X - Epicormic
~~~(X)~~~
The next month and a half were a blur for Oxon, the chill of fall was over, and his favorite season had arrived. Winters back home came with lots of snow and lazy days by the fire. With most of their work done in summer and fall, winter was a time to relax and eat up the food that was stored.
It was different in Vale, the lack of any meaningful snow was depressing. But at least he could wear comfortable thick clothing. Some of the others called him crazy for his preference for the cold, but hey, it's what he grew up on.
Every couple of nights he'd be sent to work with Torchwick and with the faunus group to steal more and more dust. Of course that didn't mean he was free from Junior, he still had shifts at the club, so the days when he was not needed he was at the club.
The last few weeks had been strange ones. It seemed like the Fang had been stepping up their heists. Even yesterday he'd help rob a place in the early afternoon. "Throwing the pigs for a loop" Roman called it. When the cops had been run ragged trying to catch them all the previous night, it meant a lighter presence during the day. They'd hit a few places all in vastly different areas which let the daytime robbery go off easy. Thankfully they were told to rest up for a bit in preparation for something bigger coming up.
For today, he was walking around Vale looking at the written directions he'd gotten from a fellow at the club. The shop has connections to the club and to Junior. This meant there was a certain bit of discretion and discount when he arrived. Strapped to his back was a long object, it was wrapped up in a simple cloth to keep eyes off of it.
His trusty rifle was finally getting the care it needed. After months of saving his money and deliberating, he'd finally decided what to do with his old weapons.
He'd researched the types of weapons most folks used. What he found led him down a deep rabbit hole of modern armaments. Mecha shift is what it was called, and the name fit perfectly. Simple spears or swords could shift into guns, cannons, or even other melee weapons.
While he'd had ideas for combos that would suit his style and upbringing, he quickly realized his funds would not be enough. Oxon also wanted to repair his father's, now his, armor. Thankfully with his extra work for Torchwick, he'd be able to commission a smith to work on it soon.
After a decent stroll through the city and the dock area, he saw his Target. A square, brick faced building with a single decorated window stood in front of him. Anglesey Arms was the shop that his fellow gang members had told him about.
A jingle went off as he stepped inside. The front counter was fairly clean, a few grease or oils stains but nothing out of the ordinary for a weapon store. There was nobody out front, but there was a metal bell chime affixed to the desk. There was a note taped to it.
"Ring only once or I'll ring you." - Fe
Not one to tempt fate, Oxon pressed down once and a single sharp ching resounded through the room.
Oxon waited for a response for a minute. He was about to ring a second time, in case he'd not been heard, when a dirty and grizzled man appeared out of a side door. His eyes narrowed when he saw Oxon's hand hovering over the chime. He brought it back and reached instead for his package.
"I was told that you'd be able to build me something here. I work with the Reds."
The man grunted in acknowledgement, and motioned for him to go over to a side counter. This one was a bit more dirty, with varied smudges and oily handprints adorning the wooden surface.
"The name's Ferrus, boy, I'll make you what you want as long as you got the chips for it." Once I got over to where he was, he patted the surface in front of him. "Well go on then, show me whatcha got there son." The man gestured for him to place down his rifle there.
Oxon did so and unwrapped it. The condition was better than it had been when he first arrived, he'd gotten it cleaned up so that it could be upgraded easier.
"Hmmm, definitely an older model rifle, lever action, tube fed, decent barrel length." He picked it up and inspected the condition. Cranking the lever a few times to test the and make sure it was empty, he ran a bite snake to see how the barrel was.
"At first glance it seems in good shape, I'm guessing ya wanna upgrade it? Lemme guess, Mecha shift sword or spear or somthin'."
Well, not quite, reaching for his waist, he grabbed the item that hung on his belt. He placed it on the table with a gentle, yet heavy thud. The double bladed ax head that he'd used for years was out next to the barrel of his gun.
"I'd like them to be combined, it's not going to be used for logging anymore." It stung to think of his ax no longer performing its original task. But his time out in the wilds had taught him a valuable lesson. Wasting precious seconds putting away one item and drawing another was a quick way to get gored by an Ursa.
"Mecha shift or just stuck on one end?" The older man inspected the rifle and the ax head. He was probably thinking about how he was going to put them together.
"Nothing so fancy, maybe just stuck the head on the end? Oh, and just one blade please."
He gave the man the rough drawing he'd made and the first half of the payment. The man took it with a promise to contact him within the next week about how long it will take. Glancing back at his weapon, he realized that would be the last time it would be the same gun he'd had for so long. Once again he turned his back on his past and left the shop.
