Shade's New Blood – Chapter #07
Maron threw her left arm for a block while an incoming fist grazed past her forearm. Another one came, but she had just narrowly dodged to the side as it flew past her face. Jumping back, Maron tried to buy herself some distance, but that was something her opponent did not allow. The punches resumed, coming in faster, stronger, pushing Maron to the brink of being overwhelmed. She was too slow to make any meaningful counter, barely able to get by through sheer luck with her evasive moves and her blocks that slowly started to whittle down her defenses.
A quick fist then hit her arms with enough strength to send her feet skidding against the sandy ground beneath her. Her foe dashed at her, but that was when she pulled her own fist back to her waist, the other held up with an open hand, and waited for the right moment. When it came, she snapped her fist out, surprising her opponent and smashing it into his own hastily made guard, stopping him in his tracks and even staggering him.
"Nice one," Steele complimented, both he and Maron were short of breath and warmed up from their sparring, "But unless you're built like an Ursa, might be best to keep your feet moving instead of rooting yourself."
"Could always catch someone by surprise. Like it did you." Maron suggested slight smirk and an impudent tone in her voice.
"Maybe," Steele began with half a chuckle, "But that's a gamble you can usually only make once." He lowered his guard rolling his shoulder and stretching his arm, "Why'd you wanna' do this anyways? I'm not exactly the best at 'hand-to-hand' you know." He told her
"No reason." Maron was quick to answer, "Just a little change up is all." She lied, doing her best not to remember the club fight. "Whatever," She quickly dropped the subject, "Let's keep going." She put up her guard again.
"Remember what I said about beating your head against a wall?" Steele crossed his arms and frowned. Maron ignored him, whether it was the adrenaline starting to get to her, or her own stubbornness that somewhat clouded her judgement, either way, she charged at Steele with a loaded fist at her side. Her punch missed, then she threw another, and another, and when those didn't work, she spun around to give a back kick that Steele was forced to block. Maron wasn't sure what brought this spout of confidence in her, but she more than welcomed the benefits it brought along.
Swapping to her legs, Maron went pressured Steele who now kept on the defensive. As quick as she could move her legs, Maron gave a thrust kick, took one step forward, then a side kick, another step, then tried to finish with a roundhouse. However, she suddenly found her leg caught and held. Thanks to her previous spinning, she also felt a little dizzy, making staying upright more of a challenge than it should have been even with only one leg left to stand on.
Steele pulled her a bit closer, "Now you're just trying to show off." He said, somewhat annoyed. In retaliation for her aggressiveness, Steele had raised Maron's leg just a little to throw her off balance. With it, he took the opportunity to grab her by the shirt and force her to the ground, the sand cushioning her fall. Maron was pinned to the ground, one arm trapped underneath Steele's knee, a forearm close to her throat, and her leg still kept secured at an uncomfortable angle by her sparring partner. "You're not going to get any better like that." He said to Maron, whose second wind had just finished its course, "Believe me, I'd know." He continued, "No amount of training is going to help if you do it poorly."
"Really? I think it was going quite well." Maron suggested, giving a small 'hah' as she struggled to escape with no success. Unamused, Steele had put a little more pressure on Maron's already stretched leg, earning a regretful, pained response from her, "Ok-ok-ok! I see your point!" She whined as started to feel a sharp sting.
"You must be a handful for your team." Steele commented, letting her free as he got up.
Maron grabbed her own leg, nursing it a little to subside the fading sting she still felt, "Y-Yeah, I guess so." She wasn't very keen about talk about her team. Even if she did, she felt that it'd probably be disingenuous owing to how 'distant' she tried to keep herself. Strange that she felt a little more comfortable here, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Shaking her head, Maron changed topics back to her training, "Maybe we can do some 'live' training outside the city. Real targets might be best for learning or something, right?"
"Ah, that reminds me: We're probably going to have to put a pause on how often we do come out here." Steele said.
"What? Why?" Maron questioned, perplexed at the sudden change in schedule.
"Because Team Lead just accepted a mission that Vacuo put up this morning. Some gang or whatnot tried to rob some store over at the entertainment the other day. So now, the rest of us are being pulled along to investigate."
"I thought they all got arrested?" Maron inquired, keeping quiet about her and Toma's roll in the whole ordeal. She hoped to steal a useful piece of info or two from Steele, maybe something that can shed some light on a possible bigger picture.
"Well, not sure if I should be telling you this, though I guess it isn't exactly a secret, but authorities couldn't get much out of them. Before they could start the actual interrogations, they were all found dead. Not a trace. Erased recordings, no prints, nothing."
"That's… concerning to say the least."
"If you ask me, I've got a feeling that someone wants to keep things quiet about behind the scenes." Steele let out a sigh and walked toward the edge of the training arena where his and Maron's weapons had been set aside. Maron followed suit, not far behind him while he continued, "I guess that's one thing about people that'll never change…" He muttered to himself.
