I'm gonna post another chapter in the same day to be relatively safe. As one chapter stories don't usually get much feedback. But that's a personal fear of mind so, whatever.
This is of course the second chapter in the four trailers for each character. If you notice a pattern already, good for you! I made it like that to more entwine different OC's in the actual world than just layering them on.
Throughout this whole story I am trying to put some thought in how character develop and their motives. How each one could connect with other and those within the team but that for a future chapter.
Disclaimer: I ain't got the ownership of RWBY and Roosterteeth, ya idiots. So don't take my stuff down.
I actually don't know what would happen if I didn't put that disclaimer there.
BANG BANG BANG FBI OPEN UP!
Hei 'Junior' Xiong ran a business. A very lucrative business. A privately owned business. A dangerous business. A very legal business, he did pay his taxes as was told to many who thought otherwise.
He was the 'boss' to the people he hired. Custodians, bartenders, bouncers, cooks, DJs, and just hired hands were all supposed to call him 'Boss'. Junior was, in fact, the boss so this wasn't anything out of the ordinary. He did most of the books, he had contacts with most VIPs, and he could bring the beat down on anyone that tried to go against that.
He was 'Junior' to the patrons and clubbers. He was behind the counter most nights. It wasn't the type of place to get a quiet, social drink, but he tried his best to be serviceable. Many thought of him as the big guy who wore a black vest and blood red tie that served pretty good drinks. To some others, he was a viable contact and informant. He knew people, and if you were willing to pay, you yourself could get to know these people.
But, there are only few that call him as someone else. If you were to call Junior that and were not one of them, the chances of surviving afterwards was slim to none. He would most likely blow you to next week with a rocket propelled grenade or his fists, whatever was on hand. (Hint, you would rather want it to be the explosive.) The one name that shouldn't ever be uttered from anyone that worked or works with him. The forbidden words.
"HEI HEI!" Junior shut his eyes in frustration, those girls knew when he didn't want to be bothered. He took both hands and brought it up to his face and scratched his beard, his white dress shirt was freshly ironed and a red necktie was lain across the desk in front of him. He was in his office, one of the only places in the club were he could escape from the idiocy that his subordinates developed. At the moment, he was trying to get the last of the checks sent to distributors for the next month. It was only the 4th, but he liked to get it done early.
KNOCK KNOCK
"Hei Hei, come on! You remember what you promised us!" The voice was edging on teenage whining, they were older than that for crying out loud!
"Yeah! Hei Hei, don't make us barge in there again!" The nearly identical voice echoed it, both of them were seemingly more childlike than the last. Both of twins were probably outside that door now, and it wasn't an empty threat.
"Yeah... Don't get your heads in a twist." Junior got up from his rolling office chair and picked up his tie. He wrapped it around his neck as he unlocked and opened the black soundproof door. He didn't flinch when one feminine hand came up to his forehead and flick it. He knew that reacting to it caused more problems than it solved. Stood in the hallway in front him were two girls, almost the exact face, height, body type, and arrogant attitude. Where both in their early twenties but acted like spoiled teenagers. Both of them normally wore the same style of glittery dress, the colors of which were different for each. Miltia always wore the black with blue, and Melanie always wore the white with red. Honestly is was rather shallow to only separate based on that. So Junior usually just determined it based on how they annoyed you. Miltia would trip or kick and Melanie would flick or punch.
"Yes Melanie?" Junior was currently faced towards the one with the huge dark blue sweater, obviously they still haven't started to prepare for tonight.
"Dust, we can't fool you can we. That, literally, is the worst." They often switched clothes to mess with anyone who didn't know any better, and most of the people who called Junior "Boss", didn't know any better.
"Well it's easy enough to tell which is which. And no I ain't gonna tell you." He continued when he saw both girls started to ask. He wasn't going to give it away, then they would really have a chance to spout off at him. It was one of the few things that would stay a mystery.
"If you're about done acting all, like, stupidly secretive. Did you get what we wanted, huh?" Miltia with the blood red sweater came up to Junior's face, obviously trying to get a rise out of him. Junior stood blank faced, no reason to give them the satisfaction. He straightened and finished his tie, and pulled out his Scroll. He almost got to his messages when Miltia snatched it out of his hand.
"You aren't getting this until you hand over what's ours," they both spoke in unison. Honestly, how cliche can these girls get? Junior didn't sigh nor frown, he kept wearing his "business face" as the girls called it. He wasn't going to admit that he may have subconsciously called it that as well.
"I'm not going to give them until both of you wear at least something presentable. I don't force you to wear the uniforms, but seriously."
"Well, we were going to get ready sooner or later Hei Hei. You caught us at a bad time." Melanie forced a hurt expression and tried to act timid. Keyword, 'tried'. Miltia nodded in agreement, somehow acting as innocent as she could. Junior was sure that anyone who fell for the act was idiotic enough to deserve what they were doing. Junior made of show of looking at his wristwatch.
"Half past nine, that makes it... three hours past opening."
"Yeah-" "-so?" Now they had to finish each other sentences, Junior shook his head exasperatedly.
"Yeah, so," Junior copied their antics, "you haven't been ready for the last three hours."
"That ain't our fault, Your damn "goons" were ogling us so that we couldn't change. We were worried about some perv barging through the bathroom door." Miltia poked accusingly at him, like she was stating cold hard fact.
"I would be worried for their physical and mental health if they did such a thing. You saying you can't handle yourselves?"
"Well duh we can. They would get a peek before we gouged their eyes out though." Melanie twisted her finger in a corkscrew motion when she said the last sentence.
"Right." Junior left the conversation hanging as he knew he hired the duo for their ferocity. Sometimes however, he would like take his past self and smash his teeth in for such a choice. He slightly pushed in between them and confidently strolled past the doorway.
