So I just found out the fic has a tvtropes page :D Most of you probably don't know or care what that is, but for a nerd like me that's big; especially for a fandom I'm relatively new to. If anyone is a fellow troper like me, go check it out and/or add some things there if you can. Always cool to see. Page has the same name as the fic.
Anyway, we're going back to the plot for a bit. Next omake will either be the continuation of team MILF or finally getting to team Chaos. It's been banging around my head for weeks at this point.
Jaune woke up to a crash and Weiss screaming bloody murder.
Blue eyes shot open and he tumbled out of the bed, reaching for a weapon that wasn't there. Even after what happened, wandering around campus without a weapon was still against the rules. Not that he had to worry too much considering he was bunking with team RWBY, but you didn't get kidnapped and and the absolute shit kicked out of you without becoming paranoid.
His first thought was an attack, as unlikely as that was. Even without the security cameras everywhere and Professor Goodwitch on standby, attacking a Huntsman Academy head-on was suicide. There was a reason the White Fang caught him while he was wandering around alone and without a scroll.
Seeing what it actually was, Jaune wondered if an attack would've been the lesser of two evils right now.
From where the scream originated lay Ruby and Weiss' bunk bed. Or rather, the remains of their bunk bed. The four ropes, finally deciding that physics did, in fact, apply to them, finally decided to snap and sent the top bed tumbling down. Fortunately, Ruby was an early bird - which she attributed to living in a cottage away from a lot of modern conveniences - and was thus spared from the collapse.
Unfortunately, Weiss was still sleeping when it happened.
Jaune looked around the room. Ruby's eyes were wide with horror and she looked like she was deciding whether to help her partner or jump out the window and escape the inevitable reprisal. Yang's mouth was open in a slack-jawed gasp and both hands covered her cheeks. For once she was completely silent. And then there was Blake, who was looking at Weiss' twitching hands before she slowly looked back at the equally unstable beds on her side held up by uneven books.
The room was deathly quiet; not even Weiss had said anything after her initial scream of surprise. None of them wanted to be the first to break the silence, even if it meant lifting the bed off the poor teammate.
And then they felt it. The icy chill that all went down their spine. It wasn't metaphorical. The room was, in fact, slowly being encased in ice and the weather outside had gone from a cheerful sunny day to an angry blizzard. If he wasn't so terrified of being killed, he would've been terrified of the fact that Weiss could now also change the weather. The rest of the team looked like they sincerely regretted their choice in pajamas while Jaune was at least a bit more warm in his trademark onesie. Eat it, Yang.
Slowly, and with a calm voice that did nothing to hinder the rage within, Weiss spoke, "The first person who helps me out of here will be spared from my wrath."
The four remaining members of team RWBY-J looked at one another before they all surged forward at once. Ruby was the fastest, both with and without her Semblance, but she had the disadvantage of having been the farthest in her desire to escape. As soon as she passed Yang, the blonde reached a hand out and grabbed Ruby's leg. The poor girl screamed in both shock and betrayal as she fell on her face.
Sadly, Yang wasn't able to capitalize on her advantage. Ruby, seeing that she was now doomed, had grabbed her traitorous sister's legs with both arms and held on tight. The bonds of family and sisterhood had gone forgotten as the two fought for their lives.
It just left him and Blake. Normally, he might've been tempted to take the heat; or chill, in this case. He hadn't constructed the bunk beds at all and Weiss was a creature of logic. Surely he could convince her that this was in no way his fault, especially since he'd had as much doubts on the 'bunk beds' as she did.
On the other hand, screw Blake. It was time for some payback. A friend would take the heat for you, a true friend would toss you into the fire and laugh.
Jaune grabbed the closest pillow and tossed it at her face. It wasn't a graceful gesture, but it was so unexpected that she hadn't even thought to block it. The momentary diversion was enough for him to slip past her and grab the edge of the fallen bed, "It's me, Weiss! I'm here!" he shouted, ensuring that no one else could take the credit.
Actually getting the bed off only took a few seconds; long enough that the rest of the team had decided to take their chances and run. Alas, the doors and windows had been sealed with glyphs and it would take too much time to break.
To her credit, Weiss looked very well put together for someone who just had a bed fall on top of her. The wonders of Aura, "Thank you, Jaune. It's good to know that I can rely on someone on this team." She looked at him with a fond smile. Then she turned to the rest of their slow teammates and her expression became as chilly as the room was, "Would you mind giving us some time alone? We have much to...discuss."
