Last time was the longest chapter. This one is the shortest thus far. Enjoy, Brave Heroes!
Chapter Sixteen: CRBN
The silver haired man stands rigid, looking over the city to the sunrise. His dark eyes take the magnificent view in. However, what would be typically a heartwarming view filled the man with dread. It was a feeling both vaguely familiar and intimately known.
Behind him, Qrow leans against the headmaster's desk, holding up papers. Ozpin closes his eyes. Not a single minute of sleep to be had between them, but a single lost night is nothing new to either of them. "Go on."
Qrow sighs. "A total of 107 children were recovered, but based on corroborating evidence and track marks, one truck carrying an additional 42 children escaped before the explosion." He gazes down the sheet. "We've arrested 67 men and women, 25 of which all millionaires of different backgrounds. None have talked. None have given ground. The story is consistent between them, that the event was a performance, that some unaffiliated group disrupted the event, and they didn't know about the children."
"An obvious lie, but the consistency between them will make prosecution difficult." Ozpin ponders. "Considering we know the particular group that disrupted the event, and have matched... how many children to the missing persons reports?"
"Eleven of the children match up with the recent Vale missing persons reports. Follow up notes show that of the 18 that disappeared in the last two months, this organization is responsible for 16. So five were on the truck that went missing."
Ozpin paces across the room. "Continue..."
"Most of the children refused to speak to police, many tried to start fights, which were stopped by yours truly." Qrow pauses, removing his flask and taking a drink. Putting it away, he moves on. "Those that have cooperated have informed of a collective fear of members of the police and government belonging to this group that kidnapped them."
Ozpin's grip on his cane tightens. His response is cut off by the third voice in the room. Professor Oobleck steps in, papers in his hand as well. His rapid response sounds. "Which is corroborated by an anonymous tip placed in to Beacon reporting three cops inside the CVPD. The tip was specific and matched accessories the cops wore to this mystery organization's preferred symbol. A skull with three eye sockets."
Qrow finishes. "Clinched with all three being in charge of the investigations of the missing children in the city." He looks to Ozpin. "I don't need to say this is a LOT worse than the Rocky fiasco."
Oobleck adjusts his glasses, holding up another paper. "Bringing up THIS!" He extends the paper for Ozpin, who accepts it. "Confirmation that Senior was in league with these men. Seeing as the auditorium was owned by him as well... The tip came from his son of all people."
Qrow and Ozpin share a quick look. The meaning was clear as Qrow nods. "I'll head out with City swat teams and get the bastard." He begins to walk for the exit.
"Mr Branwen." The name halts Qrow at the door. "Take him alive. I want to know about this organization." His eyes then soften. "And see if you can find our 'helpers' while you're at it." The Huntsman nods, lazily waving as he marches out.
. . .
Six Hours Earlier. Just After Midnight
The door slams shut as four bodies come to a stop inside Roman's apartment. Carmine stumbles to a knee, slinking onto the bed as he gasps for breath. Even Neo barely takes time to look around the room as she collapses on the other end of the furniture.
Roman settles into a chair, his breath most even as he sighs. The only one who took the time to look around was Blair. She stares about, finding the planning wall in the dining area. The abundance of cigar packs and empty bottles made her turn her nose up. Disgusted, she slowly takes a seat at the dining table.
Nothing but the sound of heavy breathing sounds as they collectively calm down. "I'm dead." Carmine mutters.
"You're not squatting on my couch, brat." Roman grumbles. He looks over to see Neo. The girl's lips were pursed as she finally began checking around the room. "Problems, Tricolor?"
Neo's shoulders rise and fall with her breaths. Slowly, she gestures with her hand, as if holding a cup, turning it to her mouth. Surprisingly, Roman says nothing about that. He stands, moving to his kitchenette and getting some glasses out.
He returns, a bottle tucked under his arm and three cups filled with water. Placing two on the table by the children, he offers the third to Blair. She narrows her gaze at him. "Can I even trust tap water in this run down place?"
"Can you trust tap water anywhere?" Roman counters with a raised brow. A moment of glaring is followed by the woman accepting the cup. He pops the cap from his bottle as he begins drinking from it.
"So..." Blair starts. Her eyes flick to Carmine and Neo, then to Roman. "Are we going to discuss this, so we can be done with it?"
Carmine groans, forcing himself upright. Seeing the cups in front of them, he and Neo accept them. "Yeah... yeah..."
"What's there to discuss?" Roman wonders out loud. "Turned out neither of us were the only ones with a plan, we came through in the end, and now we can all piss off on our merry ways."
"There is a lot to talk about. Even with a vandal like you." Blair narrows her gaze at his green eyes.
He groans. "Fine, fine. Take advantage of my hospitality." He stands up and moves to his dining room table. The man sets about the process of clearing the table of artistic utensils and clutter.
As the time passes, Neo looks at Blair with a side glance, then cocks her head at Carmine. She snaps her gaze away as he turns her way as well. Her fists clench, brow troubled, but she lacks the capability to voice her mind.
"And done." The three look over to see Roman's dining area cleared completely, save for four chairs. One of which Blair already occupied. "Alright. Let's get this over with." He sits to Blair's right on the square table. Moving about, Neo sits to Blair's left, Carmine directly across.
That was when he noticed the only light on in the room was the overhead. Would look like a terrible movie scene if it didn't manage to light the living area too. Neo shrugs, looking between them.
As her gaze finds Blair, she nods. "Let's start with how we all got planning tonight and build from there." She looks between them. "Who goes first?"
. . .
City of Vale. Low Income Housing. Twelve hours later.
The sound of knocking rings at the door. Carmine shifts uncomfortably. His thoughts race a mile a minute. What if he's still at the police station. Oh god, what if the corrupt cops got to him! Wait, no. Roman assured that wouldn't happen.
The door clicks and opens... revealing the sloth faunus mother. The woman's eyes were rimmed red, irritated and devoid of makeup. She's been crying... a lot. The woman's eyes widened like saucers as she took the boy in. "Um... hello, Miss Dawn." He hesitated before continuing. "Did the police return Ronson back to-"
He's cut off as he's swept off his feet. The woman crushes the boy in a hug as his legs are dangling a foot from the ground. Her breath shudders as the door swings wider. Carmine is lightly placed down as the door reveals Ronson, as well as his cousin Mikey and the two girls from the Pizzeria.
