The streets of Vale were filled with people as Jay and Nick walked in silence...Three days had passed since their encounter with Xellos, and the team had all but healed. That's why Alice and Mickey had taken them into town on their last day off. Nick's left sleeve hung at his side as they went to retrieve his arm from repairs. The arm's internal systems had been badly damaged when Xellos crushed it, but luckily, the person fixing it had a knack for technology. In fact, even though he couldn't fight, he would use his Semblance very well. The man, named Grant, had an ability to manipulate machinery that he used very well. He had a shop in downtown Vale where people could go and get their technology fixed or adapted to certain things. Although he wasn't very well known, Nick knew and trusted him completely. Jay was suspicious, but Nick didn't care. Jay was always suspicious. They had separated from the girls when they got into Vale, deciding they'd get things done a little quicker if they split into teams. Then they could relax for the remainder of their day. Jay's arms were crossed over his chest as he walked two steps behind Nick. They turned three corners before coming to the door of the shop where Grant worked. Nick opened the door and a bell rang out. The shop was filled with counters, lining the walls, with one large table in the middle of the room. The tables were covered in small machines and machine parts, with tools scattered among them. Bottles of oil were also even spaced along the counters for ease of use. The room was very well lit though, but smelled of the oils. At the back of the big counter, facing the door, was a large man with a scruffy beard. He was hunched over what appeared to be Nick's arm, which had the plating removed from the entire thing, revealing strong metal rods with unique levers, wrapped completely in intricate wiring. The wiring was unraveled and moved aside to allow access to the base rods, and he was using fine tools to place in screws along the length, bolting down the wire that led to the scroll. He didn't look up when they entered, nor did he look distracted from his work. Jay looked around the small shop with annoyance. It was warm in here...He hated the heat. Nick smiled and walked over to stand next to Grant, watching him work. Jay did the same, standing on the other side. When he finished placing the small screws along the cover of the wire, he sighed and stretched, twisting himself this way and that, groaning.
He looked up at Nick through his large round glasses and smiled back, "Nick! How are you?! I assume you came for your arm?" he shouted.
Nick shook his hand, "Hiya Grant...Long time, no see...How are those uh...Those factory pieces I got you doing?...Still in good working condition?" he asked. Grant nodded, looking over at Jay suspiciously. Jay hadn't uncrossed his arms, nor did he look back at Grant. Nick followed his glances, "Oh no, he's fine. He knows all about that...He won't tell anyone. Will you Jay?" he said, deliberately looking up at him seriously. Jay didn't speak, or even look back at him. Instead, he was looking around the room, trying to examine everything. Nick looked down at his arm, "Well yeah, I had come for my arm, but it doesn't look done yet..." he stated.
Grant shook his head, "Nope...I need about two hours. I need to reattach the motor neurons to the main rods, then I have to replace the plating...Who the fuck'd you piss off to get damage like this anyway?...I had to spend two days examining and replacing damage nerve strands...The rod was also damaged, so I had to replace that too. You left alot of work for just three days, Nick...I haven't had time to take any other jobs, and it's costin' me money...I do hope you'll be able to compensate me..." he said.
Nick nodded, "Don't worry...I appreciate your help. You're the only one who could do this, and I'm thankful you were even willing to help." Nick responded.
Grant sighed again, "Well just try not to break it again...This time, the frame will be made of some stronger stuff...Shocking, considering that it's lasted this long with the old material...What happened though?" he asked. Nick looked over at Jay, who looked back at him this time, and shook his head slightly...Just a small motion, barely visible.
Nick sighed, "I can't say. Let's just leave it at we picked a fight with the wrong guy..." he muttered. Jay rolled his eyes, turning his attention back to the room.
Grant frowned, "Well just...Two hours. I'll be finished in two hours...Just give me that time, alright?" he said. Nick nodded and walked to the door. Jay followed him and they walked from the store, the bell ringing again as the door closed behind them.
Jay caught up to Nick as they walked, "Interesting...That Grant fellow...So what are we doing for two hours..." Jay inquired. Nick thought for a moment.
"I think perhaps we should spend some time trying to find out something about our mysterious...Xellos." he said, glancing sidelong at Jay. Nick took several more turns, going away from the direction they'd come. Jay followed along, patiently waiting to see what he was doing. After a few more turns though, he recognized the path Nick was taking him. They went down a back alley way and came to a door with an old painted eye over it. It looked something like Jay's mark, but not quite the same.
"The Watcher?...You're going to ask the Watcher about a guy like Xellos?..." he looked at Nick, slightly annoyed.
Nick turned back to him in surprise, "You know the Watcher?! How the fuck is that?!" Nick demanded.
"Alice took me to see him once...After I met her, and she learned of our plans about that idol, she let me tag along to see this guy about what Roman and the rest of his gang would do next...Apparently, a neutral party, I still don't trust him...He only works for those who pay...I don't trust people like that." Jay said. Nick knocked on the door twice. After a moment, the handle turned and the door swung open. They walked in looked around. There was nothing in the room but a large round white table, at the other end, there sat a man in a black long sleeve shirt. His hair was long and brown, tied into a ponytail. He was clean shaven though, and was shuffling what looked like a deck of tarot cards. He looked at Jay and Nick in turn. They sat down in the two seats across from him, and the door swung closed behind them. Jay looked around the room, but even his Semblance could discern no tricks or explanation for the door closing. This guy's Semblance was foresight, not telekinesis...It was just a little unnerving to Jay, because this guy could see both sides of his mind...It frightened him a little. Nick kept a serious face as they sat. The Watcher had more resources and people to back him than any criminal syndicate in Vale. He also had access to more information than anyone else as well. This is what made him a valuable resource, but it worked both ways for anyone who went to him...He could read just about everything about anyone he'd ever seen. And he never forgot a single detail.
