Chapter 9: Lining up the Pieces
Neo was honestly thrilled to get back into what she did best. She did enjoy destroying Grimm, but her true calling in life was dealing with the Underground. After all, she spent a long part of her late teens and early adult life as a criminal. She could sense movements rather easily, and being able to read faces was something she had learned early. When you lack the ability to speak, you develop your other senses. Her sense of sight was almost on par with that of a faunus. While she couldn't see muscle movements, she could easily read body language. It was what had kept her alive after all. Her Overactive Imagination certainly helped in many situations.
Now, it was these skills that she had honed over a lengthy career that would help her. Levi had tasked her with this request, and the General had asked her to handle it as well. She needed to ensure things would flow smoothly, but in the unpredictable city of Mantle, who knew what would happen? Still, she merrily skipped along, being trailed by Valentine and Metera, who had been stunned into silence by her actions, neither saying anything over a peep… well at least to her.
"Hey, darling, do you think we can trust her?" Metera asked, trying to remain quiet. She had been walking steadily next to her beloved, taking in every single movement Neo made. There was something about her that made her wary. "I don't know about you, but she doesn't seem… all there."
"I'm not so sure myself, but if Levi vouches for her, then there is nothing wrong with that. He said she was extremely loyal, so we have to trust her. Not like we have a choice, after all," the raven-haired huntsman said. Metera frowned, her ears shifting a bit as they walked.
"I suppose you have a good point… but what exactly are we going to do? We don't have a lot to go by. All the information Weiss and Levi have compiled only gives us half of the picture. And now with all of these protests, things are going to become harder," the Erune faunus said, sighing softly. "Are we way in over our heads, or…"
"Don't speak like that, you know Hobbs would have gone to hell and back to make sure this came out. He gave his life in the pursuit of knowledge because he believes the public deserves to know this. If Ivy Brown doesn't have Mantle's best interests, then the people have a right to know that," he said firmly, gaze shifting back toward Neo. "I'm sure she'll help us find what we need."
The brunette narrowed her eyes, lips pursed a bit as she watched Neo's movements. She briefly glanced over her shoulder, a curious look on her face. Ever so slowly, her lips curved into a grin, giving the pair a wink. Metera hastily looked away, coughing into her first.
"Anyway, don't get any ideas, darling. I know she's attractive, but I am all you need."
"I should be saying that to you, given the fact you like petting Levi every chance you get."
"Can you blame me? He's so adorable and those ears are fluffeh~"
Neo merely shook her head as the pair talked. If Levi could hear Metera, he'd probably be blushing. If there was one thing the miqo'te faunus didn't like, it was someone rubbing his ears. Though she assumed he'd let close personal friends pet them. She'd have to make a mental note to ask permission when she next saw him.
She slowed to a stop, having arrived at the location she was looking for. She flicked her scroll open, staring at the address for a moment before nodding to herself. She looked at Valentine and Metera, holding her hand out. She gestured for them to stay where they were, before pointing to the apartment, signing that she'd be heading inside by herself.
"You want to go in there, by yourself? What is even in there?" Valentine questioned, looking rather worried. "I don't trust that you'll be able to defend yourself."
Neo narrowed her eyes, reaching inside her pocket for the paper she had shown them earlier. She held it up, shaking it a bit, an expression of annoyance on her face. He sighed. "Right, I did say I'd trust you. I'm sorry, okay?"
The ice cream-themed woman silently giggled, giving Valentine a pat on the head, despite him being far taller than her. She briefly looked at Metera, who had her arms crossed, clearly not enjoying that she was doing that to her boyfriend. She merely shrugged, hastily climbing up the stairs, and without much grace, she entered the apartment.
It looked exactly as it did the last time she had been in Mantle, all of those years ago. An old, grungy-looking place, with peeling paint and creaky floorboards. The corridor extended forward toward the first-floor apartment, while to the very left was a worn-looking stairwell leading to the second story. She gingerly stepped up to the door, giving it three knocks, followed by two, pausing and then knocking three more times.
She stepped back, bowing her head slightly while picking at her gloved fingers. She heard movement behind the door, along with the audible clicks of firearms being cocked. She wasn't at all frightened, already expecting this sort of reaction. The door opened, just enough for the occupant to look out at her.
"State your business here." the man said in a rough tone. Neo looked up, quirking a brow as she tipped her hat back. The second the man got a look at her face, his eyes grew wide, almost bulging from his skull. He quickly slammed the door shut, locking it for good measure. Neo sighed, reaching behind her back.
"I hate it when they do this," she thought to herself. She spun on her heel, driving her foot into the door with all her strength, sending it flying off its hinges. She darted into the apartment, unfurling Hush just as a hail of gunfire filled the apartment.
Metera and Valentine jumped in surprise, the brunette reaching for one of her swords, only for Valentine to stop her. "Wait, we can't just rush in there!"
"Are you insane? That's Automatic Rifle fire, Val, we can't just let her deal with whoever is in there by herself!"
"We have to trust her. Unless she calls us, we stay out here, got it?" he snapped, causing the woman to grumble. She kept her hand on her blade, ready to draw it if needed.
Inside the apartment, Neo was making quick work of the gunmen. She darted forward, using a table as a springboard, grabbing onto a man's shoulder. She used her body weight to slam him onto the tabletop, knocking him unconscious. She swung her hips around, unfurling Hush in time to block another volley of gunfire. Landing on her feet, she backflipped off the table, striking a gunman on the head with her parasol. She slammed her foot into his forehead, and with the aid of her weapon, sent him flying. She spun Hush around, ripping a rifle out of a gunman's hand with the hook, before flipping it around, firing a single shot into his chest.
She fell back to the floor, gasping silently as a large hammer was brought down on her head. Her body shattered into a million pieces the second it made contact, leaving her attacker confused. He felt a tap on his shoulder, and swiftly turned around, letting out a surprised yelp.
"What the fu-"
Neo silenced him, having driven the hook of her parasol into his throat. Spinning it around, she used his weight against him, launching him across the room with ease. She stomped her foot down on the hand of a man reaching for a pistol, driving her heel hard into his bones. She jerked her head back in time to avoid a shotgun blast, causing her to narrow her eyes. She flipped Hush around, beginning to draw her blade when a single gunshot tore through the apartment.
"Stop firing!"
The ice cream-themed girl tilted her head, following the source of the voice. The smoke cleared a bit, seeing a skinny-looking man at the other end of the room. He wore a pinstripe suit, with a bright red tie. He was rather short, perhaps even shorter than she was. He had a cigar tucked in the corner of his mouth and was holding a chrome-colored pistol in his grasp. The remaining gunmen immediately lowered their weapons, stepping back fearfully. The man puffed on his cigar, pulling it from his mouth, slowly exhaling the smoke.
"Good of you to visit, Neopolitan."
She quirked a brow, gesturing to all of the men on the floor. He took another puff, holding back the urge to laugh. "Apologies for the rude welcome. We weren't expecting such a high profile person such as yourself, so the boys got a little… trigger happy?"
She crossed her arms, hanging Hush from her wrist.
"I'm certain there's a reason you've come here. First and foremost, allow me to give my condolences for your loss. When we heard about Roman, none of us could believe it."
