Chapter 6: A House Divided
Kronos Market District
12:35 pm
Donnic and his teammates were walking through the Kronos Market District, the largest part of the city that was usually the busiest. It provided a variety of services, ranging from technology services, financial businesses, book stores, and even apparel and weapons services. Hundreds of people wandered its streets and visited the shops, and the kids were walking by when a Breaking news report from Vale came on, which attracted the attention of Donnic...
" Breaking news, an attack has been carried out on Vale soil at Beacon Academy just last evening. The Inquisition, a cult group that is known for worshipping the ruthless terrorist Inquisitor, has attacked Beacon Academy and have abducted four students. The students have been confirmed to be student Ruby Rose, Heiress to the Schnee empire Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long. Their status is currently unknown, and Headmaster Ozpin has had no comments on the matter as the investigation is being carried out by local authorities.
" OH HELL NO." Donnic thought, with a look of anger on his face.
" What's up boss?" Andrea asked.
" Someone just opened a can of whoop-ass that I keep in my possession." Donnic said angrily.
" Oh dear." Evan said.
" What?" Andrea asked.
" He's had a slight crush on Ruby, but has been waiting until she's older to ask her out." Evan explained.
" Oh, okay." Andrea said.
" Our plans just changed; we're going to get them." Donnic said in a determined tone.
" Are you sure?" Evan said.
" Sure enough that the Inquisition has made my shit list." Donnic said.
" Then you know what that means..." Evan said.
" We need to have a little chat with Cold Steel." Donnic said.
Gladius Club, Kronos.
2:34 pm
The Market District was built with two lower wards underneath the main district itself, which was called home by the owners of some of the largest clubs in all of Atlas. There were also a variety of businesses that operated in the lower wards of the district, but they were easy targets for some of the most dangerous criminal syndicates that happened to operate there. The Gladius Club was an arena/nightclub that was owned by Conrad "Cold Steel" Jotter, who used the club as a front for his activities as an information broker, which would rake in lots of profits for him to keep the club open. The four of them entered the club, which was playing a techno version of a song Donnic happened to know. As they walked down the steps they were approached by a young girl in a red dress...
" Hello Donnic, what brings you here?" The girl asked.
" Hey Skye, I'm looking for Conrad." Donnic responded.
" You don't remember do you?" Skye said.
" Remember what?" Donnic said.
" If you want to be able to talk with Conrad, you've got to impress him in the Arena." Skye said.
" Oh, that's right." Donnic said.
" Wait, what?" The three other teammates said in unison.
" The way I know this guy...is that I beat his best fighter in the arena, and got to meet the man as a result." Donnic said.
" Okay, who's the best fighter?" Desmond asked.
" His daughter and my ex-girlfriend." Donnic said.
The three of them dropped their jaws at what their team captain had just told them; that he once dated the daughter of an information dealer. Skye directed them to the arena, in which Donnic had to sign up to enter the arena since it was permitted to be only 1-on-1 matches. The other three teammates proceeded to the stands, and sat down next to a young boy with red hair who had a jet-black sniper rifle in between his legs. He was wearing a black leather jacket with a bright gold shoulder pad in the shape of a griffin, and camouflage pants with black boots on down below...
" So what brings you here?" The boy asked with a thick accent.
" A friend of our team leader's got kidnapped, so we're hoping Conrad knows something to help us." Andrea said.
" So the lad's decided to enter the arena?" The boy said.
" That's kind of the rules." Evan pointed out.
" Ah, just testing to see if you aren't Inquisition spies." The boy said.
" Why are you seeing if we don't work for the Inquisition? Who are you anyway?" Andrea asked.
" Name's O'Callaghan, Jotter wants me to make sure those religious freaks don't break in." He explained.
" Shush, the match is about to begin." Evan said.
" Ladies and gentlemen, this is a special match this evening in the Gladius Arena!" The announcer in the arena started. " In this corner, He was once a member of the bad crowd, swiping your wallets just to make some cold hard cash, but now he's back for payback and bringing the lightning, DONNIC" LIGHTNING RIDER" PEAGUS!" He screamed as Donnic rode up on a platform.
