Later that night, in the middle of my training, my scroll buzzes.
Junior:
They're making a move, Courier.
Courier:
Understood. Where to?
Junior:
That new shop, southwest side of town. Belongs to that big guy, name of Torgue. Showed up on TV. Apparently they don't like him cashing in, however subtly, on the SDC/Fang conflict.
Courier:
When?
Junior:
Half hour after sunset.
I glance out the window. The sun was just starting to dip a little.
Courier:
Understood. I take it that if I find anything of value on these pawns you know somewhere I can offload it?
Junior:
Really? I would have thought that sort of thing was beneath those of lofty ideals such as yours.. But yeah.
Courier:
You know what they say.
Finders keepers. Losers bleeders.
Junior:
Well, that's not ominous at all.
I roll my eyes and sleep the scroll, turning to my standard scroll.
Hart:
Hey, you old crow. I could use a bit of backup on something. Don't want to get the girls involved in this.
Qrow:
I'm listening. And don't call me that.
Hart:
In a few hours, there's going to be a clash between someone and the Fang. I need you to hang around and, if need be, intercede on their behalf.
Qrow:
Is this someone someone I know?
Hart:
Now that would be telling, old man. Besides, if anyone asks, you'll be able to say you have no idea who it could be.
Qrow:
Ah. The joys of plausible deniability. Where will this encounter occur?
Hart:
The new dust shop in the southwest quadrant. Torgue Co?
Qrow:
I know the place.
Hart:
Damn well better. Be there 15 after sunset.
Qrow:
Gotcha.
That done, I begin making preparations. The first thing I do is go deal with the Knight-Night. Then I immediately splurge on twenty energy drinks-it runs me around 60 lien in larger cases, but I consider it worth it. I hesitate before going to a toy store in my Courier disguise. I pull out 300 lien.
"I want as many marbles as you can get me for a hundred fifty lien. The other half is for you to not talk about this." I say. The man behind the counter swallows and nods before bringing me the requested marbles. They vanish, and shortly after, so do I in a back alley.
Hmmm, I should really consider a symbol. I also spend 100 lien on a pair of crappy swords(but, at least when Aura reinforced, good enough to punch a hole in stone) and drop by a faux taxidermist's.
"I would like a fake Beowulf head, please." I say, still in my Courier mode. It runs me about 75 lien, and I fade away again afterwards. Hmm, marbles, check, a message, check... Was there anything else I could use to even the odds?
Oh, how about a mask of my own? I buy some plaster and make a blank mask with nothing but two eyeholes and a nose hole punched in it. I check the sky.
The sun's almost setting. I have to hurry. I zip around my empty dimension until I'm near the place, then drop out.
It was just about time for action. I perched on a rooftop and pulled out the Knight-Night, loading it with a sleeper canister.
I glance down.
Oh, THAT'S not good. There are twenty goons flanking Roman Torchwick
Well, let's see how many are up after this.
I take careful aim at Roman and fire off the sleeper capsule before jumping down.
"Nice masks, fellas."
They all swivel as the capsule strikes a glancing blow, bursting against Roman's cheek. At least half of it landed on the ground. Shit.
"Who the fuck are you?" One of them demands.
"A fellow roleplayer." I smirk behind the mask as I switch to sword mode.
"What?" another one says confusedly.
"I'll tell you what, how about we have a RP right now?" I pause dramatically.
"I'll be the serial killer, and you can be my victims."
I glide forward, spinning in a quick circle to deliver a Power Attack with Knight-Night as my free hand suddenly sprouts a pistol, which I fire rapidly into the midst of them. Despite Aura, the one I attack obtains a deep gash in his arm. As he goes down, the pistol disappears from my hand and I rip the mask from his face with that hand, and then it's replaced with the pistol again.
One Fang is coming in with a hammer, but it isn't much trouble to roll to the side and lunge in with my sword as the hammer strikes the ground. One Power Strike and his aura is low. I mash his face with a left hook and it's broken, along with his nose.
Ok, now I've stirred up the hornet's nest, time to retreat. I drop a quarter of my marbles and ID out as they scatter across the street. I climb a wall to one of the roofs and reappear, looking down. About half of them have gone down, but the other half seem to have both slipped out of the way of their falling comrades and stayed more or less stationary. Torchy's still up, too.
I pull out my guns. Time to add a bit of incentive to move. I open fire with both pistols and the standing Fang start to move, two more of them going down to the marbles, though some of them make it to cover. Tch. I keep firing, but I pause when I see Roman lining up a shot. I quickly roll to the side as he fires.
And then I hear something from below me. A crash, followed by a whirr. A door slams forward, ripped off it's hinges, and clips Roman's arm. He goes down amidst the marbles. And then the explosions start. I peer out from my cover on the roof and...
Oh god, it's Mister Torgue. This was not part of the plan. I take a moment to assess the situation before spotting one trying to flee. I hop off the roof and move to cut off his path.
"And where do you think you're going, broken tooth?" I say casually. "Did you forget about our little game?"
He flinches as I bare my sharp teeth. "But-But you're one of us! A Faunus! Why are you doing this?" He babbles.
