Well, that first chapter got a lot of love over a couple days, and I'm excited. Because I'm excited, I wrote the next chapter and decided to publish this as my way of saying thanks, guys. There is some stuff I want to say, though that'll be an AN at the bottom.
Without further delay, the story continues.
[Chapter 2]
I pressed my back against the wall and slid down to be seated. Around me, several of Junior's goons were doing similar things, sitting on crates, trash cans, or leaning against the wall. Roman had ushered us into the alley and told us to keep out of sight. The truth of the matter was that keeping out of sight was all too easy; the dust shop we were going to be hitting was pretty out of the way, and well out of the public eye.
I closed my eyes and let out a long sigh. The first heist seemed to happen all too quickly, like they couldn't have cared less if there were people inside. They stormed in, spread out, and took what they wanted and left… I mean, it makes sense that there's planning and recon involved, I guess, but damnit sitting around like this is grating.
Around me, Junior's goons were joking around with one another, some smoking cigarettes, others playing on their scrolls. From an outside perspective, if you could ignore the about dozen men armed and in dark suits standing shadily in an alley, you never would've guessed they were criminals. They watched the same movies, read the same books, and told a lot of the same really bad jokes that normal people did.
I couldn't place why I found that as interesting as I did. Might be because you expected them to all be just as psychotic and sadistic as Neo? I chuckled to myself and shook my head. No, Neo seems to be a special case. She takes pleasure in hurting people, in holding her power over them.
The goons fell silent, and I opened my eyes, finding none other than Roman stood before us, leaning on his cane, a cigar almost perpetually stuck between his lips. "Well, kids, we've got some dust to steal." The goons all nodded enthusiastically, resting hands on their weapons. Roman held a finger up. "Not so fast there. I'll not have you savages going about spilling blood. You're only to fight if attacked first, am I clear?"
I shrugged and pushed myself up onto my feet, though maintained a heavy lean against the wall. Most of the goons nodded their agreement, letting hands fall off their weapons. Roman's gaze came to me and he nodded. "Showtime, kid. Let's see what you're made of." I rolled my eyes behind the shades I wore and pushed off the wall to join Roman at the front of the crew.
The street we were dumped onto was desolate, a few street lights had burnt out, and not a soul other than us was anywhere to be seen. Roman was spinning his cane idly in hand as he strolled down, seemingly without a care in the world. A glance back showed that most of Junior's goons had lost their smiles and laughs. Now, now they looked a bit more intimidating, more like the criminals I'd been expecting to be surrounded with.
We approached the shop rather quickly. Several goons split off, moving to cover the back entrance of the shop if I had to take a guess. Roman offered me a glance as we approached the door. I nodded in answer to his unspoken question. I'm ready. I've got this.
We pushed into the shop, the goons quickly fanning out to cover as much ground as was needed. Roman and I approached the man behind the counter who was staring us down. Roman smiled charismatically, leaning up against the counter. "You know, I'd think that with my recent track of robberies, you lot would up your security eventually."
The man behind the counter swallowed rather loudly, looking between me and Roman. Roman looked up. "Get the dust." His gaze tracked back to the shop keeper, who was looking less terrified, and far more on edge. "Now, now, you don't need to worry. We're not here to hurt you. We just want your dust, and we'll be out of your hair."
Roman glanced to me for a moment and nodded. I moved off, drawing a cannister out of my coat that was meant to hold dust. Everything seems to be going off without a hitch. We'll be fine, just in and out, real-
Loud alarms sounded in the shop, followed by a loud thud, and someone collapsing to the floor. I glanced back over my shoulder to see Roman with a frown on his lips as he looked at the unconscious shop keep. He sighed and looked up to the rest of us. "Well, this just got a whole lot more interesting."
Roman took one last draw off his cigar, spitting it out afterwards and crushing it under his cane. "Take everything you can carry. We're getting out of this one hot." Most of the goons nodded, going back to gathering what dust they could.
