"A strong man doesn't need to read the future, he makes his own."
Solid Snake
Two and A Half Years Ago...
As Jaune Arc was now just woke up as to the very sunlight as it was entering his bedroom window as it was pierced through the gaps in between his curtains, shining on his very blue eyes now. As he was looking around his very as surroundings now and He was starting to stretch up his body as then He rubbed his eyes and slowly got up from his very bed now as To his left, was his very own sword as it was leaned against the wall. Its sheath reflects the sunlight as well as On his right was his nightstand was his very gun now as where is Even his very own phone was lay on as it was turned off as well as his gun as It's clothes were lined up needly on the closet as it was near his bed as It was a small but congestible room but it was his home as he has been living in this very country for some time now as it was one of his new jobs that he was hired not some long ago after he was kidnapped by an unknown organization right now as they figured out that he was an I.S user as well as he was one of the two only males in the entire world who could operate that very machine that women could as having one on their side might change the tide of war as what the people and the government tell him about now.
But in the nick of time when he was being tortured by his very captors as they were always saying creepy and disturbing things as some of the captors as they were women try to even rape him once in a while as he did somehow find a way to deny that but how long could he had not done it as he might have been done for as not for another secret organization came to his very rescue and saved him from that very moment as he was quite relieved as knowing their very own reasons they told him that the world is actually afraid of him being on second male and he might be belong to Japan as they wanted to make sure they could have their own little war toy do their self That's how he ended up in Italy and no it wasn't its government that kidnapped him but the secret organization had a base in this country known as Italy as for a time being he actually started like the country It did remind him so much of his own home now.
Considering how everyone behaves around here as he has been stuck in this country for quite some months now as he was announced as a new I.S user as he has been targeted as the organization had only one motive in the mind world peace but he doubt that as there's nothing peaceful about it They wanted a weapon for themselves as well but he will help them as they were the ones who basically saved him from a faith worse than death as his aura can heal him but considering he is hiding his abilities it means that he could use some magic tricks of his as well but he will consider that unusable as he doesn't wants people to suspect him to be some alien or some kind of wizard or God or something like that as that might be awkward for everyone in the near future as he might even be in dangered even further seen as a threat but right now he basically deactivated his very own aura and semblance as Jaune learn how to do that but the help of a certain person in his life now as She got up from his bed as he started to change his clothes into his uniform as he has been hiding in this base for some time now as time sometimes fly but he was happy that he received a window as now He can at least see the gardens beneath the view itself.
As Slipping on his favourite boots that he received some time now as he joined their organization for the time being for his very own survival as he had a uniform to wear as it was a standard military clothes like routine as he was wearing gray camouflage attire on his entire body as he grabbed a cap right next to his bed grab his gun loaded and put it on his sidearm and grabbed the sword and put it on his back as he opened the door and went downstairs as There, jaune just saw his very Good friend Francesco as he was the cook around here as he was even his bodyguard stationed by the very organizations head known as the Big Boss as He was just in time as the staff was getting ready too their breakfast as he could see that the entire mess hall will starting to fill up with soldiers as they were waking up and marching towards the very mess hall to get their food as his friend was cooking breakfast everyone now.
As Jaune Arc just remembers a distant memory of his as Jaune remembers a time where his very father drinking coffee While her mother was making breakfast for everyone as he remembers how his father actually love his mother's cooking so much that he wouldn't leave home before he was fed by her famous scrambled eggs with french toast and his third youngest sister, Scarlet, already eating some cereal And the rest of his sisters and family members were coming together one by one two words they're big dining table in the dining hall now As it was a past memory but it was so beautiful as he was just an ass to think that he needed to be a hero that he left his very own family behind not even thinking twice of the casualties and his very own actions as for years now he has learned one ultimate lesson from every failure and to his success that actions have consequences good or bad as he doesn't know how bad he might have screwed up with his family but he can do anything about it but if he could go back one day to his home He just wants to apologize to his family and to his mother and father for all the damage he has ever done to them and all this recklessness he has shown two words in their families legacy and his as You pick up his breakfast from the front rower of the main counter table as he was heading out trays full of food as Jaune took it as he said thank you as he made his way towards one of the benches around the mess hall as you sit down and started to eat his breakfast as it wasn't much as cuisine just normal food basically Typically, the ration contains a meal item (beans and wiener sausages, scalloped potatoes with ham, smoked salmon fillet, macaroni and cheese, cheese omelette with mushrooms, shepherd's pie, etc.), wet-packed (sliced or mashed) fruit in a boxed retort pouch, and depending on the meal a combination of instant soup at best as They do have another thing to their meals As Ready-To-Eat (MRE) is designed to sustain an individual engaged in heavy activity such as military training or as during the very actual military operations when normal food service facilities are not available words anyone as he did miss the junk food now that he used in Tokyo now as he even missed the local bar "damn her "
As It'd been a couple of months now that jaune started living in village townhomes in Italy's agriculture is typical of the northern and southern division found within the European Union (EU). The northern part of Italy produces primarily grains, soybeans, meat, and dairy products, while the south specializes in fruits, vegetables, olive oil, wine, and durum wheat as It's reminded him so much is home as it has to same environment towards it as he was as farm boy to begin with and he did like visiting
and started seeing Zara, had managed to find a balance between my personal life and my professional life here. That being said though, I've often been left with the impression that my mother Vittorio had been holding something back about my father, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Every time I ran his name through the Regia Marina database I kept coming up empty, just a very basic officer profile with almost everything blacked out.