"Eh, people will be people." Maron shrugged, "What? Do you already hate it?" Maron guessed.
"Not exactly, but I just have more of a Grimm preference." Steele started to explain, grabbing his simple duster from the makeshift coat-rack that was his weapon which leaned against a wall. Maron was right behind him, going for her own weapon which was rested next to Steele's as he continued, "Fighting people is… it can be draining, let's say." He started to explain. Steele's once subtle- but always present- casual and positive expression had been replaced with a frown of equal size, one that slowly started to weigh heavier as the seconds passed, as if the young man didn't bother keeping it up anymore.
Maron almost felt concerned about her new companion, or maybe she did but just refused to admit it. Either way she couldn't help but feel tinge of sympathy at the sudden change in mood, "is something the matter?" She asked, a bit uncharacteristically even by her own standards. Yet, she had sudden familiar feeling that something was missing, like a tiny piece of a vast puzzle. She didn't know what it was, but couldn't help but recognize that it was something she felt she ought to should already know.
"No," Steele answered, putting on his duster and pinching it's front together with one tight fist, "Just remembering an old chapter of my life." He said, looking up to the twinkling stars above them in a brief moment of bliss, a look of content returning to his face. "But I suppose there's no point in dwelling in the past." He said, "The people back then wouldn't like that, I don't think." He looked over with a soft, renewed smile.
Maron didn't say a word. She looked off to the side as she grabbed her own forearm reassuringly, a hint of guilt welling within her cause by Steele's words. She briefly shook that feeling from her mind as she continued to listen to him.
"But I digress. Grimm are just much simpler foes to deal with. At most they're just rampaging animals with only aggression in mind, but, ironically, that's what makes them a bit 'tamer', or at least predictable."
"Right…" Maron let out, still unsure of herself right now. Then an idea popped to her mind, "Hey, maybe you can take me along for the experience." She suddenly suggested, still looking for an excuse to do something worthwhile. It would be good experience for her, certainly better that what Blizz had planned for them.
"I'm afraid not." Steele declined.
"Because?"
"Well, Team Lead wouldn't be happy with last-minute additions." Steele replied, securing to his back, "She likes to keep her plans… planned, and I'd rather not get her upset by giving her more work. Besides, this kind of mission might be a bit too difficult for a first-year student."
"Hey, I can hold my own!" Maron claimed, crossing her arms as she threw a little fit at the perceived insult.
"Maybe you can," Steele half-agreed, "But no need to rush to prove yourself. Just stick to textbooks and sparring with your team for now. You'll get your chance soon enough, trust me."
My how she hated that phrase. However, Maron begrudgingly accepted Steele's suggestion, but that didn't mean she had to follow it entirely. With another new idea in her head, Maron followed alongside Steel, the two headed for the arena's exit together, parting ways with simple farewell for the night.
- - o - -
It was early in the night at Vacuo, Shade Academy had finished the last of its classes and its aspiring students were free from the rigors of academics and combat training. Most had called it a night, too exhausted from a day's worth of heat and work, but others were more than happy to once more venture into the city and indulge in its night life. As for Maron, she sat in her dorm waiting for the whole team to get back together.
"Any luck with that friend of yours?" Toma asked. She sat in the middle of their tight dorm, in front of her was a tiny, storable table was placed down for both herself and Maron to share. Bored out of her mind, Toma laid to the side, using her bedroll to keep herself at least somewhat comfortable against the hard floor.
"No." Maron answered, "He only mentioned that his team was already working on it as a mission." She too started to lie down, but on her back. Every time she tried to push Steele's words away, they always seemed to stick with her a little longer than she'd like. Maron slowly closed her eyes to rest, wishing to find peace away from it all in the one reliable way she knew how. Even then, it might be a gamble whether she'd have a restful sleep or not. "How about you?" Maron returned the question, "Did that woman wave you off?"
A small sigh came from Toma, "Might as well have. She said it wasn't our business, and that she was aware of the situation."
"Did you tell her that we were the ones in the middle of it?"
"Might have slipped my mind." Toma waved in the air from the opposite side of the table, "Besides, d'you really think it'd have help? I'll bet she'd just sit us down and demand an explanation before sweeping us back into school to be ignored."
Maron chuckled, "Is that regret I'm hearing?"
"Ah, great. I'm sounding like you now!"
"You're welcome for the eye opener." Maron said smugly.
"Oh, shut up." Toma said lazily.
After a small moment of quiet, Maron piped up with another question, "When're the others getting back."
"Eh, they went to do a little extra training or somethin'." Toma grumbled as she flicked mindlessly through her Scroll.
"You know, nothing's stopping you from going on your own." Maron pointed out, stretching out her legs which were still a bit sore from her earlier sparring. Looking at the walls around her, Maron almost forgot that this cramped box of a room wasn't very suitable for four. Granted, it was only really ever a place to sleep and get ready for the day—so they've been told—but would it have killed them to design these cells with a little more breathing room? Maron was sure she spoke for a lot of others in saying that being able to comfortably relax in one's own dorm should the least Shade could provide. Could be worse, she supposed.
