— A/N —
Updated cover art! Now includes the title of this story, and I also increased the contrast of the image.
I took a bit longer to post this due to other things I had to focus on. But hopefully I made up for that with this relatively longer chapter compared to the previous ones.
- Reviews -
Molag Vile: Thank you! I found it fun to write, plus it cuts down on having to write Teddy do similar actions.
Guest on Nov 25, 2022: That's true, but I doubt anyone who knows of Jinn would really want to waste a question on him.
Jowasut: Lol. I remembered that there was a type of fear or paranoia where a person thinks that someone else has been living in their house and has been moving things around, which is what inspired that whole chapter, which then became 'what if I just have him raid Cinder's fridge?' And the rest is history. By the way, I answered your question in a private message if that guest review was by you. But to answer it for everyone to see: Teddy can make multiple permanent saves, but can only have one quicksave slot, which is also something that he mainly uses.
EShrew: Thank you. I had always planned for Roman to get out from Cinder's grasp, but what NJMR IV brought up made me realize that I shouldn't take things too slow.
Singular Ash: Thank you! Hope you enjoy!
Imperial Guard 1337: Yeah, that's the idea of how I want Teddy to fight. I'm definitely going to incorporate that more.
"SAVESCUM"
Chapter Six
Teddy slid his finger across his phone's screen to cancel the alarm. The time was 9:34 after his three-hour game session was up. His joints creaked as he shambled to the kitchen, and he began to microwave leftover pizza slices from the night before. As the hum of the microwave filled the kitchen, bloodshot eyes stared around the room almost in disbelief. It was strange; Teddy had to remind himself that this was indeed his apartment. Perhaps comparing the game to a dream was more accurate than he thought.
It was a mercy that the microwave beep shook him free of his thoughts. Teddy ate his pizza in silence as he decided that there really was nothing else he could do for the rest of his night. He might as well go to sleep—he could wash his dishes and clean up his apartment tomorrow morning. Once he finished his food, he went back to his computer with the intention of shutting it down for the night, until something caught his attention. There was a notification that he clicked on.
9:40 PM [Dweebius091] Hey, how have you been?
Teddy snorted as he tried to suppress a dumb smirk. Owen was one of the few that he'd known and stuck with since elementary school. Dirty-minded, hot-tempered; he could be a bit of a wild card if the circumstances were right.
Teddy typed back a response.
9:48 PM [TerryHolmilk] Im good
9:48 PM [TerryHolmilk] btw, did you change your username?
9:49 PM [Dweebius091] lol yeah, I had to.
9:49 PM [Dweebius091] My parents got mad at me when they saw it.
9:49 PM [Dweebius091] Hold on wait, I think I got something.
9:49 PM [GlazeInMyTea] How abut now?
Oh my– That's even worse! And yet, the smile only grew bigger. It was crude, juvenile, dirty humor, but Teddy knew that it was something that Owen always did even back then. Though he had, thankfully, grown out of it; he'd feel embarrassed if he was caught laughing at this kind of thing. But just this once, he let it pass.
9:50 PM [TerryHolmilk] you are actually a degenerate, what's the matter with you
9:50 PM [GlazeInMyTea] :joy:
9:50 PM [GlazeInMyTea] It's what I do best. Call?
Without a word, Teddy opened up the drawer of his desk and pulled out his microphone. He felt himself jitter; it'd be the first time he'd talk to one of his old friends in a long while. Plugging in the USB, he clicked on the call button. After a second, the ringing stopped, and the application displayed the two of them in a call session.
"Hey!" Owen's voice—still youthful, Teddy noted—sounded warped. Even after two and a half years, he still had that poor-quality microphone.
"Hey, man." Teddy's smile grew wider. "You still live with your parents?"
"Yep. I figured I could still live with them until I finish up college, then I'll move out and find a job. What about you?"
"Living on my own; classes during the day and my part-time job after."
"Damn. School and work? Sounds rough."
Teddy snorted. "You wouldn't believe it."
Their conversation lulled. He knew that he needed to say something just to keep the ball rolling, but what could he say? Owen had been a friend for a long time, yet nearly three years was enough to make him feel like he was talking to a stranger. But maybe he didn't have to come up with anything.
