Merry Christmas all. I'll be honest, I'm not sure if I like how this chapter turned out. Maybe a little too much dramatization and cringe moments, but it is what it is.

Everything belongs to their respective owners.

Chapter 27: Darkness Within

Junior Xiong's club – 0015 hours

"All units are in position." A voice radioed.

"Copy, stand by for my go." Captain Vert replied. Winter's right-hand man looked on from his elevated position at the combined forces of Atlesian troopers and Valean tactical police units getting ready to storm Junior's nightclub. Several were stacked up near the entry points on the ground floor while others were on the rooftop setting up rappelling lines to breach through the windows and storm the upper level. A two city-block radius was set up as a perimeter to keep anyone from getting in or out. With a visual conformation everyone was in position, Vert gave the green light. "All units move in!" He shouted.

In a matter of seconds, the entire club was filled with cops and soldiers, weapons at the ready and shouting at the confused and slightly intoxicated patrons to put their hands in the air. On the upper levels, police and military breached through the windows, startling anyone who was up there, which were mostly Junior's henchmen doing menial tasks. Some of the henchmen grabbed weapons out of habit but were swiftly, and brutally, subdued and restrained by the authorities. Once the patrons finally comprehended what was going on, they were quick to comply with the authorities. It was at this time the man himself appeared flanked by his twin bodyguards.

"What the hell is going on?! Why are the police raiding my club?!" Junior shouted to no avail as there was too much going on around him. "Is anyone going to answer- ", Junior never got to finish his sentence as he was struck by a metallic bolo that wrapped around his body and arms, dropping him to the ground, totally restrained. Two more bolo restraints came flying out, subduing the Malachite twins, much to their surprise. While the three of them struggled with their bindings, an Atlesian made his way through all the confusion, stopping in front of Junior. The club owner looked up to see a young man with short cut brown hair and teal eyes wearing a sleeveless uniform with a four-leaf clover pin his lapel.

"Hei 'Junior' Xiong, by order of the council of Vale and the authority granted to the Atlesian armed forces, you and your associates are under arrest for aiding known terrorist groups in a conspiracy to commit treason against the Kingdom of Vale." Clover Ebi said. It wasn't the first time he's said that phrase during the Ace Op's time in Vale. Before Junior could respond, he was struck upside the head and dragged out of the building alongside many other club patrons. Clover looked on indifferently, knowing the night is far from over.

Thanks to the efforts of Ozpin and Ironwood, an emergency council session led to the unanimous passing of council executive order number 26-R: The Crime and Security Overhaul Act. In summary, it lifted practically every restriction against law enforcement agencies and waived many protections of all citizens within the kingdom's borders. This included no longer needing a warrant to search residencies and private businesses, arresting without probable cause, suspension of all court hearings until further notice, indefinite incarceration without parole or bail, the complete lockdown of the kingdom's borders, a midnight curfew, and many other ordinances that essentially gave the Vale police and Atlesian military free reign of the city without any repercussions. Needless to say, this was an extremely controversial passing by the Vale council, and resistance to it was fierce.

The protests in Vale aimed at the Atlesian presences in the city have now escalated into full scale riots that were becoming more violent as the days went on. Atlesian soldiers and Vale police were openly attacked with bricks, firebombs, and were even shot at with firearms. Many in the city felt that this was "tipping point" in terms of government overreach and felt these new restrictions were too drastic, all under the guise of "safety". While some were happy that known criminals and gang leaders were finally being taken down, the general consensus was that this is not right.

In response to the escalating violence and to keep order and prevent the city from literally destroying itself, the police with support from the Atlesians were authorized to use more direct methods to suppress the rioters. It included, but was not limited to water cannons, stun grenades, tear gas, paralysis rounds in their weapons, and any other method available short of live ammunition. Many injuries were reported on both sides, with additional reports of deaths as a result of the rioting. Arrests are being made left and right, strict lockdown enforcements, and an increase in military presence that has the entire city on edge…are all minor setbacks in the eyes of Ozpin and Ironwood.

With the threat of Salem now known, all must be done to stop her no matter the costs. They've already eliminated one of her agents, the late Cinder Fall, but she was clearly only another pawn in this game. Now they're hunting after a possible target, who hopefully could lead them to another target that ideally is another of Salem's lackeys. In all honesty, it was a very risky and unreliable plan that really had no merit or end goal to it, but what else could they do? There's literally no leads or information regarding Salem but if there's even a slim chance that Neopolitan could lead to something, then it's a chance that Ironwood will take.

