"You know, I think I noticed something." Jaune suddenly muttered when almost everyone became silent, and all his three friends were soundly sleeping. "Professor Oobleck, this Osprey doesn't use an all-electric engine right?"
"Doctor. And yes that's correct, I believe this Osprey uses turbo-electric configuration." Oobleck nodded, "How you could tell?"
"The sound." Jaune pointed his ears, "I've seen and heard Ospreys in Atlas, and they sound differently. That version, which are used in great quantity in Vacuo, is much quieter than this or Bullheads. Was it because Vale produces more Burn dust?"
"That's correct, in fact, Vale and Mistral's dust mines produce more burn dust than the one in Atlas, Mistral even more so, due to close proximity to a volcanic range." Oobleck smiled, "Are you interested in mechanical engineering?"
"Not at all, just by chance knowledge." Jaune lower his face to hide his nervousness, he really shouldn't have been too obvious about his curiosity.
"From what I heard from Vale Militia Command, they're acquiring Osprey for close range transport around Vale to replace their aging Bullheads, as well as patrolling the sky around Emerald Forest and Forever fall. With demand for long distance missions increasing we figure we should reserve more Bullheads for that purpose as well, so Professor Ozpin decide to purchase four Ospreys powered by a turbo-electric system, two more units will be delivered next week I believe."
"I see."
"Well, though we should have using Bullhead for this little trip, the weather in Vytal wasn't exactly promising today. Anyway I suggest you rest for the moment, you will need it."
"Thank you, professor."
And with that Jaune closed his eyes. He wonder what everyone else is doing to celebrate this White day...
JWMM - The Story of Love, War, and Redemption
By ZeroXSEED
Disclaimer:
RWBY created by Monty Oum and owned by Rooster Teeth
Chapter 9: White Day part 2
"Remember Yang, helmets on, no speeding." Cardin warned the blonde brawler as they reached the shared garage space of the Beacon students, which was actually located on the edge of Vale city near the airship station. As the location of Beacon is in the highest point of the country, with no actual road access, that means bringing their personal vehicle to the school is... inconvenient to say at the least. "When I fetch my car I expect you to be still here."
"Oh shove it Cardin, since when you are the goody two shoes student." Yang rolled her eyes aside in disgust.
"OK, but don't blame me if Glynda nails your ass on Beacon tower." Cardin snorted as he hurriedly picked out his lovely dark grey car and use his scroll to unlock it.
Yang raised her eyebrow and Pyrrha showed her a picture of Cardin and Bane hanging on beacon tower with their pants pierced by crowbars.
"Yes, she will nail your ass on the tower... Literally!" Nora howled, echoing Cardin's sentiment.
And now Yang remembered, that was when Bane and Cardin beat the shit out of each other during a lunch spat gone wrong, no holds barred beatdown. Before the winner can be decided, Glynda lost her shit and the two macho men lost whatever dignity they had left for the rest of the day.
Being humiliated by a female teacher would do that for anyone.
"God, she's terrifying." Yang winced in horror, she MIGHT love the thrill of being rebellious at times, but being rebellious against Glynda is worse than suicidal. The last three months had been horrific on Yang's psyche, and she really, really didn't want another probation with her. "Ok then, helmets on, no speeding. Got it."
Just when Pyrrha was about to sit on the backseat of Yang's beloved bike 'bumblebee', Nora hopped on it with a big grin on her face.
"I can't guarantee the safety of the driver's legs, you know."
"Nora, that joke is so last month, we know you don't break every pair of legs in your reach." Pyrrha crossed her arms, half annoyed and half amused by her antics. "Don't care, have fun with the big guy." Nora shouted and put a bowl helmet on her head, and Yang throttled the bike, leaving the redheaded champion covered in a cloud of steam.
Five second later, Cardin's angular sports car gently stop beside her, it's unique gullwing doors folded out.
"Still want to go?" He asked in the most blunt manner possible, knowing that Yang plus Nora plus alcohol was bad news in general.
