IX - Coppice
~~~(IX)~~~
Oxon was pacing back and forth in his room. The news of him being loaned again causing trouble in his mind. He had to work with Torchwick again, the man who'd caused him no small issue recently. The main issue was there was no way out as far as he could find.
Junior was many things, dick boss being the major trait, but he wasn't someone who didn't have plans. Was this supposed to say he was trusted? He was in a group of more experienced guys and working with one of the most successful burglars in the kingdom. Conversely, he might be trying to get rid of him. His only use to the club and hand was as a glorified pack mule with occasional bouncer duties. With how useless he was at the robbery, maybe he just wanted to flush out those he didn't need.
Either way, this is going to be problematic. The last thing I needed is to be involved more in the criminal world. Maybe that tobacco smelling prick just needs shit moved. I can do that, easy.
He was brought out of his thoughts by an alert from his scroll. Looking at it he saw he had a new message. That was strange enough, the only ones who ever messages him are Lisian and a few of the other guys. What he saw instead was a group chat of all things.
This is a new group chat from XXX-XXX-XXXX, and 6 others
Unknown: Hello new minions, it is I, Roman Torchwick, your new charming boss. I need you all to come to the address I'll send you later and arrive immediately. We have some plans to hash out and you'll start right after.
Unknown: :D
Unknown: Sure thing boss
Unknown: Can you tell us anything now?
Unknown: :((((
Unknown: As my friend here says, no. I'm not sending sensitive info via scroll. Bloody amateur.
Looking up from his scroll and rubbing his eyebrows, Oxon let out a sigh. Great, not even a few hours after hearing the news he's expected to head out. What happened to his free day damn it?
He saved the contacts to his device and prepared to head out. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to wear his uniform or not. He was going to just wear it before he remembered the chat.
You: Hey, do we need to wear our gang uniform? Or are we getting new ones?
Unknown: Yeah good question. Mine's at the cleaners right now.
Ginger Sleazebag: No uniforms! We need you to dress in everyday street clothes, the less you stand out the better!
At least that answers that question. Though the response he got gave home even more questions. Though it's not like he wanted to stand out either.
He got dressed in anticipation for whatever work was going to be done. A casual outfit seemed right. He was glad he didn't need the uniform of the gang for this, while it looked nice, he was overjoyed of not needing a tie.
Damn thing felt like a noose.
Dark gray jeans were held up by a leather belt with a rectangular buckle. It was a bronze color with the same horse as his green sash. Cheap 'leather' boots went on his feet and the only thing going for them was the steel toe reinforcement. A light exercise shirt was on his torso to give hime easy movement if needed. For outer water he had a dark blue-almost black denim jacket. It's back was embroidered with a squirrel curled inside a dead tree. The jacket was one of the luxuries he had spent his lien on, it was even reversible, with a lighter color on the inside. For this job, he flipped it so the art was hidden. Topping it all off was his silver pendant; it was a little scratched, but it still shone proud.
He got a new message while he was washing his face. After drying his hands he checked it to see it was a message from Torchwick.
Ginger Sleazebag: Ok minions! Scuttle over to this location. First one here gets a gold star.
Well it was officially time to head out. Making his way out of the club he waved to Cinna who was on bar duty. A few of the guys were waiting by the main doors and talking to Tony and the twins.
"Alright guys, I know the last time Roman hired some of us didn't end well, but it shouldn't happen again. He's not the type to have repeated failures. He wouldn't be where he is if he did."
Tony's point was strong. If the man was plagued by slip ups then he'd not have the reputation he acquired. That calmed him down a bit, he was still nervous, but knowing that this was likely to be smoother helped.
The group filed out the doors, but he was stopped by a tap on his back. Turning back he saw Miltia looking up at him with an expression he didn't recognize.
"Yes? Is there something you need?" He hadn't seen the crimson twin in a while. He wondered what she wanted.
"Just a warning for you Ox." And now the worry from earlier was coming back.
Shit, did I somehow piss her off?
Seeing his panic she explained what she meant. "Chill out dude, it's not anything to piss yourself over. It's about your new job. See, when Roman hired the new batch of guys, he asked for one in particular. You."
He stumbled a little at the information. "Me specifically? Why's he asking for me after how bad last time went?" That made no sense? Why ask for a screw up?
The girl shrugged in tandem with her response. "Hell if I know, I wasn't in the room when the deal was made. Hei told Mel and I after about the whole thing. Thought you might want to know."
"Ah, well, thanks for the warning miss." He had to be on his guard around the thief now. Great.
A slight smile flashed on her face briefly before she nodded and left for the main room. With a look to the ceiling. He made his exit and followed the others on their way to their summoner.
