Chapter 7: Get your Frank West on
Apologies for suddenly disappearing, I have school shit to do, like, ya know, exams.
Ethan, alongside his platoon members, whose attitudes to the situation varied from reluctance to giddiness, as expected it was mostly the males showing a reluctant demeanour, with the unexpected differentiator being Lie, who was seemingly less giddy, and more content with the current situation.
Wait, if team names were based on the first initials of team members, why was JNPR called that name, since Ren's first name was Lie? Oh well, can't think of a better name for the team anyway.
We entered a colossal shopping mall, designed specifically for hunters, mercenaries, or anyone else who would want an array of weaponry and metallic bits and bobs, after a few minutes of meandering, we discovered a clothes shop, one specialising in armour of various shapes, sizes, qualities, etc.
I will admit that while some of this armour seems flashy, it also seems very sturdy, far more so than a metal plated jacket or kevlar like what the SCU had while Ethan was an active operator. There was shit that looked like armour of medieval times, armour that appeared to be made of stone, and various other ridiculous shite.
It wasn't until Ethan spotted something absolutely fucking amazing resting in front of him.
A set of armour, a series of green armour pieces, covering pretty much every weakness available, made of thickened steel, or perhaps something more, it came with a helmet as well, with a large, black tinted visor to provide ample vision whilst hiding identity. It seemed perfect.
The only thing that was bad about the armour set was the price tag, which was pretty fucking high, ah well, not like I care.
Purchasing the armour from the old man claiming to be the shopkeeper, I meandered into a changing room, to test the waters on my new digs.
I stumbled out of the curtained off room that was plaguing my psyche with way too much of a claustrophobic vibe.
There stood the females, and a few of the males, in new outfits, with all of it fitting the specified criteria.
The majority of the people there, including Russell, Jaune, and the other females with the exception of the annoying enigma that was Nora, had purchased random metal sheets and stapled them onto their armour covering their weaknesses, including Yang's legs, which were covered by chain mail leggings, in order to simultaneously be used for protection, movement and flexibility, and still provocative enough for the art of seduction, revealing just enough to the imagination...
Since when did I think about Yang in that manner?
Anyway, The other girls had bought trousers instead of fucking skirts like they had previously, Pyrrha had added some chain mail over her shoulders, Blake had added a metal bracing over her stomach, Jaune had added small chunks of metal over the gaps in his armour, Russell had done something similar to his arms, however his sleeveless hoodie was still present, perhaps he held sentimental value to it?
I noted that the others were ignoring me, strange.
"Where is Ethan? I thought he was waiting for us?" questioned Weiss, who looked slightly distraught at my disappearance, it's bizarre to have people actually give a slight shit about you disappearing, let alone 10 of them.
"Hey, green guy, have you seen a tall burly guy that looks a bit emo?" interrogated Yang in my direction... Really?
"I'm the person you are fucking describing Yang." I state, causing all of the platoon to slowly turn in my direction. With a slight shake of my arm, I state "I ain't used to this much flare, but it works better than anything else here, I see you are all suited well enough for now, If there is anything else you think you need for this operation, then get it now, we leave at night to begin the search for the gateway."
Ruby pipes up, with a mere single worded term, which seemed to slightly annoy 7 of the other people there. "Weapons?"
We went out for weapons, and needless to say it was aggravating to many of the people there, as the majority of them believed they had no need for new weapons, or any modifications to their current loadout, which I had to change.
"You fuckers need range, Jaune, Nora, Yang, Weiss, get a sidearm, or some kind of ranged attack, even if it ain't your speciality."
This annoyed Yang, who adamantly and repeatedly stated that she simply "Didn't do range." But I call bullshit.
"Yang, listen, if you're so intent on not getting yourself the adequate protection, I'll make you, take this, keep it on you, please, I ain't letting people die if it ain't needed." I said, handing her 9mm that was the last remaining memento I had of the other world.
She begrudgingly accepted the side arm, if only because she knew she wouldn't be going into the battlefield without said accessory.
As for the rest, they all picked up various weapons, Nora getting a small one handed sawn-off shotgun, when is she not explosive in nature, Weiss had attached a large calibre pistol onto the hilt of her rapier, but Jaune...
"Jaune, what in the ever-loving fuck is that?"
"It's a gun."
