Prologue - New Kid on the Block

The night trembled with excitement. Even still, the skylines of Vale had never seemed so dull when one looked at them from the same vantage point. It was as if the grey concrete drowned out the rest of the bright city when one stared at it from so high.

I briefly wondered why such a thought came over me. People had always said that looking over a city skyline whilst on top of a high building was a pleasant time.

The more my stomach disagreed with them the more I decided that I actually preferred the nice, safe and very solid ground. My current vantage point was at least one of those things.

A dirty rooftop probably designed not to be used as a quick hideout. Alas, as I took a moment to glare at the series of dislocated wrappers and mysterious stains I wondered what exactly I was doing.

[Partial kinetic displacement. Minor momentum manipulation.]

A brief flash of warmth several stories beneath me reminded me of why. As I felt a large piece of information flow seamlessly into my brain, vast knowledge integrating into my mind. I took a moment to hold onto the link that was created between myself and the unknowing other. There was a feeling of warmth that settled in my stomach as I reached out to a nearby ember that was definitely not sparking into full blown warmth.

[Variable range augmented hearing. Large decibel canceling.]

The information passed easily despite that, though. Another link was then created to someone inside the building I hid on top of. Then I felt another warmth sink into my stomach as a feeling of fullness swept over me. It wasn't crippling or discomforting, but it certainly meant that forcibly making another link was not recommended.

I tended to listen to certain recommendations.

Flexing the new information, and subsequent link, my hearing expanded down the building. I caught small glimpses of conversation and a few other things that made a healthy amount of blood flow to my face, but I could quickly calm myself now.

This was serious.

Taking a moment to calm myself, I then craned my head over the edge if only by habit. I couldn't quite make out the group of figures in the constrained alleyway, but I did know they were a gang of some sort. They all wore some sort of black material and looked to be quite the rough bunch —even if that last analysis was a guess.

"...uck them, Junior's crew ain't got nothing on us! Who cares if he sends his two little whores after us?! The Black Mambaz are gonna rule this side of Vale someday!" My hearing caught up to the distance as I knew they were the ones I was after.

The Black Mambaz —yes, with that silly 'z'— if they weren't such a problem I'd laugh at the name. However, I wouldn't be here if they had a pristine track record. As such, I let the connection to my ramped up hearing go to find a more suitable link.

I had already spent my time scoping out the area, along with the various links to be made, and I found what I was looking for rather fast. Luckily, they hadn't made plans to be somewhere else at two in the morning.

[Rechargeable Inertial cancelation. Minor micro-telekinesis.]

Both the information and warmth settled within seconds. I heaved a sigh of excitement and nerves before leaning further off the edge. The gang was still there probably talking about something nefarious.

"Come on Jaune, you have superpowers. You got this, you're gonna be a hero." I breathed out once more. This was finally the time I proved myself; both to my parents and to myself. With a second more of hesitation I then pulled myself into a free fall.

I had done simulations over and over again, but actually doing it was rather terrifying. The fall from a fifteen story building would pancake someone normal on the deceptively short time it took to reach the ground. With merely a flex of the previous link, and the small assistance from the first one I hit the ground at terminal velocity with nary a groan.

The nearby gang members, though, they were flattened to the ground in a fit of displaced kinetic energy. I briefly gave a shaky breath wondering how I broke physics so easily.

"Who the f-" I wasted no time charging the rest of them, throwing a punch at the nearest man. He seemed to be completely caught off guard and took the blow straight to his nose. I made sure to use the small telekinesis I had to add a little more strength into it.

The gangster was sent flying a second later, his body drawing a nice curve into the air as blood leaked from his mouth and nose. I was quite positive that there was a tooth in the air as well, but I wasn't able to check.

Taking the time to finally observe what was happening around me, I found that I had successfully incapacitated most of the group. Some were rolling on the groud in pain, a few looked like they were knocked out cold, and the rest were spitting out the dust my improvised landing kicked up.

Then I was hit by a truck.

Well, a human shaped one in the form of the mouthy gang member. It was by sheer luck that I felt my link to him flare a little and warn me as his ability came to life, trying to crush me. I quickly countered that with the exact same one I copied first on the rooftop; which, coincidentally, was his. If I hadn't then I would've been a little more preoccupied with un-breaking my ribcage. Despite that, I still desperately gasped for breath when his charge was halted by the nearby wall.

