This takes places shortly after Vol2.
Baby Come Back
The streets were crowded with people going here and there. Yang Xiao Long was among them and she'd managed to drag Blake with her. Not just anyone would have done, however, and she was quite glad that she'd managed to do so. She needed it to be Blake who was with her.
"I didn't take you for the type to go out shopping," Blake commented. Indeed, that was the reason Yang had given. They'd been at it for a little while already and Yang had a few bags hanging from her arms.
"Hey. Just because I prefer to literally kick people's asses doesn't mean I don't want to look good while doing it. I don't need to wear a dress to look hot! I mean, come on, you know what I mean, right?" Like Yang, Blake didn't tend to wear dresses outside of formal events such as the dance a few weeks ago.
"Uh, sure..."
"I'm just saying I don't need to be a total girly girl to enjoy a shopping trip once in a while!" Yang flipped her hair. Well, it wasn't like she didn't still embrace her feminine side to an extent. Dust save anyone who dared touch her hair.
"So why bring me? You're not even making me carry your bags... and I'm not buying anything."
"Because it's no fun alone? Do I need a special reason to hang out with you? I thought we were friends." Well, Yang certainly had a special reason, but she'd get to that in a bit.
"Right. Sorry. Of course we are. Thanks for taking me," Blake hurriedly changed her tune. "I'm just... it's not something I ever really did in the past."
The past. That was the whole reason Yang was with Blake that day. After everything that had happened, Blake had finally sat them down for a talk. She'd given them one free pass to ask her anything.
They hadn't taken it super seriously. Not out of any lack of respect of course, if anything, it was because they respected her. They'd had no desire to dig up every bit of her past. No, instead they'd tried to pick out the fun bits, however few they could find.
-Three Days Ago-
"So, Blake... were they any burly, sexy, rebellious types you had your eye on? I bet there were a few. I mean, come on! What else were they good for?" OK, she'd probably been pushing her luck with that last line. Blake still believed in some of the White Fang's goals...
Fortunately, Blake seemed to understand that Yang hadn't meant too much by that. Weiss however...
"Yang, please. That's hardly appropriate!" Weiss chastised her.
"No. It's fine. I mean, there were a lot of us. We were a big lot of idealists, so a lot of us were... passionate about things. It wasn't uncommon for romances to flare up at a moments notice. Of course, they went down in flames just as often," Blake explained, shrugging.
"Yeah? Aaaand? You get passionate with anyone."
"Yang! She'd have been even younger back then!" Weiss spoke up again.
"What the hell did you think I was implying Weiss? Damn..." Yang crossed her arms. "I'm talking about a crush, maybe a few sneaky kisses! Chill, Ice Queen." Weiss and Blake both blushed at that. Weiss realizing she'd unintentionally taken things farther than even Yang had meant to.
"I mean... there were a few... err... people I kinda looked at. I wouldn't say I fell for any burly guys, though," Blake mumbled embarrassedly.
"No guys, huh?" Yang bobbed her eyebrows.
"No... nothing ever went anywhere with me. I kept to myself in the end."
-Present-
Well, that's what had happened. And thus Yang had come up with a simple plan. She wanted to try something. Had to, really, for her own sake. She just hoped she wasn't rushing things.
"Hey. How about getting a bite to eat? I know a nice little place that has outdoor seating!" Yang said. With a nod of agreement from Blake, Yang led her there. She got them a table, but didn't sit. "Hey, wait here and order some drinks. I just remembered one more thing I wanna get right away. I'll be back in like five minutes!"
Before Blake could even respond, Yang shoved her bags under their table and sped off. Well, five minutes might have been too optimistic, but she only needed one thing. She was back within moments and saw Blake hunched over their table, not paying much attention to what was going on around her.
Yang shot over and slapped her hand own on Blake shoulder. Not hard enough to hurt, but it definitely scared Blake. Actually, Blake seemed to just about jump out of her skin.
"I'm back!" Yang announced loudly.
"GAH!" Blake jumped up, nearly knocking over her chair and Yang. Something else went flying, and Yang realized Blake had been talking on her scroll. The item went skidding across the ground and Blake immediately darted after it in something resembling a panic.
When she reached it, she hit a button on the display and hastily shoved it into her pocket.
"Whoa! Sorry, Blake! Did I interrupt something?" Yang blinked a few times, processing what she'd just witnessed.
"Huh? Wh- no... nothing important..." Blake said that, but she wouldn't meet Yang's eyes. "Um, did you find what you needed?"
"Yep! Sit, sit!" Yang urged her excitedly, forgetting what had just happened. She trusted Blake, if it was anything truly important, or that Yang needed to know, she knew Blake would have told her so. She couldn't expect, and didn't want, Blake to reveal every little thing about herself and her life.
