The Arc Clan: Aunt Irene
AndrewJTalon
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- - -
Ruby was practically bouncing up and down for joy as she stood in the comic book shop line. Jaune was right behind her, similarly excited though not as bouncy.
"Oh my God oh my God oh my God, I can't believe that the Tim Pellegri is here and signing copies of Kamen Vale!" She squealed softly. It was absorbed by the shelves upon shelves of comic books and collectibles around them, but the rotund nerd ahead of them turned around and shushed her anyway. "Sorry!"
"It's cool," Jaune said with a smile, "I'm excited too. Just uh... Easy, huh? Poor Zwei's gonna hear you from here and come running."
Ruby scowled at her best male friend in the whole wide world.
"Are you saying my voice is squeaky?"
"I don't have to say that," Jaune said playfully, "You kind of prove it every time you speak."
"Oooh!" Ruby pouted. "Big talk from Mister Ukulele! It's not even a real instrument!"
"Is too," Jaune retorted, "Kamehameha Island made it its official instrument!"
"I-I'm just saying, nobody uses a weaponized ukelele in comics," Ruby sniffed.
"Well yeah, you couldn't hit anyone hard enough with one," Jaune nodded, "You'd want like, a bass guitar at least."
"Yeah but then you'd just break it," Ruby hummed, "Unless you built it with a proper aluminum frame..."
"I don't think an aluminum guitar would sound great, Rubes," Jaune deadpanned. Ruby shook her head.
"It can just be electric!"
"It doesn't sound the same!"
"Ugh, why are you such a music pendant?" Ruby groaned. Jaune shrugged.
"My mom made us all take piano lessons. Said it would let us do better in school."
"Did it?" Ruby asked, curious. "Cause I can make synth music with my electronics but I don't think it made me better at school!"
"I... Huh," Jaune rubbed his chin, "That is a good question."
"Next!"
Ruby and Jaune looked up. There was an impatient security guard standing in front of the table where the comic book writer sat patiently. Nearby was the entrance into the back of the store, protected by a simple purple curtain. Ruby and Jaune flushed.
"Oh!"
They immediately walked up to the desk and held out their copies of Kamen Vale: Volume 1. The comic creator, a balding man of Mistralian descent in a blue T-shirt with the titular character emblazoned on it, smiled and dutifully signed both books.
"Thanks for coming out guys," Chris said thankfully, "It means a lot! Promoting an indie book is still pretty tough."
"Oh, but this is great!" Ruby gushed, "I love how you present the struggles of a reluctant superheroine! She's reluctant not because of deep personal hang ups but because she's got no experience! And now she has to handle things herself because of all the people who tried to exploit her!"
"Yes, exactly!" Chris said with a vigorous nod.
"I like that she makes friends but also misses out on things," Jaune added. "Makes it feel a lot more, well, real."
"Yes," Chris said with a nod, "'Realistic' has kind of become a buzzword. A lot of people think it means everyone has to be an asshole. But for every bad person being selfish in the world, there are others who act kindly and responsibly. I don't think it's more realistic for everyone to be a jerk."
"Totally!" Ruby grinned. "So uh-Like-Did you base Kamen Vale on anyone in particular?"
Chris sucked in a breath.
"Oh, well-"
A truly drop dead gorgeous blonde woman with curves and a chest that might make even Professor Goodwitch envious stepped out from behind the curtain. She was dressed in the tight body suit and mask of Kamen Vale, her blue eyes glowing with mirth.
"I might have had a hand in it," the woman said in a silky smooth voice with a hint of an Altesian accent, "Isn't that right, Chris?"
"Y-Yeah, yeah," Chris managed. Ruby's eyes widened. She let out a high pitched squeal.
"Oh my God oh my God oh my God-Jaune-Jaune we gotta get a selfie-Jaune-?!"
Jaune's eyes were wide. At first Ruby scowled: Seriously?! Ogling a hot blonde bombshell when she was here?! It was so... Irritating!
"Aunt Irene?" Jaune breathed.
Irene's eyes widened behind her mask.
