"I hope when my time comes that I die decently in bed. I don't want to be murdered beside the garbage cans in some Chicago alley." ~ Bugs Moran.
A few nights after going to Junior's club is when things really started to change for me.
I was working another shift in the cab past midnight when I got a notice for a VIP pickup across town near the old warehouse district. It seemed like a completely normal pick up to me at the time so I drove there thinking that I'd probably be picking up some wiseguy and probably get a handsome tip for my troubles.
I pulled up around back like the app had instructed me too and parked waiting for my customer to show himself messaging him through the app that I was outside. I watched as the back door opened and I spotted O-Ushi along with Tonen and a few others, my pickup was this one guy among them named Jiro.
They were all taking their time finishing their cigarettes and chatting it up. I couldn't hear a thing they were talking about so I just waited for them. I caught sight of something moving at the corner of my eye and I looked to see a mangy alley cat scurrying down an alley. It stopped and looked right at O-Ushi and her boys, then right at me. This little black and orange cat stared directly at me with a pair of bright yellow eyes. I immediately felt kind of bad for the mangy little thing as one look at it's face showed a number of scars marking its face. It had clearly had a lot of fights with other cats in it's time living on the streets.
Just as fast the cat turned away from me and sprinted down the alley. I turned back to look at O-Ushi and my pickup all dropping their cigarette butts on the ground and stamping them out. They turned down to walk to their own cars or to get into my cab when down the long alley a van rolled down the alley with the side door wide open. It took me a second to realize that something was wrong.
O-Ushi and her boys saw danger immediately. They scrambled for whatever cover they could and drew their guns from their jackets. A masked man in the van raised a rifle and fired. Flashes erupted from the muzzle illuminating the alley as the gunman strafed the alleyway with automatic fire.
"Oh Shit!" I cursed taking a little longer than I wanted to admit to get over my shock. I watched as the gunfire struck two including my pickup Jiro. I honestly don't know what I was thinking then, but the minute I was able to process what was happening I went into action.
I put the car into gear and stomped on the gas moving down the alley and past O-Ushi, shots struck the cab so I turned the car so it could be used as cover blocking a section of the alley and providing what cover I could for O-Ushi and her boys. Several bullets shattered the windows and pierced the side. One went right through the door and struck me only to be absorbed by my aura.
I threw the door open and stepped out looking at the two bodies bleeding next to a bunch of garbage. O-Ushi moved behind the engine block of my cab with both revolvers in hand and leveled. They boomed like thunder when she fired them sending echoes down the alleyways. Between the machine guns from the van and the various pistols going off my world was surrounded by ear splitting gunfire.
Several shots from the gunner struck O-Ushi, her blue aura flared and she dropped down behind the engine block throwing the cylinders of her revolvers open and spilling the brass to the ground.
"Good thinking kid," she complimented as rounds continued to tear my cab apart. Tonen was stuck in the doorway hiding behind the little wall. He had a type of machine pistol out and the stock unfolded as he fired bursts at the van and the gunner.
"Get inside!" He said to O-Ushi who tucked one of the gun barrels in her armpit to free her hand to reload the other. He aimed down the alley and released a hail of automatic fire from his little compact machine gun.
"Come on kid!" She said looking at me, "and get that iron out!"
I blinked stupidly trying to figure out what she meant, a second slow I realized that she was talking about by gun. I reached into my waistband and pulled out the snubnose revolver she had given me. I felt like I was carrying a pop gun but it was all I had at the moment.
Tonen emptied his gun down the alley and ejected the magazine before reloading with practiced ease. "Go, we'll cover!" He said opening fire towards the van once more.
O-Ushi and I both stood to make a break for the doorway trying to keep low. Tonen's machine pistol clicked and he cursed as his weapon jammed suddenly. Another one of his boys ducked down having experienced a second jam, and a third. But we were already in the open so all we could do was move. I felt several rounds impact against my aura as I sprinted.
A loud sudden crack echoed through the alley behind me, but I kept running for the doorway trying to ignore the sounds of gunfire. When I reached the doorway I turned and saw that O-Ushi was not behind me. She was on the ground bleeding.
"Fuck!" I cursed. I reacted purely on instinct and ran back out as Toenen managed to clear the jam in his weapon and continue to spray the area with bullets. I reached O-Ushi and tried picking her up, she was a big woman so believe me it wasn't easy lifting her up. She was soaked in blood already and I saw the wound to her shoulder. Several more shots struck me as I tried lifting her up.
