Remnant's Calling

2x4: Midnight Animal

The door to the diner rang like a signal as it opened and closed. Jacket stood ahead of Yang and Ruby, looking back at them.

"We're ready," Yang said, answering for the both of them.

He nodded and gave a thumbs-up, sliding his scroll back into his pocket.

"Let's go have some fun!" Jacket said with excitement through his recorder.

"Be our guest," said Yang, gesturing between herself and Ruby.

Again, he nodded then started walking with them following closeby. There was nothing dead silence and the typical ambience of being in a city. Conversation was rendered close to nothing while they travelled to this undisclosed location. However, tension was slowly rising as the silence surrounded them more and more.

"Where are we going anyway?" Asked Ruby, shattering the silence. "You can tell us, right?"

Jacket held his silence as a reply. The sisters glanced at each other then to him.

"Hey, what's going on?"

Still his silence continued until he stopped dead in his tracks.

"Ozpin told me there's going down at the docks. A bunch of White Fang and a wanted criminal are there," he stated evenly. "I should be doing it by myself, but with the circumstances at hand, there's a chance Blake will be there too."

Their expressions after his statement told him they didn't understand.

"I can't completely tell you why, but with what's happened she'll want to clear herself of suspicion in Weiss's eye," he told them, explaining as best he could. "But we can't waste any more time than we already have, so come on."

With all said and done, Jacket turned on his heels and took off running. The suddenness left the two stuck in confusion and worry before they snapped out of it, sprinting after him.

⋯

It felt like hours had passed since they started running. Even with Yang and Ruby pushing themselves as much as they could, Jacket was still faster than them. But that was nothing more than a fleeting distraction as what sounded like gunfire echoed through the sky. Fear knotted up in their stomachs as they realized he was right. Ruby leaped forward, turning into a mass of vibrant red petals, and flew past Jacket. The more they ran, the louder the chaos grew. Then, eventually, they rounded a corner to a docking station. Numerous White Fang grunts stood with weapons drawn. Blake was there too, but with another: the unnamed monkey Faunus from yesterday. But, they weren't the main concern, no, that would be Roman Torchwick.

The moment was broken when one of the grunts pointed at Jacket and shouted, "he's here!"

All of them snapped toward his direction and panic broke out amongst them. They all begun scattering like rats on a boat with little regard for their fellow Faunus. Seeing all this chaos made Ruby and Yang glance at Jacket with fearful eyes. He ran forward, the dark holes of his purple panther mask peering into the White Fang, through them even. One of them dropped to their knees in the fetal position as he sprinted toward them, but he ran past them. Instead, he seemed to opt for the bigger threat in this situation. Roman felt a freight train had hit him as Jacket tackled him to the ground. The attack put him in a daze, barely noticing when Jacket started restraining him until it was already done.

"Jacket?" Fear and confusion ladden in Blake's voice. "What're you doing here?"

Although unintentional, he ignored her and pulled Roman off to the side, binding his feet together so he wouldn't run. When he was done, Fritz stood straight and turned to her.

"What a beautiful day, huh?" His recorder chimed cheerily.

Blake cringed at the jolly tone of his recorder's voice in contrast to their surroundings.

"Talk later," he told her through copped voice lines, gesturing to the fleeing horde. 

"Don't worry about them. They're already scattered as is." Blake turned and watched the last few scramble for a way out. "I learned that the hard way," she added, cold and sorrowful. 

Jacket eyed them attentively. Waves of familiarity washed over him; flashes of panicked soldiers ducking for cover from gunfire. He sighed beneath his mask before pulling it and stowing it in his jacket. He glanced by himself at the still-bound Roman sitting on his ass. 

"Looks like it's just you and me, eh?" he thought. He reached down grabbing Roman by his collar and hoisting him up to his feet. "Up and at 'em."  

"Hey! Not so rough, this coat was expansive!" Roman whined in his grasp.

"Quiet," said the cheery voice in the recorder. 

Roman groaned in annoyance as he hopped along with Jacket's minimal assistance. While they, Roman, hobbled to the street, the distance sirens of all too familiar police grew closer. The ginger criminal eyed Jacket through a sidelong glance. "Hey, buddy, I slide you a couple hundred lien if you let me go." A stone-chiseled poker face answered the pathetic attempt at a bargain. "Oh, c'mon, pal, just name your price and I'll gladly give it to you," added Roman with a near-nervous-looking smile. Still, Jacket remained stoic and apathetic to his propositions. "He-Hey, look, just let me go or... or I'll have to unleash my secret weapon!" 

The sudden loudness of that last part caught Jacket by surprise for once. He turned to the bound criminal with a raised brow.

"Yeah, yeah that's right!" Roman boomed in an even tone. "I've got something up my sleeve."

Again, Jacket ignores him and keeps pushing him toward the street. Eventually, Roman's nonsensical ramblings blended into white noise until quite a few police arrived on the scene.

"Holy shi... Roman Torchwick!" One officer boomed with surprise and happiness. He rushes toward the two with a pointed look of respect to Jacket. "Thank you, sir. I don't know how you did it, but you've sure lightened the load on us." He turns with a scornful, vitriol-filled glare to Roman. "C'mon on shitstain, you're coming with us."

Jacket and Roman glared at each other as he pushed into the backseat of the police vehicle.

"Hey, sir, I know you probably want to get home, but we've got some questions for you."

"There's no need for that, officer," said the usual stoic voice of Ozpin. "This is an operative under my command. All the details of this mission will be shared with your boss upon your return to the station."

The officer stumbled and stuttered through his words, eventually nodding with a flustered look on his face. As the officers leave, Ozpin leans into Jacket. "Were there any complications during this?"

"Other than your students being here, no, sir. There were no complications," Jacket replied.

Ozpin watches the fractured team huddled together in a group hug. "They are something, aren't they?"

"Yes, they are. But not for their own good."