Chapter 1
A Night To Remember
The door to the rooftop squeaked as it was pushed open, allowing a man to walk through. He wore a black two-piece suit with gloves and carried a briefcase in his left hand. His neck-length blond hair shifted in the light wind as his blue eyes scanned the tall buildings around him.
He set down the case and took in the cool night air. Far above, the stars twinkled, shining their light down on the world alongside the moon, its shattered face turned to gaze upon the city of Vale. It was time. Kneeling, he spun the little lock until it clicked, then pulled on the clamps holding it shut. One came free with ease, but his hand slipped on the other. With a frown, he glared at the offending appendage, waiting for it to cease its shaking. Once it finally had, he opened the case properly and pulled out the pieces within. Connecting them together, one by one, he pieced together his sniper rifle with an attached suppressor.
Walking to the edge of the rooftop, he took aim. Far away, a man was holding a speech, proclaiming this or that. How he would 'fix' the city through renovations. But it was all lies to cover up the murders he'd committed. With a deep breath...
Jaune pulled the trigger.
There was a crack as he fired.
He let out his breath and watched through the scope as the man fell over, his head popped like a balloon. The crowd panicked, and the security team rushed over, but there was no saving him. It was time to go. Jaune packed his rifle back into the case and locked it once more before taking it and leaving the building.
The streets were empty as he walked away casually, as if he hadn't just splattered a man's brain like a watermelon. Humming a little tune, he wandered down an alley, across a road, down a street, through another alleyway, and then into a building. His keys jingled as he unlocked the door and entered the house. It wasn't occupied by anyone, though it was still cleaned every week.
Through the house he went, after locking the door, then into the basement. There was a hidden door behind a bookcase that he opened with a hidden button, but he waited half a minute before entering, after which he pushed another stone button inwards after entering a small chamber with a trapdoor in the floor. With the trap disabled, he headed to another wall and used another secret button to open that wall too. Beyond was a simple lever with a timer.
Pulling it down and setting the timer to ten minutes, he made his way back over to the trapdoor, opened, and dropped down into a dark tunnel, ignoring the ladder he could have taken.
These tunnels covered much of Vale and were built near the sewer system. Jaune checked to make sure everything was fine, then continued on his way. The timer would make sure to reset everything soon enough.
He travelled through the tunnel on memory alone, almost silent as he walked through the passageways in the pitch black. He continued moving in the darkness until he came to an intersection, where he turned on the light of his scroll briefly to confirm where he was before turning it off and continuing along.
Time passed him by as he walked, keeping his thoughts tightly focused on remembering the way forward. If he didn't stay focused, he knew from experience that his mind would wander off after what he'd done. Thoughts of if he should be doing it, if they would have been happy with his choices, if he could live with himself over what he'd done.
But he knew the answers already. Yes, he had to do it. No, they wouldn't be happy. Yes, he could live with himself. No matter how many times he had those thoughts, he would always reach the same conclusions.
So it saved time if he kept himself from thinking about them. From getting stuck on them for hours.
Eventually, he arrived at another ladder leading up and out, which he took. At the top was a wood-panelled room, which he quickly moved through to pull off a panel and pull down another lever, setting another timer. With that done, he placed the panel back and pressed a different board in, causing it and several others to swing open, revealing a passage.
He crawled through, closed it behind him, and found himself in an elevator shaft. With a slight sigh, he moved over to a ladder and began his climb up from the bottom of the shaft until he came to another hidden door opened by pulling out a brick and then pushing up a lever, which dropped him off in a supply closet.
Checking himself over, he made sure he looked presentable, then headed out. What he came out to was… a pretty normal-looking looking expensive apartment complex. He walked through like he owned the place and got an elevator up to one of the top floors, before finally walking up to his own apartment door. With a swish of his scroll on the reader, he was let in.
The apartment was quite large and spacious with a semi-open plan. Many in Vale were, as they had quite a bit more space than population, though this was on the bigger end. This apartment held four good sized bedrooms, a large kitchen, an expansive lounge and dining area, two bathrooms, and a balcony with a great view of the nearby forests as well as the distant sight of Beacon Academy.
