Chapter 2: School time

The group sat down inside of the makeshift classroom. Well, if one could even call it that. It only consisted of a couple of benches, with a whiteboard and a desk in front.

Zhang entered the room, together with Tygan. They had a projector with them, and put it down on the desk. "Now, first off, we'll show you the enemies you'll have to deal with." Zhang started. "Doctor Tygan, could you please start the presentation?"

He nodded, and activated the projector. It projected a human-like creature on the wall, one they had fought during the landing. "This is an Advent Soldier. There isn't anything special about them. They have a gun, and are fragile. They'll use strategies like taking cover, but just aim for their head, and take the bastards out. However, they are predictable, since all of them are connected to a psionic network, like a hivemind."

"Uhm, one question." Blake asked. "Are they human?"

Tygan shook his head. "Not anymore. We know that they are gentically engineered creatures, made out of humans."

Zhang pressed a button, and the projection of another soldier appeared, this time with red highlights and a cape. "Those are their officers. They're tougher than the regular soldier, and can mark you and your squadmates. This will increase the aim of their allies." He explained.

"What? Does he draw a bulleye on us?" Kazuma asked.

"They use their implants and psionic network to do that." Tygan explained.

"Anyways, there are also two other, specialized Advent Soldiers." Zhang brought up the projection of two more soldiers, one carrying a sword on his back, and the other one having heavier armor. "Those are the Stun Lancers and the Shieldbearers. While the Stun Lancers go in close, to deliver a strike with the Stun Blades, the Shieldbearers will create a hardlight shield around their fellow Aliens. However, they can be brought down with concentrated fire, and when the Shieldbearer dies, the shields all go down. Of course, any of these come with more armor, if Advent feels like it."

"What happens if the lancer hits?" Darkness asked.

"You could get stunned, but even if that doesn't happen, you will definitely get hurt by the shock." Zhang said. "I'd advise not to get hit." He looked at her, and noticed that she blushed and moved in her seat. "What's wrong with her?"

"She's turned on. Just ignore it." Kazuma replied.

Zhang shook his head. "Great. A masochist." He pressed another button, and the device projected a new creature on the wall. It looked like a stereotypical Alien, with a strange device on its wrist. "That's a Sectoid. The little grey man we all know from movies. They can use their psionic powers to control your mind, or bring you in panic. The object on their wrist is a plasma gun. Luckily, they are fragile."

"What exactly do you mean with 'Control your mind'?" Simmons wondered.

"I mean it litteraly. They can control your actions. However, with enough willpower, you can fight it, and break free."

He pressed the button again, and a snake showed up. It had two arms. "This are Vipers. Ruby already took one down while defending the Avenger, but you shouldn't take them lightly. They'll draw you to them with their tongues, and then wrap themselves around you. This will either choke you, or press the organs out of your body. To make them even more dangerous, they are extremely mobile, and can shoot poisonous clouds."

Everyone gulped. That was something they didn't want to face.

The next picture showed something that could only be descriped as a mass of meat. "This ugly Motherfucker is a Faceless. They may look weak, but they are incredibly strong, and can shatter stones with their massive claws. They are hard to miss though, since they are roughly three meters tall. However, they can shapeshift, meaning that every civilian you see could be one. There are signs though, like that they never speak. Or the really, really bad stench."

"Are they rare?" Yang asked.

"Not really. They are often amongst the civilians, setting up surprise attacks. Always be careful about that." He pressed the button, and a four-legged, purple insect appeared. "This thing is a Chryssalid. Those are the worst. They hide underground, and jump out when you get near. Once they've got you, they'll inject a venom, that will make you unable to move. After that, it'll lay eggs into you, turning you into a living cocoon, and the babies feed on your insides while you're still alive."

"Okay, that is messed up." Grif said. "Do these suits help?"

"Well, they'd have a field day with you, fat ass." Simmons said. "But seriously, do these suits help?"