" This ought to be good." Donnic thought, displaying Valhalla's Bane to the crowd with a lot of people cheering.
" Facing our veteran tonight, she's dominated this arena and the skies for 2 years now, seizing every "golden" opportunity to become a master in both fight and flight styles, earning many names in this glorious arena, Firehawk, Lioness, and even Skyward Razor, but we of the arena know her by one name: LADY MIDAS! " The announcer said as the other opponent up.
" What?" Desmond said.
The other opponent was a girl who was a little taller than Donnic, with shoulder-length blue hair. Her combat uniform was a unique set of power armor that looked as if it was pure gold, with one hand that had been covered by a metal gauntlet, while the other hand had been completely exposed. An elaborate eagle-winged headdress rested on her head, with a bright blue sapphire in the center, and she looked at Donnic with bright blue eyes, but she also looked angry...
" She looks pissed." Evan said.
" Well, she did date our team leader, so what'd you expect?" Andrea said.
" Let's hope Peagus lasts 30 minutes in the arena with her." O'Callaghan said.
" That's the rules of these kinds of matches, correct?" Desmond asked.
" Yes, but from the look on her face, she hasn't forgiven him for what happened 2 years ago." O'Callaghan explained.
" What happened 2 years ago?" Desmond inquired.
" He humiliated her in the ring, in front of hundreds of people, and..." O'Callaghan said.
" Well, don't leave us in suspense man." Evan said.
" Yes, do tell us what happened." Desmond added.
" You see the golden gauntlet on her lower right forearm?" O'Callaghan asked.
" Yeah." Both boys said.
" That's actually a robotic arm, best one money could buy." O'Callaghan explained.
" Why does she have a robotic arm?" Andrea asked.
" Because Donnic accidentally...severed it off in a match 2 years ago." O'Callaghan said.
" Wait, What?!" The three asked.
The announcer retreated from the arena and Donnic readied Valhalla's Bane while Lady Midas, whose real name was Celeste, had drawn an enormous greatsword with a pale, white blade off her back. Donnic knew that it was his weapon's big twin brother, Valhalla's Torpor.
" Lady Midas huh? You always liked those children's stories when you were little, Celeste." Donnic said.
" What the hell are you doing here, Donnic?!" Celeste demanded.
" I need some information from your dad, and I adhere to his number one rule." Donnic said.
" Well, then I'm gonna have to send you to him with every bone in your body broken." Celeste said angrily.
" Look darlin', what happened two years ago should stay there, so I am going to easy on you because I've let it go." Donnic said.
" Well, I'm not going to be easy." Celeste said as the clock started.
The rockets on the back of her armor powered up and she sped forward and swung her blade at Donnic with incredible speed, in which he quickly blocked with his spear and she was sent sliding on her feet across the arena. The armor's elegant design pattern began to glow, which Donnic knew what that had meant...
" Shit, she's gotten some upgrades to her armor." Donnic thought.
She lunged at Donnic even faster than the first strike, in which Donnic knew she was willing to do anything in the hopes of achieving her retaliation for the humiliation she had suffered two years ago. He was doing everything he could to hold his own for 29 minutes and as the final countdown winded down, he was about to go on the defensive and charged her. But as he moved forward, she moved too fast for him and punched him clean in the stomach and sent him flying across the arena just as it hit zero.
" Ow." Donnic said to himself, looking up to see Skye standing over him.
" Mr. Jotter will see you now." Skye said with a smile on her face.
" That's great (grunt) just...let me collect my ribs and I'll be up in a second." Donnic said.
" Of course." Skye said.
Conrad's office
5 minutes later...
Conrad's office was an elegantly designed room, a combination of Aletian and Vale architecture. Conrad sat at his desk, which was made of a rare, darkened cherry wood. He was a man in his mid 30's, with a grizzled beard and a scar over his left eye, wearing a business suit with some pieces of armor attached to it. Donnic sat down at the desk, carefully adjusting to the soreness in his chest from Celeste's punch...
" So, give me a reason I shouldn't have my bouncer drag you and your friends' asses out of my club." Conrad said.
" You can't reject someone who is actually looking to do business with you." Donnic said in response.
