Pesky storms aside, here's the next post FINALLY! Few days without power - and more importantly heat, really makes for a lousy week. And the internet, how I missed you so...
Time to see what shenanigans Yang and Blake can get into!
Blake pushed her food around on her plate, not looking up to meet Yang's gaze. After they ate they would be heading out; Yang still hadn't told her where they would be going. Aside from some banter between them the night before it had been impossible to get anything out of her partner.
The Faunus let out a sigh, taking a bite of her eggs. "What's Vale like?" She asked pensively. She had wondered for some time since leaving, and with no way of getting news she'd been left to mull over worst-case scenarios for months.
"You'd know if you hadn't left." Yang wasn't pulling her punches despite the earliness of the hour. Seeing Blake withdraw into herself she smiled, resting her chin on her artificial hand. "Pretty much what you'd expect. Beacon's still closed, probably won't re-open if I had to guess. City's slowly coming back together what with all the professors busting their butts trying to rebuild it."
"And the students?"
Yang shrugged, sticking a strip of bacon between her teeth and snacking on it. "Home, mostly. Ruby and the rest of team JNPR all ran off so, you know, that's cool. Dunno about the rest honestly. Don't really care."
Blake doubted that was true, even if they hadn't been close with many other students they had still been in it together. Many of them had fought together too – some dying in the process, but they had all shared a common goal. Then again who was she to rebuke Yang? She'd left everyone behind including her own team.
"CCT tower's probably gone for good until they make another one. No sign of Ozpin, and the whole kingdom's been on high alert. As far as crappy situations go this is pretty much the crappiest. Heck, even my dad's gone back to taking missions."
Yang glanced over and saw Blake's puzzled expression. "You didn't know he was a Huntsman? Pretty sure I told ya, but guess you just let it slip!" Grabbing a hardboiled egg, she threw it into the air, catching it in her mouth with a triumphant fist pump.
"Yeah, dad's been out on loads of missions. Helping to take Vale City back, making sure no Grimm end up on Patch, all kinds of junk. He hung around while I was busy feeling sorry for myself, but once I got better he started going again! I think he's having fun honestly. You know… As much fun as a person can have in this crappy situation."
She'd be hard pressed to qualify anything she'd done as of late as "fun". Blake glanced at a pair that had entered the tavern and, finding nothing of note with them, returned her eyes back to her plate.
"You gotta stop checking everyone that walks in here." Yang flashed a grin when Blake frowned at her. "You're paranoid, relax okay? You're acting like everyone wants to kill you."
"That's because for a while they did. That, or they were trying to kill someone else." The Faunus pushed her plate away and sighed, reclining in her chair. Running her hands over her face she scowled and itched at the bandages around her neck. She was healing quickly thanks to her burgeoning Aura, but it would be a while until she was back to 100%. And that did nothing to help the absence of a weapon, something she was acutely aware of after fleeing from the Ursa.
If Yang was stressed then she did a far better job of concealing it than Blake. "How are you so calm? About Haven, about Ruby and the others… You seem way too relaxed."
"I'm not, but whining and sulking isn't going to do anything to help it. No sense in being all mopey when it won't help anything!" Then, as if to add insult to injury, Yang threw in another shot at Blake. "Which you do way too much by the way. You kinda look like crap!"
Blake rolled her eyes and tried ignoring Yang. She did glance down at her reflection off her glass though, frowning seeing the state she was in. Fresh clothes and a shower didn't wash away the bags under her eyes, both of which were slightly red and dulled. She let out a sigh and ran a hand back through her hair.
"You don't have to get involved in this. I can handle Adam."
Yang scoffed and waved a hand at Blake. "Riiiight, because you did that so well. I guess you just threw yourself off a cliff in celebration huh?" She ignored the glare she received. "If he's going to Haven, and Rubes and the others are too, then we're going to the same place. Make sense to stick together."
"Then tell me where we're going."
"Nope!" Popped Yang, accentuating the 'p'. She folded her hands behind her head and flashed a playful grin in her partner's direction. "You don't need to know until we get there, and I really don't feel like telling ya. You're just going to have to trust me!"
Blake pushed her plate aside and rose up from her chair. She wasn't doing this with Yang – she didn't know why she was even having this conversation. Throwing Lien on the table she stormed out of the tavern, ears twitching irritably hearing Yang coming after her.
She didn't get far until a hand grabbed her arm to stop her. With a soft exhale Blake shrugged off the grip, turning to face Yang. "Do whatever you're planning on doing. Go find Ruby, go get Weiss, and let me worry about getting to Haven."
"You said you and those guys tried to send a warning, right?"
Blake frowned and nodded her head. They had, but now the two men who could have done that were dead; Tephro's fate was up in the air but Adam didn't take prisoners. Not Humans.
"If they're somewhere here in Mistral – Ruby and JNPR, then they'll probably be heading there to help. Call it a hunch. So, if we want to find them, we go to Haven."
"But we're not going to Haven. You're not telling me where we're going." Blake's eyes narrowed as a hand pat her head patronizingly, retracting before she could swat at it.
"They're probably going there but there's no telling if they're there or not. So we find them first, and then we head to the school. And where we're going is gonna help us find them!"
"Or, and here's a crazy idea," Blake interrupted, "You can find them and keep them away from Haven. If the warning got through then the school will already have help. And I'll be there."
Yang threw a punch beside Blake's head fast enough to cause a burst of air. Blake's eyes widened and shifted, glancing at the limb beside her ear, inches away. They flickered back to Yang's face and she swallowed uneasily at the smile she wore; red had crept into the blonde's eyes.
"And you'll get yourself killed. I didn't come all this way and find you just to let ya die on me." Yang pulled back and took a breath, letting her eyes return to their usual lilac color. "Come on Blake, think about what happened at Beacon. That wasn't just Adam and you know it, which means you can't handle it on your own!"
Yang snorted. "Hell, I doubt you can handle Adam on your own either!"
