Greetings everyone,

Welcome to the reboot of chapter four of "The Arcful Dodger."

Thank you all for the criticisms, they all helped me to realize exactly where it is I wanted this story to go and I do apologize for the terrible original chapter. I hope this one makes up for it and I hope you'll continue to read it and leave your feedback.

Now, due to my new story arrangement, this will be the "last" chapter of "The Arcful Dodger" as it, along with some of my other stories will be placed on a temporary hiatus in order to lessen the level of stress. I do hope you all understand and will continue to read my other stories.

Also, make sure to check out my next chapter of "Don't Mess With An Arc" coming out this Sunday on the 29th before August when "The Master Huntsman" & "Operation: Jaune's Ex-Girlfriend" take the spotlight.

Next Scheduled Release Date:

On temporary hiatus until further notice.

Make sure to Favorite, Follow, and leave a Review.

Till next time!

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Chapter Four (Rewrite)

It was early morning when Dodger was awoken by the soft warm touch of sunlight that broke through the curtains beside his bed. Groaning from the wake up call, Dodger skipped himself out of bed, planting his feet on the carpeted floor. His arms stretched outward, his groans of pain turning into groans of pleasure as he heard several pops caused by his stretching.

A goofy grin expanded itself on his face as he pushed himself off of his bed and into the bathroom that stood adjacent to his room. He was once again extremely thankful the Vale City Council never bothered to reconstruct where he lived, otherwise he'd be without a home and he was not willing to let that happen again.

Plus, there was hot water.

Which Dodger loved as the steaming hot droplets of water cascaded down his body, weaving their way past his various scars he'd earn in his early days as a thief. Dodger had learned very quickly that not every fight had to be fought in order to win and that sometimes you never even needed to see an enemy if you knew exactly where you were going and where your enemies would be. It was why he often spent months at a time, researching his target's location in order to know everything there was to know because in his line of work, lack of knowledge could mean life and death. At the very least Dodger could relax for a few weeks while everything calmed down and then he could begin planning for his next heist.

After shutting off the hot water and wrapping a towel around his waist, the gentleman thief opened the bathroom door only for his eyes to widen at the sight of Neo's pale creamy skin wrapped in the soft glow of the sunlight, her tri-colored hair disheveled and messy from their night before, but what really grabbed Dodger's attention was Neo utter lack of a bra. His cheeks flushed red as he quickly turned around in order to avoid seeing her in her natural form.

"N-NEO! Please put on some clothes!" he shouted as he imagined her eyes rolling at his words before hearing the tell tale clacking of her scroll, no doubt typing down her words for the man she'd been in a relationship with for years. "I know what you're doing, Neo! And it's not going to work...This time." he said, keeping his eyes shut. "Just please toss me my pants..." he pleaded, holding his hand out as a piece of fabric landed in his hand.

Except it wasn't his pants as he soon found out.

And so the morning routine had been completed once more. This wasn't the first time Neo had teased Dodger so much he'd drop his "Dodger Persona" and he was definitely sure it wouldn't be the last. Ever since they were little and Jaune had changed his name to Dodger in order to avoid anyone of note searching for him, Neo had always been the one that was capable to making him drop his facade and revert back into the nervous teenage boy that he was. It both embarrassed him to no end and also reminded him that Neo still cherished him no matter who he called himself.

The so-called gentleman thief soon resigned himself to pouring two bowls of cereal for himself and his little minx, who sat upon the couch watching some cartoons, dressed in her pajamas that Dodger had taken the liberty of acquiring one night. Because if Neo had it her way she's be skipping around the room naked as the day she was born just to tease and embarrass Dodger.

After delivering the bowl of cereal to his little dessert, Dodger placed himself upon the soft cushion of the couch. Grabbing the remote from the table, Dodger switched the channel to the news as Neo scrunched her nose at him, which caused him to chuckle at her. Neo always hated the news for some reason but thanks to Roman and his insistence that a great thief must always know what's happening in the world, he had slowly began to enjoy watching the broadcasts as they not only provided vital information but there was often little segments where they'd bring a guest on the news and they'd go utterly berserk. Dodger always enjoyed those moments the most.

It seems that Dodger picked the right moment to switch the channels as the hostess of Vale News Network, Lisa Lavender, was doing an excerpt of the the "unfortunate" fire that took place where an unnamed nightclub was previously located.

"Good morning, Vale. I'm Lisa Lavender and this is the Vale News Network." said Lisa, tapping her stack of papers before placing them down and facing a different camera. "A local popularized nightclub was burned down the previous night for as of yet unknown reasons." she said as a screen appeared on the left-hand side with a picture of the destroyed nightclub and several police and firefighters stationed outside. "Authorities have decided to remain silent until further information has been obtained but once a statement has been made, we will be the first to inform you, viewers." said Lisa Lavender as the screen faded away only to be replaced by a picture of a very particular politician with a balding hairline and thick square glasses. "In other news, runner up for the Vale City Council seat, Perry Winkle, has made an announcement that he plans to hold a charity gala in his daughter's honor on her birthday, March 3rd." said Lisa as a picture of Jon Quill and his daughter appeared on screen. "And I believe I speak for everyone when I say, we wish you a happy birthday, Ms. Winklel."

