Something about soldiering... soldiering!
Ohayo! I'm trying a new format, let me know if it's more presentable! Now, forward!
Beacon Academy, Vale
"Marines, by the center! Quick march!" yelled Captain Murray as he lead a section of his half-company in a march away from the CCTS tower. A drummer began to beat the orders to emphasize the Captain's command as the 5th Fleet Marines began to move forward in a synchronized march. Watching them were students of the Huntsman Academies and the Atlesian soldiers who came to relieve them of their posts.
Not wanting to show slack, the Marines marched perfectly, each step showcasing months of experienced drilling and discipline. Such was expected by units such as the Guard Regiment, and the 5th Fleet Security. Along the sidelines of the tower, students watched in awe at the display of military bravado. The soldiers of Atlas made no outrageous reactions, but even they couldn't help but be impressed by the skill shown by these men.
"Right... TURN!" shouted Murray as he turned to the right to lead the half-company away from the public and back to the BSF Barracks near the staff housing.
As the last of the Marines began to disappear from the grounds, two men watched the display before them. One was Field Marshal Garreth Azure and the other was Marshal Commander Moris of the 501st. The former of the two frowned as he watched the troopers leave, while the other remained expressionless behind his helmet.
"Ozpin shouldn't have done that," Azure scowled, it was apparent that he was very bitter about the whole situation.
Moris shook his head, "That makes two of us sir, but who knows, maybe there won't be any trouble."
"I somehow doubt that old friend," sighed Azure, "I really really doubt that..."
RWBY: Security
Chapter 20: Dance The Night Away
Combat Arena, Beacon Academy
"Cardin!" yelled Russel as he tried to make an effort to stop their opponent.
His partner nodded, "On me!"
Both of them moved in tandem, with Cardin taking the brunt of the opponent's attack while Russel tried to find an opening.
The keyword was tried...
Their opponent quickly shifted her pattern, dragging Cardin with her spear and slamming him into his partner. The great figure of the former, knocking his aura into the red. Close by the rest of team CRDL lay tired as they too have been engaged, but ultimately were defeated. The last member of CRDL stood up and growled as he charged at his opponent once again, but she simply doesn't stay put. She charged him as well and waited for the right moment to act.
"Wait for it... and flip!" she thought as she used her spear, hooking it into Cardin's center, and catching him off balance as he felt himself fly into the air. His opponent was relentless as she launched herself into the air, putting him into a headlock before launching him back down, finally finishing him off as she landed hard, dust kicking up from the impact.
Finally, the arena around them came back into their sight as students clapped at the display before them. Glynda herself nodded in congratulations as she finished her combat evaluation, "Well done Miss Nikos, qualifying for the tournament should be relatively simple with that display. How about you Mister Azure?"
Beside her, Azure shrugged as he finished his own notes, "Won't say what's already been said, Glynda."
"Very straightforward Mister Azure," stated Glynda as she flipped through her scroll, "Now, while you'll certainly be hard-pressed to outdo the previous fight, we still have time for another fight. Miss Belladonna?"
All eyes were now on Blake as she nodded from her seat. Her eyes were sore and had eyebags under them. It was almost as if she hadn't gotten a decent sleep in a while.
"Oh... uh me professor?" Blake stuttered, her voice further proving how restless she was.
Glynda nodded, "Yes, you Miss Belladonna. You haven't been participating in any fights recently, perhaps you'd like to have a go?"
"I... um..."
Suddenly, a hand shot out from the crowd, "I'll do it."
Azure's eyes were soon on the new challenger, his glare hardened as he watched Mercury Black stand up. Glynda then nodded, "Very well... Mister Black. Who would you like to fight?"
It was clear that she too has taken a hint that Mercury and his team were not all who they seem to be, but if Azure and Glynda were trying to hide their ire, they were doing a good job at it. It took more effort to control their annoyance when he pointed towards Pyrrha, "Actually, I wanna fight her."
"Unless you've been taking naps in Miss Goodwitch's class, then I think you would be well aware that Miss Nikos has just finished a fight," Azure snapped, causing some of the more light-hearted students to flinch at the sudden aggression in his voice.
Pyrrha herself was stunned at the challenge but was ready to accept when the doors of the arena opened, revealing an unfamiliar character to most of the people in the room, but was very much recognized by the Beacon Security Forces and the Deputy Headmistress.
