The rest of the school day went by like a blur. Each class started and ended about the same way: introduction, curriculum overview, and some brief course material. Overall, it was the typical procedure of school life. Before they knew it, school was over and everyone dispersed for the rest of the day.
The sun was still up and there was still plenty of daylight left. Some decided to hang out in their dorm, some decided to explore the different facilities the school offered, and still others decided to go into the city for various reasons. Team JAYD was part of the students who wanted to go into the city, but before heading out they stopped by the dorm to change into casualwear. However, as they approached their room, a familiar person was hanging near their door.
"You guys are back."
Jaq cheerily greeted them when she noticed them approaching. She was alone and still in her school uniform.
"What are you doing here? Were you waiting for us?" Jade was a bit cautious, but at the same time, hopeful. After all, this was the first time since this morning where she wasn't surrounded by students.
"Haha, that was kind of obvious, wasn't it?" Jaq laughed with a hint of embarrassment. "I wasn't sure if you guys were going to stop by the dorm first, but I'm glad I waited for a bit."
"I hope you didn't wait too long. I would feel bad."
"No, no. It wasn't that long." Jaq waved her hands quickly to alleviate Jade's worries. "I just wanted to ask if you guys want to explore the city with me."
Jaq produced a pamphlet from her pocket. It looked like a tourist guide for Vale.
"I'm actually not that familiar with the city and wanted to look around a bit. I have a feeling it might be the same for some of you."
That was clearly directed at Jade and Yu.
"Oh, well…"
Jade wanted to say yes right away, but she realized that it would be wise to consult with her teammates first before such a unilateral decision. She sheepishly turned around to gauge her teammates' reaction. Diamon caught on to what Jade was thinking and decided to step forward.
"That sounds like a lovely idea. I think you guys should go. I would love to tag along, too, but unfortunately, Amy and I already made plans."
"Yeah, we are going on a date." Amy enthusiastically added.
"No, no, not a date." Diamon frantically corrected. "I just need to stop by one of our warehouses here to pick up some supplies and do some company logistics."
"Urgh, way to ruin to the joke, Diamon." Amy groaned as she rolled her eyes.
Diamon flared up and was about to say something back, but decided against it.
"We can accompany you on the ride there, but we'll have to go our separate ways after. You three can enjoy yourselves."
"I'm not going either." Yu abruptly cut in, causing the rest of the group to turn to him in a mixture of alarm and surprise. "I'm going to the training facility."
Without another word, he rudely brushed past everyone and went into the dorm room, leaving everyone in an awkward silence. Jaq had an anxious expression while looking between the room Yu entered and the rest of the party, wondering if she said something wrong.
"Um...I guess it's just the two of us, then?" Jade tried to relieve Jaq by acting like nothing had happened. Obviously, she wanted to scream internally, but she learned the best way to get over these kinds of situations is to act as if nothing happened.
"This wasn't what I had in mind, but alright then. I guess we'll be going on our own little date, too."
"Like I said, it isn't a date," Diamon huffed in indignation under his breath, but no one paid attention.
"What about your team? Are they not coming as well?" Jade asked.
Jaq rubbed her head in embarrassment.
"Ah, Queenie has some errands to do and I didn't want her to waste her time following me around because she totally would do that. As for Ace and Kingsly, they are familiar with the city, but just left on their own to do whatever it is that they want to do. Haha…"
It appears Jade isn't the only one having trouble being a team leader, but then again, she wasn't familiar with Jaq's team dynamic to make a comment on that. Perhaps that is just the way their teammate functions. Or perhaps she was just overthinking the whole team leader and her worries are just something every team faces.
"Alright, then I'll meet you guys at the shuttle in 10 minutes?" Jaq clapped her hands as if everything had been settled.
Jade only gave a half-hearted nod, but that was enough for Jaq.
"Great! See you then!"
With that, she dashed a short way down the hall to her own room.
"Lively, isn't she?" Diamon commented as they entered their own room. "Got to say, I'm not sure why she's so interested in us, but I can't complain. Building a connection with now will go a long way in the future. More so for me when I take over the business. I can only imagine what sort of benefits can come from ties with the Royal Flush."
Jade nodded, but wasn't really paying attention. She was elated to have gotten an opportunity to speak with Jaq, even if it wasn't the way she planned to have it. However, as she stepped into the room she was reminded of the problem that she ignored just moments ago.
"Yu, are you doing alright?"
Yu, already in sportswear, looked at his sister in confusion.
Since this morning, Jade was a little worried about her brother. While his standoffishness was normal, she couldn't help but feel he was tenser than usual since yesterday's placement exam.
"What do you mean? I'm the same as I always have been." His response was curt and sharp.
"Well, you know…" She didn't quite know how to phrase her feelings, so she stumbled on her words. "I just want to know how you're feeling…"
"I'm feeling fine. If there is nothing else you want to say, then I'm going. Every minute I'm here is one wasted from training."
Yu grabbed his bag and left the room, leaving a speechless Jade staring at the door he just shut. Jade clutched her hand tightly to her chest in worry. She wanted to chase after her brother, but not to scold him or anything like that. She wasn't the type of person who gets mad easily nor was she the type of person to be confrontational in any situation. All she wanted to do was understand his behavior, to help alleviate whatever he was struggling with, but she didn't really know what to say to convey her worries properly. Instead of making a decision, she just fidgeted uncomfortably in front of the dorm.
"Um, don't you need to be going somewhere soon?" Amy called out while in the middle of changing into her blouse.
This snapped Jade out of her stupor. In her little thought bubble she completely forgot what she was doing a moment ago. She still gave one look at the door as if expecting her brother to open it at any second, but shook her head dejectedly as she put it to the back of her mind.
One task at a time, she thought to herself as she started changing.
