Chapter ten: The Assassin's plan
(a/n- okay, we're gonna try something a little different here. In the first part I'll be doing a bit of an omake almost for this story. Something that, while I want to write about, doesn't really make sense in context with the story. Tell me if you guys would like more stuff like this or… you know, don't. Can't really make you respond. Anyway, on with the story! Er, omake er… whatever.)
(a/n- Also sorry the title sucks… I couldn't come up with anything else.)
Omake: First impressions (written from Ren's point of view)
Hunger.
That was all I was thinking. All I could think about right now. I wanted food, I needed it. I was just wandering through the woods, looking for edible plants, animals, hell, even a rat would be helpful right about now. "So this is what being deserted is like." I thought as I moved through the bushes, looking for something. Then, I saw it. There was a campfire, and overtop of it, there were a few chunks of meat, on a spit over it. My stomach growled at the thought of food, but my head said no. I mean, it was theirs' right? It wasn't mine. "They're probably just camping. These are the same kind of people that made me this way." I thought to myself. Just one. Just one wouldn't hurt them, would it? I walked over, slowly stepping and looking around. All I saw was one sleeping bag, a head of orange hair lying down, facing the other direction with quiet snores emitting from it. "Just one girl, can't eat all three herself." I muttered to myself, slowly slinking over to the fire. Just as I stretched out to reach for them, I heard it.
"What do you think you're doing?"
It was a high voice, no doubt the voice of the sleeping girl. I slowly stood, turning around as my eyes widened. It was a rather pretty young girl, piercing blue eyes, short orange hair, oh yeah, and a double barrel shotgun pointed right at me. "I… wait, are you alone here?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. She smirked, "Depends, you single handsome?" she asked, winking at me. I felt my face flush slightly before I stepped back, only for her to keep the shotgun trained on me. "What were you trying to do?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at me. I was about to speak when, suddenly, I heard my stomach start growling. I reached a hand down, blushing slightly as the girl looked up, smirking at me. "Hungry huh?" she asked. I nodded, "Yeah… I'll just," "Sit down." she said. I raised an eyebrow but, not wanting to have a shotgun shell fired at my chest, complied, sitting across from her.
She reached over, grabbing what looked like a rabbit haunch off of the iron grill and tossing it over to me. I grabbed it and, feeling my stomach egging me on, started tearing into it. I stopped when I heard myself biting down on bone, the meat all but gone. The girl across from me giggled, "Haven't eaten in awhile I guess?" she asked, standing up and grabbing what looked like a water canteen. I nodded, tossing the bone off to the side, "Not since last week no." I said. She nodded, taking a drink from the canteen before she tossed it towards me. I looked up, for the first time taking in the girl across from me. She was maybe twelve years old, a bit younger than I was I guessed, and maybe a few inches shorter. She was wearing what seemed to be a white skirt with a pink shirt, a red heart emblazoned on it with a white lightning bolt going through it. She looked down, raising an eyebrow towards my own attire as I drank from the canteen. It felt good to drink water that wasn't from a stream for once.
"You from one of the shrines?" she asked, gesturing towards my clothes. I was dressed in a dark green kimono with pink highlights, the same color as my eyes. I nodded, "Yes." I said simply. She stood, walking over to me, casually letting her shotgun drag across the dirt. I nearly flinched back as I felt her hand running through my hair, following it almost to my mid-back. "Pretty long hair for a guy. I've seen girls with shorter." she said, absently blowing some of her own hair out of her eyes. I nodded, smiling slightly at her, "At the shrine, only the married men cut their hair. It's just tradition." I said, combing my fingers through some of my hair to get some twigs out of it. She nodded, sitting down next to me as she set her shotgun away from her. "Why'd you leave?" she asked.
"Bandits. They came in and… well, they thought I was a girl, so they didn't kill me like my father or the other men. They sent me off with some of the other's, but we managed to get away. I don't know if the others did but… I've just been getting as far away from here as I could." I said, frowning at the ground. I looked up again when I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Hey. How about you come with me? I'm heading for Vale… can't get much farther away than that." she said, still having that same, energetic smile. I looked at the fire, "Why do you want me to come with you? I'd just slow you down." I said, frowning. I looked over, blushing slightly as the girl hugged me, stepping behind me and laying her head on my shoulder. "You seem sane, and I'm in-sane. It'll be nice having someone who isn't crazy around me." she said, lightly rubbing against my cheek in a way that distinctly reminded me of a cat. I smiled, "Okay then… my name's Lie Ren. What's yours?" I asked. She just smiled,
"I'm Nora Valkyrie. I think we're gonna get along just fine."
