Sorry for the delay, been busy with work, and school, and generally been unsatisfied with my own writings. I don't want to put out anything unless I'm confident in its quality.
Combined the Cinder's past chapter with the rest of the chapter based off V5E9.
Ruby sat, fidgeting on her bed.
I-I'm sure Uncle Qrow can explain all of this. H-he's never lied to me about anything before.
She looked up at the sound of knocking at her door.
"It's open," she said. The door creaked open, her uncle entering the room.
"Ivory said you wanted to talk to me about something? Something important?" She nodded, gripping her knees. He closed the door, going to the bed and sitting next to her. "What's bothering you, kiddo?"
She took a breath, gripping her knees tighter.
"What are you not telling me? About my mom?"
Qrow's face changed, his lips parting slightly, a flicker of fear in his eyes.
"What do you mean?"
"You told Yang that you could only bring back my mom's cloak and sword and necklace, but back when you told us about the Maidens and Relics, you said you got her body out of Salem's castle." She let go of one of her knees, grasping the silver rose necklace against her throat. "But my mom's grave is empty."
"I-"
"Why was my mom homeless after having me? Why did Aunt Ivory babysit me when I was a baby? Why did she not know who Yang was, or that I had an older sister?"
"I don't-"
"Why do I have these weird memories of mom's cloak smelling like whiskey? She never drank, and neither did dad."
"Ru-"
"Why does Raven hate me? Why would she be jealous that dad and mom had me if she was with dad first? Why would she get with dad if she was in love with my mom in the first place?"
Qrow sat quietly, unable to look at her. She saw his hand twitch, raising toward his chest before lowering back to his side.
"Uncle Qrow." He looked at her. She took a breath. "What are you hiding from us? From me?"
"I… I can't tell you, kiddo."
"Why not?" He looked away.
"I've done enough terrible things in my life, Ruby. I'm not going to ruin your life." She growled in annoyance, getting to her feet, standing in front of him. He looked further to the side.
"None of this makes any sense, Uncle Qrow! If we have to end up working with Raven or having to fight her, I want to know the truth! I want to know why she hates me! Why she left Yang!"
Qrow stared off into space for a moment before his shaking hand went to his coat pocket, pulling out his flask. He took a long swig from it, whisky dribbling down his chin. He pulled it free from his lips, and pocketed the flask, unable to look at Ruby as he spoke
"You can stop calling me, Uncle, Ruby." His body was trembling as he took a deep breath, and turned, looking at her. "You want to know why Raven hates you? Why Summer was homeless after you were born? Why Tai got with your mom so soon after Raven left him?" He swallowed. "Because I'm… I'm your father."
She inhaled, stepping back, stumbling and falling as she tripped over something behind her.
"Raven and I? We grew up as raiders, bandits, killers. Its's the whole reason we went to Beacon, to learn how to kill Hunters. And when we met your mother… everything changed. We saw a different side of the world because of her. She was kind, nurturing, supportive, she was everything we had never seen in the world. We both fell for her, and I was the one Summer chose. Raven never moved on; she's always been in love with Summer."
"Wanna know why she left Yang and your dad? Because she never loved him. After they tried, and failed, to stop a member of Salem's inner circle, Tai and Raven left, didn't want to be involved in the war. Staying with Tai was an excuse to not be involved in this mess, and when she found a different out, she took it. She loves Yang in her own weird way, but she couldn't live with your dad, she wasn't meant for that type of life he wanted."
"I broke up with Summer after you were born. I was afraid, Ruby, of what might happen to you and her. I was spying on Salem, and that woman Tai and Raven and Summer failed to stop? She's the one whose killed your family, Ruby. Her name is Mother Sable, and she's hunted down every single Rose and killed them for Salem. If I got found out, if my apartment got attacked, I didn't want you and Summer being killed. I thought she'd be safer away from me, safer being a mother to you and Yang with Tai then being anywhere near me."
"Raven doesn't hate you, at least, not you, as you are. She's never met you; she's just built up this image of you in her head, that you're just a miniature version of me. That you're a sad, pathetic, waste of skin who doesn't deserve to live. She doesn't know how wrong she is."
Ruby couldn't move, staring at her unc- her father, in shock. Qrow was quiet, watching her, shame in his eyes.
"I-I…"
She got to her feet, running out of the room, feeling tears drip down.
Yang looked up as a knock came from the door.
"Yang?" Ruby's voice was quiet, and she heard a sniffling.
