Chapter 5
"I can't believe you talk me into driving you, Riley," Zoey muttered softly talking a left at an intersection.
"You can thank me later once I save Ollie and the rest of the hostages. But thanks anyhow," Ghost replied back in a serious tone while checking on his helmet, making calibrations on it for the soon contact he'll be facing soon. Thanks to NavSpecWeaps, ODST VISR's were created to highlight key things on the field which he was making the necessary updates to highlight the items in Remnant for his VISR.
Velvet was just jittery in her seat pressing her index fingers together trying to keep her composure together. It was just her nature to be wary of things, especially these types of situations. She might be a student at Beacon Academy right now, but she was only in her first year. And she still needed a huge boost of confidence due to her shy nature.
"M-Mr. O'Neil? Is this a good idea? W-Why don't you let the police take care of this?" Velvet squeaked out throwing her point out at him.
The ODST looked at her and sighed as he went back to calibrating his VISR. "Police don't have the training to take on these people. Judging from what I heard about the White Fang, they're more of a militant group with training that can go up against military training. They come to kill us first, it's my job to kill them first," Ghost replied back harshly taking the words from a close friend of his.
Reaching into his magnetic knapsack that was resting at his feet in the passenger seat, he pulled out his M6S Handgun and pulled it back letting it make it's click sound. Sliding his finger over the button, he popped the magazine out and checked it before inserting it back in. "Besides, I've been trained with the best. I can take them on all by myself," He growled softly before holstering his firearm into his holster on his hip.
Zoey only has seen Ghost in this state once and only briefly. It was only the time when he came to her rescue, seeing how brutal he was with the thug he took care of. And now she was seeing him in this once again, now out to save her husband from a hostage situation.
"Okay, we're almost there. Just... Just make sure you don't get arrested by the police," Zoey told him as she turned another corner.
"I'll be talking to them first. They'll need all the help they can get," Ghost answered back. He once again reached into the knapsack and started pulling out pieces out and frames along with magazines. "Don't mind me, just getting weapons ready for breaching," He muttered to her and pieced them together.
Main weapons in his arsenal were his M90 Shotgun, M6S SOCOM Handgun and his combat knife. But in certain situations such as close quarters combat with covert means, the M7S Caseless Submachine Gun was assembled together for such a situation. Knapsacks of the UNSC were lightweight and for some weird reason, seemed to fit more than it look.
A loud click was heard as Ghost inserted a clip into the submachine gun and inspected the silencer he has attached to the barrel of said firearm. With his body leering forward before coming to a sudden stop, he looked out the window and saw the Commerce building there beside them.
"Here's the stop. Me and Velvet will accompany you to the police. With luck, a friend of ours should be on the scene," Zoey pointed out as she started getting out of the car. But to her dismay, she saw the ODST already walking towards one of the police officers who was on perimeter duty. "Oh Dust..."
The police officer had his back turned to Ghost as he was addressing civilians away from the police barricade that was made to keep the perimeter secure around the building. "No cameras. And don't get too close, You are in danger here," He announced to them. But by instinct, the hairs on the back of his neck. Turning around, a yelp escaped from his lips and took a couple steps back. Before him was Ghost, fully clad in his onyx ODST Battle Armor with red accents on them. The helmet on his head wasn't polarized yet so his face was still visible. "... Could you step away? This is an unsafe area-"
"What's the situation right now? Has anything happened? Anything at all?" Ghost cut him off sharply with his tone dangerous.
"A-And who are you to demand such a thing?" The officer questioned with hesitation. His body stiffened at the very words the soldier before him uttered, seeing that it was to respected utmost and without fail.
"Because if you don't, innocent people are going to die. And I can't do anything to help out if you don't tell me a thing," Ghost added in with his eyes narrowing down on the poor officer.
"Gerald!"
The officer peered behind Ghost and felt relief sweep over his entire being seeing Zoey walking up. "Zoey! Can you help me get this... This guy away from me?" He begged not wanting to make eye contact once again.
