Cheers erupted from the sea of people that stood in front of the stage. The people jumped in time with the beat, singing along to the music. On the fringes of the concert, Ruby Rose hummed along to the song playing. Beside her Weiss was finishing up her feed, the woman she was drinking from dropping to the ground.
One of the few activities that Vampire's could actively participate in were concerts, at least ones held at night. Ruby had been ecstatic that she had been able to come, as her previous prognosis had her dead before the concert. Now though, she could experience it like she never had before, her heightened sense giving the music new meaning.
"Ok Ruby, that's enough for now," Weiss said, head rising from the neck of her victim. Ruby was too engrossed in what she was doing to hear Weiss, the combination of the music and the feed posing a risk. "Ruby," Weiss said more forcefully, bringing Ruby out of her trance, the younger girl pulling herself away from her victim. "Sorry, sorry… The music and everything, I was distracted."
"Well, now you know that you should always pay attention. You shouldn't be saying sorry to me anyway, it's not my blood, not my life you're risking." Weiss said as she gestured to the man that was now lying in a deep sleep at Ruby's feet. "Now I believe you wanted to go backstage?" Weiss said, Ruby perking up and wiping the blood from her lips.
"Ooh can we!"
"That's up to whether or not you can charm the guard at the door," Weiss said in challenge, one which Ruby hesitantly accepted. Ruby still hated the invasiveness of her charm, but a chance to see one of her favourite bands backstage was hard to pass up.
Heading further away from the main crowd, the pair headed inside towards the back of the stage. Eventually the pair found the security guard that was protecting the door to the backstage area.
"No VIP badge no entry," he said in a clearly disinterested voice. Weiss pushed Ruby ahead, poking her in the back to get her started.
"Uh, hi, can we please, please go backstage?" Ruby asked, only to have the guard roll his eyes and shake his head. Ruby sighed and met his eyes, her hypnotic gaze easily penetrating his mind.
The disorientating feeling of delving into someone's mind hit her hard and fast. Ruby went deeper, and deeper, until she started to feel lost. Then she pulled back, settling into the more surface level thoughts of the man's mind. If Ruby went any deeper, she could play with the man's perception, altering a few memories or even wiping them. However, if Ruby tried that she would almost certainly send the man insane.
"I think you should let us pass," Ruby suggested, the guard staring at her blankly for a while, slowly nodding and opening the door for her, his movements slightly sluggish.
"Not bad," Weiss said as she followed Ruby inside. "You didn't scramble anything?"
"I don't think so, I didn't go that deep."
"Good, you need to work on the subtlety of the charm. While you didn't go as deep as you could have, you should try to hold off just a little more, you only need a light touch to charm most people for a little bit. Once you learn that you will be a lot faster as well."
Ruby nodded, leading the way now to the backstage area. They passed numerous unoccupied dressing rooms, finally coming upon a larger room filled with VIP members dancing along to the band. Ruby started dancing along, Weiss forced to endure to absurdly loud and obnoxious rock music. She would let Ruby have her fun, she was proving to be an exceptional fast learner and deserved an small reward in Weiss' eyes.
All the fun and games ended when Cardin rushed out from the mosh of people in the VIP area, slamming right into Weiss and Ruby. "Cardin," Weiss hissed, pushing him back, fangs bared. Ruby took a step back and joined Weiss, though not nearly as menacing. "Weiss?! Course I run into you as well, look I gotta bounce," Cardin said as he tried to push past her again.
"What's the rush, try to ruin someone else's heist again?"
"Yeah, what's the rush," Ruby added awkwardly. Cardin looked panicked, eyes darting back to the crowd behind him.
"Please guys, I gotta go, seriously, we should all leave." Weiss looked behind him, trying to see what he was running from.
"I think you need a buttkicking, you tried to hurt us!" Ruby said more confidently. Cardin groaned,
"No, I tried to kill you, and that's exactly what's going to happen to all of us if we don't move." This time Cardin shoved his way past the both of them, running back out the way Ruby and Weiss had come.
"What's his problem?" Ruby asked, watching him run.
