HK-47: The White Fang's Assassin

Chapter Twenty Four - Ironwood's Last Stand

The White Fang Empire was on the verge of victory. The defenders of the Atlas Academy continued to dwindle as the White Fang Empire was closing in for the kill. General Ironwood slowly began to realize that this was a losing battle. In his office, the remaining Atlesian military soldiers gathered in his office. Ironwood knew that Adam Taurus would be coming for him. In a last ditch effort to push back the relentless forces of the White Fang Empire, Ironwood issued out an order to all Atlesian combat droids to converge on the Atlas Academy with orders to wipe out Adam Taurus and his followers. But Ironwood needed to stall Adam long enough for reinforcements to arrive.

Ironwood: Soldiers of Atlas. As we speak, insurgent forces led by Adam Taurus are converging on us. We are all that stands between order and chaos. I have called for reinforcements, but we need to hold the line long enough for them to arrive.

As Ironwood and the remaining Atlesian soldiers prepared to make their stand, Adam Taurus led the White Fang to Ironwood's office, killing anyone who got in their way. Though HK-47 healed most of Adam's wounds with the bacta shots, Adam was still not 100%. Despite this, Adam showed no weakness before his fellow White Fang fighters.

Adam: The time has come, brothers and sisters. Victory is at hand! Ironwood and his human dogs are waiting for us. I say we show them our fury! I want Ironwood alive! Kill the others!

Step by step, the forces of the White Fang Empire converged on Ironwood's office. When they reached the entrance to Ironwood's office, HK-47 activated his scanners. After HK-47 scanned the room, he turned to Adam.

HK-47: Statement: The Atlas meatbags are holed up in that office room. It seems they're waiting for us, Master.

Adam: Send them a welcoming gift.

HK-47: Statement: With pleasure, Master.

With joy, HK-47 prepared several thermal detonators and threw them at the door. The resulting explosion blasts the doors open. Adam and the White Fang swarmed the office room, quickly overwhelming the Atlesian soldiers inside. Ironwood began shooting down White Fang soldiers with his pistol. Soon enough, he sets his sights on Adam. As Ironwood was about to take the shot, Samanya shoots a blast of ice to free parts of Ironwood's body. Adam then aims Bush and fires a shot in Ironwood's frozen arm, shattering it. HK-47 then grabs Ironwood by the neck and throws him against the wall. As Ironwood slowly gets up, he sees that Samanya fully immersed in her Maiden Powers.

Ironwood: No....

Ironwood attempts to reach for his pistol, but Adam kicks it away.

Adam: General Ironwood. I've been looking forward to this.

Ironwood: You...you don't know what you're doing, Taurus. You have no idea what you've done!

Adam: HK, hack into that terminal. I want to know everything Ironwood knows.

As HK-47 goes to hack the terminal, Adam looks at the wounded Ironwood.

Adam: Who was that old woman? What powers did she grant my follower?

Ironwood: Go to hell!

Adam: Wrong answer.

Adam then impales Ironwood in the side and lifts Ironwood into the air. Ironwood groans in pain as Adam continues to interrogate Ironwood. Ironwood proved stubborn as he refused to answer Adam's question. Despite Adam's hatred of humans, he couldn't help but respect Ironwood's tenacity.

Adam: Despite your crimes against the Faunus, I can be merciful. Tell me what I need to know and I will grant you a warrior's death. Refuse and the whole world will watch you die like the Schnees.

Just as Adam laid out his ultimatum, HK-47 spoke.

HK-47: Assessment: It would appear that the powers Samanya inherited from the decrepit meatbag are Maiden powers, powers of magical nature. There appears to be four of them at any given time. The one we killed was Winter.

Adam: Is that right?

HK-47: Analysis: I've managed to recover the schematics of the Academy. There is a Vault hidden beneath the Academy. The Vault is accessible via the school's elevator system. The Vault possesses an ancient Relic which contains some sort of grand power.

As HK-47 informed Adam of the Vault, Ironwood began to laugh.

Adam: What's so funny, Ironwood?

Ironwood: You may know about the Vault, but you won't live long enough to use it. As we speak, the full might of the Atlas Military is converging on the Academy to wipe you all out.

HK-47: Assessment: I'm detecting a large droid presence heading towards the Vault. They outnumber our forces 100 to 1. However, I have a solution.

Adam: Speak.

HK-47: Statement: I could upload a virus to transmit to all Atlesian Droids. I could rework their programming so that they may serve us. Of course they would be lesser version of myself, but I don't think you'll mind.

Adam: Consider me nodding.

With that, HK-47 begins the process of transmitting his virus to all Atlesian Droids. All across Atlas, the Altesian Droids begin to go rouge. After some time, HK-47 spoke.

HK-47: Statement: Upload complete. As of right now, the Atlesian Droids are now under your command.

As HK-47 said that, Ironwood was in a state of shock. Not only did the White Fang possess the powers of the Winter Maiden, they now had the Atlesian Droid Army at their disposal. Adam cracked a smile on his face. In one fell swoop, the White Fang Empire had gained control of the Droid Army of the Atlesian Military.

HK-47: Statement: A truly grand victory for the White Fang Empire, Master! We have stolen the Droid Army from the Atlas meatbags!

Adam: Yes. An army of Faunus and Droids against the Humans....

HK-47: Query: Shall we go into the Vault to claim this Relic?

Adam: Not yet.

As Adam said this, he glanced over to the wounded Ironwood.

Adam: I gave you a chance to die a warrior's death, Ironwood. I gave you a chance very few Humans could ever deserve. But that time has passed. It's time I showed the world just how powerful the White Fang Empire has become.

In that moment, the White Fang Empire had become more powerful. In one fell swoop, they've crippled the Atlesian Military and took control of it's Droid Army. For Adam Taurus, now was the time to make an example out of Ironwood before the entire world.