"I-"
"Don't do it, Jaune! Team RWBY-J rises and falls together!" Yang shouted.
"Walk out that door and I'm telling my parents we're engaged. Don't test me," Blake glared at him. It was a testament of how used to everyone was with her antics by now that no one even looked twice at her for that.
"Jaune, please don't leave! W-We're together now! Doesn't that count for something?!" Ruby cried desperately. Normally the sight of her wide puppy dog eyes might've swayed him, but right now he was prioritizing his own continued existence.
"Oh, you two got together? Then I suppose congratulations are in order." Ruby's expression brightened before Weiss spoke again, "Unfortunately, it won't stop you from being punished for your crimes. But still, congratulations." She hummed, "Now Jaune, if you would please?"
Weiss removed the glyph just long enough for him to rush out. The cries of the rest of team RWBY followed him till he shut the door and silence ensued. The rooms were soundproof, thank the Gods. While most people assumed it was cause of the usual reasons why you'd want dormitories full of hormonal teenagers to be silent, from what Port told him it was apparently cause of exams. The constant cramming and overnight study sessions had a habit of waking the dead.
Jaune heaved a sigh of relief, not even caring he was out in the hall wearing his pajamas. Nor did he care when the door to team PRMN's room opened and a very happy and humming Pyrrha Nikos stepped out, "Oh! Good morning, Jaune." She smiled at him, voice lyrical and light.
"Someone's in a good mood." Jaune smiled back.
"Yes, and I believe I have you to thank."
"Wait, Mercury finally asked you to the dance?" Her only response was another pleased hum, "Huh, thought he'd never actually go for it. Guess I owe Yang a couple Lien." Not that it would make up for the torture she was experiencing now, "So...maybe it's a bit too late to say this, but he did give you the 'I'm a sociopath' talk, right? You should probably know what you're getting into."
"He told our entire team, yes, though I think he protests a bit too much. You should've seen him after you came back from your...incident." She coughed. What happened to him wasn't public knowledge, though he doubted Mercury kept it a secret from the rest of his team, "He was in a foul mood all night. Oh, don't tell him I told you that, though. I think he hates it when we see past the mask."
"My lips are sealed." He winked and made a zipping gesture across his mouth.
The rest of the team stepped out half an hour later, giving him the chance to change into his uniform. Weiss looked prim and collected as always while the rest of the team, despite appearing none the worse for wear, had the looks of people who'd stared at the abyss. And the abyss was cold. It didn't stop Blake from glaring at him with silent promises of marriage on the horizon. Yeah, good luck. If she did that he'd tell her parents she was pregnant.
Classes were an odd return to normal after the past couple of days. So far he hadn't had much lingering effects of what happened to him. He'd woken up in a cold sweat a couple of times last night, but seeing that he was back with his team had calmed him down immensely. He wasn't in that warehouse with Adam, no matter how he felt like it sometimes. He was here with his friends.
...Even if they were weird as hell.
It all started off as soon as classes ended. He'd have thought their abandonment this morning would lead to grudges, and it definitely did in the case of Blake, but so far he hadn't had a moment to himself. That might not have been too odd; they did, after all, share the same classes. Still, it was hard not to notice. Even when he stayed behind to get a drink from the fountain or get something from the vending machine one or two of them would stay behind with him.
Even going to the bathroom wasn't done by his lonesome. His attempt to do so in Peter's class - who, incidentally, gifted him a very expensive bottle of bourbon because he was too busy to visit before he was discharged - had led to an all too eager Ruby following him. And he knew she was following him cause she was right outside both before and after he went inside, and he was pretty sure her Semblance didn't make her 'powder her nose' any faster.
...
Okay, so they were being protective. It made sense. He got kidnapped by Blake's psychotic ex terrorist boyfriend. Fine. But did they have to be so obvious about it? He was probably lucky they let him change on his own. Aside from that he didn't mind it at all. That was just them being good friends.
"I don't know what Blake sees in you. Those other humans aren't any better, but at least they have power. What do you have?"
...
"I knew you were weak, but this was even more pathetic than I thought."
...Yup. He didn't mind at all.
The second thing was Penny.
