Prologue
The man emerged from his black car, grabbed groceries from the back, hooked them through his hands and walked down the brightly lit street. It was nine in the evening as he walked slowly pass other parked cars that packed the street and stared to whistle to occupy the time. He was wearing his dark blue jacket with yellow flame design up the zipper to his collar and black pants as he was stopped by four men in dark red hoodies with jeans that approached him.
"Hey man, whatcha doing this evening?" a man asked as he walked up to him. The man looked the thug over slowly with his hazel eyes and relaxed.
"I suggest you answer him," a bigger thug said as the man slowly removed his hands from his pockets and set the bags down.
'Ooohhh, I'm so sca- OOF!" the man said as the stranger punched him hard in the gut as his friends came to help. The stranger held the hurt man up as a thug punched, connecting with his friend's jaw and sending him flying. The stranger tripped one, grabbed another's arm and broke it in one smooth motion as he kicked the last man in the chest. The man stumbled back as the stranger pulled out a knife, stabbed him in the shoulder and fell on top of him.
"Get off!" the criminal yelled as the stranger wrenched the knife around.
"Don't bother anyone else, understood?" he asked.
"Alright alright!"
"Good," the stranger said as he removed his knife, cleaned the blade on the downed man's jeans and sheathed his blade. He stepped over the goon whose arm he broke, grabbed his bags and continued walking down the street, whistling. After only a few minutes, he stopped and knocked on a door and waited. A blonde woman opened the door with a big smile at her husband.
"Took you long enough," she said as she opened the door all the way to her half-sister and their friends, who owned the house.
"Nathaniel!" Ruby and Blake said at the same time as Ruby hugged him, followed by her half-sister. Nathaniel Empyrean set the groceries down on a counter in the small kitchen and looked around at his friends and his wife, smiling.
"That's the last time I get the damn groceries," he said, causing laughter to erupt as they emptied the bags and prepared dinner.
Chapter 1
Blake had a simple house that consisted of a living room, small kitchen, deck, dining room and one bedroom with a bathroom, with the walls being painted orange and white. Nathaniel had put the groceries on a counter and was helping take everything out as Yang started prepping the food with her sister.
"How've you been Blake?" Nathaniel asked, wrapping an arm around her shoulder as he grabbed some bottled drinks.
"Good Nate, you?" she asked with a smile. Nathaniel hadn't changed in the five years since they ended the White Fang: still had the goatee, still had the same clothes sans trench coat and was still the caring guy that watched over team RWBY. Blake herself had done her best to change personality wise, but had problems. She was wearing her bow, a white shirt and unzipped jacket with black pants.
"I've been great, right love?" Nathaniel asked, kissing his wife as she cut up chicken, causing a smile and giggle to escape her lips. She was wearing a yellow top and jeans.
"Of course," she said as her half-sister looked through the bags. Ruby still wore her red cape and battle-skirt from back when they were back at Beacon. She had updated it with a red spiral design along the arms and down the sides. Nathaniel shook his head, sighed and pulled out a box of cookies, which Ruby quickly grabbed and ran off with.
"How are you and Sun?" Yang asked as Nathaniel threw some ingredients in a pot and stirred slowly.
"Um… Good, he's on the couch, I don't think he said anything because he's listening to music," Blake said slowly as Nathaniel patted Yang's shoulder, walked to the living room and plopped down next to Sun. Sun looked and smiled at Nathaniel as Nate placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed.
"How ya been buddy?" Nathaniel asked as Sun removed his white headphones.
"Pretty good man, you?" Sun asked, patting Nathaniel's back as he put his laptop down on the coffee table next to a photo of him and Blake. Sun still had spikey hair, but had a blue and red undershirt along with his white over shirt with jeans. He had stubble around his jaw line and chin.
"Same here. Everything okay with you and Blake?" Nathaniel asked slowly. Sun paused before answering, looked down and nodded his head.
"We'll talk about it later," he said as he got up and walked down the hallway. The hell did I just get involved in? Nathaniel thought as he returned to Blake and Yang talking to each other about new things in Yang's house as he sat at the table and leaned back.
"You look tired for having to get groceries," Blake said as she watched Nathaniel.
"Yeah, well, not my fault you have thief problems," Nathaniel said as he took out his knife, grabbed a napkin and rubbed off a bit of blood near the hilt.
"Wait, what?" Blake said as she and Yang walked over to him and watched him clean his knife.
"Yeah, four goons tried to rob me. Tripped one, punched another in the gut, broke an arm and put this," he motioned to his knife, "through the last ones shoulder. Told them to leave everyone else be and he screamed to me that he would. Problem solved."
"I don't remember you being such a violent type," Blake said as she set the table.
"If it comes to protecting myself or more importantly her," he said, pointing the blade at Yang, "I'll do whatever it takes. Injure first and if they won't stop, kill."
