To say that her neck hurt was an understatement, but Blake refused to let anyone know how much it bothered her. Even as she spoke less - partly to ease the pain, partly because she was in no mood to talk - she went about her day like normal and ignored the looks she earned from everyone she passed.
She wasn't in a good mood, to put it lightly, and right now the only thing she was grateful for was that the cafeteria served soup for dinner. If not for that random stroke of luck, it would have taken five times as long to force down the meal, and she didn't want to sit in the cafeteria any longer than necessary. She just wanted to eat and go back to her room.
"Cinder's such a bitch." Setting her tray on the table, Emerald dropped into the seat across from Blake and jabbed a spoon into her bowl. "Just chewed me out because 'we're using too much fuel.' Like I have any fucking control over that."
"We're using too much fuel because one of the thrusters needs to be replaced," Mercury mumbled before taking a bite to eat.
"See? How's that my problem? That's your problem."
"Don't tell her that…"
When Ret chuckled, Blake managed a small smile. Their banter eased some of the sour mood she'd carried all day and assured her that she wasn't the only one Cinder hated - or who hated her in return.
"Ok, but why aren't we asking the important question?" Emerald said before smirking at Blake. "Like what happened to your neck?"
Just like that, Blake's sour mood returned, and her gaze unwittingly flitted to Adam, who was speaking to a group of Blackguards on the far side of the room.
"Nothing," she grumbled even though she knew Emerald wouldn't drop the topic so easily.
"Seriously, it looks like you put your neck in one of those vices they have in engineering." Emerald smacked Mercury's arm at the comparison, and he nodded, but she wasn't done yet. "Or was it some sort of, like, asphyxiation play?"
When Ret snorted and Mercury let a smile sneak onto his lips, Blake rolled her eyes and took another sip of soup. Any response would be turned into an admission or denial, so she might as well just finish her meal and let Emerald have her fun.
"Question is...who wants to fuck a grunt?" Emerald mused to herself, only to glare at Ren when he averted his gaze and turned a deeper shade of blue. "Seriously, Ret? You're such a boy sometimes."
Even though he shrugged off the conversation, he refused to look anywhere near Blake. Which was fine with her, as she already knew what her answer to any type of solicitation would be.
"If you want a girl, I'll get you a girl. And it won't be her." Emerald nodded at Blake with a certain amount of disdain, but Blake ignored the implied insult. Ret, however, gave Emerald that look of hopeless devotion he always had for her, which made her sit back and scowl.
"Don't look at me like that."
The venom was too little, too late, as she'd already unleashed the loyal blue puppy who loved nothing more than following her around.
"I don't want a girl," he claimed. "But will you teach me to fly?"
"Of course not. What do I look like, your fucking mentor?"
"Yes," Mercury coughed into one hand, earning an icy glare from Emerald. Before they launched into another round of who hated who more, however, Blake pushed her chair back and stood from 'their' table in the cafeteria.
"Leaving early?" Emerald immediately asked.
"I need to work on something."
"Oh really?" As usual, the hint of gossip piqued her interest. "Like what?"
"It's...complicated."
"Please. I can fly a Class 6 cruiser through an asteroid belt with my eyes closed - you think I can't handle 'complicated?'"
Ret beamed at Emerald's humble assessment of her flying skills, but he always smiled. At anything. For whatever reason, he found life unceasingly amusing even though his had been much less so.
"I don't think I can say yet," Blake hedged rather than provide details.
When she spotted Yang walking through the cafeteria, on a path that would lead right past the table, she knew that avoiding the truth was the right decision. The last thing she needed was for Emerald to comment on Valerian steel right in front of Yang - that would only get Blake in more trouble. Instead, she fell silent and turned towards Yang with a polite smile, only for Yang to ram right into her shoulder while walking past.
"Wow. Good morning to you too," Blake grumbled under her breath while rubbing her shoulder. She thought she kept her voice low enough to go unheard, but Yang spun around and scowled.
"What did you say?"
The nearby Blackguards quieted at the tone, and even Adam glanced their way at the impending reprimand, which grew more imminent when Yang stepped up to Blake and frowned down at her.
"I said good morning," she repeated slowly, keeping her tone neutral while biting back annoyance and frustration. Those emotions only grew when a blood-red gaze flitted to her neck and Yang's scowl deepened.
"Don't you have a job to do?" Yang snapped before spinning around and striding away without waiting for an answer.
"Guess I do..." Blake mumbled. Everyone was staring at her now, and Emerald raised a hand to her neck before pointing after Yang and smirking. Rolling her eyes at the unspoken tease, she left the cafeteria - and Emerald's laughter - behind.
