Know what's fun? Exposition chapters. Hard to find a balance between giving so little it's irrelevant and so much that it's like reading a textbook. Did I find the middle ground? After countless edits I don't much care anymore! :D
More answers are coming, I've just worked them into a handful of chapters as opposed to a singular long spiel. Hopefully that reads a little better.
In lieu of everything that had happened as of late, from being reminded of the shadow war between Church and state to questioning the very essence of magic, Weiss liked to think she had taken things in stride. With a million questions floating around her mind and a fraction of answers she'd done a remarkable job of keeping herself composed. Few if any nightmares, carrying on her day-to-day business without any fuss.
A Beowolf's rage-induced howls echoed from behind them. A bolt of lightning crackled, lashing down from the sky above. Around them guards ran through the fleeing crowds, pale-faced but urged on by a sense of duty. No one paid them any mind as Lord Bisset led her and Blake away from the scene.
Grimm inside Vale City. The other insanity she could compartmentalize and deal with later. This?
It defied all logic.
Panic, as its wont to do, spread, sending crowds of people rushing for shelter or scrambling of the streets. Occasional as they were the howls of the beasts continued and Weiss felt a compulsion to lend her aid. The guards were doing it so why not her? A Hunters duty was to slay Grimm after all.
Then again none of the guards had masked Magi looking to slay them.
Commercial district behind them they continued to follow the canal, shops, stalls, and open-air tents giving way to homes. Guards had begun to gain control of the hysteria and had set up blockades in the road, ushering citizens behind their defenses - walls of crates, barrels, and shields held abreast.
They'd be a pitiful excuse of a defense against Grimm if not for Proctor Oobleck walking before the formation. Before the man had any chance of spotting her Blake grabbed her wrist and pulled her into an alleyway. Ahead of them Lord Bisset continued to run, face red and drenched in sweat. She had a feeling he didn't exercise much.
What's my excuse then? Her lungs burned, knees wobbling as she struggled to keep pace with Blake, who made a blatant effort to slow herself for Weiss' sake.
Thankfully she wouldn't have to go much further. Where one of the bridges crossed the canal a narrow stone staircase led down to the water's edge. Bisset waved them along and headed down first, skirting along the narrow pathway to either side of the water. Another Grimm cried out, a shrill, grating screech that made Weiss freeze and look skyward for a telltale black silhouette. It was distant but a lone Nevermore circled a nearby road, weaving between flung spells and volleys of arrows.
"Come on!" Blake urged, giving her arm another tug. Weiss scrambled down the last few steps and pressed against the wall, wrinkling her nose in disgust at the pungent odors.
No one paid them any mind down among the swill. Guards shouted orders above and people on the far bank were too focused on the scene above ground to notice their escape. Weiss gasped for breath and nearly gagged as the rancid air burned her lungs, covering her mouth with her hand as tears welled in her eyes.
Lord Bisset at long last came to a halt beneath another bridge. White coat stained with sweat and bangs hanging over his face he doubled against the wall, back rising and falling as he tried to catch his breath. Loath as she was to get closer to the water Weiss found herself joining him, breathing through her nose and mouth, fanning the air in a futile effort to keep it clean.
Blake, the only one still upright, stepped out from beneath the bridge and tried to look above. "I think we're clear…" She stepped back into the shadows and wiped her face down. "I don't see anyone so much as looking our way."
"Good… Good… Perhaps we can… Pause and…" Weiss couldn't finish as what precious air she had in her lungs petered out. To hells with it. We're safe from those maniacs.
Bisset had answers, or he had a sliver of a clue what that was about. If she were able to speak without passing out Weiss would press him for information. She nudged Blake's side to prompt her to ask in her stead; Bisset continued to gasp for breath, dabbing his face with a cloth. After his infuriating visit the night before Weiss couldn't gather up enough to care he wouldn't be able to speak either.
When the Meera pushed her hand away Weiss frowned, nudging her friend's arm again. Blake had begun to stare at the bridge above them, ears perked at attention. Dreading the expression on her face Weiss held her rapier at the ready, arm trembling more from fatigue than nerves.
Had the Magi found them already? After she was so certain they'd have gotten away…
Something landed in a puddle behind her. Weiss had barely turned her head when Blake darted past her, pressing a small woman against the side of the canal. With one arm pressed to the newcomer's chest Blake held a dagger to her neck, the tip pressing into the hood hiding the girl's face.
Her friend hissed and Weiss' eyes noticed the dagger held between Blake and the mystery woman, aimed squarely for her heart. Neither moved. Weiss hesitated to raise her weapon and just as she had begun to Bisset clapped his hands, making her jump, shameful embarrassment rushing to her face.
"There you are! Gods, could you have made any more of a scene?" The man shook his head, removing his cap to smooth his hair. "You can relax, kitty cat, she's with us."
Blake narrowed her eyes at the insult and kept her weapon steady. "Tell her to get her knife out of my chest then."
"You might want to get yours from her neck? Do as you say, not as you do… Or however it goes."
