A Semblance of Emotion 043

“There are four main crime groups in Vale,” Yang said quietly. “And a bunch of smaller gangs, but those guys aren’t important. The Vassari family run their operations out of the docks. They own a bunch of the warehouses there and smuggle guns into the city, and are one of the two major powers when it comes to drugs. Cocaine, meth, heroin – all the strong shit. Used to be big players on the weed market but when Vale legalized it a couple decades ago, the well dried up. They also have a bit of a reputation for committing crimes against faunus. They constantly clash with some of the minor faunus groups in the city.”

They’d found their way to a small burger shack. It was a little run down, the wallpaper peeling, the tables bleached from years of sun, and Jaune was pretty sure the big stain on the ceiling was from grease. The scent of food was undeniable, though, and when his burger was placed down in front of him along with a helping of fries, he felt his mouth water.

The fries were perfectly crisp and golden, seasoned with salt and something tangy, a citrus hit – maybe lemon? Whatever it was, it was addicting, and after one bite, he was practically shoveling them into his mouth. He wasn’t even that hungry and yet he found himself devouring them, and when he took a bite into his hamburger, he couldn’t stop the sound of delight from escaping him. It was juicy and flavorful, the lettuce, onion and tomato fresh, and the sauce had a bit of a bite to it, making his tongue tingle.

It was good. Really good.

Yang had ordered the same, and as she spoke, she tore into her food with gusto.

“Then there is the Black Lotus – they were from Mistral, originally, but Spider drove them out a long time ago, and they found a new home here. They’ve got their fingers in a lot of the casinos, dog and horse racing, anything you can waste money on, they run it. They also run half the dry cleaners in the city where they ‘clean’ their dirty money, and have a few night clubs. Most of the property in the red light district belongs to them.”

Yang dipped one of her fries in some garlic aioli, popping it into her mouth.

“Those assholes we tangled with are part of the Bricks. Stupid name, right? They’re nasty pieces of work. They’ve got their own little shitty flesh trade out that way, and they’re the other big player when it comes to drugs. Unlike the others, they pick up any little hoodlum that wants to get their hands dirty, and they’re the most unpredictable of the lot. Stolen goods, chop shops, all the classic shit you’d expect from a bunch of city crims.”

She took a bite of her burger, unable to muffle her groan.

“I love this place. Told you their burgers are the bomb,” she said, taking another bite.

“What about the last group?”

“The Xiong Family. They’re the big dogs, the strongest crime group in Vale. Weapons are a big thing for them, as well as lending out muscle. They ‘keep the peace’ – funny, right? Anyway, they’ve got their fingers in practically everything. Like the Black Lotus, they’re heavy into the night clubbing scene, and I wouldn’t be surprised if half the city pays them protection money. That club I trashed? It was one of theirs.”

“Trust you to pick the biggest hornets nest to rustle.”

“Hey, what can I say? I don’t do things by half,” she smirked. “Their leader is a man called Hei Xiong, but everyone calls him Junior. If you want to know something, he’s the man you go to see. An information broker – the best, or so I was told. When I questioned him, though, he didn’t have what I wanted… or he wasn’t telling.”

“You think he might have lied?”

Yang shrugged. “It’s hard to say. He’s a criminal, so I wouldn’t put it past him – but I also had him by the balls, literally. I’d say it’s about fifty-fifty.”

“You what?” Jaune deadpanned.

“I might have gotten a little… rough with him,” Yang admitted sheepishly. “Asshole was hitting on me. I’m young enough to be his daughter. I guess I got a little worked up over it, and that’s what kick started the whole thing. He had a couple of bitches on his payroll, they move and fight like Huntresses. I beat their asses but they’re dangerous.”

“So you went to them first, and now what? You’re hitting up all the big crime groups to see if they know something?”

Yang frowned at his tone. “And? They’ve all got their own networks. One of them might know something.”

Jaune sighed. “Yang, I’m not saying you shouldn’t do it – I’m just saying that you need to be more careful, that’s all. Meeting these people alone doesn’t sound smart.”

