Three Years Later*
"I should be there…with you…" Raven grumbles as he walks with Ayre through the halls to the Vale Council chamber.
"Raven, don't you remember the last time I brought you into one of these meetings? Half the Mistralian Council were offended, the other half wanted to strangle you." Ayre sighs and Raven shrugs,
"If they didn't want to hear my opinion they shouldn't have asked for it," he grunts.
"Your opinion on the security applications of MTs, not how poorly you thought of their kingdom's security or how you think it'll be better secured if they were less corrupted." Ayre rubs the bridge of her nose, "It was a miracle we got them to sign the contract."
"Had faith you'd pull through…" Raven chuckles softly, "Besides…you were laughing in your head…felt it."
"As much as I enjoy the antics, I'm afraid I need the Vale Council in a good mood for this contract. We both know what's at stake." Ayre says sternly as she holds Raven's free hand, stopping him and making him turn to face her, "So please, sit back and rest. If we have time after this…we don't have as much quiet time together as we used to."
If Raven was capable of blushing he would bet, "...Passed by a nice park…sunny day…quiet day…"
Ayre smiles and pecks him on the cheek, "The council is expecting me. Wish me luck, Raven."
She walks to the large wooden and intricately carved doors leading to the council chambers, which were swung open by two security guards and closed behind her. He could listen to the deal through their symbiotic link but he decides not to risk disturbing her, instead finding a nearby bench to sit on.
Raven grunts as he carefully sits down. One of the damages his augmentations did to him was stiffen his muscles beyond possible movement and weaken his bones, making movement extremely difficult. If it wasn't for both reconstructive surgery and his Aura, he wouldn't be able to move as much as he could nowadays. It was painful, breathing still irritated his lungs and air did the same for his skin, but the life he led and the things he was able to experience made it all worth it.
He exhales as he rests his legs and allows his Aura to dissipate, catching his breath. As he does so he hears the tap of a cane, not his this time, and glances up to see a familiar figure approaching him.
"So…I take it you're Raven, correct?" a gray haired figure with round spectacles approaches him, "Legendary mercenary and head of security of NEST Inc. Your reputation precedes you."
"As does yours…Professor Ozpin." Raven nods, "Headmaster of Beacon Academy…If you're here on business, you'll have to speak with Ayre…She's with the Council, so you'll have to wait…If you're here for a job, go through proper networks with the MSS."
"Yes, NEST Inc.'s infamous Mercenary Support System. Although it's only officially recognised in Vacuo and Mistral." Ozpin notes, "Vale has yet to officially recognise it, as does Atlas."
Raven shrugs, "James does his best…But SDC has lots of people in their pockets…Vale doesn't see the benefits… thinks their natural defenses and Huntsmen can protect them…So NEST Inc. doesn't get much business here besides the occasional MT batches."
"Graduates of Beacon Academy have performed their duty well protecting those beyond the wall. Any Grimm that slips through the natural barriers is usually swiftly eliminated. It's one of the reasons why we are the safest kingdom on Remnant" Ozpin nods with some pride, "And the MTs produced by your company have made life even safer for the settlements further away from the capital city. An ingenious invention I must say."
"Ayre's idea…never much of a thinker…point and I'll shoot…I'll shoot damn good…but she's a builder with dreams." Raven says with pride, smiling slightly behind his bandages before looking up at Ozpin, "So…haven't told me why you're here…or do you just want to chat?"
"The latter actually. I've just concluded business here, my vice-principal will finish with the rest. Do you mind?" he asks as he gestures to the empty spot next to Raven who shrugs,
"Free kingdom ain't it…?" he says as Ozpin nods in thanks before sitting down next to him, "So…what does the Headmaster of Beacon want with a lowly mercenary…?"
"You give yourself too little credit, your name is equally as famous as Ayre, from what I've heard." Ozpin smirks, "The famous mercenary that can single-handedly slaughter hordes of Grimm, the greatest pilot across Remnant with no equal and if you would believe the rumors…the mysterious Fleet Killer of Atlas."
