"… Remember when I said I might need an Aspirin!?" I shouted, fighting the sound pulsing from the stereo.
"Yeah?" she asked, waving to the bartender as she sat down.
"I'm going to need the entire fucking bottle!" I shouted, rubbing my temples to soothe the pain.
"You'll live, and stop yelling!" Onyx shouted with an eye-roll.
"Long time no see, Onyx!" Shouted the bartender, a huge bald man that was polishing a glass.
"You got that right, last time I was here the sound system was broken," Onyx said with a smile.
"… Why didn't I show up then instead of now?" I quietly moaned.
"Oh? Friend of yours, Onyx?" The bartender asked, turning to me. "I thought you hated Fauna!"
"Well…" Onyx said with a shrug, "I never found a Faunus that didn't have some sort of criminal background."
"Yeah, says the Merc." I growled.
"So what makes you think this one's okay?" the bartender asked Onyx.
"Hey, "This one" can speak for himself." I said with a cold smile, "'This one' would also like to know who "This one" is speaking with."
"Calm down, kid." The bartender said, "No need to be hostile."
"Sorry…" I sighed, "I'm not use to living in cities…"
"Country Bumpkin?" he asked me.
"… Just a man out of time," I said.
"...Could you be any less cryptic?" Onyxed asked.
"You wouldn't believe the sane half, let alone the crazy half." I shrugged, "You wouldn't happen to know of any job offerings would you?"
"Even if I did, I wouldn't tell you about a single one of them." The bartender said. "I don't know what you could do, and must people don't like hiring Faunus."
"…. Are you sure that you just aren't telling me that because you don't know my skills?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Because at this point, the only thing I would say no out right would be assassination contracts."
"Watch what you wish for." Onyx mumbled.
"Anything huh?" the bartender said, "well if that's the case…"
"I wouldn't say no to selling myself," I began, grin never leaving. "I wouldn't say a thing, I would just stab whoever asked and walk over there twitching corpse."
"… It was a joke." The bartender said.
"Good, I would hate to get blood on these clothes." I said reaching for a tooth pick. "Blood is really hard to wash out…"
"Anyway, I'm Bartender." The man said.
I raised an eyebrow at that, "I noticed… so who are you?" I said, putting the tooth pick in my mouth.
"Until, that girl over there." He said, gesturing towards Onyx. "Tells me her real name, then neither of you will know mine."
I narrowed my eyes. "So… what's keeping me from just asking someone else?"
"Just the fact that he would personally throw them out of the bar." Onyx answered.
"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me." I said.
This guy is huge, I think he could give an ox a run for their money… I thought, finally noting how well-built he was. Why is it that everyone I meet is hiding something?
"So what's your name?" Bartender asked.
"Wolfe." I immediately replied, mentally kicking myself by saying that.
"Oh?" he said in surprise, "I've heard a few stories about your kind."
Damn it, not only did I slip up, but he even recognizes the name! I thought, quickly glancing around. Thankfully, I don't think anyone heard me.
"Like what? 'Cause I doubt they're anything like the story I got for you." Onyx said with a smile.
"Those stories are old… way older than you, Bartender." I said, trying to distract him. "Why on earth would you know about them?"
"Its an old bed night story… the Arcs and their Wolves killed the boogey-men in our closets, or something like that."
I felt my smile twitch in anger. "I'm sorry, did you say "Arcs and their Wolves?'" I growled.
"Yeah, I always found that odd… cause the picture showed Wolfe-Faunus and Arcs fighting side by side and not on leashes." The Bartender shrugged.
"… Are you trying to provoke me?" I snarled. "Onyx, I thought you said this guy was okay!"
"Oh ignore him, he's like that to everyone." Onyx said with an eye-roll. "So are you going to get us drinks or not?"
"I will, right after you tell me your story about dog boy over there." He said, gesturing with a thumb.
I'l allow it I growled to myself, Just to see his face once she tells him.
"Well, I just came back from doing guard duty for a dust shipment." Onyx began.
"I hope they paid you right, with the White Fang acting up."
"I doubt that they did." I said, "You will too, once you learn what happened.
"So what did happened?" asked the Bartender.
"Well, you know how big companies are hiring more than ever 'cause of the White Fang?"
"Who doesn't?" the Bartender shrugged.
"Been meaning to ask about that…" I interrupted, trying to distract Onyx. "Why the hell would they pay for mercs when they could just make 'bots?"
"Because the only 'bots worth buying cost an arm and a leg." The Bartender answered. "Everyone knows that…"
"Then you have to outfit the bots, pay for ammo…" Onyx added. " So much cheaper to hire a freelancer or a Merc group since they have to pay for their own equipment."
