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Chapter 29: Deals With Devils
Felix had awoken early, still managing to get a respectable amount of sleep the previous night despite the thought of meeting the Scavenger Guild and Melanie Malachite weighing on his mind. He'd originally intended to wake his team but decided against it. There would be little hope of waking Arctus for several more hours anyway, his cousin was notoriously lethargic during the winter, something he claimed was part of being a Bear Faunus and the fact that his father and sister seemed to suffer with it to differing extents lent some weight to the assertion. Diamond had taken to sleeping in Arctus's bed since sharing a sleeping bag during Team FADE's second mission, the excuse she gave was that Mistral was a lot warmer than New Vale and she wanted to keep warm; the fact was that when Felix had hopped down from his bunk the silver haired sniper had been sound asleep nuzzling into Arctus's neck while draped across him beneath the covers. Felix thought they were too cute together to disturb and simply took a photo which he then sent to both of their Scrolls, though how she could sleep through her partners' snoring was a mystery Felix lacked the willpower to solve. Eagle was equally adorable while she slept though for different reasons, his fellow blonde slept clutching onto her three foot tall stuffed Ursa. Felix had made the easy decision to get some early morning training in, forgoing a shower and deciding that he'd get one when he returned. Currently the Lion Faunus was making his way towards Halo Academy's training facilities, his sensitive hearing picking up the sounds of other students who'd obviously had the same idea. Entering the gym he saw a handful of older students, nobody he recognised though if the still healing cuts and bruises some of them sported were any indication he would have guessed that they were third of fourth years recently returned from a mission. In a more secluded corner of the gym was a more familiar group of students and rather than simply warming up and making his way towards the weight benches or a punchbag like he was originally planning Felix approached them; Ether was the first to see him and gave a small nod of recognition before returning his attention to Olivine and the punches she was throwing at the mitts he wore
"Ollie got her cast off" he observed as he gave Nyanza a fist-bump
"Yeah, it was actually her idea to come down here this early. She doesn't think she can punch properly with her right any more and obviously Heely wasn't gonna say no" the bushy tailed feline snorted as he continued to spot for his partner
"What is he actually doing?" Felix asked quietly, he couldn't tell exactly what Helios was trying to achieve but it was clearly taking a lot of concentration as he sat on the ground cross legged with his eyes closed and sweat dripping from his brow while surrounded by weights totalling half a ton
"Aura training" Nyanza said simply before explaining "You know he can actually decrease gravity as well as increase it right? it's part of his landing strategy….well he's trying to make those weights float"
"Holy Oum" Felix breathed out, he hadn't know that Helios could do what Nyanza was claiming and was genuinely interested to see if he could pull it off. A vein could be seen pulsing on Helios's forehead as his jet black Aura visibly crackled around his body; Felix felt a strange weightlessness, similar to the feeling of an elevator stopping suddenly but lasting far longer and his eyes widened in surprise as he watched first Helios himself begin to rise from the ground before being followed by the weights he was attempting to exercise his Semblance on, half a ton was lifted several inches from the ground before Helios was spent and both he and the weights returned to the ground with a crash that the sound of Olivine and Ether's cheers did nothing to hide
"That was cool" Felix grinned as he helped Helios to his feet, allowing the redhead to lean against him to support his weight "Really cool"
"Heely is a man of focus commitment, sheer will-"
"That" Helios interrupted with a slight slur "Is from John Wicker….Don't have me sit through those movies and then plagiarise them in front of me"
"Did he just get a pop culture reference?" Nyanza gave Felix a disbelieving stare before turning to Helios and pretending to wipe away a single tear "I'm so proud" By this point Felix was shaking with laughter
"I'll have to thank Professor Goodwitch for the idea of training myself that way. I still can't invert my Semblance for long….It makes me dizzy" Helios explained, realising that he was still leaning against Felix as he did so and taking a step back more quickly than was strictly necessary; something that Nyanza picked up on but merely smirked silently at.
"Hey, while you're here. Is there anything else you can tell me about the Shadow Cadre?" Felix's voice lowered conspiratorially "You heard about Eagle's Mum right?"
