This is the complete chapter 12!

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Five Days Later:

The sounds of heavy blows impacting a punching bag echoed throughout the gym. Jai moved around the bag as he bobbed and weaved about to avoid the incoming blows from his imaginary opponent. Jai wore a grey short-sleeved Atlas shirt with black shorts and black running shoes and his hands were wrapped in athletic tape. He delivered a series of perfectly formed left jabs before throwing a left hook followed by a right hook. Jai's blows came faster and faster as he continued to attack the bag without showing the slightest signs of slowing down. With a final straight right, the bag burst as sand exploded everywhere. What remained of the bag landed in a pile of similarly torn apart bags. Jai cracked his neck before walking over to a line of fresh new heavy punching bags that were on the floor. With one arm, the super soldier grabbed one and hung it up by the chain that was attached to the ceiling.

"What was that? Bag number ten?"

Jai looked over his shoulder. Rahm was currently bench pressing a weight of 2,500 pounds. He was dressed in similar athletic attire.

"I stopped counting after six," said Rahm casually as he lifted the weight.

"That was bag eleven," replied Jai as he began to hit the bag, "though I'd take a partner over a hundred bags any day."

Rahm raised an eyebrow at that.

"Didn't we spar two hours ago? And didn't you and Terre go at it earlier today?" Asked Rahm rhetorically. "Don't you get tired of winning?"

"I don't win all the time," replied Jai as he delivered a thunderous right hook to the bag.

"Just most of the time," said Rahm as he continued to push the weight.

In the corner of the room, the aura reader wasn't detecting any active aura from the two super soldiers.

"Hey," called Rahm.

"Yeah?" Asked Jai as he continued punishing the bag.

"You think you could have beaten Rage?"

A loud crack of the bag echoed throughout the gym right before Jai stopped his barrage. He turned to look at Rahm for a moment before he answered.

"I'm not sure," replied Jai, "if I couldn't beat him back then, I doubt I could have beaten him now if he were still alive."

Rahm looked pensive as he continued to push the barbell.

"Why do you ask?" Asked Jai.

"Everyone knew about the rivalry between you two," Rahm replied, "you were always challenging him to spars. I think that would be a great fight to see."

"Yeah…" replied Jai, "…me too."

Jai looked as though he were in deep thought. The memory of his deceased rival entered his mind. The two consistently sparred in front of their brothers and sisters and Rage would always win. No one was able to beat him. He was by far the most adept fighter in the program, something Jai always strove to achieve. Rahm made an excellent point. A fight between the two of them now that they were superhumans would have been a sight to see. Jai shrugged the thought aside as he went back to hitting the bag.

"Have you seen Penny?" Asked Jai.

"Not since we returned our suits to the armory," replied Rahm, "the general said she's still with her father."

After the completion of their mission to eliminate the Free Reformation, Terre, Jai, and Rahm had to, once again, return their Wraith suits to the armory. They weren't exactly thrilled about having to return their suits, but the general had given them orders, and orders were orders. Other than turning in their armor, the last several days had been uneventful. Well except for Penny avoiding them for the last few days. It was clear that she was still a bit uneasy about them killing Ibis Hill and his men. Penny requested to stay with her father until it was time to leave for Beacon, and the general approved her request. Penny's absence proved to be quite the change to the lifestyle they'd adapted to over the last few weeks. They'd grown used to having her around. Things seemed…well…a bit less lively if they had to put words to it. In either case, they'd see her again soon enough. The two continued with their workout.

Winter typed away fiercely at her computer terminal, her eyes held an intense focus. She'd been at this for hours without rest. She had so much to do. She had to ensure that the reacquisition forms to the SDC were without error. Before the SDC could begin its process of fixing all the noted deficiencies in the AK-200s and Paladins, the Atlas military had to edit and resubmit the entire 452-page contract, and it all fell to Winter to take care of it. She loved serving in the military, but this was certainly one of the aspects of the job she detested. On top of that, the new students of Atlas Academy would be arriving in the coming days. She had a million and one things to do. She was so focused on her work that she failed to notice the door to her office open until her peripherals caught sight of a certain faunus carrying two cups of steaming hot coffee.

