The moment he stepped into the gym, he could hear the noise. The sound of chains rattling, of flesh meeting leather, and her short breathes as Yang pounded away at the well-used bag.
She's was throwing everything she's had into her blows. Despite the late hour, he can tell that she's managed to nearly tear the thing down. Not noticing, or more likely not caring, her blows grew wilder, more frantic. Carefully controlled jabs and hooks gave way to flailing arms and unchecked aggression.
Then she seemed to notice, grew angrier, and desperately tried to recapture her initial control.
It doesn't work.
That's when he walked up to her and grabbed the bag. Neither of them spoke; Yang continued to pulverise her battered target, and he kept it from flying off.
Her blows stopped, and she leaned against the bag. "What do you want, Qrow?"
"Answers, a trip to Ozpin's office, a beer." He shrugged. "You choose."
She let out a harsh laugh. "Well, I'm underage, and I don't have any answers, so I guess I'll be going to the principal's office."
She started punching again, and Qrow nearly lost his footing as she relentlessly hammered on the bag.
In between blows she said, "I'll just walk up to his office so he can tell me what a disappointment I am. How he expected better of me!"
"Yang—"
"And you know what? I'll agree! I am a disappointment!" Her fist tore through the leather skin of the bag, spilling sand all over the floor.
Qrow shook his head. "A guy insulted your friend, and you reacted. Yeah, it was harsh, but you're not training to be dancers. You're huntresses, warriors."
"Some warrior I am," Yang muttered, pulling the deflating bag off the hook and carrying it to the garbage.
"Try a heavier bag," Qrow suggested.
Yang scoffed. "That one was 200 pounds. Do they even make heavier bags?"
"They did when I was here."
Yang shot him a look, but searched for, and found a 300 pound bag. She hefted it over her shoulder and brought it over to him, where they managed to lift it on to the hook. The screws holding it in place groaned as the pressure increased, but they held.
"It's just…" Yang said while punching the new bag. Despite what felt like an inch of metal and its weight, Qrow struggled to keep it in place.
"You, and every other teacher I've had, have always told me to never, ever lose control." She threw a right hook, one hard enough to nearly make him lost his grip.
"And I did. I lost control, and now a guy's in the hospital. So don't try and tell me it's okay, or it's not my fault!" she said, cutting off his attempted rebuttal. "Because it is my fault! It's my responsibility, and I fucked it up!"
Her next hit tore through the bag like it was wet toilet paper, and everything past her elbow disappeared into its dark abyss. Yang's rapid pants sounded more like someone who had just run a mile, and as she slowly pulled her arm out, he saw her eyes had turned red sometime in her little speech.
"How many of these have you went through?" he asked, eyeing her hands. Her knuckles had turned purple and yellow, and seemed to be on the verge of bleeding.
Yang let out a huff. "I don't know, nine? Ten?" She closed her eyes. "Why does it matter?"
"Because they cost a few hundred Lien each. Come on," He put a hand on her shoulder, noticing the way she stiffened at the contact. "Let's get you to bed."
She threw his arm off. "I'm not tired. Besides, didn't you want me to see Ozpin?"
"He can wait," Qrow said, "And it's nearly midnight. You'll be tired as soon as you stop wrecking things."
Yang crossed her arms and huffed, briefly reminding him of her younger days, and her legendary temper tantrums. The thought brings a smile to his lips.
It takes him a while to begin speaking again, both preferring the silence. "So why did you hit him?"
Yang sighed. Her eyes closed, and it was clearly a struggle for her to speak. "He… he said some things about Blake. I flipped, and… well, you know how it ended."
He nodded. It was what he heard from the other students involved.
"And what made you turn around?" he asked.
Yang's response was quiet, and Qrow had to strain his ears to hear, "I... I got scared. I realised what I did, and I freaked, and so I tried to h-help him."
"So, you made a mistake, instantly regretted it, and did everything in your power to fix it." He chuckled and shook his head. "Clearly, you're a horrible person."
She slugged him in the shoulder, forgetting that she just tore apart a metal punching bag. "Would you mind taking this seriously? I could have killed him!"
Rubbing his arm and wincing at the future bruise, Qrow said, "Yeah, and you should feel bad about that."
"...No kidding."
"I'm just saying that you're only seventeen," he continued, noting to himself to put ice on his arm later. Yang had gotten strong.