"Ey, Boss."
"Aaron." Junior response was clipped and professional, the two who followed him however...
"A-aron!" "Finally shaved the trash goatee!" "Nice to get rid of your 2nd worst feature!" "Lose the rest of your face and you will be just perfect" "Now I only have to be half drunk." "Or no longer blindfolded."
Were not. Why did the two strongest people he had on hand were the two worst? Father always said strength really went to people's heads, he thought . In the back hallways, the drumming of bass could be felt and heard from the main club floor. Many others doing their own jobs ran back and forth between the main floor and wherever else. He was making his way to the lockers in the basement, usually locked with a keycode only he knew. Even if he was sure that the girls both knew it much to his chagrin.
"Oh are we going to use the code 406173233104?"
"You idiot, it's 406173233204."
Maybe they didn't know the keycode, that was good to know. Junior had no idea were they got the other seven numbers. He stepped up to the pad and typed in the actual code, he gestured them inside. He wasn't worried about them messing with the weapons that they didn't use. The reason was, and they have specifically said, 'If anyone catches us use anything that was touched by any of you masturbaters, you can literally shoot us in the knee.' It saved Junior a couple of headaches at least. Created more problems when the guy came to rework them however. 'Unsuitable workplace, ugh.'
"The reforged blades should be in the lockers, I didn't touch them after they got them delivered so they're all yours."
"Nice of you to do something smart for once, Hei Hei." Melanie wore a wicked smile across her face.
"Yeah, they're great investments Hei Hei." Miltia wore almost the exact same smile. "It was time for you to notice how much we do around here."
Junior sighed and turned his body around, he wasn't going to start an argument like that right next to the weapon lockers. They weren't the smartest people around, but they knew their own weapons well enough. He was just about to return to his interrupted duties when another man came to him calling.
"Boss. Some blonde wants to see you. She won't take no for an answer."
"That's great... Let's hope we can work this out, right Midori?" The bartender nodded and started to lead Junior back to the main floor. It wasn't out of the ordinary for someone to ask for him. It rather did piss him off when this chick obviously didn't arrange anything. Simple enough to put her back on the street however.
"She's at the main bar, you'll know who." Midori knew the 'Boss' did this alot, he also knew that this could get ugly real fast. He knew that he really didn't want to be caught in some crossfire.
"It's early in the night, no one's that much of an idiot to try something." Junior read the bartender's mind when he saw him stay in the back. 'At least anyone stupid enough to try anything probably needs to get a few screws pounded back in anyways'
Junior opened up the heavy swinging door to the main floor of the club. The music was of course, loud and bassy. The modern stylings of the glass pillars and bar really set the mood he was looking for. Efficient, yet with a show of wealth that would keep drunks from urinating on everything. The dance floor itself was busy, and the booths lining the sides were only half full. The upper floor was dotted by a couple of patrons admiring a club lightshow run by the masked DJ that came on Fridays. The red lights flickered with the music and the glass reflected it almost spectacularly. If it wasn't obvious before, Junior was very proud of his club. The bar itself had only a couple of faces sitting at it, no one that he really knew-
"Hei Hei!"
Junior felt himself double take at the deadfaced, green eyed man who knew to call him as that name. He was remarkably younger than he last saw him. His ash blonde hair that was once professionally combed and finished, was now greasy and matted. The tan suit jacket he wore was loose and wrinkled, The white button up was stained with brown splotches of dried blood, halfway unbuttoned down his chest. The light grass green tie he wore was dangling precariously from his neck. The only thing that had improved was his face, which was clean and young. He was remarkably good looking for someone who was supposed to be- "Look at who's back! Ay! Hei Hei!"
Dead.
"You asked for me?" Junior felt a vein bulge on his forehead. Of all the arrogant imbeciles to set foot in his club.
"Nah, Just came for a drink. Felt like I needed to see a friendly face for once! Spent too long with that senile coroner Michael, but he's so nice that I couldn't leave" Junior knuckles turned white, absolute gull he had to pull to call him a 'friend'. So many things that needed to be said rushed through the boss's head. The absolute nerve.
"You're not leaving without paying your tab," Junior said offhandedly. He had a broad to meet with, even if the chick was probably going to leave with a gun to her head.
"So, Hei Hei. I heard that you know some things in that noggin of yours." There she was right now, and of course she heard the dead man say that name. He's already back and it's already causing Junior a headache.
"What do you want Blondie?" Junior turned to face the... teenager. This chick was the one who needed him, a blonde teenage bimbo. Dressed in a bomber jacket, an exposed midriff, and some sort of short shorts. The whole theme was meant to be bright and showy with oranges and yellows. 'I thought the twins were bad... Well they're probably still worse.'
"I'm going to ignore that 'blondie' name-" Junior scoffed "-but I think you could help me with something. I have someone to find." She fished a photo, from dust forbid, her chest. 'Lady, You have 4 pockets on that jacket...' Junior was simply passed the photo.
"You don't do this often, do ya kid." Junior held the photo loosely in his hand. "Everything about this is wrong."
"What'cha mean?" Blondie stood arrogantly, adorned with a true smile. Just what kind of idiot did they send him.
"Where's the cash? All you gave me is some photo and asked me for information on what," Junior took a glance at the photo, "some bird ninja?"
"Raven, Raven Branwen. That's her name."
"Alright." Junior response was clipped, with his 'business face'. He knew what the chick wanted, but he wasn't going to work for nothing. The two of them silently waited for a response.
"So... you know anything." Junior promptly threw the photo back to the broad. He turned around. He snapped twice with his left hand and simply started to walk away. Nothing about this situation was going right. This chick was just embarrassing herself. Soon Darryll and Argent came up to behind her. Both of them had there handguns and axes in their holsters. Darryll was always known to nick a finger or five before letting them go. An escort out of his club, and a scare to keep the girl away for good. Simple and easy.
