The Eternal Commander
Chapter 3
First impression matters
There was the occasional bird singing and shushing of the wind. To Chris, it was oppressing silence. As if there were significant extinction events or the presence of humanity drove animals away.
Chris observed the area while he walked the path through the Forrest. It was out of the ordinary to a city kid. The reincarnated Commander did not really have the opportunity to experience nature this close. Other than the occasional holiday in Florida, his family did not leave the city. He mentally kicked himself because nature fascinated him. Small-time city problems paled in comparison for mental clarity. After experiencing the loudness of a big metropolis every day, the forest was tranquil, and it gave him shivers.
Thankfully, he wasn't walking alone. Right next to him was his assistant, Raguel, or"Raggy," as he decided to call him from now on. The guy was still an enigma to Chris. His appearance had an angelic quality, and rather handsome. If Chris was not heterosexual, he would have already fallen in love with Raguel. Still, Chris wondered if Raguel had any secret powers. Chris did not really have the time to chat with him, but he wanted to talk with him after the scouting mission.
The other big thing in his mind was the scouting report from a rifleman squad. They said they spotted a small town with humans, and the squad overheard them speaking English. That detail fascinated Chris. Humans or at least humanoid creatures living on other planets or dimensions were not unusual to him. After all, he thought humanity's appearance was perfect for a sentient species, and opposable thumbs were the key to civilization. At least according to academics from his realm of reality.
However, what confused Chris the most is the fact that the locals spoke English. That factoid is a massive coincidence that he was thrown into one out of all alternative worlds to talk without the language barrier. It reminded him of some of the isekai animes he saw, where the main character communicated with the locals despite being from Japan. Although the power allows understanding all languages, he did not think this "blessing" came with this power, too.
Chris pondered the thought that maybe his version of English as an alternative to the locals. Or perhaps the Entity gave Chris the ability to interpret spoken language into a version only he can understand. Similar to mechanical translators from science fiction books and movies. Chris shook his head as this rabbit hole would sooner give him a headache.
The Commander thought about what to do when introducing himself to the locals. How can Chris explain the heavily armoured men who followed his every whim? At this moment, mercenaries were the only answer which was somewhat convincing. There is also the negative perception of mercs to worry about. For now, he ordered the four rifleman squads escorting him to fall behind, accompany him from afar, and only come forth if he is in danger.
"Sire, is everything all right?"
Raggy's words came out of nowhere. After a second of confusion, Chris realised that he zoned out while thinking about all of this. He really needed to better organise his thoughts, and besides, he was about to do a first contact scenario. Maybe this is not the best time to focus on the future.
"No, I'm fine. I'm just wondering about my next move." Chris nodded.
"And what would that be?"
"Well, that is unclear at the moment. But if people ask who you are, say that you are an assistant or secretary."
"If that is your wish, Sir, I will do as you ask," Raguel answered in a dutiful, almost submissive voice.
While they spoke, something appeared on the horizon. From what little Chris could see from the trees, it looked like a stone wall. After walking for another minute, the Commander was in a clearing, and immediately after leaving the forest, he took a closer look at it.
The stone wall itself was relatively simple. It lacked notable decorative features, and it did not look that thick or high. It seemed just strong enough for withstanding a minor raid, but even basic medieval siege equipment would make a hole in it. Modern-day explosives would be trivial. It had a gate with two defensive towers next to it. It appeared medieval.
Before the gate stood two guards. They wore what looks like brown leather armour from a fantasy story. Their chest was covered with plate armour, while they had nothing on their head other than their short, straight hair; one of them is chestnut brown, the other is white. They had bolt action rifles similar to the German Kar98k and cavalry sabres on their side.
"Welcome to Brighthill, travelers! What brings you to our fair town?" Their tone was friendly and welcoming.
"Hello there! We are just drifters looking for fun and work. Is there anything interesting going on here?"
The guards looked at each other for a second. "Well, the inn is always open for more guests. We also have a small market and a library. Other than that, it's a relatively small and peaceful town. Other than defending the town against the occasional Grimm attack, there is not that much to do. Still, feel free to ask around. Maybe some people are willing to ask for your help."
"Thank you, have a nice day!" Chris gave his farewell to them.
"You, too!" They replied.
Chris started walking again. But when he passed the guards, he noticed something about them. First, he heard one of them mumbling "human" under his breath in disdain. Chris immediately took a mental note of the comment. The way the guards glared at him, Chris felt cultural resentment. Maybe this is the "discrimination" of the Entity or whatever its real name was implied.
At first, Chris found this confusing. The guards appear to be normal proportional humans. But then he noticed the second thing about them: Both of them had curly, cat-like tails attached to their lower backs.
'Half-human hybrids?'
While all of this was happening, he made past them and the gate. He finally entered the village.
In terms of size, it was relatively small. They were square structures, flat roofs, and numerous windows. Or maybe late 18th century ones in terms of size and building material. The latter may have been bricked. While Chris liked to think about himself as a history buff, he was not exactly an expert on architecture. Most of them looked similar, with greyish walls, red roofs, and a small garden. Ninety percent of the buildings were also only one floor large. Still, there were a couple of them with different coloured walls like green or yellow.
Some buildings stood out. In the middle was a two-story one. With its clock in the middle of the second floor and overall more gothic design, the former of which was show at 11:31, it was most likely the town hall or the mayor's office. Next to it was a flat-roofed building with a big sign above the entrance. BRIGHTHILL MUNICIPAL LIBARY.
Opposite to it was the previously mentioned tavern. It looked a bit more worn out, but it was still standing proud. According to the label, it was called The Mellow Town Inn. Between all of these buildings was the town square, which had a small market consisting of a couple of mostly selling fruits and vegetables. People were a couple of people walking around the square.
Speaking of people, there was something odd about them. Like the guards, they looked like some kind of animal-human hybrids since most had animal-like features. They were things like an extra pair of ears, a tail, or different coloured skins. Outside of Chris' realm of 'normal' human pigmentations. The number of normal humans was low, and most of those were in the market selling wares.
"Raggy, do you have any suggestions?" Chris asked while looking around.
"Well, Sire, if you want accurate information, you should visit the library. If you want authentic information, you should visit the inn."
"Well, there are certainly many options. I wonder, though: What is with the locals? Why do they look like this?" Chris thought about this. Was there an event in the past, which caused the existence of these people? Or did they exist since the beginning?
"I have a couple of possible hypotheses on this, Sire. Maybe they are the offspring of an unholy union between men and beast. Maybe they are the result of men meddling with forbidden magic or devious technology. Or they are simply the results of an eccentric creator."
The answer got Chris to contemplate, but he decided to put away his judgments on the matter. While this was a compelling mystery, he had a more vital factor to worry about. Besides, he hoped that the answer was the first one. So the Commander decided to go to the library since the signs were in English.
"Follow me, Raggy! We are going to read some books!" Christ attempted to sound enthusiastic.
"Of course, Sire. I will accompany you." Raguel followed him the same as before.