"Alleged Fleet Killer…" Raven says with a slight smirk under his bandages, "According to SDC…no evidence…"
Ozpin gives him a knowing smile, "Of course, my mistake…Your company's latest product, these Armored Cores. Quite a paradigm shift, aren't they?"
"Most say we're just copying the SDC Sentinels…being cheap copycats," Raven says with a light scoff,
"Yes, their Sentinel models have remained popular within Atlas for private Huntsmen not affiliated with the military." Ozpin nods, "And while they are successful worldwide, your ACs have proven to be capable of rivaling or even surpassing at sometimes half the cost of a single Sentinel."
"It's not just that…they get support too…" Raven says, "Our Mercenary Support System makes sure any pilot gets the right training…the right gear…and the right jobs…They learn from their experience…get paid…get better gear…repeat until they become great pilots…"
"I've heard the SDC are rushing to attempt the same." Ozpin smirks, "The Schnee Sentinel Service System."
"Look who's copying who now…" Raven grumbles before turning to Ozpin, "Now if you'd pardon my language…cut the crap…what do you really want with me? No offense, but I've got my share of two-faced snobs…forgive me for being careful…"
Ozpin pauses at this, thinking before asking,
"How well do you know your history, Raven?"
He shrugs, "Enough…Why?"
"Then you should know that sadly mankind's course has always been determined by weapons. Necessary against the Grimm, but when the first sword was invented it didn't take long for it to be used against humans, and neither did the first firearm. With the latter's introduction came a quick end to armored knights marching in formation, of cavalry charges from above hills, siege warfare on stone castle walls gave way to waves and waves of humans marching through trenches." Ozpin explains with a distant look in his eyes, "One constant has always been the use of Aura, Semblances and Dust. From the Aura Warriors of the olden days to the modern Huntsmen. And now you introduce a device capable of exceeding their abilities, with a single Armored Core outperforming teams of Huntsmen in the field. A single Huntsman can kill a hundred Grimm although it'll be a long hard task, but for an Armored Core they can kill four times that number and be back for lunch."
Raven nods thinking he understands, "War with ACs and MTs…Not something I'd like to see…But considering human nature…"
Ozpin sighs, "Hopefully neither of us will see war for the rest of our lifetimes. But what I was thinking of was something else. Mankind aren't the only ones that change with time. When the scales are heavily tilted in one direction, there is always a counterbalance on the other end to maintain equilibrium. And in this case, mankind has heavily tipped the scales in their favor."
"What are you talking about…" Raven looks at him oddly but before Ozpin can clarify, the doors to the council chamber swing open with Ayre walks away with a satisfied smile, "That was quick…"
"It was, but well within expectations, combined with the fact we've amassed plenty of goodwill despite NEST Inc.'s limited presence on Vale. I've burned considerable favors getting us this meeting, but they agree to discuss this matter and get back to me. I expect an agreement by sunset." Ayre says before noticing Ozpin, "Ah, forgive me. I didn't mean to interrupt."
"No, it's fine, in fact, I believe my Vice-Headmistress is looking for me." he says gesturing to a bespectacled blonde woman approaching, "It was a pleasure meeting you, Raven."
"..." Raven wordlessly stares at him as Ayre helps him out,
"Raven, are you well?" Ayre asks looking concerned before Raven relaxes,
"...Probably nothing…Forget it…promised some time in the park, didn't you." Raven says looking to his partner softly wrapping his hands around hers as she smiles, blushing lightly.
"Well, we do have time before our flight." she says, "But let's try not to be late for our students' final exam, alright?"
The pair walk off as Ozpin stares at their backs, contemplating.
"There you are." Glynda says as she approaches, "I was looking for you everywhere. Was that him? Did you manage to bring him into the fold?"
"No, I didn't have the chance to." Ozpin mutters, "But I did attempt to impart a warning on where their constant advancement may lead them."
"...You think she'll escalate?" Glynda asks concerned, "That sounds impossible."
