Yeesh, I am a shitbag for failing the deadline for a second time. Screw it, Saturday's work better for me, so I'll update on Saturdays from now on. Anyway, here's the next chapter, so let me know what you think via review so I can improve and make it a better story for your enjoyment. Once again, thanks for the support, follows, and favorites. Let's get to it.

Italic: Thoughts/Letters/Journal Entries/Flashbacks/

Goldspark1: Big shout out to you for leaving reviews since you started reading, I really appreciate you take the time to always leave one. Now, it's good you didn't hold me to that update since I failed epically at that again, but this has been forcing me to pump out the chapters faster either way. Blackburn's body wasn't altered with the Aura transfer, but he was in a lot of pain when it happened. All I'll say is that in these types of stories when someone gets power from unnatural means, expect some kinds of hiccups.


Blackburn saw sky and dust dancing in the air above him. It happened so fast. McDermott going down and then him backing away from the enemy. The shooter was a kid. A kid that was moving for him with a purpose, a cold glare adorning his face. He had given the order for the kid to stop, but it may as well have been an empty threat. Even though his training kicked in to make him follow the rules of engagement, it only made him freeze when he needed to make the necessary step.

He found himself unable to pull the trigger on a clear threat in front of him and instead tried to convince him otherwise. Where did that get him? A free shot to the chest, sending him to the ground in a wave of shock.

His neck craned up and he could see the kid that shot him now lying spread eagle on the ground, blood pooling near his head. He winced a bit at the sting on his chest. Thank God for plated vests. The bullet was halted in its tracks for what would have been a sure death for him.

The realization that he could have been killed for not taking the needed step to survive was surreal.

A hand entered his vision and he jumped just a bit, still shaking off the shock. His brown eyes trailed up and he was able to make out Sergeant Carlson's face in the shadow. He looked back at the hand and grabbed it and was hoisted to his feet in a rough pull. The bruise that was forming on his chest throbbed as the vest bumped it.

"I just saved your ass," Carlson said in a low tone. "Just what the hell was that?"

He could not look his squad leader in the eye and only shook his head. No words formed to give the man an answer.

"You're lucky that you had that vest on, otherwise we'd be calling a CASEVAC for two."

Sergeant Carlson sidestepped him and trudged over to McDermott who had stopped squirming. He then squatted by Harvick and put a firm hand on his shoulder, jostling him from his dazed state. One look was all it took to get him to radio the FOB and relay a SITREP and ask for a CASEVAC.

"It was a kid," Blackburn finally found his voice. "I didn't want to kill a kid."

He did not take his eyes off the dead teenager. His eyes took in the boy's state. The body was now limp with one entry wound in the head, yet the boy's hand still clutched the AK as if everything he stood for depended on it. He barely registered Sergeant Carlson's presence to his side.

"Listen to me very closely because I don't want to have this conversation with you again, Blackburn," he said.

He only gave a light nod to show he was listening to him.

"There are a lot of grey areas out here and this is one of them. It's true that killing kids can land you in Leavenworth, but if something like this happens, it's fair game," Carlson continued.

He shook his head in denial. Killing adult men was one thing, but killing a kid who took up arms for a cause he did not fully understand? How was that fair game?

"That kid forfeited his right as a civilian the second he turned that gun on you. You did exactly what you were supposed to with the ROE. Those rules are there to keep you out of trouble like this, and you were justified to defend yourself."

He flinched when he felt Sergeant Carlson's hand grip his shoulder tightly.

"Think about that, because next time you may not be so lucky. What you do out here will determine whether or not you get to go home in one piece," he said.

Carlson let go of him and his footsteps died under the gust of wind. The remainder of their squad began to get into position to set up security and wait for the CASEVAC.

Blackburn silently mulled over the words the old sergeant hit him with, his eyes still fixed on the teenager. The words were harsh and as much as he wanted to dismiss them, they continued to lurk. The cold reality was that the man's words were true. He caught a lucky break that his squad was there to act when he failed to make that important decision.

His life or the enemy's? The teen had made up his mind and could have succeeded in killing him if his aim was just a little higher, and the dull throb on his chest was a grim reminder of that. His jaw clenched tight and his rifle shook in his hands.

