Roman Torchwick knew he wasn't a good person. He also knew he wasn't an honorable one either. He liked to think he has some kind of code or line he won't cross, but he also knew that he'd step over those lines if there was enough Lien to be made on the other side.
Still, working with terrorists who probably wanted to blow up Vale made Roman tempted to cut his losses and give an 'anonymous tip' to the pigs, while he and Neo slipped away to find a more sane employer, preferably one that won't set them on fire.
Still, the pay was extremely good, and even if he wanted to ditch Cindy and her posse, he and Neo would be ash the second he swings Melodic Cudgel.
Besides, it wasn't like Roman was particularly attached to Vale. Sure, it was where he grew up (if living in the streets counted as 'growing up'), but he had other bases in other places. He doesn't care what happens to the city.
He only cares about one other person that isn't himself anyways.
Roman is snapped out of his musing when some idiot drops a crate. "Careful you moron! Do you want you and your zoo pals to be blown up sky high?!"
Rolling his eyes, he reaches into his pocket for a cigarette...
When he feels the touch of bladed steel on his neck, a hand grabbing onto the arm holding his cane, and pulled him close, using the con man as a human shield while making sure he can't lift up his arm to use his weapon.
It was so ridiculous Roman could have laughed. Even if his unknown attacker were to use the sword currently on his throat, aura would make sure he's left without a scratch. Meanwhile, Little Miss Hero behind him (and it's definitely a girl, judging from the voice that was blabbing on. 'Brothers and Sisters'? Really?) would be outnumbered by him, the idiots he brought along, and the reinforcements coming to pick up the freshly stolen dust.
Still, the kid's ex-Fang? Interesting...
"Guess you didn't get the memo, did ya Kitty Cat?" Roman grins.
Kitty Cat frowns. "What 'memo'?"
"Me and the White Fang..." He spreads his arms out, just as more bullheads come down from the clouds. Perfect timing. "Are in a 'joint business venture'!"
Kitty Cat gawks as more White Fang jump out of the ships, which Roman uses to his advantage-
By shooting an explosive round out of his cane and blasting both him and the stray. Aura, it's fantastic.
Yang and Sun turn around to see a plume of smoke rise from the docks.
"I swear, if that's Blake..."
Looking back, Blake would admit she wasn't thinking very clearly.
Sure, her plan seemed solid at first. Sneak behind Torchwick and put Gambol Shroud to his neck, and appeal to her once-comrades better selves. Then together they'll bring Torchwick in and prove to Remnant that the Faunus aren't just second-class citizens!
Oh who was she kidding, that was a terrible plan. One that ended up staring down the barrel of Torchwick's weapon.
"I admire your spirit kid, but really..." The thief smirked. "What was your plan there?"
Blake's only answer was to dodge to the side, barely avoiding the explosive shot from Torchwick's cane. Looking around, Blake could see that she was slowly getting surrounded by White Fang thugs, the bullheads dropping reinforcements that were outnumbering her ten-to-one.
She could only hope that Penny would do the smart thing and go get help. But who knows when that help would-
"Get away from my friend's teammate!"
All heads swiveled to the source of the odd battle cry, a dozen-or-so White Fang catching a glimpse of an orange haired girl behind a green glowing light...
Before they were promptly blasted away by a gigantic green laser beam, knocking them out and leaving the would-be thieves smoking, but alive.
The White Fang quickly brought their weapons to bear on Penny, leaving Blake to face Roman Torchwick, the latter seemingly still distracted by what just happened...
Until he brought his cane up to block Blake's swing, catching her off guard and leaving her open to a kick from Torchwick. Blake was knocked back, but quickly recovered, staring down her opponent still.
"Well, that was interesting..." Torchwick mused, glancing at the girl the 'help' was fighting, watched as the green-eyed girl knock down everyone who came near her with eight floating swords, blinked, then faced Blake again. "You've got powerful friends. Either that or I have terrible henchmen."
Blake couldn't help but agree, also sneaking glances at the battle happening just a stone's throw away from her. Guess Penny wasn't exaggerating when she said she was 'Combat Ready!'...
Dashing towards Torchwick, Blake brings her blade down on his head, her opponent batting the blade aside with his cane and going for a counterstrike, which was blocked by Blake. This back-and-forth went on for a while, both thief and ex-terrorist exchanging blows but not being able to land a hit, till Torchwick managed to whack his cane into Blake's side, knocking her into Penny and making both girls fall over.
Blake grunted, getting up as Penny circled her swords around herself, the two girls watching as more and more thugs surrounded them.
"Can you do that giant laser thing again?" Blake asks Penny, checking her ammo.
Penny nods. "You seem to be struggling with Roman Torchwick. Would you like me to handle him?"
"He's all yours Penny."
"Sensational! Duck, please!"
And with that only warning, Penny releases a wave of lasers, knocking down quite a few White Fang. The ones still standing were quickly met by Blake Belladonna and her sword.
Meanwhile, Roman Torchwick watches as Penny Polendina bears down on him, floating swords, lasers and all.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me-"
Yang and Sun observe the battle from above, standing on a rooftop on the docks.
"... Do they even need us?" Sun muses, watching as Torchwick desperately parries and dodges lasers and swords, kept on the defensive by a short-haired girl who looked like she was enjoying this more than she should.
