(November 12th, 8 AM, Weapon's Shop)

Sun eyed the neon sign handing over the shop's front entrance with… an unamused expression. Along with both it, and the fact that the glass was cracked and tinted so it was difficult to look inside, the brickwork was terrible, and cobwebs hung in some areas.

"Please tell me we're not going inside this place," he pleaded.

Allen turned to him with a hint of confusion. "What do you mean? It's one of the best local weapon shops on this side of the city."

"Yeah, but… couldn't they come up with a better name?"

This time, they both looked up at the sign in question. The name ' Ore Else ' glowed in bright pink.

"Personally, I find it quite charming," Allen commented with a slight chuckle.

Sun sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and shutting his eyes in frustration. "Of course, you do. I've barely known you for a day, and I could already guess that. I'm guessing you find puns funny, don't you?"

"Occasionally, yes. Usually depends on the situation for it, like every good joke." Allen moved the front of the shop, opening and holding the door open. "After you."

Sun sighed and decided to bite the bullet. He expected poorly organized weapons, rusty blades, or just everything looking like the Grimm stampeded it. Instead, he was met with shelves lining the walls with some of the shiniest and, dare he say, incredibly crafted weapons. Guns, Swords, Spears, Shields, and more. The brickwork on the inside was painted a nice red tint and kept well-maintained without a single crack. And the lighting was warm without shining too much into the eye.

But that's not what really took his breath away. No, what really made him stumble was the girl polishing a knife and setting it among identical ones behind the counter. Two inches shorter than Allen, vibrant, short messy red hair with roots died pink, purple eyes, and wearing coveralls that hugged her body tightly to showcase that she had some decent muscle definition with the zipper slightly pulled down around the cleavage. And for some odd reason, the tank top she wore under it complimented her even more.

While Sun was busy drooling over the girl, said person looked up from her work and smirked in Allen's direction. "Well, here's a surprise. Finally getting yourself a weapon, Allen?"

Said teen shook his head with a soft smile. "Sorry to get your hopes up but not today. I'm actually here because an acquaintance of mine needs help with his weapon construction. Sun?"

The blond blinked a few moments before registering his name was called. "O-oh! Yeah. Sorry." He quickly approached the counter and offered a hand and a smile to the girl. "The name's Sun. Sun Wukong."

The girl looked down at the hand and then up at Sun before reciprocating the handshake with an equally bright smile. "Beretta. Beretta Acero. So how can I help ya, monkey kid?"

If anyone else called him that, Sun would have felt some offense. At this moment, he just stuttered as he dropped the duffel bag with his weapons on the counter. "I-uh, I need help with construct- erm, reconstructing my weapons? The materials I used are dense and aren't able to be resized any smaller for some of the mechanisms I did want to include, so I improvised.

Beretta nodded and opened the bag, only to visibly wince once she peeked inside. Reaching into it, she pulled two of what used to be two pairs of short, pump shotguns with the barrels burst open and cracking spreading down to the handle. Each pair of shotguns were held together by a chain at the handle as well. Red paint was what used to be the primary color, but the guns looked like they were scraped when, well, whatever did happen that caused it to crack dyed it with burnt charcoal on most of the surface.

"Okay, wow," Beretta blinked as she turned the guns around to see them at every angle she could. "This is… genuinely horrifying to a weapon smith like me."

Sun slumped.

"Like… absolutely disgusting. The slugs would barely fit, let alone shoot without blowing in the wielder's face which is what I can assume happened. There's no venting to avoid any dust rounds leaving some of their effects damaging the weapon even more from the inside." She quickly began to work on disassembling one of the pairs quickly, visually looking disgusted. "And half the inner mechanisms for it to mechashift aren't even sized right. I'm almost afraid to ask if it even can mechashift. And it looks like the whole thing was cobbled together and spray painted to avoid it looking half-assed-!"

"Okay, Beretta," Allen interrupted her venting politely with a nervous smile. "I think you've insulted the poor guy's weapon-crafting skills enough."

The weapon smith blinked at Allen before turning to a sullen Sun, who looked like he very much wanted to shrink so small that he'd disappear from the room. "Ah… s-sorry."

"No, you're right." Sun replied. "I honestly just tried to force a bunch of pieces together thinking about what I wanted them to do and didn't think about how they can do it. It's just that I didn't really learn weapon-making growing up and I mostly relied on store-bought dust weapons during primary combat school. Hell, me half-assing this was what put me and my team in danger during training once.

"Language," Allen commented while Sun continued without acknowledging it.

"But I want to make my weapon properly this time. No shortcuts." Once he was finished, he gave a determined stare to Beretta, who simply looked at him without a hint of emotion. Then, she picked up one of the shotguns and snapped it off the chain connecting it to its other, doing the same for the other pair as well."

"…it's heavy when you're wielding it?"

"Huh?" Sun looked at her, confused."

"It's heavy when you're wielding it, right?" She repeated.

Sun nodded. "Y-yeah. Most Mistralian weapons aren't designed for the approach I'm going for, so most weapon shops back home didn't have the parts I need. Although, I don't think that would have mattered since I probably would have ended up making a mistake when constructing them again."

"They at least got a name?"

"Ruyi Bang and Jingu Bang!"

