New story... hopefully better than my other 'experiments'. I didn't come up with RWBY or... the game from which I took this inspiration. All honor to Roosterteeth and... the companies which made said game. Y'all will probably guess the game by the next chapter next week. Well, that's all I got. Good reads, and as usual, read and review!
Chapter 1
The night's breeze was cold, but not unwelcome.
Despite the night ambience, Yang enjoyed the solitude. Smiling contentedly, she lit her cigarette, taking a few puffs before turning around to face the incoming light.
She heard the sound of screaming brakes, but didn't mind, simply stepping to the side as the freight train whizzed by her, leaving a massive wind wake.
She checked herself over, just in case anything had gotten caught on the locomotive.
Ripped jeans, combat boots, black leather jacket, burnt yellow t-shirt and an orange ascot. All there, nothing ripped… more than she wanted it to be.
'Mom would kill me if she knew where I was…' she thought to herself before turning once again to face her destination.
An old warehouse, where the metal band River Run was set to perform tonight. She could already hear the music.
Hopping the generic 'No Trespassing' barbed wire fence, she continued her journey.
When she reached the clearing in front of the warehouse, she glanced around, taking in the flotsam and jetsam that had accrued there over the years. Some old, like scrap metals and wood planks, and some new, like a blazing fire pit and the line of dirty motorcycles.
She walked towards the front door, each step causing more excitement to see the concert, before a heavy hand on her shoulder blocked her progress.
'Going somewhere, little girl?' a lower voice said behind her.
She spun around to face whoever had spoken to her.
Clearly a bouncer, her addressor stood tall, with a surprisingly well made suit and a trimmed black beard.
"Haha, obviously going to see River Run… what you think? What else would I be doing here?" She said, smiling her most convincing smile.
It didn't work.
"And you're what? Fourteen? Sorry, no kids allowed."
She hated being called a kid.
"I'll have you know I'm 16. Hardly a kid, dickwad." She answered somewhat venomously.
"Ooh… sorry. Sixteen." He paused, showing a sarcastic thinking face, "Yep… still a little kid. Beat it."
"Did it really take you that long to think? Must be so hard to count from fourteen to sixteen." She answered.
"Ha. Real funny. Now I'm not gonna say again. Get lost."
"You call me funny, yet you're the one dressed like a fucking clown."
That hit a nerve. He straightened his tie, "I've been nice to you… but you screwed the pooch. Go away now, or I'll make you go away."
"Aww… the big bad Bear wants the scary little girl to go way… So cute!"
"You know what? I'm not paid enough to deal with shitty brats like you. Go head in… but don't be surprised when you get hurt." He said, snarling at her before walking away.
'That was a thing…' she thought smugly, before going into the warehouse.
The 'front office' of the venue was cluttered, graffitied, and… awesome. Like all decommissioned buildings, it was dirty and messed up… but that's just how she liked some things.
The band's music grew several decibels the closer she got to the double doors leading to main floor, where she could see lights and a laser show through the glass.
She noticed her old drug dealer, Torchwick, sitting in the corner. His tailored suit was worse for wear, but he still had his signature bowler hat and cane.
She approached him, remembering distinctly that their last parting wasn't on the best of terms.
"Heeeyyy…. Roman…" She said, uncharacteristically nervous.
"Huh? Yang Xiao Long... What are you doing here?" He mumbled gruffly.
"I'm here to clean this place up. I'm the new health inspector," She said, throwing enough sarcasm in her voice to power the entire warehouse for years, "I'm here to see the band, dipshit."
"Oh? How'd you find out about this little shindig? And better yet… how did you get in? Remind me to find better help next time…"
"Duh. The internet… you really think a secret performance by River Run could be kept secret? And yeah… better help would be a good fuckin idea. Your friend can't take a joke."
"Yeah, yeah…" He sighed, "So why are you talking to me?"
"You… got any stuff? I could use something to… make things more fun."
"I always got stuff… Buuuuttt…. No soup for you… unless you got my money. 175 creds to be exact. And that's just cuz I like you." He said, smiling.