"They wanted to do something else." Toma replied to Maron, "I wanted to do a bit more sparring, and I'd much prefer it with friends instead of strangers." She rolled over to her stomach, peering over the short table legs to look at Maron, "So, got a plan for tonight?" She smiled
"For what? If you mean going out to find thief, then no, she's not our problem anymore. If we'd been allowed to go after them, then maybe, but we weren't." Maron stated, keeping her own thoughts on the matter a secret. Planning, coordinating, those kinds of things. This kind of thought exercise could certainly help mentally prepare her to find her own prey, wherever they might be. Just thinking about it irritated her, but she had to be patient.
"Oh, come on, it'll be fun!" Toma said, "And to think you were so eager to go after that thief as she was getting away!"
"I don't think 'fun' is the right word to use in this situation." Maron returned, "And that was then. Besides, another team is on it already, so why bother?"
"It's just one thief that we're after, what's the worst that can happen?" Toma brought up, "Plus we still need to figure out where they got these." She said, crawling over to a bag of hers and rummaging through it.
One of Maron's eyes peeked open with a little curiosity at what Toma was doing before shutting again, "Well, if the professors find out, I doubt we'll be let off so easily." She stated.
"What're they gonna' do? Expel us for going out at night?"
"No, but they could do so if we interfere in a serious mission. Someone else's mission."
"Details, details!"
"Toma." Maron sat up and growled, eyes wide open now as she shot a mean look to the back of the other girl's head.
"Hey, it wouldn't be a lie if we told them we ran into a bunch of strangers that tried to mug us, now, would it?" Toma brought up a fair point, but Maron wasn't having it. "If things go well, no one would know, we deliver the escapee to whoever is hunting them—your friend's team I presume—and take some good credit for it!"
"I feel you're not thinking this through…"
"Either way, I refuse to sit by while weapons like these," Toma placed an Atlesian pistol on the table between them, "Are in the hands of criminals. We got lucky, last time. If weapons like this start being used by worse than thieves, then there's going to be a bigger problem people being robbed."
"You kept it?" Maron exclaimed in shock.
"It's a clue we can use. Trace it back to whoever sold it to them, and bingo, we bust an arms dealer!" Toma proclaimed proudly, "We may be students, but it's still our responsibility as Hunt-" Toma began until she saw Maron give her an upset frown, "Right. Sorry. But it'd still be the right thing to do! Think of the future people we'll be saving!"
Maron let out an annoyed 'Hmph' before the door to their room opened up. Two tired faces stepped inside and shut the door behind them with an exhausted sigh from the first girl that entered of them.
"Oh, welcome back you two." Toma greeted Shae and Trya.
"Thanks." Shae spoke with a tired voice, "What've you two been up—" Shae froze, her eyes falling upon the new weapon sitting in the middle of their room. "What did you two do?"
"Where to start?" Maron rolled her eyes which ended with a glance to Toma.
"H-Hey, no need to give me those looks, you two." Toma told them, "But… Shae do you remember how Maron and I were almost mugged at that club I wanted to bring you to?"
"If you say what I think you're going to say…" Shae angrily pointed at Toma, her other hand clenched in a fist by her side as Trya quietly slid away to a corner of the room to rest.
"We're going after the one that got away!" Toma gave just the kind of answer Shae was expecting. Shae stood there in a dumbfounded silence, her face giving the impression that she did not have, nor wanted to spend, the energy on such an outlandish idea. "It's what we're training for anyways, so let's—" Toma was cut off by Shae
"No." The dark-haired girl shot Toma down.
"Oh, come on, Shae! Think of the benefits!"
"What benefit is there in sticking our necks out in something as dangerous as this dumb idea?" Shae crossed her arms, clearly not having any of it while Toma was unrelenting in her pleas.
The pair went back and forth in their stances on what to do, neither convinced of the other's position. Meanwhile, Maron took a page from Trya's book and joined her in sitting this argument out. Both partially watched the other two members of their team argue while also trying to ignore the noise. Trya had been patiently waiting, quietly resting her chin on her knees as she let her eyes rest a little. However, it was apparent that Maron had disturbed her nap. The wolf-eared Faunus was startled when Maron sat next to her, half-expecting her to instead join the verbal sparring between Toma and Shae instead of paying much attention to her.
Maron let out a small sigh as she started thinking to herself, but couldn't seem to find an adequate answer for herself. She didn't want to, but there was a nagging feeling in the back of her mind, one that constantly questioned her own choices and decisions. if Toma was right, maybe they should go out and do something about it. Would certainly earn them a bit of good will, like Toma said, a positive favor they desperately needed with the way things were going here at Shade. There were no allies among the instructors to help them, they faced an academic battle of attrition that they were losing, even if the others didn't see it yet, and now a new band of thugs that popped up to give them the opportunity to change that. Maron had a feeling it'd be more than just a one-time thing too, but she feared that she and the others might bite off more than they realize… "What would you do, Trya?" She asked the timid girl half-rhetorically, bringing up one leg to her chest while leaning her head against the wall behind her.
