Hey all! This is just a plot idea I've had floating around in my head for awhile, just wanted to write it out and see where it goes :P. Please be sure to fav/follow if you enjoy it, and leave a review to let me know your thoughts on it.
I don't own any writes to RWBY or any other Rooster Teeth product. (See? Write? Like right? No?...I'll stop now.)
Chapter one
Ten Years Ago…
The flames burnt brightly, enough to blind if stared into for too long. Despite it being a cloudless, sunny day, the large fire could easily be seen, the pyre in an open field, just outside of Vale. The breeze was pleasant, cool on the skin. If this had been any time before now, it would have been a good day.
Yang, however, felt like it was the worst in her life.
Several months had passed since their school, Beacon Academy, was lost at the hands of the Grimm. The creatures of evil had overwhelmed the cities defenses, as well as the students who had fought bravely in its defense. Some people had given everything they had to try and stop the invasion. Some had even given their lives.
Yang heard a quiet sniff close beside her. She turned her head, eyes wincing slightly. Her sister, Ruby Rose, was weeping quietly. She tried to wear a brave face, as some of the others were doing. But she was young, and the pain was intense. For all of them. Her usual dark attire was fitting, the black and red combat skirt and corset matching the day's theme very well indeed.
Ruby curled closer into the arms of the girl cradling her. Weiss Schnee had managed to convince her father to allow her to come, though Yang had spotted him in the foreground, ready to snatch her back up at a moment's notice.
The heiress herself looked just as devastated, holding Ruby tightly to her. Her usual icy blue eyes were red from crying, white hair tied up into a lazy ponytail, none of the efforts she usually put into her hair present. Yang stood a distance apart from the two, not eager to be dragged into the embraces.
Others were here as well, several of the Teachers had come to pay their respects at the unofficial memorial. Most of the bodies were…unrecoverable. Which meant this was more symbolic than anything else. Yang noticed a boy move closer to the fire, clutching a single flower with both hands.
She immediately knew who it was, even though it caused more pain. Jaune, his blonde hair messily blowing in the wind, stared into the fire with a blank face, though his eyes showed tremendous pain. His teammate, Pyrrha Nikos, had given her life fighting the enemy single-handedly. It was a noble way to go, but that didn't make it any better for anyone, especially Jaune.
Yang had suspected the two might be an item, but she never thought the truth would come out this way. Jaune must have felt like his life had just come to a skidding halt, that there wasn't a reason to continue without his friend.
Yang knew exactly how he felt. And it made her blood boil.
While she hadn't lost someone quite that close, she had lost her closest friend. Blake Belladonna had suffered a serious injury to her stomach, originating from a certain swordsman's blade. The injury had proven too much for her. She'd died as so many others had. It tore Yang up inside, the feeling of loss as powerful as when her father had initially told her.
She looked back over at Weiss and Ruby, a sudden stab of envy hitting her. Blake should have been here, they should have been embracing and crying together, as the close friends they were. But no, Yang was forced to have all these thoughts alone. She took a sharp breath, looking away and instinctively moving her hand to clutch her arm. When she met open air she paused for a second, before remembering. She swore quietly.
Blake hadn't been the only one to lose something to a blade. She glanced down at the stump that was now her right arm, feeling anger boil up. She had actually chanced upon Blake and her attacker in the act, which had sent her into a rage. She'd launched forward without hesitation, her only thoughts getting the man away from her friend.
Adam, the swordsman, had not only beaten her but had removed her arm for good measure. It had been over in seconds. Yang hadn't even realized something was wrong before she fell unconscious. When she'd come to, her dad had told her that Blake had been the one to drag her away, fighting her own injury. She'd managed, but it had been too much. It was all too much…
"Yang?..." a quiet, familiar voice asked.
She immediately looked up, blinking away her tears. "Yeah, Ruby?"
"What…what are we going to do now?" She asked, wiping her eyes with a sleeve.
"For now, nothing," Weiss said softly, standing beside her sister. "I'll talk to my father, try and get him to see reason. When I do come back, we can form a plan. No point trying now when we're so divided."
Ruby nodded, swallowing hard. She turned her silver eyes toward Yang. "Sis? Did you want to try some stuff while Weiss is…away?"