"I thought the same before the Great War." Ozpin mutters, "She hasn't acted up since then. But now that mankind is armed with this new technology, prospering, slowly pushing back against the endless tide of Grimm with more kills in the past year than the last five combined…She was never one to remain idle."
"So we should pull them in as soon as possible?" Glynda asks, watching the two walk away and Ozpin thinks before answering.
"We'll keep an eye on them, we still don't know any of their intentions. I've yet to speak with NEST Inc.'s famous CEO but from what I hear she keeps her cards close to her chest. Still, we'll watch in case any of her agents try something." Ozpin declares, "Let's see how far these two can bring humanity."
"I've done all I can to teach you…I have nothing more to teach…I imparted to you all the skills I know, raised you as best I can…Now it is up to you to see if you can fly higher…" Raven announces as he stands in front of the classroom with a holographic board behind him, pressing the button on a remote, "One last obstacle…one last test…Behind me are Huntsmen missions… Normal protocol is beginner pilots given Rank F missions… But I know you're all more than capable so strings were pulled…The highest difficulty on the board's Rank C…Choose wisely…come back alive…That is all. First to select…Adam Taurus and Winter Schnee…"
The pair stood up upon being called and stepped up to the board side by side to analyze their choices,
"First pick. Lucky us." Adam smirks as he looks through their choices,
"We're top of the class, did you expect anything less?" Winter shares his smirk as she starts from the bottom to the top, "Hm, technically there's no requirement other than completing a mission and coming back alive. We can always go with the easiest ones…But where's the fun in that?"
"Yeah, let's send us off with a bang." Adam agreed before pointing at the very top of the board, "Rank C difficulty mission. A Category-Red Horde was spotted on the outskirts of the Mistral frontier. The objective is to neutralize them. Should at least make us sweat."
There was immediate muttering among their classmates at their choice. Some were doubtful, some were talking about their cockiness, and some bets were being pooled as Raven looks at them unsurprised,
"Low-end Rank C missions…but it's the hardest out of the bunch." Raven nods, "Got a feeling you two were gonna go for that…"
He pulls out his Scroll and taps a few buttons, "There…Assigned to the two of you…Report to Hangar 5 for briefing…You deploy in an hour…"
"Good morning, you can call me Veronica and I'll be your Handler for this mission." A young woman with black hair tied into a ponytail introduces herself, wearing a black suit and tie with a NEST Inc. badge on her chest signifying her role. She taps on a Scroll tablet, displaying a hologram of Mistral's thick forests, with multiple red dots numbering in the hundreds,
"Your mission is to exterminate a growing Category-Red Horde, codenamed Ogre. While exact numbers are uncertain it is determined they number less than five hundred with a heavy focus on ground units such as Beringels, Beowolves, and Ursas making up the majority. There is a sizable aerial contingent of Lancer swarms and Nevermore flocks as well."
"What about the leaders?" Winter asks in a white flight suit and helmet in her arms,
"Aerial reconnaissance reports Horde Ogre centered around an Emperor Taijitu." Veronica says as the hologram zooms in and focuses on a gigantic multi-headed snake Grim with at least eight heads combined and taller than the trees, "Guarded by four Geists that have already accumulated enough matter to become Petra Gigas, each roughly ten meters tall. Those are your priority targets, and the focus of your mission. Take them down and Horde Ogre will scatter, effectively neutralizing them enough for local Huntsmen to finish the job. But bonus pay is allocated for every Alpha destroyed."
"Cute." Adam snorts, "If they gang up on us, it'll probably be an even fight."
"Do not overestimate your abilities." Veronica warns sternly as she shuts off the hologram, "I've seen many pilots act that way only to mess up mid-sortie. You may be Raven's best students, but this will be your first sortie by yourselves. If you mess up, he won't be there to save you."
"We know the dangers, Handler." Winter nods, giving Adam a nudge to tell him to cut it out, "Rest assured, despite my partner's behavior we are taking this very seriously."
