The Neverending War 27

Alec sighs as he walks down a hallway. A quick wrap on a door signals his arrival. The door cracks open then slams shut and yelling behind the door can be heard. The door opens fully revealing an angry looking Keller Pointer, whose black hair is disheveled, stares at the man in her doorway. "Fuck man. I haven't done anything; my people haven't done anything; two people I know are dead and another four are in the infirmary."

"I need your help with something for the cadets."

"Look why would I help." Keller sighs running a hand through her hair. "What do you need help with."

"I have a meeting with a contact to get more equipment for Gregory and the Cadets, it is at a club, and I have absolutely no wardrobe that would be acceptable."

"And you picked me because?"

"You know about fashion; you do go out to clubs and your sense of what is fashionable in men's clubbing clothes."

"Why not your fashionable friend or any of your pets." Keller waves her hand, "and how do you know that much about me."

"Mimi and Rita are not the best at that and, they would not be the best help right now. Danny is still down and will be for a while Raven is still healing from her leg." Alec shrugs apologetically, "All of the members of your unit seemed to have cleaned up since they partnered up with you. I notice things."

"Fuck, give me twenty minutes, and you will owe me." The door slams and Alec sighs as he leans against the wall.

Alec stares at the door from the wall. Pulling out his scroll he checks a few things. The time flies by as he sends messages and edits files. The door opens, and Keller Pointer points at Alec, "I am not helping you, but you said that this is for those cadets, and they are good people. If it was just you, I would have told you to fuck off and die with your animals."

"Thank you and thank you for the save," Alec starts following the woman, "where are we going?"

"Your dorm, we don't have time for you to go shopping, and I am not going into the city right now. We might have to steal some clothes from your unit, your artificial friend is a bit taller and wider than you but should be good enough and your medic's wardrobe should help you out also." She stops in the elevator and waits for Alec, "Are you expecting a fight from this."

"No,"

"Planning on dancing."

"I will not be planning but I am expecting to be dragged into one or two dances."

"What will your kitty cat think," The cruel smirk from the woman, "What are you bringing as a weapon?"

"Mimi will understand," Alec looks at the woman who is shifting in her clothes, her hair is fixed from before and up in a bun. "Weapon loadout will be a small concealable pistol and two knives."

"You said you weren't planning on a fight."

"You still asked what weapons I was caring."

The door dings and opens to the floor that Alec's dorm is on. "Anyone in the room?"

"I made sure they were all out," Alec opens the door to his dorm room. Eight beds line the rooms walls. "Welcome to our dorms. What do you need from me?"

Keller points at one of the beds and dressers, "Yours I assume."

"Yeah, how did you guess."

"Note pad on the side table, small knife on the edge. Also, it is forced to one side, which makes sense for a leader and this bed is Mimi's bed obviously," she points at the items that are obviously Mimi's. "She is protective of you, subtly placing herself as your protector or only option. Well except for the bed across the way," she points at Rita's bed, "Your other leader, Rida? The bat Faunus. I wonder how that worked out."

"Well, you are good at reading the room."

"Yeah, I learn some things every now and then." Keller starts going through the dresser.

"You know their names?" Alec says sitting down on his bed, "Mimi and Rita, you know their names."

"Yeah, I know your pets' names, what of it." A t-shirt flies at Alec, as Keller keeps digging through the dresser.

"They are not my pets, but you know that."

A button up shirt flies at him, "No, they are something else, but you know that."

"Fair, why do you hate them?"

"Keep the pants you are wearing on, loose the belt and the added stuff. Put on the shirt and the button up. Let's see how you look." She watches as Alec enters the bathroom before continuing, "I don't hate them, I hate what they are."

"It looks a bit boring," Alec says from inside as he pulls on the clothes, "Why do you hate what they are?"

Alec steps out to be judged by Keller, "Undo the top two buttons and untuck the button up, they think they are better than us." Keller starts looking through other dressers, "loose the shoes put these on, they are treated special, given special money, they are treated like they are owed a debt." She tosses another piece of wardrobe to Alec, "Roll up your sleeves and tie that ribbon around the rolled sleeves. They are protected from their own failures, given special financial support, special schools. People feel bad for them give them money, there are more charities for them than any other group."

Alec follows the orders of the woman as he ties the rolled sleeves up. "Mimi did not grow up with hand-outs."

