"So, what do you think?"
"I think you haven't told me what part I'm supposed to play in this." I said, throwing another glance around.
Despite being around the usual the time the place was open, the bar was empty of not only its regulars but Spider too, only a handful spread across the place cleaning things up. Quiet and lacking a crowd, the place lacked all signs of its usual vibe. They were really going all in on whatever Miss Malachite had been talking about down in that safe room.
"I already told your boss I don't want any part in whatever you're doing." I said, refocusing on the bartender across from me. I'd seen him a few times here and there, especially when Melanie in particular went against her mother's orders to get herself a drink, but never had much in the way of conversation till now. "That includes whatever the twins got themselves wrapped up in." I finished standing up from one of the bar's stools.
"This isn't about the fight, it's only about them." The bartender stressed. "The boss told us to tell you that if you agree to this, you won't be doing any fighting. She just needs someone to get to them."
Of course she'd say that. Good terms aside, Miss Malachite was still a prominent crime boss that ended up where she was because she understood people. Leveraging that to get as much use out of those around here was just par for the course in her eyes, member of Spider or not.
Whether or not her words were true was a flip of a coin.
Besides I had no idea what kind of ramifications getting too involved in all that black market business could have. And the twins might've been young, but they weren't stupid or defenseless. They'd chosen to throw themselves into things their mother explicitly left them out of.
It wasn't my problem.
I turned away from the bar, looked between the few different members still around. Few were focused on their cleaning, varying degrees of hopeful looks focused on me.
I held back a sigh.
XOXO
A mask, jet black and resembling that of a fox, rested within my hand, golden lining used to emphasize many of its features, while my own helmet hung off my hip. I secured the new one over my face and pulled my hair back into a ponytail. It wasn't nearly as sturdy as mine but at least the shadows it cast was enough to conceal my eyes, the half mask only covering the top portion of my face, everything below my nose visible.
Hopefully this didn't come back to bite me in the ass.
Stepping back from the sink, I left the small bathroom I'd been in and stepped out into the back hall of a small shop located on one of Mistral's lowest levels. Two members of Spider were at the end of it, a false wall set aside to reveal a dark tunnel leading into the craggy stone of Mistral's mountain.
"Are you sure you don't need a guide?" One asked.
"The map is good enough." I said, patting the pocket where the scroll they'd given me rested. "Anything else I should know about this black market?"
"Nothing you should have to worry about. Everyone down there knows better than to stick their nose in other's business. Just remember to head straight to the casino. That place is like its own city and it's easier than you think to get lost in." I'd assume the rumors were exaggerations, even Uncle Qrow's stories embellished, but with a warning like that maybe I was in for far more than a typical shady market.
I gave them a nod and they returned it as I stepped into the tunnel. Darkness quickly wrapped itself around me as they slid the false wall back into place, nearly all color except for my own aura drained from the world. My eyes quickly picked out parts of the ground that were unnaturally worn, instantly figuring out the route most who came through here must've followed.
I followed the subtle markings, heading deeper into the craggy tunnel.
The map they gave me showed off a series of intersecting tunnels with a number of different entrances and exit points, but I couldn't map out much with telekinesis other than what was behind and ahead of me. The few cracks my aura slipped into didn't reveal much, all ending in dead ends before breaking into any of those other tunnels.
This might not have been my problem, but the twins were just a pair of kids following what those they grew up around did. They were old enough to start making reckless choices of their own, but they wouldn't even be in whatever trouble they'd found themselves in if it weren't for who their mother was.
Unlike me, they alone couldn't be held responsible for their decision.
I held back a sigh, refocusing on the winding tunnel I was walking through, having stepped my way through a few different intersections by now. Choosing which tunnel to continue down was easy enough, the countless footsteps over the years acting as a glowing trail to me.
Was there really a casino down here? Something big enough to be called a city?
My aura, far ahead the twisting path, began to spread out, tunnel left for an expansive chamber that went on and on. Recalling my aura to just the entrance I picked up the pace, the craggy stone ground soon turning to a cobblestoned pathway and the walls of the tunnel smoothing out. Chatter, footsteps, and all the other sounds that came with crowds of people reached me at the same moment. And, as I stepped through the mouth of the tunnel I'd been walking through, the label city suddenly made complete sense.
Bright lights of varying colors lit up a massive chamber. Streets and buildings, all made of a mix of stone and metal formed the sight below, all of it decorated with distracting signage. Some pointed at hotels flat out advertising far from child friendly activities. Others at shops you wouldn't exactly want a see through bag walking out of. Some weren't even signs, a decent number of women, many faunus, dressed in intricately lit up outfits that showed off far more skin than anything that could be found out on even the most provocative streets of Mistral.
And countless people walked those distracting streets. Like me, though most of their masks were not as intricate, they all covered their faces. Many were actually interested in hiding their identity, all features covered up with nothing special on their person, while others wore nothing more than a simple face mask around their eyes, hiding little to nothing at all.
The fox mask must have more to do with the casino than the actual place at large, my own helmet, while distinct, still good enough to let me fit in among the many who carried weapons throughout the packed crowds.