She gestured for him to hurry it along. "Right, of course. Now, what is it that you require of me, I might be able to help, depending on how much you wish to contribute."
"Contribute? What does this bastard think I am, a charity case?" she thought. She took a pair of steps forward, flicking her scroll out. The man let out a surprised gasp, looking back up at the young woman.
"You're a… really?"
She nodded.
"Huh… I'll be damned. So I bet this isn't just good business then?" he asked, causing her to shake her head. He pinched his eyes. "Look, I don't want any trouble, alright? It's hard enough running an operation in this shithole without Ironwood finding out, I don't need a Huntress on my ass."
"I'm not here for your operation. Honestly, I could give a fuck less, I need information." Neo's scroll chirped, making him tilt his head. She hastily typed on the device, holding it out once more. "You are intimately connected to The 5th Street Cobras, aren't you? I need you to tell me everything you know about them. Their movements, what drugs they're selling, and who their leader is."
A genuine laugh came out of the man, who sat up a bit, puffing on his cigar. "So let me get this straight, you come into my apartment, beat up my men, and demand I tell you what I know about them? All without compensation? Who do you think I-"
His voice got caught in his throat when he felt Hush's blade against his throat. He held his hands up weakly, shuddering a bit. "Alright, I'll talk."
Neo nodded, pulling her weapon back. She pulled a nearby chair over, ignoring the fact one of the legs was resting on the hand of a fallen goon. She sat down, the man's bones audibly breaking as she did so. He let out a scream, blubbering in pain, but she did nothing to move. Rather, she gestured for the man to speak.
"No one is sure who the leader of the Cobras is. All we know is that his name is King and that his base of operations is in Atlas. He speaks to his lieutenants through a holoscreen. They issue the orders to the goons who then do their tasks."
"Alright, what about their plans for Mantle?"
"They want to help Ivy Brown take that Council Seat. King Cobra is a puppet master, he's lining her pockets and she's the face of the campaign. Due to her being from a well-known family, the people have put a lot of trust in her. That's all she's really there for, the money."
Neo's brows furrowed in confusion. "Why would she want money? Brown Ironworks is still making a lot of money, isn't it? They produce all of the Iron and Steel in Mantle."
"They do, but when you've got an Embargo hanging over your head, you start bleeding money. Look at what's happening to the S.D.C. Jacques is bleeding millions every hour because of the General's paranoia. Ivy Brown is the same, but she isn't as outwardly proactive as Mr. Schnee. That dusty old snowman has no tact, everyone knows he hates Ironwood. Ivy, meanwhile, is more cunning in her operations."
The man flicked his cigar, taking a long drag from it as he leaned back in his seat. "Which brings me to my next point. The 5th Street Cobras are in cahoots with Ivy Brown. They've been amassing arms and dust in order to go up against the Atlas Military. They want to start a civil war against Atlas, and Ivy Brown will be held as a hero when she leads peace talks and ends the Embargo."
"Civil War… she wants to start a Civil War?" Neo's scroll asked, earning a nod from the man.
"That's right. The Cobras were going to start shooting random soldiers, but it seems that wayward serial killer gave them an actual reason. Those two Gangbangers murdered earlier today were high-profile members of the Cobras. King Cobra is likely going to use that as a pretense to start this whole thing,"
The ice cream-themed woman rapidly jotted this down. She hastily typed her next question, holding her scroll out to him. "Where does Antonio DiCappriccio fit into this?"
"Oh him… funny you should mention him. Weeks before all of this started going down, he was going around Mantle, searching for 'workers' if you will. He came to me as well, asking if I had extra men he could hire. I, of course, turned him down, as I am far too busy tending to my turf. But the rumors claim he went to King Cobra for help, the ones who are stealing those materials are his goons."
"I see… Well, that at least solves that mystery for me. Any idea where they're storing all of these items?" she asked, causing him to shake his head.
"Not in the slightest," he said, looking away from the young woman. "Tell me something, what are you trying to do here?"
"My job. I've been assigned to assist a friend of mine with a mission. He's trying to find the one responsible for all of these killings. We seem to have found mostly everything out, everything except that bastard's identity," her scroll said.
She leaned back in her seat, typing quickly on her screen, thumbs flying with every keystroke. "There has to have been someone who witnessed at least one of those murders. There's no way thirteen people have died and there aren't any witnesses."
"Can't say anything about the three who died today, nor the others… but I'm certain someone saw the death of those Journos. Those deaths didn't happen one after another like the ones currently happening, and from what I've seen, the M.O. is different." the man said, puffing on the last of his cigar. "I'm almost certain Ivy Brown is behind that, but there's no proof of her involvement in those deaths, so it's just speculation. If you think you can find a witness, I'd start at the place where those three were killed. Now if you are done, kindly leave. I have to pick up all these bullet casings and get better goons."
Neo stood up, finally allowing the goon beneath her to remove his hand from beneath the chair. He cradled it, crying in pain as he tried to flex his fingers. She turned to leave, pausing only to look at the man. "Keep your nose out of trouble, Zephyr. I might not be so kind the next time we cross paths."
"Duly noted,"
She gave the man a bow, hastily leaving the apartment. She took a deep breath the second she made it outside, only to be bombarded by questions, courtesy of the two journalists with her.
"Are you alright? We heard gunshots!" Metera asked, scanning her over. Neo rolled her eyes, merely gesturing for them to follow, hooking Hush on her wrist.
"Seriously, could you warn us the next time you are going to a dangerous place? The two of us were worried out of our minds thinking something happened to you. Levi would get angry with us if we told him his partner got herself shot." Valentine said, only for Neo to swivel around, holding her hand out. She had the paper from before in her grasp, shaking it at the man. "Yes, I know, I trust what you are doing, but-"
She silenced him, glaring at him. He brushed her hand aside, crossing his arms as he looked down at her, challenging her gaze. After looking at each other for a minute or so, Metera stepped in, separating the pair. "Okay, let's not delve into petty arguing. Neo, we're glad you are okay, but warn us next time."
She sighed, reluctantly nodding. Once again gesturing to follow, she whipped out her scroll, typing something on screen. "I updated the joint file. My contact identified the goons stealing Atlas Military materials. They're 5th Street Cobras hired by DiCappriccio, just as we assumed it would be."
"Ha, yes! My intuition is never wrong. I always knew that man had his mitts in this shit, he seemed far too clean. No one would willingly contribute to Brown's campaign if there wasn't a reason behind it."
"There still isn't a reason behind it though. Why would someone like him bother hiring goons? Just to steal materials to then sell to desperate people? It's kind of out there." Metera said.
"Ivy Brown plans to use the DiCappriccio Opera House as a means to heighten tourism in the area. How can you do that when you don't have a full entourage? DiCappriccio needs talents to fill his ranks, and he can't search for talents in the other Kingdoms with the borders closed. So of course he'd assist her in getting that Seat." Neo's scroll said, falling silent shortly after.
"Makes as much sense as everything else. Now we just have to make the connection between those two and Quintus Piccolo. If we can figure out without a shadow of a doubt that he's turning that laundered money into cryptocurrency, we have the basis for an arrest warrant."
