"Now that everyone's here, we should probably get introductions out of the way. Liv, since you've been training them, would you mind?" Asher glanced at Liv beside him. She gave a small shake of her head before stepping forward.
"Although I'm sure you're all familiar, this is General James Ironwood and Special Operative Winter Schnee." Her voice dipped slightly as she said Winter's full name aloud, her gaze flickering toward Indigo and her group. As expected, their attention snapped to Winter at the mention of her last name, bodies tensing ever so slightly.
It was only natural.
If a lot in the Faunus community harbored resentment toward Atlas as a kingdom, then the Schnee Dust Company was undoubtedly public enemy number one. The company had a long history of mistreating Faunus workers—cases of abuse, unfair treatment, and exploitation were still being fought in court to this day.
Of course, most of those cases were tied up in legal red tape, courtesy of the company's legal team.
Winter noticed their reactions immediately. Rather than ignore it, she stepped forward, her sharp gaze settling on them.
"So, you're the ones Asher recruited for this division?" Her eyes flicked over them, assessing.
Gray's expression darkened, his voice laced with a quiet challenge.
"Yeah. Why? That a problem?" Winter met his gaze evenly—calm, steady, unreadable. His eyes burned with barely restrained heat, but she remained unfazed.
"Not at all." She answered before a short sigh escaped her.
"I'm well aware of the reputation my family and the Schnee Dust Company have—especially among Faunus. But you should know, I relinquished my claim to any inheritance years ago. I severed all ties to my family's wealth. In their eyes, I've practically been disowned." Indigo and the others exchanged glances, their initial hostility giving way to surprise.
From where he stood, Asher could understand their reaction. Jacques Schnee had built an empire on maintaining a polished, untouchable public image. Anyone who had seen the family in interviews, attended their events, or worked in their circles would swear they were the picture of perfection, family-wise.
But reality was far from that.
Of course, Indigo and her group wouldn't have been privy to that truth.
"I'm not telling you this to earn sympathy or make you like me," Winter continued.
"But I do hope that knowing this will allow us to work together without unnecessary conflict. As for my personal judgment of you all... I will assess you by your commitment to duty. I would hope for the same in return." With that, she turned and returned to Ironwood's side, leaving her words to settle.
For a moment, Liv glanced between Indigo's group and Winter. That had gone better than expected.
After a brief pause, she continued, turning her attention to the others.
"These are the current members of the Insurgency. Indigo will be acting as Field Commander. Gray, Insurgent First Class, is the squad's Second-in-Command. Then we have Cobalt, Sable, Auburn, Jade, Sterling, and Ochre—all officially active members." None of them had last names, having been born and raised in the slums, which made introductions quick and simple.
Ironwood studied the group, his expression unreadable.
"I see, so these are them." His gaze shifted to Liv.
"I wondered why you insisted on full autonomy, even over recruitment. If you'd asked, I could have sent you some of my best operatives." He paused, glancing back at Indigo and her squad.
"I didn't expect you to hire the same people who once tried to rob you. Made for quite an interesting read when I looked into their records." Hearing that the General of the Atlas Military had personally investigated them sent an uncomfortable jolt through Indigo's team.
Stomachs twisted, shoulders stiffened. Ironwood let the silence linger before turning his attention to Asher.
"From what I understand, they've only been training for two months. And yet, they're already part of these special forces you've created? Are you sure they're ready for something like that?" Asher didn't answer immediately. Instead, he turned and walked toward one of the metal chambers against the training room wall.
"You underestimate them," he said finally.
"I suppose that's fair. But rather than me standing here trying to convince you, wouldn't it be quicker to just show you?" He reached out, pressing his hand against the scanner protruding from the side of one of the metal chambers. The surface glowed with a soft pulse. A second later, a voice echoed from an unseen speaker—GAIA's voice.
[Print is authorized. Please identify yourself.]
"Asher Frostvale," he answered.
[Voice recognized.]
With a quiet hiss, the chamber door slid open, the faint sound of depressurization filling the room.
