I do not own/have any rights to One Piece and RWBY
My first Fanfic. Hope you enjoy
Chapter 7 - Brave New World
The beautiful, scarlet sky was the perfect backdrop for a normal evening in downtown Vale. Crowded pavements surrounded every skyscraper filled with the hustle and bustle of people hurrying on their way. The air was alive with gossips, freshly cooked food from stalls and noises produced by the masses of taxis in the crammed streets. And soon, the concrete jungle will come alive on another level as the thousands of tiny windows on the high-rise buildings will gift any onlookers with the breathtaking view of countless diamonds shining brilliantly.
Downtown Vale truly was a city that never slept.
And speaking of sleep…
Within one of those said high-rise buildings, was a figure. A figure who was currently sprawled out haphazardly on a sofa, enjoying his sweet, sweet nap.
Groowwwl~
That was, until his hunger caught up to him.
"Ughh…" Yury always felt a bit groggy for the first few hours after waking up. But still, he couldn't remember the last time he's had such a quality nap.
Perhaps he's slept even a bit too well. He felt like a slob.
Maybe the little princess did have a point after all.
… Ah who was he kidding, he was going to draw this out for as long as he could.
As he lazily made his way down to the kitchen, he started his search for something suitable for him to eat. When he opened the fridge, he couldn't help but sigh. All he had were raw ingredients, where he would have to wash and prepare them in order for him to have a proper meal.
He really didn't feel like cooking right now, and he really didn't feel like going outside for a takeout as well.
Another sigh escaped him.
For all the complaints he's had for the princess, there certainly were times when he missed the kid.
Like now.
'She makes a really good pasta, if I recall correctly.' He absentmindedly mused to himself as he scavenged his pantry for anything simple to fill his stomach.
Then, he saw it.
A laugh suddenly threatened to spill out within him when he spied a certain cereal box featuring a certain champion as its mascot.
He still hasn't let that go, much to her chagrin. It was cute how embarrassed she was about the whole thing.
When he first found out, it took everything he had to not to break down in an uncontrollable fit of laughter. He was in the middle of a crowded shopping mall after all.
The next day, he started calling her Pumpkin Princess.
The look on her face when she first saw him eating the said cereal in his cafe… Let's just say it was enough to wash away his months old fatigues in an instant.
He even had the box facing her and everything too! And to top it all off, he made sure to have the cheesiest grin on his face when she looked at him.
'Ahhh…. Good times.' The young man recalled with half-lidded eyes and a silly smile on his face. Pity she would always throw away any of those offending cereals in his possession when she caught whiff of one, much to his annoyance.
Those cereals were expensive dammit! (For a cereal anyways.)
She would always claim that "They weren't healthy", but he knew she was just embarrassed about the whole ordeal. Hell, he would be too if the roles were reversed.
But that did little to stop him from buying more, just so he can have the satisfaction of seeing the cheeky brat losing her composure.
He even got a hoodie for buying over a hundred boxes, and it would forever be his prized trophy that symbolized his steadfast dedication of teasing the princess.
'I thank you for the meal, my lady.' A mirthful chuckle rang throughout the kitchen as the young man prepared himself a nice big bowl of cereal for his dinner. But just as he finished pouring in the milk, a faint sound of glass shattering caught his sharp ears.
"Hm?" With the bowl still in his hands, he lazily made his way to where the sound came from.
Outside, down on the streets.
When he made his way to the terrace and peered down below, he was treated with a rather curious sight.
Judging from the context clues, some kind of robbery was taking place in the shop couple blocks down from his place.
But that wasn't what had his attention.
There was a girl, a girl clad in red who was locked in combat while wielding a scythe that was bigger than her.
'There's something you don't see every day…' He thought as he slowly reached for his spoon.
The girl, using the recoil from her weapon, twirled around, hitting one of the jokers robbing the store which subsequently sent him flying. In that same fluid movement, she smashed another guy to the unforgiving pavement blow with a harsh crack.
"Oooh…" The young man not-so-sympathetically winced in the midst of his chewing. "Yea, he's going to feel that in the morning." A quiet chuckle escaped him as he continued to take in his sugary meal.