They walked in silence to Bumblebee, stashed near the edge of town in some bushes. There was little preventing anyone from stealing the bike – though Yang keeping the keys on her person complicated any thefts, she didn't want to take any chances. Blake eyed the bike warily as her partner dug it out, silently hoping the engine might have abruptly died and they'd have to walk.
No such luck. Bumblebee roared to life and Yang mounted her machine, patting the seat behind her. Any chance of her staying was squashed under Yang's stern gaze; either Blake would get on willingly or she'd be dragged along. She opted to take the seat and grab onto the sides, resigned to another horrifying ride.
There was no argument against Bumblebee being faster than any alternative; a horse was Blake's fastest option, and with no Lien to her name – she'd paid with a loan from Yang earlier, she couldn't afford one. The concern was if she'd arrive intact. Constant reassurances from her partner did little to assuage fears that they would crash, and on several occasions when the motorcycle was reared up, something she was positive Yang was doing on purpose, Blake felt her breakfast wanting to leave her.
The ride in of itself was peaceful otherwise, and Blake could understand why Yang enjoyed it so much. In the instances she could unbury her face from her partner's back she watched the scenery blur by, forest giving way to fields, exposing sprawling rivers, buildings dotting the landscape and an expansive, clear sky overhead.
It was a sensation of freedom that Blake rarely ever got to enjoy. No Grimm, no studies bearing down on her, and no Adam. For a few minutes she let the drone of Bumblebee's engine flush all thought from her mind and she enjoyed the trip. When they stopped at a small gas station it was with quiet disappointment that she dismounted.
"This is where we were going? A gas station?"
"To refill, duh. Plus, I gotta use the bathroom. Desperate times call for desperate measures!"
She didn't need to know that part. Blake agreed to refill the motorcycle while Yang rushed inside to use the facilities. This all felt so weird to her, being out with a teammate like this again. The blonde was making no real mention of what had happened outside a few jabs, and Blake made no effort to discuss it since last night either. Did neither want to talk about it? She supposed considering recent events they had bigger things to worry about.
Still though, should they talk about it? Blake hadn't the desire to and yet there was a tangible tension between them, one which wouldn't go away by just ignoring problems.
Yang hadn't come out after nearly fifteen minutes, prompting Blake to go in after her. When she found her partner sat at a counter enjoying a drink and some food she cleared her throat loudly. The blonde simply looked her way and flashed her a smile, mouth full of food.
"I was comin' out in a sec!" Blake narrowed her eyes and moved to the counter, realizing it was currently unstaffed.
"You didn't just take that food, did you?"
Yang shook her head and threw back another bite of her sandwich, flushing it down with her soda. Smacking her lips, she belched. "Nah, 'course not! Just wanted to grab a bite before we kept going, that's all!" She grabbed her half-eaten sandwich and held in in Blake's face, smirking when she pushed it away. "More for me!"
Blake sat down beside Yang and rubbed her temples, exhaling silently. "We're in a hurry, so why are we wasting time…?"
"'Ere not! 'M gettin' information!" The Faunus rolled her eyes and she scarfed down the last of her sandwich, cheeks puffing up comically; Blake might have laughed if she wasn't so irritated.
"And the man with my information is…!" Yang pointed to the back door as it opened, grinning broadly. In walked a man who Blake could only call 'nondescript'; brown hair, glasses, plain clothes and an apron with the shop's logo printed on the front. What she was more interested in was the map in his hands.
"I checked for you kid, this is about where people spotted them." The man stopped behind the counter and glanced up, looking at Blake confused.
"She's with me, it's cool." Yang explained while taking the map back. Her eyes scoured over the map and she nodded to herself, rolling it and tucking it away in her pocket. "What do I owe you?"
"Nothing, though I still don't think this is a good idea. I don't know what these people took from you but you don't want to go messing with bandits."
Bandits? Blake looked at Yang accusingly, crossing her arms over her chest. The blond smiled at her and simply shrugged.
"Thanks for worrying, but we got this! We're Huntresses, a few little bandits aren't gonna give us much trouble!"
The man didn't look the least bit reassured. "Missy, these aren't just any bandits you're looking for! Plenty of good folk lose their homes and more because of them. They're not a crowd you want to mess with!"
Blake opened her mouth to ask who they were discussing, pausing when Yang rose from her seat and placed Lien on the counter.
"We'll be fine, thanks for the meal." When her partner went back outside so too did Blake, glancing back at the clearly concerned man. Before Yang could get on the bike again she grabbed the blonde's arm to stop her.
"Who are we going after? What are bandits going to do to help us?"
"Plenty! I told you not to worry about it, didn't I?" Yang grinned and shrugged off Blake's hand. "When we get there it'll all make sense, promise! Now are you getting on or are you gonna hoof it to their camp?"
Blake answered by sliding on right behind Yang. Peering over her partner's shoulder she glanced over the map, brow knitting together in concern. "There's three locations circled. You have no idea where we're going do you?"
"That guy has no idea where we're going!" Yang corrected. "We'll find them though, they don't move that often. These are just places they'd been in the last year or so."
"And we're going to waste time checking all three? You do know there's a time limit on this right?"
If Yang was concerned about that she didn't show it. Blake reflexively grabbed onto her seat as Bumblebee's engine roared to life, nearly toppling backwards as they raced out of the station. She shouted at her partner for driving recklessly, drowned out by the howling wind around them. Why had she agreed to tag along again?
/+/+/+/+/+/
White Fang camps – while often hastily established, tended to be impressive. Anywhere from half a dozen to two dozen tents tended to form a perimeter, encircling the commander's which would sit in the middle. Everything about the way they traveled was designed to be erected and dismantled at a moment's notice; when the four kingdoms wanted your heads, you needed to be ready to move.
Mistral's bandits didn't appear to share that concern. When they stumbled upon the remains of a camp, Blake half expected there to still be people inside. After pushing open a weather-worn gate and stepping inside they found only themselves within the walls.
Yang went further into the camp to look for something, leaving Blake to explore on her own. What were they looking for exactly? She knew of a handful of bandit tribes in Mistral but with no banners present she couldn't tell whose camp this had been. The notion of working with bandits – and relying on them for help, just sat poorly with her. What in the world could they hope to gain here?
