Man this took awhile. School, writers block, procrastination and sheer laziness are to blame. Anyway here's the final part of this arc.
Chapter 13: Atlas vs Spetsnaz, Part III
The amphitheater
"No offense Weiss, but your sister looks like she just crawled out of a dumpster." Coco teased. However, it fell on deaf ears as Weiss looked upon the screen with a very concerned face. Growing up, she revered Winter in the highest esteem, hoping to be like her one day. She believed that Winter was the closest someone can be to perfection, while having a childlike fantasy that Winter was some sort of superhero who had everything under control and nothing bad can happen to her. That fantasy subsided over time as Weiss grew and became more aware of the realities of life but seeing her sister in such a compromising position on screen was almost too much for her to handle.
"Winter…" Weiss whispered to herself.
"You know she's not in actual danger, right?" Ren said matter of factly, only to earn a very dirty look from Weiss. However, Ren remained unfazed. "Just saying."
"Don't worry Weiss, I'm sure your sister is going to be okay. I don't think Alex, or the others intend to hurt her." Ruby tried to reassure her partner, but Weiss was having a hard believing that. She recalled the first day when she got the shit beat out of her and a chair smashed across her back. It ended with her getting a nasty bruise on her spine that took over a week to heal, on top of getting an x-ray and being prescribed pain medication. And that was during a class demonstration. Who knows what they'll do to Winter during a real training exercise. She took a deep breath to calm herself, and continued to watch the screen, knowing that Winter can take care of herself.
Ozpin and the teachers
"Causing a distraction to draw the Atlesians away and then striking from multiple angles? A brilliant tactical move! Why, I couldn't have planned it better myself." Port happily commented. The jovial man enjoyed discussing fighting tactics and strategies with the Russians and already found ways to apply them to hunting Grimm. In returned, he shared his tales of bravado and heroism, which the Russians found interesting…for the first forty-five seconds. From that point on it just became annoying, but they'll humor the old man from time to time.
"Fascinating, the pixilation and multi-scale colors of their camouflage causes a disruption of one's vision, essentially breaking up their outline and making them much harder to see over a distance. The colors being used also mean it can be used in various environments. Ingenious!" Oobleck exclaimed with much enthusiasm. Just like Ironwood, Oobleck also had a lot of questions for the Russians though his were about every little detail about Russia and Earth in general. They did their best in answering what they could but there was a lot of stuff they couldn't answer, mostly due to them not knowing the answers. Greg kindly pointed out that while they were educated, they weren't walking encyclopedias. Oobleck was understanding and hoped to have more conversations later on, especially when it came to the Russian language.
Most of the time, Alex and the guys spoke English, or the common language as it's simply called on Remnant, but when they're alone they'll sometimes speak Russian to each other. On occasion they have spoken a Russian word or two when they're talking to other people. It always ends up with a confused glance and a smooth recovery claiming that it was only slang. Oobleck is hoping that he can pick up on the language, but Russian isn't easy to learn, and the guys aren't very good language teachers, but they'll try to teach him some basics.
"In addition to the design, their clothing is made from a light yet durable material that is flame retardant and covered in a certain dye that allows it to absorb infrared radiation." Peach commented to Oobleck. Like the good doctor, she was also excited about the prospect of new information available, but it was more aimed towards the non-dust-based equipment.
Dr. Daisy Rosalina Peach is a slim, averaged height, middle aged woman about Glynda's age. She has fair skin with straight, neck length peach colored hair and eyes of the same color to complement a very gentle face. Her daily outfit consists of a white lab coat that she wears over a simple orange dress with high heels and secretary glasses, giving her the "sexy scientist" look. But that beauty is only matched by her intellect if the doctorates in physics, chemistry and Dust engineering she possesses have anything to say. When she got her hands on the Russian weapons, equipment and ammunition, it was like a birthday present for her. The new materials, mechanics and chemical compositions for her to study, fueled her sense of wonder and discovery to new levels not seen since she was a child.
Ozpin took a sip of his coffee while listening to the other three senior professors cheer on Alex and his friends. When the Russians first arrived, he debated whether he should inform some of the staff about their…unique situation. He and Alex were both aware that people will start asking questions as time went on and the best option was to gradually ease their way into Remnant society. So, he settled on informing Port, Oobleck and Peach of this confidential information who all agreed to keep quiet about it.
He then panned over to Ironwood, who seemed very calm watching the Russians make short work of his troops. He had a very neutral expression, showing no emotion at all. Ozpin was sure James would either be impressed or angry or…something. But he was just sitting up straight, hands on his lap, keeping his eyes on the screens in front of him while appearing to be in deep thought. Whatever the General is thinking or feeling, he's doing a good job of hiding it. Ozpin took another sip and winced at the bitter flavor of his coffee.
"Vale's finest coffee…how disappointing." He said while adding more cream and sugar to help with the taste.
Winter
As Winter and the captain drove in the direction the Russians were heading, they passed by a couple of downed vehicles and more "dead" soldiers, indicating they were on the right track. Neither of them had ever participated in a training evolution that resulted in this much chaos and destruction. She knew that even if she were to turn things around and pull off a victory, the fact that they took such severe casualties against four men would be a pyrrhic victory.
