Operation Aftermath

Inside the cabin of the second truck, the driver was gritting his teeth, his eyes darting around in a panic. Through the window to his right, he saw that the situation was hopeless. They were completely surrounded. Whatever these armored figures were—androids or people—had already drawn their weapons.

And they even had drones.

"Dammit, I'm not getting captured here," the driver muttered under his breath, slamming his foot on the gas. The wheels churned through the mud and snow as the truck started moving.

The White Fang turned when they heard the engine roar to life, but the Insurgents reacted even faster. Three of them immediately raised their combat rifles.

However, GAIA, controlling the SU-Ps, was even quicker. The moment it detected one of the trucks trying to flee, it deployed a countermeasure. A small spark ran across the surface of one drone, followed by a high-pitched sound too faint for the human ear to detect.

Then, everything went quiet. Every truck suddenly shut down as an eerie silence blanketed the area.

Inside her armor, Indigo heard GAIA's voice echo through her helmet as her HUD flickered briefly.

[Warning: Electromagnetic pulse detected. Origin—friendly. Engaging countermeasures… EMP neutralized. All systems remain fully operational. Armor integrity intact.]

The same thing was happening inside every set of Insurgent armor.

The driver, still desperate, kept cranking the ignition. But no matter what he did, no matter how hard he pressed the pedals, the truck refused to move.

"Dammit, come on!" The driver yelled in frustration. But before he could do anything else, he heard the passenger side door creak. He turned to see one of the Insurgents effortlessly rip the door off its hinges, tossing it aside onto the snowy ground. It was Auburn. His silence felt unnervingly calm, and after a beat, he finally spoke.

"Surrender. Don't bother trying to resist anymore."

The driver's body stiffened at the words. For a moment, he glanced at the door on his side of the cabin, the fleeting thought of making a run for it crossing his mind. But as his eyes met Auburn's through the dark slots of his helmet, and he noticed the other Insurgents, the idea quickly evaporated.

When did Atlas start deploying monsters like this? They chased down our convoy on foot, and when we shot at them, they dodged the fucking bullets. There's no point in running.

The same sentiment settled over the White Fang members, many of whom had initially considered fighting back. Even if they managed to defeat the armored figures around them, escaping the drones seemed impossible, especially with their trucks dead in the water.

The driver lowered his head, defeated, and muttered, "Fine... I surrender."

Outside, the White Fang members began dropping their weapons, raising their hands in surrender.

As Insurgent First Class, Gray took charge in Indigo's absence, stepping into the role of Second-in-Command.

He addressed the team, "Sable, Auburn, Ochre—secure the prisoners and move them near the second truck. We'll keep them here until reinforcements arrive to take them in. Jade, Cobalt, you're with me. We're going through their cargo."

"Yes, sir," came the responses over the comms, as the team sprang into action.

Before heading over to help Jade and Cobalt with the cargo, Gray contacted Asher.

"We've secured the White Fang and the convoys. We're checking the cargo now."

Back at the operations center, Asher gave a satisfied nod.

"Good work. I just got word—Indigo and Sterling have captured the leader of their target at the hospital. They'll be joining you soon. Airships will be there shortly to transport the prisoners and handle your extraction."

"Understood," Gray replied. He then turned and headed over to assist Jade and Cobalt. The three of them started with the rear truck while the others continued securing the prisoners, keeping them gathered near the middle truck for easier supervision.

Deep within the Atleasian Military Compound, Liv and Graz stood nearby, watching everything unfold on the live feeds.

Liv let out a small sigh, her voice coming out more like a question.

"Well, I guess this means mission accomplished?"

She turned to look at Asher, and Graz did the same. Asher, standing by the central control panel, appeared deep in thought. He flashed them a quick smile that didn't quite reach his eyes before nodding.

"For now, yes," he muttered.

"It'll still take some time to get the information we need from the White Fang we captured and figure out exactly who's behind all this. But we've gathered more clues than I expected. If things go well, we might be able to take down both the White Fang and their backer in one go."

His gaze shifted back to the live feed, but it was hard to tell what he was thinking. Graz broke the silence a moment later, his voice low and thoughtful.

"It's hard to believe so much has been happening right under our noses in the Crater. So much organized crime, all tied together under a single banner. I knew there was a disconnect between Atlas, Mantle, and the slums, but it's embarrassing that the Atlas Military hasn't noticed it sooner."

