Chapter 5: Keeper of the Lions Passant

Ruby led the way up the side of the building, followed by her sister and Weiss. Though both were capable in a wide variety of pursuits, neither was as experienced at free climbing as the young assassin, and were having more than a little difficulty.

"Was this really necessary?" Weiss asked, struggling to reach up to where a beam jutted out of the house. "It would have been far easier for us to break the lock on one of the doors and use the stairs."

"I gotta say, she has a point," Yang agreed. She was even worse at climbing than Weiss was.

Ruby didn't say anything in reply. She had certainly considered smashing a door or a window, but had purposely led them this way to show them that she could do it. She wanted to make Yang proud of her, and Weiss…well, Weiss was still mostly an enemy, and it couldn't hurt to have an enemy realize you're better than they are. Let's see what they think of this, she thought to herself. Pausing her climb, she leaned back from the wall and turned her neck around, looking at the wall of the building about five feet away. Perfect. That'll do nicely. She leaned in close to the wall, set her feet, and pushed off from it, spinning herself around as she did so. She extended her right arm and grabbed onto the bars set against a window, while using her left hand to prevent herself from smashing into it. She landed gracefully and looked down at her companions, smiling gleefully at them. "This is easy. What are you two complaining about?"

"Whoa, sis," Yang said from down below. "Weiss, you see that? She just leapt across the alley like it was nothing."

Weiss gave a low growl in answer. "This is a waste of time. I don't know why I'm letting myself get ordered around by this child." She pursed her lips together in concentration as she arranged several of her floating glyphs in the air, starting near her foot and ascending like a staircase. She let go of the building and landed on the first one, then jumped to each of the others in turn, the white snowflakes disappearing as soon as she left them behind. It took only seconds for her to reach the top of the building, where she looked down on the two sisters. "This was easy. What are you two still doing down there?"

"Oh yeah, I can live with that," Yang said. She too let go of the building, firing her gauntlets downward as she started to fall. The blasts of energy lifted her up rapidly, and as she reached the top of her arc she fired again before she could fall. She did a somersault in midair as she rose above the lip of the building, then dropped into a roll as she landed right next to the ice princess. "Nailed it," she said as she stood, a smile covering her face. She joined Weiss in looking down at Ruby. "C'mon sis, what are you waiting for?"

That didn't go according to plan at all, Ruby thought. I had the most problems in our fight, and now I'm the last one to the top of the building. I wanted to impress them, but instead they showed me up.

She realized that she shouldn't let it bother her. Did she really have to prove herself? Weiss had already admitted to her that she needed her to find Roman, and Yang was her sister. I want them to know I can do this. That's all. She heard Weiss shout down to her, telling her to hurry up. I just wanted her to know I could do this…

Oh well. Nothing to do now but to go as fast as she could. She resumed her climb up the wall of what seemed to be an abandoned warehouse, the iron bars on the window assisting her with her rapid ascent. Reaching the top, she used her semblance to cross over the small divide between the two rooftops. Weiss gave her an annoyed look while Yang looked around the roof, hoping to find the girl that had asked them to meet her up here.

The rooftop was largely open, with just a few utilities occupying the large space. Yang first noticed there didn't seem to be easy access to the roof from inside the building. Maybe smashing a door down wouldn't have helped as much as we would have thought, she wondered. The next item to catch her eye was an HVAC system, about ten feet by twenty feet, that was near the opposite edge of the rooftop. She could be hiding behind that easily enough. She began to make her way over to it, only faintly paying attention to the argument that had apparently risen between the two girls behind her.

I haven't seen Ruby in so long, she thought. She's changed so much! And grown so big! There's so much I need to ask her. How's our uncle doing? When did she arrive in Vale? And what's the story with her partner? You don't need to be a genius to notice there is some tension between the two of them. What was her sister doing with Weiss Schnee? What was Weiss Schnee doing fighting with a club owner and his bodyguards in the shady side of Vale? Yang wasn't overly invested in the politics or business of the other kingdoms, but even she had heard of the Schnee Dust Company.

"Why are you always rushing into things without thinking?" Ouch, Yang thought. That was loud. She turned around to look at what was happening between her sister and Weiss.

"I'm not rushing into them!" Ruby protested.

"Oh yeah? Then what do you call running into that fight down there? Then you agree to meet with a shady girl that refuses to show us her face. And now you've tried to lead us up the side of a building. You don't ever stop to think!" Weiss had been waving her arms around, but now had her finger directly in Ruby's face as she yelled at her.

"Yang's my sister, Weiss. I needed to help her. And that shady girl could help us."

"And climbing the building? What was your reason for that stupid decision?" She took to pacing back and forth. She seems to do that a lot, Yang thought. Maybe it's a coping mechanism for her; something to distract her mind.

Ruby didn't have an answer ready for that one. She wanted to show off, Yang thought. That should be obvious. She's trying to impress us for some reason.

