Another Friday, another chapter of Criminally Good to end the week.
Enjoy.
[Chapter 5]
I felt my scroll buzz in my jacket pocket. I dug it out and found that it was Junior who had messaged me. There was no text, just a map of Vale with several places marked with glaring red Xs. I could only assume that these were the arms dealer's common spots to peddle his goods. That would prove useful if he wasn't at his home.
Neo and I pushed through the minor crowds on the streets of Vale, though to say that wouldn't be completely accurate. Most of them parted for Neo and, by proxy, me. They all saw the twisted, sadistic grin that was on her lips, as well as the challenge to try and get in her way. Anyone capable of rational thought got out of the way.
Neo and I arrived shortly after we had left. The building that this arms dealer called home was a dump. The apartment block looked to be just barely standing, be it shattered windows dotted all over the place, or crumbling brickwork, it was not exactly a welcoming sight.
Neo looked back to me, her predatory grin setting me on edge. I knew it wasn't directed at me, but it still had that effect. Alright, this is it. This is where I get Crocea Mors back. I nodded to her with a slight smile tugging at the corners of my lips. Neo turned back to the apartment block and pushed in to the building with me right behind her.
Now, if I thought that the outside was bad, the inside was worse. The stench reminded me something of a rotting corpse and urine. I gagged upon entering, feeling my eyes water slightly. I shook my head and pressed on to follow after Neo.
Neo didn't seem all that bothered by the stench, or if she was, she didn't show it openly. I paused a moment to think. We don't know what apartment is his. I sighed and tapped Neo on the shoulder. She looked back and cocked her head slightly in question. "I don't recall Junior telling us which apartment was his." I stated. Neo frowned for a moment and then shrugged. Great, she doesn't know either.
I dug my scroll out of my jacket and sent a text to Junior.
Jaune: Any chance you could tell me what apartment is his?
Junior: Sorry, bud. Can't help you there.
I groaned and shook my head. Of course, he doesn't know. I pocketed my scroll once again and looked to Neo. "Well, our options are to start kicking down doors, settle in for a stakeout, or search each of his common spots. Any preference?"
Neo tapped her lips for a moment and then seemed to get an idea. She produced her scroll and typed out a response to me. How about I stay here and stakeout the apartments while you go and check his common spots. We'll run a better chance of finding him that way.
I nodded as I read over her message. "Makes sense to me. If either of us get eyes on him, get in contact with the other, yeah?" Neo nodded as I tossed her scroll back to her. "Got it."
I turned and made to leave the apartment block when Neo tapped my shoulder again. "What?" I asked, turning to look back at her. She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. I arched a brow at that. "What are you trying to say?" Neo scoffed and waved a dismissive hand.
Bewildered, I shook my head and left the apartments behind me. It felt like I could breathe again, which was a blessing to be free of that stench. I wonder what Neo was trying to tell me? It's not like this is a dangerous job. This Nathan guy is a two bit criminal at best, nothing I couldn't handle if I had to. It couldn't be that she's worried about me?
I chuckled and shook my head. Couldn't be. She doesn't care about anyone other than her, and maybe Roman. Even that's a tossup, I think. As I wandered around the area, I realized that I had no real idea where exactly it was that I was going.
I sighed and pulled up the map Junior had sent me. This kid parks all over Vale… This is gonna be a long night.
I shoved my scroll back into my pocket and made my way to the nearest place he frequented, my hand resting idly on the hilt of my blade.
[-/-]
It was nearing 01:00 and I had found nothing. Each of his spots empty. I had exhausted most of them, though there were two in close proximity left to check. Of course, it'd be my luck that the last places I check are where he's at. What else would it be? I grumbled more or less to myself as I pressed onwards into Vale.
My feet ached, my stomach was empty, and I was feeling slightly chilly. Needless to say, I was not in the best of moods. My scroll buzzed, and I could only assume that it was Neo. We had made a habit of checking in once an hour.
Neo: Still no sign of him. Anything on your end?
Jaune: Not a thing. Last two spots I checked were duds. Only have two more. If they're dead, I'm heading back to the apartment.
Neo: Tell me when you finish up. Dunno about you, but I'm hungry.
Jaune: What, is this a thinly veiled attempt to get me to buy you dinner?
Neo: Someone's cocky.
Jaune: It's easy to do when I'm not in stabbing distance.
Neo: You're always in stabbing distance.
