I've been having one of those weekends when all I want to do is write.
Progress is being made on my main story, but writing about a Wick-esque Jaune and Weiss just fits the mood.
Again I've done a couple re-reads, but if anything pops out as wrong feel free to let me know.
Of all the days, Junior thought as the gang of thugs pushed their was into his establishment, that the twins would take off as a day off to shop. He kept his hands in sight on top of the bar. He saw no need into escalate the tensions even higher. He couldn't place the dress, but figured it had to be one of the other waterfront gangs. He had been having issues with Union and the Water Street crews, maybe these hoods were associates of either? He figured he'd find out soon enough.
"Where's that fuck Roman?" snapped the goon holding the pistol to the back of the bouncer's head.
"Roman?" Junior was at a loss for a response. What the hell did Roman have to do with this? He was a free lancer, and opportunist.
"Yeah you fat fuck! Where is the back stabbing two timing piece of shit!"
"Why would I know that?"
"This is his favoured place, ain't it?"
"I wouldn't say . . ."
"Quite the fucking games chubby. We know he hangs out here, we also know that unlike the rest of us on the waterfront your operations seem to be a little less targeted, by way of never being hit by that son of a bitch! Now where is. . ."
The head goon if Junior could call him that never finished speaking, as a dagger like combat knife punched through one side and out the other of his throat. Junior had forgotten that those two kids had still been there. The kids with eyes of death, and now armed with nothing but a blade each they waded into the middle of a gang of armed thugs, most with fifty plus pounds or more on them.
It was utter chaos. Weiss struck first sliding and wading past the outliers of the group to drive her weapon home in the lead's throat. Jaune followed by cutting into the flank of the unorganized and suddenly panicked group. Wrenching a weapon free he jabbed his own combat knife into the exposed man's gut six or seven times before letting go of the weapon and fluidly transferring the absconded pistol to his right hand.
Junior knew what skill was. He knew when someone was able to hold their own in a fist or fire fight. What he witnessed now was on a whole other level to that. It was disturbingly beautiful and poetic. Tap-tap, tap. Repeated time and time again as the boy the instant he had a gun in hand brought it up and to bear. Four went down in the space of less than a few seconds. Two to the chest one to the head, each time, every time flawlessly.
Weiss was moving in tandem with Jaune. Twisting her knife free she proceeded to slash the three closest to her. Razor honed edge slit wrist, jab like stab to the kidney quick twist and slash to the throat. Two went down before the third finally clued in enough to try and grapple the white haired demon assaulting his fellows. Junior winched as the man howled. Weiss drove the blade home just under his sternum after twisting herself free of his grapple by snapping three of the man's fingers. She let her knife go at that point as well, diving forward to roll and pick up a discarded piece.
Completing the roll she came to her feet in a crouch weapon ready. Tap-tap, tap. Another was out. Choosing to roll once again she moved. Landing on her back and sweeping her target's feet wide causing him to stumble and fall forward. Tap-tap. Both rounds found homes in his face.
Junior backed from the bar as one finally got hold of Jaune. With his weapon empty Jaune tussled with the the heavier man. Short kicks to the knees and shins, a step in followed by an punch to the face with the empty pistol staggered him. Dropping the spent weapon Jaune grabbed his stunned attacker, by the arm and coat. Using only body motion he twisted and turned pulling the larger man down across Jaune's own shoulders before spinning and using the momentum to flip him off his feet and back first onto the bar. Junior heard the man's neck snap as the boy slammed his forearm down over his face.
Of the fifteen that had forced their way in the two hellions had removed in a mere matter of seconds thirteen of them. Scooping up a discarded weapon Jaune moved to cover as the remainder of the gang finally clued in enough to open fire. It was confused, and panicked. They sprayed bullets ever which way. Junior ducked behind the bar as Jaune went over it to join him. Weiss out in the open used the body of her most recent target as a shield while back pedalling to the low wall separating the seating from the blood slick dance floor.
