78: In a Crime-Ridden Vale

All across Vale, the first snow of the year fell. Chill in the air, white on the streets, it should've been the perfect time to stay inside. But Vale was a city of millions, one of only five major civilization centers on Remnant. It was an axis on which the world revolved. As such, it was lively and bustling even as the year showed its first signs of closure.

A time of closure… But only for the year. There would be another, and another after it, and another after that, and so on. Only a select few knew their world had changed so fundamentally a few months ago. And even fewer still knew that the ones responsible for that hidden change would be leaving with the new year.

Time had continued to pass, as it tends to do. In Beacon, the students learned, reveled in youthful mischief and chaos, and developed lasting bonds that would carry on for their whole lives. And with certain crime-fighting classes coming to a satisfactory head, the unique students who led them were preparing… a sort of test for the peers they taught.

Life in Vale's criminal underworld continued on as well, blissfully unaware of the storm that was gathering nearby. With little to no warning, it would be unleashed upon the city on a night to remember. That night, trade still flowed, shops were still open, clubs and bars had opened their doors, and the newly whitened streets, while not as packed as during daylight hours, were far from empty.

Vale's nightlife was alive and well at the end of the year. But with it came the less savory elements of civilization. There were other settlements in the world of Remnant, but the four Kingdoms' (and Menagerie) namesake cities were where the majority of the world's population resided. And where there were people, there was profit to be found as well. Even (or perhaps especially) in a world with the Grimm-tide, there would be criminals looking to carve out lucrative niches for themselves.

With Aura and the ability to defend oneself widespread by necessity, the usual policing elements of society found themselves hard-pressed to keep up with criminals who were as well, if not better-equipped and more capable than they were. The darker side of that scale held the upper hand for a long, long time. Until they didn't… Until an up-and-coming class of Hunters found themselves willing, able, and actually taught to address the issue…

"Fuck it, we BRAWL!" Yang Xiao Long was one of those up-and-coming Hunters on that memorable night of nights when Vale's criminals learned to fear the newly dubbed 'Hunter Heroes'.

She leaped into the fray with a pun on her lips and the flaming wind of Aura in her hair. A blonde bombshell, bulldozing her way through a group fight that had developed outside one of Vale's clubs. She leaped in to keep the peace, as she'd been taught… but with her own spin on it, through the use of focused and temporarily extreme violence.

She swung left and right, knocking out troublemakers with carefully calculated (as careful as she could be, at least…) blows. As far as Yang was concerned, they were causing trouble in public, starting an unpredictable brawl with the very real chance of things getting out of hand. They knew what they were getting into when they joined the half-drunken melee. So really, they had brought her restrained wrath onto themselves.

Drunk or not-so-drunk, there was no denying their willingness to fight. Yang hadn't started the trouble, after all. She was just swooping in to finish it and put everyone on timeout. If they raised their fists first, Yang knocked 'em down. If they didn't, she gently pushed them to the side and gave them a look that said, 'stay outta this if you know what's good for you.'

Jason would be so proud… He was watching, of course. Part of the BatFam's 'final exam' for their crime-fighting classes at Beacon. The rest of Team BCWT was off with one group of Hunter Heroes or another, but Yang could glance up and see him and Alice doing their usual little dance on the roof of the club.

'Silly Jason,' Yang giggled to herself, 'Roofs are for birds, not people.' It kinda fit, though, with the mating dance those two goobers were still going through… Yang was proud to have played a part in that, but… 'Damn y'all! Pick up the pace! We already ménage à trois'd!'

Yang shook her head as she swung on a guy stupid enough to draw a gun, putting him down a bit harder than the others but still without permanent damage. Those two had to take things at their own pace, even if it was a snail's one. Yang had already done all she could to help the Hard Knock Hunk and his potential Goth GF. The rest was up to them.

What wasn't up to them was Yang's 'peace-keeping' debut. The crowd of troublemakers now sat on their asses around her, awake apart from the worst offenders but completely unwilling to get back up to try her again. Only one dude was left standing, the instigator Yang had saved for last. He stared at her in open-mouthed horror, and Yang took the perfect opportunity to strut her shit.

Hair? Flipped. Gorgeous. Luscious locks, bouncing body, as perfect as perfect can be. Waist? Snatched. Hips? A-swayin'. They didn't lie about a damn thing. Knuckles? Cracked and ready for more. Cocky and carefree smirk that said Yang knew she was the shit that didn't stink? Fucking. Lethal. All combined? As Yang stalked toward the last troublemaker like an Alpha Grimm, he whimpered, pissed himself, and outright fainted on the spot.

Yang couldn't help but grin, "Let's see any of the others beat that debut~!"