I sigh and lean back in my office chair, turning it back and forth with my hands on my head. This was so frustrating, everything about my father was running into a dead end with this man, this, Giovanni Fabbro. After a few minutes, I remember that picture that my mother gave me, from when I was a baby, perhaps I try and find a picture of this man or at least one close enough so that I could at least find something to go off of.
I get the picture out and place it on my desk and e-mail myself a picture of it and set up a reverse image search on my computer. Before I can get the results my door is flung open by a woman with green hair as she calls out, "Cristiano, come it is time for evening meal and I would have you dine in my splendor today."
"Heya squirt." Jaune ruffled his sister's hair.
"We're going to go and train today, right? You promised!" Scarlet said.
Jaune let out a chuckle. "Sure, Scar. After breakfast, OK?"
She nodded her head, milk spilling out of her mouth "Oksh! Thnks Jwne!"
"Here's your egg, Jaune." His mother, Azure, turned from the stove and laid his breakfast, an omlette paired with some beef bacon and bread, on the table.
"Thanks, mom." Jaune pulled back the chair and sat down.
"Don't forget your sword. Be ready for anything" His father said. Jaune let out a hum of agreement.
Jaune's mother spoke again, concern lacing her voice. "Be careful, okay? Mark your path, bring a compass, pack some foo-"
"We'll be fine, mom, It's just the forest backdoor. I doubt there's any Grimm there since Dad cleared them out before building the house a few years ago."
His mom had a small smile on her face "I know, I know, I just can't help it, you're my little baby boy after all."
"Moooooom," Jaune let out a groan. "I'm not a kid anymore, Mom! I've been to Beacon already!" His mother laughed softly and cracked another egg, getting back to cooking.
Finishing his breakfast, Jaune washed his dishes and went back up to his room. On the way, he met his oldest sister, Indigo, leaning against his door. She was a top Huntress and stood at a tall 190 cm.
"Going training?" She asked.
"Yeah, Me and Scar are going to the forest in the back." Jaune answered.
The top Huntress squinted and looked down on Jaune "If anything happens to her, it's all your fault."
"Y-yeah, sis. Sure." Jaune stuttered.
Indigo looked at her brother intensely. Then, finding whatever she had to find on him, she nodded and went down. Jaune wiped a bead of sweat off his forehead.
'Man, why's she always so serious?!'.
Entering his room, he took a quick shower, put on his hoodie, and picked up his sword. Grabbing his Scroll and wallet (Just in case!) he went down and found Scarlet already waiting. She already had her training sword on her hip and a pouch full of useful items (packed by Mom no doubt.).
His sister jumped up and down in excitement. "Come on big bro, let's go!" She took his hand and dragged him out of the door. Jaune laughed and waved back at his parents.
"Bye Mom, Dad!"
'Okay', Jaune thought. First, he needed to know how good his sister was. It's been 6 months since he last saw her what with going to Beacon and all. "Alright, so I want you to come at me with everything you got." Jaune told her.
'Besides, there's no way I'd lose to her, right?' He thought to himself. 'I mean, she's still 3 years younger.... and I trained at Beacon.....' Jaune held back a wince. Well, he did cheat to get in, so that point was kind of moot. He shook off his thoughts. 'You've got this Jaune!'
Scarlet had excitement shining in her eyes. "All I've got?"
Jaune nodded his head. "Yeah, go for it squirt."
Scarlet grinned. "Okay! Here I come~!" She lunged at him. Jaune stepped to his left, letting her fly past him. Jaune flying past her, she hit the ground and went into a roll.
Crouching, she unsheathed her sword swung it towards him horizontally. Jaune blocked with his left arm, Aura glowing, and punched down. Scarlet turned her head, letting the punch fly past her. She jumped, getting equal to his brother's height, and swung her sword again. Jaune caught it and ripped it from her hands. He brought out his right arm and punched her, sending her back. She dropped to the ground with a dull thud. Jaune threw her sword in front of her.
"Is that all you've got, Scar?"
With renewed vigour, she grabbed her sword and launched herself again at her brother. Feinting a left swing, she tricked Jaune into blocking early and morphed her swing into a stab. Jaune, caught off guard by the feint, took the attack head-on. Stepping back from the hit, he blocked a strike from his left, and then to his right. Scarlet pushed forward, keeping up the pressure, forcing Jaune to keep blocking and going backwards. 'She's better than I thought!'. His back hit a tree. 'Jump!' he jumped, avoiding his sister's low swing. Jaune put his feet up on the tree and pushed himself forward, flying past Scarlet.
Going into a roll, Jaune turned and faced his sister. "You're cornered, sis. What to do now?"
His sister smiled. "This!" She charged at him, and Jaune took his stance. When she came close, he went for a punch, but to his surprise, it phased right through her. Or rather, she phased through him. "What?" Jaune muttered out and was sent flying into the tree face first with a kick to the back of his head. He fell to the ground with a loud smack.
Jaune rubbed his head in his hands. "Ow ow ow ow! That hurt, y'know!" he turned back to his sister, who was grinning proudly with her hands on her hips.
"You didn't tell me you've already gotten your Aura unlocked, Scar! That was your semblance, wasn't it?"
"Yup!" She answered proudly. "Dad says it lets me phase through any object in my way!"
"Wow, that's great, Scar!" Jaune ruffled her hair fondly. "Maybe now you'll be able to actually beat me!"
Scarlet graoned. "I beat you just now, didn't I?"
Jaune held back a wince. "I held back. I didn't know you had your Aura unlocked. I didn't want to hurt you." 'Or else Indigo'll have my head.' He added in his head.
"So, since I have my Aura unlocked, can you fight me with Crocea now?"
