Okay so this is part one of two for the next kinda filler, kinda build up chapter(s). I appreciate the patience.
Also, this is taking place on the same night RWBY fights Roman's paladin
Chapter 15: Jaune gets lucky
Downtown Vale, 1745
"Who would've guessed that a movie called Try Hard would be exactly the same as Die Hard?" Nick asked while lighting up a cigarette as they were walking down the street.
"Same plot, same lines, same action scenes. Hell, even the actors looked like the one's in the original." Greg replied. Another coincidental similarity between Remnant and Earth to add to his list.
"It was still a good movie, although I wish we got some snacks while we were there." Ivan commented.
"Tickets were 28 lien each and they wanted another 30 for a small popcorn and soda? Over their dead bodies!" Alex exclaimed. Sure, they had the money to pay but they'd rather eat real food than all that junk food, especially at those prices.
"Seriously, what a fucking rip-off." Nick added.
"You think that's bad? Did you guys see the price of cigarettes lately?" Everyone shook their head at Ivan. "The price jumped from 10 lien a pack to 12 per pack."
"Well it's a good thing we stocked up before the price shot up. However, the fact that the price jumped that high in a relatively short amount of time is very unsettling." Alex commented.
"It's not just cigarettes that have gone up: Food, housing, Dust, general services and literally everything else in between has also gone up in price." Greg said, remembering them talking about it in the news.
"I bet people are pissed about that." Alex replied. Indeed, people were upset about the rising costs of everything while their income levels haven't been adjusted for the cost. And this wasn't limited to Vale, as the other Kingdoms were also being hit by this sudden economic inflation. Though things aren't that bad now, if the trend continues, then Remnant can easily find themselves in the middle of an economic recession. God only knows how disastrous that'll be with the ever-looming threat of the Grimm and their insatiable appetite for negative emotions.
The other weird thing is that nobody knows what's causing the inflation. Absolutely nothing has changed in Remnants economy that can cause such a dramatic shift. Economists are scratching their heads trying to find any probable cause and the Central Bank of Remnant, whose headquarters is located in Atlas and is the institution responsible for all banking systems, the money supply, interest rates and monetary policies, is just as lost as everyone else. Hopefully someone figures out what's going on before things get bad. In the meantime, people are just going to have to go about their days with less purchasing power.
"Yeah, it's a pretty shitty situation, but let's not worry about stuff outside our control and go get some food." Nick commented to which everyone agreed to and continued down the street.
As they continued on, they noticed a crowd gathered around a hologram of General Ironwood presenting the new AK-200 attack robots. However, the crowd looked very unimpressed with a number of the onlookers heckling and shouting jeers at the hologram, much to the amusement of the crowd. Some of them were even throwing trash at the knights on display. The guys got a little closer and were able to hear what was being said.
"Of course they need robots, their army can't do shit!" A man shouted, chucking a tomato at one of the knights, who did nothing in response.
"They say their going to protect us, but they can't even protect themselves!" A Faunus woman added.
"How can they 'lead humanity to a better future' when four guys managed to take on their army and win?!" Another woman shouted. That last one got the guy's attention as it appears that news travels very fast on Remnant. Alex walked up to the woman to hopefully get a little insight on how much people know about their fight with the Atlesians.
"Excuse me ma'am, I couldn't help but over hear something about four guys taking on the Atlesian army and was wondering what's that all about?" He asked, pretending to be unaware of things. The woman gave him a confused look.
"You've been living under a rock or something? Well, some students from Beacon recorded and uploaded a simulated battle between the Atlesians and four guys who are supposed to be some kind of special group or something. Anyway, the video quality may be crap because they recorded a live feed on another screen, but it was clear that those four guys crushed the Atlesians, including one of their Specialists. They're all over every social media site out there, I'm surprised you haven't heard yet." The woman finished explaining. The guys kept a neutral expression while silently thanking the balaclavas they wear to keep their identities hidden. Very good for situations like this.
"So why the heckling and throwing garbage?" Greg asked before another man stepped in to answer.
