"I don't know if this is really the best plan that you've ever come up with, Lieutenant General, but I hate every second of it up to this point," Neró told Kitsune as he straightened his tie out for what felt like the fourth or fifth time since he had reached the door of the small sandstone shack and knocked. He had been out here with Kitsune for months, that felt more like an eternity, and she informed them that they needed to seize this opportunity, even if it seemed unlikely to work. If they were successful, they'd have enough information on Strakh to take him down and put him away for good, and if they failed, it was likely they'd scare him for a bit and he'd have to rethink this business strategy. The latter was hardly ideal, but it was worth the risk and the temporary release it would provide the economy with would be welcomed. She tapped on her microphone to make sure that his earpiece was working properly.
"For a guy who is being sent into a strip club undercover, you sure are complaining an awful lot," Kitsune informed him as she looked over the schematics and the layout of the building. "I've been in there too many times for me to get away with anything that would be of any use. Do as I say and you'll be fine and remember that the strip club is just a front."
"The strip club is a front?" Neró asked, waiting for instructions. "Isn't something else normally a front for the strip club? I would imagine that's the case since this exterior is a bit run down and dilapidated."
"There are two fronts, okay? I'll tell you what you need to know, just follow my lead," Kitsune instructed.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Neró replied before straightening up as the door opened and he was greeted by a man who was dressed in rags. Was this right?
"Piss off man," the drifter shouted at him. "Can't you see this place is occupied?"
"I was informed that I needed to see Strakh at his soonest convenience," Neró claimed as he handed over an identification badge. "I'm one of the heads to research and development at the SDC and I was told that if I helped him in creating an artificial batch of Dust it would prove most lucrative for the both of us." The beggar looked at it for a long moment, almost as if he was confused before slamming the door in Neró's face and leaving him standing at the end of the empty dark alley all alone. "This isn't going well."
"You really need to calm down," Kitsune reassured him. "All according to plan so far."
"Even the hobo stealing my ID?" Neró questioned.
"Even that," Kitsune sighed as she took a drink of her water and peered out the end of the van at him.
"I'm not following but I'm sure…" Neró started before he was cut off by the door opening once more and he was welcomed in by a man wearing a suit and was similar to him in stature.
"Professor Creel," he greeted him.
"Is Strakh ready for our meeting?" Neró asked. The man chuckled pulling him in, closing the door behind him, and leaving the two of them alone in the empty, run-down room.
"Hope you don't mind that I used your real name for your cover," Kitsune chuckled into the mic as she moved to the passenger's seat and motioned for her driver to take them down the street.
"He's been waiting for you all day, actually can't get him to shut up about your meeting," the bouncer insisted. "He thought that you might enjoy a showing of his hospitality as we finish preparing everything for the two of you."
"I guess it would be wrong of me to say no then," Neró offered with a fake smile and the bouncer chuckled as he moved to the wall behind Neró and pulled a lever. Silently the entire room descended into the ground, the space above them covered with a floor that closed back up to give a similar appearance and they rode in darkness for what felt to be about a minute. The wall slid open once the elevator had come to a stop and Neró was greeted with more scantily clad women and flashing lights in his eyes than he'd ever imagined, only finally stepping off of the elevator when he was prompted. Girls wearing only a little more than bra and panties greeted him with pained smiles, offering him drinks and horderves that he graciously declined, leaning back to the bouncer as the man nearly slipped past him.
"Where would you like me to wait while your boss finishes preparing?" Neró asked as he grabbed the man.
"I must have forgotten myself," he chuckled. "We have a VIP booth set up for you and one of Strakh's best will be there to tend to you during the wait." Neró nodded and smiled as the man led him to the booth and left him to his own devices, thanking the man one last time before he disappeared. He glanced out, men threw their lien at the women who graced the poles in the middle of the floor, who seemed miserable but they had all been forced into this, hadn't they? No one had ever dared tell Strakh no to anything for fear of repercussions, and so the man did as he pleased and saw fit. Sad and terrified women filled the club, a booth secluded by no more than a thin fabric gave Neró an occasional view, the man gripping the woman's wrists tightly and pulling her closer as she whimpered and protested.
"I paid good money for you to make me feel good!" The man growled before whispering in her ear. "Now make me feel good."
"Touching isn't allowed… sir…" She managed.
"That so?" He breathed heavily with an eerie and menacing smile. "For the right price, I know Strakh will let me have my way with you for the evening. Maybe you should be a little more giving before I take exactly what I want."
"Yes sir…" She sighed knowing better than to resist any further. Neró pushed his earpiece in further as he tried to get comfortable, ignoring what was happening in the booth across from him for the sake of the mission.
