First Impressions
RWBY x 86 AU Fanfiction "Short" Story
Disclaimer: The following is a short story featuring characters belonging to Rooster Teeth, Yen Press and Asato Asato respectively. Please support the respective official releases.
The show hall bustled with life. Music and chatter filled the air as men and women joked, laughed and spoke amongst each other. The clattering of metal utensils, the squeaking of boots against wet spots on the floor bounced around in the air. The kitchen staff stood behind the hot trays, refilling them with fresh food as people moved in and out of line for their turn at a bite. Everyone wore the same uniform yet the faces and hairs were unique to every individual with unnatural vibrancy. Despite the mess hall being rather filled, it was notably empty with only half the capacity theoretically possible.
Lena filled her mouth with another bite of macaroni and cheese as the others at the table spoke. Today happened to be the day they'll be forming a new unit with Lena at the helm as the platoon commander. She was assured that, despite lacking full infantry complements, they'd be effectively at full strength. What exactly that entailed was something they would have to find out.
Pushing a strand of her silver hair aside, Lena finished her meal by gulping down the last bit of coffee. She took one last glance at Shin who was calmly eating the last bit of his food as well; each movement was as robotic as the last, a fact Lena could see right through due to the many conversations they had before. Oddly enough, she was comforted at the sight of the one she liked being well, or as well as a nurtured warrior could be.
Lena quietly smiled but also grimmed as she remembered their past.
Shin and the others; Theo Rikka, Kurena Kukumila, Shiden Lida, Raiden Shuga and Anju Emma, were originally part of the armoured base security force with Shin originally being an armoured company commander. Lena was originally their sector commander but got reassigned to another base as the base security commander when Shin's unit was given their "special operation." A suicidal excursion to cause as much damage to the advancing Coalition forces while as many remaining assets were withdrawn south.
Lena remembered grieving for them and her blood running hot with rage, always demanding blood be spilled when they faced Coalition forces on the battlefield or at the very least capturing the enemy, garnering her nickname: "Bloody Regina;" the bloodthirsty but just queen.
The rage was muted by shame when she herself got captured, thinking she had failed them and would live her life down with regret. But the shame then blossomed into joy after she was handed to the Prealia who would reunite her with Shin and the others.
She still held that photo from the very day, taken by Frederica; a war orphan that Shin and the others took in as their little sister during their "special operation" and subsequent stay with the Prealia as tank instructors. The photo itself was taken when Lena arrived at the new base, asleep in Shin's arms, finally at peace, with her dirtied uniform while the others gave knowing grins and smirks, except for Shin who was keeping it extremely neutral.
All she could remember from that fateful day were tears. The realisation that she would be escorted from the camp into the waiting arms of those she had thought were long gone. A great reprieve to the sorrow of never seeing them again, not even a face.
After that, she voluntarily became their commander and helped them train Coalition recruits, using drones as a way to practice for a variety of situations. Those days were more administrative but were kept exciting as the Prealia were interested in pushing them and their technology to the limits of their capability.
The war's end was supposed to mark a day of celebration, a time to move onto greener pastures. What they encountered that day was dawning realization they would lose the only lives they truly knew.
Fortunately, despite efforts of the other Coalition nations, the Prealia had kept them safe from the rumoured proposals of using them as slave labour, citing their unnatural birth as justification for being non-human and for the purpose to help rebuild nations at a more affordable cost. However, before the other Coalition governments could do anything, they were stonewalled from such a fate thanks to the Prealia. A fact that confused Lena to this day but she had grown to accept.
The Prealian intervention gave them the opportunity to become the regular civilians lives they were implanted with. Lena found it enjoyable making friends, hanging out with Shin and the others and all the things she never actually did. Yet, during all that, she never once felt she could belong in such a life. Despite living out the memories she was given, something about it felt off.
Despite the advice of the Prealia, she, along with Shin and the others, took the chance to go back to war and joined the New Alliance Peacekeeping force. The Peacekeeping force was the provision defence force made of entirely old Alliance soldiers from the occupied Alliance nations. It would operate under Prealian supervision, and with some level of public oversight, until the New Alliance Self-defence forces could be properly established.
The enlisting process was expedited as they didn't do anything in the way of basic training outside of familiarity with new equipment. In turn, enlisting personnel were required to have served in the old Alliance Army. Lena and the others were immediately supplied and sent to their station. If anything, Lena felt like she was in the same army all those years ago, albeit with different uniforms and an eclectic mix of equipment but the same nonetheless. To her, even now and somewhere deep in her mind, it felt oddly familiar and comforting, knowing what she was doing and in a world she truly grew up in.
