[X] It could work. Yang should help Four.
Sitting around out by the front lobby of the hospital, Yang waited.
"They should be here soon." Four advised. "Remember, official story is that people took you here as a precaution mainly, and then I kept you here for a few hours to get your side of the story. Ren and Nora might contradict my story, but I give very big bribes. I think Nora'll appreciate the best in hammering technology."
"...Hammering technology?" Yang asked.
"I don't know how hammers work, I use claws." Four admitted. "For all I know, a good hammer requires the blood of a virgin the be bleed over it on a full moon."
"I don't think it's a hard concept to understand. You hit things with heavy things." Yang pointed out.
"Then how do you improve it?" Four asked. "Do you make the heavy thing heavier? Lighter? I don't know."
Yang shrugged. "Maybe it mechanises the hammering so the weapon increases the momentum? Gravity Dust programmed to make the heavy thing lighter?"
Four frowned. "But don't you need the heavy thing to be heavy when you hammer with it so you can hammer good? I don't..."
"I know!"
Yang and Four turned towards the door, as Ruby stepped in.
"It depends on the activation charge for the gravity Dust." She explained. "As of the latest production, the metal is treated with gravity Dust to react to it. It doesn't work as well if there's not some gravity Dust to be consumed, but with the right Aura application working with the mechanism, the weapon can be shifted between lighter and heavier. In fact, the newest technology behind the machine handles the Aura work by itself. A sensor in the hammer means that it can detect when it's about to hit someone and use the gravity-treated steel to be light while in motion then intensify into being really really heavy just before it hits something. Improvements into this technology would increase the rate of the change, and eventually, it's theorised that the right use of Gravity dust should be able to maintain both positions at once, making it easy to move but still incredibly damaging to hit with-"
"Breath, Ruby." Yang advised. "I know this is a hospital but it'd take time for them to get out something to put more oxygen in you, and dad must be fretting enough."
Four frowned. "Why would that be exclusively hammering technolog- Ah, there could be a point there, a hammer would have a big section in it that could be filled with more mechanisms than a sword, more room to make the hammering work..."
She trailed off, as Taiyang stepped forward.
"Hey, dad." Yang greeted.
"Are you alright?" He asked. "No serious wounds?"
"Arm hurts a bit." Yang noted. "But nothing too bad. It'll be fine by tomorrow, probably."
"Sorry for keeping her so long." Four lied seamlessly. "I wanted to be thorough. I've been looking for one of these terrorists for a while, and wanted to make sure I got as much information out of her as possible. This Blake... I want to make sure I can bring her, more than the others, to Justice."
Four gave a little pose again, throwing her hair back, and Ruby stared at her for a moment.
"Speaking of which." Four continued. "I don't suppose I could ask a favour? I've got a meeting with an informant in a few days, and I was wondering if I could borrow Yang to be with me. Since Yang managed to get a look at the terrorists, I was hoping that maybe she'd be able to help me with examining the area in case anyone near the meeting site looked like they were also with the White Fang."
Taiyang was quiet, as he looked at Yang out of the corner of his eye.
"...I don't know." He said. "If you're worried about a trap, I don't know if Yang would-"
"It's fine." Yang interrupted. "She just wants me to keep an eye out, right? She's an Intoner line Two, so she should be able to deal with any problems. I'd just get in the way in a brawl."
Taiyang looked over to Four.
"I'd keep her safe, don't worry." She stated.
"If you say so." Taiyang sighed. "If Yang's okay to go, and you can keep her out of danger-"
"Hey." Yang joked. "I can handle myself."
Ruby looked over towards her, with a slightly worried expression, and Yang's hand clenched.
Her sister was worried. Of course she was. Yang'd gotten into enough losing fights that Ruby would be worried about her getting into any fight. And given the last time Ruby had seen Yang in a fight...
Yang had to stop herself, from reaching for her stomach, as the pain returned.
...Of course Ruby would end up worried about thinking about Yang in a fight. As far as Ruby knew, Yang was still too likely to overreach and get almost murdered again. Yang still needed to prove that she was strong enough for her sister.
"Thank you." Four said. "Now, excuse me, I have a busy night ahead of me. Some interrogations to do. I'll be in touch to talk about borrowing Yang, okay?"
"Just look after her, okay?" Taiyang asked.
Insisting Four keep her safe. It's the normal father thing to, worry about their children. Yang knew that. He was just looking after her.
It still stung, that he thought it was necessary.
That he was protecting her, even if it was what any father would do, was another sign that people thought that Yang needed to be treated with kid gloves. That she can't be trusted to handle herself in a fight.
When was the last time she even won a fight, anyway?
Blake had taken her down. The Death Stalker had escaped alive. Dito had slaughtered her. She'd run from Coco and Velvet before the fight really ended. Her father needed to step in with backup to drive off Melanie.
In the fight club, she'd won a few fights. Fights that didn't matter. One's she could win, but in the end, she didn't even need to win those fights to get the information out of Junior.
Before that? She'd saved the girl and the Undine, but she'd nearly killed herself doing it, and in the aftermath was weak another that a small starving child had nearly killed her.
Failure, after failure, after failure.
People felt the need to look after Yang because she still hadn't proven she could look after herself.
