"So…" Blake said carefully as she sat across from Weiss at the table in Ruby's room. "Who's it gonna be?"
"Why, me of course" Weiss said grandly. "I am the most senior member of the gang, after all, and I have the most leadership experience. But don't worry; you can still be my right hand, Blake".
"Funny, it looks like you could use a left hand" Blake said, staring at Weiss's cast.
"Ha, ha, very funny" Weiss replied sarcastically. "I can still bitch slap you with this, you know".
"Well, as much as I'd love to take orders from a princess, I doubt it would be a very long reign" said Blake.
"And why would that be?" Weiss asked, eying Blake accusingly.
"You're a Schnee, Weiss" Blake explained. "A lot of Faunus still hold a grudge against your family for what the Schnee Dust Company did to Faunus workers, and almost all of the territories we control are Faunus neighborhoods. If you took over, then we'd essentially be giving the White Fang those areas, and our asses, on a silver platter".
"Shit" Weiss cursed as she realized Blake was right. "So what, you think you'd be able to do any better than I could?"
"Of course" Blake said, adjusting her glasses. "I practically ran the gang from my laptop anyways. I controlled the finances, the organization, the recruitment…"
"Ha!" Weiss laughed. "As if The Saints would let a White Fang tell them what to do! We'd lose almost our entire gang if you took over! We'd be sitting ducks!"
"True, but they don't know about that yet" Blake said, gesturing towards her bow. "And they won't ever have to".
"Hmm…" Weiss mumbled, deep in thought. "But if someone were to let it slip that you are a Faunus and an ex-White Fang…then I suppose you'd have to give up the position".
"Oh, no you don't" Blake said, reaching for her handgun. "I won't let you ruin everything we've worked for".
"Oh, so the kitty has claws?" Weiss said mockingly. "Bring it! I don't need two hands to take care of a little runt like you".
"Hold it right there" Yang said as she walked into the room, with Ruby clinging to her shoulder. "You know you're not supposed to start a firefight without me".
"Ruby!" Weiss said excitedly, dashing to her boss's side. "You're alive! What happened out there?"
"Oh, you know…" Ruby said, in between coughs and gasps. "I just wanted to take a quick dip in the bay. It's really refreshing! What's been going on here?"
"Oh, nothing" Blake said while averting her eyes. "Just two girls, hanging out together, bonding over…uh…guns".
"Oh yeah, totally" Weiss said, backing Blake up. "I was just admiring how well polished Blake's pistol is, nothing else".
"That's funny, 'cause it sounded like you two were fighting over who'd lead The Saints after me and my sister kicked the can" said Yang.
Weiss and Blake tried desperately to come up with another excuse, but couldn't think of anything. Giving up, Weiss held her head in shame while Blake tried to apologize as best as she could.
"I'm sorry, we didn't know" said Blake. "No one had seen or heard from you for hours, and the White Fang have been bragging about killing you guys all night. We just assumed it was true".
"That just goes to show; never bet against Yang Xiao Long" Yang said cockily.
"That's still no excuse for fighting!" Ruby said determinedly as she tried her best to stand up on her own. "We're all friends here, remember? Compadres, sisters in arms, Saints! Now apologize, or no new guns for a week!"
"We're sorry" Blake and Weiss moaned in unison.
"Not to me, to each other!" ordered the young crime boss.
The two older women painfully turned towards each other and stared for a few moments before Blake finally made the first move.
"I'm sorry I almost blew your brains out all over the floor" Blake said dryly.
"And I'm sorry I almost turned the whole gang against you" Weiss said with equal enthusiasm.
"Good job" Ruby said, immensely proud of her work. "Now hug and make up".
Blake and Weiss came together for an awkward hug that lasted for a few seconds before Ruby suddenly tackled them both with a monster hug of her own.
"That's the spirit!" Ruby said cheerfully as she continued squeezing the two blushing women in her embrace. "Gang hug time, Yang!"
"You got it" Yang said, walking over to the threesome and picking them up off the ground in her arms.
"Can't…breathe!" Weiss gasped from within Yang's tight grip.
