Sage picked up a crab apple, turning it over in his hand. He ran his thumb over its smooth, green skin. Currently, he was in front of a fruit cart. The man that he presumed to be the owner was a Faunus with several dark brown scales on his skin. He was staring at Sage with extreme caution, something Sage was able to ignore for the most part. Still, he had been very difficult so far as it was, very obviously suspecting Sage of being a thief. Sage didn't want to let him know how well found those suspicions were.
"How much is this?" He asked the shopkeeper. He didn't expect a simple apple to be worth as much as, say, the giant sword Sage had spotted leaning against the side of the weapons stall - the one with the two White Fang goons, arms folded across their chests and swords sheafed, a small Faunus man with a pair of rat ears obscured by his long, oily black hair counting a small stack of Lien coins, bony fingers tapping against the wood impatiently. Yeah, no way he or any human would be getting it any time soon. Shame, it looked like a really nice sword. He realized he was staring just as one of the White Fang guards noticed him, before turning back to the shopkeeper. Thankfully, the goon didn't pay him much attention.
"About two Lien," the shopkeeper answered.
"Not bad," Sage replied, setting the apple back down. He lightly trailed a finger across the shiny skin, at the same time keeping an eye on the White Fang goons nearby. If there was one part of a heist he hated, it was stalling for time.
"So, if an apple costs about two Lien, how much for a basket?"
"Ten," the shopkeeper said instantly. "Though it also depends on what kind of apples you want."
"Okay, so, can I get three baskets?"
The shopkeeper sniffed, chuckling smugly. "You got enough Lien for that?"
Sage began searching through his pockets, frowning. "I should..." Grimacing, Sage slammed a fist on the table. "Damn it, I must have left it back home!"
The shopkeeper sighed, rubbing his forehead in exasperation. "Freaking humans," he muttered under his breath.
"What was that?" Sage asked. He raised an eyebrow and folded his arms across his chest, a smug look on his face. "You got a problem with humans?"
The shopkeeper stared Sage dead in the face, then snorted. "No, I just have a problem with their ability to lose sight of what's important."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"It means, if you can't pay, get lost, bud."
Sage nodded understandingly, began strolling away, and then, making deliberate eye contact with the scaly shopkeeper, reached out a hand and snapped up five apples in rapid succession, before taking a bit out of one. The shopkeeper stared, flabbergasted, as Sage immediately made a quick getaway into the crowd. He pointed after him feebly. "Stop! Thief!"
Sage rolled his eyes, trying to suppress his excitement. He had to focus. Glancing behind him, he could already see the White Fang goons guarding the weapons stall speeding after him.
Now all he had to do was wait for Scarlet to play his part.
Cluny Havarti licked his yellow teeth as he ran a hand through his black locks. When was the last time he had showered again? He wasn't exactly sure, come to think of it. Ah well, no matter. He could shower after he counted his profits. And yes indeed, it was a tidy sum...
A small clattering sound made him start from his seat, pushing it back as he got on his feet. His beady eyes squinted and he slowly scanned the area in front of him.
His guards were both chasing a human thief, leaving only him to watch this joint. Bloody idiots, it was just one silly human, both didn't need to hunt him down. He'd report their incompetence as soon as possible...once he was done counting the Lien.
Something bumped against his foot, and Cluny looked down to see a discarded can resting against it. He muttered about the disgusting manners of humankind before bending down to pick it up. The moment his head was below the stall, a short but powerful gust of wind blasted past, knocking him flat on his back, the stool crashing into his stomach moments later. With the air driven from his lungs, Cluny weakly pushed the stool off him and clutched his wounded body, before unsteadily picking himself off the ground.
The moment he looked back at the stall, his mouth dropped open in shock.
Every cent of Lien - along with a massive sword, one the more expensive pieces - was gone. The crowd which had been milling its way past was staring in complete shock, same as Cluny. The rat Faunus quickly looked around, trying to find any trace of the thieves who'd stolen from him.
