Chapter 11 – Meet the Snakes

On their next mission, Jaune and Blake discover that they may have some competition.

It was actually only three days after the Lake of Lost Voles that they were hired for their next job. Blake had no idea whether or not it was just chance or if it was because they were actually gaining traction in the 'security' world because of their earlier work, but she tended to believe it was the former.

New companies rarely ever rise up that fast, not when they've only done two jobs – actually, only one job on record.

She'd flow with the same airship rental three times at this point, and the pilot, a human by the name of Benson, actually recognized them when they walked up to his front desk.

"Hey hey hey, it's the kiddie patrol, my most recent reservation. Where're we headed this time?"

"We're going snake hunting," Blake said. "A mining township called Zaherite accidentally dug their way into a nest of King Taijitu and unleashed them into the mines. They called in some pro-hunters to clear out the bunch, but one of them's a bit too slippery to catch."

"So they'ms need the illustrious Team Job Security to handle it," Benson finished, grinning. "Aight. Lemme jus' grab my keys. Meet'cha on the bird."

Blake and Jaune made their own way to the helipad at the top of his building where his bullhead was located and strapped themselves in.

"Alright, Jaune," Blake said as they waited. "Time for a quiz. King Taijitu."

"Snake Grimm," he said instantly. "Two headed, one white and one black. They're said to bring death and destruction if the white head slithers into the village first but fortune and longevity if the black one leads on its way in."

"Stick to the facts, Arc."

After finishing on their cheap advertising and website, Blake had taken him with her to the libraries. While she read up on business management, he was given a journal on Grimm and told to memorize as much of it as he could.

That book wasn't comprehensive, though. I didn't see many of the rarer Grimm that the Fang and I ran into in the index. It's a good starting point for when he has spare time, but I'm going to have to teach him the missing entries if he's ever to become a real huntsm– a real security professional.

"Taijitu are fast, and they have an incredibly strong spring force when they bite. Otherwise, they're physically no stronger than any Grimm their size. The biggest challenge is their two brains. Kill one, and the other can still control the body."

"Good, good. You know your stuff."

Beacon had made a mistake by not letting Jaune in. And Blake, of course, but Jaune…she was starting to wonder if he had some sort of eidetic memory or something. He wasn't perfect at memorization, but when he set his mind to it, he could learn just about anything.

His biggest problem is motivation. I can't count how many times I found him snoozing atop that Grimm journal and had to rouse him. Actually, maybe his biggest problem is sleep deprivation.

"All set!" called Benson from outside, wearing a pair of sunglasses and a coat he hadn't had on before. "You kids got'cher seat belts on?"

Blake gave him a thumbs up, and they were off.

The flight was significantly shorter, as the Zaherite Mines were relatively close to Vale. Unlike other settlements or townships that required imports from their mother city to survive, this little mining village actually exported so much raw copper, aluminum, and nickel that Vale was practically dependent on it for survival. Crops could be grown on almost all of the soil of eastern Sanus, water could be found anywhere along the coast, but only here had the ores and mineral necessary to supply Vale's metalworking needs.

Their pilot bade them goodbye before flying off once again, though this time he would be summoned back by a scroll call rather than returning after a set period of time. There was no telling how long it would take to track down and slay the Taijitu.

According to their contract, they were supposed to meet the mining forewoman, Mrs. Corundum, at her office, and it wasn't difficult to discern where they were supposed to go. The mining town was less a town and more of a camp, with tents replacing buildings in most of the locations. It almost reminded Blake of some of the medium-tier shoddy SDC worksites (though this wasn't anywhere close to the worst she'd seen).

There were only two buildings (other than the outhouse), and one of them was clearly the command center for equipment control, based on the numerous cables snaking into and out of the metal walls. Attached to it was a smaller wooden building with windows, which had to be the office. Blake led Jaune towards it and knocked.

"Enter," came a gruff female voice from within.

Turning the handle, Blake stepped into the small office to find that it was almost full already. She and Jaune had nowhere to stand but the doorway, as five people were already inside.

