[#] In my head, Maria Calavera's appearance is that of a Latina. Is that canon or am I wrong?
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COMMENTS:
[?]WatcherofWorldz: Hey jaune give ya bro ren some super solder juice, let's see how nora reacts to that! Then again she is like the energizer bunny she just keeps going and going.
[=]Avip: Ren lies exhausted on the floor, sweating, with a broken pelvis once again.
- Ren shocked and confused:
"How? Jaune gave me the super soldier formula!"
- Nora with a wicked grin on her lips :
"You are strong, child, but I am beyond strength!"
[#*#*# Chapter Start #*#*#]
[Point of view: Ruby Rose]
That's so unfair!
Weiss, Yang, and Blake are having a meeting with Pyrrha to talk about her date while I'm doing some dumb training in the middle of the Emerald Forest.
"Focus, you twerp!" yells the mean old lady, smacking me on the head.
SMACK!
"Ouch!" I whine, rubbing my own head.
"That didn't hurt you, baby," says Maria Calavera, pointing her cane right at my face. "You have Aura."
Crossing my arms, I whisper, "Still, it's rude and mean."
The old lady's bionic eye prosthetics hum like a swarm of bees while they adjust focus on me, and she lets out a tired sigh.
"You have as much raw potential as you have naivety, little girl," says the old brown-skinned lady.
"Hey!"
"Don't interrupt your elders."
"Yes!"
"As I was saying, here I am teaching you about your heritage and your silver eyes while your head is somewhere else, probably thinking about boys and other stuff."
"M-Me thinking about boys?" I stammer, laughing nervously at the end.
"Ah, young love," she sighs tiredly. "So pure, so dumb."
I growl under my breath, pissed off at this lady Professor Ozpin introduced me to for training. She just keeps saying mean stuff about me, but so far she hasn't said a single word about my silver eyes.
"Can't you just teach me how to use my eyes already?" I ask, frustrated.
"I can't."
My eyes widen in shock as I stare at the woman who just shrugs my question off like it's nothing.
"Then what am I doing here?" I ask, confused.
"I can't teach you without a Grimm," she states, pointing her cane up at the sky. "I'm annoying you on purpose to generate negative energy and attract them."
I squint and focus where she's pointing, and quickly I see a swarm of Nevermores flying straight toward us.
"Okay," I grunt, drawing Crescent Rose into scythe mode. "Let's do-. Ouch!" But I'm cut off by a cane whack to my shin.
"Don't fight with your weapon!" she yells at me.
"How else am I supposed to fight?"
"Are you deaf, little girl?" She cackles maniacally. "With your eyes."
[Point of View: Pyrrha Nikos]
The sound of the gavel banging against the wooden table snaps me out of my thoughts about last night.
TOK! TOK!
"I hereby begin this meeting of the Arc Brides Sisterhood," Weiss declares, her voice crisp and authoritative.
"Arc Brides Sisterhood?" Blake repeats, raising an eyebrow. "That's the name we're gonna use from here on?"
"Would you prefer being called Jaune's Harem?" I ask the cat Faunus.
"Hmm." Blake's ears twitch as she actually considers it. "Sounds hot."
"No!" Yang, Weiss, and I answer as one.
Blake shrugs, completely unbothered, while Yang raises her hand.
"I pass the word to Sister Xiao Long," says Weiss in a reverent tone.
"Right…" Yang mutters awkwardly. "Why do we keep having meetings in this weird format? Ruby couldn't be here today because of her training with Calavera. Can't we just have a text group like normal people?"
Blake and I both turn our faces away from Weiss, since this whole formal meeting format was the heiress's idea.
"The idea of a text group is good," Weiss admits in an ice-cold tone, "but that doesn't diminish the importance of formal meetings for discussing more serious matters."
"This meeting sooooo could've been an email," Yang groans, bored and annoyed. "Like, what could possibly be so important that text wouldn't be enough?"
