A Path To Omniscience

"This section covers the agreement that you'll undergo a training period after signing. Only after that will you begin your official duties," Liv explained. She had moved seats to sit closer to Indigo and her group, as requested, while Asher had stepped out of the room.

They had already gone over a dozen different parts of the contract that might have piqued their curiosity.

"And what exactly will our duties be? He hasn't been all that clear about it," Gray remarked, leaning back in his chair, arms crossed. Liv flipped through the contract pages in front of her until she landed on the section she was looking for.

"The division you're being recruited into won't have a fixed purpose. Essentially, you'll be assigned missions based on what Asher deems necessary. As long as it doesn't conflict with an equally authoritative government or military body, there won't be much oversight beyond his. What I can say for certain is that he won't have you doing anything illegal, and you'll always be fully briefed on each assignment before deployment."

Indigo's group listened closely. No hidden agendas, no vague directives—they would always know exactly what they were getting into before being sent out. That meant they were free to make their own judgments.

"You'll also have the right to refuse deployment if it crosses your moral boundaries," Liv added.

"However, you'll need to provide a valid reason for review." One of the Faunus frowned.

"But won't that kid-" They caught themselves.

"I mean, won't Asher be the one overseeing refusals? What if he just ignores them and sends us anyway?" A few others nodded in agreement.

Liv shook her head.

"Asher won't be the one reviewing your refusals. I will." That statement sent a ripple of surprise through the room. Reactions varied as the weight of her words settled over them.

"Wait, he put you in charge of that? Seriously?" Indigo asked, disbelief creeping into her tone.

"Isn't he worried… that you might help us undermine his decisions or something?" Of course, she didn't actually think Liv would do that. But from Asher's perspective, he had just handed the authority to approve or deny deployments to a Faunus—one who was actively fighting for Faunus rights.

In the eyes of many in Atlas, who saw Faunus as little more than animals, it was practically handing them the key to their own pen.

Liv held Indigo's gaze for a moment, then took a deep breath.

"Of course not. I know how hard it must be to trust him—to believe that Asher actually has your best interests in mind. But I swear to you, he does." She glanced around the table, taking in everyone's expressions before continuing.

"I'm sure a lot of you are wondering why I chose to work for him. The simple answer is that I believe in him—his vision for the future. I trust that when he gains enough influence to make real decisions for Atlas and Mantle, he'll make the right ones. And…" She let out a small chuckle.

"If he doesn't, well… he's made sure to put me in the perfect position to keep him in check."

Saying it out loud made it sound almost ridiculous. Judging by the looks Indigo's group was giving her, they thought so too. The heir to the Frostvale family—an Atlas elite—was giving a Faunus, his own attorney, enough power to keep him in line? By all logic, that shouldn't add up, at least not by Atlas standards.

Indigo leaned back slightly, arms crossed.

"You know, the way you talk about him, you make him sound like some kind of kind-hearted genius trying to change the world or something." She shrugged, letting out a dry chuckle.

Liv tilted her head, a half-smirk forming.

"Oh, he's definitely not kind-hearted," she admitted.

"Most of the time, he feels more like a demon whispering in your ear. But there's no doubt about it—he is a genius. And one way or another, he's going to change the world." There wasn't a shred of hesitation in her voice. And when Indigo met her eyes, she saw it—Liv wasn't just making empty statements.

After a moment of silent deliberation, Indigo groaned.

"Ugh… fine. I don't have any more questions. Just give me a pen so I can sign this stupid thing." The rest of her group looked at her in surprise, but Indigo shot them a look that practically asked, What are you staring at?

Even Liv seemed momentarily caught off guard, but she quickly reached into her briefcase, pulled out a pen, and stood up to hand it over.

Taking it, Indigo turned toward the contract, her eyes landing on the line where her signature was expected. Just before signing, she glanced back at Liv.

"I hope you know I'm not doing this because I trust him. No matter what you say, I don't. But… I do trust you. So if he ever pushes us too far…" Liv nodded before she could finish.

"Don't worry. I'll be looking out for all of you. You have my word." That was enough for now. With a final glance at the contract, Indigo signed her name. The pen was then passed to Gray, then to the next person, and so on, until all eight of them had officially become part of Asher's division.

