The Wilted Rose

Chapter 15: The Foundry

Mantle

10:10 PM

3 years to the fall

Winter Pov

Roman Sionis.... This councilman is not just a politician, but a businessman too. He is also quite possibly the nicest men I've ever met aside from Clover. But Clover's over-friendliness is a act to deescalate situations before they arise. Sionis on the other hand is an all around friendly man with not even a speck on his public record.... Almost to the point that it looks like its been tampered with.

I trusted Ironwood explicitly, but he put way too much trust in him. Sionis pays regular visits to the academy. Often times, we cross paths. Tonight was one such night. After I left Weiss after our talk, I went back to the academy to look into Father. Sionis' records had been sifted through over and over again to the point that I knew everything by heart. While Sionis was suspicious to me, Father was a different story. I knew he has his fingers in things he shouldn't but it was never things like Roy and Y/n exposed to me. Their proof was the workers, and it was some damn good proof of wrong doing.

When I arrived at the academy this morning, I gave Ironwood my report. It was mostly falsified, which is a good way to end up in a federal prison, given my position. I was not about to give those two up. Between Y/ns origins and this strange... thing... between Roy and I. I'm not so clueless not to recognize attraction when I feel it, but that's a line of thought for later. Ironwood was less than pleased at the result but there was nothing to be done with that. The rest was uneventful.

On my way back into the academy, I just so happened to come across Sionis on his way out. He had not seen me, and I was not in a talking mood. Not with him anyway. His suit was, as always, a white pinstriped suit with black leather gloves. I always wondered why he wore gloves everywhere. I have never seen him without them. The look on his face though, ended that thought and brought with it another. 

Winter: 'Why does he look so happy when he looked so angry just a minute ago...?'

He looked like he had just won the lottery whereas before he was scowling. It was like a mask crumbled. It was jarring to see but as I said before, I found him suspicious to begin with. The limo that he was entering had his company logo that looked worn. For someone so well off, why doesn't he keep his transportation maintained cosmetically? 

Maybe I was nit-picking but ever since the start of my military career, those small details can be a matter of life or death. My first year as a Huntress was spent more as a rank and file soldier than the specialist rank that I worked so hard for. The aforementioned prison, while not a stockade, was a eye opening experience about paying attention to things you would otherwise overlook. That year of experience working in a prison has served me quite well since. Especially when working security details like on the airship when I first learned of Y/n. 

Sionis entered his limo and it took off down the only road to the academy. I turned back and started to make my way back to the records room. I then felt a pit in my stomach. I slowed and thought about the feeling. I only felt that when something was wrong or about to go wrong. I thought of Roy. The first thing I saw in my minds eye was he and Y/n going to do something stupid.... They probably are....