Chapter 46: Dark Deals
Glas
Glas Gloman was what some people would describe as a realist. He didn't believe in fate, he didn't believe in luck and he was pretty sure that if there were any all-powerful entities controlling the fabric of reality they wouldn't give a flying toss about the near hairless monkey's on this planet… okay, maybe Glas did believe in a god of some sort, just so he could rant at them about his many MANY misfortunes. Like the 5000 lien camera that the Atlas Grunts had ripped apart, and put back together with hands that were only build to field stripe pulse rifles. Filis had practically cried as the procedure went down. Glas was more concerned with their analysis of the Camera's files now being scrutinized.
His panic was rather apparent as his leg shook uncontrollably as the little Atlas tech parsed through file upon file of footage throughout the day. It was bad enough they stripped the Camera apart now they had to digitally search it as well. Glas looked at his watch for the 12th time that day while Filis held the camera to his chest holding back some very real tears.
"How long is this going to take anyway?" Glas asked, only for the Atlas tech to sigh, pinch the bridge of his nose and give a look most parents usually reserve for problem children. "It's just that I got to get this footage back to the VNN by a certain due date so they can not pay a squad of interns to filter through my footage and find the good bits, all in time for the 9 o'clock news."
" we're just checking for any instances of gore, or Atlas secret codes being used" the man turned back to his computer screen, playing the footage once more. "Strictly procedure."
Glas nodded biting his bottom lip as if in deep thought.
"Yeah, I guess that makes sense… except for the fact that we could be doing this at the station instead of in a Grimm-infested zone!" the tech glared at him and Glas raised his hands defensively. "Not that I mind the local and all, and I feel perfectly safe with you guys around anyway, it's just…" He nodded towards Filis. "He gets homesick"
Filis whined in response, barely hearing Glas still far more concerned with his camera. Still worried that it's going to come out of his paycheck.
"We can't risk you sending the files over the global communication systems before we've had a chance to examine it"
Right, right because we wouldn't want to see anything that the Atlas council wouldn't approve of, now would we? Glas thought to himself laying the bitterness on a bit thick, after what he'd heard could you blame him.
After another hour of perusing the Atlas video tech nodded to himself made a few clicks and handed back the camera's hard-drive.
"Is that it?" Glas asked expecting some sort of arrest to be forthcoming. Instead, the Atlas tech just nodded.
"Yep just needed to delete a few unnecessary clips" he murmured already grabbing another hard-drive and plugging it in.
'Unnecessary files'? great, wonder what I've lost.
"Thanks" Glas grumbled still certain someone was going to take him and Filis away any minute now. "Let's go Filis"
"wuh huh sir" Filis blubbered, Glas, slapped him on the shoulder as the exited the tent and moved towards the waiting bullhead.
"Calm down Filis, I'll buy you a new camera" Glas hissed back, being sure to only speak when they were out of earshot of the Atlas grunts. "You still got it right?"
Filis slowly nodded. Glas grinned, they hadn't found a trace on the camera.
We're gonna be famous. We'll be able to buy a hundred cameras.
Ruby
Ruby stared at her scroll for a long time, considering the pros and cons of any sort of response she could make. Panic ran through her as she worried about all the ways this might be a trap, this might be a ruse and this might hurt her emotionally once more. It was a bit to take in that Yang was contacting her via Blake's program.
B: Come on you know it's me. It was pretty clever what you did.
Ruby hesitated before typing back.
R: What are we going to talk about?
B: Did Weiss tell you?
R: Yes
A Green blip from Blake flashed on Ruby's screen, she evidentially was reading in. Good, this concerns her too.
B: Then you know what offer is open.
R: I know what offer you made… I'm not sure if I can trust it, Yang.
No response came for a while, no doubt Yang was dealing with a deep-seated anger built up from the Vytal Festival. Eventually, the Blake typing icon showed up.
B: can we just talk? I can show you, Ruby.
Ruby was quiet for a long while, some dust had entered her eyes and she looked around the wasteland that had once been Vale's great hope of expansion. That hope had cost thousands of lives. Now another how was inside Ruby. Either it was the great kind of hope that inspires people or it was the bad kind that was like a Geist in her system. Either way Ruby needed to find out.