"No wonder you haven't answered my calls," said Marrow as he leaned up against her desk, "you're still slaving away on this defense contract. Can't the general get anyone else to do it?"

Winter rolled her eyes in slight annoyance before she turned to look at him.

"He could," she replied, "but he requested that I do it."

Marrow sighed.

"Come on," he said, "you need a break."

He handed her one of the cups. Winter received it without a word and took a sip as she continued to work.

Marrow narrowed his eyes at her.

"Taking a sip of coffee does not count as taking a break."

"I can't Marrow. I need to finish this contract."

The dog faunus took a sip of his coffee before looking at her with a look of disapproval, one which she took notice of.

"What?" She asked.

"It's always work with you. When is the last time you did anything for yourself? When's the last time we went on an actual date?"

Winter ceased her typing. The former heiress let out a tired sigh as she rubbed her temples. She moved to say something, but Marrow cut her off before she could.

"Isn't your sister going to Beacon soon? Shouldn't you go and see her?"

Winter's eyes went wide.

How could she have forgotten?! She'd promised Weiss she would visit before she left for Beacon, but the Special Operative had been so bogged down with work that she had completely forgotten.

"Damn it!" She almost yelled as she stood up abruptly, causing Marrow to take an involuntary step back. "I promised Weiss I would see her before she left. I need to go."

Before Marrow could say anything, he found a set of luscious lips pressed up against his. Marrow was unable to properly savor the kiss as Winter pulled away before he could, leaving the Ace Operative yearning for more.

"Thank you, Marrow," said Winter, "I promise I'll make it up to you later."

She gave him a playful smirk and a wink before she left. Marrow watched the beautiful Special Operative rush out of the office with a look of mixed feelings. On the one hand, he was glad she took his advice and took a much-needed break from her work to see her little sister. On the other hand, he was a little pissed that she broke off that kiss so soon.

Marrow simply smirked.

"I'm looking forward to it Snow Angel."

Terre sat at the computer terminal in his room. He was dressed in his white Atlas combat uniform, which lacked any rank or name tag.

Terre was currently doing more research into Ruby Rose's background. When he researched her the first time, he and his team were bogged down with training Penny and attending Ms. Lockhart's classes. Now that they were done with their preparations, they could focus on other tasks. Terre didn't find much more information on Ms. Rose than what he found the first time. What he did find, however, was some interesting information regarding her father, Taiyang Xiao Long. What he missed in his first background check on Ruby was that Taiyang was previously married to Raven Branwen and that Yang Xiao Long, her older sister, was the result of that marriage. Qrow's familial connection to Ruby's family suddenly made more sense. He was the biological uncle to Ruby's sister.

Terre was currently examining a photo of the members of Team STRQ in their senior year at Beacon Academy. From what he could find, Summer Rose was assumed KIA and Taiyang was currently working as an instructor at Signal Academy. The Guardians had never met Qrow, but they knew that he was part of Ozpin's secret brotherhood that fought against Salem. Those details did not interest Terre at the moment. Raven Branwen, however, piqued the super soldier's interest. She was the older twin sister of Qrow and from what Terre could find, the woman disappeared shortly after the birth of Yang. Terre stared long and hard at the photo of Raven, noting her choice of weapon. There was something familiar about the woman and he did not like it. He couldn't piece it together, but he was almost certain he had seen her before.

The Guardian stared long and hard at the photo with an intense focus as memories, painful memories, began to surface in his mind.

The Mountains of Solitas:

If there was one thing Robyn hated about Solitas, it was the permanent layer of snow that blanketed the continent. She didn't hate the snow itself, but she just hated hiking through the snow for long periods of time. The coordinates her father sent her led her all the way out here in the middle of absolute nowhere. She'd encountered a few Grimm along the way, but none of them had proven to be a serious threat. She tried calling her father to ask what it was he sent her, but her calls were never answered. Robyn rolled her eyes at the inconvenient situation she was currently in. She looked down at her scroll, noting that she was coming up on the coordinates that her father gave her.