~~~(X)~~~
Walking out of the building he decided to walk around the area and see what there was to be done. The salty sea breeze was a nice smell and helped him relax. There were a few other shops around the area. He didn't really see anything interesting except a few food places, though the distance from his home is too far to be a regular customer.
Walking along the water he came across a small commotion. A crowd was gathered around a trashed storefront. From what he could see inside, it was a dust shop, and the freshness of the robbery made it likely that it was one of the ones they're hit yesterday.
"Misguided? They want to wipe humanity off the face of the planet." A voice to his side said. It seemed like the White Fang was getting in the spotlight more and more with their recent actions.
"So then they're very misguided! Either way, it doesn't explain why they would rob a dust shop in the middle of downtown Vale."
Oxon observed the loud group as their argument got more heated. He wasn't the only one watching, it seemed like a few groups here or there were not so subtly listening in. From what he saw it was an argument between black and white, literally. A black haired girl dressed primarily in black argued with a white dressed girl with white hair. The mono colored girls seemed pretty into it to not notice the attention they gathered.
"That still doesn't change the fact that the White Fang are a bunch of scum." Well she wasn't exactly wrong. The ones he'd worked with were downright nasty to anyone without animal parts, him included. "Those faunus only know how to lie, cheat, and steal."
His distance wasn't close enough to make out much of their details normally, but the volume of their voices allowed him to hear their conversation. Clearly the pale girl was against the White Fang and saying that they were criminals, which wasn't wrong, and that they needed to be ended.
Oxon idly noticed that he felt like he recognized the blonde that tried to mediate between them. He couldn't place his finger on it, but he guessed she must have been a customer at the bar. The sheer amount of blonde hair was noticeable by itself, but after seeing a few hundred different people a night, faces blended together.
He was about to leave when he saw something that made him forget all about the other three. He couldn't see her face, but that large red cloak was unforgettable. His mind flashed back to that first robbery all those nights ago. She was the one who had taken him and the others down in mere seconds.
He stood staring at the girl when the group spotted something and ran off. Shaking his head to dispel the dread at the sight, he left quickly while thanking the brother gods that she never saw him and recognized his face. It seemed that she must have joined Beacon, their four person teams were pretty famous.
Great, now she is going to be even more terrifying…
He decided his day out was over, and that began his trip to his apartment.
~~~(X)~~~
The day's events had Oxon sat at the bar of The Club, but for a different reason than usual. His emotions and feelings about his work had been stewing and needed an outlet. Thus the empty glass in front of him.
"Pretty surprised to see you of all folk here, Ox." Lisian was mixing a new drink with a bemused yet concerned expression. "Not even a month ago you swore off ever drinking again, on account of your behavior previously."
"Well, my other thought was using a punching bag; but hitting things when I'm too stressed or upset seems like a quick way to a bad habit." He wanted to vent his frustrations in a more physical manner, but he'd realized a more relaxed method might be better. And while he knew alcohol was not perfect, it was better than holes in a wall.
"And you chose booze instead? Cigs can be decent too, help calm folks down." A skeptical eyebrow from Oxon rose at that.
"And look like Torchwick? Fuck that." The less in common the two had the better. It would be nice if he'd never met the man.
With a shrug and a bit of flourish, he finished the creation and slid the drink in front of Oxon. "Eh, it's not like I can tell you how to solve your issues. At least you ain't drinking while hidden alone like some kinda bum."
It wasn't the same drink he'd had all those nights ago. Tonight he opted for something with not quite as much liquor; oh it still had it, but he planned to enjoy it more than he had last time. This new cocktail was something he'd not bothered to remember the name of. It had one and Lisian had insisted on him knowing it, but Lisian insisted on a lot of things Oxon didn't care for. The man behind the bar slid down towards the mixing station to twirl about some glasses in a rather impressive bit of showmanship.
Always the showboat. Especially when the customer's a pretty one. Should I be worried?
Oxon laughed a bit to himself while taking a sip of his drink he reflected on his life recently. He's found a stable enough job and a roof over his head again. Looking at it that way one would think he was doing well for himself. But once you looked closer at what he did to get his money, minds would change.
The recent robberies he'd been a part of weighed heavy on his conscience. Not all the owners had been as easily frightened as some. Those people had been left bruised and bloody on the floor. Even if he hadn't hit them himself, he'd practically guided the fists.
He took a larger sip of the drink to dull the thoughts. He was beginning to feel fuzzy in the head, but he needed more to remove the feelings and thoughts. He'd never been great at math as a kid, sure he knew some geometry and other simple equations, but a simple booze plus Oxon equals no bad thoughts was something even he could do.
