Ronin stood in an office, dressed in camo tactical pants, a tight black shirt with a loose bottom saying "Ronin Oil Company", a hat that read "RONIN, and black combat boots. He had a Glock 21 concealed in his waistband, but he didn't let anyone know that. He stood in the far corner of the room, his eyes looking around. He spotted the only exit and entrance, an elevator that was on the opposite side of the room. He grumbled. If the situation got hairy, he would have to fight his way out. What also got his attention was the architecture of the room. Never in his life did he think a person could be so fascinated with gears and clocks. The clocks ticked as the seconds went by, synchronized with the watch on his left wrist. He started to tap his foot against the ground, trying to relieve the stress and anxiety he felt by being in this room. He didn't like the room at all. Only one entrance and exit, besides the windows with a 5 story drop, and security was a 2 minute helicopter ride away. He shook his head. This meeting was a bad idea. He grimaced as he kept his eyes on the elevator door, his back to the corner. He looked around the room again. There was a desk with multiple chairs around. He could kick it over and use it as concealment. It was horrible cover, but it was the best he had. He felt around his waist band. He felt his Glock against his hip and three magazines on his right hip. He felt some safety knowing that his firearm was loaded and a round was chambered. A ding caught Ronin's attention. His hand quickly moved to his right hip, but away from his firearm. He looked at the elevator door and above it, a small number appeared; "1". Someone was coming up the elevator. Ronin started to move behind the desk with his right hand floating down to his hip. The dings kept coming as the elevator got closer. Ronin exhaled and sharpened his eyes, focusing on the door. When the last ding came, the sound of the elevator stopped. Ronin kept his eyes glued to the door as they opened. A man with grey hair and a green scarf walked out of the elevator with two cups of coffee in his hand, and a taller blond woman followed him. They stopped in front of the door, seeing Ronin standing hesitantly at the desk. Despite the situation, the older man smiled. "I am so very glad we could finally meet mister Ronin. Please, have a seat" Ozpin motioned for him to sit at a desk.
"I'm quite alright" Ronin responded curtly, opting to go back to a corner of the room where he could see both the blond woman and the older man. Ozpin did not seem fazed by Ronin's actions or the hard look on his face. Instead, he smiled "Would you like a cup of coffee?" he asked.
"No." Ronin flatly stated.
The man shrugged "More for me". He took a long sip from a mug, and offered the other to the blond woman who also refused, then took a sip from that mug. "Mister Ronin, my name is Ozpin. I am the headmaster of Beacon Academy, and I run this place. Is there anything we can refer to you as?" he asked.
"Ronin," he responded.
Ozpin hesitated, looking deeply at Ronin, before sighing and relenting. "Well mister, Ronin, do you have any idea why I called you here?".
"No".
"Vale has a crime infestation problem" Ozpin revealed. The blonde woman next to him snapped her head in his direction. "Ozpin!" she yelled.
"Glynda, you're going to have to trust me on this one" Ozpin kept his eyes trained on Ronin. Glynda stammered and stuttered, flabbergasted at the situation. "I was told that you could help".
"Sir, I run an oil company," Ronin responded curtly. "I recommend you talk to the Vale Police Department about your problem. Ronin started to walk towards the elevator, his body still facing the two.
"James gave me your information and the details of your company. He said that you could help". Ozpin said, his hands intertwined in front of his face. Ronin stopped in his tracks, his eyes focusing on Ozpin. "Some of our students have been getting involved, fighting the different crime groups. While I can say I'm proud of them for defending the city, I can't have them hurting themselves or hurting others in the crossfire. They don't have the training to deal with these kinds of people, nor do they have the experience. I was told that you… 'employees' could offer assistance".
Ronin walked towards the desk at a quick pace, sitting in the chair. He leaned in towards Ozpin, his voice hushed "My services don't come cheap. My methods are unorthodox. Not only will my service cost a large sum of money, the best solution won't be one you'll like".
"So you have experience in this field of work?" Ozpin asked quizzically.
"I do," Ronin replied curtly.
"Don't worry about the money Mister Ronin" Ozpin smiled, his gaze trying to pierce Ronin. "I have enough money to give. I don't care how you handle the problem, just make it so that the criminal organizations aren't a problem".
"I can do that for a hefty price," Ronin answered.
"How much?" Ozpin asked quizzically, his face still neutral.
"500 million," Ronin said curtly. "I can get it done in about a year".
Ronin heard a gasp from the blonde woman who was to his left. She was in his peripherals, never leaving his sight. "500 million! Mister Ronin but you must be out of your mind! Ozpin you cannot agree to this! The counsel would never agree to such an idea!".