"Maternity," Weiss deadpans.
"Okay, you win." Yang admits in defeat, hands raised. "Way to go nuclear on your sisterhood."
Weiss smiles, satisfied with her tiny victory, and turns to me so we can get to the topic of the day.
"Sooooo," Weiss draws out, barely holding back her excitement. "How was your date?"
Yang barely holds in a chuckle at Weiss acting like a high-school girl fishing for gossip. "I feel sorry Ruby is missing this."
"He took me to Vale's boardwalk fair," I say, smiling happily. "We went on rides, he won me a plush lion, we kissed at the top of the Ferris wheel with fireworks behind us."
"Classic," Yang smirks in approval while Blake nods, smiling.
It is a simple but endearing first date, so I can see why both of them approve.
"At the pier?" Weiss asks, surprised. "No dinner? No play, concert, or even a movie?"
I shut my joyful expression down instantly, staring hard at the heiress and making her wince in regret.
"Weiss cream," Yang singsongs. "Not your date, not your problem."
"Sorry," Weiss apologizes, lowering her head a little toward me.
"Fine…" I groan protectively and go back to my story. "After that, Jaune proposed to me with a ring." I finish with a giggle, showing them the ring.
The girls react in different ways, but all of them are shocked. Yang and Blake both go wide-eyed, but Weiss, the most shocked, goes completely mute, both hands over her mouth trying to hide her slack jaw.
"That's surprising," Blake admits, eyes wide.
"Way to go, lover boy!" Yang cheers.
"I would never…" Weiss trails off. "We already have a contract and everything? For what reason would he do something like that?"
Staring fondly at my ring, I answer. "That's for me to know and for you to maybe find out…"
Yang bursts out laughing while Weiss frowns and huffs at me. Blake just stares at me with a knowing glint in her eyes, like I'm a completely open book for her.
"That's not all," Blake says loud enough to grab Weiss and Yang's full attention. "You have a distinct glow."
My face starts turning red under the prying Faunus's gaze.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about," I answer, turning my head away, but that is basically the same as confessing to Blake.
A wicked grin splits Blake's face as she points an accusing finger right at me. "You finally fucked him." she exclaims.
"No I didn't!" I try to deny it.
"Yes you did!" Blake shouts, jumping up from her chair.
"Oh my," Weiss mouths in surprise, a tiny spark of excitement in her voice.
"Oh my god, the invincible girl became the invincible woman," Yang celebrates, clapping.
I raise my hands trying to shut them up and start explaining, but it is useless.
"Okay, I admit we made love," I admit, embarrassed, letting out a tired sigh.
Yang howls and whistles while Blake giggles and Weiss coughs into her hand, trying to compose herself even though her face is still bright red.
"Well…" the heiress starts hesitantly. "I hope it was pleasant for both of you, and don't worry, the details can stay between you two."
"Booo," Blake and Yang boo at the heiress.
"Seriously?" Weiss grumbles, staring disappointed at her team.
"Are you seriously not curious?" Yang asks, smirking.
"Curious about what?" Weiss retorts.
With an evil grin, Blake silences the whole room with two words:
"His dick!"
…
"Damn, Blake…" Yang groans. "Direct like a punch to the face."
"Can we please keep some class and civility?" Weiss begs, her face completely flushed red.
"Fine, I'll play nice," Blake promises, making the three of us sigh in relief. "But…"
We all freeze, waiting for the Faunus to finish.
"Could you at least tell us if it's big or small?" she asks, waggling her brows.
"BLAKE!" Weiss screams bloody murder.
"I… kinda… also want to know," Yang admits, unable to look me in the eyes.
Surprised, I look at the three of them. Their curiosity is so thick you could cut it with a knife.
Swallowing hard, I give up on keeping the secret and whisper, "He is big."
Both Yang and Weiss break into slight smiles, like they are holding back cheers. Blake, on the other hand, stares at me dead serious with a notebook and pen already in her hands.
