Hey all, hope you enjoy the chapter!
Chapter Six:
Saphron felt a jolt, her eyes flashing open in alarm. She spun around, hand outstretched and ready to strike at whoever had snuck up on her.
"Woah Saph, chill girl!"
She blinked, before letting out a small laugh and lowering her hand. "Honestly Iris, one of these days you're going to end up being flung into a wall. Walk louder dammit." Iris Evergreen smirked, her blonde ponytail billowing behind her as if dancing. Saph noted that she was dressed up in her fighting gear, though 'gear' was a strong word for it. She liked to wear sporting outfits, runners, sports tops and the like. Today was no exception, her trademark green tights and white singlet ever present. She even had wrapped tape around her wrists and ankles, completing her sporty look. Saph glanced over her shoulder and spotted a large, metal bat. Her favorite weapon.
Iris narrowed her eyes a bit, peering inquisitively. "You alright? You look a little weirded out."
"It's nothing," Saph said quickly, shaking off her unease. She didn't understand why, but something was putting her on edge.
Iris scoffed, waggling a finger at her. "Well it better be! We've come so far, and team SIRE is gonna win the tournament this year. Can't you feel it?"
Saph wanted too, but the nagging feeling wouldn't go away. It chewed at her thoughts, and it was starting to get on her nerves. Of course, she didn't say any of this aloud. Iris wasn't what some would call sensitive, and Saph was used to bottling things up. She'd been doing it for a long time now.
"Sure, yeah." She replied. She realized the others weren't here, causing her to frown. "Where's Ramsey and Eldren? They do know we have a match soon right?"
"Oh I'm sure they're around." Iris said with a laugh. "Probably chatting up the local girls or whatever. Not sure there is a girl back in Haven they haven't tried to talk too."
"Gotta give them credit for trying." Saph commented. A sudden wave of unease hit her again, and she felt the overwhelming urge to hide, as if someone was looking at her.
Iris frowned, picking up on her team mates tone change. "Are you sure you're ok Saphron?"
Saph smiled, trying to suppress the feeling. "Of course. We've made it to the Vytal Tournament of all places. I mean, what could go wrong?"
Yang watched the morning sun rise over the bay. She shivered, the chill of night still clinging to the air despite the ever growing sun light. She used her finger to reignite the burnt out bonfire, small flames shooting from her finger gun. The fire flared briefly, but she had run out of new wood during the night, so the flames quickly died down to embers, holding onto life.
She sighed, rubbing her eyes. She was supposed to have woken up Mercury about halfway through the night, but she had decided it better that she just be the look out. Now she was regretting it. If there was one thing she loved more than fighting, it was a nice warm bed. Well, that and her motorcycle…and food…and sleep…
She shook her head, removing the thoughts. She was here on a mission, and she couldn't afford distractions. Not when Ruby's life was on the line. Still…she had been sitting on a cold beach all night. Shouldn't she be allowed to relax a little?
The sounds of creaking wood woke her up. She lean over to see someone coming out of their makeshift base. Saphron stumbled down the stairs, stretching her arms as she yawned and blinked sleepily in her direction.
"Did you keep watch all night?" She asked, sounding confused as she walked slowly over.
"I was meant to wake someone else, but…" Yang hesitated. "I kinda forgot."
"Sure you did," Saph commented, sinking down to sit beside her. "God it's cold. How didn't you turn into an ice block?"
Yang held up her finger, small flame flaring briefly at the tip. "It helps when you're a human lighter."
Saph snorted, yawning again. The sun had risen enough to wash over the both of them now, definitely making the temperature warmer. The waves crashed quietly in front of them, rolling closer before retreating back again.
"So how did you sleep anyway?" Yang asked after the moment's silence.
Saph seemed to hesitate. "You know, I'm not sure. I had an odd dream."
"Oh?" Yang asked, curiosity piqued. No one, let alone Yang, knew enough about this girl. Maybe she could learn some stuff and report back to Weiss.
"Yeah, I think…don't quote me, but I think I remembered something." She said, brow crunched up as she tried to recall the events she'd dreamt about. "I was talking to…someone. I think I knew them."
Yang was definitely curious now. "What was the conversation about?"
She took a moment to answer, wincing slightly. "We were talking about some tournament or festival. I think we were participating in it. Vial? No…Vitol?"