IIIII

"I caught this one mid-arson. I caught this one and that one mid-mugging. I caught this one with his pants down and… himself… stuck in the tailpipe of a car. Do not ask. I do not want to know either. I caught this one mid-burglary, hanging halfway out of a third-story window above the street. I do not know how he got up there. I imagine he had help that fled without him, but likely with whatever ladder he was using," Damian listed impassionately.

Ruby gaped at him and squeaked, "He was doing WHAT to a car?!"

"Quite," Damian nodded. "I present to you these rogues, Ruby. Do what you will with them."

"Oh, crepes… Oh, chocolate… Oh, cookies…" Ruby worried. "Where do I even start?"

"At your own pace," Damian consoled. "But a name is likely a good starting line."

"O-Okay…! Hark and listen, evildoers!" Ruby began grandly.

Damian interrupted her, "Hark means listen, Ruby."

"Oh… Then-! Just listen, evildoers! Your time of judgment has come! The noble Supergirl will see you to justice!"

"That name is taken."

"Ah! W-Wondergirl, then…?"

"Also taken."

"The Red Hood?"

"Jason's chosen moniker."

"Err, Huntress?"

"Taken."

"Aww, man… what's even left?"

"Both more and less than you might expect. But perhaps a name isn't the best place to start, after all…"

"Uh…" The Arsonist spoke up. "So what's the deal here? Are we even being arrested?"

"You are, wicked burner," Damian nodded.

"Yeah!" Ruby exclaimed. "Vale has new protectors now! Criminals beware, and all that!"

"Cool, cool," The Arsonist nodded. "Can I ask to be turned in apart from the car fucker, at least?"

"Even I wouldn't be that cruel," Damian said.

"Oh, man…" Ruby groaned. "This debut isn't going anything like I thought it would!"

"They rarely do," Damian commiserated.

IIIII

Blake stared, "… That's an orgy."

It was. Sprawling all throughout one of Vale's parks in the dead of the cold night. The naked participants didn't seem to mind the chill, not when their… activities… kept them warm. Clad in only masks, they looked as if they were trying to fuck and frolick all the way into the new year. Blake didn't know whether to look away… or take notes…

Barbara chuckled, "It happens. More often than you'd think, too. Just be glad it doesn't seem to be a cultish orgy."

"Do we… even have to stop them?" Blake asked. "Having a good time isn't necessarily illegal."

"I think we should herd them inside so they don't catch a chill, at the very least," Barbara advised, amused.

"Ah. Probably a good call. How, though…? I certainly don't want to get myself in the middle of… all that."

"Let's start with asking nicely."

"And when that doesn't work?"

"Well then, we'll be thankful that I'm perfectly prepared for every outcome. I knew this complementary charcuterie board would come in handy for something. Freaks love their cheese and cold cuts."

"… We're going to lure an orgy… back indoors… with fancy finger food…?" Blake asked flatly. "… If nothing else, this debut is certainly turning out to be eventful."

IIIII

"Stop! You've violated the law!" Jaune proclaimed.

"Eat my entire, fat, juicy, black ass, pig!" The dark-skinned, green-haired thief-girl called back over her shoulder.

"Rude~…" Nora pouted, even as Team JNPR gave chase. "Renny, she's being really, really rude!"

"Indeed," Ren nodded. "We should teach the criminal scum some manners."

"No ass is nice enough to excuse manners like that," Pyrrha agreed. "Right, Jaune?"

It took Jaune a moment to reply, shaking his head back into focus when he did, "… Huh? Oh, yeah! I-It's not even that nice…"

"Fearless Leader, no!" Nora exclaimed. "Don't give in to the bouncing, swaying, jiggling, bubble butt corruption!"

"Hmph," Pyrrha huffed and muttered. "… Mine's tighter."

She pulled ahead as she said it just under her breath, quiet enough that Jaune thought he imagined it for a moment. But his eyes were still drawn to his partner's behind as if to put proof to the pudding. Jaune almost tripped ass over end at what he saw.

Pyrrha told no lie. Her ass was, indeed, tighter. Jaune couldn't help but imagine he'd bounce off it. Gods, he kinda wanted to… Was that weird? Did that make him creepy? I mean… It was right there. Shapely, toned, and practically right in his face as they chased after their first criminal. Was it… Was it so wrong to want to take a bite…?

As Jaune pondered that eternal question, Pyrrha was practically preening with satisfaction. It felt good to be noticed by her crush, by her 'Fearless Leader'. That'd teach the dang thief-girl to have such a nice butt! Pyrrha really didn't need the competition when she was still trying to get Jaune to notice her like this consistently.

"… What's the call, Leader?" Ren asked.

Just like before, it took a moment for Jaune to hear and process the question, "Huh…? Oh, we need to cut her off! Pyrrha? Up to fly?"

"Just say the word, Jaune," Pyrrha nodded firmly.

"Right," Jaune nodded back. "Nora? Launch her."

