"To become a dragon and soar the skies… a stupid child's dream! … Yet this is my dream…. The last thing I still have left!"
A disjointed voice roared in sorrow before everything becomes engulfed in eternal darkness and awaited damnation.
That was the signal for my eyes to shoot open and see the ceiling of my room instead of eternal darkness. I blink my confusion away, and try to recall more of those… memories. They slowly reform themselves and when they finish, it gives me dreams or nightmares, and I fear it will be a common occurrence, the more of those weird crystals I find.
Like before, I prefer to ignore them and focus on the present, kicking off my bed sheets and sitting up before summoning my scroll into my hand.
My inventory makes things more convenient.
Yesterday was a long day, and the cops didn't make it any easier with their endless paperwork.
Who could've predicted an unlocked aura was such a problem and bring forth nightmarish paperwork? That alone took hours.
At least finding a motel room was fast thanks to the station advertisement boards which coincidentally had motels ads, some of them even advertised themselves as 'faunus friendly' as their major attraction.
That last part doesn't set a positive precedent for Vale.
I groan after checking the time in my scroll. Not too early, but early morning nevertheless. The dawn of a new day to search for a job.
It would be idiotic to not secure a stable source of income. My fifty grand is good money, but I inherently know those funds will not last for my new city life after watching the colorful teen duo casually spend hundreds of lien on bus tickets.
So yeah, unless I won a mystery lottery or found millions of lien lying around, I need to earn money.
Unsurprisingly, the job market for faunus like me has a heavy tendency to promote mining jobs. Thank goodness people back at Menagerie warned me about that trap. They can legally enslave you and have you work till the end of your days, a terrible fate which has befallen many naïve faunus and humans alike.
So I scroll down, ignoring those malicious offers and focus on better options.
One asks for a forge assistant, no experience required. That made me think for a bit. It could be the perfect opportunity to unlock the smithing job, but I shot it down. I already have relatively high-level jobs, it would be wasteful to not take advantage of them in the job market.
And I found a vacancy for a cook in the Industrial District. It has all the details on where to go and who to ask. I have been ignoring the cooking job for a while so this is my chance to give it some attention and increase my level, besides the advertisement wasn't asking for gourmet chefs or had any… disclaimer.
After taking a quick shower, I set off for my potential new job.
I've to give credit where credit's due. Vale public transportation is surprisingly accessible, the ticket price is barely a dozen of lien and it even has packages to save up. So that one giant truck back at the slums was more than likely an invisible barrier.
Ignoring that little tidbit of information, I observe the city of Vale from my seat, an immense city. Just like Levi told me, Kuo Kuana is a backwater village in comparison, the tall buildings and sea of cars on the highway and the bullheads or the airships flying above. But most importantly, the rail system looming over the city, impossible to miss. I am tempted to take a ride just to experience the bullet train system alone.
And just like that, I am already dropped at a bus stop inside the Industrial District along with others who quickly scatter in multiple directions. I pull out my scroll to check the address before looking at the giant reference map at the bus stop.
The place wasn't far, and it only took me a dozen minutes to reach my destination. But the heavy machinery can quickly wear you off.
A two story building, which doesn't appear like a restaurant or a kitchen.
"Excuse me?" I raise my voice, getting the attention of a tall older woman wearing a gray apron sweeping the floor entrance. "I'm here for the job."
She takes a long look, her black eyes narrow. "You are a kid…"
"Who has more than enough experience?"
"Do you now?" She examines closer before walking inside the building and beckons me to follow. "Then show me this experience."
I soon came to understand that appearances deceive. The place doesn't look like a restaurant, but the interiors certainly make up for it. Long rows of tables and chairs are upside down with workers already setting them in place and cleaning while one worker is writing on a chalkboard the menu for today. I pay little attention to decoration as barely anything exists, besides a couple of colorful plants. The woman quickly takes me to a busy kitchen, with chefs running from one place to the other carrying bags or pots.
Once inside, she stops and tries to scare me with a stern gaze. "We serve hundreds if not thousands of factory workers every day, so go ahead and make me a hearty meal fit for a hungry worker." She points to the only empty spot in the kitchen.
What's the deal with people's fascination with trial by fire?
At least there are plenty of ingredients to work with.