"Want to play a game together?" A simple request, but one that would be better than trying to think of something to talk about. Besides, maybe he could relive the past.
He heard Owen snort on the other end, which sounded exactly like how speakers would be if air was blown into the mic without a pop filter—loud and explosive. "Yeah, let's fuckin' do it."
The game they played was ancient by their time, having been around since the Zoomers. Regardless of its age, it still had a loving community of players, which had, once upon a time, included Teddy's friend group. He remembered the nights spent playing together. He could reminisce later. Much like back then, their game session together was a mix of fun dancing, last-minute clutches, and fun jokes and jabs at each other—the whole rollercoaster of emotions. Occasionally they would talk about what they've been up to since they last saw each other; the people they met, things they've accomplished. It seemed like Owen had more to talk about when it came to those subjects.
When someone had insulted Owen in voice-chat, Teddy's eyes couldn't have been any wider. Owen had gone into voice-chat at the same time he was on a call with Teddy, making it sound like there were two of them. Combined with his poor microphone?
"You were a fuck-up growing up, weren't you?!"
It sounded like two people shouting into a metal can. Teddy had blown air out his mouth as he struggled to say, "Owen! You-! You can't just say that!"
"Teddy, what do you mean I can't say that? I just did! I'll even do it again. Hey, Altamede, you were a fuck-up!" Of course, he had to say that in voice chat too. Was it possible to feel embarrassment despite the other players not having heard him say anything? Yes, it was—he had Owen to thank for that. The verbal sparring continued on with the addition of some asking who Teddy was, but by that point the game was over, and the two decided to exit to the main menu. A quick glance to the corner of his screen showed it was 11:34.
Teddy let out an exasperated sigh. "Why? Why?!"
"Heh. Why not? I'm not going down alone, you're coming with me!"
Teddy scoffed, which then became a wild, genuine, and admittedly stupid laugh. Owen joined in too after. How long had it been since he enjoyed the ridiculousness of it all with someone? Good times. Better times. But what he had right now was just a whisper compared to the fun the group used to have. As the laughter died down, he found how quiet his room was—for once, there wasn't even a single noise outside his apartment either. It was enough to remind him how little he had now.
"I miss this…"
A short scoff came from the other end. "You keep saying that up."
"Really?"
"Yeah, in the middle of that last game when both teams were just dancing, then about two games before that as well."
Had he? He couldn't remember saying it. Chances were that he said it subconsciously. But it was true. He'd dream of getting back together with those friends to have one final memory for a proper send off—a 'grand finale' so to say. But that wasn't how life worked. Friendships don't end with big farewells, they end like old dogs hiding away to die quietly.
And when those bridges collapse, what was he left with?
"I miss the late-night gaming all of us had before, is all." After a pause, he then added, "The conversations and stupid shit we talked about… It was so much fun."
"Yeah… Hey, y'know, I got a chance to see Michael at the supermarket last week—he's doing pretty well. I think Henry's trying to be a famous 'in-flu-en-cer'. Liam didn't bother with college—says he'd rather get paid for work than spend another day in a classroom and get into debt because of it. Annie is working–"
"Y'know Alice hates that nickname, right?"
"If she doesn't want me to say it, then she can come into this call and stop me her-damn-self!" Owen cleared his throat. "She's working hard in medical school. I hadn't heard from Phyllis, but Liam told me that she's well."
That's good to know, Teddy thought. To hear that they were still alive and how they're all doing after so long felt like a weight had been lifted off. "Why tell me this?"
Owen barked into his microphone, which honestly sounded like he put the whole thing in his mouth in an attempt to eat it. "Caught red-handed. You really didn't bother to ask them yourself?"
"It's just that… Things come up when you least expect them. I push things that I want to do back, and I keep pushing them back until I realize time passed by faster than I thought. The same goes for the others—they have things they're busy with too." After that, Owen was silent—something that was rare for him to do.