One of them was an older woman who Blake would have bet dollars to dumplings that this was Mrs. Corundum. Her age in comparison to the rest of the room's occupants, as well as the speckled dirt that dotted her work clothes, set her apart.

As for the other four, Blake immediately recognized what they were from their fanciful outfits and the colorful array of heavy weapons dangling from their hips or resting in their laps.

Huntsmen.

"Hello," she said unsurely. "Team Job Security, reporting as –"

"Ah, they're finally here," said the forewoman.

"Who's here?" asked one of the huntsmen, a roundish boy dressed in enough black to make Blake herself feel bright and flashy. "Who are these two chumps?"

"This is Team Job, a private huntsman agency I've hired for –"

"Security firm," Blake corrected. "Ma'am."

The woman didn't seem phased. "They're the private security firm I've hired to complete this mission, Team LTUC."

"Complete this –?! No, ma'am, you can't! We'll find that fucking last snake, I swear to the Gods. We've almost got it!"

"I'm afraid you've tried my patience for too long, children. I'm leaving this in the hands of the professionals."

"Miss Corundum, please, just give us one more chance," said a huntress on their team, a petit girl wearing a bandana over her scalp. "I know the snake's given us the slip before, but we've got it tied on the end of a leash this time. Umb tagged it with a tracker that will give us its exact –"

"I've made my decision," said Mrs. Corundum, standing up and holding her arms behind her back.

So this is how it is, then. I was right to think that we aren't already famous or something. They literally called us in to motivate the real hunters that are already here to finish their job. We're just a kick in the pants for them – the bland corporate stooges trying to steal the mission away from the real heroes of this story.

Blake had a feeling that the elderly woman was about to be reversing her decision any moment now.

The huntress also rose to her feet. "Ma'am, we've killed every other Grimm in your mines, and Team LTUC never leaves a job unfinished. We'll do this, I swear. Please."

"Beacon won't graduate us if we receive another failing gr –"

"Umberto!" shouted the huntress, her eyes flicking to Team Job as she cut off the goth boy. Once he'd quieted (and turned red), she turned back to Mrs. Corundum. "One last chance, ma'am. That's all I ask. We'll handle this for you, and you can send these stooges home. You don't have to pay us, we're more familiar with the mines – there's every reason to keep us and none to take them on."

Miss Corundum looked down at the hunter team, pretending to be weighing her options as though she hadn't already decided.

"…fine. Here's how this will go. Whoever kills that Taijitu gets the contract. LTUC, I sign off on your Field Assignment Report if you succeed." For the first time since they'd arrived, their employer addressed Team Job directly and not in the third person. "Team Job, you'll get your payment if you kill the Grimm first."

Well wasn't that some bullshit? Blake had already paid handsomely to fly herself and Jaune out here, and unless her partner was secretly a pigeon Faunus incognito, they were going to have to pay for a return ticket home as well. For their client to just freely suggest that she wasn't going to pay them…

"We'll be sure to handle this, ma'am," Jaune said, nodding resolutely.

"I look forward to it," said Mrs. Corundum. Her smile cracked open wide like a snapping turtle's lethal jaws. "I've heard excellent things about you, Team Job. I have no doubts you're exactly what the Zaherite Mines need."

Then, as it to drive the point home, she turned that wicked smile down on the hunter team. Their horrified looks of fear morphed into nods of faked confidence, and they too nodded.

"Dismissed."

"Look, I don't care who you people are," said the bandana girl of Team LTUC (they said it as lettuce, and Blake had to hold in her laughter). "We need to complete this job. Just back off."

"We will, happily," Jaune said, all smiles.

Blake's eyes nearly popped out of her head. She opened her mouth to refute his idiotic offer –

"…provided you pay our mission fee," Jaune said. "Currently, it's ten thousand lien."

"W-What?" said the goth boy. "That's outrageous! It's unfair!"

