AN: Hey guys yea miss me? No. Figures. I'm sorry for skipping last weeks update, I've had a lot between dealing with that ass of a director for band, you must get permission to leave a fine arts class from the director. I play Tuba, You might see the problem. But that was last week! what was holding me back this time? Well some family came in from Colorado for the week and I was expected to talk to them. Oh and I started writing a new fanfic, it's *gasp* a react fic. Yep you can throw those rotten tomatoes now. First chapter is Ruby stealing my laptop and watching the Prepare to Cry on Artorias. Eh that's enough author update for now. Not much happens this chapter, We move the BTR and get some plans going about restoring our motor pool. Oh and someone happens to see a pretty lady!
The two Americans Made their way back to the dorm to change into their spare uniforms and set the bloodied ones the wore to wash. They eventually found their way back to BTR's wreck. The dining hall had been practically sealed. Currently the staff had set up a dozen or so tents and were cooking under them. Students were everywhere They took notice that the bodies had been bagged and taken to the morgue where the rest of what would be considered Airborne lay. Adam grimly noted that the two squads still needed their final rites along with their four Slavics.
"What did Krauss do with his men?"
Jonathan looked up from the pile of spent shells he was collecting. "Sir?"
"What did Krauss do with his men, they all died. He said he gave them their final rites but I don't see any graves."
"I don't know." He replied. After mulling it over for a few seconds he asked. "Doesn't he spend a lot of time near the cliff?"
"Yeah… did he throw them off?"
"While the Sarge has a few screws loose I don't think he'd do that."
Adam sighed. "I guess we'll ask him when he wakes up. Come one let's take care of the BTR."
The two walked over and crawled inside. Adam reached up and began to unfasten the rifle rack mounted to the ceiling, while Jonathan was pulling storage bins from their impromptu mountings and putting them outside.
"The Barracks can't have enough room for all this shit." Stated Jonathan. Adam looked at the growing pile and the still quite full APC. Their quarters were already crowded and cramped, there was no way they could fit all the arrival's gear in the remaining space.
"Your right. We could throw this shit with the Humvee, that hanger has a good deal of space in it still. Will have to contact Ozpin though." Jonathan switched to Italian.
"Are you sure about that sir, that hanger has pretty loose security. Bravo site is still mostly empty, and."
Adam cut him off before he finish. "Doesn't exist yet. Besides we still would need more room. I'll call Ozpin and see if we can get some heavy lift gear or a few extra hands." Adam stepped away for a few minutes to place the call.
"Alright we have a bullhead on the way, put everything back and seal it tight."
The two began transferring the pile back to the BTR. In ten minutes the task was complete. The two sat on the top of the APC. A cigarette and a cigar burned in their teeth.
(It's the mid 40's everyone smoked, hell it was even "good" for you.)
"I miss the front." Stated Jonathan dejectedly. "We had our lives there, this world is just so alien to us, even Krauss is out of place here." He took a drag on his cigarette and exhaled a plume of smoke. "Were not these super hero huntsmen, we're soldiers Adam, what are we doing."
Adam leaned back into the remains of the turret. "I really don't know John." He took a long breath through his cigar. "What else are we supposed to do? We took an oath to serve The States, those don't exist anymore. Krauss is trying to protect those who can't protect themselves. Maybe we should join that belief. What else would we do, become teachers? We both make horrible school teachers." The both laughed. Acting like a pair of drill sergeants would probably not work out so well here. "God I miss her." He muttered under his breath.
Jonathan said. "I'm sure Alice is doing fine sir, she was smart enough to marry you after all." They sat back and simply thought about what they had done that led up to this cluster fuck.
The two Airborne were brought out of their internal monologues by the wail of a bullhead's engines. The two stamped out their respective cancer sticks, stood up, and waved down the transport. It was quite a bit Beefier than the ones they had ridden before. The crew chief had opened the door and waved down at them.
Adam gave a thumbs up, and ropes were deployed from a hatch on the bottom. The crew chief had rappelled down the help. The two took a moment to admire her form.
