Hey I'm back. Just got off a long deployment and wanted to get back to things here. Hope you enjoy the chapter.
"This is bullshit"
"I think those are peas actually." Jaune replied to his irate partner.
"Fuck you." Cardin growled as he held the aforementioned bag of peas on an ugly and swollen black eye."
"You know it's your fault, right?" Jaune asked, unaffected by Cardin's agitation.
"That Velvet suckered me in the face? How?" he asked irate.
"You were such an asshole to her that she thought you were her stalker."
"Fuck her, she couldn't stand up to shit and just leached of Beacon while her team carried her."
Jaune shrugged from the passenger seat of Cardin's van. "Didn't know you decided who should be a huntsman."
"I call it how I see it." he answered unapologetically.
"Way I see it, you always got paired up to fight me, the weakest guy." He paused for a bit, but Cardin didn't respond so he continued. "How are you calling that?"
Instead of anger Cardin sagged a bit and let out a sigh. "I don't like advertising it, but I never went to any kind of hunter school before Beacon."
That fact had Jaune paying attention. "What?"
"Yeah, laugh it up." Cardin replied sourly.
"I'm not making fun of you. I just thought you were a preppy ass with that gaudy armor you got."
"That was the idea. Didn't want people knowing I was from the streets." He growled in frustration. "Not like that turned out to be much use, being back here and all."
Jaune could sympathize, and it was definitely news that Cardin wasn't some silver spoon asshole; just the regular racist kind. "So what's with the racism?"
"I'm not racist. I've just seen how people who play the victim act when they get some power." A scowl formed on Cardin's face as his mind went back to some memory Jaune couldn't possibly know. "They cry about their lot to anyone above them while shitting on anyone less fortunate than them. If you're not an animal then you can't talk to them like people."
Internally Jaune wondered where he could get some corporate anti-racism classes; he was a legit business that could be sued for descrimination now. Cardin's blatant racism could be a problem larger than its inherent shittyness. Thinking back to his construction job that he'd been muscled out of by exclusively faunus on the notion that he was muscling in on their good job did give him some notion of what Cardin was talking about, though. Not that Cardin was right.
"People aren't monoliths of their communities, Cardin. Just because some faunus happen to be crappy people doesn't mean that all are bad. If you were the first human I met, I'd think all humans are bad." Jaune pushed, not because he thought Cardin cared but because this stake out was getting boring.
"I had a lot of fuanus in neighborhood, and none of them were good people."
"You meet them all?"
Cardin's scowl returned. "Mostly met their fists."
"So you met some asholes. Still doesn't mean all are bad."
"I did what I had to to survive."
Jaune figured he should have laid off, but he knew Cardin was dead wrong. "Bullshit, you made the fuanus students life hell for no reason; we were all on the same side."
"I had to stay mean. The second I let up they'd have eaten me alive." Cardin responded with iron conviction. "Besides, you're one to talk, Jaune. I've seen you out here. You don't take anyone's shit anymore."
"I'm not like you." He shot back. The casual nature of the conversation gone from his head; he wasn't gonna be accused of being an asshole from Cardin of all people.
"You see the threats people are now Jaune. You know people break you down with their words before they ruin your life just because they see you as weak. When you got to Beacon you just bowed and prayed they would stop because it wasn't right. You were a sheep for slaughter. Now you push back because you have to. If someone steps up to you you'll feed them their teeth. That's what I do, I end the threats before they become threats to me."
That caught Jaune for a second, he did know people enslaved him to subservience with words before they took what they wanted from him. His time on the streets, and Cardin, had taught him to push back as hard as he could on that. For a moment he looked back on the outbursts of anger an violence that had kept him alive. Was it really no difference from how Cardin acted?
With Jaune on the backfoot of the conversation Cardin pushed. "You know you have to look out for number one."
"That's what makes us different Cardin." Jaune shot back with his own conviction now forged of steel. "I care about people. You're just a whipped dog that sees danger in every shadow; always attacking. If I was like you I would have left you for dead at that stash house for the police. You were nothing but terrible to me, you put my life in danger, and I still pulled your ass out of the fire."
For a moment fury splashed across Cardin's face. If he intended to attack Jaune would handle it, he still had convictions to fight for. Instead Cardin took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair as he exhaled.
"How's that working out?' He asked.
"Ehh, next time I save a guy with a better car." Jaune joked, the tension evaporating from the van.
"This is still some bull." Cardin whined.