Aside from the thousands of Liens worth of damages to their equipment, the damage to Atlas's reputation was already done for. Everyone back at Beacon is watching their forces get annihilated and it won't be long before word gets out about how four men took on the Atlesian army and won. The confidence people have in Atlas's military would be shaken and filled with uncertainty for starters, but the worst part of it was that their enemies would eventually hear of this and may become bolder in their attacks in the future. Winter knew for certain that after today, things need to change.
"Captain take us to the top of that ridge, we should be able to get a fix on their location from there." She ordered, pointing to the nearby ridge. Winter was feeling slightly better but not by much. She took in a lot of gas and it would take at least a day for her to fully recover. The captain stopped the jeep at the edge of the ridge to give them a better view of the area. From what they could see, this section of the operational area was right at the eastern boundary wall and was thick with trees that remained untouched, separated only by the roads that ran through it. The trees were thick enough to prevent any vehicle from making their way through them, forcing them to stay on the roads. She panned over to see various jeeps, trucks and a couple of IFV's from different directions all making their way over to the area, but the narrow roads and impassable terrain were causing a bottleneck effect that forced the Atlesian vehicles to slow down and get into a single file column.
"If I had to guess, I think they're heading for that clearing over there." The captain said while pointing off in the distance. Winter looked to where he was pointing and saw a small clearing right before you reach the wall. It was within one of the pockets of trees and large enough for a bullhead to get in and out of for a quick escape. If their fast, they may be able to stop them from escaping.
"Can you get us over there?" She asked. The captain turned and nodded at her.
"Buckle up, it's going to be a little rough." He replied.
The Russians
"God damn, this thing handles like a hard-boiled turd!" Nick shouted while trying to drive through the uneven terrain and roads that were starting to narrow. Thanks to the shape of the land, he had to be careful with his speed and how he handled turns or else he'll flip the jeep. Nick's already a good driver so it's not like he doesn't know what he's doing, but he's not stupid enough to jeopardize the mission or hurt his friends by being reckless. Well,normally.
"Just focus on the road!" Alex shouted back over the sound of Ivan's machine gun. While Glynda sat in the passenger seat gripping the side handles to keep from being thrown out, Alex, Greg and Ivan were in the back taking care of the pursuing Atlesians. The rough ride made it hard for them to aim properly, but it also kept the Atlesians from doing the same. There were currently three vehicles on their tail; two jeeps and a passenger truck. They were in a staggered formation and closing in fast while soldiers took shots at the Russian vehicle. Alex and the others returned fire when it was in their favor, but they were starting to run dry and had to conserve what ammo they had left. For what the Atlesians lacked in experience and skill, they made up for with their overwhelming numbers.
"Cover the sides!" Greg shouted. The two jeeps picked up their speed and were now on both sides of the Russian vehicle with the intention to surround and force them off the road before it became too narrow. They tried shooting at them but unlike their jeep, these ones weren't open top and were fully armored including the windows. The jeep on their left sideswiped them as it made its way in front of them, narrowly avoiding a tree and positioning itself to prevent the Russians from trying to pass or speed up while the other one was in a fierce ramming contest with Nick. Each time they traded blows, Alex and the others were being thrown around in the back while Glynda gripped even harder on the handrails. They weren't sure if there was religion on Remnant, but if they didn't know better they could've sworn she was praying.
"Hang on guys, I'm going to try something that may or may not work!" Nick knew it was up to him to get everyone out of this mess.
"Just do it!" Glynda shrieked loud enough to cause the Russians to jump a little. Guess she's not a fan of intense vehicle collisions.
Nick put all his weight down onto the accelerator, causing them to rear end the front jeep with enough force to lift it up by its rear wheels and have the rear bumper get caught on the front tow point on the Russian jeep. Basically, Nick was now controlling the front vehicle by pushing it like a reverse tow truck. At the same time, he turned the wheel hard to right, slamming into other jeep and keeping up the pressure to prevent them from retaliating. The second jeep tried its hardest to push back but was having trouble keeping their wheel straight due to the rough terrain of the narrowing road. This struggle kept on for about another 30 seconds until the second jeep ran out of decent road and slammed right into a tree, totaling it. With that jeep taken care of, it was now time to get rid of the other one as well as that truck not too far behind.
By now, the road was at the narrowest point where there was only enough space for one vehicle going either way. The shoulders of the road were nonexistent with barley enough space to pull over before you either fell into a ditch, ran into large trees or rocks, or end up driving off a small cliff. In reality, these roads were designed to be hiking trails, but shit happens and now they're being used for vehicle traffic. Looking ahead, Nick saw a sharp turn coming up and knew he should take advantage of the opportunity. While increasing his speed, he quickly jerked the steering wheel to the left and right in rapid succession, causing the front jeep to swerve wildly down the road until the turn came up. As hard as he could, Nick began turning the wheel to the right, releasing the Atlesian jeep from the grip of their tow hook and straight into a ditch with a satisfying crash. Nick couldn't believe that actually worked.
"Holy shit! I can't believe that worked!" Nick exclaimed.