Weiss couldn't say she trusted Bisset as far as she could throw him. That said, given the alternatives, she'd play along with whatever this was for the time being. Lowering her own weapon, she placed a hand on Blake's shoulder and tried to ease her back. "It's okay… They wouldn't have bothered getting us this far just to attack us."
At least she didn't think so. It would be an awfully elaborate way of trying to kill them.
Blake did back off, although she kept her dagger raised until well out of the woman's reach. Weiss couldn't blame her; she had half a mind to hold the girl at swordpoint too; after the Magi she wasn't feeling especially trustworthy.
The moment a blade was no longer to her neck the shorter woman twirled her dagger, sheathing it in her cloak and dusting herself off. Weiss wasn't sure why. Her black trousers looked brand new, not a thread out of place, and what she could make out of the pink doublet - a weirdly vibrant color, she looked more kept together than the rest of them. Only the girls boots, scuffed with dried… Blood on the toes suggested she wasn't some nobleman's daughter out for a stroll.
Well, that and the dagger.
And the blood.
"Fantastic work!" Lord Bisset pushed Weiss aside, nearly into the green water, patting the woman's head and chuckling when his hand was swatted aside. "You've lost them, yes? You're absolutely certain you weren't tailed?"
Pulling back her hood and flicking her hair the girl, or woman - Weiss wasn't sure, she seemed rather young, smirked. Instead of verbally answering she snapped her fingers, tilting her head and winking. Was that a yes or was that meant to be suggestive?
Something about the girl was strikingly familiar. The violet eyes were like Yang's, albeit a tad darker, and the crimson hair she couldn't remember from anywhere else. Weiss stared, tapping one of her feet as she wracked her brain for an answer.
"This… This is your daughter?"
"My daughter?" Bisset blinked owlishly before smiling, smacking his forehead. "Ah, of course! Yes, yes, my daughter."
Blake pulled a face and shuddered. "Zorander forbid… You procreated?"
"I take grave offense to that, young lady!" The nobleman turned on his heel and wandered back under the bridge. "Or I might if she were my daughter. Neo, would you be a dear and open the door? I'd like to get out of this wretched canal."
Neo? Door? Weiss looked around for any trace of an entryway. Smooth stone walls to their left, slow moving, gangrene water to her right carrying trash and scraps in its languid currents.
Neo, as if that was her actual name - Weiss hardly cared at this point, nodded and skipped past them. With a twirl of her wrist and snap of her fingers a section of wall beneath the bridge began to warp, rippling like the surface of water before sparkling. With the faint sound of glass breaking it began to crack before finally disappearing with a shatter. Loud, but with the shouting above it went unheard by anyone but them.
Gawking as the peculiar girl skipped into the entryway Blake nudged her shoulder, nodding back the way they had come. Weiss had half a mind to agree with the idea. There was enough of a crowd now that she doubted the Magi would try attacking them again. Besides that there were Hunters present, ones she could trust.
Assuming they weren't in on the attacks themselves.
"Ladies, I do insist you follow us," Bisset urged, making a sweeping gesture across his chest as he smiled. "It's much less filthy inside and I'd rather not test our luck." His smile faded and his nose crumpled. "Seriously though, might we go in? I'm afraid I'll vomit if we wait."
Weiss didn't consider Bisset to be any kind of threat. Neo was an unknown, but with Blake in tow she felt confident they would be able to handle any unwelcome surprises. Her friend was incredulous when she stepped toward the doorway and lingered at the precipice before hanging her head, mumbling about 'insanity' as they trudged inside.
Same, Blake. Same.
Inside the… Weiss wasn't sure what to call it actually. It wasn't part of the sewer system, evident by the fact that everything inside was dry.
Since when did an underground room have wooden flooring and painted walls?
The air crackled and Weiss' jaw dropped watching the entrance seal again, shimmering before being replaced by a door. Hesitant, she stepped closer to it and reached out, fingertips grazing the doorknob before she grabbed it. When no one moved to stop her she twisted and pushed the door open, stepping back and staring, dumbstruck.
Where a canal had stretched out before them a garden now stood, beds of yellow tulips and blooming lilacs organized into tidy square beds. A stone pathway led away from the door and Weiss eased her foot out, tapping the nearest step and blinking slowly. It was solid. Real.
"We… I…"
"Could you close the door? I hate when insects get inside, they're always such a nuisance!"
Lord Bisset handed his jacket off to a servant, a woman who didn't remotely seem as perplexed as she or Blake looked. Sharing a dumbfounded look she shook her head, shutting the door and walking into the den they now found themselves in. As if it was the most casual turn of events in the world the nobleman sat in a leather armchair, cracked open a tin case, and retrieved a cigar from inside. The girl, Neo, skipped to the desk at the far end of the room and sat on the edge, swinging her legs and smiling.
"Much better! You don't mind if I smoke, right?" He'd already lit the cigar before asking and took a long drag, sinking into his chair with a satisfied sigh. Weiss could only continue to stare, her blank expression not changing even as Bisset smiled at her. "You must have questions, and luckily for you I have answers."
Yeah, she might have some questions.
