A/N: WARNING! PLEASE READ THIS NOTE WOULD YOU KINDLY?
Happy New Years Eve to ya!
Been playing Cyberpunk 2077 over vacation and it helped me clear the final hurdle for this chapter. Ironically, mine's only crashed twice so far. Not a bad game really, just...not what I expected. I'll play it through to the end before I make my final judgements. But you didn't come here to listen to an old man prattle on now, did you?
Now then, onto the questions!
Q: NARUTOxGLYNDA WHEN?! WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOREVER FOR THEM TO MEET!
A: NARUTOxGLYNDA NOW! Get ready to laugh.
Q: Hey, if yo're saving kids, can you save Cinder? Please? I know you've done it other stories, but...please?
A: That would be...difficult. Her orphanage was in Mistral, before she was dragged to Atlas by the Madame. I want to keep each story unique and original; which they won't be if I go around pulling the same stunts with the same characters in every tale. But seeing the abuse she suffered...hrrngh...I just don't know! If I do it poorly, it'll seemed forced, and I don't want that.
Let me know what you think in your reviews. Maybe someone can find angle I missed.
Q: Seems you like Star wars.
A: Plenty of references, yeah. That's what makes it fun.
Q: Naruto's gonna wind up with all the orphans at this rate, isn't he?
A: Velvet ain't an orphan. She's got a mama. And as Kurama once said, gotta adopt them all. Perhaps that's the softy in me; I have five nephews and I'm absolute putty in their hands. I'm probably gonna be much the same when I finally have kids of my own. Although, given the way things are going these days, I might just adopt. *shrugs*
Q: Pairing, please?
A: Pairing's already been hinted at heavily. Its going to be one of my more unorthodox ones. But if you haven't guessed it...
Well. This chapter should enlighten you.
Q: Are you bashing Summer? Can't you just kill her off?
A: Bashing her? On the contrary. I'm helping her. She's learning not to be so damn reckless. If anything these putdowns are literally saving her life. Forewarned is forearmed as they say, and these healthy doses of caution have not only put her Would you rather I kill her for shock value? Why? That would leave Yang without a mother. Moreover, without Summer? Ruby wouldn't be born. Ruby hasn't even been conceived yet.
Summer dies now? We never get Ruby. Think twice before you ask such things!
Q: What role does Mountain Glenn play in this?
A: Heh. In a word? EVERYTHING!
As ever, I own no quotes, references, themes or memes.
Now then, I think I've kept you all waiting long enough, no? Lets get started.
"That man butchered a known racist. Live. On television. Do you have any idea what this will do for us?!"
"Ma'am? I don't understand. He's human. What does it ma-gack?! Not the throat!"
"I WANT HIS BABIES. Find him! Now!"
~Sienna of the White Fang.
Partners in Pride
"There you are!"
Emerald knew the law of the jungle.
Technically it was the law of the streets given her current surroundings, but still! That unspoken code persisted even now in her final moments. The powerful thrived. The weak died. Every man for himself. Anything goes. Survival of the strongest. Kill or be killed. Eat or be eaten. Those rules had been written long before her time, and they would persist long after she was gone.
Nobody liked the rules, but everyone obeyed them.
Sometimes, if you were quick or clever, the bigger kids would leave you be. When you banded together with other urchins, you might even survive the winters. She'd tried doing that with the faunus girl. Velvet. She had been a friend. Well, in as much as one could have a friend on the streets of Vale. They'd watched one another's backs, shared scraps of food, even a blanket on the colder nights. But the Whiskered Man had snatched her days ago and spirited her away to parts unknown.
Emerald was alone once more. You didn't last long on the streets when you were alone.
And now he had come back for her again. She'd used her gift to distract him time and time again. But it wasn't enough.
Her spine slammed again a brick wall, heart hammering in her chest as she tried to skitter away. He didn't let her, blocking her with one arm. This was it, then. This was how she died. She'd escaped him once. Now he had returned to finish what he'd started that day when she ran. She couldn't run now. She was starving. She hadn't eaten in nearly a week.
"Hey, there." he raised his hands to show them drawled. "You must be Emerald. Nice to see you again."
The thief looked up with bleary eyes. This was it. She just knew it. She was going to die.
The Whiskered Man gazed down at her with his lone eye, the other wrapped as ever behind a black eyepatch. Or maybe it was bandages. She couldn't tell in the faint light of the setting sun. She still feared him all the same. He was bigger than her, faster than her, stronger than her. Velvet wasn't here to distract him. Not this time.
He only had eyes for her.
Emerald scooted back another inch.
"Velvet asked me to come back for you." he crouched down, reducing his profile as much as possible. "I'm actually the third clone the boss sent out this week." A winning smile flashed out at her. "You really didn't make this easy for us, ya know. Please don't use your Semblance again. Its a pain to deal with. Had to unseal my eye and everything."
He could see through her tricks? Her gaze traveled to his bound orb, suddenly dreading it.
"Still, its pretty neat." heedless of her terror the Whiskered man tumbed his chin. "Like a watered down Sharingan."
She knew better than to use her Power on him now. He'd seen through it. Using her gift now would just make him angry. She didn't want to make him angry.
Boss? Clone? What the hell was he on about? She didn't understand a word of it. She wasn't sure she wanted to. Nevertheless, a desperate ember of hope sparked to life in her chest at the mention of Velvet's name, even as she tried to stamp it down and out. Vel was soft. This sounded like something she'd 'd cry when she tripped and hurt herself. She'd only been an orphan for a few months. Emerald had been on the streets for as long as she could remember. She knew a lie when she heard one. And this wasn't a lie...was it?
"Would you like to see Velvet again?" he offered her his hand.
Paranoia reared its ugly head and Emerald shook hers. "D-Did you kill Velvet?"
"What?" his visible eye widened in genuine anger. "No! Of course not. She's resting with her mother."
Emerald stiffened.
"Not like that!" the Whiskered Man slapped a palm to his forehead and moved to block her when she tried to bolt. "Jeez, you're a twitchy little thing. Was I ever like this?"
Emerald didn't answer.
"Look," the Whiskered Man sighed, "I'm not going to hurt you-
Tiny hands balled into fists at her sides. "Then leave me alone already!"
"Can't to that either." he shook his head and stood once more. "Its cold out here. You're in bad shape already...
Emerald's stomach growled softly. Sure enough, the Whiskered man heard it.
...and you look like you haven't eaten in days." His brow furrowed. "Here. I've got just the thing."
He stepped back dipped a hand into his pocket. Emerald stiffened, expecting to see a weapon. She received something else entirely.
"Take it." a calloused hand offered her a granola bar. "You need this more than I do."
She found herself stretching a hand towards it. "Food...?"
