4th Exploit: Veto, Pilfer of Blades 2

"After a small hiatus I am back and hopefully can start up some serious momentum. I just need to get into the rhythm of things and this'll eventually go smoother"

*Notice: This chapter contains graphic violence suitable for Teens 16 and up. Reader discretion is advised"

4th Exploit: Veto, Pilfer of Blades Pt.2

Veto hangs impatiently over the kettle of boiling quicklace as sweat drips from his forehead. Inside of it, being held up by several prongs is a sword, or rather what used to be one. The hilt is not that of Clarices, indicating that this might be Jaces or maybe another individuals. Veto grabs the hilt as two of his cronies pull its restraints apart. He holds the blade-less hilt up and smiles. 

"The damn thing is barely worth my hilt collection." Veto looks over at one of his fellow blade bandits and whistles at him. He turns around and grabs a sash with several loops on them off of a dusty shelf. A handful of the sash loops have some rather nice looking hilts occupying them. The crony swings the sash over his shoulder and walks over to Veto, who readily grabs it and buckles the ruined blade into an empty loop. "Alright, we've got one more and we're moving on! I want everybody to start packing things up in the meantime!"

---

Outside of the hideout stands three of the bandits working for Veto, keeping an eye out on anyone who may approach. Not so far from the hideout in some nearby brush front right of the house is Jace, with Clarice and Antonio not too far behind. Jace has a look of worry on his face, perhaps remembering the words Veto had told him the last time he came here. Tony and Clarice step past him, Tony smiling and resting a hand on Jaces shoulder as he does.

"This the place?"

Jace nods. "It most certainly is." Without another word Clarice and Antonio stand and start heading toward the hideout. "H-hey aren't we going to make a plan first?!" 

Tony smirks but doesn't respond. He and Clarice make themselves known the moment they step past the wood-like area concealing them. One of the bandits notices the two approaching and nudges his cohorts. The three turn their attention to Tony and Clarice. All three pull out concealed knives, one of them takes a few steps forward.

"Hey hey, this ain't lovers shack kids if ya wan-" Clarice crushes the mans windpipe with her sheath, drawing too quickly for anyone to notice.

"Move aside or die." Clarice speaks with a stark coldness in her tone. Tony laughs nervously as the bandit drops to the ground dead. the other two attack but Tony intercepts. He drops the left one with a backfist to the head and grabs the one attacking to the right by the throat, raising him off the ground with ease.

"These bugs're harmless. Killing 'em seems a bit excessive no?" Immediately after speaking Tony chokeslams the gagging bandit through the hideout door. Everyone inside, save the man-like machine, looks at the entrance of the hideout. Onex quickly grabs the hilt of his blade and Veto, upon noticing Clarice, takes several steps back with worry until hes next to 'his' robot. He has her sword in hand, presumably getting ready to drop it into the quicklace.

"HOW-" Before Veto can get another word out Clarice has bridged the distance between the two. She swings her sheath eye level at Veto, but is stopped suddenly when a metallic fist clams into her right side. She gasps as she is sent about twelve feet into left the side of the hideout. One of the bandits ends up cushioning her landing accidentally, being sandwiched between the wall and her. She manages to land on her feet but grasps her side and begins to cough. The android appears to have been programmed to defend Veto.

"Threat still active." Tony looks speechless. Jace, who has caught up with the others, also seems to have nothing to say.

"You never said anything about a damn robot!"

"S-Sorry." 

Antonio grins and cracks his knuckles. "Sorry?! You've got the wrong Impression my friend. Now Ive got somethin' worth beating up on!

"You..." Vetos look goes from worried to deranged as soon as he notices Jace. "That's how you people found this place! That little s*** brought you here didn't he?!" Veto draws his gun with his free hand and shoots it at Jace without a seconds thought. Antonio lets the bullet hit the palm of his hand, ki of course surrounding it for protection. A trickle of blood runs down Tonys hand, which is held where Jaces head is. Tony glares at Veto, who ignores him. "I WARNED you not to come back around here dead boy!"

Clarice attempts to rush at the distracted Veto but she almost collapses on a knee. Three of the bandits closest to her surround her and draw knives. Veto glances in her direction, then in Antonios again. 

"As for you two idiots, you've made your bed now you're gonna be put to sleep in it, permanently! Veto-Bot, Onex, the rest of you, Kill 'em all!" 

Veto slinks behind 'Veto-Bot' as its visor gleams orange. Onex draws his sword and stares down toward Tony and Jace while the remaining five bandits line up between him and the massive android. Antonio steps forward in front of the line of opposition and begins to brim with anticipation and confidence. One of the bandits breaks forward, much to Onex's dismay and stabs at Tonys chest. Tony doesn't attempt to stop the attack, instead allowing his ki to do the work. The knife breaks upon his carapace-like flesh, tearing only the fabric of his shirt. Tony retorts with an uppercut to the mans jaw, shattering it and knocking him three feet upward. The man passes out while in mid-air. Onex takes a step back, slightly intimidated by Tonys demonstration.

