Chapter 8: The Three Bears
Yang rubbed her leg. Aura had healed it rather quickly, but there was still a lingering pain to it. Even after three days, it still caused her some pain. It was going to scar. Unlike the ursa… incident, aura couldn't heal this.
Aura was at it's strongest when it first became unlocked. Acid was very pushy about teaching all of them about aura. Yang tried to pay attention to the lessons but couldn't.
Besides, her leg was temporarily busted, so she couldn't even train. So, she had to endure Acid's boring lessons about aura. Sometimes it seemed interesting, other times it was boring. Yet, the one thing that Yang didn't like was Acid's insistence for her to meditate.
It was to 'strengthen' her aura. Yang couldn't see the point. It would hinder her semblance.
She turned her gaze to the television.
The twins were engaged in some sort of game. It was a fighting game. Melanie was the 'Soaring Ninja' and Miltia the 'Dancing Samurai'.
Melanie was losing badly and she let out a large groan when Miltia finally won.
"You wanna have a go?" Melanie asked, holding out the scroll to Yang.
Yang paused to consider it.
Miltia added in, "Are ya chicken?"
"You're on!" Yang exclaimed.
Despite the minor pain, she hopped onto the couch and grabbed the controller.
A few seconds later, Yang threw the controller down while Melanie did a small victory dance.
"Don't make me hurt you," Yang threatened.
"Oh please, like you could beat me now," Melanie retorted.
"Please knock it off, you two," Miltia said. "We don't need another fight."
"Because I'd win," Both Yang and Melanie said at the same time.
"No fighting, you two!" Acid called out from the kitchen.
Hei had Dian and Acid rotate on who watched over them.
Today Acid was watching over them. Acid often brought along a friend to help watch them. Umber Ethereal was a security guard over at Charon Apartments and they would often see Umber making her rounds.
She was nice enough. Umber reminded Yang of Dian, just a bit nicer and less crude. Best of all, she could actually cook. Acid could only make 'healthy' fruit smoothies and Dian just ordered pizza for them. Pizza was fine enough, but when Dian was watching them, that was all they ate.
"Breakfast is ready!" Umber called out.
The kids ran out of the living room and into the kitchen.
Yang sat down in between the twins while Acid sat at the head of the table.
Umber had made pancakes with eggs for eyes and bacon for a smile.
Melanie said something about how corny and childish the pancakes were.
"Show some appreciation, Melanie," Acid said.
"I slaved over this stove, so a thank you would be in order. Otherwise, you can all drink Acid's smoothies," Umber added in.
"No!" they all shouted.
"What's wrong with my smoothies? They're healthy! The drink of warriors!"
"They're trash," Umber said bluntly.
"Oh, how you wound me," Acid cried out dramatically.
The twins and Yang started digging in the food and avoiding Acid and Umber's debate over the validity of Acid's smoothies.
Breaking away from the argument, Umber asked the kids, "So, any of you want sweets?"
Acid looked offended that Umber didn't finish their argument.
The twins gave a resound 'yes' while Yang continued to eat the pancake.
"Perhaps, I could bake cookies," Umber said.
Yang dropped her fork. It reminded Yang of her sister and subsequently, the 'incident'. This was one of the few times Yang had a moment of crisis.
How could she sit here, pretending- ignoring the fact that her old life was gone? She killed her sister. Perhaps, she could have reconciled with her dad and prevented all that before everything went to shit.
She couldn't go back to her old life. She had to keep moving forward. Yet, that lone thought couldn't stop the grief. She hated this feeling.
Getting up from the table, she went toward the bathroom.
Umber asked what was wrong with Yang. Acid was familiar with Yang's little moments of depression and guilt.
Acid told her and Umber looked horrified.
Yang locked herself in the bathroom.
She hated feeling guilty, why couldn't it go away?!
Those feelings were out of mind, until that one little thing set her off. She didn't want to feel this way.
The mirror held her tortured self. It had to go away! She knew better to bottle in these feelings. Her eyes flashed lilac.
She punched the wall next to the mirror and again. Her aura shattered and her hand started bleeding.
Usually, this helped but right now, it wasn't working.
If she kept it up, then there would be some… 'discussion' later, but she could handle this herself.
Could she?
