178So apologies for the long pause in posting. If you wanna know what's up or wanna know about the status of my other fics go check out my bio for a full explanation.
If the story of Jaune Arc, student of Beacon, was pathetic then his tale as a regular citizen of Vale was equally unimpressive. At least that's what he was pretty sure of as he sat at a lonely train station waiting for the last ride out of town. With all the len in his pocket he'd made the last two days begging for spent on a ticket and a cheap meal he was happy that it was over.
He'd heard that the higher you were the harder the fall was, and there was nowhere higher than the towers of Beacon in this city. A month ago someone had spilled that his records were fake and he'd been out on his ass the same day. If he wagered a guess it was probably his partner Pyrrha, only she knew outside of Cardin. While Cardin had seemed a prime candidate some things didn't add up. Cardin was blackmailing him and had asked him for something big before a planned trip to the forever forest the next morning so why would he out his homework bitch? Honestly, though it could have been anyone with two eyes and a brain cell to know he was a fraud, he thought bitterly as he slumped deeper into the bench he was waiting on.
At first, he'd been mad, but he'd probably been done a favor. It wasn't like Hunters helped kids cross the street after all. He'd have been killed at the first sign of trouble at best. More likely he'd just get someone else killed on top of it. Probably one of his teamates. No wonder Pyrrha canned him.
If Beacon was a wound then Vale was the dirt in it. Maybe somebody reached out to him on his scroll but he'd sold it for len to make his way in the city. He'd still held onto his stupid dreams of being a hunter with the anger of his expulsion fueling him before the reality of him just being a complete loser set in. Stupid thoughts of getting a trainer or maybe striking out on his own to become a hunter had set into his head. Really he should have called it quits right then. First, he'd gone out to the local Hunter office in search of easy jobs but had been laughed out. He'd gotten a job as a barista next only to spill too many drinks and mix up too many orders before he was fired. After that, he'd gotten onto a construction crew with a bunch of older Fanus but they hadn't gotten on with him at all. Something about humans muscling on the few good jobs. Two days in some missing gear was blamed on him and he was out. After that, all he could do was sell his blood at a clinic. It was next to nothing and the place he was renting on a weekly basis kicked him out. From there he was living on the streets. Still, he refused to give up and slept in a dirty alley while looking for work. It was a miserable experience, he'd never known what it was to be truly hungry and wet until those two weeks. Finally, someone stole his sword and armor one night while he slept and that was just it. Curling up he'd just cried like the loser he finally knew he was. That was two days ago and he'd spent every minute sense begging for cash to get out of this shitty town.
Better to be the loser Arc child again than starving he supposed, as he turned his head to see three men enter his lonely platform. They were dressed almost as ratty as he was in his worn Pumpkin Pete hoody and jeans. Turning away he looked at the clock that adorned the ticket booth. It was a quarter to midnight. A quarter to his train and a quarter ago that the ticket master had shut down everything and headed off.
Letting out a sigh his was mind was amiss with what the hell he'd tell his parents. He hadn't even talked to any of them since running away. How would he face his no doubt furious father and explain the loss of his prized sword? He was sure his mother would hug him and tell him everything would be ok but the disappointed looks and stinging questions about what'd do with his life would come like a whip in the coming weeks. Those hushed whispers amongst his sisters about their idiot brother's failings would always remind him of his stupid dreams.
"Rough night?"
Lost in his misery he didn't even realize that one of the three men had stepped in front of him. He was a large imposing faunus with a large scar across his face and a pair of large bat ears on his head denoting his heritage.
"Rough month." He replied honestly. From the corner of his eye, he looked for the man's friends only to make out one farther away smoking while facing the road to the station. That put him a bit at ease, knowing that he wasn't being surrounded for a mugging.
"I hear you" the faunus laughed. "Smoke?" he offered as he pulled a pack from his pocket.
Jaune honesty considered it for a second. He was a shit bag, why not smoke? However, he didn't need another thing for his family to pick on him for. "No thanks."
"Shame." the faunus said as he put them back. "A guys gotta have something to numb this city." He shot his eyes up to something past Jaune and gave a nod.
Before Jaune could even look at what it was a muscled hand wrapped itself around his throat and pulled him against the chair while cutting off his oxygen. Fear and panic shoot through him as his breath was stolen only to turn to disorientation and pain as the meaty fist of the first man crashed against face.
Found the third man.
His head rocked back at another blow.
Guess this is it.
The edges of his vision darkened as another blow crashed down.
Like a loser….
The next blow felt softer
"Ahhhhh"
NOT LIKE THAT DAMMIT
The man beating him brought his hand back in pain as hot rage and aura burned as Jaune's face transformed from soft flesh to the hardness of steel.
"Whaa?" his strangler got out before Jaune put his hand arm only to twisted with the force of a hydraulic press.
The inhuman scream that came pierced the night as Jaune broke the bones in the man's arm in two.
