Chapter 39: Painting The Town Red
Yang, Mike and Neptune soon entered the shady area of Vale as the sound of the engine gets closer and closer until Bumblebee pulled into the street and stopped just short of the club.
"Oh wow! See, I told you it would be fixed up in no time!" Yang said as she was taking off the helmet.
"Haha... yeah..." Mike hopped of the back of the motorcycle. "You good Neptune?"
"I... nearly died..." Neptune was shivering in fear. During the ride to Junior's club, the side car detached and nearly caused him to crash into another car. He nervously got out of the side car to catch up with the others.
"It seemed like yesterday when we first met here huh?" Yang clung onto Mike's arm. Smiling from ear to ear.
"Yeah..." Mike swallowed a bit of saliva. "Good times."
"Hurry, close the door - she's coming!" One henchman yelled. He and another Henchman proceeded to roll the doors shut and kept them closed with their bodies.
What are you two idiots doing?!" Junior yelled.
"W-w-w-well you see!"
The Henchmen didn't get a chance to finish as Yang explosively knocked the door over.
"Guess who's back!" Yang strutted into the club with a smile and pose as eight guns were pointed in her face with an equal number of angry Henchmen behind them. Though this didn't faze her, she stopped and glared at the recording studio where the track is messing up until the frightened bear-headed DJ takes the needle off the record and retreated back under the table.
"I'm guessing she's the reason why they pointed guns at you before?" Neptune whispered towards Mike.
"Yep."
"Stop, stop! Nobody shoot." Junior cutted his way through the crowd of goons. "If it ain't my favorite V.I.P, Red! Gotta say, that was some party, huh?"
"Shut... up." Mike said between his teeth.
"Party? What did he mean by that?" Yang raised an eyebrow towards Mike.
"Uhhh. He's talking about... you know? That day?"
"Well.. if it ain't Red? I see you bought your "old lady" this time?" Melanie said as she walked with Miltia.
"How's babyface doing?" Miltia said with a smile. "I was hoping to see him again after last time."
"Babyface? Lastime?"
"I... have no idea what you're talking about?" Mike was making gesture as to say "shut the hell up".
"Ladies? It's been a while." Neptune let off a smile, to which the twins scoffed at him.
"Ok... what's going on?" Yang asked.
"You didn't know? Red and his entourage were here partying their asses off about a month ago." Junior showed her an article. "It even made it in the Daily Vale."
Yang eyes widened at bit. She was even more shocked by Nick dancing with Miltia. She didn't look at her boyfriend not once. "So... this was where you went? And you even got Nicky involved?"
Mike grabbed Junior by his collar. "We're gonna have nice chat about keeping our mouths shut.. buddy."
"More like keeping secrets. Buddy." Yang proceeded to grab Mike by his collar alongside Junior.
"Woahwoahwoah! Wait-wait! Hey hold up!"
Neptune stared at the malachite twins and gave them his trademark smile. "So... we might be doing a sequel."
The twins scoffed at him again before they walked away, with their noses in the air. Neptune decided to followed the couple towards the back.
Ten minutes later
"I don't know!" Junior yelled. His face was black and blue as he recieve a painful backhand across the face.
"If it's one thing I hate more than a loose lipped bastard! Is a lying bastard!" Mike yelled. He was not pleased with the fact that Junior opened up his mouth. "I have more than enough reasons to wire your jaw shut!"
"Mikey!" Yang gave him a glare that caused him to back away. This time she wanted to interrogate Junior. " When was the last time you talked to him?"
"Since the night you two first came in here!" Junior yelled. He knew there were no winning Mike over. So he decided to speak to Yang instead."He paid up front, I lent him my men, and none of them ever. Came. Back."
"So where did they go?" Neptune asked
"Where did they... What kind of stupid question is that?! They never came back!" Junior then looked at the other two. "Who is this guy?"
"He's not the one you should worry about." Yang pointed at Mike, who was giving him an intense death glare. "He is. And if I don't find out what I want, you'll have to add me to that list also."
"I already told you everything! Torchwick hired my boys, and I guess he wasn't happy with them, which is something I can relate to!" He shouted this at his men, who grumbled and walk away in response.
Seeing that they drained all the info out Junior. "Guess there's nothing left huh?" Yang turned and walked away. "Come on boys."
Before Mike walked away. He struck Junior in his jaw. Knocking him unconcious. "Snitch."