"Oh... Hello Jaune."
- - -
They met Irene in a cafe nearby as the weather was nice enough for it. She'd switched to more casual clothing: A white skirt, matching jacket, and white blouse that did everything possible to show off her body and made Ruby feel like a stick.
She normally didn't really care about this kind of stuff but... But Jaune was here and somehow that made things different. In a way she couldn't really articulate.
Irene calmly sipped some tea and smiled over it at Jaune and Ruby. The sounds of the city washed over them.
"Sorry I didn't call ahead," Irene apologized, "It was kind of a last minute job."
"No, no! That's totally fine!" Jaune said with a happy smile. He turned to Ruby. "Ruby, this is my aunt Irene. Auntie, this is Ruby Rose, my best friend at Beacon!"
"H-Hello," Ruby managed. She tilted her head. "So um... Are you like a real aunt or an honorary aunt? Because it's a little confusing."
Irene chuckled.
"The Arc family can be like that. But no, I am the younger sister of Jaune's mother. We have three brothers: Alexander, whom you've already met, Ken, and Trey. Isabel, Jaune's mother, is the eldest."
"Oh, I see," Ruby nodded. Honestly, she kind of found learning about families interesting. She knew so little about her own. "So, what do you do for work? I mean, are you a full time model?"
"Oh, me?" Irene chuckled modestly, "No, no. I do it from time to time to pay the bills and help with my freelance work. I actually do a lot of teaching."
"Teaching?" Ruby asked eagerly, "Teaching what?"
"Vytalese, believe it or not," Irene said with a smile and shrug, "It's the lingua franca of commerce thanks to their old Empire and plenty of places still don't speak it. Lets me travel a lot."
"Oh," Ruby said with a nod, "But uh... Um... Why is your Aura activated?"
Irene raised an eyebrow at Ruby.
"You saw that huh?" Irene asked quietly. There was a hint of a deadly edge in her voice, like she was about to pull a knife. Ruby winced.
Oh no... Did I offend her?!
"She has to travel to rough places sometimes," Jaune said with a smile, "That's what you said, right Auntie?"
Irene again was all smiles as she sipped her tea.
"Indeed. But honestly, I don't do much fighting. I'm not as good at it as I could be."
"O-Oh, sure!" Ruby nodded eagerly.
"It's good to see you doing well, Jaune," Irene said with a smile at her nephew, "I didn't think Izzy would ever let you leave the nest!"
"Um..." Jaune winced. Irene raised an eyebrow, then smirked.
"Oho? You ran away from home? That explains why she's been so tense when we talk."
Jaune winced harder. Ruby patted her best friend on his forearm.
"I just... I was going to realize my dream, one way or another," Jaune admitted quietly.
"Good."
Both teens looked up at the older women. Irene smiled proudly.
"When our parents died, your mother insisted on taking care of all of us," she said, "She was always stubborn. She wanted to make sure we could be happy and pursue our dreams. She sacrificed so much to make money and send it back to us. To let us keep the farm, to stay a family."
Irene sighed and shook her head.
"She made enough money to send Alex to seminary. Send Ken to financial school, Trey to a maritime academy. But she acted like our mother more than our sister. She thought she had to control everything we did just to ensure we were safe. That wasn't the case with us, and it wasn't with you. It's high time she learned this lesson."
"Wow... Thank you Auntie," Jaune said with a smile. Irene nodded fondly. Ruby blinked.
"Um... Where did she send you?" Ruby asked.
A dark look passed over Irene's face. It passed before she smiled beatifically.
"Oh, she sent me to Lady Browning's Preparatory Academy For Girls in Vale City," Irene explained, "Where I was to learn how to become a rich, proper lady."
Ruby's eyes widened. Jaune nodded with a grin.
"And Auntie's been an incredible lady ever since!"
"Mm, indeed," Irene said with a nod. "Oh, Jaune? Mind getting us some more tea?"
"Sure!" Jaune said cheerfully. He got up and headed back into the cafe. Ruby stared at Irene in horror.
"So," Irene said quietly, "You know?"
