Auras and Alibis
Chapter 7
"I think I need a new job."
Nora looked up from her spot in front of the mirror, surprised enough that she'd actually paused partway through pulling on her superhero outfit. "Seriously? I thought you enjoyed working in a restaurant."
"I wait tables, Nora," Ren said. He let out a dejected sigh as he flopped down onto the couch, pulling his black bowtie off in the process and letting it fall to the floor. "That's not nearly enough to pay the bills."
Nora's brow furrowed. "I could always try and get something else-"
"You're the more stable out of the two of us," Ren reminded her. "Relying on tips is not a good way to keep us going from day to day. And until we bust enough criminals for the city to take notice and start supporting us, we're on our own."
"I guess you've got a point," Nora reluctantly said. "Okay… what do you suggest?"
"I was just looking through help wanted ads on my break," Ren told her. "There's plenty of work out there, and it all pays better than waiting tables. Hours aren't as flexible, of course, but I figure that if there's two of us out there patrolling, it won't matter that much. That is, assuming you're okay with taking up my slack."
"Of course I am," Nora replied. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Just wanted to make sure you were fine with it, in addition to your regular job. And it goes without saying, but if I get something more substantial than what I have now, you might be operating without support from time to time."
"Plenty of people do that," Nora said, putting a hand on her hip. "I'll be fine as long as I don't run into Queen Malevolent or something."
Ren hesitated. "So long as you're okay with it-"
"Ren," Nora said, cutting him off. "It's fine. Besides, I'm as sick of living in this glorified closet as you are. If this helps us move out sooner, I'm all for it."
Ren blinked, but then he nodded, a thin smile crossing his face. "Guess I'll start applying, then."
"In a minute, if you don't mind – I'm about to head out on patrol."
"Of course, Nora." Ren stood up and made his way over to the computer, taking a seat at the chair and slipping on the headset nearby. The instant it was over his ears, he heard a police scanner go off, and turned to Nora.
"Shooting at Taupe Avenue," he reported. "One victim dead; shooter's barricaded himself inside an abandoned building and is in a standoff with police."
"Pssh, for real?" Nora asked, crossing her arms. "Come on, there's gotta be something better than that kind of small fry."
Ren shrugged. "That's what's out there at the moment, apparently. And besides, I know you too well to know you'd turn down the chance to stop a violent criminal like this."
"You're too smart for your own good," Nora told him, pursing her lips. "Alright, I'm headed out. Watch my six."
"Nora, I thought we talked about the military language thing."
"That's not military language. If I wanted to use military language, I'd say something a lot more off-color and dark than that."
Ren rolled his eyes. "You know what I meant. Now get going, would you?"
Nora grinned at him as she pulled on her mask, then stepped out onto the balcony. Their apartment was on the fifth floor, but that didn't bother her as she jumped off the ledge. The moment she was gone, Ren turned back towards the computer, watching as the news reports began to roll in.
Nora was sure to make short work of the perpetrator, which gave him all the time in the world to job hunt.
"Let's just hope she doesn't send this one to the ICU…" he muttered.
Jaune let out a wide yawn as he walked through the hospital halls. It was early in the morning, but he'd drawn the short straw, which meant he was working the graveyard shift for the week. Not fun, but there was a little extra pay in it for him for his troubles, which was nice. And at the very least, things tended to be a lot quieter at these hours – sure, all the violent crime happened at night, but there were far fewer car accidents, Grimm attacks, and the like, simply because everyone was too busy sleeping to do anything stupid.
Of course, there was always something, such as that guy who'd been admitted earlier in the week under full police escort with two badly broken legs. He wasn't sure what that had been about, only that the guy had gotten himself on a Hero's bad list or something. In any case, Jaune hadn't been stuck with him, thankfully, so he was currently free to do whatever until the next crisis reared its ugly head. This was both a blessing and a curse, however - a blessing because it meant nobody was currently dying under his care, and a curse because it meant he was very, very bored. Cinder wasn't responding to any of his texts, which meant she was asleep, and he couldn't blame her for it. But that just meant he was left with nothing to do save for browsing the DustNet on his scroll and trying not to fall asleep.
Eventually, though, it was time for him to clock out, so to speak. Jaune breathed a sigh of relief when he realized his time was up. Pocketing his scroll, Jaune rose to his feet and tiredly shuffled his way to the front of the hospital.