"Ruby, let's go," Weiss said as she grabbed Ruby and started moving. Ruby looked back at the crowd as she was pulled by Weiss, seeing a man in a long coat emerge from the crowd, meeting her eyes. "What's wrong?"
"Hunters, Cardin got something right for the first time in his life, we need to leave."
Weiss let go of Ruby and the two ran down the hall back to the security guard. When they found him he was lying in a pool of his own blood, a single stab wound to the chest. Stepping over the body the two ran into Cardin again. "Why did you kill him!" Weiss asked, frowning and pushing him onwards,
"I didn't," Cardin murmured as Weiss looked past him to see another figure standing with pistol in hand.
"Ruby, down!" Weiss said as she pulled both Cardin and Ruby to the ground, the bullet flying overhead. The Hunter from the VIP room caught the bullet with his face, flying back down the hallway. Weiss looked up at the shooter, his face obscured by a white mask, detailed with red paint. The figure nodded at them before rushing past them. "What the hell was that!" Cardin exclaimed, stumbling away from Weiss.
"White fang," Weiss whispered to herself, pulling Ruby away.
"Wait for me!" Cardin exclaimed as he caught up to them.
"Go away Cardin," Weiss said, tired of the greasers presence.
"We still don't like you," Ruby said, equally annoyed. Cardin cringed,
"Jeez guys, what happened to Vampire solidarity. Sure I tried to kill you, but when you live as long as we do, you wind up trying to kill everyone you know eventually."
"I haven't been a Vampire long, but that sounds stupid," Ruby said. Weiss didn't say anything too focused on getting away from the concert. Ruby and Cardin turned back when they heard a series of gunshots go off, followed by screams. "Jeez, good thing we're not there," Cardin said with a smile.
"Weiss, what's going on," Ruby said seriously, "We should go back there and help them."
"It's not the time for heroics, we couldn't do anything anyway, not without risking exposure. First we need to find out what we are dealing with."
"I'm with Snow white, way too dangerous back there."
"No one asked for your opinion Cardin, and don't call me that," Weiss said with a groan, "In fact, stop talking altogether, or leave, yes, leave, that would be best." Cardin frowned,
"Whatever, just wanted to make sure you ladies got out of there safe anyway." Cardin broke away with a shrug, heading for what Ruby and Weiss assumed would be some totally inappropriate car or motorcycle from the sixties.
"He is super annoying," Ruby said as they found Weiss' car.
"Truly insufferable, remind me to stake him next time we see him."
Weiss hit the gas and drove off quickly, a stream of panicked concert goers streaming out of the venue, the momentary chaos over. "What happened back there, I know you know."
Weiss sighed, "I don't know a lot, but I have a feeling Blake might."
Yang was enjoying a nice evening of eating cereal and watching whatever rubbish she could find on TV. Flicking through the channels she stopped on the twenty-four hour news channel. "There has been a reported shooting at a local concert tonight, Police are on the scene."
Yang remembered that Ruby had been attending a concert tonight. She quickly reached for her phone, tucked in between her sofa's cushions. Pulling it free she found she already had a text message from her little sister. There was a little bit of a shooting at the concert tonight… I'm fine though, don't worry. I'll call you tomorrow night.
Yang let out a sigh of relief. Ruby was okay, it wasn't like bullets could kill her anyway. Her eyes flicked back to the news broadcast. A Police Captain was briefing the media, bodies being pulled out of the concert. "This appears to be a gang shooting, we are currently chasing up a few leads we have already acquired on the shooters," The Captain, Captain Fall, said calmly. The journalist pulled the microphone back,
"Are you saying the shooters are still on the loose?"
"Yes, though we will likely have them very soon." Captain Fall smiled, while obviously meant to be reassuring, it irked Yang.
In the background Yang caught a glimpse of one of the officers bagging some evidence. A revolver, similarly marked to the one she had taken off the Hunters who had attacked her a few weeks ago. "Oh shit," Yang said as she picked up her phone again, quickly messaging Neo. Need to talk, get over here ASAP.
Weiss pulled up at Blake's shop, shutting off the car and sliding out of the car in one swift motion. Ruby got out behind her, noticing the subtle signs of anger in Weiss' face. Weiss stormed into Blake's shop, quickly unlocking the door with a key she had been given by Blake. "Blake!" She called out, tapping her foot as she waited for Blake to come down from her apartment above.