"We might need to run some tests, but from seeing them alone, maybe." Zhang answered.

"Can we have them as pets?" Caboose wondered, and everyone slowly turned towards him. "I want to name mine Fluffy."

"Let's just carry on..." Zhang said in disbelief. The next picture was that of a big, bulky creature, with a green armor. "This is a Muton. It's big, mean, and can easily kill you. For their size, they're surprisingly fast. They carry big plasma rifles, and like to throw grenades. Their rifles also have a sharp edge, which they use for close quarter combat."

"What's a grenade?" Megumin asked.

"An explosion in a little ball. Pull the pin, and throw it." Ruby explained, and Megumin's eyes shined with anticipation.

"And really, throw it." Zhang added. "We had rookies that accidently threw the pin instead." He opened up the next picture, and it showed another Muton. This one looked like someone pulled the skin off a Muton, leaving the muscles open. It also looked a lot bigger. "Like the normal muton, those Berserkers are incredibly strong. They're the females of their species, and can crush you with one fist. They don't carry guns though, so just keep your distance. They can also let out a roar that boosts the bloodlust of their fellow Mutons."

He proceeded to the next enemy type. It were the robots the Chief defeated yesterday. "This are the MECs. They have armor, but aren't as tough as they look. Their armor is easily broken, and then it's only a question of how much ammo you can pump into them. However, they have grenade launchers on their backs, but only have one shot. There's also a red, stronger version, but it follows the same principal. It's also possible to hack them, to either take control of them, or shut them down."

The next creature appeared. This one looked like some sort of godly entity. It had a purple body, with golden ornaments around. A golden helmet covered the face, and the lower body was missing. Instead, it had thrusters. It carried a spear around. "This is the Archon. It can fly, as you may have already guessed. Those things are incredibly tough, and can withstand a number of hits. They like to attack in close range, using their spears. The thing you've to be the most aware of is their movement though. They will try to grab you, fly up, and thrust you into the ground. Additionaly, they can fly up, and send out a barrage of rockets, that will eventually hit your position. So when they go up, make sure to change your positions."

"They sound like a pain in the ass." Coco pointed out.

Zhang laughed. "You have no idea. Next up is the Andromedon." He showed a picture of the robot they, or Megumin, defeated last night. "Those guys are dangerous. Despite their appearance, they're actually Aliens in Mech suits. They can't breathe our atmosphere, so they have to use those. It uses stored acid as bombs, as well as a plasma rifle."

"Can't we just aim at the Cockpit?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yeah, doesn't seem too hard." Tucker agreed.

"Well, once the Alien inside is dead, the suit's AI activates, essentially turning it into a Robot. It will loose it's ability to use the rifle, but will try to punch you, and is harder to take down. Even worse, it's likely that the battle damaged the suit, and acid leaks out. This means everywhere it steps is a death zone."

He pressed the button once again, and another creature appeared. It looked like a woman, with a completely golden body. Black mist created some form of hair. "This is the Codex. It has incredible psionic potential, and uses it to block your weapons, an effect that can easily be reversed by simply reloading."

"This creature consists of pure energy." Tygan added. "We think that they're a defense mechanism of Advent's computer networks. They teleport, and clone themselves if they sustain too much damage. So try to hit them with strong attacks."

"Great. AIs are still going to ruin our lives." Grif and Tucker muttered.

"Next, we have the Gatekeeper." The picture of a big, one-eyed ball appeared on the wall.

"That doesn't look that bad." Jaune said happily.

"Those are some of Advent's strongest units." Zhang said, and Jaune sighed. "Their shell gives the impression of a robot, but the inside is actually pure flesh, displaying a high amount of biomechanical engineering. They can use either an energy beam, which is luckily very inaccuarate, or open their shell, and use their extremely high psionic powers. For example, they can use it to raise the dead, and deal massive damage to everything in the radius of the attack."

"Wait, raise the dead? Do you mean Zombies?" Aqua asked.

"Precisely."