Yang laughed. She hadn't meant too, but the welling emotions inside her were going to come out eventually. Ruby flinched away while Weiss narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Sorry sorry," Yang said, quieting down. "You want me to help you? I can't help anyone Ruby, not anymore."
Ruby's eyes flicked down to her severed arm. The girl knew exactly what Yang was saying. "But…surely we can do something?"
Yang breathed heavily, burning wood filling her lungs. "Do what you want you two, I'm done."
Yang turned away. It was all too much, the funeral, her friends. The friends not here. She couldn't take it anymore. She began walking off, heading back to the city. Maybe one of the airships could take her home, where she could curl up in her bed and cease to exist.
She felt a hand grab her arm, whirling her around. She had to resist trying to lash out. Weiss glared at her. "Excuse me? We're all suffering here, especially your sister. Don't you think you could try and show a little compassion?"
Yang was close to her limit, her fist clenching. "I'm done, Weiss. I'm no help to anyone. I couldn't even save Blake, and now I'm down a hand. I. Am. Done."
"Yang…" Ruby whispered, fresh tears beginning to fall.
But Weiss wasn't finished, cold anger flaring in her eyes. "No, you don't get to be done, Yang. We're a team, you can't just walk away."
"One of us is dead!" Yang shouted, earning a few stares. But she didn't care anymore. "Blake is gone, and it's all my fault. I should have been the one, she should be here planning for the future with you two. I want nothing to do with it, you hear me?"
Weiss looked taken aback, blinking rapidly. "I'm…I'm sorry."
"Whatever, I'm out of here," Yang muttered, preparing to turn and begin leaving again.
"Yang please…"
She stopped, looking over her shoulder. Ruby was clutching at her chest like it was in pain. Of course it was, how couldn't it be? "Please…don't leave. I don't want…"
Yang nearly broke at the sight of her sister, feeling the urge to run over and embrace her. But the feeling to just leave and forget all of this was stronger. She didn't care about the world, or what happened next. She just didn't want to be a part of it anymore.
"Just, leave me alone…" She whispered, turning her back on them and breaking into a run.
She heard them call out but she didn't look back. And she never would. She would forget all of this if it was the last thing she ever did. No more pain, no more guilt. No more rage. She clenched her eyes shut, two tears squeezing out.
She would never let herself feel like this again.
"Oh you've got to be kidding me! Don't drop me, mercy!"
Yang yawned, arm outstretched. "We've been through this bud, tell me what I wanna know, and I won't drop you. Why is that so hard for you to get?"
She looked out across the nighttime cityscape, the view from the building roof outstanding. The wind blew through her hair, the sounds of the city below carrying up. She peered over the edge, again reminded of just how high up they were. It really was a long way down.
"You're crazy lady! I don't know nothing!" The guy said quickly, wriggling in her grip. Yang held him by a leg, dangling him over the edge with ease. She smirked, pretending to lose her grip. He squealed and froze.
"Yeah, not really the best time to try and break free," Yang said matter-of-factly. She continued. "Now, come on. I know you work for the White Fang. And I know you know a little something about our mutual friend, Adam Taurus."
The man shook his head quickly, face red from being hung upside down. "I don't know anything! Adam isn't even the leader anymore. Hasn't been for years!"
"Did I ask for a history lesson?" Yang asked, lightly shaking her arm. The guy yelped, going rigid again. Her point made, she continued. "I know he's not the leader anymore, that's common knowledge. Everyone knows your just Grimm lackeys now."
"Hey." The guy said quietly. "I'm offended."
"And I don't really care," Yang said, patience beginning to wane. "I know for a fact that you know more. Start talking, my arm's getting tired."
He blinked, looking up at the hand grasping his ankle. "Uhh…I was meaning to ask. How does that work? I mean, your arms made of metal and all. Can it feel things?"
Yang looked at her mechanical arm, covered in armored plates with gaps around the joints. The under metal was dark, with the armored parts yellow. That was her doing, of course, needed to match the rest of her ensemble. It had taken her ages to get used to it, but now she couldn't imagine herself without it. And that was without mentioning its combat prowess…
She frowned. "Why do you wanna know?"
"Well, I mean. Just curious. Does it actually get tired?" He asked cautiously.
Yang felt a vein pulse on her forehead. "It's just a threat! No, the robot arm doesn't get tired, how dumb are you?"