"It's actually lower than any of the rewards or bounties on huntsman mission boards by a factor of three," Blake pointed out, only to belatedly realize that she wasn't supposed to have access to those.

"No way!"

"Umb," said the girl. "Let me handle this."

He didn't seem all that happy about that.

To Team Job, she said, "We don't have that kind of money on hand. Look, I'm sure you don't want to spend hours and hours hunting the snake only to find it was all wasted when we kill it. Just tap out now and let us do the job. Go and do some other mission and get your fee there."

Jaune shook his head. "It's not an issue of our time. We've invested significant resources into our preparatory measure for this assignment."

Aside from the bullhead, they actually hadn't really, but the bullhead was expensive. What really mattered was getting another mission (and another client review) beneath their belt. If Team Job couldn't get momentum as a faux-huntsman security firm, they would fizzle out and be forgotten. The more assignments they completed, the more their reputation would grow. They needed this job.

"Well, we don't have 10 grand to fork over," said the huntress.

Jaune shrugged. "Then we'll be competing. Simple as."

"You're so cooked!" said the goth boy, Umberto. "We're gonna tie that snake in a knot and shove it up your asses."

"I'm sure," Jaune said politely. "Blake…?"

She nodded, and they turned their backs on the Beacon team.

"Hey, don't you walk away! I'm talking to you!"

Blake felt a hand on her shoulder and was yanked back around to face the team of huntsman.

Jaune immediately was in between them. His sword wasn't raised, nor were his fists, but his height and stature were enough to make Umberto back off slightly.

"Young man, I'd like to ask you not to make unwanted physical advances on my partner. It's quite untoward."

"Advan– oh, fuck you, pal! Like I'd ever shack up with some Faunus thot!"

"Fuck's sake, Umb!" shouted one of the two silent hunters, the ones who'd been content to let their partners speak for them. "Cool it!"

"A-And what this young man thing?" Umberto said, undeterred or ignorant (likely both). "How are you two huntsmen? You look younger than us!"

Jaune kept up that big, wide smile. Unlike the forewoman's, his seemed less predatory and more disarming. Blake was somehow reminded of the Albain brothers' unflinching facades.

"Sir, please calm yourself. My partner and I represent an independent security firm, Team Job Security. While I have nothing but respect for you and your fellow huntsmen and huntress, I'd like to clarify that I am not one – merely a security consultant." Jaune's smile stretched wider. "As is my partner."

The goth boy only seemed to be getting angrier and angrier in the face of Jaune's coolness of temper. "Then you're not a huntsman. You're a fraud."

The eternal Arc smile dipped down ever so slightly. "Sir, I'd advise you avoid perjuring yourself by levying false claims such as that."

"I'll call you –"

"Young man, the terms 'fraud,' 'fraudster,' and 'phony,' when used in the context of a professional capacity related to a licensed professional, can be considered slanderous language or perjury as of the landmark Redwood vs. the Kingdom of Vale municipal court ruling. And, as we're within a perimeter of ten miles beyond the outermost walls of the kingdom…"

Jaune turned his entire body and pointed back in the direction of Vale, which was just visible from here. The huntsman kid, who was still visibly angry but now clenching his teeth, looked over, as did his team.

"…we still find ourselves applicable to civil laws of the kingdom insomuch as they apply to Class C misdemeanors or felonies. I'd hate to have to get our legal team involved in what I'm sure is a misunderstanding."

Umberto gritted his teeth. "Statement withdrawn."

"Excellent." Jaune gave him a curt nod before departing. "I wish you nothing but the best in this upcoming Grimm hunt of ours."

"I swear," Blake said, "you must be the reincarnation of some sort of trickster god or something. The way you talked them down…"

He and Blake were currently at the entrance of the mines, looking down into the hollowed out tunnel. It did resemble an SDC mine a lot, except there were fewer colored veins on the rock walls and fewer Faunus being abused. Other than that, though, it might have been mistaken for one, given that they all had periodic lanterns strung up along the roof of the mine and tracks for automated carts to be loaded up and pushed.

