HI! I was busy with work lately but now I'm free again to work on the story, haha. Anyway, here is the new chapter, hope you all will enjoy it, byeeeeee.


The Worst Reincarnation Yet

Chapter 11: Mysteries in the Shadows

It was a full moon night and under that soft light there was a shady operation undergoing on the docks with a large cargo ship being protected by a large number of security robots provided by Maelstrom company though the nature of the cargo was unknown it was clear to be extremely valuable since such protection wasn't cheap. From the mysterious vessel, an old man wearing a strange uniform walked down the gangway while having two AK130s following right behind him armed with rifles, he approached the unit commander of the AKs and started barking orders at it.

The conversation seemed not to be going well as the old man was furiously shouting at the commander. Still, unfortunately, Whitley couldn't hear what they were talking about as he continued spying on them with his binoculars. "... Well, whatever is happening, it's clear things didn't go as planned, otherwise they would have already begun unloading the cargo by now." He sighed as he was somewhat disappointed. "It would have been easier to grab everything after they unload it, but I guess we have to do this the hard way."

"And when you say 'we' I assume you're referring to Neo and me, am I right?" Roman asked with a rather bitter tone as he smoked his cigar. "Oh, and we mustn't overlook that peculiar individual over yonder." He gestured towards a girl with curly orange hair in the distance, who was waving at them. "Seriously, what's her deal?" He truly couldn't understand the odd behavior of that strange girl.

"You're picking up quickly, and it would be wise to exercise caution, as that individual can cause serious harm if I instruct her to do so." Roman dismissed the notion that such a young girl could defeat him, although his foul mood stemmed from another issue. "I understand you're upset about what happened at Lambent Industries a few days ago, but let's look at the positive side, I am compensating you generously for this simple task." A quick in-and-out operation!

Roman's eyes rolled in irritation as the incessant thoughts of that damn Maelstrom bastard who ambushed him and his friend consumed his mind. "... The next time I lay my hands on that slimy snake, I'll ensure his demise is slow and agonizing for the humiliation he subjected me to." The burning grudge this powerful man held would only be satisfied by witnessing Huron's excruciating demise, but it also served as a reminder of something crucial. " Why did you help us back? You had no reason to do so."

I guess he is suspicious, well I can't blame him. "You are a dangerous person, I couldn't just afford to let you go on about without making sure you wouldn't cause trouble for me." He turned to him with a smirk on his lips. "So I had you followed and when you and your buddies attacked Lambent Industries, Junior and I took the opportunity of the chaos you created to steal a couple of things." Honestly, it was a win-win situation for me, hahahaha! "We helped because I would like for you to be on my side. A kingpin such as yourself can be useful for my plans if you decide to do so."

"Heh! At least you know how important I am in this city, the cops simply jump at the mention of my name." This inflated Roman's ego. "Still, just because you helped me doesn't mean I have to do what you want."

"True, although I did provide a doctor to treat you, and let's not forget I also allowed you and Neo to stay at the nightclub despite Junior's protest." Roman's face showed a slight frown as he heard this. "Relax, I am not saying you have to pay me back, I just want to show you that I keep my word and that you can rely on me, that's all." Knowing his background, I suppose it's normal he doesn't trust anyone except Neo, so how can I convince him...

Torchwick enjoyed his cigar while gazing at a puddle that reflected his image, he took a moment to ponder the concept of 'trust' and wondered how he could place his trust in others. Having been abandoned by his mother at a young age and manipulated for Lil' Miss Malachite's personal gain, he found it difficult to rely on anyone. "How can someone like you, who has had everything handed to in a silver platter, understand the challenges of trust?" He looked at the night sky. "You don't know what's like to have the entire world against you."

"..."

