A/N: I've decided that I'll be sending a few more out early, since I've got to have a certain chapter out by a certain date, which, by my current plan, will not work out. So, due to all your praise and encouragement (which will always be rewarded), a second chapter for the day.
Disclaimer: I don't own these shows, Rooster Teeth does
0oooooooo0
Rouge's Vibe
York
Agent New York of Project Freelancer, also known as Cole Grey and Blaze of the New Freelancers, made sure his armor was collapsed in its backpack form and was well hidden. And tapped Firestorm's Dawn, his new blade that was currently in civilian mode, collapsed into a box the size of a thick phone in his jacket pocket. He tried to ignore Echo Mozarch, the Huntsmen-in-training currently in charge of the task force meant to bring in the New Freelancers. This almost made him nervous enough not to notice his companion.
Almost.
York took in the view of a beautiful woman wearing a white trench coat with rips in the sleeve, exposing her upper arms, and black gloves covering her forearms, on top of a blue vest, leaving a bit of her white dress shirt to be viewed. The collar of the trench coat had a red interior, and was binded around her neck by a red jewel. Her white pants were mainly covered by her armored leggings and boots, cover, which were made of grey steel. Her snow-white hair was tied in a bun and the bangs combed off to her right, a single lock of hair dangling by her left ear.
They approached the bar, the woman giving a steely glare around her, inspected everyone. Her eyes lingered on him for a second, and he nodded a greeting.
"What'll it be, madam?" He said, leaning on the bar with two arms. He modulated his voice into a soft Texas drawl, not so hard since he was born there, so Echo wouldn't recognize it.
"Virgin Margarita." She told him. "I refuse to drink alcohol while working."
York kept quiet and went to mix the drink, overhearing the two talking with each other. "Why are we here, Ms. Schnee?"
Schnee? Is this Weiss's sister or something? York asked himself.
Weiss did mention a sister named Winter once, though it was in a tone to show they weren't very close. Delta reminded him.
"We are here, Mr. Mozarch, because if a vigilante were working as nightclub worker, he could lead a double life working here."
She makes it sound like I'm Oliver Queen! York thought to himself, shaking his head as he finished the drink, passing it to this woman. "Or, he could frequent this establishment when not 'on-duty', since it's a good place to get a drink and possibly relax."
"You talking about that vigilante, the Gargoyle?" York asked them, taking a sip of water from his cup, internally wincing as he presented his charade.
"We are talking about the vigilante, but he prefers 'Blaze'." Echo corrected.
York made his eyes widened in what he hoped looked like surprise. "You met him?"
"It's a private case, so I suggest you keep your questions for later, Mr…" The woman, apparently Winter, fished for a name.
"Grey, Cole Grey."
"Mr. Grey."
"Mr. Grey is my father. Call me Cole." York protested. Winter mouth twitched, almost if she were about to smirk. "And if I were searching for that vigilante, I'd figure he's down in the sewers, some hideout down there so he can get from place to place quickly."
"That's… Actually a good idea, Mr. Grey." Winter told him, seemingly impressed with his misleading input. Hopefully, that would buy Ozpin some time for him to finalize their licenses. "And with that, I believe we must leave." She left a few lien cards on the table. "Come, Echo."
"Come back anytime. Club opens at nine every night, bar at seven!" York called, then waited until they left.
York's mouth quirked up, and he tried to keep down a laugh. Then, seemingly in unison, all of the New Freelancers burst into laughter.
"Maybe you should check in the sewers?" Yang imitated a full minute later, using Blake's shoulder for support as she held her stomach.
"What was with that accent?" Jaune managed to get out, wiping a tear from his eye.
York glared at him. "That's what people from where I come from sound like, a Texas accent."
"So, why do you sound so different now?" Blake questioned.
"I grew out of it. When you live in Texas, you're surrounded by people that talk just like that, sometimes worse. When I signed up for the UNSC, I was surrounded by people that didn't have that accent, so I subconsciously changed." York explained.
Rowan walked in, and there was a scowl on his face. He walked up and said to York. "Whiskey, now."
York pulled a bottle out and poured a shot. "What's wrong, Rowan. Look like you're about to kill someone."
"Those two that just left the club? They're Atlas. One's Winter Schnee, Spec Ops specialist."
"The other was Echo, the kid they put in charge of the task force."
Rowan's eyebrow rose. "That so? Interesting. Why is Atlas assisting the VPD in catching Blaze?"
York shrugged. "I guess Ozpin wouldn't authorize any of his forces to help, since he's getting me all settled in as a Huntsman. That reminds me, I need to tell Maine not to make any noise and turn off everything until I get home. I locked up the warehouse like it usually is, so maybe they'll think it's still abandoned." The Freelancer pulled out his scroll and sent the text, which Maine soon replied to, saying that would work, he was about to take a nap to be ready for the night.
"You and Maine seem closer." Ren mentioned.