"Did I mention that I don't want to be here?" Neró noted.
"Why's that?" Kitsune questioned. "Not into women?"
"That's not the issue," Neró offered as he shrugged and tried to relax.
"What's the problem then?" She asked him, her voice left her sounding as though she was struggling "You don't have a woman that you've even told me about. Someone caught your eye?"
"You could say that," He explained.
"Who's the lucky lady?" She pried.
"Can we discuss this later?" He pleaded.
"Yeah, sure, but you totally have to tell me," she insisted. He sat alone for several minutes, waiting for the woman to come in and starting to wonder if they'd figured him out and were going to detain or fight him. Per Kitsune's instructions, he'd left his weapons in the van, and though they weren't entirely sure what Strakh's semblance was, or if he even had one, there had to be a reason that he hadn't been taken down yet. Out of the corner of his eye, she appeared as he was looking towards the main floor, something soft brushing his face and grabbing his attention. "How do I look?" His eyes drank her in briefly before he blushed hard and squirmed back in his seat.
"Kitsune, what the hell are you doing here?!" He asked her.
"You didn't think that I had been coming here for the hell of it in my free time the last couple of months, did you?" She chuckled. "You also didn't answer my question from before?" Her tail draped over her right shoulder and she pet it as she leaned forward, giving him a view of her cleavage down her black lace push up bra that complimented her boy short bottoms.
"I'm not sure there's an appropriate answer that I can give my commanding officer," he swallowed hard. She smiled and wiggled happily.
"That good, huh?" She noted as she took a seat on his lap promptly.
"Kitsune!" He stammered.
"Shhhh…" She hushed him. "He's coming back to take you to Strakh. Request to have me come with you."
"I don't know if that's a good idea," Neró exhaled.
"And I'm your commanding officer," she breathed into his ear, sending a shudder down his spine.
"Are we ready?" The bouncer asked as he approached them and Neró gathered his thoughts.
"Quite," he managed to wait for Kitsune to leap off of him before standing up.
"I don't think she's ever taken a liking to anyone that fast," the bouncer stated.
"Lien talks," Neró joked, throwing an arm over the man's shoulder. "Does Strakh mind if I bring her with me?" The bouncer looked Kitsune over and thought about it momentarily before nodding and laughing hard.
"Sure! What's another bitch in a Strakh meeting, right?" He chortled loudly. Neró faked a laugh in agreement before motioning for Kitsune to head out in front of them. He did his best to ignore her as she smiled back at the bouncer, his jaw unhinging slightly in a stupid smile and Neró was sure she was using her semblance on him. He reached out to grab her but she slapped his hand away and scolded him with a wag of her finger.
"Unpaid services might result in termination, and we wouldn't want to get on Strakh's bad side," she teased with a wink. A wave of heat crashed into Neró as the doors to the meeting room were opened and he adjusted his tie. Strakh gave a devious smirk as they came into the room, a woman on each arm who looked even more miserable than the ones that were out on the floor, and one of them had a black eye that was still swollen. He looked up at the ladies and strong-armed the injured one down towards him so he could speak louder to her.
"Give our guests a smile, beautiful," he spat. The way he called her beautiful disgusted Neró and he nearly dry heaved, sitting down as Kitsune pulled his seat out. She complied and he scowled, releasing her, and mumbling something to himself that Neró couldn't make out before making eye contact. "Doctor Creel. What a pleasure that you might finally be able to join us and we can put your knowledge of Dust to better use than the SDC ever could have. It's my understanding that the SDC refused to look into artificial Dust because it can be less stable and powerful than the real stuff, and that's the reason that you decided to leave, right?" Neró swallowed and nodded as Kitsune rubbed his shoulders.
"That's right," Neró repeated. "The Atlas Military failed to see the potential that it had in a world that is slowly running out of natural Dust deposits." Strakh nodded and chuckled as he glanced back at something towards the dark corner of the room.
"I guess Schnee must have higher standards than Ironwood," Strakh laughed. "After all of the Dust that I've stolen from the SDC, and the fiasco on Menagerie, you would think that Atlas would do anything to keep their precious resource flowing in. But I see your potential doctor, and that's why I've brought you on board." Strakh nodded to the bouncer who moved to the corner of the room and rummaged about in a large duffle bag, producing two jars and bringing them to the table.
"What's in it for me if I agree?" Neró questioned. Strakh through his head back and cackled as he shook his head.
