Yo! Here's chapter 54! Really sorry about how bad the updating has been but I have had a very long week. I hope to be able to get updates for most of my fics out soon, but for now, have something I've been meaning to do for a little while now. So here yas go, chapter 54!
It was going so well.
"Cinder, this mission is screwed! We gotta get out of here, like, now!"
"NO! Mercury, we finish the mission and leave, or we don't leave at all!"
"Come on, Em! You got more pull than me, convince her that we gotta leave, now!"
"... I stay with Cinder!"
"Tch... Guess it's a good thing I don't have anything planned for later!"
It was all going so well. Where did Cinder, Mercury, Emerald and Neo go wrong?
4 hours earlier
"So, you need help... With Laundry?" Cinder asked, surprised.
"Vale is like a giant maze! And it isn't just laundry!" Mercury let out with a yell and exaggerated arm waves.
"I'm just trying to make sure I got this right. You need all four of us, weapons and all, to help you do laundry, get food for the kitchen and getting us outfits to wear aside from school and battle attire." The Leader said, still a bit surprised, but also a little dissappointed.
"Hey, I don't wanna hear it! I seem to remember a certain someone that had to get me and Emerald, just cause she didn't know how the rocket lockers worked!"
The memories of her trying to press all the buttons on her own locker, almost sending it into space, sent chills up Cinder's spine. It was one of the few rare moments the criminal acted childish, and she would make sure it never happened again.
"I-I had very valuable things to put away! Fine, you want us to come with you so badly, we will come." The older girl stuttered out with an embarrassed blush.
"Alright... Tha-"
"But, I'm cutting your allowance by 100 lien." Cinder let out in a monotonous tone.
"... Slave driver." Muttered the disgruntled fighter.
"What was that?"
"Nothing at all lets go..."
"Lets get the easy stuff out of the way first. Neo, list."
The multi-colored girl handed Cinder a list of different items they needed. Neo, using a notepad and pen to communicate with her teammates/friends(?), was the obvious choice for list keeper.
"Alright, it's all non-perishables. Neo, you're good with these things, you get clothes duty. Emerald, Mercury, with me."
Neo broke off and to the left, towards the non-grocery section of the large store. Cinder, accompanied by the rest of the team, made quick work of their small shopping list.
"Man, you'd think with as big as this place is, they'd have a bigger variety of produce. It's like, 5 different vegetables, 5 fruits and almost nothing else." Emerald said with a look of amusement (She was currently throwing and catching various fruits).
"You mean those are the only thing's that your pickyness will allow?" Mercury asked with a smirk.
"Y-yeah right! I just don't want to be eating something that won't agree with me!" The green haired girl yelled, trying to defend herself
"More like something you don't agree with."
"Hey, have either of you seen two teenagers around here? about 17 years old, look alot like you two, one's got green hair, the other has silver? I hate to ask little kids about something like this, but I haven't seen them in a while." Cinder let out with an annoyed tone.
"I'm not a little kid! Mercury is just being stupid!" Emerald responded.
"Wha-? YOU'RE being stupid!" Mercury responded.
"You're both stupid, now come on, we have to rendezvous with Neo." Cinder responded. Funny enough, that was the last straight response she got from them.
"... I'm not stupid..." Came from both Emerald and Mercury simultaneously behind Cinder's back.
After about a 3 minute walk to the other side of the store, the three met up with their last teammate. The girl in question was currently contemplating which shirt went better with what she had. They were both the same shirt, but there was apparently some subtle differences only Neo could see. She finally decided on both.
"Are we good, Neo?"
The ice-cream colored girl gave an energetic nod at the eldest team member.
"Ooh, ooh, This scarf would go so well with my hair! And it's really soft. Can I get it?" Emerald pleaded to the leader.
"... Oh alright, I can't deny that face of yours."
Emerald proceeded to jump into Cinder with a crushing hug.
"Hold on! If she gets that, then I want these gloves I saw with this kick-ass design on the back!" Mercury let out with shock.
"We can't afford things like that." The leader deadpanned.
"T-this is favoritism! Emerald got something extra!"
"She is my favorite, and we just don't have the budget for those." She deadpanned, again.
"... Cheapskate." Mercury muttered under his breath.
"You say something?"
"Not a word lets get outta here..."
"Okay, this will be a bit harder-" Cinder started, but couldn't complete.
"More like really hard!" Mercury said with disdain in his voice.
"... But still, a trivial task."
The group huddled in front of the store, with the clothes basket in the center.
"Alright, we'll be using resources that aren't exactly ours, so we have to do this quickly, quietly and smart. Mercury, you will be getting the change off our cards, and transporting them to us. Don't be afraid to rough them up a little if they refuse payment."
"Got it." The silver haired fighter affirmed.
"Emerald, you won't be using your semblance on this one, we have to keep a low profile. So you need to distract patrons as Neo swipes their washing materials. I will be staying at the washer and dryer to oversee all aspects of the mission, and load and unload the clothes. You both clear on the plan?"