"I... Y-Yeah," Ruby managed in shocked horror, "Uncle Qrow helped with the... The cleanup. He told us stuff when he was... Um... Drunk."
Irene nodded slowly and set her tea cup down. Ruby steeled her courage.
"So... You're-They made you into a-?"
"I'm a teacher, that is what I do," Irene said quietly. "It's what I love doing. But my skills allow me to help out from time to time and ensure what happened to me? Will never happen to anyone else."
She smirked slightly.
"Plus, it pays really well."
"I-I see," Ruby muttered. Her eyes widened again.
"You-You're not-You don't have to kill me-I-I won't tell-!"
Irene chuckled again, an elegant sound.
"Relax sweetie," Irene said, "Do you think my cover so flimsy that you could blow it?"
"W-Well," Ruby pouted a little, "I mean I could! N-Not that I would! Honest!"
Irene nodded slowly. There was just a tiny hint of vulnerability around the woman's eyes.
"I know. I just ask that you don't tell Jaune. I... Do care about his opinion and if I tell him? I want it to be on my terms."
Ruby thought for a moment, then nodded.
"I-I won't. Promise."
Irene smiled.
"Good... I'm glad you're his friend. He was so sheltered for much of his life because of his illness. So shy, so awkward... Thank you."
Ruby blushed bright red.
"I um... I-I'm not much better," Ruby mumbled, "And I'm not very... I don't know if I'm a good friend back. I-I don't really know how to be. I-I think I do? But it's so hard sometimes and... Um, well..."
Irene scooted her chair around the table to sit right next to Ruby. Her smile was full of warmth. She reached out and squeezed Ruby's hand gently.
"Nobody is an expert at anything overnight," she said quietly, "It took me years to open up. To stand on my own. I'm sure you will too one day. So cut yourself some slack on that end, and take it a day at a time. Forcing it will not make it better. It will only make it artificial, a tool."
She shook her head.
"You don't want to become an empty shell who sees interacting with humans as just a game or a job," she said softly. "I almost became that if not for my friends and family. So please... Take good care of them."
Ruby nodded back, very seriously.
Jaune walked into view, carrying more tea on a serving platter. He grinned as he set it out.
"Just the way you like it, Auntie! You too, Ruby!"
"Thanks Jaune," Ruby said, smiling warmly at her best friend. He sat back down. Irene's Scroll went off and she checked it. She sighed in resignation.
"Oh darn. I need to meet with a client," she sighed. She beamed at Jaune apologetically. "Sorry Jaune. I'll meet back up with you and your friend next week?"
"That would be great!" Jaune nodded. Irene stood up and walked over to him. He stood up again and they hugged tightly. She planted a kiss on the top of his head and patted his shoulder. She smiled at Ruby.
"It was nice to meet you too, Ruby. Remember what I said, okay?"
"S-Sure," Ruby nodded with a nervous but grateful smile back. Irene turned and walked away, vanishing into the crowd. Jaune sat back down with Ruby, smiling at her.
"So uh... What do you think?" Jaune asked nervously.
"I think she's pretty cool," Ruby said with a smile.
"Yeah, she is," Jaune agreed. "Sometimes I feel like she's not telling me everything... But that's okay. I still think she's amazing."
"Y-Yeah," Ruby said softly. She scooted a little closer to Jaune. "So um... How did you get into Kamen Vale?"
"Oh, well, Auntie Irene told me about this thing she was doing and..."
- - -
The Amalthea Hotel was one of the jewels of Old Vale: A gorgeous high rise skyscraper, a symphony in glass, marble, and steel that still shone in the skyline like a beacon. It was the hotel, with a ground based casino, five star restaurants, pools, arcades, and many other distractions for eager tourists to the capital of Vale.
One of many penthouse suites on the upper floors was occupied by a black bearded, swarthy man of prodigious girth. He was dressed in a fine red silk robe and held a glass of wine in his hand as he surveyed the city.
He was Aizere Rakhimov, a rich Mistralian businessman from the Temujin Sub-Kingdom. He relaxed as he took in the view of the city, his grin oily and broad.
