The lone marksman (soldier x RWBY)

Chapter 17

Credit to @Cmonkey512 for inspiration for a segment for this chapter.

I awoke earlier than usual today at 0500 to the sound of an alarm. I made sure dad was up to before having a quick shower and getting dressed into my ceremonial uniform. It was 0530 and me and dad were ready to go, now all we needed to do was get an area for the parade, so out back, we stuck a long stick out of the ground and tied the Australian flag to the top of it. We were about to do the parade as the sun was beginning to rise and it was only ten minutes to 0600. Dad came walking out with a slouch hat in perfect condition on his head and another in his hand and two rifles slung on his back. He passed me the hat which I swapped out with my beret. He then passed me one of the rifles, as I inspected it, I saw it was a Lee-Enfield. I looked up to him. "Dad where'd you get these?" I asked in awe. He shrugged. "Angel lady that brought us here gave me a blueprint at one point so I set off making some, I've got another halfway done in my workshop." He said. I looked up in awe. "Wow, and they work?" I asked working the bolt. "Yep." He said. "Right, its 0600, lets get this started. Form up." He said gaining his command voice. "Sergeant." I responded. We stood next to each other infront of the flag. I was to his left and we were both at ease. He called us to attention, then a right dress where he raised his left arm and I looked right while making adjustments where I was to make sure we were in perfect line. He called eyes front which meant I looked to the front and he lowered his arm to the side. He then called for a slow march. We would flick our foot out and step down slowly and walked forward until reaching one point where we would split out and go opposite directions where when we met another point, where we would mark time in slow time. Which means stepping in the same spot at the same time it would be when we are moving. He then calls halt. Self explanatory. Then a reversed arms where you put the barrel of your weapon in the ground, hold the stock and look downwards. He then got the last post to play somehow without touching his phone. 

There was then a minutes silence. Until the bugle called again playing a rouse. Where we came to attention then present arms where the right foot in behind the left and your rifle is held out infront of you.