I started chewing on the inside of my cheek, glancing around at the others in the shop. They all seemed fine, perfectly calm and going about draining the dust from the shop. How can they be calm? The police are going to be here soon. We can't fight our way through them. I felt a hand rest on my shoulder. I traced the arm back to its owner, one of Junior's goons.
"Calm down, kid. Roman's got a plan." He offered a slight smile as he moved on to fill another of his cannisters with dust. He has a point. I need to trust that Roman can get us out of this situation. He's done this before.
The sirens were rapidly closing in on the shop, Roman called out to us. "Thirty seconds, boys." Nobody acknowledged him. I had filled two cannisters with fire dust, Roman telling me that was most of what we were after, though all of it was valuable.
Thirty seconds seemed to pass in a flash, tires screeching and sirens blaring in tandem with the alarm that was still in the shop. A glance out the glass front windows told me that this would not be pretty. At least four squad cars had arrived already. I finished filling my cannister of dust, storing it away in one of the inner pockets of my coat. I found my hand resting on the hilt of my sword as I joined Roman next to the counter.
"So, uh, wh-what exactly is the plan for dealing w-with these guys?" I asked, my nerves showing through as my gaze scanned over the police.
"Well, kid, I'm glad you asked. We're going to walk out." Roman said with the most confident smile I've ever seen. I stared at him incredulously, my jaw hanging down around my knees if I had to guess.
"… Y-y-you're joking, right?"
"Not even slightly." Roman looked back at the goons who had gathered behind us. He smiled and told them that we were going to be simply walking out. They all looked just as uncomfortable as I did with the idea.
"Oh, come on, you idiots. Have a little bit of faith that ol' Roman here knows what he's doing." Roman said with a roll of his eyes. "Just stick behind me, and we'll be just fine." The group all nodded slowly. Roman, content with all of our acknowledging his plan, pushed out the front door. None of the cops seemed to take notice, all of them still shouting through megaphones and pointing guns at the storefront.
I found myself looking back at the goons who were just as baffled as I was. I frowned and looked to Roman, tapping him on the shoulder. He looked back, slamming his hand over my mouth as I opened it to speak. While that had the desired effect of shutting me up, we had stopped at the front of the pack.
Someone stumbled into someone else, sending them both toppling to the concrete.
Rather suddenly, it looked like something shattered into glass all around us. The cops took notice of us and had weapons pointed at the group, shouting and telling us to surrender peacefully.
"You all were worth every cent. Truly, you fucking were." Roman grumbled, mostly to himself. His eyes went quickly to the police, a sly smile crossing his lips as he spread his arms wide to the police. "Well, now isn't this quite the predicament? A band of thieves sneaking out right under your noses? I wonder what your boss would think." The police continued to shout, demanding that he surrender and come peacefully, or they'll shoot.
I found myself shifting uncomfortably, gripping the handle of my sword so tightly my knuckles were white. Don't panic, Jaune. This is Roman we're dealing with, he can get us out of this, right? Roman chuckled and rose his cane to be pointing at one of the police cars. "Let it be said that I shot first." Roman called out, firing a blast of some nature from the end of his cane, hitting a cop in the shoulder, sending him flying onto his back.
Roman looked to the rest of us, jerking his head towards the police. "Well, don't just stand there you oafs, do something!" He shouted, getting us all into action. Many of the goons charged in at the police with their weapons in hand, while those armed with pistols took pot shots in attempts to cover for their melee companions.
The police shot back, bullets flying everywhere. I, meanwhile, was stood in the middle of it without a clue in the world as to what to do. I felt something impact my side, sending me to the concrete next to a parked car. I looked to see it was Roman glaring at me. "Listen, Jaune, I know that this is a bit overwhelming, but you've got to do something." I nodded dumbly.
Okay, Jaune. This is what he meant, trial by fire. Well, maybe not exactly what he meant, but it's close enough. I saw that the police had pushed back many of the goons we brought with us, many more bleeding in the street. Those that weren't were hiding behind cars, firing blindly back at the police. Think, Jaune. You're out gunned, out manned, and surrounded… Do you have any advantage at all? I dug into my coat to grab my revolver, a hand gracing the edge of a cannister for a moment. That. That might be an edge on the police.
