Chapter Text
Atlas Military Police Witness Report
Date: 07/18/74
Time: 11:46PM
Location: Atlas Policing Station, Mantle, District 1
Report Handler: Cerry Koch
Badge number: 16845
Reported Incident(s): Unlawful assembly, Rioting, Criminal incitement, Destruction of Private Property, Destruction of Military Equipment, Assault, Aggravated Assault, Assault with a Weapon, Second degree Murder
Incident Report Location(s): SDC Work Camp #4
Incident Witness List(s): Correctional Supervisor Bron Stein, Senior Correctional Officer Tanner Lang, Correctional Officer Shane Lennie, Correctional Officer Jae Weber (see document 2-6)
Witness Interviewed: Jae Weber
Interview(s) Conducted By: Atlas Correctional Safety Board Member Cerry Koch
Notes: Subject is currently under immense stress from the events of the evening. It should be noted that parts of this interview may be subject to bias.
“Good evening.
I’m Cerry Koch of the Atlas Correction Safety Board.
Thank you for agreeing to this so quickly.
You’ve had quite the evening, it would appear.”
“You could say that.
Your man out there made this seem pretty important though.”
“It is incredibly important, yes.
Before we start, would you please state your name, rank and station for the record?”
“Oh-uh yah sure. I’m Officer Jae Weber.
I work for the Atlas Central Correctional Institution in Mantle.
I'm a Correctional officer overseeing a labor detachment, currently working at the Schnee Dust Mine.”
“Thank you, Officer Weber.”
<brief pause, Cerry Koch reviews file>
“It says here in your file that, due to your exemplary performance at the Mantle Central Correctional Institute, you were granted a transfer to your current position just over a year ago.
Is that correct?”
“Uh… yah?
I-I mean, well… I don’t really keep track of how long it’s been.
Days all kinda just blur together after a while…”
“That's completely fine.
Most of these early questions are formality and just for the records.
Would you like some water?”
“Yes. Please.”
<brief pause, water is brought>
“Thank you.
I uh… I’m sorry, I’ve never really done something like this.
Is there a specific reason you're interrogating me?
I’m really tired and would love to go home…”
“No apologies necessary Officer.
We just need to get recounts of the events as quickly as possible to avoid details slipping through.
Nothing like this has ever happened before, so we want to know as much as possible to keep this from happening again.
As for you specifically, according to the time sheets, you were one of the few people who were on active duty when the riot first started.
Is that right?"
"Yah, I uh… swapped shifts with Rice- sorry Officer Raye for that night."
“You switched shifts with him?
Is that a normal practice?”
"Kinda? Sometimes people just get sick and gotta take a day off, y’know?”
"I see.
Let's start simple then.
When did you first notice something was off.”
“Uh ok well… I think it was my second round?
While I was out, I noticed Bunkhouse One’s door had been jimmied open. It was basically empty.
I radioed it in and I was about to check out inside the cell to see if I could find anything when I heard the yelling…”
They were ready.
Sure, they were criminals, but even criminals had their limits.
And when people hit their limits, it was a lot easier to get them to do what you wanted them to do.
Adam grinned and raised his makeshift weapon over his head.
The crowd of faunus in front of him tightened their grips on their own improvised weapons, determination flaring in their eyes.
“You all know why we are here. The SDC has forgotten the rights that we earned during the revolution all those years ago. Every time they suffer some setback at the White Fang’s hands, we’re the ones who suffer the consequences. Well I say no more!”
A chorus of roars and cheers rang out as he spoke.
“The White Fang hasn’t made any headway since the bombing. The Coast hasn’t even tried to help. If nobody else is going to do anything about the way we’re being treated, then it falls to us to remind them of just who they’re dealing with! All of them! The White Fang! The SDC! That bastard, Jacques Schnee ! They need to learn that we will not stand for this anymore ! We! Are not! Helpless! We have fangs of our own, and today we make sure that the world understands that!”
Adam could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins as the cheering gave way to full-blown roars and howls of indignation.
“Today, we make them pay! Today, we burn this place to the ground!”