"I will just purify them." Aqua said smugly, and leaned back.

"Their shell is extremely hard, so try to deal heavy damage when it's open." Zhang explained. "And next up, we have the Sectopod." The picture of a big, two legged, gray robot appeared. "Those things are the biggest danger you can encounter on the battle field. Both literally and figuratively. They use rockets, lasers and plasma to not only destroy you, but probably also everything around your position. If you are ever unfortunate enough to encounter one, concentrate fire on it. And don't stay close, it will explode upon destruction."

"Oh dear..." Velvet muttered.

"The last one we know of is the so-called Avatar." The picture of a man appeared. He held a purple rifle in his hand, wore some sort of dark, black and purple armor, and a red visor. The grey hair of the being stood up. "Those are Advent's most dangerous assets. Their high psionic powers give them nearly god-like abilities. From simple mind-control, up to using psionic energy to create giant spears and even melee weapons. Even worse, they constantly heal themselves, and teleport a lot, making it hard to pin down. Additionaly, they can take a good amount of hits."

"And how can we take them down?" Pyrrha asked. Everyone seemed slightly afraid, except for Sarge, Nora, Darkness and Masterchief.

"Like every other enemy. Shoot it until it dies." Zhang said. "With that out of the way, please come to the firing range. We'll access your ability with weapons next."


"This is one of our most treasured rooms, the armory. If you need a weapon, or Ammo, just come here and ask our lovely friend." Zhang said, and patted the officer on the back. He almost fell over, thanks to Zhangs strength.

The armory was located in the front of the ship, next to the hangar. Different kinds of weapons hang on the walls, ranging from Assault Rifles and Pistols to Sniper Rifles and Grenade Launchers.

"Yes, just come by." He said. "I'm Lieutnant Rogers."

"Aren't you a soldier too?" Yatsuhashi asked, and pointed at his rank insignia on Rogers' shoulder.

"Well, I was. But one of those Berserkers got me good. My leg is actually mechanical, and with our limited ressources, we aren't able to keep it in check during and after firefights."

"Where do you get your ressources from anyways?" Tucker asked. "Doesn't Advent have the Earth under control?"

"Not entirely." Zhang replied. "There are still three save havens out there, and a couple of small black markets. They are all positioned in hard-to-reach areas, so that Advent either won't find them, or won't bother."

"Okay, that's at least something." Coco said.

"Now, everyone grab a weapon, and come over to the firing range." Zhang said, and left towards it.

Half an hour later, everyone had a weapon, simple Assault Rifles for the most part, and stood in a line. "Okay. First off, we've got Ruby. Show us what you got."

Ruby stepped forward, and took the rifle she grabbed in the armory. Her normal weapon, Crescend Rose, wasn't working. Weiss explained last night that Dust only worked on Remnant, so they would have to use regular weapons. She aimed at the target, which fittingly looked like a Sectoid, and pressed the trigger. The shot nailed the head, and everyone cheered.

"Not bad. Are you a Sniper?"

"Actually, I am." Ruby said proud, and stepped to the side.

Next on was Weiss. She needed a couple more shots, but hit too. "Okay... You need to work on your aim, but it'll work out."

She nodded, and Blake stepped forward. Unlike the others, she grabbed a pistol, and aimed at the target. the shot hit perfectly. "You got experience with pistols, right?"

"I do. My normal weapon is a pistol." Blake explained, and let Yang take a shot.

She aimed at the top of the target, and led her weapon down while firing, riddling the whole target with holes.

"That took a lot of ammo." Rogers pointed out.

"Well, I'm not that good on range, so I thought that might work out well." Yang replied, and stepped to the rest of her team, while Rogers wrote down the results.

Jaune took his rifle, and shot. It hit the body after three shots. Pyrrha on the other hand nailed her shot.

After her, Nora went in front, and aimed. She did the same thing like Yang, and Zhang shook his head. "You're wasting too much ammo out on the field. Work on that."