"On it, Fearless Leader!" Nora chimed.

"Hold on…" Jaune brought them all up short a moment later. "I have the strangest feeling we're chasing a ghost."

"What?!" Nora exclaimed. "But she's right there!"

"Is she? Look at the sway, the jiggle. Does something seem off?" Jaune asked the rest of his team.

"While I don't like you looking close enough to notice that… You're right. There's not enough movement for a butt that big and unwieldy," Pyrrha said after a moment. "It's a fake, an illusion."

"Ah. I think I see it now," Ren said.

"NO! Ren, unsee it!" Nora cried.

"She must still be nearby," Jaune muttered, his voice not carrying out of their tight grouping.

Pyrrha was quick to clue into his implication, shaking her head and saying loudly, "I'll bet she's trying to make that flabby ass seem tighter than it really is. She must be jealous."

"You bitch! Like hell I'm jealous!" A voice shouted, coming from their right.

"There!" Jaune called.

"Shit…" The thief-girl muttered. "Cinder's going to spank my fat ass for that one. Well, silver linings."

The chase shifted targets and picked back up. Team JNPR didn't let the Emerald thief out of their sights a second time. Over rooftops, through alleyways, and all under a lightly falling blanket of white snow. Eventually, the Hunter Heroes caught up to their thief just as she reunited with the rest of her team.

"Sorry, Cinder, I brought company," Emerald said.

"Good, I've been itching for a fight," Mercury grinned and squared off across from Team JNPR as they came to a wary stop.

"Hmph," Cinder huffed. "Nothing to be done but deal with that. Did you accomplish the task I set for you, at least?"

Emerald nodded, "A list of the corrupt elements of Vale's CPS and all of the funds they've embellished. Those orphanages won't be going hungry tomorrow once we get away tonight."

Nora stepped forward without her hands or weapon raised, uncharacteristically serious, "Orphanages?"

"What's it matter to you?" Cinder asked imperiously.

"… Ren and I are orphans," Nora admitted.

"Tsk," Cinder clicked her tongue. "Then, I suppose I'll leave the two of you alive, at least."

"Hold on!" Jaune stepped forward with raised empty palms. "There's no need to fight, not if you're just trying to help orphans!"

"Jaune, theft is still a crime," Pyrrha cautioned.

"Sounds like the ones they stole from committed the greater crimes here," Ren said softly.

"Yeah, why not steal from kids who have nothing?" Nora grumbled. "That sounds profitable."

Cinder's lips quirked. "You get it. A shame we find ourselves on opposite sides of the law."

"It really is…" Ren shook his head sadly.

"Ah, complicated situations: the bane and boon of heroes everywhere…" A new but familiar voice sighed.

Jaune blinked, "Aunt Didi…?"

Pyrrha perked up, "Didi!"

Cinder stiffened, "Didi…"

She emerged from the darkness of the night like a ghost, an angel, a reaper, "Hello, children. Lovely night, isn't it?"

"It would be better without the resistance to my new projects," Cinder scowled. "I'm trying to be different. I really am…"

A touch of broken desperation seeped through her voice with that last line, directed at Didi. Didi just smiled, "I see that, child. I do. And it's for the best. But all new paths will have obstacles to overcome. If you're determined, this won't dissuade you at all."

Cinder took heart in her words, steeling herself, "It won't. I can hardly just become good, but… I can direct my evils to more productive ends."

"Still evil, though…" Pyrrha muttered halfheartedly.

"Indeed," Didi nodded without judgment toward either side. "And that's where you'll come to an impasse. However, I have confidence that my newest friend, my newest nephew, and my newest doll of reforged glass will come to a mutually beneficial arrangement."

"… Debuts are complicated," Ren muttered. "Heroism is complicated."

Didi just smiled, "And that's what makes it so worth doing, indeed."

IIIII

— Roman Torchwick —

"Gods… What is the world coming to?" Roman asked himself rhetorically, chortling and shaking his head. "Something more interesting, at the very least, that's for sure."

Some young Hunters were poking their heads where they didn't belong. Or at least, where they hadn't traditionally gone, not with the numbers and effort they now were. But Roman wasn't about to be the one to tell them that. Seemed troublesome. And he didn't know who exactly was backing them up. So Roman, in his eternal wisdom, decided that discretion was the better part of valor.

The optimistic children might be rounding up the mooks and goons and crooks, but they couldn't catch him, after all. Roman Torchwick was a legend, a cut above the rest — a modern rogue, with wits, charisma, and the consideration to match. He wouldn't let some half-grown children touch him. They wouldn't, couldn't, bring him down, and he'd make sure his larger operations would adapt to the new game being played.

Already, Roman was focused on doing just that. This especially heroic-feeling generation of Hunters came through Vale like a storm. They swept the lower rungs up with them. Honestly, it was a much-needed pruning of Roman's idiots and enemies. If they got themselves caught by literal children, they deserved all the trouble so generously 'gifted' to them.

