W/N: Warning. This chapter depicts graphic scenes of murder and manipulation and may not be suitable for young readers. Viewer discretion is advised.
"What do you mean she can't leave?!"
"What do you mean, what do I mean?! You're a Huntsman, Qrow! You know what it means to be injured, and that's what Ms. Rose is! Injured! And I refuse to let anyone leave my care when they are not at full health," Professor Peach snipped. She crossed her arms over her rather large chest and turned away from Ruby's Uncle Qrow with a humph.
Her uncle sighed in exasperation, running a tired hand over his face. Her uncle was usually a mess, but he looked actively worse than usual with a scraggly beard and heavy bags beneath his eyes. His fingernails were stained with dirt and a weird aroma drifted off his body.
"She's not going out into battle, Penelope! I'm taking her for a goddamn walk! You know, exercise? I hear it's good for the body," He argued sarcastically.
"Ms. Rose is a combat student! She's not allowed to come and go as she pleases. If you wish to take her out of my care, then go through the proper channels!" Professor Peach was a full head shorter than her Uncle Qrow, but her back was perfectly straight as she stared up at him, glaring the man down as if he were another one of her petulant students.
It was a funny image. Two adults well into their thirties yelling at each other like children. Her uncle was slouched over, his vest untidy with an obvious stain hiding behind the rolled-up sleeves of his undershirt. On the other hand, Professor Peach was just so...huffy. With her short hair and square features, she looked almost like a female gnome.
"Fine!" He threw his hands up in defeat, "Can I at least sit here and talk to her then? Or do I need to go through the 'proper channels' for the too?!"
The medical matron handed him a clipboard, which he filled out with a mouthful of grumbling. After he was done, the squat little woman looked it over quickly before skipping out of the room, "Don't stay too long. She needs her rest."
"Yeah, yeah," He yelled non-committally. He continued to grumble until she was well out of the earshot before turning to address his niece, "How ya doing, kiddo?"
Her uncle was the epitome of what someone would call the "cool uncle". Ruby didn't see him very much anymore, but in her youth, he was the one who would sneak her extra cookies or woke her up to play video games in the middle of the night. Even now, she could feel the thrill of adrenaline shoot through her whenever she saw him.
"Fine," Ruby answered without much commitment. She was sitting up in bed, but she kept her head down. It was hard looking anyone in the eyes these days, but she didn't want to be impolite, "…How do you know Professor Peach?"
"Bah," Her uncle Qrow swiped at the air with his hand, "I've known that crazy hag since we were kids. She was in the medical program while I was here at Beacon. Patched me up a couple times and thinks that should be enough to make me respect her."
"You don't respect her…?"
He threw his arm lazily around her shoulders, "You know your uncle, Ruby. I don't respect anyone."
Even though it was a bad joke, Ruby started to laugh, and the giggles didn't stop. It felt like a relief to laugh about something, anything. Even if it was just one her Uncle's bad jokes.
"So," Her uncle leaned back in his chair with his hands behind his head as if he were just starting to relax, "I hear you're thinking about dropping out of Beacon, huh?"
"How-How did you know?" The laughter stopped immediately. She hadn't called her dad to tell him yet and even if she had, there was no way he would have told Qrow. They weren't on those terms.
"Ran into some of your teammates when I arrived this morning. I just asked the first group of people I saw if they knew a silver-eyed girl and boom, turns out they were your friends. Can't believe you're on the same team as a Schnee but they told me everything. You messed up big time, kiddo."
"I-," She considered denying it or making up an excuse for what happened, but nothing quite felt right, "Yeah…I know…I just—I just don't know how to be a good leader. Every time I tried to help, it just seemed to make things worse."
Saying it out loud wasn't nearly as bad as she expected. Perhaps it was because he was family, but talking to her Uncle Qrow was somehow different from talking to Blake or even Jaune, "And you said you were going to quit because of that?"
"No…" Ruby admitted, "I just—I had this nightmare. I saw Mom and Dad. You and Yang too. Everyone just looked so... different and happy. It just made me think that maybe this whole thing was a bad idea. Like what am I even doing here? It's just making everyone unhappy."
He was silent as he stared at her for several seconds. His expression was vague, as if he wasn't entirely sure what he was seeing.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" She asked suspiciously.
"No reason," He answered gruffly, "Well, if you're sure, then we should go. Good thing I showed up, huh? I'll go talk to Ozpin right now about your dropping out and we'll get you out of here by the end of the day."
Panic immediately rose in her system. This was not what she had expected at all.
"Wait! What?! You're going to go right now?! But I- I um…I'm injured! You heard what Professor Peach said! I should- um I should stay at least until I get better!"
"No no," He answered airily, "If you think it's the right decision, we should do it right now. The earlier the better even. You'll rest up faster at home in your 'natural environment'."
"I-" Ruby struggled to find another reason to slow him down. Things were moving much too quickly for her liking, "I- What are you even doing here? Aren't you supposed to be on a mission in Anima?"
"I'm here to give old Oz a progress report and I figured I could check on my favorite nieces at the same time," He shrugged casually, "But nice try, kid. You can't distract me. You're as bad a liar as ever."
"What are you talking about?" Ruby squeaked defensively.
"C'mon. Drop the act. You were never gonna drop out. You only said you were going to drop out to make Yang feel guilty and come home. You knew someone was bound to tell her and it would add more pressure if that someone wasn't you. I gotta say, it's a pretty manipulative move but I can respect it."
Ruby just stared at him, her eyes wide, "That's not what happened."
"Cut the crap, kiddo. I know you better than that. You love being a Huntress. It's the only thing you're good at. It's what you were born to do," He continued cheerfully as he pulled out a flask and a took a deep swig.
His nonchalance didn't hit her so much as prick uncomfortably. Like a bee floating around her shoulders. It felt like he was encouraging her and insulting her at the same time, "What do you mean…? I don't need to be a Huntress. Maybe I'll become a chef or a plumber… I'll just study to get into one of the trade programs!"
"You can't cook, you're clumsy as all hell, and your social skills are garbage," He answered with a knowing smirk, "You're destined to be a Huntress. You know it. I know it. Hell, even your dad knows it."
"What do you mean I'm destined to be a Huntress?" Ruby rolled her eyes. She didn't believe in destiny. Not really. In all the stories, destiny was just something else for the main character to beat. Like the monsters or mutant aliens.