After the rouse was played, dad called us back to attention, the rifle was resting on your right shoulder and the right hand was holding the stock and the heels of your feet are together. He then called for a left and right turn where I would turn left and him right so we were facing the same direction. He then called for a quick march where we walked forward back the same way we came accept we would be swinging our arms. We met  up in the same spot we split then marked time again where we originally formed up. He called for a halt again then marched out infront of me. He then spoke. "They shall not grow old, as we left grow old. Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them." He recited the ode to me. "We will remember them." I repeated. "Lest we forget." He said. "Lest we forget." I repeated. "Catafalque party, Fall, out!" He shouted. In sync we performed a right turn then marched three paces forward. At that command, we had now stopped marching and we good to do whatever. It was now 0615 I went inside with dad to have breakfast. After finishing breakfast we sat out front and started the whiskey up again, I had the whole day ahead of me so I wasn't keen on getting drunk straight up. As I finished my first glass, I got a call from Yang. I answered. "Hey Yang, what's going on?" I asked. I was in good spirits hanging out with my dad. "Dave, we need you back here now. Blake ran off last night and now we're searching for her." I heard through the scroll. My high spirits just went down the drain. "Are you serious? Why?" I asked trying not to get fucked off. "She's a Faunus, I think. And a former White Fang member. I think." She said through her scroll. I sighed. "For fucks sake, I'll be there in a moment, meet me at the bullhead pads in Vale. You better fill me in when we get there." I said. "Gotcha." Yang said through the scroll. I sighed and hung up. "White Fang, I'll probably get into scrap. Fuck." I said thinking to myself out loud. "You can borrow my old army shit if you want, I'll use the Enfield." Said dad to my left. I nodded. "Thanks dad." I then went back inside and grabbed out his old plate carrier and loaded it up with ammo, put on my combat uniform and put on his old helmet. I put his beret back in my back belt loop and my beret in my pocket. I walked out with the combat gear on and adjusting a few straps so it fit me a bit better. "Here ya go son." He said handing me his older F-88. "Thanks dad." I thanked while taking it from him. "I'll get these back to you as soon as I can. Is the scope zeroed?" I asked. "Yes and thank you son. I'll see you soon." He said to me. I nodded and began the walk to the bullhead. It was now 0800. I spent the bullhead ride making sure everything was perfect and comfortable. I stepped off the bullhead and saw Ruby, Weiss and Yang standing outside. I stepped towards them. "So what's happening?" I asked sternly. Each of them nervously laughed. "Well you know that argument that happened between Weiss and Blake?" Asked Yang. I nodded. "It Ah, kinda got out of hand and Blake ran off after she let slip she was a Faunus and was in the White Fang." Yang explained. I took it all in. "Was in the White Fang?" I asked. "That remains to be seen." Weiss butted in. I nodded trying my hardest to keep calm. We then set off as a group to find her. "She's been gone all weekend." Ruby said sadly. "Blake's a big girl, I'm sure she can handle herself." Weiss said like this wasn't a big deal. "Weiss, come on, she's one of our teammates." Yang said trying to get Weiss to take this more seriously. I blocked out the conversation from there as it wasn't anything important I really needed to know. We continued walking for a few more hours. Ruby and Yang were calling for her like she was a stray cat. While I wasn't calling for her, I was checking rooftops and obscure ally ways. A habit I picked up from combat ops. "Weiss, Dave, you guys aren't helping!" Ruby complained. I continued looking as I spoke. "I'm sorry I'm not calling for her like she's a stray cat. I'm just spending time watching rooftops and ally ways for a person who excels at stealth and anyone who might decide, 'oh, there's  a couple of yanks and kiwis down there, let's shoot an RPG at 'em." I said agitated. They all looked at me. "What?" I asked with hostility. "Uhm, what're kiwis, yanks and RPG's?" Asked Ruby innocently. I stopped. "Sorry I was back home for a bit." I said with sadness. They nodded in understanding. I cut out the rest of the conversation Ruby and Weiss were having as they were arguing about nothing. I saw a figure out of the corner of my eye. My head jolts over. Nothing. I keep moving on with the rest of the team. "And I think Weiss's hair looks wonderful today!" Said an enthusiastic voice behind us. I jump around and point my rifle at a ginger haired girl. Weiss and Yang turned around quickly and Ruby shouted as she turned around. "Ahhh! Penny! Where did you come from?" She asked while shouting. I lowered my rifle seeing as the team already knew her. She seemed unfazed by it anyway. "Hey guys! What are you up to?" She asked happily but also over pronounced every word she said. "Uhh." Ruby trailed off. "We're looking for our friend Blake." Yang took over. A look of recognition passed over pennies face. "Ohh. You mean the Faunus girl?" She asked. All she got in response from the team was blank faces and blinks and from me, I looked between her and the rest of the team not understanding what is happening. "Wait. How did you know that?" Ruby asked suspiciously. "Uh, the cat ears." She stated like it was the most obvious thing. "What cat ears? She wears a... bow." Yang drew out. A gust of wind past and caused a tumbleweed to go by. "What the fuck? This has to be the weirdest day in my entire life! Weirder than all the shit that happened in the army and weirder than when I came here!" I shouted out like I was literally lost in the woods. "She does like tuna a lot." Ruby mumbled to herself. "So, where is she?" Penny asked with a big smile and everyone basically disregarded what I had just said. "We don't know, she's been missing since yesterday." Ruby said. Penny gasped. "That's terrible! Well don't you worry Ruby my friend. I won't rest until we find your teammate." She said seriously while walking right up to her. I was standing behind her and took a pace backwards. "Uh, that's really nice of you penny, but we're okay, really. Right guys?" She asked Weiss and Yang who I had watched disappear. I laughed. The same tumbleweed came back the opposite way. "It sure is windy today." Penny stated. We continued walking as penny began asking questions and Ruby would dejectedly answer her. I wasn't paying attention, I was back to looking over rooftops and ally ways. I swear I keep seeing a silhouette on top of the buildings and every time I see it I get a better picture of who it is but still not enough and every time I go to look back to Ruby and penny, I keep on seeing DPCU camo out the corner of my eyes, the same camo I'm wearing until my eyes lock on to them and see they're still penny and Ruby. I heard from behind me a gasp as the group stopped. "Is she a man?" The half whispered voice of penny said. I snickered behind them while watching the rooftops. Ruby and Penny kept on talking as I concentrated on my surroundings until we began walking again.