They walked through the market square. To the Commander's surprise, they attracted some attention while doing so. Many hybrid locals gave prolonged stares before continuing their daily routine. Their expression ranged from surprise, disgust, and anything in between. Interestingly, they did not really look at him. Instead, they looked at him as a companion. His clothes were more expensive since their clothing was relatively simple.
Meanwhile, Chris mentally listed possible names for the local hybrids. Furries? Man-animals? Beast-men? The Commander did not mention them since overt prejudice makes for poor first impressions.
Amid this thinking, Chris did not notice that a drunken guy was slowly emerging between two stands. His balance was unstable, his arms were wiggling, and he started walking towards him without any slowing down. In other words, a crash was inevitable between the two of them. But before that occurred, the unexpected happened. Raguel, who was walking beside him and slowly looking around, he reacted quickly. Instead of a leisurely walk, he quickly changed into a defensive stance and pushed the drunken guy away from his master into a fruit stand next to them. The stand fell over, with various colourful fruits rolling around the ground and his owner standing next to it, barely avoiding the accident with a surprised expression on his face.
It happened in just one second. It took Chris and the onlookers a couple of seconds to comprehend the dexterous ability of his servant. But when the locals reeled back to reality, they appeared upset.
"What the hell was that, asshole?!" The owner was the first to react. Understandably, he was the most furious since a stranger damaged his private property.
"Wait, what?!" After returning to the land of the living from his brainstorming session, Chris found himself facing an angry trader and a couple of passers-by. The fact that his servant acted this was even more surprising.
"Yeah, I'm talking to you! What do you think you're doing?! Your pal just pushed that poor guy away and into my food stand. And look at this mess! Do you think this is acceptable?!"
"Look, this must have been a misunderstanding." The Commander pleaded.
"Misunderstanding?! Oh sure! You Atlesians are all the same. Causing mess everywhere, then leave us to deal with it." The vendor slowly approached Chris, while his expression remained the same.
However, before he could get into spitting distance, Raguel halted the vendor dead in his tracks. The vendor's fist raised, ready to plow Chris into submission. His face was filled with determination.
"Stay away from my Lord!" Raguel's usually warm voice was interchanged with fierce anger.
"Oh, so you are hiding behind your bootlicker, I see. I should have expected from the likes of you." The trader retaliated.
A crowd slowly gathered around them. Seeing how the visitor was seemingly pretending to be innocent in it, they felt that the visitor deserve punishment. Their faces were also filled with anger, and they started the gather around them.
"Sire, if you wish, I can take all of them out." Raguel turned to Chris.
"I don't think that is a good idea." Chris declined. At this point, he felt that even if they beat back the angry crowd, they would forever resent them.
"Then what do you suggest we do?" Raguel asked.
"Honestly, I have no idea." Honesty was the best thing that came to mind. After trying to brainstorm a solution, Chris realised something: He was not prepared for this situation. And now anything could happen, so he has to wait for a miracle.
And to his surprise, it came. In the form of a rambling, which resembled footsteps?
The crowd slowly turned his attention towards the new source of the sound. They saw 24 heavily armed, faceless soldiers rushing towards them. Unwilling to confront them, they let the armed men through. The soldiers formed a defensive perimeter around the Commander and servant while pointing their guns towards the crowd.
"Step away from the Commander, now!" The squad leader barked at the crowd, which most bystanders complied, intimidated instead of furious. The scene gradually became more chaotic when the second wave of footsteps approached.
It was the city guard from earlier, but this time, there were ten of them. Their clothes and weaponry were similar to those guarding the gates. When they arrived, they formed a circle around Chris and his troopers. Meanwhile, the civilians were trapped between these two armed groups, which transformed their fear into terror and early signs of panic.
Chris realizing this, raised his voice, but he was cut off when one of the guards spoke first.
"You are disrupting the peace. All of you lay down your weapons. This is an order! Or this will get ugly."
"Everyone, please chill out! This is a misunderstanding. I can explain-." But the gate guard earlier was impatient, to the point they dropped the formalities.
"Misunderstanding?! Then better be fast, because if you don't, we are going to cap your ass!"
"Look, my underlings got overzealous earlier and mistook that drunken guy for an attacker," Chris explained while trying to recount the events from earlier.
"Even if that was the case, then you have to the responsibilities if you are genuinely in a position of power. But if you ask me, you look a bit young for that. Maybe you should have asked your daddy earlier before going on this adventure. "
"Okay, I will take full responsibilities for the"
"You will not badmouth, my Lord! Take back what you have said, or you will have to face my wrath!"
This sudden interruption silenced everybody. The locals all looked at the source of the boast, alarmed: It was Raguel.
The servant's face was teeming with unwavering resolve. Raguel's fists were raised in attack position, looking ready to take on the guards, despite being outnumbered ten-to-one.
The soldiers affirmed their presence to mimic the servant, but they kept pointing their weapons towards the crowd and the guards.
Chris suddenly did not know what to do. Raguel's behaviour was... unsettling. Like he was a wholly different person from the one that greeted Chris. The monotone's previously smiling, friendly-looking face, but this majestic voice and dignified demeanour were no more. Instead, in his place stood a domineering beast, which lashed out anything that he deemed hazardous towards his owner. It bordered on possessive.
The problem was is this standoff. Chris' troopers were pointing their weapons towards this town's guard while they did the same thing towards them. And the civilians were caught between two groups, looking more and more panicked, unsure what to do. To them, it was either risking running away and accidentally triggering one of the parties or staying in place and risking crossfire. In other words, it was a catch-22 with no good alternatives.
The guard from earlier almost erupted from rage, but suddenly, the most unexpected thing happened.
A loud noise blurred through the air. It sounded similar to an air raid siren.
"GRIMM! IT'S THE GRIMM!" A guard, who stood in the circle, shouted out the top of his lungs. His comrades immediately turned away from Chris, lowered their weapons, and ran towards the town's gate. The other one stayed and was still looking at him with the same angry determination.
"Do you want to make yourself useful, Atlesian? Help us defend this town, and maybe I will go easy on you." After this, he joined his fellow guards in the defence.
Realising this opportunity to prove himself and his armies, Chris decided on the spot to help them.
"All squads, move to the gate and assist the guards!" He ordered them.
"Yes, sir, we'll hold the line!" Said the riflemen in unison, then they raised their weapons and started to move towards the gate. But before they reached the gate, one of the guards shouted again.
"Here they come!"
A hollow howling bellowed. It was deep, menacing, and filled the locals' hearts with dread. Sounding nothing like what Chris heard from his world.
Not long after that, the source of the howl arrived ninety yards away. Its appearance resembled a muscular, bipedal wolf, but it was… menacing. Its pitch black fur, pearl white bone plates on various sections of the body, and crimson luminescent eyes. Chris took a step back when he saw the creatures. Whatever deity designed them was not the type to prefer subtlety.
Suddenly, this made more sense to Chris. The Entity mentioned something about "the creatures of darkness roaming free."