"Every damn day, those Atlesian snobs strut around like they have the biggest dicks in the world and believe that everyone should kiss their asses while they look down upon us. Then they have the audacity to flaunt their military around Vale in a show of force, while arrogantly claiming it's the best and that we 'need' them to help keep us safe. Give me a fucking break!" The man finished before another guy stepped in.
"I hear you brother. Those Atlesians are all full of themselves. If you ask me, it's their stupid politics that led to the rise of the White Fang and other groups like them. Every time they get involved, stupid shit always happens! I can't even walk down the street without running into police and military on every corner!" A woman stepped in this time.
"They control all the Dust, the banks and the major shipping lanes on Remnant, on top of having a presence all over the world and taking resources as they see fit and leaving us with scraps!" A third guy entered the scene.
"I heard those four guys that smashed their army are from Vale. If that's true, then they have my thanks. I'd buy them a round if I ever met them." He said, to which everyone agreed.
"Fuck yeah! Show those Atlesian scumbags what we Valeans are made of!" A younger man shouted.
"Sounds like you guys have held these feelings in for a long time." Alex commented and the first woman who spoke nodded.
"Look, maybe at one-point Atlas was a great kingdom that everyone looked to for guidance. Their technology benefitted us greatly and their military was helpful in dealing with the Grimm, but with their politics and military constantly butting into the other kingdoms and taking advantage of us more recently, that praise started to erode. The final straw was when those four men showed everyone how incompetent their military is and how empty their words are on having the strongest fighting force and being what's best for everyone." She explained while the guys shared quick glance with each other. They could honestly say they did not see this happening.
"If four guys were able to do that much damage, then what the hell are they going to do against the White Fang or anyone else? Seriously, Fuck Atlas!" Someone shouted.
"Yeah! Fuck Atlas!" Another person shouted. Eventually the whole crowd started chanting "Fuck Atlas" while throwing rotten food at the Atlesian knights. The guys used this time to slip away from the crowd before things got stupid. They managed to get away just in time right before the police showed up to break the crowd up. As they guys walked along, they remained quiet until Greg broke the silence.
"Well, not only did we introduce weapons that nullify Aura, but now it seems we've caused both civil and political tension to rise between Atlas and the rest of the world." He said ironically.
"It would've happened eventually. That lady said a lot of people kept things bottled up about Atlas. We just happen to give the final push." Ivan replied. Considering how quick people were to turn on Atlas, it's highly probable that the peaceful relations between the kingdoms are fractured at best.
"We shattered the illusion that Atlas was the mighty, unstoppable force on the planet, and now the trust and confidence the people have in them has been broken." Alex commented. Unintended consequences are a bitch no matter where you are.
"You know that old saying that it only takes one man to change the world? Turns out they were wrong…it takes four." Nick deadpanned. Never in a million years would they think it was possible, and yet they've managed to unintentionally, upset the balance of power of an entire world. Not like they can do anything about it other than hope things sort themselves out.
"It's out of our hands so let's not dwell on it. Come on, let's go to the buffet at that one casino." Alex said, changing the subject.
"The Crimson Leviathan?" Ivan asked. There're not many casinos in Vale and the two most well-known are the Crimson Leviathan and Cerulean Oasis. It's either one or the other
"Yeah that one." He replied. For 40 lien per person, the buffet is a much better deal than overpriced movie snacks. Plus, they get a very diverse selection of the various foods of Remnant, many of which are very similar to what Earth has to offer. They have plenty of dishes that are based off Asian cuisine, but also one's that are similar to those found from all over Europe and North America. Hell, they even have dishes similar to what you'd find in Russia, albeit generic names.
"I'm down for that. Afterwards I can hit up the craps tables." Nick said. Casinos aren't a big thing in Russia, but when the guys visited Minsk, Belarus and hit up the casinos there, they had a good night and won a lot of money. Since then, they make it a point to visit Minsk every now and then.
"You don't even know to play craps, do you?" Greg asked, sarcasm in his tone.
"What's not to get? You roll the dice, it lands on a seven and you win." Nick replied.