(a/n- back to the actual story now.)
We walked out of Yang's building, Blake groaning as she rubbed between her eyes. "Great, she's never going to forget what you said you know." she said, glaring at me. I chuckled, holding up my hands, "Hey, she's probably heard it before. I mean with a last name like that who hasn't made that joke with her." I said. Then, I heard it. It sounded like a low grumbling. I looked over, seeing Ren holding his stomach. "Jaune, it occurs to me that we didn't actually eat the food before or after you killed your sister." he said, looking over at me with that same cold, calculating stare he always had. I suddenly became acutely aware of the hollow sense in my stomach, as well as the slight pain, and realized he was right. "Yeah… well, I guess we can eat something here." I said, pointing over at the place with the word 'Restaurant' overtop of it. Blake nodded, walking over towards it. "I hope they serve fish." she muttered, just loud enough that I heard it. Ren and I looked at one another, sharing a small smile.
The three of us walked past the old school swinging doors, seeing a few tables here and there, as well as a bar towards the center. Behind that bar, was a woman I recognized. The dark skin and platinum blonde hair were a bit hard to mistake for anything else. If that weren't enough, the bandages that wrapped both of her hands and the red bead necklace sealed it. She smiled towards me, the same smile of Maru. Like father like daughter I guess. "Hello Jaune." she said, bowing slightly. I nodded, tipping my fedora towards her, "Arslan. Still training with the old man huh?" I asked, pulling out a seat and sitting down. Blake sat next to me, Ren doing the same. She nodded, "Yep. Though, ever since the fire, it's been a bit difficult for him to teach me. You know, having to pretend to be dead and all." she said, placing both hands on the bar, leaning in slightly like so many bartenders did.
I chuckled, nodding, "Yeah. As good as it has been to catch up with you guys, the three of us are here to eat." I said, looking towards Blake and Ren, both of whom nodded. She nodded, smiling towards me as she got out a notepad, "What'll you have?" she asked. I looked to the left, seeing a chalkboard with a few dishes on it. "I'll just have the noodles. Blake?" I asked, gesturing to her. Blake opened her mouth to speak, but Arslan held up a hand, "Upupup!" she said, turning around and reaching behind her, grabbing what seemed to be a large bowl of fish, handing it to her. Blake's eyes widened as she looked up, "Are you a psychic?" she asked, her mouth hanging slightly open. Arslan nodded, "Yeah. I 'predicted' that I would see your bow move, 'predicted' that you'd want fish since you're a cat faunus." she said, smirking at her. Blake looked down, her face slightly red as she just grabbed a fork, keeping her eyes at the ground. "For you?" she asked, looking at Ren. He shrugged, "Give me what Jaune's having." he said. Arslan nodded, walking away and back into what I guess was the kitchen.
A few minutes later, Blake having started on hers by now, mine and Ren's came out. She also gave the three of us some water. "There you go." she said, walking out behind the bar to deal with some other customers. Me and Ren started eating, and I smiled as I ate the warm noodles. Arslan and Maru always were good cooks. Blake, who'd finished eating about two minutes after our food came out, looked over at me. "So, how do you know Arslan anyway?" she asked, still smiling from her meal. I swallowed, "Well, her dad was the guy we met at the gate. Maru. He trained under my dad, along with me and Arslan. The two of them worked for the Arc clan… back when it used to mean something." I said, taking another bite of noodles as I frowned. Blake raised an eyebrow, but was interrupted before she could speak up. "It still does mean something. Just not something good." I heard Arslan say.
She walked out in front of me, stepping behind the bar again, picking up a glass in her right hand, cleaning it with her left. I sighed, nodding as I took a drink. "Yeah. Used to be something to be proud of… now it's something to fear." I said, grabbing onto the chopsticks in rage. I felt a hand on mine as I looked up, seeing Arslan taking the chopsticks from me, setting them back in the bowl. "I'd rather you not break our utensils, thanks." she said, smiling down at me. I sighed, picking up my hat and running a hand through my hair. "Sorry." I said. Blake looked at me oddly, "You mean, at a time, the Arc clan wasn't a criminal syndicate?" she asked. I shook my head, "No, it was always criminal. Back then though, when my dad was in charge and no my mother… well, we at least had some better goals. Places like this, the homeless in Mistral, we helped them. Honor and integrity used to be… more common." I said, shaking my head slightly.