"M-Me?" Trya stuttered, caught off guard by the question. She stammered with a few held back words and 'um's, never having expected to be thrown such a hypothetical question. "I… I don't know. I-I guess we could help… it's what a Huntress would do." She answered before wrapping her knees a little tighter around her pulled up legs. Maron snapped to attention at those last words, catching a glimpse of Trya's face which showed a little frown before being hidden behind her resting arms. "Maybe a more qualified one…" The Faunus trailed off with a muffled voice.
Those words clung to her mind no matter how much Maron tried to ignore them. Joyless memories surfaced, brought about by her own vengeful spirit that was at her very core. They reminded her of what that title really meant, what suffering it had brought wherever such people traveled, what they had taken from her. She refused to believe that they'd even bother without an offering or substantial payment. No better than common mercenaries in that regard. Though Maron despised the very idea of becoming one of them, she was painfully aware of the ironic situation she had placed herself in: She loathed Huntsmen, yet was a student at a Huntsman's Academy—regardless of her own reasons. Maron didn't feel it necessary to accept Toma's suggestion that they'd be the ones to investigate, that was someone else's job already, yet by doing nothing she'd only prove her own point. It was then that a newer voice, one that was much calmer, whispered in her ear of the blame she'd bear for following their example. Maron rattled her head as the situation started to confuse her. She'd be no better than those back then, doing nothing save letting a home burn, sitting by and letting blood be spilled. Abandonment, betrayal… No, she was no Huntress, she refused to be! So, by all means she should take her team out and accept this self-imposed mission! She was above what lies they stood for. She could do much better than those naïve, childish tales ever could. She had the strength to prove it too, leaving the real question to be: "Why wouldn't I?" Maron whispered out loud to herself.
"Huh?" Trya looked over to Maron, ears perking up at the quiet words.
"We're going." Maron rose to her feet and boldly stated, interrupting Toma and Shae's argument.
"You can't be serious; you'll only bring us trouble. We aren't exactly looked at fondly by the professors you know." Shae looked over her shoulder to Maron.
"Then keep quiet about it. The professors don't have to know, and if we succeed, then they shouldn't have a problem with it." Maron countered.
"Do you really think we can even attempt something so foolish?" Shae questioned, "What if…" She started before being silenced by Maron who walked up to and stopped herself in front of Shae.
"I do." Maron flatly remarked.
"What's… with you?" Shae took a step back.
"I'm just looking to prove a point, and prove others wrong." Maron replied stepping past the other girl to grab the things she needed for another night out, "Wouldn't you want to do the same?" She looked back. Shae didn't turn to face her. Her gaze fell to the floor as the hands on either side of her bawled into fists. "You coming along, Trya?" Maron called out, being given a stammered, half-accepting 's-sure' from her, "Shae, stay here if you—"
"W-Wait!" Shae called out with a hint of desperation in her voice, "I'll… I'll go." She complied, asking only one more question, "What's… What do you have planned?"
- - o - -
With the moon hanging over Vacuo's sky, Team Amethyst had split into pairs. Searching for a single thief in a labyrinthian city like Vacuo would be next to impossible, but looking for any loose threads left behind would at the very least shed some light on a positive direction. With Maron and Toma being the only two of the team who witnessed the attempted robbery, they each went separate ways, taking one of the others along with them. While Maron and Shae went to ask around in the entertainment district on the thief's possible whereabouts, Toma had brought Trya with her to search the main street's market for any possible lead on the ones supplying the Atlesian weaponry.
"S-So where do we start?" Trya nervously looked around, sticking close to Toma as she avoided the strangers wandering the street. Her paranoia forced her to scan every stall—empty or not—out of fear. All around, she could see dangerous individuals, illusive secrets, and enemies waiting for excuse to harm her. This 'mission' of theirs was already filling her with doubt and worry, more so than she was used to.
"First," Toma began, placing a hand on Trya's shoulder, "You should relax." She said to her with a soothing tone, giving Shae a light shake to remind her that they were in this together. "Don't want people giving us weird looks." She chuckled, "So, act natural, pretend we're just wandering around school grounds on a normal day."
"That's… not much better, s-sorry." The Faunus apologized for herself, pushing her two pointer-fingers against one another as the wolf-like ears on her head flattened with a little embarrassment.
"Hey, don't worry about it!" Toma shot a reassuring smile, "To be honest, I'm quite excited myself!" She admitted, lightening the mood. "But I'll admit that I've never done something like this before either. Never had to search for uh…" She paused, looking around to make sure no one was eavesdropping on her, "…a 'connected customer'. Pretty sure the closest thing I've done to something like this was having to scour the merchants for specific parts for modification orders."