"That's not even close to…never mind." Greg didn't feel like explaining the whole game to him.
As they rounded the corner, they noticed a young man walking out of a store while carrying a guitar and a bag that held a couple of books and what appears to be various containers of workout supplements. The young man turned towards the Russians and revealed himself to be non-other than the leader of JNPR, Jaune Arc. He appeared to be distracted, as it looks like he was mumbling something to himself, while being unaware of their presence. At least until Nick spoke up.
"What's up Arc?" He asked loud enough to cause Jaune to jump in surprise and drop his stuff while the guys chuckled among themselves.
"Oh uh, hey guys. Just doing a little shopping." The knight replied, having recovered from the initial shock. Alex and the other's stepped forward to help pick his stuff up. Although, they couldn't help but notice his recent purchases.
"Guitar lessons for beginners. Trying to learn the guitar huh?" Greg asked, looking at the book he picked up of the ground. Jaune gave him a nod.
"Protein powder, creatine, pre-workout, CLA, BCAA's, test boosters? Damn Jaune, if you're trying to bulk up or get in shape, you don't need to take any of this crap." Ivan said, slightly raising his voice. He believed that all you needed was a good diet, a solid workout plan and the determination to stick to it. Not even Alex, Greg or Nick used supplements.
"Well…" Jaune was about to explain until Nick interrupted.
"Whoa, time out. The socially awkward man's guide to picking up girls: guaranteed to make your dream girl fall head over heels for you!" Nick dropped the book when he couldn't contain his laughter, much to Jaune's embarrassment.
"Jaune, how much did you pay for this guitar?" Alex asked while looking it over and taking it out of the case.
"Um, 150 lien. Why, is there something wrong?" He asked, not feeling good about how hard Alex is looking over his recent purchase.
"Well I don't know much about guitars, but I'm pretty sure this part, the neck, isn't supposed to be this loose." He said while demonstrating how loose the neck of the guitar was. Alex then gently plucked one of the strings, only to have it snap in half. "Again, I don't know much about guitars, but I think this piece of junk is only worth five lien, if that." He then flipped it over to show Jaune the large crack in the body of the guitar.
"Aww man, the guy said it was one of a kind." He said with disappointment.
"Do you have a receipt or something?" Greg asked. Jaune scratched the back of his head and weakly chuckled.
"Uh well, it was from his personal collection that he kept in the back of his car…so, no" He answered with a weak smile while the guys gave him disappointing looks. "But it came with a certificate of authenticity." Jaune held up the folded piece of paper, to which Greg grabbed and started to read it over.
"Okay first off, the word 'authentic' is not spelt with a 'k' and secondly, the authenticator's name is a Mr. Hugh G. Rection and it's signed in crayon." Greg pointed out, causing everyone except Jaune to laugh. It was then that Alex stepped in a placed a friendly hand on Jaune's shoulder.
"What I think we're trying to ask is why are you learning to play the guitar?" He asked, still having an occasional chuckle.
"Well, the dance is coming up and I wanted to ask Weiss to be my date. So, I thought that serenading her with a song would help me out." Jaune sheepishly replied while the guys gave him questioning glances. Though they don't get too involved in the students personal lives, they're still aware of Jaune's multiple attempts at courting Weiss and the many failures that followed.
"Do you know what the definition of insanity is?" Greg asked.
"It's something to do with crazy people, right?" Jaune replied.
"It's doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result." Greg pointed out.
"I mean sure, she said no every time, but…" He trailed off but couldn't finish his thought.
"Trust me when I say that Weiss's bark is worst than her bite, but I think it's pretty clear that she's just not into you." Ivan said to the young man, who started to look a little down.
"Hey man don't feel bad, there's tons of girls out there. How about that one transfer team from Vacuo, NDGO, or something like that. They're pretty cute, right?" Nick nudged Jaunes side in an attempt to encourage him.
"Yeah, I supposed they are." He replied before letting out a reluctant sigh. "Maybe getting a date with Weiss is just a pipe dream." Jaune paused a moment and let out a light chuckle. "Heh, I guess you need more than confidence and persistence to get a date."