As he closed the door and put his case on a bench, one of the bedroom doors opened revealing a very familiar-looking ginger-haired man. He might have been lacking his usual white coat, but the smug aura he radiated more than made up for it.
"Welcome home, Jaune, how was work?" Roman Torchwick asked, feigning a kind of tone one might expect from a stay-at-home partner.
Jaune rolled his eyes. "Didn't you say you'd be watching?"
"Well, I was, but something came up. So?" Roman asked again, his tone more neutral now.
Jaune shrugged. "Success. He's gone to meet the rest of them."
Roman nodded. "Good job." He then pulled out a small pouch and threw it to him. "Some of his rivals were putting out some… bounties for ruining his career. A couple of them were fine with this as the result. So enjoy your hard-earned rewards. Might be the last we get."
Frowning, Jaune pocketed the Lien. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Got contacted for a job," Roman said, leaning on the kitchen counter. "Not the kind that are usually refusable. Or so my instincts are telling me. Some weirdo lady who wants to meet us at Junior's. Neo's already popped over, but our other little friend is taking her time."
Jaune let out a sigh. "You want me to pick her up?"
"Well, the mechanic was working on your armour so…" Roman shrugged; however, his smile was anything but apologetic. "I'll meet you there, okay?"
"Fine. But you're paying him next time," Jaune replied with a glare.
"I swear on my death laser," Roman said, a hand on his breast as he gave a solemn oath. Jaune just rolled his eyes in response and left the room, much to Roman's amusement.
His bedroom was quite basic. There was a big bed, a desk, a few bookshelves full of books and comics, as well as a TV. He didn't have many posters or anything to make it colourful. He just wasn't attached enough to it.
Quickly, he changed into a more casual outfit. Shirt, Pumpkin Pete hoodie, jeans, shoes. The usual. He grabbed a backpack and pushed in some under-armour clothes for later and slung it onto his back. When he exited his room, Roman was putting a few sticky notes on a corkboard with a wide grin.
"You know Neo's gonna take most of those off, right?" Jaune asked.
"Shhhh, I'm sure she'll miss the death ray one of these days," Roman replied in good cheer. "Besides, better I tell you all my ideas, right?"
"Hm. Sure. I'll throw on a few later. See you at Juniors."
"Take care, kiddo." Roman waved him goodbye as Jaune left.
The streets were pretty quiet as Jaune made his way into the industrial district. There, hidden between factories, was a small warehouse. Getting in was easy, if you had a key for the back door like he did. Other people had to go through the front and be tested before they could meet the mechanic, but they'd been working together far too long for that.
Jaune passed under various security measures, watched by half a dozen cameras, all designed by the mechanic himself. It was a good show of his skills, proof of why he had quickly become a popular choice for criminals with brains.
Down a set of stairs, he came to a small foyer with an elevator and another set of stairs up. He knew those stairs went up to the front door, through the tests. So he waited for the elevator to come up to him and then entered, taking it down into the underground complex.
The doors opened to a large room filled with all different kinds of machines in various states of repair or operation. Some were being worked on by other machines, small robots doing basic repairs. But in the centre, under a great deal of lights, was a vehicle currently being worked on by what Jaune could only describe as a robot spider seat. Six mechanical legs moved the seat around as two more clamped onto the car, several small arms spreading out to do whatever repairs it needed.
Sat upon the machine was a man Jaune knew quite well. When they'd first met, he'd been skin and bones, but now he had regained much of the plumpness he said he used to have. He had grey hair and kind eyes hiding behind glasses, though right now it was a pair of goggles.
"Yo, Pietro, how's my armour?" Jaune asked with a smile. The large spider machine paused for a moment before pulling away and coming down to the floor.
Pietro Polendina smiled from his seat. "Jaune! It's good to see you." He was wracked by a coughing fit for a few moments. "Apologies for the mess. Quite a few orders came in, you see."
