I miss Bumblebee sometimes… Yang's fatigued and exhausted mind couldn't help but wander as she navigated the roads, forcing herself over and over into alertness while struggling to keep her eyes crimson. Her fingers gripped the steering wheel tight as eased into a turn, weaving through the traffic in her much more bulky vehicle than her old motorcycle. Still, as she merged into the next lane over and came into an even pace with the cars behind her and in front of her, she let her eyes drift from the road, for just moment, to the girl sitting in the seat beside her. Yang couldn't help but smile seeing those big cat ears twitch on the top of her head as the wind rushed in from outside through her cracked window and the way those striking amber eyes reflected every building in their sight as Blake stared absently out the window, lost to her imagination. Another quick glance up to her rear-view mirror only strengthened the smile on her face, brightening her eyes and cooling them back down to a soft lilac as her gaze met Sun's, his bright and playful grin mingled with a hint of relief to see his girlfriend looking happier.
I miss Bumblebee sometimes, but I'm glad we got an SUV. I like making room in my life for them, it's nice, us going in on this piece of crap together. It's ours, the three of us, Blake hates driving and Sun just hasn't bothered to get his license but I don't mind doing all the driving for them. She brought her attention back to the road, feeling that deep, happy warmth in her chest coupled with the powerful, almost overwhelming desire to reach out and hold them, both of them, and tell them just how much they meant to her. I've been acting pretty crazy lately. I'm selfish for worrying them… I need to talk to them after this, apologize for everything. They're too good to be putting up with this, but all they ever do is support me anyway despite how messed up I can be. They deserve better.
It was a hard day for them after returning from Ozpin's office, Yang never did have that talk with her lovers that she promised. Her focus was solely and very obsessively on finding Crowley, they combed through every resource they had from the internet to combing through the entire library again, they found two references on an Alexandrite Crowley online and nothing in the entire library about him. One reference to an academic lecture at a university in Mistral on ancient mythology and another saying he was accused of kidnapping but was let go because of a lack of evidence. If he's as dangerous as Ozpin says then he probably has connections in the underworld.
"You know, as much as I love having the backseat to myself I'd love to have the front sometime." Sun leaned forward, putting his head between the seats trying to lighten the mood.
"Maybe call shotgun faster and you'd get it." Blake smirked, resting her head in her hand with her elbow propped against the base of the window as she looked to their boyfriend. "Or you could learn to drive and give Yang a break."
"Hey, I don't see you taking the wheel for her either and it's not my fault, you never look like you're about to call shotgun!" Blake's pokerface was indomitable, he never knew when she was gonna call shotgun because she always seemed so indifferent. Mr. Xiao Long never hosted another poker night with us after Blake cleaned him and Qrow out… and me and Yang. It stung less for us because we have a savings account together but it was still painful.
"Neither of you need to drive, I like driving us all around." She couldn't handle everything that was happening if she were alone. Just having her lovers playfully bickering eased the tension and stress in her heart. "But maybe you should learn to call shotgun as soon as we go out, she gets you every time, you think you'd catch on by now."
"Ah it's not a big deal, I mean, it's kinda nice being able to stretch my legs back here." He shrugged it off, sitting up a little more, his trademark grin never fading. "Hey, it's the weekend, why don't we do something fun after this?"
"You know, that actually sounds good, I think we could all use some downtime with everything that's happened." Blake was thinking of suggesting something but she usually went along with Sun or Yang's idea of fun, enjoying whatever they planned. Her idea of fun was spending quiet time at home or in the library… but with them, I get to have so much more, I get to have a lot of experiences I wouldn't make myself have otherwise.
"Honestly, I could use a break." She hated to admit it, she hated feeling like she was falling apart, but with Sun and Blake, she also liked having vulnerability, she could be honest with them when she was hurting. "Hey… why don't we take the whole weekend to ourselves? Get a hotel in Vale, just have fun, enjoy the nightlife. It's been a while since we've been able to spend the night together, I'd like to have you both without worrying about the school getting in our way."
"Hmm, I like that idea." Blake's cat ears were standing erect on her head and she wore the most intoxicating and tempting grin, that playfully flirtatious look in her eyes making Yang want to pull over and take her and Sun to the nearest hotel right then and there.
"Now we're talking! I'll text Neptune and tell him we'll be 'busy'." He was nearly bursting with happiness and excitement, he was actually working towards suggesting something like that before Yang beat him to it. Am I the luckiest guy in the world or what? I mean, look at these two! Sorry Neptune but I've got to take care of my girlfriends tonight!
