Team S.W.A.N.
The Earth Trailer
Feel the glory of being grounded
Feel my energy, you'll feel astounded
Mother Earth has healing power
My healing power is my aura
Earth is truly a mysterious wonder
Witness my wrath, my storms and lightning
and my thunder
As a Hunter you've seen my path
See the mountains, the forests, and seas
As Earth I maintain the balance with ease
Nature has Flora and Fauna its balance is perfect
Nothing but struggles for flowers of Roses
To Romantic Struggles and Relationship Juggles
Learning from Nature, seeing how to live
Together in Harmony and balance
Helping those unbalanced, showing and learning
what to give
Taking on this planet, to live all out in full health
All so to find ones spiritual self- Micheal Ladd Richardson Halom
xxx
"Oh man, these guys are idiots." the young man mumbled to himself.
His eyes were peering through a pair of telescope, focused on a large storage house currently being operated by the White Fang. He was looking at them from afar, having been scanning his surroundings for awhile. He had been tracking down these miscreants for days, on a personal mission. Jacques Schnee was paying top dollar to anyone who could recover a lost shipment of dust, which had been taken as it traveled through the Forever Fall Forest. He had been following a few leads, having finally found where that payload may have ended.
He lowered his telescope, folding it up and placing it in his pocket. He glanced around the area for a moment, the sounds of nearby cars filling the air. The warehouse was located in an abandoned area of Vale, how the police hadn't started investigating was beyond him. But he wasn't getting paid to question VPD and what they failed to do.
He was a young man of seventeen, with spiky brown hair. He was wearing a red bandanna across his face, covering his right eye. Visible scars could be seen from the very edge of the cloth, which he was quick to fix. He was wearing a green tee shirt with a black sweat shirt over it. Which had green stripes running vertically down it. He wore black pants, with green low top shoes. He was wearing light leg armor, covering his shins and knees. He had a crest on the back of his hooded sweater. It was a Nevermore taking flight, its wings spread out. In its beak it was clutching a bright red rose, and in its talons, it was holding a glowing white bladed sword.
Around his wrists were a pair of bronze bracelets. They were his personal weapon, Earth Shaker. With a flick of the wrist, they turned into bronze gauntlets, with dark markings on them. The markings were brown in color, and were used in conjunction with his semblance. The very bottom of the gauntlets bore two receivers, which were used to load 50 round dust magazines for the SMG mode. With a flick of the wrist, two barrels popped out of the sides, allowing him to fire bursts of dust bullets at his enemies. The magazines also doubled as a means to protect his arms from bladed weapons.
Though he had gone through the painstakingly long process of creating them, he barely used his gauntlets. He only had them because his aunt insisted on him having a weapon. She always told him that he couldn't always rely on his semblance. But when one was born with an Earth semblance, it was hard not to. He had the power to make things from earth, control it and use it to his advantage. One of those advantages was making his body as hard as granite. He was able to stand in the middle of the road and take a hit from a Big rig and walk away without a single bruise. While it was a neat parlor trick, it also did have its downsides. When using his semblance for long periods of time, he got very tired. It was why he had trained himself, to finish a job without using too much of it. It also meant that, since he lacked an eye, he would have to rely on it quite a lot to avoid injury.
His lone brown eye focused on the Bullhead, which was currently being emptied. He had heard rumors of a shipyard being poached a few days before. So he was assuming this was coming from another warehouse, where ever that shipment was being taken to. He felt his scroll vibrate in his pocket, but decided to ignore it. Cracking his knuckles, the boy walked to the edge of the building, walking right off of it, a smirk on his face.
He used his semblance to create a small mound of dirt, softening his landing. He rolled behind a large Schnee Freighter, the crest on the side being shot and slashed beyond recognition. It was clear that the faunus were discontent with Schnee and his treatment of them. He couldn't agree more, sadly he was also being paid and money was money. He started moving toward the Bullhead, a smirk on his face.
"First on the To-Do list, remove means of escape. This should be easy." he thought, as he got closer to the vehicle. He couldn't see anyone in the cockpit, meaning the pilots were most likely helping unload the shipment. He quickly made his way toward the side door, grabbing a hold of the handle. Though it was locked, he pulled it open with ease, quickly jumping in.
He looked around for a few moments, hearing voices coming from the cockpit. He glanced toward the other end of the ship, seeing the cargo bay was currently empty, though filled with several large boxes, filled with Schnee Dust. He smirked, walking over toward a nearby box, flicking it open. Several uncut Earth Crystals lay within, making the young man smile. He grabbed several of them stuffing his pockets with as many as he could carry.
