Ch 3 A Glimpse Into The Dark

I will likely not expand on the backgroun info or stories behind many link ups on this story as it can take away from the point of the story, but if enough people are interested I could set up a second story to specfically talk about or show the story behind parts people are interested in and lead ups to introduced characters or reasons for why Jaune is doing certain things.

Vale Warehouse District
Miles Phelan casually walked through the poorly lit streets of the warehouse district with a to-go tray for coffee in his left hand. His pace was sedate and he didn't seem the least bit flustered by the shadows and those who lurked within them. His ocean blue eye held mirth as he jammed out to music only he could hear as his noise-canceling earbuds were in use. Normally he'd be the perfect target for many of the people that roamed the shadows of Vale, he was slow moving, blocking one of his senses, looked moderately wealthy, and had little in obvious definition to his body. Yet none of the older thieves and muggers dared to go after the teen, he locked eyes with everyone he passed with little care a sign of someone prepared to defend themselves. Something many that are new on the streets or overconfident would overlook as polite, but no true civilian looked anyone and everyone in the eyes with such ease.

Stopping in front of a Faunus wrapped in a blanket on the side of the road near an alleyway Miles grinned and set down one of his 4 steaming hot coffees in front of the older man. Dull eyes locked with shimmering ones as an unspoken message was relayed and then with a confident nod the blonde was off again. Leaving no one the wiser to the microchip on the bottom of the coffee cup now on its way to the "proper" hands. As he adjusted the plain metal mask on the side of his head, his previous one still within the confines of Juniors club as a V.I.P. room memorial. Yet the motion wasn't without purpose as someone in a black full body combat suit slipped off the roof without a sound. Their face covered by a thin veil like material as well as a Mistrali wolf mask of Navy and Sapphire blues the only thing showing was a pair of sharp grey eyes that seemed to stare into the depths of the world.

Handing off the only unmarked coffee cup Miles smiled as the cloaked figure sipped from the drink and nodded in approval slipping into step with him. Before they turned suddenly into an open warehouse door and faded into the darkness just as a Crow flew over the road they were just on. The 2 slipped into the back room before casually strolling out the emergency exit without a sound being made. They quickly made their way towards their destination though the only rush was making it early, as a good businessman never shows up late.

Torchwick's "Office"/Candle Shipping
Torchwick watched through the one screen on his burner scroll as 2 people entered the front of his cover business a small smile adorning his face. That smile was short lived as the sound of something heavy being dropped came muffled from his computer feed beside him. "Useless animals, do they even understand how to lethal those boxes they were shipped in with are?" He growled under his breath before lighting a cigar and taking a drag to soothe his nerves from the Fang related migraine that was growing. He really couldn't begin to understand why he was forced to work with such incompetent cannon fodder. At least Junior's men had the decency to listen to orders and had the minimum survival instincts necessary to work with dust.

He turned back to his scroll as Miles talked to his receptionist and began some casual flirting and laid out his business card. The kid operated smooth and somehow managed to distract the lady long enough to miss his associate entering and disappearing around the corner. The pleased smile made its way back to his face finally someone competent and from the looks of it, only Mile's help was potentially armed. He switched views as Miles entered the elevator on his way to the meeting room his companion scouting the building and then moving to join when eyes were no longer on the elevator. He would've assumed they were amateurish if Miles hadn't just waved so casually at the hidden camera in the guest room.

Roman waited till both men were in the meeting room before he buzzed Neo and began to make his way towards that room as well. Hopefully, the animals could survive long enough for him to do some real business though he doubted it. His cane was on him as he swaggered into the sparsely decorated meeting room that reminded some of a board room. "Miles I'm so glad you could make it. I see you brought drinks as you promised though you seem to be missing your own?" The boisterous thief stated as he slid into the seat at the head of the table in a semi-relaxed posture. Noting idly that the help was enjoying their own beverage, a question of how they drank through that face cover being filed away.

Miles beamed at Roman as he leaned backward in his chair getting extra comfortable, but avoided putting his feet up so as not to disrespect the owner of the building. "Well, of course, I'd be here it'd be remiss of me to avoid showing my appreciation up front for such a quick job as for the drink sadly it barely made it half the walk over. I have something of a sweet tooth so the new flavor didn't have much of a chance once it met my tastebuds." He slid over the to-go tray with 2 more drinks still sitting on it with the receipt sat casually on the middle. The flamboyant thief taking the normal cup as the other was marked as the special Ice cream flavor which soon a lithe arm reached around his back to grasp said item with fervor. A silent chuckle and eye roll escaping Roman's lips as Neo claimed her treat.