Jaune: That… Scares me more than I'd care to admit.
Neo: Good.
Neo: And to answer your question, you are buying me dinner for making me sit around and watch this shitty apartment building all day.
Jaune: You're the one who wanted to come with me.
Neo: Still in stabbing distance.
Jaune: Fine, fine. You win.
Neo: Good boy. I'll be waiting.
I sighed and shook my head, pocketing my scroll once more. Always in stabbing distance. Yeah, that's definitely gonna haunt my nightmares. Despite the maybe idle threat from Neo, I pressed onwards. I was nearing one of my targets, and I had to have my head in the game.
Much to my surprise, there was an old, beat up, dingy white van parked in the alleyway. There was a young man sat on the hood of said van, messing around on his scroll by the looks of him. I felt my breath catch in my throat. Okay, this is it. This is the guy, has to be. I glanced around, not seeing any form of security with him, though I wasn't sure.
He didn't seem to notice me; he was far too focused on his scroll and whatever he was doing with it. I slowly turned back and crept away, doing my best to be quiet. I was convinced that even the slightest noise I made would alert him to my presence.
Once I had gotten myself a fair distance away, I produced my scroll once again and texted Neo.
Jaune: I found him.
Neo: Oh good. Where are you?
Jaune: Over near the warehouse district. I'll send you my location.
Neo: Got it. On my way.
I sighed as I closed my scroll and pocketed it once more. We found him. By proxy, we found Crocea Mors as well. I couldn't help but to grin as I found myself leaning back against the wall of an alleyway. I slid down it, resting my aching feet as I awaited my psychopathic backup.
There's always the chance that by the time Neo gets here, he's left. I frowned at that thought, shaking my head. While true, where else is he gonna go? Back to his apartment? It'd be easy to catch him out there. He's got nowhere to go.
I couldn't help but to frown at that thought too. Something felt off, something not quite right. Though the question was what? Whatever. If it's really important it'll come to me. I closed my eyes and waited patiently for Neo to arrive.
I was shaken from my resting position by a not so soft kick to my side. I groaned and glared up at Neo who was smiling innocently. "You could've just tapped my shoulder or something." I grumbled, pushing myself back onto my feet. Neo rolled her eyes and motioned for me to take the lead.
"Right, let's get my sword back." I said, feeling a surge of confidence now that I had Neo at my back. She might be psychotic and one of the evilest people I know, but she's not about to let someone else kill me before she gets the chance. I hope.
I led Neo back to the alleyway that the van was parked in, finding that the only change was the lack of Nathan sitting on the hood. Upon further examination, I noted that the back doors to the van were open. Maybe working with a client? I shrugged a shoulder, offering a glance back to Neo. She looked rather amused, a sadistic grin splitting her features in two. "C'mon, then. Let's pay this Nathan kid a visit."
As Neo and I neared the old van, the quiet sound of conversation made its way to my ears. I strained, doing my best to listen in on what they were saying, though found only mumbling, as well as the distinct note of four people discussing something.
I glanced over to Neo who was stood next to me, eyeing me with an arched brow. I tilted my head slightly to one side in question. She pointed at the back side of the van. She's ready to go. Wants to just rush in and wreak havoc on those poor souls. I nodded, watching as her grin grew to immense proportions.
Neo rather casually strolled out; her parasol balanced over her shoulder as she rounded the back of the van. Almost instantly, conversation stopped. I emerged to join Neo shortly thereafter, letting my hand rest on the hilt of my sword.
There were, in fact, six people here. Two had been silent as the others were speaking. Likely bodyguards, if I had to guess. There was, of course, Nathan who I recognized from when he was sat lazily on the hood of his van. The kid looked on edge, and about ready to bolt at any sign of trouble that was assuredly going to come.
The others were dressed in suits, not all that dissimilar to mine. Though rather than theirs being a black and red goon suit, they were in gray and white. Personally, I found it incredibly dull. At least with the goon suit, I had some color on me.
The other thing that was notable was that they were all armed. The two body guards were clearly resting their hands on their pistols that were hidden within their suits, staring me and Neo down, almost as if daring us to make a move.
Nathan appeared to be unarmed, though I didn't think for a second that an arms dealer was unarmed. That would just be plain and simple stupidity. The three people he was talking with were glaring at me as well now, their hands resting on blades that hung at their hips, almost identical to what I was wielding.
"Who're you?" Nathan asked, looking between me and Neo.