Just as Jaq said, she was by the school shuttle waiting for them. The three members of Team JAYD greeted the lone member of Team JAQK, briefly forming a new team just for the short flight down to the City Vale. It only took about 5 minutes after takeoff to reach one of the air transport dropoff points. From there, Diamon and Amy bid the other two farewell as they hopped into a luxurious looking car (probably owned by Diamon's family) and left for their "date."
After seeing the two off, Jaq proceeded to drag Jade around town, walking to various hot spots in Vale, guided by the pamphlet in her hand.
They started at the nearby shopping district, which consists of several streets of different shops lined on both sides. It was definitely a vibrant environment. The shops were adorned with all manners of bright and flashy colors trying to tempt the bustling street prowlers to visit. Street performers dot the sidewalk giving glimpses of their talents to the public, from musicians to singers to magicians and so forth, with some drawing quite a considerable crowd. Seeing some of the performing arts type performers even gave Jade a sense of nostalgia, as she recalled a time during her training days where it was part of her school curriculum to perform in a public space. In fact, the whole atmosphere of this area reminded her of her school days in the City of Mistral. It was drastically different from the life she lived at her village before going to school and after returning home.
Ah, I guess there is a certain appeal to the bustle of the urban lifestyle, Jade thought.
There were all sorts of shops they visited. From clothing stores to candy stores, they flitted through the street going through whichever place caught their fancy. It wasn't long before they went through the entire promenade with an armful of snacks and little goodies they picked up.
But their journey didn't end there.
Exiting the glamour shopping district, the bright lights and lively atmosphere gave way to a dull quiet business district, where large gray buildings seem to go endlessly. The contrast was so poignant to the place they just left it felt as if they stepped into a different world. But they didn't linger there for long as Jaq led her through several streets of these uniform structures to arrive at a comfy park at the edge of the sea. The park seemed to stretch the entire coast, running beyond their sight on either side. In the distance a port could be seen where various ships were moored. Mostly freight from their angle, but a few recreational boats could be spotted. However, that wasn't the real eye catching sight.
"Look, look," Jaq called to Jade while pointing at a spot a bit from the port. Jade followed her fingers and saw a distinct tower peeking out from the crowd of buildings. "It's the Vale transmit tower. I always wanted to see that up close. Come on."
Without another word, Jaq was already sprinting across the grass towards the tower.
"Ah, wait." Jade tried to ask her to slow down, but she already ran quite a distance that prevented her from hearing her plea properly. Without much choice, she chased after her with a groan.
It took a few minutes of light jogging before the buildings started to thin out and gave way to a large circular park. It was an extension from the seaside park they were just traversing, except there was a perpendicular path leading from the seaside area to the transmit tower. Jade made the turn into this inner courtyard and found Jaq standing a short distance from the tower taking pictures on her scroll
"Don't run off like that! I almost lost you for a second," Jade panted as she grabbed her knees to rest a bit.
While she was out of breath, it wasn't like she was tired from running. She was a renowned dancer. Keeping her body in shape was part of the course. She could have ran the distance several times without breaking much of a sweat. But, being dragged around the shopping district and the stress of keeping up with Jaq's bursting energy has finally left her exhausted, at least mentally.
"Hold on a second. I'm going to rest a bit."
She plopped down on a nearby bench to let herself cool down.
This caused Jaq to finally notice her partner's exhaustion and she sat next to her a bit ashamed.
"Oh, sorry about that. I guess I got a little too excited."
"No, no, no. It's not your fault. I enjoyed today. There were just so many things happening that I needed some time to process everything."
Jade looked up into the sky to let herself relax. The sky was starting to darken, turning into a light navy color. The sun cast a dark orange shade upon the blue sky as it slowly inch towards the horizon. Street lights flicked on, their light not very potent at the moment, but it gave the plaza a completely different feel with the artificial light which will only increase as the day gets darker. It was easy to tell that they have been out for a few hours now.
"Say, Jaq. Can I ask you something?" A sudden thought came to Jade. She finally recalled that there was something she wanted to talk with Jaq about, but had forgotten in the bustle of the tour they went through.
"Hmm, what is it?"
"It's a...personal question."
Jaq gave her a surprised look, but then smiled warmly.
"Sure, ask away. You won the duel yesterday. I owe you an answer to anything you want to know about me as per our agreement. Well, anything within reason."
Jade paused, trying to find the right word, but ended up expressing it the simplest way she can.
"What is the Royal Flush?"
Jaq looked confused.
"I mean, everyone thinks you guys are some legendary warrior from history, but from what I understand, that was before the Great War. And you guys faded away after that right? So, what does it mean now?"
"Ah, I see," Jaq nodded.
"I guess I just wanted to know, if you are really as everyone makes you out to be, why are you even here? Seems like you are capable enough without attending Beacon. And…"
Jade wanted to say "why associated with someone like me" but stopped herself from saying it.
Jaq made a difficult face and scratched her hair. It was clearly a sore subject for her, but she let out sigh. A promise is a promise and her answer wasn't some secret anyways.
"It's like you said, the Royal Flush is a thing of the past. The me right now is just me, no grand life or upbringing to live up to that name. Just like everyone else, I was fascinated by my family history, but the only connection with my illustrious past is the skills passed down through the family. Other than that, I'm just an ordinary girl."
"And the whole thing about Hunters? You mention something about that yesterday when we fought."
"Ah."
Jaq looked a little shy recalling that.
"You heard the rumors about the Hunters, right?"
Jade nodded.
"To be honest, I have no clue if that part is true myself. The Code was something my great-grandfather engraved in his dojo and passed along to his family. The Code of the Hunter was a way of life he lived by and wanted those who learned his techniques to as well, and like I said before, it is what I hope to live up to."
Jaq stared pensively at the darkening sky and recited the Code again.