"You made it out!" The faunus shouts, stepping forward. He gestures to the others with a smile. "I told them all what you did! I... I can't thank you enough."
The wet eyes and smiles were evidence of the mutual feeling. Mikey, the black haired cousin, shakes his head and mutters. "Note to self. Never use police. Always Hunters." The blonde girl with him elbows his gut hard. "Oof!" He immediately straightens up. "I mean... Thanks, man."
The thanks came from all around, and it just... did things to the boy. His heart welled with the appreciation as he smiles back warmly. "Don't thank me. It's what I want to do."
"Stay for dinner. We can't thank you enough for saving my boy." Dawn urges, but Carmine chuckles and shakes his head.
"No thank you. I actually... have somewhere to be, but I needed to be sure you got home while I could still check." He smiles and nods at the tall boy. Shuffling awkwardly, he huffs a laugh. "Have a good day!"
. . .
Roman's apartment. 12:45 am.
Carmine was busy scratching his head, grimacing. "So, I needed to find someone who had criminal connections, and by chance, I ran by him." He shrugs bobbing his head Roman's way. "I couldn't sit by and not do anything... They were experiencing the thing I escaped from." His trail down, but not before a slight glance in Roman's direction.
Blair notices this, not fully satisfied. "But how did you know this man to begin with?"
At the direct question, Carmine shrunk in his seat. "He... uh... was one of my kidnappers 7 years ago?" His voice raised a full octave over the course of the sentence. At the building fury in the blonde's eyes, he stammers. "H-He saved me then! I was saved because he betrayed them!"
The hasty response gets Blair's attention to go Roman's way. The orange haired man cuts his eyes at Carmine, grumbling. "Well, just throw my credibility as a criminal away, why don't ya?"
As the adults choose that moment to glare at one another, Carmine's brow scrunches. He looks to Neo, catching her attention after a moment. "But... what I don't understand is how YOU ended up there."
Seeing the shift in conversation, Blair and Roman turn their attention to the little girl. She takes a second to glare at Carmine, but lowers her gaze to the table. Placing her hand on the table, the surface of the wood shimmers as an illusion shows an image... of her family's mansion.
. . .
City of Vale Safe House. 9 Hours Later. 10 am.
"Keep going, you idiots." The commanding voice shouts. The man in the white suit and graying hair scowls. Senior looks about the cheap apartment. Rather spacious, with four men within the room. The tan walls were bare, with four couches, one on each wall, and a coffee table in front of. Each mobster had their own suitcases, each counting dollar bills ans counting Lien from the cases.
Senior groans, marching to the center of the room. "With AZRL's blunder last night, everyone and everything in this city is turning against me." He snarls, shaking his head. "Someone betrayed us... I'm sure of it."
A light breeze from the open window brushes through the room... Wait, open window. "Who opened the window?!" Senior turns towards the offending opening... as a black feather falls into his view.
The metallic 'shing' of a weapon sliding sounds as a scythe slashes out. Each of the guards try to stand up, hands moving to hidden guns. A slash hits one. A pointed end swats another. A scythe blade hooks the third, slashing and throwing him into the fourth. All four men hit the ground unconscious.
Senior stumbles back as Qrow lands on top of one of the suitcases, his landing slamming the container shut. His red eyes bore death into the mob boss's own. "Senior..."
"You... Y-You're-"
The scythe hooks around the man's neck, but remains there. "Leader of Senior Crime Family... terrible name, by the way. You are charged with political extortion, blackmail, assault, battery, murder, and more recently: kidnapping, human trafficking, indoctrination of slaves, and Grimm trade."
Senior scowls at the man. "How did you find this place-" His eyes widen... The one who betrayed them would have to know about this safe house! Which means... which means- "My son out you Hunters up to this-"
In a flourish, Qrow pulls the scythe away, shifts it to sword form, and stops the blade at Senior's throat. "You are under arrest, Senior. Ozpin will decide your fate."
The white suit jacket on Senior then falls apart, a half dozen cuts he hadn't even seen... He could only stare back at Qrow, wide eyed in shock.
. . .
Roman's Apartment. 1:45 am.
The girl's illusion on the table showcases the man at her mother's front door. Spyyra grinning as he approached the girl. The image on the table surface shatters, leaving the four in silence. Neo looks around them, settling her eyes on Carmine.
With a wipe of her arms, worlds appear on the table. 'Your father ordered my father's arrest arrest and execution.' The words shatter as Carmine flinches from the violent canceling of her semblance.
His mouth worked wordlessly for a moment. "N-... Neo, I'm..." What? He's sorry her father worked for the very people who kidnapped her as well? His eyes narrowed, trying to think of something, anything to say, but came up short...
That is, until he sees her shaking her head and shrugging. She seems to dismiss the notion of the conversation, but the look in her eye throws him off.
"Actually." The two are pulled to look at Roman, across from Neo. "So, YOU are Rocky's little angel? Neopolitan Rhodes?" She grimaces, looking away and nods. She wasn't expecting Roman to suddenly burst out laughing.
Blair glares at him. "And WHAT is so funny about her father's death, monster."
Roman calms to a few chuckles. "Because she's giving Silver Streak a hard time when she should be looking at me like that." The three of them share confused glances before the conman huffs a last laugh. "Because I'M the one that got Rocky's man to crack about his trafficking operation."
Blair and Neo's eyes go wide at that, Carmine double taking between the girl and man. "Wait, what?"
"Brat, where do you think I got the idea for toppling Senior from?" He snickers. "You find dirt that hard, you send the information to Hunters ans let the good old heroes do your execution for you woth zero risk. That's what we're doing with Senior." He sighs, withdrawing his scroll. "Speaking of... news should reach Junior by now, and he'll send the tip on Senior to your Old Man Superior in the Ivory Tower."
Blair sputters. "Okay, stop with the nicknames." She cuts a glare at him. "What's your angle on all this? Who are you to this situation?"
He merely throws his arms out with a smirk. "I'm Roman Torchwick." His smile widens as she gives a low growl, not satisfied with that answer. Finally, he puts his hands down and looks at Neo. "Former asset of AZRL, Series Black 1075." He watched as their eyes bug out at him, Carmine grimacing at him. Guess it's his turn... and he originally wanted to go last.
. . .