"Well... If the Valean underworld is gonna lose its head, another must take over," he chuckled to himself. He didn't know how it had happened, but Roman Torchwick had been left the most powerful man in Vale's underworld. Nature abhorred a vacuum, after all. Aizere had invested previously in Vale, and now? It was time to reap the rewards.
The doorbell rang. His grin widened as he licked his lips.
Speaking of rewards...
"Enter!"
The door opened. A beautiful woman in a skintight outfit and mask walked in. She smiled dutifully at Aizere, and struck a heroic pose.
"I believe you called for a heroine, sir?" She asked in a silky, seductive tone.
"I did," Aizere chuckled, "My son is a fan of these comics... I thought it would be good to understand the appeal."
"Oh?" She asked, tilting her head. "You have that kind of interest?"
Aizere shrugged and sat down on the decadent couch. He gestured with his hand, and the woman slunk right up to him. She settled down in his lap with a smile that was pure honey, as the Mistralian crime lord chuckled.
"Well... I'll be coming into Vale more often for my business interests," he said, "I should get to know the people and culture better, mmm~?"
"Of course, sir," she simpered, "A crime lord should know all about what he's getting into~."
Aizere paused. He frowned at the costumed prostitute.
"What makes you think I'm a crime lord?"
"Because my dear Aizere," here the woman's smile became positively terrifying as she placed a finger against his carotid artery:
"I'm paid to kill crime lords. Especially those who profitted off of academies that turned innocent girls into weapons."
A pulse of Aura went through his blood vessels right to his brain. He fell limp, unable to move a muscle. He couldn't even groan as she stood up and continued to smile in that terrifying way.
"A little technique my sister taught me," she said, "But the rest of this? It's just what I was trained to do."
Aizere wet himself in his terror as the woman loomed over him.
"I hope you appreciate it," she whispered as she drew her knives.
- - -
Naturally Irene Arc is based upon Irina Jelavic from Assassination Classroom and Natasha Romanov, aka Black Widow, from Marvel.
Ruby was practically bouncing up and down for joy as she stood in the comic book shop line. Jaune was right behind her, similarly excited though not as bouncy.
"Oh my God oh my God oh my God, I can't believe that the Tim Pellegri is here and signing copies of Kamen Vale!" She squealed softly. It was absorbed by the shelves upon shelves of comic books and collectibles around them, but the rotund nerd ahead of them turned around and shushed her anyway. "Sorry!"
"It's cool," Jaune said with a smile, "I'm excited too. Just uh... Easy, huh? Poor Zwei's gonna hear you from here and come running."
Ruby scowled at her best male friend in the whole wide world.
"Are you saying my voice is squeaky?"
"I don't have to say that," Jaune said playfully, "You kind of prove it every time you speak."
"Oooh!" Ruby pouted. "Big talk from Mister Ukulele! It's not even a real instrument!"
"Is too," Jaune retorted, "Kamehameha Island made it its official instrument!"
"I-I'm just saying, nobody uses a weaponized ukelele in comics," Ruby sniffed.
"Well yeah, you couldn't hit anyone hard enough with one," Jaune nodded, "You'd want like, a bass guitar at least."
"Yeah but then you'd just break it," Ruby hummed, "Unless you built it with a proper aluminum frame..."
"I don't think an aluminum guitar would sound great, Rubes," Jaune deadpanned. Ruby shook her head.
"It can just be electric!"
"It doesn't sound the same!"
"Ugh, why are you such a music pendant?" Ruby groaned. Jaune shrugged.
"My mom made us all take piano lessons. Said it would let us do better in school."
"Did it?" Ruby asked, curious. "Cause I can make synth music with my electronics but I don't think it made me better at school!"
"I... Huh," Jaune rubbed his chin, "That is a good question."
"Next!"
Ruby and Jaune looked up. There was an impatient security guard standing in front of the table where the comic book writer sat patiently. Nearby was the entrance into the back of the store, protected by a simple purple curtain. Ruby and Jaune flushed.
