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RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth

Chapter 10: Atlas

Agreus checked his watch once more. The time was five past seven, and Lagrange was late. The Devil's Wit had better have a good reason for being late. Agreus Blackflame was not the most patient of individuals, especially when he had prior engagements to attend. The bullhead was scheduled to leave in ten minutes.

The leader of the Pyre glanced around. The Pyre airfield was quite empty this time of the morning. Save for the conspicuous figure that was hurrying towards him. Agreus could tell it was a man. The man wore a pair of camouflage cargo pants, a black shirt with an old controller design on it and a red zip up hoodie. The man was clearly not the paragon of professionalism. As he got closer, Agreus could see only his right arm was in a sleeve of the hoodie and he had no right shoe. The left shoe he wore was a plain black sneaker with no laces. He was relatively short yet quite thin. His running gait was quite off. He heavily favored his left foot. Somewhat understandable as he had no right shoe.

When the man managed to reach Agreus, he bent low to breath heavily. He raised a hand in signal for one moment. When he straightened, Agreus noted that his eyes were a deep crimson. The man smiled and Agreus noted the sharpened canines the man bore. The rest of his teeth looked filed down a bit. He also wore the oddest piece of eye wear Agreus had probably ever seen. The spectacles the man wore had the standard clear glass lenses, but attached to them, at the hinge of the earpiece were two more sets of lenses. One set of the extra lenses looked quite clear; the other were tinted.

"Sorry, I'm late." The man apologized. "You would not believe how hard it was for me to get here."

"Are you the hacker, colloquially known as the Devil's Wit?" Agreus asked.

"Yessir, Lagrange Descartes Devowitz, at your service." The man introduced himself with an exaggerated bow. "My cousin informed me his boss wanted to meet me. Am I to assume you, are he?"

"Yes." Agreus stated. "And I expect a good reason for your lateness."

"Well, I used to be right foot dominant, made running a whole lot easier." Lagrange said with an easy-going smile.

"Used to be?" Agreus queried.

"Kind of hard to be right foot dominant when you got no right foot." Lagrange responded, raising his right pant leg.

"That explains the lack of a shoe." Agreus muttered.

The man before him had no right leg from the knee down. Only a stub with a wooden peg leg. It was no fancy prosthetic, if anything, it looked less than satisfactory.

"No prosthetic." Agreus stated.

"Nope." Lagrange said, misinterpreting the statement as a question. "Lost my leg when I was really little. Grimm attack. Then sold the fancy prosthetic to pay for a new computer. Now I use an old table leg from my sister's table."

"That's… nice… I suppose." Agreus stated.

"Believe it or not, it took a whole month for her to realize her table had one less leg. he's a very observant person." Lagrange stated sarcastically.

"Ok then." Agreus said, glancing at his watch. "What about the glasses?"

"Sunglasses and light refractors. Believe it or not, sitting in front of a computer all day is just murder on your eyes." Lagrange stated.

It was ten after. Their flight left in five minutes.

"Well, Mr. Devowitz, I have a rather lucrative business proposition for you, and our flight leaves in five minutes, so how about we continue this discussion on the way. Up in the air, there will be no prying ears to overhear." Agreus said.

"Sounds like a plan, Stan. I figured you'd want to talk business; had no idea it would bring in the big bucks though." Devowitz responded with a smile.

"My name isn't Stan." Agreus replied.

"You never gave me a name, so I'm going to call you whatever Stan I see fit to." Devowitz said with a smile.

Agreus rolled his eyes before ascending into the bullhead. He barely heard the mutter from behind as Lagrange followed.

"Exciting. A big wig CEO needs a hacker… but why?" Devowitz muttered to himself.

Agreus sat down with Devowitz taking the seat across from him. Five minutes later, the pilot began the takeoff procedure. Once they were safely in the air, Agreus spoke up.

"Now, Mr. Devowitz. I've been told from a reliable source that you're one of the best hackers on Remnant. Is this true? Agreus asked.

"Possibly, depends on the source. Was it my cousin? Adrian does like to play up my abilities more than most." Devowitz rambled.

"That doesn't answer the question. Are you an expert hacker?" Agreus tried again.

"Absopositivolutely." Devowitz responded with a snap. "I am one of the best, if not THE BEST, hacker on this planet."