"Blackburn, help me pick up McDermott," said Harvick.

He finally tore his eyes away from the dead boy in front of him and then glanced to Harvick who had the litter ready to carry McDermott. His feet carried him over to his fallen friend and he knelt by his head.

The blood that had been streaming from his neck had steadied. It had dried and turned into a thin, crusty layer. McDermott's eyes were closed, almost giving the impression that he was just sleeping after another long day, but that hope was dashed with the blood that was around his mouth. He was gone.

Blackburn rubbed his jaw and his throat tightened. He looked away and felt something wet trickle down his face and cling to his chin. He could feel the tear dangling before it fell, leaving the salty streak behind to burn in the blistering sun.

"Connor, come on. We need to move," said Harvick.

He nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He slung his rifle and he lifted McDermott up by the arms and Harvick took his legs. They gently set him on the litter and lifted it up. Neither of them said a word as they walked back to the HMMWVs.

Blackburn's eyes cracked open and he stared into the darkness of his room. The moonlight from his window was nearly gone as night began to turn to day. A small cadence of breath brushed against his leg from his furry companion.

His hand reached for his scroll on the bedside table and he opened it to check the time. A grimace came to his lips. He had half an hour before his alarm was set to ring and with the way it was going now, he would not be able to fall back asleep. If he was to be honest with himself, he did not want to fall asleep again. It would just take him back to relive those past nightmares he had seen time and again.

He sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Despite the short period of sleep, he felt wide awake and refreshed. His hand reached forward and his fingertips gently scratched the back of Zwei's ears, earning a low groan and a leg twitch from the corgi.

"Alright LT, let's see what you got for me today," he said, swinging his legs out of the sheets.


True to her word, Winter had arranged for a Bullhead to pick him up near the port at the front of the academy. The flight up to the ship was quick and the second the ship touched down in the bay, she was waiting for him. She led him down the familiar corridors they traveled each time he had come on board and to a large sealed door near the elevator that led to the laboratories.

The doors opened with a hiss and lights snapped on a second later. The room was the size of a small condo. A large sparring mat took up most of the floor save for a couple rows of tiles that stopped just before it. Two benches sat on the tiles, and there were five lockers against the wall.

"So, what are we going to do?" Blackburn looked at Winter. "Grappling? Smoke sessions? Fight till we drop?"

The smirk on Winter's face grew as she turned her icy eyes to him.

"Let's see where you stand after the warm up before we get carried away," she said.

She shed her jacket and neatly folded it before setting it on the bench. This was the first time that Blackburn had seen her in less formal attire. She was now suited for a workout. She had a dark grey tank top and white shorts.

Her form was what one could expect for a soldier. Her arms and legs were not bulging by any means, but the lean definition was there. There was hardly a trace of body fat on her, and she looked ready to face whatever challenge that was thrown at her.

"I can handle whatever you got," he answered with a knowing grin.

"We'll see about that," she said with a light shrug.

Quick as a flash, she dashed forward and crashed into him. The surprise hit stunned him and sent him stumbling back to the mat. He hit it with a hard thud and looked back up at her with a glare, but only got a smirk in return. She was going to enjoy every second of tiring him out and sending him through the ringer, but he would not give her the luxury of enjoying it.

He scrambled to his feet and assumed a guard, his eyes sharp for any movement. This only made the lieutenant raise a brow in mild amusement as she stepped on to the mat.

"Good. You always want to be ready to counter your enemy," she said.

"This is routine for me." He shook his head.

"Then that makes my job easier. So try to keep up."

Winter did not make a move to attack him again, this time calling him to attention. She then began the warm up like she promised. Needless to say, the specialist was glad that he was in as good as shape. The lieutenant was ruthless with her warm up which she had set for a half hour before they began the real training.

Every PT and smoke session he had been exposed to while he was in the Army made him resilient to tolerate it, but it was very brutal. Every possible exercise that he had been exposed to had been listed off by Winter for him to perform. Albeit different names, he was able to recognize what she was getting at after a quick demonstration.

One exercise after the next made his muscles flare in protest. Every burpee, push up, sit up, bear crawl, lunge, squat, pull up, inchworm, and sprint. Each one hit him hard and it did not take long for his muscles to start cramping and screaming in protest. Even though the discomfort it brought made him clench his teeth in determination to fight through it, he did not give up.

