Neverending War Chapter 29

It has calmed down as the destruction in Vale is repaired, Alec and the rest of Amber Riptide including Raven, Paul and Danny are eating lunch. The mess hall is quite as groups quietly plan for the burials of their friends at the end of the week. The depressed state is infectious and hangs over the school as the funeral for thirty-one people that died from Beacon. The desolate silence is interrupted by a voice familiar and loud, "Tross where are you." The fear and worry in the voice cause the building full of young huntsmen to reach for their weapons. The Soldiers that were guarding the doors look at the woman with torn clothing with burns on the exposed edges and reach to help her. She throws them off with a shrug as she stalks in, "Alec where are you?" She steps in to face the forming group of Huntsmen weapons in hand.

"Take me to Alec Tross of Amber Riptide and the man we all have sworn to support," Jessica growls she is not in disguise and her gait has a limp but the weapon in her hand is not hers. She holds up the Kings Seal that Alec had given Bianca a week earlier, "Let me pass by the power of the King."

"Let her through." Alec steps through, "Get her food and water, Paul Grab your medical bag." He grabs the woman on her bad side and helps her get to the table as the crowd gathers around, "What happened, speak freely."

A drink and sandwich are placed on the table in front of her as Paul starts checking her injuries, "Bianca told her dad that she was done, and that she got a big deal. He told her no, and she told him to fuck off and she tossed her phone out and burnt all connections. We also stole some things for being a proper smuggling operation." She takes a bite of the sandwich, "What can I say we are criminals."

"That doesn't explain this," Mimi points at the battle damage on the woman.

"Yeah, daddy dearest did not like that, and well let's just say we did not know about all of his assets. Last night he hit us, every storage facility, every hidden rock, every money laundering business and every safety deposit box. He turned our entire operation upside down. A lot of people are hurt some are dead. He had at least four huntsmen with him. Most of our guys have unlocked aura but we were no match for a team of professionals."

From the staff area on the second level of the dining hall a voice breaks out, "Miss are you sure they were huntsmen?"

Jessica looks up to see the Headmistress with her sword at her side like a cane. The aura emitting from the banister is fiery, "Aye ma'am they were trained."

"Mr. Tross, this is an issue, these are more than likely rouge Huntsmen. I trust you and the students to act accordingly." She leans over the banister, "But I want those four to surrender to me by the end of your plans, no one slanders our good name. If needed put them down." She turns around and walks away from the banister.

Jessica looks at Alec who pales, "We can rebuild and the items you wanted weren't with us yet. But it will take time."

Alec looks at Jessica, "I do not care about the supplies I know you will get them to us. How is Bianca why is she not here?"

Jessica looks tired, "Her father went to the club personally with his four Huntsmen, we tried to stop him, but we were out matched. Her father cut her throat, she is alive, but she is in urgent medical care we are having some people we can trust taking care of her as well as the rest of the wounded."

Alec takes in the information, the look on his face stricken and angry. Mimi shirks away from him as he opens his mouth to speak. "I cannot ask anyone to go out on this with me, it is my friend sitting in a hospital bed not yours, they are criminals and what I am about to say is not what I would want to believe I would say." His eyes grow grey and tired, "I plan on making this organization no longer capable of operating in the city of Vale. I will not make this a war I will make this a crusade of vengeance. The blood spilt during this will flood the streets and drown the monsters that attacked my friend. The traitorous huntsmen will be brought to justice. I will need help."

"Welp looks like starting a gang war is in this week's curriculum." A voice says loudly from the crowd.

"This will be fun." A smirking flight suit wearing pilot says tapping her pistol, Hayley leans over with a smirk and whispers loudly, "I think we have air superiority."

Maximillian smirks as the crowd parts in discomfort, "Air superiority is definitely covered." His more animal like maw clapping with the words followed by a happy growl.

A man that looks much smaller outside of his mechanized suit smiles, "We just need a plan." Sirus leans back in his seat. "And a target."

"This is crazy your dumb criminal bitch friend gets attacked by her crazy criminal bastard dad and now we are going make local gang wars look like a food fight by preschoolers." Keller Pointer stares at Alec and his team with her unit and allies behind her. "Are we going to kill the bastard child killer."