"This better be worth my time old man," she said aloud to herself.

Mantle:

Penny was laying down on her back as she looked up at the lights on the ceiling. There were cables plugged into her and the hums of computers running software diagnostics could be heard. Across the room from her was Doctor Pietro Polendina. The good doctor was currently typing away as he made sure that his daughter's systems were running smoothly.

"Father," she said as she continued to look up at the ceiling.

"Yes, sweetheart?" He asked as he continued to work.

"Am I a war machine?"

Pietro stopped typing and turned to face his daughter.

"Why do you ask that?" His robotic walker moved closer to where she was laying down.

"I want to know if I am merely a tool for war," she replied.

He shook his head disapprovingly.

"You are no such thing, Penny. Weapons and unthinking robots are tools of war. You have a soul Penny. You have an aura, you have your own, unique personality, you can think for yourself, and you can determine what is right and what is wrong. You are going to save the world one day."

Penny forced a sad smile to her face. She trusted her father and knew he spoke the truth to her always, but she couldn't help but think about what Ibis told her: how she and her father were tools to further the agenda of Atlas. If Ibis considered Penny a war machine, what would he have thought of Rahm, Terre, and Jai? General Ironwood said that their mission to Beacon would prove critical in determining the fate of Remnant. She couldn't afford to not do her best. She had a world to save; it was what she was made to do.

"Thank you, father," she said with a loving smile, "that makes me feel better."

"Anytime pumpkin."

Argus City:

"Are you sure you want to go to Beacon sweetie?" Asked a woman dressed in a brown fur coat. She wore glasses, appeared to be in her early forties, and had green eyes and dark red hair. "It's not too late to choose Haven," she said with a bit of playfulness.

The girl the woman was speaking to was significantly taller than her. With her armor and her head and neckwear, she looked like a warrior princess. She wore her similar red hair in a waist-length ponytail, curled slightly into a loose ringlet. Her eyes were also green. She was tall, standing at roughly six feet tall in her heeled boots, and had a lean, athletic build to her. She wore a brown over-bust corset with a vertical strip of lighter brown in the center. Additionally, she wore an elastic, black, A-line mini skirt and brown opera-length gloves on both arms. Beside her there were two duffle bags, signifying that she was ready to depart to her destination. The girl couldn't help but roll her eyes in slight annoyance.

"Mother," she said, "for the last time, my mind has been made. I want to go to Beacon."

A sad frown formed itself on the face of the older woman.

"I know Pyrrha," she replied, "it's just that it would have been nice to have my little girl closer to home." Tears began to form in the woman's green eyes. "Your father would be so proud of you my little champion."

A smile came to both Pyrrha's face and heart. Not a day went by where she didn't miss her father. He was so many things. A loving father, a loving husband, a great Huntsman, and a good man. The world could have used more men like her father. Pyrrha couldn't help but shed a tear at the thought of him. The memories of when she, as a little girl, clung to him whenever he came home flooded her mind. Pyrrha didn't waste a second and enveloped her mother in a loving hug.

"I miss him so much, mother," she whispered, "I don't mean to leave you all alone, but I need to grow, and Beacon is where I think I can do that."

Pyrrha's celebrity status throughout Mistral was beginning to take a toll on her. Everywhere she went she was hounded by reporters and fans. The girl didn't have any friends because no one felt they were good enough to be around her. She hated what her life had become. She needed to get away from it.

After a long moment, they separated from their embrace.

"I understand sweetie. I hope you find what it is you're looking for. I love you so much."

"Thank you, mother. I love you too."

Schnee Manor:

The chime of the front door's bell echoed through the halls.

"Coming!" Said a short, slightly heavyset man with balding brown hair and a large mustache.