I only grinned as I took a step forward. They didn't seem all that intimidated. "Just someone here to retrieve something that belongs to me." I said as confidently as I could manage. The truth was that I was terrified, though showing that was definitely a bad idea.
Nathan narrowed his eyes at me. "An' wha' makes ya' think tha' I've got wha' ya' are lookin' for?"
I chuckled and shrugged a shoulder. "I dunno, maybe it has something to do with seeing you on the news last night, as well as seeing my sword on the list of stolen items." Neo stepped forward to stand beside me. "Now, we can make this nice and easy; you give me the sword and shield, and I walk away. You keep peddling stolen goods, and I have my sword. Sound like a deal?" False confidence was always better than no confidence at all. Right?
Right.
It wasn't Nathan who spoke up, rather an older man who had his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. If I had to guess, he was in his late forties or so, with long brown hair that had signs of gray creeping in. "A sword and shield. Interesting." He paused as he took another measured step towards Neo and I. "I take it you're after Crocea Mors then?"
I narrowed my eyes at him, tightening my grip on the hilt of my sword. "The one and only." Someone who at least knows the sword's name. Means he knows the history it's got, though why would a criminal want it? I doubt history has value to him.
"I see." He glanced back to his colleagues for a moment, then looking back to me and Neo. "You'll not have it."
Now, over the past few weeks of training with Neo, I had grown accustomed to speed in people's first attacks. With Roman, I had grown accustomed to people fighting dirty and abusing their ability for the first strike.
This man was something else.
It was almost instant, his charging at me and sending me skidding back a few feet with a blow to my chest. I never saw him move, though now he had his sword drawn, smirking at me.
I sighed and glanced to Neo. "So much for doing this the easy way." If Neo's grin before wasn't terrifying, it was now. She moved in to combat with Nathan and the other four henchmen that this older guy had brought with him.
I had drawn my blade, and just in time to boot. I managed to catch a slash that had been aimed for my chest with the flat of my sword. I threw the older man off of me, making some space between us. To his credit, he still had a smirk on his lips.
Alright, Jaune. Let's see how well you'll do with your limited training. I broke into a charge at the older man, making to slash diagonally across his chest. He didn't even raise his guard as he chuckled, watching me run at him. I closed the distance and slashed downwards at him.
I didn't find resistance.
No sword.
No body.
Nothing.
Before I knew it, I felt a kick land on the small of my back, sending me stumbling forward. I growled lowly to myself and spun around, hoping that I'd be able to block his next blow. I wasn't nearly that lucky, though, taking a gash that was meant for my back on my shoulder. Thanks to my limited ability to channel Aura I didn't start bleeding, though I did find that it still hurts like I should be.
I grit my teeth and tried to charge into him, hoping that I could slam my shoulder into his gut and get him off balance. Again, I was met with nothing but air as I skidded to a stop. What the hell? It's like he's everywhere, but nowhere. I can't land a hit on him.
I spun around and saw him break into a charge at me. I thought about dodging away from the attack, though I wasn't sure that would even work. He's probably expecting a dodge. I wonder how he'll react if I decide to meet him head on? I followed through with that thought, meeting his blade with my own.
He chuckled quietly. "I'm amazed, most people wouldn't last seconds against me." He said as he pressed his blade roughly against mine, making me take a step back. I grit my teeth and pressed back to keep from being forced back again, though this wasn't going to be a fight I won through strength alone.
How? How is he never where I last saw him when I make an attack? It doesn't make sense! Even with Neo's Semblance, she has to move, and that makes noise if she's not careful. His movements seem instant. I grunted as I threw him off of me, dodging off to one side. He didn't expect me to throw him off, swinging his blade down into the concrete.
I took my opportunity and slashed at his back. I watched as he glanced away and then quite literally vanished, appearing a few feet away. Is that his Semblance? It has to be. He can teleport short distances. I broke into another charge at him, not letting up on my assault. I watched his eyes as he eyed me. As I got within a few feet of him, he quickly glanced off to a side and vanished. I think it's tied to his sight. He glances away every time he teleports.
I skidded to a stop as I spun towards where he had teleported, rising my sword to catch his blade before it made impact on my shoulder once more. I need a way to deprive him of his eyesight. At least make it blurry, get him disoriented, anything.
The pressure of his blade against mine vanished, and while I was fast, it's rather hard to block an attack coming from behind you. His sword raked across my Aura covered back, dealing untold amounts of damage to my Aura reserves.
