You can't make me

Chapter two

Blake POV.

I lay in the dark, searching for a familiar face but not seeing anyone. My eyes rested on the view of the moon from my bunk bed but the distraction didn't last long. The hay matress that I had made as a makeshift option was itching me everywhere. I rolled onto my side and rummaged in my head for something, anything, that could take me away from the discomfort of my new sector. I had been transferred here as a promotion I suppose.

My thoughts moved onto the girl I'd met today to my sheer surprise and I mulled over why she had had such a huge impact on me.

I suppose it was her kindness that shocked me, I was having a bad day as well so I assume that was the problem. Her sister seemed nice as well, very confident and brave. Did I hear them talking about a party? Maybe I should check it out...

So I checked it out. Slipping out of my bunk and onto the dirt beneath. I shrugged on my combat gear, assuming you had to wear uniform to this place and crept out of the dorm silently. As soon as I was out I inhaled deeply, the air at this time of night was cold, almost freezing, but it woke my senses up and made me feel alive.

The sound of the party became clear to me by the time I had reached the north side of camp. I pushed open the green netted curtain and almost fell over from the bustle of people. Immediately I saw her. Red hair and makeup done like a work of art. She was wearing her uniform and looked smart as I had seen her before.

Her movements were graceful and mesmerizing. She caught sight of me and waved me over. I was startled yet pleasantly surprised. I pushed my way through the crowd toward her and her sister.

"Hi Blake!" Ruby yelled over the roar of the music.

"Hey!" I greeted.

"My sister's drunk! Like, really drunk! Ignore her if she says any shit!"

"All noted!" I laughed.

Yang stumbled over. "Heyyyy blakeyyy! Myy sisters toootally in love with youuu..."

Ruby flushed bright red. "And there we have it, the first piece of shit." Ruby finally said.

I giggled slightly.

"You wanna get a drink or anything?"

"I'm going out to fight in... four hours, so I have to be clean of any alcohol really."

"But my sisters on the same shift as you." Ruby said cocking her head to one side.

"She shouldn't be drinking any more then."

Ruby looked at me then to her sister and sprinted over. She hauled her sisters body out of the party. We sat her down on a bench beside my sector.

"What do you think you're doing Yang!" Ruby yelled.

"Wha-what?"

"YOU ONLY HAVE TWO STRIKES LEFT! IF YOUR NOT CLEAN OF ALCHAHOL OR DRUGS WITHIN FOUR HOURS YOU'LL ONLY HAVE ONE! CAN'T YOU AVOID ALCOHOL FOR ONE DAY? IF NOT FOR ME THEN FOR THOSE AROUND YOU?"

"I don't understaannddd..." yang slurred.

"You have a shift in four hours. When they check you they will find alcohol in your blood and that will mean you'll loose a strike. Major Schnee isn't kind. Neither is his daughter."

"Actually, I've met his daughter. She seems lonely."

"Maybe." I replied, sensing that Ruby didn't want me to say any more unkind words about anyone.

Weiss POV.

"You are to marry him Weiss." Fathers voice scolded.

"You can't make me." I screamed at him, thrashing against the binds he had put me in to stop me from hitting something.

"He will keep you safe and stop you from hurting yourself. I am trying to stop you from hurting yourself. I have to tie you up to stop you from hurting me Weiss! So, you will marry him."

"What if I'm not straight?" I challenged, my muscles tense waiting for the punch.

"Pardon?"

"What if I'm not straight."

"Well, there's no problem, because you are."

I fought the urge to bite back and set him straight but I had no energy left. I just howled and pleaded to be let go. Eventually he gave in but there was a look of intense worry on his face.

"You are to return to your sector."

"Yes sir."

And I sprinted as fast as I could. Tears came easily. Marry a man? A man who couldn't care less about me save the money I had possession over. I wanted to fight more than ever. I didn't want to be admired every waking moment by men who couldn't handle seeing a girl in the army. Fuck them. Fuck father. Fuck everything.

Tomorrow I would do it. Escape while checking if the soldiers were clean or not. I would show father that I was perfectly capable of fighting. I would teach them that I am not a porcelain doll, that If I fell over I wouldn't smash, I would get right back up again.

They'd see.

The morning was close by and there was a mere two hour wait until I would make my escape. I walked to my sector and spotted three girls. One seemed drunk out of their head, and the red haired girl was screaming at her.

I walked over slowly.

"Hello, can I help?" I said softly.

They all stood up, even the drunk one, and saluted.