She wished that she still had one of those pills. This feeling came and go, but she wished she didn't have to deal with it.
She wished that things could have turned out differently.
Maybe if she was more open- honest with her feelings, she could have snapped dad out of his depression. Then he could started acting like a father again.
Oh god, could she ever face her dad again?
Ruby wouldn't have to deal with Yang pretending everything was alright.
And Ruby would still be alive.
She cried, temporarily dispelling those feelings.
She took a deep breath. She couldn't be mopey and she couldn't give up or break down. Besides Dian wouldn't allow her. Yang had to be strong.
It would be an insult to stop now. She set on this path, and she couldn't stop moving forward. It would be an insult to Ruby's memory to lie down and die.
As Dian would say, 'Being sorry doesn't change shit. You can cry all you want, but eventually you gotta stand up. You aren't dead. You aren't dying. You aren't being tortured. So finish up those tears. You better stand before I make you stand.'
In her own way, Dian made sense.
She wasn't dead. She wasn't like those men who wanted to kill her. It was an awkward feeling. She felt nothing for those men but felt everything for Ruby. She was here… alive. Through all the hardships, the blood she had shed; she was here.
Ruby wouldn't want her to give up. Yang liked to think that Ruby heard her apology before… it happened.
She made herself believe that Ruby understood all the sacrifices she made and that Ruby forgave her. Yang wanted Ruby to be happy. So, Ruby must have wanted Yang happy. Despite the different mothers, they were sisters, blood or no blood.
'Things could only get better and I'll help you find your mom.' Acid would say to her.
Her mom had to make things better… like Summer did. Her mom had to make these feelings go away. She wanted someone to confide in. Acid and the twins were nice, but their bond wasn't family. Their bond was closer to being friends.
Yet, she had no family bonds. Ruby was gone and her dad probably hated her. The journey before her was uncertain.
Umber felt bad. No… that didn't quite accurately described the feeling.
She felt like an insensitive bitch. Even though, she didn't quite know that it would set Yang off. Umber managed to kill the mood for a good couple of minutes until Yang came out.
She didn't seem quite as upset as before, but still… there was no smile on her face.
Umber didn't know what to say. Saying sorry would only remind Yang of what had happened. Goddamn, she didn't like the atmosphere of the whole apartment. Although, she should have expected it. Yang hadn't quite gotten over her sister's death. Yang couldn't be happy all the time.
Yet, Yang couldn't be sad all the time. Umber was going to help the kid whenever she could. Only a cold-hearted bastard would feel no sympathy.
Yang sat down on the couch while the rest gave their space. Umber contemplated if she could keep her distance.
Against her better judgment, she sat down next to Yang.
Umber didn't say anything. If Yang wanted to say something, then she'd speak up. Perhaps, just the mere presence of another human being could help.
Eventually after a small period of silence, Yang spoke up.
"Does it ever get better?" Yang asked.
Umber guessed that Yang needed reassurance.
"It does. It may not happen all at once, but it gets easier. Besides, you got friends to help you through this. We're here to support you," Umber said.
"Yeah..."
"Things will be better, Yang. You just have to wait and see."
"Thanks, Umber."
Umber's scroll buzzed and she checked it before turning it off. An employee having a scroll on was frowned upon. It was all too easy to slack off with it and Umber was a model employee.
"Looks like break time's over." She got up from the couch and faced Acid. "I'm going. Try not to cause too much trouble."
"Why? You gonna bust my ass?" Acid asked sarcastically.
"Yes. You're all in my domain now!" Umber said and, in an exaggerated fashion, turned to face each one.
Yang gave a little smile.
Umber was going to take that as a small victory.
"Take care," she said as exited the room.
It was back to the daily grind.
She got to the elevator and there was a man already in there. They were both heading for the lobby.
"Hey, cutie. Name's Felix."
He was good lucking enough, she would indulge him. It has been awhile anyway.
"Umber."
"So, you here for business or pleasure?" he asked.
"Oh, I work here. As a security guard."
"Really? I guess it's all business then," he said dejectedly.
"Doesn't mean I can't bust into your room," Umber replied jokingly.
"Really? Well, I heard there might be some trouble in room six-three-six."
"I might have to check it out tomorrow in the afternoon then," Umber said with a wink.