"Then the council won't know," Ozpin answered. "This will be out of my own pocket. I take the safety of the students very seriously." Ozpin sighed, turning back towards Ronin. "So about your unorthodox method, what do you mean?".
"To give you a quick run down, we pick one gang that is willing to cooperate the most, and gives them power to the city" Ronin answered. "They will answer directly to us while they run the underground empire. We also limit the markets they interact with. We can suspend all human trafficking and production of certain drugs".
"With all due respect Mister Ronin," Glynda asked, "Why not just get rid of all of them?".
"You do that, someone else that's worse rises to fulfill the shoes that are left behind by the overthrown gangs. When one has the power, they control everything and can push out or kill others that try to take their power".
"So you're going to stage a coup against the criminal underworld?" Ozpin raised his brow.
"Yes," Ronin responded curtly. "I can have it done in about a year."
Ozpin sighs heavily, his shoulders raising and falling. "Alright. How do you want payment?" Ozpin asked.
"Send a wire transfer to this account" Ronin took a pen from one of Ozpin's mugs and a napkin, scribbling on it. "Send it in multiple transfers over the course of a few months". Ronin handed the napkin to Ozpin. Ozpin took it from him and stared at him before nodding. "Once we get the full transfer, we will start the job. We drive in black vans with tinted windows. Inform the VPD about it. Send me the information on all of the crime organizations in Vale. For the safety of your huntsman and the police, stay out of our way and let us do our job. Am I clear?" Ronin asked. He saw Glynda's face scrunch and contort, clearly not liking the deal or his tone.
"Cyrstal, mister Ronin," Ozpin smiled. He stood up from his desk, Ronin doing the same from his chair. "It was a pleasure doing business with you". Ozpin extended his hand towards Ronin, offering his hand to be shaken. Ronin obliged and shook his hand, both of their grips firm.
—-
Jaune rubbed his hand against his forehead, groaning in frustration. How the hell do you write a check with a fake name? Jaune had recently just got his paycheck and his bank account was already sitting at a pretty six figures. That type of money wasn't foreign to Jaune and his family. You don't have 8 children and not make big bucks somewhere, he just didn't know how to spend it. He never was a big spender. He always tried to be the cheapest sibling in order to help his family out in some way. Now that he was making six figures, he wanted to send some money back to help out. How do you write a check inconspicuously? Jaune groaned in frustration and tossed his pen on his desk and leaned back in his rolling chair. Jaune spun around in his chair to look around his office. He was designated the leader of the Phantom squad so he got his own office, but he got a lot more responsibilities in the form of paperwork. His office was pretty bare. He shared his room at home with Diamond, thus the room was filled with mostly her decorations. Now that he had his own room, he had no idea what to do with it. It was just, bare. Jaune groaned again. He was going to have to decorate his office soon. A knock on the door interrupted Jaune's thoughts. "Come in," Jaune prompted.
"Lieutenant Arc!" The soldier saluted him. Jaune grumbled and saluted him back.
"Ah don't start me with all that formal stuff. I have no idea how I got here" Jaune waved his hand dismissively. "At ease".
"Sir, there is a mission briefing in conference room one! Ronin wants you there now!" The soldier informed Jaune. Jaune nodded in response.
"Thank you, soldier." Jaune said. "You're free to go".
The soldier saluted Jaune, much to his dismay, then made a 180 and walked out of his office. He made no curves, only sharp turns. Jaune groaned as he sat back down in his chair. Now he had to go fetch his team. Jaune stood up from his chair and walked out of his office, taking long turns. He walked out of the hallway and took an exit door at the end of it. As soon as he opened the door, Jaune was hit with the ocean breeze. He did have to admit, it did grow on him. Phantom platoon and many other task forces were stationed where he was, Station Atlantic. It was a massive oil rig in the middle of the ocean between Mistral and Vacou. There was a naval fleet that accompanied it to fend off any grimm that tried to attack it. Jaune walked up a flight of stairs, noting the main color of the oil rig was orange. Jaune had a pathway in mind. He figured that there were probably a few of his men playing basketball a few flights up. After that, he was just going to go to the conference room and make an announcement over the oil rig's comms and have his men come to him. He really could not be bothered to track them all down. They were probably all scattered across the oil rig. If he had to guess, Vu was probably tinkering with his project car in the rig's garage, which was a 15 minute walk from his office. Hell no. Smith was most likely in the Chapel doing service or in the medical office doing treatments. Smith and Jaune would occasionally work there as a practice to keep their knowledge of basic treatment and familiarize themselves with the equipment. It was a shorter walk to both, but they were in the opposite direction of the conference room. Then there could be some of his men in their room minding their own business, which he just didn't care enough to go to individually. As Jaune got closer to the basketball court, he could hear the clear sounds of a game going on. By the sounds of it, it contained his men. As Jaune entered the indoor basketball court, he could see some of his men playing a 2v2 game. Jaune also came in at the perfect time to see Ekon absolutely posterize Gonzales. Jaune's mouth flew wide open as Vityaz and Morris lost their mind, howling as Ekon made a lap around the court, his arms spread wide like an eagle. Schneider, the group's designated pyromancer operative, and O'Connor, the group's anti-vehicle operator, were not any better, the O'Conner recording on his scroll. Jaune started laughing as some of his men saw him. Gonzales didn't move and lay on the group for a bit longer, not moving a muscle. O'Conner got closer to Gonzales, howling. "How'd that go dumbass?". His Irish accent was thick.
