on Jacques Schnee. He's the most likely."
"You don't know for sure?" asks Daniel, raising an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.
"Not with certainty. They covered their tracks well."
As she speaks, Daniel silently watches the robots in the room begin moving in perfect synchronization, initiating the construction of the core.
"What about the shooter?" he asks, not taking his eyes off the work in progress.
"It's unlikely he knows who hired him," replies GLaDOS in her neutral tone.
"He has few records, and it's doubtful he'll provide useful information… but he's a good starting point to follow the trail."
"Will it take long?"
"It could take time."
"I see…" he murmurs, letting the air out as he drops into a nearby chair.
"So… I'm going to be stuck here for the next few weeks?"
"No," replies GLaDOS immediately.
"It's easy to alter the recordings to make it look like you're inside. You don't need to stay locked in the whole time."
She pauses briefly, as if choosing her next words.
"Or rather… you're not going to be here."
That last sentence makes Daniel lift his gaze with interest.
"What do you mean?"
"You won't be locked in here during the construction of the core," clarifies GLaDOS naturally.
"You have your own mission."
Just then, his scroll lights up with a brief flash. Daniel quickly pulls it out, seeing on the screen a list of people accompanied by detailed data on each one.
He's about to ask something, but GLaDOS gets ahead of him, anticipating the question.
"Although the reconstruction of Atlas and Mantle is progressing quickly… largely thanks to me," she says, with a faint trace of pride mixed with indifference, "Atlas has pulled back most of its hunters to assist and protect the recovery of both cities."
"And what does that have to do with me?"
GLaDOS lets out a sigh.
"It's time for you to expand your Semblance repertoire."
Daniel blinks, intrigued, while GLaDOS continues explaining calmly.
"Given my position and privileged access to Atlas's network, I obtained classified information on multiple hunters and their Semblances. The list you have now shows those you must locate… and from whom you must acquire their abilities before the Jaeger Core is completed."
He listens closely as he begins sliding his finger down the list, reading some of the Semblances written there. He can't help the way his eyes light up a little at what he sees: Intangibility, Pocket Dimension, Lie Detection, Telekinesis… the list is really long, detailed, and organized by priority.
Daniel can't deny that he wants to acquire many—if not all—of those Semblances, but as he reads, he remembers something important.
"Wait… how am I supposed to get out of here? The only entrance is the elevator, isn't it?"
"Relax," replies GLaDOS, already prepared.
"I left you an unofficial exit so you can leave without being detected."
"And where is it?"
One of the nearby robots turns, raising an arm and pointing toward a ventilation grate at the far end of the room.
Daniel looks at it for a moment in silence before lowering his gaze and letting out a tired sigh.
"Ahh… damn vents."
-/-
He spends several minutes crawling, turning tight corners and climbing through inner structures, feeling the dust clinging to his clothes as he pushes forward until he finally manages to emerge, reaching the surface and breathing more freely.
From there, it's easy for him to slip away and exit the perimeter of the Atlas Academy, using Neo's Semblance to move unseen.
Once inside the city, he decides there's no point in staying invisible all the time. Besides being annoying, it's unnecessary. Without hesitation, he steps into a discreet alleyway, making sure no one's watching before changing his appearance.
He darkens his skin tone, dyes his hair a muted green, and picks out flashy clothing in a bright orange.
[Image]
The result looks nothing like his original appearance, and that was exactly the point. Aegis, perched on his shoulder, watches him with interest.
"New look?" he asks in that almost curious tone.
"Yeah," replies Daniel calmly, brushing the dust off his jacket.
"And if anyone asks… my name is Aegis. I'm a mantis shrimp faunus. How's that?"
As he says it, he can't help but let out a small laugh, ignoring the look of complete disgust the real Aegis shoots him.
They don't take long to reach the edge of Atlas.
From that height, Daniel pauses for a moment, observing Mantle sprawling out beneath them. A large part of the city is still dark, though other zones show clear signs of recovery.
Even so, the contrast between the lit areas and those submerged in darkness is striking.
Daniel doesn't stare for long.
He takes a breath, bends his knees, and without a second thought, jumps from the edge, letting himself fall toward the city. During the descent, he keeps his eyes fixed on his target.
His first stop is clear: the lower districts, where Rosella is waiting for him.
He can't help the smile that spreads across his face, eager to see her again.
-//-
Author's Note:
Rushed episode? I think so, but I need to speed things up. I remember someone asked me when Beacon would start and I said something like "in 10 chapters", that was like 40 chapters ago. Well, what can you do, right?
What else? Hmm… the next chapter is a gacha one, so drop your ideas. I've already got a few.
Dark times are coming for those of you here for the story: lots of +18 chapters. Good news for some, bad for others, I guess. I'll figure out what to do.
Besides that, recommend me some fanfics, I've got nothing to read.
Anyway, I think that's all…
Kisses and hugs 💋