Authur Note: Sorry for the delay folks! This chapter was really really long and took me a while to edit/go over. I'll try to pick up my writing speed, but ya never know what life has in store for you, you know? Enjoy this doozy of a chapter!
Yang sighed, shoving her hands into her jacket pockets. She was walking away from the CCSP building at a quick walk. She managed to finish the night without blowing her lid and didn't want to push her luck. Especially after moment in the library aisle… Which she was surprised to not have been caught. She hadn't been all that subtle when she first went after Cardin. Perhaps it was her lucky day. There was only one way to find out.
Making only slight changes in directions, the brawler began to head downtown where the more rowdy clubs. And where the shady ones were tucked away in dark corners.
Yang continued to reflect on her day as she walked. It had been nice to know she didn't scare away two new friends. An unfortunate side effect of her explosive temper was the distance it caused between her old friends and herself. They had known before of her semblance, but only for battle, not having seen her truly get angry. Feeling a stab of loneliness, the blonde pulled out her scroll, silently hoping for some sort of news.
She found messages from her younger sister and father but none from her old friends. Ignoring her dad's messages, she instead selected Ruby's. Instead of questions and demands (something she knew her dad was going to do), she found her sister was rambling about everything and anything she encountered, helping her stay in the loop while not pressuring her to talk about her current situation. Yang rolled her eyes as she finally managed to catch up on the messages and found the few questions that were indeed about her current situation.
Same old Ruby… The blonde brawler checked the time and figured it would be ok to give her little sis a call. It would be easier to talk on the phone and cheer her up at the same time. It wasn't ringing for a half second before the call was answered.
"Yaaaaang!" Ruby's high pitched squeal brought a wide grin to the older sibling.
"Awww, is my widdle sister happy to tawlk with me?" Yang cooed in return, barely paying attention to where she was walking. She looked to the sky instead, already imagining what her sister probably looked like as they spoke.
She hadn't wanted to distract the studious girl from her work at Signal Academe and avoided visiting. Also to help put space between her faults and her baby sister who showed so much promise for their world.
"Of course silly! I've missed you…" The younger girl's voice trembled as she spoke.
It was enough to draw out a more serious reassurance from the older. "I missed you too kid. But I wouldn't want to distract you from becoming the best huntress out there." She mused, trying to keep her voice light. Her own mind went to how much she's messed up her own future and she flinched at the thought. She couldn't dwell on it long before her sister's voice broke her concentration.
"No way! I bet we would have made a great team if I got special permission to be at Beacon early." Ruby could feel the weight of the silence her statement brought and tried to rush on. "Or maybe we can still be a team when I get to Beacon! You'd still be in the allowed age and maybe we can talk with the headmaster about letting you back in and-"
Realizing how Ruby was almost full on rambling at this point, Yang cut her off with a small laugh at the proposed plan. "Sorry kiddo. It's just not meant to be."
The two fell off into silence, lost in thought and musings. While Ruby was trying to think of someway to cheer her sister up, Yang was losing the battle against the more negative thoughts that had been plaguing her since she was kicked out of school. She tried to find a distraction in her surroundings and stopped, noticing a dark colored bird with what looked like red eyes sitting on a nearby rooftop. She could have sworn the bird was watching her. But Ruby's next words brought her focus on their conversation once more.
"There's an invincible spirit that burns inside you, I know it! So please, don't give up..." The unending optimism shown through even on scrolls as Ruby tried one last time to lift her older sister's spirits.
Yang sighed, emotions warring in her core at the memory of when she used to tell stories about amazing hunters and huntresses. "I don't know Ruby. I'll try to do what I can, but no promises!" She tried to make it a joke but her voice broke as her heart continued to sink.
Ruby sensed it as she remained quiet for an abnormal amount of time for her at least. When she spoke up, her voice was much softer, trying a different approach. "We should meet up, maybe watch a movie. Everything will be ok Yang, you'll see."
"Thanks sis. Try not to fight too much crime on a school night." The busty blonde pretended to scold, laughter already underlining her words.