"…Vytal?" Yang asked. She felt a chill, and not from the morning air.
She nodded. "That's it. The Vytal Tournament. I was competing with a team there…no, my team. I think? This is so confusing…"
Yang didn't know what to say. She was stumped, not believing what she was hearing. Saphron had been at the Tournament? Where everything had begun all those years ago, the same Tournament where Cinder Fall had brought down Beacon and the war against Humanity had begun. That couldn't be a coincidence, nor would Yang accept it if it was.
"Anything else?" She asked as casually as she could, not looking the girl in the eye.
"Not really," She replied. She smirked. "Kinda woke up with a start. Nearly whacked Sun on the head."
Yang genuinely smiled at that mental image. But it also brought up another thought, one that had nagged her since their first encounter. "Probably getting sick of the questions, but mind if I ask one more?"
"Sure, fire away."
"How well can you fight exactly?" She asked, trying not to sound condescending. "I know you must be able to hold your own to some extent, but just how well?"
Saph frowned at her, a brow perked. "What? Creating glowy barriers and knocking people around isn't good enough for you?"
Yang raised a hand. "Now I didn't say that. But what if someone ambushes you? How well can you fight up close?"
Saph looked like she wanted to fire off some kind of response, but she hesitated. Which told Yang everything she needed to know. The look on Saph's face began changing from fired up to thoughtful. She looked puzzled.
"Shockingly, I can't remember what I would actually do." She said, sounding bemused.
"Having no memory sounds like a real bummer."
"You have no idea." She agreed. "Still, theirs four of us. I'm sure we won't end up in that kind of situation."
Yang chuckled, rising to her feet. "See, it's that kind of thinking that's going to get you killed. Get up."
Saph stood up, still frowning. Yang took a few steps back and set her feet down in a firm stance. She balled both her fists up and kept them by her side, little weapons at the ready to strike any opponent that got too close. She nodded at Saphron with a smirk.
"Hit me."
"Sorry what?" Saph commented, blinking a few times. "You want me to-"
"Hit me," Yang said again. "Stop wasting time and attack."
Saph shrugged, beginning to raise a hand and gathering energy on her palm.
"No Aura. Just a punch."
She blinked again, but to her credit followed along. She hesitated a moment, before charging forward. She was surprisingly fast, though Yang watched her approach easily. Her movements were not refined at all. It was clear she hadn't had any formal training, or she couldn't remember having it. She cocked her fist back on the approach, clearing aiming to strike her in the chest. Yang tutted and outstretched her Mech arm with seconds to spare.
The sound of the punch echoed as anything hitting solid metal does. They both stood there a moment before Saph withdrew her hand and began mouthing curses. Yang snickered.
"Son of a…" Saph said, letting the rest die in her mouth. She threw a glare Yang's way. Those eyes almost spooked her again but Yang was getting used to seeing them now. "Are you trying to teach me or ruin me? That hurt dammit."
"Bit of both." Yang admitted with a grin, before standing to the side and imitating what Saph had done. "You came in too obvious. Never show where you're going to strike until you're a second away. Otherwise you'll give yourself away. Try again."
Saph rushed her again, even faster than before. To her credit she seemed to have taken the advice to heart, leaving her intent hidden before trying to land a strike again. Yang simply lifted her arm and deflected the strike with her forearm, sending Saph's punch outward. She then shoved the girl to the sand with a light push.
Saph grunted when she hit the ground, scowling. "Followed your crappy advice, still couldn't land it."
"As if you're going to land a hit on me. I'm pretty incredible." She chuckled, before growing serious. "You're start was good Saph, but you need to read your opponent as well. Using your forearm at an angle will easily allow you to remove the strength of a blow, and open up a counter attack."
"Where did you learn all of this?" Saph asked, a mix of grouchiness and curiosity. "Surely you didn't know all of this at Hunter's school or whatever."
"Nah, my dad taught me a lot," Yang said, smile dropping. "He used to be a really great Huntsman himself."
"Sounds like a standup guy, have I seen him at Atlas?" Saph asked. Yang didn't respond, and it only took a second for Saph to catch on. Her eyes widened. "Oh, I didn't-I mean-Sorry."
"It's ok…" Yang said with a small smile. "He passed years ago back at my home in patch. Buried him right next to Ruby's mom. I think he'd have wanted that personally. I've made my peace with that."
