The Never Ending War

by Tomson235

It has been years since the Great Grimm War and the fall of the schools now it is the next generations turn to join the Never Ending War. The world has changed but so much more has stayed the same. Join the members of a new world as they try to make a change for the world

22. Chapter 20: Dinner and an Order

Okay so sorry for my unplanned Hiatus. Anyway, here is Chapter 20.

How is everyone doing?

Enjoying the story?

What do you all think?

Again, Sorry for the delay. No promises on the next Chapter I had a big loss of motivation and it is hard to self-motivate when I get so little feedback. But hey good news I do plan on Cross posting on AO3 so hey there is something.

Also, for everyone reading I am sure you noticed I have this rated M, that is mostly for safety and to allow me to do what ever I really want. I actually had a really adult joke in this chapter kinda rewrote it to sound better though.

Anyway, have fun.

The Never Ending War Chapter 20

Dinner in the Beacon mess hall is always an event, Huntsmen burn thousands of calories training every day, and it is expected that they need roughly double the calories during the days of training than a normal human, roughly five thousand calories a person and probably more allow them to gain the muscle they need. The small army of chefs and cooks that make the meals run back and forth keeping food ready for the flowing mass of students. Halfway through the rush the room went silent as on hundred soldiers walk into the mess hall, each with their rifles slung and pistols in their holsters. A few have other weapon, the man in the lead has a Sword at his side and his pistol in a cross draw. The Cadets do not look like the perfect organized prim and proper force as the day before. The minor changes, an extra knife here, magazine there, maybe a pin or a flag patch in a new place, or a hat that is not standard make the group look less military. All of that was almost undone by the tight formation the hundred stood in.

The group seems a bit taken off guard as the Tiger Faunas woman walked up to them, "You all need to relax and get some grub. Come on, gods know that there is enough. You all are sitting with us." She looks the lieutenant up and down, "not half bad, you know how to use that blade." She starts walking towards the line."

"I learned how to fence at the cadet school. It was a something that was interesting. Six months of traditional fencing then real fighting. Playing dirty and cheating, punches, kicks, knives, a pistol at point blank."

"So who made you want to do Fencing, for a huntsman I would normally say Weiss Schnee but you know you guys probably haven't been as immersed in her as wannabe Huntsmen." The Lieutenant speaks quietly as a response, "Lieutenant you have to speak up my ears have such a hard time hearing," Mimi wags her ears, "My idol was Arslan she was such a great fighter at least everything I have seen."

The Lieutenant speaks up louder, "Winter Schnee."

"See wasn't that hard," Mimi says loudly enough for some to hear. "That is a well-made sword think it can take on a huntsman's weapon?" They stand in line gathering food, Mimi at the front piling her plate high, "Thank you Chefs." She smiles and curtsies as she turns away from the team behind the counter.

"Ah sweety you're welcome." One of the women behind the counter beams with a smile.

The man thanks to cook quietly as he turns to follow the Tigress, "My sword is made to the quality of any huntsman's weapon, I am the limiting factor not the sword. No Aura, no semblance I could never bring this sword to its full potential. There is a reason why we soldiers have guns, a bullet can kill or harm anything with less training."

Mimi sits down with her unit and HIDEKING followed by the hundred soldiers, "Yeah guns can even kill a Huntsman, at least with enough numbers and planning."

"Yes, they can," Raven says taking a bite of her food, "Although last I checked the proper way to deal with an Aura capable enemy the military uses artillery or airship bombardment, then they want to send in Mechanized Infantry with heavy weapon to clear the area of the threats."

"Um I do believe that is the current written strategy that should not be accessible to anyone outside the Military. How did you find it?"

Raven shrugs standing up to get more food fixing her dress as she stands, her coy smile probably worrying a few of the cadets, "I read a lot."

Paul shakes his head, "She does that a lot, just yesterday she gave me a by the books description for a field surgery procedure that I was practicing."

One of the soldiers shakes her head, "Um, that is terrifying."

"Nah it helps, especially on game nights, don't need to keep looking up rules she just keeps it ruling makes her a great Game Master, Game Mistress?"

Beethoven Shakes his head, "We are not calling her Game Mistress, I know her too well we are not doing that."

"What worried that she will start getting too bossy?" Danny Pokes across the table with a fork. "Worried she might take over?"

Raven sits down again silently scaring everyone since she wears heels, "No I do not want to be in charge," she smiles at Danny and continues in a sultry voice, "but you can call me Mistress if you want." A few utensils drop and a spit take can be heard from the Cadets.