"Hm. Well, at least you can name them well."

At that compliment, Sun beamed a self-satisfied smile. "Yep! I even named my friend's weapon when he had trouble coming up with one."

"Oh really?" Beretta gave him a curious case as she already managed to disassemble one pair and toss the ruined parts aside, leaving only the parts that were still in one piece. "What'd you call it?"

"I called it the Tri-Hard because of the trident form it had."

At that, Beretta gave a chuckle, which lead to Sun chuckling, and then lead to both laughing. Meanwhile, Allen was left out of the loop as he tilted his head with an expression like a child trying to solve a math problem a grade about them. "I don't get it."

The laughter cut off as both Sun and Beretta stared at Allen silently, the former about to speak before the latter cut him off. "Don't bother. I've tried everything. Modern slang and jokes seem to go over his head a lot."

"Hey, I'll have you know that I've been watching the latest in Professor Whom ." Allen refuted. "And I can understand modern slang. I just... need explanations occasionally is all."

"One, you're watching the reruns of the old series, not the New Whom . And two, replace occasionally with almost every time and then you'd be right."

Allen clicked his tongue. "Oh please. What could I possibly be missing from knowing some random references and slang?"

Sun and Beretta looked at each other, and then back to each other as the former began a new conversation. "So, how much can be salvaged, and how much can be reused?"

"Hey!" Allen called out for being dismissed so quickly.

"Honestly? I'm tossing out the barrels for starters. They're already blown to kingdom come and I gotta be honest if you're gonna use these as… nunchucks, I'm assuming?" Sun nodded, which led to Beretta continuing. "And you probably also want them to shoot simultaneously since I'm guessing your hands are probably getting tangled occasionally too, aren't they?"

"Yeah." Sun answered. "Plus, the weight is so focused on the barrels too."

"Yeah, I recommend lever-action shotguns then. Lightweight, thin barrels. You'll be able to re-chamber them with momentum, which would take a bit of practice but will be incredibly easier. You can also get some dust infusions to add more kick to your blasts. Maybe combustion dust rounds for more speed and power."

"Even I know that'll cause internal damage." Added Sun.

"Not if you have a proper form of exhaust in the weapon." Beretta corrected. "You can have holes in the barrels for excess heat as an example. Granted that lowers the durability for the ends of said barrels. If you want a recommendation, maybe some absorbent materials capable of accumulating and then using the buildup energy from the heat for a bigger attack. Granted, you'll probably only be able to use said attack when your weapon mechashifts into~?"

"A staff." Sun finished.

"Has it ever managed to do said shift properly?"

"Yes!"

Beretta raised an eyebrow.

"…Okay, it managed to sometimes ." Sun added. Allen chuckled before going to an innocent whistling when Sun glared at him.

As for Beretta, she laid out the components of Sun's weapons down to the very screws. Well, at least the parts that weren't melted, cracked, or just unusable in general. "Alright. I think I can get a working schematic and the first attempt down. After that, it'll be entirely up to your discretion to add whatever modifications. Just visit a weaponsmith first and have them handle it though."

"Will do." Sun replied. "Besides, I already learned well enough to try on my own without any experience. I don't really want a repeat."

Beretta let out an approving sound before heading to the cash register and printing out a receipt before handing it to Sun. Once he got a good look at the receipt, he visibly winced. Allen peeked beside him and mirrored the expression.

"Um, is there any chance of lowering the price?" Sun asked. "It's not that I don't have the Lien, it's just that I'd rather not make a huge dent into what I have on me right now."

"Look, monkey kid," Beretta began as she crossed her arms under her bosom. "That weapon you want to make needs some pricey materials. I've managed to already cut the cost down by 40 percent just from what I can reuse from your crude attempt at those guns. You want to cross a little more Lien off the bill? Either lose one of the pairs of nun chucks, along with the ability to mechashift it into a staff, or bring the materials yourself."

"Okay," Sun nodded. "I'll go for the latter. How hard could it be?"

"Try majorly difficult." Beretta answered. "That kinetic energy absorbent material? It's rare. And for good reason. They mass-produced the materials for a month or two before cutting them down to barely a fraction when they realized how much it cost to make a single ingot. So, instead of kinetic weapons being made with them, they went an entirely different direction."

Once she finished, she went to the back of the store, disappearing from Allen and Sun's sight. The two could hear rummaging and stared curiously at the direction Beretta disappeared in. Once she returned, she was now holding a rectangular, white and grey metallic rifle with a cross-shaped hole at the end of the barrel.

"Hey, I know this!" Sun spoke up. "It's those laser weapons Atlas came out with a few years back. Oh man, they were the coolest! I mean, despite them being from Atlas, of course. I remember seeing the advertisements for them when flicking through channels. They had live footage of the things literally slicing through Grimm."

Beretta nodded, rotating the weapon to show every angle she could of it to demonstrate. Even pulling the trigger a few times, which made both Sun and Allen flinch until they realized that the laser wasn't loaded or charged, or it didn't have whatever it did to make it shoot.

"Yeah, she's pretty amazing." Beretta agreed. "Atlas is known for some of their more energy-based weapons and Dust-reliant effects. This baby uses Electricity dust primarily and can even mix in some Fire Dust by focusing it through a Dust crystal of the element. But the inside of the barrel is lined with the material in question."