"Not so fast, Teri. Getting those three would be well and good, but we still need to figure out who our wayward killer is. Who are killers are. We've established there are two of them, and we've only been focusing on one." Valentine said, bowing his head. "It feels like with every step forward, we keep taking one back."
"We'll get there eventually. It's clear that this killer is taking orders from someone, whether from DiCappriccio or from Brown, it doesn't matter. What does matter is that this person must have gotten paid very well. Believe me, a bounty hunter won't accept a bounty without knowing there are some hefty benefits included in the offer,"
Valentine and Metera shared a look, both of them wondering how it was that the ice cream-themed woman knew this. But before they could ask, she stopped, turning to face the pair. They came to a stop, almost bumping into her. "I need you to take me to your friend's apartment."
"Who… Hobbs? The place is still a crime scene, we can't just waltz in there. Besides, why would you want to go there?" the black-haired huntsman asked, causing her to sigh. She once again held the paper out to him, something that was beginning to annoy him. "Fine, we'll take you there, I just hope this leads us somewhere."
Neo found herself smiling. She flicked her parasol open, wrapping her arm around Metera's, gesturing for her to walk. The woman felt a bit unnerved but did as she was told, not wanting to anger the petite woman.
xxx
Police tape had been tied at either side of the entrance, easily ripped away by Neo. She reached into her pocket for a lockpick set, pulling out the necessary tools. She inserted them into the lock, jimming them around for a moment before an audible click filled the hall. She turned the knob, opening the door, flicking the lights on as she went.
The apartment was in a state of disarray. It was clear that whoever had attacked Joshamee Hobbs hadn't expected him to fight back. There were broken pictures on the floor, along with thousands of newspapers. The living room was where most of the damage had been contained. There was a broken glass table in the center of the room, along with dried-up mugs of coffee. The sofa had been overturned, littered with gunshots and stuffing, sticking out of the blackened holes. The cold Mantle breeze flew into the apartment from the broken balcony doors, which had also been sealed off with tape. She took a few steps forward, the broken glass crunching beneath her feet as she walked.
"This is the first time I've been here since… since before," Metera mused, looking around the apartment. She looked toward a nearby wall, finding a portrait hanging from it. It had three children on it, two black-haired boys and a brown-haired girl with big fluffy ears. She placed a hand on it, bowing her head. "Why would he risk himself so much? For what? Just to get accepted by humans?"
"You know how he was, Teri. Ever since he lost his parents in that mine explosion, he wasn't right in the head. We all lost someone that day, but we stuck together. We got out of the Crater together and became Huntsman together. What I wanna know is how someone like him was overpowered, especially with senses as good as his."
"He was a faunus, right?" Neo's scroll asked, causing the pair to nod.
"Yeah, he was a spider faunus. He had the ability to climb up walls and had some really good senses. He was really flexible too and had something akin to super strength. His Semblance was something he called "Sense". He was able to sense things around him, people, animals, Grimm, anything that moved, he could sense it. He could even sense his own impending doom when he was really hurt. Which makes me wonder how he was overpowered here." Valentine said, looking around the apartment. "It just makes no sense."
"Levi and Weiss fought off a Masked Man. He managed to sneak up behind Levi, something that's impossible. His sense of hearing is second to none, especially because he's a faunus. Yet he was able to climb up onto that billboard without being heard or even felt." Neo said, looking back toward the window. She typed her next reply, holding her scroll up. "I think this person's Semblance might make it so no one is able to sense them. The reverse of your friend's Semblance."
"That would make a lot of sense. If Levi wasn't able to sense that person behind him, then how could Hobbs do the same?" Metera asked, ears twitching a bit. "I don't think I've ever seen a Semblance like this though…"
"Might seem useless during combat but for covert operations, it's a fairly useful one. This person clearly has been trained. To be able to kill a trained Huntsman and manage to hold their own against two at the same time… yes this person must have formal training," Valentine concluded, shifting his gaze toward Neo. "Have you found what you are looking for?"
Neo didn't reply, far too busy looking around the apartment. She took in as much detail as she could. She noticed the corner of the rug had been flipped up, her attention immediately moving toward it. She knelt down in front of it, tracing the edge of it with her fingertip. She started pulling on it, finding a ring on the floor. Picking it up, she tossed it to Valentine, who swiftly caught it.
"Wait… is that-"
"One of Hobbs's Holorings. He didn't go anywhere without it, it was the perfect communicator. He didn't have to take out his scroll, his speech-to-text always allowed him to take notes without anyone knowing." he said, sliding it onto his finger. He slid his thumb over the outer edge, the device sparking to life.
A holographic screen flickered on, showing a video of a man, who had shaved black hair. He had a tired-looking appearance, with rings beneath his eyes. He had a lean build and fair-colored skin. He had a bit of stubble on his boyish face, his blue eyes shining in the low lighting. He looked over his shoulder for a moment before speaking.
"I've been working on this case in secret for a few days now and I hit paydirt. Ivy Brown has been colluding with two prominent Atlas Businessmen. These two men made a deal with her, they would contribute to her campaign in order to get her on the Council. They have their own agendas that interfere with what General Ironwood is currently doing in Atlas.
Last month, several mattress stores across Mantle were purchased by a new parent company, owned by Quintus Piccolo. This man is known across Remnant as the Cryptoking, as he was able to predict the rise of Cryptocurrency and adapted to it as it started catching wind. He has made millions in a short amount of time and is now the owner of QuantomCore, a large Microchip Manufacturer that produces the most advanced Chips in all of Remnant. Chips that even the Atlas Military uses. His business is ranked 2nd on the world economy, right after the S.D.C. So when General Ironwood put an Embargo over Atlas and closed borders… Well, he wasn't too happy.
He has been doing secret dealings with Antonio DiCappriccio, both having agreed to fund Ivy Brown's campaign. If two of Atlas's richest men come out in public support of Miss Brown, someone who comes from a well-known family, the people will have more trust in them. More trust than in Robyn Hill and Jacques Schnee. Not to mention she has been making quite a lot of promises as well, promises to help the poor and tax the rich, which has garnered quite a lot of support.
Despite this, she hasn't gotten the support she wants, since there are more people invested in Robyn Hill's campaign, and even Jacques Schnee has his supporters. I ended up following a lead and found something damning. Miss Brown has been speaking with King Cobra, the leader of the 5th Street Cobras. I wasn't able to get video evidence, but what I heard was fairly bad. They're planning to start attacking people who support her and oppose the General. They plan to use this to generate civil unrest, and eventually, civil war. She will then try to swoop in and be the hero, stopping everyone and sticking it to the Atlas Military. If she wins, then King Cobra resumes his trafficking to the rest of Remnant, Piccolo's businesses stop bleeding money and DiCappriccio can scout talents for his Opera House how he wants.
But why go through all of this trouble? I'm not exactly sure. This may seem like a tight-knit plan but if a single soul breathes anything, it goes awry. Gang activity has become worse on the East Side of Mantle, and now the 5th Street Cobras have been stealing Dust from shops as well as Arms from the Military. I believe they're also stealing building material for the outer wall, selling it, and funneling that money right into Ivy Brown's pockets, but I haven't proven it yet. I have another lead to pursue, one that I hope will lead me somewhere.