"I did" Helios growled "And when you move against them be sure to let me know. The Arcs and the Nikosi have some history"
"Will do" Felix grinned, displaying his prominent canines; the thought of having Helios in his corner making him feel more comfortable about the situation for some reason, he continued "Corey managed to get in touch with some people who might help look for 'em, so I just need to know anything that might help find 'em"
"I'm sorry" Helios sighed "The Shadow Cadre themselves are something of a myth and the tribe they hail from roamed the furthest northern regions of Anima; my people tend to stay away, it's a bleak place, little work, little food. Between the natural cold and the Ice Dust deposits almost everything is frozen"
"Damn"
"All I can say for certain" Helios mused thoughtfully "Is that their attacks were always at sea or near water. The Frost River leads out into shipping lanes between Mistral and Atlas and that's where they used to raid….draw them inland if you can"
"That and take me with you" Nyanza added with a smirk "Making these ass-holes make mistakes is the only time I'm gonna help either of you two 'get lucky'" there was something about the way he said the last two words that made Felix and Helios share an exasperated sigh even as their cheeks coloured slightly, something that neither of them would acknowledge
"So" Felix decided to move away from the subject "Sparring match when I've warmed up?"
"Gladly, Fluffy" Nyanza watched as his partner and one of his oldest friend from Patch walked away, shaking his head in amusement and stunned disbelief at their sheer density before turning to Ether and Olivine who were watching the interaction with interest and mouthing a single word
"Hopeless"
The sun was gradually setting over New Vale, almost hidden behind the sprawling maze of steel, glass and neon which formed the Kingdom's capital, casting everything in a dull golden glow reflected from countless surfaces. The guards stationed at the various perimeter checkpoints of New Vale Correctional Facility were undergoing a shift change, unaware that as the newcomers were settling into their positions for the evening an exchanging pleasantries they were being observed from a distance with malicious intent and ruthless opportunism. Raffia Dirge let a low guttural snarl as his hand instinctively reached for Hydra Macabre, the Axolotl Faunus eager to bury his sword in the flesh of any who opposed him, all he needed was an opening where enough backs were turned. Fins flattened against the side of his head in agitation and the diminutive raider fought the urge to pace restlessly in the alleyway he watched from, knowing better than to risk making any sound that could give away his position. Time seemed to pass slower than he thought possible and he silently wished that he had Hellion with him, her Semblance would have made finding another entry point easier and her presence seemed to ease the minds of the rest of the crew; she was an essential part of the Shadow Cadre, of his family and the people that had taken her would suffer. Just as Raffia's fury was reaching a fever pitch and he began to debate simply drawing his sword and charging, throwing caution to the wind and letting his Semblance protect him while he cut down his enemies a towering presence made itself known behind him. Raffia had barely a moment to process the cold feeling of dread and the plummeting of his stomach before he was grabbed and his body seemed to cease to be.
"Imbecile" Carcharodon hissed as he pinned Raffia against a wall by the throat, the smaller Faunus's legs kicking in a futile attempt to free himself. Being carried by the Shark Faunus's Semblance was an unsettling experience to say the least, one that spending their entire lives together had done little to make more tolerable, it felt as if ones entire body were made of water and subject to currents controlled by Carcharodon's will. Casting his eyes around Raffia realised that they were in a different alleyway, though how far they were from his original position was anyone's guess. With a snarl that displayed his Faunus trait, rows of impossibly sharp teeth Carcharodon dropped him to the ground and regarded Raffia with a mix of anger and disappointment, his body language conveying what his liquid black eyes could not
"I sent you for food. You didn't return" Raffia rose to his feet
"That was their prison. That is where they're holding Hellion!"
"Is that the task I gave you Raffia?" Carcharodon's voice was a tense hiss, his irritation clearly growing; as was Raffia's
"FOOD CAN WAIT! WE KNOW WHERE SHE IS NOW!"