"... At least no one expected anything from you, and it wasn't you that ended up disappointing them." Roman glanced at the boy but chose to remain silent. "Oh, how fortunate I am to have a father who is more than willing to sacrifice everyone just to uphold the family name." Whitley's expression turned disdainful. "And let's not forget my dear mother, who refuses to acknowledge the existence of her son but loves a good bottle of wine. Then there's my lovely older sister, who harbors such unwarranted hatred towards her own flesh and blood. And let's not overlook my other sister, who deserted me and left me all alone in a mansion filled with people who despise me." His hatred was evident.

Hearing this left Roman somewhat speechless. Hmm, that explains why he is hanging out with Xiong, the brat is building his power to escape the Schnee name, huh, it won't be easy... if I encountered my mother I would probably kill her. He lit up another cigar and turned to Whitley. "Heh! Family sucks right?" Guess we both are alone.

"Damn right!" The white-haired boy said with a bitter tone.

"..."

"..."

Ahhh! What was that sudden outburst all about?! Whitley was embarrassed with his cheeks burning red, and the current awkward silence wasn't helping either. However, it seems Roman is no longer suspicious of me. This is probably my last chance to convince him, so I have no choice but to roll the dice. The young man crouched down and started rummaging through a small backpack that he had brought with him. "Someone I knew once told me. A man chooses, a slave obeys." Whitley threw a ledger with a black cover to his companion, who grabbed it without much effort.

"What are you on about? What's on this book?" Roman was puzzled.

Whitley had just handed over his last card. "I doubt you were recruited by your current employer out of your own free will, I assume if you decide to refuse to do her dirty work she will kill you." He stared directly into the man's eyes, his expression emphasizing the severity of the situation. "Hence, you must obey her like a dog since you don't have a choice, even if you try to run from her, it won't do you any good as the spiders will entangle you in their web."

"I'm nobody's slave!" Torchwick glared at him. "We... we are partners." Doubts crept in.

"Well, if that were true, you would have already left since you're the one doing all the hard work, from what I've seen." Whitley said with a friendly smile. "She is ruthless, so you don't want to cross her. And I think we both know that once your job is done, she won't let you or Neo leave." Roman clenched his teeth, knowing deep down that the boy had a valid point. "You may feel like a slave, but what you hold in your hands right now is the key to freedom."

Without wasting any more time, Roman opened the ledger to see its contents. "... T-This... I-I, can't believe this?!" He was shocked but continued to read to make sure it was real. "... Kid! I-Isn't this the ledger of your family?!" Look at this! I could make a lot of money easily!

The boy nodded. "Inside that little ledger, there's plenty of information about the Schnee businesses across the kingdoms, and it also contains the weaknesses of other powerful noble families." Whitley took his binoculars again to spy on the individuals near the ship to see if there was any progress in the deal. " That's what I was planning to give Miss Malachite in exchange for you and Neo, but you can give it to her instead." No more tricks, honesty is all I have now.

"Heh! You know, I could just put a bullet in your forehead and use this ledger as I please." Said Roman with a threatening tone.

Whitley remained composed. "It's up to you to decide, you are no longer a slave, but a man, right?" PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE WORK!

"Hahaha! You got balls, I'll give you that!" He laughed while ruffling the young man's hair, this kid had more guts than Roman initially thought. "... Alright! For once, I'll give 'trust' a chance, you better not disappoint me."

"Pftt! As if." OH, THANK GOD! I almost pissed myself... "And, you don't need to worry about Cinder, I have a plan on how to deal with her so, for now, it would be best if you stayed under the radar after this job and continue to report to her, I don't want her to suspect your defection just yet." Since I know what's going to happen, I already have an idea though for my plan to succeed, I need access to the CCT tower at Beacon.

It was a risky move, but the man nodded in agreement. "I am not even going to ask how you figured out her name." Torchwick finished his cigar while placing the ledger into the pocket of his jacket with quite a grin, then he threw the cigar bud to the ground and squashed it with the end tip of his cane. "Someone with your skills would make a great spider."