"Hey! What the hell are you doing?" a voice cut in sharply. He slowly turned his head, his eye peering at the White Fang member, who was aiming a gun at him.
"Oh hey man, what's good? I'm just borrowing a few crystals. I doubt you'd mind. I mean, you did just steal all of these, am I right?" he asked, stifling a laugh as the man cocked his revolver.
"Who the fuck do you think you are kid? Thinking you can just waltz in here and steal our stuff!"
"Yours? Last I checked, this was Schnee Dust. I mean, it does have their crest on it. Kinda hard to erase it." the young man said.
"Listen...I don't care who you are, but you are going to drop those crystals right now and you are going to turn around. If you behave, we'll let you go."
"Eh...that doesn't sound appealing. But I can give you two choices, we can go with the Safe Choice, or the Nuclear Choice."
The White Fang member growled, walking toward him, pressing the barrel of his gun to the boy's face. He just grinned, keeping his hands raised above his head.
"You see? This is you making the Nuclear Choice, I was hoping you didn't pick the painful one. But I guess you picked the painful one...shame really."
"I'm going to blow your brains out, I swear to god." the Faunus growled.
The young man smirked, opening his hand, letting a single gray crystal clatter to the ground. The Goon looked at it, confused for a brief moment. In one swift motion, he drove his knee into the White Fang goon's chest. He stumbled back, giving him the opening he needed. The young man threw another crystal at him, using his semblance to make it break. A large boulder formed from it, slamming into the Goon, simultaneously destroying the cockpit. The White Fang Goon screamed in pain, most likely from being crushed by the boulder. The brown haired lad knelt down, grabbing the crystal he had dropped.
"What a shame...I hate the Nuclear Option." he said absentmindedly, as he walked through the Cargo Bay. He noticed another White Fang member, holding a standard issue rifle in his hands. He gave him a wave as he walked past, causing him to point the gun at him.
"Freeze! Who the hell are you?!"
"Hmm? Oh right, I haven't told you my name have I? Name's Nick, pleasure to meet ya!" he said happily, throwing the crystal at him. He willed it into a large spike which slammed into the man, breaking into pieces on contact. He fell to the ground unconscious.
"Man...they don't make Goons like they used too." he said with a laugh, as he continued walking across the lot.
The doors to the warehouse were completely open. There were several White Fang goons walking around, all of them placing crates in various areas. Some of the walls were lined with Freighters, all of them being from the Schnee Dust Company. Nick assumed most of them were from the missing Train, but he could also see they had been stealing it for awhile. He sighed, shaking his head.
"I really hate thieves."
"Huh? Who the hell are you? What are you doing here kid?" someone shouted. Several clicks were heard, as every member in the vacinity aimed their guns at Nick, some even bearing Laser sights.
"Oh...you got the big guns for me, nice! I love it when I'm welcomed like this. Looks like you guys are already choosing the Nuclear Option...good enough for me." he said. He broke into a sprint, dodging the hail of gunfire that was aimed at him. His entire body glowed a light brown in color as he activated his semblance.
He dug his hand into his pocket, cracking some of the crystals into dust. With a wave of his hand, he sent out several small rocks, throwing them at the White Fang members. Some were hit by them, while others dodged them entirely. He jumped into the air, driving his leg into the ground, causing the entire area to shake. Hundreds of spikes shout out of the ground, sending people flying in all directions. He grabbed a nearby goon, punching him across the face as hard as he could, sending him hurdling into a nearby Freighter. The man literally stuck to the metal, unmoving from the hit.
"Fire all! Get the heavy artillery out here!" a Goon shouted loudly. Another man grabbed an RPG, taking aim at Nick, who just stood still. He pulled the trigger, the rocket hissing loudly as it flew toward the young man. He smirked, pulling his fist back, slamming it into the rocket, causing it to explode.
"Holy shit!"
"He's insane!"
"Is he dead?" someone asked, expecting the man to be dead, especially from the giant fire ball. Nick burst from the cloud, grabbing a Goon by the neck, throwing him into the air. He formed a rock from thin air, throwing it right into his back.
"Who's next? I got plenty of energy left!"
"Open fire!"
Nick smirked, walking forward as the bullets bounced off his body. He grabbed more crystals, throwing them into the air. With a few arm movements, he formed several spears in mid air. He gave a shout as he launched them forward, taking out several White Fang members. He swiftly turned around, holding his hands back, a large rock sword forming in his hands. He swung it at a nearby goon, taking him out with three powerful slashes. He looked around, noticing only a few men left, most of them too scared to shoot, others shaking in their boots.