While Ozpin is going along with the General's plan for now, Ironwood knows that it's only a matter of time before the old wizard does his own thing. He already lost Glynda's support, which does pain him, and it won't be long before he and Ozpin start butting heads. Thankfully, he still had Winter on his side. And while their motives are still unknown, the General believes he can trust Alex and the other Russians to support him. Both he and the Russians are soldiers with a military mindset and similar views on how this situation should be handled. Additionally, they've generally been cooperative with his plans, even adding in their own input. There's also the fact that many of his subordinates are more than willing to work with them. Not to mention that Winter also seems rather fond of them ever since their last mission together. As far as Ironwood is concerned, the Russians are already honorary Atlesian soldiers, maybe even their own special branch similar to the Ace Ops.

"Iron Eagle, Ace-1 checking in." The radio on the general's desk echoed.

"Go ahead Ace-1." Ironwood replied, hoping for a break. These past few weeks have been hell on him.

"All target areas are secure and suspected personnel are in custody." Clover answered.

"Anything on the High Value Target?" He asked in reference to Neo.

"We've found traces of her presence and have witness testimony that confirm she's been at these locations, but the trails gone cold again." Ironwood could only sigh. The same damn report after every raid. She was there, but not when they arrived. Of course, they made sure she wasn't just using her semblance to hide in plain sight, but they always came up empty handed.

"Return to base. The night patrols will take over for the rest of the night, and we'll continue the operation in the coming days. Iron-Eagle out." The silver lining of all this was that crime rings were being destroyed and hideouts were neutralized. Neo was surely running out of places to hide in and recover. With the city under lockdown with no one getting in or out, it's only a matter of time before they corner Neo. After that, well, they'll cross that bridge when they get to it. With that in mind, Ironwood decided to rest his head on his desk to catch a quick nap.

Being awake for 36 hours straight isn't exactly healthy.

Beacon Halls, 0230

Winter couldn't sleep. The constant nighttime raids throughout the city and dealing with public relations during the day to justify said raids were taking a toll on the young specialist. However, these new extra duties and assignments aren't what's keeping her awake. It's a certain Russian that's been on her mind lately… and not in a good way. As she casually walked through the halls of Beacon in her sleeping attire consisting of a hooded sweatshirt, sweatpants, and a pair of sneakers with her hair flowing freely, her thoughts kept racing back to that day where she had witnessed a man that she both respected and admired, who was also charming and was easy to get along with, brutally and sadistically torture a woman until she took her own life. Yes, she was aware the other Russians had their part in the incident, but they were all following Alex's lead with little to no reservation. The part that really upset, and to an extent frightened her, was once again, his indifference. That cold dead look in his eyes as he did horrible things to Cinder, and then when said woman killed herself right in his face, sent a chill up Winter's spine.

They haven't spoken to each other since the incident, using the new plan to find Neo as their excuse for being preoccupied. Yet, everyone else can tell those two were avoiding each other for unknown reasons. As much as Greg and the others, or Winter's subordinates wanted to inquire, they all felt it was best to give them some space rather than face the wrath of either of them. Still, everyone hoped that they can reconcile the issue as it was also noticed that those two did spend a lot of time together. Granted, the majority of it was strictly business in terms of operations planning or training and refining their combat skills whether it be shooting or hand to hand combat, but there were a few casual encounters spotted.

Some friendly competitive banter during combat training, dining together during mealtimes, and other normal interactions that seemed harmless to anyone. The encounter that really gained attention was after the Battle of the Breach. The Russians joined the Atlesians in a small celebration honoring their fallen comrades and the survivors of the battle. It was a simple ceremony where they toasted to those that gave their lives before the mood started to lighten up. While Greg, Nick, and Ivan mingled with the rest of the Atlesians, Alex and Winter were seen sitting together and idly chatting about. Most of it was Winter asking Alex about living in Russia which he answered to the best of his abilities, but it eventually evolved into general topics to get to know each other. Occasional glances were sent over at the two as many noticed that Specialist Schnee seemed…relaxed. With her hair in a loose ponytail, the calm grin on her face, and the occasional laughing coming from her, it was definitely quite a rare sight to see Winter not with her usual Ice Queen persona. Maybe the alcohol she was drinking loosened her up, but two glasses of expensive wine would hardly do anything to her as compared to the cheap, questionable quality vodka Alex was drinking. Not much else happened that evening and the two went back to their professional relationship. They maintained a warm, friendly relationship all the way up until Cinder's interrogation.

From there it all went downhill.