"It's fine. I'm glad you've got plenty of work to keep you busy," Jaune replied, waving a hand to show it wasn't a big deal. "So?"
"Right! Your armour." Pietro's machine dropped low and then disconnected from the seat itself, which produced four smaller legs to walk him over to a desk. "Your armour was in quite a bad state, so I had to replace a fair amount of the metal. I took the liberty of adding some more padding and giving it a fresh coating. You should blend into the night even better now." He explained, pulling over a box and opening it to show a set of black and midnight blue plate armour.
"Nicely done Pietro. Thanks." Jaune rubbed a hand against the armour, satisfied with how it felt.
"I also completed the work on your sword," Pietro said, grinning as he pulled over a freshly refurbished sword still in its sheath. "I know I said it'd take longer for some of the parts to come in, but I found a pretty good deal on the black market last week, so I managed to finish ahead of schedule."
Jaune's eyes widened as he took the blade from Pietro. "That's… unexpected. I was just going to keep using my spare but… thank you, Pietro." He ran a hand down the length of the black-coloured sheath, admiring the work. "So, how much did you get to add to it?"
"Well, Dust is a little hard to come by down here, so I couldn't do all that I wanted. That said, I completed the telescoping blade and changes to the sheath, so both will be able to shrink to about the size of a short sword," he explained. "I've also done what I can to reinforce it. I find it hard to imagine it breaking any time soon."
Nodding, he strapped it to his side for now. "You're a miracle worker, Pietro. Thank you," he said, pulling out a stack of Lien. "I'll pay you extra next time for the rush on the sword."
"Oh there's no need for that, I-"
"Pietro," Jaune interrupted. "You deserve it. Seriously." He placed the stack on the desk. "Trust me, it's no problem. I don't need much for myself these days. You've got her to look out for too."
Pietro paused and then let out a sigh. "Alright. Alright… just don't be in a hurry for it, okay?"
"Sure thing." As he agreed, a door swung open.
"SALUTATIONS, Jaune!" The peppy ginger-haired girl said as she entered the room carrying a box of parts, currently clad in mechanics overalls. "Welcome back to the Mechanist's Lair!"
Jaune chuckled. "Glad to be back. We've got a client showing up at Junior's soon, so we'll need you to stop on by."
Penny Polendina paused. "I think you have mistaken me for the fantastic Enigma, Jaune. But I will pass along what you have said to her post haste!" She quickly rushed over to put the box on the desk and then ran back out, likely to get changed.
With a laugh, Jaune picked up his box of armour. "Alright. I'll go get changed if you don't mind. Thanks again, Pietro."
"It's not a problem, Jaune. Look after her for me."
"'Course. I always take care of my friends." With a big grin, he made his way out of the room and towards one of the changing rooms Pietro had installed. There he quickly changed into a white undershirt, tight-fitting black turtleneck-style under-armour, and similar pants.
Then, he pulled on a padded coat, black and midnight blue, with bits of chainmail along the joints and a high collar as well as a long tail. Then came the plates. Greaves, boots, gauntlets, forearm armour, pauldrons, and a breastplate. Most of his body was covered in the metal armour, leaving the joints exposed aside from the chain underneath. Great protection without sacrificing mobility.
Finally came the helmet. It was, of course, the same colour as the rest of the armour, and had quite a sleek appearance. The design was in many ways simple. The back was stepped-like scales with a slight ridge along the top, while the sides had stylised draconic wings. The front was like a flat plate with several small sealable breathing holes on either cheek, while the eyes were covered by glass and some tech. The bottom would seal up once it was secure as well.
There was a small paper from Pietro detailing some additional changes he hadn't mentioned before. Mainly, that the helmet connected to a few buttons hidden on his gauntlets which would allow him to control it. Opening it for taking it off or sealing the holes to avoid gases as well as turning on lights from the eyes or activating a voice modulator. Useful stuff that he quickly memorised and fooled around with for a bit.
After making sure everything was fitted correctly, he put his other clothes in his bag and strapped his sword to his waist again. With that done, he left.
