88 Furious Orange

James Ironwood was not happy, and the reason for it was the report in front of him. Before he called Silva Branwen into his office to give his assignment to handle some bandit troubles with his Ace-Ops, he gave his team an additional mission of observing the snow leopard faunus and providing regular reports plus the previous reports from the instructors of the Academy, which were then redirected to the MP's psychoanalytic team to create a psychological profile of Silva. His intent was to find a way to get the faunus to join Atlas willingly, but the report put a pause to those plans.

They provided the psychological profile of Silva but also his as well, which was damning. It pointed out that the snow leopard fanus's thoughts of the general's personality were accurate, especially taking into the use of his Semblance Mettle. James used his semblance to keep his mind focused as he read his own profile and found that there was no way for him to refute any of what was said in the report. The general's mind whirled at the various thoughts and actions that he had taken in the past and asked out loud.

" Is he right?"

James decided to put aside his new concerns over his actions for the moment and looked at Silva's psychological profile.

[ Subject: Silva Branwen

Race: Faunus ( Snow Leopard)

Age: 13

Silva Branwen has continuously shown adversity to authority in several aspects. Within the peaceful setting of Atlas Academy's classrooms, he has shown to be highly knowledgable regardless of the subject, which is highly surprising considering his age. If an instructor decides to test him, he passes with flying colors but then makes an effort to prove himself better or at least equal to the said instructor and, unfortunately, succeeds. This results in making the subject unwilling to entertain any resemblance of a student-teacher relationship aside from showing up to class.

Further investigation into the subject's past has yielded limited results. Still, analyzing the previous activities of the Branwen Bandit Tribe has led to the conclusion that the subject has likely taken lives before. Within the Mistral Regional Cup, he entered under an alias that used a juvenile sense of humor but had shown limited interaction with other faunus with what was seen in the preliminary round. Throughout the tournament, it was clear that the subject was holding back his strength and was testing himself against formally trained students of the various combat schools.

Recent investigation on the subject's stay within Mantle has shown that he has two companions he cares about, Neopolitan, which also participated in the Mistral Regional Cup, and a dark skin girl with mint-colored hair, identity unknown. Based on surveillance footage taken from Mantle's security system, the subject has shown a great deal of care and kindness to the two girls. Understanding the exact level of their relationship requires more data.

The new reports that are coming in from the Ace-Ops team have shown that the subject is reluctant to work with professional soldiers in general and is likely used to operating at his own pace. There are also clear indications that the subject has ties to Mistral's criminal underground, which is likely due to his history as a bandit. He has also shown an acute ability to analyze the mental state of others if his interactions with the Ace-Ops are of any indication.

In summary, Silva Branwen is an individual that values his time and freedom and is unlikely to conform to the military structure of Atlas.

Report made by Head Psychoanalysis of Atlas's Military Police Department, Teddy Brown.]

James sets aside the report and rubs his temples at his growing headache, and decides to put his plans to recruit Silva on the back burner until he has a more substantial way to persuade the snow leopard faunus. He hasn't given up on the idea yet, considering that Silva has the capability to go against a Maiden with his Semblance with a team backing him up. The general wasn't about to let such an asset run freely without a means of control. He first gave a gag order on the knowledge of his personal psychological profile until he could find a suitable course of action to migrate any issues it may impose, one way or another.

James then rang up his secretary and ordered.

" Call Specialist-in-training Winter Schnee to my office."

The general already made plans to acquire more data on Silva's state of mind in order to find a way to influence him.

***

The night welcomed Anima as most of the Hati and Skoll tribes went to sleep, and Clover gave me the go-ahead.

" You know the plan, Silva."

I nodded as I used the cover of darkness to sneak towards the Skoll half of the encampment. The plan was simple; I cut down the numbers of the Skoll tribe with the exception of the one in charge here, and the Ace-Ops deal with the more organized Hati tribe by causing their Dust stockpile to explode, which would attract them to one location where a trap would be set. I have one hour to kill as many of the Skoll tribe as I can before the explosion goes off. As I got closer, I saw two guards patrolling the area, and I got behind them and slit their throats with my claws.