"Good job!" Alex commented. He looked up to see Glynda practically driving her fingernails into the handle bars and taking deep controlled breaths to try and calm her growing anxiety. It was kind of funny seeing her out of her normal character, but he'll appreciate the little things later when a truck full of Atlesians aren't shooting at him like they were right now.
"I can't get a good shot at that truck." Greg said. He managed to take out a couple of guys in the back but he's on his last mag and can't afford any misses.
"That truck has the same armor protection as the jeeps, I can't shoot through the windshield." Ivan commented while wondering why all their vehicles didn't have the same armor configuration. He looked over to see that everyone was out of grenades, rockets and other explosives.
"We're almost at the extraction point. Just a little further, then a very short run through the woods." Alex reassured them.
"Yeah, we've got another problem up ahead." Nick pointed out. Everyone looked ahead to see a side road that connects to the main road they were on coming up. Normally this would mean nothing, but the advancing Atlesian column says otherwise. Dozens of trucks, jeeps and IFV's of different configurations were making their way down that road at a steady pace, unaware that they were about to make contact with the Russians.
"Well that's fucking great." Greg sarcastically remarked. Alex however, quickly thought of plan on the spot. Unlike Nick's plan with the jeeps that would be considered crazy, his was downright stupid. He reached to grab Nick's RPG tube and tossed it to Ivan, getting confused glances from everyone.
"Dude, I'm out of rockets." Nick said.
"I know, just step on it." He replied as Nick started accelerating faster. Fortunately, this part of the road was mostly straight without any sharp turns.
"What do you want me to do with this?" Ivan asked, looking at the empty tube.
"How far do you think you can throw that?" Alex casually asked. Ivan looked at the tube, then the truck behind them, then back to Alex with an understanding grin.
"I understand." He replied. The tube isn't at all heavy to the average guy but to a big strong guy like Ivan, it's like he's holding a carboard tube. He tested the weight of the RPG tube and observed the distance between them and the truck behind them. It wasn't that far behind but also not that close, about less than 80 meters give or take. Ivan held it up like he would a javelin and began to aim, but Alex waved him down.
"Not yet, wait for my go." He ordered. While Ivan maintained a ready position, Alex kept a close watch at the Atlesian column on the other road, gradually getting closer to merging onto the main road. "Just a little closer…oh my God, there's no fucking way this is going to work." Alex thought to himself. The crossroads was now only a few meters away and the shape of a truck began to merge onto the road.
"Alex…" Greg said to him.
"Do it!" He shouted. Already aimed, Ivan hurled the RPG tube with all his might towards the pursuing truck. It flew straight and true in the air like an actual javelin, even having a little spin going. Finally, it found its target: dead center of the trucks windshield. The tube didn't completely break through the glass, but it did get stuck in there while completely shattering the bulletproof glass to the point where you couldn't see anything out of it. The last thing the two soldiers inside the truck were expecting was the launch tube of an RPG to come flying at them through the windshield. They did the only thing they could do for such an unexpected occurrence, which was to duck down out of the way. However, it didn't occur to the driver to hit the brakes or let his foot of the accelerator instead of the opposite, which was to keep driving forward.
At the same time, Nick zipped right past the lead truck of the column as it entered the main road, causing it to slam its brakes and the driver to scream curses at them. That is, until he realized that those jackasses were the people causing so much trouble for them. The driver reached for the radio to alert the rest of the column, but his A-driver was screaming bloody murder for them to get out of the way. He looked up to see what the hell he was yelling about and suddenly paled at the sight of an oncoming, speeding and out of control truck heading right for them.
"Join the military they said. It'll be fun they said." Were the last thoughts of the driver before the truck violently crashed into them.
"Holy shit!" Greg exclaimed. They watched in awe as the truck chasing them T-boned into the other one, sending pieces of glass, metal shards and soldiers flying into the air. It hit the other one with enough force to make it spin out and hit another truck that was following it. Not only did they get rid of the truck following them, but the wreckage of the vehicles was large enough to completely block off the road, preventing the rest of the column from pursuing them.
"Ironwood is definitely going to be pissed at us for breaking so much of his stuff." Nick joked to everyone.
"I just hope those soldiers are alright." Glynda commented. While she doesn't mind knocking Ironwood down a few pegs, she wasn't too fond about others getting hurt in the process.
"I'm sure they'll be fine." Ivan said reassuringly. He was surprised that he managed to hit windshield dead center from the back of a moving vehicle. That has to be some kind of record or personal best at least.
"By the time they either clear those trucks out, find an alternate route or proceed on foot, we'll be long gone." Alex said with confidence. It should be smooth sailing from here.
Winter
"I don't believe it." Winter could only stare dumbfoundedly at the scene before her. The entire column was at a standstill while men were trying to clear away the wreckage and retrieve the guys that were flown out of the trucks. No fatalities thankfully, but some of the guys are going to have to go to a hospital. Furious doesn't properly describe how Winter was feeling. It's bad enough that their host opponents have utterly humiliated herself and the confidence of the Atlesian military, but now they've gone and injured men under her command?! During a training operation?! That did it for her. Mission objective be damned, those bastards will suffer for what they did to her men. "Captain have these men take care of the injured while you take the rest of our forces and circle back around to that clearing we saw. I'm going after them." She coldly ordered to him.
