Prologue: Yellow v1
There's no place like home, it's the one place, whose walls we all feel happy and safe within. A place where we all experience the best and worst life has to offer, with people we all care about. Everyone has different places they call home, for some its where the heart is, for others its where ever they are, and for Midas that place is Shadowfall city.
Now Shadowfall city wasn't anything special mind you; it's just a small harbor city in the northern regions of the Vale Kingdom. But sometimes the most boring or ordinary places are the perfect ones to start again from. For just six years ago a young boy and a young teen came together as brothers within its streets. They both picked up the pieces of their old lives, making the first steps of what became a gallop forward into their new lives.
Yes home is a true sanctuary for some, this is true…but like any sanctuary its eventually disturbed by darker times. A terribly dark force was about to come in conflict with those two brothers, and it would take the strength of both whether against it.
"Geez man calm down, I know I said I'd meet with you when I got back into town, but I just need to get my outfit first. I just did the last job without it, and I can't be seen at your place without it, can't have people realizing who I am…Well push the meeting back I'll be right there I swea…you know what scratch that go into your meeting, I'll be there later. Yeah everything's fine, something just came up is all." Wraith Varric said over his scroll to his older foster brother Jack, after returning from a distance heist that he'd just pulled off with without his cloak or mask…only to notice that the door to his apartment overlooking the city harbor was cracked open just a bit. Somone had broken into his home, and they were about to pay dearly for it, especially if they were after his four rune orbs.
Very slowly, and stealthily Wraith pushed his door back open, making sure to avoid creating any sound that would alert the burglars. His apartment was a duplex at the very top of a repurposed factory on the harbor. He had a few neighbors below his apartment, but none that would ever break into his place without his permission. Not when everyone in town sees Wraith Varric as just another no nothing guy, who doesn't do anything in town, he'd seen to that the best camouflage is being out in the open after all. And despite them not knowing him Wraith knew every single person in the city, which meant whoever did this was a stranger in for the worst surprise of their lives.
"Ok I don't see anything in my room, the first floor seems almost completely untouched except for my map room some of my documents were moved…that leaves the second floor where I keep "them" Wraith thought to himself as he moved through his first floor rooms, first his bedroom clear, the kitchen clear, living room clear, map room disturbed but clear, he than made his way towards the staircase to the second floor. He went straight for his trophy room, and to his horror he was right one of the golden rune orbs he's spent the last six years looking for was gone from it case.
"THEY TOOK MY MASK AND ONE OF THE ORBS! I'M GOING TO KILL THEM…no gotta stay cool, this all looks new and almost "too" clean. Whoever broke into my place wanted me to know they did, they knew I'd come here after checking the first floor, and they took the orb along with my mask to get my attention which means theirs only one place left." Wraith thought to himself after seeing that his mask was also missing from the stand where he kept his cloak…one place left he didn't check he should have, but they knew he'd be panicked thinking about the trophy room… he does not like being played.
"It certainly took you long enough, Mr. Varric although it was adorable watching you panic over your little trinket. I really must say this is a wonderfully nice apartment you have, such a wonderful view of the ocean. You can even see Signal academy island just off in the horizon. I guess it pays to be the younger brother of the shadow hawks most trusted lieutenant, and of course your "side job" must be rather lucrative of course to? I hope you don't mind but I poured us a cup of tea shortly before you arrived, it seemed fitting with a view like this. Now you aren't going to make a lady drink alone by herself are you Mr. Varric?" The burglar a young woman with long flowing black hair, in a red combat dress with a fire pattern said to Wraith after he clicked his gun right next to her head, once he walked out onto his balcony where she'd been the whole tine. His mask and the orb where both laid down on the patio table the girl was sitting at.
"Oh no far be it from me to deny a lady's request, I'm sure the kitchen was the only place you got into wasn't it? Putting aside the fact how you somehow know who I am, you should know I don't like uninvited guests, especially ones who steal from me?" Wraith said to the girl who just stared at him with a sly grin before gesturing to the other seat at the table with the teacup.
