Disclaimer: Still don't own it
I want to thank all those who have begun to follow this story and hope you continue to do so; I also hope for a few reviews for this chapter as well and any opinion would be nice though I appreciate constructive criticism. I do want to say that since we are unsure of Taiyang's fighting style currently, I took a few liberties in an effort to do something different given that he might have trained Yang how to fight; let me know what you think and if more detail is needed.
Yang got up from the bed and stretched.
Happy that she didn't break anything because of her new augmented arm, she headed to the bathroom to get ready for the day.
The prosthetic arm itself was rather new and had only become a part of her body a few weeks ago; having had it attached in town. While it wasn't sophisticated as the ones produced in Atlas that would allow for combat, it still allowed her to move about her daily life. When she sparred with her father, she only used her other arm to fight; not wanting to risk the metal appendage since it had cost quite a bit. Tai had dipped into the savings just so that his older daughter could have some normalcy in her life given that she was no longer a student at Beacon; which was still infested by Grimm. While her mood was nowhere near that of before her crippled state came into being, the teen was at least getting out of her room and doing things around the house. She could also now defend herself though what she could do was limited; as proven by the sparring matches themselves. Yang had pushed herself to the limit and knew that she could no longer live her dream; which made her angry.
In the nine months since the fall of Beacon, the world had become a gloomier place. While it was reported that teams of Hunters and Huntresses raided the school on many occasions to clear out the monsters, they were only mildly successful. Thus the Vale Council had decided that they would move the staff of the academy into the city itself to act as a local militia of sorts. Atlas had offered support but Vale had rejected it, enraged by what had happened to lead to all of this misery. Ozpin was still missing and the Grimm were now getting bold in their attacks; even rumored to be attacking the other two kingdoms. Yang had watched a pair of commentators on the news suggest that it as if someone were guiding the beasts; which wasn't far off given that Cinder Fall had been doing it during the battle. While there were only scattered packs of baewolves around Patch and they had been acting normal so far, the town was still on alert and Signal Academy's staff were patrolling a bit more; even traveling in bigger groups. While Tai had offered his daughter a place on the patrols, Yang had refused.
Truthfully, she now felt useless given her crippled state; though she could still fight to some degree. The teen also felt lonely with Ruby, Weiss, and even Blake no longer by her side; only receiving a few letters from her sister to let her and her father know she was alright. Yang had heard that Uncle Qrow was making sure that Ruby was staying safe by watching from a distance; which was some reassurance though her father wanted the red-cloaked teen home. It angered the blonde that her sister was out there doing the fighting by herself even though the rest of Team JPNR was with her; feeling that it should be Team RWBY instead. However with Weiss basically imprisoned by her father back in Atlas and Blake nowhere to be found, it was pretty much given that her team was now dissolved. Yang couldn't help but feel enraged because of that and had to keep her anger under control. She had already broken a few things around the house and even Zwei was a little hesitant to come around her at this point; which kind of hurt her since he as well as her father was the only ones left for her.
After she climbed out of the bed, she went into the bathroom for a shower; only being in there for a few minutes. In her depressed state, the blonde never really left the house much except to get supplies from town or to spar a bit; so that she didn't see the need to make herself presentable. Being a Huntress was all that she had ever wanted to be and that fateful night had changed all that; now making her wonder what she was going to do now. One part of her Ember Celica lay on the dresser, with the other part back at Beacon somewhere, and she hadn't worn it even when she sparred with her father; though he often suggested that she do so. After she was done in the bathroom, Yang headed into the kitchen to make something for breakfast; though it was probably her usual of eggs with toast. Even when she had two arms, the blonde had been a pretty good cook but with her father out most of the time now and Ruby gone; there was just no point to making fancy meals.
She was sitting at the table eating when her father, Taiyang Xiao Long, stepped into the house through the back door.
"Morning honey; how're you feeling?" the older man asked as he placed his gauntlets on the kitchen counter. As a skilled fighter, he used them for close combat though they could spew lightning for ranged attacks.
"Fine," was all that the blonde said as she chewed her food, reading an old magazine and not bothering to glance at her father. Taiyang frowned and sighed, wishing that there was some way to make her happy again.
"So I will need some help at Signal here pretty soon; especially with my increased workload. I talked to the Principle and he gave his permission to allow me to bring on an Teacher's Assistant; thus I thought of you," stated the older man in chipper tone and smiling down at his daughter. His smile faded when she just shrugged and continued reading, not bothering to say anything; causing him to sit down across from his daughter and take the magazine to get her attention.
