"Um, hi?"
General Ironwood turned to the medic, eyes darting down to his nametag. "Yes, Johnson?"
"The four ninja have shown up and have taken over the medical tent," he reported.
"They're interfering with the patient's treatment?" he asked, a bit surprised.
"No, or not exactly, sir," Johnson said. "They are treating the patients themselves."
"How effective are they?" the cyborg general asked.
"Amazingly," Johnson reported. "It's like they all share a semblance for healing. I estimate no more than two hours until we've run out of patients for them to treat."
"Good," General Ironwood said with a grim smile, "that means we can move on to the next mine."
"It's only going to take two hours because Tsunade is insisting on giving checkups and treatment to your men as well."
"Ryu?" the General asked, turning and seeing an old man had joined them, one he'd seen publicly available videos on.
"That's me," Ryu said. "The original plan was to clean out a mine at a time, but since you seem to be doing that yourselves we decided to assist."
General Ironwood nodded. "We appreciate it. Some of the mines may not need your assistance at all, but since we are hitting the ones we suspect are the worst first it will help speed things up."
"I'd assumed all the mines were this bad or worse," Ryu said thoughtfully. "They kept a few running within regulations to fool any inspections?"
"Just over half we believe," General Ironwood said, "they funneled all their faunus employees to the worst mines because Grimm are attracted to human misery much more than faunus misery."
"And they used the lack of Grimm attacks to claim everything was fine," Ryu realized.
"Precisely," General Ironwood said. "If they could treat their human employees as bad to increase their bottom line they would, but that attracts Grimm which would give them away."
"Think we'll have trouble at the other mines?" Ryu asked.
"No," General Ironwood said, "they'll do their best to cover things up and blame middle management, but violence is the last thing on their minds when the military shows up in force. They are corrupt, not stupid."
"Good," Ryu said. "Lord Xander would be upset if innocent people died."
"He claims not to be a god?" General Ironwood asked, recalling all the miracles he'd seen recently.
"It's more philosophical than practical," Ryu told him. "To us there is no difference."
General Ironwood nodded, relieved to have an answer he understood so he could place Xander in a category. "He's modest."
Ryu chuckled. "Very much so. Lord Xander says letting one's ego get too large causes problems."
The cyborg grinned, thinking of all the politicians he'd had to deal with. "On that we can surely agree."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"Some good news," Leo told Xander. "I got word that the Atlesian military is coming down on the Schnee Mines. They are closing them down and providing medical aid to the mines."
"That is good news," Xander said. "It makes it a lot easier to evacuate all the faunus that want to come home."
"We'll have food and housing ready for them," Alen said, the bull faunus having calmed down on taking stock of what resources they had available for refugees.
"Some of the former miners have asked if you plan on opening a mine here," Leo told the mayor, "it's work they know how to do and they think they can run it much better than the Schnee Corporation."
"It'd be nice to have some fresh faces around here," Alen said with a smile, "and yes, I would love to have experienced personnel running the mine."
Leo nodded and turned to Xander. "We're going to have nearly empty buses. Most of the crew will settle here given a chance."
"Excellent," Xander said, "that means we can head on to the third town and help them then."
"Traveling at night isn't really safe…" Alen's voice trailed off and he chuckled. "That's not really a problem for you is it?"
"It's really not," Xander agreed. "I'll leave you a couple of buses and T-800s to help get everyone settled in."
"What are T-800s?" Alen asked.
"The bus drivers. They are cyborgs who have never been human, coming at it from the other direction, but they have a great deal of technical knowledge that can help you out as they learn to people."
"I would welcome any help you'd care to offer," Alen told him. "You've done more for us than I ever dreamed possible."
"I like to help people," Xander said, "and from what I've seen if you were given my powers you'd do much the same."
"I'd like to think so," Alen agreed.
"I'll get everyone sorted and meet you at the buses," Leo said, sending a message on his scroll.
"The T-800s don't have names?" Alen asked.
"Haven't needed them or chosen them yet," Xander replied.
"Do they have aura?"
"I haven't run across a hunter yet to learn what aura is and I'm not sure they'll ever be able to get it as they were never human," Xander replied. "I gave them a bit of a boost so they'd develop faster, but it'll still take time for them to become more than just machines."
"Hard to wrap my head around both of those things," Alen said. "Aura's been around for so long I can't think of a time when it wasn't known and robots… well they aren't unknown, but limited to simple things in the most developed countries."
"More proof I'm not a god, not all knowing," Xander said with a grin as they exited the walled city.
"Benevolent not wise," Alen joked, making Xander snicker.
Three T-800s appeared as they neared the buses.
"Do we have new orders?" one of the T-800s asked with almost a trace of curiosity.
"I was planning on having two of you remain here," Xander said.
The three cyborgs looked at one another in silence for a moment before one returned to the buses.
"What are our new orders?" one asked.
"The mayor here is your new commander, follow his orders as you would mine," Xander said.
"Affirmative," the pair chorused.
"Are we to be issued supplies, sir?" one of the cyborgs asked.
"Regular supplies would help," Xander said thoughtfully as an idea hit him. He tapped a mountain and created a pair of colorless rings before tapping a forest with wild growth to empower them. "Each of you put on a ring."
The two T-800s accepted the rings and put them on.
Xander tapped another mountain and created a table. "You can activate those rings like your blue ones. Picture the equipment you desire appearing on the table and activate them."
The two cyborgs stared at the table and after a couple of seconds half of it was covered with weapons and ammo. Several seconds later the other half was covered with a near duplicate load.
"I should have expected that," Xander said with a laugh. "You can use the rings once a day. Go ahead, arm yourselves."
The two cyborgs stepped forward quickly, checking the weapons and testing them before loading them and arming themselves.
