Arclight Foundries

XxX----XxX----XxX

Official Supporters:

Grand Priestess, Luna Haile.

High Priests, Alvelvnor, Gage.

Priests, The Impossible Muffin, Xager the Chaos King.

Acolytes, DigiDemonLord, Stonecold

Initiates, Final Heaven, Greg Gibson

If you want to be on the Supporter list, PM one of us for details or join our private server for details. Hope you enjoy reading my stories, please leave me a comment to let me know if you did, or where I can improve. Link here, where able to be seen : discord.gg/2UZncAm

Second link here, remove spaces and it SHOULD work : D iscord . gg (slash) kfhkfUb

I have a kofi account now, too, under this name.

XxX----XxX----XxX

"Banesaw, I- How?" The question came faster than he could consider whether asking was polite or not, or think through whether he was even allowed to know. And so, with an embarrassed and uncomfortable grimace, he added a stuttery, "I-If that's, you know, okay to just ask about?"

"Why I'm afraid that's a state secret, and even asking gets you time with an information analysis special division team." Ironwood warned, smiling all the while and earning a petulant glare from the far younger and decently smaller man. Waving a hand, he explained, "Rather simple, really. Avery here, that's his real first name mind you even if we're keeping his code name for our own uses, and a few dozen other White Fang turned against the attack on Beacon."

"We signed up to hit racists and institutions enabling them, and help our people." Banesaw - Avery, he supposed - pitched in helpfully, his arms folded over his c.h.e.s.t. "Hunters help everybody. No damn reason to hit 'em, and word is, the 'Fang is up in arms over Taurus doing it."

"You mentioned that in interrogation, Avery." Jaune's brows went up at the word 'interrogation', but he didn't interrupt to question the general's words. He didn't think the man would do anything just because he was uncomfortable with the implications there, but it wouldn't due to be rude. "You also said you'd try and get word on it overnight. Talk to your people, that sort of thing."

"Yeah." He nodded, "I did."

"And the word?"

"Sienna Khan is livid over the attack, by all the contacts I have that get why I'm with Atlas." He answered simply, shrugging unsurely and adding, "Most of 'em won't be Fang for long either, so they get me turning coat to face down Taurus. If you keep up what you did for me and mine, you'll ein s lot of points."

"With the Faunus, you mean?"

"Yeah, with the Faunus." The man answered with a lace of sarcasm, as though asking 'who else' under his breath or between the words. "Most of 'em are saboteurs, spies, Grimm combatants for protecting our bases, that sort of thing."

"Veterans?" The Faunus nodded curtly and Ironwood's lips pursed in though, considering it for a moment before leaning back in his seat. "Might be able to get numbers up for that Faunus corps I always wanted to run… Start working on integrating them into my military."

"Segregation won't be popular among my people." Banesaw growled shortly, leaning forward threateningly in spite of which of them had the power in this situation. "Or me."

"I abhor racism, but if I try to admit Faunus straight into every rank and file, the Council will filibuster any argument or vote." The way the man said, or rather snarled, that last part told volumes of his opinions of the Council and its behavior. Or at least its behavior on this matter. "It's a temporary measure to say the very least, and not something I like either. Again to say the least. Does that change things?"

"Not for everyone, no, but…" The man sighed and then, finally, shrugged and forced a more flat, neutral face for the conversation. "I say you send us to Mantle, have us build some housing and shit, maybe come yourself and shake some hands. I can sell it to a good number of my people if you do that kinda thing."

"I'll have Human bodyguards." He raised a hand for peace before the man could respond, and rushed to add, "In case of White Fang infiltration. Until things have eased, and tensions start falling, not doing so would be foolish. One person could cause… I hate to say it and I hate the term, but one person deciding they want blood could cause a race war if they do something to me."

"I believe you. And the moderates you've been kind to? They will too. The rest will take time, Sir." The man nodded finally, gesturing at the confused blonde sitting across from him. "I don't think politics and race debates are what Arc is here for, though. Might want to focus a bit, Sir."

"I-I'm fine! Really I-I'm interested in all of this, I am." He waved them off, smiling all the while. He was honestly interested in the topic, if only passingly, but wholly ignorant of it. Smiling, he admitted as much, "Even if, you know… I'm not too up and up when it comes to the things you're both talking about."

"Wait, are you…" Banesaw worked his mouth for a moment, looking for the right word, and then finally asked, "Are you not an activist?"

