Soldiering.

BSF Command Center "Golf Shed", Beacon Academy

Silence filled the operations room as field officers, Marines, and Soldiers looked at the screen before them. Displayed before them was the crash site of Bullhead 1549er that brought Team RWBY, Ord Squad, and Doctor Oobleck to Mountain Glenn. The crash site was surprisingly clean and the bullhead was relatively intact despite the damage sustained earlier.

Azure held his arms behind his back as he waited for something to happen.

An operations officer clicked on the comm, "Golf Shed to Ord Actual, do you read us?"

Silence again.

"Golf Shed to Ord Actual, please respond."

Still no reply.

Agitation soon came over Ord Squad's Lieutenant as he marched to the console the operations officer was manning and pressed the button, "Sergeant Gambit? Do you read me?"

Behind him, Azure had a hand over his mouth, covering a frown as his eyes glared at the screen, waiting and dare he say, begging for anyone from Ord Squad to respond to their calls. As luck would have it, they would finally get a reply from the other side of the transmission.

"Ord Squad to Golf Shed, solid copy," came Gambit's response as the room let out a sigh of relief.

Loch let out a sigh of relief as he returned to the back of the room, receiving pats on the backs from his colleagues.

The Field Marshal removed his hand from his mouth before getting the attention of everyone in the room. He clasped his hands at his back before speaking up, "Right, let's get this show on shall we?"

RWBY Security

Chapter 22: Hard Landings

Mountain Glenn, Vale

It was dark.

Not like the darkness of space, but as dark as a void with nothing in it.

Besides the lack of vision, another thing that Sergeant Gambit noticed was that he seemed to be in a state of pain.

Wait... oh right the adrenaline's wearing off, isn't it?

"This is gonna suck- GAH!" Gambit's thoughts were cut in half as he regained consciousness, every limb of his body aching as he sat up, a hand immediately clutching his aching head.

Around him, was his squad in disarray due to the crash landing they were just in. On another side, it seemed that team RWBY had more luck than them as they were at this point dusting themselves off. Ruby was frantically looking for her bag while Weiss and Blake checked their partners for any injuries sustained in the crash.

Doctor Oobleck was seen tending to the squad medic, Vicker, as the latter was stirring up, silent curses escaping his mouth as he moved to get up. Then, a sharp sound echoed in Gambit's helmet. It was the familiar sound of his comms unit as voices from the other end began to reach his ears, fully snapping him back to the reality of his situation.

Tapping into his comms device, he responded to the voices on the other side of his channel, "Ord Squad to Golf Shed, solid copy."

"Sitrep."

"Our craft took a hit. Pilots did the next best thing and saved our skins."

"Is your squad able to proceed?"

Looking back at his squad, he could already see Vicker working as fast as he could to help his brothers recover. His careful hands moved quickly, checking on the squad for any fatal injuries that might hamper them. Returning his Sergeant's gaze towards him, the medic gave a thumbs up.

"Affirmative, we'll be leaving the site in 2 minutes."

"Golf Shed copies all, out."

Grabbing his rifle, Gambit made his way to the Bullhead doors. The doors were loosened following the crash which made it easier for what the had sergeant planned. Using one of his hands, he pushed the impeding door out of the way, letting in sunlight.

"On your feet soldiers, we are leaving!" he ordered as his squad, who at that point had already recovered in good time thanks to Vicker and Doctor Oobleck.

Killdane was quick to follow his sergeant out of the craft as he yelled for his brothers to follow suit, "You heard Sarge, move it!"

Ord Squad was quick on their feet as they jumped to it and began to unload their equipment from the gunships despite their previous situation. It goes to show that while the Kaminoan administration would hardly care about the clone as an individual, they do care about how effective they were, as such combat recovery was rapid and effective allowing them to fight and survive even the harshest situations.

Team RWBY would follow them as Gambit's squad secured the perimeter around the site. Ruby who seemed relieved to be with her bag was about to walk away to join the BSF Sergeant when Doctor Oobleck's voice stopped her in her tracks, "Ruby, I thought I told you to leave your bag at the Academy?"