But he didn't even find a shadow.
Especially the one slipping away, unseen by anyone, with a large sword and coins shrouded in black clutched tightly in its hands.
It hadn't been too hard for Sage to elude the White Fang. After he threw the last apple at them, he sharply turned down an alleyway, then kicked forward with a burst of speed that left white feathers behind him. He shot over the walkway with outstretched wings, surprising several people below him. They cried out and pointed at the winged boy, easily drawing attention to himself.
Just as planned.
Using his Semblance this openly, though, was sure to draw some very unwanted attention, which meant he had to deactivate it almost as soon as it began. Thank the gods his wings were as bright as the sun when that happened. Expertly landing on his feet, he stumbled for a moment before sprinting past several more houses.
He glanced around briefly, scanning. It didn't take long for him to see Scarlet's Shadow nearby, waving at him. He smirked. The heist had gone flawlessly.
Wait a minute, why did it have that big sword?
"I just wanted to get you a little something, and thought you'd like this."
"You stole the biggest sword I've ever seen. Gods, it's the biggest sword at a stall which clearly has connections with the White Fang! Their goons are going to be hunting us for months now!"
They were only supposed to take the Lien. Just the Lien, and nothing else.
Nothing else didn't include this damned thing, in Scarlet's view. The sword was at least as big as Sage was tall, and had gold markings encrusted along the blade. The handle had a firm, solid grip, and Sage could easily wield it with both hands. He hadn't yet, though, as that would be condoning Scarlet's idiocy.
Not that it wasn't a really nice sword.
He had to focus though. The moment he came back to the hideout, he waited for his friend's return. Scarlet had been smiling broadly, but his face dropped the moment he saw Sage's scowl.
"So should I give it back?" Scarlet asked wistfully.
"Gods, no! That would be the same thing as turning ourselves in!"
"You sure, Sage?"
Sage simply gave him a deadpan look. Scarlet understood instantly. "Oh right, this is the White Fang we just stole from..."
Scarlet thought for a few moments before he said the obvious. "So, we have to keep it?"
"Yes," Sage said, rolling his eyes. He wanted to be reluctant. It was leaning against the living room wall, looking remarkably out of place against the old decaying walls covered in mold.
"If you're wondering, nobody saw Shadow drop it off here," Scarlet said, trying to be reassuring.
"Of course nobody did," Sage said, rubbing his fingers along the bridge of his nose, "nobody ever sees Shadow."
"Which means they don't know I stole it."
Sage turned sharply. Scarlet was right, no question. His Semblance let him detach his own Shadow and take control of it as if it were a living thing. It was perfect for sneaking into tight nooks, crannies and underneath locked doors. Anything it touched - somehow - became encased in it, almost invisible to the naked eye. It was one of their greatest assets.
He was still amazed that Bazil Sagarlid had actually figured it out.
"But they did see me," Sage pointed out. "I doubt they're that stupid."
"Oh please, there's probably tons of boys around here with your hair color and skin type."
Sage rolled his eyes. "Not human, anyway." But now that he thought about it, the situation wasn't as bad as it first seemed.
While the White Fang would definitely on the lookout for anyone matching Sage's description, Scarlet was in the clear. And, given Adam Taurus had taken some many of them to fight the Branwen bandits, they were woefully undermanned.
"Wanna count the Lien?" Scarlet interrupted his train of thought by pulling out two small boxes. He shook one, and coins rattled inside.
"Why not?"
Scarlet dumped the contents unto the floor. One coin almost rolled away, but Sage had been ready. He held it between thumb and forefinger, examining it for any trace of forgery. Just in case.
On one side was printed the Belladonna lily, the other, Menagerie's coat of arms, along with a date and the motto of the White Fang. He briefly bit it between his teeth, but detached no change in temperature or tasted lead. "This one's good," he declared.
"How can you tell?"
"We've been over this already."