When the alarm sounded to signal the warm up's end, he stood upright and rested his hands at the back of his head. His heart pounded like a drum and sweat trickled down his face and stained his shirt. This woman knew how to bring the pain with a smoke session and he would go so far as to say it was the most challenging one he had, and that was saying something. He experienced dozens of them with his unit during PT and during basic, and although they were always a killer, this one in particular left his entire body feeling like jelly.

"You're still standing. I'm a little impressed that you held out as long as you did," said Winter. "Most of the soldiers I do this to can't make it more than fifteen minutes."

"Well, I was the strongest one in my squad." He panted out. "I'll give you credit, though. This was probably the toughest smoke session I had."

"Thank you. Before we go on, let's discuss Aura."

Aura was the manifestation of one's soul. It had the capability to be called upon to act as a shield from otherwise deadly attacks and could make all the difference in life and death. Aura would serve to protect their user until it reached zero and was shattered, and by that point it would render one no different than someone from Earth. Some individuals had larger levels compared to others and were capable of lasting longer in a fight and often times had a powerful Semblance to accompany it.

In Blackburn's case, Hector had a normal level much like many others. He would be no different from the average Huntsman, but it would all boil down to how he fought and how he preserved his Aura to face an enemy and emerge victorious.

"Since this is our first session, we will do this," Winter began as she stretched out her arms. "We will have short spar sessions until one of us has our Aura shattered. Each round will go until one of us has hit the other three times."

"Fine with me, LT," said Blackburn bringing up his guard. "Don't hold back."

Winter sunk into her own stance and had her fists up.

"Don't get cocky." She narrowed her eyes. "I don't think you're ready for that kind of skill."

"Train like you fight. Show me what you got," he answered her.

"If you insist."

Just like the start of the training, Winter shot forth in a blur of white that made her almost impossible to track. She was soon upon him and had her fist back for a punch, but he managed to see it. When she drove her arm forward he sidestepped the attack and went for a hook of his own, but it was quickly blocked by the her free hand.

Winter caught his arm in an arm bar and brought her fist back once more. Her hips shifted and sent the power into her punch. He tilted his head just enough to avoid it, but he could feel the air move violently around the spot it was just a second ago. Thinking fast he brought his knee up for a strike, but was surprised when Winter blocked it with her own.

His feet left the ground when Winter turned just enough to knock him off balance. In doing so, he lost his hold on her arm and gave her the chance to strike again. It was a fast hit and all he saw was stars as they burst in front of his eyes. Her punch hit him square in the nose and made his head snap back from the sheer force. A cry of surprise and pain tore from his throat and he blinked rapidly to dismiss the blurry vision. He regained his composure just enough to see a kick going for his side.

He ducked under her arm and heard her hiss as her arm twisted beyond its limit and made her let him go. The narrow escape gave him time to put space between himself and the strong lieutenant. He had been watching her moves closely and came to two obvious, yet important notes. The first was that Winter was very fast, and the second was that she could pack a hefty hit when pushed. With that in mind, he knew he needed to switch up his strategy to stand a chance to land a hit on the woman.

Taking the chance, he charged at her with his guard up and went in with a jab. His punch was easily deflected along with his follow up jab. He ducked just in time to avoid a spin kick for his head. He felt the cool air whoosh above him and it made the hair on his neck stand on end.

Winter slid forward and balanced on one leg to give a roundhouse kick. His arm throbbed just a bit when he blocked it and pushed it away to knock her off balance.

"Got you!" He lunged forward with a grin.

His grin was soon wiped from his face when the white haired woman dropped to the ground with incredible flexibility in the splits. Her rear arm driving up with an uppercut that connected with his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. His eyes went wide as he sputtered for breath, but he did not have much time to comprehend what happened.

Winter shot to her feet, spun on her heel and delivered a hard kick to his head. White spots flashed in his eyes and he went stiff as a board before falling to the mat with a hard thump.

His arms and legs lay limply and his eyes remained screwed shut as he tried to block out the pain that was quickly becoming a migraine. He did not dare to open his eyes when he felt Winter kneel on the ground beside him. Knowing her, she had a triumphant smirk on her flawless face.