"I'm sure the culprit will be right there," Felix replied with his own wink.
The elevator doors opened and they went their separate ways.
Felix seemed like a nice guy.
"You're fucking shitting me. Fucking Felix is here in Charon?! And he is on the same fucking floor as us?" Acid said angrily.
"Yep," Hei replied simply.
"I told you we should have gone with a different apartment but noooo."
"Look I get it. But, he isn't on any job against us." Hei kept his cool. He had to; he was the boss.
"How the hell did you even know he was here specifiably?"
"I was following a lead for some mean and angry bitch. It led to Felix and subsequently to Charon."
"Whatever. I'm not staying near that psycho. I'm bringing the kids to the club until Felix leaves."
"Fine."
Acid shut her scroll. She pondered if she call Umber but she realized that Umber kept her scroll off during business hours.
Umber could handle herself. She wasn't dumb.
"Come on, kids. We're going to the club."
"But Aaacid! It's the weekend! You said we wouldn't have to train today!" Melanie cried out. Yang and Miltia didn't seem to mind.
"You're not going to train, but I've got an errand to run at the club."
Melanie couldn't argue against Acid.
Acid and the kids didn't encounter Umber or Felix, thankufully. They saddled up in the car and made their way to Hei's club.
The twins managed to cheer Yang up a bit better.
Hell, they even managed to get Yang to tell a pun.
The three were playing a game of 'I Spy' and after Yang won, she said, "Looks like I 'twin'."
It was just kids being kids. They would grow out of this phase soon enough, it's better for them to enjoy it while they still can.
Acid was just happy that through it all, Yang could still smile and laugh and joke around. The world hasn't taken her down completely.
As much as she hated to agree with Dian, nobody needed a crybaby. Yang was strong enough to deal with her own problems, even if she was slightly volatile. Even the twins had dealt with bad home life, but they had each other.
They deserved some degree of normalcy… because it wasn't going to last. Soon, they would grow up and become embroiled in the life like Dian and Acid.
Acid gripped the steering wheel.
It has been a long life for her. Arriving at the club, Acid took the three kids into the club. During the off-hours, the club was used as the main base of operations.
She brought the kids into the backroom before going up to Hei and Dian.
"Since you're here, I guess it would be time for us to discuss the Brown Ursas and the Predators," Hei started.
"What is there to discuss? They shoot us, we shoot them," Dian chimed in with her 'wisdom'.
"Obviously-" Acid gritted her teeth. "-the Brown Ursas are the immediate problem and the Predators are going to be a problem in the future."
"And?" Dian asked.
"Once we deal with the Brown Ursas, the Predators are going to swoop in while we're distracted-" Hei started.
"I got it, Junior," Dian spat.
"So, what's the gameplan?" Acid said.
"Well, I'm assigning Dian on the Brown Ursas, just to keep them busy. All focus would be on Dian while we slowly cut off their supply lines," Hei explained.
"And what about me?" Acid asked.
"I need you to keep eyes on the Predators and if possible indulge in some sabotage."
"Shouldn't I help with Dian?" Acid said while Dian scoffed. "The Brown Ursas are going to be looking for revenge after we killed one of their lieutenants."
"Red Ripper?" Dian broke out laughing. "All of those dumb ass lieutenants don't even have a semblance. And we killed the last one that did. The ones that do have aura are bitches."
"But they have numbers," Hei interjected.
"Then why not cut off the head of the snake?" Acid asked.
"For once, bitch-ass Acid may have a point. Why didn't we just kill the leader all?"
"You don't shake the barrel," Hei explained. "All-out violence gets huntsmen and huntresses on us. So this requires finesse. Besides, you kill the leader, the gang implodes and boom, we have all-out violence and several more factions. What we have to to do, is slowly cut off their resources and watch them shrivel up and die."
"Whatever happens if our little gang implodes?" Dian asked with interest.
"Then, we'd be out of a job. We're both horrible leaders."
"Says you, bitch-ass."
The club doors opened. Acid took out her pistols and Dian took out her railgun.
A man entered with his hands up. He was wearing the jacket of the Brown Ursas.
"I come in peace! I come in peace! The Brown Ursas just want to negotiate."