For his part Jaune ignored Cardin's gripping in favor of watching from the van as Velvet entered the bullhead terminal to Beacon. They had been discreetly shadowing her all day as she went about her business in town. Well, as discreetly as their colorful van allowed.
"It's how we are gonna get some food in the fridge." He replied in a bored manner; his enthusiasm for this augment had disappeared around the third time Cardin had brought it up.
"If this stalker exists." Cardin pushed. "We only get paid if we catch a guy."
"Then we should probably follow Velvet into the terminal and maybe find our guy."
"There is enough security in a bullhead terminal that nobody would follow her there."
As much of an ass as Cardin was being he had a point; it'd been a long day following her and they hadn't seen anything. It looked like they'd be following Velvet anyways and always stalking her into the terminal might have looked weird on their part. Letting out a sigh he weighed Cardins request. "Alright lets go home."
An oddly troubled look appeared on Cardin's face, instead of the relief Jaune thought he'd feel. For a second they just sat in silence.
"Actually, I need to do something before I go back to the apartment." Cardin finally said, the troubled look gone from his face.
"Ok, lets make it quick. It's been a long day." Jaune responded a bit annoyed.
"Privately."
"Seriously." he deadpanned.
"Sorry." Cardin offered with at least the grace to look embarrassed for the inconvenience.
"I'm not walking." He stated flatley.
"Here's a few bucks, there are plenty of taxis here." Cardin said as he fished out some loose dirt and len for Jaune.
"Must be important if you're paying." Jaune probed as he took the cash.
"I'm gonna see a gal." Cardin relented without any warmth in his voice.
"Oh," Juane replied as he lamented his own lack of love life. It wasn't like he had time for that, but it wasn't like he had one when he did anyways. If Cardin wanted a social life it wasn't like he was enough of a dick to block him under the pretense of work. A night alone at the apartment didn't sound bad either. "Alright then. Don't wake me up if she comes over."
"I don't exactly think my odds are good on this man." Cardin huffed, his body language showing a larger degree of nervousness than excitement.
For a second Jaune mulled over saying something to his obviously distressed partner. It wasn't like he had any place to talk to Cardin about romantic matters.
"Hey Cardin?" Jaune asked, finally settling on saying something, as his partner seemed lost in anxious thought.
"Yeah?" he answered, suddenly pulled from his obvious internal battle.
"Confidence." Jaune grinned, "Woman love confidence."
For a moment Cardin looked at him with a complex before he returned the grin. "Yeah, man."
"Good luck." Jaune added as he exited the Van, into the rainy evening, pulling his trench coat as he walked to find a cab.
In an unassuming warehouse in Vale's harbor district a projector flicked on. Splashed across the wall of a dark room Jaune Arcs face illuminated a dozen men and women sitting on cheap chairs.
"This is target number one." John Boy began. "He is going by Jaune Arc. Appearing in Vale two months ago, he has worked to embed himself within Vale's criminal and law enforcement hierarchy after spending a month as a student at Beacon. Records indicate an anonymous tip exposed his records as fraudulent. He now officially works as a PI, moonlighting as muscle for Hei and the police." Clicking a remote the image of Jaune switched to reveal Velvet. "This is Velvet Scarlatina, Beacon student and one of our potential candidates for recruitment. She has become aware of our surveillance and has reached out to Arc to handle us. We need both of them removed."
"A bit heavy for some private dick." A muscled fuanus remarked as he continued to sharpen a large combat knife.
"Inconsistencies in Arcs records lead me to believe that he is Atlas intelligence, and his unorthodox methods hint at a wetwork assets."
The audience, made of professional killers, sat a bit straighter at that news. Any who split their attention checking the bevy of weapons each had abandoned the task in favor of rapt attention.
"I believe he is setting up a cell in Vale with the express purpose of degrading our effort, hence his time at Beacon identifying our candidates and our means of intelligence gathering. I don't know how much he knows about our efforts, but given the threat he poses we will suspend all efforts to recruit Beacon personnel until he is eliminated." Another click showed Jaune's apartment, floor plans, and the roads around it. "Frost, you will post up outside of the target's apartment building and wait till he arrives back from providing counter-surveillance on Velvet. Grinch will break into the target's apartment and post up at his door. When he opens the door you'll initiate contact, Frost will engage from behind."
"He's here. Alone." Frost relayed into a phone as he saw his target approach the entrance of his apartment building. He didn't see Cardin, but his inclusion was secondary and not entirely unexpected.
"Good copy." his earpiece confirmed.