"I suppose...." Jaune trailed off. 'Well, if she already has her Aura unlocked, she'll be able to block my strikes, right?... Well, I guess I'll still need to hold back a little. Wouldn't want her to bleed, after all.'
Jaune unsheathed Crocea, and expanded its sheath into a shield. "Let's go, Scar!"
Scarlet was happy beyond belief. Finally, after all of her hard work, Jaune would fight her seriously! After she heard the news that her brother was going to Beacon, she demanded her father to train her so she could come to Beacon one day too. Her father didn't want to at first, but after some motivation from Mom, he started to teach her the basics.
Sometimes, she thought she saw disappointment and guilt on her father's face every time they started training, but she shook it off. Besides, that look faded when they heard of Jaune's first successful mission.
Seeing Jaune enter his stance, Scarlet entered her own and began analysing. 'Okay, so if I go in for a normal attack, he's going to block it with his shield. Phasing through him won't work again I bet, because I've already done that before so he'll watch out for me. I know! I'll-' She was cut off as a loud boom shook the forest.
She saw her brother's face turn to surprise and then to one of horror as he looked to his left. Smoke was rising, and it was the direction their house was located. Her brother's voice shook her out of her stupor. "Scarlet, we need to go back and help the others!"
"R-Right, Yeah! Let's go, big bro!"
Jaune ran towards the direction of the smoke, and she followed closely behind.
Just as they were going to leave, an Ursa jumped from the trees and attacked Jaune. Blocking with his shield, he responded with a slash on its stomach. The Ursa blocked it with its hand and moved to slam his hand into the ground. Jaune, seeing this, dodged back before it hit and then lunged towards the Ursa. With a cry, he slashed his sword on the Ursa's head, killing it instantly.
Scarlet stared in awe. Her brother was amazing! But then, she saw a pair of red eyes staring at him from the bushes. "Uhh, Jaune? I think we've got more...." She saw him look around, and she did the same. Around them, the eyes of the Grimm stared from the dark of the forest.
"Run!"
Indigo was not having a good morning, thank you very much. First, her little brother took Scarlet to the forest for some training alone. She stopped trusting him ever since he, well, faked his transcripts to get into Beacon (Really, it's not that hard to tell). Who knows what he's teaching to Scarlet out there? He never even went to a combat school before!
Secondly, these White Fang grunts were really getting on her nerves. Granted, they were just a nuisance to her, but with their large numbers, they were quite the pain to deal with. Thankfully, Mom, Jade (her youngest sister, aged 7), Amber (second youngest, aged 10) and Chrome (third youngest, aged 11) had already gotten into their emergency Bullhead and left. Now, it was just her, Cyan (the oldest) and Jasmine (the second oldest), as well as their father. Together, they were currently holding back the army of White Fang grunts swarming the house.
Swinging her Zweihander, she activated her semblance and dragged it across the ground, sending a wave of electricity towards her opponents. Her semblance, Arc Wave, lets her create waves of electricity by swinging her weapon, specifically on the parts made with metal. As such, she can't create electricity without her weapon. That's why she chose her weapon, as it has one of the longest parts of metal a melee weapon can have.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw one of the grunts take aim with an RPG. "Look out!" She warned, and jumped out of the way, her family doing the same.
The rocket went straight past them and hit the house, creating a massive explosion and sending smoke up into the air. Indigo growled. She was getting really angry now. Pressing the switch on her weapon, it transformed into a rifle and shot the man, killing him.
"Reinforcements! Not the good kind, either!" she heard Cyan yell. Looking up, she saw Bullheads approach, the White Fang emblem proudly sprayed on their chassis. They launched missiles at the house, destroying it even more.
"We've got nothing left here!" Her father shouted. "We'll need to hijack one of those Bullheads and get out of here!"
"What about Scarlet and Jaune?!" Jasmine shouted.
"You go after them! Be quick, we don't have much time!"
"On it!" With a leap, Jasmine went the direction Jaune went to go training with Scarlet, deeper into the forest.
Jaune parried a strike from a Beowolf and staggered slightly. He stabbed the Beowolf with his sword, and pulled the it off of its body once it was dead. Swinging Crocea while turning to his right, he cut the Beowolf behind him.
Jaune turned to check on his sister, who phased left and right from Grimm attacks. He could tell she was getting tired. Her movements were getting more and more sloppy and her reaction times were getting slower and slower by the second. With no way to fight back against the Grimm (since a training sword was pretty much useless), he doubted she'll last much longer.
Just as another Beowolf was about to lunge at his sister, he threw his sword over her shoulder. The sword hit its mark, killing it instantly. He went to pick up his sword but was tackled by another Beowolf. It forced him into the ground and put its hands over his arms, preventing him from using them.
He heard his sister shout for him. "I've got you bro!" Not long after, Crocea pierced through the Beowolf. Letting out a small huff, the Beowolf slid off its blade and fell on Jaune.
Jaune pushed the Beowolf's body off of his. Letting out a breath of exhaustion, he took the sword from his sister's hands and stood back up. Looking around, he was relieved to see that most of the Grimm had been killed or had already run away. "Alright, now we can get-"
"Look out!"
Jaune turned around and saw a Deathstalker moving its tail towards him. Jumping back, Jaune screamed at sister. He needed her to leave, now.
"Go! I'll try my best to hold it back!" Her sister shook her head vigorously. "I'm not leaving you behind bro!" He stared at her in frustration.
'Dammit! Now's not a good time for her to be stubborn!'
"You've got no choice! GO, NOW!" He was sent flying back by another strike of the Deathstalker's tail, sending him through multiple trees. The Deathstalker went after him, leaving Scarlet behind with a useless training sword and her own fears. Realizing that negative emotions attract Grimm, she steeled herself. Her brother gave her an order, and she'd do it to the best of her capabilities. She ran away from him and the Deathstalker, leaving them behind.
