Chapter One
It was a cool, dreary morning in the city. What little sunlight that seeped past lazily drifting clouds trickled through the small pane next to her desk, faintly illuminating the mess of haphazardly strewn writing materials and files, as well as the small drool stain she had left the night prior. Strange, considering how often it'd pour regardless of time, day or place. Yang liked to think that this was the world's way of telling her everything would work out swimmingly. Perhaps something exciting would finally happen. She was beginning to feel the effects of lax, humdrum days take its toll on her psyche, and she did not like it one bit. A bored Yang was a destructive Yang, and she couldn't afford to be destructive; not when business was bad. She sighed wearily. Mere months ago, there had been a flood of requests and jobs during the crime spree spike. They had been rolling in money; so much so that they got a tad... improvident. When the offers finally slowed to a trickle and the city regained some semblance of order, they – and their work – were made mostly redundant, and quickly got tossed aside, as many things in this city deemed 'unnecessary' were. Sure, they still had the occasional job here and there, but the pay was never quite as good.
Yang smacked her lips wistfully. She hoped something – much like that thin stream of light – would just... fall into her lap. Or desk, she supposed. Whatever worked. She wasn't one to turn a blind eye to opportunities.
So busy she was in thought that she missed the door crack open, and the grumbling youth that staggered in with her hands full of miscellaneous morning goods. It was only when the smell of fresh, sugar-glazed donuts, overly sweetened black coffee and slightly stale ink assaulted her nose did she notice the newcomer's presence.
"Ruby!" she greeted amiably. A grunt and loud flop was the only reply. Yang smiled fondly, not at all offended by the gruffness; her sister, despite being the adorable, shy one, was one of the grouchiest people she knew before her morning coffee. Yang waited for Ruby to chug half of her mug and wriggle deeper into the leather seat – one of the frivolous things Yang invested in – across herself, before reaching out for her own smaller cup. She took a long sip as Ruby sighed in contentment.
"I feel alive," husked Ruby, eyes glazed over. Yang chuckled, still deriving mirth from her sister's dramatics after all these years. After a couple more deep drinks of the black elixir, Ruby carefully set her mug down and nabbed a donut, taking a hearty bite. Yang shook her head in wonderment. No matter how many times she's seen Ruby do this – ever since they hit puberty and discovered the magic that was coffee and sugar-ladened fast food – she was still left dumbfounded by how swift her little sister could jump from one thing to the next. Yang briefly pondered if it was because she had dropped Ruby on her head as a baby, hence potentially fragmenting her delicate state of mind and causing her to have disjointed thought processes... but she brushed that aside. Surely it couldn't have been that bad. Although, Ruby didn't cry during that incident, even when her skull cracked against the pavement... maybe she broke something?
Yang took a prolonged, noisy sip. Her eyes guilty shifted from Ruby, who was now staring at Yang with an eyebrow raised in confusion, to look at anything that wasn't her sister. Her gaze landed on the day's newspaper. Catching sight of the headlines made Yang spurt her coffee all over Ruby.
"Yang!" Ruby cried indignantly, snatching napkins to clean herself up with.
"Sorry, sorry!" Yang shouted instinctively, moments like this happening way too often for the blonde. She wiped the coffee dribbling down her chin with a sleeve and stretched for the paper. She grabbed the front page, uncaring that the rest of the newspaper was now scattered across her desk, and brought it to eye level.
'SCHNEE FAMILY JEWEL STOLEN. POLICE BAFFLED BY ROBBERY.'
Yang skimmed through the rest of the article, a maniacal grin slowly stretching across her face. The rest of the story had been typical tabloid news: embellished recounts, show of bravado from the police... the works. But the title. Perhaps a touch exaggerated, because she was hoping the police weren't that incompetent or else she'd feel inept for losing out against them, however there was no mistaking it: a case had presented itself.
As if confirming her suspicion, and egging her on, the perpetually overcast sky again miraculously gave way to bright beams of radiance shining down and highlighting the heading.
Ruby had conveniently completed her task of mopping up the coffee deluge just as Yang was done scheming. Removing the serviette from her face resulted yet again in paper, this time inked and unwelcome, being shoved against her face. Ruby pushed her sister from the mounted position she claimed on the table back to her seat. Nonetheless, the action didn't deter Yang.
"Do you know what this means, little sis?!" Yang enthused, roughly shaking the paper she held.
"No, I couldn't see anything because you were shoving it in my face."
"It means," Yang ignored the snarky remark, jumping to her feet and crashing her chair into the back wall. "That we've got a case to solve!"
Ruby regarded Yang blankly. The blonde continued to look pleased. "What makes you think they'll even want our help?" Ruby questioned sceptically.
"Because we're us," Yang answered with a certainty only selected geniuses – and many idiots – held in spades.
Ruby slouched in her seat. "I have no choice, do I?" she bemoaned.
"Nope."
Adrenaline coursed through her veins as the wind beat and curled around her body like a chilly yet oddly comforting cocoon, whipping her trench coat wildly. As her heart palpitated violently in her chest, almost racing as quickly as her beloved bike, she felt her senses sharpen, creating a tunnel vision that blurred everything besides her and the open road.
This was what Yang loved. The almost-but-not-quite uncomfortable sensation of lead settling in her gut, a subconscious reminder of her laughably vulnerable corporeal existence, contrasted by the surreal feeling of freedom and empowerment every time she rolled on the throttle and got away with another death-defying stunt; the exhilaration that came with the risk – of not getting caught, of not getting killed – was something Yang knew she was severely addicted to, almost
She whooped, racing and weaving through heavy traffic so synonymous with the city, executing tricks and revving too much and always veering away from oncoming trucks at the last possible moment, playing one of the most dangerous variants of Chicken imaginable. Even as Ruby clamped down painfully on her torso, and as horns blared, Yang persisted in performing as many perilous stunts she could before reaching the Schnee manor.