Those maps wouldn't translate themselves, and apparently she was being timed. No one cared that the ink was so faded that half of the letters were indistinguishable - Adam wanted completed versions yesterday.
The lack of consideration bothered her, but what bothered her even more was how Yang had treated her ever since returning from Lurus. Yang couldn't behave in public like she did in the privacy of her room - that was understandable - but she'd been going out of the way to be harsher than usual.
When Blake turned the corner and saw the object of her annoyance leaning against the wall by her room, her frustration only grew.
"Making sure I do my homework?" she quipped while brushing past.
"I'm sorry -"
"Save it."
In no mood to talk, Blake walked into her room and shut the door behind her, but Yang stuck her hand in the gap and pushed it back open. When she stepped through the doorway, making it clear she wasn't leaving anytime soon, Blake gave an exasperated sigh.
"What do you want? I'm working, see?"
She motioned towards the map copies spread across the desk and her feeble attempts at translation, but those drew Yang's gaze for only a second.
"I wanted to make sure you're ok."
Blake sighed again, then shook her head in confusion.
"What?"
"Your neck -" Yang nodded towards the bruising, which had caught everyone's attention, before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "It looks like it hurts."
"Why do you care?"
"Because," Yang began, only to shake her head and fall silent.
"'Because.' Great." Annoyed by the lack of response, Blake turned away only for Yang to catch her arm and stop her.
"Blake, wait."
When Blake froze at the words, Yang sensed the shift in mood and immediately dropped her arm.
"What?"
"That's the first time you've ever used my name." Yang's eyes widened at the realization, but Blake frowned and tried to untangle the emotions threading through her chest. "I didn't think you even remembered it."
"Of course I did. It's not often I have to save someone twice on the same day I meet them."
Looking increasingly uncomfortable with the turn in the conversation, Yang cleared her throat, shuffled her feet, and got them back on track.
"Look, I'm just...sorry about...that -" she nodded towards Blake's neck before staring at her hands. "I'll try not to let it happen again."
Unsure of how else to respond, Blake gave a soft "ok" and watched Yang's demeanor with increasing curiosity. As much as she wanted to stay annoyed, Yang was making it difficult. Everything about her persona was apologetic, as if the bruises on Blake's neck were her fault. As if she was the one who put her hand around Blake's throat and tried to squeeze the life right out of her.
That wasn't Yang. Even though it could be. Even though, in some ways, it should be - it wasn't. And that knowledge melted away Blake's annoyance and left her with only a sense of comfort that Yang was still the same person in private as she'd been on days past. Mostly the same, at least, though she lacked some of her customary confidence and bravado. That became especially apparent when she blew a breath through her lips and ran a hand through her hair before meeting Blake's gaze.
"Um, but I had something to tell you."
"Ok..." Sensing Yang's reluctance to continue the previous line of conversation, Blake nodded for her to change the subject. "I'm listening."
"You ever been to Drideter?"
"The notoriously-dangerous cesspit of evil?"
"That's the place."
"Yes." In actuality, Blake had never been there, but she had heard about it and imagined every criminal worth their rank had visited at some point. "Why?"
"Because we're stopping there in a couple days. Quick dropoff, but we'll have the day free." Though still relatively subdued, Yang managed a quick smile at the news. "Just wanted you to know. Something to look forward to, right?"
"I guess…"
It sounded like good news, but Blake didn't know why Yang sought her out to tell her. Was it a reason to check up on her? An excuse to talk to her? Possibly both?
"No one else knows yet," Yang added while shifting between her feet. "And we don't get many rest days, so it's the type of info that can...win some favor, you know?"
Suddenly understanding what Yang was saying, Blake felt her mood lighten and a smile threaten to appear.
"Are you trying to make me popular?"
"No, I just - I told you, so do whatever you want with it."
When Yang made an aggravated motion with one hand and stepped towards the door, Blake reached out and stopped her. She wasn't mad anymore. In fact, she felt pretty special to have been personally delivered such good news.
"Thank you."
She meant it, and she didn't drop her arm from Yang's until Yang turned around and made it clear that she would stay.
"You're welcome." The words sounded so foreign - to both of them, most likely - that Yang quickly brushed past the moment. "It's good to stop and let the crew blow off some steam. I'm sure you're feeling it too."
Their recent travels had left Blake feeling cooped up, so she wouldn't decline the chance to slip away for a day. Plus, it presented an opportunity to set up a meeting with ISA and brief them on what she'd learned so far.
"But if you want to blow off some steam before then, I know somewhere we could go."
