The next day after the round one of the 40th Vytal Festival Tournament Matches. The UNE and the kingdoms decided to have a break day for both the winner Teams and for loser Teams to... handle the loss.

Anthony was heading to a stockade that had an annoying bitch. Cinder Fall.

As Anthony entered, he saw CInder give that same look every time he entered the room. A dark, obsessive look of longing and madness.

"Hello~ Master Anthony~" She purred at him.

"Please shut the hell up. I was tasked to watch you-not in that way woman. To make sure you don't escape or eat someone." Anthony coldly replied as he took a seat in front of her cell and brought out a deck of cards.

"Oh~ Are we playing a game of cards?" Cinder asked.

"No," answered the voice of Winter Schnee who sat with Anthony. "We are. I was tasked by General Ironwood and USMC Lieutenant General Walker to watch you with Gunnery Sergeant Towson to make sure you don't do anything... deprave behavior."

"I should you then Schnee. I don't want your dirty dyed white hair touching my master." Cinder declared behind her four inch bulletproof plexiglass.

As Winter sat down, Anthony looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "First; to you Cinder, shut the fuck up. Second; to you Winter, I told she's messed up in the head. And third; still to you Winter, I knew your white hair was dyed given that your eyebrows are black."

"Yes, I got my hair color from my father-"

"Your sperm donor?" Anthony joked as he shuffled the cards and Winter stiffened a laugh.

"In a way, yes. My father originally had black hair and he dyed it white to... fit the family name of Schnee." Winter said.

"So your father was a cheat and bought into the family and used his connections to get where he is today." Cinder said making Anthony and Winter look at her.

"That's... correct..." Winter said and was a little surprised.

"Wow..." Anthony mumbled out-loud getting Cinder to look at him with a look of praise. "No, don't get too happy. So shut it, Cinder!"

"Yes, daddy~!"

"..."

"..."

"...Towson I feel sorry you have to deal with this." Winter said to the man.

"I feel sorry for my mental health. And the Navy Clinical Psychologist." Anthony replied. Winter raised a brow, "A Navy Clinical Psychologist is our version of a military therapist for the Navy and Marine Corps." Winter nodded now understanding.

As Anthony and Winter settled into their card game, the atmosphere remained tense. Cinder's obsessive gaze bore into them, but they both did their best to ignore her. The stack of cards between Anthony and Winter served as a makeshift barrier, a small piece of normalcy in an otherwise abnormal situation.

Anthony dealt the cards with practiced ease, the rhythmic shuffling providing a backdrop to their conversation. "Alright, Schnee, let's play some Rummy."

Winter nodded, grateful for the distraction. "Let's do it."

Cinder watched them intently, her dark eyes flickering with a mixture of fascination and frustration. She paced behind the plexiglass, occasionally tapping her fingers against it, trying to draw their attention back to her.

"Hey, Anthony," Winter began, drawing a card from the deck. "How did you get into the Marines?"

Anthony glanced at her, surprised by the question. "Family tradition. My father was a Marine, his father before him. It's kind of the family business."

Winter smiled softly. "That sounds... honorable."

"Yeah, well, it has its moments," Anthony replied, discarding a card. "What about you? Why the military?"

Winter's expression turned serious. "Duty. Responsibility. I wanted to serve Atlas and protect its people. And... I wanted to be better than my father."

Anthony nodded, understanding the weight of her words. "I get that. Everyone's got something to prove."

Cinder's voice cut through their conversation like a knife. "How touching. The soldier and the ice queen bonding over family issues. So cliché."

Anthony didn't look up from his cards. "Cinder, I told you to shut up."

Cinder's laughter echoed in the small space. "You can't ignore me forever, Anthony. You know you enjoy my attention."

"You're delusional," Anthony said flatly, his focus still on the game. "Winter, your move."

Winter drew a card, her eyes narrowing in concentration. "Got it."

Cinder continued to pace, her presence a constant, unsettling reminder of the darkness they were dealing with. But for now, Anthony and Winter found solace in their game, a brief reprieve from the chaos outside.