"Oh!"
They immediately walked up to the desk and held out their copies of Kamen Vale: Volume 1. The comic creator, a balding man of Mistralian descent in a blue T-shirt with the titular character emblazoned on it, smiled and dutifully signed both books.
"Thanks for coming out guys," Chris said thankfully, "It means a lot! Promoting an indie book is still pretty tough."
"Oh, but this is great!" Ruby gushed, "I love how you present the struggles of a reluctant superheroine! She's reluctant not because of deep personal hang ups but because she's got no experience! And now she has to handle things herself because of all the people who tried to exploit her!"
"Yes, exactly!" Chris said with a vigorous nod.
"I like that she makes friends but also misses out on things," Jaune added. "Makes it feel a lot more, well, real."
"Yes," Chris said with a nod, "'Realistic' has kind of become a buzzword. A lot of people think it means everyone has to be an asshole. But for every bad person being selfish in the world, there are others who act kindly and responsibly. I don't think it's more realistic for everyone to be a jerk."
"Totally!" Ruby grinned. "So uh-Like-Did you base Kamen Vale on anyone in particular?"
Chris sucked in a breath.
"Oh, well-"
A truly drop dead gorgeous blonde woman with curves and a chest that might make even Professor Goodwitch envious stepped out from behind the curtain. She was dressed in the tight body suit and mask of Kamen Vale, her blue eyes glowing with mirth.
"I might have had a hand in it," the woman said in a silky smooth voice with a hint of an Altesian accent, "Isn't that right, Chris?"
"Y-Yeah, yeah," Chris managed. Ruby's eyes widened. She let out a high pitched squeal.
"Oh my God oh my God oh my God-Jaune-Jaune we gotta get a selfie-Jaune-?!"
Jaune's eyes were wide. At first Ruby scowled: Seriously?! Ogling a hot blonde bombshell when she was here?! It was so... Irritating!
"Aunt Irene?" Jaune breathed.
Irene's eyes widened behind her mask.
"Oh... Hello Jaune."
- - -
They met Irene in a cafe nearby as the weather was nice enough for it. She'd switched to more casual clothing: A white skirt, matching jacket, and white blouse that did everything possible to show off her body and made Ruby feel like a stick.
She normally didn't really care about this kind of stuff but... But Jaune was here and somehow that made things different. In a way she couldn't really articulate.
Irene calmly sipped some tea and smiled over it at Jaune and Ruby. The sounds of the city washed over them.
"Sorry I didn't call ahead," Irene apologized, "It was kind of a last minute job."
"No, no! That's totally fine!" Jaune said with a happy smile. He turned to Ruby. "Ruby, this is my aunt Irene. Auntie, this is Ruby Rose, my best friend at Beacon!"
"H-Hello," Ruby managed. She tilted her head. "So um... Are you like a real aunt or an honorary aunt? Because it's a little confusing."
Irene chuckled.
"The Arc family can be like that. But no, I am the younger sister of Jaune's mother. We have three brothers: Alexander, whom you've already met, Ken, and Trey. Isabel, Jaune's mother, is the eldest."
"Oh, I see," Ruby nodded. Honestly, she kind of found learning about families interesting. She knew so little about her own. "So, what do you do for work? I mean, are you a full time model?"
"Oh, me?" Irene chuckled modestly, "No, no. I do it from time to time to pay the bills and help with my freelance work. I actually do a lot of teaching."
"Teaching?" Ruby asked eagerly, "Teaching what?"
"Vytalese, believe it or not," Irene said with a smile and shrug, "It's the lingua franca of commerce thanks to their old Empire and plenty of places still don't speak it. Lets me travel a lot."
"Oh," Ruby said with a nod, "But uh... Um... Why is your Aura activated?"
Irene raised an eyebrow at Ruby.
"You saw that huh?" Irene asked quietly. There was a hint of a deadly edge in her voice, like she was about to pull a knife. Ruby winced.
Oh no... Did I offend her?!
"She has to travel to rough places sometimes," Jaune said with a smile, "That's what you said, right Auntie?"
