Chapter 13: A New Covert Operation
"You… want me to get back your mask?" Yang asked, dubious of her mother's mission. Of all the 'favors' Raven could've asked Yang to do, of all the items the group could've stolen, she didn't think it would be simply retrieving a mask. She gestured at the red-and-white mask in Raven's hands in confusion. "Don't you already have one?"
"This mask is only temporary. A precaution prepared just in case something like this were to happen," Raven corrected her, using that mother-scolding-her-child voice that irritated the blonde slightly.
Placing the mask at the base of the statue, Raven sat down next to it and gestured for Yang to do the same. She does so, reluctantly, watching crimson eyes carefully as Raven began relying the information.
"As I said, there are many people who want nothing more than to clip my wings and send me hurtling down. I've usually done a fairly good job evading, diffusing and, if necessary, fighting my way through any situation. Unfortunately, one week ago, a traveling band of thieves and low-lives snuck their way into my tribe's camp in the dead of night while everyone was asleep. As chief I usually have guards stationed outside my tent but they, along with the guards on perimeter duty that night, happened to enjoy one too many drinks, which allowed them to slip in and out undetected."
This shocked Yang quite a bit. She hardly knew anything about her mother except for the fleeting mentions of her from her dad and Uncle Qrow. And, now that she thought about it, she didn't know much about Qrow's background before he joined Beacon Academy. If what she says is true, then were the two of them a part of this tribe growing up, or did Raven break away from her team to form her own group of loyalists? Just how much has her uncle been hiding from her all this time? Did her father know about this? Yang didn't know what to think anymore.
Sensing her confusion, Raven decided to be a little merciful. "Yes. In case you were wondering, Qrow and I grew up together in the tribe before being sent to Beacon Academy for reasons I won't say right now. I guess my dear brother hasn't told you this huh? He's been ashamed of our lineage since heading to Beacon and has not once bothered to come home for a visit," Raven said with a sly smile.
Purple eyes flared red for a second, a mark of Yang's temper going unchecked before being smothered. As upset as she was with this new revelation, and the fact Raven continues to hold information back, she needed to focus on the goal: getting her sister back.
"It wasn't until morning that we realized we got hit, with a lot of supplies and extra ammunition having seemingly disappeared overnight. And it wasn't until I checked my desk and noticed my mask gone that I realized who it was that attacked us."
Reaching into her dress folds, she removed a small slip of paper and placed it in the empty space between the two women. Red eyes watched carefully as Yang slowly reached over and grabbed the slip, bringing it closer for inspection. There were no words or numbers on it, only the symbol of what looked like an owl in flight, talons outstretched.
"A mark quite well known in the circles I travel," Raven continued, still watching the blonde. "They're called The Parliament, despite their lawless nature. A ruthless collection of scum, some of the lowest individuals society has to offer, with a leader that can instill enough subordination to keep control of their ranks. They travel constantly, never stopping for more than a few days at a time. While they normally do raids on smaller towns with less defenses, they tend to stick to the outskirts of larger cities, tucked away in whatever natural barriers are provided. The only way to truly know if you've interacted with them in any way is by their calling card left at the scene, almost as though challenging anyone to try and fight back."
"Sounds like a fun crowd," Yang deadpanned.
"Truly. And according to my sources, the group has pitched camp nearby recently, probably to rest from the constant traveling to get some distance between them and my tribe. I want you to go, find the camp, collect my mask, and return it to me."
"Wait a minute," Yang said, finally understanding the task at hand. "Why do I have to go and get it? And if you know where the camp is, then why not tell me?"
Crimson eyes twitched in exasperation before the woman sighed. "Two reasons. Reason number one is because if I or one of my men went and attacked the tribe, then we would be dragged into a war that, in our current state, we would most certainly lose. You going would make them believe you're just a Huntress assigned to clear them out and therefore have no association to me. And reason number two is that you need to prove yourself worthy of my trust. If I give you too much information then you'll never learn and grow. So, consider this a 'warm-up' to being a true Huntress."
Grabbing the mask, Raven stood back up and placed it back over her face. "One week."
"Huh?" Yang asked.
"You have one week to get this done. I'll be here waiting at our usual time whether you have it or not, but know that the fate of your sister lies in your success. I really do hope you prove yourself, Yang."
Before Yang could argue about not having enough time, Raven slashed open a portal and stepped through, leaving Yang alone to face the daunting task ahead.
X
And it has not been an easy week. With the limited information squeezed from her mother, Yang didn't have many places to start looking. A tribe on the move would be difficult to keep track of, especially one that moved through the different kingdoms constantly. The only place she could start was with the symbol and name of the tribe, and she truly hoped it was enough. Library searches gave her some information to build on, especially one source stating the name of the leader being Tawny Rees, but it was by pure luck that she found out The Parliament's current location.
