"What the hell was that?!" Kris shouted as she and the others ran through the sewer system underneath Mantle. Panting, she stumbled slightly before catching her balance and continuing. "What the hell just happened?!"
"I may have momentarily lost my cool!" Kagami shouted, glancing back while keeping her breathing steady.
"Well why would you go and do something like that?!" Elise narrowed her eyes at her with hands balled up into tight fists. "That's so not like you! The last time that happened we were on the boat heading here!"
"I don't know!" She flailed her arms slightly with a small shrug. "Childhood trauma, maybe?!" She scoffed out while rolling her eyes.
"Right..." Cheyenne struggled to keep up. "I think we forget about that a lot..." She took a deep breath, shaking her head a bit. Running was not her speciality. "Though it's still really, really bad... like REALLY bad!"
"I know that!" The jadette shouted back while taking a deep breath. "Do we have to keep rubbing that in?! Let's just get back to the inn, get our stuff and find somewhere to lay low! We can talk about this later!"
"I think we need to talk about your issues with authoritative figures from Atlas now!" The redhead glared at her. "I know I have problems with people in charge but you- you just attacked a captain in the Atlas army! We're screwed!"
"I hardly attacked Captain Caesar!" She flashed her teeth. "All I did was get a little upset and disarmed her! She was the one not seeing to reason! We're both on the same side here!"
"Enough!" The Faunus finally snapped. "We'll figure out what to do later! No more arguing!"
Doing so, the group of girls went quiet while averting their eyes. Eventually making their way back to the inn they were staying at. Gathering their stuff, they left just as quickly as they arrived. Vanishing into the night. Soon enough, they were hiding inside a closed down apartment building. The floors and walls stained as several of the windows were either broken or cracked. The furniture that was left was broken and in terrible shape. The lights and electronics all lacked the electricity Dust needed to power them, leaving the girls left in the dark without any heat.
"You... attacked a captain of the Atlas army?" Joanna blinked a few times before raising her eyebrow. "Bloody hell." She shook her head.
"I didn't attack her... why does everyone keep saying that..." Kagami let out, laying on the floor in defeat. Slowly reaching up, she groaned softly and rubbed her eyes.
"Because you did..." Kris mumbled, sitting on the ground with her knees tucked into her chest. Her headphones over her ears and quietly playing music.
"When I said work on minimizing Regen's resources, this is not what I meant. Nor expected." Azure reached up, placing a hand on her chin. "Intriguing." She thought quietly for a moment before nodding. Her hands moving behind her back. "I'm assuming this is where I'll find you if I need you again."
"You're a troublesome lot, eh?" The blonde crossed her arms with a small scoff before any of them could reply. "Shouldn't have expected anything less."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Elise shot her a glare while cleaning her rifle.
"Not about you." She clarified before motioning towards her partner. "I mean her and whatever goes on in her head."
"At least things can't get worse." Cheyenne quietly mumbled, her finger trailing across a piece of wood with her semblance as it repaired itself. "Since Julia and Kris' sister know us personally, I'm sure they won't want to get us in any big trouble. We're just going to need to make sure they don't catch us. Again."
"Catch us doing their job..." Kagami grumbled while taking a deep breath.
Staring at her for a moment, the blue haired detective pulled out her pencil and notebook and began to write a few things down. "There's a fair amount of Huntsmen doing mercenary work for Regen at the moment." She flipped the page, writing on a second one. "Here's a few of them. I'll be back once word gets around the bobbies have them." She tore the paper off, handing it to Elise. "You've been diminishing supplies and taking out smaller HQs, it's time to take out some heads."
"We'll do our best." The farm girl smiled with a nod.
"Good." She turned around, sliding her notebook away while adjusting her hat. "Let's go get some coffee. I could use the caffeine before finishing my reports."
"Yes. Let's." Joanna smiled, turning around on her heels with her hands behind her back as she left with her.
Watching the two of them leave, Elise let out a heavy sigh. Closing her eyes, she slowly fell onto her back with a soft thud. Her right hand closely holding the piece of paper against her chest. "This... is very much not how I expected our pitstop in Mantle to go." She quietly mumbled while opening her eyes to stare at the stained ceiling. "Not at all."
