Chapter 60: In the mouth of Madness (part 1)

The past is such a mess, It could be viewed in so many ways. Remembered by different people. The truth buried under the rubble of the things we call nostalgia. Blurred by our own definition of truth.

A subjective truth that blinds us from what truly is. That prevents us from seeing the subtle things we chose to ignore.

It's such a treacherous place, But we can never replace them... What's done is done. A putrid place where you try to bury your mistakes, but it won't die!

It never will, it will haunt you forever...

You only have to choices, You go crazy and off yourself...

Or you live with it and you ignore the screaming, the deafening echoes of the souls you have taken. The hands that pull you down with them. The eyes that watch you on your sleep.

Ignore everything and lock them in that damp and ambiguous place filled with things you'd rather forget.

And shut them away...

FOREVER...

...

4 Years Ago...

Rain poured down relentlessly on a mountain beneath the floating Metropolis of Atlas. A village situated behind it's city walls. Unseen and covered by the mist from the pouring rain.

A lone man was dropped off from an airship on stealth. It was probably the only Airship undetectable by the current technology of this time. Even on atlas standards, This kind of tech was far off in the future.

But a single scientist working for Salem did it, He was Doctor Arthur Watts. One of the most brilliant Scientist in remnant. His thirst for knowledge and intellectual capacity is only second to Aergia the sinner of Sloth...

He was given the idea of a stealth Airship by Haruki, He was just casually chatting with him as they discussed about his new weapon the Guandao, but then Haruki asked about the stealth capabilities of the airship.

This piqued the interest of Dr.Watts he asked Haruki how he thought that this would be possible. Haruki answered his quandaries he couldn't give the specifics but he at least gave Watts some ideas on how.

Thus he developed the first Airship capable of stealth, So to test it out Haruki was sent on a mission deep into atlas territory, Where Faunus slavery rings were being conducted. He was instructed to steal the dust and recruit the slaves into the white fang or Salem's personal army.

Haruki agreed with Watts being his supervisor for this mission, Before Haruki jumped down on the drop off point Watts told Haruki, "Oh and Haruki... I don't accept failure."

Haruki nodded his head, He opened the Hatch. The fierce wind and countless droplets of rain assaulted him. He donned his white fang mask, and prepared to jumped down.

"Please tell me if you have any questions or problems with your new weapon. Test it out for me."

Those words were like a death sentence for those who would stand opposite to Haruki.

Haruki nodded as He jumped down. Without anything his jacket fluttering in the air as the rain obstructed his vision.

But he already knows where he should land, He used lightning form and landed on the ground.

To others it was just lightning striking the ground, but to Haruki's targets... It was more of an preemptive warning. That their deaths were imminent.

He slowly walked out of the crater, his expression cold as ice. Suddenly his Scroll rang it was Watts.

He briefed Haruki on his target, "Your target this time is a Priest, He praises the Faceless God. Well it's more of a cult than anything. But we feel it's only a front, He uses that religious front to kidnap faunus children for experiments and selling them for a large amount of Lien.

The priest's name Is Aaron Inferus, one of the High priests of the Faceless Church. Find out what's happening. What he's doing on those children and only bring back relevant data.

Look this isn't charity we're here not for the kids but for the Data and The Lien he has stashed somewhere.

Destroy his operation and use whatever means necessary to get the data. The Others well they're inconsequential, if they want to join let them but if no...

Leave no one alive."

Haruki nodded his head, "What data am I looking for exactly?"

Watts shrugged his shoulders, "My informant says that it's probably some kind of Hallucinogenic Drug, it makes you see things that doesn't exist. Also the slaves he has kidnapped are probably the test subjects."

Haruki summoned the Life reaping Katana, He gripped the handle. This kind of missions is what he hates the most. Staring at those lifeless eyes devoid of hope...

Children robbed of their future because some psychopath thought it was fun to do some experiments. Even if he helps them take revenge, what then? they've already lost everything...

So the only option left for them is either death or submission.