"Still, that's harsh," Saph said quietly. "I mean, I'm not even sure who my parents are, but that still sounds like something horrible to see."
"Just the tip of the iceberg…" Yang thought to herself. She looked away, forcing a smirk. "It's no big deal. Unlike your fighting, which is terrible by the way. We're going to have to work on that."
Saph blinked, looking a little startled at the change of tone. "Uhh, sure? Anyway, shouldn't we be waking the others up or something?"
"Good thinking. Go wake the other two up and help them clean up. I'll put out the fire and-"
Yang stopped short when the ground suddenly shook. It was short and violent, and it was all she could do not to fall to the ground. Saphron was not so fortunate, managing a yell before collapsing backwards and landing on her back. Moments later Yang saw a bright flash in the distance, within the abandoned city. An explosion. The sound reached them next, the sheer noise causing her ears to ring.
Merc came bursting out of the shack, followed by Sun. Both had wide eyes, clearly woken up by the explosion. They ran toward the girl's location, swiveling to face the source of the noise.
Yang righted herself, head still ringing. She grunted. "Is…everyone ok?"
Merc nodded, though he still seemed shaken. Sun was more vocal. "What the hell was that?"
Saphron floated back to her feet, scowling. "It was annoying to put it lightly."
"Whatever it was, it happened within the city," Yang noted. "And if I were to hazard a guess as to who caused it…"
"You think it was Ruby?" Merc asked, cutting her off.
She frowned at him, but nodded. If Ruby was still around, chances are her and her team would be in the city. Yang admitted that she didn't know Ruby now as well as she should have, but back when they were younger her sister was never one for subtly. To Yang, it made more sense than any other alternative. Even if it wasn't, it would probably still be a good idea to check it out, and see what had happened.
"Packyou're gear up." She told the rest, kicking sand over her dying fire. "We're moving out."
The city of Vale would have once been beautiful. Tall buildings would have been alongside bright parks and vibrant trees. The mix of nature and civilization would have been gorgeous, the ocean framing the city from one side, and tall cliffs on the other. Resting atop of the cliffs was Beacon, which probably would have looked like its name sake. A beacon for all to see. That's what it would have looked like.
That's not what it looked like now.
Saph observed the rubble, the ruins as they slipped through the city as quietly as possible. Their pace was brisk, Yang didn't want to lose whoever, or whatever, had caused the commotion. She flicked her gaze to one, sad looking tree husk. No greenery was left here, nothing living. The wind blew through the empty, ruined buildings and created ghostly sounds, like the people who lived here were still around.
"What happened here…" She asked quietly. Yang threw her a look, which she quickly recognized as a 'shut up' look. She probably was worried about being heard, but Saph felt there was more too it. She huffed lightly, arms folded as they walked over the loose gravel that made up most of the ground.
Merc slowed down, coming to walk by her side. "It's a touchy subject," He muttered. "Vale didn't fall right after Beacon. There was a good while where the city was still safe."
"Then how did it become…all this?" She asked him, lightly grimacing.
He didn't answer right away, staring straight ahead. "A massive force of Grim laid siege here. It was the first time most of us had seen them work together like that. They were organized and very deadly."
He scoffed. "Some say that the fall of Vale was Salem's first major victory."
"Salem?" Saph interrupted. "The one behind the Grim right?"
"…Not just the Grim." He said quietly. "Humans serve her too. Some are true humans, evil people who serve her for their own reasons. Most have become the Taken, they don't seem to have much free will of their own."
"You used to fight on the other side, didn't you?" Saph asked him.
He didn't answer. When he remained silent, she guessed her information session was over. They had walked out into a large clearing, nothing but rubble and debris. The skeletons of buildings encircled the clearing. Was this the city center? She didn't know, but it looked like something big had happened here long ago, something powerful enough to level buildings.
Saph had been so caught up with her observations, she had missed what everyone else had been looking at. Boot stopping just short, she looked down to discover she had almost stepped in a large, smoking pile. Pile of what? She wasn't sure, but if she could guess…
"Grim." Yang said, as if she'd suspected it. Around them were other smoking piles, all large. "Not the cause of that explosion, but maybe the reason."
"Definitely human work," Merc muttered, crouching down beside one pile, eyes narrowed. "Think it's our girl in red?"
"Not sure…" Yang replied, frowning. "I don't recognize any weapon marks. Could other hunters be in the area?"