"Right, right, fake coins tend to be made with some other alloys which taste like-"
The creak of the door followed by some familiar footsteps made the boys sit up from counting their haul. Neptune was standing in the door frame, looking dejected. Sage was the first to state the obvious.
"Where's Sun?"
Neptune met his gaze and sighed.
"Playing hero. Again."
Sage's open palm smacked against his face, hard. "What is it this time?" Scarlet asked, sitting with his legs crossed.
"Let me start from the beginning..."
Ren yawned, exhausted. The sun's rays were not as brutal as they had been in Vacuo, but they stung his eyes every now and then. Nora didn't seem to mind. No, she was more focused on the people who didn't give them any Lien.
"Oh yeah? Well, I'll break your legs, you stuck up!"
"Nora," Ren sighed, "how many have I told you not to say that?"
"But Ren, you know I don't really mean it!"
"There some things you can never live down, Nora. Threatening to break someone's legs is one of them. Especially around here."
Nora rolled her eyes. "Well, we've been stuck here for two months now. Once we earn enough to buy tickets, we're home safe. Besides, the White Fang hasn't been any trouble." The ginger-haired girl took a seat next to her life-long best friend since childhood, wiping away some grime from her face. "Oh, you think we have enough Lien to get pancakes?"
Ren smiled and pulled the small straw hat to his lap. Running a finger through it, he began counting in a whisper, before he heard the cracking of knuckles as heavy footsteps approached. He glanced up quickly to discover two White Fang goons coming towards them. One had a wolf tail and was smirking devilishly. The woman beside him had deer antlers and had already drawn her sword.
As they came to a stop, Nora first gave Ren a confused look before following his gaze. Her breath hitched when she saw them.
"Sorry if we're interrupting anything," Wolf Tail said sarcastically, "but we heard someone was threatening to break the legs of good, honest Faunus citizens."
"I was joking," Nora said, smiling nervously. Ren gave her a sharp jab in the side with his elbow.
"Please, as she said, it was just a joke," Ren said, turning back to the White Fang. He too was smiling, trying to disarm the situation.
"We don't care," said the Deer Girl. "Now hand over the Lien."
"Why?!" Nora shot up to her feet on the spot. "We were given that fair and square."
Deer Girl immediately jabbed the sword forward, stopping just short of Nora's throat. "Well, well," she said, feigning sadness, "threatening a White Fang officer? And admitting to theft? My, my, Beow, this is rather serious."
"Agreed, Roe," Beow smirked as he spoke, flexing his neck and shoulders, "we're going have to really punish you."
Ren got to his feet instantly, taking a stance alongside Nora, heedless as the Lien fell to the ground. He'd known talking would be pointless, but he hoped maybe, just maybe, somebody would listen.
"Resisting arrest now?" Roe said, drawing back the curved sword over her head. "You brought this on yourselves, scum."
There was a flash of motion, a horrible crunch, and Roe dropped the sword. She collapsed to her knees, clutching her swelling wrist. "What-" Beow didn't even get to finish as something slammed into his face, cracking the Grimm mask. He staggered, reaching up to feel his bleeding nose before he was kicked in the stomach, knocking the breath from his lungs. He keeled over, groaning. Roe tried to get up herself, only for a boot to collide with her forehead, leaving her in a similar position to her partner.
Standing above them was a Faunus with a yellow monkey's tail, matching the color of his hair. He wore padded, fingerless gloves, and wore a white jacket that was unbuttoned, revealing his well-developed chest. He held two red and gold nunchucks expertly, blue eyes darting from one fallen goon to the other. Satisfied they were down for the count, the boy glanced at Ren and Nora. "You guys should probably run now. Follow me, I can-"
He didn't get to finish speaking, instead taken by surprise when Beow lunged at him, having recovered faster than expected. The boy barely avoided a swipe of his fist and ducked under the second, before kicking backward, putting a little distance between them.
By this point, a small crowd had gathered, as people watched the unfolding commotion.