Despite the pain that had put me in, I pushed onwards. I threw an elbow back, finding that I hit only air. I didn't need to glance behind me to tell that he had teleported once more. He appeared again not but a few feet away from me and broke into a charge.
I met him head on, locking our blades together in another battle of strength that I had no chance of winning. I brought up a knee rather solidly into his crotch, causing him to lose all the power behind his arms for a moment. I pressed my advantage while I had it, shoving his sword up and out of the way, I stepped closer into his guard, slamming a fist into his throat as I dropped my sword. I was about to follow up with robbing him of his sight, though found quickly that he had teleported.
I was kicked squarely in the back once more, sending me stumbling forward on onto the concrete. He was on top of me in an instant, delivering a kick to my side. I didn't have my sword anymore, and I was the one on my face.
"You know, you are the first person to land a hit on me in several years. I'll give you props there." The older man said, delivering a swift kick to my crotch. "Though in the end, you were nothing," another kick, this time to my side, "but a sad," and another, "pathetic, failure of a criminal." This one was delivered to the side of my head.
Everything hurt, I could hardly see straight, but I wasn't down for the fight just yet. I rolled away from my attacker, grasping for just about anything I could use as a weapon.
I found nothing but gravel.
Wait.
My lips curled into a grin as I took a handful of gravel, pushing myself up and onto my feet. The world was blurry, almost like I was drunk, though rather than a warm and comforting feeling, everything hurt everywhere.
"Oh, you still got some fight in you, then? Bring in on, little man. Bring it on." He taunted.
I broke into a charge at him, and while everything was blurry, I didn't need to particularly see the best to know he'd just teleport away. He has a habit of teleporting behind me, so if I had to guess that'll be his move. As I neared, I saw his form vanish. Almost instantly, I spun around, catching him off guard, and threw the fistful of gravel I had into his face.
It caught him more off guard than anything else as I leapt on him. Together, we went down to the ground. He was fighting back vehemently, though he was still blinded. I did my best to keep him that way, aiming to jab my fingers into his eyes.
With how violently he was thrashing, trying to throw me off him, as well as my rather blurry vision, it made any sort of precision difficult, nigh on impossible for me to do. I decided that further blinding him wasn't going to do me any good and began to wail on him as hard as I could.
It wasn't hard enough.
The older man threw me off of him, growling lowly. I scrambled backwards and away from my attacker. He glowered at me as he rose to his feet once more. "You figured it out." He said as he glanced over his shoulder to Neo who was finishing off her fight with ease.
I frowned. I figured what out? His Semblance? "It's plain to see how reliant you are on it. All I had to do was pay attention."
His gaze tracked back to me as he picked up his sword, sheathing it. "If I were you, I'd watch my back." He said calmly, vanishing once more from sight. I braced myself for what I thought would be another inbound attack, though none came. I slowly opened my eyes, glancing around and found that all the fighting had ended.
Neo was standing over the quivering form of Nathan, her sword tip pressed right up to his neck. The others that were in suits were beaten, and if the blood pooling around them was anything to go by, very dead. I shuddered, biting down on my urge to vomit at the sight of the bodies as I pulled myself to my feet.
I found that every muscle I had ached like I had just been through a particularly violent Bullhead crash. Groaning, I came to stand next to Neo, looking down at the well beaten form of Nathan. I came down into a crouch next to him despite my complaining muscles.
"Listen, Nathan. I'm not here to kill you. I'm here to get a sword that rightfully belongs to me back. A sword you stole from a weapons shop yesterday." I paused for a moment, eyeing the terrified teenager. "Now, you're going to go into the back of your van there and get me the sword. One wrong move, and I won't hesitate to let Neo come after you."
He nodded once, well aware of the sword pressed to his neck. I stood up and glanced to Neo with a small nod. She pouted at me and retracted the blade from his neck. Nathan rather slowly got to his feet and made his way back to the van, seeming to think that any sudden movements would set Neo or I off.
He returned after a minute or so with Crocea Mors in hand, holding it shakily. I grinned and took the weapon from him, becoming well aware of the sirens in the distance. "See? That wasn't so hard, now was it?" I asked, strapping my family weapon to my hip.
"Run along, Nathan. Unless you want to be here with a van full of stolen weapons to explain the bodies to the police." Nathan nodded once more and ran to the front of his van, starting it up and peeling off and away from the alley.