Junior's Nightclub. 9 Hours Later. 11:30 am
The conman's cane taps along the ground as he strolls right in through the door. With a happy smile, he moves to the bar, seeing a simpleton cleaning. "Yo! Barkeep, I'm checking in with boss man, do not disturb."
He pushes on through to the back halls, waltzing through with a confident stride. He happily ignores the distance calling of the bartender. Arriving at Junior's door, he breathes in heavy, then out. He raises his hand to knock-
The door snaps open, Junior's hands grabbing the conman at the collar and dragging him in. "Whoa!" Junior slams the door shut before pinning Roman to it. Roman, not fighting back and expecting this, chuckles. "Uh... May I help you cool down?"
Junior glares murder into the orange haired man's eyes. "50... MILLION... LIEN!" Each word was shouted feral at the man. "How?! How did you manage that?!"
Roman blinks, face blank save for wide eyes. Then, he sighs, patting Junior's tense hands. "Well, I only got one purchase and-" He stops at seeing the bar man's eye twitch. "And it was an auction. People bid and numbers get high. Besides, why would you even out that much on the card-"
"It was TIED to all my OTHER accounts. You nearly cleaned me dry!" The bar man's eye twitches as he snarls.
Roman purses his lips, eyes slightly wider. "Oh... huh, that makes more sense..." Despite trailing off, his tone betrays slight enjoyment, holding back a chuckle.
"What damn child could POSSIBLY be worth that much money?!" Junior snarls at him, only to be confused as Roman simply points to the side.
Sitting at his desk is Neo, staring dully at the two. Seeing the angry bar man, she gives a wave and smirks at Roman's look of discomfort.
"How did she get in here?" Junior steps away from Roman.
The orange haired man pats his clothes to brush off dust. "She's quite... silent, you could say." He smirks at Neo, whose eyes narrow slightly at the jab, but she maintains a smirk. "Now are you going to criticize me in front of this girl who was liberated with your money?"
"Yes!" Junior snaps at him. The scream gets Neo's smirk back. "Especially now that you got her listening to our deal!"
"Oh, that's the best part! She's literally the best at keeping secrets by default!" Roman proclaims. And Neo's eyes now widen and glare at him, smirk still there. At Junior's cocked look, Roman waves him off. "Don't worry about it. Look. I need the location you pinged off the payment."
Junior recoils back. "What happened to giving it to the Hunters?"
"Change of plans. I just need them myself, and I'll be out of your hair for the foreseeable future." Junior continues to stare daggers at the man until Roman scoffs. "Come on, pal. You literally just inherited an ungodly amount of cash from daddy dearest. Don't stay mad."
"That's not how it work-" Junior stops, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. Slowly, he walks over to his desk. He sends a mild glare at the 12 year old girl before opening the drawer and retrieving a paper. He walks back to Roman, handing it off. "Southern Mistral, in the town of Mibu. Last pinged a bank by the name of Eagle Services."
Roman raises a brow reading the company tag line. "'Where your interests fly'? The hell?"
Junior ignores him and points to the door. "Now, get the hell out of my sight before I throttle you."
Roman nods with a smirk. He and Neo leave the room as the door slams behind them. The conman snickers, looking at the girl. "Told you he'd be calmer if I brought an innocent face." Neo's smirk falls as she walks ahead of him. "Oh, we'll get along great." Roman jokes, shaking his head.
. . .
Roman's Apartment. 3:30 am.
"So, we wanted to do the same thing we did with Rocky to Senior. I walk as a free man, we save some kids. Everyone wins." Roman snickers with wide arms. However, his arms dip as he looks at Neo. "Although, I do dislike indirectly causing someone to end up in those bastard's hands."
"Hmm." The raspy utterance leaves Neo. Through most of his telling, she'd grown a far off look. Carmine frowns at that, but...
He turns to Roman. "So, you and the Zan Man are best friends or something?"
"First of all, don't call him that. That's a terrible name I refuse to entertain." Roman pauses, placing another empty bottle of beer on the table. "Second, 'friend' didn't exist in that organization until this Wonder Woman over here." He thumbs towards Blair.
Rather than comment, the blonde haired woman questions. "Your contact will have the next lead on AZRL?"
Roman grimaces, lazily waving his hand. "More or less. He's to send it to the Hunters after I get back to him... and he potentially murders me for money spending." He ends muttering.
"Punishment for ruining others' ideas." Blair cuts her eyes from the man to the boy. Carmine hunches down under her stare. "Not that it's needed too much. Spyyra let slip that their next plans are in Vaterra in Northern Mistral."
Neo cocks her head at that, scowling. At Blair's raised brow, the mute scoffs in disgust. Roman raises a brow at the girl's act, turning to Blair.
"Yes, Spyyra is that bad." Blair answers the unspoken question.
Roman nods at that. "So, are YOU gonna introduce yourself, Atomic Blonde?"
Carmine chose that moment to burst into a short laugh... that ends when he silences under Blair's stare. The scientist darts her eyes between the two. "I am Blair GOODWITCH, crook."
"My best friend." Carmine breaks his silence with a smile. She cracks her look his way, but doesn't deny it.
Roman rolls his eyes. "I'm guessing his only friend." This followed by a short 'HEY' from the boy, but Roman continues. "But please tell. What was YOUR brilliant plan and circumstances?" He then drops the sarcasm for just a sentence. "I'm actually curious how they recruit basic workers. Never learned that."
. . .
Ozpin's Office. 12 Hours Later. 3:45 pm.
"Professor Ozpin!" The grandiose voice of Professor Port beckons as he enters the office. The great mustached man stops, giving a nod.
"Peter." Ozpin greets, looking over the papers of the police reports. "Is there an issue?"
The large man scrunches his face. "Well, I was overseeing some students who booked a special session in the advanced training room. However, five minutes ago, a discovery was made!"
Ozpin raises a brow. "That session would have started 45 minutes ago."
The unspoken implication that it took 40 minutes for the professor to notice something off... Port huffs a laugh. "Well, there were delays as I went about explaining setting 4268, which matches the environment of my grand conquest of the mighty flock of Nevermore-!"
Port notices Ozpin's dull stare. Ordinarily, the headmaster's gaze would hold slight mirth, a perfect mask. However, he notices how... tired the man seemed. How stressed he appeared. Itnwas clear that for once, Ozpin might be short with his patience.