"Let's go," Jaune said. "Time's a-wasting."

"Yeah, but let's –"

Jaune, in an unexpectedly bold move, wrapped his arm around Blake's and started walking forward, taking her with him. It was bold because if it continued for long, he might not keep the arm for long.

"Hands off the merch, buddy – we're friends but not that good friends." She shrugged off the arm but kept walking alongside him to keep up to his rather fast pace. "I was saying that we probably ought to scope out all of the exits of the mine to know where the Grimm can run to if we corner it."

Jaune just nodded.

Blake decided to save her breath; if he wasn't going to listen and he wasn't going to obey her commands, there was little to no use even giving them. For whatever reason, Jaune seemed hellbent on getting them into the bowels of this mine as quickly as possible.

He's usually smarter than this. I know we're racing the other team, but rushing is only going to give them the advantage. One hour of laying the groundwork for a good plan can save us a full day of flushing out the snake.

"We need this mission, right?" he asked, looking over at her in the faint light.

"Yeah," Blake said. "You were right to not back down back there. And that was a good job, by the way, talking them down when things got heated." She giggled slightly. "Thank you for defending my honor, Jaune."

"It wasn't…look. We need this mission, right? We can't do without it?"

Blake nodded again, unsure of why he seemed so bothered by this. "As you said, we're already in the red for this job, not to mention starved for positive reviews on the website. A few good jobs should be enough to make a name for ourselves, maybe even find ourselves some regulars, and then we can think about raising the prices. Right now, our sole objective is getting customers in the door."

"Okay," Jaune sighed, breathier than usual. "I wasn't sure…but if we need this job."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his scroll.

"If you wanna make a call, now's the time," Blake said. "I've got some experience with mines, and I know that the deeper you go, the worse the reception can be."

Of course, that was with Dust veins, which tended to mess up the radio waves on which scrolls operated when Lighting, Gravity, or Hard Light Dust were involved. Blake had no idea how the much plainer looking veins of metallic ores would impact Jaune's signal strength.

"It's not my scroll," Jaune said.

"Okay," Blake said back.

Then, she paused.

"Wait…"

Jaune bit his lip. "That whole thing about the slander or whatever, I kind of drew it out longer than I needed. The punk boy, Umbo, they said he was the one that tagged it with the tracker. I have no idea if it's controlled by his scroll, but I figure that –"

"Wait a second." Blake looked at the device in Jaune's hands. "You stole this from him?"

Jaune gulped and nodded. "Yup. Round the time I pointed out to Vale. Most of my schtick this time was just some justification to point at something and get their eyes off of my hands for a moment."

"You pickpocketed him?" Blake asked incredulously.

"Hey, you said we need this mission!" Jaune reminded her.

She wasn't upset with his actions, as a matter of fact; it was more surprise that this schoolboy would stoop to such things. Blake, with her White Fang past, knew that ethics oftentimes conflicted with one's goals, but for Jaune to go as far as stealing? Absurd!

And yet, so many things clicked into place. He'd walked them right to the entrance of the mine and insisted they go inside. If Team LTUC checked their pockets, they would realize they were missing their essential tracking system, and Jaune had wanted them to be far away from that when it happened.

"You…You really did this," Blake said.

For all that he acted fidgety when nodding, Blake noticed that Jaune wasn't as ashamed as she'd been expecting.

"For Team Job," he confirmed. He opened up the scroll and swiped through the apps that the last user had left open, revealing a radar-like tracking system on the screen. "Now, I believe we have a snake to track?"

Coming Soon: Meet the Snek

Which will be harder for Team Job – killing the Grimm or dealing with the aftermath?

Author's Notes

It's not Team CRDL, by the way, nor are they related to them. This is Team Plot Device, and they won't be doing all that much other than being Jaune's private bitches (no, that role is not to be fulfilled by Blake, I told you this is not a ship fic).

Happy rats, and don't do crime!