Maybe if I bring something like this to light… Maybe my peers will respect me…
Regardless of that, I am keeping this to myself. If I tell Valentine and Metera about this, they'll insist on joining in, and I'll lose my leads. I can't let them know… Valentine, Metera, I hope you two can forgive me for this. We'll go out for drinks once it's over, I promise."
He remained silent for a moment, before looking back up at the camera. "I-"
The video feed cut off, it was clear what happened after. The black-haired man growled angrily, balling his fist tightly. "Josh you… goddamn idiot."
Metera hugged Valentine tightly, making him look at her. She brushed some strands of hair out of his face, giving him a teary-eyed smile. "It'll be alright. He gave us some really big clues right now. We'll solve this case and get justice for him, alright?"
He sniffled a bit, drying his tears with his shirt. "Yeah, you're right. He did mention in this video that he had a promising lead. We need to figure out who that is so we can pursue it. It hasn't been that long, so let's hope it hasn't gone cold."
"You two go ahead and do that, I've got my own lead to pursue. I might have a clue about someone who might've seen your friend getting murdered. There's no way no one saw it or heard it. Though if this person's Semblance can mess with Senses, there's a great chance they affected everyone's sense of hearing."
"You're right… if this person can affect senses, there's no way they could affect all of them. If it affects the sense of hearing of everyone in a given area, it might not have affected their sense of sight! Spot on, Neo! Go on, follow your lead, we'll follow ours. Let's meet up in two hours or so and share what we've found," Metera said cheerfully. Neo gave the pair a nod, glancing back through the broken window, her eyes locking on the apartment across from them. A small smile flashed onto her lips.
xxx
"Okay, so now we've made some headway. Levi did a lot of groundwork for us, but not thinking about checking Hobbs's apartment. He must be hyper-focused on one thing or completely out of it." Neo thought as she reached the front entrance of the neighboring apartment building. She rolled her shoulders, biting the inside of her lip. "Let's just hope my hunch about this is right."
She stepped into the building, quickly climbing up to the fourth floor. Judging by the positioning of Hobbs's apartment, the window she had looked at would be near the center of the complex. She stopped in front of a door labeled 403, giving it a few knocks. She reached for her scroll, flipping it around her fingers for a moment, already formulating her questions. It didn't take long for the door to open, just a tiny crack, enough for the person living within to peer out at her.
"Oh um… h-hello."
Neo gave her a smile, tipping her hat a bit. She typed on her scroll, holding the device out to the woman to read. "Good Afternoon, Miss. My name is Neo and I'm a Huntress working for the Atlas Military. Would it be alright if I asked you a few questions?"
The woman blanched a bit, looking fearful as she read the words on the scroll. After a moment, she closed the door, undoing the chain and opening it again. Neo quickly slipped inside, looking around the entrance for a moment. It was a tight entryway, with several jackets and coats hanging from nearby hooks.
"S-sorry about the mess, I've been so busy at work lately," the young woman said, brushing past Neo.
She looked to be in her early twenties, with spiky blonde hair that reached down to her hips. A long-sleeved shirt and pants combo hung on her thin frame, her skin being very pale. She wore a pair of black glasses, hiding back her dark violet eyes. She guided Neo toward the living room, which was rather messy. There were boxes filled with papers all over the place. The only place that seemed neat and tidy was the computer area, which had some very high-tech-looking equipment. The young woman turned to Neo, giving her a shy look.
"Um… would you like anything to drink? C-coffee? Tea?"
Neo shook her head, typing into her scroll. "Listen, this might seem odd but… several days ago, a young man named Joshamee Hobbs was murdered next door. From his apartment, I had a perfect line of sight to yours. I would like to know if you possibly saw what was happening, and if so, would you tell me the description of who did it?"
The woman paled, grabbing a strand of her hair as she looked away. "I didn't see anything, I swear! I h-had my headphones on! I'm a streamer, you know? So I have noise-canceling stuff so I can get into my games. I didn't see anything until the police were in the alleyway."
The ice cream-themed girl quirked a brow. "Why are you so nervous? You aren't being accused of anything, you have nothing to fear."
"I'm not scared, okay?" she snapped angrily, glaring at Neo. "If that's all you need me to answer, then please leave. I have to plan my next stream and I don't have time for this."
Neo only smirked, typing away on her scroll. "From fearful to angry… you, miss, are hiding something."
The blonde girl grit her teeth, sighing audibly. Neo scroll continued to speak, its mechanical voice filling the quiet apartment. "I'm investigating this crime to see if we can stop this person. More people will die if we don't get a clue about who is doing this. We believe the person who killed Mr. Hobbs used their Semblance to affect his Senses. If that's true, then it's possible your hearing was affected. Tell me, on the night of the Murder, December 13th, what were you doing?"
The blonde woman sat down on the couch, still twirling hair around her fingertips. "I had a Sub-a-thon that night. I'm a virtual streamer, so I wanted to do something fun for the fans. December 13th was the final night of my Sub-a-Thon, so I was relaxing and watching funny videos online. I decided to take a bit of a break to use the restroom, and when I came back, I saw these… flashes of light."
Neo nodded, hastily typing on her scroll. "These flashes of light were muzzle flashes. The person who went to attack Hobbs likely used their Semblance to affect this entire area. That's why no one heard a thing. Were you able to see a figure?"
She nodded, swallowing hard. "I did. I was just shell-shocked, wondering what was doing on, but then I saw his body flying out of that window. That person stepped out of the balcony and jumped down. I watched… I watched as that person started cutting him up… first, he cut off his limbs… and then he disemboweled him, all while he was still alive, screaming. I couldn't hear a damn thing, I thought I still had my headphones on but that wasn't the case. Just as he was beginning to bleed out, the person cut his head off. I could see the person shaking in laughter before throwing it into the nearby storm drain. They looked around for a moment before dashing off into the darkness. That was it."
Tears were falling from her face, falling onto the floor. Ever since then, I've been a wreck, I haven't left my house… I've kept ordering takeout and focusing on my streaming. People have asked me if I'm fine, but what the hell can I say? I was going to speak to the Police, but then if someone realized I saw it all, they'd come after me. And I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die like that man, no! Please, you can't tell anyone I saw that because they'll kill me too!"
She grasped Neo's shirt, pulling on it like a feral animal. "Promise me you won't say anything!"
"Calm down, Miss. I don't even know your name, and I'm not asking for a witness statement or anything. But if you'd like, I can speak with General Ironwood so we can take you into Witness Protection. You'll be moved to Atlas Academy and watched 24/7 until this guy is busted. Would you like that?"
She nodded, bursting into tears. "Please, I haven't been able to sleep well since I saw that. I haven't seen another human being for months. I have to get out of here, but I just can't afford to leave! I have so many bills to pay, and the closure of borders stopped me from going back to Mistral. I just… I need help!"
Neo gave her a smile, patting her head. "I'll get you that help. I promise I'm not going to name you in my report. I'll just say your name is Jane Doe, but I do need your name so I can give it to the General. Okay?"
"O-okay, I'll give you all my information."