There was another exit that headed back into the tunnels, only really used by Jaune and his compatriots these days. Some old gang had made them decades ago but it had been wiped out, though since taking them over, Roman had funded a lot of the newer traps, which Pietro had made himself.
Stowing his bag in an alcove, he went on his way once more. This time, towards Junior's Club.
The loud thumping of music thrummed through the air, even in the backrooms. Neo sat back on the couch, swirling the funny pink-coloured drink Miltia had just handed her. It tasted sweet, like strawberries. She liked it well enough, though the alcohol content left something to be desired.
Though today wasn't a day to be getting drunk.
She was the first to have arrived, and the twins were still setting up the refreshments when Roman turned up looking like he always did. "Well, Neo, you look pleased as punch. Is the place secure?"
Neo nodded with a wide smile as she pointed to another chair in the room, leaving the couch for herself. Roman chuckled and sat down where she'd asked. "Good. Hopefully, we won't need to worry." He let out a sigh and pulled out a cigar. Melanie glared at him but he ignored it, lighting it up and taking a few puffs.
"Ugh. We have designated smoking rooms," Miltia whined.
Roman perched up an eyebrow. "Neo, did you not ask for one?" Neo responded by grinning. "What? Is this some attempt to get me to stop? I'll take away your ice cream!"
Neo opened her mouth in mock horror, playing to his words as if they were truly wounding. Of course, even if he tried he wouldn't succeed. She pouted at him, feigning sadness.
"Psh don't give me that look. I know you're faking it." Roman shook his head, though he was smiling and his shoulders relaxed slightly. "Sorry girls, looks like you'll have to fine me for it."
""Whatever,"" The twins replied together. "Just don't do it again," Melanie added.
He shrugged and leaned back, obviously trying to get into a state of mind ready for what was shaping up to be an annoying job. Neo had heard what Junior had to say about this lady, and suffice to say it didn't sound great. Appearing out of nowhere with two seemingly skilled individuals asking for 'the King of the Rats'.
"That's the kind of line a few of the old… hired help used to refer to my father, once upon a time. Now, though, the only person that could refer to in Vale is Roman. Stay careful of this one," Junior had said. Not that it helped much when he knew nothing more and didn't want to know.
Some info broker he was, wanting to forget information exists.
Neo lay down on the couch after downing her drink and putting it on the nearby coffee table. It was time to wait. Thankfully she didn't have long to wait before the door opened and a knight in black armour slid into the room. Neo grinned and waved, to which Jaune waved back.
The serious assassin thing was amusing to her when she knew how much of a goofball he could be out of the armour. She remembered very well his attempts to make jokes on their first meeting, and she held those close to her chest for when he got a bit too serious.
He stalked around the room for a moment, checking it for traps as he usually did, then took position behind her couch. She looked up at him with a glance full of feigned gratitude. Ah, my knight in shining armour!
Jaune huffed. "It's not exactly shiny, you know." His voice came through the helmet modified, making it sound deeper and gruffer.
She pouted at him and moved her hands, signing to him. "Maybe, but you're always shining in my eyes!" She ended by putting her hands together in a heart shape, causing him to sigh.
"Must you do that while we're on the job? Please, save it for later," Jaune asked, and she knew that behind the helmet he was adorably pouting back at her.
"I gotta agree, Neo," Roman said. "It's distracting laughing at you embarrassing him all the time." He finished with a cackle.
It was then that the door was flung open by Penny herself. She'd gotten changed into her usual outfit, that of a three-piece suit with a white shirt, dark green vest, and a black jacket alongside a knee-length black skirt and stockings. She had black and white shoes, dark green and black gloves, and a black cavalier hat with a dark green band. Across her face was a black mask, hiding most of the area around her eyes.
"Salutations, friends!" Penny chirped. Neo responded with another wave, sitting up so she could pat the couch next to her. Penny hopped over without delay and sat down next to the short girl. "How goes the wait?"
"Eh, so-so." Roman shrugged. "Don't see your backpack today."