R: Where are you?
B: Where we talked about why we wanted to be huntresses.
Ruby smiled weakly at that, it fit Yang to a t to be that sort of dramatic, and it fits this new paranoid Yang who didn't give exact addresses anymore.
R: Meet us there Blake.
Green blip. Planting her foot on the building's ledge Ruby launched herself off and towards the ground, the wind sped past her ears as a floor upon floor of building sped by. Right as Ruby was about to hit the ground she sped forward in a flurry of flower petals. Her downward momentum redirected itself forward and Ruby's speed was greatly increased as she moved forward. As she moved so too did her eyes start to analyze everything around her quickly, it had taken a long time for her to pick up that trick and it still failed her every now and then, but today of all damn days it was running smoothly.
2 beowolves to my right, an Ursa 40 meters to my left, Atlas on the nearby buildings both left and right.
Then a tickle hit the back of her neck, the feeling that someone was watching her. She diverted her momentum, sped towards the Beowulves cut them in half with a swing and fired a shot right through the Ursa's skull before returning to her course and moving on. And yet the feeling of being watched followed her. Ruby didn't turn her head back, for fear of alerting her tail to the fact that she was aware of her.
Who are you? Ruby thought to herself as she zipped through the streets of mountain Glenn before finally slowing down her frantic pace. It wouldn't due to spend all her aura before she got to Yang if the tail was who she thought it was then it would be a very unhealthy option to take. She pulled out her scroll as she ran and dialed. The scroll connected to the comm-bead in her ear before she pocketed the scroll sweeping the alleyways as she made her way further and further into the ruined city.
"Penny?" She said out loud sure the comm-bead would pick her up. "I have something to report"
"I ready and waiting for whatever you have to report, deputy Ruby Rose!" the chipper voice echoed back.
Ruby smiled at Penny's optimism always happy for its presence. "Blake spotted some white-fang members in mountain Glenn"
"Are you sure?" Penny asked. Penny's skepticism was well-founded the white fang had taken some pretty hard hits in the past two years no doubt thanks to the Atlas-Vale Alliance and the fall maiden's efforts. This was a strange issue that Ruby had noticed after Pyrrha's ascension, she seemed to hone in on the white fang with some extreme aggression.
That might help distract Pyrrha during this. That thought was a dark one for Ruby, as much as she disliked the fang she was unsure if she felt comfortable inflicting Pyrrha upon them. And I'm not sure if I want to do that to Pyrrha.
The image of the crying woman asking for death entered Ruby's head unbidden. Ruby shook her head making sure to take sharp winding corners to give her pursuer some trouble, the tail was a hard one to shake, without being overt in her shaking.
But I already have too many things to juggle.
"Certain, Blake knows what she's talking about when it comes to the fang." Ruby finally reported, jumping to the head of a nearby gargoyle and sweeping the nearby cityscape, only barely glimpsing her pursuer.
"Well that certainly makes sense considering where she came from" if it had been anyone else Ruby would have said something, but she knew and no doubt Blake knew that Penny meant no malice by that statement.
Although. Ruby figured. I'll have to give Penny a little lecture on social etiquette
Ruby made a pantomime of double-checking where she'd barely glimpsed her tail; Face squinting, hand blocking the sun. The Grimm were more numerous in this area so it wasn't long before she was 'distracted by them' as crescent Rose barked in her ear. But as her bullets flew her peripheral vision was keeping track of her little friend. She only caught a glint of dark green and a flash of red hair.
Ruby's heart froze for a second, her breathing became tight and suddenly the Grimm were the least of her issues. A bigger predator was tracking her. Her finger came up to her comm-bead once more.
"Uh… Penny?" Ruby asked trying to keep her eye looking down crescent rose's scope. "Where is Pyrrha?"
"I'm sorry friend Ruby but I cannot inform you of my partner's current location. I'm sorry"
Well, that both made sense and was an extreme problem. Penny did want to help but there were rules that she was meant to follow. Ruby's agitation was starting to rile the Grimm and she was forced to speed further up the building into a ruined corner office, sniping off beowulves and ursa that tried to pursue.