"Thank you both for putting up with me… I know I've been pretty crazy since Ruby left." A regret filled sigh escaped her lips as their car slowed down, turning down a narrow side street to get to their destination. I really need them tonight, depending on what we're about to find out I might not handle it so well. Just a couple days with the guy and girl I love, forgetting about Slayers and Vampires, Ruby, Qrow my mom. I just want to be close to them, Sun and Blake, the ones that matter most right now.
"We're not putting up with you, we're helping you do what you need to do. Like I said, you couldn't get rid of us if you tried, otherwise we'd just be worrying the whole time and come to find you anyway." He leaned forward once more, this time unbuckling his seatbelt as he moved between his girlfriends, smiling reassuringly at Yang before giving her a gentle but loving kiss on her warm, soft cheek. "You don't need to feel bad, we're right where we want to be."
"He's right." Blake reached over and carefully eased one of Yang's hands from the steering wheel into her own, holding it tenderly but firmly as she smiled at her lover. "We won't leave you. We love you and we're going to stay by your side."
"Thank you…" Her hand squeezed Blake's tight as her lip quivered, all the exhaustion she had been staving off, all of the emotions she'd been holding back, the breakdown she had been fighting off, she felt like all of it was only the slightest provocation away for the last two weeks since Ruby left Beacon. With a shaky breath she pulled into the parking lot and parked in the closest spot she could find. Her lilac eyes glistened with tears as she weakly let her body fall to the side, her head coming to rest against Sun's who wrapped his arm around her while Blake undid her seatbelt and clasped both of her hands around Yang's before pressing her side up against Sun's, together, the three of them, uncomfortable in a cramped little SUV… but none of them wanted it to end.
"The guy we're going to see, he and I aren't exactly friendly. We won't get a warm welcome when we go in… I don't suppose I could convince you both to stay in here while I deal with it? I know they're nothing you both couldn't handle but I- I just couldn't forgive myself if either of you got hurt because I'm obsessing over this." Her eyes dulled and her smile grew wistful as she looked down to her lap, Sun's short blonde hair tickling her face as she kept herself pressed up against him, feeling his warmth and being comforted by the touch of her lovers.
"Haven't you been listening? We're seeing this through with you no matter where it leads." Blake's voice was hard and firm but there was no denying the tough love behind her words.
"But I have to ask… why do you want to be a Vampire so bad? I mean, I know it's kind of a shock finding out that you were never human in the first place but from what you both told me, Ruby was in pretty bad shape before Qrow took her. Are you really sure drinking blood and whatever else Vampires do is right for you? What if you have to go away like Ruby? Weiss wasn't able to go with so why would we be able to?" It had been bothering him for a while, but he wasn't going to put all that stress on Yang when she was already on the brink, but now, with her doing something dangerous and wanting to do it alone, he felt he had to speak up.
"I've been thinking a lot about all of that." With a heavy sigh she pulled herself from her boyfriend's side, feeling the warm he left on her fade away as she sat up, looking to the blue sky above. "I've been searching for my mom my whole life. Why did she leave me? Why didn't she want me? Why couldn't she take me with her? Why hasn't she ever tried to meet me? Why wasn't I good enough? Why wasn't our family good enough? I've been thinking like that since I was a child. Now I know that she's a Vampire, so is Qrow, so is my… cousin, Ruby. I'm one of them, I'm a Vampire, but Raven did something to me when I was born and now, I can't even be with Ruby because what she did. I'm losing my family because she locked away what I really am. If there's any way for me to feel like I'm who I'm supposed to be, it's with Alexandrite Crowley."
"I understand and we want to help, but please, take it from us," Blake took Yang's attention, her eyes deep and empathetic and shimmering with the most intense caring and love as she looked into her lover's eyes. "What you are has no bearing on who you are. You'll always been Yang, and that's just the way we like you. You might think being a Vampire will give you some big life change, and maybe it will, but it won't fix your problems. After all… your mom still abandoned you. That will always hurt. I just don't want you to get your hopes up, I don't want you to get hurt for this if you think it'll make everything better."
"I know. I know all of that but I have to try. Ever since I found out that I'm a Vampire, ever since I saw Ruby… with her fangs and crimson eyes, I just can't stop feeling like there's something very wrong with the way I am. I need this, and I need you both, even if it sounds crazy, this is something I have to do." From the moment Ruby bared her fangs at them, when Yang saw those crimson rimmed silver eyes like blood stained steel, it was like it imprinted something within her, something that told her, reminded her every waking moment that something was wrong with her. I am a Vampire. I need to make things right. The power of the Silver Eyed Slayers is purity, they can get rid of whatever Raven did to me.