For now, she had a moment she needed to focus on.
They ordered their food, a waitress coming over upon seeing that both of them were now seated. With that taken care of, Yang was ready to put her plan into action.
"Hey Blake, wanna see something cool?" Yang asked her.
"Sure?" Blake nodded slowly.
"Good!" The tables at the outdoor cafe had tall, thin vases with flowers in them. Yang reached out and pulled the flower out of their vase. "Hey, buddy!" Yang got the attention of one of the other patrons at another table. She twirled the flower deftly so that the stem was aimed at the other table.
The man in question figured out what she wanted just in time, tipping the vase at their table in her direction. Yang threw the flower like a tiny javelin, and it slid home into the other vase. The man gave her an impressed, if somewhat confused, nod.
"Um, nice shot?" Blake didn't seem as impressed. Well, that hadn't been important anyway. She'd just needed to get the vase empty.
"Eh, well, I just wanted to change the scenery a little," Yang told her, reached down beneath the table. She grabbed the small bag she'd brought back with her after she'd run off. Out of it, she pulled out a new flower and put it into their now empty vase. "Ta da!" Yang grinned. Inside, though, she was sweating bullets. Starting then, everything could go wrong.
"Yang... that's a rose..." Blake stared at it blankly.
"It is!" Yang forced herself to keep grinning. "Please, please, please..."
"Yang... wh-what are you doing?" Blake voice didn't sound happy.
"I... uh... w-well..." She probably should have prepared herself for a less than ideal reaction from Blake, but, well... she'd been winging it ever since she pulled out the rose.
"Are you... like this? You've made it a public spectacle! I can't-" Blake shook her head.
"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean it like that! I... I..." She'd just wanted to make it fun, and maybe a little romantic. The flower trick had been a spur of the moment idea. "Please-"
"No, Yang! Stuff like this... no!" Blake was on her feet in a flash and Yang found herself watching her back grow smaller as she strode off into the distance.
"Booo!" Someone at another table called out, probably sympathizing with Yang, but she just wasn't in the mood.
Yang twisted around in her chair to shoot a fiery, red-eyed glare at the offender. "Hey! SHUT UP!"
. . .
Of course, she'd had to pull her little stunt after they'd ordered food. Following her failed attempt to woo Blake she'd had no appetite, so she'd gotten the food boxed up and left.
Thus, Yang could only shuffle, head hung low, dejectedly to the airship dock back to Beacon. The rejection hurt, of course, but even worse was that she feared Blake hated her. It wasn't even like she could avoid the other girl until things cooled off - they shared a room.
"Ugh, this suuuucks," Yang groaned to herself. She reached the terminal and saw that the current airship was already about to depart. "Dammit." It seemed she'd have to wait for the next one.
It was then, only moments later, that she saw Blake's bow bobbing it's way through a small crowd of boarding passengers. Waiting was no longer what Yang intended to do.
Yang tightened her grip on her bags and took off at a run. Even sprinting, it would be close. There was a low, metal fence in her way, but she vaulted it with ease and kept going. The doors were sliding shut and she was just able to slip between them and skid to a halt inside the airship.
She drew a few, startled looks, but that wasn't on her radar of concerns.
"Blake!" Yang called out, causing the girl in question to spin around in surprise.
"Y-Yang?" It looked like Blake had been intending to make the trip back alone, not expecting Yang to catch up with her. Yang rushed over to her, dropping her bags at her feet and grabbing Blake's shoulders.
"I'm so, so sorry! I didn't... I... I shouldn't have done that!"
"Yang..." Blake's expression changed from surprise to frustration, but then quickly softened. "I'm sorry too... I overreacted." Yang sighed in relief and then let go of Blake, as if no longer afraid she'd run off again.
"Um, so..."
"Come on." Blake leaned over and picked up some of Yang's bags, Yang grabbing the rest, and the two found a relatively quiet and isolated pair of seats.
Quiet, especially since the two of them lapsed into silence. But Yang felt she had to explain herself.
"I... only ever meant to just do the rose thing, y'know?" Yang began quietly. "The rest of it, well, I figured they'd get pissed if I just threw their flowers on the ground, so..." She sighed, was this even going to help things at all? "I just... thought I'd play it off all smooth and look cool for you."
"Right. I get it." At least Blake didn't seem mad anymore.
"And... well it was because of that stupid question I asked when you were telling us about yourself..." Yang continued, staring at her feet as she fidgeted. "I sorta figured that... well, I guess you can figure out what I assumed. For all I know I was just jumping to conclusions..." She let that thought trail off. She wasn't sure she wanted Blake to answer her this time - but she did.
