"Fuck you…" Rick said with a hard stare at Francois.
"It's a good musical, probably one of the best." Francois said as he stared back at Rick, all the teams where in the library studying, team EMAD, EMBR, and Rick where at one table. Team RWBY where across the pathway from them, along side JNPR. It was a fairly normal study session before RWBY busted out the cards and started playing, then Rick and Francois started arguing.
"I can't deny that, but to say that Les Miserables is better that Wicked? Sacrilege." Rick said, leaving the rest of the table to pinch their noses.
"Why are we arguing about this?" Maria asked, her annoyance showing as she flipped a page in her book.
"Trust me, better not to get involved when Rick starts talking about musicals…" Micca whispered back, not making eye contact with the arguing parties.
"Are we talking about the movie?" Allison asked, making Rick turn to face the teen.
"No…" Rick said, his voice shaking, "That movie is a horrible abomination and an insult to the original production."
"I thought it was all right…" Thatch muttered, only to fell a rush of wind as a pencil nearly clipped his ear, the pirate looked dumbfounded at Rick.
"Fucking Russell Crowe? I don't think so!" Rick yelled, so far making him the second loudest person in the room.
"I hate this game of emotions we play!" Weiss yelled out, distracting the teams.
"Stay strong Weiss, we'll make it through together." Ruby moaned as she jumped into Weiss's arms.
"Shut up," Weiss yelled as she hugged the girl back, the red coming to her cheeks, "Don't touch me!"
"So…anyone thinking what I'm thinking?" Richard said as he took in the sight.
"Well…with the current political state, the recent usage of this kind of relationship in animated forms, and the fact that it seems like this has been set up since day one…hopefully," Ben said, getting everyone's attention, "What? I pay attention to things outside of our lives."
"Hey," Rick said as he got to his feet and walked over, right in time to hear Jaune get roasted by team RWBY, "Mind if I join in next game?"
"Really? Why would you want to play? You don't exactly come across as the board game type." Francois said as he walked over as well.
"Buddy, team EMBR and I play a game of Dungeons and Grimm every week." Rick said proudly, noticing everyone stopping and staring.
"What?" The psychopath asked, very curious about said silence.
"You play Dungeons and Grimm?" Francois said with a laugh, earning a stare from Rick.
"Yeah…dude, it's not that unusual." Rick asked, only for Francois to break out laughing again.
"Yeah but…D&G?" Francois belted out with a laugh.
"So…what do you play as?" Yang asked suddenly, shutting Francois up.
"Half-Orc fighter, grew up as a gladiator, seeks someone to call friend." Rick replied, ignoring Francois's eyes going wide.
"Wait, what?" Francois said as he stared at Yang.
"I used to play D&G, it's just no one here does," Yang said, before turning to face Rick, "How many people do you have in party?"
"We have four, Micca doesn't play, why?" Rick asked, suddenly interested.
"Mind if I join?" Yang said with a grin, earning a smile back.
"I'd have to ask," Rick said as he turned back to his table, "Hey! Mind if Yang joins out D&G group?"
"Sure, been looking for someone to help balance things!" Ben yelled back, getting a laugh from Rick.
"Should I come back later?" Sun asked, making Rick turn around.
"Nah, we just go done, who's the blue hair?" Rick asked, looking past Sun at the new kid.
"My names Neptune, and aren't libraries for reading?" The new teen asked.
"Thank you!" Ren and Richard yelled suddenly, waking Nora from her slumber.
"Shut up, don't be a nerd." Sun whispered.
"Intellectual." Neptune replied back.
"I was going to say asshole." Rick muttered.
"So, where you from?" Weiss asked, not noticing when Neptune started smooth talking.
"Haven and I still didn't catch your name…" Neptune said, sliding over to Neptune, earning a groan from Jaune.
"Wait a minute," Rick said, suddenly next to Pyrrha, "I know for a fact that you two made out that night, what happened?"
"Well…" Pyrrha said, remembering that night…
That night…
Pyrrha broke the kiss, only to have Jaune fall into her chest. He had passed out…
Present…
"Really? He passed out?" Rick asked, slightly surprised.
