Dust and Radiation (RWBY Fanfic)

Chapter 1: The Door of Opportunity

New Erie, Pennsylvania. March 17th, 2009.

The storm raged outside the old office building. Rain poured down hard from the dark clouds. The skyline was a mixture of brown and gray clouds with an orange glow from the sun trying to get through the heavy cover. A handful of people and vehicles could be heard outside as the front door of the building opened.

A man with a rain poncho quickly entered and shut the door. Shrugging off the poncho, the man was revealed to be a brown-haired and blue eyed man in his early 20s. A set of worn green military fatigues could be seen now as he puts the rain poncho on a rack.

The office building contained multiple desks and cabinets as multiple people walked back and forth in the dimmed lights to work. Multiple wires connected the landline phones on each desk as a handful of the people were trying to get calls through. This building housed a section of the Logistic Department, a branch of the newly formed Federation Armed Forces that helped with fixing and organizing the infrastructure and supply chains in the world. This Section was in charge of the Great Lakes and was tasked to connect the trade lanes on the lakes, with the rebuilt rail lines to allow more flow of resources inland.

One of the clerks at the desks saw the new arrival and waved him over.

"Captain, there's a call for you here."

Thomas Kunz walked to the desk and made sure to avoid tripping on the many different telephone and power wires spread on the floor. He stood at ease before the desk. The man behind it handed him one of the phones.

"A Colonel from New York wants to speak with you."

Kunz nodded and took the phone, putting it to his ear and speaking as the lights brightened a bit.

"Captain Kunz from Section Erie reporting."

"Kunz, It's Colonel Bannon. Do you remember me?"

An image of a Major sitting across from Kunz atop an old M113 in a forest filled his mind. Kunz had saved him from a burning wreck of a Humvee that struck a homemade explosive.

"Yes Sir, I remember a Major Bannon from the 35th Mechanized a year ago. Congrats on the promotion sir."

"Bah, that's old news. Captain, are you willing to put a helmet back on and get your boots dirty for me? Or has that cushy Logistics job softened you up."

Kunz started smiling slightly. After pulling Bannon from the wreck and bandaging him up, the men had been close friends during their time out west. They had lost touch with each other after Kunz was wounded and sent to Logistics last year.

"I follow as commanded, and what would my new orders be sir?"

"I can't tell you that till I know you're aboard. I warn you, once you're in, if you let one word of what you learn out. You will find yourself on ice for years. So you in or out?"

It took Kunz only a minute to think.

"I'm in."

"Good. There will be a plane at Steelburgh in a few hours for you. I'll have your new orders written by then, so pack your bags Captain. You're going to Europe. I'll speak with your CO."

The call ended and Kunz gave it back to the clerk at the desk. Kunz was about to say something when the lights went dark. Everyone in the room groaned and a few cursed.

I hope where I'm going has things better off than here.

Over the Atlantic. March 20th, 2009.

Kunz sat in a seat in the back of the huge cargo transport between the skids full of goods and supplies. He was watching as Bannon was directing two aides in setting up a projector. On either side of him were a Major and a fellow Captain. He had already been introduced to them when they boarded.