"You've still got all those wonderful hormones running around in your blood, making you do dumb things you'll regret for the rest of your life."
"Gee, you're the best at pep talks," Yang mumbled, before she stepped into the dorm building. She could hear faint snores coming from all around her, along with the whispers of the few people still awake.
"Look, the point is, you handled your mistake as best as you could." He chuckled. "If it were me, he'd be missing some important… equipment."
By now, the two had reached RWBY's dorm room. Yang shot him a look before she opened the door and stepped inside. Blake was reading on her bed, and got up nearly the second she entered.
."Look, Qrow," Yang said, whispering to Blake, "Wait."
"I know that you're trying to help, or not make me feel as bad, or something, but…" She looked away.
Just before Qrow could say anything, she said, "Do you really think his parents are going to care that I had an excuse, or that he was an ass?"
"Yang—"
"Do you? Would you? If someone killed Ruby, or me but they had an 'excuse' or 'they were only kids,' would you be telling them that they handled it well?"
With that, she slammed the door shut. He could hear Blake talking to her, although he could not make out the words. Light spilled into the hallway from students who'd heard the commotion and wanted to see what was going on.
Shooting a glare at anyone who he saw, Qrow made his way out of the building, Yang's words echoing in his brain. The words themselves didn't concern him, but the fact that Yang herself said them, and with that much conviction, honestly scared him.
They weren't the words of a teenager, especially not one that once told him she wanted to be a huntress because she enjoyed fighting and adventure. It sounded more like an old soldier who'd lost someone.
His eyes wandered around the courtyard until they came to her window. Yang was still visible, but seemed to be talking with Blake. The ethereal glow from a reading light made her slowly growing smile visible to him, even this far away. Her head tilted down, and her whole body shook as she seemingly laughed.
He knew something was wrong with Blake and Weiss. The few times he'd actually managed to talk to them, they looked and sounded… different. Similar enough that he doubted they were compromised, (yet) so he assumed it was stress.
Now…
Now he found himself standing outside Oz's tower. His feet, running on some autopilot had deposited him here, forgetting that he was missing the whole reason he was here.
"Screw it," he muttered, before walking into the building and going up the elevator.
If he was going to ignore orders, he might as well tell the guy.
"Yes, I understand completely… No, I can't… He's been moved to… Sir, if you'd… Sir?" Qrow heard as he exited the elevator. Ozpin was on the phone, hand on his chair and staring at the city.
"Oh, Mrs.… Yes, it's Vale Medical Centre, intensive care ward, room 819…Thank you miss," he finished, then hung up. He sighed, and then turned to him.
"Qrow," he said, "Where's Yang?"
"Asleep. Hopefully." He sat down and put his feet on his desk, crossing his arms behind his back. "I figured she needed the sleep more than she needs the interrogation right now."
Ozpin groaned, and rubbed his forehead. "Qrow, this isn't another bar tab. Mr. Winchesters parents wish to press charges, criminal charges. Yang could very likely be facing jail time."
"No she won't." Qrow smirked. "We both know you won't let that happen."
"I may not have a choice." Sitting down, Ozpin started scrolling through his files. "Did you have anything important to say, or did you not know what else to do?"
Qrow frowned at the bitterness in his words, but otherwise didn't react. "I talked with Yang. Seems to me this is nothing more than a bully picking the wrong target." He brought his feet to the floor and said, "Unless you happen to know more?"
In response, Ozpin leaned forward, and stared Qrow straight in the eye. The cocky attitude faded as he received a reminder of the power behind the older man.
"Tell me, Qrow. Has Yang ever in her life lost control?" he asked, enclosing a fist with his other hand. "Has she ever permanently hurt someone in a fit of rage? Said something that she would never even think during an argument? Become so angry that she went against a core element of her character?"
Qrow's eyes narrowed as he thought. He tried to remember back to every fight, every bad day Yang had ever had. He could remember screaming, violence, and swears. He knew how sloppy she could get during a fight, but…
Despite her strength, no one she fought ever came out as tenderized meat. Nor did she ever come home with blood on her hands. Yes, she got into fights, and turned so many criminals into enemies, but she had never went too far.
"She was trying to protect her friend, not herself. That's different," he argued.
"And she's never done that before?"
"…The guy's an ass."