"Not always. Usually confidence is enough to get a girl's attention. However, too much and you'll come of as arrogant and too much persistence makes you look like a creepy stalker who can't take 'no' for an answer." Alex explained to the young man.
Since day one, the leader of JNPR has been marked as a target to the Russians. Not in a bad way mind you, but as someone who sticks out in a crowd, and Jaune Arc certainly sticks out in the crowd. He's not very coordinated or particularly strong physically, but Jaune has proven himself to be a competent tactician and strategist during training exercises. Of course, they've also seen him get thrown around like a ragdoll in Goodwitch's class, alongside doing extra homework for other classes due to poor academic performance. Lucky for him, the Russians aren't that strict in their grading as it's mostly participation. Still, they respect the kid for his perseverance and his determination to be the best he can. Their final assessment of Jaune is that though he has heart, he needs help. And boy does he need a lot.
"As cliché as it is, have you tried just being yourself?" Greg asked.
"I'm not that interesting of a person honestly. I'm not cool like you guys."
"And with that attitude, you're on your way to becoming a lonely, chronic masturbator." Nick said rather bluntly, but Jaune didn't seem to catch that.
"Look at me; I'm not smart, I'm not strong, I can't fight, I'm not the best dressed or even the best looking. What exactly do I have going for me?"
"You have courage, which is something you need if you're willing to use fake transcripts to get into Beacon." Alex said, while Jaune went wide eyed.
"How did…"
"Ozpin knew since day one." Alex answered before Jaune could finish his question.
"Then how have I not been kicked out then?"
"Don't look at us. Maybe Ozpin saw potential in you or something." Nick answered.
"And before you put yourself down again, we know you're not up to par with the others in fighting skills, but we've noticed you working out and training after class, and we respect your dedication." Greg commented.
"Just don't kill yourself during the process. Also, supplements are not a shortcut to get in shape." Ivan added.
"Look Arc, all you need is a little help in building your confidence and a little guidance on life to push you in the right direction. In fact, you're coming with us tonight." Alex proclaimed, catching the knight off guard. The rest of the guys didn't have a problem with that.
"Uh, where am I going?" Jaune didn't know what to make of what just transpired. But after a brief moment, he decided to go along with it.
"The Crimson Leviathan. We're going to get some food, a couple drinks, gamble a little and hopefully teach you how to man the fuck up." Nick replied. In Jaunes mind, if there's anybody who could help him with fighting or women or…life, it's definitely these guys. They're confident, fearless, deadly fighters who lack Aura, and are also very likeable and easy to get along with. These are people Jaune felt he should emulate.
"Okay, but I don't have much money. Also, I don't think I'm allowed in casinos."
"Relax, it's on us. And you're allowed to walk around so long as you don't gamble." Greg answered.
"What about my team? I told them I'll back later for dinner." Jaune completely forgot about his plans with his teammates. Then again, it's not like he's going to get another opportunity like this again.
"Text them saying something came up and you'll be coming back late." Ivan replied.
"Pyrrha might be upset, but hopefully she'll understand." Jaune said as he pulled out his scroll. "I'm sure whatever Pyrrha wanted to ask me can wait until tomorrow." The clueless knight thought.
"While you're at it, throw away all this junk." Alex commented, pointing to all of Jaune's recent purchases. Since he's going to a casino and a lot of this stuff was useless, he had no problem dumping everything into a nearby dumpster.
"Alright come on guys, I want to get there when happy hour starts." Nick commented. And with that, they began the short walk to the Crimson Leviathan.
Crimson Leviathan casino floor, 2000
Jaune's never been to a casino, so it was no surprise he was immediately taken back by all the sights and sounds of a lively casino. It's a very high-end place that in order to enjoy it, you need to have a decent amount of money on hand. Lucky for him, Alex and the guys are picking up the tab. They made their way over to the casino buffet and Jaune was entranced by the various aromas of probably the nicest food he has ever seen in his life.