"Of course I am." Adam cracks his knuckles, "These Grimm are between me and my license."
Veronica sighed before putting the Scroll tablet under her arms and shutting off the hologram, "Good luck on your missions. I'll be providing support over the comms as best I can."
"We leave ourselves in your capable hands, Handler Veronica," Winter says with a salute as the woman leaves,
"You'll be deploying soon, make any last-minute preparations you need with your ACs." she says,
"Last minute preparations." Adam scoffs before turning to his AC, "I've spent last night making all the preparations I need."
"Just last night?" Winter teases as she heads to her AC, climbing up to her cockpit, "I've been making preparations for months."
Adam boards his Tetrapod-based AC, CHAINBREAKER, coloured black with red accents and LEDs. It was a heavy, boxy and bulky machine making it hard to mistake its intentions to be anything else than a warmachine. To maximize its destructive potential against the horde he outfitted himself with twin miniguns as well as two spread grenade launchers. And in case it came to melee, he has a Fire Dust-fueled laser blade built into his left arm.
Winter's AC on the other hand was a Reverse-jointed unit that was much leaner and slimmer than his, built with a focus on agility and precision in comparison to his wild and indiscriminate overwhelming firepower. It was white with gray accents, with blue LEDs all over it.
For its armaments, FROSTBITE was armed with a Multi-Dust Action Linear Rifle meaning she could infuse her shots with elemental properties at any moment for mid to long-range encounters, and her left arm was equipped with a burst machine pistol. Built inside the two arms were also daggers with Dust modules equipped in each blade, ready to spring out at a moment's notice for close-quarter encounters. In place of shoulder armaments, she replaced them with booster attachments for maximum speed and sustained flight capabilities.
"Testing testing." Veronica speaks over their comms, "Do you read me?"
"Loud and clear, Handler." Adam confirms as she plugs in a cable to the implant at the base of his neck, "Plugged in."
"As am I," Winter announces,
"Good. Initiating Standard Mode." Veronica says as the two felt the familiar jolt of the process, "Ground crew, please begin take-off procedures."
There were affirmations the two pilots-in-training could not hear as technicians and crew in orange jumpsuits climbed onto their AC, as MTs placed external VOBs onto their backs, long tubes thrusters and containers full of a synthetic and liquid form of Combustion Dust developed by NEST Inc. R . It was currently still in process of being approved by the international community, but as of now, it was used solely by NEST Inc.
The technicians strap them on before giving the all-clear and jeeps ferry their ACs out of the hangar and onto a cleared runway.
"AC: FROSTBITE and AC: CHAINBREAKER you are cleared for launch. Beginning take off in T-minus thirty seconds." their handler announces as the engines of the VOBs begin purring as they activate. Once she counts down to zero, they roar and burst with blue exhaust flames, sending the two ACs flying with CHAINBREAKER being first and FROSTBITE following after to avoid collision.
"Take off successful. Estimated travel time to be forty-five minutes." Veronica announces, "Good hunting."
"Horde Ogre sighted. Five kilometers away." Veronica informs as the two ACs close in, "Clear of settlements…VOBs exhausted…ejecting now. Brace."
Behind their ACs, the VOBs automatically dismantle themselves upon running out of fuel, shaking from the sudden loss of weight as they descend with their thrusters working at full force to keep them from crashing.
The two of them land on a cliff, skidding to a stop as they overlook a sea of darkness in front of them,
"Brothers, that's a lot of Grimm," Adam mutters as he glances at his radar, getting a count of a little over five hundred Grimm signatures.
"That fear I heard?" Winter teases and Adam snorts,
"As if. I was just wondering how many Alphas are inside there." Adam smirks under his helmet, "How about a bet? The one with the lowest Alpha count is buying lunch?"
Before Winter could retort, Victoria interrupts,
"Glad you all didn't turn into scrap on the mountainside." she says as she types on a terminal, "Initiating Combat Mode."