"You..." Blake took a breath, looking away for a moment. The wait was killing her.
"Dammit, Blake! Just say whatever you're gonna say!"
"Yeah, you did... sorry."
"I take it back..." If that was Blake answer, she wished she'd just stayed quiet. But then, what would that have gotten her? Neither her answer nor her silence got her what she wanted. Not knowing was torture, but knowing right away... hurt.
She'd been so certain, too. Actually, no, she hadn't been certain at all. She'd just convinced herself she was because it was what she'd wanted. "I'm so stupid, I'm so stupid, STUPID!" She felt a twinge of pain and realized she'd been gripping her knees far too tightly. She tried to let go, but then stopped. At least this way no one could see how bad her hands were shaking. "No, Yang, no! Do not cry!"
"Oh... heh..." Yang swallowed hard, trying to keep something resembling a straight face. She had to laugh, it was her only hope. And so she did, but it only made Blake give her a concerned, sympathetic look. It didn't matter how transparent she was, as long as she didn't actually break down on the outside. "Hahaha! Uuuuugh!" Yang dug her hands deep into her hair. That's how far gone she was – even her hair wasn't safe. "I'm so dumb!"
"No, Yang... you shouldn't feel bad," Blake told her, "I'm... flattered that someone like you would even be interested in me."
"Yeah? Well, I guess I am pretty awesome." Yang let out one last chuckle and finally her hands were able to relax. She then suddenly leaned heavily against Blake, throwing an arm around the girl's shoulders. "Being so awesome, I can't just stay like this, right? So, instead of being my girlfriend, you can just be my wingman once I'm ready!"
"Wh- O-oh... sure... I guess." Blake squirmed under Yang's arm. If Blake wasn't a fan of the idea, she really didn't have to worry. Ready? Yang wouldn't be "ready" any time soon. In fact...
"Yeah... nope... we're done..." She was losing it. The mask, the tough front she'd wanted to put up, was crumbling away faster than she could raise it. She slid off of Blake and doubled over, face coming to a rest in her palms. "I can't believe I did that... forget me, you must have been so embarrassed! You had to reject me in public after I made a scene..."
"Don't beat yourself up, Yang... please. It's over now. You don't have to worry about that."
"So... you don't hate me, right?" Yang peeked out from her hands.
"Of course not. You didn't do anything wrong. It was just... misplaced."
Misplaced, over; all these words that fit but didn't quite describe what she was going through. At least Blake seemed to forgive her, but would things be able to go back to the way they were?
. . .
"I can't believe the festival got delayed! It was gonna be this weekend, but now it's not for another two weeks!" Ruby whined as their team walked out of combat class.
"Really? The White Fang slammed a train through a tunnel wall, smashing a giant hole in the streets and flooding the city with grimm... and you're surprised they're delaying things to improve security?" Weiss crossed her arms and gave Ruby only the most incredulous of looks.
"Oh, well, when you put it that way..." Ruby mumbled awkwardly and shuffled onward.
"It's a little disappointing, but Weiss is r-" Blake was about to comment when her scroll began ringing and vibrating. "Ugh... who...?" She dug the device out of her pocket and turned on the display. Her eyes immediately shot wide and she took a step away from them. "I... uhh... I... I have to take this!" She then darted away around a corner and out of sight.
"Huh..." Yang pursed her lips. She really should have let Blake have her privacy... but for some reason she went against that. She slowed down and let Ruby and Weiss pull ahead before spinning on her heel to head in the direction Blake had gone.
It didn't take long for her to hear Blake voice. Yang found a convenient corner to hide behind and began her eavesdropping.
"What?" A pause as whoever was on the other end spoke. "Why are you-" Blake didn't sound happy, whatever it was. "How did you even get this number?" And that was just outright concerning. "Fine... OK... No, this isn't a good time! Yes, soon... just... OK..."
Blake pulled the scroll away from her ear and let her arm drop to her side, as if the scroll was a heavy stone that she couldn't heft any longer. She glanced down at it dejectedly and sighed before shoving it into her pocket.
"So!" Yang popped around the corner, revealing herself. "Do I need to beat anyone up for you?"
"Y-Yang?" Blake spun around and stumbled back a few steps. There was a look of fear, bordering on panic, in her eyes; eyes that had gone wide with pupils shrunk to pinpoints. "Wh-what are you...?" But then she bared her teeth, fear becoming anger. "Were you spying on me?"
"What? No! I... just... I figured I'd wait up for you and happened to overhear a little. I mean, I wasn't listening, but you just didn't sound happy." Yang wasn't entirely lying, she had learned little to nothing from her eavesdropping, but a lie was a lie and she couldn't meet Blake's eyes and was left rubbing the back of her neck nervously.
