OwO What's this? A chapter?

Sorry, not sorry.

Time for a bit of the aftermath! Won't spend too much time with this, though someone is quite clearly absent from this chapter, so expect some of her in the next.

Weiss, take it away, girlfriend!

The first thing Weiss noticed was the overbearing stench of sawdust. Or rather cherry and maybe a hint of apple. The second thing she noticed, or rather, questioned was why she was suddenly smelling fruit, and why a heavy quilt currently weighed down on top of her, trapping her against a straw mattress.

When she managed to part her eyelids, she stared in momentary confusion up at the low wooden ceiling. Blue eyes traced the vaguely familiar knots and stains in the wood and she listened to the not too distant sound of a saw's teeth cutting away into wooden flesh.

I'm at Riole and Lauren's home. She'd concluded before she sat up in bed and looked around the room. A gray carpet, edges frayed, covered part of the floor and a small dresser covered a small portion of the opposite wall. It was the same room she'd been given when they'd first arrived, though she couldn't remember how she'd come to be here.

Weiss glanced down at herself and frowned seeing an unfamiliar white robe clinging to her slender frame. Just beneath the neck hole she saw bandages, feeling the cloth stretch from her left shoulder, across her chest and around her back. More still were wrapped around her left forearm, and her fingertips gingerly prodded the bandages to confirm a wound there, accompanied by an unpleasant if faint tingling sensation.

The last thing I recall is Ruby passing out in the barracks. After that… What had happened, exactly? Lauren had taken to working with Ruby and Weiss had sat herself down. She vaguely recalled Laurel coming to visit, a brief chat with him about… Something. Her mind felt fuzzy as she struggled to grasp at hazy memories. When no amount of searching revealed anything more she gave up with a huff and dissatisfied slap of her palms against her legs.

Ruby! She needed to check on her partner. Throwing off the heavy blanket she swung her legs out of bed and stood, nearly falling over as pain shot up her leg. Hissing in displeasure she sat on the edge of the bed and lifted her foot, frowning seeing bandages wrapped heavily around her ankle. Right, that had happened too. A minor injury considering the fires, explosions, and a madman hellbent on killing her, though no less obnoxious for it.

Favoring her opposite side Weiss hobbled her way across the room and threw the door open. Mid-afternoon light filtered in through windows on either end of the hall yet the space remained dim. Thankfully her eyes had little trouble adjusting, having just been closed, and if memory served then Ruby wouldn't be far away either.

Testing the door opposite her own and finding it unlocked she knocked, and to her surprise an answer quickly followed.

"Come in!"

Weiss smiled when she found Ruby sat up in bed. Her friend almost didn't notice her at first, too engrossed in the bowl of food as she voraciously inhaled its contents. With a mouthful the brunette finally looked up and squeaked. Whatever it was she waved her open hand at Weiss before clinging onto the bowl to keep it from tipping over.

Weiss shook her head, smiling exasperatedly. "You absolute dunce…" Moving into the room she took the chair at Ruby's bedside and sank into it, rubbing sleep from her face.

Ruby munched away before flashing Weiss a wide smile. "Good to see you too! You look better!"

"What…?"

"You looked pretty bad before! You were all sick looking, and you had tremors, and…"

Weiss cut her friend off by covering her mouth with her hand. "Wait. I looked poorly? Ruby, you're the one that passed out!" Ruby tried to speak but couldn't due to Weiss' hand. She removed it, then arched an eyebrow and crossed her arms.

"Well, yeah, but I woke up first! You've been asleep since!"

Had she really? She certainly felt fatigued, though she chalked that up to having just woken. Glancing towards the single window in Ruby's room Weiss bit her lip and absently rubbed at the back of her injured hand. "How long was I out…?"

"Oh, just the day! Or the night, I guess…?" Ruby's face took on a thoughtful expression before her usual smile replaced it. "Nothing serious! I guess we both kind of overdid it, huh…?"

"Well considering everything I don't imagine we had much of a choice."

Not with Adam so callously willing to blow away Holbrook's defenses and leave its people for dead, if not slaughter them himself. Not with Grimm converging in the midst of their battle. Ironically the dark beasts had been something of a saving grace, and perhaps the only reason Weiss sat where she was now.

Her mind played back a series of images she'd rather not recall. Adam towering over her, blade in hand, preparing himself for the killing blow. As feelings of helplessness and nihilism returned Weiss shoulders slump along with her posture and she released a shuddering sigh. Besides the sobering knowledge of how outmatched she and Ruby had been - barely able to scrape by together, she'd had a closer call with death than ever before. At no point in training, even early on, had a Grimm come as close to ending her life as Adam had. With flames encroaching and the sounds of frantic cries from Holbrook mixed with Ruby's clash with Blake it had felt like she'd just stepped into hell.