"DO YOU?" Carcharodon demanded "Did you see them bring her here? Do you know which cell in that tower she's in? Do you have someone loyal to you inside that I was unaware of? Or do you just have far more spirit than patience little one?" his tone softened with the last question, though it did nothing to soothe Raffia
"We have to do something-"
"We have to be cautious and strike with precision" Carcharodon cut him off bluntly "We'll have Hellion returned to us, by force if needs be; just as soon as our own-"
"SHE'S PLAYING YOU FOR A FOOL CAR!" Raffia bellowed furiously, amazed that the Shark Faunus couldn't accept the fact that since they had captured the Arc woman she'd done nothing to bring them closer to their goals. Carcharodon took a moment to centre himself and Raffia knew that he was fighting the urge to simply beat him bloody
"She's being difficult, her defiance is impressive if inconvenient. Onyx will convince her….He's what the Kingdoms call a 'people person'" Raffia could almost hear the derisive snort Hellion would have given their leader if she were present, but he also knew that she would follow Carcharodon's orders and finally relented. His next words coming out in a hollow murmur as his shoulders sagged
"We can't lose anyone else"
"We won't" Carcharodon assured him as he placed a hand on his shoulder "Now come, we still have a job to do. Onyx is little use to anyone if he's complaining about his own stomach"
Felix's customised muscle car, the Killer Bee, purred as it manoeuvred through the early evening streets, the sound of it's engine offset by the thumping bass coming from within and Felix couldn't help the cocky smirk he wore as heads turned to admire his pride and joy even if he was hidden behind tinted windows
"Next left and it's on your right halfway down the street. Can't miss it" Corvid instructed him over the sound of the obnoxiously loud music while Eagle lounged comfortably in the back seat, accepting that her partners' sister was probably the only person who could remove her from the shotgun position that was usually reserved for her.
"Got it" Felix nodded as he brought the vehicle onto the correct street, almost coasting to a stop outside the venue of their first meeting of the evening; Arctus and Diamond had been in the car when they departed from Halo Academy on an airship but had been dropped off elsewhere in the city. Felix killed the engine and the trio climbed out of the Killer Bee, surveying the location the Scavenger Guild had agreed to send a representative to; a decidedly upmarket coffee shop just outside of a small and relatively exclusive shopping centre in an upper middle class district, several dozen stories above the ground
"A bit of a step up from the Bear" Felix noted with a raised eyebrow as he surveyed the pastel tones and potted plants visible through the windows of the coffee shop, a distinct departure from Melanie Malachite's base of operations
"I espresso told them I wanna meet somewhere like this, less likely to turn into a gunfight" Felix merely sighed at the particularly weak pun before opening the trunk and retrieving Hack and Slash, sheathing them while Eagle took Sentinel and affixed the shield to her arm
"Yeah well, I'm not taking chances"
"I see that" Corvid snorted "You brought a whole latte ammo" Eagle cracked a small smile despite her tension, Felix gave a groan
"Just go and find 'em" Corvid led the way and affected the most sweet and innocent tone she could manage when a clearly panicked member of staff hurried over to them
"Excuse me, I'm looking for an older cousin of mine. He told me he'd have the back room?"
"Oh I see" the young woman's tone faltered "We don't normally allow weapons inside, but since you're with Mister Clip….This way please"
"So sorry about that, last class of the day was combat training" Corvid lied fluently and if the way her eyes roamed over the woman leading them into a private room were indication she would be returning to this establishment in the future. Felix saw this and nudged her, silently mouthing out a single word
"Behave" Corvid merely stuck her tongue out and winked. A moment later they reached their destination and were led into the back room of the coffee shop, the waitress leaving behind them. At the head of a large table and surrounded by men and women in suits whose hands were already at their holsters; remarkable only by how well he seemed to fade into the background despite ostensibly being the centre of attention, was Mousey Clip
"There's bean a misunderstanding" Corvid paused for effect, continuing the moment the first groans at her humour left someone's lips "When I said public place I meant actually public, not the back room like we were going for a quickie"
"Fuck sake Sis" Felix grumbled, deciding that was a mental image he could have gone his whole life without, he could almost feel Eagle beginning to blush behind him. Without waiting to be offered Corvid took a seat and motioned for the pair of blondes to do the same. Mousey motioned to his goons and they seemingly reluctantly released their grip on their weapons, now that Felix thought about it some of them seemed vaguely familiar.