"I... uh.. well..." Ruby tried to come up with an excuse as she scratched the back of her head. Behind her, the bag began to move on its own, catching the attention of Gambit and the Doctor.

As he readjusted his glasses, Oobleck began to press further, "Miss Rose, what on Remnant is so important in that bag that you decided to bring it here despite my orders?"

He, fortunately, didn't have to wait long as the bag opened up by itself to reveal a black and white corgi, its eyes beaming with the delight of finally getting fresh sunlight and air. It barked happily in greeting to the entirety of RWBY, Ord Squad, and Doctor Oobleck

"...I don't believe this," muttered Gambit as he shook his head while pointing at his men to continue securing the perimeter.

If Ord Squad had anything to say about the elephant- well... corgi in the city ruins, they weren't saying anything. Killdane approached Gambit as he pointed toward the direction for the latter to see, "Target area is believed to be somewhere more South of our position."

"Good, but for now we follow where team RWBY goes. Those are our orders, got it?"

"Yes sir," saluted the Corporal.

"Contact!" one of Ord Squad called out, the member being Hex as he zeroed in his DC-15X sights on a lone beowolf. The beast did not seem to notice the group as it sniffed about the area.

The huntresses and the clones began aiming their weapons but were halted by Doctor Oobleck, "Wait, don't shoot!"

Eyes looked in confusion as the doctor adjusted his glasses before explaining, "There are a few reasons why a Grimm would be stalking this area is due to it sensing negative emotions like sadness, envy, loneliness, or hatred. Such emotions would no doubt be held by our hidden criminal group... or it could be the crash site where we just came from."

"So... how long do we have to watch it?" asked Ruby.

"We can't be certain. It can take hours, days, weeks, or even months! Grimm are usually able to stray away from their pack for prolonged periods of ti- and there's the whole pack!"

"What?!" exclaimed Weiss as she got ready for combat.

"And now they've seen us."

It was now Gus' turn to express his grievances, "What?!"

"AND NOW THEY'VE SEEN US!"

Gambit surveyed the situation, "Then we're no longer tracking them?"

The doctor simply nodded, prompting the group to get ready for a fight.

"Squad!" yelled the sergeant, "FIX BAYONETS!"

As soon as the order come out, the rest of Ord Squad drew their blades from their utility belts, fixing them tightly on their DC-15A rifles as they waited for the Grimm to make their move. Team RWBY took point on their small defensive ground as they drew their weapons, ready to face whatever is thrown at them. No sooner did the group take up positions did the pack of beowolves begin their assault.

Blue plasma, dust rounds, and Grimm corpses filled the air as the 2 sides clashed. Team RWBY worked hard to thin out the horde as best as they could while trusting Ord Squad to finish off any Grimm that got through.

The duo teams worked surprisingly well, Ruby would observe as the troopers fired with accuracy and efficiency. There was no doubt in Ruby's mind that whoever trained these soldiers, would no doubt be proud of the display.

In the midst of the controlled chaos, a pack of 3 beowolves managed to get past the death trap that was the group's killing zone as they leaped up towards the thin blue line that was Ord Squad. Ruby saw this and rushed to stop them as she used her semblance to get there faster, catching up to 2 of them. She swung her scythe effortlessly as 2 of the creatures collapsed dead and fading.

The remaining beowolf was on a warpath as it made a beeline towards Ord Squad's sergeant, while his squadmates tried to get a clear shot to bring it down. Fortunately, they didn't need to as the 501st sergeant countered with his bayonet jumping into the air to meet the beast head-on.

"HARGH!"

His kama shifted in the air as he went for a stab through the jaw he and the Grimm came crashing down on the ground. Gambit did not let up as he pushed his blade further in before firing his rifle two times, killing the beowolf.

The display was enough to tell Ruby that the troopers were more than capable of handling themselves as she gave them a nod before speeding off to join her team in the front.

Soon, the skirmish was over as the pack leader was finally killed courtesy of Gus with a rocket launcher, much to the annoyance of Gambit who had Vicker hit him the rocket trooper in the head.