"Tsk...I was hoping for a bit of a challenge. Is this all the White Fang can offer? A bunch of scared pussy cats?" he asked.
"I wouldn't talk too much if I were you boy." a gruff voice said. Nick shifted his gaze toward the upper span of the warehouse. A large muscular man stood atop it, wearing the typical uniform, mask included. However this man was carrying a chainsaw, a rather unconventional weapon. Nick smiled, feeling a bit giddy.
"Oh a chainsaw! I haven't seen someone who uses one of those yet!"
The chainsaw wielding Faunus jumped down from the upper span, causing Nick to stiffen. He could feel his power from where he was standing. He angled his rock blade, ready to strike if needbe. The man revved his chainsaw a few times, trying to intimidate the Elemental.
"Heh...you ain't shit kid...you rely too much on your semblance. Let's see if you can fight without it."
"Whatever you say buddy." Nick quipped, bracing himself for impact. The Faunus let out a roar, causing Nick to cringe from its loudness. He took this chance, racing at the young man with great speed, swinging his Chainsaw at him. Nick angled his blade, sparks flying when both met.
Nick easily pushed him back, taking a swing at him, two swift slashes, only to be met with the blade of his chainsaw. He moved back, avoiding another slash. Holding his hand out, he summoned several spikes, flinging them at the Faunus, who sliced through them with his chainsaw. He gave a low laugh, as he walked toward him, dragging the blade of the saw across the ground, sparks flying in all directions.
"Spikes made out of earth eh? You know I heard rumors of someone taking out White Fang warehouses. Every single one of them had the same thing, rocks, spikes, and broken crystals laying everywhere. So, you think you can be a Huntsman?"
"I'm not aiming to be a Huntsman, I'm just here for the money." Nick said, rolling his shoulders a bit as he kept his sword raised.
"Ah...so big man Schnee put you up to this. I can offer you more than him you know."
"Eh...not really. You see...I just really don't like thieves." the brunette said, dashing forward. He let out a cry as he swung his sword, only for the man to raise his chainsaw. He pushed him back, taking two solid swings at him. He rose his sword, going in for a downward slash when the man held his chainsaw up. His stone sword broke in two, making the Faunus smirk.
Nick jumped back, using a hand motion to fling the broken sword piece at him. The chainsaw wielding faunus let out a cry of pain, leaving him open to attack. Nick threw the remainder of the sword at him, causing it to break on contact. He spat at the ground, smirking slightly as the man struggled to regain his footing.
"You must be Lieutenant Edward James Almost. I've heard things about you man, being able to decimate boatloads of Atlas tech with your chainsaw. Then again, the people of Atlas are nothing but overblown bags of wind. Robots can't beat human movements after all." Nick said.
"Tch...so, you know my name then? I see you are well informed."
"What can I say? I like to be informed on my targets, makes it that much more fun when I kick them into the dirt."
"Hah! I'd like to see that happen!" Edward shouted, as he ran forward, swinging his chainsaw at Nick. The young man just jumped, body glowing as he left behind a stone statue of himself, which exploded as the chainsaw made contact with it.
He flicked his wrists, activating his gauntlets. They glowed brightly as his aura pulsed through them. He let out a cry as he threw a punch at Edward, making him cry in pain. He threw a second punch, and then a third, which was quickly blocked by Edward. The Lieutenant drove his leg into the brown haired lad's side, sending him flying back. Nick quickly got up, side stepping as he narrowly avoided the blade of the chainsaw, arm snapping forward as he threw an uppercut at Edward, sending him back.
Nick quickly reached behind his back, pulling out two magazines. One was silver in color, the second was bright orange. He quickly slipped both of them onto his arms, flicking his arms downward to activate his SMG mode.
"You are just full of surprises aren't you? But if you are turning to your weapon, that means you are running out of juice."
"Or I'm just a show off and want to mow you down. But sure, whatever makes you sleep at night." the boy countered, a smirk on his face. Edward growled as he raced forward, throwing another swing at the young man, who easily dodged it. He threw a kick at the man's knee, causing his leg to buckle. He grabbed a hold of his hand, throwing three punches at the side of his head, simultaneous gunshots filling the warehouse.
The lieutenant grabbed a hold of Nick's incoming fist, swinging his chainsaw at him. Nick quickly rose his free hand, stopping the blade entirely. The chain was spinning loudly, a single movement easily spelling the end of the young man. He let out a smirk, a small click filling the air.
"Booyah." he said. He pressed a button on the inside of his gauntlet, opening fire on the Lieutenant. Energy bullets exploded on his face, causing him to scream in pain. Nick grabbed a hold of the chainsaw blade, delivering a single punch to it, snapping it with ease.
