It was always odd to wake up somewhere new, recently the roof over his head would change twice within a week, yet every morning when he awoke he opened his eyes expecting to lay eyes upon his broken in, familiar bedroom, hearing the bustle of seven sisters all round the breakfast table downstairs and his mother calling his name. He would feel strange, looking up at the most recent hostel room ceiling, he would temporarily think he was dreaming or someone had moved him in his sleep, then the reality would set in.
Oh yes, he had ran away.
With a groan, the teen took in his newest surroundings, his attention called to the lack of morning sunlight which acted as a regular saving grace for his more than occasionally sketchy accommodation choices. With a painful move of his neck, he realised that this time around he hadn't even been allowed a bed, his drowsy form stretched out over the leather sofa with a dark red quilt big enough to cover bis chest half falling to the floor.
Raising his palm to his forehead, the images from last night began to collaborate and form memories as Jaune took a sharp breath before turning to his left towards the artificial fireplace, seeing the slumped, unconscious form of the black suited intruder known to him as Mister B. Mann laying dormant, his left wrist bound by a zip tie that held itself upon a thin, golden pole that was positioned near the furnace.
That was right, he had been lead here whilst following the B. Mann and had pursued him onto the roof where he confronted the two girls he now knew as Melanie and Miltia Malachite. His head legitimately began to ache as he remembered the ordeal clearly, the unrelenting glare from the elder twin in white and the sceptic's run down from the younger twin in red.
According to their story, they were no longer with their former employer and had been ambushed by Mann. They questioned whether Jaune was working for Junior or working for some woman they alluded to who had recently been making moves in the criminal underworld with two others, asking him if he knew a thief or if his father was an assassin for whatever reason Jaune couldn't deduce.
Remembering their anything but trusting glares, Jaune struggled to remember what exactly transpired next, something told him the marks against his neck had a little to do with it as he rubbed his nape softly before he sat up to try and get a better set of bearings. It was then that he noticed something holding his wrist and preventing him from sitting up entirely.
Peering down, he saw it and recalled precisely what took place, from the younger sister holding her claws to his throat before commanding him to lay down on the leather sofa before the elder sister took charge, approaching the teen with the given name JauneJauneJaune and seemingly attempted to stare into his very soul as she pondered his worth of trust, apparently coming to no fruition as she decided to postpone their decision of what to do with him until morning.
In order to make sure he didn't go running to his employer, Melanie Malachite grabbed two zip ties, one to contain the recently incapacitated Mister Mann and one for the hooded teen himself, securing it to the corner leg of the sofa before retiring for the night, both exhausted from their day and just wanting to relish in the chance to close their eyes for more than a second.
Jaune had decided to follow along without complaint, today had been a long one for him as well, and when he thought of his other options for residence that night, a luxurious band's abode with security and comfortable, unscarred furniture was not going to find itself much competition.
Before that, however, Miltia seemed a little more grateful towards the boy who had in fact rescued her elder sister, grabbing a blanket before handing it to Jaune without a word and heading off to join her sister. Jaune didn't bother to tell her the blanket was entirely unnecessary for someone like him.
Someone like him...
When had he begun to think of himself like that? Up until recent events he had just been Jaune, descendant or Arcs, a well meaning but occasionally bull headed boy with a sensitive side, or so the description from his mother went. He had been another average guy, so when exactly had he categorised himself subconsciously as something else, someone different?
Perhaps it was instantaneous, as soon as he had opted to stay at a Bed and Breakfast rather than return home, he knew he was changed, he knew he no longer fit the old description of himself held within his own mind. Of course, she hadn't cared.
Jaune sighed, he had wondered when she would pop up in his head again, what had it been, a day? No matter what he may choose to occupy himself with his mind always seemed to have a funny way of reverting back to the default thought that seemed to have established itself as the image of a princess in light blue, an asymmetric ponytail gracing her presence and eyes of a envy worthy blue. There was also her smile, that was something he reminded himself of whenever he found himself between worlds, staring up at a bleak ceiling in the solitary discomfort of a cheap B & B that could never hope to match the experience he had with her.
Of course, with happiness came grief, the thought that as quickly as she had come, she had been taken away. It was inevitable, perhaps, it was clear to any that the two belonged to different worlds that just so happened to cross paths during that particular week. Maybe if he searched hard enough, he could force the stars to align once more, yet the more he entertained that idea, the more belonging to a fantasy it seemed.
Re-focusing himself, the boy looked down at his constrained wrist, glancing at the black material that threatened to cut off his blood flow altogether before remembering that with the alienation and self-doubt that came with the change he had gone through, there were also a few perks.
An icy blue accent began to spread over the bracelet at Jaune's behest as ice started to form over it, once it had been encased entirely Jaune willed it to break apart, the material instantly falling to the ground in frozen tatters as Jaune massaged his red marked wrist. Little tricks such as that were always good to know when in his shifty current line of work.
Pulling the scrap of blanket off of himself, Jaune hefted himself to his feet and let out a tired yawn. Conscious of himself, Jaune checked his surroundings, the dimly lit studio made it hard to tell what time it was, it seemed like the sisters weren't up and about just yet.
His first impulse was to leave the studio apartment and be head to the streets, but a passing glance at the sleeping man by the fireplace was enough to advise hesitation, the job was to get Mann out of the city, by any means. Easier said when he was currently knocked out and imprisoned, the option of carrying him to the city borders not too appealing to Jaune.
Deciding to proceed and see what comes his way, Jaune eyed up what appeared to be a small red wood kitchen counter with several appliances spread sparse about it. Fingering the various drawers, Jaune cracked open a pair of double cupboard doors to see a line of boxes stacked against each other.
Picking out the one that he had grown accustomed to, Jaune placed it on the counter and turned round to inspect the windowed closets for a bowl and spoon, an image in the glass catching his eye as a light red blur stood with its hands upon its waist, staring straight at Jaune who had stopped his search with a sigh.
"Any chance you could offer up some milk?" Jaune offered half jokingly as he turned himself round to face the mistrusting glare presented by Miltia Malachite. The girl's bright emeralds dared him to try something as she looked around the teen for any signs that he was planning to attack. Finding only items that were, in terms of an escape plan, utterly useless.
"Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes?" she asked, eyeing the bright red box with the image of a young, smiling red headed teen gleaming above a bowl of the glorious cereal itself. "These are what you actively choose to eat first thing in the morning?" she asked in a tone that carried heavy disapproval.