"You should know better than anyone, kid," He sighed, turning strangely serious, "You're read enough books to know the stories. 'Those born with silver eyes are destined to become great warriors.' Your mom was like that, and you're no different."
"You know my eyes don't do anything," Ruby countered with some irritation.
"Not yet. But they will," He stated sadly. He was staring down at his flask and Ruby thought she could see his reflection against the surface. It was murky, but most of the little details were there.
"Did you know you were born with hazel eyes? It was a weird greenish yellow. But one day, they just started to glow. Like a lamp or a candle. I think your mom said they blinked like a lighthouse. Silver flashes. That kind of thing. After it was over, your eyes had changed into what they are now. Just one look at 'em broke her. She literally collapsed next to your crib and cried for hours. Yang found her like that way, way later and called me. But that was the first and last time I've ever seen her break down like that. She was a mess."
There was a gloomy, yet fond smile on his face. It was like nothing Ruby had ever seen before. No one ever spoke about her eyes or her mother. The people on Patch had avoided their family like the plague and her dad was usually too busy with his job and his Huntsmen duties to talk about old times. She didn't even know her eyes had ever been anything BUT silver.
"I don't- I don't understand. Why would she cry seeing that? It was just lights?" Ruby argued.
"No. Your eyes meant that no matter what she did, you would end up on a battlefield. That's what it means to be a silver-eyed warrior. It means you're destined to be a fighter. A Huntress. You can lie to your friends, but you can't lie to me or to yourself. You don't have it in you to do anything else."
Ruby could feel the frustration growing in the pit of her stomach. All this mumbo jumbo about destiny was moot in the face of reality. She had tried to use her eyes her whole life, but not once did they ever work. She was used to killing Grimm the old-fashioned way.
But she was good at it. And she loved it.
"If they thought I was going to be a Huntress no matter what, then why did they try so hard to stop me?! They should have trained me. They should have tried to make me stronger so that I could protect myself!" Ruby yelled.
"Sure," Qrow conceded, "But they're not saints. They're your parents. They can't just make the logical choice every time. Especially when you're they're kid, and they know what's out there."
"What do you mean?" Ruby asked, impatiently. Everyone knew what was out there. Grimm weren't some huge secret. They were scary and endless, but they were natural, and they could be defeated. It was said that the first King of Vale had even killed Ancient Grimm. Monsters that had lived for thousands of years and could wipe out cities with just one hand or foot.
But sorrow flickered over her uncle's face. Maybe some guilt and pity too. Ruby didn't know which because it was gone as quickly as it had come.
"Someday, kiddo. I'll tell you about it someday."
Ruby hated that word with a passion. She had heard it over and over again as a child. Someday her father would understand. Someday, things would change. Someday, her mother would come home. But Summer Rose never did, and she was never going to.
"No!" Ruby yelled, "Tell me now! Tell me why Dad is so scared of me becoming a Huntress!"
"Why do you care?" Her uncle smirked, "I thought you were dropping out. Or are you finally admitting that it was just a trick to get Yang to come home?"
Caught her.
"That's not-! You're—! This whole thing was a trap?!" Ruby complained.
"It was…" He nodded, "And you fell for it."
"I-zhip-Gah! I hate you! I hate you!" Ruby rolled her covers into a ball and aimed it at his face, hitting him squarely in the chest.
Qrow chuckled as he grabbed the crumbled remains of the blanket from the floor and threw it carelessly over the back of his shoulder. "Do you know what I hate most about you...? You're a good kid, Ruby, but you like to pretend you're this saint when we all know you're just as greedy and normal selfish as the rest of us."
Ruby wanted to punch him, "I don't act like I'm a saint!"
"Oh yeah?" He folded his arms over his chest in the most condescending way possible, straightening his back into an almost lackadaisical manner, "Then why didn't you turn down the leadership position when Ozpin gave it to you? You're not the oldest, strongest, or the smartest person on your team. But you took it anyway. Why?"
Qrow didn't give her any time to respond, but even if he did, she wasn't sure she had a good answer for him.
"It's because you wanted it. Even though you knew you didn't deserve it. So you just apologized, and tried to be nice to everybody so they would fall in line and listen to you because the Headmaster gave you the job and everyone needs to follow the rules, right? Cue the fake giggle."
"I don't do th—"
"Oh. And don't get me started on the way you treat Yang," Her uncle dropped his forehead onto the tips of his fingers.
"You can pretend you didn't notice how unhappy she's been, but you and I both know that's a load of horse crap. You knew. You've always known you were Tai's favorite. He doesn't make it a secret, but you loved the attention and special treatment, so you just let it happen. For years. Without ever criticizing him or telling him to do better. You were just hoping Yang's problems would go away on its own without making any big changes. Do you even know why she ran off? Have you ever bothered to even ask her why she's so mad at basically everyone?"
"I-," She had asked that day on the docks... She had asked, hadn't she? Ruby couldn't remember anymore. She thought she did, but the more she tried to recall the memory, the less confident she felt.
"You loved being able to get into Beacon two years early. You loved getting all these freebies just cause of yours eyes, but you didn't want people to look at you like a freak. Well guess what? Tough sh—cookie. You can't have both."
"I didn't ask for any of it! It just happened!" Ruby yelled.
"But you let it happen!" Qrow yelled back, "You can't reap the benefits and then say you're not an accomplice! Do you know how I figured out you were just trying to manipulate your friends? You never reported the situation to Ozpin. Or Glynda. You sure as hell didn't tell Tai. If I hadn't randomly shown up, nobody would have held you to your promise."
"I didn't manipulate them! I really thought about doing it!" Ruby refuted again.
"Oh. For the love of—You have known from Day one how much Tai wanted you to do something else. Literally anything else, but you kept bugging me to teach you to fight. I'm not blaming you for what happened between me and your dad because I made a choice. I chose to teach you, but you also need to own up to the choices you made. Your dream of becoming a Huntress is part of the reason I can't come visit you and your sister anymore. It's the reason I choose to spend the holidays on the road."
"I—I—" She hated the weakness in her voice and the stinging pain behind her eyes. She hated all of it, but this was the one thing she couldn't deny him because she had felt guilty. She remembered that day in front of their yard. The look on her dad's face when he threw their uncle out. She had told herself it was temporary. That her dad would forgive him eventually. But almost seven years later and nothing had changed. A decade of friendship. Broken and dead. Because of her.