While they ate, the guys got a chance to learn about the Jaune in order to see if they can point him in the right direction in life. So far, they learned about his large family, his lack of combat training prior to "enrolling" in Beacon, and some of his recent exploits in school like dealing with CRDL and training with Pyrrha. After making a mental note of coming up with fuck-fuck games for CRDL next class, they offered their wisdom and years of life experience to the blonde dork. True, the guys aren't much older than Jaune, but aging is different for military members. Due to the amount of bullshit and fuckery the military deals with on a daily basis, time has adverse effects on its members. To this day, scientists are still trying to figure out how a 21-year old man can have the mentality, the aches and pains, and even look like a 45-year old man, all within a timeframe of 2-5 years in the military.
Ivan gave him advice on improving his overall fitness level, stressing the importance of eating clean, maintaining a workout plan, and not relying on supplements. Greg gave him study tips to help with his academics, critical thinking, and retaining information. He's even nice enough to offer to tutor Jaune in classes he seems to have difficulty with, especially anything requiring math. Nick told him how to be assertive and stand up for himself, especially with regards to CRDL. He also gave him a few pointers on girls, most of which was decent advice like reading their body language on whether they're interested or not. Finally, Alex shared his leadership experience with him in hopes that it'll help Jaune lead JNPR to victory. All of this is done with the assumption that it'll help give Jaune the confidence boost he needs in life. And as it turns out, he appears to be listening intently and taking their advice to heart.
After dinner, Jaune asked if he could hang out with them a little longer, to which they were cool with. The group first went to the casino bar and got a few drinks, even managing to get a couple for Jaune. He was hesitant at first, but his light beer was nothing compared to the straight vodka shots the Russians were taking, so he manned up and choked it down. With drinks in hand, the guys went to go try their luck in the casino with Greg and Nick heading for the craps tables and Alex and Ivan going for blackjack. Since Jaune couldn't technically gamble, he decided to stick with Alex and spectate on how blackjack was played.
"Hit me." Alex said to the dealer. He had a 4 and 5 for a total of 9, so of course he's going to hit. Lucky for him, the next card was an ace, bumping him up to 20, a good number to stand on. The dealer then went to Ivan who had a 7 and 4 on the table and like anyone who's played blackjack before knows, 11 is a perfect number to double down on. Ivan placed the extra chips down to signal he was doubling down and lo and behold, the dealer drew a king, putting Ivan at 21.
"Alright you guys won!" Jaune lightly celebrated, but Alex held his hand up to him.
"Not yet, the dealer still has to draw to 16 and stand on 17. From there, hopefully they bust." Alex explained. Luckily, it was only Alex and Ivan sitting at the table, with Jaune standing by Alex's seat. The dealer only had a 2 and 4 out and was instantly greeted with a 10 for a total of 16, but like Alex said, the dealer needs to stand on 17. Alex and Ivan have good hands, so as long as the dealer drew anything other than a 5, they're golden. It's in the bag. It's…
"21, dealer wins. Sorry guys." The dealer said with an apologetic look as she took away Alex's chips. At least a push meant Ivan could keep his chips. Both Russians silently cursed to themselves before tipping her and leaving to find Greg and Nick before they lost all their money.
"What are the fucking chances of drawing a 5 on a 16?" Alex asked.
"I'm sure Greg could probably calculate the odds." Ivan commented.
"Speaking of which, I wonder how he and Nick are doing at craps?" The group of three walked for another minute before they spotted Greg at a craps table with a decent amount of chips in front of him. Nick however, was nowhere to be found.
"How're you doing Greg?" Ivan asked.
"Pretty good. I'm up 500 lien and I'm about to make another 500 for an even 1000." He replied, placing his chips on the tables 'Don't Pass Bar.'
"Where's Nick?" Alex asked.
"As it turns out, he has no idea how to play craps." Greg paused to chuckle. "He lost 400 on the first two rolls, so he decided to play roulette instead." Craps really isn't that hard of a game to play. The only reason it seems hard is because it's fast paced, uses a lot of slang, and has multiple ways to bet against all the players. Once you get the hang of everything, it's very enjoyable.