Yang trudged her way back from the library, a cup of coffee death-gripped in her hand. There were only three days left before Raven's deadline, and the blonde has officially entered stress mode. Her teammates and friends have become even more confused, noticing her feverish researching and running around looking for information within the last few days. Jaune, the brave and naïve boy, decided to ask Yang what she was looking up one day in the library, but made the mistake of coming from behind and not announcing his presence until he was next to her. Panicked for being discovered, Yang grabbed the blonde and flipped him over her head, sending him flying across the room to crash into a pillar. Stunned, she realized what had happened and apologized profusely, stating that she was exhausted and he scared her. Jaune was nice enough to say it was no big deal, but everyone has been keeping their eyes on her more as a result.
She was preparing to round the corner when she heard voices coming towards her. It was after curfew again and Yang didn't feel like explaining herself to whoever the voices belonged to, opting to hide behind a pillar instead. Purple eyes watched as Professor Port and Dr. Oobleck came into view, too engrossed in their conversation to notice the hiding blonde.
"And then I pulled out Blowhard and blasted the Grimm away, protecting my students and earning a new taxidermy Ursa head to add to my collection.," Professor Port exclaimed, wildly gesturing for emphasis. "While the Grimm were certainly no match for my sheer power, there were quite too many for the second-years to handle by themselves. I have no idea why there were so many to begin with; Forever Falls is never that active."
Dr. Oobleck gave a short laugh at his colleague before his voice turned serious. "If I heard correctly, it's because of the sudden appearance of The Parliament within Forever Falls' clearing just outside the commercial district. All that negativity is causing the increase of Grimm within the forest."
Port almost chocked on air at his coworker's nonchalant answer. "The Parliament's in Vale?! And so close to the campus as well. Why in Oum is that collection of low-lives in our kingdom this time?"
"I'm not one hundred percent sure, but considering they've been camped there for almost a week now, they've probably been traveling too much since last I've heard they were in Mistrial," Oobleck replied, sipping from his flask.
"And why isn't Ozpin doing something about them?" Port questioned, his mustache twitching in irritation. "We all know their reputation."
"True, they're an unruly bunch of degenerates," Oobleck agreed. "But since they've haven't actively attacked any civilians and even helped clear some of the new Grimm out of the forest, all we can do right now is watch and be ready to act appropriately."
Port gave a huff as the two rounded another corner, their voices fading away as they walked further away from where Yang had been hiding. She didn't dare move from her spot until several minutes after the two teachers' voices have disappeared, quickly making her way back to her room with more information than the last four days of research have yielded.
That bit of information was exactly what she needed in order to not only find where the tribe was camping, but also the path to get there from the commercial district without alerting them of her presence. Yang smiled to herself as she finished finalizing her plan for that night, putting the coordinates into her scroll and making sure she had extra ammo because she knew for a fact that she wasn't getting out of there without a fight.
"And where are you going tonight?"
Yang startled, almost dropping the bag. Gripping the straps, she whirled around to see Weiss and Blake watching her with curious eyes, the former crossed-armed and the latter glancing over her book from her bed.
Giving a short laugh, Yang forced a smile on her face. "Just heading out to the club for the night. Should be back in the morning, so don't worry about me."
Pale blue eyes narrowed at her answer. "That's strange. Because we were already planning on a movie night with Team JNPR, Sun, and Neptune tonight. We were watching that new movie 'Try Hard 2: Try Harderer' you've been wanting to watch since the boys requested it, though I don't understand the hype about it."
"Well, I already planned on going out tonight, so I'll have to rain check. Tell the others I said hi, though," Yang said, quickly moving towards the door.
"Yang."
The blonde paused, looking back to see Blake standing up, book long forgotten. The two stared at each other, not sure who will make the first move. Eventually, Blake sighed and asked, "Just please don't do anything reckless, okay?"
This did earn a small, yet genuine, laugh from the blond. "When am I ever reckless?" With that, she quickly exited the room, not bothering to see the worried expression on her teammates faces as the door slammed shut.
She had a flight to catch.
X
It was slightly cool that night, clouds rolling in and covering the shattered moon in scattered patches. Yang sat hidden in the tree line, her eyes never straying from the sight before her. For the last hour, the Huntress-in-training has been watching the campsite, tracking the movements of anyone who was visible to see their patterns and numbers. From what she can determine, there were roughly fifty men and women cultivating through the camp, though she couldn't tell who was the rumored Tawny Rees. That was the person she would have to watch out for the most.
