"It's time."
Yang jumped, spilling the glass of iced lemonade that had been balanced on the arm of the deckchair all over herself. The liquid was freezing and instantly banished the pleasant warmth that had accumulated in her skin through an hour in the sun. She leapt up, frantically wiping the drink from her with her hands. It didn't help much; her bikini was already soaked.
"Damn it Raven!" Yang glared at her. It seemed to be her curse to know women who could walk across a room filled with dry branches and bells without making a single sound. First Blake, now Raven. The pair of them must have been keeping score as to who could sneak up on her the most.
"Sorry." Raven held out her hands in a placating manner. "Let me."
"No, don't." Yang danced away from her, attempting to shake the last chips of ice from the inside of her top. It wasn't a dignified display, but she was too pissed off to care. She'd just wanted a few hours of peace to work on the patchy tan she'd accumulated in the desert.
When she was sure she'd removed all the ice she sat back down on her now damp chair, lifting her bare feet from the searing stone of the balcony. Her burned soles just adding to her annoyance. "What?" she spat at Raven and immediately regretted it.
Raven still stood in the exact same position she had been, her hand still halfway up, and a look of intense hurt on her face. Yang breathed deeply, forcing herself to calm down. It had been an accident, and Raven had only been trying to help.
"Sorry." She supposed it could have been worse. At least her top had been tied, and she hadn't treated Raven to a full view of the breasts her genetics had been responsible for. "Did you have to sneak up on me though?"
"I didn't. I knocked first." Even now the pair of them tiptoed around each other, unsure of just what form their relationship took. It was an uneasy relationship, but at least a developing one. With each passing day Yang felt just that little bit more comfortable around her, got to know her a little bit more. She hadn't completely forgiven her yet ̶ ̶ she probably never would ̶ ̶ but they were getting there.
"Oh…" Yang had been lost in the bliss of the sun and her own thoughts. It was entirely possible that she'd missed a knock on her door. It had been locked but, just like Blake, locks didn't seem to be much of a barrier to Raven. "Haven't you heard of privacy? What if I'd been in the shower?"
"You weren't."
"Well… What if I was rubbing one out?"
"Then I trust Blake would have been disappointed." The words were said in the dry tone of someone refusing to be even the slightest bit embarrassed by their daughter's more private habits. Yang had to wonder what Raven had been like in school. Having grown up with Qrow, she had a pretty good guess.
"Fine. But seriously, knock a little louder next time, please?" Yang ran her hand over her chest. Though her bikini was still a little damp, the sun had banished the chill from her skin. Apart from the stickiness, no major harm had been done.
"Noted."
"Did you want something?"
"As I said, it's time."
"It's time? Why are you always so cryptic?" One of the things she'd noticed was that Raven rarely gave a straight answer.
"It adds to my mysterious air."
Yang wasn't quite sure if Raven was joking or not. There was no easy hint in her completely flat tone. To play it safe Yang forced out a chuckle. The corners of Raven's lips turned up slightly. "Yeah, well very mysterious. What's it time for anyway?"
"Our holiday has been green-lit."
"Really?" Yang sat bolt upright, thoughts of lounging in the sun forgotten. In truth, she wasn't going to complain about two weeks spent relaxing in a palace. Her days and nights were split between the gym, the spa, and a lot of Blake, but with nothing to actually do she was starting to go a little stir-crazy.
In the middle of the city there should have been plenty of activities to attract her attention, but Cinder had strongly recommended that they remain within the walls of the palace. Yang had been outside a few of times, but that was it. On top of that, in the past few days, her movements inside the palace had been restricted by the Atlesian delegation.
Just being under the same roof as Weiss was close to unbearable. It took all of Yang's willpower not to hunt her down, deck her, and say fuck the consequences. At one time she'd trusted Weiss. She'd been her friend, and Weiss had betrayed her by breaking Ruby's heart. That was quite simply unforgivable for Yang.
But apparently not for Blake. She'd gone to see her, and had apparently been won round by Weiss' lies. Blake had even delivered those same lies to her. Supposedly Weiss 'missed her' and 'wanted to say she was sorry.' Sorry, she told herself, just wasn't good enough. Not when it came to Ruby.