After they died, I picked up their bodies and hid them behind a hill. I started entering the tents and assassinated the bandits within. The smell of alcohol was all over the camp, making my job easier as most of the bandits were asleep with alcohol in their systems. I didn't rush and made sure every one of the enemies was dead, and I was about finished as there were only a few tents left that I hadn't entered. I only felt numb at killing these b*stards as I knew what bandits did from being one in the past.

I entered the small lone tent next and saw something that surprised me, a kid that looked a bit younger than me. In comparison, bandit whelps in the Branwen tribe joined in the raids by handling any Grimm during the attack to provide more time to get what was needed. I had assumed this tribe was different as I hadn't seen any pre-teens or teenagers but seeing the kid in front of me, I hesitated. I had little issue ending the lives of adults set in their ways, but kids are another matter entirely.

I lightly touched the kid in front of me to use Soul Archive to see their memories to decide whether to spare or end the young life in front of me. Her memories flooded my mind, and I felt sick as she was little different from Argint with how she was broken by her own b*stard of a father. I left her tent and checked the others, and thankfully, that girl, Crimson, was the only kid here. I internally debated on just outright killing that monster Strife and decided to use Soul Archive to get the location of the rest of the bandits from his mind and then kill him.

If the Ace-Ops ask how I know where the rest of the bandits are, I tell will them I tortured the Skoll before ending him. If they make a fuss about it, let them, I can deal with the rest on my own and call it mission complete. I soon reached the Skoll chief's tent and took out my Scroll to check the time. Ten minutes until the Ace-Ops start their end of things. I entered the tent and saw him sleeping on a proper bed and crept closer. Just as I was about to touch him to use Soul Archive, he grabbed my wrist and opened one of his eyes as he smiled, then said but thankfully I still managed to use Soul Archive on him.

" I wasn't expecting such a..."

He rubbed his thumb against my fur, and I reeled back and felt my fur getting yanked off as he held on. Definitely one of the top things I don't want to experience again; that stings worse than having my hair pulled. Strife finished his sentence as he got up and rubbed my fur against his fingers with a casual smile.

" Plush visitor."

He got up with his weapon in hand and asked me while maintaining his smile.

" Why don't you tell me why you are here, hmm?"

I kept silent as I had my claws out, ready to start a fight. Strife cracked his whip against a light source which caused a small explosion and set his tent aflame. I got out there immediately, and he soon followed with a casual stroll and saw me more clearly with the light of the fire he made. He appraised me and said.

" Quite a big fellow, aren't you. No matter, that pelt of yours will make a fine fur scarf or maybe a loose sash."

Strife cracks his thorny whip again and bellows.

" WAKE UP, YOU MISERABLE FOOLS; WE HAVE AN INTRUDER!"

His shout caused a slight echo, but only his broken daughter Crimson appeared. He furrowed his brows as he saw none of his other tribe members show up and cracked his whip a few more times, but no one else showed up. Strife glared at me with a strained smile and roared.

" WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

I responded with a non-answer.

" Atlas says hello."

His eyes widened, and his smile disappeared. Then the explosion planned by the Ace-Ops went off, which made him look in that direction. He was distracted, and I pounced on him with my claws to tear into him. I managed to land a blow, but he quickly kicked me away and looked at me with unbound fury. With a twisted smile, he said in a low, growling voice.

" I will skin you alive, slowly."

I ignored his threat and fired off a wide blast from Dark Wrath. He evaded it by rolling to the side, and I used Flash Step to close the distance and swipe at him with my claw. Strife used his whip to block my attack, and I felt... pain. I leaped back and examined my paw but saw no injury, and I wondered why I felt pain despite my Aura protecting me and no sign of any wound. The Skoll chief chuckled and swung his whip at me; I charged at him with the intent of tanking his attack, as whips are more of a torture implement than a proper weapon as they are meant to inflict pain than damage.

As the thorny whip struck me, a wave of pain filled me, but I ignored it with a grunt and clawed at Strife Skoll. The moment I landed a hit, another bout of pain entered me, more intense than the last time. I didn't understand why I was feeling pain, but it wasn't important so long as there wasn't any actual damage. The Skoll chief commented as he grinned.