"He is a trained former Huntsmen; I doubt we could if we wanted to. He was damned strong during the war. One of the best. And he has back up of at least four more Huntsmen we are out powered. I am going to try to get this taken care of without risking anything. I am going to try to talk to him. That way I can feel a little better when we destroy all his facilities in Vale and kill a bunch of his men."

Mimi looks at Alec with fear in her eyes. The determination in his eyes makes her shiver, "We should go check on Bianca, we might need to bring her to Beacon."

Jessica Speaks up, "If your Headmistress is willing, we won't say no to help."

Imerta who has been watching, "Bring all the wounded to Beacon, she already has the King's seal might as well jump in feet first."

Alec looks out among the gathered crowd. "Alright gather the information we need to go after our targets. I am going to get the wounded moved to Beacon and we will start getting everything going. I will prepare a meeting with the kind Father of our weapons dealer and try to convince him to make up for his failures in the family matters. Now today is Tuesday, we will be holding the burials for our fallen friends on Saturday and Sunday I believe we all plan to be drunk from drinking to deal with the negative emotions we will be feeling from the day before. So, we have three and a half days including today to solve this problem. Tonight we will put together our information and build a plan; tomorrow afternoon we will meet with our friendly family man and more than likely enact our plan, Friday will be clean up, then we should be done."

Raven stares at her leader, "Three days, a little bit ambitious Alec."

"True," Alec waves "Plan B is going to take longer and has a much higher risk since you know he is an arms dealer and Aura Penetrating Ammunition, Man Portable Anti-Air and Anti-Tank Weapons would probably be available to his organization in a short period of time."

"So, three days, let's get to work." Harriet claps her large hands. "Miss Jessica, I assume you would have access to the groups that would be able to give the information we are looking for."

"No rest for the wicked," Jessica finishes her sandwich, "yeah a few people will sell us the information." She rolls her eyes, "we are going to have to explain the hell that will follow."

Hannah grabs Jessica with a smile, "Oh I guess this mean you are going to introduce me to the Twins."

"I doubt that they will be willing to talk to me with a huntress hanging over my shoulder."

Hannah bounces excitedly, "a little ole bunny wabbit like me is never a threat to anyone," her eyes water, "especially when you explain to them that you have to take care of me because my big brother was killed by the attack." She drags the gun runner away.

Alec smirks as the Rabbit Faunus and her team usher the arms dealer away. As he looks around everyone has begun to pull themselves away a pair of teams chasing down Jessica. Looking sadly at the three teams that had lost their unit pairs one combat team and two support teams. "I understand if you want to skip this one, you have lost your friends and are down tactically. You do not have to be part of this."

"I cannot speak for everyone, but I am not going to sit here while everyone is off fighting."

"We will just form a larger team and run as a twelve-man unit until this is over."

"Alright," Alec nods as the twelve walk away.

Mimi turns to Alec with Rita coming up by her side, "I guess we aren't going to get rid of her right?"

Rita looks at Alec with her hands on her hips, "Is she going to be read in on our agreement."

The five other members of Amber Riptide stare at the three members of their unit. Danny who is leaning off of Paul, "so are you all going to tell us what your agreement is, since last we heard we saw the two of you getting out of Alec's bed half naked three nights ago, and you said that you were having nightmares."

Rita stares into Danny with a smile, "You want in too honey?"

Danny backs away pulling Paul with her, "Nope, I am shutting up now this is a talk for later. When this is all over I will ask again." She smirks, "And I will get my answers."

Raven speaks up, "we are not ready for this Alec, if we had all the cadets fully armed and another weeks rest we might stand a real chance but right now we are tired with a lot of our heavy combat equipment as a school between the armored personnel carriers and bullheads that were damaged during the fight in Vale." Raven sighs, "and of course the dead. We are not particularly in a position for a war here."

"I know, that is the other reason we have to make this quick and devastating, we can't make this a long fight." Alec smirks at his friend, "So think we can make this a short and fast war, Raven?"

Raven cocks her hips rolling her eyes, "I think that you already know that answer," she turns around and starts walking away, "I know that you already have a plan to do it in spite of the reality."

"I guess we better get Jessica and her wounded," Beethoven starts walking towards the bullhead hanger, "I'll fly."

"Shotgun," Raven waves her hand calmly as her heels click down the cafeteria towards the doors.

Alec smirks as his friends lead them away, "I am sorry my nightmares keep putting you into an awkward position," Rita says from behind him, "I'll do my best to not let them push me towards your bed."

