Disclaimer: I do not own any of the material appearing in this story. The OC's belong to their respective owners.
Meanwhile, at Blackbell Heavy Industries
Kaito paced around in his personal office room, where both Tsumugi and Maki were standing near him, both of them wearing completely new outfits.
Tsumugi Shirogane was wearing a white loosely tucked-in dress shirt underneath a navy cropped army jacket with black accents and a design print of stag beetle's mandibles imprinted on the back along with the first lieutenant's insignia badge and silver name tag plate decorated on the upper right chest and an iron-on patch of the Blackbell Heavy Industry emblem decorated on the upper left arm, a pair of damaged dark gray fitting denim pants, and a pair of black leather ankle combat boots with navy-colored laces and stitching with the pant legs tucked in. She was also wearing a black necktie with navy accents on the tip, a black digital-analog wristwatch with silver accents on her left wrist, a karambit knife holster strapped around her left thigh, a black leather belt with a silver buckle around her jeans including a holster for her BHI-issued 9mm Dust pistol, and a silver stag beetle brooch embedded with sapphire gems pinned to her jacket's lapel.
Meanwhile, Maki was wearing a white loosely tucked-in sleeveless dress shirt underneath a crimson cropped army jacket with black accents and a design print of Japanese rhino beetle's horn imprinted on the back along with the second lieutenant's insignia badge and gold name tag plate decorated on the upper right chest and an iron-on patch of the Blackbell Heavy Industry emblem decorated on the upper left arm, a short acid wash gray pleated denim skirt, a pair of crimson knee-high socks, and a pair of black leather ankle combat boots with crimson-colored laces and stitching. She was also wearing a black necktie with crimson accents on the tip, a pair of black digital-analog wristwatch with golden accents on her left wrist, a dagger holster strapped around her left thigh, a black leather belt with a gold buckle around her skirt including a holster for her BHI-issued 9mm Dust pistol, and a gold Japanese rhino beetle brooch embedded with ruby gems pinned to her jacket's lapel.
"I have a serious question for you two… and it's driving me absolutely insane."
"What is it?" Tsumugi asked.
"My little sister's birthday is coming up… and I want to know…"
His sharp expression then changed dramatically into a softer saddened expression.
"Do I go with the pink or purple frosting on her cake?! I can't make up my mind!" Kaito said as anime tears ran down his cheeks.
"Wha…?!" Maki nearly lost her balance.
"Why not both? It'll be a beautifully pretty cake!" Tsumugi smiled.
"...Duh!" Kaito slapped his forehead. "Both is good!"
"I thought you were gonna ask something more serious." Maki said.
"This is serious! I always go above and beyond for my little sister when it comes to her birthdays!" Kaito said proudly.
Maki rolled her eyes. She sometimes wondered how she managed to get paired up with a dork like this guy… but at the same time, she was warming up to him and Tsumugi.
And to think it all started sometime after she got back from ancient Hyrule.
Some time ago, a few days before Eggman invaded…
"You're suggesting I do… what?"
"Sure, the positions are filled at my family's company, but considering we have ties with the Blackbells because my dad and the owner of Blackbell Heavy Industries are incredibly good friends, I think that area would be beneficial for you."
"You want an assassin to be a soldier?" Maki raised an eyebrow. "An Ultimate Assassin, to be exact?"
"Hey, it might turn your life around. You're still seeking redemption, right?"
Maki frowned. "Well… yeah…"
"Sure, Akame and Kurome are still not exactly thrilled to have you around, but Yor sees something in you. Yeah, she took you in so you could get your feet on the ground again, but you know very well that her door is always open."
"I'm very well aware… I just don't think being a soldier is right for an anti-social wasp like me."
Mine raised an eyebrow. "No one says "Anti-Social Wasp"."
"But you know what I mean."
"You got along with everyone in ancient Hyrule, right?"
"Kokichi."
"Eh, besides that weirdo." Mine waved it off.
"I… suppose so."
"Heck, you got along with Becky, Oran, Anya and those other two kids that were with us in that adventure, didn't you?" Don't think I didn't notice!"
"Laura and Albedo… I thought you knew their na-" She paused, seeing Mine smugly smirk at her. "Oh… you suck."
Mine giggled. "I knew their names~" She said before frowning. "Maki… it's not healthy to be a hermit. Just give it a shot, okay? Do it for Yor."
Maki sighed. "Okay, I'll do it… but if things go south, I'll smack you upside the head with the hilt of my blade."
"You got it." Mine nodded as Maki walked off.
She then pulled out her scroll and texted Yor.
"I talked her into it."
"Oh, good! I wish I was there, but this assassin job I took went on a little longer than I thought it would. Thanks for filling in for me!"
"No prob. Knock that target dead for me!"
