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Chapter 16

The sun outside is dimming and the broken moon is rising as the students leave their classes and walk over towards the mess hall, as teams and units recombine. Alec finds himself a few minutes ahead of the rest of his unit, Rita had stayed behind in class to gather some extra information about logistics and support team leadership and how she could work better working with rear line units and civilian support personnel. Alec Tross gathers a platter and starts collecting food for himself. He sits down at a table his food in front of him. Everyone that sees him glances then turns away talking among themselves. Alec takes a bite of his food as he starts looking at an article on his scroll, 'Military Intervention in the South West of the Kingdom Against Militant Bandit Forces.' He scrolls down reading about the massive military force sent to deal with what in reality was a lightly armed bandit force with maybe one or two members that had auras activated. A half dozen airships and half a battalion of ground forces with a dozen armored vehicles. It looks good for the papers.

A pair of Rabbit ears appear next to him, "Hey where is your team?" Hannah smiles sitting down.

"Rita wanted some more information specific to her, my team is going through the end of their classes, Rita's team is doing the same," he smiles looking at Hannah, "They are a good unit."

"Most of them are Alec," She stares at his food, "I want you to know that no matter what anyone says, we all knew what we were doing when we jumped."

"Good to know," Alec sips his drink, "why are you really here?"

She smiles coyly, "What I was just checking on you," she places her hand in her bag.

"If you really were checking on me you would have brought your boyfriend." He smiles.

"Why do you all say that," She pulls an envelope out of her bag, "I got you this."

Alec takes the envelope and opens it, "Because you two work so well together and you two are obviously attracted to each other. This is a report on the military's engagement against the bandits."

"Yeah, it looks more like they were an actual rebel group, over seventy aura activated members and three hundred combatants." She looks at him strangely for a minute, "Why are you thinking of Strip?" She covers her mouth as soon as the words leave her lips.

Alec stares at the woman next to him, "Explain."

"Do I have to?" Her ears flatten and she shifts away.

Alec sighs, "No but if it is what I think it is I need you to keep what you see to yourself. I can't have it all getting out."

"I know, look it is not as bad as you think," she looks around worriedly she frowns, I can only really read surface thoughts and of course pass on thoughts to others.

Alec winces at the surface level intrusion into his mind, "I see, so you know that David likes you like a lot and you have done nothing."

"That is not what this is about, you looked at that report and you thought of home." She looks at Alec seriously, "Alec there is something going on."

"Look Strip is not a place like here there is no army or fortress or wall. It is what you have, a place like strip has a lot of fire power. Those numbers are kind of the same higher aura user numbers but similar. Out that far three hundred people out there alone with the Grimm, surviving is impressive. Especially with no mention of a village, makes me think that there is more to the story."

"Strip doesn't have a military outpost? I thought that was a requirement."

"Look it is a different kind of place, full of people that nothing to do with the kingdoms."

Hannah jumps a little bit as she is bombarded by ideas and thoughts as they surfaced in Alec's mind. "So that is the story huh? All for them? They know? Wow Alec."

"It is nothing, so with your boy, you know he likes you and you have done nothing about it." Alec waves his hands. "I mean you can literally read his mind how he feels right am I wrong."

Hannah stares at Alec in shock, "You can't just ignore all of that about Strip, and just tell me that I should throw myself at David."

"What happened at Strip is in the past. You and David are something that can happen now, so he likes you right?"

"By the gods Alec I don't try to dig into other people," Hannah rolls her eyes. Alec's stare pushes her though, "Fine I may have caught something when we were looking around the city. It means nothing surface level shit like that means nothing. Tons of people think bullshit stuff like nice ass, I could give her a good ride, she's cute, or ewe wouldn't go for that. Quick surface level thoughts mean nothing unless you combine them with more information."

"Alright so you just don't believe that he likes you because you are a stubborn animal." Hannah stares at with anger. Alec smirks, "Hey David, come over here."

"Don't you fucking dare." Hannah hisses. "Alec I actually like him if you ruin this for me, I will kill you."

"I believe you; he knows about your semblance right."

"Of course, he does."

David steps up, "Hey Alec, hey Hannah, what is up?" He smiles and sits down.

Alec nods staring at Hannah, "Nothing much Hannah just gave me some interesting info, take a look." He hands the envelope while turning around to face David. "Looks odd doesn't it."

"Yeah, it is almost like the military is looking to actively assault forces with aura users they didn't request any Huntsmen forces. After our last dealing with them I feel like we should be worried. Think the Headmistress knows?"

"I am sure that she knows, and we cannot do anything except react right now." Alec looks between David and Hannah. "You know what her semblance is right?"