"'We are Hunters. The Defender of the Weak, the Protectors of the Peace, and the Light that shine through the Darkness. No matter the odds, no matter the cost, we will make the necessary sacrifice to ensure a brighter future.' Basically, giving everything you have to protect others. It does have a poetic flare to it, so I can see how it can be connected to the rumors, but I don't have any connections with the stories. For all I know, the rumor about the Hunters started because of our family Code."
She pretty much said the exact thing as Diamon and Yu earlier today. In the end, the Hunter rumor stemmed from this Code of the Hunters. Or at least that's the most sound conclusion and it didn't seem like she was telling a lie. Either way, Jade was satisfied with one mystery out of the way, but there were other things she wanted to know.
"But why does no one know who you were until Ace revealed it. If the stories about the Royal Flush are so far-reaching, shouldn't people recognize who you were right away?"
"Well, that's because…"
"It's because of the attention that we keep our lives private."
A male voice interrupted the two girls turned around to see Ace and Kingsley standing behind them.
"Ace, why are you here?" Jaq called to him sternly, a hint of suspicion in her voice.
"Had to send a message back home." He replied in a carefree tone and pointed to the tower behind him. "Gotta say the terminals there are pretty nice. Lots of features."
He leisurely walked to another set of benches near them and casually spread himself across it. Kingsley didn't sit but stood casually by a light post.
"You wanted to know why no one knows about us?" He continued the conversation he butted into so naturally as if he was part of it the whole time.
"During the Great War, our great grandparent's faith in humanity was shaken. They didn't want the skills they taught to be used against people and not Grimm. So, they abandoned their estate, closed their school, and vanished from society, hoping that their names will fade into obscurity."
Ace chuckled as he recalled something hilarious.
"Obviously, and unironically, a famous group of people disappearing like that brings about rumors, and rather than fading away, our names were engraved in history. Heck, the abandoned homes of our ancestors are now a tourist trap."
But then he sighed and continued on in a more serious tone.
"It's not like we were hermits living in the woods after the war. Well, our grandparents did, but our parents and us weren't recognized by society yet so we still interacted with others, but used nicknames to hide our identity."
He then pointed at Jaq, almost accusingly.
"But this girl. We were homeschooled because of the lives we have, but she wanted to have a 'real school' experience and 'friends.'"
Ace leaned sarcastically into the word "friends."
"So, she went to one in a town near us. Under a pseudonym, of course, and oh boy, was that a wild ride."
"Hey, you were there too." Jaq retorted with a puff of her cheeks, which got another chuckle from Ace as if recalling a fond memory.
"Yeah, that's right, but don't you think school life was more exciting because I was there?"
"If you weren't there, everything would've been…"
"Do you really think that was the case?"
Jaq glared at Ace menacingly, to which he responded with a shrug. Then, she lowered her gaze, admitting defeat, but not very happy about it. Jade glanced between the two as they had this, what seemed like, private conversation with each other. It was obvious these two had a lot of history between them from the way they were talking, but she wasn't going to ask about it. Wanting to steer the conversation away from this awkward atmosphere, Jade asked another question.
"Then why change now? You were very vocal about letting everyone know who you guys were a few days ago."
She was directing this to Ace since he was the one who announced it to everyone. She remembered Jaq was using the pseudonym "Joker" to hide her identity, which now made sense after she just heard.
But Ace didn't reply. He just gave a nod to Jaq, who shuffled uncomfortably, to let her explain.
"Well, it was my idea. I figured that since we are practically adults now, we can make our own decisions about secrecy. I was tired of using a pseudonym anyways."
This took Jade by surprise.
"Then, the nickname…"
"I kinda got anxious and just went with the nickname I used in the past, haha," Jaq laughed out loud to hide the embarrassment. "Then, it was too embarrassing to say 'Oops, sorry I lied about my name' so I rolled with it. Sorry."
Jade raised an eyebrow. It was hard for Jade to imagine the girl in front of her, who always seemed to act with such confidence, have such a moment of panic. Every time they met, she always had this charismatic outgoing aura about her.
Well, except this morning during introductions, Jade suddenly recalled.
"I was against it at first," Ace picked up where Jaq left off. "But, I realize there really wasn't a reason for us to hide the fact at this point. Like she said, we are adults and we should have control of our own identity. Who cares if some nosy people start to get close to us once we reveal ourselves. They are all just so thirsty for excitement in their mundane lives. Once they get their fill of gossip, they will realize that and move on to some other hot fad or something."
Ace's words were oddly venomous and disdainful. He even looked disgusted while talking about others. Jade can't tell if it's just his attitude or if he has some vendetta against society.
"The Royal Flush was dead decades ago and we're not them. The only destiny set for us is the ones we make for ourselves"
He stretched his arms and let out a yawn, calming himself and returning the conversation back to where it started.
"Our parents really didn't care either way. It's not like they have something to hide, too. The decision to hide away from society was from our great grandparents and our parents are just respecting their wishes. But they are dead now and we are not beholden to them."
It was a bit unnerving to hear the irreverence and derision Ace showed towards others, especially to his own grandparents considering her Mistral roots where your ancestors are practically gods, but she already accepted that Ace was a bit of a 'wild' person from what little she knew of him. Still, the attitude he displayed got her a little on edge and even more so when he directed his attention to her with his devilish smile.
"But enough about us. We're here spilling all our secrets. Tell me a little something about yourself."
"Ah, um…" Jade caught on her words due to nervousness. Even with one eye covered, or perhaps because of it, the way he glared at her seemed to pierce her very soul. It made her break out in a cold sweat.
"Ace, stop it," Jaq defended her with an icy stare of her own. The distraction was enough to cut the tension from Ace. "She was asking about me as per our agreement from yesterday. You just butted into the conversation. Isn't it a bit rude?"