"Time moves on, and that means we all have to as well." Teddy's eyes perk up towards the screen to see Owen's profile picture. "Here's, uh, a bit of wisdom from a professor of mine: if you want a teacher, you will find one—it could be from your personal experiences, or from someone else. But if you want to be a slave, then you will find a master—alcohol, maybe even people–"
"I never took you to be the philosopher."
It was Owen's turn to start laughing, loud and boisterous. "Haha! Yeah." It continued on, but the longer it went, the more apparent it became that it wasn't entirely genuine. It slowed down to a low chuckle before it came to a stop.
"A lot has happened since high school ended. I… ended up learning about philosophy, not really for trying to find the answers to life's questions, but just to understand how to cope with life, you know?" Owen—the guy who Teddy remembered as acting larger than life, who spoke confidently no matter what he was saying, or who it would offend—sounded somber. Out of respect for him and the years they'd known each other, Teddy knew that he shouldn't push any further on what it could be.
"Yeah," he finally said. "I think I get it."
"Yeah, well… Oh?" Somewhere on the other end of the call, Teddy could make out the voice of someone else. "Don't worry! I will!"
"Gotta' go?"
"Yep. Still have to abide by my parents' rules if I'm staying here."
"Hah! You can't stay up too late, but they allow you to curse?"
"I'm an adult, I can say 'the big boy words' if I want!" Owen said in a mock child voice.
They wished each other their goodbyes. As Teddy clicked on the button to exit, he stared at the computer screen in front of him. Replaying the time he spent with him in his mind gave him a certain warmth. But it was that last conversation that he remembered well.
'If you want to be a slave, you'll find a master', he scoffed. Ridiculous. It felt out of nowhere for him to say that. Without a word, he got up from his desk after shutting down his computer, brushed his teeth, and crawled into his bed for the night. He didn't bother to unplug the microphone.
Even as he tried to focus on falling asleep, his friend's words stuck to him more than he'd be willing to admit.
· · ·
The elevator door slowly slid open, and a delayed ding signaled to her that she arrived at her floor well after she had walked out. The rotating, shifting gears were visible through the thick glass floors and roof. Glynda's heels clacked on her way to the Headmaster's desk.
"Ozpin, I have urgent news." In her hand was a steel briefcase that she placed on top of the desk. "One of the bullhead pilots brought this briefcase to us this morning. After making sure it wasn't dangerous, I found that it contains some important information that you should know."
Ozpin clicked open the latches. His eyes scanned its contents, and his hands sorted through it. Glynda already knew what was in there; a Haven Academy uniform and ID, a matte black scroll, and—most damningly—a folder containing information on who Cinder Fall is, and a list of safehouse locations and where the stolen dust were located. There was also a handwritten note, presumably by the one who sent them this. Glynda patiently stood as Ozpin inspected it all with keen eyes. After he put down that note, he said the first words since she came here.
"Any mention of who the person in question is?"
"He said it was a girl who he thought was a student. Black hair and green eyes, and didn't say a word. All she did was walk up to the landing zone, dropped off the briefcase with a message taped onto it, then left before any of the workers there could ask her anything."
He hummed in consideration. Then, a small smile formed on his face. "I find it quite amusing that we would just be given this much information about our enemies on a silver platter—or rather, a briefcase."
"I have my doubts; all of this could just be a red herring to trick us. I just figured that you should be informed of this is all."
"Please, Glynda, you're frowning." She wasn't until he brought it up. "I agree that we should take this with a grain of salt, but there's no reason not to investigate a little further." He held up the student ID, one that had a young woman's face with black, shoulder length hair, and amber eyes. The card was then set on top of the folded uniform. "School uniforms aren't that difficult to replicate, but the ID is officially issued. They're usually printed within the academies."
"That is…" Plenty of things, but "Concerning" is the word Glynda decided on. Their enemies were able to breach into one of the academies without their headmaster knowing, and were seemingly planning to breach Beacon as well. With plenty of students coming from all over the world for the Vytal Festival this year, it'd be difficult to keep track of everyone.
"Indeed. I'll have to ask Lionheart about it, see if he could investigate this on his end. As for this." Ozpin held up the scroll. "I'll inform James if he could have someone look into this; we don't have that many tech-savvy people here, and who knows what's on it."
