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Requested by :

Lea the RosenWulf

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Overhead, Neo could hear thunder rumbling in the cloudy Valean sky, threatening a storm the news said would last for a few days. Not heavily, after today, but the rain, at least, would stick around. Linger, the news lady had said. It was still a few hours out, Lavender had said, but everyone with a brain knew better than to assume that was true. And, judging from the occasional drop that echoed off the roofs of the old, rundown warehouses on either side of the street she was headed down, that was as reliable as it always had been. Not that it would bother her, of course, she smiled, running her thumb along the grip of the parasol she already had open to protect against those errant drops.

"M-Miss Neo…" She turned, flicking a look over her shoulder to the man stumbling behind her, a hood over his head and his hands tied in front of him. "I-I won't run, really, honest! Just… This hood is so stuffy, and- Agh!"

He stumbled as her boot cracked against his shin and she yanked him by the rope she was leading him with, and he shut up well enough. A few onlookers gave her sidelong glances from where they stood, smoking on their breaks on the other side of wire fences and under thin metal roofs. She gave them all smiles, and blew a few kisses, and most of them recognized her and looked away. As always, it felt amazing to be able to simply stare them all down like that…

And, as always, every single one of them gave her nothing she was looking for.

No warmth. No electricity. Nothing…

So she kept on her way, occasionally yanking the man's literal chain behind her and chuckling at his stumbles.

Finally, she got to Nikolaos' Shipping, an old warehouse a few blocks from the docks that once upon a time had run Dust shipping into the city. Before the SDC's oh so serendipitous rise to the station of Atlas' premier shipping corporation and run them out of business. Or, mostly out of business, at least. Nikolaos himself had sold the business half a decade ago to a certain young woman's newly founded, steadily expanding, estates, and still shipped some Dust along the coast on contract for the SDC. Nikolaos still had an investment interest, and made a fair bit of Lien every month selling Dust and Dust related supplies up and down Vale's coasts.

Along with Roman's products, of course…

"Hey, Boss Lady." One of the workers in the warehouse called, turning from the truck he was loading and waving her over with a smile. He was older, with a sparse beard and a scar over his eye, but he smiled warmly as she came over. "This the asshat?"

She nodded, flashing a thumbs up, 'Yep!'

"Cool." The man grunted, taking the rope from him and tugging the man over before he shoved him into a couple other worker's arms. "Load him up! Boat leaves for an hour, and Miss M won't get off our asses until she has him…"

"No!" The man grunted, struggling as he was dragged off, "No, not her! I-I thought- Neo said I was going to Roman!"

"And you did, didn't you?" A familiar voice called from up the walkway. Neo turned, smiling and watching her partner strut through, tapping his cane just outside the yellow safety lines on the floor while cart drivers meandered by. He raised an arm for her to slip under for a hug as Roman reached them and smiled, "You met with me, and now you're being sent off. See? No one lied."

"T-That's not fair!" The man bemoaned, "That's not fair!"

"Yeah, well, life isn't." Roman shrugged, turning to lead Neo up through the warehouse with a sigh. "So, any luck today?"

She shook her head, drawing a 'zero' with a finger and then adding a thumbs down, 'Nothing.'

"Sucks, but…" Roman trailed off and left the 'We're used to it' unsaid, but she nodded anyway. And then raised her eyebrows when they reached the stairs up to the offices that crept along the spine of the ceiling and smiled, ruffling her hair. "Just some business out front, I'll be right up. There's steak and rice waiting for you."

The appeal of food did make her take a step, but…

She hesitated, cocking her head and raising an eyebrow, then spinning her parasol meaningfully. "You won't need me?"

"Nah, nah." Roman shook his head, "Just a kid picking up some doctored paperwork. It's nothing I need a sword for, unless it's a trap."

In which case, she gathered, Roman would prefer her with roof-top access, so she could take out anyone out there. Roman himself, and the security he kept around the warehouse, would be able to hold off anything short of a Hunter team coming down on them. Even then, a Sekirei coming down on their backs was not something a mere Hunter could handle easily, much less the police they'd have backing them up on a raid like this.