York sighed. "I guess I finally accepted that it wasn't entirely his fault. Besides, I'm trying to move on, start fresh, figured I should wipe that slate clean, along with all the others."
"Including Carolina?" Yang questioned.
York breathed slowly, then nodded. "I think I lost that chance a while ago. Heck, I lost hope a long time ago, as soon as I found out it was Tex that was going rouge."
Rowan patted his shoulder. "A toast." He said, pouring his and a second shot glass full of whiskey, then passed the second to York. "To fresh beginnings."
"To new beginnings." York echoed, then relished the burn of the whiskey as it traveled down his throat, burning his memories away for now.
0ooooooooo0
York
"So, I've heard you've got some more help this time around." York said as Echo struck with his flute, now in staff form. The Freelancer easily parried with his double sword and sent his own slash, making the boy back up. "So, where is this beautiful woman I keep hearing about?" The voice modulator he installed made his voice sound deeper, more gravelly.
To his left, Maine had pummeled four of VPD's finest. On his right, Rowan was taking on three swordsman, his hood on and a cloth mask covering his mouth and nose. Both New Freelancers were holding their own nicely.
"I'm right behind you, now surrender or face me, Blaze." He heard Winter's voice behind him.
York sighed and turned to see the woman, dressed as she was earlier this evening, with upper-class dueling saber in hand. The sword had a single edged, slightly curved blade. The sword's hilt had a wide, crescent shaped guard that enveloped her hand.
"I will never surrender, Ms. Schnee. You're running out of time and you know it." York taunted, then shifted Firestorm into its single-blade form. "Soon, I'll be able to take off my mask. Please understand, both of you. What I'm doing is good."
"Not true, Blaze." Echo called, from behind. "You kill without a second thought."
"I kill when it's necessary, boy." York told him. "And don't all soldiers like me kill their enemies? Actually, your own troops kill more people than me, in the same situation."
Echo stayed silent for a few moments. "Alright, for the sake of argument, let's say everything you say is true. I still have to bring you in, Blaze."
"I don't think you'll be able to, young Echo."
"Come, Echo, lets fight him together, he can't beat two of Atlas' best fighters." Winter told him. "We will complete your assignment at all costs."
York cut off his speakers. "Delta, I'll need some help."
"I'm ready, Agent York."
With a flourish, York took his other double-sword from its place on his magnet plate, and shifted Firestorm back into the same. "Let's dance."
Ruby, who was watching through her scope after sniping al of the Fang members, thought this move looked pretty epic, the two swords expanding into their double-sword counterparts. Then, she saw Maine throw an officer off the docks they fought on, the man landing in the water.
Down below, Winter attacked, her attacks very fast and coordinated. York concentrated on her, blocking each strike until Delta warned him of an attack from Echo. The duo were once again able to hold off both Echo and Winter, although he wasn't able to hit Winter when fighting both, he was dealing massive blows of damage to the Young man's Aura reserves.
"Hey, Mozarch." Rowan called, brandishing his blade and gesturing to the fallen VPD soldiers behind him with a grin. "Don't you know it's rude to cut in at the middle of a dance?" Echo charged towards him, striking with an overhead blow, which Rowan blocked, then sent his own strike, also blocked. The two teens engaged in a dangerous dance, Rowan slowly backing towards a wall. Suddenly, he jumped, using the wall to propel him into an overhead strike, which Echo blocked with the middle of his blade. To his surprise, Rowan flipped over the boy, then struck his back. Echo's scroll beeped, warning him that his Aura was nearing critical.
With York, he had shifted Firestorm's Dawn into its longsword mode, and returned the double-sword/chakram to its place. He parried each of Winter's blows, and she blocked every one of his, they were evenly match, York slightly less so in the skill division, due to the fact he was tiring and each blow was harder to block of deflect. Winter was lacking in protection compared to the Freelancer, due to his armor and energy shields, which were barely affected by a single strike.
Winter began to use her glyphs, casting four: two above him like spotlights, the other two on either side of him. She propped up one leg on one, then shot off like a rocket, striking York even faster so he could not block. She struck at least a dozen times, and York's shields were beeping in his ear to show they were down. He fell to one knee, a tear in a black section of his armor, uncovered by the thick armor, was torn and bleeding, at the leg. He cursed, then rose to his feet as Delta activated the healing unit.
"My turn." He growled lowly, the voice changer making it almost demonic. Then, he disappeared from view, striking again and again and dashing quickly from place to place, striking the woman multiple times before returning to visibility.
"Suit's power is at 30%" Delta warned.
"Coordinate energy shield concentration to sections she's about to hit."
"Running calculations. You need to end this soon, York, or the suits functions will disable."
"Got it, D. Reaper, give us some covering fire."
"Who are you talking to?" Winter demanded, and York quickly shut off his speakers, not realizing they were on. "New Freelancer's we're moving out."
Winter was shot by a sniper round, her Aura taking most of the blow.
"Flashbangs, Eagle, now! We need an exit!"
