"Listen, I'm just concerned as to why she's showing back up in Dad's life now, of all times," Yang said before taking another sip of her coffee.
"Well, I guess she must've heard about the stroke, you know," Ruby said, tracing her index finger around the rim of her glass, which currently housed a sickly-orange, pulpy mess of orange juice.
Despite the fact that Ruby could order any sugary drink she wanted, like a pop or milkshake, she always chose orange juice whenever she showed up to have Rose-Xiao Long's traditional monthly brunch at Angelo's Diner in the heart of Vale's residential district. Yang wasn't sure, but if she had to guess, Ruby only got orange juice because she knew she would get an earful from her father about not being healthy if she ordered anything else.
Yang quickly glanced over in the direction of the restrooms, verifying that her father has yet to exit from the Men's room, and that the two sisters would have a few minutes to discuss before he returned.
"Look, I'm just worried that Mom's up to something, like usual. I mean, she's been gone at least 20 years at this point, we only see her once or twice a year, but then all of a sudden, once Dad gets sick, she starts to poke her head in?" Yang asked, clearly frustrated.
"Well, if Raven wanted something out of Dad, she wasn't showing it," Ruby replied with a shrug. "She just came to Dad's house on Patch, asked him how he was doing, and dropped off one of those really nice bottles of wine from Mistral that Dad likes."
"Ruby, Mom's a fuckin' crook," Yang spat. "That's how she works. She puts on a nice face, acts like she's family, and she stabs you in the fucking back and twists the handle."
"I dunno about that one, Yang," Ruby said. "She just said she wanted to drop in, tell Dad that she's here for him if he needs anything, and don't hesitate to call her."
Yang shook her head, clearly frustrated.
"Ruby, you really believe that?" Yang replied, exacerbated.
"Yang…" Ruby softly said, "Sometimes...people change, y'know."
"No," Yang said, shaking her head again. "Not Mom. 20 years, and whenever I see her, she still hasn't changed. Not one bit."
Yang quickly gulped down another sip of coffee, and then grimaced.
"You gotta trust me on this one, Ruby," Yang said. "You don't know the side of Mom that I have to deal with. Keep in mind, I got access to all the case files on her, and if you heard some of the shit about her in there, you'd be fuckin' livid."
"Listen, Yang, I don't think Raven's coming back to the house anyways," Ruby said, "and I don't think Dad's dying to see her again too, y'know? She was just poking her head in, and then she was on her way."
Yang sighed, and then looked Ruby straight in the eyes.
"Okay, Ruby...I believe you, I believe you," Yang wearily drawled. "But, you're the one in charge of the house for now, with Dad's stroke and me with my arms full with this fuckin' case. You gotta promise me you can take care of Dad, you hear me? And that means looking out for people like Raven."
Ruby nodded.
"Don't worry, Yang!" Ruby pipped. "I got it all under control. Plus, Dad's getting stronger and stronger each day. I bet he'll fully recover by the time I get put back into rotation and deploy again."
In the corner of Yang's eye, she spotted the men's restroom door swing open, and out stepped a man in tan cargo shorts and a beige, short-sleeved, button-up shirt. The man had wrinkles around his eyes, and his mop of blonde hair peppered with greys. He hobbled along towards Yang and Ruby, using a cane to support his right leg as he approached the sisters.
"About time, Dad!" Ruby said before Taiyang grunted and waved off Ruby.
"Ruby, did you pay for the bill?" Taiyang asked.
"I tried," Ruby moaned, "but Yang beat me to it, and when I tried to tell her that you told me to pay for the bill, she wouldn't listen-"
"Yang!" Taiyang said in a firm tone. "I thought I told you I'd pay today!"
"Dad, don't worry," Yang said as she scooted herself out of the booth and grabbed her overcoat from off the booth's coat hook, "I got it this time. Save your money, old man."
Taiyang sighed, then flashed a small smile to Yang, a twinkle in his eyes, before bringing his right hand onto Yang's cheek and giving it two endearing taps with his palm. Yang brushed away Tai's hand with a giggle.
"Stubborn as always," Tai said, before Ruby approached behind Tai and helped him slip into his coat.
"Ruby, make sure you get Dad back to Patch safely, alright?" Yang said. "I know you drive like a goddamn maniac, I want you to take it slow with him in the car."
"Don't worry, Yang," Ruby said, before grinning, "I got here safe, remember? I can get us back home in one piece."
Yang nodded, before giving Ruby a quick hug. She then turned to Taiyang and gave him two quick pats on his good shoulder.
"Yang, thanks for coming," Tai said. "Your sister and I miss you, y'know?"
"I know, I know," Yang muttered. "Once I'm through with this case, I'll have more time to visit you guys. Hopefully I'll have time to see Ruby before they ship her off again."
Tai nodded slowly, before turning his gaze to meet Yang's eyes.
"You know how proud I am of you two, right?" Tai said softly. Yang smiled and shook her head, before she pursed her lips, trying to figure out the right way to say what she needed to say.
"Look, Dad...if you need help with anything, anything at all, promise you'll come to me or Ruby first, okay?" Yang said.
"Of course I would," Tai said, a slight look of confusion on his face. Yang nodded in understanding, before she gave one final pat on Tai's shoulder.
"I'll see you later, old man," Yang said.