Because, she recognized in the back of her mind, this might be the last one he will ever give to her.
After a few minutes of running, Jasmine finally found one of her siblings. Scarlet was holding back tears when she saw her and hugged her older sister tightly as soon as she saw her.
Jasmine rubbed circles around her sister's back. "It's okay now, Scarlet. Big sis is here now." She could feel her clothes getting wet from her little sister's tears, but it didn't matter. She found one of them, she only needed to find Jaune now.
"Now, do you know where Jaune is?" Scarlet asked.
Her sister sniffled. "H-he's that way, sis. He's fighting a D-deaths-stalker a-alone." Jasmine sent her an incredulous look. "
A Deathstalker?!" Jasmine shouted. Scarlet nodded numbly.
"Then we've gotta go and help him!"
"B-but big bro told me to run away...." Scarlet stuttered.
"I can fight a Deathstalker, Scar. Jaune, though..." She trailed off. No, she wouldn't go there. She'd get them all to safety, that she promised.
Jaune blocked another strike from the Deathstalker. He was in big trouble and he knew it. His aura was entering the red, and he knew that if it keeps going like this, he'll run out in no time. Seeing another attack coming at his way, Jaune leaned back, narrowly dodging a strike from its pincer.
'I need to get out of here, but how?' Jaune examined his surroundings as well as the Grimm in front of him. 'It's eyes! They aren't armoured!'
He dodged another strike. 'As soon as it's blinded, I'll make a run for it!' With newfound hope, Jaune jumped and landed on the Deathstalker's head. It moved its pincers towards him, attacking him. Jaune blocked the attacks with his shield, momentarily losing balance. Regaining his footing, he let out a scream and thrust his sword downward, piercing one of the Deathstalker's eyes. It howled in pain, its pincers moving faster to knock him off its head. He blocked each attack, his aura draining with each block.
'I need to finish this quickly!' Gripping Crocea tighter, he quickly stabbed the Deathstalker's other eyes until only one was left. But, before he could stab the last one, the Deathstalker finally managed to hit him with its pincer, knocking him off of its head and into a tree. Jaune slid down said tree with a dull thud.
Jaune held his head in pain. 'It's times like these I really wish I had a Semblance. I don't know, maybe something that would bring me to safety?!'. He could hear intense ringing in his ears, and his eyes were starting to blur. He shook his head and looked at his scroll. 'I only have a single strip of Aura left.' The Deathstalker raised its tail high, ready to deal the final blow. Jaune dodged to the left, the tail landing right beside him. It kicked dust into the air and was stuck firmly in place.
Grinning, Jaune ran towards the Deathstalker head on, eager to finish his plan. 'Good! Now it's stuck in place!' He jumped over its left pincer and slid under its right one, the bone armour brushing his hair. Jumping, Jaune landed once again on the Deathstalker's head and prepared to stab its last functioning eye.
Unfortunately, the Deathstalker managed to free its tail faster than Jaune expected. Pulling it free, the Deathstalker aimed it squarely at Jaune and thrusted. 'No!' Jaune, out of options, could only manage to block it with his shield. Bringing his shield up, he closed his eyes and braced for impact. The Deathstalker's tail shattered Crocea' plain white-painted shield, pierced his arm, and continued, stabbing him directly in the chest.
Jaune coughed blood. He could hear the soft clang of Crocea' shield falling to the ground, now only fragments of metal. He felt wind blow past his face, and before he knew it, he was thrown off of the Deathstalker's tail. Landing on the ground once more, he struggled to breathe. His left hand went towards the gaping wound on his chest. 'So, this is how I go out, huh?' He let out a dry chuckle. 'I guess I was never meant to be a hero after all. I never even got my Semblance.'
Suddenly, he felt a strange pull on his stomach. Not being able to resist, he could only close his eyes as white light shone around him. He could hear his ears ringing, and he wondered if this was how dying felt. As the light continue to grow, the pull also grew more intense. He closed his eyes, unable to keep them open any longer. Darkness consumed his vision, and before he knew it, his consciousness left him.
Jasmine arrived and saw the Deathstalker. With a cry, she fired rockets at its face. The explosions sent gusts of wind flying past her. The Deathstalker screeched in pain, its face armor cracked from the force of her attacks. Its single working eye glared at Jasmine, and it swung its tail at her. In response, she transformed her weapon, Zerstörung, into a giant war axe and parried the strike. She staggered slightly from the force of the attack.
The Deathstalker attacked with its tail again. Projecting where it would land, she stepped to the side, letting it hit the ground right next to her. With a loud cry, she swung her weapon and severed the tail from the Deathstalker. It flopped to the ground uselessly. As it fell next to her, she saw that its yellow tip was coated with red blood.
'What?! That means...' she looked around and saw the broken pieces of Crocea' shield, its fragments littering the forest floor.
'No....no no no NO! I refuse to believe that Jaune's dead!'
She dodged another strike from the massive Grimm in front of her, this time from its left pincer. Jasmine leapt forward and, with a loud cry, swung her weapon downwards. The Deathstalker tried to block it with its right pincer, yet the force was too great. The pincer's armor broke into pieces, sending bone fragments flying everywhere. Jasmine pushed her weapon deeper, sinking it in. Black goo burst from it, and the Deathstalker swung its pincer vigorously, throwing her and her weapon away.