"No promises!" Ruby half sang back before going to end the call. "Stay safe Yang! I'll call you later?"
"Sure thing. Bye kiddo!" The blonde responded before closing her scroll with a happy exhale. She did always feel better after talking with her sister. Even if half the time she was worried about what Ruby was doing without her looking after her.
Looking up, Yang found herself in front of a seedy bar in the deeper section of Vale. She didn't recognize the name but knew its kind. The building was large, well over three stories tall, with no exterior windows to keep the inside specially lit up.A wide set of double doors was at the front, hanging open and showing a sneak peek of what was inside. Loud music, thumping the very air around them, escaped from the the doorway only. Just inside the entryway was another set of doors, more likely used to give some sort of barrier between the rest of the world and the inner club.
The girl didn't hold much hope that this place held answers for her but was willing to give it a try. She needed to find shady types of people, and they seemed to like the bars and clubs of Vale. Her quest had already taken her to most of the clubs in the city but there were always new ones popping up and more information spreading along. Though the outer guard never seemed to change. The bouncer barely glanced at her fake ID and waved her in. After looking a little too long at specific assets of hers, as usual. Yang barely controlled the urge to teach him a lesson and strolled inside.
All eyes were drawn to her. She practically strut through the mass of patrons who were mingling on the open floor plan. There was no second floor and only the third ring had a half floor on it, with an open segment in the center to hear the dj who was located in the middle of the club. Lining the two of the three walls were bars that stretched from one corner to the other. Without hesitating a step, Yang went for the biggest barkeep there, judging based on the reverence the other employees gave him and the air of importance he tried to hold around himself.
She leaned casually against the black obsidian counter, allowing her shirt to hang low and draw more hungry eyes from everyone around her. The owner could feel the change in the air and glanced over, pausing when he noticed the blonde beauty waiting for his attention. He took his time walking over, speaking casually with some of the other guests, before reaching the girl. He took out a glass and wiped at the insides as he took a long look.
"How can I help you, little lady?"
Yang reached into her jacket pocket and withdrew her scroll, bringing up the one picture she had been able to find of her target. "I'm looking for this woman. Used to be a huntress." She kept the image still as heart pounded. She used her free hang to point at the long dark haired woman with red eyes.
The barkeep spent a moment trying to identify the woman before shaking his head. "Hmmm… Nope. Sorry little lady. Anything else for you?" The grown man leaned on the counter as well with a wink.
Yang adopted a cutesy pout. "But you seem to have all sorts coming here… You mean no one's seen her…?"
The barkeep also pulled a pout, teasing in return. "I appreciate the vote of confidence but we aren't the grape vine."
"Alright, well, who is?" Yang sighed, standing upright. She pulled out a few Lien and subtly slid them over the bar.
The man took the hint and dropped his flirty manner. He picked up the Lien and flipped them back and forth, double checking them before speaking again. He stayed relatively close.
"The man you'd want to find is called Nandor who has Naught." He turned so his palm was facing down. "The Naughts have a zero with a single line cutting through it on the backs of their hands. You see that symbol, you're talking to the right people."
The bartender pulled back, finished with his explanation and turned away, sensing they were done. He gave one last look over his shoulder. "You want anything else Blondie?"
"Yeah, sure. Give me a strawberry sunrise." Yang waved nonchalantly, dishing out another note of Lien and tossing it across the counter. Drink in hand, she used the other to brush back her wild mane, debating her options.
She spun in place, eyeing the crowd, and mused over the new information as she sipped her beverage. The music blasting had a strong baseline, making many around her to bop in place as her own head nodded in time. With a practiced eye, she gazed out among the crowd, trying to spot trouble before it came her way. Spotting a small crowd of teenagers who also probably shouldn't be in the club, she did a double take when some of them looked familiar. Before Yang could either escape or make a move to get closer, a voice shouted her name from her left.