Meanwhile, the warrior wolf things did not stop. After the guards and rifle squads gathered at the gate, the wolves charged. The guards firing their rifles in unison. It was a perfected firing line. When one needed to reload a new clip into his rifle. Another guard would fill in the gap to continue the barrage. Chris flinched when the gunfire thundered to shatter the silence.
Like a wave, the wolves jogged then went on all fours to increase their speed. Their bulky torsos and spikes jutting out of their spines added to their ferocious approach. From their location, the beasts cut the distance in no time.
The wolves were giant. In the distance, they were huge given their species. They were easily eight feet tall with six-inch claws. Despite the large caliber of bullet the guards used. The wolves shirked and shrugged off the damage. Of the eight wolves in the distance, and only two of them died on the approach.
One wolf got to the wall, jumped up, bit into a guard's shoulder, and fling him twenty feet off the wall. Immediately another wolf dragged the guard away. The guard's fingers bled when he fruitless attempted to escape and was promptly torn apart. Blood erupted as the hands limply tried to get the wolf to stop mutilating him. When it was over, flesh dripped from the wolf's teeth as it turned toward the gate.
While some wolves decided to attack the guards directly, most of them continued their charge towards the market and the city centre. Most citizens retreated to their homes and started to barricade the entrances. Some were still on the streets and panicked.
"Alpha and Bravo squad, assist the guards in holding the gate. Charlie and Delta squad, protect the civilians until they are safe!"
"Understood," replied the squad leaders.
The remaining nine guards started to retreat from the wall. Instead of breaking morale, several guards drew their sabres as the rest fired their rifles in support. Carefully making their way off the wall and organize themselves. Unfortunately, three wolves stayed behind to harass the defenders. One guard attempted to pierce a wolf's jaw, but it reacted by biting his arm and crushed it. That guard fell to the ground whining in pain. Another guard had his leg bitten by a different wolf. Being close to the other guards, they could damage the wolf enough to drop the third victim.
The guards were not going to back down.
Alpha and Bravo riflemen squads staggered themselves then started to open fire on the wolves on the wall. Their GD-2 rifles were set to semi-automatic. The sheer volume of gunfire forced one wolf to stop its approach toward the guards. Black liquid burst out, and it roared at the riflemen squads. As that occurred, the wolf jumped behind as Alpha squad tracked it to keep the pressure.
The first wolf stabbed a barrel of grain then tossed it at Alpha. One soldier was hit dead center in his torso then fell backward. The riflemen expertly swapped empty magazines for fresh ones to keep the volume of bullets at a steady pace. The wolf sprinted as Alpha rifleman did not waver and continued to shoot when it got close. The wolf hand grabbed the soldier by his leg, slamming his back in the ground. After that, the wolf spun around then launched the rifleman face-first into a wall. Cracking his helmet's visor and blood seeped out.
A rifleman who had a grenade launcher equipped to his GD-2 launched an impact grenade. The smoke dissipated as the riflemen reached for another grenade.
"Keep the fire on 'em, boys!" The Alpha leader shouted.
The wolf took a lot of gunfire as it started to slow down to walking speed. It tripped onto the ground as the Alpha's riflemen put more bullets into it. After the glow of its eyes faded. The squad leader waved his arms, demanding to check on the soldier tossed into a wall. The one hit with the barrel had a massive bruise and got back on his feet.
The two wolves on the wall sensed the threat. One barked at the other, one turned at the guards as the third targeted Bravo squad. The wolves charged with reckless fury. Two more guards were wounded as their torsos were slashed by claws. Not risking stray bullets to harm the citizens, three guards equipped sabres as two used their rifles.
Arrogantly, the wolf growled then leaned down. Sensing the danger, the guards split apart once the wolf jumped at them. Two sabre guards went forward and pierced the wolf. One was shoved, and the other was stabbed by a claw. By then, the remaining rifle guards took out strange green-tipped bullets. The clips from the 98ks pinged upward as the two fired as fast as they could.
Where the bullets struck, molten bits of black tar flinched out of the wolf's body. The damage was devastating as acidic material spread outward within. The wolf cried in pain as it attempted to claw at them. One bullet struck its forearm, melted it, and the claw flung away. Looking at its stub of an arm, the wolf turned back to the guards as sabres slashed at its torso. One bullet struck its forehead then melted its devious face. That was finally enough to put it down. The guards collected themselves.
The third wolf snarled and approached Bravo squad. Letting saliva drip on the ground. The riflemen stared and started to space out several feet from each other. Once the fight was on, the Bravo opened fire. The wolf used its shoulder to protect its face as it charged. It knocked two riflemen away as the wolf lunged at a third. Getting clawed, it broke some straps and pieces of equipment from the third riflemen's chest. He fell to the ground, switching the fire rate from semi to full auto, then emptying the magazine point-blank. The wolf narrowed its claws to pierce the prone rifleman. When it came down, the soldier was struck his lower abdomen.
"Argh!" The rifleman grunted.
By then, the remaining three riflemen of Bravo charged. The wolf retaliated by punching one into the ground, another soldier had a bite in the shoulder, and the sixth rifleman was head-butted. By now, it turned around for the two riflemen it knocked earlier. Bravo leader did not have enough time to reload, so he sprinted, drew his combat knife, and jumped on the wolf's back. Using the spine spike to get a better grip. Bravo leader frantically stabbed the wolf in its neck dozens of times. Another rifleman could not risk shooting his teammate, so he stuck a bayonet on his weapon and went for the wolf's heart.
The wolf dropped to one knee as the other four riflemen collectively stabbed the beast over and over. Once, the light faded from its eyes. It fell forward on top of the rifleman that was already on the ground. Bathing that rifleman in black liquid from the wolf's body. The five Bravo squad members collectively turned to each other to move the body of their comrade. Once he was clear, they helped the prone rifleman to his feet.
Alpha and Bravo Squad regrouped with the guards.
The remaining three wolves sprinted and jumped across the rooftops as the Charlie and Delta squad pursued. Delta Leader's visor scanned the region and notice several civilians did not have time to retreat to their homes and used various stalls in the marketplace for shelter.
"This is Delta. We're going in for the civvies!"
"Roger!" Charlie Leader waved his arm to position Charlie Squad as support.
The marketplace was a boxed public square. Eight market stalls with umbrellas and benches were at the rim of the square. That included the fruit stands, butcher stand, cloth stand, and farming supplies. Delta squad reached the market first.
From the rooftops, the wolves observed the riflemen squads then turned to each other. One barked in excitement.
Right behind Charlie and Delta was Chris and Raguel. They did not have enough time to find shelter, and Chris decided to stay close to his military units.
Using heat scans, Delta squad was aware of which specific stalls to evacuate. One rifleman lowered his DR-2 as he approached. It was a middle-aged woman who required a cane to walk. He shoved the small barricade of boxes out of the way offered his hand, and she took it. From there, he offered his back to piggyback the lady to the closest building. When the soldier ran toward them, the civilians inside the house stared at each other. The door popped open for the woman to be taken inside, no questions asked.
