Chapter One Hundred and Four
The prosthetic arm held traces of dried blood on it. It meant somebody had bled, or died near it. The scrap of paper held tightly within the metal fingers was pried out with ease once Zhelty got past the brief squeamishness of it all and brought her tools to loosen up the death-grip of the item itself.
"Where was it found?" I asked, glancing up at Qrow who was, in the meantime, taking a deep swig of his flask. "Was it delivered, or something else?"
"Was in the fucking mail box," Qrow sneered. "Dumped in it like a surprise package," he sighed loudly. "I'll have to notify old rust-bucket Jimmy about this. He'll throw a fit. This is a shit show-Vash was supposed to be an expert at not getting killed."
"This doesn't necessarily mean he's dead," I muttered, even as Zhelty passed the scrap of paper to me after a brief glance at it. My eyes squinted trying to make sense of what the paper was. It was mostly chicken-scratches, but they did make sense when put together.
It was quite the brief, poetic message even.
Kill a Huntsman. Bleed it dry. Wear its face. Chew its guts.
"This sounds considerably more deranged than what I'd expect from Tyrian," I added as I passed the message over to Qrow. "Then again, he is a madman for all intents and purposes."
"And he's making fun of us," Qrow snarled, "He's making fun of all of us!"
"He's not in the city," I said. "This means he's outside."
"Then tough shit," Qrow grumbled, "Mistral's famous for its caverns, its mountains and its deep jungles," he added as he drained his flask. "It would take months to look through every nook and cranny, and even then-I'm not about to send a team of students after him."
I turned thoughtful at that. "We can totally take him," Chez said with a roll of her eyes. "We have a Wren." Her right hand squeezed down on my shoulder.
"And a Zhelty," her left hand touched Zhelty's own shoulder, "And a Gorm and a Chez. We're pretty much set." She frowned, "But the classes-" she sighed, head hanging low. "Those poor students would have to be taught by the other students." She sniffled. Her fingers squeezed a bit tighter on my shoulder, and I reckoned on Zhelty's too. "Then I guess we'll have to stay here then."
She added the last part sounding chipper, or at least trying to.
"Professor Vash actually got close enough to him that the man had to take him out," Gorm said suddenly, "Which means if we follow his steps-"
"We may find ourselves facing a bigger enemy than any of us can chew alone," I finished his sentence, glancing at Qrow in the meantime. "However, we should keep the news of Professor Vash' disappearance a secret for now. If Headmaster Ironwood hears, he may deem the place too dangerous for us. Keep the rest of the students within the confines of the academy, continue with the classes as normal," I glanced at the prosthetic, and then hummed briefly. "Little Milly." I muttered. "He went looking for a certain little Milly."
"I'd rather go myself," Qrow grumbled, "She's not a can of worms you can open."
I sighed, and then extended a hand to my right. A small white Nevermore appeared from a glimmering Schnee Glyph, and landed on my arm. "I don't need to open her," I said. "I just need to be in the same room as her." I winced briefly. "And all of her dark, negative thoughts will be laid bare to me. If-If she's got a hand in Professor Vash' disappearance, kidnapping or death...and she feels even a shred of guilt over it, or worry she may be found-then I will know."
Qrow looked at the White Nevermore on my arm, and sucked air in sharply. "Your stick in the ass sister can't do that, can she?"
"She can't," I muttered, "And it's something I'd rather neither of my sisters learned to do. There is evil in everyone," I said with a sigh and a bitter smile, "selfishness, cruelty, arrogance-there is so much evil out there..." I shook my head, "You can hold down the fort with Team MIND and Team RWBY. I can vouch for them both," I glanced at my teammates. "But Team Sizzling Sunrise has a different mission, and I'm taking command since Professor Vash isn't here to counterman that order."
"Don't burn Mistral down, kid," Qrow grumbled, "And be fucking careful. Little Milly, or rather...Little Miss Malachite, she's the Spider Family leader. You can find her downtown, Purple Fan inn if she hasn't changed watering hole."
He didn't offer to come along.
I didn't ask him to.
"I'll call you once we find where he is, or if we end up engaging against Tyrian. Follow the White Nevermore then," I said with a grin as the Nevermore on my arm disappeared in flakes of white snow.
I walked out first, the rest of my team following. "We're just looking for Professor Vash first and foremost, right?" Zhelty asked as we walked the halls. "We're not going to actually burn down Mistral, right?"
"Why not?" Chez asked, a smile on her face. "It's all wood and paper-I think it would burn down splendidly!"
"Because we did the best we could to tell everyone we weren't going to be stepping on people's toes, and now here we are, going off to smash someone's foot into paste," Zhelty remarked, her eyes glancing from Chez up to Gorm. "Are you going to be the voice of reason together with me, Gorm?"