The man opened the door, revealing Winter Schnee standing there with her ever-present regal posture.

"Winter!" The man exclaimed. "It's so good to see you again. What brings you home?"

"Klein," the former heiress greeted, "it's always a pleasure. I came to see Weiss before she left for Beacon. Is she home?"

"She most certainly is. Your mother and brother are also here. Your father is attending to business matters I'm afraid."

Winter rolled her eyes at the mention of her father. The Schnee name was once respected and honored worldwide until Jacques came along.

"Though I should warn you that your mother is…" Klein began, "…well I'm afraid she's inebriated…again."

When was that poor woman not drunk? Though, to be fair, Winter figured that if she were married to someone like Jacques and had all of her dignity stripped from her then she would most likely have been drowning her sorrows in alcohol too.

"I think it's best I do not see mother at this time," said Winter.

"I understand," replied Klein as he stood aside for Winter to enter.

Winter gave Klein a respectful nod as she entered what was once her home.

The Island of Patch:

"I'm honestly not sure whether I should be happy or sad right now," said a tall, blonde man with blue eyes and tan skin. "On the one hand, both of my little girls are going to Beacon, which means I'll only have Zwei to keep me company. On the other hand, with you two gone that means I can turn your rooms into storage spaces." He laughed.

"Not funny dad!" Yelled a dark-haired girl with red highlights and a pouty face.

She was dressed in a black and red combat skirt with black stockings, black and red boots, and a red cloak.

The blonde girl next to her, however, had a menacing look in her eye. She wore an orange neckerchief, a brown top, black fingerless gloves, black short shorts, and brown boots.

"I will burn this house down if you turn my room into a storage space," said the blonde girl.

The blonde man gave a cheeky grin before he enveloped the two girls in a warm hug. A small dog was at their feet wagging its tail with enthusiasm.

"You know I'm just kidding haha! I just can't believe that both of my girls are leaving at the same time. I expected to have Ruby here for another two years."

"Yeah…" Ruby didn't know how to feel about skipping her last two years at Signal. She always dreamed of going to Beacon, but she was starting to have second thoughts about the whole thing. She and Yang would be leaving in the coming days, and it all seemed to be happening so fast. Was she ready for this?

Taiyang took notice of his youngest daughter's downcast expression.

"What's wrong Ruby?"

Ruby sighed.

"What if I'm not ready?" She asked.

He put a comforting hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Professor Ozpin wouldn't have let you skip two years if you weren't ready. You're going to do great, and you'll have your older sister to look out for you. Right, Yang?"

"If anyone hurts my little sister, they're dead," Yang said with confidence as she punched her fists together. Her eyes instantly turned red, and her blonde hair was engulfed in a flame-like aura.

Taiyang couldn't help but laugh at his oldest daughter's antics. She was so much like Raven.

"Don't fret Ruby," said Taiyang, "you're going to do great."

Ruby smiled; her self-doubts had been put at ease for the moment. Maybe Beacon would be the best time of her life.

Mantle:

Robyn didn't know what to think. Everything seemed to hit her all at once and she didn't know how to proceed at the moment. She was seated on her couch. Situated before her was a small chest that she had dug up in the mountains. The Huntress wiped a few tears from her eyes as she found herself reading the letter for what seemed like the tenth time.

