3rd Exploit: Veto, Pilfer of Blades

Finally got around to finishing the chapter. It would have been done last week but various things kept me away from working on this. Hopefully no more hiatuses for a while!

3rd Exploit: Veto, Pilfer of Blades

Clarice stands outside of the school of carpentry, her bag of lumber still slung over her arm. Its an old house that lacks care, with much of its foundation splintered and the windows stained a slight white due to age and the sawdust on them. The door seems to hang cracked open. It is unclosable given the nature of the door frame. None the less Clarice has enough decency to knock as opposed to just entering.

"Come in!"

Clarice opens the door and steps into the decrepit school. The interior is a fair bit better then the exterior; four empty tables sit in front of a desk. Sawdust is all over the place, caking itself on the sides of the windows and the corners of the room. There is a broom next to one of the work-saws but its apparent it hasn't been used for a while. Near the back of the room, behind the desk, stands an old man cleaning off his glasses. Clarice sets her sheathed blade and the bag of lumber on the table as the elderly individual looks up and slides his glasses up to the bridge of his nose.

"Oh! Well hi there! I reckon you've got the wood?"

Clarice slaps the bag and smiles. "Sure, if you have the proper funding for it."

"Well-" The old fellow says as he sets down the rag he used to clean his glasses down. "-you bring the supplies to the back and I'll weigh it in!" Clarice nods. She effortlessly lifts the bag back up to her shoulder and begins to leave, then looks down at her sword. She contemplates whether or not to leave it, but shrugs and lets it stay, figuring this will take no longer then a minute. 

As soon as Clarice and the old man leave the classroom the individual whom had been trailing her slinks into the house. He is a deranged little fellow, standing no higher then five foot four. He has bandages wrapped all along his head and a torn black T-Shirt with the words 'Joy Kill 3' on it,  a movie released not too long ago. Hanging on his waist is a makeshift belt with a gun hanging from it. This mad man is Veto, and as soon as he sees the sword and sheath he grabs it. He removes the sword and leaves its sheath on the table, and is gone as quickly as hes came.

Not twelve seconds later does Clarice and the old fellow re-enter the room. Clarice counts the Buci carefully. The elder looks very happy, perhaps pleasantly surprised to have gotten such a huge haul. "That'll last the class at least three months! Thanks for being reasonable with the price Ms. Jalehan. I haven't been very fortunate with wealth as of late and-

"No worries. As long as I have enough to feed myself and care for my belongings I'm more then happy to just help, and please Clarice will be fine." Clarice pockets the Buci and begins to reach for her sheath, when she notices something horribly off. Her eyes instantly go cold as she places her hand on the sheath. Murderous intent bleeds from her as she scans the open door and the floor. Footprints not belonging to her have imprinted themselves upon the dust floor. "I was a fool to let my guard down."

"Is something wrong?"

Clarice doesn't move, as if trying to sense a near presence. "Ive had something stolen while we were doing business." Clarice grabs the sheath and nudges the door open. Immediately she notices Antonio walking. His hands tucked behind his head. All reason leaves Clarice as contempt bleeds into her judgement. "It must have been Salad Spikes."

Before the elderly man can give any form of opinion Clarice is gone. She closes her distance between herself and Antonio impressively quickly and swings her sheath as if it were a sword, aiming to shatter his adams apple. Tony barely ducks the death blow. A weak blunt shockwave slams into the tree not too far from the two, crafted from the air the sheath had sliced.

"What the hell-" Clarice kicks Antonios legs out from under him. He manages to catch himself with his elbows. Clarice attempts to follow up and pin Tony to the ground with the tip of her sheath but Tony grabs it with his right hand. His back lightly thuds on the ground as he does so. "Hey this is fun and all but seriously lady, what the f***'s your problem?!"

"Playing innocent won't save you this time." Clarice's icy gaze crosses over Tonys confused glare. "The sword. Where have you hidden it? You owe me an answer and a limb for your petty shinanigans."

"That's twice now you've accused me of something I haven't done!" Antonio quickly gets up, keeping the sheath in his grip until hes on his feet. He quickly backs up and gets into a defensive position as soon as he releases Clarice's weapon. " Not only that, you completely blind-side me without any moments warning! Now I really am offended!"

Clarice points her sheath at Antonio. Her expression doesn't change. "Then tell me why, in the two weeks Ive been here, Ive encountered no crimes or mischief until this very day, precisely the first day in which Ive seen you for the first time. You are a brother of an treasonous attempted murderer after all, its not a stretch for you to be a theft at the very least."

Antonios eye twitches. An angry smile spreads on his face. "I don't have your damned sword and your lame excuses to accuse me of such wear thin on my patience. How do I know you didn't lose it like a loser?!"