" A tough one, aren't you?"

It hit me then; the pain I am feeling has got to be this b*stard's Semblance. Unfortunately for him, I have a high pain tolerance due to all I have experienced in this life, broken bones, fractures, deep cuts, and heck; I have even nearly been bitten to death. As I got ready to fire another blast at the sadistic smiling b*stard, he said.

" Daughter, dear, do hold our guest down for me, would you?"

I felt movement behind me as I evaded and saw that Crimson, the girl I spared, came at me with a pair of long sharp daggers. She then rushed me, but I didn't want to fight her, so I evaded while keeping an eye on Strife, and he was watching me as he waited for an opening. I fired another blast of dark energy at the Skoll chief, which landed, and I told the girl attacking me.

" Hey, if you let me kill this b*stard, he won't ever be able to hurt you again."

Crimson just kept on attacking me as if she didn't hear me, and Strife laughed as he said.

" You are sorely mistaken if you think you can turn my own daughter against me!"

I already knew that as I saw her memories of being trained to be completely obedient, but I wanted to try at least. Seeing that Crimson wasn't going to give me any breathing room, I decided to take her down first despite my reluctance to hurt her further. I grabbed her wrists and sent her flying with a front kick, then shot a blast of dark energy at her and Strife at the same time. With them both knocked back, I went after Crimson first to knock her out, and while she was down, I kicked her as she got up in the gut and was about to strike her again to break her Aura when a thorny whip wrapped around me and pure agony erupted all over my body. I heard Strife call out as I doubled over.

" Give our guest a warm welcome, my dear!"

From Crimson's memories I knew that was code for a suicide bombing of herself to take out who ever is attacking the Skoll tribe or Strife himself. The girl grabbed my leg as she pulled the pin of one of the Dust grenades she had on her person. I tried to tear off the strap holding the grenades, but another wave of intense pain distracted me, and the next thing I knew, a flash of white light appeared, and I felt my Aura reserves take a massive hit.

I found myself on the ground with my ears ringing and my vision blurry and disoriented. I shook my head to try and shake off the after-effects I was feeling, but I tumbled to the ground instead. Minutes passed by, and the ringing in my ears started to get better, and my sight was getting refocused. As I got up, I saw the damage caused by the explosion; scorch marks, fire, and some bits of ice as well littered the area. I then saw a small corpse that I assumed was Crimson and gave her a silent prayer that she may have a better life next time.

I felt a small bit of regret as I wanted to try and help, but now I can't. I didn't think to snatch the grenades off of Crimson beforehand as I felt sure I could successfully assassinate Strife without him having the chance to give the order. I sighed, feeling my age of about a hundred years old, mentally, as the age-old lesson that you can't save everyone despite one's best efforts hits home. I didn't linger at Crimson's corpse; despite my regrets, I had to move forward and not be stuck in the past or consider what ifs as I knew I couldn't and wouldn't save everyone.

My priority is the people I care about and myself, but for now, I want to find that b*stard Strife Skoll and tear him limb from limb. A may not be a hero, but I am sure as hell isn't to let a monster like that continue to draw breath. As the ringing in my ears subsides and my vision clears some more, I look around to see if I can find any trace of Strife. I looked around for any tracks and found nothing; he got away, dang it!

As a fiery rage filled me, I forced myself to calm down and use Soul Archive to recall where the rest of the bandits set up at and made some excuses to trick the Ace-Ops without telling them about my multiple Semblances. I went to see if they were done at their end and saw a lot of corpses which was good, seeing how none of them were of the Ace-Ops. I saw Clover, Elm, and Vine running toward me, and I saw their lips move but didn't hear anything. I hope this isn't permanent.

I gestured at my ears to let them know I couldn't hear them and took out my Scroll to text them that I know where the main encampment was at and that the bandit leader had gotten away. We went back to the airship to prepare to leave, and Vine took out the first aid kit to examine my ears as best he could. I really hope I am not deaf for good.