"Ah... you're here..." Azure scowled as he approached Eadrass Marr, more annoyance edged into his voice.
"What are you doing here?" he asked quietly, his tone filled with anger as came close to the Mandalorian, "You were supposed to be with Captain Hound to survey the southeast."
Eadrass replied, "I'll explain that part later. I decided that I was no longer needed with them and came back."
"And display yourself to the students?" hissed the Field Marshal.
Whispers began to fill the room as students made their speculations about the sudden arrival of their new guest. This garnered the attention of Azure who looked around the room and swore inwardly. Then, his eyes fell back onto Mercury who looked at him and Eadrass curiously.
A light bulb formed above his head.
Allowing himself to grin, the Marshal turned his back as he walked away, "Mister Black, due to Miss Nikos just finishing a match, she won't be fighting you. However my friend here is more than willing to put up a good fight for you, isn't that right?"
Curious eyes were now on Eadrass as he pondered the offer before nodding, "Correct."
"..." Mercury thought for a bit and turned to his team leader.
He was met with a disapproving look from Emerald and Cinder, the latter shaking her head for him to not fight anymore. However, this opportunity is a rare occurrence for the curious assassin as he smirked, "Alright then, I'll fight him."
"Good," Azure said as he looked at Goodwitch, meeting her curious yet disapproving gaze, "Does this suffice Miss Goodwitch?"
He was not given a response, giving him reason to believe that she wanted to know where this was going, "Very well, both fighters to their places!"
The two grey-themed combatants were now on opposite sides of the ring, each in their respective stances. Around them, the 501st Toro Company and the huntsmen and huntresses-in-training watched with eager eyes. Some of the troopers were huddled up in a corner, making hidden bets on who would win. Eadrass drew his beskad, the blade shining under the arena's lights reflecting off the beskar steel blade. Silently, he began to recite the Mandalorian creed once more.
"Both fighters ready?" Azure asked, receiving a nod from both Mercury and Eadrass.
"Match ends when you're when one of you is at a significant advantage," he continued before drawing his sword.
"BEGIN!" his sword swiped down, signaling for them to begin the fight.
Eadrass immediately drew a blaster from his holster, firing at Mecury who dodged the incoming blaster bolts. The latter soon closed the distance as he sent a kick to the head.
Eadrass' gauntlet quickly blocked it, the Mandalorian grabbing him by the foot in the blink of an eye before throwing him across the arena floor. This caught Mercury off-guard, but not stunned as he kicked himself back up as he attempted his assault, his kicks coming down in full force as Eadrass did his best to block the incoming shots.
Mandalorians were some of the greatest warriors, but they were not invulnerable. Azure would observe this as he witnessed Mercury make a breakthrough in Eadrass' defenses. An audible clang rang across the room as the boot fired into the beskar cuirass, the whole room going silent as everything stopped. Mercury himself felt a profound amount of satisfaction as he was sure that he just won the round easily.
The victory was short-lived however when he heard several of the shotgun rounds he loaded into his boot-mounted weapons fall from the plate and onto the ground. He felt a kick to the face as Eadrass countered with his own offensive.
Several students observed how the Mandalorian's armor received no damage at all as Eadrass moved swiftly to keep Mercury on the defensive. At this juncture, the grey-haired assassin was thrown off by the sudden vigorous strikes delivered to him. It wasn't just that, but the Eadrass' offensive was eerily similar to his own attacks.
Azure smiled as he recognized what was going on, Eadrass took Mercury's style and used it against him. His beskar-plated boots delivered considerable damage to the hidden assassin.
Mercury tried to regain the offensive, but when Eadrass' gauntlet protruded a sharp blade and swung at him, he knew the window to victory was closing.
Eadrass remained relentless as he delivered kick after kick, after kick. Each attack whittled down Mercury's aura which was now on the dangerous orange level.
When it was time to end the match, Eadrass launched himself into the air, his jetpack roaring as he drew his wrist-mounted cables and fired them toward the disoriented Mercury. The cables connected and Mercury was now on the ground, tied up by the wires.
Silence captivated the room as Eadrass landed, his blaster leveled toward Mercury.
He said only one word, "Yield."
"Alright! I forfeit!" he grunted as he tried to struggle out of the ropes.