"Relax, Gerald. He's with me. A friend of mine," The older Rabbit Faunus replied to him making the officer widen his eyes at the words.
"F-Friend?"
"Yeah. Former Atlas Military. And he wants to help out. Is your CO here?" She asked him.
"I-I don't know if the chief will allow a former soldier to-"
"Gerry... My husband is in there... And Riley here saved my life... He's offering his help here."
"... Follow me... But don't make any trouble, you hear? People 'round here are already tense about the White Fang six years ago since they changed..." Gerald replied back at her as he fixed his navy blue hat on his head.
"The sooner I can talk to him, the sooner I can get in and finish this," Ghost said as he followed Gerald's footsteps down the street.
"Alright. I heard you... But I'll be honest here. At first, the White Fang was nothing more than a nuisance in their riots. But two years ago, they managed to derail a Schnee Company train filled with Dust and stole it. They got organized. Dunno how, but a hunch of mine says they have ex-military with them."
"Shouldn't be a problem. I've seen worse," The ODST replied back before they approached a woman who was relaying orders to another officer.
"I want snipers across from the building. Make sure they are positioned to take out any White Fang Insurgents inside that show hostile means to the hostages," She said to the officer.
"But ma'am, there are still other hostages we don't see in there. They said they have eight of them. We can only see four."
"Just get the snipers up there."
"Putting them there is useful. But if you put two in the front and one from the sides and back, you have better coverage," Ghost interjected in.
The woman turned around as her alabaster hair flowed in the small breeze with her emerald eyes observing the ODST before her. Her light peach skin had no apparent blemish on her skin nor any cut. Dressed in a white dress shirt with a black vest of kevlar armor accompanying black dress pants and leather shoes, by quick observation, she was the chief. "And who are you supposed to be? Did Gerald let you in?"
Ghost nodded as he looked at the building before her. "Riley O'Neil, former Atlas Special Forces. Now not retired," Ghost told her. "I'm here to help."
"And are you seeking to gain anything rewards or anything here?" The police chief asked him before pulling out a tablet and looked at it attentively.
Ghost shook his head and looked at the building once again. "Nothing of that sort, miss. I'm here on my own accord."
"What makes you think that I should trust you with such a task for you?" She questioned him, placing her hand on her hip with her face darkening slightly. "And please take that helmet off, I need to see your face."
The ODST grumbled silently before he gave her a curt nod. Removing the helmet and holding it along his arm, Ghost looked at her with his own hair swaying in the breeze. "Because I have been in situations like this numerous times already. Most of your men seem to be on edge. Fresh from training I bet. And, I can be able to subdue any hostiles inside and save the hostages with little to no bloodshed if need be."
The police chief continued looking at him for a moment with her hand clenched loosely in a fist in front of her mouth. "Police Chief Veronica Milkovich. Sorry if I didn't give you my name earlier. Just been jumpy, that's all."
"So do you trust me then?" Ghost asked her.
"I really got no choice. You're right about my men. They are new except for Gerald. He's been with us for five years. And you're the only one who seems to be able to pull of such a task," Veronica replied to him.
Inside the Commerce Building, half an hour later...
"For the last time, you can't use a kitchen knife as a proper throwing knife. The weight in the handle won't compensate for the momentum as it spins."
"Yes you can! You can total use a kitchen knife as a throwing knife! I've seen it in the movies!"
It has been over half an hour since an argument broke out between these two White Fang Insurgents. All it took was a chat about weapons before it escalated to using throwing knives.
"Dale, you can use them. You just have to make sure you throw it properly. But that takes training. But I'll pay you twenty Lien if you prove it to me when we get back."
"Fine! I'll show you and win that money!"
"Whatever. I'm heading to the washroom for a leak. Just don't let the hostage outta your sight."
"Make sure you get back here! I hate watching hostages, Frank!"