"No?" He gave the Faunus a look and then Ironwood, and then turned back to the surprised looking large Faunus. "Why do you ask? I'm not, like, registered in any groups or anything. And I don't go out for protests, I wasn't even physically able to up until recently."

"I… Figured you… I don't know, I guess I just assumed. The way you treated that girl… I was wrong about that, I guess" Banesaw finally sighed and shrugged, seemingly dismissing his assumptions entirely. Smiling, he pointed out, "You are listed in a group, though. The 'Fang list business owners and Humans that are friendly to the Faunus. For protection, and to take our business to them."

"Wait, I didn't make anything for you guys…" He blinked and, anxiously, asked, "D-Did I?"

"You did." Ironwood answered for Banesaw, smiling reassuringly when Jaune turned to him with wide eyes. "Don't worry, they went without masks and used contacts. Normal procedure so no one knows when they are making weapons and armor for Fang soldiers. You couldn't be charged even if I wanted you to be, and if you could be, I would write up a pardon."

"Can you do that?" He asked, "In Vale, I mean."

"No, but I can do it in Atlas, and then formally request them be allotted to Kingdoms where the associated criminals committed their infractions. I did that with Avery, for example." The man smiled and then nodded, to Banesaw not to him. "Avery is quite right, though. These political questions and talks aren't why you're here. You're here for your new job, not to hear us debate political maneuvering."

"I mean… Yeah?" He smiled awkwardly to show there was no rudeness behind it, and Ironwood smiled as though to accept that unspoken statement.

"Then pray forgive us for getting so into our own heads." The man stood then and gestured with a hand to Banesaw, who himself stood straighter in that typical military way, "Private Avery here will show you to your work space, and see that you are given your access licenses so that you needn't go through the civilian channels every day. Project recommendations will be awaiting you there, and you will receive a daily pay and pay for projects completed."

"All right then." He stood, taking the hand the man offered to him and smiling, "I'll get to it, then. And thanks again, Sir. For the opportunity I mean. It's… Kind of a big opportunity for me."

"Of course. Good luck and a good day to the both of you." The man gave Avery a look and, this time an order and air of authority behind his words, grunted, "Private, escort him to his workplace and see whatever he needs delivered. Also, introduce him to his subordinates. I want him settled in properly."

"Yes, Sir." The man snapped off a salute and turned away, leading him back to the elevator and back down into the base below and around the CCT.

Outside, soldiers didn't bat an eye at seeing him now, more than likely because of the uniform he was carrying in his hands and the bear of a man already dressed in one leading him. As sure a sign as any, he was sure, of his pseduo-enlistment into the Atlesian military. None stopped to salute him, though, thankfully but he pegged that more on him not wearing the uniform yet than anything else. Meaning he'd have to get used to it sooner or later, and it was probable that would start tomorrow.

Wonderful.

"This here is the engineering building, where techs work on maintaining equipment and the like." Banesaw remarked dryly as they approached one of the buildings that flanked the entrance he'd come through, which the man pointed to. "Go through there. It'll be faster to get there from your hotel, and the guards will have you on a rapid checklist registry."

"Which means…?"

"Flash your ID, say your name, and they'll let you in without much fuss. They'll run the information if you bring anyone in while you actually move around, and the drones will intervene if something is up with your guest." No doubt in case someone threatened him to get in, he guessed. Security protocols and all that. "You'll get used to the noise of it, don't worry about that."

"I believe you." He figured the Fang had needed some of these kinds of things anyway, and he was with Atlas now to boot. He probably dealt with this stuff every day. "Is that what they do for you?"

"No, I'm not allowed to leave." Jaune gave him a look and the man sighed, and then stopped to lean against the wall of the building they'd been walking around. Lifting the bottom of his pants, he showed Jaune the little circlet around his ankle and explained, "People like me get a pardon of duration. Meaning, no prison time, but we have to serve in the military. And be tracked. I have to earn the right to leave, and I've only been in for a couple of weeks."

"That's kinda messed up…"

"Not really. We're ex-terrorists, so that kind of suspicion is more than just reasonable. It's a requirement to stay alive." He shrugged, straightening his pressed pants again while he went on. "And besides, if the Fang found out about a program like this and they didn't have the monitors, then they'd send infiltrators. I'll take the headache if it helps my people, just like I was always willing to take a bullet."

"You're a good man, Banesaw." And he meant it, too, far more than he'd expected. "I think my father and you would get along really well, actually."