"175? For 30 grams of Fire Dust? That's robbery!"
"That's business, baby."
"Don't call me 'baby'."
"Okay, freeloader. Anyway, no creds, no fun. Thems the rubs."
She rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue before turning away.
Who needs drugs when you have a perfectly heavy metal band performance to thrash to?
She opened the double doors, expecting to be able to jump right into the mosh pit, only to be elbowed in the gut by an unsuspecting dancer.
She stumbled back a few feet before hitting something squishy… and sloshy.
"What the actual fuck!?" Said the person who'd she'd apparently fallen into.
He was shorter, blue Mohawk, and sported a wicked spiked shoulder bracer.
"Watch where you're going, bitch!" he snarled.
"Oh shit… my bad…" She said, rather more meekly than she meant.
"You're bad… You fuckin ruined my shirt!" He said, getting in her face.
"Dude. Fuck off… If I wanted to ruin your favorite shirt, I'd have done it at Law-Mart."
His friend, who'd sidled up to them during the confrontation, chuckled into his hand.
"Fuckin hell… You better watch your back, bitch." He said, before turning and stalking away.
'Well… mosh pit is a no go… better find some other way to see the band…' She thought, looking around.
She finally spotted stairs to the second floor of the front area. She remembered, upon an earlier visit to the warehouse, she and her best… her ex best friend Ruby Rose once 'accidentally' blew up some dolls strapped to a gas tank up there, blowing a sizeable hole in the wall…
A hole big enough to be able to see the mosh pit and the band without missing anything.
She climbed the stairs, her excitement growing once again as she passed a case of beer, grabbing one for the road.
Opening the door at the top of the stairs, she almost giggled with glee.
There was River Run. In all their glory. And she was alone, no worrying about the normal dangers of the mosh pit.
She sat on the lip of the wall, letting her feet dangle and drinking her beverage, bobbing her head to the music.
It was bliss. Listening to the deafeningly awesome tones, drinking a good bear, and not having a worry in the world….
Well…
Until a shadow blocked her view of the lights.
"I told you you'd pay, bitch."
IT was that idiot from downstairs, still wearing his booze-stained shirt, his friend in tow.
"I told you, it was an accident. Damn, were you dropped a few days ago, as a baby?"
T-Shirt grabbed her by the jacket, hoisting her to her feet, and snarled in her face.
"You'll be makin funny fuckin comments from your grave if you keep it up."
There was a loud bang as the stairwell doors banged open, and a figure rushed in.
Red hair, green eyes, and a generic punk-girl outfit.
'Pyrrha Nikos?' was all she could think before a loud tinkling broke her train of thoughts.
T-Shirt's friend had just broke her beer bottle, and brandished it in front of him, clearly ready to use the sharp edge.
Pyrrha threw something at T-Shirt's friend, looked like a wide pie plate, knocking him over.
Yang herself used the distraction to grab the instrument of pain from T-Shirt and clock him in the eye with the dull part.
By the time he went down, his friend lashed out, catching the side of her face, next to her eye, with his fist.
Pyrrha rushed forward and grabbed her by the arm.
"Let's go!" she said, tugging Yang back towards the door, down the stairs, and back towards the exit.
She noticed Roman sit up, look from the two fleeing girls to the angry guys coming after them.
He was apparently a lot smarter than he looked… because the two angry guys were suddenly on the ground, Roman standing over them with his cane held like a club.
"Go." Was all he said.
And they ran. All the way back to her car.
Pyrrha, with directional help from Yang, soon dropped her off at her rundown, yet homely, cabin.
"Thanks." Was all she could say.
"Don't mention it. Seriously… Talk tomorrow." Came the succinct answer.
She stood there, watching her surprise savior drive away.
'Pyrrha Nikos? The most popular girl in school… the smartest too, I'll bet… just helped beat the shit out of two losers… at a heavy metal concert. What the fuck?" she said before entering her house, and dropping like a sack of potatoes into her bed.
'That… was a weird fucking night.'