Chapter 15: Change in management
[Vale, Fort Amada]
"Any ideas what they want?" Asked Auburn
"Probably want to talk about your little tryst in the girls locker room with two airwomen."
"Listen old man they started it, I'm irresistible."
The team moved through the halls drawling looks from the various branches, Usually fear from the army, hate from the marines and disgust by the air force. If seamen were present they would probably take the marines side because they work so close together.
Fort Amada the largest military base in Vale if not Remnant and that was just the top part. The part Alpha team was traversing was the elaborate hallways of the underground section of the base. Walls as tall as two buses stacked vertically on top of each other. The most eye catching part was 'Stair way to heaven'.
The weapon….no the god that all of the kingdoms feared, the Rammerlock gun. Constructed during the faunus/human war but not used until the battle at Ruben field, it was responsible for turning the beautiful landscape into the dry dead husk it is today. The barrel was wide enough to walk in and longer then hundred yards, it's placed on a large platform in the middle of the base. A monument to what comes from hate.
The two stationary guards by the door saluted Robert and input and opened the door to the headhunters. The room was dark and cold just like the old men occupying it, one army commander and a headhunter commander were present along with Cpt. Ramirez of Dagger company who could be see standing with his aide on the opposite side of the table in the middle.
"Good you're all here, let's begin." Commander Vespin of the Vale Army said while everyone was taking positions around the table. The table became alight as a large holographic map of a city north west of Vale "Commander Jacinto will take it from here."
"Thank you Vespin" the man in the dark black dress uniform said not addressing his peers rank "Ill keep this brief, this as you all know is Glenn, the abandoned city. What you don't know is in the last week Grimm have been amassing in this area." Those around were confused at why it would matter what happened at the ghost city "We believe a monarch is responsible."
"Sir, if you truly believe a monarch is involved shouldn't we have more support?" Ramirez voiced his 'Why are you sending my men on a suicide mission'
"We are sending you and your men for exactly that reason Captain, we can't launch a full scale operation on 'ifs'. You will merely act as recon."
"Sir my soldiers are trained to serve as the arrow head of an operation leading the attack, I believe your men would be more appropriated for this mission and relatively speaking a hundred marching boots aren't suited for being stealthy." He argued
"As true as that may be Captain my headhunters are spread too thin as is and relatively speaking your men are far more expendable." The Commander said just daring him to rebut. "I will be sending some of my finest with you however."
"Sir where do you believe this monarch is located." Asked one of the commanders 'finest' also known as Robert.
"Zoom in on grid three." He ordered the operator "This building use to mass produce cruise ships before the city's downfall. The building itself is massive, even supporting a test pool for completed ships. We have reason to believe that the monarch is here. Once you arrive Alpha team will recon the building, all your men have to do Captain is cover them."
"Do we have any support?"
"Only what Dagger company is equipped with already." After a long silence he added "Any more questions?"
Nothing
"Good, you leave this afternoon by air, good luck gentlemen."
The Captain was the first one out followed by his aide, he didn't look happy. Alpha team followed shortly after. When the last of Alpha team left and the door closed behind them Auburn smiled happily and boasted on how great it was that they were actually doing some real work.
"Retrieve your weapons and report to the shooting range for weapon drill" Robert ordered his squad
[Patch, Undisclosed Location]
The faunus squirmed under our gazes while we were deciding who would do the interrogating. For obvious reasons Two was the first to volunteer for the position of head torturer but denied the position by Lt.
"Then whose it gonna be then?" Biggs growled a little pissed at being denied the 'honorable' position. He hummed thinking about whose hands he should put the life of this man in front of us in. Three could see a light bulb go off in his head as centered his attention on him.
"Three will do it"
He felt like someone just punched him in the gut, His mouth refused to work so he could tell him to shove that order up his ass. The faunus watched him with yearning and fear. He couldn't hold his gaze for long before he found himself turning away.
"You sure about this Lt? Fletcher's a little bitch about these kinds of things, want me to stay back and hold his hand?" Three was going to kill Biggs when this was all over.
"Yes, Four stay behind and watch over the place. We will switch off in the morning."
Delroy opened the sliding door and peeked out making sure it was clear before him and the rest of his men filed out of the abandoned storage locker. The inside walls were twelve inch layers of concrete making them virtually sound proof and the best place to conduct this little information gathering session.
Four set on the rolley chair 'compliments of Kale and Shauno' to observer the three monitors set up on the table. The screens showed the world outside basked in green.
"I'm going to remove your mouth bind don't make a sound." Three instructed the faunus and received a nod in return.
He ripped it off all at once to reduce discomfort. This faunus must have contained a shred of intelligence unlike most because he instead of yelling his lungs off when the coving was removed stayed quiet as a mouse. Or a rat as his tail showed.
"W-hats your name?" he tried to sound indifferent but failed.
"Mickey….." he said before leaning closer to Three and whispering "You don't have to do this, just let me go and I can personally assure your safety. Erwin trusts me."
Four non-secretively placed her handgun on the table making it known why Delroy had left her to watch them. Fletcher tried to ignore both of them "Why does Erwin trust you?"
"He's Erwin's aide Three, ask him things we don't know."