"Oh, she told you?"

"By accident," Alec shrugs while Hannah blushes a bit, "So you know she can tell that you find her attractive." Alec lurches as a strong foot slams into his back an embarrassed rabbit faunus blushing redder by the moment.

David slides back as Alec lunges further. He looks at the blushing woman, "I would expect such things to be known. She can literally read my mind and I have not been subtle." The squeak from the Rabbit girl making him continue. "So now that you have embarrassed her and probably gotten a broken rib is there anything else you wanna say."

Alec nods standing up. "Crap Hannah that hurt. And yeah, there is more mister trying to keep it cool." He rubs his back. "She is equally attracted to you but is bring a shy girl and blowing her chance just waiting for you to think she doesn't and move on and you are being an idiot thinking that she would act on what she reads in your mind. It is surface shit; I am fairly certain that she accidentally minds that mention that she is a Brothers dammed super model every day." Alec points at her, "Because she is super hot." He moves his open hand in a you see movement. "Now here is a hundred lien go and watch a movie or get some dinner or something." He grabs the envelope and walks away intercepting his unit.

Rita looks at Alec as he walks up to them, "Hey, What is happening?"

"Hannah handed me some interesting intel." Alec hands over the envelope.

"What is David and Hannah doing?"

"Are they actually flirting," Mimi says with her eyes widening. "Where are they going?" The group watches as David and Hannah walk out of the Mess Hall, with David Reaching his arm around Hannah's Waist.

Hannah breaks away from David and heads towards Alec. Without saying a word, she stops slaps Alec and walks away with a smirk and a twirl. After a few steps she waves her hand, "I know it is."

Mimi turns to stare at Alec, "Alec we have known each other for the entirety of our lives, So you know I mean it when what the hell? Alec."

"I probably deserved it. Let's go grab food. My last plate ended up abandoned." He starts walking over towards the food line, it is a bit longer now but standing in line with childhood friends and his brand-new friends.

"Take a look at that intel. It is interesting, when you get a chance send it to all of the teams working with us and over to the Cadets and Mechanized Unit."

"Got it." Rita nods, immediately sounding professional.

"Raven can you do me some research and see what you can find out about who the military took out. I want it all put together and sent out as soon as we can." Alec sighs heavily.

"You got it boss," Raven salutes quickly.

"Tina, can you work with some others in the classes to figure out what rifles we can get that use the same ammunition as the military. I need a consensus between all the team that want to be part of this."

"Fire power got it," Tina puts her food on the plate.

"Danny, start on any paperwork we need to make this whole thing above board, help the other teams too."

"Got it I will find the right paperwork tonight and start filling it out. The printer will be running for at least thirty minutes."

Paul huffs, "You would figure that they would have gotten rid of paperwork with all the electronic stuff now."

"Grimm can't read paper, and Paperwork will survive a server collapse." Beethoven counts out on his fingers.

With their plates full the unit goes to a table and sits down their meals uninterrupted as everyone else eats the low murmur of casual conversation echoes through the hall. Within half an hour everyone is heading to their rooms before the second day of the next fifteen years of their lives.

That night every one of their leaders received messages from different members of Amber Riptide.

"I swear these kids are insane, they got a hold of a top-secret military documents. Then read them took the information to mean that they should be worried about the military. And of course, then sent off a dozen messages to every first year, the cadet pilots, the cadets on The Beacon and the Mechanized Cadet Unit saying hey here is some not-so-great news and we should prepare for it, do you have any recommendations on rifles that use military ammunition? Here is the paperwork we need to fill out." Crimson Imerta says tossing her tablet on her desk.

"I read the same report, those kids work fast." Azul Pendragon sits in a chair looking at His boss. "You know you are really cute when you are frustrated."

"This is not a joke; they are going to give the military a reason to go through with Pincter's plans." The woman slams her fists into the table cracking it. "And they will follow him, because he is right." She looks at the man in the room, "The King does not have the support of the military, and if it came to it we would be the ones protecting the man." She stares at the man who has been her companion for longer than most would believe, "With a few cadets, a single old frigate, and not enough huntsmen." She collapses into her chair, "and then the whole Salem thing. We need to worry about that, and we need the military if she comes our way."

"True, So you think Salem is messing with all this like she did before the war."

"Damn it, I was really hoping I was just getting paranoid."

In a dark hole in the ground Grimm wander, Howling and wailing echoes. A blue screen blinks with the word Active blinking over it. A voice echoes throughout as a voice calm and dark, "I thought you said you wanted power, Did you lie to me?