"If you insist." Pyrrha dropped on the passenger seat half-heartedly.
And with that, came the most awkward car ride possible, though both of them had been very close with Yang, to each other they might as well strangers. Especially with Cardin's poor attitude early on in the year, which put him on Pyrrha's blacklist of men to avoid.
But somehow, Yang managed to convince them to hang out... together.
Cardin carefully followed the yellow motorcycle that Yang and Nora rode, so as not to lose their tracks.
"Nice dress." He awkwardly commented, without so much as stealing a glance, knowing full well that Pyrrha would kick his ass to kingdom come if he did so much as ogle her. Still, he tried to break the ice, out of courtesy.
"Yeah, Yang said that too."
"Well she's right."
Pyrrha frowned in response, "No need for flattery, Mr. Winchester. We all know you hate me, a lot."
"Not specifically, okay?" Cardin denied strongly. Well he's not lying. He look down on people in general, he just hates Wolfsbane Sawyer more than anyone else. "Let's just have fun tonight, deal?"
"Well, I'm very sure you don't hang out with Yang just because you're afraid of her, so, no need to be afraid around me either." Pyrrha shrugged, "Deal."
Pyrrha still hadn't fully trusted him, but Cardin's bullying record hasn't been notable ever since the rabbit-eared upperclassman put him in his deserved place. That was around the time Yang found him fancy, too.
No one fears Cardin Winchester anymore.
"I would expect you to have one of those loud, gas guzzling Mistral Muscles rather than this... classic." One couldn't call this car ancient, or rather, one would call it retro-futuristic. Totally don't fit with Cardin's general image at school.
"Yeah, new production. Got it for half price, and bought it without hesitation." Cardin grinned, "But it's not like we're going to travel much in a car when we graduate, so better enjoy it while it lasts."
"When we graduate huh."
When they graduate... what then? It's still four years ahead, but Pyrrha more than understood that time can pass surprisingly quick. No one knows what happen in the near future, even so, Pyrrha can't help but ponder about that too.
"When I was a kid they said this car could travel back in time when it hits 88 mph."
"Very funny."
As first years, they still had a lot of luxury of messing around with youthful activities and reckless stupidity. Sure, an exceptional student like Pyrrha, Yang and others still work exceptionally harder than their contemporaries, even so, classes in Beacon first year feel like a breeze compared to the last few months in Sanctum, when Pyrrha faced the uncertainty of graduation.
A lot of people asked her why she didn't continue her education in Haven academy, the Mistral's counterpart of Vale's Beacon academy, and some are flat out saddened by it. It's not uncommon for people to register in various Hunter college from different countries. But Pyrrha isn't just some 'people'. She's Pyrrha Nikos, four times champion of Sanctum tournament.
Literally the brightest of her generation.
Pyrrha is proud of her achievement, but she's not entirely happy with the burden it entails.
That's right...
The reason I came to Beacon is...
Pyrrha noticed that the streets become increasingly emptier as they entered the shadier commercial district of Vale. Though she had her share of caution, she had the feel that it wouldn't be that bad, even if it involves Yang's choice.
(besides the last club they went to wasn't half bad at all)
Pyrrha stepped out of the car, and Cardin quickly followed suit and locked it.
"So this is the place?" Cardin asked as he combed his hair back with his fingers, "Doesn't scream 'the most famous club in Vale' to me."
"Come on, we're going to miss them." Pyrrha smiled and went ahead of him. Surprisingly enough, outside security was rather lax, with only two tall men dressed in white suits and hats guarding it, and looks like the entrance is free of charge too boot.
Indeed, Cardin's prediction can't possibly be more wrong than now: the club should be big enough to contain thousands of people, and yet, looks like only few hundred are here of any time, and while most night club would be explained with the words like 'wild, sensual and uncultured', this club... isn't. Sure, the sensuality is there, but it's subdued, and rich.
And as someone born of rich family, Cardin knew it more than anything else what's lurking in the darkness. And Pyrrha... didn't. The redhead champion looked around the club, like a kid entering an amusement park for the first time.