"- don't you think it's a little strange how fast they put us together? It honestly seems suspicious how they did it so fast." Theo's question came before taking the last bite of his food. They were in their usual conversation for the day.
"Yeah well, it's not like they have much of a choice. Not that many signed up and out of those, not many met the requirements. It's only natural they want to put together the best they have left." Anju's voice spoke of neutral analysis as Lena listened in on their conversation.
"If the "best" of the infantry can't keep up with us, then we're screwed." Theo stated with a good mouthful of food in his mouth, the bread muffling his voice but only so much.
"Hey Lena, why aren't there any tank companies? Wouldn't we be more useful there?" Kurena's question came with her mere curiosity the Lena swore sounded somewhat childish, but not in a terribly bad way. Lena found Kurena's personality quite fitting given what she accidentally listened to when they were part of the Alliance.
Lena gave a quiet sigh as she recounted what she discussed with Major Goodwitch; their Battalion Commander.
"All the remaining tanks and their equipment were destroyed by the time the war ended. It's going to take a few years until we'll have the first tank in service." Kurena's groan echoed amongst the table sitters. Shiden and Shin looked at one another and silently conversed.
They tend to have these silent conversations when it comes to vital matters. Shiden was originally the leader of her own platoon with Shin having to pick up the role after the 1st Platoon tank was destroyed during a chance encounter with Canadian Special Forces. By the time the base was evacuated, it was only Shiden's and Shin's tanks that were left standing. Both being run by crews who were very different from the ones they trained with.
"Of course they were…" Theo's silent complaint fell silent once Shin spoke up.
"We'll make do with what we have. We've already been giving training with the new Bradleys and it's not the first time we've been in this situation." Shin's answer elicited some nods amongst the others.
"Besides, we're not ones who would back down from a good challenge." Shiden's comment made them chuckle with pride.
"We're gonna be so good, they won't be able to keep up with us!" Kurena's childish boast elected some laughter amongst the group.
"It's good to have a little competition, but remember: we gotta work with them as a team." Raiden's reminder made the rest of them nod in understanding. There was a reason he was considered the "big brother" of their group.
With that reminder, the group finished the last of their meals.
-o-
"Ooohhh! It's gonna be so good!" Ruby excitedly jiggled as her sheer joy of weapons came bubbling up. Weiss Schnee, with her blue eyes and snow white hair, had laid her head on top of the table with her food wisely pushed aside. The snow queen was just plain defeated, likely accepting the fact their squad leader reverted to a child when it came to weapons that weren't shooting at them. Admittedly, it was an asset but also came at the cost of Weiss' patience.
"New 50mm cannon AND turret, new BGM-71 TOW Missile so reloading can be done WITHOUT leaving the turret…"
"Please wake me up when she's done embarrassing us, I don't want her to ruin our chances working with the other teams." Weiss' groan gave Yang a small snicker as she and Blake continued with their breakfast.
Ruby was considered the youngest amongst them with a physiological age of 18, the others being around 20-24. However, Ruby had proved she is combat capable and could fill the role of team leader as needed. Although her skills in other areas were made up for by the team.
"It's not like we have much of a choice. We're going to be on patrol right after we meet each other."
"Well, I'll make sure end this patrol with a Yang! Eh? Eh?" Ruby's head suddenly adopted the same position as Weiss' and both groaned at the same time. Blake continued eating her food while reading, her cat ears occasionally flickering back and forth.
Silence stilled the air amongst the four.
"Jeez, tough crowd." Yang's complaint went ignored as both red and white glared back at her.
-o-
The sound of boots against tile echoed in the empty hall. Jaune Arc marched beside Major Glynda Goodwitch, making their way through the labyrinth of halls and rooms that made up the bases's headquarters. Both blondes were wearing their combats with their only difference being a muted rank insignia that would be hard to see from a distance and could easily be ripped off.
"I've seen a lot of on-the-fly stuff. But this has to take the cake." Goodwitch sighed at the comment but she didn't seem frustrated. Jaune's sentiment was understandable. Things were being done on extremely short notice.
"Sadly, it's the best we could do. There aren't that many options left for us." Jaune nodded in agreement and stayed silent as they stopped before the door into the mess hall. The tapping of their footsteps stopped with the muffling of voices coming behind the door.