Beow spat on the ground, drawing his sword while wiping away blood from his face. With his mask broken, Ren could see the smoldering, intense hatred in his grey eyes.
"Dang," their savior said, impressed, "you're one tough dog."
"Get off your ass, Roe," Beow growled, "and kill those runts."
"GO TO HELL!"
Beow's face twisted with agony as he was struck by a wooden club, directly on his head. Ren saw his grey Aura briefly flashing. As he staggered, Beow didn't even have a chance to regain his footing before Nora followed up with a harder whack to the stomach. In moments he was enduring a series of painful blows, delivered with extreme prejudice to his face, chest, shoulders, knees, and ribs. All the while, Nora was screaming bloody murder, pure rage on her face. After a brutal swing to the chin, Beow finally reacted by blocking the next one with his sword and began pushing back against Nora, glaring back with gritted teeth. Then monkey boy jumped back into the fray, literally, delivering a sharp kick to Beow's head.
A grunt caused Ren to turn to Roe, the deer Faunus. She was starting to get to her feet now, reaching for her sword. Without another thought, Ren immediately ran forward and kicked upwards. Roe barely had time to look up and see him coming before he connected with her jaw. Sent reeling backward, Ren refused to give her any time to recover, pinning her to the ground as he began raining punches on her face. As he sent another hurtling downward, however, Roe suddenly caught it and followed up with a sharp punch to his own jaw. Caught off guard, Ren wasn't able to prevent Roe wrapping her fingers around his neck and pushing him to the ground.
Meanwhile, Nora was having a blast. The monkey boy's nunchucks kept Beow's sword occupied, giving her an opening. As she raised her wooden club, however, she heard Ren crying out in pain and turned around. When she saw him being strangled, struggling against the grip of that goon, all thoughts of giving Beow a righteous beating were forgotten.
"Ren!" He heard Nora crying, doubtless having realized his plight.
"Go! I can handle this guy!" She gave the monkey boy a quick glance and saw he was doing just that. Beow made a swing with his blade, leaving an opening her unexpected ally exploited by smacking the elbow of his sword arm. Beow's hand released the blade, leaving him weaponless as he tried to block against each attack.
Roaring, Nora charged, catching Roe's attention. She turned to her and instantly released Ren, rolling off him to avoid the club's brute force. Nora immediately helped Ren get back on his feet, trying to support him as he took short gasps of air. However, he could only focus on their enemy.
"Nora, look out!" Already aware of the incoming attack, Nora pushed him away and braced herself, swinging the club again. Roe had sprinted forward and met Nora's attack, grunting as she firmly grabbed the club with one hand. Nora only had a second to take this in before Roe punched her in the stomach and tried to pull the club away. Nora responded, however, by headbutting her. She'd taken worse than a punch to the stomach and remained standing. But it still hurt.
Roe took a step back, letting go of the club, before snapping back and charging again. Then Ren smashed into her, catching her mid-sprint, using the whole of his slender body to knock the woman off balance. Seeing an opportunity, Nora ran forward and slammed the club into Roe's shoulder.
"DUCK!"
Both Ren and Nora turned around and saw the incoming form of Beow, his body flung through the air, and immediately jumped away. Roe saw it too, but, still recovering from the unexpected tenacity of the humans, was struck full on and knocked to the ground.
Beow had clearly been knocked unconscious, the remnants of his broken Aura flashing before fading away, the same happening to his hapless partner.
"This time, stay down," the monkey Faunus said as he came up to Ren and Nora. He was exasperated but satisfied.
"You guys okay?" He said, turning to the humans he had just rescued.
"A little bit tired, but we're good," Ren said, having begun collecting the meager amount of Lien scattered on the ground. "Thanks for helping."
"No problem," monkey boy answered, "but I think we should probably-"
"OVER THERE!"