YXL: My father was a veteran of the VKPD for over 20 years. You've probably seen the articles about him by now. They even had a photo of him in our department's wall of recognition. I had to pass by his face, every time I came into work. [Laugh] Yeah, I bet he could've been commissioner if he had tried hard enough at his job.
PN: Could you tell us a little more about your sister, Ruby Rose?
YXL: What the fuck you need to know about my sister for?
PN: Detective, I assure you it's pertinent for our investigation.
YXL: [Sigh] Let me guess. You already tried to look up information about Ruby and you couldn't find much except for a birth certificate, some school records and a certificate of enlistment in the Vale Marines.
PN: Yes.
YXL: Well, that's because every other facet of her life is classified. She's in the marines, sure, but she's high up there, y'know? Like, some spec ops shit. She couldn't even tell me or Dad what she was even doing, she said. Look, I'll throw you two a bone right now, and just tell you this: don't bother trying to look up records on her, because they're probably sitting in some top-secret clearance office, and they're sure as shit not gonna declassify it to you guys. But I promise, she didn't have a part of any of this. Not with me, Blake or the whole White Fang case. She was…
JA: ...She was what, detective?
YXL: ...I guess she was just collateral damage in this whole thing. From what Blake and I did. She shouldn't have gotten hurt, but, well, she was my sister. So it was bound to happen.
Blake was sitting in her bathrobe in the chair closest to the hotel room's window, looking out at the city below. Ilia's room was on the 27th floor, overlooking the whole downtown district coming alive underneath. Taxis and cars dotted the roads underneath, their horns blaring through the early morning quietness. An El train passed somewhere nearby, it's squealing brakes piercing through the hotel room walls.
Blake heard the door of the bedroom open behind her, and saw Ilia standing in the doorframe, still in her underwear.
"Morning," Blake said softly.
"Mornin'" Ilia muttered in return, before rubbing her eyes and walking to the bathroom across the room.
Ilia's hotel room was sleek, extravagant. The room was a suite style, and had three rooms - the main room, which had a flat screen TV, posh leather couches and a bar and kitchen; the bathroom, which had a regal porcelain tub and jacuzzi that could house at least 5; and the bedroom, which had a king-sized bed and a walk-in closet attached to it. Last night, Blake only caught a glimpse of the bathroom and spent a few minutes in the main room. The bedroom, however...Blake knew intimately.
"I didn't hear you get out of bed," Ilia called from the bathroom as Blake's cat ears perked up at the sound of the shower faucet hissing to life. "What time did you get up?"
"Around 5," Blake shouted into the bathroom.
"5? That early?" Ilia asked. "It's 9 now. What were you doing this whole time you were awake?"
"Just...sitting here, watching out the window," Blake responded.
"...you're easily amused, huh?" Ilia responded from the bathroom with a chuckle.
"I've never been this high up in a building before, Ilia," Blake responded. "They never had tall buildings like this in Menagerie or Mountain Glenn."
There was a pause from the bathroom, the only sound coming from the pattering of the shower water onto the floor, before Blake heard Ilia's voice resonate out again.
"Fair enough. I guess the charm of 'the view from the penthouse' wore off for me a long time ago, y'know?" Ilia responded.
Blake understood exactly what Ilia meant. As the White Fang's most clandestine operative, Ilia was constantly bouncing around from continent to continent, barely remaining in one place long enough to call somewhere home. That likely meant having to get used to lots of hotel rooms - lavish but empty.
"Thanks for coming," Ilia cooed seductively as Blake buttoned up her collared shirt. Ilia was now wearing a bathrobe, a towel wrapped around her sopping wet hair and a coffee mug in her hand. Blake didn't turn or respond to Ilia's comment, simply continuing to button up her shirt, a cold look on her face.
"Last night was fun," Ilia continued, "It's been too long since we've seen each other."
"Yeah," Blake responded coolly, now grabbing her black sports coat and slipping it on. Ilia's face began to drop and her lips pursed, before quickly adopting another grin when Blake turned to her.
"I'm glad I get to work with you again, Blake," Ilia said softly. Blake gave Ilia a quick nod before bending over on the floor to pick up her belt.
"Me too," Blake said, coldness continuing to inflect in her tone. Ilia paused, a troubled look on her face, before she sighed.
"When do you think we can see each other again?" Ilia asked.
"I'll be back in a week or so when I have more information to give you," Blake responded. Ilia nodded silently, her brow furrowing.
"You know...we don't just have to meet when you have something to report," Ilia said.
"Ilia…" Blake sighed, "We can't do this all the time. What if Adam-"
"Blake, fuck Adam," Ilia spat. "He's in Mountain Glenn. We're by ourselves here in Vale. He wouldn't know."
Ilia set her coffee mug on the counter and then came behind Blake as Blake fumbled to get her belt buckled. Ilia wrapped her arms around Blake's waist and pressed the side of her face into Blake's shoulder blades, nuzzling her skin with her nose. Ilia's skin was still warm from the shower, and her breath was light and ticklish against Blake's back, causing Blake's cat ears to stand straight up.
Blake closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation of Ilia pressed up against her, held tight in her arms. This is how it was a few years ago, before Blake decided to run. The closeness she was enjoying with Ilia now was the same warmth she felt back then, it's familiarity causing an almost wave of relaxation and relief within Blake.
Still, it was only a brief moment before Blake remembered the job at hand. Opening her eyes, she gently removed Ilia's hands from around her waist and grabbed her phone and keys from off Ilia's counter.