The sirens were continuing their approach rather quickly, and I glanced to Neo with a slight smile. "Think it's about time that we head out too?"
Neo nodded once and dragged me out of the alley way, and into the sleeping city of Vale.
We didn't stop walking until we were well away from the scene of the crime. At which point, Neo turned to look at me. She pointed to me, then her stomach which promptly growled loudly in protest.
I sighed, shaking my head at her. "Come on, Neo. It's like, three in the morning. There's not gonna be anywhere open." She pouted and crossed her arms.
"Yes, Neo, while that is very cute, I am exhausted and about ready to collapse. How about I promise to get you something nice for dinner tomorrow?" I was pleading, mostly because all I wanted now was to rest my aching, well, everything.
Neo's pout only grew in proportions, she shifted her eyes to both be brown as she did her best puppy dog eyes.
I rolled my eyes in response. "First off, you're better at intimidation than persuasion, and second you have to remember I grew up with seven sisters. That'll get you nowhere."
Neo lost the puppy dog eyes almost instantly and started going for a glare at me. I sighed, rubbing the bridge of my nose.
"Alright, how about this. Tomorrow, I'll take you to somewhere of your choice for dinner, and after that I'll get you ice cream. Do we have a deal?" Neo tapped her lips for a moment as she thought, eventually shrugging and nodding her head. "Good. Now, let's get back to the apartment."
Neo nodded, and once more we were off into the silent streets of Vale.
We returned to the apartment after another fifteen-minute walk. A glance around the living space showed a distinct lack of Roman anywhere, though I doubt that I'd have been able to say anything to him even if he was present.
I stumbled off into my room, tossing the door shut behind me. I took Crocea Mors off my hip, and drew the sword. I relished in the sound of steel scraping against steel as I drew the sword. I deployed the shield and found that this indeed felt far more natural than my other sword had.
I swung the blade around a few times, testing the weight and the feel of it in my hand. While I can say it did feel more like a fit, it was different. The sword was heavier, and felt like it had more power behind it than my previous one.
I shrugged a shoulder and collapsed Crocea back into a sword and sheath, resting it against the wall. Without much more thought, I stumbled over to my bed and promptly collapsed into it, finding that the welcoming tendrils of sleep were already taking me.
[-/-]
I awoke, feeling rather sore and groggy. I glanced over to my clock, finding that it was only ten in the morning. I felt as my scroll buzzed once again in my pocket, only just now seeming to realize that I had fallen asleep in my clothes. With a groan, I answered my scroll.
"Mmm, hello?" My voice was scratchy and hardly sounded like me.
"Well, it's about damn time you woke up, Jaune." The voice of an irritated Junior greeted me.
"Junior, it's ten in the morning. Why are you calling me?" I complained, not willing to move from where I lay in my bed that continued to invite me back into its embrace.
"I'm glad you asked, Jaune. I'm glad you asked." Junior paused for a moment, and I could hear shouting going on in the Club. "See, remember that arms dealer you went after yesterday with Neo?"
"Yeah?"
"Remember how I told you he's involved in organized crime?"
"Uhhh, sure?" I said, not exactly recalling Junior telling me that.
"Well, your little stunt pissed some people off."
"And that's a problem… Why, exactly?" I mumbled, still not exactly understanding why this warranted waking me up this early.
"Gods, kid, you're thick. You walk around in one of my suits. The trademark of my gang." Junior said, growing more and more irritated.
My sleep deprived brain slowly got its gears turning. A glance down at myself revealed the generic black and red goon suit. Oh shit.
"Oh. Shit." I mumbled out, coming to be sitting up.
"Yeah, kid. Oh, shit is right. Not only did you steal something they wanted, you beat up one of their lieutenants."
I pinched the bridge of my nose as I thought, glancing to Crocea Mors. "What do you need me to do?" I asked, feeling more than responsible for the grief that this was causing Junior.
"Seeing as you're unaware, this sparked a gang war. I've got my boys out on the streets protecting my turf." I nodded along, even though Junior couldn't see me. "You are going to get Neo, and Roman if you can, and you'll be part of an assault team."
"Sure. I'll see what I can do, Junior." I paused for a moment, coming to stand and feeling several of the bones in my back crack satisfyingly. "What're we going on the assault for?"
Junior chuckled. "While I may not have started this war, I'm sure as hell not going to lose it." Junior paused for a moment to shout something to his goons. "Your job will to be helping to ensure that this ends quickly."