As they were walking to Yang's bike. "So when were you ever going to tell me what you all did at guys night out?"
"I... was?" Mike fidgeted around a bit. "I mean... I didn't do anything crazy... just drank... and danced."
"You sure about that?" Yang hovered her hand around Mike's "sensitive area". "Another thing I wanted to know is how exactly did you convinced that bitch Nikaido to give up Nicky's money?"
"I... I can't tell you... but I didn't do anything with her! I swear! " Mike saw Yang's eyes. Reasoning with her was going to be an extremely dangerous battle.
"Cause I'll make so that you never use it on any other female."
"Yang... please believe me... I wouldn't do that to you. Those days are over!" Mike began to sweat nervously.
"He's telling the truth!" Neptune spoke up this time. "He only dance with the girls. He never once went off with them! We were around each other the entire night! I swear!"
"Swear to me!" Yang's eyes were blood red. Ready to pounce should she sense an inch of a lie on him.
"I swear to you!" Neptune nervously backed away. Mike got in front of Neptune.
"Yang... I wouldn't go and ruin something as good as this. Believe me when I say that." He then grabbed her hands. "I know... since hearing a bit about my... history... you might have a reason to worry. But since being with you, I swore that I'll forever come home to you." Mike smiled at Yang, who eyes reverted back to lavender.
"God that was cheesy!" Yang hugged Mike. "Just stick to being handsome."
"Awww you know you love those cheesy lines." The two shared a good laugh.
"No more secrets?"
"No more secrets." Yang kissed Mike before going to her motorcycle to rev it up. "Hey... Neptune?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks... for backing me up there."
"Of course man. We're bros remember? "
"Yeah. We're bros." Two gave eachother a fist bump before going to the motorcycle.
"So... what's this plan you have to not get all three of us killed?" Blake asked Torren.
"I was doing a bit of research on the way here. And I decided that I'll pretend to be... a gorilla faunus!"
Blake and Sun had blank looks on their faces. They could not believe that Torren, the one who seems to be the only member of team KNTM with common sense, can come up with something so asinine.
"I... I think I going to have an aneurysm." Blake rubbed her temples together.
"Dude... really?" Sun couldn't believe it either.
"Come on guys! Think about it! They have no visible faunus features. We'll be fine."
"For your sake, I hope so." Blake gave Torren and Sun white fang masks before moving into the crowds.
(Beastars OST: SHISHI-GUMI)
"Good evening, soldiers of the White Fang!" Roman Torchwick yelled out. Alongside him was a girl of a very short stature with brown and pink hair.
"I recieved word... that Shogun has still not awoken from his coma. And that tonight, might be his last night.." He glanced at his partner, who smiled back at him.
"What... did he mean by that?" Sun whispered.
"I think... his condition has gotten worse." Blake whispered back.
"But know this. Even if he passes, his will shall live on in all of you... almost... all of you." Torchwick stared directly at Blake, Sun and Torren before frowning.
"Shit..." Torren muttered. "Guess that was a stupid plan huh?"
"Maybe he's just welcoming his new recruits." Sun smiled and wave at everyone.
"I swear, you two were the wrong people to go with." Blake shook her head at the two. "Just follow me." Blake took out Gambol Shroud, transforming it into its pistol form and shooting it at the box. Shutting off all the lights.
'Don't let them get away!" Torchwich yelled.
"The window!" Blake and Sun swiftly climbed put the window. Torren took out his weapon, Grambarge and transformed it into its rocket launcher form. He then launched a rocket on the ground to give him enough height to jump out the window.
The three student Hunters crashed through the window and started running as fast as they can. They were soon alerted by the mechanized sound of running power signals.
"What was that?!" Sun said.
A large, mechanical being crashed through the wall of the building in pursuit of the runaways, who leap off of a car and manage to get on the roofs. The robot proceeded to follow beside them on the street.
"Is... is that a robot?" Blake couldn't believe eyes.
While Blake and Sun were able to run, jump, and flip from rooftop to rooftop without any difficulty. However, Torren could not keep up.
"Dammit... I can't... run very fast..." Torren struggled to take a breath. "I think... I've gained a bit too much weight."
"Torren! Don't stop running!" Blake yelled.
"Looks like I'm taking out the fat one first!" A voice said from within the robot.
Torren stopped running alongside the others.