I drew out one of the cannisters I had taken from my coat. "Roman… If I managed to throw this near one of their cars, think we could hit it and blow it up?" It wasn't a great plan, it was hardly a good one. It was all I had for the moment.
Roman grinned and nodded. "If you can get it there, kid, I can take care of the rest."
Alright, sure. Now, just to get it to the target… My throwing arm is about as weak as can be. I glanced to Roman who was taking pot shots at police cars with his cane, ducking back as the police fired in return. I bit my lower lip as I looked to the line of police firing on us. Their attention was all on Roman and the goons nearby, not on their flanks. Maybe I can get around them… Somehow, and roll one right under a car?
Roman's hat had a bullet hole in the brim of it, Roman looking to me. "Any day, kid." I nodded and got into a crouching position, shifting to the other side of the car. Alright, deep breath, Jaune. You can do this. You can do this. I broke into a sprint as I made for the cover of another car.
The police had arranged a sort of semi-circle on the street with their squad cars, blocking off the front entrance to the dust shop. I managed to avoid the hail of gunfire that was raining at me as I ran, ducking behind the vehicle. Alright, Jaune. One more car, and you're home free. The police were shouting, calling out my movements to one another. Its now or never.
I charged from my cover, the next car was only twenty feet away.
Fifteen feet away. I think I got this.
Ten feet away. This is actually gonna work!
Five feet away. We're home fr-
An incredibly acute pain erupted in my right thigh, sending me toppling to the ground. I heard Roman shout, likely at seeing me get sent to the ground like that. The pain was incredible, though I grit my teeth and dragged myself forward.
No more bullets were directed at me, the police assuming that I was down for the count, likely. I leaned myself against the side of the car, reaching into my coat and taking hold of the dust cannister that was there. I peeked over the back of the car, seeing that the cruiser I was aiming to have this rolled under was just a few feet away.
Fuck it hurts… I looked down at my injured leg, blood seeping from the bullet hole at an alarming rate. I grit my teeth and looked back to the cruiser. You can do this… Just get it near the car, and the explosion will handle the rest.
I sucked in a shaky breath and pushed myself up into a vague standing position, all of my weight on the left leg. I lobbed the cannister at the front of the police cruiser. It hit the hood and bounced off, clattering onto the ground. "Roman, now!" I collapsed back to be behind the car once more, several rounds impacting the wall behind my cover.
Roman's aim was true, striking the dust cannister, a loud explosion going off, being added on to by the police cruiser's fuel tank going as well. I heard Roman calling out orders to the goons, though I couldn't make sense of what he was saying.
A moment or so later, I became aware of Roman crouching next to me. He grinned at me and clapped me on the shoulder. "Good job, kid." I smiled weakly, holding the bullet wound with my hands, trying desperately to staunch the bleeding. "Keep your head down, I'll pick you up on the way out." I nodded limply as Roman got to his feet and made for the ruins of the cruiser we had just blown up.
The rest of the firefight was a blur, lots of Roman shouting commands and orders, and more shooting. Lots more shooting. I, meanwhile, was leaned against a car, clutching at my wound. It hurt more than anything I had ever experienced in my life, and all I could do for it was grit my teeth and bear it.
It could've been two minutes, or thirty, but Roman returned. He looked a bit disheveled, though generally in good health. His generally posh getup was ruined, though he didn't seem bothered. He called to several goons who came running. "Pick him up, we've got to get moving before more show up." A pair of goons stooped down, one taking my arms, the other my legs. I howled in pain as I was jostled around, though didn't fight it.
The sounds of sirens were quickly closing in. Roman rushed us down the street and into an alleyway. He pressed forward like he had known this place all his life, taking turns through alleys that I would've gotten lost in rather quickly. It was a fifteen-minute jog back to the Club.
Rather than taking a kid with a gunshot wound in through the front door, we circled around to the back and shuffled in. Several goons were looking a bit spooked, and now on edge. "You," Roman said, pointing his cane at one of the goons on guard, "find me Junior." The man nodded and ran inside. Roman pointed his cane at another. "Medical supplies. Now." He nodded frantically and ran inside as well.