I sighed. "Alright, Junior. I'm on board. Give me a call when you need me."
"Count on it, kid. Who knows, maybe your little screw up will be a big step for me." Junior said optimistically, ending the call.
Great. Last night was a success by my standards, though I've gone and caused a load of trouble for Junior. I growled quietly to myself. Why is it that I can't do anything right? I screw up my first heist with Roman, now I screw this up too. I shook my head. I get the feeling Neo will be on board for this operation, though she'll hold it over my head for free stuff if she gets the chance. Roman, I'm not so sure. I can try to get him to help, though it might be a long shot.
I strapped Crocea Mors back to my side as I pushed out of my room. Junior had kept me up for too long, and now I was awake for the day.
As I strode into the apartment proper, I saw Roman seated in his recliner, puffing on a cigar and reading something on his scroll. He glanced up at me and offered a smile and wave. "Well, someone's up early."
I rolled my eyes and made my way to the kitchen, pouring myself a cup of coffee. I returned to the main room, taking a seat on the couch near to Roman. His eyes tracked to Crocea Mors hanging on my side. "Well, I see you got your sword back. Congratulations, kid."
I waved a dismissive hand. "Not quite. Sure, I've got Crocea Mors back, but I might've started a gang war in the process."
Roman just chuckled and shook his head. "Uh-huh. Started a gang war. Let me guess, stole it from someone affiliated with a local gang while wearing that suit there, and now they're going after Junior?"
I frowned, taking a sip of my coffee. I scrunched my nose at it, finding that it was nearly unbearable to drink. "Not far off. Just missing a few details."
Roman chuckled once more. "Figures. Any idea what gang you've started shit with?"
I shrugged, glaring down at my mug of coffee that wasn't all that palatable. "Not a clue. They wore grey and white, though. Suits somewhat similar to what Junior's got going."
Roman took another puff off his cigar. "Hmm. Sounds like the mooks based over in the docks. Area 37, or something stupid like that." Roman shrugged a shoulder. "Junior's a big boy. He'll be fine."
I shook my head, still glaring at my coffee. "Probably, though he's drafting me and Neo to help him. Something about it being our mess, so we help him fix it."
"Sounds like old Junior to me. He's wanting to make the best of a bad situation, grow his little criminal empire." Roman said with a snort.
I arched a brow, looking to Roman. "What, don't think he'll manage?"
Roman just chuckled and waved a dismissive hand at me. "If he gets given the opportunity, he will. Though I doubt he'll get it at all. Not with yours truly in the picture."
I narrowed my eyes. "You don't run a gang, Roman. At least, not that I've ever seen or heard."
Roman shrugged a shoulder. "You're right, I don't. Let's just say that I hold a lot of clout with those that do."
I shook my head, setting the mug of coffee to the side as I leaned back into the rather plush couch. "Whatever you say, Roman." I muttered as I closed my eyes to rest.
"Why don't we see what you can pull off with the great Crocea Mors, familial sword of the Arcs." Roman said, getting to his feet with a grin.
I grumbled and shook my head. "Can we not, Roman? Everything still hurts like hell."
Rather than responding, Roman drove a fist into my gut with a smirk. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize that your enemies cared that you're tired or hurting." I growled as I looked up at him. "Now, let's see what you can do."
He turned to leave me on the couch, making his way for the door. I wouldn't give him the chance.
I leapt at him from my place on the couch, hanging onto his back with a vengeance. Roman attempted to throw me off, though found that my grip was like iron. "The fight begins." Roman said with an elated voice.
He managed to get leverage on me and throw me over his form and down onto the ground in front of him. He made to swing his cane at the side of my head, though I rolled off to the side and sprung up to my feet. Roman had since come in to charge at me, wielding his cane like a sword.
I managed to dodge away from his charge once again, having my back to the couch that I had been seated at before. Roman kept pressuring me while I didn't have a weapon drawn. I need a way to stun him, get him to stumble. Anything so I can draw Crocea Mors. My eyes went to the cup of coffee that I hadn't finished.
Perfect. I grabbed the cup and threw the drink into his face. Almost instantly, Roman's grin fell from his lips as he stumbled slightly. I took the time to vault over the couch, and draw Crocea Mors. Roman's blindness wasn't permanent, and the thief recovered quickly. We stood with the couch separating us, making a direct attack not all too viable.