When Liv left the room and returned with Asher, he greeted them with a friendly smile. Moving to the head of the table, he placed both hands down on its surface, taking in the sight of his new recruits.

"I'm glad all of you decided to sign," he said.

"I can promise you, this division is going to accomplish great things. And in time, you'll be proud to be a part of it." Indigo leaned back, flipping through the contract.

"Hey, what's the name of this division, anyway? You haven't mentioned it, and it's not in the contract either."

Asher met her gaze.

"Officially, the division doesn't have a name. It's left blank. But your unit does have a designation." He paused, letting the moment settle before finishing.

"From this point forward, all of you are a part of The Insurgency."

=====================================•=====================================
October 10th, 2033

Asher had given Indigo and her group another week to settle their affairs. That was because he had arranged for all eight of them to officially live on Atlas Academy grounds—at least for the next two months while they completed their training. As for accommodations, the academy had no shortage of private rooms, and with his newfound authority, Asher had no trouble allocating space for them.

Once they were flown up to the academy and shown their living quarters, they were escorted directly to the training environment rooms—the same facility where Asher had previously demonstrated his capabilities to Ironwood.

The metal doors slid open, and the Atlas soldiers escorting them gestured for them to step inside. Their footsteps echoed across the polished floor as the doors sealed shut behind them. The sight of the massive space and its gridded floor caught them off guard.

"You know, I'm starting to see where all of Atlas' money goes. This place is stupidly big," one of the Faunus muttered, glancing around before spotting a long, collapsible metal table. A large sheet covered something on top of it.

"I don't even get how they built this place," someone else said, standing at the edge of the platform where the solid ground ended and the vast gridded training area began.

"As the kingdom's crowning achievement, Atlas Academy is considered one of the great wonders of the world." Asher's voice rang through an unseen speaker. It took a moment, but Indigo glanced up and spotted him standing behind the glass of the observation deck, hands clasped behind his back as he looked down at them.

"Not sure if great wonder is the phrase I'd use," Indigo remarked.

Asher chuckled.

"Well, I suppose opinions vary. This is all of your first time in Atlas, correct? I trust your accommodations meet expectations?" Gray let out a small scoff, his brown feathers—blended seamlessly with his hair—ruffling slightly atop his head as he focused his sharp, owl-like gaze on Asher.

"They were great," he said dryly.

"Heated floors, multiple showers and baths… there was even a jacuzzi. Just like home down in the crater."

"Sarcasm doesn't suit you," Asher responded, unfazed, before moving on.

"For the next two months, all eight of you will undergo training. While you're technically part of The Insurgency now, that means nothing if your abilities can't back it up. And judging by how your little robbery attempt against me went, I think we can all agree—you're not elite strike force material… yet."

Indigo flinched at the time frame before shouting up toward the observation deck, "Two months? Are you serious? Even enlisting in the Atlas military takes at least six to nine months of training. How do you expect us to learn anything in two?"

That wasn't even touching on the idea of an elite strike force. If that was their goal, they'd need their entire year-long contract just to get close to that level.

But Asher responded without hesitation.

"Of course not. Even if I assume you're all motivated and talented, reaching that level in two months would be impossible." One of the Faunus frowned.

"So… what are you saying?"

Asher's tone remained calm, and measured.

"I'm saying that achieving the results of years of training in just two months requires the right tools. And fortunately, I've prepared exactly what you'll need." He gestured toward the long metal table, the one several of them had noticed earlier but hadn't yet asked about.

"Go take a look. What's under those sheets will be your closest partners for the next few months." Curiosity flickered across their faces as they exchanged glances. Indigo and Gray hesitated for a moment before stepping forward with the others, making their way to the table.

Indigo reached out, grabbed the cloth, and pulled it back—revealing what lay beneath.

"Huh. What the hell are these?" Her eyes narrowed as she took in the sight of eight segmented metal frames, vaguely shaped like human limbs. Two for the legs, two for the arms, and one for the spine.

Beside each frame rested a sleek pair of glowing red visors.

Asher's voice echoed through the speakers.

"These are the result of one of my projects—Project O.M.N.I. Frame. What you're looking at are the 0.15 prototypes, brand new, and specifically modified for each of you." Indigo and the others stepped closer, hands brushing over the frames as they examined them, trying to make sense of what they were dealing with.