Ruby - his girlfriend, he reminded himself - squirmed in her seat next to him as Penny stared into her soul. Ever since lunch started she'd sat down right next to Ruby and stared at her without saying a single word. The others had asked her what she was doing, and then subsequently tried to act like nothing was wrong when she didn't respond, but the silence was stifling. Even Nora looked uncomfortable. Nora.
"Uh, Penny..." Jaune said again, "What's wrong?"
By some miracle, she finally looked away from Ruby and towards him. The younger girl shivered with relief, "I am enacting what I've read online is the 'silent treatment'. Apologies for not responding beforehand, but the articles dictated that you savor the discomfort for at least thirty minutes."
"Wait, silent treatment? What'd she do?" Yang asked.
Penny beamed and Jaune's eyes widened, realizing what was about to happen. Across the table, Mercury looked like the cat who ate the canary, "Oh, it's because Friend-Ruby cucked me!"
The entire cafeteria went dead silent at her announcement. Jaune groaned and banged his head against the table, wishing that just maybe death would come quickly. Ruby jumped up in her seat and squeaked as all eyes on the room turned towards her. Becoming famous after the Breach hadn't done much to change her social anxiety...and now everyone thought she was the kind of person who did something like that.
"E-Excuse me?!" Weiss shrieked on her partner's behalf. Ruby looked like she was about to pass out.
"Friend-Ruby cucked me," Penny said, still as chipper as before. Mercury just kept on laughing, the prick, "She has 'snuck into his private messages', if you know what I mean." Ruby's face had turned a mix of red and green. It was actually impressive, "Don't worry, I don't hold a grudge. From what I understand, a period of frost is quickly followed by reconciliation."
"...What the fuck is going on?" Yang muttered.
"I just told you all. Oh!" Penny smiled again. It did not promise good things, "Don't worry, I did not give up without the requisite fight. I offered to enter into a threesome polyamorous relationship with the two of them, but Friend-Jaune refused." She paused, ignoring Jaune's cries and the way everyone else gaped, "Oh, wait, I didn't actually ask Friend-Ruby on her thoughts on this. Friend-Ruby, what would you think of-"
"No!" Ruby shrieked, finally regaining her voice. She grabbed Jaune and held him tight, "Jaune's my boyfriend and I'm not sharing!"
"Understood. Well then, shall we now shake hands and make-up?"
Ruby did, mostly for lack of anything else to say. Jaune just dreaded what new rumors would spread. Sure, the whole 'group sex slave' thing might go away now, but now people would probably think he was some kind of scumbag...or that Ruby was the type to 'swoop in' on other people's boyfriends. Damn it. This really wasn't what they needed right now.
The end of school saw him going with Blake to the library. Ruby had wanted to come with him, but she was currently hiding in her room along with Yang and Weiss for fear of the new rumors. On the bright side he wasn't the group's collective boytoy anymore. On the not so bright side, people now thought he was Ruby's personal boytoy and that she 'only' loaned him out to teammates.
Never change, Beacon.
Blake wasn't helping his mood any. She'd been fidgety since this morning and she constantly looked left and right, glaring at anyone who got too close. He could only thank small mercies that their fake relationship wasn't public knowledge. The last thing he needed was people pointing out she was acting more like an overprotective girlfriend than his actual girlfriend.
He knew why, of course. Adam was her ex-boyfriend and somehow she thought that meant everything he did was her fault. And yeah, he kidnapped him just to spite her, but she didn't tell him to do that. The entire team, himself included, had told her as much, but of course she didn't listen. At least she wasn't running off on her own again. Or dragging him along with her.
Speaking of...
"You said you were meeting with your not-friend later, right?" Jaune asked. Saying Sienna Khan's name out loud wasn't a good idea.
"Yeah." She nodded, still keeping an eye on every corner.
"So when are we going?"
"You aren't going anywhere." She finally stopped to look him in the eyes, "I know you're almost fearless-" Yeah, he had to stop himself from laughing at that, "-but you barely survived what Adam did. I think it's best if you stay as far away from...that group as possible. I'll take Yang and Weiss with me."
"You sure bringing Weiss is a good idea?"
"She insisted. Your...incident brought up some bad memories for her." Oh, right, the SDC and the White Fang, "If she wants to work with us, then she has to deal with it."
"Alright. Just be careful, okay?"
Her lips quirked up in a slight smile, "Of course I will."