So she nodded, smiled, and waved as she went up the stairs.

Once upon a time, the top of the stairs had been a little check-in spot, with a small landing outside and a security desk through a door. Now wasn't much different, except instead of a tired dude in a reflective vest to take her name there was just a hired ganger from The Club sitting behind a desk covered more in drinks, empty food containers and a couple over-full ash-trays. A security guard would have been fired for not cleaning, but the thug just gave her a nod and took a puff from his cigar.

There were five offices when she turned left, four to each side of a narrow hallway. The four divided by the hall she and Roman left to their security, a dozen or so of which were milling about. Some were watching the floor through the windows, some were drinking, and a couple were dozing on couches that filled in where desks once had. Couches and refrigerators, that was.

How many mini-fridges they possibly needed, Neo had no idea.

The biggest office at the end, though, was theirs.

The smell of vanilla and spice hit her nose as soon as she came in, and she smiled, comforted by it. And the sound of light rain starting to fall in earnest on the metal roof of the warehouse, pattering and thudding soothingly. To the right was a little kitchenette they'd set up, with a counter dividing it from the rest of the room and a gap in the corner. Her steak and rice was there, on a plate covered in tin. To the left was a curtained in sleeping area for her privacy, with dressers for walls and a little mound of pillows and blankets in the corner she couldn't wait to fall into. And, in the back, was Roman's area, with a cot in one corner and a computer in the other, split by a widescreen television across from a couch.

It was thrown together nonsense, but…

Gods, she was glad to be home.

Grabbing her food she padded over to the end of the tv where the computer desk was, hopping onto it and leaning against the window that stretched across the back wall, covered by a dark curtain. Outside and below, she could see Roman walking a young, scrawny looking blonde dude to a waiting car and telling him… Something. He turned, nodded, and offered the career thief his hand to shake, which Roman snorted at but took.

Then, he looked up and Neo felt… Something creep along her spine and around, to the crest in between her breasts where it warmed.

She nearly dropped her food, turning and sprinting across the room as fast as she could manage. One of the offices had a skylight and she clambered out of it, using the roof to get to a gutter pipe she slid down. In spite of her speed, though, by the time she got there the car was long gone. And she nearly ran into Roman when he turned, eyes going wide and searching for threats on seeing her running.

"Hey, hey, hey!" He grunted, grabbing her shoulders to catch her attention and forcing her to look at him. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head, out of breath and trembling from adrenaline rushing through her, and pressed a hand to her chest. When they'd met, she'd been hurt, and young, and had begged Roman not to take her to a hospital. So he'd stitched up the bullet hole in her collar himself, which meant he'd seen the crest. And, in time, she'd told him what it meant, and why she always went out, trawling town. So when he registered what she meant, and his eyes widened, she knew he got the importance too.

"Well…" He frowned, "Shit."

She tapped her wrist and mimed writing her name on it in a clear question, 'Who was he?'

"I dunno…" He sighed, shaking his head and pursing his lips, "I put him in a taxi, but… I didn't let him tell me his name."

Good Gods, she wanted to smack him, but… She understood his reasoning. Knowing his name wasn't necessary - Roman just needed a name for the fake paperwork, whatever it was. And if shit went sideways, not knowing could let them cover their tracks better. When she asked for it, Roman shrugged and answered.

"He said he'd give Junior the full thing, but…" Roman shrugged, "His name's Jaune."

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Jaune stepped out of the taxi and looked up, blinking in the rain coming down on him like a shower already. Grimacing, he looked up the walkway at the VIP door, and the line of people still waiting to try and get in even in the rain. Why, he could guess, given what he now knew about The Club. Idly, he wondered what they could need that badly, but… Well, he was out in the rain, too. And like them, he doubted they wanted anyone prying.

So he left it alone and jogged up to the entrance.