With the Journeyman tier, this challenge will be a piece of cake.
And before I forget, hygiene is important. Washing hands, the apron and the bandana cap to avoid nasty surprises.
With the ample selection at my disposal, the harder part was to pick the best dish to impress her, but one dish in particular came to mind.
Putting my improved level at work, finishing my food test took me a little more than half an hour.
"Here, chicken stew with a side of beans." I place my last creation in front of her with a knowing smile and hand her a fork.
She looks mildly surprised with my finished dish. Until she takes one bite and her eyes go wide as sausages, no pun intended. "This is… unexpected." She takes one more glance at me and my stew before eating it with gusto.
I have a hard time surprising my laughter. It is so satisfying to have people eat their own words, literally in her case. "I told you I had experience."
The old bear gave me a solid foundation to build on. The gamer system only made it easier.
"You may have experience for sole customers but do you feel capable of serving hundreds?"
"Just increase the ingredients?" I don't think there is more than that. If the recipe was made for four servings, then multiply the list numbers for one hundred and you are good to go.
Right?
She frowns but says nothing else before pointing at the clock hanging on the wall. "Rush hour is about to start in 2 hours. Let's see how you handle yourself in the real field. You cook that chicken stew."
And my new boss lady didn't lie. Rush hour is rush hour.
- Hours Later-
[Journeyman cook level increased by 1, 9/50]
I dismiss the text-prompt with a smirk as I watch the waiter take the last enormous cooking pot. They are almost half my size and that waiter must be packing muscles under his clothes to be the only one carrying them to the battlefield. Hungry workers are a remarkably loud bunch. It is a good thing they don't serve alcohol or it would be even louder and messier.
Still, cooking large quantities made my growth faster and I predict a breakthrough in two weeks if I keep the same rate. What would be the next tier? And how would it affect me and my dishes?
"I'm honestly impressed. You did manage to serve hundreds of workers, and many of them asked for seconds." The head chef comes back, breaking me away from my thoughts.
"Just increase the ingredients, easy as pie."
"What is your name?"
"Ma'iq Rakhan."
"Well Ma'iq, welcome to the crew. Come to my office for the paperwork." I follow her to the office, not before taking off the apron and the cap and leaving them hanging in their original place.
Some pleasantries later I leave my new workplace, checking the balance numbers in my scroll, which increased by a nice seven hundred lien. That isn't even my pay, as it only arrives on weekends. Those seven hundreds are a small bonus from the second servings. The customers really liked my food.
Taking a quick glance at my clothes, an idea pops up and I walk to a different bus stop and take the bus headed to the Commercial District.
Many things are noticeable at first glance once there.
Compared to the other two districts, it is far more lively. It reminded me of Kuo Kuana main-avenue, except there are humans and the occasional faunus walking down the street. And pretty quickly, I am reminded that I am in public space as I hear people snickering at me for gawking for too long, pretty much setting myself as a country bumpkin.
Leaving the streets, I entered the first clothing store I found and luckily enough; it had a section for faunus. But when I approached the display, I soon found a more concerning side. Most of the fashion on display had a tendency to conceal our exotic traits and those browsing the selection were constantly checking their surroundings in fright.
That kinda hurt.
I quickly bought a couple of shirts and shorts before leaving the store, at least the staff was nice.
Soon after, I find myself sitting on a public bench watching people pass by. I am surprised with myself how something so small is affecting me so much. Is this what others call culture shock?
I guess experiencing everything first hand is totally different compared to hearing it. To clear my mind, I pull out my scroll to check another thing that has slipped my mind: a room.
Vale might be my home for a long time and I cannot stay at a motel forever. I need an apartment, or a room, whatever I can find at an affordable price.
And that soon becomes another set of problems.
Why are they so damn expensive? They aren't even close to downtown, much less in the Upper class District!
As expected of my character, I fall into a routine pretty quick and that might be a recurring flaw in me. Wake up, shower, breakfast, work and enjoy some free time in my new two-room apartment. My job opens the gates for new opportunities since landlords want proof I'm a legit, well-behaved citizen.
And that any legal problems with the VPD will void the contract, assholes.
But ignoring a fucked up contract, I like the place. And it is much better than my humble room back at Kuo Kuana.
