Chapter 4: A Rather Peaceful Day Shopping With a Dash of Murder
Skull sat on a chair in a dark, musty room. A single beam of light partly lit up the room making Skull's mask look all the more ominus. Skull looked around the room with his heightened fanus vision. The only furniture in the room was a table with four other chairs, only one of them being unoccupied. Across from Skull sat Percy, a kid with the tips of his black hair dyed blue. He sat on the chair backwards facing Skull with a bored look on his face. Skulls gaze went to the next person, Danny, a edgy goat fanis that was glaring at Percy. He was not exactly fond of humans. He had goggles on top of his scruffy brown hair. The last one in the room was Rachel she was staring at Skull with such intensity that it creeped him out. She has purple hair today, it changes every so often. Just as Skull was about to announce their next mission out of the shadows walked a girl in a black hoodie and black jeans with piercing yellow eyes glowing in the dark peering at them.
All she said was "I know who you are and I want in." Everyone in the group stared at her. Skull knew someone was watching him but he just thought it was the whitefangs making sure he did not screw up their plans. He smiled from under his mask, this little game just got a lot more interesting.
Edward Blade returned to the academy just as they finished the tutorial on the training system and the safety rules lecture from Goodwitch. So he was just sitting on a bench, chilling with nothing else to do. Then suddenly Andrea sat down beside him and asked "How ya doing?"
Edward looked at her for a few seconds and then looked away and returned to his peaceful thoughts.
Andrea cleared her throat, making Edward sigh and think "I don't think I'll get rid of her unless I talk to her…" Even though he came to that realization he remained silent anyways continuing to stare into space. Andrea feeling a little irritated narrowed her eyes at him and then suddenly Edward's own hand out of nowhere slapped himself in the face with a solid SMACK!
"Why are you hitting yourself?" Andrea asked coyly with a sly grin that spread across her face.
Edward just looked at her with a look that said "Why?" and then vanished from sight.
Andrea said into the air "We're all going shopping! You should come with us!" She sighed as there was no response and ran back to Team ANGL excluding Alex. A little later Alex, Dante and Derek walked out of the building Dante shooting Alex the stink eye when ever he wasn't looking. Dante just hated this dude off the bat. His very presence seemed pompous and irritating and it did not take an expert to realise Alex seemed to despise him just as much. Derek just stood there awkwardly in between them praying that he wouldn't die if they started fighting with him caught in the middle.
Grace smiled at them giggling to herself and started to whistle and signing to herself "I'm going to see him today~ I'm going to see him today~"
Andrea looked at her and decided not to question her, fearing the creepy reply she would get that may or may not prevent her from sleeping for a while.
Natalie looked at them and whispered to Grace "I thought it was just supposed to be us girls."
Grace laughed "Silly Nat, that would be boring, and we are going to need them." Grace shook her head condescendingly. Andrea tried not to laugh, there was something comical about a five foot girl trying to look down at a six foot, muscular beauty that was Natalie. Dante shivered and pulled his scarf on tighter and said "Can we go before it gets dark? Me and Derek just need to buy some parts."
They all nodded and headed off. They walked through the almost empty streets towards the market place. They were all talking except Alex who just watched from behind with his sunglasses on and a look of displeasure and Edward who followed while invisible. Derek and Dante stuck to talking to each other and their 'secret project' they were building together. When they got to the last crosswalk they needed to cross to get to the market someone called out Natalie's name.
Natalie, startled turned around to see her twin brother standing right infront of her. He was six foot, just like her and had the same freckle dotted face and piercing eyes. "How you doing sis?" He asked "We hardly see you at home anymore. Byron misses you."
Natalie looked at him with mild shock and said "Why are you here?!"
He laughed "Now that is a bit harsh, we haven't seen each other in a week and that's how you talk to your twin?"
Everyone else in the group were just watching silently ignoring the signal to cross, Grace smiling creepily.
"So who are your friends?" He asked in a cautious voice.
"None of your business." and then whispered "What are you actually here for?"
"I'll get to that, meet me at the usual spot." He whispered back and left with a wave.
Dante looked to Natalie and asked "So who was that?"
"My twin Nathan." Natalie stated
"Does he always look that suspicious?" Alex asked with his pompous accent.
Natalie glared at him and walked across the street, the rest got the hint and followed. Edward suddenly materializing beside Derek and Dante causing them both to jump and swear violently at him
"How long have you been there!" Derek yelled startled.
"The whole time." Edwards stated.
