"Great job, Ice Queen," Yang snarled toward Weiss, standing up from her seat, "Your horrible attitude scared away my partner, your teammate!"
"It's for the best." Weiss quickly countered, "She's most likely a White Fang infiltrator; you never know which Faunus is out to for your life."
"You racist little brat!" A wave of heat washed over the room as Yang stomped over to the Schnee, eyes glowing red. "This is all your fault!"
Just as Yang drew back her arm for a hate-fueled punch to Weiss' face, the Schnee drew her rapier just quickly enough to intercept the fist. The force behind the blow launched Weiss into the wall next to the door, cracking the surface and exposing the pink insulation underneath. Yang dashed toward the stunned Schnee, another punch cocked back and ready to strike her opponent.
"Yang! Stop!"
Ruby's order came too late, and her sister's fist directly impacted her partner's face.
The wall shattered on impact, sending the warring teammates tumbling into the hallway. Dust, plaster, and shreds of insulation burst from the newly created hole, obscuring their forms.
"What on Remnant is happening here!?" The regrettably familiar and shrill voice of Glynda Goodwitch made its way into the dorm room.
Upon hearing the voice of an angry authority figure, Ruby snapped out of her shock and ran towards the hole in the wall. I followed closely behind, watching the stirring dust cloud. The settling debris gradually revealed Yang and Weiss on the floor. The former was audibly coughing and attempting to stand. The latter was motionless on her back. Both were covered in white plaster, bits of wood, and shreds of pink insulation.
"Miss Xiao-Long! What is the meaning of this!?" Goodwitch yelled while glaring daggers at Yang. Ruby had knelt down beside Weiss and was attempting to wake her up. There was blood running from the Schnee's nose.
"Come on Weiss, don't do this to me," I heard Ruby whimper. It would have been a heartbreaking image if it had been anyone else lying unconscious on the floor. She deserved it.
"Oh, uh, hi there, Professor Goodwitch," Yang stammered as she hurriedly brushed off the plaster. "This isn't what it looks like, honest!" Real convincing, Yang. Could you have possibly made yourself look any more guilty?
"You seem to attract collateral damage wherever you go, Miss Tenno." Glynda commented as she escorted Ruby, Yang, and myself from Beacon's Infirmary. Weiss had suffered a broken nose and a concussion from Yang's assault. If it wasn't for her Aura, the Schnee Dust Company would be permanently down a family member.
The Headmistress continued her thought, "I was about to ask your leader if she knew why her teammate, Blake Belladonna, was leaving campus grounds in a panic, but I think I can surmise the answer."
I shrugged at her vague implication, "She said the wrong things, gave away something she thought was critically important about herself, panicked, and ran away before Ruby could stop her. Where she went is anyone's guess."
"I just hope she's okay…" Ruby muttered. She had been quiet most of the way from the Infirmary.
"I'm sure she's fine, Rubes." Yang offered while picking bits of plaster out of her hair. "Blake's a smart girl. She'll be okay."
"If she's smart enough to survive on her own, then she's smart enough to avoid her teammates as well." I said. It was an unfortunate truth of tracking intelligent targets. Those that don't want to be found have the knowledge and wisdom to avoid being found.
"Avoid trouble, is what you mean to say," Yang unnecessarily corrected me. "We'll find her and welcome her back with open arms. Won't we, Rubes?"
Ruby was morosely staring at the floor, but perked up at the mention of her nickname. "Yeah. We will. Even Weiss will want her back."
I rolled my eyes at her naive optimism, but stayed silent. People like Weiss Schnee don't change.
As far as punishments went, Yang was to serve detention until she herself fixed the hole in the wall. She took the conditions strangely well, but didn't say why.
Glynda left us at the dorm room, informing Yang that the janitorial staff would stop by soon to deliver the materials for repairing the wall. It was after Goodwitch departed that Ruby's Scroll started ringing. She apparently needed an alarm to tell her when lunch hour began.
"Lunch already? The day sure flies when you're having fun." Yang said as she dropped down from her bunk, pocketing her own Scroll. "Wanna come with, Tenno? It'll get boring without us around."
I shook my head without looking away from my Scroll as I sat on Blake's unoccupied bunk. "No. Someone has to wait for the janitor."