She needed to get all this out of her system before chatting it up with the closest thing this area had to royalty, after all.
They screeched to a halt in front of a giant gate, emblazoned with the prestigious Schnee family crest; a delicate yet sempiternal snowflake. Yang kicked the kickstand in place and deftly swung her legs over the saddle while Ruby stumbled off the motorcycle, legs quivering like a fawn. Eventually, she gave up on trying to regain her equilibrium, choosing to collapse onto her knees.
Yang snorted, grabbing her sling bag from under the saddle. "Oh come on, you're exaggerating. It's not that bad." She ruffled Ruby's hair as she brushed past.
Occupied with the intercom situated next to the massive barrier, Yang missed the daggers her partner shot at her back while she clumsily climbed to her feet.
Fiddling with the intercom bore no fruit. Throwing her arms up in the air, Yang groaned.
Ruby snickered, sauntering up to the device. "Oh come on, you're exaggerating. It's not that bad," she mocked in the most derisive impression she could manage. Shoving her sister – who had childishly stuck her tongue out – aside, Ruby tiptoed to examine in the intercom.
"Short," Yang taunted. Ruby pressed a few buttons in sequence and caused the intercom to flare to life.
"Smarter than you," she riposted with a self-satisfied smile. Yang chose not to argue.
Through the small screen, they saw a balding, yet dignified man. Likely a butler, Yang deduced. "State your business," he said tersely.
Yang noticed her sister stiffen to her side, caught unaware by the curt greeting. However, she had been prepared for such a response. They probably had dealt with a multitude of different people – press, police, even other private investigators – in the last couple of days since the news leaked, and predictably, were not in the mood to continue entertaining such guests. Nonetheless, Yang was nothing if not obdurate. She had spent days prior collecting information and obsessing over this case... and she would not have some greying, decrepit man stop her.
She squared her shoulders and straightened her trench coat lapels to make herself look more serious and intimidating. "Yes, we're here to talk to Miss Schnee about matters concerning her..." Yang trailed off intentionally, leaning forward and darting her eyes about, as if ensuring no one else could tune in on her secret, "missing property."
The butler stayed impassive, likely having heard the same spiel countless times before. "Wait for one moment." The monitor went black.
Ruby's eyebrows knitted in uncertainty. "Yang, that sounded kinda suspicious..."
Yang shrugged flippantly. "Eh. Relax sis, I know what I'm doing. Besides, the worst thing that could possibly happen is that they sick their giant guard dogs on us."
Her partner nodded her head reluctantly. "Right..." Ruby's body lurched when the final sentence clicked. "Wait, what giant guard dogs?"
Before Yang could seize the chance to poke fun at her sister, the intercom buzzed. They turned their attention back to the screen where the butler made his reappearance. "Please come in." Once again, the display turned dark. In contrast to their previous experience moments before, the gates creaked open, sound foreboding enough to make both sisters' stomachs sink in apprehension.
Ruby hesitated. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"
Yang puffed up in bravado. "Have I ever led us astray?" When Ruby opened her mouth, Yang quickly continued, "It was rhetorical. Now come on, time waits for no man!" She spun on her heel towards her parked ride. Upon noticing her sister had walked ahead into the estate without her, she swivelled back and yelled, "Where are you going?"
"I am not riding with you!" Ruby shouted over her shoulder without breaking stride.
Yang blanched. "But... I... fine!" She turned in place a few times, unsure if she should use her motorcycle or not. Huffing, she stomped in the direction of the manor, heavy footfalls making the attempt to catch up with Ruby futile.
Along the way, Yang released the inane grudge she had against Ruby for indirectly insulting her driving skills as the duo marvelled quietly in the splendours that was the Schnee estate. Despite having walked roughly two miles with no mansion in sight, the sprawling viridescent foliage found surrounding their path was breathtaking, and immediately stamped out any annoyance spurred from not riding her bike. Even as the city girl of the two, Yang had to admit that the greenery was impressive. Thus, she wasn't at all surprised – or exasperated – by the stifled gasps from her awestruck, infinitely more attuned with nature, sister. The Schnee family must have spent a lot of money on making their land so fertile, Yang thought, slightly astonished herself. Predictably, they were rendered further wonderstruck when a colossal, pristinely white mansion came into view, the exterior radiating an aura of opulence and grandeur unrivalled by anything the duo have ever seen.
Yang had stopped behind Ruby, and so felt more than heard the slight gulp her sister gave when the latter leaned back into her for support. "I think we're out of our depth," Ruby breathed. Yang took the opportunity to take in the view, including the lavish marble fountain in front of the giant driveway they stood in that probably costed at least thrice their apartment. She smiled deviously. It seemed they'd be back to rolling in green soon, and she wasn't talking about the verdure.
Snapping out of her money-addled reverie, Yang noticed the butler standing in front of the imposing door, gesturing for them to enter. Realising her sister was in no state to physically walk there herself, Yang rolled her eyes and weakly pushed Ruby forward.
Finally reaching the entrance, the duo were met with a practiced, reserved nod. The butler beckoned for them to follow. They ambled down the grandiose halls, taken aback by the lush red carpet, extravagant chandeliers and resplendent paintings lining the walls. When they arrived at an impressive door, the man held a hand out to stop them before carefully rapping on mahogany.