" Heh, you are lucky my daughter didn't unleash her semblance on you, otherwise you would have been shaken like an electric rag doll." Conrad said in a humorous tone.
" True." Donnic said.
" What do you want, Peagus?" Conrad demanded.
" I'm going after the Inquisition since they had just found a way to the top of my shit list." Donnic said.
" What'd they do to piss you off?" Conrad asked.
" They kidnapped a very close friend of mine." Donnic explained.
" Would this friend happen to be Ruby Rose?" Conrad inquired in a humored tone.
" Of course you would know that." Donnic said in realization.
" The First Brother has been trying to place spies in my club and have tried to infiltrate my Info-Network." Conrad explained.
" The First Brother?" Donnic asked.
" He's the main guy of the group, keeps preaching the same bullshit about how the inquisitor is a god over and over again." Conrad said.
" He sounds like an idiot." Donnic said.
" Worse, they've begun to try and create their own hybrids." Conrad explained.
" Wait, what?" Donnic said.
" Yeah, but all they create is walking corpses with minds of Grimm." Conrad said.
" What are they, suicidal?!" Donnic exclaimed.
" Anyway, what do you need kid?" Conrad asked.
" A location, do you if they keep human hostages somewhere?" Donnic asked in a determined tone.
" Yeah, there is one place." Conrad started.
" Where?" Donnic asked.
" The Inquisition use an abandoned vehicle manufacturing plant in the old quarter of the city, at this address." Conrad said, handing him a slip of paper.
" Thanks, old man." Donnic said, taking the paper off the desk.
Donnic then walked out of the office and regrouped with his teammates, but Conrad got on the phone and talked with an "old friend" of his...
" Hey, Korvac." Conrad said.
" What is it?" Korvac demanded.
" I've got a way for you to take care of that pain in the ass Inquisition." Conrad said.
" Really? You've got a solution to my employer's headache?" Korvac said.
" Yeah, you know Donnic Peagus?" Conrad asked.
" That smartass with those teammates of his?" Korvac asked.
" Yeah, he's looking for the Inquisition since they kidnapped a friend of his." Conrad said.
" So the children will lead us to the Inquisition, and we'll be able to kill two birds with one stone." Korvac said.
" Exactly." Korvac said.
" Thank you for this Intel, the appropriate funds will be transferred to your account." Korvac said.
" Thank you for your patronage, old friend." Conrad said.
They concluded their call, and Team D.E.A.D was on approach to the abandoned plant...
Furiosa Automotive Plant
3:01 pm
The Furiosa Automotive Plant was long since abandoned, but Donnic was determined to find either Ruby or a possible clue to their location in this place. But they didn't know they were walking into a trap...
" What a dump." Evan said.
" Are you sure we could trust Conrad?" Desmond asked his team leader.
" He's never let me down in the past, so he won't let me down now." Donnic said.
The kids then proceeded to enter the plant, but when they had gotten inside, all they had found was old and rusted machinery, vehicles, and leaves that had blown in from the outside. They were then assaulted by unknown assailants, in which they were quickly overpowered and knocked unconscious. The First Brother stepped from the shadows, and began to speak with an altered voice due to his breather mask...
" Split them up, let's see if they can accomplish their goals divided." He said.
This chapter ends with Team D.E.A.D's second capture, and the unveiling of the First Brother, leader of the Inquisition. Conrad Jotter is based from the Shadow Broker of the Mass Effect series just minus the secrecy, and we will learn the story the fateful incident in which Donnic accidentally cut off the lower right forearm of his ex-girlfriend in the next chapter. Celeste " Lady Midas" Jotter is based off of Lady Sif from Marvel and Uriel from the Darksiders series due to her flight skills and the use of a greatsword. The next chapter is two parts, Part 1 will be centered on Donnic and Desmond working with an unlikely ally to rescue Ruby and Weiss, while Part 2 is centered on Evan and Andrea surviving an encounter with an enemy that is the failure of the Inquisition, and they join up with an unlikely band of allies; a squad of rogue Aletian soldiers seeking revenge for an attack that was the sneak preview at the end of Inner Demons...
WAIT AND SEE