As the game progressed, they shared stories of their respective military experiences, their victories, and their losses. They spoke of comrades who had become like family and the sacrifices they had made along the way.

"Hey, Anthony," Winter said, breaking the silence. "What do you think about the UNE's involvement in the Vytal Festival?"

Anthony considered the question, his expression thoughtful. "It's complicated. On one hand, it's good to have a unified force to keep things in check. On the other, it brings a lot of tension and politics into an already volatile situation."

Winter nodded. "Agreed. But we have to make the best of it. For the sake of Kingdoms."

"Yeah," Anthony said, discarding a card. "For the sake of the Kingdoms."

Cinder's voice interrupted again, but this time it was softer, almost wistful. "You two make a good team. Too bad it's all for nothing."

Anthony and Winter exchanged a glance but didn't respond. Instead, they focused on their game, determined to find a moment of peace amidst the turmoil.

The hours passed, and eventually, their shift watching Cinder came to an end. As they prepared to leave, Cinder's eyes followed them, a mixture of longing and resentment.

"See you later, Cinder," Anthony said, his tone dismissive.

Winter nodded curtly. "Try not to cause any trouble."

Cinder's smile was slow and calculating. "Oh, don't worry. I'll be right here, waiting for you."

As Anthony and Winter exited the stockade, they both felt a sense of relief. The tension began to dissipate, and they found solace in each other's company.

"Thanks for the game, Towson," Winter said as they walked away.

"Anytime, Schnee," Anthony replied with a small smile. "Anytime."

Later, Anthony entered showers for NCOs.

As the hot water hit the top of his short dreads washing out any dirt and sweat he built up for the day.

"I should switch to cornrows. At least I don't have to adjust my helmet much and worry about my shirt collar getting my natural hair oil on it." He muttered.

"Or you can braid it to a nice ponytail." Said a feminine voice.

"Nah, I'm terrible at doing pony-WHO IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FUCK!?!?" He turns to see Jie in a towel about shower as well.

"Relax. It's just me. And it's not the first time I saw you naked with scars and gunshot wound scars. And it's not the first time you saw me naked~" Jie said as she entered the shower next to him.

"Hehe, love too." He shook his head, trying to refocus as the hot water continued to cascade over him. "Yeah, but that was different. This is a shared shower."

Jie laughed softly, the sound echoing off the tiled walls. "True, but we're both professionals here. Nothing to worry about."

Anthony turned his attention back to his hair, lathering shampoo into the roots. "So, what brings you here at this hour?"

Jie started washing her hair, her fingers working the soap into a rich lather. "Just needed to unwind. It's been a rough few days."

Anthony nodded, understanding the sentiment all too well. "Yeah, I get that."

For a few moments, they showered in silence, the only sounds being the water and the occasional shuffle of feet. The hot steam filled the room, creating a small oasis of calm in an otherwise chaotic world.

"So," Jie began, breaking the silence, "how's Cinder been treating you?"

Anthony snorted. "She's as crazy as ever. Thinks she can get under my skin. But, you know, just another day on the job."

Jie chuckled. "She definitely has a unique way of showing affection, doesn't she?"

"Unique is one way to put it," Anthony replied, rinsing the shampoo from his hair. "I just hope we can keep her contained. She's a ticking time bomb."

Jie nodded, her expression serious. "We'll manage. We always do."

Anthony appreciated her confidence. It was something that kept him grounded amidst the chaos. "Thanks, Jie. It helps having you around."

"Same goes for you, Anthony. We've been through a lot together."

As they finished their showers, Jie glanced over at him. "You know, if you ever need help with your hair, just ask. I'm pretty good with braids."

Anthony smiled. "I might take you up on that."

Jie gave him a playful wink. "Anytime."

With their showers done, they toweled off and dressed, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead. The bond between them, forged through countless battles and shared experiences, remained strong.

As they stepped out of the shower room, the world outside seemed a little less daunting. Together, they could face anything.

That was until they saw David and Shino come out of one of the toilet stalls. Both look sweaty and... not fully dressed.

"Did you two have sex in there." Jie and Anthony said in unison with a smug look.