Penny grinned. "The Great Mechanist has seen fit to grant me new weapons, the likes of which are easily concealed. Do not fear, Roman, I am combat-ready."
"... Sure. If the mechanic put his stamp on it, I'll buy it." He shrugged once again.
Neo rolled her eyes at how little he went with the robotic girls game, then moved to sit on her lap. Penny eagerly accepted Neo's move and then grabbed her multi-coloured hair. Her fingers teased through for a few moments before she started braiding. "The Great One's hair is fantastic today, as usual. She must have been given great gifts of ice cream recently."
Smiling, Neo nodded. "Ah, the Mistress of Illusions must not move her head if I am to braid her great hair!" Penny said immediately. Neo was forced to remain still as the ginger did her work. Still, it was soothing having her dexterous fingers combing through her hair before tying into a beautifully crafted braid, one piece at a time.
"Did you use new shampoo and conditioner, oh Master of All Frozen Delights? Your hair is simply far too smooth! Like soft serve!" Penny continued on. It was simple enough for Neo to indulge the girl in her little fantasy, her little game. Everyone had their little quirks that kept them stable when they were in this life, and Penny's was not only adorable but fun.
Many may consider it weird, but Neo was hardly normal herself. Nobody in the room was. So who really cared if they played it up, as if life itself was just a show, just a play? All that mattered was living true to yourself, and enjoying life as best you could.
Or so Neo believed, anyway.
A few minutes passed in silence before there was a knock on the door. Melanie swallowed and went to open it slightly, checking who was on the other side of the door. She then pulled it open, allowing three individuals to enter before she and her sister left the room.
Neo sat upon her surprisingly soft throne and gazed at the trio before her. To one side was a darker-skinned girl with green hair and red eyes, a pair of revolvers on her hips. On the other side was a boy with silvery hair, grey eyes, and no visible weapons, although his stance struck her as one used by someone specialising in using their legs in some fashion.
Between the pair was a raven-haired woman with amber eyes. Her hair was cropped short and she wore a red dress with separate sleeves, held up by a strap that went around her neck almost like a bow. There was an aura of danger around her that made Neo nervous, but she didn't let it show at all, instead simply motioning to a couch across from her.
The woman in the middle moved to sit down as the other two took positions behind her. "So… you are the one in charge of the underworld in Vale?" The woman asked, her one currently visible eye narrowing slightly.
Neo nodded in response, only for Roman to huff out a laugh. "That'll be me, sunshine. Roman Torchwick. That's Neo, seated upon Enigma. And the brooding one is known as Dragoon."
The boy raised an eyebrow. "Dragoon eh? What, you like dragons there, tough guy?"
Jaune shrugged. "I didn't choose it, but they are supposed to be fearsome beasts, aren't they?"
The woman held up a hand, stopping him from rebutting. "Mercury. Enough." She put down her hand and focused on Roman. "I am Cinder Fall. That is Mercury Black, and she is Emerald Sustrai. I have a big job for you."
Roman nodded, taking a few puffs of his cigar. "So I hear. Well, I'd love to hear the details." He leaned back and folded his arms. "What's the job, what's the catch, and what's the pay?"
Cinder smiled, a thing that made Neo's skin crawl at how sickly fake it felt. "The job has several parts, but at first, I'd like you to steal Dust. As much of it as possible. All, if you can."
Neo immediately felt like the catch was going to make her hate this damned thing. Penny seemed to agree, as her hands stopped for a good few seconds before she resumed braiding.
"The catch is that you have one year for most of the stages. The rest of the job will last through the festival until the end, and afterwards, there will be options for more work." Her smile seemed predatory as she spoke.
"Finally, the pay will be immense. All the Lien you can fathom."
Roman immediately frowned. "Those words never mean a job will pay. So real catch, and real reward. Or we walk."
Tensions skyrocketed. Jaune's hand inched towards his sword while Penny's withdrew from Neo's hair. Mercury and Emerald readied themselves as well. Cinder however looked unfazed.