"Wait, how does it absorb kinetic energy from an electrical dust?" Allen asked. "Unless you mean the material doesn't absorb JUST physical kinetic energy."

Beretta looked impressed. "Nice going, Walker. Looks like someone's been hitting their 'Dust Reactions' books. And you're right. In a short explanation, it can absorb both a chemical and physical reaction when it comes to kinetic energy in a way. But for this rifle? It absorbs, doubles the strength each time it bounces around the barrel, and then shoots out into a focused beam."

"Which greatly increases the power and accuracy." Allen summarized. Sun blinked between the two of them, tilting his head. Noticing his apparent confusion, Allen put it into basics. "The metal makes the lightning dust stronger and fires in a straight line."

Sun let out an 'Oh' sound and nodded thankfully at Allen. While he isn't lacking in studies, Dust is one of the more difficult subjects to understand for most huntsmen and huntresses in training. But for Allen, Dust was a lot easier to understand than normal chemical reactions and material used on Earth. It was like it was used to shortcut the progress of this world and advance it ahead of his old home.

Besides that, he'd had plenty of experience in the different forms of materials and uses thanks to the Science Division of the Black Order. Mostly, he hung out in the lab when he wasn't training due to curiosity or simply to help anyone who was overworked. It wasn't long before they took to even tutoring him, and their research into Innocence had given them the boost to advances in their own technology.

And while many wanted to share their discoveries with the world, the Vatican and the Church had them under lock and key. If they revealed their advances in science and technology, the world would ask how they came about. Then Innocence would be revealed and then Akuma. It was easier to lay the idea into small groups or controlled populations, but an entire world realizing the impossible existed? That would be a recipe for disaster. Panic even.

But when Allen came to Remnant, the small amounts of tutoring that was crammed into him at the Order so he could be more of a person than a fighting machine against the Akuma. The only downside was that he never had the chance to fill in the middle ground. He had the basics and some of the advanced mechanics in most forms of science. But that middle ground is the blank space he's been trying to fill during his free time. And if he had to be completely honest? Using that knowledge outside the books and studies was genuinely satisfying, oddly enough.

Beretta laid the rifle down on the counter in front of them. "There's just one major problem with this thing. Which, is both a defect and a plus in my books, oddly enough."

"What is it?" Allen asked.

"It's strong against Grimm. But for a Huntsman or Huntress with their aura unlocked or even a normal human? The most it can do is stun." Beretta explained, rubbing the back of her neck as if to relieve some stress.

"Stun!?" Allen and Sun both yelled out before the latter of the two continued. "You're telling me that gun slices down Grimm but only stuns a person?"

"Honestly, that kind of fills me with relief," Allen commented. "Imagine if a criminal got their hands on something like that."

Sun shivered. "Okay, true. But I'm wondering how that even works?"

"From what most gunsmiths and Atlas' own science division could find, it's just a reaction between the gravity Dust infused into the material. Dust usually has a much higher reaction when introducing Aura, and this material kinda inverts it." Beretta explained. "Which is why I'm saying that Sun should use it in the barrels of his guns. It's much better when it's a kinetic weapon with bullets than relying solely on Dust completely."

"And what about this one?" Allen asked as he motioned to the Atlesian rifle on the counter. "I saw you pull the trigger on it a few times just now for a demonstration. Why didn't it fire or even glow?"

Beretta shrugged. "My old man said someone wanted it repaired but the manufacturer kept their designs from the public to avoid bootlegs. Which I can at least understand. The weapon is still dangerous when pointed at buildings and vehicles. No need for half-assed made copies to be on the streets."

Allen decided to best repress that image. But he had to wonder if something like this would have been useful in fighting Akuma. Innocence was the only weapon that could purify them, but what could something like Dust do, if anything at all? Or even combining the two. Quickly, he shook his head and turned around before heading to the door.

"Where are you going?" Sun asked.

"Well, we might as well try and get a head start. Even if we can't find the material in other weapon shops, I can still ask around." Allen turned his head toward Beretta. "By the way, what's the material called anyways?"

"Absorbieren." Beretta answered. "But at best, you'll find small amounts if any at all. Atlas, more specifically the SDC, cut the shipments down except to Atlas' own military with only a heavy price on even small amounts of the stuff. So if you do manage to even find some scrap with even traces of it, I can make a decent dent in the price."

"Well, Sun." Allen called out. "You did say you wanted to make a day out of this."

Said blond groaning before following Allen. "Why does this seem more boring than it was meant to be?"

Allen patted Sun's shoulder with a smile. "That's how life usually goes. Although, I prefer the term peaceful."

"Peaceful. Boring. Same thing all together."

"Come on," Allen took out his Extension to try and call a cab. "You don't expect to be fighting all the time. Huntsmen have to retire too, right?"

"Yeah, but a lot of us enjoy a few long years of adventure before we do. Anyways, got any idea where to go?"

Allen looked up from the Extension to Sun with a polite smile. "How do you feel about nightclubs?"

"..."

"WOOHOOO!" Sun yelled as he was lifted and passed around by the crowd of people on the dance floor. Apparently, this was practically his natural environment, and the party animals were his people. Loud music, bright lights, and not a care in the world.

