XLI: Hear You Me

"Play that last part again." Cora demanded as her feline ears flicked back and forth in agitation.

Yellow Bois d'Arc watched over her with growing trepidation. The tension had been growing with each piece of evidence he showed her. Regardless, he complied.

The computer display changed with the clacking of a keyboard. A visual representation of the time codes skipped backwards. The progress bar reversed to a few seconds before the end. Deputy Drwg's voice restarted with the pressing of the play button.

'-Don't want them getting hurt.' Said the recorded voice before erupting into a laugh.

Her knuckles turned white at the hated deputy's callousness. Those sheep he referred to were his own people. The sheriff's response similarly rocked her.

'Good. Keep it that way until I have had a look. We may have a unique opportunity on our hands.'

She growled at the way Wendeval phrased 'unique opportunity.' As if the crisis was another business deal to pounce on. Like no one's life was on the line.

Active shooter on premises. The imagined echo of the emergency broadcast egged her on. Deputy Cyan Roscoe is requesting immediate assistance.

With the end of that recording, she looked down at her Scroll. She had called her best friend numerous times. After a dozen failed attempts, Cora was being sent directly to voicemail. Someone was screening their calls.

'Three bodies have been discovered.' Another playback started. This voice was not as recognizable. Probably a volunteer over the common radio. 'Suspect CR has been detained. Suspect QB is still at large.'

CR? QB? Did they think they were being clever? They had arrested Cyan and were now after Qrow. And this all just happened to occur right in the middle of an investigation into Cobalt Bleu's suspicious death?

Deputy Cyan Roscoe is requesting immediate assistance.

"Forget this."

Commander Corazón had heard enough.

She turned away from the monitor and made for the exit. If she hurried, she believed she could be in the lion's den in under an hour. Woe to all that got in her way. This new attitude was immediately challenged by Yellow who ran up front to block the corridor.

"Whoa! Where are you going?"

"Relay. I gotta go see about a girl."

If he was shocked by her response, he was even more stupefied by her deeds. She slid her mitts under his pits. With a flex of muscle, she easily lifted him up. He froze stiff as she turned to gingerly set all six feet of him out of the way.

His brain appeared to sluggishly catch up with the exhibition of raw power. It was kind of cute how his mouth opened and closed a few times while processing. Unfortunately, she did not have time for that.

And neither did Cyan.

Cora navigated her way back into the main portion of the barn and cut across the dancefloor. A few stray balloons had to be kicked away, but she experienced very little resistance. One burst on contact sending a rush of satisfaction to her brain. She imagined it was the sheriff's head popping.

"Wait a moment!"

"Nuh-uh." She called over her shoulder. "Done doing that."

As she reached the barn entrance, he once again raced ahead. This time he stood outside of her reach and held his hands up. The motions he made reminded her of how one might try to calm a misbehaving filly.

"Easy now." That was exactly what he was doing! "Let's think this through. You can't just go down there and start throwing people around."

"I can't?"

"You shouldn't." He amended. "As the commander of the militia, you have to conduct yourself differently. You'll start an incident."

Commander. A stupid title she never wanted in the first place was once again holding her back. There was only one way to take care of that.

"Good point. Mr. Bois d'Arc, you are my witness. I am stepping down as Commander of Tocsin forces immediately. I name Captain Desmond Kohler as interim commander until such time as blah blah blah. You get the gist."

With that formality taken care of, she advanced. Yellow backed up with his arms still out. He looked a little unsure if he should be standing there. Self-preservation instincts were not kicking in as they should have.

"It doesn't work that way. They will spin your actions as another example of Tocsin disobeying Relay sovereignty. You will be playing by Wendeval's rules. Ones he is very good at winning with."

She hesitated. That was right. She would be giving the smug pratt another 'unique opportunity' if she went down there. Breaking into a jail to free an innocent woman could easily be cast as a mad faunus breaking out an equally guilty pal.

Sensing he was on the right track, the blond continued. "Even if you don't care about that, you are outnumbered. Quantity alone could stop you. Or delay you long enough for them to try something drastic, like putting a gun to her head and asking you to surrender."