"Gotta say I'm surprised Corey. I think you and your brother made your opinions of the Guild pretty clear last time….and I don't know you" he added, nodding to Eagle
"Eagle Arc. Antonia Arc's daughter" that got a reaction, though it seemed both the councils of New Vale and Atlas, as well as Poly-Tech itself had been pressuring the press not to disclose too much, the world knew that the scientist turned CEO had been abducted. Mousey cleared his throat awkwardly
"Sorry to hear about her, truly I am. Your family are good people kid. I met old Craven once back in-"
"We know who has Antonia Arc" Corvid interrupted, stormy grey eyes narrowing. Mousey seemed to pale, a business sense honed through years of shady dealings telling him that he was about to be coerced into something
"Corey despite our misunderstand last time, the Scavenger Guild aren't the mob and we certainly aren't the police. We retrieve and sell items of historical importance-"
"And you still haven't retrieved those four laser batteries that you lost and tried to pin on us have you Mousey?" Corvid had clearly been waiting for the perfect moment to show that she held all the cards in this discussion "They were taken by the Shadow Cadre, apparently they're part of a tribe on Anima"
"They're meant to be dead!" Mousey sputtered. Seeing the confused and suspicious glares coming from the trio of Hunters sat opposite him he decided to give them at least a little of the truth "They were pirates but the occasionally traded things that they'd stolen and had no use for with some of the coastal settlements. They hit something that the Atlas branch of the Guild was shipping to Mistral. In response the Mistrali branch convinced one of those settlements that perhaps it would be better if the Frost River tribe weren't around any more….We had no direct involvement of course, just floated an idea"
"So this is your fault!" Eagle was on her feet, hand flying to her sword before any of Mousey's hired muscle could reach for their weapons. He raised his hands in surrender
"Hardly, I only know about it because I have enough sway in the organisation. I can't tell Mistral how to handle their own criminals"
"Well now you can help deal with 'em" Corvid snarled as she gently tugged Eagle back into her seat "They've got your guns. They've got Antonia Arc. They're in New Vale somewhere. Find 'em" Mousey visibly sagged in his seat and took the cup of coffee that had been in front of him the whole time, downing it in one
"Corey, I'll do what I can but I can't promise anything"
"My patience is getting ground down" she snarled back with as much menace as she could muster, Mousey threw his hands up in desperation
"After we trashed her bar Melanie Malachite came down hard on us Corey. I'm probably gonna be out of work in a few months if this carries on! Nobody with info talks to us, nobody sells to us and if we can find something the local muscle don't wanna take the job. We've been blacklisted Corey; I can't get a pair of antique dog tags, and I mean pre great war, to sell at an auction and you think I can track down people whose whole way of life is steal shit and vanish?"
"So we're wasting our time here" Corvid sighed leaving her chair and turning on her heel; Felix and Eagle had barely fallen into step with her when Mousey called after her
"I'll make you an offer Corey, take it or leave it" Corvid didn't turn around but she did stop walking, allowing him to continue "They're gonna leave New Vale eventually, I can send word to all the other branches and have every pirate port in Remnant watched. We can make sure nobody who deals in human trafficking gets hold of Antonia Arc. But I want you back as a subcontractor" Corvid turned and saw the determination in Felix's eyes, knowing that if she agreed that he would no doubt join her; then she saw the hope written on Eagle's freckled face and the decision was made for her
"You deliver first Mousey. When Antonia Arc is safe then I'll take jobs for you, take it or leave it" Mousey smirked as he heard his own words thrown back at him
"Pleasure doing business Corey"
Diamond had led Arctus through dimly lit streets, each flickering street light illuminating graffiti proudly proclaiming the names of street gangs who claimed ownership of the bleak cityscape; though Diamond had regarded it and snorted, identifying it as the handiwork of teenage boys with more testosterone than sense. Diamond hadn't been to this area of the city before, a slum situated within the lowest levels of one of the poorer tower complexes; but she'd researched during lunch that day and knew inner city poverty well enough to know where to find the homeless shelter she intended to volunteer at, the Mercy Foundation had a good reputation by all accounts she could find. Arctus had been at her side trying his best to not let just how far from his comfort zone he was show too plainly