"Arc, word of advice: try to avoid mentioning being a normal person in front of them… Not all of them will take it well." The tired Glynda watched the young Sergeant give a nod of understanding before they stepped through the door. The wave of chatter started and filled the air as they made their way through. Jaune looked around to see men and women all wearing the same uniforms with different ranks, a diverse range of hair and eye colours; all of which were unnatural. In fact, this made Jaune stand out as the most abnormal looking with his blonde hair and blue eyes. However, he was told that he could still pass as one of the artificial soldiers if needed, and that person was so far proving correct.
"Attention!" Glynda's voice carried over a table where 3 people sat. Jaune stood close to attention posture behind her while the other 3; a green-eyed red hair girl, an asian looking person with magenta coloured eyes, and a ginger-looking girl with electric blue eyes, stood at full attention with their arms at their side. Jaune noted the red-haired girl's uniform was a tad modified compared to the others, modifications that suggested she may have been through something else during the war.
"Sgt. Arc, this will be your new team." Glynda's authority washed over them as she spoke and motioned with her hands.
"Meet Sgt. Nikos."
"Ma'am!" The red-haired girl, Nikos, gave a brief yell that Jaune had to admit was a tad bit more than what most people would have done.
"Corporal Ren and Private Valkyrie." Goodwitch finished the last name with a visible vein on her forhead. The subject of her hidden rage, Valkyrie, gave a childish smile before yelling 'Ma'am.' Jaune could understand the frustration as the first impression she gave was certainly someone who would cause trouble; an impression further reinforced by her rank being a 'Private' despite clear indications she should have been a sergeant or at least a corporal for someone her age. Regardless of impression, Jaune could tell Valkyrie would prove invaluable in combat. How she would work in combat was something he would find out soon enough.
Glynda turned to Jaune, making the man still to attention as he faced the full attention of Major Goodwtich.
"I'll leave the familiarization to you. Remember to meet the rest of the platoon at depot 6 with your equipment when breakfast is over. You'll head out for patrol not long after." Glynda's voice was quiet enough that only Jaune could hear what she said.
"Yes ma'am." Jaune's response made the stern officer open a small smile of appreciation before heading off back to whatever else she needed to attend. If Jaune had to guess, likely a lot of business to attend to.
Once the commander disappeared, all Valkyrie broke loose.
"Ooooo, so which unit were you from? Oh! Oh! What did you do during the war? Were you a squad leader? Which battle did you fight in? Did you ever get transferred? I mean, it's not like you got transferred to Montreal or anything." Nora's question made Jaune's brain go logical flips as he tried to process what she said, so much for the icebreaker he originally thought of. This girl was just his younger sister all over again, except the person in front of him was trained to handle actual weapons instead of toy wands. The excited private suddenly pulled back into her seat with a notable stack of pancakes that came from somewhere; Jaune couldn't and didn't want to find out where they came from, in front of her. Luckily, the gingerish girl focused on the food and began scarfing it down, one big bite at a time.
"Apologies, Nora tends to get very excited when meeting new people. I'm Cpl. Lie Ren and this is Private Nora Valkyrie," Ren gestured to the munching private.
"It's a pleasure to meet you." Ren's hand extended to Jaune who shook it after his brain finally around to reality.
"Likewise, I'm Sgt. Jaune Arc." Jaune let go of his hand and looked toward Sergeant Nikos. It seems like they needed to introduce full names. That was one of the differences between artificial humans and the natural born soldiers, the tenement of names between them were more on a first name basis.
"I'm Sgt. Pyrrha Nikos, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance Jaune." The greeting was rather peckish; nervous but still well-done.
"It's a pleasure to meet you too." Jaune gave a smile and sat down at the end of their table.
"So, you're our squad leader?" Jaune nodded at the question.
"More of a team leader with the way things are going. Not my first time doing it if that's what you're thinking." Jaune's answer seemed to give Ren some relief.
"That's good to hear, when were you told about the new arrangement?" Jaune looked up to remember exactly when, it was hard to keep track of things when new things happen every day.
"Just before breakfast, it came as a surprise. Normally, these types of things take a while to happen." Jaune's response made Ren sigh with annoyance and understanding.
"As I thought, they're likely consolidating what strength we have left." Jaune couldn't agree more with his assessment as his conversation with Goodwitch from before had enforced this idea. The strategy itself wasn't bad, putting together small capable units to do vital missions ensured a high probability of success. That said, it did have its flaws, namely: putting all your eggs in one basket and being vulnerable to attrition. Jaune knew how quickly a situation changes when multiple people are either wounded or just dead.