They also had Maggie on their side. At least, Cora guessed she was on their side. The former specialist was not answering her Scroll either. The militia leader had to imagine the worse until proven otherwise.

"Come with me."

"Sorry?"

"Help me save her." Cora urged. "Between the two of us, we could be in and out before they knew what hit them."

If they went hard and fast, they could grab Cyan and retreat to safety. What they would do next, she did not know. They could figure it out later. Even if she had to become a fugitive for the rest of her life, that would be worth the price.

"Uh, I'm not sure how much help I would be."

Now she was the one confused. "Why?"

"Sure, I can hold off a few Grimm if I need to, but I'm a farmer. Not a warrior." He gestured to the sword on his hip. "This is mostly for show. I have never had to fully unsheathe the thing. I wouldn't know what to do against other people."

"I've heard plenty of stories of you tossing out rowdy customers…"

"Actually, I suggest that they leave." The scion scratched the back of his head. "No one has ever challenged me on it. The last name scares them all off."

That was something she had never considered. Cora took it for granted that Yellow was a highly skilled fighter. His grandfather was such a titan that she assumed he was a chip off the old block. Apparently, so did everyone else.

"Then we could use that! Ask them to release her." She was grasping at straws now. "Isn't your whole family motto about righting wrongs and justice and all that?"

"No. It's more about keeping promises, no matter how stupid-" He stopped short at her unimpressed scowl and changed tactics. "My role is consultative. If they were on my land I could make demands, but they are in Relay."

With each dismissed idea, she felt more and more vulnerable. Whatever hope she had that there was an easy solution kept getting kicked out of reach. Yellow gave her another punt with his next words.

"We also do not have any proof of wrongdoing."

"The recordings-"

"Are easily explained away." He interjected. "They'll say they were misquoted or taken out of context. There is enough ambiguity there that they could ignore it."

"So, you are saying I should just give up!?" She stomped, sending a tremor through the floor.

There was no way she could do that. The sheriff could not be allowed to sweep this all under the rug. Cora would rather die than continue to live with this status quo.

"I didn't say that. We just need to be careful. This is now a hostage situation."

Hope returned. "We?"

"Oh yeah. I've been wanting to take Wendeval down since I met him." He finally approached and looped an arm under hers. She allowed herself to be led to the backroom. "Let's see what we can do about this."

〇-〇-〇

At her rocker sat Stella Lee, engrossed in a story next to a lone candle. The wide-open window beside her offered a nice cross breeze. Unable to sleep, the matron had hoped reading would rectify the situation.

This tactic usually worked. However, she had made a mistake. She had picked up a literary work rather than any of the numerous tactical reports commandeered from the militia headquarters. Now she was engrossed and unlikely to rest any time soon.

A flicker in the wick drew her attention briefly. She checked the darkened areas of the room, looking for her uninvited guest. After a moment, she resumed her reading materials, confident they would reveal themselves given time.

"Certainly didn't teach us that in basic." Ms. Lee mumbled as she turned the page.

The book, Lay Down Your Arms, was peculiar. Billed as the diary of a human soldier who had defected to the faunus side during the early years of the rebellions, Stella had been intrigued. Not many firsthand accounts had survived. She was interested in how it matched up with her own experiences.

Adding to the intrigue was that her granddaughter had been the one to purchase it for her. The two rarely spoke when not required to, but there were a few times a year they agreed to put aside hostilities. One of those occasions was birthdays.

A novel had been one of the last things Stella had expected as a gift. The way the younger woman grinned as the book was unwrapped made the senior suspicious, but she accepted it with the grace required of her station. Lacking the leisure time to read during the day, the paperback had lay alone for months. Curiosity getting the best of her caused Stella to finally pick it up a few hours ago.

Her initial judgment after the first few pages was that it was not bad. The journal used plain language with easy-to-follow flow. This was not to say that there were not parts that confused her. They were small grievances, but they began to compound as she persisted.

Stella started to question the historical accuracy of the book on page twenty. The narrative randomly veered into a gratuitous co-ed shower scene. At first, she accepted that her assumptions about her old foe's culture may have been incomplete. The Mantel military could have been less prudish than she had originally assumed.