"You boys need a hand?" She asked.
They nodded, still trying to form words. They really had no reason to make a flightsuit that formfitting.
"Could always use a local expert." Replied Adam.
They started to wrap the tow ropes around the BTR, if one watched closely, Jonathan's eyes never left the the crew chief for more then a few seconds. Within a few minutes they had the BTR correctly roped and ready for transport to the hanger. The three hopped on top of the APC and held on to the ropes.
She yelled up towards aircraft "Spin them up Ben!"
The pitch of the engines changed and the force of the downdraft increased as they lifted off the ground.
"So You two those aliens everyone's talking about."
"Eh if that's what they want to call us. We're just four soldiers who want to help." Said Adam.
She nodded "Didn't peg you for the crazies half the school thinks you are. What the hell is this thing, a tank?" She tapped her foot against the hull.
"Kinda, it's ahead our time. You'd have to ask Sergeant Krauss, he'd be able to tell you." Stated Adam. The three felt the APC under them lurch as the bullhead declarate.
"This is our stop. if you have any more tanks ya need moved, don't hesitate to call. My callsign is Foehammer."
The three started to unravel the rope around the BTR. After a minute of work, the BTR was free of its bindings.
"Will take it from here, See you around Foehammer." Said Jonathan.
Foehammer grabbed onto the tow rope and yanked twice. With a weir she rose up into the belly of the transport and it flew away.
"Well she was certainly a looker private." Said Adam.
He said "Hun? Oh yeah, definitely a nice one…"
Adam grabbed him by the arm and led him over to the door controls.
"Come along now lover boy you'll get your chance soon."
Jonathan's face flushed slightly. "What! Sir I don't have any feeling for her."
Adam finished getting the door open and unlocked and stepped inside.
"Nothing wrong about liking a pretty lady private. Now let's get this scrap moved in here. Now if I remember, there should be a pair of forklifts over here." He walked over to a pair of doors that would belong to a freight elevator. Two four digit codes later they opened to reveal two shiny forklifts. They maneuvered them to pick up to APC along the middle.
"Alright, on three raise your forks. Ready? One, two, three raise."
In unison the two raised the forks lifting the BTR into the air. The slowly pulled back into the hanger and set it down near the side. Checking their work, the saw the Humvee still had enough room to exit.
"Ok we're done here. Seal it up and let's get to class." Ordered Adam
The machine gunner walked out and set the doors to close and lock.
"Good on this end sir."
"Alright close em."
With a ratcheting sound the door began to close. They slammed together with a massive clang of hardened steel.
"Alright we missed Ports lecture from hell so that gives us twenty minutes to get to Professor Myrtle's algebra." Glanced at the scroll he held." And it will take us thirty to get there. double time it private." The two sprinted off.
The day passed and by morning Wilhelm had been cleared from the infirmary, Krauss was still in his power nap of healing. The three had been "cleared" by their robot to sort out the BTR's internal storage. Apparently whoever those people were had used it as a mobile base. A lot of research notes were collected for Krauss to later decipher. Turns out the BTR's axles were busted but repairable. The gun was completely useless. They had no ammunition, and the barrel was bent at a 45 degree angle. Over all the vehicle was salvageable. They had one major problem. They had 50 gallons of gas at max between the two vehicles. Krauss had been doing some research on trying to use Dust for the engines and was coming close to Bearing fruit before his injury.
Five days passed before Krauss woke up from his coma. Within an hour of receiving the news he was abducted by Airborne to help on the Conversion project for the two engines and notes. Around noon Airborne noticed that their "Radar" had picked up a trio of massive contacts. They tore the Javelin that the BTR had been carring from its rack and rushed outside. They quickly set up the launcher. Krauss aimed the launcher in the direction of the radar returns
"Ok they should be comeing out of the clouds right about...Oh fuck." The contacts were three massive airships close to a kilometer long. Krauss lowered the launcher from his shoulder.
"We're gonna need a bigger gun." Whispered Krauss.
"If I hit the bridge…."
