The old city of Frija was a sight to behold, for it was the original capital of Vacuo that dated centuries into Remnant's past. It would seem to be mainly composed of stone-based architecture, the first of its kind in Remnant's history. It would have been a marvel of the modern world had it not been attacked relentlessly during the Great War by both Atlas and Mistral, shelled to oblivion before being left to rot as Vacuo recovered and moved on without it. Save for a few thousand residents who made it their home over the years, mostly Faunus, Frija was largely a desolate city. Which made it the perfect place for Nordwind to settle into and convert into a logistics base to help expand its influence further into rural Vacuo.

More importance was placed on its location when a massive dust mine was located a few kilometers away from the city. Nordwind immediately moved to establish a subsidiary and ordered a lease from the council of Vacuo, promising a fair fifty percent of the dust extracted from the Fraser Mine. Considering that Nordwind would be handling the security as well as the procurement of workers, the council found it a fair deal that Vacuo would have a good amount of the dust coming from the mines. With the evisceration of the Schnee Dust Company after the fall of Atlas, Foehn made sure to raid one of their equipment warehouses in Mantle in case of a large dust deposit being discovered in Vacuo.

Frija soon somewhat regained its lively status once more, filled with workers from the dust mines who practically lived there at that point. Though the massing of military units in the city to ensure the secrecy of the mines wasn't lost on most of the inhabitants, many of whom were cheap labor imported from Menagerie.

"They're paid well enough it seems, enough not to unionize." Sun Wukong observed discreetly, his identity hidden beneath a shabby cloak. His tail was hidden beneath his pants, as uncomfortable as it was.

"Imagine if huntsmen got paid, now wouldn't that be a sight." Neptune chuckled a little as he observed from behind a newspaper, with two eye holes cut into it. "Maybe that could be a thing we do when we're middle-aged and all ugly. Imagine, Neptune Vasilias and Sun Wukong, extreme entrepreneurs of tomorrow!"

"You don't know the first thing about making money, dude," Sun replied sarcastically.

"I do so!" Neptune raised his voice before being forcibly hushed by Sun, who quickly pressed his hand against his mouth.

"Quiet man... we're supposed to be super spies." Sun hissed, somehow both whispering and yelling at the same time. "Trying to find anything that'll put these guys down and under, ring any bells?"

"Mmpf! Mmmphf mmpf!" Neptune spoke through muffled words.

"Yes, I know I'm not looking at anything. I'm paying attention to you because you're being stupid right now man." Sun whispered at Neptune once more.

"Mmpf mmpf..." Neptune shrugged.

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry too." Sun replied, removing his hand from Neptune's mouth. His blue-haired friend gasping in and out behind his newspaper as he caught his breath. Though the two huntsmen's attention was suddenly drawn to an altercation happening just a few meters away from them. A confrontation between a Faunus contract worker from Menagerie and a Nordwind soldier, Sun moved to get a closer look as Neptune tiptoed closer behind while still hiding behind his newspaper.

"You don't seem to have the proper worker permits to even be here. And you expect me to let you off so easily when you could be conducting espionage against us?..." The soldier asked in a harsh tone, hand already inching towards his electrobaton.

"Look, look... I don't know anything about spying or any spies! I was just heading to the distribution centre to renew my permit... I forgot to do it yesterday... Please... forgive me..." The dog faunus cowered at the behest of an electrobaton being swung out and buzzing on.

"What's the matter? Can't even read rules or instructions? Here's something that you'll understand." The masked mercenary roared out, holding his electrobaton up high and prepared to deliver a strike. Such a potent weapon was already designed specifically to hurt those protected by aura, delivering a painful shock which the protective aura helped to disperse around the body. Without aura, the effects were only greater and inflicted more pain onto anyone unlucky enough to be at its business end.

Sun gritted his teeth as he watched this all unfold, his knuckles cracked as he almost stepped completely out of his ragged cloak to confront the soldier. He was just about to leap out with Ruyi and Jingu Bang out to teach this punk a lesson. Stopped only by Neptune who interfered and grabbed him on the shoulder.

"Dude... didn't you just say two seconds ago not to be stupid?... What are you doing now?... We're in the middle of Nordwind country." Neptune urged quietly.

Sun looked at his friend, then to the Faunus worker being continuously harassed by the mercenary. For a moment he did contemplate their mission. Though, as easy-going as he usually was, he knew discrimination and oppression where he saw it. Sun had his fair share of experience involving prejudice, something that he usually never let get to him. But nothing was stopping him from standing up for people being trampled on.