Blake really wasn't helping either. For some reason she kept bringing up Weiss at almost every opportunity; Yang had managed to lose her temper and snap at Blake more than once. Again, Weiss was screwing her over. And yet, while the guilt and anger was bad enough, something else had happened. Since Blake and Weiss had talked, Blake had changed.
Yang couldn't quite put her finger on exactly what it was. Despite knowing Blake so intimately, she couldn't pinpoint it. It was almost indefinable. Blake just seemed... happier. Even that wasn't really fair to say. Since they'd made their relationship official Blake had been exultantly happy ̶ ̶ a mirror to Yang's own feelings really. But now, the shadows that sometimes leaked from Blake's eyes whenever she didn't think anyone was looking were gone; if not gone, at least diminished. It was as if some weight had been lifted from Blake's shoulders. And she had Weiss to thank for it.
That pissed her off the most. That Weiss had been able to help Blake where she hadn't. At any other time she would have thanked her. If she tried that, her tongue would have shrivelled up and died before she uttered the first syllable. No, right now decking her was still the preferred option. It was just a good thing they hadn't run into each other in the corridors of the palace
"We're looking to depart within forty-eight hours," Raven said.
"Depart? How?" Cinder had been entirely close-lipped about how they would be getting to Menagerie. With the numbers they were bringing she could only presume the Vacuan military was loaning troop carriers as well.
This time Raven did smile. "At the risk of adding to my mysterious air… That will be revealed in time."
"You're annoying. You know that, don't you?"
"Your father used those exact words."
"Well, he's right." Her dad and Raven did appear to be getting along well. Really well. She didn't quite know whether she should feel happy about that or not. "So, did you only come here to spill lemonade over me?"
"No, my mother wishes to see you." Her mother. After two years Yang had come to terms that Raven being her mother. But accepting a millennia old god who barely looked twenty-five as her grandmother? That was significantly more difficult. That also wasn't counting the fact Cinder had, in Yang's opinion, a major attitude problem.
"So you're here to summon me?"
"Yang… she wants to see you."
"Then why didn't she come herself?"
"She's very busy."
"So am I."
Raven raised her eyebrow, and made of show of taking in Yang's attire and spilled drink. "You certainly look it."
"You know how hard it is to even up a tan." Though Yang knew Blake wouldn't judge someone solely on aesthetics, she still wanted to look good for her. "It takes work."
Raven sighed. She'd never had to deal with the petulant teenager phase. "Could you please come with me? Blake is already there, and your friend has arrived."
"Who?" Yang asked, abandoning her attitude.
"I… don't recall her name. The rabbit."
"Velvet?"
"That sounds familiar."
Yang jumped up, and slipped on her flats. "What are we waiting for then?"
"I believe we were waiting for you, and I do hope you don't plan on going out like that."
"Why? Don't you think it suits me?" Yang played with the ties on her bikini bottoms. It had been difficult to find any within the conservative city, but she'd lucked out in the back of an Atlesian store.
This time she did manage to put Raven on the spot. Just the slightest hint of red blossomed in her cheeks. "You look very beautiful."
"But I was going for hot."
Raven blushed just that little bit more. "That too."
"Aww, thanks." Yang fluttered her eyelids. It proved too much for Raven, she looked away exasperatedly.
"Now will you get changed?"
"Since you asked so nicely. It's not urgent is it?"
"Not really."
"Great, give me a few minutes to hop in the shower. For some reason I'm all sticky."
It only took her about ten minutes to wash and, thanks to a creative application of her Semblance, even less time to dry her hair. She emerged from the bathroom to find Raven reading a book Blake had left on her bedside table. She sincerely wanted to believe Raven hadn't been anxiously waiting for the latest edition of 'Ninjas of Love'.
"Enjoying yourself?" The fact Raven had been engrossed enough to allow someone to sneak up on her told Yang all she needed to know. On occasion Blake had read some to her… Raven enjoying that particular brand of literature was not a thought she wished to have.
Raven dropped the book as if it were on fire. "No! I was just waiting. Are you ready?"
Yang could have pressed the subject, but instead allowed Raven a respite. "Sure. Do I need to bring anything?"