"You know sometimes you can be a real creep." Dante said his adrenaline fading, Edward just shrugged and said "I need to buy some dust for my weapon."
"So you turned invisible and practically stalked us?" Derek asked trying not to laugh
"Yea, pretty much." Edward nodded. "I'm hungry mind we stop at a fast food place before we go shopping?"
Derek shrugged and Dante said "I don't see why not."
Everyone with different things to shop for split up, Team ANGL and Andrea went off somewhere to buy whatever they wanted to buy, while the others went to a fast food place. They walked into the fast food shop and right away the smell of grease, french fries and broken dreams wafted past causing Derek's stomach to growl. They all stared at the menu, it had been a long time since any of them went out to buy food, but making it through the first day of Beacon, a school they would have never even bothered dreaming of being in two years ago, was worth the treat.
Derek walked up to the counter and ordered the largest meal he could possibly order and smiled saying to Dante "You are paying right?"
Dante laughed "You wish, I would go broke in seconds if I agreed to that!"
They all walked up to the counter and ordered food and drinks then found a seat by the window and waited for only a few minutes until they were called up.
"I just sat down…" Derek sighed and stood up and brought the meals over. "Chocolate milkshake for me, root beer for Edward aaaannnd Vanilla milkshake for Dante"
Derek sat down and started chowing down not even taking a moment to breath in between bites. In a manner of moments they all sat with empty platters sitting on chairs, stuffed.
"Well that was nice while it lasted, now it's time to feel like shit from all that greasy food." Derek sighed.
Dante was about to respond when his scroll buzzed. "Ah, I will be outside taking this. Be right back."
Dante pressed the answer button and stepped out of the building and said "Hello?" He walked a ways in silence. There was no answer.
"Uhhh, hello?" Dante tried again. "Ug." He pressed hang up and pocketed his scroll. He was about to walk in when he heard a familiar voice say "Nathan, I told you once already, I will not be returning to my old life. I'll give you money but beyond that expect no help from me! Unless you want me to help you with homework or something that does not risk my credibility."
Derek looked into the alley where he heard the voices and saw Natalie and her twin, Nathan.
Nathan pleaded "Come on sis, we're in some deep shit, we need you back to fix it!"
Natalie grunted and said "Get out of here Nathan, I'm a huntress now."
Nathan nodded somberly and said "I hope you change your mind." and ran off.
Dante said to himself, quietly "What was that about?" Then he turned to walk away and accidentally kicked a can. Natalie jumped and looked at him with shock. Dante just waved, then before he could react, the peaceful kind Natalie he was talking to just thirty minutes ago bodychecked him into the wall with her arm across his neck and growled "What did you hear!"
Dante stared at her with shock. "What did he ask you to do?"
Natalie glared at him and scowled "None of your business. Now answer honestly. What. Did. You. Hear?"
Dante sighed "All I know is that Nathan is in trouble and he asked you to do something that may soil your cred. Quite a handful your family is huh?"
Natalie threw him to the ground and said "You don't know the half if it."
Dante got up to his feet and rubbed his throat "I bet I can one up whatever your story is."
Natalie raised an eyebrow. "Really?" Natalie laughed. "I would like to see you try, you go first so you won't Bull Shit your story."
Dante sat on a box and thought to himself "Why am I telling her this? Oh well, too late to back out now." He cleared his throat and in a powerful storyteller voice said "It all began in Vacuole, where there was a small clan known for its ability to manipulate dust into all sort of powerful fire weapons, and their leaders-"
"Get to the point." Natalie cut in "I told the others I went to the bathroom so they should be expecting me back soon."
"Ok, well since I dont have the special powers over fire the head of the clan was supposed to have, as the heir I was banished and my little sister took my place as the heir. Instead I got the less desireable speed and smoke Semblance. So at the age of six I traveled alone into a nearby village where I worked at a farm till seven then jumped several trains and other transport vehicles for three years until I got to Vale where in the forest I met 2 kids who were living there. You should know them, Edward and Derek. So till I was ten I was all alone. There are some other cool stories like the time I got arrested, or faked my death, but since you wanted the quick version. Now you? "
Natalie tried not to look impressed and started telling her story desperate to out play him. "Well I am the oldest of seven children. We were born in the slums with barely a penny to rub. I had to get a job at the age of ten as an illegal child worker." She started to hesitate, she never really shared her story with anyone before. Even Nathan didn't know some of the things she found tumbling out of her mouth. "I helped my family get by, taking care of the siblings in the mornings and working all night. I went a whole week with only around 4 hours of sleep in total with small naps caught during my breaks. My mother worked a lot, and my father every once in awhile came back with an abnormal amount of unmarked cash then went back out, he never stayed long. Then one day while I was working in a factory when I was twelve there was an explosion. I lost my arm and several friends in that explosion-"
"Woah, what but your arm is right there," He pointed at her arms. "And was that the explosion that caused a portion of the city to cave in five years ago?"