Gonzales simply groaned in response.
"I betcha won't do that again cowboy" he got his scroll closer to Gonzales.
"Get out of here lucky charms" Gonzales swatted the scroll, O'Connor moving it away before he could touch it.
"Oi, you calm it with your racial slurs there" O'Connor laughed. Ekon made his way back to the court and helped Gonzales back up. They all noticed Jaune's approach and turned to face him.
"Ohh, the officer is finally out of his office, ey?" Morris remarked.
"Ah shut up. You know it's only pain and suffering in there. Too much damn paperwork" Jaune dismissed the comment.
"Aye." O'Connor agreed. "The paper stack is too damn tall. Almost as tall as me". O'Connor was about 5'8 and 170lbs with shaggy ginger hair.
"You're telling me," Jaune groaned. "Anyways, Ronin wants all phantoms in conference room one. Sorry to kill your fun gents, but I'd suggest you head that way"
"Aye sir" they all sounded off.
Jaune turned away, walking out of the court. He sighed to himself "Now, I just have to search the rest of the rig to find everyone else".
—
Jaune was the last to enter the conference room with Vu entering right before him. The room was near dark with the exception of a projector casting a white frame with "Operation Overlord" and the light from outside. The projector was sitting in the front of the room on a table with folding chairs scattered all over the room, most being occupied. Jaune moved to the front of the room where there was an empty seat, right next to Abebe and Smith. Smith nodded at him, his darker skin tone shining bright in the projector's light. Jaune grunted as he sat down, feeling as if he had the knees of a 40 year old, and looked at his watch. It read "14:55", 5 minutes before the briefing was supposed to start. He heard a hushed whisper behind him "You're supposed to be here 15 minutes early LT. You're late".
Jaune groaned and turned around to see Morris behind him, grinning. "As platoon leader, I show up whenever the hell I want". This got a chuckle out of the few operators around him.
"ROOM!" Jaune whipped his head around to see O'Connor at attention with Ronin at the door, "ATTENTION". Within the second, all operators in the room jumped up and stood straight, hands at their sides and eyes facing forward.
"As you were" Ronin walked towards the front of the dark room with a manilla folder in hand, everyone sat back down in their respective seats. "I hope you gents weren't getting too comfortable, because within the week you're moving out". Everyone in the room looked around with a questionable look. "As some of the more astute of you may have picked up, you will now be taking part in Operation Overlord". Ronin set down the manilla folder on the table next to the projector. "You'll be moving to Vale". This was a surprise to most operators in the room, with the exception being Arc and Smith. Arc was aware of the operation as he was the platoon leader, and Smith was informed as he was the platoon sergeant. They caught wind of the operation but decided to keep it to themselves. If they were needed, they'd be called. Now, they were being called.
Jaune raised his hand "Why are we joining now?"
