"Look Yang," Neo showed me a live video feed of the four military trucks pulling up outside the base, "they're here but I don't see any of your friends getting off those trucks. Maybe I did get lucky." She was right, all I felt was dread as uniformed soldiers got off those trucks.
"Ma'am, the airships are ready." She nodded at the man.
"Send them out then." The man nodded back and took off. A low rumbling filled the base as it shook all around us. The wall near their airships peeled back revealing the falling snow and fierce wind of the outside. Airship engines roared to life and dozens of people, armed to the teeth, climbed into them. Row by row the airships lifted off and flew out of the hangar. "Oh Yang, people are going to die today. And it's your fault." I spit blood out of my mouth at her feet.
"No, it's yours. You didn't have to do this. And now, when I get free, I'm going to take you down. Not Ruby, not Blake, not the military… me."
She smiled, "Well that's a nice thought, but no you won't. I've already won, you just can't see it yet. Bye now, Yang, if you live come find me again. We'll play some more." She grabbed a group of people and went over to an empty air ship and got on. It lifted off and flew out of the hangar. There was still a large force of her goons waiting for the military men outside. A large explosion shook the base as the door I was lead through when I got here was launched across the floor. Atlas military personnel stormed in, coming under fire from Neo's men.
I tried to stand but was too weak and fell out of the chair. I slowly used my right arm to drag myself along the floor trying to get to where Atlas was coming through. Need… to find… Ruby. My body was screaming at me, I was in so much pain. Just… keep… moving. I heard the roar of airship engines and looked over to see Atlas marked airships entering the hangar. The first one to land opened its doors and a red streak shot out, taking down the nearest bad guy. Even with the gunfire and explosions I could still hear her scream, "WHERE'S MY SISTER!" A large white knight appeared and started running rampant of Neo's men. Qrow, Blake, and the others piled out of the airship and joined the fight. I changed directions and started dragging myself to them, the only reason I could keep going was because my right arm couldn't feel pain.
I mustered as much strength as I could, "BLAKE!" Even from here I could see her ears perk up, making me smile. She scanned the room and finally zeroed in on me. She sprinted over to me and slid to a stop, dropping to her knees.
"Yang! Are you okay?" She quickly picked me up and carried me back to the airship, laying me down inside. "Wait right here." I was safe, I knew we would get out of here now that everyone had shown up. The last of my strength faded and I blacked out.
I was jostled awake. I was still in so much pain and my mouth still tasted like blood. I was tightly strapped into a seat and Ruby, Blake, and the others were sitting in similar seats. I groaned and spit some blood out of my mouth. "Yang!" Ruby shouted, she tried to fumble with her seat harness but Qrow held her back.
"Do not touch her. She's in a lot of pain." He turned to me. "We're flying to the academy. James has people there who will take care of you. You need to go back to sleep." I felt a hand on my shoulder and a wave of calm washed over me, putting me to sleep.
I faded in and out a couple of times. I would wake up for a few seconds, catch a fragment of conversation or hear someone's voice, and then fall back asleep. "That was… not fun." I looked at myself she was also covered in bruises. "What happened to you?" She rolled her eyes at me. "Obviously whatever happened to you." We were standing on nothing, there was black all around us. "I'm going to kill Neo." She looked at me surprised. "Whoa, that's a little intense, even for you." I shook my head at her. "No, it's the right amount of intensity. We're going to get better, then we're going to find Neo." She was about to say something back but stopped. "Oh, you're waking up."
I slowly opened my eyes, it was dark in the room. The digital clock on the wall said it was close to midnight. I was lying in a large bed, the monitors next to me displaying different data like in a hospital drama. There was a small table attached to the right of the bed and it had a scroll sitting on it. I grabbed it and opened the messaging system. I put in Blake's contact and typed in a message. "Hey where are you?" Not even five seconds after I sent it I got a message back. "We'll be right there." I set the scroll down on the table and waited. Two minutes later Blake, Ruby, and Weiss were sitting on the edge of the bed. "It was Neo," I told them, "she was after Ruby, kept spouting off all this nonsense about revenge for Roman and fulfilling his dream."
They looked at me confused. "I thought Neo couldn't talk." I shook my head at Ruby.
"She couldn't, but when she got here to Atlas she had some kind of surgery to fix her voice." I looked at the three of them and asked them the question I didn't want to know the answer to. "How many people died?" The look of shock on their faces told me they weren't expecting that question. They looked back and forth at each other. "Don't ignore me! How many people died trying to rescue me?!"
Weiss put her hand on my shoulder. "There were thirteen casualties." Neo was right, their blood was on my hands.
"I don't want to talk anymore."
Ruby tried to speak up. "But Yang it wasn-"
"I said I don't want to talk anymore." Ruby and Weiss got up from the bed and left, leaving me and Blake. She stood up and walked over to me, kissing me on the forehead.
"It's not your fault Yang. Let me know if you need anything… I love you." I wanted to say it back as she walked out of the room but I just couldn't. Because of me thirteen people lost their lives, thirteen people don't get to see their families anymore. All because I fell right into Neo's trap. I closed my eyes and went back to sleep.
I woke up the next morning to muffled voices and the door to my room opening. A man in a button up and a tie walked in with five kids in uniform. "Ah you're awake, good, good. Well students this will make it easier to get your readings and get some practice in." I looked at the man confused.
"What's going on here?" One of the students started recording the data from the monitors.
"Ah, you see with school back in session and all, we are holding classes again. These students are part of my medical class where we teach them how to take care of a fellow wounded Huntsmen or Huntress while out on missions." I shook my head.
"Oh no, no, no. I am not some class project. Where's Ironwood?" The teacher raised an eyebrow at me.
"The Headmaster? I imagine he's in his office." One of the students approached me with a large needle.
"No, you stay away from me."
"Yang just let the students do their work." Blake walked in and the student restrained my arm while I was distracted.
"I'm not a class project Blake."
"Well right now you are so just let them do what they need to do." They checked my blood pressure, pulse, ran a quick scan of my vitals and aura levels, and checked my left arm and drew a little bit of blood. They asked me a few questions and gave me some pain medication.
"Thank you for being cooperative Miss Xiao Long." The teacher smiled and led the students out of the room.
"Blake… I'm sorry. I wanted to say, 'I love you' last night but I… I just couldn't. I know it's not my fault but I… I just…" Tears started forming in my eyes and Blake hugged me comfortingly.
