Homecoming pt 2
Ruby awoke in a cold sweat, in a dark room, in an unfamiliar bed. She fought off the immediate panic this situation caused and let her eyes adjust to her surroundings. Distant light from outside managed to penetrate the drawn curtains over the window. A few feet away, Nora slept soundly, her fist gently beating the few feathers left in a pulverized pillow. The young Huntress's panic subsided completely in finding she wasn't alone. On a table between the two beds, a recently doused candle gave the room a slightly acrid smell, although the candle wax was scented with lavender. In the dim light, Ruby found the room lacked anything else of interest beyond the wardrobe in the corner, Crescent Rose leaning against the antique furniture, too far away to be useful but thankfully in sight.
Lying back against her pillow, it occurred to her, that she had no recollection of how she had gotten into this room. It was nicer than many of the inns the team had stayed in recently, if not slightly outdated, considering there was a candle at the bedside instead of a more practical lamp. A tingle in her right leg caused Ruby to peak, a pointless effort in near darkness. The girl attempted the kick the bedding away but a sharp pain ran through the afflicted leg as soon as she tried to move. Using her left to do most of the work, the teen managed to reveal her pajamas, with the right pant leg completely cut off at the thigh and a bandaged wrapped pretty tight from knee to ankle. She didn't remember getting hurt recently. "What the…" she whispered as even a ginger touch to the wrapping sent needles of pains.
Pain be damned, curiosity got the better of her and Ruby slowly shifted her body upward into a upright position. Biting her lip all the while, she leveraged the wrapped limb for easy access and began undoing the many layers. As more and more gauze was undone, the young Huntress noticed a distinct absence of blood for the pain she was experiencing, but kept at it until at last, her leg was exposed. In the dark, nothing appeared out of the ordinary, although Ruby couldn't help but feel like something was wrong. Beyond the incessant pain in her leg, the tiny hairs on the back of her neck were starting to stand as she wondered what was wrong. Turning to light the candle, the girl took a deep, calming breathing, thinking she was merely freaking herself. As she finally examined her 'wound', she saw, she had damn good reason to freak out.
Qrow had never been so glad to see bubbles in his life. His flight across the wracked land of Mistral had been hard and tiring, covering more miles in that night than he had with the children over the last couple of days. Landing on a rooftop of what could've been or used to be a church, if the crucifix jutting into the night was any indication, Qrow waited for the stream of bubbles to settle. The iridescent orbs danced around him for a second before converging into one large ball. "Any word from him yet", the Hunter said without introduction as soon as his colleague's face appeared.
Glynda glowered, a gesture far less intimidating when her face was highlighted by a moonlight rainbow, but she conceded "No, nothing, yet. In due time…"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah" Qrow cut in. He had no time for platitudes and empty promises. "Anything useful to report? "
The woman sighed in her bubble, the texture wavering slightly as though she was there. She eyed Qrow, hoping he was just acerbic but sober. "The tower has been restored, so communications will be resumed shortly. In the meantime, smaller towers are being erected to prevent the entire system from collapsing again." Qrow nodded, turning away from Glynda's imploring gaze. "You said there was an urgent matter to discuss…"
Wishing the woman was there in person, but glad she wasn't for both their sakes, Qrow spun on the bubble, eyes wild with indiscernible emotion. In his hand, his scroll snapped open revealing a collage of pictures. Glynda sucked in a deep breath, unprepared to see what she was looking at. "Can you help with this… this?" Swiping the picture away to show an actual video, Qrow watched in sick, smug satisfaction as his collague attempted to avert her eyes. "Didn't think so. Since I'm sure the CTT will be up and running before we hear from him again, have your boyfriend give me a holler."
Taking an offense to both the insinuation and the Hunter's tone, Glynda sniffed in indignation and adjusted her glasses, "There is no reason to be that way. Ozpin is only temporarily incapacitated."
"The damn coward's in hiding, is what he is!" Qrow snapped, his voice echoing across the empty countryside. "He got his ass-kicked and he took off! The goings got tough and the tough got going, some fearless fucking leader!"