Ronin looked back at Jaune "I'll get to that. Hand me that clicker behind you". Jaune turned around and spotted a remote on the table. He picked it up and handed it back to Ronin. The image being projected had switched to an insignia of dual axes. "These are the Xiong family, or the Red Axe gang." Ronin clicked to the next slide showcasing a tall Asian man dressed in a two piece suit and red tie, and a bunch of men behind him all wearing similar outfits. "This is Junior Xiong and his henchmen. They are your new best friends. Over the course of the past few months, we managed to get this gang to control the majority of the underground drug control. We now hold power over all major imports of illegal goods such as narcotics, weapons, and black market goods. As you have picked up, we now control the majority of underground vale through proxy. However…" Ronin clicked to the next slide, showcasing a duo, a questionably zesty tall man and a small petite woman. "Our contacts on the inside have informed us of possible factors that challenge our control. They have informed us of a stolen Atlas Paladin with aura lock on capabilities, as well as a large import of high grade explosives, IEDs, and sentry turrets. It will be your job to locate the stolen goods, kill those who process them, and destroy them. You will meet up with our two contacts and they will explain in further detail. You can find the meet up location in that manilla folder". Ronin clicked to the next slide showcasing Beacon Academy. Ronin took a long pause and exhaled, rubbing his temples. "I know you guys are professionals, but it needs to be said. Check your shots. We have beacon students who think they're the best shit since sliced bread and have slowed down our progress twofold. Other squads before you have been compromised by beacon students forcing us to extract them early. We're hoping that your lack of aura will help you fly under the radar by avoiding the detection of high ranking huntsmen and security systems, as well as give you a hand in the destruction of the stolen goods." Ronin had clicked the remote again, the next slide showcasing a nightclub, and across from it was an ice cream parlor. "Our contacts have set up an ice cream parlor and the nightclub as a base of operations. Your lodging will be here. You can find the addresses of both in the manilla folder." Ronin turned back to the room to face his soldiers, all watching him intently. "Any questions?"
—-
"No way, this can't be right" Vu questioned as he slowed down their unmarked black SUV with tinted windows. "This place is way too popular for it to be good cover".
"Well, this is the address" Jaune stated, looking up from the phone he was issued with the directions on his screen. "Neapolitan Ice Cream Parlor, the best ice cream in all of Vale. If the crowd is any evidence, I'd say they're not wrong in calling themselves the best".
In front of the unmarked SUV was an ice cream parlor with a line going outside the shop and around the block. The windows of the ice cream parlor were tinted and decorated, with tables and chairs all being occupied right outside. Behind them were two other unmarked SUVs, containing the rest of the platoon.
"How are we going to transport our gear and weapons inside?" Volkov asked. "There is no way we can just walk in the front door with duffel bags full of ammunition and guns".
Jaune looked at the shop a little longer. The line for the ice cream parlor was way too long and their presence would draw attention if three unmarked SUVs haven't already. They had gotten unlucky with the lunch hour, with the platoon showing up at 12:30pm. Behind him, he could hear Gonzales grunting in dismay. They had been awake for over 8 hours and jet lag was hitting them hard. He needed to find a place to get his soldiers some rest. Over the radio, Jaune heard in Russian "Cold Steel 1, this is Cold Steel 2. What's the hold up".
"Cold Steel 2, there is way too much civilian presence at the front door. Looking for an alternative entrance" Jaune spoke into the radio that laid in his lap, his Russian being near perfect. As the SUV pulled a little further forward, Jaune spotted an alleyway behind the ice cream parlor that was out of sight from the line. "Vu, get into that alley. There's probably a backdoor we can use".
Vu nodded and pulled into the alleyway, the two other SUVs following the lead car. As they entered, Jaune noticed the multiple doors from the back of the parlor as well as the wide alleyway and CCTV cameras everywhere. If push does come to shove, he can park the SUVs here and trust that they'll be relatively safe. "Alright, you can stop here." Vu stopped the SUV near the far end of the alley. Jaune picked up his radio "Archangel dismounting. Chapel and Vigil, on me. Leaders recon". Jaune put the radio down but heard the call back of "moving". He checked his waistband to see his P226. He pulled it out and inspected it, taking out the magazine to make sure he was topped off, and checked his chamber to make sure the gun was loaded. Jaune got out, noting how his civilian attire blended didn't make him stand out. He wore a pumpkin pete hoodie and a pair of blue jeans and boots, with a hat on his head. As he got out, he heard more doors close and looked to his left. Smith was wearing a flannel and a pair of khakis and tennis shoes, whereas Chung was wearing a hoodie black with gray sweatpants. He covered his face with a black face mask and a grey hat, but part of the burn scar on his face still protruded.
"We all set?" Jaune asked in Russian. He got back affirmations from both of them. "Good. Hope you practiced your Russian Chung". Jaune made his way to the front door where he got a better look at the line. It went maybe 10 feet past the door where it snaked back around. Jaune paused for a bit before cursing, walking in the front door, and cutting the line. He spotted the small frame and petite woman they were briefed on. She had long multicolor hair and eyes as well as lavish makeup. She was actively working, scooping ice cream into cones and cups then serving in. Jaune looked back to Smith and Chung, before telling them to follow him in Russian. As they were walking to the front of the line, Smith bumped into someone causing them to drop their ice cream.