"It's okay Yang. I know how you feel, I felt the same way after Adam attacked Beacon and when you lost your arm. I blamed myself but it wasn't my fault, no matter how much I thought it was." I cried into her shoulder for a few minutes before pulling away. "I brought you some clean clothes. Can you shower by yourself?"
I smiled at her through the tears. "Will you shower with me if I say no?" She smiled back and shook her head.
"No, I'll go back and grab one of the students to soak you down." I grimaced and slowly shifted my legs over the edge of the bed. I stood up slowly and took a small step forward, testing myself.
"Yeah I think I can manage." I wiped the tears from my eyes as she smiled and placed my clean clothes on the bed.
"Okay, shower, get dressed, and we'll go see Ironwood. He wants to know about what happened." I nodded and closed the bathroom door behind me. I still had a medical sleeve on my left arm but this one was different, it had a few small screens and Atlas was printed on it.
After I showered and got dressed, Blake led me to Ironwood's office. "Ruby, Weiss, and I have been staying on campus for the past couple of days while you've recovered." I stopped her.
"Days? I mean I know I was with Neo for a week but how long was I out?" Blake shrugged.
"About three or four days maybe? I didn't sleep much so it's kind of hard to tell." I didn't notice it at first but she did have dark circles under her eyes. We stopped in front of a pair of large steel doors. Blake knocked and announced us. "Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao Long." The doors opened and Blake led me inside.
Ironwood looked up from his desk and leaned back in his chair. "Ah Yang, it's good to see you're making a recovery. I hope my students didn't bother you too much, normally they only have lectures and practice dummies to go off of. I assumed letting them practice on an actual patient would be a good change of pace." He smiled warmly as we sat down across from him.
"It was annoying but bearable." He moved all the paperwork off of his desk and got down to business.
"I know that this whole event must have been traumatizing for you, but can you tell me what happened?" I thought back.
"Well I guess it all started when I saved a little boy. He ran out into traffic and I stopped him from getting hit by a truck. A girl approached me and made some quick conversation and then left. I ran into her again at this ice cream shop, except it wasn't just some random girl. It was Neo, Roman Torchwick's partner. She had drugged my ice cream and then I woke up in the back of a semi-trailer. We ended up in the mountains and she held me at her base. She talked to me a lot while I was her prisoner, even was nice to me and let me out of my holding cell. She told me that after Beacon she snuck away on a ship and came to Atlas. While here she got her voice fixed and slowly gathered a force. She said that all she was trying to do was continue Roman's plans… his dream. She wants to destabilize government all over the world so the people without any power can rise up and fight back." Ironwood was typing down everything that I had been saying, entering it into a data log. "She kept trying to make me understand why she was doing it. The only reason she took me though, was so she could get to Ruby. She blames Ruby for Roman's death. When I refused to see things her way, they beat me… viciously. She sent my location to Ruby so they would come rescue me. Then they loaded up their airships with a lot of supplies and weapons and took off. She never said where they were going. The last thing she told me was that if I survive, to come find her." I finished my story and sat quietly as Ironwood typed the rest of it down.
"That base they were using was an old Atlas storage facility. We had many storage facilities tucked away, but we stopped using them years ago. But now I'm inclined to send groups to check on all of them. Yang, I can't apologize enough for this whole situation. Anyone in Atlas is under my protection, and I let you down. Neo escaped this time but I have my best men and women working on tracking her down. She won't evade us for long." I didn't know what she was planning. She went on and on about getting revenge on Ruby but then left before waiting to see if she actually killed her. It was almost as she were... broken? I think that's the right description.
"She seemed very unstable when I talked with her. But I also think she's smarter than she was letting on. She's definitely more dangerous than Roman ever was." Ironwood nodded.
"And she's got my technology. But while we're on the subject of technology, I had your arm upgraded while you were resting. We took one of Ember Celica and had it built into your arm for you. We've also reinforced it and added Dust capabilities to it as well. You can cycle through Dust chambers to add elemental effects to the blasts from Ember Celica. We've done the same the same to the other Ember Celica as well. You're more than welcome to test them out in a sparring match if you'd like. We have plenty of capable students here."
I shook my head. "No, it's fine. I have Blake if I need to train. But going back to Neo, how did she even get any Atlas technology? Aren't you guys super advanced when it comes to security. I mean she even had some of the knights with her."
Ironwood sighed. "Over the past couple of months, more and more of our supplies and resources have disappeared. There haven't been any attacks though. What I'm coming to understand is that there is a traitor or traitors. I'm not sure how many or who but there can't be much other explanation for it. I've kept it quiet to keep the public opinion of us stable. That's why I'm putting a lot of effort into tracking Neo down. If she attacks the public with Atlas technology then that may be the end of the Atlas Military." He took a drink from his coffee, the stress he was under prevalent on his face. "Now, I'm sorry for being rude but I must get back to my work. I've informed the professors that your team would be here on campus and they shouldn't bother you. Feel free to use any of the facilities we have here or even sit in on a few classes if you'd like. And one last thing," He turned and looked directly at me, "I'd like you to stay for one more day, just to make sure there aren't any lasting effects. I hope you understand."
I groaned and Blake elbowed me in the side. "She's fine with it. Sorry for taking up so much of your time. Please let us know if you find anything out about Neo."
He nodded as the door to his office slid open. "I'll contact Qrow immediately if anything comes up." Blake got up and pushed her chair in.
"I have one last question. Well more of a request. Can you let our dad know that Ruby and I are okay? I know it's hard to communicate with Vale but you must have a way."
He smiled and nodded. "Sure, I'll let Tai know you two are fine." I got up and pushed my chair in.
"Thanks General. We'll be seein ya." We left the office and I groaned. "I don't wanna stay here another night. I wanna go back to Weiss'." She jabbed me in the side.
"Quit complaining. We were all worried about you, and we still are. I mean look at you, you're doing better but you still have some scrapes and bruises and your arm is still broken! Just quit being stubborn and think about how you'd feel if I was in your position!" She didn't hit me, but I recoiled and felt a pull on my heart. I looked at her and saw tears forming in the corners of her eyes.
"I... you're right. I'm sorry, I just... I can't just wait around while Neo is out there. She's after Ruby, and now she's probably after you and everyone else. I'm just trying to protect everyone." I dropped my arms to the side in defeat, my last sentence barely a whisper. She knocked me on the forehead with her knuckle.