"Hm." He shrugged, either not willing to agree or not wanting to talk about it, and turned to continue on their way. "Anyway, like I was saying, this is the engineering sector. You're in charge of a wing of it, starting tomorrow morning."

"A wing of it?"

"Whole right side, yeah. New department means people being promoted or hired in, and you're the second part of that." He nodded, stopping to hold open the heavy metal front door for him. "Don't stress, it's normal and you won't be needed to do anything special for it. Just work like normal, same way you ran when you had that girl working for you."

"Delegation and managing time."

"Yep." He nodded, and then bobbed his head towards the door in a gesture to head in.

The entryway was simple, and very similar to the waiting area outside Ironwood's office except longer, ending in a hallway that seemed to run to another room like it on the other side of the building. Inside and to the side of the door, a soldier in full armor stood with a rifle in his hands, matched by another down the hall and in the other room. Neither paid him more than a nod and a relaxed wave, standing guard simply and boredly, but attentive and professional as expected of those serving where the General's own office was.

"The guards will check your identification too, but they'll do it by sight. As long as your name matches your face, you'll be fine. Guards change daily, depending on assignment, but you'll be able to check your office terminal to see who will be here when." The Faunus explained, ignoring a disgruntled look from one of the soldiers and gesturing down the wide hallway. "There's two doors down that way, one to either side. The right one is access and storage for janitorial needs and through to the other engineering department, which is like this one, and to the bays where vehicles are parked for maintenance crews that work there."

"Is any of that my problem?"

"Nothing through that door is anything you need to deal with, no." Banesaw answered simply, "I'm just letting you know what is where. You need anything from there, ask one of the guards, they'll call it in and it will be brought to you."

"Why don't I just…" He gestured at the door weakly, "Go and get it myself?"

"Protocol, and it keeps you from walking ginto areas where things might not be safe. If the other department is working Dust, for instance, then you walking in could be… Bad." To say the least and be not at all descriptive about it, Jaune knew. He nodded to show he understood and Banesaw moved towards the hall, stopping at the door and giving it a nod and pulling it open, "Through here is your workspace."

Inside, the room was nearly two stories tall, and compartmentalized into two sections. On one side, behind a tall wall that bisected the room with glass panels that let him see in, he saw the works of an office area. A food and drink area at the bottom in one corner, office space on the other, and storage for presumably both in the back. They walked past all these to get to the back of that area, where a flight of metal stairs led up to an office like the General himself had, though with the addition of a cot and a small set of drawers, as well as a pair of wide glass panels on wheels that he recognized as drafting screens for his design work.

"In case you work late." Banesaw answered when he asked about it, "The General has a bunk on a floor below his office, too. He knows how it is. You can lock the door, tell the guards you're staying, and crash here whenever you need to."

"Can other people stay too…?"

"That eager to get laid with your lady friend on a military base, eh?" He flushed and spluttered a denial, but the man just waved him off with a laugh. Grinning and comfortable, now, the man went on to actually answer him, "You'd have to get her a pass, but most won't care. Just tell the guards she's staying, too."

"T-Thanks…"

"Honestly, you younguns are just a bunch of rabbits." He flushed again and Banesaw jerked his head to a door across from his office's, "That's my quarters there. Stay out, if you don't mind. I'll spend my shift down in the bay, with you, so you don't need to go in. And I like my privacy, where I can get it with my arrangement as it is."

"I… Get that, yeah." His off time was probably the only private time he was allowed, really. So he wouldn't intrude on it when he didn't need to. "And the floor? Is it already set up?"

"Yeah, set up the same way your old place was. Penny apparently remembered what you had, and they replaced it all." The man gave another wave of his hand, this time towards the stairs, and grunted. "Go take a look, I hear you're a kid in a candy store about this kinda stuff."

Not an inaccurate summary of how he was, really.

The workshop floor was exactly what he'd hoped for, with rows of the same sorts of machines as he'd had before forming small blocks of production areas. In the corner, for instance, were three ammunition loading benches next to a pair of Dust dispensation tables. So you could measure out Dust and hand it to the next table to load it into whatever you wanted safely. There were the rest of the usual taking up space, and even arrayed in the middle of the room with their backs against each other.

And in the back of the room, opposite the entrance, were the heavy duty, Atlesian made armor racks. Five of them, to be precise, in hazard orange and with their arms folded down over their fronts for storage and safety. Harnesses, wiring, a rolling bin for spare parts and another marked 'waste', the entire back section of the room seemed designed solely for his armor. There weren't any suits, of course, since he needed to redraw the plans to send off for production.