Quivering, the bubble swung around the disgruntled Hunter, keeping him in full view of its mistress. Glynda, never one to lose her composure, was fighting to keep her own emotions as bay, "You will not talk about him like that. He did the best he could and we just have to trust him, like we have always done."
Qrow's laughter was humorless, his eyes cold "Sorry sister, I don't have your blind faith". He paused, shaking his head, remembering the night everything went to hell. "I was there, Glynda. Yeah, he put up a good fight, but in the end, he lost." Another mirthless laugh escaped the man. Looking out into the bleak night, the Huntsman's eyes focused on a group of black and white shapes in the distance. He could do with blowing off a little steam before heading back to the inn, and a small group of five would just have to do. "Should be getting back before the kids wake up, I'll be in touch." Without waiting for the Huntress's response, the man used a finger to pop the bubble, leaving himself alone in the night. Drawing his weapon, Qrow shifted it into its sword form and headed off for a little fun.
With every step she took, Blake regretted her decision to return to the White Fang's Vale compound. If she was uncomfortable with their methods before, she outright hated what the group had become since the attack on Beacon. But still… it was home, at least now that the academy was out of commission. On either side, she recognized the Faunus walking her to Adam's private chambers, but neither of the three spoke. She was sure they considered her a traitor or at the very least some sort of deserter, but she didn't care about what they thought, she was here to deal with the boss.
"Kitten, I didn't think I would be seeing you so soon", Adam greeted as Blake was let into his office. The cat Faunus noticed her former partner had upgraded his living conditions since she left. Apparently being a terrorist slimeball paid well. It was rare for the Bull to walk around with his face exposed, but he saw Blake as no threat on any level and both knew it.
Blake wrapped her arms around herself, tense and nervous to be alone with this man she barely knew anymore. "Don't call me that", she muttered weakly, unable to fully look at him. Adam laughed a cold harsh sound. She flinched when he reached out to touch her face. "Don't".
Adam moved fully around his desk, closing the space between him and the young Huntress till there was but a hairsbreadth between them. Towering over the feline, the bull Faunus simply looked upon her, trying to pin down his own emotional decision. He had been angry before, downright vicious the last time the two crossed paths, and although he didn't regret what he had done to the human girl, he knew it had further damaged his reputation with Blake. "Kit… Blake… I'm glad you came." He refused to apologize, but he could admit he had missed having her close.
To her credit, Blake didn't withdraw when Adam reached for her hair, although every inch of her being was screaming for her to retreat. But running had always been her problem and for once she wasn't going to run. "Why did you ask me here; how did you know where to look for me?" She could smell hints of the bourbon he liked to drink, cloves and him and general. As the hand crept from the ends of her hair to her cheek, Blake rebuffed to touch, "Stop it."
"I know you", he whispered, causing her to take a step back. He could see it in her body language, she had been waiting for such an opening. The man's expression hardened. He wasn't angry, annoyed she was being so… stubborn, but not angry. She was home now, so time was on his side. "I need you". Golden eyes stretched wide at the three words, having caught the young woman off guard. She collected herself quickly though, rejecting them with a shake of her head and a scoff, such a foul sound. "Ok, that was bad", Adam admitted, his smiles mischievous, his eyes wicked, "I have a job coming up and I thought it would interest you. You have grown fairly fond of humans lately haven't you; especially the three you know consider teammates."
Blake's brow furrowed in confusion, ever curious, she couldn't help but wonder where he was going. As far as she knew, the other girls had returned to their respective home, Weiss settled back into the life of an heiress and debutante in Atlas and Ruby and Yang back on Patch. Thoughts of Yang flashed in the dark-haired girl's mind. Vibrant, tough, fiery, happy clashing with the broken, bloodied, defeated, armless! "There isn't anything you could possibly offer me to be in my interests." Adam's dark eyes locked with hers, but Blake held her ground, tilting her chin upward. "Nothing."