"Yang..." Blake sighed and hung her head, shaking it. "I'm... fine, Yang. Don't worry about it." The girl then walked past Yang without a second glance. She hadn't been yelled at, but she hadn't had to be. Yang knew she'd messed up. Again. Blake was mad at her, whether she wanted to express it or not.
. . .
Blake was back in the city of Vale, but alone this time. She was pretty sure Yang was embarrassed and ashamed enough to not have followed her this time. Thinking about it, she bit her lip. She wished that wasn't the case and she felt bad, but it worked out well. She didn't want Yang, or anyone, following her that day.
Not only was she back in the city, but she was back at the cafe. It was the first place she'd thought of. She needed someplace safe and public.
The reason for that soon presented himself. A man with bright red hair wearing a pair of sunglasses soon sat across from her at the table she'd selected.
"You look good in those sunglasses... Adam." Actually they were a bit ridiculous, but what else could she say in that situation? Good to see you? It wasn't – not like that.
"My mask would have stood out a little too much," Adam replied, "don't you think?"
"And those don't?" He frowned at her response.
"Perhaps, but we aren't here to discuss fashion." It seemed they wouldn't be continuing what had at least resembled a pleasant chat. "We're here to talk about you. You've been causing trouble. You're playing a tiresome game, Blake. When are you going to stop and come back?"
"When are you going to start flying our old banner?" Blake countered. It would take at least that to even get her thinking about it.
"When we think it'll get us results. But here's the problem Blake, I don't think it ever will. None of us do. You wasted your breath just as much as the rest of us trying to make the old ways work. You know why we changed, and for a while you were with us. You can't lie to me and say you don't understand."
"I know. You're right." Blake turned her eyes downward. She knew that the White Fang had accomplished much more after they'd started flying their angry, red symbol. "What I understand just as much is that it wasn't worth it, not for me. It wasn't what I wanted." Sometimes more wasn't enough. Just any kind of result didn't make her happy.
"Blake..." Adam tilted his head forward so she could peer over the top of his sunglasses and see the stern look he was giving her. "I think you know what your choices are at this point."
Of course. She could either go back, or go back to Beacon and become their enemy. She'd left a while ago, but it seemed they'd been willing to leave her alone. However, then the White Fang had escalated things even further and she'd been unable to ignore them. Now they wouldn't ignore her either.
She knew them too well and she'd become and obstacle.
She was surprised she even had options. Maybe Adam was feeling sentimental. It didn't matter though, she'd already taken a side. She wasn't going to change her mind just because the option was put in front of her.
"Adam, I..." I'm sorry? She wasn't, though. She'd had, and still had, a very good reason for doing what she did. "I can't go back."
"Very well." Adam reclined in his chair and turned his head to look out toward the street. Blake felt nervous and followed his gaze. Her heart began racing.
"Y-Yang-"
"Don't." Adam's head snapped around to glare at her. Indeed, though, across the street stood Yang. At a glance, everything seemed fine. She simply stood there, unharmed and not threatened, though perhaps she looked a little confused. But it couldn't be that simple. "If you call out to her, if she sees me, then she doesn't get to walk away."
"Wh-what did you do?" Blake tore her eyes away from her teammate who had no idea what kind of danger she was in.
"I lied. Well, I misled you. Let me tell you what your options were. Live or die. Either way, you're leaving this place with me unless you want to watch your friend get shot in the head." Adam once again turned his attention in Yang's direction. "Don't you remember what we are now? It was easy enough to fake one phone call from a classmate to lure her out. This is what we do now. So, Blake, what are you going to do?"
"Leave them alone... my teammates..." Blake whispered, trembling. "W-without me, they can't do anything, not to you. They won't know where to begin... so... j-just forget about them." She couldn't get a guarantee, not that she'd believe, and no matter what there was scarce little she could do to protect them, but she had to try.
"Deal. As long as our paths never cross, they won't be harmed." She wanted to believe him. But it didn't matter. Either she trusted him and Yang at least walked away this time, or she didn't... and she didn't want to think about that outcome. "So then, let's go."
Blake nodded. She wished she could have said goodbye, but then again, maybe it was better to disappear quietly. Maybe they'd never know what became of her and they'd just gently forget about her.
All she had left were those bitter hopes.
. . .
Adam led her deep into the trees of a forest at the edge of the city. Walk far enough and you'd still hit the walls, but it was a place where one could pretend to be out in the wilderness, just minus the hordes of bloodthirsty grimm.
No one could see or even hear them. It was certainly a good place to disappear.
Adam pulled off his sunglasses and replaced them with his mask, pulling it out of his coat.