Stepping from his hiding spot behind a large dumpster Frost pulled his jacket tighter and lamented the cold rain that had begun an hour ago. He'd wished he'd brought an umbrella as he watched Jaune close his own as he entered the building.
Frost followed at a distance as Juane proceeded to his second story apartment unit via the stairs. Reaching into the inner pocket of his jacket Frost palmed the handle of a suppressed handgun, chamber in a caliber that would have been excessive if not for the use of aura, and thumbed the safety off.
Oblivious to the danger inside his own apartment Jaune pushed a key into his door. As the door swung open a burly fuanus woman aiming a suppressed SMG greeted him. From beside Frost pressed his gun to the side of Jaune's head.
"Shouldn't have come looking for us Arc." Frost quipped before he pulled his trigger at the same time as his fellow assassin.
John Boy continued. "Arc has chosen his base well, as it's an apartment that houses Hei's men and is situated next to his club. This allows Arc an estimated reinforcement time of three to five minutes of a platoon sized element armed with small arms and RPGs. We hit him hard and fast, and quite as possible, drag his body into the apartment, and then repel out his window to our exfil van." With a laser pointer he highlighted an area of road in front of Hei's club and the apartment complex "Bravo team will post up there along this road with heavy weapons to provide support by fire to deny reinforcement from enemy elements or, if needed, reinforce if Arc somehow survives."
John Boy clicked another slide into view and continued his brief. "As for Miss Scarlatina, she is a good candidate for recruitment. Sandman is already following her and will pick her up to offer our ultimatum. Once Arc leaves of course. We'll make our offer once she has been obtained and if she denies it we'll liquidate the candidate." Personally John figured she'd reject the offer, they hadn't moved into the stage of operation that subtly influenced candidates to their way of seeing things. It was a shame, but he couldn't have Velvet be a loose end.
The sea of people at the bullhead terminal was dense, waiting for some of the last flights of the evening Sandman figured. Thankfully his target's large ears made her stand out from the rest of the commuters. It was a silhouette that he knew well stalking her these last few weeks.
Palming an auto-injector in his pocket filled with a fast acting sedative he felt relief that he could move on from this assignment. It'd been getting boring as hell. He longed to get back to more overt actions for the cause. As he snaked through the crowd behind his target, he did have to admit that this had been a nice holiday all things considered.
His hand striking with his injector into the small of the defenseless girls back his other draped under arm to support her weight. The sedative did its job as he felt her full weight fall into his arms. A smile formed on his face, it was always the same with hunters, they never activated their aura till it was too late.
"Whaatt…?" Velvet slurred as she found herself unable to move limbs and her mind becoming foggy.
"One too many drinks on your flight I see, honey ." Sandman loudly spoke as he took her into his arms. His smile ticked up as he watched any suspicious passerby turn away with his convenient cover.
As he walked out of the terminal towards his van he was stopped once by a security guard, but again his excuse of drunkenness was taken at face value. It was almost too easy, he chuckled internally. This was the easy part for him, he was sure she'd turn them down. He let out an annoyed sigh thinking about how much work it'd be chopping her up to put into a drum. Ah well, live and let live he supposed as he loaded her into the passenger seat of his van.
From his position in a nearby coffee shop John Boy watched as he saw the faintest muzzle flash from Jaune's second story window. Sipping his coffee he almost lamented killing the boy, he was too young for this kind of work, a tin soldier lied to by his superiors and molded into a killing machine. Not a great one like him as it seemed, but truly how could a boy hope to kill him. It did take a weight off his shoulders, the paranoid voice wondering if perhaps his replacement was worthy enough to fell him finally snuffed out like Arc himself.
Pushing his earpiece he spoke. "Frost, confirm statues." He didn't fear anyone at the empty coffee shop interrupting as he'd rented it out under an alias for this.
Fear did creep back in as silence greeted him.
"Frost, respond." he tried again.
Silence.
"Grinch, check in."
"-check in"
Neo watched as the man with a bloody whole in his throat tried desperately to click his radio to respond. With a sigh she figured she could be nice and clicked it on for him. Opening his mouth only bloody bubbles came from his throat making a sickening wet rasping noise. She always loved that sound.
Too bad she couldn't even enjoy that she huffed as she stomped her foot in annoyance. It should have been that blond asshole making that noise for her.
That bastard had been attacking her for days and she had had enough. It was more than justified to kill him after the hell he had been putting her through. It seemed his semblance was still following her like a virus.
It had started with the drink he had ordered her. He knew she'd look it up, the terrible words blow job entered into her search history and more horrifyingly her brain, if not the back of her eyelids. The horrors she had witnessed. It was sickening, some sort of torture preformed on a man that had him grunting and yelling in pain.
