(Back to the grind, the dear grind. For you my dear readers.)
A Night On The Town
Penny's a robot...I can't exactly get it out of my head, it's a bit of a shock for me. And for Ruby I'll say it's worse.
"Penny, I-I don't understand..." She mutters in confusion
"Most girls are born, but I was made. I'm the world's first synthetic person capable of generating an Aura." The eccentric robot-girl says turning away, "I'm not real..." She says sadly, Ruby takes her hands however.
"Of course you are." She says in a reassuring tone, "You think just because you've got nuts and bolts instead of squishy guts makes you any less real than me or Roy?" She asks
"I don't... um..."
I lean in and put a hand on her shoulder, "She's right you know. It doesn't matter if your made from flesh or metal, your personality coming from a brain made of grey-matter or a computer chip made of silicon, your blood being oil or red blood cells. You're human in my book Penny." I tell her, smiling all the while.
She leans in a close to the two of us, "You're both... taking this extraordinarily well."
"You're not like those things we saw back there." Ruby states happily tapping her chest, "You've got a heart, and a soul; I can feel it!"
"Only difference is that your soul has some zeroes and ones in there, and your heart is harder. But still, a heart, a soul, you got 'em."
Penny beams, "Ooohh... oh Ruby, Roy" she locks us both into a hug, and I'm pretty sure she's crushing my windpipe right now, "You're the best friends anyone could have!"
I cough and hack with Ruby letting out a muffled groan, " I can see why your father would want to protect such a delicate flower!" She says muffled
"Delicate is the wrong word! But yeah!" I cough, Penny releasing us and me taking in deep breaths. Sweet air!
"Oh, he's very sweet! My father's the one that built me! I'm sure you two would love him!" Penny says back to her usual and happy self again
"Wow." Ruby giggles, "He built you all by himself?" She asks
"Well, almost! He had some help from Mr. Ironwood." Penny says sheepishly, I guess that explains one thing about her.
"The General?! Wait... Is that why those soldiers were after you?" Ruby asks surprised
"And is that why from what I hear you have those coolfloatingswordsthatcanfirelasers?" I sputter out
"Yes! They like to protect me, too!" Penny states, with Ruby giving a scoff in response
"They don't think you can protect yourself?" She asks
"They're not sure if I'm ready yet... One day, it will be my job to save the world, but I still have a lot left to learn. That's why my father let me come to the Vytal Festival. I want to see what it's like in the rest of the world, and test myself in the Tournament." Penny states, save the world? What's she on about?
"Penny, what are you talking about? Save the world from what? We're in a time of peace!" Ruby questions the robo-girl who gives a confused look in response to it.
"That's not what Mr. Ironwood said...by the way, are you two now...you know?" She says, I tilt my head...ohhhhhhhh I see what she means.
"Er...y-yeah, we are." I stutter out shyly, wrapping an arm around Ruby.
"It's worked out pretty good so far!" She says
"That's good for you two!" Penny says happily "Glad that-"
"Check down here!" A voice shouts out, it's one of the soldiers. Penny grabs the two of us and leans in.
"You have to hide!" She whispers lifting the both of us up and carrying us toward a dumpster.
"Whoawhoawhoa!"
"Penny, wait! What are you doing? You don't have to go with them! We can help you!" Ruby screams out struggling to get out of Penny's grip. But she tosses us both into the dumpster, I think. I hit my tail bone because it slightly hurts there.
"It's okay, Ruby. They're not bad people; I just don't want to get you two in trouble. Just promise me you and Roy won't tell anyone else my secret. Okay?" Penny asks, giving a grave stare.
"I promise." "These lips are sealed." Me and Ruby tell her at the same time, lowering our heads into the dumpster that is surprisingly empty. Penny closes it shut, but with Ruby opening it up slightly for the both of us to peak out of.
"There she is!" One of the soldiers shouts out
"Sal-u-tations, officers!" Penny replies to them
"Why were you running? And what happened to the other girl and the boy?"
"What girl and boy? I've been by myself all day!" Penny states letting out a loud hiccup before smiling.