"'Modification… orders?'" Trya looked up to Toma with a puzzled expression.
"Oh, right, I never mentioned it, have I?" Toma asked as Trya shook her head in response, "Well in short: I help my father run a Huntsman's weapons smithy-slash-shop right here in the city!" She began in an excited tone, "Finest blend of blade and firearm in all of Sanus, if I do say so myself!" She pridefully complimented her family and maybe herself by extension, "Er, I used to help. Haven't had the time to go back since coming to Shade."
"You've made weapons?"
"Well… I've only ever made parts and repairs on weapons. Small things."
"But no weapon?"
"I want my weapon to also be the first one I craft, but I want to find a style that suits me first." Toma told the smaller girl. Just like that, she couldn't stop herself from gushing over the topic as she and Trya strolled through the main street, "I was taught an important lesson about wielding weapons: A weapon is an extension of its user, not just with reach and power, but as a representation of who they are. Anyone can swing a sword or shoot a gun, but if you can't find that 'fits' you—As my father put it—then you'll find yourself constantly having to fight to work with it." She began as her attention to her surroundings started to waver, "You'd be surprised how much of a difference a weapon in sync with its wielder can make!" She happily finished explaining.
Trya subconsciously reached a hand to her hip, feeling her fingers run across the resting chain of her whip that was curled at her side, "That's… something to keep in mind…" She quietly acknowledged. There was a growing weight in her heart as she held the wrapped chains of her own weapon, but she did her best to suppress the feeling and focus on their task, "Shouldn't we… be looking around?" She asked Toma, mostly in order to distract herself from the growing ache within her.
"Right! Right." Toma answered twice, finally remembering that they came out here for a reason. "I suppose the best thing we can do for now is just ask around." She suggested, "Let's just act like casual customers who are looking for equipment similar to this." She finished, putting the Atlesian side arm she had taken between the two of them. She had it wrapped up to avoid suspicion it's design alone could draw and safely carried it in her hand by the barrel. Toma didn't exactly have a spare holster to properly keep it secured in, but that was an investment for next time. "I guess you can just follow my lead and keep an eye out for anyone suspicious." She noted to Trya who only nodded.
With Trya sticking behind her companion, the pair hopped from stall to stall under the guise of customers who were browsing for 'exclusive' wares. They'd slyly and subtly push their luck in asking questions about weapons with a bit more power behind them. It may not have been the most elaborate of ideas nor plans, but it worked for the most part. Unfortunately, among the merchants they approached and asked, the answers given ranged from either a lack of knowledge, avoiding the question entirely, or, in a rare case or two, simply shooing the two girls away if they weren't going to buy something. By the end, the two students were eventually left with nothing to show for their efforts except disappointment.
With a hefty, disheartened sigh, Toma walked over to a nearby food stand that was already closed for the night. She pulled out one of the barstools, which had been left behind, from under the counter for place to sit down and mope a little. She had hoped for, an expected, something quick. Exciting even. Maybe a little slip up from a nervous merchant, maybe a threat or two to 'stay out of the way', or something more… hands-on with some action thrown in. But now, there wasn't even a direction to head in, not a trail of breadcrumbs to follow, not even a word about what they were looking for. Though, she'd be hard-pressed to say that she was surprised, but it didn't make it any less boring. "Things can never be as simple as fighting Grimm, can they?"
Trya had pulled out another stool next to Toma for her to sit on, "U-Unfortunately…" She softly agreed with the disappointed Toma. She took a moment to sit enjoy the quiet, cool air, letting her thoughts wander as she rested her head and arms on the bare wooden counter in front of her. "What do we do now?" She piped up after a peaceful minute or two.
Toma let out another, this time troubled-sounding, sigh, "I don't know." She audibly muttered, "We have to keep looking around. There has to be something we can use, right?" Toma looked over to the Faunus next to her, "Can't go back empty handed now, can we?" She forced a tiny smile. Was this really all they could do? Ask a couple questions, then hit a wall? If so, she hated it.
Trya meanwhile kept quiet, whether it was because she didn't have an answer or because she no longer had the energy to care about it anymore was uncertain. She volunteered to be here, but now she just wanted to go home.
"Yeah, I guess we might not have a choice, huh?" Toma answered as if having read the other girl's thoughts. Together they still sat with a somber silence over them while a gentle breeze picked up, giving a subtle reminder of the night air's slight chill. This was supposed to be just a simple task, yet it felt like already they had reached the peak of what they could accomplish here. Like the daunting Vacuo mountains in the west, it felt like an insurmountable obstacle sitting in their path, and like Vacuo's western mountain range, there was little, if any, worth on the other side.
