Disclaimer: Day 2 of Elderburn Week, Superhero AU.
Yang Xiao Long lived for the thrill.
When she was younger, she'd be the one climbing trees and jumping from cliffs by her house into the water below. The rush invigorated her, made her feel alive and fierce, and while their mother had always gently chided her about being so reckless, she also praised the little blonde with pigtails for being so fearless.
When she got into her teens, she took just as many risks, because that was right about when her powers became noticeable. She rode her motorcycle a bit too fast and she ran with the bad crowd, the sort their mother would've warned her against were she still alive. But for every broken bone, for every punch across her jaw or kick to her gut, she got stronger, until she could start an inferno with the snap of her fingers. Keeping the liquid fire running through her in check came second nature but those moments when she could let loose were far and few between, and she usually used a bonfire or something similar to cover just how she expressed her passion for life. It wasn't exactly the honest way to go about it but it was the safest.
Luckily, her younger sister didn't seem to posses the same penchant for the dangerous as she did, her latent super speed only rivaled by her sheer brilliance in the engineering field, but she certainly had a noble streak to rival Yang's recklessness. So, when Ruby decided to don a ridiculous mask and cowl, to fight the bad guys in the most direct method possible, it seemed only natural for her big sister to step in and help out.
They operated independently but with close communication; she always knew where her sister was and vice versa. If they caught wind of something big going down, they'd time their arrivals so it appeared like they'd stumbled upon the scene independently, even joked with each other like strangers would, or coworkers who didn't actually spend much time working side-by-side. The news didn't seem onto them and the local police force, although publicly critical of their methods, didn't seem too interested in unmasking the super powered, masked vigilantes in their city. As a result, Vale had become relatively safe from petty crime but something of a hotbed for those with something to prove.
On the upside, the majority of their frequent fliers were the theatrical sort, more than willing to take hostages and wait a few hours for their 'arch nemesis' to show up rather than straight up endangering innocent people. But there were a few who had enough screws loose that she found herself sincerely concerned about if she could live with the consequences of being late, even once, when they were involved.
That's what had her running along a rooftop at o' dark thirty on a Monday, gathering up the fire in her veins and exploding upwards as she jumped to the next one, the rain sliding across her visor hardly impeding her sight in the slightest. On the other side of town, they'd learned about a weapons shipment to supply one of their longest running acquaintances- a man who'd once been a hero and had turned towards ruthless methods of exacting his twisted version of 'justice'.
"Flying high, Eagle?"
"Heading to roost, Owl," she said, trying to keep the grim excitement from her voice. They'd devised the codenames- entirely unrelated to their public images or secret identities- as a method of ensuring that, were their channel ever compromised, nothing important would be relayed. At least, nothing anyone but themselves could understand, anyway. "Got the birdseed?"
"Three bags. What about you? Any nickels?"
"Oh, I got plenty." They'd timed it out so Ruby would arrive first this time, scope out the area before she ever got close. Honestly, she was running a bit ahead of schedule, already crossing over the city's main thoroughfare when she should be just hitting the rooftops of the south side. "Thing's'll be shiny tonight."
"No doubt." Ruby grunted, though a smile could be heard in her voice. "I'll let you know when I get back to the cage."
"Sounds good." She reached up and deactivated her mic, finding the button built into the underside of her helmet with practiced ease. Honestly, she felt more like a turtle with all the armor, but the gauntlets, chest piece, and greaves had saved her a few times, not to mention the knee pads. After the first time someone had broken one of her kneecaps with a metal bat, she'd learned that 'pain is gain' just wasn't a feasible plan all the time. The whole ensemble- from the track suit she wore beneath the armor to the individual pieces- was a deep, dark blue, very far removed from her typical color choices, and she'd recently incorporated a lighter blue trim around the edges after the last time she'd been quite nearly blown up. The whole get up gave her normally muscular and curvaceous silhouette a blocky, stout build, and she'd stood in front of cutouts of her alter ego without anyone thinking twice about it.
In other words: the perfect disguise.
As she landed on the next rooftop, Yang skidded to a halt. Out of habit, she'd glanced over to the rooftop of the city's police department, the main building downtown that housed the highest brass. Although they strictly maintained their public discouragement of the vigilantes' activities, every now and again Ruby or Yang would find someone standing on the roof with an old fashioned lamp burning overhead. Archaic, but it got the point across; whatever was going on, the masked duo were the police's best shot at cracking the case, and they weren't above admitting they needed that glimmer of hope.