Jaune said nothing as he checked the weapon in his hands. Nodding at each weapon report. Weiss as well was confirming her weapon. Pulling out and reinserting the magazine. The pause was all but unnoticeable to but the pair of them. Jaune moved, weapon ready, popping up from behind the bar. Tap-tap, tap. The sound of another body hit the floor. Weiss appeared a split second later, Tap-tap, tap. A second body thudding to the floor. Jaune used the distraction to clear the bar and rush the last target. As the goon sprayed Weiss' location with rounds. Jaune closed, removing his left hand from his weapon grip he palmed the man's gun up and away. The man on instinct kicked out with his right leg forcing Jaune to compensate. Grabbing the man's wrist Jaune spun under the upheld arm twisting it while also driving a knee into his exposed gut. Doubled over with Jaune still holding the arm, he stepped over it, and hooked the man. Using body weight and inertia he spun them both to the floor on their backs. With only a half completed arm lock Jaune brought his weapon to bear. A final squeeze of the trigger and the last was gone in a spray of gore. Fifteen had entered, non would leave.
Weiss approached the rising Jaune, her weapon up and ready to be brought to bear if anyone else should suddenly appear. Once on his feet Jaune dusted himself off, looked at Weiss, surveyed the chaos, and just nodded. Weiss nearly giggled. To her these last few hours had been the most action or fun she had had in years.
Junior slowly stood to survey the damage. It was an utter massacre, though he was happy to admit that he nor were any of his people hurt. The sight of the bodies and the blood though did cause him some serious concern. That would be a job and a half to clean up.
It was the two kids, and he used that term loosely that he was more concerned of. The pair stood surrounded by the death wrought by their own hands and seemed unfazed. Junior would have guessed that was a normal occurrence for them by absolute calm and uninterested stance they took to the corpses piled around them. He knew better, someone in his line would know if this type of death was being dished out on a routine basis. Red flag there, among the twenty dozen or so those two already raised in him.
"So," Junior cleared his throat, "I would say a thank you is in order."
"Yeah."
"Compensation would be another place to start." commented the white haired girl.
"I, um, yeah that is something we can discuss. What type of er, compensation were you thinking of?"
"Normal rate plus ten percent." commented the boy as he looked over the combined handiwork of both.
"Rate?"
"There is a per head rate for removing people is there not?" asked the Girl as she sashayed her way to the bar, "I assume you've had used services similar to ours before, considering your line of business."
"Yeah business." Junior was way too uncomfortable. He had met psychos before, hell Roman's little tag along was a prime example of one, yet these two were something else. "The thing is, I'm not really in the business you think I am. So this compensation thing is, sort of out of my normal areas of operations?"
"Then call someone and find out." commented the boy as he walked over and joined his partner in mass murder at the bar. Both had set their confiscated weapons on the bar as they seated themselves, "I'm pretty sure you know a guy, who knows a guy."
"I know a few guys," Junior decided to try a new tactic. These kids obviously knew how things should run in deals like this, just not how they are run here. "I'm an information broker, with some acquisitions and man power jobs on the side; those I do on behalf of an associate. These guys were here about my associate not my business."
"We understand." replied the girl coolly, "Then perhaps you can introduce us to your associate? Though information is also very useful to us. Wouldn't you agree Jaune?"
"Yeah, it would be." Jaune was studying Junior, gauging his reaction to the conversation and recent history, "Bourbon. Straight."
"Wonderful idea. A glass of red please."
"Er what?" Junior wasn't sure he heard them right. First they wanted to meet his associate, and they wanted information and then just now casually ordered drinks.
"A bourbon for me, a glass of red for the lady." Juane scanned the selection on display, and took a quick glance in Weiss direction, "plus two shots of vodka."
Junior decided to give up. Fuck the police, health board, liquor commission or anyone else who may take offence to him serving these two. He was out to keep his organs intact and inside him. In quick order he placed the requested beverages on the bar before them.