"You can't do everything by yourself, when are you gonna learn that? You have to start thinking of us before you go off and do something stupid, take our feelings into account. You're staying here for the night, and that's final." She wrapped her arms around me. "I'm sick of seeing you get hurt." I hugged her back.
"I'm sorry, I know that I'd be devastated if anything like what happened to me happens to you. I never once stopped to think about how everyone else felt. I'll stay here and I won't complain, but you owe me." She frowned at me, wiping her eyes, but I couldn't help but smile.
"That's not how this works Yang." I crossed my arms.
"It does with me." Her frown broke into a shy smile.
"I'm going to regret this, aren't I?" I nodded confidently, grinning.
"Yes you are." This time it was Blake who groaned.
"Are you... feeling better?" We were sitting at a table in the dining hall. Ruby was sitting across from me, her question hanging in the air.
"Yeah, I'm doing fine. I'm... sorry for making you worry so much. And for being so cold last night. I was... upset." Ruby sighed in relief and Weiss smiled comfortingly.
"It's okay Yang, you're safe. That's what matters most." I took a bite of my steak.
"Yeah but I have to stay here for another night. I'd rather go back and sleep in the comfy bed at your place." I felt Blake's elbow in my side again, and I could feel her glare.
"I thought we agreed that you wouldn't complain." I laughed awkwardly and scratched my head.
"Yeah... so what are we gonna do today?" Ruby grabbed Crescent Rose and held it tightly.
"Mr. Ironwood gave me some cool upgrades for Crescent Rose and I can't wait to try them out! He gave us all upgrades!" I looked at Blake and Weiss and they both nodded.
"Myrtenaster can now combine Dust from its different chambers to create new effects."
"And Gambol Shroud's blade has been reinforced to cut through thicker material and it's sheath edge can now be enhanced with Dust, just like my Semblance."
I looked at Ruby as she cuddled Crescent Rose."My baby has a whole bunch of new secret tricks up her sleeve." I took another bite of my steak and washed it down with some juice.
"Speaking of sleeves, what's that on your arm?" Weiss questioned.
"It's a medical sleeve, it's supposed to broken bones in place so they heal better. It eliminates the need for a cast. At least that's what... Neo told me..." I still felt uncomfortable talking about her.
"I heard one of the medical personnel here at the academy say that this newer model enhances the wearer's Aura to help speed the mending and recovery." Blake added. I looked at it, if this sleeve really could do all of that I was surprised they weren't being used a lot more.
"I feel like a glorified guinea pig." I complained.
Blake shoved more steak into my mouth."Just shut up and eat your steak dork."
I chewed my steak and swallowed. "Speaking of dorks, I wonder when Team SSSN is going to meet us. I thought they said they were going to meet us in Atlas." I remembered what Sun had said before he left Mistral.
"Yeah you're right. Neptune doesn't like the water so they had to have flown. They should have beat us here." Weiss was right, there's no way Neptune would've got on a boat. If they had flown here, they would have beat us by a few days.
"So where are they then?" Ruby asked. I looked over at Blake as she pulled her scroll out.
"I don't have any messages from him. I can try calling him and see if he answers." She dialed him and we waited.
"Yo, Blake! What's up?" She put it on speaker so we could all hear him.
"Where are you guys? I thought you were going to meet us in Atlas? We've been here over a week now." There was nervous laughing on the other end.
"Yeeeeeeaaaaaaaah, about that. We're gonna be another day or so. We couldn't get an airship so our only other option was a boat. It took some... persuasion to get Neptune on the ship."
I chimed in. "What exactly do you mean persuade?"
"Oh, Yang, hey. And I say persuade but I really mean Scarlet, Sage, and I snuck him onto the ship while he was sleeping. Needless to say he was less than pleased when he woke up. Are Ruby and Weiss with you too?"
"Hi Sun!" Ruby greeted happily.
"Hello Sun, tell the rest of your team we said hello." Weiss added.
"Yeah I will. I'll give you guys a call when we get close. Where should we meet up?" I looked at the others and then spoke up. "Atlas Academy, we'll send someone to pick you four up." There was a pause on the other end.
"Okay, yeah, cool. We'll see you guys tomorrow."
He hung up and Blake set the phone down."Well that solves that." We didn't really fill Sun in after Haven and he probably filled in the rest of his team even worse.
"So what are we going to tell them once they get here?" I pushed my potatoes around with my fork and waited for an answer.
"Well we're going to have to tell them the truth. They need to know what they're getting into... what's at stake. They need to be given the choice to back out, just like we were given." Weiss was right, we were all given choices up to this point. Sun and his team weren't though. Sun just agreed to help without really knowing what they were getting themselves into.
"I don't think we need to worry. Sun, Neptune, Scarlet, and Sage are tough. I don't think they'll just run away from this." "Ruby's also had a point. If I've learned anything about Sun from the time I spent with him it's that he'll always have your back. I'm sure Neptune, Sage, and Scarlet are the same. They'll have our backs if we ask them to."
I set my fork down on the plate. "Do we ask them though?" The other three got quiet. "Think about what just happened to me. Think about Weiss, she almost died in Haven. I don't want to put them through that. I don't want to put you guys through that again. I was terrified over that whole situation... I know it was worse for you three. More people means we'll be safer... but that's also more backs to watch." I missed Sun, Neptune, and the others... I really did. But after everything that's happened, I'm not sure if bringing in more people is the best idea.
"You're right." Out of everyone to agree with me I wasn't expecting it to be Ruby. "I don't really want to ask them either. But we need their help. We need every friend and ally we can get... because we're stronger when we stand together. I know you're worried Yang, I am too, but we need to do this. Do you trust me?" I nodded.
"Of course I trust you, what kind of question is that?" I sighed. "You're our leader, if you say we need to ask them for their help, then we'll ask. I just wanted to let you know how I felt." I pushed my plate away, I didn't want to eat anymore.
"Well we have a day until they get here. What do we do in the meantime?" I wanted to test out Ember Celica but my left arm probably wasn't fit enough to run an actual practice match.
"You think Ironwood would know if I snuck off campus?" I smiled slyly, an idea forming.
"You're not leaving campus." Blake stated coldly.
"Come on Blake. It'll be worth your while." I finished the last bit off with a sing-song voice.