Roman leveled his cane at me to make a shot for my head. I deployed my shield and brought it up just in time to block the incendiary round that Roman had fired at me. As I peeked out from my cover, I saw Roman vault over the couch as well, slamming his feet into my shield. I was sent skidding back slightly. Roman landed just in front of me, and pressed farther on the attack.
I was being pushed farther and farther back by his relentless assault; it would only be a matter of time before I had my back against a wall. In a desperate move, I slammed my shield out towards him. He caught it with his cane, letting me swing my sword down for a slash at his head. Roman retreated slightly, and I pressed forward.
Roman only grinned and met my assault, though he ducked under my sword, and made a decisive blow to one of my knees, sending me toppling down to the ground. I growled and lashed out, attempting to rip his own feet out from under him.
Roman danced back and away from my attack, stepping back into my guard as he landed another several hits against me. I rolled to the side and attempted to catch one of his ankles with the edge of my shield, and found that I hit my target. Roman grit his teeth and retreated slightly. I came up onto one knee as I tried to force myself onto my feet once again. Roman pressed forward, slamming his cane into my shield. He used the hooked end to catch the top lip of the shield and pulled it down.
His strength was superior to mine, opening my defense as he brought a knee up to slam into my nose, sending me back to the floor in a slight daze. He ripped my shield completely away from me using his cane. I slashed up at him with my sword, though found the attack quickly deflected. Roman stepped on my wrist holding the sword and pressed his foot against my crotch, holding the gun end of his cane to my forehead.
I dropped the sword and nodded with a smile on my lips despite the pain. Roman chuckled and stepped off of me, extending a hand to help me up. I took it gratefully.
Roman pulled me up to my feet and smiled, nodding. "You're learning, kid. Used the field to your advantage. Nice trick with the coffee to blind me, and the couch to buy you time to think." Roman paused for a moment. "Though that was the wrong decision. When you blinded me, you needed to press me while I was disoriented. Makes it harder for me to track your attacks."
I nodded, breathing heavily. "Beyond that, it's all in your technique. You might stand a chance against more skilled opponents because you've got dirty tricks, though without the technique and training to follow it up, you'll lose to someone who's had that training." Roman commented, rolling his shoulders back.
Roman frowned as he glanced at Crocea Mors on the ground. "Beyond that, it's clear you're not comfortable with your new weapon. Don't know how to use the shield, and how to keep from losing it. Your sword is a bit shorter than your old one was, likely a bit heavier as well." I nodded in agreement that Crocea Mors was heavier and not quite the same as what I had before.
"Right, so what you're saying is that dirty tricks and cheating will only get me so far. Other than that, I've got to learn to fight properly, how to know when I've got the advantage and use it, and get comfortable with a new weapon." I summarized Roman's commentary on our spar in the living room which was now a wreck.
Roman nodded, leaning on his cane slightly. "Sounds about right, kid." He glanced around at the damage we had done to the living quarters, shaking his head.
"We're going to have to clean this up, aren't we?" I asked, looking to my mentor.
He only chuckled. "Who said anything about we? I'm gonna go take a shower."
I groaned as I eyed the room. Leave it to Roman to make me clean this up. I shook my head and started to clean.
He said that the dirty tricks I'm learning will only take me so far in a fight, and that eventually it comes down to a battle of skill. My tricks here are just meant to close the gap, I guess. Though that makes me wonder, am I going to be looking at fights with people who are much more skilled than I am?
Granted, there was that old guy from last night. He had a trick of his own, incredible reliance on his semblance. Once I deprived him of that, he was lost for a moment. The only reason he came out as the technical winner of that fight was because he got his vision back and didn't want to fight both me and Neo.
Now the question is, how much more skilled was he than me? I didn't land many hits against him, but that was mostly thanks to his Semblance. I guess I can't tell the skill difference. Though when he was robbed of his semblance, he was lost.
I was shaken from my thoughts as I finished cleaning, and found Roman looking rather fresh behind me. He had a new cigar in hand that he was lighting as he eyed me.
"Alright, Roman, question." I said, eyeing him and the cigar. He rose a brow.
"Where the hell do you keep your cigars? I've never seen you with a case for them, only that they come from seemingly nowhere."
Roman snickered and shrugged a shoulder. "I dunno, kid. Call it part of the magic. Now go get yourself cleaned up and I'll cook breakfast."