Roman, meanwhile, lay low for the time being. He let the storm pass overhead and emerged in its wake to reap the profits. He rounded up the mooks, goons, and crooks that remained — those smart enough to avoid crime-stomping Hunters — and set them to work in a new way. No more obvious muscle, open criminality, or outright dealings. Just a slow creep back into the newly vacated spaces the Hunters left behind.

Yet, to Roman's surprise, someone behind the Hunters had advised them to be ready for just that course of action. They were expecting a resurgence after their initial culling. A few more mooks, goons, and crooks found themselves tied up and delivered to the Vale PD. But most, smart enough to escape the first time, were smart enough to slip away the second time, too.

The second wave of crime-stomping was less dramatic than the first. No one night of many dozen arrests to speak of. But the more subtle approach was just as effective. And it sent a message: the heroic Hunters were here to stay.

Roman found himself honestly impressed. And very, very wary. Whoever was behind this new game knew what they were doing. Better, even, than most, if not all, of the professional Hunters Roman had gone up against in his time. And wasn't that just a worrying thought…?

It wasn't time to cut his losses and make himself scarce just yet. But Roman had considered it. In the end, he decided against fleeing Vale. The mysterious backers might've been good, but the young Hunters on the frontline against Vale's underworld lacked the same all-encompassing competence… for now, at least. Thus, he deemed the reward to be had as greater than the risk… again, for now.

Most of Roman's 'lordly' peers in Vale had gone quiet. They'd be lying low, just like Roman. But Roman would never call himself the same as them. The others, they lacked that certain… je ne sais quoi (to borrow an old Vale phrase), the certain Aura of Being, that made him 'Roman Fucking Torchwick'.

The White Fang were ruthless and fanatic. Junior was smart and subtle. Spider was resourceful but distant, spinning their webs all the way from Mistral and unable to react promptly to the changes. Nimble Dick was a slippery little fucker. Old Cob was well-worn and wise. Two-Shot and Grimm-Feed were bold, blunt, and not much else…

But none of Roman's rivals — the big players in Vale — had 'It'. Not like Roman had 'It'. They were each a few of the things a good modern rogue needed, but not all, not the whole package like Roman prided himself in being.

So while they were caught up in the new storm or waited for it to blow over or even fled for 'greener' pastures while they could, Roman Fucking Torchwick adapted. He took the first blow on the chin, and the second as a setback, and then he stepped back to see the whole writing on the wall.

That big picture made him wary and bemused, sure, but it was far from an impossible situation. The Spider Enclave in Vale had been all but wiped out wholesale. Good. No more Mistrali to meddle and muscle their way into Vale's underworld market share.

Two-Shot and Grimm-Feed's gangs went the same way as the Spider. But of course, they didn't have nearly the same resources to fall back on. With the big shots now in the slammer, along with the majority of both gangs, they'd transitioned from rivals to customers. After all, those now on the inside would need someone on the outside to provide the creature comforts they could no longer get for themselves…

Nimble Dick was well on his way out of town, no doubt. Shame. Roman didn't know many better thieves than him.

Old Cob had seemingly decided to take an early retirement. Good on him. If there was one thing Roman could respect, it was being old in a young man's game.

The White Fang were lashing out and attracting attention to themselves. Perfect. Those terrorists gave modern rogues like Roman a bad name. Thankfully, they didn't know when to quit. They'd blunt and batter themselves against the new storm until they utterly lost their foothold on Vale, and take on much of the new pressure in the process.

Junior, however…? That canny player had directed his gang to 'Chill. The. Fuck. Out'. His 'family business' had fingers all throughout the Vale PD, but not wanting to have to play all his cards so early, he was taking refuge in his legal business for now. Dealing in drinks and information, and not making himself a target. Roman… Roman could work with that. There was a reason Junior was the 'rival' Roman had worked most closely with in the past.

Roman sidled on over to Junior's bar as the new year approached and the new storm of Hunters busied themselves against the White Fang. It'd been a while. Professional differences had cropped up between them, as they did, while that fiery little witch, Cinder, had been trying to leash Roman. Thankfully, she'd dropped off one day as suddenly as she'd appeared. Roman hadn't had to deal with her 'wicked youthful ambition' for months now.