Once again using the recoil from her weapon, she started zipping around the street while dodging the gunfire aimed towards her. She eventually charged at the guy shooting at her, and by the looks of it, her velocity must have been greater than it appeared. The girl just ran straight through the poor guy, sending him dozens of feet up in the air. And with another twirl of her weapon, she knocked down the guy, who was still in the air, like he was some sort of piñata. (Which incited another rounds of "oooh and ahhh" from the young man above)
Now, it appeared that she was engaging in some pre-fight banter with what he could only assume was the boss.
Pity he couldn't hear their conversation since he was too high up, but nonetheless, he watched on curiously without stopping his spoon. He had to admit, cereals weren't a bad substitute for popcorns.
When the boss guy aimed his cane at the girl, the young man didn't expect much from it. So when he actually fired his weapon at her, Yury couldn't help but raise his brow at the firepower behind the deceptively mundane cane. It pretty much shredded a good chunk of the pavement.
The girl deftly dodged the shot by dramatically flipping to the air.
'Mistake.' The former assassin critiqued before taking in another spoonful. 'Performing overly flashy evasion leads to increased chance of target leaving the line of sight, which the target will then use the opening to either attack or…' His eyes silently tracked the boss guy. 'to flee.'
He fled to the building across and left to where the young man was currently at. And despite climbing to the top of the building, the guy was still a bit below Yury.
Soon enough, Red joined the boss man on the roof.
But by the time she caught up to him, it appeared that his ride was here. An ear-splitting screech of bullhead pierced through the quiet night sky. At this point, he had to wonder, where the hell were the cops? And why did he even bother to pay his taxes?
He was brought out of his musing when he noticed the boss man throwing a red Dust crystal at the girl, soon after boarding his ride.
It landed right next to her with a soft clink.
Spoon still in his mouth, Yury lazily held out his free hand as if he was going to flick something.
He couldn't help but roll his eyes.
'When your enemy throws something that can explode at you, don't just stare at it.'
'Tobu Shigan - Bachi'
The resulting impact of the compressed air bullet was enough to knock out the boss guy's shot of its flight path before it reached the girl.
But it appeared his small intervention was unnecessary.
With a dramatic flash, a new character made her debut to the little show he was witnessing.
From above, it was difficult to make out exact details of her features, her only distinguishable detail being her blonde hair. And with the new cast in play, the show started once more with renewed vigor.
Spectacular dust attacks were being thrown around like it was going out of style. Elaborate force fields were created with what looked like ancient runes. Storms were being called upon with a simple flick of her weapon.
Yury was beginning to worry he was going to run out of cereals before the show ended.
And what's this? It appeared that the boss man also had an ace up his sleeve as well.
Pyromancer, by the looks of it.
Explosions. His ace sure loved making things explode.
'I hope whoever owns that building has a good insurance.' Despite the apparent direness of the situation, Yury couldn't help the amusement bubbling up within him as he watched on.
Soon, with one last glorious explosion, the boss man and his ace made their hasty escape. And now, with the Blonde escorting Red away, his rather abrupt yet not unwelcome evening entertainment came to an end.
And by the sound of it, the ever-vigilant police have finally decided to show themselves.
With a quiet chuckle and a shake of his head, Yury soundlessly retreated back to his "humble" abode.
An understatement of the century perhaps, considering he was currently staying in possibly one of the most expensive hotels in Vale.
In its penthouse, no less.
All around him, he was surrounded by masterfully designed rooms and luxurious yet elegant furnishings. Every details were carefully selected and quality crafted; High performance Dust-infused lights and shade systems, heated bathroom floors, concrete first-level and hallway floors, teak wood bedroom flooring, troweled plaster walls and ceilings, artworks display lighting, hidden mechanicals, a climate-control system, high-tech security system, and spacious corner rooms that overlook the city.
The top-of-the-line chef's kitchen clad with premium finishes and fixtures including custom white lacquer cabinets, bluestone counters and professional-grade appliances. Sliding glass doors in the dining area showcase views while opening up the home to even more light and air. There also was the awe-inspiring terrace which can be accessed from any room, where a fully-equipped outdoor stainless steel kitchen, sun deck, hot tub and private outdoor shower awaited.
And how could he forget the two dramatic stairways leading to the private bedroom suites, all boasting sleek en-suite baths, generous closets and wonderful views?