"God, we just got stranded into the single most terrifying place in remnant."
"And that would be?"
"A club where the richest, shadiest people in the entire of Vale gather, a mafia's club." Cardin grinned madly.
"Oh you gotta be kidding me, I'm going to chokehold Yang when we got back to school." Pyrrha's appreciating smile disappeared as soon as she heard his mad laughter.
"Yo honey, you want to stand there and make out or join us!" Yang called out, already removed her motorcycle jacket to reveal loose white shirt on top of pleated black skirt, literally the most un-Yang-ly clothes Cardin ever seen in his entire life. And more than that, her useless nerd glasses and braided hair didn't help at all.
Cardin groaned, "If Xiao Long dressed in that there will be a riot, always."
"I'm sorry?" Pyrrha raised her eyebrow, before switched her attention to her partner. "Yang, are you okay there?"
"I'm fine, we have... history you see. So I decide to, you know, blend in." Yang shrugged awkwardly, "C'mon, let's get our seat and get wild."
Cardin rolled his eyes aside to find a couple of well-dressed young women passing by, smiled at him like a pack of horny wolves. Clearly they're being overwhelmed by his charm and aura...literally. If it was him in combat school, he would've melt under such overt attention (and probably get laid) but the current him just shrugged it.
Civilian women looked like small fries in his eyes nowadays, they just don't have the same feel as Beacon students.
As much as Cardin was a bully, he's just like any other teenager: curious and eager to venture into uncharted, challenging territories. Banging a couple of girls that would swoon on him is so last year, he prefers his girl to have pride and strength to escape and resist his approach.
Maybe the reason why he's so attracted to certain blond haired, big breasted boxer bimbo of Beacon. When they're together, she's the one in charge, and every time they're together, Cardin always gets dragged by her shenanigans, in school or anywhere else.
But not all of them are bad or shameful. It's fun, and that's what matter the most.
"Enjoying the view aren't ya." Yang elbowed him as soon as he dropped on the reserved chair, "I'm not letting you ditch us to fuck around you know."
"Hell no, too old for my tastes. Besides, they're no match for Professor Goodwitch." Cardin joked.
"In what way, Mr. Winchester?" A cold yet familiar female voice asked from behind him, and he could see how the girls froze on their seat in horror. Just then, Cardin felt like his entire 17 years of life flashed before him while raising a big middle finger.
"You may carefully pick your next answer... or else." The voice become increasingly threatening.
"Fuck my life." Cardin muttered, and then slowly look back with a forced smile. "Oh, hi. Goodnight, Ms. Goodwitch. You're beautiful as always, the most beautiful women in this club, in fact."
"I understand all of you can behave like adults, right, Ms. Xiao Long?"
"Ma'am, I just come out of my probation. Please give me a break." Yang whines, seriously have mercy. Goodwitch can't possibly be cruel enough to do that... or is she?
"Well, I trust Miss Nikos enough to keep you on a leash. Because I would love to enjoy my white day in peace." Glynda's eyes softened a little, if anything, they're almost sad. With a flick of her glasses, she left the group alone, her slender, well toned body swaying subtly, caught the attention of lonely men everywhere. Clad in relative modest dark blue skirt and beige cardigan, what made her stood out compared to usual is her curly hair being let down, sparkling under the lighting of the club.
"Jeez she needs to get laid." Yang grumbled.
"YOU need to get laid." Pyrrha cut her off.
"EVERYONE NEEDS TO GET LAID!" Nora shouted reflexively, only for her to realize her mindless words and hide in embarrassment. "No no no forget I said anything. Please don't tell Ren I said that."
"I always get laid. All the time." Yang pouted in defiance, and then her eyes pointed toward the only guy around the table. Cardin's looked at her with disbelief, and then he looks at the menu to distract himself. Pyrrha on the other hand just twitched for her jab had backfired spectacularly. She had her suspicion, but it's pretty clear where Yang usually disappear in the evenings now.