Port coughs, composing himself. "Right. Well, ordinarily, the room is stocked with dust shells, canisters, cylinders, the basics to apply to a wide variety of weapons. For the seniors." He adds hastily.
"Yes. It's for the experimentation of our lead students. Since we know who is scheduled to go in, we can still keep track of how much is used." Ozpin straightens. "Is something the matter with the dust?"
Port wipes his brow, giving a shaky laugh. "Yes well... it's gone."
"... Pardon?"
Port shifts uncomfortably. "All the dust shells for guns, canisters for heavy weaponry and melee chambers, and cylinders foe casting. Everything is gone."
Ozpin quickly darts his eye to his holo monitor, pulling up camera feeds. "Thank you for notifying me. I will look into it." Port nods and takes his leave. The feeds in the halls come up, showing the entryway to the advanced room.
And he finds it quickly... Leaving the room at 2:13 pm.
Carmine walking out of the room with a large bag over his back. Then, another pair of hands help settle the large bag, holding it behind... A smaller girl with pink and brown hair.
Ozpin's eyes widen, getting up from the desk as he marches out of the room. To the elevator, then down. Minutes pass as the man traverses from Beacon's tower to the ornate halls lined with Professor's offices... to Carmine's room.
His eyes narrow as he squares himself with the door and opens it...
. . .
Roman's Apartment. 4:30 am.
"HA!" Roman huffs out once, leaning away in satisfaction. "Calling me a crook while accepting dirty money. Oh thou doth protest too much when you were accepting dirty money."
"It was not about-" Blair chokes the words back, growling. "I'm not arguing with you. No." She turns to Carmine, the boy seemed more laid back than the conman's flamboyant outburst. "Pretty much, the remainder of my plan was keep the money they paid me after bringing them down and go to Atlas." She spares a glance at Neo, the girl's far off look remained. "After deciding where Neo could go."
The woman and girl meet gazes. In a second, Neo's emotional mask was back, but Blair held a slightly warmer expression. Slightly.
"However, now that we've FAILED to get Aline Zandril arrested... and discovered a much larger scale to the organization, that poses a new problem."
Roman huffs at that. "You think YOU have a problem? I spoke with the man. He's going to be LASER focused on us." That gets an unsettled glance from the other three. "Face it. We're each in a shit show now." He points to Neo. "Lost goods." Then himself. "Outdated goods." then to Blair. "Treacherous worker." He leans back, looking to Carmine. "The kid, ironically given my plans, is the only one with an out."
Carmine's face scrunches, looking around them. Blair's narrowed gaze was down. Neo's far off look had found a spot on the wall... Roman seemed the most at ease. "Then what's our game plan?"
Roman jerks his head to the boy. "'Our' plan is nothing. I'M going to disappear, burn my trail, and hope to the heavens that the Hunters do well on that tip."
"That won't work." Blair interjects. Sullenly, she sighs. "Atlas is the only kingdom capable of wide scale mobilization. Give the Hunters a concentrated target, even a list, and it can be taken care of." Finally, she looks up. "But for an organization this large, with this many unknown factors and means... Even removing the head would only be a temporary setback."
She continues. "Hunters have other duties. Other jobs. If they could dedicate themselves, they could do it, but the most they can accomplish before being forced to deviate is a few hard blows." Her hands clench into fists. "AZRL would survive and just come back to power again... with more ambition. I underestimated them."
Carmine couldn't believe what he was hearing. His teeth grit as he glares at his friend. "I don't believe that!" Blair meets his glare evenly, opening her mouth, but Carmine steamrolls. "They have to go down! People like them? People that would... DO these things to others?" Neo catches his glance her way. Her gaze narrows at that as she ducks her head.
"They have to be stopped. They NEED to be stopped." Carmine seethes. But, that's when the words of Vale's own citizens came...
Mikey saying that the Hunters couldn't accomplish anything. Beacon's records holding no information on this Spyyra guy... Zero information and full corruption of the police department...
And there it was... The disgusted anger that drives him. That drove the boy to interrupt drug deals and crimes of his classmates. That drove him to find Ronson and save him. The anger... it gives focus.
"I will not tell you that you don't belong here. I want you here, but more so, I want you to find where you feel you belong." Professor Oobleck's voice echoes in his mind.
"... We could do it."
Slowly, the three cock their heads, looking to see Carmine looking back. "Come again, Silver Streak?" Roman mocks. Neo's eyes were narrowed as she darts her look between the adults.
Carmine digs in his heels, so to speak. "WE can do it. We! Us! Look what we managed to do with each of us having less than a week!" His voice begins to raise. His gaze moves to Blair. "If the Hunters can't finish the job themselves, then we can do it for them. We already proved we can!"
Blair narrows her eyes. "Carmine. I understand what you're saying, but you can't just up and leave. This won't involve you anymore after tonight. Your father-"
Carmine's armored fist punches into the table, silencing the room. Roman watches passively, raising a brow, meanwhile Neo locks her focus on the boy. The boy runs his right hand over his face, breathing slowly.
He speaks softly. "There are multiple ways to get to our goals." He says, almost to himself. "And I know. I know NOW what path I can do." He looks, eerily calm, at the blonde. "I am Carmine Uhlric, and I will dedicate my life to stopping EXACTLY what's in front of us here. Period."
He moves his gaze over the group. "Like you said. You're already in it. You say we can't rely on anyone else, so that leaves the one option." He focuses on Blair. "For answers..." He turns to Roman. "For freedom..." Then to Neo. He pauses a moment meeting her wide eyes. "For justice..."
The silence is interrupted by a slow tapping clap from the orange haired man. "Great speech, but I'm afraid I'm not suicidal." He pushes his chair out from the table, preparing to stand. "Now, if you don't mind-"
"We can keep whatever we take from them." Carmine cuts him off.
Roman freezes in his seat. One blink. Two blinks. All those millions passed around over the course of one night... Slowly, she slides back into the table. A smarmy grin comes on, disgusting to Blair. "Well... negotiations are in order."
Blair glares at Carmine. "Oh, so you're on board with stealing now?"
"From child slavers? Yes. Otherwise." He glares hard at Roman. "We play nice." A raised hand catches his attention... Looking at Neo, the girl looks... angry? "What is it, Neo?"
She lowers her hand, scowling almost back at the wall. With a twitch of her eye, she conjures words on the table. '… Do I have a choice.' She continues to bore holes into the boy, narrowing her gaze.