"I win," her voice carried a hum with it.

He could only grunt back a reply as he opened his eyes to see her bare feet before him.

"You know, even though you failed, you held your own for a bit," she said.

"Thanks," he said getting to his knees. "Let's go again."

Winter merely held up a hand, her mouth in a thin line.

"Conserve your energy. We still have a lot of time before our training is done," she said.

With a sigh, he conceded to the lieutenant. "Fine."

"Let's take a short break and give you time to recover." She nodded at the benches.

He pushed himself up and straightened his back with a loud crack. Next came his neck and shoulders. He then trudged over to the bench and plopped down, unscrewing the bottle of water he brought and taking a long gulp from it. The cool beverage soothed his dry, sore throat and he took it a step further by pouring some of the contents on his head.

Out of the corner of his eye, Blackburn could see Winter taking a long sip from her bottle as well. It was almost funny to see her drink from it with the same poise and grace that she used to walk. Her face had some beads of sweat trickling down it and her bangs clung to her face.

He shook his head and took another drink, looking at the mat and reciting what the woman beside him had said about Aura. There was still a lot that he had to learn and she and Glynda would be there to guide him. It was a fascinating concept and now that he had the ability to be a superhuman like the rest of the Huntsmen, he wanted to milk every form of training he get for what it was worth.

The silence between them was peaceful and nowhere near as awkward or filled with tension like their previous encounters. It was a nice change of pace much to his relief.

"So, how exactly did you join the Atlas Military?" He asked to break the ice. "Did you become a lieutenant through ROTC, OCS training, or was it something else?"

Winter turned to him with an arched brow, clearly surprised with the random and friendly question. She steeled herself before answering back calmly.

"No, I didn't do any of that. I was selected by General Ironwood himself when I was going through Phoebe Academy. In Remnant, Huntsmen in training go through a preliminary school to learn the basics of combat, Aura and Semblance for four years. Once they complete the preliminary school, they can move on to a more advanced school to train and become a professional."

"Oh, I see. So what makes Phoebe Academy different?" He replied.

"Nothing, really. The difference with Phoebe is that since it is Atlas based it opens the path to two possible careers after students graduate. One being Mantle Academy which is a Huntsmen academy in Atlas, the second would be the Atlas Military."

"Okay. And you said that Ironwood recruited you himself?"

Winter nodded back, a small smile on her face. It wasn't one of arrogance, but one of fondness. It was genuine and it really made her look more approachable and happy than the many other times he had seen her. Definitely an improvement from the trademark scowl she usually bore.

The lieutenant recounted her story with the utmost pride in her voice, but he did not find it a turn off. If he were to be honest, he would brag about that to anyone who would listen. It was almost unheard of for a general to do something like that.

General Ironwood had been on a routine inspection of Phoebe Academy. Being headmaster of Mantle Academy as well as head of the Atlas Military, he had to make sure his incoming prospects and his school was exceeding the standards with the potential talent they had. During his visit he had dropped by Winter's class when they were in the middle of a combat exam as a final test before graduation.

During the exam, Winter was going against two of the other top five students in her class. Her fight was challenging and it made her work, but in the end she came out the victor with just under half of her Aura remaining. She had used her Semblance to take both of her opponents on in the fight and it worked out in her favor. Not only did she pass with flying colors, but she also shattered the Aura of both combatants.

After her fight, General Ironwood approached her after the class and mentioned that he had watched her entire match and was very impressed with the way she carried herself and used her Semblance to win. He had also taken a long look at her marks throughout the years of her being in the academy. She had always been at the top of her class and her skills in leadership stood out.

"I accepted the offer of becoming an officer when he suggested it to me without hesitation and I have no regrets in doing so," she finished with a smile.

Blackburn nodded in silent agreement, not sure what to say.

"Were your parents proud of you?" He looked back at her.

The smile on Winter's face was quick to fall into a thin line. Her eyes fell to the floor and her posture stiffened. The water battle in her hand crinkled a bit from the tight grip she put on it.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to bring up something sensitive," Blackburn tried to salvage the moment.