Yang assumed his ears were keen enough to hear some sort of approval, for he proceeded to inch the door open. "The mistress will see you now."
Crossing the threshold, their noses were assailed by the scent of crisp winter – accented with a touch of vanilla – that permeated the air. On the opposite end of the room, a large window situated behind a gorgeous teak table allowed light to wash in and envelope an elegant and slender, yet formidable figure in an ethereal glow. Yang smirked as she heard her sister's breath hitch. The blonde glanced discreetly over at Ruby, who stared back like a deer in headlights. Catching the knowing look on Yang's face coupled with suggestive eyebrow wiggling made Ruby's countenance flare cherry red. Yang snickered.
"Please, come forward. Make yourselves comfortable." The mellifluous voice caused Ruby to jump, startled, and stumble over the carpeting in her haste to follow the request. Yang guffawed, watching her sister's cheeks burn further, the intensity making her half-wonder if it were possible to melt marshmallows with how hot they seemed. Shaking away the stray thought, Yang strode over to the desk and sat herself down across the austere female, both waiting for Ruby to nervously shuffle her way towards them. When the embarrassed girl finally plopped into her seat beside Yang, the ivory-haired beauty clasped her hands on the table and began, "I'm sure you already know who I am, but let me introduce myself. Weiss Schnee, President of the Schnee Corporation."
Yang nodded. Her investigation led her to discover that, despite the police's attempts to create a cover story about how they had been killed by thugs, Weiss's parents had been murdered in an elaborate ploy to usurp the Schnee family, the only affluent family around the area that wasn't politically corrupt. However, they failed to eliminate the young heiress, who was guarded and raised by loyal servants and family friends until her claim to the company name at eighteen. Now, at the ripe age of twenty-four, Weiss was cunning, intelligent and ruthless... or so their source said. Yang thought she certainly looked the part.
"So, what do you know?" Weiss prompted.
Yang swiftly slapped her hand over Ruby's mouth. She knew with the little crush her sister was developing, Ruby would blab more than usual, which would be... a lot. Of blabbing. Yang couldn't risk losing that edge they had over the other woman simply because Ruby's hormones were flying off the handle. She leaned forward with her other arm and sucked in a breath through her teeth. "Seeeee, we can't divulge that information unless you give up something in return. Strictly business, Miss Schnee. You know how it is, right?'
She received an impassive stare. Yang swallowed as subtly as she could, mind racing a mile a minute. Images flitted by: ones about her being thrown out gracelessly on her ass. No, that wasn't ruthless enough. Perhaps she would be hurled into a pit full of vicious attack dogs; or maybe lions, they could afford lions, surely. Her eyes widened infinitesimally as she entertained thoughts where after the latter incident, she would subsequently be patched up shoddily, only to be thrown into jail and starved until her young, nubile, beautiful body was reduced to nothing but–
Weiss cleared her throat, breaking the trance Yang had escaped to. "Of course, Miss..."
The absence of snarling, savage mutts and hulking guards spurred Yang to relax a touch. "Yang. Just Yang. Oh, and this," she gestured to her sister, "is Ruby."
Ruby stopped momentarily in trying to pry Yang's inhuman grip on her face to wave and give a muffled 'hello'. Weiss acknowledged her with a ghost of a smile, eliciting a faint blush from Ruby.
Weiss turned her attention back to the blonde. "Well, Miss Yang–"
"No, no," she shook her head, "Yang."
Weiss pursed her lips. "... Very well... Yang. While I understand your reason for withholding information, you must also understand that ever since this news has gotten out, I have been appealing many other freelance detectives and investigators, who have turned up fruitless. I unfortunately cannot continue the trend of blindly employing when the likelihood of obtaining legitimate information is slim to none. I'm afraid I must request that you at least disclose enough for me to believe you are a competent, reliable source, or else I must ask that you leave the premise."
Ruby's eyes bulged in panic, her fingers turning white as they strained to wrench Yang's hand off. So engrossed she was, that Ruby missed her sister rummaging through the sling bag she brought with her free hand. However, she didn't miss the smug grin Yang had while sliding a file towards Weiss. The regal female quirked an eyebrow, but sifted through the file's contents, expression smoothing out and quickly becoming inscrutable. Ruby glanced over at her sister, and upon receiving a wink, calmed down.
Ruby sighed. She didn't see why they couldn't have just told Weiss the information they collected. Yang watched too many cliché crime shows. One day, her cavalier attitude would bite them in the bum. Ruby was certain of it.
She waited with bated breath as Weiss finally glanced up to meet their eyes. Ruby wasn't sure if it was from infatuation, or fear when her heart began drumming and blood rushed to her ears as she met clear, gorgeous blues.
"You're hired."
Ruby slumped in her seat, throat bobbing wildly, heart still hammering away. Her sister's smug "Glad you could see it my way" sounded distant. Captivated grey orbs never once left Weiss Schnee's face.
This was going to be a long assignment.
The sisters found themselves trailing behind the poised woman after she had received a call from her servants that she had police officers seeking her time.
Ruby elbowed her sister. "Why didn't you tell me you compiled a file?" she whispered harshly.
Yang weakly held up her hands in defence. "Nora thought it'd be more dramatic!" she replied in an equally hushed tone.
"You listened to Nora for advice about how to deal with pseudo-royalty?"
Yang smiled cheekily. "Better than the person who can't keep her eyes off a certain 'pseudo-royal's' ass. Enjoying the view, little sister?"
Ruby sputtered, blushing beet red. "S-So what if I am?" she fired back.
