Finals am I right? Anyway, this chapter is mostly filler again, but I have to get this plot crap out of the way before I move on.
Pro tip: if you're going to be full time student, don't alternate between night and day classes. Not one of my smartest moves
I don't own RWBY or any references to other franchises
Any connections to real world organizations are used for entertainment purposes only
Chapter 9: The cat's out of the bag
Beacon Infirmary: The next day
Blake opened her eyes to the sight of sunshine and the sound of birds chirping on the window sill next to the bed she was resting on. Normally she wouldn't mind the cliché good morning scene, but a splitting headache was making it hard for her to tolerate the bright-ass sun and those fucking birds. She threw her head under the pillow, while she blindly tried to grab something to throw at the window to chase the birds away. Her prayers were answered when she gotten hold of a book and forcefully chucked it at the window, shooing the birds away.
"Damn birds." She muttered to herself. Blake's never been drunk, but she could only imagine this is what a hangover feels like. The intolerance of light, the horrible headache and now a loud thumping sound that seemed to echo through the room. The thumping sound turned out to be Alex stopping by to check in on her.
"Not much of a morning person huh?" Alex casually asked. She moved the pillow out of the way just enough to make out the form of Alex standing over holding what looked like a Tupperware container.
"I'm not much of a 'getting knocked unconscious' type of person actually." She replied in a sarcastic tone. "How long was I out?"
"Not long really. The nurse gave you some heavy-duty pain medication after we brought you in yesterday and you've been sleeping it off since then." He replied while taking a seat on a nearby chair.
"Why are you here then, Sgt. Volkov?" She asked while removing the pillow from her head and positioning herself to sit up straight.
"Blake, when we're not in class feel free to call me Alex. As to why I'm here, well you and your team got hurt in my class and since I'm lead instructor, it's technically my responsibility. So being the responsible person that I am, I had to make sure that my students are alright." He replied to Blake while she nodded in understanding. Her focus suddenly shifted to the pleasing aroma coming from the container Alex had brought with him. She knew that smell well, and her mouth started to water at the thought of the greatest delicacy to a cat Faunus: Fish.
"What's in that container?" She managed to ask while maintaining her composure.
"Funny story actually. Ruby figured you'd be hungry when you woke up and convinced the other two to cook you something. Long story short; your teammates, bless their hearts, can't cook to save their lives and now the kitchen in the west wing is closed due to fire damage." Blake couldn't help but smile at that. "Anyway, Ivan happened to stumble upon them and offered to lend a hand. They mentioned you liked fish, so Ivan cooked up some ukha as a favor to your team and also to not burn down the school. So yeah, this is for you." He explained to her while handing her the container and a spoon.
"What's ukha? Also, Ivan can cook?" Blake asked as she removed the lid and was smacked in the face with the beautiful, sweet scent of fish that caused her to drool a little.
"Fishman's soup. Nothing too fancy. Just a simple broth soup made with fish, potatoes, carrots, onions, salt, pepper and some other stuff. I think Ivan used salmon and cod in this batch. And yes he can. Surprised the rest of us when we first met him." Alex explained but looked to see Blake already digging in. He found it comical that a girl who normally had a sense of mystery and aloofness, coupled with a facial expression that told everyone to "fuck off", was devouring a bowl of soup like she hasn't eaten in days. Then again, that pain medication made her sleep for almost 24 hours, so it's no surprise that she was starving and managed to polish off that soup in in less than a minute. The goofy, satisfying grin she had was quickly replaced with her normal demeanor when she noticed Alex looking at her with a cocked eyebrow and an amused look on his face.
"Um, thank you. It was delicious." Blake meekly said with cheeks reddened from embarrassment.
"I'll let Ivan know you enjoyed it." Alex replied while taking the container from her and setting it on the table. "Anyway, glad to see you're alright. I'll let you rest up now, even though that's all you did yesterday." He lightheartedly joked to her. Blake however, knew this was her chance to get a read on Alex and discover who he is. It was now or never.
"Actually, do you have a moment to talk?" She asked.
"Well I'm supposed to attend a meeting with Professor Goodwitch in…" he glanced down at his watch, "…20 minutes ago. So yeah, I have time to talk. What's up?" Since he is a teacher, it's usually a good idea to listen to the concerns of students. Besides, he was in no hurry to meet with Goodwitch.
"I wanted to say thank you again for checking in on me and for the soup, but also I wanted to thank you and the others for Oxford." Blake wasn't really sure how to start the conversation with him, but she'll do the best she can.
