Author's Note: I'm beyond thrilled that people enjoy my take on the Malachites so much. What some have said is true, they're such blank slates that any version of them someone writes will almost be like OCs. Personally I hate writing OCs so this is a bit of a tricky situation for me. Hopefully the fact that they have established looks and voices will give them... I don't know. More legitimacy for lack of a better word? In any case, I want to thank everyone for their support so far. I never expected this story to get so many fans so quickly, and all of your support is truly appreciated.
The wind was particularly fierce on a warm summer evening, negating the otherwise uncomfortable effects that the temperature would have on a man wearing long sleeves. Jaune was happy for the breeze as it whipped against his face and tossed his hair about his head. It made the moment seem all the more heroic in his mind. Extreme weather conditions were a staple in any good action or adventure movie, whether it was high winds, torrential rains or blinding lightning filling the sky. Of course reality was far more grounded than the movies, but the current weather just felt appropriate for what he was doing on this night.
At first a part of him had thought this was some sort of elaborate setup. Like Junior had changed his mind about forging the transcripts in order to extort or rob Jaune of his money. While he was by no means wealthy, his family was not poor either. The exploits of his ancestors had resulted in a substantial amount of lien and land which had been passed down the generations of Arcs to this very day. Jaune had no idea how they had acquired wealth in the first place, as such knowledge had been lost to time. Maybe it was plunder from the Great War. Or maybe it was a reward for exceptional service. He didn't know. But it was more than enough to allow a family to raise eight children in comfort.
Seeing that the information Junior provided was accurate dispelled any thoughts of treachery from Jaune's mind. In hindsight it truly was silly to think that it was all some sort of trap. No one even remembered the Arc name anymore. Eighty years was a long time, more than enough to make the general public forget what his family accomplished during the Great War. People had far greater things to worry about these days. The constant threat of Grimm attacks hung over civilization as regularly as the clouds themselves hung in the sky. Terrorist attacks were on the rise, most notably perpetrated by the notorious faunus group known as the White Fang. In the grand scheme of things Jaune Arc was nothing. A nobody. A peon. He was merely a guy who wanted to make a name for himself. Not for public adoration, but to live up to his own internal expectations.
Jaune lifted up his black hood to shield his face from the worst of the wind gusts which were funneled down the narrow alleyways every few seconds. It also provided a small disguise to those who might notice him lurking around in the shadows. The less details anyone may have about his appearance the better.
Peering around the corner down the surprisingly well-lit alley, Jaune saw familiar black-clad men in hats and red sunglasses speaking to a well-dressed man in white. He stood out for more reasons than just the difference in clothing color. His fiery-red hair hung out from underneath a black bowler hat, and the cane he walked with exuded wealth and importance rather than some sort of physical disability. Clearly this was the man which Junior had spoken of. The one who had hired his men. The one Jaune was to follow.
The leader strode down the alley with unbridled swagger and arrogance with each step, seemingly without a care in the world. The henchmen, perhaps half a dozen in total, followed closely behind. Each carried a curved red sword with little regard for what passersby thought of them. With their numbers and strength on display they probably felt invincible.
Jaune decided it was time to move in order to keep up with the group. Dashing from his hiding place he kept to the shadows in order to conceal his presence. He saw that the group was quickly approaching a local shop. Squinting in order to try and read the sign from this distance, Jaune could make out the name of the shop in question. From Dust Till Dawn.
No doubt a dust shop. And if he had to make a guess he could make a pretty educated one as to what the man in white hoped to obtain from such a place. However this information would not be good enough. There was no question that his target wanted dust. The real question was how he hoped to obtain it. And the bonus question was why. Neither of these mysteries would be solved by simply leaving at the first opportunity to consider his mission complete. A genuine huntsman would not be satisfied with these answers. He knew that he wouldn't be if he was the one who wanted them.
However he knew that he would get no answers standing back at a distance. He would not be able to overhear any conversations, nor would he be able to see any transactions which may have taken place. In order to complete his mission he would need to actually step inside.
Jaune removed his scabbard from his belt and tucked it underneath his hoodie. Luckily the special Pumpkin Pete attire was loose and roomy, and by keeping his arm close to his torso he was able to keep the heavy sword and sheath concealed with little effort.
He attempted to look inconspicuous as he approached the storefront. His hood was still up and his hands were dug into the front pocket of his hoodie. To anyone he was just a normal young man out and about in Vale on a weekday evening. Nothing unusual about that at all. And if anyone asked that would be his story. No one could prove otherwise.
As Jaune approached the door he looked up to see one of the henchmen standing beside it. His blade was sheathed at his hip, and looking on the other side of his waist Jaune could see a holstered pistol as well. These were clearly dangerous men. He would have to watch himself.
When Jaune was about to raise his arm to reach for the door the man in black sidestepped to stand in front of it. He wore a neutral expression on his face, and Jaune could not get a read about his intent from his eyes due to the sunglasses.
In the end the man's words told him everything he needed to know. "Store's closed," he said simply.
Jaune looked at the front window. The sign which hung inside clearly said 'open'. "But it's only like nine o'clock," he said as he motioned to the sign.
