**TRIGGER WARNING**
From now on, this warning will apply to the entire work.
There will be very slight gore, including but not limited to: blood, scars, and violence. I haven't tagged any of this because none of the descriptions will be graphic, but I want to give fair warning to any people who might be set off by the mention of these things. I know from personal experience that most of the time, people don't feel the need to be cautious, but setting me off proves to be ridiculously easy every time. So if the mention of blood, scars, or violence triggers you, then I advise against reading any further.
Thank you.
Ruby threw the door to the club open and took in the atmosphere. Even though the music blasted as loud as it did when she left, nervous expressions marred the faces in the club. From a glance at their movements, Ruby could tell that something shook everyone up. She scanned the room for anybody she recognized.
Roman Torchwick was nowhere to be seen, but several of Junior's goons surrounded the entire crowd, scouring anxious twenty-somethings for one person in particular. Ruby realized with a start that the person they were looking for was her. Hastily, she ducked her head down and ran behind the few people on the outskirts of the floor.
A low voice boomed, "Has anybody found her yet?" His head towering over all others, Junior paced around his men, who shook their heads in turn. Junior sighed.
Ruby moved as discreetly as possible, sneaking glances at the middle of the room for her sister. Despite the fact that strobe lights no longer hindered her vision, Ruby had no clue where her sister was. In fact, not a single head of blonde hair hid among in the crowd. Yang might have been somewhere on the second floor, but finding a way up there without one of Junior's men spotting her in a situation like this would not be easy, or possible, for that matter. Ruby's heart skipped a beat when she noticed a particular person walking up to Junior like he was in charge.
Torchwick.
"Where is she?" he demanded, obviously irritated.
Junior just shook his head instead of providing a verbal response.
Torchwick pinched the bridge of his nose, turning to face the door. "If Blondie makes it out of here, then Red will run straight to the police, and Ironwood's going to have both our asses."
To the police? Why wasn't Torchwick looking for her? Did he know she already left? Well, apparently, he does. Ruby paused for a moment and remembered when Torchwick held her captive underground at Mountain Glenn; when he put his cane to her head, she used her semblance to get away from him. He probably saw rose petals by the door and connected the dots. In any case, Ruby was right about one thing: they were going to take Yang hostage as a means of getting Ruby back into the building. But what they didn't know is that she already came back. If Ruby can find Yang before they do, they can sneak out while Junior still has his nose to the ground.
"No one's getting out of here until we find her. Don't worry," Junior responded.
Suddenly, the music shut off, and all heads turned to the DJ's station. Yang stood over the table holding a large, boxy bottle of clear liquid in one hand and a small box in the other. She popped the top off the bottle and poured its contents on the surface of the sound board. When she ran out of alcohol, she tossed the bottle aside and lit a match.
Knowing what she was about to do, Junior shouted, "Blondie, don't!"
Yang threw the match on the equipment and ran. The surface quickly caught fire, spreading fire to the wires, which lead to the outlet. The equipment exploded, sending out a flash of heat that burned the surface of her skin even from across the room. For a brief moment, everyone in the club was silent. Then all hell broke loose.
Roman reacted faster than any of Junior's mooks could have dreamed. He sprinted past all of them as they stood there, dumbfounded. He reached the station when Blondie lit a match against the rough edge of the table. She threw it down and ran, skipping over broken glass and running through people. Roman swore under his breath, turned away from the table and broke into a run. The explosion threw him forward, and Roman instinctively extended his arms to break his fall. He felt the heat searing on his back.
Pain shot up his arms when he landed on the floor, a sharp throb in . He looked over his shoulder to see the damage. The fire only spread to the chair, but without a doubt, it will burn Junior's club to the ground if no one did anything.
When everyone started screaming, Roman realized Blondie was going to use the commotion as a cover. He didn't see her, but he was almost positive that she was out the door and in the streets. He picked himself up off the floor and looked around. Everyone pushed and shoved, slowly moving closer and closer to the door. Only one person was moving in the opposite direction. Even with short legs, she ran like she was competing in a race broadcasted on every television all the way from Vale to Atlas.
Relieved and annoyed at the same time, Roman noticed a rose petal as it fell to the floor. Maybe there was a way out of this. He could use Red to force Blondie's hand, just like he was going to do, but with their roles reversed. However, if their encounter went anything like their last few, then by tomorrow morning, Roman would find himself in a less than desirable situation, standing on top of a bucket.
When Red ran closer to where he was, Roman sprinted to intercept, sticking out his leg and tripping her. She rolled across the floor until she came to an abrupt stop, bumping her head on the stairs. She stood up quickly, but she had trouble keeping her balance, her feet shifting awkwardly. Roman watched blood trickle down her forehead as he drew a switchblade from his pants pocket.
Maybe the blood was throwing him off, but Red hardly looked like herself. She hardly seemed like a kid tonight, despite how short she was. Her eyes drifted up, locking on his with a hollowing expression. Roman thought up a plethora of quips about playing dress up or staying up too late, but Red disappeared the moment he opened his mouth. She reappeared delivering a left hook to the right side of his face. He stepped back, dodging the blow, and swung his blade at her elbow.
She cried out and stepped back, wrapping her fingers around her forearm. The cut itself couldn't have been too deep, but blood soon covered her arm, dripping from her fingertips. She turned into a blur, bouncing from place to place, materializing in one spot and disappearing as soon as he found her. Soon enough, he lost track of her completely, and the rose petals, scattered all around him, provided no clue as to where she went.
All of a sudden, Red kicked Roman's legs out from under him, and he fell on his butt. Roman started to sit up, but the sound of cocking a gun stopped him. Dripping blood on his clothes, Red stood over Roman, pointing a gun at his head. Instead of seeing Red and the determination in her eyes, he looked straight down the barrel.
Hardened and cool, her voice cut through the air like a knife. "Don't move."