"Oh don't tell me your ego's wounded Mr. Varric I assure you I had to work quite hard to discover who you were. You see I have a…proposition for you, and your brother Jack. I'm in the need of someone with your "talents" for a certain task, one for which you will greatly be rewarded for. Sugar?" The girl said in a very powerful and in control tone after Wraith sat down with the gun still pointed at her, before she offered a tray of sugar cubes to him.
"I don't doubt that in the slightest your clearly a woman with means, it also means somewhere out there is a loose end I'll have to deal with. Now whatever your "job" is I refuse and so does Jack, you don't have anything I want don't let the door hit you on the way out Miss." Wraith said to the girl after reaching over and sliding his mask back to himself.
"You may call me Cinder Mr. Varric, or should I say Wraith since we might be doing business together. Believe me your going to be very "curious" once I tell you…I know where the other eight orbs your looking for are. That's right I know about your little fairy tale legend, you'd be surprised just how often those turn out to be true? So do I have your attention now Mr. Thief?" Cinder said to Wraith as she admired the rune orb in her as she held it up at the sun, before sliding back over to its owner.
"You have five minutes Miss Cinder, than me and you are going to have a problem, now talk." Wraith said to Cinder after he pocketed the orb, and slipped his Midas mask on.
"That just what I wanted to hear, but it's a shame you look much better with out that silly thing on your face?" Cinder said with a slight chuckle before discussing a purposely-vague plan, and the kinds of services she "might" need Midas for. It quickly became clear to Midas that nothing would become relevant to him, until the moment he agreed to work for Cinder.
Meanwhile across town at the most exclusive club in town, and Jack's base of operations "The Hawks Den" Jack Varric was dealing with his own "guest".
"Jackie buddy Ol' Buddy Ol' Pal, boy do I have the business deal for you. But before that how about we have drink like the old days huh?" Roman Torchwick said to a rather uninterested Jack Varric who gazed down at the nightclub below his private office.
"If you wanted to discuss old times Roman you could have just called, you never go out of your way unless theirs something to gain. So we could play these back and forth games right now or you could just tell me why you're here?" Jack said to Torchwick after slamming a bottle of fine alcohol down on the table in front of him.
"Oh but where would the fun be in that Jack, I happen to like these "games". Only a select few people, ever manage to entertain me as much as you have over the years, we both started out in this gang after all. I branched out on my own best decision of my life by the way, and you climbed the ladder until you're the big dog. Now if you just kindly sit down and have a stinking drink with me I'll explain to you, my associates "offer"." Roman said with a laugh as he poured them both a drink.
"Fine Roman "ONE" drink, and I'll hear you out, but than I want you out of "my" town got it." Jack said to Torchwick after sitting down, and taking his drink from him.
"I wouldn't have it any other way Jack my man, now lets get down to business shall we?" Roman said to Jack before starting his business "pitch" to him.
"So you want me to help you steal something, but you won't say when, what, where, or who until I not only say yes, but prove my loyalty? That seems like a unnecessarily LONG list of requirements Miss Cinder? And for no reward I might add, because despite any "fairy tale" being true or not, I don't believe you actually know where the last eight sigils are? It's a little to much to take on blind faith if you ask me, especially when you're clearly not a trustworthy person yourself." Midas said to Cinder who finished sipping her tea.
"Your rather crass and straight forward Mr. Thief, using such language around a young maiden how ungentlemanly of you…I like that. Yes I don't trust you, and your right not to trust me, but as a sign of good faith I'll let you know the location of one of the "sigils" as you call them. I'm sure once you have it in hand, it will prove the sincerity of my words. Trust me you'll very much enjoy having someone like me as a friend, especially after I obtain what I'm after." Cinder said to Midas after getting up, walking over to him, and taking his mask to look him eye to eye, before finally whispering the location of the sigil to him into his ear.
"Midas is the gentlemen the performance for the world to see, Wraith me I'm not so prim and proper as he is. I might just be crass as you claim, but you are also very forward the kind of woman you will do absolutely "anything" to get what she wants I see. Fine I'll play your little mind game, but if this doesn't check out I never want to see you again do you understand me?" Wraith said to a slyly smirking Cinder after putting his mask back on. He than pointed too the door, and taking the hint Cinder left taking her sweet time as she did.