"What about Qrow? Send him a photo of the ID and ask him if she's one of the people who attacked Amber."
His eyes met hers. "Qrow sent me a message a couple nights ago. Immediately after that, his scroll became inactive. We'll have to wait for his return."
Glynda sighed. "Wonderful."
· · ·
With her main place of stay turned to ashes, she had to stay at Emerald's cheap rental apartment. Tacky, vintage wallpaper was what took up the majority of the wall. She laid back on a suede couch that'd seen years of use. Her fingers pinched the bridge of her nose and growled in frustration, as Emerald had set down a cup of coffee on the table in front of her, along with a breakfast pastry.
"Here, ma'am." Emerald stood and watched patiently with her hands together as she took a sip of the coffee; it was sweet, but had a kick of bitterness as she continued to drink. It was only after Cinder's face relaxed that she began to speak. "Uhm, ma'am, Mercury sent a message to me while I was out." Cinder's eyes were now on Emerald. "And… He said that Roman hasn't met up with the White Fang to collect the Paladin."
For a brief moment, Cinder's eyebrow twitched down. "Call him. Call the girl with him if he doesn't answer!" She continued to have her breakfast as Emerald fumbled with her scroll. Cinder continued to take a bite out of the pastry and down it with the coffee. As she finished up her breakfast, she looked back up to see Emerald. The look she gave didn't make her confident.
"Well?"
"I-I'm sorry, ma'am, but–"
"But what?"
"It's not going through. It's the same thing that happened when I tried to call Neo. I think their scrolls are down."
Of course. Useless Torchwick. It was too soon if he was arrested since he had to be in one of Atlas' airships for the plan to work. But if he was arrested, she surely would've heard something on the news. Cinder frowned. Chances are he's trying to run away. I'll have Emerald and Mercury tie up loose ends later.
It was all one thing after another. Cinder had to question herself how it all came like this. Her plan was perfect. Daring, she could admit. All of it was so that she could kill two birds with one stone—steal the other half of the Fall maiden's power and cause strife between the kingdoms. She would have to ask Leonardo and Watts for the items again. The thought of that stuck-up scientist holding this over her head…
There was a small gasp, a hitch in Emerald's breathing that snapped Cinder's eyes to the girl.
"What is it now?"
She looked at her hesitantly. Instead of saying whatever it was, Emerald handed Cinder her scroll. It was a photo bust of her from the shoulders up, a light smile on her face and the Haven uniform neatly pressed. It was accompanied by a notice for her arrest. A dry, hoarse scoff came from her mouth.
Cinder Fall was now wanted.
Her grip on the scroll tightened. Did Grin piece together her plan from the disguise and scroll and report it to Ozpin? Or was he hired by Ozpin to do this? Wouldn't be the first time he hired cutthroats to do his dirty work.
Damnit! My plan… No. No, it's still salvageable. I can still make it work. The CCT still had to be hacked; getting in won't be so hard, but they might try to update the security on it. That would be Watts' problem to solve; all she had to do was put whatever scroll he gave her into the CCT. Someone had to get the Paladin and convince the White Fang to work in her plan. Since Roman's gone and she couldn't sneak into Beacon, she supposed that it would be her job to be at the rally now.
Cinder grunted. None of this would've been happening if Grin hadn't screwed everything up. It was clear to her that he was a threat that couldn't be left alone. It would've been nice if he could stir the pot more.
Xiong's men were killed by Grin. Perhaps Junior and I could come to an agreement.
· · ·
Nora said as much when she told them that they didn't have any real plans to fulfill while in Vale. But generally, their first stop was to have breakfast, which is why the eight of them stopped by a local diner. It was already full of people, but they managed to find seats along the bar, right where they could watch the cooks prepare the food.
The cooks were cooking, shouting out orders to each other of what needs to be cooked, while the patrons chatted idly. There was a dip in the atmosphere, which allowed the almost muted sound of a radio playing to be heard in the background as the eight of them looked over the menu.
