Chief had decided to watch from afar as Sam and Ruby returned from the patrol, the latter with a beaming smile on her face as she bounced up and down, laughing with Sam. Sam wore a helmet, so his face was invisible, but by the way he threw his head back when Ruby said whatever she said, it must've meant the good man was laughing his butt off. Chief himself cracked a small smile at the sight, then sighed as he felt Cortana tap him on the arm. She stepped up beside him and smiled, too.
"Ah, kids," Cortana chuckled, "It's cute."
Ruby's strut, Sam probably smiling behind the helmet. Yeah, John agreed. There was a certain degree of cute that even the man could do nothing else but crack a smile at. Especially since this was the first of his siblings he witnessed the death of. He paused as the two stopped in front of them and started saying goodbyes. He thought about it for a moment, then called out, "Sam, Ruby."
Both stopped dead, turning to face the Chief. Both paused when they saw him actually smiling, even if it was just a tiny smile. Next, he did the most surprising thing possible. So surprising that Samuel almost didn't register it as such. He joked, "You two do know there are better options for dates than patrols, correct?" which got even Cortana to look at him with wide eyes. Ruby's face glowed as red as her namesake gem at that, while Sam had to take off his helmet and look the Chief in the eyes for that joke.
The man's AI-turned-human(?) companion burst into a hollering laugh, while his best friend had to actually register it being a joke in order to let out one single awkward 'ha' as he scratched the back of his neck, his own cheeks a healthy pink. Ruby started stammering like a dummy, while Cortana kept laughing. Chief, satisfied his joke had hit home, was about to turn around and leave before Jorge tapped him on the shoulder and said, "Historic event:John makes a joke."
"Jorge," The man replied, smiling, "I was making an observation."
The Reach-born Hungarian Spartan let out a short laugh as Keyes, the kitten, trotted up to them. Cortana, who was now coming off the high of laughter, picked the little creature up and started nuzzling it lovingly. The moment of embarrassment slowly faded for Ruby and Sam, with Jorge commenting, "C'mon inside, all of you. Lunch is ready and Doctor Halsey'll be coming back soon."
"Who cooked?" Cortana asked.
Jorge snorted, "Kat. Be ready, she cooks spicy."
"... I don't think my robot guts are ready for that, honestly," The AI chuckled as she took John's hand and dragged him in. Ruby sat awkwardly at the edge of the porch, rubbing her arm as her face still glowed a fairly healthy red. Sam sighed deeply, rubbing his eyes, then looked at Ruby. She looked back at him, still shy, but he smiled at her and tilted his head toward the door.
The girl perked up, still red in the face. He still smiled at her, simply deciding to take the lead with a gentle first step that Ruby soon matched. Before long, the two had entered the Spartans' and Marines' house, finding it still abuzz with the daily activities a battalion of elite veterans from a war against aliens would be doing. That being chatter between the teams, interaction, bonding with each-other again after so long.
Daisy noted Ruby and Sam entering and flashed a grin. She hit Cal, who was cleaning her sniper's barrel, on the shoulder with the back of her gauntlet. Cal turned and cracked a small smile, too, before starting to hum a little tune, a little more happy. Six, who was also there, noticed this and snorted, shaking her head as she stood up to go help Kat prepare lunch.
"What've we got for lunch," Cortana asked Kat awkwardly as they sat in the kitchen.
The Spartan-III showed the ingredients on the table and the boiling pot and said, "Chili con carne. Old recipe... Have had it stuck in my head since I was five for some reason," with a chuckle. She poured a quarter of a tube of chili paste into the meat and bean mix, then stirred the massive pot with her good hand. Cortana already felt like they were going to murder the toilets from that alone.
Cortana found that little bit about the recipe being stuck in her head rather disheartening, really, considering she knew what each Spartan-III had gone through. Still, she didn't let the be an issue, simply smiling at the quip as she watched the woman stir the food. She asked, "Need any help?" as she watched the boys start talking. Carter and John were probably exchanging small-talk about tactics, while Ruby was just sat down with Sam, talking too, though about other stuff.