Her lips pursed. “If they try anything, I’ll put em through a wall. These mooks can’t handle a Huntress.”

“In training,” he reminded her. “And you just said that Junior had a couple of girls who moved and fought like Huntresses. Some of these other groups might have people like that as well.”

She looked like she wanted to argue but knew he was right.

“Fine. I guess it was a little stupid… but I’ve got you now, so I’m good.”

...at least she was willing to admit that she’d been reckless.

“That address you were visiting, what were you hoping to find?”

“That’s where I was told to go if you want information, but when I got there, the place was boarded up. Old intel, I guess. Probably moved after getting some heat. That’s when I ran into those assholes. I asked them a few questions and they started getting handsy, if you know what I mean. Well, they tried.”

“Something they regret, I’ve no doubt,” he said dryly as she snorted.

“Got that right. I didn’t really want to deal with the Bricks but that was the only lead I had, so now I’m back to square one.”

No leads, but that didn’t mean she was giving up. Jaune knew better than that.

“So what now?”

Yang drummed her fingers against the table top. “I didn’t want to do it, but I think I’m gonna have to go see Junior again.”

That sounded like a bad idea. “Are you sure about that? Didn’t you trash his nightclub?”

“I’m sure he’ll be over that… I think,” she grimaced. “I know it sucks but he could point me in the right direction. He’ll know who I could talk to with the Black Lotus or Vassari. It’s either that or I hit the streets, rough up a few of their guys until they spill the beans.”

Junior it was, then.

“How do you know all this, anyway?” Jaune asked. “I doubt this knowledge is the sort of thing you can just search on the internet.”

“Knowledge of a misspent youth?” she half-joked. “I grew up walking these streets as a kid. After mom died… well, I used to come over to the city quite a lot. Dad wasn’t always quite there, you know? He looked after us fine but emotionally, he was shot. He struggled with Ruby, so I had to step up but sometimes it all got a little too much, you know? So I’d come across from Patch to blow off some steam. If you ever want to know about what goes on in a city, you ask the children. They see and hear stuff no one else does.”

“Of course, none of this stuff are things that can be proven. If they could be, the police would have moved in on them a long time ago,” she continued as they finished their food. “It’s just what people know, you know?”

Jaune nodded. “Yeah, I think I do.”

They paid for their food and left. The sun was beginning its slow descent in the west, and when Jaune checked the time, he saw that it was late afternoon.

“Come on, we can take a cab over to Junior’s. He’ll probably be there around now.”

Yang flagged down the first taxi they saw, and soon, they were standing in front of a night club in the downtown area, not far from a major on ramp onto the highway. It wasn’t open for business yet but there were plenty of people around.

Men in jet black suits manned the entrance, their ties a bright crimson red, heads adorned by black fedora. Their ties matched their glasses, the lens’ tinted red, and even at a distance, Jaune could tell that these guys were bad news. Yang strode confidently towards them, and it wasn’t long until they were spotted.

Jaune watched as they all recognized Yang and tensed, their hands palming their concealed weapons.

“Fellas,” she called out casually, opening her arms wide. “What’s up?”

She was treating this very lightly.

“What are you doing here?” one of the men asked, voice rough, unwelcoming.

“I’ve come to see your boss. Is he in?”

The man scowled. “You aren’t welcome here, girlie.”

A few of them were giving Jaune curious glances but the bulk of their attention was firmly on Yang. She laughed, placing her hands on her hips, and he saw the way they shuffled back.

They were scared of her.

Unlike those other gang members, these guys knew exactly what Yang was capable of.

“Listen – we don’t want a repeat of last time, do we?” she asked coolly. “I just want to ask Junior something. I promise I’ll ask nicely this time, and won’t break anything.”

They wanted to deny her but knew no matter what, she was getting inside. An air of resignation settled over them, and through gritted teeth, they were allowed entrance.

“Thanks, fellas,” Yang chirped. “Come on, Jaune. Maybe we could get a drink.”

Jaune followed Yang inside, giving the men a nod of courtesy.