Lilac orbs widened when she noticed who was walking her way. A boy, barely taller than her, tried to wave with his hands full of drinks. He had apparently already been sampling the supplies as his swagger wavered unsteadily. Having been discovered, Yang didn't try to hide and stood up, placing her finished drink down as she waved back.
"Melvan! What are you doing here?" Yang briefly thought to give the lad a hug but didn't, not wanting to spill the multitudes of drinks he was holding. Instead, she put a steady hold on his shoulder and tried for a smile.
"Me and the others were going to celebrate the ending of our mid year tests!" The lad beamed. He saw the flash of pain in lilac orbs and pushed on. "But really, who needs a reason to par-tay? Want to join us?"
Yang pulled back a moment as she fought her resentment of their ability to continue schooling. Looking at the other teen, she recalled how easily he had tried to get along with everyone around him and knew he didn't mean anything harmful by his offer.
"Yeah. Sure, I'll join you guys. You hopping places or staying here?" Yang laughed playfully, the joy not reaching her eyes. She tried to quickly figure out who was among the group and who'd be the more likely to put up a fuss.
"We'll see how our night go; play by ear y'know?" Melvan was too drunk to notice this and lead the way to the other teenagers. As they went, Yang grew more unsure of the decision.
There were five others waiting closer to the dj for their drinks they had the oldest of them to get. There was another two boys and three girls there, a mix of three different teams from what Yang could remember of the groups of her year. While most didn't have a problem with her or her actions, two of the girls definitely would. Something that was evident as Yang and Melvan got closer.
They went from happily dancing in place to growing quiet when they saw the blonde. One of the girls, more nervous than the others from the onset, started to edge behind her partner anxiously. The boys tried not to stare at what Yang was wearing while growing more cautious while the girls (the ones not trying to hide) straightened up and stared coldly back.
Yang knew they hadn't forgotten what she did before and tried to play it off. "Hey guys. Congrats on those tests, kind of happy I don't have to worry about them." She leaned back, both hands behind her head. "I was just here, chilling when Melvan invited me over." She internally winced at how the most timid flinched back at the revelation and continued on. "If that's not cool with you guys, it's ok."
The blonde tried to keep her voice upbeat and easy going, not showing a moment of the hurt she felt at their reactions. The others responded in kind to her relaxed words by loosening up themselves. No one protested her presence as they reached for the drinks Melvan offered to them. Once his arms were free, he reached out towards the blonde brawler.
"Come on, stick with us tonight!" Melvan shook Yang's shoulders playfully.
"You know she doesn't stick around."
The snide voice came from one of the huntress-in-training, grabbing attention as it had wanted. The owner was a young woman dressed for the setting with a short dark green skirt that had a slit in the side to allow for movement and a loose white blouse. On her bare arms she wore wide bracelets on both arms. The lady wore her long dark auburn hair in long waves down her back. Everyone, upon seeing who spoke, groaned in sync while Yang merely squinted in warning. The teen smiled falsely in return and sashayed up closer to the brawler. Yang didn't want to give an inch and stood still, glare growing as her instinct warned her.
"She's just here to find her bitch mother to join their thieving band of miscreants." The snarky lady leaned close, grin widening. "And to rob us of our lives." The girl couldn't stop her smile as she saw red enter the lilac gaze.
The group of trainees shifted in place at the words. Melvan moved from Yang to instead try and stop the other girl. The girl shook off the touch and invaded the blonde's personal space.
"I'm sure that's what mommy dearest would do too…"
Yang had barely held her temper through the first couple of sentences. She knew her old friends were growing ever concerned and tried to hold back.
It was a lost cause.
With a roar, the blonde launched a fist towards the very punchable face, raging clouding her mind entirely. A vague shout barely caught her attention but it didn't stop her. She threw several punches, a yellow hue glowing over them as her semblance activated.
The other girl was ready for the attack, knowing she pushed the right buttons. Her multitudes of bracelets merged and morphed into bracers that covered both her hands and part of her shoulders. She deflected the first two hits and tried to go on the offensive, throwing out her own punches.
