Chapter 7: Born Again Atheist

January 8th, 1300

8:05 PM

"Welcome to the troop, glad you could join us."

"Thank you, sir, glad to be here," Blake said smiling in return as she gave a firm handshake to the commander standing in front of her. He was blonde, human, and he wore smoky leather armor that slightly blended in with his surroundings.

"Who will you be replacing, Ma'am?" A slightly wiry man said, standing next to the commander, holding a clipboard with an obvious stack of roll call sheets clipped to the board.

"Sir, I will be replacing Weiss Schnee, and my name is Blake Belladonna," Blake responded right before someone tapped her shoulder and coughed. She turned and before catching sight of the person asked, "Yes?"

Yang's smile stretched halfway across her face. "Oh my god it's you! Holy shit, it's actually you I … Blake. How are you?" Yang said still smiling. Before the friendly smile faded Blake responded.

"Good now that you're here!" Blake said honestly and enthusiastically. She then grabbed Yang by both shoulders and pulled her in for a passionate kiss. Yang caught Blake by surprise and spun the cat Faunus around once then held her tightly as the passion deepened.

Chuckles and cat calls came from off to one side from the soldiers watching. Yang pulled back and grinned, "Well that was unexpected, but definitely pleasant!"

"What do you mean?" Blake said reading deeper into Yang's words and looking at her expression. "Have you already been fighting?"

"Ha, do you even know where you are? Blake?" Yang said somewhat concerned for her friend's direction senses.

"Shit the east right?" Blake said in surprisingly genuine sympathy. This received confirmations from the gathered soldiers. "Skirmishes got it. So how have things really been going? And what are you guys fighting anyway?"

"Surprisingly enough we've received a lot of resistance, and we're only trying to occupy some key areas so we can defend them," Yang explained. "We have our sights set on a last ditch effort fortress, which would help us when the war starts winding down … just in surviving that is."

"Oh okay," Blake said. "Wait, Ma'am, why are you explaining this?"

Yang laughed like it was obvious, and it probably was. "I'm the leader of this platoon silly!" Yang's voice still held a lot of excitement obviously from seeing her girlfriend again. "It's been a long time since I've seen you, where've you been? I haven't seen you since the briefing in mid-December."

"Yeah?" One of the solders near the back dressed in sniper gear asked. "Yang's been saying you're our secret weapon. So what's so special about you?"

"Half me and half her own abilities," Karael said stepping out from behind the tree at the edge of the clearing. The angel walked forward and approached the group. "Good evening everyone how are you all doing? Do not worry, I am not a black nor am I a fallen angel. Yes those are both real, but so am I."

Everyone was shocked into silence for a moment, a good angel joining their forces? How could they not loose now? These thoughts ran through most everyone's heads, and after a moment deliberation swept through the encampment like a plague. There were now a lot of words being exchanged among the soldiers in hushed tones. Many of them didn't want to somehow upset the goddess like figure in their midst.

Blake realized something. "You don't have your wings unfurled," She commented.

"No I do not," Karael said. "I think that would be too much for even these already hardened soldiers."

Yang shook her head, momentarily confused. "Wait so you have an angel watching out for you?" Yang asked Blake.

"Not so much as watching over just working with. We're both being hunted by our own kind, her by dark and fallen angels me by humans and some bitchier Faunus," Blake said in response.

"Well whatever happened before today I could sure use both of your girl's help," Yang said.

"Help with what, I might ask?" Karael said.

"Well," Yang said deliberating for a moment then she continued. "The soldiers have been downplaying it, but we've encountered some serious problems with capturing major locations as you may have already heard. Right now we're having some particular trouble with this place called Hemlock. Damn near impossible to breach … but that's not the problem we need to deal with."

"So what's the plan so far?" Blake asked.

"We're thinking of taking Hemlock by going at it like island hopping. But instead of islands we're going for fortresses. Things should be pretty straightforward," Yang explained.

"You did say it was nearly impossible to breach Hemlock. What did you mean by that?" Karael asked.

"I meant it's literally impossible to breach Hemlock without bloodshed," Yang said. "Sorry should've have explained that earlier. Now, our first target has not revealed itself since we haven't been able to get close enough to examine the terrain surrounding Hemlock."

"Well I am an angel," Karael said. "Just let me handle the scouting, I will fly in and scout things out."

"Be careful," Yang cautioned. "The Grim inside Hemlock are in frenzy. They can sense Grimm vying for the Primary Rift and that means they'll be reunited with their long lost kin inside the darkness. Now when I say darkness I literally mean the very darkness that originally brought the Grim to our world of Remnant."

"Very well then," Karael said. "I will fly and. And I will be carefu, do not worry."After that the angel jumped straight up in the air ascending much higher than either Blake or Yang could ever do. Karael unfurled her wings and took flight heading off towards Hemlock.

After the angel left Blake looked at Yang and sighed, "Now what?"

"Well first things first I'll introduce you to my platoon," Yang said. At the nervous look on Blake's face Yang assured her, "Don't worry, I'm sure they'll like you, enough to die with you? Maybe not, but we'll see about that."

Blake just nodded and both girls turned together to face the gathered soldiers around. Blake let out a small gasp of breath at the sight of all the gathered men. The shear size of the army before her was astounding, and Blake had no idea how many there were. "Hello," Blake said.

Many of the soldiers just stared but a few nodded in greeting. One of them stepped forward and asked, "Who's this commander Yang?"

"This is Blake Belledona," Yang said and apparently this was enough of an explanation. Some of the soldiers cheered and the one that had spoken stepped forward and held out his hand. Blake shook it firmly.

However most of the soldiers were just staring at her. Not exactly accepting but then again not exactly supportive; when push came to shove Blake was sure they would be willing to lend a hand. Standing in the way of an enemy's death stroke? Well Blake would have to prove herself if she wanted that kind of trust.

After the majority of the soldiers had gone off to do other things, Yang turned to Blake and asked, "So … how are you feeling?"

"Like the only way I'll make a difference in anything is to do it myself. After all god's and monsters exist, and since I've seen angels demons must exist. Therefore I can kill them, leading me to believe that if I try hard enough on my own merit I can literally do anything. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm a born again atheist. And going into war, I think that's a good thing."