Just one or two.
/+/+/+/+/+/
Weiss, regretfully, had no shortage of enemies.
The White Fang was among them, but she'd stricken them from her list of suspects right away. They hadn't been Faunus so far as she could tell and, more importantly, they had managed to get into and presumably out of the city without issue. If an operative had made it into the capital, then Ozpin certainly would have acted more aggressively.
There were bandits. Raven, potentially, but also the woman Amber and her misfit crew. That seemed even less likely than the White Fang, however.
Nobility hated her because she had been born out of wedlock to a prestigious Atlesian family. The man her mother had slept with had no name, or if he had it had been stricken from the annals of history; no number of letters or research had ever provided any evidence as to who her father was.
If not for Archbishop Ironwood's intervention she'd have been thrown to the wolves, literally. Then, in an effort to spare her misfortune she had been sent to Vale to train and become a Hunter. Ozpin took over parental duties as did other proctors. Weiss had the Church to shield her, always.
Yet now, if Lord Bisset was to be believed, even her lifelong vanguard was now turning against her.
A grandfather clock chimed unceasingly in the room, it's heavy hands striking low, somber tones with each swing. Weiss' ears strained in the deathly silence of the room, listening to her own heartbeat, Blake's measured breaths. More than once Neo shifted on the desk behind the nobleman, never moving but seeming impatient. She lifted her head and Bisset smiled at her, silently encouraging her to ask questions.
"What you claim makes no sense…" As did most of what she'd been told as of late. "You're saying that Wardens attacked us. Wardens," Weiss reiterated. "The selfsame group of Hunters who are responsible for maintaining the barriers around settlements."
"At the risk of repeating myself, yes, that's exactly what I said," the nobleman replied.
"They maintain barriers though! They aren't some… Hired blades."
"I've never heard of them before now," Blake added, hands clasped together in her lap. "I encountered Hunters when I was with the Fang, never ones like those," she continued, leaning forward in her chair.
"Hm… Well, it's quite simple really: the Church never saw fit to send them after you. Maybe they didn't deem you a large enough threat to warrant it. Or perhaps they assumed some of their more veteran members could deal with you." Bisset shrugged, sipping the amber ale, lips puckering before he placed the glass aside.
"Doesn't much matter in the end. The duo you saw were Wardens through and through. And I hate to burst your bubble, Weiss, but they do in fact work as mercenaries. Of course, that isn't quite as advertised as being the 'protectors of Vale!'," he waved his hands dramatically. "Calling them assassins isn't going to paint a pretty picture for your organization now is it?"
Admittedly not, but then the Church hardly seemed to care about discretion. She and Blake had been attacked in broad daylight; the section of the city they were in had been less densely populated than others but there had to have been witnesses still. People would ask questions.
Assuming the Church didn't silence those who asked about it.
To get her mind off the morbid line of thought Weiss tried to find interest in Bisset's study. Grand and opulent as the space might have been it did little to distract her. A sealed cabinet with amber liquors, some pale, others blue and green, sat between two high rectangular windows. Trees swayed silently outside the panes and she watched a squirrel scurry along a branch before disappearing into the canopy.
Second floor. Greenery. Weiss bit her lip and continued searching, content to let her eyes wander in the growing silence. She caught Neo's mismatched gaze and the woman smirked at her, winking and waving. She's not disguised. Somewhere that they feel safe, then.
They had been ferried to this location by some kind of magic - if going from the filthy canals to a spotless study hadn't made that obvious enough. Were they inside the city? Outside of it?
Lord Bisset had opted to risk himself and help them. Generous, sure, but Weiss doubted his altruism. Raven hadn't helped them out of the goodness of her heart, and she doubted O'Rourke's sudden generosity in giving her a new outfit wasn't to come with some stipulations either.
"Why help us? You're risking yourself by doing this, aren't you?"
"And what Will the Church do? Have me killed?" Apparently, they tried to kill me, so you're hardly immune. Weiss kept the quip to herself. "Jokes aside I have contingencies in place in case they do decide I become a nuisance."
"Okay, but why help us? What do you have to gain from it?" Blake asked.
"What, a man can't do a good deed for the day?"
"They can but you're not. My rapier, giving us notice about the meetings, and now saving us from supposed assassins. These aren't just small favors: wealthy or not my weapon cost a fortune, and now you're giving the Church reason to come after you as well. You wouldn't do all of that without reward for yourself."
"Ah… Saw right through me, did you? Fine, fine, I'll admit that I do have my reasons. Oh, don't look at me like that, I'm not going to run in circles and make you chase answers. My reasoning is simple: helping you hurts the Church." Bisset held out his hands and grinned. "You girls know the truth about magic, what it does. One of you has the ear of the Conglomerate, the other has connections to not one, but two Archbishops. Your little friends have quite a bit going for them as well."
"My associates and I are very interested in seeing things… Shaken up a bit. We're not overly fond of the Church or the way it conducts business, so we seek chances to make changes where we can. You girls have connections, you have experience already that some Hunters never get, and to top it all off you have no real ties holding you down. At least not you two."