Three years. Three years, she lost under these bastards. No choice. No free will. Worse than whatever Roman must have. He got out. Her, on the other hand. She needed help. Now, those that helped her would conscript her into yet another action, whether she chose it or not.
'Can I say no?" Her words change. She sees the meaning dawn on them, but her gaze falls on the boy beside her.
He gulps, nodding. "Of course you can." He holds her gaze, losing track how long, a minute? Two? Yet, he speaks up again. "Please. We can do this. Are you guys in?"
The silence reigns... for a full minute, each gaze trails off. The first to speak is the blonde. "I want to know where they get their technology... I need to know what they know. I'm in." Carmine's face brightens at her, lips curling up.
Then to Neo. Her gaze is lidded... then curls to a smirk. The words on the table shift, morphing into a picture... of Spyyra... with his head in a guillotine... It shatters, the devious girl nodding.
"Imagery aside, thank you." Carmine says with a drop of sweat. Finally, they all look to Roman.
The man's head rests on his hand, finger tapping his cheek. "Hmm... Millions with chance of death... hiding in the sticks." He meets their looks, snickering. "Well, let it never be said that Roman Torchwick backs down from a job."
"Awesome!" Carmine pumps his fists up.
Blair scoffs, eyes on Roman. "So that's it? Like that, we have a four man team." Beside her, Neo raises both brows and shrugs then nods.
. . .
Carmine's Room. 11 Hours later. 4 pm.
Ozpin steps into the room. "Carmine!" He stops... The room is here, yet... his comics, some of his clothes... gone. He walks, legs suddenly... heavier than they ought to be. Sitting on the neatly made bed was a paper...
. . .
Roman's Apartment. 5:30 am.
The conman smirks. "Alright team! We embark as soon as we can, and-"
"Hold there." Blair snaps. "You most certainly are not going to be in charge of this team." She crosses her arms as all four remain seated at the table. "That should be our last decision before we start any more plans. For that matter..." She thinks to herself for just a second. "There's also the matter of WHAT we are."
Carmine cocks his head confused. "Well... we'll be-"
"Vigilantes? Or are we going to just be criminals?" Blair snidely states with a cutting glare Roman's way. "What we choose to be and who we follow means everything."
Neo and Carmine share a glance, the boy more certain. "We aren't going to be criminals! We're going to be like... like..." He trails off... in search of an answer.
"Like Huntsman and Huntresses?" Blair offers. She narrows her gaze. "Like unofficial Hunters..."
Roman groans. "Oh, yeah. Just wait for all of Atlas and the ivory towers to rain death on us for that stupid a scheme." He then huffs. "Besides, Barbie, I don't see any other leader here. We have an idealistic fool with no real world experience, a mute that can't call out orders... no offense intended this time, and a dropout who likely knows little about the criminal underworld. I'M the best bet."
Carmine scowls. "You hinged our smuggling emp devices on us winging it until I came up with a solution." He turns to Blair. "She knows more international law and studies thanks to Beacon's curriculum."
Neo recoils at that. Cocking her head in thought, she mulls over a final decision, pointing at Blair. Roman scoffs, crossing his arms and glaring.
A silence befalls them. Eyes shift from the orange haired man to the blonde woman. Slowly, the woman's amber eyes trail to the empty bottles on the table...
Gingerly, she takes possession of one, setting it on its side. "We will work under the guise of Hunters... and take whatever jobs can keep us going." Her eyes narrowed. "And likewise, with four of us, comes a name."
She spins the bottle. The reverberating rumble sounds on the wooden table... until her finger stops it, pointing the bottle neck at the boy. "Carmine Uhlric."
She spins again, the vibrating sound echoing in the apartment... until stopping aimed at the conman. "Roman Torchwick."
Again, she spins. Amber eyes focus intently on the bottle as she stops it, aimed at herself. "Blair Goodwitch."
Finally, she spins it, letting it stop naturally towards the mute. "Neopolitan Rhodes."
Her hand reaches out and rests in the bottle. "Together, we will be... Team CaRBoN. C- R- B- N." She spins the bottle again, hard. "Lead by..." And, she stops it.. both the bottle and her eyes aimed at the red haired boy. "Carmine Uhlric."
"..." All three sets of eyes just stare... "Uh... wut." Carmine says, utterly confused.
"WHAT?!" Roman exclaims, hat flying off. "In what world and end of reality could you possibly make THAT decision?"
Instantly, the cool response comes. "HE took the initiative to find these guys. HE solved and pushed to solve errors in BOTH our tactics. HE managed to think of combat roles when the rest of us didn't know one another." Blair meets the man's stare evenly. "Most importantly, I think he can keep us in check."
Roman scoffs. "In check how?"
"Morally." Her eyes narrow, clear in her stance. "I don't trust you. You're right about Neo. And it's not my role." Her tone leaves no argument before she turns to Neo. "Do you object to that?"
The girl turns wide eyes to the boy, who looks back with a gawking slack jaw. Blinking twice, the mute smirks and nods to him. She looks to Blair, shaking her head to her query.
Roman scowls, holding his hands up to stop things. "Whoa whoa. Let's make this a democracy here. His vote and yours makes two votes for him, while mine and Neo's makes two for me." Neo cuts a look at him, which makes him shrug. "What? Your vote belongs to me."
Before Blair can explode on the man for the whole 'buying Neo' jab, Carmine comments smoothly. "So that's two votes for me, and 1 and three fifths for Roman. Playing his game, he still loses."
Both Blair and Roman's eyes go wide, looking at the boy. Beside the boy, Neo slowly smirks at Roman, letting out a barely audible laugh. "Hnn hnn" sounds from her.
Twitching, Roman growls and crosses his arms. "... So NOW he chooses to be clever. Whatever! Fine!" He then mumbles under his breath. "Gonna be a shit show."
His animosity brought a smile to the blonde. The first since this night began. "Alright. NOW, we can talk about our plans." With that she looks at Carmine... then Roman looks at Carmine... then Neo looks at Carmine.
The boy stares back, blinking wide eyed. "Um... Oh..." He tries and can't find his voice.
Roman face palms. "We're running to our deaths at record speed."
. . .
Ozpin's Office. 12 Hours Later. 6:30 pm
The paper sat on his desk... For the third time, Ozpin looks the page over. Then again... and again... Stopping, he settles back into his chair, closing his eyes, deep in thought. Before him, Qrow stands in the room.
