Untsie's PoV

The world came back in fragments. First, sensation. Wet grass beneath my armor, the whir of servos as my systems rebooted. Then sound. Birds, wind through trees, the soft pinging of my armor's diagnostics. Finally, sight, as my HUD flickered back to life, its familiar blue glow a comfort in the darkness.

[SYSTEM REBOOT COMPLETE]
[LOCATION: ERROR - GPS UNAVAILABLE]
[TEMPORAL SYNC: ERROR]
[ARMOR INTEGRITY: 98%]

I pushed myself up, my enhanced muscles working in concert with the MA37's servos. Dense forest surrounded me, ancient trees stretching toward a star filled sky. This wasn't the armory. This wasn't anywhere I recognized.

Movement caught my attention. Another armored figure lay several meters away, their system lights pulsing as they regained consciousness. The armor was... different. Older. Like something from historical records, but somehow more advanced than even modern suits. My HUD tried to identify it but kept throwing errors.

"Status report." I called out, my training taking over despite the surreal situation. The other figure stirred, then rose with a fluid grace that spoke of extensive combat experience.

"Systems operational." A male voice responded, professional but with an edge of wariness. "Though my nav system seems to be malfunctioning, and armor integrity at 15% but steadily increasing." He paused, studying me through his visor. "Captain Jack Cooper, 81st Combat Unit. And you are?"

Something about his voice, his movements, felt hauntingly familiar. But that was impossible. I pushed the thought aside. "Gunnery Sergeant Untsie R. Orr, 82nd Combat Unit."

His posture shifted slightly at my name, almost imperceptibly, but my enhanced sensors caught it. "Orr?" He asked, his tone carefully neutral. "Any relation to..."

The sharp crack of a gun rang out, followed by the distinctive thud of a gun hitting the ground. "Damn it, Destiny! Watch where you're pointing that thing!"

"Me? You're the one who nearly shot me with that hand cannon!"

I spun toward the voices, weapon raised, then immediately lowered it. "Destiny? Andrea?"

Two figures emerged from the underbrush, their civilian clothes covered in dirt and leaves. Destiny was clutching a Lewis gun like a lifeline, while Andrea had both a Remington 870 and a massive revolver at the ready. The gold hammer and trigger of the a Smith and Wesson .500 caught the moonlight.

"Untsie?" Destiny called out, adjusting her grip on the antique machine gun. "Is that you in there? What the hell is going on?"

"You know them?" Cooper asked, his weapon still at ready but pointed away from my friends.

"Yeah." I confirmed. "They're..." I hesitated, realizing how strange this would sound. "They're the daughters of my father's best friends."

"Your father's..." Cooper's voice trailed off, something unreadable in his tone.

"Oh my god, is that an XMA27?" Andrea interrupted, nearly dropping her shotgun as she studied Cooper's armor. "But that's impossible. Those were discontinued after..." She stopped, her face paling. "After 2025."

"2025?" Cooper's head snapped up. "That's the current year."

"No." Destiny said slowly, checking her phone though it clearly had no signal. "It's 2047. January 29th, 2047." She paused, hefting her Lewis gun. "At least we still have our weapons. Though I'm starting to wish I'd brought more than one drum magazine."

"I've got plenty of shells." Andrea added, patting her bandolier. "And enough .500 rounds to stop a tank. Though I'm not sure what good they'll do against... whatever this is."

The silence that followed was deafening. I felt my heart pounding against my armor as implications started to sink in. Twenty two years. Cooper was wearing armor from twenty two years ago. From the same year my father...

A twig snapped in the darkness. Cooper and I moved in perfect sync, forming a defensive perimeter with Andrea and Destiny naturally falling into supporting positions. The coordination felt natural, practiced, impossible.

"We've got movement." I reported, my HUD highlighting multiple heat signatures. "Eight... no, twelve contacts approaching."

"Destiny, set up that Lewis gun where you've got clear fields of fire." Cooper ordered with familiar authority. "Andrea, watch our flanks. That shotgun will make anything think twice about close quarters."

They moved without question, as if they'd been training for this their whole lives. Maybe, in a way, they had. Growing up hearing stories about my father, about the legendary Captain Orr, it had shaped all of us.