"Am I…Am I a horrible person…?" She whispered.
"Yeah. You are," Her uncle quipped with his usual sarcastic grin. It made her feel even worse than before, "But most people aren't great. It's okay. You can be a horrible person as long as you're doing your job and your job is to be a good Huntress and a leader. You have a team that's depending on you and you need to pull yourself together for them."
"You're just saying words… What does any of that even mean…?" Ruby grumbled. She resisted the temptation to possibly rip out her hair. Or his.
Her uncle rolled his eyes before roughing up her head as she tried to bat his hands away, "It's in the title, genius. Lead. Your friends are out there looking for Yang and trying to bring her home. You should be right there at the front of the pack."
"But what if—"
"No buts. A leader doesn't have the luxury of having doubts. The moment someone at the top is uncertain, it spreads like wildfire to everyone else on the team. It shatters morale and everything falls apart. That's why your team is a mess. It's because you're swishing back and forth between wanting people to like you and your desire to be to be the best Huntress in the world. Quite frankly, it's pretty stupid and I'm ashamed of you. We never had this problem.
That last statement caught her by surprise, "…We?"
"Team STRQ. Your mom was a leader too, and she never doubted herself. Not once. It was kind of annoying actually."
Ruby knew her parents had been on a team together at Beacon, but she didn't know her mom had been their leader. Her uncle had been on that team as well. They had all been friends. Just like Team RWBY. Except they were real friends and not just people who had been forced to live together.
"Tell me more about your time at Beacon," she urged.
Her uncle chuckled again, taking another long deep swig. Ruby rarely saw him without a drink but he seemed like he was holding back today. In fact, their conversation might have broken a record.
"Some other time, kid. Don't change the subject. We're talking about your piss-poor leadership skills right now."
"They're not that bad," Ruby protested. But they were. She knew first-hand just how little faith her team had in her. Even Blake, the only person she consistently spoke to, had said she was a bad leader.
But she had also said she could be a good one. That meant something, didn't it?
"You think I should go after Yang?" Ruby asked quietly.
Qrow gave her a look that absolutely shouted: What do you think genius?!
Without waiting for her to respond, he slapped Crescent Rose onto his back and whisked her out of the room.
II
"Where are you going?" Weiss demanded. Her feet hurt from walking, and the back of her dress was riddled with sweat despite the chilly December air. They had spent the better half of the last five hours looking under every nook and cranny for their missing teammate with nothing to show for it.
The list they had received from Team CFVY had produced some results. Yang wasn't just another patron apparently. She was known for causing trouble and had been blacklisted from several bars, more than a few of which, demanded reparations for the damage she had caused.
However, despite her notorious reputation, there wasn't much information to be gleaned. No one had seen her later than a week ago nor could anyone tell them where she was staying.
"We should head back to the ship. It's getting dark and we shouldn't be here," Weiss chided again. They weren't in the best part of town. The smell of poverty permeated in the air. Sweat and grime clung to the walls like the plague. Between the walls of a nearby alley, Weiss thought she could see the shadow of Faunus horns and a tail.
"Go back without me. There's something I need to check," Ariadne Black responded absentmindedly. The girl had been less than helpful in their search. She was usually very vocal about trying to get her partner back, but she had been uncharacteristically quiet almost the entire trip. Her mind was clearly elsewhere, but now things were getting a little out of hand.
"I can't go back without you," Weiss answered irritably. Their team was bad enough as it was. Losing another member was not an option, and Ariadne was arguably the best of the bunch. She was studious, had excellent grades, rarely ever caused trouble, and was perfectly reasonable compared to their overbearing leader, "All of you are deadest on your little adventures, but all I want is to graduate. That isn't going to happen if I lose you too."
Ariadne didn't respond. Her body was stiff as she power-walked down the street, dodging into alleys every so often to check their surroundings. Weiss didn't even bother to question her strange behavior, waiting impatiently for them to just get to wherever it was Ariadne wanted to go. They didn't have time for this. If they missed the last flight back, they would need to spend the night in the city and Weiss was not prepared for that.
After what felt like an eternity, Ariadne stopped in front of what appeared to be a normal, unassuming use bookstore. However, it was clear from the darkened interior that it was closed and there was no one else on the street.
"Shop's closed," Weiss stated, "Let's go."
But it was clear her partner had no such plans in mind.
"Just leave without me," She ordered roughly before hunching down over the lock. Something small and silver appeared in the other woman's hands and Weiss gasped in surprise.
"What are you doing?!" Weiss cried shrilly, "Are you crazy?"
"I told you to leave!" Ariadne commanded.
"I can't leave!" Weiss continued. This was insane. Her teammate was breaking into a bookstore. She couldn't leave now, "You're breaking the law!"
"Weiss. Either go home. Or shut up," She hissed impatiently.
"How dare you talk to me like th-"
But before Weiss could fully express her indignation, the door opened with a soft click and Ariadne disappeared inside. Weiss immediately shifted from surprised to alarm. Not only was her a teammate a lockpick, but she was a proficient one. The girl had gotten the door open in less than 2 minutes. And upon close examination, Weiss could see it was an expensive lock at that. Industrial grade. Why on would a non-descript used bookstore in the backstreets of Vale have something like this?
Weiss's curiosity got the better of her. She checked the streets to double check they were empty before rushing through the front door. The air was musky with the smell of books and frost. She thought she could see the cloud of her breath even in the darkness. Cold. Weiss quickly locked the door behind her before venturing deeper into the store.
It looked normal enough. There were large floor-to-ceiling shelves against the walls and smaller racks with even more books to her left and right. Nothing out of the ordinary. The cash register was at the back of the shop where Ariadne was once again hunched over a second door, this one with a small window in the center. Weiss peeked over her teammate's shoulder to see it was another industrial seal but before she could ask any questions, the door once again clicked open.
Ariadne wasted no time, slinking through the second threshold like a cat. She clearly knew where she was going, and it wasn't very far. This backroom wasn't very large, little more than a closet as far as Weiss was concerned. The moonlight didn't quite reach inside, but Weiss could see all four walls well enough. In one corner were several stacks of boxes, each one containing a large number of leather-bound books.
"Are you crazy? Do you have any idea what you're doing right now?" Weiss demanded, "This is a crime. A national crime. If we get caught, we're going to be expelled, or worse, locked up in some miserable Valean jail cell."