The look they shared with each other as Alex stepped out of the interrogation room could be described as a realization. In other words, Winter realizing what Alex is really capable of, and Alex realizing that there's something not right with himself. Afterwards, Winter refused to be in Alex's presence during their meetings with General Ironwood, while Alex made sure his schedule was fit to avoid any interactions with her. Even though things are running smoothly for the most part, Winter will admit she does miss talking with Alex. They had a lot in common and she rather enjoyed his company. It was nice having someone else to talk to who wasn't a subordinate, and who she can talk freely with about anything on her mind. She hopes that her and Alex can sit and talk about what happened and can hopefully clear the air between them. It would be a shame if she were to lose touch with someone that she considers a friend. Or perhaps more than a friend?

As she turned down another corridor of the academy, there was a faint noise coming from the end of the corridor. Curiosity got the better of Winter and she proceed further down. It was about halfway down the hall that she recognized the sound as music being played on a piano. To her, the song sounded very uplifting and celebratory. She'll admit it's a pleasant tune, but one she doesn't recognize. When she reached the end of the hall and peered into the room of who was playing the piano, she was surprised to see it was Alex playing the piano.

Winter did recall Alex mentioning he knew how to play the piano but didn't realize he was actually good at it. She stood by the doorway, admiring his performance as he flawlessly glided his hands across the keys like a true master. All of this was done without the aid of any sheet music as far as Winter could tell. If that's the case, and Alex is playing from sheer memory alone, then once again, Alex has impressed Winter. She continued to stand there, listening to him play all the way until the end of the song. But right as she was about to walk up and compliment his performance, Alex reached for something atop the piano. The light revealed it to be his pistol, and to the shock of Winter, he pointed it at his head with his finger wrapped around the trigger.

"Stop!" Winter shrieked as she ran up to him and smacked the pistol out of his hand all within a split second. Alex was taken back by Winter's sudden appearance and looked at her dumbfoundedly.

"Shit, where'd you come from?" He asked in a surprisingly calm tone. This just angered Winter.

"What are you doing?!" She practically screamed into his face.

"Playing the piano?" He innocently replied back, further upsetting Winter.

"Don't play stupid with me! What are you doing pointing a gun at yourself?!" Alex looked like he was trying to come up with a convincing answer, but he couldn't. He took a deep sigh before answering.

"I don't expect you to understand, but this," he gestured to everything in the room", is how I deal with everything." He answered, leaving Winter confused but still very upset.

"Explain. Now." She demanded. Alex just weakly grinned back at her.

"Charming as always." He replied with a weak chuckle. "Anyway, I guess it started back after I was kicked out my family. I was homeless with no money and nowhere to go. Being the delinquent, troublemaking punk I was, the only logical thing to do in my mind was resort to petty theft to get by. It was small scale at first, but then I resorted to mugging and robbing people. One night at the train station, I hit up this old man for his money and he complied. But for some reason at the last second, he hesitated and froze with his wallet in hand. I angerly yanked the wallet out of his hand and shoved him away. But I pushed the old man into a patch of ice that he slipped on and fell off the platform and onto the tracks…right when a train was pulling up." Winter went wide eyed at that. "The sight of that old man being turned into a literal thin red paste made me drop everything and run away. I learned the next day that the only way they were able to identify the body was because of the ID in his wallet, the one I dropped on the ground when I ran. He had a wife, kids, and grandkids that he'll never see again because of me."

Now Winter was aware Alex had a checkered past, but never would she have guessed it involved him involuntarily killing an innocent old man. And yet it's clear that Alex showed remorse at what he did. Not sure of what, or if she should say something, she instead opted to sit down next to him on the piano bench and continue to listen to his story.

"That was when I turned over a new leaf and ended up joining the military. Fast forward to my first combat deployment in which my old squad was sent to help suppress a local insurgency. Mind you, this was before I met Nick and the other's, and when I was still a fresh new private. I was on a rooftop with a Dragunov, uh, the rifle Greg uses," He clarified for Winter, "and was supposed to provide overwatch while the rest of the squad stormed a target building. Why my sergeant assigned the new guy to provide overwatch support by himself is beyond my understanding, but I followed his orders which were to cover the rest of the squad and eliminate any and all hostiles."

I'm sure he thought you could handle it." Winter said with reassurance.