Sadly his plan failed to work as he wanted. The more he drank, the more he thought of his family and that dream he'd had after his first encounter with alcohol. The vision of his family increased the strain on his soul. A part of him wanted the alcohol to trigger another nightmare that involved them, so they could punish him at least in his dreams.
"Celebrating something?"
Oxon glanced to his right and saw that someone had taken the previously empty seat. There sat a blonde man with an unusual outfit. Looking through his slightly blurry eyes, he saw a lot of skin showing from between an unbuttoned shirt.
Great, it's one of those types. I get that is a club, but have at least some shame. At least find a nice unoccupied back room or something.
The man had an easygoing smile that, if Oxon had been in a normal mood, he'd have returned. Oxon was no stranger to patrons trying to chat with him while he was working, usually due to their own boredom/ loneliness and the few looking for free drinks. He didn't feel like chatting, but being polite didn't cost him anything.
"Celebration? Well you could say that I guess." Not exactly a happy celebration though. And he hoped his mood got across to the guy.
Sadly it did not, and he turned fully to face Oxon with a large grin. "Let's make a toast then!" His bar neighbor raised a glass with what looked like a tail.
Huh, go figure. I can't seem to escape the faunus these days.
"To meeting new people!" The man cheered excitedly.
"To becoming a massive disappointment…" Oxon groaned out.
The guy froze as he heard Oxon's 'cheer' and watched as he downed what was left in his glass."
"You know, when people make a toast, it's usually about something happy." The blonde had a raised eyebrow at the deadpan expression he was given. "I mean, the Vytal Festival just started, ain't that something to celebrate?"
Ahhh yes, the celebration for the end of a war he'd not known occured. It's not like he particularly cared about it, though he was at least glad Mantle had lost. He'd seen a few clips from previous years, but he still preferred to watch regular shows and movies.
"Well, I guess so?" Oxon wasn't really sure how to continue the conversation since he'd already made it awkward off the bat. Well he could ask the guy about it he guessed. "That's what you're here 'celebrating' yeah?"
"Yup! Well, not this club specifically, I came here to compete actually!" That was a surprise. He'd had a few people from the academy in the bar occasionally, but rarely were they on their own, they normally preferred to come in fours. "Sun Wukong, Leader of team SSSN!" The huntsman in training put out his hand in greeting.
Sun of team Sun? That's original…
Feeling like he might as well, Oxon shook it. "Oxon, pack mule and constant failure." His introduction got an amused snort from the blonde teen.
"Wait, are you even 18? Can you even drink?" From the occasional chats he'd had with older students, the teachers demanded students be at class in time or face detention. So to see a student out this late was a surprise, there wasn't much time until the last bullhead left.
"Shhhhhh, don't worry about that. I'll be legal soon enough. I'm actually out here helping a friend with a problem of hers, so morals are second at the moment."
"And getting drunk at a club is the solution?" This Sun character was something alright. Not like he could say much, he too was using booze to solve his issues. Though at least he wasn't blowing off his huntsman teachers.
"Drunk?" Sun looked at his tail-held glass and chuckled. "Nah man, she's looking for some info about some old friends of hers, apparently they're in the city and she wants to reunite."
So they're here for a get together. Made sense he guessed, though spurning the school and the law wasn't what he would do as a student. He was about to order another drink when Sun leaned in to whisper to him. "Word on the street is that this place sells info, so that's why we're here."
"Is that so?" He of course knew that, but to Sun, Oxon was just a regular customer of the club tonight. So he'd play the role of an oblivious customer tonight. "I'm new to the area so I guess I don't know these things."
"I'm pretty new too, I'm actually from-"
"Sun." His origins were interrupted by a girl dressed in black appearing behind them. Black hair and golden eyes was what he noticed about her first, looking further up he saw a pair of cat ears almost hidden in the dark club.
She didn't seem like she was in the best mood judging by the frown on her face. She gave Oxon a suspicious look before talking to the blonde. Speaking of Sun, his expression got a bit more cheerful at her appearance though.
"Stop messing around, I got some info on the ro-" A glance at Oxon made her pause and rethink her words. "I know where our friends will be, they'll be getting into vale tomorrow night. We should be ready to greet them."
Yeah, not suspicious at all. Just two faunus looking for their friends and came to a criminal gang for info. Also the fact they came here from far away and are trained in combat. Maybe they're gonna be my new coworkers.
Sun left with a friendly smile and wave, his feline companion left without a glance. They left the club quickly and Oxon was once again left on his own. At least he didn't have to bother talking to anyone for the rest of the night. Ordering another drink, Oxon spent the rest of his night with a blank mind and full glass.
