If you see any mistakes please let me know. I'm also not sure if the previous chapter was displayed correctly so if their is some confusion as to the chapters this is why.
I also hope that your all doing well and are safe with the current situation.
(Update i will be taking a break till April)
Anyway i hope you enjoy.
When Frenda woke up and walked out the room she saw the fort was a hive of activity. A soft gentle voice caught her attention.
"Oh, Faye is something wrong?" Frenda asked concerned.
"I'm just worried, you promise to bring Leo back?"
Frenda knelt down and smiled at the young girl "I promise to bring him back."
Wynn smiled and hugged her, Frenda smiled at the hug. Once she had gotten out the hug, she looked at her young charge "Now you and Wynn remember what you have to do while I'm gone right?"
Faye nodded "We're to stay in the room and wait till you come back to the room." Faye repeated.
"Good girl." Frenda ruffled the girl's hair "Now go on, we'll be going soon so off you go."
Faye did as she was told and headed through the door.
"You should be careful what you promise." came a deep, cold yet weirdly friendly voice from behind Frenda.
Frenda turned to see Fídi standing before her. "I know, it's just the thought of making those kids worried or sad, it just hurts."
"Won't breaking your promise to them hurt more?"
Frenda sighed "I know, I'll just have to not break it then."
Fídi hummed "I understand your motives, but as far as I see it, a lie is a lie, no matter if the meaning is good or bad and I don't like lying to people."
Frenda nodded, she knew what the teacher meant, but she couldn't face the worried looks the kids would give her, so she lied, she thought it was just as much her benefit as it was for them that she was lying 'Maybe sometimes it's an advantage of not being able to look people in the eye all the time.' Frenda thought to herself as the pair headed off to the trucks.
The drive was long and cramped, Frenda looked at the people in the truck, down at the end by the door was Ironclad and Major Steel. Next to her was Tomoko, on the other side facing them was Fídi, Beurling and Maple, Tammy was ahead on her bike with Sam flying above her.
"Professor?" Frenda heard Steel's voice.
"Yes major." Frenda smiled at the fact the major was unknowingly addressing a Faunus with respect when she looked down on them.
"Your head mistress seems rather familiar with these bandits, she almost seemed sad when she was talking about them, I was wondering if you knew why?"
"You know, you shouldn't ask personal stuff like that." Fídi replied as she typed something on her scroll, once she was finished, she remained quiet. Once it pinged back, she took the scroll back out and looked over the response.
"They are her old unit that's why." Fídi spoke up as she put her scroll back.
There was a collective surprised sound from the occupants of the truck, with the exception being Ironclad. Frenda and her team knew that Tammy served in the war but the head mistress kept quiet on the matter.
"What do you mean her old unit?" Beurling asked.
Fídi sighed "When she was fighting in the great war, Vacuo ran hit and run units that operated behind the Atlas and Mistral forces lines, the scorpions, are her old fighting comrades that weren't as lucky as she was, she carries a great amount of sadness and guilt about how they ended up."
"But how did they end up like this?" Frenda asked curious, it was hard for her to wrap her head around that a unit that fought with her head master was now a bunch of bandits kidnapping people.
"That's a story for her to tell not me."
There was a collective sense of tension and shock in the air, Frenda now understood the look Tammy had given when they were told about the bandits for the first time, she was fighting her old friends.
"Professor?" Frenda turned to see Tomoko looking at Fídi.
"Yes, Tomoko and you don't have to call me professor."
"Did you serve in the war?"
"No, I was still to young to fight and I'd doubt they would have had me at the time, my semblance was still a big problem till i met Tammy."
Tomoko looked down at the floor, feeling bad for asking.
"Don't feel bad, I've accepted my past and its done, all I can do is look at the future."
The rest of the journey was in silence, Frenda had nodded off on the way and was woken up by Beurling shaking her awake saying they were nearly there. Once the truck stopped the team dismounted, the trucks were parked up facing a dune, Frenda saw Tammy's motorbike at the base of the dune with a series of foot tracks leading to the top of the dune. Following the tracks up Frenda saw Tammy looking over the top.
When Tammy came back, she turned to Maple "Maple, your semblance allows you to see far away right?"
"Yes headmaster."
"Just Tammy is fine." Tammy sighed "And in that case I need you to keep an eye on the fort." Maple nodded and climbed up the dune.
"How long do we have till night time?" Ironclad asked.
"A few hours, now huntresses I suggest we get ready it's going to be a long night to night."
"Shouldn't one of our men be looking at the fort not the kids." Steel complained.
"Not unless you want the shine from your binoculars to alert the fort, Maples semblance means we don't have to worry about that." Tammy explained.