"Aw, look at you being adorable," Yang said, eliciting chuckles as Ruby came back out slowly, holding her stomach.
"You didn't," Yang said as she walked over to Ruby. Ruby nodded slowly and looked down, causing Nathaniel to snort, trying to hide his laughter. Yang eyed him down and shook her head as she lead Ruby to the couch, letting Ruby lay down.
"I told you not to get her cookies," Yang said as she got cups.
"I thought she was gonna wait and not eat all the cookies," Nathaniel said with a smile he couldn't hold back as he grabbed silverware and set it down. Blake filled the glasses with water as she walked back to her and Sun's room. Yang and Nathaniel looked at each other, causing Nathaniel to shake his head and mouth Later to her as Sun came out with Blake.
"Where's Weiss and Neptune?" Yang asked as everyone took their seats.
"They can't make it, something came up with Weiss," Blake said. Weiss had assumed partial control of her family's company after graduation and while she still went on hunts, she was also just as busy with the company, hoping to one day not have to run the company and leave it to her sister Winter. Everyone sat down and started to eat slowly and quietly.
"Damn good chicken Blake," Nathaniel said as he sat back.
"Thanks Nate," she said with a smile as she looked at Ruby's motionless body, "So, how's it been having her in the house?"
"Not too bad actually," Yang answered. After graduation, Sun and Blake had pooled money to get their small house while Nathaniel was given a house as a thank you by Beacon for his service as a knight. While Ruby's step-father said he would gladly help, she didn't want to burden him, thus she had her own little apartment that the others had helped pay for. Eventually Vale condemned and eventually tore down the apartment complex for a memorial to fallen Hunter's and Ruby asked Yang and Nathaniel for a place. They greeted her with open arms and had let her live with them for the past year.
"Yeah, it's been a lot of fun, especially watching these two interact on a daily basis," Nathaniel said with a smile, "Forgot to ask, where's the rest of our friends?"
"Ren and Nora are in Atlas on a mission and… Oh! I forgot, that's next month," Yang said as Nathaniel looked at her confusingly.
"Jaune and Pyrrha's wedding," Sun said, causing Nathaniel to have a moment of realization.
"I don't remember getting an invitation."
"I threw it on the kitchen table," Yang said innocently.
"And you expect me to somehow know when to look at the table after a mission or some other time?" Nathaniel asked.
"Well Ruby saw it, right Ruby?" Yang called out to her near-comatose sister, who groaned in response.
"That doesn't count," Nathaniel said, causing laughter to erupt from everyone else.
"Hey, I'm gonna step outside right quick," Sun said as he tapped Blake's hand, got up and walked outside to the deck. Nathaniel got up and went outside after him, closing the door behind him and leaning on the railing next to Sun. Their back yard was about thirty feet long and 10 feet wide with a nice garden to the left.
"So, what's up?" Nathaniel said as he was astonished to see Sun pulling out a cigarette, "Well, didn't expect that."
"Yeah, picked it up within the past months. You don't mind, do you?" Sun said as he put it in his mouth.
Nathaniel shook his head, "Nah, go right ahead. My father smoked cigars, as did his dad, so I'm kinda used to it." Sun nodded, lit his cigarette, and breathed in and out slowly, letting smoke filter out of his mouth slowly away from Nathaniel.
"Man, what in the hell is happening?"
"It's just hard, ya know? Loving someone like her. Happy and calm one day, the next three something completely wrong and won't sleep. It's like with the Vytal festival, she acted the same exact way," Sun said as he took another puff.
"Here I was hoping she would've changed," Nathaniel said as he cracked his knuckles, "I remember Yang mentioning something about her being completely enthralled with hunting the White Fang back then. What is she looking for this time?"
"Some guy, Adam something. You know anyone like that?"
"No, I don't know any Adam Something," he said, causing Sun to punch his shoulder, "Was he a member of the White Fang?"
"Think so."
"I'll see what I can dig up. What does she think about you smoking?"
"She hates it, but I can't help it. She's awesome to be around and then has these stretches where it is so hard… That's why the on and off the past three years."
Nathaniel nodded his head slowly and sighed, "Honestly, I wish I could help you more Sun. The only thing I can say is try tal-"
"I have and she shuts me down everytime!" Sun yelled, causing Nathaniel to be taken aback by the sudden outburst, "… I'm sorry."
Nathaniel put a hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry about it. Sorry for re-hashing canned advice. If you can't talk to her, maybe try bringing it up casually or at calmer times. I'll gladly see if I can find something, try to get on her scroll and see if you can find a last name. Alright Sun?"
Sun nodded and smiled, "Thanks Nate. I'll do my best," he said as he put his cigarette out and threw the cigarette butt in the air. Nathaniel quickly threw his knife and pinned it to their fence. Nathaniel walked over, grabbed his knife and the butt.