"Just yourself."
"Where are we ̶ ̶ " Raven waved her hand and a portal materialised in the middle of the room. "Oh… do we have to?" Yang said as she stared in the swirling nebulous abyss. She'd gotten used to travelling by portal… mostly. It no longer made her throw up, but at the same time she'd rather not spend the next half an hour feeling as if she were about to.
"Unless you wish to walk halfway across the city?"
Yang swallowed and gritted her teeth. "Fine." Without dwelling on her fate any longer she strode through. The moment she hit the barrier, there was the now familiar feeling of her guts being turned inside out and pressure crushing her from all sides. A step later it ended.
She managed to stay upright as she emerged from the other end, but it was only through supporting herself on the nearest object. It was a shelf, sturdily built from metal, covered in dust, and rising to the ceiling far above. Judging by it and the spotlight hanging down, Raven had brought them to a side room of some kind of warehouse.
Raven herself appeared a moment later, the portal collapsing in on itself right behind her. Her gait was entirely unaffected, and she couldn't quite hide her grin.
"Yeah, yeah. Very funny. I'll remember to throw up on your shoes." Yang released some of her irritation. "Where are we anyway?"
"A warehouse near Geddon. We've been keeping everything under wraps."
"Until now?"
"Until now. Follow."
The soft beat of pop music or light rock came from ahead, intermingled was the sound of voices. Raven pushed open a door with flaking paint to reveal the warehouse proper. It was well lit by the sun streaming in through the high but grimy windows, and the rays revealed the preparations that Cinder and Raven had made.
They were… substantial. Yang knew they had talked about having support from the Vacuan military, but she hadn't quite realised what that meant. The room was dominated by a dozen or more hulking sand-coloured mechs. Vacuan-made, they were even larger than their Atlesian counterparts, and noticeably less-advanced.
Behind the mechs, several artillery pieces were lined up, their barrels parallel to the ground with shells stacked next to them. A missile pod was currently in pieces, being cleaned and checked by technicians. Against all the walls there were rows and rows of munitions and guns. There was so much military hardware in the room, Yang found her mouth open. Cinder had prepared for a war.
Of course, hardware was only useful in the hands of the people who knew how to use it. The soldiers were easy to spot; they clearly had enough free time to bulk up considerably as they sat in their barracks all day. Some of them likely had trouble raising their arms over their heads were they so musclebound.
They might have scared normal people, but the more dangerous by far were those who appeared normal. Those who wouldn't stand out in the middle of a crowded café. She didn't recognise any of the hunters. She supposed Cinder had recruited them.
"So?" Raven asked.
Yang gestured at the mechs. "Are you guys overcompensating for something?"
Rather than rise to the joke Raven's eyes darkened. "You will be glad of them when we arrive on Menagerie."
Yang's levity evaporated. Qrow's warnings and increased drinking had told her just how much he feared going back there, but it was a feeling apparently shared by Raven. "Have you been there?" Raven nodded. "What's it like?"
"There is a reason the island is still uninhabited…" Raven went silent.
"And that is?" Yang prompted after a time.
"The Grimm do not like intruders. There is something in the air there. You'll feel it instantly. It's almost as if you can feel them. Feel their hate. The Grimm shouldn't be able to survive on that island. Not in those numbers. And not when they're bigger than any on the mainland. Yet they do. There is something different about it. You will know when we get there."
Well… that wasn't ominous. Raven appeared to be haunted. She looked identical to Qrow when he talked about Menagerie. Just what had happened on the island to make it like that? Most believed the Faunus had originated there.
"So you're saying I shouldn't bring my bikini?" Yang decided to try and lift the malevolent air.
The unexpected joke worked. Raven bit her lower lip as she tried not to laugh. "I would say not. The beaches leave much to be desired."
"Drat. Maybe you could pick somewhere a little more hospitable than a creepy island in the middle of the ocean next time."
"I'll do my best."
"Good." Yang had finished scanning all the faces in the room. "Where's Cinder anyway? And Blake for that matter?"
"Mother will arrive later."
Yang glared at her. "I thought you'd said I'd been summoned."
