Chapter 23
As the wheel passed over the twig it gave out a loud snap. The car continued to progress slowly without fuel, at the back of it were Winter in a tight white shirt, Yang in her usual orange tank top and Blake who had since removed her white coat. In the driver seat sat Neo who continued to steer the vehicle. The three at the back seemed exhausted as pushing the vehicle had taken its toll upon them.
"Are you- sure- there isn't a- station nearby?" panted Yang as she pushed with her back against the rear of the vehicle.
Winter shook her head, she had not bothered doing her white hair up in its usual bun and so it fell down her back and over her shoulder. "Not that I- Know of" she replied, equally out of breath as she pushed with both hands against the boot.
"Can't Neo push?" came Blake's voice, she had chosen to brace her shoulder against the vehicle in order to push it.
"She is the lightest- so she steers" responded Winter as her eyes glanced over to Blake and Yang.
They couldn't argue with that logic as they kept up the pace, though what they wouldn't give to be in her position of just relaxing and steering the vehicle. They had been walking for some time now since the car had run out of fuel and there had been nothing but the continuation of the pine forest around them. It was a calming place to be sure, but if anything, it was not a place people would settle down in. Or so they thought.
"Wait up" spoke out Winter as she stopped pushing, prompting the two on her left to also halt. The woman's eyes narrowed at the right side of the road.
"What's up?" asked Yang as she took the moment to stretch her back, this action did not go unnoticed by Blake who tried to force herself not to stare at the blonde.
Winter took a few steps towards the right side of the road and Yang could see that she was stood before a small dirt path that cut into the forest. It was covered in some pine but it was visible enough to make out its shape. "Curious..." muttered Winter to herself as her icy eyes stared on into the distance, she could not see where the strange path led to.
Neo had stepped out of the car to stand besides her, as did Yang and Blake as all four looked down the path. "That's weird, why would there be a road out here?" asked Yang.
"Exactly what I am trying to figure out" replied Winter, she looked back to the three. "It could lead to someone that might be able to help, so two of us are going to investigate while the remaining two keep an eye on the car" she answered.
"Sure thing, I'll go with-" began Yang before she was cut off by the sound of Winter's voice.
"Neo" replied the woman as she finished Yang's sentence.
Yang looked to Neo and glared before returning her attention back to Winter, "No way" she answered.
"Yes way" mimicked Winter in a mocking fashion. "You two could use some time together, your squabbling has become a nuisance recently" she added.
"We can't trust her" stated Blake bluntly as she stood besides Yang. To this Neo glanced away from them.
"The reason you can't trust her is because you have yet to give her a chance to prove it!" raised Winter's voice as she took a step towards the two. Her intimidation was second to none as they both seemed shocked by her outburst, almost taking a step back from her advance. When neither gave a response Winter continued on, "Yang, Neo. Go find out where it leads. If you are on that path for more than a half hour come back" she ordered before stepping aside for the two.
Blake narrowed her eyes at Neo who led on, Yang hesitantly following behind her as she looked back to the Faunus and Winter. After they had passed from view Blake peered to Winter. "We can't help her if she attacks" she stated.
Winter's expression softened as she looked down to Blake. "Neo will not harm her. She had chances before and she never took them. You should worry more for yourself" she answered.
"Myself?" asked Blake. "Yang's the one she has an obsession over" she replied.
"And who is in the way of that obsession? I would not have sent you down that path with Neo, that would surely have had some dire consequences" answered Winter once more as she moved to the boot of the vehicle, opening it up.
Blake looked back towards the direction the two had walked into. "Why can't three of us go?" she asked.
"Are you in a relationship with her?" came a seemingly random question from Winter as she pulled out a chilled can, taking a gulp from it.
The Faunus was stunned by the sudden personal question, turning herself back towards Winter. "What?" she asked in a vain attempt to dodge it.
Idly Winter moved to the left side of the car, leaning against it as she pierced Blake with her gaze. "Are you, Blake Belladonna, in a relationship with her, Yang Xiao Long" she repeated in a patronizing manner.
The tone of her voice irritated Blake as she crossed her arms, "Why do you care?" she asked.
A smirk came upon Winter's lips as she looked down to her can, her voice seemed sharper than usual. "Because it turns my stomach" she answered harshly. Blake's eyes widened slightly at the outright insult towards her relationship with Yang. Then her expression turned to one of anger as she clenched her fists.
