A/N: All I'm going to say now is: WARNING: INCOMING FEELS TRIPS!
Chapter 35: To Lose a Friend: 8pm Friday, Week 6. Junior's Club, Simon's PoV:
I wasn't even stopped by the guards at the entrance to the club, I just walked straight in as it was a bit early for large line ups of patrons which was probably a good thing given how heavily armed I was. I saw Junior talking to the snipers. I kept my distance, waiting to be called over. Looking around I could see the twins standing up near a DJ looking over the small crowd of early birds, I could see why the snipers were enthralled with the two given the twin's beauty and style of clothing. A waitress went past with a tray of scotch glasses, taking one I began to sip and observe the goings on in the club. I saw a lot of huddled conversations in booths around the place, most likely various illegal dealings going down before the legitimate business of clubbing began and the more shady stuff moved to the private suites.
"Ahh if it isn't the associate of our friend in intelligence, head up and find those irritating snipers. They got everything you need to know." Junior said walking past, taking my scotch glass as he did and downing it himself. "Sorry kid, last under aged drinker I had in here trashed the place... bloody blonde bitch." Junior explained as he walked off towards the twins.
I flipped him the bird behind his back and walked up the stairs to the private suite that Gregory had taken me to, entering I saw the two snipers sitting there looking quite chuffed with themselves.
"Well if it isn't the little upstart... thinking he can beat us at our own game to impress a certain Heiress." Kale commented cockily.
"But we certainly showed him, hopefully he hasn't lost the favour of his fair maiden." Shauno replied in a upper classed accent.
"Fuck you guys, no really... I've told you enough times there's nothing between Weiss and I." I replied as I placed my staff and sniper rifle down on a large table with the Sniper's rifles.
"Oh really... well these tell a different story." Shauno said as he tossed a bunch of photos onto the small coffee table between the snipers.
Curiosity got the better of me and I walked over to look at what they'd apparently had that contradicts the truth. Picking up the pile I saw screenshots from security cameras of Weiss and I duelling back at White Castle: The screenshots showed us during unarmed combat training in some rather compromising and sexual looking positions during our melees, though we were still clothed.
I looked up at the two laughing snipers and rolled my eyes "Do I even want to know how or why you have these? I mean this is grasping at straws even by your standards." I said in a very irritated tone, which I knew was just feeding these two trolls.
"We contacted some friends we had at White Castle... just because we were too big a pair of fuckwits to get posted there doesn't mean people we knew didn't. One of our friends ran the security room and got us these screenshots from old video logs." Shauno explained.
"I swear you guys just enjoy being asshole's to me." I replied tossing the photos down.
"Nah, we enjoy being assholes to Sanderson more, but he aint here and you're a close 2nd." Kale replied.
I rolled my eyes but resisted the urge to nut shot the pair. "Do I need to bring Miss Goodwitch back to meet you guys again?" I said menacingly. Upon hearing her name both Snipers immediately protectively covered their groins and I began to laugh. "Oh you guys look terrified right now!" I said through my laughs.
"Not funny dude... Shauno literally lost a ball because of her!" Kale exclaimed. Shauno nodding in confirmation.
"Well guess he is half a eunuch now." I joked, much to the disdain and horror of the snipers.
"Ok well all joking aside, down to business. Tonight we're going to be hitting the White Fang where it hurts. It seems our abilities as marksmen are needed by the agents taking on the Fang in order to eliminate some high ranking officers that are having a meeting tonight." Kale explained, all humour suddenly gone from his voice.
I nodded, looking over to the table where our weapons sat "I guess we aren't getting up close and personal with this are we."
The snipers nodded "3 Targets, 3 shooters, 3 simultaneous shots." Kale answered.
"Well lead the way... let's get this over and done with." I said hesitantly as I stood and collected my staff and rifle and followed the snipers out the rear of the club and to an armoured SUV that I guess Vale Intelligence had loaned to us for the mission.
30 Minutes Later, Vale Freeway. Simon's PoV:
"Are we there yet." I said for about the 20th time in about 15 minutes.