"All bark and no bite...I was wrong, you guys aren't scared pussy cats. You guys are just lowly dogs. Why do you do this man? Don't you think you could solve the problems in our world without violence?"
"Pfft...you don't know shit about shit kid. All our lives, we have been oppressed by your kind. You think you are so high and mighty, forcing us to do your dirty work. I'm sick of dealing with racists like you." Edward spat, forcing himself to his feet. Nick squared up, narrowing his eye a bit.
"My best friend growing up was a faunus. Cute little thing too, with some bunny ears atop her head. She was the sweetest person I knew. But there was this bastard who came to the park, always bullied her. Always pulled her ears...so I busted his face. Scared her off...but I think I made a good example of that dumpy little shit."
"I have a hard time believing that."
"You don't have to believe it man...the dust in this warehouse...that's going back to the Schnees. Your men have been defeated, and you are about to join them too. Walk away man...take your friends and get out." Nick said.
"Hah...you must be delusional if you think I would do that." Edward said firmly
"It's either that or go to jail. I'm giving you a chance man, to change your ways and leave this world. I'm sure you all have what it takes to change the world. You and I both know the White Fang is doing more harm than good...it isn't what it used to be." Nick replied, a tired but firm look on his face.
"Tsk...Men, get up. We're leaving."
"But sir..."
"That's an order." Edward cried out, his voice booming across the warehouse. Everyone quickly got up, stumbling out of the building. Edward grabbed his broken weapon, pausing to glance back at the teenager.
"I'm not walking away because of what you said. I'm just making a strategic withdraw. This little thing...it isn't going to stop me from doing what I want. If we meet again, I will kill you."
"Then for your sake, I hope we don't meet again. I'm not gonna be so lenient the next time we meet." he said. Edward chuckled, turning away from the young man. It didn't take long for the White Fang to leave, taking the remaining Bullhead with them. Nick sighed, deactivating his semblance, falling back onto the ground.
"Ah...man...I'm tired." he mumbled, barely keeping his eyes open. He fell back, trying his hardest not to fall asleep. He felt his scroll vibrate, and sat up, reaching for it. His eyes widened a bit when he saw the name, inwardly cringing.
"Shit." he whispered, taking the call.
"Young Man, where are you? I called you half an hour ago." a stern female voice replied. He sighed, biting his lower lip.
"Listen Auntie Glynda, I took a detour...I ended up in the Factory District."
"What? All by yourself? Are you insane?"
"Not really. The Nick does what the Nick wants...besides, I got my gauntlets. Check this out, I took out an entire White Fang warehouse. Poor bastards didn't even know what hit them."
"Nicholas, need I remind you how stupid your decisions are? You could have been severely hurt, or worse."
"What could have happened? You know I'm indestructible, especially when I'm using my semblance" he said, rolling his eyes.
"Young man, I want you to come to the cafe this instant. There are things that we must discuss. Things that involve Beacon and your enrollment."
"Fine, anyone ever tell you your a massive butt killer?" he asked, hanging up the call. Nick stood up, brushing himself off. He stuffed his hands in his pockets as he walked out of the warehouse, heading back toward the inner city.
He kept thinking back on what his Aunt had said, involving his enrollment into Beacon Academy. Though he had told Edward he didn't care about being a Huntsman, it was his dream to be one. It was hard not too when your aunt was a top Huntress. He had been training for a long time, strengthening his aura and practicing with his semblance. He had been told he wasn't the only Elemental user out there. He had in fact, met one of them earlier that day, Angelina Moatzagoatl, who was the user of Wind.
He had heard one of them was a user of water, and the other was a user of fire. He smirked to himself, already imagining the awesome battles he would have. Fighting alongside someone who used fire on the battlefield, along with someone who could control water in its entirety. He had never fought alongside anyone else, but he looked forward to seeing what the others brought to the table. He reached an intersection, and looked both ways before crossing. Just as he was about to step onto the street, a large armored truck zoomed by him at full speed. He watched it go, a curious expression on his face. He swore he saw someone on top of it, someone wearing a white cloak. He shook his head and started crossing the street.
"Bitches be cray cray." he muttered to himself as he crossed the street.
Soon enough, he found himself back at the familiar plaza from before. He entered Cafe Soleil and headed all the way to the back booth. There a woman sat, glancing at her black scroll. She was a blonde, and had her hair in a neat bun. She was wearing a white long sleeved shirt, with a matching business skirt, which had golden buttons on it. She wore black stockings and black heeled boots. He noticed the handle of her Riding Crop sticking out of her boot. He cringed, fearing what she could do to him with it. She was also wearing a purple and black cape, which bore her personal crest on the back, a golden tiara. She looked up, her green eyes piercing into his soul.