When Yang winked, having regained her signature swagger, Blake scoffed and flipped the tables right back at her.
"What's wrong with here?"
She motioned towards her bed, but Yang looked at it and laughed.
"I don't know if you've noticed, but this room is tiny."
Not one to lose her side of banter, Blake upped the ante by stepping into Yang's personal space.
"I think it's...intimate..." she purred, staring into Yang's eyes and feeling her skin tingle from their proximity. The way Yang looked her up and down only amplified the feeling, and she suddenly yearned to move even closer.
"I mean...I'm willing to give it a shot if you are…"
The instant Yang set her hand on Blake's hip, they crossed a line Blake hadn't even seen coming. Now, she couldn't help but imagine what that would be like. Which version of Yang would show up - the firm, disciplined Blackguard commander? Or the softer, inexplicably-sweeter side of her?
What did Blake have to give up to find out, and what might she gain in the process?
With Yang's hand on her hip, and Yang's gaze dipping to her lips every few seconds, she considered her options. Fraternization was forbidden except in cases of life and death...but this entire mission was one long tightrope act between life and death.
Before she made up her mind, a soft bump shuddered through the floor under her feet. Yang turned towards the docking bay almost immediately, her brow knit together at what could only be another ship docking with the Inferno.
"That was quick..." she muttered before taking a deep breath and looking at Blake. "Listen, we're about to have company. Wait here until they get their stuff and leave."
"But I can help -"
"No." Sensing Blake's impending argument, Yang shook her head to end it before it even started. "Stay here until they leave."
With no other instruction or explanation, Yang hurried out of the room and closed the door behind her. Left to scoff in Yang's wake, Blake stared at the door and tried to figure out what to make of their most recent interaction.
From disdain to concern to casual dismissal in just a few minutes, Yang kept Blake wondering which version of her was real. Not only that, but why would she offer Blake some pieces of information while preventing her from learning others? If she wanted to learn how the Blackguards operated, she had to do more than translate old maps and 'stay in her room.' Besides, as much fun as struggling through page after page of Valerian was, she needed a break - and Yang just provided one.
So, rather than stay put, Blake left her room and headed towards the cargo hold. If their visitors were picking something up, as Yang suggested, that was where the meeting would be. It was the only location with enough drugs and weapons to make any group happy, so long as they had the credits to pay.
She wouldn't get involved; she just wanted to see what was going on. Who were these visitors? What were they here for? And what type of relationship did they have with the Blackguards?
Upon reaching the door to the cargo hold, she peeked through the window and spotted a group of strangers and Blackguards standing inside. With the meeting location confirmed, she looked around before taking a lift to the upper level of the cargo hold and peering through the glass of a secondary entrance.
The upper perimeter of the room featured a balcony serving as extra storage and easier access to the inventory stacked far above the main floor. After scanning as much of the walkway as she could, and finding it empty, she took a deep breath and put her hand on the manual handle of the door. Before turning it, however, she hesitated.
Yang told her to stay in her room, and she was blatantly disobeying that order. If she got caught, there would be no pleading ignorance or misunderstanding. But...she felt reasonably assured that her only punishment would be a firm scolding. Assuming Adam or Cinder didn't take offense to her presence, of course. It was a gamble but, ultimately, a gamble she was willing to make.
Rather than use the keypad, which was almost guaranteed to draw attention, she turned the manual override and slid the door open by hand. She only opened it far enough for her to slip through before quietly closing it behind her. When no one immediately yelled at her to leave, she crouched low and snuck behind a nearby stack of cargo containers.
Through the small gap between the boxes, she could make out enough of the room to determine that the meeting was either a drug or weapons sale. The buyers looked like a group of mercenaries, and they were armed to the teeth. The Blackguards had responded in kind, and Adam's personal squad stood right behind him, with weapons at attention, while he spoke to the buying group's leader - a slender man with eyes that flitted towards every bit of motion he detected.
The tension in the room felt like a pot approaching boil, with everyone standing so stiffly that any sudden movement might cause them to open fire. Suddenly, Blake wished she had more than just her knife with her, but the Blackguards must know what they were doing. This couldn't be their first time dealing with these people, so they must know how to work together. Or at least how to exchange goods without erupting into a firefight.
"Everything's here."
Adam waved towards a large container sitting by his side, and Yang popped off the cover with one hand. From her position at the top of the cargo hold, Blake could see that rifles filled half of the container while carefully-stacked explosives took up the other. One of the buyer's men, however, walked over and inspected the contents before returning to his leader and nodding.
"Looks good," he confirmed through a thick, unrecognizable accent, and Cinder took the silent instruction to bring over a device that their payment could be completed on.
