Chapter 26
Journey
"You're leaving?"
William shrugged, making the choice to ignore Yang's confused question. He kept packing, rolling up the pants Tai had given him in a tight bundle and stuffing it into the side of the pack. He rolled his shoulders, shaking his arms out and flexing. His right arm was coming along, he could feel the bones knitting together, but he still refused to put any weight on it.
More likely than not he'd keep it tucked away in his pocket or up in a sling while he walked. No use it putting strain on it if he was traveling.
"William."
He pursed his lips, hesitating as he examined the pack. He thought he packed everything, but now that he'd shoved it all in, he was wondering if he had missed something.
Clothes, check.
Food, check. Tai had given him some ration bars that hadn't look appetizing, but at least non-perishable and light.
Toothbrush, check.
William drummed his fingers on his thigh.
"You are." Yang finally deduced. "You're going out into that… mess."
"And what if I am?" He sat up, pulling the flap closed and tying it in place. He picked it up with his left arm, slinging it over his shoulder as he headed down the stairs.
He walked careful, mindful of the
"Then you're a fool."
William stopped at the top of the stairs, glancing back at her. He huffed, biting his tongue as he started down the steps.
She had every reason to be pissy, he reminded himself, ignoring the soft echoes of her bare feet behind him. She was in an accident, she's not happy about it, and probably most importantly, she's scared. He reasoned through it more than once this week.
She'd started it on him Monday.
Berated him while he sparred with Qrow Tuesday.
Openly yelled at him Wednesday.
Called him all manner of stupid nad ignorant Thursday.
And William was trying to figure out if Tai would allow him to sew her mouth shut today. Hell. She was half the reason he was leaving after seven days and not after ten. He knew he could use the extra rest, but between her and not knowing where his team was, he was itching to leave.
"You're going to get yourself killed." She declared as he stepped into the kitchen.
William rolled his eyes, swallowing his retort as he searched Tai's expression. The father looked uncomfortable, unwilling to go either way on the conversation, and certainly not willing to jump into it.
Damn. Useless.
William dropped the bag on the floor by the table, cracking his neck before he ran through his checklist again.
Maybe he was just thinking about his smokes?
He glanced down at the table, where he'd set the pack, along with Roman's lighter four days ago. Determined he'd never pick it up again. He chewed on his lip, tapping his foot as Yang's comments turned to a dull whine.
No.
The decision was a good one.
Time to turn over a new leaf. As fully as he could.
He snapped his fingers, startling both Xiao-Long's as he fished his scroll out of his pocket. He held it up, glancing around the room before directing a question at Tai, "Where's Qrow?"
Tai jerked a thumb out the door. "Wanted to get a warmup in is what he told me."
"So, wanted to drink in peace."
Tai didn't deny it, and instead smiled, leaving William to find his own answers as he picked up the bag again.
Yang didn't seem willing to let that happen though, beating him to the door and planting her busty frame in front of it. William pursed his lips, shouldering the pack again, slipping both straps on their respective shoulders as he stepped in front of her.
He waited, and she crossed her arm and stump over her chest. He watched her, fingers curling gently around the bandages where her other arm should be. He cocked his head, turning his gaze to her eyes.
"Yes?"
"Why are you leaving?"
William huffed, "Told you. I have my team to go to."
"What if they're already dead?"
The thought had crossed his mind, but he knew his team. Nothing short of a Beacon-level Grimm attack could take his crew down. Especially not when they were working together.
That didn't stop him from worrying, wondering if Roman sent a strike-team after them, or worse, he'd assigned Neo to capture them. That thought sent a bolt of cold fear down his spine, but he'd swallowed that fear.
"They're not." He assured her.
"They could be."
William took a deep breath, reaching out and curling his fingers around her shoulder. "So could you Goldilocks." He shoved her to the side, grasping the doorknob.
Her hand grabbed is wrist as he jerked the door open, halting it. William paused, trailing his eyes up the offending limb up to her eyes again.
"Move." He repeated.
Yang adjusted, swallowing before she dared to utter, "Make me."
Ooooh He wanted to throw her through that door so bad. He swallowed, curling his fingers into a fist and shaking his head. "Yang Xiao-Long. Don't mess with me. Just move."
She jutted her chin out at him. "I'm just trying to stop you from killing yourself."
He back handed her.
And the reaction shocked both him, Yang, and judging by the snort, amused Tai as he came out of the kitchen.
She scowled, eyes flashing red as she pushed off the door, fist coming up, a snarl peeling out of her lips.