"Password." The man guarding the door grunted, stepping forward a bit and holding out an umbrella to keep them both dry while Jaune dug in his pockets. When he offered the man a sip of paper, he nodded and stepped aside. "Go on in. Through the dance floor, up the stairs with the VIP sign. Room number three is yours."

"Thanks…"

"Do not," the man warned, "look into or go into the other rooms, or you will be dealt with."

'Dealt with', Jaune noticed with a spike of anxiety. Not 'kicked out' but 'dealt with'. And, watching a drunk woman be bundled out a door a bit up the wall and tossed into the alley, Jaune had a feeling he did not want to find out what they meant the hard way. So he nodded and stepped past the guard and through the door, ducking his head as the people still waiting called insults after him for cutting ahead of them. Which he did feel bad about, admittedly, but…

He had to get through this.

Inside, the air was thick with smoke and music that pounded so hard Jaune could swear he saw the smoke shake with each bassy bump. Ignoring it, and the people dancing in the entrenched dance floor, he crossed the room to the stairs the guard had told him to look for. Up them and through a wide double door, he found a hallway with doors against the back wall that went off to either side. Room three was off to the left, and pretty large, with a depressed sort of couch built into the floor, with speakers built into the corners, a sort of chandelier, and little buttons in the middle of each wall.

"Probably to order food…" He murmured, awkwardly stepping down into the seating area and taking a seat. The music outside was quieter, with the walls between him and it, and he fished out a bag of chips from his bag before he sat it aside. Watching the door, he murmured, "Guess I just wait…?"

What else was there to do, anyways?

He was only kept waiting ten minutes or so before the door opened and he looked up, blinking as a woman in white stepped in on long heels and smiled at him warmly, taking a seat across from him and waiting while another black-suited man sat drinks and some little chips and dip on the table. Neither said anything, but the woman did chuckle as he awkwardly slid his chips off the table and onto the floor where they couldn't see it.

Finally, once the man was gone, she spoke, "Your Lien has already been accounted for. How do you want to take your papers, 'Jaune Arc'?"

"With me…?"

"Cute." She rolled her eyes and pulled an envelope out of her bust, dropping it on the table while he blinked and felt heat creep along his cheeks. "Gods, you are as new as our dear thief said you were… Whatever. Figured that'd be your answer."

"Right." He nodded, reaching for the envelope-

Her hand caught his as soon as he touched it and he flinched, looking up as she said, "Take it, eat the sandwiches we send up, and leave in two hours. Leave too quick, people get suspicious. Got it?"

"Yeah…"

"The envelope has everything you need, submit tomorrow." She finished, letting him go and easing back into her seat. "If Beacon ends up on our ass, I'm sure you're smart enough to know nothing will stick to us and we will send you on a nice, long dive into the ocean somewhere. Yes?"

"Y-Yeah…" He nodded, "I, uh, knew that this was, you know… Risky. And besides, if they catch me, I go to prison, too."

"That's the only reason we were willing to do this." She nodded, standing, "There's room keys for a rat-motel near here, too. Stay the night there. And remember - eat, wait two hours, minimum, then head there. You will be watched, and if you try to fuck us…"

"Swimming." He nodded, "I get it, yeah."

"Good." She smiled, "Good luck, little Huntsman."

He watched her go, sighed, and palmed his face, "What the hell have you gotten yourself into, Arc…"

Whatever it was, it had given him a ticket into Beacon. A chance to be a hero, if he could just keep his cool and pull it off. Now, all he had to do was survive Beacon, not get caught, and avoid running into any of the criminals he'd met tonight ever again for the rest of his life.

That wouldn't be too hard, right?

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Pyrrha dropped onto the bed in the dorm she'd been given for the next few days, while she waited on Initiation. Most of her things had been stored in the lockers, but she had a bag she sat on the floor by the base of the bed, pulling out some pajamas and a toothbrush. The dorm had a bathroom with a shower, too, so she grabbed her shampoo out as well and headed in. Freshly showered, and wrapped in a towel, she leaned against the sink while she brushed her teeth and sighed.