"Then where is your fearless leader?" Dian asked.
"Yes, our boss is totally going to walk into enemy territory," the man said flatly.
"Ah, so you're expendable," Dian mocked.
"Enough. So when does Kuma want to meet?"
"At your funeral." He pulled out a detonator. The three of them heard several cars pulling up.
"So lame," Dian muttered before firing a concentrated blast of ice Dust into the man. He was encased in a block of ice. She hoisted up her railgun.
"These guys are pushov-" She blinked, her eyes became a hazy green. "Get down!"
Boom!
The frozen man exploded as the Brown Ursas flooded the club.
Yang and the twins entered the backroom.
It's where they trained. It was a relatively big room.
Melanie huffed as she sat down. It was the weekend and they just wanted an 'off' day. Miltia and Yang didn't mind. Whatever Acid had to do, they were sure it wasn't going to be long.
Miltia and Yang sat down next to Melanie.
"Hey, Yang?" Miltia started.
"Yeah?"
"Do you ever wonder what is going to happen when we finished our training?"
"Why ask me?"
"You've gotten closest to the real thing. You actually went out there and fought. I… I don't think I could do that. Is that going to be my entire life?"
Yang looked at Miltia.
"It..." Yang struggled to find the right words. This wasn't like the guilt with… her. It was different. "It was so easy."
"What do you mean?" Miltia asked.
"Fighting… killing. It wasn't some grand thing. It was like any other thing."
"It is? So… we're just in this life forever?"
Melanie scoffed. "So? Doesn't mean we can't have a normal life."
"Melanie does have a point. Just because we're going to do this as a… 'job', doesn't mean we can't have a normal life. We can still-" Yang cleared her throat and in a high-pitched voice said, "paint our nails, try on clothes, and talk about cute boys."
Melanie laughed while Miltia turned her head away.
"It's not funny," she said.
Yang chuckled. "Nothing wrong with that. Besides… it sounds nice. I'd like to do that sometime with you guys."
"Yeah! All we do is talk about training this and aura that. Maybe once we're done with training, we could actually go out and do something. And not just eat at some cheap restaurant that Acid takes us to."
"Yeah, if we weren't here!" Melanie complained loudly.
"Speaking of which, how long do you think Acid is going to be?" Miltia asked.
"Beats me," Yang replied.
A loud explosion interrupted their conversation.
"What's going on?" Melanie whispered.
"I don't know," Yang whispered back. "I should go check it out."
"No, I should! I have the strongest aura," Melanie retorted.
"Yeah, but I have a semblance."
"Yeah, but you have literally no aura. A semblance isn't going to help you if you get shot in the head!"
"Let's all just go!" Miltia broke up the argument. "Safety in numbers, right?"
Both Yang and Melanie grumbled in agreement as gunfire began echoing throughout the room.
They all poked their heads out the door and saw a large fight.
Acid was charging through hails of gunfire and shooting several of the men in brown jackets. She never missed her mark.
Dian didn't miss her mark either, but she seemed faster and more accurate than Acid. Beams of energy struck and vaporized several of the men.
Hei was a tank. He had a large metal bat and swung several of the men into the walls. The men left a considerable dent and a large red stain on the wall as they slide down.
Dian shouted, "Five aura users incoming!"
The three of them hopped behind the counter as the room was temporarily empty. The kids decided to take this chance.
They rushed over to the counter.
"What are you doing?" all three of them asked.
"What's going on?" Yang asked bluntly.
"What the fuck does it look like?" Dian asked.
"Go back to the room, we'll tell you when it's safe to come out," Acid said.
"We can help!" Melanie said.
"No, you can't. We got five aura users incoming. They could be really skilled or unskilled. We aren't going to risk you guys," Hei said.
"Now go-"
"They're here," Dian informed them.
"Then stay behind the counter," Acid said.
Hei folded the level of the weird looking baseball bat and reorganized it into a bazooka.
He got up from the counter and fired as Acid and Dian hopped over and the gunfire returned.
The kids covered their ears.
"We got to help!" Melanie said.
"Then we got to come up with a plan."
"I've got one." Yang and Melanie looked at Miltia.
"Yang's the strongest. She provides the firepower, then me and Melanie attack them while Yang keeps them busy," Miltia explained.