Hands gripped her own and Weiss looked up into the worried face of her friend. "Hey… I'm here if you need to talk, Weiss."

Exhaling and releasing a tension in her chest she hadn't noticed Weiss managed a small smile and shook her head. "Thank you, Ruby, but I think I'm fine."

"Are you sure? I don't mind! I mean we're partners after all!"

"I'm positive." She wasn't, in fact Weiss was certain she was anything but 'fine'. She had only just woken however and presumably so too had Ruby. Now was hardly the time to be sharing concerns about their obvious mortality. Or maybe it was. Ultimately Weiss decided to let the issue slide, and when Ruby made no effort to get her speaking she changed topics. Kind of.

"How are you faring? When you passed out I… I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I didn't see much of your fight, so I couldn't be certain what injuries you'd sustained." Weiss let her eyes roam over Ruby, clad in a similar robe than her own, taking mental snapshots of the few bandages on her body.

"It was just Spellcast Sickness! Well, mostly that," Ruby said. "They think smoke inhalation ended up getting to both of us. And we both had some small cuts and burns on us." She paused and ran a hand over her leg under the blankets, then moved her meal to the nightstand, lest she knock it over. "The healer said we should both be fine by tomorrow though!"

"Healer…? I wasn't aware Holbrook had one."

"Oh, well they don't! I guess he was passing through, though. He happened to be in the area and decided to help us out!"

That was remarkably fortuitous. Weiss would think any sane man or woman would steer well clear of a town besieged both by the White Fang and Grimm. Then again who was she to talk sanity? Hadn't she just faced off against one of the White Fang's commanders amidst a sea of flames and a pack of Grimm?

In lieu of everything else that had happened as of late the heavens themselves might as well have opened up and the gods themselves descended upon Remnant. Weiss sighed, the gesture more relieved than anything, and nodding to herself with a smile. "And I suppose we have this gentleman to thank for our quick recovery!"

"Mhm!" Ruby answered, positively brimming with energy. How in the world she recovered so quickly was just one of Remnant's great mysteries, along with how she didn't grow large from all she ate? Her and Nora have some secret that I simply must learn. One could only subsist off salads and small portions for so long.

Putting aside her temporary grievances Weiss lifted her injured ankle and nursed it gingerly. "I don't suppose that man is still around? Might we have a chance to thank him…?"

"Oh uh… Maybe? He was here a little while ago, wanted to make sure we were both doing okay and stuff."

"So he should still be around?" That was all Weiss needed to hear. Using the chair for support she gingerly rose to her feet, testing her weight on her injured ankle before opting to rely on the opposite one instead. "Are you well enough to be up and about, or shall I thank him for you?"

That Ruby jumped out of bed and pumped her fists with vigor should have come as no surprise. Weiss still felt a mild irritation but let it fizzle out. "Splendid, you're well enough to stand. In that case…" She slung her arm over Ruby's shoulder. At first, she was hesitant to lean her full weight on her friend but when the brunette made no protest she did just that. Ruby helped adjust her, putting an arm around Weiss' waist for added support.

"Let's go!" Ruby announced, smiling.

"Yes, let's."

Thanks in large part to Ruby's help getting downstairs wasn't too difficult for Weiss. And while in any other case she'd gawk at going outdoors in what amount to little more than a nightgown one look at her clothing, strewn out over a table by the kitchen, torn and not yet repaired, told her it was the better alternative. Lauren was out it seemed and Riole was out back busy with work. She'd thought to leave a note to let them know they were stepping out before dismissing the idea as moot. Holbrook was hardly a large settlement and it wasn't as if they would be going far.

For a town beset by White Fang and Grimm not a day earlier it was surprising at the normality with which residents took to life. More were out than before, mostly to help with cleanup and repairs, yet the town lacked the air of tension or fear Weiss had expected. Something to be said for being a frontier settlement, she supposed. Between bandits, Grimm and the infrequency of trading it would be natural that people here would do well in the face of adversity.

Which wasn't to say everything was entirely fine. A few residents shuffled about slower than others, faces twisted in pain or in somber resignation. Few had died, miraculously, though the few that had obviously had families here. Judging by the faces of those she saw it wasn't difficult to guess who had lost loved ones.