"It's fine. You didn't know." Winter dismissed it with a sigh. "My mother died when I was young, so she didn't see me become who I am today, but my father…"

Blackburn paid close attention to the woman's tone. The way she trailed off at the mention of the man was more than enough to paint a picture of where the conversation was going. A mother no longer in the picture and a relationship with a father who was more than displeased with her choice of career.

"My father was very adamant from the beginning on me becoming the heiress to inherit the SDC," she continued.

"SDC?" He spoke up.

"Schnee Dust Company. Our family has made its history and fortune over manufacturing and selling dust to Huntsmen and vendors alike."

He nodded which was her cue to continue her story.

"As I was saying, my father wanted me to inherit the company and carry on the legacy. He was always busy doing something to make that a reality, whether it was business to set me up or if it was to train me in management, manners, and fighting. Everything was laid out for me, yet he never took what I wanted to do into consideration. Everything with him is always the company first and family second."

He said nothing as he listened to her story. Her father as a man of control and structure. Everything needed to be perfect, whether it was his business or the future of his daughters. Whatever he thought was best for them only drove the two of them away to pursue their own goals.

"I grew tired of him trying to run my life, so I stood up and told him what I really wanted to do," she said.

"And that was to join the military?" He looked at her.

"Not at first. I wanted to be my own person. To create my own identity and live my life the way I wanted and not be seen as just a Schnee, but as a woman who made a name for herself that did not involve a simple handoff from her father."

"That's understandable."

"Father was not pleased. He let me make my decision and instead shifted his attention to Weiss to make her the heiress to the fortune instead. We've been on shaky terms since then. I made my decision to join the military when I entered Phoebe Academy because I felt it was a better fit for me in terms of structure."

The specialist nodded, understanding where the young lieutenant came from perfectly. His respect for the woman grew a little bit. It took a lot of nerve to stand up to a parent like that and that was where he and her differed greatly. The two of them in fact had some common ground in how they got to where they were today. Each chose the military, but for different reasons.

Winter took another long drink from her bottle. He soon felt her eyes on him. They were narrowed just a bit as she eyed him up and down.

"What about you?" She asked.

"Excuse me?" He met her gaze again.

"How did you join the military?"

He scratched the stubble under his chin. He was not big on talking about his home life growing up, namely because in his eyes it gave off a bad first impression. Especially with how it landed him where he was.

"Well, whether you believe it or not, you and I have something in common," he answered back. "I didn't exactly have an apple pie life at home, either."

"Go on." She gave a small nod.

"I'm an only child to two parents who married shortly after finishing high school. Mom got pregnant with me when she was eighteen and Dad was scared shitless. So his method to try and find a better living for our family was to join the Army for active duty because the benefits it brought financially would help a lot."

His father joined the Army in nineteen ninety-four and left his wife behind to go through Basic Training and OSUT. It put a bit of a strain on their relationship since he was not there to help her throughout the pregnancy.

"Fast forward nine months, Dad's finished with OSUT and gets back just in time for me to be born," he continued with a smile. "He and Mom made up for the lost time and got six months together with me before he went on his first deployment."

Like he said earlier, his father joined the military to keep to his promise to provide a better lifestyle for him and his mother. It was all about the family at first and although it was difficult to be away for long periods of time, they still stuck together like glue, something that was very hard nowadays for any married military personnel. Times change, and that is exactly what happened with his father over his first deployment.

When his father came back from being deployed, the life between him and his mother picked up where it left off, but his goals had become a little more personal. The military had become more than just a financial point for him. He had grown to love it and wanted to make it a career. His mother, albeit supportive of his goal, brought up her concerns about him not being able to be around a lot as he grew up.

"So, Dad is all gung-ho about being a soldier and starts taking whatever offers he can get to further his career. Ranger School, Airborne School, Air Assault School, you name it. Everything that he wanted to do, he did it without hesitation and in time he became a decorated NCO," he said.

"Ambition is always a good quality in a man," said Winter. "I don't see the common ground with us yet, though."

"I was getting to that, just hang on."

Winter nodded for him to continue.