Inside Jaune could see the back of the man in white as he faced the old man behind the counter. All around him the henchmen looked to be gathering all sorts of dust in tubes and containers. One of them even had his pistol pointed at the clerk. What struck him as odd was that the clerk did not appear to be giving them any of the lien from the register.
That certainly answered one of Jaune's earlier questions.
"And I said the place is closed," the henchman said with more of an edge to his voice this time. "So beat it, kid."
Jaune nodded. Truthfully what more could he do at this point? He had gathered a fair amount of intel about whatever operation was going on. From what he saw it was clearly a robbery in progress. Against so many armed men what could he do? His mission wasn't to fight. It was to collect information. He had done that.
As he was about to turn away there was an explosion of glass from the front window of the shop.
Jaune's head whipped around to see two figures on the ground surrounded by hundreds of shards of glass. The impact and lacerations would be crippling or potentially fatal for normal people. When Jaune saw one of them stand he knew that these were no normal people.
A girl clad in black and red stood above one of the henchmen who was still struggling to recover from the crash. Her long red cloak whipped in the billowing wind to make someone of her size and stature appear more intimidating than she normally would be. Then she took out her weapon.
Jaune's eyes widened in amazement as what was already a fairly large weapon for someone her size began to expand. Soon enough a massive red scythe which must have weighed as much as she did was hefted over her shoulder, it's cruel-looking blade ready to tear into anything that came within its reach.
Apparently he was not the only one who was amazed. From inside the shop men peered out, mouths agape in horror and wonder at what they saw. Only the man in white seemed to maintain his composure, a lit cigar pressed firmly between his lips as he looked out to the girl who had by now pointed her scythe at them in challenge.
He wasted little time in accepting that challenge. "Okay..." the leader said calmly. "Get her."
Henchmen rushed out brandishing their own red blades ready to take care of the girl who had decided to interfere in their robbery. Whoever the young girl was did not care about whatever threat they may have posed as she displayed an incredible acrobatic ability, using her scythe as a base to spin on and kick down the first of the men who approached her. In the blink of an eye she was on the move, carrying her weapon with little difficulty as she took the fight to every one of the black-clad men one after the other. Her speed was incredible, and Jaune was hard-pressed to keep up with her movements as she landed blow after blow on the robbers.
By this point Jaune had moved to a safer location from where he could watch the fight. A nearby dumpster provided cover from both being spotted as well as attacks which were being unleashed in the swirling melee. The other civilians around him had similar ideas as well, with most having fled the scene by now. A few of the bolder ones had decided to hide out in a manner similar to that of his own in order to witness what was sure to be a once in a lifetime street fight.
Jaune was happy he did decide to take cover, as soon dust bullets had entered the fray. Shots rang out from both the pistols of the henchmen as well as the massive scythe of the skirt-wearing girl. Just what kind of weapon did she have? It was insane. A compact scythe that doubled as some sort of rifle? His eyes drifted down to his side to look at Crocea Mors before realizing that it was still underneath his hoodie. Jaune wasted no time in reattaching it to his belt. The night had certainly gotten interesting, and there was no telling when he might need his family's blade.
Witnessing the girl fight was indeed like something out of an action movie. Every shot from her weapon seemed to only be meant to aid in her own momentum rather than inflict damage on the enemy. Her movements were graceful and fluid, like some sort of warrior ballerina as she tore through foe after foe with little difficulty. It almost made Jaune feel as if he could have taken them all on and stopped the robbery himself. A large part of him wished that he had.
Then again... there was still time. The night was young, after all.
Fingers squeezed the blue leather which wrapped the hilt of his sword. Okay, Jaune. Let's do this. Just like dad taught you.
Jaune rushed out, unsheathing Crocea Mors as he did so. This reconnaissance mission was anything but that anymore. This had escalated into full-blown combat. What kind of aspiring huntsman would he be if he just hung back and watched? Even if the girl in red looked like she could take care of herself, what would happen if he was wrong? What if she wound up getting hurt or worse when he could have helped her? What if some innocent civilian was caught by a stray bullet when he could have prevented it? Sitting back and waiting was not the behavior of a huntsman. The only option was to take action and protect the people of Vale. It wasn't like he had any more information to gain by watching.
One of the henchmen was stumbling back to his feet before Jaune crashed into him from behind with his shield. All of the man's effort was for naught as he was sent tumbling back to the ground on his face. Jaune brought a boot down hard onto his back which earned him a grunt of pain from the man underneath him. When it appeared clear that he would not be getting up again anytime soon he moved on to the next.
Another of them men who had clearly seen better days gripped his red blade tightly as he looked between Jaune and the mystery girl. Seeing the former as the better of his options he charged Jaune with his blade held high in the air.
It came down with surprising strength, but Jaune raised his shield to block the strike. Squeezing Crocea Mors' handle and feeling the texture of its blue leather in his fingers, Jaune lashed out with his blade and plunged it into the exposed midsection of his assailant. It would have been a fatal blow had the man not had Aura, but as Jaune had seen earlier all of the men were fully capable of surviving the attacks of the girl in red. The blow probably did do a significant amount of damage to the man's Aura if his reaction was any indicator. He stumbled backwards and before he could recover Jaune followed up his attack by striking him in the face with the pommel of Crocea Mors. A satisfying crack filled his ears and his opponent fell to the ground in a crumpled heap.