The interior of the club was open with a large, checkered dance floor and towering white pillars, speakers and lights hung on a stylistic scaffold above their heads. Tables and chairs were set around the far reaches of the room, and in the middle was a long bar stocked with hundreds of bottles. More men in suits loitered around, and they all tensed as they took notice of Yang as she walked across the dance floor as if she owned the place.

There were two figures at the bar, one white, one red.

“These are the bitches I was talking about,” Yang said, voice low. For the first time, he saw her expression tighten. “Keep your eyes on them, they’ll be as likely to stab you in the back as smile at you.”

“Got it.”

The one in white turned, her green eyes falling on Yang. She was incredibly pretty with sharp features, her slim, fit body clad in an elaborate white dress that left her pale shoulders exposed, a river of silken black hair falling down her back. A ring of fur was draped around her neck, her eyes shadowed in light green that made her eyes pop, and even without Yang’s warning, Jaune could tell that she was dangerous.

She can’t have been much older than them – early to mid-twenties at most.

When the red one turned, he was taken aback. They were identical twins, an equally pretty face and captivating eyes greeting them. Instead of a white dress, though, she wore red and black. They both wore thigh-high boots, and as his eyes fell, he noticed that the boots of the white dress girl were bladed.

“I thought I smelt skank,” she said, nose wrinkling. “Who let the dog in?”

“Like, our day was going so well,” the red one complained. “I’ve lost my appetite.”

Their voices were the same, filled with disdain.

“Fuck you both,” Yang returned, voice tight. “I’m here to see Junior.”

“Now she thinks she can demand things from us,” the white one rolled her eyes. “Greedy bitch. You got lucky last time, like – read the room, why don’t you?”

“Maybe we should carve that face up a little,” the red one proposed. “What do you think, sis?”

“I think I’ll beat your asses again,” Yang said. “And this time, I’ve got backup. You don’t stand a chance.”

Their eyes shifted onto him.

“Oh, who is this? Your boyfriend?” the girl in white asked before scoffing. “Tch – doubt it. He’s much too good looking for you. What’s your name, hot stuff?”

“Jaune,” he replied as he saw Yang’s hands ball into fists. “And you are?”

“My name is Melanie, and this silly bitch next to me is Miltia,” she introduced, and the pair of them looked him up and down. As one, their lips quirked into predatory smiles, their eyes gleaming with interest. “Tell me, Jaune – have you ever been with twins before?”

“Okay, you can cut that shit out,” Yang snapped. “Where is Junior?”

“We’ll show you a way better time than this skank,” Melanie continued, carefully crossing her legs and showing a hint of her alabaster thighs. “Won’t we, sis?”

“Like, look at us,” Miltia copied her sister, crossing her legs so the hem of her dress rode up in tantalizing fashion. “If you stop by tonight, we could dance. Do you like to dance, Jaune?”

“Uh – yeah, a bit,” he answered.

Yang shot him an annoyed glance.

“I bet you know just how to use that body,” Melanie licked her lips.

“Do you two really want me to kick your asses again? Because this time, I’ll make sure that my boot marks stick.”

They rolled their eyes in tandem, Miltia asking, “You’re still here? We’re, like, setting up a date with Jaune.”

“Yeah, he wants to dance with us. He’s tired of little girls, he wants real women,” Melanie taunted, striking a pose, pushing her chest out.

“The only little girls I see are you,” Yang said, voice dark.

This wasn’t getting them anywhere. The twins were taking great joy in messing with Yang, and she was falling for it. Jaune could see that it wouldn’t take much more to push her over the edge, her body growing tense, ready to start throwing hands.

They wanted a rematch, but they wanted Yang to make the first move.

Jaune cleared his throat, drawing their attention. “Listen, we just want to talk to your boss. It’s important. Do you girls think you could help us out?”

Miltia hummed, tilting her head. “What do you think, sis? He asked nicely.”

Melanie smirked. “We’ll take you to Junior – for a cost.”

“And what cost is that?” he pressed before Yang could deny them.