Thankfully, Blake didn't hover over his shoulder like some kind of stalker. Jaune browsed for the books he and the rest of the team needed for Professor Peach's class. Yang was surprisingly good at it. She liked going camping so she had a good head for herbology.
Heavy footsteps came from behind. Jaune suppressed the burst of paranoia and turned around only to see one Cardin Winchester. He raised a brow and set the book back. He and Cardin hadn't actually talked ever since the Forever Fall Incident. They hadn't even fought in Combat Class. Apparently Professor Goodwitch realized something was up and kept him as far away from Team RWBY-J as possible.
"Cardin." Jauned nodded.
"Jaune." Cardin nodded back.
"Getting something for Professor Peach's class too?"
"Yeah." This was some seriously riveting conversation, "And...something else." He coughed, "Actually, it's about my da-"
Cardin stopped cold and seized, shooting up ramrod straight. Looking past his bulkier classmate, Jaune saw Blake standing there a few feet away. Like a man facing his execution, Cardin turned around slowly. Despite being heads and shoulders taller than her, the Winchester scion looked like he was about to mess his pants right there and then even though Blake hadn't done anything yet.
And then she snarled.
A distressingly high pitch scream echoed throughout the library before Cardin ran away with a speed that would put Ruby's Semblance to shame. Blake kept glaring at him and didn't stop until he was completely out of sight.
...Okay, that just happened.
"What the hell was that?" Jaune asked eventually.
"Hm?"
"You literally snarled at Cardin."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Okay, were they seriously doing this again? "Now stop wasting time and get those books already."
A couple of hours later and it was just him and Ruby at the dorm while the rest of their team went to meet with a terrorist group. Funny, he always thought going to Beacon would be exciting and filled with new experiences. This wasn't exactly what he had in mind.
"Jaune? You alright?"
"Huh, yeah, I'm good." He smiled. Getting a girlfriend was definitely one of the things he'd expected - hoped - for, though the circumstances were hardly ideal. He kinda imagined them hanging out and slowly transitioning to dating. And granted they were doing that, but the fact that it started cause he got kidnapped by some crazy bull Faunus wasn't something he wanted to think back on.
Being in a relationship with Ruby didn't change much. They still read comics, still played games, and she still eagerly cultivated his growing interesting in weapon crafting. It made sense, he supposed. Ruby had never been in a relationship before and to call what Jaune had with Sapphire dating was being very generous. Neither of them were experts and decided to take it slow, which worked for them just fine.
"So I'm thinking a sword-rifle combo," Ruby continued, tapping her scroll's screen, "An assault rifle or battle rifle, to be more specific. As much as I want you to have a sniper rifle like me, it takes a lot more training to go for something so specialized."
"What about a pistol? That's what I've been training with." He still felt sore he lost his old one back at the warehouse.
"Eh...I guess we can make a new one and you can keep using more than one weapon." Her face knotted in distaste, "But we're definitely prioritizing rebuilding Crocea Mors. Oh, speaking of which, I've got some ideas for the shield that I think you're gonna like!"
Jaune just watched with a smile as Ruby rambled on and on about her designs. He was really lucky to have her. Well, her and the rest of team Ruby.
He needed them cause he was so weak.
'Shut up.'
There was a knock on their door. Before either of them could get up to answer, the lock clicked open and a very short old woman with a walking cane stepped in like she owned the place, "Huh, so you're the one?" She asked, looking down at the two of them sitting on the floor. It was a lot more intimidating considering she had bright blue goggles that blinked, "Hmph, been a while since I've seen one of you."
"Uh...who are you?" Ruby asked.
Winter Schnee stepped inside soon after with a polite cough, "My apologies. This is Maria Calavera, and she-"
"Ozpin tracked me down cause she said she had someone that could drag me out of retirement. I gotta admit, a Silver Eyed Maiden definitely draws the attention. Never had one of those before."
"Silver eye- wait, you're the mentor they mentioned before?" Jaune asked.
"Mentor?" The woman - Maria - laughed, "Oh, I don't think I'm going to be that good, but I guess the gray haired bastard thought I could teach her a thing or two. Or at least make sure she knows what she's doing."
"Wait, you're gonna teach me how to use the Grimm destroying lasers!?" Ruby stood, an excited grin plastered on her face.
A grin that faded when Maria smacked her shin with her walking cane, "Grimm destroying lasers! What has Ozpin been feeding into that head of yours?" She sighed, "Well come on, we gotta get started."