"Gods, you need a bright color to go with this." She steps over to Mimi's dresser, "it doesn't matter, she still gains from the system." She pulls out a cloth, "Let's hope your Kitty Cat loves you as much as she seems to." She tosses the cloth to Alec, "Then again you little Fang child might get jealous." She starts walking to Rita's dresser, "here," another cloth is tossed to Alec. "Look simply put the restitution for wrongs done to the Faunus has gone so far that they are given an advantage over humans, they already have better senses than us and are now more likely to be given a higher education, and scholarships. On top of that the public are more likely to believe a Faunus if the word racism is brought up. They can wield it to ruin lives and defend themselves from righteous punishment."

Alec stares at the light blue and dark blue cloths in his hand, "Suggestions?" Keller grabs the cloths and folds them together, "Thank you."

"Tie this around your third and forth belt loops and use this belt," She passes the braided cloths to Alec, "That should keep you from being hit on too much."

"So, what happened."

"What are you talking about?"

"Your hatred is just too thought out, to logical, what happened?"

"A lot of things, and it isn't what you think. I wasn't raped by a Faunus, I wasn't abused or bullied. I watched stuff happen, my parents both lost their jobs due to their company deciding to set racial employment quotas, or my sister not being accepted to a private school because she couldn't get a scholarship because it considered the Faunus that scored a hundred points lower than my sister a better option. Or maybe it has to do with the lack of help for that same sister when she became suicidal because my family was supposedly wealthy and as a human my sister had no reason to be depressed. Maybe it has to do with all of that or maybe I am lying to you, and I am really a big fat racist that wants nothing to do with those animals. I am only putting up with them because I want to help humanity succeed and if that mean saving some lesser life forms and pets, I can stomach it." Keller responds to Alec calmly her voice measured and cold. "Now you look good enough, just ignore anyone hitting on you, don't try to fight anyone. Try to keep our soldier boy out of trouble and get him the guns he needs."

Alec nods calmly as he gathers his equipment, a small pistol is slipped with its holster is slipped behind his back. A pair of knives are fit into his waist band and two small grenades slip into his pockets; his scroll sits comfortably in the other sides pockets. "Thank you, Keller Pointer, I am sorry."

Keller smirks at Alec, "Well General I can't believe that I must tell you this," She leans over, "Never apologize for something that isn't your fault." She salutes as she walks out of the room.

Alec turns and stares in the mirror, "fuck, why couldn't she just be a normal racist." Alec sighs as he straightens his clothes. Alec checks the clock, and slips his scroll into his pocket, with a quick check of his weapons he shifts them around.

A knock on the open door pulls Alec away from his reflection, Gregory stares back at him obviously uncomfortable. "I see you got dressed."

"Yeah, I asked Keller for help."

"She's the one that led our rescue right."

"Yeah." Alec looks at Gregory, "Shall we head to the city?"

"Might as well, maybe grab some food." Gregory starts walking out with Alec catching up with him. "So how long are we going to have to wait after we place our little order?"

"I couldn't tell you, money talks but we are asking for a lot of equipment." Alec counts on his hands, "In Strip we would end up waiting for our orders about a month, but that is because we had to arrange an escort to get the supplies in. Between bandits and Grimm we pretty much had to have a company's worth of fire power with Huntsmen. It took a lot of our security away to get those runs in."

"Why didn't Strip ask for military or government help?" Gregory keeps pace next to Alec as the move down the stairs.

"Simple, my father believes might makes right. If the military or Huntsmen forces showed up that would weaken his power base. It is well known in Strip the simple rule that he who has the most military might has command. So, if let's say a company of motorized infantry were to show up there would be a question of whose orders to follow. That is why if I were to return it must be at the head of an army." Alec waves his hand as they head down into the courtyard. "What do you see Gregory."

"The courtyard of Beacon," the soldier says, "A very interesting layout the walls around the walkways are very nice to sit on very thick almost a meter actually," He smiles, "All I would need is heavy machine gun mounting points and I could hold that courtyard until I ran out of ammunition, and then another three minutes as we fought hand to hand."

"So, you see it too."

"This place is a fortress, and by the gods it seems to have been made to meet the standards of a fine castle."

"So where are we going for lunch?"

"Do I seem like someone who goes out to eat lunch in cafes Alec. Definitely not someone just stops in whatever mess hall or cafeteria is available." Gregory smiles as he turns to Alec while they wait for a bullhead into the city. "I normally will eat combat rations rather than going out."

"Ah, so I guess we are going where I choose." Alec points at a bullhead landing.

After fifteen minutes the pair were walking into a small park with music wafting out over the green grass; their destination stands in front of them the black painted lettering cheerfully painted on the yellow building telling everyone where they were. The pair of young men enter the restaurant and are immediately intercepted by a dark-haired Faunus, "Hello and welcome to The Sunshine Barbeque, is it just the two of you."