Irene again was all smiles as she sipped her tea.
"Indeed. But honestly, I don't do much fighting. I'm not as good at it as I could be."
"O-Oh, sure!" Ruby nodded eagerly.
"It's good to see you doing well, Jaune," Irene said with a smile at her nephew, "I didn't think Izzy would ever let you leave the nest!"
"Um..." Jaune winced. Irene raised an eyebrow, then smirked.
"Oho? You ran away from home? That explains why she's been so tense when we talk."
Jaune winced harder. Ruby patted her best friend on his forearm.
"I just... I was going to realize my dream, one way or another," Jaune admitted quietly.
"Good."
Both teens looked up at the older women. Irene smiled proudly.
"When our parents died, your mother insisted on taking care of all of us," she said, "She was always stubborn. She wanted to make sure we could be happy and pursue our dreams. She sacrificed so much to make money and send it back to us. To let us keep the farm, to stay a family."
Irene sighed and shook her head.
"She made enough money to send Alex to seminary. Send Ken to financial school, Trey to a maritime academy. But she acted like our mother more than our sister. She thought she had to control everything we did just to ensure we were safe. That wasn't the case with us, and it wasn't with you. It's high time she learned this lesson."
"Wow... Thank you Auntie," Jaune said with a smile. Irene nodded fondly. Ruby blinked.
"Um... Where did she send you?" Ruby asked.
A dark look passed over Irene's face. It passed before she smiled beatifically.
"Oh, she sent me to Lady Browning's Preparatory Academy For Girls in Vale City," Irene explained, "Where I was to learn how to become a rich, proper lady."
Ruby's eyes widened. Jaune nodded with a grin.
"And Auntie's been an incredible lady ever since!"
"Mm, indeed," Irene said with a nod. "Oh, Jaune? Mind getting us some more tea?"
"Sure!" Jaune said cheerfully. He got up and headed back into the cafe. Ruby stared at Irene in horror.
"So," Irene said quietly, "You know?"
"I... Y-Yeah," Ruby managed in shocked horror, "Uncle Qrow helped with the... The cleanup. He told us stuff when he was... Um... Drunk."
Irene nodded slowly and set her tea cup down. Ruby steeled her courage.
"So... You're-They made you into a-?"
"I'm a teacher, that is what I do," Irene said quietly. "It's what I love doing. But my skills allow me to help out from time to time and ensure what happened to me? Will never happen to anyone else."
She smirked slightly.
"Plus, it pays really well."
"I-I see," Ruby muttered. Her eyes widened again.
"You-You're not-You don't have to kill me-I-I won't tell-!"
Irene chuckled again, an elegant sound.
"Relax sweetie," Irene said, "Do you think my cover so flimsy that you could blow it?"
"W-Well," Ruby pouted a little, "I mean I could! N-Not that I would! Honest!"
Irene nodded slowly. There was just a tiny hint of vulnerability around the woman's eyes.
"I know. I just ask that you don't tell Jaune. I... Do care about his opinion and if I tell him? I want it to be on my terms."
Ruby thought for a moment, then nodded.
"I-I won't. Promise."
Irene smiled.
"Good... I'm glad you're his friend. He was so sheltered for much of his life because of his illness. So shy, so awkward... Thank you."
Ruby blushed bright red.
"I um... I-I'm not much better," Ruby mumbled, "And I'm not very... I don't know if I'm a good friend back. I-I don't really know how to be. I-I think I do? But it's so hard sometimes and... Um, well..."
Irene scooted her chair around the table to sit right next to Ruby. Her smile was full of warmth. She reached out and squeezed Ruby's hand gently.
"Nobody is an expert at anything overnight," she said quietly, "It took me years to open up. To stand on my own. I'm sure you will too one day. So cut yourself some slack on that end, and take it a day at a time. Forcing it will not make it better. It will only make it artificial, a tool."
She shook her head.
"You don't want to become an empty shell who sees interacting with humans as just a game or a job," she said softly. "I almost became that if not for my friends and family. So please... Take good care of them."