In a stack of barrels between tents Blake caught the glint of metal in the sunlight. Looking around for Yang she approached, peering inside and spotting swords within. Most looked rusted but a few seemed promising, and she was still without a blade. Knocking over the barrel she cringed as the sound of crashing metal filled the camp.
"Hey, watch what you're doing!" Yang's voice carried through the camp.
Blake rolled her eyes and ignored it. Kneeling in the grass she began pushing aside worn blades, taking out the few she could find that were serviceable. Clearly quantity over quality had been the concern; blade had warped and cracked in places they shouldn't, hinting at use of poor material.
She could only find a few that she deemed usable, and after striking a few against a stump only a handful could make it through a single fight. Nothing would compare to her own weapon, but eventually she found two swords which were roughly the same weight and not over-long. Blake tore a strip of canvas from one of the remaining tents and fashioned a belt around her waist with it, carefully sliding the weapons into place, one at either hip.
Yang was rifling through a crate when Blake found her at the back of the camp. Odds and ends had been strewn all over, and when her partner crushed the crate out of frustration she could only assume whatever she was after wasn't here.
"What did we come here for exactly?"
"To find the bandits, duh! I can't find any hint of where they might have gone though." Yang huffed and pulled her map out, scratching off a marked location. "I know they've been here – obviously, someone set all this up. But I figured they'd leave some clue where they went."
Blake glanced at the map and frowned. "Why are we checking old camps? Shouldn't we try finding the newest one?" There was seemingly no pattern to where these people settled; this camp was the furthest south, then there was one to the north, and one back west, towards the station.
"If I had to guess… They started near the station, then went south, then north. I don't see why they would come back down." Blake didn't know why they would go north either, everything was just conjecture at this point. She sighed when Yang tucked away the map again and started back towards the gates. No use in spending any more time around here than they had to.
Yang whistled behind her, reaching out and flicking one of the blades at Blake's hip. "Nice new gear! I guess that was what the crash was huh? Probably not going to work all that well though!" She smiled at the flick of her partner's ear, knowing she was annoying her. "Where's your weapon anyways?"
"Lost it." Blake answered stiffly, shoving the gate open again.
"Whadda ya mean you lost it?"
"I mean I lost it." Rolling her eyes, she sat on the back of Bumblebee, looking at Yang expectantly. That amused smile was so irritating.
Yang flipped her hair, smacking Blake in the face in the process. "We'll get you a new one! If I can replace an arm, you can replace a weapon!" She glanced back and saw Blake looking away, face sullen. A small part of her felt bad for doing this to her, but she deserved as much for running off.
"Anyways," Yang sang, flipping the ignition over and revving it to life, "We've got two more places to check! Hold on to your butt!"
/+/+/+/+/+/
Two more camps proved to yield nothing of value. While more recent than the first there was no way of telling which was the newest, meaning they didn't know whether to go north or south next. At the most northerly camp they had decided to rest for the evening and make use of the leftover structures. It wasn't much, but the walls and tents would protect them from Grimm and the elements alike.
Reluctant to use their emergency rations Blake offered to hunt while Yang fixed one of the tents for their use. She needed time away from her partner, her constant barbs and remarks beginning to grate. All were deserved – Blake had brought this upon herself, but that didn't mean she wanted to hear them.
Having had to endure the roar of Bumblebee's engine all day there was a definite solace in the silence of the forest. It felt like home, being surrounded by the sounds of nothing but nature; Beacon had been loud, Vale even more so, but there was a certain tranquility that nature had about it.
Even when nature played host to Grimm and animals alike. The steel clanging silently against the fabric of her clothing helped ease any tension she might have felt. Amazing what even a single sword could do for some peace of mind.
20 minutes had elapsed by the time Blake returned to the camp, carrying with her a freshly killed pair of rabbits. Yang was still fighting with the tents, leaving her to prepare the food herself. After skinning and throwing away the innards, Blake skewered their meals and put together a fire in the middle of a dirt path; no one lived here, it didn't matter where she cooked.
When Yang finally came around the rabbit had been cooked through, lightly seared, which did little to preserve the already flavorless meal they had. It beat going hungry though, Blake noted, and her partner didn't seem the least bit deterred as she tore into her share.
Blake stared at the dancing flames, her food hanging limply between her fingers. "Why didn't you just go right to Ruby…? Why look for me?" She looked at Yang for answers and frowned - the blonde's cheeks were distended like a chipmunk's.
"Huh? What's got ya bringing that up now?"
"Just answer the question!" Blake shouted.
Yang blinked at the forcefulness behind the demand. She let out a sigh and polished off her rabbit, holding the stick between her teeth. Blake watched as she rolled it between her lips and stare up at the sky, prompting her to do the same.
"To be totally honest I wasn't looking for ya." The Faunus' eyebrows rose slightly at the admission, her face falling a second after. "I was looking for Ruby. Well, I'm looking for the bandits to find Ruby. That make sense?"
It still didn't because Yang hadn't explained anything. Blake flicked her stick into the flame and watched as the fire engulfed it greedily. "So why save me then…? Don't you hate me?"
"Yep. What you did was crappy, and I'm still pissed at you for it." Yang glanced over at her crestfallen teammate. "Doesn't mean I want you dead though. I mean you still did save me back at Beacon. I guess you can think of it like repaying a favor."
"Why keep me around then? Taking me with you keeps you from getting to Ruby sooner."
Yang didn't answer immediately, leaving Blake to think it over herself. Why take her along? Saving her and leaving her back in town would have been enough. Yang didn't hate her – though she questioned how genuine that admission was;
"Would you rather I just leave you somewhere and go away?"
Blake wanted to say yes, but when she tried to voice it the words stuck in her throat. The truth was she wanted nothing more than to be with Yang and, if it should come to pass, her team and her friends. She needed to get back to her family as well but there was so much happening that she had to put even them on the sidelines for now.
Yang took the silence for an answer and smiled. "Look… Some people save someone to get even. Some people save someone and then never do it again, like you only get one shot at being saved and that's that." There was a look of bitterness on Yang's face that flickered for a moment before being replaced by another smile.