But perhaps the most unique feature about this lovely place was that it was in fact one-of-a-kind glass house, sheathed in high-performance, museum-quality, Dust-reinforced insulated glass. The sun and temperature-controlled glass that enveloped its interior was tastefully designed with the top art collector in mind.
Unobstructed 360 views from this penthouse were truly unparalleled.
And it was all his, thanks to a certain General.
Bzzzzzt Bzzzzzt Bzzzzzt
Speaking of the Devil…
"How is my favorite General doing in this fine evening?" Yury cheerfully answered his call. Combined with quality nap, meal (all matter of perspective), and entertainment, the young man couldn't have been in a better mood.
But it appeared someone did not share his sentiment.
"How am I doing you ask…?" The Atlesian General replied with small smile. Too stiff to be genuine however. "Well, I was doing rather well actually, peaceful… quiet… a rather mundane day if I do say so myself."
Yury nodded along with a nonchalant smile, never noticing the increasing twitch of General's brows as he continued. "I would have considered today not a bad day all things considered… Until I saw THIS." He spat out the last part like it was one of the vilest words ever to exist as he shoved a report of some kind in front of the camera.
It was a copy of the contract regarding his housings, i.e. the penthouse.
Yury told him as such.
Apparently, he did not like that answer.
"Yes Lloyd, I can read. But what I cannot possibly comprehend is your reasoning behind the fact that you purchased a penthouse FROM THE MOST EXPENSIVE HOTEL IN VALE, USING THE MILITARY BUDGET!"
It was amusing how red his face was getting. It contrasted quite well with his white uniform.
"But you said Atlas would foot the bill for my living arrangements, in return for my cooperation?" the young man asked innocently, perhaps too innocent to be genuine.
"Yes, I said that. But when I said 'living arrangement', I did not mean that you could spend upwards of 50 MILLION LIEN ON A PLACE YOU SIMPLY SLEEP IN!"
The general had to visibly calm himself after finishing his rant. But apparently, he wasn't quite done.
"And let's just pretend for a moment, that none of this happened, that you did not just waste MILLIONS of Lien needlessly…" The General rasped out after once again taking in several calming breaths as he shakily turned the page of his report.
"Why the hell did you feel the need to buy the Stallion 458 Mistral!? You could probably RUN FASTER!" He was starting to hyperventilate again.
Yury, who was finding this situation all too amusing, once again innocently replied.
"But my dear General, what if I sprain my ankle when I'm chasing the bad guys? It would significantly limit my combat potential." He finished with a slight tilting of his head.
"Damn it Lloyd, I can have you court-martialed for this!"
With his ever unflappable attitude, the young man simply shrugged.
"You can, but you won't. What was it that you said to me after I completed your little test with the tin cans?" The young man airily commented as he adopted a thinking pose.
"Oh yea, I believe it was something along the lines of 'Name your price.'"
"I said, I was willing to compromise."
At that the young man simply smiled as he said, "Details, General."
For the longest time, both men stared.
One smiled, while the other glared. After what felt like an eternity, the latter eventually folded.
"You'd better be worth the investment Lloyd." The Atlesian General stoically replied, anger and frustration still present within his eyes. "For your sake."
The smile on the young man only grew wider as he calmly replied.
"Have I ever failed to deliver?"
A deadpanned look was his response. "That remains to be seen."
With his last piece said, the General ended his call.
A small, triumphant grin adored the former CP9's face as he went over his memory of the event.
Shortly after the whole hijacking incident, Yury was rather abruptly pulled aside and escorted by one of those Atlesian Knights when he was waiting for his flight to Vale. Eventually, he was led to a room where a certain General was waiting for him.
General James Ironwood.
Probably Penny had something to do with his inauspicious meeting with the General. He didn't blame the kid however. Considering who she was, she probably didn't have a choice when questioned. Quite literally.
With a quiet sigh, he went over his options.
His semblance wouldn't help much since they were already aware of him, and he was most likely in the system by now. They would simply find him again, even if he managed to slip out. Forcing his way wouldn't do either, since he didn't fancy the life of a fugitive at the moment. He needed to compromise.
And compromise he did.
After giving the General his standard cover story, they argued.
They argued for a long time.