"Are you sure you're up to it ma'am?" The captain replied with mild concern. He knew Specialist Schnee was tough, but that gas hit her pretty hard and she really didn't look to be in any condition to fight.
"Don't worry about me." She coldly replied with her back turned to him. In truth, she felt like shit and her Aura was low, but the anger and adrenaline kept her going. Grabbing a sniper rifle off the ground, she made her way around the wreckage and prepared to summon a glyph to help propel herself forward and catch up to the Russian vehicle. Winter doesn't normally use firearms, but in her current state, it's probably not a bad idea. She placed her foot in the summoned glyph, took a deep breath and launched herself down the road.
It didn't take long for her to cover the distance the Russians traveled down the road. Not wanting to try and take all four of them on in her weakened state, she made her way to the top of a small hill that overlooked the jeep parked alongside the road and its five occupants making their way into the woods that led into the clearing. Using the scope on the sniper rifle, she wanted to at least get a quick glance at her mysterious foes before blowing their damn heads off…or at least the equivalent with the training ammunition and what not. Too bad for her, they were completely covered and concealed with the exception of their eyes and with no notable characteristics other than their height. No matter, she had them right where she wanted them.
"I don't know who you guys are, but your luck has run out." She said to herself while lining up the back of Alex's head with the crosshairs and wrapping her finger around the trigger.
The Russians
Ivan wasn't sure what made him look back over his shoulder, but it was a good thing he did. It doesn't take a genius to know what scope glint looks like.
"Sniper!" He shouted. Just like a reflex, everyone immediately dropped to the ground and went to find cover. Well, except Glynda. She was actually thrown to the ground by Greg. She wanted to be mad, but the loud crack of a sniper round going off explained everything.
"There! On the hill!" Greg yelled, pointing to Winter's position.
"Suppress fire on her and get ready to haul ass!" Alex shouted.
Winter
Winter quickly took cover behind an overturned log and cursed herself for missing the shot. There was a momentary pause in the return fire and she poked her head out from behind the log…only to narrowly avoid getting shot by Greg. A few centimeters to her left and he would've nailed her right in the face. She kept down for another five seconds before popping back up to see if they were still on her, but they were already falling back into the woods. Hoping to get them before they got too deep into the woods, she readied the rifle and fired the remaining rounds at the retreating Russians. Most of the shots missed their marks by mere inches, but one round managed to find its target. She smiled with satisfaction watching the man fall to the ground before loading another magazine.
The Russians
"Ivan!" Alex shouted. He ran back to him with Nick, Greg and Glynda following close behind. Ivan was laying on the ground with his hand over where the bullet hit him. In this case, his upper thigh.
"Wow, that stings." Ivan calmly said. That would be the last thing he'll say before the paralysis dust took effect. Almost immediately, his legs locked up on him, followed shortly with the rest of his body. He was still able to breath alongside seeing and being completely aware of his surroundings, such as the feeling of being dragged to cover like he was right now. It was such an odd sensation just lying there being completely aware of your surroundings and not being able to move or speak.
"Nick, you and Greg are going to have to carry him out of here." Alex said. If it were anyone else, one person would be enough. However, Ivan's a big guy and carrying him any further than about 50 meters would be hell for one person. Though Ivan isn't in any real danger, there's a principal involved that all militaries on Earth followed: A good soldier never leaves a man behind, and it'll be a cold day in hell before any of them do.
"I'll take the front, you grab his legs." Nick said to Greg. Just like in training, they positioned themselves around the casualty, with Nick sliding his hands under Ivan's arms and locking them together across Ivan's chest, while Greg positioned himself between Ivan's legs and placed his hands under his knees.
"All right, one, two, three lift!" Greg shouted. They both grunted loudly as they lifted the large man off the ground.
"He's lucky we like him." Nick joked to lighten the mood. Too bad they couldn't lighten Ivan. Glynda, not wanting to feel useless, offered to carry Nick and Greg's rifles while they carried their teammate, which they gladly accepted.
"Hurry up and make your way to the extraction zone. I'll hold her off to give you guys a head start." Alex said while loading his last magazine. He just needed to buy them a few minutes of time for them to carry Ivan out of there.
"Take these smoke grenades. You can use them to cover your escape." Greg said, motioning towards his grenade pouches.
"Good idea." Alex replied as he added the grenades to his own pouches. With Ivan being carried off, Alex turned his attention back towards the hilltop.
Winter
"Where'd they go?" She was scanning the woods trying to find the remaining Russians but wasn't having any luck. Their damn camouflage pattern blended perfectly in the woods, making it hard for her to keep track of them. Based on the unconventional style of fighting she witnessed, it was safe for her to determine that these guys weren't your average, everyday Huntsmen. That just left one question for Winter: Who and what are these guys? She'll have to find out later because the blurry form of Alex running off to the side drew her attention to him. Two shots made their way towards Alex, but some trees got in the way to stop them. He returned fire, but the distance and his constant movement severely effected his accuracy.