"You're three hours late." she said sternly.
"Sorry."
"Sit."
He nodded and sat down across from her. He noticed she was playing Tetris on her scroll, something she always did when she wasn't doing school work. This woman was of course Glynda Goodwitch, a Professor at Beacon Academy and a Top Huntress. He folded his arms and sat there quietly.
"You know, one day your going to get yourself killed." she said, clearly not amused.
"If it happens it happens." he said with a shrug.
"Do you not care about what would happen if you did die? How I would react?" She asked, glaring at him.
"I'm sure you would be fine. You know I can take care of myself, besides...I doubt anyone would miss me." he said, a frown on his face. Glynda grit her teeth, the firm look never leaving her face.
"You know that's not true."
"Then will you tell me why my mother abandoned me? Because I truly doubt she cares about me. Hell, I doubt my bastard father cares too...not once have they visited me, nor have they reached out. If they don't care then I doubt anyone cares." he said firmly. The woman bit her lip and looked away.
"It's a delicate situation. I know you wish to know but...I'm not sure you are ready to know yet."
"Auntie Glynda, that's what you tell me all the time. It's unfair, I want to know who my mother is, where she is...if she's alive or dead...I have the right to know. I don't even have a picture of her, and neither do you for that matter. So you had to understand why I'm so angry about it." he said. Glynda sighed, putting on the best motherly look she could.
"Nick, I'm sorry...I really can't tell you all of this yet. It's just...it's a hard subject to approach. But I did make you a promise, when you become a Huntsman, and graduate from Beacon, I will tell you everything."
"Fine...that's perfectly fine. I suppose I'll just have to bust my ass and work hard. Now what's this talk about?" he asked, causing her to shift slightly. She pushed her glasses up her nose, tracing a finger on her scroll's screen.
"It's about your enrollment. I want you to know that we didn't pick you because you are my nephew. We picked you out of the thousand other applicants because we feel that your merits and hard work are something we need in the academy. However, there are a few things we have to go over, for one, when you start attending regular classes, I want you to call me Professor Goodwitch, you can't call me Auntie, unless were alone. Second, you cannot tell anyone about our relationship, at all."
"Why?" he asked.
"If they find out you are related to the Headmistress of Beacon Academy, people will try to get you. They might use you as a bargaining chip. They will use you to force us into tight situations. That's why you can't show any affection toward me, or toward Ozpin."
"Fine, I suppose if it's what I have to do. As long as you listen to my problems and let me call you Auntie in private." he said.
"Of course, besides it's my job to listen to the troubles of my students. Even if they aren't my students yet. Anyway, have you heard about the recent theft?"
"It's all over the news...I actually met Angelina Moatzagoatl earlier today. She wasn't so happy about it either, but I did tell her everything I was able to figure out from the pictures taken. Whoever did it, their good." he said.
"It worries me that there's someone out there willing to steal such a precious gem. That's why we're putting the Azure Morganite in the care of Weiss Schnee."
"Weiss Schnee? Really? You think that she would be able to guard something like that?" he asked, glancing at his aunt.
"I'll have you know, Miss Schnee is actually quite adept at hiding things. She's been able to hide her dust from her team leader Miss Ruby Rose, as well as the cookies she receives from her older sister Winter Schnee."
"I doubt that. Wait...did you say Ruby Rose?" he asked.
"Why yes? Have you met her?" she asked curiously, he narrowed his eye in thought, before shaking his head.
"No...I haven't met anyone with that name...but the name sounds familiar, is all." he said.
"She's the daughter of a famous Huntress, you are familiar with Qrow Branwen yes?"
"Hmm...is he the one you call a "Goddamn Drunk?" because if so then I know him." Nick said, earning a sigh from the woman.
"Yes, that's him. Ruby Rose happens to be his niece. You might have heard the name from him. She was handpicked by Ozpin to enter Beacon, 2 years ahead of most huntresses."
"Sounds to me like he's showing some favoritism." the young man said, leaning back in his seat. Glynda sighed, deciding not to comment.
"Hmm, why don't you order something? Anything you want...even if it's one of those dreadful sodas." she said.
"I'm not in the mood auntie. I think I'll just head home." he said, standing up.
"If...that's what you want." the woman said, a bit disappointed. He sighed.
"Listen, this has nothing to do with me heading to Beacon and talking to you as a professor. You are a professor, and if someone found out about me, they'd use me as bait. And not the good bait either, I'd probably be a worm, wriggling on a rusty hook. A worm that's wiggling with its guts are pouring out of its tubed body. Ah man, I would probably get eaten by a fish and..."