Then there was the odd flirting between the main character and one of their trench mates during an active engagement. Again, Stella could come up with an explanation. She chalked this up to stress induced behavior. The enlisted always had different reactions to their first firefights. Some turned to comedy to cope with extraordinary occasions.

Finally, around the third chapter, the author was captured. Not too unusual, as many were taken prisoner during the conflict. What was remarkable were the implements used by the faunus forces on their newest captive. The way they were described reminded Stella of marital aids rather than interrogation tools.

Things escalated when one of the inquisitors pulled down their pants. And then they were off to the races. The next ten pages turned into what she could only describe as a full-on orgy. Stella had determined what kind of book this was.

It was smut. Her little Key had bought pornography. Suddenly the offhand comment about how the book would make her 'want to touch her shelf' made much more sense.

This was a gag gift. The foolish girl thought something like this would scandalize those from an older generation. Unfortunately for the merry prankster, Stella was too worldly to feel embarrassed about this kind of thing.

Really, she would have to find a way to thank her for the gift. This was the most excitement Stella had experienced in a long time. Perhaps she could share a few of her own stories from the front lines with her child's child. Ones involving her grandfather and their own experimentations.

Sharing was caring after all.

Either way, she was hooked on the novella. Halfway through and she was already eagerly anticipating the finish. The current chapter was building up to quite the climax in the mess hall.

"Would have been much more popular if I were that flexible." Ms. Lee grumbled at a provocative description.

"I know the feeling." Someone announced.

The visitor had finally stepped forward. How disappointing. She sighed before memorizing the page number and closing the spine. Her faunus enhanced eyes found them standing in the darkness. Twin reds gazed back.

"It's rude to interrupt a lady's private time."

"Sorry. Calling was not an option."

Before they could begin in earnest, the guest room door opened. Out clambered another dark-haired man. This one had whiskers and a grumpy disposition.

"Ms. Lee. I heard-" Onyx found the intruder. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh no. You caught us. Our love affair has been exposed." Qrow Branwen sarcastically replied.

The elder allowed only a small smile to grace her lips but otherwise betrayed nothing of her thoughts. Onyx was not so stoic. He angrily stomped towards Branwen. His wish was to overpower the smaller man.

A pointed end leveled at Onyx's throat caused him to cease. He hopped backwards, bringing his fists up for battle. Dressed in only his shorts, Stella did not like her bodyguard's odds. Thankfully, Qrow did not press the attack.

"Tonight is not the night to test me." He warned.

"Big words, human."

"That's refreshing." The huntsman grinned. "Most call me a 'demon.' I wonder how long that will last."

The commando set his feet for a basic stance. His skin began to darken and crack. Straining noises from the wooden floor beneath them indicated a sudden increase in weight. If the unusual showcase worried Branwen, he did not show it.

He merely popped his shoulders.

"Onyx, dear." She interrupted the organ measuring contest. "I would prefer to talk to him. Alone. Please wait outside."

The man growled. He was far less amenable than Colorado, hence why he had been staying in her house rather than leaving at night like his compatriot. That he would make tea for her was more a reflection of his fondness for the beverage than subservience.

In the end he obeyed. The manifestation of his Semblance faded. Whether that was out of deference to her or because he knew he was outgunned mattered little. He backed away slowly until he reached the door to let himself out.

"Have a seat." She gestured to the couch beside her.

"Standing works for me."

"It's hard on my neck." Stella sensed a resonance between them. "Do it for me?"

Qrow blinked in confusion. He shrugged and did as was suggested. The weapon in his hand shrank into rods before disappearing behind his back.

Walking further into her den allowed Stella to have a longer gander at the man. The huntsman was a mess. His face was scratched red. The shirt he wore was ripped and stained. He had been in a difficult spot recently. His near collapse onto the furniture further underlined his condition. She politely ignored those signs.

"Now how can I help you?"

He took his time settling in before replying. "I have questions."

"Maybe I have answers. It will cost you, though."

"I don't have much on me." He frowned.

"Oh, I'm sure we can find something to trade. Maybe another favor? You did a fantastic job with that water hog out east. We have not had any more complaints about access to the pumps."

"Roscoe wouldn't appreciate me taking on any more favors."