As Gray bent one of the joints, Asher's voice came through the speakers.

"I'd be careful with those if I were you. They're not fragile, but each one cost the Atlas Military Ⱡ32,900,000 to make." The moment that number left his lips and registered in their minds, everyone froze.

Hands went still.

Eyes widened.

Indigo's gaze snapped up toward Asher before darting back down to the O.M.N.I. Frame in her hands.

Di—Did he just say… Ⱡ32,900,000? I—How much—Holy shit!

There was no real way to describe what it felt like to hold something worth that much money. The closest comparison? Holding a baby. The sheer, paralyzing awareness that you had to be careful—hold it too tight, and you might break it. Too loose, and you might drop it.

"Go ahead and put them on," Asher instructed.

"Just hold the processor unit to the base of your neck." No one moved. Hesitation hung thick in the air. It took Asher a couple of minutes—guiding them, reassuring them that even if they somehow broke the frames, they wouldn't have to pay for them—before they finally complied.

Each of them put on one of the visors and then held the O.M.N.I. Frame's processor to the base of their necks, either over or under their clothes.

The moment they did, Asher's voice rang out again.

"GAIA, begin startup protocol. Activation code X93L7-A." Instantly, the O.M.N.I. Frames came to life. As if they had minds of their own, the segmented metal limbs snapped into place, perfectly aligning with their skeletal structure while running diagnostics.

For a brief moment, their bodies went rigid—arms, legs—completely locked.

"W-What the hell?!" Someone yelled, panic creeping in. Before anyone else could react, the locking mechanism released, and they could move again.

The O.M.N.I. Frames clung to their bodies seamlessly, their outlines glowing with a soft blue light—the unmistakable glow of an ice dust crystal's energy running through them, powering them exactly as intended.

Aesthetically, the only major difference between this O.M.N.I. Frame and the one I wore against Weiss is that these are bulkier and heavier. But that'll be fine, all it will do is improve their results. The last ones were just raw framing, but since these will be used for training, I added protective covering around the more sensitive areas, like the spine and processor.

The black protective plates made the O.M.N.I. Frame look more like a proper exoskeleton rather than just an exposed silver metal skeleton. 

"I'm sure you're all wondering what this is and why I'm having you wear it," Asher commented.

"Yeah, you think…" Gray muttered under his breath, flexing his fingers as he examined his arms.

Everyone was busy inspecting their own frames—twisting their limbs, stretching, testing how the O.M.N.I. Frame moved with them like a shadow mimicking their every motion.

"To put it simply, this is my solution to our training issue," Asher explained.

"The O.M.N.I. Frame is equipped with an AI system called GAIA. Thanks to it, these suits have multiple functions and modes. For example—GAIA, enter Training Mode." The visors flickered to life, and a calm, synthetic voice responded.

[Training Mode activated. Switching to Phase 1 of the Mastery System.]

Aside from the voice, nothing seemed to change. The visors' displays remained blank, acting only as glowing lenses over their eyes.

"Now, I want all eight of you to line up in rank, side by side," Asher instructed. At that, everyone turned toward Indigo. After a moment, she shrugged.

"You heard him. We all signed the contract, so get used to taking orders." Of course, she was probably the last person who should be talking about compliance. But if nothing else, she had some level of responsibility for all of them now—whether she liked it or not.

With Indigo standing at the center and Gray at her right, the others followed suit, forming a line.

"Good. Now, all of you—throw a punch. Any kind you like." Indigo frowned slightly at the command but was the first to follow through.

Taking a solid stance, she punched the air in front of her. It was a basic strike—better than what you'd see from someone who had never been in a proper fight, but still unrefined, more suited for street fighting than any professional level.

The rest followed suit, their strikes ranging from clumsy to slightly less clumsy—except for Gray. His punch mirrored Indigo's, though he clearly prioritized speed over raw power.

Asher nodded slowly.

"Good job. Now, don't resist this next step—it'll only waste energy."

"Huh?" One of the Faunus muttered, confused.

Before they could process his words, the O.M.N.I. Frames locked up again, stiffening their bodies.

[Analyzing strike... Analysis complete. Searching for the optimal method... Method found. Beginning simulation.]

The same voice echoed through each of their visors. Then, suddenly, their bodies started moving—without their input.