As the twilight hour fully set in, Yang watched as people began to shamble – some drunkenly – to their tents to turn in for the night. She dared not move an inch until the only lanterns still lit were the ones near the couple of sentries posted at the perimeter of the camp. When her scroll blinked the one o'clock hour, Yang finally decided to make her way towards the camp, determined to find the mask and make it back by breakfast. She also had a lot of steam she needed to blow off, and this was a perfect excuse to do so.
Yang climbed down from the tree and, after making sure everything was in order, strolled out of the tree line and towards the front of the camp. She could feel the confidence filling her with each step, determination to save her sister powering her towards a group of supposed 'degenerates' to beat down if they get in her way.
"Hello? Anyone know a way to the nearest club?" Yang called out, catching the attention of the two guards closest to her, as well as a couple others if the approaching lights from the edges of the camp mean anything.
"I think ya might be a bit lost, mate," one of the guards responded, weapon already in hand and eyes scanning her approaching form. "Ain't no clubs near here, but we can provide a different kind of entertainment, if ya catch my drift."
"Ooooo… I don't think so, big boy. My dad told me to never talk to strangers," Yang countered, stopping just short of the men and propping her hands on her slightly jutted hips. She tilted her head and darkly exclaimed, "Though, you could help me find someone by the name of Tawny Rees. Sound familiar?"
The two guards stared in shock at her, giving her just enough time to explode forward with a gauntlet blast and slam one of the guards into the ground. The other was quickly hit with two shells in the chest, sending him flying into the camp and out of commission.
Alarms were quickly sounded as people slowly staggered out of their tents, armed to the teeth but sluggish from sleep and alcohol. This allowed the blonde to swiftly pick her way through the camp, pure adrenaline driving her to beat down whatever scum stepped in her way.
It took around ten minutes, but Yang soon found herself surrounded by the knocked-out forms of The Parliament, hardly having broken a sweat herself thanks to the night's cool temperature.
Sighing, she made her way towards the largest tent, not too carefully stepping over the guard she had bodied across the camp. She slowly snuck her way inside, eyes flickering around to spot out anymore danger. Walking past displays of material wealth and weaponry, she finally spotted her goal: her mother's mask sitting on a table in the middle of the room.
She reached out to grab it, but reared back as the sounds of a weapon cocking reached her. Flinging herself backwards, she narrowly avoided a volley of bullets that splintered the table and sent the mask flying off to the wall.
A figure dropped down from above her, causing Yang to quickly roll out of the way to miss being hit. Purple eyes watched as the figure slowly stretched up, their towering form becoming more prominent in the moonlight.
The woman standing in front of her was dress in whites and browns, with a feathered headpiece interwoven in her flowing hair. Golden eyes stared back at her as the woman moved her arms into a fighting stance. Attached to her arms were wickedly-shaped gauntlets that stretched down her hands to give her razor-sharp claws.
"You Tawny Rees?" Yang questioned, readying Ember Celica with more rounds.
"That I am. And you're a Huntress, but a cocky one to boot if you attacking my camp means anything. Not that it truly matters though," Tawny replied, firing off a couple of shots before racing forward, claws extended. Yang leapt back to avoid getting hit and shot off some bullets in the process. As the woman skirted around them, Yang came forward with a punch, only to have it blocked and the claws rake her in return. She reared back and went for a couple more hits, surprised to find that not a single one came into contact with its target.
"Don't even bother kid," the woman stated. "My Semblance allows me to see every move you make before you make it." Emphasizing her point, Tawny grabbed an incoming kick with her clawed hand and threw the blonde aside. "So, try all you want, but you'll never land a hit on me."
Each punch, each kick, became more sporadic. More desperate. Yang fired off four shots and raced forward with an arm cocked back for another punch. Only for the woman to simply dodge, grab her arm, and spin her around for a roundhouse kick to the face. Slightly dazed, Yang barely had enough time to throw her arms up to deflect the bladed claws, metal scraping against metal before both opponents backed off to collect themselves once more.
"My, how desperate," Tawny teased. "Desperation makes you sloppy, making it easier for me to see every move you'll make. The next time you want to come after me and my prizes, try not to rush in like a bullheaded child, 'kay. Your desperation will get yourself or someone else killed someday, if it hasn't already."
Something in her just snapped. Yang's eyes flared crimson red and the world around her exploded as her Semblance burst forth. She stared through fiery locks at Tawny, who brought up her weapon with a sadistic smile. Without a word, Yang exploded forward with a flurry of fists, burning through her Semblance in a desperate attempt for land a single hit on the woman.
And it didn't even work.
