Mad Max: Road to salvation
Episode 12: Setting terms
A/N: The updates for this story will slow down since its getting difficult to juggle this story along with the others.
[EnriksD8: Thank you very much and I promise I will do my best!]
[Sam Hill: I had considered that, so maybe he will.]
[6 finger: 2 whole years before.]
[Charles: It's possible.]
[SilentXD7: Oh yeah that would be funny but it's still a big if.]
[Guest 1: I know that, but its the thought that counts.]
[awsomerebel55: Yes they are, but who can say really at this point what may happen until it catches up, and i'm not sure how winter is likely to act.]
[Guest 2: the thought of it never even entered my mind, besides Yang like to make (puns) laughs, and who laughs better than a hyena faunas like Bruz? But then again on that subject, Bruz might fall for a certain little bunny instead or maybe even both.]
Max and his newest entourage were rolling down the highway to Ashford in a small convoy formation with the interceptor out in front while Mari brought up the rear on her bike with the armored car in the middle. The drive was smooth since they had dealt with the white fang who were chasing them. It seemed quiet to max, almost too quiet. Ashford was coming into view so there wasn't too much chance of any attacks in town since almost everyone here seemed to have and know how to handle a weapon. The road warrior kept alert, since his years in the wasteland taught him to expect the unexpected. Bruz had gone back to sleep, while Anya was taking inventory of their ammo reserves. Dinki-di licked her playfully and she scratched him behind the ears, the dog lolled his tongue happily.
Max sighed to himself in deep thought, now there were more people depending on him. He didn't like it being his responsibility, but he just had to deal with it. The white fang and their rejects were becoming a nuisance he'd have to exterminate when time came. He'd systematically dealt with Scrotus and the war boys back in gas town, not to mention helping Furiosa kill immortan joe, so tearing apart the white fang would be pretty much the same. All he'd have to do is find information on their hideouts, and the rest was simple. That one with the horns would be trouble though, and then there was the cat girl who tried to hitch a ride.
Whoever they were, it was clear they'd picked a fight with the wrong ex-cop. Max now had enough experience for dealing with sword wielders thanks to his fights with Raven so he would be more than match for the bull. The cat girl though would be trouble, she seemed to be far more agile than stank gum or tenderloin, not to mention she had a pistol at her disposal for ranged combat. It was a good thing for him that he had a logbook to record all this intel, otherwise it would be hard to keep track of all the useful facts he collected. These white fang rejects seemed to have far more organization than Roadkill, he gave them that much, but they had nothing on the war boys, top dogs, and immortans. If anything, only the higher ups in the upper echelons would prove to be a real threat.
The difficult part would be hunting them down as it appeared they are a somewhat secretive organization, since it was obvious the authorities had yet to track them down. That was where his new leads and police experience would come in. If you want to track down criminals and terrorists, the easiest way is to 'persuade' a criminal to inform you. But the problem with that was where he'd find one. Little did he know, one such lead was right under his nose in the back of the truck behind the interceptor. The convoy crossed the limits of Ashford, and they all parked in a nearby alley off the street. Max hopped out of the car and decided to go speak with Qrow.
"I'm going, everyone, stay here until I get back." Max ordered to his temporarily expanded crew. Dinki-di barked, while Anya and Bruz gave little salutes. Krel stayed in the back of the truck with Daniel while Amy began to see to his wounds.
"Hey wait up, I want to go with you." Mari said as she got off of her bike.
"Fine." Max allowed it. The two of them proceeded down the alley to bar where max was supposed to meet with Qrow. Both of them were unaware that they were being watched. Max had his suspicions though, he'd learned from experience when a pair of unwelcome eyes was studying him. Whoever they belonged to was decent at staying hidden in plain sight. The road warrior cracked his neck and loosened up his joints just in case.
"So, tell me handsome, how'd you get so good at driving anyway?" Mari tried to make small talk.
"None of your business." Max stoically replied, he didn't want to talk about the past.
"Alright then touchy, I didn't catch your name by the way." Mari backed off and tried asking for his name.
"Because I didn't tell you." Max refused to share.