"We could have done better…" Ruby's voice whispered beside her. Silver eyes shone with emotion and her partner swallowed thickly before sighing. "I know we won, but…"

"Doesn't feel like it." Not when faced with that. Weiss felt an unpleasant guilt gnawing at her breast and the sensation only intensified when one of the residents saw them and despite their pain smiled and mouthed 'Thank you'. Misplaced as it felt she returned the smile, the expression fading the moment the woman moved along.

Holbrook stood and that in of itself was a testament to… Something. The gates had been blown to smithereens and Grimm had encroached perilously close to the nearly unprotected settlement, and to top it all off a few buildings had suffered damages in the crossfire.

Yet most residents were alive and the town would recover. Whether or not that could wholly be attributed to Weiss and Ruby's abilities was a debate that Weiss herself had no desire to hold. Nor was anyone in town intent on approaching them. Whether to rebuke them for not doing enough or laud them for their efforts, aside from a parting glance or nod of recognition. All of which was fine by Weiss.

While neither of them had explicit directions where to find Holbrook's newfound healer it wasn't difficult to find the man. A large tarp hung between the general store and an adjacent home, and beneath it several cots and tables had been laid out in the little space provided. A handful of residents milled about either running from cot to cot with supplies or tending to the injured. Lauren was among them and seemed not at all thrilled the two of them were up and about. If not for the guard she was tending to Weiss feared they'd have been approached and reprimanded on the spot.

Lauren remained put thankfully and the two of them carefully shuffled their way into the makeshift hospital. Weiss didn't know everyone in town and at a glance wouldn't be able to pick out the healer in the crowd. Thankfully she didn't have to. A pair of young women hurried to an older Muran and spoke with a fervor, then nodded before splitting off to perform their given tasks. That had to be him then.

"Pardon us…" Weiss spoke a bit louder to be heard over the groans and chatter around them. The man turned from his table, bloody gloves on his hands rendering a handshake undesirable. She opted for a polite smile instead, nudging Ruby in the ribs when her partner failed to follow suit. "Are you the healer who saw to my partner and I?"

It seemed to take the man a moment before a knowing smile appeared, tugging his pointed beard and lifting his bushy mustache, crinkling his already wrinkled face. "Indeed, and how glad am I to see the two of you up and well!"

Ruby wrinkled her nose and glanced meaningfully at the bloodied gloves. The displeasure was plain on her face and the man had the courtesy not to appear offending, rather apologetic instead. "Sorry about that, were it possible I could speak to you under more auspicious circumstances…"

"Oh no, pardon us for interrupting you. I'm certain you're quite busy here." The bustle around them certainly attested to as much. One of the assistants nearby called for the man and he hastily gathered tools from a bin, gloves and instruments dripping with water and blood. "We wanted to thank you before you left."

"Please, it's my duty as a man of medicine to aid those in need." The man scoffed and rinsed his tools off again, shaking blood and crusted material from them. "Blast… Confound this… Mariam, bring me another bucket of water! And fresh bandages!" Beside them a woman nodded furiously and rushed away with a bucket in hand.

It was only natural people would be injured from the attacks. Weiss shuddered to think how Holbrook might have managed had this man not shown up when he did. Good fortune didn't begin to account for his arrival. If I didn't believe in divine intervention before then I almost might now. Almost. Benevolent gods wouldn't have let the attacks occur in the first place. Then again, the evils hadn't been perpetuated by the gods but by humanity - by the White Fang to be exact. Was it right to attribute their ills to the gods? Were the people of Remnant solely responsible or were the gods by proxy guilty?

Throwing aside her philosophical debate for another time Weiss smiled again and bowed her head. "This could have been much worse if someone wasn't here to tend to the wounded." A cursory glance that left her a bit queasy showed just how fortunate residents were. A few people were bandaged to the point of mummification, yet breathing, very much alive. A collection of slaves and containers littered the gentleman's workspace and a heavy bag rested beside the table, filled no doubt with herbs and other important tools of the trade.

When Mariam returned with a fresh bucket of water and scurried off with the soiled one, the healer cleansed his tools once more. "Again, a pleasure to be of service. However, I really must run, I've more work to do before we can call this a success."

"Of course," Weiss obliged. She nodded and let her smile widen naturally. "We owe you a debt, sir. Should you ever require anything you'll have our support."

"The aid of two Hunters? Well, that's certainly something!" The man laughed before giving her and Ruby a warm smile. "I'll bear that in mind. Might I have your names? It wouldn't do well to try and find you later without them."

"I'm R-Ruby! Ruby Rose!" Ruby stammered. She bowed at the waist and dragged Weiss with her, squeaking when she was thwacked over the back of her head. Dolt.