"Wait! B-Blondie! I can work with this."
Or it could get a lot more difficult.
To say that Fraxinus Lacquer was having a wonderful day would be an understatement. The drinks were cold, the patrons were no one from his past, and a fun chat with Junior could always raise his spirits. Now however, there was a cute, lavender-eyed blonde that he could help. First month back and he already got into the swing of things.
"Fraxinus Lacquer, Private Eye extraordinaire, at-at your shervice." 'Come on! I could say extraordinaire but not service?' The raggedy man slowly got up from his barstool and took steps that made toddlers look like experts. This was what he was good at, Junior used to come to him for this sort of thing. If he could figure something out, he could pay off his tab with whatever the blonde could give him. A win win! "I happen to be someone with stuff in this," Fraxinus tapped his head, "'noggin' of mine."
"How did you get a drink from the bar, they wouldn't give me anything."
"Hey, unlike you, I am perfectly," took a second to pull out his wallet, "legal." Fraxinus showcased his driver's license to the teen. He waved it around like some bait on a stick. 'Suck on -'
"You are not 87."
"Of course I'm 87! I jusht went through a late growth Blondie. Now let me look at that photo of the bird ninja!" The two "goons" Hei Hei had on her were scowling now, obviously with their trigger happy fingers ready to pull. Fraxinus rolled his eyes at them, "I got this 'youngins', go and mess with the twins or something." Their faces exchanged knowing looks, anyone who knew the twins like that had some connection. They both took trepid steps backwards and left Fraxinus to deal with his new lady friend. As they should, they must have not recognised "Mr. Lacquer" looking so young at the moment.
"Right, and why should I trust a drunk like you?" She gestured with her hand with a small smirk.
"Because," the P.I, reached over and snagged the photo from her hand while ignoring the indignant 'Hey', "I have been around way longer than you have." He brought the photo up to his face, half wondering why it was so blurry. It was a picture of some ninja of some sort. Real edgy look, the kind kids nowadays usually went through when they were middle schoolers. Mask adorned with feathers with blood red eyes, with the whole black raider outfit going on. A sheathed sword could be seen on her hip. Well, Fraxinus was sure it was a chick with the long black hair and chest. Honestly looking at the chicks hair and the blonde in front of him, he could draw on some connections.
"You give that back!" The blonde stopped playing around, the scowl she wore could make Junior's goons second guess the lady's meekness. Luckily, Fraxinus was way too focused on the blonde's hair to notice.
"Do you dye your hair for this picture? Unless, wait," Fraxinus held the up the photo against his view of the blonde. Something about the two were catching his eye. Now with her irises a literal raging red, matching the bird ninja's eyes. "You have a sister?"
"If you don't let go of the photo, there will be a fist where your left ball should be."
"Aunt?" She flexed her arms making a... shotgun sound. Wait no, it was the gauntlets that were on her arms. 'Where did they come from?' She raised one so the barrel was aimed at the P.I.'s face.
"Hand it over."
"No wait, it's your mother. Oh that makes a whole lot more sense. Who did you say her name was again?" Fraxinus took another look at the photo, it promptly fell out of his hands. 'Stupid small pictures...' He bent down to grab it and felt a rush of air above his head. "Air, wind, flight, bird... Raven!" the private eye stood straight up again, "You said her name was Raven Branwen!" He smiled giving himself a figurative pat on the back. He still got-
WHAM!
Fraxinus didn't feel the force at first, all he did sense was the floor being a couple feet closer to the back of his head. His nose felt numb, his eyes where instinctively closed, and his hands fumbling to get any grip on the bar stool or the incoming floor. The pain came last of course, he has 'kicked the bucket' more than enough times to mostly ignore it. The odd part was that it actually caused a noticeable pain. This woman could have and certainly did snap his neck by only giving his face a knuckle sandwich. Luckily, the head stayed on, and Fraxinus hadn't really had a chance to see if he would come back from a beheading just yet. When the back of his body fell flat to the floor, he audibly had the wind knocked out of him. 'Never needed the air anyway.' Feeling his fluctuating soul snap his neck back into its place made him smile in relief. 'Aura, the world's best band aid.'
"Stupid drunk." The yellow lady announced. A chorus of yells and shouts from Junior's men surrounded the two. "That goes to the rest of you too." Fraxinus couldn't see what was happening since he had reflexively placed his arms over his obliterated face. He could hear however the words that drove the place into complete madness.
"Get the chick!"
The strength that came from the teenager's punches originated from a power called Aura. The power of your soul. It acted as an empowering force that could allow feats of strength no civilian could ever meet. This aura also acted as a personal shield and could heal cuts, bruises, and broken bones. It was the power of grimm killing Huntsman, but it wasn't exactly exclusive to them. In fact, many of the boneheads that Yang Xiao-Long took and slammed a fist into had that power. It didn't mean that they were any good at using it however.
"This is going to be fun." It was obvious from observers that the blond brawler had a much tighter grasp on her power than anyone that came at her with their axes and handguns. The next goon took a wild swipe at her back thigh expecting for the blonde to be distracted by the one she was currently turning it's nose inside out. In reality however, she fired the gauntlet, the shotgun blast doing two things. Finally shattering the one goon's aura, and propelling a recoil assisted elbow in the axe wielder's arm. The aura and his bones systematically shattered in a flash yellow and grey.
The next time a goon swung was way above her head, she didn't need to crouch so low but... CRACK... the resulting uppercut that swung his head back and make the teeth clatter, was oh so satisfying. The next boy came to beat her at her own game, as he flung one fist at her face that was inevitably blocked by a raised golden gauntlet. The man didn't let up trying to take advantage of her now more exposed stomach. The blonde smirked before she fired two consecutive fists to his face instead. He fell back into another and both collapsed onto the ground.