William ducked under the blow, taking her out at the waist as he pinned her up against the wall. She oriented fast, slamming her hand into his back. He stood up, glancing at Tai for just a half second before he threw her legs up, sending her toppling to the ground behind him.
She yelled, pawing at the ground as she got to her feet, until Tai's arms locked her in place, holding her back.
"I'm not dying." William assured her.
"Then you're full of shit!" She barked, struggling against her father's grip. "You're going out there for a team? A team that's just going to leave you?! You're not a Hunter William! You're a student! You can't win a war by yourself!"
The door opened, and William stepped aside as Qrow stepped in. The older man hummed, glancing from William to Yang before leaning back against the door frame.
"You'd be wrong on that one." Qrow dug into his pocket, examining his flask before tucking it away. "William has more combat experience than you ever will, and nearly as much as Tai and me. He's been on the streets fighting for his life since your sister got out of diapers."
"Bullshit!"
"He was a gang enforcer Yang. He could kill you in three moves. And one of them could probably wiping his blade clean." Qrow insisted, undeterred as he examined his niece's expression. "William's surpassed the realm of student a long time ago."
She swallowed that, moving her furious gaze from Qrow back to him. "So what? You'll wage a one-man war? Beat back the Grimm? Rescue Beacon?" She spat at him and the glob of spit landed on the floor.
William shrugged the backpack off, Aura coiling around his right arm. He flexed the fingers, wriggling them for a moment before he replied, "I'm resuing my team. And I'm getting back at Roman." He nodded at Tai, and the man let his daughter go. "I'm not moping around like a useless bitch about her friend leaving and-" Her fist smashed into his jaw.
William staggered, tasting blood as he sat up. She growled, actually growled, before closing back in, flailing more than swinging as he backed away from her and out the door.
Qrow slid out of the way, crossing his arms over his chest as William lead her out the door.
William blocked her next punch, rolling the blow away and grabbing her forearm. He twisted, pulling her off balance and using her weight the throw her.
She hit the dirt on her back, wincing as William stepped over her.
"I thought you were a Huntress."
She gritted her teeth, rolling onto her stomach and wedging her arm under her.
William dropped a heavy boot on her back. She flinched, hitting the ground.
"Not a little brat, too scared to get into a real fire because she'll get burned."
She stilled, fingers scraping the dirt. Her head drooped, a sigh leaving her lips. "So what?" She muttered. "Maybe I just wasn't cut out for it?"
William glanced up, finding Tai and Qrow watching from the doorway. Then nodded at him, so he shrugged and said, "So you're nothing but a thrill seeking. Followed the easiest path until you got hurt."
She shrugged, "Then I'm weak."
William dug his heel into her back, drawing out a gasp and a whine. She arched her back, thrusting her hand into the ground to gain any ounce of space away.
"William!" She protested.
"You're abandoning everything else? Because it got hard? What about what you have left?" He pushed more of his weight onto her, leaning down so he could snarl it in her ear. "You're giving all that up?"
She didn't rise to the barb, instead just went limp. "Maybe I am."
"You think life is giving you a pass? It just gets harder. But I guess that's all you want. Happy go lucky." He snorted. "Good to know the people protecting all the good in this world as such push overs. I guess that'll make it easy for Roman and Cinder to kill everyone."
She flinched, squeezing herself up. Submission. Fear.
Pain.
"I thought you were better than this." William muttered, taking his boot off her back. "I thought you had a shot as a fighter. Hell. Out of all of team RWBY, you were the one I thought I'd have trouble with." He hesitated, toying with the new angle.
Tai wanted her back on her feet.
Maybe that would be easier than he thought.
"If I knew you were such a pushover easier on, maybe I would have saved myself the trouble of getting mixed up in this and just killed Ruby right off the bat."
Yang jerked, pulling herself onto her knees. "What did you say?" He glanced at her, reading the emotion. Shock. Confusion. A clenched fist.
"I worked for Roman Goldilocks. Why do you think he sent me to Beacon?" He snorted and rolled his eyes. "Lucky for you I never did. But I guess that'll leave the task to some of Roman's other flunkies. Maybe the Lieutenant he's got. Chainsaw's not a pretty way to go though." He shrugged. "Better than getting caught in Neo's hands."
"You… you're messing with me. Roman wouldn't bother with her!"
William smiled. "Why not? Roman's men would kill your sister in a heart beat, just because someone said so." He crouched down back in front of her face. "A year ago, I would have done the same." He stood back up, lacing his fingers together before tucking them behind his head. "Though Roman doesn't have to work too hard for it. Grimm are out in force, there's the White Fang to worry about now, and either psycho leader, not to mention whatever group Cinder's affiliated with."