This game of cat and mouse they were playing went on for about another two minutes with Alex zigzagging through the woods and taking pot shots at Winter while she tried to get him before he found cover behind the trees. It finally ended when Alex tossed out the smoke grenades that quickly released their contents, covering the edge of the forest with a thick, white smoke screen. Winter shot through the screen at Alex's last known location, knowing that he was making a break for it. She managed to get three shots out before the familiar clicking noise of an empty magazine started. Without any extra ammo, she tossed the rifle aside and drew her sword before making her way into the woods, knowing she's going to have to get up close and personal despite her weakened state.
Alex
Hoping he bought enough time for Nick and Greg, Alex made his way through the smoke screen and further into the woods to catch up with them. Without the extra "deadweight" of Ivan, he was easily able to clear obstacles and quickly make the dash to the finish line. He jumped over a log and rounded a large tree right before seeing the clearing up ahead. It was less than 100 meters away. Just this last little stretch of forest and he was home free. Almost there…
His instincts suddenly kicked in and told that him something was coming up from behind. Not even going to question them, he ducked and rolled out of the way to narrowly avoiding getting impaled by Winter's sword. He turned around to see Winter struggling to pull her sword out of the tree it was embedded in while glaring daggers at him. Alex quickly recovered and aimed his rifle at her, but she propelled herself out of the way of his shots, leaving her sword in the tree. Despite her Aura being near breaking point, she was still able to dash across the field in quick, small bursts to avoid the gunfire. He tried to get a good shot at Winter, but she kept zipping through the woods, making for a decent shot near impossible. After the futile attempts to shoot her, his rifle finally clicked empty, which sucked because that was his last magazine. But instead of panicking, Alex simply threw his rifle to the ground and hastily drew his pistol, readying himself for Winter's counter attack.
Winter
The sound of an empty weapon was all Winter needed to hear for her to strike back at Alex. Peering around the tree she was using as cover, she watched as Alex did a full 360 scan of the area with his pistol drawn and ready. One thing she'll admit about her opponent is that he's no amateur. From his footwork and movements, to his combat stance and sidearm at the ready, there's no doubt in her mind that he was highly trained.
She had to time it just right if she wanted to get the jump on Alex. Her opportunity arrived when he turned his back towards her. It was only for a moment, but she was already in motion and quickly closed the distance between her and Alex, tackling him to the ground before he even got a chance to react. He tried to retaliate by using his pistol, but she anticipated that by smacking it out of his hand and following up with a punch across his face. With Alex temporarily disoriented, Winter positioned herself behind him and wrapped her legs around his torso and her arms around his neck for the classic choke hold. She wasn't necessarily going to kill him with the hold, but merely to make him pass out from it.
Just as Winter thought Alex was about to give, she felt a sudden pain in her side that was gradually increasing with each passing second. While trying to choke him out, Winter failed to notice Alex reaching for his knife and jamming it into her side. Her Aura prevented him from breaking through the skin, but she definitely felt the pain of the knife as he continuously pressed it into her side. She eventually loosened her grip around his neck and tried to reach for his knife in his hand, but as soon as she did, Alex threw his head back into her jaw, causing her to bite her tongue and break free from Winter's embrace.
Both combatants quickly recovered and were now on their feet, facing each other. Winter raised her fists and got into a fighting stance while spitting out the blood in her mouth. Likewise, Alex also readied himself with his fists raised and holding his knife in a reverse grip. They maintained eye contact while circling each other, trying to size each other up. Finally, Winter made the first move and charged forward. But Alex was ready for her.
Instead of backing up or dodging to the side, he moved in forward to meet her head on. Winter sped towards Alex with her hand balled in a fist while keeping her other hand ready to intercept any knife strikes. Her intention was to make it look like she was going to strike his upper body but at the last second, go in for a lower body strike and a take down. However, Alex also had the same general idea, only he was a second faster in executing the attack. He dropped low and while using his right leg for balance, he kicked forward with his left, striking directly at Winter's kneecap. She bucked back from the strike and Alex immediately shot up to send a barrage of punches to her chest and midsection before finishing with a strike from his knife handle into her nose. He then grabbed hold of her hair with both hands and yanked her head down while raising his knee up so the two could get acquainted. Of course, he wasn't done yet.
As Winter recovered from the knee strike to her face, she felt herself get turned around with her arm behind her back and in a wrist lock, while Alex's other arm was wrapped around her neck. He then used the leverage he had on her to move her body forward and straight into a tree. As if getting thrown face first into a tree wasn't bad enough, Alex removed his arm from her neck and used his free hand to grab the back of her head and slam her face into the hard tree multiple times. Each time her face made contact with the tree, fuzzy spots and stars started to appear in her vision. Alex eventually stopped when he felt her body start to go limp. He released his grip and her body crumpled to the ground giving him a nice view of her bruised and slightly bloody, yet still beautiful face. Satisfied that she wasn't going to get up, he put his knife back in the sheath and went to go retrieve his pistol and rifle that were on the ground.
Her head was hurting, her body was sore, and she could taste blood, but Winter still had a little fight left in her. While Alex searched for his weapons, she used the tree to pull herself up and on her feet. Said tree just happened to be the one that her sword was still stuck in. Pushing the button on the handle, the small dagger shot out and landed in her hand, ready for use. Winter knew that in her current state, she wouldn't last another hand to hand fight against Alex so instead, she positioned the dagger in her hand for throwing. Like her sword, the dagger was custom made with the perfect weight and balance for her to use in many situations, including one's where she may need a throwing projectile.