"It's kind of what I live off about now, they aren't the worst thing I've eaten, they don't give me powers though," 'Jack' shrugged, his words causing much confusion in the jet black locked ex bodyguard. "Besides, you're the one with a box of it in your cupboard." He thumbed backwards with a raised eyebrow.
"They are emergency rations." Miltia stressed, placing two fingers to her forehead. Personally not wanting to even be in the vicinity of such a sugar filled enemy to dental hygiene, the 'ration' being entirely her elder sister's decision.
Miltia had thought plans for an extended stay in the recovered band studio apartment was unnecessary, though now, with half the criminal underworld on the search for the twin deserters, they may very well have to hide out inside these decorated walls for a considerable while.
"So, now that pleasantries are done with." Miltia stated suddenly, Jaune not so sure about her concept of 'pleasantries' before she raised one of her crimson claws to his eye level as he took a step back, "Jack, if that name is close to your real one. Who are you and what do you want with us?" she levelled him dangerously.
Jaune considered his answer meticulously, he didn't know this person, nor did he really intend to. He hadn't even meant to meet her or her sister at all, they had just happened to work rather well at drawing Mann out into the open. In truth, the only thing tying him to their place of residence was the gangster laying upon the wooden floor at the other end of the room.
"I'm a hire... from one of Roman's friends." he began to explain as Miltia instantly tensed, fleeting panic evident in her eyes as Jaune continued, "They wanted Mann out of command and wanted me to take care of that. I just followed some of his men for a few days until they met with a guy, who would meet with a higher guy, and so on and so forth until I was lead to Mann, who just so happened to be occupying himself with you two.
He told his men to seize you the minute they laid eyes on you, I'm guessing that was more to get you two tuckered out before you got back to the apartment he already knew about. I stalked him to the roof and followed him down the entrance here. I attacked when your older sister was grabbed and, well, last night happened.
Now I just need to make sure he isn't going to be any more trouble and I'll be out of your hair, no telling Junior that you guys are here, no return trips, gone, poof. Does that sound all right to you?" Jaune answered, while Miltia definitely wasn't satisfied, she seemed confident that he wanted to be gone as much as she wanted him gone. It wasn't anything personal, right now the only one she could feel secure with was her elder sister.
"No more trouble, huh?" Spoke a voice identical to the girl opposite him as the form of the elder sister, Melanie, appeared from around the corner where the B. Mann had approached them just the night before, her too adorning the same white combat dress. "We can take care of that right now, then." Melanie stated simply as she began to walk over to the downed man that had endangered both her and her younger sister.
On her way over, she offered a sharp eye to the icy blue remains of the boy 'Jack''s restraints she had fastened just before bed, making a mental note to be wary of their mysterious visitor all the more before she stood above her current issue, Mister B. Mann.
"What're you thinking?" Jaune asked cautiously as he walked over along with Miltia, wary of the menacing tone and gait presented by the elder twin in white as she leaned over, ensuring the black suited man was truly still dormant. Satisfied, she straightened herself and turned to 'Jack'.
"It's your job, right?" Melanie turned to the hooded teen who's eyes widened at the possible implications the bored sounding girl carried in her words as she gestured towards Mister Mann's fallen form. "You kill him, use the ice to make the stab wound untraceable and dispose of the body, just don't do it here." Melanie concluded before spinning around and starting to walk off.
"What?!" Jaune spoke incredulously, the notion of such an act barely having begun to sink in before his mind instantly rejected it. Miltia, too, looked perturbed by what her elder sister had suggested. True, the girls had grown to be of the morally flexible variety in order to make it in this city, but they had yet to cross that lie no matter how bad things had gotten.
"What's your problem? Do you not realise who this person is?" Melanie responded, crooking a disbelieving eye as she raised her hand disdainfully towards the vulnerable man laying still beside the three. "This man- no- this scrape of dirt deserves it. Don't assume you know what he's like, you don't know a thing.
We aren't the first he's gone after, but I'm pretty sure we are the first he hasn't caught, and what do you think happened to those girls? What do you think will happen if you let him go? How many more until he deserves it? He will not stop, until he is stopped." She narrowed her eyes implicitly, Jaune's eyes shooting wide open.
His vision trailed to the floor beneath him, his fists clenching and his head spinning in a storm. The pure aspect of what he was being asked to do was slowly sinking in, and it started tremors through the teen's already ice riddled body. The girl in white watched him impatiently as the younger sister avoided eye contact altogether.
He had been through things the past year that had changed him, he was still getting to terms with his power but that wasn't all. The missions he had signed up for started off simple, fetch this, that, help them. Not before long, however, he begun to receive requests of another nature entirely.
"Get back inside! You can't fight that thing!" his wife had called out to him, standing fear stricken in the doorway to their cabin. Her husband offered the most convincing smile he could muster back at her. Himself also doubting his chances as he stood opposite the encroaching black beast.
He shook his head vigorously, attempting to rid of any doubt, this was the summer home he had bought for the love of his life and he'd be damned before he let some mutt break it down. Even if the only thing he had on hand was his chestnut hunting rifle, his shooting arm was still something to be feared.
Besides, if his daughter could take on ten of these armed only with a handbag and a pair of fashionable black shades, then how the could he call himself her father if he couldn't protect what was his whilst she was training at the academy?
What the headstrong Mr Adel failed to realise is that what now slowly crept towards him was not a regular beowulf, but a veteran, and a wild one at that. Grimm weren't known for their thinking capacity, but their conditioned instincts were something else.
It was this programmed instinct from facing previous huntsman that lead to the devoted husband and father's rifle being harmlessly swiped from his hand, flying through the air and snapping against a nearby tree with a resounding snap. The pieces falling as far as the father's expression as the terror now began to arise.
"Adkin!" the distressed mother from the door shrieked as the beast lurched forwards with its monstrous hind legs propelling its ravenous form forwards towards the man who raised his arms in a near futile effort to block the inevitable impact.
The roar of the beast echoed through the mountain range like the cry of death incarnate, deafening the wife and husband- before it stopped altogether.
Adkin Adel slowly re opened a single eye, wondering upon sight if time had miraculously stopped, as in front of him lay the familiar image, the wolf creature with its claws and fangs poised and bared, about to close in on its prey, now laying completely inactive.