Allen grinned and turned back to Junior, who was looking through a notepad, clicking a pen, and smoking one of the cigars he saves when business booms, especially on a weekend. He quickly let out a cloud of smoke, which Allen tilted his head to the side nonchalantly to avoid even inhaling it.

"Sorry to say, kid, but I don't think I can find any Absorbieren that's decently priced on the market." Junior answered. Allen looked back behind him to see Sun was out of earshot. Then again, he could have been right next to him and probably wouldn't hear that well over the music.

Allen placed his elbows on the table and leaned closer. "Then what about not-so-legal ways?"

Junior's brow furrowed as he looked Allen in the eyes. "And what makes you think I know-"

"I'm not an idiot, boss." Allen's expression darkened and Junior tilted back a bit. He'd known Allen for nearly half a year, and he'd never seen the boy's expression turn like this. If he had to describe it, it'd be like the top half of his face except for his eyes being darkened by shadows and an unamused expression. "Do you take me for a fool to not notice the weapons your employees carry beside myself and the janitorial?"

Allen leaned forward more toward Junior, and a single bead of sweat dripped from the side of the criminal boss' head. The teen in front of him continued calmly, yet he felt a hint of cold go up his spine.

"Despite my demeanor during work, I know the things the people in here get to. Melanie and Militia both even slip up when they enjoy a little too many drinks during an annoying day. Some of your cannon fodder can't even whisper in the break room to hide whose hands they break when someone decided to attack a shop under their protection."

Allen sat normally again on his seat, his expression returning to casual as Junior let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "And besides, even if it isn't on any underground market, you must know at least a group that's been, how do you say it," Allen watched Junior's expression. "A 'pain in the ass'? Wouldn't it be nice to pull one over them without it remotely leading back to you? Say a highly trained huntsmen-in-training and a wildcard that could be put off as just teens being fools?"

Junior blinked. His mind went overdrive on everything on what just happened. Allen Walker. 'Timid' Allen Walker had just pulled the wool over his eyes. And the problem is that he couldn't tell which side of his was real. The kind one that would stutter around social contact with others, or the one that glared at him in a way that made him feel cold. No, it couldn't even be called a 'glare'. It'd be more akin to a look of disappointment for even remotely underestimating him.

And then the plan he offered to him? He practically offered Junior a way to utilize him in a way that couldn't bite him. Allen wasn't a well-known employee and certainly isn't in the Xiong Family. He fit into a crowd, despite the scar and the white hair. And the fact that he and his friend are simply looking for the material because one of them is a huntsman in training? With the latter being untouchable unless those of the 'Belle Noir' group want heat being brought down on their heads?

Junior smiled. "Alright, letting the disrespect you've just shown me slide, what about your friend? Will he be alright with what I'm about to ask?"

"Oh? So, you do have an idea on where to get Absorbieren." Allen grinned.

"Yeah. A small group called 'Belle Noir' popped up. They normally deal with weapons but have been going into illegal narcotics as well. Normally, my group would stay out of it. But they've recently begun selling into our territory." Junior put out his cigar with a grunt. "I pride my area being protected. Those who pay our fee on the turf are promised a quiet place to do business without worrying about their family's health or their own. So, if narcotics are introduced into my area, their consumers will flock over here too."

"Why not just take them down early before trouble is caused." Allen questioned before coughing nervously. "I mean, in a way to won't leave bodies. Please don't take that suggestion. I don't think I could sleep well at night knowing my words cost lives."

Junior blinked a few times before sighing. "Jeez kid, you're so weird, I can't figure out what side of the lien bill you are. Look, I'll give you two the address of their warehouse in my area. You take care of their shipment of drugs, then help yourself to their stock of Absorbieren. There probably isn't much on just the mineral itself, but I'll give you a list of weapons that have parts made of the same material. Does that help?"

"Incredibly. But how do I get rid of the drugs? You're not gonna have me bring them back or something, are you?"

"Absolutely not. The warehouse is by the docks used for cargo ships. It's a closed-off space and it's on the border of the original three families' turfs. I won't get into more than that, since you don't have a need or the right to know. But anyways, the 'Belle Noir' don't realize that specific area of the docks is used for dumping. Usually disposable weapons after use. Evidence. Anything that can be tied back to us."

"I did not need to know that." Allen groaned out.

"Kid, that stuff is more common knowledge than anything. The reason why the police around here don't do anything about it is that most of the funding goes to the Huntsmen sponsored by Vale and the villages outside. That and the bottom has been filled with guns ever since the Great War died down. Not to mention that most of the cheaply made weapons we toss start to decay faster. Poor materials. One of the reasons we use them is because they're a Lien a dozen. So, either way, you knowing about it won't turn heads."

Allen sighed. "Okay. Should I expect resistance?"

"No, they don't have much in terms of trustworthy men to guard during the night, so the warehouse has a simple security system. I can try and bribe one of the idiots and send you the deactivation codes when you get there but no promises so you're best bet is finding another way in. Just get in the warehouse, dump the drugs, steal what you can carry and need, and that's the night."