"No, you need to stay on campus in case anything happens to you."
I pouted and leaned on her. "You're no fun."
She laughed a little at my remark. "You chose to date me."
I smiled and kissed her on the cheek. "Yeah, you're right." As I pulled away I noticed that Blake smelled… different, in a good way. "Blake, are you using a new shampoo?"
She inched away slightly, her ears pressed against her head. "No, why do you ask?" Her voice was wavering.
I scooted closer. "You smell amazing."
She stood up quickly. "Hey, so what did you want to do off of campus?"
She was distracting me, trying to divert my attention. "No, no, no, that's not going to work." I forced her to sit back down.
"Is something wrong Blake?" She shook her head but I could tell she was lying.
"No Ruby, everything's fine I'm just..." Her fingers were rapidly tapping against the table and she was rubbing her legs together. I felt my eyes widen when I figured it out.
"Oh my gods, you have got to be kidding me. No way!" Blake looked at me, her face flushed with embarrassment.
"Shut up!"
Ruby jumped up and put her hands on the table, "What, what is it!?" I felt bad because I was laughing so hard and couldn't speak.
"Come on Ruby, I think we should go."
"But-" Weiss grabbed Ruby by the arm and pulled her away, Ruby protesting the whole time.
Blake started hitting me to get me to stop laughing. "Hey," I managed to get out through the laughter, "don't hit me I'm injured." She looked at me, her face a mix of anger and embarrassment.
"Don't be an ass and I won't have to hit you." She looked so adorable I just pulled her into a hug.
"I couldn't help it, you tried so hard to hide it but your body gave you away." She struggled to get away from me but I didn't let go.
"It's not my fault my body's this way." she whispered. I giggled as she relaxed into my arms.
"How long?" I asked, finally letting her go.
"Since yesterday. And it normally lasts a week." She hit me again as I tried to stifle a laugh.
"Oh, I am going to have so much fun with you. And the best part is you're totally gonna want it."
Her face flushed again as she tried to hit me. "Not if I say no."
I smirked at her, a look of challenge on my face. "They only thing you're going to be saying is 'Oh yes, Yang! Oh my gods, yes!'." I pinned her arms to the side so she couldn't take another swing at me and picked her up from the table. She tried to scratch at my arm but the sleeve was covering my skin.
"Let go of me Yang." I laughed and carried her away.
"Nah, let's go find an empty room. I have this fantasy about an empty classroom, you, and me." She was struggling and kicking so I finally put her down.
"That was not funny." she growled.
"Aw did I upset my wittle kitty?" She stormed away in a huff and I followed her.
"Come on Blake, I was only kidding." I was following her down a hallway while she ignored me. "You can't ignore me forever."
"I can try." I followed her through a set of double doors that led to a library. "This place is supposed to be quiet, maybe you should wait outside."
I frowned at her, she was really committing to this. "Fine, you win this round." I left her in the bookshelves and went looking for Weiss and Ruby. Maybe they'll want to do something fun. I quickly realized I had no idea where I was and couldn't find my way back to the library. I found a bench and sat down so I could message Ruby. "Hey, I'm lost, can you come find me?" I set the scroll back down and waited for a reply. I watched a couple of students walk by, carrying bags and books and talking about whatever class they were coming from. Atlas was way bigger than Beacon, and everything looked similar. The hallways were neat and uniform and the doors were all the same style, the only difference being the number etched into each door. The Scroll buzzed with a message. "Yeah, sit tight. Weiss and I will come find you." I sat around and waited on Ruby and Weiss, I had no idea how they planned to track me down.
"Hi, you're Yang, right?" A boy maybe around my age or a little younger approached me, he was in a school uniform.
"Yeah, do I know you?" He shook his head.
"We didn't officially meet but I was one of the students in Professor Argent's medical class this morning. My name's Lukas Verde." So he was one of the kids who ran those stupid tests.
"Nice to meet you. You already know my name." He stood nervously. "Do you want to sit down?"
He nodded and sat on the opposite end of the bench. "So... were you and your team really at Beacon during the Fall?" I nodded, flashing back. The Grimm, the terror, The White Fang... Adam.
"Yeah, we were there. It was... awful." I looked down at the cold yellow and black metal.
"I'm sorry to hear about that. It must have been traumatizing." I nodded.
"It was, everybody lost something that night." I lifted my right arm up and wiggled my fingers. "Some more than others." I brought my arm back down and rested it in my lap.
"That's Atlas tech, right?" I nodded.
"Yeah, its manufacture overseen by Ironwood himself."
"Yang!" I looked off to my left and saw Ruby waving her hand, her red and white hair bobbing back and forth, Weiss was walking right next to her.
"There's my sister and her partner. I'll see you around Lukas." I got up and joined Ruby and Weiss.
"Where's Blake?" Ruby asked.
Weiss lightly elbowed her in the side. "What did I say?"
I shook my head and laughed. "She's in the library. I annoyed her a little too much."
Weiss sighed. "I swear neither of you two know how to treat a lady." I raised an eyebrow at her.
"And you do? Blake may get annoyed but she still loves me. Just like you still love Ruby." The red in her face really stood out against her white hair.
"Oh shut up you brute."
"Hey last time I checked me being a brute saved us on more than one occasion." Ruby put her headphones on to ignore us as Weiss and I bickered down the hallway.
"Some problems can't be solved by just punching them away, Yang."
My voice dropped to a whisper. "You think I don't know that?" She didn't respond, a look of concern on her face. "I got us disqualified from the Vytal Festival because I tried to punch the problem away. Regardless of what everyone else saw, I saw Mercury lunge at me and my first instinct was to break his leg instead of dodging and letting the officials sort it out."
"Yang I didn't mean-"
"I lost my arm because I saw Blake get hurt and my first reaction was to attack Adam, not rescue Blake. I have a broken arm right now because I tried to fight my way out of Neo's base instead of just sitting tight and waiting for a rescue. I know every problem can't be solved just by punching it… because I know what happens when it doesn't work."
"Yang, that's not what I meant and you know it." It didn't matter how she meant it, she was still right. "You're a great person, and a great Huntress, because even if you charge in recklessly you're doing it to help others. We just don't want to see you get hurt anymore." I know she was trying to help, but it was only making me feel worse.
I laid my hand on her shoulder. "Can we just… go do something fun?"