"How big?" she asks.
"For fuck's sake, Blake," Yang groans in pain.
"Bigger than a Green Grimm energy can?" Blake insists.
"Dear Gods," Weiss gasps in shock.
"Can we please end this meeting?" I plead, trying to keep whatever dignity I have left.
Weiss and Yang both agree to end it while Blake scribbles in her notebook, whispering, "She didn't deny that it's bigger than a Green Grimm energy can."
[Point of View: Jaune Arc]
'It is kinda disheartening to think that after a wonderful night with Pyrrha I have to deal with this kind of shit.' I think to myself as I step into a rented apartment in the bad part of the city.
Sighing tiredly, I knock on the door.
TOK! TOK!
Quick footsteps rush toward the door. After what sounds like seven locks being undone, the door opens, but there is no one standing in front of me.
"Seriously?" I complain, swinging a high punch to my left. The illusion shatters like glass.
CRASH!
I grab the small mute assassin by the neck and yank her close to my face.
"Gods… yes…" Neo mutters through clenched teeth, her whole body shaking in pleasure. "Harder, daddy."
"Okay!" I say, dropping her. "I'm happy you got your voice back, but the shit you say, girl."
"Be glad you don't live with her," Roman says, walking up. "Worst part is she doesn't speak most of the time, she only talks to get a reaction out of people."
"Goddammit," I growl as I walk into the rented apartment. "You said you had news for me."
"Indeed I do," the thief says with mock reverence. "Please take a seat at our most illustrious dining table."
The 'dining table' is a wobbly foldable table with three chairs, one missing a leg.
"You are subtle as a fart in a lift," I smirk, sitting in one of the good chairs.
"I don't know what you mean by that, my good sir," he answers in an exaggerated sarcastic tone. "Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I'm living with cockroaches bigger than cats while I do your dirty work!" He finishes the sentence by slamming his fist on the table.
SMACK!
Which was a terrible idea because the whole thing collapses to the floor.
CRASH!
I chuckle at the mess and pull five cards out of my pocket that I had Weiss and Church prepare for me. "Each one has a hundred thousand Lien and can't be traced to anyone."
Roman's sour face vanishes instantly, replaced by something that almost looks like respect and worship.
"My beloved savior, I am not worthy of your generosity," he says, wiggling his fingers toward the cards.
But before he can snatch them I pocket the cards again. "Intel first, then money."
"Fine," he accepts, hands up in defeat. "Neo, can you bring the-."
"Here," the ex-mute girl says, handing me a binder.
"Thanks…" I say wearily to the psycho assassin who is suddenly acting way too friendly.
"I miss the silence," Roman says, shaking his head.
"She said like, three words since I got here," I complain loudly.
"That's usually what she says in a whole day," Roman explains.
I open the folder and come face-to-face with photos, sighting reports, and itineraries of my two targets: 'Mercury and Emerald.'
"Why are you looking for them?" Roman asks, lighting a cigar indoors like the asshole he is.
"I want to give them both second chances."
Roman freezes, jaw slack. Neo ignores the whole conversation, purring and rubbing against my side like a needy cat.
"Did you have a stroke?" he shouts, dropping his lighter. "Why the hell would you do that?"
"Mercury grew up being abused by his father and Emerald was gaslit to hell by Cinder," I say, staring at their hideout and the mugshot of Tusk, the Faunus they killed for quitting the White Fang.
"By the Brothers, you are an idealistic fool," he says, shaking his head in disapproval.
"I am an idealist, maybe even a fool, but its not wrong to believe that if a person really wants to change and redeem herself, she should get that chance."
Roman stares at me with wide eyes for a few seconds. His face shifts and something like guilt flashes across it as he looks down.
"So you're telling me that if someone truly wants to change, you would give them a second chance no matter what crime they committed?" Roman asks, curious, trying to hide the hopeful tone in his voice.
