Chapter 24: The Aftermath
Ozpin's office
It's been a week since the Breach, and Vale is still recovering from it. Physically, the city itself was fine with most of the structural damage repaired thanks to Glynda and the strong work ethic of the construction crews. Emotional damage, however, was far worse. Over a hundred lives were lost alongside the hundreds more that were injured. Among the casualties were many Atlesian soldiers, Vale policemen, and Huntsmen that all valiantly fought off the Grimm to protect the citizens. The Kingdom of Vale hasn't suffered a tragedy like this since the Mountain Glenn incident many years prior. The ruling council declared a day of mourning in remembrance to the lives that were lost.
As expected, the service was very somber and downright depressing. It only made sense that the weather that day be cloudy and overcast to reflect the overall mood. Almost the entire city was in attendance, including the Atlesians and the Russians. They sat quietly with the Beacon faculty and the upper echelon of the Atlesian forces while many prominent figures spoke words of encouragement and remembrance to the crowd. It ended with a candlelight vigil and people placing flowers and photos of the deceased near the breach sight. For the first time in many years, the city of Vale was truly unified as one.
The feeling wouldn't last long.
Barley one day after the memorial service, the sadness and sorrow felt was soon replaced with anger. Once it was revealed that the White Fang were responsible for the tunnel breach, life for the Faunus became difficult in Vale. It's not necessarily that people believed that all Faunus were secretly part of the White Fang, but the fact that despite all the violence caused by the Faunus terror group, there has never been any type of official condemnation from the Faunus community or any action on their part. Not to mention that since the old subway tunnels were used to carry out the attack, many felt it was a desecration of the resting place for the victims of Mountain Glenn. Rumors quickly spread that the Faunus silently supported the White Fang in secret, without being members themselves.
Adding fuel to the fire, it was then that ANTIFA's planned attack was leaked out to the public. Now everyone was pointing fingers and placing blame on each other. The silver lining was that this information leak was enough to prevent escalation of violence between the Humans and Faunus…for the moment. Now with the knowledge that there were two planned attacks by the notorious terror groups, the people of Vale were both furious and panicky, but also wanted answers on why this happened. After all, many loved ones were lost, and their families were out for blood. The anger then shifted to the only remaining outside variable in Vale: The Atlesians.
Wherever Atlas goes, their problems seem to follow. That's the gist of what's been going around the city. The argument went that because Atlas always has their noses in everyone's business and tend to do whatever they want; they're bound to make enemies. None more evident than the rise of the White Fang. It's not official, but it's pretty much known that the treatment of Faunus workers by Atlesian companies and the poor state of the old capital city of Mantle led to the groups radicalization. Which can then be argued that it led to the rise of ANTIFA. Either way, the protests of the Atlesians in Vale was picking up momentum.
However, while half of Vale wanted the Atlesians to leave, the other half was in favor of keeping them around. They argued that Atlas has done much to help the rest of the world and mentioned that many Atlesians gave their lives to protect them. The opposition countered with saying that the Atlesians are the common denominator when it comes to the terrorists. Coincidently, the group that prefers that the Atlesians stay was mostly made up of people originally from other Kingdoms, which the anti-Atlesian group quickly pointed out by claiming that the other group weren't "True Valeans" and they should go back to their respective Kingdoms if they wanted to live under Atlesian authority. Most of these claims were ridiculous and spoken only in anger by a relatively small number of people, but when the council voted to allow more Atlesian forces into the city to help with security concerns, those small voices grew louder in their claims that the Atlesians are sending an occupation force to take over Vale. Some even said that the White Fang and ANTIFA attacks were used as a false flag operation to justify more Atlesian forces. Again, ridiculous claims, but after such terrible events, the people are emotionally vulnerable, and susceptible to thinking and acting irrationally.
