California is the worst state to live in. Change my mind.
I own nothing except OC's
Chapter 10: Meeting new people
Beacon Cafeteria
"I don't care who the fuck started it, but this cafeteria is going be spotless by noon. Do I make myself clear?" Alex's tone was forceful and commanding, causing teams RWBY and JNPR to quickly scatter to find janitorial gear, lest they face Alex's wrath. As the kids left, he turned to see Ozpin and Goodwitch approaching with amused expressions on their faces.
"Well, you certainly have a way with the students. You're starting to give Glynda a run for her money." Ozpin joked.
"I'll admit, I am enjoying the spare time from disciplinary action, even if it's used to catch up on paperwork." Glynda remarked.
"I understand they're young and need to have a little fun once in a while, but destroying the cafeteria that everyone uses is not the way to do it." Alex commented while the two professors looked at him with raised eyebrows.
"I seem to recall that you and your friends did much worse back in Russia." Ozpin commented, referring to the video feeds.
"True, but we did that stupid stuff after working hours and in private. There's also the fact that it didn't inconvenience others…normally. Besides, we were young and dumb, and learned the hard way that actions do have consequences. All four of us have had at least one incident where we almost lost rank." Alex pointed out.
"Do you care to elaborate?" Ozpin asked, curious about what the Russians did.
"You see I would, but I'd rather keep this job." Alex explained, earning a chuckle from Ozpin and a very, very subtle grin from Glynda.
"Still, I can clean the cafeteria with my Semblance much quicker than the students." Glynda commented, but Alex was already shaking his head.
"And teach them that this behavior is acceptable because someone else will take care of it.? Yeah, right. 'Oh, we trashed the school? It's all good. Professor Goodwitch can clean it up. It's not like she has anything better to do with her time. It's not like we have to be held accountable for our actions, right?'" Ozpin and Glynda were amused by his sarcastic mocking tone. Alex may have exaggerated, but he wasn't completely wrong when it came to the attitude of the student body. "Someone has to let these kids know that being a Huntsman is more than just being able to swing around a weapon to kill Grimm. It's a major responsibility to this world. They're entrusted with keeping peace and order, while protecting us from Grimm and other dangers. And with that trust, they also have a responsibility to be seen as a moral authority on making the right choices. In order for that to happen, they need to demonstrate their overall knowledge of the world and most importantly, show that the have the maturity to uphold that standard and make sound decisions." Alex stressed the word "maturity" as he motioned around to the aftermath of RWBY and JNPR's food fight.
"Finally, someone understands!" Glynda couldn't help but blurt out her excitement. It was exhausting being the only one who understood the importance of order and discipline, not to mention being the de facto disciplinary officer of Beacon that strained her already heavy workload. But then Alex and the gang enters the scene and suddenly things change: Students are more polite and respectful, and the school grounds are cleaner and more organized. There was a sudden shift in the atmosphere that radiated the order and discipline that she tried to maintain in Beacon, and yet it was still warm and welcoming compared to say, Atlas academy. The best of both worlds, thanks to Alex and his friends.
She'll never say it out loud, but she has developed a certain admiration and respect for the Russians. Even Nick. The way they've quickly grown accustomed to being on Remnant and how they're helping train the next generation of Huntsmen with new tactics, was a testament to their overall character and adaptability. That same level of respect also extended to the other teachers, as well as the students, with the exception that it was mixed with an equal amount of fear. In the past, Glynda only needed to give students "the look" and they would immediately fall in line, and only in rare occasions would she administer punishment. Of course, like anything in life, it doesn't last forever. An endless cycle of empty threats and disciplinary actions that had no lasting effects, ended when Alex entered the scene. It ranged from berating students verbally to pointless monotonous work that had no real value, all the way to physical discipline that would be considered border-line hazing. She felt bad for chuckling when he referred to it as "team building exercises", but it was a clever interpretation that she found humorous.
Meanwhile, Ozpin and Alex were looking at Glynda with mild surprise, seeing as how she didn't seem like the type to drop her bearing. She quickly cleared her throat and regained her composure when she noticed the looks she was receiving.
"Ahem. What I mean is that I'm glad someone agrees on how future Huntsmen should present themselves." Glynda explained, returning to her stern professor persona.