Emerald felt her tummy cramp up at the sight, drawing a whimper from her dry throat. She'd managed to catch a rat last week and drink a bit of water from a dirty puddle, but with winter coming, anything else had been hard to come by. The prospect of food - actual meal!- was too much to endure. Food. Hers. Now! With that the last thread of her self control broke and she snapped; tan hands ripped the snack from his hands, tore away the wrapper, and shoved it into her mouth. She wolfed it down like a starving animal. So good!
"Well, that was fast." The Whiskered man chuckled. "Still hungry?"
Her dirty face flamed with embarrassment. He'd caught her red-handed.
"N-No, I'm fine." Emerald protested, throwing the wrapper way. "I don't need anymore-
Her stomach growled anew, a weak painful sound that she couldn't ignore. She glared up at him in quiet defiance.
The Whiskered Man chortled softly and patted her head. She scowled at him. He laughed. "Don't worry. It'll be my treat."
(.0.0.0.)
Glynda found him by chance.
Really, it was blind bloody luck that she blundered into Naruto Uzumaki at all; some might even call it fate. Destiny, perhaps. Or maybe just plain bad luck. Who could say? Not she, certainly. Rather than rush back home after work as she often did, she'd chosen to take a detour tonight. Nothing elaborate or fancy, just a simple excuse to satisfying her craving for junk food, little more. No. There certainly wasn't anything wrong with that. A quick bite to eat, and then she'd be be gone, off to take a nice hot back and attend to some much-needed paperwork.
"Say, aaah." her ears perked up as she heard a voice.
It was pure chance that she found him sitting on one of the bar stools within.
"Aaah." a young voice answered, then cut off into paroxysms of utter bliss. "Mmm! So good!"
"Told ya it would be."
She found him talking to one of the street urchins. Feeding her, actually. As she looked on he pushed a cheeseburger into a little girl's hands and bid her to eat. Glynda took her in at a glance. Poor thing looked a right state. She was small. Frail. Bright scarlet eyes framed by mind green hair and dark skin, her clothes little more than ruined rags. They couldn't hide how thin she was beneath, nor the haste in which she devoured her dinner. She ate it as though it were her last meal on earth. For all she knew, it might well be.
"Seconds!" the urchin hands slammed down on the table and disabused her of such a notion.
One blond brow rose in what might've been amusement on his part. "Seconds...?"
"Umf." Her brow furrowed in mild consternation. "Seconds, please?"
A hand patted her head, tousling her green hair. "Thatta girl."
He gave her another burger and she attacked it like a rabid Beowolf. Glynda's heart skipped a beat even as a few patrons cooed and awed at the heartwarming scene. Huh. Criminal or not, he was good with children. Who knew? It didn't line up with what she'd seen from the footage, but there could be no denying the sight before her.
"You're really not -mmf- going to hurt me, are you?" the urchin asked between hasty bites. "This isn't a trick? I don't owe you anything?"
"Nope." Naruto smacked his lips as polished off a burger of his own. "Soon as we're done here I'll take you home."
Her nose wrinkled and she seemed to shrink in on herself. "Don't got no home."
This time, he let her horrid grammar go. "You do, now."
Glynda slid into a nearby seat and watched intently. Raising a fist to her lips, she concealed a small smile there. She would be silent...for now. Best not to spook them. Either of them. The girl would almost certainly bolt, but she feared her fellow blond's reaction all the more. Anyone who could outrun -and outfight!- someone like Summer was an individual to be wary of. Whatever strange fire semblance he wielded, she wanted no part of it. A waiter saw her and made to approach, threatening to blow her cover wide open. Glynda glared green daggers at him until he retreated.
Only once they'd finished their meal did she dare make a move.
"Excuse me, good sir." she coughed once more when neither noticed her. "May I have a moment of your time?"
His shoulders stiffened and she knew he'd sensed her. A lone eye peered back at her as he frowned.
"Oh, hey!" said frown vanished when he saw her. "I remember you. How's it going?"
He offered her his and and without thinking, she shook it.
Just as well too, because Glynda found herself at something of a loss for it. He was happy to see her. Cordial, even. There was no hostility in his smile, not so much as a glimmer of ill intent in his unwrapped eye. Why would there be? They had met briefly and parted on good terms. He scarcely knew her; indeed, she was a stranger to him. By contrast, she had seen enough footage of him to glean some measure of the man. He was the sort who didn't take injustice lying down and not afraid to fight back when pressed. Really, it wasn't fair. For him.
"I'm well, thank you for asking." she allowed a small smile to break through her carefully erected facade. "I never got your name that day."
"Naruto Uzumaki." his fingers squeezed hers, sending a faint pulse of warmth shooting up her arm. "And you are?"
Time slowed to a crawl in her mind's eye, allowing Glynda to take stock of several factors. He favored his right hand. There was a dust pistol strapped to his belt in a visible holster beneath his coat, and a brace of knives just beneath his sleeve. His posture was...not necessarily loose, but neither could it be called tense. He reminded her of a spring, coiled and ready to leap into action at the slightest provocation. Not hunter-trained to be sure, but dangerous all the same.
"Glynda Goodwitch." she said none of these things and gave her name instead, gaze sliding to the girl at his side. "Is this one yours...?"
Emerald stiffened, red eyes taking on a panicked look.
"Nah, just helpin' her out." the whiskered warrior waved a hand lazily as their palms parted. "Was there something you wanted? I mean, it really is great to see you again an' all, but I'm thinking there's a reason you came over here. After all," his visible blue eye twinkled with some hidden emotion she didn't recognize. "You've been staring at my back for the last five minutes."
He'd noticed her? That suggested a sensory semblance of some kind. "How did you-
Naruto tapped a finger to his skull. "Bit of a trade secret, that."
With the other hand, the blond pushed a slice of chocolate cake towards little Emerald. The urchin fell upon it with relish. She didn't bother to use utensils. Glynda winced in silent pity and after a moment's thought, gently levitated a glass of milk across the counter for her to drink. Emerald downed it instantly. She didn't miss the flash of surprise that burned through Naruto's gaze, nor the appreciation that followed. Some said the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Untrue. The way to a man's heart was through his children. He certainly seemed to hover over Emerald as if she was his.
"So?" her target leaned back against the counter. "Why are you here, Glynda?"
Glynda considered his words for a moment.
He hadn't made any real effort to hide. Did he not know of the bounty on his head? Not merely in Vale, but the SDC had levied one against him as well for the destruction at the docks. He wasn't acting like it. That implied ignorance on his part...or confidence. Perhaps a strange blend of both. In truth, she was tempted to think the former, but experience would suggest the latter.
"I am here," she began slowly, choosing her words with infinite care, "To speak with you."
"Aren't we doing that?" His smile began to shrivel.
...and to understand your motives."