"I have to go, Ilia," Blake said softly. "I'm already late."
"Oh," Ilia said in a hoarse whisper, hurt inflecting in her tone, before she cast her eyes downward.
"I'll see you again in a week," Blake said after turning to Ilia.
"I'll see you then," Ilia said softly, refusing to meet Blake's eyes. Blake pursed her lips, but realizing that there was nothing she could do, she slipped on her shoes and walked out of the hotel room.
NV: No birth certificate, no school records, no criminal records, nada. Ilia Amintola, on paper, never existed in this world. You're practically the only one who can tell us who she is, so you bet your ass if you want immunity, you better start giving us the low down on her.
BB: [sigh] Ilia and I grew up together. She was an orphan, and she was looking out for herself in Menagerie, then in Mountain Glenn when all the Faunus were airlifted out. Adam took us in with the rest of the kids in Mountain Glenn, and that was that. And we grew close, sure. It wasn't till we were 19 or so when we first started 'dating.' But while I was working to become a detective and become ingrained in society, Ilia operated outside of it. Her role had her traveling all over Remnant, and, I guess, cause of that, we drifted apart.
NV: What was her role, exactly?
BB: If the White Fang needed someone gone, or if they needed a jury threatened, or a business bombed, they used Ilia. She was a Faunus, but other than that, there was nothing to connect her back to the White Fang. If she got caught or killed, all they had to do was deny knowing her, and that was that.
LR: So an expendable asset?
BB: At first, yes. But she was good at what she did. She left no traces at crime scenes. Never left witnesses, never got sloppy. If she killed someone, she did it clean, in a secluded area, and wiped down the evidence for her prints. Most of the time, she never even left a body or weapon for the cops to find.
LR: What can you tell me about your personal relationship with her, when she met you again that night in Vale?
BB: It's a cliche to say, but it was complicated, really.
LR: What about her relationship with Adam Taurus?
BB: [Sigh] Once again, complicated. Adam always liked to keep the girls in his inner circle in the White Fang close. Uncomfortably close, really. Ilia was no exception. We were all playthings to Adam in the end. So, in a way, Ilia was just like me - someone hopelessly dancing from Adam's puppet strings, having to look over our shoulders for him for the rest of our lives.
NV: Was she resentful of Adam because of that?
BB: She hated Adam, sure, but I don't think it was just that. I mean, Ilia wasn't naive. She grew up alone on the streets of Menagerie, getting fucked over by street hustlers and liars left and right, so she knew long before I did how cruel people can be - how they can betray you after they say they got your back. So, I think she just accepted that Adam was going to be another in a long line of people who took advantage of her. That's the reason I thought she hated Adam for, at first.
NV: So why did she really hate Adam, then?
BB: I guess...I guess she hated Adam because he was the only thing keeping her from me. Looking back, I was the only family she had growing up in Menagerie, the only one who stood by her side. But then Adam pulled the wool over my eyes, told me he loved me and he would never let me go...At the end of the day, amidst all the killing and the bullshit, she was looking for someone who would love her back. And, at the end of the day, I don't think she ever found that person.
Yang was sitting hunched over in the driver's seat, her wrists resting on the top of the steering wheel and her hands hanging haphazardly off it. Her eyes were hidden underneath her aviator sunglasses, her signature toothpick stuck between her lips. She wore a cold expression on her face, her focus aimed solely on one thing - the entrance to Junior's club.
Blake sat next to Yang, similarly displaying no emotions underneath her own pair of sleek, black sports sunglasses. However, her gaze was elsewhere, staring out the window at cars as they passed down the side street that Blake and Yang were currently parked on.
Junior's club was situated a block north of the river, smack dab in the middle of the industrial district. For blocks upon blocks surrounding Junior's club, the only buildings that could be found were drab warehouses, truck loading bays, clunking metal foundries and chop shops. The streets and residents similarly reflected the grimy, cold nature of the borough, as the sidewalks were littered with soot and trash, trodden on by humans and faunus alike with cold, cracked and wrinkled faces and grubby garb as they marched back from their lunch breaks to whatever industrialized, mechanical hell they worked at.
Amidst all the poverty and starkness, however, stood Junior's club, Club Golden. The only building on the block that looked like it was built sometime in the last decade, the club had a sleek, post-modernist style face complete with a neon sign hanging from its awning and floodlights to illuminate the face with all colors of the rainbow. Both of these were shut off, however, as it was the middle of the day.
"You think he's here?" Blake asked.
"I'd bet it," Yang muttered, keeping her gaze fixed on the entrance of the building.
As soon as Yang finished speaking, Yang spotted a man walking out of the entrance, decked out in an elegant black waistcoat and red tie. He was wearing amber designer shades, had a short buzzcut and beard, and currently had both his hands to his mouth. An orange glow resonating from it indicated he was lighting a cigarette. Flanking him on both sides were two young women, both with black hair and wearing sleek suits, one of them a deep red and the other cyan.
"That's him," Yang said, raising a finger, "The fucker in the middle."
"Let's go," Blake said.
Both exited the car at the same time and slammed the car door shut. Yang quickly reached up to her mouth and threw her toothpick to the side as she began to stride towards Junior.
"Hey, Junior!" Yang called out. Junior turned his head to the sound of his voice being called once, then did a double-take once he recognized who was seeking him, his eyes practically popping out of his head.
"Oh, FUCK!" Junior yelled out before he quickly turned on his heel and began running in the opposite direction of the two detectives, down the sidewalk.