~~~(IX)~~~
The meeting point was a rundown warehouse in the industrial district. Whatever signage had been painted had long been covered by graffiti. It being abandoned must be why criminals like Torchwick used it. Criminals like Oxon too.
Pot calling the kettle black...
The inside was just as defaced as the outside. Street art was on just about every surface and he could see signs of trash fires. A classless place for a classy thief.
Speaking of thieves. "Welcome one and all to my marvelous manor!" Roman Torchwick walked down a set of rusted stairs in his usual white outfit. His arms were raised in a theatrical manner as if he were welcoming them to a grand gala. "Gentlemen, take a seat wherever you can find a chair. We have a lot to go over."
A few crates and barrels served as seats for some. Others, including Oxon, preferred to stand. The group was assembled in front of Roman who had a few large crates by him. From all the caution signs on it, he took a guess that dust was inside.
"I'm sure you're all wondering why I have you fine folks gathered here? Well it has to do with that botched job earlier this month. See, the client I'm working with needs dust, a LOT of dust. And I need extra hands to speed up the acquisition process."
With a call of his hands a new figure appeared next to the man. Tan skin and green hair were her most prominent features as well with an odd amount of shown skin. How is she not cold?
The frown on her face told Oxon that she was less than pleased at being here. "These are the guys you hired? What happened to just using those animals?" She crossed her arms while looking them over. The disappointed look in her eyes grew stronger the longer she observed them. "Didn't these guys get slammed by that mini huntress?"
"Yes, while they were no match for little red, I doubt she'll be a problem in the future. She's busy at Beacon now."
"Hmpf, whatever, just make sure to get what we need. Listen up! You failed us last time, we won't tolerate any repeats."
"Failed you? I wasn't even there, so don't go actin' all high an mighty, little miss unknown."
The only response she gave the guy was a hash glare. Oxon thought nothing much of it until the man screamed out in terror and fell off the box he was on. The rest of the men could only guess at whatever it was that she did.
Roman, indifferent to it all, seemed like he was losing patience. After whatever she did to the other guy, the rest of the men fell in line without a word. Torchwick went into detail about what was going to be their job.
They were apparently going to be split up into groups of two and would support a group called the White Fang. Oxon had heard the name in passing but knew little about them other than they were purely faunus. Which begged the question of why they worked with Torchwick and this green haired girl?
"Alright folks come up and get your assignments! I'll want you all back in one piece, I don't want to have to deal with any potential leaks after all."
With a frown Oxon stepped forward to be told what he was to do.
~~~(IX)~~~
Oxon stood outside the second abandoned warehouse of the night. Two faunus in masks stood guard of the door. He and his partner for the night, a short guy by the name of Raaz Beryl, nervously waited to be shown inside. It seemed the guards were upset at having the two nearby and forced a search on them.
"In case of a wire." They said, like they expected betrayal off the bat. Oxon didn't buy it.
Once they were let inside, they saw a dozen or so other men and women in white masks. The main difference he noticed between the Red Ax Gang and this White Fang was that the Fang had members of both sexes in their rank and file. Miltia and Melanie were the exception to a very male standard that Junior had.
The atmosphere was tense, the faunus gave the two humans a mix of cold stares and open disgust. His hand wanted to reach for his weapon, but his brain stopped him before he gave a reason for violence. Raaz was tense as well, he had his hands in the hoodie he wore, Oxon knew his pistol was hidden there and that he likely had a hand on it already.
Trying his best to look as non-threatening as possible, Oxon approached the person he assumed was in charge of the group. "Hey there, nice to meet you, the name's Oxon." He put out his hand so he could get the ball rolling on good terms.
Their mask was a bit more custom than the rank and file. The man had two very large horns on his head. They were spiraling on each side of his head with the tips slightly out to the side. He could just make out cold brown eyes from the slits on the mask.
"Human." He said, not uncrossing his arms to shake the outstretched hand. "I do not care for your name, all we of the White fang need is for you to do whatever job you're here for. Take your pleasantries to someone who cares."
Well that went perfectly. The hell is his problem? I'm just being polite!
Awkwardly lowering his hand, he looked around the building more. He saw vehicles, crates, and simple cots in one corner. It seems they were set up to stay here for a bit. Though the proximity of everything to the vans and trucks makes it seem like they're prepared to leave quickly.
"We're getting dust, I know that, but we weren't told the plan. I'm guessing you're going to fill us in?" They were told that each group would hit a different target, each in different areas so as to confuse the police.
The leader grunted in affirmation. "You humans will scout out the targets for any threats before sending a signal for us to either move in or wait. If you don't send one tomis then we will assume there was a complication and abort."