"Do you have evidence to support your claim? Or is it just the self-styled prideful boasts of a fool with delusions of grandeur?" Agreus questioned.

"I can back them up, Staniel Man. But first, why don't you tell me what a distribution company, a company that doesn't exist by the way, want with a hacker of my skill?" Lagrange returned. "Are we talking corporate espionage? Record manipulation? Porn?"

"Nothing quite so mundane or… explicit, I'm afraid. My business is not yours unless you accept the job. But I won't offer the job unless you can prove that you are as good as you say you are." Agreus stated.

"Listen here Stan the man, if you want information on my past hacks… well, the more impressive ones that are of a more illicit nature anyway, then I need some assurance that I won't face any serious repercussions, from you, my targets or law enforcement." Devowitz replied. "Trust is a two-way street Stanley, and I won't be trusting you with my information unless I have something to fall back on."

"How about a trade then. Information for information." Agreus stated.

Devowitz gave a questioning look at Lord Blackflame.

"You give me incriminating information and I respond in kind? I let you in on some of my previous work? A mutually assured destruction sort of deal?" The hacker asked for clarification.

"Indeed." Agreus stated.

"Shoot, I'll drink to that. You first." Lagrange stated.

"Sneaky." Agreus stated. "Very well, let me introduce myself. My name is Lord Agreus Blackflame."

"Come now Stanford, you got to give me more than that." Devowitz protested.

"There were no stipulations on what information I had to give." Agreus stated. "And my name is Agreus Blackflame."

"Eh, still gonna call you Stan." Devowitz shrugged, before pausing as realization dawned. "Blackflame?"

Agreus nodded with a smirk.

"That's not possible. The Blackflame's died out like… a hundred years ago with the sacking of Blackflame Manor and the dissolution of the Sanguine Pyre." Lagrange stated. "The manor remained destroyed for a few years until the Briarheart family began paying for its restoration and upkeep. How can you be a Blackflame?"

"Now, now, Mr. Devowitz. You owe me some information first." Agreus said.

"Fine." Devowitz sighed in frustration. "Since I began earning a living off my skill five years ago, I have passed seventy-two forged documents and transcripts of prospective huntsmen and huntresses through the training academies of Remnant. Of particular note, ten have been through Beacon, and fifteen through Atlas. The headmasters failed to call out the forgeries."

"That's not technically illegal." Agreus stated.

"But it does promise serious repercussions from the academies." Devowitz stated.

"Fair enough. To answer your earlier question about the Blackflames. It was the Blackflame family who ordered the arson that torched the manor. It was all orchestrated and carried out by the Blackflame family and thugs hired by them." Agreus explained. "Surely, you have something more impressive than forgeries for the academies."

"I transferred two million lien from two thousand different accounts into a client's account, with no data trail in the Bank of Atlas systems." Devowitz said. "Is that satisfactory enough Stanfred?"

"Interesting. But not enough for this job, yet. I run one of the most powerful organizations in Vale." Agreus replied. "We operate everything, and your cousin works for us."

"Not much." Devowitz muttered. "Fine, if that's how you're going to play. Seven years ago, I commenced with my most difficult hack ever. It is one of only two that I've failed and that is because of just how complicated the system was. I was able to get seven layers deep into the system before I was booted. But the code, it seemed to be rewriting itself as I progressed. All I was able to get was some sort of list filled with names of the council of Vale at the time. I have no clue what it was, but you do, don't you Stanghis Kahn?"

Agreus's eyes widened as Devowitz told of the hack. When he finished

"So, it was you then?" Agreus muttered. "You are perfect for this job."

"Me what?" Devowitz said.

"Mr. Devowitz, you are just the man I'm looking for. You see that server was a server that my organization controls. We had a programmer with a semblance for creating supposedly unhackable codes help us. Part of the deal was that he could set the server to self-destruct if anyone got too deep. That list is the most inconsequential piece of information we own, and as such, it was our trigger." Agreus explained.

"What is your organization, Stanson?" Devowitz asked.

"Lagrange Descartes Devowitz, I am Lord Agreus Blackflame, the head of the Sanguine Pyre." Agreus said. "And I am willing to pay you handsomely for your help taking control of Atlas's robotic forces."