She got to her feet, going to the door, and pulling it open. Ruby embraced her as soon as the door was open, burying her head in Yang's shoulder. She ran a hand through Ruby's hair, forming her aura arm, wrapping its warmth around Ruby. She walked back, holding onto Ruby, kicking the door shut as she led Ruby to her bed. She stopped next to her bed, and stopped running a hand through Ruby's hair, patting her on the back.
"What's wrong?" she asked. Ruby sniffled, tightening her hug.
"I… I…" she sniffled again. "I'm not feeling good." She said. Yang rested her head on her sisters. "Yang, you… you'll always be my sister, right?"
"Always." Yang broke the hug, resting her hands on Ruby's shoulders. Her silver eyes were puffy, her cheeks wet with tears. Yang frowned. "Where's this coming from?"
Ruby wiped at her eyes, not saying anything for a moment.
"It's nothing."
"No, it's not." She ran her thumb under Ruby's eye, wiping away a tear. "What's bothering you?" she asked. Ruby sniffled, turning her head, Yang's hand falling to the side.
"I was thinking about stuff, about mom, and dad, and…" Ruby hesitated. "And I remembered how upset I got when I found out we had different parents, that Raven is your mom, and how U-Uncle Qrow was there to watch us so much, like he was a dad or something, and how you had to… do all that stuff you did when we were growing up."
Fear and regret, the heartache at the betrayal in her sister's eyes as they lay at that campfire in the middle of a wasteland.
Yang sighed.
"It doesn't matter who my mom is, we will always be sisters, nothing will ever change that."
Yang gasped as Ruby hugged her again, wrapping her arms around her tightly. Her voice was muffled as she spoke
"I'm sorry I'm such a bad sister." Yang looked down at her sister, her face contorted in confusion. Ruby? A bad sister?
"What are you talking about?"
Ruby didn't say anything for a moment, simply holding onto her.
"For keeping secrets from you," she said. She hiccupped before continuing "When I decided to leave and didn't tell you I was leaving. For abandoning you when you needed me the most. After everything you've done for me, how could I keep secrets from you? Stuff that I know would just end up hurting you?"
"Ruby, you're fine. I… I wouldn't have been much help. Like, yeah it sucked not having you around, but you know what?" She pulled Ruby free of her, taking a step back, flexing her aura arm, embers trailing down. "I never would have been able to make this without you." Ruby sniffled.
"Really?" Yang nodded.
"I was in your room when I made it. I don't know if I'll ever be the same or get back to the way I was, but there is one thing that will never change." She smiled. "I will always hold onto you and will always be there to protect you." She ran a hand over the flames that was her aura. "I don't know how I made this, all I know is that it came to me when I was thinking of how brave you were, and how I couldn't be with you, doing the one thing a big sister should always do." She snapped her fingers, sparks spitting out. "Then poof, got a cool arm made of fire."
She hugged Ruby, nuzzling her face against the top of her head.
"So don't worry about any of that stuff anymore, Ruby."
Ruby hugged her back, sniffling.
"I love you, sis."
She looked up from Ruby at a knock at the door. The door opened a second later, Qrow standing in the doorway. She felt Ruby stiffen somewhat as she turned and looked at their uncle. He rubbed the back of his head, not meeting either of their gazes.
"I got a call from Lionheart. He wants you and I to go see him in two days. Said he's managed to convince a few members of the Council to recall some of the Hunters out on deployment."
Two days. Go with Ruby. Bring weapons.
Yang narrowed her eyes.
"Why does he want Ruby to go with you?" she asked. He shrugged.
"Said she's the most experienced Hunter in training that we have, and since she's the leader of team RNPR, figured she would be able to give her team orders after we get our assignment." He ran a hand through his hair. "I don't think they know that you or Weiss are here with us now, or that Oscar is Oz."
Good
She nodded.
"I think we should all go with you two." Qrow cocked his head.
"Why? Sounds like it'll be boring as shit."
"Just trust me on this, okay?" Qrow finally looked at them directly, looking into her eyes. He exhaled through his nose and nodded.
"Alright, I trust ya, firecracker."
Leo lowered the scroll from his ear, setting it on the desk. Cinder turned the obsidian blade against his throat, tilting his head back to look at her.
"Well?" she asked.
"He said he would come and bring Ruby with him." Cinder smiled, the obsidian dagger disintegrating, turning to black ash. She stepped back, watching him smugly. He rubbed his throat, scowling at her.