He kept tabs on her, of course, but she now seemed to be working a wholly new angle to the one that had threatened to drag him down with her. Take from the rich, the corrupt, the abusers, and give to the poor, the honest, the abused. Roman could respect that. It had a certain 'story' to it that he liked. Despite her witchiness (with a 'B'), he wished her the best of luck with her new endeavors. What he 'didn't', however, was miss her presence threatening and trying to control him…

At least the little witch hadn't tried to control Neo to the same extent… Roman… well, he could accept Cinder trying to muscle in on his operation for her own gain. It was part of the game, and Roman Torchwick was ever-willing to 'play'. Seriously coercing Neo into cooperation would've been a step too far, though, a step Roman couldn't have stomached… and a step Roman suspected Cinder would've eventually taken if she hadn't dropped out of their game so suddenly…

She'd tempt her with the prospect of violence and intrigue, and knowing Neo, it likely would've worked. The thought made Roman twitch as he walked through the door of Junior's bar. Neo, always loyal, always by his side, always so mindful of his moods, noticed. And she just knew. She always knew.

She nudged Roman out of his thoughts of things that never came to be, flashing one of her communication boards at him, 'I'm gonna get myself a Spiced Rum Sundae. Where's our card? You're paying.'

Roman gave a genuine chuckle as Neo subtly reaffirmed their partnership, just as he needed in that moment, "Oh, I suppose I can part with a bit of our ill-earned capital for your little comforts, love."

'Little necessities,' Neo corrected.

"With everything that's happening these days? You may just be right about that."

Neo, always silent, yet always so loud at the same time, smiled up at him. It was a carefree thing, without a worry in the world. Neo knew Roman would take care of her and everything else. And unlike some fools, he wouldn't die trying. Neo bounced up to lay a lingering kiss on Roman's cheek, that last bit of reassurance that they were together. Partners. Always and forevermore.

She skipped up to the bar after that, and Roman smiled as he watched her go. He followed, of course, taking a seat at the bar as Junior slid a drink in front of him and got to work on Neo's alcoholic dessert. She'd ordered his usual for him, reliable as ever. He flashed her a winning smile in thanks and enjoyed the ever-so-slight flicker as she used her Semblance to cover her blush.

"Junior," Roman greeted the man behind the bar. "Been a while. Interesting times we're living in, no?"

"That's one way to put it, sure," Junior grunted. "'Course, I wouldn't know anything about what's going on in the dark underside of the city."

"Of course," Roman nodded, playing along. "You're an upstanding man with an upstanding business to run. Much safer profit to be had that way. But we can't all be as safe as you, my old friend…"

"You in particular, I'd imagine," Junior said pointedly.

"What's life and work without a bit of risk~?" Roman asked with a prodding smirk.

"Hm," Junior just eyed him back. "Yeah. Not interested."

"Oh, come now, friend," Roman persisted. "Not even for just a little loan of manpower to be paid back with interest?"

"I don't have any muscle for you. It's all busy here, at the bar, in case a certain blonde I've been hearing about returns to finish the job she started."

"In the current climate, I don't need muscle. I need brains. Cunning and crafty people with the sense to tip the scales without being noticed. And for that, I came to you first, Junior."

"Yes, drag my people into the line of fire but flatter me the whole way," Junior drawled. "You haven't changed, Roman."

"And isn't that a good thing? Would you have me any other way?" Roman asked, half-rhetorical and half-genuinely curious.

Neo tapped his arm, flashing him a smile and a sign, 'I wouldn't!'

"See," Roman grinned. "Neo loves me. Why don't you, Junior?"

"Well, you aren't fucking me, for one," Junior scoffed. "And I've got my own interest to look after, for another. Sorry, can't do it, Roman. Interesting times and all, so I'm going to look out for me and mine first and foremost."

Roman sighed but took the refusal graciously, "Ah, very well. I understand. I guess we're just here for the drinks and desserts and the company, now, Neo."

'Could be worse. At least there's ice cream. And high-proof alcohol. You know how much I love a good buzz and sugar high. Can't get much better than that unless we were #### ### ####ing all over Junior's bar.'

Her sign seemed to stutter and flicker on Neo's censored words, but Roman just nodded, "Of course, but we wouldn't do that to our friends."

"If you tried, I'd shove my launcher so far up your ass that you'd become the missile tube," Junior deadpanned.

A voice came up at Roman's side and took a seat next to him at the bar, "Well, I can't help with any of… that… But how about reuniting with an old friend who's back in town? Would that make your night better?"

Roman blinked. Neo blinked. Even Junior blinked. Slowly, they all turned to see a familiar face, silver-haired and smirking, as he took a seat at the bar.

Grinning, Roman exclaimed, "Well, I'll be damned! Sean Fucking Caine!"

"Roman Fucking Torchwick," Sean shot back, grinning just as widely.

Neo jumped up with a similar grin and a sign that read, 'Neo-Fucking-Politan!'

As one, they all expectantly turned their grins onto Junior behind the bar, but the grumpy barman just grunted, "Junior. Just Junior."

"(≧▽≦)/" A fifth joined their conversation, a masked and silent young woman whose expression did all the talking for her in a way Roman couldn't help but find familiar. As was the way she quite literally popped up from nowhere. 'Aaaaannnnnd Cass~!'