While the man entered account information, Blake crept towards the edge of her cover to get a better look at the visitors. If she could figure out who they were, she could add them to a list of known affiliates of the Blackguards.
As soon as she peeked around the container, however, a strange shimmer caught her eye. Momentarily forgetting about the transaction taking place below her, she squinted at the other side of the balcony and tried to figure out what it was.
Appearing as if from nowhere, the barrel of a rifle tapped against the railing. The tiny sound caused a flicker that illuminated a figure she'd never seen before, and she abruptly understood what was happening.
"Watch out!"
The words hardly left her lips before she sprang from her hiding spot, grabbed her knife, and hurled it towards the surprised sniper. The blade lodged in the man's shoulder just as a shot rang out from the other side of the room - then all hell broke loose.
Shouts and phaser fire filled the air while everyone suddenly scrambled for cover. With the groups below focused on each other, Blake sprinted towards the first sniper and ducked when a blast of super-heated air snapped past her ear. There was a second shooter somewhere, but she ignored them while launching herself at the first.
She collided into the man shoulder-first, and the two of them crashed to the catwalk before tumbling apart. While he struggled to right himself, she lunged for the rifle he dropped during the fall and, as soon as she had it, searched for the shooter across the room. Another shot burned past her elbow, making her flinch before aiming the weapon and squeezing the trigger.
Before she even knew if she hit her target, the first man pulled the knife from his shoulder and rushed her with it. He slashed the blade towards her, but she knocked it aside with the rifle before slamming the butt of the weapon into his face. The resulting crack preceded him collapsing to the ground, and she immediately turned her attention to the battle occurring underfoot.
Her gaze locked onto Yang, who grabbed an attacker with both hands and threw him headfirst into a nearby storage container. As he fell unmoving to the floor, she spun around, caught Blake's gaze and, in that split second, didn't notice the man rushing her from behind.
This time, Blake didn't hesitate; she raised the rifle and fired. The shot skimmed over Yang's shoulder and hit her attacker in the arm, but he hardly cried out in pain before Yang spun around, tore the weapon from his hands, and leveled him with a left hook.
As abruptly as it started, the battle just as quickly ended. Soon, the only sounds to be heard were groans of pain interspersed with phaser shots as the victors dispatched those enemies left alive. In the midst of the carnage, Adam walked over to the rival group's leader, who clutched at the multiple phaser wounds he'd sustained, and kicked him to the floor.
"Thought you'd double-cross me?" Adam growled before pressing his boot down on the man's neck. The man began struggling immediately, clawing at Adam's leg trying to free himself, but there was no surviving the malice in Adam's eyes.
It wasn't long before his arms fell lifeless to the floor, and only then did Adam meet Blake's gaze. He looked angry - he always looked angry - but he didn't say or do anything; he just stared at her for several long seconds before turning away. Considering he nearly killed her the other day and today she possibly saved his life, the response seemed appropriate.
"Cinder, gather the rest of the squads and clear out their ship. Decide what you want to do with anyone found alive."
The order must have been music to Cinder's ears, and she actually smiled while motioning the uninjured Blackguards after her. Meanwhile, Adam put several annoyed phaser blasts through the leader's head before stalking out of the cargo hold.
All the while, Yang frowned at Blake.
"Get down here."
Sensing her reprimand on the horizon, Blake found the nearest ladder and climbed down from the catwalk. As soon as her feet touched the ground, Yang grabbed her by the arm.
"Come with me."
Without another word, Yang marched Blake out of the cargo hold and through the halls of the ship. She didn't say anything, and she didn't let go until reaching Blake's cabin and pushing her inside. The door hardly closed before Yang spun her around and shoved her into it.
"What did I tell you to do?" Yang asked, her voice loud and angry while she boxed Blake into the small space by the door.
"Stay in my cabin -"
"Stay in your fucking cabin. And what did you do?"
While Yang waited for an answer, still glowering in anger, annoyance spurred in Blake's chest.
"I don't know, saved your life, maybe?" she shot back. "How about a thank you?"
The answer didn't make Yang any happier, and she stepped right into Blake's space to force her back against the door.
"That's not what I told you to do. I told you to stay. Here." Yang jabbed her finger into Blake's shoulder with the last two words, but Blake swatted Yang's hand away and scowled.
"If I had, you could've been shot."
"That's my problem - not yours. Focus on keeping yourself alive."
"I can take care of myself."
"Apparently," Yang snapped and gave Blake a long, hard stare before sighing and hanging her head. "I'm trying to help you..." she mumbled towards the ground. "You're making it difficult."