The girl couldn't watch them untangle she heard a rhythmic sound of gunshots from across the club. One of the shots got lucky and hit her side. A flare of yellow aura rebounded the bullet to the glass bar behind her. He wasn't safe from even all the way over there. Especially when she could easily cross the distance with a dual firing of her gauntlets aimed behind her. These shotgun shells were especially made to have as much power as you could pack in them. They were made to ruin grimm hide. The power also allowed aerial acrobatics feats that most certainly within the physics of Remnant.
The amount of power that was transferred fully launched the gunman through the glass separators of the club. Many of the customers who were still inside, even the ones under the influence of way too much alcohol had begun the mass exodus. Each goon that came with a potshot or a swing of the axe each met their own demise. Almost all of them where either out cold on the ground or didn't want to risk another broken limb. Yang couldn't help but smile, she was the top of her class for a reason. These idiots never had fought anyone who could over power an Ursa if they felt like it. It was a little sad, but honestly the first dude had it coming. 'Never got her information, have to figure something out later...'
"Who's this Melanie?"
"I don't know, Miltia, but she had to knock the necrophiliac out cold."
"I kinda liked him."
"You just liked that you could stab him and he wouldn't care."
"Eh, at least I have Blondie - hey, why are you laughing!?" Yang was doubled over, both arms on her stomach. 'Dust! Twins?'
"Oh brothers! Which one of you is the evil one, bwahahaha!" Both of twins had an air or arrogance but she knew that they were already pissed off. Yang knew how she was like, people who could take a joke gained a point in her book.
"Obviously me." The one in red said, pointing to herself with a pair of claws strapped to her arm. 'Well they got the point.' "Miltia can't go somewhere without leaving a tip." 'She is evil.'
"Well, are we going to ruin each others day?" Yang reloaded the twin shotgun gauntlets, making sure that her positioning was square.
"Right, but first things first Blondie. TREVOR!" The blue one lifted a leg and released a blade hidden in the heel. She pointed the blade at the DJ cowering behind his gear. "You better play something good! None of that pointless trap remixes you do."
"R-right! I got one by-"
"Just play it!" Both of the twins shouted in unison. The music and lights immediately glowed a bright red. The music was on and the mood was set. Yang could give so many points, next she'll have to see if they understand the comedy genius that are puns. The twins came back to focus on her, the spotlights in the room seemingly follow the three of them.
"Now, it's time to make you two feel the beat."
"Did you really-" "-just say that?" The two twins readied their twin claws and bladed heels.
"Everyone's a critic..." The tempo had finally dropped, and the real fight had just begun.
'Ah, that's what it feels like to lose feeling in your body for a moment. A very unique experience. Very sobering.' In fact, Frax was feeling a lot more sober than he was before. His aura, or more specifically, his Necrosis semblance was doing its work. Supplying energy for anaerobic action of his cells or something. It's been a while since he was at the surgeon's, he doesn't remember what that Atlas medical specialist said. Most of the energy came from the shielding aspect of aura. That was useless anyways when all the swords, spikes, bullets, claws, and teeth didn't do anything life threatening. He had the added bonus attributes of never breathing, never having his heart beat, having unlimited stamina, and being a hundred and sixty-four years old since his birthday last week.
"FRAX! I know you ain't dead. Get up!"
His birthday wasn't too special, as he was stuck in the morgue lifeless from a not too happy lead. Some guy named named Roman Candle-Candlewick? Torchstick? Can't remember since he thought a slug to the head would do something to end the PI's life for good. All it did was make him forget the names of people he had investigated in the past 20 years. 'What a pain in my-'
"Frax, get up you senile old man!"
"I a-ain't senile..." Now Hei Hei forced him to take a breath, but he wasn't going to take that insult laying down. He was laying down, but that was beside the point.
"What did you say to her? Dust Frax, what did you do!?"
"I didn't do anything. A decade ago you would've probably assaulted the poor lady." Junior was quite the creep when he first made his life away from his idiot father. Fraxinus took Hei Hei and made him ever so slightly better. Hei Hei wasn't ever grateful for that however.
"That 'lady' has completely wrecked half of my club, knocked out half of my men, and is going to send both of the twins to their graves! I am absolutely positive they won't start moving on the autopsy table like you do!"
"...They're not winning?"
"The chick is insane!" Junior was red faced and hyperventilating, he soon brought his face down and mumbled into his hands, "I have half the mind to bring out my dust damn RPG if this goes on for much longer."
"The twins are losing..." Fraxinus felt a weight lodge in his throat. Those twins were always so in sync, so skilled, but this one chick was already beating them this way from saturday. The private eye couldn't beat the both of them without having three stabs from a blade and a lost finger. Any normal person would be dead from what they could do. Just who was she?
"Frax! Don't go freaking out!" Hei Hei himself was severely freaking out, "You just need to get her out of here!"
"Miltia... she was going to do it with me tonight..."
"I-I'm going to ignore that-
"Melanie was supposed to join in..."
"Frax!"
"They were going to use Vivente Vite to tie me up."
"Well they aren't going to if you don't go downstairs and get that stupid weapon of yours and save them! Putting aside the fact you were going to get busy with them, they need you." Junior grabbed both of Fraxinus' shoulders. He shook them until the eyeing pervert -er- private eye stopped his muttering. Fraxinus heard a single grunt of pain from behind the bar wall, the worrying part was he didn't hear the other twin call out. That meant only one of them were still left standing. The P.I. shook his head vigorously, feeling the last of the bones in his neck snap in place. Slowly getting up, he made sure that he didn't catch the attention of the blonde club wrecker on the other side. One more rapid blink of his eyes flushed the rest of the grogginess out of his system.