"Sorry, Oz. I checked the apartment complex from yesterday. Nothing." He scratches the back of his head, frowning. "Did, uh... Did he mention anything that could be a lead?" He leans forward, glancing at the paper, a letter.
"One. It IS an interesting development." The silver haired man states softly.
"You're... surprisingly less concerned than last time." Qrow raises a brow at the man. He looks the letter over... "Hmm... Interesting." He pulls back from the letter. "I can head out and try to head them off."
The headmaster's gaze hardens in a flash. "This is a development all his own. I must give him room to grow..." His gaze shakes, losing focus. "Granted, it seems he has decided to go directly into the deep end." A second passes as his focus returns. "For now, I would prefer to facilitate this growth. To interfere now would be counterproductive."
The drunkard nods, but shifts under his leader's gaze. "You want me to head out though? Let the kid know you're... supporting this?"
Ozpin opens his eyes, facing Qrow as he stands. Taller. Straighter. "That is unnecessary... for now. After dealing with our other concerns, I would also like you to return to your family a while." At the curious glance, the headmaster blows through any question of that decision. "Some dangerous leads are coming. I'd also like you to rest in the meantime."
Qrow's glare returned. "I see. So SHE'S on the move too." Mulling it over, he nods. "Yeah. I get ya."
"Speaking of things to come, what of Mr Senior?"
"Under the watchful eyes of Vale's finest." The man grimaces immediately. "Well... ones we've had a history of working with." He growls lowly. "Gotta say. Being told those we trust with the public are covering things like this? Kinda pisses me off."
"Corruption will always be imminent. The system can only be used to mitigate that eventuality." The silver haired man responds. "It seems, we shall have to... motivate some changes in their structure. Is Mr Senior going to be cooperative?"
"Yeah. He's a whiner under that first layer of gruff." Qrow jokes, rocking on the ball of his foot. "We basically just gave his son control of the underground, though." He pauses in thought. "Being Senior's son, probably gonna be a smooth transition, and Junior seems far easier to live with. Net gain all 'round."
"Indeed." Ozpin faces out the window, hands behind his back. Briefly, his mind goes to his scroll, but after receiving the letter, he knows he will not get an answer.
. . .
Same Time. Docks of Vale
The red haired boy stares down at his lap, seeing his scroll screen. On the display, he sees the message. '11 Missed Calls', '4 Unread Messages', and 'You Have Voicemail'. It'd been two hours since the last call... He must have found the letter.
Carmine sits, bags under his eyes, as he yawns. Sitting on a bench by the road, Neo sits beside him. On Carmine's side sits a collection of small cases containing his belongings. On Neo's, a VERY large black bag... filled to burst with the Advanced Room's armory's worth of dust.
Of course, none of the pedestrians had to know THAT. Instead, behind the bench stands Blair, two suitcases to her sides and a bag strapped over her shoulder. She scowled at the awkwardly tense boy in front of her. "I actually didn't think you could just take all that dust."
Her cutting tone made the boy flinch. Without looking back, he sweats bullets. "Well, I've always had full unrestricted access to it all, so it's not stealing."
"Rationalize however you like." The blonde huffs.
The jab hits like a punch to the gut, Carmine slumping as Neo snickers at his side. However, her eyes shoot wide as she chokes a breath. Rubbing at her neck, she enters into a coughing fit. Carmine takes notice immediately. "Neo! What's wrong?"
At the same time, Blair is already pulling out a pill bottle from her bag. She walks around the bench, putting the bottle in Neo's hands. The mismatched eyes meet amber as the blonde holds up two fingers. "Only take two."
The multi colored girl nods, taking two small pills out and swallowing them. Gently, she massages her neck, patiently waiting for the pills to take effect. Her pink eye opens, side glancing to find Carmine leaned over, face full of concern. "What's that for?"
Her lips purse for a moment until she puts both eyes on him... Then she uses one hand to audibly tap him. Double tap.
"What?" Carmine looks, concern now confusion. She does it again, the pushes lightly jostling him. Double tap. "What are you..." Why was this familiar? His thoughts are interrupted as he just stares at her while she continues pushing over and over.
Double tap... Double tap... Double tap... Double tap... Double tap... Double tap...
Tap tap- Carmine slaps her hand up, waving his arms between them. "Stop it!" His flailing stops him from catching the smirk from the girl.
"Children." Blair admonishes before grimacing. "I think..." Her face morphs in disgust. "... our ride is here."
As the words leave her mouth... a gray van pulls in front of them. Perfectly functional with no outward damage. In the driver seat, Roman lowers the window, thumbing to the passenger side then the back. "Come on. This is our ride."
Carmine's jaw dropped while Neo just stared with wide eyes. Well... it had windows for the back seat. Thankfully... "You're not serious!" Seriously, he didn't have that kind of opinion of Roman, but even someone as sheltered as him knows where 'pain in the ass' changes meanings when it comes to image.
"Straight from one of Junior's men, and it's the best without me literally stealing something better. Deal with it!" Roman snaps. He rolls his eyes, muttering something incoherent under his breath.
Carmine sulks. "Yeah, sure. The adults bout to travel across a continent with two children in a van..." Neo smirks and swats his arm as she walks past, picking up the dust bag. Carmine quickly fumbles his own belongings before helping the girl with the large bag.
Blair takes a deep breath, sighing as she moves to place her own items into the vehicle... "This is my life now." Her first day on a new team... A strange feeling. From her view, she sees Neo and Carmine open the back doors of the vehicle. Both of their faces fall.
Walking around the open doors, she sees that the back, behind the back seats, was uncovered, bare metal. Seeing the actual seats past, she sees a lightly padded, likely uncomfortable red interior.
"Hmm. No stains." She comments in the most casual tone yet. "That's impressive." She begins putting her 'luggage' inside.
A scoffs leaves the redhead. "No stains. No cushioning. Ripped out fabric in the back." He bites his tongue from further comment, groaning and placing his own packs in. "Whatever. How'd you even buy this?"
The boy then fumbles helping Neo with the massive back of dust arsenal. From the front, Roman eyes them through the rear view mirror. "Well, I think the 50 million Lien thing took Junior's focus. He didn't mention the 20 thousand I took out before the auction..."