Shifting the papers on his desk, Adam chuckled softly to himself. "I wouldn't say that." Apparently finding what he was looking for, he turned and leaned against the edge. Paraphrasing the message to his needs, he revealed, "My latest employer would like me to retrieve Little Red, alive yes, but not necessarily in one piece." Blake gasped at the implication but didn't interrupt. "I have two days to bring her to the designated location and naturally will be paid handsomely for my efforts."
Her mind racing, the Cat had to focus on which question to ask first, "Why Ruby?" That was the easiest part to decipher, but after his treatment of Yang, Blake couldn't hope he would treat her younger sister any better. "And since when are you a mercenary?"
"Humans are simple creatures, they throw around what money they have, thinking it guarantees whatever they want. Why not use this stupidity against them. I do a job for them, they pay me, then" he paused to slam his fist into his palm "I use their money to fund the cause." Looking deep into her amber eyes, the White Fang leader added, "our cause." Blake merely glowered but broke the stare to weigh her options. "More to the point, I figured, with you there, you're friend will be far more agreeable to accompanying me."
Amiable as his tone was, Blake could feel the underlying threat, if he wanted Ruby's compliance, there was little she could do to resist him and he already made it clear, her life was the only thing that mattered, not necessarily her well being. If Blake's presence could prevent another one of her friends from being hurt, she was willing to join Adam again, just this once. "Where are you taking her?"
The bull Faunus shrugged, "I won't know till she's in hand. Although the human communication system is damaged, this employer has means of contact outside that. Once it has been confirmed the target is in hand, we'll know our next move." Back around his desk, Adam had been reapplying his gear. Mask in hand, he focused his attention on the young woman, "It is 'we' isn't it?" After a deep breath, the former Huntress-student squared her shoulders and nodded. Not breaking eye contact until were obscured by the Grimm-like mask, the White Fang leader gave one final admonishment. "I have already claimed an arm; the cost of another betrayal will not be so cheap."
Watching Zwei zipping around the fenced enclosure, Yang was starting feel some sense of normalcy again. It had been strange going without seeing her sister for so long, but it hadn't been the first time the two had been separate for long periods of time. Being two years apart, Yang had left for Beacon long before Ruby had become eligible, the younger Huntress-in-training still living at home with their father and being tutored by Uncle Qrow. Yang tried to keep her thought from focusing on Beacon too much. Sure, the first two and a half years had been fine… this late year, had definitely gone to shit.
In his pin, Zwei stopped his feverish exercising, ears pricking up. Sniffing the air, he looked to Yang than passed her, alerting the blonde to a new-comers arrival. Behind her, Yang heard footsteps but didn't bother turning. Making a point to ignore him, Taiyang poked his head out onto the porch and waited. "Yang", he called out, watching as his eldest pretended she deeply absorbed in learning to write with her left hand. "Someone is here to see you." She tensed visibly but still didn't look at him. She didn't expect or want any guest, especially unannounced. Zwei moved closer to the house in his enclosure, chuffing quietly at his mistress's discontent. Taiyang sighed, stepping out completely, revealing a tray of tea, already prepped for the visitor. "You should speak to him, it might be helpful."
The golden-haired young woman let out a bitter laugh, slamming the pen down on the table, so her only hand could ball into a fist. Angry, but still their normal color, Yang glared at her father, "There is nothing anyone could say that could help me."
The stranger, obviously closer than she realized made his presence known, "Young lady, I would beg to differ." Yang shifted in her chair as recognition of the voice sank in. Although she had never met him in person, the General James Ironwood was decked out in complete military garb, completely at odds with the casual country setting of Patch. "May I", he asked her, not Taiyang, although he didn't wait for an answer from either before sitting at the table. As nimble and humble as a trained domestic, the Signal schoolteacher set the tea on the table and slipped quietly back into the house, leaving the two in cautious silence.