"So, you've come this far with me. But you aren't coming back?" Adam asked her. She shook her head somberly, staring at the ground. A faint click got her attention and she looked up. Adam's weapon was in her face. She'd known this would likely happen, but even so it shocked her.
She didn't want this.
Her heart raced and her palms grew slick. "Please, no." She wanted to beg. She'd found a place to be that she wanted to go back to. But it would be useless. Couldn't she at least keep her dignity?
But what was dignity worth? With or without it, Adam, her murderer, would be the only witness. Would it be better to try?
But it would be useless...
"Just... like this?" Blake whispered shakily, gulping and biting back tears.
"Yes. There's no changing your mind now. It wouldn't mean anything." He sighed. "That you even saw it coming is a courtesy I've given because it's you... Then again, even if you knew it would happen, that may have been cruel. I apologize." She saw his finger tighten on the trigger. She shut her eyes.
She heard the shot go off and flinched. That made no sense. Would she have had time to hear it? No. And she'd certainly never have had time to react.
Her eyes snapped open and she saw Adam tumbling across the ground. And then...
"Dammit, Blake! What is this?" It was Yang, eyes red with fury and fists raised ready to give someone a beating. She'd never looked so beautiful before.
"I-I-"
"You have your weapon with you?" Yang demanded before Blake could even think of half a response.
"No..."
"Of course," Yang muttered under her breath. "Then stay back! I got this!"
"Yang! He's dangerous!" Yang said nothing in response but simply gave her an incredulous look. Yang may have been about to fight him, but Blake had followed him, alone, into the woods without a weapon. She'd deserved that look...
Yang stared at her opponent. She was not in the best state to be fighting. She had the anger, yes, but that was just one emotion among many that were currently creating a swirling maelstrom in her head.
Anger, worry, frustration, disbelief, betrayal, and even relief. There were probably more, but eventually it became hard to give what she felt a name. Honestly, relief was the worst one.
Relief killed all her tension. Relief made her go slack. Relief didn't pump her up and get her ready to fight.
And yet, she was happy to feel it. After all, what was the alternative? She'd seen the gun leveled at Blake's head and seen the man's finger on the trigger, ready to pull it. She was certain he would have done it, but she'd stopped him.
The alternative would have been being too late.
A fortunate but worrying realization hit her next. She still had to fight, which meant she hadn't saved Blake yet. She'd kept her alive, yes, thankfully, but her attacker was still there.
The tension came back.
She had to protect Blake.
It seemed like her opponent had noticed. Perhaps it was the look in her eye, or perhaps it was how she'd clenched her fists. All that mattered was that he flew at her. It startled her a little - she'd expected him to shoot at her. But no, he had a sword as well. A bright, red sword that he thrust right at her neck.
She didn't retreat, she simply leaned around it. She had to get in close, past the blade, if she wanted to do any damage. He must have known, or at least had been ready. The gun he held in his other hand was leveled at her stomach.
Her fist shot down, knocking the barrel away as it went off. The bullet buried itself in the ground a half-inch from her right foot. Too close, she needed to be more careful. She needed to figure out how he fought.
With her left, she made a quick, short-ranged jab at his face, having maintained her short distance, but he pulled back and spun away. Within that motion, he sheathed his sword, placing it inside the gun which had changed its shape.
"Is he giving up? Running away? Coward!" She grit her teeth and had to restrain herself. "No, let him run if he wants... I only care about Blake..."
But he didn't run. He rushed at her once more, sword still sheathed, but hand on its hilt.
"He's probably gonna try to catch me off guard. If I just get in close again, he won't have room to draw it at all!" She knew she'd have to be fast, very fast. If his reflexes were good enough, he'd still draw the blade the second she put herself in range. But if she could stop him from drawing it, she'd have a huge advantage. She might even win immediately.
She should have known better.
She got in close, closer than she could have hoped. She thought she had him – there was no way he could draw his sword, she could stop his arms. He let go of the hilt, leaned his head back, and then pulled the sheath's trigger. The blade launched out, the hilt slamming into her stomach.
The punch she'd had aimed at his face went wild as she doubled over. She tried to steady herself and throw an uppercut with her other hand, but he leaned back in and slammed his forehead against hers. She stumbled back, and it was just far enough.
He secured his weapon back in its sheath and once more pulled the trigger. The speed and power with which he drew the blade nearly allowed it to cut clean through her aura. The blade slashed across her middle and threw her back into a tree.
This time – this time for sure, she thought. She'd hit him when he got too close, if only she could dodge the blade. The bright red metal made it easy to keep track of, she was fixated upon it, waiting to see where he'd swing.
He got close, and she was ready, but only for the blade. She had enough time to realize her mistake, but not enough time to fix it. He changed his stance at the last second and raised his leg, kicking her in the face and slamming her head back against the tree behind her.