A bone chilling howl cut through the night. Not wolf, not human. Something else. Something wrong. Through my visor, I watched as red eyes began to appear in the darkness, dozens of them.

"No way." Destiny breathed, her Lewis gun drooping slightly. "That's... that's impossible."

"Beowolves." Andrea said, her voice barely a whisper. "They're actually real."

She was right. The creatures emerging from the shadows were exactly like the monsters from that old show we'd all grown up watching. Black fur, white bone masks, red markings that seemed to pulse with malevolent energy. But these weren't animations. They were horrifyingly real.

"Real or not, they're hostile." Cooper stated, his M4 tracking the nearest creature. "Take them down."

"The Alpha's in the back." I called out, spotting the larger, more heavily armored Grimm directing the pack. My tactical training kicked in, mixing with years of watching these creatures in action. "They'll try to overwhelm us."

"Destiny, suppress the main pack." Cooper commanded. "Andrea, your shotgun should punch through their masks at close range. Sergeant, we clear a path to that Alpha."

"These aren't Dust rounds," Andrea said, chambering her Remington. "Let's hope regular ammo works."

Her question was answered as the first Beowolf lunged. The .500 S&W roared, and the creature's head exploded in a spray of black mist. "That's a yes." She said, a hint of satisfaction in her voice.

The pack surged forward. Destiny's Lewis gun opened up, the rounds tearing through the younger Grimm. Their bodies dissolved into that same black mist we'd seen so many times on screen. Andrea's Remington boomed repeatedly, each blast stopping a charging monster cold.

Cooper and I advanced methodically, our combined fire keeping the creatures at bay as we pushed toward the Alpha. It was massive, easily twelve feet tall, with bone plating that had grown thick and layered over years. Just as dangerous as we'd always imagined.

"They're trying to flank us!" Destiny shouted between bursts, her Lewis gun cutting down Beowolves trying to circle around.

"Keep them contained." Cooper ordered. "Don't let them split us up."

The Alpha roared, and dozens of lesser Beowolves charged. Destiny's Lewis gun cut down the first wave while Andrea's weapons thundered, dropping any that got too close. Cooper and I maintained our advance, using our armor's enhanced mobility to press the advantage.

The creature was fast, supernaturally so. But we'd seen enough to know their tactics. Every swipe of its claws, every movement. It was familiar territory, even if this was our first time facing them in reality.

The Alpha lunged, impossibly quick for something so large. Cooper and I rolled in opposite directions, our rifles never stopping. The creature's bone armor absorbed most of the rounds, but a few found gaps, drawing howls of rage.

Andrea's .500 boomed again, the heavy round cracking the Alpha's mask. It staggered, giving Destiny a clear line of sight. The Lewis gun roared, rounds hammering into the weakened armor. The Alpha collapsed, dissolving into black mist. Without their leader, the remaining Beowolves' attacks became uncoordinated. We cut them down methodically.

As the last creature dissolved, silence fell over the forest. We all stood there, trying to process what had just happened.

"So." Destiny said finally, reloading her Lewis gun. "We just fought actual Grimm. That's... that's a thing that happened."

"Which means whatever's going on." Andrea added, checking her ammunition. "It's not just affecting time. Reality itself is breaking down."

"Reminds me of the time I was fighting in China. Damn, copy cats." Cooper muttered, as he checked his M4.

"What do you mean?" I asked, as I became curious hearing this, as I knew my father also fought in China. He was on a Top Secret mission, that even know it's still classified.

"Classified. But I do know that I fought other worldly forces. They were a pain in the ass. But anyway's we need to keep moving North."

"Cooper. How do you even know where we're going? You been here before?"

Cooper didn't even slow down, as he began moving. "No."

I narrowed my eyes. "Then how?"

His voice was calm, like it was the most normal thing in the world. "I hacked into the internet from a nearby CTC Tower during our fight with the Grimm."

I damn near missed my next step. "You did what?"

Cooper glanced at me, his visor reflecting the faint glow of the forest around us. "My armor linked into their network. Downloaded a rough layout of the terrain and infrastructure in the area."

I processed that for a second, my grip tightening on my M4A2. Hacking into a CTC Tower? That wasn't just some grunt level trick. That was some high level infiltration shit. And he did it during a fight with walking murder puppies?