"HEY!" Yang called out, suddenly charging forward.
Blake stood in complete shock for a split second, until the sight of the two girls trailing Junior turning their heads towards Yang, then reaching into their jacket pockets and flicking out slender, black collapsible batons quickly snapped her back into reality. Her adrenaline kicking in, Blake followed Yang and dashed forward.
"Stop them!" Junior called out from down the street, his voice echoing as he continued sprinting away.
Yang spotted the cyan-suit girl raise her right hand as she approached her, preparing to strike Yang with her baton. Yang quickly grappled the girl's baton hand with her left hand, while quickly striking the girl with a deft right hook planted square across the girl's temple. Yang felt the girl's wrist go limp in her left hand as the girl dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes.
In the corner of Yang's eye, she spotted the red-suited girl fast approaching. As Yang braced for the girl's vicious baton-attack, she saw a blur of black as Blake dove, tackling the red-suited girl to the ground with a loud umpfh. Yang saw the two briefly wrestle before Blake reached into her holster and whipped her Glock into the girl's face, before Blake turned her head to Yang, her eyes wide open with fury.
"Go after him!" Blake called out, before quickly turning her attention to Junior's accomplices. Before Yang could speak, she felt her feet carrying her down the sidewalk, madly dashing to Junior, who had just rounded the street corner in the distance.
"Stop!" Yang called out as she practically leapt down the sidewalk towards Junior. They had at least 20 feet between each other now, but Yang felt herself gain the upper hand as she saw him growing closer and closer. Yang's lungs were practically screaming, desperately trying to suck in cool air with each step as she ran after Junior. Still, a sudden burst of energy was all it took for Yang to close the distance between her and Junior as the two were now running out onto the sidewalk of a busy street. Dodging confused passerbys, Yang determined that she was in distance to strike, and taking a deep breath, she lunged forward headfirst, just barely grabbing hold of Junior's legs and causing him to tumble to the ground. The concrete felt like a train hitting Yang's body as she crashed into it with Junior. Still, the pain was nothing compared to the fire burning in Yang as she clawed her way across the ground to meet Junior face-to-face. When she was finally eye-level with Junior, she could see up-close what Junior she had reduced Junior to: a sniveling, cowardly wreck.
"B-Blondie?" Junior stuttered, his eyes wide and darting around.
Yang responded to Junior's confusion with a swift sucker punch straight to the nose, snapping Junior's glasses in two. Junior yelped out a high-pitched scream of shock as he brought his hands to cover his face.
"What the fuck?" Junior cried out, exacerbated. Onlookers were beginning to crowd around the two.
"Howdy, Junior!" Yang called out, standing up before kicking Junior twice in the ribs, causing him to groan out with each blow.
"Stop! Stop!" Junior cried out desperately. Yang bent down and picked him up by the collar.
"You thought you could run away from me, you dumb motherfucker?" Yang asked, before giving Junior another right hook, causing him to yelp, then spit out blood. Disgusted onlookers began to shield their eyes and flinch at the scene of violence.
"Blondie, I-I'm sorry, I didn't know-"
"What? Didn't know what? Huh? Didn't know it was me? Bullshit," Yang spat, bringing her face close to Junior, her breathing heavy and rapid. "Why the fuck were you running?"
"I'm sorry, Blondie, I saw you and then I panicked-"
"Why'd you feel the need to panic when you saw me, Junior?" Yang said, a mocking friendly tone in her voice. "We're all friends here, right? Friends don't need to run away from each other, right?"
Junior said nothing in reply, his bulging eyes indicating he was too shocked to form words in his mouth. Yang tightened her grip around his collar and brought her face closer to his, now glaring daggers into him.
"Right, motherfucker?" Yang growled. Junior nodded sheepishly.
"You're not gonna run again, right? Cause if you do, I'm gonna run you down again and this time, I'm gonna squish your head like a fuckin' grape, you hear me?"
Another timid nod from Junior.
Yang let go of Junior, causing him to drop to the ground with a whimper. Junior's eyes were still wide with fear, but his nose was now bleeding profusely, causing a red streak to run down from his nostrils, over his mouth and into his beard.
"Listen, you dumb son of a bitch," Yang said. "I just wanted to fucking talk to you, I'm not here to arrest you. You had no reason to run. Now, you're either gonna pick your ass up and walk it back to your club, and we're gonna talk there like normal, mature adults. Or, I'm gonna have to crack your fuckin' skull open right here and drag your ass back to the station, where we'll talk. Either way, you and I are gonna have a nice chat. Which is it gonna be?"
Junior paused, staring off into the distance, clearly processing what Yang was threatening, before he grimaced.
"Okay," Junior muttered. Junior groaned, and then slowly began to stand up, wobbling as he did so. Yang rolled her eyes and then grabbed ahold of Junior's left arm with a death grip, causing him to yelp in pain once more before she started to drag him back to the club. The sound of shoes pounding against the pavement in the distance caused Yang to snap her head towards the sound, quickly spotting Blake dashing towards the two before she came to a halt as she got closer.
"What the hell just happened?" Blake asked, a shocked look on her face.
"Blake, meet Junior Xiong," Yang growled as she continued to drag Junior towards his club. "Junior, meet Blake."
Blake watched in a mixture of awe and horror as Yang continued to drag the whimpering, bloody mess of a man back the way the two came from.