"I don't seem to recall Salem telling me that she would be destroying my school. In fact, that seems to go against my entire agreement with her."
"Plans have changed, be lucky we even told you before blowing this place to pieces." He moved his hand from his throat, resting it on the wrist of his other hand. He moved his fingers over his watch, his Dust launcher, hoping it looked discrete.
"I fail to see anything I could gain to benefit from this. I agreed to let Salem have her Relic and Maiden, and she leaves my school, my kingdom, my people, alone." Just a little longer. "Was this always a part of Salem's plan or are you-"
He screamed, pain shooting through his body as Cinder twisted the dagger she had plunged into his hand.
"You're in no position to barter, Lionheart." He hissed, feeling liquid Dust seeping from his broken watch, mingling with his blood as it began to pool, burning against his wound. Cinder stepped away, the blade pinning his hands to the table. "Do you know what my first experience with a Hunter was, Lionheart? One you probably trained?" He shook his head. Cinder laughed. "He was paid off by Clan Branwen and Comhachag, helped destroy my village and did nothing to stop those Comhachag bastards from making me into this." She turned, showing her back. The red dress she wore was cut low on her back, showing off her shoulders. He grimaced at the black tattoo between her shoulder blades- the mark of a pleasure slave. She turned, looking back at him. "The Hunters are scum, and I cannot wait to watch this place burn."
She walked away from his desk, her glass heels clicking against the wooden floor. She paused in the doorway and snapped her fingers. He yelped as the obsidian blade faded away, black ash drifting onto his desk. He stared at the mess that was his hand and wrist as the door clicked shut.
Melanie left the crepe stand, humming as she went to her sister, handing Miltia the dark chocolate and raspberry ice cream crepe she had wanted.
"Thanks," Miltia said, taking a tentative bite from it. Melanie bit down on her own crepe, mint chocolate chip. She turned, looking over the busy streets as she chewed.
People bustled around her; the night skies illuminated with the neon lights of all the different high-class shops of the Upper Levels of Mistral City. The people walking around her wore the colorful robes and intricate hair styles of the Upper Citizens, and she hid her smile at the occasional lolita that passed by; nice to know there were others who still used their fashion to escape people's expectations.
She rubbed hand on her stomach, the old pains a phantom on her memory.
He never did like seeing her dress this way.
"You alright?" Melanie looked over at Miltia, who had her head cocked.
"Yeah, fine." She said. Miltia said nothing for a moment and looked back over the crowd of people.
"You always do that, when you're thinking about him," She said. Miltia sighed.
"I hadn't noticed." She took a bite of her crepe, chewing slowly. "I know my semblance can block out any pain, but..." She took another bite, chewed, and swallowed. "It's funny, how numb I could make myself, but he still could hurt me." She turned, looking at her sister. "I know I asked you to come with me, but…"
"But?"
"If you don't want to see her, I'm okay with you staying at the hotel." Miltia frowned. "I just… I just needed to know you would be nearby, encase she really doesn't care. Knowing you were here in the city if I needed a shoulder to cry on."
Miltia sighed, and looked back over at the crowd of people, taking a bite from her crepe.
"I really don't want to see her again," she said. She looked down before looking over at her, offering a smile. "But I want to be there for you."
Melanie smiled back.
Roman climbed the stairs, the sounds of the tv muffled as it played in the other room.
He stopped in front of her door, he could vaguely see her outline, a dark shape against the light. He slid the door open, standing in the doorway.
Neo was drawing, her back to him as she sat at her desk. Discarded bits of paper sat across the wooden floor, many of the discarded papers having landed on the pink rug in the middle of the room. The frilly pink curtains she had had been drawn shut, blocking out the streetlights of the Lower Levels.
"Neo," he said. Her pencil stopped. She looked back at him, cocking her head. She set her pencil aside, signing at him
"Yes? What is it"
"What did you paint a few days ago?" She pursed her lips, thinking for a moment before signing
"I don't remember." Roman frowned.
"Really? That's funny because they're talking about what you painted on the news." He stepped toward her. "I thought I told you, not to do anything like that."
Neo looked away.
"He deserved it," she signed.
"He probably did! But I don't care about that, Neo!" She wouldn't look at him. He growled and snapped his fingers at her. "Look at me when I'm talking to you!" She didn't move. "Neo!"
"Fine!" She got out of her seat, standing in front of him, scowling.