Mimi snorts as she starts walking, "are you kidding me he loves this stuff." The pair of women place themselves on both sides of Alec, "I think he is getting used to us laying in his bed."

"Mimi's commentary aside," Alec waves his hand, and he walks offering an arm to each woman, "do not push yourself to suffer because our team want to tease, although we do owe them an explanation."

Rita sighs, "And what would that be?"

"The truth," Mimi replies without hesitation.

"Mimi," Rita asks across Alec, "what is the truth."

"Complicated," Alec says, "Come on."

It takes an hour to reach the underworld doctor that is taking care of the arms dealer and her men. As the eight start to walk into the laundromat an old man intercepts them at the door as he heard the bullhead land followed by two medevac bullheads all three emblazed with the Beacon insignia and the King's seal. "Eh, um what can I do for you huntsmen."

Raven steps forward, "I am here to pick up my clothing." The man steps aside and lets the group in, she smirks as she sees the armed men pointing submachine guns at her. "Alec, you want to talk to these fine gentlemen."

Alec steps forward and stares at the three armed men, "I am here to take Bianca and the rest of your wounded to Beacon and get them better taken care of," Alec steps forward as the rest of his unit pushes into the room, "look I plan on getting back at her father and I need to make sure that everyone that I can is either safe or working with me."

Facing eight huntsmen the arms dealers' guards look at each other, they had aura piercing ammunition, but they knew that they had no chance against the machines of destruction, and they know of Alec. The boss trusted him, they step aside. "They are in the basement." One of the men lead the huntsmen down to the makeshift hospital.

Alec stares at Bianca laying in a bed with bloody bandages around her neck; her chest raises and settles slowly as she sleeps. The red-brown stain on the bandage draws his eyes, he was no expert but the amount of blood on the bandages make it look like her neck was cut in half. The bruising on her face and the parts of her skin that he could see was bruised purple and blue. One eye is swollen shut with the black and blue swollen bruise.

Mimi and Rita stare at the woman in front of them, "holy shit."

Paul pushes the three aside, "Come on let's get all these people to Beacon." He points at the old man from before, "You are the doctor, right?" The man opens his mouth to speak but Paul cuts him off, "Never mind, you are some kind of criminal doctor. You can't stay here; grab any paperwork you have on this one and help me figure out if we can move her."

The man stares at Paul before grabbing some papers and shoving them into one of the gun runners' hands. "Come on, I don't have much of a choice."

Alec stares at Bianca his face tightening, "come on let's get loaded up."

"Right," Paul lays out a gurney, and takes position, "We move her on three." Alec nods, "One." Both men grab the bedsheets, "two." Muscles tense and both men look at each other in the eyes, "Three." Bianca is lifted onto the gurney. "Let's move," Bianca is loaded onto the Bullhead, the others are pulled into the aircraft. A minute later the Beacon marked Bullhead lifts off with eight huntsmen, a half dozen wounded gun runners, an unhappy underworld doctor and a crime boss in critical condition.

As the bullhead lands dozens of support staff are waiting, Bianca is rushed off to the medical section. The doctor is dragged away by the staff while nurses grab the few gunrunners and drag them away to be checked.

Alec steps out of the bullhead, and is met by Azul Pendragon, not looking like his normal laidback self. "I would ask if you were successful but seeing as the city is still there, I assume you collected your asset."

Alec's cold eyes look at him, "yes sir, asset secured, phase one of listed operations complete, phase two information gathering and resourcing gathering is ongoing, phase three solution resolution and capture of rogue Huntsmen will be activated tomorrow, and Phase four cleanup will be completed by Friday."

"I see, how bad is she?"

"Bad." Alec opens and closes his hand, "She will need therapy."

"Is the weapons dealer to join your little army?"

"I was not planning on her becoming anything more than a supplier for harder to gather resources."

"But now."

"She is already linked to us and cannot hide behind just being a criminal."

"What about the resources expended."

Alec stares into equally cold eyes, "You have my life for foreseeable future and if we are right about what is coming, I won't be making it to that cushy retirement, sir. That woman and her organization are free to do as they please."

"A bit protective, are you?" the assistant headmaster stares at his student.

"She did not choose this," Alec stares at the place the gurneys disappeared to. "I will have to prepare for war sir." With a stare cold and undaunted, "then I get to burry our heroes. And after that we go toward a bigger war." With a sigh Alec smiles, "But she will not be there on the front line she will be behind the wall. Where civilians are supposed to be."