They all had worn their usual hunter attire, with the exception of bringing their weapons. As well as an exception for Pyrrha; she wore a zip-up hoodie, jeans, a cap, along with sunglasses. Speaking of whom, Pyrrha adjusted her scarf wrapped around her neck to prevent it from hanging over her food when she leaned forward. Ruby knew that this was to prevent her from being recognized, but because they were indoors, it still drew attention to the girl.
"Big stack of pancakes, please!" Nora was energetic, as usual. The others made their order until it got to her.
"I'll have waffles and a cup of milk," said Ruby. Their server nodded and called out to the other cooks to make their order. Yang placed the entirety of her hand on top of Ruby's head.
"Still drinking milk, sis?"
"It helps me grow!" Ruby swatted her hand away.
Soon enough, their orders were placed in front of them. The scent of buttermilk waffles lingered in the air, along with the other mouthwatering foods from Ruby's friends. Sticking a fork near the edge of the waffle and cutting it out with a knife in her other hand, she listened in on what Jaune was saying.
"Once we're done eating, where should we go?"
Nora mumbled something, but after Ren told her to swallow first, she then said, "We don't need a plan, silly, let's just explore Vale to see what it has to offer!"
Weiss paused halfway between taking a bite. "Explore… as in wander?"
"Duh. That's what I've been saying!"
Weiss grimaced. "I'd prefer it if there was at least a general idea of what we're going to do next."
Jaune leaned forward, allowing himself to be seen past Blake, Nora and Ren. "Oh! How about the arcade?"
"Pass."
"What? Why?"
"There are better things we could be doing than playing in a… public game house."
Yang snickered. "Weiss-cream just doesn't want to show us how bad she is."
Weiss' eyes widened at her sister, which then became an insulted look. "Wha–! Don't you know who I am? I wouldn't lose by playing some games."
Ruby smirked. Weiss was her partner, and while there was a level of respect between the two, she wasn't not going to take the moment to tease her. "Then why don't you prove it?"
"My point still stands—we're out in Vale, there's plenty of other things we could do."
At this point, Ren spoke up. "How about the mall? We could look through what the stores have to offer and buy whatever interests us."
Weiss hummed as she mulled it over. "That sounds good."
"I'm down," Yang said. "Maybe after we could hit up the club—I know a good place, trust me."
Blake looked at her sister weirdly. "We're not at drinking age, Yang." Her eyes turn to hers. "Ruby definitely isn't either."
"Who said we were drinking? We're just going to dance."
If Tai heard about this, both Ruby and Yang wouldn't hear the end of it for about a month. And if Ruby knew Yang well enough, she'd know that her sister would allow herself 'one drink' while they were there.
And maybe start another bar fight…
Pyrrha spoke quietly, but loud enough for Yang to hear. "The mall sounds good. The club, not so much."
"Boring… Live it up a little. You could even use the chance to dance, both you and Jau–"
A strange noise came out of Pyrrha, almost like a wet slap, that made Yang cup her mouth. "Le-Let's just eat, please."
Ruby continued to eat her breakfast, as did the others. Through the clashing of silverware on ceramic plates, the voice of a news reporter could be heard.
"Last night, a fire broke out at Aureolin Squares apartment. Fortunately, all tenants were safely evacuated from the building, with only one being taken to the hospital due to smoke-related injuries. Investigations as to what started the fire are currently underway."
"I swear, what's happening to this city." Ruby turned her head to the side to see two people sitting at a booth by the window; a young man in a suit sat opposite to a woman in jeans and a blouse. "The police are incompetent to catch just one killer, and there's going to be an influx of 'tourists' from the other kingdoms. How are they going to keep us safe?"
"What about the hunters?" She paused to take a sip from her drink. "There'll be plenty coming in to see the tournament in person."
"Don't be serious, Vale's hunters can't even catch the guy. I wouldn't hold my breath on it."
"Don't be serious," she jokingly mocked. "You're such a negative nancy. It only takes one slip up for him to be caught."
That bothered Ruby, and she knew well that it shouldn't have. I'm here to relax, and enjoy time with friends, she told herself. She finished the last of her waffles just around the time the others finished eating. After paying for the meal and tipping the cooks, they all walked in a loosely-knitted group on the sidewalk. The cool, crisp air was a stark contrast to the warm interior.