There was little time to celebrate the victory however as a loud explosion sounded from behind him. Jaune turned to see the man in white pointing the bottom end of his cane out as if it were a pistol. He instantly made the connection that said cane was also some sort of projectile weapon. What was with these people and their strange, hybrid weapons? Did no one have an appreciation for a classical sword anymore?
The shot had been aimed at his newfound partner, and as she leapt to the side in order to avoid the attack the man in white made his escape. He dashed over to the fire escape ladder of a nearby building and was frantically climbing it.
Jaune went over to check on the girl but she was already back on her feet. The two shared a look and she nodded to him in silent acknowledgement for the help he had given her, no matter how little it was or how little she had needed it.
To him it was an unspoken command to stay and look after the men who they had incapacitated while she went after the leader. Jaune was fine with that. Someone needed to watch over them to ensure that none escaped before the police could arrive. They would be arriving shortly if the distant wail of their sirens indicated anything.
Looking all around him, all he could think about was how much of a mess had been made. Chunks of concrete, shards of glass and broken bodies of men littered the street. It reminded him of just two nights ago when he had stepped foot in Junior's club. Even the smell of dust in the air from all of the expended ammunition brought his mind back to that scene. The only difference was that one took place indoors while this one was on a public street.
He hoped that Junior wouldn't mind that he had participated in the action. Even if it had only been a small amount of participation. However he could not just stand idly by and allow a crime to take place. That was not the behavior of a huntsman. And as a former huntsman himself he was certain that Junior would understand his reasoning. Then again... Junior didn't have to know at all. Most of the work had been done by the girl after all. If any questions were asked Jaune could just say that she was the one responsible for taking out his men. She likely would have been able to handle it by herself had he not stepped in.
Another explosion gained his attention, this time from the roof where the unknown man and girl had last been seen headed. Everything about this night was pure chaos. As he took a step towards the building Jaune's eyes were drawn up to the sky by a loud humming noise. A Bullhead air ship was flying dangerously close to the ground, and it was headed straight towards where the explosion had come from.
Jaune was tempted to go up and see what was going on. It wasn't that he doubted the mystery girl's abilities. How could he after she had put on that display? Before he could even come to a decision however he heard the sound of police sirens nearing the area. They were just in time to see the Bullhead pull away from the rooftop and fly off into the distance. Whatever had happened up there had been intense but brief. Probably not even more than a minute in total.
With the authorities arriving and the threat seemingly neutralized the last thing that Jaune wanted was to be seen as a person of interest. He had information to return to Junior. All of his hopes and dreams rode on his success here. He was on a timetable as well. If he wound up being taken in for questioning, or worse, held in custody for whatever reason, then Junior may not get his transcripts finished before the deadline.
Doing his best to look nonchalant Jaune made his way to the nearest alley, hoping he would be able to slip away before any of the few witnesses would be able to finger him as a participant in the action. But before he made it too far he heard a voice call out from behind him.
It was a tiny yet energetic voice. "Hey!"
Jaune stopped and stood still briefly before turning. Standing behind him was the girl in black and red.
Her scythe was gone now, presumably folded back up and concealed somewhere under that long red cloak of hers. The hem of her skirt, along with said cloak moved with the swirling wind in the narrow alley.
She began moving forward now, approaching him with what he would consider to be caution or even shyness. As she drew closer Jaune could see her gleaming silver eyes looking over him. "Are, um, are you a huntsman too?" she asked.
The first thing which struck Jaune was just how awkward the girl sounded. He wasn't that intimidating, was he? Of course he knew that he looked like a badass in his special edition Pumpkin Pete hoodie, but it surely couldn't look so cool that she felt shy around him.
The second thing which stood out was the last word of her sentence. Too? As in also? Jaune didn't know what to make of that, unless there was another huntsman somewhere nearby. The girl's tone sounded guarded when she asked the question, and this conflicted with her eyes which looked almost hopeful at what his response would be.
"Well, not exactly..." he said, considering the complexity of his situation. He noticed the girl's head tilt slightly in confusion before she seemed to lean forward in anticipation of his explanation. "I'm going to Beacon Academy in a few days. So I will be a huntsman pretty soon I guess."
He didn't know what answer she was looking for, but it took no time at all for the girl to show her reaction. Her eyes lit up to match the joy which showed in her huge grin. "That is so cool!" she gushed. The girl rushed forward to cover the last bit of distance between them. Her eyes shone with all the brilliance of polished silver as she looked up to him with admiration. "Can I have your autograph too then? It'd be like getting one from a celebrity before they're famous so they're worth more lien." She paused and giggled to herself. "Not that I'd ever sell yours or Miss Goodwitch's. Nope, these are getting framed and going straight on my wall."
The girl's demeanor, which had once been awkward and timid, quickly turned friendly and energetic. She was beyond weird. Not only did she fight with a highly advanced compacting rifle scythe, but she seemed to have a bizarre fascination with huntsmen the way she spoke about them. It wasn't as if he was some celebrity or sports figure whose autograph would rise in value as his fame did.
Jaune rubbed the back of his neck, not quite knowing how to respond to the question. "Are you for real?"
All traces of shyness had vanished from the girl now as she nodded her head animatedly. "Yup! I think huntresses and huntsmen are the coolest things ever!"