"I swear Simon if you say that again I'm going to lose it." Kale said sounding irritated, which was something I'd rarely seen him be.
"Yeah, Yeah. Question: What's the go with Junior? Like is he a diabolical, criminal spy? An intelligence agent gone rogue?" I asked, actually curious about the information broker.
"Well Junior keeps his past as secret as he possibly can, but from what we have learnt: He started out as an information gatherer in one of Vale's major crime families. Eventually he began building networks and spying on all the crime families and collected enough dirt to break free of his former employers and go independent. His network of spies, informants and corrupt officials grew until he had ears and eyes everywhere. Being an information broker and spy master is what he is good at, though running his club is his hobby and passion. He isn't a 'bad guy' as such, he is more neutral... he will just as happily sell info to help the authorities as he would to help out the shadier parts of society... it's all about the highest bidder to him." Shauno explained as Kale drove.
I nodded, gaining a new level of respect and weariness towards the charming Junior, he operates in a very gray area not good or bad not affiliated with any organisation, ideology or person's schemes. Though at the same time: people only motivated by money were just as dangerous due to the fact they'd betray you the moment a higher bid was made.
"Ok then, moving on: Kale, what the hell made you go so pale when you saw Yang?" I asked, wanting to know what history this guy had with the buxom blonde.
"Well that blonde one, she trashed the club one time looking for information, we were working that night on the floor without our sniper rifles and well we got fucked up big time by her." Shauno explained the quite legitimate fear of Yang.
"Guess you guys are lucky she didn't recognise you then, or all 3 of us would have been up shit creek." I replied.
"Yeah, that is not a conversation and beat down I'd like NOT to endure." Kale said as he pulled off the freeway and towards Vale Central Park.
"I can imagine you wouldn't" I replied as I sat back in my seat to try and compose myself for the coming deed.
2 Hours Later, Car park overlooking Vale Central Park. Simon's PoV:
It had been a long quiet wait in the top storey of a car park that had a nice view of just about the entirety of Vale's largest park. There had been a pair of what looked like intelligence agents at the entrance to ensure no one but us entered the car park to ensure secrecy of our actions.
Shauno and I had passed the time various card games in the soundproofed car while Kale kept watch over the park. "Royal Flush my friend." I whispered cockily to Shauno as we revealed our cards to our mini poker game.
"Damn it, I swear you're cheating! That's the 10th hand in a row you've won!" Shauno whispered grumpily back. Even though the car was soundproofed we still whispered, the atmosphere was tense. A small tap on the doo signalled that Kale wanted to be let in. Opening the door Kale entered with a manila folder closing the door behind him.
"Well the guys down at the entrance brought me this, photos of our targets. They also informed me that the meeting should take place in about half an hour, guess it's time to set up." Kale informed us, tossing a photo of our assigned targets to Shauno and I.
"This all seems odd to me, why only give us our targets now and why get us to do this rather than get a Cipher agent or the Head Hunters to do it?" I asked as I studied the scaly lizard like Faunus I'd been assigned to kill.
"From our experience, those blokes in intelligence always do things a little odd... like why all 3 of us and Gregory are working for them rather than being locked away by them in some rat infested hell hole as a threat to Vale's security." Kale replied, obviously having asked himself this question a few times.
"Not to mention how they work with Junior and certain other underworld figures to circumvent the oversight of the Vale Council. We've just learnt to roll with it." Shauno added on.
I nodded in understanding, seeing the sniper's point and pushed my doubts from my mind as I picked up the carry bag and unzipped it to unveil my sniper rifle. "Guess it is finally time to see how the thermals on this thing do in the field." I said half to myself as I exited the car to climb up onto the roof of the car where I'll be shooting from while Shauno and Kale would be shooting from inside the vehicle. We spent the next 30 minutes in almost silence as the three of us cleaned and prepared rifles, zeroing scopes and scanning the park for where this supposed meeting was going to take place.
While I was scanning the park through my thermal scope I saw several groups of Faunus converging on a tree near a small lake. "Guys, I think this party is about to get started." I said through my commlink to Kale and Shauno and I chambered a round before switching the scope over to night vision in order to distinguish facial features on my target.