Just like that Naruto's visible eye turned to ice and the air around him boiled with tension; an anger so thick that Glynda nearly choked on it. In retrospect, she should have phrased that better. He sat just a little straighter and Glynda found herself forced to mirror the motion lest she be caught flatfooted. Beside them, Emerald hesitated, her cake all but forgotten as the two blondes squared off against one another. A lonely blue orb scorched itself red as it glared into Glynda's green. Neither backed down.
Naruto spoke first. "Here to take me in, are you?"
"No." she laid her hands flat on the counter where they could be seen. "But you killed a man. I would ask why."
"Then I'll ask you to join me for a drink. Here." he pushed a glass her way. "Bottoms up."
Glynda glowered at it like poison. "Alcohol?"
"After everything I've been through, it was this, or take up smoking." He laughed at her chagrined expression, then wrinkled his nose. "Can't stand the smell."
The huntress tipped it to her lips and drank quickly, scowling as it burned her throat. If he thought to get her drunk, he would be dissapointed. She could hold her liquor better than most. Her gaze flicked to Naruto, who in turn murmured something into Emerald's ear. The little girl nodded and scooted that much closer, tucking herself into his right side. Grave red eyes focused intently on her. Glynda ignored the child. She could stare all she wanted; she a wasn't a threat in the least. What could she possibly do?
"That's fair." Naruto surprised her with an easy nod and a shot of his own. "You saw the footage. Winchester was a monster. Would you rather I let him live?"
No. But she didn't dare say that. Instead she chewed her lip and looked away.
"You didn't see what I saw." he pressed the attack. "That cell...it was well used. Who can say how many women he tormented in his time?"
She knew the answer, naturally. Of course she did. She'd dug into the case at Ozpin's request. Winchester had kidnapped faunus women over the last decade for his own twisted design. He was more than responsible for a rash of disappearances across the slums and lower city. Never more than once a month and never anyone important, but looking back at them now, it all seemed so obvious. How could they have been so blind? Someone had gone to great lengths to cover his misdeeds. That someone was still out there. Would they ever be found?
Where was the justice in that?
...dozens." she whispered the word. "If not more. The authorities turned a blind eye to it. Rest assured, we will bring them to justice."
"But wasn't it Beacon who failed to notice his crimes in the first place?" Naruto snatched another glass from the bartender and slid it her way. Glynda grabbed it and downed it with ease. This time the burn hit just a little harder. It proved a welcome feeling. "Doesn't the blame fall on them?"
"We kill Grimm. Monsters." she clarified when his brow rose. "Not men."
"Sometimes monsters wear human skin. And my point stands." when she didn't answer he knocked back a third glass and granted her a growl. "No one brought that thing to justice. Even if by some miracle he was arrested, with his resources, he would've been out in less than a day." his shoulders rose in a shrug. "So I brought justice to him. I'll not apologize for what I did. Killing isn't something I enjoy but that man...no." he shivered. "This world is better off without him. I wouldn't tolerate that kinda crap in my world and I won't here."
Glynda blinked and adjusted her spectacles. "Your world? What...?"
"Oops." He granted her a lopsided grin. "Sorry. Slip of the tongue. Been hanging around Roman too long. Your turn. Drink up!"
Her brow furrowed, but she refused to back down in the face of a challenge. Why did her tongue feel heavy? "Torchwick is a bad influence.
His grin grew. "Not nearly as bad as you might think."
"Hmm." Glynda wondered if it was. Another glass came and went between the two of them. "Nevertheless, there's a price on your head over this. Aren't you worried about being caught?" He took another drink, and not one to be outdone, she matched him for it. And a second. Followed by a third. A pleasant heat began to burn in her belly.
"What price?"
"See for yourself" she pointed past him, to a flyer mounted on the wall. "Right there."
"Wait, what're you on about...eh? What's this?" Naruto frowned, blinking owlishly at the poster before him. He reached out and ripped it from the wall. His visible bulged at what he saw. "The SDC put a bounty on me. One million lien?! You've gotta be kidding!"
"After the money you've cost him at the docks? Jacques Schnee is howling for your head. He's calling you a dust terrorist."
"Terrorist?!" The whiskered warrior flung up his arms. "How does that make any sense?! I've never met the man! I...no. No, this is fine." much to her chagrin he mastered himself before his emotions could get the better of him. "They certainly won't catch me." the whiskered warrior smacked his lips. "I'm just a clone. Anyone tries it with the boss and he'll break their backs."
Clone? The odd way he said it stuck with Glynda. "Is that your semblance?"
"Sem-?" His visible eye twinkled with mirth. "Sure. Lets call it that."
"You say you've done no wrong then?" she shot back at him.
"Nah. Its not like I intend to make a habit of this."
Another shot. The world began to blur at the edges and Glynda's temper began to fray. Surely she hadn't had that much? Emerald was still looking at her. No, it didn't matter. Enough. They weren't getting anywhere with this. He knew it. She knew it. At this rate they'd come to blows, and while she was certain she could triumph in a fair fight, the damage would be catastrophic. She couldn't fight in such an enclosed space, not without risking the lives of civilians. She wasn't even sure she wanted to.
Numb fingers set another glass down. Her stomach roiled. She hiccuped.
Naruto noticed. "Alright, I think you've had one too many-
Her fist crashed down on the bar. "Another."
The terrified bartender complied.
Glynda knocked it back.
Ah! Much better! Life was so much better when you didn't have to think.
"Look...you...you're alright. We didn't mean to fuck you over like that. I mean, I wasn't part of it." Marshaling her faltering resolve, the deputy-headmistress shook her head to clear the fog that had fallen over her, willed herself to sit up straight, and look Naruto in the eye. Well, she managed a tired slouch. Points for effort. "Ozpin could explain-
"Ah." his mouth formed a thin line of displeasure. "So you're with little miss white-cloak, then? Should've known."
Just like that, Glynda's temper slipped its tattered leash; with it, weeks worth of frustration came boiling to the surface. She couldn't stop herself.
"I ain't with that bitch!" A familiar accent slipped into her voice as she slammed both palms down on the table and leaned forward, smashing her forehead against his. "Summer Rose is a child in a woman's body, a girl masquerading as a huntress!" She tried to hold her anger back, she really did, but her irritation would no be denied. "She's loud, unruly, rash, full of herself, with no sense of self preservation!" Her voice gained a wicked edge, a shadow of her past rearing over her words like an angry dragon. "Bah! I'd like to take her over my knee and thrash some sense into her behind!"
Laughter burst out of him, and to her surprise, she found herself mirroring it.
"Seems you don't get along." he handed her a fresh drink, snatching one up one of his own. Their glasses clinked together. "Something we have in common."
"That's putting it lightly!" A gamut of emotions flashed through her mind and across her face. "Honestly, Team STRQ is the worst of the bunch! Bad enough that Raven flew the coop," she laughed bitterly, "But because of her, the rest can't seem to get their act together! Qrow drinking himself into an early grave, Tai's miserable, and Summer's still trying to drag her back! Honestly!" she They're acting like children. Brats, the lot of them! They'd make awful par...parents!" she struggled for a moment before she found the word. "Yeah, that's the one!"