"Weiss Schnee," Weiss added after righting herself. "Could I be so bold as to ask for yours?"

The man's eyes sparkled hearing her name and Weiss had to not groan or roll her eyes. Someone that knew her name then, or at least the familial part of it. With any luck the man wouldn't get the wrong idea from having a Schnee indebted to him.

"Ah yes, where are my manners?" The healer, or medic, whatever he might be, looked down at his gloves, dripping with water and clutching tools. Rather than shake hands he smiled and bowed slightly. "Doctor Jacobis Merlot, at your service."

One of the aides called for the doctor's help then and he excused himself, slipping past the pair and hurrying to one of the cots. A young woman with burns down her arms and neck. Once it was clear he was too busy to speak any further Weiss decided now was a good a time as any to get moving. Her head felt light from moving about and in the brighter light of the afternoon sun she noticed Ruby was still a shade paler than normal. Both of them still needed rest.

Their luck turned when Lauren finally approached them, looking none too pleased her wards were up and about. In a manner reminiscent of one stern instructor she thwacked her open palm with a wooden splint, narrowing her eyes dangerously. Ruby shifted beside Weiss nervously and half-giggled, half-whined.

"Um… Look, we're all better!"

Their hostess turned caretaker didn't by it. Weiss balked as she and Ruby were dragged, literally, back towards Lauren and Riole's house. She had the mind to complain and point out how improper it was to manhandle two injured patients. A single glare quelled any such thoughts and Weiss felt a shiver race down her spine.

She'd already had one harrowing experience this week. No reason to have a second.

/+/+/+/+/+/

Anyone would have been rightfully worried about waking up in the middle of the forest. Even more worrisome would be the blood - not her own Yang confirmed, that currently covered the tattered remains of her clothing. Equally disturbing would be the entrails littered around the forest floor, leaves stained red with blood and flies filling the air, feasting on the remains of what looked to have been a deer. Hard to tell when everything was torn to shreds.

It was disconcerting that Yang hardly flinched. Oh it was troubling to be sure, though for different reasons. The weight in her stomach told her exactly where most of the deer had gone, as did the dried blood spattered around her mouth. Judging by the trail of scorched earth and tree trunks charred black she chalked that up to her own doing as well. Hardly comforting given the implications but knowing the cause was something of a small grace.

Hair fell against her back, dirt and matted, and Yang groaned as she sat up. Her shirt, or what remained of it, sagged down and slipped from her shoulders. Despite no one else being around she grabbed the ruined garment and pulled it back up. Just because no one could see her didn't mean she'd make a habit of lounging around naked.

Besides, she had much more disturbing things to deal with right now.

Hazy images replayed through her mind and she groaned, leaning forward and digging the heels of her hands into her eyes as if to wipe them away. Flashes of fire, distorted images of people fighting, of those same people turning against her. With the images came all of the sensations along with them. Odorous smoke, the sensations of fear and desperation that might as well have been tangible as smoke, and blood.

Okay, maybe the last one was just the here and now. Deciding that sitting beside a fly-infested corpse wasn't the most heartening thing in the world Yang stood and wandered away from the grisly site. Blurred images continued to come to her of their own accord, and with no means of stopping them they persisted. Memories, all recent, and every one of them disturbing.

She did find one of use however and clung to that. Treading a path she shouldn't have known she cut a trail through the trees. Her boots were gone, she realized, though the callouses on her soles did wonders to help protect against the dangers of the forest. Twigs, leaves and itty-bitty bugs. Good ol' callouses.

Yang found what she was after soon and stopped at the edge of a small pond. Not the cleanest water she'd ever seen and she almost retched when a frog jumped out of it. Having to choose between staying caked in blood and soot or putting up with a bit of dirty water?

Keeping her trousers on, for they were the only article of clothing not destroyed, she waded into the water. Muck and slime squished between her toes and the Dimuran shuddered at the unpleasant feeling, then bit the proverbial arrow and lowered herself in. It took some considerable scrubbing on her part and no small test of her resilience but moments later she'd cleaned herself of grime. And her hair, her poor, glorious hair, was knotted and filled with disgusting water that stank even as she wrung it out.

Of all the times she'd woken up somewhere new this was by far among the shittiest. Top five at least.

That was to say nothing of what happened before she'd momentarily blacked out. Despite her 'condition', more of a curse really, she retained a distressing degree of lucidity whenever she changed. Much as she'd prefer to black out entirely she instead remained aware of what was happening. In control too, somewhat, though nowhere near as much as she'd liked.