Jasmine found herself flying towards a tree. Recovering, she angled herself so that her feet would land first. Landing against it, she pushed and leapt once again at the Deathstalker. It moved to block her attack again. Switching Zerstörung into a rocket launcher, she activated her semblance and fired again, her semblance negating the knockback that her weapon would have given her, instead storing it inside of her for later use. The Deathstalker's pincer flinched from the blow, allowing her to slip past.
Releasing her semblance, she willed the stored momentum to push her downwards. It pushed her downwards at incredible speeds and she transformed her weapon back into a war axe. With a yell, she struck the Deathstalker's face. Its bone armor shattered under the blow, its fragments flying everywhere. It let out a loud screech and struggled in pain. Jasmine held on, and after a few moments, it let out a final huff and went limp. Jasmine pulled her weapon away and jumped off.
Jasmine let out a breath of exhaustion. She glanced around and tried to find Jaune. She can't. She only saw the fragments of his shield.
"Jaune?! Where are you?! Jaune!" She turned to her right and saw a pool of blood. It looked fresh, the grass around it still bright red.
Slowly, she walked towards it and fell to her knees. No, this can't be real. 'Besides, there's no body, right? Jaune could still be alive.' But a voice at the back at her head, the logical one, already concluded one thing. If Jaune already leaked out this much blood, coupled with the fact that he was probably stabbed by the Deathstalker's tail, there was little chance that he would survive.
"Jaune, please! Answer me! Jaune! JAUNE!" She screamed. She looked left and right, searched the area far and wide, but Jaune didn't show.
She could feel her desperation turn to sadness. Jasmine felt tears beginning to fall down her face.
Her brother was dead, and nothing she could do could change that.
🆔🆔🆔🆔🆔🆔🆔🆔🆔🆔🆔🆔🆔🆔🆔🆔
Venom Snake sat with quiet, their legs dangling over the side of the Medical platform as Quiet recovered from the latest and hopefully last in a number of procedures designed to disarm and remove the parasites clinging to her vocal cords and allow her to speak English once more without fear of killing large portions of Motherbase
Things had changed a lot since they'd met each other, with Quiet having tried twice to kill Snake and Snake having incapacitated and captured her despite the superhuman abilities her parasites had granted her.
Quiet leaned against Snake as they held the fishing rods steady, spending time with one another whilst waiting for the fish to bite. The two were enjoying each other's company more than they were the activity.
"I'm glad you'll finish your treatments soon, and not just because it's a load off my back. I look forward to hearing you speak." Snake said almost offhandedly to Quiet.
Quiet lived up to her name and said nothing, not even grunting to acknowledge the statement.
Footsteps alongside a distinctive clacking sound tapped out their beat behind them on the Quarantine Platform's deck and Big Boss- no Phantom Boss now- inclined his head to hear what Miller had to say.
"Boss, I've got news for you," Miller said
"Go on."
"As you know, some of the boffins on the R&D Platform were experimenting with improving your Wormhole Recovery device," Miller said
"What happened Kaz?"
"They opened a wormhole on the main deck and all kinds of shadowy monsters started pouring out... a lot of people are MIA, assumed KIA. We've barricaded the platform on both sides so they can't overrun us any further, but we can't push any further either. Every time we do they attack again. We're thinking a small insertion to gain control of the wormhole will allow us to clear the rest of them out and retake Motherbase"
"Alright, Are we cleared for duty?"
"You've already had the Wolbachia sir, and all your tests have come up negative. That 'Aura' you have is some potent stuff it seems. Quiet's nearly done, but they want to run a few more tests to be absolutely certain." Miller said
"See that it's done... If I'm going to be holding back a horde I'll need some help. The S++'s from the Combat team if they're not occupied."
"I'll see who I can get," Miller replied
"...And a mask for Quiet. I'd rather not be too far from her right now." Boss added
Boss missed Kaz's angry scowl and Quiet's blush as he walked towards the helipad.
"...and there's no one else I'd want on overwatch more," Boss finished. There would be no arguing
Quiet looked annoyed at Boss which Miller noticed... but he didn't want to think about her more than he had to. He hobbled over to the hazmat tent and grabbed one of the spare respirators before throwing it at her.
"Here. Take it." Miller said
Quiet didn't react, seemingly focused on something else.
"I said take it!" Miller shouted.
Quiet pulled hard on the fishing rod, the carbon-fibre flexing with the weight of something on it, and Miller realised exactly where he was standing right as marlin was pulled out of the sea many metres below and arced beautifully, sailing through the air to hit him square on the chest, instantly bowling the poor one-legged man over.
Quiet placed the rod beside her on the platform's deck and pulled the respirator tight around her face, ensuring that there was no way for untreated parasites to escape around the edges before dashing across the platform and leaping onto Pequod's helicopter right as it began to take off
The Operation was a success, Phantom Boss noted. Every stage of the assault had been an uphill battle until the very end, enemy fliers that were mowed down in droves by Pequod's door guns and the heavy AA barrage that the Diamond Dogs were sending up across Motherbase
Then they had had to clear enough of a landing zone as the monsters moved to prevent this invasion of 'their' domain. Phantom Boss hadn't gotten a good look at the monsters whilst they'd been flying due to the speed and how the monsters seemed to turn to ash and disappear as soon as they died.
It was when a werewolf covered in bone spikes with coal-black fur and a red-lined skull mask had jumped onto the helicopter only to receive a slug to the face from Boss' shotgun did it start stirring old memories. Memories of a time now decades ago.
Boss persevered despite this revelation, and before long they found the main hangar was now occupied with a large orange-rimmed tear in spacetime large enough to drive one of their 'acquired' main battle tanks through, though not large enough to fit Sahelanthropus through
Once they were in position, they worked to stem the tide, shooting the dozens that would enter in small groups every few minutes or so. At the sound of their shooting, the other teams had moved in, and there had been some intense combat for a while as the monsters attempted to counter push and resume the stalemate, but with Big Boss and his team acting against the oncoming tide, the other teams managed to begin retaking the platform.