Oh, dear. A tiny, rational part of herself balked. We're drunk. Oh gods, we're actually drunk. This is actually happening.
A curious look flitted across the criminal's face. "Should you be telling me all this?"
Glynda knew she shouldn't. Did she care? Not at all.
"Don't even get me started on the other teachers!" her head kissed the cool counter, heedless of the baffled look her gave her. "Port waxes on and on about his glory days, so much so that he bores every class to sleep! Oobleck's high on coffee half the time. Ozpin's jumping at shadows! And me!" Face flushed, she rounded him. "Work, work, work! Its all I ever do these days! Protect Beacon, Glynda. Ensure Beacon's reputation, Glynda. Keep the students in line, Glynda. Do as you're told, Glynda! Glynda, Glynda, GLYNDA!" her voice broke as a snarl tore out of her. "All that work, without so much as a thank you! I don't even have a life anymore!"
Her fellow blond leaned back, pinching his nose. "That's...unfortunate?"
He had no idea.
"I used to be someone, you know?" Feelings long forgotten clawed at Glynda's heart, deafening her to all else; she barely heard a word he said. "Before Oz, before Beacon, before everytin'. Life was so much simpler back then. If I disliked someone, I beat them into the ground. If I saw injustice, I fought it. Now...? Too much red tape!" Her semblance spiked and the glass leaped out of her hand to shatter against the wall. Someone yelped in the background. Glynda ignored it. Green eyes narrowed upon her target instead. "I don't know who I am these days. How do you do it?"
"Do what?"
"Help people!" she grabbed a fistful of his shirt, nearly hauling him off the stool he sat upon. "What're your motive?! What's your endgame?!"
"Don't really have one." Naruto lifted his chin in defiance. "I see someone suffering, I do something about it. That's all."
"Consequences be damned?" She grappled with the words.
"Yup." His head bobbed at her in stoic agreement.
Glynda frowned. "Even if it means killing?"
"Even then."
"There it is. You're proud of what you do." Her brow furrowed. Why were there three of him? Eh. Didn't matter. "You're like me. You were forced onto...this...this...oh blast it!" She couldn't find the word she was looking for. Didn't matter. "You don't regret what you do. How do I get that feeling back?"
"I don't know." he seemed almost sad to tell her the truth. "That's something you need to discover on your own. Do what you love."
Those words hit her like a slap in the face. What did she love. The question alarmed her and in a moment of beautiful lucidity she balked at it. For so long she had been focused on her job, her duty, maintaining the status quo. Training up the next generation of huntsmen and huntresses was a part of that to be sure, but did she enjoy it? Of course she did!
...didn't she?
Naruto made a gesture at Emerald, slashing his hand once in the air. Glynda didn't see her nod.
A pall of silence fell over them. Something lurched in the back of the huntress's head and she swayed in her seat, feeling dangerously woozy. Yet this so-called "clone" looked quite steady on his feet. As if he hadn't drunk a drop. Was she missing something? Emerald wasn't looking at her anymore, yet she could see the faintest hint of a smile on the girl's face. How little she knew. Naruto's clone had been drinking water this entire time.
Why did she feel sick?
"Right, then." Naruto stood slowly, enunciating every word. "This has been an...enlightening conversation. You've given me a lot to think about. Here's what we're doing to do. I am going to walk out that door." his visible eye flicked to the fidgeting girl tucked against his side. "I'm taking Emerald with me. I'm going to give her a life. A home. Somewhere safe. And you?" his gaze narrowed. "You're going to tell this "Ozpin" fellow to leave me be. Maybe we'll talk again."
Somewhere safe, he'd said.
The optics of that weren't lost on Glynda, blitzed though she was. Even now she could feel the weighty gaze of the other patrons heavy upon her. Any one of them could have the police. That they hadn't spoke volumes to their intent. Public opinion was already leaning against Beacon to begin with. Any action on her part might send it teetering over the edge. If she prevented him from helping a child...it would be political suicide. No matter what claim she made after the fact, it would be the end of her. Not just her career. Her. She'd never work in Vale again.
Shame flooded her face and a burst of reason broke through the haze. Oh gods. She'd gotten herself drunk. She'd told him things. So many things. And so she looked away.
"Huh." a note of surprise threaded its way through his voice as she did. "Seems you've got a good head on your shoulders. Maybe you're in the wrong line of work."
"Wait!"
Glynda's head whipped around. Perhaps it was the whiskey. Maybe it was arrogance on her part. Perhaps neither. Regardless, her arm moved of its own accord. Firm fingers snared his wrist. An incredibly bad idea, even while sober. To do so while drunk? That was just downright foolish. Yet she couldn't bring herself to let go of him.
"Oh, c'mon! Are we really doing this?! Lemme go!" The clone scowled down at her. "Now!"
"Give me a chance to convince you." she spoke slowly, forcing back her anger to speak with the same veneer she always had. "You've only seen the dark side of Vale. Let me show you the light."
His mouth quirked. But he didn't move. "Corny."
"Today's Monday." emotion flowed from her like fine wine, drowning his protests before they could break the surface. "We'll meet back here Sunday. Allow me the opportunity. That's all I ask. You won't regret it."
"I'm regretting all kinds of things right now...and why?" A flicker of red burned through his blue eye. "So your bloodhound can arrest me? No, I don't think so-
"Never!" she all but spat the word. "If Rose shows here face here, I'll clap her in irons m'self!"
He was warming to her suggestion. She just knew it. "This better not be a trick."
"It isn't."
"Huh. Guess its a date, then." He leaned back. "Never had one of those before. Should be a novel experience."
Fresh color flooded Glynda's face, burning her pale cheeks a rosy shade of red. "I beg your pardon?!"
Without thinking, she released him.
The very moment she did, a hand flicked to his belt and grabbed something there. "Emerald!"
Quick as a flash, the girl latched onto him. The smoke bomb crashed down and noxious smog flooded the room. Glynda reeled back and fell out of her seat with a yelp. Even intoxicated, she still had enough wits about her to defend herself. A hand rose and pulled her weapon from its holster on her thigh. She slashed the smoke away with her Semblance a moment later, but the deed was gone. When she looked back, he was gone, and Emerald with him. They'd even paid the tab. Huh. That was kinda nice of them. Oh gods. She felt dizzy.
Glynda groaned and pressed her head into the floor. It felt quite cool. Maybe she should just lay here for awhile.
And from this simple exchange, everything would change.
So was the seed of an idea planted.
(.0.0.0.)
"Wake up, old friend. We've got a city to build."
Naruto jerked upright at his desk as a familiar voice beckoned to him.