She remembered charging from Devin's wagon, leaving the family behind as she rushed towards the explosion. It must have been terrifying for them to witness her manic drive. Devin had mentioned they had family in the town too, hadn't he? What was it called again? After trying for a second to recall the town's name Yang gave up. The name was inconsequential, anyways. Thanks to her, or perhaps in spite of her, it had survived its encounter with the White Fang.

One of the members she knew by reputation alone. Adam Taurus, grade 'A' asshole and all around douchenozzle, and the commander of Vale's forces to boot. Seeing him there had been a… Surprise.

Not nearly as much as his partner though. While the town's name might evade her, she had no time recalling the Meera's name: Blake. She'd not been overly thrilled with letting the White Fang march out of Alabaster before yet had decided it was the safer option. Fighting would lead to casualties, and as bigoted and asinine as Alabaster's residents were she didn't want them to die for it.

Yang had felt that had been the right decision until she'd seen Blake again. That bitch had been about to deal a killing blow to Ruby. To her little sister. Enraged hadn't begun to describe Yang then and there. Her anger would have terrified even Grimm, in fact she was certain it had. Pausing against a tree she looked down at her drenched clothes and grimaced, tearing the remains of her top off and throwing them away. Not the most comfortable sensation given her assets, and the fact going anywhere now would draw some much unwanted attention, but it beat wearing a slimy shirt. Her pants would stay. For now, at least.

In the moment that Ruby appeared to breathe her last, or had been about to, the entire world had gone red. The flames had a small part in that, but Yang was positive her anger colored her perception more than any inferno ever could. She'd seen blood, she'd wanted to spill it, and Blake just so happened to be full of it. If that fucker Taurus got in her way? She wasn't going to be upset over killing him too.

Then, in a display that still made absolutely zero fucking sense, Ruby had defended Blake. A woman who had not a moment ago been ready to kill her, to soil the fields with her blood and slaughter the town's residents thereafter, Ruby had protected someone like that. Blake had been dumbfounded too and by some grace of the gods hadn't acted on the window and attacked Ruby from behind.

Maybe the bitch had some honor after all. Or maybe she knew better than to cut down her saving grace. It hadn't made sense, and hell it didn't make sense to Yang either, but she'd recognized an out when she saw it.

She had wanted Blake dead more than anything in the world. She'd wanted to tear the Meera to shreds, to bat her around like a toy and make her suffer. Only after she plead and cried would Yang have killed her, and only then. The knowledge that she'd reached that point, over Ruby or not, made Yang's blood run cold. That wasn't her. She wasn't some blood crazed beast that took pleasure in tearing people to shreds.

One trembling hand covered her eye and the other her stomach. Her impromptu buffet felt heavier than before and the world around her spun, an unpleasant, high pitched ringing in her ears appearing. She staggered forward and planted one foot firmly before the other, leaned over, and let the deer back out into the world. Or whatever was left of it.

After spitting out bile and wiping her mouth on her hand Yang lifted her head and shouted furiously. There was nothing around her, no one to vent to, and certainly nothing to take out her anger on. Not unless she was about to start punching trees into oblivion. Hell, she just might. Doubling forward she screamed, letting her anguish, anger, and frustration out at once. She yelled until her throat reverberated and her mouth dried up, stopping only when her lungs were completely starved, and she coughed and gasped for air.

She'd finally run into Ruby. After months of searching, of hoping for a chance encounter, she'd finally found her sister. And she'd done so in the absolute worst way possible.

There was no chance that her sister could have recognized her in that state. At least, Yang tried to convince herself there wasn't. Her hair changed color and her skin darkened. Her limbs grew, or more accurately, shells formed, and those were just the changes she was aware of. Surely it was enough to mask who she'd really been?

Even with her memory of the event largely intact she couldn't recall much of Ruby's expression, only the gesture which had driven Yang to flee. Had there been recognition? She dared hope not, yet rarely was luck ever on her side. Life seemed to have a way of fucking with her.

"My my, someone is certainly out of sorts."

A snarl passed Yang's lips the moment she heard the voice. She lifted her arm in its direction and focused on the energy around her, drawing in whatever magic she could. Her skin prickled painfully, and her fingers burned, skin scalding against her own spell. Sparks formed in her palm and fizzled out, and she knew trying anything further was only going to hurt her.

Still, it was worth a shot if it meant killing the bastard before her.

"And so hostile! I should think by now we have something of a rapport."

Yang, still tasting bile, spat and curled back her lips. "Where the fuck did you come from?!"

"What, some colleagues can't catch up? Reminisce about old times?"

She'd sooner pour boiling iron down her throat than reminisce with the twisted bastard before her.