"Like I said, you're free to go. In fact, I would prefer it. Just please leave," Ariadne responded with some exasperation. She was clearly out of breath, having exerted all her energy moving the boxes into the other room, while being careful not to damage the wares inside.
"Can you just tell me what you're doing here? What is with this place? The locks on these doors are the kind my family used to use at the manor. It's not something someone would buy to protect just books."
Ariadne didn't respond, though she clearly seemed disturbed by Weiss's comments. Her eyes were hard, and Weiss struggled to understand what this girl could possibly be thinking.
By now the boxes had mostly been removed and Weiss could see a rug beneath all lying on the floor. It was a nice throw, with an intricate design of what looked like a puma. Ariadne hurried to throw it aside, revealing what appeared to be a large trap door, handle of which was also bolted, this time with a normal padlock and chain.
Ariadne didn't bother picking this one, opting instead to pull out her weapon and cut the metal in two. The trapdoor opened into darkness. Weiss couldn't see anything inside, but Ariadne didn't hesitate to jump in, disappearing into its depths almost immediately.
"Wait! Come back!" Weiss hissed furiously. She hurriedly pulled out her scroll to turn on the flashlight before jumping in after her. She didn't go very far. The cellar wasn't very tall. If she reached her hands straight up, she could pull herself out of the hole without any issue. But she longer wanted to.
All around her was Dust. Schnee Dust. Enough to arm her for an entire school year. Maybe two. More than what any normal person would need sitting in the back of their car and certainly more than what a secondhand bookstore could ever afford.
In the corner of this underground chamber, Weiss could see the entrance to a tunnel. Ariadne was already heading for it, her whole-body tense with attention.
Weiss raised her weapon as her glyph appeared beneath the mouth of the cave and a wall of ice shot over the opening, "You're not going anywhere."
Ariadne pivoted back to her in irritation, "What do you think you're doing?! If you don't want to help me, then leave!"
By now, Weiss's anger had usurped both her fear and her curiosity. No one in this team liked or respected her. That was fine. She didn't need their help nor their compassion. But this was different. Someone was either stealing her family's Dust or they were pretending to and she would not let it stand either way.
"You're not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on."
"We don't have time for this!" Ariadne threw up her hands in exasperation. Her eyes were frantic, darting between the shadows as if she expected something or someone to jump out at them, "People are in danger and I need to help them!"
"You will make time, or I will report both you and this inexplicable little hole-in-the-wall to the police," Weiss declared calmly. She was determined to keep her voice steady. Maintained. She was trained for this. She just needed to reclaim control of the situation and the quickest way to do that was with information. There was just too much she didn't know, and Ariadne Black clearly had all the answers.
"How did you know about this place? Why does it have so much Dust? My Dust, to be exact. And who exactly are you?"
Weiss watched her comrade visibly flinch and she knew she had asked the right questions. Ariadne's fingers were folded into fists, fidgeting uncomfortably at her sides, "Weiss. We. Don't. Have. Time. I need you to trust me-"
"No," She stated flatly, "Trust is a two-way street. None of you have bothered to trust me. Not you, or Ruby, or Yang. None of you have put in the effort to act like my teammates or try to make this situation work. A situation, I might add, that I never asked for. Now, if you want me to trust you, then I will need something in return. I need you to answer my questions, right here, right now, or I will be reporting everything to the police."
"I—This is… I- Please…" Ariadne continued to plead. Her eyes were growing increasingly frantic as they darted between Weiss and the ice wall blocking their exit, "I promise I'll tell you everything later. All of your questions. Whatever it is you want to know. But right now, I just can't. I need you to trust me."
Weiss didn't respond, opting instead to dial 777 on her scroll. Her thumb hovering over the button as she waited.
"NO! Please." Ariadne lunged forward to reach for the scroll, but Weiss was faster. She moved three steps back as she pulled the scroll behind her back and pointed Myrtenaster straight forward into her teammate's chest.
Ariadne's eyes were frantic, but she knew she'd been backed into a corner, "I—Weiss…I can't tell you. If I tell you, you'll never let me leave. I know you won't. I-"
Weiss's hand froze as it hung over the dial. It was always like this. People always thought they knew everything there was to know about her. Just because her family was famous. Or because of their wealth. Weiss would always be that privileged, spoiled little heiress stuck in a tower of her own making.
She hated it.
She hated their eyes and their thoughts and their opinions. They knew nothing. No one did. Not her peers, or her teammates or even her own family.
"You don't know what I'll do," Weiss whispered softly, "You don't know anything about me. All of you thought you knew everything there was to know long before the day we ever met. But let me tell you something, Ariadne Black. I am not just the heiress of the Schnee Dust Corporation. I'm a Huntress, granddaughter of Nicholas Schnee, and I am not my father's legacy.
The anger seeped through into her voice and Ariadne pulled back in surprise. However, the latter no longer looked panicked. Weiss wasn't sure what the other girl saw but after a moment's pause, Ariadne's hands had stopped trembling and she let out a large sigh in defeat.
"You're right…" She admitted sadly, "I've never tried to get to know you. I didn't want to. I just assumed you would be like all the other things I've heard about the Schnee Dust Company. I assumed you would be greedy and merciless and cruel. But you're…not those things. You're not exactly kind but…"
Ariadne sighed again, "I don't understand you, Weiss. I don't understand why you're here at Beacon. And I don't understand why you would want to be a Huntress when you can just have a cushy job in Atlas. But I do know one thing. I know you're a good person. I know you care about Ruby. And maybe even Yang. You're just really bad at expressing it."
Weiss's rapier felt heavy in her sweaty hands. Perhaps she was just tired from her search or from this extended confrontation, but all she wanted to do now was lower her weapon and maybe go lie down somewhere. Instead, she said, "Don't try to change the subject. Tell me what I want to know."
Ariadne took a deep breath and visibly exhaled through her nose, "I will. But I want you to promise me that you won't report me to the police. At least… not until we find what I came here to for. Please."
Her teammate looked solemn but sincere in her request. There was a change in her now. She still seemed agitated, but no longer frenzied. As if she needed this moment just as much as Weiss did. Without quite meaning to, her arm started dropping to her side. Myrtenaster felt heavier than ever.
"I promise," Weiss conceded.
Ariadne took another deep breath.