The thug seemed to pout. "No need to be so mean…"
"Alright, you know what? I'm dropping you." Yang said, loosening her grip. He fell an inch.
He screamed and began flailing his arms. "Alright! I'll talk, just please don't drop me!"
She smiled, lifting his back up. "See? Isn't that just easier? Now, what do you know?"
"Jeez lady…" He grumbled. "Adam hasn't been seen by anybody for years. Not since the day he vanished. But, some of our…senior members keep in contact with him. I don't know how, they just do."
"Oh yeah? What are some names I could use?" Yang asked, perking a brow.
He hesitated. "I, uh, really don't want to say. Pretty sure they won't appreciate me ratting them out, you know? Not exactly what friends should do to each other."
"Well, what's worse? Them, or me dropping you? I'll totally let you pick." Yang casually said, jiggling his leg again.
He looked down at the distant pavement below and squeaked. "Alright…Blane Arsonos and Barry Burns."
She snickered. "No way, those have to be made up. Barry Burns?"
"Nope, it's the truth, swear on my mum. Never said they sounded awesome." He said quickly, glancing back down. "So…you're going to let me go right?"
"Oh, well if you insist," Yang said, flexing her fingers.
He began screaming, his eyes clenched shut. Yang frowned, tapping her foot while waiting for him to realize he wasn't falling. He ran out of breath, preparing another scream when he paused, one eye peeking open. When he realized she hadn't actually dropped him, he sighed in relief. She pulled him away from the edge, dropping him on the roof.
He groaned, slowly getting to his feet. "Well, if that's everything. It's been a pleasure. I'll just be going…"
She grabbed his shoulder, stopping him from running. "Now hold on, I didn't say you could just go."
He blinked, looking back at the ledge. "But you said-"
"I said I'm not dropping you off the roof," Yang said, rolling her eyes. "Still gonna have to drop you off at the police."
"But, but…"
"You really going to complain?"
"…no ma'am."
Yang nodded, smiling. "Good. Now, why don't we-"
She heard a loud thud. Followed by another. She turned her head toward the closed door that led off the roof. She'd locked it when the two of them had come up here, and now apparently, someone else wanted access to the rooftop.
She suddenly heard her prisoner chuckling. She snapped her head back to him. "What's so funny?"
He smiled at her. "Think about it. When do the White Fang ever travel alone?"
She frowned, looking back to the door just as it burst off its hinges. Men in suits came running out, Yang counted six or seven. They wore the masks that the White Fang were known for, some wielding clubs and batons. A few had firearms, several pistols pointed in her direction. They formed a circle, cutting off any form of escape she might have had.
One of the men stepped forward. "Huntress, we don't appreciate your snooping. Now, we're going to have to kill you."
Before she could get a word in, her prisoner spoke up. "Ha! In your face you awful woman! In your-"
"Afraid we're gonna kill you to Stone." The leader said casually.
Her prisoner, Stone apparently, stopped dead. "Huh? Wh-Why?"
"You told her too much. Gotta punish you somehow."
"Isn't the point of a punishment so you can learn from it?" Yang asked. "Don't see how he's gonna learn when he's dead."
"Thank you!" Stone said, turning to hug her.
She leaned away, face wrinkling. "Look guys, I'd love to tangle with you, but I've got places to be. Authorities to talk to, food to eat. So why don't we cut this short, because let's face it. You're gonna lose either way."
The leader bristled, slowly marching toward her. "You Hunters think you're so tough. And yet you fail to save the world or anyone in it. Soon, our savior will eradicate all the humans of Remnant while saving the Faunas. You can't stop us, you can't even-"
Yang hit him.
Her metal fist collided with his cheek, a fiery explosion shooting out from her knuckles. He flew back like a bullet, crashing into a wall and fracturing the brick. The others visibly hesitated, looking amongst themselves uncertainly.
Yang chuckled, lightly shaking Stones' shoulder. He looked at her, wide-eyed. "Alright, now go stand over by the door. If you run…just don't run ok?"
He swallowed, shakily stepping away from her and walking toward the broken door. The henchmen watched him walk, but didn't try and stop him. He stopped beside the door, the leader still embedded in the wall beside him. He whimpered pitifully.