"I see what you're saying Alex, but at the end of the day, they're still children. Why not let them play the part? After all, it isn't a role they'll have forever." Of course, Alex wasn't going to disagree with what Ozpin said. He would have loved to go back and be a kid again, and maybe do things differently. However, life isn't that kind and sometimes you have no choice but to grow up. Embrace the suck.
"Still, it's a good idea to remind them that..." He stopped mid-sentence when he glanced over to RWBY and JNPR. "Okay, I guess I said take your fucking time, right?!" Alex shouted, causing the teens the jump in surprise.
"This stuff isn't coming out." Ruby whined while trying to scrub away something sticky off the floor.
"Well you better figure it out." Alex replied, showing no sympathy.
"It's going to take us all day to clean this place up." Yang moaned.
"You have until noon."
"But what if we don't finish in time?" Jaune asked.
"I wouldn't be thinking like that if I were you. But if you must know, then we're going to have some 'fun' and play a few 'games'." Jaune did not like the way he used the words "fun" and "games".
"Games? I like games!" Nora replied with glee.
"Nora, I don't think you and Sgt. Volkov are on the same page when it comes to fun and games." Ren explained to the excitable girl.
"Listen to your partner Valkyrie, you do not want to play the games I have in mind." Alex gave Nora a very unsettling grin as he maintained eye contact with her. She had a blank expression on her face as she nodded and went back to sweeping up broken plates. No arguments, no random bursts of energy, no random off tangent remarks. Nothing. Just a very docile and submissive Nora. No one thought it was possible, but Alex did it: he got Nora Valkyrie to stand down. The look of surprise on everyone's faces spoke for themselves.
"Well we can't be here all-day cleaning, we do have classes to go to." Weiss commented, trying for a last-ditch effort to skate out of cleaning up the mess they caused.
"I can always excuse you from your other classes for 'additional training' and let your other teachers assign make up work that you can complete on your own time." Alex looked over his shoulder to see both Glynda and Ozpin give an affirmative nod. He wasn't sure if he could actual do that, but it turns out he can. Good to know. "Now, does anyone else have something say? Nikos, Belladonna?" Both girls shook their heads. "Alright then, get to it." The eight teens went back to cleaning up the mess while Alex turned back to continue the conversation with the two professors.
"Anyway, you were saying?" Glynda asked, picking up from where they left off.
"Right. I was saying it's a good idea to remind them that when you play stupid games, you win stupid prizes." Alex replied in a more casual tone.
"You know Alex, if you ever get tired of being a combat instructor, we could maybe find you a position in the counseling department as an official disciplinary officer." Ozpin said. He, like Glynda developed a respect for the Russians as well. Another reasoned he liked having them around was that he enjoyed having someone around who had a different way of thinking. It was a nice change of pace from say, Ironwood who normally challenged Ozpin's choices. Alex, in contrast, looked at a problem from a different angle that normally gets overlooked and helps come up with the best possible solution. In fact, he even invited Alex to join in on staff meetings, effectively making him part of the senior staff alongside Port, Oobleck, Peach and Glynda respectfully. Alex might be young, but he has seen and experienced more in a short time, than most people have in a lifetime.
"Thanks, but I'll stick with my current position." Alex replied.
"Offer is on the table. Now on to business, are you and the other's ready for tomorrow?" Ozpin asked, switching conversation topics.
"Yes, we're ready to work security for the arrival of the transfer students." Alex replied. Ever since Atlas flight 117 went down in what has been ruled as a terrorist attack, there has been a wave of panic and fear spreading throughout all of Remnant. Obviously, this led to a spike in Grimm activity that the Kingdoms anticipated would follow such a tragic event. The Grimm were easily dealt with, but what the Kingdoms weren't ready for was the public outcry concerning safety against internal threats. The downed airship was the final straw for the people, and now they demand action. Long story short, the Kingdoms have stepped up security measures to hopefully prevent another attack. Of course, they still haven't made any notion to actively hunt down and engage known terrorists or the cells they operate from. But at least it's a start.