Don't forget the fact that the Grim are only interested in living meals… I thought to myself.
"Anyway, we ran into trouble on the way back from the Forever Falls." Onyx went on. "I was just thinking how easy the job was when the train stopped."
"How exciting…" The Bartender said as he rolled his eyes.
"Something in the engine broke down, so the crew decided that it would be a good idea to step outside and stretch their legs." Onyx said, ignoring his comment.
"… Stepping outside safety into a Grimm infested forest, wonderful idea…" I growled, face palming.
"As much as I want to hear the long story, I've got a bar to tend, so just get to the punch line."
"Fine..." Onyx said with a disappointed sigh. "We got attacked by Dragons."
"What?" The Bartender said, obviously not believing her "I'm pretty sure they're just myths."
"Hey, you believed that there was a myth in front of you!" Onyx snapped.
"That's cause Arcs are real, hell, don't we have one in the Hunters now?"
"Well there were dragons, and there were huge."
"Drakes, Onyx" I corrected.
"We fought giant over-sized lizards that could breathe fire!" Onyx said with an eye roll. "Bartender, does that sound like a Dragon?"
"They were baby dragons!" I insisted, "If there were actual dragons then we would be cooked, literally!"
"Yeah, baby dragons?" the Bartender said with a sneer, "That's even less likely."
"Just let me tell the story, Wolfe!" Onyx hissed.
"Maybe some other time, Onyx." The Bartender said, "You got company…"
"Damn this city," I growled, "Not even my smell is working."
"How many are there?" Onyx asked.
"Three, they haven't spotted you yet." He said, putting down the glass.
"How do you know they want us then?" I snapped.
"He's probably a Bounty with a rep for hunting Faunus," Onyx said.
"Well… so much for stealth." I sighed.
"I can just throw 'em out if you want…" The Bartender said, reaching under the table. "They're coming this way now."
"Don't worry, I got it." I said calmly
"Let the Wolf take care of it," Onyx agreed, "It'll prove to you that he's ready for anything."
"Your funeral then." The Bartender sighed.
"Just a quick question, how much blood can I get on the bar?" I said with a feral grin.
"Alive!" the Bartender hissed, before walking to tend to someone else.
"Keep your head down Onyx." I mumbled, "Pretend like you passed out or something."
"You know what I hate about this town?" a voice behind me asked.
"What's that?" another voice asked
"The fact that they let animals walk the street without a collar?" the first voice asked.
Sorry Bartender, I can't promise anything.
"I'm going to take a wild guess and say that was directed at me… wasn't it?" I sighed.
"You see any other animals around?" a guy said.
"… I hope you realize that humans are animals too?" I ask, finally turning around.
Can't use my sword and shield either… too memorable.
"We aren't the ones that look like something we'd see at a zoo," a voice on the right said.
Why can't I go a day or two without getting into a fight? I sighed to myself. I could immediately tell that the guy in the middle was the boss. Everything about him practically screamed cliché bad guy, thin scars all over his face, muscles practically bulging.
"So…" I began, "What did I do to offend the local authority?"
"We're bored." The man in the middle said, "Thought the new Faunus in town and his lady friend needed to meet who was in charge."
"So, where is he?" I asked, looking at the biggest in the group, "Are you him?"
"Great, a comedian." The leader said, "Not like we get that every day."
"So can we just skip the fancy talk?" I said, stepping off the stool. "Now I need you to line up in an orderly fashion in front of me."
"Why the hell would we do that?" the leader asked, reaching for something.
"It would just make my life easy…" I said drawing on my aura. "So, are we going to get started or what?"
The leader nodded, and one of the people near the front darted toward me, pulling me toward one of the big guys. "Get him!"
Got to take this outside. I thought to myself, growling as the biggest guy picked me up and threw me out of the window. Gotta work on my ideas…
"Anyone who gets in our way will be next!" I heard a voice yell. I flared my aura, rolling as I hit the pavement. I snarled as I got to my feet, starting to reach for my weapons.
"That the best you got!?" I growled, "You're going to need more guys!"
As if fate was mocking me, another three guys joined up with the four that left the bar/club thing. … Me and my big mouth.
"You're all talk!" the leader shouted at me. I reached for my sword and board, stopping as I reminded myself that I couldn't kill them.
Well damn, I thought to myself as I eyed the assortment of weapons they brought. Looks like they don't have any rules.
"So whose first?" I snarled, cracking my fingers.