"That's how it going to be, huh?" Mari asked in frustration.
"Yes." Max replied bluntly.
"You really don't talk much do you?" Mari asked the road warrior.
"No, I don't have anything to say unless it needs to be said." Max said stoically.
"Well it'd be polite if you at least tell me your name." Mari said expectantly.
"It would be." Max brushed her off.
"Then say it." Mari crossed her arms.
"Doesn't I mean I would, and neither do I have to." Max rudely replied.
"Then what am I supposed to call you?" Mari put her hands on her hips.
"Doesn't matter." Max said as they kept on walking. The watcher wasn't getting much information on her target other than that he was secretive. She continued following them to the bar by the way of the rooftops. They reached the door and Max snapped his view back to the roof of the building on the opposite side of the street.
"What's up?" The fox faunas raised an eyebrow.
"Were being followed, I don't know who's doing it but its best we get off the street." The road warrior said as he scanned the rooftops for movement.
"I get you, wait for them to come to us later." Mari smiled as she understood Max's plan.
"Exactly, now get inside the bar." Max ordered to his associate as they entered the establishment. Max took his previous seat at the bar and the bartender poured him a drink. It was free of charge for him bouncing the chumps from last time. Max nodded to the bartender in thanks and started chugging down the beer. Mari had a lien card with her and ordered her own drink. Qrow revealed himself and walked over to the two of them. He sat down next the road warrior and ordered a double shot of whiskey.
"Well I see you're in the mood to chat now right?" The dust old crow said as he looked over to the road warrior.
"If we have to then fine, the deal. I go with you to meet this friend of yours and everyone backs off." Max said shrewdly.
"Yeah, the legit ones at least, that's part 1 of my, or should I say his, end of the bargain. Free room and board's the other, that's if you want in on this when you meet him." Qrow said honestly.
"I want more than promises." Max narrowed his eyes.
"He figured you'd say that, that's just the start. If you're in then there's a lot more waiting for ya. Heh, maybe even a special kind of job." Qrow leaned on the counter.
"I know you teach at a combat school, so I'm guessing you mean a job as a teacher, don't you?" Max put two and two together.
"Well, you're smarter than you look. I guess that's why you got the best of me and my sister, not to mention the white fang, or that atlas floozie Winter. I can't exactly say you won't still have to deal with them occasionally, but only as part of the job. Other than that, you'd be sleeping somewhere they wouldn't dream of risking their necks attacking you, with quality digs I might add." Qrow admitted the catches of the agreement.
"Where might that be exactly?" Max asked him curiously.
"If its not obvious then I won't spoil it." Qrow refused to tell.
"I think he means at either a huntsman academy, or a combat school." Mari poked a hole in Qrow's attempt at being enigmatic.
"And who are you doll-face?" Qrow raised an eyebrow at the pretty fox faunas.
"Mari Futaba, ex-huntress and way out of your league bird brain. I already have a wife anyway." The female fox faunas said with her nose in the air.
"That's just too bad for me then." Qrow crossed his arms and smirked.
"We're getting off the subject Qrow, which one?" Max tried to get the conversation back on track.
"She just pointed it out detective, Beacon academy." Qrow deadpanned.
"You must know Ozpin then." Mari made an educated guess.
"You're making this whole keeping my job a secret really hard. You know that beautiful?" Qrow was annoyed but still flirted.
"Who is this man, this Ozpin, and why does he want my help?" Max asked the dusty old crow.
"He's the guy who runs beacon and a good friend of mine." Qrow replied.
"The reason, Qrow." Max growled impatiently.
"Top secret, if you want to know the why then you have to come with me." Qrow said coolly.
"You're making this difficult, I can make it simple. Tell me what I want to know or I leave." The road warrior said with a scowl.
"I get that patience isn't your strong suit but hold on, before you say no, that bounty can go away and I heard you outran an atlas flunkey I happen to know. Make no mistake, she'll keep coming after you until her boss tells her stop. Oz can make that go away if you're in." Qrow replied figuratively twisting Max's arm.