JA: Was it really necessary to beat Junior Xiong up?
YXL: Okay, alright, maybe I flew off the handle a bit. But you gotta realize, Junior Xiong is the biggest fuckin' worm in Vale. Period. If it wasn't me, it would most certainly be someone else.
JA: How, exactly, was he the "biggest worm in Vale?"
YXL: He owns nightclubs, bars, all that shit. Anything nightlife. And while of course a few of them were indeed fronts for some criminal operations to launder their dirty Lien into clean cash, Junior's biggest commodity was what he knew. This guy had celebrities, VIP's, all kinds of high rollers passing through his club, as well as big-time gangsters from almost all the outfits from Vale, both high and low-level. Ply those motherfuckers with champagne on the house and designer drugs, and you got them spilling their deepest, darkest secrets. His clubs were magnets for blackmail information on the rich and powerful, or tips on locations or details on potential scores for thieves, and you bet your ass he sold that shit to the highest bidders. Luckily for us, he wasn't above acting as informant for the VKPD if it meant keeping him out of jail.
JA: Was that why you visited Junior Xiong?
YXL: Well, the guy was also a fence, but a shit-poor one at that. He didn't have the connections Roman had, and add on the fact that Roman didn't like the guy, Junior all of a sudden was blacklisted by all the other major fences in Vale, and he had virtually no one he could offload stolen shit to. Still, it was worth a shot to see if he knew anything about the bonds, or if not, we could pick his brain for any information that might've flowed through his club.
Yang learned from Junior that the two girls that she and Blake had stomped out were named Melanie and Miltia Malachite, bouncers for Club Golden. Their names didn't ring any bells, which signified to Yang that the two were probably just hired by Junior, or they were relatively small-fry in the vast criminal underworld.
The two of them were now sitting at the far end of the bar, glaring at Blake and Yang, who chose the seats closest to the club's entrance. Both were glaring intensely at Blake and Yang with their eyes - well, in Melanie's case, her singular eye, as her left eye had been essentially welded shut from the bruising courtesy of Yang's right hook.
Yang had Junior's word that he would tell the sisters not to attack Yang and Blake, and Junior had Yang's word that if they tried to assault them again, Yang didn't even have to warn them before she would shoot.
"Look, I just want to offer my most sincere, honest apology to you two," Junior said as he poured two shots of whiskey on the other side of the bar. Junior was a sight to behold - his cheek was beginning to swell up, and plugged in both his nostrils were two dangly pieces of tissue, now beginning to stain red.
"You see, I, uh...I didn't know it was you, Yang. At first, I mean. You know, there's this senator's daughter who comes here every so often, and she's blonde too. And she really likes to make a big scene every time she's here, and the last time, I had to kick her out, so I thought you were her, and you were coming-"
"Junior, just...shut the fuck up, alright?" Yang said, causing Junior to freeze and grimace, before grabbing her shot glass and slamming down the whiskey. The shot was refreshing, just the thing Yang needed to loosen up after having to chase down one of the biggest weasels she knew, and not being allowed to just shoot him then and there.
"Look, We know you know why we're here, given that you tried to take off running from us," Blake said.
"The three dead up in the woods from the White Fang?" Junior asked.
"Bingo," Yang said. "and you trying to play Road Runner with us just now has pretty much confirmed you as a person of interest in this crime."
"Wha-wait, hold on," Junior said, nervously chuckling. "You can't be serious, right? I had nothing to do with those murders, I was here at the club that night. You can check my security feeds, I was right here-"
"We never implied you were the one who pulled the trigger, fuckwit," Yang said. "We're just saying that you might know something."
"And, Mr. Xiong," Blake added in, "if you do know something, it'll be to the VKPD's great appreciation if you shared that information with us. We'd make note of your cooperation in the investigation as an anonymous informant."
"Anonymous informant?" Junior asked, his brows arched in curiosity.
"C'mon, Junior," Yang said, "I know your job as the town's rumor mill is going to be a lot harder if people know you're a rat fuck. I'm just looking for a name to tie with the shooter, or what outfit they were a part of, or where they were headed, whatever. You give us something, and we'll protect your identity."
Junior paused, and then shook his head in hesitation.
"Look, Yang, I really don't know anything-"
"Bullshit," Yang firmly spat. "Bullshit, motherfucker, you know something. Everybody on the news was talking about this, and everybody on the street was talking about this, so there had to be at least somebody talking about the murders in your club after the whole thing went down."
"Look," Yang said as she leaned over the bar, her eyes burning with fire, "I'm not walking out the door unless I got one of two things: either a tip or lead from you, or I leave here with you, where I'll drag you down the to the station in handcuffs and put you in an interrogation room for 10 hours straight."
Yang leaned back in her seat.
"Either way, you lose, motherfucker. Right now, you get to choose how you want to lose."
Junior paused, and then turned towards Yang, a troubled look in his eyes.
"Alright...I heard something small, but it's something," Junior relented. "You're not gonna like it though. You specifically, Yang."
"What do you mean?" Yang asked. Junior sighed.
"Day after the triple murder, some of Salem's people roll through to the VIP lounge upstairs. One of the waiters who were looking after them for the night overheard them talking about the robbery," Junior said. "Apparently, even though Forever Fall is at least 100 miles out of Vale, outside of Salem Mob turf, any robbery that happens up there unofficially needs to be greenlit by Salem first, and if it does, she wants some of the profit kicked up to her as a show of good will."
