Mantle

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"Please continue your approach to Atlas docking bay Omega 12. Security team will meet you there. Over." The dispatcher said. 

"I don't understand. What's happening here?" Ruby asked. "I don't know." Qrow answered.

"But we are here. We got the lamp to Atlas, so... I guess we land and get some answers." Jaune suggested. "I'm... not so sure," Weiss spoke.

"I've never seen our forces deployed so aggressively before. If we land in a stolen ship, there's no way the security team will let us anywhere near Ironwood. They might even take me back to my father."

"So, what do we do?" I asked. "Winter!" Weiss realized, taking out her scroll. "Put some distance between us and the fleet."

"You don't have to tell me twice." Maria obliged. We cautiously flew through Mantle, observing the area and the broadcast Ironwood was announcing.

"The general looks... tired." I noticed. "This isn't right. None of this is right." Weiss mentioned.

"Manta Five One, we've noticed a detour in your route. You are to make your way to docking bay Omega 12 immediately. Do you copy? Over." Dispatch said.

"Guys, they're getting suspicious." I warned, worriedly. "We need to ditch the ship." Yang said. "Agreed. Get lost in Mantle and buy ourselves some time." Qrow said.

"I'm telling you. My sister can take us to Ironwood." Weiss said, determined. "Uh, Weiss?" Blake mentioned, and everyone looked out the window.

Winter was broadcasting and informing citizens that refusing to cooperate with Atlas military personnel is a punishable offense. 

"Something tells me Winter's not going to help us." I said. "There is obviously something very wrong!" Weiss defended. "If we can just talk to her, then we-"

"Look, I'm not even sure we should be talking to Ironwood until we know exactly what's going on with Mantle." Qrow stated.

"But-"

"Everyone, calm down," Maria sighed. "I know someone who can help with both."

Dispatch radioed in again, but Maria turned it off. "Jeez, lady! Take a hint!"

After hiding the ship, the we walked through the streets of Mantle. "This whole city... It just seems awful." Blake said, sadly.

"Yeah?! You don't like it here?!" A drunken citizen said, appearing seemingly out of nowhere. "There's plenty of space out in the tundra! Atlas is the greatest kingdom in the world, alright?! We try and help the other kingdoms, and this is what happens?! I say let it rot!"

"I apologize. I didn't mean to insult you." Blake said. "Stupid Faunus like you wouldn't understa-!"

That's when the man was suddenly lifted into the air, then thrown into the dumpster. We all looked at Weiss in surprise. "It was worth it." She smirked. 

We quickened our pace and made it to where Maria's friend was within minutes. Maria and her friend known as Pietro caught up quickly and was asking about what was happening in Atlas.

At that moment, Pietro seemed to recognize my sister and her teammates. "Wait, you know this man, Ruby?" I asked, then switched my attention to Dr. Pietro. "You know them?" 

"Oh, my girl, I do. I most certainly do," Pietro confirmed. "And I feel like such a dunce for not recognizing them sooner. My daughter's told me so much about you."

"Your... daughter?" Ruby repeated, confused. "I don't get it." I said, tilting my head to the side in confusion. That's when everyone heard sirens go off from outside. 

"Trouble!" Jaune warned, and we ran outside. "I guess the city defenses aren't doing much." Oscar said.

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me." Nora said as the growling of Grimm was heard in the distance. At the same time, Atlesian knights were being attacked by said Grimm.

"Well, we didn't come this far to fail now!" Ruby said, and equipped her weapon. Everyone else did the same. I took Ash behind me as the Grimm got closer. 

Everyone attacked while I stayed behind. I didn't have a weapon, so I could only sit on the sidelines and watch. 

Just as the number of Grimm were decreasing, more seemed to show up. At that moment, some kind of figure flew through the air while shooting green lasers at them, killing them off. 

The figure twirled in the air before gracefully landing on the ground. "Penny...!" Ruby and I said with shock. 

"Darling, why don't you say hello to your friends?" Pietro suggested. Penny looked over and gasped excitedly when she spotted Ruby. 

"Sal... u... tations!!!" Penny greeted while charging at her. Ruby screamed as Penny tackled her into a hug. "Ow..." She moaned in pain. 

"But how?" I asked. "I-I thought she...?"

"Died? I guess in a matter of speaking, she did," Pietro confirmed. "But we were able to recover her core from Amity Arena. Once it had made its way back to Atlas, it took me some time, but-"

"I'm as good as new! Better even! And now I'm the official protector of the city!" Penny informed, proudly. 

"That's my girl! We're not going to let a little ripping to shreds stop us, are we?" Pietro said. "No, sir!" Penny agreed, gently hitting her head.

"This is..." said Weiss.

"Strangely wholesome." said Blake

"Sounds like Penny to me." confirmed Yang.

"We have so many things to catch up about! I cannot wait!" Penny said, and another siren was heard in the distance. "It seems we will have to wait!"

"Let's talk more later! I can't wait to hear about all your adventures and time off! I'm really excited from this experience!" Penny said that so quickly, most of her words echoed as she flew off.

"I can't tell if I completely understand what's going on, or have like, a million questions!" Nora said. "And thankfully, I have about a thousand answers," Pietro replied. "But let's get out of this weather first."

"I have absolutely no idea who that child was." Maria said. "Well, that was unexpected." Jaune mentioned. "Never a dull moment." Ren implied.

"But I wouldn't say unwelcomed," Qrow added. "I was honestly expecting things to go a lot rougher."

"You can say that again!" I said, grinning. Just as we were about to make our way back inside, everyone except for Maria and Dr. Pietro were thrown to the ground while being restrained. 

"Mommy, what's going on!" Ash said, scared. "What is the meaning of this?" Dr. Pietro asked. "What are the Ace Ops even doing down here in Mantle?"

"Ace what?" I repeated. "Hey!"

I was unexpectedly picked up by a muscular woman as she tossed me over her shoulder. The man who looked like a monk gently grabbed under my chin to look at me and opened his scroll with a picture of me on it. 

"The Grimm Whisperer. She's a match." He told his comrades. "What?! No, this is a mistake! I didn't do anything!" I tried to explain. "Put me down!"

I began kicking my feet so the woman could let go of me, but to no avail. 

"Get her loaded into the next transport." The Huntsman with green eyes said. "Let her go!" Yang yelled. "Mommy! Where are you taking her?!" Ash called. "Give me back my mommy!" 

I began to panic, thinking they were going to take me to jail. "Wait, let me explain!" I shouted. "Ruby! Ruby, don't let them take me! Put! Me! Down!" 

Before I knew it, I was in a transport cart, in handcuffs.

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