"The shady girl's name is Blake." The voice once again came out of the darkness, the owner apparently still unwilling to show her face.

"Ok, ok…let's all put on the Blakes on your arguing for a moment and listen to what she has to say," Yang said, emphasizing the word Blakes.

Weiss stopped her pacing immediately and looked at Yang. Ruby buried her face in her palm. Blake came out from behind the HVAC system timidly. "Was that a…was that supposed to be a pun?" she asked. She took another few steps further out from cover, waiting for an answer.

"You know it," Yang said, smiling broadly. She formed pistols with her fingers and pretended to fire them at the new girl.

"Oh god that was terrible," said Weiss.

"Trust me, Wiess, it uh, it could've been worse. It could've been much, much worse," said Ruby. "But yes, that was terrible."

Don't take it personal Yang, Yang thought to herself. It'll grow on them. They don't know who they're dealing with yet. "Oh Weiss, it's okay. You're just jealous you didn't Schnee her coming…"

Ruby giggled at that one, her face still hidden behind her hand, and Blake joined her as Weiss stared at Yang dumbfounded. "Please. Just stop. I just told Ruby that I didn't know her well enough for jokes yet…and I certainly don't know you well enough."

Oh, it's on now, Yang thought, grinning. Time to hammer it home. "Please, Weiss, don't by Yang-ry with me. I saw an opening…" She trailed off as she spoke, ready for the last one.

Ruby was laughing loudly now. Blake shifted her eyes from Ruby to Weiss to Yang, seemingly still unsure of her own safety. Weiss closed her eyes and counted to ten. She opened them and saw Yang with her head cocked slightly to the side, obviously waiting for something.

She gave in. "Just say it."

Yang nearly squealed in delight. "I saw an opening, so I Rose to the occasion." She wiped her hands together, pantomiming a job well done.

Weiss turned her attention away from Yang and to the quiet girl that had led them to the roof. She seemed scared of the three of them, like a pet that had been beaten by its masters. She had a sword of some type tied to her back, and her hand over her shoulder gripping the hilt tightly. Her eyes were quickly switching from one place to another, attempting to take in every detail at every second.

"So, are you a team?" Blake asked.

The three girls looked at each other in confusion and shrugged. It's too early to tell, seemed to be Ruby's answer. Sure, why not? seemed to be Yang's.

What do I think? Weiss asked herself. Ruby and I are a team, at least, even if we don't want to be. We agreed to that back at the station; we agreed that we would work together until Roman is found and brought to justice. Yang seemed to be able to handle herself in a fight, though what she wants is a mystery.

"We're not really a team, at least not yet." Ruby had taken it upon herself to answer Blake's question. Running ahead again without thinking first, Weiss noted sourly.

"So what are you then?" Blake asked. She shifted from foot to foot, and finally appeared to stop viewing the three girls as likely to kill her. "You said you wanted information on Roman Torchwick. Why?"

"I don't have a clue what you're talking about," Yang said.

She almost seems excited to not know anything, Weiss thought. What could life like that be like? To be so unconcerned with everything that was going on around you. To have the freedom to make such terrible jokes. It wasn't just Yang that did it, though. I've only known Ruby for a few hours now, and she's already felt comfortable enough with me that she made a joke too. Maybe because they're sisters they have the same personality? Weiss looked at them carefully. They don't look like sisters though. And Ruby definitely seems to have more worries than Yang does…

No one in Weiss' family had ever made jokes with the ease or naturalness those two did. No one in her family had ever seemed to be comfortable with random strangers. They had even never seemed comfortable with each other. Family dinners were quiet, reserved events. Playtime was nonexistent. Everything was scheduled, planned, thought out in advance and in great detail. There had never been a place for spontaneity.

Now though...in just a short time, it seems like everything has changed. I'm here, on a rooftop, meeting with a stranger…after fighting a woman I don't even know because she was there…after being sent on a mission with almost no preparation by Ozpin…and after deciding to reveal my weakness to, not just a girl I barely know, but to a girl I barely know that is also a member of an organization I have been raised since birth to despise. Why did I feel comfortable enough with her to do that? I never even like to share my weaknesses or failings with Winter.

"Weiss? Are you okay?" Ruby's voice brought her back to the present, and she realized that the three girls were all staring at her as if waiting for something.

"I'm sorry. What was that?" she asked.

"Blake asked us why we were looking for Roman Torchwick, and I said you could probably tell her more about it than I could."

"Of course. Roman Torchwick is a wanted criminal, so Ruby and I were asked by Professor Ozpin, the headmaster at Beacon Academy, to help the police to locate him, and to bring him in ourselves if we find him. I'm a new transfer student there, and Ruby is, well, she's the one he paired me with."

"He asked you to find Torchwick, but didn't tell you where he was? And you don't know where he is?" Blake asked. She sounded like she didn't believe Weiss.

She knows something. "Of course not. If he knew where he was hiding, he'd have told the police or Professor Goodwitch. He wouldn't have needed us."