"Ha, we're all friends here. What's wrong with getting to know more of each other? Isn't that your goal anyways?" He let out a smirk as if everything was according to plan. "Besides, we practically shared our life story, wouldn't it be more rude not to share?"
Jaq was about to say something back, but Jade put up a hand to stop her.
"No, he's right. You guys did tell me about yourselves, so it's only fair that I talk a little about myself. What do you want to know?"
Ace rubbed his chin then answered with a grin.
"Tell me a bit about your brother. He was an interesting guy when we fought, but a bit high-strung, isn't he? What is his deal?"
Jade flinched a bit. She wasn't sure if it was right for her to talk to others about her brother, but she already said some stuff to Amy and Diamon about their past. Plus, it wasn't like Ace was a complete stranger. In the end, she mostly told them the same thing she told Amy the first night at Beacon. About her relationship with her brother. About the split between her brother and her. And after a moment to brace herself, she talked about the Grimm attack that destroyed her home and how she quit dancing to take care of her brother. Then, it all concluded with how she decided to train as a huntress and come to Beacon with Yu.
After her little stroll down memory lane, Jaq just nodded as if piecing everything she knew together. It suddenly dawned on Jade that Jaq may already know part of her past since she overheard her speaking of this the same night she talked with Amy, but Ace definitely didn't know any of this and listened with disturbing level of attention.
"He's only like this because of everything that happened. He wasn't able to protect our parents and the pain is eating at him. He just wants to get stronger so it wouldn't happen again. I was just lucky not to have witnessed the events personally."
"Interesting." It was the first thing he said after listening, which Jade felt was a strange line to say after hearing anyone's tragic past. He was stroking his chin, thinking about something, but whatever it is, Jade couldn't tell.
"Are you sure about that? Did he tell you that?" There was something strange with the way he asked her.
"What do you mean?" Sweat started to form on her cheeks. There was something ominous about the way Ace said that and the intense gray aura he exuded didn't help.
"If I recall correctly, Huntsmen-in-training are typically capable of taking on a basic Grimm or two by the time they are fifteen and your brother certainly is pretty capable from the time I fought him. It didn't sound like the attack was large or else the casualties would be greater. Unless it was an anomaly..."
Ace's word trailed off and he continued muttering words under his breath. His gaze was intense and his hand firmly placed on his chin. He was now completely ignoring Jade and was analyzing her story about her brother. It was creepy and started to scare her a little.
"Tell me. Did he say what went on during that day?"
Jade's breath stopped. His words struck something deep inside her. Yu never said anything about what happened that day. Everything she knew came from the other villagers. She assumed he didn't want to bring up that painful memory, but even after he recovered, they never talked about it.
It made her heart quicken. His confident assertion made her question her own reality. Something about his gaze and the way he hold himself made her doubt even herself.
"Enough!"
Jaq's sudden outburst cut through the silence. She leapt out of her seat to accentuate her word, her expression furious.
"Stop this Ace. Can't you see you're making her uncomfortable."
It was the first time Jade ever saw her that mad. Compared to her normal happy demeanor, it was a scary sight to behold. It was scarier than the time they fought the other day, since that feeling was one of awe rather than fear. It was like the difference between seeing an erupting volcano from afar compared seeing the lava up close.
But Ace was unfazed. He met Jaq's gaze with a pretty lax look.
"What, I was just curious."
"This is not curiosity! This is an interrogation!"
"Oh yeah, maybe it is, but what will you do about it?"
Jaq gritted his teeth and clenched her fist. Ace was goading her and she knew it.
Meanwhile, Jade could only look sheepishly at what appeared to be the break out of a fight. She thought the two of them were friends, but after seeing this she wasn't sure anymore. She looked to the other member of their clique present, Kingsley, for help but he just offered a shrug as if this was normal. With no support, she could only hunch anxiously in her seat hoping nothing bad happens.
However, thankfully, the sound of glass breaking and the start of a commotion nearby broke the intense atmosphere. The animosity evaporated as quickly as it started and they all looked in the direction of the sound simultaneously. They saw two individuals at the edge of the park fuming about something while looking down. A dog tried to rush past them, but one of the individuals landed a kick in its abdomen while saying some profanities and the dog collapsed with a loud whimper.
Jade let out a gasp.
"It seems the rowdier crowd is out and about now." Ace let out a resigned sigh, but remained relaxed in his seat without any sign of moving.
But that did not apply to Jaq, who quickly forgot her issue with Ace and marched toward the commotion.
"Are you really going to do this?" Ace groaned, prompting Jaq to stop and face him with a stern expression.
"This is clearly wrong. If I don't, who will?"
However, just as she said this, another person got between the two adults and covered the dog. The person was young, about their age, and was pleading to the two adults.
"See, someone is already doing something about." Just as Ace finished talking, the two adults got even madder and pushed the kid on the ground. "Ah, shit."
Ace's cursed was mostly because he knew what was going to happen. And that something was Jaq sprinting over to aid the fallen person.
"Hey, stop it!" She yelled at them.
They looked in confusion at the new girl that showed up.
"Huh, what do you want?" The one who kicked the dog snarled. He wore a leather jacket and oily hair with frosted tips. A typical good-for-nothing look.
"Can't you see you're causing trouble?" She crouched down to check the dog and the guy. There were no injuries on the dog, it was just whimpering in fear. As for the guy, he was unharmed, but does look kind of somewhat familiar.
"Hey, we ain't doing anything wrong. We're the victims here!" The other guy yelled. He pointed at the wet paper bag on the floor, soaked by the contents within after shattering on the floor. There was also a platter of fries and other foodstuff littered nearby.
"We were just just minding our own business when this frinkin mut came and assaulted us."