"Hey!" Jaune turned to the bratty voice. "You spilled all of my ice cream on my dress! Do you know how expensive this dress is?". Jaune saw the culprit of the voice that was already giving him a headache. It was a girl in an off white blue ish dress with white hair and blue eyes. She had a scar running down her left eye which caught Jaune's attention.
"Woah, calm down Wiess Cream! I'm sure it was a mistake". Jaune whipped his head around just time to see three more girls approaching, all seeming to be around his age. "Try not to be so, COLD about it! Eh? Eh?". Even Jaune didn't find that funny.
Smith started apologizing in Russian to her while Chung stood watching in the background, however, that did nothing but escalate the situation.
"Shut up Yang!" The bratty girl went "I hope you can afford the dry cleaning on this! It probably cost more than what you make in a year!". She started getting closer to Smith, getting more hostile. Both Jaune and Chung dropped their right hands to their hips, with Smith backing up.
"Извини" Smith backed up, speaking as if he were a foreigner "Yes. I pay!"
Jaune needed to find a way to deescalate the situation and he needed to do it now.
—-
Ruby leaned back in her chair and stretched, groaning as her muscles started to feel relaxed. She had spent the majority of her Saturday sitting at her desk and reading comics, feeling bored. In her room was the rest of her team. Yang was laying down on her bed playing with her scroll, Blake was sitting in her bed reading a book named "Ninjas of Love" (weird name for a book that she says isn't romance), and Weiss was reading the newspaper at her desk. All of them had one thing in common, they were extremely boooooooored. Nothing but six months ago, Vale was filled with crime. Different crime organizations had been everywhere and doing super illegal stuff! It made her feel proud every time they were one of those bad guys. But all of the sudden, the different bad guy families started to disappear and eventually only one was left, the red axe gang. Yang said that they were a sketchy group based on a run in she had at their club. But everytime they tried to spy on them, they could never find anything. What made it even worse is that Headmaster Ozpin strictly forbade them from fighting crime too! That was the whole point of being a huntress! To kick bad guys butt and save the innocent! It just made her so frustrated and restless, and she could tell it was getting to her team too.
Ruby sighed "Do you guys want to do anything? I'm boooooored".
All she got was groans from her team, even Blake who was usually quiet.
"Fine" Ruby caved. "Do you guys at least want to get food? I'm starving".
There was a moment of silence. "Hi Starving, I'm Yang!" Ruby groaned at Yang's response. "But yeah, I could go for a bite. Any suggestions?".
There was another long silence. They've been studying at Beacon for a few years now and they've been to all the local places to eat. However, the recent curriculum had been pretty hard in her opinion and in order to keep up, they had to focus on studying. Now that they had time recently, they started to go back out into Vale on the weekends. The only problem is, nothing really changed. Only the more shady businesses, like casinos, mattress sellers, and laundromats went out of business from the recent pushback on crime. This means everything in Vale has been visited by the team a thousand times.
"Oooh!" Weiss exclaimed. "There is a new ice cream parlor that we can check out. It's called 'Neapolitan Ice Cream Parlor'. The name's not creative, but it's worth a try."
"Wow Weiss" Yang chuckled. "I think that's the first good idea you've had". Weiss sneered back at Yang in response.
"Then it's settled" Ruby jumped from her chair. "We're going to get ice cream!"
Ruby gawked at the line outside of the parlor. It went out the door and continued for some 10 feet. Ruby looked inside to see the line from the outside, noting how it was moving at a decent pace. At the counter were a couple of workers moving as fast as they could. Working the ice cream was a petite girl with short brown hair and black eyes. She was scooping ice cream into cones and cups at a pretty fast pace, giving Ruby some faith.
She turned back to her team who were already in line. "Alright guys good news, they're moving pretty fast up there so the wait shouldn't be as bad as we thought. If I had to guess, I'd say maybe 5 ish minutes"
"5 ish?" Weiss questioned.
"Well, I'm not a fortune teller Weiss. I don't know how long it will take to a tee" Ruby replied, crossing her arms.
"Fortune tellers don't tell time Rubes" Yang replied, not looking up from her scroll.
"Then who does?" Ruby shot back.
"Not fortune tellers" Yang replied again, not entertaining the idea.
"Blake, fortune tellers can predict when events occur, right?" Ruby asked. However, she didn't get a response. Ruby turned to her "Blake?". She spotted Blake staring at a group of black SUVs driving really slowly in front of the ice cream shop. "Blake" Ruby shook her. That caused Blake to flinch and snap her attention to Ruby. "Are you okay?" Ruby asked.