"If I'm out?" Max asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Then the offer stays open, Winter keeps on trying to catch you, bounty hunters and the white fang too, and you'll have to get there on your own. Oh, wait that's right you could just call this number and a bullhead would come to pick you up." Qrow went over the consequences if Max refused and handed him a card.
"Those flyers I keep seeing?" Max asked as he took a swig from his drink.
"Yeah, duh. You've been out in the sun too long, haven't you? But anyway, what's it going to be?" Qrow mocked Max's intelligence and asked as he leaned hi back against the counter.
"I have a better deal, Ozpin stops Atlas and the bounties, I take care of the white fang problem here in Vacuo. We have a common enemy, so let handle them as I see fit." Max gulped down his beer and made a counter offer to Qrow.
"I'd say you have a deal if I thought you could do it, and if it were up to me. Everybody's been trying to take them down these days and so far, nobody has made any real progress. Even atlas and hardworking huntsman and huntresses like myself, and your lovely associate haven't gotten very far. Their like rats, you get one two more show up, and they bite you back in the ass." Qrow retorted sourly.
"You'd be surprised at what I'm capable of." Max countered citing his past police experience.
"I'll give you this much, you made a dent in their operations here already with that stunt you pulled a few days back. Saving those SDC guys put you on everyone's radar, and the shit list of the wrong crowd. But this is bigger than you know wheel jockey, you talk the talk alright. I'll give you that much, but this shit will take more than a disgruntled ex-cop. Yeah, I see it on you. Whatever kind of law man you used to be, it'll take a lot more than that."
"You don't what I've suffered though so I suggest you don't go poking your nose where it doesn't belong. My past is none of your concern got it?" Max snarled at Qrow's prodding at the road warrior's sordid history of flowing blood, arid scorched sand, and unimaginable pain and suffering beyond his darkest nightmares.
"Oh boohoo, whatever happened to you? What was so bad that makes you act like this huh?" Qrow insulted Max, which was a big mistake.
"THEY TOOK MY FAMILY FROM ME! Do you have any idea what it's like to watch everything important to you vanish right before eyes?! They took it all… everything that was ever important to me. All of it, even what I had left that was hidden in the ashes was taken eventually." Max stood up roaring in unbridled anger at Qrow, before feeling the beginning of tears in his eyes, and sitting back down. Max breathed deeply and pushed down his inner rage into the space where he buries most of his emotions. Everyone in the bar gasped at the scene and what they'd heard erupt from the normally stoic man's mouth. A few turned their heads away in sorrow, while others raised their glasses in solidarity with Max's misery. Some of the patrons even glared at Qrow and booed him for his prying. It was clear the bargoers were on Max's side, some of them drank for a reason after all, just like his own. Everyone loses people, but not everyone remembers or respects that fact all the time.
"Woah, ok maybe I went too far. But riddle me this, if you lost everything then how'd you get what you've got now?" Qrow backed off and then asked the scarred wanderer of how he came to find his new family. The patrons also heard Qrow's apology and backed down, though some held a small grudge.
"The dog found me, I found a new car, then Anya found me, and then Bruz and I worked together to beat that woman who was probably from this atlas place. The rest you know." Max said calmly with his usual stoic attitude returning to normal.
"Alright, that explains a few things except for where you came from. There are no records of you, or even someone like you anywhere, which makes you a ghost. Someone with your skills normally has a career as a huntsman, but you are a cop. There's no hiding that fact about you at all, you walk like a cop and act like a cop. If anything you seem like ex-swat, but even those guys aren't that good. So just who in the hell trained you to fight?" Qrow asked Max of his origins in a slightly better manner than before.
"That's very bloody and very ancient history. I'd prefer to leave the past where it belongs, so don't push it like that ever again." Max growled to Qrow with a slight hint of lingering anger.
"I'll cut you some slack then, sorry about the whole being an asshole, I didn't know. But hey that's kind of my thing." Qrow smiled sympathetically.
"You didn't, so never do it again, and we won't have this problem ever again." Max said after he took a calming breath, and let his anger go for the time being.
"So, are you in or out?" Qrow asked him one more time.
-END CHAPTER-