The three younger girls gave a nod as they broke the huddle.
"Remember, if you think you're compromised, find a way to finish the mission anyways. I'm tired of the room smelling like sweat and blood. Or a weird combination of the two. Like, the smell of the sweat just amplifies the smell of the blood. Or maybe it's the other way around, hmmm..." Cinder mused in her long, very weird train of thought.
The three had already left to begin their parts, leaving the contemplating leader to herself.
Emerald and Neo had quickly found patrons that seemed like easy marks. The taller of the two struck up a conversation with the men standing in front of the cleaning machines, while the shorter sneakily stole the soaps. Or she would have, if a third man hadn't come around as she was picking up the bottles.
"Hey, what're you doing with those?" The random third man asked when he saw Neo acting suspicious.
Neo, not being able to respond, had to think quick. She made a gesture, as to watch her, then started juggling the soap bottles far into the air. This created a mixture of confusion, amusement, and a little anger at being annoyed in the man. Emerald saw this, and realized it was an attempt to alert her and keep the mission alive.
"I see you've met my mute friend! Poor thing, we found her as a juggler and acrobat in the Vacuoan traveling circus." Emerald said, feigning pity and sadness.
Neo had been shooting her looks of annoyance, but kept up her act nonetheless.
"Hey wait, the Vacuoan circus hasn't come in a while... Hey wait there is no Vacuoan circus!" One of the original men exclaimed.
"Uh, Cinder? I think we've been had!"
"Don't give up, Emerald!"
"You guys do realize we would have let you use our stuff if you asked, right?" The last man said, which slightly annoyed both Emerald and Neo.
"... Well then."
The tri-colored girl had already taken one of the bottles, however. Luckily she hadn't been caught this time.
"Guys, we got a problem! I keep puttin the squeeze on this damn thing, but it won't take the money!" Mercury yelled with an angry voice.
"Well then apply more pressure!" Cinder advised.
Mercury proceeded to kick the change machine in half. Needless to say, he got the change they needed. They then quickly threw their clothes into the washer for the lowest time they could get away with. They then took up positions to defend themselves from the coming onslaught of disgruntled workers and patrons.
The one that never actually came.
"Cinder, this mission is screwed! We gotta get out of here, like, now!"
"NO! Mercury, we finish the mission and leave, or we don't leave at all!"
"Come on, Em! You got more pull than me, convince her that we gotta leave, now!"
"... I stay with Cinder!"
"Tch... Guess it's a good thing I don't have anything planned for later!"
The four took their stances, ready for a fight. When they looked at the sight in front of them, however, they realized that no one even really noticed them yet (It was a slow day for the Laundromat).
"Alright, I'm starting to think we may have overreacted..." The eldest girl said.
"Well, whatever. We got our clothes, lets get out of here." Emerald let out, followed by an exacerbated sigh.
"Whoa hold up! I still got some stuff to clean! Cinder can you toss me a few cents?" The silver haired boy exclaimed, then asked.
"You should have washed them earlier, cause we don't have the time nor the money now." Cinder deadpanned for a third time.
"... Greedy." Mercury mumbled for a third time.
"What did you call me?" The Leader Asked annoyed for the last time.
"Absolutely nothing I'm getting out of here..."
"Well, that was harder than it needed to be." The slightly exhausted Cinder let out.
"Oh well, we did have a little fun, right?" The still energetic green haired girl said, trying to cheer her older friend up.
"... Yeah, I guess we did have a little fun. But that's mainly because I was with you." The leader lady said with a sigh, bringing Emerald in closer.
"Alright alright, can you guys not get all over each other till we're out of the room?" An annoyed Mercury asked.
Neo then handed Mercury a hastily scribbled note.
"Damnit Neo I know you wouldn't mind it you, perverted little girl!"
Neo then poked her umbrella into Mercury's gut without missing a beat. She did NOT like being called a little kid.
"So, we got home, groceries in hand and clothes in the basket. Mission Completed." Cinder said, feeling accomplished.
"Uh, you left out the part where you go back to the store to get the groceries you conveniently left there." The fighter boy added in.
Cinder had then thought back to herself, almost instantly remembering the bags of freshly bought food and clothes being set down on a counter at the store.
"Son of a Motherfucking Goddamn Piece of Fucking Shit-"
The leader continued this for some time, even while going back out the door. Another rare moment of childishness.
"... Ah that feels good."
Mercury then pulled out the groceries he hid in his leg compartments (Which were surprisingly roomy).
"You know she's going to kill you when she get's back, right?" Emerald asked.
"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it..."
Well there ya go, chapter 54! I haven't watched the new episode yet, but I hear it's pretty hard hitting. So, I hope this lifts ya spirits for now, and don't worry. I will do my best to get updates out to appease the masses while we wait for next volume. Damn, a volume already? Well, if you like seeing something new from me, please follow/fav and drop a review, and I will see you all in the next installment. Byee!