Beacon academy was no exception. In certain scenarios, the council can override Ozpin's authority when it comes to public safety and this is one of those instances. In anticipation for the arrival of the large group of transfer students for the Vytal festival, a contingent of police and security units were being sent to Beacon to "greet" the new arrivals. Their orders were to take count and create a log of all who enter the Kingdom, on top of verifying their identities via their student ID's and official passports from their respective Kingdoms. In addition, the three schools also provided an official registry of the students they were sending to Vale, as per request of the Vale council. With this information, they'll know exactly who's entering the Kingdom and be able to keep track. The only exception was the Atlesian military personnel, as the council didn't have any jurisdiction over General Ironwood.
"I can't thank you enough helping out with tomorrow. I'll be sure to allot you four some extra vacation time." Ozpin was not happy with the idea of treating students like potential threats, especially during a festival that commemorates peace and unity. It almost contradicts why the Vytal festival is celebrated. But even he understood why these precautions were being done. After all, he himself said the world is changing. Ozpin reluctantly agreed to the council's wishes, with the exception that his staff would oversee the operation and that the security forces must abide by their orders and disperse once everything is taken care of. Luckily, the council agreed. With that taken care of, Ozpin knew exactly who he wanted to be running the show when the students arrive.
"Thank you. But seriously, it's no trouble considering we've done stuff like this before." Alex replied.
"And that's the reason why you four will be supervising tomorrow." Ozpin responded.
"Don't forget, General Ironwood will be arriving tomorrow as well. He says he looks forward to meeting you all." Glynda added. Alex couldn't care either way.
"Not sure what he's expecting from us. We're literally going tell him the same stuff we told you guys and show him the helmet camera footage. If he's trying to get new information from us, he might be slightly disappointed." Alex replied.
"Why is that?" Ozpin asked.
"We may be special forces with more training and different missions compared to regular soldiers, but at the end of the day, we're still grunts at the bottom of the food chain. All the stuff we told you and saw on the videos, was us following orders from people way above us. We have no clue how they determine what takes precedence in combat missions. And even then, we go in based on intelligence that gets recovered from agencies that are again, way above our paygrade. They basically point, and we go in and complete the mission. How it gets accomplished is the only thing we have control over." Alex explained.
"I wouldn't worry too much about it. We've already told him a little bit about you four and your role here. He's well aware of the situation and has enough sense to refrain from probing or phishing. I think he just wants to talk." Glynda commented. Alex wasn't convinced however.
"The last time someone just wanted to talk, I got kicked out of my house by my own parents and pretty much got disowned. Although in hindsight, I had it coming." Alex replied. As fucked up as it is, Alex was glad that it happened. If it wasn't for that moment, he wouldn't have turned his life around for the better and be where he is now… even if it's another universe.
"James may be blunt, stubborn and arrogant at times, but his heart is in the right place and he's always shown his loyalty to the people of Remnant. He, alongside Glynda and myself go way back, and we trust him to make the right decisions." Ozpin reassured him.
"Well if you guys trust him, then that's good enough for me." Alex replied. Honestly, he wasn't worried about anything. With all the stuff that happened to them, all they can do is grab a drink and deal with whatever life throws at them.
"You know, that's another thing I like about you guys. That 'go with the flow' attitude you all have. I'm not sure how to phrase this but it just makes things easier." Glynda remarked while Ozpin nodded in agreement. Alex just shrugged.
"It's gotten us this far in life, so why change it now? Anyway, I'll take care of things down here and let you two get on your way." Ozpin and Glynda nodded and started to make their way to the exit, knowing Alex can handle things.
"Remember, the police forces will be here tomorrow at five in the morning to set up before the transfers arrive." Ozpin said.
"We'll be there." Alex replied. Making sure those two were out of ear shot, he cursed out loud about waking up early tomorrow. He looked up to see RWBY and JNPR giving him confused looks. "That doesn't look like cleaning!" He shouted as the teens scrambled back to the task at hand.
Another lesson for future Huntsman to learn: On some occasions, it's better to mind your own fucking business.
Beacon Docks: The next day 0945
If there was a choice of words to describe the current state of the docks, they would be "fucking bullshit."
Approximately 40 officers from the Vale metropolitan police department arrived early in the morning to meet the Russians and set up for the day. Three lanes were set up with signs that separated the students by their respective schools followed by additional security measures that were in place. As soon as students set foot on the docks, they immediately had to go to their school's lane and present both a school ID and official passport to the officer, where they will scan them into a system to validate their authenticity in addition to verifying with the registries the schools sent over. That was step one.