"What's in it for you?!" He bellowed frightening the women. "You'll become the second richest man in the kingdom of Vacuo!" Strakh finally took note of Kitsune who licked her lips as he undressed her with his eyes. "I can probably even throw in one of these whores too… or a few if this works out!" Kitsune released Neró and began making his way to Strakh but was stopped by the bouncer. She toyed with him, brushing his chin with her tail to try and coax him to let her through as Strakh slobbered over her before returning to the matter at hand. "Take a look at this."
"The growth of these is amazing," Neró stated as he took the culture jar and examined it. He was by no means an expert on Dust, but he knew enough that he could make conversation in situations like these. "Highly pressurized, no doubt."
"Of course," Strakh explained. "But no matter the pressure, we can't seem to generate enough to stabilize the crystallization process. If you make an attempt to relieve the pressure or open the lid, the Dust will become liquid and it's less than useless in such a state."
"Have you thought of submitting it to excess amounts of negative pressure?" Neró offered before setting the jar back down.
"No…" Strakh mumbled as he considered the reaction of the Dust. "It might work!" He stood slowly and shook the women off of his as he reached across the table to shake Neró's hand. "I should expect to see you at my lab tomorrow! They'll give you instructions as you leave. If this goes well, perhaps you'll be able to assist with the Sergius Project!" The doors that Neró and Kitsune had entered opened, revealing Jett who stood in the exit for a long moment staring at the scene before her.
"She's Atlas Military!" Jett shouted. Strakh stared intensely at the two of them, still shaking Neró's hand. He gripped tightly, inhumanely as he crushed Neró's hand and the soldier snatched it back in pain as the two strippers ran for the rear exit.
"You thought that you could take me down?!" Strakh thundered. His fist came down, smashing the table in two as he lifted up his half and batted away both Kitsune and the bouncer, making an exit as swiftly as possible as he hobbled away. Neró used his hand that was still intact to lift his half of the table and block the two kukris that Jett had thrown at him, turning himself into wood as he rushed and slammed into her to give them an exit.
"I have to go after Strakh!" Kitsune informed him as she leapt to her feet at the same time as the bouncer. He swung at her and she sidestepped, dodging with ease as she punched him in the throat, a second blow to his jaw taking him down quickly. She removed the gun from his body before scrambling through the room and crashing through the exit, which Strakh neglected to lock behind him.
"Salem's work will be done!" Jett shouted at him as he struggled with her. He reached for her mask, failing to grip it as he looked for something to transform his skin into.
"We stopped her once, I doubt there's anything to worry about this time either," he grunted. She kicked him, throwing him back into the room as she lifted her hand, gravity Dust activating in her gloves, bringing her blades back to her.
"You didn't stop her," Jett corrected. "You think Athena was a coincidence? Team RWBY's time is coming… do you think the next generation is ready?"
"I don't care much for your drabble," he groaned as he reached up quick and snatched a second gun off of the bouncer's ankle, turning himself into metal and opening fire on Jett who took off through the building, the shots causing a commotion as the patrons began panicking and scattering. "Dammit!" He pushed through the crowd, several members of security opening fire on him and the bullets ricochet off. "Move! Get out of the way! Official Atlas Military, move!"
"Strakh! I am Lieutenant General Kitsune Aka! Come with me and I won't be forced to kill you!" She demanded, slowly moving down the service hallway which she had to assume he always used to enter and exit the building for security purposes.
"You'd blindly follow the people that lead you just because Salem offers something that they cannot and it scares them," Strakh's voice thundered towards her and reverberated. "That you would go to such extents to try and catch me. It must be cold wearing such little clothing, especially on a night such as this."
"I don't think you understand the concept of irony," she replied as she continued down the corridor, gun at the ready as she aimed down the sights and checked the few crates that she passed for the man or the two women that were with him. "I'd go as far as I have to if it means keeping the people that I love safe."
"I suppose I used to feel that way," Strakh's voice softened. "But I realized how foolish it was." As she reached the exit door she threw it open, shocked to find that it didn't lead out into an alley but instead to an entryway where Strakh was free to remove his coat and change clothing at his leisure. As she took a step in something moved to her right, Strakh smashed the gun out of her hand with a pipe before swinging for her, she could see the strength course through his body before channeling through the weapon, blasting apart most of her aura as she flew back down the hall in a daze, slamming into one of the crates which brought her to a stop. "Self-preservation is far more important, wouldn't you agree?" He slammed the door back shut and she heard it lock. He'd toyed with her, letting her think that she had a chance of catching him. She groaned as she tried to stand but her head was spinning.
Kitsune, you alright?
"Sure," she managed as she forced herself up and headed for the door.
They treat us like garbage, and we just take it!
The White Fang keeps acting out, dad! As long as we meet them with violence to force them to meet our demands, they'll keep responding with violence!