"The world's going to hell Yang." Tai cut in, walking forward. He set his jaw, swallowing whatever sympathy started to set in. "And the fact is it's dangerous. You know Ruby's going back out in that. She's going to go do what she thinks is right. And I…" He swallowed, eyes dropping to the dirt. "I can't keep up with her anymore."
"No one else will." William added, watching the flicker of flame spark to life in Yang's hair. "She'd be all alone. A lone little flame in the dark. Extinguished," He snapped his fingers. "Just like that."
For whatever reason, that's what set her off.
The spark burst into a flame, blonde mane burning gold as she launched herself across the distance, tackling him to the ground. They rolled, Tai shouting protests as she punched, a wordless scream pouring out of the throat.
William managed.
He blocked, countered, dodged as much as he could, but Yang's attitude had shifted, and she'd planted her weight well, and with his arm out, it made her hard to throw off.
He bucked, and she rode it, fist stopping to hold his shirt collar. She jerked him one way, then the other before he twisted, throwing her off.
"You going to protect her?" William yelled at her.
"Yes!" She threw herself back at him, throwing a left hook that would take his jaw off his skull.
He side stepped it, letting her momentum carry her face into his elbow. She ate it, nose crunching for the second time in ten days. She grunted, throwing her own elbow back and catching him in the gut.
They staggered apart, Yang winded, William rubbing his stomach. He winced; she'd caught the scab. Damn. He really hoped that hadn't busted it open again. It'd taken forever to close to begin with.
"So, you aren't giving up." He smiled at her.
Her scarlet eyes flickered, then faded back to lilac at the words. She mulled it over, then turned away from him. "Maybe. Ruby's already stronger than me though."
"Doesn't mean she doesn't need her big sister." Tai muttered, easing over. He carefully took her hand, squeezing it. "Or someone she can always count on."
Yang bowed her head, nodding slowly. "Alright." She shifted awkwardly. "I'll think about it." She glanced at William. "Maybe you're not completely stupid."
He shrugged, figuring that would be as good as he would get out of her. Tai escorted her inside, leaving him with Qrow.
"So." Qrow broached, carrying the bag over. He held it out, and William offered his scroll in exchange.
"It's Roman's," he said by way of explanation, "I don't know how much information on it is still viable, but there should be a few safehouses and a number of interesting contacts, nothing that will lead directly to him, but it should boil back down to him eventually."
Qrow nodded, humming softly as he considered it. Slowly, he took it, tucking it back into his pocket. "You really think he's still alive after all that?"
William smiled and nodded. "All the steps before hand indicated he was going to vanish right after Beacon. Funneling of cash, Dust, all sorts of things. I'm sure he's still alive. It's just a matter of flushing him out."
Qrow nodded again, eyeing him up one more time before holding out the pack. "I'll take your word for it until you have proof."
William supposed that was the best he could get out of Qrow. From what he could gather, Qrow was sure Roman was dead, and Tai shared that sentiment.
"Alright." William shouldered the pack again. "Think we'll meet again?" He asked.
Qrow shrugged, but the wiry smile gave him away. "I wouldn't say no. You seem like a pleasant kid." He rolled his shoulders. "And I guess you wouldn't make too bad of a sparring partner once you're on fully healed."
William snorted, rolling his eyes. He had a feeling Qrow liked to play hard to get with every one of his emotions.
"If you say so old man."
Qrow flinched at that, frowning. "Not that old."
"Huh." William tightened the straps on his backpack, making sure it was settled before addressing the road. Moonlight Sonata's pieces were tucked away at the bottom of the pack, likely where they belonged. His Aura Blades, more clean of blood than anything else he had, were ready on his wrists. And he'd even seen the maps of the area, knew which way would lead him back down the road, towards his team.
William smiled, wondering if he was ready for the trip. Wondering if his team would be alright. He supposed he had to get through the journey before he got to the destination, and there was no telling what would come up.
"Take care kid." Qrow called.
He waved back, "I will. I have a team to get back to."
Qrow snorted, muttering something under his breath, though the only word William caught was girl. William turned away, choosing not to acknowledge the heat on his cheeks.
It was cold.
He wasn't thinking about Victoria.
Damn it.
Was he?
Alright. Fast update. No edits. Let me know if I really messed something up here. And how you're liking the chapters. I really appreciate reviews, even if I have built up some momentum on this for right now.