"The mall is a little far from here," Jaune pointed out the way, "but we can take a shortcut through downtown." He looked at Nora when she got his attention.
"Couldn't we hail a taxi?"
Ren shook his head. "I don't think there's enough room for more than four at a time."
"… Couldn't we hail two taxis?"
· · ·
The antique feel of the place was something that he enjoyed.
In a downtown store on a busy street in Vale was an old knife shop. A square, holographic screen was placed in the corner of the store right above the cash register with its volume low enough to not be too intrusive. There was a miniature fan that had strips of streamers taped to it to show how much work the fan was doing; the protective frame around it was also wide enough for someone to put their entire hand through it to touch the spinning metal blade, assuming they were dumb enough to do so.
Who was Teddy kidding? He'd do that just for the fun of it.
Teddy looked at the owner behind the counter, and he could tell that he was a hunter, or an ex-hunter if the faded colors on him were any indication. His black hair was greying along the sides of his head, a square jaw that looked like he was constantly clenching it. His outfit from the upper body was a white button-up shirt underneath a wheat-toned, canvas, sleeveless vest. The only color on him that wasn't faded were his eyes; a sharp violet tone that regarded him for a moment before the man nodded.
Teddy returned the nod as he looked around. Rows of knives from the front all the way to the back were plentiful in types; hunting knives, butterfly knives, pocket knives, multi-tool knives, even machetes. But among all of those choices, there was one type that stood out; a unique and iconic family of blades situated in the aisle of regular switchblades.
The Vacuan stiletto—polished metal and shiny black handle in all of its glory for him to marvel at. He picked one of them up, getting a feel for it in his virtual hands. His thumb gently pressed the button on the handle, and a thin metal toothpick flicked out with a snap. Holding it made him feel like an early twentieth-century gangster.
That night, Neo had proven how much of a weakling he was very well to him. He could hold his own against the average person, and while it wasn't impossible, fighting a hunter was difficult. He needed something to be used as a weapon, it didn't matter what it was—he could use his character's own shoe if he wanted—but a knife had enough utility as it was. It was something that he could carry on his character at all times so that he wouldn't be caught defenseless.
Thinking of the girl reminded him of Roman's last message to him. We're gonna lay low for a bit, maybe even move to Mistral temporarily until things cool down. He wasn't exactly sure why; Roman continued to be a public nuisance even after becoming a wanted figure. Not like it was important anyway.
Teddy brought the knife up to the register, where the man behind the counter looked at it. "Hm, you have good taste." There was grit to his voice, but it wasn't so rough. "Though, I have to warn you, the Vacuan knives I have here aren't meant for heavy use. They're not the genuine ones you could get in Vacuo, they're better off as display pieces." When he didn't respond, the owner looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
Teddy did his usual—tapped his throat and shook his head.
"Can't speak, eh? Won't ask about it. Just want to make sure this is really what you want. There's plenty of other, more durable switchblades here." When Teddy pointed to the knife and nodded, the owner peeled off and looked at the little sticker from the knife and typed the amount into the register. "Right. That'll be–"
The audio on the holographic TV suddenly cut off, before displaying a news anchor at his table. "We interrupt this broadcast to bring you important information. The police have given out a description regarding the one responsible for the recent murders throughout our city." On the screen was a grainy photo of him at the docks, zoomed on solely on him with the unmistakable gainsboro-colored peacoat and brown pants. The next image was a police sketch that looked close enough to his appearance. "Suspect is a white male with brown hair and brown eyes; medium-lean build at around five-foot seven-inches. Information regarding this individual will be rewarded. If you see him, find a safe place and contact the authorities immediately."
The store owner tore away from the screen and gave him one look.
Those violet eyes were even sharper.
· · ·
Her scroll vibrated along with a loud beep that startled her. Though, she wasn't the only one; it seemed like every person with a scroll got an alert too. As the eight of them stopped and pulled out their scrolls, they all watched the announcement. "–the one responsible for the recent murders throughout our city. Suspect is–" The words cut off when a door of a shop across the street slammed open, and a person came rushing out.