"That's a lie!" The boy yelled back. "It was just begging for some food. It didn't attack you!"
"How the hell would I know if it was begging for food or attacking us. Either way it's our food and the dog was trying to steal it from us."
Jade, Ace, and Kinglsey could hear the argument from a distance. They weren't the only ones. A few passerby turned to look at the commotion they were making and continued on without a care.
"Shouldn't we help her?" Jade asked Ace.
He groaned as if it was too much work.
"Ah, just let her be." He waved his hand as if it had nothing to do with him. "She often puts herself in the middle of troublesome situations to try and resolve it. It's her sense of justice and all."
However, that didn't alleviate Jade's worries. On the one hand, she finds it difficult to take Ace's words at face value considering the friction she just witnessed between the two and on the other hand, she couldn't see the problem being anywhere near resolved. She wanted to go help, but she wasn't sure if she could do anything about it.
Ace sensed her anxiousness and finally got out of his seat with a long sigh.
"Look, she's a tough girl. Such a trivial problem like this won't be an issue…"
"Fine, if I cover for the stuff you lost, will you let it go?"
Just as Ace finished talking, Jaq's voice cut through their conversation, having come up with a resolution to the issue. The two men looked at each other in surprise, still a little annoyed at the situation they were in, but gladly accepted this proposal with a devious glint in their eyes.
"Ah, shit." Ace ruffled his hair furiously, clearly frustrated at the turn of events. He didn't seem to like the conclusion this was heading in and after grumbling to himself for a moment, probably debating whether to butt in or not, he jogged over to assist Jaq.
Jade looked on in confusion. He just said to let her be, but immediately went to help. She was about to follow behind him thinking he might make things worse, but Kingsley took this moment to finally step forward and stop her.
"Don't worry about them." He reassured her in his lackadaisical tone. "It may seem like they aren't on good terms with each other, but they are closer than you might think."
"Are you sure?" Jade couldn't help but look at Ace in doubt.
"Ace can be a loudmouth and a prick. But he's not a bad guy. The two of them are surprisingly similar, but Ace just shows it differently." Kingsley leaned against the bench they were just sitting at and pointed at his teammate, who was getting close to the commotion. "If you don't trust me, just watch."
Jade was still skeptical, but took faith in Kingsley's worth and watched in silence.
"Hey, dipshits!" Those were Ace's first words when he got close enough to them. The two men's snarky grin quickly contorted into anger as they turned to face the new person. Jaq also turned to face Ace, but in surprise.
"You guys are causing a public disturbance. If you guys don't break up now, I'm calling the police." To accentuate his threat, he held up his scroll with the screen showing a key pad and his thumb over the numbers.
"What the hell. We ain't breaking no laws!" The leather jacket dude spewed back. "Besides, we were just about to settle this. Get off our back."
"Oh, who said I was calling them about public disturbance," Ace retorted, his natural wicked smile leaking out. The two assailant gave a confused look. Even Jaq wasn't sure what angle his teammate was trying to play. Without explaining, Ace quickly scanned the scene, his eyes darting across the "crime" scene as if gathering clues. He first examined the spilled food and wet plastic bag and followed the mess they left.
"Let's see here."
He kicks the soggy paper bag and shards of broken glass spilled from it. He leaned forward to take a whiff of the content and immediately reeled back with a grimace.
"Judging by the glass shards and storage method, not to mention the heavy smell, you guys were carrying around alcohol. And not the weak convenient store kind too, this is some hard liquor."
The two men froze, turning slightly pale. Ace took this opportunity to get closer and took a big whiff around them.
"And it seems like you guys drank quite a bit. Isn't it a bit early to be happy hours?" He mockingly teased. "Hmm, let's add public intoxication to the list."
Without missing a beat, he traced over to the trail of fries and other finger food littering the ground.
"In your inebriation, it looks like you've been spilling your food, which, by the way, is littering, and that prompted the dog to follow your trail of food, eventually begging you for some."
He returned back to the pile of glass shard and the strewn contents of a burger. He stared at them intently as he did some mental math.
"A dog that size needs to tackle you extremely hard for you to even create such a mess. Even then, I doubt a glass bottle could shatter this much just from being dropped a couple feet from the ground. It was definitely thrown."
The two men were pale as a ghost by this point. Cold sweat poured from their cheeks as they looked nervously between Ace and the Jaq.
"Last time I checked, animal abuse is a felony." Ace stated coldly. He stared at the two culprits dead in the eye, his expression like a cop interrogating a suspect. "But I'm a nice guy. I'm willing to drop this if you guys just fuck off."
Without missing a beat, the two men swore under their breath and ran off, returning peace and quite back to the park.
"If they were breaking the law, why didn't you just call the police on them?"
These were Jaq's first words when everything returned to normal. Her hands were balled tightly and she had a flustered expression. It was clear that she was ashamed that he came to resolve the issue better than she did. But at the same time, there were traces of anger that Ace just let two criminals, which he identified, off the hook without any punishment.
Ace chuckled. He was very satisfied with this deflated, yet angry look on Jaq and tried to pat her head, but she angrily slapped his hand away.
"I may have said it in a way that sounds serious, but you really think the police would take action on what amounted to everyday littering and a bit of social disorder?" As he said this, he gathered up all the littered food bits into a pile with his feet. He grabbed a clump of loose dirt and tossed that at a nearby trash can, but right before it fell in, a mist shrouded the dirt and the pile of broken glass and food and the two things swapped places, letting the litter fall in the trash and the dirt dropping where the leftovers were. "Best case scenario is they give them a fine and a slap on the wrist."
Jaq grumbled a thanks under her breath. She may be a little frustrated that Ace had to come in, but she wasn't going to ignore his help.