"Of course." She had a backup idea. "Then how about we trade information? A question for a question."

Her power was derived from her knowledge. The more she knew, the stronger her position. Picking the brain of a huntsman to understand his motivations had potential. There could come a time in the future where that information would be crucial.

To use or to sell.

"Alright." He agreed. "Me first. You did something a second ago."

"Whatever do you mean?"

"I felt an odd tingle. Suddenly I'm doing what you said. It happened when we met earlier too. What was that? Some kind of Semblance?"

Being able to detect the intervention after only two applications was amazing. Most never caught on. He was sharp. Or she was sloppy. That he was not reacting violently to the intrusion was a good sign. If this were an exchange of information, maybe it would not be terrible to let him in on her little secret to build trust.

"I call it Nudge. It allows me to impress my will onto others."

"Like mind control?" He tensed with dread.

"More like... a mental suggestion. I can't make anyone do anything they would not have done anyway."

A white lie. There was more to it than that. For instance, she could not order a person to kill themselves. But she could gradually influence them into taking a course of action that might result in their death. Also, if she strained, she could force a single person to perform a simple act like sitting down. That little trick had saved her life once before.

"Strange that you decided to use it on me. I'd have kept that hidden."

"That was a mistake." She admitted. "Even after all this time, I still don't have complete control over the ability. If I'm not paying attention, Nudge slips out."

"I think I understand."

Intriguing. "How so?"

"I cause misfortune. Bad luck."

"...Sorry?" She had never heard of a Semblance like that.

"Machines, Dust, plans. They all fail when I'm around. Great in a fight but terrible everywhere else." He stared at the floor. "Suppressing it has only gotten worse with age. I wonder everyday if my friends would have been better off having never met me."

Stella Lee wanted to know more. The mechanics behind that kind of Semblance was fascinating. How did he know when it activated? How does one qualify bad luck versus random chance? The melancholy on his face discouraged her from seeking more.

"Then we truly do understand each other."

Her Semblance was an asset. However, she often questioned if her life would not have been better if she had been born differently. With a Semblance that did not make her feared. One that had not alienated her from her kin.

After a pause, she continued. "Nudge is the whole reason I am not in Menagerie."

"Do tell." His eyes rose back to her in curiosity.

"I lost my patience with the chieftain. Said some things I should not have. He exiled me to this glorified house arrest because of it."

A quirked eyebrow accompanied his response. "Sounds like an overreaction."

"Well, what I said was rather extreme. I might have 'convinced' his closest advisers to raise an army in his name to raid a mining camp. We had heard they were abusing their faunus laborers. He wanted to negotiate. I did not."

"Ah. Yeah. That would do it." The huntsman snorted. "Most kingdoms would have executed you for pulling a stunt like that."

If Ghira had, she would have respected the decision. That would have at least shown he was not to be trifled with. Instead, he showed his true colors. The soft-hearted fool.

There was a reason he was losing his grip on the political landscape. New leaders and power brokers were rising under his nose. She was trying to head off the inevitable challenge to his authority.

It almost worked.

When the raid had returned with a hundred liberated faunus and no casualties, the doubters had looked at Ghira with adoration. Sienna Khan, his most vocal critic, re-pledged her loyalty on the spot. He immediately squandered that by denouncing the action and having Stella arrested.

"That was a nice warmup, but enough about the past. What did you really want?"

"I know Relay is flush with too much cash. I know the sheriff is behind it. And I know you have dealings with him." Qrow leaned towards her. "What I don't know is specifics. Where the lien comes from and where it goes."

"You want me to put the pieces together for you."

"Yes."

She rocked back and forth. "That is a tall ask. I hope you are prepared for one of my own."

When he did not shy away, she nodded. As long as he understood the consequences. Besides, she had suspicions that his reactions would be worth the dirty laundry.

"I'll preface this by saying that I don't know exactly what he is doing. I can only tell you what I have seen and surmised. Our mutual acquaintance keeps his cards close to the chest."

"Point me in the right direction."

"Very well. To put it simply, I believe he is a smuggler."

Bribes and a few well-placed spies let her in on to his scheme. She had plenty of pictures and copies of manifests to corroborate. The documents also made good insurance for a rainy day.