"I'm not perfect and I admit my patience has limits, like if someone messes with kids, he should get thrown into a wood shipper," I say, nodding. "Feet first."
"Okay, I can agree with that," Roman nods. "But what about me? How can you treat me so badly even after I switched sides?"
I raise an eyebrow at his statement.
"Don't get me wrong, Roman, I treat you with the same energy you treat everyone else," I start explaining to the thief. "And you made a deal with me asking for protection."
"And what's the problem with that? Besides switching sides, I offered you something in return," Roman complains. "That should give me extra credit with your second-chance policy."
A big smile spreads across my face. I'm not sure if Roman is just bitching because I'm being hard on him or if he actually wants a real second chance to turn his life around, not just survive on the edges.
"Well, Roman, you need to answer two things first," I say, getting both Roman's and Neo's full attention.
The thief and the assassin lean forward on their cheap chairs, silent.
"Do you actually 'want' a second chance?" I ask, dead serious.
The thief blinks, confused.
"So far you've only acted like an opportunistic coward jumping sides to survive," I explain, staring straight into his eyes. "You never told me you wanted a shot at a normal life outside the law."
"I guess I never did say that," Roman realizes aloud.
"And the second one," I say, standing up and walking over to him. "Do you really regret the bad things you did?"
He looks up at me dumbfounded, opens his mouth, then closes it fast without speaking, hesitating.
"If you want a second chance and you're actually sorry for the crap you pulled, I'm willing to help you redeem yourself, Roman," I say, putting my hand on his shoulder.
"I don't know what to say," the thief says, standing up and carefully moving my hand off his shoulder. "You gave me a lot to think about, Blondie."
"For now I'll keep protecting you like I promised," I tell him seriously, sounding confident. "And when I'm done with Cinder, I'll give you and Neo a week's headstart to disappear."
"Seriously?" Roman asks, not believing it. "You'd do that for me and Neo?"
"I'll even throw some more Lien your way to help."
The thief grins, excited at the thought of getting away clean with cash in his pocket, but I raise a hand to stop him.
"But remember, the second chance is an option for you," I say, turning to the ice-cream-haired assassin sitting beside me, "and for you too, Neo."
The little girl stares up at me with big hopeful eyes but stays quiet.
"That's easier said than done, kid. It's like they say," Roman sighs tiredly. "'A Grimm may change its bone mask, but not its nature', and my old favorite, 'once a thief, always a thief.'"
"That's just an excuse for cowards and lazy bastards," I snap back, frowning in anger.
"That's easy to say when you never had real hardships in your life," Roman retorts with a shrug.
"Hell no!" I raise my voice, blood boiling. "I won't play in your pity Olympics, Roman. You can change if you want to."
"And I'm telling you it's not that easy, pal," he barks back, frustration thick in his voice. "If I actually want this precious second chance of yours, what kind of guarantee can you give me? How do you make sure I won't just get tossed in prison or executed in the public square?"
"I am your guarantee!" I answer, crossing my arms.
Roman and Neo stare at me stunned, letting the weight of what I just said sink in.
"You'd risk your good name, reputation, and life for the two of us?" Roman asks.
"Yes!" I answer firmly.
"You really are an idealistic fool," Roman mutters.
"And like I told you. Idealistic, yes, but not a fool. And you know what?" I say, grabbing my Scroll and firing off some texts. "I was going to handle this mission with Mercury and Emerald alone, but now you two just got drafted into it."
"Wait, what?!" Roman stammers, confused.
[#*#*# Chapter End #*#*#]
E ai gurizada?
[#] O yeah, side quest with Roman and Neo.
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Chapter 60 - Redemption Arc
Chapter 61 - A new class
Chapter 62 - Lightish Red
Chapter 63 - Date-stuff
Chapter 64 - Ego is glass jaw
[#] You can join my discord server: discord.gg/52MmzuEQhR
[#] Next chapters already on my 'P(@)TRE-ON':
[#] You can reach me on X/twitter, @AvipBr