"I'm not either of those. There's a part of me that really hates you Blake. You left me, everyone did, but… I figured of all people you'd be there." Yang's smile turned sad and she leaned forward, draping her arms across her knees.
"I left because of Adam. I didn't want him to come back and attack again."
"And he didn't, which had nothing to do with you. Hate to break it to you, kitty cat, but your being there was a happy coincidence." Yang picked up a stone from underfoot and tossed it at the fire, watching sparks fly. "Let's be honest: you left because you were afraid. Which, hey, I get it. For a couple of months, I was afraid, still am. Having stuff like that happen to you really sucks."
Both girls let the silence fall around them as they gathered their thoughts. Blake's eyes shone with the reflection of the flame, nudging it occasionally to keep it alive. She hadn't a clue where to go with the conversation now, uncertain why she'd even brought it up again.
Thankfully, Yang broke the silence and spared her having to do so. "Are you mad I'm keeping you from going after Adam? I mean I know the guy's heading to Haven and so are we, but you had your whole mission going for you."
"It's a bust at this point. If I go back now I'll just be killed." Blake felt her heart rise to her throat and she rubbed at her face. "I've gotten enough people killed over this stupid revenge thing, you and the others should just go back to Vale."
"And I told you that's not happening. He wrecked out school – or they did, whoever's planning this crap. This isn't just revenge for you, ya know, it's for all of us. Which means you can't make us go back."
Blake shook her head, a shaky breath passing through her lips. Why would Yang listen to reason? She never had before, and now she was going to get their whole team killed with this stunt.
"Then let me handle Adam. You and the others can focus on protecting Haven, I can deal with him."
"If you could do that then he wouldn't be heading to Haven, now would he?" Yang threw another twig into the fire, reaching out and nudging a few sticks back in place. "Seriously, what are you worried about? We're all gonna be there, we'll be fine!"
"He's going to kill you!"
If the bandits were within five miles then they had just heard her. Blake hadn't meant to scream so loud, but the frustration welling inside of her was pouring out. "He'll make sure you're all killed if it means getting at me! He already tried having my dad killed, and he killed Greyson and Tephro! I'm not going to let anyone else die because of him!"
"You're going to just throw yourself at him and die doing it? That's your super plan?"
"It's better than letting someone else die for me!"
The crate Yang had been using for a chair creaked as her weight left it. Blake heard footsteps nearing and moved to get away from her partner, gasping when arms wrapped around her midsection. Her partner's chin came to rest on her shoulder and color drained from Blake's face.
"What are you doing…?"
"What's it look like I'm doing? Giving you a hug!" Yang tightened her grip when she felt Blake pull against her, relaxing it only once the Faunus settled back down. Her eyes watched the fire for a moment before closing lazily, a happy sigh passing through her lips.
Blake looked down at the arms around her – one real, the other fake. If not for her, if not for Adam being at Beacon…
"It's not your fault." Yang cooed. Blake broke out into chills despite the warm hand resting on her stomach, trying again uselessly to pull free from Yang's hold. "Adam attacked us, not you. Adam took my arm, and Adam's the one trying to attack Haven. So you ran away, whatever… You're trying to make it right. And we're gonna make it right, but we're gonna do it as a team."
She didn't get it. Did Yang hate her or did she forgive her? After what she'd done it would be perfectly reasonable for her partner to want nothing to do with her. So why then… Why was Yang trying to comfort her now?
Blake felt her throat start to burn, her vision blurring. She rubbed at her face and exhaled, cursing herself for the whine that escaped.
"You're all going to get yourselves killed. I can handle this… I can deal with Adam…"
"And what about the guys he's working with, huh? You gonna fight all of them too?"
"I can… I can find a way. I just need to warn Haven and they'll send help."
"If they get there in time. Or… We can all go and do what we couldn't at Beacon. Only this time we'll all be ready."
This wasn't their fight. Their lives didn't need to be put on the line. Blake had already gotten others close to her killed for this; Adam needed to be stopped and she needed to be the one to do it.
But then… She hadn't forced anyone else to fight had she? Greyson had come along because he wanted revenge, but also because he knew what a monster Adam was. He had just wanted to help and make sure Blake didn't throw her life away needlessly. The same could be said for her parents and all of those who had come from Menagerie, and Tephro, and now Yang.
"You'll all die… Just like they did." Behind the mask she was so desperately clinging to a wave of emotion threatened to crash against it and shatter it to pieces. Blake didn't want her partner or her friends to take this risk. She was tired of seeing people hurt and killed for this cause.
"Nah, we're pretty stubborn! He didn't get me the first time and that was his one shot." Blake could feel a heat enveloping her, and it wasn't from the fire at her front. One of Yang's hands grabbed her chin and her head was turned, heart wrenching in her chest as her and Yang's eyes met.
"We know what we'll be getting into, and we're going anyways. I don't care what you say, we're all still a team and that hasn't changed. Buckle up and get ready for tomorrow because we're going to be finding Rubes and the others! Count on it!" Yang recoiled a bit when Blake let out a choked sob, raising an eyebrow in surprise.
She was still mad at the Faunus for ditching her, but now she was even angrier for something else. "You were seriously going to just let yourself be killed for this weren't you?" Yang didn't expect an answer – not that Blake was in any state to provide one. She smiled and pulled her partner in for a hug, not caring for the tears that soaked through her jacket.
"Jeez… Look, this is all kinda… Weird, okay? And you're making me talk way more than I'm used to." Yang smiled and sat herself beside Blake, keeping her arms around her raven-haired companion.
"We're gonna stop him, Blake. Him and whatever idiots are stupid enough to be on his side. But we're going to do it together alright? Besides, if you go getting yourself killed then I can't kick your butt later for ditching me."
A counselor she was not, but Yang felt like they got a lot of stuff out there that needed to be said. She was angry with Blake, yes, but nowhere near as much as she thought she'd be. Seeing the woman in her arms, fast asleep and cheeks stained with tears, it was impossible to completely hate her. It was going to take some time but she was sure they'd be close again, just like before.