"We play it by the rules as long as they do the same," Gorm acquiesced. "But it's not me you have to convince, Zhelty. I'm following Wren on this."
"And that's what worries me the most," Zhelty muttered under her breath, before looking up at me.
"What? We're all going together, and I'm definitely not going to start the meeting with 'My name is Wren Schnee, you killed my professor now prepare to die'," I made air-quotes as I said that, even as we reached the main hall, and from there the outer gardens. "Though I'm sure it won't come to that."
We walked past the main walls of Haven Academy, lacking in guards since we didn't have the money to pay for a few reputable mercenaries, and we didn't really trust the police for it either. A couple of Atlas Knights would have done wonders for the current situation, but unfortunately that was not to be.
Instead we walked by ourselves through the streets of Mistral, the people giving way as they understood that we weren't there on a social roll call, but on business. And when a team of four huntsmen goes somewhere on business, you'd better be assured the business' about to be bloody, on fire, or otherwise just about ready to suffer from critical existence failure.
The Purple Fan inn wasn't difficult to find. There was a name outside, a small barely noticeable drawing of a spider web in black ink on a corner of the building, and a giant purple fan painted on the reddish flaps that were probably meant to keep the people out from the typical Mistralian rainy season.
There we were, thus. Four huntsmen in search of a professor.
A small white Taijitu slowly curled around my wrist, closing its blue eyes and seemingly appearing no different than a glittering bracelet rather than an actually summoned Grimm.
The inside of the inn had people sitting around tables, muttering to one another in front of unlit candles. The figure we were looking for stood in a corner, but I wasn't supposed to know that, was I?
I swear if Vash was so stupid as to send huntsmen after me, I'll skin his face alive with my nails.
I zeroed in on her the next second, and then calmly made my way towards her table.
"That's far enough," the portly figure spoke flatly. Her blue eyes stared at me, the two bodyguards behind her wearing matching purple outfits just like her. Perhaps purple was indeed her color. "What do we have here? A group of brave huntsmen? Have you come for work? Haven academy is up the road, wouldn't you know?"
I smiled, and then placed a hand to my chest. "I sincerely apologize for coming unannounced, Miss Malachite," I said as amiably as I could, making a slow nod of my head. "We are looking for our professor, Professor Vash. He has gone missing. And we were told you were an information broker of sorts, someone who could help us."
That blasted fool. It wasn't enough that I told him to fucking drop it. He had to go and actually fail! Should send them along too. So he'll have some company with the fishes-
"All help comes at a price," Miss Malachite said, "but for such a charming and polite lad, perhaps we can find an amenable compromise," she gestured at me to sit, and sit I did.
Perhaps I will use him a bit before sending him to his early grave.
"Your professor and I were friends, once," she added, "Perhaps even something more. Alas, my services do not come cheap. You understand that, I hope?"
"Of course I do," I answered with a slow nod. "How much would your help cost us?"
"A trifling amount..." and the price she rattled was a hundred times the normal price. She kept her smile up, though. Gorm's right eyebrow twitched. I could see the man's eyes stare with a look of pure unadulterated shock at the woman. He was ready to attack at the slightest order. He would rather burn Mistral down than have to pay that amount.
I knew he would. I was feeling it.
"You don't really want us to pay for the information, Miss Malachite," I said with a sigh. "You want a favor, don't you? Some rival toeing the line, some arrogant youth out of line-" I rolled my eyes. "And if we were not in a hurry, I might even think about entertaining the notion of doing so." I smiled, "But let us be honest. I do not wish to infringe on your business, or threaten your power. I know that the facade must be maintained, at all costs."
I drummed my fingers on the surface of the table. "So let me tell you something," I said with a smile, "And in exchange for what I tell you, you will tell me where you sent Professor Vash."
The arrogance of youth in thinking he can make the deal-at the same time, I am sending them to their deaths all the same, am I not? Tora will wonder why he keeps receiving unwanted visitors though...
Miss Malachite smiled gingerly, "I'm going to skin you alive if you take that tone with me again, brat." She clasped her fingers together, "And what would you know, then, that might interest me?"
"I know a few things," I said offhandedly. "Though I am sure someone as smart as you has probably already inferred that something went horribly wrong with Professor Vash' meeting."
Miss Malachite blinked at the non-sequitur. That man never was one for diplomacy. I did tell him that Tora wasn't going to take his flippant attitudes well if he showed up- A flash of image, some color. A place of blood and pain-and I knew where we had to go next.
"Thank you very much, Miss Malachite," I whispered with a smile. "You have been incredibly useful."