Not that it was easy with the numbers involved and the distance of the relief team, but the monsters thankfully didn't require holy silver or anything to kill, and their regular machine guns were more than sufficient to kill them.
As the teams moved in, Phantom Boss got the first good news he'd had all day from Ocelot. "Boss, it seems we're in luck. Reports are saying that most of the R&D staff were able to seal themselves inside their labs and rooms and wait it out when the emergency sounded. We were lucky."
Phantom Boss looked down into the hangar where the corpses of several of his scientists lay, mauled, part-eaten in places, and very dead.
"Not lucky enough," he said
"What do you wanna do?" Ocelot asked
Boss stared at the portal, still gushing monsters "I want to push back, find where these creatures came from and make 'em pay for this." As it is want to do, time moved inexorably forward, fear and the ache of wounds dulled and classes still had to be attended, lectures witnessed and reports written and handed in. life in Beacon resumed relative normality.
Of course, once something weird happens the first time, the universe has irrevocably marked you, and weird things are going to keep happening, like when months after Jaune arc's disappearance, Beacon was treated to a loud rumble in the distance most mistook for a bullhead at an odd time. Most discarded it as a distraction or annoyance as it slowly grew in volume until it couldn't be ignored any more and many heads and eyes peered skyward or out through windows facing the appropriate direction.
A strange airship no one could name the make or model of thudded its way through the air, one suspended underneath a rotor on its roof -a radical departure from the quieter and more controllable twin-turbojet design of modern bullheads- that approached closer and closer to beacon until it landed right in the courtyard in front of the airship docks.
Teams RWBY and _NPR had been busy catching up to missed schoolwork at the time and were free-er to respond to this sudden development; so they had been the first to arrive, dashing out of the library building in a mad rush to see what was going on. And stalled as the door on the side slid roughly open and several armed men stepped out, black assault rifles in their hands, but only at rest, all of them wearing an aggressively uniform uniform, with the most choice seeming to boil down to 'balaclava or no?'. Their look screamed some form of Atlesian mercenary for their sheer regularity, but no Atlesian armed force seemed at all comfortable in any colour but white grey or black.
Then one man who could only be their Boss stepped out; His left arm was some older-generation bionic prosthetic painted red, there was a large black metallic spike jutting from his right forehead like a horn, just over the brow of his right eye, which bore a large black patch. The man was also visibly armed and dangerous- though the gun was at 'ease' for now-, he was dressed in khaki brown combat fatigues with a shawl-like scarf thrown over his shoulders, a bandanna loosely tied over his forehead, and his face was visibly covered in a great many scars. His blue eyes peered out from under a mullet of blonde hair, scanning the castle and the residents who had already appeared.
Teachers rushed out after RWBY and JNPR to see what all the fuss was about; weapons concealed where they could be concealed or, in Port's case, openly held. The soldiers looked on with bemusement at the blunderbuss with axe blades attached to the stock.
Goodwitch pushed her way to the front and demanded of the man "who are you and what are you doing here?!", bellowing to be heard over the sounds of the strange airship's rotors beating the air.
The Man stared at her for a while before turning around and making a hand gesture. The pilot of the gunship killed the engine and soon the sound decreased to more humane levels.
"I was sent to make 'peaceful contact' with your people. I represent a Paramilitary Force known as Diamond Dogs. We assumed there would be leaders we could discuss things with here."
Goodwitch frowned at both the words the man was speaking, and the sound. The tone and timbre were off, but some key parts plucked at her memory, though she couldn't quite place it.
"I am professor Glynda Goodwitch of Beacon Academy, whose ground you are currently trespassing on." Goodwitch said, "If you don't mind, I must ask you to leave and-"
"Simmer down Glynda"
The representative looked for the speaker and saw a man wise beyond his years step forward, his face lacked any signs of age, and his hair was a silver colour that made guessing exactly how old he was incredibly difficult, but something in the way he carried himself and spoke reminded him of Code Talker.
"Ozpin?" Goodwitch asked
"I can put you in contact with the Vale City council if you wish." Ozpin said "I am sure there are a great many things to be discussed, Mr..."
"Snake. Venom Snake." Snake replied
Ozpin seemingly wasn't fazed "Right, this way if you would, please."
Snake nodded and pounded twice on the side of the gunship. Two men stepped out, one wearing a black beret and a tall trenchcoat walking with a heavy limp and an empty sleeve who Snake helped out of the gunship. The one who followed behind had a mess of pale hair and wore a red scarf over a brown shirt and darker brown pants, on whose hips hung a pair of revolvers and, oddly enough, was wearing a pair of cowboy boots complete with stirrups.
The second one reminded Ozpin oddly of Qrow.
"This is Kazuhira Miller, my XO, and Revolver Ocelot."
Ozin nodded "Very well, this way please."
Thank you for responding so quickly, I do apologise for the suddenness of this emergency meeting, Councilors, but a matter of great importance has been brought to my attention."
With that, Snake stepped forward and placed a device that projected holograms of various photos
"Greetings, I'll skip the pleasantries and cut to the reason I'm here. Scientists working for my Paramilitary Force or PF were shocked when what they call a 'wormhole' appeared near our base that led into the foothills near Vale. After some cursory exploration we found both first Beacon Academy and your city, and creatures, unlike anything we have ever seen before."
The photos shown revealed an orange-rimmed 'window' that seemed to lead between recognisable Valean Wilderness and an offshore platform. After that were photos of Beacon taken from a long distance both from between trees and from the air; and lastly were several pictures of creatures of Grimm.