"Heheh that's alright Penny, I understand" Ruby tried to play it off hoping her false confidence would stave off further Grimm developments. "Just tell me: are you with her right now?"
It was a good question since Ruby didn't know exactly where Penny was, the android wouldn't be giving any definite detail away buy answering. Ruby Chambered a round and waited for Penny's response, she still her breathing and tried to focus her aura to her ears.
"Actually, friend Ruby…" Penny started to answer when Ruby pulled crescent Rose's trigger and carefully listened to the comm-bead. "…She's not with me at the moment."
Ruby listened intently and as hard as she listened she could not pick up the bark of Cresent Rose over Penny's comms. It was a long shot since penny could plug directly into her comm bead but maybe she might have been able to catch the noise of her sniper scythe. But she did not, and Penny didn't have eyes on Pyrrha. Which implied that Pyrrha could be her tail, and the lack of crescent Rose standard Bang! Meant that Penny was a bit further away from Ruby than she'd care for.
Pyrrha's on my tail. Ruby thought, swallowing her fear, she didn't want her to find Yang again, Ruby had to get to that meeting but she'd be damned if she'd bring the dust-damned fall maiden right to her sister. Ruby had been trying her best not to overtly acknowledge her ace in the hole option, but with where she was headed, she wasn't sure she had a choice.
And if it is who I think it is I can't risk her finding Yang. Ruby thought, pulling out her scroll as she lept from the office space onto the roof of a nearby convenience store. Ruby made notes of the nearby street signs as she jumped. Time to kill 2 birds with one stone… Mother help me.
"Jaune" she whispered as she pressed the scroll to her ear. "I know where she is" She could hear him start to speak but she cut him off, she had to get this out. "I know where Pyrrha is"
Yang
Yang's fist flew as the struck at the pillar in the center of the building, knuckles scrapping again and again at a faster and faster pace as she chained punches into the building's central pillar. Her aura was focused exclusively on her knuckles and fingers as she punched against the concrete. Yang didn't need to break the pillar she just needed to get her energy out. Her combination came to an end with a feint to where a person's head would have been only to strike low where the hip would have resided. Dust flaked off the pillar with that strike.
Yang stood up, taking a stretch and gazed upon her work, there were a few cracks in the pillar even though her strength hadn't been aura enhanced, and in the cracks and dents, she could see the weaknesses and gaps in her technique. It had taken her a long time to get the hang of it but eventually, she was able to visualize an opponent perfectly in various punching bags.
That hadn't been Mom's gift, it had been dad's. She thought somberly bringing her knuckles up to her chin again as she began to dance around the pillar, flicking out lighting quick jabs every few seconds to test her opponent's reaction times. She bobbed and weaved as imaginary blows were sent her way. Yang knew that her father was close, Patch wasn't too far in the grand scheme of things.
Well, it's not far by distance. Yang thought bitterly as her left hook connected with an imaginary chin. She ached to see her dad again but something was digging at her guts that made that seem impossible. It wasn't the fear of getting arrest, it wasn't any sort of resentment she just felt like she'd be wrong to return home, to get a hug from her father again. Her punching slowed as she entertained these thoughts.
This was a thought that sometimes-entered Yang's head and she was always unsure what to do with it, it happened every time she was in Vale or near Patch. She'd done things while with Raven and while she'd always insisted that she didn't feel shame part of her was unsure about seeing her dad again after doing them. She took a deep breath, still those thoughts and picked her fists back up and continued punching.
Time enough for that musing later. Yang mused as a vicious right hooked broke the jaw of her imaginary opponent, the Jaw-break would stun so Yang took advantage of the stunning and cracked a rib with a left cross before punching the target's kidney with a return right hook. Gotta think about the now.
Neo was intermittently sending strikes out against the Fang and the Atlas personnel while Yang bunkered down here. The interest of the Fall maiden was a factor that hung off to the side and the presence of her faction was left in the air. The fang was looking for a fight but if it was with her or Atlas Yang couldn't tell.