"Er… Jaune? When are we meeting the rest of the platoon?" Pyrrha's nervousness struck Jaune as somewhat strange, it was normal to see with inexperienced soldiers but everything about Pyrrha said otherwise. Not wanting to think too hard about it, Jaune decided it was better to ignore it for now.
"We'll RV with the rest of the platoon after Breakfast at Depot 6. Bring your combat kit since we're going out for a patrol right after." The trio nodded in understanding and went back to their food. Jaune faintly smiled seeing that his team wasn't all that bad, if anything, it was better than he expected. That said, he still felt the pressure of being leader already.
-o-
"Well, can't really complain since nobody's here yet." Theo's comment echoed in the empty aircraft hanger of vehicle depot 6 they were gathered under. Lena had to meet with the platoon headquarter's team, leaving the remaining six to meet the supposed other teams and members of their platoon. Said others have not appeared.
"Yeah, it seems a lot emptier than it should be." Kurena approached the one of the three vehicles that they assumed was going to be their Bradleys. Taking a few cautious steps, Kurena gently placed her hand on the hull of the metal beast. Her hand slid across its rough but smooth surface before coming across 3 markings. Marking that she knew all to well.
"Hey guys! It's the Bradleys we trained with! Our marks are still on them!" The others turned to her in surprise. They all took a closer look at the 2 of the 3 vehicles and came to the same conclusion, all of them recognising the marks on the hull and turret.
"Well, can't say I expected this." Theo slid his hand across the marking on the first Bradely, a painted Laughing Fox that marked him as the vehicle's driver. The symbol itself was given to him in basic when the instructors noted he was "A laughing fox when it came to driving his vehicle." A comment that Theo had taken as a personal nickname.
"Things must be bad if they're giving us the same vehicles we trained with." Anju's note was scoffed at by Shiden who looked at the second Bradley with her smirk.
"As long as it's ours, that's all that matters." Shiden gave a few strong knocks against the hull of the Bradley before climbing up.
Meanwhile, Shin was looking at the two Bradleys with his usual expression of neutrality.
"Thoughts?" Raiden's question made the headless reaper shake his head.
"It'll get the job done." Shin approached their vehicle while Raiden gave a quiet smile before following.
"Hey Shin, any idea when-"
"Sorry for being late guys." They all turned to Lena who stood beside 2 other individuals. The first one was a woman who looked much Lena albeit with slightly softer features and a pair of thick glasses. The second was a man whose reddish-black hair and dark amethyst eyes marked an aura of strangeness. Behind them were squads worth of combat androids; human-like robots that were precursors to the artificial human program but were reactivated at the war's end due to improved technologies and desperation.
"Penrose, Idinarohk. This is Sgt. Shinei Nouzen, Sgt. Theo Rikka, Raiden Shuga, Shiden Lida, Anju Emma and Kurena Kukumila. They will be the vehicle crews for Alpha and Bravo teams." The six members gave a quick salute which the others followed, although everyone wasn't picky on the following drill protocol.
"Greetings, I'm 2nd Lieutenant Victor Idinarohk, but you can call me 'Vika' for short." The man gave a small bow that appeared rather well-practiced.
"I'm Technical Specialist Henrietta Penrose, you can call me "Annette."" The woman gave a small smile that turned to a devious smirk. She whispered something into Lena's ear who jumped and suddenly blushed red. The others looked at Annette with various expressions as she gave a small giggle.
"Sorry, Lena told me a lot about you guys. We were roommates when the war ended." The others nodded in understanding with those behind Shin giving a knowing look towards him with the exception of Kurena and Shin who were confused and ignorant of the situation respectively. Annette chuckled behind her as Lena recomposed herself.
"So what's with the small robot army?" Raiden's question peaked the curiosity of one droid whose lifeless yet childlike eyes perked up.
"T-they'll, ahem, they'll be our weapons squad. You can probably guess why." The others nodded in understanding. Apparently man power was short enough to require droids to make up some of their combat potential. A reality that only whispered the severity of their situation.
"Don't worry Laughing Fox, our combat abilities will meet your expectations!" The droid beside Vika stepped up and gave a quick salute that everyone knew was appropriate but was out of place for them. Theo jumped when the droid said his personal name rather than his first or last name.