"Hold onto that thought." He deadpanned. "As my squad stacked up to breach and clear the building, a kid, no older than about eight appeared from an alleyway that ran opposite of where my squad was. At first, I didn't think anything of it, but then he reached down to pick something up…an RPG, and he was aiming it at my squad. I knew what I had to do. The kid was in my crosshairs and my finger was wrapped around the trigger…but I froze. My mind raced back to that old man at the train station and how I broke up a family, but I had a duty to my squad mates and pulled the trigger. It would've been a clean kill had I not hesitated and taken the shot a few seconds earlier. The kid fired the rocket right before he went down, and my entire squad was killed in the blast." Winter gasped and put her hand over mouth. Just hearing about the horrible situation Alex was put into was enough to even break her heart. The choice of killing a child to save your squad mates or sparing the child but losing your fellow soldiers is a choice no one should have to go through. And yet Alex had to deal with the worst outcome for both of those situations. "That was when I learned about the price you paid for your actions, and as I stood face to face with the grieving families of my old squad, I vowed to never hesitate or question myself again if it meant the lessor of two horrible outcomes, and I followed through. The missions became more specialized and brutal, with me making the hard choices. So many lives I've taken, and the things I've done to people to follow through with orders were not too different to what I did to Cinder. Yes, countless lives were also saved, but they'll never know what had to be done to save them. I can't speak for Greg, Nick, or Ivan, but all the shit I've done is eating me alive. It's cost me my morals, my ethics, my humanity. I've become so numb to all the violence that it doesn't faze me anymore. Every night, I see the faces of the people I've killed, starting with the old man, then the kid, and then countless others. Then there's the faces of people I tortured in order to save other lives. I always thought about getting the images out of my head by ending it all but I'm too much of coward to pull to the trigger."

For the first time in a very long time, Winter was on the verge of tears. Every word he said was breaking her heart. Here she thought Alex was a perfect well-rounded person, and now she discovered he's been carrying such a burden for the longest time. Alex reached for his discarded pistol and before Winter could slap it away, he motioned her to stop. He pointed it straight up and pulled the trigger. The click that followed revealed that the gun was empty. Alex further demonstrated this by removing the empty magazine and locking the slide back to show a cleared weapon.

"When I dry fire on myself, it gives me the sensation of if I was actually going to blow my brains out. But that split second in which I pull the trigger and the hammer drops, I immediately don't want to go out that way. It's interesting, I say I want to do it but when it comes down to it, I don't want to anymore. So, I do the next best thing, which is excessive drinking, smoking, and reckless behavior."

"And you think that killing yourself is the way to make up for your past?"

"Not anymore I don't. I'm here on Remnant because I literally died. I have no fucking logical explanation for that other than God making me atone for my sins. Once the initial shock of realizing I was not dead and on a new world, I thought I could maybe start over and be a better person, but the universe told me to go fuck myself and now me and my friends are wrapped up in this worlds conflict that involves terrorists and demon animals, oh and let's not forget the immortal Grimm witch queen that's apparently the mastermind behind everything." Under normal circumstances, Alex would've taken Ozpins and Ironwoods description of Salem with a grain of salt, but after being a resident of Remnant for a little over a year, nothing surprises him anymore. "So, to answer your question, I'm coping with everything by drinking, smoking, playing the piano, and dry firing a gun at myself. I thought things were going to be different, but they're just the same as it was back on Earth."

The two sat in silence for God knows how long as Winter contemplated everything she just heard. Her mind raced trying to figure out what to say next, but nothing seemed appropriate. She concluded that she could at least show Alex that he's not alone in this, and that there are people that care about him and all he's done for Remnant. To say Winter was feeling anxious about what she was about to do was a bit of an understatement, but she felt it was the only thing she could do that makes sense right now. She scooted in closer to Alex until they were right next to each other, then reached over and pulled him into an embrace with his head resting on her shoulder. Surprisingly, Alex showed no resistance and simply let it happen. They stayed in this comforting embrace for a good while before Winter broke the silence.

"For what it's worth, I'm glad you're here and alive." She spoke. Alex lifted his head and turned to face her with a weak smile.

"Yeah right. Ever since I got here, things seem to be getting worse the more me and the guys get involved. It's one crisis after another and I feel like I'm turning into a monster. Especially with that look you gave me after Cinder's interrogation. Maybe I…" Alex didn't get the finish due to Winter slapping him across the face. It wasn't a hard slap, but it wasn't a gentle one either.