"I know what I'm doing, do you have a family?"
"o-f cour-"
"Three don't ask things that will get you attached to the subject" Four interrupted the rat's answer.
"….Tell me where Erwin is."
"I can't tell you that….sorry"
"Please tell me"
"Three you don't beg for answers you demand them." Four interrupted again.
"Shut up! Tell me or I'm going to be forced to make you tell me."
Mickey said nothing but made Three look him in the eye. Three took a large breath intake before reeling his arm back to strike the rat. The hit didn't even carry a third of his power and didn't even mange to make the captive flinch in pain.
When he kept quiet he pulled back for another swing this one hitting with more force than the last one. Mickey still refused to give any answer so Three repeated his action again and again and again. After the eight hit the faunus was looking a little worse for wear but the same could be said about Three, his palms were bleeding from squeezing his hands into fist so hard, he was visible shaking and his face couldn't hide the inner turmoil in him.
As his fist was in mid swing a hand caught his inner elbow "I'm getting kind of bored, can you make a sweep outside while I work in here."
Three could only weakly nod his head at Four before he disappeared out the door the others had gone, not bothering to check first like Delroy had. Four watched him go before letting out a sigh.
"I can see you have strong bonds."
Four focused in on his face making Mikey uncomfortable. She tipped the chair over with her foot getting a shriek from the surprised rat. A gloved hand was shoved into his mouth making it impossible to bite down as Four pulled a multi-tool from her pocket.
Mikey could only attempt to scream and plead with the hand in his mouth as the woman flipped out the pliers and clutched one of his front teeth. She asked no question or even hinted she wanted an answer before she ripped out the tooth.
She removed her hand from his mouth letting him loose a blood curling scream and sobs. "You didn't even ask me a question!" he accused loudly
"Ah…do you floss?" She asked; examining the tooth and sitting his chair back up, scooting it against the back wall.
"What?" Mickey was having a hard time talking and spitting out blood.
The pliers coming down on his fingers joint effectively dislocated it. "Do you floss? Pretty simple."
The change in management was not a good one…
[Vale, Fort Amada]
"Peach I understand you are the medic of this team but you still need to be on par with the rest of us" Robert said as he and his men left the training facility.
The drills was more of a warm up then actual practice, Robert liked his men to be at their full potential before leaving to go on any mission. The lack of time to prepare was really weird though, usually they would have at least a day after the debriefing to prepare. They could act as a first response unit any day but the army on the other hand was a different story.
"Yes sir I'll remember that…oh I just remembered, don't you start your prostate exams soon." Don't fuck with Peachy.
Dagger Company was already in the hanger preparing, a team could be see attaching a cable from a bullhead to one of their Geckos. The heavy armor nowhere in sight. Unbeknownst to Alpha team, the young Captain of Dagger had ordered his men to take only fast moving vehicles so they could transverse the city and area surrounding with haste.
The soldiers of Dagger were very notorious for their speedy tactics and crack soldiers. They weren't the best in the army but they could hold their own, especially in less dense environments where the full effectiveness of their light vehicles could be used.
They were outfitted like any other army regiment, grey fatigues with chest armor similar of that what the soldiers of atlas used but painted green. The green helmet had a metal face mask attached to the top lip of the helmet complete with yellow visor that featured a fully integrated heads up display that could be pulled down. Some of these rag tag group of soldiers had left out their leg and arm metal plates for more maneuverability. The Captain of Dagger was very lenient with his men, most of them being fairly experienced he let them decide what they needed. That and Dagger Company was made up of the assholes that nobody else wanted.
"Look boys! Fucking baby killers" A soldier on top of one of the Bullheads yelled to his friends.
"Look guys! Virgins! I didn't think we still had those in the military." Auburn countered, No matter where you are cross branch fighting is bound to happen just like breathing is required to live. The groups threw comebacks back and forth until both had ran out laughing at each other.
"OI! You sons of bitches trying to slack off again?" Captain Ramirez yelled at his men "Get back to work!" The soldiers made off hand comments as they went back their duties, one even slapped Auburn on the back. Have your fun but never piss off someone who has a gun.
"Captain, it's a pleasure to work with you."
"I'd like to say the same Lieutenant but I think this whole mission is shit, de facto or not." He yelled over the Bullheads turning on.
"Shit or no shit we are going into it, I bet if the big wigs had to take part in the operations they thought up we would sit around base all day every day." Auburn said walking next to him
"I'd drink to that!"
"Not in our barracks you wouldn't, our glorious leader banned alcohol and porn!"
"Ditto!" yelled one of the passing soldiers.
"Not my fault you bastards can't handle your whiskey!" He turned back to Auburn "A little alcohol in their systems and they go around base looking for fights!"
"Sounds like my kind of group!"
"Novissimo autem die on top, mother fucker!" The persistent soldier had returned.
"Back to your post you little shit!"
Working with Dagger would prove to be quite an interesting experience….
AN: Last boring chapter guys next comes the awesome shit.
Monarch: A very old grimm codenamed monarch for its tendency to rule over the younger more weaker grimm.
Novissimo Autem Die On Top: Last day on top, the motto of the Vale Army meaning treat every day like it's your last because you could find yourself underneath or under the ground (Dead)