I was carried into the back of the club, Roman throwing open one of the doors to a room. It was a bedroom, one that looked like it was lived in, though Roman didn't seem to care. I was laid down on the bed by the two goons. Roman nodded to them and sent them on their way.
Shortly after, Junior entered the room, focusing a glare on Roman. He opened his mouth to speak, though Roman cut him off. "We will discuss what happened after we get him taken care of." Junior snapped his mouth closed and nodded, looking to me, and then to the wound on my leg.
He found a chair and dragged it to be next to the bed I was laying on. He went about unbuttoning the cuffs of his dress shirt, rolling them up. He looked to me. "Did it go all the way through?" I shook my head, whimpering quietly in pain. "Well, shit. Alright, I'm going to have to remove it then." The goon returned with medical supplies, setting them on the table and vanishing from the room.
Junior turned and started rifling through the supplies he had been brought. My gaze went from Roman to another newcomer, none other than Neo. She was stood with arms crossed over her chest, pouting as she looked at me. I didn't know what she wanted, or if she was trying to tell me something. I probably wouldn't ever know.
"Sorry, kid, but this is gonna hurt like hell." My eyes shot back to Junior as he spoke.
"Wh-what's going to hurt?" I managed out, eyes wide.
I never got an answer.
Junior insisted that he was going as fast as he could, removing the bullet from my thigh. It didn't feel like it. It felt like it was dragging on for hours on end, though part of me knew it wasn't. The whole process of removing the bullet and the fragments likely took ten minutes by my guess, maybe longer. Then came stitches for the wound. I wanted to scream, and I did once or twice, I think. All said and done, though, Junior had me patched up as best he could.
Junior left shortly after, leaving Roman and Neo with me. Roman has produced a cigar, which I'm still convinced is his semblance, and taken a light to it. "Well, now that you've been patched up, we can get on with the rest of this." Roman said, getting up off the chair he had been sat at. He came and took a seat where Junior had been, leaning forward slightly.
"So, let me see if I've got this right, kid. You thought it'd be a good idea to apply to Beacon, Vale's Huntsman academy, without your Aura unlocked? Without any real training? Have I got that right?" I sighed and nodded weakly, offering a forced looking smile.
Roman groaned, shaking his head. "You should've known better…" Roman muttered, more or less to himself.
"Yeah, I should've, but oh well. I made my decision, and now I'm here." I retorted back, not wanting to be berated by Roman too for my poor decision making.
"Not what I… You know what, never mind." Roman said, taking a draw off his cigar. I perked a brow at him but let it go. Roman rolled his shoulders back. "Well, I can fix that. Though the training will take a while." I nodded. If I don't train to become better, I won't be able to defend myself when I need to. Roman frowned for a moment, taking the cigar out of his mouth and setting it down on the table for a moment. "Let's see if I remember how this works."
He reached out and rested both of his hands on my forearm, which I thought was odd, but whatever. "Ahem. For it is in our infamy that we achieve immortality, through this we become a paragon to deceitful glory to rise above all others." Roman's hands began to glow a slight shade of orange, something also began to stir within me. Something big. "Infinite in potential and unbound by laws, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, set you free." As Roman finished speaking, I felt something wash over me in a rush. It was warm, comforting, friendly. Is… Is this my Aura? I felt free, like I had been saddled by chains before, and was now released for the first time.
Roman chuckled, leaning back to take his cigar once more. "Damn, kid. That's a whole load of Aura you've got there. Makes me wonder if the longer it's sealed the bigger it grows… Hmm." I looked back to Roman, tilting my head slightly. I could feel my Aura seeping into the bullet wound, seeking to repair it.
"So, uh, Roman? How does this work, exactly…? My Aura, I mean." I asked hesitantly. I knew nothing about Aura or what exactly it could do.
Roman sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Shit, kid. You really don't know a thing, do you?" I made to respond, though was cut off. "That was rhetorical." I shut my mouth and waited for him to start.