No… It can't be! It felt like time moved slower. A grey coat and brown pants, pale skin and brown hair; the boy who looked no older than any Beacon student ran out onto the sidewalk down the street when a new voice shook her.
"Hey! Get back here, thief!"
Thief? Even just looking at him from behind, she could tell that it was him. The shop owner stood by the doorway, eyes fierce. He probably would've ran after him if it wasn't for the brace around his leg.
"Don't worry, sir, we'll get him," Pyrrha reassured the man. Of course, JNPR didn't know because they weren't there, but RWBY was.
"Guys, wait!" The urgency in her voice got them to stop in their tracks. "That's the killer!" Her friends' eyes widened at that and quickly turned to look at where he was. The killer was getting further away. Quickly, they all sprinted down the street where they had come from.
It's really it; this is the moment… Ruby wasn't even prepared—none of them were. She didn't expect to see him so soon. "We don't even have our weapons…"
Yang fixed her with a look. "We don't need weapons, Ruby. Remember what I said—we don't fight him." That was right, she agreed to it the night before. Ruby bit back the urge to say that they can call in their weapon lockers and nodded.
That's still not good. I can't defend myself or others without Crescent Rose. She couldn't really see JNPR's expressions since they were in the lead, but Weiss looked serious, more so than usual, and Blake looked conflicted. Meanwhile, Yang pulled out her scroll and called the police. As for Ruby, she heard thumps, and it was hard to tell if it was their shoes against the ground or her heart pounding in her chest. Stop it. I can't freak out now. I have to focus. I have to stop him.
As they continued to chase him, they reached the end of the street at a T-intersection. There were shops and businesses, restaurants and cafes that had tables out on the sidewalk, and worst of all—people. It began with one person looking up from their scroll at the killer, realizing who he was, before things went out of control. No, we need to keep the peace.
"Everyone, please be calm!" Her voice almost cracked. Maybe her friends heard her, but not the people, definitely not over the screams of those running away. What was left was an empty street, devoid of everyone but them and the killer, and some dropped food and drinks left behind on the sidewalk. "Surround him, quick!"
They evenly spread out, two people each guarding the main street entrances and one on each corner of the sidewalk. Pyrrha and Ren took the left, Jaune at the corner; Blake and Nora took the right with Weiss holding the other corner; Ruby and Yang stood ready at the street they had all come from, which left him with his back against the stores.
"Don't move," Pyrrha said firmly. "The police will be arriving shortly. Just stay there."
"And turn yourself in when they arrive!" Blake shouted.
He didn't look panicked in the slightest. He just looked at all of them with a neutral face. Taking a few steps back, his heel hit something that caused him to look down. It was a broom left behind by an employee. The killer reached down and picked it up.
"She said don't move!" Ruby's sister shouted as well. She didn't have her gauntlets, but her fists were raised high.
He held the broom in both his hands, and watched his hands glide around the sanded wooden handle. As he looked up at them, it was like a switch had been flipped inside his head. In the blink of an eye, that expressionless face turned into excitement.
That manic, devilish smile met them all.
— A/N —
Got a question for the readers since the next chapter is going to be a fight scene: are the fights—I don't know—too much? Repetitive? Redundant, even? I stated that this story is an action-orientated story, but I'll admit that this story so far is just one fight after another. Let me know if I should slow down; focus more on the aftermath of events and characters' POV (i.e. the quiet moments of the story). Also let me know if I should have different fights that don't involve Teddy. Obviously those changes would have to come after the next chapter.
It was Three Sheets to the Wind by Coeur Al'Aran that I read that some ideas are best left as disjointed drabbles rather than a full-length, coherently-written story. I realize now that this is what that story is, considering that this story's concept began when I thought of fight scenes that I thought were cool, as well as the main conflict of the story being between Teddy and Ruby—and nothing else besides that.
It has an interesting concept, and I have the major story beats jotted down, as well as a general idea on how this ends, but I doubt that it has enough content—for lack of a better word—for it to remain interesting throughout.
As always, let me know your thoughts and if there's anything I can do to improve—be it grammar-wise or writing-wise.
Published: Jan. 26, 2023