Mine put her scroll away. "Alright, let's see if I can't pull a few strings."
The next day, with Maki…
Maki stared directly at the Blackbell Heavy Industries building. This is a mistake… but I'm doing this for Yor.
She walked in, seeing a bunch of military gear all around her as she also saw various tank models being built, new weapons, soldiers going about their day… she even saw them replicating Becky's Crab Tank model, causing her to raise an eyebrow.
"Slap a cover on this bad boy and you'll be well protected!"
"Yeah, but we gotta add more armor to it, and some more firepower. Maybe throw in a flamethrower or some rocket launchers!"
"Those Squid Kids gave us a good blueprint, but they're all soft. Let's make it more badass!"
"Sir, I got some Inkstrikes that those squid kids gave us!"
"Excellent!"
Maki sweatdropped. "I feel like I'm making a huge mistake here…"
"Oh hey there!" A voice said as she turned to see a woman approaching her. "Are you Maki Harukawa?"
"Yeah…? That's me. How do you-"
"Oh, a little pink birdie told us about you."
"A little pink bird-... wait… was she small and sassy?"
"Perhaps."
Maki sighed. "Dammit, Mine…" She muttered under her breath.
"She gave us a detailed description of who you are. You definitely fit the bill." The woman smiled warmly. "Come on, let's get you enlisted."
"Enlist… what now?!" Maki said in surprise. "I thought it'd be some boring desk job or I dunno, painting or… something!"
The woman laughed. "This is a military operations facility. Surely you'd have known."
Maki sweatdropped. "Must've slipped my mind."
As they walked as Maki looked around, seeing a guy using a blowtorch on a tank. She saw a group loading up a train as she one boxcar labeled "Salem Witch Trial" and having Salem's face painted on it.
Another boxcar was lowered after it had been rejected, which had pictures of butterflies, cats and balloons, all the while a guy with a gas mask clapped happily.
"Ah, here we are…" The woman turned around and handed Maki a clipboard. "Feel free to take your time and hand it back to me. We'll look forward to your answer."
She walked off as Maki looked over it as she sat down next to a coffee machine.
"Good grief, you'd see this kind of thing at a DMV…" Maki mumbled, using the pen to write things down before finding a manual that she read over, though granted, it bored the heck out of her to the point she tossed it into the trash.
Yet, something on one of the papers caught her attention.
"Three weeks of grueling training and then being tested by several proctors personally selected?"
Turn the page to see who the proctors are! Pictures provided.
Maki turned the page.
Laxus Dreyar
Glynda Goodwitch
Mukuro Ikusaba
General Esdeath Ironwood
A shiver ran up Maki's spine the moment she read "Esdeath". She kept reading despite her blood running cold.
Seryu Ubiquitous
"...Good for her."
Goro Akechi
Robyn Hill
Sonia Nevermind
"What… kind of surname is "Nevermind"?"
General James Ironwood
Sarge
"...Just… Sarge…?" Maki tilted her head. "Oookay…"
Guile
Clover Ebi
Meta Knight
General Guy
"Hmmm… interesting selection here…" Maki said. "Maybe I'll have a shot… as long as I'm not paired up with the ice queen…" She shuddered at the thought. All she heard was how ruthless Esdeath can be.
She's so ruthless, yet everyone admires her? Either they're psychopaths or they got Stockholm Syndrome'd…
Either way, best to keep an eye on Esdeath… and hopefully not get on her bad side. If she even had a good side.
Maki finished the paperwork and sighed deeply. "I'm either making the best decision in my life or I'm gonna be regretting it and cussing Mine out…" She closed her eyes. "Doing this for Yor… doing this for Yor…"
She walked back, though she hesitated while doing so. She knew she was doing this for Yor but… did she really have to do this?
Maki closed her eyes, steeling her thoughts.
"She gave me a second chance and vouched for me. She lets me stay with her until I get on my feet… but her door is always open. I'm not going to abuse her kindness. No way in hell."
She put the clipboard down.
"Oh! That was fast." The receptionist said. "Usually people take a day or two. Did you read the manual that was in there?"
"Um-"
"Don't worry if you didn't. It's not a great page turner."
"Then why did you put it in there?"
"Policy, but everyone laughs at it. Even the CEO who made it. Says he did it as a joke because he knew nobody'd try to read through the whole thing."
Maki sweatdropped. "Oh boy…"
With a deep breath, Maki exhaled as she walked away. "I'll make you proud, Yor."
Sometime later…
BGM: Sami's Theme (Advance Wars: ReBoot Camp)
"Run, ladies! Run like you've got a pair!" A drill instructor ordered as Maki ran around the track while keeping up with several other recruits that had joined.