Wanting to take her mind of the crushing disappointment thus far, Toma's eyes trailed over Trya's resting form before falling on the hanging chain at the girl's hip that swayed ever so gently side to side with every disturbance. It was an interesting piece for an otherwise timid girl, not really suiting her, and not to mention that Trya wasn't exactly… 'formidable' with it during weapons training. 'But why were those fights different?' Toma thought to herself as she looked back at their fights with the Grimm and Flaye. She recalled the yellow glow of those cold, calculating eyes she witnessed during the former of the two fights. How elegantly Trya moved and used her whip, how deft and agile she became, dodging and blocking even the fast lunges of the King Taijitu and the strength Flaye had respectively. For an amateur—at least from what Toma could gather on smaller Faunus—having a whip-like weapon should have been unwieldy, by all means it might even be impossible for Trya to use it to its fullest with the way she is now. Yet… that notion only seemed lead Toma in circles with questions.
"What?" Trya asked, the side of her head resting on top of her crossed arms on the table. Her voice had snapped Toma out of her thoughts. She'd been caught staring.
"O-Oh, uh, um." Toma stammered, lost for words and completely without a good answer to give. "It's n-nothing. I was just… thinking. About stuff." She vaguely replied.
"Oh…" The Faunus let out with a descending tone as the ears on her head flattened again. She returned to resting on her chin again as her light-blue gaze fell upon an old rug that was sprawled out on the ground within the stall. "It's alright… I know that look…" She said, not caring much if Toma was listening anymore.
Like a punch to the gut, Trya. "H-Hey! Don't be like that!" Toma came out to lighten the mood. "It's nothing serious, I promise! I was… just wondering how you ended up with a whip as your weapon is all." Toma defended herself, doing her best to cheer Trya up with warm smile on her face. "I mean, it's not a very common choice for student-Huntsmen, if at all." Wasn't a complete lie, Toma was indeed curious about it, but she also felt guilty for not admitting the whole truth to such an innocent girl.
"It was a gift." Trya told her.
"I know that." She did remember Trya mentioning it to Blizz, but regardless, Toma went on, "But I mean from where? From who? If you didn't forge it yourself, then there's gotta' be some kind of story behind how you got it!"
"Not really…" The Faunus denied, her words carrying with them a little disheartened tone. Her lips curled into a small frown as she sat up, but still slouched over with her elbows on the counter as support. "The day before Shade's initiation, it was given to me as a parting gift. I was only told that its previous owner would have wanted me to have it…" She explained, a tiny glint in her eye formed, Prompting Trya to look away from her friend. The tingling sensation in her heart returned when she remembered that bittersweet day. By all means being 'let go' should have crushed her feelings into nothing but despair and heartbreak, yet when that whip was laid within her open hands, it felt… comforting. Like a loving embrace where no pain nor worry, whatever the form, mattered to her anymore. Where she felt she was safe at last. Then there was that soothing, recurring dream… Trya sniffled, scrubbing one eye before giving Toma another one of her apologies, "I-I'm sorry. That just reminded me of a dream."
She looked over, half expecting an impatient look, or displeased one, or a disdained one. However, she found that Toma was waiting patiently with a kind smile and soft expression, their eyes meeting for just a brief moment. Toma wrapped one arm around Trya's shoulder, "I'm sure it was a wonderful one." She said comfortingly to the girl, pulling her a little closer reassuringly with a hand on Trya's shoulder before letting her go and spinning around in her seat. "Maybe we should just call it a night." Toma suggested, ready to admit her defeat. She was disheartened about the loss, but accepted it. She knew there wasn't much more she could do unless she started to aggressively interrogate every, single, person she came across.
"What do we tell the others?" Trya asked as Toma leaned her back against the counter, looking up at the clear, spotted night sky.
Toma shrugged, "Dunno'. Hopefully they're having better luck than…" She trailed off as her attention was suddenly caught by a figure carrying a long silhouette of something wrapped on his back. That wasn't the interesting part, the interesting part was that it was the second item he had while the first, a rifle, was oddly left to be shown proudly for all to see and suspiciously similar in size. He was a tall, lean man, clad in a slightly aged, dark, simply-designed duster which only reached just past his waist. The loosely wrapped object her eyes were glued to had ever so slightly unraveled as he walked, and, underneath the wrapping, revealed what Toma knew to be the distinctive black and white exterior of a modern, military rifle—an Atlesian rifle.
"Toma?" Trya called out to get the girl's attention.
"Hold that thought." Toma responded, hopping up from her seat to get a better look at the passing suspect.
"What is it?"
"A possible trail for us to follow." Toma answered. "Come on," She looked back, beckoning for Trya to follow behind her, "Maybe we might not go home empty handed after all."
The two students walked casually behind their new target, Trya stuck close to the Toma owing to her lack of understanding of the situation. Though, Toma didn't seem to find the time to explain her thought process behind it. They kept their distance, making sure they weren't seen as anything more than passing visitors checking out what few stands remained open; they occasionally browsed and looked around the place for good measure too. But eventually, the saw that the dark-clad man had come to a stop in front of a jewelry stand with much of its products still left out by its seemingly absent owner. It wasn't very well displayed either. However, plenty of small boxes were on the counter, each filled with pieces that had been categorized and sorted, likely to be safely stowed away wherever they were destined to go.