"Alright, kid, the best way to put it is that your Aura is sorta your soul. Well, it's the projection of it. That's not really the important bit, though. Think of it as a shield, something you've gotta raise if you want it to protect you… It's not a passive deal, not without a semblance at least. If you want to block a blow, you've got to raise your Aura." Roman explained, a small frown on his lips. "As an example, if you'd had your Aura up and took that shot, you wouldn't be physically hurt. Just a dent in your Aura." I nodded, made sense to me. Sorta… Well, not really, but he had no reason to lie, right?
"So, with that in mind, the amount of Aura you've got should tell you how many blows you can take. You've got a load of Aura, among the most I've ever seen. You should be able to take a solid few shots if you've got to. Though, the best thing is to not rely on your Aura at all. Use it only if absolutely needed. That'll make you a better fighter, dodging and blocking more than taking it head on." I nodded again. It was a bit to take in. Essentially, I could summon a force field if I had to take a blow from something.
"Now, on to the second thing we've got to fix. You don't have combat training." I caught the predatory grin that crossed Neo's lips. Oh god, Roman, please no. Anything but that. I beg of you. Roman looked to Neo and nodded slowly. "Yes, I do believe that Neo will be in charge of your training. Might be that she can turn you into something respectful yet." I groaned. He hates me. He has to if he thinks this is a good idea.
"You do know she'll probably kill me, right?" I asked, more than a little terrified of the sadistic grin as she stared me down.
"Eh, if you want to avoid that, I'd recommend you learn quickly." Was all Roman had to offer as support. Yep, he's plotting to have me murdered under the guise of it being training.
I groaned again, though didn't complain. He is doing a favor for you. Even if it's a really terrifying way of doing it.
Roman was still looking at Neo. He shook his head. "No, Neo. You can't start now. He's still got a hole in his leg." Silence for a moment. "Yes, I know that you'll put more holes in him if he doesn't learn quickly, but let him rest first." Neo was pouting, her arms crossed over her chest. Roman looked back to me and sighed. "You're welcome, by the way. She wanted to start right this instant."
I smiled weakly, nodding at Roman. "Well, uh, thanks?"
Roman shrugged a shoulder and got up, dragging the chair back to the small table. "Get some rest, kid. I'll be around sometime tomorrow to pick you up." He ushered Neo out and closed the door behind him, leaving me alone in the room. Well… All things considered, tonight's a success, right? You completed a heist, in a manner of speaking. You got cornered by the police, figured the plan out of it, and got your Aura unlocked… At the cost of being trained by Neo… Yeah, you're probably doomed, but oh well. You'll be fine. Probably. Maybe. Most likely not.
I was interrupted from my thoughts as the door opened, Junior strode in with a bottle of water in hand. "I told you to back out if things got too dangerous. What happened to that plan, kid?" He didn't sound accusatory, just tired. It showed in his eyes.
"I, er, well… There wasn't anywhere to go, really… We got pinned down by the police, and someone had to do something. I was the someone, I guess." I responded slightly timid. Junior sighed and shrugged a shoulder.
"Well, whatever. At least you're alive. Can't say the same for a lot of my boys, but that's the risk they ran becoming a criminal." Junior frowned, looking me over. "Roman told me he's unlocked your Aura for you. Means that wound of yours will be there for a day or so, not a few weeks." I nodded slowly. Huh, so my Aura has a healing factor too… If I didn't know better, I'd say that makes me some sorta super hero… Or maybe villain, considering what side of the law I'm on.
Junior set the bottle down on the nightstand and turned to leave. "Junior?" I called out, the man stopping in the doorway to look back at me. "Uh, well, I mean…" I didn't really know what I was trying to say.
"Spit it out, kid. I've got a business to run."
"Why help me? Why give a shit at all, I mean, I'm just a nobody two-bit-criminal? You've got a load just like me under your employ." Junior frowned and narrowed his eyes at me.
"That's a good question, kid. I'll get back to you when I have an answer." He said as he turned and left me on my own once more.