"Thought it was all a dream, minus the part where he and Weiss broke up." Pyrrha replied, only to be interrupted by Blake storming off.
"Women?" Nora asked, earning a laugh from Ben…
Later, in the city of Vale…
Harry looked over the Piss Drainer and, he had to say, he wasn't impressed. The bar looked like a piece of shit and it smelled like the man, so…maybe that was the point. Harry shrugged this off, not noticing the pair of eyes that were following him. Julia hung back, not because of fear, but because she knew that she could potentially mess up an operation if she just jumped right in.
She quietly walked to the door, taking a peek inside. She could see Harry nursing a shot of whisky, before a voice broke his concentration.
"Jesse? Jesse is that you?" Came a deep voice from the back of the bar, Julia adjusted to get a view of the speaker, a medium sized black man walked next to the detective.
Why would he call him Jesse? Julia said, her concern grown, there's no way he's THAT Jesse…
Harry drank his shot, turning to face the man.
"Marco, should have known you would call yourself the Bastard Son," Harry said, his eyes narrowing, something was off. Julia could feel it.
"Of course, but…I heard that a detective was coming to investigate us, and I thought I recognized the face. Wiped your records?" Marco said as he sat down, making Harry stiffen up.
"I don't know what you're talking about…" Harry replied, afraid of what was coming next.
"My old friend, you can tell me, if you pulled it off, then I can too. Imagine the money that I could make off of being dead." Marco said as he put a hand around the detectives shoulder.
"Marco…" Harry said in a warning tone, trying to stop this conversation.
"Jesse Stampede, my friend, what's the matter?" Marco said, stopping when Harry sighed.
"You dumbass, you just killed everyone in this room with that big mouth." Harry said, suddenly pulling out one of his revolvers and shooting the man in the head. The rest of the bar looked shocked at the turn of events, only for Harry to turn around and start firing. Lucky for him, there wasn't that big of a crowd, and they had no time to react. Julia's eyes widened as she saw his speed, there was not mistaking it. She had just seen Jesse Stampede, alive, in the flesh, and at the top of the police.
She knew that she couldn't beat him, not on her own. The teen started running, she needed backup, and she only one person who could help her in this…
At Beacon…
"Excuse me," Rick said as he and Francois maneuvered his was past the three people, "Just got to return something to some friends."
"No need, we were just leaving…" Came the voice, soft and sensual as the lead lady started off.
"Huh…hey, came to return this." Rick said, handing Ruby back her board game.
"Thanks." Ruby said with glee.
"Not to be rude, what are you planning?" Rick asked, his voice one of interest.
"What…what do you mean?" Ruby stuttered.
"Your voice, it only gets like this when you're excited about doing something violent." Rick answered.
"Uh…" Ruby started.
"Ruby, you know that me and the rest of EMAD have experience in these matters, we started talking about it after the incident at the docks. You could use our help." Rick said with Francois nodding.
"Well…" Ruby started, only for Yang's head to jut out the window.
"We've got a lot of ground to cover, might as well let them help." Yang said, before running back in.
"OK, you're in." Ruby said with a smile which Francois and Rick returned.
"I'll get EMBR, see you later." Rick said as he took off. Francois chuckled as he worked his way back to his room; he opened the door to reveal Thatch and Allison playing chess.
"Where's Maria?" Francois said as he sat down on his bed.
"Had to take a call, apparently it was important." Thatch said as he moved a piece.
"Any idea who it was?" Francois said, laying back.
"Don't know," Allison said as she made her move, "Why? You've got something to ask her?"
"Yes, I do," Francois said with a smile, "RWBY, EMBR, Rick, and us have got a…interesting night planned."
"How?" Thatch asked suspiciously, turning his head to face the noble.
"Turns out, they intend to investigate some of the…interesting things going on in town, like the White Fang and Mary Blud." Francois said, his face still smiling.
"Sounds good to me, been meaning to get out," Thatch said, only for Allison to chuckle and mover her piece, "Damn it."
"I win again," Allison said as she turned to face Francois, "I assume that they accepted because of our experience?"
"Oui, I expect they'll tell us what they have planned tomorrow, Ruby loves to plan things quickly." Francois said with a grin, at that moment, the door opened to reveal what appeared to be a very shaken Maria.