"Uuuuuuuuhhhhh..." Both responded as David was attempting to flush down the used condoms and Shino was fixing her bra and underwear. "No."

Jie and Anthony exchanged an amused glance before bursting into laughter. The sight of their fellow Marines caught in such an obvious lie was too much to handle.

"Yeah, right," Anthony said, still chuckling. "You two look like you've been through a war zone."

Jie nodded, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "And considering the state of this place, it might as well have been."

David and Shino both blushed furiously, clearly caught off guard. "We were just... uh... talking," Shino tried to explain, but it was clear that even she didn't believe her own excuse.

"Talking, huh?" Jie raised an eyebrow. "That must have been one heck of a conversation."

David quickly tried to salvage the situation, fumbling with his pants. "It wasn't like that. We just—"

"Save it," Anthony interrupted, still smiling. "We're all adults here. Just... try to keep it a bit more private next time, alright?"

Jie nodded in agreement. "Yeah, the rest of us don't need to be part of your... 'conversations.'"

David and Shino exchanged embarrassed glances, finally giving up on their weak excuses. "Got it," David mumbled, clearly wishing he could disappear on the spot.

"Good," Jie said, patting them both on the shoulders. "Now, get yourselves cleaned up properly. And maybe next time, pick a better spot."

As David and Shino hurried to gather their things and escape further embarrassment, Anthony and Jie continued to chuckle. The moment of levity was a welcome break from their usual duties.

"You think they'll learn?" Anthony asked as they walked away.

"Probably not," Jie replied with a grin. "But at least we got a good laugh out of it."

Anthony nodded. "True. And sometimes, that's all we need to keep going."

That next morning, three young men in an apartment. Two of them are sitting at a table with hamburgers, french fries and soda laid out. Another is sitting on the couch near the table and eating a burger already. They are Marvin, a young black man ex-huntsman, Roger, a young blond-haired kid with a "Flock of Seagulls" haircut ex-huntsman, and Brett, a white, preppy-looking sort with a blow-dry haircut ex-Atlas soldier.

When a knock is heard on the door, Marvin heads to the door and flips the bolt, opening it. At the door are two UNE Marines, one of them with a Filipino, Fox ears, and nine-tails(chemical accident), and the other Ukrainian with Caucasian skin, and short hair.

The two men, Filipino Marine Corps Sergeant Keith R. Brussett and Ukrainian Marine Corps Sergeant Larry Kravchuk, stroll inside, as the former greets them. Marvin goes to the corner of the apartment, near the entrance.

"Hey kids," Keith says amicably, as he closes the door behind him. "How you boys doin'?"

The three young guys caught off. Keith and Larry take in the place, and as Roger tries to get up from the couch, Keith goes up to him and gestures with his hand in a placating manner.

"Hey, keep chillin'!" As Keith gestures for Roger to put his entire body back on the couch, Roger does so in an uneasy look on his face. Keith gives an okay sign with his hand in response. "Do you know who we are?" He asks.

Brett looks apprehensive, and therefore doesn't answer, and holds his breath.

"We're Tier 5 operators and a somewhat enemy of your business partner Jacques Gelé. You DO remember your business partner dont'ya?"

There was no answer.

"Now I'm gonna take a wild guess here..." Keith says as he puts his hand to his mouth as if thinking, before pointing to the man at the table. "You're Brett, right?"

Brett, after a second, nods. "Yeah."

"I thought so. Well, you remember your business partner Jacques, dont'ya Brett?"

"...Yeah, I remember him."

"Good!" Keith replies, as Larry goes ahead to the kitchen at the back.

"Looks like Kravchuk and I caught you at breakfast, sorry 'bout that. What'cha eatin'?"

"...Hamburgers."

"Hamburgers! The cornerstone of any nutritious breakfast." Keith says in a friendly tone. "What kinda hamburgers?"

"Um, uh... Ch-Cheeseburgers."

"No-no-no, where'd you get'em? McDonald's, Wendy's, Jack-in-the-Box, Burger King, White Castle, where?

"Uh..." Brett starts before pointing to the bag on the table, which says... "Big Chubby Burger." Brett finished.