"Simulation ended, Mercury has been defeated," Azure declared as students clapped for the two fighters. Some of the Toro Guardsmen began exchanging glances before handing over credits to each other.
"Oi!" snapped Sixers as he glared at his men, "Do that back at the barracks next time!"
Toro Company immediately hid their currencies, not wanting to earn their Captain's ire.
Eadrass bowed as he holstered his weapons before retracting his wrist cord, finally freeing Mercury. A glance from Azure commanded him to get out and report to his office. He would rather not upset the Marshal any further as he left the arena, flanked by two Toro Guardsmen.
"...Thank you, Mister Azure," said Glynda before turning to Mercury, "Mister Black, if you couldn't take Mister Azure's friend on, then you would no doubt stand no chance against Miss Nikos. I suggest you reassess your skills before engaging an opponent again."
Mercury scowled when Azure decided to take a crack at him, "Kicking down your grades should be easier really."
The class erupted into laughter while Cinder and Emerald glared at Mercury for the trouble he caused. Azure then waved the assembled students down, "Alright, class is over. Scram before I have Sixers charge you out!"
The class was all too eager to leave as they left in haste. Behind them, the clones of Toro Company closed the doors and locked them allowing Azure to converse more freely with Miss Goodwitch.
"He really was trying to engage Miss Nikos," Goodwitch observed, crossing her arms.
"Indeed, I can think of reasons why," Azure agreed as he placed his notepad down.
"What about Eadrass? Are you going to speak to him?"
"I will."
...
Azure's Office, Beacon Academy
Captain Sixers followed Marshal Azure diligently. It was clear that the Aurek Corps' commander was not exactly all sunshine and rainbows following the impromptu arrival of Eadrass Marr. It really begs the question, what was he doing here now?
He opened the door for Azure, allowing the Marshal to enter before Sixers followed inside.
Sitting in one of the chairs in front of Azure's desk was Eadrass, his helmet off as he looked outside the window. Sixers noticed the 3 small claw marks on his left cheek, most likely a wound from a previous fight that was not on Remnant.
Azure sat behind his desk before dropping straight to the point, "You're not supposed to be back yet. Why?"
Eadrass returned a glance before replying, "Our recon was almost complete. Hound and I mapped out the general area where the White Fang built their base."
He placed a holodisk on the desk, projecting the map he spoke off. There was a circle around a portion of the ruined city of Mountain Glenn, highlighting the base's most probable location.
"Where is Captain Hound?" Azure asked as he studied the map.
"He should be back later tonight," replied the Mandalorian as he placed his helmet back on, "I asked him if I could go ahead if it's any constellation."
"That doesn't answer my first question," snapped the Marshal, "Why come back early?"
"I wanted to go back to my ship. Stagger could use some help reorganizing my crew. Unless you have another job for me that is."
Azure finally relaxed, "Call ahead next time damn it. You Mandalorians are always cryptic when it comes to arrivals."
Eadrass held his hands up, "We're some of the greatest warriors in the galaxy, not the greatest soldiers. I believe that honor goes to your clone troopers."
Sixers couldn't agree more with the sentiment. It was why the 322nd detachment of the 501st managed to defeat Gar Saxon's Mandalorians afterall. Individual skills were no use if their leadership couldn't wield them properly.
"Quite so..." mused Azure, "I've never visited Mandalore before. How is it anyway?"
"Struggling but fighting to return to its former glory," replied Eadrass, a hint of disappointment evident in his voice.
"I take it the leadership isn't fully developed?"
The silence was answer enough for Azure as he nodded in understanding, "Very well, wait at the docks for Captain Murray. I'll have a gunship pick you up there."
Eadrass nodded before leaving the room. When the door closed behind him, Sixers turned to the Marshal, "So sir... about the dance for tomorrow..."
"We have our own meeting for that Sixers," Azure replied immediately, "At 1500 hours, we'll go to the dance hall with your Lieutenants. This will be a whole company operation so you may bring the Sergeants too."
"Yes sir."
Beacon Dorms, Beacon Academy
"That fight was so awesome! He was like, Umph! You call that a kick? This is a kick! BLAM! Straight to the chest!" Ruby exclaimed, much to her poor partner's ears.