Step two is they have their luggage sent through an x-ray and an additional search by an officer. From here, they also get their weapons checked in and logged in the system alongside any Dust and additional equipment they may carry. While that's happening, the students themselves go through a metal detector after completely emptying their pockets. After that, they get pulled to the side for a full pat-down and one more search. For obvious reasons, both male and female officers will be present.
From there, they go on to the last step, which can be thought of as an informal interview. Both Alex and Ozpin however, agreed it seemed more akin to an interrogation. The students are separated from their teammates and talk one on one with an officer out of earshot from the other's. Using the information gathered from the scanned ID's, the "interviewer" simply goes through and makes sure they are who they say they are. They verify their names, date of birth, where they come from, team name, physical description, Semblance, weapons they use and everything else in between. Once the information is gathered, they take their biometrics and enter it into the system, alongside their personal data. Besides, after jumping through all those hoops, why not get their fingerprints and retinas scanned in while they're at it? Finally, after all of that, they get issued a temporary Vale ID and visa for the duration of the festival, and can finally go on about their business into Beacon where the staff will help them find their rooms and get settled in.
Now, Alex and the gang we're accustomed to going through security checks, considering they've had to in the past, but even they felt the extent that was going into this operation was absurd. For fucks sake, it's a school, not a Goddamn top-secret missile base or something. Not only did they have to go through these ridiculous procedures the Vale council came up with, but the whole academy had to be locked down as well. No one leaves, no one gets in unless it's through the entry control point at the docks. Even with the Russian in charge, they still had to follow the instructions of the council unless Beacon wanted to face legal repercussions, leaving them no choice but to comply.
But with how annoying it is here at Beacon, everyone knew it was going to be worse when the festival gets into full swing. When vendors and festival goers enter Vale, they're going to be met with the same thing the students are going through. The police department already said they're going to be out in full force and are even calling in licensed Huntsmen to act as auxiliary police with possible hints at using fourth year students as well. This knee-jerk reaction is not limited to Vale, but the other Kingdoms as well. And yet, some people are already asking, is it worth it? Is it worth having personal details collected and being under constant watch, just to feel safe? Only time can tell.
Alex sighed inwardly at everything going on around him. Everything was moving far too slow for his liking. It was already bad enough waking up stupid early, but sadly he knew their day was far from over. The students arrived at 9, and yet they weren't even a quarter of the way through processing them all. Alex was standing over by the interrogation section where he can have a decent view of everything going on. He looked over and saw Ivan supervising the ID checks, while Nick was over by the luggage search station, both looking incredibly bored. Unlike the others, Greg was out of sight, hidden up high on a vantage point providing over watch. From his position, he has a perfect view of everything going on and will be the first to react if shit goes down… not that anything should go down.
Greg was in his basic uniform while wearing his balaclava and lying in a prone position in the shadows to stay hidden. He used the scope on his rifle to continuously scan the area, keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. Alongside his rifle, he also had his pistol, some snacks, water, and a radio to call the other guys if he sees something. The other three were also in their basic uniform, wearing their assault vests and armed with only their pistols, but now wore two new articles of clothing that were both iconic and more presentable and welcoming rather than full combat gear: The Telnyashka undershirt and the sky-blue beret. It wasn't hard finding a company that does custom orders for the shirts and berets, but finding someone to make the badges that go on the beret, that was the hard part. Lucky for them, Coco has a vast network of connections within Vale's fashion industry, so finding someone to make the badges was no problem. The explanation she got when she asked about the items was that it reminded them of home. Knowing it was a touchy subject, she dropped the conversation on the spot. Like a lot of things said so far, it wasn't a complete lie. In situations like today, wearing the sky-blue beret would help identifying each other in a large crowd easier. Of course, there was some sentimental value, considering they worked hard to earn their place in the VDV and later Spetsnaz GRU, and the sky-blue beret was a good reminder of that dedication. Plus, they kind of miss wearing them, so there's that too.