He stopped shuffling and placed the deck to the side, lacing his fingers in front of him, "What can I do for you gentlemen?" he said. His voice was light and sounded kind.
Jay and Nick exchanged a look, "We need everything you have on a man named Xellos...He can manipulate carbon...You ever hear of him?" Nick asked. He cocked his head to one side and thought. the silence dragged on for a minute.
"I believe I may have read about one such man...But for that...You'll have to pay." he said, rubbing his fingers together demonstratively. Nick reached for the pouch on his belt, but Jay placed his hand on his shoulder.
"Allow me." he muttered, reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out a bag that contained the money he'd brought with him for today. Nick shook his head but Jay had already pulled out the fee, remembering the price from his last visit. He placed it on the table and the Watcher took it, putting it in his pocket and looking at Jay.
"I know you...You're the ginger that was here two years ago...With the Fell-Wing Alice..." he said. Jay sighed, "Yes. That's me..." he muttered.
Nick frowned, "Fell-Wing Alice?..." he asked Jay.
"That's what she was called back when she was a mercenary pilot. She did assassinations, escorts, get-away missions for criminals...She had alot of fingers in alot of bad pies, so to speak...She is still one of the most dangerous combat pilots you'd never hear of..." he explained. Nick was surprised...For someone of his past, it was a shock to hear he'd never known about someone like her...
The Watcher cleared his throat, bringing attention back to him.
He looked at Jay, "The man named Xellos...If I recall right, he was involved with the disappearances of two Beacon students...Quite a few years back, that was...The two students were named-"
"Leif Malladus and Iskelle Femmaren." Nick interrupted.
The Watcher looked at Nick with annoyance, "Do not interrupt. I am speaking to the one who paid. Now have patience." he said. Nick looked taken aback, and glanced over at Jay.
"Yes, I knew that would happen. That's one of the reasons I chose to pay. That and you're already having to pay for your arm, so don't worry about it." he muttered, looking back at Nick. His eyes flashed gold, and showed flecks of red, changing back to hazel. Nick grimaced a little.
Jay turned back to the Watcher, who continued, "Yes, those were the names of the students. After they disappeared, there were several more disappearances. Not the work of Xellos. No, Xellos grew up with no family as I understand it. Never got to go to school...Instead he was declared a ward of the kingdom. For a time. He was granted clemency for a couple...Sticky situations, and learned on his own for years before...Vanishing. After he vanished, it doesn't appear there was ever even a search for him. Nothing further was in the file. Not a birthday nor birth certificate. Not anything about parents or siblings. Not anything about so much as height or weight. Why they granted him clemency as well is also un-stated. He gained advantages from seemingly no where, and to no where he returned when he was done with them. This would be the first sighting of him in years..." he finished. Jay didn't bother asking how he knew they'd seen him.
"But wait...Does that mean that they suspected him of being involved?...Why? Without any citings, they'd have no reason to suspect him of even being alive anymore...Why would there be any record of him being involved?...Especially if there's so little information about him, how would they have been able to identify it as Xellos?..." Jay inquired.
The Watcher shook his head, "The police wouldn't know...The file on their disappearances just mention the possible involvement of one Xellos. Not even a last name...It was written in the corner of the file, on the back of the form, in ornate handwriting. I doubt anyone would ever have paid attention to it. And the officer who filled out the form on their disappearance doesn't remember writing it. Not that it's not obvious it wasn't him, what with the huge difference in handwriting...But that's what I know. That's what I read from the files. Sorry to disappoint." he finished. Jay frowned and looked at Nick.
Nick looked back at the Watcher, "Thanks..." he muttered as they got up and left. The Watcher didn't move as they left, and the door closed behind them as it did when they walked in. Jay looked at Nick and shuddered.
"That guy creeps me out..." he said.
Nick laughed, "That guy?... Really?...Odd for a guy like you, Jay."
Sasha and Anna sat across from eachother at the small table, neither spoke very much. Sasha had gotten herself a coffee, even though she'd never really been one for the stuff...It tended to make her hyper and more prone to violence. But she thought she'd be fine with one small cup this afternoon. Anna had also gotten coffee, and they were sitting in silence. Sasha cleared her throat, hoping to end the pressing quiet before she choked and snapped on whatever happened to be closest to her...
"So...I've been noticing you're becoming particularly close with Jay...All that...Tandem training and such...How'd you guys handle the mission?..." she asked, trying to find a subject that she hoped would catch Anna's interest.
Anna looked up from her coffee, "W-what?...What do you mean?...We were just training so we could have an even fight with the Dragoon Twins...The mission went well...Why do you ask?" she stuttered.
Sasha smirked, becoming more entertained, and looking off absently, "Oh, no reason...Just...You know...You and Jay...All alone together..." she glanced at Anna, whose face was beginning to turn red, "It's actually quite frequent, thinking back...In the Forever Fall...You two ran off into the forest together...And again after the fight me and Jay had, you two were alone while you were dressing...And again, when I was in the hospital, you guys were alone together all night..."