"How can we help ma'am!" The small red head asked.

"There is something." I smirked. "And I have another way I can help you."

"Hurry up and tell us." The dark haired girl sighed.

"This girl seems drunk. If I let her go onto the battle field without handing her into the major would you help me escape?"

"You are on checks tomorrow?" The dark haired girl asked, incredulous.

"Yes I am soldier." I said formally. "Now, do you promise to also substain your half of the deal?"

"Yes." The blonde girl looked into my eyes and for split second I looked into hers. Her eyes twinkled with the light of the moon and the cold breeze waved her hair around her shoulders. She resembled the figure and beauty of a godess and her smile was that of an innocent and friendly child.

I broke the beautiful moments off with a shake of my head.

Composing myself with a deep breath I bid my goodbyes and left.

Who even was the man that father wanted me to marry? Would I ever find out? Would I know on the wedding? Engagement? Would I have to be publicized to the whole world as they always had done for as long as I remember?

I shivered at the thoughts that swirled in my head.

That girl... she made me forget... if only for a few seconds. I... No, stop it Weiss. The company comes first.

When I returned home I bumped right into Winter.

"Hello Weiss." She said.

"Hi Winter." I tried to push past her but she pulled me back. "I hear that you made it almost as if you were a lesbian toward father when he represented the opportunity of marriage?"

"Yes I did Winter. What of it?"

"Did you know that the honourable way of partnerships has been arranged marraige from the beginning of time. You shall do as you are asked Weiss or, as I'm sure you're aware, there will be severe consequences." I rubbed my wrists, remembering the painful memory of what had happened last time, it had been eight months ago but felt fresh and raw even now.

"Yes Winter I understand."

"I hope so. Now, we have a meeting tomorrow evening with business partners in Germany so I expect you to spend your free hour before bed, researching them and packing. Understood?"

"Business partners?"

"Ahh... you obviously haven't done your homework. We are investing in land over seas in America and expanding our business. When this war ends we will have no other skill if we do not make plans now. So, we are going to create a branch of our company dedicated to mining- the american section. And, in germany, we are going to try and negotiate your wedding with Calvin Scotchma. He has a successful career in a science company and if we can use his research for our mining we have a good and secure alliance and business in the seasons where war is not raging and peace is across the lands."

I suddenly felt dizziness wash over me as the information provided searched for a place to settle in my head. Calvin Scotchma? So my doom now had a name... I stumbled back ward, away from my sister. I needed to get somewhere else. My hand brushed over a silver door knob and I grasped it with all my might, wrenching it downward.

"Weiss? Are you OK?" I sprinted out of the room my head exploding with things that I desperately wanted to say but was unable to.

"WEISS?" She screamed from the doorway. But I was long gone. My soul had been extinguished and any hope of freedom or love had diminished centuries before.

Every single person in this family had been doomed from the start. I was no exception.

Ruby POV.

My mobile rang for the fourth time tonight and I silenced it once again. I was exhausted and was unable to even face talking to my Dad right now. A simple task that I would've loved doing now seemed impossible and as he rung again, I, with great effort, reached out a tired arm and grabbed the phone.

"Hello?" I sighed groggily.

"Hey Rubes. Sorry it's so late..."

"You Ok?" I asked.

"That's what I called to check up on Ruby. When is Yang starting her shift?"

"In... two hours!" I yawned.

"Cool. How are you?"

"Exhausted. I made fifty five canons a few hours ago... I still need to make more..."

"Should I talk to you and Yang later?"

"Yeah ok Tai, our shifts both end at four today so you can call around... four thirtyish... love you loads Dad."

"I love you too Ruby. I can't wait until Christmas."

I brightened a little. "Me neither dad... now, get some sleep already! I have a loooong day tomorrow!"

"Ok moods..."

"Huh?"

"Get it? Sounds like rubes? But your tired so you're moody? So moods? No? You know what... it's not funny when you have to explain it."

"That's why it's never funny..." I mumbled.

"Huh?"

"Gt it? You always have to explain it? You said it wasn't funny when it had to be explained? So I said, that's why its never funny? Ugh... tired! Need sleep!"

"Ok rubes." Dad's voice chuckled.

"Night night dad."

"Talk later yeah?"

"We've just discussed this you numpty!"

"Alright bye!"

I hung up. How many times did he have to say goodbye? I smiled. Dad and his hour long fare wells. I remembered fondly visiting families and stating we were going to leave and then chatting for another two hours. It then spent another hour to say farewell and by then Yang and I would be practically sleep walking from exhaustion.