"I— I've been lying to all of you since I started here at Beacon. My name—My real name is Blake Belladonna."
Weiss thought she had made a mistake. There was a strange ringing in her ears like the kind of buzzing she heard when Ruby was playing too many video games in the dorms. This scene wasn't possible. She couldn't possibly have heard this woman correctly.
"Belladonna," Weiss repeated slowly. Her eyes searched for the signs. A tail or claws. Maybe fur around the neck or arms. She couldn't find anything at first, but then she saw it. Clear as day. An unmemorable little black bow. Small and unassuming. But there it was, hiding in plain sight.
"You're the daughter of the White Fang…"
Ariadne. No. Blake. Flinched again but didn't deny the statement. She couldn't. After all, how could she when the famed Ghira Belladonna was the face of every Faunus everywhere. Weiss's weapon was back at Blake's throat with the flick of her wrist.
"Give me one reason why I shouldn't rip that bow off your head and drag you to the nearest police station," Weiss whispered quietly. She could feel her nails digging into the palm of her hands as she tried to keep her voice steady. The pain gave her clarity, but it also gave her anger an outlet and Weiss definitely needed it.
"Because you promised," Blake answered simply, "And I want to believe we aren't the people others say we are."
The heat. It was everywhere. She wanted to rip this girl apart. Weiss could feel the hotness in her hands boil over as blood tricked from her fingers over the handle of her blade. Weiss didn't feel the pain. She couldn't feel anything at all except for the anger in her throat and the fire simmering beneath her skin.
"I promised that before I found out you were the daughter of a terrorist group trying to eradicate humanity! I can't believe I spent the last four months sleeping six feet away from the almighty princess of the White Fang! How many people have you kidnapped, tortured, and killed?!" Weiss roared, "How many of them were board members of my grandfather's company? Family friends? Just people doing their jobs?! How many, Blake Belladonna?! Answer me!"
"I don't know…" She answered quietly.
"We gave you jobs, a hot meal, a place to sleep and somehow that made us evil. How is it possible, that in your deranged little minds, that we should be the ones kidnapped and made to live like fugitives. Why—"
"You treated us like animals!" Blake screamed back. She looked like she might cry, "Do you have any idea how many Faunus come to Menagerie broken?! Missing horns, declawed, burned, scarred. Children! Weiss! Kids without parents come to the Menagerie when their parents die working for your family! You give them a bed, a hot meal, and scraps of lien for what?! To work in Dust Mines without any equipment to protect themselves! Do you know why so many Faunus work for the Schnee Dust Company?! It's because they can't get hired anywhere else and your father knows it. He exploits it. He lets my people die in your caves while he lines his pocket with more blood money than your family will ever spend!"
Blake's chest rose and fell with every breath. She took one step after another as she walked closer and closer to Weiss's blade and the latter couldn't help but back away.
Weiss didn't know. She didn't know how they lived. She knew about the 'disasters', of course. There were always one or two every few years. Accidents. Someone being careless or just an axe hitting the wrong part of a Dust vein. Her father would come home furious. Making calls. Setting up defensive measures around the manor. There would always be protests the next day. Attacks from the White Fang.
"Weiss…" Blake's voice was quiet again. Tired. She fell to her knees before grabbing Myrtenaster's blade with her bare hands, "I know it's hard for you to swallow everything I'm saying, but we don't have time for this right now. This shop belongs to…a high-ranking member of the White Fang. They're stealing large amounts of Dust and I don't know why. I need to find out why. After everything is over, I'll turn myself in if that's what you want. But right now, I just need you to trust me."
Weiss let her rapier hover around Blake's neck. When she was younger, she had tried to imagine what the White Fang looked like. Faunus weren't allowed to live in Atlas except on the Academy Grounds and Weiss never traveled down into the core where they were supposed to live. She didn't watch the protests on TV, nor look at the mugshots online. She had always imagined big muscular men with claws or fangs like the name implied.
But she would never have imagined someone like Blake. She looked like any other student at Beacon. Skinny, young, maybe even innocent in her way. She could have passed for any other human. She did pass for any other human. Weiss had sat next to her for months without noticing a thing.
"I'll let you go," Weiss started finally. Blake's eyes lit up with hope, "But first I want you to answer three of my questions."
Blake hesitated for a brief second, her expression clouding over with both doubt and worry, "I—I will."
"Question one. Are you still in the White Fang?"
Blake shook her head. Her cheek skimmed along the edge of Weiss's blade and she could see Blake's aura spark as it protected its owner from harm, "No- No. I haven't been a part of the White Fang since I came to Vale."
Weiss considered the answer. There was no way to corroborate the story. It was possible she was lying but Weiss had no way to verify it either way.
"Question two. If you're not a part of the White Fang anymore, how did you know about this shop and the members who own it?"
"Ren and Nora work here. Ruby took me here for a shopping trip and I accidently walked in on their secret."
Here was something she could work with. She could ask for the others' accounts and if everything lined up, the answer to her first question would also seem more valid.
"Question three. Why are we here?"
"Here?" Blake asked with surprise, "Like in Vale or—"
"This shop," Weiss answered impatiently with a roll of her eyes.
Blake got to her feet and rushed to what had previously been the tunnel. Weiss could see the wall of ice was already starting to melt and immediately summoned the fire Dust in her rapier to finish it off.
"I saw this hole the last time I was here," Blake explained quickly as she pulled out her scroll to give them some light, "Ren and Nora said the shop would be closed today so I wanted to come and check the place out. There was a lot more Dust last time. There's maybe only a quarter of it left. I think they're transporting it out using this tunnel. If we can figure out where it leads, maybe we can find the Dust and apprehend them."
"You want to turn them in?" This wasn't where Weiss had expected her questioning to go. While she believed Blake was no longer a part of the White Fang, she didn't believe the girl would just turn her back on a cult she had been born into. It didn't seem quite right.
But Blake merely nodded, "Something's changed since I left. This isn't like them. We've never stolen Dust like this before. Whenever we intercepted your cargo trains, we would always bring it back to the refugee camps for them to use. Fire for food and warmth. That sort of thing. I don't know what they're planning now, but it doesn't make any sense."
"You would know," Weiss spat bitterly. But she felt a little guilty, immediately after she said it. Blake was being more than accommodating and maybe she could stand to do the same, "I'm willing to trust you. Just for now. Once we apprehend them, I'm still taking you to the police station."