She was no stranger to torturing, but something about it caused her to burn as if he was using his semblance on her. It made her brain foggy and body hot, and cruelly forced her to go back and look again and again. It disgusted her to no end.
What he could have meant by it was horrifying. Did that sick fuck want her to torture him like that. What kind of messed up individual was he? Some sick unholy spawn of the grimm was the best she could come up with. Not that thinking about him was doing any favors for her. Thoughts of him wrapped around her brain and festered like a disease. She could even feel the symptoms as the picture of him that she found enjoyed stabbing turned against her. Instead of the joy of stabbing she would feel she could only wonder what touching that face would feel like. Not strangling or beating it to a pulp but something…else.
It was too fucking much for her, to have such evil taunting her. So she endeavored to kill him and rid herself of this horror.
To that end she had snuck up to his apartment, definitely not intent to torture him she told herself, but to run him through. He wouldn't have the chance to activate his evil powers either. She'd worked it out, whenever she walked up on someone disguised as them there was always a moment of shock. A moment without aura or semblance, a moment to kill him.
However this absolute piece of shit hadn't been in his apartment. Just two losers with guns. Probably her to kill him for the same horrors he inflicted on her. Heavens forbid he had both of the shooters give him blowjobs and they did not seek revenge. Too bad they tried to kill her. Aww well, she shrugged.
Shifting back to her form she slinked off, her teeth grinding. She would hear this man scream from her, she promised internally. Only for the other meaning of those words becoming clear to her.
Glass shattered and ears popped in a bloody fashion as she let out a scream that all from the Grimmlands to to Atlas could hear. If she wasn't mute. Instead she just opened her mouth and nothing came out.
The sound of Grinch choking on his blood confirmed John Boys fears.
"Fuck." he growled. It seemed that Arc was as capable as he seemed. No matter he had his contingency plan in the form of a dozen hardened killers armed and armored to the teeth waiting in the van. "Bravo team, hit team is down, move to engage."
He hoped his men could handle Arc but he wasn't holding his breath. They could tire him out, and patting the handgun in his coat he knew he could handle the job from there.
Standing he walked to the edge of the coffee shop to watch his men jump out. Machine guns, rockets, shotguns, wicked looking combat knives and machetes on hardened men and women encased in body armor cut a terrifying visage. It was formidable, he had to admit. Conventionally he supposed the police would need to muster maybe three armor carriers loaded to gill with S.W.A.T teams to take his men down. Studying the local PD he knew that it would take at minimum to muster that.
So he felt justified dropping his coffee as that exact amount of vehicles and men showed up exactly two seconds later, his men in the open.
Dan was having a pretty good day. His wife gave him an increasingly rare blowjob, he found his lucky pen, and, oh yeah, he was gonna plant a brick of cocaine on Arc when he raided his apartment with S.W.A.T on a bogus warrant. He was really looking forward to the stupid look on the kids face when he did it. It was all he was thinking about when he opened the door to his armored vehicle.
So when he found himself face to face with a bunch of people geared up for what looked like the second great war he was proud of himself for not shitting a brick. He could have sworn his jaw hit the ground before his boots did as training pushed him from the armored vehicle.
For a moment the two heavily armed groups just looked at each other in shock. The moment, an eternity in the minds of all present. When it broke, with the shrap report of a rifle being fired before a crescendo of shots joined it, Dan didn't know who shot first. As fired his own rifle and fought for his life, he only knew one thing.
Somehow this was all Jaune's fault.
Stepping behind the counter of the shop to avoid a stray round John Boy knew his plan to kill Arc had failed. He had out maneuvered him here. Swearing in anger he pulled out his scroll. He may have lost here but he still had Velvet. Perhaps he could use her as a bargaining chip. Yes, he could lure Arc into another trap.
Frantically he punched in Sandman's number before pressing the scroll to his ear. "Sandman, do you have the target?"
Sandman finished securing the seatbelt onto Velvet from the driver's seat of the van he felt his scroll vibrate.
"Boss?" he answered.
"Sandman, do you have the target?" his leader frantically asked.
"Affirmative. Has something gone wrong?"
"Arc survived. Mission failed, we'll get him next time." John boy responded a bit less frantic in his tone.
Assurances of their success and questions about the operation came to Sandman's mind. A shame it never made it to his mouth as his side window exploded in a shower of glass, a aura reinforced hand the cause. Also the cause of him being dragged out said window. It wasn't the cause of him being smashed in the temple and sent into unconsciousness. The was the other hand, or rather fist, attached to Cardin work.