"Had to try, damn I'm good," Nathaniel said, causing a chuckle from him and Sun while they walked inside.
Inside:
Yang and Blake watched Nathaniel leave the room and head outside, slowly closing the door behind him. The two partners ate the rest of their food in silence until Yang looked into her teammates eyes.
"The hell is going on?"
"What do you mean?"
"What do I mean? What's happening with you and Sun? And why do you look really tired?" Yang asked. Blake had small circles under her eyes and they moved slowly.
"No reason," she responded, sipping tea and watching her teammate.
"Blake," Yang said, holding her teammates hand, "we went through this years ago. Everyone knows you two have been struggling. What is happening? What are you so enthralled with now?" Blake looked away and breathed slowly.
"I'm looking for someone that I knew when I was in the White Fang."
"Why?"
"Because I last saw him on my last mission for the White Fang before I came to Beacon. I saw him on a train and that was it. I've never heard anything about him and I think he may still be alive."
"Blake, while this is a noble cause, you need to stop. Think about Sun. You get like this or you even just shut down randomly to him. This needs to stop."
"I don't need you or Nathaniel butting into my personal life."
"We're butting in because we care Blake."
"I can figure it out with him. Besides, he's the one who has taken up smoking," she said as they suddenly heard Sun yell, startling them.
"You think maybe it's because of the stress that you put him under?"
"Oh, I put him under stress?" Blake asked accusingly, attacking Yang's line of question.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that Blake. But please just, try to take it easy," Yang said with a smile as she patted Blake's hand causing a sigh from Blake. Right as she was about to say something, Sun and Nathaniel came back in smiling at each other.
"What was with the yelling?" Blake asked. Sun tensed up as Nathaniel wrapped his arm around his friends shoulder.
"I was joking about how United is going to kick the crap out of the Vacuo Rattler's in two weeks time," Nathaniel said with a smile, as Sun smiled back and elbowed him in the gut.
"Like hell. Hey, doesn't Réal Atlas play against Vale United next week?" Sun asked as they both sat down.
"Aye, Weiss and Neptune are accompanying Ruby and I. You'll be joining us, right sweetie?" Nathaniel asked. Yang looked with pleading eyes at Blake, hoping her teammate could save her. Yet Blake smiled, chuckled and replied, "Of course she will Nathaniel," causing Yang to hang her head as Nathaniel got up.
"Ah, perfect. Well, I believe it is time for us to head out. Thanks for having us over guys," Nathaniel said with a smile.
"Hey, anytime," Blake said as Nathaniel went over to the couch and picked up Ruby slowly, shaking his head and mumbling about her sleeping. Yang hugged both of them as they walked out the door and to Nathaniel's car.
"Well, that was fun and interesting," Nathaniel said as they drove through the streets of Vale to their house.
"And depressing," Yang said as she held her husband's hand, "I really didn't think they had problems like that."
"Agreed. Sun told me Blake is looking for some guy…"
"Blake told me the same. She didn't give me a name."
"Adam. That's all Sun knows."
"Well, I hope they can work things out," Yang said, "Oh, did you hear about Pyrrha? She was offered a position to teach at Sanctum," she said as Ruby sat up slowly and sleepily.
"Whut happuned?" she said, rubbing her eyes.
"We had dinner and you were knocked out. I'll make you something at the house, don't worry Ruby," Nathaniel said, looking in the rearview to a smiling Ruby.
"Thanks. Oh, the cookies were delicious by the way. Hey Yang, are you coming with me and Nathaniel to the soccer game next week?" Ruby asked her half-sister, who shook her head. Yang liked sports, but she did not have an interest in soccer. She and Nathaniel were huge ice hockey fans, but she herself had never wanted to learn about soccer.
"Sadly I am," she said with a groan that was met by a punch from her husband and half-sister, causing laughter from all three as they pulled up to the house.
Blake slept soundly in their bed as Sun laid next to her, his back to her and his eyes open. He slowly moved his tail across Blake's leg to gauge how far gone she was. She moved her leg slowly and sighed deeply, the usual sign that Sun could move around slowly. He slowly turned around and scooted closer to Blake, wrapping an arm around her waist slowly, which she responded with a smile tracing across her lips. With his tail, Sun slowly moved to her scroll, which rested on her nightstand and wrapped his tail around it and brought it to himself. He slowly opened it, making sure the light reflected off him and logged on.
He quickly went through her search history and found little bits of information about a mysterious man being sighted. He looked in her email and saw an old friend had emailed her some details, including what appeared to be the man from a security camera.
Adam Taurus… Why are you so curious Blake? Sun thought as he set the scroll back down on her nightstand and turned over. He immediately grabbed his scroll and sent a quick email to Nathaniel, hoping he could provide answers.