The rifleman turned around to see two wolves jump into the square.
In the middle of the marketplace, Delta squad had to scatter as one wolf in the center of them. Immediately, the wolf brought its claw around and beheaded a Delta rifleman. Before the head hit the ground, Delta unleashed their firepower. The wolf shoved a rifleman into a stall. It bit forward and tore out the shoulder of the downed Delta rifleman to create an opening to retreat. Charlie squad saw the wolf that comes out by making one stall shatter apart. They lit up the wolf. It was not enough before it got to the building.
"Space your shots! No stray bullets!" Charlie leader snarled. "One civilian dies, and I will have your asses!"
During the commotion, Delta Leader had found two civilian adults across from each other in different stalls. He shouted at them to get to safety while the squad had the wolves' attention by the civilians down the road. Charlie squad becomes the shield to evacuate them.
The bad news did not end for Delta. The other two wolves jumped into the fray. A rifleman was crushed while the fourth one was mauled. Blood spurted out of the market. It flowed through the gaps of the road. The wolf that retreated came back with the fifth rifleman in its maw. The body dangled like a ragdoll.
Out of the insatiable desire for cruelty, a wolf dragged his crushed and dazed victim to the closest table. By the time he realized what was happening, he was lifted and heard the wind whirl as he had a sharp pain in his abdomen. The wolf had impaled the soldier on an umbrella. Blood poured out, waved in the impressions, and pooled at the edges. The dripping, it was the loudest thing for the wolf to hear as it growled in self-accomplishment.
It flinched from gunfire which struck its body, then turned to see the Delta Leader. Space was larger by thirty feet away from each other.
The wolf brought its arms close to its chest then leaned its head forward. The spikes on its back kicked up dirt and gravel. Delta Leader attempted to sidestep in time and had to lunge to his left to avoid the rolling beast. It stopped and adjusted, then came back. Before the Leader had time to get back on his feet. Four spikes pierced his body—one in the leg, two on his shoulder, and one through his throat. Delta Leader could not cry in pain. His visor leaned up and reflected buildings that terrified the civilians. As the wolf howled in success.
The wolf did not take off the dead Leader from its back. It wanted to present its trophy and relish the fear. Oh, the fear in the air was delicious.
"Unit Lost," EVA spoke with the same neutral tone.
"What?" Chris shook his head in disbelief.
"Sir! The marketplace has been evacuated!" Charlie Leader turned his head toward the Commander while Charlie Squad fired at the wolves.
"I-I-I-I!" Chris stammered.
The wolves howled at Chris, Raguel, and Charlie Squad. Preventing the next move to be planned, the wolves moved in a triangle formation toward the group. A hand pressed on Chris' shoulder as Raguel moved to the front.
The two riflemen in front had to sidestep to avoid getting slammed by a wolf. When the jaws started to close, a fist came in to knock it off course. Raguel's fist came down while he pivoted to his right. Making the wolf bounce its head to the ground, then another fist came around to hook it in the jaw. Several teeth flew out as the wolf was kicked to its side. Moments before the final blow, the wolf used its free arm to stab Raguel. The side of his eye glanced at the incoming danger then leaned back.
It was enough time for the wolf to slink back then to its feet again. Observing the field, Chris realized the charging wolf was the decoy while the others circled around to force them back into the market.
To the back of the wolves was the gate, while Alpha and Bravo squad were in combat. Charlie squad's visors revealed the pings of friendlies. Lighting up the wolves on the street could lead to crossfire against friendlies. Resorting to single fire.
"Sir, we need to change the fire lanes!" A rifleman shouted.
"Do it!" Chris replied. "Let's move to a different place!"
"Roger." Charlie Squad leader replied. The riflemen made an organized retreat by having two to three riflemen stop to shoot at the wolves while the others repositioned.
Chris saw the remains of a few Delta squad's riflemen. He grimaced as Raguel guided Chris to the other side of the marketplace. Charlie Squad was close behind and spaced out so the wolves could not overwhelm them individually.
Charlie's Leader was one the last riflemen to regroup as he was clawed at his back. Two riflemen rushed forward to support. The wolf shoulders recoiled from the gunfire. Before it could tear into the Leader, a pitchfork soared through the air to pierce its chest. The wolf looked up to see Raguel in a resting javelin-throwing posture.
Raguel reeled his arm back and cracked his neck. "Sire. Allow me."
Alongside Raguel, two Charlie squad Riflemen had a few hand axes, a shovel, sledgehammer, and machete.
"Support Raggie!"
"Yes, sir!" "Right away!"
Raguel sprinted forward as the two riflemen fired their weapons in a single fire. The wolf got its foot off the Leader as it ripped out the pitchfork from its body. The gunfire was not as accurate as it should, but it would assist in disorientating the target. When Raguel closed the distance, the wolf swiped at him. Raguel tilted his head, ducked left, right, and back again. When the wolf moved several feet away from the Leader, Raguel countered by an uppercut the unleashed a combination punch a hook, jab, jab, and backpedal. Raguel brought his right arm down like a hammer during the retreat, and when the wolf's head lowered. A left uppercut knocked more teeth out and cocked its head back in a whiplash.
Charlie leader got on his feet and rallied the rest of the squad. By the time he looked back, he saw one of the supporting Riflemen had tossed hand axes. Raguel caught it and spiked the blades deep in the wolf's snout, and crumbled.
The other two wolves arrived as they stood on opposite sides of Raguel and the two Riflemen. The Leader and the other remaining two riflemen rallied around Chris.
The dead wolf started to fade away into ash as the other wolves charged. The two riflemen took it upon themselves to distract one wolf while Raguel targeted the other. Before dividing their attention, a rifleman handed Raguel a shovel, and another provided the sledgehammer.
A wolf attempted to bite one of the supporting riflemen near Raguel. For safety, the soldier raised his rifle upward to absorb the brunt of the bite. The metal and plastics snapped within the frame, and shards flickered out, which bounced the visor. Nothing else, the rifleman reached or his side for a pistol. Without thinking about it, he unloaded the handgun at point-blank range. It grimaced, and the other rifleman brought the machete down, clipping the wolf's snout.
Spitting the rifle out, the wolf elbowed the machete-wielding soldier, and he crashed into a fruit stand. The other rifleman pointed his handgun. Click click click!
"Damn!" The rifleman glanced at his weapon then drew the spare hand ax.
Meanwhile, Raguel was locked in combat with a wolf. He had to pivot and often backpedal to avoid the claws. Despite the familiarity of action, Raguel took a few punches and cuts on the skin. At his hip, there was a tear when the wolf tried to go for his stomach. Blood caked the exterior of the clothes for another attempt to pounce for a bite. Raguel threw the shovel like a spear which glazed the wolf's eye. When Raguel approached and pivoted to the side, he cross punched the wolf's arm away.
It growled as Raguel brought the sledgehammer around 270 degrees knocking teeth out then using the handle to guard for a counter bite. When it did go for the taste, Raguel twisted the hammer cracking the jaw. Hearing the effectiveness of the damage, Raguel head-butted the wolf to force it to let go of the hammer. The servant raised it up to the sky.