As luck would have it, he was just in time to see a familiar face enter through the doors.
Immediately, Jaune's lethargy faded, his eyes going wide. "Ren…?"
"Jaune?" Ren asked, turning towards the sound of his voice. "You're working at this hour?"
"Yeah, I'm on graveyard shift this week. What are you doing here? Is everything okay? Nora didn't stick a fork in an electrical outlet again, did she?"
"No, not since last time," Ren answered. "And don't worry, we're all fine. No, I'm actually here about a job posting."
"You're applying for a position here?" Jaune asked.
Ren nodded. "Yup. They're looking for a security guard – I figure I could use something a bit more permanent and higher-paying than being a waiter. This seemed like as good a place to start as any."
A grin split Jaune's face. "Well, you've come to the right place, buddy! We've been looking for a new security guard, and you'd fit the bill perfectly for that kind of job. Although… how are you when it comes to dealing with violent criminals?"
Ren shrugged. "I've been around the block a time or two. One doesn't grow up in the slums of Mistral without learning things here and there. I'm sure it's nothing I've never experienced before."
"That's good to hear. Well, I mean, not good to hear, but I'm glad you're capable of dealing with it. A lot of people aren't." Jaune suddenly perked up. "Say, do you need a reference? I'd be more than willing to vouch for you."
"That's nice of you, but I don't think it's that official," Ren answered. "But if I do need one, you'll be first on my list."
Jaune grinned. "Well, I hope you get the job, man. And when you do, call me up, I'll cook dinner to celebrate."
Ren smiled at him. "That'd be great, Jaune. Thank you."
Jaune cast a glance up at the clock, his grin fading when he saw what time it was. "Shoot… I've got to get going, Ren. It was nice to see you."
"Same to you, Jaune. Be safe on your way home."
With that, Ren turned and continued on to his interview. Jaune, meanwhile, kept going through the hospital, eager to make his way home for the night.
Cinder was somehow awake by the time he made it back. She was doing some basic calisthenics on a mat laid out on their apartment floor; immediately, Jaune found himself stopping and staring at her as she moved, before she turned around and gave him a smirk.
"See something you like?"
"I, uh…" Jaune tugged at the collar of his scrubs, his face flushing red. "...Those yoga pants and that sports bra are a crime, and you know it."
"I try," she all but purred. Cinder stood up and walked over to where he was standing, then threw her arms around him.
"Tell me," she said softly. "Why is it that you're still so easy to fluster, even after all this time? You've seen me naked and heard me moan your name over and over again, and yet every time you see me like this, it's like it's the very first time once more."
"What can I say? A beautiful lady has that kind of effect on me."
"Mm… flattery will get you and only you absolutely everywhere, Jaune."
"They're special words for a special girl. You know I've only got eyes for you."
Cinder's grin widened. "Then it's a good thing that all of this is for your eyes only."
"Is that why you're always so careful about staying in shape?"
"Why else if not to give you a show? And, if I must say… the stretches do give me quite a few ideas for things to try~"
Jaune flushed even redder, and she gave a low laugh. Cinder leaned in, and the two of them shared a brief kiss before she pulled away, Jaune giving a small whine as she did so.
"Are you gonna make me beg for it or something?" he asked.
"I was, if only for my own amusement, but you sound so pitiful right now that I can't bring myself to do it," Cinder mused. "Truly, you are like a human golden retriever. How am I supposed to do or say anything unseemly towards someone like you?"
"You love me for it," Jaune replied.
"Indeed," Cinder purred.
She reached out and took his hand, then led him to the bedroom, closing the door behind them just as they fell into each other's embrace once more.
When Jaune awoke late in the day, Cinder was already out of bed. From the smell wafting through the house, she'd made some of those frosted toaster pastries for the two of them. Not exactly the breakfast of champions, but they would do in a pinch.
Not to mention, that was about the extent that he trusted her to actually cook anything.
"One of these days, I'll teach her the basics…" Jaune muttered as he threw the covers off himself and stood up, stretching. "At the very least, I can get her to make something simple. Macaroni and cheese, maybe? Or is that still too much of a fire hazard?"
"Talking to yourself?" Cinder asked from behind him. Jaune paused, his face flushing red; he was still naked from the night before.
"Hey, babe," Jaune greeted. "You, uh, mind handing me my underwear?"