~~~(X)~~~
The next day was fairly normal for Oxon. He woke up with a slight hangover, though he had no strange dreams that night. He got ready for his day helping out the club get set to open. He knew that he was needed by Torchwick later tonight, though he was taking his time with telling them when. He was about to check in on the bar when his scroll's notification sound went off. He saw it was a message from the chain-smoking thief.
Ginger Sleazebag: New meeting place tonight! Make your way to the harbor district. The address listed below is our starting point.
Illiterate Child?: B) 0=[== :O
Ginger Sleazebag: make sure nobody follows you, we'll need to be in and out quickly!
Desperately trying to decipher the second text, he gave up since it was a fool's errand. He'd been able to put names to numbers of just about every person in the chain. Everyone except the person who only spells in emojis. He'd yet to see them respond with an actual word and he was just set to ignore whoever they are.
Some of the others were already meandering over to the exit, with others who weren't present likely doing the same from where they were. He walked with them and zoned out while they chatted amongst themselves. Without their uniforms, they just looked like a regular group of dudes out for a night on the town.
As they got further from the city's center and into the more industrial areas, the amount of people around them decreased. The aesthetic value of buildings lowered as they became more utilitarian and drab. As they got to the specified address, they saw it was a defunct postal office. The lettering had been painted over and what remained of what he assumed was, Vale Post Office, now read Va- P- -e with the word Nayshe painted underneath.
Vape Nayshe? Really?
Dumb new name aside, the inside was relatively intact, with walls and windows paint and damage free. With how dependent the city was on electronic data, it made sense physical offices were no longer as necessary. The next thing he noticed was the boss. Behind the main counter was Torchwick in what looked like a mailman hat.
"You all made it without being late or somehow arrested en route! There's hope for you all it seems." He finished his 'witty' remark by passing out envelopes to those assembled.
"Fruit Loop," Razz took his envelope without a retort.
"Off Brand Junior," Ursus was a larger, bearded man that looked like a smaller version of their boss. So the name was apt.
"Walking AA Ad," The goon he called was named Lein, Oxon's group had found him here before them. Apparently he was kicked off the bartending team due to drinking while serving.
Roman continued this bit all the way until he got to Oxon, who was the last to receive his envelope. "And last and probably least, Broody Bull two, the shitty sequel." With a confused glare, he accepted it.
I don't understand the reference, but fuck you.
"You all have special jobs that will make tonight's adventure all the smoother." Opening the envelope he pulled out a plastic ID badge and a locker number. After waiting for the rest to examine their contents, Torchwick continued. "I'll be meeting up with our furry friends to personally direct this little heist. Each of you is to monitor the entrances to make sure no curious kittens interrupt us. And if some do, stall, deny or detain any who try."
"And why would folks listen to us? I mean, I doubt the cops will just turn around if we're robbing someone in front of em."
"Good question, comb over, that's because in the lockers are uniforms of dock workers and security." Behind the counter he pulled up a black rain jacket with the words "Dock Watch'' on the back as well as a little badge sewn to the front. "With this and the fake IDs, most folks will follow your orders, cop's will be trickier but I have faith you can improvise."
Oxon was a little concerned at how the ID had an image of him that he didn't remember taking. He was in uniform and everything. Technology was a scary thing. Moving over to the locker on his sheet, he found a guard uniform, complete with a basic black pistol. Like the rest of the jobs there was a fresh pair of leather gloves to prevent any fingerprints.
Once everyone was ready, Torchwick left after handing off a pair of keys to a black painted van. The designated driver followed the directions he was given to an area of the docks right near the sea. Oxon was dropped off at the main gate so he could man the station there. The van disappeared further into the docks as each person went to their posts or to roam the place.
The little station was no more than a six feet by six feet box. The inside had a basic radio and phone along with controls for a tall gate. His task was to make sure nobody came through this gate for any reason. If a delivery was supposed to be made, someone was supposed to start a shift, or anything else, then he'd turn them away with one of the given excuses.
He wasn't sure how Torchwick had managed to get the docks empty tonight since there had to be thousands of lien worth of stuff here. Must have been money off the dust thefts, he'd seen the increased prices in shops. But either way, he was in for a night of sitting in the booth making sure nobody snooped in on them.
An hour went by and the boredom had just been getting to him when a large explosion went off behind him. He'd been leaning back with his feet up and had been sent to the floor in his panic to get a view. A large plume of smoke was rising into the sky from the place the rest of the guys had left for only an hour ago. He knew that if the Vale police or Fire departments arrived he'd not be able to convince them to turn around.