I noted it was very well built before making the decision to displace some of the force from the impact into the wall. It was just my luck that the well built wall crumpled, and the two of us fell into a large kitchen on the other side.

Moving on instinct as my vision swam a little, I forced a little of my telekinesis to slide me out from under him as we fell and to throw anything available at him. There was a brief sheen of light that highlighted where something hit him, but, for the most part, the man seemed only a little dazed by the sudden change in scenery.

'Crap! What is that power?! Why didn't I sense it?!' I thought angrily, warily watching my opponent getting pelted by various kitchen utensils.

Whatever that greenish blue sheen that covered him was, it certainly wasn't detailed to me. The problem was that it seemed to protect him from harm, and I needed to circumvent that fast. Especially when I saw three other gang members pull out guns and knives and rush into the newly minted entrance.

It was only the fact that a flash of warmth nearby alerted me to the fact that my opponent had used the ability that I pilfered from him and was able to react in time. The valiant utensils attacking him were blasted away by the force that some no doubt contained. In doing so some of my weapons turned against me, and I only was able to stop them through a liberal use of telekinesis and momentum manipulation, no matter how minor it was listed as.

The thing that surprised me the most was the few gunshots that happened at the same time, and the bullets that had halted mid flight as well. In fact, the others were as stunned as I was and blinked widely as the bullets hung in the air placidly.

It turned out minor meant I could stop bullets if I tried hard enough.

"Huh, go figure..." I muttered weakly to the echoing silence.

"The hell're you? You sent by Junior's? Or is it the Union? Maybe ... the Reds?" The man who had tackled me through the wall spat. Though he was a little unsure about that last group.

I paused, gauging the man for a second then answered, "Do... Do you really think it's a good idea to stick around if you're wanted by so many other gangs?"

"Shut the hell up! I ain't gonna sit here and listen to some costumed Huntsman wannabe talk shit!" He screamed back to my polite words.

"Right... so," I held the word, feeling much better now that I regained my breath from being rammed into a wall, "back to fighting?"

The man happily replied with a garbled battle cry while the other three brought up their weapons. Now that I had the confidence to block the bullets, I simply let them shoot and reached out with my two links. The spiraling pieces of metal halted inside their own barrels this time. I winced as the second shot caused their guns to explode in sending them all to the ground, clutching their badly mangled hands.

However, my luxury of sympathy was cut short as the last, and greatest, threat appeared in front of me not even sparing a glance at his wounded friends. If there was any indication he cared, I saw none, and I barely had time to leap out of the way of his strike with all the grace of a floundering fish.

My decision turned out to be the best choice as a the metal stove his fist collided with burst apart. A screeching whine came as gas spewed forth from a valve that had burst. Pieces of scrap flew into the air as I pulled on some of the smaller ones and shot them at him in an act of partial desperation. The same protective sheen prevented the pieces from doing any damage.

It was around this time that I began to worry about the closing warmth from the building we were in. Several other sources of warmth were also rapidly gathering nearby, and I nearly blanked out by the sheer information that was assaulting my brain. I didn't have time to catalog, or make note of any useful ones for that matter. However, I quickly switched out my very first link with one that caught my eye.

A plan quickly formed in my head.

No sooner than I brought it together, a fist barreled into my face as I was forced to fling myself back to only gather a broken nose from the exchange. I whimpered in part agony part regret at realizing I was way in over my head to back out now. Blood trickled down my face as I felt like my nose had just been sentenced to death by sledgehammer.

"Not so funny now ain't cha, bitch!" The man mocked, stalking towards my prone figure by the kitchen entrance.

"If you're still standing once this is over, you can laugh some more." I wheezed before my other link flared to life.

[Spark flint adaptation. Automatic heat shield.]

Information poured into my brain as I instinctively snapped. An innocent spark leapt from my fingertips, and the room filled with gas blazed into a sudden roaring inferno.

I threw both my inertial cancellation and telekinesis to protect myself from the force of the explosion while the heat barely felt like anything. Through the cries of the flames I felt like I heard someone screaming, but I decided to not put it to mind. The man had that weird shield thingy while the three goons were outside and would probably sustain only burns.

When the worst of the fire died down I was finally able to look at the devastation I had knowingly caused. The room was pitched in black soot while some of the metal appliances near the hotter parts of it looked to be somewhat slagged. Rancid smoke billowed about making the room much more difficult to perceive to everyone as well as choking up a few airways. Luckily, my guesses towards the states of the gang members outside was right on the money. Even if they were screaming much more quietly.