Weiss nodded and pulled Ruby's headphones off. "We're done arguing dork. Yang wants to do something fun, so let's go shopping. After all, even if Winter is currently the one taking care of everything, I am the future president of the Schnee Dust Company."
This was news to me. "When did this happen?"
Ruby chimed in quickly. "Last week. Seeing as Weiss is still too young and is still in school, the board chose to appoint Winter as their Dad's aid until Weiss can take control."
I turned from Ruby to Weiss. "Your dad is still running things?"
She thought about it for a second. "In a way, yes. But he must run all of his ideas and actions by Winter first and she has to okay them before it happens. If he chooses to disobey the board's orders they will remove him from the company entirely and turn it over to Winter until I can take over. He's not happy about the arrangement, but at this point there's nothing left he can do. The best he or Whitley can hope for is that they prove to me that they are trustworthy enough to work for me someday, harsh as that may sound."
I smiled a little. "Well I'm happy that everything worked out for you. But how will the world react to Madam President and her wife Madam Other President?" I teased. Both Ruby's and Weiss's face burned crimson at my remark.
"Yang, you are the worst!" Ruby huffed.
"I'm starting to think maybe I should just leave you behind while Ruby and I go shopping instead."
I grabbed them both by the shoulders and pulled them in. "Now will Ruby be Missus Rose-Schnee, or will Weiss be Missus Schnee-Rose?"
My punishment for teasing both of them was to carry all the shopping bags while we were out. I currently had eight hanging from my arms and Ruby was about to add two more. "I already said I was sorry, can one of you please carry some of these?" Ruby ignored me as she placed another bag around each of my arms.
"Come on Weiss let's go there next." Ruby said excitedly, pointing to a store on the mall map.
"I don't know Ruby, that's a long way to walk when you're carrying ten bags. I don't think Yang can make it."
I glared at her as she smirked my way." This isn't funny anymore. I'm tired, and Blake's gonna be mad at me if she finds out I left campus."
Weiss sighed. "She does have a point Ruby. We should head back." Weiss grabbed her by the hood as she tried to run away.
"But I don't wanna go back yet. I'm not done shopping."
"If I'm done shopping, then you're done shopping. You don't have any money." Ruby pouted as Weiss dragged her towards the exit with me following close behind them. A car was waiting for us at the curb and I put the bags in the trunk. Theo was driving again.
"Will we be heading back to the manor?" He asked.
Weiss shook her head as she got in the car. "No, we need to return to the academy and after that if it's not too much trouble I'd like you to take our bags back to the manor."
He smiled at us in the rear-view mirror and nodded. "Of course, Mistress Schnee." We rode in silence back to the academy.
"Oh no." I groaned. As we were pulling up to the front of the academy I could see Blake standing on the steps, watching our car approach.
"She's going to be so mad at you." Ruby sang.
"Tell me about it." We pulled up and I got out of the car, Ruby and Weiss following. "Look, I know you didn't want me to leave campus, but I was with Ruby and Weiss and all we did was go shopping so please don't be mad at me. I even bought you something."
I looked at her with the puppy-dog eyes I learned from Ruby until she finally gave in and smiled. "I'm not mad. I'm a little annoyed you didn't listen to me but you were responsible and stayed with Ruby and Weiss so I can't really fault you. Just next time let me know, okay?"
I nodded and smiled. "Yeah okay." Theo shut the doors of the car and drove off.
"So, where's my present?" I pointed to the car as it disappeared from sight.
"There it goes. Don't worry though, it'll be waiting at Weiss' when we get back." She looked a little disappointed that she wouldn't be getting right now. I smacked her butt as I ran past her and up the rest of the stairs. "Come on, there's still stuff we can do here."
She jolted at my touch and turned on me. "Yang, get back here! That was incredibly inappropriate!" I laughed and ran down the hallway as she chased after me, Ruby and Weiss not far behind. It wasn't much, but it was a break from all the world ending threats. To just have fun like we did back at Beacon… we needed this.
It was getting dark out. We claimed a table in the cafeteria and were all eating dinner. "Today could've been worse, I guess." I ignored Blake's grouchy mood and took a bite of my chicken.
"Hey, just admit that you enjoyed yourself. I mean watching you and Ruby take those two guys in a training match was pretty awesome." Earlier we were paged and asked to sit in on a combat lesson. What it actually turned out to be was more of a sparring match then a simple lesson. They had heard we were actually at Beacon during the Fall, it kind of makes us celebrities but not in a 'fame-and-fortune' kind of way. I still couldn't fight because of my broken arm so instead of a four versus four style match it was a two versus two. Since Weiss and I had gotten the chance to show off during the Vytal Festival we decided to let Blake and Ruby have a go. They did really well. Blake made use of her new upgrades to Gambol Shroud and showed off how much she's trained her Semblance. She can make clones that are able to take a few hits before disappearing and can make at least two at a time from what I saw.
Ruby on the other hand went a little overboard. She tested out every new feature of Crescent Rose, which includes a new fully automatic rifle mode, individual Dust chambers to bypass the need to switch out different types of Dust infused ammo, and a new function that allows Crescent Rose to split into a large scythe and a smaller off-hand blade for defense, which can be used even if Crescent Rose is in Scythe, Sniper, or Rifle mode. Her Semblance was the most interesting though. She's gotten more control over her speed and instead of being one large blur of rose petals she can appear to split into at least three different bursts of petals. I asked her about it and she said that she doesn't actually split but more so just bounces back and forth from those locations at incredible speeds which makes it appear that there are three bursts of petals when in reality Ruby is just moving too fast to keep up with. I had seen it already but even Weiss' Semblance has changed and gotten better since Beacon, the only one that hasn't… is mine.
Thinking about it I wasn't sure if it was even possible for my Semblance to improve. I store energy from the hits I take and turn that into raw power. The only thing I can do to improve it is to improve my overall endurance. Dad was right about what he said, my Semblance is basically just me throwing a temper tantrum. But there had to be more right? Maybe I needed to start exploring the nature of my Semblance.
"What are you thinking about?" Blake's voice brought me back to the present as I stared at my chicken.
"Huh?"
She asked again. "What are you thinking about? You zoned out for a minute, it looked like you were deep in thought."
Ruby laughed. "Yang? Deep in thought? Yeah right."
