Mad Max: Road to Salvation
Episode 26: Snow blind PT. 1
A/N: later on there might be some lemony goodness coming up, but that is an extremely big maybe ok. I make absolutely no promise, since I listen to everyone's opinion and I don't want anymore flak for it.
[awsomrebel: he might just do that, the rich jerk has it coming.]
[Gamerman22: For a pompous jerk like schnee rep is everything, so yeah he's mad.]
[dirtrevor: maybe, and they're about to.]
[Charles: Things are tense between but all it takes is time n booze. That face punch is very likely.]
[Stylus Opium: that's coming up, but I've heard people voice their opinion against another illegit mini max.]
[Hitler's moustache: Yep you did.]
[Review Dude: Maybe he will, maybe he won't, and yes it would not be wise to anger a one man army.]
[Ronmr: Thanks and yeah I have a feeling later on he'll need fresh pants.]
[Enriks D8: Thanks man and yeah it is. Actually I got the rifle from destiny, the red death pulse rifle.]
[Dungeon wyrm: Thanks man, and a face punch may be coming up.]
[Guest 1: thank you.]
[Guest 2: I know but oh I'll just say it, after this story ends or maybe sooner, I have a plan for the children of max of 'cubic' proportions and max having one more illegit kid plays a role in that. But only if it is the general consensus, then maybe Max may end up wearing protection this time. They are not paired though, a one night stand can be just a brief fling and nothing more besides fun/stress relief/lemon.]
-On board an atlesian airship-
Time had passed quickly when Ozpin called Ironwood to inform him of Max's acceptance to participate. The general was very pleased to hear his request had been answered. A few days later, Max had said his goodbyes and reluctantly left Anya in the care of Mari and Amy. He was now onboard an airship in transit to Atlas to meet with the general. Max's first impressions were not well…impressive. From his point of view the man was not exactly an expert tactician, even Max knew you can't rely solely on brute force alone. By sending a battleship to retrieve one man, he'd made it very clear on what to expect. Perhaps he was trying to do as Ozpin had expected and try to lure him into the fold with bait. Max remembered his days as a cop, and how he ended up acquiring his interceptor. Apparently, the general was going to try the same thing as his former superiors had done once upon a time. It wasn't exactly working, though he did appreciate the rifle. It was quite a marvelous weapon and would no doubt come in handy in firefights later on. He was currently in the process of striping and maintaining the rifle as a manual on how to do so had been left in the crate it was delivered in. It was surprisingly simple to fix despite its high-tech appearance and where it had been built. But he then was shaken from his somewhat therapeutic maintenance session by the arrival of his official escort, Winter Schnee.
"State your business then leave Schnee." Max said with slight hostility.
"I came to tell you that we'll be entering Atlas territory shortly." Winter retorted.
"Hmph, if that's all then leave." Max grunted rudely.
"I don't appreciate your attitude mister Rockatansky." Winter narrowed her eyes.
"Then drop yours." Max growled not looking up from his workbench.
"You first." Winter replied coldly.
"I simply want to be left in peace." Max assumed a calm demeanor.
"And I want you to acknowledge that while you are on board this ship, I am in charge." Winter put her foot down.
"I never questioned your authority, I simply don't recognize it." Max wasn't in the mood.
"Are you trying to bait me into a fight like that drunkard we happen to know?" Winter grew annoyed by Max's actions to the point of touching a finger to her sword.
"No." Max replied in an attempt to defuse the situation.
"Then why is there a bottle of whiskey next to you?" Winter stated her observation of the partially emptied bottle next to the disassembled weapon.
"*sigh* to relax." Max replied.
"Is that so? Here I thought you were different." Winter groaned.
"Your opinions are your own, but Qrow is far different from me as you've already seen."
"All I see right now is-"
"I'm just a man trying live with the fact that I have gone through significant difficulties in my time. You have no right to judge me for how I spend the remainder of that time. In short, a healthy mind doesn't wake up in the morning thinking this is its last day on earth." Max cut off winter and gave her his changed philosophy despite the fact that he knew he was the last person who should mentioning a healthy mind.
"What are you babbling about?" Winter said deciding to let go of her hostility to hear eh man out.
"That's the mindset I've had recently. One I've adopted to this day since I found my daughter. Before, I just survived, but now I live for her. This is my way of living, if it keeps me sane enough to care for her then it's my responsibility as a father to do everything I can to do so." Max replied truthfully, explaining his drive and reason for his actions.
"Your daughter?" Winter said with a confused look.
"The girl who shot at you in the desert, from inside my car." Max answered matter-of-factly to the elder Schnee sibling.
"I remember now, how is she then?" Winter decided to roll with the new topic of discussion so as to avoid a clash aboard the ship.
"As any normal child should be, I've made sure of that." Max said with a hint of pride as he turned to face her with a stoic look on his face.