"Be that as it may, this is not normal," Ozpin continued. "Something, or someone, is distressing her, and it's beginning to affect her behavior."
Qrow narrowed his eyes and glared at the headmaster. "Someone?"
Ozpin stood up and walked over to the elevator. He punched in a few numbers, and the doors slid open.
"There is no more effective way to disable a huntress or huntsman than by attacking their emotions." He turned to Qrow. "You have a weekend without any classes; I suggest you start with the man they fought at the dust shop."
Qrow stared at Ozpin, until he suddenly chuckled and stepped into the elevator.
"Have a good weekend," Ozpin said.
Qrow gave him a two fingered salute, and then the doors closed.
A long time ago, Ruby decided she didn't want to be a police officer. It wasn't out of some lack of respect for the position, not at all! Her choice was cemented when she was young, just after mom died.
She still remembered the way she felt that day, even if the details escape her. The mind-numbing sadness, the disbelief, the anger. How the officer, a young man who looked lightly terrified of her, tried to comfort her. Told her, "I'm so sorry for your loss," and, "I hope this brings at least some closure."
No, knowing that her mother was dead didn't help. It just destroyed the last shred of hope her young self could muster.
The day would forever go down as the worst she would ever experience. The last five minutes, where she and Weiss attempted to inform team CRDL of their leader's condition, was the next runner up.
The same emotions were there, albeit muted somewhat. They were not as close as she was to her mother, and the injuries were not as severe, so they were not dealing with a death. She also supposed that it helped a little that the three students were so often mean to her closest friends, but even that could not rid her heart of the weight it gained when she saw the soul-crushing expression that each of the team members gained as Weiss described Cardin's injuries.
Mercifully, it wasn't long before they found themselves leaving CRDL's room and finding their way back to their own dorm room. Every step away Ruby took made her better and better.
"That was awful," Weiss said, letting out a sigh. She had tightly crossed her arms, seemingly trying to hug herself.
"No kidding." Ruby put a hand on Weiss's shoulder. "At least it's over?"
Weiss laughed softly, a rather dainty sound compared to Yang or Ruby's giggles. Her arms feel to her sides, and Ruby smiled at a job well done.
Her next words shook her. "I don't deserve you, or Yang, or Blake, or anyone here, really."
Ruby blinked several times. "Of course you do! We're your friends."
"But that's just it!" She stomped, wincing at the noise it made. "The day we met, I treated you like garbage! Anyone else would've given up, and I wouldn't blame them! But you…"
She sighed, and looked Ruby in the eye. "You became my friend. Not because you wanted my money or my fame, but because you actually wanted to spend time with me."
She grinned. "It's oddly refreshing."
Ruby's hand tried to supress her sudden burst of giggles. Weiss scowled at her, and rested her hands on her hips.
"I am trying to be serious here, you dolt!"
"I know! It's just…" Ruby bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from laughing. "Why wouldn't we want to be friends with you? I mean, you're smart and funny, you have an awesome weapon, can fight in stilts, you're super pretty, and—"
"You think I'm pretty?"
Ruby's eyes stretched into dinner plates. "I… said that aloud, didn't I?"
Weiss rolled her eyes. "Yes! Answer the question!"
"Um, yes! You are very pretty!" She replied quickly, a luminescent blush spreading across her face. "I mean, you're elegant and have great clothes and you're face is so… ah, I mean, you're… you're pretty."
Weiss was blushing just as hard as Ruby was now, and she was watching her feet rather than looking forward. Just as Ruby was starting to worry that she'd said something wrong, (beyond the obvious) Weiss whispered, "Thank you."
"Oh, um… you're welcome?" Ruby scratched the back of her neck.
"And for the record," Weiss lifted her head, "From a purely objective standpoint, you are also very… pretty." Somehow, her blush grew darker.
"Thanks," Ruby whispered.
Grinning, she turned to Weiss and hugged her, causing her to let out a tiny squeak.
"What do you think you're doing?" Weiss asked, her arms frozen at her sides.
"You don't 'deserve' to not have friends just because you were a jerk," Ruby replied, "You're a better person now, and that's all that matters."
Weiss didn't move or reply. "Weiss? Are you—?"
Suddenly she was in the surprisingly strong embrace of her partners arms. Her nose dug into her skin and Ruby struggled to breathe with how hard she was holding her, but she didn't say anything, and just rested her chin on Weiss's shoulder.