But Yang didn't care, knowing it would just make her stronger. She kept up her pace, feeling the rhythm come into play as she slowly gained the upper hand.
Their surroundings were a blur as the two moved, scattering the other guests as they went. Shouts filled the air as the dj changed the tune to be fitting a club brawl. Soon other bodies joined the fray, all against the instigator of the battle. Weapons were drawn, semblances used. Drinks spilled from shocked grips and a thrown body fell into one wall of bottles. An errant dust shot sparked a fire that grew larger with every scrap of alcohol it consumed.
As the building began to catch fire, most of the employees too busy trying and failing to stop the fight to do anything for it, those who were still functioning spilled out the doorway. Most were focused on the yellow haired boxer but there were some who realized the danger and were trying to get the unconscious out of the club.
A thin trail of smoke began to alert the rest of the city of the growing danger. Sirens began to come to life, screaming out their warnings in the late hour. All forms of emergency vehicles were racing down to the club section, alerted by the smoke, noise and panicked scroll calls from those trying to avoid being involved.
Yang was among the first pushed outside by the battle. Surrounded and overwhelmed, she recognized the sound and what it would mean to be caught, again, for fighting. Annoyed, the girl blasted her way out of the encircling group and half way down the street. Free of flying fists, she took off running, adrenaline and her semblance coursing through her veins, letting her keep moving despite her injuries. She ducked through alleys, putting plenty of space between her and the destroyed club.
It was fortunate that she had spend the last several years walking the fringes of the city, searching out clubs and information. It gave an advantage when trying to ditch any pursuers. Soon all she heard was the sound of her own heavy breathing and pounding heart. Unfortunately, a black eye she hadn't realized she got was starting to affect her perception as she ran. While that was already detrimental to being aware of anyone else out this late at night, the person she bowled over already naturally blended into the shadows, especially with her dark clothing and hair.
Still hyped on adrenaline, Yang spun as she fell, regaining her balance while stiffly moving her arms into place. The girl she had knocked into also fell into a fighting stance only to let it drop in confusion in a heartbeat. Neither had made a sound at the impact but that changed as amber orbs scanned the tired girl with open worry.
"Yang?! What happened?" Blake kept her voice low. She scanned the boxer's physical state then focused on their surroundings, nerves building. Her right hand shifted to hover over a gray messenger bag. She moved to a half crouch, ready for whatever trouble the blonde had been running from.
Distance sounds of police and fire trucks echoed towards the duo. Nothing seemed to move in their vicinity however.
Since she had came to a stop, exhaustion began to swamp Yang's mind along with a pleasant warmth at seeing the dark haired teen a second time that day. She let her fists dropped out of their position and wore a dopey smile.
"Heeeey Blake…" Yang felt the desire to touch Blake's smooth hair and went for the compulsion, mind not thinking of what it could come across. She reached out and brushed her left hand through the dark locks, head tilting to the right, with her smile still in place. "You're still stunning…"
Blake froze and stared at the girl in open shock. She was tempted to shift away but for such course hands, Yang's touch was gentle. Her hands were slightly covered in bloody scratches and nicks, adding to the overall worn out and beaten form of the bar fighter. Blake noticed all this within moments as internal mental debates raged, trying to figure out what was going on.
As time worn on however, Blake's eyes squinted in suspicion as the action continued. "Are you… punch drunk?"
"Maaaaybe?" Yang tilted her head to the opposite side with a wide smile. Her hand stopped it's caresses and instead cupped the pale cheek of the other girl. The movement nearly unbalanced the brawler as she began to dip in the same direction, whole body swaying dangerously.
"Yang!" Blake half shouted. She reached out with her right hand while grabbing the blonde's hand that was still on her cheek, trying to steady the girl. Nimbly, she slipped under that arm, holding the injured teen upright. As the full weight of the brawler settled on her shoulders, Blake let out a wuff of air in surprise.
Yang laughed at the sound, throwing her head back dizzily. "Surprised at all this muscle?" She tried to flex but winced in pain.