At the sound of a woman's voice, all three turned to see a large man, his face completely covered by a Grimm mask coming towards them quickly. Ren imagined he'd be running if it weren't for the chainsaw he was carrying. A woman with bat wings was pointing in their direction, so no prizes would be given out for guessing for had sounded the alarm.
"-run."
Ren and Nora both knew something wasn't right. They could feel it. "But-"
"GO!" The boy's stern command silenced Nora's protest. They turned and ran for it, hoping to lose themselves in the crowd.
Sun watched them go before turning around and readying Ruyi Bang, clutching one end underneath his shoulder. The chainsaw-wielding maniac came to a stop, hefting his weapon and tilting his head to the side.
"You're not some low-life thief," he murmured, eyeing Sun's stance. "Somebody's trained you. Let me guess; Mistral agent?"
"Actually," Sun said with a smirk, "I'm the best thief in the world."
Neptune had been watching this all unfold, hiding behind a shack. But the moment he saw the White Fang holding a chainsaw, every instinct inside him said something had gone really, really wrong.
No way that he'd been told two of his goons had been attacked in the streets and gotten here that fast. That woman with the bat wings probably had something to do with it. Made sense, but then again, why had he come alone? From what he saw in his fight with Sun, he seemed a competent enough fighter. Far more so than the two currently unconscious White Fang goons. Unless-
Neptune glanced to the sky when he heard the unmistakable sound of leathery wings. Of course. There was another bat Faunus. And he was after the two escaping orphans.
Oh well. Seems this would be his business after all.
Ren and Nora had finally stopped running, now in what they hoped was a safe hiding spot. Alleyways were often their first choice, anyway, and it'd never gone wrong for them before.
"Ren," Nora said, "please tell me we have enough Lien to get the first boat to Mistral?"
Ren was about to answer when Nora brightened, groaned then pointed behind him. "Hold that thought." He instinctively turned around to see someone descending from above on a pair of leathery, black wings. The red Grimm head with three claw marks running through it plastered on one shoulder marked him as White Fang.
"Damn it," he muttered, now thoroughly sick of Menagerie.
The bat Faunus stared at both of them with a face seemingly devoid of emotion. But Ren could feel the disdain radiating off his body.
"For two lowly humans," he mused as his feet touched the ground, "you are indeed brave. Were it not for that traitor, I have no doubt Beow and Roe would be currently hauling your corpses to the sea. And that would indeed be a pity."
"But you won't let us go, will you?"
"No," he answered Ren's question almost sorrowfully. "However, I will at least give you the chance to-"
With a yell blue-haired boy suddenly tackled the bat Faunus from behind, wrapping an arm around the neck and using his other to lock it in place. The bat grunted for a moment before kicking backward and moving to the side, trying to slam him against the wall. However, he just twisted and redirected the momentum almost effortlessly, holding his grip.
The bat Faunus twisted his neck and got a good look at him. He smirked. "If I'm not mistaken," he grunted, still struggling to break free, "you're Admiral Vasilias missing son?"
The boy didn't say anything, instead, he smashed his leg in the bat's groin. The bat's eyes widened in surprise, clearly stunned his opponent would stoop so low. It was all Neptune needed to push forward, grabbing the back of his head and slam his head into the wall, once, twice, then a third time. The bat collapsed onto the ground, groaning as he slipped into unconsciousness. Then he turned to Nora and Ren.
"You guys should come with me."
"...and that's what happened."
"So, let me get this straight: Sun and two humans managed to take down two White Fang goons, then you kicked another guy in the balls before knocking him out?"
"Pretty much, Sage."
"Where are the beggers?"
In direct response to Scarlet's question, a ginger girl poked her head around the wall. Her blue eyes were as bright as her smile. "Hello!"
After introductions were made and the newcomers beginning told that no, there were no pancakes, Scarlet offered them some apples, which they accepted.
"What are we supposed to do with you guys?" Sage said.
"They can stay here," Scarlet said.