The two not hidden behind shadows or clothing sized each other up and judge the others reactions as Roman touched the drink with his tongue and Miles just rocked a bit in tune to whatever song he was listening too. After judging the drinks Roman and Neo began to sip their beverages with a sigh of appreciation as coffee was good to sooth the mind from stress with the caffeine. Once the 3 people with drinks set down their cups, for now, Miles motioned to his companion who pulled a burner scroll and slid it across the table with little fuss. Roman glanced down at the device and inspected the numbers all but 3 were there waiting for the mastermind to prove his end of the bargain. So he casually pulled out the manilla folder from inside his jacket and tossed it in front of Miles.

Miles for his part only barely acknowledged the file before he flicked it open eyes becoming analytical as he glanced over all the important areas before he pulled out a scroll and his fingers flickered across the screen. An affirmatory beep was heard and then a relaxed smile turned to a pleased smirk. A few more clicks and the burner in front of Roman filled with the last numbers and a 5-minute timer on it. The thief raised an eyebrow but typed in his own info on the device before long both men got a notification that the transfer went through and soon after checking to confirm they both watched as the burner scroll from before fizzled in sparks. Soon after the small amount of smoke cleared it then vibrated off the table shattering the screen. "Crescent feel free to leave ahead of time, I've got some future business to deal with I'm sure you don't want to suffer through deliberations right?"

The cloaked individual bowed their head slightly before heading off to the elevator without any hesitation leaving Miles in a room alone with Roman and Neo, but not before patting his companion on the shoulder. Since the 2 couldn't see the individuals grey eyes they never noticed it shimmer a brighter grey with aura before fading. And soon the least colored individual of the meeting was gone leaving the 3 criminals alone to work out the next deal without interruption. Not that the individual minded they were only there for a field trip and a show of power now that their job/learning experience was done they left the building without much fuss. A few blocks later the cloaked individual went into an alleyway only to run into the "homeless" Faunus from before holding a duffle bag.

Out of the warehouse district walked a dirty blonde wolf Faunus as shown with his tail with brown eyes being shown to the world as he took out the last grey contact. His clothing consisting of blue jeans, combat boots with golden laces, a white hoodie left open to reveal a gold dress shirt. The Silver colored leather bracers and shin guards contrasted nicely with the dark gold pauldrons resting atop the male's shoulders. And sitting on his hip was a simple white and gold scabbard showing off the gold crossguard marked with the Arc family Symbol. The handle sat recently refurbished with silk in its usual royal blue swirling with navy blue. Jaune P. Arc Jr smiled confidently as his eyes adjusted to the light and he moved duffle bag on his shoulder with a rather confident smirk on his face. "I sure hope Teach goes easy on them, sounded like they have Fang recruits running around. Those guys aren't the most helpful bunch from what I remember" He chuckled to himself heading off toward his hotel and in a couple days Beacon academy to let the world know the Arc name was coming back with a vigor matched only by its glory days. No matter what the world had to say about it.

Candle Shipping Underground Meeting Room
Roman and Miles shook hands as the self-proclaimed criminal mastermind led the blond towards the elevator. "To think I'd run into someone I could get along with in the Valian underworld quite a rare opportunity." Miles smiled at the compliment and rolled his eyes playfully. "Yes, because it's every day you run into Vales most notorious thief in such a casual meeting and on such a small job too. I thought for sure I'd have to gather way more contacts before I got to meet you face to face. Guess luck really is a skill huh" The 2 men shared a humorless staredown before laughing lightly Roman seeming to enjoy the company of the other man. They waited patiently in the elevator as it moved up.

As the elevator landed and opened up on the opposite side then when Miles had originally entered from they were met with the Tri-colored companion of Roman Torchwick. Miles blinked a bit owlishly at the girl having just lost his confusion at the elevator's new opening. He looked her up and down before meeting her eyes not even bothering to look away as he spoke to Roman again. "And who would this lovely lady be Roman. Please don't tell me she's with you, cause I don't believe I deserve such an honor already. This would just feel like I'm robbing you of all the advantages." Neo for her part was actually a touch surprised by that greeting, his gaze hadn't lingered on her body, her mismatched eyes hadn't bothered him, and he wasn't assuming her weak. No wonder Roman had taken a liking to the kid especially with a last name that just taunted law enforcement.

Roman for his part enjoyed the fact that Miles wasn't pointing out that she was most likely his muscle. As few people had a skin tone as soft as Neo meaning her drink acquisition had given her away. "Ah well, Miles meet the Lovely Neoplitan or Neo for short she's my partner and enforcer. Though forgive her silence she's not much for words." He introduced her with a flair that he was known for, but only had Neo rolling her eyes. While she understood the joys of flair and showmanship she personally preferred to let her actions speak for her. Though she sent a playful wink Miles' way and got one in return backed with a casual smile. "Well, I must say, Roman, you sure do have a great choice in company so far. A well-informed bartender, twins with a mean streak, and now this devilish scoop of Ice cream. If I didn't know any better I'd think you were partial to useful people only."