"Then I'd say 'good for you', but remember sis: business before pleasure," Yang retorted effortlessly. She jauntily skipped ahead, victorious, towards the ivory-haired female and two butlers who had stopped in front a set of large doors, leaving behind a stupefied Ruby.
"Is she alright?" Weiss asked, eyebrows knitted in concern and confusion.
"Eh, she's fine. Just a little..." she tapped her chin, trying to think of a word that would encompass the other's expression. "Haggard. Long day, y'know?"
Weiss nodded dubiously. She signalled for her servants to open the doors.
The immaculate marble tiles were accentuated by vivid crimson décor and expensive vases and antiques. For the second – and third for Ruby – time that day, they were awestruck.
That is, until they heard ceramic shatter.
Jerking their heads in the direction of the noise, they found a scrawny blonde male in an ill-fitting police uniform on his knees, fumbling to gather as much of the broken vase he could. To his side, an exasperated red-head stood with her arms folded, shaking her head as she watched her companion bumble about.
Weiss glided towards the two. "You must be the retrieval unit assigned to the case."
The tall red-head graciously bowed. "I wish our meeting was under better circumstances." She straightened and gestured to herself. "My name is Pyrrha Nikos, and this," she waved to the blonde, "is my partner, Jaune Arc."
Jaune glanced up owlishly from the mess he made. He gaped upon seeing Weiss. Springing up, the man shot his hand out, before withdrawing it back, floundering for words to say.
Yang, from her peripheral, noticed Ruby's cheeks puff in annoyance. She grinned, placing a firm hand on Ruby's shoulder. "Easy there, tiger." Ruby deflated, looking away, her face flushed from embarrassment and the mildest trace of anger.
Meanwhile, Weiss was as composed as ever. She continued to smile amiably, a testament to how often she must have had to handle such scenarios. "Thank you for coming all the way out here to help, Miss Nikos and Mister Arc," she said courteously.
"Please," Jaune squeaked. He coughed, attempting to deepen his voice. "Uh, please, don't be so formal. J-Jaune is fine."
"And please call me Pyrrha, Miss Schnee."
Weiss nodded.
Pyrrha continued, flipping through her notepad. "We were sent down for further investigation – gather intel, statements, alibis; the norm. However, I see you have company. I apologise if we're intruding, Miss."
Weiss waved it off. "No, it's no problem. Please feel free to do as you need; my wait staff and abode are at your disposal." Weiss snapped her fingers, and a maid approached. Weiss turned to look at her. "Please ensure that they are taken care of, perhaps in the study room?"
The maid bowed. "Of course, Mistress."
The ivory-haired female turned back to Pyrrha and Jaune with a polite smile. "If there's nothing else, I hope you'll excuse me. I must attend to my guests."
Noticing her partner was still a nervous wreck, Pyrrha took the initiative. "Of course. Thank you very much for your hospitality." She grabbed Jaune's arm and proceeded to drag him out of the room as they were escorted elsewhere by the maid. The doors creaked close. Weiss walked to an elaborate chair and sat, motioning for Yang and Ruby to follow suit. They did so, flopping onto the lush couch across Weiss.
"Why so secretive?" Yang asked. Ruby nudged her with a hiss that vaguely sounded like 'you idiot'.
Weiss sighed and slouched imperceptibly, as if carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. "I'm sure you've quickly come to realise – especially in your line of work – that no one can be completely trusted. As nice as the officers seem, the police in this city are corrupt."
Belatedly remembering the kingpin's tragic past, Yang winced and nodded sympathetically.
"Even if those two are untainted by the unscrupulous methodology of our 'justice' force, their supervisor may not be," Weiss continued evenly. "And when they do report to said supervisor–"
"It's out of your hands," Ruby chimed in.
Weiss nodded with a small smile. "Precisely." Yang suppressed the urge to roll her eyes when she saw how her sister perked up like a puppy. If Ruby had a tail, it'd be wagging so hard that she could have single-handedly powered the whole of Holland. "I wish to keep this case as personal as possible, regardless of police meddling. The both of you will be under my payroll, and thus, are easier to supervise."
Yang bent forward and balanced her forearm on her knee. "You've said it yourself – you've dealt with other freelancers. What makes you think your money'll stop us from being like the rest of them? Amoral, no good frauds?"
Yang caught from the corner of her eye Ruby starting in alarm, but kept her gaze on Weiss. The ivory-haired female conspicuously glanced from Yang to Ruby and back, before confidently replying, "I have a feeling."
"And that's good enough for us!" Ruby interjected. Pleading grey eyes turned on Yang. "Right, Yang?" she said through gritted teeth.
Yang rolled her eyes good-naturedly, immune to the look but choosing to yield. "Right."
"If there are no more questions," Weiss slid the file she had brought along from the first room towards them, and Ruby stretched out to grab it. "The documentations necessary to broker this deal are all in there. Simply sign the contract."
"H-H-holy–"
Yang craned her neck to look over, her brows raising in surprise when she saw the numerous zeros. "Woah."
Ruby's head shot up to meet Weiss's gaze, Yang's slowly doing the same. "A-are you sure you've got the right number?" she stuttered.
Weiss smiled indulgently. "I trust the sum offered is enough?"
"More than en–"
"Wellll," Yang drawled, cutting Ruby off. The younger female turned to her sister, jaw unhinged. Yang paid her no mind. "See Miss Schnee, we're just," she slung her arm around the stunned Ruby, "two poor detectives who're kinda short on cash... Cash that's necessary to carry out such an... important and potentially dangerous task..."
Amusement swirled in Weiss's eyes. Yang couldn't tell if it was from her shoddy excuse, or from Ruby's reaction. "Is that so? I understand. Will half the amount upfront be enough?"