"So that's why you need a hacker." Devowitz muttered, stroking his poorly shaved chin. "WAIT! The Sanguine Pyre is still active? I thought you were all destroyed. What aren't you telling me Stanold?"

"The Pyre went underground at the same time as the Blackflame family. We made it look like a coup and have continued working from behind the scenes, rather than the front stage." Agreus answered. "Now, will you accept the job?"

"How much will you pay?" Devowitz asked.

"How much?" Agreus repeated.

Ten million lien. All upfront." Devowitz said.

"How about one million. All when the job is completed." Agreus countered. "Can't have you taking the money and not working."

"I'll do a mil, but 500k upfront." Devowitz responded.

"100k upfront." Agreus countered again.

Devowitz narrowed his eyes. "250."

"200, take it or leave it." Agreus said.

"Deal Standon." Devowitz said with a smile. "So… what's the job?"

"The Sanguine Pyre wants control of the Atlesian Army." Agreus said.

Devowitz gave Agreus a blank look. "Come again?"

"I said that we want you to take control of the Atlesian Army." Agreus repeated.

"Ok, Stanvers, we're speaking the same language, but I don't think I'm understanding what you want. It sounds like you want me to hack into the systems of General Ironwood to transfer control of the entire Atlesian Android Army." Devowitz clarified.

"That is exactly what you were hired for." Agreus replied.

"You guys don't do anything by half measures, do ya Stanriel?" Lagrange responded with a smirk.

"No, we don't. Is there anywhere in particular you need to be dropped off?" Agreus inquired.

"The closer to the CCT you can get me, the better, Standalf." Devowitz answered.

"Pilot, land us at the closest airfield to the CCT tower." Agreus commanded.

A muffled "Yes Sir" was heard.

"So, why do you need to go to the CCT?" Agreus asked.

"Well, Stan Solo, the CCT towers are the easiest way to gain access to any of the kingdom's systems. Granted, they are still brutal protections, but they more than serve their purpose." Devowitz answered.

"Interesting." Agreus said as the bullhead descended.

The city of Atlas was indeed a technological marvel on Remnant. Bright lights and shiny buildings. The city held little in common with Vale. The only thing similar was the CCT tower itself. The massive white circular tower rose from a large courtyard. Devowitz gave Agreus a two fingered salute before sauntering off towards the tall white structure.

Agreus rolled his eyes as the bullhead rose into the sky. The flight to the SDC was quite short as compared to the flight from Vale to Atlas. With permission from the company's private airfield control tower, The Pyre ship landed.

Agreus strode through the company's main building with purpose. His goal? The office of SDC president, Jacques Schnee. Agreus waited outside the room while the SDC President's secretary went and got the man.

The wait was naught but five minutes. Jacques's secretary waved him into the president's office. Agreus entered the room, gave a quick glance around and sat across from President Schnee. The office was rather spartan. The only decorations on the walls were portraits of previous SDC presidents.

Jacques Schnee was a rather well-off individual. Marrying from poverty into one of the richest families on Remnant. He wore a crisp white suit. His hair was slicked back a dyed white. Agreus could see the dark black hair at his roots. The man had a luxurious white mustache, also dyed white. The only remarkable things about Jacques getup were a titanium wedding band and a familiar gold ring with a blood diamond set in the center.

"Lord Blackflame, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" Jacques greeted.

"Please, Jacques, call me Agreus." Agreus responded.

"Very well, Agreus, to what do I owe the pleasure? The White Fang giving you trouble?" Jacques queried.

"If only. The Pyre can easily deal with those morons. How about you? How's the SDC's dealings with the Fang?"

"Rough." Jacques replied, exasperated. "They've been stepping up attacks on SDC shipments and mines. There's even been rumors amongst the workers that the Fang are planning on attacking the mines and 'liberating' the Faunus who work there. I wish I knew why."

"It's because of your Wife's great grandfather. He started the SDC on Faunus slavery. A tradition his son continued, and his grandson ended. You've merely hired the Faunus, mostly for the mines." Agreus explained. "The White Fang are a bunch of, quote unquote, freedom fighters. At least that is their claim. They seem to be operating under the idiotic belief that since the SDC had slaves in the past, they must be punished for it now."