"What kind?"

"Guns, mostly. Not low rent stuff either. We are talking hardware for a small military. There have also been rumors of drugs and unrefined Dust, but I am less sure of that."

"Okay. That meshes. There is money in advanced weaponry."

"As for our meetings, they have usually revolved around security. Some of his trafficking trails need protection from Grimm. We provide that."

Not knowingly, of course. Her granddaughter would not want anything to do with the conspiracy. Stella did have Kohl's ear, who was trusted to make strategic patrol routes. If one of those happened to run parallel to the sheriff's own, then who was to complain?

"What do you get out of it?"

"Five percent."

"Excuse me?"

"Five percent of the profits. Well, fifteen now, after our last pow-wow."

Plus, other assurances for when Relay became recognized as a settlement. He did not need to know about those. They were incidental.

"How do you know Wendeval is paying you fairly?" He asked before answering the question himself. "Ah. Nudge. Right."

"Yes. Very convenient for enforcing contracts. A local accountant wires funds every month into Tocsin's communal coffers. There is a shell company in Vacuo he uses."

"Relay Enriched Development LLC?"

"My. You are informed."

"I try. So, what do you do with your fifteen percent slice? This house ain't exactly my definition of the high life."

"Already told you. It all goes to Tocsin." Qrow narrowed his eyes at her. "Hard to believe? Everything I do is for the betterment of this settlement."

"Cutting a deal with criminals helps Tocsin?"

"Money helps Tocsin."

A repaired wall. Permanent housing for refugees. Better medical equipment for the sick and elderly. Lien bought all those things. Crime was going to happen with or without her involvement. Why should the folks at Relay be the only ones to benefit?

"Was it worth your soul?"

"Anything to give us an edge." She instinctively scratched the scar on her neck. "I've experienced what happens when you get complacent."

She could never forget that lesson.

In the middle of the night, the humans came for them. They forced her extended family out of their house by gunpoint. Parents, both sets of grandparents, and five children. The youngest of which was five. Stella was barely a teenager.

The good people of Mantle marched them to the town square's cedar tree for a trial. The family's crime? They were faunus during a rebellion. There were no rebels around to be punished, but the humans needed someone to pay. A unanimous guilty verdict led to ropes being wrapped around their necks.

The single finger Stella slipped under the noose before the chair was kicked out saved her from a quick asphyxiation. The humans thought it was funny to watch her flounder, so they left her for dead. She hung for untold minutes next to her dead relatives.

Throughout it all, her neck refused to break.

"Mentor of mine once told me that honest souls were where ultimate victory lay." Qrow pulled her out of her bitter recollections. "Or something like that. Not sure I believe him, but I want to."

"A nice sentiment." There were a few she could think of. Most of them children. Most of them dead. "That's not me though."

Honesty did not get her off the gallows. The stress induced awakening of her Aura and Semblance did. Power saved her, got her revenge, and led her to the uprising.

"Me neither." He breathed out. "Circling back, where are these routes that the sheriff is running?"

"Couldn't tell you off the top of my head. Those change week to week."

Stella pulled out her Scroll. Carefully picking through her directories, she found the relevant image folder to open. Leaning forward, she handed the device over. Qrow took it before adopting a quizzical expression.

"And this is?"

"A distribution center. It's where Wilhelm stores his wares. You can get the coordinates from the image properties."

"Gnarly looking building."

"That's an old mining facility they've occupied. Used to belong to an Atlassian business that had spectating rights to these lands. Grabbed a bunch of people tired of the strife in that kingdom and moved them out here to start a new life."

"Roscoe mentioned how this all used to be one big Dust operation until the mines were exhausted."

"That's not the story we tell."

He looked up from the Scroll expectantly. It seemed to her she was the one answering the most questions, but she let it slide. Sharing oral history was not difficult. He was actually doing them a small favor. Speaking the truth was the only way it survived.

"The mines never ran out. They've got plenty in 'em. We still occasionally send people down to gather for our generators. Since we only need enough for our little corner of Vale, the risks are not as high."

"Then why did the company pull out?" He handed back the Scroll.