"Like I've told everyone else, there's no need to thank us. We came across the town, investigated what happened and tried to leave when we found most of the people killed. It was pure luck we found survivors. If we hadn't run into that kid, there's a good chance none of them would've survived. You shouldn't thank us for luck." He replied with his usual response, trying to downplay their actions.
"But you guys are being hailed as heroes! Would you rather have left those people to die?!" She practically shouted but Alex just shrugged.
"Don't take my lack of…", he paused to find the right words, "…heroism or boasting as a sign of apathy. Of course, I'm glad we saved those people. It's just myself and the other guys don't care for being in the spotlight. Protecting others is part of our job. Sure, it's nice to be noticed every now and then, but we don't always need praise for doing what's expected of us." He calmly clarified. Blake suddenly felt like an idiot thinking Alex would leave people to die.
"I'm sorry for yelling at you. It's just that you don't hear many stories of Humans helping the Faunus." Alex inwardly sighed at what she said. He and the rest of the gang were adjusting well to living in Remnant, but the one thing he couldn't get used to, was the blatant prejudice towards Faunus. Now, he'd be the biggest hypocrite if he had told everyone that he never made racist comments or had a certain disposition towards some of the people on Earth. He believed that everyone had a tiny bit of prejudice and racism whether they like it or not. It was just human nature in his opinion. But he also believed in giving people a chance to prove him wrong and show that they were good people, whereas a true racist wouldn't even give them the opportunity. Again, that's just him.
"Those stories are out there, believe it or not. You guys probably don't hear about it because it's not connected to a tragedy." Blake looked up, wanting him to continue. "Oxford had hundreds of people in that town and only 40 survived? You're going to hear about it. The White Fang and ANTIFA? They're all we've been hearing about lately because of their attacks. On top of that, there's also the Grimm and other problems like rising Dust prices and what not. My point is that don't let the darkness in the world overshadow the light." He explained to her.
"What do you mean by that?" She asked.
"Don't be so focused on what's bad and ignore the good out there. Thousands of people woke up today and went about their days. Thousands of people didn't get killed by terrorists or lost their homes to the Grimm. And of those thousands, both Human and Faunus, less than 1% are actual racists and bigots. I really doubt that every Human hates the Faunus or vice versa. The few times I've been in the city, I saw Human workers happily helping Faunus customers. I saw Faunus and Humans talking and laughing together over drinks. I saw children of both species playing together in the streets without caring what the other looked like. And if you need another example, look at Velvet and Coco. They're good friends despite their differences." Blake couldn't help smiling at what Alex was saying as if he was opening her eyes to a new outlook in life. "Are there shitty people out there? Of course, that'll never change. But there are more decent people than shit heads out there and we can't let those idiots shape how we view the world. I hope that clears some things up Blake." Alex noticed her smile and the hopeful look on her face.
"Yes, it did. Thank you, Alex. And you're right, it is hard to notice the good when the bad gets all the attention. I'm glad you reminded me that maybe the world isn't that bad." She was glad that her initial assessment of Alex was true: That he really is a decent guy and she can say the same for Greg, Nick and Ivan.
"You're welcome. Now do you mind if I ask you something?" He asked and she nodded.
"Is there a reason your hiding your cat ears?" Blake's smile quickly changed to a look of shock and surprise as she noticed Alex waving the black ribbon she fashioned into a bow, in front of her face. She placed her hand atop her head and felt the familiar feel of her Faunus heritage. "You did have a head injury and the doctor needed to do a full examination." He said with a small grin as he tossed her the ribbon.
"Does anyone else know?" She asked while frantically tying the ribbon over her ears into her signature bow.
"Just the doctor, the nurses and myself obviously. Although your student profile has you listed as a Faunus, so I don't count myself. Given enough time I'm pretty sure people will find out." Alex commented.
"Look Alex, its…personal and I'd rather not discuss it." Blake hated to say that because Alex is a trustworthy guy, but with her past, she was afraid that might change. Alex believed in giving people second chances, but she didn't know if that view changed when it came to people who use to be a part of a newly designated terrorist organization.
"Fair enough. I won't pry because its none of my business. But I have to ask, don't you think it would be easier to wear a hat rather than a precariously placed bow?" Alex figured Blake was smart but seriously, a hat seems more practical than a bow in his opinion.
"Thank you. And yes, I did consider a hat, but the bow is more stylish." She embarrassingly replied while Alex rolled his eyes.
"Women." He muttered under his breath.
"What?"