Yang left the fire burning when she brought Blake into the tent, giving the Faunus the bigger of the two bedrolls. Once certain Blake was out for the night she went back outside, taking a seat by the pit and giving the fire more fuel. If they managed to find the bandits tomorrow – and she was betting they did, then they should find Ruby and the others too.
She just hoped no one else had gotten to them first.
/+/+/+/+/+/
Blake was frustrated. Her frustration was not born of finding nothing in the second or third camps – though that was annoying. No, her frustration was stemming solely from a mouthy blonde beside her.
The scenery they found themselves in was serene; sitting atop a stone bridge which spanned a small stream, trees covering the pathway in shade and nothing but the gentle trickle of water below to disturb their thoughts. It should be relaxing, and yet Blake wanted to shove her food right in Yang's face.
"You were so adorable last night! Not the whole ugly crying part – that was gross. I mean when you were sleeping, you kept muttering things!"
Blake's face burned with embarrassment and she turned away. "I don't talk in my sleep, don't be ridiculous." She reached a hand out and caught herself when Yang playfully punched her arm, shooting a glare at her partner.
"Do too! You were all 'Oh Yang, I'm so sorry I left you, please forgive me!'" With a flair for the dramatic Yang had a hand to her forehead, leaning precariously back over the edge of the bridge. Blake silently hoped she would fall in.
"That definitely sounds like me." Blake remarked with a roll of her eyes. She bit down on her dry sandwich, chasing it with water to moisten it just a touch. Field rations were awful, but it was food.
"Okay maybe I made that last part up, but you totally said my name at least once!" She snickered at Blake's expense and looked to her friend, her smile becoming more sympathetic. "You also called for your parents a few times… You're really worried about them, aren't you?"
"Naturally. When I left my dad was bleeding and there were still Grimm. I'm sure they're fine, but…" She wasn't there to keep them safe, or even to just have the peace of mind they'd made it through okay. The only saving grace she had was the knowledge Adam had to be to Haven soon and couldn't be bothered to double back for them.
Yang slid off the wall and threw the rest of her food over the edge. It was crappy anyways; the fish would enjoy it more. Standing before Blake she placed her hands on her hips and studied her carefully.
"Your dad used to lead the White Fang, right? Didn't you tell me that once?" Blake nodded. "And almost all the Grimm were dead when you uh… Chased those guys, probably enough for even those green fighters to handle. And your dads probably got his Aura unlocked."
"What's your point?"
Yang grinned and pat Blake's shoulder. "My point, my dear kitty, is that your dad's probably fine! Scratch that, he's okay! Aura heals everything unless it's a totally lethal wound, and it didn't sound like his were. The others dealt with the Grimm and they got him help. Heck, we'll probably see them at Haven!"
Shame, Yang had almost reassured her. Blake hoped her dad was okay – obviously, as well as her mother and the rest. But she'd hoped that the injury to Ghira would deter anyone from fighting. Yang was probably right and they would forge on if they could.
"Then I guess we just have to settle things before they ever get there." Blake decided. Sliding off the wall and throwing the waste aside she glanced at Yang curiously. "For someone who hates me – "
"Is angry at you." Corrected Yang.
"Right. You're being awfully supportive. Last night too."
The brawler shrugged it off and smiled. "Duh, we're teammates! What else am I gonna do? Ignore you while you're wallowing?"
"No, that's not what I mean. I just… Yang, if you want to talk about what happened, or what you went through, I'm all ears."
"Duh, you have two pairs of them! Why do Faunus have two pairs anyways?"
Blake reached out to smack Yang's head, narrowing her eyes as the blonde skirted away playfully. "I don't know. And be serious for one second, okay? I know I left and I don't have any right to say this now, but I want to help. If you ever feel the need to say anything, I'm here."
"Thanks, Blakey, but I'm good! I had plenty of time to be miserable and pout when I was home, I'm good now." Good might be a stretch, but she wasn't a useless sack of flesh like she had been. Yang tossed her canteen to Blake and winked, heading back down the path to retrieve Bumblebee.
Resting against the side of Yang's bike, the two girls studied their map. None of the three locations marked by the shop keeper had given anything of use, though Blake did get some temporary weapons out of it. With just over a week remaining until the attack was scheduled they needed to figure out a way to Haven quickly.
Or to Ruby, which Blake still didn't understand how that would be possible. They should seriously just consider going right to Haven and hope to find the others along the way. It was a stretch, but then so was hunting down these bandits.
"There! We can stop at that town and ask around! They've been moving around the area, so these people gotta know something!"
Blake peered over Yang's shoulder to study the map. "Kuroyuri?" The name didn't mean anything to her, though it was close enough to check. Best case scenario they found Ruby and the others, worst case scenario they were only closer to Haven. "Sure, may as well. We can probably get there before nightfall and spend the night."
"Unless you wanna camp in the woods, fight some Grimm before bed!" Yang grinned at Blake's deadpan expression. "I'm kidding! We need to conserve our strength for the butt-whooping at Haven!"
Ignoring the fact Haven was still a week away, Blake hardly thought a skirmish with a few Grimm would do much. She had weapons now – simple swords, but weapons nonetheless, and Yang had… Well her fists. Two trained huntresses like themselves could dispatch Grimm no problem.
Kuroyuri was their best bet at getting anything done, and fighting Grimm was only going to hamper their progress, even if only slightly. After their brief lunch they were back on the road and making way towards their next stop.
Weaving through twisting trails forced them to stop several times to get their bearings. As the woods grew denser, the land rose with the trees, small hills turning into plateaus and even mountains in the distance. Far removed from the roaming plains and sparse-yet-lush forests nearer the coast; would Mistral become more rugged the further inland they traveled?
An hour had passed by when the girls finally came to a stop. They had yet to arrive at Kuroyuri, but had plenty of reason for pause. Before them at a fork in the road stood a sign, only two locales labeled. One was Mistral, pointing to the right, and the other was "Bandits". Or to be more exact, it was Kuroyuri, only etched out and painted over.