Though If I had to guess, I think it's a bit of both. She finished her combination and grabbed a bottle fo water quenching her built up a thirst with its liquidy goodness. She looked at the bottle and saw the Atlas logo on the side of the Atlas brand canteen. Thank Dust for Atlas brand crap.
Ruby was on the way, Yang couldn't say about Blake or Weiss or hell even team JNPR. But she figured that Ruby wouldn't be foolish enough to come again alone. Yang traced her fingers across her knuckles, tracing her fingers along with the scars and calluses. Yang would have to admit that she was more than a little vain when it came to her looks, dust back when she was at Beacon she'd purposefully do what she could to stand out in the crowd. The long golden hair, the muscles, the vocal confident personality, putting the girls on display, Yang liked being the center of attention.
Until it turned on me. Her vanity hadn't gone away since then, it had changed but it hadn't vanished. Now she would look at her scars from her previous fights, some she loathed like the bullet hole in her shoulder but others like the scar on her cheek and the others brought her a sense of satisfaction. She looked at her knuckles and could see each fight where her aura had broken and she'd still had the guts to throw that last punch that set it. Yang felt under her chest where her rid had broken when she'd accidentally buried herself. Each scar was her own each told her story and she wasn't ashamed of them. Yang smiled and gave the pillar a punch for the road.
She was close to winded as she looked over the crumbling ruin, it was so similar to the rest of the battered city that it was almost indistinguishable, but for Yang it held meaning. Yang's fingers traced the bottom over her chin where a little nick was and her mind returned to her first real loss, against Neo.
Back when mom saved me. Yang mused finally letting her mind drift. She sat down against the pillar and looked back at the ruined room, it brought back happier times. Our first official mission.
She'd woken up while Ruby was on watch and asked her friends why they really wanted to be huntresses, Oobleck's questioning had gotten to all of them and they'd finally opened up not to their professor but to each other. Yang had tried to do what Summer would have done and open up to them, to get them to open up to her, to build connections.
Weiss wanted to restore her family name and at first, Yang was shocked by the ambition of the princess, she wanted to fix the sins of her father, make the Schnee name one worth respecting again.
And look where you led that Yang! She's hated in Atlas and cut off from her family. Yang let out a soft sigh as her inner monologue berated her and part of her knew she was right. She lost all that because she defended me… because she stood by what she believed in. Because she wouldn't be cowed by her dick of a father!
The energy was returning to Yang as her mind fought against Weiss' defamation. She promised to protect Ruby and she did that for me! she loved me and still had the guts to call me out back in the Atlas Cell! Weiss Schnee is a woman of her word damn the consequences!
Yang laughed out loud letting the echo reverberate through the ruins.
"Weiss Schnee is a Woman of her word!" Yang barked, to no one but her memories. "And she has my respect at least."
The rest of the world might call Weiss Schnee a fool and an idiot but who gave an Ursa's left nut what they thought. The rest of the world danced, however, Ozpin, his little club and Salem deemed they dance, Weiss didn't need their opinions, She'd improved the Schnee name without public opinion.
Although public opinion is fickle Ozpin. Yang thought with a sneer standing back up to stretch out after her boxing warm-up. Her arms creaked and her back cracked as she stretched this way and that, pulling her abs taught as she arched backward from this lower position her eye caught the perch where Ooobleck had rest while the young huntresses chatted. No doubt listening in.
Yang grinned thinking about the green hair coffee addicted prof- Doctor! I wonder if he's out there hunting after me too. Be a great chance to see a real huntsman in action up close.
Yang didn't check up on what the professors of Beacon had been up to since her departure from the school unless of course, they were on her tail. Oobleck had been one of those who'd neglected to put her in their sights. Professor Port, on the other hand, had been persistent.
And that had been a fun few weeks but nothing lasts forever. She smiled remembering the aging huntsman long past his prime attempting to track her down. It had been fun evading him for the time he'd pursued her but she was able to make it clear to him that it wasn't going to work out. So hard to cut off a relationship like that, but he had to know that it wasn't working out.