"What's wrong?" Blake called out as she rushed down the stairs, surprised to see Weiss angry and not in apparent need of help. "What did I do?" Blake asked Ruby, looking past the angry Weiss. Ruby shrugged,
"I have no idea."
"Blake," Weiss said, refocusing the attention on herself and trying to remain composed. "We ran into a member of the White Fang." Blake's eyes widened slightly, though Weiss was still sure she knew something. "What do you know?"
"White Fang?" Ruby said in question.
"A group of supernatural beings that are very dangerous."
"They are trying to look out for our kind, trying to stop the Hunters," Blake said weakly in their defence. Weiss squinted at her,
"They might have been that once, but you know better than anyone else what they are now."
"What are they now?" Ruby asked Blake, noticing the pain in Blake's eyes. Blake looked away, focusing on her feet.
"They forgot we were fighting for the right to live in peace. To co-exist with the humans."
"That's what they say at least, it was always about superiority, and vengeance against humanity," Weiss said with disgust. Blake looked up now, scowling at Weiss.
"It was about peace, it was just the Hunters that were the problem, that still are the problem."
"Don't tell me you're thinking about rejoining? What happened to trying to live a simple, comfortable life, no more mindless killing, no more pointless aggression?"
"I never said I was going back," Blake growled.
"Of course not, you already got your fill of mass murder the last time you were with them. I thought you were a Warlock Blake, but this bloodlust you have makes me think maybe you're secretly a Vampire." Weiss said mockingly,
"Oh that's rich coming from the queen bloodsucker, tell me how many people you have killed, I think I still have quite a way to go before I'm as much a monster as you."
"Yes, I have killed before, I'm not proud of it, but I had to do it to survive. I didn't wipe out entire families for fun."
"So it was just your own family you killed then?" Blake said, watching eagerly for Weiss reaction. Weiss stared back at Blake blankly, not believing that she could bring that up. She held back her tears, held back the fist curled at her side. "What. Do. You. Know."
"Nothing, Adam showed up and tried to recruit me but I said no," Blake admitted, hands placed firmly on her hips. Once Blake was finished Weiss left, stomping past Ruby and out to her car. Ruby started to move to follow her, but stopped once she heard Weiss speed away from the store. "Did… Did she really do that… Kill her own family?" Ruby asked, still very shocked by the revelation. Blake nodded, face falling into her hand as she dealt with what she had said to Weiss. "Her family were terrible to her. When she was turned, she didn't have anyone to help her, so she was consumed by it all, it wasn't really her fault, and I just used that to try and win an argument." Blake said in lament.
"And you were part of the White Fang?"
"Yeah, I left after I realised how bad it had become. She's right, it got really bad, but it used to be… It used to mean so much to me." Blake fell silent, eyes once again falling to the floor. Ruby rested a hand on Blake's shoulder,
"She's going to be impossible to live with if you don't go say sorry. When she gets grumpy like this…" Ruby shivered as remembered several lectures she had been given by Weiss over such simple things as unwashed cups.
Blake shook her head, "What I need to do is get out of here. Adam is going to try to get me back into the White Fang, I can't bring that trouble down on all of you."
"Don't be a dummy,"
"What?" Blake asked, turning to look at Ruby incredulously.
"I said don't be a dummy. Weiss, Yang and I won't let you just get bullied into doing something you don't want to. We have to look out for each other." Ruby's eyes sparkled with confidence, with positivity. For a second Blake actually believed that it would be okay. "Ruby you don't know what you're getting into,"
"I never do," Ruby said with another smile. Blake smirked, shaking her head at the girls undying optimism. "Now go talk to Weiss, we can't be a team if we can't talk stuff out,"
"So we're a team now?"
"Yup, we are a team of badass friends who are really cool."
"Great," Blake said sardonically, before being shoved out towards her car by Ruby. It appeared she had no choice.