"Big Chubby Burger! That's that burger joint in Northern Vale. I heard from our fellow Marines, Atlas soldiers, and Beacon students that they got some tasty burgers! I ain't never had one myself, how are they?"

"They're good."

"Mind if I try one of yours?" Keith asked.

Brett nodded his head slightly.

With that response, Keith went to eat one of the burgers. "This is yours here, right?" He asked, pointing towards the unfinished burger nearest to Brett on the table.

"Yeah." Brett answered as he gestured to it. Keith grabs the burger and takes a bite of the non-bitten part. "Uuummmm..." He starts as he finds the burger delicious. "This IS a tasty burger!" Now talking to Larry, he continues. "Kravchuk, you ever had a Big Chubby Burger?"

Larry shakes his head in response. Keith holds out the Big Chubby. "You wanna bite? They're real tasty!"

Larry shakes his head again, as he puts a cigarette in his mouth. "I ain't hungry."

As this is happening, Brett is seen still being uneasy while sitting at the table.

"Well, if you like hamburgers give 'em a try sometime." Keith replied back to Larry.

Now going back to the three (other) men in the room, Keith continues to speak to them. "Me, I can't usually eat 'em 'cause my girlfriend's a vegetarian, which pretty much makes me a vegetarian." Keith savors the taste and lets out a sound of satisfaction. "But I sure love the taste of a good damn burger. Ummm!"

Asking Brett, Keith poses a question whilst pointing to him. "You know what they call a Quarter Pounder with Cheese in France?"

Shaking his head, Brett answers. "No."

"Tell 'em, K!"

"Royale with Cheese," Larry tells them.

"Royale with Cheese, you know why they call it that?" Keith asks again with a smile.

"Uh... Because of... the metric system?" Brett states whilst putting his arms up for a second.

Keith looks at Brett in astonishment. "Check out the big brain energy on Brett! You're a smart motherfucker, that's right! The metric system."

Putting down the burger, Keith points to a fast food drink cup on the table. "What's in this?"

"Lemon and lime."

"Lemon and lime? Good! Mind if I have some of your tasty beverage to wash this good shit down with?"

Brett gestures to the drink. "Go right ahead."

Keith grabs the cup, takes off the lid and proceeds to drink the entire cup, all whilst looking at Brett without blinking. When the cup is finished, he puts the cup back on the table."Ah. That hit the spot!"

Patting his hands to clean them of crumbs, he goes up to Roger and speaks to him. "You, Flock of Seagulls, you know what we're here for?"

Roger nods his head to essentially state, "Yes."

"Then why don't you tell my man here K, where you got the shit hidden."

Marvin, not being able to take the tension anymore, answers instead and points toward the back. "It's over there-"

However, this makes Keith lose his friendly demeanor in an instant. "I DON'T REMEMBER ASKIN' YOU A GODDAMN THING BOY!" He exclaims in an angry manner, whilst glaring at Marvin.

Marvin, still near the door, puts down his hand in fear.

Going back to speaking to Roger but still glaring at Marvin, he speaks more quietly. "You were sayin'?"

"It's in the cupboard," Roger responds.

Larry, in the kitchen, goes to the cupboard at the top and opens it up. However, Roger speaks up. "N-no, the one near your knees." As this is happening, Brett is seen in the foreground rubbing his face and looking down in worry.

Larry then looks in the cupboard below him, opens it, and rummages through the contents. As this is happening, the faces of Roger and Keith are shown as well, with Roger being worried as well and Keith going from looking at Marvin to looking towards the kitchen.

Eventually, Larry finds it and pulls out a black snap briefcase. Larry puts in the code for the lock, and opens the case. What's inside cannot be seen, but a small gold glow emits from the case. Larry just stares at it, transfixed.

"Are we happy?" Keith asks. No answer from the transfixed Larry. He takes the cigarette out of his mouth whilst looking at it still. "Sergeant!" Larry looks up at him. "Are we happy?" He repeats.

Larry responds. "Yeah, we're happy!" He then closes the case with a sigh of relief.