"What the shit." Cardin twitched as he read all the description on the menu book, "Did I got stranded into ladies cafe or something?"
Nora shouted as she raised the menu board like it's a holy book or something. "WHOO! CAKE! CAKE EVERYWHERE! WINE CAKE, CIDER PIE! REN'S GOING TO LOVE IT!"
"Hmm, Berry Wine ice cream, now you're talking." Pyrrha can't help but salivate at the thought alone, when she saw the vanilla white ice cream clad with blue sparkling alcohol. "Yang, thank you."
"Your happiness is mine." Yang grinned, she totally didn't expect the mob boss to have a soft spot for historical truce celebration.
"A-hem. Are you enjoying your night, ladies, and gentleman?" Junior stepped in confidently whilst wearing all-white bartender garments. Which does look tacky on a 2 meter tall man with groomed mustache and beard.
"This is impressive, thank you." Pyrrha nodded before Yang can say anything.
Junior furrowed his eyebrow, until his memories hit him and made him smile. "Ah, I see we do have a famous champion here, no wonder everyone's eyes locked firmly on this table."
"...Thank you." Though Pyrrha was smiling everyone can tell her enthusiasm curbed in an instant.
"Oh don't mind them. In this club, everyone is equal. All that matters is your lien and nothing else." The bear-sized man grinned, "That means you, Xiao Long."
"Stop bitching Junior." Yang protested, completely miffed that her disguise didn't fool him, while the same disguise work with 90% of Beacon students and even some teachers.
"Well, since the good Witch is here I think I could trust you not to break anything." Junior fixed his button a bit and cough.
"Does Goodwitch come here that often?" Yang casually asked.
"Yes, and I'm happy with it." Junior rubbed his index and thumb ominously. It's pretty clear her beauty isn't the only thing he appreciated, but the content of her pocket as well. Pyrrha wanted to ask what Glynda had to do with someone who looks like grade-A mafioso, but then she decided not to. A hunter has complete independence on how they accomplish their goal. And working with the darker side of the occupation isn't that strange.
"Boss." An unusually short henchman called out to Junior, not only that, his messy ashen hair stood out when every other henchmen has their dark hair cut short. Though his eyes obscured by red tinted glasses, that doesn't change the fact that he does look rather handsome rather than imposing. "Someone asking for you in the VIP suite."
"Got it Mercy, I trust you have things under control?" Junior pat the henchmen and left. "Got it boss."
"Well shit." Cardin grinned, "Ten bucks Yang will hit that one."
"Ten for literally hitting." Nora added and slam ten lien note on the table.
"Really, people." Pyrrha chuckled in disbelief, this isn't going to end swimmingly that's for sure.
"Seriously guys? What do you take me for." Yang, felt insulted by their accusation, much to Pyrrha's relief. And yet her relief is short lived. "You bet I am going to hit that, in more ways than one."
"Yang, there's Ms. Goodwitch sitting over there, don't you dare." Pyrrha warned.
"You only live once, baby!" Yang jumped out of her seat, and Nora, too, because reasons. This left Pyrrha and Cardin alone, again, and things can't possibly get more awkward anymore.
"I don't want to get involved." Pyrrha bumped her head on the table surface with audible thud.
"...they really forced themselves huh, Yang, I mean." Cardin mumbled.
"How can you tell?"
"Yang does not seduce, she flirts." Cardin calmly waved for the server, "Lime spirits, full serving."
"I would like the berry wine cream." Pyrrha told the server, which then proceed to leave with their request. "Well what I know of Yang is that, for most of her time as a teen she took care of her little sister."
"And what she would do now that her sister is very much her equal?" Cardin asked, "She's at a loss of what to do to fill the void left by her sister. And you're well out of her reach."
"Me?" Pyrrha asked in disbelief.
"Oh c'mon stop pretending, Champion of sanctum can't possibly be this stupid." Cardin growled, "Do you know how Yang looks at you all the fucking time? She wants you, not me, you."
"But I.. sigh, I made it very clear that I don't swing that way. In our very first meeting in fact." She argued, "Besides YOU sleep with her."