In a panic he looked at the instructions he was given for the night. Skimming past the predictable nonsense, at the bottom was a perfectly named section.
In case of bullshit manual
In case of Grimm attack - nice knowing you, good luck next life.
In case of military invasion - join the winning side. If Vale is lost, loot Vale
In case of huntsmen - bullshit about needing inspection papers. If given papers, say you need to speak with the manager and shut the blinds.
In case of dust explosion - don't call for help and cut phone wires to delay a response. Leave ASAP.
In case of a zombie apocalypse - sacrifice yourself for me so I may live.
In case of a Karen or my ex - shoot on sight, we'll hide the body after.
The majority of the options were unrealistic or unhelpful, but the fourth was what he needed. He hoped the explosion hadn't taken any of the others in the blast. After a minute he noticed the line go dead at his desk.
At least someone was able to disconnect it quickly. Now I just need to get out of here. See ya Torchwick here's hoping that took you with it.
He was getting his things together when he heard running feet from down the way. Seeing two people running towards the gate he quickly put on a face mask and got ready to turn them around. He came face to face with the little red reaper and some other girl. If Torchwick survived and knew he let these two past, he'd be conked.
"Hey! Hey! Hey!" Oxon deepened his voice and used his flashlight to wave down the duo. "What do you think you are doing!?"
Almost comically, the ginger girl stopped and the mini murder machine slammed into her back. The girl stayed standing, which surprised him. The ginger looked at him and gave a little wave which was doing nothing for his stress.
"Salutations mister, We are here to assist with apprehending criminals!" Yeah, this is the opposite of what he needed right now. He had to think quickly to get them to back off. If the red cloaked girl was with her, then she was likely dangerous as well, even though he couldn't see any weapons. Just a backpack.
"What are you on about? I am sure that qualified responders are on the way." First step done, tell them they are unnecessary. Second step denial. "And just why do you think there are criminals here? It's probably just a malfunction while unloading some dust. I think the last thing the fire crews need is children running in guns akimbo."
Please please please go the fuck away. Nothing to see here folks, just a simple worker failure.
"We can't!" Well shit. "My teammate is in there! We need to help her!"
The small horror ran up to the window of his booth and gave Oxon some very well crafted puppy eyes. He was more affected by fear of her than guilt at not helping and he was very close to saying yes just so she would leave.
Sadly he had a job to do, even if he'd be ok with Torchwick getting caught. Keeping up his role, he radioed into the "head office" which was actually one of the guys further in. "Com center, this is the north gate. I have a pair of what seems to be junior huntresses at the gate demanding entry." The response he got was full of explicatives that he translated for the kid. "Yeah, two students without their licenses are not allowed in. Please stand by so that actual professionals can take charge."
This seemed to be the wrong thing for him to say, as she began to unfurl her scythe. "We can't just ignore what's happening, we got a call that said Roman Torchwick and the White Fang were at the docks, and I believe him." She used her massive blade to cut through the simple chain link gate and made her way past his booth.
Thinking fast and panicking he ran out into the open air with his hand on the gun he was given. "Freeze! You are not authorized to enter the area!" The ginger froze but the smaller one was unfazed. She reached into one of her pouches and drew out a small vial of what looked like dust. "Just leave the area and I'll forgive the damage, OK?"
He didn't have a chance to think before the vial was thrown at him. He tried to draw his weapon and shoot the object, he was able to fire one shot from the hip at it before it exploded, coating his lower body in ice.
"Friend Ruby, are you sure that was the correct thing to do?" The ginger girl looked concerned at what this Ruby girl did.
"I'mreallysorryI'llbebacktohelpbutIgottasaveBlake!" With that rapid fire response, She grabbed the other girl and disappeared in a burst of flower petals. Oxon starred in the direction they left in, he shook his head and looked at the ice.
The dust must have been of high quality, the amount was fairly small, but the amount and strength of it was incredible. It covered most of his legs and up to his hip thankfully, his gun was barely encased and he was able to rip it free. His feet were frozen solidly to the pavement and he did not have much in the way of freeing himself. With a resigned sigh, he looked at his gun and started firing at the ice, hoping he would break free before others showed up and questioned him.
~~~(X)~~~
It's migraine season for me now. Usually it starts up in October or November, but it's early this year for some dumb reason. Its caused by some dumb plant allergen and really messes me up. If I forget to take a pill in the morning there's a good chance it hits me pretty hard and destroys my ability to think and focus. Damn pollen.
Neo's text is supposed to be the sunglasses emoji stabbing a shocked face. But I have a feeling actual emojis don't work for the site.