"Wait, you mentioned our friends," Weiss interjected. "Who are you speaking about exactly?"
"Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long, of course! Or should I call her 'Wildfire'?"
Blake snorted, frowning as she settled back in her seat. "She hates that nickname."
"And I hate that I hit my head whenever I pass through a low doorway," Bisset chuckled. Neo giggled silently and rasped her knuckles against her own head. "You have to admit that it's hardly the worst thing she could be called. And from what I understand it is rather apt."
"Who are your associates, exactly? Or do you plan to play coy?"
"Hardly. I didn't drag you two here to play with mystique and speak in hyperboles. You've already met one of them, I believe. Our dear Raven Branwen." Weiss and Blake gaped, hands going for their weapons. "Easy, easy! We share a similar goal but that's about it. I don't actually work for her, or vice versa. Sure, we speak now and again… And by 'speak' I mean she typically barks at me, but we mostly work alone."
Neo stuck out her tongue and pulled down her lower eyelid, pulling a grimace before shaking her head. Clearly not a fan, then.
"There are plenty of us throughout the four kingdoms that dislike the Church. Its monopoly on magic, the way it makes the kingdoms bend to its whims." Bisset wagged a finger at them. "And you had best believe that happens, girls. Or did you sincerely believe that an organization with as much power as the Church of Remnant couldn't influence things?"
"And you're any better? You let Grimm loose in the city!" Weiss snapped. "How? Why? You put innocent people at risk by doing that!"
Bisset tilted his head, then gasped and slapped his knee. "Ah, you mean those Grimm!" What other Grimm would I be referring to you imbecile?! "There were no Grimm in the city. Just as my dear daughter isn't really my daughter." He smiled knowingly and tapped the side of his head. "Illusions, ladies. Wonderfully useful class of magic, and Neo happens to be spectacular with it. I still haven't done anything wrong here beyond frightening a few people."
"Don't talk as though you're free of blame. The last I checked the Church isn't the group responsible for how Faunus are treated, or deciding which towns are protected and which are left to the Grimm." Blake scowled. "No, last I checked that was all left to the nobility to decide."
"And I still find it difficult to believe that the people who attacked us were Wardens. Ozpin asked me to become one before we left for our mission. I would have inevitably learned much of the information I did by working as one. There's no reason to kill me for it now. And he gave Blake a chance to fight instead of having her executed. Why bother with that if he was just going to have her killed?"
"If I can make a guess? Once you were a Warden you'll be held even firmer than you are now. Right now? You're a flight risk. You know things and he has less to tie you down; only your oath is keeping you in the city." And her friends. Plus, conspiracy or not, Vale was her home. She wasn't so keen as to abandon it on conjecture and assumptions. "As for Miss Belladonna? She had no choice but to agree, and if she died it was of no great loss to the Church. Rather than risk one of its own it conscripted you, yes?"
"Of course," Bisset added, crossing one leg over the other. "If you think I'm just blowing hot air then you're welcome to question the Archbishop yourself, although I'd advise against it."
"As for how other races are treated, well, I never claimed that we were saints did I? Yes, the policies are of our making." Bisset held a hand up when Blake growled. "When I say that I don't mean me specifically, Belladonna. I'm not influential enough to actually form laws. And sure, poverty is a terrible thing, and the slums are simply dreadful to look at, but at least we let the people live in the city. They're safe."
Safe, yes, but it was hard to appreciate that when you lived in squalor. Bisset had to have seen the children in tattered clothing playing in mud, or how isolated the Faunus were despite being in the city. Being safe seemed nice until you considered how marginalized and poorly treated the entire group was. Even the slums housing Murans and Ydrans were somehow nicer than the Faunus' district.
"You want us to trust you, that much is clear. Why should we though? You've given us plenty to consider and you've tried bribing me." Weiss had accepted the rapier on Bisset's behalf after all. The weight on her hip was a reminder of that. "The Church forbids accepting gifts from nobility and I'm beginning to see why."
"A rule that you've violated a few times now, haven't you?"
"Because you believe material goods will earn our trust," Weiss went on, ignoring her obvious blunders with a slight blush. "I'll accept perhaps that magic has unintended side effects, but it's still done better than harm. And I've received nothing but disdain and animosity from nobles since my birth," she gestured to Blake. "Blake has made an enemy of them while in the White Fang. How can we trust it wasn't some noble that attacked us? You have your own Magi, after all. Stealing a cloak or fashioning one wouldn't be that difficult."
"All fair points. And I can't say that every one of my fellows are keen about either of your successes. I know quite a few openly expressed disdain when the King declared you'd be pardoned." Bisset chuckled. "You should have seen when he announced he'd be holding an audience with you. I thought a few of them would have a stroke then and there."
"Hilarious." It kind of was. Weiss would be lying if she didn't want to see nobles squirm. She took another glance at Neo and raised an eyebrow. "We've already established that 'Emilia' here isn't who you said she was so we have one instance of you lying to us already. So, tell us, are you truly who you claim to be? If you want us to trust you -"
"When I said you were perceptive before it had been in passing. I see that it was accurate," Bisset interrupted. "I suppose it would go a ways to show I'm on your side though. Very well…" The nobleman stood, adjusting his coat before sweeping an arm across his chest and one leg behind the other. He bowed deeply, having to use one hand to secure his hat on his head.
"Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, allow me to formally introduce myself. My name is Alexandre Bisset. Nobleman, connoisseur of life's finer things, and if I dare say, ladies man."
"I've seen better," Blake muttered.
"You wound me! And here I thought some honesty would be appreciated." Bisset smiled, tipping his cap before offering a hand to Weiss. "There, that's over and done with. You have my name now, satisfied?"
"Hardly." Weiss brushed the man's hand aside, frowning. "Fine, play your games. You're just giving us less and less reason to trust you."
"You would still trust the Church then?"
"They've perhaps deceived me, yes, but they still haven't tried to harm me." Unless Bisset's claims were true they had never attempted to injure her. Only nobles. People like him. Weiss stood from her chair, hands resting on her hips. "So no, I don't quite trust you."
"I'm hardly sworn to the Church, but Weiss has a point: everything you've said sounds convenient for you. Too convenient."
"Again, I find myself at a loss! Assuming my associates haven't had any luck convincing your friends, well… Perhaps a meeting with His Majesty will change your minds."
"You sent someone after Ruby and Yang?" Weiss tensed, narrowing her eyes. If he dared to harm either of them…
"You make it sound like I had someone attack them! Yes, I asked a friend of mine to speak to them, but only that. Considering how well our discussion went I don't imagine they'll have been swayed either. Shame, but at least I tried."
Blake snorted, shaking her head and sharing a skeptical look with Weiss. "If it's all the same we'll be leaving now. If you'll excuse us…"
"I'd not recommend walking back. We're a bit away from the city at the moment. I can have one of my drivers take you home if you'd like?"
"Away from the city?"
Bisset smiled knowingly, tipping his cap before leaving the study. Weiss and Blake followed, passing down a well-lit hallway adorned with chandeliers, landscape paintings, and with windows flooding the passage with natural lights.
"Not terribly far, but it would take an hour or two to make the trip back," Bisset explained, taking them through a small arboretum. Violet geraniums, blooming bluebells, and lattices with ivy snaking skyward filled the space. Weiss noticed a few Faunus servants pruning the plants, decidedly more well-dressed than anyone she'd seen in the slums. "Again, you're welcome to walk, but it might be risky too."
"If you decide to stage an attack again, you mean?" Blake said accusingly.
"Think what you will but don't say I didn't warn you. I do hope you appreciate what you're risking by going back."
Weiss, skeptical, rolled her eyes. "I think we'll take our chances."
The foyer was as unnecessarily opulent as she'd expect from a nobleman's home, even a fake. The marbled floor, so polished she could see her reflection, squeaked under foot as they walked. Bisset stopped to speak with one of his servants - did they know the truth, Weiss wondered. The woman nodded and hurried outside ahead of them. From behind Neo skipped to the door, opening it with an exaggerated bow and ushering them out silently.
"Well, hopefully we'll speak again soon. Perhaps at the ceremony." Not if Weiss could help it. "Emilia, and yes, the actual Emilia, will see you two to the city. Give my regards to your friends when you get there, hm?"
Weiss doubted Ruby or Yang would know Bisset from a hole in the wall. Humoring him anyway she nodded, not bothering to share parting words as she marched outside. Immaculately trimmed hedges funneled them along a granite-slab walkway and more servants, Murans, for their lack of animalistic features and rounded ears, made up the bulk of them. A few acknowledge them but most were engrossed in their work.
A wrought iron gate between two stone pillars swung open soundlessly for them and a carriage drawn by a pair of mares sallied forth to gather them, Emilia, a young woman with strawberry blonde hair, sitting at the reins with a tentative smile. These people are probably oblivious that they're being duped. Weiss spared a smile and thanks for the woman, waving off an offer to be helped into the vehicle.
She wasn't some hapless klutz who couldn't work a door herself.
Weiss tugged on the handle and flushed when the door didn't budge.
"Erm… The latch under the handle, miss. You needs pull it to open the door…"
More whispering her thanks this time Weiss climbed in, settling into the soft, rose red cushions that lined the benches inside. Blake sat opposite her and she frowned seeing two daggers drawn, set to either side of her. Signaling they were ready to go the carriage lurched forward gently, the sound of hooves striking packed dirt signaling their departure.
Unable to help herself Weiss shifted closer to the door and drew back the curtain, peering out at the manor. Sure enough Bisset and Neo stood at one of the front windows, waving to them with polite smiles. As far as Weiss was concerned it was like having a Grimm smile at you.
A con man pretending to be a noble. Did he think that was going to help sway my opinion of him? Blake shifted across from her and Weiss raised an eyebrow, shooing her when the Faunus grabbed one of her daggers. Unless they were under attack, she didn't need the stress of Blake being armed.