Alex still had his back to her. Winter only had one shot, so she took the time to aim properly. Her hand reeled back…and away it went. The dagger flew straight through the air without any spin, right towards his head. Alex turned around to see Winter on her feet and aimed his pistol at her, ready to put her down. But before he could fire, something struck him in the head and he fell flat on his ass. She should've felt proud of herself for taking down her foe, but instead she felt instant regret and shock at what she just did.
"Oh no." She said with a horrified look on her face, running towards Alex. His body laid there on the ground, with her dagger sticking out of his head.
Alex
At least that what it looks like from Winter's perspective. Her dagger was embedded in the center of his helmet, penetrating the protective layers but just barley missing his head. A few centimeters lower and Alex would be having a very bad day.
"Did this bitch just seriously throw a knife at my head?!" Is what he thought to himself while lying on the ground. Like any sane person, Alex was relieved that the knife missed him, but he was also more upset about the fact that he was almost killed…again. He continued to lie there on the ground, staring up at the forest canopy and the handle of Winter's knife jutting from his helmet in his peripheral vision. Speaking of which, he also saw Winter running up towards him with a very worried looking face. She skidded across the ground on her knees and ended up next to Alex's head, prepared to see the worst of what she thought she did, but instead was surprised to see that he was okay and looking pretty angry.
Alex grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it at her face to distract her while he quickly got back on his feet. While Winter rubbed the dirt out of her eyes, she suddenly felt herself being yanked up by her hair and was now face to face with Alex. He had his fist reeled back in position as if he was going for an uppercut and Winter braced herself for the strike to her face. Only he didn't hit her in the face and struck in the last place she would've imagined. All the women back at Beacon winced in pain.
Contrary to popular belief, hitting a woman in the crotch is quite painful for them. Though not to the extent of what men feel, there's still a lot of nerves down there that are very sensitive to things like pain and striking there can disable a woman just as effectively as it would a man. In all her years, Winter never would've thought that someone would use such a dirty move on her. She felt a weird combination of pain, shock and a little embarrassment as Alex released his grip on her hair and fell to her knees while having her hands between her legs. On top of that, there were also some slight feelings of being violated. By no means was there any sexual intentions behind that punch, but the fact that he did technically touch her down there was enough to make Winter feel uneasy. The pain she felt between her legs was shortly replaced by him kicking her across the face, knocking her to the ground, and followed up by the new pain of Alex's boot crushing her windpipe. Just as Winter was ready to admit defeat, she was greeted with the sight of Alex's pistol aimed at her face.
"What are you… waiting for?" She managed to ask despite Alex's boot on her neck.
"Just wanted to look into the eyes of the woman who almost killed me." He cheekily replied as he pulled the trigger, hitting her right between the eyes.
With Winter taken care of, Alex holstered his pistol and grabbed his rifle of the ground before making his way back to the rest of the guys and to the bullhead that just flew by.
The Russians
"Hey Alex, you got a little something on your helmet." Nick casually commented in reference to Winter's dagger still embedded in Alex's helmet.
"Yeah, it's stuck in there good." Alex replied nonchalantly as he climbed aboard.
"What happened?" Greg asked. With everyone onboard, the bullhead took off and they could finally relax.
"Ice bitch threw it and almost took my head off." Alex replied. He removed his helmet to inspect the damage and get better leverage to pull the dagger out. With a firm grip, the dagger easily slipped out of the hole in his helmet. He quickly looked it over, admiring the craftsmanship, before passing it to Greg.
"Dude, this blade is dull. I think it's for training." Greg commented with mild surprise.
"You said she threw it at you? God damn, how strong was ice bitch?" Nick asked, looking over the dagger.
"Well, Ms. Schnee is one of Ironwoods top specialists." Glynda commented. She was genuinely surprised that Alex fought against Winter and lived to tell the tale.
"Schnee? Is she related to Weiss?" Greg asked.
"Yes. Winter is Weiss's older sister." Glynda replied. Meanwhile Alex started chuckling to himself.
"Well Weiss is going to upset at me for punching her sister in the crotch." Alex commented. Right as he said that, both Nick and Greg started laughing while Glynda rolled her eyes.
"No fucking way! That's the greatest thing I've ever heard." Nick said between laughs.
"I'm not exactly sure why I did that, but it gave you guys plenty of time to fall back. So, it all worked out. By the way, how's Ivan doing?" The big guy was currently lying down in the bullheads bay, looking complexly relaxed.
"He's fine. Ms. Goodwitch said that the length of the paralysis effect varies from person to person." Greg answered before Glynda chimed in.
"Age, height, weight and overall health are some of the variables that can determine how long the effects last. Professor Peach can explain it in greater detail. For someone of Ivan's build, I'm sure he'll get over the effects quicker than most people." She explained.
"Well, even though we did suffer a casualty, I'll call this mission a success." Greg said with confidence. Compared to the casualties and damages the Atlesians suffered, plus the fact that their only casualty would be okay if it was the real thing, success is too modest of a word.