She looked across to the next building, biting her lip beneath her disguise. Ahead of schedule and nearly to her destination but with some time to spare, she could at least swing by and see what the cops wanted. Knowing her luck, it would be something equally big, and the sisters would have to wrap up their night as quickly as possible to start recon on the next big takedown. She just hoped it wasn't another cartel; they always carried way too many guns for her to be entirely comfortable relying on her sister's speed and sleek, bulletproof armor to keep her safe.
Yang squatted low and jumped high into the air, venting heat from her body through the contours her sister had designed to act as thrusters of sorts, allowing her to cushion her fall as super heated air worked against gravity. Ruby liked to joke that she was full of more hot air than most blimps, so she should be able to float by all accounts, but that was usually countered with a friendly reminder that, no matter how fast she was, the younger sister could never beat her at Mario Kart. For some reason, that remained a sore spot, even into their twenties.
As she lightly landed on the top of the roof access, lilac eyes fell on the particular officer waiting for her and she had to bite back a curse.
A crisp pair of slacks and a dark blue overcoat with a white shirt beneath, hair like moonlight pulled into a tight bun while her bangs fell over her right eye, arms crossed and blue eyes staring off into the distance- Detective Winter Schnee was a woman not to be trifled with, in any sense of the word. She typically worked homicides but had been tasked with 'tracking down' the vigilantes when murders suddenly decreased in the city, the average person absolutely terrified of finding themselves on the receiving end of the sisters' particular brands of justice. A straight laced police officer with a short but stellar record and a former stint in the military- had the woman been provided the ample tools and resources, she probably would've had both sisters in cuffs by the end of the first month. She could be intense, a cool persona and a colder voice making it seem like she embodied her namesake but she had a… playful side, too, though it came out very rarely. Her younger sister, Weiss, had joined the police force as well, but an incident shortly before Ruby and Yang arrived in the city had dashed any hopes of her following Winter's footsteps. Their paths had crossed initially at the physical therapy center Ruby worked at- the better job part of the reason they moved to Vale in the first place. The sisters had stuck together after their father died much like Winter and Weiss had after being disowned by theirs.
Well, technically, Weiss got disowned, and Winter disinherited herself immediately after; the Schnees had a long standing history in Atlas as public servants and though the current generation had chosen to live in a different kingdom, the transgression of being injured on the job seemed too high to be forgiven.
Yang had heard the whole story a time or two over the months. At first, they were just casual acquaintances, exchanging small talk in the lobby while she waited for Ruby to go on her lunch break and Winter waited for her sister's physical therapy to end. The first time she met the woman outside the clinic, it was as a masked vigilante delivering a drug dealer to the proper authorities. Since then, it seemed the more she saw the woman when they both were 'off the clock', the more she'd see her on it as well. From a purely pragmatic standpoint, that probably constituted a dire concern she'd need to worry about if she wanted to keep her identity hidden…
But Yang lived for the thrill and she rather liked the woman's company.
"So what's the story, Flat Foot?" She hopped down, landing a few feet away from Winter and turning around slowly, as if bored. Some part of her hated putting on the facade of someone disenchanted and occasionally hostile towards police officers, but it was all part of separating the two identities. "Who's ass do I have to save now?"
"You act as if you don't enjoy it," the detective replied, brows furrowing briefly before the woman sighed. "Must you insist on doing this little dance every time?"
"Only when Vale's finest can't live up to the title." Yang frowned, noting how it seemed like nothing she said elicited a reaction. Usually she'd get a tightening of Winter's lips, a twitch in her brow, sometimes even a small huff that seemed to be picked up from her sister as opposed to the other way around. She'd gotten used to hostility and annoyance hidden behind practiced poise, not this… almost stone like countenance. "Seriously, what's going on? You're usually more chatty than this."