"Look out!" Chris shouted.
Raguel instinctively leaned forward rotated his torso to have the second attacker be within the same view of his initial target. It was the other wolf as it cut vertically upward on his back. This shredded the clothing further as scraps of fabric dangled. With the material becoming a liability, Raguel tore the loose bits off. It left half of his chest bare, as there were several scars from previous scraps he's been in the past.
"Hold your ground, soldiers!" Charlie Leader bellowed.
The wolf with the broken jaw wanted revenge, and the riflemen did not stop their support. Raguel flicked his arm of blood, and aware the sledgehammer would throw off his balance and speed, he discarded it. Now, Raguel brought his fists in a readied posture while his eyes focused on the wolves. Sensing the desire for the offensive, the Charlie squad slapped in new magazines.
Broken jaw closed in, and Raguel closed into a peek-a-boo stance to swing left and right on the claws. Then did a half spin on a lunge. For the counter, Raguel punched into the joints of the broken jaw's arm. The servant got several jabs into the mouth again. Sensing the tide turning, the wolf punched Raguel dead center in the chest.
The servant spat out blood, but he endured the hit to deliver a furious haymaker. It cracked the bone armor on the forehead as the Raguel then stomped on its face. Bits of black fluid went everywhere. Raguel frowned, and when he looked up, to see the other wolf making a move.
This time, it was enough to get him to trip backward, slamming his head on the ground. The wolf took a bite out of his exposed shoulder while the servant grunted in pain. Not giving up, Raguel responded by a dozen hooks and landed several punches in its eye. It bit so deep, it lifted Raguel up several feet upward. Both claws ready to interlock within the servant's chest.
As it propelled its arms, one had its forearm sliced off, and the other arm's claws flew off. Confused, the wolf spat Raguel out to look at its arms. It looked up to see two riflemen, one with a machete and the other with a hand ax. From there, they jumped at the wolf. The machete cut more sections of arms off while the other rifleman used the ax to secure a grip. The rest of Charlie squad approached for support. When it fell backward, the rifleman with the ax pulled a pin off a grenade and punched it into an open wound. Scrambling, the wolf clawed at its chest but did not have the limbs to save itself. With a last resort, it took a bite of its chest to yank the grenade out. By then, it saw a Raguel on his feet and resting on Charlie Squad's leader's shoulder.
Beeettoooooommmm!
The headless predator's body toppled over smoldering.
Raguel coughed several times as Charlie Squad check on their teammates and the safety of their Commander. One rifleman jogged to the Leader then turned around to get his pack opened. It was a first aid pocket to quickly disinfect and bandage Raguel's wounds.
Thankfully, the civilians were no longer panicking after seeing that the wolves could not reach them. The fact that the soldiers, who have previously pointed guns at them and making threats, now protected them from the wolves.
While all of this was going on, Chris noticed two things. First, it was the guns. Or rather the fact that they did not make him deaf. He remembered that one time when he accidentally wandered into an indoor firing range without ear protection. The Commander's head was ringing for hours after that. But now, this gunfire did not bother him at all. Although his brain registered the noises as 'loud,' he did not suffer from headaches or temporary hearing loss. He concluded that this must be one of the perks that came with his enhanced body.
The second thing he noticed was the wolves. Instead of lying dead on the ground after being killed, they morph into a puddle and fade away. It looked like they sublimated. Potentially a defence mechanism to prevent autopsying the corpses.
During his brainstorming, the situation remained the same for the next couple of minutes. Wolves came in numbers, but they were all stopped before reaching the civilians. The guards from different parts of the town, seeing this, reinvigorated their fighting spirits and managed to finish off the remaining attackers.
"What is the status?" Chris asked into his communicator.
"Sir. Alpha squad has one casualty. Bravo, three injured. Charlie has three casualties and three injured. Delta squad is KIA."
"So when I heard EVA say Unit Lost earlier, referred to Delta Squad," Chris grumbled.
"Yes, sir." The squad leaders replied in unison.
"What are your orders?" Bravo leader asked while he flicked black liquid from his combat knife.
After this, it came a moment of respite. The guardians of the town and the foreign fighters looked at each other again. Although their expressions were far from friendly, it was an improvement over the ones right before the fight. Chris thought he concluded that this was due to both sides being impressed by the other's fighting skill.
"Help the wounded." Chris' response was immediate.
Charlie Squad went to collect the remains of Delta Squad. Each of the soldiers still had their visors covering their faces. Chris felt like he should get a look out of respect and wondered if GDI soldiers had specific routines for handling the deceased.
This little peace did not last long. Another howling was heard, but this one was much louder and more numerous. Soon, the creatures emerged again. There was someone new on the horizon. It followed the same aesthetic rule as the wolf, but this time, it was a bear. Its size, claws, and bone plates were larger. If wolves were enough to do this much damage to riflemen squads and guards, Chris felt reactionary fear of what this could do to his forces.
One of the guards with a keen eye could see the creatures gathering in the forest along with the wolves. They were preparing for another attack.
Using this one minute of waiting, Chris contacted the two forward squads.
"Alpha, Bravo, dig in!"
"Sandbags!" Shouted the squads and detached shoves from their packs. After 6 seconds of digging, the foxhole emerged from the ground, and the two squads immediately garrisoned them. The guards were surprised, but they did not have much time to look at them closer because, after that, the creatures rushed the town. The Bravo Squad leader waved at the guards to get inside the foxhole structure. With no need of convincing, the guards rushed to riflemen.
Immediately after issuing the first, Chris heard EVA.
"Our Base Is Under Attack."
The black mass of rage and carnage charged around the foxhole structures. The bear creature was the furthest in the back, broke the wall, and bits of rubble rolled off its body. It appeared it only annoyed the monster. The squads and guards inside had concrete and metal chip away from the wolves' onslaught. One guard had his 98k taken away from him.
The riflemen's visors and guard helmets reflected auburn flashes of light. It was a fight for their lives.
After hearing this, Chris entered RTS mode and quickly flew to the main base. It was immediately apparent that the same creatures were also behind this attack. The remaining troopers fought as hard as possible, but it was immediately clear that they did not stand a great chance due to the significant number of attackers.
As the aggressors were closing on the base and defenders opened fire on them, someone contacted him.
"Boss, if you can reinforce us, I can offer you my help. And I am more than ready to kick some ass." His voice was mature but somewhat cocky. The Commander only knew one voice fitting this tone. It was the GDI commando.
"I see. What do you suggest?" Chris inquired.
"Well, Boss, more boots on the ground is great. Also, a couple of defense turrets would be more than helpful."
Chris immediately looked to the upper right corner of his HUD. First, he clicked on the human-looking icon. Chris saw those riflemen, missile squads, and engineers were available for training from the barracks, so he ordered four more riflemen and two missile squads.
He looked at the money counter. It was currently showing 1800$. Using this, he built 3 watchtowers and placed them around the base, forming a perimeter.