I looked at the photo that Kale had provided before, memorizing the facial features with great detail. I'd never really done this before: studying the face of a man who'd I'd momentarily be killing without any warning, any combat and in cold blood. The emptiness hit me like a freight train and my hands shook lightly as I put my eye back to the scope, searching the dozen or so Faunus for that one face.
"Eyes on my target" I heard Shauno say robotically.
"Got a fix on mine to... seems this guy got laid before he came here, his neck is covered in love bites. At least he got lucky once more before he meets his sudden and unexpected end." Kale said with a morbidly dark chuckle.
"Jeez that's pretty fucking morbid Kale!" I whispered through the commlink
"Yeah, but dark humour is what gets us through missions like this. Trust me it's better to think of this as just putting down an animal and to make jokes. Now do you have a fix on your target?" Kale replied, the humoured tone still in his voice.
I scanned again and eventually found the lizard Faunus I'd been assigned. The lizard looked no older than about 35, he raised his hand to his head and I saw a wedding band. 'Don't think about it Simon! Just do the job... this person is in the Fang!' I mentally rebuked myself, but the thought that this man had a life, a family didn't leave my mind. 'At least I don't know his name... that makes this easier' I thought as I forced my hands to steady and stop shaking.
"Ok Simon, we're ready to go. Just waiting for you to line up your shot and we can put these animals down." Kale said through the radio, no humour or any emotion at all in his voice. It unnerved me to hear the usually perpetually humorous sniper so serious.
"Yeah, just give me a moment." I replied, my voice shaky as I lined up the shot . Zooming in as far as I could I placed the crosshair right on the bridge of the lizard's nose. "Ok, I'm good to go... let's get this BS over and done with." I growled into the commlink.
In the vehicle, the snipers exchanged a worried look, knowing what the other was thinking: 'It was a mistake to bring him into this mission.'
"Ok Simon, on three we fire. We got to get this synced because I don't know if these guys have aura and these aren't Aura penetrating rounds we have here." Kale ordered as he worked the bolt and steadied his aim.
I held my breath and did my best not to shake, lest I miss. "1, 2, 3" I heard Kale whisper into the commlink and after three I closed my eyes as I squeezed the trigger in sync with the two snipers in the car and our deadly bullets raced towards the White Fang in our sights...
That same moment in Vale Park. Roman Torchwick's PoV:
I stood hidden away, watching the Faunus have their meeting. Disgusting animals they were but I've found myself in a position where I needed them. It had cost a lot of Lien to Junior to find out about this White Fang faction leadership meeting and even more to get the three thorns in my side by the names of Kale, Shaun and most irritatingly Simon to be sent to assassinate the leaders. 'Two birds with one stone.' I chuckled to myself as I heard the shots ring out across the land.
looking out towards the meeting, I saw two of the leaders: the Faunus in charge of their money laundering and another one in charge of smuggling weapons to them take bullets in the skull: clean, quick kills. But the third target: The overall leader of this particular faction of the White Fang was hit in the throat. Blood exploded out of him, coating his comrades in his cold lizard blood before falling over, drowning in his own blood. I heard a lot of shouting from his reptilian Lieutenant, mostly orders to lock the area down and find who had done this to his leaders.
I strode from my hiding place and lit a cigar as I went. Two White Fang minions saw me and charged me with swords. I simply twirled my can as they approached. When they got near enough, I blocked the first one's strike with my cane, simultaneously using my right leg to trip him over. I smacked him in the back of the head with my cane as he fell. Turning to the other who had stopped after seeing what happened to his friend reached for a pistol in his belt but instead died before he could grasp it as I shot him with my Melodic Cudgel. With that I continued forward, right up to the sleeveless Lieutenant who had an overly large chainsaw in his hands.
"Well, Lookssss like we have a brave one here. Tell me human. Why sssshouldn't I have my men kill you?" The Lieutenant asked, in a snake like tone, complete with hissing every time he used 's'.
"Because my reptilian friend: what if I told you where to find the ones who did this to your leaderssss?" I replied, mocking his method of speech.