"S-stop! I don't like the implications of this conversation!" Anna interrupted, stammering, her face now completely red along with her ears. Her faunus ears twitched agitatedly. She sipped shakily at her coffee, "I don't know what you think happened, but it didn't. We were just talking...T-there's nothing...Going on between us..." she said. For some reason, Anna felt like she had to explain herself, although she'd done nothing wrong. Sasha looked at Anna seriously for a second, staring her down. Anna's eyes widened as she looked at Sasha's.
After a few seconds of awkward staring, Sasha straightened herself in her chair and sipped her coffee, "Perhaps not...But I think you want there to be..." she said simply, with her eyes closed in consideration.
Anna stuttered for a few seconds again, "W-what?...I...No I don't...W-we're teammates...That's all. And I'm happy with that." she said, doing her best to keep a straight face.
Sasha sipped her coffee again, "Lies." she said simply, closing her eyes in consideration once more.
"...What?" Anna asked.
Sasha opened her eyes and took a deep breath, "You. Are. A. Liar. And Jay is an idiot." she said.
Anna frowned, "That's not true and you know it...He has better grades then all of us...And you've seen first hand what he can do in battle..." she said, her voice less shaky.
Sasha opened her eyes after having closed them and sipped her coffee even more, "You're pretty quick to defend him...And you seem to have alot of confidence in his abilities...It's almost as if..." Sasha trailed off.
"As if what?...As if I like him?...As if I want to be more than friends? Sasha, I'm happy with the way things are. I don't want to change it..." she said, a little annoyed.
Sasha smirked and leaned forward on the table, sipping her coffee, "Interestingly enough, Jay was the one who showed me how to do that..." she said seriously.
Anna frowned again, "How to do what?..." she asked tentatively.
Sasha leaned forward on the table, finishing her cup of coffee, "How to lead someone to reveal their true intentions...You see, I only prompted you. I hinted towards something, and your brain filled in the blanks, based not on what I was saying, but on what you would have said...It's supposed to reveal where you actually wanted the conversation to go. And you...You just gave away what you really thought about this..." Sasha said, staring into Anna's eyes again.
Anna's face turned even more red, an admirable feat, considering her face was already somewhere near cherry red.
She stuttered for a few seconds, "W-when did he show you that?!" she said.
"During our suspension after we crippled eachother...We were talking to eachother about whether or not I was over my disdain for him...He used that trick to get me to type that I still kinda wanted to beat his face in. He actually told me quite alot about psychology. Interesting stuff. We're over the hatred now just so you know." she explained
. Anna scoffed, "Well... That trick doesn't prove anything...I'm happy with the-"
"Ok, stop. Who are you trying to convince here, because it certainly isn't me...If you like him, you should tell him." Sasha prodded.
Anna shook her head, "I don't though...We're just teammates." she said, glancing this way and that.
"You know, you keep repeating that. Yes, you're just teammates...At present...But you haven't said that you don't like him. And you've not said anything in reference to what you would like for the future...You've been using present tense." Sasha said, clearly trying to imitate Jay's level tone and matter-of-fact voice pattern.
Anna rolled her eyes, "Don't try to analyze me...It doesn't matter this way or that. Whether I like him or not." Anna said calmly.
Sasha frowned, "Hm...I know what you mean...Even if you tried to tell him...He's so fuckin' oblivious, you could tell him and he'd probably begin explaining how love works in the brain..." Sasha said, shaking her head.
Anna's face turned a brilliant shade of red, "D-did you say love?..." she stuttered in a high pitched voice.
Sasha looked over at her, her eyes wide with surprise, "I did...Anna...Do you...Lo-"
"Don't say it!" Anna interrupted quickly.
Sasha raised her hands in submission, "Ok, ok..." she conceded. Anna looked slightly relieved. Sasha cleared her throat, "I ship it." she muttered quickly.
Anna looked up at her, "What?"
"What?" they said in quick succession.
Jay pondered the information that the Watcher had given them...He wasn't eating, even though it was his suggestion that they go for lunch. Nick had no problem eating, even with people staring at his limp sleeve.
Nick looked up at Jay, "Dude...Eat. What's got you so...Fuckin' contemplative." he asked.
Jay looked up, "That's a big word, Nick...You sure you know what it means?" he asked facetiously. Nick frowned and Jay smirked, going back to his consideration. Nick shook his head finished his plate. Jay decided to eat, and Nick sat waiting. But he didn't wait long...Jay quickly downed the whole plate. Nick's eyes were wide with surprise when he finished.
"You look surprised. Come now, what did you expect..."
He stated, "You're paying." he said as he stood, walking to the door. Nick pulled his wallet out, glaring at Jay as he walked away. When Nick joined Jay, they walked from the restaurant. It was about the time that Grant had told them to return to the workshop for Nick's arm, so they decided to head in that direction...Nick glanced over at Jay, wanting to get back at him at least a little bit for making him pay for the restaurant. He thought as they turned left on the corner about what he could say...Then he thought of something...
He cleared his throat, "Hey Jay...What do you think of Anna?..." he asked casually. Jay looked over at him, thinking about the question.
"She's a great warrior. Lot of potential, lot of options." he muttered.
Nick frowned, "Not as a teammate or fighter...As a person..." he said.