Picking out signs pointed towards one of the biggest buildings in the chamber, a few dejectedly stumbling their way out while a long line waited for their chance to get in, I descended the stone stairway leading to opening I came out, others coming down into the loud bright place from similar tunnels all around the chamber.
It might not be as big as any one area of the actual city, but I understood what Miss Malachite's men meant about getting lost. With distractions begging for attention at every step, one could easily be led astray. Hell, if it weren't for the craggy rocks still hanging far above, I wouldn't have thought we were inside of a mountain, this place capable of messing up all kinds of senses.
But this wasn't the time to play tourist.
XOXO
"Ah, a guest of Miss Malachite." After bypassing the entire line outside the casino, those managing it waving me to the front as soon as they saw me, a man, suited up like a butler with a rabbit like mask covering his eyes, greeted me respectfully, bowing despite the tray of wine filled glasses balanced in his hand. "Will you be taking to the main floor or would you like me to escort you up to the VIP floor?"
Must be the mask marking me as one of her own.
I nodded and silently followed the man along the edge of the expansive red carpeted room.
Blackjack tables. That one ball game. Numerous slot machines. The center of the room was filled to the brim with people playing all the usual things I'd expect from a place like this. Gambling was hardly illegal in any of the kingdoms as far as I knew so that wasn't what led to this place being built down here. And, while the female workers were moving about in full on bunny suits, anyone who got too handsy found themselves kicked out or worse.
This place probably served as gateway to something else going on down here.
While I was led up a carpeted stairway lined by golden railings, my eyes continued to jump around the place. There were a handful of familiar auras around the place, matching up with people from back at the bar. All of them wore similar dark masks to mine, the golden lining and animals depicted the main differences.
Unhooking a red rope once he reached the top of the stairs, the man stepped aside with it in hand, bowing to me again as I passed him and stepped onto a cornered balcony overlooking the main playing floor. Rather than its own gambling tables, this balcony, just one of many in different parts of the casino, was full of leathered booths. I got nods from those who occupied them, black masks labeling them as members of Spider, a good few with auras I didn't recognize.
Those I did know pointed towards the booth at the very end of the balcony,
I headed over, dropping onto the edge of one of the empty seats.
"Good to see you found your way through the mess outside." Miss Malachite said, across from me. Either leaning into the ironic connection that could be made with her weight or disregarding it entirely, the black mask covering the top portion of her face was in the shape of a pig, it's golden lining drawing attention to its nose. "How are you enjoying your first time here?"
"It's a lot to take in." I said, glancing down to the main floor. With how much the Sharingan enhanced my perception, I sometimes took to flicking around coins just to help center myself when minutes could feel agonizingly long, but with how much my eyes were flicking about in this place, a new movement to be picked up at all times, that would never be necessary.
I hated it.
Below the glamour and distractions there was something else. The employees, faunus making up the vast majority, wore strained practiced smiles, their disdain well hidden. Some barely reigned in outright hatred, their anger and disgust overflowing for a moment whenever they thought others weren't looking. And among those gambling, few were genuinely enjoying throwing their money away, come victory or loss, most reeking of desperation and fear. A loss meant far more to them than a little lien slipping between their fingers.
Not everyone was here by choice.
The sooner I got out of this place, the better.
"Too much, I find." Miss Malachite said, disdain in her tone as she glanced over as well. Her bar could be a busy place, but this was on a whole other level. There was just too much going on for any normal person to be able to extract useful information as a whole.
"Since you went out of your way to come here, I'll be straight with you. We're planning an attack." Miss Malachite said, her lowered tone just barely audible over the noise of the place. "That's not why I called you here. My foolish daughters thought they could hurry things along here and got themselves captured. Our attack will be a distraction for you. You'll grab those idiots and get out here."
"That's it?"
"That's it." She repeated not that I bought into the assurance. "It goes without saying but you'll be paid in full for your work."
Lien was always a nice bonus, but those girls were the main reason I was down here. Better to secure something relevant. "Whatever information you come across involving Tyrian, I want it immediately. No strings attached."
She nodded, not even a moment spared for consideration.
Good. Now was the time to actually talk details, figure out what exactly the twins got themselves into and what he needed to do.
XOXO
Powerstone Goal = 700
(A/N: I lowkey want to explore the black market more and the ideas I have for it but our man does not mess with the place. The bright lights and entertainment can't fool his eyes so the underlying nature of the place is always on full display for him. I doubt we'll be in there too long. Either way, we've got some interest content coming in the next two weeks.
For those interested in reading ahead here's the link:
patreon .com/ thirdratewriter
And now I need to head out into the real world and be an adult. To any of my readers still in highschool, below, or are just lucky enough to be supported by someone while in the early years of figuring stuff out, enjoy it! A job and everything that comes with it is not it. For those with jobs like me, find something you enjoy that doesn't just numb the mind like what they call doomscrolling. Life's a lot better that way. Those who are just straight up struggling cause times are hard around the world these days, this doesn't sound all that encouraging, but keep at it. Our situations definitely won't get better if we resign ourselves to our circumstances.
With that, I'm off!)