One of them glared at Maki and tried to keep up with her, only he wasn't aware of where he was looking and smacked right into a pull up bar.
Idiot. Maki thought.
The whole squad jogged up a mountain with the instructor up front.
"I don't know but I've been told, Salem's a massive bitchy ex-wife~!"
…What? Maki thought in disbelief, trying to mouth the words in disbelief.
"What is this, a pencil sharpener?" The instructor put away Maki's sword and handed her an AR-15. "I don't care if you can deflect bullets or not. NEVER bring a sword to a gunfight!"
"...What if it's a sword on sword fight?"
"Then your sword should turn into a GUN, maggot! Element of surprise!"
Right. How stupid of me. Maki snarked to herself as she aimed and fired at the target, but the recoil was enough to make her jump.
"Oi, are you trying to have the gun make you its bitch? YOU should be the one to throttle that gun, deepthroat that puppy with Dust, and then make it cream itself while you splatter against the enemy!"
"...What the fuck…?" Maki could only say quietly.
"WHAT WAS THAT?"
"Um… I'll do… exactly that, sir!"
"Good! You will make the gun YOUR bitch!"
Do you even HEAR the words coming out of your mouth? She thought in disbelief.
"I don't CARE if that Bald Headed Bitchshit is threatening to blow Remnant up! The more he destroys, the more pushups in the MUD you will do!"
"Sir! We just received word that Eggman nuked Argus!"
"...YOU HEAR THAT LADIES? TWO HUNDRED MORE PUSHUPS, DOUBLE TIME!"
Maki grunted, having mud all over her face. When I find that Eggman, I'm going to make him Sunny Side Up…
"You call that a war face? AAAAAH! That's a war face! SHOW ME YOUR WAR FACE!"
Maki said nothing as she activated her semblance, which was enough to make the entire squad's blood run cold in fear.
To Maki's surprise, the drill instructor narrowed his eyes.
"You call that a death glare? I've seen bigger death glares from a NEWBORN BABY! YOU DON'T SCARE ME. WORK ON IT!"
He stormed off, and when no one was looking as he turned a corner, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Shit, I thought I was gonna die there. Glad I wore khakis today…"
Maki aimed her weapon at the target, pulling the trigger and hitting the target accurately as possible. She even had the gun firmly pressed against her shoulder as well.
"Now that is more like it!"
End BGM
On the final day of recruit training (AKA where Weiss and Co set off for Starfall Islands)
The senior drill instructor looked at the recruits in front of him. War does not come with a guarantee. No soldier gets the promise of safety, survival or victory. But ladies and gentlemen, I guarantee you this: every member of this recruit platoon will have their moment. And it is from this moment forward that you are no longer a mere cadet. You are a soldier."
This is it... I hope I do well. Maki thought, and despite feeling tired and sore, she held her head high.
He paced around the room. "For the past three weeks, you have had the best combat training course offered in the kingdom, but no one could train you for the moment. Sooner or later..." He briefly stopped near Maki. "...You'll look death in the eyes."
He continued his pace. "What you do then and the soldier you become... that is entirely up to you."
He walked up to the front.
"The final phase for the BHI Recruit Training Program will begin in a few moments. Instructions will be discussed to you by the proctors. Until then... dismissed!"
With the proctors…
"I find it rather ironic that I'm paired with you." Meta Knight said to General Guy.
"Why is that?"
"Our station is an armed robbery prevention… and yet, I've heard that you staged a robbery a few weeks ago to snag some Dust."
"Hmph! Excuse me for wanting to experiment with my Bullet Bills."
Nearby, Laxus approached Mukuro. "Hey."
"Hmm? Oh, hey."
"You… still up for that offer?"
"Of me joining your Thunder Legion? Aren't all the positions filled?"
"Well, it's a new world I woke up to and, true, I have three with me but… there always can be more involved. Hell, Evergreen thinks it's a good idea to expand given what's been going on."
"Well, if you must know, Snake's been working with me to… fix a problem I have."
Snake pulled up a training dummy.
BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG!
"That was a nurse."
"I didn't trust that needle. It could've been un-sterillized. She could have easily been a quack."
Snake pinched the bridge of his nose. "Okay… let's take this from the top."
"You shot a nurse standee?" Laxus sweatdropped.
"It could've been a quack."
Mukuro sighed. "You really think I'd be good with the Thunder Legion? I'd probably be horrible."
"Hey, nobody's perfect. Besides, I used to be an asshole and wanting to destroy Fairy Tail to "shake things up" and only have strong folk join Fairy Tail after what happened with Phantom Lord, but… I've changed my ways after getting my ass handed to me by Natsu."
"I suppose so…"
"Plus, I have a cyborg and a strong man who used to work with Salem. The former working with two clowns. You used to work with your deranged sister before she changed her side. I think you'll fit in just fine. We'll just… have to work on your trigger finger."
