Chapter 9: Roll For Initiative

You know what a major problem that impedes writing is? It isn't just a lack of motivation. It's the abundance of distractions. For me, it's the fact that I have Super Smash Bros. downloaded onto my 3DS, and it's sitting right next to my laptop. So, it's really tempting to just drop any pretense of writing and get in a few online matches using Ike. And occasionally Link. But not Marth or Lucina, I never really got the hang of their style. Anyway, enough of my rambling, let's just get back to where we left our protagonists.

xxx

Neptune groaned as he leaned back and suck out his legs. That chair certainly didn't do any wonders on his back after sitting in it for about an hour.

But, he figured that was the price to pay to stick around and make sure your partner was safe. After the van accident, everyone involved was taken to the nearest hospital. Yoshikage Kira had to be kept under police watch, while Neptune and Sun were going to be fixed back into shape and sent back to Beacon Academy. But, for some reason, getting Sun patched up was taking a bit longer than it should have. After all, he woke back up on the way to the hospital, so it wasn't like the medical staff had to drag him out of a coma or anything.

"I just hope he's alright…" Neptune thought to himself. Even though it wasn't something he said all the time, Neptune did legitimately care about Sun. He was his buddy, his partner, his friend. Only a sociopath wouldn't show concern for a friend who got into a car crash.

Sighing for at least the fortieth time to himself, Neptune focused his gaze on the nearby television turned on in the corner. Man, this waiting room was dull. By now, Neptune regretted not asking the nurses if he could stay with Sun. After all, he got patched up much quicker than Sun. So, if anything, he had nothing but time to kill.

The television wasn't paying anything interesting. Just the usual mid-day talk show where a bunch of dry middle-aged women sit around a table and make horribly inaccurate observations on topics they didn't understand. It was a wonder how anyone how shows like that stayed on the air, let alone actually make money.

Desperate for something to do, Neptune felt around in his pockets. He couldn't look at his badge or service gun. the police (understandably) took those back before they got shipped off to the hospital. But then, Neptune felt a familiar shape. Ah, now there was something a bit more interesting. He couldn't help but smile a little as he pulled out his lucky d20. It was a little worn from all the years he carried it around, but Neptune couldn't imagine a time where he didn't like carrying it around. He had used it ever since he got into roleplaying years ago, and he never let it go since. That little lump of transparent green plastic covered in numbers always made Neptune feel better. After all, he always got his best rolls with this die. That's why it was lucky.

Now that he thought about it, that luck probably prevented him from getting badly hurt in that crash. Ha, and Sun said that he was too nerdy for carrying around the d20. The Random Number God certainly shined upon him at that moment. If only he could Sun into a game, then he would really see how cool and innovative roleplaying games really were. Really, they weren't nerdy at all. They were intellectual.

The die rolled around loosely in Neptune's hand. Curious, he leaned over to his left side. Hovering over the small end table holding a potted plant and some magazines, Neptune let the die fall. The plastic rattled over the pages of a gardening magazine, before tumbling onto the cheap wood of the table. Now that it had settled, Neptune checked for the result of the roll. Ah, a 20.

"Not bad, not bad at all…" Neptune muttered to himself.

Swiping the die off of the table, Neptune shoved it back into his pants pocket. He didn't want to look like some weirdo playing with dice by himself. Instead, he slumped back into his chair.

Then, as if on cue, a nurse walked into the waiting room towards Neptune. "Mr. Vasilias?" she asked.

That made Neptune perk up. "Yeah?"

"Your friend Sun is just about done here. He's coming out now."

"Great. Thanks." At that, Neptune stood up as the nurse walked back to where she came from. Hunching over, Neptune popped some of the segments of his spine. The crunching noise meant it worked. How odd was it that a place meant to heal people have chairs that can ruin backs? Go figure.

Neptune smoothed out the wrinkles on his jacket and yawned. He was more than ready to head back to Beacon. Sure, he'd probably have to fill out some paperwork as to why two hunters-in-training not only crashed police property, but how they got into the chase in the first place. Still, it was better than being stuck in some hospital in Vale City. Beacon was where his bed and stuff was. That was more than enough motivation for him to leave.

Sun walked out of the double doors separating the waiting area from the rest of the hospital. Even though he was walking, he did so a little stiffly. That was understandable. His aura would be able to fix him up back to 100% until at least tomorrow. But, other than that small point, Sun didn't look all that worse for wear.

"Back from the dead, huh?" greeted Neptune with a lopsided grin. Man, was he glad to see that Sun was okay.

Catching on immediately, Sun replied with a grin. "Yeah, just got outta Hell. Shit was fuckin' intense," he drawled out.

"I'll bet," Neptune said. His face grew more serious as he asked, "What took you so long in there?"

Sun clicked his tongue. "Buncha god damn plague doctors in there, man. I bet they wanted to use leeches on me n' shit. I swear to fuckin' god, those nurses are quacks."