Alec roll his eyes, "I think you all are going to give our friends her a heart attack, they came over here thinking we are proper folks and here you are trying to break them with stuff like that. Anyway, you are not allowed to make running a game of Grim and Gravel sound like something sexy. We are all nerds for playing the game and Danny plays a Goblin Tinkerer and you are right now running us through a quest which involves a pumpkin king and an army of bunnies trying to take over the world we are right now trying to gather enough carrots to buy off the army. You brought in Hannah to play the Bunny armies General." Alec laughs, "Mistress that is funny." The entire table starts laughing.

"Come on Alec," Raven says throwing a napkin, "I was able to sound sexy and everything and here you go telling everyone I am running a game with a Bunny army."

"And you have different voices for each of the Bunny Lieutenants." Beethoven adds with a mock voice of helpfulness showing one of the figurines. "What is your favorite Hoppy?"

"Lieutenant Happy Hoppers." Raven replies quietly. Another round of laughter follows.

Mimi finishes a bread roll, "I mean to be honest with how our lives have gone I wouldn't feel too embarrassed about playing a game light with a lighthearted story. Like look at this we haven't even made it two months into classes, and we are talking about Salem being back and we have fought two loosing battles that should have been one way trips if it wasn't for some very skilled and crazy pilot cadets." She looks over to the soldiers, "How do you guys de-stress? I doubt the army would be okay with you guys playing "Childish games" like G&G."

The silence from the one hundred people staring back is more telling than Rita can take. "You are not about to tell me you all don't have things to de-stress." She stands up her wings stretching.

"Um we exercise." One of the Cadets helpfully explains.

"We also shoot things."

"Sometimes we get a hold of a couple beers."

"Did we mention we exercise?"

"We read sometimes."

"We said exercise, right?"

"Sometimes we run."

"That is exercise."

The Lieutenant shakes his head, "You all are probably making us look worse." The man sighs as he puts his head down, "But yes we have not been given much time to de-stress with "childish games." Most of us cadets are orphans that have been chosen to be raised in military run orphanages, we have been trained from an incredibly young age to serve."

"Yeah, I get it." Tina says with a shrug. "But you have to learn to have fun, I mean I was literally built to do this, and I can tell you I am playing a dancer who breaths fire." Tina smiles pulling up a piece of art on her scroll. "Her outfit is based on a belly dancer, but you know better." The image shown on the screen is of an attractive athletic woman wearing thin flowing clothes of an exotic dancer.

A few of the cadets looked at the image, "That is really good artwork did you make it."

"Yeah, learning to draw was one of my chosen hobbies when I was growing up, a perfect memory helps with it." Tina smiles putting her Scroll away.

"So, you are one of the Synthetics that the Army made," One of the Officers says looking at the girl.

"Yeah, I wanted to be released to the Hunter Corps and with the way the laws work I was allowed to."

Beethoven puts a hand on Tina, "We are going on a Unit Run tomorrow morning at 0500 if you would like to join us. We will meet over at the Bullhead station in the Huntsmen sector."

"How far is the run?" The Logistics Officer, Ammada asks.

"We are going to run to the perimeter wall and then catch a bullhead back."

"That is thirty-two Kilometers!" One of the Cadets yells.

"To be honest we would normally run back also," Paul replies as Danny steals a piece of food off his plate. "But it seems a bit harsh on you all, we can use our aura to allow us to keep pushing our basic limits. If we are willing to burn the aura, we could probably run a good one hundred thirty Kilometers in most cases but that would leave a good hunk of us first years pretty much running on empty."

"Thirty-two Kilometers man."

"It is open if you want to come, Weapons and Kit if you want." Danny says happily.

"There is supposed to be a really good café at the Bullhead dock we are meeting at." Raven says with a thin smile. Then she stands up with a click of her heels against the ground her dress blowing in the windless mess hall. "And you all get to find out if I go on long runs in heels. Goodnight, all." She walks away with the clicking of her heels drawing attention of everyone she passes.

"She does by the way, in the dress too," Mimi says hopping back as she follows Raven, drawing as many looks as raven did as she skips her way down.

"Train the way you fight." Beethoven explains following the women with a shrug. Danny pulls Paul up and starts heading towards the dorm room.

Rita smiles and pokes Tina, whispering to her. Tina looks at her leader, "there is a good chance, I don't know if Paul has figured it out yet."

The Company of Cadet soldiers finish their food and start to walk out, the one hundred soldiers walk out of the Mess Hall.

In the Staff section of the Mess Hall on the second floor looking down on the students and cadets. Headmistress Imerta sips her tea staring at her students. She looks over to the old one-armed Goat next to her, "I am not telling you how to teach your class Alm; I am saying that that young man down there will ignore it and most of the rest will follow him."