"Bold words. Alright. I'm going up against the Kingdom itself. I plan to use the White Fang and ruin the festival. I want Ozpin to witness his work breaking in front of him as I take what I deserve. Your reward is your lives."
Neo swallowed. Everyone did. It was a bold statement, and one that felt exceedingly plausible. Cinder was an unknown. Her skills, talents, Semblance, as well as those of her two allies, all unknown. We fight well together but… that doesn't mean we can win. Fighting without information would be foolish. She glanced at Roman, whose face was fierce as he glared at Cinder.
She stared back, completely unperturbed.
He let out a sigh. "Stealing Dust to mess with the Kingdom eh? Fine. We'll help you out."
Cinder's grin seemed finally genuine. "Good." She clicked her fingers and Emerald laid a container on the table. "An initial payment, as well as some contact details. I'll need yours."
Roman handed her a business card, looking for all the world like he hated the very thought. At least to Neo. She could read him like no other, and the smile on his face was one of disgust and anger, hidden behind the veneer of pleasantries.
She took the card and stood up. "It's been a pleasure, Roman. I look forward to working together. I have left details in the case as well, and I may call upon you when… additional opportunities present themselves."
"A pleasure indeed. We'll get to work shortly then." His smile was pleasant as they left, with Cinder's grin being so cocky it made Neo's blood boil. The moment they left, Roman sighed and fell back in his chair. "Fuck."
Penny's hands slowly got back to work braiding Neo's hair as the short girl grabbed the case and pulled it open. After handing a few sheafs of paper to Roman, she started counting the Lein inside. It was quickly racking up into a sizable amount. More than they got when they spent a season controlling the coffee supply, even.
"... Details? These are more like orders… crap this is really shaping up to be a terrible job." Roman rubbed his forehead in pain as he glanced through some of the paperwork. Jaune came over and started looking through as well.
"'Find all possible routes between the towns of Lower Cairn and Domremy for an individual with a horse hoping to avoid as many eyes as they can'? Really?" Jaune's voice was annoyed, but Neo noticed how his body tensed as he read the town names, so she gave him a look to tell him to spit it out. "They're treating us like we're just tools or… or like we're pawns that'll do whatever they want," He growled, ignoring her glare.
Roman huffed. "That's 'cause, at this point, we may as well be. Someone who thinks she can take on Ozpin directly during the Festival? A human using the White Fang? I don't like it. All my instincts are telling me she's so far up the bad news tree that our best bet would be to disappear."
Neo turned her glare on him now, forcing him to hold his hands up. "I know, I know. Both of you two want to stay in Vale and Pe… Enigma doesn't want to go closer to Atlas. Though I'd choose Vacuo over the other two any day. Regardless… our best choice is something we don't wanna do, so the other choice is do whatever she wants and hope we get to survive."
Jaune sighed. "Well, according to this, that means one of us will have to attend Haven as well." He said, pointing out a section on the paper. "Stealing Dust, giving intel, now attending school? The hell is she after?"
Penny hummed, tapping her chin for a few moments. "As the Enigma, I am well versed in enigmatic thinking! I believe that there's a good chance she wishes to infiltrate the schools and use that to get close during the Festival!"
"But close to what?" Roman asked the air. "Ozpin? Beacon? Another student? What's her goal?"
Neo silently huffed and stood up, drawing all of their attentions. Does it matter? We do what we have to to survive! Like always! Nobody else is going to fight for us, so we gotta do it ourselves! Thankfully for her, Jaune and Roman managed to figure out what she meant, as they both seemed to relax slightly.
"Right. We'll do what we always do." Jaune said.
"Lie. Cheat. Steal. Survive." Roman added, counting off on his fingers.
Neo nodded emphatically.
"Sensational! Let us do our best!" Penny concluded, jumping into the air.
And so began the most troublesome job they'd ever take.
Domremy.
The name didn't mean much to most, but to him, it was important.
It was a town in the southern part of the Kingdom of Vale. Once the home of a noble family, one who had been quite prominent as well, it was now just another town. It had been part of 'the southern lords', a group who controlled Vale's bread basket, the verdant fields of the south and their vast farms.