"You cannot be serious, you want me to form an alliance with this "employer" of your, and be what their attack dog, their hired muscle. Oh and the best part we won't know what we're actually helping with until it all begins!" Jack shouted at Roman as he pointed an angry finger at him.
"I was going to say "goons" but really really REALLY well paid and rewarded goons. Look Jackie it's a lot yeah, but that's why I cane to you, you're the guy with the kind of pull to make this happen. Loyalty is something my "friend" values highly, if you help us you could have all of Vale if you wanted to pal. Times are changing, and you can either change with them or move the fuck out of the way." Roman said with a laugh to Jack after lighting a cigar and taking a few puffs.
"Loyalty is something I also value to Roman, the bosses, hell my men put their trust in me, and I refuse to steer them down a path I don't believe is correct. For god's sake your asking us to work with the White Fang who we've been at war with for the last couple years. Who you're employer also still needs to convince by the way? Going to need a lot more than blind faith in an old "friend" to convince me to make such decision." Jack said to Torchwick who just stared him down the whole time, with a smirk.
"You know sometimes you can be a real kill joy with those damn "ethics" and "morals" of yours Jackie, you're a mob boss for gods sake your supposed to be a greedy bastard like yours truly…that brat's made you soft dulled your edge if you get what I mean. But fine we'll end it at that for the day, I'm sure my employer is done with their meeting as well, so I'll leave, but we're not done talking about this you can be damn sure buddy later." Roman said to Jack after putting the cigar out on the table, before getting up to leave.
"I really hate that guy, I can't believe I ever was at a place in my life where we were friends. And Wraith hasn't dulled anything, just reminded me I have a conscience Roman, something you sold away years ago.." Jack thought to himself as he watched Roman leave through the nightclub.
"Jack something's actually come up, I'll be leaving on another job right now, its very urgent so I'll be gone for a few days. Don't worry I'm fine, its just something I have to do is all you just take care until I get back alright bro?" Wraith said to Jack over his scroll call as he began putting on his Midas cloak, and prepping Boomstick for the next heist. If Cinder wasn't lying to him he'd be breaking into an abandoned huntress's compound should be a simple smash and grabbed, but he wanted to be prepared.
Across Vale at that moment a spirited young girl, with long glorious blonde hair drove her bike at full speed towards her destination. The wind hitting her face as she thought of just what she'd find, this time in her search.
"So I found out about this place from one of mom's old hidden journals…it was one of the few things I was able to translate out of code with Qrow's help. I feel bad about leaving Ruby, she really wanted to come, but I don't know what kind of trouble I might be getting into this time, and I'm not putting her in that kind of danger again. Besides this is something I need to do myself after all." Yang thought as she followed the map hud from her scroll to one of her mothers secret hideouts.
"Oh hey how did your meeting go "boss", mine went just peachy. I mean Jack's still a stick in the mud, but he's one push away from seeing things our way. Either way I don't care, so long as I come out on top in the end thats all that matters am I right?" Roman Torchwick laughed over his scroll call with Cinder, as he walked the streets of Shadow Fall.
"Thats excellent news on your front, the brother I'm going after is being unsurprisingly stubborn, but nothing I can't handle. I'll have him wrapped around my finger once he sees I'm telling the truth about those trinkets he's after. If not theirs always other individuals with his skill set, but i'm hoping me and that pretty boy can come to an "arrangement. I'll call you again when I need you Torchwick." Cinder said to Roman via scroll, as she road the private boat back to Signal academy island.
"Whatever you say boss lady, looks like Roman's going to go stir up some trouble in the mean time. God I love being the bad guy, its so much fun!' Roman said to Cinder before she hung up to him, and he continued his walk into the city.
"...Huh am I in the right place? I mean I followed the map Cinder sent to my scroll, but this hardly screams "badass huntress" to me? Than again appearances can be deceiving?" Midas said after he arrived at the hidden base Cinder revealed to him, hopefully with another one of the sigils inside of it. ready for the taking. However to his surprise the building wasn't come grand bigger than life building, no far from it, it was actually a simple looking barely two story house in the middle of nowhere, which was saying something since this place was already in one of Vale's deepest, and darkest forests dangerously close to Grim territory.