"Oh just shut up!" The quick guy yelled, darting toward me. I side-stepped the first stab, then I punched him in the stomach. I felt him fold around my fist as my punch broke through his weak aura protection. I then pushed him off my hand, kicking him in the stomach as he stumbled backwards. I then drove my knee into his face, making him fly backward with a satisfying snap as I broke his nose.
Too easy… The quick guy slid over the big guy's feet, enraging him. He lifted his bat over his head and charged at me. I took a quick glance at the leader and saw the complete lack of concern on his face.
"DIE!" The big guy roared, bringing down his bat over my head.
"No thanks." I said with a smile, raising a hand to stop the bat. I focused my aura into my out stretched limb, making it glow with a bright silvery light. My feral grin met his victorious smile, a smile that turned into confusion as his bat stopped in mid-swing.
"Huh?" he asked, looking at the hand that stopped his bat.
"Oh, is this yours?" I said, gesturing to his bat. "Having trouble there, don't worry your stick problems can be easily fixed by going to the doctor." I went on, ignoring his attempts to get his bat back.
"Let go!" he roared with a massive pull.
"Oh, why didn't you say so?" I said letting go, making him stumble backwards. I then drop kicked him as hard as I could, forcing the others to duck as he flew back into the window he threw me out of.
"Why are you idiots fighting him one on one!?" the leader yelled at his followers, "Go get him!"
"Its not too late to run away you know." I said mockingly, noting how the henchmen walked toward me with confidence.
"Those were the new guys… these guys will rip you a new one!" the leader yelled.
Yeah I figured that… I thought with a growl. Two of group dashed toward me, raising their axes to strike. I dove through their weapons, twisting through the air to land on my feet. I ducked under an axe as one of the men spun around, quickly catch the shaft of another axe that was falling towards my head. I threw an elbow towards the man's face, making him take one hand off his axe to block my fist. I then drove my forehead into his nose, making him completely let go of his axe. I jumped and twisted over his head then, wincing slightly as a weapon whistled by my tail. Once I landed behind him, I raised the axe to block a hit before spinning around to finish him.
Alive! I shouted in my head, over extending slightly so that the shaft of the weapon would hit him.
One down I growled as I dove quickly out of the group. The remaining axe enemy sprinted toward me, changing his grip so that his hand was closer to the head. I grabbed his axe as it descended on my shoulder, spinning so that he would flip over me and onto the floor.
I got a better idea. I thought mid-swing, calling forth a surge of aura through my whole body. I shifted my stance and spun around twice, gathering momentum for the throw. When I let go, the man went crashing into the remaining group of three.
"Dodge that!" I said triumphantly. To my surprise, a man with a long red curved sword vaulted over his flying ally.
Again you were just asking for that one… I growled to myself, ducking under a swing. I tried to step under his attack multiple times, but the man never let his sword stop moving. I quickly backpedaled to try to make space between the two of us. I noticing that he was getting ready for a stab, I stepped to his off-hand side to dodge. With a snarl, my hand glowed as I grabbed his head and slammed it into the pavement.
That should've been the last one… thank God that they hadn't developed their Aura… I rolled over the sword and came up with it's crimson blade pointed at the leader, who had already taken a sword for one of the others.
"I think we both know that you couldn't use that thing to save your life." I snarled through clenched teeth, "So put it down and I promise I'll only partially kill you."
"Try it." The Leader muttered.
… And why am I not surprised that he knows how to use that sword? I sighed to myself, seeing that that he had no issue with holding the blade.
"I tried to warn you." I shrugged, before running toward him. Before engaging, I stooped down and picked up a dagger dropped from the quick-guy,
Now, lets see if I remember Pack-Leader Fenrir's advice on fighting sword-and-dagger… I thought to myself… Wait, Didn't he say something about sucking at it and to never try it again?
"Die!" I snarled as I pounced on my enemy, spinning and trying to trip The Leader with my leg. He quickly stepped back, before beginning to bombard me with attacks.
"Not on your life!" he snapped in return, smiling as he began to force me back.
Well, I might need to rethink this. I thought to myself, wincing slightly as his blade sliced through my shirt and grazed my chest.
"Not so tough now are you?" he goaded on, his sword never stopping.
I parried his sword aside with my dagger, following it with a kick to his chest. "Nope, this just means I have to stop playing cat and mouse…." I said with a grin. I raised both my weapons and crossed them, catching a vertical slash that might've cleaved through my skull. I lowered the entangled blades and slide my dagger across his edge until it would've cut into his hand, had it not been blocked by his aura. Snarling, I parried his weapon aside with my borrowed sword and swung as hard as I could against his weapon, causing it to clatter to the ground. I spun then, to recover from over extending. I slammed the bottom of the dagger into the top of his skull and followed it with a strike from the hand guard of the sword.