"That is an impossibility. It only ever leaves my sheath when I'm cleaning it or using it to administer justice. I left the blade alone for no longer then a minute. I came back to find it gone, and you strolling along."

Antonio snickers at Clarice. "Some swordsman you are. Why in the hell would you leave your sword alone anyways? Too uncomfortable for your own good? " Clarice doesn't answer Tony, simply staring at him with malice. "You went and jumped to conclusions, and in doing so you've probably lost your sword for good. See, if I were a thief I wouldn't just having out in the open like some dumb a*s after the deed. Whoever stole your s***'s long gone babe, couldn't have happened to a nicer person as far as I'm concerned."

Clarices intent dies down. Hes telling the truth, and she knows it. Her ice cold gaze breaks into an angry glare as she slides her sheath back into her sash loop. "Damn it all." She eyes around the village and notices nothing or no one else suspicious. "I suppose I won't be leaving here for a bit longer." Clarice sighs as she walks off. Antonios brow furls as he grows irritated. He reaches out as if to say something but stops himself. 

"Jeez she sure hates apologizing doesn't she?" Tony kicks the ground and shakes his head.

---

The painting on the interior hasn't been touched for decades, as a matter of fact the house looks as if its been abandoned despite the activity going on within it now. Sitting at the end of one of the walls is a coal kettle, and within it boiling quicklace, a substance that corrodes metal. The most note worthy object in the room is a large android-like figure, tinted blue. It stands thirteen feet high. Its humanoid in shape and has nothing extraordinary about it, other then its black vizer used as its eyes. There is a scratched out emblem on its left pectoral that has a T crossed over a C. 

There are seven individuals standing around, six are dressed in white rags and don't exactly stand out. The seventh however looks a bit more clean in his attire. He has black paint bleeding down the shoulders of his white shirt and a small scar running down the bridge of his nose. His pants are styled like his shirt, with black bleeding down from the top of his belt area to the knees. He has a sword holstered in his sheath, which bears the image of a spotted rat devouring a cat. His hair is combed to the right and is olive black, his eyes brown. This is Onex.

Onex lifts his head up as the door to what can only be called a hideout opens. "So, how'd it go this time Veto?"

The little man whom swiped Clarices blade steps in, wearing a devious grin and holding the said blade up into the dimly lit room. "Just take a good long look! The b**** finally let her guard down!" Veto eyes the blade with ill intent and tickles the handle of his handgun. "Almost thought I'd have to confront her for it."

Onex crosses his arms and closes his eyes. "So, now we melt it and the other one." Onex speaks almost melancholic in tone, this isn't noticed by his 'boss', who swings the sword. "Then head back to Ferland right?"

"I dunno, it almost seems a shame to destroy something as well crafted as this." Onex opens his eyes and raises a brow, not quite expecting Veto to say such a thing. Veto places his free hand on his bandaged head and begins to speak psychotically. "Not half as much a shame as it is to waste your time making such a thing! Whoever put their time to this needs their hands removed for wasting their talent!!!"

Onex sighs. "You know this is going to get us both killed one day right?"

Vetos eye twitches. "Shut up!" Veto throws the sword to the ground and glares toward Onex's blade. "If we weren't best friends I'd have you melt that piece of trash at your side a LOOOONG time ago!" Veto stomps on the sword he threw on the ground and smirks. "After we're done melting the blades we've taken we'll move on!"

---

Its a day later, around twelve thirty in the afternoon. The Gurgling Bear has seen little change in the past three years. The drapes are red, the tables are still set up as they were before and the white floor tiles reflect the lantern lights hung all along the place. Antonio is sitting at one of the middle tables, downing a glass of beer and most likely waiting for Jace. Tony grumbles as he sees Clarice enter the restaurant. She either doesn't notice his presence or doesn't acknowledge it, opting instead to head for the bar stewardess, whom is cleaning a glass at the moment.

"Excuse me." The stewardess lifts her head up and smiles. "I imagine this is an odd question but have you seen anyone carrying a sword around as of late?"

The stewardess shrugs her shoulders and sets the glass down. "Aside from the few times Ive seen you, not recently. Little Jace used to carry a sword around all the time but I think he misplaced it recently."

"Whose Jace?" 

Antonios eyebrows perk up as he recognizes his friends name. "Hes a small fellow, looks younger then he is and always wears plastic Samurai attire. Has a bandana around his head and a necklace. You can't miss him."

Clarice quickly glances in Antonios direction. "The one who was hanging around Salad Spikes yesterday." Tony chokes on a bit of his booze and gives Clarice a nasty glare. Clarice lightly bows to the stewardess. "Thank you. I'll have myself a quick lunch before I ask this 'Jace' a few things." Clarice lays some Buci on the counter. "Boiled onions surrounded by lettuce please." 