"Let's just go meet Ruby and Yang. We can see what he said to them and discuss it." Blake nodded and set her daggers back down. She didn't sheathe them though and Weiss rubbed her forehead, exasperated. Settling back against the seat she stared out the window, watching the stone wall and shaped hedges of Bisset's estate disappear, giving way to swaying grass and the occasional tree.
Ruby's not a complete dolt, and Yang's sharper than she lets on. They won't have bought into his drivel, surely.
/+/+/+/+/+/
Yang was cold.
Before she even opened her eyes that was a sign that something was drastically wrong. The fire that burned inside of her, that kept her unseasonably warm, was gone. A sensation like ice running through her veins made her shudder and Yang opened her mouth to call out to someone, only to emit a raspy, weary groan.
Something soft beneath her supported her side and she realized she was laying down. Forcing heavy eyelids to part she blinked against the low lighting, licking her lips and giving her vision a moment to focus itself.
This wasn't the farm.
That should be obvious from the grey stone wall staring back at her yet it still took her languid brain a moment to process that fact. While her vision swam her other senses proved more reliable. She could hear the faint crackle of torches nearby, the shifting of chains and rustling of blankets.
A cold grasp on her wrist made her shiver and she glanced down, lifting her hands and staring at the manacles around her wrists.
Oh.
Pushing herself up slowly and wincing at a sharp pain in the back of her head she swayed, planting her feet on a cold stone floor. Licking her lips again she looked around her new surroundings. Stone walls in three directions, a cell door, no windows. Above there was stone, and below, stone. Even if she'd had her fire there'd be little chance of burning her way out of the room.
The pain in her skull made her wince and she leaned forward, resting her forehead in her hands and rubbing to try and ease the discomfort. Her feet shuffled and she heard more chains rattle. "Fuck…"
What exactly had happened? She'd gone to Cress farms with Ruby, ridden on the horse. They'd been having fun, for the most part, and they had planned on going to the markets afterwards.
Except they never made it there, did they?
Yang's eyes shot open and she rose to her feet quickly. Too quickly. Vertigo hit like a runaway carriage and she lurched forward, vision going dark as she collapsed to her knees. Quelling her swirling stomach, she puffed up her cheeks, choked back bile, then focused on breathing in and out and not the awful taste in the back of her throat.
Where was Ruby? Was she okay? Was she in another cell? Deciding against standing again she crawled across the floor, chains scraping and dragging behind her. Once she reached the cell doors, she grabbed them and pressed her face against metal, straining to see anything from her hovel.
No other cells were sealed. No one was inside then. Yang couldn't decide if that was good or bad.
She needed to get out. Wherever Ruby was couldn't be safe. Someone had locked her away, knocked her out too if the incessant throb in her head was anything to go by. Her sister wouldn't have taken that lying down. If she fought back too…
Gods dammit! Come on, magic! Work with me! Yang clenched her trembling hands tighter around the bars, gritting her teeth. Her arm was bandaged again, she realized. Her palm tingled and she saw blood beginning to leak into the wrappings. Fucking. Work. Come on!
Her arms trembled. She could feel the magic around her. Her body tensed in anticipation, every fiber expecting the sudden surge of energy that came with spellcraft. She just needed to channel small flames, enough to burn the bars, or weaken them to break. If she could just slip out and find Ruby…
The air crackled around her and static erupted from the bars. Yang yelped, her body seizing up as electricity shot through her. With a resounding crack she was thrown back across her cell, hitting the wall with a silent scream of pain. Agonized, she slumped down and hung her head, ears ringing, hands and limbs twitching involuntarily at the assault. Through messy bangs she looked up and paled seeing scores of runes lighting up around her cell, an invisible wall of them appearing between the bars.
"Oh, bet she won't try that again."
"I don't know, she seems kind of stupid."
Who were they talking about? Oh right, her.
Yang blinked slowly and lifted her head, struggling to focus on the pair outside of her cell. Had they always been there? Or had they come running after she set off the runes?
"Do you think that fried her brain?"
One of the girls laughed. "I don't think she had one to begin with."
"Listen, you bitch," was what Yang tried to say. What came out was slurred and incomprehensible. At least her limbs had stopped twitching, that was nice. Shame she couldn't do anything about feeling like she was submerged in ice though.
Her vision cleared up and Yang blinked slowly, doing a double take and leaning forward. Either there were twins in front of her or her head had taken a bigger hit than she'd thought. Would one person be talking to themselves? Heh, and they were saying she had no brain. She'd have laughed if her throat didn't feel like she'd been gargling glass.
"Oh, she didn't get knocked out!" One of the girls knelt down and smiled, torchlight reflecting off her emerald green eyes. "Guess you really are stronger than you look! When they brought you down here I thought you'd die for sure."
"Come on, Miltia, we're not supposed to be talking to her."
The kneeling twin huffed and glared at her sister. "Oh screw off, Melanie. I'm just having a little fun!" She turned back to Yang and smirked. "We deserve it after the headache that was hauling your top-heavy ass down here."
Melanie rolled her eyes, tossing back finely combed locks of black. Yang wasn't focusing on the girls' looks too much though. The white cloaks they wore had stolen all of her attention.