Tawny simply dodged every fiery blow and delivered her own back at the blazing teen, the battle staying one sided despite Yang's Semblance powering her up. This continued until the last of her reserves ran dry, and the blaze surrounding Yang simmered and got snuffed out. An exhausted Yang could barely react before Tawny was in her face again, grabbing her with a clawed hand and slamming her into the ground, causing the blonde's Aura to shatter on impact. Even with my Semblance, it didn't work, Yang thought. She looked up from the ground, purple eyes locking on the woman and that damn sadistic smile ever present.
"Honestly, kid. You got an impressive Semblance, much flashier than mine, but that doesn't make you more powerful," Tawny said, crouching down in front of the tired teen to stare at her with sharp eyes. "It just makes you more predictable, and easy pickings for those stronger or smarter than you. Consider this a final lesson, Huntress." With one fist firmly pinning her down, the woman reared her other arm back, claws outstretched and poised for tearing. With her Aura spent, no chance to reload her gauntlets, and the exhaustion of the last two weeks finally catching up to her, Yang could only watch as Tawny moved to strike her down.
"Hi-ya!"
Tawny is suddenly knocked off of Yang and sent flying back. Yang stares in confusion as a shadowy figure crouches in front of her facing the leader with a weapon drawn. Only until she sees the slight twitching from the figure's head does she figure out who her unknown savior was.
"Blake?!"
The figure turns slightly to acknowledge her, Blake's facial features becoming more refined in the scattered moonlight.
"Hey. Can you stand?" Blake asks, never taking her eyes off their opponent. Nodding, Yang scrambles to her feet and joins her partner, quickly reloading Ember Celica.
"But how – "
"We can talk later. First, we got to take her down," Blake interrupted, readying Gambol Shroud into sword mode.
"Guess you were at least smart enough to bring friends, kid. I'll give you that. But it still won't matter," Tawny said, assuming fighting stance as well. "That'll just be more blood on your hands."
The three ran towards each other, and chaos ensued. The two teens worked together as they forced Tawny to fight a two-front battle. And, surprisingly enough, the two sometimes were able to get a punch or kick in, further irritating their opponent. It wasn't until after Yang got a punch in while Tawny was distracted with Blake that they stared at each other in realization at Tawny's Semblance.
It only worked on one person at a time.
The two girls nodded at each other, seamlessly coming up with a plan to use that little fact against her. They raced forward, sending a volley of bullets to keep her distracted until they got closer.
Yang dove under Tawny's clawed hand, swinging her legs to try and trip her up. Predicting this, Tawny stepped back, only to be nailed in the head as Blake swung around a pole. Blake tosses Gambol Shroud to Yang, who grips it and pulls her forward for another swift kick to the head.
Shouting angrily, Tawny extends a claw at Blake, but finds it shot into scraps from Yang. Blake uses her Semblance to move away as Yang moves in for a quick barrage of punches, driving Tawny back as she expertly dodges them. But that was the plan, as she was so focused on Yang that she didn't notice Blake silently setting up a trip trap with her weapon behind them.
Tawny tripped over the ribbon, sending her sprawling to the ground awkwardly. Before she could recover, Yang dove in and delivered a final blow so hard that the woman's teeth clamped shut and her eyes rolled into the back of her head. Yang watched as she dropped like a stone, and was joined by Blake as they waited for her to get up. But she didn't, lying unconscious on the floor in a crumpled heap.
It was finally over.
As Blake went about tying Tawny up, Yang stalked over to the mask, which had fallen behind another table during the scuffle. She nearly sighed in relief when she held it in her hands. I finally got it, Yang thought, examining the thing that had been giving her so much grief to find.
It looked exactly like the replacement one Raven was wearing, but slightly more worn over years of use. Flipping it over, Yang examined the inside of the mask, only to freeze at the sight.
Scattered on the inside were four names, each scrawled in different handwriting. One name was neat and concise, another light and bubbly, while the last two were both spidery. Yang stared in shock as the realization of why this mask was so important to Raven became clear. These signatures were of the four members of Team STRQ.
"Is that… a mask?" Blake asked, looking over Yang's shoulder at the object. Yang nodded, grabbing the bag and tossing it in before slinging it over her shoulder and moving out of the tent. The blonde picked her way through the still unconscious forms of The Parliament, not breaking stride. She did what she had to do, and now just wanted to go home and sleep.
"Hey! Wait up!" Blake called out, trying to catch up as Yang exited the camp. Blake grabbed her arm and swung her around to look at her, amber eyes staring at purple with concern.
"Are you okay? What was all of that back there?" the Faunus girl asked, gesturing behind them at the scene of chaos they just left.