Alex took a drag of his cigarette as he once again scanned the crowd of students and cops. Smoking wasn't permitted on campus, but he was technically at the docks so jokes on them. Besides, it's not like anyone would confront Alex or any of the Russians about it. Funny how that works. He saw some familiar faces of students that arrived earlier in the week, but still had to go through the motions with the rest of their teams. Over at the interrogation tables were "monkey boy who can't button a shirt" and his friend "blue haired pretty boy" that he saw the other day with what appears to be the other members of their team. He chuckled inwardly at the nicknames "emo pirate" and "token black guy" he gave for the rest of team SSSN. After all, when you're bored, you need to entertain yourself somehow. Then there was that weird girl from Atlas. Alex had no clue what her deal was, but her mannerisms and the way she talked was almost…robotic in a way. He wondered if everyone from Atlas was weird like her, but his thoughts were interrupted by a radio call from Ivan.
"Hey Alex, we have a situation at the ID check in." Ivan called from his end.
"I'm on my way." Alex replied. He threw his cigarette into a half-filled water bottle and started to make his way to the front end of the docks. Personally, he was glad something was happening to alleviate the boredom. As he got closer, he took notice of Ivan and two officers crowding around three students from what looks like Haven academy and having a heated argument with each other. Alex knew he better take care of this before things get stupid.
"I got your six." Greg radioed to Alex. As soon as he saw Alex heading towards Ivan, he knew he better keep an eye on the area.
"Alright that's enough, I'll take it from here. You two can go back to work." Alex ordered to the officers who simply nodded at him. "Now what seems to be the problem?" He did a quick look over of the Haven students to see what he was dealing with and was already getting bad vibes from them. The gray-haired guy looked like a fucking tool, while the dark skinned, green haired girl looked like a total bitch who pretends to be nice, but he wasn't interested in them. It was the third girl, who is presumably the leader, that had his attention. Although she was anything but a "girl" with those long legs and nice curves on a toned figure that complemented an equally beautiful face. She's the living embodiment of the saying "if looks can kill." But as sexy as she is, it's that confident and focused attitude that seemed to radiate off her, that drew Alex's attention. And it was that same attitude she projected that told Alex he should watch out for her.
"The systems not registering their ID's or passports, on top of the fact that they're not even on the list from Haven academy." Ivan explained to Alex.
"Well that's going to be a problem." He said to the three, stating the obvious with a mocking tone. While the other two just rolled their eyes, looking unimpressed, the leader was unusually calm, with a deceptively sweet smile on her face.
"If I may, this is just a misunderstanding with the paperwork." Like her face, the way she spoke was frighteningly beautiful. A dangerous combination.
"Care to explain?" Alex asked, with a cocked eyebrow.
"It's clear that Headmaster Lionheart sent in the wrong registry that had us listed. He's so forgetful sometimes." Cinder said with the utmost confidence.
"That's a pretty convenient explanation. Even if it is true, that doesn't explain why we can't scan your ID's in." Alex pointed out. Red flags were popping up all over with these three.
"Hey, maybe your scanner is jacked up." Mercury said with a smug grin.
"Sure, it's been working fine so far, so it only makes sense for it to break down right as your team arrives. Speaking of which, there's only three of you. Where's your fourth member?" Alex was growing more and more suspicious about these guys. It's like they were trying to make it obvious that they're trouble.
"She had a family emergency to take care of, so she'll be arriving later." Emerald answered with fakest smile Alex had ever seen.
"You know, it seems like you guys are having a bad day. I mean, your ID's won't scan, you're not on Haven's registry and your fourth member has a family emergency to take care of." Alex made his sarcastic skepticism obvious. And yet the three of them looked unfazed.
"I know, it's just awful." Mercury replied.
*sniff*. "Smell that Ivan?" Alex asked Ivan, who was standing by observing the situation.
"What is it?" He replied, knowing the gag.
"Smells like bullshit." Alex answered will maintaining direct eye contact with Cinder.
"Ah, that's what that is." Ivan answered in a playful tone. Meanwhile, Emerald and Mercury showed subtle signs of tensing up, while Cinder remained calm as ever.
"Look, I don't know what you three are doing, but I know what you're not going to do and that's entering Beacon." Alex's tone was firm and forceful while still maintaining contact with Cinder's amber eyes.
"Oh, come now, all we need to do is contact Headmaster Lionheart and we'll be able to straighten this all out" Cinder's spoke with that sultry tone that's helped her out in the past in addition to a little lick of her lips for good measure.