Almost falling off the wall she crawled back towards the cell, arms trembling to support her weight. Melanie took a step back. Miltia remained right where she was, going so far as to applaud and cheer for Yang's efforts. She almost made it to the bars before her arms gave out, slumping forward and groaning as her cheek pressed against the floor.
"Huh, I take that back, looks like you're bottom heavy too!"
Could she have her fire back? Pretty please. She didn't even need to escape right now. Just enough to burn that mouthy girl's hair off.
Yang's hands flexed at her sides and magic again denied her, swirling around her cell but unable to pass through. Finding the sensation of spellcasting failing to be nauseating she gave up, grunting as she pushed herself up onto her forearms and lifted her head.
"Where…" she rasped out, coughing. "Where… Am…"
"A cell, duh," Melanie replied. "Need to know basis, blondie, and you don't need to know. So… Just go back to bed already!"
Like hell I will! Yang pushed herself up enough to fall back onto her backside, slouching forward. She grit her teeth as her head throbbed again then forced a smile. "Come… In…" She curled a finger at the twins. "Say that… To… My face…"
"Pass. You smell really bad right now and the cell is a little cramped for more than one." Miltia hopped to her feet and dusted off her cloak. "Now that you're awake, though, we can have food sent down. You like food, right? Looks like you do!"
"Bitch…" Not the most eloquent of curses but hey, she managed to say it this time. Both twins smiled at her, waving before starting to walk off.
"Enjoy your stay! Try not to ruin the cell!" Miltia called back, voice echoing off the empty chambers.
Yang's posture slumped further, and she hung her head, squeezing her eyes shut.
White cloaks. The same people who had attacked her and Ruby back on the farms. Were the twins the same ones? Fuzzy as her memory was right now she was confident they weren't. The ones who had attacked were larger, less mouthy too. Not the same ones, but the same group. Where did she recognize those cloaks from though? They seemed awfully familiar.
Her head bobbed and Yang fought to keep herself upright. Her whole body was cold and just keeping her eyelids open was a struggle. She wasn't dying - she'd come close enough to know that much, but that didn't make it any less worrisome.
A new white cloak stood in front of her cell, though Yang could only see the bottom of it and a pair of muddied boots. She tried to lift her head and a glowing blue hand reached out towards her. Words died on her lips and she fell over, world fading to black.
/+/+/+/+/+/
"You can't keep me here forever!"
"You're not wrong, but I can keep you here as long as the boss says to."
Ruby huffed, stepping to her right. Junior mirrored her movements, keeping his arms folded, which was helpful. What wasn't helpful was the jerk was as wide as the door! Cutting to her left she scowled when he followed again, trying to fake him out and go left, then right.
"Can't you just sit back down? I don't want to be here anymore than you do."
"Then let me go!" Ruby protested. "I just want to see my sister!"
"And you'll see her when she's ready. Until someone comes by and says she's good to go though…" Junior leaned against the door and frowned. Ruby mirrored the expression and stomped her foot, then grabbed the man's arm and tried to pull him away.
If anyone had ever tried pushing a healthy tree over then they'd probably find it a futile effort. Ruby's cheeks puffed and she dug in her heels, struggling to find purchase on the carpet. When Junior moved and she felt something give way she nearly celebrated… Until she was lifted off her feet, clutching to the man's arm.
"Sit. Down."
It wasn't a request and Ruby flailed as she was carried back to her bed and dropped on the mattress. Sticking her tongue out at the Magi she slid to the edge of her bed, using the canopy to hide herself from Junior. She closed her eyes, inhaled, and focused.
She could feel the magic around her. Outside the room. As usual it was everywhere, just like air. If air let you create fireballs or, in her case, run faster than anything known to man.
Ruby could feel the magic, but using it was another matter entirely. A bead of sweat rolled down her forehead as she fought to reel it in, imagining invisible lines thrown into the sea of energy. Nothing took. Whatever they had done to her, to the building, it prevented her from pulling in energy. After an unpleasant sense of vertigo overcame her, she exhaled and gave up again, falling back onto the bed in protest.
Junior couldn't use magic either which was nice. Seeing him manipulate plants before might have been really neat if he hadn't used those same powers to kidnap her and Yang.
Him not having magic didn't matter much when she didn't either. In terms of raw physical power, he dwarfed her in more ways than one. Yang could probably beat him - her sister was way stronger than she looked, but Yang wasn't here. In fact Ruby didn't know where Yang was. Junior and the others in the white cloaks insisted Yang was safe, that they were trying to help her.
If that was true, then why couldn't they see each other?
One of the girls from before had said Yang lost control. Ruby knew for a fact that had been wrong! Yang hadn't lost control when fighting Merlot, and even though it had looked scary on the farm she knew her sister hadn't lost control there either. They were going to help Yang, or so they claimed; kidnapping was a weird way of helping someone.
Besides, Weiss was working on it. She used runes, she was smart. If anyone was able to figure out how to undo Merlot's work it would be her.