"And you have. But even though you are bad at waiting, mother is much worse. I believe Blake and your friend are in the offices in the back."
"You not coming?"
"No." Raven glared at where two of the soldiers were making lewd gestures towards her and more specifically Yang. "I have heads to crack together."
Yang followed her gaze. At one time she would have been only too eager to join her. Now though, she liked to think she'd mellowed. She could let a pair of idiots, be idiots. Not to mention Blake would have disapproved of her getting in another fight. It turned out Blake was a very good influence on her.
Yang started towards the offices. "Good luck."
"I won't need it." Yang didn't doubt that. After noticing the look on Raven's face, the soldiers suddenly seemed very interested in their card game.
Yang had to thread her way through piles of munitions and supplies to get to where Raven had indicated. The corridor beyond was dark and smelled of disuse, but she followed the light streaming from an open door.
Blake was sitting on a desk but, as rare as it was, she didn't monopolise Yang's attention.
"Velvet!" Yang burst into the room, her arms held wide. She slowed as she took in the entirety of the scene. Velvet was staring at the disgusting carpet, her ears drooping down over her face, and Blake's arm was wrapped around her. Yang lowered her arms. "What's wrong?"
"Hi Yang." Velvet tried to smile, she really did, but the smile never quite managed to reach her eyes. They were rimmed with red.
"What's wrong?" Yang repeated. She'd never thought any reunion would be quite like this.
Velvet went back to counting the number of stains on the carpet. Blake squeezed her. "She and Coco had an argument." It was said in barely a whisper, but there was no way that Velvet wouldn't hear. A small shudder ran through her body.
"I think we broke up," Velvet managed to get out, before she broke into fresh tears.
"No…" Velvet and Coco had always been so strong together. So suited to each other. Yang couldn't imagine either of them without the other. She knelt on the carpet and placed her hand on Velvet's knee. "What happened?"
"I… I don't know. Just… I told her about your message. Said I wanted to help, and she said I couldn't. She said I wasn't allowed. As if it was her decision to make." A hint of strength entered Velvet's voice. "I told her I was going whether she came or not, and then she straight up said I wasn't. That she wasn't going to buy the ticket and so I was stuck. Like I rely on her for everything. I have my own money."
"I know. I know." Blake rubbed her back. She had a better idea than most what the average life of a Faunus was like. The squalor and poverty. Maybe Velvet had relied on Coco financially a significant amount, but no one wanted to be beholden to the person they were going out with.
"I was going to buy her a gift. One with money I'd earned. It was meant to be special. Now it's gone. When she found my bags packed, she shouted at me. Straight up forbade me from going. I hate fighting. I just walked out. Now she hates me."
"I'm sure she doesn't." Blake's attempt to console her was in vain.
"She does."
"You had a fight. They happen," Yang added. If there was any area that she had expertise over the other two in, rocky relationships were it. "And in a few days, she'll call you. Or you'll call her. And you'll talk. You'll realise how much you miss each other, and you'll make up."
Velvet shook her head, her ears flapping from side to side. "I don't think we will. You didn't see her. She was really mad. I don't think I've ever seen her that mad before."
"It was the heat of the moment. She'll cool off. Trust me. She was probably just worried about you." They'd asked Velvet to sacrifice a lot to be here. To put herself in harm's way when she didn't have to. As much as it frustrated Yang, she could understand why Coco had decided to stay away. But that only meant she was even more grateful that Velvet hadn't.
"She did say Vacuo was too dangerous."
"You see. She wasn't angry at you." Yang couldn't resist hugging her any longer. She threw her arms around Velvet and easily lifted her from the desk, spinning her around in the circle. As intended a laugh escaped into the air. Yang grinned as well. She set Velvet down and held her at arm's length. "Just give it a day and then call her. Everything will be alright. Trust me."
This time the smile did reach Velvet's eyes. They lit up. "I've missed you."
"Same here." They'd video-chatted in the last few days, but that was it. "Thanks so much for coming."
"Don't mention it." A rare, hard quality entered the usually timid girl's voice. "Seriously, don't. After what he did. He needs to be stopped, and I'm not going to sit on the side-lines."