Almost immediately, he felt a headache coming on. A migraine, worse than any other. It came out of nowhere. Beneath the bandages, he felt Sasuke's eye begin to throb, no doubt responding to his irritation. He exhaled deeply, willing himself to be calm, but serenity wasn't quick to come. Bad enough that they needed to find a way into Mountain Glenn without raising a fuss, but now this? Of all the times! He was beginning to think the damn thing was bloodthirsty, strange as it might sound. Eyes weren't supposed to have a will of their own. Sasuke was long gone, but even now twinges of phantom pain persisted.
He placed a hand over the throbbing iris and grit his teeth in spite of it, willing the pain to subside. It didn't.
"Really? Did you honestly think it would be that easy?"
Stop. He snarled as his vision began to turn red. Go away. This is my body, not yours. Your owner is dead. You're just a memory.
"A memory?" Bitter laughter answered. "No, Naruto. I am many things, but I will never be a memory."
Well, that wasn't ominous at all. When the pain didn't abate, the jinchuuriki flared his chakra and flung it at the aching orb, clamping down on the paths there. Under his strangle hold the pain reluctantly receded, allowing him to think once more. A bead of sweat ran down his brow and he flicked it away with one hand. What was that just now?
He could've sworn he heard a voice-
"You did." the verbal riposte had him flinching. "Though there's something to be said for being dead. I should be angry at you. Instead, I feel strangely...proud." Something shifted in his peripheral vision and he caught a flash of dark hair in his mind's eye."Because you finally understand. You're a killer now. Just like me. You understand the weight of a life. As you should." a hand patted his shoulder. "This world is rotten, through and through. I'll look forward to purging it with you."
"No." Naruto pinched his brow and refused to look at it. "This is a dream. Get out of my mind."
"I can't. You killed me. Put my eye in your head. And so here I am. Look."
His gaze snapped up and he gazed upon death.
Sasuke Uchiha reclined against a nearby wall, wisps of black flame trailing from his body. Not a real. Not a wraith. Something else. Something between the two. A small, bemused smirk plucked at his face. He was missing an eye. The very same eye that had been stolen from him. Yet he seemed more alive for it-no. This couldn't be him. He refused to accept it. Ghosts weren't real. Chakra ghosts certainly weren't a thing...were they?
"You're not Sasuke."
"Aren't I?" the Uchiha cocked his head to one side. "I feel like Sasuke. I have his thoughts, his memories, his emotions. His drive for vengeance against the wicked, and of course, his regret." he tapped a finger to the empty socket of his eye. "I remember my final moments. The agony as you tore out my eye. I should be blind, but now I see all that you see." his lips pursed in a thin line. "It's proven a rather enlightening experience thus far. This world is even more corrupt than ours."
A book sailed through his incorporeal form and struck the wall. "Eyes don't work that way!"
"Mine does." His lone orb swiveled. "And you have company."
...you alright there, boss?"
Naruto rounded on the sound, realizing he wasn't alone. "Excuse me?"
"You're excused." Roman waved a hand and sauntered into the room with a smirk. "Here. Catch."
Something flew from his palm and landed on the desk with a loud thud. The whiskered warrior frowned at it. "What's this?"
"A weapon." came the cheery reply. "Like I said earlier, you need one, so I called in a few favors. You're welcome. This was a bitch to get into the city."
Naruto glanced to the wall. Sasuke was nowhere to be seen.
Try as he might to ignore it, the blond found his eyes drawn to the strange device all the same. All silver and black with an ebony emitter, it certainly didn't look like a weapon. More a hilt that anything else. He pulled it into the palm of his hand and cradled it for a moment, considering its weight. Not heavy, but not light either. There was was even a ring at its base where he could clip it to his belt. Closer inspection revealed an activation stud of some kind just below where a thumb would be...
"Maybe don't use it here." his partner put in quickly before he could press it. "You're liable to wreck the room if you start swinging it around. Best to use it outdoors."
Well, now he was just curious! Still, Roman's words served to snap him out of his daze. On a whim, he clipped it to his belt. Roman's grin grew another inch.
"I don't need a weapon." his words caused it to die an ugly death.
"Yes, you do!" his ally slammed one hands down on the lacquered wood, the motion sending stray papers flying. "I don't know how things worked in your world, but here?" He splayed both palms now and leaned forward, trapping what remained beneath his gloves. "Weapons are more than just beat sticks. They reflect who we are."
Just as quickly he sprang back and brandished his cane.
"Take me for instance." he held up Melodic Cudgel for further inspection. "I'm a refined gentlemen. I have a code. My weapon reflects that."
A blond brow rose. "Roman, your cane's a glorified walking stick that doubles as a shooter."
"Exactly! Refined."
"Alright, fine. I'll bite." he shrugged, pushing himself upright in his chair. "What does that make Neo, then? She enjoys stabbing a little too much for my liking."
Roman winced. "Point taken. But if you want to do this, and we ARE doing this, then we need to do it with style. Think about it."
Naruto flung his arms up into the air. "You gave me a damn hilt for crying out loud!"
"Its...not quite a hilt." Roman hedged. "Trust me, you'll know when you use it."
Sure. Because that wasn't dangerous at all. What was it, a saber of pure light or something? It had be something special, else Roman would've let him use the damn thing by now. The idea gnawed at him, and once more his gaze flitted back to the cylinder bound to his belt. Fine. He'd resist the temptation...for now. He didn't need a weapon, no matter what Roman said.
He leaned back in his chair. "You're not going to let this go, are you?"
"Not a chance in hell! We're all over the news! I'm not letting you out there 'till you look your best."
Naruto launched a stapler at him. The thief ducked with nimble grace.
"C'mon, boss. What if that hit me in the face? The ladies of Vale would be so disappointed."
"They're calling us the Flame, you know." Roman tapped his cane against the ground once for emphasis. "You, me, and Neo. Like I said, all over the news."
Naruto recoiled, face screwing up in a grimace. "Ugh, no! That's a tacky name! I don't like it!"
"Fair enough." Roman allowed. "How about the Torch?"
Sasuke snorted in the back of his head.
Naruto wasn't having it. "NO!"
"Alright, alright, we'll work on the name later. By the way," his compatriot put in suddenly, "The bunny's finally up."
Naruto spun. "Eh?"
"Stop hiding over there already!" the thief called over his shoulder. "You've been lurking in the hall for the last five minutes!"
A muffled squeak answered him.
Not a heartbeat later, Satin Scarlatina poked her head into the doorway. Her ears, now healed, drooped over her head at having been caught out.
Naruto felt his eyes bulge as he saw what she was wearing. "Roman...what the hell."
"What?" his ally whistled innocently. "Blue looks good on her."
Blue did look good on Satin. Very good indeed.