"It's a deal," Blake promised.
III
The night felt clear and crisp the moment Yang stepped outside. Roman was dressed like a mafioso, per his usual habit, with his cane and a half-smoked cigar. Neo was nowhere to be seen.
Her absence was like a new stain, impossible to ignore and ugly to look at. The girl had been moody since the night Yang agreed to this mission. There was something strange about seeing Roman without her by his side. The two were a pair. A unit. But now he looked smaller, almost like a younger version of the man he was supposed to be.
The sidewalk was empty as they strolled, each block quieter than the last. That was strange for a Saturday evening, even if it was close to midnight. Normally the students from Beacon would be prowling the town for a chance to relax, but the roads were surprisingly calm. Disquieting in their stillness.
She had been a little anxious when the idea of a job had first popped up. But as the week passed, the nervousness had slowly faded away. It was just a job. Maybe the first of many. This was what she had wanted. A chance to do something different. Be someone different.
And it was a chance to get to know her new friends better too. Perhaps bringing her along was the first sign of their trust.
It surprised her, how much she wanted it. There was an ache in her chest and a tingling in her hands to get closer to these people she'd known for only a month. She wanted to know where they came from, who they were before they met her, what they're like on the job. She wanted to know everything about them.
Did they feel the same way about her?
Yang tried to sneak a peek at her companion as they moved. His dark green eyes were bright, always shining with some scheme or idea. Every time they walked beneath the artificial lamps the pale blue lights played against his handsome face. With soft cheekbones, and a strong chin, she could imagine he had been a heartthrob when he was younger. Even now, he wasn't so bad.
"I know I'm charming, but you're drooling all over your top," Roman teased with a playful smirk.
Yang's hand reflexively went to her mouth but found it dry, "That's not funny."
But it was. She wanted to burst out in laughter. Her arms and legs felt weightless as she walked beside him. Like she was spending time with an old friend. It was casual. Freeing. If Neo were here, things would be even better. She would have had some quirky way to get back at him.
"Aww. You're embarrassed," He teased cheerfully, "I know I'm impossible to ignore but you need to stay focused, Blondie. We've got a big job tonight."
"Are you finally going to tell me what we're doing?" She queried with a defiant shake of her chin. Roman had made himself scarce throughout the week, only appearing for a few minutes every morning before disappearing again without any notice.
"We're making the world a better place," He whispered.
Yang rolled her eyes, "I'm being serious."
"So am I," He answered. The grin left his face as he quietly pushed open the gates to a large barbed-wire fence. Under the dim lighting, Yang thought she could see something large further into the compound, but on her immediate left and right were nothing but metal warehouses. The padded locked was still attached to the door, albeit not on the side that was open.
"People will buy the newest locks but don't bother fixing the hinges. Makes it easy for people like us," Roman whispered. He ushered her through the threshold, pulling her past the warehouses into the darkness of the beyond.
It took Yang a minute to realize where she was: a cargo compound. The sides of her arm brushed against the cold metal surrounding her on all sides. The ridges felt cold even above her thick clothes. They were surrounded by these things. Roman grabbed her hand and dragged her behind the nearest container, pulling her into his chest as he clamped his hand over her mouth.
Yang could feel his heartbeat pounding against the back of her head. A steady rhythm, slow and collected compared to the rapid beating of her own. She willed herself to calm down, to pull herself together, but all of her senses felt like they were on fire. His leather gloves were hot against her skin. The fruity smell of his cigars filled her nostrils.
All of him consumed all of her. Occupying all of her senses.
But he wasn't focused on her at all. She followed his line of sight to see an unfamiliar man with a giant sword walk past their hiding spot. He was clearly a Huntsman. Even in the cold weather, he was dressed lightly, overcompensating for his rather unattractive face by using his aura to appear tough.
After another second, the stranger turned onto the corner they had previously been and disappeared down the pathway. His footsteps echoed away with the soft clicking of his shoes.
Roman released her from his grip, taking all his warmth away with him as he stuck his head out between the gap to check their surroundings. After finding everything as it should be, he motioned for her to follow him before continuing down the narrow path, pulling her further and further into a maze of steel and asphalt. The air was thick with tension and heat despite the cold December winds.
They were leaving the path now, slipping through the darkness so that almost no light filtered through to them. Everywhere she looked was looming shadows and ridged sidings. There was nothing to point her to their exact location or even give her a sign of where they were going.
But Roman seemed to have no trouble finding whatever it was he was looking for. The two of them kept moving, dodging within the shadows as they avoided the Huntsmen and guards that were clearly patrolling the area.
They kept going for what seemed like hours. Yang didn't know when the air started to change. But she could smell it. Salt and fish. The Sea of Lost Souls. Inky black water splashed at the asphalt beneath her feet. Waves tossed and turned as the temperature dropped noticeably lower as they neared the water.
With another turn, they left the metal behind them to be embraced by the open air of the sea, bathing them in the smell of frigid salt water and soft starlight.
Despite the pollution from the kingdom, Yang couldn't make out when the water ended and when the sky began. If she trained her eyes properly, she thought she could see the school on the other side of the water: A castle on the hill, just like Roman's sardonic descriptions.
"…Why are we here?" Yang whispered to herself. She hadn't expected Roman to answer her, but he nodded his head toward the way they'd come. Much to her surprise, she could now see what she had missed before.
All around them were mountains of cargo containers. One stacked on top of the other and all of them bearing the logo of the Schnee snowflake. Schnee Dust.
"I don't understand…" She murmured.
"You saw those Dust Robberies on TV," Roman kept his voice low. There weren't any guards by the water, but she had seen enough of them on the way here. They needed to be careful, "I have it on good authority they've been hiding it all here. If you want to play the hero, then help me steal it back."
"But this is Schnee Dust," Yang could hear the tremor in her voice. Fear. Anger. Confusion. None of this was making any sense.
"Which makes it the perfect plan. Just think about it. Who needs Dust more than anyone else?" Roman waited three seconds but when she didn't answer, he tapped the side of his head impatiently, "The people selling it. Demand goes up. Prices go up. And no one would suspect it."
On some overarching level, that made sense to her. She had heard the rumors about the corrupt dealings of the Schnee Dust Corporation: The Faunus labor, the dangerous works conditions. Was it so unbelievable to think they would be running this kind of operation? Yang really didn't know.