“The yelling. Can you describe it for me?”
“It was… It was angry.
There were howls. Roaring.
It was hard to make out anything specific.
Granted, I didn’t even get the chance to really listen to it because that was when the alarm sounded.”
“Do you know who triggered the alarm?”
“No, I have no idea.
Might have even been one of the workers?
Either way, when it sounded I immediately ran for the armory.
Thought it was a Grimm attack at first…”
“Alright. What happened after you reached the armory?”
“Well, Tan Man – Uh, sorry, Senior Officer Tanner was there already.
He was gearing up in full riot armor.
Said there was a ‘disciplinary disturbance’ in the camp.”
“Gear up Jae! This ain’t a fuckin’ drill!”
Jae felt a knot form in her throat as Tanner grabbed a collapsible sword and baton off the armory shelves.
“S-sir, if this isn’t a Grimm attack, then… Then why are we using lethal weapons?”
“Are you back talkin’ to me, boot?”
“Sir, I don’t-”
Tanner swung around, looming over her with a tight jaw and violence in his eyes.
“I said, ‘gear the fuck up’. Step to or I swear your ass is gonna be written up for insubordination.”
“...Yes sir.”
“What is your opinion of Senior Officer Tanner's handling of this situation?”
“I uh… I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Do you believe Senior Officer Tanner responded appropriately, given the situation at hand?”
“... I uh… I couldn't say.
He clearly knew something big was up.
He's also former Atlas Military so he’s always been a bit of a hard… person.
His brother is in the officer academy.
He’s always bragging about how their family is practically part of the Atlesian upper class…”
“I see. What happened after you ‘geared up’?”
“Well by that point everyone was suited up or suiting up.
Our detachment Supervisor Bron was issuing orders…
Most of us were moved to handle the main riot body that was destroying the work camp…”
He couldn’t believe just how right this all felt.
The shockwaves traveling up his arm as he smashed machines to pieces.
The heat of the flames as the wooden supports crumbled to the ground.
The screams of rage as the other prisoners railed against their oppressors.
It all mixed together into an intoxicating fuel for his little rebellion.
But that wasn’t why he was staging this riot. Not really.
Adam snarled as he turned from the destruction and began weaving through the crowd toward where a line of guards in full riot gear was forming.
His snarl grew into a furious roar that rallied everyone to his side.
With a single motion, he sent the frenzied crowd careening toward the small group of humans that readied themselves for the charge.
Sending them all careening towards the armed and armored guards that swarmed to face them.
The two forces meet in the middle of the camp, smashing into another with the ferocity of wild animals.
The impact against their captors' shields were like war drums, their agonized screams a gorgeous melody as he brought the club down on one of the human’s shoulders.
The man quickly backed away behind the rest of the humans, allowing Adam himself to back off for just a moment.
As wonderful as this was, he had more appealing targets than faceless guards to deal with.
As the two lines clashed, he scanned the growing crowd of humans for the face that had been seared into his memory.
Nothing.
The momentum of the rush shifted dramatically as the humans suddenly pushed forwards all at once, shoving the faunus back a full step.
Adam let out a guttural growl before forcing his way out of the crowd and creeping behind a nearby building.
No matter. The riot had begun, fires were burning and blood was being shed. It was only a matter of time until they drew the real threat to the camp. The Grimm would feast well tonight.
He would see to that.
“How would you describe the rioters?”
“At first, they were driven… organized… frenzied…
They kinda floundered after the first wave didn’t break our line, though…”
“I see.”
<brief pause, Cerry Koch looks at files>
“The labor forces that are formed by the Central Correctional Institute are typically made up of nonviolent criminals of both faunus and human descent.
Interestingly however, this detachment's labor force is comprised almost entirely of faunus.
Do you know why that is?”
“I uh… I’m not sure actually.
The SDC as far as I can recall always had mostly Faunus labor forces.
Figured they had some sort of deal, yah know since the mines have pretty bad lighting.”
“Hm.
And in your opinion do you believe the workforce being almost entirely faunus may have been related to why the riot took place?”
“I guess it’s possible?