For a moment, the atmosphere around the table become deathly tense, with their eyes locked coldly, filled with fear and confusion. Until Cardin spoke up and break the ice again, when he blurted out: "It's not me who she wanted."
Pyrrha can't help but mutter apologetically, "...I'm sorry."
"Well, I doubt our relationship can last that long, if ever." He happily took the drink from the plate served, and then pour the content of the bottle down the glass filled with ice and slice of lime. "So we tried to start everything from scratch, and it worked in the end. it was awkward at first but... we're over it. Besides, the sex is good, so nothing to complain about right?"
"I hope so." Pyrrha closed her eyes as she tasted a dip of the ice cream from the spoon, "Though I'm her partner, I find it hard to understand her. We're just... that different, I guess. NORA NO!"
Pyrrha raised her hand and with a flick of her fingers, stole the grenade hammer from Nora's dangerously threatening hands with a humming sound of high powered magnetic field. The hammer now in Pyrrha's grasp. "Hey!" The ginger haired girl protested.
"Cool Semblance." Cardin whistled, "Is that some forcefield shit?"
"Thank you." Pyrrha nodded humbly, "It's polarity."
"Hey, at least you tried to understand her. Some people think Yang too high or too low. But no, she's not that simple." Cardin cheered her up, or at least tried. "And at least you can see her eye to eye. She needs someone in that position, things I can't really provide."
"Well, Mr. Winchester lecturing me on value of friendship, I bet people will get a heart attack if they ever heard this." Pyrrha teased as she gently stir the molten ice in her glass, giddily.
"They will think you're crazy, or drunk." Cardin pointed casually, "The invincible girl's not so invincible."
Pyrrha mellowed a bit as she heard those words, "I wish more people would think of me like that."
A minute ago, different part of the club.
"Sup guys, guess who's coming back?!" Yang's friendly gesture, however, greeted by the decidedly unwelcoming gun muzzles. Yang twitched a little in annoyance, "Seriously guys, I'm a guest here."
"And she's not alone!" Nora raised her trusty grenade hammer, only for Pyrrha to steal it with some kind of attraction semblance, "HEY!"
The henchmen, dressed in all white suits, stored away their weapon and proceed to ignore Yang and scatter.
"Jeez, how unfriendly bunch of losers. Hey you!" Yang grasped the gray haired henchman on his shoulder, "You're new around here aren't you?"
His red shades slid down a little, his silvery eyes reflected Yang's image. "Yes?"
"Good, I need some escort!" Yang grinned mischievously, any other henchmen would just tremble when they saw her like that, what with their past experience with her. Him, on the other hand, smirked confidently. "Sure, what can I do, ladies?"
"I'm going to pass, woo!" Nora zipped away toward the Bar and quickly ordered what amounted to be a full bottle of peach wine, then rushed back and join the henchmen dancing on the upstage floor shamelessly. The henchmen were confused at first but then, beat by beat, they took a liking on the ginger's moves and followed shortly.
And then, so did the patrons.
Danced to the tune of techno-romance, the white-suited henchmen all look more relaxed than ever, awkward, and ultimately comical, but relaxed nonetheless. Gone was the image of scary tall men carrying blood red murder instruments, just bunch of goofy employees in a bar celebrating the first step to decades of peace. Not even the wicked can refuse temporary relapse from day to day tension filling their dangerous, challenging lives. White day is the moment where people lay down their arms and get closer with each other, after all.
Ren told her to enjoy herself, so Nora made sure she enjoyed this to the fullest, even without involving any sort of violence.
"Best White day ever!" Yang shouted, and threw her scroll to the young henchman "Here, keep recording!"
He raised his eyebrow but nonetheless smirked and began to record, after all, a happy patron means bigger bonus for him.
"So who are you really?" Yang asked.
"Excuse me?"
"Your name." Yang asked louder, for her voice almost drowned by the heart-beating dubstep of the background music. "The name is Yang. Who, are, you?"
He replied without glancing away from the scroll, "The name is Mercury!"