"Mmm… oh, what the hell, I'll give it a shot."
She then pulled out her phone to text Junko.
"I believe I'm a part of the Thunder Legion now."
"YAAAASSSSSSSSSS QUUUUUEEEEEN! I ALWAYS HOPED YOU'D BE WITH THEM! They're awesome and I even thought you'd fit in with those lovable misfits! You go, sista! Love you!"
Mukuro chuckled. "Love you too, dork."
A few minutes later…
The recruits walked in to see the proctors… and they would also see desks all in front of them with booklets in front of them. A few surprised whispers were heard when they spotted Seryu.
"Ooooh, I wonder if I could be allowed to pet her ears."
"Do that and she'll shoot your face off!"
"Ugh, why does she have to be here…?"
Maki, meanwhile, spotted Esdeath who was giving a very stern glare. A cold chill ran up her spine, thinking she was glaring at her. In reality, Esdeath overheard some of the whispers and noticed how Seryu was feeling a tad uncomfortable.
Oh, she's in a bad mood already… Maki thought.
"Please take a seat." The drill instructor instructed as they did so. Once they did, Ironwood loudly cleared his throat as the drill instructor let him take the floor.
"May I have your undivided attention, please. This will be the first and only time I explain the instructions for the final phase of the BHI Recruit Training Program, so listen closely. The first part of the final exam is a written test. You need to answer all the questions in the test booklet. When time is up, put your pencils down immediately—no backtracking or last-minute changes. After completing the written test, you will proceed to the second and final portion, which is a practical test. In this phase, all recruits will be assessed on their individual combat skills and their ability to work as a team."
Mukuro stepped forward. "Sir, if I may add something?"
The Drill Instructor nodded. "By all means, please do so, Proctor Ikusaba."
Mukuro nodded and turned to the recruits. "Anyone who's foolish enough to let themselves blindly follow orders and such traditional militaristic standards doesn't deserve to be here. If you wish to prove to us that you're more than what you've been trained for, then show us." She smirked. "Show us what exceptional soldiers each and every one of you can be."
"She's hot…" A recruit whispered.
"I wonder if she's available…"
"Now then!" The drill instructor cleared his throat. "You have thirty minutes to complete your written test. You may begin!"
Maki wasted no time as she began her test, having studied in her spare time as did the others, though a few scratched their heads, wondering what kind of questions they were asked about.
The drill instructor turned to Ironwood. "I'm glad you were able to come help out as head proctor." He said quietly as to not disturb the recruits.
"Indeed. I figured it would be something to do while we're trying to figure out the Atlas situation."
He nodded. "Right. And, I'm glad we were able to contact the Future Foundation and asked if they had any of those fancy pants Ultimate folk who were soldiers. Ms Ikusaba was gladly to answer the call."
Ironwood nodded. "I would have asked if she would want to be an Ace Op, but… I think Mr. Dreyar beat me to the punch."
"Lightning's faster than cyborgs. Every time." Laxus teasingly whispered.
Ironwood chuckled. "Clearly."
The drill instructor chuckled with him. "I'm glad we were able to find a lot of assistants as well. I've a feeling they're similar in strength and power but also intelligence."
Mukuro, meanwhile, tuned them out as she was deep in thought. Me with the Ace Ops, huh… She thought as she pictured the team, but immediately thought of Harriet. …Probably for the best Laxus got to me first. I probably would have shot Harriet. A lot.
"Ya know…" Robyn wrapped an arm around Mukuro. "If the Thunder Legion doesn't work out, my door's always open for the Happy Huntresses." She winked.
"I'll… pass on that."
"Alright then, but if you change your mind, you know where to find me."
As the test went on, Seryu felt a sharp glare from one of the recruits. She tried to ignore it, but the glare was piercing through her soul.
"Hey. Get your eyes back on the test."
The recruit narrowed his eyes.
Chi-chick!
"You heard the lady!" Sarge said, pumping his shotgun. "You got anything funny you want to say?"
"Yeah. She doesn't deserve to be here. She killed my sister in her rampage!"
"Oh here we go…" Ironwood softly groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose while an ice cold aura surrounded Esdeath, something that everyone felt. Maki's eyes widened as her eyes were glued to the test, her eyes shaking and sweat ran down her head.
She could feel as if Death was breathing down her neck.
"She's a better person for it." Sarge said.
"Yeah right. She ain't worth nothin'. She doesn't deserve anything but-"
Suddenly, Sarge grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.