"I bet he's down another 400." Ivan whispered to Jaune.
"How'd blackjack go for you guys?" Greg asked while the other players placed their bets.
"Ivan broke even and I'm down 200. I don't know about you, but we're about ready to leave." Alex replied.
"Yeah, it's starting to get crowded. After this last bet, we'll find Nick and get out of here." Greg said as the next shooter stepped up to roll. This next shooter however, needed a literal boost to step up as she was tiny and could barely reach over the table. The petite girl had a unique pink and brown hair coloration that seemed to compliment her outfit and the parasol by her side very nicely. While she certainly stands out in a unique way, everyone was more focused on the stack of chips worth 5,000 lien she had in the 'pass line.' If she rolls a 7 or 11 on the come-out roll, she wins. A 2, 3 or 12 means she loses. For Greg to win, it's the opposite outcomes other than 12, as it'll result in a push.
"Damn, high roller." Alex commented to Ivan and Jaune who both nodded in agreement. The short ice cream themed girl had an air of cockiness about her while she rolled the dice in her hand a couple of times. And just like that, the dice shot out of her hand, hit the back wall and landed.
"Son of bitch!" Greg shouted, looking at the 5 and 2 that was rolled. The girl smugly grinned at him while she collected her chips before leaving to cash out.
"Damn that sucks." Ivan commented.
"Should've quit while I was ahead. Come on, let's find Nick and get out of here." Greg calmly said.
It didn't take long to find Nick over at the roulette tables, as they could hear his cursing from the other side of the casino. There he sat at the table with a couple other people and a small pile of chips in front of him.
"50 on red." He said to dealer while placing the outer bet.
"Not doing so hot either?" Alex asked as the ball spun around the wheel.
"Black 31!" The dealer called out, taking away Nick's chips.
"Nope. That's the fifth time it landed on black." He replied.
"Have you tried betting on black, or anything else?" Greg asked.
"With my luck it'll land on red. Ah, fuck it." Nick decided to go all in and bet his last 200 on black. As the ball spun around the wheel, Nick silently prayed to catch a break. It's 50-50 red or black. Unless it lands…
"Double zero!" The dealer called out. Nick stared dumbfoundedly at what just happened.
"Well it didn't land on red if that makes you feel better." Jaune commented, hoping to lighten the mood. Seriously, it almost never lands on green.
"Good thing I'm only 400 in the hole. But seriously, you guys should've seen this chick that was at the table earlier. She put 500 on a single number and won!" Nick exclaimed. With single numbers paying out at 35:1, that girl easily made 17,500 lien.
"Did she happen to have pink and brown hair, carry a parasol, and was small enough to fit in Ivan's pocket?" Greg asked.
"Yeah, she did. Why?" he replied.
"She won big at the craps table also." Ivan answered.
"Of course she did." Was Nick's sarcastic response.
"I guess we're all tapped out for the night." Alex commented before turning to Jaune. "Unless you want to bet something." The knight thought it over in his head.
"I thought I wasn't allowed to play." He replied.
"One of us can place the bet for you as well as cash in any winnings." Greg answered.
"Well in that case, how about that slot machine over there." The guys looked at the giant slot machine Jaune was pointing at. 'Super Slots O' Fun Jackpot' was the name of the machine to be exact.
"You sure about that Arc?" Alex asked. Jaune simply nodded his head. "Whatever dude, it's your money." He responded while shrugging.
"Here you go Nick, maybe I'll get lucky." Jaune said as he gave Nick the 10-lien card.
"Alright, here goes nothing." The machine came to life as the three reels spun rapidly, while Jaune anxiously watched his money in action. The first one stopped on a flaming number 7, a good start.
"There's one." Greg commented. Jaune watched excitedly as the second reel stopped on another flaming 7.
"Oh is he going to get it?" Alex asked out loud. Jaune didn't hear him however, as he anxiously awaited that third reel to stop. The thrill of possibly winning money was getting to him.
"Oh man, I can't watch!" Jaune thought to himself as he closed his eyes, not wanting to see the outcome. Finally, the third reel stopped and was followed by a brief silence.
