Chapter Twenty Four: Strike a Match
"YOU'RE GONNA FUCKING DIE-"
Mufasa let out a guttural snarl, finally wrenching the spear free with a sickening-
SHLICK
His breathing came ragged now, but the life in his eyes hadn't dimmed a bit, and with a roar the lion faunus prepared to charge.
"Okay, okay, listen, listen, big guy, no need to get all stabby-stabby here! I get it, you're mad, you're hurt, you smell like a dumpster fire but eai—"
For your sake, I'm cutting you off, trust me when I say he continued yapping for almost a minute...
Revenant and Helen slowly turned to eachother.
Before he could continue any longer, Helen steppd forward. Her skeletal fingers curled around the rapier's hilt and with a swift lunge, her blade pierced straight through Mufasa's chest.
The faunus's anger diminished as as he crumpled, eyes fading of life, and the rapier slid free with a wet squelch.
Quin, cut off from trying to pull another Talk-Jutsu, just stared at the corpse before looking over at the two.
"Will you ever let me finish a sentence?"
"Nope."
"Fair enough," He shrugged off the interruption before practically skipping over to Mufasa's sprawled form, already poking around for anything valuable.
His fingers brushed over the cold metal of Mufasa's scroll, and before he could even comment, it lit up with an incoming call.
Caller ID: Sarabi <3
...
Well, fuck.
Looks like he wasn't going back to the family reunion this year.
A faint ding echoed in Quin's ears as he tucked the scroll back into a pocket, once again wondering why he didn't feel all that much towards such things.
Well, its whatever.
He had more important matters to attend to, namely, the blue holographics that sprung up in his face, drawing his attention.
[Notification: Land Conquered.]
[Battle Report: Pyrrhic Victory]
[Rewards Available: 1x Building Gacha, 1x Unit Gacha]
"…Wait, only now do I get battle reports?" Quin frowned, swiping the notifications away.
Maybe it only triggered for large-scale conflicts? Or maybe it had to be a fight between actual factions instead of the usual small packs that tried to eat his ass.
Something to look into.
The sharp squeal of tires cut through his thoughts.
Quin glanced over at Revenant. "I think that's our cue to-"
Only to see she was already halfway down the hall, shirt fluttering at the speed of which she ran.
Joseph would be proud.
"-go... yeah, alright... love it when people let me finish my- HEY! SLOW DOWN!" He sputtered before taking off after her, boots slipping slightly on the blood-slick floor.
Unfortunately.
He, nor Revvie, got very far.
The warehouse doors had exploded inward with a thunderous BANG long before they made it, followed by a chorus of orders and boots hammering.
( FBI OPEN UP )
The dark warehouse instantly turned white as blinding spotlights poured in, slicing through the darkness. Shadows dancing wildly against the walls as he could hear the clicks of safety turning off... and some poor dude gagging after stepping in one of the many pile of bodies.
Shit.
Sorry Ozzie.
...
CLANGGGGG
The cell door slammed shut, echoing down the barren jail, and rattling through Quin's skull like a bad hangover.
Cold steel bit into his wrists, the handcuffs digging deeper every time he shifted. Across from him, Revenant sat with her back against the wall, legs stretched out, her own cuffs glinting under the dim fluorescent light. She didn't look too bothered, and more busy deciding if breaking the chain between her wrists would be worth the eff- Oh whatever
SHRIIIIIK
Quin stared at the cuffs clattering to the floor, then at her. "Well, damn."
The two didn't exactly resist, not because they couldn't, that much was obvious when you take into account what happened to the White Fang.
No, he just didn't feel like becoming an enemy to the kingdoms... or becoming public enemy #1 if they accidentally called a cop while trying to get away.
Putting that aside, he had a bigger issue at hand.
BANG
GlyndaGoodwitch.
She's been there for the past minute or so, occasionally opening her mouth to speak before quickly shutting it, trying to put into words just how much he screwed up.
Eventually, Quin couldn't bare it.
"Sooo, you're here to congratulate me on a job well do-"
Her glare cut him off.