"Now, why would I want to do that?" she asked, stepping into the room. "I'm quite enjoying the little show you're putting on. A girl could get used to this~"
"I still have to go to work, you know," Jaune pointed out. "So I'd prefer to not get down and dirty before then."
"Mm, I don't know, you haven't showered yet. Seems like the perfect time."
He could hear the smirk in her tone. It took every fiber of his being to shake his head.
"Honestly, I'm still pretty drained from last night," he admitted. "Maybe once I'm home from work?"
Cinder didn't even look disappointed. Instead, she just nodded. "Very well. And don't feel obligated or anything – my libido can wait if you aren't feeling up to it."
"Oh, I don't think you'll have to worry about that." Jaune eyed her up and down, taking note of how the robe she was wearing clung to her figure, showing off her curves. Cinder had always been the most attractive woman he'd ever seen; frankly, he still didn't know what she was doing with a guy like him, though she'd always told him never to doubt himself like that whenever he'd voiced that particular thought.
Still, he couldn't help but wonder, for some reason.
"Breakfast, by the way," Cinder said, offering him a plate with two of the pastries on it. "Brown sugar cinnamon, just how you like it."
"Thanks."
As Jaune ate his breakfast, Cinder sat down on the bed, staring out the window. "So," she ventured. "What's on the agenda for today?"
Jaune swallowed what was in his mouth. "Eh, same old. Oh, there is one interesting thing that happened last night, though – I didn't get a chance to tell you about it before… well, you know."
"Yes, I know. But do tell; you sound excited."
"Ren applied for a job at the hospital," Jaune said, unable to hide the excited grin that crossed his face. "He's trying to become a security guard."
"Truly?" Cinder asked. "Well, that would be fun for you both."
"Yeah, it would. Ren's a great guy, and I think he'd be really good at that job. I certainly hope he gets it; I think he mentioned he'd be hearing back about it pretty soon. We'll have to invite him and Nora over for dinner if it goes well."
"That reminds me," Cinder said. "What are those two to each other, anyway?
"Legitimately, I have no idea, and I don't think they do, either."
It was a few hours later that Jaune called her. Cinder immediately looked up from the book she was reading, her eyes going wide. Jaune never called her from work, which could only mean that either something very good or very bad had happened.
And for the sake of the entire city, she hoped that it was the former rather than the latter.
Tentatively, Cinder picked up her scroll and set it to speaker.
"Yes?"
"Ren got the job!" Jaune all but shouted. "He starts really soon, too – like, next week!"
Cinder couldn't help but purse her lips. Truthfully, she'd been trying to think of ways to get Jaune to quit his job and spend more time at home with her, but she knew he'd never go for that, since he enjoyed his job too much. And now with Ren there, he was probably going to end up spending even more time at the hospital, whether he intended to or not.
Still, she was happy for him, on a certain level – Jaune didn't have many friends, and of the few he had, the one he was closest to was Ren. And as much as she wanted to keep Jaune all for herself, she knew he wouldn't be happy if he didn't have any friends.
So she forced herself to grin, and for her tone to take on just a tinge of joviality.
"That's great, Jaune," she said.
"Yeah, it's awesome! I already told Ren that we're having him and Nora over next weekend to celebrate. You don't mind, do you?"
"Not at all," Cinder lied. She didn't dislike Ren and Nora, at least not in the same way she disliked nearly everyone else, but she much preferred being alone or with Jaune than being around other people.
It was funny – she'd always intended for Jaune to be a form of stress relief more than anything. And yet, here she was, having grown attached to him so easily. Her older self would probably be ashamed of her, but she didn't care; she'd somehow managed to find the one good person she could mostly trust, and now they were set to be married in just a few months.
It almost defied belief, really, but then again, she'd always had a habit of making her own destiny.
"Babe, you there?"
Cinder suddenly shook her head, focusing on her scroll once more. "Sorry, I spaced out. You were saying?"
"Oh, I was just saying that we should make something special this time around. Do you think we could splurge a bit and get some nice steaks? I know it'll be stretching our budget for the month pretty thin, but Ren and Nora are worth it… and you are too, of course."
"I don't think that will be a problem," Cinder replied. "Just don't ask me to help cook the steaks."
"Ha! Don't you worry. Though, one of these days, I will teach you how to prepare at least a basic meal. Can't go your whole life eating cold sandwiches, chips, and microwavable pasta when I'm not here to cook for you. Plus, it'll give us something to do together."