Fortunately for her, Yang soon decided to put them back down and the four could finally return to business.
"So, I'm guessing you weren't able to intercept Roman's package" Blake said.
"Nope" Ruby replied, her shoulders slumping. "I played with Neo instead, but her games weren't very fun. I'm sorry I made you guys worry for nothing…"
"Actually, you being dead might actually be a good thing" Blake said, causing Ruby to tilt her head in confusion.
"But being dead is so boring!" Ruby whined. "All you do is lie on your back all day and smell really bad, like a boring vacation cruise with no deodorant".
"She means that now that the White Fang think you're dead, they won't be expecting you" Weiss explained. "Which means you get to be our secret weapon".
"I get to be a weapon?" Ruby gasped. "It's a dream come true!"
"So you've got a plan?" Yang asked.
"I think so…" Blake said, digging out her phone and bringing up the First Bank of Vale's website. "Roman might be the murderous, pimping, drug dealing son of a bitch we all know and love, but officially he's one of the most respected businessmen in Vale".
Blake turned her phone and showed her friends the bank's website, which featured a picture of a smiling Roman Torchwick standing in a lovely open meadow and surrounded by groups of smiling children and adorable puppies.
"Seriously?" Yang asked in disbelief.
"You can get away with almost anything with good publicity" Weiss said. "You should have seen my father's PR department".
"Anyways, he's going to be holding a big 'charity' ball at the bank in next Friday night with the richest entrepreneurs in Vale. Naturally, most of the money donated will go towards the lavish catering" Blake explained. "That's where you two come in. If you two can sneak in with the catering staff, Weiss and I can create a distraction outside to draw out Neo and the guards, and give you the perfect opportunity to take Roman out for good".
"And don't worry, he shouldn't be much of a challenge" intoned Weiss. "He's just some asshole in a stupid hat and no semblance. Not even you two could screw this up".
"Aww" Ruby whined. "I was hoping for a super epic boss fight with explosions, sword fights, giant robots…"
"Well, hate to break it to you Red, but life isn't like a video game" Weiss said. "Sometimes you just shoot the bad guy in the head and move on".
"Do we at least get to rob the bank while we're there?" Yang asked.
"Of course" replied Blake.
"Yay!" Ruby said, clapping her hands. "I'll start getting my guns ready now!"
"Hold on, Ruby" Blake said, grabbing her boss's arm. "They might not be looking for you two, but security will still be tight. They'll have metal detectors everywhere, so there will be no way you can sneak in a gun without them noticing".
"Oh, is that all?" said Yang. "Don't worry, I've got something they'll never see coming".
"That's good, but to keep the element of surprise, you're both going to have lay low for the next week" Blake explained. "Sorry about that".
"Don't worry about it" Ruby said merrily. "Murder is a lot like love; absence just makes the heart grow fonder".
"Welcome, gentlemen, welcome!" Roman said as he enthusiastically shook the hands of several men and women in expensive looking business suits. They were all gathered in a luxurious ballroom located on the thirteenth floor of Roman's skyscraper in the northeast commercial district, and it was extravagantly well decorated. Tables were adorned with the finest white silk tablecloths, the marble dance floors were polished to a shine, the light grey paint on the walls didn't have a single scratch on it, the bar was filled with a selection of luxury drinks, crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and it all centered around a diamond statue of a woman holding a spear in the center of it.
"I'm so glad you could all make it to the first annual 'Save the Grimm' charity ball" Roman added with as much fake zeal as he could muster.
"Greetings Mr. Worthington, Mr. Anderez, Mrs. Jun, Mr…eh, I'm sorry, but your name appears to slip my mind. Who are you?" Torchwick said, stopping at a tall man with light grey hair, dark circular reading glasses, and wearing a dark green suit.
"Ozpin, of the Oz Corporation" the man replied, shaking Torchwick's hand. "Pleased to meet you".
"Oz Corporation?" Roman said, confused. "Never heard of you".
"Ah yes, I have been hearing those words a lot here in Vale" Ozpin said affably. "But our clothing line has been doing quite well in Mistral".
"How well?" Roman asked suspiciously.