This time the blade would be coming. She threw herself to the side, getting herself out of the corner she'd been backed into. At the same time though, she felt a sharp, burning pain. She fell to a knee and clutched at her side, and felt something warm flowing through her fingers.
Between the pain and that sensation, it was horrifyingly clear what had happened.
"I'm bleeding... ow... ow.. ow... OW!" The pain was only getting worse as her body reacted to the wound she'd received. "I-is my aura that low? Is it gone?" She hadn't been able to keep track of it during the fight, but if she'd been cut that badly... "What do I do? What do I do?" It was really dangerous now – fighting someone that strong without her aura was suicide. "No aura... um... retreat? Disengage, right? That's what they taught us... against grimm. This guy won't let us go, and he has a gun..."
It was as if on cue. She got up in time to see him aiming at her. She raised hers arms just in time, deflecting one, then two, and then a third shot off of her gauntlets. She'd had to lift her gauntlet up in front of her face to block the last shot.
She lowered it to see that he was practically already on top of her.
She blocked the first slash, and then the second. She was off balance, but she saw an opportunity. There was a chance he didn't know exactly how her weapons worked. At the very least, she might be able to catch him off guard.
She blocked his next slash up high, leaving his torso open wide. It also left her wide open, but she only needed a second. She made as if to jab him in the gut with her right, and he moved to block, but instead she fired a round from her gauntlet.
Her fist didn't need to hit. An explosive flare shot from her weapon and crashed into him. He stumbled back, and she hopped away, creating more distance. She then let loose, firing round-after-explosive-round at him until he was obscured by fire and smoke.
Had she gotten him? At least injured him, perhaps?
He flew out of the smoke, sword aimed to stab right into her heart. She didn't have time to react properly. It was too sudden, she was too tired. She'd so badly wanted it to be over.
She twisted away, throwing her arms up. She saw the point of the blade careening toward her right gauntlet. As the thought that perhaps she'd get lucky and block the strike passed through her mind, so too did the blade stab right through her gauntlet, and her wrist behind it.
Yang watched in horror as the bloodied blade burst out of the back of her wrist. She cried out when pain greater than anything she'd felt hit her and radiated up her arm. Too much pain, more than she could fully comprehend in that moment. It had to go somewhere.
It quickly became rage. Her opponent seemed ready to shove the blade deeper, through her wrist and into her chest behind it. She turned and pulled, moving her torso out of harm's way and keeping the blade, trapped inside her arm, pointed away from her.
She wouldn't die here, not yet. Her anger burned hot and the abuse she'd absorbed fueled her further. She pulled with her arm, drawing him ever so slightly closer and then turned her body sideways and kicked.
Her boot collided with his rib cage in a monstrous impact that tore the blade free of her arm and sent the man crashing to the ground to tumble away in a heap.
It had taken far more than she'd have ever wished to give, but she'd finally gotten him.
Her moment of triumph was short-lived when she heard a troubling fizzling noise coming from her punctured gauntlet. Smoke was pouring out of the holes. Her eyes widened and she quickly tore it from her wrist and tossed it away. Soon it began to bounce around as the ruptured shells inside went off like firecrackers until the entire weapon burst into pieces. Had she been any later, it might have taken her hand with it.
"This is bad..." She knew she hadn't won yet. Someone as strong as her opponent was certainly trained to use aura and other Huntsman techniques. There she was, injured, bleeding, and now down one weapon.
"YANG!" Blake suddenly called out. Her head snapped up and she saw that her enemy was back on his feet, weapon leveled at her. She threw her left arm up just in time to intercept the bullet, but she'd never be fast enough to block another.
Click.
Both Yang and her opponent took a moment to stare at his weapon. He'd run out of bullets.
"Oh... oh dammit... my heart..." She'd been certain that had been it. Rather than a stress induced heart-attack, she'd expected a bullet induced death. "Well... it might not be too late for that..." Or something similar, at least. She hadn't exactly been winning so far.
He began walking steadily toward her. She stepped back and fired a shot, but he swiped it out of the air, bursting the projectile harmlessly. Again and again this repeated until he was maybe fifteen feet away and he charged.
She raised an arm to block, but her arm was batted away and the hilt of his sword slammed into her jaw. She spun around and fell face-first to the ground. She turned her head and out of the corner of her eye she could see him walking around, preparing to stab down with his blade and end it.
She couldn't let it end yet. "My body... can still move..." She didn't want to die. "Remember... why we're fighting!"
"YANG! NO!" It was Blake, screaming from where she'd been left sidelined.