"Listen here, you dirtbag." He said in a low voice. "I may tolerate a lot of things like Grif's laziness, Simmons' kissassery and other things, but what I don't tolerate is your racist bullshit. If you keep this up, so help me God, I will have Lady Esdeath freeze your bones to where only a shotgun can break you free. A loaded shotgun. And I WILL start shooting you in the ass first, then I will shove this shotgun up your anus and I WILL pull the trigger to where they will have to jigsaw puzzle you back together. Do. I. Make. Myself. CLEAR."
The cadets froze in terror. Maki didn't even want to look up. The proctors all looked at Sarge in surprise, given how they know he's all brawn and no brains yet smarter than Caboose and Tucker. Even Laxus was caught off guard by this.
The drill instructor simply smirked. Couldn't have said it better myself.
"C-C-C-Crystal clear… you… m-m-maniac!"
"What was that?!"
"Crystal Clear… sir…!"
"That's more like it. I want you to write a written apology to Miss Ubiquitous and I WILL look it over and if I see one misspelled word, I will make you write it again until it is done! I don't care if time will be up, you will do it RIGHT."
"But what if I'm held back and-"
Cha-chick!
"DO I HEAR BACKTALKING?!"
"S-sir…! No… sir!"
"That's what I thought."
Sarge hovered over the back of the cadet with his arms folded, turning her head and nodding at Seryu in respect. The latter was caught off guard by the whole thing but then gave him a genuine smile.
Once the written test was over (Though not for the one cadet where Sarge was making sure it was completely heartfelt and legible), Ironwood cleared his throat as he took the main stage again.
"Alright, listen up. This next part of the exam will focus on your camaraderie as a team. You will be split into groups and will be at a station you will be assigned to."
Ironwood pressed a button on a remote, showing off a holographic list. "These are the stations in question."
Hostage Search & Rescue (Proctors: Laxus, Glynda, Mukuro)
Natural Disaster Management (Proctors: Esdeath and Seryu)
Infiltration & Intel (Proctors: Akechi and Robyn)
Bomb Retrieval & Disarming (Proctors: Sonia and Ironwood)
Cargo Protection & Delivery (Proctors: Sarge, Guile, Clover)
Armed Robbery Prevention (Proctors: Meta Knight and General Guy)
"Now then, before we assign you to any of these stations… allow me to set a few ground rules. Rule number one: I know this is a given, but listen to your proctors at all times. Rule number two: They are not your friends, so do not expect them to go easy on you even if they know you at some capacity… and rule number three: Each group will pass or fail based on the total performance of each member."
Everyone, including Maki, looked at him in shock.
"Hold on a sec! You mean to tell us that that all of us will now be scored based as a team?!" A random cadet asked.
Glynda gave him a stern look. "We have our reasons, young man. So be silent and listen well."
Reasons…? Maki wondered.
"Now for the fourth and final rule. This is crucial, so listen carefully. If any recruit "dies" in the simulation, or worse, shows poor group coordination… the entire group fails!"
Their eyes widened in shock.
"H-huh…?!"
"What did he say?!"
"He… he can't be serious…!"
"Yeah, you can't make an unfair rule like that!" Another cadet complained.
As the murmurs grew louder, so did the mixed reactions of fear and frustration became evident in their voices.
Akechi stepped forward, his gaze steely. "Unfair? Then I suppose that you believe that things like natural disasters are fair?" He bluntly countered, causing the cadet in question to flinch. "Or unpredictable terrorist and Grimm attacks? Or power-hungry villains like Salem? Or what about bombs that may be specifically designed to wipe out whole cities in the blink of an eye?" He shook his head. "Absolutely not."
The cadets ceased their protests, though Maki was still left stunned to even think about complaining. Of course, it didn't help she made eye contact with Esdeath by accident.
"What he said." Robyn said, backing up Akechi, her voice firm yet encouraging. "The world is full of unfairness, recruits. Regardless if you're a soldier or a Huntsman, it is your duty to combat the unfairness. If you wish to become a soldier or more than that, then all of you have to push yourselves past your limits."
She folded her arms, her expression becoming more serious. "Otherwise, I advise those of you who don't believe you have what it takes to leave now and look into a different career path."
No one dared to say otherwise. Maki was determined to stand strong… even if it meant if she was assigned to the ice cold witch of the north.
"I can tell that most of you might think that this certain rule is unfair, but proctors Akechi and Hill speak the harsh truth. Unfairness by itself reflects reality." Ironwood said.
He had gotten everyone's undivided attention again after saying that.
"You can't always expect life to go the way you expect it to be. Training isn't the same as the real world, and this "unfairness" is designed to help prepare you for that. In real-time field operations, the failure of one can mean the failure of all. This rule ensures you understand the importance of working together and supporting each other under pressure."
Everyone stood in stunned silence as the gravity of the situation set in. Some looked determined, others uncertain but they were all aware of the high stakes that were involved.