Regrouping near the crash site, they began to plan their next moves. This conversation was mostly attended by Gambit, Oobleck, and team RWBY while the rest of Ord Squad scattered around the site to check on their gear. Killdane in particular was breaking his way into the bullhead's cockpit as he looked at their pilots. All it took was a quick look and it confirmed his assumptions.

"Pilots are dead," the corporal called out as he looked over to Gambit.

"See if they have anything to ID them," replied the sergeant.

"Yes sir, Vicker, Pipe, on me."

The trio soon returned to the main group, who were now prepared to move out if the looks of team RWBY were anything to go by. Gambit made sure to dust his kama off before signaling his men to move forward.

...

It was now 3 hours since the group landed, and so far, no sign of any White Fang activity has been spotted. In the midst of the small fights the group has encountered, Oobleck has taken the time to ask the three members of team RWBY questions about why they chose to become huntresses. The conversation between them was mostly ignored as the group moved ahead.

At some point, the squad separated themselves from the huntsman and huntresses as they turned a street. They were met with a rather larger Ursa as it roared at them in an effort to intimidate them. The clones were not impressed in the slightest.

"Alright boys, any of you feeling daring now?" asked Gambit as he raised his bayonet.

"Always sir," replied Killdane,

Gambit smiled under his helmet, "Good, Killdane, Jest, Slick, on me."

The four troopers charged ahead as they bared their blades against the bear-like Grimm. The first blade to thrust was Jest's as his bayonet pinned the Ursa's left claw, halting its initial attack. Slick's bayonet found purchase into the beast's chest, staggering it enough for Killdane and Gambit to join in the fray as the former swung his bayonet at the beast's neck while Gambit stabbed it right between the eyes.

"On three," called Gambit, "One! Two! Three!"

Together, the four troopers toppled the Ursa onto the ground as it stopped struggling while it faded into a dust cloud. A grin formed under the sergeant's helmet as he nodded to his men, "Good job boys. Come on, we still have more ground to cover before we return to our VIPs."

"Yes sir!" replied his squad as they followed Gambit.

As they carried on, the squad double-checked their surroundings with each building they passed. While the White Fang members were in hiding, it didn't hurt to remain cautious of possible encounters with them within the abandoned city. Such was their briefing with their tactical advisors at Golf Shed HQ.

Their walk would continue until they were met by Team RWBY and Doctor Oobleck, the former being rather exhausted from the fight. Gambit nodded toward the Doctor as he made his report.

"Sir, no sight of any activity in our area. We have also encountered fewer Grimm within the district."

"That may be the result of the presence that team RWBY has. We have successfully located and destroyed approximately 76 varying kinds of Grimm. It is also unfortunate that we have not located any signs of a hidden base."

Gambit nodded as he gestured to a structure behind him, "It's already dark sir, we can set up a camp inside the building."

His comm rang to life as Gambit pressed the answer button, "Gambit speaking, send traffic."

"Gambit, Killdane reporting. Slick and Jest checked the building and report that it was stable enough."

"Good, out here."

The doctor cleared his throat as he pointed towards Weiss, Blake, and Yang, "You three, start setting up the camp inside. Ruby, you're coming with me and Sergeant Gambit to secure the perimeter."

The three huntresses could only obey as they stalked off to fulfill Doctor Oobleck's orders.

Gambit then pointed to his own men, "Vicker, take Hex, Pipe, and, Nozzle and help them set up camp. Don't forget to deploy motion trackers and do a gear check on the OD."

The squad's medic saluted as he slung his rifle over his shoulder. He soon led the three other troopers to follow the huntresses-in-training.

"Killdane," called Ord Squad's sergeant, "You, Jest, Slick, and Gus are coming with me."

"Yes sir!" replied the Corporal.

"Never a dull moment," muttered Slick as he followed the scouting party.

"Stow it Slick," chastised Gambit as he followed behind the student and teacher.

The five troopers continued their endless vigilance as they uses their helmet's HUD to make sure that no one spied on them. Like the last few times, there was no one there, not that the clones cared as they passed building after building.