"H-h-ha-ha–"
'"I think so, Miss," Yang continued smoothly, saving her sister from embarrassing herself further in front of her crush.
"Excellent." Weiss's head bobbed. "I'll see to it that I get an edited contract immediately."
As Yang stood, she lifted a wobbly-legged Ruby up by the loose grip she had around her neck. The blonde bowed slightly in deference to her new employer, causing Ruby to do the same, albeit less gracefully. "Thank you for your generosity. We'll report back as soon as possible."
Weiss tilted her head in dismissal. "Return tomorrow; we'll finish this procedure then."
Yang huffed, swatting away cobwebs that clung to the low-hanging ceiling. The floorboards creaked ominously as she and her sister traipsed downstairs – below the rowdy privatised casino – towards their informant.
"Stupid 'secret' hideout," Yang grumbled under her breath, swinging her arms above her head to keep the grime out of her hair.
Ruby's eyes watered from the familiar, but no means welcomed, onslaught of dust. She sneezed unabashedly, the weak structure shaking from the force, showering them with more dirt.
"Ruby!" Yang hissed.
"My bad," she murmured through a stuffy nose.
With the bottom of the dilapidated flight of stairs in sight, Yang sighed. She anxiously combed a hand through her locks. "Just... let's get to Nora. You know how much I hate this place."
"And why would you? It's super duper awesome!"
Back on flat ground, the sisters were met with a jovial grin. A shorter pink-haired female flew forward and embraced the two in a bear hug. "Yang, Ruby! Welcome back! It's been so long!"
Ruby whimpered, feebly wriggling in an attempt to escape the suffocating grip.
"I think you're crushing them, Nora," a fluid male voice interrupted.
"Oh. Whoops!" She released her hold on the duo, who crumpled to the floor, gasping.
"We... saw each other days ago," Yang croaked.
"Yeah, but that's like," Nora tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Forever ago!" She giggled. "So what're you doing back here?"
The two got up and brushed off their clothes, with Yang more aggressively scrubbing off any stains than her sister. "We got the job. Thanks for help, Nora," Yang said distractedly.
"Pshht," Nora flapped her lips and gave a flippant wave. "Is that all? No problem. But getting that info wasn't easy, guys. I lost quite a few men! If you want more help with Schnee, I'm afraid I'll havta start asking for some of the green stuff." She made it clear what she was referring to by rubbing her thumb and index finger together with a devilish grin.
Flicking off the last noticeable grime from her coat, Yang smirked. "As a matter of fact," she started cooly, "do we have a deal to strike with you." She motioned for Ruby to step forward, who did so with a cheeky grin. Ruby pulled out a stuffed manila envelope with a flourish. Nora 'ooh'd and applauded while a lean Asian male stepped next to her.
Yang raised a hand in greeting. "'Sup Ren?"
The male smiled. "Hello Yang, Ruby. A deal, you say?"
"Yep," she popped the word playfully. Ruby passed the envelope to Nora, who gave it to Ren for inspection. After a bit of scrutinising, he carefully opened the seal.
Nora peeked over, sounding an impressed whistle. "Nice pay."
"Enough to get help?"
Ren nodded. "More than." He pocketed in the envelope.
Nora bounced towards the sisters and grabbed them by the arm, hauling them further into the dank underground labyrinth. "To the office!"
Arriving at a rather spacious – if not shabby and badly-lit – room, Nora pushed her friends into beanbag chairs situated in front of an rickety desk. She sat herself on a swivel chair, the only mildly embellished thing in the room, and adopted the most serious pose she could: narrowed eyes, protruding chin, fingers intertwined under her nose and all. "So whaddya need ta know?"
Yang sank comfortably into the beanbag. "Anything that could give us a lead."
Nora stretched her arms and pouted. "That's not very helpful."
"Besides," Ren added, "didn't we pass you some information beforehand? Surely that would've been enough." His sudden appearance shocked Ruby, who jumped and tensed into a defensive stance. She relaxed upon seeing the apologetic look shot her way as he walked past her to stand beside Nora.
Ruby cleared her throat, still on her feet. "We've investigated those last night, but they turned up as dead ends, which is why we need more intel."
Nora's eyebrows knitted. "Dead ends?"
Yang grunted, kicking her legs up in frustration. "Literally. Those guys you named?" She mimicked getting shot in the head with the appropriate sound effects. "Fresh, too."
Ren's forehead creased. "That's... strange."
Nora pressed her lips together into a thin line. "That shouldn't be possible," she insisted after some deliberation. "They were bad men, but there shouldn't have been anything they did that would've warranted assassination..."
"Maybe they crossed the wrong guy on the right night?" Ruby supplied.
"Knew we were gunning for them and wanted the easy way out? I like your thinking, little sis," Yang said with a grin.
Nora's expression remained doubtful. "Something just doesn't feel right here..." She sighed and shook her head. "Anyway, you'll have to give me time. Come back tomorrow or something. Ooh!" Her tone returned to its perky lilt. "I'll have my people call your people! I've always wanted to say that..." she trailed off, slipping into a daydream.
Ren scratched his head. "Guess we lost Nora. Come on, I'll lead you out."
After a few minutes of silent walking and weaving through boisterous, hulking, heavily tattooed individuals and a multitude of near identical rooms, they reached the same stairwell they descended earlier.
Before taking the first step, Yang turned to meet Ren's eye with a brow quirked. "Y'know, despite having been your friend for years, I've never asked: why does Nora work here? It's so..." Her nose crinkled in displeasure as she glanced around. "And it's not like you guys are short on cash. Hello, head honchos of one of the biggest criminal syndicates?"