"Yes please."

"Alright follow me to your table, your server today is Lisa." The woman stares at the two men, "Just for the record she is my daughter and I have killed for less."

"Mooooommmm," Lisa runs over, "Stop threatening my customers, anyway this is Alec his team came in a few weeks ago."

The dark-haired Faunus sighs as she walks away. Lisa looks at the pair of men, "Alright Alec, I know you; who is your military friend?" Lisa smiles as she pulls out a note pad. "And what will you be having for a drink."

Alec smiles, "This is Gregory Smith, Commander of the Beacon Security Company. Sweet Tea for me by the way."

"It is a pleasure to meet you Miss Lisa, if you have a cola, I will take one of those."

Lisa writes down the order, "so Mister Smith I take it that you are the one that they mentioned in the news. Tea and Cola, nothing harder from what I have heard you delt with a lot." Lisa looks at Alec, "Did all your unit make it, I heard a lot of people died."

"Danny is bad off, but she will make it; we would not have made it if it wasn't for Gregory and his men. It cost them nine members of their company and we barely made it out."

Lisa nods, "mom and her friends went out and fought them, they came back with a different look. Mom poured alcohol for everyone before they went back to their jobs. It was bad." Lisa frowns, "I will have your drinks for you."

"Thank you, Lisa." As the girl walks away Alec turns to Gregory, "Get the Ribs."

"Got it," The man smirks sadly, "they are Huntresses from the war."

"Yeah, seems like it." Alec waits, "It is looking like this is going to be a real war."

"I know, the hope will be that we find a way out of this one."

"We are working on it, but let's be honest, you and I know what is coming."

"Yeah, I am going to divide the men I have into multiple companies organized along the lines of my original company. Depending on what equipment we can gather we would try to specialize them each."

"Sounds like a hopeful plan."

Lisa returns with the drinks, "Alright boys here are your drinks, she smirks as she places the drinks down. Do you know what you are going to eat?"

Gregory smiles, "I have been told the ribs are the thing to go for."

"And I will get the beef sandwich," Alec takes a sip of his tea.

"Got it, Mom and the others," she stops herself for a moment before continuing, "I heard them talking, they said that it is happening again."

Alec smiles, "what could they mean."

"War," the look in her eyes is not fear, determination spreads through her, "They think war is coming."

"We killed Salem the Grimm can't organize," Alec waves the idea away.

"Don't lie to me."

"I have no idea what is going on, but we will fight it."

Lisa nods and leaves the table.

"How old is she?" Gregory asks as he sips his drink.

"Too young," Alec takes another sip of his tea, giving a smile.

"Not like that, I meant she is very perceptive. She is what two years younger than us but has started putting the whole thing together."

"Her parents are Huntsmen she probably is feeding off their bad feelings."

"We better hope so."

Alec stares out one of the nearby windows. With a sip of his tea he sighs, "I think everyone knows something is going on."

Lisa returns with the food for the pair on young men. "So where are you two going after this?" She places the plates down and smirks as one of her clones brings refills to the table.

"We are going to the Club later."

"Ooh fun, are you meeting everyone else there or is it just a one-on-one date." The younger woman smirks.

"We are meeting some people there."

"Ooh, but not your teams?"

"Nope," Alec smirks looking at the gossiping girl, "we are meeting a pair of my friends."

The Cat Faunus smirks, "Oh really I thought you had enough with that tiger girl."

"It is unfortunately business related," Gregory cuts in with a smirk matching the cat girl, "Can you get us a check by the way I am covering the meal." Alec raises his hand to argue and Gregory waves it away, "you put a lot on the line to make this meeting happen, the least I can do is cover lunch."

"I will bring you the check boys."

"Thank you." Gregory turns to Alec taking a bite of the ribs. "These are amazing thank you for recommending them."

"No worries, it is a darn good meal." Alec takes a bite of his sandwich, and points at Gregory's scroll, "Have you been able to put your list together?"

"How good is your contact?"

"Her father was the point of contact for my father and all of Strip but when my 'class' began needing parts and dust and the such for our weapons her father made her the point of contact for us. He let her handle our orders and she has never failed us. She has been making to grow her end of the business to make a go on her own. Bianca has never failed to get me the weapons and parts I needed no matter how hard they were to find or illegal they were, we never had a problem with our dust supplies during the shortage a few years back even when her father couldn't get the dust Strip needed, we were fully stocked. It made her valuable to us and made us invaluable to my father. So, when I tell you that she will get you whatever you need, and she will get it in spite of any limitation I mean it my friend. She has plans beyond her father hell beyond anything you could imagine. She will get you anything on that list down to tanks, Atlas Knights, Mechanized Armor, anything you ask for she can get."