Elsewhere in the tormented city, a very irritated and very annoyed Rey brushed his arm across a table, knocking everything off it in the process. "This is insanity!" His voice echoed alongside the clattering of items against the floor. "How the hell do four brats just walts right into MY kingdom and literally turn everything upside down?!"
"Hey, hey now." Dion held out a hand, flashing a toothy smile. "This isn't your fault. They somehow managed to take out my last two employers in Vale. Oum knows how." He shook his head with a small sigh. "But don't worry about it. I know you're better than the two of them." He moved his hand over hia, gently patting it. "Just calm down. If they keep pushing, I know you'll bite back and make them regret."
Exhaling, he slowly pulled back while nodding. "Right... right." He took a deep breath, running his fingers through his rainbow hair. "I'm the best." He began to grin. "And no snot nose brats are going to stop the revolution."
"Does that include not stopping our cut?" Stepping into the room with crossed arms, Ebony raised an eyebrow. "Because right now, you're skimping out on us. And unlike you, we have late bills to pay." She shifted her weight to one foot and stuck her hip out.
"Hey now," He picked up his cane, waving it slightly in her direction. "I have to pay my workers like any good boss does. It's not my fault someone is screwing with our business. Less business, less profit. It's not that complicated, lass."
Exhaling, she let out a sharp groan before looking away. "Whatever, fucking airhead... you can eat my shorts..."
"What was that?" He shot her a cold glare, twirling a can as he took a step towards her.
"Nothing, nothing." She held her hands up in defense with an uneasy smile. "I didn't say anything, I swear." Swallowing a little, she shifted around at his ruthless expression as he growled.
"You knocked your stuff over again." Ivory suddenly said, kneeling down as she calmly picked up the items Rey had knocked off. Standing back up, she began carefully placing each of them back on the table in an organized fashion.
With his eyebrow twitching, the rainbow thief closed his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he stepped away. "Tell her not to touch my stuff." He hissed sharply before grabbing a small pouch.
Sighing, the raven haired girl glanced at her sister. "Hey, Ivory, come on." She motioned with her hand. "Leave his stuff alone."
Blinking a little, she nodded a bit before stepping away. "Okay..." She uttered, holding her hands in front of herself.
"Remind me again why she's here?" Dion raised an eyebrow while tilting his head. "She's so-"
"Shut it!" Ebony snapped with narrowed eyes. Her shoulders squaring before she relaxed and caught the small pouch thrown at her.
"Just get lost already." Rey quietly let out. "I have work to do."
She scoffed, half smiling as she turned around. "Come on, sis. We're done here. Let's head home."
Blinking, the girl with white hair stared at the two men for a moment before turning around and following after her without a word.
Entering a small house in a poorer district of Mantle, Ebony very quietly closed the door and locked it with a soft click. Exhaling, she pulled away and looked around the dimly lit room. The light of a video screen playing the late night news the only source of light. On the couch, a man built of muscle with a sleeveless muscle shirt was laying across it on his back. His spine slightly curved and face covered in black scruff. Laying across his chest was an open scroll with several job openings listed on it.
On the wall, a folded Atlas flag was framed along with a few medals.
"Should we wake him?" Ivory quietly asked.
"No, no." She shook her head with a sigh while walking over to the counter. Eyeing the coffee table, she shook her head at the sight of a few empty beer cans. "Let him sleep. He needs it." She mumbled while setting down a sack of lien.
"Everyone needs sleep." She held up a finger. "Our bodies wouldn't function if we didn't."
"No Ivory-" She took a deep breath, brushing her black hair behind her ear. "Nevermind. Though it isn't good for his back to sleep on the couch..." She trailed off. "You head up to our room. I'll wake him. Alright?"
The white haired girl blinked once before nodding. "Okay." She moved her hands behind her back. "Don't take too long. It's annoying when you take forever and end up waking me up."
Ebony took a deep breath, nodding as she watched her sister walk off. Slowly, she approached her sleeping father. "Dad?" She softly let out, nudging his shoulder. "Come on. Wake up. You're finally getting stronger, you don't need to mess your back up again."
"Hrm...?" He groaned out before shifting around. Slowly opening his eyes, he groaned louder and sat up. "Dammit... what time is it..." He reached up, rubbing his face. "I didn't mean to leave this on..." He mumbled, reaching out to turn off the news. "Damn..." He slowly went to stretch out his spine. Taking a deep breath, he stood up. "Why are you still awake at-" He blinked, seeing the pouch of lien. "Ebony..."