Blake rolled her eyes but didn't comment on the attempted joke. "Come on, let's get you to a hospital…" She started to walk down the street but found that the other was trying to slump down in dead weight.
The blonde struggled at the suggestion with a half whine. "Nuuuooo! No hospitals!"
"Why not?"
"Because!" Yang leaned closer, serious even in her silly state of mind. "I've got a rep!" She paused, confused by movement under the black bow of the other girl but disregarded it as being dizziness. "And if they see me like this, they'll knooowww!"
Yang gave up looking out of her right eye and just focused looking out the remaining left one to see how the raven haired girl was responding to her pleas. She couldn't stop the heat spreading from her core at the bemused smirk on the other's teen's face. "Besides…" She checked their current location, barely discerning identifying marks, and nodded towards a street across the way. "I live close by. Help a poor girl out?"
The smirk Blake wore expanded into a more playful one. "Of course. Not like you have a previous record of fighting multiple enemies, or all these 'muscles', of course." The teasing remark came out fluidly and the girl didn't seem nearly as anxious about making the joke this time.
Yang's smile grew at how smooth the joke came and leaned her head towards the other. She allowed more of her weight to rest on the slightly shorter girl. "Exaaaactly! I'm so lucky you understand."
The blonde giggled which turned into full laughter when Blake also giggled. Together, they managed to walk down the quiet streets of the lower city. It was difficult to keep balance but they made it eventually. An apartment building soon came into view. It was seven stories tall and appeared just as rundown as the rest of the neighborhood.
Blake tried to orient herself and found they were in the bad parts of the city, though not one that was filled with as many Faunus. The girl radiated waves of confusion at the sight. The blonde didn't seem like the type to live there, even with her violent tendencies. The picture of when she was expelled showed she at least had a caring father.
The brawler tried to keep her embarrassment and shame from her face as she stared at the building. Moving slowly to hide the tense limbs, she gestured that it was the correct location. "I… I didn't want to trouble my family after I was kicked out of school." Yang shrugged, taking the rest of her weight back while reaching for her keys for the front door.
While she didn't want to remove her arm from the very comfy rest on slim shoulders and silky hair, she had to as she continued forward towards the door while her helper stopped several paces back.
Lavender eyes bashfully looked over. "Did, uh, would you like to come up?" She used her bulk to open the doors and pointed with her head towards the stairs that took up most of the center space.
Blake eyed the structure wearily. "I don't think you'd be able to make it up by yourself anyways."
Yang laughed, her chest pinching in pain, but couldn't argue the fact as she felt her legs already cry out at the thought. "I'm on the fourth floor. Try not to get blown away by how much it blows."
Blake gave an over exaggerated head roll at the words but didn't respond, instead moving forward the last few steps to be next to the blonde boxer once more. She gently replaced the blonde's arm over her shoulder and waited for Yang to be ready for the trip. It took a moment to shore up what exhausted strength she had. Once ready, the two girls slowly shuffled upstairs. The late hour ensured privacy to the fighter's weakened state.
The building was even more rundown that the Faunus' own living space; the paint was peeling away on the walls and the stairs were worn down in the middle from use. The fourth floor wasn't any different than the others except that the doors were labeled with four in hundreds slot.
Yang pointed with her head to the correct door. She fumbled with the key, not naturally being left handed, but managed to get it eventually. She tried to put up a few walls at least as the door opened, showing how she was currently living. Yet another reason to never have anyone actually visit her. But this wasn't normal circumstances and she hoped that she wouldn't immediately regret asking for help this time.
Blake resumed helping hold the girl steady as they walked in. Her mind shut down in surprise at what was inside while her body went to autopilot, walking forward. Wide amber eyes slowly surveyed the 'apartment'.
The blonde could feel the change and stiffened, waiting for some kind of comment, gaze turning downwards in shame. She was tempted to try and move away, but could tell it wouldn't end well for her if she tried. She attempted to take an outsider's view but stopped when it made everything seem that much worse.