It had been a long day. One that I couldn't particularly believe I had been involved in. I was a criminal. If there had been a doubt in my mind before, there was none now. There was only one thing to do now. I had to get good. That'd take time, sure, but I'm not in a rush. I've got Roman, Neo, and I guess Junior at my back. I've got more support for a life of crime than I ever had for becoming a Huntsman.
I slowly started to drift off, and rather than conflicted and afraid, I was content.
[-/-]
I awoke the next morning to the sound of someone pounding on the door. "I'm up, I'm up…" I grumbled, throwing the sheets off. I took a moment to examine the wound on my leg. It was looking better, but then again, it could be worse and I'd have no idea it was. The pounding on my door continued, whoever it was remaining rather silent aside the knocking.
I groaned. Alright, time to see if you can stand to put weight on that leg at all. I pushed to get to my feet. Low and behold, I can put weight on the injured leg. It still hurts slightly, but it is usable. The persistent person on the other side of the door continued. "I'm coming, calm down. You don't need to break the door." I growled out.
I pulled open the door and was faced with a short, raven haired girl wearing a white dress. "Junior said to wake you up." She turned on a heel then and walked off down the hallway. That was… odd? Definitely odd. I shook my head and looked back at the room. I turned and retrieved the sword that I had been given. The gun was still hanging in its place on the inside of my jacket. The whole outfit was a wreck, covered in grime and a bit of blood, though I didn't have anything to change into.
I stepped into the main room of the Club. Junior was lounging with his arms crossed over his chest in a booth at the far side. He didn't acknowledge me as I entered, his breathing rhythmic and slow as I approached. His eyes were closed, the older man appeared to be asleep. I coughed and cleared my throat. Junior froze for a moment, cracking an eye open at me. He relaxed after a brief moment.
"Kid, good to see that you're up and walking on your own." He said, pulling himself up with a stretch, cracking several bones.
"Yeah, well, your wake-up call could use some work." I retorted.
"Oh, Melanie? Ignore her. She's not a morning person." Junior said with a roll of his eyes.
I hummed noncommittally as I eyed the older man over. "I take it you had something you wanted to talk about if you're dragging me awake this early?"
Junior shook his head. "Not really, kid. Thought you'd appreciate a breakfast before Roman comes to send you off to be tortured, er, trained by Neo." I groaned, shivering in response.
"That definitely inspires faith…" I muttered.
Junior chuckled and clapped me on the shoulder. "Maybe she'll go easy on you, kid." I rose my brows at Junior and gave him the best 'Really?' look I could muster. The man chuckled again and shrugged. "You never know. It could happen." He nodded to the other side of the booth for me to take a seat.
Junior called to one of his henchmen, one who was decidedly not Not-Jerry, and told him to bring out a couple of breakfasts for he and I. The goon nodded and ambled off back towards the bar. I rose a brow at Junior. "You run a Club, as well as a full-service diner here or something?" A slight tone of teasing in my voice.
Junior rolled his eyes. "Definitely, can't you see the clientele we attract?" He asked, sweeping his arms wide to the mostly empty Club. There were a few goons stumbling around, nursing cups of coffee.
I snickered. "Mhm, quite the lucrative business you're running."
A few minutes later, a goon came out with two plates in hand, sliding them onto the booth. It was nothing special, just two slices of toast, a bowl of oatmeal, and a cut of butter. I looked up to Junior with an inquisitive gaze.
"I never claimed we served good food. Just food." I sighed and shook my head. I should've known better than to expect something more.
The two of us ate in relative silence, content to sit and enjoy eating with a friend. The food as a whole was about what I expected. Toast was hard to mess up, and was what I'd expected. The oatmeal needed either brown sugar or butter, though I had used all my butter on the toast. Alas, I was stuck with very bland oatmeal.
Junior had a goon come and clear the plates from the two of us. Junior was looking off into the distance, past me. If I had to wager, he was lost in thought.