"Can you get to the point." Glynda asked, clearly irritated.
"Right right, it's important for me to just act like a new student instead of someone familiar to you." he said.
"I'm sorry to have to put you through this." She said standing up.
"It's fine. The pick up is in a few days, so I have to pack my things and get ready to head out. See ya in a few days." he said, hugging the woman tightly. He said his goodbyes to the woman, before leaving the cafe.
Nick walked through the streets of Vale, lost in thought. It annoyed him that his aunt didn't trust him enough to keep his identity a secret. He had even gone through the trouble of getting another last name. Just so she and Ozpin would get off his case. At least he was still going to Beacon, so in the end, it didn't even matter. He reached the park and found an empty bench, pulling out his scroll. He quickly found his best friend's contact and hit the call button. After a few rings, the person on the other line picked up.
"Nicky, its so good to hear you."
"Hey Max. It's good to hear you too. Sorry I haven't been able to call you, I've been...a little busy." he said. The girl laughed, somehow, he knew she had rolled her eyes.
"It's fine. I've been really busy too. I had to clean out all of my stuff from last year. Can you believe it? I'm starting my second year at Beacon already. It's still surreal." she said.
"Mhmm...well I called you because I have some good news. Through a very um...fortunate set of events, I am also heading to Beacon."
"What? Are you serious or are you fucking with me?"
"Come on Maxie, would I fuck with you?" he asked, a smirk on his face.
"You once had a conversation with me and my mom about the modern refrigerator."
"Hehe, well you didn't respect my authority." he replied with a shrug.
"Somehow, being the only human in a house filled with Faunus is disrespecting your authority. You're lucky we're nice enough to let you stay while you're Aunt teaches here. Maybe I should call mom and tell her to kick you out."
"Max, I swear to god, I will take my ass up to Beacon a week early and tell you about the horse drawn carriage." he snapped.
"Oh please, anything but the horse drawn carriage dialogue. How's mom doing? I've been too busy to call, yes it's a bit cunty I know, but it really has been busy here."
"She's doing alright. Still misses her little kitten though. She sometimes makes me wear those stupid kitty ears to make her feel better."
"Aw, I wish I was there to see that."
"Yo, Shaunte, we need to get all of this old crap out of here."
"Whoops, I'll get right on it. Sorry, I'm supposed to be the team leader yet I'm slacking off a bit right now. It's been rough with that last mission we went on. I'll text you later alright. It was nice hearing you again."
"Same here. Tell Wendy I said hey."
"Will do. See ya soon."
With that, the girl ended the call. Nick sighed, he missed his best friend. It had been a long year without her, and since her mother had been taking care of them both, he felt that she was the only company he had anymore. Max was of course a Cat Faunus, her real name being Shaunte Kotenok. She had long brown hair, and small brown kitty ears. She had bright green eyes, a small nose and lips. She had light brown skin as well, due to being from Vacuo. She was around Five foot one last time he saw her, but she could have very well grown with all of her training. She had a nice rack too, at least he thought so. If Max caught him thinking about her that way, he would lose his sack.
She usually wore belly shirts or shirts that left her midriff exposed, but since going to Beacon, she'd most likely had to give that up. Even if she wanted to show people the super cool bellybutton piercing she usually wore. He missed her a lot, but now that he was going to Beacon, there were gonna be more chances for them to hang out. Just like old times.
"Beacon is gonna be the best. I can't wait to go on missions and shit...perhaps I'll be able to find you mom, and get to know you." he said, looking at the sky. He knew his mother was still alive somewhere. He believed that one day he'd find her. That's why he wanted to become a Huntsman, so he could travel the world and find his mom. If only he had her name and a description, he would be able to find her. Or at least do some research on her. Something, anything to keep in him sane. He checked the time and stood up.
"I best head home." he muttered to himself.
He turned around, about to head home when he bumped into someone. All he saw was an ice cream cone hitting the ground. He cringed and looked at the owner of said cone. She didn't look to happy. The girl was around sixteen, maybe seventeen. Though with how short she was, he couldn't really tell. She had a weird color scheme going on as well. The best thing he could do to describe her was picture ice cream. Half of her hair was pink and the other was a chocolate brown. She was wearing a white jacket, with a pink interior. She also wore a black corset underneath it. She had matching brown pants and white high heeled boots. She wore different colored beads around her neck. She had a parasol handing from her arm, which was pink in color, with a white handle. She looked into Nick's eye, clearly showing she was pissed. He noticed how they kept changing between brown, white and pink.