"How's that soup coming?" Diamond called over her shoulder as she served sandwiches, after arriving they'd been thanked and put too work in the kitchen by the grateful and exhausted looking staff who'd honestly been expecting them to serve a search warrant
"Just about done" Arctus answered her, somewhat dazed as he was snapped from his own thoughts. A moment later he felt Diamond's arms slide around his waist and her weight pressing softly against his back as she murmured softly
"What's wrong big guy, you've been quiet since you got here"
"I just-" Arctus trailed off, trying to hide the shame creeping across his face "I didn't realise just how bad it was. I knew I was really well off; my Dad grew up poor in Lower Atlas, he remembers when Hunters just wouldn't bother coming to certain calls. I just thought things had changed y'know….with all the progress Remnant's made people shouldn't still be living like this" his words earned him a kiss on the cheek
"Yeah, it sucks" Diamond admitted with a sigh "Dust is still expensive, living inside the walls is always gonna be expensive and there's more people than jobs….But it's getting better"
"I don't wanna make this about me, but I mean look at the people here….My sword alone could probably pay rent for two years and get 'em off the street. Kinda makes me feel dirty having so much when people have to go hungry"
"You are so sweet sometimes" Diamond laughed "Come on, you wanna help we can start by at least making sure everyone gets a hot meal tonight" as Arctus began pouring the first bowls of soup a small commotion on the other side of the serving hatch between the kitchen and dining hall caught Diamond's attention, an influx of distressed looking individuals; one of whom was muttering furiously about the 'Little bastard with the ears'
"Hey" Diamond motioned for one of the people seeking a warm meal to come closer and continued in a hushed tone "I don't want to assume anything, so is that guy okay? He hasn't taken anything has he?"
"No" the dour looking woman grunted "I know who he means, the little bastard with the ears and his friend. One of 'em's a big guy, ears is a tiny little thing. We think they've gotten out of prison recently, he's got a tat down the side of his face and their clothes are a little ratty"
"Trouble causers?" Diamond sighed, a rowdy drunk making their way to a homeless shelter and having to be escorted out was an unfortunately common experience
"Last few times they were here they came, took all the food and left" the woman explained with a sour expression "We're all hard up here but there's no excuse for some people- And here they come" Arctus made his way beside Diamond as a pair of men stalked into the dining hall, one the same height as the Bear Faunus with his face hidden behind a hood, their eyes widened at the sight of the other. The ears which he'd been identified by were in fact the caudal fins adorning the sides of the Axolotl Faunus's head, the tribal tattoo adorning the left side of his head and sword slung across his back identified Raffia Dirge plainly.
"Remember me ass-hole?" Arctus growled as he leapt through the serving hatch, hand flying to Gefroren-Erbe as he heard Diamond deploying Lex Talionis behind him. The taller Faunus beside Raffia lowered his hood with one hand while clamping down on Raffia's shoulder when the other, revealing the bald and tattooed skull of Carcharodon Gore. The Shark Faunus paid no mind to the press of bodies rapidly trying to escape the room, instinctively sensing that things could go horrifically wrong at any moment
"We didn't come here for bloodshed. Not today-"
"I did. I'm gonna collect on that arm you owe me" Raffia hissed
"You have Antonia Arc" Arctus growled, moving slowly to give his partner a better shot
"And you have Hellion" Carcharodon rasped, deploying the Red Waves but making no attempt to attack either of the students "I can promise my prisoners' safety, can you promise the same?" there were a few moments of tense silence before Diamond answered
"She'll be treated like any other criminal. She won't be harmed" Carcharodon nodded slowly and took a step back, abyss like eyes narrowing as Diamond trained her rifle on the centre of his chest
"Think carefully Huntress. If I die plans may change. Tell whoever you answer to that as soon as your weapon-smith has completed her task I'll be willing to negotiate terms of an exchange" the Shark Faunus paused for a moment, Arctus's hand clenched a little tighter around his weapon before he spoke again "Until then…." he trailed off and both Arctus and Diamond's eyes widened, a shot rang our from Lex Talionis, passing through Carcharodon's body as his Semblance caused it to ripple like water; the shark Faunus dropped something from his hand and Arctus hastily cast a Glyph in front of the exit as the dining hall was filled with acrid black smoke
"Fuck!" Diamond spat furiously as the smoke eventually cleared, revealing that the members of the Shadow Cadre had vanished.