A visible show of disgust was on Whitley's face. "Ugh! Don't joke like that, unlike her, I have standards on how I get my information." At that moment he felt someone picking his shoulder, when he turned he saw it was Penny. "Oh, uh, something wrong?" The girl glanced at the criminal, and he noticed she wanted to speak with the kid alone.

"I'll head to the other side to get a better look at what they're carrying, so you kids can flirt as much as you want." Roman said teasingly.

"I-It's nothing like that!" Replied Penny embarrassed, her cheeks red like pepper.

"..." Wow... not even a hint of hesitation there. Whitley felt dejected. I mean, this is just like my previous life, I really have no luck with girls, huh? He quickly shook it off and asked. "What did you want to say?"

Penny was a bit nervous. "Are you sure about this? Roman is a well-known criminal, not to mention Neo, they are dangerous." She was worried about her friend, who seemed eager to get involved in more dangerous endeavors. "I don't think this is a smart idea."

"Humans possess the capacity for both good and bad deeds. Roman and Neo endured significant hardships that shaped them into who they are today, but people can transform through determination and sometimes, a helping hand can ignite a glimmer of hope." Whitley expressed with unwavering confidence, stating, "Although second chances are rare, I firmly believe that everyone deserves one."

"... You truly are something else, putting your trust in them like that." Said Penny with an adorable smile.

"Nah, just a selfish guy looking after his selfish interests, ahahaha." He laughed.

You may say such words, but I don't believe them to be true. Penny's chest beat a little faster, seeing the boy's cute smile. I-I don't understand, w-why am I feeling this way? Do I have a malfunction? I better do a check-up on my systems when I get back.

"Hey!" Torchwick exclaimed, causing both teenagers to flinch as they peered cautiously from behind a large wooden crate to see the man. "Those bastards finally started to move, but unfortunately, it doesn't involve Dust. Nevertheless, I advise you to come and observe what it is because it appears to be quite concerning." Penny and Whitley exchanged glances before deciding to follow Roman's lead.

The kingpin handed the binoculars to Whitley. " Let's see..."

"..."

"T-Those are Faunus!" He couldn't believe what he was seeing, a great number of Faunus that were chained to each other were marching out of the ship, and they looked pretty beaten up, to say the least. "T-This is just horrid, I thought slavery was illegal. How the hell is this even possible?"

"The high nobility must be the ones financing them, I mean, look at that tight security."

Penny was livid. "We have to save them!"

"Honestly, Faunus won't bring us lien, but Dust would, stopping these guys would just be a waste of time." Replied Roman.

"No! I'll help them, even if I have to go alone." Penny won't back down.

Whitley let out a deep sigh. "She is making a valid point, we cannot allow this to happen. Although I am a materialistic guy, I'm not a monster." He responded with a serious demeanor. "Furthermore, both you and Neo will still be compensated for your work. By the way, do you happen to know where she is?" A figure silently descended next to him, causing him to lose his composure and fall to the ground in a state of panic. "Ah! Ahhh! Please refrain from doing that ever again."

Neo laughed. I do enjoy this guy's flustered face. She then took out her Scroll. "We're doing this or what?"

"Yes." Said Whitley as he cleaned the dust off him. "Neo and Penny, you both will handle the bots and make sure the place is secured. Roman, you get the captain and force him to tell you everything about this operation, after that, we free the Faunus and take them back to the nightclub." This is a golden opportunity to gain the White Fang's attention, I could use them and Adam's help. I have a feeling that dealing with Cinder and Ozpin is going to be difficult without them.

"Let's go then!" Said Penny enthusiastically as she launched herself forward towards the AK130 units.

Torchwick fixed his hat. "No class whatsoever."

Neo shrugged though, before following, she looked back at Whitley. I heard everything you said... abandoned by your own family, I know what that's like, still helping us like this doesn't make sense... you seem to care about me, or is it just my imagination? Neo rushed and joined the fray.

"..."

"..."

In the distance, on top of a building, a mysterious figure was watching the battle at the docks. "Would you look at that? Oz was right, that kid is full of surprises."