It might be a reckless decision, perhaps even one that carried negative consequences. But for him, it was just the right thing to do.

He leapt out from his cloak, his nunchucks in their staff configuration. Spinning it in the air before bringing it down hard over the soldier's head.

Only for it to be deflected by an aura, the soldier cackled at Sun's surprise. Meanwhile the Faunus worker who was being harassed was able to get away from the situation discreetly.

"You're dumb as a box of rocks, kid." The soldier said as he pulled out his electrobaton, swinging it in Sun's direction.

Sun was able to deflect it and proceeded to hurl a massive combination of counter attacks that ended with him leaping into the air to bring both his nunchucks down on the soldier's head. Breaking the soldier's aura and knocking him out cold. Sun noted a small device located at the soldier's belt, containing a strange green and violet substance. Surely these soldiers couldn't all be huntsmen. Was this aura... artificial?...

"We gotta get to those speeders, man." Neptune urged, placing his hand onto Sun's shoulder once more.

"Right, right..." Sun replied. The two began to sprint away from the scene. Hearing the exclamations of Nordwind Mercs who arrived at the scene and unfurled their electrobatons, giving chase to the two infiltrator huntsmen.

Sun heard the distinct rumbling of an Atlesian Paladin approaching, meaning that Nordwind was bringing in the big guns now. Their swoop bikes were a couple of blocks away, Sun deflected a few bullets that were fired at them while Neptune returned fire at their pursuers.

"So, their regular troops have aura now!?" Neptune asked aloud.

"Guess so!" Sun replied. "At least we didn't leave empty handed without learning something huh?"

Suddenly, an armoured mech leapt from behind a few buildings and landed squarely in both Sun and Neptune's way. The Atlesian Paladin held in it's hands a giant war hammer, it's metal claws dug firmly into the street. It's immense weight causing the very asphalt beneath it to crack.

"Now where do you two think you're going?" Boomed a voice from the mech's loudspeakers, before the cockpit opened up. Revealing a man whose upper torso was connected directly to the mech via a cybernetic attachment that encompassed his waist, leading directly into the chassis of the Paladin.

"You little fucks think you think that you can just barge into our city with little more than shit eating grins your faces!? You've got another thing coming..." The man seemed to be in tune with the mech, almost as if it were his own body.

His call name was Blizzard: AKA The Cold Storm of Atlas. A soldier severely wounded during the kingdom's fall, brought back to service in the body of a mech. Now a high ranking captain in the service of Nordwind PMC, and overall military governor of Freija District.

"What's the plan man?" Neptune asked Sun, changing his rifle into a trident.

"Still thinking!" Sun replied, as the man in the mech stepped closer. The other Nordwind grunts behind them approached closer as well.

"I could explain why you're so screwed... or what the hell our cause is to you two. But it don't matter... understand it or not, hrrrRRRRAAAHH! You'll die for it all the same!" Blizzard's hammer was raised high in the air as the two huntsmen leapt out of the weapon's way the second it was brought down where they once were.

"We'd love to stay and talk but, gotta split!" Neptune called out.

They slipped past the Paladin's feet as the infuriated Blizzard turned around and sped after them using his mech's rockets, intent on crushing these two like bugs beneath his feet.

"I'll put you under!" He yelled out, though Neptune and Sun rounded a corner just as he got to them. The two pushed aside a Nordwind soldier who was just about to have their rides towed. Allowing the duo to hop onto their swoop bikes and begin speeding out of the city.

"You still got those spare goggles man?" Sun asked Neptune, who reached into his pocket and tossed him a pair. Though their escape was faltered when a barrage of missiles from Blizzard's arsenal struck the retreating huntsmen. Causing Neptune's bike to explode and its rider to stumble on the ground.

"Neptune!" Sun yelled out while his friend struggled to get up as Blizzard quickly approached him. Ready to crush him under his heavy metallic foot.

Sun was able to turn his bike on a whim and speed right under Blizzard, grabbing Neptune from the ground and sharply turning once more to make his way out of the city. All the while gunfire from reinforcement Nordwind mercenaries sped past them as they made their way out of Frija.

"Cowards!" Blizzard yelled after them, sticking the handle of his hammer into the road. Watching as the plume of dusty clouds dissapeared into the horizon.