Junior wrote down the address and slid it to Allen. The teen picked it up and began walking away from the bar and toward Sun, Junior giving him a slight smile. Once Allen made it beside the blond, he tapped his shoulder to get his attention and lead him away from the loud crowd. Sun laughed and grabbed Allen by the shoulders.

"Allen, this place is amazing. I've been tossed in the air and even went into a dance-off. There's no way this day could get any better."

Allen held up the address he got from Junior. "Does robbing a small criminal gang of the material you're looking for and crippling their drug trade for good sound better?"

Sun looked at the paper Allen held up, and then at the teen in question himself before giving a wide smile. "Stop playing with me. You serious?"

"Absolutely. You in?"

…

"Definitely!"

Sun groaned. "Ugh, can I take back what I said half an hour ago?"

"Sun, it's only been 10 minutes since we got here." Allen answered.

"Yeah, and the other 20 was the damn trip here!" Sun yelled. Allen put an index finger over his mouth as a sign for him to quiet down, which he lowered his voice in response but still grumbled. "If I ever end up in the docks again for a stakeout, it'll be too soon."

The two of them were currently on a rooftop looking over the warehouse building at the docks. Allen was prone to see if anyone was coming in or out while Sun sat crisscrossed beside him. Currently, only one car was parked so he could assume that they had 4 people at the most or 1 person at the least still in the building.

"You're a huntsman in training. The job doesn't involve just defending the kingdoms from outside threats but those within as well." Allen commented. Sun looked at him curiously.

"For a guy who wants to be an academic student, you sure know a lot about being a hunts-"

"It's in Vale Weekly ," Allen interrupted, keeping an eye on the building.

"Wait, you read those kingdom-sponsored magazines?" Sun asked.

"Look, they're free and Tukson likes them better than the Vale Newspaper. In fact, I'm pretty sure he dislikes News in general." Allen shrugged.

"Really? You think with owning a bookshop, he'd be more on that 'knowledge is power' kind of motto." Sun guessed.

"Some things are better off not knowing." Allen spoke coldly in his response. His eyes widened and he moved away from the ledge slightly to hide more. "Get away from the ledge. Someone is coming out."

Sun obliged and the two teens looked at the warehouse as a single man walked out and locked the door behind him. He wore a simple hoodie and a bandana that covered his lower face. His shirt seemed to have a logo, but Allen couldn't make it completely well until the man got to the car. In this case, he saw that it was simply a decorative version of Remnant's shattered moon. Probably a regular store item.

The two of them waited to see if the man had company, only to watch him drive away. Waiting a few minutes, they both climbed down the side of the building effortlessly before running to the side of the warehouse.

"Why don't we just try and break the lock on the door?" Sun questioned as he followed right behind Allen.

Said teen stopped and looked at the side of the warehouse, trying to find an opening. "Junior said these guys don't have much when it comes to numbers this side of Vale. So, they're mostly relying on the security system they could afford mixed with whatever the warehouse came with."

"Okay, but-"

"That and the fact that we don't know how much we'll be carrying out, so we need as much time as possible," Allen added. "You still have that duffle bag you were carrying your weapons in?"

"Yeah." Sun tugged on the strap of it as it hung off him, completely empty.

Finally, Allen's eyes landed on his target. "There." He pointed to an open window right in the middle of the wall. However, it was at least 13 feet high.

"Okay, this, I'm trained well on how to do. So, here's the plan. I'll climb up and go through the window, and then try and open one of the lower windows. If that doesn't work, I can try and send up a rope-" Sun went quiet as he just noticed Allen was no longer beside him. Instead, he had backed away to get a running start, stopped right before he ran into the wall, and managed to jump a good 9 feet, leaving Sun dumbfounded. He then climbed the loose brickwork and metal of the warehouse for the remaining 4 and put his legs through the window first as he hung off the frame, offering a hand to Sun.

Sun looked at Allen, surprised, and then copied Allen, boosting aura into his legs and jumping 12 feet in the air, and grabbing Allen's hand as the teen helped him through the window. The two of them dropped down to the floor inside, with Allen having some discomfort as he didn't have aura to cushion his landing.

The two of them stared at the darkness inside the building, finding it hard to see anything. Sun pulled out his scroll and shined it to get a better visual.

"Okay, it'll be kinda difficult considering we barely have any lighting in here, but we can work with it-" He quickly went quiet as all the lights in the warehouse began turning on. Turning again to Allen, he saw the teen shut a breaker box right by where they landed.

"There was piping made for wires to go up the side of the building next to the window. They usually leave it open for warehouses around here so light can shine through better since they never clean the glass on the windows themselves." Allen began to explain. "And the reason why it's next to the breakers is that these warehouses are at the edge of the city and the private generators only power the computer systems so lights would occasionally go off when the city tries to save power."

Sun's shoulders sagged. "How do you even know all this? And don't say Vale Weekly."

"Okay, I won't." Allen answered.

"Good, because-" Sun began to explain only to get cut off.

"I got it from one of the old movies that were on the rerun channel. 'The Invulnerables'. Great film." Allen grinned smugly, much to Sun's annoyance, as he passed by the blond teen and began to look around.

The warehouse itself didn't have a dock inside for small cargo ships or anything due to its small size but held a large number of boxes, each with the logo of a different brand. Allen could hear Sun groan.