Ironwood softened slightly. "This type of training will be tough, much more difficult than the one you're all normally used to, but it is necessary. Those of you who rise to the challenge will emerge stronger and more prepared for the real threats we face. Trust in each other, work as a team, and you will succeed."
One by one, they were assigned… and much to Maki's relief, she was paired up with the Hostage Search & Rescue. She shifted her eyes to see who was with Esdeath's group, and to her amusement, the guy that was giving Seryu a hard time was in that group. She could have sworn she heard evil chuckling from Sarge when he spotted him in that group… in fact, she swore she saw a malicious smile from Esdeath the moment she realized he was in her group.
Maki walked with her group with Laxus, Mukuro and Glynda entering a simulation room, and once entered, Laxus turned to face them with his arms folded.
"Is everyone in this assigned group here and accounted?"
"Sir, yes sir!"
Laxus nodded. "Good. But before we begin this practical test, let me introduce myself first. I am your assigned group proctor, Laxus Dreyar." He looked beside him. "Assisting me are Mukuru Ikusaba and Glynda Goodwitch."
He then looked back at the group with an intimidating expression. "And from this moment… we are your worst enemies."
Maki's group started to sweat nervously. Maki hid a grimace, knowing full well what Laxus was capable of.
Still intimidating as always… I'm glad he's on our side, but still. Maki frowned in apprehension. I've seen what he's capable of back in ancient Hyrule, so I'd better do my best to keep my guard up around him.
"You are here for a hostage search and rescue. In this simulation, you are about to infiltrate a warehouse that holds an important hostage. All you have to do is locate the hostage and get them out of there. However, it's not as simple as you might think. There are traps laid around the area. If you go in blindly, you'll end up getting docked points for every trap you get caught in. There are also spotlights that will patrol the area. IF you are caught-"
Laxus shifted his eyes to Mukuro. "Our expert sharpshooter will shoot you on sight… and you best better have your A game on if you are spotted. She never misses her target. Ever. So you better pick whatever god you pray to and hope she misses."
Some of the cadets gulped at this. One of them eyeballed Mukuro as she simply had a cold smirk on her face.
"And remember, should any member of a group "die" in the simulation or show poor coordination with their fellow teammates… the entire team fails."
He narrowed his eyes as lightning crackles a bit around him.
"NO EXCEPTIONS!" He yelled. "Do I make myself clear?"
"Sir yes sir!"
"Good. Now get in there and save the hostage."
Once they walked in, they were greeted by the interior of the warehouse. It looked eerily similar to Walleye Warehouse, but with some adjustments for this kind of simulation. Traps were laid about in sneaky areas that no one would even see.
Not to mention that it was dimly lit.
"Of course it's dimly lit…" A cadet grumbled. "What, we don't get any special gear for this?"
"That would make this too easy." Maki said. "Let's go and find that hostage."
BGM: LZ Epsilon (Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare)
With a nod, the group set out and stayed together. Some wished to spread out and go their own path, but considering that Laxus intimidated the hell out of them and Ironwood's warning lingered in their heads, they didn't want to take any chances… especially with an expert markswoman nearby.
As the group rounded a corner, Maki spotted a trap in the corner of her eye. A cadet tried to go around her, but Maki grabbed him and yanked him to the side right as he hit a tripwire.
The trap activated as a hatch opened up, revealing a gatling gun as it opened fire and sprayed the wall with ink, leaving a splatter of blue ink on the wall.
"Shit… that could've been ugly!" The cadet grimaced.
"You're welcome."
Once they knew the coast was clear, they ran out and hid behind some containers as a spotlight went past them. However, they also noticed a red dot moving toward them. Maki narrowed her eyes at the red dot… but it disappeared in the blink of an eye.
"Stay low! I have a bad feeling…" Maki whispered as they crawled their way through and towards a hallway, but one managed to stay behind as everyone turned to face him.
"Dude, come on! Get over here!" One whispered.
"I can't! I don't want that red dot to get me!"
Without even thinking, Maki quickly dove for her teammate, grabbing a hold of him. "Come on!" She whispered as she yanked him out when the spotlight moved away, but then the red dot hovered over her.
…But she did not get hit. No dust bullets struck her or her teammate.
Up above, Laxus had lowered Mukuro's rifle before she could take the shot. He had wanted to see what Maki would do since he saw her go back to her teammate without even hesitating. Both of them went back to their teammates as Laxus removed his hand, nodding in approval.
"Any reason why you did that?" Mukuro asked.
"Normally, I'd let you fire, but she went back for her teammate. Anyone else would have left them there."
"I see…"
Nearby, Kaito and Tsumugi were watching the whole thing unfold.
"According to what I've gathered, Maki is known as the Ultimate Assassin." Tsumugi said. "She's allied with the Future Foundation just like us."