The subtle cracking sound of ice alerted the man to the hooded teen that currently stood behind the beast, his palm placed firmly against the soulless being's back, with unmistakable ice spreading from his point of contact to the entire surface area of the beowulf, coating it in a light blue skin of conjured ice.
Once the Grimm was fully encased, the hooded figure retracted his hand with a tired sigh before he turned towards the husband who still stood with his arms up, the sights before him not entirely registering as real in his mind as the boy pulled down his hood.
"Hey, are you all right?! I was supposed to be on the look out for a misplaced Grimm in the safe zone, I'm so sorry I didn't get here sooner!" the boy spoke, what caught Mr Adel's interest was not the profuse apology that he was now presented with, but the nature of the very boy himself.
His warm hearted words and caring outward appearance contradicted the brutally efficient dispatch of the beast frozen behind him, as did his youthful appearance. Whilst his bizarrely pale complexion and snow white hair were ones to catch the eyes, it was the youthful features present upon his concerned expression that baffled him.
Why, the boy seemed no older, perhaps even a year or two younger than Adkin's own precious girl. However, as he peered closer, he spotted something different beyond the boy's disposition. The blackening bags underneath his sharp blue eyes and the scrawny figure barely concealed by his armoured clothing implied that this boy certainly had a past to tell, or one to conceal.
"Kid, how old are you?" Mr Adel asked, the courtesy of thanking his saviour playing second fiddle to his intrigue with the boy as the boy before him looked taken aback by the inquiry. Adkin awaited a response, eager to discover what lead a child to pursuing such dangerous jobs as monster hunting.
Before the boy could respond, Adkin's vision blurred as a chocolate coloured shape crashed into him, throwing its two arms around the man and hugging him tight as Adkin's eyes adjusted to witness the sight of his wife constricting him with her head buried deeply into his shoulder.
"Adkin, you helpless fool!" his wife beat his chest softly as the wife held her love even closer to confirm that he was in fact still there with her. Mr Adel smiled down at his wife, brushing her hazel shaded locks backwards as he shushed her gently.
"It's all over with now, all right Laurie? And we have someone to invite to dinner to thank for it!" Adkin whispered to her.
Laurie Adel lifted her head tentatively, her dark brown eyes meeting his as she couldn't help but crack a small smile, the fierce trembling in her knees finally beginning to settle as her heartbeat began to soothe to a calm and relieved rhythm.
"Well, as our daughter would say, good hustle out there-" Adkin turned round to his saviour.
Adkin and Laurie Adel turned to see the frozen Grimm standing alone opposite them, any sign of the boy in the black hoodie now vanished as they hadn't even heard him take a step. The only evidence left behind being two streaks of ice upon the woodland floor leading off into the distance.
"Kid?" Akin spoke, dazed, before a tug on the arm from his wife brought him back inside the summer house with her to calm themselves with a well needed mug of cocoa, their most favoured beverage of all. Both spent the night wondering just who in the world that boy was, and if he had somewhere to sleep that night.
There was, of course, the upside of being able to help people in the process, but eventually the demands grew until the point when he was called upon for what was best described as exterminations. This didn't mean the most powerful Grimm, Jaune was still sixteen at that point and whilst his ability was powerful he was not a trained huntsman by any measure.
It meant clearing out packs of the vile grunts, he simply found his semblance to be effective on large crowds when he could gain access to water, often using the simple move of freezing them all still and leaving them to perish. The extent to which his environment aided his fighting prowess was no more accentuated than the time at Shivverin Forest.
Nonetheless, of all the miscellaneous missions he had been sent on, not ever had he been asked to target another human. It was the nature of this world, when humankind was united by a common enemy, in this case the black beasts that occupied every border, we forsake animosity towards each other. The mutual concern of all being preserving our welfare as a species.
Yet when the Grimm are not on the minds of the people, other thoughts may take precedence, forgetting the danger of the Grimm some can grow to see fellow humans or faunus as their enemy once again. This was not common, but it was inevitable. Now Jaune was seeing it up close.
Looking up to the girl in red beside him, Miltia Malachite didn't seem as troubled, sure she wasn't happy about the situation, only the likes of Torchwick would be perfectly fine with their predicament. It seemed clear to her that this man was a threat, and not just to them.
Jaune turned his gaze to the man slumped in the coal suit, inspecting him meticulously. The crooked lines on his face reminiscent of his derogatory smirk, the lack of wrinkles and clear complexion suggests he was perfectly happy sleeping at night.
His expression was almost care-free, like there was no weight upon his shoulders, no indication of the sins and atrocities he had surely committed in his time as a gang leader. Were they right? Would this man simply rise up again and continue on his path of devastation? Would it really be for the better if Jaune were to-?
"... I feel like I can really trust you to have my back"
Jaune shot his head up, focus ensnared as the voice tickled something strong within him, he lifted his head and beyond all logic and sense, he saw her once again. The girl of fifteen he had met the year before, adorning the new dress she had bought the day previously along with the lavender gloves that now covered his palms.
She gazed straight at him with a serious expression, in a manner identical to the way she had done that day in his village town upon the high hill where you could outlook the entire area in peace. Jaune not able to articulate any words, the girl in white spoke again.
"Forget being cut out for it, to me, you are already a huntsman, willing to risk your life to save another's, I find that admirable. To be perfectly honest, I'm a little envious that it comes so naturally to you." She spoke as Jaune slowly took in her words, the realization forming in his head.
The ethereal figure walked over to him, placing a dainty finger beneath his chin as her pale blue eyes connected with his of a darker tint, her features encapsulating him before her melodic voice rang out again.
"So stop doubting yourself all the time, you're more capable than you think, right now, the only thing holding you back is yourself."
She smiled at him, and then she was gone.
Jaune stood awestruck, eyes remaining fixed forwards to what was now the empty space within the wooden panel walls, Miltia Malachite appeared very confused at the boy who had just a second before been staring into space as if he was startled by something that was evidently invisible to anybody else as he shut his eyes, the words he had recalled resonating within himself.
"I'm taking him to the police station, I'll wait until he's put inside and then it will be done with." Jaune stated, springing back into action as he reached for the hoodie he had taken off during the night, reaching down to Mister B. Mann's wrist and activating his power, imitating the action he had taken himself but on his zip tie and without the care he had taken with himself.