It even has a TV!
How could I not celebrate with a movie that caught my eyes and some snacks?
Juno, the last Angel of Remnant
It had a flashy cover and intriguing title, but I won't blame anyone for confusing the genre since it has the cover of a sexy huntress surrounded by strange looking Grimm. That alone gives mixed messages about the plot.
And is misleading since the cover girl wasn't even the main protagonist, that role fell to a down his luck guy who was recently expelled from the hunter academy. Juno is the main heroine who happens to be an agent from a mysterious organization tasked with dealing with the strange Grimm hybrids that had been terrorizing the city.
I must praise the creativity, hybrids Grimm are straight up fiction, they can't reproduce and only mimic animals. However, the movie had a tone shift when the two meet up and the movie turned into a slice of life as the heroine does not know what it means to live outside missions and fighting and our plucky protagonist teaches her.
From action packed adventure to cheesy romantic adventure. It bore me at that point, ready to turn off the screen. But I paid for the movie, I should just finish the thing.
Thankfully, the movie knew my mood and changed the act as our protagonists discovered the source of the Grimm and went together to end the threat once and for all. And like all story tropes, they went alone without preparing or alerting others about the place. I get it is part of the tension and the plot but, come on!
At least they should've alerted the police.
Moving on, the protagonists had a free for all final battle against the antagonist, who was responsible for creating those hybrids, and were only able to win because the guy awoke his conveniently powerful semblance at the last minute and killed him. And they escaped the cliche base that self-destructs after the main boss dies.
I was expecting the movie to end with a heartfelt confession and kiss so I could play some games in my scroll. Instead, there was a time-skip, the huntress retired and was happily waiting for the protagonist at the academy gate.
And the antagonist appears and stabs her.
What the hell?
I was expecting another plot twist, or the setup for a sequel or anything. Instead, the heroine soon closes her eyes for the last time as she wishes for the protagonist to remember her.
Roll credits.
What. The. fuck.
Who ends a story like that?!
It takes all my self-control to not throw my empty bowl at the screen. I bring out my scroll to check more about this movie hoping to find a dreaded sequel, only to find old news articles about the director's scandal, and lashing out against the public for not liking his ending which was supposed to be a metaphor to the unfairness in life, and the people mass review bombing his works.
Unfairness, my ass!
And the director, out of sheer pettiness, swore to never make a sequel… motherfucker!
My day, my free time that was expected to be a happy evening is ruined. And the following days will be as well because one asshole made a terrible ending.
I take deep breaths to maintain my self-control and not break the bowl in my hands. I won't let that shitty ending get me. I will wash the dishes and forget everything.
The moment I close the door of my room, my ears twitch as they pick up a strange sound coming from the kitchen. I take cautious steps towards the source, stretching my neck to get a better look, somehow.
Nobody could've prepared me for the revelation, and the broken bowl on the floor could attest to my shock.
It was me, ears and tails. Everything.
And I am happily eating ice-cream on the table, literally on the table.
"What the fuck?"
And this double lazily directs his gaze at me and smirks before tossing the ice-cream cup over his left shoulder.
I know it is a bad time, but I'm glad the cup was made of plastic and not glass like the shattered bowl.
There are two options when faced with the unknown: fight or flight. I pick the first choice and summon my brass knuckles, ready to face this invader that somehow stole my face.
Except he didn't change his posture, instead he gracefully placed one leg over the other and flashed an innocent smile.
His carefree attitude puts me on edge. I can't help but worry something is brewing underneath me.
I keep my guard up and take slow steps towards the mysterious faunus look-alike, my eyes frantically checking my surroundings for anything out of the ordinary in the kitchen, yet only the fridge was different since he stole the ice-cream from there.
Now melting on the floor.
"Who are you?" I ask, steeling my nerves.
This… fake only widens his smile and blinks once, revealing a pair of mismatched eyes before shattering into millions of pieces that fall onto the floor.
What?
I carefully approach the table looking for clues, my mind still processing a clone suddenly appearing in my home and eating my vanilla ice-cream. However, the table has nothing to tell me, so my attention shifts to the open fridge.
Only find nothing unusual before closing it.