Blake started to back away, her hand returning to the sword on her back. "Are you sure? Because I saw Roman Torchwick last night, and he had that same symbol- "she pointed with her left hand to the Templar cross that Weiss wore- "on the back of his jacket. So you must know each other."

"Wait," Yang said. "I don't understand any of this. What is that symbol? Are you all in a club or something?"

Ruby put her hand on her sister's shoulder. "Yang, do you remember how Uncle Qrow used to always be going off on missions? After you left, he told me about his family's history. About our history. We're not just huntsman and huntresses, Yang. There's so much more out there in the world. This symbol here, it represents what our family has been a part of for generations." She placed her hand on one of the two brooches that held her cloak in place. "This stands for the Assassins." She moved her hand and cautiously touched Weiss' back, causing the girl to tense up. Relax, Weiss thought. Breath regularly. She took a deep breath. It's just that her hand is so warm. "This symbol, this cross, represents the Templar Order. They and the assassins have been enemies for hundreds of years." Ruby drew her hand from Weiss' back slowly.

Weiss let out a breath that she hadn't realized she was holding as the warmth left. Didn't I just remind myself to breathe?

"So, if you and Weiss are supposed to be enemies, then why are you working together?" Yang asked. "I mean, I guess you're working together. You showed up together and fought together, but you also fought together, if you get my meaning."

"Well, that's a long story, and really not one for right now. Professor Ozpin told me that not everything was as it seemed to be…maybe they had some sort of disagreement?" Ruby said.

"I for one don't really think it matters," Weiss stated. "Everyone in this city would agree with the fact that he is a wanted criminal. I was told to find him, so that is what I'm going to do. The police had wanted to look into Junior, which is why we came here, but Yang had to go and knock him unconscious, so we don't get anything out of him. You said you saw him last night? Where was he? We need to find him."

The sound of sirens caused the girls to go into high alert and drop down, taking cover behind the small brick parapet set up around the rooftop to prevent falls. Cautiously, they raised their heads up and looked over it, seeing a swarm of police cars arrive at the ruined club.

"They took longer than I would've thought," said Yang.

"Still, it's good you had us meet you up here on the roof," said Ruby. "If we were still standing down there, we'd have a lot of explaining to do." She looked at all the officers as they walked around with guns drawn. Two checked Junior and Miltia's pulse, then put them in handcuffs as a matter of course. Another knelt next to Melanie and called for an ambulance.

"You're welcome," Blake replied. "Why were you there?" she asked Yang.

"Well, I was there looking for someone too," she whispered. "That is also a long story. But I'm willing to put my search on hold for a little while to help catch a criminal."

Blake nodded. "I was looking for someone too." The four girls continued to look over the side of the building as the police began to enter the club. I doubt that anyone was stupid enough to stay in there, Blake thought. But they might find evidence of anything illegal Junior was doing. "I'm still curious what's happening here. When I saw Torchwick, he was with a whole bunch of the White Fang. I don't know why they'd be working together, but that would have to be bad for all of us."

Yang started counting off reasons on her fingers, "Known criminal, violent terrorist group, lots of mystery, and the promise of action. Four good reasons to stay with all of you. What do you say we do this, together?" She put her hand out, holding it in the middle of the group.

"I just want to help people," Ruby said. She joined her hand with her sister's.

This might not be so bad an idea. If they were going to attack me, they probably would have done it by now. They seem honest enough in what it is they're trying to do. "I'm willing to listen to what you have to say," Blake said cautiously. Her hand joined the pile. I hope that this wasn't a mistake.

The three of them looked at Weiss, who was hesitant to commit herself.

"What do you say Weiss? Are you with me?" Ruby asked earnestly. "I mean, with us?"

Weiss began to stretch her hand out, slowly at first. "Only until we find Torchwick," she said. She put her hand on top of the other three.

"Thatta girl, Weiss…after all, if we're going to be working out of Beacon," she giggled uncontrollably. "We're going to Schneed you."

Blake, Ruby and Weiss all groaned. Oh no. Please tell me she isn't going to be doing this all the time. "Is it too late to take it back?" asked Blake.

A/N: Five chapters in, and so far I hope you've been enjoying it. Please take the time to leave a review; I often write multiple versions of a chapter and then agonize over which to publish, and reviews can help…for the last chapter the original version had Melanie die after Ruby stabbed her. I decided against it, and then a review came in stating that hopefully she lives…you have a voice, people. Please use it! This is especially so if you notice any grammatical or spelling errors. I read it through several times before posting, but every once in a while something slips through the cracks, as it were.

Also, I hope that you're able to tell who is currently doing the thinking (also when someone is thinking- normally, but not always, indicated by italics.) While it does change throughout the chapter, I try to keep it consistent for several paragraphs at a time. I also try to make the change easily apparent. If it isn't clear, again, please let me know so I can improve on it.

Спасибо .