The White Fang officer held his weapon up threateningly. "Do not ever mock me! Now do tell me, where are the murdererssss?" he demanded.
"They are in the multi-levelled parking lot overlooking the park." I replied, the LT immediately ordered most of the soldiers he had brought towards the parking lot, exactly as I hoped he would.
Once all the soldiers had left, leaving only myself, the LT and three dead bodies the LT turned to face me "Ok what'ssss your game here? I know you had a hand in thissss sssso give me one good reasssson why I sssshouldn't kill you right now?" He threatened, activating his weapon and taking a step towards me.
Internally I was slightly nervous but I couldn't let that show. "I swear I had no hand in ordering the assassination, but I learnt of it from a trusted source. I know the loss of these three are a massive blow to your faction. But I have a proposition for you?" I replied calmly and non-threateningly even though I was lying through my teeth.
The LT lowered the chainsaw and looked around, probably not wanting his minions to see him making deals with a human. "Ok human, what is it you want to proposssse?" He asked in a whisper.
"Well if I'm not mistaken, the three corpses around us are your chief financier, supplier and leader. I and my employers can supply you with all the Lien and equipment you need to wage an all out war against Vale, and I'm sure no one will mind if you become leader of the faction. All I ask in return is that those under you complete a few jobs I need done, I'm in need of manpower and you're in need of money and weapons. We both win in this arrangement." I replied, hoping I hadn't miscalculated the snake's willingness to work with me.
The LT stroked his chin, I could see his body language was still set ready for combat so I tried to appeal to him personally. "If you join me... I'll promise to get you the opportunity to kill Weiss Schnee, Heiress to the SDC at some point in the future." I added on, knowing that no White Fang fanatic would refuse that opportunity.
The LT thought about my generous offer before nodding in agreement "I accept your termssss, but know thissss: If I don't my sssshot at the Sssschnee, then I'll come for your blood." The LT said menacingly.
"Good, I assure you that you'll get your chance. Now send your faction's members to this location, their work begins immediately." I ordered, lighting another cigar just as the sounds of gunfire and explosions rang out from the parking lot now lit by flames.
"Well it looks like your men got the revenge they were after. Good. This night just got better." I said as I turned to leave the bloody scene, glad to be finally rid of the snipers and of Simon.
Moments after the shooting, Parking Lot. Simon's PoV:
"holy shit Simon! You really fucked him up... he aint going to make it but you've certainly made it a slow and painful end for that guy." Shauno commented, his tone somewhat disgusted though I wasn't sure if it was disgust at the blood and gore or the fact I had missed the agreed upon target area for the shots.
"Shut it Shauno. I couldn't stop the shakes from throwing my shot off." I retorted as I jumped off the roof and into the boot of the SUV, my hands still shaking quite bad.
"Never done something like this have you? calmly and coldly Sniping from a distance with all the time in the world is a lot different than going toe to toe in an adrenaline fuelled fight. Take my advice: try to forget it, it doesn't matter how just push whatever you saw through that scope out of your memory." Kale warned.
"I'll admit the pace here is way too slow for my liking... I honestly do prefer getting stuck into a good fight where I don't have time to study or memorise their faces or their wedding rings. Though personally I would have loved to be done with killing people and Faunus for good when I came here, I did this very reluctantly. How do you guys do it?" I asked as I shakily put my sniper rifle back in its carry case.
The sniper's looked to each other and shrugged "Practice, having to do it more times than we can count and the most important method: being complete assholes to everything and everyone." The pair said in sync, their tones deadpanned and jaded.
"Well that explains your personalities, and here I thought you two were just naturally like that." I said with a forced chuckle.
"Hey is it so hard to believe that we once were actually nice guys?" Shaun replied sarcastically.
"That is so unbelievable it aint even funny." I replied with a mocking serious face, but honestly glad the pair where helping me put my mind elsewhere.
With our equipment packed away, Kale got back into the driver's seat and started the engine. "Ok guys, let's get out of here before the animals work out we're up here." he commented.