The detective watched her, unable to see past the visor. She couldn't see how Yang's brows knit together in confusion, how her lips tugged into a small frown- it was starting to feel more and more alien to stand there, looking up into cool blue eyes, and pretend she disliked the woman and the organization she represented. If her previous recklessness hadn't saddled her with a rap sheet, she would've taken the obvious route and joined the police force herself- and encouraged Ruby to do the same- rather than run around at all hours of the day and night, beating up drug dealers and megalomaniacs in the streets of Vale. She'd done it to herself and now she had to live with it, even the bad parts, so she tried to think up something else to get Winter to spill whatever information she had.
Ultimately, Yang was beaten to the punch, for once.
"You're going after Fang, aren't you?" The detective pushed off the wall she leaned against, making her superior height all the more noticeable, but she didn't try to strike an intimidating pose. She'd seen Winter grill potential suspects with exacting questions and a sharp gaze before yet now she seemed more… reserved, almost muted. "We've heard talk about an especially large shipment coming in soon, but none of our informants are willing to give us more than that."
"I've heard the rumors, too." Rolling her shoulders, the vigilante feigned disinterest as best she could, thankful the disguise helped conceal her true feelings on the matter. "I'm sure it's nothing. And if it is, we'll take care of it."
Winter pushed out a breath through her nose, agitation showing through. "Because nothing can bring down the mighty Steam and Aurora, is that it?"
As far as monikers went, they weren't ideal by any stretch of the imagination, but they'd agreed anything that sounded appropriately cool would probably come back to them somehow. Especially given her thorough appreciation of puns.
"I can take care of myself." Crossing her arms over her chest, Yang did her best to sound unconcerned as she continued. "Everyone else should just stand clear. I'll take care of Fang, if he shows up." They'd done this song and dance a few times, though it never got any easier. Typically, she wouldn't be concerned about whether or not her words came off as exceptionally rude- she did what she wanted and she had fun; people could keep their opinions to themselves- but she'd actually liked the straight laced detective. Not just for being a break from the rest of the force, who would gladly turn over their entire jobs to the vigilantes if possible, but for being a very staunch and sincere friend ever since they met. "Do you have anything for me or not? I got your job to be doing, ya know."
"As a matter of fact, I do," she said, reaching into her coat and pulling out a single flower- freshly picked, by the looks of it, from the park down on Fifth.
Yang's eyes widened. A yellow snapdragon. Her favorite.
They were walking through the park earlier that day, having run into each other and opting to grab lunch together. She'd looked over and seen some growing, excitedly confessed they were plentiful and wild back home but she hadn't seen them in the city yet, and Winter had smiled in the enigmatic way that she did. Something had lurked in her eyes then, something that went unvoiced no matter how much she gently prodded, and now she had the answer as to why.
"If you would truly rather handle this yourself, I suppose there's nothing we can do to stop you." The detective brushed her fingers along the petals. "But… I would like to request you be careful. As much as you can, at any rate."
Taking a look around, letting the helmet do the work her eyes couldn't to ensure the coast was clear, Yang took a step forward and reached up to deactivate the face plate portion of the helmet, lowering her voice in the process. "How long have you known?"
"Truthfully? I didn't, until just now." The woman let out a quick sigh of relief before her expression turned dark. "Now, tell me the truth. Is Fang's shipment tonight?"
The vigilante debated for all of a second before relenting. "Yeah, it's tonight. The abandoned docks on the northwest side of the city." She reached out, putting a hand on the other woman's shoulder. "But you can't bring out the big guns this time, Winter. Whatever he's got, it's bad, and we can't tip him off."
"What if we stood by a few blocks away?" Winter gestured to the building below them. "No helicopters, as many plain, street vehicles as we have-"
"It's too risky." Yang shook her head. "It would put too many people in danger."
"So you and Aurora are going to pick this fight on your own?" The detective blinked, then tilted her head, and it was obvious she'd put the pieces together. "This is reckless."
"This is me," she replied, glancing away briefly. "I know you don't approve but this is how I'm going to deal with it. All goes well and I'll be delivering Fang to you in the morning."
"Hey, Eagle, landed a while ago." Ruby's voice sounded tense in her ear. "Birdbath's a little full."
That meant that things were already not going well.
"And if it doesn't?" Winter's voice had a harsh edge, the same one she used when reprimanding a fellow officer or putting a stop to her sister's self deprecating comments about herself. "You know very well that Fang's dangerous; he will not hesitate to kill either of you."