Without missing a beat Clarice turns and walks toward the table closest to the door. She sits down and rests her hands behind her head. "So lady-" Clarice looks at Antonios direction. "-you gonna go and hassle my pal now? Let me save you some trouble, he doesn't have the heart or ability to have stolen your sword, and I doubt he knows who did." 

Clarice doesn't respond. She turns her head to the window. Tony smirks angrily before he finishes off the beer in front of him. A handful of minutes pass. Clarice removes her hands from the back of her head and sits up, having noticed someone approaching from the outside.

"Your friend's here salad spikes."

Tony, whom had been resting his eyes, opens them and turns them to the door. "About damn time, and could you stop refering to my like that?!"

"Would you prefer I refer to you as 'offended victim'?" 

Tonys eye twitches. He begins to sit up. "You wanna start a fight?!" 

Before Clarice can respond the resturaunt door opens and Jace runs in. "Sorry I'm late Tony! I just finished helping Mr. Garren and-" Jace notices Clarice in his peripheral as she stands up. He nervously waves at her. "Oh, hello!" Clarice begins to walk toward Jace. She flinches and turns her head to Antonio, who has stood up from his seat.

"I can feel your stare from here 'Tony'. I won't hurt your friend, hes safe."

"Huh?" Clarice takes a few more steps toward Jace before she kneels down. "Uhm... hi?"

"Hello. Ive heard through the vine that you might've recently lost your blade. Just last night I 'lost' mine as well. Now I imagine its a stretch but do you think you might know how you lost your weapon?"

Jace gets a funny look on his face, a somewhat angered one. "Oh it wasn't lost, no ma'am." Clarice raises her head curiously. "I'd bet yours wasn't either. I wasn't going to talk about it because really no one would care anyways around here, but its been a bit of an issue around the other villages, especially in spadaville a few miles south. There'd been whole shops raided and closed down according to the papers." Jace shakes his head. "'Inizioville doesn't have a weapons shop so we've been left alone, mostly."

"Mostly, in other words-"

"In other words if you want more info you've gotta pay Buci for it." Tony interrupts, rubbing his fingers together. "You owe me an apology and a 'limb' of what finances you on your person right now." A confused look washes over Jace, one of rage washes over Clarice. Tony smirks. "Hey, good info isn't always free, and you damn well know I'm owed some kind of apology after last night!"

Clarice grits her teeth. Shes quiet for a moment before hanging her head. "I shouldn't have shot first and asked second, I jumped to conclusions and got carried away by my emotions. I sincerely apologize for the accusations."

Antonio nods his head. "I appreciate that. Now, the matter of Buci-" Jace tugs on Tonys shirt sleeve.

"Is that really necessary after such an honest apology?"

"Of course it is! Your info is valuable and I don't feel like paying for my beer."

Clarice raises her head and speaks desperately. "You can have it ALL as far as I'm concerned! My sword is more important to me then any sum of cash in the world!"

Tony scratches the side of his cheek and sighs. "Half'll suffice. I don't wanna starve a person, even if its you right?" Clarice ignores the jab and pulls out a thing of Buci, along with some change. She drops it at Tonys feet. Tony turns his head to Jace and gives him a thumbs up. Jace is obviously not happy about the extortion but keeps his opinion to himself.

"As I was saying 'Inizioville was mostly left alone because of its lack of a weapons shop, so the weirdos most likely responsible for the incidents in the other villages just waltzed in town without any bother. I would have been fine but the crazy man with bandages wrapped around his head saw me with my sword and took it from me at gunpoint. He then proceeded to rant about how a kid like me shouldn't be playing with such dangerous things. I didn't catch his name but I did trail him and his crew to some decrepit looking place that's a small distance from here. One of his friends spotted me and he threatened to scalp me with my own sword."

Antonio is visibly angered by this news. Clarice smiles at Jace and pats him on the shoulder. "Thank you. I understand you might not want to go back there but could you perhaps lead me there? You don't have to stay behind I can handle myself."

"'Could you perhaps'?!" Tony angrily mocks Clarice. "There's no perhaps to it, you're takin' us there Jace. Its bad enough this prick stole from you, but he threatened your life too!" Tonys ki begins to make Jace shudder. "I'd like to see this piece of work personally. lets see if hes got the guts to threaten me like that!"

Clarice actually seems a bit impressed with Antonio. "Well, just as long as you can handle yourself you can come along Salad spikes." Tony grins with anticipation as Clarice stands from her kneeling position. "Just don't stand in my way."

"Likewise."

To Be Continued