"Because you're soft. Lapdogs." I let out a bark of laughter that's not too far off from a actual bark. Not even intentionally. "Heh, lapdogs. I didn't even intend that pun. And that's all you are to his kind, regardless of what kind of Faunus you are-a dog intended to heel to their master." I lash out, smashing the pommel of the blade into the Fang's head, and he collapses bonelessly. I rip the mask from his face, too, before stowing it. I smirk and turn to glance at Torgue and...
Oh, God. Five of the fangs have orbs hovering over them where they lay in pools of their own blood, and the rest are fleeing or unconscious. Roman's nowhere to be seen.
I think I might be sick, but at the same time, this is the first chance I'll get to try to do something very, very stupid. I return my sword to the Inventory before giving Torgue a curt nod, moving to one of the dead Fangs and carefully focusing as I slowly bring my hand into contact.
Don't absorb the soul, don't absorb the soul... Ok, I haven't absorbed the soul. Next I slowly, tentatively guide the soul down to the body.
[Error:HP under 0!]
Huh. I focus again.
I force as much energy as I can into the Fang while focusing on knitting flesh, both Aura and Mana.
[Through concentrated application of Mana guided by Aura, you have created the skill Repair Body!
Repair Body Cost:500 Aura+500 Mana level 1
Restores 250 HP, even to the dead, undead, automatons, dead automatons, dead undead, and undead automatons!
Dead undead automatons are right out. No, I'm kidding, even dead undead automatons.
On living targets, or dead targets that are resurrected, inflicts the debuff [Imprecise Repair]
Imprecise Repair
You have been 'healed' with a extremely imprecise technique. Accordingly, while you are further from death, you are also further from optimal function.
Damages Constitution and Strength by 20%, and Dexterity by 25%
Recovers with time. Aura and physical therapy enhance recovery speed]
I cast it a few times before guiding the soul into the body.
[I wouldn't do that, Hart...]
Shut up, Death.
[Warning: Very expensive action!]
I said shut up! I couldn't just watch someone die, and I might be able to pump them for information.
[Through being a complete dumbass and not listening to instructions, you have gained the skill Insert Anima!
Insert Anima has reached level 2
Insert Anima Cost:3000 XP+MP Level 2 25%
Restores a soul to a physical form. Higher levels reduce time needed to acclimate to body, as does using original host, and reduces odds of serious consequences. Serious consequence chance can also be reduced by expending extra Experience and using original host. Current Consequence chance: 89%. Cost to reduce: 1000/point; Host Reduction:5%
Serious Consequence! You did not have enough experience with this skill, causing you to accidentally consume half their soul. +5000 EXP, afflicted subject Onyx with Status:Fractured-Soul Coma]
The only thing stopping me from vomiting (despite the not exactly unpleasant sensation of eating half a soul)when I saw what I had done by accident was Gamer's Mind. But at the same time, what if I needed to bring one of my friends back to life one day? No, I would have to continue bringing my minor enemies to life, even if it meant eating a dozen souls. I ignore the conflicted way thinking about accidentally eating human souls makes me feel and rip off his mask. I leave the other Fangs alone, collecting their weapons and masks. I could at least sell them for scrap. Once I have all the masks, I stack all but one of them and toss down the Beowolf head next to them. I slam one shitty sword through the taxidermied head, and the other through the masks, then vanish into thin air.
More specifically, into the Zombie dimension. I had a LOT of very recently repressed anger and disgust to work my way through.
I take a moment to examine the Fang mask before I go.
[Mask of the Fang
Charisma=5
+50% Wisdom
+20% Str
Disguise:White Fang(Member)
Uniform:White Fang(Member)
Disguises set you to a different set of reputation from normal. Faction disguises come in different ranks-for instance, the one you took belongs to a ordinary recruit of a disguise-compatible faction. Typically, higher rank disguises are harder to pull off.
While wearing a factional disguise, those who do not know it is you treat you as a normal member of that faction. Those who know who you are but do not know why you're wearing it will treat you differently from normal depending on level of trust and opinion of disguised faction.
Uniforms differ from disguises in that if you are actually a member of that faction, you will typically recieve slightly better treatment if in a rank-appropriate uniform than not from members of that faction, but still use normal relations. Typically, uniforms and faction disguises only differ in that disguises somehow conceal identifying features. Not all uniforms are faction disguises, but all faction disguises are uniforms.
Non-faction disguises on the other hand use their own personalized set of reputations, if used long term, or set all reputations to default for a member of disguise species and gender.
Speaking of which...
Disguise, Death's Courier
White Fang: -1000/-5000:Hostile
Adam Taurus: -3000/-7000:Seeing Red
Huntsmen: 100/1000:Curious
Mr Torgue High-Five Flexington: 500/1000:Slightly Badass
Roman Torchwick: -250/-1000:Annoyance
People of Vale: +/-25/+-1000: Mildly Interesting
Police Force of Vale:+/-100/+/-1000:Wanted for questioning]
Goddamn, connotations aside, that 50% wisdom was sweet. Maybe something to wear in dungeons only.
In any case, I should gather more experience now in case of future crises. And also vent my rage.