Sleep came quickly after that and the bright morning sun blinded as I awoke.

Yang POV.

I hoped to hell and back that the major's daughter was gonna keep her side of the deal. If she didn't then Blake and I had a chance of losing our jobs and being transferred to america.

We lined up and my heart roared within my chest. I had to find the right queue. Where was she? I finally saw her. White hair, clean uniform. She was beautiful really, but her cold eyes extracted every ounce of emotion from her. I wondered what had happened to make her seem so haunted, so... lonely.

I shook off the thought and focused my attention on the war zone and what I would do first. The thing was, I never knew what to do first when I stepped out of the safety of the camp and into the wasteland that war raged on. It was impossible to plan because it was impossible to know what was going to happen.

I searched the crowd for Ren. He had a hard task today and I needed to wish him luck just in case I never saw him again. We had become close since Operation Codex and I didn't want him to leave without a farewell.

It was my turn to get checked and I stared intently at Weiss. She had on a poker face, as usual, but this time I could see right through it. She had a faint trace of a smile. I winked at her and Blake ran forward pretending to be a checker. I pushed Weiss through the gate and Blake checked me haphandedly before pushing us both through as well.

"We're not quite done yet." I whispered to Weiss who was jogging toward the lines. Almost immediately after the soldiers were out there was sounds of war. Ren bumped into me and I grabbed his and Weiss' shoulders as I dove beside a rusting tractor. This used to be farmland. Bullets ricocheted off the metal. I hugged Ren tight.

"Bye dude, good luck." He put a fist to his heart and bowed his head.

"I've never liked goodbyes. See you all later." He bowed once more and flicked out his knives. "I'm ready to spy." He smirked and sprinted off.

"He was a spy?" Weiss asked me. Her eyes widening.

"Eyyep! Now c'mon ammeture. Let's get you a gun."

We crept out of our shelter and I grabbed a fallen soldier.

I shook his shoulders and he hung limp.

"Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck." Glassy eyed he stared to the sky. I shook myself back into reality and shoved the rifle that had once been his into Weiss' arms.

"Give it your best shot. After about fifteen minutes I'll meet you back here and hopefully you'll be safe. Is that okay?"

"Yes." Weiss gulped.

I ruffled her hair. "It better be!" I yelled and stormed out into the battle.

Blake POV

One ragged breath after another I limped on. A bullet in the leg should've incapacitated me. I should've bleed out. Something.

The gun was heavy in my hands and my breathing became shallower with each second coming out as mini white clouds. I was aware of dead bodies and tried to keep my stomach settled. There was no way i was going to throw up now, showing weakness would be deadly and I wasn't quite ready for death. The 999 sounded again and again, obliterating more villages and towns. I had to save them. I had to.

The air seemed to freeze around me and I broke out into a cold sweat. I surveyed my surroundings. Rubble and bullet shells carpeted the floors and I caught a glimpse of soldiers from the opposing side. If I didn't move now I would find myself in the middle of an ambush. I crawled into a run down building, a hollow shell in which people found pleasure to explode again and again. Climbing what was left of the stairs I soon found myself at the top of the building with a clear sight of the ambush team. They always worked in groups of threes or fours and this time I could recognise a few faces.

And Adam was one of them. I stopped in my tracks and felt my throat tighten. I tightened my grip on my weapon and knew that sooner or later they'd find me. If I was lucky I'd be kept alive. If not. They'd kill on sight.

Fuck. What the hell were you thinking? Did you think refuge could be sought, if only for ten minutes, in the middle of an ambush area? Stupid, stupid. STUPID!

I shifted my weight from one leg to another.

"Is there anyone here?" Adam's voice asked. He was clearly irritated.

"Well... our footage said there was, but my eyes say otherwise." A green haired girl sighed.

"We should keep looking... wouldn't want to upset Cinder."

"Shut up Mercury! We can't risk anyone hearing her name! We are the white fang! All names are confidential!"

"And yet you shout my name all over the neighbourhood?"

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" She screamed.

I siezed the oppurtunity and started spraying bullets all over the place. One hit the green haired girl's shoulder and another hit Mercury's leg. Adam looked up and his gaze caught my eye. He threw the two bodies over his shoulder and sprinted away without another glance back. I dropped onto the concrete below and sighed in relief.

I only wished for peace yet I was fighting the war.

What is wrong with you?

My brain taunted. I ran my hands through my hair and shook my head.

I don't know... I just don't know any more...