By the sage that dress clung to her like sin. Naruto's heart kicked against his chest at the sight, pulling a flush and an embarrassed cough from him. She reminded him of a kicked puppy as she limped into the room, noticeably favoring her right leg. The sight burned away his anxiety. Three days after her rescue and she still wasn't fully healed. She might walk with a lurch for the rest of her life. Just thinking of it made his blood boil all over again. No. She would be fine. She had to be. It had only been a few days after all. Satin would recover...she just had to.
"You're awake." Why, yes! She was! Way to state the obvious, brain. Foot, meet mouth. "How're you feeling?"
She shrugged one shoulder weakly. He tried another avenue of attack.
"Where's Velvet? How is she?"
"She's asleep. Neo's watching her." Apparently it was the right thing to say, for she gave him a smile softer than her namesake. "Thank you for that, by the way."
Now it was Naruto's turn to blink. "For what?"
"For rescuing her, of course." the brunette dithered a moment more, no doubt trying to marshal her courage. Brown eyes flicked up to his face before seeking the floor. "And...and for saving me." A quick, nervous breath followed. "If it weren't for you," she began to hyperventilate. "I'd still be...my daughter would be...
No, no, no. They weren't revisiting those memories. He flung up a hand. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."
...thank you." she wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. "I'm getting better. Really, I am. I just need time. May I sit?"
Roman didn't run out of the room. He blurred.
"Here ya go, kiddo." he returned forthwith and presented her with a chair from the kitchen. "Easy on the leg now."
Satin flicked him a grateful look and sank into the seat.
"There's no need to thank me." Naruto held up a hand again to forestall an argument. "Anybody would have done the same."
Half a pace behind Satin, Roman flinched. Naruto didn't miss the motion.
"No. They wouldn't." she shook her head slowly. Not for a Faunus."
"You're kidding, right?"
The horror she'd endured at Winchester's hands...that was wrong. No two ways about it. That toad had fed her sister to his dogs. There was no black and white here. You didn't kidnap people. You didn't lock them in your basement. And you certainly didn't torture them, abuse them, cripple them...!
"You were right to avenge her." Sasuke walked around Velvet, idly patting her shoulder. His hand phased right through. "One less monster in the world. But our work has only begun."
His bound eye flared to life and Naruto clamped a hand over it.
Shut up. You're not talking to me. Not, not, not!
"I know you're new to all this, but...well." Roman shrugged helplessly when it became apparent Satin wasn't willing to continue. "That's the way its always been. Why do you think the White Fang's turning violent? They've tried peaceful protest. Shit like that doesn't work. Words can only do so much. You need action."
White Fang? Naruto made a mental note to read up on them later. For now, there were more pressing issues at hand. His gaze strayed back to Satin, still fidgeting restlessly before him. Skittish. Afraid. Ready to bolt. "If you want," he cleared his throat, "We could find you and Velvet a place to stay-
"NO!" her foot cracked down, splintering the wooden floor. She flinched almost immediately, realizing what she'd done. "Um...no. Please." her voice turned frantic, words rushing out of her like a flood damned up for far too long. "I'd rather stay here if its all the same to you. I don't have anywhere left to go."
"Surely you had a house before this...?"
Satin scowled at the floor in stoic silence and refused to answer. A knot clenched in Naruto's stomach.
"I checked." Roman fumbled for a cigar and lit it to hide his own anger. "She had an apartment. Not anymore. Landlord tossed her things. That's why her kid was on the streets. I checked. Didn't like having a "no-good animal fucker" as a tenant. Imagine that."
"Injustice at its finest." Sasuke reappeared, idly circling the desk. "Perhaps we should pay him a visit."
"Why stay with us, though?" Naruto ignored the voice and pressed his point. "We're criminals."
He was, wasn't he? In killing Winchester -good riddance!- he'd set himself on a path of no return. You didn't just murder a man and come back squeaky clean. Some might see him as a hero, but the fact remained that he had burned more than a few bridges. For better or worse, his fate was tied with Roman and Neo...for now.
"You're not." Satin set her jaw, surprising them both.
Roman inhaled deeply and exhaled smoke. "Sweetheart, I beg to differ. We are."
"You're not!" Satin stomped down with her right foot again, voice piquing in anger. "Criminals don't save civilians. Criminals don't rescue little girls. Criminals didn't save me!" much to Naruto's dismay, she stabbed a finger at him. "You did! That makes you a hero! Anyone who says otherwise can go kiss my-
"Lips?" Roman interjected with a shit-eating grin. In her anger, Satin didn't miss a beat.
"Well, yeah, I'd hop on that in a second and ride him all day...long...oh." Her entire face turned rose red as the weight of her words caught up with her. "Um...I mean...well...maybe pretend you didn't hear that?"
Naruto's jaw clicked open. "Do you not have a filter or something?"
Her ears drooped pitifully. "Not really...?"
A Scroll clicked in the background.
Naruto and Satin spun.
"ROMAN?!"
"What?" the master thief lowered his camera with a wide grin, wholly unrepentant for his crimes. "Gotta document this for posterity. I didn't think you were even interested in girls, boss." He raised it higher, just in case Satin tried to snatch it. "But hey, the bunny's clearly sweet on ya, so who am I to protest?"
She burst from her chair and made a keening noise through her teeth. "I am not!"
Torchwick's grin grew to shit-eating proportions. "Really?"
Naruto knew what was coming. "Roman. Don't."
Satin tried to grab the scroll, to no avail.
"Presenting exhibit A!"
Rather than retreat, Roman whipped his scroll around and shoved it right in Satin's face. The faunus froze as a new photo was revealed. This one damned the young mother. Her ears shot ramrod straight. Doe brown eyes widened. Her lips parted, forming a small oval of silent surprise as a trembling finger rose. She swiped it at the screen and flicked it away. Another image came on. Followed by a third. Heat crept up her neck and crawled into her cheeks. Gibberish tumbled from her mouth for a good three seconds before she recovered some semblance of speech.
"W-W-When did this happen?!"
Naruto's forehead kissed the desk. "Here we go...
"While you were recovering." Roman snickered, relishing her wide eyes. "You were quite the cuddle-bunny. Boss spent the entire day in bed with you...and your kid." another picture had her squeaking. "Regular human pillow, that one. Didn't ya wonder why she's callin' him daddy?"
A choked noise escaped the blond's throat at the reminder. Satin rounded on him for it; he felt her gaze burning a hole into him. "When did she do this?!"
Maybe if he headbutted the desk hard enough he would pass out? Alas, it didn't work. "While you were sleeping...
"See?" Roman held his scroll up like his namesake. "Ain't much of a secret if everyone knows"
Steam rose from the poor girl's rosy face. "Those pictures. Delete them. Now."
Roman pivoted on a heel. "Dunno...I'll have to take it up with the boss."
"Torchwick."
"Yeah, whiskers?"
Naruto smiled. "Never turn your back on angry woman."
He never saw the shadow behind him. "C'mon, she's harmless-GACK?!"