We haven’t really had any issues until now though…
None of the camps have, far as I know.
It’s not like faunus are more violent or anything, if that's what you are asking.”
“So it’s fair to say you have no anti-faunus sentiment then?”
“Of course not!
No one… well I mean most people at the camps don’t.
We’re all just trying to climb up, yah know?”
“Of course.”
<brief pause, Cerry Koch takes notes>
“Can you tell me what happened after the main bulk of the rioters were handled?”
“I mean, it took a while to subdue the main group…
A few ran and there were still a bunch all over the place destroying things, so Bron had everybody split up to wrap it all up.
I went with Tanner and Shane to check on the Dust storage.
It’s usually locked up pretty good, but Bron wanted us to make sure.”
“Only three?
Seems a little light for such an important job.”
“Not really.
We were just checking the locks, and Shane’s a fresh face to the camp.
I was pretty beat as well, so he was just giving us an easier task….”
He could still hear the sounds of fighting in the distance, but the roars and howls were quickly dying off.
No doubt the last remnants of the riot were finally being beaten back.
That was good. Excellent even.
Soon, somebody would show up. They had to check it eventually, after his little performance.
And when they did, the show would really begin.
Adam slowly breathed in and out, wincing now and again as pain flared through his chest.
His ribs pulsed and ached in protest where a guard had managed to crack one of them, but that didn’t matter.
They had scarred him. Marked him. Given him a permanent reminder of their cruelty.
So he would return the favor.
No matter who stood in his way.
“And when was the last time you saw Officer Shane?”
“Hm… Well, Tanner said he thought he saw one of the rioters after we got to the first storage building.
He told me to check the locks while he and Shane checked it out.
I think that’s the last time I saw him.
It was all a bit of a blur after that.”
“You were left alone?"
"Yah?
I mean, it's just a lock check.
Not a big deal really.
Plus it’s not like I had keys to the storage on me or anything.
None of us did.
They were all locked away.
Standard procedure for riots."
"I see.
Were the locks compromised in any way?”
“Nah. Everything was good.”
“Good.”
<brief pause, Cerry Koch looks at files>
“It says here you were close to Officer Shane Lennie.
Is there anything else you can tell me about what happened to him after you two separated?”
A dam stepped off the ledge as the two guards walked under him, swinging his improvised club down with all his might.
They never saw him coming.
The club crushed the taller man's helmet, probably knocking him out, maybe killing him. Adam hoped for the latter.
Vindication sang through his blood as he tore the guard’s sword from his belt before the body hit the ground with a heavy thud. A set of keys jingled on his belt. His ticket to the Dust.
Adam clicked a button on the collapsed weapon, extending the blade. It felt right in his hand. The weight. The way it shone in the moonlight. Simple. Elegant. Beautiful in a way.
The other guard, a fresh-faced dog faunus, staggered back in shock. He wasn’t the one Adam was looking for, but that was fine. He’d stood by and let it all happen. Did nothing to fight back against the injustice he saw here. Stood side by side with the enemy.
The faunus practically whimpered as Adam lifted the weapon.
He didn’t even bother to reach for the weapon on his belt.
“Please. You don’t have to-.”
Adam drove the blade forward, plunging it deep into the guard’s stomach.
“YOU TRAITOR!”
“...No… He can’t… God!… I should have been there!…”
“I am sorry for your loss.”
“No you… he had a family… He can’t be… Fuck!”
“Officer Weber, I understand this is a shock, but I need you to finish answering my questions.”
“I… What the hell is wrong with you people?
You tell me my friend is dead and expect me to… to what?
Just move on?”
“I apologize.
I understand your need to grieve, but we need to do our duty-”
“Screw duty!”
<brief pause, Jae Weber collects themself>
“I'm sorry…
You just…
You don’t understand.
We were…
Shane and I, we were gonna see each other once we climbed up.
He was so close, too…
It might sound stupid to somebody who grew up in Atlas, but it was everything to us.”
“I see.
For what it’s worth, I truly am sorry for your loss.
Officer Shane’s record showed him to be a good Officer.”
“Yah… He was…”
“However, the matter still remains.