"It was never noble. It was always a crime, but it was never so bad as it was now. Used to be people respected the Arc clan. Now… now it's just fear." Arslan said, her eyes hardening as I saw her set down the glass, likely to keep from breaking it. I nodded, "Three of the Arc kids are dead, one dishonored," I said, jerking a thumb at myself. "Eventually, the Arc clan will have to die out. I just hope I'm not alive to see it." I said, taking another bite of my noodles. Arslan looked at me oddly, "Three dead? I thought it was just Ora and Citri? Unless you're the ghost of Jaune here to haunt my bar." she said, smirking as she reached towards me. I grabbed her wrist, stopping her. "Jasmine's dead." I said simply, letting her hand go as her eyes widened. She looked around, making sure no one was listening, before she leaned in. "How?" she whispered. I reached into my jacket, pulling out my gun and nodding, "Shot." I said, putting my gun away. Arslan nodded, leaning back before she looked around, then she smiled at me. "Thanks. She was the worst one." she said.
It was quiet while me and Ren finished, laying our bowls on the bar. I looked back, my eyes narrowing as I reached for my gun. "What are you doing? No one's here." Blake said, grabbing my arm. I nodded, "Exactly. It's the lunch rush, and it's deserted. Something's wrong." I said. Arslan raised an eyebrow, grabbing out a dagger from behind her, walking towards the front door. "Come on, something's up." she said, looking towards us. I nodded, following her. I heard the pushing back of stools as Ren and Blake followed behind me. Arslan walked outside as I drew my revolver, seeing a few people gathered around one sole figure near the center of town. It was a woman, blonde hair, blue eyes. She was clutching her bleeding side, one of her eyes swollen shut. "Jaune!" she said, reaching for me. I ran over, my eyes widening as I leaned down, grabbing her hand. "Maria? Who did this to you?" I asked, looking down at her.
She reached up, laying her hand on the side of my face as she smiled. "You look… just like dad. I'm sorry… I'm sorry!" she said, crying hysterically as I saw the blood pool on the ground growing. "It's okay. Just tell me who did this." I said, leaning towards her. She sniffed, leaning back as I saw her eyes fading. "Mercury… Black." she said, leaning over to the left as I saw her eyes, glazed over with death. I stood, looking towards the entrance to the city. There, I saw him. Standing right out in the open, was the most feared assassin in Mistral. Mercury Black. He was dressed in a long, black cloak, his gray eyes showing, as well as black combat boots. He pulled down on it slightly, revealing a few strands of gray hair, as well as a small smirk. He held up a finger to his lips, likely telling me to be quiet. I didn't hesitate, drawing my gun and firing my clip at him. Though, he just held up his hands, the bullets bouncing off. I saw a flash of metal from within his cloak before he turned, walking away.
"Who put a contract on Maria?" I thought, looking back down at her. "Who was that? And this for that matter?" Blake asked, gesturing to the dead woman. "That was Mercury Black, professional, ruthless, has no enemies, since they're all dead." I heard Yang say, seeing her walking over to us. Blake looked at me, and I just sighed, looking down at the girl, "This is… was, my sister, Maria Arc. She was the second oldest. Now there's only four of us left…" I said, standing up. Two younger sisters, one of which was a baby, two older sisters, and me. Yang walked over to me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "You three should go. We'll bury the body, don't worry. We'll tell the Arc family it was Mercury." she said, smiling slightly towards us. I nodded, grabbing Blake's hand. "Come on. We can't do anything else here. Arslan, how much do I owe you?" I asked, blue eyes meeting olive green one's. She shook her head, "It's fine. Just… leave, make yourself scarce for a while huh? We can't afford the Arc's getting angry and storming this place." she said.
I nodded, walking off towards the open gate, Blake and Ren following behind me. I felt a hand on my arm, and I saw, predictably, Blake, holding on. "I'm sorry Jaune. It must be hard… losing two sisters in one day." she said, frowning towards me. I shook my head, "It's a numb feeling really. I barely knew Maria, and killing Jasmine seemed like justice. Really… I don't know." I said, looking down at the ground, walking along the familiar dirt path, leading to the city. "Are we leaving soon?" Ren asked. I nodded, not even hesitating. "Yeah. I want out of this damn country as soon as possible." I said. Blake and Ren both nodded, "No arguments here." they both said. I nodded, turning my attention back to the road, where Mercury had disappeared, where Maria's blood had stained. I only had one thought going down the path.