"Which one?"
"A big one."
"No shit you fucking troglodyte."
It was a magnum, firing what appeared to be a round double the size of the infamous 50. BMG round from back on earth, a bullet I only got to use once in my life.
"Alright Jaune, that, is by far the dumbest fucking purchase I have ever seen, but since you have that aura shit, maybe you can use it without getting your fucking shoulder blown off."
Jaune seems squeamish, but agrees to use the massive firearm.
"Right, anything else to get?" I ask to the platoon.
"Nothing, I think, but since we got time to kill, can we get food?" Came the response of Nora, whose stomach audibly grumbled slightly at the thought of some grub.
Come to think of it, when was the last time I ate?
Has to have been weeks ago, I ain't eaten since I was re-introduced to the investigation.
Shit.
"Right, any suggestions on where to eat? I don't know this place if you couldn't tell."
...silence...
Seems nobody has an answer.
...
Blake mumbles out "Fish."
"Fish it is."
We followed Russell, who claimed to know of a decent place, and everyone followed with no complaints, I'm assuming that since Russell cleared the air on his teams issues, the remained of the platoon has become more trusting of the mohawked boy.
We were all on the path to food, however such actions were stopped dead in their tracks momentarily when we got to the restaurant Russell had lead us to.
"We don't feed you filthy faunus here, get to fuck." Said a rather beefy man, who seemed to be some sort of excuse for a bouncer.
I glare at the bouncer to the restaurant.
He glances over to me, snorts, looks away, then shudders.
Slowly he turns back to me, eyes practically seeping fear in the form of a loose tear.
I usher the others to turn back, and they do so, all disgusted by the behaviour of the pitiful bouncer.
This fuck has annoyed me for too long.
Immediately lowering into my combat stance, I let out a stiff right hook to the bouncers jaw.
He takes the hit.
And goes through the wall.
"Stay down, for your own health." I state, before walking off with the rest of the platoon.
Blake had redirected us on our journey, towards a small, dingy looking restaurant bar combo.
My kinda den.
We usher in, ordering various plates of food, mine being rather ludicrous in size, after all I haven't eaten in a fucking week.
I meander off to the bar, while the others sat down at a table, awaiting food.
I wasn't planning to drink, I already kicked that addiction once before, and I swore not to fall into that hole once more, I was merely there to observe, this spot provided the best view of the buildings wide innards.
"Why don't you get a drink, like you always do."
Ah.
Great, this cunt again.
"You know you want to Ethan, you can't help yourself and you know it, it poisons you, like the Oro did to the city, and unlike them, they didn't know they were being corrupted, eaten away by maggots, you just let them eat at you, without a single ounce of fighting spirit in you."
I ignore the apparition, didn't want to look mad in a dingy bar probably used for info breakers and other miscreants.
"...Fine, ignore me, see how that helps you."
He walks off.
About fuckin time.
I note that there is seemingly not a soul of any worth in the building, and head back to the table with the others, who had been very busy conversing between themselves.
Seems Russell is going to fit in just fine with them.
Our food finally arrived, and while the others had meals fit for multiple people, mine was probably enough to feed every person in the bar twice over. A massive hunk of steak, a soup with various hunks of fish, a bunch of shishkebabs with various pieces of meat skewered onto them, and a large jug of a thick, viscous pink liquid, which I had been ensured was a berry drink, to replace the beer you would usually receive.
I like meat, don't judge me you saucy mongrel.
"No wonder you are so big Ethan." Joked Yang.
I'm going to make her say that in a much different context soon enough.
Wait, what the fuck?
Stop it, me.
"Quiet Yang, I haven't eaten in weeks."
"Yeah, suuuuure."
"I'm dead serious Yang."
I lift my mask, taking a large bite from the massive hunk of meat.
Delectable.
I unfortunately was distracted from my absolutely gorgeous meal by Blake, who was sat, staring at me with a hungry look in her eye, not just hungry, but a look of desperation for food, starving for it.
The question is, what is she hungry for?
I go to hand one of the shishkebabs to Blake.
She declines, but continues to stare.
I offer her the soup instead.
She sits still...
…
Then grabs it from my hands, and downs the whole thing in one go.
And yet she continues to stare in my direction.
Well, It appears Yang has competition.
To Be Continued...