"Alright, then let's get going." It was so easy, there was nothing else to it. For Sun, all he needed to know was that it was something Yang needed to do and he would be with her through it. That's how they were, all of them together helped each other. They all had their issues but as long as they were together, they were better off than any of them alone.
"We'll see this through to the end and no matter what happens, we'll support you." With that, Blake pulled her hand from Yang's, her fingers taking in every subtlety of her smooth skin as they dragged across her hand.
"Alright, let's knock some heads." With a thankful nod and still on the verge of thankful tears Yang slipped on her gauntlets, the Ember Celica, while Sun and Blake checked their ammo and readied their weapons. If she was being honest, she was looking forward to throwing down with some cannon fodder. So, with a confident smirk, she opened the door, followed out quickly by her lovers as they walked towards the rath innocuous building with large double doors at its front. It was still daylight so there weren't many other people there but she knew that the person she was looking for was inside getting ready for the night.
"Knock… knock!"
Booom!
The doors exploded open with powerful blast of her gauntlet, a rush of heat and force that sent a shockwave through the ground and into the nightclub as the trio walked in through the cloud of smoke with the tall blonde with burning crimson eyes in the lead and her lovers on both sides behind her. They strutted in with swagger and confidence, their power dominating and uncompromising as they entered the establishment. Guns were drawn instantly by the goons hired to protect the place, dozens of weapons aimed at them, but the three merely stood over them with cool confidence, ready for a fight.
"No! Nobody shoot!" A tall man dressed like a bartender with black hair that flowed down into a beard and mustache stepped forward, adjusting his red tie as his cannon fodder lowered their weapons. "Blondie, you're back…"
"So sweet of you to remember me." She wasn't smiling, she was cocky, she was intense and focused solely on her goal as she walked up to him.
"Hard to forget the girl the blew up my club, even if it was years ago. You look good." He was awkward, uncomfortable and eyeing Sun and Blake warily, both giving him intensely spiteful glares at what they perceived as an attempt to hit on their lover.
"Last time I was here, I asked for your help finding someone. Now, I'm going to ask you to help me find someone else. This time, if you don't help me… I'm burning this whole place to the ground." She wouldn't, she was still a Huntress and she was not a monster, but she certainly looked and sounded like one with those blood red eyes and the dark tone that permeated her voice.
"Yeah, you might not want to piss her off, she's not in a good mood." Sun smirked as he walked over to Junior's side while Blake took his other side, partially unsheathing the blade at her back while she walked calmly towards him.
"Okay okay! Just tell me who they are and I'll see what I can do." He put his hands up, looking back and forth to the young Huntsman and Huntress before turning a pleading gaze to the glaring crimson eyes staring directly at him.
"Alexandrite Crowley. He has Silver Eyes, he's dangerous, he's hard to find and he has something I need." Yang stepped forward, bringing her face only inches from his as she stared up at him.
"I- I'm sorry! I don't know anything about him." That admission didn't go over well. Instantly he felt an intense and terrifyingly familiar waves of heat rush off of Yang as her hair glowed with golden light and her her aura flared with devastating intensity.
"Wait! I may know someone who can help! You say this guy is dangerous, well Roman Torchwick has been dealing with some dangerous people lately. He might be able to help!" Junior backed away in a fearful sweat, gulping down his fright while Yang kept stepping closer with each step he took away.
"Roman Torchwick… the crime boss? You think he might have some connection to Crowley?" Her voice was cold and dark, so much so that she also lost her composure holding back a laugh.
"I think he's the best chance you've got!" His back hit the bar, he was out of room to retreat. "I swear, that's all I've got!"
"Where can I find him?!" She stomped her foot and flared her aura, loosing a wave of searing heat from her body as she bared her teeth at him.
"You didn't hear it from me but… rumor has it that he's working out of a warehouse in the slums." He knew crossing Torchwick was a bad idea, but right now, he had a more pressing threat. "Now please, just leave, we have to open soon."
"Fine!" With a bitter huff Yang did an about-face and marched off, walking right between Sun and Blake before giving a soft exhale and letting her aura cool along with her eyes. With a soft smile they none of them could see, she reached down and took their hands in hers, and together, the three of them made their way to the exit. Roman Torchwick… I guess that's where we'll have to go next. But for now, I did promise my boyfriend and girlfriend a good time, we'll get a cheap hotel and just enjoy the rest of the weekend.