"I am not letting you send those children into the Corridor without me explaining the mathematical calculations that they need to know. They need to know the situation and what their lives are worth."

The Headmistress nods her head, "I know. I just do not think they will listen."

"They will learn."

Amber Riptide walks back into their dorm room, "So," Rita says sitting down on her bed, "they seem like a good group of people."

"They are still loyal to the General," Tina smiles, "but they are willing to listen."

"A hundred Soldiers would be a nice fire power bonus." Danny adds, "They are also confused by everything."

Raven kicks off her heels, "They are worse than us, they have not spent any time on themselves. They don't have anything with a childhood."

Mimi sighs, "we had a childhood that trained us to be warriors, they had training in place of a childhood."

Tina lays back on her bed, "they are good people." She sits up, "Dibs on the bathroom." She steps past everyone, "I just want to know why there are no Faunus in the unit." She closes the door to the bathroom ending her contribution.

Alec signs something on a piece of paper, "I have to send this off tonight I will be right back."

"What is that," Mimi jumps up and hauls herself to Alec's shoulder.

Alec keeps walking with the Tiger hanging on him, "One of the Mayor's weapons suppliers is based out of Vale I am contacting them for the weapons we need."

The girl smiles, "You know the mayor will find out."

"He won't care, you know the deal I have with him. What did the Headmistress need from you?" The pair walk down a quiet Beacon, most students have gone to bed or are in training indoors. Alec smiles as he passes under a security camera.

Mimi frowns, "The deal you have with your father is that you will never return home. The Headmistress just had questions about why we were so loyal to you." Alec is still smiling as he waves his hand is a continue format. "So, I told her the truth, that you were sleeping with all of us and that we didn't want to lose your magic capabilities in bed."

"Well at least now she knows that I am increasing my Harem." A slight laugh leaves his mouth.

"This isn't a joke, Alec; she doesn't trust us completely and she knows we are trouble. And you have no way back home if things go wrong." Mimi looks at him worried.

They reach the outer area of the fortress; a woman is standing there. Alec smiles, "Hey Bianca thanks for showing up on such short notice."

The woman who is about the same age as Alec flashes a smile the scar over her lip affecting the look, "You know I am not joking when I say anything for you Alec."

Alec hands over the signed paper, and the gauntleted hand of the woman takes it and reads it. "I need all of that quickly also."

"Making an army are you Mister Tross." The woman smirks, "Your father has informed us that he is not paying for anything you order." The woman laughs out loud, "Of course I actually like you and dad still owes you for saving me from those Grimm, so you won't have to pay much of anything. Maybe take me out dancing one of these days as a thank you I know a couple great clubs and I never have a good reason to bring out the dancing clothes." She pulls herself up to kiss Alec on the check, "Maybe bring some of your army with you." With nothing else she walks away disappearing in a half dozen steps.

Alec turns around with Mimi still on his arm, "It has never been a joke Mi, I will return home one day, and I will keep my deal with my father." He wraps an arm around Mimi, "What did you tell The Headmistress really?"

"She told me that you gave up a life you would have liked for them, and that they will follow you anywhere," Crimson Imerta says as she is walking up to the pair, "Out for a walk?"

"I had to order new toys I find it easier to do outside." Alec replies far too quickly.

"You know three cameras out here went out, did you see anything or anyone?"

"No ma'am we were just talking." Mimi smiles snuggling closer to Alec, "Nothing going on out here unfortunately, I could have used a good fight."

"Mister Tross, I find your ability to gain loyalty impressive. You are not a general, you are a Huntsman."

Alec smiles, "I fear I would make a horrible general ma'am."

Immerta stares at him memories and fires burn in them, "I fear you would make a fine general Mister Tross." She places her scroll to her ear, "It is clear have technicians fix these cameras ASAP."

Alec and Mimi continue walking towards their dorm room. Mimi sighs, "I like this."

"Buying weapons illegally and lying to the Headmistress?"

"No, this, I like this walking and talking to you, the quiet. The warmth, the smell, the sound. I like this. I want to do this more."

"Then ask, Mi, not like I could ever say no to you anyway." Alec smiles as he lets her go and turns down the hall towards their room.

"You know Bianca likes you right."

"She knows that she is not my type." Alec opens the door to the room. "We will have the weapons we need in a few days. Now let's get some sleep we have a crazy long run, in full kit, tomorrow." He waits for Mimi to go change in the bathroom.

She come out of the bathroom, "Your turn General."

By the time Alec exits the bathroom everyone else is laying down. "Good night, everyone."

"Good night."