Jay frowned, "Why do you ask?" he inquired.
Nick smirked, "Because I know what you really think about her..." he said.
Jay rolled his eyes, "Interesting...Then again, it's obvious, is it not...I'm surprised you or Sasha don't feel the same..." he said.
Nick looked over at Jay, "What?! No...Why would I?" he asked, slightly surprised.
Jay looked at him, appearing slightly annoyed, "What do you mean, why?! I wouldn't want to offend her, but to be honest, we all should be worried about her." he said to Nick clenching his fists.
Nick's eyes raised in question, "Worried?...What?..." Nick was taken aback.
Jay rolled his eyes, "Really?...Fool. It worries me how little she eats...She pushes herself to breaking point like the rest of us, but eats far too little...It will have negative health repercussions, if it hasn't already. Our encounter with Xellos is what really shows there's something to worry about. Her attack should have been able to pierce that armor. That axe is sharp enough to slice diamond, I've seen it's capacity with my own eyes. Then when he countered...She coughed up blood...It's worrisome. She could get herself killed in an academy like Beacon if she doesn't care for her health." he said slightly solemnly. Nick was astounded. He looked at Jay with shock. Jay looked over at him after a few seconds, "...What?" he asked.
Nick shook his head, "It's just...You're...How can you be so smart...And yet so fuckin' stupid..." he muttered.
Jay frowned, "What do you mean by that?" he asked, annoyed.
Nick chuckled, "Not only do you really like her, but you're oblivious as fuck about it..." he said, laughing more and more.
Jay was slightly bewildered, "Well I suppose so...She's a good teammate. A strong ally." he responded.
Nick shook his head again, "No you stupid fuck...How can I get you to comprehend...I don't mean you like her as a friend or teammate...You like her as a woman. As more than a friend..." he said, moving his hand in circles in front of him, motioning for Jay to catch on.
Jay frowned for a moment, then his eyes widened and his face turned bright red as he looked quickly back at Nick, "Wha-...WHAT?!..." he said in shock. "N-no I...I mean I suppose she's...But I don't...I swear to Castiel I'll gut you like a pig if you so much as mutter a word about this." he said angrily, his face still bright red. Nick chuckled again, satisfied with this revenge. And now he had something to hang over Jay's head in the future...
They were silent for the rest of the walk to Grant's workshop. When they entered, it seemed smell worse of oil than it had before. Grant was framing the arm together when they entered, and appeared to be deep in concentration. Nick walked over to stand behind Grant, and Jay stood by the door, just waiting to get out of here. Grant didn't look up as he finished placing the frame. When he was done, he left a few plates off, to access underneath the plating.
He looked up at Nick, "You've got some great timing. Come to the back then, and we'll get this over with..." he said, standing and picking up the arm, leading Nick through the door at the back wall. Jay rolled his eyes and began walking around the room, analyzing the small parts and pieces. The oil was everywhere, and it was all Jay could do to not let it touch him. Suddenly from the back, there was a loud clang, and Nick yelled out. Jay immediately turned and walked to the door, and doing his best to imitate Mickey, slammed his the door off it's hinges with a kick, and ran back to find Nick, laying on what Jay wagered to be Grant's bed, with his prosthetic arm on a counter next to him. Nick's face was contorted in pain, and Grant leaned over the counter, fiddling with the arm using fine instruments. He was clicking the arm onto Nick's body. Jay looked over the scene, piecing what happened together in his head. "It's alright. I'm attaching the core...Inside his shoulder there's a piece that accepts the shaft like a bone onto his skeleton. It can really pinch to attach these pieces. The nerves will come next, and that won't be any better, I'm afraid. His nervous system will then have to be put through routine response checks to make sure the artificial nerves are working properly. Basically, I'll have to simulate the systems natural signals...Motor signals...Pain signals...Sensory signals. I have to make sure it'll work properly..." he explained as he went about clipping the tiny clusters onto the arm.
Jay rolled his eyes, "You don't need to explain anything to me. I know what you're doing..." he responded, still slightly annoyed by his environment. Nick gasped and gritted his teeth, clenching his other fist and curling his feet, trying his best to stay still. Grant pulled a bean bag off of the counter and put it in Nick's mouth. Jay walked out of the room, returning to his idle observation. There was only silence, interrupted by occasional loud sounds from the other room as Nick went through the painful process to get his arm attached. Jay tried to keep himself entertained, but after about a half an hour, he'd grown bored of looking around. He sat down in Grant's seat, and rolled this way and that, waiting patiently. This continued for nearly an hour before the door opened behind him. Jay turned and stood. Nick grinned ear to ear, raising his arm in triumph, carefully opening his fingers, glad to have his Hopebringer back. The phantom pains and sensations would bother him no more now that he had it back. He chuckled, happily clicking the canisters in his wrist back and forth between the elemental dust.
Grant explained that he'd added more room in the forearm to allow larger canisters, and lighter movement. He explained that he had put extra plating on the hatch on his forearm, and had repaired the clips that held the canisters in place. Finally, he informed Nick that he had fixed a bug in the programming of the scroll that was messing with some of the timed applications. Nick pulled out his wallet again and paid his old friend, adding on some interest for his lost work.
After that, Nick and Grant shook hands, "Until next time," Nick said. They walked from the store, and Jay breathed deeply.
"By Cas. The smell of that place...Ugh." he said.