Natalie nodded and simply took off her robotic arm and was about to continue talking as Dante stared in a stunned silence when Dante snapped out of it and said "Didn't the guy that was at fault for that explosion die yesterday? A chandelier fell on him, they suspect foul play. They never arrested him because of lack of information and there being no survivors and witnesses. So how did you survive something that reportedly no one survived?!"
Natalie waved him off. "I have to go, they will start looking for me soon."
Dante looked at her incredulously and said "What!? You are just going to leave it at that? I mean how did you get that arm, it looks expensive."
Natalie sighed and quickly summed it up "I woke up without an arm and they bribed me, I die along with my family exposing the truth, or I get a new arm and live happily even with an added bonus."
Natalie just walked off as Dante called after her "Wait what 'truth'?"
Natalie ignored him and walked off , kicking herself for telling him so much. He just looked so trustworthy and she had to tell someone but "why him?" she asked herself.
"This info is dangerous, it can get him killed do you really want that?! It has hurt people in the past, and it will again. I already lost an arm to this shit I do not need to lose any more." She thought to herself aggressively and walked towards the mall the others should be.
She walked into the mall where the other 3 girls were sitting on benches around the fountain talking. Andrea and Grace did most of the talking, Laura just sort of nodded and every once in awhile smiled.
"I can't believe the author just killed him off like that! He didn't even finish his arc!" Andrea ranted. Natalie eased back into the conversation not fully being in it, thinking of what should be done next.
Alex in a patient british accent said into his scroll "I told you to get the system setup before I arrived. I have to be watching Weisse 24/7 while being able to go about my normal business, cause I'm a really busy man. You're going to set up alarms and patch me into the Beacon security system right? "
"Yes mister Nixia" Said one of Alex's goons. He was given access to a part of the Nixia funds to use as he pleased during his mission, and he decided it would be best to be able to watch her without raising suspicions of authorities and being accused of being a stalker. So he got other people to do the work for him while supervising over the whole operations. He had eyes on team RWBY 24/7 if they so much as whisper at night he would know, not exactly what he thought he would be doing at seventeen, stalking, that is what it was really, he couldn't fool himself, four seventeen year old girls. Alex sighed "I better be paid well for this…"
"Excuse me?" Said his goon.
"I said, you will be paid well for this but only if you do a good job. Good day to you sir." He hung up. He'll have to spend half of his free time combing over useless tapes of team RWBY's room and the bugs he got in there clothes. Alex adjusted his sunglasses and walked through the streets a bit disgruntled. This was the worst initiation mission ever, he has to spend 4 years basically going over shit he already knew with some added useless stuff like history, or team tactics. He worked alone everyone else will hold him back, with the exception of maybe Laura she may be able to fight with him a little longer than the rest, but the others were useless especially the runt. Other than her semblance she had no use.
"This is below my pay grade… whipping up some damn kids into a functioning unit…. Some of these imbeciles can't even hold their weapons properly." Alex growled he was already sick and tired of this place, it lacked professionalism and skill. It was so carefree almost begging to be attacked.
Alex looked right and left and went to cross the street when a limo came barreling past knocking him over and into a puddle. He turned around to cuss at the driver when there was an explosion and the limo flipped over spinning in the air from the explosion flying right over a guy in a gas mask with devilish looking goat horns sticking out of his head. Alex squinted his eyes at him and whispered to himself "Whitefang?"
The limo landed with a crash behind the demon goat who put his shotgun on his shoulder and sauntered over to the limo. Alex stood up and started to walk away it was none of his business.
Grace laughed at the joke Natalie told and wiped tears out of her eyes and said "How about we go across the street to that cupcake store we saw earlier."
Andrea brightened up and said "YES!"
The other two shrugged a bit out of it and it was decided. They stood up and headed off towards the cupcake store. The mall doors automatically opened and they walked into the streets and Grace stopped and raised an eyebrow then smiled evilly.
Natalie groaned "Oh no what's gonna happen now?"
Grace giggled and jumped up and down and said "Stand riiiiight here and no matter what Do. Not. Move." She directed Laura to a random spot on the street and then grabbed Natalie's and Andrea's hands and backed off and said "Do not interfere."