"Nothing." He quickly replied. "Anyway, I won't say anything about your heritage." She gave him a thankful smile. "But you won't be able to hide it forever, especially from your team." He reminded her and Blake nodded in understanding.
"Again, thank you Alex. Maybe in time, I'll stop wearing this bow, but until that day, it stays." She said and Alex shrugged.
"Good to hear. Well before I go, I'll end on a lighter note; Greg made a comment that during our spar yesterday, you did pretty good. Considering you held out the longest and managed to get a couple of hits on him, I agree with his assessment." Alex commented.
"Thanks…I guess. It was different fighting without a weapon or using my semblance."
"Very difficult and outside of what you're used to?" Alex asked and Blake nodded.
"I felt completely defenseless. It took all my will power to not use my semblance against Greg." She remarked.
"That was the point of the exercise: to expose you to a new way of fighting, as well as testing your overall physical abilities." He explained.
"I guess we'll be learning how to fight like you guys then?"
"To an extent. It takes practice and firsthand experience to get on our level. You'll learn the basic fundamentals, alongside getting your bodies conditioned for prolonged fights."
"That sounds useful." She said in agreement." By the way, when I punched Greg in the chest, I hit something hard that hurt my hand. What was that anyway?" She asked, remembering how she almost broke her hand.
"You hit the ballistic plate in his vest." She gave him a curious glance that told him to continue. "Those vests we wear do more than carry extra ammo and supplies. It's actually body armor that protects us from bullets of most calibers, knife attacks and fragmentation from explosives like grenades. The vest itself can protect from small arms and knives, but put the ceramic plates in a they'll become more effective. Of course, with the plates in, the vest weighs a little over 30 lbs." He finished his explanation to Blake, who looked even more curious.
"Why would you wear something that heavy? Isn't your Aura enough to protect you?" Alex just looked at her like he was contemplating telling her something classified.
"Why not? Someone's bound to notice eventually." He thought to himself. "No, my Aura is not enough because myself and the rest of the guys don't have Auras." Blake was not expecting that as an answer.
"What?" Was all she could say.
"Yup. No Aura. No Semblance. People have tried to unlock it, but to no avail." Technically that was true. Goodwitch and Ozpin tried to see if they could unlock an Aura from the Russians, but like he told Blake, nothing happened. "If we'd let you guys use your weapons and full power, then you would've fucked us up really bad, if not kill us." He said with a smile.
"Then how are you guys even alive?" How do you fight without an Aura?" She was still trying to wrap her head around the idea of not having an Aura.
"Highly disciplined training, good decision-making skills, knowing when to attack, catching the enemy off guard, and a little luck." He couldn't help smiling at that last one. "Also, you should ask yourself; 'How did guys with no Auras and Semblances kick our assess?' Keep in mind also that we have killed other people without an Aura, Semblance or even those fancy transforming weapons." He said matter of factly.
"That's right, they have. I guess that's why they wear all that gear. Still, no Aura?" She thought to herself.
"We don't charge head on like you guys normally do during a fight. We take out our foes from a distance or when they least expect it."
"I can only imagine what you guys would be like if you had an Aura." She commented. Honestly, Blake was now slightly frightened of Alex in terms of fighting. Considering his fighting experience, he had to have killed multiple people. And all without having an Aura?
"Yeah, it'd be nice, but whatever. We've made it this far without one."
"Well, why did you tell me this anyway? I'd think you'd want it kept as a secret?"
"You're right, I'd prefer you kept this between us at least. Consider this as a sign of trust, seeing as how I won't say anything about your heritage to your team." He held out his hand to her, and she shook it with a nod of agreement.
"I understand. Don't worry, I won't say anything about your lack of Aura. Or the fact that we had to hold back and handicap ourselves to fight you guys." Blake said with a smile. She normally didn't joke around, but the opportunity was there.
"Cute." Was his sarcastic reply. He suddenly felt a buzzing in his pocket and knew immediately it was Goodwitch calling, wondering where the hell he was. He knew he should answer it but he already knew she was going to yell at him, so he might as well wait until they were face to face. "Well Blake, I'm glad you're feeling better and I'd love to chat some more but Goodwitch is calling and I'm sure she's pissed, so I'd better get going."
"Alright Alex, I guess I'll see you next class then. Thanks for the talk." She said to him. As Alex got up to leave, he noticed the book by the window and reached to pick it up. He read the title, then looked back at Blake who was currently fixing her hair and didn't notice him.