"Then I guess I will go with the more in-depth list."

"I am sure she will be interested in such a challenge."

"So, it would be in our best interest that we motorize or mechanize all of the Cadets, right?"

"It would be, but don't you want a dedicated defense Companies?"

"I do but having them motorized would allow them to be more flexible defenders would be a better benefit if an attack on the city happens." "Point made."

The pair of young adults keep talking as they go over plans and writing the ever-growing list. After a few hours and a generous tip, they walk out and start heading towards the club.

Alec sighs as he walks down the street, "How are you feeling?"

"What do you mean?"

"My friend you have lost nine of your friends and then you have been placed in charge of a group twenty times larger and you have been cut off from your support in the General and in a sense, you have been forced to side with the Huntsmen against the Military. You must not feel like your whole world is thrown upside down."

"I am holding together," he stares forward as he walks. "I am not looking forward to having nine funerals. I am hoping you will all be there."

"I owe them that much. When do you plan on having the funeral."

"I got permission to use the Kings Flag from the Headmistress. At least I am able to give them all that."

"What about your little promotion?"

"It is a bit odd; I am now going to be in charge of a private mercenary force with a bunch of cadets who are contracted to Beacon and the huntsmen, and we are students at Beacon now. We are going to be taught by some of the best. And now I am going to purchase weapons and equipment from someone who I should be arresting." Gregory starts beathing heavily, "I am not so happy about the promotion, but I will do my job to the best of my abilities."

"One thing you will learn from Huntsmen is that sometimes illegal things are the best and fastest way to do your job." Alec stops staring at the Club as he checks his scroll., "it's ten thirty we have time to get in and do some recon."

"Sounds like a you are expecting trouble," Gregory shifts himself around, "Four bouncers on the outside. Do you know how many we can expect inside?"

"Four more around back keeping an eye for anyone sneaking in. As for inside I have no idea, I do not have much experience with this kind of social setting."

"Twelve," Alec spins around and sees Bianca stepping out of the shadows, "Eight bouncers outside, twelve on the dance floor, two working as helpers and security at the Bar."

"And one at each bathroom," another woman says as she lands on the ground with a curtsy.

Alec calms himself down and let's go of his pistol, "Bianca, I thought you said midnight." Alec stares at her calmly and takes in what he is looking at. She is wearing a tight-fitting outfit that leaves very little to the imagination, "and does your father know you are wearing that?"

"What does Daddy worry you."

Alec stares at the woman, "Your father sold my father an entire airship, your father has enough weapons to level the entire block. Yes, your father worries me." Alec replies to the unworried woman in front of him.

"She is dressed much more modestly than me the other woman smirks," her outfit is barely coving anything on her body. "Yeah, take a look huntsman." The woman shifts herself, "your friend can look also."

Gregory looks at the barely clothed woman in front of him, "So is this like a semblance or something?" Bianca looks at the soldier, and the scowl on the other woman makes him shrug, "Look you either have a semblance that lets you hide what you look like or something that that makes you so powerful you can be almost naked here when it is cooling down."

The woman sighs snapping her fingers as her outfit disappears revealing a tight-fitting combat suit with weapons attached to it. With a curtsy, "Jessica Von Benedict Simons at your service, Lieutenant Gregory Smith of the Beacon Security Company."

It is Gregory's turn to be surprised as he sighs.

"Alec did you bring a fed to meet your most definitely illegal arms dealer." Bianca Looks at Alec.

"Well we have got the introductions out of the way let's start the meeting." Alec starts walking towards the entrance before he is grabbed by Bianca.

"You boys are not going to get in there without one of us on your arm." Bianca stares at Alec with a smirk.

Gregory offers his arm to Jessica, who is back in her disguise. The woman smirks, "You don't have me on your arm when I look like this soldier boy." Jessica places Gregory's hand on her hip. "Don't get used to it, you are not my type."

Alec offers his arm to Bianca who takes it with a smirk, she takes it as she leans over, "You better be able to explain, and pay."

"I promise it will be worth it."

They cut the line and walk up to the VIP lounge where Bianca locks the door. She looks at Alec, "Alec, I love you, I really do but why the fuck did you bring a soldier of the Valean Military to meet me."

"Um," Gregory raises his hand, "I am no longer a Cadet. The General decided to Disband the entire cadet corps and we have been offered a place in Beacon as Students while continuing out support of the Huntsmen forces. Unfortunately, this means that we will not be supplied by the military, and we are having to take charge of our own equipment supply."