Suddenly, an alarm goes off, lights are flashing, and people are cheering. Jaune opened his to see the machine flashing the word "winner" in bright colorful letters.
"Holy shit Jaune! You just won half a million lien!" Nick exclaimed while mentally kicking himself for not going straight for this machine in the first place.
"…f-five hundred thousand?" Never would he imagine himself coming into that kind of money. As Jaunes mind was still trying to comprehend that his 10 lien just became 500,000 lien, a floor manager came up to verify the jackpot. The manager got the okay from the security camera verifying the win and then congratulated Nick while another manager came out with a giant check for 500,000 lien.
"All right smile for the camera sir." The manager said to Nick. He held up the giant check with his thumb up and a goofy grin that'll forever be mounted on the Crimson Leviathans winners wall.
A few minutes later
"Jaune my man, you are one lucky bastard! Anyway, I asked for a direct deposit into my bank account, so I need your info to transfer your winnings." As much as Nick would love to have that money, it was Jaunes money that went into the machine and he's not going to fuck the kid over.
"I still can't believe that happened. I mean, what are the odds of hitting that jackpot?" Jaune asked while he pulled up his bank information.
"It'll take me too long to explain it mathematically, but just know that getting three of the same symbol and a 5 times multiplier is slim to none." Greg replied.
"So, what are you going to do with all that money?" Ivan asked.
"I honestly don't know." Jaune replied.
"Well don't be surprised if all of sudden girls start finding you more attractive." Alex commented.
"What do you mean?"
"Let's just say money can make even the ugliest guy, suddenly turn into the hottest guy around." Nick answered. He wasn't wrong.
"Don't worry, I'll be careful. Besides, I've already decided to send half of my winnings to my family." Jaune replied with an innocent smile.
"That's very noble of you." Ivan commented.
"Hey, they've always been there for me, so why not pay them back? Plus, having eight children isn't exactly cheap and hopefully this money can give them some room to breathe."
"You're a good guy Jaune, don't forget that." Alex said with an approving tone.
"I couldn't have gotten this without your guy's help. As a token of my appreciation, I'm going to share some of winnings with you guys." The guys were slightly taken back by Jaune's response.
"Hey man, you don't…" Alex started to say, but Jaune held up his hand.
"Nope I insist. Aside from betting on my behalf, you guys gave me solid advice about well…everything and I'm going to use that information to become stronger both physically and mentally. So consider this a thanks for your help. Besides, Arc's never go back on their word, and they always show gratitude to their friends."
"Well if you insist, then you're welcome." If Jaune wanted to split his winnings with them, then Alex is in no position to stop him.
"Nick, go ahead and put five percent of the winnings in your account and divide it out." Nick stared off to the side, counting with his fingers and appeared to be writing stuff in the air in an attempt to figure out how much 5 percent of 500,000 was and how to divide it out.
"Five percent is 25,000 and divided by four is 6,250." Greg answered without having to stop and think.
"Wow, I was way off." Nick commented.
"I wish I could do quick math like that." Ivan said to Greg, who shrugged in response.
"Well guys, now that we have a little extra spending money, how about we keep the night going?" Alex said with a grin.
"Are we going to get drunk, go to that trampoline gymnasium and throw dodgeballs at people again?" Nick casually asked.
"Again?" Jaune wasn't sure if he heard that right.
"Nah, we did that last week." Ivan said.
"Plus the manager there said he'll call the police if we do that again." Greg replied.
"I thought these guys were adults?" Jaune thought as stood by perplexed at what he just heard.
"I was thinking we thank Jaune here by taking him to the happiest place in Vale." Alex said with a slightly devious smile. The other guys soon followed suit with Alex's smile.
"The Voluptuous Vixen!" They all said enthusiastically.
"What's the Voluptuous Vixen?" Jaune asked.
"You're going to learn tonight Arc." Nick said, placing his arm around the blonde knights' shoulder.
