"The Departure"

The Day Before The Vacation's End

Lake Atlas, Vytal

Silence roared over Lake Atlas in the morning, accompanied by the sounds of crickets and birds and water. It was early morning which meant that most people were still laying in bed, asleep. However, in the rise of the morning sun, a figure jogged along the sandy shore of the lake. The figure was a male human, outfitted in black gym shorts and a light gray t-shirt. His tan skin and brownish-black hair revealed his Hispanic heritage while the bright blue eyes pointed out his small trace of his Caucasian traits. The boy was slightly taller than other seventeen year olds his age and looked slightly skinny for his size. However this can fool others since his body is strengthened by constant exercising and training.

As the teenager continued his jog around the lake shore, his mind was filled with thoughts about one particular goal that would be considered as two goals in one.

"I have to find out who or what I really am." The teen thought out loud, inside his mind. Greg Anderson was determined to discover his past and how he came to be who he is now. Every since he and seven other US military personnel were transported into the world of Remnant, Greg had been discovering more things about himself than he had ever known. One of these things was the discovery of his powers. Ever since he was kidnapped at one point by his father, he had these powers to change the outcome of the upcoming war between Remnant and the Federation. However there was one problem with that idea and that problem is his father, Captain Deuce Anderson.

Captain Deuce Anderson was the world's deadliest sniper with the highest amount of confirmed kills under his name. That's how he earned the title that spread fear among his enemies. The title was "Deuce the Nailer". However he had been shot by an enemy sniper called the Apache and had bled to death in Greg's arms two days before the events that sent him to Remnant. Unfortunately the Federation discovered the sniper's grave and managed to not only resurrected him, but also turn him into another Ghost Killer like Rorke. So this made the mission the Agency of Vytal (also known as the AOV) more personal to the young Marine. However even that fact wasn't the real reason Greg would go on this mission.

The real reason is because of his new girlfriend, and possible future wife, Velvet Scarletina. She is the first girl that Greg has fallen in love for and the same goes for her likewise. During his kidnapping, Greg was horrified to discover that his father planned to kill the Rabbit-Faunus if he couldn't capture Greg that day. So he wanted to find and stop his father before the twisted sniper could lay a hand on Velvet.

"If there was only a way to stop my father without having to kill him…" Greg pondered to himself as he leapt over a fallen log that was in his way. The mission objective was to locate Deuce and either turn him back to normal or to eliminate him as a threat. This idea made him bitter since Deuce was the only family of his blood left since ODIN hit San Antonio ten years ago.

ODIN. The very system that was to defend the United States is the system that destroyed the southern west part of the USA. It claimed the lives of twenty-six million Americans in less than a couple of minutes after the Federation hacked into it and turned it onto the US. Greg witnessed and survived through the strike that left San Antonio in ruins with his mother. He had witnessed a oil tanker truck slam into a bus, filled with his friends, leaving only a melted, twisted wreck of metal, mixed in with charred skeletons. His cousin was helping an elderly woman out of her collapsing home, only to be crushed by a piece of debris from falling apartment complex. However it was three years later when the second to final blow happened.

When he and his mother were resting in a ruin house, a Federation Infiltration team decided to search the place after seeing a campfire outside of the building. Greg's mother hid him in one of the closets and tried to distract the Federation soldiers. Her reward was being shot in the head followed by two Fed soldiers violating her dead corpse right in front of the closet Greg was hiding in.

This memory made Greg stop running as his eyes started to water. He leaned up against a tree and started to cry. He slid down onto the ground, ignoring the tree bark that was scraping his arm up, as he let out his emotions right there, alone near the shore. He was a walking time bomb and he knew it. He never went to a psychiatrist before even when the doctors told him to see one after he was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He didn't want to until the war was over. However it seemed that the war would follow him, no matter where he was. Sadly war never changes, but the people in it do.

Breakfast at the lake house was a mournful one today unlike the days before. Everyone was moody since one of their friends was leaving on his own for a mission that no one from Beacon could accompany him for it. Raiden was in a trance while Yang looked outright depressed. Alex appeared to be disappointed with Ruby saddened. Derrick and Weiss tried to comfort each other like Jaune and Pyrrha were, but both couples were unsuccessful. Rick and Blake were also saddened while Nora was actually crying into Ren's chest. Leland was so out of it by the sadness that he actually overcooked the meal a couple of times. Randi only sighed as she played with her food, holding her head up in her left hand. Velvet, however, was devastated today. Her ears wilted like dying flowers and her eyes were continuously watering with tears running down her cheeks. She didn't want Greg to leave, but at the same time, she wanted him to discover more about his past.

Greg hugged her as she cried her eyes out. He had showered after his morning exercises and changed into light blue jeans and a blue-plaid button-up short-sleeved shirt. He had packed up his essentials into a military backpack and set it down by the door, next to his M21 EBR transforming rifle. He wanted to say his goodbyes before he would leave for a long period of time.

"So this is it, I guess…" Greg trailed off, grabbing everyone's attention.

"Look, Greg. We should go with you. You never-" Raiden tried to explain, but Greg politely cut him off.

"I know you guys want to help me, Raiden. I know. However, this is a personal mission and somethings I think are things you shouldn't make yourselves go through. So I'm sorry, guys, but you can't go." Greg gently stated as he slowly got up.

"Hey, Greg…. Good luck out there." Alex said as he got up as well to help Greg with his stuff.

"Stay safe, Devil Dog." Derrick stated with Weiss raising an eyebrow at the nickname.

"Semper Fi, Leatherneck." Rick also said, getting Blake to react the same as Weiss.

"Don't hurt yourself out there. I can always drag your sorry butt back here if Raiden wants me to." Yang reminded, actually having tears in her eyes.

"Shoot straighter than your enemy, Rifleman." Ruby stated, taking a line from the Rifleman's Creed that Greg had taught her before.

"Keep your head on straight, Jarhead." Leland said as he started crying, completely oblivious about the food he was overcooking.

"May your shots land true, Marine." Ren replied while Nora bearhugged Greg for a few moments, literally crying out waterfalls. Meanwhile Jaune and Pyrrha simply hugged Greg as well, but not as roughly as Nora did. Finally Velvet came up to Greg and hugged him.

"Please come back soon and safe, Greg." Velvet said before kissing Greg on the lips. The two young lovers had their lips locked together for a few moments, but to them, it seemed like a lifetime. As they slowly broke apart, Greg whispered back to her.

"I promise."

Greg collected his gear from Alex and walked out the door with everyone following him. Once he was outside and walking down the path, he placed his desert-colored Marine baseball cap on his head and turned around to look at the lake house one more time. Everyone was gathered on the porch and stood at attention, saluting him. Greg smiled before he stood at attention and saluted back. After a few seconds, everyone stopped saluting and Greg once again continued his journey, unaware that he would make more friends in his travels and they would help him discover his true identity as well as stopping Deuce the Nailer.