GUESS THE HICCUPS WERE A SIGN THAT SHE'S LYING. INTERESTING.
"You shouldn't cause such a scene." Soldier number one says to her
"Are you okay?" The other one asks, in response Penny shows them her palms.
"Just a scratch." She states casually
"Penny, your father isn't going to be happy about this." The first of the pair of soldier says
"Please, just come with us."
"Yes, sir!" Penny says walking away with both soldiers, lifting up the dumpster lid Ruby watches them walk away. She looks sad. The there's a rat screech causing her to fall and accidentally close the lid on us both.
"Ruby. She'll be ok, don't worry about her." I say moving my hand around, where is she anyway? I can't see anything in here.
"I know she will, but she said that one day she'll have to 'save the world'. What does she mean by that?"
"I have no idea, but you me and the others are dealing with weird monsters that'll show up at some point in time. So I think she has it easy."
"But-"
"Ruby. You need to calm down, she'll be protected by some of the best that Atlas has to offer. And from what you and Axel told me she can handle herself in a fight." I say firmly, "We'll all get through this. I'll assure you that."
Still waving my hand around I finally touch something, it's Ruby's hand. Even in the dark I can see her cheeks flushed red as a beat, mine probably are too.
"I'm glad you love me Royboy." She says sheepishly
"Same here little Rose, same here."
Axel's POV
Motorcycles are dangerous, I mean there's no doors and all, the rider can easily fall off of it. That being said motorcycles are fun. Riding along with Yang to a more ruined part of Vale we finally make a stop, the engine and rumbling of the bike stopping. Yang taking off her yellow helmet and shaking out her golden locks.
She pulls her thumb to the direction where club music is playing, which is in fact a club. "Come on, my friend's right in here!" She says getting off her bike but leaving the helmet. I come off the bike and walk up next to her.
"Sooooooo, is this 'friend' someone I've met before?" I ask, she flashes me a smile.
"Nope! So be on your best behavior, okay?"
I salute, "You got it Angel."
And so the both of us make our way through the doors, a guy dressed in the same uniform as one of Tochwick's thugs standing there. "Hey there!" Yang says waving, the guy freaks out and runs away screaming.
"Could I...have some background about this?"
"I maaaaaay have gotten into a fight here." Yang replies with a guilty smile plastered onto her face. I sigh and clutch the bridge of my nose.
"Terrific..." I mutter, "If there is someone pointing a gun at me I'm going to start firing missiles."
We keep on moving with the thug running for his life and the closer we get the louder the music gets, "Hurry, close the door - she's coming!" He shouts out. The doors in front of us rolling shut, with the sounds of two guys holding their bodies up against the door in futility.
"What are you two idiots doing?!" A new voice shouts muffled by the door, he sounds pissed. Yang looks at me and gives a wink before blasting down the doors, and casually walking in through the smoke like nothing happened.
"Guess who's back!" She shouts out before raising her hands and closing her eyes with a cheeky grin, and every single penny thug points their gun at us. And I pull out Cerberus with it transforming from sword to missile launcher.
"Alright then gents! I have to the count of five before I get to have my fill of fun! One! Two! Three! Four! Fi-"
"Stop, stop! Nobody shoot." The same voice shouts out, a bearded guy who looks like the boss around here cutting through the crowd and straightening his tie once he's through. "Blondie, you're here! ...Why?"
Yang simply grabs his arm, "You still owe me a drink." She says before dragging him off despite the number of armed thugs here.
"She's amazing..." I sigh happily to nobody but myself, but looking around there's two girls. Identical except that one is dressed in red with the other in blue I give a wave before sheathing Cerberus and heading over to one of the barstools, kicking my feet up on the bar counter.
Time to let Yang do her part of the job.
And for me to get a show.
Silas' POV
Tukson...I have to admit that he was kind of an asshole, but one that I respected. He was planner, thinker, got the White Fang the gear needed to get the job done. Although we bickered and fought we never let it get ahead of the work we did.
Now. He's dead. Poor bastard got a front page in the newspaper, he was running a bookstore. Wanted a simple life.