The admission erased Blake's annoyance, and she suddenly felt guilty for disobeying Yang's order. She saw it as testing her boundaries and fulfilling her duty of learning what the Blackguards were up to. She knew it was risky, but she also had confidence in her ability to protect herself. She never considered how it looked to anyone else because, as far as she was aware, no one else cared about her wellbeing.
Having lost the will to argue, she remained quiet instead. Noticing a new singe mark on Yang's shoulder, she cautiously reached up and touched it. Yang shied away from the contact, but not enough that Blake's hand fell away.
"Looks like I got you a bit..." she mused while touching the streak of black running across Yang's metal shoulder.
"I'll survive."
When Yang still didn't move, Blake took the opportunity to slide her fingers across the nearby scratches and cracks in Yang's arm. The metal was unlike anything she'd ever felt before, and somehow even the scratches felt smooth under her fingertips. There was also a coolness radiating from it that seemed almost unnatural, but was probably aided by the temperature of the ship.
The silver sheen and immaculate craftsmanship made it one of the most incredible things she'd ever seen. She wanted to know where Yang had it crafted and when, but she didn't dare ask while Yang let her closer than ever before.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, touching Yang's fingers and watching them gently curl around her hand. "I just wanted to know what was going on."
"You know what they say about curiosity…"
Blake smiled at the whispered response, which she'd heard as words of caution more than once before. When she slid her hand across Yang's palm and Yang grasped onto her fingers, her smile grew.
"It's gotten me into some exciting situations," she admitted, and felt her heart jump when Yang finally smiled.
"I'll bet it has…"
When Yang shifted, Blake withdrew her hand for fear that she had overstepped her bounds. But Yang didn't scold her, and that was somehow even more confusing. Sensing the right mood, however, she decided now was the time to apologize for her insubordination.
"But I am sorry that I didn't listen to you."
She knew it was the right thing to say when it erased Yang's remaining tension and, for a split second, lightened the redness of her eyes.
"You could have been killed."
"You could have been too," Blake pointed out, but Yang just gave a sad smile and shook her head.
"That wouldn't be the worst thing."
That response puzzled Blake more than anything else. Yang was a leading member of the Blackguards. The Blackguards weren't supposed to contemplate their crimes and judge themselves unworthy of life; they were vicious, unremorseful, heartless beings who did whatever they could to stay alive and further their personal gains.
That wasn't Yang, and that wasn't what Blake expected. But Yang took the lack of response as agreement and glanced at the floor before meeting Blake's gaze, eyes red as normal.
"You're ok though? Didn't get hurt?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." Blake wished she could have that moment back and say...something...but she moved on instead. "How's your arm?" She gently touched the area of Yang's cut, which hopefully hadn't split open over the course of the past few battles.
"Itches like hell, but that's just the scab talking. Guess I'll make a full recovery, after all."
"Good."
Surprisingly, Blake was genuinely glad to hear that Yang was healing. Even more surprisingly, she was disappointed when Yang stepped back and motioned her away from the door. The loss of warmth was immediately noticeable, but she hid her disappointment and did as instructed.
"You should get some rest," Yang mumbled while taking Blake's place by the door, but she stopped just short of opening it. "And Blake?"
Again, Yang used her name and, again, it sent a strange feeling through her veins. Yang, however, paused and mulled over what she wanted to say before eventually nodding.
"Thank you." Before Blake responded to the gratitude, Yang walked into the hall. "But don't do it again," she added before closing the door behind her, leaving Blake to fight back a smile in her wake.
If that was supposed to feel like a rebuke or reprimand, it didn't. It felt like Yang continuing to play what seemed more and more like a role. Blake knew a thing or two about pretending to be someone she wasn't. Hopefully, she was playing her part as expertly as Yang was, if that was indeed what was going on.
Only time would tell. But, as a massive adrenaline crash headed her way, she decided to send a quick message to Command before laying down and passing out. Since the Blackguards would stop at Drideter in a couple of days, she could set up a meeting with ISA. It would be a good opportunity to finally take and hand off some pictures of the Inferno as well as the rest of the information she'd collected.
After firing off a quick message, she dropped the device on the bed beside her and laid down with a sigh. Sleep would come soon but, before then, her mind went over the events of the day.
Yang had revealed her harsh attitude to be a farce. She admitted trying to keep Blake safe. She let Blake disobey yet another order. She allowed Blake closer than anyone else on the ship. And each of those realizations only made Blake want to know more about the Blackguard commander who was much more than met the eye.
She still believed that Yang was the key, but maybe there was more to it than that. And maybe she didn't understand what else it might be, but she was too tired to figure it out right now.