Aside from security reasons, the extra Atlesian forces would be needed to help secure the Vytal Festival. Due to recent events, the council had to vote on whether or not they should continue forward with festivities. Back and forth debates between those who favored canceling the festival for security reasons, and those opposed, took much longer than anticipated. The voting results were extremely close, but the end result was that the festival would continue on. A single vote was the deciding factor. The final verdict was that the festival is an important tradition among the Kingdoms dating back to the end of the Great War, and with its overall message of peace and unity that the festival symbolizes, it has never been more imperative that they must continue the tradition, especially with recent events. The irony didn't escape anyone, as it seems that Vale is more divided now than it's been in decades thanks to recent events. Still, the people of Vale are strong and proud, and will endure like they have in the past. Through it all, Beacon has been more or less the same as it was before the attacks. Students continued their studies and training, faculty were making the final preparations for the festival, and the Atlesian garrison was on high alert. Business as usual.
Ozpin sat at his desk looking over the debrief report of the ANTIFA attack with Glynda and Ironwood. The details of what transpired at the perimeter wall were…disturbing to say the least. Though it's been a week since the attack was leaked to the public, the three were still in shock that such an elaborate attack and cruel method of bringing Grimm into city was almost successful if it hadn't been for the efforts of Winter and the Russians. One breach of Grimm was bad enough, but a second one at another area would've been devastating to the city. Ironwood even admitted that if there was a second breach, the Atlesian and Valean defenders would've been stretched too thin and eventually overrun. Thankfully, ANTIFA was stopped and suffered a crippling blow to their presence in Vale. Most of them were killed off by Winter and the Russians, while many more were captured by Winter's forces. Some may have escaped but based on the severe casualties ANTIFA suffered, they'll be hard pressed to try anything in the near future. With that in mind, the city is now focused on Vytal festival security and a possible White Fang resurgence seeing as how there weren't many White Fang casualties found near the breach. Authorities could only assume that many were still in the tunnels when they were sealed off, but they can't afford to take any chances with how tense things are right now.
Sitting across Ozpin's desk was Winter in her normal uniform, and the Russians in their normal combat uniforms. True to his word, Alex finally told Winter about he and the guy's "unique" situation. As expected, she didn't believe him at first, going as far as suggesting he should get his head checked out for injuries. But showing her the same helmet camera footage they showed Ozpin, alongside Ironwood vouching for them, and little bit of Alex's charm, she finally came around. Like everyone else, she really didn't know how to react to the fact that there was a completely different universe out there. She's not exactly what you'd call a believer in unseen possibilities and what not, but after this, Winter didn't exactly know what to believe anymore.
One thing for certain, is that her overall opinion of Alex and the others didn't change. She finally understood firsthand where they came from and why they act the way they do. It certainly explained why they weren't fazed by the killing or the disturbing sights of what they saw at the wall. Winter gave a slight shudder of what transpired that evening. The shooting, the explosions, the blood, the stench of death…all of it fresh in her mind. After the first confrontation with the slain victims, she felt a rage building up that sought vengeance for their deaths. Many enemies paid dearly, but when she went to rescue the hostages, she firsthand saw what horrors humanity is capable of and nearly broke and lost control of herself. The sight of the grieving mother embracing her dead child still haunts her mind. She could still hear the mothers cries of sorrow while her child could only stare blankly back at her. None of her training prepared her for that. Then again, how could it? Thankfully, she was able to talk to Alex about it. He simply listened while she did most of the talking. Afterwards, he'd give his advice and some encouraging words which seemed to give her some comfort. Winter's not exactly an open person but she seems to make an exception when it comes to Alex. Perhaps it's because of the mutual respect between the two professional soldiers.
"Well it's official, the Atlesian council has voted unanimously to send more troops at the request of Vale. They'll be here in a few days." Ironwood commented. On one hand, he was glad that he's getting much needed reinforcements to replace the losses. However, he is aware that Vale is heavily divided on the presence of Atlesian forces in the city and doesn't want to make things worse between the two kingdoms.
"Do you really think bringing in more soldiers and knights is a good idea?" Glynda asked.
"We don't have a choice Glynda. The council has overridden my authority on security measures and transferred them to James." Ozpin replied with a hint of disappointment.
"You guys already had a lot troops here to start with, yet two big attacks happened right under everyone noses." Greg commented.
"I'm not too thrilled about it, but hopefully with a stronger presence, it'll be enough to scare the enemy into hiding." Ironwood said.