Nick shook his head, "Not that it matters..." he responded. Jay and Nick began to walk back towards the point where they decided they'd meet up with Sasha and Anna. Nick looked over at Jay as they walked.
"I've got something I want to ask you about..." he said to Jay.
Jay didn't look over at him, "You'd like to know about that idol Mickey mentioned..." he said flatly. Nick said nothing, just keeping his eyes on Jay. Jay sighed, "Ok, look...When Alice met Mickey, she liked her right away. The thing is that Mickey was working for Beacon." he started.
Nick nodded, "Ok..." he said, motioning for Jay to continue.
"Alice worked for criminal organization that at the time had hired her to get ahold of that statue." he continued.
"And Alice...What, turned on them when the job was done?" Nick asked.
Jay shook his head, "They were planning something big...Mickey pleaded with Alice to let her help her, but Alice refused. She didn't want to hurt Mickey or burden her, so she tried to keep it a secret...She got the idol just as she was ordered, and took it to them. But...Then she found out that they had planned to use the idol for an attack on Beacon." Nick's eyes raised in surprised questioning.
Jay shrugged, "They apparently had problems with the idea of training kids, who willingly went to Beacon to learn, to kill creatures of Grimm and save the lives of everyone around them. So they wanted to send a message. But when Alice found out...She was scared that they'd hurt Mickey. So she stole the idol back...And took it to Mickey, begging her to help...Mickey immediately did so, basically taking down the entire syndicate with the information Alice gave her. Mickey quit her job at Beacon to help Alice get clean of that work. Set her up and such...Then settled down with her in a dust shop in downtown Vale...About that time, a criminal named Roman Torchwick started gathering dust and hunting down these idols. The first one, well you know what happened to that. Then he found out from the Watcher that an older organization had actually gotten their hands on one such idol...He hunted down the old members and tortured them to find out what had happened. They pointed him to Mickey though, not Alice. Mickey had been the one to take them down, and they knew nothing about Alice's betrayal...Roman tried to take it...But that was when I blew into town...I fought him off...Only recently did I find out that Mickey could have done so herself...After my entrance exam, we decided to turn the statue over to Beacon. It's been in Ozpin's care ever since." Jay explained as they turned the corner towards uptown Vale. Nick was silent...He considered this story for a moment...He thought back to that day, when he destroyed the idol...
"How did you fight Roman off?" he asked.
Jay shook his head, "Caught him off guard. He saw me as small and helpless compared to himself. He put himself right where I wanted him to be, completely by accident. Who knows what would have happened had we truly faced off..." he said, glancing over at Nick. Nick wasn't sure what to think about this...He thought that the idol would most likely be safe in Beacon custody...And then there was Mickey...Who also would crush anyone who attempted to take it...He chuckled to himself.
Jay looked over at him, raising an eyebrow, "Something funny?" he asked.
Nick shook his head, rubbing at his forehead, "Just that...Last time I learned about one of those idols, I got this arm because of it...Now, I lose my arm again...And no sooner do I get it back, do I learn of another idol...Apparently just knowing about those things is terrible luck for me." he said lightly.
Jay smiled a little, "Hmph...I suppose so." he said, as they continued towards the meeting point.
Anna and Sasha approached the bench near the airfield where Jay and Nick sat waiting for them, and stood before them. Jay sat with his arms crossed and his eyes closed, and Nick sat leaning his head on his hand, supported on his knee, continuing to fiddle with his dust canisters in the left wrist.
Jay looked, glancing between the girls, and Nick sat up straight, "Alice will be here any minute..." Nick said.
Anna and Sasha exchanged a glance, "Actually, you two go back...Me and Anna have something we'd like to do in town before we join you..." Sasha spoke up.
Jay frowned, "What's so important?" he pestered.
"Nothing important. Just something we want to do..." Sasha said. Jay looked over at Anna, who avoided his gaze. Alice's bullhead was just coming in and landing a ways away from them. Jay and Nick stood and Jay immediately walked towards the ship, where Alice was waving at them through the window on the cockpit.
"As you like..." he muttered to them as he went. Sasha turned towards Nick, who shook his head, not yet moving towards the ship.
"What's his problem today?" Sasha asked Nick.
Nick shrugged, "Not completely sure...He may just be a little upset about our visit to the Watcher."
"The what?" Anna spoke up at last.
Nick looked at her, "The Watcher...An underground source...He's got more information than pretty much anyone in the kingdom...But Jay doesn't like him much...Gives him the creeps apparently." Nick explained.
Sasha smirked and looked after him, "Interesting. I'll keep that in mind...So did you get any new information on Xellos then?" she asked. Nick shook his head, "Only that he barely exists at all, and can pretty much get whatever the fuck he wants before ducking back out of existence. No family, no record of him even being born..." he said.
Jay turned back to Nick after talking to Alice for a minute and shouted back to Nick, "Get the lead out, we've got somewhere to be."
Nick sighed and turned to the girls, "Ladies...I'll see you whenever you finish whatever it is..." he said before running over to the bullhead. Sasha and Anna waved them off as the ship rose and flew off towards Beacon.
Sasha turned back to Anna, "Let's get going..." she said. Anna nodded and they started back towards the city. Anna was slightly nervous about what they were about to do.
She looked at Sasha every now and then, until Sasha noticed and looked at Anna, "What's wrong?" she demanded.