I tried dragging her to safety. "J-jaune?" she asked regaining her senses and moving to pick herself up. I let her hold onto my shoulder and helped her limp to the cover of the doorway when another crack echoed down the alleyway. It struck me that time, my aura flared up to stop the round but fizzled out dissolving into light.
I rushed her to safety as fast as I could and took cover behind the wall letting her hang off of me. I don't know how I managed to get there so fast and without getting gunned down but I did. "She's hurt," I told Tonen, "I don't know what to do!" I said trying to put pressure on the wound.
"Take her inside and get her out of here!" Tonen said, dropping the empty machine pistol and drawing a pistol from his coat. "Her car is on the other side of the warehouse, go!"
I obeyed, I threw open the door and helped her limp with her through the warehouse. I raised the little pistol and scanned the area just in case there was someone there but it was empty.
"Let go, I can walk!" O-Ushi said as I helped her move.
I listened to her and let her walk, she put pressure on the wound as we cut through the mostly empty warehouse and left on the other side. A nice cool blue car was parked by the curb and we rushed to it. She handed me the keys and with a click of the fob the doors opened by themselves. I helped her into her seat keeping an eye out in case someone tried shooting us but no one came. I hopped into the driver seat, inserted the key and took off like a rocket down the street.
It was a very fast car. I raced away and tried to think of where to go next. "Where's the nearest hospital?" I asked her, keeping my eyes on the road and ignoring all stop signs and lights.
"No hospital!" She hissed at me, "take me to Junior's club!"
"You're bleeding!" I protested to her.
"Just fucking do it! They can patch me up there just drive!" She hissed at me and I obeyed.
I raced through town, once I was sure that I had put enough distance between the shooters and us I started to become a little more respectful to traffic laws. Getting pulled over with a bleeding gangster in the passenger seat was not going to help the situation, but I still considered the speed limit a guideline and made rolling stops when I could.
O-Ushi managed to get her scroll out and made a call for Junior. I didn't listen very well as I put my focus on the road but I heard her explain that she was going to need a doctor. "Park in the back," she told me cursing to herself as she kept what pressure she could on the wound.
I nodded numbly as I drove and she reached over and patted my chest and torso. "Did you get hit kid?" she asked me as I made a rolling stop at a sign.
"I don't think so, no," I told her, "just worry about yourself.
I managed to get there in good time and without getting the attention of a cop. I did as I was instructed and parked in the back alley where indeed a number of Junior's boys were already waiting and rushed out to help O-Ushi inside. I moved the follow ,stepping in through the back entrance to see that she was going to be properly taken care of, but I was stopped.
A big bearded man stepped in front of me blocking my path. I looked up into his grey eyes as he stared down at me. "Come with me kid," he said, leading me up a flight of stairs into a back room where a window gave a view of the club below. Looking around at the rich decor I realized this was probably Junior's officer and that this was almost certainly Junior.
He moved behind his desk and thinking that I was supposed to talk to him I almost sat in the chair in front of it.
"Don't sit down!" he snapped at me.
I froze like a deer caught in headlights. I wondered for a moment what the issue was when I looked at my hand coated with red. I was a bloody fucking mess and I almost sat down and ruined his nice leather chair.
"Sorry kid," Junior said as I opened my mouth to apologize. He pointed to a door off to the side, "go wash up, I'll have someone bring you some clean clothes, then I wanna head about what happened."
I nodded to him. "Thanks," I said stepping into his private bathroom and taking a look at myself in the mirror. I looked like I belonged in a horror movie. There was red all over me and I shuddered from it.
I stripped my bloody clothes off and checked myself for any possible wounds before stepping into the shower. I watched as the water around my feet turned red and swirled down the drain. I scrubbed my face clean and took the liberty to use Junior's shampoo to wash the blood out of my hair.
I replayed the events in my mind. Replaying the images of that van pulling out and the gunmen opening fire, the wounded guys huddling for cover and trying to return fire with their pistols. I wondered if Tonen and the others had even escaped. It wasn't anything like the fights I had experienced in Beacon, the fights were direct there. I was used to seeing my opponent across the ring, or for seeing grimm charging to fight up close. Not a shadowy figure with a machine gun.
The hot water was calming at the very least and it helped me center myself. I hated the idea of making Junior wait on me but I was happy to at least catch my breath and relax for a moment before getting interrogated by Junior.
Junior. I had been wondering for awhile at that point if I'd ever come face to face with the guy and suddenly here I was taking a shower in his private bathroom. I hardly managed to get an actual impression of the guy, he certainly had the commanding figure and voice I would have expected of a crime boss, but having him apologize to me had certainly been unexpected.