"Sure. Mind handing me that other can of beans? Content seems a little low here," The XO of Noble inquired. Cortana complied rather happily. The two women continued working on the food, with Kat stating, "You know, it's... It feels nice to finally have a break. All it's been for Noble is patrols. Before that, it was Reach..." and she sighed. Cortana nodded in understanding, watching the woman cook.
Sam fiddled with something on his helmet as he told Ruby, "I hope you don't mind eating with us."
Ruby shrugged, "Eh, nah. I'm actually kinda glad. It means we get to hang out more-" Only to let out a shy, fearful chirp, her cheeks glowing red again. Sam chuckled and patted her on the back, while she heard a couple of the Marines nearby laughing and talking about how 'adorable' the two were. She didn't know why they thought it was cute. It was really annoying how easily she got flustered. Then again, should she really be surprised? Sam was nice, he was friendly, he was cute and tall and uuwahh... She blushed again.
Sam was thankfully as woefully underpepared for human interaction as ever, but even he was catching onto some things. As an example, when Ruby blushed, she was embarrassed by something. Like John's joke a couple minutes ago, or whatever happened when she looked at him just now. He wasn't sure exactly what to think about this, but he honestly had no real issue with it. Pardon the Spartan for thinking so, he thought to himself, but it was cute and he wasn't going to complain about it.
Meanwhile, it wasn't him that was worried. Nobody really was. Ruby, maybe, but she was dealing with it.
Kurt watched Sam and Ruby interacting as he, Tom and Lucy were setting the table He mused, "Never seen Sam like that before," as he set a plate down. The Marines around them also helped with utensils and the like. Both of his training support officers snorted at that, watching the Huntress-Spartan pair starting up a new chat as they sat themselves down on the stairwell.
Doctor Halsey entered the place with a somewhat uncharacteristic smile, stating, "Spartans, Marines," and giving them all a nod of greeting. She turned to Kat and told her and Cortana, "Something smells good. I hope I was saved a portion while I went to learn of whatever our future operations on this planet might entail... Speaking of, I will have a report written and prepared, Cortana. I want you to send it to every Spartan."
Cortana saluted jokingly and smiled, "Don't worry about it, Doc."
Halsey then craned her head over toward Sam and Ruby. Ruby smiled brightly and waved at the doctor, who simply raised her open hand in greeting. She yawned, stretched her arms and walked over to the kitchen island, setting her tablet down beside her as she did so. Cortana, who was helping Kat cook, asked, "What've we got anyhow? Mind sharing a little snippet?"
"Let's just say that this will probably beat even the Didact's existence for you and John," Halsey quipped. She leaned over to the right and grabbed a bottle of water, uncapping it and taking a swig, all while the Spartans and AI continued to cook. She licked her lips, then asked, "Catherine?" causing the Spartan-III to turn toward her with wide eyes. Right, nobody had probably used her full name until recently. Halsey, however, who shared a name with her, asked, "What exactly are you making? I can smell the spice from here."
"Chili con carne, ma'am..." Kat replied, then offered Halsey a spoonful to taste. Halsey graciously and wordlessly accepted it and took the dive. The fact that it had burned her nostrils partially before she even managed to get it in her mouth was scary. The taste, while delicious, washed over her like a tidal wave. Red in the face, the doctor began to cough hoarsely.
"What did you even...?" The doctor demanded, her voice raspy.
Kat raised the chili paste tube and read it, "... Reaper Pepper... Oops?"
Cortana snatched the tube from her hand and read it, before covering her mouth, "... Several million Scovilles..." as she set it aside. Halsey, who was still choking on the heat, marched up to the fridge, pulled out a milk jug and poured the cold milk down her throat to douse the flames out. She breathed a sigh, shook her head and looked to Kat and Cortana.
Johnson, who was watching everything unfolding around them, murmured, "Boy, ain't this somethin'..."