Still, while she had access to the Atlas communication she had been left in that dark over Beacon's involvement in current affairs. For all Yang knew the entire teaching Body of Beacon was hunting after her ass. Yang had to laugh, there was something romantic about her facing off against the whole student body of Beacon.
Wouldn't last very long but it would be a hell of a way to go out wouldn't it? Yang thought, finishing her stretches before settling into her forms again. Though Ozpin and Ironwood would probably downplay how many people it took to take me out. Along with the rest of their lies!
Images of Junior flashed into Yang's mind, images of his torn-up body, she pulled her fist far back before launching it forward in a vicious right hook, stone and concrete gave way under the force of her strike. Yang didn't stumble back at her mistake she merely flowed forward in her attacks, Raven had taught her to never let her mistakes stun her for if she did her enemies would take advantage and it wouldn't be long before she was dead. She struck again and again, but her mind had been corrupted by the train of thought that was the Lies of Ozpin and Ironwood's little club.
There is an evil force in the dark deciding our fates, deciding what is and isn't safe for people to read and know. Yang thought as her strikes hit her imaginary opponent in more and more debilitating locations. No one tells them what is too far and what is too much they get to decide for themselves and DAMN THE LITTLE GUY!
Junior was in likelihood dead and Atlas was all too willing to throw the blame onto her. Instead of looking for the real guilty party it's better to have a ready and waiting scape-goat.
The fury was threatening to take her but she controlled her breathing and focused into her mask letting the cool patient calm of the Grimm overwhelm her and prevent her outbursts. Then the scent of suspicion struck her nose and she froze. It was quiet in the room for a long while as she stood there staring at the stone pillar before she finally spoke up.
"I know you're there" Yang took a deep inhale of her nose for added effect. "I can smell you"
"I sincerely doubt that" a sardonic voice answered back, Yang slowly turned around to see… nothing. It wasn't until she focused her aura to her eyes that she was able to make out the Cat Faunus hiding up in the shadowy rafters of the crumbling building. Yang grinned a toothy grin and waved her former partner down.
"Come on Blake, let's have a look at yah" The cat Faunus was, understandably, hesitant but eventually she dropped down from the ceiling. Her feet were silent as they hit the floor and Yang was half tempted to rush her just to spook her.
Not the time, not the place, not the person.
"I'm glad you came," she said as the cat Faunus eyed her warily, keeping greater distance than she had in Junior's bar. "Is Ruby with you?"
Blake didn't answer walking around the room, while still maintaining the same distance with Yang. Her footsteps were just as nimble as ever, as she stepped around broken masonry and pieces of rebar. Her fingers traced along the wall, no doubt the memories of the last time she was here were in her mind just as they had been in Yang's. Her ears were bare and she was wearing a set of armored gear, no doubt lightweight and dust treated. Blake's golden eyes shifted upward towards the ceiling for half a second before returning to the calm waiting Yang.
"Why did you tell Ruby about the Fang?" Blake asked her voice all ice.
"Why didn't you believe me, Blake?" Yang retorted back crossing her arms and leaning against the wall. Blake let out an exasperated sigh and gave Yang the look. "It's not a stupid question Blake, this matters!"
"It's not like this was the first time something like that happened to me Yang" Blake murmured her eyes returning to the ceiling before shaking her head. "You know who I'm talking about…"
Yang laughed a bitter little laugh. "What your old partner Adam?! No, I don't know a thing about your former mentor in the white fang…" and then it struck Yang like an anvil.
Adam… white fang… Blake… Yang had to pause for a moment as a savage groan threatened to erupt from her as she put the clearly obvious pieces together. Oh, you've got to be fucking kidding me.
"Oh Dust…" Blake's ears flattened as Yang ran her fingers through her hair and let her dumbfounded face show in all it's glory, she pointed right at Blake. "You were dating Adam fucking Taurus!?"
Blake's ears rose sharply before flattening in embarrassment and she hugged herself tightly turning away from Yang in a clear display of embarrassment.
"It wasn't as simple as that" Blake muttered. Yang, on the other hand, gave a strong belly laugh, further embarrassing her former partner.