"Did you even listen? I said to get rid of him." Melanie Malachite's voice arose, her indignant tone amplified by the daggers she currently sent at the hooded teen who now occupied himself with placing a lank black sleeved arm over his neck and heaving upwards, carrying the unconscious man with him as Melanie and Miltia simultaneously stepped into his path.
"We can't let you leave with him." they spoke in unison as they lowered themselves into subtle battle stances, Jaune sighed at the pair, definitely in no way to fight them whilst keeping the criminal upon his shoulder out of the crossfire. Remembering when he had faced off against the red haired White Fang member, Jaune channelled his power and opened his eyes to the twins.
"He won't hurt anybody else, now please move." Jaune asked icily as the twins remarked the deathly stare that seemed to hold actual ice streaks protruding from his bright irises as an aura of power began to emanate from the teen. Miltia and Melanie exchanged a long look, it was obvious what Melanie wanted to do, overpower him and kill the rat.
Miltia, however, thought more rationally, if he was to get Mann arrested, for one he would suffer for life, on the less sadistic side his incarceration could lead to the others like him being locked up for good with his information. It also meant a load off of their conscience, the two of them didn't honestly want anybody to die, Melanie was always just more impulsive than her younger sister when it came to protecting one another.
Melanie understanding what Miltia was thinking, she sighed and decided to trust in the past proven better judgement of her younger twin and relented. The two sisters both lowered their weapons as Jaune shook his head and returned his eyes to normal. With a nod towards the sisters, Jaune made his way through the apartment to the rooftop where he could make his way to the town center.
"Well, now what?" Jaune asked himself as he stood upon the clear rooftop overlooking morning Vale, the heavy weight upon his shoulder not showing any indication of waking. Honestly, before he had solely been thinking about getting out of there, now he was faced with the subsequent challenge of getting this guy to the police station in the hustle of the town.
Deciding alleyways were his only option, Jaune took a brief glance of the city landscape, spotting the street with the police station about two kilometers from the rooftop, raising his hand and plotting in his mind a path that avoided public view. Not quite satisfied the route would be vacant, it was better than shoving the man in a bin bag and lugging him across the city.
"First things first, then..." Jaune eyed the ladder that led down to the alleyways he had tracked the gangster down the previous night, not confident in the chances of him getting both himself and his passenger down safely. With a quick thought and an inspecting look at the man's physique, Jaune nodded and stepped towards the edge of the rooftop.
With a grunt, Jaune let the man slip from his shoulder, watching his limp body escape his view with a whistle as Jaune peered over, the man nearly half way down before Jaune raised his arm and focused. The figure connected with the pile of snow without a sound as Jaune jumped down after it, cushioning his landing perfectly before turning to the snowbanked Mr Mann, taking his lanky figure onto his shoulder once more.
As Jaune made his way forward, checking each and every corner turn to ensure no one was present, every once and a while he would hear a voice echoing off the walls and he would have to make a small diversion in his path, ducking into the shadows until the people had left the area. His pace suffered, the trip that would usually take a maximum of fifteen minutes now taking the better part of an hour.
"All I'm asking is have you seen anyone that fits that description?" came a voice from an alley stretching towards the right, Jaune craning his neck around the street corner and surveying the scene. Jaune spotted an adult man in a white labcoat, a timid and intellectual disposition about him that stuck out like a teen carrying an unconscious mob boss throughout town, hopefully more so, given circumstances.
Jaune decided to elongate his journey rather than compromise it as he reluctantly opted for the longer path to the left, adjusting the body upon his shoulder and tugging down on his black hood before discreetly stepping onto a path apart from the skittish man who was speaking to a local shop owner, the rough and unkempt salesman contrasting perfectly with the nervous doctor-in-appearance.
"Just, anybody like this? Worryingly pale? Maybe does magic tricks with ice? Please, I'm doing this for a girl who is missing her friend! Anybody spring to mind, anybody at all?" the 'doctor' continued, Jaune's blood ran cold, stopping mid-step. His feet skidding against the ice as suddenly behind him, the conversation had ceased. Jaune could feel the stares of the two men bare into his back intensely as Jaune's fists seized his palms.
"W-Wait, you, boy. May I have a minute?" Jaune heard the doctor call out from behind him, Jaune picked up his pace, strengthening his grip on the suited man he held hoisted and worked his legs faster. The echoes of the man's calls grew more and more distant as the hooded teen dashed through the sidestreets following the left turn, struggling to retain his bearings as he kept one ear open for any other pedestrians.
He only allowed himself an extra breath after three minutes of skirting in an out of the shadow graced alleys, bending his knees and resting a supporting hand against the brick wall to his right. Controlling his heavy panting, Jaune lifted his head to a sight that made his heart skip, across from him after another back alley was the back fence that cordoned off the police station, all he would have to do is tip Mr Mann over it and leave the rest to the police of Vale.
Keeping his elation from overcoming his sense, Jaune approached carefully, taking his time as he trod quietly towards the barbed fence. An odd sense of foreboding came over him, which he initially dismissed as trepidation following the end of his lengthy route here. However as he slowed his step, the sensation became all too real for him and he twisted back around the way he had come, only to see it now blocked.
Two blank gentleman clad in suit and menace now stood in his return path, weapons by their sides without an apparent need for concealment as they stared Jaune down. Sure enough, as Jaune returned his sight forward, the path that had led to his final destination was now also bordered by a pair of silent adult men with weapons at the ready.
"Four of you?" Jaune pulled down his hood, slowly edging the mob boss off of his shoulders, placing his hand onto the hilt of his sword as he straightened his form opposingly. When he saw one of the men smirk his confidence was slightly knocked, Jaune raising an eyebrow before behind from the two men on each side came a multitude of black shapes filing past the two men.
"Right, they're just the ones to stop me escaping, then? Is that it?" Jaune asked no one in particular as the two hordes of gangsters bore similar grins towards him, hardly any of them focused on their boss, instead savoring the thought of the inviting punching back right before them.
"I'll warn you now then, because I've seen this whole gang versus one thing done before. Basically, I'm kind of like a superhero, and, well, you guys have read comics from time to time, right?" Jaune asked jovially, doing his best to stall for time, feeling his power stretch to every section of his body as he formulated a plan in his head of how to take them all on at once.
Realizing that odds of him being able to fight at full power in such a confined space as a dank alleyway were laughable, Jaune opted for the more intellectual, or more realistically, the more playground-bully-style set of tactics. "Such a big group, I guess none of you are good enough to take me alone, then?" Jaune jeered, confident on the outside yet inwardly praying they were as mindless and cocky as the stereotype foretold.