"Yeah, not happening. If you three would kindly follow me…" Alex was interrupted by Mercury moving in right in Alex's face and pointing an accusing finger into his chest.
"Listen man, we didn't fly all the way from Mistral just to be turned away by the likes of you!" Mercury didn't realize his mistake of getting too close to Alex and laying a hand him. Alex looked down at Mercury's finger on his chest, then back up to its owner, before making his move. In a split second, Mercury found himself turned around and in a wrist lock, non-compliant hold. Constant practice led to Alex being able to execute the move flawlessly as if it was an instinct. Mercury, being caught off guard, could only grunt as Alex's hold was firm and causing major pain in to his wrist. Both Cinder and Emerald were also caught off guard by how fast Alex got him in the hold. Cinder was even slightly impressed by his quick reflexes. Ivan, watching what just happened, instinctively moved his hand towards his pistol, while Greg already had his sights on the area and ready to radio in help and intervene if necessary. Nick saw what happened from his position and immediately went over to investigate while the police officers and other students couldn't help gawking at the scene.
"That's enough Alex." Ozpin said from behind and Alex simply nodded as he let Mercury go.
"I'd be careful where you point that thing." Alex said to Mercury while he massaged his wrist.
"Where'd you come from? Also, what brings you here?" Nick asked Ozpin.
"I was already out on a walk when I received a message from Professor Lionheart of Haven. He informed me that he had a team that didn't get added to the initial registry and just sent over the edited copy." Ozpin presented the edited copy from his scroll to Alex who looked over it thoroughly.
"Yup, that's them." Alex said, looking up at the trio.
"He also mentioned that they're a late start team that got issued ID's with an old encryption that the new system won't recognize and apologized for his blunder." Ozpin continued.
"And he probably also mentioned that this 'Neopolitan' girl will be arriving late due to a family emergency?" Alex asked while reading the information about her team.
"Right on the money." Ozpin replied while putting his scroll away. The bullshit was strong in the air, but Alex had to do what Ozpin says.
"Well, looks like I owe you three an apology for the inconvenience." Alex said to Cinder and her associates. No way in hell was he being sincere nor was he convinced that this was all one hell of a coincidence.
"No worries, sorry for getting in your face like that. The jet lag is no excuse for me to lash out. Boy did I learn my lesson." Mercury said, referring to his wrist. He may have sounded apologetic, but Alex knew better.
"Think nothing of it. You were just doing your jobs and we understand. Can't be too careful these days." Cinder replied with that calm, alluring tone and smile that can make any guy lose focus. Too bad Alex wasn't buying it.
"If your wrist is still sore, try putting ice on it." Alex said to Mercury. "Other than that, welcome to Beacon and hope this… occurrence doesn't ruin your experience for the festival." Alex said with his best fake smile.
"Thank you. Maybe we'll see each other again… Alex."
"I'm sure we will… Cinder." Alex glared hard into her amber eyes, while she returned the gesture into his brown eyes. Both refused to break contact, as if they were fighting for dominance and the first to break would declare submission to the other.
"Well no point in delaying Ms. Fall's team any longer." Ozpin said, unofficially declaring a draw in the intense staring contest between Alex and Cinder.
"Of course. If you three would so kind to follow Nick, he'll get your bags checked in and you can continue on."
"Thank you very much." Alex watched as Nick led Cinder's team over to his station and Ivan returning to his duties, leaving him alone with Ozpin.
"Sir, you can't possibly believe any of that crap?" He asked.
"No, I don't. I know Leonardo personally and even he's not that forgetful when it comes to his students." Ozpin replied.
"Then may I ask why we let those three in because I'm pretty sure that they're not just punks trying to get access to the free food and stuff."
"Life is one big game Alex. In chess, you set your pieces up on the board in hopes of building a solid strategy to defeat your opponent. But while you get your pieces into play, it's also important not to show your hand too early, lest the enemy revises their strategy and ruins any chance of victory. With that in mind, sometimes you have to give up a few pieces and give your opponent some leeway in order to win. Then when they least expect it, you have them right where you want them and finally…checkmate." Alex analyzed his words and was able to figure out what Ozpin was planning.