I flicked a pea at her and it bounced off her forehead. "Don't be a brat Ruby, I'm smarter than I let on."
This time it was Weiss who laughed. "If you're so smart than why do you act dumb?"
I had the perfect response saved for a question like this. "Because who doesn't love a dumb blonde with big boobs?" This time it was my turn to laugh at the clueless expressions on Ruby and Weiss. I rubbed up against Blake, teasing her. "I know Blake does."
She pulled away. "Yang, we're eating. This is hardly the place for that. And answer me, what were you thinking about?"
I didn't know if I wanted to tell them, it would just sound like I'm complaining. "Don't worry about it, it's nothing really." Blake grabbed my hand and I stopped talking.
She looked at Ruby and Weiss and then me. "You all told me once that if I had a problem I need to come to all of you and talk first. Tell us what's wrong Yang."
My hand started shaking slightly but Blake's comforting squeeze steadied it. "It's just… seeing you three and how far you've come, makes me feel like I haven't made any progress. Like I'm going to get left behind. Ruby has basically mastered all of Crescent Rose's new functions. You and Weiss have both adapted to the upgrades to Gambol Shroud and Myrtenaster. And all three of you have made significant leaps when it comes to your Semblances. Meanwhile I keep getting hurt and falling into traps. Dad told me and Ruby that a team is only as strong as its weakest link… right now that's me. I'm happy that we're together again, as a team and a family. But if I'm the one holding us back… then I shouldn't be here."
Ruby jumped up from the table and slapped me across the face, tears in her eyes. "Don't talk like that!" People at the tables around us stopped eating and looked our way. "You are a part of Team RWBY, you help hold us all together. No one else can take your place and we wouldn't have it any other way. You're my teammate and my family. We all love you for who you are, not what you can do. So quit talking like you're not important or like you can be replaced!" I held my hand up to my face, fighting back tears. Her words hurt more than the slap to my face.
She stormed off in tears, Weiss getting up to follow her. "Ruby, wait!"
Blake got up from the table. "I'm going to follow them." Just like that I was alone. It felt like every pair of eyes in the cafeteria were on me. Damn, why do I always mess things up? I clenched my fists, holding back and anger and tears.
I lost it and slammed my fists on the table, leaving a crack where my right hand struck. I got up and ran off in the opposite direction of the others and burst through the first set of double doors I found, running off into the snow. I ran, and ran, and ran, trying to outrun my problems. Why do I always do this? Why can't I keep my mouth shut? Why can't I just be better? I tripped and fell face first into the snow. I landed hard on my left arm but picked myself and kept running. I wanted to stop, I wanted to turn around, but my body wouldn't let me.
I bobbed and weaved past trees as the open snowy field turned into a forest. I tripped again, falling into a deep snowdrift. I slowly climbed out of it, brushing the snow off my clothes and out of my hair. I couldn't see the academy behind me, but I could hear cars nearby. I followed the sound until I found a road that cut through the forest. Every few seconds a car would pass by, completely ignoring the figure standing alongside the road. I pulled the Scroll out and debated calling Blake or Ruby when a car pulled up and stopped in front of me. The door opened and a figure got out.
"Yang? Is that you?" I recognized Theo's voice immediately. "What are you doing out here, you're supposed to be at the academy." The cold night air howled as he walked around to the other side of the car and opened up the door for me. "Get in. You're not dressed to be out in the cold." I got in the passenger seat and he closed the door. I was wet, cold, and shivering. He turned the heat on high when he got back in the driver's seat and pulled back out onto the road. "Why are you out in this storm?"
I didn't know what to tell him so I just shrugged. "Why are you out this late?" I asked.
"I was running errands for Mister Klein. You're lucky I found you, you could've froze out there!" I leaned against the door and looked out the window, the heat helping to stop the shivering but not doing much to dry my clothes or hair. "Why were you out in the storm Yang?" His voice was different this time, more demanding.
"I… don't know."
"Bull!" He wasn't going to give up until he got a satisfactory answer.
"I got into a fight with Ruby."
"So you decided to run out in the middle of a snow storm?" He immediately fired back.
"No… I mean yes… I mean…" I didn't know what to tell him. "Ruby yelled at me, stormed off, and Weiss and Blake followed her! I got mad and ran off in the other direction! I didn't care where, I just wanted to get out of there!"
He raised his voice. "Running off and getting yourself killed will not solve an argument!"
I got mad and yelled back at him. "Why do you even care? I'm not your responsibility, I'm not a Schnee!"
"To Weiss you are!" I didn't yell back, I didn't know what to say. Theo composed himself and spoke quieter. "Klein and I talk regularly while at the manor. He told me that Weiss holds you, Ruby, and Blake closer to her heart than her own family, save for Winter and her mother. To Weiss you and your team are her family, which means that you all of you are my responsibility while you are here." He pressed a button on the console and I heard a dial tone come through the speakers. It rang a few times before someone answered.
A sigh came through the line before I heard Ironwood's voice. "Yes Jacques?" The company cars must all dial out from Weiss' dad's number.
"Sorry to bother you General. My name is Theo Grey, I work for the Schnee family. I am on my way to the academy with one of the young mistress' friends. Could you have someone meet us at the entrance with a warm towel and some dry clothes? They appear to have fallen down in the snow once or twice."
There was a pause on the other end and then another sigh. "It's Yang, isn't it?" The disappointment in his voice came through loud and clear.
"Yes." I responded. "How did you know?"
"That medical sleeve has a tracker in it. I know when you're not on campus." I didn't say anything back. "I'll have someone waiting for you. Just get her back here safe. And thank you." He hung up and I sat in silence as Theo drove me back.
We pulled up to the front of the academy and I could see Weiss and Ruby standing on the steps, the lights illuminating them. Theo got out and came around, opening the door for me. Weiss handed me a warm blanket and Ruby just turned around and went inside without saying anything. "Blake didn't want to see you, Ruby doesn't want to talk to you, and I am also disappointed." Her voice was steady and even as it cut me down. "Thank you so much Theo, I don't know what we would've done if you hadn't have happened by." Weiss grabbed me by the arm lightly and led me up the stairs. "What were you thinking?" She asked. Not her voice or her face gave away any emotion.
"I wasn't."
"Clearly." Ruby had already disappeared from sight, leaving me and Weiss alone in the hallway.