I frowned. "Why the hell didn't my armor do that?"

I frowned. "Why the hell didn't my armor do that?"

Cooper smirked under his helmet. "Because yours isn't built for it."

That made me bristle. "Excuse me?"

He gestured vaguely at my gear. "The MA37 is standard military armor. Meant for durability, battlefield efficiency, and basic digital interfacing. It's not designed to breach enemy networks on the fly. Mine is."

I clenched my jaw. "So what, you just got some god tier armor that does whatever the hell you want?"

Cooper chuckled. "Not exactly."

"Then explain."

He sighed, stopping on a rock before answering. "I've been modifying my armor for two years, tweaking the systems, upgrading components, installing custom software. The XMA27 I wear isn't the same standard issue armor I was given. I turned it into something better."

That stung.

Not because I didn't believe him. But because the thought of him running a modified, superior version of something I had been relying on for years made me feel like I was bringing a knife to a gunfight.

I exhaled sharply. "You gonna upgrade mine, or am I just stuck with this factory default bullshit?"

Cooper grinned. "You sure you can handle the upgrades?"

I scowled. "Try me."

He chuckled but didn't argue. Instead, he motioned for us to keep moving. "We'll talk mods later. Right now, we've got company."

I turned my head just as a pack of Sabyrs emerged from an alleyway below, their glowing red eyes locked onto us.

Destiny cursed. "They don't quit, do they?"

Andrea racked her shotgun. "Let's put 'em down. Fast."

The Sabyrs didn't wait. They lunged, leaping us with unnatural speed, their claws scraping against trees as they closed the distance.

I raised my rifle and opened fire, my rounds tearing through the lead Sabyr's chest. The beast yelped before disintegrating into black mist. Cooper fired beside me, his shots precise, dropping three more before they could get close.

Destiny's Lewis gun roared, the heavy rounds punching through the Grimm like paper, sending their broken bodies crashing to the streets below.

But more were coming.

One of the Sabyrs vaulted onto the branch right in above me, its jaws snapping inches from my face. I ducked, feeling its foul breath as I drove my data knife upward into its throat. Black ichor sprayed over my gauntlet as I twisted the blade and shoved the beast back, sending it toppling over the edge.

Andrea took out another with a well placed shotgun blast, but the pack was still closing in.

Cooper didn't hesitate. He pulled a thermal grenade from his belt and hurled it into the swarm.

"Get down!"

We hit the deck just as the grenade detonated, bathing the forest floor in a wave of scorching heat. The Sabyrs were caught mid leap, their bodies incinerated before they even hit the ground. The blast sent ripples of fire through the mist left behind, illuminating the night like a dying star.

When the smoke cleared, the Grimm were gone.

I pushed myself up, breathing hard. "Well... that worked."

Cooper holstered his grenade belt. "Told you we'd kill them all."

Andrea dusted off her armor. "Still don't like how you're always right."

Destiny sighed, reloading the Lewis. "Let's get the hell out of here before another wave shows up."

Cooper nodded. "Beacon is close. Let's move."
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My PoV

The forest loomed before us, its towering walls casting long shadows against the sky. Even from a distance, I could tell we had a ways to go.

But I wasn't focused on that.

I stole a glance at Untsie as we moved through the abandoned roads leading up to the entrance. She was sharp, capable, a Marine through and through. But more than that. She was wearing the MA37 armor. An advanced version of my armor, by ten generations.

That was the first thing I noticed when I woke up in this world. The second thing I noticed? She was my daughter.

I had no idea how the hell that was possible, but when I first came to, my armor had automatically scanned my surroundings. It identified the MA37 as an evolution of my XMA27 and flagged her bio signature as something familiar. My own DNA was in her system.

That was how I knew who she was before she even spoke.

It shook me to my core. I had no kids. At least, I shouldn't have. But here she was, built from me.

She didn't know. And I couldn't tell her.

Not yet.

Meeting your biological daughter who was created in a lab from your blood and DNA was not exactly something I had prepared for. I was a Marine. I could take on armies, strategize against overwhelming odds, survive in the worst conditions imaginable.

But this?

This was different.