"You can't just kill people you don't like! We don't have a safety net anymore, Neo! We can't break the law and get away with it like we used to! We don't have Nero! We don't have Cinder! What happens if they find out you killed him? What happens when they realize who I am?"
"I can just kill them too!"
"No! You can't! You will get arrested! You will be killed! You're a Faunus, Neo! They wouldn't think twice about killing you for what you did!"
Neo's lip quivered, her signing shaky.
"I want to work with Cinder again. She can protect us, she ca-"
"She doesn't care about us, Neo." Neo frowned.
"But she-"
"You think Cinder is so great? You think she got us out of that shithole we were hiding in out of the goodness of her heart?" Roman laughed, Neo's frown turning to a look of confusion. "She was gonna rat us out to Nero if I didn't agree to work with her. She was going to let Nero and his men do whatever they had planned if I didn't help her." Neo's lips parted, disbelief in her eyes. She shook her head.
"I don't believe you."
"And I don't care if you believe me or not! We will not work with her again. We're just going to run our little ice cream shop and try to get an honest living!" he yelled. Neo said nothing. Roman rubbed his eyes, sighing. "Just… just please try to be normal, Neo." He lowered his hand, flinching at the sight in front of him.
Neo was staring at him, her expression unreadable, her multicolored eyes icy.
"You sound like mom." She signed. He sighed.
"I didn't mean it like that," He said. "I just want you to be safe. And only way for that to happen is to stop killing people. If you really need to vent out your anger, just… just draw weird shit. I'm sure you can make money selling stuff like that to weirdos."
Neo said nothing, still staring at him, her gaze cold.
"Fine," she signed.
Miltia crossed her arms as she walked alongside Melanie.
She had never been to her mother's work before; she knew it was a high-class place, but she never had a reason to visit it before. She cocked an eye at the chic, expensive décor. At all the colorful robes and intricate hairstyles contrasted by the cold sharpness of the white suites and short cuts of the SDC members. Soft fusion jazz played, glasses clinking, her mother's Spiders weaving their way around the room as they refilled drinks, and handed out food, listening in on conversations all the while.
Melanie stopped, and Miltia stopped as well, looking at her sister. Melanie was looking ahead, chewing on her lip, gripping her arms. Miltia sighed and followed her sisters' line of sight.
She really let herself go
Her mother had gotten much heavier since she had seen her. She had always appreciated her mother's interior decoration skill, but Dust was she still terrible at dressing herself. Hideous purples and gold decorating a white dress that did nothing for her figure. That outfit certainly didn't compliment the jet-black hair or lime green eyes she had either. She was talking to someone Miltia didn't recognize, some SDC woman.
She felt Melanie grab her hand. She squeezed before looking over at Melanie. Melanie swallowed; she could feel a slight tremble in her sisters hand. Miltia nodded at her. Melanie took a breath and exhaled before nodding back.
Miltia kept a tight grip on her hand as she led them toward their mothers table. The SDC woman left the table, mumbling something as she passed by them. Melanie hesitated as two large guards stepped in their way.
"You have business with Lil Miss Malachite?" the one on the right asked.
"Y-yes," Melanie managed to say.
Miltia heard a chair groan, and the guards grunted as they were shoved aside.
Their mother stood before them, disbelief in her green eyes as she looked Melanie over.
"Melanie?" Their mother shifted her head, looking Miltia over. Miltia struggled to keep a straight face, her lips begging to turn into a frown. "Miltia?" She rested her hands on her hips, looking at both of them. "Where have you two been?"
"Vale," Miltia said.
"For five years? And somewhere my spiders couldn't find?"
"Junior took us in," Melanie said. Their mother looked at them strangely.
"Junior?" Recognition flickered. "Oh! Hei, and his little gang. Run that little club in downtown." She stroked her chin. "Someone mentioned he got new help few years back, but they never said who it was."
Miltia pulled her hand free, stepping up to her mother.
"I really don't care what excuse you have for, like, not trying to get in touch. Melanie wanted to see you because she, like, thinks that you actually cared about us when we were here." Their mother frowned at her.
"Still got a sharp little tongue I see, Miltia." Their mother chortled. "I worked myself to the bone to provide for you two and was left wondering what happened to my only two daughters when you decided to run away. You show up now and think it's fine to sass me like that?" Miltia crossed her arms.
"I do." Ianthe's face twisted with anger. Melanie stepped in between them, shooting an annoyed look at her before turning back toward their mother.