"Salem?" Yang asked incredulously. "When the fuck did the old lady decide she wanted to take over a collection of trees?"
"Unofficially, like I said," Junior replied. "She's trying to expand her reach, but you and I both know who the hicks up there actually pay respect to."
Yang grimaced.
"So, does the Salem Mob know who hit that van?" Blake asked.
"No, they don't," Junior continued, "and because of that, they were pissed. I mean, you two already know that the Salem Mob and the White Fang have been beefing for some time now, but they never got into a shooting war. They were afraid that the Fang was gonna think the Salem Mob hit their van and killed their boys, and this was gonna touch off some gang war in Vale. Plus, whoever did hit the van didn't talk to Salem's people first, which, if you know Salem, only means she's fucking pissed that someone thinks they're above consulting with her. Plus, they feel they're owed a cut from the robbery."
"Okay, great. Very fucking interesting, Junior," Yang said sarcastically, shaking her head, "The old lady's pissed. Big fuckin' deal. But I don't fucking care about that, I care about who hit that van."
"Hold on," Junior said, putting his hands up. "I haven't finished yet. I know some shit that Salem's people doesn't know. Namely, I know crews. Two crews that have access to the firepower that was found on the scene, and who'll be inclined to keep this on the down low with Salem. First is Roman Torchwick's people, since I know that fuckin' guy hates Salem too and vice-versa, but personally, I don't think that redhead fuck has the balls to do something this brazen."
"We talked to the guy already. If he did it, he wasn't showing it. What's the other crew?" Blake asked. Junior simply grimaced in response, drawing Yang's ire once again.
"What, you shy now, motherfucker?" Yang said. "Open your mouth, who is it?"
Junior sighed.
"Look, like I said, it's just speculation," Junior said, "I don't know for sure, but…the only other crew that could've done this is Raven Branwen's crew."
There was an awkward silence as Blake's eyes darted between a meek Junior and Yang, whose face was curling into a snarl.
"...Raven?" Yang said, bewildered, "My mom?"
"Look," Junior said, "Yang,-"
"You serious?" Yang said, chuckling incredulously, "You gonna tell me she's the reincarnation of the God of Light next, too?"
"Yang, come on," Junior said, "You know your mother. She takes down scores, it's what she does. And Forever Fall's basically her turf too. I mean, a robbery in a rural, unpopulated area with little witnesses? Military-grade rifles? Bearer bonds being taken, and the loose cash being ignored? Sounds a whole lot like a professional crew who did this, one that wasn't based in any cities, and that fits your mother's MO to a tee. And god knows your mother isn't going to wait for a green light from some old mafia motherfuckers."
"I don't know, Junior," Yang said, shaking her head. "I know my Mom's cold, but she's not some fucking cowboy, she's not stupid enough to go anywhere near the White Fang, let alone drop three of their guys. Plus, I'm pretty sure she was in Patch when all of this went down-"
"So what?" Junior said. "She's got five, six people in her crew, Yang, she didn't need to be there to hit that truck."
Yang sighed, before turning to Blake, her amber eyes filled with worry.
"Yang," Blake said with a sigh, "It sounds like we should at least talk to her. Who knows, likely she'll know nothing."
Yang pursed her lips, before focusing her eyes on the empty shot glass she was strangling in her right hand. Caught in the glass's reflection was the image of Yang, her face wracked with clear uncertainty and her eyes smoldering. If Yang hadn't caught herself, she was sure she would've eventually cracked the shot glass in her hand.
"So, uh…" Junior said, "Am I off the hook?"
Yang sighed, and then flashed a tired smile to Junior.
"You know, Junior," Yang muttered, shaking her head, "I think my partner and I have had enough for today, so we're gonna say so long, and thanks for the drinks."
Yang cleared her throat, and then practically threw the shot glass down onto the bar counter. Blake set her glass down and followed suit, her eyes trailing Yang. The two walked towards the entrance of the bar without another glance towards Junior.
"Am...Am I off the hook, though?" Junior whimpered after the two, to which he received no reply.
For the past hour or so, Yang's eyes were practically glued to the naked branches of the birch tree that hung outside the window across from her desk. From where Yang was sitting, the window was nothing more than a 3 ft. x 4 ft. piece of glass in the VKPD headquarters' walls, but the random motion of the branches swaying in the wind outside was something for her to distract herself with, which she desperately needed after today's turmoil.
Yang only now just realized she was instinctively tapping a pen on her knee, bouncing it back and forth as she pinched the middle section of the pen between her right thumb and pointer finger. Blake must've noticed as well, the way that she was currently staring at Yang with inquisitive eyes while she was busy scribbling through paperwork.
"Sorry," Yang muttered, before she gently placed the pen on her desk and continued staring out the window. Yang still felt the unease of being looked at, and after glancing quickly to the corner of her eye, Yang found Blake still staring at her, eyes intent.
"You okay?" Blake said in a low tone, beating Yang out before she could tell her partner to quit staring at her.
"Yeah...Yeah, I'm good," Yang replied.
Yang pursed her lips, and then sighed, realizing that it was futile to try to brush off Blake.
"Alright," Yang said, "let's talk about the elephant in the room."
Blake perked up, her cat ears raising in slight surprise, before she gently set her pen down.
"Oh?" Blake asked quietly.
"My mother...Junior wasn't kidding when he said that she takes down scores," Yang said.
"So...do you think she did it?" Blake asked.