Both Winter and Adam grunt as they feel the added strain upon Combat Mode being activated,
"Lunch you said? You're going to regret making that promise." Winter smirks as she activates her Assault Boost to get to the air quick, "I got the flyers, you make your way to the centre of the Horde. That's where their leaders are."
"Just like the simulations." Adam nods before engaging his own Assault Boost, diving off the cliff and landing before continuing to make a beeline towards the Grimm. The moment he got into range, he fired his shoulder-mounted launchers at his foes, ten grenades fired in a spread that showered over the Grimm, detonating mid-air to create showers of shrapnel that tore through the less armored ones while leaving the ones that survived stunned.
Not for long as he engages his dual miniguns, cutting through a swath of Grimm while never stopping his charge through their ranks. They tried charging to stop him only to be swiftly cut down as he spun his torso, creating a circle of death for all that entered the range of his guns.
Above him, the flyers of the Grimm Horde took notice of the death and destruction he was causing and were about to dive in when they noticed they had other problems to contend with first.
Winter flies straight at them, blue exhaust emitting from her thrusters and twin-circulated engine boosters, closing in the distance in seconds. Before she could reach them though, she fired a charged shot from her linear rifle, tipped with a combination of Wind and Earth Dust, the resulting combination creating a burst of shrapnel that tore through the smaller Grimm and wounding the rest but she wasn't done yet.
She slots her machine pistol into a mechanical holster on her hip as she stretches out her free hand, a yellow glyph materializing on FROSTBITE's palm, as a flock of young Nevermores, each only a bit larger than the average bird, were summoned and coated with properties of Lightning Dust, flying into the flock of their dark counterparts and detonating, having become electrical bombs.
The shock stuns a lot more of the flying Grimm, making them fall out of the sky and to their deaths as she finally reaches melee distance, setting her linear rifle on FROSTBITE's other hip as she engages both of her Dust module daggers, coating them in a sheet of Ice Dust as she accelerates, turning into a white and blue blur as she cuts through the entire flock of Nevermores and Lancers.
While not all were deadly blows, even a small nick from her blades froze them, stopping their ability to fly and making them plummet to death, allowing her to clear through scores of them with little effort.
"Heh, raining Grimm? Must've missed that in the forecast." Adam jokes as the Grimm falls all around him while he guns down the horde of land-based Grimm, "Guess I should've brought my umbrella."
"How're things on your end?" Winter asks as she stabs an Alpha Nevermore with two of her blades before tearing it in half, "I'm close to halfway done for the aerial Grimm."
"Oh, I'm nearing a hundred already." Adam says as he watches the kill counter on his HUD rapidly increase by the second before his miniguns begin to overheat, "One moment please."
He straps it across CHAINBREAKER's waist before engaging his Fire Dust blade, spinning in a circle as he charges it up and releases the pent-up energy, creating a blade of flames nearly fifteen meters long, slicing and burning every Grimm caught.
"Make that over a hundred." Adam chuckles as he uses the brief moment to reload both his miniguns, ejecting the Ice Dust heatsinks as the autoloader loads in a pair of fresh heatsinks, "Now if I'm right, they should be around…here."
He mutters as his AC drives deeper into the horde, blasting everything that moves with his miniguns and grenade launchers, slaughtering droves and droves. Then he spots a slithering figure of a coiled snake or rather multiple of them.
Each snake was as long as fifteen meters, and as thick as oak trees, half of them were white-scaled and the other half were black but all shared the same red eyes and crown-like structure on their heads grown from their bone carapace.
"There we go…wait, where's the-?" Adam mutters as he closes in on the Emperor Taijitu, only for a nearby boulder to suddenly start moving and swing an arm made of stone at him, which he raises his arm to block.
"Damn!" Adam grunts in surprise as he boosts his AC back, trampling over a few packs of Grimm. The Grimm were so tightly clustered his radar couldn't pick up the Geists in hiding, as he saw the other three Geists emerge from their positions ready to defend their leader, each of them as tall as an AC.