~~~(IX)~~~
The group waited until the sun went down. The crowds of people decreased which made it easier for them to avoid attention. Oxon and Raaz approached the first dust shop; it was a bit fancier than the shop he'd hit before, Dust Till Dawn if he recalled correctly.
Upper Dust was painted in fancy script on the windows of the store. The two walked inside under the guise of looking for dust for their appliances, though he did actually need a new ice dust crystal for his freezer. The two looked around and saw the only other person inside besides the owner was an older woman who was also shopping. Seeing no threat nearby, they made their way outside before giving the signal. A quick gesture to a dark alley started the robbery.
Raaz pulled Oxon aside so they'd not be too close when it all went down. "Damn efficient those beasts, wonder if they're all dogs and are just easy to train?" He lit up a cigarette with a chuckle. Waving the smoke out of his face, Oxon moved up wind and continued to observe the faunus.
A little warning you purple haired midget. First Roman and now you? Hate that awful smell. I better not be with you again.
They worked well, quickly cornering the shopper and forcing the owner to open the cases. While they weren't subtle, with the masks and uniforms, they were efficient. It was night and day when compared to when he'd been stealing crystals himself just a while ago. He was also glad he wasn't there in the thick of it himself.
Once it looked like they were wrapping up. The two men made their way to the next target to scope out. If the plan went right, by the time the police arrive at this shop, they'll be robbing another. Dust was going to become harder to find come tomorrow morning.
~~~(IX)~~~
The rest of the night went without any major issues. They had to abort on the third target due to a pair of huntsmen buying dust. After their heists, Oxon and Razz and White Fang split up, with the humans heading to the place they met with Torchwick earlier that night. The dust was loaded into unmarked trucks to ship back to the warehouse.
It seemed like the night was a success, not one of the groups got caught. Everyone was trading stories and bragging about how much they took tonight. Up on a higher level Oxon saw their new leader on a call, that green haired partner of his probably. The man was happily puffing from his cigar as he looked over the many crates of the power sources. Oxon wondered why they were hired to steal so much. His guess was to sell it back via their own channels and make good money that way. Even if he was curious, he had no doubts that it was above his pay grade to know.
The men began passing around some drinks to celebrate a job well done, after his last experience, Oxon decided it was wise to not partake. The last thing he needed was to embarrass himself in front of the guys again. Grabbing a water bottle he sat with them and gave a token input every now and then. The more he was around them the more he frowned.
He'd felt bad for the dust stores and the people of vale. He'd felt bad but he had not said or done anything. The reason was simple, even if he confessed to what happened and who did it, it would only end with his death. Those documentaries about crime lords showed how gangs dealt with rats.
This really was it, huh. That last robbery should have been a one time thing and now I've been roped into an even bigger scheme. What am I going to do now? In the end I guess I just value myself more. I mean, it's not like I've been in vale long, surely they will recover. Besides, once Roman sells off the dust, the city will have its resources back and this will just be a memory.
He was jostled by a sudden arm around his shoulder. Whipping his head to the side he saw that Roman had finished his call and came down to the group. Roman took the cigar out of his mouth and blew out a cloud that just happened to blast Oxon in the face.
EW EW EW EW DAMMIT YOU, YOU SHITTY ADDICT!
While Oxon was trying to clear out the smoke from his eyes, nose, and mouth, roman began to speak to the crowd. "Congratulations folks! You managed to not fuck up a simple task tonight! I am so very proud of you all." He finally let go of the coughing teen and moved to get a closer look at the goods.
He hummed appreciatively at the amount before him, sadly the bastard was smart enough to not hold a lit cigar directly over the crates. Watching the man be vaporized due to his shitty habit would have made his night. That dream would have to stay a dream sadly.
"Looks like you folks got a good amount, gotta say I really expected worse." With the obvious backhanded compliment, the man turned back to the group. "Well at least we know those animals can be useful after all. Well, that just about wraps up tonight, your cut will be wired to your accounts by noon tomorrow. Keep an eye on your scrolls, we'll be seeing each other often for some fun intra-crime bonding like this soon."
Oxon and the others began to leave for their homes or The Club, they still worked for Junior officially after all. Oxon felt eyes on him and turned to see Torchwick observing him with a smug smile. This caused him to recall the warning he got from Miltia earlier that afternoon.
"See, when Roman hired the new batch of guys, he asked for one in particular. You."
He knew the thief was up to something, but Oxon could only guess at what it was. His fear at being personally requested took a deeper root in his mind. Breaking eye contact with the man, Oxon tugged his jacket tighter around him to suppress the chill he felt.
~~~(IX)~~~
Lots of scene cuts this chapter, had a lot to go through and I'm sure you all appreciate not having to read the same basic couple paragraphs about the squads walking around.