"Now, you remember what we planned right?" Nichole questioned, walking up towards the door.
"Yeah, yeah. I don't know why I have to wear this suit though." Keijo tugged at the bowtie, trying to loosen it up.
"To look the part of course."
"Oh, so you can wear exercise clothes but I have to look like a bouncer?"
Nichole shushed Keijo and knocked on the steel door.
A slot opened and the two were met by a pair of yellow eyes.
"What's the password?" The voice questioned, with a hint of irritation behind their voice.
"The Shadow Within." Nichole answered.
The slot closed, succeeded by the audible click of a door unlocking, signaling her success.
As the door swung open, a towering tiger faunus with eyes matching its fur stepped to the side to let the duo in.
Keijo analyzed the bouncer intently before following Nichole into the club. Admitting to himself that he had never set foot in a place like this before would be an understatement.
It was a little dark, lights were flashing all over the place, and there were a lot of people crowding around each other. How could anyone find normalcy or even amusement in places like these? Just being here made the thief a little claustrophobic, and he wasn't even in the wave of people on the dance floor.
Nichole on the other hand was trying her damnedest not to get carried away. They were here to do a job, not to have fun. Besides, she already had her "fun" yesterday night with that one guy. She wonders if he's here too, but that's a one in a million chance. The White Fang hates humans and rebel faunuses after all.
The club itself seemed like something out of a movie. Nichole wasn't kidding when she said that it was. The only thing that confused Keijo was that some of the faunuses or "White Fang" don't look like they belong here. If anything, they look like a normal civilian that would be seen on the streets or with a family. Not in some hole-in-the-wall in the middle of nowhere. Then again, looks can be deceiving. It's best not to judge their appearance, especially in a place like this.
Nichole and Keijo walked up to a bar and took a seat.
"What can I get you two?" The bartender asked.
"I'll take a Piña Colada and he'll take a Sprite." The red huntress answered, earning a pissed look from Keijo.
"Pina Colada and Sprite coming up!" The bartender repeated.
"Can't afford you getting drunk, no?"
The green boy rolled his eyes and set his sights back to the crowd on the dance floor. Missed the perfect opportunity to taste alcohol for the first time. What a bummer.
Nichole noticed her partner was watching and smiled.
"Why don't you go down there and have some fun?"
"Wait, what?" This grabbed Keijo's attention. "Are you serious? I'm not going down there!"
"You sure? You sure look like you wanna go down there."
"It's not that, it's just..."
"Not your style? I understand, clubbing isn't for everyone. Hell, I had to warm up to it."
"You don't say."
"Here's your Pina Colada and Sprite." The bartender placed the two glasses on the table.
Nichole grabbed her glass and took a small sip while Keijo did the same.
"How's your non alcoholic drink?" The red huntress cooed.
"Pretty weak," The thief huffed. "What about you?"
"It's perfect!" Nichole hummed happily, taking another sip. She looked around and slowly slid the glass to Keijo. "Here, I'll allow you to have one sip."
The thief's eyes lit up for a moment before taking a small sip from the straw. The bitter taste made him wrinkle his nose but the sweet aftertaste was a surprise. He never had alcohol before but he's seen a couple of older friends drink it. They make it seem so good that he had to try it. But they didn't allow it for obvious reasons.
He pushed the drink back to Nichole, who was smiling the whole time.
"Good huh?" She asked.
"Oh yeah." Keijo chuckled. "I'll need to try that again when I'm old enough."
Nichole laughed in response. She acted the same exact way when she had her first beer.
Oh, the memories.
"Alright everyone! That was our holiday mix produced by yours truly, DJ Venom!" The DJ shouted from the booth. "However, I have a very important message to share before we go on. It was reported that one of our warehouses was broken into. The thief is still on the rise, and we're sure that he will strike again. That's why I need you all to help Torchwick catch this criminal. There will be a reward waiting for you if you succeed."
Keijo's ears perked up when he heard the word "award."