"Bandits don't write a warning for themselves…" Blake observed, frowning as she dismounted Bumblebee.
"Which means someone knows they're down there. But if bandits are in Kuroyuri…"
"Then we're already too late."
Yang drummed her fingers on the steering handlebar, clicking her tongue then grinning. "Nah… I think we're just in time, actually." She eased Bumblebee down Kuroyuri's path and pat the seat for Blake. 'Think about it, if someone made that sign then there's bandits down there. And who are we looking for?"
"There's no way of knowing if that's the group we're looking for."
"True! But even if it's not they're bound to know where this tribe is, which means we can still get what we need!"
Tribe? Blake passed it off as a slip of the tongue and looked down the road, then back at the signs. Just a little over a week remained and there was no knowing just how far Mistral was; the sign didn't have distances listed.
They had plenty of gas left in the tank, and with no leads on Ruby and the others they may as well consider this. Blake climbed back onto Bumblebee and held on for her life, lowering her head as they took off. Kuroyuri couldn't have been this close, and yet after only 10 minutes of driving they came to a stop. The town was nowhere in sight yet but the trees were thinning out, deliberately cut to make travel easier.
"No sense in telling them we're coming, best to go in on foot." Blake couldn't argue with that logic, dismounting and letting Yang hide away her vehicle. Checking the swords at her hips, she motioned to Yang that she was going ahead, getting a thumbs-up in exchange.
The blonde caught up shortly after, loading Ember Celica and checking to see if it was ready for use. "You're expecting a fight?"
"Nah, I'm expecting tea time with some bandits." Yang answered sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "We're gonna have to beat the information out of them, so uh… Well try not to kill them! Dead men don't do a whole lotta talking."
Blake made a face and Yang put her hands up defensively with a smirk. She didn't go around murdering people left and right despite how her stories made her sound. Nihoa was a mistake, sure, but she'd had to kill Sebastian and Norn to save other lives, and she hadn't killed a single White Fang soldier back there either.
Self-defense aside Yang wasn't exactly one to talk either; it was a wonder a single punch from her didn't kill most people, Aura or not.
Blake's ears flicked towards every little sound as they approached, her fingers never leaving the swords on her hips. Were they going to sneak up on the town? Try and catch the bandits unawares? If there were some in Kuroyuri then they might be the only lead they'd have, so it was a good idea not to spook them.
The town was certainly no longer in use, at least not by the original residents. The outer walls were coated in grime and in a state of disrepair, with vines growing up and splitting the stone. Behind the walls Blake could see the multi-story buildings, many rooves caved in and broken apart, others with gaping holes in the walls. Whatever had happened here happened a long time ago; it was disgusting that bandits would move into someone's home.
"Do we even know if there's anyone inside? I don't see any smoke."
Yang shrugged her shoulders and looked up at the sealed gates, placing her hands upon her hips. "No clue! But if the gates are closed then someone's gotta be in there!"
"In that case we'll wait until tonight, and if bandits are inside then we can sneak in and take someone hostage, question them." Her partner was staring at the gate with an intensity that Blake didn't care for. Narrowing her eyes slightly she stepped closer, frowning when she was eased back. "Yang…?"
"Waiting until night is gonna take too long! Besides, if no one's here then we're wasting all that time for nothin'!"
Yang rolled her shoulders then stepped back, lowering her stance and cocking Ember Celica. Blake's eyes widened and she tried to grab her partner. "Yang don't!"
"Knock knock, assholes!" A blast accompanying a bone-shattering punch impacted the gates, splintering the worn wood and tearing through it like tissue paper. Some caught fire, the rest crumbled away harmlessly, revealing Kuroyuri's interior.
And a group of very confused – and armed, bandits. Blake stared back at them before groaning and putting a hand over her face in disbelief. The more things change, the more they stay the same…
Yang was the only person present who saw nothing wrong with her grand entrance. That or she simply didn't care. Boasting a wide grin, she walked through the gates and ignored the weapons pointed at her, waving to the men and women inside.
"Hey guys, uh… Looking for someone, don't suppose you're willing to lend a girl a hand?" She snickered at her own unintentional pun, and only Blake's groan of disdain behind her met her joke. No one said a word, leaving Yang to tug at her collar and smile. "Jeez, tough crowd. I just want to chat, so if you guys could just answer a few questions…"
One of the bandits raised a rifle and fired at Yang, missing wide and striking the wall behind her. So much for negotiations. Before the man had a chance to shoot again he was knocked up in the air by an uppercut, spiraling and landing in a fountain some ways away.
Another man sporting a mullet watched this and sneered at Yang, aiming his pistol at her head. "You just made a big mistake there, blondie. Get them!" He fired a round and yelped as it was deflected, eyes widening in surprise. Blake stepped under his weapon and drove her head up into his chin, knocking a tooth loose and sending him sprawling to the dirt.
"Remember, no killin', Blakey! Just rough 'em up real good so they talk!"
Blake parried a man's sword and smacked him in the side of the head with the hilt of her own. "You don't have to tell me that!"
Yang's Aura soaked up a handful of bullets, and much to the chagrin of the shooter, the last he had. Holding the gun up like a bat he whimpered as it was punched and snapped in two, squealing when a hard kick between the legs sent him into the air. Yang grabbed his leg and spun on her back foot, using him like a bat and knocking away another bandit, sending them tumbling away.
It almost felt dirty, using your Semblance on a common bandit. The woman stared dumbly at the fading image her weapon had struck, uttering a faint groan as Blake smacked her in the back and knocked her out. A second bandit had come around behind her and cursed as his spear was cut in two, spinning from Blake's kick to the jaw and collapsing in a heap.
Blake watched as Yang unceremoniously threw a man into a nearby house, cringing at the clattering of pots and pans inside. So much for not trying to kill the poor people. Her ear pivoted hearing a weapon cock and she ducked beneath a gunshot, using one of the swords to deflect a bullet, her hand going numb from the vibrations.
The bandit tried to fire again and paled watching the barrel of the gun fall from the rest of the weapon. A quick elbow to the sternum made him gasp and drop his weapon, and a punch across the jaw knocked him out on the spot.