"Wait, you're seriously not a huntress? After what you did with your scythe?"
She shook her head. This time however she exuded sadness with each slow movement. "No... I'm too young to attend Beacon," she frowned. "Right now I'm going to Signal Academy. I have to wait two more stupid years until I get to go."
To hear that was surprising. With the way she had fought he would have thought of her as a professional already. Or at least a huntress in training.
Two years... wait. Did that mean she was two years younger than him? This girl who had taken on half a dozen armed criminals on her own was only fifteen?
"That's incredible," he admitted. Unlike before there was no bending of the truth in the statement. "You must have had some amazing training."
In truth Jaune was a bit jealous. Despite being two years her senior this girl was far beyond his own skill level. She would have no trouble getting into Beacon when her time came.
An embarrassed smirk worked its way onto her face as she looked down to the ground. "Yeah... my Uncle Qrow is pretty great," she said bashfully. "He taught me everything I know about how to use a scythe."
Qrow, eh? Jaune had never heard of him in any of his father's stories. Then again why would he? It's not as if every huntsman knew every other huntsman, and it was all just one huge web of relationships and acquaintances.
Another though hit Jaune as hard as the girl had hit those robbers. A name would be a pretty useful thing to know about the girl he was speaking to.
"I'm Jaune, by the way," he said as he extended his hand toward the girl.
"Ruby," she said as she grasped it. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Bytheway."
Jaune raised an eyebrow, which in turn caused Ruby to wince and retract her hand.
"Yeah... I'm not very good with the jokes," she said softly. She ran her fingers through locks of dark red hair nervously. "No one in my family is, even though my sister brags about being super funny." She paused before she looked back up at him. "She's not."
"That's fine," Jaune laughed. "If you can fight like that then who cares about how funny you are? Can't be good at everything I guess."
Flashing red and blue lights outside of the alley told Jaune that the authorities had arrived. If he wanted to avoid any unwanted questions from them, as well as that huntsman that Ruby had mentioned, he knew that he should be one his way.
"Hey, so..." he started, sounding as awkward as she had when they first spoke. "I hate to just run out on you but I have to get going. I was running an errand before this whole mess started."
Ruby nodded understandingly before her eyes reverted back to the ground. "Yeah, me too. Miss Goodwitch said she needed to talk to me in private after she finished securing the area." A bright smile formed on Ruby's face as she looked up towards the sky whimsically. "She probably wants to thank me personally for my help tonight." Her eyes widened. "Or maybe even give me a medal!"
Jaune couldn't help but smile at her youthful optimism. While what Ruby had said was not entirely out of the realm of possibility, the alternative was a much more real expectation. Untrained and unlicensed individuals getting involved in vigilante justice were probably not looked upon very kindly in the city of Vale. It was just one more reason he wanted to avoid the gaze of the local law enforcement officials.
"Heh, good luck with that," he said. Jaune looked the other direction to see that his path to freedom was still clear of any sort of blockades or checkpoints. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Ruby. Maybe I'll see you at Beacon in a couple of years. I know I'll never forget that scythe for the rest of my life."
Upon hearing him speak about her weapon Ruby cradled the folded scythe in her arms as if it were a baby. "Yeah... Crescent Rose is one of a kind," she said lovingly. She snapped out of her daze with a slight shake of her head. "But yeah, see you around, Jaune. It was nice meeting you too."
Jaune nodded and lifted his hand to give a small wave before turning and leaving the scene.
What a night. It was supposed to have been so simple. Go and tail a guy to learn about why he had hired Junior's men. And then everything just turned to chaos.
He now had an idea of what Junior's earlier words had meant. Something about not everything being black and white, and that missions weren't always as simple as they were supposed to be. Tonight was a fine example of it.
Jaune had been forced to make a choice. Either help out Ruby in stopping a robbery or ignore her and leave an unknown number of lives hanging in the balance. He had chosen, and now he had to live with that choice. Just as Junior had told him.
He ran a gloved hand through his hair and exhaled heavily. He hoped that it had been the correct choice.
This was the greatest night of her life. It was a shame that it very well may be her last.
It had been an emotional roller coaster all night. What had started as a simple trip to Vale to spend time with her sister before she went to Beacon Academy had quickly turned into an exhausting and exciting series of events. She had helped to foil the robbery of a dust shop. How cool was that? She was a hero just like in the stories she enjoyed as a child. However the man leading the group of criminals had gotten away.
Next she had met a genuine huntress! However instead of getting the woman's autograph as she had planned, she was yelled at by the older woman for her recklessness.
Finally she had met the esteemed headmaster of Beacon Academy himself, Professor Ozpin. The man offered her a the opportunity to go to his school two years earlier than she had expected. The only problem now was that Yang was going to kill her before she could even enjoy her reward.
Sometimes life just wasn't fair.
The transportation which had been provided to her courtesy of the headmaster of Beacon Academy slowed down as it neared the hotel which Ruby was staying at for the next few days. After it had stopped she stepped out, thanking the man for taking her back this late at night. It wasn't that Ruby was afraid to be out alone in the city. Far from it in fact, as she considered the idea. She was responsible for demolishing an entire gang of criminals almost single-handedly. If anything the thugs who were wandering the streets at this time of night should be afraid of her. It was the thought that counted, however. Professor Ozpin obviously had her best interests at heart, and for him to take the time and spend lien on her in order for her to return safely to her sister showed as much.