"We're not here to fight. Miltia… Miltia has a lot of issues with the way you raised us. But, like, I didn't come all the way here to see you two argue about that." Melanie rubbed at her stomach. "Did you know what dad was doing to me?"
Ianthe sighed.
"I learned of it after you two were gone. Asked your father few questions about why you two would leave like that, and well, after a bit of 'encouragement' he finally spilled his guts." She gave them a smirk. "Funnily enough, my spiders found him later that week at his work. Died from an accident or something along those lines." She waved a hand. "People in other parts of this business started calling me Black Widow after that, for some reason."
Melanie looked back at her, beaming. Miltia sighed and uncrossed her arms.
She could still be lying.
"Since you two came all the way here, why don't you stay for a little while. I changed up the house so might need to get you two some new beds." Ianthe said. She held out a hand. "I'm sure Junior had you doing some work. Why not work here for a little while, see if this type of work suits you better than whatever he had you doing."
Fuck off
Melanie nodded, smiling, before hesitating, looking back at Miltia. Miltia rolled her eyes, groaning in annoyance.
"If Melanie wants to stay then I am too."
"Excellent," Ianthe purred. She looked past them, frowning. "She a friend of yours?"
Miltia turned, eyes widening in surprise.
Neo Politan stood awkwardly behind them, shifting in place, a sketchbook in her hands.
"I mean, I know of her, but like, she's not with us." Melanie said. Ianthe narrowed her eyes, motioning toward her table.
Miltia followed after her mother, watching Neo as she took a spot to the side, Melanie next to her.
Neo opened up the sketchbook, ripping out a paper. A life like portrait was on it of a woman with orange eyes, long black hair, and a red dress. Neo set the drawing in front of Ianthe before pulling out a pen, writing on a different page. Her mother looked over the drawing before looking at whatever Neo was writing. Her mother gave Neo an odd look before saying
"I can try to find info on her for ya. But just know you're not the only one looking for her. Mistral police want her for that little business that happened at Haven last month." Neo grimaced. Ianthe shrugged. "I'll make sure to let you know anything first. Be about fifty thousand once I get the info. Deal?" Ianthe asked.
Neo swallowed, and nodded. She closed her sketchbook, and left the table, leaving the portrait on the table. Miltia watched her leave, some of the patrons giving Neo odd looks as she passed them by.
"Melanie, what can you tell me about that girl?" Ianthe asked. Melanie hummed for a moment, resting a finger on her chin.
"I know her and her dad, Roman Torchwick, went missing for a while. Used to be part of Nero's gang before Neo killed his son." Ianthe looked over at Melanie, a sparkle in her green eyes.
"Killed him, you say?"
"Yeah. Real gross from what I heard. She, like, ripped his guts out and stuff."
Ianthe looked back at the door, where Neo had left. She smiled.
"Interesting."
Kali ducked behind a pillar, splinters raining around her. Gunfire roared across the room, guards yelling out in gurgled voices. She popped out for a second, firing several rounds from her pistol.
One of the White Fang's masks exploded, blood spraying behind them as they slumped to the ground. The other two yelled, and she grunted, ducking back into cover as they started firing at her.
A guard on a nearby pillar peeked around their pillar, their spear turning to a rifle. They fired, one of the White Fang yelping, clutching their leg, falling to the ground. A second shot and their yelping turned to a gurgled cry.
Kali gasped, glass spraying from the ceiling, a figure falling to the ground. The gunfire stopped, and the figure rose up. Kali narrowed her eyes; they had bat wings and wore the armor of her guards. Yuma.
Yuma smirked, and flicked his wrist, a blade springing out of his gauntlet. He looked back at the other White Fang. "I can handle this. Go find Ghira and the Belladonna."
The other White Fang left the room. Kali scowled and motioned toward the nearby guard. They nodded, tossing her their riflespear. She holstered the pistol, stepping out from behind the pillar, the rifle changing to a spear. Yuma laughed.
"You're coming to me?" Kali shifted the spear, her scowl deepening.
"I can't kill you from back there." Yuma laughed again, a second blade springing from his other gauntlet. He smirked at her.
"Let's see what you can do."
Ilia swallowed, her whip trembling in her hand. Blake stared up at her, her gaze harsh, her katana steady.
"You shouldn't be here," Blake said.
"I-I don't have a choice." Blake narrowed her eyes.