Laura looked to Grace and said "What is about-" Just then from the sky a man in a gas mask fell a little ways ahead of them and he landed silently on the street with a shotgun on his shoulder. He casually aimed it at a limo heading his way not moving and shot a grenade that bounced under the limo and went off with a bang. The limo flipped almost comically over him heading right towards Laura. She stared at it with only mild panic but did not move as instructed. The limo fell towards Laura about to squish her and Grace yelled out creepily "Don't moooove!"
Laura looked up right into the open top of the limo, it was directly inline with her. She smiled "So that was her plan? She wanted us to get involved with this from the getgo, it was never about the shopping." Laura let the limo fall on her ducking a bit so the floor of the limo wouldn't concuss her and she was in the limo perfectly unscathed. She looked around in the dark limo, it looked the the driver was dead but the passenger was still breathing. She drew her combat knife and severed the seatbelt and hoisted the man in the suit over her shoulder and kicked open the door and walked out right into the muzzle of a shotgun. Behind the demon goat with the shotgun was Grace, Andrea and Natalie surrounded by four others. A figure in a skull mask, a woman wearing a ninja mask and a spandex suit, a guy wearing a bandana over his mouth sunglasses and a hat where his blue tipped black hair peaked out of and the final person had a masquerade mask on and a heart shaped flail in her hand.
From the shadows of an alleyway Dante watched, they were in a sticky situation and he wanted to help but running in there would just get them all killed. Slowly, almost too slowly a plan formed and he sent a message to Edward and Derek.
Edward and Derek sat patiently at the table waiting for Dante to return when their scrolls buzzed. The both made eye contact and took out their scrolls on it said "Under attack: Whitefang? Strat: Forever fall's that one time with the poachers this time with deadly force."
They looked at eachother and wordlessly nodded and booked it leaving cash at the table. Edward turned invisible and Derek started to climb up a pipe on top of the fast food place and started scouting out for the signal. Suddenly everything went slow as Derek's semblance caught onto something moving really fast, it was a rock thrown insanely fast it flew over an overturned limo.
He saw a demon goat with a shotgun to Laura's face. He plugged his headphones into his ears and whispered into his scroll "Highest threat seems to be the goat at the moment, he has a hostage at gunpoint. I will proceed to take him out when you SOBs are ready."
Dante's hushed voice came in from his headphones "Got it, give Edward a few more seconds and take the shot, I'll rush in and create a diversion I'll need support fire."
Edward tapped on the mic three times, it was a go.
Dante started the countdown. "3" Derek held his breath steadying his aim. "2" The demon goat prodded Laura with the shotgun. "1" Grace looked at Derek, who saw her in his peripheral vision, Grace mouthed "NOW!" he looked back at the demon goat who put the gun to Laura's head and was about to shoot. He had to take the shot. Everything started to go slowly. He could feel the milliseconds crawl by as he saw the demon goat pull the trigger millimeter by millimeter. Derek took the shot The loud bang echoed throughout the streets drowning out Dante saying "GO!"
Derek's bullet hit the demon goats shotgun knocking it aside as it pelted the limo with bullets enough to make most aura's useless if every bullet hit, it was designed to kill. Dante ran in smoke trailing in behind him making him only a shadow amongst the smoke. Edward appeared behind the guy in the skull mask, locating the leader with an uncanny accuracy and slashed to behead him but Skull just ducked and kicked him in the gut knocking him back but giving the three surrounded girls enough time to strike back. Natalie threw her bastard sword at Masquerade who simply leaned to the side as it went flying past. Andrea drew her chakrum and raised her hand and the bastard sword stopped and went flying back towards Natalie. Grace smiled and took out her bo staff and approached the girl in the ninja costume.
Edward and Dante stood in front of Skull. Laura stood eye to eye with the demon goat. Grace smiled and pointed her weapon at the ninja who silently drew her crossbow and spiked whip. Alex looked at the situation and swore, his father would have his ass if he soiled their name with their deaths on his head. He looked around, he didn't bring a weapon with him. He saw a water drainage pipe attached to a building and sighed… "This will have to do…"
He walked up to the pipe and pulled, it started groaning as he ripped it from the building white plaster dust falling on his head. He raised the pipe above his head and threw it at the guy with the skull mask and booked it running alongside the hurtling pipe. The ten foot pipe was about to stab into Skull's back when the Ninja appeared on its side cutting it in half sending half of it into the floor and the other half into the sky. Alex jumped over the ninja grabbing the pipe midair, front flipping with the pipe raised above his head and slashed at Skull who was now facing him. Skull lazily backhanded the pipe and grabbed Alex's shoulder and brought his dagger swiftly towards Alex's stomach. Ice covered Alex's stomach just in time to for Skull's dagger to stab the ice harmlessly.