"Targets identified." Victoria says as she marks their location through their shared network, "Schnee, Taurus, you need to take down the Petra Gigases before you move on to the Emperor Taijitu. Be careful, those Grimm are categorized as Elders for a reason."
"You talk like we never sat through Ironwood's Grimm lectures," Adam grumbles as the smaller Grimm swarmed him like ants, trying to claw at his thick armor and tear at weak spots.
He grunts in annoyance as he flips a few switches and presses a few buttons to initiate the countermeasures, releasing a burst from Lightning Dust batteries that fried those that touch him as CHAINBREAKER leapt to the air and hovered while firing his dual miniguns at the nearest Geist which raises its arms to protect its head, only for the constant stream of high caliber bullets to chip it away before fire from his cluster grenade launcher shatters both arms.
Then he charges at it full speed with an Assault Boost as the now armless Petra Gigas does the same, but CHAINBREAKER reacted quicker and spun its four legs, turning them into improvised weapons that crack the skull mask where the Geist's main body was.
While it was stunned by this, Adam used two of CHAINBREAKER's forelegs to pin it down before burning the Geist possessing the mounds of rocks with his underside thruster, killing it. But while he was doing this, the Emperor Taijitu acted and slithered towards him,
"Taurus! Evasive actions!" Victoria warns, before the multi-headed Grimm wraps and coils around CHAINBREAKER's arms and legs attempting to restrain the AC, and a Petra Gigas approaches with an arm raised ready to bash CHAINBREAKER's core, "Hold on, Taurus! Help's on the way!"
Before the Petra Gigas could do so, a Gravity Dust-tipped round strikes him from the back, causing its weight to drastically increase and pin it down, forcing it to its knees. As it does so, a second charged shot punches through the back of the Petra Gigas, blasting out the main Geist piloting it as FROSTBITE lands on the rubble of what remains,
"Kept you waiting?" Winter teases as Adam drops his minigun on the left arm in favor of activating the Fire Dust-infused blade, cutting up one of the heads restraining it,
"Oh no, I'm having the time of my life with the present company," Adam says sarcastically as he grabs the snake head gnawing at CHAINBREAKER's core and crushing it in his hands, before tearing off a third holding his right arm.
He swings it at the remaining Petra Gigas rushing to aid their leader and fire just as Winter materializes a white glyph over his barrel, accelerating the bullets to such speed they near that of a railgun. Combined with the sheer volume of fire, they tear through the Gigases like paper, as well as the trees behind them.
The Emperor Taijitu screeches with its remaining head and attempts to slither away before CHAINBREAKER steps on its main body, holding it as FROSTBITE dashes over cutting up heads with its daggers and CHAINBREAKER does the same with its Fire Dust blade.
The headless corpse fell to the ground limp, slowly disintegrating along with the tattered remains of its Geist bodyguards.
"...Priority targets eliminated." Victoria says, sounding somewhat impressed despite trying to hide it, "Not bad for a pair of trainees. You two have the making of aces in you. Withdraw at the earliest convenience to the nearest NEST Inc. outpost, they'll get you on to transports to travel back to Atlas."
"Copy that…but the job's not over yet." Winter says as she scans her surroundings, finding what remains of the horde that Adam hadn't slaughtered surrounding them, although she finds more than a few were old enough and smart enough to cut their losses and flee with the death of their leader, "The horde may be finished, but even in simulations we're not ones to leave stragglers, right Adam?"
"Read my mind, partner," Adam says with anticipation as he readies a minigun in one hand and his forearm-mounted blade in the other, standing back to back with FROSTBITE.
"You've all come a long way… from when I first saw you lying on hospital beds…whining from your augments…" Raven says from a podium in front of a small crowd with his students lined up in front of the podium and their families sitting behind them watching with pride, in one of the airfield's hangars, "Like I said earlier today…Now it is up to you to see if you can fly higher…It is with great honor that I officially disband Trainee Group 001…you're all pilots now…I wish all of you luck for any path you choose to walk on…"
As Raven finishes, he stands up straighter than he has before, clasping his feet together and arm at his side as he raises it for a traditional Atlas salute. The students, some teary-eyed, salute him back as their family applaud from behind them.