"you'd just piss it off, stand down Sergeant. Go get geared up now, We need to have some words with the headmaster." The three sprinted to their room to grab armor and weapons. In five minutes, they were on their way to the headmasters office. As they ran past the landing fields, they saw the ship's slowly coming in to dock and unload.
"Shit! Double time it Airborne we are not equipped to deal with this."
They started sprinting, the belts draped around the machine gunners jingled as they moved. They got a lot of odd looks from passing students. Airborne was infamous for the bizarre actions the Fireteam would undertake, but sprinting through a crowded area in full kit during the middle of the day was a little above their normal routine.
After a good three minutes of continued running they made it to the elevator. With a soft ding the doors opened. They piled in and hit the up button. The MG men collapsed against the sides in an effort to catch their breath. Adam kept his Thomson half raised at the door. Krauss was checking his magazines.
"Five seconds." Whispered Adam. Rifles snapped to shoulders. With a ding the doors opened to reveal a very startled Goodwitch.
"Safe it." The assorted weapons were lowered and safeties were flicked on
"I apologize miss we need to speak." Adam didn't get to finish his sentence.
"Ozpin who are these men!" They all heard the distinctive click of a pistol hammer.
Weapons were back in a flash as safeties click to kill.
"General, Lieutenant stand down." Said Ozpin.
Goodwitch had stepped to the side to reveal the repetitive opposition.
Ironwood.
A man who reaches the rank of General is required to have seen a lot of strange things. This probably topped anything i have seen before and would remain there for a few months. Inside the elevator stood four massive men. Two held belt feed machine guns, they oddly had two very different uniforms. One was in a dark green, the other was in a collared grey one with a twin S Rune on his collar tabs. The other two were a bit more odd. The one was in a grey green digital camo and held a wood furnished rifle with a thin scope, his helmet was completely different and held a strange lens above his brow. The Lieutenant, if they used the same markings, was dressed in the same uniform as one of the machine gunners. he held what looked to be a SMG. His helmet had a single white bar on it. The strange thing was their Armor. Only one had matching camo on it and it belong to the sniper, as if they had scavenged it.
"Ozpin who are these men." I asked. I still had my magnum at half cock. There was no way I trusted these men, the air of dispare they gave off was beyond unnerving.
"General please calm yourself. These are my students." Replied Ozpin. "They are rightly paranoid, and probably thought you were invading the school."
The one in camo gave a nervous laugh. "Fireteam Airborne is training to be hunters. If they ever showed up to class that is."
"Sir we do have the drone." Said Adam.
"Hijacking a AK-130 to walk your classes with a scroll taped to its face is not attending them. I expect your Fireteam to start attending them in person starting Monday . Am I understood Lieutenant?"
"Yes sir. If I may?"
Ozpin nodded. "Go on."
"We've compiled a list of materials that we would need to get both the Humvee and BTR to working order. The BTR will stay disarmed though, it's gun was bent and didn't have any ammo." He handed Ozpin a notebook.
Ozpin opened it looked at the first page and promptly closed it.
"I was under the impression that your jeep was still in working order?"
"Mechanically yes. But it's armor is kinda shredded. I would like to replace as much of it as I could."
"Alright I will give you a budget to get this done. Have one of the lift crews get both of these vehicles to Lopez's repair shop in southern Vale. You are dismissed."
The four saluted and marched back to the elevator's door. It opened and they climbed inside.
"I expect you to be back before curfew."
"Aye Sir."
The doors closed
I said. "Oz who were those people? That one in grey has a shroud of death on him, the all do."
My friend stood an placed a hand on my shoulder. "You remember the fail safe we installed in the vault right?" I nodded. " Those men are the ones who donated the device. They come from a much crueler world, Mr. Krauss comes from a world on the brink of total war for a third time. The others are from the end of a Second World War and opposing sides none the less."
I was about to respond when my scroll went off. It was the captain of the Resident Dawn.
"We will have to discuss this later Oz. I have to return to my ship." Those men were dangerous. Ozpin was playing with fire again I prayed he wouldn't get burned.