Everyone fell silent, eyes locked on what was inside.
A suit of armor.
Standing just over two meters tall, every inch of it—from its thick limbs to its reinforced plating—made it look less like something a person would wear and more like a walking machine. It was closer to a towering war mech than traditional combat gear.
But that didn't change the fact that it was built for a user.
"This is Insurgent Armor—a cutting-edge, full-body exoskeleton designed exclusively for the Insurgency and its members," Asher announced, letting everyone's gaze roam across the suit.
Almost immediately, Ironwood's eyes widened, sharp and intent, like a predator spotting something it wanted to claim.
Neither Winter, Indigo's group, nor even Liv remained unaffected by the presence of the armor commanded. Its matte finish absorbed light rather than reflecting it, rendering it nearly glare-free under the overheads. A deep, muted green covered most of its surface, with black metal reinforcing the edges of the panels and joints.
The helmet fully obscured the wearer's face, the visor appearing as a seamless, impenetrable black. Integrated directly into the HUD, the augmented reality interface and AI systems were all controlled through GAIA, running on Asher's private network.
Catching their reactions, Asher smirked before continuing.
"The Insurgent Armor allows its wearer to exert over fifteen tons of force. Its outer shell is a high-density neo-titanium alloy, infused with gravity dust to enhance impact resistance. Beneath that is a reactive kinetic weave, paired with thermal-adaptive insulation." He stepped up to the armor, rapping his knuckles against it.
The dull, muted sound it produced hinted at the sheer density of its construction.
"Put simply, it can withstand the same level of force it's capable of exerting, without so much as a crack. High and low temperatures, as well as dust-based thermal attacks, are also resisted." He glanced around, noting their expressions before continuing.
"Deeper in, you have hexa-memory gel—a fluid that remains soft under normal conditions but hardens instantly on impact, drastically reducing blunt trauma. That's layered with the ECL-4: a micro-thin electromagnetic plating that generates a repulsion field at the molecular level, capable of diminishing the impacts even of non-explosive ballistic rounds."
Asher paused, scanning their faces. Aside from Ironwood and Winter, the others were clearly struggling to keep up.
Chuckling, he eased off.
"There are more features I could bombard you with, but I imagine the core idea is clear enough. With this level of protection, paired with built-in blood circulation and oxygen regulation systems, the wearer remains stable even under extreme G-forces. Blackouts, concussions—virtually impossible."
A suit of armor that turned its user into a supersoldier.
Ironwood raised a hand, signaling a question. Asher lifted a brow before nodding for him to go ahead.
"Each of these chambers contains its own suit, correct?" Ironwood asked.
"How much did all of this cost?" It was the kind of question that, under normal circumstances—especially given that Asher had tapped into the Atlas Military's budget—would make most people hesitate.
But Asher answered without missing a beat.
"If we're only counting the components and primary materials, each suit costs somewhere between Ⱡ12 and Ⱡ15 million. More expensive than the Spectral Units—like S.H.A.D.O.W. or P.A.L.A.D.I.N."
Ironwood folded his arms over his chest, letting out a short laugh.
"Yes, but you didn't just make armor, now did you?"
"Of course not," Asher responded smoothly.
"A wall without defenses is nothing more than a target," he added. Turning back to the Insurgent Armor, he reached toward its right thigh. The moment his hand made contact, a small compartment slid open, smoothly ejecting a familiar-looking grenade into his palm.
"S.G-2s—custom-made smart grenades. The suit holds up to eight in a dedicated storage compartment." He held the grenade up for them to see before continuing.
"Each one features built-in intensity settings and programmable timers, controlling both detonation delay and explosion parameters. The sound burst mode can release up to 150+ decibels—enough to rupture eardrums—while the light burst mode can induce temporary blindness comparable to staring directly at the sun at full intensity."
Asher made no move to demonstrate, instead returning the grenade to its slot. The compartment sealed itself the moment it was secured.