The room was tiny; it wasn't an apartment but more of a studio room. The kitchen was on the right wall with nothing dividing it from the rest of the room. Along the far wall was a dresser and end table, situated on either side of a futon. Of which the couch and pull out bed had seen better days judging from the worn out frame and flat mattress. Set above the futon was a single window which was open slightly. A door on the left lead to a bathroom, though it too was cramped. In the middle of the room was a flimsy looking table with a plain white envelope sitting on top.
Yang noticed the mail and groaned. Her heart sank at the knowledge that her sister would be going without the cookies as Ruby and their uncle gave as much Lien as they could to the struggling brawler. That knowledge put the girl into a worse mood than her mess of a living space and she grew tempted to kick the dark haired teen out. But so far neither of them made a move, leaving them in a stalemate.
Blake struggled to understand what she was seeing. She had imagined, from how the blonde acted and looked, that she had at least some decent things to her name. The blonde seemed like she came from a middle class family. But this was worse than how some of the abused Faunus lived and they were usually the first to be robbed. She was jostled out of her stupor when the injured fighter started to shuffle towards the table without bothering to wait for the support.
The brawler bent to scoop up the envelope but couldn't maintain her balance. She went to grab with her functioning hand and found she started to tip over in that same direction. She tried to correct it but could only manage to switch which way she fell. So instead of landing on the table or in front of it, she landed on the futon with a painful exhale. Her mess of a mane half covered her face but she was too tired to fix it at the moment.
"Stupid sneaky Qrow…" Yang murmured angrily. She closed her sights tiredly and released as much tension she could with a heavy exhale, tears prickling on the edges of her eyes.
Sensitive cat ears were able to pick out the low grumble coming from the other girl. Even in quiet tones, Blake could hear an underlying sorrow to the words. She noticed how the teen still favored her right arm and winced in sympathy. "Yang, where is the first aid kit?"
"Does it look like I can afford one? Phffftt…" Yang waved her arm to encompass the sparse space. "Can't even afford this place on my own…" Her voice was barely above a whisper, arm going to cover her eyes as she shifted to lay on her back. It wasn't loud enough for normal beings to hear it but she didn't realize the other girl had an advantage in that area.
Blake did her hear and felt another bubble of curiosity build up. "How do they even stay in business? This is an unusual size to rent out…" She tried to keep her voice absolutely neutral as she asked. A flash of red tinting purple told her she hadn't been completely successful.
"By calling them studio rooms. A cheaper option that doesn't provide much space." Yang's voice dripped bitter resentment.
The two fell into an uneasy silence, neither looking at the other. Blake was torn on what to do. She didn't want to walk away but social interactions weren't her usual forte. She wanted to help the injured girl but didn't want to overstep boundaries.
Yang was in the opposite situation. She had been incredibly social but after her expulsion, she had grown anxious about how others perceived her situation or her temperament. It hadn't been easy to ask her uncle to help find a cheap place to live off the grid as it was. Even then she hadn't been able to keep it on her own and had to ask for help.
It was the sight of a weak yellow aura barely flickering over the blonde's form that spurred Blake to action. She sighed softly and went for the kitchen. She felt a single piercing eye on her as she sought something to relieve the likely growing headache of the other. Finding no pre-made ice nor anything frozen to help the swelling, she took a dish cloth and soaked it in cold water. The raven haired girl returned to the other's side and held out the wet cloth.
"Yang, what happened? How did you get so hurt?" Blake kept her voice gentle as she bent down beside the futon.
The girl on the couch snatched the cloth out of the other's grip and scowled. "What do you think happened? I don't need pity Blake." Yang clenched her left arm, squishing the damp towel. "I can sleep it off."
"Yang, these injuries won't just 'go away', especially with practically no aura left." Blake crossed her arms, staring firmly towards the other teen.
Yang started to sit up, face growing dark with anger. "Oh yeah? And what do you know about it? You a fancy dancy huntress or huntress-in-training?"
"No but-"
"Then you don't know anything!" Yang stood the rest of the way up, hands closed. Her voice continued to rise as she did.