"I was hoping you could provide some intel on where I am and what these black monsters are."
Ozpin nodded "You are currently in the Kingdom of Vale, one of two kingdoms on the southern continent of Sanus. The 'Wormhole' is located somewhere in the Vale mountains which provide a natural defence against the worst of the Creatures of Grimm, or Grimm for short. The Mountains help limit the numbers, size and types that can attack or venture into the valley with the vigilance and defence of the Hunters Beacon Academyhelps train."
Snake frowned and held his silence for a moment as if in thought.
Miller looked at the world map in stunned silence "An entire other world. Boss, imagine the possibilities."
"So, what are you going to do," Ocelot asked
"Diamond Dogs could do a lot of good here," Kaz noted
"We're going to be neighbours, might as well be friendly." Snake said
"Neighbours?" a Councilwoman asked
"Given the portal leads directly to Motherbase, we've begun fortifying the area surrounding it. All 'Grimm' Presence has been eliminated for 2 kilometers... it would seem that by pure chance and happenstance, we're your new Neighbours." Miller said
"You mentioned Diamond Dogs." another councillor said
"That would be the name of the PF run by Big Boss... that's, uh, Snake's other name. Long story." Ocelot said
"PF?" Ozpin asked
"Paramilitary Force." Snake clarified.
Silence reigned over the councillors for a long moment as they no doubt deliberated among themselves
"What are your intentions with Vale?" one of them ventured
"We're still figuring that part out, and the answer would largely depend on how willing you are to work with us. For now we can offer information and our services as a PF and see where we go from there. We offer security, disaster relief, and reconstruction aid, and with enough information, we might even be able to trade everything from raw resources to finished products." Kaz said
"There is a lot to consider to that offer, and we will need time to garner a consensus. If no one objects, I think it would be best if we adjourned this meeting for now and pick it up again later. Thank you for bringing this to our attention, Ozpin. Until next time."
With that, the connection was cut.
"We should get back to our people too, make sure nothing too terrible has gone wrong whilst we were away."
"Of course," Ozpin said
Snake nodded, before touching his ear. "Quiet, mission accomplished, the people here are friendly. stand down."
Ozpin followed Snake's eyes and found a green dot projected on the glass at head height which disappeared just as he looked. He barely managed to catch the motion as someone leaped off the tower before disappearing halfway down. He didn't miss the line of students suddenly disturbed by sudden high winds however, and wondered what sort of huntsman this sniper was.
Snake just said "insurance. Just in case." before turning around and stepping into the elevator, resoundingly not waiting for the rest of them before descending.
They found Snake at the bottom smoking a cigar whilst Quiet stood nearby, offending nearby sensibilities dressed only in a bikini, tactical webbing that supported a large sniper rifle and several grenades, mismatched leather gloves- one shoulder-length, one wrist length- and a pair of pantyhose that had clearly seen better days given the number of holes and 'ladders' present.
All in all, 'Quiet' was better dressed for the beach than a battle... though there were particularly 'quirky' hunters out there, they tended to gravitate around Vacuo. Ozpin recalled dealings with one who wore nothing but fishnets and a skirt underneath her coat. Those had been... trying negotiations.
"Ah, I see," Kaz said.
"What?" "The herbs in that cigar slow down Boss's perception of time. He'll finish resting in a few hours." Kaz explained, pointing out the electronic cigar.
Ozpin furrowed his brows at the bizarre display before moving on. He had some announcements to make.
Meanwhile, Goodwitch was fuming at the woman's state of general undress.
🆔🆔🆔🆔🆔🆔🆔🆔🆔🆔🆔🆔🆔🆔🆔🆔
CHANGE LOCATION
As How could it have come to this? Why did this happen now ? So many dead because of a disease as that none of them all as had any knowledge about in the first of all as in the entire history they never had anything like this as this was new kind of a disease as he was quite confused himself as How did this even happen under their watches now as Jaune as had been in this business for four months now four wonderful years with these amazing people. He had been trained by one of them, treated like a son to him. Before he became one of them, he was an outcast... the black sheep... his older sisters were successful in their lives, while he lived under her shadow for as long as he could remember.
No matter how hard he tried to move up in his old life he just could not get to what he wanted.
The day he was accepted into a prestigious academy due to strange circumstances was something he had never expected. With the family heirloom he took with him he set out to become something he knew he could not become.
A hero...
Even with the improvements he had gotten from the help of a great friend it was just not enough. He was introduced into a world that he had no idea what to do in. He didn't belong.
The screen shows Nora Valkyrie wearing a sleeveless armored, vest with dark grey pants and boots. Next to her was Emerald Sustrai, wearing a dark green and black outfit that consisted of a long-sleeved shirt, pants, and boots.
"Emerald, I thought the world of you.", Nora told her with a sincere look. "I thought we were going to fight side-by-side forever, but at the end of the day, you're you and I'm me. I don't know, maybe there's still some good in you. But let's be honest: our paths diverged a long time ago."
Emerald sighed. "Yeah. It's probably for the best that we never see each other again.", she said in a straight tone.
"Its what you always wanted.", Nora added as she patted Emerald on the shoulder. The two remained silent as they stood at the elevator, and that is when an idea came onto Nora's head.
We need to get help", Nora suggested.
"What?", Emerald asked, confused.
"Get help"
Realizing what she was up to she quickly replied. "No."
"Come on, you love it."
"I hate it!"
"It's great! It works every time."
"It's humiliating!"
"You got a better plan?"
"No."
"We're doing it."
"We are not doing Get Help."