Seeing as everything was over, Jade and Kingsley finally approached. Kingsley went to talk to Ace while Jade went to the crouched person tending to the dog.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, thanks for the help," the person responded. He looked and gave Jade a weak smile. Jade paused for a moment. The person looked familiar, but where had she seen him? She ran through her memories and recalled a certain event this morning.
"You're part of the team that bumped into us during homeroom!" Jade gasped. It was hard to tell since he wasn't wearing a school uniform anymore, but she did recall the short ashy grey hair he sported.
"Oh, yeah, him," Ace butted in. He gave the boy a good look, which made him very uncomfortable.
"Yup, that's him." He stated it so matter-of-factly as like he was matching him to a picture.
"What's your name again? I don't think we ever got it."
"Oh, it's Yin."
"Yin, huh. Is this dog your's?"
"Oh, no. It's just a stray. I happen to see it chasing after those two guys before all this happened. And thanks for the help, by the way. I'm not good at confronting people. I'm only good at communicating with animals so all I could do was protect it."
He rubbed the dogs fur firmly and it responded with excited panting. It licked Yin's hand as if thanking him for protecting him before trotting into the alley.
"Uhh, shouldn't we be taking it to a shelter or something," Jade asked. She was sure that strays should be taken to a shelter to be taken care of, or at least that was how it was in Mistral. She turned to Jaq and Ace for some form of confirmation and they seemed to agree with her. However, Yin shook his head.
"It's fine. He has found a home in the alley's already. And there seems to be people feeding it from time to time."
"You can tell this...how?" Ace asked.
"Like I said. I have a way with animals. It wasn't as dirty or skinny as your typical stray. I can tell that it isn't alone in the streets."
"Are you really on Team Assholes? You seem way too nice to be hanging out with them."
Ace's frank remark was met with a jab from Jaq. However, Yin wasn't offended. Instead, he chuckled at his remark, albeit somewhat self-deprecatingly, and tried to find the best words to explain himself.
"It's actually Team ONYX. The two members of the team I believe you are referring to are Oni and Nero."
He paused. His expression was a little troubled as he tried to find the best way to describe his situation. He started to say something, but stopped as he reconsidered his words. After a moment to collect himself, he continued talking, but in a more crestfallen manner.
"They aren't bad people. Sure they can be confrontational, but they are just striving to be the best Huntsmen they can be. It's actually my fault they are a bit on edge."
"What do you mean?"
"Well," Yin fidgeted. "To be perfectly honest, it's because I'm weak."
Everyone looked at each other in confusion, then back at Yin, begging for an explanation.
"The two were friends and paired up during the placement exams," Yin explained. "But then our other member, Xeno, and I paired up with them and it was clear that we couldn't keep up. We barely failed to get the lock at the end of the test, but they would've easily won if they weren't busy babysitting me. And I think they resented me for that."
Yin sighed again. He strolled to a nearby light post and leaned against it. The sun has mostly set at this point so his new position revealed the solemn expression he held.
"Xeno has it easy since he can keep up with them somewhat, but me, I'm just dragging them down...no...I'm dragging everyone down, as usual. "
The last part muttered quietly, reflecting all his insecurities. For some reason, seeing Yin crestfallen like that reminded Jade of her brother when they reunited. His downtrodden expression and sense of hopelessness triggered those same feelings of wanting to protect others who are suffering just as she did with her brother a couple years back.
"That's not true!" Jade boldly stepped forward, to the shock of both Yin and the Royal flush pair. She even surprised herself a little bit by her sudden passionate outburst, but she felt the urge to say something here.
"Don't say you are dragging others down. There's always something that you can do, something you can do better than others. You just haven't found it yet."
Jade was suddenly reminded of the conversation she had with Professor Ozpin the other day. About how he cheered her up when she was in a similar state as Yin. In a way, seeing this situation on the other side made her understand the significance of his words much more clearly and so she decided to impart the same wisdom to Yin.
"We aren't all meant to march at the same pace. Some of us have a head start and others just march faster."
Jade wasn't thinking of anyone in particular, but Jaq shifted uncomfortably behind her.
"It may seem like you are falling behind and can't catch up, but if you continue to try your best and find that one thing you can do, I'm sure one day you can stride side by side with those around you. So don't say you are a drag. Don't say you are useless."
Jade reached out and gently grabbed Yin's hand. His hand was soft and small, completely different from her brother's roughed, calloused hands. Yin was surprised and a bit cautious, but then melted into a softer expression as he felt the warmth in Jade's grasp.
For some reason, Jade suddenly recalled a moment from her childhood. From a time before her relationship with her brother deteriorated. She remembered his young innocent smile, his hand wrapped just like this, and his cheerful words. Words that's now long forgotten. It was a bittersweet memory. One that reminded her how much has changed since they were children.
"Thanks. That makes me feel a little better." Yin replied, a bit more upbeat. However, he retracted his hand from Jade, which snapped her back to the current reality. Thankfully, Jade did not notice his blush from the awkwardness of his hand held by a girl he barely knew.
"Hey, that's some nice words there. You can be bold at times too." Jaq came up to Jade after Yin let go of her hand and gave her a solid slap on her back. Meanwhile, Ace stood in the shadows, his face obscured, but Jade could make out an amused smirk.
Jade only gave a weak smile, unsure how to deal with the sudden flood of compliments she's receiving. She herself didn't understand why she suddenly took the spotlight to say something, but there was the feeling that it needed it be said.
However, the moment was interrupted by a sudden chuckle from Yin.
"You're just like how Yu said you'll be."
"Eh. How did you know him?" Jade was startled that his brother was brought up. Yu wasn't particularly sociable so she was curious how he knew his brother
"Haha, we're in the same homeroom. We all introduced ourselves."
"Ah, sorry, I haven't told you yet. I actually met him at the training facility earlier."