My Dear Robyn,

If you're reading this then I'm dead. As to who exactly killed me, I'm afraid I cannot say. Though, I'm willing to bet that General Ironwood had a hand in it. I'm sorry that things between us were never always the best. I wrote this letter and left the contents of this chest to you in the event of my untimely death. The documents you will find in this chest contain evidence of misappropriated funds. During my time as a military officer, I noted a multitude of discrepancies. I found that for more than a decade, the general had authorized billions of Lien to be funded into research and development projects that didn't even exist. I was never able to determine what the funds were going into exactly, but my contacts within the military informed me of Dr. Polendina's "Penny Project." From what they could gather, it's an experimental weapons project. The point is that there are people in Mantle struggling to survive and the military is wasting precious taxpayer Lien to fund weapons of war that will be inevitably turned on the people. Now that my actions will be seen as terroristic by the Atlesian government, I needed to be sure that this information made it to someone who I could trust. The principles that the Free Reformation were founded on cannot be allowed to be forsaken. I really wish that I had done so many things differently in my life. When I lost your mother, I was so devastated. My previous life choices with the military drove me further away from the thing I cherish most in this world. You. I lost you and the time apart from my little girl was unbearable. Please forgive me for my past mistakes. I'm happy to know that we were able to briefly reconcile for a time, but sadly my path took a more violent approach than yours. I do not leave you the contents of this chest or this letter to inspire you on a quest for vengeance or to take a violent approach. Your path is your own. I wish I could have seen you once more. I know you are going to change the world for the better one day. I love you so much, Robyn. Do not be sad my treasure because I'm going to see your mother again.

Love, Dad

Robyn couldn't help but let the tears flow freely this time. She hugged her knees as she wept. She definitely didn't see eye to eye with her old man, but she still loved him. After what seemed like hours of grieving, Robyn composed herself and examined the remaining contents of the chest. She found herself reading through the multitude of documents, all of which were classified. Her father wasn't lying. The documents backed up his claim. The military had definitely been funding billions of Lien into something. What that something was exactly, she did not know. What she did know, however, was that she wasn't going to let this evidence go to waste. She needed to honor her father's memory and bring down the corruption in Atlas, but she would do it her way.

Schnee Manor:

Weiss took a moment to catch her breath, but that was a huge mistake as the swarms of summons kept coming. The heiress barely managed to flip over a swipe from a Beowolf before she plunged Myrtenaster through its skull. She put her hand to her head in consternation before she was immediately set upon by another Beowolf that knocked her to the ground and sent Myrtenaster away. Weiss' right arm held the Beowolf's head at bay as it growled at her. Several more Beowolves started approaching in a circle around them. The four Beowolves jumped, seeking to attack. Weiss' eyes went wide as she could see them in midair above the one atop her.

"Winter!" She cried out.

Five more Beowolves landed around Weiss, but all of them disappeared immediately. Weiss rolled over and rose only to her knees as she panted. Myrtenaster was cast into the ground before her by her approaching sister, who looked disappointed.

"After that performance, I honestly can't believe that Beacon accepted you."

Weiss stared at her sister before looking away, ashamed.

"I'm sorry. I'll get better."

Winter let out a sigh before she turned and walked away.

"Where are you going?" Asked Weiss.

Winter stopped before she looked over her shoulder to her younger sister.

"I need to get back to work. I only came to see you before you left. I hope that you grow at Beacon because it's clear that you've stagnated here. Best of luck to you sister."

With that said, Winter continued on her way and left Weiss to ponder her words in silence. As she walked, Winter pondered a great many things. She was happy to have been able to see Weiss again. In actuality, this visit should have been one filled with conversations and laughs, but she couldn't let Weiss go without testing her. She needed to be sure that Weiss was ready. Looking back on it, Winter admitted to herself that she had been a bit hard on Weiss. She put her through the gauntlet during that little training session. Towards the end of it, Weiss had been on the verge of exhaustion, but Winter needed to keep pushing her. The image of a younger Weiss in a hospital bed with a newly formed scar over her left eye sent shivers down Winter's spine.

"I am not always going to be around to save you, Weiss," she whispered to herself as she continued to walk through the halls of Schnee Manor, "but thankfully, you'll have your own Guardian to watch over you." She knew that Weiss' safety was assured. Guardian Zero-One-One never failed in his missions. She had never actually thanked the mysterious soldier properly. She would need to do so at some point.

"Leaving so soon sister?" Winter snapped out of her thoughts as she drew her attention to the source of the voice. Her younger brother, Whitley, stood before her.

"Whitley," she said politely.