"Ok I'm coming." I replied as I jumped out of the boot of the SUV and walked to the back seat, I heard an engine of another car coming up to our level. "Hey Kale, looks like those two intelligence guys. Maybe they got additional orders?" I said through the open window of the SUV.
"Fair enough, let's see what these guys want" Kale answered as he opened his door to go see the agents. I placed my sniper rifle into the SUV and prepared to jump in when something caught my eye.
Turning I saw one of the agents climb through the sunroof on their SUV, a anti-tank rocket in his hands. "What the fuck! Shauno GET OUT NOW!" I yelled to the sniper who was in the front seat. I reached in and grabbed my rifle's carry case as the rocket was launched.
Several things happened in that moment: The driver of the other SUV popped out his window and fired a Death Adder SMG at Kale, striking him several times in the torso and arms. The 2nd assailant fired his rocket at out SUV as I grabbed Shaun by the scruff of his neck and I jumped away from the doomed vehicle and scrambled behind a thick reinforced concrete pillar just in time not to be caught in the deadly fireball and shrapnel storm.
"Fuck... IT'S A TRAP!" I yelled. Peeking around the corner I saw a motionless Kale laying face down in an ever expanding pool of his own blood.
"KALE!" Shaun screamed, panic filling his voice. Shaun instantly pulled the pistol that hung at his waist and ran out into the open to retrieve his 'brother'.
"Shauno!" I yelled and instantly followed, placing my sniper on the ground and drawing my gun staff, peppering the SUV with flechettes, trying to draw attention away from a frantic Shauno who was now trying to drag his much larger and bulkier friend to safety.
The enemy standing through the sunroof had dropped his spent rocket launcher and had picked up a machine gun and was now firing at me. The SUV's engine roared and it took off towards me, obviously with the intent of running me down. I collapsed my staff and placed it in its holster on my back before charging at the armoured SUV, extending the blades in my gauntlets as I did. I was angry, I let my anger fuel my aura and sharpen my focus. A split second before the SUV and I collided, I used my semblance to slow the SUV down and I jumped, tucking my legs ready to spring off the bonnet and up onto the roof with mid air summersault. Everything returned to normal speed as I hit the roof in a crouching position and lunged forward, plunging my gauntlets into the chest cavity assailant who was standing through the sunroof. Despite having been shaken by killing in such cold blood mere moments ago, but now having seen my friend cut down by enemy fire I had a blood lust for those who had caused Kale's pain, I had no qualms with killing them painfully. I hauled the now dead enemy out of the sunroof and tossed him over the side before jumping through the sunroof and into the SUV, the driver had begun swerving but too late to stop me.
I reached around the driver's seat and using one hand to jerk his head back in order to expose the neck, the other ran its blade across his throat, coating the windscreen and dashboard in blood. I let the now lifeless assailant fall forward and I opened the door to exit, grabbing a first aid kit that had been lying on the back seats floor. I saw Shauno in hysterics, dashing over I had my scroll out and handed it to Shauno "I'll take over, you call Gregory!" I ordered as Shauno took the scroll into his bloodied hands to make the call.
"Kale can you hear me?" I asked the wounded sniper who only grunted in reply. "Well I'll take that as a yes." I replied, trying to sound like I was in control of myself.
I lifted up Kale's shirt and saw 6 holes in his chest, all of which were pouring large amounts of blood. 'Fuck... no no NO! I' m NOT losing my friend like this!' I thought as I rummaged through the first aid kit and took out several rolls of compression bandages and a painkilling injection. I placed the needle in Kale's arm and injected the painkiller, hoping it would help ease my friends pain. I removed Kale's shirt and slowly rolled him over to look for exit wounds, seeing all 6 exit wounds in his back and breathed slightly easier seeing that all of them had missed the spine.
"Simon, Gregory is on his way with the Head Hunters. No idea why he was with them but right now I'm not caring." Shauno said as he pocketed my scroll before kneeling next to me. "Will he live?" Shauno asked, genuine heartbreak and fear in his voice.
"No Idea Shauno, I'm not a Doctor, nor am I a god!" I replied frustrated.