"Will you stop being so down on yourself?" She looked him dead serious in the eye. "I'll admit, I was shocked and a little frighten at what I saw during that interrogation, but you are not a monster. If it wasn't for you, those people in Oxford would've died. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have captured Cinder Fall and our battle network would've been compromised. If it wasn't for you, Vale would've been destroyed by ANTIFA's attack at the wall. Not to mention, you immediately joined in the defense of Vale during the White Fang breach without a second thought. If it wasn't for you, we would've never learned that Salem is behind everything. And because of that, we now have more time to prepare and revise our battle strategy against her. That doesn't sound like the actions of a monster. You're a good person, Alex. Believe it or not, you're a hero. What happened in the past, is in the past. It's like you told me: 'Nobody's perfect and even the best of us have off days.' All you can do is shake it off and learn from the experience.' And you're not alone in this. You have your friends: Greg, Ivan, Nick, every staff member of Beacon, every Atlesian soldier, my sister's team, most of the student body, and well, you have me." Winter concluded her speech by giving Alex a warm and reassuring smile.

"Using my own words against me? A very devious and underhanded tactic for you. It seems I'm rubbing off on you." Alex replied with a sly grin.

"Don't flatter yourself." She quipped back. If it were anyone else who said something like that to her, she would've been annoyed and rolled her eyes, but Alex seems to be the exception to most things she wouldn't let anyone else get away with. Without warning, Alex wrapped both arms around Winter and pulled her into a deep hug. Winter was surprised by the sudden gesture but was quick to return it as hugging Alex felt…nice.

"Thank you, Winter. Things have been pretty shitty for me lately, but the right company can make it less shitty." Despite the colorful choice of words, Winter couldn't help blushing at the compliment. If it wasn't clear enough for Winter already, then this moment shuts down any doubt in her mind that she, Specialist Winter Schnee, has a strong attraction towards the young Russian soldier. Of course, she knows better than to pursue a relationship with everything going on right now, and not because she has little to no experience in the romance department.

"You're welcome, Alex. Now can you please promise me you'll stop these self-destructive habits?" She paused a moment to comprehend what she just asked. "Or the very least stop pointing a gun at yourself because I realized drinking and smoking are part of your personality." Winter would prefer if he cut back on drinking and stop smoking, but she'll take what she can get. Alex responded with another light chuckle.

"Alright, for you, no more acting like a suicidal, edgy, emo teenager. Check. Drinking is still on the table and maybe I'll cut back on the cigarettes, but no promises." That was certainly more than what Winter expected. "Can I still play the piano?" Alex asked with a sarcastic grin. Winter responded with a slap upside his head, albeit a much gentler and more playful one.

"Of course, you dolt! That's one of the few activities of yours that I agree with and fully encourage. And if I may say, you play very well. You must've been playing for a long time if you can play without any sheet music."

"Thanks. I started playing as a kid and basically taught myself how to play. Overtime, I learned to play many classic compositions without the aid of sheet music, but I still need them for longer and more difficult ones. I've been attempting to record the sheet music for those compositions during my free time when I'm not teaching, training, or hanging out with the guys. I'm making some progress, but it's easier said than done." The discovery of Alex being a self-taught, virtuoso pianist was another thing Winter could add to the list of things she liked about Alex.

"You know, before our little heart to heart, I was listening to you play and was wondering what you were playing?"

"Ode to Joy. It was composed by a man named Ludwig Von Beethoven and is used in the fourth movement of his Ninth Symphony. Keep in mind it was composed long before I was born. I'm talking almost 200 years." Alex explained, leaving Winter surprised at that last part.

"Almost 200 years and people still practice it?" She inquired.

"Oh yes. There's a reason it's called classical music. It's a timeless, steady genre that people still try, and fail to emulate. Guys like Beethoven, Mozart, Liszt, Hayden, Bach, Tchaikovsky, and many others have pretty much set the standard and locked it down. I'm sure a thousand years from now, people will still be playing their music." Alex explained.

"Perhaps you can indulge me in some of their works then? I'd love to hear what the masters of your world have composed that can stand the test of time." She was genuinely interested in learning about some of the cultural aspects of Alex's home, and if she got to spend more time with him discussing them, then it's a win-win situation for Winter.

"It's pretty late right now. Maybe another time?" As much as Alex would love to play more for Winter, it was closing in on three in the morning and he was pretty tired.

"Alright. A later date then. But for now, would you mind playing Ode to Joy again? I'd like to hear it from the beginning." Alex looked her in the eyes and smiled. How could he say no to that face?

"Sure thing." He gave his fingers a quick stretch before he began playing one of the most famous and recognizable pieces in the world that Winter found quite enjoyable to listen to as she rested her head on Alex's shoulder, much to his delight.