Ren shrugged helplessly. "She says she likes the atmosphere. Something about it being 'in-character'."
Yang snorted. "Because pink hair's thug-like."
The male chuckled. "We'll call you."
Ruby gave a two-fingered salute while Yang waved amiably. "Don't be strangers!" the blonde hollered as she climbed the stairs.
Shoving past the mob of semi-familiar faces and declining invitations to join them at the tables, Yang and Ruby made their way out of the smoky, discreet gambling den.
They hopped onto Yang's motorcycle, speeding off in the direction of the harbour – the last known place their former lead was found before his homicide. Upon arrival, they dismounted the machine and removed their helmets.
"I still don't see why you're so adamant on this," Yang huffed, smoothing out her tousled hair. "We checked yesterday. Zip. Nada. Zilch."
"Well, maybe we missed something. It was dark last night," Ruby replied as she rummaged around the site.
"Yeaaah, I don't think so," Yang answered sceptically. "Besides, the feds've picked this place clean." She kicked a stray can into the water. "Damn feds."
Ruby made a frustrated sound at the back of her throat, but didn't stop in her endeavour to find some sort of clue amongst the rubble.
Yang's expression turned impish. "Oh, I see what this is about."
"Hmm?"
"Someone's trying to impress a certain rich employer," Yang said coyly.
Ruby faltered. "I-I am not! I just..." She licked her lips nervously, grey eyes darting about. "I just... She's just..." Laughter from her sister made Ruby's cheeks puff in irritation. "Shut up!"
Yang wiped a tear with her index finger. "Oh, you're adorable," she sighed contently. "C'mere you!" The blonde leapt forward and lifted her sister in a hug.
"Yang! Off!" Ruby yelped. She delivered a swift kick to her sister's shin, sending Yang rearing back with a grimace.
"Have you been working out?"
Ruby huffed, crossing her arms petulantly.
"Hmm." Amber orbs twinkled mischievously, eyeing her self-conscious sister up and down. "Think Weiss is going to dig macho-Ruby?" Yang teased. She took the chance to flee while her sister sputtered indignantly.
"YANG!"
The incessant ringing of their telephone woke Yang from her slumber. She lethargically sat up, rubbing at bleary eyes. The sight of her clock made her groan; 8:20AM. Having only gotten home scant moments before orange bled into the sky – after a long debrief with Weiss Schnee – Yang was exhausted. She reluctantly swung her legs off the bed, slowly padding towards the living room, sliding a hand underneath her tank top to scratch her stomach. With a yawn, she picked up the phone. She mumbled an unintelligible greeting, using her free hand to comb down her disheveled blonde mane.
"Yang?" The distraught tone instantly woke the blonde up, akin to being doused with a bucket of cold water.
"Ren?" Yang questioned, now alert. In spite of having known the man for years, she had never once heard him so worried.
"There's been trouble. Get to the hospital."
Before she could reply, he hung up.
Yang gulped. Throwing the phone down, she scrambled to Ruby's room and shook her sister awake. Ruby unfurled from the ball she had curled into with an agitated expression. She grumbled incoherently.
"Get up, we have an emergency."
Ruby sat up disgruntled. "Emer–" Her clothes smacked her in the face, slamming her back into her mattress where she laid comfortably.
"No time to explain," Yang said tersely, pulling on her own clothes. She rolled her sleepy sister off her bed.
Ruby groaned. She sluggishly got to her feet before getting unceremoniously pushed into her bathroom by her sister, clothes shoved into her hands.
"I swear to God Ruby, you had better come out in five."
It had taken them slightly longer than five minutes to leave their apartment. Nonetheless, Yang's speeding had more than made up for lost time, though Ruby would argue that she had forfeited several years of her life as compensation. After haphazardly parking her bike, they sprinted to the hospital entrance. Sighting the receptionist counter, Yang briskly approached, slamming her hands on the counter. Ruby groaned, inching away from her sister.
"Where's Nora Valkyrie?" Yang snapped.
The timid receptionist stammered out a number, likely memorised from having to recite it to numerous of their friends'... acquaintances, most of whom struck terrifying figures, to say the least. Nora was very popular amongst the underworld because of her exuberance and penchant for making things exciting. Little wonder why the receptionist was trembling like a leaf during a hurricane.
"Thank you!" Yang singsonged, walking away. Ruby mouthed an apology at the man, before following her sister.
"Did you really have to do that?" Ruby berated, pumping her legs as quickly as she could that early in the morning after having just gotten off Yang's metal death trap; which is to say, not quickly at all.
Yang smirked, easily keeping pace with her frazzled sister. "Of course. It's fun."
Ruby rolled her eyes. When the room Nora was assigned to came into view, Ruby charged forward, hurtling herself through the door. Bursting into the room, she was met with the sight of a beaming Nora enthusiastically eating jelly from the spoon Ren held out.
"Wha- Yo–" Ruby strode towards the pink-haired female and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Are you okay?!"
Nora mumbled an affirmation through her mouthful of jelly.
As Ruby pulled her friend into a tight squeeze – one Nora was only happy to return – Yang tugged Ren outside. Her countenance grew serious. "What happened?"
Ren ran his hand through slightly unkept raven locks. "Someone ambushed her late last night while I was out."
Yang's brows furrowed in concern. "Must've been strong if they could send Nora here."
Ren hummed noncommittally. He sighed, eyes remorseful. "Unfortunately, this means we can't continue helping you. The office is trashed, Nora'll be out for awhile, and I need to take care of her."