"Torren... what are you-"
"Go! I'll only... slow you two down! Contact the others! I'll buy as much time as I can!" Torren interrupted Blake. He took aim with his rocket launcher. Launching consecutive rockets at the robot.
"We can't leave you by yourself!" Sun yelled.
"Dammit! Just go! I'll distract it enough for you to do so!" Torren yelled back. "I'll catch up!"
"Where do you think you're going?!" More rockets struck the robot. Allowing Blake and Sun to escape. "Dammit!"
"Over here!" Torren flipped the robot off. Running off to lure it towards his way.
"Ok! I think we're a good distance." Sun saw that Torchwick went after Torren instead of them.
Blake took out her phone and proceed to contact the others.
At the CCT
"Anything Nick? Ruby asked.
"Nothing. Where the hell could he had gone." Nick suddenly felt his scroll go off. "Kev?!"
"It's Blake. If everyone can hear me-"
"Torren is holding off this giant robot! You guys need to get here as soon as possible!" Sun yelled. Interrupting Blake from finishing her sentence.
"What?!" Mike was shocked to hear that as he, Yang and Neptune were listening in. "And you left him there?!"
"He told us to go on ahead while we try to contact you." Blake said.
"Say no more. We're on our way." Nick deactivated his scroll.
"And what about Kevin?!" Weiss said.
"I'll keep trying to contact him. In the meantime, let's meet up with the others."
As Yang, Mike and Neptune were nearing the site. The saw the Blake and Sun running in the highway.
"Blake! Sun!" Yang yelled.
"Torren's...back there..." Blake tried to catch her breath. "We... need to go back!"
"I... hope he's... alright!" Sun was also tired. They would no longer have to, as they saw Torren, who was high in the air.
"Heeeey you guys!" Torren launched another rocket to soften his landing. Tumbling to the floor. "Too close!"
"Talk about high flying." Mike held his hand out for Torren and helped him up. "You good?"
"Yeah... man... dumbest plan I thought of though." Torren began to let out a hearty laugh.
"It really was." Blake added.
"How... did you get out of that?!" Sun said in shock.
"I had a high impact rocket to launch me high in the sky." Torren said. "That bastard's gonna pay for calling me fat though."
"Wait... Somebody's in there?" Blake asked.
"Yeah... I kept hearing a voice while I was getting away from him. It's most likely that Torchwick guy." Torren and the others then saw the robot moving towards their direction.
"You damn brats!" A voice echoed out.
"Holy crap... is he really controlling that robot?!" Sun said.
"Finally... I've been itching for some action." Mike had a huge grin on his face. Unleashing a blood red aura from his body.
"Mike don't go charging head first into battle." Blake said to the excited God of War.
Neptune took out his weapon which was in the form of a gun. He let off a few shots at the robot. However it had no effect. "If only I can get on top of it."
"Here!" Yang placed her hands together and gave Neptune a lift. Launching him high into the air.
"Ok! Too high! Too high!" Seeing that he was basically above the machine, Neptune then transformed his gun into an energy blade. Stabbing it into the machine.
"Woah! Nice one!" Mike cheered.
"Uhhh... guys... a little help?!" Neptune was trying his best to stay on, but the mech keeps bucking and threatens to make him fall.
"Yeah... nice one." Mike said in a deadpanned tone.
"Neptune, hang on!" Closing his eyes, Sun smashed his palms together, and formed a golden Aura around him. Creating two glowing outlines that copy their creator, leaping off and going back over the tops of vehicles to collide into the Paladin's front. They explode into blinding light upon contact to let Sun leap forward with Ruyi Bang and Jingu Bang held high, ready to land his strike. However, Roman finally turned enough to send Neptune flying off and knocking into his leader, sending both of them off the highway.
"Sun! Neptune!" Blake called out. However, a speeding purple aura blew past them.
(Magi Original Soundtrack: To The Kindom Of Magic: Dragon's Battle)
"Was that Kevin?!" Yang said in surprise.
"Wh... what the?" Sun realized that he was being carried alongside Neptune. "Nick!"
"That was close." Nick said. He had Witching Hour activated. "If I was a few seconds slower, you two would've been done for."
"Nice catch little bro!" Mike yelled.
"Made it just in a... Nick of time!" Yang joked.
"Really Yang?" Nick cringed a bit at the joke before dropping the two on the ground.
"Thanks man! Almost thought we were goners." Neptune gave Nick a fistbump.