The knocking on her door startled Yang, causing her to reach for her gun. With revolver in hand she crept over to the door, looking through the peephole. When she saw Neo standing nervously, Yang opened the door, tucking away her pistol. Neo stepped inside, looking up at Yang questioningly. "We gotta talk about the Hunters," Yang said, locking the door behind them. Neo paled slightly at the mention of Hunters, nodding slowly. "I just need to know more, I'm worried they will come back, worried that they might go after Ruby."
Neo's eyebrows raised and her head tilted, asking for clarification. "Ruby's my sister, and a Vampire," Yang said as she caught on. Neo looked surprised but offered no more comment. "So what do you know? You seem pretty clued into what's going on, you saved my life and everything." Neo nodded, pulling out a miniature white board and marker from her handbag which was lazily slung over her shoulder.
Paranoid much?
Yang sighed and rolled her eyes, "I'm being serious." Neo stepped forward, getting uncomfortably close, Yang's breathing hitching as she looked down at the shorter girl. Suddenly Neo's arm wrapped around Yang's waist, Yang blushing profusely. Then Neo stepped back, holding Yang's pistol in hand, dangling it before her to prove her point. Yang snatched it back with a sigh, "Fine, I am a little paranoid. That doesn't change that fact that I need to know what's going on."
Fine, the Hunters are bad, and seem to getting pretty busy at the moment.
"So what do we do? How do we stop it?" Neo furrowed her brow as she wrote her answer,
We don't 'stop it', you stay hidden and wait for them to move on.
"Seriously? These people are trying to kill us," Yang said motioning to the both of them. "They are going to try to hurt Ruby and Blake. Weiss too I guess."
Who?
"My friends,"
Well I'm glad I'm included in that list then. Neo said with a smirk and a wink. Yang groaned,
"Neo, please listen to what I'm saying. Why can't you take this seriously." Neo wilted slightly at that, once again letting her nerves, shame and fear at what she had been doing seep through. Yang noticed, "What is it, you know something that you're not telling me." Neo shook her head, walking over to the couch and sitting, avoiding Yang's glare. "God what am I doing," Yang said to herself, moving to stand over Neo. "I'm asking the person who ruined my life for help." Neo frowned, writing down another response.
Back at this again? Every five minutes you seem to get over it, then you're right back to hating me. She quickly wiped away the words and wrote more. Why am I even here talking to you?
Yang sunk down onto the couch beside her, rubbing her eyes. "I know I sound like a broken record, but I'm sorry again. If I could hate you my problems would be solved. I just want to protect the people that I care about."
Neo didn't know how to respond. "They know where I live, and they are going to come back." Neo knew they wouldn't, not as long as she kept Cinder happy.
Don't worry about it.
Yang glanced at the board, "I can't not worry about it, if not me, then my sister or my friends."
Neo pouted, Yang's sad face proving to be too serious to ignore. I'll deal with it then. Neo held the whiteboard in front of Yang for a second before getting up.
"What are you doing?" Yang asked, slightly confused by what Neo could mean. Neo just pointed at her board again, tucking it back into her bag. "Let me come with you then," Yang said, grabbing her pistol. Neo shook her head, "I can help," Yang replied. Neo shook her head again, much more firmly. Yang hesitated, her instincts telling her to listen to the girl. Neo took out her board again, rubbing out and writing a new message.
You're in this because of me, I can help you, I want to help you. Trust me when I say you can't get involved this time. Yang's head sunk, her arm outstretched to give Neo the revolver.
"Take this at least, I don't know what you are going to do, but I hope this helps."
Neo took the pistol, tucking it away with her board.
Blake rung the doorbell to Weiss' apartment, the tone repeating on the intercom. "Yes?" Weiss' voice coming through the intercom, clearly still on edge.
"It's me, I need to say sorry," Blake said reluctantly. Weiss sighed,
"Then you have said it, farewell."
"Weiss wait," Blake said quickly, "I need to say it in person, please let me up." Weiss paused for a moment, before begrudgingly saying,
"Fine."
Blake hurried into the building, Weiss having triggered the door to unlock.
When Blake approached the door it was open. Stepping inside carefully she looked around for Weiss. Sitting on the couch, drinking from a glass filled with blood, Weiss frowned at Blake. "Where's Ruby?"