Ozpin too, probably. Or Oobleck. Or Port, or Goodwitch, or…
Okay, so a lot of people might be able to fix this, but they couldn't trust those people yet, not until they knew for sure.
I just want to see Yang…
Kicking her feet, she swung her legs and stood, wriggling her toes in the admittedly pleasant carpet. Dragging her feet along the red fabric she circled the room, hands folding behind her back. The house they were in - and it had to be a house, no prison had rooms like this, was nice. Like, way nicer than any she'd been in. In some ways it reminded her of the keep only less dusty and abandoned.
So really nothing like the keep.
An armoire with a folding mirror took up almost an entire wall on its own. Ruby paused at it and stared at her reflection, running a hand through her bangs and blowing them from her eyes. She hadn't really been injured before save for a bruise on her neck which was blatant thanks to the dress she wore. A dress! She grumbled and pulled at the cream-colored cloth, kicking one leg and frowning as the flowing skirt engulfed her legs. She hated dresses. Why couldn't they have locked her in a room with real clothes?
Nearby a dresser wide as her arm span and twice as tall loomed before her. It was just filled with more stinky dresses. Well, that and shoes that never in a million years she'd wear: anything elevated was a hazard to her health.
Junior was watching her, again, and Ruby made a point to stick her tongue out again. It wasn't like she was doing anything wrong by walking around, was she? Wandering towards one of the windows, drawing back the cream blinds and blinking at the sunlight that poured through.
Why were the blinds cream too? Red would at least block the light! Or black, even better.
Stupid cream…
A… Tree, because she didn't know what kind it was, practically reached out in offer to help her escape. So long as one ignored the five foot gap between the window itself and the outstretched limb. It looked like it would hold her weight, probably. At the very least she'd be able to swing from it and get out of the room. From there she could get down below…
Three stories down. Ruby wasn't afraid of heights but that didn't mean she was oblivious to what falling would do to her. With magic she'd easily cover the gap and reach the trunk. Without it she'd barely reach the branch. If that branch broke she'd better hope bushes were beneath the tree.
"What are you staring at?"
"Just admiring the view!" Ruby glanced back with a smile, then pressed her face to the glass, straining to see if anything below might salvage a fall. Grass wasn't that soft, not from a third story. "I wonder… H-Hey!"
"Do you think I'm stupid?" Junior asked as he dragged her back to the bed, dumping her on it unceremoniously. Stupid? No, but mean. "There's people outside keeping an eye on you too, for the record. Try and climb out while I'm gone, and they'll grab you."
"Are you helping us or are we prisoners?"
"You're here for your own good, you and your sister both." Junior retook his post by the door and shook his head. "Just relax. When she's done, you'll see your sister and you two can go."
"She?" Ruby pressed, scooting forward on her bed. "You mean the person who's in charge, right?"
"Maybe, maybe not. All you need to worry about is sitting here in this room and waiting, okay?"
No, that wasn't okay. Okay would be getting to see her sister. Okay would be being back in Vale enjoying food with her friends. Okay, Ruby grumbled as her foot caught her dress, would be wearing something that wasn't conspiring to trip her up every second.
Someone was outside too? She couldn't see anyone but then that was probably the point. Were they in the tree or on the ground? Somewhere else entirely? If she could get out of the room, then maybe her magic would work; speed wouldn't amount to much without a destination but it would be a start. The house was huge, sure, but with her magic she could search it in a few minutes. Yang was here somewhere, she'd find her!
"Fine…" She pursed her lips, then folded her arms and turned her chin up. "I'm hungry. Get me something to eat!" She blinked, then rubbed her neck with the smallest smile. "Um… Please?"
Junior stared at her for a long moment, long enough to make her begin to fidget. With a loud sigh he opened the door a hair, pausing to make sure Ruby was firmly planted before opening it enough to step out. "Stay," he ordered, sealing it behind him. "I mean it. Try anything and we will start tying you to the bed."
That was a bluff right? Not a glimmer of humor could be found in Junior's expression. Ruby smiled nervously and nodded, waving until the man finally left. Once she heard the telltale click of a deadbolt she rushed over to the windows and drew the blinds closed.
Perverts.
She'd figure out a way to see Yang. It wasn't like her sister was contagious, and Ruby wasn't stupid either. There was a reason they were keeping them separated. She just didn't know what that was. People who wanted to help didn't start off by attacking you with Magi. A simple 'hello' would have gone much further to convince her of that.
Which in hindsight they did kind of try to do in a roundabout sort of way. Ruby took out another dress, plain white and way too small even for her, turning it over in her hands and stretching it to test the fabric. When the seams held, she smiled, giving it another firm tug just to be sure.
She'd make these awful dresses work for her yet. Putting her selection back she nodded, closing the doors again and heading back to bed.
Her foot caught the dress and Ruby yelped, face planting in the carpet and groaning, muffled by the thick material.
She'd make them work just as soon as they stopped trying to kill her.
Gosh darn it. Don't you hate when you do what you're told and your boss decides to have you imprisoned with their personal hit squad?
I'm sure everything we've been told now is 100% factual. Yep.