"Lerche…"
"M-my shame knows no bounds. Please accept my apologies. I'm droid-0001, but you may refer to me as 'Lerche' or some variation of which. I will be the leader of the weapons team." The others were unsettled with how human she seemed. Her voice sounded of someone alive yet her movements were off just enough to be unsettling, yet human enough to be unnoticeable with a cursory glance.
"Lerche here was created by me using the knowledge gained from the failed prototypes of the previous iteration. She's the closest in terms of design to a person." Vika's somewhat chilling voice during his explanation didn't move a muscle as they had all seen far more disturbing things on the battlefield. Yet, to everyone, there was a growing sense of uncomfortableness and wouldve certain shivered their spines if it sounded more disturbing.
"I can also assure you that their combat capabilities will be on par with human combatants. I trained them myself after all." Shin looked at the man closely and came to a tentative trust. The man appeared to be a combat focused artificial human, much like Shin and Shiden, who just so happened to have great intelligence. How thorough their training was is hard to say so Shin stayed unimpressed, but Vika's confidence suggested they observe their combat ability someday.
"Shin, where's the rest of the platoon?" Lena's question, tuned up by her genuine confusion, was answered by Shin who looked back at her.
"That's what I was about to ask-"
"Sorry we're late! The line was longer than usual for our weapons." The platoon looked back to see eight individuals walking through the hanger doors that Lena and her group entered through. A few were giving some laboured breaths due running a short full sprint with their weapons and ammunition in tow.
"Sergeant Ruby Rose reporting for duty- ARE THOSE THE BRADLEY IIs?!" The excited squad leader disappeared in a puff of dust from her almost finished salute to marvel at the vehicles while the others did their best to stand at attention.
"Ruby, get off of that!" The others moved out of the way as the medic, with a few strands of white hair visible under her helmet, stomped her way past them. They then watched as she stomped past them again going the opposite direction whilst dragging the still excited sergeant. Said dragged Rose still reaching their arms out in hopes of grabbing the vehicle.
"Sergeant Jaune Arc and my team are present and accounted for ma'am." Arc and his 3 subordinates got in the expected form as Jaune saluted for the 4 of them. Their team admittedly much less chaotic than the other 4.
The other team, once Rose controlled her excitement, got into the same form with Rose saluting for her team. Quiet filled the air as no one dared to make a sound.
"She seems so… childish." Kurena whispered to Shiden who gave a knowing smirk.
"You know that's kind of rich coming from you." Shiden's teasing earned her a glare and puff of the cheeks by Kurena. Shiden laughed it off before petting her back and gesturing Kurena back to the scene in front of her.
"Got any ideas how good they are?" Anju's whisper helped narrow Theos eyes as he finished his assessment.
"Honestly, they might be a lot better than I expected. The way their gear's setup is a lot like how the veterans would wear it." Theo's eyes wandered to Jaune as he stood at attention and told his team to relax. Anju noticed his scanning eyes.
"The only thing is that Arc seems off, his eyes and hair are too natural. They're a bit on the vibrant side but you can tell it's still natural if you look close enough." Anju looked at him in surprise as she tried getting the same conclusion before realising their differences in experience.
"Wow, guess those drawing skills came in handy." Theo smirked at the comment.
"Well, it's that and experience." Anju nodded along before looking back as Lena approached Sgt. Arc.
"Isn't that 'Viking?'" Raiden's quiet whisper graced Shin's ear who nodded in confirmation. Lena was currently introducing herself and the others to Arc.
"A lot of the commanders joked about having to deal with her. But she doesn't seem as bad as when I first met her…" Raiden did a double take in a split second.
"Initial days of the war, she gave my commander a small headache when she swapped our ammo with candy." Raiden held back a laugh at that with Shin not appearing even the slightest bit amused.
"Sorry, but you have to admit, that is kind of funny." Shin didn't respond but continued looking at their infantry complement.
"So how did she avoid getting, you know?" Shin knew exactly what Raiden was referring to, and even he wanted to forget about that ridiculous policy they were made to believe.
"She's one of the best damn explosives experts ever created by the Beacon Initiative. Losing her wasn't an option." Raiden raised an eyebrow in doubt only to see Shin maintain his serious composure.
"Well, she has to be a really good one if she avoided that." Shin only gave a quiet nod to Raiden's words.
-o-
After finishing introductions, both teams gathered around a board with a map pinned on it. The map itself was a wide overhead view of their local area. On the map was string tired onto various pins, marking their approximate path they would follow for the patrol.