The arrogant smirk from one of the gangsters squaring up to Jaune was all the answer he required as one bolted forward, ahead of his peers and straight for the snow haired challenger, brandishing his trusty axe high as he swung down to meet the teen's skull. What he didn't intend was the so called challenger sliding backwards suddenly as if he were travelling on ice, thrusting his sword backwards, hilt-first connecting into the suited man's skull as he toppled to the side.
"Jeez, startled me, man!" Jaune feigned shock as the second man in black closed in from behind, confident that the pale brat had been saved by a fluke. In one fluid motion, Jaune dropped to the floor, spinning round with his leg outstretched and catching the man's legs. As the fodder fell towards him, Jaune coated his left hand with ice and thrust upwards, connecting with the man's chin in a cracking uppercut.
The next approaching half dozen were knocked to the ground by the suited man flying backwards into them with a heavy choir of grunts. Witnessing the human dominoes their fellow foot soldiers were being reduced to caused hesitation from the group approaching from the left.
Jaune raised a hand to them and beckoned them forwards, a fierce look now present in his deep blue orbs as one man regained his vigor, heading straight in to fight, his bravado was cut short as Jaune sprinted forwards, blocking the man's axe with his sword before using his momentum to thrust the man sideways into the brick wall, audibly winding him as he, too, was down for the count.
The next gangster came faster than expected, falling in to the left with a switchblade raised high, in a reflexive motion Jaune dealt the man a hard, frosty backhand that left an icy blue mark across his cheek as he fell to the floor beside the henchman that had just been knocked into the wall, falling roughly into his lap as Jaune let out a sigh of relief.
His lapse was momentary, when he heard footsteps approaching from behind, Jaune lurched forward for the next approaching henchman, grabbing him roughly by the arm before pulling him backwards, past Jaune and hurling him flailing into the attacker coming up from behind Jaune, the two men colliding with a smack as their weapons clattered to the floor.
*click*
Jaune heard the steel just before he felt it press itself up against his skull. Cursing his carelessness, Jaune shifted an eye backwards to see the smiling henchman holding a custom revolver to the back of his head. Even with aura, the impact would be enough to severely concuss him or at worst deplete his aura. Seeing how relenting to this man was definitely not an option, Jaune thought fast.
"Good snowman, now don't be difficult and-" the man began before the kneeling hooded teen suddenly swiveled around, facing towards the firearm before releasing a heavy exhale which formed a visible mist as the gun in the man's grasp instantly froze over entirely. An attempt to follow through was met with little as the trigger remained frozen in place.
Taking advantage of the temporary stupor, Jaune thrust himself upwards, connecting a fist into the man's stomach and keeling him over as Jaune took hold of him.
"Mister B. Mann is out of business, effective both immediately and permanently, now give up and maybe give your mother a call." Jaune advised before letting the breathless man fall to the ground among the rest of the fallen.
"Wait, you guys, he's gone!" came the voice of one of the henchman from the standing right horde as Jaune turned in shock, true enough, in the center of the conflict between the two sides where he had dropped the man, all that was visible was the filthy street ground. Jaune narrowed his eyes as he pondered whether the boss had somehow slipped away whilst he had been pre-occupied, but if that was the case why wouldn't his men know?
"No need to hold back then, wreck him, lads!" came a gruff, vengeful tone as the men who could still fight all fixed glares upon Jaune, almost all simultaneously reaching behind their backs for the very thing Jaune had just had a close enough encounter with. Standing himself tall, Jaune considered making a run for it, the idea dismissed as his hesitation led to him standing dumbstruck as he stared down the barrels of many a pistol.
"Sayonara, Aunt Arctic!" one man snarled, signalling Jaune's fate as he raised his sword defensively, knowing it would not do much for him in the current predicament.
The image of the men standing before Jaune in the dark, misplaced alleyway with no feature familiar to him that would have potentially been the last ones Jaune could see was vivid. That was, until, it blurred.
Jaune's vision completely distorted as he found himself being pulled to the right, feeling his senses go numb as he was met with the sight of what appeared to be the inside of a wall before being replaced by the unclear sight of a run down office and a figure in a red dress. This surreal experience came to an all-too-sudden conclusion as his sight restored itself.
Now clearly he could see a typical grey walled office reception, the only dashes of colour being the vibrant dressed worn by the two females in front of him whom he recognized now as Melanie and Miltia Malachite. The younger twin seemed to be checking him for injuries as the older sister crossed her arms, waiting impatiently for the wide eyed teen.
"Really? No thank you? Ugh..." Melanie scowled at him as only then did reality begin to spur questions in his mind. One second he had been praying at gunpoint, now...
"Please don't be sick, when sis uses her semblance on others they always get nauseous." Miltia spoke with a hint of disgust in her tone, Jaune chuckled nervously, knowing himself before to be the motion sick type, nowadays he could reign it in better.
"I'm good. Now, would you mind telling just what happened ten seconds ago?" Jaune looked to Melanie in bewilderment, the sister in question letting out a loud groan.
"We knew we couldn't trust you to get him across town alone, so Miltia kept an eye on you and saw that mob trap you. At first I just watched you distract the goons before phasing in and grabbing him. Then, out of the pure goodness of our hearts we decided to help you out, as well." Melanie spoke in a tone barely even attempting to mask insincerity.
"Right, but 'phasing'? Also, how did Miltia 'keep an eye' on me? I wasn't exactly strolling down main street..." Jaune stressed as Miltia piped up before her elder twin.
"Semblances, I'm sure you're aware by now that they come in all shapes and sizes? Well, sis here can make herself immaterial at her will and the explanation for mine? Well, let's see..." Miltia trailed off before turning to the wall that Jaune had emerged from seconds earlier.
A green glow emanated from her eyes as she narrowed her gaze, staring into what Jaune could only perceive as a solid brick wall. After a few seconds, the younger twin spoke aloud, "The henchman are, right now, knocking on the wall to try and find a secret switch to a hidden entrance and... the one with the goatee has a third nipple."
Jaune turned, confused to the unchanging opaque wall and deduced that her semblance allowed her to see through physical barriers entirely.