"A fellow Ultimate, huh? Looks more like the Ultimate Lifesaver to me." Kaito chuckled.
"Indeed." Tsumugi nodded. "I wonder why an Ultimate Assassin wants to join us."
"It was based on a favor that Mine suggested to her."
"Ooooh! Interesting."
"Yeah." Kaito nodded.
Kaito then rubbed his chin in thought, humming to himself.
"Kaito, I know that look… it's the same look you had for me when you asked me that fateful day."
Kaito chuckled. "Ah, I'm just daydreamin'. Let's see what that assassin is capable of." He then pulled out his Scroll.
Outside, Laxus felt his pocket vibrate as he pulled out his scroll.
"Mind if you upped the difficulty a bit?" - Kaito
Laxus raised an eyebrow. "...What harebrained scheme are you pulling this time?"
"Call it inspiration."
Laxus chuckled, shaking his head. His grandfather did warn him Kaito was a bit of an unpredictable screwball but he meant well. Granted, he finds Kaito easier to talk to than Kokichi and his shenanigans.
As the group progressed, they would see more traps being sprung up and laid out on the floor and walls.
"Feels like they upped the difficulty." Maki said.
"What do we do?" One wondered.
"Stay here." Maki ordered. "Don't move."
She proceeded to climb up a shelf, nearly knocking a box onto the ground as she climbed on top of the unit and then walked over to the edge to get a clear look of the layout.
Glynda narrowed her eyes. "I feel like that's cheating."
"Actually… no one said they can't think outside the box." Laxus said.
Maki surveyed the land while also keeping a close eye on her unit. Luckily, they stayed put while being on guard. To the right contained mines and trip wires that had crossbows pointed down at the spot.
To the left was a surveillance camera. Near it was a Crab Tank ready to mow them down at a moment's notice.
Straight ahead was a seemingly safe passage. However, she glanced over at the Crab Tank again and narrowed her eyes. Going straight felt like a trap.
She looked down on the shelves, seeing something of interest as she pulled out a Curling Bomb. She raised an eyebrow and threw it down where it glided across the ground toward the straight path. As it got closer, lasers activated upon movement and when the Curling Bomb crossed the lasers, the Crab Tank activated and rolled around before getting into position and shooting the Curling Bomb until it exploded.
"Called it."
The Crab Tank turned for a few moments before rolling away back into position. Maki knelt down and pulled up a few Splat Bombs. She tossed one toward the camera as it exploded… but nothing happened. She did the same for the left, which the ink activated tons of traps but they reset themselves automatically.
With a nod, Maki picked up as many as she could and dropped down, handing her team the Sub Weapons. "Make use of these. We may just have a chance."
Following Maki's lead, they went to the left side where, aside from smiling for the camera, they went through undetected, springing more traps with their items and going the opposite way of where the trap sprung.
A spotlight moved their way as they quickly ducked for cover. One of them threw a Splat Bomb in the spotlight's line of sight where, upon entering… no sniper shot was heard.
"What…? I thought it was based on movement!" The cadet frowned.
"This sniper is smarter than we thought…"
Up above, Mukuro rolled her eyes. "I'm not falling for that."
Once the spotlight moved, Maki was the last one out, making sure everyone got out before her as they quickly made their way around the labyrinth, until they eventually found the office room. "Target located." Maki said as they went up ahead, only to see a few Crab Tanks patrolling the area.
A teammate pulled out a mute charge. "We gotta do this quickly and quietly." He said to his fellow teammates and handed it to Maki. "Maki, activate the Mute Charge."
With a nod, Maki put it on the ground, activating it as the whole area went silent as the team went around the Crab Tanks undetected. Once they got past the Crab Tanks, one of the cadets kicked open the door right as the Mute Charge wrapped up.
"Don't worry, hostage! We're here to save… yooooouuuu….?"
End BGM
The hostage in question was Ozpin himself, but he was wearing Peach's dress.
"Dude… are you wearing a gown?" A cadet wondered.
"I don't want to talk about it…" Ozpin mumbled.
Maki blinked. "Okay… uh… anywaaaaay, let's get this hostage out of here."
"That's what you think! Hahahaha!"
Suddenly, a vent opened up as Mavis dropped down, wearing a punk rock attire and a headband with horns on it. She even wore a black shirt that had Bowser's symbol on it.
"Raaaah! Fear me! I am Mavis Koopa! Your worst nightmare!" She declared, showing off her "claws". I'm the mightiest there is!" She declared, pulling out a bottle of air freshener.
"Oh no. An air freshener. My one weakness." A cadet sarcastically said.
Mavis pulled out a lighter.
"...Uh oh!"