"Trust us when we say that a show of force doesn't necessarily deter radical, fanatic terrorists. If anything, they may try to use the increase presence to generate sympathy for their causes." Alex replied to the general.
"What do you mean?" Winter asked.
"Both the White Fang and ANTIFA are driven by their goals of social and political change. Who's to say that they won't blame the opposition for escalating military presence in the city? For the White Fang, all they have to say is that the Atlesians are planning to arrest all the Faunus in Vale for 'collaboration' with terrorists. ANTIFA could probably say something like that the Atlesians are more concerned with playing politics with the Faunus all while people are being killed off by the White Fang. Both of these scenarios can possibly lead more to rally to their causes." Alex explained, giving the Remnant natives much to think about.
"You don't think that'll happen?" Winter asked with concern.
"Hard to say. People's ideologies can lead to very dangerous paths. Not to mention that the current emotional state of the city is a perfect breeding ground for extremism." Alex replied.
"Dammit, we're running around in the dark here!" Ironwood shouted, banging his fist on Ozpin's desk.
"It's frustrating James, but we must remain calm." Ozpin reasoned.
"Ozpin, there were two major terrorist attacks, planned at the same time, by two opposing groups, with the common goal of allowing Grimm to pour into the city! The whole city is shaken up and divided, and we have absolutely no leads on who's behind everything or where to start looking!" Ironwood argued.
"Well what about Cinder?" Ivan asked. Everyone turned to look at him. "Didn't that Torchwick guy you captured seem to know her?" He indicated to Ironwood, remembering that Torchwick dropped Cinder's name when he was being arrested at the breach.
"He did." Ironwood growled. "We had suspicions that she's more than just a simple hacker when we found what was on the scroll she had on her that night. Now it's clear that she's an integral part of what's going on."
"Have you been able to get anything out of her?" Greg asked but Ironwood was already shaking his head.
"She and her cohorts are keeping their mouths shut during questioning." The general replied.
"What methods have you tried on them?" Nick asked.
"Methods?" Ironwood asked.
"Yeah. It's pretty clear that questioning isn't working. So, have you tried other methods like truth drugs, electroshock, waterboarding, daily beatings, uh let's see what else…" Glynda interrupted Nick before he could finish his thought.
"Are you talking about torture?!" She yelled.
"Technically we call it 'enhanced interrogation techniques'." Nick replied while making air quotes.
"Sounds like torture to me." Ozpin said with a neutral face.
"Those 'techniques' you mentioned violate all kinds of intercontinental laws in regard to the treatment of incarcerated persons, as well as going against Atlesian military code on those held under military arrest. Not to mention that what you're suggesting is completely barbaric and inhumane!" Winter added. It was then that Alex stood up.
"People are dead, the city is on edge and nearing open conflict with each other, and you're worried about laws that were probably set up by career politicians, bureaucrats, and military officers who've never left their desks and been out in the real world! Let me tell you something, back in our home, if any group tried to pull the shit that went down last week, it would be considered an act of war. As far as I'm concerned, Cinder and her cronies are now considered prisoners of war and thus subject to 'enhanced interrogation'." There was a brief pause after Alex's speech. Winter finally broke the silence.
"We are not compromising our morals no matter how bad it gets." She firmly said. Alex scoffed and rolled his eyes.
"Keep that in mind for the next terror attack we could've easily prevented. I'm sure the people who lost their loved one's would be glad to know that you kept your morals." Winter glared hard at Alex's subtle mocking. "You people can keep trying to play by the rules, but it's clear our enemies don't, and sometimes the end justifies the means." Alex finished, giving the four Remnant natives a hard stare down.
"Talk about a low blow." Nick whispered to Greg. The other Russians know Alex can be blunt and direct, but they also share his viewpoint and agree that these Remnant folk need to face reality. Over the years, they learned that Alex is their best bet when it comes to convincing others.
"Enough you two! The last thing we need is friction between allies." Ozpin called out, trying to bring back order in his office. Both Alex and Winter nodded to him, but still kept an icy glare towards each other.