If you can hear my thoughts, rest in peace. You deserved better.
"So what's important about this guy again?" Neptune asks curiously, I sigh and give him a sharp glare.
"It's simple: he used to be a member of the White Fang, we look through all of the stuff that he's got, we find something, report it to the rest. Simple enough?"
"How do we know about him?"
"His murder was in a newspaper."
"Is searching a premise where the police are already at illegal."
"Neptune...I'm feeling a bit tired after running around here, so please humor me: BY IN THE NAME OF EVERYTHING GOOD AND SACRED IN THE WORLD! SHUT UP!" I snap at him and growling, his eyes wide and nodding as fast as he can without tearing his head off.
"Thaaaaat's it buddy...get pissed, it's always a good time when you're angry eh?" The Black Dog mockingly asks, giggling. I was wondering when he'd come back.
I ignore it and keep moving on before coming up on the scene, plenty of yellow tape around the entrance. A sign above the door frame:
TUKSON'S BOOK TRADE
"No time to loose." I say coming up to the doorway and stepping over the police tape and clutching my nose for a moment...corpse smell is still strong here, looking back Neptune is just standing there. "You comin' or what?!" I shout out
"I uh...I-I think that-"
"Come on! We're burning day light here!"
He hangs his head and comes over, stepping over the police tape and nearly vomiting. Thanks to some gagging and a green face I'm sure he was going to start spewing his lunch here and we'd all end up getting screwed.
"Gah!- What's that stink?!" He questions clutching his nose
"That my dear friend, is the smell of a dead body. So time to get to work here." I say cracking my neck and heading over to the counter, checking around there isn't much besides a ticket to Vacuo and a notepad. Taking the notepad I start to flip through it, just blank paper.
"Any luck on your end there Neptune?" I ask the blue-hair who's searching through the wreckage of ruined books and the like, place looks like a tornado came through here.
"I got nothing, how about you?" He asks
"I got this notepad but every single paper is just a blank." I state shrugging, why the hell would Tukson just keep a blank notepad? Unless..."Hey Neptune? Can you go and search for a blacklight?"
He looks at me curiously, "Are you saying what I think you are?"
"Is it that he probably wrote this whole thing down on invisible ink?"
"That's it."
"Great minds think alike! Now go get it!" I bark happily, Neptune grins and makes a mad dash up the stairs. Before quickly coming back down with a black-light flashlight. Tukson you sly dog...puma...I hope your ghost gets the analogy.
Neptune presses up on a switch turning on a violet light, and I begin to flip through the pages to look for something. Until we hit something white, stopping there it's a message:
TUKSON'S BOOK TRADE! EVERY BOOK UNDER THE SUN! Except Third Crusade.
"Damn. A dead end." I mumble
It's a riddle. Except Third Crusade? Hmm...a book, but what does it hold?
Hmm...that's actually a good point there, Cthulhu is it?
Yes. But what exactly does Except Third Crusade mean? I'll leave you and...whatever this fool's name is to continue your search.
Ok, now what to get from that?
"Is it because he doesn't own the book?" Neptune suggests aloud, no no no it's not like Tukson would be like that. He was always a bookwormy guy.
"I don't think so there Neptune. It could be something else."
"Then why wouldn't he rent it out to someone?"
"Because he probably-" I cut myself off for a moment, hold on...could it be that simple?
"Neptune. We should find that book ASAP, I have an idea for something."
Alright, time to get to looking.
Axel's POV
"Look, just tell me what I need to know and I'll be on my way Junior." Yang states calmly, with having questions been thrown at him left right and center. This 'Junior' guy growls and starts to chug his drink before putting down the glass once he's done.
"I don't know!" He shouts in frustration
"How can you not know?"
"I haven't talked to him! I haven't even seen him since the night you first came in here." He then leans over the bar counter to point in Yang's face. "He paid up front, I lent him my men, and none of them ever. Came. Back."
I'm not buying this.
I grab his finger and jerk him onto the table and grab him by the back of his head, pointing his face directly at me. Although it may not be exactly nice, we need information. Slightly-Good Cop and Bad Cop.
