Chapter 8 : Alternative Combat
- ASH -
With the dance right around the corner, Beacon's halls were full of gossip and awkward invitations. It was beginning to feel like an actual school. No longer were students chatting about their weapons or combat training, now it was all about a different kind of training. For some students it was a welcome change, for others, not so much. Team ALBM were gathered in their room, having an impromptu dance lesson. Ash had a little knowledge on the subject, his mother made him take dance lessons for most of his childhood. Morgana was just as good if not better. Billy was alright, except for the fact he was almost twice as tall as everyone else and had to step very carefully. Lyra was the least experienced of them all, she fumbled around awkwardly, her face as red as a tomato.
"You're doing great" Ash said, he guided her around the room. She was staring down at her feet the entire time. "Try not to stare at your feet too much."
"Yeah, how am I supposed to keep track of the footwork then?" She asked.
"Try not to think about it too much, just follow my lead." He quickened the pace a bit, she was fumbling around almost comically.
"I'll be lucky if I don't trip over my own feet." Lyra said.
"You think this is hard, wait until you do this in heels!" Morgana said. Lyra squeaked.
"Heels?" Lyra asked. She backed away, and almost tripped over her shoes. "What are you talking about?"
"You aren't going to a dance in flats." Morgana said. Color was draining from Lyra's face. "Oh and we're going to have to work on your outfit too."
"What's wrong with my outfit?" She asked. She started tugging on her hood anxiously.
"Well, it's a little. What's the word. Scruffy." Morgana said. Lyra's neck seemed to shrink into her shoulders.
"Scruffy? You told me it looked nice!" Lyra squeaked. It was Morgana's turn to start stammering.
"I do think it looks nice, it's got, uh, character! It's very you." Morgana said. Ash buried his face in his palms.
"So what's wrong with it then?" Lyra asked. Morgana put a hand on her shoulder.
"Let's face it, you aren't exactly that great at dancing, you've never been to a dance either. You're probably going to need to be a little less, uh, you." She said.
"And be more you?" Lyra asked.
"Exactly. I already have a few dresses I think will look good on you." Morgana said. She gave her a pat on the back.
"Thanks, my self esteem needed that." Lyra said. Ash wasn't sure what was funnier, the sarcasm alone or the fact that Morgana seemed oblivious to it.
Ash went out for some fresh air. He found a nice balcony and slumped against the railing. The fractured moon was lingering above the academy. Ash always felt uncomfortably while it was up in the sky, it was like a bad omen. He heard footsteps coming his way, turned himself around. Gabriel waved at him, slumping against the railing next to him.
"Lovely night." Gabriel said with a nod. He looked up at the stars. "So, dance is just around the corner."
"Already have a date." Ash replied. Gabriel frowned.
"Ha ha, very funny." Gabriel said. He sighed and went back to stargazing.
"I heard you struck out with Gwyn." Ash said.
"Who told you? Was it Rudd? That loudmouth!" Gabriel said. Ash shook his head.
"Morgana told me." He said. Gabriel started to nod.
"Harpy!" Gabriel turned around, Ash followed suit. They gazed off towards the rest of the academy, most of the lights had gone out. He reached into his coat and pulled out a couple of bottles.
"Where'd you get those?" Ash asked as Gabriel passed him one. He stared at the bubbling liquid.
"We have a stash." Gabriel said with a shrug. Ash felt his mouth watering. He cracked the top and took a sip. He felt a strange relief wash over him. That, and a small pang of regret.
"I feel as if I've finally grown accustomed to this place." Ash said, his eyes surveying the many towers of Beacon. He took a slightly larger sip.
"I know the feeling." Gabriel replied. He pointed across the courtyard below. "Tor and I met down there on our first day. Some idiot was picking on the poor bastard. I said something, honestly can't remember though I think it had something to do with the man's mother, maybe some farm animals. Suffice to say we also had our first fight there too."
"Not far from where Glynda gave me her I don't like you speech on my first day." Ash said. He took another large sip. "Next day I got my ass kicked. Multiple times."
"You know, have you ever asked yourself if you're innately hate-able?" Gabriel asked. Ash took another sip, more of a chug at this point.
"You know, I actually have." Ash felt his face getting warm. He shook his head slightly. "I came to the conclusion I make bad decisions."
"Try not to beat yourself up." Gabriel said. He patted him on the shoulder. "Opinions change pretty fast at Beacon. Take my team, last year we were practically heroes. We got so close to winning at the Vytal Festivals, we came second place. Then we got our asses kicked and nobody let us forget it."
