"...no news from the African front, as of yet-wait, wait, hold on, folks. I think we're getting something. Yes! It's been confirmed! Heer troops have been sighted fighting American soldiers. God help us, the Germans have officially entered the war..."
-Walter Cronkite, reporting on the South African War, CBS Evening News, 1963
I don't know how, I don't know why, but I had the misfortune to be staring down the white haired bitch from earlier. Fuck me. Fuck me.
It was her, for sure. White hair, icy eyes, a weird coat with a snowflake on it. Wearing heels in the damn woods. Most fashion choices around here are really fucking ineffecinent. I'm somehow better dressed for combat here than the damn natives.
She also had a fucking sword. Go figure.
Fucking Bluebloods. Rich people. Bunch of assholes too high up on their horse.
She seemed to size me up, looking me up and down, momentarily glancing at my US Army insignia, before moving down to visually examine my rifle. I still really needed to ditch some of my old Army gear, now that I thought of it. 101st patch, Army patch. Keep the dog tags, though. Couldn't ditch those.
Again, OFN armband is long gone. Other than that, I should be fine.
But first, I needed to clear this whole situation up with my oh so lovely partner.
Gulping, then clearing my throat, I attempt to salvage this entire situation.
"...Hello, ma'am. It seems to me that we are...partners.", I state neutrally, hiding my disdain for her.
"...It appears we are.", she seems to concede.
It was clear to the both of us that whatever happened between us before, it COULD NOT affect us now. We were in enemy territory. Grimm infested territory. We'd probably get ourselves killed by keeping up our petty little argument. And I don't intend to be mauled to death.
"I think, for the sake of our...immediate survival, we should...put aside our previous disagreements, at least for now. After all, we are partners now, right?", I say, doing my best to sound friendly and forgiving. I was giving a fake smile, too.
She sighed, clearly still not sure about me, and introduced herself.
"Weiss Schnee, Heiress to the Schnee Dust Company.". She said this with a hint of pride, as well. Too bad that name ain't got no use on me.
"Yeah, never heard of it. Call me John, John Tibbets. It's a...pleasure to meet you, Weiss."
I hated talking to her in a friendly manner so soon, but fuck it. I need her to carry my ass to the temple with her soul magic bullshit. I had no qualms with that.
"Just so you know, you still have to answer for that dust incident.", Weiss reminded me, before strutting off in a way that pissed me off for no apparent reason.
Grunting in silent frustration, I kept pace with her, keeping my rifle level. I still was on high alert, no matter what. White haired gal or not, I still needed to keep my instincts sharp.
Weiss seemed to share my caution, at the very least. She kept the same pace as I, her hand on the hilt of her sword-thing. At least I was partnered with someone who kinda knew what they were doing. I could take some solace in that.
She was at least as better trained than some people I'd met, at least. I'd give her some credit for that.
I believed we were getting closer now, ever closer. I was trudging through the woods, just as before, but I had some help now. I had a much better chance, with Mighty Whitey's help.
Foolishly, for a second, I thought I was gonna have an easy ride back to the school with her assistance.
Things never seem to be that simple.
I heard a deep, animalistic growl, and stopped. Slowly, I managed to get the feeling that something wasn't right.
Because just behind us, there were several large, black animals stalking us.
Fuck me.
Later
It doesn't go without saying that running away sucks. It makes me feel like a pussy, a bitch like my dad used to say I was. In his defense, he was mostly joking, but I did learn some lessons about running in Africa.
Sometimes, you need to cut your losses to save your own ass. This was one of those times.
Weiss and I had sprinted the fuck out of that hellhole (albiet with I taking my fair share of kills) and regrouped once more. Neither of us wanted to be devoured today, so our swift exit was a shared plan.
After a few minutes of sprinting, we seemed to arrive at the forest temple, our goal. It was a shitty looking place, and in ruins. But this was the place.
Taking a seat on the steps, I open my M1910 aluminum canteen and guzzle down some of my water, as Weiss kneels in the grass, panting. My lips and throat were dry, so it felt great to get some water down my gullet.
Time to do the opposite and smoke.
Glancing at Weiss, who was currently preoccupied with recovering from our long chase, I quickly lit a cigarette and took a long drag from it. Thanks to Mann, I had plenty to spare. Still needed to make that damn Reb flag for him. Bastard wants to hang it on his wall. I wonder if any of these damn kids will ask about it. Pretty likely. Lee better be real careful.
I finish my quick smoke, and discard the remains, strapping my lighter back on my helmet. Standing up, I gesture to Weiss, who is still panting.
"So, Weiss. Are you alright?", I ask, keeping my tone cautious and neutral.