The ceremony was then over, and the graduates went to find their families for their own celebration, all except Winter and Adam who waited for Raven to descend the podium and approach them. They may not be able to see his face, but years of being taught by him meant they learned anyway from the subtle way his bandages shifted, and they could tell he was smiling underneath. He was followed by General Ironwood, who despite his usual demeanor appeared to be allowing himself to be seen bursting with pride,
"So…569 total Grimm eliminated…five of them Elders…not bad at all." Raven says as he glances between Adam and Winter, "You did well…both of you…"
"All thanks to your teachings, sir," Winter says, smiling back.
Ironwood looks at her proudly, "You did good, Schnee. Or I suppose I should say, Vanguard Specialist Schnee."
"You mean-?" Winter looks shocked as Ironwood presents her with a silver badge of a shield with wings and her name engraved on it. He proceeds to pin it over her heart on her flight uniform and salutes her before she hastily salutes back.
"I made you a promise, didn't I. It's been a long road, and I'm proud to welcome you to our ranks, Vanguard Specialist Schnee." Ironwood says and Winter appears to struggle to hold back tears of joy. They share a quick handshake before the General walks off to congratulate the rest of his students.
"And as for you…I made a promise as well…Sorry it isn't as shiny… badges aren't really our thing." Raven says reaching for his pocket before presenting a familiar circular patch to Adam. On a black background was an emblem of a barking dog with gray fur and a white number thirteen behind it, "Congratulations on your assignment…Watchdog 13."
"..." Adam takes that patch wordlessly and carefully almost in disbelief before smirking at Raven trying to choke back his emotions, "You better look out old man, sooner or later, after I make it to Watchdog 1 it's your callsign I'm gunning for."
"No doubt about it…" Raven smirks at him amused before they hear the footsteps of Ayre approaching with two metal suitcases, setting them down before wrapping the two freshly graduated pilots into a hug,
"You two finally did it. I never had any doubts." Ayre says before separating and looking at each of them with pride and joy, "I'm so proud of you two."
"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you, ma'am…I can't thank you enough for that." Adam smiles back at her before she suddenly slaps him on the head,
"Oh, enough with the ma'am nonsense, Adam." she chides before reaching for the suitcases, "Here, to celebrate the first of many sorties. I know it seems inconvenient, but I figured suitcases full of Lien were much more impressive than electronically transferring your payment to your cards."
"Oh they are." Adam mutters as both Winter and his eyes light up upon receiving the cases and opening to reveal stacks of Lien inside, but before they can celebrate Raven suddenly swoops in and snatches bundles of Lien from their cases, "Huh?"
"Deducting costs…" Raven says almost entertained, "For ammunition… repairs… fuel…usage of VOBs… and transport back to Atlas."
By the end of it, Winter lost a quarter of her original payment while only half of Adam's case was left,
"...I guess I may have gone a little overboard with firepower," Adam admits sheepishly,
Raven chuckles, "Heh…Welcome to mercenary life, kid…Don't spend it all in one place…"
"And you can't forget these as well." Ayre says handing both of them cards with their pictures and names on them, "You're pilots now, and no pilot is complete without a callsign."
"Winter Schnee… callsign: Blizzard." Winter smiles satisfied as Adam read his out loud,
"Adam Taurus…callsign: Ravager. Not bad." he smirks as he turns to Winter, "...We're pilots now. This seals the deal."
"We can celebrate tonight with dinner, you get to pick." Ayre tells Adam before glancing at Winter, "You're welcome to join too if you like."
Winter looks surprised at the offer before smiling sadly, "...I appreciate the offer, Miss Ayre. But I have dinner plans already."
"Oh?" Adam looks surprised, crossing his arms, "Who's the lucky guy? Or girl? Anyone we know?"
Winter smirks amused, "Yeah…my family. I'm not sure how but my little sister, Weiss, somehow persuaded my father to allow it. I'd like to see her again after so long."