"Which is why my Insurgency exists," Asher replied.

"To catch the things that slip through the cracks, to keep pushing until those cracks are sealed."

"Right..." Graz nodded slowly.

"I have to admit, for a special ops team that was only recently put together, they worked well together. They were messy and a bit uncoordinated—clearly not battle-hardened for this kind of thing. But for just two months of training, they were more efficient than some soldiers who've been in service for over a year."

Asher gave a small nod, accepting the praise.

"Thank you," he said.

"Though I can't take all the credit. They've known each other for most of their lives, so it's only natural that my training helped them work together better. But this is just the beginning. They still have a long way to go."

With that, Asher stepped away from the control panel. Just as he did, the door to the mission's operations center slid open, and the sound of footsteps echoed in the room.

All three of them turned to see Winter entering.

Winter glanced at the live feed, then looked back at Asher.

"Hmm, so I'm guessing everything went well on this end?"Asher nodded, his expression slightly more relaxed.

"Better than expected. What about your end?"

Winter straightened, her tone businesslike.

"We have people going through the shipments based on the list your AI compiled. If there's anything to find, we'll find it."

Asher took a slow breath and nodded in return.

"Good. Then let's wrap this operation up. Liv and I need to give an inquiry after this, and I'd prefer to get it out of the way before it gets dark."

=====================================•=====================================

December 14th, 2033

It had been two days since the operation that deployed the Insurgency into the Crater.

Naturally, with the secrecy surrounding their division and the classified nature of the Insurgency, there was little to no media coverage. A vague story had been released to the public, touching on the raids but offering few details or real context.

Normally, such opaqueness would fuel public outrage or stir up curiosity. But in this case, there were tangible results to show for it. Regardless of whether the Insurgency's exact targets had been reached, the dismantling of organized crime was still a net positive. With that information now out in the open, even though the specifics of the raid remained classified, there was little backlash.

In the end, the deaths of the trafficking victims were pinned on their captors, allowing the Atlas Military to avoid much of the blame. The harsh reality was that the people of Mantle and Atlas didn't care much for the deaths of a few unregistered Faunus—it was a cruel but simple truth.

The only significant reactions came from Faunus rights groups and Faunus individuals themselves, but in the end, the blame fell squarely on the Atlas Military's reputation, not Asher's or anyone else involved.

From the public's perspective, it seemed like everything had been wrapped up in a neat little package.

But behind the scenes, the consequences of the operation were just beginning to unfold.

An internal investigation was already underway within the Atlas Military, following the discovery that someone had interfered with the CCTS, blocking the Nebula Noir's distress signal and all attempts at communication from onboard.

The military-grade weapon smuggling, seemingly linked to the black market through the use of air vents for transportation, the false charity front at the abandoned hospital, and the use of NPM-9, all pointed to a much larger web to untangle.

Yet, with so much evidence piling up and actual White Fang members in custody, a breakthrough was all but guaranteed. The investigation had too many eyes on it, from people high enough in the chain of command to prevent any attempt at delay or manipulation from going unnoticed.

As for Asher, he and Liv went through the inquiry later that same day, as the operation, just as they had expected. It didn't lead to any real form of punishment. There were simply too many layers of protection between Asher and his division and the typical command structure of the Atlas Military.

Only Graz, or a Major General and above, had the authority to force him to do anything.

The Insurgency had earned some well-deserved time off and bonuses, but none of them returned to Atlas with enthusiasm. It wasn't the city they were avoiding—it was what they had experienced.

Some of them had killed for the first time, their hands stained in blood. Others had witnessed a death and were left to process it. But above all, they had been exposed to the harsh realities of the Crater they had once called home, the cruelties that even they had mostly been unaware of.

Asher knew this was something they would have to come to terms with on their own. If they were going to remain his Insurgents, they needed to face this side of their work head-on.

So, after a short briefing on the 13th, Asher assured them he wouldn't need them for the rest of the month at least, and that they should take the time to sort through everything they'd been through.

And so, Sunday arrived, a soft, gray haze settling over the city of Atlas as the afternoon rolled in.

Inside the Frostvale Family Manor, Asher's parents were both absent, they would be working well into the night. As for the reason, Asher had a good guess. Thanks to the Nexus Space, he knew exactly what would unfold in the future of his family's company. This, in particular, wasn't anything too significant, so he didn't see any need to get involved.