"Okay, suit yourself." Yang nodded and left through the hole. Ruby departed in a flurry of rose petals just behind her sister.
I didn't actually want to wait for the janitor. The truth was, I became rather exhausted from walking to Beacon's Infirmary and back. It didn't help that we took the stairs.
For the moment, I was alone. Just how I liked it. The peaceful solitude wouldn't last, unfortunately.
A knocking sound interrupted my research of Remnant's history and current events. I briefly glanced up to see a very large man in green and silver clothes standing in the hole carrying two large boxes.
"Yo. Delivery to Team RWBY's dorm. Where do you want it?" He asked in a very succinct manner. There appeared to be a mane of dark hair around his face and two animal ears atop his head.
I pointed to the unbroken wall next to the door. He followed my finger, walked to the designated location, carefully placed the boxes on the floor and moved to leave. Quick and efficient. Just how I-
"Have a good day,"
By the stars, kill me now.
Ruby and Yang returned to the dorm room in jovial fashion.
"-and could you imagine Uncle Qrow doing that!? There's no way he would! He's too awesome!" Ruby's voice echoed through the halls.
"Dad told me the story himself, Crater Face." Crater Face? "And there's many different types of 'awesome', as I'm not done. When he found the Ursa den, he used them to kill every Grimm there. He turned the phrase from an insult into a badge of honor, and so, 'Potato Chest' was his nickname for the week."
The digital lock on the door clicked and it swung open. Then the sisters noticed the hole in the wall, and promptly slapped their faces in unison. I had to smile at that.
"Yang, your stuff's here," Ruby vaguely said as she hopped onto her bunk and pulled out her Scroll.
There was a familiar knock and the janitor who delivered the boxes earlier was once again standing in the doorway, but carrying a single box this time.
Yang gasped at his sudden appearance. "Big Tim? Is that you?"
The man nodded, a broad smile spreading across his face. "It's been a while, Lil'Wyrm. I have one more delivery for you, but first, I need to know how you managed to get into trouble this time."
Oh, great. These two know each other.
"I punched a racist brat through a wall." Yang pounded her fists together and smiled back. "I bet you know all about that."
"Ah, yes. The collateral damage you caused gave me three raises back at Signal. Working security there became an adventure every day, not to mention a lucrative wage." Big Tim handed the box over to Yang.
"If you made so much at Signal, why quit and become a janitor at Beacon?" She placed the new box next to the two on the floor.
"They let me go after you left." He smirked. "As it turns out, you were the only reason I was employed there in the first place, though I'm not done being a security guard just yet."
"Really? What's your new gig?"
"The SDC, believe it or not,"
This caught my attention.
"No way, really!?"
"You bet your lunch money on it, Lil'Wyrm. There's an incoming shipment tonight I have to watch, and I better not see you or your team there."
Jackpot.
"We wouldn't dream of it," Ruby affirmed behind her Scroll.
"That's good to hear, Lil'Rose. Now, if the Huntresses no longer require my services, I humbly request to take my leave." Big Tim bowed down unnecessarily.
By the stars, just go.
"I hereby grant your request, sir Timothy!" Ruby announced to the dorm room. "You are permitted to take your leave."
"I thank you for having me, Lady Rose, Lady Xiao-Long, and-"
"Tenno," Yang answered for me.
"-Lady Tenno." He then made an over-flourished turn to leave through the door. "Have a good day."
That was annoying.
"I love Big Tim," Ruby said with a smile behind her Scroll.
Yang got to work unpacking the boxes of wall-repair materials, then she turned toward her sister after organizing everything in front of the hole.
"Hey, Ruby?" She asked.
"We can't help you with this. It's your job." Ruby replied automatically.
"Ruby, why are you and Tenno still here?" Her voice rose slightly in volume, as if we were missing something of great importance.
"Go find Blake!"
Author's Notes:
Thank you for reading my story! This chapter was a lot of fun to write, and I hope it's just as fun to read.
If you are wondering about shipping, my answer is 'there will be none', aside from a few teases every once in a while. There will be no unnecessary romance subplots. That's not for me.
There is a 'Juicy Bit' coming next chapter. I hope I can get that out in a reasonable timeframe.