"Fair enough, Headmistress Imerta and I will not push the subject."

"Thank you."

"The Headmistress and I will have an announcement to make after the burials of our lost."

Alec's eyes flash to a medallion on the Assistant Headmaster's belt, "Congratulations sir."

"Thank you."

"When is the ceremony?"

"Sometime after the escort mission."

"Got it I will keep trouble after that mission to a minimum so you can have a nice ceremony. Can't promise for the Honeymoon."

"We already knew that" The assistant headmaster smiles, "I think we accepted that years ago."

Alec looks at him, "Unless you need anything else, I have a family friend to call."

"One thing," The man looks at his junior asking silent permission, "I have heard that there is only one way you will return to The Strip." The silent affirmation pushes him to continue, "Do you have enough."

"Don't know not planning on going back," Alec bows and starts to walk away.

"One Frigate, three squadrons of Pilots and their weapons a full year of Students, a full squad of Mechanized students, and now something that will be close to two thousand soldiers. Will that be enough?"

Alec turns, "To do what sir?" The Assistant Headmaster's eyes flash and Alec nods, "It might be but The Strip is somewhere I would like to try to keep out of this." Alec continues walking away lifting his scroll to his ear.

The doors of a club open to show a beaten and bruised woman followed by a worried looking rabbit faunus. A Twin in white steps forward, "Jessica come here bring your friend with you." She turns and starts walking towards the VIP rooms.

Jessica limps her way towards the room. Where a Twin in Red is waiting, "You look like you need a drink."

Jessica nods, "something hard and with a lot of ice please. If you could get a Vodka Strawberry light on the vodka for my friend she would be appreciative."

"Of course, and after what we have heard happened, I am surprised you are still walking." White says with a smile as drinks are delivered.

Red leans in, "So before we get to business who is your partner in crime, normally you bring Bianca."

"This is Hannah a student at Beacon and first year Huntress." She turns to Hannah, "and before you say anything they are information brokers and one of the largest mobs in Vale, I am not going to lie to them." Looking back at the pair of women she drains her drink and holds the ice to one of her bruises, "Bianca is not in good shape after what happened. What is left of our organization is currently under the protection of our employer, an Alec Tross."

"We know of him, he seems to have amassed a large amount of power." One of the twins say knowingly.

"Tell us what happened to Bianca." The other continues.

With a roll of her eyes Jessica stares at the two, "what do you already know?"

"Your organization tried to separate from its parent organization and there was a disagreement."

"Well yeah but the disagreement was not just a show of force, Bianca's Daddy dearest cut her throat and kill a bunch of our men."

"I see." White says with a worried expression.

"What do you want then?"

"Well, you see that Alec Tross guy is an old friend of Bianca and had hired her to supply his new army. Part of his payment was a King's Seal and he told her something that convinced her to sell him everything he needed. And now his arms dealer and friend is laying in a hospital bed with a hole in her throat." The tired eyed girl drink the water from her glass, "Needles to say he is on a warpath and wants as many known storage locations and transports as he can get."

Red leans in licking her lips, "and what do you say?"

"Bianca is someone I care about." Jessica leans back, "I am not against making her father pay for this."

"What are you willing to pay?" White leans back pursing her lips.

"What is your price."

The Twins stare at each other, "One free usual shipment."

"That is it?"

"Yes." A folder is passed over, "Don't attack our people and do not let this become a major gang war. It is bad for business."

"Thank you."

Pine Pincter places her teacup down with a smile. "Thank you for seeing me on such short notice Lavender, Agustus said it was important that I give you this." The middle-aged woman passes a file across to the Queen of Vale.

"How much do you know?" the queen of Vale takes another drink from her cup.

"Not everything but enough to know that it will be bad." Her eyes flutter with worry, "last time I saw this out of him was during the rebuilding, when you couldn't trust the groups of survivors. When he was as worried about his so-called army turning on the government as the remaining Grimm."

Lavender sighs passing the folder to a maid who dashes out of the room with it, "Well then I think we can skip the next serving of tea." The ex-huntress's eyes glint dangerously mischievously as she places a bottle of expensive whiskey on the table, "I will have a guest room prepared for you." She pours a large serving of whiskey into each of the teacups. "I am afraid you will have to stay with us for safety for a while."