"Ninjas of Love huh?" Blake immediately stopped what she was doing and her face suddenly turned red.
"I prefer my porn in the form of internet videos, but that's just me." He casually remarked as he tossed the book to Blake who caught it with ease. He gave her one last wave before he left to go get his ass chewed out by Goodwitch.
"It's not porn, it's art." Blake mumbled to no one in particular.
Goodwitch's office.
"You're late. I would expect a military man to be punctual." Goodwitch berated.
"I went to check on Belladonna to make sure she was alright and that there were no hard feelings. Then she had some stuff she wanted to talk about and I stayed to listen. Sorry for caring about student welfare and being late." Alex replied in a sarcastic tone with a shit eating grin that could rival Nick's.
"A text explaining the situation would've been nice, but it's nice to see you do have a more caring side. Have a seat Mr. Volkov." Her tone was more understanding and relaxed as far as Alex could tell. Still it was difficult, but not impossible to gauge a strict, no nonsense professor like Glynda Goodwitch. She kind of reminded him of some the higher ups and officers he dealt with in the past. The way her office was set up reinforce his disposition of her. It wasn't as large as Ozpin's but it was still quite roomy. Like its main occupant, the office was very tidy and organized down to the paper clips on her desk. Everything had its place and yet despite the room having a radiance of professionalism, it still had traces of a feminine, personal touch. A vase with tulips in it and what looked like a collection of various teas on a shelf to be exact. Overall, this was defiantly an office that belonged to a deputy headmistress.
"Yes, well let's get this over with." He said while taking a seat. "I know you want to say something about me putting students in the infirmary and the content of my course, so let's hear it." He had a look of content on his face. It wouldn't be the first, nor the last time he's gotten an ass chewing from a superior. By now he's completely immune to yelling and insults directed towards him, so there is nothing Goodwitch can say that will phase him or catch him off guard.
"Actually, neither I or the Headmaster have anything to say about yesterday. If anything, you did a good job yesterday, even if your methods are…different to what we're used to." Okay, nothing except that.
"Really? We were just winging it based on stuff we were taught back on Earth. I just had to adjust for Remnant. But seriously, nothing about us sending students to the infirmary?" Alex questioned.
"We wouldn't have an infirmary if students didn't end up there from time to time, would we?" She replied. Alex wasn't sure, but he swore he saw a very subtle smile.
"Didn't know she had a sense of humor. I learn new things every day." He thought to himself.
"I'll admit the content you're teaching, while unpleasant, does show the students that being a Huntsman isn't as glamorous as it seems. Hopefully they'll realize the responsibilities Huntsman have to the protection of humanity." She stated to him.
"That's a very elegant way of saying 'protecting the innocent by killing all the bad guys.'" He said with a chuckle.
"Perhaps so. But sooner or later, they're going to have to grow up and face reality as it is." Alex found himself nodding in agreement to what she said.
"Alright, so why am I here exactly?" He asked to get the meeting under way.
"Professor Peach and her associates finished looking over your weapons and ammunition yesterday." She said in a neutral tone.
"Oh cool. Did they find anything useful or interesting?" He was wondering when they would finish their studies on their weapons and ammo. Apparently, Peach had to call in several outside sources to look over the non-Dust based munitions, specifically her contacts from Atlas. Fortunately, Ozpin had General Ironwood agree to keep the testing quiet and the results confidential between the two academy headmasters and the select few scientists.
"Her report was very lengthy and detailed, but I'll address the key points for you now and give you a copy of the report later." She explained as Alex gestured for her to continue. "Your main weapons, while simple in design and function compared to Remnant standards, tested to be on par with standard issued Atlesian Military armaments in terms of durability and reliance. Some of the soldiers even commented they liked the simplicity and the way it felt holding them." Goodwitch looked up and saw the grin on Alex's face.
"Yeah, those weapons were made the Russian way: Cheap, simple, durable, easy to use, easy to mass produce and highly effective." He explained, while Glynda nodded at his statement.
"Furthermore, they've broken down a handful of your ammunition to study the non-dust based properties." Alex sighed inwardly, knowing that they were low on ammo and those scientists were dissecting their already limited supply like nothing.
"I really hope they found out something useful." Alex said with mild distain.
"You're in luck. The chemical composition used in the propellent of your ammunition, can possibly be replicated by combining certain Dusts and elements similar to what your powder is made from. However, Peach informed us that the process is very complicated and costly due to using rare elements that are hard to come by and the fact that combining those elements with dust is a delicate procedure that only the most skilled scientists can accomplish."