"If you saw the airship footage, you'll recognize these," he added, casting a glance at Ironwood. The general didn't seem particularly surprised, nodding as if he'd already seen them before.
"Of course, they've been upgraded," Asher continued.
"Now they feature an EMP mode, capable of disabling electronics within a ten-meter radius."
Without missing a beat, he moved on to the next feature. Reaching for the weapon holstered on the armor's left thigh, he gripped its handle and lifted it for display.
The size alone made its design clear—it was built for the Insurgent Armor's reinforced gauntlets, not human hands. The spacing of the trigger, the weight distribution, and the sheer bulk of the grip made it impossible for an unenhanced user to wield effectively.
"This is a single-shot, high-impact pistol, specifically designed to fire Predator Rounds at full velocity and power," Asher explained.
"Under normal conditions, firing a weapon like this would break the shooter's arm before the bullet even hits its target. The Insurgent Armor negates that risk entirely." He snapped the chamber open, revealing the compact yet reinforced barrel.
Winter, who had been listening intently, finally spoke.
"And these Predator Rounds... they're the same ones you demonstrated before?" She had seen them in action, used in his drones. She knew firsthand how devastating they were.
Asher met her gaze and nodded.
"That's right. They still feature high-precision tracking, smart targeting, and all the capabilities of an advanced guided round. The only drawback is that it's single-shot and requires manual reloading."
He paused, giving the others a moment to absorb the information before adding, "While this particular unit is for demonstration, the other eight suits are equipped with waist-mounted belts loaded with additional rounds, ready for use."
Winter fell silent for a moment before speaking again.
"But still, having a one-use weapon isn't very efficient, especially for a special ops unit."
"I agree," Asher replied, nodding as he slid the heavy pistol back into its holster.
"I've already designed blueprints for more versatile weapons that can be customized for any Insurgent's loadout when deployed. What I'm demonstrating now is just the baseline—consider it the minimum," he explained, shifting his attention to the rear of the Insurgent Armor.
Reaching back, he grasped the hilt of something and pulled it free.
"Which brings us to the last standard-issue weapon in the Insurgent Armor's arsenal." All eyes landed on the weapon in his hand.
Calling it a knife felt like an understatement. It was nearly as long as a forearm, its gleaming surface so sharp that the edge was difficult to pinpoint with the naked eye. The sheer precision of its design made it look almost unreal.
Indigo's fox-like ears twitched at a faint, barely perceptible hum. She wasn't the only one—several of her Faunus companions reacted as well.
"It's vibrating," she murmured, more to herself than anyone else.
Asher glanced at her, nodding.
"Correct. This is a High-Frequency Combat Knife, designed with a specialized alloy that vibrates at extreme speeds, destabilizing molecular bonds upon contact. Armor, weapons, reinforced structures—this blade cuts through them all." He flipped the knife around, revealing the hilt. A small glass panel at the base displayed a color, currently white.
Twisting it, Asher cycled through red, then light blue, then yellow.
"The hilt contains three dust vials, each capable of being used twice by toggling this switch on the upper section. Combined with its high-frequency vibrations, it's effective against anything, whether it's an opponent protected by Aura or a Grimm's armored hide." With that, Asher slid the combat knife back into the sheath mounted on the back of the suit, concluding the demonstration.
"Of course, the entire system is built using the O.M.N.I. Frame as its foundation," he added, shooting a glance at Indigo, Gray, and the others.
"By now, I imagine you're all familiar with what that entails. If I were to list every feature it provides, we'd be here all day. So instead, I have a more practical idea." Ironwood raised a brow, curiosity flashing across his face.
"Oh? And what exactly is that?"
Asher spread his arms, gesturing to the space around them.
"Well, we're all in a training room, and you clearly have doubts about the people I've recruited," Asher said, spreading his hands.
"So, how about a live demonstration? You'll get to see exactly what two months of training have made them capable of." His gaze shifted, locking onto Winter.
"And to make it clear-cut… Special Operative Schnee versus one of my Insurgents—fully armed." The proposal sent a ripple of surprise through the room. Winter's expression barely shifted, but Indigo's group visibly stiffened.