Bright street lights illuminated the front of the hotel, which even this late was surprisingly active. Other cars came and went dropping off fellow guests of the hotel, others picking them up to head out and enjoy what the night life of Vale had to offer them. Ruby brought a hand up to her mouth and yawned widely. It was already far later than she was used to staying up, and the adrenaline of the earlier fight had long since worn off. All she wanted to do now was crash into her bed and sleep until noon. However she knew she would not be able to do so.
She was tempted to press all of the buttons in the elevator simply for the fun of it. It also presented her the added bonus of prolonging her encounter with her older sister. In the end though she knew that making Yang wait even longer would only make the fallout worse.
The thought had not even occurred to her to call or text Yang to tell her what was going on. Everything had happened so fast. Originally Ruby had gone on a quick cookie run at a nearby convenience store since the snacks sold at the small hotel store were obscenely overpriced. On her way she had spotted a dust shop. Deciding that it wouldn't hurt to stop by and check to see if they had the latest issue of her favorite weapons magazine, she had taken a slight detour in order to make another potential purchase.
The rest was history.
Ruby dug into a pocket of her combat skirt to produce her room's keycard. Her heart was thumping inside her chest as she went to swipe it. The small light on the lock mechanism turned from red to green, and the telltale click of the door being unlocked sounded in her ears. Ruby grabbed hold of the handle and pushed the door open.
A wave of cool air hit her, the temperature of their room being a good ten degrees colder than the hotel halls thanks to Yang's preferred air conditioner settings. She stood there for a moment, noting that the room was dimly lit with only one of the bed lamps being on. Underneath that wall-mounted lamp was the young woman who was using it. Her sister, Yang Xiao Long.
Lilac-colored eyes met hers the instant she had stepped far enough into the room to get a look at her sister. Yang sprang to her feet a moment later, her long, thick blonde hair bouncing with the movement. The distance between sisters closed in seconds as Yang rushed over to her.
Ruby expected the worst. Her sister could be quite temperamental, and she was very deserving of any punishment she received at the moment. She was used to Yang expressing her emotions through physical actions one way or another. What Ruby was not expecting was the crushing bear hug she was pulled into by her elder sibling.
"I was so worried about you," Yang said as she squeezed her sister like she would float away if she let go. "What happened? Where were you?"
Ruby felt guilty. Horribly so. The only contact she had made with Yang since she had set out on her cookie quest was perhaps an hour ago when she was leaving Beacon. Ruby had simply told her that she was on her way back right now and would be there soon. The text had been brief not because she lacked things to say, but because she truthfully did not want to converse with her sister out of fear of being further chastised.
"It's... uh..." Ruby trailed off as her eyes darted down to the floor. She could not meet the intense gaze of her older sister. "It's a long story."
The silence was deafening when Yang did not immediately respond. When Ruby looked up she saw her sister's colorful eyes narrowed at her, threatening to pierce her if she looked her way for too long.
"Is that supposed to be funny?" Yang asked. Her mood had shifted from worried to annoyed, and it would not be long now until it traveled further down the emotional spectrum. "Copying what I said a few nights ago will not make this better."
Ruby hadn't even realized she had parroted Yang's own explanation for their meeting at the night club several days ago. Back then Yang had thought it was yet another one of her clever puns. A long story. A Long story. It wasn't funny. Yang wasn't funny. Just as she had told the boy she had met earlier.
However now it was Ruby who wasn't being funny, even if it had never been her intention in the first place. "No, it's-" Ruby cut herself off. "I didn't mean it like that. It really is a long story."
"Well then," Yang started as she grabbed Ruby by the wrist. She could feel the vice-like grip of her sister threatening to shatter her bones, and the older girl probably would have succeeded if not for her Aura. "You can tell me right now. Seeing how it's already two in the morning, what's another hour of staying up with your loving big sister?"
Yang's words sounded sisterly and loving, but her faux smile betrayed her true feelings. The blonde girl yanked her by the wrist and led her to sit down on the previously unoccupied bed which belonged to Ruby. Yang took a seat next to her before staring at her sister expectedly.
Ruby fidgeted under the scrutinizing glare. She didn't like attention. She didn't like being in the spotlight. So right now being all but interrogated by Yang was making her mouth become dry and her heart race.
"Well?" the blonde asked. The question only further increased Ruby's anxiety.
Ruby licked her lips. She might as well start from the beginning. "Um, you haven't watched the news at all tonight, have you?" she asked.
Yang snorted a laugh. Laughter was good, right? "Do I look like dad to you? Next you'll ask me if I read the newspaper this morning."
She shrank further at the sarcastic comment. Though she knew it hadn't been Yang's intent to do so, it had only made her feel even more uncomfortable than before.
"Well, there was a robbery at a dust shop in Vale," Ruby continued on in a meek tone. If she spoke any softer one may have considered it a whisper. "I was there."
Yang's eyes widened and in an instant she had reverted back to her worried tone. "What? Are you okay? Did you get hurt? You got hurt didn't you? That's why you were gone so long. Let me take a look."