The house it's self seemed a bit normal enough, even about a mile out from it like Midas was, but it just didn't sit right with him. This was supposed to belong to a huntress who wanted to disappear to badly, she built it in the middle of what amounted to a dead zone.
"I could just run straight out to the house try my luck, it not the far just about a mile, or I could search my feelings and take the more pragmatic route. Yeah that sounds like the wiser course of action her, time to test the waters...oh well this is going to make it just a tad bit challenging now isn't it?" Midas thought as he had his masks lens zoom in on the house to get a better look at it and the field around it, before he than pieced up a rock and skipped it as far as he could across the field. The results were several different traps and defenses springing to life from the ground, and smashing the rock to pieces.
"So I get why theirs no Grim here now, they've learned that its suicide trying to get across the field. I'm not left with a lot of options here, the straight forward route isn't a possible option here without getting killed, so i'm going to have to think outside the book on this one? Their must be some kind of kill switch around here somewhere, otherwise how would she have gotten in and out so lets look for that, and I should be golden...now where are you...AH!" Midas said out loud to himself self as he began scanning the terrain with his eyes looking for any kind of unnatural formation that would be a hidden kill switch, or generator of some kind. It took quite awhile whoever this huntress is or was they certainly earned Midas's respect with their death zone around the house, but ultimately he did find a rock formation just to the left of the house. It was about halfway between him and the house, and what most likely was a sea of death.
"Clever girl hiding it inside of the trap zone, but its still safer for me to make it out there than all the way to the house. Now the question is how...that could work?" Midas thought to himself as he mentally marked the rock formation, and looked around for something to get him over there, eventually succeeding with a sly grin under his mask.
"Man this is so frustrating this why does this stupid forest have to be so BIG! And uncle Qrow's map isn't helping at all he can't draw to save his life, I've had to double back and forth at least four times already if I don't find something soon i'll i'll I TEAR THIS WHOLE STUPID PLACE ARAPRT AAAAAHHHH!" Yang shouted in irritating after having gotten lost in the forest "again". Not a single part of this trip was going according to plan at all, she'd been so excited when she found her mothers notebook, even more when Qrow said he could translate the code it was written in. But it took forever for him to actually do it for her, and than of course even after finally getting her confusing as all high heaven map she had to walk most of the way, becuase the forest was to thick and covered in terrain to use her bike.
"Oh come on guys I'm in a hurry here could you all just stop already? Aaarrgghh I hate this sticking forest!" Yang yelled after getting back on track only to get jumped by another pack of grim, this had been the fourth ambush since she started this hike to her mothers hideout, it was starting to get annoying. And her anger only continued to climb as she saw more pack come at her eyes lighting up red to reflected that anger.
"Huh looks like somethings got the Grim's attention? Well whatever it is, most likely is the reason why their leaving me alone right now, and I'm more than cool with that arrangement. Now if i've got this angle just right I should land just about next to the kill switch area...or I could miss and die you know 50/50, but i'm a gambling man lets roll the dice now!" Midas said to himself after climbing to the top of a massive near by tree, as the sounds of some kind of fight in the distance was drawing Grim towards it, and away from the edge of the dead zone which where they'd been staring at him the whole time. He than formed boomstick pulled the level down for his foot, got on angled himself, and finally fired sending himself flying across the air towards the house.
"Got hit the ground running, got to hit the ground running, got to hit the ground RUNNING!" Midas repeated to himself as he flew through the air a few feet above the death zone, before landing just shy of the kill switch area and running like a made man towards it as landmine went off behind him.
"Don't look back, don't look back, just keep running don't look...YES I'M ALIVE I AM AMAZING!" Midas yelled at the top of his lungs, as he just barely avoided being killed by the traps, flung open the security panel hidden in the rocks, and loaded his hacking program into it shutting everything down before finally falling back down panting for air. And like killer clockwork everything came to a screeching halt, dead silent with the only thing audible being the earlier sound off in the distance.