"Alright Hei Hei-" Junior groaned audibly "-I'll get it done." Junior watched him reach for the door to the back halls, but something crossed the club owner's mind.
"Don't you need the locker room password?"
"You mean '12345'? Junior, remember when I told you to have better security? Please take up on my offer." Fraxinus smiled one last time, before raising his finger in realization. "You will distract her right?"
"If you don't make it here in time, you're cleaning up her splatter on the wall."
"Yeah, yeah, don't get your head in a twist."
The quick walk through the inner hall in the club didn't stop the inner joy Fraxinus was feeling. Wait, you thought that he would nervous, devastated, despairful even? This was a great opportunity! Frax could get back in to Hei Hei's good ole' circle of VIPs. The circle of crime that allowed him to be such a great investigator. Was Fraxinus worried about the Malachite twins? Of course he kinda was, but he knew Junior was overreacting. They were like the daughters he never had, of course he would be so sweetly worried about them. All Frax had to do was to get to the lockers downstairs and unlock the-
When he reached the door, it was already ajar slightly. The "goons" never forgot to close it. Of course when he was gone for a month they already began to slack. He didn't run the place but Frax taught them a thing or two about having secure weapons. Frax shook his head exasperatedly, he would close and lock it after he got out his weapons.
Frax was proud of the duel vambraces that covered his forearms. A dark grass green, embossed with golden whisps. Accented with authentic mahogany that edged the already tough polished metal. They both held a extreme length of wire, that would automatically cut and attach to hooks and harpoons. It was a very versatile weapon, and he was glad that the twins took the time to reroll the seven inch spools. They knew Frax wasn't gone for good at least. Unless they were planning to use Vivente Vite themselves. That... made a lot more sense.
Frax returned to the main drag with his vambraces armed and ready. Filled with powerful electric dust, especially used to power the motors and magnets inside the device. It could also do one other effective way of knocking out an enemy, but that was a surprise for Blondie on the main dance floor.
"Compensating for something, ey' Junior?" It took only a second to realise what the blonde was talking about.
"You have nerve to say that while all you do is spout off innuendos and terrible puns!" Hei Hei was now ready to blow the head off this chick, the RPG on his shoulder was armed with a dust missile of epic proportions. He could miss and still completely shatter the chick's aura, the twins aura, his knocked out men, and himself. It was a terrible bluff, but Junior went buckwild back when Frax finally got rid of his old man. That could mean anything was possible at the moment. Luckily the standoff had the fiery boxer looking away from the PI and facing towards the wreck of a DJ stage where Junior stood with shaking legs. He did distract her, and Fraxinus was totally going to use it.
"Hey, I'm just a girl who knows her humor."
"Yeah, I'm so dustdamn glad that you think that! So am I going to use this or are you going to get out of here and never come here again?"
"I don't know Hei Hei- What the?" The launch of the harpoon was only sounded by the slight noise of a reel unspinning, puncturing her left gauntlet. She raised it up in confusion before follow the line back to the shabbily dressed man who fired it. Her eyes quickly lit up, a wicked smile coming across her face.
"She might be a little tied up right now." Frax was internally quite proud of his quip, he was sure he had used it before, but that had to be several years ago now. The blonde tried to hold a smirk without breaking into a fit of laughter. The laughter soon died when another whir of gears attached the wire to a the floor, followed by another puncturing her right gauntlet.
She began to struggle against the hooks that attached her arms to the ground. For a sudden moment she felt them pull taught, and soon she was struggling to keep herself from taking a knee from arms being pulled downwards. Another different type of hook stuck into her aura on her back, then another to her thigh, then one final one to her foot. Her smirk was dead as she ground her teeth in frustration. Each one of the hooks attached to her directly didn't penetrate her skin, but they gripped to her aura like sticky glue. Each one of the wires where self-pulling taunt and dragging her to the floor.
Fraxinus circled around the downed blonde, aimlessly spinning a wire with another hook on the metal line. He finally got a look at her face, her lavender eyes screaming bloody murder.
"Oh thank the gods..." Junior lowered his RPG and relaxed behind the DJ counter. He had finally shut off the music and the light show. His gaze slowly centered on Blondie, with a devilish smirk of pride. "Now we can get rid of her."
Junior begun his way down the steps, his RPG relaxed on his shoulder. The men still moving every once in awhile, each of them protecting a leg or arm that may or may not be broken beyond repair. He tried to make his way past the maize of broken glass and spilled drinks without making a right mess of his shoes. He laid his rocket launcher on the bar, picked up a bottle from behind it, and took a swig from it. Hei Hei made his way to the wall were Miltia and Melanie were laying up against and passed the bottle.
"Well what are you waiting for? I told you to get rid of the chick." He held a proud look on his face. "She caused enough trouble already."
"Why?" Junior's smile flipped into a deep scowl.
"Why what, Frax?"
"Sorry, maybe the better question is,'what are you going to do to pay me of my service?'" Frax tightened his tie, and straightened his shirt before continuing. "I got it done, but not for free."
"I think you owed me enough, Fraxinus. Let us consider the fact that you have been nothing but a thorn in my side ever since you came to this city."
"A thorn? I'm hurt Junior. You wouldn't have made it any farther from a certain 'senior' if I hadn't given you some good advice."
"Yes, I'm so glad that you got him jailed for life! I am so dustdamn glad that you took time from your 'valuable' life to become my mentor! And I am so dustdamn ecstatic that you constantly take my top shelf liquor and drink until you're passed out!"