What do you know about it anyway?! I think I know how to shut you up!
Kitsune sprinted for the door and pressed her body against it, waiting as she closed her eyes and concentrated.
"Come on," Strakh demanded to the girls with him. "The night is young and I need to take out my aggression."
"You have to admit that she was quite cute," one of his concubines noted.
"She was a looker," Strakh agreed "But you ladies will do just as well."
"I want…" The second said as she moved to the door, Strakh putting on his coat and reaching up to grab down his cane. "I want to see her once more."
"I'm sure we'll see her again," he grumbled before turning around to find the other girl opening the door. "Hey!" Kitsune crashed through as soon as it was unlocked, taking aim quickly and shooting Strakh in his good kneecap. The man dropped quickly, the girls screaming in horror as Kitsune breathed heavily. She grabbed the girl to her right who was stunned and kissed her deeply, using her sexual energy to repair her aura as she took another step towards Strakh.
"This is it," Kitsune stated. "You're under arrest, and the council has a few questions for you…"
"I don't think so!" Jett yelled, throwing open the opposite door. Her appearance took Kitsune off guard, Jett's blades slamming into Kitsune's shoulders as a bullet glanced off of her mask. Jett activated the gravity Dust, pushing Kitsune all the way down the hall before checking on Strakh. "You're useless."
"Shut up, you bitch, and kill her!" Strakh barked as he writhed in pain. Jett shook her head, grabbing his arm and dragging him mercilessly out into the alley.
"Get him out of here," Jett demanded of the driver. She smiled at Strakh as she flipped him off. "Come here, Kitsune. It's playtime."
I'm not sure where Jett went, you still on Strakh's tail?
"Come to Stakh's exit," Kitsune grunted, pulling the knives out of her body. "I have visual on Jett but Strakh got away."
On my way!
"Make it quick!" Kitsune requested. The knives flew past her as Jett caught them and shook her head, ripping the door free from its hinges and tossing it down the hallway at Kitsune who barely managed to get out of the way.
"You'll never understand because you've been raised to think that Salem was the problem instead of the solution. Abigor described to us the horrors that the lamp revealed to him. Even Jinn had been instructed to hide the truth originally, the brother gods were nothing to fear compared to what comes next if we do not bring Salem back," Jett tried to explain. Kitsune fired as she sprinted at the woman, Jett deflecting with her blades.
"You all think just because you can come up with some sort of nonsensical story about how Salem is trying to save everyone that we'll just let you get away with your crimes?" Kitsune scoffed. Jett swung her blades as Kistsune moved in on her, using her arms to deflect the blows at the handles, impressing Jett.
"As if the Atlas Military can speak of ethics in exchange of power," Jett jested. She leapt back as the door behind her was opened, grabbing Neró's arm and throwing him over her head with supernatural strength, slamming him down onto his back. "If only we had more time to debate."
"We can have all the time that you want if you come with us," Kitsune spat as she glanced down at Neró who was struggling to find his feet in the pain. "You can have an interrogation cell all to yourself."
"Truly, too kind," Jett mumbled with an eye roll. She gripped her weapons' handles for a moment before her body was turned to gravity Dust, confusing and visibly terrifying Kitsune as she pulled Neró up quickly. Jett looked herself over. "This is interesting."
"You might want to turn into metal," Kitsune told Neró who was shaken. He glanced back at Jett before looking at Kitsune, glancing at the gun in his hand before looking back up at his commanding officer.
"I can't!" He shouted.
"Good night!" Jett commanded. Her body exploded with gravity Dust, throwing the two of them into the wall behind them, knocking out Neró whose head met a pipe and leaving Kitsune's aura broken. Jett moved to the girl, her body returning to flesh as she tilted her head. Jett lifted her up gently by the neck. "What a waste…" Kitsune gripped her with what strength she had left and kissed her neck hard, biting the woman as she held the back of her head, hoping to get enough energy back to grab Neró and save face but nothing happened.
"I… I can't…?" She stuttered before she hit the floor and Jett kicked her in the temple.
"Not a lot of people willingly let me borrow their semblance," Jett chuckled as she moved to Neró and kissed him hard on the lips, taking enough of his life force to leave him unconscious and restoring her own aura before picking him up and leaving the building. "Time to find out what you know."
Seems things didn't go as planned for Atlas. Next week, Chapter 6: Best
A big thank you to AG_Nonsuch, Helihi, Cadhla182, Carlomontie, Nliast, Y8ay8a, Sa-Dui, Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. The artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.
Until next week, stay safe, stay healthy, and stay classy!