(20/02/25) A/N: For some reason, the site is messing about with chapters in this story, (not showing the latest chapters, etc.) Especially on the FF app. I noticed that using mobile data fixes the issue. Hopefully, publishing this chapter will fix some of those issues as well.
Howdy Hey! How's everyone doin'? Thanks so much for reading this far into the story. Right here we have the first part of a two part chapter. We gettin' into some action real soon. Don't you worry about that!
Oh my Giddy Aunt! 320 favs. 419 follows. At date of publish (20/02/25). You absolute legends! Thanks so much for your support! I hope to keep up the good work!
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Chapter 6: Finalising Favours. Part 1
'Come to Junior's this Saturday. . Your favour is due.'
It had taken a very convincing argument to both his friends and Ozpin, but! Here he was; stood outside Junior's… on a Saturday… at 9 in the morning.
What the hell did gangsters do at 9 in the morning? Brush their teeth with stolen toothpaste? Decide on what rival gang to beat up over a hearty breakfast? Jaune didn't really care, he was just confused why Junior decided such a time was necessary.
Add to the misery of being here again, Jaune wasn't permitted to take his weapon into Vale, another addition to his probation. He could've taken it if he really needed it, but figured he could always go back and get it when he found out what the favour Junior wanted of him was.
He approached the front doors, no one was there, not even the bouncers from last time. And having no visual clue as to what to do, he knocked on the large metal doors. He didn't wait long until hurried footsteps sounded from the other side. Multiple locks were opened or unlatched before left half cracked open. A groggy bald man peered out at him.
"We're closed. This is a nightclub, not a day-care." Jaune sighed.
"Did Junior let anyone know I was told to come here?" The man behind the door startled, shook his tired head and finally took a good look at Jaune.
"Oh, you're the guy," the door swung open to reveal the dimly lit hallway leading to the club. "Come in, the boss is waiting in the VIP suite. Coal will show you where you need to go". Jaune entered, heard the man relock the door with quick succession.
The blond entered the large open space of Junior's, it was empty barring a few members of staff going about their morning stock checks. A few glanced his way, but none approached, what their boss did was none of their business after all. They just managed the bar.
Jaune spotted the VIP area, and headed over, another man similarly dressed at the doorman waved him over.
"Coal?" The teen asked. The man nodded, unlike the doorman, this man actually had a full head of hair.
"That's me, the boss has been expectin' ya. He's just in there." He pointed up the stairs behind him. "First door on the left, can't miss it!"
"Thanks," Jaune replied. "Don't suppose you have any idea what he wants me to do?"
Coal shook his head. "Can't say I do, kid. Whatever it is, it's way above my paygrade. All I know is that I'm supposed to guide all of his guests to his room today".
"Guests? I'm not the only one here? How many are coming?"
Coal shrugged. "No clue. All's I know is that you're the first at this point. That's good, Boss don't 'preciate time wasters". Jaune wasn't too pleased to learn this, Junior hadn't mentioned involving anyone else, just that he needed to contact someone. He had half the mind to just call the whole thing off and walk. Junior said himself that he was something they didn't want to 'fuck with.' He sighed.
But he was here, and he did say he'd do the favour. Favours were practically sacred in the frontiers, one of the main ways besides bartering to attain goods. He hadn't reneged on a favour yet and he didn't intend on doing so now. Also, the risk of Junior using his forged transcripts as blackmail was too great, he would not risk his place at Beacon, not after all he went through to get there.
"Thanks for letting me know, Coal. I'll be heading up now. Any chance I could get some water?" Jaune asked.
The suited man waved him off. "Don't worry 'bout it, the Boss will send for some of the boys to bring drinks. The Xiong Clan take our role as host very seriously."
The Xiong Clan. Least I know the gang's name, I just thought they were 'Junior's'.
Jaune accepted Coal's answer and ascended the stairs. On the right they lead to a catwalk above the dancefloor. To the left was a row of doors labelled VIP. Following Coal's instructions, he approached the first door and knocked.
Unlike outside, the door opened immediately to reveal the red garbed girl that worked for Junior. "Ah, Jaune. Welcome back", she stood aside and waved her arm through. "Please, come in."
"Thank you… Miltia?" He wasn't sure which sister was which still. Thankfully, he guessed right as Miltia gave a kind smile.
"Thank you for remembering which twin I am, I realise it can be confusing. But it's nice when someone gets which one I am right."
Jaune gave a smile of his own. "It's no bother, your sister left an impression."
Miltia snorted. "She does that, please don't hold it against her, it's just how my dear sister is."
"No hard feelings, trust me, I know problematic sisters."
"I'm glad to hear that, but Junior is waiting, perhaps we can talk later?" Jaune gave a nod as his response and entered the room.
The blonde had no idea what to expect for the VIP of a prestigious nightclub. Maybe a personal bar, a dance floor. He expected something shady where backroom deals took place.
Instead, he found himself in a lushly carpeted small apartment essentially. There was a bar, a very well stocked bar. A small sectioned area for dancing and atmospheric mood lighting. Comfy looking couches lined the walls, complemented with equally comfy looking plush armchairs. It was both clublike and incredibly cushy.
It was the best looking room Jaune had ever been in. He did note one outlier, though. "Is that freezer filled with ice-cream?"
"One of my associates has a 'accomplice' that enjoys sweet treats." The rugged voice of Junior Xiong reminded Jaune exactly where he was. He turned to find the man lounging at the far end of the bar, nursing a strong smelling drink. Across from him was the white garbed twin; Melanie who was tending the mini-bar. Junior took a sip and winced. "You mixed it wrong kid, you're supposed to add the mixer after you pour the spirit".
The white twin scowled and smacked her palm against the bartop. "What did you expect!? Milly and I are bodyguards, not fucking barstaff! Why don't ya call one of them up here?"
Junior, to his credit, did not flinch from the fuming girl, he simply pushed his glass aside and stood. "You know why. Bar staff are just that; Bar staff. They stay outta this kind of thing". Melanie scoffed and went about making herself a drink. She sent a lazy wave Jaune's way which he returned. Milita passed him and joined her sister, both to man the bar and calm her vocal sister down. Junior motioned for Jaune to join him at the couches. He took the centre of the biggest couch, kicked up his feet on the coffee table in-front of it and offered the armchair across for Jaune. He took the offer. "Good to see you Mr. Arc. I'm glad to see the 'Slayer of Silverbrook' is a prompt one."