"You both make good points but Ozpin's right. If we start fighting amongst ourselves, nothing will get done and the enemy will have already won." Ironwood commented. The good general was conflicted. On one hand, Winter is the model Atlesian soldier who has more than proven her loyalty and worth to both Ironwood and Atlas. Not to mention, they do have history as he knew her when she was a teenager. He firsthand saw her combat prowess and leadership abilities in Atlas academy, which led him to recruiting her to join the Atlesian Specialists upon her graduation. Though they maintain a strong professional relationship, once you break through the military formalities, in a broad sense they can be considered friends. Additionally a very, very small part of Ironwood sees Winter as a daughter he never had. He trusts her insight and opinions as well as her actions in the field…which brings into play the other hand.
Alex, although sharing similar traits to Winter, is vastly different from her. Putting aside the "being from another world" factor, he and his comrades are a formidable, battle tested force compared to most of the Atlesian military. Efficient, cunning, and ruthless in combat, they possess that "edginess" which puts them leagues ahead of his forces and most Huntsmen in general. Their professionalism and drive towards mission accomplishment no matter what, are invaluable assets desperately needed in the current world climate. But most importantly is the fact that Alex brings a whole new way of thinking that opened Ironwoods eyes. Remnant just isn't equipped or accustomed to dealing with massive worldwide insurgencies. The Russians on the other hand, are. They were specially trained to conduct this type of warfare and have been doing it for their entire military careers.
He was well aware that if it wasn't for them, the attack on the wall would've been successful and Vale could've easily been overwhelmed. Hell, if they'd been sent to the White Fang base instead of the wall, they'd probably prevent the tunnel breach and crippled the White Fang. Which brings him back to what Alex said about preventing future attacks. As effective as the Russians are, there's only four of them and can't be everywhere at once. Splitting them up is an option, but Ironwood knows they're most effective when working together or the very least, in close proximity to each other. And even if the Russians are willing to cross train with the Atlesians, it would take far too long to properly train new units and they don't that kind of time. Desperate times call for desperate measures and if that Cinder woman knows something, then maybe it's time to cross that gray area.
"Now tell me Alex, if I give you the green light, do you think you could get Cinder to talk?" Ironwood asked, surprising everyone especially the Remnant natives.
"James! You can't possibly be considering what I think you're thinking about!?" Glynda yelled at the Atlesian general.
"We're out of options Glynda." He simply said.
"Out of options? Don't give me that bullsh- "
"Glynda!" Ozpin interrupted his assistant headmistresses. "Before you tear into James, perhaps we should hear how Alex would approach the situation?" Now the surprise was directed towards Ozpin. The women couldn't believe that he was considering James' plan.
"But sirs, the consequences! It's bad enough you're considering such drastic action, but if word gets out, it could destroy the reputation of Atlas, not to mention we could be facing lifetime sentences!" Winter argued.
"If it comes to it, then I'll assume full responsibility." He paused to look Winter in the eye. "Schnee…no, Winter, I love my Kingdom. The men and women who've already lost their lives while here in Vale, did as well. In fact, that love, and devotion was shared with our friends in Vale and the other kingdoms. I'm not going to sit around and let their sacrifices be in vain while our enemies move about. I'll do whatever it takes to save lives, and if I'm court-martialed or even set in front of a firing squad, then so be it." Ironwood finished, leaving Winter and the others stunned at his patriotic speech. It was Alex who once again broke the silence.
"Now general, there's no need to think about the worst-case scenario. We'll see if we can get Cinder to talk. In fact it's probably best if we do it." The other's gave him an inquiring look. "We're not part of the Atlesian military and our status as Vale citizens is sketchy at best. If you think about it, we're outside of any Remnant jurisdiction." Alex explained.
"Try using that excuse in a court of law." Glynda muttered to herself, not liking this twisted way of thinking.
"Now if we are going to try and get something out of Cinder and her cronies, we need to make them really uncomfortable before questioning." Greg started to explain. "Start of simple: adjust the temperature controls of their holding cells. Make it ungodly hot at night and ice cold during the day. They need to be sweating and dying of thirst when they try to sleep, and then wake up in the morning shivering and able to see their breaths."