Meanwhile, the moment Dodger heard the words charity gala his mind went into a whirlwind with scenarios and imaginative planning. Dodger knew from his research that Perry Winkle was as ruthless as they come when anything involved politics and that his desire for a seat on the Vale City Council was all he ever cared about, so much so that rumors had it he had his own daughter forcibly engaged to the son of a very wealthy benefactor. And all the while he hid his ulterior motives behind a gentle smile and empty promises for the civil rights of Faunus.

Dodger may be a thief but the lengths this man was willing to go just get what he wanted was downright criminal!

A smile spread across his lips as Dodger's eyes lingered on the fake smile of Perry Winkle. It was looking like Dodger had just found his next heist target. Next thing he needed to do was research the event.

"A gala, huh?" he asked to himself, eyeing the corrupt politician with a sardonic smile. "Looks like I'll be getting pretty busy in the coming weeks, Neo." he said, smiling as Neo rolled her eyes playfully at him.

After an hour of watching nonsense on TV, Dodger and Neo quietly dressed themselves in their "civilian" clothes. Though Dodger's disguise was simplistic, ranging from a blue sweater over a white collared shirt and blue dress pants and a pair of fake glasses to a black hoodie and blue jeans, Neo's apparel was something out of a Mistral animated show with gothic lolitas. And as much as he hated to admit it, mainly because it always inflated Neo's humongous ego, she did look damn good in her outfit.

After a quick lock up of his hideaway, the two of them traversed the lock downed section of Vale until they came upon a train station that would lead them into downtown Vale. The two of them handed the operator their forged IDs and after paying for their tickets with their stolen cards, the two boarded the train car and soon were rocketing off into downtown Vale. Once their train had docked, the two of them disembarked and were soon surrounded by the tall skyline of Vale's downtown area. Taking Neo's delicate hand in his own the secret thief smiled down at her as she cuddle up close to his side.

"Alright, madam, since I am currently on a break from "work" let's say you and I make the most of it." said Dodger, his smile widening as Neo nodded rapidly "But first, I have to make a quick delivery." he said, taking Neo's hand in his as they began wandering off into Vale.

Dodger always loved going on dates with Neo, especially since being a couple was so much easier when it came to avoiding unwanted stares. Though that lingering stares of the various men that eyed Neo were not doing him any favors as they walked down the street towards an out of the way book store.

As they entered the store, the chime of the door's bell echoed through the store, no doubt alerting the owner to their presence. Seeing the number of books, Neo wandered off, leaving Dodger to speak with the owner of the quaint little book store. Dodger's eyes scanned the surrounding area, seeing books upon books upon even more books creating towers that very nearly touched the ceiling when the distant sound of a door opening and closing caught his attention just as the owner entered the room.

"Welcome to Tukson's Book Trade. Home to ever book under the...Dodger?" the owner spoke, noticing the similarly dressed Neo in the background.

"No, no. Remember it's Jon Quill when I'm out in public, Tukson." he corrected the man, watching with a smile as he laughed at his own mistake before extending his hand out to Dodger's own. An action that Dodger was more than happy accommodate as he placed his hand in Tukson's, the two sharing a firm but friendly handshake while Neo stood off to the side, watching the interaction with a smile.

"I wasn't expecting so soon." said Tukson, gesturing to the piles of unstacked books littered around the store. "As you can see, I'm still unpacking. Speaking of which, thank you again for helping me with the White Fang." said Tukson,grabbing a stool and placing himself upon it while Dodger leaned against the counter.

"Tukson, I've already told you, it's fine." Dodger insisted, pressing his hand against the smooth counter. "You helped me before and I always pay back my debts. Speaking of..." said Dodger as he reached into his back pocket before pulling out an envelope and holding it out to the man in front of him. "All new forged identity." But just as Tukson reached out for it, the gentleman thief pulled back at the last second, causing Tukson to stare at him in confusion. "Provided you've accomplished the task I previously asked of you." he said, making Tukson grumble which caused Dodger to smirk at him as Tukson reached underneath the counter and pulled out a slip of paper, placing it on the counter.

"This is small list of future meeting spots between the White Fang and several unnamed individuals." said Tukson as they made their exchange and Dodger flipped open the page to read the slip of paper. "It's not much but it's a starting point and it's the most I've been able to get...Dodger, if anyone in the White Fang finds out that I've been tipping someone off then I'm as good as dead." said Tukson, frowning as the weight of his stress came crashing down upon him.

Seeing this, Dodger placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, causing the Faunus man to look up into his eyes.

"Tukson, you have my word that should the White Fang discover your whereabouts, I'll have on the very next flight straight to Vacuo." Dodger promised as he smiled sardonically. "Hell, I'll even book you on first class if it helps calms your nerves. But for now, just keep your head low and out of sight. And if you need anything, you know how to reach me. OK?" he asked, watching as Tukson released a heavy sigh before nodding.