A knock sounded at the door and I figured it was probably those clothes Junior had mentioned. "Just leave the clothes on the counter I'll be out in a minute," I said scrubbing behind my ears. I heard the door open and close and assumed that they had done just as I had asked, leaving them on the counter next to the sink. I turned the water off and grabbed a towel off the rack before stepping out.
"Hey Jaune!"
I practically jumped out of my skin hearing that voice. My wet bare foot almost slipped and sent me crashing to the floor. I dropped the towel and braced against the wall. I looked over and saw Melanie giggling as she leaned against the door.
"What the hell are you doing here?" I asked scrambling to pick up my towel and cover myself.
"I heard you drove O-Ushi here so I thought I'd volunteer to bring you your clothes," she explained motioning to a folded set of sweatpants and a t-shirt she had left on the counter.
"So you snuck in here while I was taking a shower?" I asked her to retreat behind the shower wall to dry myself in privacy.
"Like what can I say? I'm a curious gal." she said proudly, "how are you holding up?"
"Fine," I said resting my back against the tile wall of the shower. "How's O-Ushi?" I asked, wanting an answer to my biggest concern.
"Patched up and pissed off," she explained, "we got a good doc, can treat bullet wounds in her sleep."
"You keep a doctor at the club?" I asked, wondering how one was already here and ready to treat her.
"We have one on call," she explained to me, "some gal that wants a fast way to pay off her student loans and doesn't ask questions. Hospitals tend to call the police when someone gets shot up."
"Makes sense," I said, pulling the towel around my waist and stepping out to grab the clothes. Melanie remained leaning against the door arms crossed over her chest. "Do you know what happened to the others?" I asked her, "I left while they were still in a fire fight."
"They called Junior, a few wounded but everyone is alive and well," she told me.
I let out a sigh of relief, "that's good to hear," I said, "I felt like I abandoned them."
Melanie gave me a serious hard look in my eye. "Nobody thinks that Jaune," she said to me, "no one."
"Thanks," I said looking at the clothes in my hand, "can I get some privacy?" I asked her.
She shrugged and released a sigh, "Whatever, have it your way." She said opening the bathroom door and disappearing behind it.
Relieved to change in privacy I quickly slipped on the sweatpants and shirt and stepped barefoot back into Junior's office. Melanie was there along with Milta who was busy making a drink at a little bar on his desk.
"Sorry Jaune," Milta said, "I told her that was a bad idea."
"Whatever," Melanie said again in that haughty tone of hers, "I thought a little surprise would be good for him, help him relax a little."
Milta dropped a couple of ice cubes into a glass and poured a dark amber liquid into it before walking over and handing it to me. "Here, take the edge off, it's Junior's favorite."
I nodded a thanks and accepted the glass taking a sip of the strong smoky whiskey, it burned like nothing else. "Thanks," I rasped to her, getting a giggle from Melanie.
"That stuff's an acquired taste, you're lucky I didn't serve it to you neat," Milta said, patting me on the shoulder.
I just nodded and took another sip prepared for the harsh taste and burn this time. I finally sat down in one of Junior's chairs. Milta perched herself on Junior's desk looking at me. "So like, what happened exactly? Who tried wacking O-Ushi?"
"That's what we're trying to find out," I looked back and saw Junior walk in through the door. O-Ushi was with him, arm in a sling and a bandage on her shoulder. She wore a simple tank top but for the first time I could see just how heavily tattooed her arms and shoulders were. Beautiful blue and orange koi fish were swimming in a sea of black.
"I want the two of us to talk to Mr. Arc alone," he told the twins.
Milta hopped off the desk and Melanie followed her giving their boss no lip or sass as they left the three of us alone in his office. O-Ushi took the chair next to me as Junior grabbed the same crystal decanter Milta had poured my drink from and filled a glass of his own. O-Ushi made to grab for the decanter and fill a drink for herself but Junior slapped her hand away. "You lost a lot of blood," he said to her, "have a smoke instead."
O-Ushi sighed but obeyed taking out a cigarette and lighting it before handing me the pack and lighter. I lit one up as well and took in a calming first drag.
"Tell me what you saw kid," Junior said, getting straight to business.
I shrugged, "not much," I told him, "the guy in the van with the rifle was wearing a ski mask and I didn't get a good look at the driver, I didn't even see the second shooter."
He nodded clearly expecting this. "Did you see anything before the shooting started?" He asked me.
I thought about that scarred up cat for a second but shook my head no. It was just an alley cat, there was nothing really strange or unusual about that.
"I'm telling you boss it was the 24k Dragons," O-Ushi cut in, "its gotta be."
"We don't know that," Junior told her, "and this kind of hit isn't their style."