"That's the one thing we always have." Blake shifted her stance, bending her knees, bringing her blade to eye level, gripping the handle with both hands. "What are you going to do, Ilia?" Blake's gaze was unwavering. "Are you going to follow his orders? Are you going to fight me?"
Ilia leapt down with a yell, electricity crackling down the length of her whip. She swung as she fell, gasping as her whip passed through Blake, a black mist dispersing.
Ilia whirled, yelling as Blake slashed at her. Her whip hardened, sparks leaping as she caught one of Blake's swings. Ilia leapt back; Blake switched to a reverse grip, drawing her sheath. Ilia looked at the sheath, confused, before gasping as Blake charged. She swung, eyes widening as the shadow clone dissipated.
She screamed, pain shooting through her as Blake's boot slammed into her head, throwing her to the ground. She flipped over, yelping as Blake swung down. Splinters shot over her as she ducked aside, the blade embedding into the floor.
Ilia scrambled to her feet, turning, raising her whip. Blake glowered at her, yanking her blade from the wood. Blake said nothing, a cold shadow as she sprung forward.
Ilia grunted, blocking Blake's swings, stepping back, Blake pushing forward with each swing, each slash of her blade and sheath. Ilia sidestepped a slash, swinging at Blake. Blake parried, sparks leaping, and Ilia yelled as Blake's sheath slammed into her gut, launching her back. She clutched her stomach, gasping as Blake sprinted forward, yelling; Ilia screamed, Blake's boot slamming into her chin with her scissor kick. She slammed to the ground, Blake backflipping with the momentum of her kick and landing nimbly in a crouch.
Blake straightened out, looking down at her.
"This is what you wanted, right, Ilia? This was your choice?"
Ilia ran, darting away. Blake stood, watching her, switching to a forward grip. Ilia ran to the doors, slapping the light switch, darkness consuming them. She turned, feeling her skin shift, matching the darkness around her. Blake was outlined in the darkness, her amber eyes and white shirt and belts sticking out in the darkness.
Ilia blinked.
Blake was gone.
"Do you know how old I was when Adam started training me?" Blake's voice echoed throughout the room, Ilia grit her teeth, struggling to pinpoint where it came from. She stepped away from the wall, keeping a grip on her whip. "It started when I was twelve, right after he took me to Vale. I trained every night, learning how to blend into any environment, to disappear into any shadow."
Ilia yelped, a shot firing past her. She whirled, catching a shadow in the darkness. She glanced around; there was nothing.
"You said that fear is what puts people in line, and you're right. That is exactly what he did. I thought what he was doing was love. That what I felt for him was love."
Another shot, Ilia grunted, feeling it graze her, her aura shimmering.
"He taught me how to kill. How to numb yourself. How to tell yourself that it's okay, that the people we were hurting were the ones who deserved it."
Ilia spun around, staring into the shadows. There was not a sound outside of her own footsteps.
"First time I killed a man was when I was fourteen, and Adam… Adam made sure to reward me in his own sick way."
Splinters shot over her, Ilia yelling as several shots rained around her feet. She backed up, nearing a wall.
"Fear is a motivator. Fear is a teacher. That is what I learned from him."
Ilia stopped, scanning the darkness. Her eyes widened; she tried to scream as Blake's hand covered her mouth, her breath in her ear as Blake's blade was placed against her throat.
"Tell me, are you afraid yet, Ilia?"
Ilia felt tears welling, her voice muffled as the blade shifted. It slunk off of her, Blake's breath and hand reeling back into the shadows. She ran from the wall, turning and slashing with her whip with a scream, electricity flying.
Lights and embers flickered where her whip struck, flames spreading across the plants enveloping the second floor. Ilia's eyes stung as the fire spread, the darkness being replaced with smoke and flames.
She turned. Blake stood across from her, her katana drawn, her pistol and sheath holstered. Blake took a stance, two handing her blade. The orange lights flickered in her amber eyes, her body cast in shadow and smoke.
"This was your choice, Ilia."
Ilia ran forward, swinging her whip, Blake caught the swing with her sword, Ilia pulled the trigger, electricity shooting down the whip. Blake yelped, dropping her blade. Ilia swung again with a yell, Blake ducking, catching her blade and spinning, slashing at Ilia's stomach. Ilia gasped, swinging her whip down, knocking Blake's blow aside.
Ilia grabbed at Blake's hand, gasping as Blake turned to mist; she hissed as Blake's sheath struck her arm. Ilia spun, whirling her whip, hearing a thunk as it hit the wood of Blake's sheath. Blake glowered at her, twisting her sheathed blade, Ilia gasping as she was yanked forward.