"Does everyone have their assignments?"
"Yes, ma'am." They all responded in either all seriousness or somewhat teasingly.
"Good, then to begin with…"
"I think I can take over for you Captain." Everyone turned their heads to Major Goodwitch walking into the hanger with the usual kit given to everyone at the base. A simple pair of fatigues and a beret that only someone with lots of experience could pull off.
"Major Goodwitch! I-I wasn't told you'll be taking over for this." Lena stuttered with complete surprise as the woman gave a gentle smile that people rarely saw.
"Good, it was supposed to be a surprise anyway. Please join with the rest of your platoon" The major turned to all of them as they listened more attentively. Lena quickly stood beside them as Goodwitch began the briefing.
"First off, it is good to see all of you today. No doubt some of you are familiar with me from the Beacon Initiative so it's good to see some familiar faces." Notably Rose's team and some members of Jaune's nodded in confirmation with Nora giving a wave.
"Today's patrol will involve an incursion to one of our outposts along the Interstate Highway going west of our current position." The major pointed to the first stretch of path they'd follow.
"You are to then head to a nearby boat and recuperate for the next day's return trip, heading North along another interstate highway and then east back to the base." Everyone nodded along at the directions.
"Today's mission will focus on recon and defence. This means you should not be facing any contacts during any part of your patrol but do remember it remains a clear and present possibility." The other members nodded along with the infantry tensing their weapons.
"The goal of this mission is to simply ensure the passage remains usable for civilian traffic as there's always a risk Remnant forces are active in the area. As such, this patrol will be vital in reestablishing security for the local region. Any questions?"
The room stayed still as the major scanned everyone around her.
"If there aren't any questions then forever hold your piece. Platoon dismissed." Everyone made a quick motion of attention and headed to the vehicles.
-o-
The teams began their usual ritual for combat. The infantry checked their weapons and supplies loaded into the light tanks, blessing their vehicles for longevity and adaptability in combat. Yang, having her hair tied into a tight bun, clipped on her helmet and shook it to be sure, blessing herself with secure protection. Weiss made sure to check her medical supplies and counted every piece of bandage, medicine and tool she needed to help someone on the field, blessing their team with recovery and good health. Pyrrha was admittedly the oddest looking one as she donned her equipment, having a smaller ballistic carrier that tightly followed the ballistic plate and helmet that extended to cover part of her face. Jaune had to admit it looked like he was looking at a divine warrior who had blessed their team with their skill.
The vehicle crew donned their own unique equipment with helmets that were far more cushioned and therefore thicker, blessing the wearers with safe usage of the Bradleys. Their combat vests were the same as the infantry but the most they attached to them were a pistol, magazines and two pouches they used as pockets. The engines started with growls before purring with motion and claws as the beasts inside brought the machine to life like so many times before. Theo had finished their parts and we're simply awaiting the conclusion. Shin nodded at the confirmation and slipped down the commander's hatch. Raiden soon followed on the gunners side and got into position. They both turned on their screens and watched as their vehicles ran the diagnostic systems before returning full green and then bursting to life. The vehicle's navigation and IFF systems engaged and blinked to life. Every system turned on soon after and surrounded Shin with a familiar set of inscriptions and gifted him all the information he needed. Raiden simply looked through his scope and gave a thumbs up to Shin.
Shin turned his head back to see Rose's team, AKA Alpha 2, finally loaded up with their equipment. The previously childish girl gave a thumbs up with no emotion coming through her muted red scarf. Shin watched as the girl closed the door, fully securing them in the vehicle before sitting down with the rest of her team. Shin nodded and popped himself out from the vehicle's hatch and looked back. Shiden gave a thumbs up and Shin began the confirmation.
"Regina, Alpha is ready."
"Bravo is Ready your highness."
"Bloody Regina, Squad Charlie is ready."
Their chanting and sermons done, the teams waited as their leader spoke the final words to finish their ritual of preparation.
Shin took a quick scan of their surroundings as the hanger had effectively become devoid of human appearing life. Their ritual having taken all the souls from the hanger.
"This is Bloody Regina, all teams ready. Alpha, follow navigation and take point." Shin looked down so see a new marker had been added to their navigation system.
"Fox, follow navigation."
"Got it!" Theos voice crackled with a smile in the vehicle's internal radio system.
Shin lurches forward as the metal beast crawls out the hangers gate. Shin feels the sunlight blind him as they make the first steps out.
Out into the unknown for a routine patrol.