With a war cry that would make even the mighty Hazel Rainart quake in his boots, Satin crashed into Roman's back and drove him to the floor in a tumble of arms and legs. Naruto slapped a hand to his forehead as the two tried tangled with one another. Well, this was embarrassing. Still, it wasn't as if this could get any worse...right? He looked left. He looked right. Nothing happened. Maybe he should knock on wood. One never knew when destiny would damn them, much less fate flip them the bird.
Sasuke stepped through their flailing forms like the wraith he was. His lone eye fixed on the door. "Your clone has returned."
Sure enough, it crashed open, swatting both Roman and Satin into a wall.
"I AM HERE!"
...because it got worse. So much worse.
"Found her, boss!" a familiar voice declared. "Say hello, Emerald!"
The little girl riding on his shoulders off a tiny, timid wave in their general direction. "Hello."
Naruto didn't twitch when his stray shadow clone sauntered into the room grinning from ear to ear. He didn't frown. He certainly didn't consider drilling his copy a new hole between the eyes. Nope. Certainly not. Anyone who said otherwise was a liar and a traitor. He was calm. Collected. Composed. A rock in the storm. Nothing could budge him.
Sasuke rolled his...well...eye. "Bullshit."
Naruto's composure broke. Buzz off!
Meeting Emerald for the first time was a rather curious sensation; if only because he knew her through glimpses from his shadow clones. This was his first time seeing her in the flesh. He'd sent three shadow clones after her altogether. Third time was the charm, it seemed. The last seemed to have corralled her, if not calmed her somewhat.
"Trust me, you're gonna love her~!"
Roman cried out from the floor. "Like I said. This. Ain't. An. ORPHANAGE!"
Little Emerald stuck out her tongue at him and flung a shoe at his head besides.
Satin saw her chance for what it was and snatched Roman's scroll from his grasp when he wasn't looking. A quick of her wrist flung it down where she stomped it to death with her right foot. Stomped hard. That had to be Semblance or something. No civilian -even with her aura recently unlocked- possessed that kind of strength. From there, she took one look at the wiry child and her motherly instincts kicked in.
"She's adorable! Can we keep her?!"
Meanwhile, his doppelganger took in the scene before them and blinked. "Is this a bad time?"
Naruto grit his teeth. "Yes."
"Oh. Well, sorry about that." the clone beamed. "Also, I'm pretty sure we -and when I say we, I mean you- got gang pressed into a date with Glynda Goodwitch this weekend. She's the blond chick we nearly ran over a while back. What're the chances, eh?"
Emerald blinked. Satin blanched. Roman howled with laughter. Sasuke clapped slowly. Naruto looked like he wanted to leap across the desk and strangle him.
To its credit, his doppelganger saw all of this and realized its immediate peril.
"Riiiiight, then. I'll just dispel myself now. Later, boss!"
Setting little Emerald down, the copy snapped off a salute and did just that, vanishing into so much smoke. No sooner had it done so than its memories -words and emotions!- hit Naruto like physical freight train. The clone was him after all. It acted as he would, and did as he would do. He couldn't even fault its actions. It hadn't intended to be cornered by Goodwitch, but cornered it had been all the same. An angry growl filled the room as his head slammed into the desk. Once. Twice.
"Why me...?!" His head struck the wooden surface a third time for good measure.
Surely, Mountain Glenn couldn't be worse than this. Nope. Not possible. There was just no way.
How little he knew.
(.0.0.0.)
Time passed, as all things do.
(.0.0.0.)
This was it. This, then, was Mountain Glenn.
Naruto felt a grimace pluck at the corner of his mouth as beheld it all.
Velvet whimpered from her place atop his right shoulder. "This place is icky. I don't like it."
All told, he agreed with her. This place looked bad. Real bad. Somehow, Naruto had still expected better. Not for it to still be standing mind you, this city had fallen long ago...but not this. Roman was known to embellish from time to time, after all. But seeing it firsthand wiped any such doubts away like dust in the wind. This wasn't a city. It was a ruin. Worse, it was a ruin infested with Grimm. Even from here he could sense them, and they'd not yet entered the main thoroughfare. By contrast smuggling themselves out of the city had been easy. Barely even took a day, that. But this? This was going to take work. A lot of work.
A long-suffering sigh escaped him. "Roman."
"What?" the thief looked about as nervous as he felt. "Told you the place was a mess. Just needs little elbow grease...gah!"
He touched a wall and it crumbled under his grasp, forcing him to step back or be crushed. Neo flicked him an unflattering gesture. Satin scowled, as did Emerald resting on her back. The little urchin looked fit to faint at any moment. Naruto didn't much blame her. This was no place for a mother and her children. But it wasn't as if they could leave them behind. Not with half of Vale hunting them.
This was the for the best...wasn't it? If this turned out to be a bust, they'd just slip back into the city.
"Alright," Torchwick amended with a sigh as everyone glowered at him, "A lot of elbow grease. But you agreed to this." his cane flicked out, poking him in the chest before the blond swatted it away. "We don't need to fix this place up. Just repair it a little and we'll be fine. I know you can. After all, you've got moxie."
Neo bobbed her head in silent agreement.
"Such optimism." Sasuke's specter walked right through her, drawing a tiny shudder from spritely girl and leaving her glancing left and right as she searched for the source. "Yet your lackey has a point. Restore this place and an army will flock to your banner."
Naruto scowled at the specter. "Don't want an army."
His old nemesis chuckled. "You have no say in the matter. Its already begun."
Naruto grit his teeth until he felt molar crack. It healed almost instantly, but that didn't matter. The pain centered him. Steeling himself, he rolled his shoulders and nudged Velvet off his back. The little faunus whined at him for it, but he held firm and gently-yet-firmly peeled her off of him. "Stay with your mother, sweetheart." Roman was right. But if they were going to do this...might as well commit to it completely. No one wanted to live in a dilapidated ruin filled with Grimm. They would need to be cleared out first.
Lucky for him, he had plenty of idle hands just chomping at the bit.
Naruto crossed his fingers. Roman saw it and balked. "Just how many of those clones can you make?"
For the first time in a long time, the wayward warrior allowed himself to smile. "More than you can possibly imagine."
Now it was Satin's turn to scoff. "You're pulling our legs."
Naruto crossed his fingers, turning his focus inward. And then there was smoke. His companions choked. Not against the haze, but rather what followed it. Chakra pulsed. Once. Twice. Thrice. A strong breeze cleared the haze away, revealing what lay beneath. Roman sputtered. Satin squeaked. And the kids? The kids just stared. He never got tired of that look. It was so...nice to be underestimated, even by his allies.
A sea of familiar faces gazed back at them.
Naruto turned to face them and spread his arms wide. "Boys! Take a walk! Kill every Grimm you find."