Luckily, he had the old one on his Scroll, courtesy of Penny. So he turned to head upstairs and set it up on one of his design boards.

"Sir?" He turned, brows raised in question and fingers stroking his chin in thought, to see two yong Atlesians. Both were Human to his eyes, and both were tall and older than he was, standing at attention and in the same military uniform that Banesaw wore. One, a blonde man with piercing blue eyes, spoke, "Privates Lanceton Brown and Eclaire White, Sir. Reporting for support duties."

"Support duties?"

"Yes, Sir." The woman, Eclaire, nodded beside her partner. She was as broad and stocky as the man was, a testament to military life he supposed, and had a small scar on her chin. The only visible blemish to her pale skin. Dark eyes met his under long black hair tied back in a bob, and she explained, "Support duties are anything you need doing to enable your own duties."

"Need something moved? We do that. Need a weapon tested, or armor, or anything like that? We can do that. Want lunch delivered? We can do that too." The man explained quickly, the woman beside him only offering a nod edgewise to his words. Shrugging slightly, but somehow still maintaining the hard stare and set stance of soldiery, the man finished, "Really, we just do whatever you need done so you can work more efficiently."

"Okay, well, um…" He swallowed, then took a breath and nodded, "Bring my drafting board down from my office. Only one of them, I mean. Private Eclaire, I need you to run and, I dunno, request supplies to build my armor suits."

"Do you have a requisition form?"

"No, but I can get one drawn up if you bring me those instead. Do that, come back, I'll send you with it after." She nodded, snapped a salute and was gone before he could say anything more. "Lanceton- Er, Private Lanceton, I guess, go get the drafting board and set it up over there, against the windows that look into the break area."

"Yes, Sir." The man turned and was gone, brushing by Banesaw while the Faunus lumbered toward him.

"Falling into form, eh?"

"Just kinda pretending, really, and copying movies." He answered with a shrug, and then a resigned and already beleaguered sigh. "I'll get used to all this soon enough, I guess. I had employees at the Foundry, so beyond, like, the military stuff this is all normal."

"No one is going to fault you on that, don't stress it." The man assured him, asking after a second, "Now, you need anything from me?"

"Some water and advice on what to start on with the reverse engineering?" He asked, along with a small, unsure and awkward smile he couldn't help. It was strange, commanding men and women so much older than him in any respect.

He only nodded and turned, headed off to do as Jaune had asked.

When he finally checked out of the Atlesian base, he was wearing a backpack he'd sent on of his assistants to get. He had to allow it to be searched by the waiting guards, of course, but aside from his own notes, designs he was allowed to carry and his uniform, there wasn't anything there to see. So he was waved through quickly, wished a good night by other people who worked there, soldiers and otherwise, leaving for the day and then he moved on.

"Babe!" He recognized the voice as soon as he heard it, turning and looking along the line of cars until he saw Coco standing tall, waving a hand for him to join her. He did, climbing into the taxi she'd hired out and pitching the bag into the floorboard while the woman smiled and asked, "So, how was your first day at work?"

"It was busy, but really good. I liked it, and it feels… Good, to be working designs again with some direction." And it really, really was, too. He'd been bored lately, and felt bad to boot, for not being able to do anything or having any jobs to work on. Coco had always bapped him if he said it, of course, but it had been there regardless. "How was yours?"

"Boring sign-up stuff with Beacon, to get on my mission." She answered, pressing her face down into the crook of his neck and laying her legs across his l.a.p suddenly. Breathing hot air across his neck as she did, she spoke gently, "I missed this, though. Got too used to having you around all day, the last week and so on."

"Me too." He nodded, flushing but wrapping an arm around her shoulders and letting it sit on her h.i.p.s, a thumb playing along the exposed skin at the small of her back. "When do you start taking missions again? I remember you mentioning something about it a while back."

"Tomorrow morning, but it's patrols outside the walls, so it doesn't matter much. In a few weeks, though, I'll be cleared for full Huntress duty." She paused to let that sink in, and to press herself more firmly against him, and he sighed understandingly. Full duty meant missions out and away, for days or even weeks at a time. Gently, she nipped his neck for attention and asked, "You going to be okay?"

"Yeah, it'll just be…" He paused to seek out the words and then sighed, and used the obvious, "An adjustment."