"I dunno," Yang said. "Part of me thinks that she did do it, but part of me knows she didn't."
"How do you know didn't do it?" Blake asked.
"Dropping three guys in a robbery isn't her style. She's smart enough to carry out a heist without firing a single bullet, so pumping a van full of lead to stop it just doesn't seem right to me. Also, apparently, she was at my family's house in Patch during the robbery."
"Can your family confirm this?"
"Pretty sure they can."
"What if she paid someone else to carry out the job?"
"Unlikely. Look," Yang sighed, "I don't know if my mother did it or not. That's where I stand personally. What's important is that she's now a person of interest in the investigation, and I'll be damned if I'm gonna turn a blind eye."
Yang shook her head, and then cocked her head off to the side, avoiding Blake's gaze.
"Y'know, a part of me hopes that she did it," Yang muttered, "so we can finally lock her up, and it'll be me who throws away the key."
Yang sighed.
"Look, Blake," Yang said, "I'm going to see her tomorrow. She runs a quarry in Anima, south of Mistral. It's a long ways from here, and I'm probably gonna have to take a flight into Mistral and then drive down."
"You could always just call someone in the Mistral Police department," Blake suggested. "It would be a hell of a lot easier than flying in yourself."
"Nah, it's better I'm there to see her myself," Yang said. "If it was some shit-ass Mistral detective, they'd fuck it up a million different ways."
"Alright, then, when should we leave tomorrow?" Blake asked.
"Not 'we.'" Yang said. "Just me. You shouldn't come tomorrow."
"Why not?" Blake asked.
"Well, like you said, it's a long ways-"
"Doesn't bother me," Blake murmured. "I'm not gonna get shit done around the office tomorrow anyways."
"Blake…" Yang said, before letting out a frustrated sigh. "Look, my mom is no fucking joke. And honestly, if you don't have to get mixed up with her, it's better if you don't."
"Yang, if your mother is even the slightest bit as dangerous as you're implying, I want to be there to back you up," Blake said. "That's my choice. My decision. Don't try to stop it."
Blake only just noticed how intently she was staring into Yang's eyes, as she saw Yang's lilac eyes open wide in what could only be construed as interest, before Yang pursued her lips and turned her mouth into a hard line. Staring intently back at Blake, Yang simply nodded in return.
A sharp whistle pierced through the office and into Blake's ears, causing her to flinch at the sound. Yang, startled, turned around towards the source of the whistling, along with every other cop in the room. Yang instantly locked onto a dark-blue haired man wearing a silk crimson waistcoat.
"Well, well," the man said with a cheap grin, "If it isn't the world's largest congregation of donut-eaters."
From the way Yang met the man's greasy smile with a burning, snarling glare, Blake was able to instantly tell that whoever he was, Yang and him had history. This was all but confirmed as Blake saw the man quickly scan around the desks before singling out Yang's and Blake's, and then began sauntering over towards the duo.
YXL: Henry-fuckin'-Marigold. Fuckin' cocksucker.
PN: Who was Henry Marigold?
YXL: Who he was isn't important. What is important with him is who his Daddy was, though. Remember when I said that Weiss was working a case trying to un-fuck the bussing routes for kids in inner-city, mostly Faunus neighborhoods? Well, Marigold's Daddy was the Councilman who oversaw the measures that fucked the whole thing up in the first place. Clearly the apple didn't fall far from the tree, since Henry Marigold was just as crooked as his old man. Add in the fact that the son-of-a-bitch was elected the District Attorney of Vale Kingdom, and that he was also working as a campaign advisor for Jacques Schnee, and voila - you have the world's biggest asshole.
"Hello, Yang. Glad to see you're doing well," Henry said, snideness dripping in his voice. Henry then turned towards Blake and grinned. "Who's the affirmative action hire over here?"
"That's my fucking partner," Yang growled, "so you better show some goddamn respect."
"I'd show some goddamn respect…" Henry drawled, "...if she only had the common sense to wear something to hide those fuckin' cat ears on her head."
Henry then walked over to the side of Blake's desk, leaning over and resting his palms on its wooden surface, while Blake's glaring, amber eyes tracked Henry's movements to a tee.
"So, little miss Kitty, which is it - you one of those uppity 'loud-and-proud,' 'Faunus Pride' nutjobs who keep droning on about equal rights, or are you too stupid to realize that everyone's gonna be paying attention to these little things?" Henry said, before bringing his hand up to Blake's head and flicking her right cat ear.
"Ow!" Blake softly yelped as she winced.
Maybe she was finally fed up with Henry's cruel jokes, or maybe it was the sight of seeing her partner hurt, but Yang felt the firestorm of anger inside her that had been building up all day slip out of her control.
Yang leapt up from her chair, and in a split second she had the District Attorney's collar in her hand. Henry didn't even have time to react or say anything before Yang dragged him by the collar to the nearest wall and then slammed him against the wall, pinning him up against it.
"I've had enough, you lanky cocksucker," Yang snarled, her eyes practically burning, "You want to shit-talk us? Okay. But you put hands on my fuckin' partner? I'll break your fuckin' nose and throw you in a holding cell downstairs to bleed."
A sly grin crept across Henry's face.
"You sure you want to do that to a district attorney?" Henry smugly replied
"I don't give a shit that you're DA," Yang angrily retorted, "I'll book you for assault on an officer and no one would bat an eye. Go ahead and try me, come on."