"I'm...I'm fine. I wasn't expecting that many Grimm to chase us the whole way to the temple. I am...thankful for your help.", she seems to concede.
Slinging my M16A1 over my shoulder, I kneel down, asking, "You're looking a bit pale. You need some water?"
I'd admit, I still wasn't sure how I felt about Weiss. She was still kind of a bitch, just like my sister was, and she had treated me kinda shitty. But we were partners now. And right now, my survival depended on her leading me to safety through this trial of the insane fucking Wizard of Oz. Ozpin. And she had saved my ass during our long er-, tactical retreat. I guess I could take some of my mom's more idealistic advice for once. Forgive and Forget.
Weiss sighed, responding, "That would be...appreciated, thank you.". It seemed she was equally as cautious around me. Fair enough.
Tossing the canteen to her, she caught it quickly, downing what was left of my water supply. Not a big deal. Could refill it at a water fountain or something. After she finished guzzling gas like my car from high school, she briefly examined the metal canteen.
Shit. The thing still had US markings on it. Another damn liability.
Weiss tilted her head at the lettering, before losing interest and handing it back to me. Dusting off her dress (why in hell is she wearing a while skirt in the woods?), she seems to regain some of her previous composure.
"So, temple, we're here. What'd we do?", I ask, looking her in the eye.
"Well, it appears we have to pick up those...chess pieces?"
Turning around, I see clear as day, chess pieces. These are the fucking relics? Game pieces? Was this some kind of metaphor?
"Fucking chess of all things?", I say incredulously.
"...Why do you swear so much?", Weiss asked, eyeing me.
"Why don't you mind your own business?", I snapped. Again, she had earned some respect. But she was still kind of a bitch.
That irked her, I could tell, but she stayed quiet. Walking to the temple, the two of us examined the pieces present. Pawns, knights, all that shit.
"So we just take one?", I turn to her, motioning to the pieces.
"I believe so."
"Any preference?"
Shaking her head, I took a black knight, simply because it looked cool.
"I guess that's a wrap. We did pretty well, considering our...previous encounters.", I say, treading carefully with my words.
Weiss seemed to somewhat agree, responding, "...Perhaps. We certainly managed to work well together, Tibbets."
"You can call me John, y'know. I don't mind...partner."
The tension previously between us seems to lessen significantly. We weren't friends yet, not by a long way. But at the very least, we would give each other the benefit of the doubt. I guess that's all I could really ask for.
...Now that I realize it, she was...oddly cute, for a bitchy girl. A bit pale, but still attracti-
What the fuck am I doing? I am NOT a fucking creep.
Christ, John! What is wrong with you? You ugly piece of trash. Don't even think about it. You couldn't protect your mom, your dad, or even your fucking country!
You can't be thinking of love or shit like that anymore. Not after...her.
A truckload of guilt hit me like a storm. Even after all this time, I still...missed her. Blonde hair. FN rifle. SADF uniform. I still could see her clearly. I still hated myself over what happened.
"I've got heartaches by the number, troubles by the storm…".
Those lyrics still stuck with me.
A part of me will go to my grave still in love. But damn that part of me to Hell. I need to move on. For good.
Let's just hope I will.
"Are you okay?", Weiss asked, snapping me out of my train of thought, "You looked a little...strange for a second."
"I'm perfectly fine.", I say, shutting down my own memories. Burying them and locking them up tight. "Just a little...tired is all. Can you blame me?"
She seemed to accept this answer, as we turned to leave for the Cliffs once more.
Or we would have, if it wasn't for new arrivals.
Falling from the sky, I could spot Bier and...was that Ruby?
Fuck's sake.
Emerald Forest
Joseph R. Bier
Bier was definitely not suited to Beacon.
Not including the fact that he was from Arizona, was older than most of the kids here, and didn't have "magic soul bullshit", he was also more experienced.
First joining the US Army around the end of 1962 from an Arizona recruiting station, he was swiftly sent to Fort Campbell, Kentucky to begin training with the 101st Airborne, now a helicopter assault division. That wasn't to say that their platoon hadn't trained in parachuting as the division had in World War 2, during the Defense of Britain, but Air Assault was their new doctrine.
Tibbets, then only a private, had bonded over their states being neighbors (California and Arizona), and they had been frequently paired together.
Not long after, they were shipped to Capetown to break the siege of the German-backed Boers against the capital.
It was hell. But that hell made them stronger and gave them their legendary reputation for being competent. The experience paved their way to victory.
None of that damn experience was of falling from the sky with no parachute. Twice.
Ruby may have had an aura, but he didn't. And he was probably going to die.