Skull looked into Alex's eyes and whispered "Alex Nixia? What are you doing so far from home?" Alex stared at him terrified and astounded that someone knew his identity just from his ice semblance. They all stood at a standstill waiting for the other to make the first move. The girl in the masqurade mask swung her heart flail around and around smiling. She swung her flail over her head and at Andrea at an angle. Andrea directed the flail up a bit and ducked as it flew right over her head with a swish a spike barely missing her head. The flail swung around and towards Natalie who blocked it with the flat of her blade and grabbed onto the spiked chain with her robotic arm and started pulling knocking the masquerade girl off balance.
Andrea threw both of her chakrums at the Masquerade girl. The chakrums were spinning like saws as they flew towards the vulnerable girl who rotate stepped behind the chain of her flail blocking the chakrums with sparks flying and a horrible shrieking noise. Then out of nowhere a blade was pressed to Andrea's neck and a distinctly masculine voice said "Everyone stop! Or this girls head will roll and call off your sniper!" It was the bandana guy. Andreas Chakrums just fell to the floor as she froze in fear. An eerie silence went across the entire skirmish.
"We are going to leave before the cops come and you are just going to stay here don't move until the cops show up. Only then we will return your friend. Got it!"
Derek lined up Bandana up on his crosshairs. He felt cool metal against his throat and a sickly sweet voice said "I wouldn't If I were you." Derek had an odd feeling in his gut that this was all a trap. A ruse to bring them all here, but then who brought them here. Grace.
Dante looked around in panic he wasn't even able to get a single hit in it all went so fast. Fighting other semblance users was so much different than fighting Grimm and poachers. Everyone stared in shock at Bandana, how could they lose track of him? Dante ordered everyone "Let them go!" glaring back at the bandanna man as they began to fall back, "You hurt her I will kill you." The guy in the bandana scoffed and said "Is that a threat?"
Dante stared him down and in a guttural growl said "No it's a promise." Dante watched them with a snarl of disgust.
The Demon Goat took the unconscious Suit and glared at Laura and said in a deep voice "Next time I will kill you." Laura smiled and said "A lot of people have said that to me, yet I don't see any of them left alive." The Demon Goat growled and left. Alex glared at Skull who just scoffed and walked off. The group of criminals started walking away taking their hostage with them. Edward looked to Dante and said "Should I go after them? I can turn invis-"
Dante shook his head and said "This is out of our hands now. All we can do for now is wait for the authorities they have more experience on stuff like this."
Edward protested calmly "But-"
"I don't want Andrea to die because of our lack of experience ok?! Don't you think I want to go after her to.." Dante yelled at Edward. Laura took a step forward and looked at them saying "Dante is making the right call, we have not been trained for this. It is not like the movies where a bunch of inexperienced people can just rescue their friend without consequence."
Edward sighed.
Grace stared at the spot Andrea was and said "I didn't know this will happen… all I saw was us fighting to save some dudes life. Now Andrea is gone…."
Alex looked at her quizzically "Doesn't your power show you a future that can't be changed?"
Grace nods "It shows me fragments of the future and those fragments, no matter what I do can not be changed, but after that I can… It is like there are turning points that I'm shown, that can not be changed.."
Alex scoffed "Then why are you worrying about it, the way it sounds to me is that this is a turning point and no matter what you did yo could not change it. So stop moping." Alex winced at his petty attempt of making her feel better.
Natalie put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Grace, sat on the floor looking like a devastated twelve year old, her normal powerful stance gone.
Edward looked around and said "I am sorry to break the mood… but where is Derek?"
Dante talked into his scroll and said "Derek you here?" there was no response.
Laura checked all her weapons and said "Do you think he went after them?"
Dante shook his head "He's not a risk taker he would never do that."
Edward's eyebrows scrunched together "I don't know, when he is pissed he tends to get really stupid and a sure fire way to piss him off is to hurt his friends."
Dante sighed "Great.I hope he didn't go AWOL and he's just chilling on a roof."
The cops showed up and surrounded the scene of the crime and jumped out of their vehicles aiming weapons at them. ANGL and what was left of DEAD did not move.
The police-chief-looking-person yelled at them "Do not move and put your weapons on the ground." They all obeyed Natalie was about to object but Laura elbowed her in the gut.