Suddenly, the door to Tukson's store opened to reveal a girl dressed in a gothic-style clothing with raven-black hair and a night-black bow resting atop her head. Her yellow eyes widening at the sight of Dodger and Tukson. But before she could even give them a questioning look, Dodger was quick to react as he flashed the new arrival his trademark smile before turning back to Tukson.

"Well, it's been so good seeing you again, Tukson. I'll make sure to give those recommendations a try as soon as I return home." said Dodger, smiling as Tukson quickly picked up on Dodger's facade.

"You do that, Mr. Quill. And do keep me in mind whenever you need anymore recommendations." he replied as Dodger took Neo's hand in his as they walked towards the exit.

At the last second, Neo flashed a hidden smile as she "mistakenly" bumped into the girl, causing her to drop her book onto the ground. Dodger glared at her as he kneeled down to assist her in her endeavor. His hand reaching out to grasp onto the book when he noticed the title of the little black book that had the girl staring at him in absolute embarrassment.

"Ninjas Of Love?" he asked when the girl yanked the book from his grasp with a light flush of red on her cheeks as she clutched the book close to her chest and avoided his stares. "My apologies, ma'am." he apologized automatically as he continued to watch the girl avoid his eyes, causing him to scratch the back of his neck in an effort keep up his charade as a normal civilian boy. Finally, the words hit him like a bullet as he remembered the title once again. Dodger had heard of this book series when he was researching it in order to fool one of his targets. He had heard rumors that they enjoyed the romantic novel so he searched for the book in order to use the information against his target...Sadly, he learned that it wasn't a romantic novel but an ADULT romantic novel...Hint, hint. The thought bringing up several uncomfortable memories though the red flush of his cheeks did help in selling his facade as he quickly picked himself back up and make his exit, sending one last wave to Tukson, who watched with a hand over his mouth.

It was then Dodger remember exactly who sent him down that rabbit hole.

Skipping past the endless silent teasing Neo was putting Dodger through, the rest of the couple's date went by pretty well in terms of their usual date night. Which usual ended up with Dodger trying to stop Neo from murdering the wack-a-mole machine when they'd visit the arcade. If you thought Neo was terrifying when she was in murder mode, it doesn't even compare to when she straight up bashed the electronic game machine with nothing but the mallet itself. Needless to say, they were quickly banded from several arcades across Vale.

The two of them walked, hand in hand, on the waterfront, the sun setting across the horizon, Dodger turned to smile at his beautiful companion as she turned to return his smile with her own. Finding a nice comfortable bench, the two sat and watched the sunset, turning day into night. Dodger always enjoyed creating plans and testing his talents against the ever growing odds. The feeling of adrenaline when he was about to be caught only to successfully vanish at the last moment before his enemies even took notice of his presence was like no other.

But it was when he'd rest up after his heists, spending time with his little dessert and seeing her smile that always filled him with such pleasant feelings that he wouldn't have it any other way. As she laid her head delicately against his chest, his hand resting upon her shoulder as they embraced, watching the rising waves of splash against the waterfront. Unfortunately, the soft vibrations of Neo's scroll caught her attention, causing her silently huff in annoyance as she reluctantly pulled out her scroll, seeing a video message from Roman.

"Hey, Neo." said Roman, smiling as Neo glared into her device's camera while Dodger watched with amusement. "So, I know you're on one of you dates with the kid and I know you hate it when I call you but I'm kinda running into some little problems and I could really use your assistance." said Roman, seeing Neo was unfazed by his words, causing the "master" thief to sigh. "If you come, I'll buy you that tub of ice cream you wanted..." he mumbled, frowning as he knew that he had just said the words you never wanted to say to Neo.

Ice and cream.

Her eyes sparkled as she quickly nodded in agreement, hopping up from her placement before turning back and cupping Dodger's cheeks in her hands and mashing her lips against his own. The two of them pouring their passion and love into their kiss just as they always did whenever they were called away from one another. And with a final wave from his favorite psychopathic ice cream-loving minx, Dodger was left alone as she disappeared into nothingness.

Dodger's eyes lingered on the broken lunar body that rose into the velvety night sky with a soft smile on his face. His hand reaching into his pocket to pull out his scroll, inputting the unlock code and selecting contacts before scrolling down to a certain unnamed number. Upon selecting call, Dodger smiled as he heard a floodgate of insults and swears nearly drown his ears out.

"It's nice to hear from you again, Junior." said Dodger, smiling as he leaned back against the bench, his arm stretched over the back.

"Don't you give me that shit, Dodger! Do you know what you caused me?!" Hei shouted through the speaker.

"I believe I told you before Junior, that what happened was purely business. Believe me, I meant no disrespect. Besides, with this you'll no longer be under the watch of a certain someone." said Dodger, smiling as he heard Junior choke up at his words.

"What do you want?" asked Junior, no doubt growling from his end.

"I require some information on Mr. Winkle, as well as information on his daughter and associates." said Dodger, hearing Junior sigh in annoyance.

"Anything else, you back-stabbing jackass?" asked Junior.

"Why yes, there is one more thing, I'd like to ask." said Dodger, his eyes narrowing as he watched the waves crash against the rocks. "I seem to recall you mentioning that you found what I've been searching for. So, tell me...Where is Crocea Mors?"