“A date,” Melanie said instantly, eyeing Yang haughtily. “You can take the both of us out. You can handle that, right?”

“He looks capable enough,” Miltia mused aloud. “But we’ve been wrong before.”

They both giggled.

“A date,” he repeated, and they nodded.

“As if,” Yang snapped. “He isn’t going on a date with you, either of you.”

“We aren’t asking you,” Miltia flicked her hair dismissively. “We’re talking to Jaune. Butt out.”

“Yeah, like – why don’t you just fuck off already?”

“Okay,” Jaune said quickly before Yang could return fire. “I’ll go on a date with you.”

Yang turned to stare at him in surprise, and even the twins appeared momentarily shocked at his easy acceptance.

“Jaune, what are you doing?” Yang hissed angrily.

“We need to see Junior, right?”

Her mouth opened but she was at a loss for words.

“This seems like the best way forward. I don’t mind,” he shrugged. “A date in exchange for a meeting with Junior. Do we have a deal?”

Melanie nodded after a moment, grinning. “We’ve got a deal.”

She offered a hand, her glossy white nails gleaming. Jaune shook her hand, ignoring the way she caressed his palm as he let go, and then he shook Miltia’s hand. Her nails were black, though unlike her sister, she didn’t linger with her touch.

“Okay, like – you better not break your promise,” Miltia said. “If you do, we’ll find you.”

“And you won’t like it if you force us to find you,” Melanie added.

“I won’t break my promise,” he said, meaning it. “Now – can we see Junior?”

They hopped off their stools. “Right. Follow us, then. He should be in his office.”

They led the way, and as Jaune went to follow, Yang grabbed his arm.

“Jaune, what was that?”

“You wanted this meeting, right? Well, now we have it.”

She looked pissed, brow pinched as she said, “Jaune, those girls – they’re bad news. I thought I made that clear.”

“Yang,” he said softly. “Trust me. I know what you said. I haven’t forgotten. But what other choice did we have? Did you really want to trash this place again? They were practically begging you to start something, don’t you find that a little weird?”

Her mouth pulled into a straight line as she thought it over. “...You think they were up to something?”

“Maybe. I don’t know. But a date is a small price to pay for something like this.”

She slowly released his arm.

“You know they just want to fuck with you, right?” she asked. “They’re trying to wind me up.”

“Yeah, I do. You don’t have to worry about me.”

“Hey, like – are you guys coming or what?” Melanie called out, annoyed. “After all that and you aren’t coming? What’s with that?”

“Right,” he said, raising his hand. “We’re coming.”

This time when he went to step forward, Yang didn’t stop him.

They showed them to a door hidden behind the bar. As they stepped through the door, they entered a long hallway lined with doors. Some of them were open, and as they passed, Jaune saw nothing out of the ordinary. One was a storage room, filled with boxes of liquor and other things. Another was a cleaning closet, shelves of chemicals lining the walls, and dirty mops resting in sinks. On the other side of the hall was a door that led to a kitchen that was empty save for a group of men playing dice, sitting on milk crates.

At the end of the hall was a staircase, and as they ascended to the second floor, they saw two large men guarding a door at the end of the hallway.

They were both taller than Jaune by at least a head, and twice as broad. His Pa would say they were both built like a pair of brick shithouses, and as they approached, their eyes narrowed threateningly.

“Easy boys,” Melanie waved a hand casually. “We’re taking them to see Junior.”

They didn’t argue, letting them pass.

Inside was a small room with a glass panel dominating the far wall, a sheet of one-way glass that overlooked the club floor. On the left was a bookcase filled with various bottles of liquor; whiskey, bourbon, vodka and rum, while on the right was a black leather couch. In the middle of the room was a large mahogany desk with two chairs seated in front of it, and sitting behind that desk was a man taller than the two men that guarded the room.

He was huge. There was no other word to use. Even sitting down, Jaune could see that he was probably close to seven foot tall, and had broad, strong shoulders. While he wasn’t as wide as those two guys, Jaune could see that he was stronger.