"When they're trying to sleep, have the lights come on at random times during night and maybe flicker them for a while. Oh yeah, and make sure you also play loud obnoxious music at random intervals as well. Sleep deprivation can break the strongest minds." Ivan added. Everyone seemed to agree with his logic.
"During the day when the temperature is cold, you can 'accidentally' spray them with cold water and let them sit there soaked and freezing. It may also prove useful to reduce the overall quality of their food." Nick suggested, gaining questionable looks.
"Keep this up for at least a week. Don't bring them in for questioning and have the guards ignore any complaints or questions they bring up. After that, you can start using other techniques like stress positions or controlled fear." Alex explained.
"What do you mean?" Ironwood asked.
"Manipulate their bodies into positions that are extremely uncomfortable like wall sits or keeping their arms up in the air for hours at a time. For a controlled fear, if you know something that they're afraid of, go ahead and exploit it. Like if they were claustrophobic, lock them in a small enclosed space for the whole day. You could even have a little fun and chain a couple of aggressive attack dogs in the room with them. Having a dog barking and snarling at you in a small space is sure to emotionally scar someone." Alex answered with a very subtle grin that Winter noticed. Her displeasure was very obvious.
"Then there's the more direct methods like waterboarding or beating it out of them." Greg added.
"And if they still resist?" Ozpin asked, not sure if he wanted to hear the answer.
"Then we get creative. Ivan's dad use to work for the KGB and I'm sure he must've heard a few things about interrogations." Nick answered. Ozpin and the others looked at Ivan, who gave a curt nod confirming what Nick said.
"What's the KGB?" Winter asked, unsure if she wanted to know.
"It was the security and intelligence agency when our country was still under Soviet government. They were uh…infamous for being very effective at intelligence gathering and espionage." Greg answered.
"I don't like this Ozpin. It's just feels so…wrong." Glynda said. She was about ready to plead for Ozpin to not go through with this.
"I don't like it either but…I also know what it's like to make a difficult choice for the greater good." He explained with an undertone of regret in his words.
"Just to be clear, as far as military records go, this never happened." Ironwood said in a serious tone. Everyone nodded.
"That's a given." Alex commented.
2 weeks later
Cinder, alongside Emerald, Mercury and Roman were sitting in an Atlesian interrogation room. It was dimly lit, with the only objects in the room being a metal table and chairs for them to sit. The door was a heavy-duty security door that can only be opened from the outside. Bringing the room together was the large one-way mirrors off to the sides to allow observers to watch the interrogations. The four of them were stripped of their normal attire and forced to wear prisoner fatigues as well as special cuffs that blocked their Auras and Semblances. Special precaution was taken as they were all classified as tier one terrorists. At first things were okay for them. The living conditions were tolerable, questioning was going nowhere for the Atlesians, and the guards pretty much left them alone. The three, with Roman joining later, figured that eventually the Atlesians would give up or even try to bargain, but then things changed that last few weeks.
It started one night when the air conditioner "broke down" and could only blow hot air. Everyone woke up drenched in sweat. Then the AC was "repaired" and was going full blast to the point that Cinder and the others could see their breaths. Just then a fire alarm "went off" and triggered the sprinkler systems in their cells, drenching them in ice-cold water. When it was over, they were stuck with wet clothes in damn near freezing temperatures, but they were also surprised that no guards came to investigate. It wasn't until lunchtime that the guards came by to deliver their meals. They tried to complain to the guards but were completely ignored by them. The "food" they received was far below what they've been eating for almost a month. It used to be simple, yet palatable food like rice, fish and vegetables, but now it almost resembled a gray paste like substance. Hunger eventually got the better of them and as expected, it tasted as good as it looked. Again, they tried complaining and threatening the guards, only to be ignored again.
As the days passed, it became clear to the criminals that the Atlesians were doing this on purpose when the "incidents" were becoming more frequent and escalating in severity. On top of trying to sleep in a scorching hot room at night, the lights in their cells would turn on in the middle of the night; max brightness obviously. To further mess with their sleep, the speakers in the detention block were wired to play loud music on a random cycle all throughout the night. Sometimes the lights would flicker to the beat of the music, turning their cells into mini raves that amused the night guards and annoyed the cell occupants.