"I know you're all hoping to make a ton of money, and here is your time to do so. If you can identify this thief and help the White Fang, we'll make sure you are paid handsomely. For now, keep having fun at the celebration! DJ Venom yelled at the audience.
The crowd cheered as the music played again, as if they already forgot the message that quickly.
The DJ took out his scroll and blew up the image of the "thief" on the wall for everyone to see. It was a police sketch of what appears to be Keijo but he looks a little older and rugged. Not to mention that he was wearing the stereotypical criminal clothing rather than his usual green attire. Who would've known that he has a bounty on his head for something as small as petty theft.
Nichole furrowed her brow. It appears that they must implement the plan as soon as possible or else, someone would catch on to them.
"You're ready?" she whispered.
"Ready when you are." Keijo replied, taking one last sip from his soda.
"Okay, let's go." Nichole got up from her chair and guided him to the dancefloor.
As they reached the checker patterned floor, Keijo's chest began to get a little tight. He felt trapped, with his entire body forced to adjust to an environment that he doesn't belong to.
Why is the music so loud? What is with that bass? I'm going to die here. The thief concluded, biting his lower lip.
Nichole noticed her partner's struggle and held him close. "Hey, it's okay." she whispered.
Keijo was flustered, feeling her warm breath tickle his left ear. And his face was pressed up against her bosom.
"There, there," Nichole said, smiling. "Just relax."
The green boy gave a nod, indicating that he would try to loosen up.
At that moment, he didn't want to let go of her. He felt protected by her touch, her sweetness, and her warmth. Holding him felt like a mother's embrace. And for once, he didn't feel alone.
Nichole felt Keijo's breathing slow down, making her smile.
"Do you know how to dance?" Feeling his hair tickle her ear, she hummed.
The thief chuckled and shook his head. "Not really, it's my first time going to a club."
"Mhm, well let me teach you the basics."
Nichole then took his hand in hers and proceeded to teach him a few moves. He did not pick up the moves at first but slowly began to groove to the beat.
"Good job." Nichole whispered to him.
Keijo blushed, but he was thankful for her tutoring. He felt a little more at ease with her assistance, even if the music was still horrible.
"The coast is clear." Nichole muttered, snapping Keijo from his thoughts.
He was having so much fun that he forgot that they still had a job to do. "Okay."
A faunus then approaches the two, focusing mostly on Nichole. He was dressed in a red-lined black kimono. Brown goat horns curled outward from his shoulders, displaying his raven hair.
"You're a pretty lady," he purred, licking his lips. "May I have this dance?"
With concern, Keijo looked at his partner, but she nodded slightly. "Sure, she's all yours."
The thief handed her over and walked off. The goat faunus smiled and started dancing to a slow song. Nichole watched as Keijo disappeared into the room in the back.
Good. All according to plan.
Meanwhile, Keijo found himself in what seems to be the control room. There were a lot of monitors on the walls, most showing live footage of the nightclub.
A screen of one monitor showed the main entrance where he and Nichole went in earlier. Another showed an aerial view of the room.
There are a lot of security cameras here. Keijo thought, taking a seat in the swivel chair.
But again, what did he really expect? After all, this is a White Fang club. It goes without saying that security will be tight. It was also made easier by Nichole providing him with the club's blueprints before he even got there.
Keijo took out a small chip and placed it in one of the monitors. He then pulled out his scroll and opened up an app. His fingers flew across the keyboard and within minutes, he hacked the camera's system. This isn't his preferred method but it's necessary to complete the mission.
The camera feed went static for a moment before getting cut. He chuckled, smirking. This was way too easy.
The sounds of footsteps caught Keijo's attention, signaling to him that it was time to go.
He quickly scanned the room for a hiding place before finding a small closet near the door, which wasn't noticeable to anyone.
The green thief darted for the closet in the shadows. It was kind of campy but a great fit nonetheless.
Back at the dancefloor, Nichole was still dancing with the goat faunus. Keijo was running a little late and she was starting to get worried.
What's taking him so long? The simple hacking I taught him wasn't that hard. Well, I don't think it was.