"You're tellin' us, Sarge," Jenkins murmured, looking around. He scratched his cheek and took a sip from the beer in his hand as he said, "Hey, Mendoza, shouldn't you be helping Noble Two make the Chili?" to which the Latino Marine smirked and lifted a middle finger at him. Jenkins shrugged and chuckled, "Sorry, man. Joke was right there..." looked to Johnson and asked, "So, Sarge, what's next on the menu for us?"
"Well, Fred and the cat, Blake, are apparently off doing god-knows-what in terms of scouting. We're probably gonna be sent to back'em up-" Johnson spoke just before his phone pinged. He looked at the message, then sighed and said, "Alright, Marines. On your feet. Polaski's taking us out on this one. Apparently, we're helping missus Belladonna and the Lieutenant out."
"Finally, some action," Bisenti quipped as he hefted his AR. Stacker snorted, the Marine platoon falling out after telling the Chief and Co what they were doing and receiving approval. As they walked to the landing pad, the Sergeant-Major and his boys saw Blake sat there, arms crossed, next to Polaski's Pelican. Fred was right beside her, rifle in hand and checking his ammo.
Johnson stepped up, shotgun leaned against his shoulder, as he said, "That's a helluva lead you got there. You sure about this, Spartan?"
"Sure as can be. I cross-checked Blake's references... If intel is correct, that'll be the next person that goes missing," The Spartan replied as he slung his DMR onto his back. He motioned for everyone to board the transport, with Blake donning a new outfit that the Spartans had specifically asked team RWBY to wear via a message. A bulletproof vest, a mask that covered her face and a chest rig in which Blake carried extra ammunition for her own new weapon:A rifle. Gambol Shroud was on her back, at the ready, though. Fred turned around as the Pelican took off and said, "Marines. Be ready. We might be facing some of the Fang's more elite troops..."
"Like that's gonna be a problem," Murmured Blake, grinning behind her mask.
Schnee Dust Co. Vale Branch Office
Underground section. Service Tunnel.
An SDC tech sat at her computer, typing away at some report or other in the dim concrete tunnels. She swore to herself, murmuring, "I seriously gotta get a new fucking job. This is nuts..."
She took a sip from her coffee, then examined the tunnels underneath the SDC offices. Pipes, wiring attached to concrete walls, a single black metal desk she was sat behind, a cupboard and a fuse box. The tunnel split off into an intersection to her left, where another of her buddies was. The other technician wore the same uniform as her. White shirt with the Schnee snowflake on the left breast pocket and a badge on the right denoting his name. He arranged his peaked cap and tugged at his grey work pants, then replied to her, "Complaining won't get that report done faster, Dove."
"Shut up, Val," She sighed as she leaned against the desk and re-read the paragraphs she's written so far. She told him, "If I had a choice, I wouldn't be writing this bullshit for the Schnees, but an investor from the Private Sector had to come in today and ask our boss stuff before I could hand in my Two Weeks notice," then sighed and slammed her head against the desk. "Should've never taken the job."
"Did you have any other options before?" He asked as he wrote down something on his own Scroll tablet.
She turned toward him with a pout and replied, "If the Schnees hadn't bought out my dad, I would've still had the family fuckin' store, man. We weren't just selling Dust. We actually sold good pastries and drinks... Now it's just another front for this shithole of a company..." then straightened up and continued writing. She asked, "Hoping that dinner you ordered's comin' soon."
"It's on its way," He replied with half a heart as he checked a few switches and some wiring. Dove nodded, then leaned forward, focused, her fingers moving almost mechanically across the laptop keyboard. She'd done two more paragraphs by the time the power suddenly went out and the laptop switched to its own battery. She swore to herself, quickly hit 'SAVE', then turned.