Clarice manages to parry the middle bandit but is cut by the one on her left, managing to avoid a serious injury with a quick step to the right. She uses her momentum to shoulder shove the bandit and tries to smash the tip of her sheath into the nose of the bandit in front of her but the bandit to her left saves his fellow cohort with his forearm. His bones break and he begins to scream loudly, but his action gives the middle bandit the opportunity to dive forward and plunge his knife into Clarice's swinging shoulder. 

She winces in pain and kicks him away. As she yanks the knife out the three regroup and begin to circle around her like sharks. She focuses as they dive into her and swings her sheath into one smooth circular motion in a 180 degree angle. The three drop down. Their skulls all rattled by the concussive stroke.

Tony rushes toward the middle of the deteriorating line and absolutely destroys one of the bandits with a front kick to the gut. The man vomits as hes sent flying into one of the windows at the back of the house. Tony quickly trips the other two grunts and grabs one by the foot. He raises him up and uses him as a shield as Veto-Bot tries to slam its fist into Tony. The bandits ribs crack upon impact and both he and Tony are sent toward Onex. Tony uses the momentum to swing the suffering screaming Bandit into Onex. Onex ducks under the carcass, but doesn't have enough time to see the punt Tony delivers to his temple. Onex quickly rolls away and clutches the side of his head. 

Tony releases the now unconscious Bandit. Tony-Bot swings its fist downward in an attempt to make paste out of Antonio, but Tony stops its force with one hand. The ground below him fissures slightly from the power. The android tries to pull its hand back but Antonio is much more powerful and doesn't allow it to budge. Tony looks up at the android and grumbles in disappointment.

"I expected more out of this 'handicap'."

The machine tries to use its free hand to grab Antonio but Tony flips up and pushes off of its hand. He drills it in the head with both his feet. Onex sees his window of opportunity and runs at Antonio. He slashes up, trying to split Tonys face open but Tony grabs his blade and manages to land on his feet. Tony yanks Onex to him and slams his fist into his sternum, knocking the air out of him momentarily. Tony quickly turns back to Veto-bot and squats down. His legs and right fist begin to glow with ki. 

Tony looks at the android with disgust, angered at expectations not being met. Veto-Bot goes to clap its hand together on to Antonio. Tony explodes toward the machine, propelled by his leg energy, and slams his ki-charged fist into the chest of Veto-Bot*. Its chest is blown to bits and the android soaring through the roof. Chunks of debris fall onto the ground. Clarice, Onex and the one remaining conscious bandit all look in amazement and shock. Antonio lands on his feet and holds his steaming hand up.

"I recommend giving it up now guys. Just cough up the stolen goods and-" Veto shoots Tony in the back. The bullet lodges into a rib and shatters it. The look of surprise on Antonios face is palpable. Onex grins and stabs at Tonys heart, but hes able to stop the blade short with ki. The blade still manages to cut into him, cracking an upper rib.

"Just die you f***ing monster!" Tony grabs the blade and squeezes as he pulls it out. A sick grin spreads on his face as blood starts to leak from his mouth. Veto swings Clarices sword at his back this time, slashing it and bringing Antonio to his knees.

"TONY!" Jace yells as he runs to his friend, managing to even shove Veto aside. "Oh my god-" 

Veto aggressively grabs Jace by his hair and yanks him back. He brings the blade in his hand to Jaces scalp and begins to salivate like a mad dog. "Lookee here the idiot went and brought himself to me!" Veto presses the blade to Jaces forehead and begins to shake. "I didn't want to do this kid, not to anyone! NOT TO ANYONE!!! I'm a man of my word though Kid!

Tonys hand grabs Vetos ankle and squeezes. A loud pop can be heard. As Veto screams Clarice slams her sheath into his kidney twice. Onex attempts to defend his friend but Tony springs forward and clotheslines Onex to the ground. Clarice rips her sword out of Vetos hands and punts him forward, Antonio grabs Jace by the collar and makes some space between them and the other three. Jace holds his head, which only has a slight laceration.

Antonio looks at Clarice and smirks. "So, you happy now?"

Clarice smiles briefly as she slides her sheath back into its loop. "Somewhat. I certainly wouldn't have been able to handle this on my own without my sword, so you have my absolute gratitude." Clarice sighs as she holds her blade next to her sheath and makes an intense horse stance. She gazes at Veto as he and Onex stand up. "Now, for your penance sword-thief."