Upon clearing the seventh building, the group halted as they rounded a corner. In front of them was a wide stretch of forest, and within the forest, a herd of Goliaths stalked forward. The specific direction, Gambit couldn't determine as he and his men leveled their weapons. Ruby followed suit whilst in the middle of expressing awe at the display.

Before anyone could pull a trigger, Doctor Oobleck stretched his hand out, signaling for them to hold fire. Reluctantly, they did as they listened to what the doctor had to say.

"There's no use engaging them," he said as he adjusted his glasses again, "If I remember correctly then I can assume none of your weapons can do any real damage against these Goliaths."

A disapproving grunt from Gus was promptly ignored.

"But wouldn't it attack us soon?" asked Ruby as she continued to observe using her sniper rifle.

"No, it is not concerned with us," explained Oobleck, earning looks from their accompanying clone troopers, "While the majority of Grimm that you've fought and killed seem to act like it, these creatures are not mindless, or rather not every Grimm is still mindless."

This had more of an impact on Ord Squad's sergeant than he anticipated as he listened on. None of the doctor's words gave him any comfort as he listed on about how the forces of darkness on this planet were able to learn from their experiences with humans. If that were the case, it would be important for the BSF and any future units that would operate within Remnant to change their rules of engagement when fighting these monsters.

"Guess it's a good thing we leave none of them alive then," joked Gus as he patted his rifle with tender care.

"A rather wise notion for your group," replied Oobleck.

Ruby, after looking away from her scope, decided to ask a rather surprising question, "Doctor Oobleck, Mister Gambit, why did you become huntsmen?"

There was a pause as the rest of Ord Squad looked at Ruby with odd looks as the two men began to think of an answer. Gambit spoke first, "Not really what you call a huntsman, but I figure there's little difference between the two. Now... why did I become a soldier?"

It was clear that the Sergeant was not ready to answer, but before anyone could interject, he managed to speak out, "Well, you can say I was born into the army and it's really all I've ever known. I fought battle after battle with my unit and managed to see a conflict through. I had the choice to retire after that, but I didn't. I stayed because of many reasons, but the main one is because of my unit. After everything we've been through, I owe it to them to look after them, and they make sure to do the same for me."

"The bond of brothers in arms is usually stronger than even brothers in blood," nodded Oobleck, "As for me Ruby, when I look at these ruined buildings and streets, what I see are lives that could be saved.-"

...

"Are they back yet?" asked Pipe as he sharpened his bayonet. It's been roughly an hour since Doctor Oobleck had taken Ruby, Sergeant Gambit, and the rest of Ord Squad out for recon. Vicker was down with the huntresses, most likely helping them set up camp. He, Nozzle, and Hex were at the highest point of the building they were camping on. The latter of the three was focused solely on his sniper scope, making sure the area was clear. His partner, Nozzle was taking inventory of the equipment they brought in.

An annoyed Hex answered back, "No, they're not, and even then I'm not looking for them. Why don't you be my spotter if you really want to find them Pipe?"

"Yeah Pipe, go help him," called Nozzle from behind them as he grabbed a pair of macrobinoculars from the crate he was going through. He then tossed them to his partner who caught them as he muttered, "Yeah, yeah I'll help."

Pipe's sight was soon enhanced as his helmet's HUD linked up to the scopes he was given. He looked across the street they were overviewing as he began to report his findings, "There, boarbatusk bearing 155, it's alone."

"I see it, taking the shot," replied Hex as his DC-15x began to charge up a shot.

"Hit it."

A powerful blast escaped the rifle as it struck its target dead on the head. The charge was powerful enough to pierce the bone mask as it went right through as if it were made of butter. The Grimm dropped dead on the spot, seconds later fading into dust.

The impromptu spotter lowered his binos as he patted the squad's marksman on the back, "Great shot."

Hex didn't bother to look back, simply grunting thanks as he continued to look around. Suddenly, a voice from behind them spoke up, "What was that noise?"