"Headphones! So glad to see you make it! How was your stay at the hospital?"
"You can ask Shogun when I send you there. If you're not knocked unconscious!" Nick taunted.
"Cocky bastard!" Torchwick tried to strike the three with a right straight from the robot. However, Nick sent a right straight of his own, and completely destroyed one of it's hands.
"Woah..." Sun and Neptune's jaws dropped.
"What the?!" Torchwick was in absolute shock. Seeing the arm of an Atlesian Paladin, easily destroyed in one punch.
"Hey guys!" Ruby zoomed into the scene with her semblance. "What did we miss?"
"Nothing much. Where's Kev?!" Mike asked.
"He went somewhere and haven't came back."
"Tch... where the hell could he had gone at a time like this?"
"A paladin?!" Weiss landed on the highway, holding Myrtenaster at the approaching Torchwick.
"Well, if it isn't the ice queen?!" Roman smiled as his robot charged towards her.
"I'd prefer if you didn't refer to me as that!" Weiss plunged her blade into the ground, summoning a circle of ice across the pavement that causes the Paladin to slip and crash, actually flying over the young Huntress and falling off the ramp, landing further down before Ruby, already having her Crescent Rose out in scythe form.
"It's been a while Red!" Torchwick yelled. "I see you made a lot of new friends since our last meeting!"
"I have alot more than new friends! " Alright Team RWBY! Time put our new combination moves into use!" Ruby yelled out. "Freezer Burn!"
Ruby and Blake jumped back out of the way as Weiss performs her same ice-circle trick, but backed out of Yang's way when she jumped into the air and hits the epicenter with her Ember Celica, creating a wave of mist that surrounds the paladin.
"Tch... these damn tricks!" Immediately, the Roman activated its laser sensors to make up for the lost sight, but it barely saw the afterimage of Blake and narrowly misses the dashing Yang. A gun managed to fire at the area between Blake and Yang, but out from the blast comes Ruby, who slashes the metal with her blade, causing it to falter.
"Checkmate!"
This time, Blake and Weiss go in. Each girl going for the feet. Weiss jumped up and stabbed a sensor before leaping off of a white glyph. Roman lifted the Paladin's foot to crush Blake. However, Nick easily stopped it from landing the fatal blow.
" wasn't a fluke!" Torchwick gritted his teeth in annoyance.
"You good Blake?" Nick said with a smirk. Not straining from the weight thanks to Witching Hour.
"Yeah. Thanks Nick." Blake smiled back as Weiss summoned a glyph to move her out of the way. Nick easily pushed back the Paladin as it stumbled backwards.
"Tch... dammit." Roman growled before firing off the missiles. Weiss and Blake were able to easily avoid the explosions. Merely hitting where they once were.
Weiss was high in the air, as Roman fired a double energy blast at her. She used her weapon to absorb the damage, but was thrown back. She then casted a beam of light from her weapon to the ground under Blake, forming a yellow clockwork circle that's absorbed into her.
"Thanks Weiss!" She easily sliced through each launched missile with ease in a flurry of super-fast slashes.
"I sometimes forget how good they really are." Nick had a smile on his face. Impressed by their teamwork.
"How come you guys don't have sick combo attacks like them?" Sun asked Nick.
"We're too into ourselves to come up with some." Nick replied. "But... maybe we should start doing that."
Yang doesn't waste a second, jumping onto the Paladin's back and punching the top with fiery shotgun blasts. Roman, with his remaining arm, extended a closed fist into her. Sending her through a column.
"Yang!" Blake yelled out.
"Don't worry! With each hit she gets stronger, and she uses that energy to fight back!" Ruby said. "And that's what makes her special."
"That's right..." Nick thought back to her and Mike's fight and how much stronger she was thanks to it. "Her semblance."
Yang slowly got back on her feet. Her hair burning a brilliant white as she clenched her fists.
"Haha! This is my win!" Roman threw a punch with his remaining arm, but Yang was able catch it with one hand.
"What?! Just like headphones?!" Torchwick couldn't move the robot.
With her eyes red with rage, she smashed her knuckles into the second arm, obliterating it under her force.
Getting desperate with his now armless robot, Roman tried to strike Yang with a kick. It would not happen as he witnessed the leg being completely detroyed by a rocket.
"What... the hell?!" Torchwick took a glance and saw that Torren was the reason for that.
