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Noir led me to a truck and I hopped in the driver's seat. I didn't bother fastening my seatbelt. If I was in an accident it was unlikely I would get hurt. Noir updated my scroll with the location data and I opened my headphones to listen to the navigation system. I was taking the truck to a warehouse near the docks. I wasn't sure why. And it didn't really matter. Noir and Lila obviously thought they needed real serious security on this thing. The dust must be good stuff or to be used in something in particular. I was a touch curious but it wasn't my job to be curious.

I started driving through the streets which got more and more haphazard as I approached the docks. The streets started square and all orthogonal but when we approached the coast they formed strange geodesics. Where had I learned to drive? It seems as though I had always known. Had Mother taught me? Or Merlot? Merlot had wanted me to have all kinds of skills so that I could be useful to him. I know that I knew some computer and biological science and physics. Enough that I had been able to keep up and do alright in my normal classes at Beacon when I attended. I knew mathematics a little too but I also knew how to set up dust explosives and the like. That was interesting. What was I for? Had Merlot meant for me to be some kind of assistant? Or some kind of assassin? Or perhaps both? It was all so confusing. It had worked a little as well. I had enough scientific understanding to keep up with most discussions. I would be able to take notes for a real doctor well. And I would be able to kill people if that's what he needed too. Would my father try to make other children given my failure? I really needed to take action on that front. More of me could be a problem. Another would be bad. Multiple clones or the like would be disastrous. And sure at some point he must have taught me to drive and dance and other things. But the dancing thing must have been able to test my motor skills without giving me real combat training or some parallel motivation.

He must have realized I was a failure before moving on to any combat training and selling me off to Salem. How? Would I ever have any solid answers? Killing Merlot would be satisfying and morally justified but it wouldn't lead me to any truth. That's how killing Cinder went down. It was just and tasty but fleeting and it revealed to me no truths about the world. It just showed me myself as though by reflection. That was hard. I needed to interrogate Merlot if I wanted any of these answers. But did I really need any answers? Would learning the truth bring me happiness? Weiss and Ruby brought me joy. Learning about my past had only ever made me miserable. I didn't need any more of that in all likelihood. And yeah it would leave me unsatisfied in terms of my answers to some pretty basic questions forever. But they were the sort of questions I decided the answers to myself. I didn't let my parents dictate my life in any regard. So what did it matter?

Considering that my sisters were made by somebody else and all had the same last name I had to consider that it was my Mother that named me. I never had a name until I decided to call myself Cloud Strife. Jaune Arc was a dead boy. He died at Beacon. He just didn't know it until he fought in Haven. When I became Cloud Strife that was when I became me and separated myself from my parents' wishes. I had to decide for myself who I was and what I was for. That wasn't just true for me. Everyone had to do that. Weiss had to choose to rebel against her parents and Ruby didn't have to be a huntress. She could have been a doctor or anything she had wanted. Aura helped you decide your place in the world but it was just a crutch. It helped you along the path you chose. It didn't put in the elbow grease for you and it didn't decide that path. You had to do that on your own.

I was going to die young. Very young. But I had a plan to cram as much life as I could into however long I had left. Everyone could die each and every day and all they could do was taste as much life as they could before they finally bit it. And they could bite it at any time. That was something everybody had to come to terms with. I was just on a shorter timetable than most for sure. But I had to come to terms with that. And I had to remember that I was lucky. Two people loved me where most only got one. That was rare.

My sixth sense throbbed at me and I stopped the car. I opened the door and stepped out. There was a purple building next to me of cobbled brick leading up to a slanted roof of greying tiles. There was a quay where I was supposed to leave the car behind a gated fence of hexagonal wire. On the other side there was a red building leading up to a deep black roof. Holographic street lights loomed down on me from all sides but they gave way near the quay. I looked up and didn't see anybody. I was pretty close to the docks where I was supposed to end up. There was no one on the street or on the roofs near me.

Still my danger sense pulsed and I trusted it. I walked around the back of the truck. It was locked with a padlock.

I sliced it easily and opened the back.

There was dust. A great deal of it. Boxes and boxes but there were also wires and a small timer on a single red crystal. The Engelberts had me driving a bomb. They were trying to kill me. I checked the timer. Less than a minute left.