"It was nothing, Blake. I had everything under control so you didn't have to come after me," Yang replied, shaking off the ravenette's hold.
"Of course I was coming after you, Yang!" Blake declared, throwing her arms up. "When you left, I couldn't shake a feeling that I needed to follow you. You've been distancing yourself more than usual this last week, and I was worried for you. So, imagine my surprise when you run headfirst into fighting some bandit tribe without any backup. I wasn't just going to sit by and let you do that. I told you not to be reckless, but you were anyway!"
Yang shook her head. "I had to do this, Blake. You wouldn't understand."
"Yeah, you're right. I don't understand. Because you refuse to talk to me. To your teammates. To your friends," Blake scoffed, crossing her arms and leveling her partner with a glare. "We can't understand what's wrong or how to help if you don't talk to us."
"I said I was fine, Blake, I don't need anyone's help. I have to do this alone. Only I can do this."
"Yang, please!" Blake yelled, grabbing the blonde's arms. "Please! I can't keep watching you run off and hurting yourself. You almost died tonight, for Oum sakes. How will you recklessly running off and getting yourself killed save your sister, huh?!"
Yang froze, because Blake was right. Her actions slowly caught up to her, and so did the heavy realization that if Blake hadn't shown up when she did, she would most likely be dead. She was so focused on getting Ruby back that she's been sacrificing too much of herself in the process. And, for the first time since the whole mess began, Yang collapsed in front of her friend and let her emotions run wild.
Blake stared in shock as her strong and confident teammate broke down before crouching down and pulling her into a hug. The two sat for several minutes as Yang's sobs slowed and her breathing evened.
"Thank you," Yang whispered, pulling back from the girl and giving her a small smile.
"No problem," Blake returned. "Please, Yang. Please help me understand."
Yang nodded after a period of deliberation, her decision made.
She was done doing everything alone. It was finally time to come clean.
X
As they made their way back to town, Yang caught Blake up on the situation, from both times talking to Raven to the information she's gotten on Vulcan. The Faunus's eyes sharpened as Yang explained further the importance of the Grimm-style mask tucked away in Yang's bag, the bow twitching slightly as the weight of their mission set in.
"So that's why you've been weird for the last two weeks…" Blake said once Yang finished, running a hand through her dark curls as she went over the information. "And you're sure that Raven will hold up her side of the bargain?"
Yang shrugged. "I have what she wants and got it done within the time limit. She said she wanted me to prove myself, and I feel that I have so she doesn't really have a reason for backing off from our agreement. Even if she decides to not hold up her side, then I'll just have to beat the Dust from her," Yang said, punching her fists together for emphasis.
"Sure, that sounds about right," Blake laughed before giving her a serious look. "I want to come with."
"Huh?"
"I want to be there for your meeting with Raven tonight," Blake clarified. She put a hand up to stop the blonde's oncoming rant. "I know you feel like you have to do all of this yourself because Ruby is your sister. But she's also our teammate and our friend. You're my friend, too, and I can't sit by anymore and watch you tear yourself apart trying to bring her back."
Yang's eyes widened in shock as her usually stoic teammate pulled her into another hug with surprising force before eventually melting into it. They separated after several beats, amber eyes staring at purple with sincerity. "You helped me when I was so obsessed with the White Fang that I almost lost myself. So, please. Let me help you."
Chocking back her emotions, Yang gave her friend a nod, thanking her for being there earlier and being there now so she won't be alone anymore.
Long before the sun had risen, the two girls boarded the first aircraft back to Beacon Academy. They must've been quite the sight: two Huntress-in-training covered in dried dirt and battle-worn clothes. But no one called them out for it since that was the typical look for Huntsmen and Huntresses returning from a mission, allowing them to return to campus without being called out.
As the two girls walked down the hall toward their dorm room, the Grimm-like mask hidden in a backpack, they spoke about normal things like homework and classes. When they got to their door, Black grabbed ahold of Yang's hand and gave it a slight squeeze. Yang smiled softly at the encouragement and open it softly as to not disturb their roommate. The two slipped into the room and gave a sigh of relief before the lights flicked on, making them jump simultaneously in surprise.
They whipped around to see Weiss sitting at her desk, wearing her nightgown and hand on the lamp now shining on the two others. She slowly readjusted, folding both hands on the book in her lap and eyeing the two guilty-looking girls and the bag slung over Yang's shoulder.
"So… What have you two been up to?"
X
And that's a wrap! Man, with this COVID-19 quarantine not allowing me to go to school, I'm going to have a lot more time to write. Thank you to all who have favorited and followed the story so far, and I want to give a special shout out to UltimateAvengers for the comment since the last chapter. See you next time! :)