Toma pulled Trya to the side, taking shelter by the neighboring, empty stand devoid of anything, like it had just been picked clean. To keep up their cover, Toma drew her Scroll out and fiddled around with it, acting as if she was in the middle of a texting conversation, but her real attention was on the man ahead of her. A sleepy-eyed Trya on the other hand couldn't help but put her arms and head on the counter and once again rest her eyes, the only difference was that of her wolf ears still perked up and listening—intentionally or not—to whatever was around her.
Seconds later, there was a middle-aged woman who, for a small-time merchant, was moderately well dressed with long, well-groomed chocolate-brown hair which showed a hint of silver. She had stood up from behind the counter, evidently having bent down to grab something from underneath, and now had a decently sized storage box in hand to pack all the other boxes on her counter. Upon seeing the man in front of her, she made a startled jump and let out a small yelp in surprise, clutching the box to her chest. Toma instinctively wanted to get up, but what stopped her was the young man, interestingly, responding with a similar reaction as he too had apparently been caught off guard.
Who was this man? What connection was there with this woman? Was she a confidante? It might be a stretch, but was she a possible source of what Toma and her team were looking for? She was unsure, but with the two speaking so casually, Toma had to pay a little extra attention to what they were saying.
"Did you have to scare a poor woman like that?" The woman angrily complained to the newcomer in front of her who looked taken aback.
"Wasn't sure if I should have interrupted, sorry." He apologized again, scratching the back of his head in a fit of embarrassment and a chuckle with a similar tone to further reinforce that feeling.
"Still a bashful one, aren't you? I'd have thought you of all would have grown a little more by now." The woman said to him, setting down the box in her hands and putting her belongings inside one by one. The man lowered his head, and Toma could swear she could see a heavy heart along with that mournful frown. The woman brushed the both shoulders of the young man with her two hands, "Oh, but don't let me bring down the mood. And you better not go changing much on me either! A soul like yours is a rarity in these trying days, especially in this part of the world. So, keep trudging along as best you can. That I know you can do." She reassured him with a smile, cheering him up a little. "Now, I assume you're here for business. How can I help Frostbite this time?" She changed subjects, leaning against the counter, "Speaking of whom, where might your partners be?"
"Oh, we're out having to scour the city, searching for someone, so we split up to cover more ground." The Huntsman unslung the wrapped up Atlesian rifle from his back and carefully laid it in front of them. "As for the 'business' part, you wouldn't happen to know anything about how something like this got smuggled into the city, would you?" He asked, unwrapping the weapon a little to show the woman who inspected it.
She stood up straight and crossed her arms, "Why, I'm an accessories saleswoman, not a weapon's dealer, Steele, you know that."
"I know, but as an info broker—A well informed and respectable one—"
"Why, you flatter me." The woman put a hand over her mouth to hide a sly smirk.
"—You're usually the first to hear about anything new that happens in the city." The man continued, "Doesn't have to be names, just something we can work with. Anything would help."
Toma paid extra attention to whatever juicy details were coming up. Finally! Now she was getting somewhere. "Hmmm…" The woman put a finger to her lips, but she shot a quick, subtle glance and a smirk toward the extra pair of listeners, sending a small shiver down Toma's spine as she hastily went back to 'texting' on her Scroll. Toma's heart raced with a bit of fear of getting caught and excitement of what might come next, she didn't know whether they were truly caught spying or if they were just being toyed with, but she continued to act like she was still just a bystander. Only when the woman spoke again did Toma peek their way again. "In truth, I don't have a good answer for you." She stated. Meanwhile, the man grumbled, reaching into his pocket as he rolled his eyes. "Buuut, I suppose I can let this one be on the house." She began, "I wasn't lying when I said I don't have a good answer, but I can tell you that there's a new face in Vacuo. I don't know their name nor who they are, but I do know that they specialize in transporting and delivering goods, and that they've only recently moved in from outside the kingdom." She explained, "Banan's bunch, naturally, were the first to invite them for 'cooperation'. Damn fool just wants to monopolize their services, knowing him."
"Doesn't explain why he sent his goons to extort a club. I thought he doesn't have the biggest foothold here?"
"He doesn't, not until recently when he muscled out another rival. Even then you'd think he'd lay low and reorganize, but if I had to guess, I'd assume he's getting bolder thanks to these newcomers." She suggested to Steele, then letting out an annoyed sigh, "Honestly, it's the one big rule we have, and he goes and breaks it. Now, authorities and contracted Huntsmen are gonna' be breathing down our necks for the next month!" She closed her eyes with furrowed brows and complained, "No offense." She opened one eye again.
The young man chuckled, "Don't worry about it."