"Junior my friend." I state casually, "I'm sorry to say that I think you're lying to us." I hiss with a slow twist around his finger causing him to groan in pain, "So! If you want me to Yang, he and I can play a game."
I lean in close to the bearded bar owner with a scowl, "And that game Junior, is called this: 'Scream in pain until you want to answer our questions'" I whisper
"Axel. Play nice." Yang says patting my back, I shrug and let him go.
"Seriously though Junior. Where did they go?"
He gives me a sharp glare and bares his teeth in an angry frown, "You threatened to torture me and then ask that?"
"Pretty much."
There's a pause, an awkward pause. "What kind of stupid question is that? They never came back!" Junior states to break the pause before turning to Yang, "Who is this guy? New boyfriend or somethin'?"
"Don't worry about him; worry about me if I don't find out what I want!" Yang says gravely, it's always nice to see Yang be so personable with people
"I already told you everything! Torchwick hired my boys, and I guess he wasn't happy with them, which is something I can relate to!" He shouts at his own thugs, who in response just grumble and walk away.
Yang turns away from the bar and comes off the bar stool, "Come on, Axel." She says walking away.
"To answer your question Junior: I am her boyfriend, and if you're scared of her?" I chuckle a bit and give a little smile, "Well. Hurt her and I'll...not be nice. Take care." I whisper before following Yang back outside to her bike.
"Well. That was a success." I state sarcastically
"Well, we got everything we can. Hopefully that everyone else is having better luck."
Hopefully so.
Silas' POV
Book five hundred. Book five hundred one. None of these so far have been Third Crusade at all, all just random stories of different kinds.
"Hey! I found it!" Neptune shouts out
Lucky bastard.
I jog over to him and see where he's pointing too, a bottom shelf book with a maroon and the title in gold on the side. Third Crusade.
"Well, here goes nothing." I state pulling out the book, where the book was there is a red button. I have to push it...instincts...must...so shiny and red and pushable. I press on the button and there's the sound of a door creaking open over near the counter.
Heading back over by the counter, there's a descending staircase.
"Rock paper scissors for who goes down into the creepy basement?" I ask Neptune who shrugs.
Rock, paper, scissors shoot! Damn...he got paper and I got rock.
I take a deep breath and head down the stairs to...a planning room. With file folders spread out the table, a board pinned with pictures and names under them regarding White Fang members.
For the file folders they're marked with black marker: WEAPON BLUEPRINTS, POSSIBLE THREATS?, A CERTAIN SOMEONE, and WHITE FANG MOVEMENTS. Just four among the countless number of the file folders there on the table and around it.
Jack. Pot.
"Well looks like we won the lottery here!" Neptune laughs
"You said it, this'll-"
"Everyone! If you can hear me, we need-" "HEEEELLLLP!"
Pulling out my Scroll there's Blake and Sun making a break for it, what's even going on?
"Big robot! And it's big! Really big!" Sun shouts in a panic, "That Torchwick guy is in it! But not, like, it didn't eat him; he's like controlling it or something!" The video on the Scroll shows a gigantic white mech behind them hot on their heels. "HURRYYYY!"
The call ends.
"I think that was them." Neptune states factually
"No duh." I shoot back, Blake and Sun are screwed if no one else makes it there in time. But all this information could help out big time...shit.
"Ooooooo! Decisions decisions!" The Black Dog says gleefully, "Take all this info? Or go save the shit-flinger and the little kitty?"
Hmmm, I got it.
"Neptune! You grab one of the files! I'll be outside, if you see a huge wolf than it's me!" I say quickly, running past him and going outside. Focusing on not messing up and ending up becoming a literal wolf or something like that, I feel my limbs and body growing before I'm on my paws.
"Silas! We-"
"JUST HURRY AND CLIMB ON NEPTUNE!" I shout before he could say anything, he nods and jumps up onto my back. And I start to run on all fours as fast as I can.
"This is gonna be great." The Black Dog coos
(Alright, next time it's time for gift giving. Featuring the Black Dog and Silas, among other people.)