"How do you know that name!?" Jaune was on his feet in an instance, hand reaching for a hilt that was not there. Junior raised placating hands and nodded to the twins behind Jaune, both who audibly sheathed their weapons.
"I'm a well connected man, Mr. Arc. Knowing that I had a favour from you, I decided to dig a little deeper on someone given a Red Dust code phrase." He lowered his arms and crossed them, "it's nothing personal, just getting to know the person I'm working with".
"I am not working with the likes of you". Jaune reluctantly sat back down, and scowled heavily at the man.
"From what I've heard. I'm exactly the type of person you've worked with in the past".
Jaune shook his head vehemently. "Silverbrook was completely different. I saved those people."
"By slaughtering an entire village of innocents?" The blonde nearly threw caution to the wind and attacked Junior.
"I did none of that," he spat, disdain clear in his voice. "They told me they wanted to save their fellow faunus from an enslavement camp. I agreed to help just to rescue the faunus trapped in the mines." Jaune leaned forward in his chair, fingers gripped the armrests tightly. "I didn't know they intended to send a message afterwards".
"And help them you did all the same", Junior concluded with a shrug.
"I didn't! I was helping the trapped faunus to safety." His eyes grew dark. "By the time I got back…" He took a breath to clear his mind and returned a steely gaze at Junior. "I made them pay for what they did to that village."
"Hence the name. I see… the rumours coming out there paint you in a much darker image."
"How did the rumours start? I… I couldn't find any survivors."
Junior took out a cigar from his jacket pocket and lit it. "Dunno. All my contact said was that a Raven let him know. He didn't elaborate and I didn't ask, it's easier that way."
A Raven?
"But that's not what I asked you here to discuss, although it does help my decision in the favour I have for you."
Jaune tried to gather his thoughts and return to the current issue at hand. "And what favour is that? I already said I wouldn't do anything involving innocents, Huntsmen or Huntresses".
"And I stuck to your demands. No innocents, no Huntsmen or Huntresses... well unless it goes royally fucked, then anything can happen."
Jaune's eyes narrowed, his body tensed. "Junior", he spat, "what is the favour?" The atmosphere of the room grew uncomfortable for the gang leader and the twins. Jaune had appeared quite unimpressive at the first meeting, but now? The young man looked about ready to start throwing hands at the tiniest insult. Thankfully, Junior was saved from answering when the room's door swung open, and a flamboyant man in a bowler cap and long coat strode in.
"Junior, baby! I hear you've finally decided to pay off that favour you owe! I'm touched!" Jaune turned to the questionably dressed man. His eyes noted the intricately designed cane he carried.
"It's good to see you. Allow me to introduce the man who will be helping with the favour." He waved his arm at Jaune. "This is Jaune, and Jaune..." He waved it back towards the unknown man. "This is Roman Torchwick."
"So rude Junior! That's a terrible way to introduce one such as I". The bizarrely dressed stranger tipped his bowler cap and bowed, a cheeky grin adorned his lips the entire time. "I'm Roman Torchwick; thief extraordinaire and just general all around ladies man. The pleasures are all yours".
Jaune wanted to beat this man senseless.
Roman Torchwick was a smart man, a smart, cunning man. He had honed his instincts through years of less than legal dealings. He could tell the cut of a person just from a glance, it had kept him alive longer than even he figured he'd live. He knew when to be coy, when to be tough, when to be soft, or when to be placating.
All this to say, that when his eyes landed on the blond across from Junior, his well trusted instincts told him. Do. Not. fuck. With.
And he wasn't one to ignore a warning like that. Sure, from first glance, the kid looked kind of dull, barring the facial scar, he seemed like a well-built young adult. But Roman considered himself above assessing just the physicality of someone. He took note of eyes, body language, their attitude; are they relaxed? Or are they putting up a front of being relaxed?
This teen?
He wasn't scared, nervous or even anxious.
He was annoyed.
This young man, this teenager was in the presence of the leader of the most deadly gang in all of Vale, and the Roman Torchwick… and he did not care in the slightest. Granted, some of that could be chalked up to ignorance, perhaps the boy wasn't aware of just how precarious the situation he found himself in. Perhaps…
If Junior hadn't told the thief extraordinaire that the boy was someone not to get on the bad side of.
And if Junior 'Oh I've cut your head off' Xiong told you to be wary of someone. You got fucking wary.
So Roman would approach this teen with… restraint. Dial down his spectacularness a few notches. At least until he gathered a better image of the unknown.
The most well dressed man in Vale -his totally unbiased opinion-, sauntered to the couch next to Junior's and took a seat, kicked up his legs on the coffee table and gave a cheeky wave to the kid.
"Howdy, I'm to assume you're the guy my buddy Junior has gotten to solve my little issue." The boy glanced between himself and Junior, a frown developing on his scarred face.
"That depends on what 'your little issue' is. I hope Junior informed you on what I won't do." His ol' buddy Junior nodded and took a long drag on his cigar.
"I did, Roman knows, and he assured me that this will involve no innocents." Junior answered.
Roman scoffed playfully. "Why, Junior ol' buddy ol' pal, you don't have to double down on your stipulations, my favour requires nothing but some good tracking skills". Roman watched as the blonde's shoulders untense ever so slightly. "You see…" Roman smacked his forehead in fake exasperation. "Silly me, I haven't even asked your name!"
"I figured Junior would've already given it to you".
"Perhaps he did, but won't you indulge a gentlemanly thief such as I?"
"Is that a serious question?" It seemed like the kid had some moxie. Good, Roman hated sticks in the muds, and he was currently working for the biggest stick in the mud around. He didn't need to know another.
"Why!" He placed his gloved hand on his chest dramatically. "I am the picture of a serious person, why, not just anyone could pull off this" he motioned to his entire body, "look and not look a fool." The kid and Junior's following silence spoke a thousand words of just what they thought of Roman's serious look.
"Please ignore Roman, he can be… himself sometimes." Junior motioned for one of his girls to bring over a platter of different shots and snacks. Noticeably, a large tub of ice-cream took up the vast majority of the tray. The boy let out a hum.
"My name is Jaune." The boy-Jaune-answered.