"So what do you want me to do…?"
"You're going to help me steal it back," His voice grew even lower than before and Yang needed to lean into his shoulder to hear him, "Jacque Schnee's hired a dozen idiots to guard this treasure trove. They're just here for the money. If things start looking dicey, most of them will probably run off. Neo will be here in fifteen minutes with the planes for the cargo. We need to handle these guys before they get here."
Maybe it was the idea of fighting professionally trained Huntsmen. Maybe it was the stealing. Or maybe it was even the image of Weiss's snowflake. But Yang couldn't control the shaking in her hands. It wasn't like her to be hesitating. She was better than this. She was confident and strong. She was supposed to be the best.
"I-" But before she could voice her doubts or put up a front, Roman had his hands on either side of her arms close to her shoulders.
"Yang," It was only the second time he had ever used her name. The first being when they met. The effect it had was almost like magic. Everything stopped instantaneously. Disappeared. And the only thing she saw was Roman's surprisingly serious face.
"When this job is done, we're going to head out to Mistral. Just me and Neo. She…We were born there. We're getting paid a lot of money for this job and we can start a new life with the payout. Maybe run a new operation. Something decent with parties and pretty girls. I'm not sure yet, but I want you to come with us."
Yang's lips felt dry. Cracked. She desperately wanted to lick them but felt paralyzed by the force of her desire. A new start. In a place where she knew no one and no one knew her. Where she could be anyone.
It sounded lonely, even in her head. But the force of Roman's magnetic green eyes pulled her into the possibility of such a future. It wouldn't be lonely. Not when she had them. They would a new life together. Just like he said.
"I will," Yang was surprised to find that her voice didn't shake. It was steady. Calm. Nothing at all like the beating of her heart or the incessant pounding in her brain.
"Sounds good," His gaze lingered on her a second longer before he nodded with a grin, disappearing back into the shadows like a Chesire cat.
And now she was alone.
Yang took a deep breath to calm her breathing. And then a second. And then a third, but none of them helped. Roman's departure brought with it, a wave of doubts. Was this going to work? She couldn't be sure. What was she doing? Stealing? But this was a job. Just a job. A steppingstone to her future away from Vale and the horrible memories she no longer wanted.
Yang took one last second to compose herself, before turning and waltzing back into the maze. The path seemed darker than before, cutting off without any clear indication and forcing her down an unfamiliar corner.
Without any warning, she barreled head-first into the chest of a young Huntsman. He took a few steps back, stumbling into the nearest cargo container with a loud bang.
Before either of them had a chance to react, four more huntsmen and a Huntress had rushed to join them, all of the newcomers came ready with their weapons armed.
This had not been the plan. There hadn't been a plan, but accidentally running into a Huntsmen and then the rest of his buddies showing up wasn't even a possibility Yang had even considered. She needed to improvise. She needed to make this work somehow, "Sor-Sorry about that! I um- didn't think I'd run into anyone this late at night."
Most of the Huntsman looked surprised at her casual greeting, lowering their weapons slightly as they studied her under the dim light. From what she could tell, they weren't very experienced. Most of them looked young. Possibly recent graduates. She could see two in the back grin to one another appreciatively, their eyes wriggling with an idea Yang had heard many times throughout the halls of Beacon and even Signal.
However, the head Huntress didn't lower her guard, keeping her sword pointed Yang's neck. She was clearly the leader of the group. She was older than the rest with a pink scar by her chin. Her light brown skin was a strange contrast to her dark green hair and violet eyes. She was the only one who decided to dress appropriately, with a thick-looking winter coat, combat boots, tights, and leather gloves.
"This is private property. Who are you, and how did you get in here?"
"My name is Yang Xiaolong. I'm a student at Beacon," After everything she'd been through, the lies came to her naturally, but these weren't lies. Not yet anyway, "I was headed for the docks, but got lost. It's my first time out and I just wanted to catch a flight back to Beacon. Can one of you show me the way there?"
One of the idiots in the back immediately raised his hand to volunteer, "I'll do it!"
"We've got a job here, Frank. God. Pull yourself together," The Huntress snapped. The man immediately put his hand back down, scowling mutinously.
The Huntress turned her attention back on Yang. The suspicion was greatly reduced, but Yang could see the annoyance and disdain in the woman's eyes. It was an expression she wore often.
"We can't help you, kid. The last shuttle is probably already gone, but if you want to get to the docks, just go down this way back to the entrance of the yard. Make a right at the gate and you'll see a sign that will point you to the docks. It's not a long walk, but you should probably find a place to stay for the night and take an early flight back."
Yang thanked her police before turning to go. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the group had also turned around, their guard completely broken.
At that moment, Yang sprung forward at the nearest man. It turned out to be the unattractive newbie she'd run into. She slammed into his back, the full force of Ember Celica going off as she slammed her fist into his lower spine. The man flew, falling into his nearest comrade with a loud groan.
Within half a second, everyone's weapons were back in the air.
"Nobody fire! Any of you set off this Dust and we're all going to get blown up!" The Huntress screamed.
A few of them look alarmed and froze with their fingers on their triggers. It was all the hesitation, Yang needed. She lunged at the next man, her fist making full impact with his teeth as he flew into his comrade behind him. Yang didn't give him any time to get up, pounding him once again with her fists as someone else grabbed her from behind.
Yang pulled her feet into the air, kicking loudly off the side of the cargo container until the man behind her lost his balance. She could feel him falling to the ground and she braced herself for impact, keeping her legs poised to spring backward as he hit the asphalt.
As she rolled to her feet, she could feel a fist connect with her jaw. It was quick but weak. Blunted by both her aura and the adrenaline running through her body. Yang didn't shy away or flinch from the pain, pulling back her fists to return the damage tenfold.
The adrenaline pumped in her veins like a drug. This was her element. The fighting and the pain felt good. Easy. And she wanted more.
She punched her attacker square in the stomach; Ember Celica went off twice as the Huntsman slammed into one of the cargo containers, severely denting the metal.
Before Yang had a chance to rest, someone kicked her from the side, throwing her into yet another cargo container. The space they were fighting in was too small for comfort and Yang remained on her feet. She pushed back against the metal, saving the energy as she fired indiscriminately at the nearest enemy.
"Don't let her bullets touch the cargo!"