"They got bought out by a conglomerate. Our new overlords took one look at our happy little community and decided it was not efficient enough. The plug got pulled and everyone became unemployed."

"But you guys stuck around anyway. Guessing people did not want to go back to Atlas?"

"The offer was never made." Qrow's eyes widened. "We all were disposable. The workers tried to band together to create a new government, but the human side walked out. They also figured we were disposable."

That had always been true. The Tocsin founders had deluded themselves into thinking otherwise. They thought the equalizing force of work would bind the settlers together. But as soon as the central authority went away, they all went back to the old ways of voluntarily segregating themselves.

"Yeah. The past was really messed up."

"The past? No sir. Still very much the present. Whenever a faunus disappears or dies, no one cares except for the community."

Earlier that week, a pair of siblings who had moved to Vale to earn money had vanished. No one in the city noticed. Not their co-workers, not their neighbors, and especially not the VPD.

Ms. Lee would be the first to admit that Layla and Gabriel were not upstanding members of society, but they were still people. They had family who missed and relied on them. That no one had bothered reporting them as missing burned Stella deep down. Situations like that convinced her that nothing would ever change.

"That's not completely true. Roscoe cared enough about Cobalt to hire me."

"And you just proved my point." She shook her head as Qrow gave her a funny look. That was not her secret to share. "I trust that is enough to get you on the right path. It is late and I do want to get some shut eye."

Digging at old wounds was draining. Any excitement from the erotic literature had slipped away. Now she was ready for bed.

"What about your questions for me?"

The game was still ongoing. He had not forgotten. Neither had she, but Stella knew she had already won. There was only a small thing. A confirmation that would assure her next move.

"I'll keep it short. One last question." Although she already knew the answer. "Now that you know all this, what are your intentions? How are you going to use what I have told you?"

"I'm going to cut the head off the snake." He said without any hesitation. "Wendeval and the rest of his ring have to go. Are you going to stand in my way?"

"No. We will miss the funds he provided, but we were never dependent on him."

"That's right. Because that's all that matters." He rolled his eyes while standing. "Thanks for your time."

That was a surprisingly judgmental assessment from a former raider. He had been taking quite the tone with her throughout their chat. Stella could not let him have the last word. She whistled to get his attention as he was crawling out the window.

"You may not like people like me. Like Wilhelm. Like Wisa." The Branwen frowned at her invocation of his family member. "But we are the ones willing to forge our own worlds rather than be content to play in others."

Too many were willing to be passive. To stumble their way through life. And then they had the gall to be surprised when they had nothing to show for it at the end. That was unacceptable. The honorable Ms. Lee would leave her mark on history.

Qrow Branwen steadied himself against the windowsill as he glowered. He held that position for a while, as if thinking of a retort. Finally, he gave up and slipped outside. Into the pre-dawn he disappeared.

Confident that he was gone, Stella closed her eyes. Right on cue, there was a knock. She sighed and bid that they enter.

Onyx had come back with Colorado on his heel. Both were masked, armed, and ready for a fight. That Branwen was nowhere to be seen only agitated the two more.

"Where is he?" Onyx demanded.

"Long gone I'm afraid."

"I'm going back to bed." The red headed faunus grumbled. "If I can."

"He couldn't have gotten far! Let's go hunting."

While initially annoyed, Stella now saw an opening to start her plan. They needed an outlet for their energy. She had just the thing for them. She only needed to phrase it right.

"Now now. Leave the poor man alone. He did no harm to you." She soothed while activating her Semblance. "Besides, I have a much more important mission for you two."

"Important mission?" They both recited.

"Yes. How would you like to help secure a brighter future for the cause?"

Stella Lee might have respected Wilhelm, but that did not mean she liked him. If the huntsman planned to take him down, she would not stand in the way. The opposite, in fact. She would stick her leg out to make sure he fumbled along the way.

She was going to hit him where it hurt.

〇-〇-〇

Yang was not sure why she was awake. She had unexpectedly become aware of her surroundings. Turning on her side, she found flickering numbers. The green digits indicated an early morning.

A groan escaped her lips. The sun was not up. There was no reason for her to be either.