While he was trying to figure out their newest addition, Roman saw the damnedest thing. Sean Caine-Arc, Death Knight, was suddenly going very, very pale, "Oh… Oh no. I was explicitly trying to avoid this exact meeting…"

"What meeting?" Roman asked.

"That meeting…" Sean sighed.

Now, Roman had seen many things in his life. Many different kinds of relationships, many people of different stripes, and even a few things that gave him nightmares. Nothing compared to what he saw there in Junior's bar with old friends, his partner, and the unknown quantity that joined them.

It started normally enough, with Neo bristling and jumping up to stand on her seat, 'Oi! What gives?! You're jacking my style!'

"Σ(O_O)" This 'Cass' scratched her head, mostly just confused. 'I am? I don't think I am… Look, you have a sign and stuff. I don't even need one. Obviously, my version is better.'

Neo then tried to mimic Cass's expressions, her mouth going wide in a silent 'O'. Somehow, it fell short of Cass's impossible manner of communication, and Neo still needed a sign to get her actual words across, 'Am no-…! Dammit! That's not fair at all! How are you doing that?!'

"(^０^)ノ" Cass waved and 'said', without a word leaving her masked lips. 'Like this! Get with the times, old stuff!'

"How is she doing that…?" Roman wondered aloud.

"Cass is fluent in body language. To the point that-… Well, this. All of this. It's actually her first language. She's so good with it that your mind naturally wants to translate for her," Sean explained.

"That…" Junior muttered. "Don't make a damn lick o' sense."

"It did to me," Roman shrugged.

"To be fair, you're more used to mutes than almost anyone else, Roman," Sean said, amused.

"Not you, it seems," Roman chuckled. "Just where did you find this delightful little thing~?"

"In a city that would give even you a proper challenge," Sean laughed. "She kind of adopted me and has just kinda… stuck around ever since. This was supposed to be a solo outing. But Cass's Semblance is something like 'Perfect Stealth'. She must've stalked me here. And now… well, this."

'This is BULLSHIT!' Neo raged through her signs.

" ┐(￣ω￣)┌" Cass just shrugged, smug as can be. 'Git gud, scrub.'

'… I'm going to hurt you now.' Neo glared in silent but far from impotent rage.

"(￣～￣)" Cass smirked back at her. 'I'd like to see you try, shortstuff.'

"Oi!" Junior called out. "No fighting in my bar!"

"No, just let them get this out of their systems. It's for the best. I'll compensate you for the damage," Sean reassured.

The two silent menaces stared each other down, one glaring, one smirking. It was a proper Vacuoan stand-off, by Roman's reckoning. He sipped his drink — good sipping brandy for the cultured, modern rogue — and signaled Junior to get another glass so Sean could have his own. A moment later, Sean was nodding his thanks, and they both settled in to see which of their mutes would come out on top.

Somewhere, a Rattlesnake Grimm shook its tail. Metal strings whined an anticipatory ballad. A few brass horns joined the standoff's call for good measure as well. It was all brought together by a whistling flute and what sounded like sand on the wind.

By some unspoken signal, Neo narrowed her eyes… and shattered like glass. Cass's smirk widened… and she completely disappeared on the wind. A bare moment later, the world shattered once more with Neo's Semblance. Her parasol darted out from nowhere into the space where Cass was just standing. At the same time, monowire flew, weaving its way through Neo's shattered reality.

The wire caught Neo first. She vanished into more twinkling, tinkling glass. The wire was traced back to its source, and Cass reappeared just in time for shards of glass to fall upon her. The shards resolved themselves into Neo once more. She screamed with silent fury. Cass was bowled over by the colorful young woman, not that much shorter than her. From there, the 'fight' quickly devolved into a scrambling, grappling cat-scuffle.

Illusionary smoke clouds and a great cacophony filled the bar. Occasionally, Roman saw an arm, a leg, even silently roaring and silently whooping faces. The scuffle went back and forth with no clear winner… And Sean just turned to Roman.

"So, how've you been? The years seem to have treated you and Neo well enough."

"Oh, they have," Roman chuckled. "Mischief doesn't just pay. I'd like to think it keeps me young as well."

"Looking dapper as ever, so that might just be true. Doesn't seem like you've aged a day."

"I could say the same for you. What's it been, 15 years? Yet you look the same as our first game of cat and mouse! You always did have a sort of ageless quality to you, Sean."

"I like to think it comes with everything I've seen and experienced."

"Yes, I'd heard you were making a name for yourself out on the frontier. Death Knight? Hell of a title for those of us who knew you when you were just a 'Death Squire'."

"Heh, I'm putting those days behind me now, mostly. Settling down. I got a job teaching at Beacon. And I met a lovely lady named Didi. Remind me to introduce you. We've even started a family, adopting a troubled youth named Alice as our daughter. I would've thought you'd have done the same."