"Jaune…?" The kid now named Jaune just stared him dead in the eyes. Roman got the message, he'd never admit it, but those blue, steely eyes unnerved him. What a fucked turn of events, here he was; the dashing thief with a heart of gold and pockets filled with lien. Put off by some barely out of the womb kid.
Life's really determined to kick the shit out of me lately.
"Just Jaune it is!" The thief smiled with all his teeth. "Now, as to what I need tracked down. I assume you know your way around this kinda thing?" Junior snorted as he took a sip of a very nice glass of Mistral Sunset Vintage.
"You could say th-" Jaune began to respond, then he suddenly shot from his chair, grabbed the nearest glass and spun, hand raised to strike.
But no-one was there… yet.
Roman nearly choked as behind Jaune's chair, reality seemed to crack and the sound of glass breaking, and Roman's most trusted person appeared. A very small girl with mismatched eyes and just as mismatched coloured hair just seemed to spawn where the crack dissipated. She looked puzzled, perhaps even curious.
"Who are you, and how did you get so close to me!?" Jaune demanded, glass raised to break over someone's head. Roman was too busy losing his freakin' mind that this kid was able to detect Neo some-fuckin'-how.
So, Neo decided to answer instead. She hopped over Jaune's chair -stealing his seat in the process- and picked up the ice-cream, spun it around and pointed to its label.
"N-Neapolitan?" The girl shook her head and covered the a in nea with one finger and made an o shape with her other hand. "Your name is Neopolitan?" Once more the girl moved her free hand to cover the politan part of the word. "Just Neo?" She pointed a pair of cheeky finger guns his way and began to dig into the hearty tub of ice-cream. Completely uncaring that Jaune still held the glass.
Roman decided that now was when he should step in, his initial shock fading away to just a burning curiosity to find out more about this kid.
"Neo is my second, she doesn't like to talk." Roman waved his hand to another chair. "Don't worry about her, she's practically harmless-" a spoon speared into the couch Roman sat on, in-between his legs, very close to a… precious place. "Sometimes…" He quietly finished. Jaune glanced from the new girl, to Junior and then settled on him. With a reluctant nod, he took his new seat, smartly picking a chair that had a view of each of them.
"Now!" Roman clapped his hands. "Let's get down to business, Jaune! How are you at tracking lost cargo?"
"Depends on how long it's been lost and what the cargo is." Roman appreciated a person who didn't fuck about when answering, just gave the exact info you needed.
"It's two weeks missing and the cargo is a considerable shipment of dust". Jaune's blue eyes narrowed.
"How much is considerable?"
"About four tonnes considerable."
…
…
…
"How'd you manage to lose track of four tonnes of dust!?" The question was valid, but why did the kid have to word it so it made him look like a bumbling buffoon. Neo let out a silent chuckle and offered a high-five Jaune's way. The blonde hesitantly slapped her hand.
Damn kids… Roman grumbled internally.
"I didn't lose track of it, we had an exact time and date of delivery, but it never showed. I need that dust."
"What do you need it for?" Jaune leant back in his chair, eyes keeping track of everyone in the room, even the twins at the bar. Roman shrugged nonchalantly.
"Ain't a clue ki-Jaune." Roman caught himself. "My… employer wants it and they are a person you do not want to disappoint. If ya catch my drift?" Jaune let out a deep breath and glared at the coffee table, Roman assumed it was because he'd rather not openly glare at any of them.
"When and where was the last time you knew where the cargo was?"
Roman pulled out his scroll. "It was being delivered by one of them fancy pancy new automatic delivery services, you heard of 'em?" Jaune shook his head. "It's a new thing from Schnee Tech Industries, it's supposed to cut down on risks towards delivery drivers, when they have to cross Grimm territory and air-travel is… ill-advised". The bowler hatted man prodded a few buttons on his scroll and a map display popped up, it showed the forest northwest of Vale. He pointed to a red line running through the lands. "This was the truck's travel path," he tapped a bright flashing dot about three fourths of the way to Vale. "And this is where the last location ping of the truck was, after that", Roman waved his hands, "poof, gone like a fart in the wind".
The master thief watched Jaune analyse the map, Roman guessed the kid would ask for a few days to prepare, and then maybe another few days to actually get going. It was annoyingly slow for Torchwick, but he really needed that dust or his employer would fry his ass.
So, imagine his surprise when the kid looked up and calmly said.
"Give me a day and I'll have your dust located." He was dead serious and all, Roman could tell by Jaune's eyes that he honestly believed he could trek through Grimm Territory and just find his missing dust like a god's damned scavenger hunt.
He couldn't help it, he laughed.
This fucking kid.
This damn guy.
Jaune had to try very hard not to let his annoyance show as Roman laughed. He didn't even understand why he did it in the first place. He hadn't said anything with the intent to be funny. The blonde looked at Junior who just shook his head, he turned to Neo; she was more interested in the bottom of her ice-cream tub than anything around her. Eventually, the bowler hatted man stopped and wiped an imaginary tear from his eye.
"You're too much ki-"Junior sent him a look, "-Jaune, you're telling me that you can do, what an entire underground organisation has failed at for weeks in a single day?" Roman tipped his hat, do I look like a joke?." In response, Jaune wisely didn't answer that question and reached into his jean pockets and pulled out a faded piece of parchment. He unfolded it onto the coffee-table.
It was a map.
A very well detailed map.
A map that had better details than Roman's hi-tech scroll map.
"What the…" Junior began, but Jaune cut him off.
"This is my map of the area surrounding Vale, each location I've been to I've marked with the level of Grimm presence and their corresponding danger." His finger jotted at the very south of the map, near the coast, above a mountainous range was a 3 tallies. "Each tally represents how dangerous the location is; three tallies are about average; Beowolfs, Ursa's and maybe a few deathstalkers here and there. Nothing that dangerous." Everyone in the room besides Jaune took a closer peek at his map, even Neo; who had plopped her spoon in her melting ice-cream, looked on in intrigue.
"Nothing too dangerous… thats Forever Fall for fucks sake", mumbled Melanie to her sister at the bar.
Jaune pointed to the northwest of Vale, to a castle-like image. Above were 5 tallies. "This is Mountain Glenn." Junior let out a deep sigh as Roman took a strong sip of one of the available drinks. Mountain Glenn left bad memories for the pair. "It's very dangerous… obviously. 5 tallies means avoid at all costs, high chance of death, rare and unknown Grimm; Beringals, Sentinels, Geists… the list goes on". Jaune noted a few of the room's occupants look confused by some of those Grimm species. Neo tapped the coffee table to draw his attention.