I scratch my head in confusion. The situation is too far-fetched and I don't have any explanation. At least things didn't turn violent, but I will have to lock all access just to get a semblance of security.
The idea of my mind and those disjointed memories are only playing tricks with me might be an explanation, but I highly doubt it. I merely leave the fridge and grab the broom to clean the mess left behind, especially the broken bowl.
I will have to replace it with something similar looking or the landlord might throw a fuss.
Except the broom falls from my hands when I turn around and find a plush sitting on the table, an angry bird plushie.
I quickly raised my fist and checked my surroundings again. That plush is proof that I am not alone and this mysterious invader has been following me from Menagerie. My ears are fully alert, trying to pick up any sound, no matter how small or low.
A tap on my shoulder was all that was needed to make me lash out.
Spinning on my heels and hitting whatever touched me.
Except my fist never connects.
Instead, I find myself staring at the kitchen's light bulb… When did I fall down? And where are my brass knuckles? I was literally wearing them seconds ago!
As I try to rise from my precarious spot, a piercing pink umbrella sinks into my chest and pushes me down. My eyes instinctively follow the trail and discover the same mismatched eyes staring down at me.
I am pinned down by my evil twin. I don't know how to feel.
Worrying about my life is a no brainer though.
And the asshole notices this internal struggle as he offers me another smug smirk and I can't retort. He has shown his superiority over me, beaten and disarmed in seconds without breaking a sweat. I couldn't even see him coming.
Whenever I tried to move one arm or leg, he happily pricked my face with his umbrella. And each prick hurt despite my aura stops the weaponized umbrella from touching flesh.
I take one deep breath and let it out, relaxing all muscles in my body before shooting him with a glare. That's all the resistance I can offer in my position.
I might have accepted my loss, but that doesn't mean I like the idea of losing. Yet my attitude only caused him to pout for mere seconds before covering his giggling with his free hand, a silent giggle.
To my surprise, he removes his weapon away from me. I should jump back into action or use the chance to sweep his legs, but I do not act. I calmly watch him walk towards the table and grab the plushie which he places on my chest. The forever angry bird guarding my movements as the condescending asshole raids my fridge again.
I watch helplessly as he eats the small cake and pastries I bought for the week.
I didn't care anymore. There had to be a line.
"Just tell me what do you want for fuck's sake! You break into home, beat me down and eat my food. Who are you and why do you look like me?!" I slam both hands on the floor and back jump on my feet.
But before I could do or say anything, pink shards engulf the evil twin's entire body.
When the glow dies off, a much smaller girl is in his place wearing the same smug attitude. Her long pink and brown hair matches perfectly with her clothes, a white jacket with pink interiors over a brown corset and a pair of brown pants with white tight boots.
My eyes wander off after picking up the important details, noticing her exposed hips or how much cleavage she is showing off with her broad jacket.
Action that didn't go unnoticed as she mockingly strikes a more alluring pose and blows me a kiss.
Literally.
A small cartoonish heart flies towards me to my utter shock and disbelief, but I swat it like a fly, causing the tri-color girl to pout.
"Enough games. What do you want?" I demand, despite knowing she holds all the cards in her favor. Girl or not, she still broke into my home and wronged me. I don't want to be kept in the dark.
Instead of answering, she calmly picks up the bird plushie from the floor and approaches me, making me tense up as I prepare for another attack. Attack that never came to be as she merely handed me the plushie.
Before I can voice my confusion, she surprises me again by pulling out a paper bag out of nowhere and placing it on the table. A bag filled with yarn.
I turned to her, confused.
She only points at the plushie in my hand and then points at herself.
"You want me to knit a doll of you?"
The crazy girl nods.
All of this, just for a doll?
I wanted to shout and scream, to tell her to get out and fuck off, but I stomp down those thoughts. Yes, I am in every right to be angry and lash out, but from the very beginning, brute force will not work with her. Accepting her strange request is the better option.
"Fine."
[Affection with (Neo Politan) increased by 1, 01/100]
What the hell?
And her name is Neo Politan? Why is it between parentheses?
I've never met this girl in my life. She clearly knows about me, if she could track all the way from Menagerie. How did I get myself a crazy stalker in the first place?