"I saw, Ruby," sighed Weiss as she covered her ears, "Must you always be so loud?"
Yang chuckled, "Well, that's Rubes for you Weiss-cream."
The heiress shook her head in response as she continued to walk, obviously used to her leader's antics by now. Behind her, Yang's partner trod slowly, earning her attention.
Blake has been pushing herself. No one within RWBY doubted that. Ever since the incident on the highway. she's been giving her all to find out more about the White Fang, and that was while avoiding attention from the Beacon Security Forces. Any lead she could find would end up being nothing due to how restricted she was, but she was still not deterred.
A lecture from Professor Goodwitch did keep her at bay though...
Focusing on their shadow-themed teammate, Weiss couldn't help but feel disappointed. Blake has obviously been keeping to herself. Sleeping too late at night, not listening to lectures, and even avoiding the team to work on investigating the White Fang. It was pretty ironic considering that someone like Weiss herself would've been just as dedicated to looking into the organization, but she was growing past that version of herself.
What made her different from Blake, was that she knew her limit, and the latter did not.
"You guys go ahead," the hidden Faunus stated, straying away from the group.
Ruby frowned, "But Blake, what about the dance?"
"I don't have time for a stupid dance," snapped Blake as she quickened her pace to get away, "I need to look more into the Fang."
The rest of team RWBY watched as their teammate left them.
Yang sighed, "Come on girls, we still gotta arrange the party."
Unbeknownst to all the girls, they just so happen to be within earshot of Ord Squad, their Sergeant shaking his head as he made a report through their comms. Behind him, Gus cackled quietly, "How long do you think it'll take for them to realize we rotate so literally anyone from the platoon could hear them?"
Killdane simply scoffed, "Maybe sooner if you keep running your trap like that Gus."
The trooper in question was promptly slapped in the back of the head by the squad's medic, Vicker. A small curse of Mando'a escaped Gus' lips as he glared at the medic, the latter flashing him a cheeky thumbs up.
"Alright squad," chastised Gambit as he ushered them forward, "we still have more ground to cover before the 3rd and 4th platoons relive us."
"Sir yes sir."
"Solid copy."
"Hm."
As the small squad continued their rounds of the dorms, Killdane decided to ask, "Sir, what do you make of the Atleasians taking over the tower?"
"Killdane, you know that's highly improper for you to ask me that of all people," replied Gambit, humor evident in his voice.
"I'm not hearing a no, sir," the Corporal teased back.
The rest of the squad looked at their Sergeant, now wondering what exactly he thought of the new security at the CCTS. The decision was not a very popular one as their brothers from the 5th Fleet Marines would voice their opinions rather loudly when they got back to the barracks. Captain Murray himself looked like wanted to stab a droid very violently after finally dropping his facade.
There was still a knife sticking out from the Marine barracks door.
Sergeant Gambit finally relented, "Alright, fine. Personally, I'm all for having the Atlesians at the tower."
Several shocked responses from his squad were promptly ignored.
"Alright shut up you idiots and let me finish," snapped Gambit as he gave the squad his glare, "I was saying I'm okay with having Atlas over, but they shouldn't have removed the Marines from the security detail."
"Ohh..."
"Makes sense..."
"Hey Gambit, you're squad's 5 seconds late to their next checkpoint. Did Gus get hit by a door again?" a voice called through the troopers' comms. It was Lieutenant Loch, and much to the Sergeant's embarrassment, he had grown used to his squad being delayed by Gus' antics. It wasn't anything serious, but the other NCOs in his platoon always poked him with that. At the very least, they had their own faults that he too poked them with.
Activating his comm, the Sergeant replied, "Negative sir, we'll be there on the double."
Loch gave him acknowledgment as his signal ended, now prompting Gambit to turn back to his squad, "Double-time slackers! We're 5 seconds late again!"
The squad promptly quickened their pace, not wanting yet another word with their leader.
BSF Command Center "Golf Shed", Beacon Academy
Every operation had at least one form of a command center. From special operations to general ground assaults, to extended deployments. For the BSF detachment of the Aurek Corps, that command center was Golf Shed, a smaller building situated close to the CCTS tower. It was constructed on short notice with raw materials from Beacon's own pockets while being furnished and equipped with the BSF's own technology.