"Dad eventually went through SF selection and became part of the U.S. Army's Special Forces unit Delta Force in early two thousand one, and this is just before everything started to go downhill. September that same year our country was attacked by a group of terrorists causing the deaths of thousands that resulted in us declaring war. Dad, being SF, gets the call to go in before all the fighting to learn the terrain, the enemy, establish connections, and all that good stuff."

By this point in his life, he was old enough to know that his father would leave for months at a time to, as his mother put it, "Keep us and our country safe." He saw it happen again, and again, and again. Each time his father left him and his mother behind, he was able to see firsthand the difficulty it brought them. His mother had to raise him by herself like she had for the majority of his life, and although his father was in his life, he never felt like a true father figure.

His absence had left a bit of a hole and because of that, he sought solace in less than admirable acts. He often times got into trouble for fights at school, he did not focus much on his academics, and he even began to ignore his mother.

"I never understood it." He shook his head. "I never understood why my dad left home to keep on fighting. For the longest time I thought he just loved the military more than us, so I did everything I could to get his attention whenever he got back, which landed me in lots of trouble."

"You acted like a brat to get your father's attention and to keep him home?" Winter rose a brow. "That's childish."

"Yeah, and there was one time it got ugly."

"How so?"

"I called him out one night after he caught me drinking. Words were exchanged, then we started trading hits."

Winter's eyes widened just a bit at the revelation, but soon returned to their normal state.

"Dad got two good hits on me and gave me a stern lecture I will never forget," said Blackburn.

"What did he say?" She asked.

"Pretty much told me I was a piece of shit and that if I didn't get sorted out soon, I was going to land in prison. He then said that he loved both me and Mom, but he also loved his brothers that he served with."

"I see…"

Silence fell between the two of them again. He waited for Winter to absorb the words of his story before speaking.

"I know that Dad said he loved me and all that, but I never felt I truly had his respect or that he was really proud of me. I mean, you got a respected man that's loved by everyone, then you look at me who is the exact opposite giving my family a bad name."

"So, you joined the military like he did to earn his respect?" She pieced it together.

"Hit the nail on the head. So, there's the common ground between you and me. Both of us joined because of our dads, although your reason is more respectable than mine."

Winter said nothing, but a frown came upon her face. He half expected her to deny them being similar in any way despite having something in common. She did it for herself and to be recognized as her own person whereas he did it to impress his father. It was true that every soldier joined the military for their own reasons be it selfish or selflessness, but at the end of the day, they were all part of the same brotherhood that took the oath to defend their country and each other.

"Regardless if your reason for joining was not the best, it was a good decision," said Winter. "You seem to have your life organized and a goal you want to reach, correct?"

"Yeah, for the most part." He nodded.

"Then that's all that matters. As long as you have a purpose in life, you will always succeed."

He let out a light grunt in acknowledgement. Their entire conversation had been civil and it even led the young lieutenant to give him some of the best advice he ever heard. The bench next to him creaked as Winter stood up and did a quick stretch. She clicked her tongue after glancing at the time before turning back to him.

"Back to work. We talked longer than we should have, so we'll continue training from here on and only drink water when we need it," she said.

"Whatever you say, LT." He got to his feet.

The training continued with them picking off where they left off from their first spar. Winter kept the rules the same with three hits being the end of the fight, and each time she had won.

Blackburn had been able to keep up with her for the most part, but she was still way too fast for him to get an edge on her. It did not help that she was very coordinated and flexible to the point that a gymnast would be seething in jealousy. Every spin, every kick, every punch was timed perfectly and she had been able to defy the impossible and land a hit on him where a normal person would not.

He was both excited at facing someone more challenging than Sergeant Carlson, and at the same time, emasculated. The lieutenant had more than driven home the point that women were accomplished fighters, even more so in this universe he was in.

A long breath escaped his nostrils as he rolled to his side in a fetal position, nursing the hit to his stomach. His eyes cracked open and he could see Winter's smirk still present, the sweat on her face shone brightly in the light.

"Get up. You have at least one round left in you," she said.

He did not have a witty retort for the woman as he slowly got to his feet. One more round to go before the session was done and he wanted nothing more than to land at least one hit on her like he did the night they met. He had taken enough beatings from her that morning to the point he was confident he could get at least one hit.