Yang stood upright and leaned back into a tree. The bark was hardly noticeable and most of it scraped harmlessly against her scales. Leaning her head back she rolled her neck, then fixed her lilac eyes back on the loathsome man. "What do you want…?"

"Why, to congratulate you, of course! It seems you've been having quite some fun as of late!" What was he on about now? No doubt some utter bullshit just trying to get under her skin. Walking away would be so easy, in fact… "That young lady owes you her life, even if she doesn't realize it," Merlot went on. "Avery, was it…? And we can't forget Devin and his charming family now, can we?"

Ice ran through her veins. Then it melted, reaching a boiling point as anger swelled inside of her. "You… You've been following me?!" Yang snapped.

"Following? Gods, no!"

"Okay, stalking me," the half-Dimuran spat.

"You make me sound so disreputable. I'm merely keeping an eye on my experiment, my dear." Merlot smiled, although he peeled back part of his overcoat to flash a dagger hidden within. "You can't blame a man for checking up on his work now and again."

"Bastard… How about you come take a better look then, huh?" Yang grinned and curled a finger at the man, flipping her hair to expose more skin. "Come on, I won't bite. Much."

He didn't take the bait. Merlot chuckled and stroked his beard, folding his other hand behind his back. "An interesting proposition, but no, I think I'll pass."

"Darn… And here I was thinking you'd finally be dumb enough."

"I don't quite think that will ever happen, I'm afraid. I'm well aware of what you're capable of, Yang." And how little your threats mean to me. His smile belied his ease.

Ah well, she always had her dreams. What beautiful dreams those were too. Dropping her arm back to her side Yang shrugged her shoulders, ignoring the innate soreness before she yawned. "You're boring me…" He wasn't. It was hard to feel bored around the person you wanted to kill most in the world. "Mind getting to why you're here, or can I go?"

"Always the impatient one…" Merlot clicked his tongue, shaking his head in disappointment. "Perhaps I really ought to have tried for more obedience with you."

"Fuck yourself," was Yang's reply. She had more than that she'd like to say but that was a pretty nice summation. The rest were just different variations of the same thing.

"Another time, perhaps. I'm here to extend a… Challenge of sorts, if you will. We can even call it a game if you'd like, or a wager." Merlot bared his teeth and flashed a cruel smile, clasping his hands together. "Care to hear my proposal?"

Yang tried not to bash her own skull against the tree. Maybe she could knock herself out? Instead she restrained herself, barely, and let out a long-winded groan. "You're just going to tell me anyways, aren't ya?"

"See? You are learning! And here I was beginning to think you were every bit as witless as you appeared. Now, if you'd be so kind as to entertain me a moment longer…"

Yang glanced at the bag she hadn't realized Merlot had brought with him before. He ruffled through it and searched for something. Spent vials and used bandages were thrown aside haphazardly and he grinned when he found his prize.

To Yang it looked like nothing more than a hunk of scrap. Maybe a little more ornate than that, given the intricate carvings. Judging by the folds of the metal and the grip jutting out of the base of the weapon it had once been… Well, a weapon. A vaguely familiar one, though for the life of her Yang wasn't entirely certain why.

"What, want me to play fetch?" she asked, smiling bitterly.

"Perish the thought. You may be my dog and indeed you could be better disciplined." Yang ground her teeth but remained where she was. "No, this belongs to a young woman that I'm particularly interested in. I'm certain you're familiar with her, yes? She was at that miserable hole of a town. Weiss Schnee, if I remember right."

Schnee… Schnee… Weren't they some fancypants family? From Atlas, right? Or was it Mistral? Even without fatigue and an overwhelming desire to throttle Merlot filling her head Yang wasn't sure she knew the answer. "Familiar enough, I guess," she answered with a shrug. "What about her?"

She expected Merlot to ask for her to kill the girl. That was pretty standard for his orders anyways. "As it happens I had heard she'd be finishing her training soon, and just in time for me to begin another experiment, no less! My request is a simple one: I'd like for you to find her once you've recuperated and bring her to me."

"Oh?" Now that was a little different. "What for, exactly? Planning on making another freak of nature?"

"Mmm… Perhaps, though not with her. Something far more exciting, in fact." Merlot shook his head. "No, our young friend has Runic magic and, as you're aware, that makes her quite valuable for our purposes."

"It's not our anything, Merlot," Yang hissed. "I'm not helping you with this shit. If you want her to help then you get her."