A chill ran down Yang's spine. There was an old saying her dad had once told her, 'There are three things all wise men fear: the growls of Grimm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.' Left to her own devices, Velvet wouldn't have hurt a fly. She was one of the kindest and most considerate people that Yang knew, and also one of the most terrifying. They'd all seen what Velvet was capable of.
"Well, we'll need you."
"It looks like it. Have you seen what's out there? I know you told me this was going to be big, but I'd never thought this big."
"In all honesty, me neither. Still, at least you're here now." The three of them had been catching up for about ten minutes when they were interrupted.
"Sup," Sun said from where he was leaning against the door frame. As always, his shirt was left hanging open, exposing abs which could have doubled as a cheese grater.
"Hey." Yang nodded in his direction. Sun had arrived a couple of days before with the rest of his team. She'd have been lying if she said she hadn't been a little bit concerned to see him again. He still had his roguish good looks, and a body that many would kill for. It had been wrong to doubt Blake, but she hadn't been able to help it. Thankfully, her jealousy hadn't found a target; they'd greeted each other as friends and nothing more.
He still thought he was much cooler than he was though, and he was most definitely too cool to squeal as she had when he saw Velvet again. Instead he strutted up to her ̶ ̶ which was the only real way to describe his walk. His hug was real though, and he whispered something into her ears that Yang couldn't quite hear.
"Oh yeah Yang, your uncle wanted you," Sun said.
Cinder really had summoned them all. "Why?"
"That's for you to find out. Blake, you might want to go as well. They're just down the hall."
"Sure…" Blake wasn't too convinced. "Are you ok Velvet?"
"Yep." She sounded much perkier than before. "Sun can keep me company."
"Let's go then. See you in a bit." The two of them left. Halfway down the hall a very familiar, but almost forgotten voice boomed out. They traded a glance.
"No way," Yang said. "No fucking way." She couldn't believe her ears, but they weren't lying to her. As they rounded a corner she found her uncle and ̶ ̶
"Yang! Blake! My girls." Port's stomach bounced even more than it had when he'd been giving lectures.
"Professors?" Blake said.
"Doctor," Doctor Oobleck corrected. "Though it's technically not correct to call either of us professor anymore, but nevertheless it is very good to see you both. I trust you have been staying safe. We were awfully concerned when you disappeared from your mission back in Vale, but considering the circumstances, we can fully understand it. Qrow has been filling us in. Quite a tale indeed." Breathing still wasn't something Oobleck bothered with when talking.
"Doctor." Blake only managed to get one word out before Oobleck jumped back in.
"No, no. Please, call me Bartholomew."
"Or Barty," Port said.
"Do not call me Barty."
"Ignore him he likes it."
They were different from how Yang remembered them, and then she realised why. They weren't treating her as their student. Now they were addressing her as an equal. Yang was at a loss for words. She was actually struggling to correlate what the reality was with what her eyes and ears were telling her. Her old teachers couldn't be here, not in a warehouse on the other side of the planet. And yet, no matter how many times she blinked, they didn't disappear.
Port had put on weight, his belly stretching out even further over his belt; his hair and moustache were suspiciously dark. Even if he'd been enjoying his retirement, Yang didn't have to look long to see the hunter who ̶ ̶ if his own stories were to be believed ̶ ̶ had killed Grimm on every single continent and was missed by a countless number of damsels he'd saved.
Oobleck looked good. He still hadn't managed to kick his caffeine habit, but he'd barely changed in the two years since Yang had seen him last. All she'd heard was that they hadn't returned to their positions at Beacon when the school had been reopened. What they'd done afterwards was anyone's guess.
"How are you here?" Yang asked.
Qrow answered her. "I figured we might need a little bit of help. I couldn't think of anyone better than these two. Even if I did kick their ass whenever we decided to show Beacon who had the better teachers."
"That was one time!" Port squared up to him.
"I think you're getting forgetful in your old age. It was at least three."
"Old? I'll have you know I'm in the prime of my life. And I'm surprised you can recall anything more than a blur given how you turned up drunk."
"It's called tolerance grandad. Regardless, what does that say about you if you still lost to me when I was off my face?"