They both stood there for what felt like hours. Compared to Yang, Weiss felt somewhat cool. There wasn't a big glob of hair trying to choke her either, and Weiss didn't have to crouch down to reach her.
Sadly, Weiss eventually pulled away. Ruby's arms were left hanging in the air, and she nearly lost her balance.
Weiss grinned and said, "Never change, Ruby."
"Yes ma'am!" Ruby gave a two fingered salute, smirking at the older girl. "I'll wear these clothes forever!"
Weiss snorted, raising a hand to her mouth. A door opened behind them, and a rather irate looking girl poked her head out.
"Excuse me! Some of us are trying to sleep!"
"Sorry!" They both chorused. The girl harrumphed, and slammed the door shut. Voices and light began to spill into the hallway, as others wanted to know what was going on.
"We should probably get out of here," Ruby said before she grabbed Weiss's sleeve and started pulling. The students around them numbered at a dozen, and that number grew quickly.
"Wait, is that…?"
"They're friends with that blond girl, right?"
More and more people showed up, enough that the hallways started to resemble a hydraulic press. Ruby could see her dorm room door just a short distance away.
"The one that killed Cardin?"
"Yeah, the cape girl's her sister, I think."
The door was so close; Ruby could almost touch it.
"Hey! Red or Pinkie or whatever, do you know your sister's a pyscho?"
Ruby stopped, right there in the hallway. Weiss nearly tripped over her feet at the sudden change in velocity. Her head slowly twisted around to stare at whoever dared to utter that sentence.
Her target was a young woman with green hair and dark skin. For a moment, Ruby almost thought it was Emerald, arriving a few months early. She was still smirking at her, but she hadn't missed the sudden change in atmosphere.
"What? You trying to scare me or something?"
She was lucky, really. The whole situation could have turned out so much worse for her. Yang could have awoken; Weiss might've frozen her solid. So when everyone close to her was covered in rose petals, and the girl suddenly found herself missing pants, well…
Count your blessings, and all that.
Ruby rushed into the dorm room, Weiss following shortly behind. They managed to close the door just before anyone realised what happened. She locked the door, shut her eyes, and collapsed into a puddle.
"This is bad," she said, cradling her head in her arms.
"You didn't exactly make it any better. Why did you do that?" Weiss asked, keeping her voice low for the benefit of her two sleeping teammates.
"I wanted her to stop talking about Yang like that," Ruby explained. "Maybe now everyone will talk about her tomorrow."
Weiss harrumphed. "I suppose it can't be any worse than today."
It was, Yang thought, a very good rendition of her, at least as far as hastily-scribbled drawings in red marker went. From a certain perspective, it could actually be flattering, as it showed her crushing people under her foot.
That it was of her crushing kids and puppies, as well as it being on her door, made it a tad more insulting.
Weiss stomped off, muttering about how she was going to go find a teacher.
"So…" Ruby said, "Maybe we should go get some breakfast?"
Yang sighed, and pulled out her scroll. "I can't. I have to go see Ozpin about what happened yesterday."
Ruby visibly deflated as she spoke. Yang winced, but there wasn't really much she could do.
Suddenly gaining an idea, Yang crouched down to Ruby's eye level, and said, "Hey, Blakey brought some donuts home last night. Why don't you share them with Weiss?"
"I can't take your donuts…"
Blake stepped up. "They're mine, and I say you can eat them."
Ruby sighed. "Fine." She walked to the door and opened it. Just before stepping inside, she turned around.
"Yang, whatever happens, we're not going anywhere, alright?" she told her, an odd strength in her eyes.
Yang nodded. "Of course I do." She stood up, a great big grin on her face. "Go, eat, drink, and be merry!"
Ruby smiled, and closed the door. Immediately Yang's smile faded, replaced by the kind of frown that death row inmates often sport.
Blake stepped closer, still not touching her partner, but the intent was clear.
Yang sighed. "I guess I'm off to see the wizard."
"Want some company?" Blake asked. "A walk sounds nice right now."
Yang gave a rueful smile. "Sure, if you don't mind being seen with a pariah."
Blake shrugged, and the two walked down the hallway. This early in the morning, few people had actually awoken. Yang could hear the rare whisper from behind closed doors, and there was a few armed students heading towards the yard for some early practice, but they were the exceptions.