"I was reading that," Yang told her father, sounding annoyed and giving him a slight glare as she chewed. She swallowed slowly when she saw the serious look on his face; which meant that he was in full on parent mode now.
"I know you're depressed and feel useless but this has to stop. You are still young and have future whether you believe it or not," her father chided her but in a gentle way. While he could feel for his oldest daughter, Taiyang knew that if he didn't do something soon, his daughter would waste away before his eyes.
"And what would that be dad? All I wanted to be my whole life was a Huntress and that got stolen from me. I fail to see what kind of bright future you think I have," Yang stated sarcastically as she rose of her chair violently and prepared to leave the room. Before she could do so however, her father grabbed her by her prosthetic hand and made her face him.
"I am not going to watch you slide into something that resembles your Uncle Qrow; I've lost too many people in my life and you will not be the next one so it's time to shape up," ordered her father loudly with as much authority as he could muster. While a part of him knew he was a bit too harsh, he fully knew that it was the right thing to do.
Yang was about to respond when there was a loud knock at the front door, interrupting the both of them before things turned ugly. Puzzled, Taiyang rose from his chair along with his daughter and they both headed to the front of the house to see who it was. Given that the house was a bit isolated from the rest of the village, the idea of a neighbor coming over for a cup of milk was out of the question; not to mention complaining about the noise level. Heading past the living room, the older man opened the door wide to see a trio of people on his porch; a silver-haired woman with two armored solders to be exact. Taiyang recognized that they were from the Atlas military and became both alarmed as well as alert since there was no need for them to be here; neither the father nor daughter had any dealings with that particular kingdom. There was a sudden feeling of dread when it occurred to him that they might be here because of Ruby; hoping that wasn't the case since her letters had been cryptic on her location.
"Mr. Taiyang Xiao Long and Ms. Yang Xiao Long; I am Specialist Winter Schnee of the Atlas Military and I require your time," said the woman in a crisp manner with her hands clasped behind her back. The two solders behind her had their weapons at their backsides and stood at attention; their faces impassive.
"And what is an Atlas Specialist doing here in Patch? I've done nothing against the Kingdom unless this is about Qrow or my daughter Ruby," Taiyang told her sternly; hoping neither was the case though he noted the twitch Winter made with her face at the mention of his old teammate. He knew the Specialist's name from Qrow, who had termed her the Ice Queen, and also knew she was one of General Ironwood's people.
"Did you say Schnee? Are you Weiss's sister?" Yang asked the woman from her place at the back of her father; also knowing the name. While she never met the woman personally, her teammate Weiss spoke of her often; with an admiration that the blonde never saw before.
"Yes, I am Weiss's sister and she has mentioned you a number of times during our lunches. I am here though for you and have been ordered by General Ironwood to bring you to Atlas," informed the woman firmly while addressing Yang as if it were an order, causing Taiyang to narrow his eyes at her. He had wished he had grabbed his gauntlets before he had answered the door because there was a feeling that there could be a potential fight here in a minute.
"Why do you want Yang? She has done nothing to the Kingdom and does not warrant being taken anywhere," the older man said to the woman; matching the Specialist's firmness with his own. The father wasn't about to let anyone take his daughter anywhere; especially to another kingdom.
"That is classified; I was ordered to bring your daughter directly to General Ironwood as well as the rest of Team RWBY," Winter simply said and she stared into Taiyang's eyes while her hand went to her weapon. Given that this was Qrow's family, she knew that she had to be prepared for a possible fight; thus why she was sent specifically.
"Wait, you said the rest of Team RWBY was being gathered as well? Then that means Ruby will be there too dad," Yang said to her father with an enthusiasm not heard by the older man in months. While he was not happy about his daughter being forced to go, knowing Ruby would be there was enough to placate him.
"If my daughters are being taken there, then I am going as well. I will not stand by and let them be interrogated by Atlas without their father," Taiyang voiced to Winter in a manner that left no room for debate. Even if he had to physically make his point clear to the young woman, he was going to Atlas with Yang.
"That was considered and permitted by the General in advance; my transport lays not too far from here and time is of the essence," Winter said with a motion of her head. The two stepped out to see a large Atlas military craft indeed not too far away from the house; wondering how they could have missed hearing it arrive in the first place.