I shake off my thoughts as they aren't that relevant for now and pull a chair to sit so I could start my work and get rid of her as soon as possible. I haven't made dolls of people before but it won't be very difficult to achieve as my mind is already visualizing the finished product.
So I grab all the necessary colors along the big needles and get to work.
My unwanted/unexpected roommate has a rather forward interest in my work. Sitting very close to me, I've worked with a public before… but Levi at least kept her distance and Blake is polite enough to ask, Neo is practically breathing down my neck as I work on her toy.
A mild annoyance at best. It won't stop me and on the bright side, that awkward situation gives me a splendid view of her features. If I was an artist, I would sketch her and put a strong emphasis on her curves.
As a novice weaver, it takes me what I assume half an hour to finish the main frame. Her dual hair color proved not very difficult, just time-consuming, as I needed to add every strand individually.
"Here, it is. You could have just asked instead of breaking into my home, you know?" I comment, hinting my annoyance.
Neo openly ignores my sentiment and takes her new toy for a tight hug as she spins on her heels.
[Affection with Neo Politan increased by 3, 04/100]
Okay?
At least she is happy, so fewer chances of her doing something bad.
Nonetheless, I can't predict this girl because moments later she shoves her scroll to my face with the picture of a flamboyant man with short orange hair sharing her tastes in fashion.
I gently pushed the scroll away from me and went for more yarn. I realize she wants me to knit another doll, but this time based on the guy in the picture.
The steps are essentially the same, with the exception he has defined single colors making the process faster. I separated the work into three parts, the last one being the bow cap, which I attach to the oversized doll head after I finish with the last details on his hair.
[Novice weaver increased by 1, 14/50]
Good news for once.
Another mini human doll.
But I am not given much time to appreciate my work as the fashion girl immediately snatches the doll from my hands so she could take a selfie with it, then she took another with both toys and she finishes her quick photo session by taking a picture of both toys alone.
This Neo is an odd one, can't decide if it is a good or bad thing.
But now she finally got what she wanted, so maybe she will finally leave me alone. I hope she will, but the sound of snapping fingers proves me wrong.
After she gets my attention back, she pulls out a different scroll and starts fiddling with it.
My scroll, to be exact.
"What?! How?!" My hand frantically searches my pockets where it should have been and only finds empty space. She looks at me with her smug smile and shows me the blocked screen with a timer that only appears after many failed attempts.
That explains why she was so close. She pickpocketed me!
But before I do something that might bite me back in the ass, I take deep breaths to calm myself and think. This girl is not a one-trick pony. Her semblance may allow her to distort reality, which is why I couldn't hear or see her anywhere. That gives her a powerful advantage in many departments, and one of them is stealing.
I look at my scroll in her hands and notice the brand logo taking me back to a little detail. My scroll is supposed to be soul bound. It might not work, but I don't lose by trying. So I focus on my scroll and think about taking it back to my inventory.
[Scroll (Soul Bound) has been added to your inventory.]
It works!
Neo's mismatched eyes go wide in shock as my device disappears right in front of her and her face twists into a glare.
But I don't care what she thinks or does anymore, as this is my victory, mine.
I have all the reasons to celebrate and relish in the feeling of misguided pride.
Drunk in the feeling, I summoned back my scroll and waved it in front of her to taunt her. She won at everything else, but this is now my win.
Neo doesn't take the bait, instead a haughty smirk comes across her face as she, once again, pulls out an object out of nowhere.
My smile sharply fell off my face and stood up from my chair when I saw a black collar with a bell attached.
The sight of a collar has an unexpected strong negative effect on me. My breath hitches and my blood runs cold, freezing me on the spot. I don't dare to take my eyes away from her, but I know my tail is bristled.
She becomes amused by my alarmed state and takes one step forward while I take one back, our steps synced as if we were mirrors.
The pressure gets the best of me and I throw the chain in her direction to get precious seconds for my daring escape. A girl practically half my size is making me flee.
I must look pathetic, don't I?
Hurt pride aside, I aim for the main entrance to escape my flat. It is the best split second decision to take because the people would surely notice the scandal happening right outside their homes.
My heart drops when I hear the clicking sound around my neck, even though I was about to open the door.