The brawler's entire form shook as the room started to close in on her. The attention of the other girl brought a heat to her cheeks and she clenched her teeth, trying to ignore and shut down the feeling. Instead, she tried to shore up inner resolve to stand on her own two feet. Even if they were unstable. As she did, the heat changed to one more akin to her semblance and the fire it brought, warming up the area around her.
Blake was starting to lose her courage at the furious tone. She had straightened up as the blonde had and now found herself in close quarters with the hurt teen as they stood barely a foot apart. She started to back up while Yang's aura sizzle the air in between them.
"I don't need anyone's help! Not yours, not Qrow's, not-not even Ruby's!" The blonde half yelled, eyes going shut. "I don't need anyone!" She bent forward as she shouted, arms bending at the elbow with clenched hands.
Blake's brow twitched as she watched the meltdown. She wanted to run but didn't, having noticed the tears that gathered at the corners of the blonde's eyes. She bit her lip, unsure. It was normal for people to hug those in obvious pain but she wasn't usually one to initiate physical contract.
"Yang…" She murmured while reaching out timidly for the shaking shoulder.
"Get out." The brawler brought her hands up to her face, covering it. As she felt the other's continued presence, she quickly slammed her fists onto the table, cracking it. "Get! OUT!"
The roar echoed in the room harshly. Scarlet orbs went glared at the other girl only to instead stare at the door as it slammed shut. Yang panted as her rage dissipated just as quickly as it came, flickering out. She looked at the furniture under her closed fists and found it was practically broken in half. Growling in frustration, she put both hands under it and pushed up, flinging it across the room with a scream that came from the depths of her soul. She slumped in place, tears now flowing freely, as exhaustion seeped into every part of her body.
"Good job… Fucking Bastard Beast of Beacon doing another bang up job." Yang felt a cooling wetness in her left hand. Glancing over, she found she was still holding the dish cloth. Her guilt swelled, intensifying tenfold. "Damn it all."
She jumped up and forced stiff limbs to function once more. She raced out the door and down the stairs. She barely paused once outside. Fortunately, the extremely late hour meant it was easier to try to pinpoint where Blake was heading based on sound. Hurried steps, barely discernible from the other night sounds, came from Yang's right.
Not wanting to wake the whole neighborhood, she didn't shout for Blake to stop, even as her own body screamed in pain from running. The sound of feather light feet disappeared. Groaning at the loss of the trail, Yang tried to silence her breathing to hear better. Her form tensed at the ingrained sounds of a fight nearby. She felt a pit grow in her stomach when she heard Blake shouting in anger. Yang found her feet moved almost on her own towards where the girl was. She flew around one corner and growled at what she saw there.
A large group of humanoids, presumably humans, with dark blue hoods pulled over their heads to mask their features. There was at least a dozen of them surrounding Blake and a dog Faunus. The dog lad tried to hide behind the teenage girl, shaking. He held his bloody long dog ears close to his scalp, whimpering in pain. Blake had a black sword in hand and was absolutely livid. In her other hand was a black sheath, held half like a tonfa.
Their tormentors didn't stop however at seeing the armed defender. They rushed forward, swinging clubs and maces wildly, while some tried to grapple the girl. Blake was agile though, and ducked under grasping hands, smacking at the humans with the back of her sword and sheath. But there were too many. One managed to grab her right arm while others went for her hair, trying to immobilize her movement by grabbing there. It worked partially. They ended up ripping away the bow at the sharp jerk of the teenager, though they snagged part of her hidden cat ears. Blake cried out in pain and lost more ground in the fight, distracted by the now furious hands reaching for her Faunus heritage.
Yang tried to process what was happening but lost all semblance of rational thought when they caught and pulled at Blake's hair and bow. Feeling her eyes going red immediately, Yang shot forward and bowled over the tormentors. Most were closely clumped together, making it an almost perfect strike. Blake cried out again as their hands were ripped away from her head. The blonde roared at the sound and straightened up, blasting those she had knocked over with shots from Ember Celica. The humans didn't seem to have armor but did have auras that flashed with each blast. Soon they didn't bother the two Faunus as they now had a bigger angrier threat facing them.