"We know." She winced at the slip- though, seeing as no surprise registered in the woman's face, she supposed it wasn't nearly as telling- and continued slowly, surreptitiously flicking off her microphone for the moment. "I know the risks. But there's no other option. Fang must be stopped and there's a very short list of people who can do it."
"Eagle?"
With a cringe, Yang reached up and flicked her mic back on. "I'm here, Owl, just… I'll be there soon."
The detective took a deep breath and released it slowly, looking down at the snapdragon in her hand. Tucking it carefully back into her coat, she pulled at her lapel and straightened it out, composing herself. "There's no point in trying to talk you out of this."
She looked up, noting the helpless pain in blue eyes while silencing her mic. "I'll be fine. Promise."
"You'd better be." Winter paused, then darted forward, kissing the end of her nose. "For good luck."
Yang couldn't help the dumb little smile that came to her lips. "Uh… thanks…" She reached up, preparing to turn on her mic and slide the face portion back into place but hesitated. "Hey… you free some time this week?"
"I… should be off on Thursday." The corners of her mouth lifted and a touch of coyness infected her tone. "Why do you ask?"
"Well… maybe we can grab dinner together?" With the press of a button slipping her mask back into place, the vigilante spread her hands. "I mean, dating a superhero, not a bad gig, right?"
Winter chuckled. "Very well. Dinner, Thursday. Now, try not to get yourself killed."
"Ten-four, Flat Foot." Hitting the mic, she turned and started running, jumping from the top of the precinct building to the next and venting a little heat to boost her. "Sorry, Owl, got a bit distracted."
"Well, tonight's really not the night for that." Ruby sounded slightly frustrated. "There's… a lot more pigeons here than we thought."
Yang winced, landing on the next building a bit harder than she intended and immediately translating that energy into her next jump. "Well, then, guess we're going to have to be hawks."
"I'm… not sure if pigeons are hunted by hawks."
"Tonight they are!" Yang suddenly felt lighter than she had in a long, long while. Having someone in on the secret was one thing but having a date on top of it was another. "I've got about five nickles and some change."
"Got it!" Her good mood seemed to bolster her sister's confidence.
It was going to be a good night.
Winter watches as Steam disappeared into the night, following the woman's silhouette as long as she could before reaching into her pocket and pulling out her scroll, dialing a number by heart.
"Did you get the location?" He sister didn't bother with a greeting, worry pulling her voice tight.
"Yes. Northwest, abandoned docks." Making her decision, she turned towards the roof access door. "And I'm coming with you two."
"What? Winter, no, that's ridiculous."
"It wasn't an option."
"You don't even have any powers!"
"Let me worry about that," she said, pulling the door open and descending the stairs two or three at a time. "Meet me by the coffee shop in twenty minutes."
A moment of silence, and then: "Fine."
As she replaced the device, she reached into her coat and felt the petals of the snapdragon. The detective once again felt thrilled her hunch proved true, partially to obtain the information her sister and her sister's girlfriend wanted.
But, if she was honest with herself, it was mainly because she really didn't want to choose between the bright blonde whom she'd become rather fond of and the brash barbarian she's become fixated with recently. Knowing they were the same person meant she could enjoy both sides of the woman's personality, provided Fang didn't manage to kill her tonight.
"Detective Schnee?" The officer in charge of the department's armory raised a brow as she burst through the door without sparing a glance around the room, zeroing in on them instantly. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"I'm calling in a favor," she said, gesturing towards the cages with heavy padlocks and thick metal surrounding them. "What do you have in my size?"
They laughed, pulling a large keyring from their hip and flicking through the keys. "You know, I always had a feeling someone would step across that line someday." They shook their head. "I'd feel sorry for whoever pissed you off, but I'm sure it's a long time coming."
"It may very well be," she said, more to herself as she hoped back up would arrive before Yang- and Ruby, who probably arrived first- were in too bad of shape.
"You'll have to tell me all about the thrilling conclusion." The officer paused, eyes going up to the experimental exosuits the Police Department had purchased as a means of dealing with their 'vigilante problem', though none had yet figured out how to operate the blasted things. Mainly because the manual and cryptokey had somehow found their way into Winter's possession. "But, uh, not too many details. I'd rather not testify against you."