"Just what do you mean by that you dolt?" Winter demanded a greater degree of clarity on the response he'd given her.
"She's happy, and that makes me-" Max replied with annoyance before being interrupted by his liaison.
"Less hostile?" Winter raised an eyebrow as she replied.
"In a manner of speaking. She is what brought me back from the brink, if not for her then I'd simply be very close to insane. I owe her my life, so in return I protect and raise her as my own." Max tried to further explain his reasoning on the subject the best he could.
"Is that it, you see it as some form of transaction?" Winter crossed her arms as she jumped to conclusions.
"It's how I've had to live, making deals and short-lived alliances. But I remember, what it was like. I won't waste this like I did before, there were ones I failed to protect just like her. Perhaps raising her is my atonement for my sins. I suffered greatly, and she is a reward for all that suffering, the chance to be a father again." Max replied stoically, but the last thing he said caught winter's attention.
'Again?' Winter thought with confusion at Max's words, since she did not know his tragic past.
"I will die to protect her, and see to it that she never becomes like me. Strong enough to survive yes, but never like me, no one deserves to end up like me." Max said solemnly remembering his horrifying nightmare of a life that was finally fading behind him.
"You want her to be happy, to grow up being the person she chooses to be, I can respect that. You could say I have a similar goal with my sister in mind." Winter was reminded of her own Quest to assist her sister and she'd tried to raise her own sister while she was still at the manor in the past.
"Exactly, and I will stop at nothing to make that so, it's my duty." Max said firmly as put a hand to his face.
"Perhaps I have misjudged you, Max." Winter admitted her fault with a small smile of respect and nodded politely.
"Only time can truly decide that, Winter." Max said as he returned to his work. On that note, winter left the room and the ship crossed into Atlas approximately 2 hours later.
-Atlas military command base-
The ship had now reached the base and Max was being sent down with Winter via a dropship. They were going to see the general himself. Max was silent on the ride down, preferring to maintain his usual stoic visage. Winter had come to know him better now ever so slightly and decided not to disturb him in his thoughts. When the ship touched down, Ironwood himself was waiting to greet them.
"Mister Rockatansky, a pleasure to finally meet you in person, welcome to Atlas." The general extended a hand to the road warrior, who simply refused. Max had an already less than favorable first impression of the general.
"You wanted me here general, and I came, so let's get down to business." Max said shrewdly in his stoic voice.
"Hmph very well, follow me to my office." Ironwood motioned for Max and Winter to follow him. "As you can see we here at Atlas have the most advanced systems and weaponry at our disposal. The AK-Series of combat drones for example." The general said as he directed Max's attention to the many man shaped robotic combat units.
"The only machine I trust is one I control, it needs me and need it, without a driver the car is useless. The over reliance on machines you do not directly control is a blatant weakness, not a strength." Max growled to the general.
"I would suggest you watch your comments. This is in order to waste less lives on the battlefield." Ironwood retorted.
"These are a crutch general, this is an army that anyone can command if the right method is used." Max countered with the logical truth.
"If you are suggesting they can be hacked, that is not easily achieved." Ironwood refused to hear it. They reached the office and Max sat down at a chair beside Winter, while Ironwood sat at his desk.
"Murphy's law." Max stated flatly.
"What?" Ironwood raised an eyebrow at the expression.
"I teach this to my students, anything that can go wrong will, and when it does, the first thing to occur is the worst." Max explained the basic meaning of the term and its slightly more descriptive extent.
"That's simply not possible, no one has hacked these droids and no one will." Ironwood ignored Max's words of wisdom and experience in judgment.
"Nothing is impossible, I do not like repeating myself General, these things are not worth the risk. They are a massive liability waiting to happen. Do not say I did not try to warn you when someone steals your army for themselves. I know nothing of computers, but I do know that an army that has no loyalty, is an army that cannot be trusted." Max explained his tactical opinion following up with a burn. "To ignore this fact makes you an arrogant fool."
"Do not continue insulting me mister Rockatansky!" The general growled as Max had gotten under his skin. "You are a guest here and you would do well to remember that."
"Is that a threat?" Max moved a hand toward one of his shotguns in anticipation of coming escalation between them.
"A very clear warning." The general replied clearly annoyed by his ungrateful guest.
"I'm not afraid of the consequences general, if I have to I will not hesitate to-" Max responded with hostility.
"If want to leave then go ahead, but how will you return to vale without my help? Unless you intend to swim that is." The general tried to silence him tactfully.
"Borrow one of your airships, and level this entire base in the process, as a start." The opposite effect occurred with Max growling angrily.
"You are just one man, with a very high opinion of himself. Don't threaten me." The general said bluntly.
"I suggest you look at the mirror. You have no idea what I am capable of." Max's hand inched towards the gun.