"I would love to, but sadly my research calls. And I did give the young lady my name, after all. She'll no doubt report to Ozpin and, well, I think we both know why I can't stay here." Merlot chuckled and took one last look at the ruined weapon before throwing it away. The remains of Myrtenaster rolled through the dirt and landed beside a rotting log, discarded and forgotten.

Trying to ignore the strange kinship she felt with the piece of metal Yang sneered. "Sounds like a you problem. Count me out."

"Ah… But you see it isn't just an issue for me. Or did you think I'd come here without proper motivation for you?" Merlot couldn't have appeared any smugger if he'd tried. When Yang didn't question him, though continued to stare his way, he laughed, rather proud of himself. "Tell me, does the name 'Ruby Rose' mean anything to you?"

Her legs throbbed and every fiber, tendon and joint in her body ached. That didn't stop Yang from trying to kill Merlot. She forgot her fatigue in an instant and lunged for Merlot. With a dozen feet or more between them it was a hell of a gap to close. Growling and trembling in anger she glowered at the man, dropping to her knees as pain wracked her body. On her back she felt her mark burn, as if someone pressed a hot brand between her shoulder blades. Even her Dimuran's fortitude didn't do much to stave off the magic heat, and while her skin didn't actually burn that didn't mean it didn't hurt any less.

"Uh uh, you know better than that." Merlot smirked as a rune shone against his palm, the black mark steaming and giving off a dark fog. "Has this ever worked, Yang? Honestly, sometimes I wonder if you're even capable of learning from -"

"Fuck you!" Yang screamed. Her muscles tensed, and veins popped as she struggled against the unseen force. Pain flared again, and she swallowed her tongue to avoid biting down on it. Tears stung her eyes and she fell forward, barely catching herself on her hands, arms trembling.

"Language. Now then, as I was saying… Miss Schnee is rather promising, and I would very much like to acquire her assistance. Unfortunately, as much as I'd have liked to whisk her away then and there, so many people present causes complications. And with other Hunters nearby I'd prefer to avoid any unnecessary conflict." Bullshit. "So, rather than cause any undue stress to those poor people, I've decided it best if you fetch her for me."

The pain lessened, and Yang lifted her head. Her eyes flashed red and she tried to make use of the anger boiling over inside of her. Even that had fled her though, leaving her the world's most dangerous, if smoldering fire. "Just go get her yourself," she hissed.

"Ah, but why do that when I have you? Besides, I would think you'd enjoy a chance to make a friend! You could play along with her, perhaps gain her trust. Then, once she's complicit and willing to follow you, deliver her to me. Do that and I'll free you from your mark."

"Or… And hear me out." Yang's features twitched as she forced a smile to her face. "You can go eat shit and die, and I'll get the mark removed myself." A fresh wave of pain flared inside of her and she cried out.

"As easy as it would be I really am needed elsewhere. Research doesn't conduct itself, after all." Merlot paused as a warm breeze wove through the forest, scowling as a lone leaf kicked up and smacked him in the face. Yang hoped it had shit on it. "So, I feel it's more fitting for you to recruit her in my stead," he continued, plucking the leaf and flicking it away. "It's quite simple, really. Do as I ask, and I'll remove the mark. Refuse, and… Well, I shudder to think of what might happen to your dear baby sister."

"I'll kill you!" Yang bellowed.

"A threat you've yet to make good on. I can see that you're not in a proper state of mind, so I'll leave you to think it over." Merlot lowered his hand and the pain vanished, yet Yang remained where she was. Her subservience made him smile in delight and drew out a self-satisfied laugh. "I'm sure you'll make the right decision in the end. You always do."

Damn him. Yang tried to lift herself and found her arms buckle beneath her, elbows finding perch in the soft earth and keeping her from face planting. Barely. She lifted her head again and glared, wishing that her gaze along could set him alight. When nothing happened, she sneered and shook her head. "The moment you release me I'm going to cook your ass, you know that."

"A rather specific threat, and ultimately a poor one. If I feared your ire, then I'd not make the offer to begin with."

"Oh? Then remove the mark now," Yang said with a smirk. "Go on, you can trust me."

"And lose my valuable pawn? I may not fear you, Yang, but I don't care to lose my toy just yet. Not until I can reliably replicate the process, anyways." Merlot smiled and turned to leave, pausing. "There's a change of clothing in your bag, as well as some Lien the villagers so graciously paid me with. They're a bit more… Drab than you're used to, but I figured you'd appreciate the garments nonetheless." Merlot looked her over and frowned. "Disgusting… Dimurans are such unrefined beings…"

The threat against Ruby was enough to make Yang want to tear out Merlot's throat. Her inability to even lift a finger against the man made her want to tear out her own. Incapable of moving so much as an inch she watched as he casually strolled away, disappearing into the forest and leaving her prostrate. Only when the linger pain of his spell faded did she push herself up off the ground. Her arms still shook and she wobbled on her feet but she managed to trudge over to the bag.