It didn't help matters that with every question that Yang asked she had begun grabbing at Ruby's limbs and torso in order to check for any visible sign of injuries. Ruby squirmed under the overprotective motions of her sister. While she had long since grown used to Yang playing the role of mother, she didn't need to do so at this stage of her life. Ruby considered herself to be a grown woman now. After all, she drank milk.
The blonde finally gave up after she was unable to get a solid grasp on any part of her sister to examine. Perhaps it was the fact that Ruby was so feisty and evasive that told her that her sister was in perfect health.
It didn't hurt however to confirm it herself. "I'm fine. Really, Yang. It's the bad guys who are probably all at the hospital now."
"The bad guys," Yang cooed. "You're so precious, Ruby."
Ruby pouted, her cheeks tinting red in embarrassment over her sister mocking her slightly juvenile choice of words. "Anyway," she said sharply. "I'm fine and they're not. And even though the main bad- the leader of the group got away, I stopped the robbery. Oh, I had some help too. It was so cool!"
She went on to tell Yang the details of just how she had gone about stopping the black-clad thugs with Crescent Rose. She didn't fail to cover a single detail of every shot and swing she took. To her fighting was like a form of art. Sure, painters could make pretty pictures and singers could perform beautiful songs. However it was the art of combat which spoke to Ruby most of all. It required the movement of a dancer. The precision of a painter. And when she and Crescent Rose were together they were able to produce stunning visuals that could compare to the works of any artist out there.
Yang listened intently to every word, appreciating each moment she was spending with her sister. It was because she believed that this would be one of the last nights she would be able to spend with Ruby before going to Beacon. What Yang didn't know was that she was in for a big surprise.
When the first part of the story was concluded Yang smiled warmly. It was a stark contrast to how she had been acting only minutes earlier. "I'm proud of you, Rubes," she said as she gently laid a hand on her sister's shoulder. A moment later those same fingers squeezed down hard on the cloaked girl's body. "But don't you ever do something so stupid and reckless again, got it?"
Ruby had never been so thankful for Aura before this night. The thugs she had dealt with earlier were no match for the wrath of her big sister.
She nodded hurriedly at Yang's words. "Yup!" she squeaked out. "Got it!"
The pressure lessened and Yang returned her hand to her side. "Good. Now that that's settled I think it would be best if we didn't tell dad about your little adventure tonight."
Ruby laughed nervously as she turned her head to avoid the suspicious look that Yang was giving her.
"Ruby..." Yang said threateningly. "What is it?"
"Well, um... you see..." she said nervously. "About that..."
Looking back to Yang, Ruby was relieved to see that her eyes were still their usual purple color and that her hair was not engulfed in flames. On one hand that meant that the situation was still under control. However on the other it meant that things could still get worse from here.
"What aren't you telling me, Ruby?"
"I... I kinda met the headmaster of Beacon after the huntress lady took me to the school." Ruby fidgeted on the bed, unconsciously putting another few inches between her and Yang. "He... kinda invited me to Beacon. Like, now. Two years early."
She sat waiting with bated breath for how Yang would react. This could be it. This could be what would trigger the volcano to erupt. Mt. Yang had been dormant for far too long now, and she was overdue for her rage to spill forth with all of the heat and destructive force of a lava flow.
For the second time tonight Ruby was caught off-guard by her sister's reaction. However much like before she was pulled into a bone-crushing hug from the older girl.
"That's great!" Yang exclaimed. "I'm so happy for you!"
The breath had been squeezed out of her lungs, and with her arms pinned at her side's Ruby struggled to escape her sister's embrace this time. In the end she simply accepted her fate and waited for it to end.
By the time she was released Ruby had had the time to think of how she wanted to respond to Yang's praise. "I thought you'd be mad at me."
"Mad? Why would I be mad? This is your dream, isn't it?"
"Yeah, but... but you were just talking about how reckless and stupid I was tonight."
Yang's smile lit up the room brighter than any dust-powered lamp could ever hope to. "Yeah, but now this means that you get to go to Beacon with me," she said happily. "This is the best day ever!"
Ruby was still confused. "But..."
She never got a chance to speak as Yang continued. "And I get to keep an eye on you and make sure you don't get into any sort of trouble like you did tonight!" she said proudly. Don't you see? It's a win-win!"
Suddenly it all made sense. It wasn't just that Ruby was able to start living her dream two years early. No, Yang was not that altruistic. In addition to Ruby's own happiness, Yang was happy that she would get to keep an eye on her for their entire four year stay at the combat school.
"Oh, right," Ruby said with a small sigh.
"This is going to be great! Before I wanted to cherish all of our time together before I had to go to Beacon, but now I can't wait to get there!"
Well, Yang seemed happy. So that was good. All in all this was a far better alternative to Yang being so upset about what had happened earlier that she and their father would arrange to have Ruby locked away until she was old enough to go to Beacon herself.
There were other benefits too. Her dad had talked a lot about the good old days of being on a team with her uncle and mother. What if she and Yang got to be on a team together? Sure, that would play right into Yang's plans for keeping an eye on her. However it would be nice to be on a team with someone she knew and was comfortable around.