"I have to protect her!" Yang clenched her left fist and slammed it into the ground with all her strength. The explosive force generated spun her, causing the blade to miss its deadly blow and only graze her jacket, while her own foot whipped around and slammed into her opponent's hip.
He lost his balance, knees buckling as he fought to steady himself. Yang's legs shot up, wrapping around him while he was still wobbling and pulled him down to her. Down where she could reach him.
With what strength she could muster with it, she grabbed his head with her injured, right hand, holding him still. And then, literally burning with fury, she gave him all she had. Again and again, her left fist careened into his face. She hit him until her weapon ran dry. She hit him until her knuckles ached.
With one last blow, she released the pent up energy gathered by her semblance. But not all of it.
He was thrown back up, so that he was almost standing again. She then tucked in her knees, aimed her feet, and kicked him in the chest with both. This time, it wasn't just all she had, it was all he'd unwittingly given her throughout the fight. This time, it was absolutely everything.
He was sent airborne, on a ballistic arc through the low-hanging branches of the forest. Leaves and branches rained down, and soon so did he, landing crumpled on the forest floor.
The red faded from her eyes, and the burning glow from her hair. She was utterly spent. "Please... don't get back up..." She could only lie there, spread-eagled and eyes drooping, and hope for the best.
"Yang!" With the danger seemingly over, the next thing Yang knew was that Blake was by her side, down on her knees, and looking to be in a total tizzy. She looked this way and that, looking Yang over. Yang was sure it wasn't a pretty sight. "No, no, no!"
"What? What are you no-ing about? I'm still breathing!" Yang croaked weakly, trying to sit up.
"Stay still!" With both hands, Blake pushed Yang back down and held her by her shoulders until Yang obeyed. "You're bleeding a lot!"
"Oh..." Yang let her head fall back. "That's... probably why I'm so dizzy right now..."
"I'll stop it, so just keep still!" Blake demanded and then stripped off the black sleeve of fabric she usually wore on her left arm. She then tightly wrapped it around Yang's bleeding wrist. Yang did her best not to cry... not that she felt anyone would blame her at that point. "We need to get you-"
Before she could finish her sentence, Blake went rigid. Her bow twitched as the ears hidden beneath them moved. Something had her attention.
Soon wishing she hadn't, Yang lifted her head up to see the worst possible thing. The guy was up again. He staggered toward them, reloading his gun as he went.
"Just... run..." Yang said. "At the very least you have to make it..." What was the point of it all if Blake didn't live?
"Adam! Stop!" Blake shouted, but the man didn't even give her a glance. He was unsteady on his feet and his mask was shattered, only half of it still somehow clinging to his face. Where the other half had been, blood now ran down the side of his face.
Once he was close, Adam lifted his gun up to aim at Yang. Yang wasn't surprised; she was weak, couldn't move, and had no aura left to protect her. She was an easy target.
Blake, instead of running, leapt to her feet and lunged at Adam. She tackled his arm, pushing the gun aside and clinging to him with all her strength. He couldn't pry her off. Then he groaned loudly as Blake bit down on his gun hand, trying to disarm him.
Blake wasn't tired, and she had her aura still. With Adam weak, maybe she could win even without her weapon. Maybe if she just managed to take his...
But the bite seemed to spur Adam to greater violence. He grit his teeth and slammed the hilt of his sword down on Blake's head. He then shoved her off and backhanded her off of her feet. He pointed his sword at her throat to keep her from immediately getting back up.
Yang was certain Blake could have kept fighting. She was certain she could have gotten away from Adam's sword. Blake honestly had a fighting chance.
None of it would have been fast enough. Adam was already aiming his gun at Yang again. He only needed a second.
A gunshot went off, but it wasn't Adam. Sparks flew as what must have been a bullet slammed into Adam's gun and threw his aim off, his own shot flying off harmlessly. He turned his attention in the direction the shot had come from in time to be nearly bowled over by a familiar red blur.
It was her sister.
Adam skidded back, weapons now held up defensively, no longer seeking to find a chance to execute any of his victims.
"Yang, are you OK?" Ruby turned her head to check on her sister. The second she did, Adam aimed a shot directly at her head. It was debatable how much damage it would have done, assuming Ruby's aura protected her the way it should have, but it didn't matter. The bullet hit a wall of ice that hadn't been there a second ago.
Weiss also stumbled onto the scene, looking a bit more winded than Ruby.
"Gah! Weiss! Why?" Ruby darted around the ice wall, but Adam had already bolted out of sight into the forest. "He got away!"
"You almost got shot in the head!" Weiss argued angrily.
"I would have been fine!" Ruby shouted back. "Probably..."
"Forget it! Let him go, he's dangerous even if he's already injured!" Blake interrupted their fight. "We have other things to worry about!"
