Author's Note:

I wanna start things off with a bang! Especially since the last chapter ended with a bang! I love bangs! Especially banging on people's doors! What am I saying at this point?

Also, to give you guys context, the third act of this story was last edited (edited, not written, mind you) in February 8th. That's right, folks. It's been a year since I wrote this story.

Erm... happy anniversary?

Strangers: Become Lovers

Act III

B74NW3N

FRIDAY

11:30

[WARN]

[STAY QUIET]

Despite knowing it was futile, he chose the former option.

"I don't like this," he spoke with utmost certainty, wondering again why he let his niece's friend do what she was about to do and why his niece seemed insistent on being privy to all this.

"Neither do I," the android kid spoke. "But I want Father to know that I no longer am his to command. I'm no longer anyone's to command."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, that's real empowering and all, but Jacques is a powerful man. And trust me, you don't want to piss off a powerful man."

She looked at him, her nervousness showing. She took a deep breath and pretended to look as though she wasn't afraid. And he pretended to believe her. "I am fully aware of the power Father holds."

"So, again, why are you doing this?"

"Because he's family," said Squirt, who'd been silent and holding the android kid's hand this whole time, tracing circles. "I'd do the same."

It wasn't like he had a problem with Schnee - he didn't. She freaking saved his niece's life and proved to be a good friend to Squirt. He'd be a douche not to like the android kid.

And he understood why she'd want to find Beacon too. He'd agreed to help her out in searching for a new place to live, and Beacon was as good of a place as any - no matter how much he distrusted Ozpin.

What he didn't understand was why Schnee wanted to call her maker, Jacques, a world-renowned asshole, and tell him that she was going to leave.

Wouldn't it be easier to just leave right there and then completely unannounced?!

"Please, Uncle Qrow. You're the only one who can help her. Help us."

Yikes. Squirt was using her puppy eyes at him again. How was he supposed to calmly explain why this was a stupid - not to mention pointless - decision to make now?

He groaned, exhaling a loud breath, causing a few strands of his hair to sway. "Fine. But after this, we'll have to bail as soon as possible, got it?" He didn't budge until the two of them nodded. He then faced the android kid, forcing her to look into his eyes. "You can't talk to him for long; your best bet would be to keep it under one minute. That's exactly how long it takes for them to track down a call, maybe even less so, considering how advanced technology has become."

He knew she knew already. He just felt the need to warn her not to be reckless, even though this whole thing was already reckless in the first place.

"Understood. Thank you, Qrow."

He appreciated that she was kind, and not in that programmed, unreal way. He could tell the kid genuinely meant it. He guessed Squirt really did have an influence on her.

With a shaky breath, she pressed the call button and brought the device close to her ear.

With his artificial senses, he was able to hear the other line, unclear as it may sound.

It rang once. Twice. Thrice-

"Hello?"

"Father. It's me, Schnee." The kid looked at Squirt. Though her face showed no emotion, her LED flashed yellow.

"Oh. You've called to inform when you'll arrive home, I assume."

Already, Qrow didn't like this guy. His voice had that condescending tone to it, the kind where a person thought they know everything and was better than everyone.

"No, Father. I've come to tell you that…" A short pause. "I'm leaving."

"You won't be leaving." There wasn't a pause. He immediately said that with such certainty. He didn't sound shocked. He sounded as though he was expecting it…

Qrow also found it very peculiar how Jacques didn't question why Schnee hadn't come back home that night.

"Father, I know you think this is simply an error, but-"

"It is an error, Schnee. And we'll fix that error once you've come home. We'll erase your memories and pretend this never happened. Just as always."

Schnee's LED flashed red. He didn't blame her, if he still had an LED himself, it would've flashed red too.

The implication behind his words…

Oh, the bastard wasn't even trying to be subtle.

"Father…?"

The kid looked so heartbroken. Like her entire life was one sick lie - which, in a sense, it was.

And Ruby…

She couldn't hear anything, but she knew something was wrong just by looking at her friend's face. His niece looked up at him, expecting answers. He looked away, not knowing what to say.

"Do you know that Ruby Rose was stated missing ten years ago? As was her half-sister, Yang Xiao Long." He froze, maroon eyes widening. It took him half a millisecond to understand what was going on, and even then, he was hoping - begging - that his predictions were proven false. "Yes, see, they were captured by a rogue android. An old model, a BR4NW3N. I'm sure you know this by now, Schnee."

Blue eyes met maroon red, and at that moment, he knew she understood. She'd known all along.

Quickly, she looked away and said, "Father, what-"

"But that's not the interesting part. You see, for some reason, the two kids have such a deep connection with that old junk that they were willing to break a few laws just to keep him safe. And vice versa."

No. No. No.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

This couldn't be happening! It just couldn't!

His eyes widened a fraction more when he realized they were exactly seven seconds from it being a full minute.

How the hell did this son of a bitch even know all of this?!

"Turn the phone off!" he hissed.

"If, say, the police were to find out where they lived… they'll be gone for good."

"Father!"

"Turn it off, now!"

"Weiss, c'mon, let's go!" urged Ruby, holding her by the forearm.

But Schnee simply wouldn't budge.

"Did you honestly think I'd let you run around with that pest without running a background check on her?" The asshole from the other line let out a huge sigh. "It was hard, but I figured everything out. I don't understand why you'd care for someone like her… but I'm giving you one last chance to simply end this ridiculous phase, or else… I'll take matters into my own hand."

A beat passed.

And then another.

And another.

And he watched as her blue eyes found his niece's silver ones, filled with uncertainty.

He watched as Ruby, not knowing what was happening but fully aware of the tension hanging in the air, gave her an encouraging smile and said, "I'll be right here with you, Weiss."

"I am your father, Schnee. It would be rude for you to disobey me, would it not?"

The moment her LED flashed back into a calm blue, he knew the choice she was about to make. And he wasn't sure how to feel about that choice.

"... You're not my father, Jacques."

And with that, the young new deviant ceased the form of communication.

A beat passed.

And another.

And another.

"That took… more than one minute," he commented, trying to regain some semblance of aloofness despite what had transpired.

"It's a good thing we used the phone booth halfway across town then, isn't it?" chuckled Ruby just as the android stepped out of the large box.

He opened her mouth, but Schnee spoke first. "It's no good. Fa- Jacques is a powerful man, no doubt does he have ahold of powerful tools - tools far advanced than anyone could've imagined."

"Which means we have to leave, now," he urged, already turning around. He prevented himself from taking a step when he realized the two kids still seemed deep in thought. He gritted his teeth. "We don't have much time."

He couldn't believe it. One moment, he was helping his niece's friend sneak out of the city and into Beacon, the next, his life went back to square one; he was on the run again.

"Ruby." The kid's tone sounded frigid. Frosty. Heh. He should call her Ice Queen from now on. "Your sister, Yang Xiao Long. Where is she?"

"W-what?"

"Where is your sister?"

The urgent, almost desperate way she'd uttered that sentence sent alarms ringing in his head.

[ASK]

[DON'T ASK]

He was about to choose the latter - knowing that the Ice Queen was just worried about his niece's sister, being a good friend and all…

But then he saw the ring on the side of her head.

And how it flashed a dangerous red.

He couldn't choose quicker. "Why're you asking?"

She looked straight into his eyes.

He'd never seen an android look so fearful before.

"Because I fear she may be in danger as of right now."

Author's Notes:

Starting things off with a bang is tight. (Pitch meeting reference right there because I just finished watching one of those videos).