"No, no, Neo and I are happy on our own. It's a two-man show. Not much room for a supporting act."

"Not even a little successor to mold in your roguish image?"

"… Well, when you put it like that~"

"Didi and I have found it very fulfilling. But if it's not for you and Neo, it's not. That's just what it is. I wouldn't try and pressure you into such an important decision."

As they chatted, catching up as old friends do, the smoke cloud scuffle raged. All the way up until… it didn't. Just as suddenly as the 'fight' started, it stopped, and Roman found his partner and Cass mirroring him and Sean. Chatting as if they were the best of friends.

"(⊙_⊙)" 'It's all in the eyes, really.'

'Damn… I feel like I should've discovered that on my own. I'm silent, not blind, after all.'

"(*^.^*)" 'No, it's cool. I get it. I really do. Outside pressure makes us stick stubbornly to what we know. I've been really lucky with the support I have.'

'Support like Sean?'

"(⁄ ⁄>⁄ ▽ ⁄<⁄ ⁄)" 'No, he's a victim. And prey! I've been wearing him down! I'll be a cummy, creamy, grippy, limb-shaky puddle of bliss soon enough!'

'… I wish you the best of luck. I truly do. Knowing Sean, he'll make you work for it.'

"ヾ( ￣O￣)ツ" 'He's been making me work for it! I can barely catch a break! Lately, his daughter's been trying to scare me off, too. Silly girl thinks she can stop me from getting Daddy to rock my world~…'

'… You're insane. I love it. We should talk. Maybe I can help.'

"(°ｏ°)" 'GASP! Sidekick?!'

'Mute sisters gotta stick together, right?'

"＼(⌒▽⌒)" 'My woman~! And this will just be the start of a legendary silent partnership! Glass and wind, think of the chaos!'

'We could steal the damn moon together!'

"σ(￣,￣〃)" 'That's a lot of pieces to pick up… But I'm willing to try!'

Roman couldn't help but grin. They were just so menacing, chilling like that. Perfect. Beautiful. It was good for Neo to have someone else who 'got' her. He raised a toast. Sean matched him.

"To friends, new and old!"

"To compensation, for the mess your girls made of my bar," Junior cut in flatly.

"You know I'm good for it, Junior," Sean just chuckled. "I won't leave you high and dry like Yang did."

Junior paled in an instant and looked around frantically, "Don't mention that name here…! Y-You'll summon the blonde beast!"

"And traumatized, it seems," Sean added with a smirk.

The humorous scene made a question surface in Roman's mind, "Say, Sean…? You wouldn't have anything to do with the new storm sweeping through Vale, would you?"

"Cass and her siblings, actually," Sean said with a sip. "That's their project."

"They're good," Roman eyed him cannily. "Very good. Wherever did you find them, Sean?"

"Oh, just about a whole world away," Sean chuckled at some inside joke, shared only with himself. "Knowing you, Roman, you'll set yourself up to thrive in the new chaos. So, you're welcome, I suppose. It's a new era. Embrace it."

"I suppose it is," Roman nodded.

"It's a new era for the whole world, but most won't even realize that they're better off…" Sean said softly, nearly sighing.

"Sounds like there's a story in there somewhere," Roman noted.

"There is," Sean paused. "… And now that it's reached its conclusion, I doubt Ozpin can be mad at me for sharing it. Roman, Junior? Neo, Cass, you two as well? How would you all like to hear a story of immortal love turned to hatred, a woman who wanted to destroy the world and herself with it, and a man struggling and steadily failing to hold the line?"

"ヽ(o＾▽＾o)ノ" Cass leaped at the offer. 'Sean storytime, YAY~!'

'Sean storytime…?' Neo expressed her curiosity.

"I have the strangest feeling I'm going to regret having ears in just a few minutes," Roman considered aloud.

"I'm already out," Junior deadpanned.

"Not much of an information broker if you won't even hear out the story," Roman teased.

Sean chuckled, "I don't think this is the kind of story Junior is looking to sell."

And wasn't that just curious…? Roman was even more eager to hear Sean out now. But as Sean told his tale… he quickly came to regret that eagerness and curiosity…

"Oh, fuck ALL of that news!"

IIIII

— Sean —

New year, new Remnant. And… just about time we got back to our normal. The vacay had done quite a bit of good. For the BatFam, for Beacon's next generation, for the Arcs, for Ozpin, and for Salem, perhaps most of all. But all good things come to an end, and while we'd be returning the same night we left, it'd still been months away from home on our end.

With two examples of retirement vacations under my and Didi's belts, I could safely say they were… nifty. They had potential. They could be good fun and a good change of pace. But the Dead End was my real home now. No amount of revisiting my past lives could change that.