Anna stuttered for a minute, "What if we're not allowed to keep it?" she asked.
Sasha rolled her eyes, "I checked Jay's handbook...It's allowed. We just have to take good care of it, and keep it in the dorm room. So we'll make sure to get something that will be easy to follow those parameters with." Sasha said. Anna sighed a little, trying to reassure herself. They stopped and turned, facing their destination. Anna turned to Sasha again, looking a little nervous.
Sasha smiled brightly, "Don't worry Anna. A pet is a wonderful idea on your part. It will definitely help the team feel better..." she patted Anna on the back. Anna breathed deeply for a minute. "And besides...I'm sure Jay would also say it was a good idea..." Sasha added, glancing at Anna out of the corner of her eyes and taking note of her reaction. Anna looked more confident about the decision now, and they walked into the pet store together. The room smelled of fur and the air was alive with cheeping and clicking and rushing water. Anna and Sasha began to walk around the room, looking through the glasses at the animals that they would be allowed to select. Sasha looked over at the cats, thinking that perhaps Anna would feel a bit more connected to one of them...But she shook the thought from her head...It sounded a little racist... She walked around for a minute or two more before looking over at Anna. She was standing wide eyed in front of one of the glass cages. Sasha raised an eyebrow and walked over to see what she was so enamored with. "What're you-..." Sasha began as she walked up next to Anna. She looked into the glass container and saw the small tortoise Anna was staring at. The cage had no name tag on it. Anna looked at the creature, and the tortoise appeared to stare back with curiosity. Sasha looked back and forth between them before waving her arms and calling the clerk over. He walked over and looked back and forth between Anna and the tortoise as well, before Sasha waved him back and joined him at the counter. Anna continued watching the tortoise, who had begun to swim around in the water, leaving the rock he was standing on. Anna walked over to the counter and snatched the papers from Sasha and began signing away for the tortoise, quickly producing the fee. Sasha paid for a large and new container to hold him in and for the accessories and food. The clerk threw in a small container to take him back to their dorm in that would keep him warm and comfortable.
Anna carried him happily from the store, smiling ear to ear, cat ears twitching with joy. Sasha chuckled and shook her head, carrying all the rest of the stuff with ease, using her Semblance. When they reached the airfield, Anna carefully placed the container for the team's new pet on the bench next to her and pulled out her scroll, contacting Alice for their transport. Sasha kept on her feet while Anna sat there, her feet swinging beneath her.
"So what are you gonna name him?" Sasha asked out of idle curiosity.
Anna looked over at the container, "I'm still deciding...What do you think?" she asked Sasha.
Sasha shrugged, still with the things on her shoulders, "I'm not sure...And besides, you signed the papers, you adopted him...He's yours to name." she said. Anna looked off idly in consideration. Minutes passed, near an hour as they waited, before Alice landed the bullhead near them. Anna picked up the container and Alice walked towards them.
She looked over at Sasha's rather intimidating haul, "Y-you need help with that?" she asked tentatively.
Sasha shook her head, smiling, "Thanks but no thanks. I can handle it." she said.
She began to place the things carefully into the back of the bullhead while Alice turned to Anna, "You look happy...What'cha got in the container?" she asked.
Anna smiled and giggled, "We went and adopted a pet." she said happily.
Alice's eyes raised in surprise, "Really?...Why?" she asked, unsure of what to say.
Anna shrugged, "I just thought it would help cheer everyone up...So far, we've brushed against death at least twice in a month...Not to mention anything in our pasts...I just think that we're stressed, and it would be good to focus on something to get our heads together." she explained.
Alice smiled and nodded, "Well thought." she said, almost proudly.
"Thanks for taking us back and forth, Alice..." Sasha said, walking over to join them.
Alice shook her head, "No problem. Any friend to Jay is a friend to me. And you guys are more than his friends...You're his teammates. You're as good as family now. You should remember that. And I'm happy to do whatever for family..." she said, gesturing to the bullhead for them. Anna climbed in placing the container on the floor of the back next to her. Sasha sat down on her other side, nudging her playfully as the bullhead took off and they flew back to Beacon.
Alice waved as she took off, already on her way back after receiving Anna and Sasha's call.
"Great timing, those two..." Nick muttered as he waved back. Jay said nothing and began to walk back to Beacon. Nick sighed and walked after him, speeding up to catch him, then matching his pace.
"What's up with you today...You're more of an asshole than usual. I didn't think it'd piss you off to talk about Anna earlier..." he said.
Jay rolled his eyes, "Your false accusations about my viewpoints on our teammate has no bearing to me. I'm still thinking about..." he trailed off, still in thought.
"About that information about Xellos? Or lack there of?" Nick finished for him.
Jay shrugged, "I don't get it. That facility...His whole absence...How did he gain all his advantages, being a faunus. And how did he just vanish?...And what was he doing...It's the facility that bothers me most, I think." he furrowed his brow, muttering to himself further.
"That's what's bothering you so bad?...Not the faunus who came a few steps from killing us? Dude, had Mickey not intervened, we'd all be six feet under. And I doubt our bodies would have even been found. That's not what bothers you?" Nick demanded. Jay shook his head.
"Ok...Then...Tell me what about that facility was so important?" Nick asked. They were walking down one of the right paths now, and approaching the entrance to the dorm wing.