"Do we have to check all of these?!" He yelled, already annoyed.

"Not necessarily." Allen answered. He picked up a crowbar and went to one of the wooden boxes first. He pried open the top, revealing worn-out assault rifles with the Atlas logo scratched off and ammunition. Allen picked up the rounds and an idea formed in his head. "Now that I think about it, there might be another way to also scratch off the price on your weapons, Sun."

Sun looked at the crate and then at Allen. "You want to rob Beretta at gunpoint?!"

Allen looked at Sun, unamused. "...Sun, I want to give her the weapons and dust ammunition so she can resell them."

"Oh." Sun nervously scratched the side of his cheek. "But how will that lower the price?"

"You haven't been in Vale for too long, but we've recently been having Dust prices go up. Only about two weeks ago with robberies and the occasional shipments going missing." Allen commented as he carried the crate to the side. He then pulled out his Extension device to take a picture of the crate and began to type while continuing to explain the situation to Sun. "Anyways, due to this, some of the small businesses around the area and the non-brand weapon shops have been storing their Dust in safes and sometimes outside their own shops. The only time they give Dust is with deliveries, but bigger stores still keep them on display regardless."

"So, you want to basically pawn off what we don't need as a way to get a discount?" Sun summarized. "Where did you learn this stuff?"

"Oh, I had a teacher growing up who constantly got into debt. Had to figure out ways to pay it off when I was only 11 during the time too." Allen stowed the bootleg scroll back into his pocket and then began to open more of the crates. "Okay, here's the plan. Pop as many of these as you can and try and stuff as many weapons into one box and the Dust into another."

"How do you plan on us getting it out anyways? The front door is locked, and I don't think even you know how to disable a security system." Sun questioned.

"I don't need to." Allen moved the crates close to the front of the building and motioned to the garage door. "These doors don't have locks, or a security system tied to them. We can open it with the controls on the right side without alerting the Belle Noire gang and having them come to the warehouse to see what's wrong. As for transport, Beretta's bringing her dad's truck by. She was really excited about getting her hands on some Dust for the shop."

"Isn't this basically stealing though? Won't they come looking for it?" Sun questioned.

Allen gave a devious smirk. "These guys are just trying to expand their territory into this side. They don't have any single connections built here save for the docks, and this area is neutral ground is what I was told. That and they can't report it to the cops either. All they can do is either go back to the hole they crawled out of or shoot in the dark and pray they don't antagonize one of the major gangs here."

Sun just looked at Allen, trying to make heads or tails of the guy. On the one hand, he seems to know more about the dark ways that people can act. But the idea of Allen, despite how little they've known each other for, being any kind of criminal just seems wrong. Say what you want about Sun, but he can judge people pretty well. Which means...

"...You're worried about this gang hurting people, aren't you?" Sun questioned.

Allen froze. It was only for a moment, but that moment was enough for Sun to realize he was right and smiled smugly. Meanwhile, Allen turned away and began to open another crate. He silently stuffed it with Dust of all varieties while also taking out the weapons and placing them in another box.

Sun didn't move. Instead, he was waiting for Allen to reply. The white-haired teen in question quickly realized this and sighed. "Most of the district is controlled by the gang that originated from Vacuo. Like Junior, the guy who owned the club we went to. But they don't exploit the people that work ordinary jobs and even offer them protection against thugs and criminals that try and make an easy Lien around here."

Allen placed the boxes full of dust closest to the front. Sun grabbed another crowbar and began copying him step by step to help out. "So, 'nice' gangsters?"

"I wouldn't call it 'nice' if you ask me." Allen told him. "They'll still break the law if it allows them to make some extra Lien. But they won't ever touch regular people working hard or bother them. They offer actual protection for criminals that would though. They do community service. Honestly, it's kind of strange, but I do respect their principles. That doesn't mean I condone their actions."

"And yet, here we are, stealing from a new gang." Sun commented.

Allen clicked his tongue. "With good reason. One of the major benefits of the current hierarchy is that they never deal in drugs." He slammed a fist on top of a crate. "But these... these... bastards went and attacked local business owners for a quick Lien and even attempted to put the narcotics out into the street. People are scared, Sun. This will at least keep them from coming to this side of the city."

"But it won't get rid of the problem." He commented.

Looking at the blond, Allen smiled. "Well then, I guess all I can ask is that you become a good enough huntsman to get rid of said problem."

"Heck yeah!" Sun yelled, pointing a thumb at himself. "Just watch me. I'll become one of the best, and when I do, I'll be back to take care of this."

Allen chuckled. "Don't most Huntsman usually stay in the Kingdom they originate from?"

"Well, sure, but not necessarily. There's been plenty of Huntsmen and Huntresses that travel and help. As long as I have the credentials, I can take down a gang or two." Sun explained.

"With permission from the Kingdom you're in." Allen supplied.

"Exactly." Sun beamed. "You're not the only one who can figure out tricks to help people."

Allen chuckled. "Can you do me a favor?"

"Sure." Sun answered. "What is it?"

"You see those cardboard boxes?" Allen pointed to the ones at the center of the warehouse. "Those ones are most likely to have the drugs. I want you to open them and dump them into any of the grates around the warehouse. They're usually for in case of flooding since the water levels can get a little high but they always have water running from the sewers to the docks, so the drugs should end up getting washed away."