"Yeah…" Blake answered slowly, keeping her eyes on the SUVs. The SUVs in front of the shop were driving really slow, to the point they were impeding traffic. On top of that, she couldn't see into the SUVs, nor could she feel the aura of anyone inside. "Don't you guys think it's weird how slow those SUVs are driving?" Blake asked.
"Not really," Weiss answered, not giving the SUVs any thought. "They're probably just looking for some place to park". Weiss moved inside the parlor as the line had shortened significantly.
"Yeah…" Blake skeptically watched them. "I guess". She turned away and headed inside the parlor, not giving the SUVs any more thought. However, the thought just couldn't leave her mind. Everyone with aura, even the weakest, should radiate a feeling that she should be able to pick up. To be able to feel their presence. Years of being in the White Fang allowed Blake to perfect that skill to a tee, being able to detect a person with the weakest aura. However, she couldn't feel the presence of anyone inside the cars. That can't be right. It was obvious someone was driving the cars, so why couldn't she feel their presence? Why couldn't she…
"What would you like to order ma'am" Blake shot her eyes up startled. She was now at the front of the line and needed to order. She looked to her left to see Weiss picking up her ice cream, a mint chocolate chip scoop in a cup. She looked back at the cashier "uhhhh, I'll just take a scoop of vanilla in a cone"
"Alright" The cashier pressed some buttons on a screen "That'll be two lien. Tap your scroll when you're ready"
Blake tapped her scroll against the computer thinking, 'Wow, 2 lien a scoop isn't that bad'. Blake picked up her scoop from the petite woman working the ice cream shop and absent mildly said thanks. While Blake was licking her ice cream, she heard Weiss yelp. He turned her head and saw three men had entered the parlor shop without her noticing, and one of them had bumped into Weiss.
"Hey!" Weiss yelled, lowing at her now mint ice cream covered dress. "You spilled all of my ice cream on my dress! Do you know how expensive this dress is?"
How, wait when, what? When did they enter the ice cream shop? Blake had been an assassin for the white fang for years and could easily pick up on even the smallest aura presence, so how did they sneak in? Not only that but their statutes should've made them easy to spot. The blonde one was easily 6 feet tall and built with muscle protruding. The other two were average weight but had a good amount of muscle on them too. All of them were wearing average clothing that wouldn't stick out, but that still doesn't explain how they slipped under her radar.
"Woah, calm down Wiess Cream! I'm sure it was a mistake" Yang walked next to Blake, her birthday cake flavored ice cream in hand. "Try not to be so, COLD about it! Eh? Eh?"
"Извини! Извини" The man that bumped into Weiss said. He was obviously a foreigner or tourist, but Blake couldn't help but think she heard that language somewhere. "Yes. I pay!".
Weiss started stomping towards the man at a fast pace, a finger jabbing at him. Blake's heart dropped when she spotted the two other men lowering their hands to their hips as if to draw a weapon. She jumped into Weiss "Weiss, Weiss" Blake tried her best not to sound panicked. "I think he gets the idea! No need to get into his personal space. Besides, you have a thousand other dresses. You'll be fine". Blake kept her peripheral vision on the two men and spotted them lowering their hands from their hips. She sighed a breath of fresh air "I don't think we should make a scene over spilled ice cream".
Weiss grumbled, "Yeah, I guess you're right." She turned to head out the door, not even apologizing. Ruby had then joined her team with her cotton candy ice cream in hand "Hey guy's, what's going on?" she asked.
"We're leaving" Blake ushered her team out the door. She wanted nothing to do with these people. Her senses were going haywire and the last thing she wanted to do was spend more time around them.
"But we just got here" Ruby complained. "Can we at least sit down?".
"No Ruby" Blake tried her damndest not to sound panicked. "I realize I left my, uhhhhh, my wallet back in the room so we need to head back".
"If you need me to pay for you I can" Ruby offered, clearly not taking the hit, nor noticing the group of men beside them.
"Nope!" It's fine!" Blake practically pushed them out the door. "I'll be fine"
"Ждать, wait" Blake froze on the spot. The hairs on her body were standing straight up as she heard footsteps approach behind her. Blake slowly turned around to see the man towering over the group, his physique now more clear than ever. The entire team had turned and faced the blonde man now. He reached into his pocket, Blake's heart dropped. Her senses told her to move, leave, retreat, run, get out of the store, but her body betrayed her. Her anxiety was going through the roof and her breathing was shallow. Was he going to pull out a knife and stab her? Was he going to…
He pulled out his wallet and dug around for a bit before getting some cash out. He counted the bills and handed them to Weiss, his full of sorrow "Извини. Sorry".