I glanced about. What could I do with this thing? I couldn't just run and leave it to explode. This much dust would kill somebody. I bent down and grabbed the tailgate and took off into the air. I picked it up and flew over the gate and dropped it into the ocean.

The truck teetered in the water and started to sink with great bubbles of air sploshing to the surface. Then it went off and it rocked the street I was standing on and parts of the pier sunk into the sea and water was blasted fifty feet into the air. If I had been driving that Limit or not I would have died. I'd walked off Raven's white dust blade but that was an infused blade that was part Titania and only a blade's worth. There had been crates and crates of dust in that truck. Probably upwards of at least a ton of explosives.

I had to kill the Engelberts now. Great. And here I thought we had a good working relationship. And Neo was off doing some favor for them too. I just had to hope she would be able to survive whatever they were up to with her. Neo was slippery but she wasn't invincible. They had split us up and not told me where Neo was. And this bomb would absolutely have killed me. They had made their move well but I survived due to my keen danger sense. I took off over the city and away from the sounds of sirens closing in on me responding to the explosion in the quay.

I shot Neo a message.

Engelberts turned on us. Get out of there. Meet at Beacon.

I landed at the warehouse the Engelberts had met me at before. I flew down and took an upwards rising swing that bit deep into the roof. I shattered my way inside and hovered down and into the warehouse. There were still drugs and packages lining the walls. I took a fire dust crystal from my pocket and slammed it into my chest. As the burning took me over internally and I activated Limit Break. Then I simply flew throughout the building and torched all of the packages and materials with my blaze.

When next I landed again it was at Junior's. I was still on fire a little. My weapon was in my harness and my gaze swept through the place. I knew it was unlikely that they were here. I still checked and then I marched towards Junior's office. A guard tried to get in my way but I just held out a hand and pushed on his face.

"Junior!" I snapped out. "Junior!"

"What?! What is it?"

I walked into his office and shut the door behind me. "The Engelberts tried to murder me. I'm going to have to kill them both. I need to know if you know of any safehouses or warehouses they own and give it all to me."

"Uh… sure. You got it." My anger must have been showing because he handed everything over to me without complaint or demanding a favor. He must have realized he would be lucky enough to survive the night. He started looking through files.

My scroll buzzed. The answering service indicated that it was Weiss.

"Weiss?" I asked the microphone.

"Cloud, why the fuck is Neapolitan outside our dorm?"

"Oh thank goodness she's alive."

"What? What's happening?"

"The Engelberts set up me to explode in the harbor. I was worried that they got to her too. I told her to head to Beacon. I'm going to tear up their safehouses and stockpiles and hopefully kill them as well. Sit tight. Don't kill one another. I'll swing past as soon as I can."

"I don't want her here."

"Kinda an emergency, Weiss. Just put up with it for a little while and then I'll be by."

"I don't like this."

"I almost exploded. I really could have died. I'm wrapping this up as soon as I can."

"Fine. See you when I see you. Good hunting."

"Love you," I valedicted.

"Love you, too," then we hung up.

"Have something for me," I demanded of Junior.

"I really honestly don't." Junior held up his hands in surrender. I wanted to reach out and grab him by the skull and fling him into a wall.

"Nothing? Not a damn thing?"

"No! They kept it all away from me expertly. I can tell you that they probably know you're still alive based on Lila's power. They'll probably make a run for it. You could watch the airfields."

I snarled. It was better than nothing.

"Do they have an airship?"

"Maybe? I don't know."

"I burned down a warehouse on the corner of 27th and Patterson that I know was theirs. Do they have any others?"

"Probably. I really don't know. They kept me as much in the dark as possible. It was smart of them considering where we are now."

"If they're in Vale I want to know. If they leave Vale I want to know that too. Make it happen."

"Please…"

"You don't want me to throw you in with them. Were you in on this too?"

"No. I swear. I had no idea."

"Make me believe you. Find them. I'm headed to the airfield. You have my number."

I left.