Merlot had been right about one thing anyways, the clothes he'd brought were abysmal. Plain brown tunic and matching trousers, with a pair of boots that looked like they'd seen better days. The trousers fit, but the shirt was too short and tight in all the wrong places. Yang didn't even bother with the boots, taking one look, and a whiff, before throwing them aside. What little remained in Merlot's bag, of his cover's bag rather, was of no use. Fake documents used containers and tools, and random odds and ends. Whatever town he'd been at before following her here had no doubt been the site of another of his experiments. She shuddered to think what he'd gotten into.

Not that it mattered. Rare was it that his experiments succeeded. Rarer still were they not immediately stamped out by a Hunter in the area. Despite countless failures however Merlot continued to persist, and why shouldn't he? He'd succeeded once in his experiments, albeit with plenty of help. That wasn't stopping him from trying to replicate the results.

If Yang had her way, then he never would. Dumping the bag's remaining contents out on the ground she tested the material and found it sturdy enough for use. Slinging the empty bag over her shoulder she cut off in the direction Merlot had and found the main road once again. Returning to the town where Ruby was, tempting as it was, was out of the question. Not only did she look like a beggar, something she doubted Ruby would mind, but her own terror at somehow being recognized made facing her sister more daunting than anything else in the world.

Besides, Merlot knew her now. He'd known of her before, of course, but he'd never met her. Now that the scumbag had a face to go with the name he could go after Ruby if she disobeyed him. He could do whatever he wanted to her, Yang had long since stopped caring, but she'd be damned if Ruby was hurt because of her.

That left her with one option then. It was disgusting to even consider, and she hated herself for entertaining it. Given the choice between protecting Ruby, however, and giving up some Schnee girl to help with Merlot's games, well, there wasn't really a choice to be made. Especially not if the doctor actually held up his end of the bargain.

Ruby wouldn't have given in. She'd try to find another solution, one where no one had to suffer. Her sister was kind like that. Naive like that. An idiot.

Yang sniffled and lifted her head. No put-upon smile, no false bravado to perk herself up. Because as infuriating as Merlot was, as much as she wanted to tear his spine out his ass for having the gall to not only stalk her but taunt her too, it paled in comparison to what she'd just done.

Ruby was all she had left of her family. Her mother, her biological mother, well, that woman could join Merlot in the deepest pit on Remnant and starve for all she cared. Summer, Ruby's birth mother, had vanished years ago and was by all rights dead. Yang shook and began to trudge down the road, rubbing at her face angrily as she went.

Taiyang was convinced she was dead, and her Uncle Qrow… That was more complicated than she cared to dwell on right now.

Ruby was her family, and now because of her negligence and yearning to find her she'd led a madman to her doorstep. Could she get to Ruby without doing as Merlot demanded of her? Sure, but he'd just as soon force her to kill her own sister as a result. If she wanted her sister to be safe again then she had to do as she was ordered.

She had to bring Weiss Schnee to Merlot.

She basically would be kidnapping the girl. No, she was kidnapping her, no uncertainty there. There was a good chance Merlot would either kill her or perform some insane tests on her after he got whatever it was he was after Weiss for too. To secure Ruby's safety, and perhaps her own freedom, Weiss Schnee would be subjugated and turned into a tool for Merlot. Was it fair? Hardly. Did Yang care...?

Two years ago, when she'd started her training as a Hunter, she'd have said yes. She'd have told Merlot to piss off and find someone else to do his work for him. Actually, she'd probably have pummeled him into the dirt for even thinking of threatening her or Ruby. One year ago, she'd have fought back and forced the bastard to make her do it. Now? She was whipped, and because she was too weak to resist him, or resist her urges to see Ruby, some stranger was going to die.

Hunters were supposed to be heroes.

Then again, she'd stopped being a Hunter some time ago, hadn't she? Yang smiled bitterly and rubbed her eyes with the heel of her hand, exhaling shakily.

A Hunter wouldn't kill some random girl. A Rogue, though?

It's like the role was made for her.

Is his name actually Jacobis? No idea. Tried to think of an old guy name. Bob was a first choice.

I like Bob. I don't like Merlot.

Merlot wouldn't be a 'Bob' then.

Happy accident for his name, though? Certainly not. There's nothing in history or anything similar to 'Jacobis'. Not at all.

Next chapter... Soon!