During the day, the guards stopped using the sprinkler system and opted for actual fire hoses to drench Cinder and company. One of the guards even went as far as to use a fire extinguisher on them. The AC continued operating on full blast with an additional boost of ice Dust that increased the cold air output. It got to the point that the guards had to wear warming layers as they patrolled the detention block because it was so cold. Food was still of questionable quality and the four reluctantly ate it, if only to keep off starvation. But the worst part of their incarceration was when the guards dragged them out of their cells and contorted their bodies into the most uncomfortable positions any of them had experienced. Sitting on the wall, squatting on the balls of their feet, arms tied above their heads and many other stress positions that the Atlesians could think up (with some suggestions from the Russians as well). Cinder and company stayed in these positions for hours on end and blindfolded and gagged for sensory deprivation to add psychological discomfort. The part that really surprised them was the fact that there were no questioning sessions that followed their "interactions" with the Atlesian guards. It appeared that the only job the guards had were to continue this torment on them, which was also unsettling because the guards appeared to really enjoy themselves with slightly sadistic grins on their faces.
Finally after two long weeks of being at the mercy of the guards, the four managed to have a day without any type of torment. Everything went back to normal and the guards acted like nothing happened. It infuriated all of them, especially Cinder. Of course, the sudden change in behavior of the guards could only mean that something was planned for the four of them.
"Thanks for dragging me into this Cindy." Roman spat at her. The master criminal has been arrested and locked up multiple times in his life, but never had he been treated like this before. He was dirty, tired, hungry and looked like absolute shit. He knew good lawyers that helped him out in the past, and he definitely needed them now more than ever. Roman knows a lot about various laws in Remnant, and what he went through violates so many of them, he could discredit the Atlesian military for generations. As for Cinder, since he had no loyalty to her and she's the one who roped him into this, she could die for all he cares. The only thing that matters is number one…and his partner Neo. "I'm sure she got out of those tunnels alright." Roman thought with a small grin before glaring back at Cinder.
"Give it a rest Torchwick." Emerald said with much bitterness in her voice. The lack of sleep and mental abuse were visibly obvious on the dark-skinned beauty. Since her Semblance was very powerful, the guards didn't want to take chances and left her blindfolded most of the time. Other times, she wore "drunk goggles" to distort her focus. It wasn't until the last few days that they determined that she couldn't use her Semblance and let her be.
"Yeah, shut it old man." Mercury added. His normal prosthetic legs were immediately confiscated and replaced with ones that severely restricted his movements. As the most vocal during their incarceration, Mercury was the prime target for the guards. Every time he opened his mouth, either a fist, a baton, or some other type of blunt instrument found its way to his face. He already had a black eye and several bruises to show for it.
"Stay out of this children, this is between me and 'mommy'." Torchwick replied to the two. Cinder however, completely ignored the other three by simply staring at the wall in front of her with a blank face. Like everyone else, she looked like absolute shit: No makeup, bags under her eyes, some bruising on her face, unkempt hair, and her healthy skin tone seemed to have lost some color. The lack of sleep didn't help one bit. She hasn't even spoken a word to anybody since that night. Neither the guards, the interrogators, or even Emerald could get Cinder to speak. In fact, she pretty much just sat in her cell the whole time, lost in her thoughts of that night…and him.
After getting taken down at the dance, she woke up in an Atlesian medical ward, handcuffed to the bed and covered in medical wrap over her gunshot wounds. Under no circumstances would she imagine being in this position. Though Cinder is a fast healer, the wounds she suffered will no doubt permanently affect her physical abilities. The wound in her upper right thigh made it difficult to walk while the one in her left shoulder heavily restricted her arm movements. Of course the worst was the one in her left hand. Besides feeling pain every time she tries to make a fist, it'll serve as a constant reminder of how she suffered a humiliating defeat by the one who she fatally underestimated: Alex.
Despite the harassment by the Atlesians, Cinder focus was completely on him. Oh how she hated him. She regretted not killing him as soon as he became suspicious of her. If she ever sees him again, she promises to make his death slow and horrible. That pretty face of his will be unrecognizable after she's done with him. But the thing Cinder couldn't figure out, was how he broke through her Aura with a single pistol shot. The pistol he used didn't look like anything special and he didn't display any use of a Semblance, so how did he do it?