So flapping his arms to no avail, he yelled as he plummeted, hoping that Ruby would save his ass as the ground got closer.
Within an instant, he had been caught by Ruby, as they had reached the ground safely.
Panting, he looks up at his savior's face, muttering a thanks as she slowly drops him to the ground.
"...Are...are you ok, Joe?", Ruby asked, clearly worried as she clutched her scythe.
"Fine and dandy, Ruby. Fine and dandy.", Bier replied, slowly getting up, dusting himself off and checking his M60. Still good.
"Joe! Holy shit, Joe, what the hell was that?", he heard Tibbets' voice as the man himself ran over.
"I call that an emergency landing.", Bier cheekily replied, slightly limping.
"Shut your ass up and form up. Oh, hi, Ruby.", Tibbets greeted Bier's new partner, waving.
"Hi, John! Who's your partner?", Ruby asked curiously, dusting off her very impractical looking skirt.
"That's uhhh...Weiss Schnee, she's rich or something.", Tibbets shrugged, gesturing to Weiss.
"Really? You got partnered with…", Bier's voice lowered, continuing, "That bitch?"
Shrugging, Tibbets replied, "It is what it is. She did save my ass a couple times, at least. Gotta count for something."
"If you say so, John. You're the boss."
"Damn right I am, now grab your pieces so we can fuck off together.", Tibbets smirked, ordering his old friend around.
"Yes, sir!", Bier saluted, grabbing his chess pieces before returning to Ruby and the other two.
Weiss narrowed her eyes at Tibbets, questioning, "Do you and…'Joe' know each other?"
Tibbets immediately glanced at Bier, who shrugged, not having a cover story.
"We uhh...grew up together back home. He's an old friend.", Tibbets nonchalantly stated.
Bier piped up with, "Yep, same with Lee and Steve!".
"Mm. Where are those two assholes, anyway? Bastards better not be making out with some girls while we're running our ass off.", Tibbets asked.
As if on cue, out of the woods came Mann and...the blonde girl who had whistled at Tibbets. Christ, if this ain't a party, he didn't know what was. This was going to get weird fast.
"Lee! Get you and your partners' asses over here!", Tibbets ordered the two new arrivals, waving them down. Mann ran up to them, sweating.
"Well, I'll be damned, John. You and Bier got partnered?", Mann smiled.
"Not exactly. I got the white bitch from earlier, Bier got hooked up with Ruby over there!"
"Hi, Lee!", Ruby waved.
"Hello, ma'am. Well, fuck, I got partenred with Ruby's sister here. John, you remember Yang?"
Nodding cautiously, Tibbets replies, "Yep. I certainly do. I certainly do."
"Now, where's Fischer? I would've thought that damn Spook would have gotten here fast.", Mann wondered aloud.
"Hell if I know.", Bier stated, wiping the sweat from his brow.
The cock of a pistol was heard behind Bier, as a low voice warned, "Hands up, cowpoke."
Bier turned his head to look, momentarily halted by fear, "...Fischer?"
The gun was put away, as Fischer stepped out of the shadows accompanied by the bow wearing girl.
"Sweet virgin Mary, Spook! I could've fucking killed you!", Tibbets berated Fischer, visibly irritated.
"It was all in good fun, John. Besides, I seriously doubt you could beat me so easily.", Fischer smirked.
This was all a ploy to push Tibbets' buttons, of course. He loved doing it. It was all according to plan.
"Wanna fucking bet, Spook? Do you want to take that fucking gamble?", Tibbets seethed, getting up close and personal with him, a vein in his forehead bulging.
For a second, Fischer seriously considered it. He almost wanted to take the risk.
But remembering all the things that the Lieutenant had done in their various missions and campaigns, he found himself questioning the worth of such a treacherous path.
"No, no thank you, John. I'd rather keep all my teeth.", Fischer nonchalantly answered, yawning.
"That's what I fucking thought. Now that the gang's all here, why don't we get the fuck out of here?", Tibbets suggested.
"That seems like the best idea right now.", Blake agreed, holding her strange sword/bow combination at hand.
"I'd have to agree with my partner here, considering there's a...giant Nevermore coming towards us!", Weiss suddenly shouted.
Sure enough, an angry screech came from above as large, black feathers rained hell down upon us.
This will not be pretty.
Emerald Forest
John C. Tibbets
THERE'S A BIG FUCKING BIRD TRYING TO EAT US! HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!
Christ, I need to calm down. But how? Again, big fucking bird that's going to chop us up with it's bigass beak.
Get it together, John. Think of it as...a Stuka from the 40s! A really big Stuka! Yeah, there you go!