The thugs looked back to her, hands clenching their weapons tightly. Yang sniffed, rolling her shoulder. She flexed both fists, knuckles cracking. She smirked, eyes darting from one to another, waiting for the first one to make a move. Like sheep, as soon as one began, they all would follow suit.
A guy to her left suddenly yelled, charging forward with a raised baton. Yang went low, leg sweeping the guy off his feet. He hit the ground with a hard thud. She noticed another coming at her from the front. She dug her boot underneath the guy on the ground and kicked, launching him into his friend. The both of them cried out and fell in a heap, groaning.
A third took a swipe at her with a sword. She brought up her metal arm, the thick armor blocking the blade. She reached out with her other hand, grabbing his wrist and pulling him in. He grunted in surprise, pulled off his feet. She let him move past her, raising an elbow. She fired her knuckle shots, launching her arm back. She hit the guy in the head, placing him face first on the ground.
She heard a firearm being cocked. She darted toward another guy, wrapping an arm around his neck and holding him in front of her. The two men aiming guns at her hesitated, their arms wavering as they tried to aim at just her. She snickered, pointing a metal finger at one of them. The tip of her finger opened up. She kept her thumb up, like when someone was pretending they had finger guns.
Only, Yang didn't need to pretend.
"Bang."
Fire spewed out from her fingertip, the shot hitting the guy and sending him flying back. The second didn't get the chance to fire, Yang turning on him instantly and shooting again. He fell to the ground, unmoving.
She let go of the thug she'd used as a shield. He whirled around, clumsily swinging a club at her head. Yang ducked the swipe, sending a knee into his gut. He gurgled, flung into the air. Yang leaped up, fist cocked back as she bared down on him. With a wink, she slammed him into the roof, the concrete shattering from the blow.
She landed, casually observing her handy work. All of them were down, except for one. He stood there, shakily holding a baton toward her. Yang chuckled, placing her hands on her hips. "Come on kid, don't have a heart attack. I'm not that scary am I?"
His answer was to run wildly toward her, swinging his weapon before he'd even reached her. She sighed loudly, stepping to the side and holding out her metal arm at head height.
"I really do miss a challenge…"
The thug hit his head against her solid arm, the metal clanging loudly. He grunted, body going rigid, before he fell back to the ground, eyes spinning. She clapped her hands together as if removing dust. Even if they hadn't been too difficult, it had been a little while since she'd had to fight like that. Usually, the baddie just gave up after a short while.
"Alright, now that that's out of the way…" She said, turning to look at the one guy left standing on the roof.
Stone cowered when she looked at him, his eyes shifting toward the open doorway. Yang gave him a pointed look.
"Don't you dare."
He hesitated only for a moment, before making a mad dash through the doorway. Yang flew forward, much faster. He barely made it down one flight of stairs before she was on him, slamming into his back and pinning him against the wall. He gasped, breaking away from her and turning to face her.
"Right, you're under arrest for being a member of an illicit organization, aiding in mass murder and just being a douche in general. How do you plead?"
Stone tried one last desperate attack that she cut short with a very hard hit to his nose. The White Fang member wobbled, collapsed and started crying.
Yang chuckled. "Ah, I love my job."
"Thank you for the…vagabond Miss Xiao Long." The officer said, eyeing the now woozy Stone. Yang chuckled, looking up at the large Police building. It looked a lot like the other buildings in Mistral, made of brown brick and standing tall. Yang wouldn't have known it even was a Police station if she hadn't seen the massive sign plastered on the front.
"Just doing my civic duty." She said, mock saluting.
"Uh huh." The officer said, clearly not convinced. He gestured for another cop to come grab Stone, who was having trouble standing on his own two feet. Yang watched as he was dragged inside. The officer coughed, getting her attention. "And, remind me how you chanced upon him?"
"Oh, you know. The usual way." She said, smirking. "There might also be a bunch more White Fang all relaxing on a rooftop in a nearby street. Pretty sure they aren't going anywhere."
"Of course there are…" He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Miss Xiao Long, may I remind you that you can't just go grabbing people off the street like that. You might be a Huntress, but that's not how we do things in this city."
"Well, maybe you'd actually catch some crooks if you did." She said casually.
The officer's jaw dropped. He stuttered, struggling for a response. Yang chuckled, turning away and walking down the street.