Ironwood's office, a few days later

"We have a new target, as well a possible lead on Neopolitan." Ironwood briefed to the occupants in his office which included Winter, Captain Vert, the Ace Ops, and of course, the Russians. He pulled up a photo on his monitor that showed a balding, middle-aged man with tan skin wearing simple street clothing accompanied by what looked like a load bearing vest and a desert scarf around his neck. "Alejandro Rojas. Arms dealer. The largest in Remnant in fact. He's supplied more illegal weapons and Dust in the black market than any other person. He's been on Atlas's most wanted list for years, but he's always slipped away. Now, thanks to the efforts of the Ace-ops and the interrogations, we have multiple sources confirming that Rojas is here in Vale. Intercepted scroll calls have also gave us reason to believe he is the point of contact for the stolen Atlesian hardware, and the supplier for both the White Fang and ANTIFA in Vale." Ironwood explained.

"How is he connected with Neopolitan?" Greg asked.

"Roman Torchwick himself named dropped Rojas. He and the late Cinder Fall frequently met with him to arrange the distribution of weapons and Dust all throughout the city. According to Torchwick, Rojas is hiding out here, in this old shipyard by the city docks." Ironwood pointed out on an overhead map of the city.

"Is Torchwick's information any good, or trustworthy for that matter?" Alex asked.

"With most of the city swept clean by our forces and the Vale police, that shipyard is the only place left that makes sense." Ironwood replied. Not exactly the answer Alex was looking for, but the general seems convinced. Not to mention he looks distraught and exhausted if the five o'clock shadow is any indication.

"So, what's the plan sir?" The leader of the Ace Ops, Clover, asked.

"We're going to be conducting a three-prong attack into the shipyard. Clover, your team will be deployed here and infiltrate from the south." Clover and the rest of the Ace Ops gave a curt nod. "Specialist Schnee will be accompanied by Sgt. Volkov's squad and will strike from the north." Winter also gave a curt nod while Alex gave a lazy thumbs up in response. The other Russians didn't react. "Meanwhile, Captain Vert will be commanding a detachment of our forces and will be the main assault force coming in from the east. With Vale's harbor blockaded, Rojas won't be able to escape out to sea and he'll be trapped."

"Sir, is it really necessary to be sending in such a large force to go after one man?" The Ace Operative known as Vine asked.

"Our intel shows that Rojas practically has a small army under his command comprised mostly of mercenaries, and local gang members and criminals that managed to slip away from our forces in the city. Make no mistake, Rojas is priority one, and we will not let anyone get in the way. All unidentified personnel in the shipyard area are to be declared hostile and dealt with as such. Understood?"

"Yes sir." Everyone replied.

"Now, I know Neopolitan was our primary target, but thanks to our efforts in tracking her down, she's lead us to a bigger target. She has nowhere else to run to and if she happens to be with Rojas, all efforts should be made to capture her as well, but Rojas is still first priority. We don't have the element of surprise or time on our side, so be prepared to move out within the hour. Once Captain Vert begins his assault, both of your teams will move and track down Rojas." Ironwood indicated to Clover and Winter, respectively. "Remember, we need him alive, he's no good to us dead. Dismissed." With the briefing concluded, the room occupants left to get ready and move out. Captain Vert immediately headed for the vehicle depot, leaving the Ace Ops and the Russians, plus Winter, to themselves.

"So, Alex. Who's going to be the squad who bags Rojas?" Clover asked in usual confident attitude.

"As long as we get the bastard, I don't give a fuck." He dryly replied. To the Russians, the Ace Ops come across as a group of arrogant try-hards. Yes, they certainly are very good combatants, but they don't have much unit cohesion and esprit de corps. Out of the five, Clover and Marrow were the most likeable that the Russians could actually tolerate having conversations with. They didn't have strong feelings about Vine one way or the other as the man didn't have much to say. Though Nick joked that not only did Vine remind him of a Tibetan monk, but he also seemed to act like one too. The others couldn't disagree with that statement. The female members of the group however, they're not the biggest fans of them. The arrogant and cocky energy the Russians picked up on were definitely coming from Harriet and Elm. Harriet especially. Alex wasn't sure why she had a chip on her shoulder, but he didn't care. If these were the people Ironwood was talking about as potential candidates for forming a unit like theirs, Ironwood can forget it. Alex doesn't need to look hard to see that they don't have the right mindset. Maybe Clover, but that's a stretch at best.

Likewise, the Ace Ops aren't the biggest fans of the Russians either. To them, the Russians seem far too intense and brutal in their fighting based on what they've seen and heard about them. There's also the concern that they're a competing force for General Ironwoods attention. The Ace Ops were always the best of the best, but these unknown newcomers are all the General seems to be focused on lately. The fact that the Russians have completed several dangerous missions without the aid of Aura and Semblances also struck a nerve to the Ace Ops. They hope that by capturing Rojas first, they can still show the General that they're still the top force in the Atlesian military.