"You're very good at this, dear~" The goat faunus purred, pulling Nichole out of her train of thought.
"Um, thanks. You're pretty great yourself." she complemented back, clearly uncomfortable.
"I haven't gotten your name, if you don't mind me asking."
"Evergreen, and you?"
"You may call me Krev." The faunus gave her a small wink.
"Krev, huh? What an interesting name," The huntress said, giving a fake smile. "Do you come here often?"
"No, a friend invited me. I'm not really fond of these sorts of events. Then again, what kind of friend would I be if I didn't show up in the first place." The faunus explained.
His aura made Nichole a little uncomfortable. It felt sinister and unnerving. However, she has felt this type of aura before…but from where?
"And what about you Ms. Evergreen? Came here to have fun I suppose?" Krev spoke.
"Yeah, you're right about that." Nichole acknowledged him. She looked at the backroom and back at her dancing partner. She can't wait any longer. "Hey, would you like to go in the back to have more fun~"
"I thought you'd never ask. Lead the way~"
He followed Nichole to the rear of the club. She didn't spot her companion in the control room when they passed by. Rather, two faunuses were attempting to fix the security feed. Keijo cracked the cameras, at least.
Did he get caught? The huntress thought.
Even if he didn't she would still have to find him.
"Is there something wrong dear?" Krev asked."
"Uh, no. Let's go."
Nichole guided him to a dimly lit space. Once inside, Krev kissed her neck and pulled her up against the wall. She moaned a little and felt her legs grow weaker.
She didn't expect him to get so handsy already. Jeez, at least take her out to dinner.
Then again, the huntress doesn't have any room to talk. She's usually ready to jump on someone's bones when in the "mood."
But now's not the time for that.
"Do you like it?" Krev purred.
"You know I do~" Nichole purred. "Let's continue this on the couch."
"Good idea." The faunus smiled and pushed her on the nearby couch.
Nichole observed as he loomed over her, marveling at his impressive height. His kimono draped loosely, revealing a glimpse of his muscular chest, adorned with three deep slash marks. Intrigued, she speculated on their origin—perhaps from a Grimm or another adversary.
Krev noticed her curiosity and took it off to show off more of his body. "You like what you see?"
"I sure do." Nichole hummed, growing a little agitated.
She aligned her left knee under his crotch. He groaned in pleasure.
"Don't stop," he begged.
"Wasn't planning to~"
Nichole gave a sudden jerk of her knee, sending Krev reeling backwards. He grunted and held his head as his head struck the edge of the table behind him.
With one hand on the table, Krev tried to prop himself up and regain his composure. Nichole gave him a downward kick that rendered him unconscious.
"Nighty, night stud," she mocked him. "Now I need to find Keijo."
Nichole snuck out of the room and locked the door behind her to make sure Krev couldn't alert anyone.
Glancing into the control room, she saw that Keijo wasn't there, but the two faunuses remained. They continued to fiddle around with the cameras, attempting to understand why everything was shut down.
This gave Nichole the perfect opportunity to knock them out and search for the green thief.
"Keijo, are you here?" The red huntress whispered.
"Yeah." The thief replied.
He stepped out of the closet where he was hiding. "Sorry for making you worry. I was going to leave, but those guards came into the room."
"It's okay. I'm just glad you're not captured." Nichole smiled softly, making Keijo a little flustered.
"Yeah, me too. So what do we do now?" Keijo asked.
"Well, since the cameras are down, we can move to the second phase of our plan," Nichole said, taking out a briefcase containing her huntress clothes. "But first, let's change our wardrobe. Can't fight the White Fang in this~"
"Wait, you're gonna change here?!" the green thief asked, flabbergasted. "What if someone walks in?"
"Then close the door." Nichole threw his clothes at him. "Come on, there's no time to waste."
"Oh, man." Keijo picked up his clothes and undid his tie. He tried not to ogle at the red huntress as much as possible but he couldn't help it.
Her toned back, trim waist, and lean curves were mesmerizing to him. There weren't many girls he knew that had a body like that.
"You're not looking at me, are you?" Nichole teased.