"Val, what the fuck! Dude, I can't see shit!" She called out as she peered into the darkness, eyes barely adjusting. Damn, did she wish she was a Faunus right now. Her hands clasped at her utility belt, grabbing a flashlight. She tried turning it on, anxiety and panic rising, "Valentino, man, c'mon, turn on the lights, you know I fucking hate this shit-" and the moment she managed to flick her flashlight on, the butt-stock of a rifle made contact with her jaw.
The flashlight fell to the floor before Dove, the bulb flickering thanks to the impact, but lighting four figures clad in black military uniforms with highly-modular rifles and quad night vision goggles. One of them looked like she had metallic arms. To Dove, however, it didn't matter. She passed out from the blunt force trauma moments after hitting the ground...
Two more soldiers entered the tunnel itself, hefting similar rifles to the group. One tapped a friend on the shoulder and handed her something, then took a knee and helped hide the knocked-out Techs. The leader of the unit murmured, "Loud little shit, that one," before she ordered, "Two. Check the laptop," put her hand around her radio, thumbed the transmit button and said, "Baseplate, Hotel-Seven is internal. Checking for HVI Gopher's location now."
The crew technician got to work, the clicking of the keyboard filling the tunnel as the soldiers knocked out the light. The sole thing illuminating them was the very computer being accessed right now as the PMC unit checked their gear. The leader, rather obviously Kuro in full tactical gear, hummed and checked her pouches, then murmured, "I need to get better pouches for this fucking vest..."
"Seven Lead, I got it," Their tech spoke as he grabbed his rifle off his back now. He lifted up a holographic display system that showed a three-dimensional representation of the building. He pointed to the penthouse office and added, "He'll be with the local SDC Branch head. We can get two birds with one stone. Seize the last HVI we need for our operations and cripple SDC work here."
"Good job, Two..." Kuro hummed, "What're we lookin' at in terms of resistance?"
"Counting maybe forty of the SDC's own PMC in here per the rosters. Should we call for the Vaquero?"
"Leave Montana as our trump card. We can handle a few dickheads with rifles that are playing soldier... All HOTEL elements, move in. Radio silence, hand signals only. Let's get the Mistress what she wants," Kuro ordered, then racked the bolt of her rifle. She nodded to the man near by the fuses to kill the lights in the entire building. The crack-snap of power failure filled their ears, though muffled by layers of concrete.
Going up the service stairs, the group could hear the confusion of the people inside the buildings. Advancing in a row wasn't really good, so Kuro staggered the team, allowing at least herself and another rifle to fire. Just in time, too, as she heard the thundering footsteps of a man in armor advancing toward the door. She nodded to her other gunman and both raised their weapons. The moment the man laid a hand on the thin metal door, both opened up.
Silenced coughs from the rifles and bullets piercing the metal were followed by a figure collapsing against the door. Kuro sighed and kicked it open as soon as she reached the first step, then pushed forward, pulling her NODs up. She fired at the first SDC Mercenary she spotted, two slugs piercing the man's light armor and sending him tumbling to the floor. The Civvies let out screams as they ran to evacuate the office, obscuring both the Commandoes' shots and those of the Schnee PMCs.
Still, the Commandoes belonging to Kuro's unit were more accurate. Each rifle coughed once as the troopers fanned out like proper military that was meant to fight humans, utilizing cover from concrete pillars while maintaining momentum. The corpses of SDC soldiers, clad in white uniforms, soon littered the rear of the lobby. The group pushed forward up the stairs in a staggered formation again, two gunmen front and the others facing back in case of flanks.
They were on borrowed time. She asked, "We did drop the fucking jammer, right!?"
"Rog!" Three answered, snapping off shots to the rear, "Jammer's been online the moment we entered the building proper!" And she tapped the jammer itself on her hip, a three-antenna box that was clipped to her belt. Kuro gave a thumbs up, before she pied the corner to the left. A member of the SDC PMC waited in ambush with a folding axe. He tried striking down on her, but she sidestepped the attack and thrust with her claws. Her right hand claws pierced the armor and drew blood before she closed her fist, crushing the man's heart in a bloody display of terrifying capability.