He wore a suit like his men but instead of a black shirt, he wore white, his jacket hanging up in the corner. His jaw was wide and strong, beard trimmed neatly, his black hair combed back. His eyes didn’t rise as they entered, focused on something on his scroll; a video, but the sound was muted.

“Someone is here to see you,” Melanie said rudely, giving her knuckles a sharp rap against the surface of his desk. “A certain blondie decided to pay us another little visit.”

That got a reaction, his eyes darting up, his face growing stern.

He collapsed his scroll, setting it aside.

Yang waved cheekily.

Junior sighed, leaning back in his chair. “I was hoping I’d never see your face again.”

“Aw, that’s not a nice thing to say to a girl. You liked the look of my face last time.”

The twins moved off to the side and sat down on the couch, Miltia giving him a coy little wave as she caught his eye.

“I already told you, I don’t know who that woman is. I’ve never seen her before in my life,” he said, his eyes moving between them. “Who is this?” he asked, gesturing at Jaune.

“Just a friend,” Yang said. “Just looking out for me. You know, since I’m meeting with scum and all.”

Junior didn’t take offence. In fact, he laughed, giving Jaune an annoyed look. “She tell you what she did here last time? Tore the place to pieces, it took months to get back on our feet. We only just reopened recently.”

“She might have mentioned it,” Jaune said as Yang huffed.

“And now you’ve come back,” Junior returned his attention back to Yang. “Why?”

She crossed her arms. “I was hoping you might be able to point me to someone who actually can help me find that woman.”

“I see,” Junior thought it over. “You’re looking to connect with other information brokers. And why would I help you do that? Not only are they my competition, you caused me such financial hardship last time. I’m not really in the giving mood.”

Yang’s eyes narrowed. “How about I give you a little more hardship. How does that sound?”

The atmosphere was tense – for all of three seconds. Then Junior laughed again, as if she hadn’t just threatened him.

“If you bring this sort of energy to my rivals, I would appreciate it,” reaching into his desk, Jaune prepared himself for trouble but he only pulled out a pad and pen, not a weapon. He scribbled some names and numbers down, and then tore the page off and held it out.

Yang hesitated, a little wary of his easy cooperation but took it.

“Those are the guys you’ll want to talk with if you want to know anything in this city,” Junior said. “Though I doubt they’ll be able to help you. If I don’t know who that bird is or where she is, they won’t.”

Yang read it over quietly.

“The first guy is part of the Vassari family. Bit of a ladies man, he’ll take a shine to you, no doubt about it,” Junior smirked. “You’re his type. Second name is Black Lotus. Expensive. But you don’t care about that, do you? You pay with your fists.”

Melanie and Miltia tittered.

“Third guy is independent. Former VPD, now runs a little private investigator firm. Doesn’t care where the money comes from, but you might want to avoid him unless you’re willing to pay. He still has connections on the force, and I doubt that is the type of heat you’re willing to court, am I right?”

Gangsters was one thing. Murder and mayhem, that wasn’t enough to scare her off. She’d fight them any day of the week. Getting arrested by the cops because she beat up a former colleague? That was more complicated. Not the sort of thing she wanted on her file.

“I know this last name,” Yang said quietly.

“Yeah, well, if you go to him, you’re desperate. I wouldn’t get involved with the Bricks if I were you, not that you’ll listen. You call me scum, but those guys are the bottom of the barrel. I’d be happy if you took a bunch of them out, it would be doing all of us a favor.”

Yang pocketed the slip of paper.

“Thanks,” she said begrudgingly.

“I bet that hurt to say,” Junior leaned back in his chair, considering them both. “Now get out of here and go fuck up their lives. I’m counting on it being spectacular, don’t let me down.”

That was their cue to leave.

“Yoo-hoo~! Jaune,” Melanie called out before they could leave. She held up her scroll, giving it a shake. “I need your number, hun. You didn’t forget, did you? You have to take us both out.”

Junior looked between them and Jaune, his expression filled with a surprising amount of pity.

“Good luck,” the crime boss of the most powerful crime family in the city said. “You’re going to need it.”