Wait, why does everything sound so far away?

I began to realize that it was my hearing that was the problem when I could make out frantic cursing nearby. Though only barely. And sadly that cursing meant the supposed leader was still better than I currently was.

"...ou...uck...ghill...goo!" He said incoherently, and, at this point, I felt like he was doing that on purpose.

The man had definitely seen better days as his clothes looked to be melted to his skin except for a large patch of blackened flesh that ran from his chest and across his face. He looked like he was on his last legs too as he tried to wobble over to me like a rage induced penguin. I nearly laughed at the similarities, but, considering I was even more exhausted and beat, a small primal fear graced me.

Was I really in over my head? I just wanted to be a hero. Is this really how I'll go? To a small time gangster in the midst of a burning wreckage?

A small trace of defiance rose up within me as I searched through the nearby spots of warmth with a new fervor. The wounded man was already on me by the time I had cycled through several other possibilities, and the blind kick he sent my way crashed painfully into my sore ribs he had already tackled.

There was a loud crack that followed my muffled scream, and I knew something was definitely broken now.

I was sent tumbling towards one of the blackened kitchen walls before colliding with a sick thud. Smoke parted with my passing, carving a human shaped hole through the growing obstructive cloud. Luckily, I was able to switch back to the man's ability to displace force and only took a portion of the punishment.

Coughing up a mouthful of blood, smoke and probably bile, I leaned dangerously on a ruined countertop. The man continued to maniacally scream and wobble over to me, but I was too tired to even listen to him.

I was already in this to win. I didn't need his insane mumbles to distract me.

It was then that I felt a common trace of warmth nearby with a even more tantalizing piece of information that I linked up with immediately.

[Semi-physical glass based illusions. Illusion oriented spacial awareness.]

I put an illusion that would fool the delirious man while quickly shuffling away as fast as my bruised body would take me. I sent him on a wild goose chase towards the nearest traces of warmth. Hopefully the large group of warmer signatures was the police.

Broken —but not down for the count— I stumbled back towards my home with new knowledge, bruises, and an illusion to hopefully look better than I currently felt.

-x-

Inside a large warehouse sat a well dressed man idly twirling his cane. His hat rested in the other as his fringe of bright orange hair grabbed the attention of any who dared to look. The annoyed frown on his face spoke volumes for his current mood.

Let it be know that Roman Torchwick wasn't a man who liked to wait. However, the fact that he so stubbornly waited inside a dusty old warehouse was testament to the necessity of such an action. That didn't make it any better when a small curvaceous figure slammed open the warehouse doors.

"Neo! Did that group of worthless wannabes really hold you up that long?" He asked as a diminutive woman pranced into the warehouse like she owned it.

However, instead of answering the girl shook her head causing the locks of pink and brown to shake back and forth. Her mismatched eyes of the same colors glinted ominously in the light of the warehouse so much so that the man hopped off his temporary chair and got ready for anything.

Seeing this, Neo glared at him before motioning something. Roman walked over staring down at the woman who barely reached his stomach before clearing his throat.

"So let me get this straight," he paused, unsure of what Neo signed again and only continued when she repeated her action by typing into a scroll. "Some weirdo with a mask literally dropped down from a building and took out everyone? Seriously Neo, what are you putting in your ice cream nowadays?"

Neo swung a frilly umbrella at him that he hurriedly dodged.

"Hey! I need this face for a meeting later; Junior is paying you for disposing those nuisances from his turf and I'm gonna squeeze a few favors. So who's this hero? He do your job for you?"

Neo gave a silent pout as if that showed her entire displeasure. Then she appeared to be the most embarrassed as Roman had ever seen her. Not waiting for an answer anymore, he immediately turned to look out the window to watch as the world exploded.

When neither the world ended or Neo ended him, he turned back to his diminutive friend holding a message already typed out on her scroll. The illuminated glass shone with damning bold letters that Roman would probably carry to his grave. If Neo was embarrassed, no one needed to know about it; that was just asking to be put on Vale's permanently diving club.

"You lost him... after he literally survived a two story gas explosion..." Roman took the new information with all the seriousness as a police crackdown. Which was a little on the scale of damn serious. With a healthy mix of odd amusement.

On one hand he was thrilled to see his resident psychopath so embarrassed and confused. On the other hand he was terrified about what she would do in response.

Finally, he decided to open his mouth, "It looks like we have a new kid on the block then."

Neo swung her umbrella with the intent to kill this time.