"There's always a tradeoff isn't there?" He said in a joking tone. "But if I heard you correctly, then it's possible for me and the guys are about to get a resupply, right?" Glynda answered with a nod.
"In limited quantities that measure out to enough for you and your squad." She answered.
"What about the other stuff like Nick's rockets, the grenades for my launcher, the explosives Ivan uses or the throwable grenades?"
"Same thing. From what was gathered, they determined they can also replicate those weapons, albeit in small amounts. But there is something else you should be aware of." Alex noticed she had a slight look of concern on her face.
"What is it?"
"While testing your weapons, there were some…injuries amongst the researchers." Alex looked at Glynda with a look that said, "are you serious?"
"What did they do, shoot themselves?" He couldn't help but laugh as he asked that.
"In a way they did." She replied and Alex stopped laughing.
"What the hell were they doing?" He asked, changing to a serious disposition.
"Well seeing as how you've proven that your weapons are effective against Grimm, they wanted to test it against Dust ammunition on Human opponents." Alex couldn't believe what he just heard.
"You mean they couldn't use a ballistic gel target or…literally anything else than a live person?" Glynda only shrugged.
"In case you're wondering the man is okay…as well as the others who got hurt."
"Others?" He asked in confusion.
"There was a total of 10 injuries involved during the testing and research." Glynda answered in her normal tone. Unlike Alex, she got over the initial shock due to the fact that she and Ozpin read the report firsthand before this meeting. But still, 10 injuries are a lot.
"Seriously, what the fuck happened?"
"There were seven injuries involving using your firearms, two involved using one of the rocket tubes Mr. Stepanov uses, and one involving one of those incendiary grenades." Alex rubbed his temples trying to comprehend how any of that was possible.
"And people say Atlas has the best scientists on Remnant? On Earth, if for some reason someone got hurt, we stop the testing… usually. But we don't do it 10 more times until we decide that maybe these weapons are dangerous." He wasn't even trying to hide his sarcasm.
"I agree with you on that, but the most important find was discovered through these injuries: your weapons broke through Aura, as if it wasn't there." That was something he wasn't expecting.
"What does that mean?"
"I'm not too sure about the exact science behind it, but something about the chemical reactions and the physics of your weapons makes them powerful enough to break Auras. It also means you four have introduced very dangerous weapons to Remnant and in the wrong hands, can possibly lead to its destruction." That might have been an exaggeration, but Alex got the point.
"Uh, whoops?" It was all he could say considering he and the guys had inadvertently changed the game of fighting. "But to be fair, we didn't come here on purpose." He said trying to defend themselves.
"Of course, you're not to blame. Atlas has been toying with the idea of making weapons that negate the effects of Aura and it was only a matter of time before they made it. All you did was accelerate their progress." She assured to Alex.
"Still, it feels like we did a bad thing you know? The chances of us ending up on here on Remnant was like a 100 trillion to one chance and in the short time we've been here, we've already brought technology that can kill you guys easier. It's like we fucked up the universal time line or something."
"You shouldn't worry too much about it. They're still too far away from mass production and making these 'Aura piercers' readily available. Right now, all they can do is make just enough to resupply you and the others, and even then, I have no doubt they will be heavily regulated." That last part didn't sit too well with Alex.
"Trust me when I say that just because something is heavily regulated, doesn't mean it won't somehow end up in the wrong hands. Law abiding citizens will follow regulation laws, but the bad guys who already don't follow laws, will find a way to get their hands on this stuff. Just some food for thought." He pointed out to her, while she nodded in understanding.
"Believe me, you're not the only one with these concerns. Myself and the Headmaster have addressed our concerns involving this matter to General Ironwood, but he assures us that only a handful of his most trusted personnel have access to the information and that the rest of Kingdom has absolutely no idea about anything transpiring. As much as we disagree, we're going to have to take his word for it and only hope for the best." She sounded a little less confident with that answer.
"Very well, it's not like I have any authority over a General." He joked to lighten the mood. Just like back on Earth, he respected the chain of command and the authority of those ranked above him. He may have his concerns or reservations about things, but good soldiers follow orders. They don't question them and they will carry them out to the best of their abilities.
"In any case, your weapons will be back here by tonight with a shipment of replicated ammunition to offset your dwindling supply. In addition, they provided Professor Peach with the specifications to craft more munitions from pistol rounds, to those rocket tubes and everything in between, so you can go to her if you require more." That was music to his ears. Well, except for one thing.