Now free from the bench Jaune shot up only to fall forward while he wretched for air as an adrenaline high like he'd never felt before made his legs feel shaky. His first attacker took advantage and smashed a foot into his face sending him rolling over.
"You fucker!" his attacker screamed.
Taking his second breath in what felt like hours Jaunes vision focused in time to see another kick coming his way. For less than a second, it looked like Cardin's mace coming for the finishing blow as it had so many times before.
Fuck
It smashed down to the ground landing flat on the cement as its target was out of reach with a roll. Looking to what the fuanus had pegged an easy mark he saw the boy get up with amazing speed.
The thing about getting knocked down so much was that one learned to get back up fast. And if Jaune's time in Beacon had taught him anything it was definitely how to get knocked down.
For a second the large bat fuanus and Jaune's eyes met only to show madness born of rage in both. The thought of flight from the situation lost to fight as both charged forward.
Aura may have fueled Jaune to inhuman levels but it meant little as all three hundred pounds of the massive man dropped into a tackle and sent them both to the ground. The bat wasted no time in pinning him down with his weight and raining blows upon Jaune.
Once again his time losing at Beacon saved him as he brought his hand up to defend. Strong as steel the hits bounced off with little effect except for the glint of aura.
"Beacon fuck." The man raged. "Can't beat you to death then." His arms shot out and wrapped around Juane's throat. "Can't block this!" he screamed.
The fear of choking again ignited the most primal of instincts inside him his hand reached out and grabbed the first thing it could. Their eyes once again locked and for the first time, the attacker's face showed fear.
Blood sprayed across Jaune's face and an inhuman scream rang out for the second time that night. In his right hand, he clutched one of the large faunus ears, free from the man's head.
Reeling in pain and shock the scared faunus' hand went to his missing ear giving Jaune the opportunity to throw him off. Scrambling atop him he found himself in the same position the now injured man had been in. Raining blows down Jaune managed three before he realized that the man had stopped moving after the first punch.
Waiting for another second to see if the man moved he watched as ragged breath came but nothing else from his attacker. Finally content he stood up and looked around. For a second he feared another fight only to see that the man's friends had run at the resistance he'd put up.
At that moment all his energy left him and he half fell half slumped back onto the bench he'd started on. Taking a breath he just sat there for a minute looking at the body laid out before.
Guess I should call the police.
His hand reached for his scroll only to be reminded he didn't have one.
"Police! Hands up!"
Well, that's convenient.
Putting his hands up he watched as two cops circled around him from behind. A female officer pointed a taser at him while an older male officer had his gun drawn.
"What happened?" the female asked.
Looking down at his hands Jaune realized he still had the ear in his hand. He'd never let go or noticed. More tired than he'd ever felt his brain malfunctioned and a smile graced his face.
"He lost his head." he joked as he threw the ear onto the unconscious Fanus with a wet smack.
"Get on the ground." the female braked non-to impressed with his joke.
That kicked Jaune's brain into action as he finally realized his situation. Welp, I'm an idiot and going to jail he thought as he went to get on the ground.
"Belay that." the older officer barked. "Weapons away."
"What?" the policewoman asked confused.
"Don't you know who this is rookie?" The confused look on the woman's face answered back. "This is that son of a bitch that killed SGT Marcus last month."
"Holy shit! It is!" she looked back at Jaune "You got this guy?"
From his spot still on the bench, Jaune waved his very bloody hand. The older cop let out a loud laugh as the rookie turned red at her mistake.
"You that Beacon dropout?" the man asked after his laugh at his partner.
"Ummm, yeah." Jaune answered surprised.
"Shit, I've heard of you."
"You have?" Jaune asked confused. He hadn't realized he was such a massive loser that random cops noticed him.
"Yeah you're that Beacon dropout bounty hunter. I thought you were just some punk ass but this guy was big time."
"Ummm…" Jaune made to correct the officer before the younger woman savagely kicked the bat fuanus in the ribs.
"What the fuck Lana?!" The man hollered.
"What?" The woman looked confused "We've been talking about what we'd do to this fucker for weeks"
The man pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration " Not in front of people dipshit." He looked back at Jaune with a complicated expression on his face, as if he was waiting for something with worry.
Sucking in saliva a mucus Jaune sent a loogie into the mugger's face with the aim of a trained sniper as his response.
Both cops laughed as the tension was relieved. A part of Jaune knew he should have been more concerned at the police brutality going on before him but a bigger part was really saying fuck that guy. At this moment he hated nobody more.
"You're alright kid." The senior officer proclaimed giving a solid slap on the back. "I take it you'll want the payment now?" He asked taking out a small PDA from his cargo pocket.
Jaune shot him a look of confusion in response.
"Your scroll." The officer hinted.
"Don't have one." He answered.
"It's your lucky day I got a bounty chit." He said as he pulled out a small puck about two inches wide and half an inch thick with one side coved in plastic while the rest was metal.