Today, a large gathering of officers and NCOs was present at the main holo table. The distinct white and blue scheme of the 501st Legion and 5th Fleet marines adorned their armor, and helmets were removed due to being in a secluded area and away from public eyes. Alongside the armored soldiers were the small number of field officers, wearing their naval grey coats and caps, sleeves stitched with the insignia of the Open Circle Armada.
Marshal Commander Moris certainly enjoyed seeing the men of the corps in such a manner.
A door slid open as a distinct figure entered the room. The Toro Company guardsmen next to the door turned for a split second before saluting with his rifle, "ATTENTION! MARSHAL ON PARADE!"
The command center soon became quiet as everyone stood to attention, helmets grasped under their arms while the field officers with their caps on saluted the arriving Field Marshal.
Marshal Azure nodded, "At ease."
The men soon stood easy as they allowed him to approach the holo table. The white-coated gentleman took off his black field cap as he tapped a few buttons on the console before the holo table projected a ground schematic of Beacon's grounds.
"As you are all aware," Azure began, "Tomorrow is Beacon's Grand Ball, and we, as the primary security force of the Academy are spearheading the operation."
Murmurs quietly spread throughout the room as the Marshal continued his briefing, "Due to recent decisions with the Headmaster, I am quite happy to say that we've managed to open up more ground for troop placement. Captain Murray."
"Sir!"
"You and the Tower section of your marines will be posted alongside Sixers' 1st Platoon at the main dance hall."
The aforementioned area glowed green, displaying where exactly the Field Marshal wanted them.
"The rest of the force will be located around these buildings, platoon commanders please note this down. 2nd Platoon is assigned to the barracks. 3rd Platoon is assigned to help the rest of the Marines at the docks. 4th Platoon will be a reserve located south of the tower, hidden away at dorm C. Questions?"
A hand shot up. The Lieutenant of Toro's 4th Platoon spoke up, "Why exactly are we hiding sir?"
Azure eyed the officer as he replied, "Call it paranoia Lieutenant, but the event tomorrow is a large opportunity for infiltrators to make a move on the CCTS, especially with our forces being withdrawn from guarding it."
The lieutenant nodded as he shifted his gaze back to the holo table projection.
"I myself along with Captain Sixers and Murray will be present at the dance. Moris, due to declining the offer will be in charge of the command center and will coordinate any movements between the stations."
Moris nodded at this as he placed his helmet on, "That also means no slacking off, looking at your sergeants."
A series of scoffs and chuckles were thrown as some of the NCOs looked down in embarrassment while the rest of the men poked at them for fun.
"Alright settle down gents," Azure ordered as he turned the projector off, "I'll let the platoon briefings happen at the barracks, just watch out for prying eyes, understood?"
"YES SIR!"
"Dismissed," waved Azure as he placed his cap back on his cape swinging as he turned to go for the door.
As he walked along, Commander Moris walked up beside him, "Should we inform Ozpin about the 4th platoon then?"
"...no. I don't think he'll need to know."
"Why? I'm sure he won't mind us going against what Atlas wants to a degree."
"Indeed."
"Then... why?"
Azure turned to his trusted Commander, an eyebrow cocked as he replied, "Call it petty and stupid, but I'm very much upset he didn't listen to our compromise with the CCTS security."
Moris snorted, "Then take no offense sir, but it is petty and stupid."
"Well, if you can find a way to tell him yourself without catching the attention of our suspects, then be my guest."
"How often have they tried to listen to our briefings?"
"This meeting was their 10th attempt," Azure sighed as he produced a small listening device that had been crushed.
"Have they gotten anything on us?" asked the 501st Commander, concern now laced in his voice.
The Field Marshal shook his head, "No. IRIS is always one step ahead of them."
Moris could only nod as he allowed the Field Marshal to leave to tend to his own business.
"Oh, and Moris, if you do speak to the Headmaster, "Azure said his head turning to look at his Legion's Commander, "Do send him my regards."
...
Cinder Fall was torn right now.
In the past few days since her arrival, any efforts to probe the Beacon Security Forces had been, for lack of a better term, have been disastrous. Any attempt she made was always unsuccessful and it began to dawn upon her that this new group was far smarter than she gave them credit for.
Then there's their leader. Professor Garreth Azure, the Chief of Security of the Academy.