The ice cream-themed girl let out a sigh. Her hunch had been correct, but she still didn't have all the pieces. Before she left, however, she had one final question.
"The person that did this… did you get a good look at them?"
"Of course! I've been seeing them for weeks. They were tall, almost 6 feet tall from my estimate. They were wearing a hat, trilby, I think. Their whole body was covered in this black suit, and they wore a black jacket, black gloves, black pants, black everything. I couldn't see their face, they were completely covered."
Neo narrowed her eyes in thought. That description fits the one Levi and Weiss had added to the joint file. The man that had attacked Levi… Well, she was one step closer to figuring this thing out.
xxx
"I need you two to check out the apartments of the other reporters. They might have left notes or something behind, like your friend. I have other things to do so I won't be able to join you just yet."
Neo clicked send, hoping Valentine and Metera would find something of substance. Journalists always left behind a lot of information, and if they were close to figuring it out, it was likely they did. Figuring out who the Masked Figure was would be her next priority, but without knowing where they were or who they worked for, it would be impossible. So, for now, she needed to focus on the third suspect of this whole thing, someone they hadn't looked into yet.
Quintus Piccolo.
To her, the man was an enigma. All she knew about him is that he was the father of Levi's previous teammate. He was a well-respected businessman in Atlas, a literal rags-to-riches story. While others had no faith in cryptocurrency, he went all in, and when he cashed out, he became the 2nd richest man in Atlas, ranking behind Jacques Schnee. He didn't let that change him. He continued to live a frugal life while giving his daughters everything they needed. He started his own Microchip Manufacturing business, as he had experience creating PCBs and Components for Video Game consoles. Now, he had one of the most profitable companies in both Atlas and in Remnant.
From computers and video game consoles to Military equipment. Everything used QuantomCore Microchips and Components. Several branches had been opened overseas, and QuantomCore, like the S.D.C. had been suffering from the Embargo. So, it would make sense that someone like him would end up working with someone like Ivy Brown. Of course, there was no proof of that, but that was something she would prove. With a little bit of help of course.
She spotted her target, her smile growing.
It had been an interesting week for Alto. She had gotten her brand new armor, and with the help of her new friend, Neon, she had been able to update her duds. She was wearing a sleeveless, low-cut black shirt, along with a navy blue pleated skirt. She wore a brand new set of armor, which had been reforged using her old armor and adding several dust-infused pieces of iron. Her arm guards reached up to her biceps, and she wore a gilded gauntlet on her left arm. Her leg armor was etched with dark violet markings, as the metal had been infused with Gravity dust. She wore an armored skirt, along with a belt which held Milo.
She had dyed parts of her hair with streaks of orange, and tied it up into twin tails, using bits of ribbon that had once belonged to Pyrrha Nikos. Her fluffy ears stood tall atop her head, her face gazing at the vending machine in front of her. She looked vastly different from the young faunus she had met in Mistral. In fact, she looked almost unrecognizable. Atlas had that effect on people, it seemed.
Neo waited for the right moment, so the wolf faunus was distracted by her purchase. She somehow managed to sneak up behind her without her even noticing, something that was hard to do with a faunus. Alto pulled her drink from the vending machine, turning around only to scream in surprise, her back slamming into the machine behind her.
"Neo what the fuck?!" she shouted, hand covering her mouth. She took a few calming breaths, her heart pounding hard beneath her ribcage. "How did you get behind me without me noticing?"
"Don't worry about that. Listen, you just got back from a Mission right? I'm in need of someone to assist me. Someone of your caliber." her scroll chirped, causing Alto to frown.
"Someone of my caliber? Why not get Levi to assist you?"
"Can't, he got shipped out to Fort Arrowfell and the rest of Team ORNJ is out on patrol on the southern wall. I can't ask them for help, so you are the only one who can help me."
Alto honestly didn't know what to say, she felt honored that her friend thought of her. But she also wondered what it was that she needed. She crossed her arms, still holding onto her drink bottle as she gauged the woman's expression. "Alright, I'm listening…"
xxx
Alto craned her neck, trying to see the top of the massive building in front of her. QuantomCore's HQ sat near the center of Atlas, not far from Schnee Dust Company World HQ. It was the second tallest building in all of Atlas, situated next to Central Park and the World Trade Complex, which sat mostly unused given the current state of Atlas. Hovercars zoomed past them, the city streets crawling with hundreds of people all in a constant state of motion. It was a city that never seemed to stop. Completely picturesque, just like her Grandmother had described it to be.
She looked back at Neo, a firm look on her face. "Are you sure about this?"
Of course, all she got was a nod in response. She still didn't know what it was that they were doing there, the mute woman didn't want to elaborate further. She steeled her nerves, walking forward, heels clacking loudly on the granite floor as she climbed the stairs. She peered behind her, seeing Neo's body glowing a soft pink as she transformed into Weiss, down to her new outfit. She merely gestured for her to continue as if nothing was happening.
Stepping into the lobby, there was a flurry of movement. People were walking in different directions, most lost in conversation with each other or on their scrolls. No one seemed to pay them any mind as they headed to the elevator. Alto looked at the chart, seeing QuantomCore HQ was on the 60th floor. She pressed the button, folding her ears slightly as to not be seen. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice. The elevator doors opened and the pair swiftly stepped inside. Alto let out the breath she had been holding, leaning back against the rail.
"Okay, so what's the plan here?"
"It's simple, all you have to do is say you are working on a Technological Piece about the new microchips he invented. The He in question is Quintus Piccolo. It'll be a run-of-the-mill interview, once you get comfortable, ask him to show you a few new chips. The goal of this is to get him out of his office, that way I can do what I need to." the scroll read, causing Alto to frown.
"Do you actually think he's going to listen to me? I'm a faunus."
"He will, especially if you present yourself as a Huntress of the Atlas Military. You aren't just a faunus anymore, Alto. You are a Huntress, just like your sister. All that we are doing is getting dirt so that we can maybe put an end to the bastard who's killing people here."
Alto remained silent for a moment, giving her friend a nod. "Alright, I'll do my best. But what will you be doing?"
Neo wiggled her brows, a sneer on her face. Alto swiftly looked away, focusing on her distorted reflection on the elevator wall. "I don't know why, but an expression like that looks wrong on Weiss's face. I hope she never finds out about this."
It wasn't long until they reached the desired floor, the elevator doors slowly opened, and Neo ducked out, glowing a brilliant pink as she melted into the nearby wall. Alto was taken aback by this, never knowing she even had that ability. She took a deep breath, walking forward like she had a purpose. She took in her surroundings, the bright atmosphere, the solid blue carpeting, and the images of high-tech-looking equipment. QuantomCore was a very flashy company if she cared to admit it.
Reaching the main office, she was confused by the lack of people in the waiting room. It wasn't close to closing time yet. She didn't let that bother her. She continued on her way, making it to the front desk. A peppy-looking woman looked up from her computer, giving her a bright smile.
"Hello, welcome to QuantomCore, how may I help you?"
"Ah yes, my name is Alto-Marie Blaze, I'm a Huntress with the Atlas Military," she said, briefly showing the woman her License. "I'm working on a Technology Article, speaking mostly about the future of cybernetics. Would it be too much trouble to speak with Mr. Quintus Piccolo? Since he unveiled some new Microchips, I wanted to get the scoop from him before anyone else, hehe."