Instinctively, they all felt the urge to resist, the natural panic of losing control setting in. But against an O.M.N.I. Frame designed to match the strength of Aura users, resistance was meaningless.

Their feet shifted positions, angles adjusted. Knees bent slightly. Hips rotated into a loaded stance. It was subtle at first, but Indigo recognized the motions.

Wait a second… isn't this the stance I just took?

Yeah—it felt like it. But at the same time, it was different.

More precise.

More controlled.

By the time the adjustments were complete, their bodies moved again, launching the punch a second later.

And this time—they felt it.

Their entire bodies moved in perfect sync—the push from their feet, the twist of their hips and torso, the final extension of their arms. Every movement flowed seamlessly into the next.

The end result?

A punch.

A punch that felt just like the ones they had thrown before—yet completely different.

This one felt complete. Fluent. Perfect.

[Simulation ended.]

As soon as the punch finished, the forced movements stopped. But there was no sense of relief—only silence as everyone stared down at their hands as if replaying the motion in their minds.

"It seems a few of you can already feel it," Asher observed.

Indigo tore her gaze away from her hands, looking up at him with genuine curiosity.

"What was that?" Asher smirked in response.

"A simulation."

He let the word settle before continuing.

"The AI in your O.M.N.I. Frames have countless hours of data stored in their memory banks. When you perform an action, it analyzes that action, finds the closest match in its database, and then simulates that execution. In this case, it replicated the closest possible version of your punch."

He paused, letting them process the explanation before adding, "But the data uploaded wasn't just from any actions. No—these are what you'd consider perfected forms. The punch the O.M.N.I. Frame just had you throw wasn't simply a refined copy—it was the optimized version. No wasted energy. No unnecessary movement. No lost force."

His attention shifted to Gray.

"Gray, throw that punch again." Gray glanced up at him before setting his stance. He launched the punch just as before, but something was different—subtly, perhaps even unconsciously, his body tried to replicate the motion they had just been forced to perform.

As soon as he finished, the familiar synthetic voice returned, and a small 3D figure appeared in the corner of his visor, demonstrating the strike. Below it, a number flashed into view.

[Analyzing strike… Analysis complete. Accuracy Rating: 3.4%.]

"What did it say?" Asher asked through the speaker.

Gray blinked at the visor's display.

"It said… a three-point-four percent accuracy rating?" Asher nodded.

"That's how close the punch you just threw was to the one your body was puppeted to execute. In other words, that's how accurately you replicated the perfected version of that strike. This is how you'll be training from now on. Every action—whether it's a punch, a throw, pulling a trigger, or aiming down a sight—will be analyzed, matched with its perfected version, and then simulated for you to experience." His eyes narrowed, a sharp glint flashing in them as he continued.

"And every time, you'll do your best to replicate that perfected action. Each time you hit a five-percent checkpoint—ten percent, fifteen percent, and so on—the O.M.N.I. Frame will ease up. Instead of forcing your body, it'll slowly act as more of a gentle guide." The weight of what he was saying started to settle over them.

From this point forward, their bodies would have training wheels in every session. No matter what they did—running, jumping, shooting, dodging—everything would be analyzed, compared to the perfected version, and re-executed.

They weren't just training.

They were being rewired.

"In the end, if you want to get through a training session without constantly being forced to repeat actions, your bodies will have no choice but to learn—to feel the motions and replicate them instinctively," Asher explained.

One of the Faunus muttered under their breath, "That… that's insane."

"Yeah, isn't this impossible?" Another added.

"No matter how many times we repeat it, our bodies can't copy something like that perfectly."

Asher's response was flat. Unwavering.

"Then you'll spend every training session—eight hours a day—repeating the same motion until your body either learns or breaks. Either way, you have two months. Complaining won't change that." A heavy silence followed. They exchanged uneasy glances, concern evident on their faces.

Then, Gray spoke up.

"Is this even possible?" His gaze lifted toward the observation deck.

"Has anyone ever actually thrown a punch like that? The one we just executed?"

They had all felt it.

It didn't seem real. It felt unnatural—like something beyond human capability. Even though their own bodies had performed it just moments ago, it still felt impossible.

Yet, Asher's answer was simple.

"Of course it is." His voice carried no hesitation, no doubt.

"After all, the source of all the O.M.N.I. Frame's perfected actions came from me."