Frenda then saw Tammy go to her bike and whisper something to Sam and the bird took off and flew back in the direction of the base. While Sininen picked out his unit and made ready to head out.
"Good luck sis, I'll see you after, stay safe baby sis."
Frenda smiled and laughed before she hugged her brother "You worry about yourself; I'll see later."
Frenda watch her brother walk off with his troops, though she'd never admit it she was scared her brother wasn't coming back.
"He'll be ok." Frenda heard Tomoko's voice say, Frenda turned to see Beurling and Tomoko standing beside her.
"Thanks, it's just…"
"We get it, but he's no fool, plus if he's been around you for so long, he's been through worse."
"Oi I'm not that bad Beurling." Frenda pouted. Noticing Beurling and Tomoko giggling, Frenda found herself giggling to and shaking her head "Thanks guys."
After about an hour Frenda was sat on the dune next to Maple watching everyone setting up. Frenda glanced at the fort, it was on top of a rocky barren hill, it's thick high walls, curved into the mountain behind it.
"We have to take that?"
"I know Frenda, this bandit tribe is starting to sound more like an army, but that's why we're being smart about this."
Frenda nodded before sighing, wondering how her brother was doing.
"You still worried about your brother?" Maple asked keeping her eyes fixed closely on the fort.
"Yeah, I know he's in a safer place, but I'm just worried."
"He knows what he's doing Frenda, trust him to make the right call."
"I do it's just…"
"It's more distracting, because it's more personal."
"Yeah it is." Frenda sighed "Sorry, I know I should have my mind on the job."
"Don't be, I get it, but we have a load of people in that fort that need us right now and I need you."
"Got it boss, sorry."
"Only apologise when you've done something wrong, you haven't, well not yet at least."
The two giggled, then Beurling climbed up to meet them.
"Maple, Tammy said to keep your eyes on the pass, a small group is coming back to the fort, they think with some prisoners."
"Right."
"Hold on, the pass isn't that…?"
"It's ok, the colonel told them to let them pass, didn't want to alert the fort."
"But what about the prisoners?"
"If they are in the fort, we'll get them later, won't we?"
"Got them." Maple interrupted, Frenda looked over the dune, she could see a group of tiny figures.
"I count five bandits, two prisoners."
Frenda saw who she thought was the leader of that group standing in front of the gate as the rest walked through, they looked tiny in the distance.
"She's got sad eyes." Frenda heard her leader speak.
"Who's eyes?" Frenda asked confused.
"That groups leader, she looks really sad."
Frenda looked again, the forts gates had closed, the figure was stood in a light grey cloak, then she glowed blue and ran up the wall of the fort.
"What the hell?"
"Guess some have a semblance then." Beurling muttered.
"Beurling, Frenda go tell Tammy what we saw."
Once the pair had explained what they saw and the mysterious leader who ran up the wall Tammy looked conflicted.
"You're sure about that girl?"
"Yes boss, saw it with our own eyes, why?"
Tammy looked at the ground before she spoke up "It doesn't matter, best get ready." Frenda noticed that Tammy sounded sad as she waved them off.
(Night time - Just before attack)
When night came the soldiers were all formed up into their respected unit, Frenda felt a weight on her shoulders she had to guide them in along with the rest of her team, she hadn't thought about the fact she had one hundred people's lives resting on what she needed to do.
"Here we go I guess." She whispered to herself.
"Right let's go." Frenda heard Tammy speak, looking over she saw Maple and Tomoko lead the way, Beurling and Fídi just behind, Frenda breathed out and followed Tammy over the dune, the soldiers followed them, Ironclad and Steel leading the way.
Once the team reached the base of the hill Frenda followed Beurling and Fídi in taking the lead, Maple and Tomoko fell back behind them.
The only sound they heard was sound of their own footsteps, Frenda wondered how on earth all these footsteps on the rocks didn't alert the whole fort they were coming.
'Guess it's louder when there's no other noises going on.' Frenda thought to herself.
When Frenda and her group were about a three quarter of the way up the hill and everyone else was about half way up, they sound of one of the soldiers falling over filled the air followed by the sound of his rifle going off.
Frenda heard the sound of a whistle then a bell ringing like mad.
"We've been made, come on let them hear you scream!" Ironclad shouted to his troops, Frenda turned to see him drawing his sword high above his head and break into a run behind her.
A bellowing cry come up from the soldiers as they started to run.
Frenda felt Fídi pull her collar "Come on Frenda, we need to move now."
'So much for getting the jump on them this time.' Frenda thought to herself as the sounds of gunfire opened up and whistling of bullets filled the air going in both directions.
What was that about plans and first contact well lets see how this is going to go.
Hopefully see you next time with the conclusion of this raid.