Turning around, the troopers saw Blake Belladonna's head popping out from the hole they used to climb up to their position, her face held a rather displeased look as she waited for an answer.

"Just clearing out any nearby Grimm," replied Hex, who didn't bother to turn around to face her.

Blake simply nodded before lowering herself, refusing to say another word to the clones. Below the trio, the rest of team RWBY continued to set up camp, with sleeping bags being set up by Weiss while Vicker and Yang worked on the fire. The blonde looked at her descending partner, "So, what was that all about?"

"Just them picking off some strays," replied Blake as she landed softly before locking her eyes open crate, "Hey, medic."

Vicker, who was about to toss another small log into the fire, cocked his head in inquiry, "Me?"

"Yes. What's in the crate? Medical supplies?"

The medic took a look at the crate before nodding, "Yep, I made sure to pack extra bacta patches, bandages, and a splint or two."

"Bacta?"

A cough escaped Vicker's lips as he replied, "Helps heal burn wounds, some experimental stuff that we keep to ourselves."

Blake's eyes narrowed down on Ord Squad's medic, "Right... sure..."

"Oh, and the name's Vicker, proud medic, but I prefer if people use my name instead of my specialty."

He was promptly ignored as the three huntresses-in-training continued to set up the camp. Beneath his helmet, Vicker's face contorted into a scowl, but he was quick to go back to work as well. Pulling out a small log, he tossed it into the fire before moving away from the three girls. He wasn't sure himself if he said anything out of turn, but right now, he couldn't care less as he climbed up to the camp's vantage point where the rest of his brothers were.

"How's helping them out in any way you can treating you?" asked Nozzle as he helped the medic up.

Vicker shook his head in dismissal as he propped himself against a wall, "I understand where they're coming from, but with the way they're going, they make it look like we executed someone."

"Did we?" asked Pipe as he wiped his bayonet clean.

"Of course, we didn't! What is it with that thinking?" scolded Hex.

The guardsman in question simply shrugged as he finally returned his bayonet to his scabbard. "It's a joke Hex, jeez! Gus isn't the only guy with a sense of humor on this squad."

"Usually at his expense," laughed the squad's medic.

The four troopers joined in the laughter as they lounged about in the building. Soon, it was night time and the sky began to turn pitch black with only the shattered moon of Remnant and the campsite emitting light within the abandoned city. Hex had taken extra time to double and triple-check the camp's surroundings. He was about to call for Gambit's attention when he noticed the familiar blue and white helmets of the rest of Ord Squad coming towards them. Leading them was the Sergeant, identifiable by his black sun visor and the painted ID on his left chest plate.

Waving towards the camp, he called into the squad's comms, "Hex, we can see you. Friendlies pulling up your 124."

"Copy that Sarge, welcome back," replied the sharpshooter before turning toward the squad's medic who had fallen asleep. He shook him awake and notified him about Gambit's return which the latter was most pleased to hear.

The squad reconvened downstairs where they saw Ruby Rose huddled over by the fire as she basked in the warmth of the flames. Her dog Zwei joined her as he snuggled right next to the girl. Elsewhere, Doctor Oobleck complimented the camp group on the preparations taken to set up the camp.

"Well," began Gambit as he gently placed his rifle down on the ground, "You four certainly made this place impressive."

"Aw, would you like some warm blankets in your room, sir?" teased Pipe.

Slick passed by as he made his way toward the fire, "Maybe some fine Gungan Gin too while you're at it."

Before any other trooper could retort, Doctor Oobleck began to hand out new instructions, "Very good everyone! Now eat your rations and go to bed. We have a long walk ahead of us. In the meantime, we'll also need to have watch guards to make sure we're safe. Who wishes to volunteer first?"

"Yo!" piped Ruby as she raised her hand.

"Excellent, I shall be retiring to my slumber. Good night everyone!" replied the Historian as he sped off.

Gambit nodded at his men, "Get some rest guys, we'll be busy soon."

He then pointed to Hex who was just about to climb up, "Hex, you, Killdane, and Vicker are on the first watch too. Slick, Jest, and Gus are on the second watch."

