5Somewhere else in the more shady parts of Vale, specifically, underneath a nightclub named "Iceberg Lounge," Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot, more known by the nickname "Penguin," sat in his office with a cigar in his mouth and a somber but angry look on his face. On his desk was a picture of him and his two children, Scarla and Finn, both when they were young and their mother still alive and well. Losing her was one thing, but losing Finn added to the weight he was starting to let go.
"Damn it all!" Oswald slammed his fist on his desk, leaving a crack where his hand had struck. He knows success comes with sacrifices but why was his' so severe? Is this a test by the gods above? No, he taught Finn his ways since childhood, and the same went for his daughter, Scarla. He wouldn't easily be bested, or so he had thought. His face contorted into a snarl. They would find who did this, and he and her daughter would see to it that their body be buried unrecognizable, leaving their loved ones distraught, or dead.
Back in the mountains of Solitas, a rather peculiar settlement had formed at the foot of the mountain, right where a cave should have been. Walls as tall as a large tree, made of concrete and metals alien to this world, as do the buildings. And in one of those buildings, a few Grimm near disintegration were suspended in capsules filled with formalin. Some were fed Redlight, while the others took in Blacklight via attached tubes. Two scientists overlooked everything going on inside the facility.
"Coffee, Shelton?" Asked a tall, blonde man, holding two mugs in his hand. Shelton Westcott accepted one and took a sip, not drawing his gaze away from the monster before him.
"Thank you, Mr. Langley." West turned back to the older scientist. "Please, drop the formalities," Royale replied, standing beside him with a smile as they watched the bipedal creature spasm in intervals.
"Everything has been going according to plan," Langley says as they walk along the tubes and the occasional worker, smiling as they pass by. Ever since Alex's defeat, Heller was a nice change of pace. He cared about his family and the good of the people, although he was perceptive and easily knew of ill intentions, peaceful negotiations were more manageable without someone dying. Kind of. So long as they didn't harm his daughter, all is well. Now eight years later, and with much consideration, Blackwatch and Gentek have merged under a new name: Vanguard Enterprise. A new and reformed company, solely focused on bright ideas, development, and the good of the people.
That is what the public would say. They haven't strayed far from their old ways. Although the portal was merely a side project during Alex's reign by a group of scientists led by Langley and Westcott. But when the higher-ups saw its success and its potential, they slightly shifted their focus toward the unknown. It was a gold mine, but they had instead struck diamonds, a habitable planet almost similar to Earth. And to top it all off, undiscovered resources were waiting to be found underneath the soil. Arcanite is one of those.
West nodded in response, running a hand down an empty tube beside him. "It has, and our research on these creatures has skyrocketed since we began. Soon, we can use these beasts; We only need to name them." Westcott added with a chuckle, Langley laughing alongside him. It was bizarre. They all have the same features though their appearance resembles those of animals like wolves, snakes, and gorillas.
They had discovered Arcanite when one soldier stumbled upon a vein of yellow Arcanite as the base was being built. Curious, the man touched the vein and immediately felt a tinge of electricity go through his arm. Upon further inspection, the cave the portal had taken them to was filled with these crystals. Through trial and error, they finally succeeded in extracting the Arcanite. These crystals would be sought after by the other countries, Arcanite was what humankind had been searching for.
Langley thought of a name, taking a sip of coffee. "How about… Project Nyx." They stopped in their tracks, Westcott pondering the suggestion. He smiled.
"Hmm, that would do."
Hearing the chirps of birds outside woke me up, the light of the sun shining through the slit of the tent's entrance. I looked around to find my phone to check the time. I froze on the spot when I couldn't find it near my pillow, which was where I'd normally keep it. 'Wait. Where is it?' I patted myself down. It wasn't on me either. Then realization dawned on me the moment Alex spoke.
~You left…~ 'I left it back on Patch, didn't I?' I took his long silence as a yes. Running to a brisk pace out of the tent, the vestiges of sleep immediately disappeared the moment I punched and knocked over a tree, Blacklight instinctively lashed out and chopped another tree as I pulled on my hair and gritted my teeth in frustration.
I calmed down after a brief period. There wasn't any benefit to being angry like this, I should do better. Be better. 'Damnit, I should mutate the virus to block off any emotion. Then again, how would I have the motivation to keep going? Or feel the affection and praise of another person?' I stood there in silence, not knowing what to do.