"Guards?" Alen guessed.
"They excel at it, never needing sleep and having senses much better than a human's," Xander said.
"And without aura or negative emotions that would attract Grimm," the bull faunus said thoughtfully.
"They have the knowledge needed to upgrade your tech base and are pretty good medics as well," Xander said. "The only thing they can't do is swim."
"Flight capabilities would allow the simulation of swimming and increase our mobility," one of the T-800s pointed out.
Xander grinned and licked his thumbs. "Then Flight you shall have." He wiped his thumbs against their foreheads while tapping a pair of Blue Mana.
The two cyborgs slowly rose up in the air for a moment before setting back to the ground.
"I pity any Grimm who try to attack you two," Xander said.
"If they can do paperwork I could retire," Alen said.
"I am not programmed to do office work," one of the cyborgs quickly said.
"Providing security for the complex takes priority over paperwork," the other quickly added.
"How long will it take them to fully develop as people?" Alen asked.
"Not nearly as long as I thought," Xander admitted.
The third T-800 returned. "The buses are loaded, only two are required. A bus stationed at First Step would allow for more efficient travel between the two cities."
Xander created another clear ring and passed it to the T-800. "Would you like Flight as well?"
"It would increase my efficiency," the cyborg agreed.
Xander licked his thumb and wiped it on the T-800's forehead, granting him Flight. "You are to report to the Mayor of First Step and obey her orders as you would mine."
"Affirmative," the T-800 said before turning to the table and staring at it for a few seconds before guns and ammo appeared.
"I have a feeling that tomorrow I'm going to be granting Flight and equipment to my other three T-800s," Xander said.
"Flight is everyone's dream as they grow up," Alen said, blinking in surprise as Xander wiped a thumb across his forehead. "Um… that wasn't a request, but thank you, I'm sure I'll enjoy it. Hey, maybe I can escape my paperwork that way!"
"Sorry, the girls already requested Flight, they'd catch you," Xander teased.
Alen chuckled. "It was only an idle thought. May the animal god guide your path… um, if you don't mind that is."
Xander laughed. "I would love for someone to give me directions. I'll accept it in the spirit it was given. Good journeys, Alen."
The Mayor watched as Xander boarded the bus and it pulled out followed by three others, one of which turned to drive in the opposite direction. "This has been quite a day."
"Indeed," one of the two T-800s said.
"Orders?" the second asked.
"What do you want to do?" he asked curiously.
"I wish to test weapons efficiency on Grimm," it replied.
"Be careful," Alen said, "don't allow yourselves to get injured if you can avoid it."
"Affirmative," the two cyborgs chorused before taking to the air, their flight patterns erratic as they tested the limits of what they'd been granted.
"One hell of a day," the mayor said before turning back to his town and smiling at the sounds of new voices and children playing.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"I thought it would take a lot longer for the drivers to become people from how you spoke of it," Leo told Xander.
"They've had two uses of the blue rings I gave them," Xander said, "that sped up their development more than I expected."
"How do blue rings make them more… more?" Leo asked.
Xander created a large sapphire ring and poured Blue Mana into it before passing it to Leo. "It enhances your mind for a few hours, making you more intelligent, possibly wiser and also breaks mind control. Each use helps you remember more and figure things out."
"Which makes it easier for you to find your way home," Leo said thoughtfully.
"Find my way…" Xander buried his face in his hands. "I'm an idiot."
"You had a way to enhance your mind and weren't using it to find your way home?" Leo guessed.
"Yup," Xander agreed. "I'm not sure it will work, but it's something that I should have tried."
"Well you know now," Leo pointed out.
"I do," Xander agreed. "Remind me to enhance you several ways from Sunday and load you up with treasure."
"You've already done tons for me and my people," Leo pointed out.
"And I'm going to do even more," Xander said, "but I'm still going to do more for you in particular because you've helped me."
"If you insist," Leo said.
"I do," Xander said. "Thanks to you I have a better shot at reaching home this century and a reminder that I should go over everything I've learned to make sure I'm making the most of it."
Xander claimed the land they were driving over before turning it into yet another forest.
"Planning to run a line of forests all the way to Kuo Kuana?" the lion faunus asked.
"This place could use some more greenery," Xander replied with a shrug.
"That's true," Leo agreed, "this place is mostly desert."
"I'll be sure to give you a number of mountains and… maybe an inland sea," Xander said. "Freshwater of course."
"Already got one, it's part of Kuo Kuana where the aquatic faunus live," Leo said. "Never been there myself, but I've seen pictures."
"Cool, I'd love to see it," Xander said.
"Yeah, me too," Leo said. "I'd always planned on taking a trip to Kuo Kuana, but then the mine happened."
"What's your plan now?" Xander asked.
"Follow you, calm people down so they don't panic when you throw around miracles, get a house… become a hunter," Leo decided. "If I had been a hunter I could have done more to help in the mine."
"Still looking forward to meeting a hunter and seeing what aura is," Xander said. "I know there are supposed to be several auras I can give people… something angelic, I think flying is involved, not sure."
"Are you going to turn people into angels?" Leo asked dryly.
"Yeah, I think they count as angels as well as themselves," Xander said thoughtfully, "not positive, but they may get a holy glow… wings… I'm really not helping with the not a god thing am I?"
Leo laughed. "You really aren't."
"Well I've only ever claimed to be the god of tits and beer when drunk," Xander said, "and while I will eventually figure out how to turn people into angels, I'm still not a god. No worshipers, no people, no pantheon."
"The god of tits and beer?" Leo asked with a grin.
"If I'm going to be a god, I'm going to be a god of the two greatest things in existence… Oh, and beer," Xander said firmly.
Typing By: Abyssal Angel
Beta By: Abyssal Angel and MIst of Shadows