With both of them out, Asher was home alone.

If one were to search for him, they wouldn't find him in his room or his workshop, the places where he typically spent his days and nights. Nor would they find him lounging in the backyard, something he did occasionally. Though even with Atlas's artificial climate control, the cold kept him inside around this time of year. 

Instead, Asher was in his bathroom—more specifically, the jacuzzi tub. He was sitting naked, his back resting against the edge as the jets beneath the warm, bubbling water blew softly at low force. Both the tub and the rest of the bathroom were made of polished stone, a soft, dull ice-blue color.

The shower was separated from the tub by fully encased glass, equipped with a bench, and large enough for multiple people. The lighting in the bathroom was gentle, with light cones protruding from the walls, and a small chandelier hung from the ceiling, centered just above the tub.

Asher appeared relaxed, his eyes closed as his arms stretched across the rim of the tub, lightly tapping his fingers against the stone in rhythm. His scroll sat off to the side, playing a slow classical melody.

It wasn't often that Asher let himself relax, though in this case, it was only a partial relaxation. His mind was always filled with information thanks to the Nexus Space. He knew so much about so many things, constantly learning more with every passing second. While the space kept him from feeling overwhelmed or like his mind would collapse under the weight, it still had its challenges.

Like his accidental slip with his father, Asher wasn't always aware of just how vast his vault of knowledge had become. Sometimes, he simply needed to take a moment to process it all, like defragging his mind.

It was a lot easier to do when he was comfortable.

That was when the music from his scroll was suddenly interrupted by the ring of an incoming call.

"Hmmm?" Asher raised a brow, his eyes flicking open as he glanced over at his scroll.

Without bothering to check the caller ID, he accepted the call and switched it to speaker mode.

"Hello?" He said, his voice relaxed.

"Well, someone sounds like they're in a good mood." Asher instantly recognized the voice on the other end and let out a small laugh, listening to Weiss.

"I suppose you could say that. I'm taking a pretty relaxing bath," Asher replied, a casual tone in his voice.

There was a brief silence on the line before Weiss spoke again, her voice a bit lower this time.

"Wait... you're in the bath right now?"

"Hmhm," Asher hummed in acknowledgment, his tone easygoing.

Another pause filled the air, and Asher glanced at his scroll before speaking again.

"Weiss Schnee, I hope your imagination isn't going where I think it is right now."

Asher could practically hear Weiss's breath catch on the other end before she quickly responded, "What? No, I was just... um, getting ready. Whitley told me you wanted me to come over this weekend, to spar, so I was planning on coming by today, if that's okay with you."

"Of course, I invited you after all," Asher answered smoothly.

"Perfect," Weiss replied, though Asher could sense there was something else she wanted to say—or perhaps ask. He didn't interrupt, knowing she'd speak when ready.

"Actually, do you remember what we talked about in the hospital? About, you know..." Weiss's voice trailed off, and it wasn't often that she sounded so shy. Of course, with Asher's memory, he knew exactly what she was referring to.

"You mean our private sleepover?" Asher said, his eyes closing again as he relaxed further into the tub.

"Yeah... I've managed to clear most of my week, so if you're interested, maybe I could stay the night over, you know, after sparring?" She was trying to speak casually, but even over the phone, Asher could tell she was probably blushing.

A small smile tugged at his lips as he responded, his voice light yet warm.

"Of course. Weiss, you know if you ever want to do something with me, you don't have to hesitate to ask. I'll make time, you know that." On the other end, even though Asher couldn't see her, he imagined Weiss nodded, her voice soft but sure.

"I know, I do. But I also know you're busy with a lot of other things, projects that are important to you. I don't want to keep asking for things all the time."

Asher couldn't resist teasing her a little.

"You know, you can be really adorable when you get self-conscious like this."

Her response was swift and defensive.

"Oh, shut up, I'm trying to be considerate!"

Asher chuckled softly, shifting in the tub slightly as he replied, "Yeah... I know, and I appreciate it."

The sincerity in his voice caused Weiss to pause, and she cleared her throat before speaking again.

"Well... as long as you do, I suppose it's fine. Anyway, I'll be there in an hour or two, okay?"

"Yeah, I'll see you when you get here," Asher said, his tone easy and warm, closing the conversation as he leaned back into the water once more.