Blackburn took a deep breath and let whatever frustration that had built inside of him out slowly die. He clenched his fists and brought them up towards his face, his eyes focused on Winter. She did the same and the two of them stared each other down. When she gave the nod, he made his move.

Rather than standing back and waiting for her, he changed up his tactics. He closed the gap between them with a jab that she sidestepped with ease. His eyes stayed on her as she ducked left and moved towards his blind spot. Once her foot was planted, she moved to get in his guard. He jumed back and then lifted his leg giving a thrust.

His thrust kick was easily parried by her arm and she followed up with a shove to knock him off balance. He fell to the mat and rolled just in time to avoid an axe kick to his back. Back on his feet he crept close to her again, his breath picking up with each passing second. He drove forward with another jab and then brought his knee up for a strike. Both were blocked by the woman's hands and she took the opening for her first hit.

His eyes screwed shut from yet another hard punch to his chest that was now bruised. He narrowly dodged the roundhouse for his head and waited for her leg to sail around. With her back exposed he moved to trap her, but was stunned yet again. Her foot touched the ground and she leaned forward while kicking with her rear leg. Her icy eyes were glaring back at him as she hoped to see her foot connect with his face like it did so many times before.

Blackburn's reflexes kicked in at the last second and he leaned back just enough to avoid it. The air brushed his face from the force of the kick. His hand shot up and grabbed her heel before throwing it up. He hoped that would have been enough to send the lieutenant to the ground, but her coordination proved strong when she caught herself with her hands and did a handspring to her feet again.

The woman was truly something else. Her form was almost flawless and any opening he got, she managed to fool him or counter his strikes. A small smirk played on her lips as she resumed her fighting stance and waited for him to move again. When he did not, he saw her body tense and immediately knew what was coming.

White hair met his vision as Winter dashed at him using her raw speed and got under his arms. He gripped her shoulders to keep her from landing a punch, but her head shot up for a headbutt towards his chin. He turned his head just enough to avoid the hit and her felt her hair caress his face from the near miss.

His leg shifted and he planted it between hers. He turned his hips and knocked her off balance with a hip check, sending her rolling to the floor. Her iron grip was strong enough to pull him with and soon both of them had a grapple on each other. His hand had a fistful of her shirt's collar and the other a tight grip on her hip. Her hands had gripped both sides of his collar in a crisscross hold and she turned her knuckles in.

The blood in his head suddenly rushed from the choke hold and he immediately released his hold on her to break her grip. He wrapped one arm tight around one of hers and his free hand went for her chin. He lifted up and the pressure in Winter's arm became too much, forcing her to let him go. Air flooded his lungs and he broke free, but did not get away unscathed.

Winter was just as fast on the floor than on her feet. She swung her legs up to get to her feet with her foot out just far enough to smash into his cheek, dazing him once again.

A growl of frustration left his lips and he turned his gaze back to the white-haired woman. She was upon him once again with her knee coming up to deliver the final hit. He dropped to his back and dodged the strike. His leg stuck out and he spun on the floor. A surprised grunt met his ears when his foot knocked Winter's out from under her and sent her back to the ground.

He pounced at her and straddled her stomach with his arm back. His fist flew forth and he felt a wicked grin spread across his face when his knuckles finally made contact against her cheek. She turned her head to look back at him and her icy glare hit him full force.

He wasted no time in relishing the successful hit and went for another, but his wrist was caught by Winter. With a sharp press and twist, his wrist flared up in sharp pain and he was guided to the floor. Soon the tables were turned and she was straddled on his chest, her knees digging into his armpits to keep him from pushing her off. He brought his arms up to protect his face, but it was all in vain.

Winter batted his guard away with a sweep of her arm and her free hand was brought back. With a battle filled cry, she struck his forehead with her open palm.

His eyes snapped shut and his jaw clenched at the sharp pain it brought. The word baseball came to mind as he felt his brain bounce forward, smack the front of his skull and then to the back as his head smacked into the cool mat. Game over.

He did not dare open his eyes to keep them from the stinging pain of the light. Instead he opted to catch whatever breath he had as he laid there with Winter keeping him in place. He could hear her breathing just as hard.

"Don't let your guard down," she said through her breaths. "You may have an Aura now, but don't forget your basic instincts."