I'm alone again… With a heavy sigh Weiss let her upper body fall weakly onto the picnic table, the rough wood warmed by the sunlight broken up by the leaves in the tree above her as they swayed in the gentle wind. Her pale blue eyes were dulled with depression as she rested her head atop her folded arms, her fingers almost instinctively playing with the earring on her left ear, feeling the cool blood red gem in its center suspended off of a thin gold chain. One of a matching set that she had given to someone very precious to her, someone she fought alongside and protected for years.
I wonder how she's doing right now? Ruby is a dolt, she struggles with being sociable, she's awkward, she's too trusting and sweet. She's living with strangers that even Qrow admitted he hadn't seen in a long time, how am I supposed to trust that Ruby will be safe with them? She's my leader and my partner! It's my responsibility to keep her safe! Her eyes burned with passion and impotent rage while she continued to gently fondle the gem hanging from her ear. However, soon a soft blush tinted her cheek and her expression grew flustered and embarrassed as the memory of a light sting to the underside of her arm sent a strange feeling that was at once uncomfortably hot and pleasingly pleasurable through her stomach. E-even if protecting her means giving her my blood. If this is what Ruby is, it's not her fault and I would have supported her. I love her… I wish I got to tell her that before she left.
"She'll come back, I know she will." It didn't matter what Qrow said, Ruby wouldn't just abandon them, Ruby wouldn't leave and never come back. In her heart she knew that her leader would come back to them. And maybe then… everything could go back to normal.
It's been two weeks since Ruby withdrew from Beacon, she's officially no longer a student here anymore. Apparently Ozpin offered her immediate reinstatement if she chooses to return but even he sounded dubious about the possibility of her coming back. Still, he's not her partner, I am. I know she'll come back to us. Even though she felt that to be true, her heart still ached not having Ruby by her side.
Ruby's gone, I've seen Yang pretty much since the day Ruby left, she's even blowing off her classes now. I have no idea what's going on with her but all Blake would tell me is that there was something Yang needed to do. Since then she's been off with Yang and Sun doing whatever it is they're doing. Our team is falling apart, at least it seems like Yang is doing something and Blake gets to be with the ones she loves… but what does that leave me with? No team, no friends… no Ruby. Suddenly, knowing that she would return wasn't feeling like much of a consolation as the cold grip of loneliness bit into her heart. It was a feeling she'd almost forgotten, since she arrived at Beacon, since joining Team RWBY, she had felt at home in a way she had never imagined. And now, that's all falling apart…
"Hmm, you seem like you're having a bad day. Mind if I join you?" An almost disturbingly chipper and happy voice, one completely unfamiliar to Weiss stole her from her thoughts. She sat up and twisted her body to the source of the voice that stood behind her.
"Are you… one of the new students?" Weiss was… off put, by the small girl that stood smiling amiably before her. She had her arms folded behind her back, her big, soft purple eyes glistened playfully in the sunlight as she looked down at Weiss.
"No, I'm just visiting." She smirked, for a moment it looked like she was trying very hard to hold back a laugh. Weiss was sure she'd never seen this strange girl before, she would have been hard to miss. The visitor had shoulder length apple red hair tied in a braid on one side just in front of her ear, she was tiny, shorter than Weiss and she was dressed in… rather little, a strip of purple cloth tied around her chest with a white denim vest unbuttoned that hung halfway down her torso. At her hips she wore matching white shorts tied with a chain around waist and white and purple sneakers on her feet.
"Where's your visitor's pass then?" Weiss narrowed her eyes at the supposed visitor. She wasn't she why but something just felt very off about her and it was very quickly putting her on edge.
"Oh, you're so suspicious, I like that." Her overly bright smile faded to a more natural grin as she reached into her vest's breast pocket, pulling out a small laminated badge. "So, you're a student here?"
"Yes, I am." She was still on edge but the more genuine and natural look to the visitor's face and her more relaxed demeanor put her at ease a little bit.
"It's a nice school, I never went to any of the academies but I'm sure they do a good enough job to keep the Kingdom safe. Still, I bet the people who survive outside the safety of the Kingdoms for their entire lives are even better." Her smirk grew challenging and playful, almost like she was really wanting to pick a fight as she walked around the bench keeping those big purple eyes on Weiss the entire time.
"That may be… who did you say you were again?" Weiss found herself instinctively reaching for her waist as the visitor came to a stop on the opposite side of the table, only to remember that her weapon was tucked away in her locker.
"I didn't." The sound of steel rattled as she brought her arms forward, long chains were wrapped around her wrists and forearms and dangling from the ends of the chains inches from her wrists were two karambits, curved knives held in fist designed for slashing punches as they were held in fist. "But my name is Thistle, Thistle Tsvetok. What about you?"