They were at the door when Yang asked, "What did you do yesterday?"
Blake's hand was on the door, but she hesitated before she pushed it open. Yang wondered why, until she looked at her face.
"Are you….blushing?"
"No," Blake mumbled, trying to turn away, but the damage was already done.
"Ha! What happened, did you run into Sun?"
"N-no, it was… someone else…"
Yang's eyebrows rose. "So something did happen?"
Blake opened the door and started walking. She was moving fast enough that Yang actually struggled to keep up.
"Nothing happened, Yang. There was this girl, she was in danger and I stepped in, she bought me donuts—"
" Wait, she bought the donuts?" Yang narrowed her eyes. "You know, it's kind of rude to regift something from a date."
"It wasn't a date!" Blake insisted, "She was just—just very thankful that I saved her, and wanted to repay me. That's it," she said as Yang began to snicker.
"Yeah, sure thing Prince Charming."
Blake growled. "How did Ruby survive you for fifteen years?"
"Sugar, corn syrup, and more sugar."
"Of course. That makes sense."
Yang laughed, hard enough that she bent over and had to stop. When she looked up, she could see Blake, despite the embarrassing nature of their conversation, was smiling.
"So, um." Yang stood up, and started moving. "In all seriousness, is she interested like that, or…?"
Her blush, although it had never truly gone away, resurfaced with a passion. Yang didn't think it was possible for a face to resemble a tomato that much.
"Yeah, she's…" Her hand went to her cheek. "Interested."
Yang smirked. "Ah, the good old 'kiss and run' routine. So I take it she's cute?"
Blake slapped her. "Yang!"
"What? It's an honest question!"
Blake rolled her eyes and snorted. "Yes, she's… very cute, and she's got wings, so…"
"Wings? Like, real wings?" Yang asked.
"Sort of, it's like…" Blake paused as she tried to think of a something similar. "Have you ever seen a flying squirrel? It's kind of like that, but not as big."
Yang tilted her head. "…Yeah, I think I'm following. So defiantly a faunus then?"
Blake nodded. "Rare type too. I've never seen wings before."
"Huh, well, snuggling would be interesting…"
"I will shoot you."
"Do you have her number?" Yang asked.
Blake pulled out a note from her pocket. "Yeah, right here."
"Call her, make plans." Yang turned away. "You deserve to have someone outside of this mess."
Blake pulled out her scroll, and despite her words, Yang felt the sudden urge to grab the device out of her hands and smash it. The sheer power behind this desire startled her. Why should she care who Blake spends her time with?
It was an understandable wish after all, as she herself had said; Blake needed someone who wasn't fighting against a supervillain.
Perhaps that was it. Cinder had proven herself well informed and well connected. Most worrying, she commanded the largest terror group Remnant had ever seen, composed of nothing but faunus.
It was racial profiling and she knew it, but Yang thought it justified. The four of them had clearly offended fate in some way, and turning Blake's new friend into foe seemed right up its alley.
Blake—perhaps echoing her thoughts—had yet to punch in the last few numbers when Yang grabbed her arm. The sudden contact, and it's ever present sparks immediately drew her attention to her.
"Can we trust her?" she asked.
Blake's scowl, and the rapid removal of her hand, told her everything.
She dropped her head. "I know how that sounded, but come on; we've got so many enemies at this point that we can't ignore the chance."
Blake's continued glare nearly made her try to apologize, but Yang knew she had to stay firm. Blake could be angry all she wanted, but as long as she was safe, Yang didn't care.
"If it means anything, I'd be asking the same question if she was a human."
Blake sighed. "I think I can trust her, but I don't know her well enough yet." She snorted. "I don't even know her last name."
Yang may not have had as much dating experience as the rumor mills painted her as having, but she was pretty sure that knowing your date's last name was something you should ask before they start buying you stuff.
"That's actually why I was going to meet up with her again," Blake continued, "I figured that if anything went wrong, I could probably fight my way out."
"What if she brings backup?" Yang asked. Visions of giant robots and heavily armed terrorists filled her mind. Honestly, she didn't expect anything like that, but the image wouldn't go away.
"She's a reporter, Yang, not a general." Blake crossed her arms and sighed. "Fine, since you're so worried, how about you come with?
Yang immediately perked up at the idea. It was perfect, she could find out first hand if she could trust this new girl, and if anything went wrong, well, she and Blake could handle it, easy.
