Inés's gaze shifted slowly.
"First sergeant, you will respect the sentries on base. They enforce my command, which means their words are mine."
"They ain't nothing but scared little rabbits, just like their commander."
Wager leaned closer, his voice dropping to a sinister whisper.
"And rabbits don't teach predators to hunt, they are hunted, ripped apart, and fed to the slaughter."
Inés stood to her feet.
"You are officially relieved of duty, First Sergeant."
She looked outside, "Sergeant Major!"
Klaus appeared a second later, avoiding Wagner's attempt to lock eyes.
"Yes, general?"
He stood at attention, taking in the chaotic scene before him.
Inés, her expression icy, pointed a rigid finger at Wagner.
"First Sergeant Wagner has destroyed fort property. He bypassed a lawful sentry post, and now he has directly threatened a superior officer. You will arrest him for insubordination and assault, confine him to the stockade."
She never raised her voice, yet it was heavy and absolute.
Wagner laughed, jamming a finger in her direction.
"Words, words, words, see this is why I hate officers. They get a shiny pin and think they own the fucking world."
He turned to Klaus.
"I'm outta here, I'll wait until the real authority gets back."
Klaus stepped in front of him.
"No, not without restraints you're not."
Wagner paused, his smile fading.
"You can't be serious, you're really going to follow her orders?"
He spat the last word like it was poison.
"I am, she's the commanding officer on base."
Wagner narrowed his eyes.
"Then you better be ready to die for 'em."
He threw a punch.
It connected with Klaus's jaw, but he recovered quickly.
He countered with a blow to the stomach, then a knee to the groin.
Wagner gritted his teeth, charging into Klaus and pinning him against the wall.
The two men struggled for a minute straight, with Inés and the sentries quietly watching.
Eventually, one of the sentries hardened her expression.
She stepped forward and poked her bayonet into Wagner's back.
"Stop!"
She croaked, putting what little base she had in her voice.
The blade had only cut him, but the audacity of the act made him turn around within a flash.
"You sickly bitch!"
He barked, reaching a meaty paw after her.
The sentry closed her eyes as she stood her ground, waiting for a moment that never came.
When she finally opened her eyes, she saw Klaus holding Wagner in a chokehold.
The muscles in his arm bulged as he tightened his grip.
Wagner thrashed, his cheeks turning a deep crimson as he clawed at Klaus's arm.
"You… traitor!" He hissed, his voice strained as he continued his struggle. "I'll kill you, then those bitches, and then… then…"
Before he could continue, the second sentry lunged forward with a surge of adrenaline.
She slammed the butt of her rifle into Wagner's knee.
Wagner grunted in pain as his leg buckled.
"Ah! You… just wait… I'll…"
She struck him again.
Tears of rage filled Wagner's eyes as his cheeks turned purple.
After another minute of fierce struggling, Wagner finally slumped forward.
Klaus didn't waste a second.
"Restraints now!"
He barked, knowing it'd be only seconds before Wagner reawakened.
The sentries fumbled for their handcuffs, thick slabs of metal with adjustable wristbands.
Klaus slapped a pair on Wagner, before finally letting him drop with a heavy breath.
Wagner lay slumped, blood and drool pooling at his mouth.
Klaus looked down at his own bleeding forearm, sighing softly.
He looked up at Inés.
"You should've had your pathfinders guarding you, ma'am."
His tone was flat.
Inés remained expressionless.
"Their talents are wasted guarding doors, besides, I have you."
She turned to the sentries.
"And you two, that was the most cowardly enforcement of my will imaginable."
The sentries held back their tears as they lowered their heads in shame.
"However," Inés continued, "you stood your ground. You obeyed my orders even when faced with a superior threat. And that was not expected."
The sentries looked up, their eyes filled with something other than shame and fear.
"Your names, I want them."
The first sentry, the one who poked Wager, squeaked.
"F-Frida, ma'am!"
"I'm Iris, ma'am." The second followed.
"Frida and Iris, from this moment forward you are promoted to Corporals. I'll have the commander personally oversee this."
Iris and Frida exchanged dumbfounded glances.
They didn't know what a Corporal was, but it sounded nice.
"Your first order as Corporals is to help the Sergeant Major in escorting this Insubordinate trash. Then, report to the mess hall for extra rations, you've earned it."
Klaus didn't wait, hoisting the slumbering Wagner over his shoulders in a fireman carry.
He grunted under the weight.
"Corporals, on me."
The corporals snapped to attention and fell in line behind him.
Marines all over the base watched in silence as the corps' top dog was dragged to his kennel.
Escorted by marines of the support corps.
"What the fuck?"
One of the veterans finally whispered.
Inés emerged from her office, looking over the grounds.
"Back to work, all of you."
The Marines hesitated.
But when they looked back at Wagner, they knew they couldn't afford to be next.
And so it was business as usual, like the incident never happened.
— — —
Meanwhile, Alexander stood in an open field.
Bloodied and coughing with heavy breaths.
His spear hung loosely in his right hand.
The tip pointed into the dirt.
Standing opposite him was Hinata, her breathing controlled.
Had it not been for her bloodied and torn robes, you'd never have known she was in a fight.
She twirled her spear, flicking off its claimed blood.
"Alexander, you should rest… It's been a while since you last fought."
Alexander chuckled softly.
"That's exactly why I'm fighting you now, my Marines need a leader who can claim victory when all else fails. Now that Inés is handling things…"
He straightened his feet, pressing them into the grass.
"…I CAN FIGHT BACK!"
He lunged, his feet leaving small impact craters from the powerful thrust.
Hinata didn't flinch.
She brought her spear to meet his.
The weapons clashed at the shaft, pressing hard against each other.
Alexander gritted his teeth, pushing with all his might.
Hinata smirked.
"You're growing weaker… sloppy."
She pushed back, breaking the clash and swinging her spear down.
The movements were in rapid succession.
Even with his enhanced perception, he barely blocked the final blow.
Alexander buckled under the weight, dropping to his knee.
Hinata leaned closer.
"Against a farmer with a pitchfork, you'd be untouchable."
She pushed her blade closer.
"Against a soldier, you'd be a god."
Closer.
"Against a pathfinder, you'd be an overwhelming opponent."
Her blade touched his throat.
"But against a D'élite… you're a child with a blunt knife."
Her pupils dilated as she pressed her nose against his.
"So when I say rest… You rest. Otherwise, you'll die long before I finish this training."
Alexander didn't blink at her threatening whisper.
"That's a promise?"
Hinata nodded.
"It is… You want strength, but that comes from patience. I like this aggression you champion, but it needs to be reined in, otherwise, you'll run into an opponent you can't overwhelm."
She pressed even closer, her breath cold against his lips.
"And that's when you'll realize you've exhausted your only talent… held at the mercy of another."
Alexander felt a shiver run down his spine.
Not from fear.
But cation.
"Then what do you suggest?"
Hinata pulled away, her expression hardening.
"You will learn to defend as well as you attack. So that if you ever run into a foe you cannot overwhelm, you can outlast."
Alexander stood to his feet, his wounds already healing in streaks of white light.
"Tomorrow you will defend against me for six hours."
Alexander's eyes widened.
"Six hours? I can't last that long!"
Hinata smirked.
"Oh? I suppose you finish everything in seconds then? Poor princess Elizabeth…"
Alexander stood there for a moment, then chuckled.
"Hahaha, I walked into that one, didn't I?"
"The best traps spring themselves." She teased, turning to leave.
Alexander watched her walk, before sighing.
"At least I don't have to worry about the base."
He grinned, poaching Inés was the smartest move he's made yet.
"I really am a genius."