"Well simple or not, that is fuckin funny!" Blake glared at Yang, Yang grinned back showing all her teeth. "I never would have guessed you personally knew one of the deadliest members in Vale history!"
Blake Scoffed at that as if Yang was being unnecessarily obtuse. Who knows maybe I am.
"I thought you would've discovered this already, I was apart of the Vale branch after all" Blake tucked a hair behind her ear as a bad memory no doubt played out in her head. "It didn't end well but yes, we were together… for a while."
Yang could see there were some issues there when some old habit hit her and she had to stifle a giggle. Blake stared at her curious as to what Yang thought that was so funny.
"Blake I knew you were deep inside the white fang, but…"
"Don't you say it Yang" Blake said her pupils like pinpricks and her hackles up, she looked ready to kick Yang in the teeth.
Such a pity I can't resist. Yang thought, raising her aura focusing it around her neck.
"But… I didn't know that the white fang was deep inside you!" and Gambol Shroud barked and a bullet bit into Yang's Aura right around her forehead. Yang stumbled back against the pillar, she brought a hand to her forehead. "Yeah I deserve that one"
Yang looked up and was shocked by the fury on Blake's face, it was tangible vibrating rage, Gambol shroud shook in her hand as she held it.
"Yang," Blake spoke through gritted teeth. "Don't ever mock this!"
The predator inside Yang began to take hold and she adjusted her stance felt the Grimm rumble in her and it helped her spot the weak points on Blake see the openings for attack and noted this moment away as a great emotional button to press later. Yang's shifted to a lower stance and her aura almost bubbled on her skin as she readied herself for what might come next.
I need to be in charge here, not the Grimm! Yang took a deep breath, then another before dropping her hands by her side and letting out a tired sigh, she stretched her neck and it popped right and loud.
"Ok Blake, Okay," She said letting out a huff, still unsatisfied with what had just happened. The Grimm inside her was clawing to get out and wretch some havoc. "I never knew…"
After a tense second Blake lowered Gambol shroud and crossed her arms. "Why would you?"
Yang spat at that, tired of the BS. "Oh don't give me that crap Blake, I was your friend I was your partner I searched for you when you ran away and I did everything I could to rip you out of your obsession with Torchwick."
"And I'm supposed to forgive all that you've done because of that! Dust Yang, I've heard that you're working with Torchwick yourself!"
"Yeah and guess what? He's told me more about his past that you ever did!" that held in the air like a gavel strike and Blake started to fold her arms and do that thing where she blocks out everyone else. Yang's features relaxed a bit.
Dust it's weird being the adult in the room She thought, pulling at her own hair.
"In fact, he never shuts up, but this isn't the point! I opened up to you Blake, I tried to make you feel like one of the family, I defended you through thick and thin and at the end of it, You didn't give me the benefit of the doubt. That ever 'That' was between you and Taurus, I wish you'd decided to open up to me about that." Yang could feel the tears starting to swell but they were swept away in her aura and the Grimm inside her stamped them down. "Blake you were so quick to write me off… I think you've still written me off"
Blake gave her a sad look that was all the confirmation Yang needed.
"You're only here cause Ruby asked you here" Yang sat down on a nearby stone, the fact she was right didn't alleviate the tightness in her chest. "That's… That's fine."
"that's not the only reason" Blake all but whispered, kneeling down across from Yang. "Yang I-"
Yang waved the response away not interested in hearing it anyway.
"Save it, Blake, save it for when Ruby's here" Yang slid off the Grimm mask uninterested in the getting brighter detail about what thoughts were going on inside her former partner's head. "I told you guys about the Fang because you needed to know about the fang, we can't just let them run rampant and I didn't exactly invite those assholes to this party."
"No just the Atlas military and every huntsman who needed the lien" Yang smirked at that.
"Yep it was a pretty exclusive party, I'm surprised they let you guys in" Yang gave a chuckle, it was hearty and helped banish the gloom.
"Yang…" Blake began her eyes lingering on the Grimm mask. "Were you serious about your offer?"
Author's notes
Sorry for the lateness, I had writers block and needed the extra week to get it out of me. Again thanks for the patience, hopefully this block will be done soon