"Klein told me you were here. I'm curious," he said, "why did you come home without so much as a hello?"

Winter narrowed her eyes at her younger brother.

"You know why I came here. I came to see Weiss."

"Of course, you did," he replied, "it's always about Weiss." Whitley's expression was now one of disappointment.

"Why do you care?" Asked Winter.

Whitley glared back at her, rage in his eyes. The two siblings stared each other down for a few moments before Whitley composed himself.

"Of course. You're right," he replied sarcastically, "my mistake. It's not like I wanted to see my older sister who left us all alone, and it's not like mother would have wanted to see you either. She's doing great by the way. Her depression is definitely not getting worse."

Winter found herself staring at her brother with her mouth agape.

"Great seeing you again dear sister," he said as he turned and walked away, leaving Winter alone to digest what he just said.

Atlas Academy Five Days Later:

"Neon, are you sure this is a good idea?" Asked a tall, dark-skinned boy with brown hair and brown eyes.

"Oh, come on Flynt!" Said a cat faunus girl. "Where's your sense of adventure?"

Flynt rolled his eyes at his friend's antics. She had convinced him to sneak out of the temporary quarters for the newly arrived students and go exploring. They hadn't even been at Atlas Academy for more than twelve hours and she was already looking for trouble. He didn't like it, but he knew he would have to go with her to make sure she didn't cause too much trouble. Their little late-night snooping took them around a few of the Academy's points of interest: the gym, the mess hall, the auditorium, and the dorms. Neon had led them up and down and forwards and backwards around the Academy, looking to explore every inch of it. They currently found themselves in a restricted area. They'd tried to open the many doors in this hallway, but they were all locked with no way to access them.

"Makes you wonder what they're hiding around here, doesn't it?" She asked with a cheeky smile.

"Yeah…I guess," replied Flynt, "though I'm more curious why you want to know so badly."

"You know what they say," she replied, "cats are a curious bunch."

"That appears to be an accurate assessment," said an unknown voice.

Flynt and Neon jumped in surprise at the new voice. Flynt let out an unintentional scream while Neon looked like she nearly had a heart attack. The two instinctively made a run for it but they were stopped dead in their tracks by a set of powerful hands that grabbed hold of them. Seeing how they weren't going anywhere, they turned around to see who it was that had startled them. To their surprise, they found a very tall, very powerfully built young man with dirty blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, and a chiseled jawline. He wore a white Atlas combat uniform that lacked rank or any sort of identification and was armed with a large partisan that was slung over his back. Neon found herself blushing at the sight of him.

"Don't run. Nod if you understand." They quickly nodded.

With that confirmation he released them.

"Is there a good reason you two are wandering in a restricted area right in the middle of the night?" He asked with an emotionless face.

Flynt stammered as he tried to think of a good excuse, but luckily Neon spoke up.

"Sorry! We got lost," she lied, "we're new students and we were just looking for something to eat."

Neon had her eyes closed and a wide smile on her face. Flynt looked a bit uneasy, but he quickly put on an innocent-looking face. Rahm looked at them for a moment with a raised eyebrow. He knew they were lying. This wasn't the first time that curious students came snooping around the restricted areas. This had happened every year for the last three years. They never posed any serious security risks, though, so it was never anything anyone really worried about. Just a bunch of dumb kids looking to explore.

"Well," he replied, "I'm sure that the student mess hall might have some leftovers for you. Allow me to escort you there."

"Uh," replied Flynt nervously, "thanks, but I think we can manage."

"Please," replied Rahm sternly, "I insist."

Flynt wasn't about to argue with this guy. The guy was intimidating enough as he was. He and Neon were in enough trouble as it was.

"Yes sir!" He replied.

Rahm wasn't about to let these two run around unsupervised; otherwise, they'd be right back at their antics. It was always the first-year students that wanted to explore the restricted areas. They seriously needed to keep a leash on the first-years.