"Isn't that kind of illegal in itself?" Sun questioned.

"Apparently, the city doesn't care as much." Allen began to explain. "The docks have filters in the defense walls that surround the area where ships come through in case of aquatic Grimm attacking. The filters run in both directions which is why only the water near the port has a dark and greener tint. It's extremely dirty but as long as no one drinks it or ends up falling into it and staying longer than around, say, 20 minutes, it should be fine."

"Huh." Sun hummed. "Yeah, I guess that does help-"

"Also, there's a large number of weapons at the bottom of the water that was dumped from the early days. Did a little more research when we were in the Taxi, and most are from the prohibition era in Vale." Allen added.

"Okay, now that makes more sense. The Kingdom doesn't want to air out the dirty laundry?" Sun questioned.

"Considering how much bribery the original council members of the time were getting; it does pain them in a bad light." Allen moved another set of boxes around.

The two of them divided the work, Sun dumping the drugs into the sewers, and Allen separating and moving the weapons and Dust to the front of the warehouse. One of the smaller cardboard boxes was full of jewelry and golden decorations.

Sun looked at Allen, questioningly. "S-should we?"

Allen scratched his head in frustration. "It probably would be a good idea. It's not like we can sell it, but we can't turn it in to the authorities. Especially on this side of Vale. Most are in the pockets of the gangs, and while they do have their principles, this is worth a lot of Lien."

He then picked up the box and weighed it before grabbing Sun's duffle bag and stuffing it inside. He'd probably just pawn the stuff off since it'd be almost impossible to find the owners, but not too soon. Maybe wait a long while. A year or two.

The two of them resumed moving the crates, still working efficiently. Despite Allen being the one without Aura to strengthen his body, he did surprisingly well from what Sun witnessed. But the huntsman in training could tell firsthand that there was a limit.

Aura strengthened everything beyond most human limits, even passively. And while Allen can match well in terms of mobility, strength, and reflexes, stamina is the dead giveaway that he's only relying on only what his body could do without any assistance.

If Sun had to put it into words, it'd be closer to a timer. Allen could definitely hold up in terms of raw strength and speed to someone whose Aura is unlocked. He couldn't very well say technique since he hasn't seen Allen fight and doubted he would. But, if a person with Aura ran a sustained run alongside Allen, Allen would more than likely have to stop due to a loss of stamina. Still, it made Sun wonder how strong he'd be if he had it unlocked. Which led him to ask.

"Hey, Allen?" Sun called out. "You got a sec?"

The teen in question placed down the latest crate he was carrying and wiped a bit of sweat off his forehead. "Sure. We're almost done anyways, and Beretta shouldn't be too far off now. What's up?"

Sun looked at him, a serious expression on his face for the first time since he met him. "If I told you I could do it, would you want me to unlock your aura?"

Allen looked at him and simply sighed. "No. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of benefits to Aura, but I don't need it. I get by in life well enough. I study. I work. But Aura isn't something required for all that."

"Right, right, you want to be a purely Academic student of the academies." Sun remembered hearing that before. Still, he gave a small smile. "You can be a pretty stubborn guy. Most people would jump at the chance to gain superhuman abilities."

"Well, I'm not normally like most people, ha!" Allen smiled brightly and let out a laugh. Sun ended up doing the same and the two managed to finish the job quickly. Beretta managed to arrive with a large truck normally used for moving furniture for homeowners. She got out of the vehicle and approached the two.

Sun smiled and waved at her. "Yo, Beretta, what took you so... long..." He stopped as his face turned crimson.

Allen let out a groan, covering his eyes with one hand and turning away. "Beretta. What are you wearing."

Said girl was wearing what could be classified as booty shorts and a very small crop top that hung off her shoulders and showed the string of her bra. "Look, I was in a hurry and this place is a little under an hour away from where I left. Now, where's the candy!"

Allen pointed over his shoulder to the crates. "We divided the weapons and Dust crates there since we didn't know which you'd want to take with you. Dust on the left, weapons on the right."

Beretta walked over to where Allen directed and looked inside the Dust-filled crates first, letting out a low whistle. "Holy crap! With this amount, we should be able to keep up with ammunition orders back at the shop! But weren't you guys looking for Absorbieren? How did you end up doing this?"

"One word." Allen answered. "Junior."

Beretta looked at Allen with understanding. "He tricked you?"

"No. I asked him for information, he provided something to also benefit himself as well." Allen answered.

"You willingly busted up another Gang's move into the district?" Beretta questioned.

"Yep." Allen answered. "As for the Absorbieren, Sun?"

"Right." Sun went for his duffle bag to show five, thin square ingots and the cardboard box from before. "This is all the materials we could find, so we could only assume that's what the metal looked like."

"You assumed right." Beretta grabbed one and weighed it in her hand before nodding and placing it back. "We'll pack up the Dust. If there's any room left, maybe a crate or two of the weapons. We can resell them in a few months when the heat dies down on them, but the Dust can be refined into Ammo for deliveries without being tracked."

"Seriously, how do you and Allen know all this stuff?" Sun questioned.