"I can level the intensity to control how many layers I see through, it's very useful. I can't use it for long, though, a quick survey is usually all I get." Miltia spoke before returning her eyes to Jaune and placing her hands on her hips. "Well, usually, not bad, Jack." she spoke, looking him up and down before he caught on and covered himself with his arms.
"Please don't literally and mentally undress me with your eyes." Jaune asked in deadpan as the younger twin reluctantly relented, the glow disappearing from her eyes.
"One twin who can see anything beyond a barrier and the other who can pass through any obstacle, that's why we occasionally get the title of the 'Untouchable Girls', that wording doesn't exactly do well to discourage people like Mister Mann, however." Miltia lamented before a clearing of the throat caught both her and Jaune's attention.
"If you two are done, we still have this trash to deal with?" Melanie indicated to the slumped figure Jaune hadn't noticed initially, the unwaking man now appearing more like a prop now that he had remained motionless for so long. The tension that had not been present since that very morning returned and Jaune connected a fierce eye to eye with Melanie.
"With you two to help, we can easily deliver him to the station now, right?" Jaune began cautiously, Melanie glared at him momentarily but responded slowly after,
"Probably, and you make a point that turning him in is what's best for both him and us, but that doesn't change the fact I never take orders without payment." Melanie declared, her younger sister failing to see where she was headed with this.
"Meaning?" Jaune asked after a few seconds of non visible lightning crossing between their two gazes, Melanie seemed to be calmer now than before, meaning what she was saying was planned out, which at least ensured she wasn't going to ask for anything to emotionally driven. She stood herself straight, raising the hand that didn't hold Mann by the collar to point at him.
"We hand him in. However this still leaves a problem, due to recent developments I feel we have lost faith in the moron, Junior. Without him, we don't have much promise of any jobs in this town, now, what do you think you can do about that?" Melanie questioned, to be perfectly honest she wasn't confident that he would have a solution ready for her. This was simply her attempting to cover all bases, not wanting to risk losing her and her twin's income.
"Well, you could work with me." Both twins blinked simultaneously, then Jaune followed suit. He hadn't thought, at all really, he had just blurted out the natural response that came to his head. In truth, Jaune did come across quite a few jobs he turned down due to not enough manpower that he could dig up for the three of them and if they allowed him to stay at their little base, they could probably form some kind of comfortable partnership.
However, the problem lied in the suspicion Jaune held that what Melanie was in fact implying was perhaps a sum of money or having Jaune convince Junior to re-establish Melanie and Miltia as bodyguards. If the expressions of uncertainty and wariness of the two girls were anything to go by, his idea wasn't exactly going to hit home. Before Jaune had a chance to back-pedal, however, they spoke up.
"Sure, whatever." they spoke unanimously as Jaune was taken entirely by surprise, pointing a doubting finger towards the two twins then back to himself. They both shrugged, "We see that you can handle yourself in a fight, and you managed to track Mister Mann pretty well. Including the connections that got you the job in the first place..." Miltia mused out loud.
"The moral code could get annoying, but if you're picking the jobs I guess we won't have any more arguments." Melanie agreed, albeit less enthusiastically as Jaune spared shocked glances between the both of them, not expecting his slip of the tongue to garner such a positive response. These two barely knew him!
"Plus, I think we can trust you not to screw us over. You seem like you wanna be some kind of 'White Knight', so you wouldn't dream of turning on us." Melanie finished with a threatening note, prompting an uneasy feeling to come over Jaune, but for the most part they seemed pretty on board for teaming up as mercenaries. Jaune would be lying if he said he wouldn't appreciate a little company.
"All right, then. I'm down, team Twin-ter Wonderland sounds good to me." Jaune nodded with a smile as the sisters both held looks of disdain towards the impromptu team nickname, however a shared rolling of the eyes indicated that they were at least happy to have come to an agreement. "But first, he goes to the police station." Jaune pointed to the nigh forgotten leader.
Melanie sighed, still feeling like digging her heels deep into the man's eye sockets until she hit whatever brain matter remained, but she opted for decades of suffering for the man instead. It wasn't like arguing with the snow caster was going to get her anywhere...
One Month Later
"Hey man, you sure about this guy, uh, Mars or Marky or whatever the silver haired brat said his name was?" the thick bearded man asked, sitting back in his chair with his hands behind his head as he rested his feet up against the desk of the lookout station. A small airport abandoned after a Grimm attack wasn't the most accommodating but the high guard towers meant for one hell of a view.
"Well the B. Mann isn't exactly an option, now is he? His girls had to be transferred, and apparently this guy's boss is running half of the gang activity in Vale. Now would you just watch those god damn airships? They're not flying anywhere but those girls could break through the windows or summin'." his fellow nightwatcher ordered as the bearded man let out a dispassionate sigh, raising his binoculars to his eye line once more.
As the bearded man scanned the night lit air grounds for the ninth time that half hour, he wasn't met by any surprises. The broken down airships containing the 'product' lay scattered across the area, the main building contained the majority of the henchman, the airships only guarded by a couple guardsmen each. This area wasn't on any map so it was unlikely they'd have any heroes. Plus, at the push of a button those resting soldiers would file out, armed to the teeth within a minute.
Although, confident as he was in the secrecy of the area, the bearded guardsman couldn't help but feel like he was missing something, then it snagged. Out of the mob of shadows cast down below on the compound, a singular black shape seemed to sift sleekly around the grounds, hard to make out but impossible to ignore once seen. The bearded man looked closer, identifying a human figure.
However, just as he got a clear image, the figure down below raised a hand to his ear, listening intently before the shape instantly turned and faced towards the binocular scope, the bearded man reeled back in alarm as the intruder seemed to be alerted that he was being watched somehow. "See something tasty?" the other guardsman asked his furry chinned friend who had grown stiff all of a sudden.
"Nothing at all." the guardsman looked confused before his mind began to stir, the voice that had uttered that response not in any plain of reality fitting the form of the wolf faced guardsman beside him. Both watchmen shared this realization, taking a gulp before they craned their necks to look behind them in unison. "Or rather, you won't be seeing anything for a while." the teenage girl clad in pure white combat dress and sharp heels addressed them.
"H-How the hell did you get in here?!" the bearded man demanded, half believing the angelic girl in front of him was a figment of his bored and fatigued mind. The other guardsmen was not as awestruck, lifting himself up off of his seat, equipping his mechanical throwing axe that he rarely got to use, fixing the girl with an aggression laced growl.