As expected, he was met with a series of groans or protests, but these were once again ignored, "Suck it up troopers, we've had worse shifts."

...

It was a few hours since the rest of the team had gone to sleep. Sergeant Gambit and the rest of his squad slept near the rest of team RWBY with some space between the two sides. Meanwhile, Ruby was joined by three members of Ord Squad. The four of them were positioned on the troopers' post at the top of their camp where they had the best vantage point from all sides. Hex was focused on his rifle's scope as he scanned the area diligently for any possible hostile. Killdane was sitting back, biting into a ration bar with his helmet only slightly raised to reveal his mouth and chin. Vicker was actually beside Ruby, cleaning a scratch that her Aura hadn't healed yet.

"There you go," he chirped as he wrapped a bandage around her left hand, "It's going to be a bit difficult to do all those scythe twirling you guys like, but it won't be impossible."

"Thank you, Mister Vicker," nodded the girl as she opened and closed her hand.

The trooper looked at her for a second as if she grew a second head before he eased up and gave her a thumbs up, "Anytime kid, at least you're polite."

That last phrase was more hushed, but it didn't exactly skip Ruby's ears as she shrunk down in embarrassment. "I hope my team didn't offend you, sir. I'm really sorry if they did."

"A bit," said Hex, not turning to face the duo.

A silent shuffle from behind sounded off as Killdane fully secured his helmet back on, "Truth be told, some of us aren't happy being treated like we're some sort of scum. Us soldiers have faced it everywhere we go just because of who we are, and it's not exactly a pretty sight."

"I don't... follow..." said Ruby, her head tilting to the side.

"Think of it like this," explained Killdane as he stood up, "Only a few in the Atlesian army hate the Faunus as a race, but because of those rotten few, the rest of them get treated like they want to murder all Faunus. You get me?"

Ruby could only nod as the squad's corporal carried on, "Us troopers don't take well to discrimination, and while the contempt was valid, it doesn't really change the fact that they treat us like a dedicated kill squad."

"Are you?"

"No! Of course, we're not!" exclaimed Hex as he turned over from his prone position.

A smack on the back of the head courtesy of Vicker was the marksman's reward as Killdane glared at him before shaking his head, "Sorry if we make it sound like the entire student population is suddenly thinking that we're some kind of race they don't like, but that's just how we feel."

Team RWBY's leader nodded before seeing Zwei walk up to her. The black and white corgi seems to know about the current mood of the camp as he whimpered while snuggling up to his owner.

If she found her first day in Beacon awkward, then she guesses that this takes the cake in a stressful and awkward situation.

...

Another hour in and Ruby, Killdane, Vicker, and Hex's shifts were over. Yang offered Ruby her sleeping bag for her to lie in while Zwei decided to stick to Ruby, but not before taking a head pat from his blonde owner. A few minutes later, Zwei began to shift from RWBY's leader which managed to stir her awake.

"Zwei?" she whispered softly as she rubbed her eyes. However, she is ignored as the corgi begins to run from the camp, ignoring the silent cries of Ruby as he ran further.

Seeing no other option, Ruby got up and chased after her dog, intending to avoid the patrol of three Ord Squad members downstairs. Unfortunately, she was stopped right in her tracks when three pairs of lights shone on her.

Looking at the source, she was met by the sight of the blue and white-armored soldiers, Slick, Jest, and Gus. The latter sighed in relief, muttering something to himself. Slick turned off his helmet light as he motioned for his squad to do the same.

"Hey kid," he said as he slung his rifle over his shoulder, "Aren't you supposed to be sleeping?"

"I... um... it's Zwei..." Ruby tried, but looking at the trooper in front of her, she couldn't really tell if he was convinced.

"Zwei?"

"My dog..."

Jest looked in a direction before pointing his thumb, "Over there, I think I saw a white and black furball go that way."

Ruby beamed in delight as she got ready to run off, but a hand grabbed her by the shoulder as she once again face-to-face with Slick. "Easy there hotshot, it's dark enough as it is, and if you're gonna go without your weapon, we might as well come along with you."