"I get what you're trying at sir and I don't exactly agree with the strategy, but we'll go with it…for now." Alex replied.
"In any case, if chess falls through, then there's always games that require more direct action, such as billiards."
"We'll be ready when shit goes down sir."
"Wonderful. I'll let you get back to work then." Alex waited for Ozpin to leave the area before lighting another cigarette.
"Greg, you got an eye on those three?" Alex said into his radio.
"Yeah. I haven't taken my eyes of them since they got here." He replied.
"What do you think?"
"I think they're dangerous and we need to keep an eye on them."
"Agreed. Anything else?"
"That Cinder chick… I would do nasty things to her."
"Definietly." Alex said as he continued smoking.
With Cinder
"Well done you two. A minor snag but we managed to pull through." Cinder said to her cohorts.
"At least you didn't almost get your wrist broken in half. Damn that hurt like a bitch." Mercury complained as he pressed the ice pack into his wrist.
"I don't want to hear any shit from you Mercury!" Emerald shouted. She was short of breath, sweating and was rubbing her temples to alleviate a wicked headache. Common symptoms for when she over-exerts her Semblance.
"What are you so bitchy about? You can't be that spent already?" Mercury teased.
"Every one of those damn checkpoints had at least two guys present. You try keeping track of multiple minds in short random bursts. Then again, you can barely keep track of your own mind." She managed to sneak in jab at her forced work acquaintance.
"Don't think I won't fight someone in a weakened state." He shot back at her.
"Now Mercury, not saying you didn't do your part, but dear Emerald here is the only reason we got through security. Let the poor girl rest." Cinder calmly said, effectively deescalating the growing tension.
"Alright. Still, I can't believe that scroll plan worked." Mercury commented.
"We got lucky." Emerald replied.
In reality, it was pure luck that they got through security. The bullshit lies they used on Ozpin and Alex did have some hints of truth in it. Lionheart was supposed to take care of the loose ends in the paperwork, to allow Cinder unhindered access to get past the increased security. What she didn't expect was Lionheart somehow fucking it up along the way. Whether he had a change of heart or he really was that dumb, Cinder knew she better let her superiors know of Lionheart's supposed treachery or incompetence. It didn't matter to her. He's become a liability and should be dealt with accordingly. Their luck continued when Cinder noticed Ozpin walking around the area and knew she wouldn't get another opportunity. Using pre-rehearsed hand signals, she subtly ordered Mercury to cause a distraction, which he executed perfectly. Then while everyone was distracted, she discreetly hit a button on her scroll that dialed to Ozpin's scroll, thanks to a special function provided by her superiors. Finally, Emerald stepped up and carried the three all the way to the end despite having multiple sets of eyes on them the whole time.
"Yeah. That guy with the blue beret almost got us. Who are those guys anyway? They didn't look like cops." Mercury asked.
"I don't know, but they're definitely going to be a problem. Every time we moved on to another station, at least one of them was nearby watching us." Emerald replied, taking a sip of water to help her headache.
"I wouldn't worry too much about them. Focus on the mission and avoid drawing further attention to ourselves." Cinder said, calming the two down. However, in the back of her mind, she had a very, very microscopic hint of worry. No doubt those guys are going to be watching them like hawks. The best they can do, short of killing them, is to simply avoid them. Still, the mission was going to be difficult, now that someone is keeping an eye on them.
Those blue berets had her attention, but there was one in particular that stood out among them. The one who most of her worry was centered around. She couldn't place her finger on it, but there was something about him that she couldn't help but admire. Maybe it's that aura of authority that surrounds him, maybe it's his shrewd observation skill or maybe it's the way he presents himself with confident body language. Whatever it was, Alex was on Cinder's radar.
"You've got my attention… Alex, was it? Shame you're on Ozpin's side, we could use someone like you. Don't worry, I'll be gentle as I put you in your place." Cinder couldn't help but grin at the innuendo, seeing as even she'll admit that Alex was easy on the eyes.
With the unidentified group of people
"Report from Cinder: she and her lackey's have successfully infiltrated Beacon and are standing by to continue the operation."
"Very good, message her that the virus is almost ready and will be sent to her in a few days."
"Of course."
"Was there anything else in her report?"
"Yes, it appears Lionheart almost botched the operation due to either treachery or incompetence. She recommends immediate disposal."