"Yeah! And what took you so long?" Yang found the energy to sit up and complain. Oh, they'd made it just in time, but she felt she had at least one injury for every minute it had taken them to arrive.
"Hey!" Weiss rounded on her. "We were all the way back at Beacon! Be glad we made it in time to keep you alive! I had to convince-"
"Threaten," Ruby corrected.
"CONVINCE a gunship pilot to take us into the city!" Weiss countered.
"Yeah, well... wait, what? Seriously?"
"You said Blake was in serious trouble! I went into emergency mode! Be glad I went all out!" Weiss puffed, crossing her arms.
"A-are you gonna be OK, Yang?" With Adam gone, Ruby now looked quite shaken, having had a chance to take in the sight of Yang's condition.
"I'll be fine... eventually..." Yang averted her eyes. It might just take her a few weeks to get there.
"Yang..." Blake made her way back to Yang's side, sinking to her knees. Her eyes now glistened with tears. "I..." "I can't believe you did that! What were you thinking?" That was what Blake thought, it was what she wanted to say. Something else won out. "You... saved me..."
"Heh. Of course I did! Back in town I saw you walking away with him at the last second, and then when I called Pyrrha and she had no idea what I was talking about, I figured the phone call had been faked. The last hint that something was wrong was when I caught some jackass who thought it would be cute to point a rifle at my head. I'd have gotten to you sooner but I had to beat him up first... It's been a busy morning." Blake almost laughed as Yang explained what had happened. Apparently she'd found Adam's sniper on top of everything else. She was truly amazing to have pulled off what she had.
"It's OK... You still made it," Blake whispered. Almost unconsciously, Blake lifted her hands to cradle Yang's face. "Thank you." It was impossible to stop her tears falling now.
"Uh... y-yeah." Yang gulped. "Any time. Just... please never again. That really hurt..."
"I'm sorry..." Blake sniffled. "I-I was scared. I-I-" She'd known Adam too well. Known what he was capable of – what he'd done. Even if she'd had her weapon, she wondered if she'd have been able to make herself move. And now Yang was in such a terrible state. She felt so guilty and pathetic...
But never again. Not even Adam would paralyze her like that, not if it meant watching someone she cared about get hurt. No, she was ready to be done being so afraid. She pressed her forehead against Yang's.
"Um, Blake? Y-you're kinda makin' things difficult for me here..." Yang's face was red with a blush.
"I know..." Blake pulled away, but left her hands holding Yang's cheeks. "I... I lied before. When Adam called me I panicked. I... I didn't want you involved with him. It was too much for me. I didn't have time to think, so I just... I pushed you away as fast as I could."
"Oh... well... bad girl! Don't do that!" Yang scolded her awkwardly. "Err, wait, what did you lie about exactly?"
"Um..." Blake blushed as well now. "Y-you were right. You, uh, jumped to the right conclusion."
"Oh." Yang's eyes went wide as she realized the full extent of what Blake meant. "Oh... Ohhhhh..." Blake just smiled and once more touched her forehead to Yang's.
This time Yang was able to relax. She shut her eyes and let her weight lean forward against Blake, shutting her eyes and just taking in Blake's presence. She was so tired, but with Blake there, with her, she didn't dare let a moment slip by.
And then they took Yang to the hospital and tried to make Blake dress up as a nurse and various other cliché hijinks. Blake said no.
Bonus:
It took Ruby and Blake working together to carry Yang out of the forest. It was slow going, but Weiss was on her scroll working to get them an ambulance once they got back to the streets.
"So... Sis, you know what this means?" Yang was grinning despite her pain.
"Um, you and Blake-"
"Your big sister is getting laid tonight!" Yang winked.
"Yang!" "Sis!" "No..." Were the various responses to her ridiculous claim.
"Awww! What?" Yang pouted stared at Blake.
"Forgetting everything else wrong with that, you're bleeding everywhere. It's a bad idea..." Blake told her.
"Well, I guess... but I saved the damsel in distress, right?"
"I suppose."
"And then she fell madly in love with me?"
"You're not... wrong, I guess."
"So this is when the damsel and the hero make love madly!" Yang shouted.
"No."
"Sis, quit it!" Ruby whined.
"Hey! If the hero doesn't get lovin' the hero gets jokes!" Yang grumbled
Blake sighed. "You're right." Before Yang could speak, Blake looked at Ruby. "Ruby, are there any jokes you want to tell?"
"Oh come on!"
"Yeah!" Ruby snickered. "Why did Yang cross the road?"
"Sis..."
"To get burned!"
"Oh that's it! When we get back I'm calling dad and you're getting disowned!"
Zing!
Til' Next Time!