Both hands immediately grabbed the collar to break it off, but a pair of delicate hands grabbed my wrists and kept them in place, surprising me with her innate strength despite the glaring size difference and forcing them down to my sides before turning me around.
The smiling girl doesn't waste time and forces me down for a hug, my head resting on her right shoulder before pulling out her scroll to take a picture together as if we were friends.
[Affection with (Neo Politan) increased by 1, 05/100]
Seriously, what the fuck?!
-Neo Politan-
She was having a lot of fun with her faunus and the collar fit him perfectly. Shame she didn't bring the leash.
Using her semblance to mess with him was the best choice. The poor kitten doesn't know she has a backpack on her, hidden with her semblance. It is useful to carry a bag everywhere, especially for her… very active lifestyle.
Either way, she got the chance to see his semblance at work. She couldn't pinpoint the right word to describe how incredible it was to watch objects fully disappear and materialize out of thin air.
She could use her semblance for similar effect, but they were extremely fragile to be of any use. Storage semblances are unique and mysterious in their inner workings, and her kitten recovering his scroll from her hands without moving a single muscle made him more interesting.
And she really loved his plushies. She cannot wait to give her Dum Dum his mini me. And as much as she would love to spend the rest of the night playing with him and observing him do his magic, she already made a promise with Roman to bring him to the hideout, a bummer really.
Which that left her with a bit of struggle. How would she take him to the hideout? The car was waiting on the street, so she only needed to take him there and let Junior's driver do his job.
Why not be direct?
And since she already has her scroll out, she only needed to write her message and show him.
"Do I even have a choice?" He sighed after reading.
Not really, but it helped to be polite.
With the slight issue out of their way, she took his hand and led him out of the apartment complex where their driver was smoking, patiently waiting for them. Showing his professionalism, he opened the door for them.
They can't be trusted with fighting others sadly, but they are useful in other jobs. It must have been a good deal for Junior to so openly give them his support and lend some muscle, not like she cared for the details.
They even had drinks in their cars!
What better way to wait than a drink in one hand and the other petting a pair of fluffy ears?
-Ma'iq Rakhan-
It is concerning how nice it felt to have my ears petted and played with.
Should I consider it as a form of sexual harassment?
But I can't deny it was incredibly relaxing, indulging in the feeling like an actual cat would.
So much that I almost forgot the past development of events and the degrading collar around my neck. That small bliss lasted until we arrived at the girl's hideout.
A desolated warehouse in the Industrial District, quite far from the more busy areas.
Neo doesn't waste time and pushes me inside.
The warehouse is not empty as there are large metal containers forming towers and the man from the picture walks towards us with a cane. "Well well well, so this is your pet project. I am surprised you managed to bring him without a leash. I was… more like expecting you to drag a body bag."
Wait… body bag?
"He is joking, right?" I turn to the girl in question, who tilts her head and smiles. "And who are you supposed to be? She brought me here for a reason, and I doubt it is to insult me."
"Ah, you don't know me?"
"I'm not from Vale." I answer.
"Mmmm, you can't expect much of a faunus, it seems. Not like it matters, really." He tips his hat. "Roman Torchwick, the gentle thief of Vale. I would normally extend a hand, but I think I'm fine."
His last comment was completely unnecessary, but he clearly wants to get a rise out of me, so I keep my mouth shut.
The tri-colored girl leaves my side to stand next to the criminal, who ruffles her hair with care. "And this adorable girl is Neo Politan, and she has her own reasons to bring you here. As for me, I am more interested in a single one."
"And that is?"
He uses his cane to push a plastic bottle and lets it roll to my feet. "Do your thing, store it."
"Store it?" I knit my brows in confusion.
Roman huffs in annoyance. "Semblance kitty cat, use it. Or do I need to spell it for you? Or give you a basic lesson of what semblance is?"
Store it with my semblance? But I don't even know what my semblance is.
Unless, the two of them must have confused my inventory with semblance, and it is not like I should correct them since it is far easier to explain this particular ability as semblance rather than whatever this gamer system should be.
And I can't lie since I have used my inventory in front of Neo many times, so no point in stalling. Picking up the bottle, I just send it to my inventory and watch it disappear from my hands.
[Plastic bottle (Empty) added to your inventory]
I glance briefly at the duo, who are attentively watching me continue, so I call back the bottle and drop it on the cold floor.