"The problem is that this only hurts the Faunus." Jacques said. "Sure, I mostly hire them for the hard, physical labor, like the mines, but they are paid a living wage at worst."

"Indeed, Vale doesn't have it as bad, especially since the Pyre has promised death on the Fang should they attack. Still, they are led by extremists and ideologues. Poor choices for leadership." Agreus stated.

"You've promised them death?" Jacques queried.

"Indeed, should the White Fang openly attack Vale, then the Sanguine Pyre, and by extension, Vale itself shall see the attack as an open declaration of war. As such, we shall respond in kind. They will surrender or die." Agreus explained.

"Just the Vale branch?" Jacques inquired.

"No, the Fang as a whole. We have no way of knowing if the Vale branch are operating of their own accord or if the orders come from the upper echelons of the White Fang. If the Vale branch of the White Fang openly attacks Vale, and we can confirm beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was the White Fang, then we will destroy them with extreme prejudice."

"Harsh." Jacques stated.

"Harsh, but a definite necessity. If they will not listen to reason, then they will face death." Agreus continued.

"What about our people in the Fang?" Jacques asked.

"They, and any who surrender, will be arrested and tried for their crimes. However, our… agents in the Fang will be released into our custody, one way or the other." Agreus answered.

"Fair enough. Should V- The Sanguine Pyre declare war on the White Fang, the SDC shall support your endeavors." Jacques said.

"Thank you." Agreus responded.

"Now, I assume that you aren't here for a friendly chat about the White Fang. May I know the reason for your visit?" Jacques said.

"Yes. We discovered a very concerning cult this past week." Agreus said.

"And that concerns the SDC, why?" Jacques asked.

"Because, for longer than they've been a cult, they've been a human trafficking ring. I brought this to you because you deserve to know. We found a ledger. A ledger that includes your daughter, Weiss." Agreus said as he pulled up an image on his scroll.

Jacques looked at the image. The clear image of the page detailing Weiss's information. The information was detailed, a little out of date, but far too detailed for Jacques' liking. The picture of Weiss was from after one of her concerts. He was even in the picture, escorting her to the limo. He remembered that day quite clearly. One particular paparazzi was rather insistent on getting a picture of Weiss before the show. He was thrown out before the show could even begin. However, he had no clue who could have taken the picture from the page in the ledger.

"They call themselves the Council of the Midnight Harvest." Agreus explained. "We have no idea where they are operating from, but they have many, many names in their ledger. Their operation spans the entire planet. I figured you would be most interested in this info."

"Indeed… thank you, my friend." Jacques said. "This is most concerning. Mayhaps the Pyre could help?"

"We could… but there would have to be some compensation for us." Agreus said.

"Is our support in a war against the White Fang not enough?" Jacques asked.

"Jacques, you know how this works. When she comes of age, allow us to recruit her into the Pyre. If she says no, we'll leave her alone. If yes, she will be employed by us. Either way, agree to this and we will provide protection for your younger daughter."

"That is… reasonable." Jacques acquiesced. "When she comes of age, you can recruit her into the Pyre."

"Thank you, my friend." Agreus said. "Now, I must be off. I have a meeting in Vale tomorrow morning. I will contact you when your daughter's protection detail is to arrive."

"Thank you, Agreus." Jacques said as Agreus turned to leave.

Before opening the door, Agreus turned his head and spoke once more. "One more thing, Jacques, you are one of two contacts the Pyre has in Atlas. When we move to take the kingdom, we expect your support."

"Of course." Jacques quickly agreed. "Lord Blackflame.

…/…

"What in the name of all that is good and holy is this!?" Cinder yelled as she found herself in the center of a rather large operation.

Robed men and women were bustling around the repurposed farm, as a figure garbed in a familiar mask and robe stood on a raised platform, overseeing the operation.

"Ah, Cinder, how good of you to join us!" Doc Harvester shouted over the din of working men and women.

"Harvester, what is this?" Cinder repeated as she climbed up the tower Harvester was on.

"This is a cult." Harvester said bluntly. "And I am their object of worship."

"What?" Mercury asked.

"This is in direct violation of our agreement." Cinder stated.

"Our deal was not mutually exclusive, Cinder my dear." The doctor said, draping an arm around Cinder's shoulder. "I agreed to help you, should you need it. You have not actually called in my help, so I continued about my own endeavors."