"Well enough for us to donate a very generous sum to your charitable foundation" Ozpin replied knowingly.
"Ozpin, yes, of course!" Torchwick said, his voice suddenly shifting to a more pleasant tone. "How could I forget one of my closest acquaintances. Come, have a drink, or a taste of our exquisite chocolate fount-"
Roman looked towards where he was pointing his cane and saw nothing but an empty piece of floor.
"Marie!" Roman shouted to a maid at the top of his lungs. "Where are fucking chocolate fountains!?"
"I'm sorry sir!" the woman replied pleadingly "The truck seems to be running a little bit late".
"Well, make sure it gets here soon, or it's your ass!" he shouted. "Dreadfully sorry for the inconvenience, this usually doesn't happen".
"Oh no, I understand completely" Ozpin said sympathetically. "It is so hard to find good help these days".
"Ruby! Stop eating out of the fountain!" Yang shouted as she hid two bloody bodies in a nearby dumpster. "It's gross!"
The two sisters were currently behind the catering company the White Fang ordered from, and had killed and stole the uniforms off of the two unfortunate workers who were in the loading up the last truck heading over to Torchwick's headquarters.
"Aww, come on!" Ruby said in between shoving mouthfuls of melted chocolate in her mouth. "They're not going to eat all of it, and I can't let it all go to waste!"
"Okay, but don't blame me when you turn into a massive zit tomorrow morning" Yang warned.
"Augh, fine" Ruby said, turning the fountain off and wiping the chocolate on her hands onto her new black pants and black shirt. "Let's go".
The two finished loading up Roman's two chocolate fountains into the back of the truck and got inside the cabin, with Yang in the driver's seat.
"We're on our way over now" Yang said into her cell phone as she started the truck.
"Good" Weiss replied on the other end. "We'll start the attack as soon as we know you're inside".
"And remember; no killing each other!" Ruby yelled from the passenger seat.
"We promise" Weiss and Yang groaned together before Yang finally turned off her phone and the two took off down the streets of Vale.
"You know, Ruby, ever since last week, I've been thinking" Yang said as she navigated the delivery truck through traffic. "Are you sure you still want to go through with this whole 'gang' thing?"
"Of course!" Ruby responded. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Ruby, you almost died last week" Yang pointed out grimly.
"So?" Ruby replied. "I'm fine now".
"Yeah, but for how long?" asked Yang. "Being a gangster is fun and all, but it's definitely going to land us an early grave. Maybe…maybe we can still find a way out of this city, and start a new life in the country, just the two of us. What do you say?"
"Well, is going early really so bad?" Ruby asked back. "We're all gonna die eventually, and how would you rather go out; biting the dust, or biting the Dust?"
"Yeah…" Yang replied. "It would be nice to croak before my tits started to sag, but it's not me I'm worried about. Are you sure this is what you want to do for the rest of your life?"
"Absitively posilutley" Ruby said, wiping some more chocolate from her lips. "I haven't been more sure of anything in my entire life!"
"If you say so" Yang said doubtfully. "Just try to be careful out there, okay? Now come on; we're here".
The two sisters exited the truck and started carrying their two chocolate fountains into the building. They passed an army of armed guards on the way inside, but thankfully none of them recognized them or found anything unusual with their handheld metal detectors.
"Okay, so far so good" Yang said once the two were safely in the elevator heading upstairs. "Let's just hope these disguises work on Roman too".
"Mmmhmmm" Ruby said, stuffing another handful of chocolate into her mouth.
"Ruby, what are you doing?!" Yang gasped once she saw what Ruby had done. "We'll get kicked out!"
"Oh, just relax Yang" Ruby said, wiping her hands on Yang's black pants. "Live a little!"
"Ew!" Yang whined. "Keep your hands to your-"
"There you are!" Marie said as soon as the elevator doors opened. "Where have you been? Whatever, just take them out to…oh my god, have you two been eating the chocolate?"
"That's right!" Ruby gleefully announced before Yang could say anything in their defense. "It tastes great too!"
"Oh no, we can't let Roman see you like this!" the maid said, clearly panicking. "Just…go to the kitchen and help out there. Just don't let Torchwick see you!"