The secretary gave her a once over, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm not sure if he's taking visitors at the moment, but I'm sure he'd love to receive you."
After a quick call, the secretary got up from her seat, leading Alto down a nearby corridor. Neo followed along, blending into the walls as she walked. They reached the final door, the woman giving a few knocks before opening it.
"Sir, I've brought Miss Blaze," she said, stepping into the office.
"Ah, thank you, Miss White,"
Alto looked across the office, spotting who she assumed was Quintus Piccolo by the windows. He wasn't a very imposing man, looking far younger than he seemed to be. He had short brown hair, combed over the top of his head, clearly covering his thinning hairline. He wore a fancy suit, light blue in color with dark pinstripes, a white tie hung around his neck, bearing the crest of his company, and a stylized QC, with a Microchip behind it. He turned to face Alto, giving her a bright smile.
"Welcome, Miss Blaze. My name is Quintus Piccolo, Acting C.E.O. of QuantomCore, it's a pleasure to meet you." the man said, holding his hand out. The girl flushed, eagerly shaking his hand.
"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Piccolo. I hope I'm not bothering you or anything. It's just that… this sort of stuff really interests me. Given that you revealed those new chips not that long ago, I wanted to get the jump on things. I hope you don't mind my bombardment of questions!"
"Not at all, it fills me with joy knowing the youth is taking an interest in technology. Atlas is a mecca of technology and progress and it shouldn't be taken for granted. Regardless of that, let us sit, and get to know each other a bit, you are fairly young after all. Tell me, what do you like the most about technology?"
"Fuck me… putting me right on the spot, huh?" Alto thought to herself. Her gaze shifted across the room, where she saw Neo, hiding behind a couch barely out of sight. She plastered a fake smile on her face, proceeding to speak. "Well, I like the ease of use. I have a close friend who fought against a dangerous individual and ended up losing a few of his limbs. It is because of your microchips that his prosthetics work. It gives those with disabilities hope for the future, that they too can continue fighting to protect Remnant."
"An excellent answer, that is exactly my view on technology. I once used to make parts and components for video game consoles, making a fraction of what I made today. But with the rise of the internet and technology, I knew that eventually, physical money would become obsolete. That is why Cryptocurrency is the new wave of the future, I capitalized on it and well, here I am!" Quintus said, chuckling a bit. "Ah, but I don't let that change me. It wasn't until I saw my oldest daughter fighting for her life that I realized how important things are…"
He hung his head a bit, a frown on his face as he looked at a picture on his desk. "My little Sona… she came back from Beacon all battered and broken. There was a chance she wouldn't even make it. But General Ironwood promised he'd bring her back to me. She's more cybernetic than human now, but she's alive… and it's my components and microchips that made it possible. That is why QuantomCore is here, to produce the chips for the parts that matter."
Sitting back, he looked out the window, seeing a pair of Atlas Mantas flying by the building. He looked at them with disdain, shaking his head. "Of course, with things how they are, I'm afraid people aren't getting the items they need. The deal I made with the Atlas Military to supply them with the necessary components was a huge mistake. Of course, it's what's keeping my business afloat, so I'll have to take that hand until the borders reopen. I digress, ignore the ramblings of an annoyed old man."
"Oh, it's quite alright. I know the Embargo is putting everyone on edge, especially the people of Mantle. But let's not delve into politics at the moment, I just wish to understand more about these new components and how they will improve life going forward." Alto said cheerfully, a grin on her face. "And if I could snag a few pictures, that would be wonderful too!"
"Of course! In fact, why don't I give you a tour? Our components and PCBs are made in a factory on the edge of Atlas. But this is where we design and test those components. What better way to explain things than getting hands-on?!" the man said, rising from his seat. Alto did the same, turning back to Neo, who briefly gave her a thumbs up. "Come along, Miss Blaze, you are about to be taken aback by the wave of the future!"
Once they had left the office, Neo emerged from her hiding place, her body glowing pink as she transformed back into herself. She twirled Hush around her hand, resting it on the desk as she sat down. She spun around on the chair for a moment before rolling her shoulders, reaching into her pocket. She plugged a familiar-looking black scroll into Quintus's PC, smirking to herself.
"I am very happy Cinder didn't take this thing from me. It's just so useful," she thought to herself. With a few keystrokes, she was easily able to get access to the man's PC. "Now this is where the fun begins… let's see what he's hiding on his C: Drive."
Her fingers moved across the keyboard, accessing several files at once. She didn't find anything of interest, things revolving around business. She managed to find tax records, which she downloaded onto her scroll. Perhaps that would reveal something.
The more she dug in, the less she found. Everything was squeaky clean, nothing of interest stood out to her. No matter what she looked at, everything was just clean, as if someone had gone in and deleted everything incriminating. She finished pouring through every single file but didn't find a single damn thing. She sighed, leaning back in her seat.
"What the hell is this… there's no way this man is this clean. His PC looks like a goddamned hospital room. It's far too clean, there has to be something." She thought to herself. Her eyes fell onto the scroll, which she took a hold of, making sure it was still plugged in. She looked through it, finding something of interest. She hit the 'run' option on the scroll. The PC went dark for a moment before it rebooted, a cybernetic penguin logo appearing on it.
"A dual boot setup? Here you thought you could put one over on me eh?" Neo asked herself, grinning as she waited for the PC to fully boot. Now that it was in a different OS, she started snooping around, finding several pieces of incriminating data. "Ohoho~ Finally hitting paydirt. Mr. Piccolo, if the Atlas Council found out what you were doing you'd be under Mantle."
She began copying everything, everything that had any piece of data worth checking. She even found information regarding the Mattress Stores as well as its Tax Records. She found a lot of other things, her giddiness skyrocketing. Neo hastily downloaded everything she could, before returning the PC back to the way it was. Just in time as well, since Quintus and Alto returned, the girl was smiling from ear to ear.
"I wasn't aware that microchips could do so many cool things! I can see why you are so excited about the future, Mr. Piccolo!" Alto said a genuine smile on her face. "I'm really digging those new prosthetics too! My friend will be happy when they hit the market!"
"I'm sure he will be! I designed those chips so that they could help a lot of people. People like my daughter, who gave everything for her academy and lost so much. The Atlas Military has given her everything she needs and more. But she still has it hard."
"I can only imagine… My sister was also in Beacon Academy when it was attacked. She tragically lost her life." the wolf faunus said, ears drooping. "I miss her a lot, but she gave her life to protect someone she loved. She died valiantly, I want to be just like her in the future."
"You will be, Miss Blaze. You will be. Now if you have any more questions, I'll gladly answer them. I look forward to reading your article!" Quintus said, a cheerful expression on his face. Neo rolled her eyes. He wouldn't be so cheerful after all of this came to light.
xxx
"Do I seriously need to write that article? I've never written anything in my life, Neo." Alto said arms crossed as she walked.
"Of course, you have to write it. If you don't then he'll find it weird that a random teenager got a tour of his company. We have to keep our noses clean, Alto." the silent girl's scroll said. She sifted through the files she had taken from Quintus's computer, smirking. "Take a look at this."