"We'll grab our things; it will be a few minutes," the older man said as he then slammed the door in Winter's face; causing her to glare. Yang noticed the smirk on her father's face and simply rolled her eyes before heading to grab her duffle bag from her room.
"What are we going to do with Zwei?" the blonde asked a few minutes later with her bag over her shoulder and changed into her usual attire; which she hadn't worn in almost a year. For some reason, one which she couldn't explain, her Ember Celica was inside the bag along with spare rounds; along with spare clothing for the trip.
"We'll take him with us; there's no one who can watch him right now," Taiyang answered as he made sure everything was okay before they left the house. Once everything was secure and with his own bag over his shoulder, the two and the dog headed outside where the tri of soldiers laid waiting.
Winter looked at the dog as they approached and her eyebrow rose ever so slightly. Expecting protest from the woman as she approached, he was caught by surprise when the Specialist bent over to give Zwei a pat on the head and smile forming on her face. Yang remembered how giddy Weiss got when the dog had stayed with them before their Mountain Glenn mission and figured that the Schnee must have a soft spot for dogs; chuckling slightly. It was rather comforting to the blonde that both Weisss and her sister were not completely cold; especially when it came to animals. Winter heard the chuckle and she rose up suddenly with her face hardening again; turning her back to the three and leading them to the ramp on the back of the transport. Walking up it, the ramp closed behind them and the craft began to rise into the air; heading away from the house.
On the inside, the transport was rather spacious with a large cargo hold that had a few seats for them to sit in. There were a few more soldiers inside and they were manning the weapon pods that lay in various spots of the craft; for protection against possible threats. There was a door that led to the front, which was assumed to be the pilot's cabin, and it was guarded by a pair of armored soldiers. There was a small bathroom located towards the front of the craft; which was a good thing since the flight to Atlas was going to be quite long. While they had grabbed some snacks for the trip, especially dog food for Zwei, they wondered if they would be fed some real food at some point. Taiyang assumed that they would probably have to be given military rations at some point and was dreading it; remembering the last time he were cursed with the stuff back in the days he was teamed with Summer, Raven, and Qrow for missions. While Yang took a seat by the small window on the side of the craft, Zewi sat next to her with the older man seated on the other end.
"How is Weiss? I know she sent me a letter but I never got around to responding," Yang said to Winter; who sat across from the three. She regretted not writing back but had been too depressed at the time and tossed the letter; not even bothering to read it.
"She is fine; my father has placed her in charge of a department of the company so that she can be better acquainted with her legacy," Winter answered and Yang's father sensed a bitterness in her tone though the young woman his it well. He had heard that Weiss was the official heir to the Schnee name and always found that odd since she was second daughter; thus he wondered if Winter was jealous of that fact.
"That's cool; I guess. Is she still hunting?" inquired the blonde out of curiosity; wondering if that was in the letter. From what little she had heard about the Battle of Beacon, her teammate had finally learned to use her semblance.
"No though I do my best to make sure that she stays in shape; our father believes that Weiss is better suited to handle the needs of Schnee Dust Company than to spend time hunting," stated the young woman and Yang's father definitely heard the anger in her voice that time. It seemed that the Specialist wasn't happy with what her father was doing to her sister; which caused him to respect Winter a bit.
"Well I am glad I will get to see her; along with my sister. Where did you guys find her?" Yang asked the woman, wondering how Atlas found Ruby. Her father was also curious since he had been wondering that for months; worried for his youngest daughter.
"From what I understand, she was located in Haven and is being escorted to Atlas along with your uncle," the woman answered and noted the dark look that appeared on Taiyang's face after she spoke the words. While she knew that Qrow and Taiyang had been former teammates as well as that Yang was the daughter of Qrow's sister, she wasn't sure what the exact relationship was in the family right now.
"Is that so," said the father with obvious anger in his voice. He was going to have some words with Qrow when they met up in Atlas; especially when he had instructed the man to bring his daughter home once she had been found.
"What about Blake? Will she be there as well?" Yang asked again, not sure if she was ready to face her partner. She did have questions though and their confrontation had to happen for some closure.
"I don't have the liberty to speak about that; you will have to wait until we get to Atlas for the answer to that," said the woman cryptically and Yang became puzzled by that; looking at her father. The man shrugged though he also appeared puzzled as well.
With Winter becoming silent, all Yang could do was wonder.
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