"Weiss." Juane spoke as he pushed one of the shots of vodka to her. He picked up his own held it towards her, she in turn lifted her own. With a soft clink the glasses touched. "Mir."
"Mir."
Downing the shots they flipped the glass and slapped them on the top of the bar. Before both turning once again to Junior. Jaune took a sip of his bourbon as Weiss idlely held her glass of red wine.
"I do believe we have been remiss. Here we are asking questions, and being rather rude. We should introduce ourselves. I'm Weiss Schnee. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance mister?"
"Just call me Junior."
"Junior. Very well. This dour gentleman at my side is Jaune Arc. Say hello Jaune don't be rude."
"Junior."
"Jaune."
"So Junior, Jaune and myself seem to be in a spot. We recently just got free of some people who had been keeping us under observation. Now I wouldn't say they didn't have reasons, but we would rather not have to deal with them again. So. The jest of the matter, we need a place to use to get back on our feet,"
"Plus supplies."
"I was getting to that Jaune."
"A car."
"Car? I don't recall seeing many of them around on our way here."
"Still need one. I don't want to be walking every where."
"So you need a place to hide out. I can help you with that. Easy. As for supplies I have some associates that . . ."
"Junior your favourite cus. . ." Roman was almost sing-songy as he entered his favourite establishment until he saw the floor covered in corpses, "What the holy fuck happened here?"
It was then he noticed the two kids weapons ready and aimed at him standing near the bar with Junior behind. Roman instantly brought his hands up.
"Roman! Uh guys, this is my associate. The one that could help with the compensation." Junior was trying to rapidly diffuse another possible blood bath, and desperately hoped that little mute demon was nowhere near by.
"Compensation?" Junior was acting out of sorts, but Roman was catching on real quick to the situation, and he was blessing his unlucky stars that Neo had taken off for some alone time or this would have gotten worse fast. The pair of kids lowered their weapons and just watched as Roman still with his hands held high picked his way down from the entrance towards the bar. He like Junior knew wrong people, and the eyes on these kids told him about how wrong they both were.
"Roman, what can I get you?"
"I think I'd like something strong. What happened here Junior?"
Weiss and Jaune returned to their seats and allowed Junior to fill in Roman, who for the most part took it pretty well, even though it could be seen that he was having a hard time swallowing that the two kids before him had slaughtered fifteen men in less that two minutes.
"Introductions?" Junior asked.
"Wiess Schnee, this is my companion is Jaune Arc, and you are?" Weiss offered her hand to Roman while also inclining her head towards Jaune as she introduced him.
"Roman Torchwick, Gentleman Thief and Purveyor of rare goods." replied Roman taking the young lady's hand as any gentleman should when one was offered. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"Like wise."
"Why were these guys after you Roman, and how many more are there?"
"I uh . . . well."
"For fuck's sake. We're not fools. We may look young, but seriously we just escaped from Atlas Special Forces while being locked up in Beacon and not fifteen minutes ago, introduced everyone of these whatever they are to the after life. So do you and Junior still want to play this we can't really say something that might incriminate us bullshit?" Jaune was tired, he was annoyed, and though he could be a stoic silent figure he would rather just get this day over with.
"I see." Roman took a breath and then caught on to a few of the words Jaune had spoken, "Did you say Atlas Special Forces and Beacon in the same sentence?"
"Yes he did. That important to you?"
"The individual words no, but that specific combination of them yes."
"You said escaped." Junior was all ears, as this was interesting, "how?"
"They came in to test Weiss and myself with a mock fire fight. We put them all down and left."
"How many is all?" Junior was wary of asking, guessing the pair had maybe gotten free of three maybe four.
"Sixteen."
"Don't forget the general, headmaster and professor."
There was a bang and a clatter as Roman fell off his stool, his cane clattering to the floor with him. The shock was evident. "Sixteen?"