Glynda let out a heavy sigh, pressing the bridge of her nose, before tapping a card against a pad, the electrical lock clicked with a harsh beep before inevitably sliding open.
"Come," she said sternly. "The professor would like a word."
Quin glanced at Revenant, who was already on her feet brushing her shorts of whatever might've been on this disappointing excuse for a bench, before following.
Exiting, he looked past the guards at the other convicts, standing on his toes to peer through the safety glass of.
In the back to his left, were his surviving pikes.
The leader sat slumped against the wall, carving a list of names into the wall with a spoon. Another pike, the guy who named his pike trudy, was trying to circumvent his handcuffs to shuffle a deck of bent cards, dropping them every other second. The short one just stared at the floor, slowly eating a piece of stale bread like it was his last meal.
It probably wasn't, but he should be fine.
Probably.
To his right, past a dust covered window, the Imp was propped against the wall, caked in dried blood and cracked to hell and back. Chunks of its stone shell were missing, its left arm barely hanging on, yet it still scraped away at a block of wood with its claws, carving the vague shape of… something.
Whether it was a weapon, a figurine, or just an abstract lump was anyone's guess.
Next to the door leading out into the rest of the building, was the Vorpal Chicken
The poor thing was wrapped in so many chains it looked like a prisoner of war, a dull metal muzzle clasped over its beak, and a few warning stickers "Do not release" plastered all over its cell.
Every so often, it would make a muffled bawk, making the guards visibly recoil.
Quin wasn't sure if he was proud of it or terrified to know exactly what it did.
However, that'd have to wait until later, as he was suddenly yanked out by Revenant.
She'd clearly gotten tired of waiting for him to catch up, her grip iron-tight as she dragged him along without a word.
Glynda glanced back, making sure they were behind, before turning and leading the two into another room.
"Well, fuck," Quin muttered under his breath.
It was an interrogation room, stripped of anything that could make it feel human. A steel table sat dead center, its surface scratched and dull under the glare of a single light overhead. The bulb hummed faintly, washing the room in a harsh white.
Three chairs surrounded the table- two set side-by-side on one end, the other isolated opposite them. The air smelled faintly of metal and cleaning chemicals, and the walls were an oppressive, featureless grey, leaving nothing to distract from the people inside.
Glynda crossed the room briskly, her heels clicking against the cold floor, before stopping at the far end from the door.
"Alright, delinquents," she said sharply, enough to cut glass, "sit."
Quin slipped out of Revenant's grip, rubbing his wrist as he wandered over, dropping into one of the chairs, the legs scraping faintly against the floor.
Revenant didn't follow right away.
"You sure this is safe?"
"Probably,"
She stared at a corner with little mouse droppings.
"What? You asked if it were safe, not if it were clean."
"Fantastic." Revenant slouched into the chair with a heavy thud, arms resting on her knees as she tried to ignore the 'fantastic' hygiene.
A few minutes would go by as Quin teetered his chair to the edge, leaning back so far he could've fallen at a mere sneeze.
What could he say? He was bored.
When's Ozzie gonna sh- oh there he is.
The door opened as Ozpin stepped in, steaming mug in one hand, tablet balanced in the other. He hummed softly, dull eyes scanning the screen before sliding the tablet atop the table.
Slamming the chair down, Quin leaned forwards, craning his neck to see:
It was a news story.
Following a violent late-night shootout in the industrial district, authorities have confirmed the discovery of a White Fang hideout amongst a series of warehouses. Over a dozen individuals were taken into custody at the scene, while numerous others were pronounced dead.
The Vale Police Department has released photographs of the captured suspects, lined up in the harsh light of floodlamps, some still wearing the group's distinctive masks.
Officials say the building had been heavily fortified and stocked with enough munitions to arm a small militia.
Identification of the deceased is still underway due to vicious acidic burns and crushing and collapsed sections barring any early identifiers. Several of the injured have been transported to Vale General Hospital under armed guard, while the surviving suspects face charges ranging from illegal arms possession to terrorism.
Witnesses in nearby blocks reported hearing sustained gunfire and explosions well past midnight, describing the scene as "a warzone."