The confused look still stayed on Jaune's face.
"You are new, aren't you?"
"You could say that." he replied with a straight face.
"Hell of a catch for a rookie." The policewoman he now knew as Lana commented while stamping down on the mugger's hand.
The other officer rolled his eyes "Anyways, this is a bounty chit. Some of the old-timers carry them. When you get a perp, get an officer to pick them up and they'll use this PDA to sign the catch to you and lock it with your thumbprint on this plastic side. That'll lock in the catch, then just go to any precinct and the officer on duty will cash you out and clear the chit for another bounty." The officer explained as he logged the catch into his PDA and the chit. "OK just scan your thumb." He finished before offering it to Jaune.
Taking it a bit hesitantly he held his thumb over the scanner for a second before pressing it down until it beeped. There wasn't really any downside to taking it, and besides, it might not be a great idea to let these slightly dirty cops onto him not being some big bounty hunter.
"You could also just get an app on your scroll and just log it there." Lana chipped in, still giving a causal kick now and then.
"You could use the app" The other officer confirmed. He gave him another look over as if searching for something else and Jaune didn't think a loogie was the answer this time. The man seemed to decide on something before looking Jaune in the eyes with a serious look.
"I'll level with you. Most bounty hunters are little better than the perps and half of them are dumb as grimm. You aren't. You disguised yourself as homeless and half-starved to look like a juicy target, so you got brains. You're ruthless as shit and know how to play ball with us. That's rare in my book."
"Yep, that's me. Smart, ruthless, and totally not homeless." he laughed nervously. He was already in this, not exactly the time to change stories now.
The officer took out a notepad and wrote down a number and the name Dan above it before giving it to Jaune. "Get yourself a scroll and give text me your info. I have a feeling we can help each other out."
As Jaune put Dan's number into his back pocket Lana took out her own notebook. "And you can have mine too. You know, in case you lose that one." she said with a big smile.
"Don't worry, I won't lose this." He didn't know if he'd ever use the number, it wasn't like he was a real bounty hunter, but he didn't want these two to think he'd be so clumsy as to lose a phone number. So he was a bit confused when Lana gave him a hurt look.
"Semi-smart" Dan chuckled.
Before he could figure out what that all meant his train finally pulled into the station. Standing up he took a step towards it. "We done?" He asked.
"We'll write up the story. Gonna need to explain this guy's bones. So we're done if you are here."
"Yeah, I'm-" Done? Was he done here? Fifteen minutes ago he'd been. Done with Vale. Done with Beacon. Done with his dreams.
Looking back to the city he could see the lights of Beacon glitter above the city. A jewel in the crown of the city that had taken so much from him; his pride, his dreams of being a hunter, and every material thing except for the clothes off his back. It'd just tried to take his life and definitely his confidence in Vale PD. Was that a place he wanted to be? What more would it take if he didn't get on this train he wondered.
Looking back to the train he knew his parents would forgive him one day. He would at least have the silver lining of bagging a murderer, and in Ansel that would make him probably one of the most worldly people in town. He'd come home with some pride and adventure to his name. Besides, he could always become a farmer.
Stepping towards the train the cops stepped aside. Before he reached the train he stopped and looked at the crumpled body he'd laid out. Crouching down he reached into the pockets of the murderer and pulled out the pack he'd been offered earlier and a zippo as the police watched without complaint.
Looking at the pack it read Huff and Puff and had somehow not been crushed. Pulling out a cig he put it to his lips. Flicking the zippo he lit it up as he watched the train close its doors before it started to pull out of the station.
The thing about getting knocked flat time and time again is you learn how to get back up he thought as he inhaled.
"Didn't figure you for a smoker," Dan commented.
"Hey, guys gotta have something to numb this city."
So really excited to have time to write again and I've been kicking around this idea for a while. I'm hoping to get serious about this too and hope to update this frequently, now I see your eye roll if you've followed my other stuff but this fic has one big advantage. It's actually plotted out. The other fics are all made by the seat of my pants (usually half-drunk) during random bursts of good ideas. This has led to me either putting myself into a corner creatively or being hesitant to put ideas to paper (screen, but semantics). So I'm hoping that something well planned out will help this.
As for the story itself, this is going to be a PI/detective story with solid humor aspects throughout. While I have the plot pretty solid input is always appreciated and at some point, I'll need to find a beta reader when I get the chance. Again if your wondering about my other fics info is in my bio. But yeah tell me what you think I'm a terrible judge of my own stuff.
Edit: So I'm planning to use this story to gauge the weakness and strengths of my writing. Hopefully, I can use those notes for the re-writes and continuation of previous fics. So if you find something annoying, or you can't stomach this fic for one reason or another, I'd really appreciate it if you PM me about it or leave a review. On the other hand, feel free to point out anything you've consistently enjoyed about my writing.