So how do I shoot down a big Stuka with no AA or P-51Ds?
My eyes widened as I remembered the M72 LAW we brought. Holy shit, this was perfect! I just needed to aim right.
First, we needed to get a good position.
Our 8 man group were sprinting our asses off to the cliffs, though the girls were way too fast, we barely kept up. Christ, we needed that magic soul bullshit quick, or else we'd be up shit creek with no paddle. And I didn't want to swim in shit.
Our group fled through the trees, the big fucking bird in hot pursuit. Coming across a large stone bridge, we saw the cliffs up ahead.
This was a good a spot as any.
"Alright, boys, form up here!", I shout, getting the M72 loaded and ready as Bier sets up the M60 as a sort of AA.
"John, what are you doing?"
"We can't get to safety if this thing's still kicking. I've got a plan!", I tell them.
"I'm listening!", Yang tells me as everyone else seems to agree.
"I need all of you to draw this damn thing into a straight path so I can hit it. I'm a good shot with this thing!", I say, turning to my platoon, "That goes for you assholes, too! Straight line, should take one hit. I'll be damned if I don't at least try to take this thing!"
Blake's bow seems to twitch for a second, though it could have been a trick of the light. She nods, silent as ever.
Ruby seems excited, already shifting her weapon into sniper form, shouting. "Let's do this!"
Yang smashes her fists together, thrilled about this whole ordeal. I don't know who'd be thrilled about this shitshow, but I ain't one to talk.
Weiss, my partner, seems to think it over, wondering if she could do better, but concedes and prepares for the fight.
"It's go time!", I order, and the plan is set in motion.
It really was simple in concept. 'Make bird go straight'. But in practice?
Very difficult.
This damn thing wasn't baited easily, even as Bier's M60 tore into it from the bridge, and as Mann and Ruby kept making potshots at the damn thing.
And there was me, staring the thing down from the sight of the M72 LAW, waiting for my shot.
It was taking a few minutes, before finally, the thing decided to make a dive bomb. Fucking finally.
"Backblast clear!", I ordered, preparing for my shot.
The bird's red eyes were staring at me. I could tell. It hated me, it wanted me dead. And vice versa. Vice fucking versa. This winged shit was dead.
I saw it's claws reach out for me, only about 50 feet away.
I fired at 40 feet.
At 30 feet, the rocket slammed into the bird's head.
At 20, it's body collided with the bridge, the head rolling away into the abyss.
Things would have been a lot simpler if the weight of all the things on the stone didn't make it collapse.
A large crack was heard as the structure gave way to the abyss, and as I backed up away the ever growing pit. The M72 was dropped, on accident as I struggled to crawl to safety.
When I finally made it to the other side, there was nothing but dust and debris.
Panting, I wipe dust from my brow as I hear Yang pipe up, "...That must a been a helluva drop."
And then I heard Mann chuckle.
I fucking hate these guys.
Later
"Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie. From this day forward, you will work together as team JNPR.", Ozpin announced.
Christ, these people's names are fucking dumb.
"Led by...Jaune Arc!"
Oh, that team is going downhill. That blonde kid looks like a pussy.
"Ruby Rose, Joseph Bier, George Mann, Yang Xiao Long. From this day forward you will work together as Team RYGB (Ridgeback).
"Led by...Ruby Rose!"
"John Tibbets, Weiss Schnee, Steven Fischer, and Blake Belladonna."
Here we fucking go. On stage time. AND I'm paired with the Spook. Fantastic.
"From this day forward, you will be known as Team TBWF (Timberwolf)."
"Led by...John Tibbets!"
Weiss immediately looked at me, seemingly shocked.
I'm fucked, aren't I?
...Well, that's not a bad team name,
Maybe our luck is getting just a bit better.
AN: I'm really sorry about the wait. And for the other stories I need to write. But here I am!
Team names are here, which is great to see, and the plot is getting underway. Now it's time for reviews.
Guest: I'm glad you enjoyed the Goering quote, man. Happy to hear it.
Brian.H.H: Yeah, we'll be seeing POV switches quite a bit. And on Fischer, that's part of his character. On the outside, he's more refined, but his inner thoughts are what he is in a casual setting. (He's also from Texas, but keeps the accent suppressed for obvious reasons, being CIA). Hope that clears things up.
Nukeblast81: Yeah, we're gonna have a lot of period-accurate racism, because it's needed. Plus, it's hilarious! We'll cover ammo later.
And with that, I say goodbye for now.
"We have destroyed Himmler's poopenfarten, what will an American burger do against us?" -Hermann Goering, shortly before getting his ass blasted by American ICBMs.