But that was a long time ago. Now it was just one town among many. The noble family were nothing more than another regular family, aside from the number of kids they tended to have. A once proud, noble, warrior family had become your normal everyday big family.
Except, as with all big families, they had a certain issue.
The parents only had so much time and energy, and with eight children they didn't have enough for everyone.
When one of their twin boys said "I want to be a Huntsman", well, the parents just didn't think much of it. He'd grow out of it. He'd forget about it. He'd realise it's too hard. We don't have to worry because he won't keep going.
Of course, he did. And he even inspired his twin to join him.
Eventually the parents relented slightly. No matter how much they explained about the difficulty of such a life, the kids would only realise after they saw it themselves. A trip was planned to the City of Vale, where the twins would be able to see just how hard the life of a Huntsman was so they'd stop nagging the parents.
It was cheaper, required less effort and time, and was far more appealing to the pair of adults than trying to sort out training for the twins. A choice made not of necessity, but out of trying to keep things equal between their kids.
A big family trip, with everyone along. It took a few months of saving, but it ended up being a birthday trip for the two kids, excited to get to see the Huntsmen up close.
A trip that would end in tragedy.
Gunfire. A gang war. Conflict broke out as they enjoyed a meal at a restaurant. Explosions tore apart the building. A gang brought about its full might to assassinate the leader of another gang.
And the family was caught in the middle.
He could still hear the screams, the crying. He could still feel the blood soaking his clothes, a mix of his own and… and theirs. He could still feel his soul wailing as it wrenched itself open, bearing itself to the world in an attempt to save his life.
It worked.
White light with a slight yellowish tint shielded his body as the building collapsed. For several minutes he lay there, stuck, crying and crying and crying.
Then the gang set fire to the rubble, just to make sure.
He heard nothing but the flames and the cracking of wood. By mere chance, the flames burned away something which allowed him to pull himself free. So he stumbled towards the back, where he found an exit.
The world was awash in fire and blood, until he came free into the cool air and blue skies. With tears streaming down his face, he hobbled away on an injured leg, seeking to live…
Jaune awoke with a start in his bed. He let out a sigh and pulled back the covers, turning to sit up on the edge of the bed as he held his head in his shaking hands. "Not my fault, not my fault, not my fault…" Again and again he whispered, like a mantra.
A pair of hands slid around his sides, hugging him as something soft pressed against his back. The small arms held tightly while a head came to rest on his shoulder. His heart slowed a few paces, his mantra did too. Soon enough he stopped and let out another sigh, reaching over to turn on the lamp on the bedside table.
"Didn't I say I didn't want you sneaking in here again?" He asked quietly. The head tilted against his for a moment before shaking side to side as if to tell him no. He let out a breathy chuckle. "I'm sure I did."
"You're sad." The tiny hands motioned in front of him.
"... Yeah." He shrugged.
"Was it the town?"
"... Yeah."
"Tell me."
"..."
He could feel the pout moments before the hands pinched him. "Tell me," They repeated.
"Just… Domremy. My old home town. Though… nobody would be waiting for me. No reason to go back. Or care. But…"
"Memories?"
"... Yeah."
The hands stopped signing and simply hugged. He sat there, feeling that warmth against his back. Feeling the love and care that those small soft hands held for him. To ease the pain. But only ease. "Hey… Trivia. Do you… think we'll make it through her plan?"
She nodded almost immediately, making him raise an eyebrow even if she couldn't see it too well from behind him. "You're that confident? Why?"
Her hands once again came up to sign. "You're here."
He sucked in a breath as fresh tears came to his eyes. "Right. I… thanks." He let out a shaky breath. "If you're that confident in me, I better do my best then huh?"
There was a silent giggle and another nod as her hands tightened around him once more. He could feel her asking him one more question, the last few years of experience telling him exactly how she thought. He let out one more sigh.
"Okay okay. You can stay here tonight."
Her giddy response was enough to help soothe him again.
And he slept much better that time around.