"What the heck did they do to you?" pressed Neptune, more concerned.

Sun didn't want to admit the real reason why it took so long in that room. If he admitted that he refused to have a needle stuck into him, then he might as well just revoke his Manly License and dick right then and there. So, Sun did the only thing that made sense in that situation: he lied his ass off.

"They wanted some, like, tests or whatever. Some bullshit. I mean, I don't need no fuckin' CAT scan or anythin'!" Sun bluffed.

Neptune raised an eyebrow. "Dude, you fainted. It'd make sense for them to look at your brain."

Sun internally winced. Crap, he didn't expect to be caught in his lie. "C'mon, bro, I'm as fresh as a fuckin' stallion! Trust me, I'm fine!"

"Are you sure?" the blue(?) haired hunter pressed.

"Well, I mean, I could be better, but for now, I'm fine," Sun replied honestly.

Neptune scanned over his partner with a critical eye. "…Okay, fine. Just don't complain to me if you feel it later," he finally settled.

"Deal," Sun agreed.

The pair stood around stiffly, unsure how to continue on. They had just finished their debate, but neither one really knew how to play it off normally. Although to be fair to the pair, nearly everybody has gone through something similar before.

The pair spoke at the same time. "Let's go." "I think we should go."

They paused awkwardly again, making the discomfort levels skyrocket.

"Let's just get outta here…" Sun mumbled, taking the initiative.

"Right," said Neptune.

Motioning stiffly towards the sliding doors, Sun and Neptune left the hospital. Well, it wasn't as if the day could get any more worse for them.

xxx

Naturally, that assessment was proven completely wrong a few hours later.

As it turned out, Beacon Academy had to foot the bill on a few… certain charges from some disgruntled fruit merchant. For some odd reason, the police department was more than glad to point the merchant in the right direction for who was going to pay for his destroyed merchandise and cart. In addition to that, the police department also sent beacon the charges for repairs to the Gabby's front end.

When one considers the above, it really shouldn't have been a wonder that Sun and Neptune got calls on their scrolls telling them to report to Ozpin's office just as they got back to their dorm room. If only Neptune had rolled for luck.

The pair made their way towards the building where Ozpin's office was located. Unfortunately, having an office at the top of a tower meant that it wasn't exactly easily accessible. So, Sun and Neptune had a small journey to make from their dorm to the administrative chamber.

As the pair walked past the botanical gardens, Sun decided to break the silence that hung over their heads.

"So… how much do ya think it'll cost?"

Neptune huffed. That probably wasn't a very positive question to ask considering their current situation. "I don't know, we weren't exactly thinking of property costs when we were chasing a terrorist," he bitterly pointed out.

"Yeah, you think they would let that thing slide…" Sun groaned, scratching the back of his neck.

"You know, considering this place, I shouldn't be surprised," complained Neptune. In his defense, his experience at Beacon Academy so far hadn't been all that place. There was no way being threatened and then hurt by an angry blonde, and then having to answer for property damages received while stopping a White Fang collaborator was in the Top 10 of Neptune's experiences. Not even within the Top 1000.

"I mean, this shit is our job! How could we NOT cause a little damage on the way?" Sun ranted to the air, frustrated.

"Probably to keep up with looks. Hunting's got more political nowadays," answered Neptune.

"No fuckin' joke…" Sun grumbled in agreement.

At that, Sun shoved his hands in his pockets, pouting. Sure, property damage was an integral part of being a loose-cannon cop, but having to actually pay for that shit? It was unthinkable! They never had to pay for anything in movies and shows! Hell, if he was a movie cop, he could wreck forty cars and a helicopter before he even got a slap on the wrist! But no, one crushed fruit cart and a partially damaged, already shitty van and it was a damn financial witch hunt. Of course, in reality, it wasn't all that bad, but to Sun it was. Over-inflation was often the refuge of the incredulous, after all.

The street lamps hummed to life above the pair's heads. Not that it mattered much. The sun had barely just gone into sunset. But, it did make Sun and Neptune think that they were going to be stuck in an office until late at night. What a pleasant thought.

A weird silence came across the duo again. Sun kicked at a small pebble, and Neptune ran his tongue around his mouth. Was there really anything else to say about their situation? Not particularly. They both knew what they were in for. And, if things went worse for them, so would their wallets/bank accounts.

Neptune nearly paled at the thought. Contrary to his normal appearance, he was actually running out of money. His trident/rifle cost a LOT in upkeep and repairs, and his expensive, good looking clothes weren't going to dry-clean themselves. He could always beg relatives for money. But, that probably wasn't going to help his reputation that much. Neptune already had a reputation in his family for being kind of aloof to his cousins. His aunt and uncle didn't really appreciate that. Not only that, but Neptune wasn't willing to grovel for lien. So, he wasn't in any position to pay from his own pocket/student account for damages.