"I was mad at Ruby, I was mad at myself, I tried to keep calm and I couldn't so I just started running." I had never felt as horrible as I was feeling in this moment.
"You know how I said punching couldn't solve all your problems? Well running doesn't solve them either." We had entered the dorm area and stopped in front of my room. "Go in there, and don't come out until morning." I nodded silently and stepped inside. I could hear Weiss' heels clicking as she walked away. There was a stack of dry pajamas sitting on the bed. I changed into them and crawled under the covers. I felt nothing, not sadness, anger, disappointment… nothing. Because Weiss was right, and Blake was right, and Ruby was right. I haven't been acting like a part of the family, haven't been acting like a teammate, a friend, or a girlfriend. I have been acting like selfish brat. They were right to be angry, mad, disappointed, whatever. I quietly cried into the pillow, until I fell asleep.
I woke up the next morning to the pressure being relieved from my left arm. I rubbed my eyes but my face felt puffy and raw. Lukas had the sleeve in his hand. "Good morning. Your arm is all healed so you don't need this sleeve anymore." I looked at the clock but it read one in the afternoon. "Your team told me that they, along with Team SSSN were heading back to the Schnee Manor, and that when you're ready to leave that Theo would be at the entrance waiting for you. Also, before you leave Professor Ironwood would like a word." Lukas was smiling and trying to be friendly but not much was going to help my mood right now. I thanked him and asked him to leave so I could shower and get ready. I folded the pajamas and put them in the little drawstring bag they had left for me. They're still so mad they don't even want to see me. I showered, brushed my teeth and hair, and went to Ironwood's office.
I did what Blake had done yesterday and knocked and announced myself. "Yang Xiao Long." The doors opened and Ironwood was sitting at his desk, waiting for me. He said nothing as I sat down across from him, his face expressionless just like Weiss' was last night.
"Look if you're going to lecture me, then just save it. I heard it from Theo and Weiss and I'm probably going to hear it from Qrow when I get to the manor." I sat and waited for a response.
"It's not my job to lecture, only to teach. Your team and friends had thought you had learned your lesson but clearly that is not the case. All I'm going to tell you is that Huntsmen and Huntresses are put on teams so that they can rely and depend on one another. When teams have arguments or disagreements they talk it out, they don't fight or run off or act like children. But that's not why I wanted to talk with you."
I looked up from his desk and met his gaze. "I managed to contact your father and I let him know that you and Ruby were doing fine. He asked me to pass along that he loves you both and that you need to look out for one another."
I nodded and stood up. "Will that be all?" I asked. "They're only upset with you because they know you're better than this. You're smart, I know you are. Ozpin has a lot of faith in you and your friends. He believes that you all can change the world, so do I." He stood up and walked around the desk and offered his hand.
I took it and shook. "Thanks, General."
He nodded and gave me a kind smile. "They will forgive you, once you show them that you are as great as they believe you to be." He led me to the door. "I'll walk you out."
Ironwood escorted me down the front steps to the awaiting car. The storm from last night had left a thick layer of snow on the ground but it was completely clear from all the sidewalks and roads. "Remember what we talked about Yang."
I nodded. "Yeah, I will."
Ironwood turned to Theo as I got in the car. "Make sure she gets there safely."
Theo nodded and shook Ironwood's hand. "Will do General, you can count on me." Theo got in the car and we drove off. "How are you feeling today?" Theo asked.
"Better, I'm still upset with myself but I'm trying to not let it get to me." He nodded.
"Good, one's self is usually their biggest obstacle." I thought about what he had told me. Am I the one holding myself back? "Even though they're upset, they are still worried about you."
I sighed into the window, fogging it up. "I know. I really let them down this time." Be as great as they believe you to be. I kept repeating Ironwood's words over and over in my mind.
"Just give them time. They'll forgive you." Theo was right, but how much time did they need?
We pulled up to the front of Weiss' place and I got out, my bag slung over my shoulder. "Thanks for the ride, Theo."
"My pleasure Yang." He drove back down the alley and pulled off to the garage.
I walked up the front steps and pushed the door open with a loud creak as it swung inwards. The foyer was empty and silent, the only thing in the air was the smell of food. I walked over to the dining room and peeked inside. Everyone, including Sun, Sage, Scarlet, and Neptune, were sitting at the table eating. I walked past the doorway and headed for the stairs, taking the steps as quietly as possible. I walked the familiar path back to the room that I shared with Blake and stepped inside. The bag with the gift I had bought her was sitting on the bed, next to a pair of bumblebee slippers. I walked over to the dresser and slipped my bag of my shoulder, setting it down taking the chance to look in the mirror. All my cuts and bruises were gone, it was like they weren't even there to begin with. "You gonna come join us?" Sun was standing in the doorway, smiling his usual goofy smile.
"How'd you know I was here?" I sat on the bed and took my boots off.
"We all heard the front door open, we just guessed it was you."
I set the comfy bumblebees on the ground and slipped them on. "I think I'll pass. I don't think they want to see me right now. I'm actually a little surprised you came to see me, seeing as Blake and I are…"
He laughed and shrugged. "Yeah, I admit I had a thing for Blake. I thought she may have liked me back, but the way she talked about you when we were on Menagerie I knew her heart was set on you."
I looked at him questioningly. "And you're not upset?"
He shook his head. "Why would I be? My friends are happy, why can't that be enough?"
I smiled at his optimistic attitude. "How'd Neptune take it though?" I asked. "He had a thing for Weiss, right?"
Sun nodded. "He's a little mopey but he'll get over it. So, are you gonna come eat with us?"
I shook my head. "Not right now. I'm going to take a little walk around the place. I need to think about what I'm going to say to them."
Sun nodded, "Well if you do get hungry, there is plenty of food." He turned and headed back for the dining room.
I waited for his footsteps to fade before I got up and went out into the hallway. It was amazing how quiet it was in this place, but I liked it. I could think without being distracted. I slowly walked past the doors and windows that lined the hall. I stopped when I heard the tinkling of glass come from one of the open doors of a lounge. I walked inside and found one of the workers pouring a glass of wine for an older woman with pure white hair. She was dressed in business casual wear that was solid silver. She looked a lot like Winter and Weiss but she kept her hair short and neat. This must be Weiss' mom. "Hello dear, you must be one of Weiss' friends." I nodded and she patted the seat of the chair next to her. "Come sit down." I took the seat next to her and was handed a glass of water. "I'm Marion, I'm Weiss' and Winter's mother. May I ask for your name?" She took a sip from her glass and set it down on the end table between us.