With the situation resolved now Yang decided that they needed some sleep. After all, they would have to be in peak condition if they were to pass the initiation and be accepted into Beacon. Telling their father would have to wait for the morning. She hoped that he would be as excited about the news as Yang was.
Dust. Dirt. Debris. The stench of it all overwhelmed her when she opened the door.
Melanie's nose wrinkled as she stepped onto the ground floor of the club. Her lips twitched with disgust at the smell of concrete dust in the air and the sight of the manual labor being performed around her. Men in black suits were still around working as they had been for several days now. While the place certainly looked far better than it had the day after the attack, it was still well below her standards. Her current attire was as well.
Her and Miltia's favorite dresses were currently residing with a local tailor waiting to be mended. Much to her chagrin, she had learned that replacing her prized dress would be all but impossible and was truly a one of a kind garment. The same applied to her sister's. The only option she had was to pay to have it repaired. Although it would be a costly investment, in her eyes it was worth it. One could not put a price on style. And it wasn't as if a couple hundred lien would actually make a difference in all this mess. Junior himself had said so.
She strolled casually through the mess on the floor, taking careful steps to avoid tripping on the long cords connected to power tools and other cleaning supplies which were required for the restoration of the bottom two floors of the building. A hand reached up to gently stroke her favorite feather boa only to remember that she wasn't wearing it. The pale white and teal accessory would have looked completely out of place without her trademark dress on, and thus she had chosen not to wear it. As she harped on the empty feeling around her collar she could feel the air which would normally not have been allowed to grace her neck and shoulders. It was an unwelcome sensation.
In the distance she saw Junior on his scroll as he was so often these days. Even at this late hour he was still trying to put the pieces of his life, no, their lives back together. This did not just affect him after all. This was her and Miltia's home as well. This was, for lack of a better term, their careers. They were the right and left hands of the criminal boss known to most as Junior. However to her and Miltia, Hei Xiong was far more than that.
Speaking of Miltia, Melanie saw that her sister had taken a seat at one of the few unbroken tables away from where Junior was conducting his business. Even from a distance it was not difficult to see, or in this case, hear why. The man was yelling loudly and angrily into his scroll at some unknown individual on the other end. While she could not make out what he was saying, the emotion behind his words was clear.
Melanie grabbed one of the other seats at the table and sat next to her sister. Miltia had either not noticed or simply didn't care, and she continued to stare blankly off into the distance where Junior continued to rant and rave at the unknown person. Her chin was pressed firmly into a palm with her elbow cemented on the surface of the table. The beverage before her looked untouched.
The older of the twins nudged the other softly with an elbow to earn her attention. "What's up?" she asked.
Contrary to what many casual observers believed, just because the two were twins did not mean they spent every waking moment together. Melanie had been out alone for the past several hours and was completely in the dark about what was happening with Junior.
Miltia shrugged noncommittally in response. Other than that her body remained still and her focus was still on Junior.
Melanie frowned in annoyance over the lack of an answer. Slowly but surely she let her hand creep across the table to attempt to grasp whatever bright, blue cocktail that Miltia had made but not had the motivation to drink yet. If her sister refused to enjoy it on a fine night like this then she refused to let it go to waste.
As her fingers touched the glass she saw Miltia's hand lash out and grab her wrist, stopping her in her tracks. After holding it for a second Miltia released her arm and allowed Melanie to remove it from the table.
"I knew that'd get a reaction," Melanie smiled.
Miltia scoffed, letting an annoyed breath slip through her lips. "As if I want to deal with drunk Melanie again so soon."
"As if I can't just walk over to the bar right now and get as many drinks as I want."
"You want to get in his way right now?" Miltia said as she motioned over to where Junior paced back and forth. "Go for it."
Melanie waved a hand dismissively. "Please. Hei's a giant teddy bear. His yelly face doesn't scare me."
On cue Junior's voice boomed suddenly to an even higher volume than before. It allowed both girls to hear his words with clarity. "You got what you paid for! Getting results is on you, not me!"
Melanie saw how Miltia frowned at Junior and what was clearly a major disagreement with the other party. As to what exactly he was referring to, she could not say.
She reached over for her sister's drink once more and was again thwarted by her younger sibling. This time Miltia decided to speak. "I thought you could get a drink at the bar," she said smugly.
The elder twin's eyes narrowed in response to the blatant taunt. "I just don't feel like getting up right now. Unlike you I've been out all day."
"Uh huh," Miltia said as she reached out and downed her beverage in one gulp. She set the empty glass down in front of her sister as if to mock her.
"Whatever."
"Whatever to you."
Inside Melanie felt a twinge of irritation at her sister showing her up like that. It was like she said, Junior didn't scare her when he was angry. She just didn't feel like getting up right now, and taking Miltia's unwanted drink would have been convenient. But no, she just had to be petty about it and drink it just to spite her. Then again she shouldn't have expected anything less of someone who was obviously her immature younger sister. Even if it was by only a few minutes.
After several seconds of silence Melanie decided to forget the blue drink incident in order to inquire as to why exactly Junior was so upset. "So what's up with him?"
"I dunno. I've only been able to make out some of it."
"Like what?"
Miltia shrugged. "I dunno. The guy on the other end isn't happy about something."
"Duh. Even I could tell you that much."