"Shit" Arctus muttered, sheathing his sword "Hey can you go tell the staff here what just happened. Let 'em know that the police are already looking for those two. I'm gonna let Felix know what happened"
"Sure" Diamond huffed, evidently still on high alert. As she left Arctus withdrew his Scroll and paused for a moment before making a quick decision. It took him almost no time to find details of how could donate wirelessly to the charity running this shelter from his bank account; he hoped that the two thousand Lien he transferred would make someone's life better, at least it would make up for the trouble that had found its' way here.
On the ground level of New Vale the narrow grid of streets between the tower complexes were awash in the neon glow of the gargantuan metropolis and the Killer Bee moved slowly through streets that were still bustling with pedestrians despite the lateness of the hour. Pulling to a stop outside of their destination Felix and Corvid shared a tense glance before the elder sibling gave some words of caution
"No weapons in here. Not this time" with that she, Felix and Eagle exited the muscle car and made their way towards the entrance of the Bear, the low thumping bass of the music within more felt than heard from outside. As they drew close a pair of security guards in black suits with red tinted sunglasses barred their way
"You don't look old enough. Got ID?"
"We're here for a meeting with Miss Malachite" Corvid's calm assertion caused a palpable change in the atmosphere and the trio found themselves being thoroughly searched for weapons; a precaution that most patrons of the establishment did not have to endure
"Come with me" one of the barely distinguishable henchmen turned and walked inside, leading them away from the bar and dance floor, even away from the private room their ill fated meeting with the Scavenger Guild had taken place in. Felix, Corvid and Eagle found themselves led into an area that few outsiders ever saw; Melanie Malachite's office.
"Ma'am" the henchman stood to attention as he entered the extravagantly decorated room, clearly Melanie's home away from home as well as her workspace.
"Wait outside" she breathed out calmly, ushering the trio of teens inside and indicating towards seats that were already waiting for them
"So" Melanie's tone was one of utter comfort, nothing would happen in her kingdom unless she willed it and she knew it "Two of you were involved in a gunfight in my private room, then you demand, not ask, demand a meeting because apparently I owe you something. Miss Xiao Long I'd be stupid if I didn't expect Blondie's kids to be ballsy but that's honestly impressive"
"Thank you for your time Miss Malachite" Corvid was honestly torn between trying to maintain eye contact or keep her head lowered when talking to the mob boss. She knew Miltia, the owner of one of Patch's most popular bars and wife of it's chief Huntsman was well liked by all on the island, her twin however seemed to exude danger like a fragrance
"Don't ruin the image" Melanie sighed somewhat condescendingly "Yang walked into my Uncle's bar and trashed it when she wasn't even a Beacon first year and Blake actually hid out in our private bunker with us for a while after the fall. You've got some pretty big boots to fill, but I'm willing to humour you. What do you want"
"Rhodium Torchwick was preparing to start a turf war against you when we brought him in" Corvid gestured to the blondes beside her
"The last people to go to war with the Syndicate were the White Fang. We're still here, they're not" Melanie countered with a smirk. Felix decided to interject, trying a more personal approach
"The people we're looking for are the same people that glassed your niece in your sisters' bar" the statement hung in the air for a moment and Melanie's jade eyes narrowed
"You" she pointed at the Lion Faunus "You're the one who buys my weed from Amethyst at knock down prices but won't give her a second glance. What, too good for her?"
"Too gay for her" Felix shrugged, Melanie's response was a defeated sigh
"Well there goes that angle, can't be angry at that. You pay full price next time or I'm gonna have your hands crushed"
"Yes Ma'am" Felix didn't dare talk back, not here
"So this crew that we're apparently both looking for, what's in it for you?"