Ayre was about to offer words of comfort before her Scroll suddenly rang and she quickly apologized before looking at the notification, widening her eyes,
"Forgive me, but urgent company business just came to my attention. Raven, do you mind handling the rest?" Ayre asks, giving the two one last hug before walking off in a hurry to their confusion.
"Hmp…Well…got work to do…See you round…Blizzard…" Ravensays nodded at Winter before at Adam, "And Watchdog 13…I'll see you at work tomorrow…"
"Sir, yes sir." the two salute him once more as he walks off, leaving just the two of them.
"So…" Adam says after an awkward pause, "We both made it."
"That we did…partner." Winter nods before remembering, "Or I guess, former partners now."
She looks almost saddened at the news and Adam looks away, afraid his face might give away how he feels,
"You know, whoever they partner me up with, at least they aren't going to be as snobbish as you are." he jokes before hesitantly adding, "...Nor as good with ACs as you are."
Winter chuckles, "I can say the same with whoever I get paired up with in the Vanguard…We could use a pilot of your skills, actually."
Adam snorts, "The army isn't really my thing. Too many regulations."
"Of course not." she smirks having known his answer already, "You're much better suited playing the rugged and scruffy-looking mercenary."
"Think you mean dashing." Adam grins, "Honestly? Gonna miss ya Schnee."
"Same with you, Taurus." Winter smiles back before awkward silence resumes, and both remember something,
"And I got something for-?" they reach for their pockets at the same moment, accidentally cutting each other off as Winter took out a small wrapped package from her pocket and Adam does the same, drawing something messily wrapped with crinkled wrapping paper and tape.
"...Copycat." Adam says, breaking the tension as Winter laughs, handing over her gift as she accepts Adam's, "Sorry, didn't have much time to wrap it right."
"It certainly has character." Winter says as she tears it open, finding an analogue watch, "A watch?"
"It's a chronograph actually." Adam corrects, "Raven and the other Watchdogs told me they have them on for redundancy, even with all the fancy tech. You use it to make calculations and precise timing. Something that you apparently need to work on, judging from today's sortie."
"Useful for a pilot." Winter smiles, feeling touched by the gift as she straps it on, "I'll be sure to put it to good use. Now your turn."
Adam unwraps his own gift and looks surprised to find a pair of black tinted sunglasses with a red frame, "Huh?"
"I…figured having to look through that bandana must be troublesome. And it probably gets sweaty and sticky, with how hot an AC is." Winter explains looking nervous, "Plus it'll help you see better. Need every edge we get as pilots, and all."
"...Guess you're right," Adam mutters as he takes off his bandana, letting his scar be visible for a brief moment. Even after all those years, Winter can't help but feel a semblance of guilt and responsibility for what he went through.
He pockets the bandana and puts on the sunglasses, which cover most of his scar as he takes a look around,
"What do you think?" Winter asks as he looks at her,
"Well, I admit, it's more comfortable than a bandana. And I definitely see clearer." Adam gives her a small smile.
"Glad to hear that. You almost look the part of a dashing mercenary." Winter says with a smirk, "Now, if I'm correct, you still owe me lunch."
Adam laughs, "Me? Maybe I counted wrong, but I killed two more than you did."
"No, our bet was for Alphas. Elders don't count"
"Well Elders are just Alphas but older so technically…"
"It's a bold plan you have, Miss Ayre…bold and foolish." the Vale Councilman says over the Scroll, "You're simply throwing lives into the meat grinder."
"Your advice is noted, sir." Ayre nods, "But with all due respect, I am not looking for your thoughts on the matter. Only whether you and your peers have agreed or not."
"...Very well. Don't say I didn't try to warn you." The councilman sighs heavily, "The agreement was unanimous, we have decided that the price you offered was more than enough. NEST Inc. is now the sole owner of the area that makes up Mountain Glenn, along with all the horrors and dangers that come with it, to be used however you please. Brothers have mercy you."