Absently, her eyes drifted to the little sigil burned by nature into her bicep and frowned…

"You have never been kind, fate… But please, I beg" She murmured, reaching around to touch it. "Do not send shackles to this place in search of me."

Never again would someone own her, if she could help it. And while she hadn't seen any master here, seeking to bind her down and take her will, there would be dozens more coming soon enough. And any, she knew, could be what the destiny in her genes meant for her.

"Please…" She repeated, closing her eyes as thunder rumbled powerfully outside, "Gods be good, God protect me… I will never abandon you if you shield me from this one last time."

Then, she could stay in the frontier, and control how many people she met…

Then she'd be free and alone, but known enough that no one would dare come for her.

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"Miss Schnee has settled in well in the apartment your liaison sold her, Headmaster Ozpin, and has no apparent suspicion over the pricing or expediency of her getting the property." Headmistress Goodwitch reported as the clouds around Beacon Tower rumbled threats of thunder and rain.

He hummed his acknowledgement and she sat two pictures on his desk. One was a young ginger girl in a bright green dress, carrying several suitcases under her arms as if the weight were nothing. A note attached confirmed the name he already knew for her - Penny Polendina, though her number was unknown. Scans from the Bullhead landing reinforced his other sources on her, detecting extensive metal and electronics dispersed throughout her body. Even in her head.

The other was a woman with short white hair, dressed in a pale cream suit with a low-resting hat to match. Curiously, in spite of the humidity, she also had a thick, dark colored head wrap under the hat. Where, Ozpin knew from his own intelligence, her Crest sat. She carried nothing, but had both hands full playing with a rather miffed looking Miss Schnee's hair as they entered the apartment and slipped out of sight of the hidden camera he'd employed in a tree on the sidewalk.

"How many have applied…?"

"Only Miss Schnee." Goodwitch answered, "The others are, apparently, merely living in the apartment. Though Polendina appears to have gotten a part time job already."

"A Schnee robotics center?"

"Yes," She nodded, "Headmaster."

"Understandable." He hummed, "Next."

"Valkyrie and Miste Ren have arrived as well." She answered, "As expected, they arrived in Vale early. Both are camping in the local parks."

"Monitor them but do not engage." He ordered simply - this was an excellent way to continue building their bond, and strengthen them besides. He saw little reason to interfere now, so close to it ending regardless. "Miss Nikos?"

"Nikos arrived early, as Valkyrie and Mister Ren have, albeit she arrived at Beacon herself." Goodwitch answered, setting a photo in front of him. This one was far more detailed, taken by a far more advanced and public security camera on the docks rather than a little bird-camera in a tree. "I lack any for Valkyrie and her Ashikabi, however. They are… Adept at hiding and detecting people trailing them, and I felt it better not to heighten their anxieties."

"Wise." He nodded, "Is that all?"

"Nearly." She nodded, "Miss Belladonna will be attending. I suspect she wishes to examine Beacon over… Rumors about us, from the leak ten years ago."

"I see." He frowned - ten years ago, the first group of Sekirei had escaped Atlas' corporate prisons, and become relatively known to certain parts of the world. The Belladonnas were, in part, why that had only been the first such escape, though he could hardly blame them. Shrugging, he decided, "Let her in, and ensure she is placed near to the incoming Sekirei."

"Sir?"

"Allies are helpful, my dear." He smiled, turning to watch the storm break at last, rain pattering the windows and running in streaks. "Let's earn some this year, hmm?"

"As you say," she nodded, "Headmaster."

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And now, for something rather different…

I'm unsure of aspects of Sekirei, but will be adapting what I can for a smooth merger. Hopefully, you all enjoy it. From what I understand it's MOSTLY an action-romance scene, and ecchi tho I intend to not venture far into that because I am a plantoid. Forgive me.

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