"Four people in an abandoned building is one thing. Nobody pays much attention to the outskirts as is, but there's no way we can hide six. People will notice and they will talk about it."
"We aren't even planning on stay in Menagerie," Ren spoke up, before taking another bite of his apple.
"But how are you going to leave? The White Fang is going to be looking for you and - wait a minute, what about Sun?"
"Relax, Sage, I'm sure he's fine. He can handle himself. Watch, any minute now, he's going to come bursting through that door, without a scratch on him." Neptune flashed a smile, shrugging his shoulders. I hope, he mentally added.
"Oh yeah, those were some great moves back there!" Nora said, stuffing another apple into her mouth. "Where'd you learn it?"
As Neptune began explaining, Sage sat up and walked over to the window. Someone had to provide a lookout, and he was positive the White Fang would be showing up any second now. Yes, he knew most of them were with Adam but his gut told him something wasn't right.
At the least, he would know when Sun got back.
Sun grunted as he was thrown into another wall. When he collapsed to the ground, he looked back up, staring the bastard right in the Grimm mask. "First that wolf now you?"
"Beow's Semblance gave you trouble?" his opponent drawled in a deep voice. "One of my most reliable men. I'm surprised you managed to beat him. But then again" - he paused, then swung his chainsaw in a glistening arc that would sever Sun's head - "you're putting up far too good a fight."
Sun ducked and rolled out the way, just as the blade bit into the wood, tearing it to pieces in seconds. If he'd been any slower, that would have been his head.
He'd underestimated this guy. Badly. While he wasn't particularly fast, he was like a brick wall. Everything Sun had tried to throw at him had just rolled off as if it were nothing. Not to mention his enormous size and long reach. When he finally grabbed Sun around the neck and thrown him like a ragdoll, that was when it dawned on him that maybe he should have run for it as well.
Ruyi Band and Jingu Bang were both laying on the ground behind the guy, out of reach. Barehanded, Sun doubted he'd last long against that chainsaw. Not that his prized nunchucks had made much of a difference.
Raising his chainsaw in one hand, the mook chuckled. "Tell me you were joking about being the best thief in the world. What kind of crook sticks his neck out for two human beggers?" Okay, so he probably still thought he was some kind of agent sent by one of the human kingdoms. Maybe he could use that some how...nah, it'd make the situation worse.
"The good kind," Sun said with a smirk, before taking a deep breath. He glanced around, aware of how people were fleeing the scene. No surprise, given he could see about five more goons showing up.
There had to be some kind of cosmic deity playing a trick on him. His luck was never this bad.
"Well," the giant growled, "I'll make you the dead kind." With a roar, he charged forward, chainsaw posed to attack.
Sun narrowed his eyes and concentrated. His body became encased in a golden glow, the only warning before a clone made of golden light suddenly shot forward, seemingly from nowhere.
"What-" the giant only managed to say that before the clone made contact, exploding at that moment. He cried out in shock, knocked onto the ground by the impact. It was the opening Sun needed. Without a moment to lose, he jumped forward. Leaping over the prone form, he couldn't help smashing his foot into his face. That felt good. And it made for a good launchpad.
Having picked up his prized weapons, he turned around to see the mass of muscle had gotten up and was already making a run at him. Shit.
Sun was already preparing to make another dodge when something entirely unexpected happened.
The mook...tripped.
On his own foot.
Knocked off his balance, he fell flat on his face, releasing the chainsaw as well.
Never one to pass up any opportunity luck provided him, Sun ran. He didn't care where or how far he did, he just ran. Across rooftops, down alleyways, underneath houses, carts, didn't matter what it was. He just needed to get away.
By the time he stopped, exhausted he was resting against a bar somewhere. By this point, he was sure that he'd lost his pursuers. If he had any, to begin with.
A crow suddenly cawed, startling Sun and making him look up. In his current frame of mind, a pin dropping would have been like that giant's chainsaw scratching his shirt.