"I don't know about you guys, but I had fun." Nick commented.
"I think the Atlesians would disagree with you." Alex replied.
"I wonder how James' is feeling right now?" Glynda thought, as the docks of Beacon came into view.
The amphitheater
The different number of reactions among the audience was too high to count. Everyone had various levels of emotion of what they just witnessed that ranged from shock and awe, to excitement and amazement, and even hints of worry and concern. The latter was primarily from the Atlas academy students. Seeing four men able to hold to their own against their forces was very unsettling to them. Everyone else however, was stupefied at the unorthodox strategies and fighting style of the Russians.
"Well that was a thing." Yang said to break the silence from the group. Like everyone else, she was happy that the Russians were successful against the Atlesians. The way they fought however, is still something that the brawler can't see herself doing in the near future. Sneaking around, avoiding direct confrontation and ambushing enemies does not compute in Yang's mind.
"Did Alex really punch Weiss's sister in the uh…you know, that area?" Jaune carefully asked. Growing up in a predominately female household, Jaune was taught early on about how to treat women with respect, be chivalrous and all that other stuff that has yet to help him land a date with Weiss…or any other girl so far. And yet, he just witnessed Alex say "fuck those rules" with how he dealt with Winter.
"Yeah. That really happened." Coco answered. Like the rest of the girls in the audience, she felt what Winter was feeling between her legs…and it wasn't the good kind of feeling. A childhood memory of her playing dodgeball and failing to dodge suddenly came to mind.
"Parachuting from like a million feet in the air? Mindless destruction and violence? People getting hurt? Weiss's sister getting the snot beat out of her? Augh! Ren, I can't take this roller coaster of excitement!" Nora practically shouted in Ren's face while vigorously shaking the poor boy. The young man also shared her enthusiasm but was much better at keeping his excitement to himself.
"Hey Weiss, are you doing alright?" Ruby asked her partner in a caring tone. While Ruby enjoyed watching the Russians kicking ass and taking names, she couldn't help but notice the growing look of worry on Weiss's face whenever her sister was on screen. She'd feel the same way if it was Yang out there, so she could relate.
"My sister was humiliated in front of the entire school and could possibly be injured. How do you think I'm feeling?!" She snapped to Ruby. Weiss knew that snapping at Ruby was uncalled for, but it was a heat of the moment kind of thing. The way Alex fought against Winter was so savage and unnecessarily cruel. It completely goes against her upbringing. "Look, I'm sorry for yelling, it's just hard to watch, you know?" Watching a loved one get bested and "killed" on screen is indeed hard to watch. But the most unsettling thing for her was how casual he was when he "killed" Winter. Ruby happily accepted Weiss's apology with a friendly hug, which Weiss was quick to return.
"If anything, I don't think there was any personal animosity towards your sister. I believe Alex just got caught up in the moment." Velvet reasoned from a logical view. His actions are no doubt questionable, but she at least tries to see things from their perspective.
"And if I'm not mistaken, Alex did show her mercy at first. It was only when your sister got up and threw the knife, that he finished her off." Pyrrha added. She wasn't exactly defending his actions, but she also remembered him talking about showing mercy and giving your enemy a chance to surrender. Unless of course they refuse, then you're left with no choice.
"Well that knife almost nailed him in the face, so I can see him being a little pissed about that." Neptune commented.
"Speaking of which, I don't recall any of them taking the slightest bit of damage and yet that knife broke through his Aura like nothing." Sun pointed out and now everyone was starting to notice other little things like that. Well except for Blake.
"Huh, that is weird. If anything, it would've knocked him down and bounce off of him." Velvet commented.
"They're definitely in shape and athletic, but I just noticed they don't use Aura to help with their jumps or any type of acrobatic skills." Ren added. Blake just looked off to the side, knowing the reason why the Russians don't use Aura to help in fights.
"And now that I think about it, they never once confronted anyone directly in combat. I mean I get that they were trying to be stealthy at first but even when all the fighting started, they used ambush style attacks and stayed behind cover most of the time. The only actual fight was Alex and Weiss's sister, and that looked more like Alex trying to disable and get away from her." Pyrrha observed.
"And I don't think anyone has ever seen them use their Semblances." Jaune added. He thought that maybe he wasn't the only guy who didn't have their semblance unlocked.
"Hey Blake, you've been pretty quiet. Do you have any insight?" Ruby asked. Of course, she knew the reason and was debating on whether to tell the rest of the group. Everybody in their group was already aware of her heritage and Alex is pretty chill and understanding despite what people may think. Plus, when he said that she couldn't keep things hidden, he could've have easily been talking about himself.
"Technically, he doesn't have leverage over me anymore. I hope he can forgive me." Blake took a deep breath. "Alright guys, what I'm about to say needs to stay between us." All sets of eyes were on her.
"Oh, this sounds good." Yang said with a grin.
"I'm serious guys, you can't tell anybody." She said with a serious tone while identifying who's probably not good at keeping a secret. Nora, Ruby, and Yang came to mind first. Sun and Neptune, being not from Beacon, might tell their friends. And then there's Jaune who might let it slip out inadvertently. "I shouldn't have said anything. Oh well, too late now."