"Thanks, Boss. I'm on m-"
Chris was distracted as he concentrated on adjusting his forces. That was until some tugged at his shoulder, bringing Chris back to his physical body. It was slightly dizzying.
Raguel was the one pulling Chris away while Charlie squad's rifleman squad near formed a half-circle in front of them. The servant's body is already covered in bandages on his shoulders and over his left eye.
"Sire, get back!"
The monsters were not coming from the gate but from the south. Chris looked at them, and the most terrifying thing that he had ever seen emerging from the massive hole on the wall.
It was a scorpion, which belonged to the same group as the wolves and bears, judging by its design. The sheer size of it dumbfounded Chris. It was the size of a house! Armed with giant claws and a yellow venomous stinger and covered with white bone plates as an exoskeleton, Chris had every reason to fear it.
"Everyone scatter. Everyone fucking scatter NOW!" The Commander shouted as loud as he could. "Draw the big one's attention and focus your fire on the smaller ones!" Currently, that was his only idea on how to deal with the giant scorpion.
"Understood." The soldiers accepted the order without second thoughts. Charlie Squad remained close to him, while the others were still relatively close enough to cover each other.
The giant scorpion was surprisingly quick, but thankfully not as fast as the wolves. It advanced to the market and stomped over one of the fruit stands. Meanwhile, the bears and the wolves were running amok, trying to get into people's houses. Thankfully the citizens properly barricaded themselves into their homes in time. However, that was not able to withstand the attack forever.
"Focus fire on the ones close to the doors! Protect the civilians!" The Commander ordered them again to change their primary targets.
Raguel retrieved a hand ax then rolled his shoulder back. The Outboxer was not going to let these beasts get past him.
Meanwhile, this was going on. Chris had a sudden feeling: he was useless. He was standing still barking orders at him while they did all the heavy lifting. The Commander looked at the soldier next to him. Other than his assault rifle, he was also carrying a couple of fragmentation grenades and a pistol.
"Hey, can you lend me your pistol and some ammo?" Chris asked.
The soldier stopped firing and looked at him.
"Of course, sir. Whatever you need." The rifleman quickly picked up his pistol from his holster, a couple of magazines from his chest rig, and tossed it to Chris. Chris caught them with his hand.
"Good luck, sir." The rifleman returned to his duty.
Chris complimented his new weapon and was not unfamiliar with firearms. He had experience shooting them in his previous life. Still, the Commander had never fired one while under distress.
A couple of wolves and bears started advancing towards him. Since his bodyguard was busy protecting him from one side, he had no other choice but to shoot them.
The Commander raised his weapon, trying to aim at the nearest wolf. However, he simply could not aim precisely. The recoil shocked him the most, but he had to rebalance his grip. His hand did not stay in place, and the sight did not align. But since he had no option, he fired the gun.
Those who have never fired a pistol before are always surprised just how much recoil such a small weapon can have. Films were lying about this as usual. Luckily for the Commander, his aim was just in the right place, and it hit the wolf in the head, right between his eyes.
The wolf flinched for a second from the pain, but after that, he immediately continued his advance towards him. Unlike the others, it did not have bone armor and red glowing teeth. Faster than the others and slightly smaller.
Chris fired again. And again. Thankfully, it was a semi-automatic pistol, so the recoil was undemanding to control. Though he fired 8 other shots, half missed the target. Two hit the wolf's forehead, 1 hit the abdomen, and 1 the upper half of his forward left leg.
The last shot caused the wolf to hit the ground, and after that, it stood up. Using this moment, he fired another shot. This one was lucky. The bullet went through his right eye through his brain and leaving through the backside of his head. The wolf fell dead and slowly started dissolving.
This moment of victory was short-lived as he hurriedly looked around. Although most of the smaller wolves were dead, there still were the more prominent threats. The scorpion, thankfully, was preoccupied due to its stupidity since as soon as someone started firing at him, he immediately changed course and immediately began charging at his attacker. It was a guard from the other side of town.
That guard realized he accomplished what he wanted to do. He started to book it to the closest reinforced shelter. Luckily, he ducked a wolf attack and slid into a cover.
Amongst the remaining smaller ones, a bear started running towards Chris. Noticing this, the Commander immediately started shooting at it. It being such a large target, most bullets hit their target. Despite this, the bear only flinched for a moment every time it got hit. Besides Chris stood Raguel ready to defend.
Chris fired 7 shots, but before he could fire more, the gun clicked. No matter how much the Commander tried to press the trigger, it did not go off. The bear closed in closer and faster.
Once it dawned on Chris to reload the weapon, Raguel charged with all the fury of a beast protecting his offspring. The servant's speed rivaled an Olympic runner. A raised fist and punched the beast in the face. The combined force of the punch and the running caused the bear to stop for two seconds. Utilizing the moment, Raguel jumped on the creature's back, between two white spikes, while holding its neck.
What the servant did next shocked Chris. Raguel started to pull the bear's head by pulling his neck. The bear tried to reach his attacker with his arms, but Raguel adjusted his balance to avoid the attacks, or they were unable to hit him.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH" Raguel shouted. His rage was fitting for a warrior, and his eyes were burning with passion, ready to take on anything.
After at least ten seconds of struggling, he managed to do it. The servant ripped the bear's head straight out of his neck. The creature collapsed and started dissolving. Raguel jumped off, and he landed on the ground while holding the bear's head with his right hand. Although there was no blood coming from the head, Raguel's body language reflected triumph. Gasping for air, but when he looked at Chris, he couldn't help but smile.
"Let's get one thing straight, I am a lot scarier than you are!" Raguel limply discarded the dissolving head.
Meanwhile, the battle was still ongoing, and two new bears started advancing on them. Raguel noticed a new wave and faced his latest opponent in a defensive posture. But before he could take them on, the cavalry has arrived from the sky.
A stream of grey and blue smoke went for a bear. The commando fell on the left side of the bear's back, which caused it to fell to the ground. The super soldier quickly pointed his LMG at its head then jackhammered its skull with bullets. The bear fell over like a tree.
The other bear noticed this and lashed out with his claws, but the commando dodged it with a combat roll. After that, he quickly aimed his weapon at the creature and unleashed a barrage at it. It was enough to sever the forearm, and it retreated. The commando knew he should regroup instead of giving chase. The jetpack fired up, and the super-soldier flew backward to the market.
Charlie squad remained affirmative in their guard of the Commander. After walking through the marketplace, the commando turned around at Raguel while placing his LMG on his shoulder.
"Set 'em up, and I'll knock 'em down!" The commando proclaimed.
"I am impressed. However, I would have taken those two adversaries and protect the Commander without trouble."
"Whatever you say, hotshot." The commando brought his LMG down. "Speaking of Commander, Boss, are you all right?"
"Well, I am still breathing, so thank you for saving my ass," Chris wiped the sweat off his forehead.
"No problem, boss."
The battle turned in their favor. The smaller creatures were either dead or on the run, and defenders from the gate regrouped. However, there was still one problem. The scorpion was in the city, threatening the locals.