"Don't knock them all out, we still need to question one!"
Yang rolled her eyes, still holding onto a bandit by his shirt. "I know, don't lecture me, jeez!" She punched him again in the face and dropped him, dusting off her hands. Another bullet whizzed by her head and she smirked watching it pass by harmlessly, turning to face the man with the pistol.
"Either that gun sucks or you do, buddy. You really ought to work on… Your…" Was that a strand of her hair? Reaching out for it and watching it slip through her fingers she let out a growl. Red crept into her vision, and the air around her began to heat up.
Blake made no efforts to stop Yang's assault – she wanted no part of what her partner was right now. She watched as the bandit tried to strike Yang with the butt of his pistol, only for her to feint to the right and turn, punching him hard in the back and sending him crashing into another bandit. Blake cringed and looked around at the group, every one of them either unconscious or thoroughly out of the fight; seriously, how didn't Yang kill more people?
Yang had to give the guy props for not being out cold when she approached him. After kicking his pistol out of reach she grabbed him and hauled him to his feet, holding onto his shirt for support.
"Do you wanna chat now, or should we kick your butts some more?" When the man groaned and made no efforts to refuse, she smiled. Sitting him down on a nearby crate she put her hand on his shoulder. Her grip was anything but gentle.
"I'm looking for the Branwen tribe, you know them? Probably about… Oh I dunno, twenty of them? Fifty? I really don't know, I'm looking for their leader. Think you can help?"
The man groaned and rubbed his jaw, spitting to the side and grimacing feeling a gap in his teeth. "You kids are idiots if you think we're telling you anything. Give me one reason why – AGH!"
Yang's hand tightened its grip briefly before easing up, but the point got across. "Look buddy, we're in a hurry, so be a sweetheart and tell me what you know, alright? Unless you want to go for round two?"
The bandit looked around at his crew – each of them thoroughly whipped by these two girls, himself included. "Fine, fine, crap! Main camp's just east of here, few miles in fact. If you circle around the mountain up there then head north you'll find it before long."
Yang retracted her hand and the bandit nursed his shoulder, spitting again and cleaning his mouth of blood. "When our leader finds out what you did to us you're dead, you hear me? No way is she going to let two punks mess with her people and get away with it."
"Yeah… Kind of doubt that honestly. She is my mom after all." Blake hadn't missed that admission and stared alongside the bandit at Yang. These bandits they had been after all this time… Their leader was Yang's mom? No wonder she wasn't being told what the plan was!
"Welp, you heard the nice man Blakey, we're heading east! I guess we probably should have just gone towards Mistral huh?" With a smile Yang pat the man's head, laughing as he fell over and started muttering nervously to himself.
Blake followed Yang back out of Kuroyuri, glancing back only to make sure the bandits weren't dead. Some were coming to and helping the others, and not even one made a move to try and stop them; they knew better.
While Bumblebee was retrieved from her hiding place, Blake stared down Yang. Her eyes narrowed and arms crossed, a finger drumming on her bicep, she waited for an explanation. When her partner finally looked at her and gave a clueless smile she groaned and rolled her eyes.
"Your mom… How is she supposed to help us? And don't give me anymore of that 'You'll find out' nonsense, I'm already sick of your 'surprises'."
"Her semblance! Dad explained it to me, it'll get us to Ruby nice and quick." Yang swung her leg over her motorcycle and motioned for Blake to do the same. "Well, that's assuming what he told me is true and all, and she actually helps us. She's not exactly mom-of-the-year material so we're kind of banking on a random act of kindness."
"Your grand master plan… The thing we've spent two days on… Is all a gamble?"
Yang flashed an innocent smile and nodded. "More or less! I mean I plan on being a huge pain in the butt about it, and I'm not going to leave until she says yes. Just have a bit of faith in your ol' buddy Yang, I've got this!"
If Yang wasn't the only one who could drive the motorcycle, Blake would have knocked her out. Climbing behind her partner she did smack her upside the head, rolling her eyes at the blonde's smile. The corners of her own lips pulled up slightly despite her best efforts to remain annoyed and a soft chuckle passed through her lips.
"You still just fly by the seat of your pants, huh?"
"More or less!" Yang's smile had vanished as she wheeled Bumblebee back onto the road, aiming her right and kicking it off. No more goofing around, her mom wasn't going to be a pushover like these guys and was their one ticket to getting to Ruby and the others. She couldn't afford to screw this up.
/+/+/+/+/+/
"So… This is it, huh?"
"Yep."
"And… These guys are probably not just going to let us in?"
"Nope."
The two bandits at the gates exchanged glances before pushing their weapons in Blake and Yang's faces again. "We're right here you know!"
They were right there. And they were in the way. Blake looked away as Yang gave the guards a quick piece of her mind, stepping over them as her partner pushed the gates open. This was their most recent camp; several dozen pairs of eyes staring them down upon entry was proof.
With the grace of an Ursa in a china shop, Yang made their presence known. "I'm here to see Raven Branwen! We can do this the easy way, or the hard way! I don't mind kicking all of your butts to get to her!"
Blake groaned and put her face in her hand. Weapons were drawn and she looked at the crowd, then the back of Yang. "Seriously?"
"What, you think they weren't going to do this anyways?"
Probably not until you knocked out their guards. Blake stepped up alongside Yang and kept her hands up, nudging her partner to do the same. Don't pick a fight with the whole camp.
Thankfully something quelled the coming storm, though it wasn't Yang's mom – not unless Yang's mom was somehow only a few years older than they were. Whoever she was she carried herself with an air of confidence, and others got out of her way as she approached them. It might not be Yang's mom, but this was probably her second-in-command.
She did not seem impressed with the tribe's latest visitors. "And who are you two?" She asked, looking over Yang and Blake both.
"Raven's daughter and her friend. I'm here to speak to my mother." Yang folded her arms and cocked an eyebrow, her lips pulling up into a smirk. "You can tell her I'm here if you don't believe me."