"What are you even..." her voice dried up. Her eyes narrowed. "You have a semblance that-"
"A man should be allowed some secrets too," I whispered as I slowly stood up. The Taijitu by my wrist uncoiled and hissed, catching her attention, and that of her bodyguards. The Schnee Glyph pulsed beneath it, and the snake disappeared in thin air. "It is a known tidbit that a Schnee can summon forth the Grimm it has killed. What is yet to be known is that a Schnee who has achieved mastery over them can also feel through their senses and, with enough practice...can read the negative thoughts of people."
I smiled. "That's my information, Miss Malachite. I think someone in your line of work can most certainly find a good use for this."
Miss Malachite laughed at that, a hearty laugh that was soon accompanied by her slamming her hands on the surface of the table as she stood up, both of her bodyguards holding their weapons towards us. "If you ever show your face in here again, I'll have it ripped off." Her voice carried no doubt over whether she meant it or not.
"If you ever give us cause to come back," I answered in turn, hearing the telltale revving of Chez' chainsaw as Gorm prepped his rifle-side for firing. "You will never see us coming."
We looked at one another, and quiet, silent promises were exchanged.
Then, I turned to leave.
She let us leave. The silence of the inn soon left the place to the noise of the crowded streets. "We're not burning Mistral, but we're getting pretty close to it anyway," Zhelty muttered under her breath. "Are we going somewhere else that's prone to flames?"
"Yep," I said. "We're going to meet with a certain Tora, leader of the Fish family."
Zhelty's fists clenched. She took a deep breath. "I think if we start burning Mistral down now, we'd be done by dinner."
I chuckled at that. "You think so ill of me, I've been perfectly diplomatic till now."
Our group was watched, however, by many a disreputable man and woman as we left the area under the Spider Family's control and stepped into the riverside, under the control of the smugglers, the merchants and the Fish family's main area of operation. We didn't know where our target was, but we didn't really need to look specifically for him. I had received the image of a place, and it meant that whatever emotions were associated with it were quite horrifying, or negative enough, to draw Miss Malachite's attention to it as a full picture, rather than just a thought.
It was a simple looking villa, nestled on the side near a relative larger pool of river water, where a few barges floated by. The small Taijitu summoned once more knew the drill by then, and as I was assaulted by the thoughts, I had to stop briefly to steady myself. Gorm placed a hand on my back, gently pushing me forward.
My eyes glanced to one thin looking raft of sorts, perhaps good enough only to cross the tranquil waters of the lake, where my gaze locked with those of a pale and skinny man holding a half-demented look on its face.
I am the Wrath of God, the earth I pass will see me and tremble. You'll see! You'll all see! I'll have them. I'll have them all! The riches! The treasures! The drugs!
I shuddered, another dark thought circling around the air.
I took a bit of a sample from the latest batch. Nobody's gonna notice. They weight the same. Yeah. Nobody's gonna notice. Nobody.
I tightened the grip on my fists as two burly guards stopped us from stepping inside the villa's gardens.
I don't want to start shit with huntsmen, but I don't want Tora to slit my throat like he did with the last guy bothering him.
"We didn't call for no huntsmen here," one of the two guards grumbled, a short spear in his hands and a few wicked scars along his hands and face. "Scram, if you know what's good for you."
"Is your boss in?" I asked instead, "We would like to do business with him."
"Unannounced and unwanted? You got a death wish? Our boss don't like no surprises," the guard growled back.
Chez made a gentle meowing sound, and then walked closer to the guard. She sashayed her hips briefly, and then smiled. Her smile grew a few inches. "We can stay out here," she purred. "For the entire day. We have nowhere better to go, and I just wonder how you, and your friend, are going to throw us out if we choose to stay."
"There's only four of you," the guard hissed back. His thoughts betrayed his knowledge that no, that wasn't going to work as an excuse. "And there's a whole family of us."
"We have experienced huntsmen teams up in Haven," Zhelty remarked dryly. "If a fight starts here, they'll be reinforcing us in a matter of seconds."
"Boss ain't here," the other guard said in the end. "He's out and about. Doing business elsewhere."
The fear in his mind was clear too. He had no idea where he could be; and he didn't like the chances of us not taking his words seriously and going in all the same.
"Who might know where he went?" Gorm asked. "I doubt there's no way of contacting him if the situation requires it."
"It's fucking Mistral," the guard growled back. "If you're out there, there's no Scroll signal. And-"
Blackbriar is even worst that the boss when you annoy him doing the ledgers.
"And Mister Blackbriar will find time for us," I said with a gentle smile. "We are on a mission of great urgency, you see. Is he in, or is he also gone somewhere else?"
The guards both furrowed their brows, but one of them decided to shrug it off. "Whatever. If you want to talk to him he's at the main warehouse. Biggest one past the lake."