Nora gives Emerald a devilish smirk. Flash-cut to the elevator opening to a seemingly unconscious Emerald with one arm slung over a distressed Nora's shoulder.
"GET HELP! Please! My sister's dying! Get help! Help her!", Nora cried out to the guards who came to assist them.
She then yeets Emerald at the guards, knocking all of them unconscious at once. "Ahh, classic!", Nora happily exclaimed as Emerald stands up looking 100% done with this shenaniganery.
"Still hate it! It's humiliating!", Emerald exasparately said to her sister. "Well, not for me, it's not!", Nora cheerily replied.
CHANGE LOCATION
COUNTRY OF ITALY
UNKNOWN LOCATION
TWO MONTHS LATER
POV
As views could be seen of an the interior of a limousine in . Ghira Belladona, A man in a black suit as he was very clearly a politician rather than a businessman as he looked out side of his window now and over the area as around it and Saw nothing but peace itself as children as were playing while the others were working as in respective businesses as well but he was the Prime Minister, as look over the window again."We've come a long way these past years now and as We have just achieved More than I could have hoped for." As a black man was sitting next to him, wearing a secretary's uniform, Sienna Khan, nodded in agreement, "The mark of a strong leader, sir."
A man next to him nodded, "The mark of a strong leader, sir."
The politician shook his head, "No. The mark of a strong people. And a good advisor."
"Thank you, sir."
"Though..." The politician turned to the seats in front of him, "I suppose we owe that to you as well."
Sitting opposite him was Jaune Arc, dressed in a dark suit as well. Jaune chuckled and waved it off, "I'm happy we were so effective, but we can't take that much credit."
The politician looked out over the city to see an armored transport driving down the street in the distance, "You were able to train our new military far faster than we could have hoped. Now, we might actually have some level of peace." The politician laughed to himself. "And to think, I had my doubts about you and your group. Though, perhaps there might be hope for these... what was it? Private military corporations?"
Jaune shook his head, "We prefer the term, Private Security Services."
"Well, whatever you call it, you are easily the best we could have..." He was interrupted as the limo skidded to a loud halt with the sound of heavy gunfire. "What's going on?"
Jaune brought his hand to his earpiece, "Report!"
A voice came in over the communication device, "Enemy cyborgs!"
CHANGE LOCATION
The once bustling street now resembled hell, a chaotic scene of destruction and despair. Flames licked the sides of buildings, casting an eerie glow on the wreckage below. Debris scattered across the pavement, creating makeshift barricades of twisted metal and shattered glass. Potholes and craters marred the road, evidence of the indiscriminate attacks that had torn through the asphalt.
Abandoned vehicles, some overturned, and others reduced to charred skeletons, dotted the landscape. The air was thick with acrid smoke, making it difficult to breathe. The wailing sirens of emergency vehicles mingled with the panicked screams of bystanders.
Flames, destroyed buildings, dead bodies - you name it. The level of collateral damage was insane. Moreover, this was made by a single IS unit. It is no wonder why every country is so focused on nurturing so many IS pilots and machines.
What a disastrous situation for Japan. Let's hope the government sends some people after it because they can no longer ignore the situation that went beyond their control. A terrorist attack in broad daylight in our lively country is something unacceptable.
However, I don't know how long the so-called help would come, and I would like to be alive until then. I was simply a weak human against a terrible war machine.
I managed to escape with minor injuries, but I'm not equipped to handle this. My training was all about dealing with humans, not these mechanical nightmares. The pilot of this thing doesn't care who gets caught in the crossfire.
I decided to talk to a cop chief I saved by chance. "That IS pilot seems to be after me. You should retreat and save the civilians while I distract it."
The cop looked at me like I was crazy. "Why the hell would you do that? Shouldn't you be running away if that damn pilot is after you?"
"I can't let innocent suffer because of me. I don't know why this IS is after me, but I must do something."
"Funny, guy," he snorted, but I could tell he was on board with my plan. So, my next move is to lead this metal monster away from civilians. The IS started revving its engine, ready to chase me down.
Before I made a run for it, the cop yelled something, "You better survive, kid. I still need to catch you for my promotion!"
"Dream on, old man!" I shouted back as I sprinted right before the IS, drawing its attention.
"Time to pull off a pro gamer move."
As I surveyed the apocalyptic scene around me, the urgency of my situation became clear. The black IS, a harbinger of destruction, was now my deadly enemy. Flames licked at the wreckage, and the air was thick and heavy with the scent of chaos.
With a deep breath, I steeled myself for this dangerous game I was about to play. My eyes locked onto the approaching black IS, and I quickly assessed the nearby terrain for potential advantages. It was a makeshift battleground, and I needed to turn the odds in my favour.
Drawing the attention of the IS away from the vulnerable civilians became my top priority. I sprinted into the open, deliberately making myself the target. Sensing the movement, the black IS shifted its focus from the ravaged surroundings to me, his primary target.
My heart pounded as I dashed through the shattered street, agile and evasive. I weaved through the wreckage, the IS's mechanical footsteps echoing behind me like an ominous drumbeat.
"Come and get me, you piece of junk!" I taunted, my voice carrying a mix of bravado and desperation. I zigzagged through the debris, utilizing every bit of cover to stay one step ahead of the pursuing war machine. It was a risky strategy, but I couldn't afford to let the IS wreak further havoc.
The black IS, seemingly provoked by my challenge, accelerated in pursuit. The gap between us closed, and the situation became increasingly risky. As I lured the IS away, I couldn't help but wonder if my actions would be enough to protect those caught in the crossfire.
(I hope I looked cool enough)
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TO BE CONTINUED