"Wait, right now?"
"No time like the present."
"Alright. Jaune, let's-"
"Ah, ah, ah! I didn't come here to teach an audience! You leave your boyfriend behind. I don't want you getting distracted."
The old woman proceeded to ignore each and every argument Ruby had as she pushed her out to the hall. He and Winter Schnee looked at one another for a moment before she followed them out, leaving him alone. Jaune stood up and cracked his neck. Alright, so his girlfriend was learning about the second secret power she had that was lost to time...and he was doing nothing.
...
There was another knock on the door before he could wallow in his own thoughts. Jaune opened it see the wry smile of one Professor Branwen. Qrow, "What's up?" Jaune asked.
"Heard about what happened." He took a drink from his flask. Was that thing ever empty? "How you holding up?"
"Just...fine."
"I don't gotta be a mind reader to tell that's bullshit." Qrow snorted, "You know what you need?"
"Therapy?"
"You need to let off some steam." He set the flask back to his hip and nudged his head back, "Trip to Vale, just you and me. That is unless you wanna stay in."
"...Sure, but I wanna go somewhere specific."
An hour later and he was back at the same fight club as before. Being here...it might've been messed up, but it felt good. Fighting back against people who he could actually win against. Every hit he took and gave had his blood pumping, and as he watched his Aura drain on the screen above the adrenaline only continued to surge. This wasn't like before. He wasn't weak. He could fight.
Eventually, his luck ran out and one of the fighters managed to break his Aura. Jaune groaned and pushed himself up, ignoring the jeers and taunts from the crowd. He didn't feel bad. He'd put up a good fight against someone years his senior and got pretty close to winning again. Qrow said he could use the place as a benchmark and right now it was doing its job.
Qrow was happy, of course. Mostly cause of the bets, but partially seeing one of his 'students' get better.
"Guessing you have some anger issues," Qrow said as they walked out to the open street. After what happened, staying in public places was the best option.
"Huh?"
"Way you're fighting. You looked like a dog tugging at its leash." Jaune didn't say anything, "Not saying it's a bad thing. Being angry can be an advantage in a fight if you don't let it control you."
"...I was imagining everyone had Adam Taurus' face."
Qrow laughed, "Well, you can't go out doing that every night. Team's gonna ask where you're sneaking off to." He handed him the flask, "Here, try this. It should help take the edge off. Definitely does for me."
Jaune looked down at the silver container before he shrugged and took it. One sip couldn't hurt, right?
When Yang thought about Girls Night, meeting with a bunch of terrorists wasn't exactly her idea of a good time, and yet here she was.
It only got worse when they realized where exactly they were meeting them.
"Are you serious, Blake?" Yang groaned.
"It's secure and hidden."
"It's a sewer."
Blake didn't say anything and just moved the manhole cover to the side. Across from her, Weiss looked sick and was distinctly regretting wearing something white to the occasion. They were gonna have to burn their clothes when this was done, "Ugh, perhaps it feels odd for me to say, but I thought the White Fang would have more...choice requirements for a safehouse," Weiss said.
"It's hidden and the sewers are surprisingly complex. Even if they did get caught, they could lose them in the tunnels. Now come on, let's head inside."
Yang and Weiss looked at one another before, with a lot of hesitation, they followed Blake inside. Yang went last and she made sure to cover the manhole again. As much as she wanted the terrorists to get caught, that had to wait till this Adam Taurus had his face in the pavement. Preferably with her knucles making permanent imprints, but she wasn't too picky.
Blake held up her scroll and grimaced at the screen, her other hand covering her nose. The smell of raw sewage was noxious, "Come on, I'll lead the way."
The trek to the hideout was painfully quiet. Yang wanted to break the silence, but the constant stench of shit made her want to gag and tanked her mood. Seriously, how the hell did they tolerate this? Didn't some Faunus have, like, a better sense of smell than humans? Blake could definitely hear more than she could with those kitty ears of hers. Yang knew from experience.
She definitely did not appreciate her private time in the bathroom being interrupted cause, according to Blake, she was 'being too loud'.
Blake led them through the old tunnels till they eventually found a couple of Faunus standing next to a rusty door. Yuma and Trifa, if he remembered right, "Look who finally decided to show up." The bat Faunus grinned, arms crossed. Blake's only response was a roll of the eyes as they drew closer, "The boss ain't here. Gonna have to make do with a CCT meet-up."