I shrugged a shoulder and did as he said.
When I emerged from the shower, Roman had set a pair of plates down on the table. It was toast and eggs.
I went into the kitchen and poured myself a new cup of coffee. I glanced over and saw a bottle of alcohol sitting on the counter. I mean, it's no whiskey, but it couldn't hurt… Right? I thought as I reached over and poured some into my coffee, mixing it in as I joined Roman once again.
Roman wasn't paying me any attention as he was focused on his scroll, responding to messages by the looks of it. I shrugged a shoulder and dug into my breakfast.
I afforded another glance up at Roman who was ignoring his food in exchange for his scroll. "Hey, uh, Roman? You gonna eat or what?"
"If you want it, kid, take it. I've got something to handle." He said as he pocketed his scroll and stood up. I arched a brow at his sudden change.
Normally, Roman was carefree. He didn't know the meaning of the word stress, or so it seemed. Now, though, it was different. He looked on edge, nervous even. I frowned. "What's up, Roman?"
He shook his head, waving a dismissive hand in my direction. "Nothing you've got to worry about, kid. I'll be back later." He said as he made his way out of the apartment.
I blinked a few times, staring at the door. Huh. That was… unusual. Something that can unnerve him like that, get him nervous. It's gotta be big if it can get that kind of reaction from him considering how unflappable he usually is.
I shook my head. Whatever it is, Roman can handle himself. He's the professional here.
Woo, we're done! We got Crocea Mors back where it belongs, hanging at Jaune's side.
From Jack Redhawke, Mostly Sirius, & briskpillow who are supporters of Jaune x Neo, which I'll be honest I didn't know the ship name of, you may get your wish or you may not. It all depends on how our little miss Ruby Rose can throw a wrench into things, if she will at all.
In Dem Bushes, I'm glad that you are enjoying the story, and that you can follow my combat. Sometimes I've got to worry if it just makes sense in my head or if it actually does make sense.
Staccet, thanks for the pointer there man. I do my best to catch those kinds of mistakes, but it's hard when I'm reading my own writing to see all of the little mistakes I make along the way. I see what I mean it to say, and a lot of the time might overlook something.
Greer, I'm glad that you enjoy Jaune's reasoning and logic behind things. He's just happy that he's being given a chance to prove himself, even if he is a screw up.
Reesesracer, Nathan got away with only slight terror and lots of bruises and probably a broken bone. Seeing as this is a first person story, Jaune didn't really know or pay any attention to Neo's fight.
Last but definitely not least, my buddy X3 with a lot to say. I can definitely say that I'm glad you're enjoying seeing the Jaune & Neo interactions and how they play together. I can say that they are one of my favorites to read, even if it's not in a romantic sense. I just find that their dynamic if they're made / allowed to be friends can be great. Especially if Jaune grows a spine. And you don't know, maybe little Ruby will figure a way to steal Jaune's heart and then suffer the wrath of Neo. Oh dear, that sounds like a really bad time for the Red Reaper. As far as Qrow's comments go about Jaune being similar to Tai, who knows how far that'll go. Maybe it'll happen like you predicted, maybe it won't. As per usual, as the all knowing and all seeing dictat- I mean author, I am aware of how things will go and all I can say is it'll be interesting. Your theory on our arms dealer wasn't quite right, but oh well. We got a fight scene that I enjoyed writing with this new mystery man. I'm glad you enjoyed, and thank you for the continued support.
With that done, can I say thank you? Like my god, this story has done super well for my first story published. We've already passed 200 follows, and are nearing 150 favs. That just blows my mind, because I definitely didn't think that this would be that well received, but I'm glad it has been. Like, I was expecting a crime story like this to not go super far seeing as most of the fandom is entrenched in romance & adventure stories, with a heavy side of angst for flavor. But hey, what do I know? Apparently you all like crime stories and Jaune's fall from grace, so there's that. You guys are all awesome, and I thank you for your support.
Oh, and one other thing. I've decided that I'm going to stabilize this story at around 7-9k words per chapter I publish with the twice a week update schedule on Mondays & Fridays unless otherwise stated.
And now I'm out of things to talk about, so yeah. If you enjoyed, please be sure to drop a follow / favorite to know when I update this story. If you are feeling particularly kind, you could drop me a review too. I live to see what people think about my stories, and seeing that feedback just makes my day every time.
Next Update: Monday, April 15th
Till next time, this is Valres signing off.