The stars falling (RWBY Male Reader X Winter Schnee)

Ace Ops

(Art/meme found on Pinterest)

James- Cole, I want you to meet the Ace Operatives. They're my personal team, and they'll be escorting you to Menagerie and back safely.

The five man team salutes, and the apparent leader steps forward. He has a four-leaf clover pin on his jacket.

Clover- Doctor, it's good to meet you finally. I'm Clover Ebi, current leader of the Ace Ops.

You shake his hand, and nod.

Cole- Thank you for agreeing to be my escort, Clover. I greatly appreciate it.

Clover- Don't sweat it. We're eager to see this war end before it really kicks off, so this is no big deal for us. Plus, Marrow here is a real big fan of yours.

He points back to the dog Faunus operative behind him. The guy seems to be the youngest in the group.

Marrow- Hey.

Cole- Hello.

Clover- Next is Harriet.

He gestures to the shorter girl, who has platinum blonde and brown hair. You nod your head to her, and she returns it with a grin.

Clover- And-

Elm- Elm Ederne, Doctor! I have been such a fan of you since you had that fight against Branwen in Vale, you were so cool with your semblance and kicking his ass and, just, wow!

The tall and muscular brown haired girl takes your hand and shakes it violently. Despite the crushing pain, you laugh at her energy.

Cole- Well! I-I'm really happy to meet you! Wow, you're strong!

She lets go and smiles, before hopping back to the group.

Clover- And lastly, we have Vine. Our most level headed and logical member.

The tall and pale skinned man bows his head to you, and you do so in return.

James- You'll be under the Doctor's command for this mission. Don't worry, Cole is level headed and won't act out of place. But also, don't let him get shot, alright?

Clover- Yes sir!

James- Good. And Cole, here.

He holds out to you one half of Due Process.

Cole- James?

James- This is for my peace of mind. I trust that things will go well, but this will let me sleep a bit easier knowing you have a way to defend yourself properly.

You take the gun and replace your own handgun with it. The gun fits snugly in your hip holster.

James- I'll take that till you return.

You nod in thanks, and look to a bullhead as it whirs up its engines.

James- Good luck, Doctor Rose.

You and the Ace Ops board the bullhead and lift away from the landing pad.

Marrow- This is gonna be a fun trip. Stuck in a bullhead for two days with my bestest buds and a kid.

Cole- Doctor.

Marrow- Right, right, my bad.

Clover- We're away. Long trip ahead of us. Best get some shut-eye.

Vine- I agree. There is not much we can do.

Elm- Sleep? Haha, no way! I'm pumped! I wanna go punch something!

Cole- Sorry to say it, Elm, but punching is our last resort with this mission. Menagerie citizens already have a poor opinion of Atlas. No point in giving Ozpin a foothold.

Harriet- You heard much news on the war?

Cole- A bit from James. Ozpin's sent emissaries to each kingdom already, so we need to get to Menagerie quickly.

Harriet- What are our advantages?

Cole- Our budget. Being a trade giant gives us a lot of lien, so we can agree to more... expensive conditions set up by the Faunus leader.

Marrow- And what if Ozpin's guy is there before us?

Cole- Then I gotta grow a pair and convince the shit out of whoever's leading Menagerie.

Elm- Diplomacy is a bitch. It's easier to just hit things till they work.

Cole- That would sound incredibly offensive without context.

Clover- If we're talking, I'd like to ask about you, Doctor. Tell us your story.

Cole- My story? It's not exactly fancy, that's for sure.

Harriet- No one's is, Doc.

Cole- Well alright. I feel like everybody knows me now.

You recite your story to them, keeping a mostly indifferent tone as to avoid coming across as emotional. By the end of it, Elm is practically bouncing in her seat while Vine is sitting with his eyes closed and hands locked together. The other three are listening quietly and nodding.

Elm- That's incredible. You're so loyal to Ironwood. To put yourself at risk, facing Branwen, your own family, being on the Seventh Dawn. That's amazing.

Cole- It's ironic considering I wanted to be someone as far from fighting as possible, and here I am with a general's gun on my hip and a mission to slow the progress of war. This world is so messed up, all my ideas about things have been thrown topsy-turvey.

Harriet- Well at least you picked the right side to be on.

Cole- It's the only side to be on. James, Winter, Penny, they're all I've got as family now.

Clover- Well, you've done a good job so far. As both soldier and scientist.

Marrow- So do you consider the general to be like your dad or something?

Cole- Y'know, I've been asked that question twice now. Do I really make it sound like that?

Vine- You do certainly speak of him in an affectionate way.

Cole- Huh. Well, I don't. He's not my dad, I don't see him as my dad. We're just good friends. Like you guys.

Harriet- Sorry to burst that bubble, Doc. But we're not friends. We're a team, we keep it professional.

Cole- Oh. My mistake, Harriet. Sorry.

Clover- And do you have any word on how Lieutenant Schnee is going? Is she well?

Cole- Last we spoke was when we fled Vale. As far as I'm aware, repairs are nearly complete and she's still working overtime as she does. It's just how Winter does it. Though I hear she's taken a liking to some of the relaxation chambers aboard the station.

Clover- That sounds like a first. Lieutenant Schnee relaxing?

Harriet- Who could've thought she's human after all?

You all share a laugh, and you catch a glimpse of the sun finally disappearing below the horizon outside.

Elm- Ah this is gonna be a long flight, I'm going to sleep. Wake me when we're close.

Harriet- I'm getting some shut-eye too.

Clover- We all should.

Cole- Good idea. It's been a long day as it is.

You sit back in your seat and take a deep breath, relaxing finally.