I'm brooding again. I should do something else to keep me busy.
No, that phone has pictures on it. My pictures. Pictures I won't let go of easily. Then it's settled. I'll have to run back to Patch. I turned back towards my tent. I could crash for a few nights with them, and I could ask for Ruby's help with a weapon as I had intended. But the camping stuff I bought would be a waste.
~Let's answer the bigger question: do we enroll or not?~ Oh right, Ozpin's offer.'I'm helping him either way. The thing is that I hated school. Now I'm bored of it. The only things I need to know about are Grimm and Dust. And I mean no offense to Dr. Oobleck but history is… ~Unnecessary?~
'No, not that, It is useful in a way. It's just that anybody barely takes it seriously. And we don't even need to talk about combat class.' ~There is one teacher you haven't talked about.~ 'Miss Thumbelina Peach? I know her; the only thing I don't know is the subject she teaches: Some say it's biology, others say she's a therapist.'
There, all my stuff is stowed away. I dust off my hands, observing the amazing handiwork I've done. ~Dude, you call this amazing? The poles of the tent are sticking out of the bush.~ 'Well, genius, what do you suggest we do?' ~Bury it somewhere!~ 'Oh.' ~Jesus, you can be dumb sometimes. Hopefully, this doesn't bite us in the back.~ 'Stop, you're gonna jinx it.' Now it's all buried. I wipe the sweat off my brow. 'Anywho, we get food first then head out?' ~Sure. So where to? It's your call.~
Well, here we are. Only took a few minutes of running. The place seemed like your average family-run establishment. Its name was Lumin Lounge. It didn't look out of place from the surrounding buildings, same as for the inside.
Despite the name, the place wasn't too fancy or casual. It was like they mixed old-school American-style diners and bars, then added a hint of European charm. The place felt cozy and inviting, plants were decorating the walls along with shelves displaying various items from family pictures to mementos, only a few stood out: a family tree on one wall and another with pictures of winners of a challenge for daring customers.
The place didn't look too busy, so I chose to sit at a booth near one of the windows. A minute passed by when I took a look at the menu. The server was someone I kind of expected, but it was enough to catch me off guard. It was Yang, wearing a fitted white button-up blouse. Over it, she had a black waistcoat with a feminine cut on, and paired with those, was a skirt reaching just below her knees. To top it all off, she wore a black bowtie and low heels.
Her eyes widened slightly before maintaining her composure with a professional but warm smile, "Hey Colby, what can I get you?" I always feel weird about her voice, because every time she speaks, it's like music to my ears, so I get shivers down my spine very often. I shook the thought away. Meeting her here feels way too convenient. Maybe that's just the voices talking, not sure.
Skimming over the menu again, I reply. "Can I have the, uhh… Spaghetti Bolognese, with one Apple Pie and a Cookies n' Cream Milkshake?" She started jotting down my order with a notepad she procured from her waistcoat, Yang made sure to double-check to see if she got it all. "Okay, just sit tight, and we'll have it out for you in a couple of minutes." And with that, she slipped away to the kit–
~Damn, she looks good in that.~ 'ZIP IT, PARASITE!' Letting out a long, and exasperated sigh, I covered the smile and blush on my face with my hands. 'I swear to god Alex, stop. I'm being serious.' ~Why? We both know you've thought of her like that before we arrived.~He laughed. I wanted to deny it so bad, but he wasn't wrong. And I regret every single thought, except for the more wholesome ones.
A couple of minutes passed by in silence. Something was gnawing at the back of my mind since we got here, so I voiced it. 'Alex, not to ruin the mood, but what if Blackwatch and Gentek are already here?' He fell quiet. If it's about those two, he'll be like this. Serious. ~It's possible. I'm not going to sugarcoat it. They had eight years to do something about the virus they created but nothing happened then. They might have even established a base already if they were here. Our planet's been suffering, so for them to be searching for resources to sustain humanity isn't far-fetched. And what do they find? Another habitable planet of untold possibilities.~
'Seems like they've changed goals. First bioweapons now suddenly wanting to help people?' ~Bios are their forte, they'll make weapons out of the Grimm, maybe even people. Aura is still something they don't know… yet. And no matter what they show or say to the public, they'll always do what they're good at underneath the curtains. The best we can do is wipe them out and leave no trace of their work behind.~ 'Right.'