Jay opened the door, "Well, it's- oof!" Jay began, only to be interrupted when Chris and Tia slammed into them as they dashed out. Jay sat up and looked at Tia, who had ran into him, and Chris stared at Nick.
"Oh! There you are! How lucky for us." the twins said together, smiling brightly as though nothing had happened.
"Watch your step next time guys." Nick said simply. Jay frowned and stood along with Nick and the twins.
"Well either way, sorry for running into you...Where's Anna and Sasha?" they said in unison.
Jay looked at Nick, "Unsure...They had something important to do in town and won't return until Alice brings them back. Could be a while." Jay said.
The twins glanced at eachother, then back at Jay and Nick, "Ok then, I guess they'll be late. Let's go!" they said again.
Chris grabbed Nick by his prosthetic arm and Tia grabbed Jay, who immediately recoiled, "Whoa, hey, don't touch me." he said, slightly annoyed. Tia rolled her eyes and gestured for him to follow. Jay scoffed and jogged after them with Nick as they began to run through the halls.
After a few minutes of running, shoving students aside, and Jay yelling back apologies, the four of them came to one of the conference rooms on the other side of the building. Tia and Chris opened the door and walked to their seats. Jay and Nick came in and looked around. Headmaster Ozpin and Professor Goodwitch took two chairs at the other side of the table, with Tia and Chris sitting next to them. Sam and Rachel sat further away from Ozpin, next to the twins. Sitting next to Ms. Goodwitch was Mickey. She wore her armor, which looked a bit more blue in this light. It appeared to be the same blue that covered the staff bodies on Jay's tonfas. Jay had always loved that color. It was the pretty much the bluest blue he'd ever found. Jay and Nick looked at eachother, and went over to sit next to Mickey, Jay sitting next to his guardian. Both of them glanced around the room a little confused.
Professor Ozpin glanced at Jay and Nick, "Where are your teammates?" he asked casually.
"Busy in town..." Nick muttered simply.
Ozpin sighed and looked back to the twins, "Well then you two will have to fill them in later. Tia and Christopher...If you would be so kind." he said. Jay raised an eyebrow and looked over at them, along with everyone else in the room.
Tia spoke up, without her brother, "Ok. Jay and Nick, we're here to report about what we found at that facility. We discovered something...Distressing." she said. Jay and Nick frowned and glanced at eachother.
"That's right. After successfully infiltrating the facility under our teammates cover, we wandered a bit, eventually finding our way to an elevator at about the center of the facility. When we went down this elevator..." Chris trailed off.
Tia picked up for him, "What we found at the bottom was Grimm. Lots of them. They were separated by race though...There was a large platform off to the side that they could use to transport Grimm down into the cages." she said.
"Cages?" Jay asked. Both of the twins nodded.
"They were caged up...There were two empty cages, one Ursa Major, one Deathstalker. But the cages opened as you approached them. There was probably a control panel to handle that, but we didn't look for it. We were too occupied with the Grimm." Chris explained, before switching back to Tia.
"Mhm, when they were released, and attacked...They didn't attack like normal. They weren't normal Grimm. They fought together...Like an army..."
"A well oiled machine."
"A total conquering force,"
"With both tact and teamwork..." they said in alternation. Everyone looked back and forth between eachother.
Mickey shook her head, "Hold on a second...How does that work?...Grimm can't be trained...Believe me, I know." she said. Jay smirked and Nick glanced over at her a little surprised and wide eyed.
The twins looked at eachother again, "Well, they had some...Chips in their heads. I don't know, but when we smashed the skulls of one of the Ursa Major, there looked like something had been embedded below it...But that's not all. They also...Appeared to have strange bone density. Their attacks were...Well it wasn't easy to break the bone..." Tia explained.
"So they were...Enhanced somehow?" Sam asked.
The twins nodded again, "They were not something to mess with...We barely got out." Chris went on.
"How'd you manage that?" Nick asked.
"Well the Grimm...They only acted as a unit...Within their respective species...When we released the Deathstalkers...They attacked the Ursa Major. Grimm don't attack eachother, ever...But they didn't even seem to register what their opponents were...Only attacking and killing." Tia answered.
Jay nodded, "So that's what that facility was for...And the Grimm are now?..." he trailed off, hoping for an answer.
The twins looked at eachother, "Dead. We blew up the elevator...Probably brought down tons of earth and rock on their heads with the entire bag of charges..." they said together.
Nick rolled his eyes, "That explains that blast we felt..." he muttered.
"And that also makes that facility completely useless to them now...So what do we do next..." Jay asked.
Nick turned to address those present, "We were just in town...Went to an old source. Someone who would know more about this...Xellos, than anyone else we can find. Problem is, Xellos practically doesn't exist. No record, no family, no...Anything. We don't know where to look...Which means we pretty much can't do anything but wait for him to show his face again." Nick explained. Everyone went silent.
Professor Ozpin looked up, "Well then...We'll prepare ourselves. It would seem that there's no longer anyway we can do. As far as I can tell, at this point Xellos is sure to show himself again. Until then, we must prepare." he muttered. Mickey nodded and stood.
"Damn right. Which is why I will be taking over your training until the next time he's out in the open." the room went silent again. Everyone was processing what Mickey had just said. All of them looked slowly towards her, dreading the implication of... Mickey grinned, "That's right kids. You're mine now." she said. The silence was suffocating.