As Larry begins to walk back to them, Brett begins to speak to Keith. "Look, I'm sorry, I-uh, I didn't get your name? I got yours, uh, Sergeant Kravchuk, right?" Brett states as he briefly points to Larry before going back to Keith. "But I never got yours-"

"My name's Pinoy, and you ain't talkin' your ass outta this shit." Keith replied.

Brett doesn't respond for a brief second in shock, before speaking again. He starts to get up whilst doing so. "I just want you to know how-" Keith gestures for Brett to sit back down. Brett does so, putting up his hand to try and placate Keith, not wanting to anger him.

"I just want you to know how sorry we are th-that things got so messed up with us an-and the UNE!" Brett said. Keith nodded his head in understanding. "W-w-e got into this thing with the best intentions, really, I never th-"

As Brett continues to talk, Keith takes out his suppressed Desert Eagle Mark VII and shoots an unprepared Roger in the chest, killing him, and shocking Brett out of speaking.

Keith looks at Brett, unimpressed. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did that break your concentration?" Brett can't say a word. He's whimpering in his chair. "I didn't mean to do that. Please, continue. I believe you were saying something about "best intentions?

When Brett doesn't respond, Keith speaks again. "Oh what's the matter? Oh, you were finished! Oh well, allow me to retort!" As Brett begins to hyperventilate, Keith asks him yet another question. "What does Jacques Gelé look like?"

"Wh-wha...What?"

Keith snaps, savagely flipping the table over, removing the only barrier between himself and Brett. Brett now sits in a lone chair before Keith like a political prisoner in front of an interrogator.

"What country you from!" Keith exclaimed.

Now even more petrified, Brett only repeats himself. "Wh-wha...What?"

"'What' ain't no country I ever heard of! They speak English in 'What'!?"

Still extremely scared, Brett repeats himself again. "What?"

Now even more angry, Keith speaks up again. "English, motherfucker! Do you speak it?!"

"Yes!"

"Then you understand what I'm sayin'?"

"Yes! Yes!"

Keith poses his question again, in a loud manner. "DESCRIBE WHAT JACQUES LOOKS LIKE!"

"Wh-What? I-"

Keith takes his Deagle and points it at Brett. "Say 'What' again! Say 'What' again! I dare ya, I double dare ya motherfucker, say 'What' one more goddamn time!" He shouts at the petrified man.

Not wanting to get shot, Brett does his best to describe what Jacques Gelé looks like. "Well he's... he's... pale–"

"Go on!" Keith exclaims.

"...and he... he... has white hair–"

"Does he look like a baby back bitch?!" Keith asks.

Without thinking, Brett makes a massive mistake. "What?" In response to the mistake, Keith simply lowers the gun to Brett's shoulder, and shoots him there. Brett screams in pain. "AGHHH! UGH!"

"DOES. HE. LOOK. LIKE A BABY. BACK. BITCH?!"

In agony, Brett shouts out his answer. "YEESSSSSSS!!!!"

Now satisfied with the answer, Keith lowers his voice. "Then why did you try to fuck us like a bitch then, Brett?"

"I-I didn't!"

As Brett and Keith are still speaking, the scene changes to show the bathroom of the apartment. In the bathroom, a man is hiding near the toilet, listening to Keith while holding a large magnum revolver. The man looks petrified as well and is holding the gun in a shaky manner, but before anymore can be seen of him, the scene switches back to Keith.

"Yes ya did Brett. Ya tried ta fuck us. And the UNE don't like to be fucked by anybody except politicians!" Keith replies to a whimpering Brett who tries to say 'no' in response. As Brett continues to whimper in fear and pain, Keith asks yet another question. "You ever read the Bible, Brett?"

"N-No!" He exclaims in pain. As he answers, Larry can be seen behind him putting out his cigarette.

With the answer, Keith begins to speak again. "Well there's a passage I got memorized from a quick read, seems appropriate for this situation: Ezekiel 25:17."

As Keith is saying this, the scene switches back to the man in the bathroom, now seemingly gathering up the courage to go out.

"The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men." Keith starts as the man in the bathroom begins to slide towards the door, listening in on Keith.