Yang shook her head. "No worries, dude. Take care of each other." Her lips thinned. "If this incident is related to what we think it is..."
They shared a knowing look.
"Ruby and I are on the case," Yang promised.
Ren nodded. "Be careful. Seems like someone wants you out of the picture."
Yang grinned cockily. "Since when did that ever stop us?"
The male smiled. Walking back in, Yang was welcomed by a jumpy Nora.
"YANG!"
"Nora!" Yang grinned.
"Yang I'm sorry I'm not really sure about the next location because the doctors told me it might've been a hallucination or something because whew that nightshade stuff is freaaaaky– "
Yang smiled, the other's rambling going unregistered. "Don't worry Nora, it's fine. Just sit back and relax. Rubes and I'll handle the gritty stuff."
"–Oh but but but!" Nora yelled. "You might wanna check just in case! There's that building in the business district, y'know, the big pointy one? Or was it the short rainbow one in the ghetto..." She giggled childishly. "I like rainbows," she said, more to herself. "Oooh, or maybe it was the abandoned warehouse out on the pier..."
Yang's expression softened. "... Thanks, Nora. Really. This was more than enough."
"No prob! Mmm, now I feel sleepy." She smacked her lips drowsily. "G'night guys," she slurred before passing out.
Ren moved to tuck Nora in as Ruby stood up.
"We should get going," Yang said, spinning on her heel and strolling out of the door.
Ruby followed, all the while taking quick glances back. "Think she'll be okay?" Ruby asked, voice tinged with worry.
Yang snorted as they made their way out of the hospital. "You kidding? It's Nora. She almost sounds like she's back to normal already."
The lack of response made Yang turn around and walk backwards, facing her sister. "Look little sis, there's no point in dwelling on this. We just need to find the assho–"
Ruby glared. "Language."
"–who hurt our friend," she continued as if uninterrupted, "and teach 'em a lesson or two." She emphasised this by driving a fist into an open palm. "No biggie. We've seen her spring back from worse."
Ruby frowned. "I guess..."
"Now c'mon," Yang said as she leaned on her motorcycle. "We gotta check out all those sites before we lose the trail again."
"Right. Oh!" Ruby fished for her cellphone. "We should call Weiss."
Yang grinned slyly. Ruby's cheeks coloured. "I-I mean, she's our employer and I should– we should– I–I'm just going to stop talking now." Mortified, Ruby whirled away to phone Weiss.
Noticing that Ruby had only dialled one number before pressing the call button, Yang snickered. "You have her on speed dial?"
Ruby didn't dignify her with a response. "Hello? Weiss?" She brightened up. "Uh, it's Ruby. Yeah! Yeah. Just called to, y'know, keep you posted..."
Yang looped around to face her sister and began pantomiming her actions, peppering the dialogue with kissy faces and suggestive gestures. She pretended to look aghast when Ruby – who still continued her report to Weiss – shot her a pointed look and the middle finger.
Nevertheless, Ruby's tone stayed upbeat throughout. "Mhm, I'll be sure to tell you anything else we find. Yeah, I'll call if we need anything. I'll– uh, we will see you later. A-After we're done checking all the leads. Bye!"
Yang gave her a thumbs up and wink. "Smooth."
The younger female huffed, stomping to the motorcycle. "Shut up."
After she hopped onto the bike, she was abruptly pushed off by her sister. She landed on her butt with a grunt. "Wha–" She was cut off by the sound of revving, and the acrid smell of exhaust slapping her in the face. Ruby gagged, clambering away. She looked up, befuddled, to find her sister smirking impishly.
"It'd be faster if we split up. Can't let any trails run cold and leave Weiss," Yang breathed the name amorously, mimicking her sister's tone, "disappointed, can we?" She poked her tongue out before putting her helmet on. "Dibs on the clean pointy building!" she said, voice muted partially by the headgear, before zipping off.
Ruby stared open-mouth at the empty lot, watching smoke rise from the faint tire tracks now etched into asphalt. She tottered unsteadily to her feet. "Always stuck with the dirty places," Ruby muttered sulkily. "Don't even have a ride..." She bit her lower lip, glancing down at the pocket she kept her phone in. Her hand hesitantly dug up the device. "She did offer to help..." Ruby justified weakly to herself, keying '2' for Weiss's number.
Yang skidded to a stop in front of a magnificent glass skyscraper. The streets were devoid of people, likely due to the time of day and the impending storm, if the sinister grey sky was anything to go by. She unfastened her helmet, blonde locks cascading down her back as she inhaled the subtle, musty scent that accompanied such weather. Stretching, Yang got to work evaluating the edifice and its surroundings.
A quick assessment revealed that it was too crowded for her to just waltz in and grab what she needed, if there was anything worth taking at all. She would have to be stealthy. She blew a stream of air out of the corner of her mouth in agitation. She hated being stealthy.
She unenthusiastically skulked to the back of the building, where closer inspection found the door already ajar. The alarms in Yang's head blared. From experience, she knew the backdoors were typically bolted in place to only be used in emergencies; a security measure implemented in most important establishments in their city, such as this one. For the door to be left open meant either their security was incompetent – the favourable answer – or she had a fellow intruder to contend with. One who was likely equally proficient as she. Yang crept into the premise, maintaining constant vigilance. A few steps in, out of her peripheral vision, she noticed an unconscious guard sprawled on the floor. She cursed softly.
Yang cautiously approached the body. She nudged him lightly with a foot to roll him face up. Grimacing at the drool-encrusted face, she carefully knelt down and frisked the man for anything that would help. She cursed again when she found nothing. Predictable, considering how skilled the other interloper must have been... but Yang had been hopeful they had some sort of oversight.