"Oh! And he talked to you?" Jade asked with a sparkle in her eyes. It wasn't like his brother to make conversation with strangers so she was curious about the details.
"Ah, well it was mostly me trying to make conversation since it was only the two of us there. He didn't really engage as much."
"I-I see." So typical Yu behavior.
"But, he did say a little about you. He said you are kind and really good at comforting people. He sees you like a big sister, even if you guys were born at the same time."
It was a bit heartwarming to hear Yu say those things about her even if it wasn't face-to-face. But she can understand. A sibling wouldn't easily admit their affection for each other. Yet, hearing Yu say something so nice about her, when this whole time Jade wasn't sure how he felt about her, was a breath of fresh air.
"Wow, that's the nicest thing he said. To anyone." It was all Jade could say back. She was glad that Yu managed to express his feeling, but she responded back with a joke in her nervousness.
Yin shook his head.
"I'm sure he meant it." He replied seriously. His expression was a bit dark and it was tinged in melancholy "But when he talked about you, he sounded so distant and pained. I don't want to pry in your business, but it makes me kind of sad when a brother and a sister aren't close."
Jade's mouth opened as if saying 'Ah' after understanding what he meant. She gave a smile. She was meaning to talk with her brother for a while, but she never found a chance. Sometimes, it was her own reticence that stopped her. Other times it was just the situation. But hearing a third-party bring up, motivated her to finally do it
"Don't worry about it. Yu and I have been through some rough patches, but trust me when I say we are working on it." She looked Yin in the eyes with a genuine smile as she pat him on the shoulder. Yin seemed to brighten up when she said that. "By the way, was he at the training facility when you left?"
Yin nodded.
"Still?" Jade looked up at the sky to confirm the time. The orange of the setting sun has mostly consumed the sky and was quickly fading away to the deep navy color of night. If she would make a guess, it has been almost three hours since they left school.
She looked at Jaq apologetically, but she was understanding.
"Well, looks like our little adventure comes to an end." Jaq announced with grandeur. Then, more softly. "You should go. Don't worry about us. We can take care of things from here."
She winked and slapped Jade in the back as if urging her to go.
"I wished it didn't end in such a gloomy way, with Ace butting in and this whole mess with those two people, but it was fun while it lasted."
Jade thanked her with a light bow. However, before heading back, there was someone else she needed to say goodbye to. She looked around for a moment and found Ace somewhat obscured in the shadow of the street light. Jade waved goodbye at him and he gave an odd look as if saying "What the heck are you doing?" but then just chuckled and shook his head.
"Hey, look. Sorry about all those uncomfortable questions. Just forget about it okay?"
"Oh, uh huh," Jade replied in astonishment, then hid her mouth to hide her laughter.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing, nothing. It's just I thought you were a really scary person. But after seeing you today, I get the feeling you can be quite nice."
Ace had a look with his uncovered eye that wanted to ask if she was crazy. But then, he started to chuckle which escalated into an outburst of laughter.
"Haha, ouch! What did I do to deserve such an insult?" He waved his hands as if to shoo her away. "Don't you need to be going somewhere? Stop wasting your time on me."
Jade bowed again to apologize and then head off. She turned around before she rounded the corner and waved them a final goodbye before disappearing into the sunset.
Ace watched her until she left his sight. His amused smile disappeared and was replaced by a serious intent look. Under his breath, not directed at anyone in particular, he muttered something to the wind.
"After all, you don't know how scary I can really be."
It was finally dark when Jade reached the Beacon training facility. Dinner already started in the mess hall so this section of the school was empty, but the lights beaming out of the high windows proved that there were still people in the building and she could assume who might still be there.
However, the darkness and the emptiness gave off a spooky vibe, and she swore she could feel something watching her. Perhaps it was just her imagination getting the best of her, but either way, she hurried herself towards the facility to escape the creepy atmosphere.
As she neared, the feeling that she was not alone increased and she couldn't help herself to look around for the source of it. And then she noticed.
Walking towards her, from a parallel road, was another student almost completely obscured in the darkness, like some sort of phantom. It was almost impossible to tell if he was there are not because he barely made any noise. Once this person noticed that Jade was looking his way, he stopped and met her gaze.
"Um, hello. Sorry for staring, but you just startled me." Jade tried to be cordial to hide the fact she was so scared by his sudden presence.
The man didn't reply and just stood there like a stone statue.
Now that her eyes were a bit adjusted to the dark, she could make out his appearance a bit. He had shiny, almost oily looking, black hair that dropped to his shoulders and a very lazy looking eyes. It was a face she definitely saw somewhere.
"Oh, you're Xeno!"
That's right. She recalled seeing him with Yin this morning. As Yin said not too long ago, the two mean members of his team are Oni and Nero, so by deduction this person must be Xeno.
Xeno gaze became wary. Who could blame him? A random girl he didn't know just said his name with familiarity.
"Sorry, I met one of your teammates just a while ago. Yin." Jade frantically explained herself with flailing arms.
Hearing the name, his expression returned to normal and he nodded. Jade breathed a sigh of relief after avoiding a disaster.
"Did you just come from the training facility," she attempted some small talk to normalize the situation, but also just as a friendly gesture.
He just nods.
"Ah, is my brother still there? He kinda looks like me and has a very serious look."
Another nod.
"O-okay, then. Thanks for the information." It was getting awkward so Jade decided to end the conversation. Xi'an just nodded one more time and continued on his way.
After a while, he disappeared from view and Jade let out a long sigh.
"Geez, I didn't know there was someone who spoke less than Yu."
However, she didn't dwell on it any longer and strolled the final stretch to the training area. She pushed open the main double doors leading into the facility and faced a large open arena with areas partitioned for different purposes. There were training dummies scattered in one corner, a shooting range blocked out in another section, and a variety of workout equipment in another corner.