Ruby nodded back, very seriously.
Jaune walked into view, carrying more tea on a serving platter. He grinned as he set it out.
"Just the way you like it, Auntie! You too, Ruby!"
"Thanks Jaune," Ruby said, smiling warmly at her best friend. He sat back down. Irene's Scroll went off and she checked it. She sighed in resignation.
"Oh darn. I need to meet with a client," she sighed. She beamed at Jaune apologetically. "Sorry Jaune. I'll meet back up with you and your friend next week?"
"That would be great!" Jaune nodded. Irene stood up and walked over to him. He stood up again and they hugged tightly. She planted a kiss on the top of his head and patted his shoulder. She smiled at Ruby.
"It was nice to meet you too, Ruby. Remember what I said, okay?"
"S-Sure," Ruby nodded with a nervous but grateful smile back. Irene turned and walked away, vanishing into the crowd. Jaune sat back down with Ruby, smiling at her.
"So uh... What do you think?" Jaune asked nervously.
"I think she's pretty cool," Ruby said with a smile.
"Yeah, she is," Jaune agreed. "Sometimes I feel like she's not telling me everything... But that's okay. I still think she's amazing."
"Y-Yeah," Ruby said softly. She scooted a little closer to Jaune. "So um... How did you get into Kamen Vale?"
"Oh, well, Auntie Irene told me about this thing she was doing and..."
- - -
The Amalthea Hotel was one of the jewels of Old Vale: A gorgeous high rise skyscraper, a symphony in glass, marble, and steel that still shone in the skyline like a beacon. It was the hotel, with a ground based casino, five star restaurants, pools, arcades, and many other distractions for eager tourists to the capital of Vale.
One of many penthouse suites on the upper floors was occupied by a black bearded, swarthy man of prodigious girth. He was dressed in a fine red silk robe and held a glass of wine in his hand as he surveyed the city.
He was Aizere Rakhimov, a rich Mistralian businessman from the Temujin Sub-Kingdom. He relaxed as he took in the view of the city, his grin oily and broad.
"Well... If the Valean underworld is gonna lose its head, another must take over," he chuckled to himself. He didn't know how it had happened, but Roman Torchwick had been left the most powerful man in Vale's underworld. Nature abhorred a vacuum, after all. Aizere had invested previously in Vale, and now? It was time to reap the rewards.
The doorbell rang. His grin widened as he licked his lips.
Speaking of rewards...
"Enter!"
The door opened. A beautiful woman in a skintight outfit and mask walked in. She smiled dutifully at Aizere, and struck a heroic pose.
"I believe you called for a heroine, sir?" She asked in a silky, seductive tone.
"I did," Aizere chuckled, "My son is a fan of these comics... I thought it would be good to understand the appeal."
"Oh?" She asked, tilting her head. "You have that kind of interest?"
Aizere shrugged and sat down on the decadent couch. He gestured with his hand, and the woman slunk right up to him. She settled down in his lap with a smile that was pure honey, as the Mistralian crime lord chuckled.
"Well... I'll be coming into Vale more often for my business interests," he said, "I should get to know the people and culture better, mmm~?"
"Of course, sir," she simpered, "A crime lord should know all about what he's getting into~."
Aizere paused. He frowned at the costumed prostitute.
"What makes you think I'm a crime lord?"
"Because my dear Aizere," here the woman's smile became positively terrifying as she placed a finger against his carotid artery:
"I'm paid to kill crime lords. Especially those who profitted off of academies that turned innocent girls into weapons."
A pulse of Aura went through his blood vessels right to his brain. He fell limp, unable to move a muscle. He couldn't even groan as she stood up and continued to smile in that terrifying way.
"A little technique my sister taught me," she said, "But the rest of this? It's just what I was trained to do."
Aizere wet himself in his terror as the woman loomed over him.
"I hope you appreciate it," she whispered as she drew her knives.
- - -
Naturally Irene Arc is based upon Irina Jelavic from Assassination Classroom and Natasha Romanov, aka Black Widow, from Marvel.