"That I went easy on you. Anyway, I'll think you'll find we always sent you back to Signal with your tails between your legs."
"Only because no one else could handle Glynda…" The good-natured argument tailed off, a shadow descended on them.
"May she rest in peace." Oobleck's voice was quiet and sombre, a far cry from his usual. The words were echoed by all those in the room.
An uncomfortable silenced formed. Talk of the dead was rarely welcome around the living. It was only a reminder of just how fragile life really was. It was a shame. Up to this point, the attitude of Qrow and Port had been a revelation. There was a slight rivalry between Signal and Beacon, but not much of one. Signal was a feeder school. She'd never have imagined that the teachers had competitions to see which faculty was better. They'd managed to keep it quiet at any rate.
"Anyway," Qrow said with forced cheer. "I extended an invitation to the pair of them."
"And grateful I am." Port's voice recovered its usual power. "The sabbatical is enjoyable and all, despite the disgusting lack of Grimm, but how could turn it down? A hunt. To Menagerie no less ̶ ̶ the island and I have unfinished business ̶ ̶ and at the end of it, perhaps the greatest prize of all to adorn my wall. I couldn't say no."
Oobleck jumped in. "Indeed. I hardly dared to believe him. A dragon of all creatures. It's too good to be true. It needs to be documented, recorded. If there is one on the island, so many legends suddenly become more plausible. It was opportunity too important to leave to others."
"You can take all the pictures you want, but remember there's a place on my wall with the dragon's name on it."
"You keep what you kill," Qrow said.
"And we all know whose axe is going to find the beast's heart."
"Keep dreaming. It's not going to roll over for you."
Yang and Blake exchanged a look. Qrow and Port were behaving just like two overly-competitive teenagers. It was true that all teachers had a side of themselves they didn't show their pupils. The pair of them kept ripping into each other.
"You do realise that there might not be a dragon, right? So all this arguing is irrelevant." Taiyang appeared in the doorway. He gave Yang's shoulder a quick squeeze. At one time she would have recoiled from him. Now she appreciated the gesture.
"Nonsense. A hunt to save the world. It has to have a dragon at the end of it. Didn't he ever read you those stories Yang?" Port asked.
"Yeah, he did." Those nights curled in bed, sometimes with Ruby alongside her, and both her parents gathered around were happy ones. "I'm not sure if there were dragons though."
"There were a couple." Taiyang smiled at the recollection. "Anyway, you'll have to save your argument for later. Cinder's arrived. She wishes to address everyone, and I pity the person who keeps her waiting around."
Their group left the offices and entered the main room of the warehouse again. The crowd gathered around a makeshift podium made of crates that was larger than Yang had expected. There must have been a hundred and fifty or so people and the murmur of excited conversation permeated the air. No doubt they'd all been as bored as her.
Velvet and Sun were near the back, the rest of his team gathered near them. Yang bumped Neptune's offered fist. Her first impressions of him might not have been positive ̶ ̶ and in truth neither had her second, third, and many more ̶ ̶ but she'd been glad to see him. In Vale he'd shown who he was when he wasn't trying to act cool.
Yang attempted to see the podium. Attempted because, despite being over six-feet tall, everyone in front of her appeared to have a thyroid mutation. Her dad noticed her standing on her tiptoes, and leant into her ear.
"You can sit on my shoulders if you want?"
She punched him playfully on the arm, but any retort was curtailed as the murmuring quieted. Wearing a more reserved dress than usual, Cinder climbed on top of the crates. She appraised them all before speaking in a clear voice that carried.
"Good afternoon. To those of you who don't recognise me, I'm a special advisor to his Supreme Excellency the King. He wished to be here today, but matters of state took precedence. Every person in this room has been handpicked for a mission of vital importance to the future of this country. Your names may never go down in the history books, but you will be able to look back and know you changed the world.
"You are the best of the best that Vacuo has to offer. You can stand against any force on this planet, and you will have to. I'm sorry that is has been necessary to keep you in the dark up until now, but this matter has been too sensitive to risk the slightest leak. Your destination is Menagerie." There was a surge of voices as those who hadn't been aware conversed with their neighbours. Cinder waited patiently for them to die down. Her persona was not the one that Yang had experience with.