"Whoa...what's her damage? It was just an ice cream cone." he thought, swallowing the lump in his throat. The girl just kept glaring at him, making him chuckle.
"Hey uh...I'm sorry about ruining your ice cream. You're so short I didn't see you." he said, rubbing his neck. Her glare intensified, almost as if she were saying, "Don't make me Hit you." He looked around, noticing an ice cream stand nearby.
"I got a bit of time, how about I buy you another ice cream? What kind of gentleman would I be if I let a lady go without replacing her snack?" he asked. She tilted her head, in a pensive look. After a few seconds, she nodded and hooked her arm through his, pulling him along.
"Okay...you lead I guess." he said with a laugh. She smiled at him and opened her parasol, spinning it a bit in her gloved hand.
"So uh...you gotta name?" he asked. She nodded once, her eyes changing color mid blink. He felt a bit unnerved by that but let it slide.
"Well, I'm Nick, its nice to meet you."
She stopped for a second and handed him her parasol. She took out what looked like a scroll and typed a few things down on it, before showing him the screen.
"It's nice to meet you Nick. My name is Neopolitan."
"Neopolitan? Isn't that misspelled?" he asked. She shook her head, a small smile on her face. He shrugged.
"If you say so. I'll just call you Neo. If your using that to talk, that means your a mute right?" he asked. She gave him a nod, her lips pressed into a thin smile.
"Man that sucks. I bet you had a pretty voice too."
"I don't remember the sound of my voice, all I've ever known is silence. Luckily I wasn't born deaf."
"Yeah, guess that's a plus no? Anyway, I gotta ask a question...how the hell do you walk in those?" he asked, glancing at her heeled boots. She rolled her eyes.
"It's not that hard Nick. It just takes balance."
"I suppose. I wouldn't have the balance to walk in something so thin...I think they'd break under my fat ass." he said with a chuckle. As they approached the stand, she closed her parasol, twirling it a bit in her hands. She stepped up to the vendor, looking at all the ice cream flavors. Nick had to admit, this girl had a unique style...he felt bad for her though, since she was a mute and all. He also felt a weird vibe about her, like he should keep his guard up. He didn't know why, but his entire time, his hand had been twitching a bit. He had been ready to activate his gauntlets if needed.
"Good afternoon sir...what may I get for you and your lovely girlfriend?" he asked.
"Oh...she's just a friend. I kinda ruined her ice cream before, so I'm just buying her a replacement." he replied, trying not to flush. Neo didn't seem to mind, or if she did she didn't show it.
"How nice of you! You know, it's clear she loves ice cream going by how she's dressed. She can have any flavor for free. You can have a cone too if you want." he said. Neo's eyes seemed to settle on pink when she heard him, a look of joy on her face. She pointed to the Neapolitan ice cream, and the vendor happily made her a cone.
"I guess I'll have the chocolate..it's been a while since I've actually had ice cream." Nick said.
"Of course." the man said.
They both bid the man farewell after getting their ice cream. Nick had never seen a girl so happy just by eating ice cream. He figured since she couldn't talk, she must have been lonely making her resort to eating ice cream. She made him hold her parasol as she walked, so she wouldn't trip. Seeing how thin her heels were, he obliged with no hesitation.
They found an empty bench and sat down, just eating their ice cream. He wondered why it was that a girl that young was out there alone...but also figured she was capable of defending herself. He did pull the handle of her parasol when she wasn't looking, and noticed the blade that was hidden in it. He liked a girl that packed a hidden weapon, it kept the ambiance interesting.
"So Neo, are you a huntress or something?" he asked out of boredom, looking at the girl who stopped mid bite. She shook her head, a confused look on her face.
"Oh, I'm asking because I just got accepted into Beacon not to long ago...I kind of figured you were a huntress or something."
She nodded, returning to her ice cream. He sighed, biting his own and swallowing a large clump, mixed with a bit of the waffle cone. She cringed...even she couldn't bite ice cream like that. With speed that rivaled Usain Bolt, she typed something on her scroll, showing him the screen.
"Is something wrong Nick? You can tell me if you want."
"Well...I can't really say much, other than my aunt doesn't trust me. She's raised me her whole life, and always told me that I couldn't be a Huntsman. But I told her that I was going to be one regardless, so I went to Signal and trained, even built my own stupid weapon. Even though I don't need one. Now that I have the training, she doesn't even want to tell me who my mother is. It's fucking bullshit, all I want is to find her and meet her, is that such a bad thing? Of course it isn't, but she's too damn stuck up to fucking listen to me!" he said. After he was done ranting, he took a deep breath.