"I thought you said that it was an expensive process that only the best can accomplish?"
"Professor Peach is one of the most accomplished minds on Remnant, so she can easily work the process. As for the costs, you'll have to take a pay cut if you want a steady supply." Considering they were staying at Beacon rent free, with unlimited access to all of its services and now a steady supply of ammo, a pay cut was worth it.
"Fair enough. We already bought the necessary stuff we needed like clothes and hygiene gear. And the unnecessary, stupid stuff like a beer fridge and an inflatable hot tub. It's also not the first time we've dealt with a pay cut, so I think we can manage." Glynda just gave a satisfied nod.
"Very good. Now I shouldn't have to say this, but please refrain from using your weapons against the students. Considering you can actually do major harm." She said in a more serious tone.
"Don't worry, I wouldn't waste a bullet on them. Besides, verbal and physical abuse is more than enough to keep these kids in line." He half joked.
"So long as you don't make it a habit of sending students to the infirmary, you're free to do as you please. But do remember that they're still young." Goodwitch said as she walked over to the door, indicating that the meeting was concluded.
"I'll do my best." He said as he stood up to leave her office. "And thank you for the relaying this information to me."
"You're welcome." And just like that the meeting was over.
"In and out, just like that." Alex thought.
Beacon fitness center: later that evening.
The rest of the day was rather uneventful for Alex and the gang. The classes they teach for the third and fourth years are shorter and more condensed than the first and second years due to the constant field work they do and the notion that a third or fourth year should be in prime physical condition. Even though they only need to do the lectures and learn basic techniques, some of them have opted to take the first and second year course as an elective to get a more in-depth lecture and to participate in the training exercises they heard about. Whether it's because they thought it sounded fun or whatever reason, Alex didn't mind. If anything, he's glad the students found their course interesting. After class, Alex and the gang usually hit up the gym. After all, if you want to talk the talk about physical conditioning, you better walk the walk.
"Okay, tell me again how those 'geniuses' hurt themselves?" Greg asked while he was spotting for Nick at the bench.
"From what was in the report, the seven guys who got shot were either trying to dodge the bullets, block them with their weapons, block with their Aura's and Semblance's or in one guy's case, got hit when a bullet shot through a wall." Alex responded before starting a set of rows.
"What about the other three?" Ivan asked as jumped down from the pullup bars.
"The RPG incident was actually a double whammy. A guy was standing behind the rocket and got hit with the back blast and the guy who was firing wasn't expecting the recoil and shot the rocket into the safety tower, knocking it down with the range safety officer in it." Alex said with a chuckle. Everyone else laughed and shook their heads at the same time.
"Fucking noobs." Nick said, finishing his set and racking the bar.
"And the last one?" Greg asked.
"The woman was at the grenade range testing one of the incendiary grenades, and it slipped out of her hand as she was throwing it… and I think you guys can guess what happened." Alex explained.
"It hit the brim and exploded next to her. I've seen that happen with training grenades, but not the real thing." Greg said, filling in the blanks and Alex nodded.
"Her Aura didn't do shit to protect her. Those chemicals burned through it like nothing. She's lucky to be alive." Alex said, recalling the report. "But as fucked up as it sounds, we at least now know that we have a fighting chance if shit hits the fan."
"It makes sense considering we don't have Auras and Semblances. Guess it's a way to balance everything out. Plus, the added advantage that almost no one knows about our… predicament could be handy." Greg commented while setting up for his set on the bench.
"Just remember, we have to keep track of our shit. Last thing we need is someone running around with 'Aura piercing' rounds and what not." Alex reminded the gang, who nodded in response.
"Don't worry man. We may lose all our money at strips clubs or lose count of how many drinks we've had, but one thing we don't do is lose track of our weapons or ammo." Nick reassured Alex, who was about to berate him but remembered he was guilty of both those vices, so he settled for a light chuckle.
"It's not like we're going to have a lot of money to go to strips clubs anymore." Ivan commented, referring to the pay cut they'll be receiving.
"Don't worry guys, we still have enough for pudding wrestling night at the Voluptuous Vixen this weekend." Greg said as he lied down on the bench. The Voluptuous Vixen was Vale's finest gentleman's club, home to the hottest ladies in the kingdom. Human or Faunus, it doesn't matter, they don't discriminate. All are welcome to have a good time, and the four Russians, always have a good time there.
"I got my money on the doubles round: Sugar and Cherry v. Cinnamon and Honey. God, it's going to be beautiful." Nick said with enthusiasm as he prepared to spot for Greg.