"Can do!" Ruby said, grabbing her sister by the hand and heading towards a nearby door labeled 'kitchen'.
"You planned this all along, didn't you?" Yang asked with a knowing smile.
Ruby merely winked in response before heading off to go wash some dishes.
Weiss and Blake both sat inside a red car in alleyway as they awaited word from their boss to begin the attack. They had Saints hidden up and down the streets in front of the bank, but until then, they were just alone in their car fiddling with their guns.
"So…" Blake said awkwardly. "Read any good books lately?"
"Not really" Weiss said. "I've been pretty busy on the job lately, even with my broken arm. You can't exactly take a sick day in the middle of a gang war, can you?"
"True" Blake admitted before going silent yet again.
Finally, Weiss's phone started buzzing on the dashboard of the car, and Blake eagerly answered it. Yang had sent them a text message saying 'Its B00M tiem ;)'.
"That's our cue" Blake said, handing Weiss her phone. The two then went to the trunk of the car and opened it, revealing a slew of different guns hidden inside.
"Think you'll be okay out there?" Blake asked as she loaded an assault rifle.
"Oh, I wouldn't worry about me" Weiss said as she grabbed the RPG Ruby had given her with one hand. "Just stay out of my way".
Weiss stepped out from the alleyway and took aim at the just recently reconstructed entrance to the bank. Weiss pulled the trigger and hit her mark, blowing up the glass doors and setting off all of the alarms inside, but the recoil was too much for her with only one hand, and she fell straight onto her back as a result.
"Are you sure about that?" Blake said, looking down at her fallen comrade.
"Oh, shut up" Weiss said as she tried to get back on her feet with dignity.
The explosion out front was heard all the way in the ballroom of the skyscraper, and caused several of the businessmen and women to start looking around with panicked looks on their faces. Torchwick, however, couldn't look calmer.
"About time they made their move" Roman thought to himself as he casually looked down on the chaos breaking out down below, silver cane still at his side.
"What's going on, Torchwick?" one of Roman's guests asked behind him.
"Oh, nothing" Roman replied playfully. "Just some street punks outside, nothing you need to worry about. My security is the best in the world, so they'll take care of it in no time at all".
Most of the White Fang guards in the room started making their way towards the elevators and stairways outside the ballroom, leaving only eight of them behind with Torchwick.
"Now's our chance!" Yang whispered as she peaked out the kitchen door. "I'll get into position, you see if you can find a gun somewhere".
"You don't have to tell me twice!" Ruby replied.
Outside, alarms continued to blare as The Saints descended upon the bank. Men and women dressed in red were suddenly everywhere along the streets, peppering fire into the skyscraper as civilians tried desperately to run to cover.
Blake was leading the charge into the building while Weiss was handling White Fang reinforcements from outside, and there seemed to be no end to the Faunus gangsters from either direction.
"Please, just let us go home!" a woman called out to Weiss as she huddled in a car with her daughter.
"Oh, stop whining!" Weiss said as she continued to use the car as cover as she fired at the White Fang. In spite of the annoying civilians, Weiss was actually quite pleased with the way the battle was going. The Saints hadn't been overwhelmed yet, and things were going much better than the last time they attacked the bank. That was, until a certain police osprey suddenly started hovering overhead.
"What are you doing?" Pyrrha's copilot shouted at the police captain. "You heard the mayor, we're not supposed to interfere!"
"There are innocent people down there! I can't just do nothing!" Pyrrha replied as she reached for the radio. "This is Pyrrha! Bring me osprey backup!"
After making her announcement, Captain Pyrrha grabbed an assault rifle from the back of the osprey jumped down behind an unsuspecting Saint. Pyrrha knocked the man out cold with the butt of her gun before taking aim at whatever gangsters she could see, most of whom were Saints.
"Shit" Weiss cursed. "Blake, we've got a situation back here!"
Blake turned around and saw the policewoman tearing her way through The Saints as she tried to stop the fighting long enough to get the civilians to safety.
"I'm on it!" Blake called, leaving the Roman's skyscraper to her crew.