"All squads, concentrate all firepower on that thing!" Chris ordered his troops, who started to fire immediately, along with the city guards. However, unlike the smaller ones, this was not enough to kill. Its white exoskeleton was resistant enough to deflect the bullets, and only the occasional shot on its eyes was sufficient to make it flinch.
Realizing this, Chris started to look for alternative methods to defeat that thing. The Commander looked at it closer and realized something. The creature's underbelly was wholly exposed. However, it constantly moved and swigged his tail to defend against anything that would come close to him.
Chris needed a moment to think of how he best executed a plan when the commando budded in.
"I have an idea. Just wait and see."
The commando charged at the scorpion, which caused the riflemen and guards to stop their barrage to avoid friendly fire. The scorpion started to concentrate his attention on the commando and primed his claws and stingers. The stinger came down and made two feet deep holes into the ground. The commando laughed as his jetpack fired up. In a few seconds, the commando wrangled himself on the scorpion's stinger.
Drawing his combat knife, and stabbed where the tail and the stinger connected. The scorpion did everything its power to throw away the human, but the commando strengthened his grip and held tight while he continued the stabbing. After a while, the stinger started to get loose. When the commando noticed this, he stopped the stabbing, fired up the jetpack, and flew to the stinger. The tug of war that ensued made it possible for Chris, Charlie, Alpha, Bravo, and the guards a chance to support with gunfire. From the sheer amount of bullets, the tail separated from the scorpion's body.
"I got a present for ya'!" The commando fell in from the opposite direction, jamming the stinger in the scorpion's eye. The creature shrieked in pain. By the time the commando jumped off its body. The scorpion's wounded eye could see blurry strings of red symbols. It was a detention pack, heavy-duty.
The resulting explosion devastated the creature. The shockwave tore its body into two big chunks, raining pieces and black liquid. After hitting the ground, the remains started to melt away.
For the next couple of seconds, the town was in complete silence as the people inside tried to comprehend the events in the last eight minutes.
The silence was broken by a rifleman, who gave Chris the pistol. "We won!"
"OORAH" The others shouted in unison. The guards joined the celebration. Slowly the civilians started to emerge from their homes and approached the Chris' military. Away their worried looks and began to show appreciation.
Raguel returned to his dignified demeanor and glanced at Chris with proud acceptance.
"Congratulation, Sire. You have survived your first combat situation. I hope you will be this successful in the future." Raguel's voice was in the familiar angelic tone.
"Well, I hope you are right on this, Raggy." Chris' legs were shaking at this point, but everyone else did not wish to embarrass the Commander.
However, two people approached. One of them was the merchant Chris had an argument with earlier. The other was the guard who shouted at the Commander right before the fight. Both of them looked humbled and were speaking in a shy manner at the same time, trying to apologize.
"Look, I am sorry. I think you have all the rights to…"
"It appears you were more than a handful for the Grimm Atlesians, so…"
But before they could finish it, Chris stopped them.
"Look, guys, I have wronged you before this shitshow, so give me some time, and I'm gonna make it up to you. I want to make amends." Chris wished to avoid future grudges.
"Don't worry. I think we can have a gentlemen's agreement." The guard nodded.
Two more people approached. One was the small kid, which he found cute. She ran toward him and gave him a hug.
"Thank you, mister. You are my hero." She sounded delighted and was no longer scared of him. Chris could not resist but give the little one a head pat.
Meanwhile, the other man approached him. He was in his late 30's with white hair and feline ears, and he wore a patched and worn-out suit.
"I am Ice Den, the mayor of this town. It seems you have met with my daughter Haley." He introduced himself.
'What a weird name.' Chris' reactionary thought occurred. 'Be polite.'
"I am Christian William Turner, at your service."
"Well, Mr. Turner, I would like to repay you for saving our town. While I know you have caused commotion before this, I am willing to overlook it, and instead, I want to compensate you for your heroic deeds. Not many humans would defend a Faunus settlement. We don't have much to offer in terms of money, but I am open for suggestions."
Chris thought about this for a moment. While money was always helpful, there was something he needed more.
Information.
"I would like you to lend me some books on history, international politics, military, biology, and sociology, along with today's newspaper and a map of the world."
The mayor was surprised for a second, but he quickly returned to his usual mood.
"Well, if that's what you want, sir, then I will provide it to you. Books from the library, today's issue of the Vale Gazette, and a map." The mayor glanced to a reptilian attendant who immediately turned away to retrieve the trade.
The kid stopped hugging him and instead embraced Raguel, who was smiling also. While the first two visitors went away in the meantime, a new one approached him. He was in his early twenties in urban clothes.
"Hello there. I am Russ Cooper from VNN. Do you have time for an interview?"
Chris was surprised that the media found him this early, but this should have been expected after what happened. Still, he thought that maybe this is early.
"Look, pal. I am currently busy, so I can't give you one."
The reporter was disappointed.
"Can you at least give your name?"
"Hey buddy, you heard the boss." The commando approached and towered over the reporter.
Knowing of the commando's ability. The reporter intimidatingly shrunk at the commando. Chris noticed this and decided to throw the reporter a bone.
"Give me a month. I'm going to give you the interview of the century. And you will be the one doing it."
This made the reporter happy again and filled with anticipation.
"Twenty-nine days, twenty-three hours, and fifty-nine minutes." The commando stared at the reporter. "Mark your calendar!"
Meanwhile, the mayor's attendant returned with a wheelbarrow filled with all the requested items.
"Well, I hope that this one will be helpful." The mayor smiled.
"Well, I'm sure that you have chosen wisely. But now I have to go." Chris rubbed the back of his head.
"Well, thank you for helping us. I hope to meet you in the future"
"Me too. See you around." Chris waved.
Charlie Squad's leader jogged to lift the wheelbarrow. Despite being injured, he insisted on doing it.
"All squads, form up. We're going home." The soldiers gathered around him, while there were still some people cheering them.
Before they left, however, Chris turned around one last time.
"We are the Global Defence Initiative. In our eyes, you are all equal, and we will protect your rights and lives. We will defend the helpless. We will keep the peace. We shall be the ones that bring this world to an age of prosperity!"
Chris mostly improvised it, but he wanted them to know that they were here to help them, that they will make things better. Still, he felt that maybe he need to clear up some things.
As they were leaving town and heading back to base, he looked at Raguel with inquisitorial eyes, walking next to him.
"Raggy, I think we have a LOT to discuss."
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The sun was slowly setting. Its bright rays shined along the horizon one last time. The city, which was previously as active as an ant hive, started to rest as its residents slowly returned to their homes in hopes of relaxing before the next day of routine.
Of course, this was not wholly true. Even when every law-abiding citizen was at home enjoying their recreational time at home, not everyone was finished with their work. There were always some whose clandestine activity never ended. For them, the idea of not doing secretive things besides their "work" was inconceivable. This secret second activity had to be done hidden before the eyes of the majority population since, upon discovery, they tend to see it as a threat to their typical ways of life. This was not only true to the criminals. Others thought that secrecy was the only way forward.