"D...did one of the grim just shout their amazing? No it couldn't be besides I'm pretty sure this was the last of them? I think I also heard some explosions to, nah I must be just hearing things. Either way I think I finally understand uncle Qrow damn hand writing now I need to go this way?" Yang said to herself after hearing Midas's loud proclamation in the horizon as she punched out the last grim putting an end to the ambushes for now at least.
"So I've laid here for about five minutes catching my breath, I think its time to go check inside the house. Yep sounds like a plan one...two...three! And he sticks the landing ladies and gentlemen!" Midas said after taking a breather, before he hopped back up onto his feet, and made his way to the house.
Once at the house Midas circled the entire building looking for the best point of entry believing the door might also be booby trapped. The house it's self was a simple little two story building, with a red tile roof, dark blue paint job, white window shutters, and a green front door. After taking a few seconds to decide he cut his way through the window, entering the humble and dusty living space.
"Wow looks like I was right this was abandoned what looks like either months or years ago, dust is everywhere hopefully I can just find it, and be on my way again...Still though this is an impressive collection of trophy's I must say, nice I've never actually seen a Goliath grimm before. Who ever this huntress is I can confirm one thing Cinder was right, she is a badass. Huh whats this, I'm guessing she's one of the girls in the photo?" Midas said as he looked around at the mounted Goliath grim mask and tusks on the wall, he than found a knocked over picture of an old hunter team. The photo had four people in it a tall blonde man, a small red haired girl in a white cloak, a black haired man with a big buster sword, and a woman with long red and white hair with a long black sword.
"Hm they certainly look "happy" in this picture I wonder if that whole team thing is "fun"...what am I saying this place must be getting to me, I need to get in and check the rest of the house for the sigil." Midas said out loud to himself after he wiped the dust off the team picture, and briefly imagined being a part of his own hunter team and having friends in general. After coming to his senses he set the photo back down, and started searching the first floor rooms.
"YES I FOUND IT! Huh did an earthquake happen here or something, becuase this field looks like a warzone just hit. Must have been a Grimm that walked into a trap mom set up I guess, but it looks safe now though. Time to put our detective hat on Yang, maybe mom left some kind of clue we can use to find her in that house." Yang said once she finally found her mothers secret house, and was very surprised by the damage caused by Midas a she walked over towards it.
"First floor didn't have anything besides pictures and some old dusty trophies, maybe thing will be different here on the second floor. This house is sort of creepy, I mean it seems less like a hideout and more of a deposit box for memories. I keep finding more and more pictures of that one team littering the place. Is this one of her daughter or something, was this place really a get away, or was it a home? Nah nah stop thinking to much about this man, you have a job to do alright who cares about these people, and their lives...Now if I wanted to hide a precious artifact just where would I do it? Oh hello their beautiful, what secrets are you holding?" Midas thought to himself as he crept upstairs, and started searching all the rooms once again, before noticing a safe in the same room as another picture of the black haired woman together with a small blonde girl.
The safe was a relatively advanced looking model, but that didn't worry Midas nope he came prepared with goodies. He took out and planted a sticky explosive to the lock on the safe, backed up behind cover and blew it and the safe open. However what he did not hear becuase of the tiny explosion was Yang punching open the locked front door, and walking into the house to start her search.
"Oh man is it dusty in here, a little hard to breath but that should clear up soon. I need to stay focused theirs a clue here somewhere about mom, and I'm going to find it this won't have been another wasted trip...not this time." Yang said to herself after punching the door off its hinges, and beginning the search. It was surreal being in one of her mothers houses, their was so much here to see from pictures to trophies, and the thing she wanted to do most was just get lost in it all.
"Well i'll be damned Cinder was telling the truth, you've got to be kidding me? I almost don't believe it, but theres the sigil orb plain as day, this makes five now seven more and I'll have the complete coordinates and all the keys...Huh is this that blonde girl again, but looks like she has a friend in this picture? Its a bit odd to keep in a safe, but i'm not a parent so I guess I wouldn't understand?...Wait was that a noise just now from downstairs?" Midas said to with a tone of pure disbelief as he took the fifth golden sigil orb out from the safe, and while still holding it took out one of his hand guns with his free hand, after hearing Yang downstairs.