Information on him was very scarce as documents on him were little to non-existent, with only vague details such as his status within the Academy and how he comes from the outskirts of the Kingdoms.
He ran a very thorough security detail and even Cinder loathed to admit that luck was on her side when it was announced that Atlas would guard the tower for the dance instead of the BSF.
Still, it would seem her mission would remain unhindered.
Beacon Dance Hall, Beacon Academy
It was Sunday afternoon when the music came on. A soft-classic piece echoed through the hall as students began to arrive at the dance, in pairs, groups, or alone. Scattered along the pillars were the guardsmen and marines of the BSF, each looking over the hall with watchful eyes. It was noted that the clones had gone ahead and cleaned their armor to make it shine, medals pinned to their chest plates as they donned their more ornate paint jobs.
At the reception area stood Yang Xiao Long, greeting guests as they entered. The doors opened again to reveal the familiar yet unusual sight of her sister in a red dress. She walked in, nearly tripping and bumping at a nearby Guardsmen who looked at his partner before chuckling as they walked off. Yang herself couldn't help but smirk, "Aww... look at you, Rubes! You look absolutely beautiful!"
Her sister groaned, not sharing her sentiment, "How does Weiss even fight in these?"
Yang simply chuckled as she waved Ruby off, and the latter grumbled as she made her way inside.
Then, two more guests arrived, and the sight of them made Yang smile, "I knew you'd come."
"Maybe I do need this," smiled Blake as she clutched Sun's arm, "I'll be waiting on that dance okay?"
"Eyup!"
The blonde watched as her partner and her escort went down the stairs.
The next pair of guests that came in were also familiar, although to say they came in would be putting it lightly. Roughly shoved through the doors were Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos, behind them were Killdane and Gus.
"Um..." confusion gripped Yang as she watched the two troopers walk away.
"It's a long story," answered Jaune as he led Pyrrha inside.
"Right..." far be it for Yang to ask any further. If Pyrrha managed to get Jaune's attention, then that was fine by her.
The doors opened yet another time to finally reveal Headmaster Ozpin, Professor Goodwitch, and Azure, alongside two armored officers of the BSF. The nearby guards stood momentarily to attention before they carried on with their duties. The two officers walked off to the side while Ozpin lead the other professors inside.
"Have you ever attended a ball like this Azure?" Ozpin asked, cane gesturing to the hall.
"Several," replied Azure, "My favorite one was the Corellian Academy Ball, but in truth, I have little to say about gatherings like this."
Glynda was about to reply when a gloved hand tapped her. An offer from General Ironwood was received which she groaned at but surprisingly accepted as the Atlesian General led her away to dance.
"She's certainly overjoyed about this," joked Azure as he watched the two stalk off.
Ozpin couldn't help but agree. However, his amusement would have to wait upon recalling the news that was shared with him yesterday by Commander Moris. It was true that even he wanted to maintain the Azure's men, but when Ironwood convinced him that they wouldn't be necessary, he decided to throw caution to the wind and give him this opportunity.
Azure voiced against it, but Ozpin was sure that no trouble would happen. When Moris informed him of the Marshal's intentions of placing a whole platoon nearby, he was very much concerned but said nothing if to avoid any possible infiltrators from overhearing this plan.
Still, he had faith that Ironwood would do good on his word and prevent any harm to the CCTS if just for this night.
...
CCTS Tower, Beacon Academy
Lieutenant Stoic walked dutifully towards the tower of Beacon. Dressed in his white medical uniform and cap, he approached the doors of the tower. An Atlesian soldier looked at him confused, "Excuse me, identify yourself."
"Stoic, BSF," replied the medical officer as he pulled out an ID card with his credentials, showing it to the white and yellow-colored soldier who inspected the card before nodding.
"Your I'd checks out, but what's your business here?" asked the soldier.
Stoic slid his ID back into his coat pocket, "Here to run an errand for the Marines. They wanted me to check on a terminal in the center."
The Atlesian paused for a bit before nodding, "Very well, you may proceed. I'll tell the guards upstairs to expect you."
Stoic nodded as he proceeded inside the tower. Several of the Atlesian soldiers looked at him with curiosity but did not challenge him as he moved toward the elevator. While they knew that the men of the BSF were professionals, they felt that there was certain resentment against them due to them taking over their posts.