She turned the lighter on and started spraying, making it turn into a flamethrower that everyone was forced to get away from.
Nearby, Mukuro sweatdropped. "You couldn't have gotten Natsu for this?"
"This is funnier." Laxus said.
"Fear my deadly fire breath! I am Bowser's top minion! Raaaaah! Hahahahaha!"
At that moment, two arms grabbed the lighter and air freshener and yanked it out of her hands.
"RAAA-... huh?"
She turned her head to see Maki gently putting it on the ground and then towered over Mavis with her arms folded.
"Um… roar?"
Maki raised her arm up…
Bop!
And lightly karate chopped Mavis' head.
"Ow…"
Everyone untied Ozpin, but before he could start walking in high heels, everyone picked him up and carried him, much to his embarrassment.
Laxus dropped down in front of them, and doing his best to hide his laughter from seeing his grandfather in a hilariously compromising position.
"Well done, recruits. With your outside of the box thinking and defeating the hostage taker, you have completed your assignment with flying colors." He said, giving them a salute.
The recruits saluted back.
"Dismissed!"
Later…
"You all have shown to prove yourselves worthy to be the best of the best." The Drill Instructor said to the recruits. "You are no longer cadets… you are soldiers from this point forward. We look forward to serving with you." He saluted proudly as everyone else saluted back.
Back in the present…
Maki leaned on a railing, softly sighing in reminiscence.
"Something on your mind?"
Maki turned her head to see Tsumugi approaching.
"I'm gonna be honest… I thought this was gonna suck. Mine suggested this to me as a way to, shall we say, clear my conscience of what I did in the past."
"Ah yes, the whole Night Raid incident… it was all over the news. Kaito wanted to investigate but I held him back because I didn't want him to get hurt."
"Oh, so you two are close then?"
"We grew up together, yes. Our families were close so we got to know each other rather well. So much so that Becky sees me as an aunt." She giggled.
"So, were you always a lieutenant?" Maki asked.
"Not really. I wasn't really interested in the whole military thing and my family and I just supported BHI through uniform making, amongst other clothing." She winked. "However, one day, he asked me if I wanted to be part of this. Of course, I refused but he talked me into it. "If you don't like it, you can always bop me on the head, I won't blame you.", he says. And now, well, here we are, I'm his first lieutenant."
"You two are rather close…" Maki chuckled. "Still, I can't believe it's only been a few days and I'm already a second lieutenant. And I had just gotten out of training too."
Tsumugi smiled. "You were so diligent the past few days. But hey, I quickly rose through the ranks too."
She put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You're gonna be just fine, Maki. After all, I heard from my surrogate niece that she calls you the "Ultimate Babysitter"."
"Of course she does…" Maki shook her head.
"Hey, Tsumugi! Maki! Come here a sec!"
Both turned their heads to see Kaito waving them over as they walked over into Kaito's office.
"What's the situ-... oh hi, General Esdeath~!" Tsumugi smiled.
"Es-Es-Esdeath…?!" Maki froze on the spot.
"Hey. I just wanted to see how you were doing." Esdeath said before turning toward Maki.
Oh shit, she's looking at me!
"You're so stiff… just like how I noticed you were during your final exam." Esdeath said as she calmly approached Maki.
Oh shit! Oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit! She's walking this way and I… can't… move… at all…!
"I guess my reputation is well known, not that it ever bugs me."
Maki closed her eyes, bracing for the worst.
Bracing for the sting of death.
Bracing for an ice cold miserable death.
Bracing for…
…A warm and gentle hug?
Maki opened her eyes, seeing that she was face first in Esdeath's chest as arms wrapped around her. A deep blush appeared on her face.
"To my enemies, I'm an ice cold warrior… but to my friends, I'm a soft teddy bear. You can figure out what I think of you~!"
Huh…? HUUUUUUH?! Maki thought in surprise. Why is she so warm to the touch?!
"That's Esdeath for you.. Intimidating yet a complete sweetheart to her friends." Kaito said.
"She's even a loving mother!" Tsumugi chimed in. "Emerald, I think her name was…"
She's also a mother…?
Esdeath released her hug and smiled sweetly. "If you need me, I'll be checking out the supplies here." She walked off, giving Maki a friendly wink before walking out.
…And Maki collapsed on her back with a loud THUD.
"Sooo, what do you think of her now, Maki Roll?" Kaito grinned.
"...Permission to speak freely, Kaito…"
"Go for it."
"Shut the hell up about "Maki Roll"!" Maki yelled, causing Kaito and Tsumugi to laugh while Maki groaned in annoyance.
Shout out to DarkRebellion for this Gaiden idea!
Ibuki: Oooh, Maki's going places with this. She likes it!
Deadpool: And it seems Mukuro's about to make some new friends too!