"Yeah… It will be, but I think we both knew it was coming." She nodded, curling ever tighter around him. By now her knees were touching the seat on his other side and making him lay his left arm over her legs, his other hand seeking the least problematic spot to rest and landing on her t.h.i.g.h. "It'll be fine, though. I'm patient enough."

"Sure you are." He snorted, the woman pulling back to pout at him until he coughed an awkward, "I mean, you're great! Most patient woman on Remnant. Haha..."

"Shut up and put your hand on my stomach, before I nibble on your neck." She pouted, laying her head back on his shoulder and sighing contentedly when his hand slid under her shirt and rubbed in small circles there. "That's so much nicer than it really has any right to be…"

"Or you're just weird?"

"Do you want me to bite you?"

"Maybe I do." He joked, laughing until he felt teeth grazing along his neck threateningly. Straightening, in more ways than one, he coughed and sputtered, "C-Coco, no, bad. Not in the taxi! That kinda stuff is illegal!"

"Hey taxi man, how much would it cost for you to ignore me giving my boyfriend a suck? Or maybe a ride?" She asked, sitting back and brushing her hair out of her face with a grin. The older man gave her a look with a raised brow and she added, "Just curious."

"Fifty Lien either way, but I ain't got a partition, so I can't exactly, you know… Not see whatever you take out." The man said it frankly, almost shyly even, and so he didn't think he was perverted. More he was open to extra cash, and wanted them to know everything involved. "Route takes the main road, though, and sun's low but now behind the walls enough for it to be dark. Probably gonna get caught."

"S-She was just joking either way!" Jaune spluttered, the woman giving him a challenging look until he murmured, "We can do it at the hotel, if you're that needy. There's not… Space in a taxi, though."

"Mhm. Sure, babe, I'm the needy one. That's why your hand has been teasing at the back of my pants the whole ride." He spluttered and she laughed, leaning back against him in victory now while the old man chuckled. "Got a message out to Ansel, by the way."

"You did?"

"Yeah, talked to your dad, introduced myself, aaaaand they said they'd be up to see us as soon as they could." She smiled when he stammered, suddenly nervous, and then laughed. Gently, she pulled him in for a quick, calming kiss before pulling away and murmuring, "Babe, babe, calm down and breathe before you blow a gasket. They just said they wanted to have dinner."

"You don't understand… I have seven sisters."

"I know…"

"And they took care of me when I was younger, and you're my first real girlfriend." He explained, adding after a second, "They are very, very protective of me. Like, Yatsuhashi levels, but willing to hurt people. So Yang levels, I guess."

"...F.u.c.k." She blinked, deflating against his side, "Well, I guess I'll die."

"See, that was my reaction." He sighed, giving a small shake of his head and chuckling. "Don't worry, though, they'll love you. I'm sure of you. How could they not? You're adorable."

"Yeah, I'll deal with it when it gets here. For now…" She grinned and he already knew what was coming even before she asked, "How much water did you drink today? It tastes so much better when you're hydrated."

As always, he sighed and rolled his eyes, but let her have her fun and tease him. At least until they got back to the hotel, and he made her come through on all of her promises. As easy as that was to do, since she loved doing it as much as he loved her doing it.

XxX----XxX----XxX

The Lost Memories :

Glad you enjoy it~!

Shashenka :

I… Did try to foreshadow it, a bit. XD

Gandalf da Black :

The thing is, though, I do for them the same things I do for others. Penny, Jaune, Coco, and Ruby all have a lot of depth to them due to subtleties and reactions. The thing is, though, they are around more, so you see more of it, so it is a little deeper. So is a flaw in how I write, in that way.

Omega Ultima :

There are reasons that have been heavily implied as to WHY we haven't heard from them as of yet, actually. But they WILL be showing up soonish, no need to press X on that one.

TyphonyX :

If a normal person got the implant, he would have a higher potential, yes. But Jaune had his entire growth period with a weak one and a frail body, so it puts him just below par for normal people on a CARDIO scale. But beyond cardio? He's weaker in a lot of things, even if he doesn't care. Less stamina, starts sweating when he walks sooner than others would, that sort of thing.

Again, Jaune doesn't care, because of course he doesn't, but this isn't like a 'you are super strong now' thing.

Omega Delta :

Military stuff, really. He's reverse engineering after manufacturing places got trashed, and fine-tuning them, to start with.