"Don't worry, I'll be back soon."
He left the room leaving his friend behind with a hostage seated against a wall. His hands were bound behind him with his eyes burning holes into the other's head. "You won't get away with this. You will be served justice, White Fang," He muttered at him.
"C'mon, old man. You really think you're in a position to talk back to me right now?" The White Fang Insurgent questioned him with a cocky grin on his face. "You're a Faunus as well. Why don't you support us?"
"Because I don't side myself with radical madmen like you," The man answered back defiantly.
"Eh, whatever. Your loss."
"More like your loss, son."
A few minutes passed on by before the White Fang Insurgent grew slightly worried about his friend. "Hmm, should've been back by now. Guess he had to go take a shit... But I guess it shouldn't hurt to check on him." He then looked at the man and nodded. "You stay here, gramps. Not like you have anywhere else to go."
Saying that, he hefted his blade over his shoulder and walked out of the small room into the hallway. "Frank? You there man?" He called out. Nothing. "Yesh, man should've called back. Washroom then for checking."
Strolling in a slow pace over to the restrooms that were nearby the room, he placed his hand on the door and pushed walking in. "Frank! Don't tell me you have problems shitting again. I don't want to remember two years ago about that literal shitstorm you took." Once again, no response. "Frank?"
He noticed that one of the restroom stalls were slightly disturbed and walked over for further investigation. "Please don't tell me you forgot to close the door, Fra-" A shout almost escaped his mouth when he saw that his friend was unconscious sitting on the toilet, his head hanging to the side. "Oh God! Frank!" He went in and started shaking his friend trying to wake him. "Please don't tell me you're dead! I gotta win that bet and that money from you!"
Unknown to him, a figure in onyx armor approached from behind crouched. Hands were at the ready and moved about as he came closer and closer to him. In one swift movement, the figure grabbed him from behind and wrapped his arms around his neck and head holding him place. He started to squirm in his spot, franticly trying to escape the sleeper hold before his eye lids betrayed him and closed shut.
Ghost softly laid the body down on the floor and tapped on the side of his helmet activating the radio built inside. "Hey, Veronica. I'm in. These White Fang seem to be a joke. I've taken down tougher," He huffed into his radio and made his way out of the restroom into the hallway.
"You're no joke. Sorry if I doubted you," Veronica spoke back to him. "Okay. That's good you're in. But we only have sights on those who are by the windows. We got nothing on the interior."
"Don't worry. I'll give you a heads up if I need any fire support if I'm in the area. Going radio silent. Out." Ghost tapped the side of his helmet again and switched the radio off before he took out his M6S Handgun. Pulling back in the top, he started creeping down the hallway.
"I just got lucky. Got to make sure I can't get stuck in a kill zone or I'm done."
Ghost then saw a door on the the left and went beside it. Holding onto his handgun tightly, he snapped to the doorway and aimed inside. His eyes widened behind his VISR seeing someone familiar tied up. "Zack?" He asked before walking forward.
The Faunus perked up hearing that voice and nodded. "Riley? Is that you?" He questioned as his wolf ears twitched nervously.
Ghost nodded and made his VISR go clear showing his face to him. "Yeah. You alright?"
"I'm fine. I tussled with more dangerous fellows than these lads. What are you doing here?"
"Getting you out of here. But I have to leave you behind here. Can't take you along or you'll become collateral if you get caught in a crossfire," Ghost explained to him. "I'll clear the place out. You stay here. I'll come back once it's safe."
"I suppose I can wait a little longer. Make sure the others are safe," Zack told him as he fixed himself and leaned against the wall.
"Roger that."
Zack only sighed as he looked at the ceiling. "I guess these are a bit of desperate times, no?"
Ghost only grinned slightly as he nodded at him. "Well, I guess I'm the desperate measure then," Ghost replied before his visor polarized back to it's opaque state before he left with his blood starting to boil beneath his skin. "Time to let loose."