"I'm Weiss Schnee… but somehow I get the feeling that you already know that." Without her weapon, all she could do was wait and see how things played out, however, again she found herself playing with Ruby's earring out of nervousness but still her hard and cold gaze never faltered from Thistle's.
"Of course, you're the famous heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, third year Huntress in training here at Beacon, member of Team RWBY and a model student." Thistle smiled as she took a seat across from Weiss, sitting down so casually as though the heiress wasn't a threat to her in the slightest.
"That's a little creepy. What is it that you want?" Now she was really wishing she had her team, her instincts were telling her that the girl in front of her was beyond dangerous.
"What do I want?" Thistle rested her head in her hand, propping it up with her elbow against the table as she sighed, her cheek squished in by her palm. "That's a beautiful earring. Where's the pretty girl that gave it to you? I assume she has the other one?"
"Ruby..." Weiss immediately lost her sense of fear as an immense desire to protect her leader took over her mind as she bared her teeth at Thistle.
"Hey, I don't love this you know. I saw her picture, she's really cute, it's a shame she's the target but we have a job to do." Thistle groaned, letting her arm fall limply back to the table. "If it makes you feel any better our employer asked us to take her alive. Made me feel a little better but I'm guess my chances of getting with her are probably non existent after I hand her over huh? This is a hard life, you should feel lucky you get to learn in such a comfortable place where you don't have to make hard decisions."
"What do you want with her!? Who hired you!? Who are you really!?" Weiss shot up from her seat, one hand supporting her body as she loomed over the small girl who seemed completely unfazed by her attempt at intimidation.
"I work for a very dangerous man and apparently he's taking a job from another very dangerous man, one who wants Ruby for whatever reason. We weren't given too many details but something about Vampires and Silver Eyes. Honestly it was all a bit over my head." With a shrug she dismissed her idle curiosity, shaking her head lightly to bring her focus back. "So, can you tell me more about her or not? Like what weapon she uses, her strengths and weaknesses, her fighting style, maybe what kind of flowers she likes…"
"You're crazy! I won't let you take Ruby!" Weiss roared in defiance, her hand shooting down to her waist, grabbing her scroll from her small bag before opening it up, ready to dial in the code for her locker. Once she had her weapon, she'd get real answers from her.
"Please stop giving my sister a hard time." A very bored and tired voice practically sighed with every word as man joined them at the table. He was tall and muscular with the same apple red hair though cut far shorter and soft purple eyes as Thistle. He wore a bulletproof vest and camo cargo pants with a purple bandanna tied around his neck. At his hips were two holstered high caliber pistols with knife like bayonets below the barrel.
"Vitali!" Thistle beamed at the arrival of who appeared to be her older brother. "Shouldn't you be looking for that old drunk? I can handle Weiss."
"Yeah well, I can't find him and honestly, you kinda just suck at this. You're unbeatable in a fight but you don't have an ounce of subtlety in your body. I guess I was right, she looks like she wants to kill you." Vitali looked from his sister to Weiss, his bored and tired expression unchanging in the face her immense hostility. "We should probably go, I don't think we'll be getting anything from her now."
"Fine, but subtlety is overrated." The younger sibling huffed indignantly, folding her arms over her chest as she got up.
"Of course you would." Vitali shook his head as he spoke in one long sigh, exasperated by his little sister's lack of restraint and finesse. "Your Semblance really suits you."
"Hey! Neither of you are leaving until-" Weiss was abruptly cut off as Vitali turned a hard and unnervingly dangerous glare at her right before her Scroll was ripped out of her hand and slammed into the table. Try as she might, she couldn't pry it from the wood and it had fallen as though it was glued there in an instant.
"What did you- Gah!" Weiss wasn't even sure what had happened by the time she managed to refill her lungs after getting the air knocked from them. It felt like some powerful and invisible force snapped her into the tree like a rubber band with enough force to nearly knock her unconscious.
"And you say I have a problem with Subtly." Thistle chuckled, elbowing her older brother in his side.
"This is all your fault you know? You're the one that wanted to come here to get extra information on this girl, I didn't think we needed to take the risk. Whatever, let's get going, our target isn't going to capture herself." Stuffing his hands into his pockets he began walking away, the moment his eyes left Weiss she felt the near crushing force pulling her into the tree fade away, letting her collapse to the ground panting for breath.
Weiss looked up from her position on the ground, hands and knees in the grass while she watched the two dangerous visitors walk away. I- I have to find Qrow and warn Ruby!