"Anti-Bullhead Missle. Took a while to attach due to its weight." Torren had his semblance active. He had a huge grin while flipping Torchwick off. "Serves you right for call me fat. Bastard."
"Shit...shit... shit!" The paladin began to topple over. Roman saw something standing in the middle of the street. "Wh... what the hell... is that?"
"Nice job keeping him steady!" Mike was now in Dragon Installation. A blazing ball of blue flames, charging in his hands. "One thing I hate the most while I'm using this is having a moving target!"
"What the... hell is that?!" Torchwick was completely stuck at Mike's appearance.
"Oh wow! Dragon Installation!" Ruby couldnt help but gush at Mike's transformation.
"Gotta be the flashy one huh Mike?" Nick crossed his arms with a smile.
"Go get 'im babe!" Yang yelled.
Torchwick began pressing the eject button as he knew his life depended on it.
"Tyrant Rave!" Mike threw the flaming ball at Torchwick, who was finally able to eject from the paladin before being caught in the flames. He watched as his robot was completely eradicated before falling face first to the ground. Dazed, he looked up and saw that everybody surrounded him.
"So you're Roman Torchwick?" Torchwick which looked up and saw a menacing aura come from Mike, who was cracking his knuckles. "I wanna thank you for taking such good care of my little brother."
"And... who might... that be?" Torchwick nervously asked.
"Oh don't be so forgetful... you know who he is?" Torchwich then looked at Nick, who was also cracking his knuckles.
"Head... phones..."
"Been a while Torchwick. Too bad you don't have Shogun to back you up this time, huh?" Nick had a huge grin on his face. Torchwick knew how much of a threat Nick was. However he was more terrified of the monstrous aura that was being emitted from Mike.
"As... much of a pleasure it was to have such a lovely reunion. I believe it's time for me to take my leave. Neo, if you would..."
Torchwick's partner, the petite pink-and-brown haired girl soon appeared in front of the group as she curtsied towards her enemies with a bow.
"As if!" Mike dashed forward, alongside Nick. "War Style: Devastation!"
"Ashura Style: Tetsui!"
Their attack was strong enough to create a powerful shockwave... only to break Torchwick and Neo's images as if it was made out of a mirror. "Hmmm... guess I don't know my own strength."
"What are you talking about? That was all me!" Nick said.
"I... don't think it was any of you." Weiss pointed at the now standing Torchwick and Neo. Who made their escape in a Bullhead. The petite woman smiled at Nick, who in retuned raised an eyebrow at her.
Torchwick stared at Mike, who in return, gave him a menacing glare. 'That one... he gives off the same sinister feeling as her. Now that's someone who I don't want to face on my own.' Torchwick shuddered at the thought of seeing him again.
"Dammit!" Mike gritted his teeth in anger. "Nearly had the bastard."
"So I guess he found Shogun's replacement... huh?" Yang stated.
"Yeah, and she really made our plans... fall apart!" Everybody cringed at Weiss' pun. Mike had a look of disgust on his face. Torren was pretending to heave into a paper bag.
"Weiss... I can take Yang's puns. Hell, even Mike's attenpts. But don't ever... do that again." Nick placed a hand on her shoulder.
"What- But, Yang does it all the time!" Weiss yelled. She was getting mad at the fact that she wasn't allowed to at least make a joke.
"There's a time and a place for jokes." Yang said.
"Was this not it?"
"No, it just... wasn't very good."
"It was horrible." Torren added.
"Stick to being the stick in the mud Princess. It's more up your alley." Mike said with a smile.
"Ugh! Well, at least I'm trying!" Weiss yelled.
As they celebrated, they realized that they were out one person.
"By the way? Where's Kev at?" Sun asked. "Wasn't he supposed to had been here?"
"Yeah! He's certainly not living up to his title." Neptune added.
Nick tried again to contact his partner.
"You reach K to E to Vin Silver! If this ain't a pretty lady calling, just hang up! Nah I'm kidding, just leave a voicemail!"
"Tch... straight to voicemail again."
"I hope he's alright?" Ruby said.
"This isn't like him to not show up." Mike said.
"Where the hell could he be at?"
On the other side of Vale, Kevin was breathing heavily. His right arm was dripping with blood while he was protecting a child with his left. He felt his scroll vibrate, but couldn't answer it. 'Shit... out of all the times that I'm alone... why now?'