"I'm looking forward to Crystal v. Lola." Alex commented while starting another set of rows.
"Lola's that rabbit Faunus, right?" Ivan asked from the top of the pull up bars.
"Yeah, I got a lap dance from her and let me just say, those Faunus strippers are… something else." Alex replied.
"Dude, I know what you mean!" Nick exclaimed. "Either they try harder or I suddenly developed a furry fetish." He shuddered at that last part.
"Fuck, it better be because they try harder!" Alex almost yelled, but remembered there were other people in the gym.
"Guys relax. Other than the animal traits, Faunus are anatomically, and physiologically the same as humans down to the molecular level. Women are women. Just think of it like getting a dance from an Asian or Hispanic girl or someone from outside your ethnic background. The allure of the exotic is very powerful." Greg explained with his intellectual side.
"Is that why the Faunus strippers were better than the human strippers?" Nick asked.
"Well maybe they wanted to show off to human client's that Faunus women are just as good as human women?" Ivan asked, trying to answer.
"Ending discrimination, one lap dance at a time. God bless them." Nick almost shed a tear at the thought as everyone shared a laugh. Alex meanwhile was trying to figure out how they went from talking about weapons that can break Aura to talking about strippers so quickly.
"What are you guys laughing about?" The four looked up to see the forms of Coco, minus her beret, and Velvet looking at them with quizzical smiles.
"We're just laughing at what a weak bitch Greg is." Nick joked to divert from the previous topic of strippers.
"Who's the faster runner again?" Greg retorted while Nick scoffed.
"I'm surprised you two have the strength to work out. You guys did go for an eight-mile run yesterday." Alex pointed out.
"Oh please, that was nothing." Coco replied in a confident tone. Alex however, just cocked an eyebrow at her trying to act tough. He knew she was feeling it, plus the look of surprise on Velvet's face blew her cover.
"Oh really? Well then I guess we need to step it up." It was amusing to watch Coco's normal confident face, do a complete flip. It didn't really suit her in Alex's opinion.
"Alright fine, it sucked, me and Velvet are sore and we're here to do a light workout so our muscles don't become too stiff." Coco said in a defeated tone.
"At least you guys didn't fall out of the run like half the class or threw up at the end like Arc and a handful of others." Greg commented. Just as the Russians expected, the students had difficulties keeping up on a long-distance run. It was at a relatively slow pace over flat even ground, yet many students still fell out. No matter, they'll get stronger over time.
"Don't worry, it won't be all running in the future. Some of the exercises are actually fun." Alex added.
"Tell that to the blisters on my feet." Coco said in an annoyed tone.
"Or the shin splints I have." Velvet added.
"Shin splints will clear up in a few days. As for blisters, try wearing more comfortable shoes and avoid wearing heels." Alex explained to the girls. Seriously, every girl in class wore heels and are wondering why their feet hurt so bad.
"Trust me, we've learned our lesson. We're coming prepared for your next class by dressing more comfortably like we are now." Coco gave a little pose to show off their athletic attire that did its best to show off their…assets.
"Remember guys, they're students and we're teachers." Alex mentally told himself and the other guys. It was already hard enough being surrounded by young attractive girls in a school and not being able to…get to know them better, but recently they've noticed that a number of the female students in all grades, have been giving them looks both in and outside of class. The looks ranged from cute and flustered, to playful and flirty, all the way to lustful and full of desire. The Russians did their best to pay them no heed, but they were guys after all. Still they were highly disciplined, knew the rules about fraternization between students and teachers, and weren't about to risk their jobs for a little action.
"That's good to hear, hopefully everyone else dresses more appropriately for class." Ivan replied. Of course, the way Coco and Velvet were dressed, was anything but appropriate. Coco was wearing a tank top that showed off her developed figure and had her well-toned mid-section exposed, while wearing short-shorts that left little to the imagination. Velvet was a little more modest, but not by much. Her top, while not as revealing as Coco's, hugged her body tightly to remind everyone that she was indeed a young woman and the leggings she wore only complimented her slender legs and toned-shapely thighs. Again, Alex and the gang were professionals when it came to the relationships with their students. But still, sometimes things got hard. No pun intended.
"I think we'll have to if we want to get on your guy's level. Seriously, you guys didn't even look tired yesterday." Velvet commented.
"It takes time to get where we are, but the results are worth it." Alex responded in reference to their physical strength and stamina.