Ilia grunted, her whip being ripped from her hands, the handle of Blake's sword slamming into her cheek. She yelled as her feet were swept out from underneath her, Blake grabbing her hands as she fell, and slammed the both of them to the ground.
She coughed, her aura shimmering around her as Blake looked down at her. The anger and coldness in her eyes were gone.
"Look at me, Ilia." Ilia felt tears fall onto her face, cold against the sweltering heat of the flames. Blake swallowed, not moving her hands from Ilia's to wipe at the tears dripping down. "I'm what happens when you follow him. You've seen what I can do, of what I had to do. The killing, the blood, the gore, all of it, Ilia. It is something that scars you for the rest of your life, it is something that you can never recover from." Blake's voice was unsteady, Ilia felt her lip quiver as she watched Blake cry. "I can mask it, and hide it, and run away from it but it always come back." Ilia did nothing as Blake yanked her glove free, the branding on her hand no longer hidden. "It's a branding. A branding on your very soul." Blake shook her head. "You're a good person deep down. I know… I know that rage, Ilia. I've felt it. I've felt it, so many times. Of the injustice done to our people."
Ilia couldn't find her voice, opening and closing her mouth before her voice found the words.
"What else can I do?" Blake grew blurrier, tears dripping down, cold fingers on her face. "What else am I supposed to do, Blake? What else can I do to help our people?"
Blake moved a hand, wiping away the tears.
"You can make a choice."
Sun shifted his bo, his smirk turning to a scowl as he looked at Fennec. Neptune and Ghira were on the other side of the room.
"Nep, get him out of here. I can take care of these two."
Neptune opened his mouth before shutting it, frowning, and then sighing. He motioned for Ghira and followed after him, keeping his rifle aimed at Fennec as he ran out of the room.
Sun stepped off of Corasc, kicking the Red dagger aside, far out of reach. Fennec growled, pulling a Red dagger from his robes.
Shit, that's cheating.
Corsac staggered to his feet, glowering at Sun as Fennec tossed him the new Red dagger. They said something to him, the words alien to him. Sun twirled his staff, taking his stance, and smirked at them, beckoning with his hand.
"Are you gonna talk me to death or actually fight me?"
They rushed him.
He caught Corsac's swing, sidestepping Fennec's stab; he jabbed his bo down, Corsac yelling out in pain as it slammed into his leg. He pulled his bo back, swinging it up before jabbing it forward, smacking the side of Fennec's face. He ducked under Corsac's dagger, spinning aside, his bo splitting apart, Corsac dodging as he swung down, a gunchuck swinging by him.
Sun caught the gunchuck with his other hand as it swung, pulling it aside, the rest of the staff splitting apart; he smirked as he pulled the trigger as Corsac and Fennec charged.
He danced through their swings and slashes, juggling the different gunchucks, firing off shots, catching the different guns as they kicked back from the blasts. He heard Fennec scream as Sun danced through them, his flurry of shotgun blasts accentuating his movements.
Sun yelled, winds ripping around him, throwing him off his feet and hurling him back. Splinters flew around him, pain shooting through his back as the wall gave way behind him, hurling him out of the room.
He hit the ground, tumbling against the hard, wooden floor. He staggered to his feet, groaning. Smoke filled the room, flames leaping around him. He swung his gunchucks, feeling them clink together, his bo reforming.
Corsac and Fennec stepped through the hole. Sun grimaced at the double sided blade in Corsac's hand, at the dual Red blades.
They charged at him again, fire launching from Corsac's blade, winds ripping from Fennec's.
Sun leapt aside, landing on a table before leaping from that as the inferno shot over toward him. The twins laughed at him, chiding him in that language he didn't understand.
Corsac screamed, the inferno dying. Sun cocked an eyebrow; Ilia stood behind the twins, her electric whip in hand, Corsac on the floor, electricity coursing through his twitching body. Fennec shouted something, and Ilia's eyes went wide as winds shot from the White dagger; she screamed as she was thrown back, slamming against the wall. She slumped to the ground, groaning.
Blake leapt toward him, screaming as she was shot back by the winds, slamming into a flaming wall. Fennec laughed, turning back toward Sun. He raised the dagger, smirking at him. Sun scowled, raising his bow.
Fennec's head exploded, blood spraying. His body stood for a moment before slumping to the ground, his pooling blood sizzling against the cinders.