Blackburn let out a grunt and finally opened his eyes. Winter was still sitting on his chest, cheeks flushed from the heat, hair askew and clinging to her face.

"Can you get off me, please?" He asked.

She perked up and got to her feet, offering him a hand. He took it and she gently pulled him up before making her way to the bench.

He followed suit and picked up his water bottle before chugging down the remaining contents. That was one of the most challenging and effective workout in his life. One thing was for sure, Winter Schnee knew how to get results.

"Since your Aura was shattered in that last fight, we'll call it a day. We'll go again in two days to give you time to recover," she said as she picked up her bottle and her coat.

"Sounds good, LT." He raised a hand.

"Lieutenant."

"Hmm?"

"Customs and courtesies, Specialist Blackburn. It's a title, so don't butcher it."

He blinked and rolled his eyes. She had tolerated it all the way up to that point, but if she wanted to be addressed that way, he would honor her request. It was a hit and miss with calling a lieutenant "LT." Some lieutenants did not mind and accepted it and there were some that made it a point to have the title respected, which was understandable.

"Okay, okay, Lieutenant Schnee. I'll humor you," he replied.

"Thank you." She smiled. "Come. Let's get you back to the hangar so you can prepare for your class."


The day could not have gone by any slower for Blackburn after his training with Winter. He had been filled with energy after the workout, but his body had betrayed him. He had to sit down and observe the matches that Glynda had scheduled for the day as opposed to standing like he usually did. Winter had brought the hate and he left feeling sore as hell. By the end of class he was ready to crawl back into bed and go to sleep, but that was not to be.

Glynda had dragged him to her office to talk with him about their upcoming training the next day. While hers would not be as physically demanding as Winter's, she wanted him to be ready for some light exercises to practice using his Aura.

"While Miss Schnee will help you with the concept of combat along with myself, I will be giving you a more technical approach on how to call upon your Aura properly. Remember, the more you practice using it, the sooner it can activate your Semblance," she said placing a cup of tea in front of him.

"I had a question about that, actually," he said taking a sip of tea. "Since I have someone else's Aura in me, does that mean I'll have his Semblance? Or will it adapt to fit me as a person?"

Glynda set her cup back down and offered him a small smile.

"A good question, but no, your Semblance will be your own. We gave your Hector's Aura, but in theory it should respond to your character and provide you with your own unique power," she answered back.

He nodded and gulped down the rest of his tea. The comforting warmth briefly relaxed his aching muscles as he sat back in the chair.

His mind began to wander while he thought about Glynda's answer. What would his Semblance be? He knew from some of the reading he did when he first arrived on Remnant that Semblances could be either offensive or defensive, but it would always provide the user with some form of trump card during a fight if it came down to it.

Not only that, but he was curious to what it could be. He felt like he knew what kind of person he was, but he would not truly know his true nature until he saw his Semblance for himself.

"I think you should go and get some rest. I want you to be ready to train tomorrow, and the more rest you get, the more Aura you'll recover," said Glynda.

"Yes, Ma'am!" He gave her a salute.

He got to his feet and let out a hiss as his muscles tightened and flared again.

"Fuckin' ouch!"


So we get a look at Blackburn's first training session in testing his Aura and endurance with Winter... and getting the crap kicked out of him repeatedly. Although he did not do well against Winter, he'll only improve from here on in. Check out the stuff below, and I'll see you all next time.

Statements:

1.) Schedule is still set for bi-weekly release, but will now be on Saturdays. Next update 9/24/16

OC Story Shout Outs: Good reads I would recommend checking out

"My Turn" by Le MAO XVII updated: 9/10/16

"Grimm Heir" by DeadRich18 updated: 9/4/16

"Solipsism" by wahs96 last updated: 4/16/16

Military Vocabulary:

CASEVAC: Casualty Evacuation

NCO: Non Commissioned Officer

LT: Short term for Lieutenant

FOB: Forward Operating Base

SITREP: Situation Report

ROTC: Reserve Officer Training Corps

OCS: Officer Candidate School

OSUT: One Station Unit Training

Basic Training: The initial entry training from being a civilian and being strengthened both physically and mentally to become a soldier.