Suddenly there were footsteps outside the door, which slammed open, Anna and Sasha standing breathless before them, "WHAT'D WE MISS?!" Sasha shouted. Everyone looked back at her, every eye filled with fear...Anna and Sasha glanced at eachother, feeling the tension and becoming nervous. Mickey chuckled again.
"Oh gods..." Sasha muttered.
After Ozpin had excused the present students, Nick and Jay immediately walked out, taking Anna and Sasha with them back to the dorm. Jay and Nick spent the time on the way back to explain everything that had just happened, including their information about the facility.
Sasha was shuddering the whole walk, and when they finished, she grabbed onto Nick's arm like a frightened kitten, "But Mickey...Please...Oh gods, please tell me we're not training with her..." she muttered. Nick glanced at Jay, who cleared his throat, looking away.
Nick put his arm around her, "She's not going to hurt you or anything, Sasha...Don't worry..." he said, trying his best to sound sure.
She groaned, "Yes she will...She will...She never got revenge for when I put Jay in a wheelchair and now she's gonna put me in a wheelchair and blame it on the training and-" Sasha was interrupted from her quick speaking by Jay's laughter.
He laughed more and glanced back at her, "Mickey isn't like that, Sasha...She's not gonna get revenge...She doesn't care about that anymore. I broke your jaw, remember? And furthermore, I told her about our little glancing encounter with Cardin. After she heard about how you defended me, she said she's forgiven the whole thing. She's not going to put you in a wheelchair, she's not going to hurt you or anything...Well she may hurt you, but it won't be malicious intent. It'll be training...Ok? Cease your worrying." he said simply, still chuckling a little. Sasha put her arm around Nick and held tight, with an annoyed expression.
They got back to the dorm and Jay reached out with his scroll to unlock the door, "Wait wait wait!" Anna said, trotting to the front of the group. She looked bubbly and excited as she stood in front of the dorm room, "Guys, me and Sasha kinda went and got something while we were in town." she started. Nick and Jay exchanged glances. "Before you say something, Jay: it's not against the rules, we checked. And before you say something, Nick: don't worry, we can take all take care of it, no problem." she finished, pulling her scroll out, unlocking the door. She opened the door and and lead the team into the room, standing aside to reveal the glass tank on the small table under the windowsill. Sasha released Nick and went to stand by Anna next to the tank. Jay and Nick glanced at eachother and walked over to the tank. Nick crouched and looked at the tortoise.
"Ok...I've got to admit...I... Did not expect this." he muttered. Jay stood straight, staring at the thing, unsure of what to do about it. He walked his mind, rereading the handbook. And she was right. It was most certainly not against the rules. He saw the tortoise look over at him and his eyes widened.
The room remained silent while Nick and Jay took this in. The tortoise climbed off of the rock and swam over to the side closest to Jay, continuing to look up at him. Jay didn't move.
"Aw, he likes you Jay..." Anna spoke up in an excited voice.
Sasha turned and whispered to Anna playfully, "He's not the only one around here..." Anna turned red and pushed at Sasha. But Jay didn't appear to hear them though, and remained fixated on the tortoise.
"So what's his name?" Nick asked.
Sasha looked over at Anna, "Ask her. She adopted him, she named him." she said in response.
Anna giggled excitedly, "I think his name should be Mr. Gump..." she said.
Nick raised an eyebrow, "Interesting...Sounds good to me." he said. Sasha nodded in agreement.
"What do you think, Jay?..." Anna said out-loud. Jay must not have heard, because he didn't take his eyes off of the tortoise. He had a serious expression on his face and stared wide-eyed at Mr. Gump.
Anna glanced at Sasha, "Jay?..." she said again.
Nick turned to Jay and began to reach towards him, but Anna grabbed his hand and walked over to him, "Jay?" she said again, putting her hand on his shoulder.
He snapped around suddenly, "Oh...Uh...What?" he asked a little out of it.
Anna removed her hand when he jolted around and looked at him, still smiling, "His name is Mr. Gump...What do you think?" she said, sounding almost anxious. Jay compose himself and pushed his glasses up on his nose.
"Uh...Perfect. It's a good name." he said, still not sounding completely there. Anna smiled brighter at this. Sasha tapped Nick's shoulder slyly and giggled a little, gesturing towards Jay and Anna.
Jay noticed this however and cleared his throat, "Y-yes well...Anna, if I could speak to you alone, I'd like to address your diet...If it's not a sensitive subject." he said.
Anna looked away, her smile fading, "Oh... Uh...N-no, that's ok...I'm ok talking about that..." she said. Jay nodded and turned, leading her from the room. When the door closed behind them, Sasha shook Nick's shoulder and he looked back at her. She bounced up and down, grinning and giggling.
"Anna admitted that she liked Jay...She did, and now I ship them..." she said, trying to be silent.
Nick raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Jay more or less admitted it as well...But fuck, was he just...He didn't say it outright. He kept going in circles, saying that he was worried about her health...He likes her too, I can tell...He's trying to avoid it though." he explained.
Sasha smirked, "Well that ain't gonna work..." she said confidently.
"Nope...Not forever." Nick responded.
(AN sorry about forgetting the last two updates, its been a little hectic, with getting ready for my next semester of school, anyway, the next two parts of the story, and if you have any ideas or suggestions, as well as any ways to improve the story, please leave a review, thank yoou)