"I'll say. You guys defiantly have the physique to prove it. Right Velvet?" Coco said in a playful tone, while eyeing the Russians up and down, while very subtly licking her lips.
"Um… yeah." Velvet shyly answered. She quickly turned away to hide her blushing face and the forming smile.
"I expected better from those two. Okay, I expected better from Velvet at least." Alex thought. Coco came off as a causal flirt in Alex's opinion, but the way she was looking over everyone, particularly himself, could be compared to an animal cornering its prey. Then again, maybe she really is just screwing with him and if that's the case, then she plays the part of the hormonal schoolgirl very well. Velvet on the other hand, well there's no doubt in Alex's mind that her shy and reserved personality equated to her not having much experience with the opposite sex. And while there was nothing wrong with her starting to gain said experience with guys, did it really have to be Alex and the gang? They weren't even in anything that showed off their muscles. Loose T-shirts and regular shorts was literally what they were wearing and yet the girls in the gym, not just Coco and Velvet, were staring at the Russians while they pretended not to notice. "Whatever, it's not like anything is going to happen. Besides, even if things were different, they can do so much better than any of us. Especially Velvet."
"Flirting with the teachers isn't going to help your grades, but thank you for the compliments." Nick said in response to Coco, who merely shrugged.
"Eh, worth a shot." She replied.
"Well, we're about done here, so we'll let you two ladies' workout in peace." Greg said as he racked his weights.
"Aww. Don't you want to watch us stretch out first?" Coco teased. As much as they would, they knew better.
"We've got to prepare for next weeks' classes. Besides, we smell like sweaty ball sack and I doubt you'd enjoy that." Alex joked right back.
"Oh fine. I guess we'll see you guys later." Coco and Velvet waved their goodbyes at the Russians, who returned the gesture as they left the gym. As they were leaving, the guys got a decent view from one of the mirrors of Coco and Velvet reaching down to touch their toes and the wonderful sight of their fine posteriors.
"So. Coco and Velvet. Would you guys…" Nick started to ask but was interrupted by the other's answering 'yes' at the same time. "Alright, just checking to make sure I wasn't the only one." As they were walking back to their room, Alex felt his scroll buzz and looked to see a notification from the Vale news network.
"Oh shit." He said out loud.
"What's up?" Greg asked.
"A passenger flight from Vale to Atlas crashed 20 miles off the coast of Atlas." Alex responded.
"Damn. Any survivors?" Nick asked in a serious tone.
"Atlas authorities are saying it's not likely." Alex read from the scroll in hand.
"Was it a large flight?" Ivan asked.
"Yeah, over 300 people." Alex answered.
"Fuck." Greg replied.
"The fucked-up part is that the fishing boat that witnessed the crash and called it in, said they saw explosions go off internally before it went down." Alex said as he continued to read the article.
"So, it wasn't an accident then." Greg concluded.
"It's not confirmed yet, but both Kingdoms are not ruling this out as a terrorist attack. If that's the case, then this is the largest one to date." Alex replied.
"What do you guys think?" Ivan asked the group.
"I think shit's about to hit the fan." Nick answered while everyone nodded in agreement.
"Some things never change." Alex deadpanned.
Undisclosed location
"That asset we have operating in Vale certainly knows how to tie up loose ends." A man said with amusement.
"Not only that, but now both the White Fang and ANTIFA are both taking responsibility for the attack as a 'show of their might.'" Another person addressed.
"Even better, the Atlas council is blaming Vale for not taking precautions to prevent the tragedy while the Vale council blames Atlas's policies that led to escalation of these attacks." A third one spoke.
"Just in time for the Vytal festival and Ironwood's arrival." The second person said.
"Nevertheless, she knows what needs to be done in the coming weeks correct?" A final fourth person asked.
"Yes, Ms. Fall knows the next phase and is already getting the pieces into play." The third person said.
"She's proven to be a valuable asset for our cause. Maybe there's room for her in our ranks?" The first spoke.
"Perhaps, but we must wait for the rest of the order to make that decision. Until then, we shall observe her progress." The fourth answered.
"Very well. If anything, I look forward to this year's festival." The second said as the other three nodded in agreement.
"We've been waiting a long time for this. A very, very long time." The third person spoke.
A/N: If you want to discuss my logic on anything, I'd prefer you PM me instead of filling up the review section. Or do what you want, I really don't care. Just know that I can usually respond within 24 hours.
I'm going to try to at least update once a month. I have the story pretty much planned out to the end. Now I just have to put it on paper.
You guys are awesome and until then,
Hawk out