The girl slowly veered to other more perplexing issues. For instance, she did not have an alarm clock. If she needed to be up early, she would set her Scroll. Also, the bed was firmer than she remembered. Borderline lumpy and uncomfortable. The memory foam she was used to was absent.

Looking beyond the table with the clock, she saw her father's face peeking out from the comforter on an adjacent bed. They had not slept in the same room for a long time. Flopping on her back had her staring up at an alien ceiling.

This was not her room. This was not Patch. This was terrifying.

Taiyang's presence did stop her from outright panicking. If he was there, she knew she was safe. As the nocturnal haze lifted, she began to recollect. This was a hotel room.

The how of her situation began to slide into place. They were on a mini vacation with her uncle. After talking with Ms. Roscoe and spending time with her family, Yang had finally been able to relax. Combined with the lack of rest from the night before, she had passed out within minutes of her head hitting a pillow.

Why she had roused was still a mystery. Efficient sleeping habits had been a subject of her physical fitness class. The teacher had been droning on about circadian rhythms nonstop. Yang's theory, based on what she learned, was that going to bed early had thrown off her internal clock.

She needed to get back to sleep as soon as possible. Thankfully, she had a sibling shaped teddy bear to help her on the way back to la-la land. The advantage of having a younger sister who liked to cuddle was that they were always on hand when you needed them.

Her right limb rose dramatically into the air. Not wanting to wake Ruby, she gradually lowered the arm. Once contact was made, Yang would pull the living sleep aid into her side. It was to her great concern when she moved all the way down and found only mattress.

Twisting her head, she found the other side of the bed empty. She lifted the sheets up to see if Ruby had cocooned herself at Yang's feet. When that did not yield positive results, she edged over to the far end to see if she was on the ground. Her sister had fallen off beds in the past.

Once again, a similar discovery. Nothing.

The original panic returned as Yang sat up. Scanning the room for signs of the dark-haired girl, the blonde squinted. The usual locations were crossed off in quick succession. She was not in their bed, not with their dad, and the bathroom light was off.

"Rubes...?" She whispered.

Her answer arrived in a series of bangs. Hairs stood on end at the din. A knock on a door had never been so terrifying.

"Coming." Bounced a high-pitched voice.

Yang tumbled out from the covers to follow. As she passed the other bed, her father mumbled in his sleep. As fast as her legs could move, she shambled along after Ruby.

Down the hallway, she saw the red-cloaked gal. Even while in her PJs, she wore her favorite cape. The hood was drawn up over her head as she stretched for the knob. Another drumming on the door caused her to fall on her rear.

"What are you up to?" Yang asked as she helped her sister up.

Ruby yawned. "Was going to see who it was."

"I've told you before not to go off on your own. What if it is a stranger?"

"What if it isn't?"

"Open up!" Someone shouted. "We know you are in there!"

Ruby squeaked as she hid behind her elder sibling. Yang reached back and patted her head. She would have to handle this. Since she was taller, she could easily undo the lock and open the door.

On the other end was a man. He wore clothes like Ms. Roscoe, except his badge was on his shirt. Two others stood behind him, but they were not in a uniform. They stood at the ready to assist in whatever was going on.

"About time." He snarled before changing his tune at the sight of the girls. His smile revealed jagged teeth. "Hello there. I don't suppose you two have seen a scary man with black hair and red eyes running around?"

"Uncle Qrow?"

"Why do you need him?" Ruby overcame her shyness to add.

The way his green eyes slid over to her sister made Yang's spine shiver. A warning sign was flashing in her head. Her gut was telling her that he was bad news.

"Can I help you?" A third question popped in.

Their father had arrived to stand behind them. The ruckus had finally awoken him. His arrival forced the man to redirect his attention to the other adult.

"Yes. Deputy Drwg with the Relay Sheriff's Office." The stranger introduced himself. "There was a series of incidents downtown. We believe Qrow Branwen was involved but we have not been able to get a hold of him."

"Oh gods." The father of two rubbed his forehead. "He said he was stepping out for some fresh air. What happened?"

"We are still piecing that together. I think you should come with us." The deputy smirked again. "As a precaution."

Chapter Next: It Catches Up with You