Well, if the Beacon Security Forces weren't going to say anything, they'll return the favor by keeping quiet as well.
The medical officer soon arrived at the top of the tower where he was greeted by a squad of 4 Atlesian soldiers who stood to attention for a while before resuming their posts. Stoic nodded back to them while he made his way toward a console that didn't belong to the tower. It was one of the camera modules that were installed on the tower, and his goal was to recalibrate the system for remote access for Golf Shed HQ.
Approaching the console, he pulled his code cylinder from his pocket and inserted it into the terminal. A quiet beep replied back and he was soon allowed access to the terminal.
"Welcome to terminal A7," the terminal responded, "Please turn your code cylinder in the appropriate fashion to continue."
Stoic rolled his eyes as he complied with the instructions, twisting the cylinder that was plugged into the console. He was met by the camera screens showing various areas around the CCTS. Satisfied, he began to recalibration process. It was a rather slow process as he came to realize so he decided to start up a conversation with the soldiers with him.
"So, how's the new posting soldier?" he asked, surprising the soldiers who turned to face him.
"Uh... well it's pretty alright I guess," a soldier replied, unsure how to receive the sudden conversation.
Stoic decided to have a little fun with the soldiers, "Well, you better make sure you take care of the place while you're stationed here. Captain Murray would hate it if something were to happen here?"
"Wh-what are you implying?" the soldier asked, now feeling nervous as the medical officer continued to watch the console.
"I'm just saying, the Captain ran a tight ship in this station," teased Stoic as he observed the console, "If there's one thing he hates it's a sloppy station."
The terminal finally sounded off, "Recalibration complete. You may now unplug your code cylinder, Lieutenant."
Leaving the teasing for later, the cheeky medical officer retrieved his code cylinder, returning it to his pocket. He then turned back to the Atlesians who now stared at him with uncertainty, "Oh come on. As long as the tower doesn't get attacked, I'm sure the Captain won't beat you within an inch of your life."
Just then, gunfire erupted downstairs, alerting the occupants of the room. Stoic turned to the camera terminal and dropped his cheeky attitude in an instant, "We're under attack, you have several soldiers downed."
The leader of the soldiers approached the console and gasped at the sight of his comrades downstairs, downed for the count. He then looked to the Stoic, a glimmer of fear evident by the look of his quivering mouth, "What do we do?"
"Seal the elevator doors," ordered Stoic as he drew his blaster pistol, pointing it toward the door, "We can't let them get in!"
The soldiers rushed to fulfill the orders. Despite Stoic not exactly being a member of the Atlesian army, they recognized someone with rank and experience so they did not hesitate to follow his instructions.
Pulling out his comms device, the medical lieutenant began hailing any unit within range, "This is Lieutenant Stoic, does anyone read me? We have a situation at the CCTS."
A voice on the other side of the comms replied immediately, "Golf Shed HQ reads you Stoic, report."
"We have an intruder at the tower, multiple Atlesians are down. We're going to hold our ground as best as we can, but the target is possibly a huntsman-level danger," reported Stoic as he eyed the elevator. Whoever their intruder was, they were really skilled as they took down several Atlesian soldiers without even working a sweat.
"Copy that, 4th Platoon will be there shortly, hold out as best as you can LT," responded the comms operator, cutting the transmission.
"Shortly means a minute or five," muttered Stoic as he turned to the soldiers, "Backup's coming shortly. We must hold this room until they arrive."
The soldiers nodded but were visibly nervous when the elevator forced itself to go down. A manual override of the tower managed to take hold of the elevators and much to the dismay of Stoic, it was going incredibly fast.
"Alright spooky..." thought Stoic as he moved towards the elevator, "Let's dance."
*DING*
"LIGHT 'EM UP!" yelled the Atlesian Sergeant as he, his squad, and Stoic fired at the assailant. The first shots barely missed as their target moved at lightning-quick speed, catching them off guard. The assailant then swept aside as she lunged towards Stoic who fired his pistol repeatedly until she swept him off his feet before slamming the handle of their weapon to his head.
A soldier moved in to attack, but the assailant all too easily swept him aside. The soldier gasped when he felt his weapon get thrown from his hands and onto the ground. His team leveled their guns to fire again, but like the first 2 casualties, they were no match for the speed of the enemy.