"Our lips are sealed, now spill Belladonna!" Coco was eager at the thought of new information on Alex and the gang.
"Well, when Alex and I were talking to each other in the infirmary the other day, he promised not to reveal my heritage and even entrusted me with a secret about him and the other's as a sign of trust." Blake began explaining while everyone leaned in closer.
"But we know about your heritage." Weiss commented.
"Nevermind that, what do you know about them?" Yang asked with an excited smile. Everyone else had the same general expression.
"The reason why they don't confront enemies head on, the reason why we've never seen them use their semblances and the reason why it looks like they don't use their Auras…is because they don't have Auras." Everyone was staring wide eyed at Blake as if she had a dick growing out of her forehead.
"No way. I don't believe you." Neptune answered with skepticism.
"Professor Ozpin himself couldn't unlock their Auras." Blake replied.
"So, you're saying that this whole time they've been fighting without an Aura?" Pyrrha asked and Blake nodded. There was brief Pause as everyone processed the information that was just revealed.
"Winter could've killed him!" Weiss suddenly realized. Sure, she was upset at Alex, but she also had a lot of respect for him, and the thought of him dying superseded her feelings of animosity.
"Yeah, but he kicked her ass!" Nora exclaimed.
"Only because she was handicapped." Ren commented while everyone looked at him to continue. "Winter's Aura was severely drained, on top of being in a weakened state by that gas he used on her."
"That's why they don't have us use weapons or Semblances in class." Yang just realized she would've killed Ivan on that first day. Then again, she could've also been killed by him that day, so it evens out. Kinda.
"They still shouldn't be taken lightly, as we've seen today." Velvet said. She didn't know if she should be afraid or not. On one hand, she just learned that she could wipe the floor with any of them. On the other, they've managed to stay alive this long without an Aura and no doubt they're formidable foes who can improvise, adapt and overcome. Plus, there's that killer instinct they possess that she'll never have.
"That just leaves the question of where they learned to fight so…differently." Ruby commented.
"More like it adds to the number of questions we have about those guys." Coco added. Seriously, it's like she knows these guys, yet doesn't know them at the same time.
"No Auras and they're still better fighters than me. How can I match up to that? What am I doing here?" Jaune thought to himself.
The Teachers
"Ah, the age-old debate of quality versus quantity. Both have their advantages, but quality seems to have won this day." Port happily commented.
"I agree. Their ability to adapt to new situations and improvise on the spot is quite remarkable." Oobleck replied.
"Oh dear, it looks Alex is going to need a new helmet. I should be able to make one of similar composition and design." Peach said with a smile.
While the other teachers and faculty applauded the Russian triumph, Ozpin looked over to see how Ironwood is doing. He wanted to know what the General was thinking, but he got up and walked out of the viewing area without showing any emotion or uttering a single word before Ozpin could say anything.
"What's on your mind James?" Ozpin thought to himself.
Cinder
"I didn't realize there was a fourth one."Mercury said while keeping his eye on the screen. He, Emerald and Cinder decided to go with the flow and see what all the fuss about Alex and the others was about. Turns out they're not a bunch of rent-a-cops. After watching them successfully fight the Atlesian military and win, they could understand why people made a big deal about them.
"From what I've heard, they teach a set of courses unique to Beacon that seem very popular according to everyone." Emerald commented.
"How unique?" Mercury asked.
"Aside from the physical conditioning, they're teaching them about counterterrorism, how to fight using unconventional methods and even how to kill other people." Emerald replied. That last one was not something she would expect a Huntsman academy to teach.
"Considering what we just saw, I'm not going to disagree with those claims." Mercury replied. Despite the Russians now being considered a possible threat, he'll admit watching them destroy Atlas's army was pretty fucking cool.
While Emerald and Mercury continued talking to each other, Cinder was sitting silently behind them in deep thought. She was… impressed with what she saw. Their cunning strategy, ruthless efficiency and brutal treatment of the Atlesians was something to admire. She also enjoyed watching Alex's fight against Winter. It's not every day you encounter a "hero" who doesn't hesitate to pull the trigger on a fallen foe. That earned her respect.
With that in mind, she needs to be wary about them being a possible threat. She won't inform her superiors just yet, as she needs more information about them to determine if they'll be a large enough threat. But, it's going to be hard to find information about them as there's practically no record of them. Cinder searched Beacon and Vale's databanks for any useful information, but all she could find is very basic information like their names. It'll be a few more days before the virus arrives for the next phase, so she might as well use the spare time to do a little espionage on them the old fashion way. One thing's for certain, her superiors would love to know that the Atlesian military is not in the best shape, especially if four men took them on and came out victorious.
"You're just full of surprises, aren't you Alex?" Cinder thought before pulling out her scroll and planning her next move.
A/N:
Remember when I said that I'll try to keep things logical and realistic?
Remember when I also said that stuff may be exaggerated for entertainment purposes?
Keep that in mind as you read about stuff that would only happen in Call of Duty or a Micheal Bay film.
PM me if you have something to say.
Other than that, thanks a bunch and keep cool
Hawk out