Terre found himself standing amid a forest that was illuminated by the shattered moon. He looked down and found that he was dressed in a black t-shirt with the numbers 069 plastered on the front, green cargo military pants, and black boots. He immediately took notice of his hands and arms and saw that they were free of scars. There was a small puddle nearby. He ran over and looked at the reflection in the water and saw that he was younger, no more than twelve years old.

"What is this?" He wondered to himself.

He looked about, trying to discern where he was and what was happening. Before him, there stood the silhouettes of three boys of nearly the same age, give or take a year. There were two human boys and one dog faunus. Without a second thought, the younger Terre attempted to approach them, but as he tried, they seemed to go further away from him. Seeing as they were getting further away, he ran after them, but the result was the same. He ran faster, determined to get a clear look at them.

"There's no way…"

Without warning, he tripped unceremoniously and let out a grunt. He quickly picked himself off the ground and looked about to see what it was that he tripped on. The boy's eyes went wide. Before him, was a headless corpse. Beside the corpse, there was a head that belonged to a dog faunus. The boy could feel his heart rate increase as he looked on at the corpse before him. In his peripherals, he could see two more bodies; one was bisected, and the other was intact. The faces remained obscured by darkness.

"Spike…Red…Jazz…"

The young Terre found himself face first in the dirt without warning. Something had hit him from behind and it hit painfully hard. The boy instinctively rolled to his feet and scanned the area for whatever it was that hit him. His eyes stopped as soon as they spotted movement. No more than a few meters away from him, he saw a silhouette standing in the shadows. The boy instinctively assumed a fighting stance, ready to engage whatever it was that had attacked him. The silhouette took a few steps towards him, revealing a feminine figure garbed in dark-colored attire. It was tall, that much was clear, it had long dark hair, and it was armed with a large sword that appeared to be dripping with some sort of liquid. Terre determined it was blood immediately. The figure's head did not look like a human head, but instead, it appeared bony and monstrous-looking. The shadows made it quite difficult to pinpoint the finer details of the figure. Terre found himself staring the dark figure down for what seemed like an eternity. Terre blinked. The figure was gone. Terre's eyes darted about, searching for any sign of the figure but found nothing. As Terre turned around to search more, his eyes caught a glimpse of a Grimm's head before a sword obscured his vision. Terre woke up immediately to find himself back in his room. His enhanced eyes immediately scanned the dark room, searching for any sign of the figure. He looked down and found that he was his normal, 17-year-old self again. He noticed that the scars he and his brothers bore were once again present.

"It was just a dream…"

Terre got out of bed and walked towards the bathroom. His enhanced night vision allowed him to navigate through the pitch-black darkness with ease without the use of lighting. Terre flipped the bathroom light switch on before he turned on the sink faucet and splashed a handful of water on his face. He retrieved a towel on a rack and dried his face. Terre looked up and found himself staring at his reflection in the mirror. He was currently shirtless, the scars that ran along his muscular, well-defined chest were easily visible alongside a set of dog tags. Terre grabbed one of the tags and held it up for a closer look. The tag merely read:

069

AB NEGATIVE

Nothing more.

He looked back at himself in the mirror, all the while thinking about the dream he just had. Terre glanced at his watch and saw that the time was 0150 in the morning. Without a second thought, the leader of Unit 117 changed into his white combat uniform and left his room.

Silence. The only thing that could be heard was the gentle breeze from the wind. The moon was full and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Rahm stood before a wall, dressed in his white Atlesian combat uniform and illuminated by the full moon. Even after all these weeks of wearing the uniform, it still felt awkward. Before this situation, the Bad Batch had worn the uniform once and that was to make sure it fit properly. Their Wraith suits felt like a second skin to them and anything else simply felt wrong. He sighed, pushing away the tedious thoughts of not being able to wear his Wraith armor. Rahm turned his attention back to the wall. On the wall, there was a list of inscribed numbers. Beginning from 001 and ending with the number 100. Above those numbers there was an inscription that read:

To the Brave One Hundred: Your Sacrifices Will Never be Forgotten.