"Yeah, sure, I can do that."
By now, the two had reached the tower. This early in the morning, its shadow was cast upon them, and Yang found herself squinting in order to see Blake in front of her. Her partner was still somewhat annoyed with her, but that faded as she looked up the towers walls.
"Hey," Yang tried to place her hand on her shoulder, but remembered at the last moment the consequences.
"I know. You're just trying to help." Blake smiled at her. "At least we're talking about it."
As memories of her actions over the previous week came back, Yang tried to apologize. Before she could get a word out, Blake laid a finger on her lips.
"Forget it. I don't care anymore, and neither should you." She jerked her head towards the tower. "Go on. I'll let you know what Viola says."
Yang nodded, gave Blake a smile, and bounded up the steps. Just before she entered the building, she turned.
"So that's her name. Viola," she said, as if tasting the word. "Nice name."
Then she threw open the doors, and entered the building.
The one good thing about the long elevator ride up the tower was that it lacked elevator music. Aside from the gentle hum the machinery gave off as it worked, Yang was left alone to her thoughts.
Perhaps that wasn't really the best for her, considering where her thoughts were taking her. She tried to distract herself with plans of what she was going to do about Viola later that day, but she kept returning to Cardin's skull cracking under fist, and her desperate attempts to heal him.
On second thought, maybe music would be a good idea.
The elevator came to a gentle halt. She heard a ding, and then the door slid open. Yang stepped over the line separating the office from the elevator, and stared at Ozpin and Glynda, both waiting to pass judgement.
Glynda was standing by Ozpin's desk, her face set in that ever familiar cross between anger and disappointment. She was gripping her wand thingy hard enough to turn her knuckles white, but there was still a noticeable looseness in her shoulders and knees.
For whatever reason, she was ready to fight.
Ozpin, on the other hand, had the opposite air. He was sitting in his chair, coffee in hand, sipping it like she wasn't there. His cane was off to the side, ignored. Hge looked over her with a critical eye, but gave no hints as to his opinion.
"Miss Xiao Long." He said, taking a slow sip of his drink. "I hope the morning has treated you well?"
"Yes sir."
He smiled. Yang was reminded of a crocodile.
A chair in front of the desk with pulled forward by Glynda.
"Please," Ozpin said, setting his cup down. "Sit."
She complied, casting nervous glances at the younger (Probably) teacher. Yang had never actually been on the receiving end of Ozpin or Glynda's wraith, and if she was being completely honest, she didn't want to be.
Ozpin began his interrogation. "I understand there was an altercation between you and Mr. Winchester yesterday, shortly after classes."
He glanced at Glynda, who gave a short nod. "I also understand that, as a result of these actions, Mr. Winchester is currently in the hospital, with several dozen pins in his skull." He leaned forward. "There is a very real chance that he will never return to school."
The words hit her like a sledgehammer, but she would be lying if she said she hadn't been expecting them. She remembered the wounds, remembered the way his skull contorted. To be honest, she was amazed he was still alive.
"So I have to ask you, as headmaster, and as a huntsman, why?" He looked her in her eyes, and Yang knew, without a sliver of doubt, that her next words would decide her fate.
She took in a deep breath, and said, "I want to say that I did it because he was insulting my teammate. I want to say that I did it because he was a jerk, and that he deserved it.
"But I know that's not true. Whoever he is, whatever he's done, he didn't deserve what I did to him." She blinked, choking back tears. "So whatever punishment you want to give me, I'll take it. I deserve it. Just… just give me tonight. There's some stuff I need to get done, and then I'll go to jail, or whatever you decide."
The words hurt to say, like every syllable was a bullet passing through her heart. She knew that by doing this, she was letting down her team. They'd be a man short, and although there was some poetic justice considering CRDL's fate, it would matter for far more than marks.
Ozpin leaned back. "You truly believe this? You truly believe that you deserve to be punished as a criminal?"
Yang nodded. To her surprise, Glynda's harsh expression softened.
"I see," gOzpin said. "Because I believe otherwise."
"What?" Yang yelled as she got to her feet and threw her chair back. Glynda almost restrained her, but a hand from Ozpin stopped her.