Yang was at a loss for words, having no idea what the headmaster of Atlas could want with her, especially it being so pressing to come in speak person. Ironwood kept her in suspense, instead pouring himself a cup of tea. Apparently trying to impress the man, her father had broken out the 'fancy' china, and the small and delicate porcelain cup looked comically small in the large man's grip. Yang couldn't help but notice he was using his left hand, his motions so methodical and stiff it was awkward. She watched him sip the tea, something green and enhanced with herbs from the garden by the smell of it, still neither speaking. Nodding in satisfaction, the man set the cup down, the clink of glass on glass sounding ever so loud. "Miss Xiao Long…" he said at last.
"Yang" she interrupted nervously. She was comfortable being addressed so formally by the powerful figure. On top of being a military leader, headmaster of his own Huntsman academy, a talented Grimm-slayer in own right and a close associate of her own headmaster, Yang, just a cripple now, felt like she didn't deserve the respect of formality. To avoid his stern stare, she focused on rolling her pen on the table.
Ironwood watched the girl, his jaw tensing and loosening, feeling a deep empathy. "Yang, you said there was nothing anyone could do to help you. You are very wrong." That got her attention. Brow knit in confusion, she waited. "In fact, I believe I would be the best suited of anyone to help you. I can help you, fix you. You won't be the same, but you will be whole again"
There was no way, she shook her head. She had given up hope of ever reclaiming the life she once had and for this man to imply otherwise was insulting. "Bull." As she already wasn't getting pissed off, the general laughed, heartily, dead in her face. "What's so funny? You came pretty damn far just to get a cheap laugh."
Ironwood stood up from the table, his body tense. Realizing the stupidity in possibly insulting the man, Yang composed herself and prepped for the worst. She shirked away when began removing the glove from his left hand. His green eyes intense on the girl's face, he watched her watch him in fascination as he removed the right glove. Black fiber optics and a polished metal alloy against the flesh and bone hand made for strange fraternal twins. Yang was truly at a loss for words, she never would have imagined such a thing about Ironwood in a million years. "And…" he announced, lifting up the edge of his shirt with his robotic hand. Even the small sliver it revealed told Yang more of the man was cybernetic replacement. The blonde looked down at her missing arm, suddenly ashamed of the bloody bandage, ashamed of her self-pity these last for months. After recomposing himself, the militant Huntsman returned to his seat "Would you like my help now?" Without words, Yang leaped from her seat, her remaining arm wrapping around the startled man's neck. A smile soon formed on his lips, the gesture very much reminding him of his daughter.
Letting go, Yang beamed at her savior, "Thank you! Thank you so much." Zwei yipped happily at the fence, having witnessed the whole conversation. Despite her excitement, Yang had a moment of clarity, her joy dulling down into a serious furrow, "Why though?" The General owed her nothing. Even if he had been in contact, it was unlikely her personal headmaster would put in some kind of recommendation on Yang's behalf. She wasn't at all jealous of the fact, but Ruby and others had definitely been more significant on man's radar.
Growing somber himself, Ironwood looked down at his gloved hands. "Your sister, even you and the other girls were kind to my daughter. She told me all about it, I was tempted to set her to hibernate several times just to get a moments peace. A small smile stole across his face, the memories bittersweet in his mind.
It didn't take much for Yang to connect the dots, but it was a shocking conclusion. Although her sister had had a knack for befriending plenty people at the Academy, there was only one person that became close to Ruby as excitable as the one he was describing that came from Atlas. "Penny." But Penny's duel with Phyrra had revealed the girl's true form. "Penny… is your daughter, like the robot girl is your daughter…" Yang was incredulous; feeling every bit the dumb blonde as her hair color was stereotyped.
"Yes, but the details are a story for another time." He stood from the table, turning his attention to the house. "We should go discuss some things with your father."
Author's Notes:
This chapter left a lot of open plots that will mostly be closed in the third part of the opening. I wanted to establish most of the key players while the others will be introduced in clusters in the next part. Homecoming 3 will also finish the introductory stage and the real fun begins. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy.