"Gotta get drunk somehow, I've-"
"You've lived too long. For some reason I think that is not a reason to rob me!" Junior
was positively furious at the moment. Fraxinus understood all his points but couldn't really pull up any level of guilt. He was fairly certain that this man wouldn't be top dog of this area of Vale without him. He got rid of competition by turning them into the police, found material for blackmail, and got rid of that one gal that was fishing for cash by pretending to be actually interested. Frax kept him up on top, and not one time was he grateful. Junior always found something to criticize.
"They think I'm workin' for the city you idiot!"
Or
"Why in brothers name would I blackmail the headmaster of Beacon!?"
Or
"She's my dustdamn mother!"
Honestly all of the jobs were hard to complete, but it was from the bottom of Frax's non-beating heart. Especially that mother of his, shivers went down Frax's spine when he thought of that cold hearted bi-.
"Guys! Don't fight over little 'ole me! I don't want a breakup on my conscience." Junior indignantly sputtered in a fit of anger. His face reaching the same tone of his crimson tie.
"Eh, tried the whole 'guy' thing, didn't suit me." Frax took satisfaction that the blonde tied up could still joke around. He's met too many that take things so seriously.
"You constantly take the situation as a joke! Never once do you ever think about what you're doing. Brothers!" Junior was walking back to the broken bar were he left his weapon. If steam could pour out of his ears, he would be a whistling teapot. "How the grimm do you survive every time!"
"Hey, I got a solid build. I can't stay down."
"I tried to get rid of you, but I guess Roman couldn't take out a simple nuisance with his skill. What monster does not die to a fire dust shell to the-ARGHHHH!" Junior tirate was cut abruptly by a sudden aura hook attaching to his forehead, and pumping him with the power of ten dust powered cattle prods. His muscles involuntarily spasmed and contracted. His jaw locked up and whatever noise he made was muffled by spit and teeth. He landed on his knees before unceremoniously dropping to the ground. Slight twitches still moved his unconscious body.
"I knew it," Frax watched the smoke rise from the hair that burned on his head, "I dustdamn knew it. Set me up." He was desperate for a job, an influx of cash. He may have taken a lead from Junior without thinking twice about it. Some would call him too trusting, especially for what kind of business he's put himself in. That may have been because of his good nature, or maybe his elder wisdom. Most likely however he knew that it went south, he wasn't going to die anytime soon, so there wasn't any reason to be trepid in his dealings.
"Wow, just wow." The blonde had stopped her struggling to watch the club owner drop to floor. "Now that... is a shocking revelation."
"You don't spout off puns constantly, do ya Blondie?"
"You know woodman, I'm not just blonde."
"Right, you're also a club wrecker, terrible joke maker, and a neck breaker." Frax turned back to her, she stopped prying herself free and has tried to reach a dignified and relaxed position. If her kneeling, static hero landing was any evidence, it was likely as uncomfortable as sleeping on a bar stool.
"So, not to be annoying or anything, but can you be a nice guy, that you so obviously are, and unhook me." Her words turned bitter and strained near the end. She was trying to hold back the anger that was threatening to spill. Even her eyes themselves have been struggling to keep any semblance of their calm lavender as a crimson red seeped in.
"I don't know," Frax paused for a couple seconds, with his finger tapping his chin in thought, "Miltia! Melanie! Are you guys still up for tonight!?" Frax shouted that to the side of the club that had both of the twins last he saw them. The seconds ticked by as an awkward silence followed.
"You seriously ask that," Miltia paused to finish a coughing fit, "after you electrocute Junior!"
"That isn't a-"
"Go eat some-" "Grimmshit, you necro!" Frax turned to the restrained blonde with his hands held up in a shrug.
"You are also a night ruiner as well, Blondie." Frax came up to her, Vivente Vite configured with it's longest harpoon, (which was more a bladed whip at the moment,) and simply swiped it across her face and neck. The scare did its thing and the blonde was unharmed but the large mane of golden blonde hair lost a inch or two on the right side. The hair fell slowly to the ground, and all Frax could do was smirk. The blonde lost her strained smile, and her eyes widened in shock. "Now, once I deal with you, you will be going away for a very long, long time."
Absolutely a lie, he wished he had that much standing with the Vale Police Department. Them, as well as many others, were ready to put him on the streets, in a jail cell, or (always unsuccessfully mind you,) six feet under. They were so uptight compared to their corrupted counterparts in Mistral or the almost non-existent Vacouan police forces. Although the VPD was nowhere near to the military state that was Atlas, they were all about their civilian safety within city walls. In actuality, he would leave the blonde trapped and call on Junior's scroll for the police. Why wouldn't he handle the situation himself? It wasn't because he was being kind, that's for sure.
"Now, I need to make a call. Be sure to not to go anywhere." Frax made his way past the goons on the floor. They were, of course, shocked stiff. Frax could say he had an intimidating presence at times. He felt the temperature rise as he found newfound pride. His body was finally felt alive, as he actively tried to take normal breaths and let his heart beat a couple of times. In fact, Frax didn't think that he ever got this hot. Something was slightly off. He felt a bead of sweat at the back of his neck, a side effect of his body actually feeling good for once and one other thing. Frax turned around and audibly gulped.
"You had to mess with my hair, Woodman," the blonde snickered cruelly, "You had to ruin it." Frax felt the color drain again from his skin as the chick before him was literally set alight. The golden hair was burning with a stack of flames that reached the ceiling. The fire licked all the way down both arms and upper half of her body. The final nail in Frax's new coffin was her eyes, a bloody crimson red, that screamed simultaneously pure rage and bloody murder. Even the photo the chick had didn't hold a candle to the unbridled aura of intimidation that Frax now felt. For once in over thirty years, Frax was afraid for his... life.
Frax couldn't ponder how to save the situation when the blonde flexed both arms and started to rip the harpoons from the floor. The tile cracked and groaned, the wires began to fray, and the hooks struggled to keep hold. The cables cracked the air with an audible snap, and splayed across the floor. She grabbed each harpoon and aura hook, and detached them by sheer force. All with one hand each. She held her arms up in a boxing stance, flames blasting off her knuckles like blowtorches.