"Contact our operatives in Mistral and have them deploy any known assets to take care of the problem."
"It will be done."
Ozpin's office, later that evening
"Gentlemen, it's pleasure to finally meet you. I've been hearing a lot of things about you all." Ironwood said, while shaking their hands in greeting.
"Likewise, General." Alex replied. When it came to high ranking officers, there's no reason to be afraid of them. They put their pants on just like you do every morning. Yeah, they out rank you and have more authority over you on top of making more money, but they're still regular people. Ironwood was no different.
"You know, if someone told me that four men from another world's military died in their world and ended up on another, I'd have them sent to get their heads checked out." Ironwood commented while taking a seat.
"And yet here we are." Nick replied as he and the others took a seat.
"I suppose so." He said with a chuckle.
"So, what can we do you for you General?" Ivan innocently asked.
"I just wanted to have a chat with you four. Maybe you can answer some questions I have?"
"Depends what they are. We may not be from Remnant and have no way to get back to Earth, but we're still loyal to our homeland." Nick replied.
"Plus, we have your people to thank for helping resupply us, despite discovering that we've unintentionally begun the process of making Aura users obsolete." Greg added.
"We're not trying to be disrespectful General, but surely you can understand why we're a little apprehensive. I mean besides the weapons thing, there's also the fact that both of us represent different armies. On Earth, this could be considered treason." Alex reasoned to the general, who had a look of understanding on his face.
"There's no need to explain yourselves, I completely agree. If I was in your boots, I'd feel the same way."
"Glad to hear. Also, I should probably say this now, but if you're curious about trying to cross training your military or something along those lines, then I'm afraid we can't help you directly." Alex explained.
"I understand." Iron said with slight disappointment.
"Like we told Headmaster Ozpin, at the end of the day, we're grunts who go where people way above our paygrade decide we should go. So, we're not exactly versed on military intelligence operations on a global scale." Alex said. Ironwood accepted his answer and decided to ask another question.
"Ozpin mentioned that the VDV was the branch you were a part of and it was comprised of paratroopers. But what is 'Spetsnaz'?"
"It's an umbrella term used for all special forces units in Russia, as well as some of our neighboring countries. We were technically part of Spetsnaz GRU, the military intelligence of the armed forces. Simply put, we're better than the average soldier." Alex explained.
"That's another reason I wanted to speak to you four. I know you're not experts in the military intelligence scene, but it doesn't matter because you're more suited for field work correct?" The Russians nodded. "When Ozpin mentioned that your primary purpose is counter terrorism and counterinsurgency, I wanted to see for myself how it's done."
"Well to be fair, we also do special reconnaissance and operations, in addition to direct action." Greg pointed out.
"The point is that you four have specialized training that is practically non-existent here on Remnant."
"Before you continue General, I'm sorry but we're also not interested in going to Atlas and training the army there. No offense, but we're quite comfortable here in Beacon and Headmaster Ozpin has been fair to us, so we kind of owe him." Alex interjected, but Ironwood only smiled.
"That's not exactly what I had in mind."
"What exactly do you have in mind?" Ivan asked.
"I want a demonstration. A friendly war game between you four and my forces." Ironwood simply stated. The four looked among themselves, as if they were deciding on what to do. It didn't take long for them to come to a decision.
"All right General, that can be arranged." Alex said, answering for the squad.
"Good to hear, it'll be a good test for my troops to see how'd they fare in a fight against opponents with similar tactics."
"We'll talk details later, but I assume you have more questions you want answered?" Greg asked.
"If you don't mind." Ironwood replied.
"We'll answer what we can." Alex said.
A/N: Again if you want to discuss my logic and reasoning send a PM... or whatever.
In case anyone was wondering, my characters may seem eccentric and what not, but they're actually loosely based on people I worked with when I was in the military. You meet a lot of...interesting people if you enlist and I assume it's the same throughout the world.
Also, let me know if I'm butchering any facts or details on anything. I research what I can to make things as accurate as possible. I think I've done enough searches on Russia to be put on some FBI watch list.
Anyway, I'm glad people enjoy the story despite the lack of shipping and romance and other elements that seem to be in a majority of the stories on this site.
You guys are awesome!
Hawk out