"This discussion is over, Mister Rockatansky. Specialist, show our guest to his quarters, dismissed." The general decided to let Max have this one argument.
"Yes sir." Winter stood up and saluted her commander.
'Insufferable prick.' Max thought to himself as they left the room and winter directed him to the place where he would be staying until they went to the academy.
-2 weeks later-
Max had been teaching his course to the various students of the prestigious huntsman/military academy. His training was proving to be far more brutal now that he had been given permission by the general, despite their constant arguments over combat strategy. He and Winter had been speaking quite often as she was to be his liaison for the duration of his stay. The both of them began to see each other in a new light with their differences of opinion finally coming to a halt. But later though, Max would have the occasional feeling of someone watching him constantly. These occurrences were not mere coincidence, he knew that. He even bore witness to the multiple posters scattered around that sported his face and a very lucrative price from the SDC. Eyes were on him wherever he went as he was still something of a celebrity. Especially to the occasional faunus he came across, as he had raised a tournament champion and was rumored to have adopted another. whatever their reasons were for watching him, he simply ignored them. Until he would be unlucky enough to leaving the school to explore.
The sever cold of the region was new to him and came as an unwelcome annoyance. He'd had to winterize his normal leather gear with a special coat considering even with his fortitude that nature was not to be trifled with. He had believed he was able to take on any assailants or other annoyances but then again, he was in the country that held the global headquarters of the SDC. Soon enough the bounty hunters came when he was in an alley. Among them were even some experienced huntsmen and huntresses. He didn't like these odds at all, around him were powerful opponents in their own right. One on one perhaps he could win. But like this, it was abysmal at best. Max was not man who would simply surrender.
"Before we fight, who sent you?" Max asked the group surrounding him.
"Who do you think genius?" One bounty hunter stepped forward. "There's been expressed orders from Jacque Schnee himself to bring you in. "
"Of course, you do." Max groaned.
"Just shut up you dick, you're wasting our time here." A random guy said to him.
"You know I could kill you all, right?" The merc replied angrily.
Max took this opportunity to draw his guns while the enemy was distracted by the mercenary. Whoever the guy was, he had created a golden opportunity as Max blasted his way out of the alley. The disgruntled enemies gave chase as Max ran through the streets and alleyways to stay ahead of the pack. As they pursued him the more agile ones leapt to the rooftops to keep up. Max was tossing down trashcans and other obstacles to slow them down but his pursuers were determined to get paid. Max wished he had brought along his car this time, because he would really need it right now with all of these people trying to run him down. The road warrior's luck was once again on his side as he spotted an open manhole. He jumped into the sewer and ran to the next block through the underground. It wasn't pleasant but neither was the idea of being brought before an angry businessman on his terms. He'd remember this and make sure to confront the man in due time with a knuckle sandwich.
-Several minutes earlier-
From the rooftops, a man stood lazily vigilant, he wore a strange black armor with orange stripes. He cradled a throwing knife in his hands as he eyed the road warrior walking the streets below. He smiled to himself behind his visor at the golden opportunity that was coming his way. It had been some time since he'd come here but it was better than dead, killed by a group of idiots and his former partner. The very thought of them, and their stupid blue moron, made his blood boil with rage. He decided to forget about until he was done with his latest hit/kidnap, then he could be pissed all he wanted. Of course, his latest contract was more of a long-term one, with an individual who'd have no problem ending him. It wasn't something he liked to dwell on, but that's how it goes. After all, how can anyone refuse the offer of a dark elder goddess who could kill someone like him pretty damn easy? Plus, the money was good, but the benefits, not so much. He saw the whole little event go down as the road warrior ran from his foes and ducked into a nearby sewer. The other mercs lost their prey, but this one didn't. He left his perch and anticipated the moves of his target, plunging into a manhole further to intercept his target. Just like that not a moment too soon, he was face to face with a living legend.
"I know it's cliché, but just come quietly and I won't have to kill you, otherwise you're a dead man. Really liking the leather by the way, it's just goes with the whole brooding guy thing you got going. Gives you a whole 'I'm BATMAN thing'." The stranger said lazily as he cradled one of his favorite knives.
"Get out of my way, or I end you." Max growled as he took up a fighting stance.
"You and what army? Because I seriously doubt you can beat me, since you look like all bark and no bite without your wheels." The merc deadpanned as he readied his pistol.
"I will make that Schnee pay for this." Max growled in anger.
"Eh, wrong! Who said that pompous prick sent me? He wishes I was his top button man, no I work for someone way worse, who's paying me a lot more. I mean come on why I would I be here in Atlas of all places? I don't come cheap and my boss wants you dead or alive etcetera, etcetera. Anyway, enough chit-chat, and I'm getting bored." The orange striped merc said as the two fighters readied for their fight.
-END CHAPTER-