"Spoken like a true soldier. Well, no need to waste anymore time. Let's get to it." Clover rallied the rest of his squad to follow him down the corridor, leaving Winter alone with the Russians.

"Yeah, I don't like those guys." Nick commented.

"Save it, Nick. We have a job to do." Alex replied. Winter gave a curt nod before motioning them to follow her.

Vale Shipyards

"Come on hurry! There's no telling when we'll be crawling up to our asses in Atlesian soldiers!" Rojas shouted to some of his subordinates. Said subordinates were working on moving crates of Dust and loading them onto the docked tanker ships. Rojas knew that he was next on the Atlesian hitlist and needed to get out of Vale ASAP. The Atlesian forces storming through the city coupled with their air fleet maintaining a perimeter around the city made things extremely difficult, but not impossible. While he wouldn't be able to escape by land or air, he could still go by sea.

Despite being more heavily invested in their air fleet, the Atlesians still maintain a sizeable force of sea-fairing vessels that are just as vital to their power projection capabilities as the air ships. Atlesian battleships, armed to the teeth to deal with any threat, be it Grimm or other, were currently in Vale's harbor maintaining a blockade to prevent ship access in or out. Unless of course it was a scheduled shipment or departure, in which the Atlesian Navy would board the ships and search them top to bottom before they could continue their voyage.

Now Rojas knew he couldn't just set sail on a ship without getting sunk by the navy. That's why he's going to sail under the naval blockade via submarines. Moving weapons and Dust overland, by air, or surface vessel is very noticeable, but travel underwater and everyone is none the wiser. He had a nice gig going for a while with Cinder Fall contracting him to move massive shipments of weapons into Vale for an equally massive amount of cash, and then pass them off to local crime lords like Roman Torchwick to distribute them throughout the city. He didn't care what the plan was so long as he got paid, and boy did he. But with Vale and Atlas cracking down hard with unlimited authority and no restrictions, the party's over. Luckily, he had a fool-proof plan on escaping from Vale. Simply load up a few tanker ships with as much Dust and explosives as possible, then have them run full speed at the blockade. Whether the Atlesian battleships can sink them before they hit, or if they take down some of the battleships, it doesn't matter. Rojas and his crew will be well hidden in their submarines. The Atlesian Navy will be too distracted with the explosive filled ships to notice them slip past the blockade and by the time they figure out what happened, he'll be long gone.

Of course, not everyone is going to be able to escape with him as he only has three submarines with limited capacity. It seems that every scumbag in Vale that wasn't captured by the Atlesians found their way to him seeking refuge. He was merciful enough to allow them refuge, if only to be used as cannon fodder for the inevitable Atlesian intervention. Besides, someone needs to pilot the tankers towards the blockade. At least Rojas was nice enough to outfit the tanker ships with heavy weapons to give the illusion that everyone can escape Vale.

Rojas continued moving throughout the yard, taking note of the progress before reaching his personal headquarters beneath the dry docks. Here is where the submarines are docked, well hidden from the outside and guarded by his mercenaries. It was also here that his newest additions to his growing "army" stood on guard. The remnants of Vale's ANTIFA cell and their leader, the imposing figure known as Crucifix.

"Rojas, is everything almost ready?" Crucifix called out to him. After their defeat at the wall, the remaining ANTIFA terrorists were cut off from the rest of the organization with no additional support. They needed to get out of Vale and regroup with another cell. Lucky for them, the same man who supplied them for their attack at the wall could also be their ticket out of the city in exchange for providing additional security.

"Almost. The ships are just about loaded up. We'll wait until the cover of nightfall to give us the best chance of staying hidden while we're underway and the ships run the blockade. Provided all goes according to plan, we'll be in Vacuo in a couple of days." Rojas said with enthusiasm.

"Do not underestimate the Atlesians. They appear to have a special forces unit that specializes in counterinsurgency. I have no doubt that they were the ones who stopped us at the wall." Crucifix explained. Before Rojas could reply one of his mercenaries interrupted.

"Sir, you have a visitor." The mercenary said with a straight face.

"Another one? Every criminal that I know of that isn't in Atlesian custody is already here. Who is it?" On cue, the visitor stepped forward into the light to reveal herself. "Neo? I thought you were captured alongside your boss?" Rojas said with surprise. The small, ice cream girl simply shook her head "no."