"O-of course not!" Keijo stammered, turning around.
"Heh, you better not be, naughty boy~" she put on her red jacket and white top while giggling.
After changing, Nichole pulled out her scroll and smiled. "It's time!"
With a press of a button, all the lights went out. The entire club went dark.
"There, that should keep them occupied for a little while." she motioned the green thief. They quietly slipped out of the room without getting caught.
They only had a certain amount of time before the backup generator turned on. Which is perfectly fine for the red huntress.
They both rushed through the corridors. If the map serves them right, then they shouldn't be far from the storage unit. Her knowledge of how the whole place was set up made it quite easy for her.
Before coming here, Nichole mapped out the building's layout and secret passageways. It was hard to obtain the blueprints since it was owned by the White Fang but the huntress still managed to get it after some searching on the dark web.
The duo made it to the end of a large hallway where they could see light streaming from a crack in the door.
That must be it! Nichole thought, speeding up a bit.
Keijo was growing weary and falling behind. He hasn't run this fast since the time those White Fang soldiers chased him, and that was a day ago.
When in proximity, the red huntress bursted through the door with such impact that it nearly flew off the hinges.
"Alright, we're here!" Nichole exclaimed.
The two found themselves surrounded by rows upon rows of crates.
The huntress approached some boxes to open them up. Keijo helped her unload their contents.
Many of them were filled with a variety of weapons and tools that could kill or cripple a person, depending on their nature.
While they do look tempting, Nichole wasn't here for that. She was actually here for the dust crystals the White Fang stole from that warehouse. Well, technically they stole it from the Schnee Dust Company, but neither here nor there…
Keijo looked around in astonishment. So much loot for the taking. He can easily become a millionaire if he sells these objects on the black market.
Whispering to himself, the green thief plotted to take some when she wasn't looking.
"Don't even think about it, Keijo." Nichole warned.
What the hell?! She can read minds now?
"Wasn't planning on it." The thief muttered, rolling his eyes.
"Good, now let's continue our search before—"
*click*
"What was that?"
"Looks like the backup generator is back on. Damn, and here I thought that we had a little more time." Nichole hissed.
"How long would it be until those bodyguards come in here?" Keijo queried, a little worried.
"I don't know. But at least the security cameras are still off." Nichole responded, pointing at one camera in the far left corner of the ceiling.
"About that. Wouldn't the cameras come back on since the power went out?"
"Not exactly. You see, that chip you placed in the computer had a fail-safe programmed into it. If the power gets cut, the chip will still keep the cameras off. The only way to turn it back on is by using the app I placed on your scroll. So no matter how many times those White Fang lackeys try to tinker with those cameras, they can never turn them on unless they have your scroll."
The explanation left Keijo surprised. Her tech expertise caught him off guard.
"Now let's find those crystals before someone catches us." Nichole smirked.
"R-right!" he stammered.
As the pair continued to explore the factory floor, they encountered a lot of foreign items, ranging from weapons to machinery. This made the huntress question how the White Fang obtained these sorts of things. She figured that they must've had a lot of connections, or smuggled them into the city without Atlas knowing.
It made no difference. They had a task at hand. When this is all over, she will inform Atlas military, though.
"Nichole, I found something!" Keijo alerted her.
The red huntress ran over and examined the crate next to him. Its contents were in fact dust crystals, but they had an ashen gray color instead of a light blue hue.
She picked one of them up and analyzed it. It appears that ice crystals weren't the only ones that were in the White Fang's possession. If only she had Solstice Edge with her right now. She wouldn't mind taking these babies on a little test drive.
"I don't think I've seen those kinds of dust crystals before." Keijo mused.
"They're wind crystals. As their name states, they can create wind in many forms. They have quite a kick to it if used properly." Nichole explained. She placed the crystal into her back pocket and picked up the box. "Good eye, Kei."
"Thanks." he rubbed the back of his head, getting flustered again.
"Don't mention it. Now let's finish loading these crystals up."