From reaffirming the young man's origins to questioning his past involvement with the White Fang incidents, it was quite a tedious chore for Yury.
Apparently, the Spector was quite famous amongst certain circles like the White Fang and the military. And after his little "test" from the General, it seemed he became even more famous.
It did not take long for the General to try to recruit him, stating that wasting talents like that would be crime against the people of Remnant.
Yury obviously did the right thing and answered with a resounding no.
They argued some more.
In the end, after a long and arduous debate, Yury and the General settled on a deal. He would do one job for the general, and not only will he be granted full operational control, he would also be off-the-records and outside the Atlesian Council jurisdiction. But in return for not receiving any salaries (since he's off-records), he would be reimbursed for any housing, living, and mission expenses by the Atlesian Military.
A quiet chuckle rang throughout the otherwise empty room.
Yury could be quite petty when it came to his peace and quiet.
But the said chuckle did not last very long, as it was soon replaced by an annoyed sigh.
It would appear he now had a part time job aside from running his quiet cafe.
James Ironwood was not a happy camper at the moment.
It wasn't every day that you see the normally calm and stoic Atlesian General this off-kilter, but this was a special case.
Yury Lloyd, code name Spector.
When he first met the young man at the airport, it was a bit difficult to believe that he was the Specter who single handedly shut down what could have potentially been a very dangerous situation all those years ago. But the General knew better than to assume. In fact, all the "bullet" wounds from the fallen Fang members along with the footage recovered from Penny's memory, undoubtedly indicated that who he was dealing with was the real deal.
After a short talk, he decided to test him. He couldn't be too careful, after all.
It took a bit of goading (read, a lot), but eventually the young man complied. However he did have to promise Lloyd that he would personally escort him to Vale since his "pointless test" made him miss his "heavenly ride."
The next few minutes were when the General learned the new meaning of the phrase, "Looks can be deceiving".
The test ended almost as soon as it began.
It actually baffled the General.
The latest Paladin class mechs had armors thick enough to withstand at least three shots from his flagship's main cannons. It had enough power to push back a Goliath with ease. Its weapons systems were that of the most advanced cutting edge technology the world has yet to see.
And that man, Yury Lloyd, made dozens of them look like outdated toasters.
It was at that moment that the General realized he cannot afford to let a dangerous element like Lloyd go rogue. They were already pressed for manpower and resources in going against the Queen as it is, that having a person of that caliber against them just may be enough tip the scale against them once and for all.
No, that cannot happen.
He needed to seal the deal now.
For the first time since reaching his position, General James Ironwood, the Headmaster of the prestigious Atlas Academy, was willing to take the short end of the stick.
It was a sacrifice he was willing to make if it meant gaining a powerful ally (potentially).
It was a sacrifice he was beginning to second guess. How was he going to cover up millions of Lien just magically vanishing from his budget?
A long-suffering sigh rang throughout the otherwise silent General's office. He really shouldn't have allowed the young man to so freely dictate the conditions of his "employ".
And something told him that this was the first of many headaches to come. Perhaps he needed to send someone to monitor him?
With another heavy sigh, he reached for the secret compartment of his desk where he hid his most prized collection of Scotch.
He needed a drink.
Unfortunately for the General, it was not meant to be as he heard a set of knocks on his door.
'Huh…' He glanced at his scroll.
Since his secretary did not ring in first, it must be either extremely urgent or it was someone he trusted. 'I really hope it's the latter.' he silently prayed.
"Come in"
The General let out a small breath of relief when he saw who it was.
"General Ironwood, Sir!" She saluted.
"At ease." He replied with a small smile.
Winter Schnee.
'Why can't Lloyd be more like her? Disciplined, polite, respec-'
"The Council is holding an emergency meeting in five minutes, and they are requesting your presence." Unknowingly cutting off his thoughts, the Specialist informed him before she rose her delicate brow in a questioning manner. "Something about financial discrepancies?"
What remnants of smile he had before quickly devolved into a grimace as he gently massaged his temples with a groan.
"Can it wait ten more minutes?"
He really needed a drink.
AN: A bit of a short one, hope you guys didn't mind too much. Don't be afraid to ask me any questions if you have any!
P.S. In case some of you didn't realize, Stallion 458 Mistral was a parody of Ferrari 458 Italia ;)