Shock gripped Ruby as she patted her back to try and find her beloved weapon, but alas, what Slick said was true. She was unarmed and was about to rush into a Grimm-infested city.

"Oh... uh okay! Let's go!" she stuttered as she ran off in the direction Jest pointed at, leaving the three in a small cloud of dust. Gus looked at Slick before shrugging, "Someone's gotta watch over her, let's go!" The troopers followed behind Ruby, jogging quietly so as to not draw too much attention. Eventually, they found her chastising her dog who looked like he had just relieved himself.

"We really need to get paid more for this," sighed Slick.

Jest clicked his tongue, "No pay till we get back home."

"Ugh... Zwei you could've done that somewhere closer to camp..." muttered Ruby as she shook her head. The dog barked back in reply, but before anyone else could say anything, they heard someone else speak.

"What was that?" a faint voice asked.

It didn't sound like anyone from the team, Slick's own sergeant instincts kicked in as he signaled the group to stay down. Everyone began to take cover in the ruins as the source of the voice began to come closer. Slick and Ruby took a peak and saw two White Fang grunts, both armed with rifles.

"I thought I heard a beowolf," said the same voice. His partner nudged him in reply, "Come on, let's just get this done and go back to base. This place always gives me the creeps."

The two began to walk away from the hidden group, unaware of their presence. Slick motioned for them to follow quietly as he clutched his rifle in his hands. S

Slowly, the group of four managed to follow the Fang into a corner where they remained hidden while Ruby used her dog as a makeshift periscope.

"Alright Zwei, do me proud. Tell us if they went inside a building. One bark for yes, two for no," whispered Ruby as she held the dog with pride.

A thud from a metal door and one bark were their answer. Excitement overcame Ruby as she cheered to herself. Meanwhile, the three members of Ord Squad looked at each other in worry.

"I gotta tell the team," Ruby said as she fumbled through her pockets for her scroll. She was met with a low signal popup which frustrated her. Seeing an opportunity to discreetly go back to camp, Slick said, "Right, if we're doing this we'll need our entire gear. Come on kid, let's get back to the others. I'll call Sarge while we walk."

Ruby nodded as she and the troopers began to run back.

Just then, the ground shook as cracks began to form on the asphalt. It was a dead giveaway as to what it was, but the shock overtook the group's senses before the road below them began to crumble. The troopers were first to get away, followed by Zwei, then Ruby. Unfortunately, before she could get to safety, she lost her footing and fell.

Slick was quick to react as he dropped his rifle and leaped to catch her by the hand. He was fast enough to catch her as his gloved hand clasped her arm firmly.

"Gotcha kid," he winced as he began to pull himself and her up. Lady Luck was unfortunately not one to last for long as the road began to crumble again, this time taking Slick and Ruby with it.

"Slick!" shouted Jest as he looked at the sinkhole beneath them. Gus worked his hardest to keep his brother from jumping after as he pulled him by the shoulders.

"Damn it Jest! Get a grip! We have to call Sarge and make our move!" he shouted as he hauled Jest back onto his feet.

Giving him Jest his, and Slick's rifle, Gus spoke up, "Look, if we want to help them we gotta get the Sergeant and the others."

Zwei barked in agreement, earning a look from the troopers before leading the way back to camp. Gus nodded for Slick's partner to follow him as he ran after the corgi back.

Jest followed suit, unbeknownst to him that he gripped his own rifle too tight. He prayed that Slick was still alive or else there would be hell to pay for those who hurt him, and his squad.

WRAP AND LITERAL CLIFFHANGER! Sorry for my absence lately lads, I've been busy with high school shit and all that, but I managed to find time to get this out! Yay! Go me!

Next chapter is gonna be worked on tomorrow and hopefully released within the month. Till then, speculate, review, and do what you gotta do! Also as I said, after the next chapter, we have the QnA chapter so feel free to drop review questions in either the website or my discord DMs: Coffee-kun#1423!

And remember, stay frosty because that's soldiering!