"You will be the Vanguard. You will land on an island just off the coast and secure it for a larger force to be deployed. It will not be easy. Many of you will be hurt. Many of you will bleed. And some of you may die. But through your sacrifice, you will ensure the survival of those you love. Your sacrifice will not be in vain, and you shall not be forgotten.
"Your officers will now provide your tactical briefing. Enjoy this night, but make sure you rest. You will need it. At twenty one hundred hours tomorrow, be prepared to fight. Thank you."
Cinder was not applauded off the stage, her departure was barely acknowledged. The soldiers who'd been kept in the dark were too engrossed in discussing the mission they'd volunteered for. There was more than one mutter of 'suicide'.
Yang was at least grateful she hadn't been kept so ignorant. She'd at least become accustomed to the idea that they were going to Menagerie, and she had barely a day to prepare.
Yang stepped through Raven's portal and reappeared in the warehouse. This time she managed to stay upright on her own, but likely only due to the adrenaline coursing through her system. It had been so severe she'd hit the gym and barely made a dent in her pent-up energy. The wait was always the worst part, and it was almost over.
She was ready, at least as ready as she could be. Ember Celica was freshly cleaned and strapped to her wrists. Dust rounds were secured on her belt and in her rucksack. One advantage of being associated with Cinder was that worries about cost were no longer relevant.
The translocation had Blake a little worse for wear, but of course her dad, uncle, and Raven didn't appear affected. Not that they were happy. All of their faces were tight with worry and nerves. Raven's most of all. She wouldn't be coming with them. Wouldn't be able to protect them until she joined them with the main force.
Her portal had materialised in the side room it had before, and Yang led the way. The soldiers had been busy in her absence. All the military hardware had been arranged in a tight group at the centre of the room; the crates and supplies stood protected by a ring of mechs. It still didn't make sense to Yang. Shouldn't they have been loaded onto a transport by now? Lost in thought, she hadn't been watching where she was going.
"Yang!" An angry cry rang into the air at the same time her boot crunched on something. Dust to be specific. Dust drawn into an intricate pattern. "Damnit." It was a sign of the stress Velvet was under that she actually swore.
Gingerly Yang withdrew her boot. A fat tread mark was imprinted on the powder, ruining the delicate composition. "Sorry."
Velvet shook her head as she began to repair the damage, pulling a small brush from her box. She'd been busy. The Dust was not localised before the door. It bordered the entire perimeter of the room and then spiralled inwards, leaving a clearing in the middle barely large enough for the hardware and people already sitting next to them.
"What's all this for?" Yang asked.
"How did you think you were getting to Menagerie?" Cinder spoke from right behind her, her voice containing a hint of scorn. Raven had evidently gone back for her, and the person next to her. Juno peered closely at Velvet's repairs.
"I'll tell you what Cinder, you have a rare one here. I didn't even show her what I was doing. She managed to work it out by herself."
Velvet flushed bright red. "It wasn't that hard. I mean, it's mainly energy capture and redirection, with a few more parts I don't quite recognise. Anyone would have seen if they looked hard enough." Yang did just that. The Dust still appeared to be random squiggles to her. She might not have paid as much attention as she could have in her Dust theory classes, but there was a reason why most who knew her considered Velvet a prodigy.
"Child, I can't recall the last time I encountered someone with your aptitude. You could go far."
"Take it from me. That is a rare compliment," Cinder said.
"Thanks." Velvet's ears descended to partly hide her face from the attention. "I still don't get what it's meant to be doing though. It's unstable. Nothing could be able to survive this much energy."
"And that, child, is where you have much to learn. Perhaps I can pass on a few tips of the trade if we get the chance."
"Really?" Yang couldn't help but grin at Velvet's star struck reaction.
"Yes." Juno ran her gaze over Velvet's repairs. "Good work. Now that your friends have finally joined us, I can begin. Go and sit in the middle with the rest, and be sure not to step on anything else."
Yang didn't move. "Wait. You can begin?" She recalled what Juno had done to the wine bottle the first time they'd met. "Just how are we getting there?"