"I nearly killed him!" she screamed, ignorant of the tears streaming down her face. "I lost control, and I fucked up, and I won't forget it! Alright?! So please, just… tell me what I need to do…"
She fell back onto her chair, her shoulders sagging. Her hands hung at her sides, and when she looked up, the energy and intensity that defined her were gone. Whatever strength had been keeping her going was spent. But she didn't show it in tears, no, she just… went quiet.
Ozpin and Glynda shared a glance.
"Miss Xiao Long, I have been looking at your records from Signal." He pulled out a folder and gently placed in front of her. "Quite an impressive one at that, you'll make a fine huntress."
"What does this have to do with Cardin?"
He raised a finger. "More significantly, I looked at your behavior. I attempted to discern whether you had a history of this kind of violence. Do you know what I found?"
Yang lifted her head.
"No, you haven't. For all of your temper, never once has a fight turned into something more dangerous." He leaned back. "So while you believe that you are a criminal that must be punished, I see a young girl who made a mistake."
For the first time in the conversation, Glynda spoke up. "Everyone in this school is well armed and dangerous. Expecting there to never be incidents such as this is foolish." She glared at her. "This is the only amnesty we will offer you. If this happens again…"
"Glynda," Ozpin warned. It was brief, but for a single moment, Yang saw a hint of the huntsman underneath the teacher.
Glynda turned her glare on him, but complied.
"So you're just gonna let me go?" Yang asked, crossing her arms. The idea of getting off scot-free somehow managed to make her feel both free and sick at the same time.
"No, you will be facing consequences." Ozpin opened the file in front of her and flipped it to the back. Yang saw a picture of a women, brown hair, green eyes, with text under it saying, "Dr. Ivory Stet"
Yang read the page, once, twice, and then the third time she simply stared at it, as if she could somehow make it burst into flames.
"You want me to see an anger management counselor?" she asked, incredulous.
Ozpin nodded. "Dr. Stet is very experienced with huntresses and huntsmen. There is no one else who I would rather trust."
She threw the folder on the desk. "Forget it."
Glynda stepped forward, her rage in full swing. "Miss Xiao Long, may I remind you that we, by all rights, should arrest you and have you stand trial? This is a serious matter, and—"
Ozpin held up a hand, and her mouth shut. His next words were to Glynda, but his eyes never left Yang. "If she does not wish to go, then there is little point in forcing her. As it stands, I believe it is best for all if we simply move past this incident." He gestured towards the door. "You may leave."
Yang nodded, and stood up. She felt drained, but at least it was over. Glynda was still giving her the stink eye as she left, but she tried not to notice.
She was almost at the door when Ozpin said, "I suppose you would be aware of what transpired at the Mistral embassy earlier this week?"
Yang turned to face him, casting a neutral expression. It was a rusty skill, and she was well aware of how unlikely it was to work, but she couldn't think of anything else to do.
"Yeah? What about it?"
Ozpin's face betrayed nothing as he said, "I've heard rumors that a girl with a red cloak and a cat-eared faunus were involved." A small, almost imperceptible smirk grew on his lips. "Do you know about that?"
"…No."
"Of course not." He pressed a button on his desk, and suddenly the elevator was open. "Your first session is on Monday, after classes. I hope to see you then."
At first Yang did nothing, but then she sighed. "Do I need to bring anything?"
Ozpin shook his head.
"Fine." She entered the elevator and pressed the button. The door slid shut on Ozpin's face, and then the only thing she could see was her own.
"That went well," she whispered, then shook her head. All she wanted to do right now was go to her bed and sleep for the next month, but there was still her meeting with Blake's new friend. She didn't like how little she knew about the girl.
Despite that, she couldn't help but feel that she was overreacting. No matter how good a fighter she was, there was two of them. Unless she brought an army, there wasn't much they couldn't handle.
Right?
Viola walked up to the door with a spring in her step. Her face was stuck in the expression of joy, and anyone who saw her would immediately start looking for an equally struck man or woman.
Of course, they wouldn't be completely wrong, but her joy was mostly due to returning home. A long, hard journey such as the one she had made would turn any traveler homesick, and hers was far worse than most.
She stopped at the door, looked around her for any intrusions, and then rapped on its metal surface five times. She waited, and then knocked thrice. A small slit near eye level opened up, and she could just barely see two beady eyes staring at her.
"Password?" He, or she, asked.
"Reclaim our destiny."
The slit closed, and she heard locks clicking before the door swung open. He, defiantly a he, had a gun in his hand, but put it away the moment he saw her face.