"And I'm afraid that's all I have for you." The woman began, "But do come back, your business is more than appreciated." She smiled, giving a half glance over to the two students nearby as if her words were meant for them. The two said their thanks and farewells with the Huntsman having wrapped up the Atlesian rifle again and slinging it over his shoulder before leaving.
Toma did not like that woman. She no doubt was keeping an eye on her and Trya the whole time, making their choices to move forward… difficult. There was no telling how much she had been paying attention to them as much as it was the other way around. Plus, even if she made herself appear as a 'neutral party', there was that additional fear that she could sell them out to whoever Toma and Trya were searching for, then things would get problematic.
Toma had prodded Trya awake, the girl's wolf-like ears twitched as she finally snapped awake in her seat, "Hmm? Oh, sorry." She apologized once again, rubbing a bit of sleep from her eye.
"I think we're almost done here." Toma said to the Faunus.
Trya watched as the man started to pass, "'Almost?'"
"Might be a good idea to shoot a message to the others." Toma started, "It may not be much, but now we have a target to search for."
"What're you gonna' do?" Trya questioned.
"He's after the same person—people now—that we're looking for. So, why don't we ask a few questions, or better yet, to tag along?" Toma suggested with a smirk.
"I-Is that a good idea?"
"Only one way to find out, and I've got one more card to play. Just… don't mention it to the others. Here Keep this safe." She finished, handing Trya the wrapped side-arm and leaving with haste in order to catch up to the departing Huntsman. A wild thought started to come to mind as she planned out her next move: Didn't Maron mention something about her friend also being put on mission? Oh well, she already came this far, and what could be the harm in asking to help? She then pulled up to the stranger's side, brushing a bit of loose hair behind her ear, then holding her hands behind her back, and finally putting on her best smile. "H-Hey there." She kindly greeted with subtly bump from her hip to get his full attention. Great, two words into this little gamble and she could feel a tiny warmth in her cheeks, but if she and her friends were going to get anywhere, then she'd swallow her pride.
"Uh, can I help you?" 'Steele' asked, a little confused and a little startled by the sudden, odd greeting.
"Well… I couldn't help but overhear that you're searching for a couple of thieves." Toma started, unable to help herself from taking good look or two at the young man. Steele raised an eyebrow, waiting for Toma to continue. "You see, my friend and I were at the club that got attacked," She started, refocusing her eyes and straightening her posture again, "And we were wondering if we could… 'help' with whatever you're doing."
"Might I ask 'why'?" Steele asked before declining with a polite smile, "This is a mission for Huntsmen you know, we can't have just anyone tag along."
"Hey, we're Huntresses!" Toma lied before taking it back and admitting the truth to maybe earn a bit of goodwill, "Well, training but still! As for 'why', it's because they stole something from us and we're looking to get it back." Now that last one was a lie.
"A Shade student?" Steele started, "Well that'd explain it, and you are…?"
"Toma!" Came a furious yell from behind both of them. Toma winced as she recognized the loud, short-tempered voice of a different Huntress. And things were going so well. Probably. Toma reluctantly turned around to face Blizz who had Trya standing next to her with a dispirited look of guilt, as if having just come clean in admitting something she wasn't supposed to. "Mind explainin' what you're doing stepping into our business?" Blizz demanded from the student.
"H-Hey, Blizz." Toma greeted in an attempt to act innocent, "We were just doing some midnight browsing, what about you?" Her first thought was to that other woman from the merchant stand. She sold them out, didn't she?
"Really? Then why did I catch you prying students spying on one of my partners? This is our assignment, not yours."
"I'm sure they meant no harm, Blizz." Steele spoke up for Toma, "They're just… curious is all."
"Missin' the point, Steele. Besides, from what I've seen, this lot wouldn't survive their first mission. Hmph, but that's Flaye's problem now." She retaliated, shifting her stance to one leg with arms firmly crossed over her chest as she turned up her nose at the mention of the woman. Blizz then narrowed her eyes at Toma, but softened her stern look when she turned to the Faunus next to her, "Trya," Blizz started with a much kinder tone, "What were you two doing out at this hour?" She asked.
"Mmm." Trya tried to avoid answer, but caved in with a sterner look from Blizz, "L-Looking for trouble… searching… for the owner of that weapon…" The Faunus sheepishly admitted. With shame in her eyes, Trya lowered her head toward the paved ground and timidly placed her hands behind her back.
"And the others?"
"T-They're at the entertainment district."
"Hey, we're not always together!" Toma protested. "Even then, so what? Is going out at night suddenly a crime?"
"No, but neither is interfering with our mission. You should count yourself lucky that you aren't actively hindering us, now that would be a problem. And this?" Blizz held up the wrapped pistol in one of her hands, "This is evidence, not yours to keep."
Toma didn't have a retort for that.
"Now, let's not make this difficult." Blizz began, "We're gonna' let Flaye know about your little misadventure, and you better hope she's in a good mood."
A.N. Thanks for waiting, also edited to the title and summary. But anyways...
As always, enjoy!
~Firetoast312