Juno rolled her eyes and glanced at Cinder. "It appears you genes run strong." Cinder answered with a scowl, before Juno turned her attention back to Yang. "Isn't it obvious by now? My Semblance of course."
"You're teleporting us? Straight there?"
"In the common vernacular."
"You can't." It was impossible. "Your Semblance can't reach all the way there." At best Raven could do a couple of miles. Most with external Semblances couldn't stretch them more than a few hundred meters away. Let alone across continents.
"Normally no. But that's where all this comes in." Juno waved her hand at the Dust.
"Is it safe?" Velvet's eyes were wide as she looked up. Her usual nerves returning now that there was nothing to occupy her.
"Trust me. I've been doing this significantly longer than you've been alive. I haven't made a mistake yet." That had a lot more weight for Yang than Velvet. After a lot of discussion, they'd decided against telling their friends the truth about Ozpin, Cinder, and Juno. They'd had a hard enough time convincing them to work with Cinder without giving them cause to think the pair of them were crazy. "You won't feel a thing."
"Yes. It's entirely painless," Cinder said. "Can we get on with it? Daylight is slipping." Yang frowned, the windows outside were dark. As Juno walked off, Cinder stopped the rest of them. "We'll be there in a day with backup. Stay safe, and hold your position." She didn't move to hug them, but Yang had never got the hugging vibe from her.
Raven did though, and squeezed especially hard to make up for it. She whispered in Yang's ear. "Look after yourself, and keep your eye on the rest of them. They'll need it. I love you." Yang couldn't say it back. She hadn't quite managed it yet, but Raven had accepted it. She kissed her sloppily on the cheek before moving on to her dad.
Blake leant into her. "So what do you think?"
Yang replied honestly. "I think we're fucking crazy."
Blake grinned. "Good. I wouldn't want to be the only one."
After the last goodbyes, they tiptoed their way through the Dust and sat with the rest of the soldiers and hunters. All were checking their weapons. The mechs shifting as their pilots fidgeted.
Yang could only be glad that Ruby wasn't going on this mission. There was guilt at that thought though. Ruby was old enough to make her own decision, but events had accelerated so rapidly she hadn't even had the chance to ask. Her scroll had been quiet for the past few days, but Ruby had warned them that was likely to be the case. Yang wasn't worried. Yet.
Yang jumped when the Dust all around flared to life. It started gradually. Blues and reds mingling together, painting the entire warehouse purple. Fire blossomed in the air around them, over them, cocooning them in its brilliance. The streams all flowed in one direction, towards a figure sitting cross-legged on the floor.
Juno began to glow. Not red, but white, brilliant, radiant white. It began softly under her skin, but before long was so intense Yang had no choice but to shield her eyes. The roaring of the flames competed with the crackle of lightning as yellow Dust was brought into play.
The air in the warehouse was positively electric. So much energy flowed through it that all her hairs stood on end ̶ ̶ even the ones on her head began to repel each other. Her skin tingled and her muscles twitched. It wasn't exactly painful. Cinder hadn't lied to them. But it wasn't particularly pleasant either. Her head spun and her stomach lurched.
The maelstrom around her vanished in an instant. Sunlight took its place. Bright, clear sunlight. If not for the flames, it would have dazzled her eyes. As it was they adjusted quickly. The warehouse had vanished, instead a chill, stinging wind bit at her skin. Beneath her was black rock, an old volcanic flow solidified millennia ago. Juno had teleported them to what amounted to a beach. A hundred or so feet in front of them, angry waves surged at the intruders only to be rebutted by gravity. And beyond that, shrouded in mist and with grey clouds looming above, the island of Menagerie rose from the sea. She may not have ever seen more than pictures, but she knew. She just knew. The foreboding presence Qrow had warned them of reached her even here. She shivered, and it wasn't to do with the chill of the wind. The island was evil.
Up above, surfing the currents of air, a Nevermore spotted the new arrivals. It let out a screech of fury unmatched by any normal animal. Then it dived.
A/N: So if you haven't guessed, this is the start of the final arc. I hope you enjoyed. Please leave your thoughts.
Just a reminder that a chapter was released last Saturday, so you might have missed it.