"Same time tomorrow?" She yelled over her shoulder. She didn't bother to check his reaction, but she knew it was probably along the lines of red-faced. The thought amused her, bringing a smile to her lips as she moved through the bustling streets.
She caught sight of her reflection in shop windows, taking short moments to appreciate her appearance as she walked. In light of most things, she still looked like the Yang she had been years ago. She had replaced her old leather jacket ages ago, now wearing a mini duster of the same material. The coattails trailed just past her rump, short enough for function.
As well as that, her flesh arm and legs also had some limited armor on them, similar to the plating on her metal arm. Colored yellow as well, they provided some much-needed protection, as well as complimenting her outfit. Other than those new additions, her clothes had pretty much remained the same. She still wore her favorite golden scarf, a gift from Summer. And one she cherished…
She walked around a bend, coming to a stop next to her motorcycle. The bike was completely custom, one of a kind. Yang had taken the time and effort to build it from nothing. Over the years, she'd added and improved upon it. Now, it was just as an effective weapon as her shotgun gauntlets.
She jumped on and fired up the ignition. The engine roared to life, echoing loudly through the street. She revved the throttle, front wheel raising off the ground as she sped off down the road. She rode fast, swerving around slower cars. The roads were backed up, more cars trying to get home for the night than space available. Horns honked and people yelled as Yang sped past them, completely avoiding the hours of waiting everyone else had to suffer.
Her mind wandered as she drove. It had been a long ten years. The attack on Vale had only been the beginning of a much larger plan. The Grimm had launched attack after attack on the other kingdoms, led by a mysterious figurehead known only as 'Salem'. No one had a clue who they were, or what they looked like. But this person had led the Grimm onto huge victories, pushing humanity even further to the brink. Vale had fallen, completely overrun after a massive battle. Vacuo had followed next, the desert towns and cities no match for the hordes of monsters.
Only Mistral and Atlas remained standing. Mistral was surrounded by vast jungles and swamps, making any attempt at a huge attack difficult. The swamps slowed you down, while the jungles hid natural hazards and traps. An individual could maneuver through if they knew the environment well. But an army would have a lot of trouble making the trip.
Atlas, on the other hand, was being hailed as the last bastion of man. After Vale fell, they began building immense fortifications, turning their already militant city into a fortress. The Grimm had tried to attack, more than once. Each time Atlas had managed to fight off the hordes, a 'shining' beacon for those who still held hope.
Honestly, Yang wasn't sure where she stood. She felt deep down that the Grimm were simply too strong now, the scattered humanity too divided amongst themselves to truly fight back. But then, she'd been fighting for ten years on her own. If she'd truly given up, then she wouldn't have bothered…right?
"Or am I just doing this because I can?" She mused aloud, her voice carried away by the wind. The answer didn't jump out at her, it never did.
She pulled off the main road, turning down a side street. She pulled up alongside the curb, stopping in front of a worn down apartment block. Turning the ignition off, she slid off the bike and made her way inside. The stairwell up to her apartment was poorly lit, lights flickering. The walls were dirty, the floor even more so.
"Ah, home sweet home." She said quietly, strolling up to her door. She reached for the handle like she always did. But as she touched the knob, she paused, narrowing her eyes.
The wood of the door was fractured, bent inward where the bolt rested. She also spotted scrape marks along the door frame, paint chipped where it usually wasn't. She took a step back, mind working quickly. Someone had broken into her room. If they were a thief, they would have left it wide open, and been long gone by now. But whoever this was, had taken special care to try and make it appear like nothing had changed.
Which meant the intruder was still inside.
Yang slammed the door open, fists up and ready. Immediately, she spotted the intruder, standing smack bang in the middle of the room. She wore an elegant looking skirt, as well as a militaristic coat, both white. Ice colored stockings led down into polished white combat boots. The woman had her back turned, but Yang immediately spotted the long, thin blade resting along her hip, a pale hand resting on the handle.
"No way." Yang said, fists slowly coming down.
The woman turned, slowly. Her white hair was tied up in a ponytail, slightly to the side. Just like it used to be. Familiar icy blue eyes analyzed her, cold and calculating. Her skin was flawless, save for a scar running down her left eye.
"No goddamn way," Yang repeated, now glaring.
Weiss Schnee, CEO of the Schnee Dust Company and General of the Atlas military, offered a worn out smile.
"Hello Yang. We need to talk."