"They kidnapped my Mum. Antonia Arc" Eagle spoke up, voice faltering as the relatively sheltered teen struggled to function of the mob boss's raw menace
"Well" Melanie leaned forwards, clearly interested now "That makes it a high stakes table, you had my curiosity; now you have my attention"
"They're a group of pirates from Anima" Felix began "We've seen four of them, all Faunus. They're the same people that robbed the Scavenger Guild"
"Wait" Melanie seemed thoughtful, slowly remembering details of that whole debacle "That was an inside job….One of them is a big guy with a shit beard and toe beans right?"
"Yeah-"
"They were here!" Melanie spat venomously "They put hands on my family and then come into my bar to do business….Oh I'm gonna make an example"
"Um Miss Malachite" Eagle dared to speak, gulping audibly "I just want my Mum back. I don't want be part of any turf wars or any of it….I just want her back" Melanie's expression softened despite her reputation for extreme ruthlessness; few people still active in New Vale's underworld remembered exactly why the Malachite twins had been raised by Hei 'Junior' Xiong, Melanie remembered her and her sister being far younger than the Huntress in front of her and desperately crying for her own parents return. She forced all emotion from her face and took a deep breath before focusing on Corvid, since she'd called the meeting she would be the one terms were offered to
"So, long story short. You want to sic my people onto these pirates and rescue the missing scientist like this was an action movie" Melanie snorted before taking a moment to consider "Okay, I'll bite. I'll have my people do the rounds. But you owe me a favour and when I call it in you will honour it"
"What was Torchwick, a freebie?" the words were out of Felix's mouth faster than he could stop himself. Melanie calmly got up and walked slowly around her desk before dragging Felix unceremoniously from his seat and delivering a kidney punch that left him curled on the floor gasping for breath
"Don't do it" Melanie warned, blades deploying from her heels as Corvid made to leap into action. Felix used the edge of the desk to drag himself to his feet, still clutching at his side
"Now apologise" Melanie smiled sweetly
"Sorry….Miss Malachite" the Lion Faunus forced out through clenched teeth, expression murderous.
"Don't look at me like that, if I didn't know your family I'd have done something permanent kid. Never talk back to me in my own office" she disregarded Felix and turned her attention to the elder Xiao Long "So, what's it gonna be? A favour for a favour seems reasonable" for the second time that night Corvid found herself searching for answers on Eagle's face, currently her expression was equal parts horrified, furious and concerned; yet beneath it all there was clearly still the hope that this might bring back her mother
"Fine" Corvid sighed "I still have missions to take for the year, that's the only reason I'll ignore your call"
"Good, I'm glad you can recognise the best offer you're going to get" Melanie's tone turned icy "Now get the fuck out of my office" the trio wisely did as they were told, though Corvid privately debated staying in the bar for a while as she felt she needed several stiff drinks after that experience. No sooner had they made it out into the cold night air than Felix's Scroll began to vibrate in his pocket, taking it out he saw that the call was from Diamond and answered
"Hey what's up? What? Where?….Send me the address I'll bring the car around now!"
Qrow Branwen was situated in his personal base of operations hidden beneath his laughably ordinary facade of a home. The myriad screens showing countless security and hidden camera feeds from across Remnant being roundly ignored in favour of the Scroll call currently taking place and the bottle of bourbon at his desk which grew more appealing with every word he heard.
"Right. Thanks for this; give me a day to arrange something. I'll be there in person tomorrow" Qrow's tone was one of exhaustion as he paced agitatedly; ending the call he collapsed into his chair with a groan, hands running through grey hair. After taking a few moments to compose himself he turned to his surveillance system and began frantically typing, it took him roughly five minutes to find what he sought; footage from solitary confinement in New Vale Correctional Facility, dated at the previous night. The grizzled old Huntsman was no stranger to violence of the worst kind but even Qrow blinked in shock more than once as he watched the Dragonfly Faunus rampage through her entire gang of attackers, blood being visibly sprayed and spattered across the walls until eventually she was brought low by a blow to the back of the head when one of the inmates managed to get behind her, at this point she found herself set upon and beaten by those still capable of doing so until the prison guards finally arrived to take control of the situation; the window they'd clearly been bribed into giving the attackers having closed. All in all it was a bloodbath, three attackers had entered Hellion Eudialyte's cell while another dozen had been inside. Of the fifteen, four had died of their injuries so far while the rest suffered a litany of broken bones, lacerations, stab wounds and internal bleeding. The call the Qrow had ended had been from Poly-Esther Scarlatina, a doctor at one of Vale's hospitals who had spent several hours trying to stabilise Hellion after she'd been rushed into her operating theatre in critical condition. Qrow poured a glass of bourbon and downed it in a single mouthful before weighing up his options, coming to the conclusion that there was only one thing he could do he opening his Scroll and began dialling
"Glynda, I need a favour"
Authors Notes:
First of all, before we discuss anything else; in the Authors Notes of the last chapter I thanked FluffyFirefly for making some artwork of Hack & Slash. That was incorrect, it was actually FleetOfWarships who made that, my bad.