The information makes Carmine pause, poking his head up. "You really do have a death wish, don't you?" Settling the bag, he gives the girl an nod. "Thanks Neo."
"Hmm." She blinks. He isn't able to decipher her expression. Eyes look far off before she waltzes around van. She takes a seat in the back passenger side. At first, she sits rigid, trying to lean a couple ways. Her lips frown as her eyes dart down.
"Takes getting used to." Roman speaks up to her. She meets his gaze through the rear view mirror, a bored look on him. "Not being chained to a chair when moving? The sensation throws you off for a while."
She lets out a breath, looking away before forcing her back to relax into the low level of padding. She nods to him, then looks out the window.
Blair and Carmine finish loading their collective cargo, slamming the back doors. The two share a glance with one another. "This, uh... wasn't how I pictured meeting back up with you again." The boy jokes. She raises a brow, but slowly nods at that. He turns in place, looking out into the distance. VERY far off, the tip Beacon's tower.
"Are you sure about this?" Blair's voice knocks his focus back. "Leaving Vale. Leaving your home."
She watches his face fall a moment before nodding. "I'm sure." His eyes flick back. "Besides. I'm sure we'll finish this journey up before Combat School." He ends with a small smirk. Then he gives a side glance to the vehicle. "Plus, it's with people I... sort of know?"
His ending uncertainty makes her brow raise, but rather than go further, she nods and gives a ghost of a smile. "Perhaps." The smile instantly goes away as she begins to move around the vehicle. "Now to test my patience with this delinquent." She walks around to the passenger side, entering the seat beside Roman. "I take it that I'll be the map reader."
Roman smirks her way, lax in his seat. "Oh, I was worried the kid was gonna be the guide. Is Silver Streak ready?"
Behind him, Carmine enters the back seat, an empty pull down seat between himself and Neo. Settling in, he feels the hard frame under the lackluster cushioning. Like Neo, he takes a moment to settle, though for the exact opposite reason. "So, uh... I guess this is it." Taking a moment to look around him, each of the three share a short glance with him. Suppressing a sigh, he asks. "We have two targets, so where first?"
Blair starts. "Vaterra is a medium sized town on one of the great floating islands on Mistral's northern coast line. It's a rather sacred place, but more a tourist attraction co-protected by Haven and Atlas authorities." She looks to Neo. "Any ideas what the 'job' for AZRL is there?"
Neo grimaces, holding up a conjured sign. The image is of a small stick figure cowering under a taller one pointing to a mound of junk. Then the image shatters into a second one, the smaller figure now is sorting the objects into neat piles.
Roman huffs. "Series Blue training. City slave prep."
"It concerns me that you knew that straight away." Carmine cuts a glare at him. "Would you happen to know what to look for once we get there?"
"Vaguely. Although, the tells might be different than in my time." The orange haired man looks to Neo. "You able to point out any new things I can miss?" Neo allows the sign to shatter, perking up and nodding.
"Oh? You admit you can't know everything. Surprises." The boy snarks at Roman, then grimaces, looking Roman's way. "What did Junior give us?"
The conman smirks. "Bank tracing from the payment on Neo leads to Mibu, a small town in southern Mistral. Being smaller, the town doesn't have much info available. It DOES seem to be a trade hub, and considering our enemy, I can imagine the kind of trade that occurs there."
Carmine nods. "Then we hit them both. We travel East through the Vale territories and circle into Southern Mistral to track their money. Then we go North, through Haven's territories, to Vaterra... Let's get 'em."
. . .
Ozpin's Office.
The headmaster finds himself alone once more. Inside his office, he sits at his desk, stewing in his thoughts. Oh, how that's a tale as old as time at this point. Perhaps not literally, but closer than one might think.
Already, a thousand different scenarios were being voiced, played out, and reasoned within the confines of his lone mind. After them, a thousand previous examples in history where it fell to him to make a choice. That's what everything boils down to, though. Choice.
Each person under his charge must be given the choice of who to follow. Oh what to fight for. True, Carmine is too young to understand the full implications of the world... but Ozpin himself had to learn such things first hand. And learn first hand he did.
More mistakes than he would ever be willing to display. This moment could be another grave one, but if it succeeds...
If it succeeds, then that would truly be something.
Before him was the letter, seemingly hastily written. He recognized Carmine's handwriting. Once more, he looks to the letter in full...
"Professor Ozpin, Father.
By now, you've probably already determined where I'm heading or where I am. If anything, you're probably thinking about who I'm with. Don't worry. I'm with..."
The word 'friends' was furiously scratched out. Ozpin smirks at the hasty correction telling of a child's writing.
"... allies. There's something wrong with these people. In Atlas. In Mistral. Trying to start here in Vale. Due to the way things are... I've decided to do something about it, and the people with me share a common goal in doing so. I can trust them with this at least, for now.
Tell Oobleck I'm sorry I never returned those books. I figured it would be best if I at least had something to learn and read on the road."
"More likely to make him sleep, I'd say." Ozpin speaks, recalling lessons with Carmine these last few years. Always brilliant, but never willing to study without prodding.
"... I won't say sorry about the Advanced Training room. Kill me over that once I get back. Til then, I'm where I need to be. I can't sit at Beacon, and No, I will not play at Combat School while these events occur around us.
This is my path to becoming a Huntsman. My choice. My way to-" The letter 'm' is marked out. Ozpin didn't need Carmine to write it out to know. The next words were going to be 'make up for what happened'. His way to make up for the lives lost to protect him. The letter continues without acknowledging that last sentence.
"I will call whenever I can. You'll hear from me. Until then... Sorry.
Carmine Uhlric of Team CRBN."
'Team CRBN', huh. Ozpin smirks lightly and thinks of the implication. A moniker for Ozpin to be able to SLIGHTLY keep tabs. If he keeps information gathering on, he can be alerted to the workings of this Team CRBN. He can be alerted to the workings of his son.
… Perhaps there's something he can do with this.
A ring sounds from his scroll on the desk. The ID is Professor Oobleck, so the headmaster answers swiftly. "Hello."
"Professor Ozpin, I'm aware you're quite busy with the fallout of recent events, but your meeting with our new staff member is ready. She is quite impatient."
Right... He'd actually forgotten until now. "Ah, thank you for the notice. Please, send her in." The clicks, ended, as he straights his desk quickly enough. His eyes fall once more to the letter... "Perhaps something small scale will work best."