"You one of our girls? You better come with me or do you prefer falling down those steps with my axe embedded in your skull?" the guardsman asked with as much menace as he could muster. Contrary to expectations, the black haired intruder in white didn't begin to quiver in her heels, instead releasing a disapproving sigh.
"No thanks, loser." she uttered in a bored tone.
That was the nail, the guardsman's eye twitched before he lurched his arm forward, releasing the spinning metal axe headed straight for the uppity showgirl, waiting for the satisfying sound of metal clashing with bone. His expectations, to say the least, were not entertained.
The femme fatale merely raised an eyebrow as the swinging hatchet met her forehead, disappearing into her head before re appearing out the other side, flying and sticking into the locked door to the stairwell behind her. She sent them both an unimpressed look, letting out a genuine yawn as both men's eyes went world wide.
"Is that all?" she asked indifferently as the men shared a look of utter confusion. The shaven henchman was sure he hadn't missed, yet the girl was completely unharmed!
"Boring. Then..." Melanie spoke before changing her stance in a second, heading straight for the two men without brandishing a visible weapon. The next unexpected event displayed itself as the teen girl stopped herself, spinning around on one leg, using her momentum to collide her right heel with the head of the disarmed guardsman.
The bearded guardsman didn't have a second to react as Melanie followed up by standing tall and bringing up her left heel to connect with the area that she knew would cripple the man for the next hour or so at least. The audible crunch was enough to confirm his defeat as he fell to the floor, watery eyed and groaning in pain any man could sympathize with.
"The guards are gone, though I guess you know that already. Fake name, you're up." Melanie transmitted to her co conspirators, a teen adorning deep red standing behind a wall outside the entrance to the airport, her eyes able to see the internal structure as she confirmed her elder twin was telling the truth. Satisfied, she began to convey directions to their inside man.
"Okay, I'll take down the ship on my side, then Melanie, you let Miltia in and get to work on the airship on your end. Remember, no killing." Jaune whispered through his transceiver, met with a reluctant agreement from the elder twin as she began to make her way down the guard tower she had just infiltrated. With her first job done, Miltia too approached the airport entrance waiting for her sister.
Jaune took a deep breath, now it was his turn. Pulling his hood down and resting a hand upon his hilt, Jaune steadily approached the first airship containing the merchandised girls. Dotted around this particular vehicle were six of Junior's lent men, all carrying variations of a standard assault rifle, flashlights attached to see any threats in the thick darkness of night.
Two on either side and two on top, Jaune placed his hand to his chin, trying to lay out a plan. Having to ensure the occupants of the airship weren't harmed in any way, Jaune channeled his power throughout his body, feeling it surge. Coming up with something that barely resembled a battle strategy, Jaune stood himself up straight.
A low whistle filled the dry air as one of the henchman began a small whistle, his silent comrades and lack of in work entertainment had regressed him so.
"If you had a twin, I'd still choose you, I don't wanna rush..." he mumbled as his fellow henchman shook his head, attempting to block out the annoying sound. Surprisingly, it worked... wait, it worked?!
The henchman turned round at the sudden silence, seeing a black space where his burden of a workmate had just been. Wondering initially if it was a gift from the Lord almighty, the reality became all too clear as he felt a strong impact upon his chest, what appeared to be a spike of ice flying into his chest and propelling him backwards off of the airship.
Seeing the two men land harshly on the concrete, the two guards on the left approached the direction the ice spikes had come from, eyeing the darkness intently until the guard on the right noticed something. On the ground curving around them were two streaks of... ice?
That was as far as the man's thought process extended as the form of Jaune Arc skated up from behind, taking hold of the necks of both of the man and bringing their heads together with a crack as Jaune shoved their injured forms to the floor. Only two more.
With their rifles poised, the two men circled around to Jaune, seemingly disregarding the airship full of girls behind the teen who suddenly appeared panicked. The men placed their fingers on the triggers and prepared to open fire as Jaune was forced to act fast, channeling his power to his hands and dropping down, placing his palms against the ground.
The series of gunfire were unexpectedly blocked by a low wall of ice that hadn't been there before, Jaune let out a big sigh of relief as he wasn't too late, yet he didn't have time to remain jubilant as the confused men still posed a real threat. Deciding to make use of what he had, Jaune thrust both his hands forwards, demonstrating his ability to bend ice that was already there.
The two remaining henchman looked absolutely befuddled as the ice wall morphed, growing spikes that extended at an incredible rate towards them. Evasion was impossible as the icy structure closed in, crashing into the men and knocking them out... cold.
Finally able to rest his mind, Jaune admired his own handiwork before turning to his main objective. Pulling on a release latch that was present for emergencies, Jaune stood back as the metallic door descended downwards revealing the dark interior and about a dozen or so pairs of eyes staring out at him.
"You're safe. Now head towards the entrance and call the police. Don't look back." Jaune spoke to the girls, relieved that they were apparently unharmed but horrified at the black hearts of some of the criminals in the city, seeing the terrified expressions present upon the girls' faces.
When none of them moved a muscle, Jaune raised two hands to his hood and lowered it, allowing the women to take a good look at his face, letting them know he wasn't one of them. He was here to help them. Outstretching his hand, he waited for almost half a minute of silence before a dainty, feminine hand took his.
One by one the girls filed out, all laying low as they headed for the entrance. A certain girl stepped out into the moonlight, skin olive and hair curly and black with mellow brown eyes. She took Jaune by the and and connected her eyes to his, Jaune staring back at the girl wearing a black corset.
"Thank you." she spoke simply, Jaune nodding, catching that upon her wrist was a tag with the name 'Gwen' written upon it.
Receiving a signal, Jaune pressed his hand against his transceiver, getting the confirmation that the girls had done their part as well.
Now all that was left was to seal the exits of the airport building, trapping the gangsters inside, and calling the police. They were only hired to save the girls, after all.
Deciding to save time, Jaune formed the ice beneath his shoes once again and skated over to where he spotted the two twins leaning cross armed nonchalantly as a horde of girls passed by them, a collection of fallen men in black suits littering the ground around them. Upon his approach they began to walk towards the main building, Jaune catching their pace and walking beside them.
"You think I can sneak in and grab some respectable boxes of cereal? I legitimately think Pumpkin Pete is killing my liver." Jaune expressed honestly, confident now that the hard part of the mission was done with. Even with that, Jaune found that around the two girls he did tend to feel at ease with them nowadays.