What I don't get is why Junior is kind to me. I don't work for him, I haven't helped him, I've hardly interacted with him. Yet here he is, offering advice, stitching me up, and feeding me to boot. What's his angle? Does he think he'll get something out of me? But what could I offer to him that he doesn't already have? I was chewing on the inside of my cheek as I thought, looking down at the table. I'm nothing more than a stray taken in under Roman's wing… I know that Junior runs a gang, so is there a chance he looks to me as a way to get leverage over Roman?
No, that doesn't make sense. Roman might've taken me under his wing, but if it was keeping me safe or himself, he'd make that decision in a heartbeat. I shook my head. No, it's got to be something else… But what? What's his motive? I looked up to Junior who was now watching me with a slight smile crossing his lips. "Lien for your thoughts there, kid? Looking pretty lost in your own musings."
I hummed in response, meeting his gaze. The look he had was… soft, gentle, welcoming even. I… That's… I don't even know what to think of that. Junior strikes me as a hard ass with a lot of people, yet here he is showing me something different. "I, uh, well…" I trailed off, chewing on the inside of my cheek. You won't know unless you ask.
"What's your angle here, Junior? I mean, why show me as much kindness as you have… I'm not saying that I don't appreciate it or anything, it's just… Why? Like, I get that I've got a connection to Roman, but I don't see how that helps you. I don't really see how being nice to me and helping me like you have is going to benefit you at all. I've got nothing to bring to the table, yet here you are investing in me like I have something to show." I realized after the fact that I had been rambling slightly, and that was a lot to unpack, but I had asked what I wanted to. At least a little bit.
Junior chuckled quietly, shaking his head. "Y'know, kid, I see a lot of myself in you. Call it an impulse, empathy, or fatherly instinct, it doesn't really matter. You're innocent, kid, and you're in way over your head, just like I was at your age." I frowned, though didn't say anything to him. "You needed help, just like I did, and you sure as hell weren't going to get it from Roman. I stepped up to the plate."
I tilted my head to the side slightly as I listened to what he had to say. "Far as what I've got to gain, shit, probably not much. In our line of work, it doesn't matter how good you are, you can always get caught by surprise. There's always a chance that Roman goes down and ends up taking you with him, burning whatever investment I made." Junior paused for a moment. "Then there's always the chance that you do well. You make something of a name for yourself, and I get a new friend in a low place as it were." He shrugged then. "Like I said, I see a lot of myself in you. I'd like to see how you use it, what you make yourself. If it costs me a bit of capital, time, and other resources to see it, then fine."
I hummed quietly and nodded slowly. "So, you're helping me out… mostly on a whim?"
"Eh, sure, let's roll with that."
"… Thank you, Junior." I mumbled, quietly.
The older man chuckled. "Any time, kid. If you need help, you know how to get here." He pushed himself out of his seat at the booth and made to head into the back room. "I'm gonna get ahold of Roman. He'll be on his way shortly." I nodded, watching as Junior left me to my own devices.
Junior doesn't have an ulterior motive then? At least, I couldn't see any deceit in his words. They all sounded genuine… What was it he said about my not getting help from Roman? Roman's already done so much for me, taken me in, unlocked my Aura, given me a place to stay and all… It's a mutual benefit I think, I get training and a chance to become something, and he gets a new lackey to command. Roman makes sense. At least, some of the time. I'm still not sure about this whole training with Neo deal, but it'll do.
I found my thoughts interrupted by someone coming and taking a seat across from me. I looked up and was met with two pairs of eyes staring me down. They were twins, one of which I recognized from the wake-up call this morning. I think Junior said her name was Melanie? "Uh, something I can do for you two…?"
The girls looked at one another, and then back to me with narrowed eyes. Neither of them spoke, they just stared me down rather uncomfortably.
"Alright, this is uncomfortable… I, uh, I know you can talk" I said pointing to the twin I recognized, "yet here you are, staring me down… Is there anything I can do, or are you just here to make me obscenely uncomfortable with the situation?"
Melanie – I'm almost 100% sure that's what Junior said, and I'm sticking to it – leaned forward slightly. "I don't get it. What does Junior see in tall, blonde, and scraggly with a limp here?" She wasn't talking to me, at least that wasn't the impression I got. It seemed like I was being talked at.