Three numbers were absent: those being 011, 037, and 069. Rahm's eyes lingered on three particular numbers: those being 009, 010, and 012. Rahm lowered his head in respect.

"If only you guys could see us now. You never would have guessed we'd end up as glorified chaperones." Rahm smirked slightly. The kind of smirk that old friends would give each other when telling a humorous story. "Tomorrow we're going to Beacon Academy to start this mission. I just wanted to come by and see you all before we left. I heard Jai came by to say hello yesterday."

Rahm looked over the other numbers on the wall. Said wall was located in the memorial garden of Atlas Academy. It was a specially designated area for the monuments and the memorials to the Huntsmen and soldiers of Atlas who died in combat or training accidents. While the other monuments and memorials were located in the center of the garden for all to see, this wall was located in a remote corner of the garden, behind a small patch of trees. Many students had found the wall and wondered what the numbers on the wall represented. Many believed that the numbers represented the unnamed soldiers who died fighting for Atlas during the Great War. When asked about it, General Ironwood would lie and agree that the numbers represented the unnamed soldiers. However, that was far from the truth. Only the general, Doctor Haze, Rahm, and his two brothers knew what the monument was really for. Ironwood had the monument erected out of respect for the candidates who died. His only rule for the three of them was that if they were going to visit the wall, they had to do so at night once the mandatory curfew for the Academy's students was in effect. This monument, this wall, was all that remained as a remembrance for the Guardians who died. There were no graves; their bodies were cremated, and the ashes scattered atop the mountains. Out of the one hundred initial candidates, only three survived. Out of the ninety-seven deaths in Project Guardian, three were attributed to suicide, seven were due to escape attempts where the escapees ended up dying from Grimm, weather exposure, or dehydration, eleven died from training accidents, forty-two died during the surgical augmentation procedures, and the remaining thirty-four died due to complications after the surgeries shortly after. Rahm glanced back at numbers 009, 010, and 012.

"This might not be the mission any of us would have expected, but General Ironwood thinks this could be a game-changer. I just need you guys to be there like you always have."

A few minutes went by before Rahm's heightened hearing picked up the sound of familiar quiet footsteps. Rahm glanced over his shoulder and spotted Terre walking over. Rahm nodded at his brother who stopped and stood before the wall. Terre glanced over at Rahm and spoke.

"Looks like we had the same idea."

"Yeah," replied Rahm, "Jai came by last night. I just felt that I needed to stop by before we get sent to Beacon."

Terre simply nodded before turning his attention back to the wall. His eyes lingered on three numbers: those being 070, 071, and 072. Terre sighed before he too lowered his head in respect. After a few moments, Terre looked back up at the numbers etched onto the wall. "

They should be standing here instead of me," Terre didn't look at Rahm, and instead he looked at the wall, "all of them."

Rahm nodded solemnly before he spoke.

"If I could trade places with them, I'd do it in a heartbeat. Sometimes I wonder what was so special about the three of us that enabled us to survive."

"Same here," replied Terre.

"In my opinion, the three of us weren't anything special. We weren't the fastest or the strongest or the most intelligent," said Rahm.

Terre shrugged. He didn't have a clue what the hell enabled only three candidates to survive the program. Not a day went by where the surviving Guardians didn't regret the loss of their brothers and sisters.

"Despite the fact we weren't the best, all we can do is carry on until we finally finish the fight for them," said Terre.

Rahm didn't say anything. He processed what Terre said and silently agreed. He was right. They needed to ensure that they accomplished their ultimate objective. To save the world from that monstrous witch. Only then could their brothers and sisters truly rest in peace. Rahm glanced over at Terre and nodded before turning on his heel and walking back to his quarters, leaving Terre alone.

Hope you all enjoyed this one. Please don't take the interaction between Winter and Whitley as a portrayal of Winter being a bitch. I wanted to portray how Whitley is just as much a victim of Jacques' abuse. Thank you again for reading! See you next time.

-Dude64