"Maria, who was the caller?" Allison asked, concerned at her friends appearance.
"It's nothing," Maria said, rubbing her eyes, "What's going on here?"
"RWBY asked for our help investigating some things tomorrow, interested?" Francois said, his face breaking into a frown.
"Sure, I just…I'm going to be busy tomorrow, do you think you can manage without me?" Maria asked, still very shaken.
"Sure," Allison said before asking, "Maria, are you all right?"
"It's…complicated," Maria said as she sunk into her bed, "I'll talk about it later."
Earlier…
"Julia, what's this about?" Maria asked into her scroll, her voice full of annoyance.
"Maria, I need your help." Julia asked on the other end, the statement making Maria almost drop her scroll. Julia was prideful; if she was calling her little sister then something was very wrong.
"With what?" Maria asked incredulously.
"Look, have you ever heard of Harry Holmes?" Julia asked, once again almost making Maria drop her scroll.
"Yes…" Maria replied back in a slow voice.
"Maria, I've discovered that he's played us all, the council, the hunters, the police…" Julia ranted before Maria cut her off.
"Julia, wait, what's going on?" Maria asked, her voice growing more confused by the minute.
"Maria, Harry Holmes is Jesse Stampede." Julia said on the other end, almost making Maria laugh.
"Julia, that's impossible…" Maria said before Julia cut her off.
"No, it isn't, Maria…I just saw him gun down innocent civilians," Julia said, her tone of voice making Maria falter, "He did it with a speed of a hunter, and one of the men mentioned his name. He killed them to cover his tracks."
"Julia…" Maria said, her voice full of sorrow.
"I can't call in my men, he would notice them coming and I don't want to risk them," Julia said with a calm voice, "I need you, your semblance might allow you to see a hole in his defenses."
"Julia," Maria said, before stealing herself, "OK, where and when?"
"Tomorrow, and Maria?" Julia asked.
"What?" Maria asked.
"Thanks." Julia said before cutting the connection.
Present time, the Last Stop…
Aedan was going through the bar, cleaning again. It was a slow night, and he decided to close early. That was until his door opened.
"We're closed, try The Rest for the Weary, they stay open late." Aedan said as he put a glass below the bar.
"Oh…I think I'll be just fine." Fantine said in a cold tone.
"The bloody fuck are you…" Aedan said as he got up, only to pause at the sight of two people, both of whom were old friends, "Curtis? What are you doing here lad?"
"Fantine asked me to come, said that Beacon could use some more protection," Curtis Marlow said as he sat down at the bar, "Beer, nothing fancy."
"Alright, here you go." Aedan said as he grabbed a mug and filled it from the tap. Curtis took it and started drinking.
"I see your doing well." Marlow said as he looked around the bar, noting its neatness.
"I'd say so; it's just been a boring night, Curtis, where have you been?" Aedan said as he walked around and took a seat.
"Been hunting in the north, in the Savage Lands. Been working with the team from there, can't say more than that." Marlow said as he took another swig.
"Aye, sounds like fun," Aedan said, he knew exactly why Marlow had been banished to that dangerous place, "When did you get back in town?"
"About a week ago, how's the rest of TAAR?" Marlow asked, noting how Aedans hands clenched at the name.
"Haven't heard, been there for twenty, right?" Aedan asked, to which Marlow nodded, "They're dead, died shortly after you left."
"Oh…Sorry, I know the feeling." Marlow said, his eyes growing dark.
"No, no you don't," Aedan muttered under his breath, "So, you staying at Beacon?"
"Yes, got some things to do tomorrow." Marlow said, only for Fantine to jump in.
"Yes, things that are classified, forgive me Aedan, but we must take our leave." Fantine said with a flourish. Marlow gave him a hateful look, but got to his feet.
"See you around." Aedan said as the two walked out, neither replying back. A hand fell on Aedans back; he turned to see a woman with black hair standing there.
"Who was that?" She asked, her face concerned.
"Trouble," Aedan said, "Do me a favor Sally? Keep the gun loaded, I worry about what's going to happen next."