Yang noticed Ruby staring at her, and tried to relax. No point worrying her any further. She needed to be better for Ruby, and if that meant looking better than she was, then, well, that's what it took.
"Let's head home, then." Yang said. Four gave a wave, then walked away.
"Yeah, home we go." Taiyang noted.
Yang stood, and the family group walked out the door. A few metres out of it, though, Taiyang started talking.
"I didn't get the full story." He began. " What exactly happened, Yang?"
"I went to get pizza." She explained. "Then there was a robbery across the road, and I stepped in."
"And then you chased after someone who ran?" He asked again.
"I didn't want the terrorists to win." Yang replied.
"You didn't have to give chase, though." Taiyang noted. "Nobody would blame you if you let him get away."
"I would've blamed me." Yang pointed out. "If I didn't go after her, I'd be sitting around wondering if I could have made a difference. Better to try and fail then never try, right?"
"I'm just glad you're fine." Ruby said. "The other guy must have been really strong if they were able get away from you."
Yang's eye twitched, as she looked away.
She was just trying to make Yang feel better. There was no way she could make that claim honestly.
"Yeah." Yang nodded. "Really annoying in a fight. I could barely hit her with all her dodging and leaving behind shadowy replicas. It's really a pain to hit people who dodge a lot."
"It's all about the surprise attacks and predictions." Taiyang advised. "Alternatively, ask them embarrassing questions. They'll be too busy dodging the questions to dodge your fists."
"I don't imagine this would work." Yang pointed out.
"Try it out. Maybe ask them when the last time they talked to their grandparents was."
Yang rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Sure. Hey Ruby, want to get some ice cream?"
"If you want some." Ruby replied. Which was...
Yang frowned. She'd usually be more enthusiastic about ice cream.
"Can I have some too?" Taiyang asked. "I mean, if you're paying, Yang."
"Depends on how much allowance my dad gives me. He's a real pain, always giving me too little."
"Maybe you should try being a more respectful daughter who does all the chores around the house so your dad can just watch tv all day?" Taiyang asked.
Yang considered it. "...Nah."
The scroll vibrated as Yang got ready to go to bed, and she tapped over to it. Four's face quickly opened up on it.
"Hey." Four waved. "Nice to see you."
"You too." Yang replied. "...Wait, no. You Four."
Four stared blankly at her.
"...Do I have to explain puns to you as well?"
Four sighed. "That's just... Let's move on."
"Spoilsport." Yang muttered.
"Anyway." Four cut in. "Just thought I'd let you know. Managed to get some more information out of my captive. On whats going on."
"Oh?" Yang asked.
"Not too much." She went on. "Apparently, there's three White Fang members, not including my little captive, meant to meet up there. The plan is for them to gather near the fight club, win a few rounds, and meet up with an illegal dealer. Each of them has shown interest in buying a type of Dust from him, and they're apparently going to try and manipulate the betting so that one of them, a lieutenant of some sort, will have enough money for the dealer to try and talk to him first. That way they get the most amount of Ice dust possible, and nobody can buy them out first."
"So, what's the plan?" Yang asked.
"We're going in." Four explained. "You and me. And my Disciple, but forget about him. We'll go in, win a bit, beat up the White Fang a bit. Hopefully disrupt their betting plan. Even if we don't, if we make sure they're hurt enough, then after the fact, we can ambush them and ensure they're at they're weakened in advance. We just need to make sure not to be hurt."
"Are you sure it'll work?" Yang asked. "I mean, you said that the Blake girl knows you. What are the odds she's warned them about what you look like?"
Four paused, in consideration.
"...Good point." Four mused. "I suppose it'll just be you and Decadus, then. I'll wait outside the building. If I have Decadus keep his scroll linked up to a tracking program, I can have him tag whoever you identify as likely White Fang members, and they'll turn up on my scroll to watch them."
"Decadus, huh?" Yang asked. "Anything I should know about him?"
"He's a bit..."
Four trailed off, and sighed.
"I'll tell him not to talk to you. Just ignore him, he'll communicate via text or something. It'll be easiest. Trust me, he won't mind."
Yang blinked. "O... Kay?"
"Please don't ask." Four sighed. "I just... It... Please."
"I guess." Yang replied. "So, uh, see you then? Anything else I should do?"
"...Two people is kind of pushing it." She mused. "It might be an idea to involve other people. I don't think I know anyone reliable enough for that, though. If you can think of anyone we can trust to bring into this, let me know. At worst, maybe I can hire some people to throw a few rounds against us, but if you have anyone in mind, that'll work to."
Four's face on the screen looked away, and she yawned. "...It's getting late. I'm going to go to sleep. Justice can't be done if the sword of Justice is too slow to act."
"Night." Yang said, and waved, as Four broke the connection. Then, she wandered off, going to get some sleep.
Four suggested the idea of bringing more people to the Fight Club thing. Does Yang have any ideas?
[X] No. She has nobody she'd want to drag into this. Let her be the one getting in every fight scene.
[X] Some of her classmates might enjoy the experience. Blast will probably be there anyway, but maybe Piran and Peri as well...
[X] Yang did meet up with Junior that one time. Maybe she can slide by there again and see if he knows anyone willing to be hired for a job.
[X] Ren and Nora were doing things. Even if their last meeting ended with a bit of a headache, maybe they'd like the chance to test themselves.