The door suddenly buzzing open drew everyone's attention to it. Everyone thought it was going to be the usual Atlesian interrogators, but they were surprised when a young man in a greenish, camouflage pattern uniform step in. At the sight of Alex, Cinder's blood pressure spiked up as she gave him a death glare. Alex smugly grinned at her as he pulled out a chair to sit across from the four.
"Good morning." He said in a polite tone to everyone present. As expected, they said nothing to him. "I'm hoping you can answer a few questions for me." Again he was met with silence and dead stares, but Alex did notice that the four of them looked absolutely miserable. Their outward appearances are a dead giveaway. Hopefully their mental resistance has been eroded enough for him to break.
"You're wasting your time." Mercury replied with his venomous sarcasm and a weak grin. Alex simply shrugged before getting up from his chair and making his way behind Mercury. Without any warning, Alex grabbed Mercury by his hair and slammed his head down onto the metal table. Before anyone could react, Alex slammed his head down two more times, then followed up with a punch straight into Mercury's jaw. The silver haired assassin groaned in response to the bad headache. Yet as an act of defiance, he spat the built-up blood in his mouth towards Alex. Mercury immediately regretted that once his head was slammed down on the table again, only this time at the perfect angle for his teeth to make contact with the edge of the table. Emerald actually gasped when Mercury came back up and noticed a few cracked teeth.
"You can't do this!" She shouted at Alex. By no means are she and Mercury friends, but this wasn't right. Alex quickly turned towards her and slapped her hard across the face. He hit with such force that she was knocked out of her chair and onto the ground. Emerald then felt a sudden pain in her torso, courtesy of Alex's boot. He kicked her gut two more times before lifting her up off the ground and placing her back in her chair.
Both Cinder and Roman were wide-eyed and shocked at what just happened. They could only stare at the pitiful attempts of Emerald and Mercury trying to grab on to the afflicted areas only to be stopped by their handcuffs and restraints. It occurred to them that Alex wasn't playing around. The door then buzzed open again to allow Greg, Nick and Ivan to enter the room. It wasn't the fact that the other Russians arrived, but the metal cart they were pushing drew some concerns. The four criminals took a gander at what was on the cart and suddenly their concerns skyrocketed. Various knives, metal wires, hand tools, pliers, vice grips, an electrical battery with jumper cables, syringes with various vials of unknown liquids, and all sorts of nasty looking objects littered the cart that caused a chill to run up the spines of the four. Cinder, for the first time in years, felt afraid.
"Now then, let's have a little chat, shall we?" Alex said with an unsettling grin.
A/N: I don't really have much to say. Just hope y'all are staying cool this summer. The only thing I'm going to miss about San Diego is that it's pretty much year round 70-80 degrees (Fahrenheit). It's nice during the summer but I miss the cool Autumn weather, snowy Winters and rainy Springs.
-Also I'm not really sure how I feel about RWBY lately. For starters, I hate most of the fandom because it's so..toxic. Like the whole Yang X Blake scene, I'm sorry but I haven't seen such a forced lesbian romance fan service in a cartoon since the Legend of Korra (you know what I'm talking about). Yeah ,yeah, nothings confirmed but I think we know what's going on. But say anything against the big same sex ships like White Rose and Bumblebee, and get ready to be called every single insult in the dictionary.
-Then there's the Atlesians they met. Look, I'm a military guy and I know this is a show, but they could've at least been slightly more realistic on military portrayal. Like seriously, tweedle dee and tweedle dumb did not need to act like that for attempted humor. And then what's her face, Cordova or whatever. Trying to kill kids in a giant mech to prove a point and then endangering the city because of your stupidity? Give me a fucking break. Oh, and after they kill the big Grimm, "I'll let you go, no harm, no foul." It's like they were trying to portray the military as full of dumb soldiers and over zealous officers.
-Okay, so maybe I did have stuff to say. Whatever, take it easy guys
Hawk out.