They did just that, advancing into the ruined city in a tide of death. Almost immediately, a chorus of angry howls answered, each taken up by another. They soon fell short as they were cut down. Emerald and Velvet each balked at the sight, but Neo, more accustomed to him, offered a polite clap. Naruto tousled her hair for it. Good girl.
Sasuke tugged at his mind. "Company. Vessel approaching the walls."
Sure enough, he heard the faint whine of an engine in the distance. With it, the beginnings of an idea gnawed at him.
"Anybody got a Scroll on them?"
"H-Here." Satin held hers out to him.
"No, keep it." Naruto waved her down. "I want someone to record this."
Before they could ask him what hew as on about, he turned and bolted. It was all too easy to scale the wall; a quick pulse of chakra to his feet let him climb it easily enough; another sent him shooting right over and into the wildlands beyond. Not much, those. A worn dirt road framed by cold and empty plains awaited him beyond. He paid little mind to them. His attention was already elsewhere.
He alighted in a pointed crouch, punched the ground, and kept moving.
Sure enough, he found a bullhead descending only a few yards away. That was what he'd heard.
Three men and one women disembarked its ramp, leaving the vessel to wheel back into the air. Naruto could have cut it down. Instead, he let it go.
His good eye flashed over those who remained. They wore black, and their weapons looked sharp, honed to a razor's edge. Far too clean for his liking. He sensed Aura. Thugs? Huntsmen? Something else? Had they really followed his group all the way out here? Or was it just back luck? Seemed almost too good to be true. Naruto moved to meet them, one hand already reaching for his belt. Instinct demanded he attack, but caution stayed his hand. Who knew what they wanted? They might be allies for all he-
"There he is!" the woman stabbed a finger at him as he drew close. He didn't even deign to remember her appearance. "That's the guy the SDC wants. We're gonna be rich!"
"Well, well." Sasuke appeared beside him in a rush of black smoke. "How lovely. A volunteer."
Aaaand there was his clarification. Now he needn't feel bad about this disaster.
"Just to be clear," Naruto called. "You're here for the bounty, yeah?"
They opened fire. A rush of dark flame snared every shot.
"Give up!" their leader called. "You're surrounded!"
...surrounded, you say?"
Slowly, painstakingly, Naruto began to unbind his eye.
"All I am surrounded by is fear. And dead men." He shook his head, sending the bandages flying free over his shoulder, to flutter away in the breeze. Only then did he turn to face the bounty hunters. Hmph. Grunts, more like. "You misunderstand. Mountain Glenn is not yours. It never belonged to you to begin with. Your plans here? Irrelevant. Your schemes? Pointless." they shrank back as Sasuke's eye burned in his skull. "You didn't come here to negotiate with us; you came here to make us your scapegoats, to kill us, salt the earth, and leave nothing behind. For that?"
A wall of black fire erupted just short of them, cutting off their retreat.
"YOU WILL DIE."
As they cried out in shock, so too did he advance. His right hand drew his new weapon and squeezed its hilt.
With a furious snap-hiss, three fit of purest plasma snarled to life in his grasp; a blade of raw crimson bursting from the hilt to bathe his face and the world in scarlet light. Naruto balked at it for a moment, startled by the spectacle just as much as the bounty hunters. There was no weight. None at all. When he moved his wrist the blade of light -no, a lightsaber!- thrummed angrily, but responded to his will. Huh. Neat. Roman hadn't been kidding. Small wonder he'd had a hard time smuggling this into Vale.
Sasuke hummed in his head. "Not a bad weapon. Lightweight, effective. You should thank Torchwick."
Naruto found himself agreeing, despite his anger. A man could get used to a weapon like this one.
"Do you know how to use a sword?"
"Not really." he shrugged, ducking another shot, followed by a second. "Can't be that hard."
Knowledge flooded his head. "And now you know how. You're welcome."
Naruto brought the saber down in a bloody arc and stalked forward.
Mismatching eyes alighted on the largest of the bunch, a man brandishing a heavy ax. Sasuke's eye flared and the man choked on air. He dropped to his knees, clutching at his throat. Naruto made a fist and he breathed no more. One of his companions opened fire. The other rushed him with a curved sword, even as the last sought to flank him from behind. Rookies. Amateurs all. It didn't matter if they were thugs, or huntsmen, or even disguised specialists. They'd made their bed. Now they would lie in, and die in it. He wasn't to blame for this.
Naruto still felt the faintest stirring of pity in his chest. He quashed it.
The saber of light swept up...and down.
"Goodbye."
(.0.0.0.)
Roman was a man of his word.
He didn't know how or why or even WHEN the boss sensed the intruders, only that he had. This was an opportunity. And he was never one to waste an opportunity. Rather than retreat as any sane man would, he climbed up after him, perched back on the wall, and whistled. "Well, you weren't kidding. Kid can be a good actor when he wants to be. You recording this?"
Satin's head bobbed as she held up her scroll. She didn't look away from her massacre. "Yup."
The thief shook his head slowly. "Vicious little thing. You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
"Yuuup."
Roman looked back and winced as another ruined corpse sailed through the air.
"And he said he didn't know how to use a weapon...ha! Liar."
This? Heh. This was going to be grand.
A/N: Well. A lot happened in this chapter.
Drunk!Glynda is a fun Glynda, and her lack of a past is an absolute boon to writers like me and mine. Poor girl's under a lot of stress. I'm sure you know the angle we're going with here. On another note, we're saving the Amber and Lavender bits for the next chapter; if only because they would've felt rushed here. I really wanted to get this out before New Years!
Well, there we are. Hope you all have a lovely new year, and may it be better than the last.
As ever, reviews are a mighty wind beneath my wings.
Without them...well. I just can't seem to fly.
So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review, Would You Kindly?
And one last thing:
SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS!
PLOT DETAILS AHOY!
YE BE WARNED!
Read if you dare!
(Previews!)
Summer stood...
"Mommy?"
...and sat back down.
"Its nothing, Yang. Mommy's not going anywhere."
Velvet hopped in place. "I want one!"
Emerald raised a timid hand of her own. "Me, too...
Neo turned sparkling eyes on him. Her grin was downright euphoric
"I'm strong, so I want to help those who aren't. Even if its only those closest to me, I want to save the people I can. Its okay if I lose my way, and I won't worry about whether they'll thank me or not. Just save as many people as I can. Even if its only one. When I die, I will be surrounded by people."
"Ever seen what a blade of superheated plasma does to metal? It cuts. Like butter."
"DO NOT. TOUCH MY. FAMILY."
"Join us."
"Hey, ah, boss? We've got somebody from the White Fang here. They wanna talk to you."
"Roman, I'm rebuilding a city. I don't have time to-
A gun clicked against the back of his head. "We weren't asking."
Naruto sighed and rolled both eyes. "Well. That? That's just uncalled for."
Roman sighed. "I'd put the gun away, were I you. You're liable to lose an arm.
R&R~!