Blake, disorientated and wired, fell back, watching the fiery blonde beat the racists with a vengeance. She knew that the blonde boxer had a history of violence, but this was another level entirely. Uncertain if Yang could tell the difference between friend and foe, Blake kept her sword pointed towards those still fighting. The dog Faunus made sure to keep his protector between him and the others but crept closer to speak softly to the cat teen.
"Wh-who's th-that girl?" His anxiety was still sky high as he watched, terrified. "P-please say she won't h-hurt us next…"
The cat Faunus sighed even as she stayed tense. "She probably won't… But you should use this moment to escape to the White Fang Sanctuary." She held up her scroll where she typed out the secret base and shown it to the other Faunus, keeping the screen away from the humans. "Go there and ask for protection. I'll call them as soon as I can to let them know you are coming."
The lad exhaled with heavy relief. "Thank you…" He didn't waste another minute, turning and shooting out of the alleyway. He stayed low to the ground and kept an anxious watch of his surroundings, looking back only once with open confusion.
Blake didn't respond, focusing on the fight. Her ears, freed violently from the black ribbon, shifted at the sounds only to cause her a flicker of pain at the motion. Most of the cloaked figures were now sprawled out, unconscious, on the floor. She worried for a second that they were dead but focused her ears, trying to figure out if they were still alive. Faint breathing was identified, causing the dark haired teen to exhale heavily.
"I'm going to kill you damn idiots!" Yang yelled over the shots she was firing off, closing in on the last few standing members of the hit mob.
The cat teen's heart sank at the shout. She spun to stare at the mess of yellow locks as Yang stalked on the last semi coherent opponent.
The brawler was panting heavily as her arms shook from effort and force. The girl could barely see past the black eye and red haze, though the blue hoods had helped her identify those that needed the lesson. Her body was numb while her veins were on fire. Her boots shook the ground with each step she took closer to her last target of the night.
"YANG! Don't!" Blake called out without moving closer. She gripped her weapons tightly but hoped she wouldn't have to use them.
Yang's face scrunched as the angelic voice broke through the red mist of anger in her mind. She halted, sense of rage and the last remnants of a calm mind warring over her next course of action. She couldn't even remember half of what she had been shouting to the fools who wanted to beat people for being different. Without the furious sounds of combat, she was able to notice the quiet moans and groans of agony of those she had already demolished. The remaining man was sobbing, crouched down next to the far wall of the alley they were in. He held up both hands, palms forward, pleading for mercy.
The cat Faunus sneered at the cries. Her mind flashed to what she had first found in the alleyway; a terrified dog Faunus, fallened to the ground, asked for the same mercy and was given none. The blonde human seemed to think the same as she snarled at the hooded man.
"Mercy?! You don't give mercy to those different to you, why should I!?" Yang reminded the disguised human with a kick to his side. "Don't touch anyone like that again, douchebag!" She had to use the last of her willpower to not make a move towards the now escaping human.
The blonde stayed where she was, letting the waves of emotions run their course before trying to move. She took inhaled deeply, attempting a few breathing exercising before feeling her anger spike at how it never seemed to help her. She could feel the other girl hanging back; the knowledge was like a fire hydrant, dousing what left of her rage and drowning her in despair, having made things worse.
Slowly, nervously, she turned to face the girl she had rushed to save...
Bottom Note: Soooooo... This was a heck of a chapter to write. Two fight scenes that can't be too strong? No super mature stuff? Kay... Though, I haven't really wrote anything like this before either. Also, I've realized I use specific words too much and will be changing some of them out to keep a nice variance going. I have a horrible potty mouth, and I'm trying to make sure it doesn't translate into the characters. Though I imagine as a more brash and violent brawler, Yang says a few more bad things than usual. Hopefully it's not rushing or too nuts. Please leave a review (I like to hear what everyone thinks of stories I write) and I'll hopefully see you guys in the next chapter!