"Yang," Blake whispered behind Yang. Yang quickly turned her head and saw Blake standing behind her, her eyes filled with concern and shock.
Yang paused, and then let go of Henry's collar before sighing. Henry simply scoffed and dusted off his collar.
"Sad day for humans when we gotta listen to animals now," Henry sneered.
Yang resisted the urge to physically wipe Henry's smile from his face and quickly turned her head back to Henry.
"Listen, jagoff, If you got something to say to us, get to it," Yang said. "Otherwise, if you're just here to work on your jokes, go to open mic at the comedy club and leave us the fuck alone."
"I do have something to say to you, but not to her," Henry said, before gesturing to Blake.
"Then let's talk outside," Yang spat, before grabbing Henry's arm and dragging him outside of the office area and into a corridor outside. The corridor was decorated with plaques and photos of different offices, and had windows overlooking the city below, and had rows of chairs and benches lined up against the wall. Henry sat himself down on one of these benches as Yang glared at him.
"So what do you want?" Yang impatiently asked.
"Look...I figured you should know that we received the voicemail you left for Jacques, regarding his daughter," Henry said. "The, uh...one where you told him to quote, unquote, 'Fuck off…'"
"Oh yeah?" Yang said, a slight, sly grin on her face. "What'd he think of it?"
"He liked it," Henry replied. "In fact, he liked it so much, he's going to publish it in the Vale Daily."
Yang's smug expression instantly dropped to disbelief, having fully processed what Henry was implying.
"He's going to do fuckin' what, now?" Yang asked incredulously.
"Come on, Yang," Henry said, "You're telling me you actually thought you could send us something like that, and we weren't going to do anything? You've been a thorn in Jacques' side ever since you started screwing his daughter, and you just gave us the perfect opportunity to get rid of you."
"Bullshit," Yang snapped, "You're fuckin' bluffing."
"I most certainly am not, Miss Xiao Long," Henry replied.
"Alright, then," Yang said, "Say you're not actually bluffing. So what that I sent that voicemail? Last I checked, it's not a crime to leave an angry voicemail. You think anyone's going to give a shit about what I said to him?"
"You're forgetting that at least 75% of the readers of the Vale Daily are already avid Jacques Schnee supporters, and that Whitley Schnee owns the Vale Daily," Henry retorted, "We can make the editors say whatever we want about you. Hell, we can make you look like the next fuckin' Salem if we wanted to. And the idiots who read the Daily will eat that shit up, and next thing you know, you'll be public enemy #1 to Jacques' voter base."
Henry's smug grin made every pint of blood in Yang's body boil. She felt like she was on fire, a ticking time bomb, and she was about to explode. Still, at the same time, Yang felt a pit in her stomach that was rapidly growing. Deep down, Yang knew - she fucked up.
"I was thinking of adding a few extra…'facts,' to the voicemail before we published," Henry teased. "Maybe I'll take the angle that you're actually some deep-state operative, conspiring to keep the Schnees out of government, that way I might even be able to begin investigating you as a DA...then again, even that seems a little too harsh. Maybe I'll just say something like 'you got a drug habit,' or that you're cheating on Weiss. Yang, what do you think?"
"Henry," Yang said, "Why the fuck are you telling me all this?"
Henry smirked. "Thought you'd never ask," he said.
"Jacques Schnee has a lot of different friends all around Vale," Henry said, "But one place he doesn't have a friend is in the VKPD. Sure, he and commissioner Ozpin are close, but Jacques could use someone a bit lower in the ranks, someone with their boots on the ground, if you will."
"You're blackmailing me into being Jacques' insider within the VKPD?" Yang asked.
"In so many words, yes," Henry replied. "If Jacques knew you were a friend, it might just convince him to forget about those harsh words you had for him."
Yang stood speechless, still staring at Henry's sly little grin as she began to process what her options were.
"So Yang, whaddya say?" Henry asked. "Wanna be a friend to Jacques Schnee?"
Yang pursed her lips, before a friendly grin grew on her face.
"You know Henry, I, uh, told Jacques Schnee to fuck off initially…" Yang calmly said, "I, uh...I have something to say to him now."
"And?" Henry replied. Yang beckoned Henry to come closer, so that she can whisper in his ear. Henry obliged, and Yang cupped her hands to Henry's ear to begin relaying her message.
"Tell Jacques Schnee...that if he wants me to fall into his pocket, he needs to try harder than threatening me with some gossip column in a newspaper I wouldn't wipe my ass with," Yang whispered. "I'm not his puppet-not like you, and not like his son. I will never, never take orders for him, and neither will his daughter. Also, since he didn't understand the first time, please tell him once again to fuck off, please."
Yang then removed her hand from Henry's ear, her false grin still plastered on her face. Henry returned Yang's fake smile with one of his own, although his burning, angry eyes betrayed his outwardly-cool demeanor.
"You sure you want to do this?" Henry growled.
"One hundred percent," Yang said. "That was for Jacques. Now, this one's for you - You ever come in here again, try to blackmail me or put hands on my partner, I will single-handedly knock that fuckin' grin off your rat face and throw your ass out of the station and into oncoming traffic. You hear me, you blue-haired fuck?"
Henry shook his head, while still smiling.
"You have no idea what you've just done," Henry said, scoffing.
Without another word, Henry turned on his heel and began walking down the corridor and towards the exit of the department, all while Yang followed him with her eyes on fire.