Blake managed to get a few shots off at the red haired woman, but Pyrrha quickly spotted her and used her magnetic semblance to slam Blake's rifle right into the gangster's face. This was enough to daze the black haired woman long enough for Pyrrha to land several shots into Blake's right shoulder, knocking her over. Blake was not about to give up, however.
Rising from the ground, Blake charged towards Pyrrha without a gun. The policewoman hesitated to shoot someone who wasn't armed, but it turned out she didn't need to as the Blake dissolved to dust right before she reached the police chief.
Before Pyrrha could realize what had just happened, Blake popped up behind her and delivered a kick directly to the back of the officer's right knee, hoping to knock her to the ground. However, Pyrrha quickly recovered, and slammed her gun into Blake's side, separating the two before Pyrrha hit the ground.
Pyrrha got back up and started firing towards Blake, but the Faunus woman was quicker and ducked under the bullets, delivering a swift punch the center of Pyrrha's chest. This knocked the wind out of the policewoman and the gun from her hands, but she countered by grabbing onto Blake's arm and tossing her through the window of a nearby car parked in the middle of the street.
"My car!" cried out the man who was hiding underneath it.
"Sorry!" Pyrrha called out before she went to pick up her dropped assault rifle.
Blake managed to duck get out of and duck behind the car before Pyrrha opened fire again, causing the bullets to start tearing up the side of the car.
"Hey! Stop that!" the man under the car called out again.
"Sorry" Pyrrha said in between bursts. "I'm trying to save you".
"Yeah, well save my fucking car, lady! My insurance won't cover this!" he shouted angrily.
Weiss wasn't too far away, but she was dealing with the endless amounts of White Fang pouring down the streets to help Blake.
"Well, at least it can't get any worse" Blake said dejectedly.
It was at that moment that Pyrrha's backup finally arrived in the air, completely surrounding Torchwick's skyscraper and the gangsters battling out front.
"Attention! This is the police!" a voice said over a loudspeaker from one of the many ospreys now hovering overhead. "Put your hands in the air, or we will open fire!"
"Shit!" Weiss cursed. "We better give up".
But before Weiss could rise and put her one good hand in the air, an explosion suddenly rocked the nearest Osprey, and caused it to crash directly into the streets.
"What in the world?" Blake asked.
Blake looked up from her hiding place and saw a man with a spiky green Mohawk hanging out the side of a blue car with a rocket launcher in his hands and a fleet of similar blue cars following behind him. Their gunfire started immediately decimating any cop or White Fang that got in their way, but the remaining Saints were left untouched.
"Oh no" Pyrrha said to herself as she saw all of her ospreys turn and run away from the incoming gangsters. "Don't just leave me here!"
"Don't worry ladies, CRDL is here to kick ass and take names" the green haired man said as he exited the car and helped Blake get to her feet. "It's about time we put those White Fang bitches back in their place".
"Uh, thanks" Blake awkwardly responded. Weiss intervened before she could say anything else, however.
"Yes, well, it looks like you've got things covered out here" Weiss said, grabbing onto Blake's hand. "We'll just head inside now and kill Roman, if you don't mind".
"Shoot'em once for me!" he called before returning to his rampage outside.
Once she was close enough to the bank, Weiss let go of Blake's hand and summoned a white glyph in front of her to block the incoming fire from inside the bank. She then picked up a discarded pistol and stepped through the glyph, which shot her forward at mach speed and flying past all of the White Fang's shots. Five shots, five seconds, and six new dead bodies later and Weiss was the only one left in the lobby.
"Weiss, what the hell?" Blake said as she followed in behind her comrade. "That wasn't a very good idea".
"I don't care!" Weiss shouted. "Just get the vault open, poindexter, and have the boys load up on as much money as they can. I'll handle the upper floors".
"What the hell is your problem?" Blake asked, surprised to see Weiss acting even angrier than usual.
"I don't want those bastards to have a single cent".
A/N: Chapter 12 was starting to get very long and it had been a while since I last updated the story, so I decided to split it into two parts. I hope you don't mind.
As always, please let me know what you think of the story in a review!