Blake's hand hovered over one of her swords, watching the bandits every move. Fighting them was out of the question, but if they had to then she'd be ready. Meeting the woman's gaze, she let her hand ease off; if she wasn't armed then they weren't planning on fighting either.
"Names?" The woman asked.
"Yang Xiao Long. And my friend is Blake Belladonna," Yang added. "Mind getting her for us?"
The woman did mind, Blake suspected, but she looked to concede and abide by their request. This was good, much better than how she had expected things to go. Now they just had to awkwardly stand here with a few dozen bandits, none of whom seemed happy they were there. No big deal.
"You know… We could have told the guards at the gate what we were here for." Blake pointed out, sighing and glancing at Yang. "Would have saved us a lot of trouble. Instead you decided to knock them out."
Yang acknowledged this with a sheepish grin, itching her nose. Of course, she had considered that, but it was hard to be reasonable with a couple of idiots shoving rifles in your face. Besides, it had worked out, hadn't it?
"Nothing like a good first impression that really knocks 'em dead…" Yang joked weakly. She exchanges a look with Blake and smiles, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm not apologizing, I got us in, didn't I?"
Blake pinched the bridge of her nose. "And almost shot. But yeah… We're here, and in one piece."
Somehow, through everything she'd been through, Blake found herself standing in the middle of a bandit camp with Yang. How in the hell had she gone from a personal mission for revenge to becoming embroiled in a battle for Mistral's academy?
"This way, ma'am. They're by the gate."
Blake's ears swiveled and she looked up at the crowd as they began to part way. The woman before returned, looking pleased with herself now. Behind her another woman emerged, a mask at her hip, an ōdachi on the other. The resemblance between mother and daughter was uncanny, and she found herself looking between the woman and Yang in disbelief.
"Well this is a surprise… I hear that some of my men are beaten, my guards knocked out, and I'm expecting something more. But here you are."
Not exactly the warmest of welcomes. Not that Yang was expecting much. "I'm here to talk to you, and I expect you to listen."
Raven raised an eyebrow, a smile playing across her lips. "Bold too, I'm impressed. You and your little friend sure have some courage, strutting in here and confronting me like this. I didn't think you had it in you."
Well this was a warm reunion. Finding herself thinking of her own mother she couldn't help but draw comparisons between the two; Kali was warm, friendly and welcoming, and Raven was… Not that.
Was she being stared at? Blake looked back at Raven and realized the woman was staring her down, scrutinizing her even. Shifting uncomfortably, she cleared her throat, glancing at Yang who seemed rather angry her mother wasn't minding her.
"Are you going to listen, or are we going to have to make you listen?"
Raven's eyes flicked to Yang, her smile vanishing quickly. "I would think after Beacon you'd have gotten a little smarter. Still letting your emotions control you, I see." She ignored Yang's glower and looked back to Blake.
"Hm… Ghira Belladonna's daughter, here in my camp. And I figured I was through with your bothersome organization."
Blake's eyes widened, and she felt Yang tense at her side. "… You know my father?" How did a bandit know her dad? He'd never been involved in the more violent side of the White Fang, he should have no association with someone like this.
Raven rolled her neck and adjusted her ōdachi. "Most people do, he was the face of the White Fang at one point. Besides, I've seen you parading around with my daughter, playing Huntress with her."
Blake felt there was more to that but she left it alone. If her dad thought their history was important then he'd have brought it up, and they weren't here for her either. Nudging Yang on the side she nodded encouragingly; they needed to get this over with.
"I'll get to the point. I'm looking for Ruby, and you're going to help me get to her."
Raven wasn't enthused with that demand. "And why would I do that, exactly?"
"Because I know how your semblance works; dad explained it to me. She needs my help, and Qrow's with her. According to dad you have portals to a handful of people, and my uncle's one of them. You want to help your daughter, don't you, mom?"
"Or, instead of being an idiot, you stay here with me." The suggestion took Yang aback, and Raven pressed her proposal. "Your uncle is an idiot, and if Ruby is with him then she's a lost cause. Instead of running off with them, stay here. We can be a family."
Yang scowled hearing Raven utter those words. Pretty ironic coming from the person who tore hers apart. "I'm going to find Ruby, with or without your help. She's in Mistral somewhere, I just don't know where. And you're going to help me."
"And why would I do that?"
"Because we're family. And family helps each other."
Raven narrowed her eyes at Yang for a moment before exhaling. "I'm not sending you off to fight with my idiot brother. I'll rephrase what I said: You're staying here with me. The girl can go fight with them if she wants to."
"Why would she? We're going to Haven!" What kind of mother treated their child like this? Blake met Raven's gaze unflinchingly, her hand coming to rest on one of her swords. "Just do as she asks and we'll be on our way."
"No, I don't think I will. In fact, you girls are in no position to be making demands." Raven nodded to Vernal and sent her off. "What my brother is doing is his own business, and if Ruby is foolish enough to follow him, then you need to forget about her. Nothing good is going to come of what they're doing. Besides…"
Blake and Yang tried to look through the crowd, hearing poorly-oiled wheels squeaking. As the crowd parted way they saw the top of a cage, with two bandits pulling it along. Their eyes widened when the cage was presented to them, and Blake felt her heart stop.
Sat in the cage, covered in dirt and dressed in worn clothes, was a girl they knew all too well. Raven put on a smug smile, and to her right, Blake felt Yang erupt into a tower of literal flames, shielding her face from the heat.
Blake tried to intervene as ōdachi clashed with gauntlet, flames being sprayed from the impact of the weapons. The other woman cut her off however, her odd bladed weapons forcing her to back off and draw her own blades. Something didn't add up, her eyes flickering again to the cage. Her eyes met the captive's and she nodded, raising her swords to fend off an assault.
When had they captured Ruby?
I feel like M. Night Shyamalan would be proud of me for that switcheroo!
Also if this chapter didn't make it immediately apparent: some of this fanfic runs parallel to canon, but with clear deviations from the story-line. I just felt like certain events either needed to be explored more - or from a different perspective, and might be interesting if the dynamic was changed.
Hopefully the next chapter comes soon. Spring break here we go!