"Come come on Yang you can do this, their has to be something here, she clearly kept important stuff here i mean just look at all these pictures after all...wait we're these two friends of hers? I've never seen them before, they must be if mom has a picture of them?" Yang said after searching through her mother's things, and coming out with a picture of her mother, her uncle, and two mystery people standing in front. One of the mystery duo was a strong looking man with with dirty blonde hair, hazel eyes and a big grin, and the other was a beautiful looking faunus woman with long white hair, red eyes, faded tattoo birth marks over her body, and white wolf ears. The man had his arm wrapped around her, and the woman looked so happy becuase of it. Yang than found writing on the back of the photo which read: "The newly weds Claire and Dean...I'm glad Claire's finally found someone who can make her truly happy"
"They were mom's friends, but i've never heard or seen them before back at the house before. I wonder if Uncle Qrow or dad were friends with them to? D...did something happen to them or something?" Yang asked herself as she flipped back to the picture of the young couple before pocketing it.
"I need more answers, this isn't making any sense at all, I came here to find clues not more mysteries. This is all stuff mom collected, but it's not her house, maybe theirs something up stairs that can clear this all up...wow who the heck are you pal!" Yang thought to herself as he walked upstairs only to be greeted by a gun pointed at her head.
"So wanna tell me how you found this place madam, and I don't suppose you were following me...wait are you here daughter?" Midas said to Yang after pointing his handgun right at her face once she made it to the top of the stair case. He was quickly taken back when he saw, how much she looked like the black haired huntress from the photos.
"I'm not answering any questions until you get that gun out of my face dude! And besides your the one breaking and entering here you should be answering my questions. Especially when your stealing something that doesn't belong to you punk." Yang said to Midas before she walked right up to him face to mask or as far as the gun would allow her to.
"So what the huntress who lived here doesn't need this I do, so i'm taking it i'm a thief the name is Midas perhaps you've heard of how amazing I am? Steal the unstealable, crack the uncrackable, devilishly handsome...although thats more of a leap of faith with my mask on? My point is this is I was here first, i'm the guy with a gun, and this is mine now got it?" Midas said to Yang as he was putting the sigil org away into his coat, and she grabbed his hand HARD before he could.
"No I haven't heard of you Mr. big talk, but I have heard that stealing is wrong, especially when your doing it from my mothers house. I don't know what this is but you have five seconds to drop it pal, or I get violent." Yang said to a now enraged Midas as she tightened her grip on his hand.
"You get violent? Oh you haven't seen violent until you now madam, just try and take this from me. Better yet don't just sit their and take this!" Midas said to Yang before he brought his around around her head, pistol whipping her very hard hopping to knock her out only to his surprise fail to. Yang took the blunt of the whip just fine, than looked right at Midas with her eye red and said "You shouldn't have done that" she than while holding him in place punched Midas very hard in the chest firing off a shell from her gauntlets that together sent him flying through a window outside onto the field.
"We could have done this the easy way, but you wanted to make it difficult now we're doing this your way. Don't your i'm not going to kill you, not that kind of person, but this is going to sting." Yang said as she jumped out the window, beat her gauntlets together, and began walking your to Midas.
"Ooowww ok that hurt, that hurt a lot lets avoid doing that again please. You want to kick things up, well fine lets KICK THINGS UP!" Midas said after pulling himself back to his feet, forming boomstick, and firing rounds from the business end to launch him straight at Yang for a a lighting fast stab. Each shot adding more and more power to the attack along with speed.
"Cool toy but i've seen plenty of people with gun blade weapon before, your going to have to do better than that buddy nice try though?" Yang said to Midas after she caught boomsticks blade with her gauntleted hands, getting pushed back a few feet but catching it never the less. She than used her monstrous strength to lift Midas up into the air, and thrash him around back onto the ground.