So I did what I did best. I adapted.

That meant keeping my mouth shut and sticking to the alias. I was Jack Cooper here, and that was how it would stay until I figured out what the hell was going on.

"How much further Cooper?" Andrea asked, looking around the area. "About three hours." I responded, as I listened to a pissed off Neko AI that just had to wake up, after the default AI didn't reactivate and wouldn't as it was disabled and wouldn't ever work again.

"You jackass! Why'd you disable me!?" A female voice rang out, thick with a German accent and absolutely dripping with impatience.

The source of the voice stood at 5'7", her pale skin contrasting with the sharp raven black of her hair. Ember yellow eyes gleamed with mischief and anger as she glared at me, arms crossed over her chest in a show of exaggerated annoyance. Her pear shaped frame was clad in a green and white camouflage shirt, similar pants, and sturdy boots.

A silver necklace with a gold amulet rested against her collarbone, catching the light. She wore a signature troublemaker's smirk, the kind that meant she was either about to say something insulting, or had already done so. Her feline ears twitched in frustration, as her tail swished back in forth with anger.

Of course she wasn't seen or heard by the others as she was apart of my system, and on the fact that I built her she was only accessible by me and wasn't apart of the mainframe, and command wasn't aware of her. Muting my helmet so the others couldn't hear me, but I could still hear them I addressed her.

"Nyx." I replied, my voice laced with tired irritation. "Would you kindly shut the hell up before I decide to shut you down, again. This time permanently."

Nyx gasped in mock offense, placing a hand over her heart as I he had just struck her. "Ach! Such cruelty! After all the hard work I put into making your life better?" She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "If anything, I should be the one turning you off, you ungrateful, oversized dipshit."

I shook my head, muttering under my breath as I kept an eye on my surroundings. "I just had to build an AI, didn't I?" I sighed, shaking my head. "Couldn't have just stuck to making my enemies life hell. Nooo, I had to be a dumbass and play god. Should've listened to Andy when he told me it was a shit idea."

Nyx merely smirked. "Ja, well, you've never been one for good ideas, have you, Herr Dumbass?"

I just sighed, and I holstered my Wingman and began twirling in my hands gaining everyone's attention, along with Nyx's.

Nyx whistled lowly, eyeing the gun with something close to appreciation. "You know, for all your bitching and moaning, you do make some sexy looking death machines. Too bad your personality is as attractive as a rusty nail." I shoot her a dry and unamused look.

"Nyx, if you don't shut up in the next five seconds, I'm going to build a 'mute' button just for you."

She gasped in mock horror, placing a hand on her chest. "Mein Gott! Such hostility! Here I am, merely offering praise, and you treat me like some annoying housefly. I am wounded, truly."

I turned my head slightly, meeting her smug expression. "You are an annoying housefly, except instead of buzzing, you just run your mouth nonstop."

Nyx's grin widened. "And yet, you still keep me around. Admit it. You'd be lost without me."

I scoffed, shaking my head before holstering my Wingman. "Trust me. I've done well and good without you. Hell if I could I would go back to the default AI, but alas I can't."

This seemed to shock and hurt Nyx. She looked at me with a wounded look, before she became angry and glared at me. "Fine! You want to play like, then let's play!" Before I knew it, my radar and targeting system's were disabled, though my armor was still damaged from my fight with Barrett so it wasn't much. I sighed, and shook my head.

"Not again." Ignoring the now even more pissed off Neko AI, I unmuted my helmet.

"What was that all about?" I heard Destiny whisper to Andrea. "I don't know. He's kinda weird." I rolled my eyes hearing that, as I never really cared about what others thought about me. Though now that I have a daughter, that may change.

"Nothing that is your concern. You'll have less of a headache that way." I responded, not looking at them. Nyx might have disabled my radar and targeting system's, but that doesn't mean I'm not aware of my surroundings.

"Okay?" Andrea muttered as she clutched her shotgun. I just chuckled, as we came across a pile of runes.

"Aight, we'll be taking rest here. Andrea get fire wood, Destiny you make a fire pit. Untsie, me and you will prepare the food. Do y'all understand?" I received nods. "Good. Get to work." With that said, we all went to work.
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A/N: And done. kuwebby2, what do you think?