"SWORD THIEF!?!? I'm CLEANSING this world of those murder instruments!!!" Veto points to the ground where his hilt sash has been laid down. Jace immediately recognizes one of them as his and looks distraught. "Those things KILL and MUTILATE!!! They do the world no good by existing, but I'd bet I'm wasting my words on a blood-soaked b**** like you! You probably relish in violence!"

"My blade is my keepsake, my spirit and heart lie in it. I use it to administer justice on the unjust, those like you whom hypocritically used this very blade just moments ago for the sole intent to maim. You've tainted its and my own pride when you assaulted a prone target." Clarice inches toward Veto. Onex steps in front of him and holds his sword in a defensive position. "If your word was bond then he wouldn't have such an instrument. Your crew wouldn't have knives. You wouldn't have that pistol at your side. They would all have been melted just like every other thing you've pilfered. Its just an excuse to cause havoc."

Veto unravels the bandages on his head, revealing to all his scalped situation. There is a thin tin plate where his flesh used to be, keeping him from bleeding out. "Is this an excuse too? Did I deserve this just because Onex and I stole to live?! I was harming nobody, all I took was bread to sustain myself and THIS happened to me! I wasn't even trialed properly I was just disfigured! I would have been KILLED if the a**h*** knew I wasn't playing dead!" Clarice doesn't blink. Veto waves his gun in her direction. "You're no different lady, I can see it in those nasty eyes of yours!"

Clarice breaks her stance. Her gaze doesn't change but her demeanor does. "To think one incident could change the perspective of a man this much. Truly your story is a sad one but I cannot do anything other then pity you." Vetos eyes go mad. Clarice turns her back on the two and sighs. Antonio gives her an enraged look, as if hes screaming at her with his eyes at how stupid her action is. "This is the extent of my mercy. Leave us with the kids hilt and never come back to this village-"

"ONEX KILL HER!!!!" Onex flinches, feeling for the first time since his friends incident a sense of moral turmoil. Veto screams at the back of Onex's head before pointing the gun at Clarice and shooting at her. Clarice dodges and grips her sword tight as she turns to the two. Onex immediately bring himself between Clarice and Veto as Clarice brings her blade down. A slight haze of white splits from the air as the atmosphere shifts. She stops the blade a foot away from Onexs cranium. She hasn't spared him; blood sprays from his cheek down to his knee**. Its a deep cut, but not enough to kill him unless he doesn't get medical attention. He drops down. 

Veto takes several exaggerated limps back until his lower back bumps into the hot kettle of quicklace. He winces in pain. Clarice approaches him, wiping her blade with her index and middle fingers.

"Your unhesitating wrath tries my patience."

"SHUT UP AND F***ING DIE!!!" 

Veto grabs the kettle with his hands and hurls the quicklace at Clarice, searing his own hands in the process. Clarice smoothly slices down, splitting the quicklace and kettle in two. As the quicklace drops to the ground Veto redraws his gun and goes to pull the trigger, but its already too late for him. Clarice brings her blade past Vetos head just above his eye level and sighs.

"Hopefully you'll find peace in death." Blood sprays from his head at all sides as his dome fumbles off of him. Jace looks away in disgust. Veto drops down dead. Clarice walks over to the hilt sash and picks it up. She looks over at Antonio and Jace and tosses the hilt collection at them. "Whatever's left of your sword should be somewhere in there."

"Th-Thanks." Antonio stands as Jace wearily takes his hilt out of the sash. He nods at her approvingly.

"Good job on cleaning up the scraps lady."

"Please, the names Clarice." She slides her sword back into her sheath and extends her hand out. "I truly appreciate the help. I apologize again for accusing you so wrongly."

Antonio looks as if hes going to shake her hand, but instead points past her. "Never mind that, what're we gonna do about that guy?" The sole 'survivor' of the raid flinches in fear and holds his hands up.

"P-p-please don't hurt me!" Clarice draws her blade and points it at him. "NO!"

"You're free to go. Learn from this incident well." The bandit frantically nods his head and backs away.

Jace slowly stands up and looks at what remains of his sword, saddened by its presence but perhaps a little relieved that there's at least something left to hold. Antonio walks up to him and pats him reassuringly on the shoulder.

"You gonna be okay little buddy?"

Jace nods his head and lowers it. "Yeah. I'm just glad there's something left of it. How about you? You're all cut up and hurt!"

Tony smiles at Jace. "After what Ive been through in the past three years this is nothing."

Author's Note

Exposition - Height, Weight & Age

Antonio Dragone - 6'4, 267, 21
Luke Dragone - 6'8, 291, 34
Jace Terrace - 4'11, 82, 15
Clarice Jalehan - 6'2, ---, 19
---
Veto - 5'5, 121, 30s
Onex - 6'1, 157, 30s
'Veto-Bot' - 13'6, 800+, ??

(Other previously introduced characters from the 1st chapter will be given a height, weight & age when re-introduced)

*Rio Rocket
**Spring Penance