"Fine."
They were close to getting in without incident when the guy had to open his big fucking mouth again, "Heard about what happened." Blake stopped, eyes turning steely, "Real shame your pet got banged up."
"What?" She snarled.
"I'm just saying, you should probably look after your Human better. From what I heard he got really fuc-"
Blake grabbed him by the neck and slammed him against the wall. The spider Faunus hissed and would have lunged at Blake in turn if Weiss hadn't unsheathed her rapier and pointed the tip right at her neck, "Woah, woah!" Yang yelled. She liked a good fight just as much as the next gal, but this wasn't the time.
"Urk, what the-"
"'That Human' has a name, and if you talk about him like that again I'll snap your neck." It was scary how she didn't know if that was a bluff on Blake's part or not, "Now unless you have something actually useful to say, shut up."
"I-"
"Am I clear?"
"C-Crystal..."
Blake held the position for a couple more seconds before he dropped the guy like a sack of bricks. He fell on his ass and rubbed at his neck. In turn, Weiss sheathed her rapier again and let Trifa pull Yuma back to his feet. Blake glared at the pair before she stepped inside.
"What the hell was that?" Yang asked as soon as they were inside. The place looked like an old maintenance room.
"...He pissed me off."
"Yeah, I could see that." Yang sighed. It'd been a while since she had to be the voice of reason, but here they go, "You sure it's a good idea to meet with this lady tonight? You're kinda aggro."
"I doubt she can do much against Sienna Khan across a CCT screen." Weiss scoffed.
"Sienna won't care about insults; she's lived with those her entire life. As long as we have the same goal - stopping Adam - we'll cooperate."
There was only one person when they got to the CCT room proper. A pretty woman with tan skin, freckled face and chestnut brown hair. They met her last night, though she wore a mask and it was at the other end of a screen.
"Ilia..." Blake's harsh look softened and she untensed at least a bit, "Thank you for before."
"It was Sienna's orders. She knows how much you care about this...Jaune Arc." She was about to say 'this human', Yang could tell. Judging by the way she looked at her and Weiss, it seemed like she wasn't much a fan of them either, "Of course, this means that my cover in their group is blown. Adam knows that someone told you all about his whereabouts and he's only going to get more and more cautious. Paranoid."
Blake nodded and activated the CCT console. It only took a second for Sienna Khan to appear on the other end, "Blake." She smiled, the gesture razor thin, "I heard from Ilia that Adam escaped."
"We'll find him."
"It would've been better if you caught him the first time."
"We prioritized the safety of our friend over hunting a madman," Weiss said, her neutral expression almost failing now that she was (sort of) face-to-face again with the leader of the White Fang, "If need be we'll do it again, though hopefully it won't come to that."
"Hope won't amount to much, girl." Sienna scoffed, "But as I'm sure Ilia has already told you, her cover has been blown and we've nothing to show for it. We'll have to start from the beginning. Adam will need to recruit in order to bolster his losses against both the Breach and the ones your team took down at the warehouse. While it's doubtful he'll tell the minutiae of his plans to grunts, it'll at least be a start."
"That seems kinda slow. Isn't there someone we can beat up to spill the beans?" Yang asked.
"If it were that simple we wouldn't be here, would we?" Sienna laughed. It was as sharp as her smile, "You can coordinate the details with Illia. I'll try to find out more on my end, though that'll be difficult. More and more he gathers supporters eager for blood." Weiss scoffed but didn't say anything. Sienna's eyes flickered to the heiress for a moment before she continued, "And remember to think on my offer from before, Blake."
The call cut off and Yang released a breath she didn't even know she was holding. She was one scary lady, "We need to find out how Adam is gathering recruits," Blake said.
Yang crossed her arms and frowned, "Even if we did, how are we gonna sneak in? Our faces are plastered all over the DustNet." That and they didn't have any obvious Faunus features.
"That'll be on my end." Illia's skin and hair color shifted till she was suddenly a pale blonde like her, "Adam knows my name, but I doubt he'll personally oversee every recruit. And on the slim side that he is, it'll at least simplify things."
Yang let the two hash out details and stayed close to Weiss. She could tell she didn't want to be here and it was taking a godly effort on her part to not draw Myrtenaster again, "Deep breaths, Weiss," Yang said, "We'll be out of here soon."