"I know, I know..." Her head sunk as her shoulders slouched. "But it's the least we can do."
"I told you two to stop though." He stepped around her, his steps slow. "I'm about to get everything sorted out."
"You say that but we both know it's not true." She half smiled.
"Don't insult me." He let out a low chuckle, reaching over to ruffle her hair. "I have an interview tomorrow. This time I might nail it."
"Ivory has a better chance of understanding that than you actually getting hired." She crosses her arms.
He rolled his eyes, grabbing the lien as he began to count it. "Your mother really doesn't want your sister out there with you... not with how she is. You know how she can be sometimes."
"I know, I know..." She sighed. "But she wouldn't have it any other way. She wants to do it. I don't think she fully understands what we're doing exactly but... She wants to be with me. She trusts me."
He shook his head, heading out of the room with a defeated sigh. "Just go get some sleep. Your mother is going to murder me for staying up..." He mumbled before softly chuckling. "Night, sweet heart."
"Night dad." She smiled. "Tell mom I said goodnight too." Watching him disappear, her expression changed. Her shoulders dropping as her smile faded away. Staring blankly, she took a deep breath and eventually made her way to the bathroom. Leaning against the wall inside, she stared back at her reflection in a mirror. Eventually, she flashed her teeth at herself. Her eyes flickering with rage.
"It's just not fucking fair." She hissed, pushing herself up to move closer towards the mirror. Her eyes narrowing. "Nothing is ever fucking fair! Mom never did anything wrong to anybody... even with all the discrimination she suffered. And when dad got hurt for getting revenge for her because of that Faunus in the mines... the high and mighty just casted him aside like he was never a loyal man to them for all those years." She quietly snarled, her shoulders squaring.
"We don't get any luck down here... and everyone hates dad. Mom is so stressed she's constantly cleaning." Her hands balled into tight fists. "It's just not fair! And try as I might, nothing I do ever really helps!" She took a few deep breaths, something sparking in her eyes as she flashed her teeth again. Extending her fingers, panther claws pushed out from her nails. "My negativity always brings everyone down! And I can't do anything about it!" She drove her claws into her biceps, hissing at the pain. "And Ivory's lack of emotions just makes things so much more difficult! Argh!" She closed her eyes, bringing her hands down. Her fingers leaving a trail of red lines.
Breathing heavily, she ran her claws through her flesh again again. This time, she winced at the pain. "It's not fair... it's not fair! She deserves better! Mom deserves better! And dad deserves better!" She shouted, her arms burning in pain. For a moment, everything faded from her mind. Her thoughts clouded by the pain which made everything else feel numb for a second.
"Ebony...?" A soft voice spoke up, jerking her out of the state.
Flinching, she retracted her claws and looked back. "I-Ivory!" She pulled away, watching as her sister's snow leopard ears folded down.
"You're... hurting yourself. Again." She mumbled while slowly approaching. "Why?"
"You wouldn't get it..." The raven haired girl looked away, lowering her head. Her arms unwillingly trembling from the stinging pain.
Staring for a moment, she slowly tilted her head. Blinking, she took a few steps forward before wrapping her arms around her sister. Albeit in an awkward position.
Startled, Ebony's eyes widened. "I-Ivory! What are you doing? You hate touching."
"I do." She agreed with her. "But... mom holds dad when he's upset. And it helps him be less upset..." She trailed off, her own body shaking.
Exhaling, she lowered her head down and closed her eyes. Faintly smiling, she relaxed a bit. "You can let go now." She softly mumbled.
"Good." She quickly pulled away, moving her hands behind her back. "You shouldn't hurt yourself anymore." She stared up. "It's bad for you."
"Yeah... don't remind me." She glanced down, looking at her bleeding arms before sighing. "I just... sometimes everything boils inside me and the water overflows."
"I don't get it..." Ivory slowly tilted her head.
"I-" She took a deep breath, sighing. "Come on." She motioned with her head as she stepped around her sister. "Let's get to bed. I'm exhausted. My aura should be able to heal my arms by morning. And we have more work to do tomorrow."
Watching her, she nodded back before following after.
Welp. The fanfiction website has a bug. Guess we'll have to wait for it to be fixed before this chapter can be read.
Reminder for everyone to be nice to everyone. Even if the other person doesn't deserve it.