After one of the Huntsmen took the brunt, another dived to take his place. Her bullets hitting him squarely in the face. She could see the air move as the force of his aura momentarily flashed.
But Yang didn't have any time to celebrate her victory. The Huntress came at her from her left, punching her squarely in the face, "Are you crazy?! Do you have a death wish?!"
Yang didn't answer. She pulled herself back into a fighting stance before flipping on Ember Celica's safety switch. She knew very well the explosive power of Dust. But she had needed an advantage. Not anymore.
The other Huntsmen had fallen. She'd taken them down alarmingly fast, much to her own surprise. But now that there was only one left, she could take her. She could take anyone in a one-on-one fight without weapons. The woman had had a sword earlier, but she was barehanded now.
Yang charged forward, throwing the first punch. It was easily blocked, and Yang could feel her opponent pulling her forward as she grabbed her arm and threw her over her shoulder. It wasn't the strongest reversal, and Yang would have been able to land the fall had it not been for the unconscious Huntsmen littering the narrow space between them. Instead, her knee fell onto the man's chest before she rolled into a kneeling position.
Her opponent didn't have any trouble navigating the crowded terrain, dodging her comrades completely by running alongside the walls as she dived towards her head. The woman's fist slammed into her temple, as Yang's fist connected with her opponent's chest.
Neither women flew very far; the walls of the cargo truck stopping their momentum as they smashed into the metal. Pain rippled through yang's body as her aura flashed and died. It was like nothing she'd ever experienced. It was just one hit. How did that Huntress break her aura in just one punch?
Yang coughed as she struggled to get to her feet, but her whole body felt heavy. She could barely move let alone stand.
A few feet away, she could see the Huntress was already back on her feet. She had one hand on her chest and another against the side of the cargo container, but she was up. Smirking even. Assured in her victory.
And then she wasn't.
Her whole body stiffened with a jolt as her eyes grew wide. Her fingers turned into claws, ready to pounce, but it was already too late. A circle of blood blossomed over her chest as a sword emerged from the center. It grew slowly, larger and larger until it consumed all of Yang's focus.
The woman collapsed to the floor as more blood pooled onto the asphalt. Her body spasmed once and then twice. Her eyes shifted to Yang's face and for a split second and it was as if the dying woman was speaking directly into Yang's mind.
You did this.
"Pretty good work, Blondie. I just got the message from Neo. The crew will be here in two minutes."
Roman's voice made her jump. He was standing a few feet away, kneeling over the body of the dead woman. Yang didn't know when he had returned. She didn't see him arrive, but she heard the words he was saying. Felt him throwing one of her arms over his shoulder as he pulled her back to her feet. There was blood on his clothes and a perfectly normal grin on his face. Pleasant and calm.
"What…What happened…?" She breathed. Her voice came out as little more than a whisper. Her mind couldn't process how quickly everything was happening. Where did he come from? Why was there so much blood on his clothes? And that Huntress…She was dead. But she couldn't be…But there was so much blood on her clothes. She also had to be.
Yang couldn't help but stare at the Huntress. Her eyes were glassy. Her face pale despite the anger clearly marked in her features. The furrowed brows. The glint of her canines as blood seeped over her lips to join the rest of it in a pool on the ground.
Roman didn't answer her, skipping over to the Huntsmen Yang had previously tripped over. The big one that had almost made her fall. His eyes were open too, but it was clear he was staring at nothing. His face was just like the others: Lifeless. Devoid of color except for a single red stab wound across his neck.
And then the whole scene hit her at once with the force of a thousand bricks. They were all like that. Everyone she had fought just a moment ago was now lying lifeless on the ground. They were dead.
Every last one of them.
Yang could feel a scream crawling its way up her throat, but what came out was a choked gargle.
"Why…What happened to them?! Why did we do this?! I thought we were just stealing back the Dust... You- You didn't tell me about this…! Why— Why did I-"
"We had no choice," Roman answered. He had that same calm, almost pleasant voice from before, but it now held a hint of steel, "You were outnumbered. One of them would have raised an alarm. And if I didn't stop them from getting back up, they would have killed you."
Yang saw it now. That fight had felt a little too easy. She'd beaten four professionally trained Huntsmen without breaking a sweat. It should have been impossible, but this? This had never even occurred to her. This was a nightmare.
"It's wrong. This is all wrong…I-I-What have I done," Yang struggled to breathe. To make sense of the things she was learning. It was too much. She had just murdered five people. Five innocent lives. People who were just doing their jobs. She was a murderer.
"Blondie!" Roman roared as he roughly grabbed her shoulders, "Hey! Yang! Look at me. Look at me!"
It felt like his voice was physically wrenching her eyes away from the scene and it was a blessing to look at anything else. Very slowly and calmly Roman pulled her hands to his chest. They wouldn't stop shaking. She could still feel the panic pounding in her ears, "This is your first time. I know you're confused. You weren't ready yet. But you're strong, Blondie. You're just like us. Me and Neo."
What in the Gods' name was he talking about? Her first time doing what? Seeing a dead body? Committing murder? She pushed him away as her back ran up against the cargo container.
"You're crazy," She whispered.
They had ambushed innocent people and murdered them in the heat of battle.
"I'm not," Roman's voice was absolutely steady. The power of his conviction resonated in every little word he spoke, "I had no other choice. We had a job we needed to do. You were in danger and I saw a way to help you. If you were in my shoes. You would have done the exact same thing."
"No...No…!"
"This is the job, Blondie! This is what it takes to get it done. To survive. And if you asked me to choose, I would do it again! No matter how many times it takes!" He yelled.
"…Yang…?"
She snapped to attention at the sound of her name. A sound that hadn't come from Roman. It shouldn't have come at all.
But Blake and Weiss were standing a few feet away with their hands over their mouths, staring with abject horror at the scene before them. Yang could see it too. The bodies lying all around them and Roman's expression as he turned to look at her teammates. She could see the gears spinning in his head and the conclusion he had come to.
"No…" The word escaped her lips before she even knew what it meant.
W/N: Happy New Year. Thank you all for sticking with me so far. There's two chapters left. Really only one and one epilogue. The three month disappearance was almost entirely devoted to writing/rewriting/editing/and then rewriting again this chapter. I hope to god it was worth it, but I'm more or less satisfied with it now. It's a goliath compared to the others. Almost 12,000 words. But this has been a good ride for me and I can't wait to see you at the finish line