He slowly made his way to the small village behind the mountains, just beyond the city walls of the most advanced kingdom.

--------------------

On the small village of Dutchwick, An entire squad from Altas's Military was stationed here.

They were sent to protect a VIP of Atlas that was living here. A Priest that makes sizable donations towards their kingdom Once every half a year.

Half of this Squad was composed of a bunch of rookies straight from different academies. Many took this job to get a boost and get a higher rank in the military later on. Thinking that this was an easy job, most of them were fairly relaxed.

Except for one, She was a Graduate from Beacon Academy. She graduated top of her class. Even in the military she was a cut above the rest.

Everytime that people would see her there would be murmurs. 'As expected from a Schnee.' , 'A rich girl really is a different pedigree compared to ours.'

But the thing is she achieved all of this alone and without help. She did it all with her hard work alone. If she was successful on this mission her career from this point on will only have one direction... up.

Inside a small hut beside a watch tower of the village, Winter was sitting down overlooking the map. The was looking for ambush points, as she was conversing with her CO.

"Well Winter, I feel like this is unnecessary. All this preparation is unneeded. We're just escorting a priest do a procession around the mountain.

I feel like only thieves with nothing better to do would try to rob the Offering. I mean I don't have anything against his church. But this is just weird. I mean a Faceless God?"

The soldier leaning on a chair, with a book covering his face spoke. "With all due respect sir. This has been weird since the beginning we came here. Something is not right, The priest even has this smile that creeps me out.

I feel like the one we should watch out for is the priest himself not the bandits."

The two laughed, while winter was seriously looking at the map. She hasn't spoken a word the entire time. She had the same feeling as Jack he was the lucky star of the group He would always get the entire squad into safety, or it's what she has heard from the others.

That something is not right from the moment the stepped into this village. She hasn't even heard anything about the Church of the Faceless.

"Well don't keep yourself up rookie, This is your first mission after all. It's gonna be bad if you're too tense." Their CO stood up and left the all hut, Jack on the other hand sighed towards Winter.

"Relax rookie everything is going to be fine."

He smiled to reassure her but deep down, He knows why she was sent on this mission. They weren't really escorting the priest, they were escorting her. The higher ups sent the phantom squad to this relatively easy mission so that they would babysit Miss Schnee.

Away from all the danger, Because if they lost this girl in a dangerous firefight they would also probably lose the support of the Schnee dust company. And Atlas doesn't want that...

Winter saluted her superiors and she went outside the Hut to relieve the watcher.

Jack observed Winter as she went outside the hut and sighed, "She would've made a good soldier, sorry rookie... after this you probably would be promoted instantly into a high rank away from all the danger. And the phantom squad doesn't have any rookies just you..."

Winter sighed as she went outside, she wasn't expecting that her first mission would be a political move by the higher ups. Sometimes she just wished she was just a normal girl for once.

At the very least no one bending over backwards just to please her... It's suffocating to be surrounded by fake smiles and all this crappy socializing to other rich kid marriage prospects.

That's why she entered the military, to get away from all the crap her father wants to push on her, but after joining she thought everything would end. But her little sister was the one who took the brunt of her father's wrath.

That's why she strived to be Weiss's role model. She was nice to her out of guilt, from running away from her responsibilities.

As she was pondering, Haruki on the other hand has successfully scouted the entire area. He has gathered sufficient data of the surroundings.

He recognized a few faces on the place, Mostly everyone from the phantom squad that always gets in the way of their missions. He has also seen winter but he chose to ignore her.

He sent the Data to Watts to await further instructions, They expected resistance but not from the phantom squad.

Watts got the information Haruki sent him, he was surprised that the atlas military would send the phantom squad to guard a mere rich priest.

"Hmm, They might be hiding something more..." He thought, he told Haruki to wait until they finish escorting the priest.

"Just wait and see on what happens or on what they do..."

Haruki nodded his head as he hid on a small cave he found. He would wait until sunrise to make his move.