Shaun nodded and as I held the barely living Kale up slightly, Shauno began wrapping the compression bandages over his wounds, trying to stop the blood flow. We were about half finished when I heard voices: angry, vengeful voices.
"I think we have company Shaun, and it aint Gregory! You keep looking after Kale, I'm going to go meet our newcomers." I said as I drew my gun staff and loaded a fresh magazine of flechettes into it.
I walked out past the wrecks of the SUV's and towards the ramp. Coming up the ramp I saw about a dozen armed White Fang soldiers, who upon seeing me froze momentarily before aiming their guns at me and fired. I lunged left and skidding to a stop as I hit the ground, a trail of tracer fire following me. Upon stopping I instantly took off at full pace towards the group of militant Faunus. I didn't dodge or duck, I just ran as fast as I could to cut into the White Fang who were here to kill my friends. As I got near I lunged forward and did a handspring into the middle of their group, slashing around in a circle with the forward blade of my staff as I landed, cutting 3 of the enemies 2 of which were fatal though. Standing I held my staff like a pike and thrust forward, right into a White Fang soldier's abdomen. I pulled it out and instantly thrust it back as far as I could behind me, impaling another one in the thigh severing his femoral artery as I retracted my blade.
By now the Fang had drawn their swords or had pulled back to continue using rifles and pistols at a distance. Three Faunus charged in at different directions. I charged one, blocking the downward slash he attempted and pushed him back, following up with a roundhouse kick before I wheeled on the 2nd Faunus to my right, horizontally slashing with all my body weight as I turned. This particular Faunus seemed to be quite skilled as they jumped and used my own blade as a springboard to launch themselves behind me, instantly retaliating by slashing across my back. I howled in pain as the dust coated blade tore through my Aura and sliced the skin in my back.
Enraged I turned on the soldier and sliced at them in a diagonally upwards strike which they dodged easily by jumping back and I used the gap to jump back and attack the two other White Fang goons that were trying to tag team me. They came in together: one to each side of me and swung horizontally at me, one towards my already cut back, specifically my lower back and the other at my upper chest. I activated my semblance and dived forward under the blade coming towards my chest. I lost control of my landing and rolled several metres, but managed to keep a grasp on my staff. The two White Fang who had tried to double team me, couldn't stop their swings in time, having not expected me to be able to escape like I did and inadvertently killed each other.
I tried to get up but my back flared in pain as I used my back muscles. The Fang members who had kept their guns out had already trained them on me and began firing. I scrambled painfully behind a pillar and forcibly dragged myself up against the pillar and set my staff into its gun mode. I turned out and leaned against the pillar as I let fly at the 8 remaining White Fang soldiers. Three fell under my initial fire before the rest could take cover behind pillars or duck down the ramp to the next level and began popping out from cover only to fire a few rounds off and duck back down.
I edged forward, ignoring the burning sensation in my back. One more White Fang popped out to fire at me but I was too quick and he fell to the ground: 7 flechettes puncturing his face mask and skull. "Come out you cowards! You want to harm my friends then you got to go through me first!" I screamed, my Aura flaring which thankfully made the pain in my back begin to subside.
The White Fang soldiers seemed to take offence at me calling them cowards as they all emerged almost simultaneously. Guns trained on me or swords at the ready. I stepped forward, gun staff aimed at the Faunus. It was 7-1 but I wasn't going to let any of these goons get anywhere near Kale. 'Please live Kale... I need you mate!' I thought as I began firing my gun staff at the Faunus. Those who were wielding rifles ducked back behind pillars and back at me, while the swordsmen charged me, circling around to surround me. I kept my eye on the one who'd slashed my back who was hanging back slightly more than the others.
I saw that one of them was wounded, a flechette stuck in his shoulder, probably lodged in the ball of his shoulder. Running at him, he tried to swing his sword one handed, as the other hung limp. Blocking his strike I kicked him in the groin, causing him to bend over in pain, his weapon dropping to the ground. I went to plunge my staff's blade into his bent over form but as I went to execute the kill strike, my weapon was knocked away by the same Faunus that had injured me. Growling I launched my steel capped boot into the kneeling Faunus' throat, rupturing his windpipe before I turned on the remaining three swordsmen.