Above Vale, on top of a cliff, stood Beacon Academy. With its imposing presence and prestigious history, it was a pride of the city and the kingdom. But even these type of buildings had their secrets. And what better way to hide something than raise it closer to the heavens?
An athletic middle-aged man peered at the screen on the top of his office desk. With a cup of coffee in his right hand and slowly adjusting his glass with his left hand, he watched closely, and the screen flashed with the word VNN on the down left corner of his screen.
"…and the final story: A Grimm attack on the Faunus village of Brighthill In the northeast of Vale. But it was no ordinary Grimm attack. During the attack, one of our journalists was able to capture a strange occurrence. A group of heavily armed men with unknown allegiance assisted with the defence of the town. Here is the video."
The screen switched to the hand-held video. It showed the uniformed man taking up defensive positions and helping the city guard fighting the Grimm.
"After the attack, our journalist tried to speak with the leader of these men. The outfit's leader refused to give an interview or identify himself. However, he promised an interview for a later date. After that, he left the town, but not before giving a small speech."
The screen switched again to show a man in his early 20s.
"We are the Global Defence Initiative. In our eyes, you are all equal, and we will protect your rights and lives. We will defend the helpless. We are the ones that will unite these lands. We shall be the ones that bring this world to a new age of prosperity!"
"At the moment, there is no further information on these men. Both the Atlas Military and the Vale Police Department have denied involvement with this incident. Experts believe them to be either marauding mercenaries or a cult, so if you encounter them, be vigilant! And now, the Weather. We can-."
The man slurped his coffee, put away his cup, and then turned off the screen. He slowly turned his seat in the opposite direction, facing the city, and entered deep contemplation.
In the opposite end of his office, the elevator doors opened, and a blonde-haired lady stepped forward. Her mannerism was the pinnacle of professionalism, which clashed with her mind processing strange news.
"I believe you have heard the news as well." She stopped and crossed her arms.
"Of course, Glynda. It is a most… peculiar development." The man said it while slowly turning around to face his conversation partner.
"Just think about it: a group of heavily armed humans with unknown allegiance visit a town, where most of the residents are Faunus, who possess cultural disillusionment toward humans. Then they defend the town from a Grimm attack, and before they leave, their self-appointed leader declares that they are here to save the world. Tell me, Ozpin: Do you also think that there is something suspicious with these thugs?" The woman frowned.
"Unknowns are not something I wish to handle. When a wild card appears, you always have to prepare for the worst."
"Still, do we have any other concrete information about them?" Glynda uncrossed her arms.
"Sadly, that is not the case. I will have to make a call with James, but I have a suspicion that they are not from Atlas. Their equipment is different. I do not possess the knowledge where else they can acquire high-quality munitions." The man took another sip of his coffee. "I have noticed something strange about them."
"What did you noticed?" Glynda raised an eyebrow.
"Have you seen the level of coordination during the Grimm attack? There is something else I want to show you."
He reactivated the built-in screen on his desk. He clicked on a folder called "news archives," selected the most recent one, and started playing it. He fast forward to show the small break between the two waves.
"There. Do you see it?" He pointed towards the screen.
Glynda went around the desk and observed the video closer. It was hard to notice immediately, but she saw it after a second or two: two small, bunker-like fortifications. Their utilitarian aesthetics noticeably contrasted the medieval, almost fairy-tale-like buildings of the town.
"I certainly see those fortifications. But why are they so interesting?" Glynda turned to the man.
"Look at this closer."
Rewinding the video for a couple of seconds. Two squads of soldiers stood next to the gate. Suddenly, all of them picked up a shovel and started digging. After only 6 seconds of searching, the bunkers appeared. As in, without warning, it has risen from the ground.
Glynda could only watch it in disbelief. Although she has witnessed many different unique abilities throughout her life throughout the years, this one was different. It felt... unnatural, in a certain way, even though she knew about the existence of magic.
"Well, that is certainly abnormal."
"Exactly. This not a semblance, as far as I can see. And since there was probably no dust involved, I can only imagine one thing causing this: Magic."
"Whatever abilities they have, we need to investigate them further." Remarked Glynda. "The news said this happened near Brighthill, right? In other words: Not far from the fall maiden."
"I have already started to research this phenomenon. If needed, I will alert Amber too."
"Even her?"
"Yes. I do not desire Amber to be stray too far away, or she will be in danger."
"I see. However, there is something else we need to discuss regarding these soldiers: are they enemies or allies? Because the sooner we find out, the better."
"I will call upon a meeting with the others."
After hearing this, Glynda stepped aside and started walking towards the door. But before she could reach the elevator, the man spoke up.
"I have a strange feeling about this, Glynda. If we are not careful, something terrible will happen." The man partly frowned.
"I hope that you are wrong about this, Ozpin."
After that, she stepped into the elevator, pressed the bottom, and left the room concerned.
Ozpin stood up from his chair and looked down the city through the window. By this time, the darkness was prevalent enough that the street lights were on, and they were illuminating the roads. People were still on the streets, living their lives in blissful ignorance, unaware of the actual danger, which lies beyond the walls.
Ozpin thought about the recent events. Even he wondered why he had such a bad feeling about this group. Maybe they appeared to be a more militarised version of the White Fang or the Red Hand?
There was something else he did not point out for Glynda. The leader of this group was relatively young, judging by his appearance. But why would someone this young would go on this path? What motivates him? Where did he come from? What is his end goal?
These were all questions, which whirled within his mind. But since he had no way of answering them at the moment, he decided to leave his office.
He went to the elevator, stepped into it, pressed the bottom, and waited. The doors closed, and the office felt silent. Only a nightingale was singing his song through the night.
A/N: So this was a long one. It was my first fighting scene ever, and reviews are appreciated. BTW thanks for The95will for making the fight scenes truly badass.
After my exams, I'm going to update this story more often. So don't worry, hiatuses like this one will be much rarer from now on. The next chapter will be released in May or in June. Honestly, I am surprised that I had enough time to write this chapter.
And as for your comments, here are my answers.
LiwayDank: Thank you for being understanding. Hopefully, the next semester will be much easier.
Janny092: Honestly, I am more worried about accidentally making the C&C militaries too powerful. Still, I hope I can make it through this year.
Guest: Just wait and see. :)
Just a Crazy-Man: Thanks! The next ones will be even better.
ALBERT DA SILVA OLIVEIRA: Don't worry, there will be more
Bruhmeister935: Thank you!
Engagingelm488: If you have this much faith in me, I'm sure that it will become true. Thank you!
Unknown: 1: well, that depends. If I have a lot of free time, then I think twice per month is manageable. 2: Yes, I think later chapters will be longer. 3: Just wait and see. Also, I won't abandon this story midway through. Even if I do, I will let you know.
PS: I hate school assignments. Of course, they are rough, irritating, and they are everywhere. Why can' I have just some genuinely free time, where I don't have to worry about anything?