"Stop throwing me back onto the ground darn it woman! And i've only just gotten started bet you didn't see this coming? How do you like me now?" Midas said to Yang before Boomsticks blade section opened up and he fired a gold blast point blank in her face knocking her back this time.
"Man that was so not cool sneak attacking me their punk, as soon as my ears stop ringing your going down. J...just stop moving around whole worlds spinning right now...I'm good I'm good." Yang said after the smoke cleared and she clawed her was back to her very dizzy feet. She than clapped her hands and hit them on her face snapping her out of it.
"Sneak attacks are the best kind of attack my dear, this is a street fight their aren't any rules out here! Besides if you want to talk fair, how about your super strength semblance or that weird red eyes, and fire thing you've been doing. This is just me leveling the playing field, now are you going to fight or watch me walk away your choice?" Midas said to Yang with his arms crossed as she got her self back together.
"Oh this so isn't over punk not by a long shot, just try this on for size!" Yang said to Midas after she swung arm back behind her, fired a round to launch herself into the air, and kept firing building up speed and power in mid air and corse correcting to match Midas dodge attempts.
"Oh don't you worry I have a plan for those gloves of yours...what to see something cool? Now you see me, now you don't?" Midas said to Yang how was moments away from blasting him straight in the chest again with another powerhouse punch, only to disappear at the last moment, and reappear far to the side of her attack once it hit the ground. After missing Yang's punch created a crater and sent massive cracks across the ground.
"How did you just do that punk? Is your semblance teleporting or something, either way thats not going to work on me again!" Yang yelled at Midas before she repeated the same attack once again, this time being stopped dead in mid air by some kind of invisible force...no stopped was the wrong word she realized she was still moving but just very slowly now.
"Cool right, its real simple my semblance slows things down around me. I didn't teleport or move super fast, I just ducked out of the way, but in comparison to you slowpoke I might as well have. I can give my self artificial super speed and the kind of kick that comes with it by using this power. I actually only recently got this I don't even know what I can do with it yet. But I do know once you got in my range you were mine blondie. " Midas laughed as Yang glared at him with a rage filled expression, while she was in mid air slow motion.
"That sneaky little jerk so he can't keep up with me so he just slows me down...wait a minute why did he even bothering dodging in the first place, unless this attack still has the same force as normal despite being slowed down. So if I can just get on good hit on him he's finished, I can do that think Yang how do we do that? Argh Ruby would have this down in a second she's alway been better at this whole strategy thing." Yang thought as her slow attack hit the ground and cracked it again, before she returned back to normal speed again.
"So i've showed you mine, like you showed me yours are we done here miss...miss? Oh dear how rude of me I haven't actually asked your name once during this fight have I?" Midas laughed at Yang, as she just scowled at him trying to think of plan to crush him.
"Wait I have an idea but first I need to understand the stress level for his semblance, i've got it!" Yang thought to herself before she punched the ground creating a crack heading straight for Midas who used his semblance to slow it down, and as he did she blasted at him from a blind spot at full force.
"No no no no I don't think so miss, thats not how this is going down...OH CRAP THAT WAS CLOSE!" Midas said before he shift his attention away towards Yang and started to lose his footing from the speed back up cracks, which made Yang grin.
"He can only slow one thing down at a time, I don't know why but looks like thats his limit for now...good I can use that...I'm putting an end to this now punk take THIS!" Yang shouted at Midas as she came at him for another punch which he slowed down, but this time Yang did it without her gauntlets activated using just her super strength semblance. She than activated the one she was punching with and fired every single round she had inside of it speeding herself back up, and nailed Midas in the face sending him flying back into a tree shattering his mask as she did.
"Ooww ok everything hurts right now, you figured out your punches still carried the same kick, and that I can only slow one thing down at a time huh? Darn I didn't even notice that problem until just now, I just did what felt natural. Ah man this is so uncool right now, and did you have to break the mask I need to get a whole new one now?...Hey wait WHAT!" Wraith said after sliding his back up against the tree Yang hit him into, after Yang walked over and took the sigil out of his cloak, but as she did the photo of her moms friends came out of her jacket and fell in front of Wraith.