"What's up?" The multi-coloured haired girl poked a dainty finger to the past Mountain Glenn, at a small forested area that upon initial glance looked unimpressive. And it was.
Except for the 6 tallies above it.
"That place doesn't actually have a name… or any villages. The entire forest is a no-go zone." Neo waved her hand at it again, as if to ask why. "It's… inhabited by… Grimm."
Roman tilted his head, "eh? What makes the fact it has Grimm so dangerous? Everywhere has Grimm."
"That's true. But I didn't mean Grimm as in multiple Grimm. I meant as in a single Grimm."
…
…
…
"You're fuckin' kidding…"
Jaune shook his head. "No. That place is home to a single Grimm, and it. Is. Deadly., I spent a day there on my travels and was lucky to survive, I never even saw it coming". Neo smacked the table in excitement, she pointed hurriedly to the 6 tallies, urging Jaune to explain. "I don't know what it is, one second I was exploring, the next I'm bleeding out from a gaping hole in my chest."
Roman let out a small whistle. "Okay, so you've convinced me to cancel my resort home being built in the north, but how does this help you find my dust?" The blonde pointed to the path Roman's shipment took. The area surrounding it had 2 tallies above it.
"The last update of your shipment was in an area typically filled with very weak Grimm. Most delivery or trade routes are maintained to the best of ability."
"And I repeat; how does that help you find my dust?"
"It helps!" Jaune snapped. "Because it tells me that your shipment probably wasn't attacked by Grimm, but by people."
"You're tellin' me that my dust was stolen?" Roman leaned forward, "that some two-bit rat fucks dared to cross me?"
Jaune shrugged. "That's my best guess. I'd say some petty bandits saw the chance for a big score and robbed off with your dust." The thief extraordinaire took off his hat and rubbed his ginger hair.
"Okay…" He sighed, "where does that leave us then? How does knowing people stole my shit help you?"
"It helps because you said there were nearly four tonnes of it right?" Roman nodded. "Then that means their hideout must be nearby, most bandits camp out trade routes, easier to score and much safer than the frontiers. " The teen drew a circle around the vicinity with his finger. "If I head there before the sun goes down, I should be able to pick up some tracks."
"Wherein you'll find Roman's missing dust and the bandits." Finished Junior, his cigar nearly stumped since the conversation started.
"That's the idea. If I head out now I'll make it to the site by midday. All goes well, you'll have the location of your dust by this afternoon. And I'll have finished my debt." Roman stared at his long time criminal friend.
"Junior, where the hell did you find this guy?"
"One of my contacts did Mr. Arc and favour. Since then, we've kept our eyes out." Roman knew there was more to tell there, but let it drop for the moment. Junior turned to face Jaune. "Do you need anything? I can't help but notice you don't have your sword with you." Jaune patted his hip where Crocea Mors would normally lay.
"Probation. I'm banned from carrying my weapon outside of lessons that need it, and I can't really ask for permission to go Dust hunting."
"Probation?" Roman parroted. "You in school!?"
"Yeah, at Beacon Academy."
Neo tapped his arm, pointed at his hip and held her hand up like a student asking a question.
"How did I get put on probation?" She nodded. "I punched out a racist." Neo clapped in glee.
"Wonderful…" Roman interrupted, having recovered from finding out the person Junior got him was an actual Huntsman in training. "Can we get back to the fact that you haven't got a weapon!? How the hell do you expect to find my dust if you can't defend yourself?"
"That's actually something I was going to ask you, Junior." Jaune rolled up his map and pocketed it. "You mentioned if I needed anything, what does anything mean?" Junior; a man to never fully reveal his hand, crossed his arms.
"It means, do you need anything within reason".
"Fair enough. If you're offering, I need a weapon, anything will do."
"I can do that." He nodded to Miltia, who reached behind the bar and pulled out a black briefcase. "There should be more than enough… you do know how to use a gun, right?"
"Point and shoot right?" Jaune tried to joke, but his apparent distaste with the whole situation spoiled it. Neo liked it though, she clapped her hands in amusement. He frowned, "I know how to use guns." He clarified.
"Good. Anything else?"
"A car would make this a lot quicker."
"You can drive?" Melanie cut in from the bar, as she perched upon a barstool.
"Not legally".
"Fantastic…" Sighed Junior. "I should be able to swing something your way, but I might need an hour or two."
"That works out, I need to head back to Beacon and think of an excuse to be out late to my team… and the Headmaster".
Roman, who had conspicuously silent piped in, a growing grin on his lips. "How'd you feel about a plus 2?" Jaune threw him a puzzled look.
"Uhhh… who did you have in mind?"
In the form of an answer, the petite Ice-cream loving girl reached under the coffee table and pulled out an… umbrella? Perched it on her shoulder and sent a very sultry wink Jaune's way.
"Is this one of those things where it's phrased like a question, but is more of a demand?" Roman grinned.
"I'm glad we're on the same page, Jaune. Not that I don't trust you… well, I don't trust you at all. You're kind of a weird fuckin' person. Neo will be my eyes and ears, and she's a great conversationalist." Neo blew him a kiss.
Jaune sighed.
The twins giggled demurely.
Junior put out his stumped cigar.
"Yeah. Sorry Mr. Arc. I should have mentioned Roman was a massive pain in your ass."
"Aww, Junior! I'm hurt!"
Jaune wanted to hurt him. Instead he stood and looked at the gang leader. "Send me a message when you've got everything ready, I'm heading back."
The waistcoat wearing man inclined his head. "Will do, Mr. Arc. Pleasure doing business."
"Yeah… no." Jaune replied as he left. Not before turning to Neo. "I'll meet you here when Junior messages me. That good for you?" A perky thumbs up was Neo's form of answer.
"Great…" With that, Jaune left, his ears managed to catch Roman begin to speak.
"Now spill. Seriously… where the fuck did you find that kid?"
Jaune never heard Junior's response. He was too busy worrying about his own issues. Issues like; what the hell would he tell his friends and Headmaster?
Who knew that living outside the wilderness would be more complicated.