The huntress and thief continued to grab the crystals and load them into a box. They made sure that all the crystals were properly boxed in a group before moving on.
Not long after, the two were able to load the majority of crystals into a pile.
"Are we all done?" Keijo asked.
"Almost. This is our last row, if I'm not mistaken." the huntress confirmed. "Let's put these babies in last."
The huntress and thief grabbed as many crystals as they could carry and stuffed them into the box. It was a lot of weight to carry, so Keijo could only carry two boxes. Nichole opted to carry one, considering she didn't need to worry about anything else.
After everything was finished, the red huntress pulled out her scroll and gave Eddie the order to send the truck over so that the boxes could be loaded.
"Alright, we're all set!" Nichole confirmed. "Eddie should be here in about 15 minutes."
"What should we do no—"
Suddenly, the front door opened and two White Fang soldiers walked in.
"So Joe, what did your wife give you for dinner?"
"You know, spaghetti and meatballs. What about you, Kyler?"
"A cold cut sandwich with some chips."
Nichole and Keijo both gritted their teeth. They were hiding behind a wall nearby, hoping that the soldiers wouldn't turn the corner and catch them.
"Huh? That's weird." Joe muttered.
"What is?" Kyler questioned walking towards his coworker.
"Were these boxes always open?"
"Probably? I don't know. I don't get paid enough to care."
"You won't be saying that when Adam fires you." Joe snaps back.
"Whatever," Kyler shrugs his shoulders. "Maybe someone opened them up by accident."
"Maybe." Joe muttered under his breath. "This place is full of idiots."
"What did you say?!" Kyler growled.
While the two insulted one another, the huntress and thief listened. This was not what they had anticipated. In any case, this was eating up their time and Eddie can show up any minute, alerting the White Fang and ruining their mission.
Damn. Looks like I have to use my "trump card" to get out of this one. Nichole thought, taking in a deep breath and closing her eyes.
"What the?" Keijo uttered in confusion while looking around his surroundings.
It appears they weren't in the storage room anymore but instead a snow-covered winter paradise with tumbling Christmas ornaments. There wasn't a styrofoam ceiling or concrete walls, just a crimson sky with snow falling endlessly and massive pine trees.
Even the two soldiers were dumbfounded by the current setting.
He looked over to Nichole who still had her eyes closed.
This must be her doing.
"What the hell?!" Joe asked out loud.
"What is this place?!" Kyler was equally perplexed.
"How am I supposed to know? We were just in the storage room a second ago."
"Yeah, but now we're in some sort of winter wonderland."
"You know what that means right?"
A silence fell between the two. Keijo's heart raced in response to the stillness. Were they able to realize what they were doing? Has their facade crumbled?
"SNOWBALL FIGHT!" The two soldiers declared, picking up snow to throw at each other.
This threw the thief off. "Snowball fight?"
"Come on!" Nichole grabbed Keijo's arm and pulled him towards her. "We need to move these boxes! I can only hold them off for a little while."
"Got it!" Keijo nodded.
The two swiftly seized the dust crystals and pulled them to the exit. A pickup truck slammed into the storage compartment which startled the thief.
"Did somebody ask for a getaway driver?" Eddie asked smugly, poking his head out of the car window.
"Yeah, we did!" Nichole laughed, tossing the boxes in the back.
Keijo looked in confusion but did the same. This woman was a whole different ball game. She was so fast and decisive. He couldn't believe how she shifted gears.
"Thanks again for being on call Eddie." Nichole grinned, throwing a wink at him.
"No problem, like I said, I like to get off of work early." The blacksmith responded, he looked past her and at the two faunuses that were frolicking in the ground. "What's wrong with them?"
"I think they have a couple of screws loose," the huntress laughed, getting into the truck. "If you know what I mean"
"Oh, I know where you're getting at." Eddie chuckled.
When he got into the truck, Keijo took out his scroll and opened his hacking app as well. He then proceeded to hack into the building's security cameras, deactivating all of them. There's no need for it since they already have what they came for.
The two bodyguards were left unaware of what had happened as the pickup truck sped off into the night.