Each step was padded by the dried pine leaves upon the floor. Looking to her left she saw forest. To her right, even more forest. Forwards and she saw Neo leading her, her umbrella crossed behind her back as she held it with both hands, head turning left and right to scan her surroundings. She hadn't once looked back at Yang yet which seemed out of character for her as the two journeyed on. The silence felt awkward for the blonde but it was probably normal for Neo. Despite that she didn't like her she felt the need to make conversation, even if she couldn't receive proper replies.
"So... what do you think we'll find...?" asked Yang as her lilac eyes glanced away, not wanting to look at Neo as she spoke to her. The woman in front turned as she walked, now moving backwards as her eyes fixated upon Yang. She shrugged her shoulders at her before spinning on her heel again to resume walking forwards. Yang sighed to herself as she looked ahead once more.
In their silence they continued as something slowly came into view at the end of the path. It appeared to be an old cabin, long since abandoned. Stopping in front of the building the two examined it with their eyes. The door appeared to be holding on by one hinge, some of the windows were shattered with holes, a small shed-like building was attached to the left side of the cabin. There was even a hole in the roof from the way a beam of light seemed to shine down into the building seen from one of the windows.
The surrounding area itself appeared to have been cleared of pine trees with only stumps remaining, probably having been used to construct the cabin itself. Yang approached one of the windows and peered inside to find that the furniture was broken where the light shined down, it looked like it used to be a table. The rest that she could see was dark and dusty. "Doesn't look like anyone's home... Check the shed, there might be fuel or something" suggested Yang as she looked back to Neo who gave a single nod in response as she made her way to the shed-like structure.
Yang herself decided to investigate the main building as she reached for the door handle. As she pulled the door itself just seemed to fall right from its final hinge, rusted through. She took a step back as it landed with a thud in front of her, kicking up some dust from the dirt on the ground. Coughing lightly she made her way forward and into the building. The scent was of rotting wood as she searched. A broken chair here, table there, an old moth-eaten bed. It was unclear how long the cabin had been abandoned for but she could be sure nobody would be returning.
Looking to the walls she found no pictures, no trophies. Whoever lived here seemed like they might have simple been escaping the world and hiding themselves away for whatever purpose. And in a place like this they would surely have been difficult to find. The only reason herself and the others found it was because they were walking at a slow pace and had the time to observe their surroundings. But if they were in the car driving by? They wouldn't have believed there to be an isolated cabin out in the wilderness like this.
She heard a thud at the entrance as she turned back to see Neo, a red fuel container by her feet. "Oh you found some, talk about luck. Let's head back, doesn't seem to be anything left here" spoke Yang as she made her way towards the door. Only Neo didn't move and blocked the frame, her eyes focused upon her. Yang halted in front of her and appeared uncertain, "Neo?" she asked.
The silent woman shuffled awkwardly as she looked up at Yang, she blinked as her eyes turned white. Whatever she was trying to tell Yang she couldn't seem to think of a way to do it as she brought her hand up to scratch at the back of her neck.
"What?" asked Yang, she knew that Neo's white eyes displayed her in her most vulnerable state, or one that showed she was afraid or in pain.
Neo pointed a finger nervously at Yang, her eyes watching her in an almost desperate manner. But still the blonde did not understand. She glanced around cautiously before returning her eyes to Yang, with her hands in front of herself she made a heart-like shape.
Yang knew what she was attempting to convey after the gesture. "You like me or something?" she asked, sounding unsure.
Neo nodded three times in quick succession as she offered an innocent smile up to the blonde, seeming happy that Yang now understood her feelings towards her.
"I... That's nice I guess, but I don't feel the same way. I don't even really like you" replied Yang coldly, as if the confession meant nothing to her.
The smaller girl's smile started to fade quickly at her words. Her gaze lowered as she thought to herself. Perhaps Yang didn't fully understand the extent of her feelings towards her? Perhaps she believed her to have a simple fleeting fancy? She needed a way to show her, to express to her how she truly felt. She saw Yang attempt to leave and her eyes darted back up at her, her mouth opening as if to say something. But as had become usual for Neo, no sound escaped her lips. With pleading eyes all she could do was mouth her words to someone who wouldn't listen even if those words made sound.
Before Yang could leave Neo stretched an arm in front of her, blocking the way out proper as she continued to try and speak her feelings out to the woman. This earned her a glare from Yang who spoke with warning, "Get out the way" she said.
Nothing she believed to be normal had worked on the woman and her thoughts looked to what she had been taught by someone close to her. You take what you want, the world owes you. Those were the words he had taught her long ago, the words of the man she considered more of a father than her own. It was the logic she had grown up with, one that suited her in the past and was simply how she learned to look at everything. Her attempts to act as she saw others act had fallen short, her own ways seemed so much more simpler. There was no need for words, no need for treading around a subject. You just did what you wanted to do.