"Wait—hold up!" Indigo stepped forward, eyes narrowed.
"We agreed to be part of your division or whatever, but that doesn't mean you can just throw us into fights for no reason. We're not here to help you settle your internal issues." Asher turned to her, his expression relaxed, as if he'd already anticipated the pushback. He gave a small nod.
"Of course. Which is why I wouldn't expect you to fight for free." He let the words hang for a moment before continuing.
"Anyone who volunteers will receive a Ⱡ50,000 bonus on their next paycheck, monthly, regardless of the outcome." Silence fell over the room.
They were already being paid an obscene amount, at least by Mantle's standards. But an extra fifty thousand? That was practically doubling their monthly salary.
Damn it...
Indigo bit her lip. She hated how just hearing the number made her hesitate, but at the same time, that kind of money wasn't just life-changing for them. It could help their friends, their families—people who had nothing waiting for them once their contracts were up.
It was why none of them slacked off. Not even when Asher was hospitalized and Liv had to take over.
"I- I'll do it!" All eyes snapped toward the voice.
Asher recognized them after a brief moment. Sable. The same Faunus who had been the first to ask about their pay when signing the contract. Out of everyone here, money seemed to motivate him the most.
Gray bristled.
"Are you serious right now-"
Asher cut him off.
"Your name is Sable, correct?" Sable nodded, the fur along his upper arms bristling slightly, matching the wolf-like traits of his lineage. Dark stripe-like patterns traced along his skin, marking him.
A slow smile spread across Asher's face.
"Alright then. You'll be representing my Insurgency." His attention shifted toward Ironwood.
"So, General—are you willing to have Winter participate?" The entire time, Winter remained silent—not out of shock, but because, in the end, she answered to Ironwood. It was his decision whether she fought or withdrew. That was why, out of the corner of her eye, she watched him carefully, waiting for his verdict.
Ironwood rubbed his chin, his gaze shifting from Asher to the Insurgent Armor standing in the chamber behind him.
"Hmm... Alright. I'll take you up on your offer," he said, before adding with a smirk, "but let's make it a bit more interesting, shall we?"
Asher gestured for him to continue.
"If your Insurgents prove themselves worthwhile after just two months of training, I'll guarantee that your division's black budget won't be withdrawn for the next six months—regardless of the division's results." Liv's eyes widened slightly at the proposal, while Asher remained unreadable.
"But," Ironwood went on, "if Winter wins, then I want you to sell the Insurgent Armor and its weaponry to the Atlas Military."
The offer was bold, but not surprising.
I figured as much. Considering how his eyes shifted when I unveiled the Insurgent Armor, it seems he's more interested in them than I expected.
Even when Asher had demonstrated the drones, Ironwood hadn't tried to force his hand like this. But the armor—this was what had truly caught his attention. The stakes were high, but the benefits were just as tempting as the risks.
The black budget was Asher's key to absolute financial freedom. It granted him unrestricted access to Atlas Military funds, allowing him to develop whatever he wanted without financial constraints. But it wasn't permanent—if Ironwood was dissatisfied with the division's performance, he could pull the budget at any time.
That would force Asher to either cut funding or pay out of his own pocket—something he wasn't keen on doing.
But six months of guaranteed funding? That's half a year of unrestricted development.
The only question was whether he could win this bet.
Asher wasn't delusional. He knew that expecting one of his Insurgents, after just two months of training, to defeat Winter Schnee, a fully licensed Huntress hand-picked by the Atlas Military, was absurd. She was stronger than the Huntsman he had fought on the airship.
Faster.
More experienced.
If this were a standard fight, his Insurgent wouldn't stand a chance.
But this isn't a standard fight, now, is it? The Insurgent Armor has the potential to change everything.
Asher had confidence in one thing above all else—his creations. So once his mind settled, his decision was made, and a slow smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Alright then," he said, extending his hand toward Ironwood.
"You have yourself a deal, General."