Yu was at the firing range. He had his bow drawn, a practice arrow nocked, and pointed it down range at a moving target. It reminded her of the previous year, when he would be in the clearing practicing on wooden dummies. After a moment's pause, he let loose the arrow and it struck the target. Jade couldn't tell where the arrow hit, but it looked like it hit close to the center.
Had he been doing this for three hours, Jade couldn't help but feel impressed, but at the same time a little concerned. He hadn't pushed himself this hard since the first year she returned home.
Yu grabbed the last arrow from the quiver and went through the same motion. Pull. Wait. Shoot.
The arrow made a soft thud against the target and then a sound effect played. The targets disappeared and a hologram display appeared overhead. On it was a list of names and a score. The first place and second place name were unknown to Jade, probably because they were previous students, but in third place, with a flair that said "new" was Yu's name with a score of 96.8 out of 100.
Jade couldn't help herself but applaud, which caused Yu to turn around in alarm. Once he realized it was his sister, he sighed and started to put away his equipment. Meanwhile, Jade approached him.
"Wow, that is an impressive score!" She tried to compliment him, but he didn't seem too pleased.
"But not the best." Yu said, a bit vehemently, and sat down at a bench near the center next to the sparring ring. He grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat from his head before quickly discarding it in a towel bin.
"What are you doing here?" He asked as he took a quick swig from his water jug. There was no hostility in his voice, just honest curiosity. "It's pretty late, shouldn't you be eating dinner."
"Well, it's good that you know that you are keeping track of time." Jade joked a little with a chuckle. "And here I was worried you might stay here all the way to the dead of night."
"I'm not stupid enough to do something like that." Yu scoffed. "That was my last set."
"I know, I know." Jade chuckled as she approached the raised sparring ring. She walked along the edge looking at the center. There was a faint presence, but Jade felt it. The green glow of Yu's wind, the same color as hers. She can feel it permeate the facility with some spots more visible than others. She was seeing the fruit of her brother's training. The first time ever.
"I just wanted to chat."
Yu looked at her sister with a hint of suspicion.
"Is this really the time?"
"You don't want to?"
Yu did not reply. Jade took this as him letting her continue.
"Hey, remember the mountain trail back home? The one that started at the edge of Old Man Elijah's vegetable garden."
"...Yeah, we used to walk it all the time."
The memory of them walking that trail was a distant one. They were probably six years old. It was a time when they were still close. The details of those days are fuzzy to Jade, but there was one moment that she was able to recall.
"Remember when you fell into the crevice?"
Yu didn't say anything, but the look he had told her that he did recall something.
"It wasn't that wide or deep of a fissure now that I recall, but back then it was such a scary thing. You were trying to show off how brave you were by trying to cross it."
Jade couldn't help but giggle to herself at the memory. At the time, it was such a scary moment, but now as grown ups, it was simply childhood innocence.
"When you slip between the cracks, I cried so hard since I thought you died."
"Come on, it wasn't that bad. I climbed out soon afterwards." Yu mumbled. It was clear that it was still a sore memory to him.
"Yeah, but those few minutes were the loneliest moments of my life. Being alone in the woods after your brother just disappeared in a hole like that, any kid would cry, wouldn't they? But when I saw you peak your head out of the crevice, I was just so happy."
In fact, now that she thought about it, that moment was the closest they have ever been as siblings. And there was something else she just recalled from that time.
"Do you remember what happened after that?"
Yu looked confused. He racked his brain but nothing in particular came to his mind.
Jade approached his brother and held out her pinky. This sparked a hint of recognition from him.
"We promised that we would always look out for each other, didn't we? That we will never disappear from each other's lives like that."
Jade shook her pinky, signalling that she wanted Yu to reciprocate. Yu flinched, unsure what to do, but he relented and grabbed his sister's pinky with his own. When she felt her brother's coarse fingers intertwined with her's, she also saw his wind. It was the same shade of green as her own, but somewhat clouded. She felt his frustration, his anxiety, but also his burning drive. It was familiar and foreign at the same time. However, as their fingers remained interlocked, she felt Yu relax and the color of his Aura grew clear to the point that their colors matched and mixed, as if two halves became a whole.
"I always regretted that we grew apart since then and I don't want things to be like that anymore. So, why don't we renew that promise here."
Yu was a bit surprised at Jade's behavior, but when faced with her earnestness, he couldn't refuse. Silently, but firmly, he gave her a nod. It wasn't much of a reply, but it was enough for her. They shook their pinkies, binding that promise, before finally separating.
"Great!" Jade was practically brimming with happiness. "Now, if you're done here, why don't we go to the dining hall together. I'm sure Diamon and Amy are wondering where we are."
Yu nodded and went to collect his stuff. The two walked together out the exit and into the silent night. However, as they passed through the exit, Jade suddenly stopped which prompted Yu to turn around in confusion.
"Hey, Yu?"
"Yeah?"
"I won't tell you to stop training like that, but promise me you won't push yourself too hard, ok? You know I'll always be cheering you on in whatever you do."
Jade had a pleading look which Yu couldn't help but look away out of shyness.
"Got it."
Jade smiled. The realest smile she had in a long time. As they strolled into the night, she felt all the anxiety wash away.
In her mind, she corrected herself about that memory being the closest they ever were because right now, at this moment, she felt closer to her brother than ever before.
However, little did she know, this would be the only time she would have a heart-to-heart with her brother for a while.
A/N: A bit late with the post. Dealing with so much drama the last couple weeks so my motivation to write was low. Hopefully, next month will be better. Gonna try to finish the next chapter before November.
Edit: Name changes: Xi'an -Xeno; Nyles-Nero
Edit 2: Procrastination is a bitch. Hopefully, I can finish the next chapter in the next few days.