Lo and behold, there was indeed a crow sitting atop the bar, staring at him with black, beady eyes. It lingered for a few moments before taking off, cawing again as it left. A piece of paper fell from the roof in response, landing on the ground softly. It was rolled up, a green rope holding securing it tightly.
"Okay, that was weird," Sun muttered. Still, he was curious about how awfully convenient it was for a bird to just cause a rolled up parchment to land next to him. Not one to turn down any gift, Sun reached over and plucked it up, freeing it from its bindings and unrolling it.
His mouth dropped open in shock the moment he finished.
"I'm going to go looking for him," Sage declared. "He's been gone for two hours now."
Neptune sighed, nodding. He was sick with worry for their fearless leader.
"I'll help," Ren said.
"You don't have to-"
"If it wasn't for him, Nora and I would be dead now. If he gave his life to protect us..."
"He's not dead," Neptune snapped, glaring at the other boy.
An awkward silence issued, broken by Nora's small cough.
"So," she said, forcing a smile, "uh...anyone wanna play charades?"
Sage rolled his eyes, about to say this wasn't the time when there was a knock at the window. He spun around to see Sun's mischievous smirk, and couldn't help smiling in relief.
After Sun had come inside and explained how he got away, along with his unusual encounter with the crow, he now had more questions.
"So...this crow gave you a piece of paper in a green ribbon?"
"It was a rope actually," Sun answered, holding up said item, "but you wanna know what the paper is?" He wagged it in front of the assembled teens.
"A map!" Nora said, holding up her fist triumphantly.
Sage was about to dismiss her when he saw Sun's stunned face. "Yes," the blond said. "It is. How'd you know that?"
"Lucky guess," Ren said, almost like he was used to it.
"What's it a map of?" Scarlet asked.
Sun laid the paper on the floor and unrolled it. Drawn in black ink, everyone could see clearly a very detailed illustration of Kuo Kuana and the surrounding forest infested with Grimm, but for the four thieves, their attention was drawn to the large building drawn in the middle of it. With a trail marked from Kuo Kuana leading right through the forest to it.
This is getting creepy, Sage thought to himself. Neptune said it out loud.
"Creepy, how?" Ren asked.
"We uh...had a plan to flee there if needed," Sun said, still wrapping his head around this turn of events.
"A bird gave you a map leading right to the Belladonna castle," Nora said, face blank, "the very place you had chosen as a good hideout...why?"
"Because nobody would think of it," Ren added, having caught on quick, despite his bemusement.
"Does anyone else feel like there's something...really, really convenient about that?" Scarlet asked. He was answered with a unanimous 'yes.' Including Ren and Nora.
"So...should we get going now or-"
"This feels wrong," Sage said. "I don't like any of this. If I didn't know any better, this could be a trap. Gods, it probably is!"
"What, you think a member of the White Fang has a Semblance which lets them...turn into a crow and...okay, I see your point."
Once Sun had finished speaking, becoming contemplative, Neptune spoke up. "One of the White Fang knows who I am," he said.
"Yeah, he said you were the son of Admiral Vasilias?" Nora asked.
However, Sun was taken aback. "Wait, seriously? How?!"
"Probably because the Vasilias family is known for having naturally blue hair," Neptune pointed out.
"I heard of Admiral Poseidon Vasilias," Ren spoke up, "didn't he-"
"I'd rather not talk about my dad."
Ren blinked, before respectfully nodding.
"Back on topic," Sun said, giving Ren a small smirk, "if the White Fang did set up a trap, I doubt it'd be at the Belladonna castle. Adam Taurus made it very clear he wants no one trespassing on it, right?"
"Tell me that didn't slip your mind when you came up with this hairbrained scheme?!"
"Nope," Sun answered Sage, grinning, "because I already have a way to deal with that."
The green-haired boy facepalmed, groaning before speaking through gritted teeth. "Which is..."
"The dungeons. We'll hide in the dungeons," Sun answered.