Bianca stares and blinks for a moment, as she opens and closes her mouth, "Oh," she looks to Jessica, "Um how many people are we talking here?"

"Two thousand, I have a list of everything we need." Gregory holds out a paper list.

Bianca looks at the paper with hundreds of neatly written items with quantities on it, "That is an army, what does that make you?"

"A colonel we all know that there is only one general at Beacon." Gregory looks at her with a serious look as Bianca silently signals Jessica to put the gun, she has pointed at Gregory away. "Two thousand Soldiers under the Kings flag loyal to Vale and Vale alone." Gregory turns to look at Jessica. "Next time you point a gun at someone's back be two more steps back I could have shifted towards you before you got the second shot off."

Jessica stares at the man in front of her nodding with a sigh. Bianca steps forward, "You want enough guns for an army why the hell would I a criminal weapons merchant give you a goody two shoes the weapons to turn on me." She looks at the list again, "And three hundred trucks, a thousand machine guns, one hundred Valean Eighty-Eight's, ridiculous amounts of ammunition, and enough explosives to destroy most of Vale." She then looks at the list again, "On top of all of that why would I as someone who is admittedly in love with Alec and close friends with his team why would I get you a million rounds of Aura Piercing Ammunition?"

"It's alright," Alec waves his hand, "They are gonna need that firepower."

"Alec even if I wanted to help you arm a small army there are truckloads of weapons and equipment here not including the literal trucks how am I supposed to get all of that into the city?" Bianca looks at Alec, "We are talking a series of shipments that will need to go through the main gate. I cannot bribe every police officer in the city."

Alec smiles, "So is the only limiting factor getting it into the city?"

"NO!" Bianca throws a slap at Alec, "the limiting factor is I am not getting into the city, it is allowing you to be tricked into arming an army that could turn on you at any time."

Jessica grabs Gregory by his arm, "come on soldier boy I think these two are going to just yell at each other and you deserve to dance with a sexy girl on the dance floor."

As the pair walk away, Alec looks at Bianca, "Your girl there better be careful or else she might find herself on the wrong end of two and a half meters of angry huntress with a massive gun."

"She can take care of herself."

"I need that equipment."

"Can you truly trust the soldiers?"

"Yeah, Gregory is a good guy he is not going to do anything against me without a good reason."

"Look that is a lot of equipment."

"If you need me to go to your dad I can."

"No, no, Alec I can get everything, but my entire sub organization will be at risk, Dad might realize that I have been trying to split from him."

"I have an offer for you, it has been signed and approved but it has some guarantees required from you. You can keep your current 'job' but you will have to become tied to myself and Beacon."

"Alec just tell me the deal." Alec pulls a very extravagant looking letter from his pocket, "Is that the…"

"Kings seal," Alec smacks the thick letter in his hand, "This would let you get anything past the gate, the deal to get it is you become Beacon's primary supplier."

"So, work for the government." Bianca glares at Alec, "I am independent Alec I am not going to give that up for anything."

"I need you to help me."

"Why!"

"Because I trust you!"

"What does any of that have to do with this?!"

"Because we are going to war!"

"What do you mean?"

Alec slams himself onto the couch, "Shit, Bianca it is bad." He pours a drink, "I need those soldiers armed. You are the only one I trust to get them the weapons."

"Alec what do you mean war, there is no war, the Grimm are beaten. The nations are not really ready for war and the local military is not as going to make a move against the huntsmen and they can's if you don't arm them with a bunch of new toys."

"You believe the lies to quickly, the Grimm are organizing and have a leader, that leader claims to be Salem. There is a war coming and we won't be done with school by then. The Headmistress is already desperately deploying my unit and another to the escort a caravan in the Corridor I am getting a platoon from Gregory's original Company to be our support. With two full battalions we can deploy support for all of the of the Huntsman units at Beacon."

"Salem," Bianca stutters sitting down next to Alec she grabs his drink, "Give me the Kings seal I will have your army armed and equipped as quickly as possible."

"Thank you."

"We are not ready for another one."

"Nope."

"I am going to break away from my father," She looks at him, "my organization is at your service General Tross."

"I am no General."

"Not from what I hear, you have an army with Gregory, it sounds like most of the first-year huntsmen are with you, and all of the Cadet pilots will follow you." Bianca smirks as she flexes her information network. "I can't ignore the Frigate Beacon and her crew and of course the Mechanized Company."

"I do not think you are correct Bianca."

"So when are you going home," Bianca looks, "I am sure your father would love to meet your new friends."

"I am not going home."