A genuine smile crossed her face. "That would be fun."
"Yeah, it would. Anyway, I've gotta get back to work. Just wanted to call and let you know the good news."
Cinder nodded. "I'll see you in a bit, Jaune. Love you."
"Love you, too."
With that, the line went dead. Cinder stared at her scroll for a moment, then sighed and set it down on the coffee table.
Somehow, things just kept getting more complicated as time went on. Thankfully, it was just going to be Ren and Nora, though – they weren't exactly her favorite people, but she knew how to handle them.
"You made it!"
Jaune's voice resounding through the front of the apartment caught Cinder's attention. She paused midway through putting in her earrings, then listened carefully. After a moment, she heard Ren and Nora begin talking, and allowed her guard to drop.
Some might think of her as paranoid, but she knew better than to expect that every knock at the door was going to come from a friendly face.
Cinder finished getting ready, then stepped out into the main room. Ren and Nora were already there, Ren midway through placing a bottle of wine on the counter. She couldn't help but raise an eyebrow when she saw the label; it wasn't exactly high-dollar, but it was a bit more expensive than the bottles the two of them usually brought to share.
Apparently, her and Jaune weren't the only ones splurging.
"Aw, you guys shouldn't have!" Jaune exclaimed as he examined the bottle.
"When we heard you were getting steak, we figured we ought to try and one-up you," Nora said with a grin.
"Oh, it's nothing major, just a couple of strips."
"Well, this is also nothing major, just a Valean red. See? Two can play at that game!"
Jaune couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Alright, alright – you win." He reached for the bottle, along with a nearby corkscrew. "Let's not keep everyone in suspense, then."
A short while later, and they were all sitting at the table, their plates cleaned. Jaune finished wiping his mouth with his napkin, then sat back, a content sigh escaping him.
"I don't know about you all, but I thought that was fantastic," he commented. "Which one of you picked out the wine?"
"Ren did," Nora said.
"Well, it was an excellent choice – complimented the steaks perfectly."
"I try," Ren told him.
"Heh." Jaune leaned forward in his seat. "You know, there's something I was meaning to bring up – you and Cinder have similar jobs now, Ren."
"Do we?" Ren asked.
"Yup. You work security, she works security… small world, I suppose. Though, I suppose her job is a little different than yours."
"How so?" Nora questioned.
"Honestly, she'd probably be the one to tell you that better than me." Jaune turned towards Cinder, a small grin crossing his face. "What is it that you do anyway, babe?"
Cinder pursed her lips. "...I guard whoever hires me for protection."
"Sounds lucrative," Ren commented.
"It has its highs and lows. Sometimes it's busy, sometimes it's not. It all depends on the clients."
"Sounds fancy," Nora interjected. "Get anyone rich and famous?"
"I'm not at liberty to say."
"Ah, of course, of course. Well, can you at least tell us what it's like?"
"Boring," Cinder commented. "Most people know better than to mess with armed security. Generally, my days are very slow, aside from dealing with the occasional lunatic who stalked the famous object of their desire. But even then, my weapon has never even left its holster. Hopefully you can be as lucky, Ren."
"Indeed," he said with a nod. He leaned over to check the nearby clock, frowning as he did so. "Shoot… we've got to get going, Jaune."
"Oh," Jaune said, disappointed. "Any particular reason?"
"Yeah, we're… looking for a new place to live," Nora offered. "Since Ren's making more money and got a nice signing bonus, we figured it's time we upgrade from a hole in the wall to a slightly bigger hole in the wall."
Jaune waved her off. "Say no more, Nora – the two of us will clean up here. You two just stay safe on your way back."
Nora stood up and gave Jaune a hug, while Ren shook his hand. Jaune guided them both to the door, then gently closed it behind them as they stepped out.
"I must admit, that was kinda strange," Jaune commented as he stepped back over to the table and began gathering plates. "I don't think I've ever seen them in that much of a hurry before. And so early in the night, too…"
"Look on the bright side – they left the wine," Cinder said, pouring herself another glass.
"True, true." Jaune set the dishes in the sink, then sat down next to her, taking her hand in his. "You know, we haven't really talked about what happened the other night."
"You mean with that thug?" Cinder asked.
"That, and your Aura. I mean… I'm dating someone a Hero! I'm marrying a Hero!"