"Look at you, thinking of theft. Only three weeks in and goody two shoes has become a criminal." Melanie teased with faux disappointment, Miltia releasing a small smirk as Jaune chuckled. Come to think of it, it had already been three weeks. It hadn't seemed like long at all, he had quickly settled into the routine of sleeping on the leather sofa and waking up after the twins who would have already prepared a lunch consisting of whatever they could purchase at the local newsagent.
It had been nice, he supposed. Up until then he had been passing from place to place without any intention of calling one a 'home'. Waking up solely to the noise of the underpaid cleaners sweeping the floors of whatever cheap motel he had landed in the night before. Not since before his leaving home did he have anything like this.
Melanie had of course been the one most wary around the teen, insisting that he continues to have his wrists restrained before they went to bed, even though he had previously proven that he could escape them with relative ease. After around a week she started to soften up, if by softening up it meant to grow to tolerate, and on rare occasions appreciate the presence of him.
The closest the two tended to get was whenever Jaune would leave and enter the studio, coming in through the roof not being ideal when carrying a bag full of living supplies for three. What had always been in their relationship, however, was a sense of respect. Jaune knew how much Melanie did for Miltia and she knew that Jaune was doing what he was doing out of his heart, without ulterior motive.
Miltia and himself had always been civil, their small bond grew over the weeks, occasionally engaging each other during meal times and travelling with her when they were going out for food. When separate, the individual personalities of each girl tended to become clearer. Melanie was self respecting, somewhat obnoxious but always aware of herself. Whereas Miltia was quieter, more contemplative yet still as distasteful towards those the twins found unfavorable.
Where the trio truly connected was on the battlefield. As per their living agreement, Jaune would receive missions and relay them to Miltia and Melanie and if they approved, or could be bothered, they would set out. Jaune's combat skills, spontaneous creativity and ice casting. Melanie's semblance that allowed her entrance to anywhere, her cool temperament and ability to dispatch enemies without trouble. Miltia's all-seeing eyes that didn't even require her to be in the area to fill in Jaune and Melanie combined with her skills with those claws of hers.
Combined, they were a fearsome force of precision and brutality. Which is why a name began to be tossed around concerning the team of three tackling the hardest mercenary jobs out there, aptly dubbing them 'Fimbulwinter' which apparently had something to do with three mythological hard winters. Fitting, Jaune thought, yet not as catchy as 'Twin-ter Wonderland.
A tug on his shoulder brought Jaune out of his musings as he turned to see Melanie stopping him in his tracks, looking back at her younger twin sister who had paused, her eyes glowing once again. Not liking what her serious expression implied, Jaune returned his eyes forward, eyeing the two opposite crates, clued in on what may be hiding behind them.
"How many we talking, Miltia? Six, ten, more?" Jaune reached for his sword and began to feel his power course responsibly through him before the younger girl in red shook her head. Jaune and Melanie shared a puzzled look before Miltia raised her hand, pointing towards not the hidden area behind the two crates, but the front doors to the building.
"Just one." Pushing open the glass doors, a figure clad in a coal black overcoat and similarly dark hat with a lacy veil covering up the feminine figure's face, only one distinct, gleaming amber eye shone out from underneath. With a gait of graceful arrogance, the woman strode towards them, an invisible smirk Jaune was certain she presented beneath her veil present as she approached.
"Fimbulwinter, correct? I am honored to finally meet you," the figure offered an elegant curtsy to the trio, never breaking eye contact with one in particular,
"Especially you, Jaune." came a sly, knowing tone. Jaune seized as the two girls beside him sent a deliberate look his way before the figure once again called their attention.
"Now, I would love to have a talk with Jaune alone. Would you two so kindly make yourself scarce?" the figure asked with an unsubtle hint of mockery. A verbal response was not given, instead Melanie Malachite placed one leg in front of the other, lowering herself into a fighting stance. Miltia Malachite doing likewise as she brandished a pair of blood red claws, both silently dismissing the thought of heeding that order.
Jaune, too, didn't feel like a light gossip with the mysterious woman, notwithstanding the manner in which she addressed his teammates. He prepared himself similarly, removing his sword from his sheathe and taking a step forwards, his resolve bolstered by the twins who now stood on either side of him ready to jump into combat at the word.
"Ah, disappointing. Oh well, we'll have time to talk afterwards. Don't worry." the woman spoke directly towards Jaune, who was armed and ready for whatever she threw at him, as his roughly formed and melded trio laid in wait for the woman to make the first move.
With a flick of her wrist, she did.
Hi, there. Bit of a longer wait, then again, bit of a longer chapter, 11,000 words just for you :).
I really hope you are enjoying this little arc before we continue with canon. Also fimbulwinter is a real thing, yeah, I literally google'd things that associate with the number 3 and somehow found an ice pun in Norse Mythology.
I hope you liked this, feel free to review and I will endeavor to get back to you! :)
Exiled Soul Nomad- You have no idea how much I appreciate that kind of review, I mean I appreciate ANY feedback, positive or negative, but when someone takes the time and consideration to write something so thought out and comprehensive, it truly makes writing worth it. I will hope to live up to your expectations when it comes to a different kind of Jaune, actually I plan to make a rather large deviation from his canon soon, no, not an OP power or a sudden OC hot chick slave, instead he will perform an act one would not usually consider fitting his character. Ominous, I know haha :)
JustThoseGuys- Do not fear, I also love fluff, your wishes will be granted. Bear with me and thank you for your review!
The Dark Deceiver- You are 100% correct, I have looked back and I agree. I have attempted to go back and change them but I haven't gotten around to tweaking them all yet :/. Thank you for taking the time to give that constructive criticism!
VibeKiller- I hope you found a little of his past interesting, then!
dracohalo117- Of course I appreciate your feedback, they always put a smile on my face and your expressions of looking forward to the next chapter always just makes me want to write it faster :). Yeah, glad you hate Mister B Mann, he is not meant to be liked haha. Wonder if you got the significance behind the name as well.
There we are, I am truly sorry if I missed your review, it is kinda late :) Also I may have responded to some reviews beforehand so, once again, sorry, well hey at least now you're namedropped in a chapter! That's pretty wizard... right?
Anyway, to all of you, hope you are enjoying this and I will try to have next chapter up in the foreseeable future, that should give me enough time ;).