Sage blinked. "Okay, that might work." Nobody would think to look there. It was too obvious.
"Hellooo?" Nora said cheerfully. "Aren't we forgetting something?"
"Pardon me for saying this, but this is kind of a private conversation," Sun deadpanned.
Nora just ignored him. "Nobody even goes to the Belladonna castle!"
"Except Adam, so he can pay tribute to the memory of princess Blake," Scarlet quipped. "I overheard some people saying that, if the fighting with the Branwens lasted any longer, he wouldn't be able to."
"Why are you mentioning this just now?!" Sun hissed.
"Because I didn't think I would need to!"
"You absolutely do," Sage sighed, "and already should have."
"But Adam wouldn't look in the dungeons," Sun reasoned, "and there's no way the White Fang would set a trap here."
"It might not have been them."
Sage's words hung over everyone present like a shroud. No one was sure how to answer that. Finally, Sun did.
"Do you have a better idea?"
Sage narrowed his eyes, rested his chin against his hand, then sighed. "No. You and Neptune need to go right now."
"What about us?" Nora asked.
"You can stay here until we get back," Sun said instantly. "Two people might be able to remain undetected in that place for a while, but I doubt four would." Ren smiled in thanks.
"Sage, Scarlet," Sun continued, "watch out for them, okay?"
Scarlet nodded.
"But before we leave," Sun said, holding up one finger, "one question." He turned and pointed at the large sword leaning against the corner. "Where did that come from?"
Sage rolled his eyes. "Scarlet's idea."
After both teens had packed their essentials, it was time for farewells.
The four thieves assembled in the living room. They stood across from each other in pairs, Neptune and Sun on one side, Sage and Scarlet on the other.
"So," Sage said, "remember: the forest is crawling with Grimm."
"Supposedly," Sun pointed out.
"Right," Sage nodded. "But still, take care. We'll try and make sure everyone," he paused and glanced toward the two new arrivals, "keeps a low profile."
"You won't try," Sun said cheerfully, "you will, Sage."
He smiled and embraced Sun in a mutual hug. Neptune and Scarlet did the same.
Leaving through the back door, Neptune and Sun waved goodbye before turning around and disappearing into the dark caverns of the forest.
"Think they'll be okay?" Scarlet asked nervously.
"Of course," Sage answered.
"Hey Sun," Neptune said, map held firmly in his hands, "remember that book Sage was reading today?"
"No, Neptune, we aren't going to run into a monstrous beast which is actually the dead princess."
"Okay, but..." Neptune went on, "what if there are Grimm in the castle?"
"We've dealt with Grimm before. Besides, if Adam does visit the castle and come back safe and sound every time, so can we."
The boys made ideal chitchat for the rest of the trip, occasionally looking to the map to make sure they were going the right way. The trail in question zig-zagged across hills, by rivers, and around steep cliffs, with said rivers roaring at the bottom. Every now and then, they'd stop and have a quick snack break. The sun was just beginning to set when Sun stopped, motioning for Neptune to do the same.
"What is it?" he asked. Sun pointed upwards. Just beyond the treetops, the pointed, majestic roof of a castle was poking its head out.
Sun turned to his friend, and they exchanged a smile of satisfaction.
"We've made it," Sun said triumphantly.
The wind had carried their scent to her. She inhaled it deeply, and her amber eyes flashed open instantly. She shifted, lazily stalking across the scratched and ruin carpet to her balcony.
Her thin, pointed ears twitched when she heard them. Two boys, and from their scent, a human and Faunus. They were laughing and jumping for joy, racing each other to see who could make it to the gate first. Her eyes focused on them when they came into view, and she snorted.
Intruders. In her castle? She'd thought Adam made sure no one would intrude here without her permission.
When the Faunus boy, a monkey with light blond hair and tail, began climbing over the gate, she darted away from the balcony and into the hall, growling. She was the Queen of Menagerie, even in this cursed body. They would learn that, dearly.