"Affirmative. I'm pulling the van around now." He heard Jaune say into the radio. "South side, you have five seconds before I stop, on my mark… Mark!"
"Sync!" York and Rowan shouted, then Maine backed up, lining the ground in between the New Freelancers and the task force with grenades as they backed towards the van, which pulled out from behind a crate and drifted into a 180, the doors opening to reveal Ren and Nora, both clad in their disguises, both with steel mask (A/N: like Army of Two) Ren wearing a mask sculpted in the guise of a Falcon, Nora wearing a steel mask with lightning graphics. They both held bright spotlights, which turned on, blinding all that looked at the van, and the three men leaped into the back of the van. The doors slammed shut, and Jaune took off, bullets pinging off of the bulletproof chassis.
"Whoo-hoo, that was intense!" Rowan let out. York pulled off his helmet and smiled.
"Indeed it was, that Winter is a good fighter. I probably wouldn't have won if it weren't for Delta." He told the teen, then stepped up to the shotgun seat. "Nice driving out there, Jaune." He told the young knight.
"It was easy. This van's a dream!"
York had used his connections at the club to special order the van. It was larger than the average one, an expanded chassis and cab allowing at least ten people comfortably. The interior was open, giving the driver and shotgun rider easy access to the rear, which had the sides lined with fold-up seats so more room could be allowed the less people inside. Extra Dust clips and first aid kits lay on top of the seats.
York had put a lot of money into this and one other project, one he refused to let anyone, even Maine, to see. All they knew was that the Freelancer left every day at one and returned at five unless he had other engagements.
"Alright, Jaune, take us back to the safe house." York said, taking a drink of water as his armor collapsed, exposing the scratch on his leg where Winter had penetrated the mesh armor. The healing unit had stopped the bleeding and made it so it wouldn't scar, so York simply washed it and wrapped it.
The van was headed to the New Freelancer's main safe house, which was second only to York's own home. He'd found another abandoned home that had been let loose of power, but the water worked, and it had a garage with a manual system it was stocked with a variety of weapons, including a generator that could recharge the armor. There were two other houses with similar set-ups, but without the van, though one had a black muscle car.
Working the DJ for that one week had loaded York's bank to the brim, so York had taken it down a couple notches, especially with his new project, which he knew would soon be finished.
"Reaper to Recovery. Do you read?" Ruby's voice crackled over the CB radio York had installed.
York took the transmitter mic and spoke into it after pressing the button. "This is Blaze, we read you, Reaper."
"THATWASSOCOOLHOWYOUWEREALLLIKE 'LET'SDANCE' ANDTHEWHOLESWORDFLIPOUTTHINGWASAMAZING!" She cried out, then seemed to compose herself. "I'm on route to the rendezvous point. ETA four minutes."
York nodded. "Roger that, Reaper. We'll meet you there."
Leaning back, York sighed. It was a nice night, and he'd met the New Freelancer's for tonight at the safe house, driving his Harley there from home, a backpack on his back and his weapons in the saddlebags.
When they arrived, there was a small celebration, including a discussion on mistakes that were made, then he left, Maine deciding to stay at the safe house and take a cab home in the morning. York left it alone, and rode home, going over the fight again and again. Winter had fought amazingly, and he found his mind wandering off to how beautiful she'd looked, even with fighting.
Whoa, whoa, whoa. She's trying to bring you in. There's no time for those kinds of feelings for her. He told himself, then cursed.
Figures that the girl hunting me is the one I fall for.
With a sigh, he found himself back at 273 Ironrose. He'd decided to rename it to the Iron house, due to his new project, which he thought may be unorthodox, and delta agreed, but would definitely be a sight to see and a great tool.
"Mr. Grey." A familiar voice cut through his thoughts. He cursed mentally and turned to view the woman he'd just been battling.
"I told you, call me Cole. Or York." He said, noticing Echo was nowhere to be seen. "How's the search going?"
"Not very well. We only just started searching, but we ran into him near the docks. He and his associates got away, which led me here, to get a drink. I saw you over here just before I went in."
"With all due respect, you shouldn't go to a club for a drink if it's just a drink." York advised.
Winter looked confused. "What do you mean?"
"Clubs are too loud for just a drink. If you wanna dance, or listen to dubstep, then yeah, a club's what you want." York explained. "However, if you just want a drink, then give me a sec, and I'll take you to one of the best bars in Vale."
Winter shrugged. "Why not?"
York smiled, "Wait here, Ms. Schnee."
He then took his bike over to the club, parking it in the staff garage and calling his rocket locker, which came immediately from the Iron house. He stuck his backpack and other gear inside, then sent it back, hoping no one would notice it going inside.
When he returned, Winter was inspecting a nearby mural in graffiti of a horse.
"Ms. Schnee?"
"Listen, if you're taking me for a drink, we might as well call each other by our first names." She told him. "Call me Winter, Cole."
"Alright. If you would follow me. The bar's close by, just a few blocks away."
Winter nodded, "Lead the way."