"You, Woodman, are going to be ash!" Frax stopped his heart and let out one final breath.
"Grimmshit." After aiming a grappling hook towards the left corner above the club, he let loose a length of cable. In the time it took for the hook to reach the ceiling, two shotgun blasts drew Frax's attention again. He was just in time to see Blondie pulling back a fist aimed at his face, while flying across the battlefield from her weapon's own recoil. He never activated his line's retraction so fast as he felt his arm being nearly pulled from his socket as he tried to dodge the punch. Frax was barely able to escape as he felt the concussive blast of a shotgun against his ear. The vambrace powered up and propelled Frax across the club floor and up within a foot of the ceiling. He took a second to catch the cross beams with his free hand and dangled above.
"RAAAGH!" Frax immediately unhooked, and rehooked across the room as the blonde bomber launched from the floor. He swung across the room like a swing when he heard the blonde crash into ceiling with enough force to make him shiver. He quickly attached a hook to his position and connected it to the left column above the DJ table. His vambraces deployed a wheel that could roll across. The cable quickly pulled taught and allowed Frax to repel down thanks to the wheeled attachment. Not just a moment later the fireball of a teen came crashing behind him as he tried to put as much distance as possible before pulling his next stunt.
"Stop running Woodman! You're only delaying the-" The boxer stopped her anger induced taunt when an aura hook attached to her sternum. The resulting pull of the cable pried the blonde from her position hanging to the cross beams on the ceiling. Frax pulled with everything he had to bring the blonde careening to the floor. He dropped from his line early and quickly attached another aura hook to her back between her shoulder blades as she was still below him. He immediately went to overload Vivente Vite's powersource and pump as much juice as he could with both vambraces at the same time. He felt both overheat from the strain and the air electrify. The yellow arcs of electricity were visible on the blonde as her aura fought the onslaught of power.
The private eye felt only little relief as the blonde simply refused to fall flat to the ground. She only came to her hands and knees, and not because her muscles were locked up, but because of sheer willpower. He could only leave them powered for so long until he had to shut them off. He could feel the vambraces trying their hardest to burn his arms as the heat radiated off the dust generators. Vivente Vite was dead weight on his arms at the moment. The last thing he could do was replace the line with two long blade-like harpoons attached to four feet of cable each. His only thing that was remotely melele, and he really didn't know anything that would put down a powerhouse like that. His electrocution was his own way bring the the big and burly, and that didn't work.
The chick gritted her teeth and brought herself to one knee. Frax knew her aura must have been hit to at least half-way at a minimum. That didn't stop her from aiming a gauntlet at him and firing a shotgun slug into his thigh. Frax couldn't react in time and felt the slug rip through muscle and skin. He had stop himself from using his aura to block the shot rather to heal it. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, especially any girl, that his aura was lacking in size. Aura size didn't effect semblance strength, but he would be a in pain if he ran out. He had only lost all his aura once and almost rotted on the spot if he hadn't been tossed in a frozen river not a second later. Safe to say, he used his aura quite differently than the blonde, who is probably literally burning her own soul to reach the strength she can.
Frax found himself brought to the same kneeling position as the blonde. Frax's eyes didn't convey any pain and in actuality he didn't feel anything but a sting. His muscles in that leg were not working to their full strength however. Once the blonde boxer began to tower over him, her fires no longer burning but her eyes still conveying the red rampage she was on. Frax felt there was only one option left. He really hated doing it, it was a cheap ploy, but he knew he wasn't going to win unless she let him play the long game. The look in her eyes adamantly denied that.
"Blondie, you really punch like a girl." Frax took several strained breaths, and let his heart begin pumping blood once again. 'Time for a show.'
"Name's Yang, Woodman, and this punch," She gestured to her fist and pulled it back, "is going to get people to yell timber!" She let loose a fiery punch that could only be described as deadly. People with aura, would most likely survive such a punch. They wouldn't get up for a day, and even then with a concussion and a splitting headache, but they would survive. Civilians however, would never come close. They would most likely have their heads punched cleaned off.
The haymaker could be felt across the world, each goon in the bar, both of the twins, and even the brothers of creation and destruction themselves all winced when the combination of fist, flame, and metal connected with the left side of Fraxinus's face. His cheek compounded and his jaw snapped. His whole head followed the punch, and Frax intentionally let his muscles loose. His neck buckled and twisted, with his whole head turning forty-five degrees... ninety degrees... one hundred and eighty degrees... and a final neck crunching two hundred and thirty degrees. His back met the floor, and weirdly his face as well. Bones were visibly disfigured, and a splattering of blood coated the ground, Frax's neck, his face, and the golden gauntlet of the teenager. Frax made a show of gurgling noises before ceasing all movement. It wasn't too hard because, once again, he was without feeling anywhere below his neck. He let blood drain from his wounds, just enough to show damage.
"That's what you get Wood- wait... what?" Frax couldn't see what was happening, since he was facing the floor, but he knew that the blonde was disappointed that the fight ended so soon. She seemed like that kind of chick.
"Oh... oh gods," the Blonde took a shaky breath, "Y-you had aura... y-you... oh gods." Frax thought he could hear the blonde take several steps towards his body then stop. The private eye was slightly puzzled. She was that type of violent person who has killed before, right? She choked a gasp and started mumbling to herself. Frax couldn't hear a word she said, it was far softer than anything she had ever said before. Frax suddenly felt a finger slightly prod his neck, he made sure to stay playing dead. The blonde took several quick steps away.
"I'm s-sor-" She choked on, Frax now realised what it was, a sob. That was the last word she spoke before she ran out of the club. The only sound was of a panicked teenager.