"... And Leonardo shall accommodate us. You have no need to worry," Cinder said to the short girl in front of her. Neopolitan nodded, though Cinder felt the gaze in her eyes was one of annoyance and distrust, not that it mattered. Cinder didn't trust them either. "I shall stay for as long as I can to oversee. You shall join Mercury and Emerald when they head over in two months, understood?"
Neopolitan nodded again. "Good. I'll send you the details of transportation later." With that, she dismissed the girl. Once she was gone, Cinder allowed a frown to come to her face. "They have yet to steal too much, but the groundwork seem promising."
Emerald shrugged. "I think they're just delaying. We can replace them, can't we?"
Mercury shook his head. "Nah, if what they say about that Dragoon guy is true, we'd lose a good pawn."
"Oh?" Cinder raised an eyebrow. "What did you learn?"
"He's an assassin, but that's not all he does. Rumours abound but… they say he's good with a sword, and a sniper rifle. He can take down a target or be muscle for any operation. Plus he apparently sometimes offers clinical stuff." Mercury answered.
"What, he's a doctor too?" Emerald sarcastically asked.
Mercury rolled his eyes. "More like a Semblance. Sounds like it can heal wounds. He appeared three years ago with Neopolitan, and both carved out their niches. I picked up nothing else, though."
"Hm. Good work, Mercury. Asking the rats has been useful indeed." Cinder praised the assassin with a smile. "Before you leave for Mistral, learn what else you can. Any cards we can gather to keep them in check will be most appreciated."
Three months had already passed since Cinder met the Crime Lords of Vale, and they'd only robbed a select few stores so far. She hoped they would pick up the pace when the school year started, and she'd make sure it was clear to Roman just how much betraying that hope would cost them.
"What of Enigma? Fittingly she is an unknown so far…" Cinder glanced at Mercury, who hummed.
"Muscle too. Skilled and strong. Uses blades. Okay at hacking too. She only showed up a year or two ago. People don't seem sure on the specifics. She doesn't sound consistent either."
"What, she's lying?" Emerald asked.
"She constantly embellishes, from what I heard. Calls herself and the others different names, exclaims weird shit all the time, gives a different backstory every time. Girl's a damned mess."
Emerald scoffed. "What is she, twelve?"
Mercury glared at her. "Thought you'd know more about them, seeing as you lived here a while, right?"
"That was a few years ago, and being on the streets doesn't mean I know every crime boss," Emerald replied, rolling her eyes.
"Intriguing," Cinder said, interrupting the pair. "I look forward to seeing how well they can do. In fact… perhaps it would be a good idea for me to… observe them on a job. Yes…" She grinned, arrogance seeping through her. "Let's see how well they can take Dust for me…"
Penny twirled a fancy cane in her hands as she walked down the road. People on either side stepped back away from her, worried. Have no fear, I shan't harm you! she thought, but it was important to maintain the aura of Enigma, the talented criminal! So she stayed quiet, with a cocky grin on her face.
Junior's thugs spread out behind her, looking for all the world like they were hot stuff, the best of the best. She didn't want to tell them how cheap they'd been. Why, she'd barely had to pay Junior at all! Though that was because Jaune The Dragoon called on some old favour for her.
In front of her a store came into view, its lighting soft in the late evening. 'From Dust Till Dawn'? Cute name! A thug opened the door for her, so she entered without touching anything. The poor old man behind the counter swallowed as the thugs flared out, a few brandishing weapons.
"C-can I help you?" the shopkeeper nervously asked, glancing between the weapons and the girl at the head of such thugs.
Penny Enigma grinned and planted the cane on the ground. She took in a deep breath, quieting the anxiety in her heart, and spoke thus:
"Salutations! This is a robbery!"
A/N: So, the first chapter of two to start with. I felt starting with two made the most sense for this fic, so yeah, wrote them both before releasing. Here we see a lot of Jaune and Neo, their relationship is very close, as well as Penny and Roman. Penny as a criminal was an idea that just was too good to pass up. All thanks to that line we end on lol.
I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you next time.