Authorities have yet to confirm what sparked the firefight, but early statements hint at a third party being involved in the incident.
Oooo, they work quick.
Ozpin didn't look up immediately, still looking at the news play out, the steam curled lazily from his mug.
"Quin Moreno..." he lifted up his gaze, placing the hot cocoa down beside the tablet. "...it seems we have a lot more to discuss."
"So soon? I thought I'd get some pastries ag- okay, not the time." Quin immediately back tracked following another glare from Glynda.
Revenant perked up at the prospect of pastries.
Next time, Revvie, next time.
Quin scratched the back of his neck. "Okay, so- funny story -I maybe, kinda, sorta needed… y'know, land for my magic to work and I thought, well… no one was gonna miss the White Fang, right?"
Glynda's stare didn't soften, if anything, it calcified into something that could strip paint.
"That's the problem, you didn't think."
"Hey, I totally did."
Just... not a whole lot.
Ozpin's voice cut in. "You do realize, Mister Quin, that you could have simply asked for a parcel of unused land from Beacon's own holdings?"
Quin paused. "Wait, you've got spare land just lying around?"
"A considerable amount," Ozpin replied, sipping his coffee without breaking eye contact. "None of which require a gunfight, several arrests, and a police report to obtain."
"Fuuuuu–"
"Language." Glynda snapped her crop against the table.
Revenant eyed where it landed, before glancing up at the witch... staaaaaaaare.
Ozpin's gaze lingered on the doll, tracing the extraordinary ball joints. "And who is this? Another one of your… creations?"
Quin swallowed, glancing at her nervously. "You could say that… she's a bodyguard."
Revvie's fingers tightened on his wrist for a moment.
"And a friend-"
She released him.
Gods, remind me women are scary.
The professors eyes softened just slightly, though the weight behind them didn't lift an inch. "I see… well, Mister Quin, it seems you'll be needing some supervision, having already faced some of the most dangerous criminals of humanity within three days of arriving here."
"Can I… ask for Qrow?"
"We'll see." Ozpin's lips twitched, almost like a smile, before giving Goodwitch a curt nod.
Glynda straightened, heels clicking against the floor as she made her way towards the door, while Ozpin grabbed the cocoa and followed.
Quin, watching them leave, half-muttered to himself, "So… what now?"
"You go get a good night's rest," Glynda called back without turning, harsh but not too unkind. "A temporary guard will be posted come morning."
He let out a long, defeated sigh, slumping back into the chair as the door clicked shut behind them.
------
The door to the apartment groaned as Quin pushed it open, a tired, welcome sound that seemed to sigh along with him. The air inside smelled faintly of dust and mold, a strange comfort after the blood filled chaos they've orchestrated earlier.
His jacket fell to the floor with a dull thump, boots leaving streaks across the worn wood as he nor Revvie didn't spare a glance for the couch.
No, the bed called to him like a siren, and he answered without hesitation.
Revenant followed, her movements more deliberate than tired. She stepped over a discarded carving from the stone imp, stray pieces of clothing that she'd 'forgotten' to fold, finally letting herself collapse onto the bed beside him.
Quin flopped back, arms and legs splaying into a star, staring up at the ceiling as though it might explain the last day.
"Yeah… bed's definitely better than sitting upright. Don't even think about arguing, Revvie," he murmured.
Revenant made a soft hum, be it agreement or amusement, he wasn't too sure.
...
"We forgot the men in jail, didn't we?"
"Fortunately."
"...They'll be fiiiine"
---
The Jail
---
The Vorpal Chicken shuffled in its chains, eyes darting around the cell... plotting an escape, or judging everything it saw.
After a long, thoughtful pause, it fluffed its feathers, puffed out its chest, and let out a single cacophonic BAWK.
The chains cracked, forming hairline fractures along the metal.
2281 Words
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I may or may not have procrastinated, however, Rejoice for I have posted a chapter!
Decided to just get the consequences done this time around, then introduce more cast interactions in the next chapter! Already halfway done with the next chapter when writing this end.