Chapter 66: A New Approach

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The team sat inside the prisoner transport, all of them sitting there quietly as they dreaded what was happening. Hawk was now missing, taken from them by the Ace-Ops. Ruby sighed as she looked out the window closest to her, watching as they flew over Mantle. Ruby looked from the window to see how everyone else was doing. Qrow was looking at his feet with a miserable look on his face, feeling helpless that he couldn't stop them. Weiss glanced down at her hands, looking at her engagement ring while silently praying that Hawk was safe. Yang and Blake were sitting quietly, wondering what was going to happen to them.

Ruby looked over, watching JNR sitting there with worry. Nora however was determined to chew through the binds that held her wrist together. Oscar sighed as he watched Nora.

Ruby: "Where do you think they're taking us?"

Qrow: "I'm gonna go with jail. But I'm more worried about where they took Hawk."

Jaune: "At least Hawk managed to fight back. I still can't believe that fishing pole guy took us out like it was nothing."

Weiss: "Welcome to Atlas. Those were Ironwood's Ace Operatives."

A man who was sitting at the front of the prisoner hold spoke up at as he looked at them with a small look of surprise on his face.

???: "Hmm? You guys had a run-in with the Ace-Ops? Ironwood must really have a bone to pick with you."

Weiss sighed and rolled her eyes at the man.

Weiss: "They're not that big of a deal."

???: "Not that big of a deal?! The Ace-Ops are the elite-of-elite military huntsmen and Ironwood's personal attack dogs."

Nora finally gave up on trying to chew through the ropes, leaning forward so she could look at the man.

Nora: "So they got you too, huh?"

Forest: "Pfft! I wouldn't let myself get caught by them. I'm here because I've been speaking out against Atlas' exploitation of Mantle, and general Ironwood is trying to silence me."

The pilot of the transport had been listening to their conversations, and looked through the window that divided the cab and the prisoner hold.

Pilot: "You threw a brick at our ship!"

???: "It's worth it if it gets people talking about our cause!"

The pilot sighed in annoyance and looked forward again.

Blake: "'Our cause'?"

???: "Yes, the fight for better conditions in Mantle! Lead by the charismatic, talented, lovely Robyn Hill and her Happy Huntresses!"

The pilot had enough and pressed a button on the controls, raising a soundproof window between them. The man noticed this, and from his determination to avoid being ignored, he began to yell through the quickly closing gap. This eventually led to him hopping in place in a maniacal way.

???: "They were all top Atlas Academy graduates, who could've signed up for the military, but Robyn and the Huntresses chose to stay in Mantle. She's gunning for a seat on the kingdom's council, and when she gets it, she's gonna put an end to Ironwood's tyranny!"

The group watched unamused at the man.

Oscar: "Happy... Huntresses?"

Yang: "Is that their real name?"

Weiss: "Don't you think 'tyranny' is a little dramatic?"

The man turned around to respond, before he spotted Weiss. His surprise turned into a dirty glare as he spoke.

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