"Then it's probably the fucking Atlasians!" she told him, "First that weird blonde girl smashes up the club and embarrasses us all, then the Dragons throw their lot in to sell dope, and now we got guys in an armored van trying to gun us down. There's a fucking pattern here Junior! The Prince smelled blood in the water and like the fucking shark he is he's going in for the kill."
I listened silently sipping my drink. I had no idea who this Prince guy was but I certainly saw her point. If bad things like this kept happening then word would probably spread.
Junior set his glass of whiskey down and folded his hand on his desk. "And what would you have me do O-Ushi?" He asked her calmly. "If he is behind this should I just race off to war? A shark smelling blood is one thing but agitating it is another, for all we know he wants this to lead us to a war. Is that what you want?"
"I want us to show our fangs! I want people to know that the Kuroi Kuma clan should not be fucked with lightly!" She told him angrily. "I want them to know that we don't take this shit lying down!"
Junior nodded and took a sip of his drink. "And how do you intend to do this?"
"I'm your Hammer! Let me strike back at the 24k Dragons. I won't touch the Atleasians but I'll make those traitors hurt so that everyone knows who runs this neighborhood. Three years ago this shit wouldn't have been tolerated."
"Three years ago we didn't have the trigger happy Prince to deal with," Junior told her, "three years ago there was an understanding in this town and he doesn't play by our rules."
"So you're gonna let the kid push you around!?" She spat at him. "If that's you're fucking attitude you might as well give him the keys to the club!"
"Enough!" Junior dangerously slamming his fist down on the table/
O-Ushi's eyes went wide and she stood up and bowed to him. "Forgive me Shatei-Gashira," she said formally, "I forgot my manners."
"Blood loss can do that," Junior said motioning for her to sit back down which she did calmy. "I'm not saying you're wrong, but you know as well as I do this is a delicate situation. The Atleasians are resting on their haunches for another war and I'm not eager to give it to them."
"It's going to happen sooner or later boss," she told him, "we both know that."
"Probably," Junior agreed looking over at me, "but if it does come then I want it to be later, but this is a discussion for another time."
O-Ushi looked back over to be and nodded in agreement. It seemed that too much had already been said in my presence.
Junior stood up and held his hand out. "How about I get you another drink kid."
I nodded to him and handed him my glass which he proceeded to refill with ice and his whiskey. "Mel and Mil told me about you stepping in with those punks selling pills down the street." He said to me, crossing his arms.
I shrugged, "Just giving a helping hand."
He smirked at that, "and I appreciate you bringing me my employee back alive."
I looked at O-Ushi, "I just sort of… reacted," I explained to him, "I wasn't even really thinking you know?"
He laughed, a deep full bellied laugh, "well I like the way you don't think," he said giving my shoulder a pat. He gave O-Ushi a look, "I'll give you two a moment, you know what you have to do."
He walked out and I was left staring at my boss wondering just what she had to do.
She gave me a hard intense look right in my eye. "You saved my life back there kid."
"It was nothing," I protested, "like I said I wasn't even thinking about my actions, I just did what I did."
"No!" O-Ushi said to me seriously and a chill went up my spine. "Don't deny what you did and dishonor yourself Jaune, you came back for me, you even took a bullet for me."
I wanted to keep protesting, all it did was shatter my aura but I was left unharmed. But she wasn't interested in me being humble about it. "I'd do it again," I told her honestly.
Jaune… you aren't gonna be driving my cabs anymore, you're done with that," she told me seriously.
"I'm fired?" I asked lamely.
"You're promoted," she said to me cracking a grin, "I owe you a debt kid, you'd bleed for me so I'll bleed for you, starting tomorrow you're my associate and I'm gonna make sure I pay you back as honor demands."
I blinked. Her associate? Like how Toshi was for Tonen? I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Almost everyone one of my fellow cab drivers wanted exactly that, they wanted in, I was in. Maybe not an official member of the clan but I was going to be a part of it, as much a part of it as I could be. "I don't know what to say." I told her honestly.
"Say you'll take the job."
"I'll take the job," I said, unable to hold back a bit of surprised laughter.
She grinned at me, "good, I'll pick you up at your place tomorrow at ten, now come on you're the man of the hour downstairs."
We got up and I carried my drink, I felt underdressed in just a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt but I knew better than to refuse. "Can I ask you a question, boss?"
"Shoot!" O-Ushi told me.
"Why did you let me drive your cabs?" I asked her, "everyone else turned me down for a job, why'd you say yes?"
She smirked at me, "woman's intuition," she answered, "I had a good feeling about you."
That made my stomach turn as I made a mental note to call Ozpin with the news.