"So you're saying it's not my fault I'm an idiot?" Ash asked. Gabriel laughed.
"I'm saying your probably not as much of an idiot as you'd think." Gabriel said with a beaming smile. "Probably, I could be wrong."
"Thank you." Ash said. Gabriel gave short nod.
"I should get back, it's getting late. Good talk." Gabriel said patting him on the back. Ash listened to his footsteps fade. He could hear another set of footsteps approaching. He turned around and saw a slightly unexpected face framed with a vibrantly golden mane.
"Yang, here to kick my ass?" Ash asked. Yang shook her head.
"No, I had a talk with Weiss a while back, she told me you talked things over." She said quieter then usual. "Listen, I don't know what happened back there but you crossed a line. Weiss seems to think it's all under control but I have to check in on this myself. Understood?"
"I understand, if you want I'll leave you and your team alone. Forever if you feel it necessary." Ash said. He felt a jabbing pain in his rib, it was almost like his body was realizing who he was talking to. "I screwed up pretty badly, I can't deny that."
"Don't worry about it, I believe you." She said. It was a little weird seeing her so calm. Then again he'd only really known her under extenuating circumstances. "Don't think this doesn't mean I won't have my eye on you. If you even think of trying something again..."
"...I know. Fist. Face. Got it." He said with a smile. She gave another nod and strolled off. He watched her leave. Whoever asked her out to the dance is a lucky man. He went for another sip, except nothing was left. He stared into the bottle. He wanted another. He tossed the empty bottle into the trash and looked up at the stars.
He had his problems. Maybe it was good that he could acknowledge it. He's gotten this far, he never would have thought he'd live this long. Maybe things really weren't so bad? He had his vices, but he had his team. His friends. He had this academy, a future in a respectable line of work. At least he could say he has something.
- CALICO -
"Come on Calico, you can't sulk all day." Rojo said. He gave a firm slap to Calico's back. His mangled ears twitched. "So we hit a dead end. We can try again after the weekend."
"Why?" Calico mumbled from under his arms.
"From what I hear, those Beacon fighters are planning a party." Rojo said with another firm nudge. "Girls, drinks, dancing? Sounds like fun."
"I need to find Torchwick." Calico said. His ears drooped again.
"Alright, my mistake. Boys, drinks and dancing. Better?" Rojo asked. Calico pulled his head out of his arms and punched him hard on the shoulder.
"Prick." Calico said. He picked up the drink he had been nursing to for the last hour. Rojo clicked his tongue. He had an annoying habit of doing that when he was thinking.
"Think about it like this, you take a few days off and we're back on the chase." Rojo offered a bowl of peanuts. "We need to blow off steam."
"How am I supposed to blow off steam. Our lives are at stake." Calico said.
"We'll follow you to hell and back, you know that." Rojo said. "Doesn't mean we shouldn't let loose once in a while. If we die next week, wouldn't you have wanted to spend your last weekend partying with a bunch of beautiful vale girls?"
"I hate you so much right now." Calico said. It came out more of a hiss.
"Because you know I'm right." Rojo said. His eyebrows danced a bit. Calico let out a long sigh. He was used to this routine by now.
"Fine, we'll show up for the dance. Do formalities. After this we're back to work." Calico said with a considerable frown. Rojo was chuckling. Man he hated him right now. He downed his drink. It burned all the way down. "Now if you excuse me, I have to take a leak."
He stumbled out the back of the bar. He found a nice place behind a dumpster in the alley. He hummed quietly to himself. Something hard pressed against the base of his spine. His mangled ear perked upright. His hand reached to his side. A voice whispered into his ear, a hoarse one at that.
"Hello again old friend." He knew that voice all too well.
"Why is it, that it took you so long to find me." Calico whispered back. He could hear his guest rack his shotgun. "Victor, you're getting sloppy."
"Perhaps. Though I must admit you are an elusive quarry. I rarely ever miss." Calico felt a hand brush against his mangled ear. "Then again, looks like it wasn't exactly a miss."
"You here to finish the job?" Calico asked. He could feel the breathing against the back of his neck. His finger twitched. He wasn't sure if he could reach his weapon in time. He was tempted to try.
"Tempting, but no." Victor said with a slight hesitation. Calico knew Victor well enough. The only time he ever hears hesitation in his voice is when his superiors tighten the leash. "A mutual acquaintance of ours tells me you are back on the payroll."