"Something on your mind?" A voice beside me asked, setting down a plate of spaghetti in front of me. I turned to look at Yang, I smiled meekly. "Yeah, but nothing too crazy." I waved it off as she placed the Milkshake on the table. I thanked her for the meal as she continued, tending to the other customers.
Hmm, the cookies and cream they serve here taste better than Dairy Queen's ice cream by a long shot. Picking up the fork, I take a sizable bite out of the spaghetti. The thick and rich sauce tastes heavenly paired with the pasta, which was well cooked. I can make something better than this, but I can give credit where credit is due.
I waited… And waited. For what seemed like a century. Since I didn't want to be a bother, I opted to wait for Yang outside on a nearby bench, fiddling with a Lien coin between my fingers till her shift was over. ~Oi, you've been ignoring me for the past hour, talk to me, please. You know I was just teasing about the two of you having rough s–~
'STOP! Keep the rest of that sentence to yourself, Alex, I'm not hearing any of it! Ever!' I sneered, letting the coin drop to the ground. I don't have the exact words to describe
it, but I swear Alex has been nothing but a situational nuisance, one minute he'll be messing with me then the next he'd be all serious.
Another minute passed, mentally bickering back and forth that I almost forgot the world around me. "Something is bothering you," A voice told me, their hand outstretched, a coin in their palm. "You also dropped this." That brought me out of my stupor, I saw Yang was the voice, of course, it was her, who else would I be expecting?
She wore a tan jacket unlike what she usually wore, its sleeves reaching to her wrists. Underneath she wore a yellow tank top slightly tucked into gray jogging pants, its sides lined white, along with her sneakers. She had a pair of shades and a goldish choker around her neck for accessories. Her emblem hung from the side of her pants with a loose leather strap, like those chains people put on their jeans.
Now I like her other outfit, but her wearing this surprised me. She looked absolutely stunning, beautiful even, as she sat beside me with a slightly concerned look. "We might not be that close but you can tell me." Her outfit so took me aback that It took a second for me to register what she said.
"O-Oh! Sorry, spaced out a bit there." She raised a brow, a sly grin showing on her lips. I scratched the back of my head. Then a shade of red dusted my cheeks, not knowing what to say. Deep breath in… and out. "So… have you seen that weird fireball they mentioned on the news?"
"Yeah we watched it last night, why do you ask?" 'So they won't get to it first and you finding out what I am, though that will happen. Maybe today.' "I was thinking of finding it and taking a look, might have something useful…" I paused to rub my arm, "So I was wondering if you'd like to come with me? It's okay if you don't want to."
She seemed to be contemplating my question, and after a few more seconds she replied with a confident smile, "Why not? Haven't been to a crash site before, so we might as well." 'I was hoping you'd say no.' I slightly grimaced. Here's to hoping she takes it well. "So are we going now?" "Yep."
Yang stood up from the bench and walked to the restaurant's parking lot where her bike was. Bumblebee. A good bike that met a tragic, but heroic end. Above Adam's dead body in a river. She put her helmet on and hopped on. I did the same, resting my feet on the footrests. As she started the vehicle, I immediately got uncomfortable not knowing where I should have my hands to be.
"This your first time on a bike?" The blonde brawler asked, somehow noticing my unease. "U-Uh no, the only people I've ridden a bike with are my parents." She hummed, "Okay, just hold on to my stomach. You better not try anything funny alright?" ~Ooh I feel a blush comin'.~ ignoring the invasive voice ~Hey!~ I reluctantly wrapped my arms around her stomach. I froze for a second when she talked with a teasing tone, "Ooh, cuddles already? We haven't even known each other yet." I expected it and fell for it. The blush on my face returned tenfold, and I'm sure as hell she was grinning underneath that helmet. I didn't even get the chance to reply before we sped off from the lot, on the way to Patch.
I'm back! I've got nothing much to say here other than I'll be splitting this into two parts since I've been putting this on hold for a while now. So this felt like a good place to finish it for now. Curse you Procrastination!
So yeah, I'll see you guys in a few weeks. Hopefully. Bye!