Sun gagged and looked away. Kali stood in the doorway, a bladed pistol in hand, blood coating her face and matting her hair. She lowered the pistol and ran over to where Blake lay.
Sun glanced over at the twins, feeling bile in the back of this throat at the blood oozing from Fennec before running over toward Blake.
Kali had gotten Blake to her feet, her voice quick, her words in that language. Blake shrugged off her mother's arm and staggered over toward Ilia.
"You alright, Blake?" Sun asked.
"I'm fine. Where's my dad?"
"With Neptune. I had him lead him out of this place while I fought those creeps." He said. Blake grunted, grasping her side as she crouched down next to Ilia.
Sun watched, confused, as Ilia latched onto Blake, beginning to sob, her voice quivering and broken as she talked in that language. Blake's voice was comforting, cooing, as she stroked Ilia's hair, hugging her back.
Blake stepped out of the house, guards rushing past her. Hundreds of people stood in front of their house, stretched out across the hills and grass. Her father was off to the side, talking with some of the guards, Neptune resting against the wall next to him, his rifle resting on his lap. Sun took a seat next to him, exhaling, and resting his head against Neptune's shoulder. Kali stood by the door, Ilia near her. Hundreds of voices were talking over each other, the shattered moon hidden by the smoke drifting from her home.
Blake took a step forward, standing at the top of the stairs, looking at the crowd of Faunus. She took a breath, and undid the blue ribbon tied around her arm. The voices of the crowd died down as she held the ribbon into the air, the emblem burned onto her skin clearly visible.
"Do you want to know why I kept my ear hidden when I attended Beacon? It wasn't to protect myself from humans, it was to protect myself from the White Fang, from Faunus who don't want equality but superiority."
"You can look at me and hate me and think I was just some spoiled princess who grew up on an island and never faced any hardships. But you're wrong. I spent most of my life fighting with the White Fang. Fighting with Adam. I've seen things that are more terrible than any of you could even wish to comprehend." She chortled; the sound joyless even in her ears. "The amount of people- human and Faunus- I've killed is about equal to a third of all the people standing here."
She swallowed, the stares from the crowd now pointed, shocked.
"I've seen the greatness that our people are capable of, and I've seen the worst that we have to offer. Just like I have with humanity." She held up the blue ribbon higher. "I bought this ribbon to remind myself of the woman I love. Weiss Schnee." She heard shocked gasps, and her father inhale sharply. "Weiss… is not what you expect from a Schnee. She cares. She cares about the plights of our people. She has been learning, learning about our Holy Pantheon, and how to speak our tongue. She calls me her stars. She wishes to take over her family's company and right the wrongs not just of her family but of her people." She raised her voice, yelling over the crowd as murmurs ran throughout it. "And she was not like that when I first met her. It was through me, a Faunus, that she saw the errors of her ways. Not another human. And if someone as deplorable as a Schnee is capable of redemption, then why not the rest of humanity?"
She tied the ribbon back around her arm and pointed at the flames and smoke billowing from her house.
"This is what you are complacent with happening if we do not stop Adam and his followers. He won't stop at the humans who can be swayed, he will kill any of us who do not agree with him." Blake shook her head. "He is no different than the humans we all claim to hate. He justifies every cruel thing humanity has done to us. And I refuse to let him be the face of my family's organization or to tarnish my people's reputation. We are better than scum like him. We are capable of much better." She lowered her arm.
"I know that saving Haven will not bring us equality. I don't have an answer for how to end human bigotry. And I know that many of you, you still won't care. Mistral is far off and you'll never have to see another human in your life while you live here. But those of you who think like that, you are letting your siblings in Mistral die and be persecuted for something that we could have prevented."
"I've fought my battles alone for most of my life, whether I knew it or not, and if I have to, I will go to Haven by myself and stop Adam and his group alone." She stared out over the crowd and frowned. "Because I refuse to let him be what humanity sees us as."
The crowd was silent for a moment. Blake exhaled, and turned.
"Wait." Blake looked back. A sheep Faunus was climbing the steps. "My brother… he's with Adam. I haven't talked to him in I don't know how long. I need to see him again. To get him to see reason." He bowed his head and offered a smile. "You don't have to fight him alone."
Blake smiled back, her smile growing as more and more people from the crowd climbed the stairs, shouting their commitment.
I'm done running, Adam. And so are our people.
Up next is probably the hardest part of V5 to adapt: the Battle of Haven.