As Jaune stepped off the Bullhead that took him back to beacon, he still hadn't decided on a valid excuse to leave the ground once more, for an ever longer period of time. He briefly considered just going, or not informing anyone, it wasn't like he needed their help. But he quickly squashed that intrusive thought. Acting by himself was what landed him with his current punishment, and as his partner said. He had friends, he had a team now.
He couldn't just go off without a warning and worry them… again.
So no he decided. He would bear the questions with his head held high and make sure his friends wouldn't worry.
…
…
…
By lying to them. It left a bitter taste in his mouth, he hated lying, it stood against everything an aspiring hero was. They didn't lie! They didn't work with known criminals! They stood against their ilk. That was exactly what all of Jaune's child-hood stories told him, all of those vague memories of being tucked into bed and… his mother -he assumed-, reading daring adventures of knighted heroes risking life and limb to save the day. They were close memories, even through his many head injuries, he hadn't forgotten them.
It was a shame they too were all lies.
He discovered very early on in his journey, that heroes were not the invincible figures of stories he had been led to believe in, heroes did not always save the day. And he sure as hell had failed to save the day many, many times over the years.
He crossed the Academy's grounds and entered the dorm building. On a Saturday like this, his friends would either be in the common room, or sharing one another's dorms as an impromptu hang-out spot. It'd certainly make it easier on him if he only had to tell his lie once, less risk of mucking it up a second time. He also had to convince Ozpin to let him leave the school again, for longer this time.
He paused as he turned into the hallway that housed his and RWBY's dorms.
Didn't Ozpin say I could ask Professor Port if I could leave the school? Jaune pondered that. It was true, Ozpin did say either he or Port could give him permission. And since Jaune had already asked Ozpin today. Perhaps Port would be the better option?
It's worth a try at least. He thought. All I need now is an excuse.
He'd need one quickly. He approached his dorm room and could clearly hear the sounds of multiple conversations happening. It looked like team RWBY decided JNPR's room was the better hang out spot this weekend.
He entered.
"Jaune!" Ruby cheered as she seemed to appear by his side and give him a happy side hug. "Where've you been? Pyrrha just said you went out". Jaune returned the hug and assessed the room.
Yang had commandeered the couch, she lazed on it like a cheesy model. Munching away on some sweets. Blake had managed to snag the end of the same couch, and was blissfully lost in the world of 'Ninja's of Love 2! Love Harder!'. That girl had a problem. The blonde girl waved, Blake stayed engrossed in her novel.
Nora had somehow managed to snag Weiss into a game of Grimm & Ladders. And it seemed like the ginger was absolutely demolishing the heiress. The white haired Schnee looked ready to flip the board and declare it a draw. Nora ignored Weiss blustering about a rule Nora may or may not have broken, and waved at him. "Heya Big Bro! Punch any racists when you were out?"
"Not this time."
"Phooey!"
"Nora! Pay attention, I am certain you cannot use the Grimm as a ladder!"
"Who says I can't?"
Weiss snagged the instruction book and slapped it onto the board. "This! This says you cannot!"
"Rules are for those who drool! All's fair in love and war, ain't that right, Renny?" Nora turned to her bestest person ever. Yet again, ignored Weiss's scandalized outrage that she does not 'drool'.
Ren was enjoying a warm cup of tea with the redhead of team JNPR, the both of them sat on the comfy chairs, watching over the rest of their friends like proud parents, that their kids were getting along with.
"I'm sure Weiss doesn't drool Nora, say sorry and play by the rules". Nora groaned and muttered something like betrayal.
"Sorry Weissy. I'll play by the", she huffed, "rules!".
"Thank you. And don't call me Weissy!"
"Whatever you say Weissy!"
Weissy nearly hissed at the ginger.
These are my only friends… They're perfect. Jaune, who was still hugging Ruby, let go.
"I had an errand to run, I went to check if I received any mail from any of my acquaintances over the years."
Yang piped up from the couch. "Why not have the mail sent to your Scroll?"
"I never had a Scroll before I joined Beacon, and I told any acquaintances of mine to send their mail to a drop off point in Vale." Yang hummed in understanding and cheekily pinged one of her sweets against Blake's forehead. The engrossed blackette didn't even acknowledge the attack.
"Why choose Vale as a drop off point, Jaune?" Pyrrha asked as she subtly tried to hide the fact she was also snacking away on some of the cookies Jaune had baked for Ruby. To be fair to the redhead, they were good, and Ruby was currently distracted.
"It just worked out as the easiest place for most mail to be sent. It's in a centralised location, and most, if not all trade routes pass through or nearby." The ex-vagrant poked Ruby on the cheek to pry her off him, she grumbled and did so. "Every now and again I'd pop into Vale and check if anyone sent me anything". That wasn't even a lie, having no means of long range communication, Jaune had given the villages of Sanus Vale as a contact point. And Jaune figured it was a good enough excuse to give.
Ruby skipped back over to her plate of cookies, unaware that a few were now missing and munched away at one. "So", she said with her mouth full, "were there any letters?"
"Don't talk with your mouth full! It's a boorish habit like your sister's!"
"Excuse me!?" Yang called from the couch, confused as to why she was being insulted all of a sudden.
"You're excused, now get up, we are guests. Do not be slovenly like in our room", Yang couldn't decide whether to verbally joust back or throw one of her sweets at her. In the end she did both.
"Cheer up Weiss-Cream, here's a little something to sweeten your mood". One of her wrapped sweets bonked off Weiss's forehead. It had the obvious reaction.
"How dare you! You, you… you-"
"Go on Weiss." Encouraged Yang mockingly. "You can do it". That finally set the girl off. Weiss was on her feet, hips cocked, manicured finger pointed right at the blonde.
"You barbaric Gorilla in girl's clothes! Who just throws sweets at people!?"
The rest of the group ignored the usual show of Yang riling up Weiss, and Weiss laying down a verbal smackdown.
Ruby finished her cookie and spoke with her mouth empty this time. "So, did you get any letters, Jaune?" She asked again. Jaune paused as his mind considered a sudden opportunity.
Actually, that might be the perfect reason to go out again.
"Yeah… actually. I got a letter from someone from a nearby village. A few hours out of Vale. That's… that's actually why I'm back right now."
"Oh no! Is something wrong?" Worried the little Reaper, looking ready to run to this village's aid right then. Jaune waved his arms.
"Nothing like that. Just that they had something for me… I was going to grab my kit and head out." Most in the room gave him a concerned look.