"What the heck, I'm in." Truth is, Jaune liked hanging out with these guys and why shouldn't he? In a few short hours, he was given life advice that was more practical and useful than what his family taught him, ate awesome food, drank beer, and won half a million lien. And it's not even 9 yet, so of course he's going to that Voluptuous Vixen despite not knowing what it is.
"That's what I'm talking about Arc! Come on guys." Alex said while motioning them to leave, unaware that a pair of pink and brown eyes were watching them from afar.
Neo
Upon hearing that they were going to a strip club, Neo knew that there was no point in following them any further. After spending the day observing them at the mall, the movies and this casino, she can conclude that they like to drink, smoke, gamble, watch action movies, eat lots of food and stare at naked women. In other words, your typical young guy in their 20's. Neo found it hard to believe that these were the guys who defeated the Atlesian army. They hardly seem like a threat, but Cinder insisted that she do some surveillance on them.
Neo really doesn't care about Cinder or whatever she's up to, but wherever Roman goes, she goes. Although, even he doesn't seem to be happy about working with her, but the money is just too nice to pass up. Whoever Cinder's working for, sure has some super deep pockets. Under normal circumstances, they'd be ecstatic about the money, but as Roman pointed out to her, anybody who has this kind of money to spend, are people you do not want to cross.
The other thing that she and Roman are concerned about, is their recent activities: Stealing and moving Dust throughout the city, smuggling weapons through the black market, working with terrorists, and their most recent job, hijacking experimental Atlesian paladins. If Neo didn't know better, she could've sworn that Cinder was preparing for war.
She checked her scroll and saw that it was almost time for that White Fang rally that Roman's hosting tonight. Another thing that she couldn't wrap her head around was why they're working with the White Fang, when they've also been working with ANTIFA? Obviously not at the same time, but the fact that Cinder has her and Roman supplying armaments to the two most notorious terrorist groups on Remnant that also despise each other's existence, is enough to even make two criminals' question what they're doing.
Neo watched as the Russians plus Jaune left the casino, before sending a message to Cinder saying she found nothing and that it doesn't look like they'll be returning to Beacon anytime soon. Considering they're going to a strip club with a large sum of money between them, they'll probably be gone all night. She couldn't help but be amused by their antics and mannerisms that she witnessed throughout the evening, especially when she won high stake bets in front of them. Of course, with that gawky blonde kid winning half a million, the jokes on her. Still, she has some pocket change that she'll probably spend on new clothes or maybe a new parasol. Her scroll dinged, indicating a response from Cinder.
"Good work." Was all that she said. Neo sighed inwardly, wishing to go back to the good old days when it was just her and Roman. The days before Cinder, and whoever the hell she's working for.
Beacon 2115
Friday nights at Beacon meant that most of the students and staff were out for the evening, meaning that the school was, for the most part empty. Dressed in her infiltration outfit, Cinder slithered her way through the halls with one goal in mind: Find out anything she can on Alex and the Russians. When she tried to research them in the city databanks, all that was recorded was their names, age and current occupation. There were no records of family, schools, previous addresses, driver's licenses, not even a birth certificate. For those blank spots, there was a note that said, "SEE ADDENDUM", which then stated, "PLEASE CONTACT BEACON ACADEMY FOR RECORDS." She then found herself in Beacons administration office, only to find that their files have been, "REDACTED BY ORDER OF THE HEADMASTER. PLEASE CONTACT FOR MORE INFORMATION." Additionally, there's an advance encryption protecting them that appears only Ozpin can access.
If there's two things Cinder can't stand, it's being left in the dark about stuff and admitting she can't complete a mission. Knowing that she'll never get to Ozpin, she may have to inform her superiors and have them attempt to find out anything about the Russians with the unlimited resources at their disposal. But before she does that, there's two locations she can search in order to obtain any personal details on them: Their office in the lecture halls and their on-campus apartment. Since the lecture halls are right around the corner, she'll hit their office before moving on to their room. Hopefully, she can find out something useful about them.
A/N:
This ended up being longer than anticipated. Don't fret, the next part is literally right around the corner.
The one after that, is when we'll return to the action.
Questions, comments, concerns etc., you know the drill.
Hawk out.