Cinder couldn't help but wince at that. "Keep it down, please," she said. "I don't want anyone else finding out…"
"Ah, right – your secret identity." Jaune nodded along with his words. "So, how many criminals have you busted? Is that what you do when I'm not at home, and you're not working your day job? No wonder you spend so much time around the apartment… Ooh, do you think I could be your sidekick, and-"
"Jaune," Cinder said, her voice stern. Jaune instantly quieted down, staring at her with surprise. Cinder felt a pang of remorse pass through her at the harshness that had entered her voice, but she pushed it away.
This was for his own good.
"This isn't a game, Jaune," she warned. "I know you're excited, but you understand that this has to remain a secret, right? Nobody can know about this, for obvious reasons."
Slowly, Jaune nodded. "...Right. Yeah, I get that."
"And you can't be my sidekick. I'm sorry, but without Aura and training-"
"No… no, I get it – it's too dangerous. That makes sense."
Cinder let out a breath. "Good. You know I love you, but I simply can't let you put yourself in harm's way like that."
"I understand, Cinder. Though, if you don't mind me asking… how'd you get your Aura in the first place? I thought someone had to unlock it for you."
That was partially true, at least – most people had their Aura unlocked for them by someone else. But there were cases of people unlocking it themselves during moments of extreme stress or trauma.
Memories flashed through her mind, of electric shocks and beatings. They only lasted for a split second before being replaced with flames, and the sound of people screaming.
"Cinder?"
At Jaune's voice, the scene faded. She shook her head, then turned back to him.
"...It was someone I was close to," she lied. "Long ago. They're not around anymore, unfortunately."
Jaune nodded solemnly. "I'm sorry."
"Yeah… so am I." Cinder looked at the glass of wine in her hand, then downed it in a single go before setting her glass down. "If it's okay with you, I'm going to get to bed now. See if I can't get a good night's rest before waking up early tomorrow for… patrol."
"I get it," Jaune said, giving her a wide smile. "Sleep well, Cinder. I'll clean up here."
Cinder nodded, then stood up and marched back into the bedroom, gently closing the door behind her as she did so. The whole time, a strange feeling pricked at her mind, though she couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was.
All she knew was that it was the same emotion she hadn't felt since killing Rhodes, all those years ago.
What is up, my dudes? Hope you've all had a good couple of weeks. I've been doing okay, myself – definitely can't complain too much. Work's a drag, but then again, when is it not?
Anyway, I am back with more Auras and Alibis for you all to enjoy. And I also have to announce that I think I've made my decision with regards to fan fiction. I mentioned earlier that I was considering quitting fan fiction entirely in order to focus on originals, but I think at this point, doing that would be premature. Plus, I'll be honest, I think I really just needed an extended break from it all, as well as a reduced schedule for this stuff. So basically, what I'm saying is that I'd very much like to continue working on fan fiction at this time.
Now, that being said, there will be some changes put into place. I'm going to still be focusing on my originals, but I'll keep the fanfics as a way to have fun and decompress on the weekends. So updates are definitely going to slow down for fanfics in-general. I'm also going to only focus on three of them right now, those three being this one, Black Sun, and Seeing Red. Darkbloom and Plastered Paradox are getting sidelined while I focus on those three.
I have all of you to thank, by the way – more than anything, you all convinced me to stick around and give fan fiction another shot when I was feeling pretty down/disillusioned with it. So thank you all for doing that. I love you guys, couldn't ask for a better fanbase.
Anyway, as for the chapter itself… shit's picking up once more. Or as Ickbard said to me:
"Much like my cholesterol at a Korean BBQ, the plot thickens! We hope you enjoyed today's chapter and as always please do leave a comment below!"
And that's pretty much the long and short of it, lol. Anyway, I'll have to echo his sentiments here – hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I'll see you all next time!
Enjoy my work and want to help me out a bit? You can support me, as well as read more of my writing, over on Amazon. My second original story is available for purchase now, you can find it by going on Amazon and searching for 'Dead World' by John Haruspex. The story is available now for three bucks in ebook format (or free with Kindle Unlimited) or twelve bucks in paperback format, if you prefer physical media. (Remove the spaces)
www . amazon Dead-World-John-Haruspex / dp /B0C2RPGXVC / ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1682982861&sr=8-2
My first original story is also still available at the following link as well:
www . amazon dp/ B0BLFL72MX