We need your statement to help with our ongoing investigation into Correctional Supervisor Bron.”
“... what?”
“You were told this was important, Officer.
Mr. Stein has been under investigation of abuse of power for several months now.
We have reason to believe his actions were the primary antagonizing factor here.
Shane was meant to report his findings to us next week, but now…”
“Shane was helping you?”
“He was.”
<brief pause, Jae Weber thinks>
“What do you want to know?”
“Thank you, Ms. Weber.
Now then, can you please think back. Carefully.
Can you recall anything he did that may have led to this riot?”
“Shane… he… he and Bron argued this one time…”
“He just happened to fall on a superheated crate brand?! Who do you think you're fooling, Bron?!”
Jae immediately stepped away from Shane as their supervisor rounded on him, putting plenty of distance between herself and the two of them.
“Yes, rookie. He did. That's what happened. That's what I reported. And that's all anyone else will ever say if they know what's good for them.”
“Right. And this happened, what? The day after he humiliated you in front of all the other guards? He finally beat your ass, and now he's in the medical bay with a brand over his god damn eye. Convenient, aint it?”
“That bull bastard blindsided me-”
“I was right there, Bron. You single him out every day, and when he finally squared up to your sorry ass, he knocked yah flat- ”
Bron flew at Shane, wrapping a massive hand around his throat and throwing him to the ground. He reared back with a heavy boot and roared.
“He fell! You. Pathetic.-”
Jae looked away as Bron’s boot slammed into Shane again and again.
“And you didn’t report any of this at the time because?”
“Report?
Are you joking?
Bron and Tanner are both Atlas Elite ma’am.
Climbing up’s hard enough as is, but pissing off old blood like the Steins?
Sure-fire way to never make it.
Not like it’d have gotten anything done anyway.”
“I see.
For the record's sake, why report it now?”
“Because…
Because Shane would have wanted me to.
He was a good person.
Stuck up for the inmates.
Besides, I have to do something .
How else can I look his wife in the eye?”
Adam screamed into the cold air of the tundra and threw the useless keys into the night with every ounce of strength he could muster.
The bastards. Of course it wouldn't be that simple.
He’d been so close. So! Close!
If he’d been just a little bit stronger, everything would have been perfect!
Well, it didn’t matter in the end. He was free. He would go back later. Take his revenge properly–
A low, rumbling growl cut through Adam’s thoughts. A pair of baleful crimson eyes pierced through the dark surroundings as he turned to look. Fear clawed at the back of his mind for the first time that night. His hand snapped to the hilt of his stolen weapon as the wolf-like Grimm pounced. Its weight slammed into him before he could bring his blade to bear, throwing him to the ground. A powerful claw reared back. In an effort to protect himself, Adam threw his blade up, bracing the flat of the blade against the Beowolf’s attack. As the vibrations from the impact ran up his arms, Adam felt a surge of strength.
“Get off of me!”
He pulled a leg in and slammed it against the Beowolf’s gut, throwing it off long enough to stand up again. The Grimm hit the ground with a whimper before clambering back onto all fours. Driven by instinct, Adam drew his blade back before swinging at the air between him and the Grimm with a desperate roar. A blinding beam of red energy and metal shrapnel surged from the blade toward the Grimm, bisecting the beast and continuing into the tree behind it, leaving a large gash in the wood.
Adam stood still as he caught his breath and took in what just happened.
The cold snow of the tundra didn’t bite so badly anymore. His body, while still sore, felt stronger than ever.
He took a deep breath, allowing the distant sounds of Mantle to calm him. A glance at his sword revealed the entire blade was gone, shattered into pieces. That was fine. He could feel the thrum of power in his veins now.
He chuckled quietly, taking his first real steps toward Mantle. Toward his freedom. Underneath the sounds of the distant city, he could hear the howling of Grimm behind him. Good.
Perhaps he could learn a thing or two from them. They were ferocious. Powerful. Relentless. They were feared.
And yet one of them was currently crumbling before him…
Well, whatever that was, he liked it. He wanted more of it. A lot more.
It felt…
“Perfect.”