"Wow, I feel a lot better. Sorry for having to hit you with reality like that Neo." he said. The girl offered a sincere smile, and typed something on her scroll.
"You got me free ice cream..the way I see it, you and I are friends for life. How about we exchange scroll numbers?"
"Seriously? Wow...I didn't think a cute girl would be willing to give me her number...not after Atlas." he said, shuddering a bit. Neo thought it best not to ask. They exchanged numbers and she stood up, finishing her cone and tossing the napkin.
"Well, as much as I'd love to stay here, I must be heading off. Will I see you again sometime?" she asked, he looked away from the scroll and into her eyes, noticing that they were brown this time. He nodded, giving her a smile.
"Sure, any time I'm off while I'm at Beacon. I sort of have a full schedule now, and I'll most likely be on missions...taking out the White Fang and junk."
"Alright, don't be shy and text me whenever okay. And thanks for the free ice cream." she typed. Once he read the message, she gave him a kiss on the cheek and grabbed her parasol. She opened it, using it to block the sun. She gave Nick a polite bow, and after a few seconds, her body shattered into pieces. Nick's eyes widened in shock a bit, but figured it was just her Semblance. He chuckled.
"Man, she really knows how to make an exit. Aw shit...I should have been home forever ago." he said, tossing his napkin. He stood up, heading towards his home. He looked around, making sure no other ice cream themed girls were around him before he walked away.
"I hope Cinnamon doesn't ream me, she hates it when I'm late. Hmm...maybe I'll bring her some ice cream. Cats like milk, so by proxy they should like ice cream." he said to himself. He dumped into someone, the sound of a cup hitting the ground filling his ears.
"Oh goddamn it! Care to watch where you are going you damn oaf!"
"I'm sorry...I wasn't looking where I was going." the young man said, glaring into the violet colored eyes of the girl he had bumped into.
"Luna it's alright...I'll just buy you another one."
"It isn't alright Whitney...this dumb ass needs to watch where he's doing." she said firmly.
"Kinda of hard to do when you only have one eye. Maybe you should pay attention since you have two." Nick said smugly, holding back a chuckle. The girl, Luna, was about to say something when her friend caught her hand.
"Hey, it's just ice cream. I'll get you another one alright? I'm sorry about all of this."
"It's alright...I should apologize too. Here, the least I can do is pay for it." the brown haired man said, handing the girl a Ten Lien bill. Luna was quick to accept it, stuffing it in her pocket.
"We're cool bro. Catch ya later."
"Uh...okay. By the way, if we ever cross paths again, I'll buy you dinner. You're really cute." the boy said, flashing Whitney a smile before turning away. The girl flushed, saying nothing as she walked beside her friend.
"Well, that makes ten Whitney. He did technically call you cute." Luna said, earning a sigh from Whitney.
"Fine, no make up for a semester, but you have to stop sleeping during the day."
"No promises...besides my cousin Wendy tells me there's this professor who wont stop talking about his younger days. I can definitely sleep through that."
"Not on my watch." Whitney warned, dragging her friend along.
A/N: And with this marks the end of the Trailer Rewrites. I've had a lot of fun rewriting these. This one was one of the ones that got major changes, as the main plot of my story has changed from when it was being written. This was Pre-Volume 3, before the big reveal at the end of the Volume. It threw a wrench into everything, but I think these new trailers will provide a stepping stone for me.
However, I have decided to cease further work on Team SWAN, mostly because all of my assets were on my old computer. I had to buy a new computer in the middle of the previous year, as my last one was destroyed. I still have it, but until I can access the hard drive, I cannot pull files from it. I thought I had saved them to my flash drive, but alas that wasn't the case. Perhaps I should start using Google Docs, so I have access to them from anywhere. But I really don't like how Docs works. I'm more of an Open Office man. I've been using this program for years now, so it feels like an old friend. Then again, I can always copy and paste shit to Docs and save it on there. Meh...I think I'll just keep doing what I'm doing.
Uh...plans for the future...right...I'm planning on working on Hyperdimension Neptunia Hearts for the time being. I'm trying to destress from Danganronpa, as I prepare to begin work on a collaboration fic between me, Crit Fail and PettyPunk. It's called Oasis of Hope. If there are any Danganronpa fans out there who have read Crit Fail's stories, or my own, feel free to submit an OC, the deadline was moved to February 1st, so do hurry. If not well you can ignore this little announcement.
I suppose this is it for now...Idk when I'll continue this series, but I really do want to continue it at some point. It's been far too long since I've written for it. So for now, this is farewell...or rather a See you Soon, hopefully.