'Now she made me feel bad. dust dammit.' Frax rolled his eyes, that chick was fighting in the wrong place expecting them to all survive a punch like that. Well any without aura wouldn't try to fight her in the first place. Frax absentmindedly clicked his tongue, he really didn't feel as good as he normally did. It wasn't the twisted neck and the slug in his leg giving him any pain.
"You are such a pathetic waste of space-" "-aren't you Frax." Now the twins came to rub salt in the wound. The fact he couldn't talk back to them with his throat mangled really made this whole lot worse. "Now Miltia wants to stomp on the back of your skull with her heels. To be honest, I am going to let her like the good sister I am."
"Thanks sis, I could always count on you."
"Your welcome! Now, Frax any last words? Ha! I'm kidding! You already had them. They were as follows."
"Are you girls-" "Still up for tonight?"
"And Frax," They spoke in perfect unison, "I think you will regret saying those words when you're stuck six feet under." The last thing Fraxinus Lacquer heard was a squelch of blade entering his skull. There was no more light, no more anything, just him and one final thought.
'Anyone else before I black out? No? Well then...'
There are only a few people in each of the four havens of the world, that being Vale, Vacuo, Atlas, and Mistral, that knew how much punishment that Frax could really take. Those people being the city's police department's official morgue dieners and coroners. What a diener does is prepare a body for autopsy, which a coroner examines further. Of course they would be the first to realise how not dead Frax truly is. He has a unique relationship with them, especially when they first have him wake up on the autopsy table.
The official coroner of the Vale PD was a fairly old man named Dr. Michael Close. A kind gentleman who wouldn't hurt a fly, unless that fly was Frax scaring the bejeezus out of him constantly. Dr. Close couldn't deny that he found Mr. Lacquer as a subject quite extraordinary, able to study causes of death with the patient giving an accurate retelling was a dream come true. The worst part of it however, was when he shows up in a body bag and the good doctor had no idea when the idiot would wake up.
BANG BANG BANG
Dr. Close spilled his hot mug of coffee on his hands and lap when a loud banging emanated from the freezing room. Dr. Close inwardly sighed, put his mug on the office desk, and pulled his keys from his pocket. He took it slow out into the barely lit hallway, he wasn't any hurry to get him out just yet. He spilt his good coffee, none of the black water they had upstairs.
He first unlocked the freezer entrance, and lifted the heavy door handle. He flicked on the bright overhead lights and walked slowly across the linoleum floor. Around the autopsy table and pass his tools of trade, he reached a wall of body lockers. Counting three from the left and one up, he then pulled out his keys.
"Michael! It's freezing in here, come on!" Dr. Close took a second to pause, a small smile promptly came to his face.
"What's the magic word?"
"Eat Grimmshit." The coroner chuckled before putting the key into the lock. He pried the handle open and the kicked open. He pulled out the tray and saw the grey body bag on top. It shuffled on the table with the subtle movement of the undead PI inside. The doctor unzipped the bag to reveal a naked, pale, and frosty Fraxinus Lacquer. Frax blinked owlishly in the harsh light and sat up with frailty. He scanned the room before settling on the coroner with a polite smile on his face.
"Wow, that chick had a punch," Frax scoffed before rubbing his own neck tenderly, "Nice stitch work by the way."
"Huntsman? That neck was broken beyond all recognition, unless you fell doing your tightrope walker impression." The coroner admired his stitches, they were not the quality of a surgeon's but they got the job done. Frax's body would do the rest itself anyways.
"Not even, the blonde wasn't old enough to drink, let alone old enough to be a huntress. But she still had quite an arm on her," Frax mentioned that last bit quietly as he felt the rest of his body, starting with the bullet wound on his thigh, pass the old, long belly scar across his stomach, and the interlocking stitches around his neck.
The doctor nodded in agreement, even he had to deal with the many types of aura based combat in cities. Everyone died seemingly in more impossible ways, from weapons of every type and one or two semblances in his past. The two talked more specifically what kind of damage occurred so Dr. Close could record and monitor the data. The coroner did find one thing in the investigator's storytelling that caught his ear.
"So, what are you going to do now? I remember you five weeks ago, you were really glad to get back with Junior." Frax fell silent after that, before surprising Dr. Close by bowing his head down in defeat.
"I don't know, the last place who doesn't have anyone out to get me specifically is Vacuo. Even that's a lost cause since that bandit wasteland has everyone getting everyone else. I really should make more of an effort to not get in with the wrong crowd. It's not like some random teenager could best me in fight anyways."
"Is that such a problem? Maybe you should settle down or something."
"I was settled in my first life. I ain't doing that again. Either way, I can't get anything to really go my way since everyone just guts me or shoots me before I 'die' and run away."
"Alright, well, how about you do something about that. You went to Atlas Academy no less than thirty years ago, why not go get huntsman training again?"
"Atlas is an absolute no, that place was a military compound that ruined a perfectly good year." Frax looked around the facility absentmindedly until something outside the window caught his eye. A clock tower, it was far in the distance, outside the walls of Vale itself, but could be still seen by every citizen. A literal Beacon of hope to vanquish the tide of Grimm. There was only a few weeks before what Frax thought was the academy's entrance initiation. The huntsman academy was a lot more free than that of Atlas, he was sure. Perhaps, most convincing of all, it was that fact that he had some not so flattering budget portfolios of the school headmaster's spending habits. Fraxinus was sure that the Vale council would like to know why their leader against the Grimm was spending over ten percent of the budget on imported Mistralian coffee.
"I think a certain headmaster would be inclined to allow me into their academy, Dr. Close. Because Fraxinus Lacquer, private eye extraordinaire, will survive on his own terms."
"At least put some clothes on first... "