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I patrolled the airfield from above. But without any real indication of which ship they could be in I was searching blindly. I was fumbling in the dark. I didn't have any more than the usual extrasensory perceptions besides what most hunters had and my Mother's 'gift.' Neither of which helped me determine which plane the Engelberts were in or taking. I was as blind and helpless as any other man. They Engelberts could take another shot at me if I wasn't careful.

I gave it up and went to Beacon. Neo was sitting outside my dorm. She looked bored and a little frustrated. It was her own fault Weiss hadn't let her in.

"You good?" I asked. Heat was still in my voice.

She nodded up at me and got to her feet from where she was sitting.

"They throw you under the bus too?" I wondered.

She shook her head. Then she cocked her face sideways in thought. Then warbled a hand.

"Sort of but not really?"

She nodded.

"Good. I'm glad you're safe."

She came up to me and hugged me.

"There was a bomb in that truck set to go off when I reached the pier or sooner if I was late. More than enough dust to kill me. They roped me in and set me up to die. I'm working on how to deal with them and I'm trying to leverage Junior. But he doesn't know anything."

She tapped her lips and turned her thumb down.

"I don't think he's lying if that's what you're asking. He has a healthy fear of both of us. He could be in on it though. I can't rule it out but it seems unlikely. At least to me."

She pointed at herself then mimed crushing a fist.

"Hand him over to you? Maybe...maybe… I don't want to alienate him. I'd like to work closely with him. Better play it safe where Junior is concerned. I burned down their warehouse but I didn't find them. They're still on the loose. Be careful out there. Keep your head low for the next week. I'll contact you when I know more. You can take off. Again, I'm glad you're safe. I thought that they killed you for a moment. They very nearly got me. Now get out of here so I can talk to Weiss. You made her not like you. That's your fault. Let's hope you make a better impression on Ruby. Think you can manage that?"

She shrugged absently and apathetically. She only really cared about my friendship. My fiancé and girlfriend could both hang in her books. I'd like to change that but doubted I could. You can't have everything, after all.

I stepped into my dorm. Weiss was by the dining room window pacing. She turned and looked at me when I entered. I was singed and covered in soot from eating fire dust and burning down that storehouse.

"What happened? Did you really blow up?" She asked, coming over to me. She took my face in both her hands and they felt cool against my cheeks. I sighed into the feeling of her cold hands. I reached up and cupped my hand over one of hers and pressed it more firmly against my face. I gave her palm a kiss.

"They had me driving a car bomb near the harbor. They wanted to light me up. And it totally would have worked if not for my danger sense. I got lucky. It was a good trap and I nearly paid for it."

"You're covered in ash."

"I went and burned down a warehouse I know was theirs. Full of drugs and other contraband. Just to make my presence sting. Then I put pressure on another contact. An information broker named Junior."

"More criminals?"

"I'm a criminal."

"Not like that."

"Exactly like that. And they're not so bad. Aurum in Atlas is good people."

"Didn't he make you try hyper?"

"He didn't make me. He offered it and I accepted."

"Look at what you're dragged into."

"It's the Engelberts. They turned on me. They have to die. Or go to prison. Either is fine."

"I'm glad you're safe."

"I'm fine. I got a little lucky today. My sense of danger isn't always the greatest but it came in clutch when it counted."

"Is it not keen?"

"Not compared to how good Ren's was and how good I suspect Ruby's is. I think her's is better than she lets on. And it gets muddled by this sort of seventh sense I have that was given to me by my Mother."

"I don't think you've mentioned this. What is it?"

"I can sort of feel Grimm."

"All of us can."

"No. Maybe I'm not explaining things right. It comes from that same place that lets me feel my sister and Salem. I know where she is all the time. I think I told you that."

"You did… this is concerning. You should have mentioned it sooner."

"Sorry."

"It's not your fault. There's so much going on with you all the time. I'm glad you made it through this today. I nearly lost you. You would have been gone just like that." She snapped her fingers. "I want you to give up the crime game."

"I need it to see my sisters coming and other agents of Salem."

Weiss worried her lip. It made me want to kiss her. So I did. I brought my hands up to her waist. She exhaled out her nose in a little sigh and she shut her eyes.

"We'll talk about it, then," she decided.

That was good enough for me.

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-WG