"Head out? As in, outside of Vale?" Asked Pyrrha. "Isn't that a little dangerous just to pick something up, couldn't they have dropped it off?"
"Yeah!" Agreed Ruby. "Shouldn't some of us come with? Just to be safe?"
Damn… of course Ruby and Pyrrha would want to come along.
"It's fine, it's basically next door to Vale. Compared to some journey's I've had, I could do this one blind-folded". Nora jumped to her feet, a certain shine in her eyes.
"We are not blindfolding Jaune, Nora."
"Awwwww…"
"Still," continued Pyrrha, "are you sure you don't want one of us to come with you? It could be dangerous." Ruby nodded with Pyrrha.
"Guys. It's okay, I've been this route hundreds of times. It's a trade route, Grimm are basically culled daily to make sure it's safe. I'll be gone for three to five hours max." The group didn't look happy with Jaune's reasoning, but appeared to accept it.
"Just be careful, Jaune. And if you're not back in time… we will be coming for you". Everyone nodded in agreement with Pyrrha's… threat? All except Yang and Weiss, who were still mid argument.
"Okay, that's fine. But you really don't need to be worried. The wilds are basically my home, I know them like the back of my hand. He showed off his right hand; scarred and covered in abrasions.
That did not help assuage anyone's concerns.
Jaune did not realise this.
"Right! I'll grab my kit and go let Port know."
"What about Crocea Mors?" asked Ruby.
"What about it?"
"Isn't it locked away from your fight with Cardin?"
"It wasn't a fight, Big bro battered that bully!"
"Not now, Nora", Ren chided.
"That's why I'm going to Port, I should be able to get Crocea Mors when I explain what's happening to him."
"Should?" Parrotted Ruby, her silver eyes narrowed.
"Okay, I will get Crocea Mors back. Does that help?" Ruby crossed her arms and tried to look imposing. But in reality, it made her utterly adorable.
"It does", she answered. "But before you go…"
Jaune tilted his head, "what?"
"SurpriseGoodbyeHug!" Ruby, Nora, Ren -dragged by Nora- and even Pyrrha swamped the poor lad with a bone-crushing hug. Jaune couldn't even try to be annoyed.
This was exactly why he loved his friends so much.
Okay. Now I just need to convince Port. Should be easy enough.
"And that's why I'd like your permission to head out of Vale, Professor." Jaune finished his excuse to the portly man, he had found the Professor just leaving his office. The kindly man offered a cup of tea whilst they talked.
"And you are sure this will be a quick and safe journey?"
Definitely not.
"Yeah, the village is basically next door, just a quick in and out. I've made much more dangerous journeys." Port frowned at Jaune's attempted reassurance.
"Speaking of danger… I have been meaning to set a time and date for our first session". The blonde sagged his shoulders at the reminder, he had hoped -immaturely- that Ozpin had forgotten to ask the Professor for his help.
"I know I should've come to you sooner to talk about it." Port waved Jaune's words off.
"Not at all! I've just been a bit swamped with exam papers for the fourth year students. I was planning to arrange the first session soon." He clasped his hands together. "However, your request has perhaps arrived at the most opportune time."
"It… it has?" Jaune rubbed his chin. "Does that mean?" Port nodded.
"I will give you permission for this outing, however! Once you return, I would like to conduct our first session." Jaune winced, that was something he definitely did not want to do after what his upcoming journey could entail. But he had assured the man it was safe… With an internal grimace, Jaune nodded.
"I'm fine with that. Like I said, it shouldn't take more than a few hours."
"Your confidence in traversing the wilds alone, both impresses and concerns me, my boy".
Jaune could only shrug. "It's been my life for the past seven years. At this point, heading out of Vale will be like going home in a weird way."
Port grumbled and took a sip of his warm beverage. "You realise that the only reason I am giving you this permission is because of your previous experience?" Jaune nodded. "A student in your position would normally never be allowed to head outside Vale without your team and the supervision of a teacher. Add to that, I gather you'd still depart even if I didn't give you permission." Jaune didn't hide the guilty expression he wore. Port chuckled bemusedly, grabbed a piece of paper from his drawer and made some quick writings. "There, this slip will prevent any other staff from stopping you." He picked it up, but held it away from Jaune's outstretched hand. "You assure me this will be a safe outing?"
"As safe as any outing into the wilds can be, it's on a trade route so Grimm activity will be very low. I'll probably not even run into any."
Port hummed and passed over the slip. "Very well, be sure to take your weapon with you, just in case. I realise you have more experience than most in surviving the wilds, and that you're technically prohibited from taking your weapon out. But I shall not risk your safety over such a ruling."
Jaune was grateful, he wouldn't be able to use Crocea Mors if it did turn out to be bandits as he assumed, but having the blade would be a welcome relief. "Thank you Professor, I won't make you regret your faith in me." Port smiled, his busy moustache curled up with his lips.
"I'm sure you won't, my boy. Just come back to us safely."
"I plan to. I'll see you in a few hours for our session then?"
"That we will, my boy. That we will…" With that, Jaune left Port's office to collect his things, whilst the Professor took a deep drink of his tea. His wizened eyes never left Jaune's retreating form.
Having collected his things and said goodbye again to Ruby, who had tracked him down just to give him another surprise hug, it was enough time that Junior had sent him a message.
'All sorted, meet at the north gate of Vale. Travel and equipment will be waiting… along with your plus 2.'
Jaune shook his head, wondering what in the world had he gotten himself into. He headed towards the Bullhead docks and managed to flag down a ride to Vale itself. Thankfully, one of the docks was a few minutes from the north gate, so Jaune made good time. By the time he arrived at the north gate, it had barely turned midday. Still plenty of sunlight left to find the last location of the dust and hopefully find what's left of it.
As he approached, he recognised one of Junior's men; Coal, the man who had directed him to the VIP suite earlier that day. He was leant against a black open roof offroad jeep. The suited man waved at Jaune.
"Hey! Good to see you's here." He slapped the jeep behind him. "This 'ere is your ride, perfect for offroading an' speedy to boot!" Jaune nodded as he inspected it, it was similar to what most trade routes used, but they usually had armoured plating, this jeep was built more for speed however, instead of defence.
"It'll do." Jaune replied. "You got the keys?"