The swordsmen all lunged away as the gunmen opened fire on me. I knew I was running low on Aura but I couldn't dodge all the bullets, I blocked most but I felt something hot enter my lower abdomen, near my waist... Ignoring the pain I forced myself to keep going I charged the nearest swordsman. We traded several blows all of which being dodged or blocked, a 2nd swordsman joined in and I was in constant movement to get one blade to block one attacker while managing to position the other to attack the other, it was taking all my strength, speed and Aura to just keep up with them. I felt another bullet enter me, this time through the right thigh, this caused me to collapse to my knees. One of the swordsmen kicked my staff away which made me fall to the ground completely, my Aura almost completely spent.
I'd not been in a position this hopeless since my fight against Schwarzer, except this time the ones who saved me then were now in just as dire straits. I could hear the popping of Shauno's pistol and I heard a scream as he found his mark on one of the advancing White Fang soldiers. I saw the expert swordsman stand over me, his sword raised. "Time to die little one. You fight well so I give you quick, honourable death." He said grimly.
As He swung down I used the very last ounce of my Aura to use my semblance and begin a lunge at my would-be executioner, my gauntlets leading as the blades extended. The swordsman was caught off guard as the two cold steel blades entered his torso, dropping his sword the swordsman collapsed. Turning to grab my staff I heard the roar of a Bullhead's engine and the distinctive sound of its door gun. 'Gregory... you made it' I thought. I had absolutely no energy and I just collapsed on top of the expert swordsman, drifting in and out of consciousness.
"Medic! Alpha-3 Get over here!" I heard someone call as footsteps boomed towards me. The voice was old and grizzled, much like Kruger's is.
'They must both be as ancient as each other' My mind managed to think through the haze of pain. I felt a needle enter my neck.
"This ought to help you kid, don't worry... you'll make it yet." I heard the old man say in a calming tone. I tried to open my eyes but my body was no longer obeying the commands my mind gave it.
I heard a 2nd set of footsteps approach "I'm here sir, now let me see what we have here." I heard a female voice say.
'Heh, female head hunters? Man and I thought Weiss was scary enough.' I thought humouredly.
"Deep cut to the back, two bullet wounds: 1 to the bowel area and the other to the back of the right thigh, I can't do too much for any of these injuries... all my other supplies are with Leon right now trying to keep that other poor bastard alive. Thomas, mind carrying this one to the Bullhead? I need to get back to Leon and the other patient." I heard the female Head Hunter say in the strictly clinical fashion I remember my father speak in when he was working.
'Oh daddy, mummy... look what I've become without you. A messed up teenager strung up in a web of lies, secrets and death. I miss you so much... I've come to terms with the fact that we shall not meet again, not yet anyway but I still miss you both.' I thought, my thoughts becoming incoherent from the painkillers.
"Ok kid let's get you out of here... rest easy now, the painkillers will put you to sleep any moment. Have no fear... you'll live to fight another day cobber." I heard the Head Hunter referred to as 'Thomas' say as he picked me up and carried me over to the waiting Bullhead.
I felt the slight shakes of the Bullhead as I was placed in a stretcher aboard, I could hear two more people get on. I recognised the female Head Hunter who I assumed now was a medic and I also recognised Shaun's voice but their voices were distant and quiet. Slowly everything went blank and I sunk into the blackness.
A/N: Well... this was certainly a thing. I had intended this chapter to mainly show how I think Roman came to acquire the White Fang's assistance and then it became... well you know.
Will Kale Live? Will Gregory and Simon be able to work out what caused this cluster fuck to happen? That and other questions shall be answered in my next chapter.
xThatOnePersonx: I know I know, don't even say it... I know I'm a dick to fictional characters (and also to my readers who get attached to them... I'm so very sorry please forgive me for this!). You told me this before I wrote this chapter and I'm sure I've only succeeded in proving you right.
I'll do my best to have the next chapter done in a couple days... just so no one begins flipping out wondering if Kale lives or dies. -CC signing off.