Weiss stared at the bills for a bit before refusing "I'm okay sir. I don't need your…"
"THANK YOU SIR" Blake snatched the bills out of his hands and pushed her team out of the parlor. Once the team was out of view of the men inside, Blake stopped pushing her team. She looked behind them to make sure they didn't follow as the team kept walking.
"Wow Blake" Yang took a lick of her ice cream. "I had no idea you had a type".
"What!?" Blake snapped her head towards Yang.
"Yeah, I could tell" Yang snickered. "You were a nervous mess the whole time. Can't blame you. That was a hunk of a man. You could tell under that hoodie he was def packing muscle".
"Yang Xiao Long!" Weiss scolded.
"What?" Yang scrunched her face. "Don't pretend like I'm wrong. You saw him too"
"While yes he may have been conventionally attractive, you shouldn't make such comments! It isn't proper!" Weiss lectured.
Yang waved her off "Whatever. Rubes, what do you think?"
"Huh?" Ruby had a mouthful of ice cream "I didn't notice".
Blake started to drown out their conversation. There was something off about those men, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Sure, not being able to sense their presence was odd enough, but it doesn't warrant the amount of panic it caused her. She kept on walking when a door closing caught her attention. She looked to her left, down an alley, and spotted maybe eight more men exiting the SUVs she saw earlier with duffel bags, the petite woman manning the counter earlier helping them move. That's when it hit her, she couldn't sense any of these people either. She had no idea they were there, she didn't sense their presence. Just who were these people?
Shadow Company Phantom Task Force files
Access: [redacted]
Commander: [redacted]
Base of Operations: [redacted]
Notes: Any ranks below officer ranks are mostly arbitrary. Meant to follow the best fit to lead if all officers are KIA or MIA.
—-
Name: Jaune 'Archangel' Arc
Weight: 255lbs
Height: 6'2
Race: Human
Rank: Lieutenant
Place of Birth:
Age: 20
Weapons/equipment used:
HK416
P226
Combat Knife
Advanced First Aid Kit
Schools attended:
Basic Training
SERE School
Urban Raiding and Fighting school
Pathfinder School
Air Assault School
Airborne School
Advanced Medical School
Paramedic School
Leadership and Experience School
Notes: During basic training, Jaune demonstrated leadership skill at a high level under stressful and demanding situations, earning him an officer rank. He was able to unite the candidates on multiple occasions and organized a small mutiny during a long run. He demonstrated a large desire to both be a leader and one of the team's medic due to 'His parents wanting him to be a doctor'.
Name: Alejandro 'Cowboy' Gonzales
Weight: 175lbs
Height: 5'5
Race: Human
Rank: Sergeant
Place of Birth: Texas
Age: 19
Weapons/equipment used:
M1014
M4A1
M17
Basic Hard Breach Kit
Demolition Kit
Schools attended:
Basic Training
SERE School
Urban Raiding and Fighting school
Pathfinder School
Air Assault School
Airborne School
Hard Breach and Entering School
Sapper School
Notes: Gonzales has demonstrated a high efficiency in high explosive ordinance. He was highly proficient in recoilless rifles but finds more enjoyment in 'blowing shit up'. Is trained in breaching harder surfaces such as metal or reinforced doors.
Name: Clyde 'Scott' Morris
Weight: 240lbs
Height: 6'0
Race: Human
Rank: Corporal
Place of Birth: Scotland
Age: 23
Weapons/equipment used:
L85A2
P226
Sledgehammer
Schools attended:
Basic Training
SERE School
Urban Raiding and Fighting school
Pathfinder School
Air Assault School
Airborne School
Basic Breach and Entering School
Notes: Morris has demonstrated a high level of aggression on multiple occasions. While it has not gotten out of control or clouded his judgment, he has been characterized as 'aggressive' by his peers.
Name: Parker 'Vigil' Chung
Weight: 160lbs
Height: 5'7
Race: Human
Rank: Staff Sergeant
Place of Birth: Korea
Age: 22
Weapons/equipment used:
K14 Bolt Action Rifle
K2
P226
Karambit
Schools attended:
Basic Training
SERE School
Urban Raiding and Fighting school
Pathfinder School
Air Assault School
Airborne School
Scout Sniper School
Notes: Chung has excelled in sniper school, scoring above his peers while remaining quiet. During training, he wore a ballistic mask to cover his scarred face, making him unknown to his peers. He has demonstrated team working skill, but remains quiet unless necessary.