"You talk a LOT you know that right. And don't hold it against you, your semblance is cool you just need more practice with it is all. Huh what its just a picture of some people my mother knew, why do you look like you've seen a ghost man?" Yang said to Wraith who just stared at the photo in his hand in disbelief.
"Those are my parent's well at least I think they are? Thats my mother for sure, i've never met my father before, but I know his name was Dean. Did you take this from the house, just now?" Wraith said to Yang while his eyes stayed glued to the picture of his parent's.
"WAIT WHAT! Wanna run that by me one more time buddy, those people in that photo who are clearly friends with my mom are your parent's?" Yang shouted in surprise to a zone out Wraith.
"Y...yes its them alright i'm sure of it, this is the first time i've heard anything about their lives though...they both died before I really could remember them. My father did at least, for my mom theirs bits and pieces its like...like..." Wraith said to Yang while he ran his hand over his fathers image.
"It's like your heart knows the memories are there, but you just can't seem to reach out and grab them? I know how that feels...this is a bit awkward now, but lets start over my name is Yang Xiao Long whats yours?" Yang said to Wraith after sticking her hand out to help him back up.
"That's just how I feel about it Miss Xiao Long, and my name is Wraith Varric. I guess now that the fighting is over its nice to meet you?" Wraith said to Yang after taking her hand and getting helped back up to his feet.
"So why did you want this thing so badly anyway?" Yang said after she gave Wraith back the sigil.
"...Now what if I told you their was a fairy tale about this ancient city, built thousands of years ago. This city is supposed to have a treasure so unlike anything and so precious they built the city to protect it. Now allegedly this city was supposed to have been created by two races of people who both realized the importance of the treasure, and the need to protect it. Heres where it might surprise you, becuase the two races were Faunus and human. At least according to the stories my mother told me...Now what if I told you it wasn't a story. This sigil is one of twelve pieces to a puzzle that lead to its location, if you believe the legends of course. Once you have all twelve you get the complete location, and only with all twelve can you open the gates inside. Without them the treasure and the cities unreachable." Wraith said to a skeptical Yang who waited for him to finish telling his story.
"Thats a...nice story Wraith, but you expect me to believe their was this "magical" city that existed, and that it was made by two races of people who hate each other? I mean how do you know that someone didn't just make twelve random balls to trick people like you?" Yang said to Wraith with her arms crossed not believing his story for a second.
"Thats what I thought at first to until I saw this...believe me now?" Wraith said after he took out another one of his sigil's from his cloak, dialed in a certain set of runes on both orbs, he than set them down next to each other, and together at once they project 2/12's of a map in a holographic projection
"No way! Ok I'll admit this is at least makes your story more convincing, and I might believe that your right about this? But why do you care so much about this city, is this about getting rich and famous or something?" Yang asked Wraith after he put both sigils back into his coat.
"...I made a promise with someone that if the city was real I'd find it one day. Whatever happens next after I find it isn't important to me. Hell or high water I am keeping the promise I made." Wraith said as he looked at his mothers picture in the photo once again.
"Oh I get it, well if you ever need any help finding the rest of them just give me a call buddy ok?" Yang said after taking Wraiths scroll and entering in her contact info.
"Thanks for the offer, but why would you do that?" Wraith asked Yang really confused who just smiled back at him.
"Well thats what friends do don't they? We might have gotten off on the wrong foot, but I can tell this is going to be the start of a G.R.E.A.T friendship pal. And don't even try to say no, your not shaking me loose that easy." Yang laughed after putting an arm around Wraith, before they both walked back towards the house to search it again.
A/N: And done with the final prologue, so the actual story starting in season 1 can begin now. Also yep Yang and Wraith are buddies now, what else would happen after they beat each other up lol. Midas's semblance also is just the tip of the iceberg its going to get stronger with him through the story. It not a simple slow motion power, it's actually time based. Don't worry Midas and Cinder haven't seen the last of each other just yet either. Get ready I have at least another two chapters in me this week, and one of them will include the other three members of Midas's Beacon team, team WRNG.