I snapped my swords up as he fell to the ground, searching or any enemies that I might've missed. "Who's next!?" I taunted again.
Thank god no one answered that… I sighed to myself, Maybe I can get a few hours of sleep before I run into more trouble.
I walked over The Leader's body, stopping just as I felt a slight breeze tickle my chest. "Damn, he almost got me." I muttered.
I then looked down to the leader noting that his jacket had made it through unscathed. Well, he won't need it where he's going… I thought to myself, dropping the sword and sliding the dagger into my waist band in order to strip him of his jacket. Bit bigger than me… I muttered to myself, holding up the jacket, it was a black leather jacket that had seen a few fights. I then glanced around, trying to find a shirt that went with it.
"From a Knight of a Pack." I snarled to myself, "To the Scavenger of Scoundrels… What has my life come to?" My eyes landed on the quick-guy, who had a shirt that was not unlike my own. "Might be a tight fit, but it'll do."
"Asshole, you broke my nose!" the quick-guy hissed.
Still awake, huh? I thought in surprise. Pretty sure he would've been knocked out, makes my job easier though.
"Unless you want me to break some ribs too, take off your shirt." I snarled, "Your boss cut this gaping hole in mine."
"Fine fine… " He sighed, slipping off his black shirt and handing it to me.
"Thanks," I said, raising my fist.
"Hey, hey!" He shouted in surprise. "I thought if I gave you my shirt I could go!"
"Never said that." I said with a feral grin, just before punching him out. "… Cheers for the knife, just by the way." I said as I made my way back to the bar.
"… That could've gone worse." Onyx said, holding a drink in each hand.
"Maybe… and we're too young to drink." I muttered under my breath.
"Its non-alcoholic." She said with a shrug,
"Oh, well thanks then." I said, "Did you get it?"
"On the house, right Bartender?" She asked.
"Nope, you can thank this guy." He said, gesturing to the figure sitting at the bar.
"So, have you been entertained?" I asked the Bartender, sitting down where I was before. "Am I ready to hunt for Bounties?"
"I don't know about calling you a full on Bounty Hunter just yet…" the Bartender said with a shrug. "But you do have a job, and whatever the cops have for turning in those guys."
"Keep half of it." I immediately said, "I did sort of break your window."
"… I'm not going to say no to money." The Bartender shrugged.
"About that job?" I asked him, sipping at my drink.
Soda is still around? Sweet! I thought happily as I gulped it down.
"Talk about it with the guy who bought you drinks." He said " The offer is for you and Onyx..
"So, like the show?" I asked the figure, noting he hadn't touched his drink.
"I'm more interested in who you are, Wolfe." He the figure said.
"Its just a name, don't say it like it means something." I said, noting that the guy had yet to remove the hood covering his face.
"What's your name? Take off the hood and talk to us face to face." Onyx growled.
"All in due time." The figure said with a wave of his hand. "Want to hear about the job?"
"I don't do assassinations, spice smuggling, or Sentient Trafficking." I immediately stated.
Deep voice, taller than me… Must be in his thirties? I thought, making mental notes.
"Oh relax, nothing so extreme." He said with a hand wave, "We just want you to keep watch over some cargo.
"What cargo?" Onyx immediately asked.
"All you need to know is that it used to belong to the Schnee Dust Corporation." The figure calmly stated.
"Used to huh?" I growled. I then turned to Onyx and nodded.
"You're part of the White Fang, aren't you?" Onyx said in realization.
"Damn." He said with a chuckle, pulling back his hood slightly to reveal a plain black mask. "What gave me away?"
"Lucky guess." Onyx answered.
"…. This is a one-time job, right?" I said, barely keeping back a snarl.
"If you wish it to be so…" he said.
"What's the reward?" I pressed on.
"For you, information." He said, "For the girl, thirty Lien an hour."
"There's got to be some sort of catch.' Onyx muttered.
"There is none." Black Mask went on.
"So all we gotta do… is guard the Cargo, probably watch over the transaction too, right?"
"So, what do you say?"
Something isn't right here… I though, barely holding back a growl. Instinctively, I focused aura into my nose and searched for a scent.
"Wait a second…" I said, realization making my jaw drop.
"What is it, Wolfe?" Onyx hissed. "It sounds like a good deal.
"We agree." I finished, struggling to compose myself. "But you damn well better tell me about how your family survived, Shield-Brother."
"What in Dust are you talking about?" she said, looking at me like I had gone insane.
"I was wondering when you would catch on… the city has a habit of dulling the senses." He said pulling off his mask, "Doesn't it, Solomon?"