"Fascinating. Now try with this crate." He uses his cane to point at a large wooden box not very far from my position.
I haven't tried with bigger objects so I don't know if my inventory will work but I hope it does or there might be consequences I do not wish to discover. Following his orders, I walk up to the object and place my right hand on the rough surface.
[Wooden crate (Empty) added to your inventory]
It takes a couple seconds to gather my thoughts from the initial surprise before returning the crate back to its original spot.
"… this changes things."
"Changes what?"
"So many things, my little kitten, so many things. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, do we? For now, you will deliver some cargo to my less than favorable clients, but since it is quite late, you will start…"
"Whoa whoa whoa, hold up!" I interrupt him, a gesture he doesn't take kindly. "I will deliver? Since when am I working for you?"
"Oh? You think you have a choice? That's cute."
I look around and see the many shipping containers that will give me an edge for a daring escape, because fighting is a fool's errand. If Neo is more than capable of putting me down, then this guy wouldn't be any different. "... yes?"
The thief turns his gaze to his companion. "Mmmm, you mentioned time ago you would declaw him if he was naughty, didn't you?"
The crazy girl happily nods and a pair of giant fucking scissors materialize in her hands.
I wince, their message is more than clear to me. "I get it, no need to get violent… fuck me… what have I done to deserve this?"
Roman throws his head back with a short laugh and a single clap. "HA! Didn't you wreak havoc in a warehouse from the slums?"
"How do you know that?" I frown, trying to hide my shock.
"Because I know what happens in my properties, kitten. What kind of boss would I be if I don't put in some security systems, like cameras?" He gives a quick nod to Neo who shows her scroll with a video playing, eyes to go wide and my ears fold as I recognize my fight against Andros. "And I don't take kindly to those who steal from me."
"But I didn't steal anything." I try to defend myself. This guy has me between the sword and the wall. He can easily hand that video to the authorities and fuck me over. Even if I claim the fight was in self defense, I have no excuse for what happened next. I beat that bastard to a bloody pulp for sheer anger and he was defenseless. "And they are criminals. Nobody will care."
Roman shrugs off my words. "You helped those animals to steal from me, same thing. So you owe me, quite big I may add, because I doubt the VPD will tolerate a violent animal roaming their precious city. Besides, tracking you down wasn't so difficult, there aren't many faunus in Vale. Much less a faunus like you."
I grind my teeth, his words hurting more than they should. "Anything… else?"
Yet my boiling anger only brings him more amusement, expressing his sheer arrogance with a smirk. "Don't be so down, kitten! You will get paid for every job done and you will have the company of our adorable Neo. What else would you possibly want?"
'My freedom, for example.' That's what I wish to answer, but it stays in my mind. The girl in question playfully spins on her toes before doing a perfect jump back flip and finishing with an exaggerated bow for her public.
My attention turns to Roman, who is amused by her short performance. "Should I call you boss from now on?"
"No, it sounds cheap. Leave that to the rabble and those cheap crooks. Even as a faunus, you are far more valuable than any of them."
His comments tick me off, and he knows they affect me. "Okay… so Roman?"
He nods in approval. "Business demands professionalism, so I can make an exception for you. You can start with your name."
"Ma'iq… Rakhan." I hesitated to reveal my name at first, but if he got so much dirt on me, lying to him won't make things any better.
"Ma'iq, huh? Definitely not a local… You come from Vacuo, don't you?"
Is my name that foreign?
"...yes." I confirm his doubts.
He strokes his chin in thought. "Well, at least that tells me you don't have clean hands, so it will make things smoother. Now shoo, I have work to do." He sends me away as he walks deeper into his warehouse.
Neo stays around for a moment before walking up to me and hands me a slip of paper while making the 'call me' gesture'.
I glance at the paper and see a scroll number.
She doesn't even give time to reply as she disappears from sight in a burst of petals.
I check my left and then to my right to confirm I am finally alone. I turn back and walk towards the exit in deep silence, my head still processing the past hours and my new job.
The second I leave the building, I rip the collar from my neck and throw it as far as physically possible.
AN: KUDOS if you recognize the reference at the start and the plot of the movie. One more chapter and then I can focus on the other stories.