"Mercury huh?! That name suits you well." Yang crept closer until their face were few inch of each other. "Cold, reflective, bitter and deadly."
Mercury nonchalantly laughed as he casually blocked Yang's hands, which was about to crush his sacred jewel, just like what she did to his boss three months ago. "Same as you, little sunshine. Warm, beautiful... and irritating."
"Them fighting words, dude." Yang's eyes turned blood red in anger as she received the scroll from him, "You know if you kiss me I'll forgive you." Mercury crept closer than ever, but millimeters before he could savor such tempting pale lips, he dodged out of Yang's fist, aimed straight at his face.
And that's when his boredom and nonchalance turned into something else.
Inhuman arrogance.
Mercury fully knew what game Yang's playing, and is more than willing to participate.
"No wonder the Boss finds you difficult to serve." Mercury silver eyes glinted in response, "But I'm more than able to do that."
Yang felt like someone pulled her legs, and as her eyes widened in shock, the back of her head smashed the floor with such force that some of the other patrons noticed the crack on the floor and stopped dancing. Yang curled in pain and then clutch her head as she sat down.
"Ow...God Glynda is merciless." Yang mustered as she noticed the sadistic teacher looking at her direction all the way from the Bar, with her riding crop brandished. It's pretty clear that Glynda used her Telekinesis to trip Yang.
"You're okay there, sunshine?" Mercury raised his eyebrow and then offered his hand friendly.
"Yeah, I'm just being stupid there." Yang mused, "Sorry. For the floor I mean."
Merc raised his eyebrow in response to her apology, however weak it is, she doesn't seems like in control of herself. So he let it slide.
Her now-violet eyes glanced slightly toward the table where Pyrrha and Cardin sit, and they seems to enjoy the moment of solace that Yang may or may not give on purpose. For a moment, she felt like someone just pinched her in the most uncomfortable place possible, but then she noticed it's just her being slightly... irritated.
"Do I regret this?"
Ever since they meet, Yang knows what Cardin wanted from her... or so she thought. It's not just fun in and out of the bed, Cardin wanted more. Something that Yang doesn't seek from him.
"No, I don't regret this."
"You look like you need stress relief."
Yang raised her hands sincerely in rejection, "Whoa? Slow down there baby, we've just meet."
Mercury threw her a card and then made an air quote gesture, "Different kind of stress relief thank you very much."
Yang read the front side of the card as she stood. "DJ Fight for Vale - No Guns, only Gods. What the hell? Ruby certainly wouldn't like it." She looked at the map, it was close to the industrial area. "Opening tournament 1st next month. Illegal street fight?"
"100% legal, 0% lethal. The money is good, strong fighters are coming from everywhere. It will be fun." The ashen-haired henchman winked, "I'm going to wait."
Oh well at least no one will die!
"Sure, I'll be there." Yang snorted as she finally joined her friends, "Awesome."
"You sure having fun there." Cardin scoffed and looked aside knowingly.
"Oh my, Cardin are you jealous?" Yang grinned as she elbowed her friend repeatedly. "Well you DO look better now." Pyrrha assured her partner, "You plan for a date or something?"
Yang tilted her head, wondering, and then smiled widely and twirled the card given to her. "I guess we do have a plan to meet again."
"I don't want to get involved." Cardin shrugged, to which Pyrrha responded. "Well add me on the list."
"Why do I feel I was being insulted here." Yang grunted, seriously, maybe she does regret trying to pair Pyrrha and Cardin, now they can work together on her leash!
"Strawberry sunshine, from the lady over there." One of the server said as orange cocktail served in front of Yang, distracting her from her current train of thought. Everyone looked at the direction of Glynda, who was talking with Junior.
"Enjoy your stay." The server said again and leave.
Yang looked at the cocktail, and back to Glynda. And then, she happily enjoyed the treat, even if Yang wasn't sure if Glynda did it as apology or just rewarding her out of kindness. "Happy white day I guess!"
Quite a filler chapter. Heh.