His musings are ended as the door opens. From it, a platinum blonde woman stiffly walks forward, glasses shielding critical green eyes. Her formal wear was only unique in the purple cape off her shoulder ending at the small of her back. She steps forward and stands straight. "Professor." She greets. "It is good to see you again."
Ozpin smiles at the irony. To think his son was cohorts with this woman's sister. "Good evening, Miss Goodwitch. I trust you're prepared for the next part of your program?"
She nods, eagerly. "Yes, sir."
"Shall I call you Miss Goodwitch, or would you be fine with Glynda?" The headmaster rises from his desk. The woman merely shakes here head.
"It makes no difference to me. You are my superior, so that choice is yours."
"Very well. Your student teaching here at Beacon will begin immediately." Ozpin's eye flashes to the letter, then to the woman before him. "Given your record, I've no doubt you will earn the title of Professor in no time. For the time being..." He picks up the letter, then eyes her. "Are you prepared for your first task?"
She straightens at attention, but a slight twitch of her eye shows confusion. A break in the facade. "Of course, sir. You already have something for me?"
Ozpin gives a light laugh. "I would like you to add a team to the Vale Hunter Registry. C- R- B- N. Pronounced carbon."
Her confusion breaks through again. "I haven't heard of such a team. Who shall I list as its members?" He shakes his head at the woman.
"No need. Leave the team's classification and members blank for now. That is restricted information that will fall on myself. With that, here is the schedule for the classes you shall assist with." He holds out a paper, taking the woman's attention to it.
"I... Yes, sir. Thank you." She accepts the paper, turning to leave the room.
As she exits, Ozpin's smile fades. "... The choice has been made. Be careful, Carmine."
. . .
City of Vale outer limits
The van exits the city's walls, moving along the highway at building speeds. The runway begins to tilt upward, carrying the vehicle and its occupants on high. The tall grand structures of the city begin to give way for the outer towns. Still urban, but much less important than the city proper.
The inside of the van was silent. Although, the boy had a difficult time telling if it was uncomfortable or not. Easily, he was able to see a few reactions to the seating. Roman took it with ease, completely relaxed. Similarly, he seemed to barely care about his company, seeming fine with ignoring the group.
Glancing to the passenger seat, he sees Blair is tolerable with the seating, but catches her near constant side glances. Suspicious gazes were sent Roman's way. However, she was more than able to occupy herself with the map and several other papers. One stolen glance tells him it has plenty of notes... some kind of work. Typical Blair.
His gaze moves to Neo, who... was enthralled with the window. Her body had yet to fully relax into the seating... posture stiff. However, her discomfort seemed outweighed with the simple pleasure of... having a window. That thought stings inside. Something he easily took for granted. She was content to simply watch the buildings go by.
The boy silently tries to relax. If he was honest, the seating bothered him. It was JUST uncomfortable enough to remind him of... unpleasant travels. Not helped that those previous travels involved someone in this vehicle. Still, it was above and beyond better than that experience.
Speaking of company, his eyes look to the females in his presence. Sure, he'd already processed the absurdity of meeting Roman again days ago. To meet Blair again was... a relief. He'd be happy with traveling with her... he thinks. However, Neo concerned him. She... For her to have gone through the exact experience he barely avoided... having come from a more well off family.
He grimaces, pulling his gaze to the outer world. Jeez they were still going up the hill? Wait... Thinking of Neo... He knows where they are. With a furrowed brow gazing out the window. "... Hey." the occupants each flick a quick gaze, unsure of who he was speaking to. "The top of this hill. Can we stop there for just a minute?"
Roman scoffs. "What? Already needing a pee break, Silver Streak? Cause once we're not stopping after we leave Vale territories just for small bladders."
The ribbing was met with silence for a full five seconds. "Just one minute. Please." He says, softly. Eyes were still glancing out through the glass. A wave of exhaustion was starting to hit. Only then did he recall that he'd been awake for... 37 hours?!
A quick glance around finds bags under Neo's eyes as well. The adults seemed to be still running strong, though.
Roman huffs in a grumble. "Whatever." The van reaches the top of the hill, coming to a stop on the side of the road. Slowly, Carmine slides out from the vehicle, closing the door standing on the right side of the road.
His eyes slowly blink, drowsy. Glancing both ways on the street, he marches across the road. Reaching the other side, he looks about. Just a little further up the road, he sees the back of a blue sign. Walking by, he takes a deep breath... then turns. (An acoustic melody from a guitar strings and builds.)
'Welcome to the City of Vale' was printed large on the grand sign. The same sign... and the same view behind. Looking out was the entire dip down from the hill to the gigantic City of Vale. All its skyscrapers, shining with reflecting the sunlight. The beautiful bay of the docks. The sight he beheld as a 6 year old boy 7 years ago. ("Well he came from college just the other day... So much like a man, I just had to say,-")
Gazing into the distance, he could still see it. The shining Beacon. Deep within, he still felt as if something was looking back. It simultaneously warmed him... and filled him with unease. ("-'Son I'm proud of you. Could you sit foe a while?' He shook his head, and he said with a smile-")
A brush of his arm broke his thoughts, turning to find Neo beside him. With a raised brow, she follows where he'd looked. Within their view, across the road, the van pulled further. A visually irritable Roman could be seen. ("-'What I'm feeling like, Dad, is to borrow the car keys. See you later. Can I have them please'." The melody fades.)
Stealing one last glance, Carmine smirks. "Come on. I'm ready."
Our team is finally together. Adventure awaits. Originally... I didn't think it would take this long to finish what essentially amounts to Part 1 one of this story. I've put a good deal already, and it took 8 months to get this far. I seem to be getting about one every two weeks.
However, now that my main focused story, Visions of Change for Dragon Ball, is over, this story has now become my central focus. Here's hoping I can crank more out!
References:
Song here is the third verse of Cats in the Cradle. Just the verse. Similar to Chapter 7 only using the first verse. For a specific version for this moment, listening to the acoustic works best for how I picture it. I know I'm lame with the gimmick, but I'm sticking that out.
I forgot to discuss the Kraken last chapter. To be clear, I fully expect that there is already a canonical Kraken Grimm, or other accepted fan versions. I am not versed in them if they exist, this is simply a Grimm I made just like the Nelo. A cross between a shellfish and octopus with a squid beak.
Join next time in chapter seventeen: On The Road Again.