"Not Hunters," Merc said, standing up. "Bandits maybe."
Yang went quiet, purple eyes locked on the Grim bodies before she lifted her head to look at the others. "I don't like this, not one bit. We need to find who did this as soon as possible"
"Yes ma'am," Sun said, grin momentarily breaking the monotone. "Where should we start looking? Maybe head closer to the school?"
"I'm reluctant to say it, but we'll cover more ground if we split up…" Yang murmured, mulling her idea over. "Alright Sun, you're with Saph. Keep her out of trouble, and if you find anything report it immediately."
"So then I'm with you?" Merc asked, brow raised.
She nodded. "No offense, but I want to keep you in my sights. Still finding it hard to trust you."
"None taken, boss." He replied, smirking briefly.
She nodded, before turning back to Sun and pointing across the clearing. "Down that way is part of the old shopping hub. Stay low and quiet, don't draw attention to yourselves. If you find anyone, or anything, report it and don't engage."
"What about you two?" He asked.
She gestured with her thumb to a path behind her. "Merc and I will go check out the old Vale Park. If I wanted to hide, it would be a good place to go. We'll call for you if we find anything. And Saph?"
She perked up, surprised she was being addressed at all. "Yeah?"
Yang gave her a look. "Listen to Sun and do as he says. We aren't here to start something."
"I got it." She said, waving a hand dismissively. Yang frowned but gave a nod. "Alright, then let's get started."
"Come on Saph, this way," Sun said with a grin, starting to walk away. She quickly caught up with him, glancing back as Yang and Merc vanished down their path.
"Ah don't worry about those two." He said, hand coming down on her shoulder. "Nothing can threaten them more than each other, and they're both professional…enough."
"About that," She said slowly, side stepping a large chunk of concrete. "Why do they hate each other? I asked Merc, but he seemed reluctant."
Sun hesitated. "Not really sure it's my place to say Saph."
She rolled her eyes. "I'll find out eventually right? Besides, you've gotta trust me, we're partners right now."
"Guess you might." He said, thinking it over for a second. "Merc used to work for a woman named Cinder. She's the one who started all this I guess you could say."
"No wonder then…" She murmured. "How did he come to work for Atlas then?"
"Only thing he said was that the enemy wasn't who he thought it was," Sun said. "After he showed up, we didn't hear from Cinder or her other lackeys again. They just…vanished."
Saph let that information sink in. Cinder…it sounded familiar, but why? Had she known of Cinder perhaps? Large villain like that was bound to pick up notoriety. She also wondered what had happened to her, and her 'lackeys' as Sun put it. Was Salem responsible somehow? Again, she had no idea, but she felt like she should know. The feeling grew stronger, the crown of her head starting to ache.
They soon arrived at a rundown plaza, vacant shop windows smashed and floor gathering dust. Sun led the way, walking through like he'd done so many times before. Saph had no doubts he had and wondered if this particular place brought up any memories.
The faint boom of thunder and darkening sky caught her attention, and she blinked in surprise as the first rain drop hit her cheek. This single drop was followed by more, drizzling down upon them and the empty buildings. The sounds of water hitting the pavement and another faint crash of thunder caused her to shiver.
"Hmm, doesn't seem to be much this way," Sun said, grinning. The rain hadn't bothered him at all. "Further down leads to the suburbs, I doubt anyone would hang around that area."
Saph nodded. "So should we head back?"
"Soon enough, I just wanna look around a bit more…"Sun began to say before his eyes snapped to something behind her.
She spun around, seeing nothing. "What? What is it?"
"I thought I saw…" He muttered, before focusing on her again. "Alright, stay right here. Do you understand? Don't move from this spot, I'm just going to check I'm not crazy."
His answer didn't fill her with confidence, but he was gone before she could protest. He leapt up onto a balcony and vanished around a corner, leaving her very much alone. She looked around, giving her surroundings a once over, no aware of being snuck up on. With an annoyed frown she leant against a battered pillar, arms folded. Rain dripped from her hair, cold against her exposed skin. She made a mental note to try and find more suitable clothing next time she was out here.
Lightning flashed across the sky, causing her to look up again. Thunder rumbled, much more clearly than before. The rain picked up, more than a mist. She scowled, watching the light flit across the sky.