"I don't know, Mel. He doesn't seem like he's got any value to me." She frowned as she scrutinized me. "Seems fitting that he's in one of the boy's suits. Even if I'm sure he'd lose to almost all of them."
"His suit is nearly destroyed. Makes him seem lesser than the rest." Melanie said, still staring me down. I was now feeling just about as uncomfortable as I knew how to.
I elected to remain silent, thinking that perhaps by ignoring them, they'd grow bored and leave me alone.
Oh, how wrong I was.
The twins were aware that I was ignoring them, to the point that I'm pretty sure one of them said as much. Though despite that, they kept on scrutinizing me and talking back and forth. They irritated me, though became simple background noise that I could deal with.
Deal with it I did for almost an hour.
Now, I'm a patient man. At least, I'd like to think that I am. Though listening to two people chatter back and forth about you while ignoring them completely can get rather grating on one's nerves. I probably would've snapped at them if not for the fact that I'm sure they could kick my ass ten ways to tomorrow.
I was saved, however, by none other than my soon to be torturer/trainer: Neo. The diminutive girl arrived and came to be staring down the twins. She was armed with a glare that could kill, and I'm sure that if she could find a way to weaponize it she would. The twins eventually left, leaving me alone with Neo who turned to be staring me down, narrowing her eyes slightly as she looked me over.
I blinked a couple of times and tilted my head slightly. "Is there something you wanted, Neo?" I asked with a sigh, awaiting my fate. The girl nodded and motioned for me to follow her. I groaned. Is this how I die, following Neo to a non-descript alleyway to get stabbed to death under the guise of training?
Neo led me out of the Club, to none other than Roman who was lighting another cigar. Seriously, I've never seen him with a case, only the singular damn cigar. Where does he hide them? The man nodded. "Well, I can say that I'm surprised she didn't stab you on the spot and call it the start of training." Neo rolled her eyes and pointed to my wounded leg.
"Mmm. Don't want to start till his limp is gone, then." Roman looked back to me with a slight smile. "She's got to like you, giving you the opportunity to heal up like this." Neo focused her glare onto Roman, silently threatening him if he continued to run his mouth. Roman chuckled and rested a hand on Neo's head. "Yeah, yeah. You can threaten me all you want, we both know you won't kill me." Neo pouted and crossed her arms, looking away.
"So, uh, what's the plan, Roman?" I asked wearily watching Neo from the corner of my eye.
"The plan, Jaune, is to turn you into a respectable criminal." Roman said with a wry grin on his lips, turning and marching off into the city.
I let out a sigh as I pushed on after Roman. Turn me into a respectable criminal, huh? I suppose it could be worse.
So, that was fun. I enjoyed writing that, though the outcome of the dust robbery changed a lot of times before I settled on this one. Regardless though, there's a few things I need to make clear.
First is that Roman's Aura unlocking speech I 100% yoinked from Coeur's Professor Arc. If you haven't read that story yet, go and do it. Coeur has a talent for comedy that I just fail to be able to emulate.
Second is that I am in the market for a Beta for this story, so if you'd like to take up that role, feel free to hit me up.
Lastly there are a few things from my reviews that I'd like to address here.
To Ree-Dur who asked "Is Ruby going to be in this story? ... I want to know why Jaune sold his sword."
In short, yes, Ruby will be in this story, though she's not a main character and won't be playing a huge role in this particular fic. As for why Jaune sold his sword, well, I have that all planned out. Jaune has his reasons, though we've just not heard them yet. Answers will come in due time, fear not.
And to The Exiled Darkness, your theories are somewhat right as we saw in this chapter relating to Junior. As for Roman, that has yet to be shown, but we will see what the future has in store for our poor hero and his 'misunderstood' friends.
OH! And please be sure to drop a review, seeing those appear makes me feel good about writing this story for you guys, and if you've got some constructive criticism I'd love to hear it.
Till next time, this is Valres signing off.