"Old movies." The two answered.

"You're joking." Sun looked at their faces, trying to see if they were."

"Most of the old stuff focused more on accuracy. Nowadays, most movies make stuff up and substitute it with CGI." Beretta added, not helping Sun's worries.

Sun sat between Allen and Beretta, the three of them on the highway, simply sitting in silence. Once they got Dust loaded up, they quickly erased any traces of themselves save for the missing cargo at the warehouse. The plan was that Beretta would drop the two off back at Tukson's and then go to the warehouse deeper in the city to drop off the Dust along with the truck. Apparently, she took her personal car there first and then grabbed the truck when Allen called.

"So..." Sun began. "I was wondering, Beretta, if you're free or open that we could..."

"I'm free this Tuesday if that's what you're asking." Beretta supplied, keeping her eyes on the road.

Sun turned to Allen with a wide smile while the teen chuckled at the blond's antics. Soon enough, Beretta dropped them off at Tuksons, but not before telling them to come by the weapon shop on Monday morning for Sun's weapon.

So, they gave her the Absorbieren and kept the duffle bag and the cardboard box. She did seem curious about it but said nothing. Once the two of them entered the apartment, Sun collapsed on the couch with a gasp.

"Holy crap." He groaned. "Okay, the realization of what we just did is hitting. Oh my gosh, we actually went and stole from a gang. We busted an operation. And we didn't even fight, so why is my blood rushing so much?"

Allen pressed a cold can of soda he grabbed from the fridge against Sun's head, causing the other teen to flinch before grabbing it, opening and taking a sip.

"What you're feeling is a form of adrenaline high that comes from a new accomplishment outside what you've previously been used to." Allen told Sun. "I know you usually have combat practice against Grimm, which is why having an accomplishment like this is giving you such a reaction."

"Did you get that from one of your 'old movies' too?" Sun asked sarcastically.

"No." Allen answered. "I got it from just passive reading in my free time. There's a lot of books that cycle through the store. So, when I close the shop at the end, I borrow one or two for the night before I go work at the nightclub."

"Oh yeah." Sun took another sip before his eyes widened. "Wait, is it that same nightclub we went to?!"

Allen nodded.

Sun took another sip and continued. "So... does that mean you work for a criminal, Allen?"

"Yep." he answered. "But it's not what you're thinking. I'm a waiter and the occasional janitor. Nothing more. Nothing less."

"So, a clerk in the morning and a waiter at night." Sun summarized. He chuckled a bit as he set the can of soda on the coffee table in front of him. "Any other skills you got?"

Allen looked up at the ceiling. "Sewing, cooking, farmwork, record keeping..."

"I was being sarcastic." Sun groaned out.

However, Allen simply continued. "Taxes, accounting, cleaning, bartering, seduction-"

Sun choked slightly on his drink and began coughing. "Sed-seduction!?"

"My teacher was a womanizer and thought it would come in handy." Allen explained nonchalantly.

"What kind of teacher did you have?!" Sun yelled.

It was right then and there that Allen's expression turned into something bordering on disappointment, frustration, and disgust. "A bastard one."

Meanwhile, Sun just watched the sudden change in mood in shock. "Jeez. Still, though, I don't think I can see you seducing anyone, let alone flirting."

Allen took one more sip of his drink and set it to the side before looking at Sun with a smirk. 10 minutes later, Allen passed out on the couch and Sun was slamming his face into a pillow to muffle a scream with red-tinted ears, regretting even opening his mouth.

Roman Torchwick, a man with bright long orange hair, green eyes, and wearing a white coat, sat on a crate outside a warehouse as his men began moving some crates out. Most of them were just hired thugs that he got from Junior to help for the past few weeks with moving Dust. Currently, they were moving crates from some dumbass gang that moved in and left the stuff unguarded.

Even the security on the door was easy to disable. Although, he did find it weird when the hired help reported that there was a large number of empty cardboard boxes. But he just assumed that maybe that new gang went and already moved their drug shipment. Probably the only smart thing they did.

Things seemed to go smoothly until one of the idiots in the black suits and red ties dropped a crate, spilling the contents.

"Hey, idiots! Maybe don't drop the crates full of weapons and large amounts of Dust that can blow this entire warehouse off the face of Va-." He quickly stopped as he took in the contents that spilled out. "Wait, what?"

Said contents were only a few older model assault rifles from Atlas, but no ammo or cartridges.

…

Feeling a little unsure now, Roman began to pop open some of the crates that weren't loaded yet, ordering his men to do the same. His suspicions were now confirmed as there was a lack of Dust of any kind.

Roman clenched his teeth and growled. "Where. Is. The. Dust? WHO STORES WEAPONS WITH NO AMMUNITION TO SPEAK OF?!"

He grabbed one of the goons by the tie and dragged him close. "I thought Junior said this place has weapons AND Dust. What am I supposed to do with a bunch of old guns that don't have any ammunition to speak of?!"

"S-sorry, Boss!" The goon cried out. "I really don't know what happened. But... Junior did give us the information three days ago so maybe they moved it?"

Roman let out an annoyed and frustrated yell. "Call Junior! Ask him what happened! As for the guns, pack them up! I'm not leaving this place empty-handed."