"Okay. Boys close her up. No one in, get this mess cleaned up and find the twins. Their day off is over." Junior was pulling out his scroll and typing a text. He noticed both Jaune and Weiss reaching for their firearms. "Just sending a message to a friend of Roman's who should be here. Let's take this to the office shall we."
"Weiss?"
"Humour them Jaune. If things get out of hand, offices usually have pencils."
Jaune just nodded. Junior and Roman both caught the reference, even though the didn't know the story behind it. The sound of these two speaking about pencils and humouring them made the ominous connotations the only way to interpret that statement.
"This way please. Roman's friend will be joining us shortly, as will two of my associates." Junior lead the way with Roman taking up the rear. Weiss and Jaune in the middle pistols in hand.
Weiss and Jaune had to admit it was a nice office. Well appointed, and comfortable looking. If they were truly just going to talk more privately then this would be the place to do it. Placing their weapons on the low table they took seats next to each other on the overstuffed couch. Roman took a chair across from them leaning his cane against the arm. Junior declined sitting behind the desk and took the other chair opposite them.
"Sorry, it just that well even with what I've seen recently. Sixteen Atlas Special Forces is a little nerve wrecking to hear about."
"I'm pretty sure they have video footage of it. Any decent information broker would know how to or have the people needed to gain it if you don't believe us." replied Weiss her patience also now growing thin.
"It's not that we don't believe, it just hard to believe." Roman chimed in trying his best to be charming and disarming.
Neo always considered her skills as top tier, that was until she tried to sneak into the meeting Junior had summoned her for and found two teens with semi-automatic pistols in her face before her semblance had even fully dropped. Roman was now beyond afraid. Neo was chaos, and could easily go from happy to kill in a short span of time, these two, never seemed to come out of it. Each action they made, every word they spoke was just a facade hiding the ability to absolutely decimate everyone around them.
Neo tried to smile non-threateningly, and waved as Roman and Junior stammered for words.
"Is this your associate Roman?"
"Yes."
"Next time she knocks or it'll be a closed casket service." Weiss was now beyond annoyed.
"Of course. Sorry. She likes to play games. Wont happen again." Roman gave Neo a stern look, "Will it Neo?"
Neo nodded and signed her apology, which surprisingly Jaune and Weiss signed back to her as accepted. Learn something new all the time I guess was Junior's train of thought.
"So if everyone can bring it down just a little bit, shall we make some amends, and arrangements for all of our mutual benefit?"
"Compensation for services rendered. A place to stay, two room with a kitchen. A car, nice but not flashy, and somewhere to gain supplies." Weiss rhymed off the list from her memory as if it was a shopping list for a trip to the corner store.
"Okay. Anything else."
"A new suit." was Jaune's addition to the conversation.
"Roman what can we do to assist with their needs?"
"I think we can take care of all their needs, and requests, on one condition." Roman's had a thought in his head, and he liked the way it could play out if these two were amicable to it.
"The condition?" inquired Jaune.
"Nothing too serious. Just access to and the employment of your unique skills as and when needed, with an agreed upon compensation for any and all services rendered, implied or not during any and all employments?" replied Roman.
"Sounds reasonable." Weiss was intrigued. It would seem that her and Jaune may just end up better off than they thought at the start of the day.
"It does." replied Jaune, before adding, "We will need an in house doctor on call. A proper one, not some lost license hack."
"Done." was Junior's addition to the conversation, "Is verbal acceptable, or do we require a written agreement?"
"It should be proper. Written."
"Written."
"I'll accept that." replied Roman, obvious not wanting to go against the murderous pair across from him, not when he was so close to finally getting the type of back up he and Neo needed for the jobs and meetings to come.
Neo had made no move since that first altercation with Weiss and Jaune. She had spent the entire conversation at Roman's side observing the pair on the couch. She could sense no Aura from them, and hence they would have no semblance, yet even to one like her, one used to death, to causing pain, these two were in a class above her. It was at that point she had decided, if anything was to go wrong, or south she was on their side. She was an alpha predator, these two were super-alphas.