Coal flashed a pair of brass keys on a keychain. "Right's 'ere!" He threw them Jaune's way. "You know's how to drive this thing?"
"Yeah. I've had experience a few times. Mostly abandoned vehicles in the frontiers that were lucky enough to still have fuel in them."
Coal whistled in appreciation. "Damn. You a regular Spruce Willis ain't ya?"
"I don't even know who that is".
Coal laughed and patted Jaune's shoulder. "Yeah, figured you'd be outta the loop on film stars."
Jaune shrugged. "Okay." He looked into the front seat and spotted the black briefcase Junior showed him a few hours ago. "Anything else?"
Coal shook his head. "Nah. Boss said everything you'd need, is in that case." The suited man adjusted his lapels and stepped away from the jeep. "Just make sure to return it in one piece, eh?"
Jaune let out a joking groan. "So it's not a gift for me to keep?" The blonde didn't mind Coal, the man seemed good… as good as a gangster could be at least. He decided he'd loosen up with the man.
"Ha! Hell no! It's one of the boss's personal cars. He'd 'ave my ass if you kept it".
"I'll make sure to keep your boss from your ass then." Jaune let Coal's chuckle wash over him as he opened the front seat, pushed the case into the back and climbed in. He peered over the dash to familiarise himself with it. "Junior mentioned my plus 2? You know where she is?" Coal shrugged.
"No clue…" As if summoned by speaking of her, Neo popped up over Coal's shoulder and waved excitedly.
Coal, understandably, screamed and jumped away. Jaune would admit, he chuckled at the sight of a 6 ft man squealing in fear at the sight of such a small girl. Even though he knew just how dangerous Neo could be just from the short time he'd had met her.
"Hey Neo, wanna hop in? I'd like to get this sorted as soon as possible." The petite terror winked, seemed to crackle from view and appeared in the seat next to Jaune. The blonde tried to hide his concern over just how she managed such a feat, and resigned himself to keeping all of his senses sharp at all times. Neo tapped the dash and pointed towards the gate.
"Okay, okay. We're going." Jaune inserted the keys and ignited the engine. He gave a small wave to Coal and started to drive away. Almost instantly, Neo began to press every button on the dash. From the windscreen wipers, to the radio. Jaune wasn't even sure she was doing it to be obnoxious on purpose. He gathered that she really thought it was fun to try everything.
It just made Jaune realise just how long this short drive would be.
How do I end up in these situations? He internally grumbled. And as a far too upbeat song began to play at max volume, courtesy of a currently head-bobbing Neo. Jaune wondered if have been better off just telling Junior to take his favour and shove it.
He drove the jeep out of the north gate, and nodded at the gate guards. Once the vehicle crossed the threshold of the gate, Jaune instantly felt a wave of… familiarity wash over him. He was back in the wilds, back to where he had spent the last seven years of his life. He realised it was a dumb feeling to have, he'd barely cleared the gate after all.
But, feel it all the same he did. But one thing stood out to him as he turned onto the route that would lead them to the last location of the dust.
He couldn't tell whether or not that familiar feeling was as welcomed as it once used to be.
Had the short time he spent in civilisation already hampered his willingness to live in the wilds? Jauen figured it was more to do with a certain group of friends, rather than the school life amenities. And if he was honest with himself, Jaune would've much rather have spent this day just… hanging out.
He gripped the steering wheel tightly and prepared himself for whatever may come.
Let's get this over with quickly.
They drove in silence. Well, Jaune tried to drive in silence. But his companion decided quiet was dull and kept turning the radio on, even after Jaune very deliberately turned it off. She had just smirked and turned it back on.
Jaune decided he didn't care enough to fight that particular battle. It wasn't like they were going too far into the wilds. At most the music would attract some beowulf stragglers, perhaps a juvenile nevermore or two. The first, Jaune could just run over, the latter wouldn't be able to keep up with the jeep in the first place.
"When we get to the last known location, we'll probably have to go on foot, any tracks could be destroyed by the jeep." Neo pouted at him, but nodded, not before she kicked her dainty legs up onto the dash. Jaune reminded himself that throwing her out the window of a moving vehicle was a bad idea. "You have any experience in the frontiers?" He realised the girl couldn't verbally respond, but the drive was quite dull, and Jaune wanted to pick the strange girl's brain a bit.
In response. Neo made a 'so-so' gesture with her hand and pointed back towards Vale and held her hands up as if begging for change.
"A bit, but you grew up roughing it out in the city?" Neo clicked her fingers at Jaune's interpretation. The blonde could relate then, whilst they lived in vastly different locales, living without a roof over your head was difficult no matter where you were. "I'm sorry to hear that, you seem to be doing well for yourself now, at least." The ice-cream loving girl gave a thumbs up and pointed back at him.
Jaune poked his chest. "Me?" He asked. She nodded. "I guess you could say I'm doing well, finally made it into Beacon, that was a dream of mine for a long while." The young man turned left on a Y shaped path, they were close now. "Eye's open now. We're coming up on the last known location". Neo exasperatedly rolled her eyes, but turned her gaze towards the path ahead all the same.
It didn't take them long for Jaune to stop the jeep along a part of the route that had a steep descent on the right, with deep forestry on either side. Neo gave him a puzzled look. "We're a few minutes away from the last ping, but I know for a fact that tracking tech is not 100% accurate anywhere in the wilds." Neo nodded but waved her hand at the general area. "I parked here because of that." Jaune pointed towards a large pile of leaves. Neo raised a well-maintained eyebrow as if she was questioning his intelligence.
Without explanation, Jaune got out of the jeep and approached the pile. "To most, it's just a pile of leaves, but think about it. They're right next to the dirt road, and the pile is almost too perfect." With a lackadaisical kick to the pile, the leaves blew apart to reveal a bundle assortment of spiked chains. "Just as I figured." Neo popped up beside him and tapped his shoulder as a prompt to explain. "It's a common bandit trick, hiding their traps close to trade routes, saves them lugging the stuff about. Vale, they use leaves, Vacuo; sand… obviously. Atlas is snow and Mistral is usually a mix of the three." Neo pointed at the traps and then mimed looking around. "How do they not lose them?" She nodded. Jaune walked over to a nearby tree and examined it.