"Madam." He stated simply.
She patted his arm and slid past him. The door locked behind her, and she let out a small breath. Although she didn't advertise her status, and she didn't have any warrants out for her, there was never a safe moment when a member of the White Fang was out in public.
Especially considering who she was.
Coming around the first corner, she saw Adam slaving over a map in the main room of the warehouse. Despite her training, she couldn't help but let a giddy smile show on her lips, and she picked up speed.
Adam turned before she reached him, and although his face remained expressionless, she knew he was glad to see her.
"Miss me?" she asked, stopping just before she collided.
"Did you get the job done?" he grunted, turning to face the map again.
"Sure did." She pulled out a few dozen photos. "Got enough here to map the whole sector." She was referring to Mountain Glenn, where she had spent the last few weeks mapping out areas and scouting for future problems. The photos would be combined with a computer, and used to create maps for the foot soldiers.
"Good," was all Adam gave in response.
Viola scowled, but said sweetly, "Did you get my message?"
"What message?"
She rolled her eyes. "Why do I bother?" she muttered. "Did you even notice I was late?"
"Of course I did. I just wasn't worried."
Smiling, she wrapped her arms around his torso. "Well, it's a good thing you know me so well, isn't it?"
"So what's the message?"
She frowned, but said, "I got jumped by some idiot boys, and I thought I was going to have to start, well, you know, but then this girl came out of nowhere and took a couple of them down." She sat on the table, forcing Adam to look at her directly.
"I take it she was a faunus?"
Viola nodded. "Of course. She said her name was Blake, and that she, somehow, knew... Adam?"
He was staring at her, mouth slowly creeping open. She couldn't see past the mask, but she knew him well enough to recognise shock.
"Did you say Blake?" He leaned in close to her, all his attention focused on her.
"Yeah, why?"
"Cat faunus, black hair, sword?"
Viola blinked several times. "I-I don't know about the sword, but yeah, she had the ears and hair."
Adam growled, and then slammed the table. "She's Belladonna, Blake's her first name."
Viola felt her mouth drop open, her hands involuntarily curling into fists. She'd heard of Belladonna before, of course. Anyone in the White Fang knew what she did. The very idea that she had been within spitting distance of her...
"Does she know?" Adam asked, growling.
"No, of course not. She doesn't even know my real name." She paused, then added, "I'm sorry I didn't kill her."
Adam sighed. "No, don't be. Our... benefactor," he spat the word like it was some kind of poison, "Wants her alive."
Viola rolled her eyes. Adam knew her thoughts on her, but neither of them could do much about it.
She jumped off the table and squeezed his hand. Adam continued to glare at nothing, but she knew that he was glad for the touch.
Her phone's sudden buzz broke the contact, and had her scrambling to pull it out. She stared at the screen.
"It's an unknown number. Should I answer it?" she asked. Scrolls were never a secure form of conversation, so whoever it was had to be from her cover. That could mean nothing, or it could be really, really bad.
Adam gave her a nod, so she tapped the screen and held it up to her ear. "Hello?"
"Hey Viola."
"Hey Blake!" She pulled the phone down and covered the microphone. "It's her!"
"Keep talking!"
She nodded, and brought the scroll back up. "Oh, sorry. I lost connection for a minute, what did you say?"
"I was just wondering... Do you want to meet up? Somewhere, for dinner or something?" She sounded nervous, but Viola couldn't tell if it was nerves from the question, or something else.
"Um..." Adam gave her a nod. "Sure! Do you mind if I choose the place?"
"That's fine."
She smiled. "Alright, just let me find a place..."
Adam leaned in and whispered in her ear.
"Do you know the Rosefeld restaurant?"
"I can find it."
"Great! Meet you there!"
Blake said her goodbyes, and hung set the phone down on the table and turned to Adam.
"Take who and what you need," he told her. "Try to keep her alive, but if you can't, kill her."
She gave him a salute, and then, before anyone could see, planted a chaste kiss on his lips.
"I won't be long." She smirked. "One cat versus a few dozen soldiers? How hard can it be?"
She tried to walk away, but he grabbed her shoulder before she could. His fingernails dug into her skin.
"Do not underestimate her," he warned. "She's dangerous."
She threw off his arm. "So am I," she said, then walked off to gather the men.
The hunt was on.