Name: Dimitri 'Oso' Petrov
Weight: 390lbs
Height: 6'5
Race: Bear Faunus
Rank: Staff Sergeant
Place of Birth: Siberia
Age: 25
Weapons/equipment used:
PKP Pecheneg
Markarov
Combat Machete
M134 Modified Minigun
Schools attended:
Basic Training
SERE School
Urban Raiding and Fighting school
Pathfinder School
Air Assault School
Airborne School
Juggernaut School
Squad Gunner School
Notes: Petrov has demonstrated a high level of strength, higher than most of our other troops. He passed our most physically demanding school yet, Juggernaut school, with ease. It is most likely due to his genetics as a bear Faunus. His strength is nearly unmatched.
Name: Ekon 'Tiger' Abebe
Weight: 340lbs
Height: 6'4
Rank: Sergeant
Race: Human
Place of Birth: Congo
Age: 23
Weapons/equipment used:
M240B
M9
Schools attended:
Basic Training
SERE School
Urban Raiding and Fighting school
Pathfinder School
Air Assault School
Airborne School
Juggernaut School
Squad Gunner School
Notes: During Juggernaut School, Abebe passed near the top of his class. However, he did struggle to keep up at times, his will and spirit proven to be unwavering. He had proven to be stronger than any normal human. Tests could not prove why.
Name: Shane 'Wolfeater' Vu
Weight: 200
Height: 5'10
Rank: Sergeant
Race: Dog Faunus
Place of Birth: Menagerie
Age: 24
Weapons/equipment used:
M110 Marksman Rifle
M9
Schools attended:
Basic Training
SERE School
Urban Raiding and Fighting school
Pathfinder School
Air Assault School
Airborne School
Scout Sniper Training
Spotter School
Notes: During Sniper school, Vu had proven to be able to do quick calculations of advanced math in his head. While training in the field he was able to quickly measure the wind and calculate accordingly, and align his scope. He was recommended to Spotter school and passed with flying colors. He was able to run far distances due to his heritage.
Name: Vityaz 'Rat' Volkov
Weight: 190lbs
Height: 5'11
Rank: Staff Sergeant
Race: Human
Place of Birth: Georgia
Age: 22
Weapons/equipment used:
Dragunov SVD
PP19 SMG
Markarov
Schools attended:
Basic Training
SERE School
Urban Raiding and Fighting school
Pathfinder School
Air Assault School
Airborne School
Scout Sniper Training
Spotter School
Notes: Volkov had proven to be an excellent scout. His endurance was remarkable and he was able to remember pictures and places. He called it his 'Photographic Memory'. He excelled in hand to hand combat, sending him above his peers.
Name: Tobias "Bratwurst" Schneider
Weight: 160lbs
Height: 5'10
Race: Human
Rank: Corporal
Place of Birth: Germany
Age: 21
Weapons/equipment used:
HK G3A3
HK P8
Modified Flamethrower
Schools attended:
Basic Training
SERE School
Urban Raiding and Fighting school
Pathfinder School
Air Assault School
Airborne School
Chemical Engineering School
CBRN School
Controlled Burn School
Notes: Schneider was arrested at the age of 19 due to the unlawful mixing of chemicals that led to a house fire. He was given the option of a buyout from the Shadow Company, and proceeded. He has excelled above and beyond his peers and was able to mix many chemicals to produce fire.
Name: Damien "Chapel" Smith
Weight: 190lbs
Height: 5'10
Race: Human
Rank: Staff Sergeant
Place of Birth: Missouri
Age: 25
Weapons/equipment used:
M4A1
M19
Advanced First Aid Kit
Schools attended:
Basic Training
SERE School
Urban Raiding and Fighting school
Pathfinder School
Air Assault School
Airborne School
Combat Life Saver
Advanced Medical School
Paramedic School
Notes: During basic training, Smith was characterized by not only his strong faith in his religion but his deep understanding of other religions as well. This allowed him to connect to other troops as well, making him a strong candidate for a leadership position.
Name: Charles "Lucky" O'Connor
Weight: 185lbs
Height: 5'11
Race: Human
Rank: Staff Sergeant
Place of Birth: Ireland
Age: 25
Weapons/equipment used:
L86A1
G19
Karl Gustav
Schools attended:
Basic Training
SERE School
Urban Raiding and Fighting school
Pathfinder School
Air Assault School
Airborne School
Sapper School
Jungle Warfare School
Notes: O'Connor had received his nickname through acts of sheer good luck. During SERE school, O'Connor had managed to evade dogs at all times and was never captured. When asked, he simply cited his good luck.