She exhaled slowly. She had been banking on finding a set of keys. Without that, she would either have to methodically break into every door – a stupid, risky manoeuvre that didn't guarantee pay-off – or... she glanced up begrudgingly at the air duct.
She would have to get dirty.
The blonde felt her bones creak as she struggled to find some sort of position that would grant her aching muscles reprieve. She had been on her hands and knees, cramped up in the air ducts, for the past few hours. Most of that time was spent locked in place as she observed the security room. It had been the first target – simply a way to find and scout other, more important rooms – but the realisation that the security room housed all the mainframe's information and feeds, in addition to being the only room that was without surveillance, made it Yang's prime objective.
Yang had used the time bided to scrutinise the guards and their every move and habit. She knew that in the next few minutes, she would have an opening to pounce on the lone, unsuspecting guard left to keep watch. She stretched as best she could in the small space in preparation. She was confident that she could take the overweight man out without a fuss, but she wanted to be as swift as possible. Under normal circumstances, she would've enjoyed messing with the security. However, she had a lot of money on the line, and with her informants out of the picture, she couldn't afford to make any mistakes.
Breathing out steadily, she struck. Slipping from the uncovered vent – a part of her blessed the idiot who failed to grate the ducts – she gripped onto the edge of the opening and swung herself forward, landing feet first into the pudgy guard. The impact slammed his head into the ground, instantly knocking him unconscious. Rolling into a crouch, Yang's head darted around for any signs of trouble. When the coast felt clear, she stood and brushed herself off with a smug smirk. "Peace of cake," she whispered under her breath.
She strutted to the massive computer. Tapping a few buttons in sequence, the only thing she could recall from the times Ruby had spent meticulously teaching her how to hack, she gained access to the mainframe. She gritted her teeth when the machine prompted her for a passcode. Resisting the urge to pound her fist against the keys – and ruin the damn thing in the process – she groaned and wrapped her hands around the edge. It contorted to her hands under the pressure.
She wished that she remembered what Ruby had said.
Deciding to go with her instincts, since they had yet to fail her, she bit her lower lip as she pressed random switches and buttons. Yang felt her heart skip a beat when the screens began flashing, only to sigh in relief when they returned back to normal. The notion of calling her sister crossed her mind, but she brushed it aside. Ruby likely wouldn't get there in time before the rest of the guards came flooding in.
… She also didn't think she could sit through another lecture about how she should pay attention.
Yang cursed as the computer displayed another minute had ticked away. With only a few minutes left to consolidate information, Yang was left with no choice but to go for broke and try to crack the system.
She wracked her brain for everything Ruby had managed to drill into her, seeking some sort of solution to the problem. Yang hesitantly keyed in a few sequences, before crossing her fingers and praying they worked.
A 'ping' sounded.
Yang did a little jig as multiple files popped up. She quickly got to work trying to sort out the junk from potential leads. Double-clicking on a document led her to a detailed report on a new, popular club in the downtown district. Her brows furrowed. The building she was currently in was in no way related to the clubbing industry; why would this information be here?
Before she could investigate further, the power went out, engulfing the room in pitch black. "Fuck!" she hissed, dismayed that everything had just slipped out of her fingers. She tensed, ears twitching at the sound of metal warping. Ignoring the rabble of confused employees, she swivelled to catch sight of something dropping from the vents and vanishing out the door. "Hold it!" she yelled.
Yang sprang into action. The figure was difficult to follow, winding through hordes of workers, their all-black ensemble enabling them to blend to their surroundings. However, the flash of amber gave them away. The blonde was led into a cramp stairwell, where she heard the echo of stilettos on cement. She gave chase up the stairs, her natural athleticism showcasing itself as she closed the large gap between her and the mysterious intruder. By the time the other reached the rooftop, Yang was almost within arms length. She burst across the partition between staircase and roof, torrential downpour drenching her hair and clothes, weighing her down. But this only spurred her on. Hurling herself forward, Yang tackled the figure to the ground before they could reach the edge of the building.
"Who are you?" Yang panted. Try as she might, she was mildly distracted by the now painfully obvious feminine body she straddled; how the rain made her already tight-fitting clothes cling criminally to a supple physique. Despite only being a short period of inattentiveness, the other female managed to take full advantage of the situation, slipping her arms out of the blonde's loose grasp and swiping at her face. Yang flinched back reflexively, narrowly avoiding her eyes getting gouged out, though the claw-like appendages left behind deep gashes across her face. Bucking her hips, the figure threw Yang off and onto the floor. She leapt to her feet, all poise and grace, and calmly walked to the rim of the roof. Sparing one last backward glance at the drenched blonde struggling to find balance, she dove off the building.
Yang crawled towards the edge, body suddenly lethargic. Peeking over, she could only make out the dimly lit, rain-slicked pavement below as a fuzzy black car sped away. She squeezed her eyes shut and pushed herself back as best she could from the brink, her mouth growing inexplicably dry. All she heard was the sound of fat raindrops pounding against the floor before darkness overcame her.
AN: Breaking my self-imposed hiatus. RWBY'll be the death of me.
Initially an experimental one-shot as practice for another AU, SLIH's developed a whole universe of its own. Expect this to be a two-shot (with the next chapter being heavily delayed), and I guess expect pre/post-stories.
On a side note, I shouldn't try to plot serious pieces after WFLT. Works like this end up fluffy too. Gorram. Now I don't know what genres apply to this thing.
Hope you all enjoyed this, and cheers for reading, reviewing, following and the favourites. As always, critiques and wild speculations are welcomed.