"She's staying at mine, she wanted to avoid being in the middle of a fight."
"Get it over with then," Weiss said dismissively as she took another sip from her glass.
"I thought you were out of bagged blood?" Blake said, smirking at Weiss.
"Technically I have some left, but it's better to always have a reserve, in case something like this happens."
"Something like this?"
"It's very easy to accidentally drink someone dry when you're angry." Weiss set down her glass, crossing her legs and arms. "Please just say it and leave,"
"I'm sorry Weiss, it was uncalled for," Blake said sincerely. Weiss nodded,
"And?"
"And what?"
"Promise me that you will not join Adam, and that if you try to kill him, make sure he actually dies this time." Blake chuckled,
"I promise not to go back, and I will kill him properly this time if I have too."
"Make sure you do it yourself. Setting him up like you did last time was a good idea, though apparently the bastard is much too annoying to just die. If you don't I will," Weiss said, waggling a finger at Blake. Blake smiled, taking a seat in one of the chairs opposite Weiss. "What are you doing? You have said sorry, now you can go."
Blake shook her head, "I'm not going, I want to spend some time with my oldest friend." Weiss pinched her brow,
"Whatever, though I can't promise to be pleasant company, I'm still a little cross with you."
"I'm still a little cross with you too, you brought up my past as well." Weiss offered no retort.
"Why didn't you tell me he was back, if I had known we could have begun working out what to do days ago."
Blake grimaced, "I don't know what to do. I'm sure deep down he probably wants me dead, probably suspects I set him up all those years ago. The Hunters are also a problem, if we let them fight each other, then maybe we can avoid it all."
"Avoid getting caught in the crossfire? After all these years you still think we aren't going to end up involved, even when we don't want too?" Weiss asked with a smirk.
Blake groaned, "You really like being right don't you?"
"As someone once said, it's one of life's better pleasures."
Neo waited nervously in the back of the Police car, the car pulling over and stopping on the side of a silent, barely lit street. She could see Cinder smiling in the reflection of the rear view mirror. "So, why did you want to have this little chat? Found anymore wolves or Vampires for me to exterminate?" Neo handed over a piece of paper she had prepared beforehand. Cinder's eyes scanned over it quickly, "Busy making friends I see. Offering you and your mutt protection was already bad enough, but to offer it for these other three? Two Vampires and a Warlock? You must be kidding." Cinder looked into the mirror, staring at Neo's stern face. "You are serious. Hmm, well I could offer it, but like everything it has a cost."
Neo nodded slowly, face still serious. Cinder smiled, surprised by Neo's willingness. "Well, the deal is this; You not only have to inform us of other supernaturals you find, you also have to help us deal with them. If you can do that, then Ruby, Weiss and Yang, will be fine. Blake however, if she is in fact Blake Belladonna, must be dealt with. You've heard the stories, I'm sure you understand, we are already dealing with the White Fang, we don't need her coming back into the mix. Thanks for telling me about her though, I'll have her dealt with promptly."
Neo's eyes widened, hand reaching for the gun in her bag. Cinder caught the movement and laughed, "If you kill me, you and your friends lose all protection you have. Meaning the rest of the Hunters will come crashing down upon. You need me."
Neo's hand stopped, letting the gun fall back down into the bag. She was cornered. "The next street over, there is a convenience store. The clerk who is on shift tonight is a wolf just like you. He killed young couple last full moon. They were out camping, I think it was an anniversary or something for them." Cinder's eyes met Neo's in the mirror, "Take that gun, and this," Cinder passed back a ski mask, "Go and shoot him. After that you and your friends are safe, as long as you keep up what you've been doing. I'll make sure you don't get done for the shooting, I'm sure I could find some addict or something to take the blame."
Neo looked down at the black mask. She was selling away her freedom, her life, for a girl who hated her. Why did she feel like it was her duty to protect Yang?
Neo pulled on the mask and pulled out Yang's pistol, double checking to make sure it was loaded. Stepping out of the car she could hear Cinder whisper, "Good girl."
G'day peeps, cheers for reading, love you all. Leave a review if you like, I sure like it when you do. More fun/crazy/violent/romantic/explosive good times to come soon.