As Keith continues, Larry goes closer to Brett, and brings out a pistol from his holster, and cocks it. "Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children."

Keith begins to pace in front of Brett. The man in the bathroom looks confused at what Keith is saying. And Brett begins to scream in pain and fear.

Continuing the passage, Keith begins to glare at Brett. "And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers! AND YOU WILL KNOW MY NAME IS THE LORD..." Keith states as he finally points his gun back at Brett. "...when I lay my vengeance upon thee."

Brett lets out a scream of fear, before Keith and Larry unload their guns at the same time on the sitting Brett. With this, K and L execute Brett. The man in the bathroom jumps a little in horror. Marvin screams and sinks to the floor.

When the dust clears, Marvin is heard uttering to himself. "I'm screwed. I'm screwed."

As he continues to utter, Larry talks to Keith. "Is he a friend of yours?"

"Him? Oh, K, Marvin. Marvin, K." Keith says, trying to introduce the two to each other, despite Marvin being too scared to pay attention.

"Alright. Better tell him to shut the fuck up. He's getting on my nerves." Larry states simply.

"Marvin. Marvin. MARVIN!" Marvin stops muttering and looks at Keith and Larry, who are now standing in front of him. "I'd knock that shit off if I was you." He pointed out the man.

The bathroom door opens. The man in the bathroom comes out and opens fire. " Die, you bastards! Die!"

The man shoots several times before the magnum starts clicking. The man forms an expression of shock. He missed every single shot. Keith and Larry are unharmed. They examine themselves and glances at each other calmly. They turn to the man, aim their weapons, and shoot him in the chest several more times. The man falls to the ground, now dead as well and riddled with holes.

They lower their guns, and let out a sigh of relief. Larry goes to Marvin, who is still in the corner.

Larry kneels down to face Marvin. "Why the fuck didn't you tell us somebody was in the bathroom?" Marvin tries to answer, but Larry continues. "Slip your mind? You forget someone was in there with a goddamn hand-cannon?"

Keith speaks up, still looking at the dead man and his gun. "You see the size of that gun he fired at us? It's bigger than him." He then turns around to the bullet-riddled wall. "We should be fucking dead, man."

"I know. We was lucky. "

"No, no, no, no. That shit wasn't luck."

"Yeah, maybe." Larry states whilst still kneeling down near Marvin.

Keith points towards the wall with his gun. "This was divine intervention. You know what divine intervention is?"

Larry turns to Keith. "I think so. That means that God came down from Heaven and stopped the bullets."

"That's right!" Keith states, as Larry nods. "That's exactly what it means! God came down from Heaven and stopped these motherfucking bullets."

Marvin, still shaken and sitting on the floor, tried to gather his thoughts. Keith and Larry seemed unfazed by what just transpired, though the implications of the failed attack were not lost on them.

"Marvin," Keith said, leaning down to meet his eyes, "You understand what just happened here, right?"

Marvin nodded weakly. "Y-yeah... divine intervention."

Keith nodded back. "Exactly. Now, I need you to do something for me."

Marvin looked up at him, still trembling. "Wh-what?"

Keith's expression turned serious. "I need you to remember this moment. I need you to understand that what happened here today was more than just luck or chance. It was a sign. You got that?"

Marvin swallowed hard and nodded. "Yeah, I got it."

"Good," Keith replied, standing up and turning to Larry. "Let's get out of here. We've done what we came to do."

Larry nodded, and the two UNE Marines began to make their way to the door, leaving Marvin behind. As they reached the door, Keith turned back one last time.

"And Marvin," he said, "if you ever find yourself doubting, just remember today. Remember that sometimes, something bigger than us is at play."

With that, Keith and Larry exited the apartment, leaving Marvin to process everything that had happened. The young ex-huntsman sat there for a long moment, trying to make sense of the chaos and the unexpected turn of events. The smell of burgers and gunpowder hung in the air, a stark reminder of the violent encounter that had just taken place.

In the aftermath, Marvin knew one thing for sure: his life had just taken a significant turn, and nothing would ever be the same again.