She then pushed forward up the stairs. Each floor was cleared with the same meticulousness and speed as they expected, with the last place left being the penthouse. Despite the imposing, beautiful and decadent lobby that led to the penthouse, the main door was now a bulkhead several feet thick, layered with armor that only heat charges could pierce. Kuro smirked and said, "Just as expected. Five."
"On it," The raspier voice of their demo expert replied. He marched forward, pulling off his backpack as the team provided cover. He pulled out three packs of a strange explosive, slapped them onto the multitude of locks and important parts of the massive bulkhead, then took a step back after linking them all to a central detonator. He handed the det to Kuro, who looked around as her team formed a semi-circle perimeter to cover the stairwell and elevators.
She ordered, "Disable the Jammer and send the Evac request."
"... Done," Three replied, "ETA two mikes. We'll be on the roof before that."
Kuro nodded, then clacked the charges. With a hiss, thermite bored through metal like a hot knife cut through butter, piercing and destroying the internals. The secondary plastic explosive charge then went off, blowing the bulkhead off its hinges with a deafening groan and a wave of fumes. The squad pushed forward, only to pause as they saw the thin, frail-looking SDC official behind his desk. He demanded, "Who the hell are you-" before a snap-pop filled the air.
Kuro's pistol barrel still smoked. She sighed and holstered the gun, then said, "Well, that's one down..." before marching over to the other figure in the room. A dark-haired man with blue eyes greeted Kuro. She said, "The Mistress sends her greetings. Your father also says hello from amidst the Council," then patted him on the shoulder. The young man nodded in thanks.
The group moved toward the stairwell, two of the soldiers placing detonator charges on the elevators as the power came back across the building. Climbing to the roof, Kuro clicked the last two detonators, hearing the distant thumps below as the thermite and plastic explosive mixed, destroying the elevator shafts, before secondary, more distant explosions reached them:The elevator cars crashing.
She smirked and murmured, "Another job well done..." only to pause as the roar of jet engines echoed from behind. The vehicle that sprung up was not Atlas, however. Painted in OD Green and armed to the teeth, it swiveled about, opening its rear hatch to reveal a series of unknown troops. They disgorged from the rear, with their leader, a seven-foot-tall soldier clad in armor heavier than anything they employed, lifting his DMR and firing.
Kuro snapped her arm up, deflecting the round with Aura and a little luck before murmuring, "Oh, fucking great..." then lifting her rifle. She ordered, "Protect the HVI! MOVE!" only to take cover behind an aircon unit. She radioed, "Voodoo, this is Hotel Seven actual, requesting you hurry your asses up..." then she poked out and fired at a guy in green moving into cover.
She hit, but the rounds sparked off his armor. And he returned fire, pissed off. Larger caliber rounds than what she and her men had in their rifles struck and pinged off the metal, a couple even piercing and hitting her Aura with reduced speed. Her soldiers popped back out and fired, too, as the big man advanced toward them. One of her men took a round to the head and fell to the floor, dead.
She swore to herself, then said, "Five's down..." as she watched the big man approach. He seemed to have noticed her, too, as he charged and cocked his fist back. Luckily for her and less than luckily for him, the little fox-girl had fast enough reflexes to dodge and blunt his attack with her open claws. Though she felt a current course through her arm, disabling it. She swore to herself and jumped back, then yelled, "Big motherfucker has a shield! Where's the fucking EVAC!?"
... Just in time for an armored, more slim Bullhead to pop up suddenly. The side hatch opened and three ice-cold shots flew in a flurry out of the vehicle, freezing the ground ahead and raising high walls of ice that blocked the enemy's advance. After having seen that, Kuro simply sighed in relief, pushing their HVI on board and murmuring, "Showoff..." as she boarded with what was left of her team.
Their savior, a man clad in what looked to be a worn, old Vacuo Rangers uniform with a broken snowflake emblem, spoke with a slight accent, "Hotel has accomplished mission. We are RTB now."