Meanwhile, Blake keeps waves of White Fang at bay singlehandedly, seamlessly switching her weapon from a sword, a gun, a kusurigama, and a sword again.
"How did your teammate end up fighting the White Fang anyways?"
"Long story." Yang mutters, also watching the fight. Probably best that Sun doesn't know that Blake was an ex-terrorist.
Still, Sun raised a valid point. Should they intervene? Blake and Penny seemed to be handling themselves just fine...
The White Fang will be more likely to retreat and escape if more hunters arrive, giving them the chance to commit more crimes later. On the other hand, there's the chance that the White Fang could overpower Penny and Blake both. Roman Torchwick has fought Huntsmen before after all.
Yang sighs, cocking her gauntlets. "They might need our help. C'mon!" She shouts, leaping down.
Sun takes out his gun-chucks, following Yang close behind.
Roman was almost embarrassed. He shouldn't have this much trouble fighting a kid.
But he has to admit, the girl was good. Even if she didn't have half a dozen swords or the laser beams shooting out of said weapons (and wow, first oversized gardening tools wielded by twelve year olds, and now literal laser swords. What are they teaching kids these days?), the girl predicted his every attack and responded in kind.
Hell, the best way he could describe the kid's fighting style was 'killing machine'!
Still, he could end this fight quickly. All he had to do was-
"There's more of them!" Someone shouted, and from the corner of Roman's eye he could see two more kids jump into the fray. Maybe Kitty Cat and Sword Girl's teammates.
Great, now there were too many. He could beat up a bunch of wannabe kid-heroes, but it would take too long, and with the cops and actual Huntsmen coming, he wasn't taking his chances.
Jumping away from Sword Girl, Roman lands near a waiting airship. Before the kid could start running at him again, he pulls out a chunk of ice dust, still in it's crystal form, and throws it at the short-haired girl.
"See ya later, you crazy kids!" Grinning, Roman shoots the chunk of ice dust with his cane, causing it to explode in a blue blast. Not bothering to check his handiwork, Roman jumps into his ride.
By the time the others were finished with the rest of his goons, Roman Torchwick was gone.
The fight ended relatively quickly after Yang and Sun came. Police had begun taking the White Fang into custody, and Blake, Penny, Yang and Sun were sitting near an ambulance, after being checked on for wounds.
Blake nearly had the breath knocked out of her as Ruby barrels the Faunus girl in a hug.
"Me and Weiss looked everywhere for you! And then we got Yang's call and she said you were atthedocksandshesaidyouwerefightingTheWhiteFangand-" Ruby babbles onto Blake's chest, her words quickly becoming impossible to discern.
"Ruby..." Yang sighs, exasperated by her sister.
And Weiss...
Weiss walked up to Blake, her expression controlled.
Blake cringes. "Weiss, I-"
The heiress holds up one hand. "I've had time to think."
"...And?"
"And... I've decided to trust you, despite our... prior conversation." Weiss hangs her head. "And I have to apologize for the hurtful and bigoted things I've said."
Blake smiles. "Apology accepted."
Ruby and Yang both breath a sigh of relief.
Weiss looks up, suddenly frowning. "This doesn't mean you're off the hook though! Do you know how much you've worried us?! Next time you have a crisis, at least bring someone with you!"
Blake giggles, a weight lifted off her shoulders. "Alright. But I wasn't alone, I had a friend with me."
"Speaking of that..." Weiss turns to look at Penny. "Are... you alright?"
"I'm fine! Thank you for asking!" Penny says, smiling, despite the fact that almost every part of her body was encased in ice, except her head. Nearby, Sun whacked relentlessly at the small glacier, only managing to create a hole an inch deep.
"Penny! Are you okay?!" Ruby shouted, finally getting off Blake and rushing to her frozen friend.
"I'm alright, friend Ruby! Once I am freed, I shall be Combat Ready once again!"
"It doesn't make sense." A medic nearby muttered. "She should be unconscious at least. The cold would be unbearable..."
Penny blinked. "Ouch, Ow. The cold's unbearable. Ow. Hic!" She said, deadpan.
"Oh god Penny are you okay?!"
Before Penny could answer, a black truck pulled up to the group, and a team of men in black suits came to lift the Penny popsicle inside.
"Wait, who are you guys?! Where are you taking Penny?!" Ruby shouts, reaching for Crescent Rose.
Penny only smiled. "Don't worry, friend Ruby! They are friends of my father!" She was still smiling, even when the men finally set her inside the truck.
The doors close and the men speed off, but not before Penny shouts a final goodbye. "Goodbye friend Ruby! Goodbye friend Blake!"
Team LBSR and Sun gawk as the truck drives away.
"Well, that happened." Yang groaned.
Winter had great respect for General Ironwood. The man both commanded Atlas's military and ran a huntsman academy. He trained her personally, and trusted her enough for him to promote Winter as his right hand.
Still, she would admit that the man has his... faults. Mostly, his anger management issues. And the way he lets out said anger.
Currently, she was standing outside his office, wincing everytime something crashed into the wall. And the floor. And the ceiling. And the door.
Perhaps she should have waited for a better time to report about Penny's incident at the Vale docks...
She sighed as she heard the sound of the window shattering. There goes the table again.
She hopes that the ceiling wasn't too scorched by the time the general calms down...
The rest of the room was probably a lost cause.