"He just left me." She thought to herself. "So much for partners…"
Lightning flashed again, her vision going white for a second. "I wonder how the other two are doing…" She thought, before scoffing. "Probably having the time of their life. Or trying to kill each other again."
She ran a hand through her hair, her palm coming away wet. She let out a faint growl, startling herself. She was sick of being out here, sick of being wet and cold. Sick of not knowing what everyone else seemed to take for granted.
"I just want answers!"
Her palm flared up, red aura rippling through the air. Her hand was now dry, water droplets splattering on the ground. She looked at her hand, the power fading. Once again the rain hit her palm, its cold making her jump. Focusing this time, she tried again. And again, the water was repelled off her. This time she kept the energy around her hand. The rain dripped to the sides of the little barrier, as if it was physical.
A smile soon grew, a quiet laugh followed. "Well that's just handy, isn't it?"
Concentrating more aura, she created a larger barrier, a glowing red outline around her. Just like magic, the water no longer hit her, dripped down her hair or soaked her coat. Her smile widened as she looked at herself, feeling proud of herself for this discovery.
Lightning flashed a third time, blinding her again.
Marveling over her new skill, she didn't notice anything wrong, at first. Then she heard the sounds of rain dripping off something new. Something metal.
She looked up quickly, her heart speeding up at the sight of the man. She wasn't sure it was even a man, the entire body was covered in gray, shiny armor plates. Lightning crackled again, reflecting off its pauldrons. She froze, unsure what to do.
It didn't move either, its helmet turned in her direction. The visor glowed a light blue, as did several highlights on its armor joints. Her eyes flicked down to its waist, where a massive sword was sheathed. It looked about as big as she was and just as thick. It looked deadly.
The 'knight' took a step toward her, and she instinctively stepped back. It raised its hand to her, finger pointing.
"You are Taken. This makes you my enemy."
She immediately understood. The red glow, her dark clothes. Her eyes. She looked identical to one of the Human Grim. Hell, she could actually be one, she wasn't sure on that detail. But she had no wish to fight this metal man. Something told her she'd lose, badly.
"It's not what you think." She said, attempting to appear brave. "I am not what you think."
"Typical lies." The knight said. "You would say anything to escape your fate, wouldn't you?"
Before she could argue further, it went for the sword. The blade slid out of its sheath with a hiss, coming to rest by the knight's side. It then spread its legs, sinking into a fighting stance. She was truly panicking now.
"No! No, I'm not like them, those Taken!"
The knight didn't seem to have heard her. "I wonder who you were, before you signed a deal with the devil, cretin."
She recoiled as if struck, his words like a sting. She didn't know who she was, but his implication caused a fire to spread throughout her body. The fear was still there, but something else was taking hold. She narrowed her eyes, heart pumping faster and faster. She clenched her fists, before lobbing out a ball of energy.
The knight sidestepped and charged.
"Aw man, I'm going to have to retune my legs after this." Merc muttered, pulling something off them.
Yang rolled her eyes but secretly agreed with him. The park had become quickly flooded by the downpour, and the ground had soon become muddy and flooded. Her own boots were a mess, and she could feel the cold water chilling her feet and legs.
"We'll just look around and call it quits." She shouted, fighting to be heard over the rain. "We can search again later, this is not the weather we needed."
"Agreed!" He shouted back, hand covering his brow as he peered through the dense trees.
Yang did the same, but the park had become overgrown since the absence of any gardening. The trees were thick, and the footpaths had been taken by weeds and grass. The whole place had become more natural than it ever had been. This made looking for a person much more…difficult.
"Hey boss, what are we going to do if we find her?" Merc asked. "You know, your sister."
"We'll grab her and bring her back to Atlas, simple." She said, holding a branch away from her head as she stepped through. Honestly, she hadn't thought that far just yet. Surely Ruby would be happy, eager even to go home? But, what if she wasn't?
A flash of white caught her eye. She stopped in her tracks, focusing intently.
"Hey what's…" Merc started, but a hand from Yang shut him up. He saw her face and immediately started looking around, arms coming up defensively.
She listened, the sounds of rain growing faint as she concentrated. She could hear the dripping off leaves, the sounds of wood groaning as the wind blew branches. The sounds of mud squelching.
Then she heard a chittering sound, nothing that should have belonged here. She heard branches snap and the scuttling of legs above them. Then another chittering sound. And another. They were being followed, by more than one creature.