"Damnit, Velvet." Cardin growled as he opened the van and pulled her out. "I come to apologize for being an asshole to you and your unconscious. Great, now I gotta apologize again. Stupid Arc, making me feel like a piece of shit."
"Mmmmmmm…" Velvet groaned.
"Oh yeah, found your stalker." He grinned as he looked at the man he'd just laid out. "So guess you owe us money now."
"Mmmmmmm." Velvet continued unintelligibly.
"Listen really sorry about this…..but," He said apologetically as he reached into her bag to fish out her wallet. "I do have a car payment tomorrow." He explained as he took out some len. "And you do owe me, soooo…."
John Boy groaned, of course Arc had thought about this he lamented as he heard his man beaten down. Arc was running circles around him. At the very least he could make his escape. More than likely Arc had planted a mole in his organization somehow. Thankfully he hadn't told anyone his position and had an escape vehicle out back. Frustratedly he turned for the exit, he'd rally from this and take Arc out. He was alone now but now Arc couldn't track him. It would just be a matter of surprising and killing him himself.
The sound of the entrance bell ringing stopped him cold in his tracks.
He knew who it was before he turned around. It was the master of warfare, it was the demon that haunted him, the man that was his replacement. Turning around with the demeanor of a man going to the gallows he laid eyes on him. A monster clad in a trench coat that dripped rain off it like a demon covered in blood. Eyes that pierced his soul as if it was a hot knife locked onto his own. It was destruction incarnate, framed on a face so casual it was as if this was all of no consequence to him.
"God this city sucks." Jaune said aloud. "Can't even do any work without some gunfight or other crazy crap getting in my way."
The handgun weighed heavily in John Boy's jacket, but he knew it might as well have been a toy. Jaune Arc had the city and the resources of Atlas at his fingertips, and he came alone. No armor, no heavy weapons, why would he, Jaune was a living weapon and he knew it. He would kill John Boy at his leisure now. Running would also spell doom, untold traps no doubt lay in wait. His words brought a deeper fear as well. This was all just an inconvenience to him; a distraction from some other work. What on this planet was more important than the most dangerous Atlas commando going rogue to bring down the system was a terrifying question he couldn't fathom. It gave him hope though. If he wasn't the mission there was a snowball's chance in hell he could get out of this.
"What do you want?" He asked plainly.
"Coffee please." Jaune answered innocently. "And for stupid stuff like this to stop happening." He added, a bit annoyed.
John Boy was behind the counter as it was and so he quickly made a cup of black coffee before giving it to Jaune. It seemed Jaune would take his time with whatever sinister actions he planned and saw John Boy as no threat. Silence followed as Jaune took a seat with John Boy standing awkwardly. His mind having nothing to gleen or other option he settled on words he had rarely said in his life.
"I apologize for this."
Juane looked up at the barista that had brought him coffee. The poor guy looked like he was going to shit bricks. Understandable considering there was a gunfight going on a little ways down the road. "No problem, lets just call this a freebee and we'll call it even." He didn't exactly have money for his coffee at the moment and he was willing to leverage the situation to save a buck.
John Boy was shocked. This was really nothing to the god of war before him. How easy this creature most kill for assassinations to be nothing but a small social infraction to him. Haunting, but sad. He remembered those days; when killing was nothing but a chore. It was wrong to make someone so young so hardened. It was like looking at a younger version of himself. Before he had found something to truly fight for. For a moment he considered saying a word to his fellow warrior. Instead cowardice stole the words from him. This was the closest he'd been to death in years and the fear he felt made him realize he'd gotten soft in old age. He mulled that fact over for a second before a decision was made.
Jaune watched as the barista turned away and walked towards the exit. It seemed he was leaving out early because of the gun fight. Before he left he turned to look back at him.
"Live well warrior, may you leave this path you walk and find peace one day. I am putting my tools down and finding my own path." The man utter in sincerity.
Not sure how to respond to the weird comment Jaune watched the man go.
"What a weirdo." He said to no-one before going back to sipping his coffee. "Thank god I was a buck short on getting to my apartment."
Hope you enjoyed the chapter, felt like it was a pretty meaty with a lot going on. Defiantly a lot of changing perspectives. Always love the feed back from you guys, I usually reread the reviews when I come back after awhile to remember what people enjoyed about it in the first place, and to see what you guys wanna see out of this story in the future. Hopefully I get some more chapter out with my down time. Till next time guys.