"Advising me to take deep breaths in a sewer isn't your brightest idea, Yang."
"Ah, shut up."
Blake and Ilia finished up their plans soon enough and they were back to fresh air in no time flat. Yang took a deep gulp and relished in not smelling someone's shit, "Man, next time we do this, can you tell them to pick a better hideout? Or at least put up some air fresheners."
"I'm sure they'll get right on that." Blake laughed under her breath, "Now come on, let's go back to Beacon."
Blake and Weiss led the way while Yang hung back. That was Blake's problem done, at least for now, so...
She sighed and pulled out the crumpled letter from her back pocket. She got it yesterday and had re-read it over and over, trying to figure out if she could find anything on it. Nope. No return address, no hints of the sender's identity. All she had was the contents of the letter itself.
If you want to know about your mom, meet us at this location at noon in one week. Come alone. If you don't, you'll never get your answers.
Just that and a picture of her mom that looked way more recent than she'd ever seen in any album. The place was public enough - a park in a well-known part of Vale - and the time meant prime time crowds, so the chances of her being attacked were pretty low. Still, this was sketchy at best. The smart thing to do would've been to tell her team and have them on standby.
...But what if the person saw? Everyone on Vale knew their faces. If this sender saw them then that was it.
Yang grit her teeth and sucked in a breath through her nose. No, she couldn't risk them getting spooked. She'd been looking for her 'mom' for years now. She and Ruby nearly died cause she was an idiot and thought she could find her. Now here someone was offering answers after seventeen years of searching? It was risky, but gods damn it, it was the first actual lead she'd had in years.
She had to do it.
Yang laughed to herself. All those lectures about working as a team and being on Blake's ass about her lone cat tendencies. Look at her now. She'd apologize to them later. Better to ask for forgiveness than permission, like Uncle Qrow always said.
Ruby's getting trained about her Silver Eyes, Jaune's falling to bad habits, Blake is hunting Adam, and now Yang's gonna have a go at being the new Worst Girl by trying to go solo. Or, as is more likely, going with Jaune cause the dude somehow got no exposure from the Breach so he can actually stay under the radar. Poor him.
Oh, and Penny makes things worse for Ruby and Jaune by airing out her grievances about Ruby 'swooping in' on Jaune. Poor Ruby.
Like I said before, Yang's arc is a bit different. The Branwen clan are hardly a physical threat even to a non-Maiden Yang who didn't get training from Winter and Ozpin. The main focus of her arc is the internal struggles she faces because of her complicated feelings towards Raven, which will only get worse given that she now knows about the mechanics of how Maidens transfer power. Finding out the mom who abandoned her still thought of her in her last moments is bound to set her off.
Not sure what the next chapter is gonna be. I'm kinda torn on either the Beacon Dance, finally, or another omake. Guess we'll see.
Question:
1. So what do you guys think of Yang deciding to go off alone even though the entire team tore into Blake for doing the same thing? She acknowledges it's hypocritical but does it anyway.
2. Odd question, but what do you guys think of Mercury being part of the good guys? I added him in just cause I liked his character and fighting style so he might feel odd, especially with how much nicer he is compared to when he was hanging around Cinder's group.
Review Answers:
BrazeRancor - Maiden Pyrrha beats Salem just cause she would interrupt her date with Jaune.
Chuck B. Winanaki - Weiss totally knows Willow killed him, she's just annoyed that the rest of the family isn't sticking to the public story of it being an accident. And yeah, Emerald turned traitor for Summer real quick.
Spartastic 4 - An accident is the public story and she doesn't like her family not even trying to pretend. As for the genderbend, not sure. Leaning towards 4-in-1 Pyrrha for hilarity.
ReadYesyes - Blake really only acts like a spite queen with Jaune. With Adam she was too scared to express herself. Besides, her behavior clearly played for laughs every time it comes up.
Raj8 - Really? I find Blake's segments the funniest to write, if only because Jaune also gets spiteful and petty with her.
Austin - From what I can gather, the only requirement for a Maiden is being less than 30, hence why Goodwitch wasn't an option. Also, the 'Jaune Quits' omake is pretty close to that. Jaune runs away and team RWBY destroys Beacon to get his location.
Fazrulz - Jaune helped raise three little sisters. He has experience being the older male figure in a girl's life.