Anxiously, Neptune reached into his pocket and fumbled with the d20. He could really use any luck it could grant him right now.

Sun was in his own world as he and his partner walked into the building where Ozpin's office was located. He couldn't help but wonder how he was going to try and talk his way out of this. If push came to shove, he could always do the thing that they always did in cop movies: hand in his badge, declare that he isn't staying away from this case, and storm out of the office. That was usually followed up by the chief reinstating the officer and letting him stay on. But, there was a small hitch with that plan. Sun didn't really have a badge to turn in, since he was a hunter, not a cop.

Sun's eyes blinked rapidly as he realized he didn't have a good game plan. Pressing the call button on the elevator, Sun figured he might as well just wing it up there. Glancing over at Neptune, he saw that his friend was lightly sweating. Well, at least his reaction was fitting.

DING!

The elevator doors opened, and Sun and Neptune stepped in. Well, if it was any solace, it wouldn't be the first time that the two of them had pissed off their superior. That thought lingered in their minds as the doors closed and the elevator climbed to Ozpin's office.

xxx

Professor Ozpin stared over his folded hands at the two students sitting across from his desk. From what he could tell, they were rather nervous about being called up here. As they should be. Over the past few months, Beacon Academy had to pay for a lot for damages to private and public property. Hell, they had to cancel the Beacon Academy dance to pay for the expenses on the partially destroyed aquarium. They were still paying off those expenses. That was the last time any students were going to be sent there for extra credit. That much was for sure. There was no way the school could pay for that many destroyed cars again.

So, he was more than ready to hear just WHY Beacon now had to pay for a destroyed fruit cart and car repairs.

Unfolding his hands, Ozpin reached to the side of his desk and pulled up a folder. Showing it to the pair, he asked, "Mr. Wukong, Mr. Vasilias, could you tell me what we're paying for this time?"

Sun and Neptune looked at each other. Neither of them had a real clue on what to do here. "A… fruit cart…" Sun grumbled.

"And?" pressed Ozpin.

"And a van," Sun replied.

Ozpin dropped the folder and leaned back into his desk chair. "Now, I'm sure the both of you aware on what we do here, right? What's the point of a hunter?"

Neptune piped up. "We're supposed to protect the kingdom and the people who live in it."

"Right. Now, how exactly is that achieved by destroying private and public property?" Ozpin questioned.

"Hey, it wasn't like we had a choice!" Sun butted in. "The guy's the one who led us on that chase!"

Ozpin sat back a little. "True. Still, there's the issue of reparations. Do you understand how strained this academy's finances are this year? We had to cancel more than enough programs to cover damages. We can't stand to drain our reserves any further," he lectured.

"What would ya have us do? Let him go?" bit Sun.

"What I'm trying to get at is that you two aren't careful with your assignment," Ozpin mused.

"Hold on, hold on. Are you taking us off of the force?" Neptune asked.

"Not entirely, no," Ozpin said. "Your assignment is being put on hiatus, and you're going to receive marks on your academic records."

"You can't do that!" 'You're fucking with me!" Neptune and Sun protested at the same time.

Ozpin held his tongue. He was more than tempted to call out the unnecessary swearing. But, he had to handle this in a professional manner. "Once you two prove yourselves responsible, then those marks can be removed. Unless you want to be the ones to pay for the costs."

That made Sun and Neptune grow quiet. That threat hung over them like the blade of a guillotine. They would either get out of this with their money or academic records intact. But not both.

"Fine. Whatever," Sun growled, standing up. "But you're NOT gettin' me away from this case, chief." At that, Sun spun on his heel and walked out of the office.

As Sun walked through the doors, Neptune and Ozpin watched him leave. Awkwardly, Neptune turned to Ozpin and said, "Uh… Sorry about his behavior, sir."

"It's fine. You're dismissed," Ozpin said, waving Neptune away.

Stiffly, Neptune got out of his chair and scurried after his partner. Well, that meeting certainly took an unexpected turn for him.

As the door closed behind Neptune, Ozpin grabbed his mug and turned his chair around. Staring out the window, he looked out across the dusk covered campus. Taking a swig from the mug, Ozpin wondered where exactly all of his careful financial planning went all wrong. Did he miss a major bill? Were his students just growing more and more reckless? And why did Sun Wukong call him chief?

Those were questions that would keep him up that night.

xxx

Yep, that's certainly a case of reality ensuing. You could get away with almost anything in cop movies. Except in Hot Fuzz. They had to actually deal with all the paperwork and stuff after the climax. But, how will the plot unfold from here now that those two were taken off the force? Well, I'm sure you can figure out how a good chunk of it can go, if you've watched enough cop shows. But, that's part of the fun! So, tell me what you think of the story so far in the reviews section!

This is The Draigg, and I'm staying frosty!