"Run,Mech" she said.
They took off, Merc right behind her. The creatures, no longer needing subtlety quickly pursued them, breaking branches and rushing through the trees. At the rate they were catching up, they would be on them in seconds.
They rushed into a small clearing, the tree canopy blocking out the sky above. Yang skidded to a halt, water and mud spraying outward. She brought up her fists, metal arm shifting to accommodate Ember Celica. Merc stopped beside her, the two of them back to back. They rotated slowly, keeping eyes open for attackers.
Yang saw the flash of white and acted on instinct. She knelt down and launched her fist. A squeal was her reward, the large white creature rolling in the water to extinguish the fire on its head. As it rose again, Yang's suspicions had been correct, it was Grim. Though not any Grimm she'd encountered before.
The creature looked like a spider, with two main parts of the body. Its small head had many angry red eyes, all trained on her with a look of eager hunger. A small mouth snapped underneath, with rows of pointy teeth that looked vicious. Two fangs sat just outside of the mouth, gleaming in the dim light. The rest of its body was bulbous, pulsing in a manner than made Yang nauseous. It's long, spindly legs twitched in anticipation.
She felt Merc leave her side and that's when the Grimm attacked. With a shriek it flung itself at her, arms coming to wrap around her. She skipped to the side, firing several blasts into the beast as it passed. It skidded and came at her again. She cocked her fist back, launching more strikes. Fire erupted as she pummeled the creatures head. It squealed and scurried into the trees, vanishing in the canopy.
She whirled around, spotting Merc. He brought the heel of his boot down, cracking the shell on another spiders head. It crumpled, already beginning to turn to smoke. Merc didn't have time to celebrate, as another of the creatures flung out from the canopy, tackling him to the ground.
Yang rushed to help him, before she too was knocked over. Another Grimm landed on her, mouth oozing sizzling liquid. She stuck her metal fist into its mouth, stopping the Spider from landing its strike. She fired Ember, the blast breaking through its shell and killing it. Shoving it to the side, she got to her feet, twisting around as another came at her. She grabbed a lag and spun, throwing it into another. She looked around frantically for Merc, who was being dragged away. The Grimm pulled him up into a tree, sticky webbing keeping his legs pinned together.
She ran to help, but more of the Creatures fell from the forest ceiling. As if sensing the coming kill, they blocked her path, advancing and hissing at her. Yang snarled, standing her ground as the Spiders closed in on her. Waiting until they were within striking distance, she leapt, launching herself over their line.
One reared up on its legs, snatching at her. She responded by spraying the Grimm with fire from both gauntlets. It took alit, no amount of water dowsing the flames. She landed as it thrashed around, crashing into the others and spreading the flames. Soon they all screeched as they burned, fleeing in different directions before vanishing into the darkness of the woods. The Spider holding Merc must have sensed the danger, for it too scurried away and left him hanging from a tree. Yang took deep breaths as she spun in an effort to find more, but none were left in the clearing. It seemed she'd scared them off.
"Look out!"
She looked up as it crashed into her. She went for the face, but webbing splattered onto Mech arm, keeping it pinned to the ground. Her other arm held down, the Grimm gurgled in triumph. She saw the scorch marks on its face, recognizing it as the first to attack her. Its mouth widened as it lowered itself closer.
"Yang, no!" Merc shouted, wriggling in his own prison to get free.
Yang couldn't take her eyes away. She'd often wondered how she might end up dying, her final battle. She had never imagined to be outsmarted by a bug, but fate was a fickle thing. Its jaws snapped as it neared, inches away from her face.
Then it stiffened, letting out a pained whine. It stopped getting closer, rearing back and trembling. Moments later, it collapsed as dead weight on her. She felt the air leave her lungs, taking in a ragged gasp. She couldn't see who or what had killed it. She knew it was dead, smoke blowing off its body.
With a grunt, she managed to move the Grimm enough to move her head up. Her eyes found the source of the Grimm's death, and her heart froze. And for the first time in a long time, she felt fear.
The girl was small, her bright and fancy clothes not belonging in a swamp. Her parasol was folded, thin pointy blade sticking out from its tip. Her eyes were mismatched, one pink and one brown. It was her theme, it matched her hair and clothes as well. Yang knew the look well.
With an innocent smile, Neapolitan twirled her umbrella, the blade pointed dangerously close to Yang's throat.