In a matter of seconds, the squad and Stoic were incapacitated while their assailant stood over them, triumphant at their small victory.
It was now time to move to the next phase of the plan.
Putting a hand to an earpiece, the intruder spoke, "Mercury, I'm in. I ran into an unexpected guest but he's been taken care of."
"Good to hear Cinder," replied Mercury, his voice quieter, "I suggest you hurry it up. Azure's men are eyeing the guests for anyone absent."
"I'll keep that in mind," replied Cinder as she ended the call before focusing on the main terminal of the CCTS.
She plugged in the scroll and was instantly met with an upload bar. Satisfied, she waited for the upload to finish as she went over how successful her plan was so far. Unfortunately for her, an unwelcome sound met her ears.
Hiss-click!
Cinder turned around and got ready to summon her weapons again, but stopped when a voice commanded, "Don't even think about it you slippery nerf herder."
A visibly angry Lieutenant Stoic stood before her, his pistol aimed right at her center. A bleeding wound on his forehead dripped blood on the floor, giving him a slightly unnerving look.
"Step away from the console," he ordered as he approached slowly, his aim remaining firm with each step.
"Cinder," Mercury called, his voice now slightly alarmed, "Azure is leaving the hall. He's bringing some of his men too."
"Turn around," Stoic ordered, snapping Cinder's attention back to the medical officer.
She did as she was told, but it didn't escape Stoic's mind that she was planning something, "Hands behind your head."
Before she could raise them in mock defeat, the elevator doors began to open, making Stoic turn to face the new arrival. That split second was all Cinder needed as she suddenly summoned her weapons and sped toward the medical officer, blades raised high.
Stoic tried to get a shot in, but it was too late...
"AAAGH!" his painful yell was not unheard when Ruby Rose rushed into the room, only to see Cinder stab one blade downwards into Stoic's shoulder, and the other into his gut.
"No!" the Reaper cried as she aimed her weapon toward the hidden agent, but her sniper rounds were no use as Cinder just as easily absorbed them. Then, Ruby shifted her weapon into a scythe as she leaped toward her opponent.
However, her scythe only met concrete as Cinder flipped backward while turning her own weapon into a bow. Three arrows sailed through the air causing Ruby to fall back as the arrows hit the ground and exploded.
Stabilizing herself, Ruby prepared to engage further when the elevator doors opened rather violently as troopers of the BSF stormed the tower, leading them was Professor Azure himself as he yelled, "HANDS! LET ME SEE HANDS YOU BASTARDS!"
A moment of triumph washed over Ruby as she got ready to charge in again, but the moment was ruined when she was met by an absent enemy. Suddenly, everything stopped being alright again as she soon remembered something.
"Medic! We need a medic over here!" a trooper called as Ruby focused back on Stoic, his white uniform now drenched in blood as he lay there, unmoving, eyes wide open as the soldiers around him scrambled to do something.
Her attention then went to Azure as she observed him shouting into his comm, "I WANT THE ENTIRE GROUNDS ON LOCKDOWN! NOW!"
She couldn't hear who was speaking on the other side, but the Chief of Security's angry shouts was something to go by, "I DON'T GIVE A DAMN IF YOU HAVE TO HOUND THE ATLESIANS! I WANT THE INTRUDER FOUND AND THEIR HEAD ON A SILVER PLATTER!"
That night, the entirety of Beacon's Security Forces marched all night, pounding on doors, and dragging students out for questioning. Some might say that these actions wouldn't be normal. This would be true for this time, but in another much darker time, this would be the norm of their lives.
Come dawn and the BSF would sigh in anger upon returning to their barracks empty-handed. In the Chief of Security's office, a knife was stabbed through Azure's desk, pinning down a picture of a student from Haven Academy.
And scene! It's been awhile, boys! Glad to see that I've garnered a lot of love for the fic and I hope the love keeps flowing. Gonna have to end this chapter on a dark note to set up an office scene for the next chapter. Hope ya'll stay tuned for that!
Anyways, quick announcement, after Volume 2, I'll be answering a lot of questions that some of you might have for the fic. So until that chapter, leave a review with a question or send me a message via my Inbox or my Discord: Coffee-kun#1423
This is where I get off for now! Stay safe, and stay frosty because that's soldiering!