"What are your endeavors?" Emerald asked.

Even with the mask on, they could feel the psychopath smile. He pulled Cinder closer, much to her disgust, and gestured to the camp below.

"These are my endeavors. Remnant is sick with a series of serious debilitating diseases. We are working to cure them!" Harvester said in an ever-jubilant voice.

"How will this cure Remnant?" Emerald asked.

"We will purge this planet of its sickness." Harvester answered, clenching his fist. "However, we are a bit shorthanded."

"How so?" Mercury asked.

"Well, we need more people than we have." Harvester began. "This cult was a human trafficking ring for some time-"

"Until he showed us the light!" One of the cultists yelled up to them.

"Yes, yes. I showed them the light." Harvester said, sarcasm dripping from his words. "Anyway, when that venture ended, many of our ranks jumped ship. As such, we are shorthanded for a purge of this planet. You would be most valuable amongst our ranks."

"Lady Salem wouldn't allow it." Cinder stated.

"Bah, who cares what that witch thinks." Doc Harvester scoffed. "She could crap gold for all I care. What has she promised you in her new world? Never mind, I don't care. However, you would be the perfect candidate for us. We seriously lack a powerhouse, and you three would certainly fit the bill."

"A powerhouse?" Cinder asked.

"Yes, a heavy hitter. I can promise you power. We have learned of the existence and possible locations of the Fall Maiden. Join us, and we will help you obtain her power. All we require from you is a sharing of information." Harvester said.

"That is already my job from Lady Salem." Cinder said.

"Really? How fortuitous. That would allow you to work as a double agent. Give us insider information to her group." The Doc said with a wild gesture.

"The answer is no." Cinder said.

Harvester turned to her, his voice adopting a sinister undertone. "It would be unwise to refuse my offer, Cinder Fall."

"And why do you say that?" Cinder asked.

"Because of all the benefits we can offer. With Salem, you get what? The Maiden's power and a place of minor leadership in her ranks? Hah! Don't make me laugh thinking that you want that. With us, you would get the power, and true leadership. A dark queen of fire. A name feared amongst man and beast for ages to come."

Cinder adopted a thoughtful look as Harvester continued.

"Besides, you should count yourselves lucky. I am not in the habit of elaborating on or repeating offers. You, Cinder Fall, would be the second most important person under my employ. Your authority would only be eclipsed by Janus or me." Harvester said. "I would highly recommend you rethink your answer. Of course…"

"If the answer is still no?" Cinder said.

"Well, then you assume I'm giving you a choice." Harvester continued.

"What?" Cinder asked.

A loud snap rang through the air. Harvester's crystal hand was raised, his fingers having just snapped. They clenched and Cinder found her airway constricted. A sharp red crystal was digging into her neck and slowly constricting. Harvest unclenched his fist a tiny bit.

"If you insist on refusing my kind offer, then I tie up loose ends and extract myself from an unwanted contract." Harvester said, unseen smile twisting into a savage smirk.

Cinder was starting to gasp for air as she reached for the constrictive crystal.

"Now, will you join the Council of the Midnight Harvest, or shall I remove your pretty little head from your body?" Harvester whispered to her.

"We'll… join…" Cinder managed to choke out.

"Excellent!" Harvester exclaimed.

Cinder breathed a deep, heavy sigh of relief when she found she could breathe normally again. She slowly stood up, with help from Emerald, to face Harvester.

"So, what… is the… disease plaguing… Remnant?" Cinder gasped between labored breaths.

"We have a few to focus on." Harvest said. "The Grimm and their queen is an obvious one. The hidden one being the Sanguine Pyre. Unfortunately, due to the Pyre, we are far too exposed. We will be laying low for a while. This farm serves us for that purpose. JANUS!"

"Yes sir?" Janus asked as he appeared under the tower.

"Escort these three into the barn and induct them into the council." Harvester commanded.

"Right away St. Harvester." Janus said as he beckoned for Mercury, Emerald and Cinder to follow him.

"And Janus, please ensure further compliance. The lady is rather recalcitrant." Harvester continued.

"As you wish, St. Harvester." Janus responded as he led the trio away from the tower.

"And humanity." Harvester said to no one in particular. "We've got to cure Remnant of humanity."

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