"I have a job, yes. On the payroll, couldn't be further from the truth." Calico said with a slight hiss. Victor laughed.
"So, this brings me to my visit. You are running out of time, your window closes. If you can't eliminate your target by the end of next week, I get to kill you." Victor practically purred as he said it.
"Try it, we'll see how far you get." Rojo was standing in the doorway. He had his shield raised, two ventilated barrels sliding out from within the shield. Victor laughed.
"You know you're deadline." Victor backed away, Calico spun around and reached for his weapon, Victor was already gone.
"You couldn't just use the washroom?" Rojo asked.
"Too far." Calico said with a shrug. Rojo shook his head and went back inside. Calico zipped up his fly and followed.
The next morning, he sat alone in the park. He pulled out a cigarette. He was already drinking himself to an early grave, might as well add smoking to the list. He took a long drag and slowly released. Something went wrong with the formula and he ended up in a coughing fit.
"Why do people smoke these?" He said aloud. He shook his head. He heard a voice behind him.
"Hey there! Any of those for me?" The girl said. He took a moment to examine the newcomer carefully. Vibrant red hair, long and curly. A single braid tucked behind her ear and tied in a bow. Her face was dotted with freckles, her pearly blue eyes seemed to twinkle. He nodded and held the pack out. She grabbed more than a couple. She giggled. "You offered."
"Well aren't you a user." Calico slid the pack shut and stowed it away. He pulled out a lighter, she leaned in and took in a drag. She blew it in his face.
"I take offense to that, I'll have you know I'm a huntress. In training." She said. He took a long drag and blew it back at her.
"Really now, so am I. Well, sort of." He said. Their eyes met for a moment, he could tell she was sizing him up. He could tell because he was doing the same. She gave a nod and held her hand out.
"I'm Pearl, nice to meetcha." She said. He shook it, her grip was surprisingly firm. He returned the favor.
"Calico. Pleasure to meet you." He replied.
"So what brings you out here?" She asked. "The tournament?"
"Yep, pretty much why anyone is here." He said. He looked up at the sky, that eye sore of a warship clearly decided it wanted to deprive him of sunlight. "Some people just can't take a vacation without bringing their work."
"Terrible thing that." She said. They shook their heads. He smirked.
"So, rumor has it you Beacon folk are throwing a party." He said, a small smile crept across her face. She tried to hide it. "Invitation only?"
"No, but there is a formal dress code." She replied. She looked him up and down. He gave her a nod, he was rocking the homeless look.
"Not a problem. So, you going with anyone?" He asked. She smirked.
"No, I'm a bit too much to handle." She said, he laughed loudly. She frowned.
"Well, you certainly don't think modestly." He said. "So, when shall we be going?"
"Forward. A little on the forceful side." She said, her eyes rolled up for a moment. "I'm cool with that, pick me up at seven?"
"Seven, I'll be there." He said, she spun around and strolled off. He thought he could see a slight skip in her step. Somewhere under all that attitude was a softy. He heard his scroll beeping. He pulled it out.
"So, Calico. Change your mind yet?" Rojo asked.
"As a matter of fact, I just got a date." Calico said. Rojo started laughing.
"Really now, good I'll tell the others." Rojo said with a cheeky grin. Calico hated that grin.
"So is this all you wanted to talk about?" Calico asked.
"No, I spotted the twins. They're in town and are already involved into some serious shenanigans." He said. He sent a couple of images over. Calico glanced over them. The twins were sneaking around some of Ironwood's military hardware.
"So Torchwick calls in a bunch of big shot crooks from the four kingdoms, teams up with the white fang, knocks over dust shops and now is robbing the military. To what end?" Calico asked. Rojo shrugged.
"Beats me, I don't like the sound of it. On top of that the White Fang have Victor looking over our shoulder. Should have just shot him then." Rojo said. He paused for a moment. "I really should have shot him."
"Victor is serious business. The guy's a killer, as cold blooded as they come. I believe the clinical term would be a sociopath." Calico said. He knew Victor well. Better than most. It was Victor who trained him, after all. Having a mentor like that, Calico shuddered at the very thought of his time in the White Fang. He honestly believed all that propaganda garbage. "He won't hesitate to kill us, infact he might kill us no matter what. If you see even his shadow, open fire and don't stop shooting until you see blood."
"Will do, how's it feel this might be our last week?" Rojo asked. Calico laughed. His mind went to the redhead.
"I could think of worse things." He said with a smile.