Didi and I gathered up everyone, and we said our goodbyes. Temporary goodbyes, considering my plans for keeping the bonds developed here alive, but goodbyes all the same. I knew there were still many unanswered questions on the Remnant side. Our up and leaving didn't answer them. But the way we did just might have…

"You'll, uh… You'll text me, right?" Ruby asked Damian.

"I'll text," Damian nodded matter-of-factly. "I'll call. I'll send Morse code messages if you only ask me to."

Ruby blushed, "Y-You don't have to go that far! Our own code would be kinda cool, though…"

"I'll develop one and send you the cipher, then," Damian nodded even more firmly.

Nearby, Yang hugged Alice tightly despite her struggles, "Just lock him down already, girl. You did so well that night."

"Well, I was drunk…!" Alice hissed back. "I can't always have liquid courage in my veins!"

"Uncle Qrow would disagree with that," Yang laughed. "Still, find your inner fire, Goth Girl. I'm rooting for you."

Team JNPR came up to me and Didi as Nora exclaimed, "Bye, Fearless Leader's Fearless Uncle~!"

Ren nodded, "It's been a pleasure to get to know you all."

Pyrrha smiled sadly, "Didi… I just want you to know you were my first real friend. The first to approach me without ulterior motives. I'll always treasure that."

Didi smiled back, "As will I, Pyrrha. But this is far from the end. We'll be in touch. Swing back around eventually or invite you home with us, I'm sure."

"Uncle Sean?" Jaune asked. "Where are you even going?"

"Home, to a Dead End," I said cryptically.

I left him confused, but he'd see. As would Glynda and Ozpin, watching the goodbyes from a slightly removed position. They were just as curious and confused as my nephew, I could tell. Our departure would certainly be a sight for them…

"Keep in touch, yeah?" Barbara hugged Blake. "Don't be afraid to share some good material. I know I'll be doing the same on my end."

"Mmm," Blake gave a little nod, paused, and then handed Barbara something on the sly. "Take this. It'll help keep us connected."

Barbara looked at the gift concealed in her palm and then back at Blake, her voice strained, "Blake… I know you didn't just hand me a JO crystal. Please, please, tell me I'm misunderstanding something…!"

Blake blushed and quickly pushed Barbara away, "And that's goodbye! I'll text you! So don't be a stranger!"

She hurried a stricken and stunned Barbara into the Vacay Vessel. The rest of us piled in after. I waved out the driver's side window.

"(￣^￣)ゞ" Cass gave a cheeky salute out the window. 'Bye, Remnant~! I hardly knew ya~!'

With that somewhat final farewell, I started up the van… And the world itself split in front of us.

The reactions were priceless. Shocked. Stunned. Speechless. Genuinely gobstoppered, along with a practically harmonized chorus of…

"… Wat?"

"What?"

"What?!"

"What the-…?"

Glynda in particular had her glasses half-hanging off her face, the most off-balance I'd ever seen her, "Sean! Caine! What in the world-?!"

"Not in 'the world'," Ozpin, nonplussed but covering it well with a sip from his ever-present mug, said. "I never expected this… but a not-so-small part of me says I probably should have."

"All roads lead to the Dead End," I called out to them. "I'm sure you'll all end up there with us in time."

One last gift, to leave them questioning their realities, before we departed Remnant for the time being. Of course, on the way out, I tagged the whole reality and attached it to the back of the Vacay Vessel. We'd tow it all across existence to settle it close at hand, just as I promised. Now, if only I could've seen the faces of Remnant's absent brother-gods when they came back looking for Remnant… and couldn't find it where they left it.

"Oh, well," I chuckled to myself. "Back to The Grind, I suppose."

"It's hardly much of a grind with good friends, good family, and good times to be had, Sean Dear," Didi gently chided me.

I smiled lovingly back at her, "Right as ever, my Death, right as ever…"

IIIII

[AN: Another slow-going chapter from a writer's perspective. This was actually my second attempt at it. Really solidifies my choice to put it on the back burner for now, though. It'll be far from forgotten. I feel like the Dead End could go on forever, it's just that type of story. But also… that's kinda the problem I'm running into with it. Best, I think, to continue this story with semi-consistent single chapters/single arcs to really play into the story's slice-of-OP-life themes.

The Grind Book 2 is next (notice the little nod to it there at the end?). Rereading that story has been fun. Writing more of it will be even more so, I think. First up on the chopping block, there, is Atlas and the Coven in Oldtown. Then, Neville and the Targaryens in Essos (yes, Daenerys and Viserys, and likely even fAegon, but I won't spoil anything just yet). Then, Jon and Cedric north of the Wall, Blaise and his girls in Dorne, and many, many more antics from the Puff Cartel. Then, the King's Landing knot, and I could just keep going on and on. I have so much planned… It's going to be glorious.]

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