Alto's brows furrowed a bit as she looked at the black scroll. She read the documents on the screen, confusion flashing onto her face. "Are these tax documents?"
"Yes ma'am, they are. Tax Documents for Mattress Loft, the company that QuantomCore purchased several weeks ago. How is it that a series of stores that were selling a mattress or two a day suddenly started making so much profit? There's no way they could have made so much money in such little time."
"So everything you've found out is right, this store is a front for this money laundering scheme. It's being hidden by QuantomCore, so it's likely no one would even notice," she said, looking back at Neo. "So this definitely incriminates him, and he seemed so nice."
"You heard him, he wants to help as many people as he can with his microchips. He can't do that if the borders are closed and Atlas has an Embargo. It makes sense why he'd want to help Ivy Brown. There's a lot of other things I found, but that can wait for now." the silent girl's scroll chirped. She sighed silently, shaking her head. "I'm so tired of speaking like this, I keep running out of characters."
Alto giggled, giving her friend a side hug. "Maybe we can get the General to make you a voice box?"
Neo shook her head. "Even if I could get something like that, I'm not ready for it. I've been mute for too long. It would be hard to get used to speaking again. Besides, I wouldn't be able to stop myself from talking a lot."
Her scroll suddenly beeped, causing her to look at her messages. She tapped on the icon, seeing a new message from Metera. She clicked on it, holding it up so that Alto could also read it.
"You were right about checking Rojas and Hernandez's apartments. We found similar notes within, both pertaining to that gang of thieves. It seems our Masked Man is the one leading them, which is why they attacked Levi and Weiss."
"If that person is leading them, they must be intimately acquainted with someone. But who even are they?" Alto queried, a pensive look on her face. Neo shrugged, focusing back on her scroll.
"We ended up finding a lot of information ourselves. Let's meet up and discuss our next steps, you and Valentine are gonna want to see the information we got our hands on." Neo typed, sending the message. She took hold of Alto's hand, pulling her along.
"Whoa… hey, I'm done with this mission! I have other things to do, I don't wanna get involved in any of this! Neo, please, stop pulling!" the wolf girl cried, but it fell on deaf ears.
Location: Unknown
"So let me get this straight, you want us to help you by filling Mantle with Grimm? Are you insane?" Octavia asked, causing the pinkette to glare at her.
"Of course, I'm not. You see, the woman that saved my life has a grand plan for all of Atlas. She requires assistance and the only one that can do that is me. She's promised me quite a lot of power after all." she said, glancing back at the older woman. "I cannot fail her, not like the last person she had employed to assist her, understood?"
"But sweetheart, this is just insane… flooding Mantle with Grimm, a lot of people will die," Harmony said, causing the girl to chuckle.
"A lot more people will die when Her Grace invades Atlas in a few months' time. What we are doing is paving the way for her. You will assist me unless you all want to end up rotting in a dingy Atlassian prison."
Both women paled, already knowing their fates if that happened to them. Antonio, who had remained silent, rose to his feet. His youngest daughter looked at him, head tilted slightly as she watched him approach her. He placed a hand on her head, before pulling her into a hug.
"My beautiful baby girl, I will do what I must to ensure you are happy. I failed you as a father when I let you head off to Beacon Academy. You just say the word and I will do what I must." he said, causing the girl to laugh.
"Now that's more like it!" she said, glancing at Octavia. "Big sis, I know all about what you are doing in Mantle. I've been in the shadows for a few days now… going around and doing that to poor innocents, how disgusting."
"I only did it to three people, I haven't touched the others." the woman said, crossing her arms. "Besides, Ivy paid me well, so why wouldn't I take the money? It's all for the good of our Opera House. Ironwood is bleeding us dry with this goddamned Embargo, we had no choice."
"Don't try to justify it to me, darling, I don't give a shit." the pinkette said, rolling her shoulders a bit. "We need to set up a bit, so call your boys up and start collecting some materials. And not just building materials, I need explosives."
The trio remained silent, watching the young woman reaching into her cloak. She pulled out a piece of rolled-up paper, laying it out on the stage behind them. "We need to make some precise strikes here, here, and here. These places need to be weakened by the time My Mistress arrives, they will be the entryway for her army to invade Mantle."
She looked up from the map, looking straight at Octavia. "As for you, I have a special mission for you. There's an abandoned fort out in Solitas, one where some interesting experiments were being done. There is a special orb that I require in order to bring some Grimm into the city. Retrieve it for me and you'll be paid handsomely,"
"Tch… you think money is going to sway me?"
The pinkette stepped up to her sister, crimson eye glaring into her own. "You will do this for me or you will pay the consequences. Father, how much money can you get from Piccolo and Brown?"
"Enough," Antonio said, making the girl look back at Octavia.
"See? It won't be so bad," she replied, patting her sister's head. She swiveled around, turning back to her father. "Call a meeting between You, Brown, Piccolo and King Cobra, all of you will need to work together for this plan of mine. Once the pieces are lined up, then the fun will begin. But first, we need to turn the people fully against the military, and we can't do that with murders and petty protests…"
"And what will you be doing? You are sending us to do your bidding while you sit high and dry?" Octavia asked, causing her sister to giggle.
"Oh sister dear, I'm not going to just sit still. I've got my own things to do, I will be sowing discord~ After all, the more negative emotions are in the air, the more Grimm will be attracted. That little orb you'll get for me is a failsafe, but it won't reach its full potential if the people still trust the Atlas Military," the young woman said, giggling. "I will be going up to Atlas, it has been quite a long time since I was up there. I have to make sure things aren't flowing too smoothly,"
She flicked her cloak, slowly heading out of the Opera House. Once she was gone, Octavia looked at her father, giving him a scowl. "Are you seriously going to do as she asks? She's fucking insane!"
"We must do as she asks, Octavia. We already failed her as a family, we don't have a choice," Antonio said, looking at his wife and daughter. "Besides, you've already dipped your hand into the darkness. There's no going back for you and you know it, don't pretend to have morals now,"
"Tch." she snapped, looking away from the man. "Lucky me, either rot in jail or do my sister's bidding and have a chance at freedom. How wonderful,"
"We have no choice, Octavia. We failed her as a family, this is how we redeem ourselves." Her father reiterated, making her scowl.
"If becoming criminals alongside our wayward daughter is a sign of redemption, I'd really like to know what her definition of being a hero is," Harmony said, leaving the stage. "You leave me out of it, I will not fall to petty crime just to stick it to General Ironwood."
Antonio sighed, shaking his head as he turned to face his oldest daughter. Octavia looked back at him, a look of disappointment on her face. He forced a smile onto his face, placing a hand on her cheek as he looked into her eyes. "I know you are disappointed in me, but this is necessary for us. Not just for our Opera House, but for all of Mantle."
"Keep telling yourself Dad, you are talking to someone who has done one of the grossest things, just so your friend Ivy Brown gets on that ballot. I'll do my job just as long as you do yours, but don't look at me when the both of us are sent to hell," Octavia said, swiftly leaving the room. Antonio frowned, reaching into his suit pocket for his flask. He took a drink from it, leaning against the stage.