She saw that Yang made to push past her arm and she felt herself spring into action, as if by instinct. She placed a boot behind Yang's legs and slammed the flat of her palm against her chest, sending her falling backwards with a slam against the wooden floor of the cabin. Before Yang could even understand what was happening the smaller woman had straddled her, one of her hands pinning Yang's wrist to the floor.
You take what you want, the world owes you.
Those words rang continuously through Neo's mind as she blinked, both her eyes turning to a magenta shade as she stared down upon Yang. "What- What are you doing? Get off!" yelled Yang as she grit her teeth, struggling against the woman on top of her. But Neo would not move. Her left hand moved to Yang's face, her fingers softly brushing over her lips as a blush appeared on her cheeks.
You take what you want, the world owes you.
Once again she heard the words clearly. She wanted Yang so the solution was to simply take her, as the world owed her. But did it? She paused as she considered her logic. Would this truly convey her feelings or simply selfishly indulge in them? Would this bring her closer to Yang or push them further apart? She seemed frozen atop the blonde who by now had discovered what Neo may be attempting, as a result keeping her mouth firmly shut.
You take what you want...
...But the world didn't owe her this.
She blinked and her eyes returned to white, a frown crossing her face as tears started to well up in her eyes. She could take anything she wanted, but this? It was different. She couldn't do this to the person she felt so strongly about. The woman beneath her seemed to grow only more confused as the tears fell down upon her. Neo released her wrist as she stood up slowly, her eyes turning away in shame as she offered a hand down to help her up.
Yang hesitantly reached up to accept the hand as she was pulled up to her feet. After that she didn't even get a word as Neo had turned back towards the entrance, picking up the heavy fuel container as she started returning to the path from whence they came. Yang stood at a loss as she watched her, she didn't understand the extent of what Neo was thinking but she made the connection that she had decided against an inconsiderate deed. She turned away from it despite it being what she appeared to want. Maybe Neo truly wasn't as bad a person as she believed. For now she seemed to simply consider her a very conflicted individual, somebody that didn't understand how the world worked, or just didn't understand what they wanted.
She began following her back upon the path, remaining silent as her mind went over what had just transpired. Surely she should feel angry but Neo had halted herself of her own volition knowing that what she was doing was wrong. Perhaps Yang had been too harsh on her, perhaps Neo just needed help? Regardless she chose to keep the event to herself for the time being until she could think upon it further.
"I should have guessed it was only a matter of time until this came up" growled Blake as she glared at Winter who continued to lean against the car, their discussion had been developing over time.
"Do you blame me? You were White Fang" answered the woman in response, seeming as calm as ever.
"So me attacking their leader means nothing to you? Typical Schnee dogma! I'm a Faunus so everything I do has an agenda, is that it!?" yelled Blake, clearly furious by this point.
Winter chuckled softly, "So you may have had some redeeming qualities, that does not excuse the fact that you stole from my family and have yet to answer for your crimes" she answered.
"I saved the people on that train! I never wanted the White Fang to become what they did, you can't pin it all on me!" continued Blake, her voice straining from the yelling.
"No I can't, but I can still judge you for what you are. Let us be clear Blake. I do not mind you as a person, but this... thing you have going with Yang? It's frankly sick. A Human and a Faunus? It's absurd" answered Winter, standing up from the car before idly tossing her empty can over her shoulder, the car, and into the forest.
Blake had to control her emotions, she was letting Winter get the better of her but she seemed to know exactly what buttons to press. With her voice forcing itself to try and remain as calm as Winter's she replied. "Look... I get it... You and Weiss suffered because of the group I was a part of. But if you're going to ask me to break up with Yang then I'd sooner join the White Fang again" she answered.
Winter's eyes narrowed sharply at Blake. "When you find something disgusting, what do you do?" she asked. Another one of her rhetorical questions. Blake didn't reply as Winter nodded once, "That is right, you take it out of the equation. Remove the offence" she answered.
Blake turned and folded her arms, "When I first saw you I feared you'd be just like this. Stupid of me to think the rumours might be false..." muttered the Faunus.
"Just keep it out of my sight" replied Winter harshly as her eyes continued to glare into the back of Blake's head.
It was then they saw Neo and Yang approaching from the path, Neo with the red fuel container in hand and still looking rather upset, though her tears had been brushed aside. Yang behind her looked over to Blake, raising a brow at her tense expression.