Secondly, tomorrow is the new episode….Weiss isn't gonna die, not when they've been teasing Jaune's Semblance and they had a line from Raven about her having seen people come back from the dead before. But at the same time if Weiss dies we riot.
Anyway, let's summarise:
If you're awww-ing at Team FADE being adorable when they sleep, good.
Yeah, I hadn't actually shown Helios's landing strategy before; he can decrease gravity….I'm gonna have some fun with that.
"John Wicker"….If you thought I have shame you were wrong.
All the Battle Cat shippers….just be patient.
Nyanza is still a shit post and it's fun to write.
Antonia is being uncooperative, good for her.
I love that Carcharodon has complete faith that Onyx can talk anyone into anything if they're left alone with him for long enough.
The scene with Carcharodon and Raffia is actually a little insight into Raffia's state of mind, behind that berserker image he's angry, grieving, desperate and a little self destructive.
Ah the puns, have you missed them? I've missed them.
Also Corvid has no chill at all.
Corvid casually rolled up and took control of that meeting.
A tiny little bit more backstory on the Shadow Cadre, I promise you'll get the full story soon.
Arctus is rich and he knows it, but he's also a little sheltered and naive in some ways. His heart's in the right place though.
The Shadow Cadre, with their tats and bad attitude, look to most people in the city, like they just got out of prison and that made me laugh when I thought of it.
I don't think Raffia is going to forget Arctus burning his arm to the bone….ever.
Carcharodon's Semblance can make him effectively bulletproof, he used that way in the fight with Flax as well.
The whole Shadow Cadre carry smoke bombs at all times.
Melanie gives no fucks at all.
The turf war between the White Fang and the Black Bear Syndicate in the Downward Spiral was downright nasty; Melanie is obviously forgetting that in retaliation for a drive by shooting on Velvet, Adam had the Malachite twins locked in Junior's bar then burned it down.
Toe beans. That is all.
Yeah, Melanie is pissed, rightfully so.
We all knew somebody was gonna be dumb enough to say something to piss her off. Of course it was Felix.
And now Team FADE and Team CLIR are in debt to the mob, all for a good cause.
Poly-Esther Scarlatina, Velvet's little sister was only a kid in the Downward Spiral; she's a doctor now.
Also yes the Scarlatina siblings are Velvet, Flax and Poly-Esther because I have no shame.
Hellion is currently in intensive care after the end of the last chapter; also worth noting that those four casualties are the first time we've actually seen a member of the Shadow Cadre kill someone.
Thank you to SumoSnipe, Araniladin, TigerRose, Arkanes Shippou, CanadianCavalier, FleetOfWarships, FluffyFirefly and Ferrous for their reviews on the last chapter.
I think we can all agree new RWBY content is the best way to start the new year.
Yeah Arctus is used to the cold, doesn't mean being sat at what is realistically pretty high altitudes with no jacket on during the winter is comfortable.
Raid 2 was also an influence.
What if I told you that the get Eagle a girlfriend campaign is already secretly underway.
I don't have plans for Rhodium's mum, but then again I didn't actually have plans for Rhodium beyond his first appearance; then I realised I could work him into the third year storyline.
Corvid is a bad-ass amongst student hunters, Melanie would demolish her and they both know it.
Yeah Arctus having the same 'Up to something' look as his dad and Rover just seeing straight through it was fun.
As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.