Live and Let Live (3)

"My centre is giving way, my right is retreating, situation excellent, I am attacking." – Marshal Ferdinand Foch, WW1.

Chapter 4: Live and Let Live (3)

Oh sweet numbness, how much I had (NOT) missed you.

But I guess that is the best outcome from what had happened before I lost consciousness, especially since getting my arm almost chopped off would have easily ended up with me die by bloodloss.

That wouldn't have been funny, especially since I kind of want to have a long life and die by old age. Is it wrong for me to be worried of losing things up because of some ill-fortunate encounter.

I mean, I bet my current Karma has to have reached some cosmic balance the moment I denied Raven's stabby attitude with my pellet policy. Now that was a really funny thought that will make me gloat over that predicament.

Yet I don't think that it has been a worthwhile exchange, knowing that the woman was resilient and had Aura to protect herself from the blast and the resulting flight throught the forest.

Speaking of Big Bird, I was quite sure that she actually didn't get hold over my numbed body after I passed out.

How did I knew that? Well, when my touch perceived the smooth texture of good bed covers and when my thinking proves that I was far from dead, I think I would be right by saying that I wasn't being held hostage by the Branwen tribe.

My eyelids opened slowly, it felt like I was trying to open some massive doors and... I stared at the confusing ceiling. I was inside a tent, a very clean one if the lack of stains were to be taken into account.

The first thing I turned my attention to was my left arm. The limb was still attached to my body but it was also heavily bandaged and still numb from Gods know how many painkillers.

But I counted myself lucky as I knew it could have ended far worse and-

Footsteps approached and soon a short figure entered inside the tent.

Blue eyes widening in surprise, a twitching mouth and pancakes falling on the ground, I barely had enough time to brace myself as the small missile known as 'Nora Valkyrie' jumped onto my chest.

Air forcibly leaving my poor lungs, the ribs having yet to recover from the previous impact with Raven's legs, I managed just a shaky smile as she looked up in surprise and mortification, remembering that I was injured.

She was about to jump off when my sluggish arm reached for her head and I patted it. The effect was immediate as the girl froze at the contact, eyes wide open in shock at the situation before starting to slowly melt as I caressed her hair.

"B-But doesn't it hurt?" Her question was legitimate as I was unaware of the full extent of my inner injuries.

Still, I couldn't help but manage a small smile. "It doesn't."

"You are flinching." She stated with utter certainity and I truly was. There was a small pain coming from the spot the girl had chosen but I was capable of enduring it all for a while.

"I am, yes." She hummed quietly, her mind trying to find a comeback to my cool attitude but she ended up with a simple shrug.

"So what happened while I was sleeping?" Her smile returned full-force as she straddled on the covers.

"Nice people took us in their camp and gave us food and water. They are all friendly and- they have cute ears."

… "You mean like animal ears?" At her nodding at my query, I started to think about this development. This camp was owned by a Faunus comunity but… what kind of comunity are we talking about?

World of Remnant never mentioned Faunus-only settlements outside of Menagerie and I was quite sure that this wasn't even a permanent one. The tents were the same kind people used for temporary camps and I was slowly getting convinced that this was the case.

"And they are here because they were going back home after a…" Nora scrunched her face as she couldn't voice out the last word.

"Do you need-" "N-No, I got this! It was something about… a streak?" I admit I had an amused smile as she tried and failed to get the right word out.

"Do you mean 'strike'?" She blinked and nodded, making me sigh and pause once more.

It was at this moment that Bukharin knew, he was half-screwed.

As if on cue, another sets of footsteps reached the entrance of the tent and… Ren stopped to stare at me and Nora.

"Good morning?" He whispered, his voice almost lost before reaching my ears.

I smiled. "Good morning."

As soon as I returned the greeting I saw a shadow approaching. "Ren, is everything al-right." The young woman proceeded to repeat the same pause the pink-eyed child took, amber eyes fixed on my form.

Kali Belladonna was holding a little sleeping girl, one that sported a pair of cat ears like hers. Blake, as a kid, was adorable.

"Good morning?" This time I tried to start the approach, feeling like there was much more than I was completely unaware of.

I was brought by a Dog Faunus in the Chieftain's tent, much larger than the one I had woken up into and with piles of books lying around.

Ghira Belladonna was a very intimidating individual to sit in front of.

Mind you, it wasn't the fact he was a Panther Faunus with claws and enchanted senses that scared me the most.

It was his height and size.

I would consider myself to be an average young man, tall 5'8, with a mediocre physicial state (No muscles, but not fat either). Being brought face to face with someone this massive, no matter the circumstances, was kind of distressful for someone that has survived two near-death experiences.

But my worries vanished the moment he started to spoke.

"It's good to see you recovering, Mr. Bukharin." I felt a tense note as he said my 'name' and I kind of felt sweating for a moment. I was stuck in a wheelchair made of wood because of how heavy the casting around my wounded arm was, 'crippling' any chances of moving as quick as I wanted to.

"Thank you and I want to express my gratitude for having helped me and the kids-" "Nonsense. It was what any good individual would have done."

He nodded in my direction to emphasize that he mean it. Now that I looked at him, skipping the whole 'younger' skit, Ghira looked less stressed than how he was showed in the series.

Could it be because there was no Sienna and Adam stirring extremism within the White Fang?

It was a strong possibility, especially since it would make things a little less difficult. I didn't have to worry about getting attacked by White Fang grunts… yet.