Our colleagues will deal with them. Anyway, it won't be our fault.
"Thank you very much for your cooperation," I said with a smile. Then, we left the premises.
"They are all being incredibly cooperative," Chez mumbled as we left them behind. "I was expecting some screaming, a few revs of my Alice and instead...we're just talking and walking. Talking and walking." She looked downcast, and kicked a pebble on the road into the water nearby.
We crossed the lake with relative ease, and once more were met with the usual token resistance of guards just doing their job in this Kingdom of organized crime and cutthroat criminals.
They actually let us through. Perhaps they were expecting us. Perhaps somebody had called ahead and informed them. Whatever the reason there we were, inside a relatively large warehouse where countless people were working dragging crates around and loading them up into bigger containers for ease of transport on the river barges.
The vast majority of them were faunus, and I didn't think the working conditions were all that great to begin with.
Then again, I didn't need to think it when I could feel it. We were shown into an office where two lean guards stood near the man we had come looking for. They seemed bored out of their minds, and yet tensed ever so slightly as we were brought inside the room cramped with shelves filled with hefty books and loose parchments. The room itself was overlooking the warehouse from above, and the piles of crates formed neat maze-like walls from up high.
"I am as always eager to help the huntsmen of Haven academy. We usually contact them for missions, and we were quite in a pinch due to the latest events-but now, thankfully, we can put that dark history behind us," Blackbriar was a man with a pair of thick, black mustaches and an equally thick beard. His fingers were calloused, and a few heavy-looking tomes rested upon his desk, one of which was open and with minute scribbling upon its surface. "How may we be of service?" he asked, his voice oily and reeking of humbleness that was as false as his pleasant attitude.
I took a deep breath, and then looked at Zhelty. She took the cue to speak. "We believe Professor Vash, an esteemed Atlas specialist under the direct command of General James Ironwood, headmaster of Atlas Academy, was last seen attempting contact with your boss, Mister Tora. We have reason to believe he has gone missing and would like to know your last meeting with him-"
Annoyance crept into the man's face. That annoying man-To think I even paid Tyrian good money to get rid of him.
I sucked air in sharply.
"Chez," I muttered, "You're getting your wish granted."
In a split-second following my words, Zhelty's fist met the guts of the first guard and Chez' kick slammed into the delicate family jewels of the second one. They both recoiled and bent down, a second blow leading them into unconsciousness. Blackbriar had barely the time to open his mouth that Gorm's chain ended up slammed into it, twirling around the man and immobilizing him like a salami ready for transportation.
"Target secured," Gorm whispered, crouching down to grab the man and hoist him on his back.
"Chez," Zhelty said, glancing at the incredible amount of papers just hanging around. "A distraction." She hoisted a thick tome like it was nothing, dangling it in front of Chez.
Chez smiled, her Alice happily complying as a stream of reddish fire spouted out, tongues of fire starting to form on the book in question. Zhelty opened the window and took aim, before throwing the flaming book against an open crate filled with hay which soon began to burn, alarming the people nearby.
Another couple of flaming books later, and we left through the rooftop as thick black smoke rose in the air behind us.
"All in a day's work for team Sizzling Sunrise," Gorm mused, even as we ended up tightly attached to him as Zhelty's shield acted like a flying platform with the combination of Gravity Dust and his semblance, bringing us away from the chaos and the flames.
"We threatened one family's leader, burned down the big warehouse of another...and what next? Shall we chop some heads off too?" Zhelty asked, sarcastically.
"That had been my initial idea," I grumbled back. "But I watered it down a lot. Kill them all and let the gods decide who's theirs doesn't really work that well when the gods are dicks."
The alleyway in which we hid was dirty, and smelly.
It was also the place where Blackbriar thought he was going to die.
"Can I interrogate him this time, Wren?" Chez whispered with a manic smile on her face, her chainsaw in hand revving gently, like the purring of a cat. "Please?"
I looked at Blackbriar. Then I looked at the chainsaw.
Then I crouched in front of the man and smiled.
"Tell me how you contacted Tyrian Callows, and where to find him," I whispered. "And we'll let you go. Refuse...and I have a bored cat who wants to play a game with you."
Zhelty cracked her knuckles. "I'm bored too, you know? Hit the guy once, but now I'm left unsatisfied. I have so much frustration I need to let out..."
Blackbriar's fear was evident. Images flashes by his mind. Thoughts and scared feelings reached the surface of his mind and left through his body like a dense, tasty treat.
The chain around his mouth loosened enough to allow him to speak.
Speak he did, for he was a wise man.
Unfortunately, he didn't realize that he'd actually serve jail time in Haven's finest cells, since, after all...
...we were the law, and we had won the day.
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