The soldiers led Ruby and Jaune through the camp, which was much larger than they expected. What they had discovered was only a fraction of the entire camp. The number of soldiers seemed to range close to the hundreds, maybe at most 220. Ruby and Jaune were still wondering who these people were and how they were so well equipped. Not even Atlas had this kind of technology. Not yet at least. As they passed, several of the soldiers looked at them, causing silence to fall across the camp. Eventually they were brought to a large tent and tossed inside where Nora and Ren were on their knees in similar restraints. "Oh hey guys!" Nora said cheerfully, "About time you showed up."
"So how'd you two get captured?" Jaune asked the two.
"Ohhhhhhh you know...they just...got the drop on us I guess."
"Nora was talking about how stealth was her specialty, they heard us, she used her hammer to hit one of them in the crotch, and now we're here," Ren said calmly.
"Reeeeeeeeeeen! Did you have to give them ALL the details?" Nora complained to her partner.
Jaune let out a small chuckle. "It's fine Nora. Though with us it really was because they got the drop on us. We were watching them and then suddenly we hear guns being loaded behind us."
"Oh...so...they...didn't hear you?"
"Nope."
"So...my cover-up was actually what happened with you….ok…" but she was cut off when she heard the massive metallic thud of someone approaching. A man wearing black armor, similar in design to the soldiers outside but with red accents starting at the shoulders going down to his mid-forearm, across the front of the helmet, and down his back starting at the neck. He's carrying a massive sword, specifically a Liuyedao that's been stylized with a King Taijitu on the blade itself. The armored man walks in front of the four and stabs his sword into a nearby table and removes his helmet. He has short black hair, green eyes, and a seemingly normal complexion along with a scar over the bridge of his nose.
"So...these are the four little 'intruders' eh?" he said with a smile. "I must admit...not exactly what I had in mind. I was expecting people a little….older. In fact...judging from the looks of you four, I'd say you haven't even finished your first YEAR at Beacon! Kids...I was worried...about KIDS. I swear I can be so paranoid at times. Soldier!" One of the guards walks into the tent.
"Yes sir?"
"Is it really necessary to have the restraints?" the man said, gesturing to the four prisoners.
"But...sir they're huntsmen!" the guard protested.
"No. They're not huntsmen. They're children. Children who have been trained in the art of combat and are very heavily armed….but still children. Remove the restraints. Just keep the weapons out of reach."
The guard looked towards the four young huntsmen, sighed, and pressed some buttons on the device built into his bracer. The hard-light tether keeping the cuffs togethers vanished and the cuffs opened, falling off their wrists.
"I do apologize for that. I thought I was dealing with someone like Goodwitch, Branwen, or hell even Ozpin himself if he decided to show up," the leader of the soldiers said, followed by a slight chuckle.
"Why would you be worried? You have enough firepower to take on Atlas!" Jaune said, surprised that this guy was even slightly worried.
"Firepower isn't the only factor. Skill, determination….ideals. That's the most important. We're mercs, plain and simple. You huntsmen...well...you have no allegiance; you can be paid off; you're basically high-profile mercs. And the older hunters...well...they don't like it when they're called that. They get all pissed off as soon as you MENTION the word. Honestly I just wasn't in the mood for that sort of conversation. If it started, I probably would've just SHOT the person in the leg six times with a pistol."
Everyone was silent at that remark. "Are...you serious?" Jaune asked, visibly shaken.
"Well...I wouldn't shoot one of you four. "
The four of them let out a collective sigh of relief.
"But...if you're mercs...why are you out here and not in one of the big cities?" Ruby asked.
"A good question indeed. "Mercenary" is only one way to put it. We are, in fact, a private military corporation. Our founder, Mr. Nix, will normally give our services to the highest bidder and only if they meet certain criteria. He's not just an immoral warmonger who profits from people's misfortune. Oh no,no,no, he is a compassionate man. In fact...that compassion is why we're out here. "
"Mercenaries...with compassion? A rare sight," Ren said in a tone of disbelief. Nora knew there was more to it but she couldn't figure it out.
"I suppose so. But, as I said, we're out here because of Mr. Nix's compassion. He watched the Vytal Festival and the following attack of Grimm. He became increasingly concerned with the safety of the outlying villages, those places outside the natural barriers of the kingdoms with little to no way of major defense aside from a few guns. If the Grimm are getting bolder, with or without help, then those villages won't stand a chance. "
"So...you're out here to defend the villages?" Ruby asked.
"Of course."
"No doubt, you'll charge them for every lien they have," Ren said, almost bitterly.
"Actually no. This job is free of charge to them. Not a lien spent for our services."
"For some reason...I don't believe you."
"Oh believe what you will, it doesn't make that much difference. Soon we will shall part ways and we'll never have to see each other again. "
"Unless you guys are heading to the same village we are then you'll be seeing a whole lot of us," Nora said with a grin.
"And...prey tell WHICH village are you heading to?"
"Did...the map have the name of the place?" Nora asked her companions.
"I don't know," Jaune said, almost reaching for the map before he remembered that they took it.
"Well...where is it?" the leader inquired.
"Three hours walk from here, close to the coast."
"Ah. Then we share a destination. You may accompany us if you wish."
"And you think...we'll just walk side-by-side with a bunch of sellswords, ready to betray someone at the mere mention of a higher profit?" Ren said.
"So far...everything you've said has been...negative towards me and my men….I wonder why that is," the man said almost menacingly. The only response he got from Ren was silence and a look that seemed to say, "I'm going to kill you...I just need a reason." Before the conversation could continue, a soldier rushed into the tent, rifle at the ready. "Sir, we have a problem!" the man shouted.
"What is it?" the leader said, putting his helmet back on.
"Grimm! A massive pack of them. Heading right at us!"
"Tell the men to form up! Two lines of constant fire. And give the huntsmen back their weapons! You four are helping us,whether you like it or not, because if those Grimm rip us apart...they'll be coming for you next. Especially you," the man points to Ren. "By the way...the name's Lazu. Commander Michael Lazu." With that, the man grabs his sword and runs out of the tent.
"Well, what are we waiting for?!" Nora says grabbing her hammer and running after the commander, prompting the others to do the same.
(A/U: Another week, another two chapters ready to be posted. Now for those wondering about the commander, Lazu is meant to mean Lazuli as in Lapis Lazuli and his weapon- a liuyedao- is a type of Chinese sword or dao used by both cavalry and infantry, with a moderate curve along the length of the blade)