"If there is a God out there, I do hope he can forgive me," he mumbled to himself.
Location: Mantle Tribune, Mantle
"Holy shit, Neo, this is an absolute treasure trove of information. You managed to discover everything we needed. Not just the tax documentation, but emails between Antonio DiCappriccio, Quintus Piccolo, and Ivy Brown. This evidence is incriminating beyond a shadow of a doubt!" Valentine said, sounding cheerful as he looked through the black scroll. He was in the process of transferring everything to a spare scroll, to make more copies of it, but he just couldn't help himself. "We're getting closer to finally solving this thing, and then finally, Hobbs will rest easy,"
"There's still a lot of things we have to do, darling. Don't just celebrate because Miss Silent got us a lot of information. We have to read through all of it and figure out who the killer is." Metera said, returning to what she had been doing. Alto's face was glowing red in embarrassment, causing her to groan.
"Miss Metera can you please stop rubbing my ears? It's so embarrassing!"
"Oh… I'm sorry, sweetie, but your ears are so fluffy and cute! I just can't help myself," she replied. She knelt down in front of the girl, giving her a smile. "Here, you can go ahead and rub mine if you'd like. They're super soft~"
"I'm all set, thanks."
"Muu… your loss. You remind me a lot of my sister, she hardly enjoys it when I give her ear rubs."
"Not that rubbing Alto's ears isn't fun, but we need to think about our next step. We have a lot of information on our three suspects, but we don't have concrete proof. Plausible Deniability is still a thing. Each of them can easily pass this off on "employees" or something in order to distance themselves from it." Neo's scroll said, causing everyone to look at her. "What we need is some real proof, a video, a voice recording, anything that's solid."
"We still haven't found who that Masked Man is. Our Jane Doe is absolutely fearful about it, especially with how she clung to Miss Schnee after she was picked up." Alto said, ears twisting a bit as she looked around the office. "Any idea where they might strike next?"
"Not that I know of. This person went after journalists, but after analyzing the information and pictures from the latest murder, our Masked Man isn't the one who killed those Gangsters. There's another killer who has their mitts in this, and unless we identify the Masked Man, we won't find our second killer,"
"Well, Rojas and Hernandez's notes did confirm the Masked Man working for the 5th Street Cobras. With all of the protests happening across Mantle, it'll act as the perfect cover to steal materials. Perhaps we should lay a trap for them?" Metera suggested.
"Lay a trap? We can't do that, if we put a tracker anywhere near those materials, they'll figure it out. I'm almost 100% certain they scan the materials for trackers." Valentine said, leaning back in his seat. "There has to be a way though… I'm sure we can figure something out."
Neo, who had been leaning against the window sill, glancing out into the streets of Mantle, saw something that caught her eye. She noticed a delivery man, pulling packages and scanning them. She saw the man place the package in front of the door, took a picture, and then jumped in his van. She narrowed her eyes a bit, a smile appearing on her face.
"Oh no! No! Whatever it is you are thinking, don't even think about it." Alto said, glaring at Neo. She adopted a defensive look, visibly hurt. "Don't act that way, you devious little mute. Whenever you smirk like that, I know something bad is gonna happen."
She waved her hand, rolling her eyes. Tipping her hat back, she hastily typed on her scroll, holding the device out. "Rather than laying a trap, why don't we just follow the delivery?"
"We can't do that, Neo. Remember what happened with Levi and Weiss… those guys recorded and looped the video feed. Not to mention that Masked Man is probably scanning the surrounding areas. They'll find you before you find them, it's far too dangerous." Valentine said firmly.
"It's too bad they'll find a tracker… why, it would be a lot easier if we just stuff ourselves in a crate and let them take us, wouldn't it?" Metera said, looking at the others. Neo smirked, giving the woman a wink. "Oh… oh please don't tell me that's your plan?"
"No! I am definitely not involved in this anymore. Good luck finding this killer, because I am out!" the wolf faunus announced. Neo only smirked.
xxx
"God I can't believe you are making me do this," Alto mumbled, adjusting herself a bit. Her face was cramped, the wooden box she was in being a bit smaller than she had assumed it would be. It had a single hole on the top for her to be able to breathe, hidden beneath a label so it wouldn't stand out.
Neo, who was also in the crate with her, held out her scroll, a message written on the glowing screen. "Don't talk, they might be able to hear you."
The wolf faunus nodded, tilting her head a bit. One of her ears was folded due to the awkward position of the box, but it was enough for her to hear. It hadn't been long since they had been dropped off. Having snuck onto the loading docks back in Atlas had been a challenge. Somehow, they hadn't been caught. Neo had discovered something new about her Semblance, the ability to make those she made physical contact with change into whatever she wanted, just as long as that contact wasn't severed. Something told her that Semblance was going to be a lot more useful in the future. And that meant more trouble for her and her friends.
Perhaps she should have asked General Ironwood for extra training. Then again, her muscle memory had kicked in, and she had successfully passed all her trials. When she agreed to be a Huntress, she certainly didn't have this in mind.
Alto was about to say something when she heard movement. She craned her neck a bit, her ear twitching a bit as she listened in.
"Alright boys, make it quick. We don't have a lot of time like we did last time. We need to gather as much material as we can. If we want to fund our new mission, then we need to offload this shit, ASAP!"
Alto looked at Neo, who merely shrugged. She continued listening in, eyes closed in order to focus as much as she could. She placed a hand on her mouth, just as their crate started moving, hearing a pair of grunts as the box was lifted.
"Gods, what the fuck is in this one? Concrete blocks? They weigh a ton!"
"Stop yer yappin' and keep liftin'. If you have time to complain, you have time to move!"
"Yes sir!"
"As heavy as concrete blocks? Why I ought to-" Alto thought, meeting Neo's gaze. She shook her head, the look on her face telling her she'd get her revenge later. She nodded, closing her eyes. They braced themselves as the box was set down rather roughly. It wasn't long before they began moving, the sound of an engine filling their ears. "Alright then, guess it won't be long until we find out where we are going. Wish me luck, sis. I'm gonna need it."
The wolf faunus mentally braced herself, not knowing what would expect her when that box was opened.
A/N: This was one of my favorite chapters to write. Neo is always an enigma, so writing a chapter where she's the main lead was such a fun time. I am likely going to do a few more Chapters with her as the main character, considering I've given Levi and Weiss a lot of focus. And that's something that might affect the arc as a whole, really. Team RWBY will have a lot of moments, but after rereading some of the future chapters, I realized that Levi and Weiss have a huge focus, I mean yeah... they were half of the focus during the first half, but we have a bigger cast. The events of Volume 8 will fix that, as with the teams split up, I get to focus on other characters quite a bit, I am excited about that. Also, I have been rewatching V8 to prepare for this, and hearing Pietro tell Penny that he wants to see her grow up and her saying I Love You, knowing she dies at the end of this Volume... that shit fucked me up. Goddamn it, CRWBY. Ah well, things are things and things happen a lot. So I hope you like this thing of things, which happens to be sharing a name with a chapter from the Mistral Arc because I forgot the Chapter names and I wasn't assed enough to come up with a new title, lol. It is what it is.