"You look like you've been through hell." Crucifix commented. While arming up for their attack on the wall, Neo was the liaison that he dealt with from time to time. And while Crucifix didn't pay much attention to Neo, he could easily see the bags under her eyes, the dirt and grime that covered her clothes, and the fact that she was thinner due to not eating much. No doubt she's been on the run, trying to avoid capture by the Atlesians. While her Semblance is very useful, she can't maintain it forever especially with the Atlesians and Vale police literally watching everyone's steps. She tried to hideout with some of her and Roman's know associates and contacts but again, the Atlesians have shut them down at every turn leaving her without any place to rest and backing her into a corner. And just like everyone else, she ended up in the company of Alejandro Rojas. Neo just looked at Crucifix with a face that said he was stating the obvious.

"Hang on." Rojas said before tossing a tablet to her so she can at least write out what she's saying.

"I hear you're leaving for Vacuo. I want in." The tablet read. Rojas grinned.

"I thought you were going to try and bust out your boss?" He asked.

"I don't know where he's being kept…or if he's even alive." Neo "said" with a straight face.

"Alright, I guess we can squeeze one more into the subs. But that's it. Everyone else is on their own once the Atlesians close in on us."

"Speaking of which, do have a plan for if they get here before we're ready to move?" Crucifix asked.

"As a matter of fact of I do. Now Crucifix, you mentioned that those Atlesians who attacked your forces at the wall had some sort of special attack that nullified your Auras, yes?" Rojas asked, to which the ANTIFA leader nodded.

"They tore through it like it was non-existent." He answered as Rojas made his way over to a shipping crate covered in Atlesian military markings.

"What if I told you they were using a new ammunition type designated as Aura Piercers?"

"I'd say your crazy because the only known Aura Piercing ammunitions are extremely rare and so expensive that only the wealthiest can afford them."

"That use to be the case, but this last shipment I received before the Atlesians locked down the city had some rather interesting toys in it." Rojas reached into the crate and pulled out a newly made rifle that had a strong resemblance to an AK style rifle. He tossed it to Crucifix so he could take a closer look. It was definitely brand new with a shiny white finish like the standard Atlesian service rifle. The designation on the side read, "AX-3, ATLESIAN EXPERIMENTAL RIFLE- VARIANT 3," and it was chambered for "5.45x39mm XAP."

"XAP ammo?" Crucifix asked. Rojas tossed him a box magazine for the rifle filled with what looks like normal bullets. A closer inspection reveals that the bullets don't have a Dust infused tip.

"Experimental Aura Piercing ammunition. It seems that old General Ironwood found the key for making such an ammunition type in large quantities for a much cheaper price…at least according to the specification manuals." Rojas replied with a booklet in hand that contained all the information on the new ammunition.

"You're telling me they have new ammunition that makes Aura useless?"

"Maybe not entirely useless, but it can certainly shift the balance of power between Huntsmen and non-Aura users. The point is everyone here is armed with these new weapons and ammo. If the Atlesians do try and attack before we're ready, we'll have a little surprise for them." Rojas said with a grin. Crucifix then loaded the magazine into the rifle he was holding and pulled the charging handle to load a round into the chamber. He too, had a satisfied grin underneath his mask.

"This for all who fell at the wall." He said, getting a feel for the new rifle.

"Neo?" Rojas asked while holding a pistol out for her. She took a moment to look it over before taking it. Rojas then tossed her a magazine filled with Aura Piercing pistol ammunition. She loaded the magazine and rocked the slide back, loading a round in the chamber. Like the other two, Neo also had a satisfying grin on her face.

"They'll never know what hit them." Rojas said with the utmost confidence.

A/N:

First off, yes there's a lot of references to other mediums of entertainment. i.e. Alejandro Rojas I'm pretty sure was from Modern Warfare 2 in the Favela missions. And if some stuff seems to be reference to real life events...purely coincidental.

This past year has been pretty rough on me. Not so much with COVID and that bullshit, but trying to figure myself out. You know, thinking about how I should've accomplished more at my age, struggling in college, no job, few friends, no girlfriend, wondering if everything I'm doing is worth it in the end. Normal stuff I think about. It got to the point that I was going through life on auto pilot. I didn't want to get out of bed, my grades were slipping in college, lost all motivation to do stuff, first stuff I enjoyed, and then stuff I had to do like schoolwork. I do have friends out here, but I feel sometimes like the "expendable" friend. You know, they don't invite you out unless you're right there when plans are being made, every time you try to speak, someone speaks up louder and changes the subject. That kind of stuff.

I'm doing better now, mostly because the semester is over with. Plus, I realized accounting is not for me and decided to get a job where I work with my hands. I'll still finish my degree, but if only because I'm 99% done with it.

Anyway, thanks for being patient and supporting the story.

Hawk out.