Nora shrugged, and let Ren take a shot. He let out a short burst of fire. "Okay, at least someone has actually used an Automatic before." Zhang said.

Ren nodded, and made room for Coco. She mowed down the target with her gun. "Okay, that isn't a Minigun, you know?" Rogers said in shock.

"I know." Coco replied, and put her aviators back in place. "But I'm used to Miniguns."

"Write down Grenadier for her." Zhang said to Rogers, and he noted it.

Next was Velvet. She took the gun, and used it perfectly. "Whoa. Not bad. Didn't expect that from you."

"Well, you can thank my Semblance for that." Velvet replied, and went over to Coco.

Zhang and Rogers wondered what exactly she meant with Semblance, but shrugged it off for now, since Fox was already standing in front. He hesitated. "Is everything okay?"

"I can't use that." Fox replied.

"What?"

"I'm blind." He answered.

Zhang sighed. "Great. Stand by the others, we'll try to figure something out."

He nodded, and put himself to he rest of his team.

Yatsuhashi stepped forward, and shot. It hit the mark, and Zhang wrote it down. "All right. Next one please."

Sarge stepped forward. Instead of grabbing a rifle, he had his Shotgun, and shot. The shells didn't even reach the target. He shot again, and again. "The hell are you doing?"

"I'm trying to intimidate him." Sarge replied.

"Dude, a Shotgun doesn't work at that distance." Yang pointed out.

"Dammit." Sarge replied, and put his shotgun back.

"Can you use anything else?" Zhang asked.

"Nope."

The Colonel turned towards Sarge's team. "Is he a good shot with the Shotgun?"

Simmons nodded. "Yeah, when he gets in range."

"Good. Sarge, step to the side, and make room for Simmons."

He stepped to the side, and Simmons took his shot. It hit the mark well enough. Same with Grif and Donut. "At least some capable people here." Zhang muttered.

"Don't say that too early." Tucker said as he stepped forward. He shot, and hit the target. "Trust me, they're not exactly soldiers. None of us are." He made room for Lopez, who hit the target perfectly.

"Okay, that's impressive."

"Soy un robot. Estoy a salvo de tu incompetencia. (I'm a robot. I'm safe from their incompetence.)"

"Get the dictionary." Zhang said to Rogers, and the Lieutnant nodded.

The last member of the Reds and Blues, Caboose, was the next one. He stepped forward, and looked. "Caboose!" Tucker yelled from the sidelines. "That target's your ally!"

"Oh, really?" Caboose said like a child, and shot the target perfectly.

"I don't even wanna know what that means." Zhang muttered.

Caboose stepped aside, making room for the Masterchief. He nailed every shot. "All right, that was impessive." Zhang said.

The Chief nodded, and stepped aside.

"All right. That would be everyone who actually knows how to use a gun, right?" They nodded. "Okay. Everyone who already took their shots, please go to the bridge."

They left, leaving the last four people alone. "Good. Now, let me show you how to reload a rifle." Rogers said, and demonstrated the process. It was pretty simple. "Of course, every kind of gun works differently. However, we'll go into more detail about that once you've got your class. The basics should be clear though. Point it at the enemy, and pull the trigger. Every gun also has a safety feature, most off the time consisting of a simple mechanical button. Please, keep your gun save when you're not fighting. We don't want any accidents. Now..." He handed Kazuma a rifle. "Please try to hit the target."

Kazuma aimed the crosshair at the target's head, and pressed the trigger. The head exploded. "Not bad."

"Thanks." Kazuma went up to Zhang and Rogers. "Don't get your hopes up for my friends." He left, an Aqua was next.

She aimed, and hit the target after six bursts of fire. "Well, it's not exactly bad. Typical Rookie quota."

Aqua smiled, and made room for Megumin. "Can I use a grenade?"

"We're testing your ability with a gun. Once this is over, you can try yourself with a grenade launcher."