"Ah! Here we are". He waved for Neo who joined him. "You see this?" He pointed at a small carving within the centre of the tree. "Bandit marking. They use them to keep track where they leave their traps. They also act as a waypoint." The cued another raised brow from the pinkette. "Bandits can be pretty dim. I know; shocking." Neo let out a silent chuckle. "So they sometimes use these markings as a way to remember which way their camp is." His fingers followed the groove of the carving, it finished pointing towards the drop on the other side of the road. "Seems like their camp is down the drop. C'mon". He returned to the jeep and pulled out the black case. Neo tapped him on the shoulder again. Instead of making wild motions with her hands, she actually held out a scroll before him.
'So bandits left some traps around. What's that got to do with Roman's dust?' Jaune didn't answer straight away, he turned back to the case and began to unlock it.
"Do me a favour. Take a look over the drop would you?" Neo quietly grumbled but acquiesced, she strolled over to the ledge and peered over. "You see anything?" She rolled her eyes, as if she could answer whilst he was busying rummaging through the case. "Yeah. Sorry… But, I'm guessing that there's a few knocked over or cracked trees." The umbrella wielding girl strolled back to Jaune, her hands on her hips, a pout on her face. Jaune could tell she was curious. "I knew because I'm almost sure that the truck had its tires popped and then swerved down the hill, smashing into trees and whatever else." Neo nodded in understanding and peered over his shoulder to spy upon the case's contents.
Inside was a single handgun, sleek and elegant in its design, stainless barrel and hammer, with a perfect ceramic grip. It was already loaded, but the case had two spare magazines. Neo watched as Jaune nonchalantly pulled back the slide, checked if a bullet was chambered and holstered the firearm into his belt loop. He shoved the two mags into one of his many pockets. He noticed her curious look.
"Growing up in the wilds, you learn to use everything as a weapon. Sometimes I'd come across abandoned guns. I'd use them, but not much chance to maintain one in the frontiers, so I'd usually just chuck them when done." He closed the case and threw it into the backseat. To finish, he hefted his rucksack over his shoulder and closed the jeep door.
He pulled out his map and frowned. Once more, the half pink haired girl hopped up and hung off his shoulders to peer over. "Just checking where the bandits could be… and, I hope I'm wrong." A few curious taps on his cheek made him continue. "Because if the bandits are where I think they are." His finger stopped on a small drawing of a village; Oakhaven. "Then I hope the villagers managed to escape before they arrived." His eyes narrowed into slits for a mere moment. Before he rolled up the map and unhooked his grapple hook from his rucksack.
"How good are you with heights?" Neo shrugged, and made another 'so-so' motion. "Well, if it turns out you aren't, the descent is gonna suck." He walked over the edge and began to tie the hook around an outcropping rock. They could've probably just slid down, but Jaune lived by one simple motto when it came to surviving in the wilds;
Always better to be safe than sorry. And the pair began the difficult climb down.
It turns out that for such a small body, Neo certainly had an absurd amount of upper body strength; after Jaune had repelled down the descent, Neo had copied his movements nearly flawlessly. Once she touched down, she mimed dusting her hands off and smirked at the blonde. Jaune might not like the girl, but he certainly had to respect her capabilities. Now if he could figure out how she kept… appearing in places.
Neo pulled her hands up into a 'what now?' motion.
"We follow the broken trees", Jaune pointed behind him, where multiple trees lay either broken or severely damaged. "My guess is that the automatic driving system tried to course correct, but obviously with popped tires, all it managed was to crash through some foliage." He headed that way, Neo following. "I figure it can't be more than a few minutes ahead. The damage alone would kill its engines soon enough." They travelled for a few minutes and indeed, Jaune was correct.
The pair came across a partial clearing in the forestry. Crashed up against a very sturdy tree was what presumably would've been a very sleek ice-white truck, with a shipping container attached to its back' the letters; S.D.C were emblazoned all over it.
Now, however? The truck still had its emblazons, but its sleek design was crumpled and broken beyond repair. Its pristine white paint-job was utterly ruined; massive chips and holes littered it. But the most noticeable visible damage was the shipping containers' broken open door. Obviously broken open by the fact its hinges were sheared clean off.
Jaune hummed. "Seems like the bandits that did this had some high tech tools." Neo tilted her head questioningly. "I've never seen an SDC delivery truck, but I know any company worth their salt would never send a delivery truck without the best kind of metals and locks. A single Beowulf could easily tear open a regular civilian vehicle like wet paper". He approached the burst back and examined the hinges closer. "For mere bandits to do something like this? Unless they've got a pet Beowulf, only industrial level equipment could cut through these." Neo's form cracked like glass and she suddenly appeared inside of the shipping container. Jaune; now used to her bizarre abilities, didn't even flinch this time.
"Did you find any dust in there?" He called out as he examined the surrounding area for some form of trail. Neo popped in front of him a moment later, a piece of red cloth in her hands. But other than that? She shook her head. "Damn. Seems like they had some kind of transport, you can't just run off with four tonnes of dust without a truck of your own." He took the offered cloth, it looked frayed, ripped. It was blood red. Neo looked at him like he was an idiot when he sniffed it. She was right, it smelt… less than ideal. But something about the red cloth stirred a tightening feeling within his chest.
It was only when he flipped it over did his mind fully connect the dots.
"Shit…" He muttered. Neo poked him incessantly to know what was wrong.
Jaune showed Neo the other side of the cloth. On it, emblazoned was the symbol of a black bird, it was blazing with a black spiraling fire. Neo looked at Jaune and shrugged her shoulders. He grit his teeth.
"It's a bandit group symbol. Correction, it's a Tribe's symbol." Jaune pocketed the torn cloth with excess force, his face hardened like steel. "Specifically; the Branwen Tribe." Neo finally clicked that the bird she had seen was not just some random bird
But a Raven..
'Oh shit', she mouthed.
"Oh shit is right." Jaune agreed.
This just got a whole lot more dangerous.
Uh oh... Things just got a whole lot more... 'involved'.
Now, I realise that the Branwen tribe doesn't have a symbol in the show, but I figured a powerful tribe like Raven's? they'd probably have some kind of image to represent them.
How'd y'all think of Neo? It's tough writing a mute character and keeping how she 'talks' interesting and fresh.
As always, please let me know what you think!
Huh... Normally, this is where I put my Beta reader request... Seems kind of lonely now. Instead, I'll just thank H4mmond once again! Cheers pally!
Please have a wonderful day.
Kind Regards
Gavin Tyson.