"I should really just stay in Vale."
(a/n- surprise, yet another POV change! Also, I just realized Arslan actually has more dialogue here than in the show. Not that that was difficult to top though, she had… zero lines, so… nevermind, on with it!)
"Mercury? Your mission was a success I trust?" I heard the monotone and incredibly creepy voice of my boss ask. I nodded, "Maria Arc is no more." I said simply. She smiled, the top half of her face cast in shadows as it almost always was. She laid her hands, both with perfectly manicured nails, black polish, on her desk. She turned her head towards my coworker, one I found incredibly annoying. She had dark skin, red eyes, and, most noticeable, pale green, shoulder length hair. She was dressed in an olive-green dress. Why? I didn't have a clue. Maybe it was part of her cover? Maybe she just had a date later or something. "What of yours?" she asked, looking towards said pale-haired girl.
She gulped, looking down. "The mission was a failure. Neopolitan escaped." she said. My boss frowned, and it was never good when that happened. "Emerald, you're one of our best agents. Why and how did she escape?" she asked. Emerald looked away, rubbing at her arm, the place of a large bruise, likely from her mission. "A sniper fired on my hijacked car. It blew out the tires and caused a wreck. I was knocked unconscious, and I came too a few hours later. Neopolitan is currently under the protection of the sugar sloths." she said. I couldn't help but snicker, holding up a hand to my mouth to try and hide it. My boss looked over at me, "What's so funny Mercury?" she asked. I stood back up straight, hands to my sides. "Sorry, it's just that name…" I said, unable to keep from smiling. My boss smiled as well, "I have to admit, it is quite humorous." she said.
"Regardless, did you catch a glimpse of this sniper?" my boss ask. Emerald shook her head, "No. I'm sorry Cinder. I have no clue who it could have been." she said, looking at the floor. I chuckled, "You're such an amatuer." I said. Cinder looked at me, likely raising an eyebrow, "What do you mean Mercury?" she asked. I smirked, leaning back against the wall, "A sniper fires on a car going at least sixty miles per hour, enough to make it crash and still leave both occupants alive? How many bullets?" I asked, looking towards Emerald. She glared at me for a moment, then looked back at Cinder. "Two." she said simply. Cinder motioned towards me, "Go on Mercury, who is it?" she asked. I kept my smirk as I walked closer, "There are only a handful of snipers with that kind of skill. Two of them are dead, one's in Menagerie, one's in prison, which leaves one." I said, holding up one finger.
Emerald's eyes widened, "You mean she fired on me!?" she asked, her voice cracking with fear. I nodded, "Damn right. The Bloody Rose has deemed us her enemies." I said. I saw a nearly unnoticeable shiver go up Cinder's arms, even she was afraid of the psychopath. Cinder nodded, "Well… there's very little we can do then. They must have Neopolitan under their protection." she said. I shook my head, leaning on her desk. Only me and Emerald could get away with doing that. "No, otherwise we wouldn't be talking, we'd be at Emerald's funeral. No, I think she's telling us to back off that detective." I said, an image of the man firing six bullets at me, not one hitting, flashing through my mind. Cinder leaned in, exposing her bright amber eyes to the world for once, "Why would they do that? What's the point?" she asked. I smirked, stepping back, "Simple. That detective is looking for Yang Xiao Long, a runaway from the Rose family. The Bloody Rose works for the Rose family, I've got no doubt that they're hoping the detective will lead them to Yang." I said.
Cinder nodded, leaning back, "You make a point Mercury. How would you suggest we proceed?" she asked. Me and Emerald were the only one's she would ask for advice, perks of being the right and left hand man of a warlord respectively. "We have to kill the Valkyrie." I said simply, as if I were discussing the weather. Emerald walked over, placing a hand on my shoulder, "Mercury, you know we can't do that. She'd kill us in a split second. She's basically invincible." she said. I shook my head, turning around and walking to the door, turning back at the last second. "You want to kill the Valkyrie? You clip her wings." I said, reaching into my cloak and pulling out a small knife. Cinder seemed intrigue, standing up and leaning in closer. "Elaborate." she said, her eyes boring holes into me. I smirked, "She's got one thing that makes her invincible. One thing that keeps her above the rest of us. Destroy it, she becomes vulnerable. I hadn't wanted to do it at first since he didn't have a contract on him, and he works with that damn detective." I said. Cinder's eyes widened, "Are you saying…" she trailed off. I nodded,
"Lie Ren. Kill him, the Valkyrie falls."