"Well excuse me, Melanie, but it's kind of hard when I can't hear what the other guy's saying."
"Junior said something about results," Melanie pointed out. "What results do you think he means?"
Her sister shrugged again. "Could be anything. There's a lot of stuff to fix around here."
"I guess."
Miltia looked down to the table surface as she spoke. "You think he's broke?" she asked with a tiny hint of fear in her voice.
A brief chill passed through Melanie at the thought of it. She imagined that her sister had a similar reaction upon uttering the idea. Ever since Junior had taken them in all of those years ago they had been for the lack of a better term, spoiled. The former huntsman had earned enough lien from his career in order to purchase this entire building and transform it into one of Vale's premier night clubs. It hadn't mattered to her that much of his lien had come from less than reputable people and jobs. Some had bordered on legality, others had blatantly disregarded the law. The only thing that Melanie and Miltia had cared about was that they were able to live in comfort.
The idea of losing all of that and going back to what they had once been terrified her. Even if she could not and would not show it. At least not in front of Miltia.
"No," Melanie said reassuringly. "Hei's too smart for that. He'd never get things get that bad."
She saw her sister nod absentmindedly, but it was clear that she was not convinced. Melanie frowned, because in the back of her mind there was a small part of her that was not convinced either.
Whether anyone would admit it or not that blonde bitch had done a significant amount of damage to Junior's club. The entire ground floor would have to be restored, and a good amount of the second floor as well. Many of the low level grunts were out of commission for the time being and he would have to hire new muscle in order to keep the illegal cash flow coming in. On top of all of this was the lost revenue that would come with the place being shut down for an undetermined number of weeks.
In that moment Melanie came up with an idea which could prove to be helpful in more ways than one. "Miltia?" she asked, looking over to her sister.
Two sets of emerald eyes met as Miltia looked her way.
"Let's go out tonight," she said. "Just the two of us."
Miltia's brow narrowed in confusion at the sudden request. "Why? Weren't you just out?"
"Yeah, but it wasn't very fun. Besides, we both need to blow off some steam."
She saw how her sister's shoulders stiffened as she began to catch onto her meaning. "Where are we going?"
This time it was Melanie who shrugged. "Dunno. Who do you think we should collect from? The Blood Axes? The Amethyst Family?"
Being at the highest tier of Junior's organization brought with it the knowledge of just how many operations he was involved with in the city of Vale. The numerous gangs and crime families which inhabited the dark underbelly of the city were in a constant struggle with one another for territory and illicit markets. Weapons, dust and drugs were among the most profitable of them, and Junior had fingers in all of them. With his money, resources and influence, Junior was at the top of the food chain when it came to providing such goods for them as well as providing manpower for their operations.
"Isn't it a little early for next month's payment?" Miltia asked.
Melanie let out a soft laugh. "Then we'll just have to convince them to pay up early." Her face darkened as she looked at her sister. "Unless you don't wanna give Hei a little extra lien to help out."
Those words seemed to do the trick as she saw Miltia's gaze harden. Her tongue poked through to wet her lips as she pushed her chair out from the table and stood up. "Blood Axes," she said.
Melanie grinned as she mimicked her sister's action before she started heading toward the staircase door. "Shall we?"
Miltia nodded wordlessly before following her sister's lead.
The pair went upstairs in order to change into more appropriate attire for the night's activities. Collecting their weapons was a must as well, as it was sure to be an exciting and fun-filled outing. If it wasn't, Melanie would ensure that it turned into one.
Her pride still stung from how that stranger had so easily beaten both of them in a fight. She had to get back in the game. She and Miltia needed a victory in order to start repairing their confidence. Some lowlife thugs in the Blood Axe Gang would be a fine start. It would also be a reminder. Motivation to never go back to how things used to be.
With her favorite dress still out of commission she would be in need of something else capable of handling combat. Her boots were of course a must with their signature bladed heels. Going through her closet she went through a number of different outfits before finally settling on something that would give her enough durability and flexibility in a fight.
The white dress was short, reaching down only to the middle of her thighs leaving a little bit of skin exposed between it and her knee high boots. What made this dress stand out was how everything from the waist down looked to be made entirely out of feathers. Naturally it was far sturdier than that, but to the untrained eye it was a unique and exotic look that never failed to garner the attention of the men who frequented Junior's club.
Melanie reached down and tested the sharpness of her bladed boots. The immediate reaction of the Aura on her fingertip resisting the blade edges satisfied her. Bringing a pair of dull weapons to a fight would have been a bad move on her part.
Looking deeper inside the closet she saw her white and teal feathered boa hanging unused. Deciding that it would go well with both the color and style of her current dress, she slipped it around her shoulders, feeling a familiar sense of warmth and comfort upon doing so.
After checking her makeup in the room's large mirror she headed outside where Miltia was waiting for her.
Seeing her sister armed brought a grin to her face, but it was the fact that Miltia had also decided to don her own boa that made her feel excited about tonight.
"Let's go," Melanie said.
Author's Note: I know it's been a few weeks since the last chapter. I'm currently working to try and get out of this little writing funk I've been in for a while.
Now that the first elements of Team RWBY have been introduced they'll become a more regular part of the cast. Not as important as the twins, but they'll be there doing their thing.
Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter. More to come.