The trio moved along through to the warehouse where the sounds of heavy labor could be heard. Roman and Miles going over details of a few dust deals to give the criminal mastermind a nice steady supply. Miles himself was happy to do so and rather then money which would look odd suddenly coming in he asked instead for a couple of small contacts being new to Vale. Neo for her part just followed along keeping an eye on the blond even as he passed by the working white fang like they didn't exist. The dark lighting only allowing travel of the hall with easy sight for anyone, not a Faunus or used to the building. Miles for his part was happily taking in the warehouses workers with his peripherals as they passed by many dark rooms and only the occasional lit one showing the cover of the cover business. His eyes now showing just a touch of brown as he enjoyed the benefits of not needing as much light as a human. Sienna would be quite interested in this new venture if he was correct in her not knowing about it. Oh, how this information would change some of her aggression's targets onto different people.

Vale Commercial District, Moon Dust

Jaune sat at the front of the store his blonde hair a dark black now as he was using a mix of aura manipulation and gravity dust to give it an obsidian black. It was a quick fix that he mainly used when in a rush or had to suddenly hide his identity and it was mainly done since he might've taken a nap and almost missed the drop off time for the store supplies. Luckily for him, the store employee he'd hired as the manager was in early as he wanted to be in town for his son's initiation to beacon. Speaking of the man had basically made him being here unnecessary which is why Jaune had decided that he would man the cash register. The first batch of employees wouldn't be in till tomorrow, but the opening of a store was necessary to attract customers and potential employees.

On one of the rare days where he wasn't busy doing anything crazy or with a lot of background work he decided to enjoy something he used to do to save up money, Customer Service. His blue eyes were tinted with green making them a more tropical ocean view as his nails tapped delicately on the counter, but they were currently added on to look like natural claws. A touch of eyeliner making his eyes seem just a touch more primal and his grin quite wolfish. The manager of the store walked in his brunette hair tied back in a loose ponytail, his brown eyes shimmering with mirth and his wolf tail lightly swaying to further prove his good mood. The store was finally finished being set up and the door had been open for an hour already the first few customers coming in for the opening day sale, but after that, it'd been mostly browsers a slowish start, but that was expected with 2 faunus manning the shop. Yet neither seemed to truly care about the slow start as they wanted strong repeat customer rather than idiots handling dust. Plus a good set of regulars and preferred customers tended to bring in more customers on its own.

Jaune turned to the shop manager with a pleased grin, memories of how he met the man and how they'd both come to a mutually positive exchange. This man was the second of the handful of people to know his real identity and also something few people knew existed in Remnant still. Violet Milestone was an honorary Arc slave knight. A position that many believed to be both degrading and inhuman, but in the past, the Arc's had been an aristocratic family of knights and any slave knight had a chance to become a part of the family with enough battles or prestige. And many people had in the past fought for the chance to be part of their slave corps. And through a comparison with current laws and the kingdoms' 4-way treaty combined rulings Jaune had found out that technically the Arc's had never lost the right to take Slave knights as a way to create branch families or allow people to become true Arc in everything but blood without a need for marriage.

So this was the man who gave up his identity and past all for a chance at a better future a thing many didn't have the strength to do. And with him the only living member of the Arc accepted by Jane Arc current Matriarch and with the addition of Jaune P. Arc Jr they were again formally recognized as a full family and had regained control of all of the Arc's property, contacts, and inheritance. The first step in Jaune's plan to give the universe the middle finger. Heck, this all wouldn't have been possible if his first attempt at theft hadn't ended as bad as it did. Leading him on his journeys that made him gain so many skills. Eyes filled with revelry and nostalgia gave him an approachable air and added to his charm just enough to counteract his current look. Though he personally enjoyed the plain monochrome uniform and silver moon emblem for Moon dust.

The revelry of his past and all that it came with was broken by the light chime of the front door opening only heard by those with sensitive hearing or naturally heightened senses. Turning to the door he smiled wide at the 2 females entering. "Welcome to Moon dust where dust is as plentiful as moonlight in the night. If you need anything just ask" He opened his arms in a slightly over the top motion to tempt them to look around. It was a tactic to make people focus on him to spot the obvious nametag claiming him as John and then the selections the store had. As he watched the 2 customers with a casual lazy air to himself as he looked them over for a split second.

Yang Xiao Long rolled her eyes at the over the top introduction but smiled none the less as the store's catchphrase was actually quite nice and had plenty of opportunities for puns. "Careful sis or they might "shatter" your expectations" The shorter girl next to her groaned at the pun which just made the blonde's grin grow in amusement. Looking down to one Ruby Rose as she had a rather tormented look on her face before silver eyes locked onto the dust ammo and weapons magazine sections. Immediately leaving the blonde to her own devices or well to focus on the task of buying herself dust to refill what she expended at the club. She shuddered unintentionally at that thought at least her Dad and apparently Beacon had fixed that situation even if she wasn't a fan of having to apologize to that worthless info broker.