She shrugged, and shot. It gave off the same results as Aqua. "Okay, next one please."

Darkness stepped forward. "Okay... aim and..." She pulled the trigger, and emptied an entire magazine. However, none of the bullets hit.

Everyone starred at her in shock. "That's embarassing." Kazuma muttered.

Zhang needed a minute to collect his thoughts. "All right. That was... something. We'll find something else for you. Follow me, we still have something to discuss."


Zhang led them to the bridge, where the others were already waiting. "And, how did it go?" Fox asked.

"You don't wanna know." Zhang said, and walked up to the Hologlobe. "This is the bridge, the center of the Avenger."

"From here, we'll watch over your operations, and plan our next steps." Bradford added. "However, when you're here, please don't touch anything. Our equipment is extremely sensitive."

"Is this the only reason you called us here?" Grif wondered.

"It is not." The Commander said, as he entered the bridge. "You need to know our allies."

Bradford took a pad, and started to mark locations on the Hologlobe. The first was a point in the middle of the Himalaya. "This is Mars, one of our remaining Resistance Havens. Additionally, it is the biggest one, and could nearly be decribed as a small city." The next point of interest was in the middle of the Sahara desert. "This is Deimos, our smallest Haven. It's built inside a maze of canyons and caves, perfect to hide and dig for materials." The next, and last, marker was in the middle of the Pacific. "And this is Phobos, our last Outpost. It contains a small, isolated Island Chain, in the middle of nowhere. Thanks to all the water, Advent doesn't think they are a threat."

"Is this all that's left?" Ruby asked.

"At least here. We have reason to believe that there may be Resistance movements in your worlds. It's important to note that all the Havens have their purpose. While Phobos supplies us with food, Deimos digs up materials under the desert. Mars is our HQ."

"Wait, does that mean we're visiting the Himalaya?" Ren wondered.

"Not for now." The Commander interrupted. "Deimos recently gave us valuable information, implying that a prisoner transport was send out to a Advent base in the desert."

"And?"

"And we want this to be your first mission. Of course we won't send everyone." Bradford explained. "Firebrand has room for six operatives, and we want to sent Zhang along to aid you."

They looked at Zhang. "Did you know of this?"

"Not until now. But I'm more than happy to give some Rookies advice again."

"And who will go?" Aqua asked.

"We planned to send in a squad consisting of the following people." The Commander said, and six holographic screens appeared. "First off, Zhang as the team leader. Then we will sent along Miss Rose, as our Sniper. We've viewed the footage of your weapon tests, and think that it would be best that way. Then we want to send the Masterchief, as our heavy hitter. The rest of the team would consist of Mister Tucker, Sarge and Pyrrha."

"Wait, what's with us?" Megumin asked.

"You still need a bit of training." Bradford explained.

"I'll show you the way to Firebrand." Zhang said.

"All right..." Sarge said, cocking his Shotgun. "Let's save us some prisoners."


And the second Chapter is out.

With all the setup and introductions out of the way for now, the real stuff (Missions, Training and so on) are finally starting.

Now to reply to some reviews:

Edrap: Yeah, the Weiss trailer was really good.

Ellight1: I will look into adding Titanfall. I've never played the game, or watched much of it, but I'll see what I can do. I was planning to maybe add two or three more franchises later in the story anyway. As for War of the Chosen, probably, but it has to release first, so that I can see how I can work them into the story.

SignalHunter: I will add War of the Chosen when it either comes out, or when we know the story of the DLC. The Chosen themselves might appear earlier though, like the Lost.

Spacenazi: I have no idea if that was english, german, or a weird mix of the two.

Guest: Yep, Advent is pretty strong. It should be noted that the Covenant was scattered at the point they arrived, so some of the Splinter Factions joined Advent, helping them.

XCOM belongs to Firaxis Games; Halo belongs to 343 Industries and Microsoft, RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth; RvB belongs to Rooster Teeth; KonoSuba belongs to Shousetsuka ni Narou