"My name is Yang, it's a pleasure to meet you."
She laughed lightly. "The pleasure is mine dear. I'm sorry we couldn't meet when you all arrived, what was it, two weeks ago now? I was on a business trip. I actually just got back yesterday." She had an air of confidence and grace about her, something which I sorely lacked. "The little girl with black and red hair, or should I say black, red, white, and light blue now. She's your sister correct?"
I nodded. "Yes, Ruby is my sister."
Marion smiled and sighed, "Ah I saw her and my daughter on the news. She's just so adorable, she must be really special if she can make Weiss smile." Compared to Jacques reaction, Marion's was rather refreshing.
"Yeah, Ruby is a special girl." Marion nodded in agreement.
"That must have really upset Jacques too. I'm so sorry if he upset anyone of you. The arrogant fool." The light airiness to her voice was replaced by rough bitterness but soon returned when the subject was changed. "I hear you're quite the little trouble maker."
I sighed and took a drink from my water. "You heard about that?"
She nodded, "Yes, I spoke with Weiss this morning and she told me that there would be another young woman joining us at some point today. She told me why you would be showing up late, but she still expressed some concern for you." So she was disappointed and concerned. What a great combination. "Friendship was never easy for Weiss. She never had many other kids to play with here, and her father liked to prop her up on a pedestal so much that she never really had the chance to be a kid or learn how to form meaningful connections with people, other than myself and Winter of course. She's an entirely different person now though, and I have you and your friends to thank for that. I was amazed that she had the courage to stand up for herself and out Jacques to the public like that. I'm glad to see she's found people she can connect with."
I smiled and nodded. "Yeah but believe me, she didn't make it easy for us. She warmed up to us though and opened up bit by bit."
A knocking on the lounge door interrupted us. Weiss, was standing there waiting patiently. "Hello mother, I have brought someone I would like you to meet." Weiss quickly glanced at me, an uneasy look on her face.
I set my glass down and stood. "I think I better go, I enjoyed speaking with you."
Marion smiled and took my hand. "It was a pleasure dear. If you would like to come talk again I'll be staying home for a few weeks before my next trip." I smiled back as she let my hand go, some of my nervousness melting away. I slid past Weiss and saw Ruby waiting just outside of view from Marion. She reached out to me for a second but quickly pulled her hand away. She's still upset.
I put my hand on Weiss' shoulder and leaned in close so Ruby couldn't hear me. "She already thinks Ruby's amazing." A small smile and bit of pink lit up her face before she grabbed Ruby's hand and led her into the lounge.
I smiled and continued down the hallway, the conversation with Marion greatly improving my mood. I now understood why Weiss thought so highly of her. Even from just our short conversation I could tell she was an amazing, kind, and loving mother. If only my mom could've been like that. I wandered the empty hallways, trying to figure out what I could say to Ruby, Blake, and Weiss.
"Ahem." I stopped and turned back, seeing Klein approaching. "The other guests have finished dining and Weiss has instructed me to escort you to the dining hall so that you may eat." She knew I didn't want to eat with everyone so she waited until they were gone and had Klein come get me. Smooth Weiss, very smooth. I agreed and followed Klein as he led me back to the foyer. "I hear you met Mistress Marion. She's a fine woman isn't she."
I nodded. "Yes, we had a pleasant conversation."
Klein chuckled to himself. "Yes, the mistress can hold quite a conversation, can't she. I'm glad she's returned from her trip, it greatly improved Weiss' mood when she found out." I knew what Klein was doing, he was keeping a conversation going to try to get me to feel better. He knew that he was talking to himself more than he was talking to me. We finally got back to the foyer and he stopped right outside of the dining hall. "The food is still warm. Help yourself to as much as you like."
"Thanks, I will." He offered a slight bow and strode away. I sat down at the one spot of the table that was still set with a plate and silverware. I filled my glass with water and filled my plate with vegetables and pasta. I ate in silence, finally deciding on what I was going to say to them when the sound of clicking heels filled the hall. I glanced towards the door as Weiss was striding over to me. She pulled a chair out next to me and sat down.
"My mother seems to have taken a liking to both Ruby and you." I nodded and ate my dinner. "So, are we going to talk about last night, or are you going to ignore me in my own home?" Well that was forward. I set my fork down and stared at my plate.
"What's there to talk about? I ran off like a child and could've froze because I was upset that I hurt my sister. Not only did I hurt my sister, but I severely upset Blake, upset Ruby even more than she already was, and I disappointed you. You guys had every right to be mad at me, I deserved it. Blake tried to tell me yesterday I need to start thinking about everyone else, and she's right. I took off and ran because I was upset. I didn't think to try and go talk to Ruby first, to get her to calm down. No, I thought that I was upset so I did something stupid."
I sat and waited for a response, not lifting my gaze. "You told us yesterday that you were smarter than you let on. Why don't you act like it then? I don't like being upset with you, with any of you. But you constantly make us worry about you. I'm not going to pretend like running off into a storm didn't happen, or that it wasn't stupid. I understand when you get so frustrated you just feel like you need to run from whatever it is that's bothering you, but Blake was right. We told her that she needed to talk to us about anything bothering her. I didn't think we need to tell you that too. Ruby's not without fault on this either. She's not talking to you because she's embarrassed and upset with herself for overreacting, not because you ran off in the middle of a storm. In all honesty I think Blake is the only one who is legitimately upset with you, and she should be."
She cupped my face in her hands and turned me so I was looking at her and gently pressed her forehead to mine. "I'm not upset with you anymore, I understand that stupid things can happen when you're upset and not thinking properly. But I need you to promise me right now that if anything is on your mind you'll talk to one of us. I don't care how small or unimportant it is, one of us will listen. And I need you to promise that you won't runoff again, I don't care how mad or upset you are, or whatever the situation. You can't do that anymore, now promise me."
I looked up from the floor and met her blue eyes. "I promise."
She smiled and slowly pulled away. "Good. Now finish your dinner and go find Ruby. You both need to talk this one out."
I nodded and picked up my fork. "Yeah… we do." Weiss sat and talked with me until I finished eating, easing a lot of the doubt that was bothering me. "Weiss."
"Yes, Yang?"
…
"Thank you."