"Mr. Bukharin, I hope you understand that I need to ask you a couple of questions." Concern present in his tone, I merely sighed in defeat.

While I was known with the name 'John Bukharin' to those who asked, I was certainly not registered anywhere as such. But the very thing that screwed my cover was possibly the content of my wallets, having placed there my ID Card with my real name. "Okay."

He nodded, picking a pair of reading glasses as he controlled right the card I had just mentioned.

"Right here it gives several unknown names, some might be places of birth and your hometown but I can see here that your name is..." He paused, staring up at me with a serious look.

I blinked. "Salvatore." I decided to keep quiet over my last name, feeling that it would be way too unnecessary, and thankfully Ghira understood, passing on the following question.

"What is this 'Repubblica Italiana'?" I was surprised he actually got the pronunciation right, wondering if this was something to do with certain part of Remnant having some resemblances of Italy or Italian.

"It is the nation from which I hail from, sir." He glanced once more, this time to double-check if I was lying or something similar.

His eyes returned back on the paper again, this time confusion hinted in his features.

"What about 'Comune di Palermo'?" Another query…

"It's the city where I lived, sir." ...and another answer.

He finally moved to the other side of the card and smirked. "Interesting signature."

I scowled at the burning weakness on the paper. "I have issue with writing by hand, sir."

Finally the interrogation came to a close the moment I saw Kali entering the tent, little Blake walking close behind while hiding behind her legs. With a quick glance, I knew that she was staring at me with childish curiosity.

"I suppose we can stop here." Ghira said ultimately, smiling as his wife approached him across the small table. "You don't seem a dangerous fellow, 'Mr. Bukharin'."

"I think that would be hardly possible in my conditions, Mr. Belladonna." He was giving a peck on his wife's lips when his eyes shot wide open, his attention brought back to me.

I am an utter moron. Like, why did I even bother surviving in dangerous situations if I was so adept in complicating my life with my blabbering mouth.

"I don't recall having presented myself-" "But I did, hun." Kali interrupted her lover with another kiss on his lips.

...Oh right! Kali did present herself after I greeted her!

Okay about last few comments about myself? I am still an utter moron, but for different reasons.

The taller man seemed to relax at the explanation, embracing his wife and I was left pretty much forgotten.

Wanting to not end up envisioning this scene, I turned my sight away and my eyes fell right on the other individual that wanted out of that particular situation.

Little Blake noticed my stare and she turned to stare back, approaching me slowly.

"Hello."

She didn't reply and I was getting some Dejavu from her silence.

"My name is John Bukharin, may I have your name?" I asked with a curt smile

She returned it with a small one. "No."

I fake-pouted at that. "No?" Then I tilted my head childishly. "Then how will I ever be able to address you?"

She hummed, her cat ears twitching at the entertaining spectacle I was giving her.

"I will tell you… if you join the White Fang!"

…

I have seen so many political ads about joining different parties and movements, but never I had been taken by just a single statement like in that moment.

I proceeded to stretch my free hands toward her. "Deal."

Blake blinked in surprise but her smile widened. "Really?"

I nodded at her and turned to the couple. "Mr. Belladonna. I want to join the White Fang."

The two lovers stopped whatever they were doing to stare in shock at me as if I had grown a second head.

I mean, why it would be weird for a human to join an organisation meant to bring equal rights between Faunus and Mankind?

I admit that this new development had been spurned out of tiredness of being turned into a prey by everything between me and Vale, but I am quite flattered to have become the first and only human to ever join the White Fang.

When this was announced to the camp, everyone dropped their work to look at me as if I was a crazy man, but after some hours had passed and the shock had settled, I was now officially set to go to Menagerie.

So while I was waiting for lunch to be prepared and served, I was calmly watching over some bonfire with Ghira.

The man had given me permission to address him by his first name, fully introducing myself. Blake had done the same but she had also started to ask more about the reasons why I had almost died back then.

I decided to give her an abridged, gore-less version of the tale, managing to avoid any questions from her that could bring up more of the unpleasant experience I had suffered quite recently.

But just as Kali took Blake, Nora and Ren to play away from us, I felt the need to ask something I had long wanted to know.

"If I may ask, Ghira, what happened to the sword that almost killed me?"

The somber question took the man by surprise, his eyes widening once more before settling with a grimace. "We decided to keep it, why do you ask?"

"I was thinking about… taking a 'minor' revenge over my assailant."

"I thought you didn't know who she was." I had indeed left out the fact I knew the identity of my attacker while narrating my 'K-Rated Story' but… I had the perfect reason for it.

"Raven Branwen is kind of a dangerous individual to not know about." He flinched at the name but nodded in agreement. I was sure that Raven had to have already left some impression over Mistral with her ruthlessness and thus have left some infamous reputation to linger around the world.

"The woman is quite the horrible one… but may I inquire what you want to do about her? What kind of revenge you have planned?"

"You may." I replied immediately, giddiness as my plan repeated multiple time in my head and the face Raven was going to have once she learned about what was going to happen. "Let's just say that I wish to mail this sword to someone."

Ghira frowned. "Mail the sword? That sounds… tame."

"It might sound like that without a context, but I do have the proper receiver for this 'gift'."

"And where do you planned to send it?"

I paused, staring at the limpid, blue sky as I smiled madly. "Have you ever heard of Patch?"