"I got to ramp up if it's going to work," Yang muttered. She looked around and saw several broken bottle shards scattered across the floor.
She picked up one.
"Are you sure about this?" Miltia asked.
"Come on. It's what we trained to do."
Yang stabbed her leg with the shard. It bounced off, but Yang could tell she did some damage to her aura. One more should do it.
She stabbed her leg and her aura shattered.
Yang took a deep breath and brought the shard down into her leg, right in the old knife wound from before.
"Argh!" Yang muttered again. The twins gasped before looking away.
"One more!" she gritted her teeth as she muttered that.
The shard opened the wound more as blood poured out. The pain began fueling her. Her hair started glowing, emitting small bursts of fire.
"Remember the plan," Yang said.
"Right behind you," both of them reassured her.
Yang punched her gaping wound and yelled.
She leapt over the counter and ran toward the first enemy she saw. All of the Brown Ursas were wearing the same getup but they all had different facial features. Some had bright hair, others dark. Some had facial piercings others hat.
It was an exemplary example of the culture's individuality.
She punched the first man, as a wave of fire pushed him back. The twins took advantage of the distraction and while wielding small shards of glass. They slashed some of the men's knees before running into cover. Acid and Dian took advantage of that and landed several critical hits on the men.
One of them swung a baseball bat right into her jaw. She retaliated with a punch to the groan. The man fell onto the floor.
She looked around, two of them left. Melanie and Miltia took care of the first man she struck while Acid and Dian of two of them.
Yang brought her foot down into the man's head before one of the Brown Ursas managed kick her into the counter, knocking her out.
"Yang!" they all cried out.
Dian turned to the man that knocked Yang into the wall. She aimed her gun at him and let loose a beam of fire.
The man cried out in pain as the fire seared his skin. There was one more Brown Ursa, Hei probably wanted him alive.
She saw a weak point in the man's knee joint. Dian rushed over and smashed the man's knee joint with her foot before punching him in the jaw.
The man was knocked out cold.
Acid rushed over to Yang and began tending to her. Dian wasn't suited for that type of role. Acid took Yang into the backroom, probably to tend to her wounds.
"Is Yang going to be alright?" the twins asked.
"She's going to be fine."
Hei took out his scroll and began calling for a body cleanup. Hei trusted his enforcers to take care of other business.
"Look, what you did was really fucking stupid. But brave. You get some brownie points for that. Now, hang out in the backroom and keep quiet. I've got to talk to Junior over there."
Dian waited for Hei to finish up his call.
"So, what now, boss-man?"
"We strike back. We're going to disrupt their businesses and kill some of their high-profile members," Hei said before going back to his scroll.
It made sense. They needed to save face. If they did nothing, then they would be effectively saying that they were bending over and ready to be fucked up the ass.
But Hei wasn't going to go all out. The Brown Ursas went all out on Junior's gang and on Junior himself.
Besides, they hurt Dian's 'lil killer'. Dian felt that something should be done for Yang. She wasn't going to stand around while they attack her gang.
Several of Junior's gang entered. She hated their black and red suits, and she had no idea why Acid took up Junior's dress code.
She entered the backroom while Acid was taking care of Yang. Acid was really good at dressing wounds.
"Hey, move over Acid. Gotta talk to our 'lil' killer. Besides, the twins could use some comfort and shit."
Acid glared at her before moving away.
"It hurts..."
"Yeah, I know. Geez, why you gotta be so stupid and so brave."
"Saved your sorry butt," Yang quietly retorted.
"Heh. Yeah. I know I shouldn't give you this, but a little kid like you shouldn't deal with pain like that."
Dian took out a small bottle.
"Take three."
Yang gulped down the pills.
"Now, just try to stay still and don't go anywhere."
Dian went over to Acid and the twins.
"You only got lucky because we wore them down! What you did was reckless and dumb and-"
"Pretty damn brave," Dian butted in.
Acid gave her a death glare, but Dian ignored her.
"Look, we gotta make sure they're readying for this lifestyle. And I'd say they did a pretty damn good job."
Melanie shyly kicked the ground while Miltia beamed.
Acid opened her mouth before shutting it.
"You open your mouth like one of Pink's whores."
"Shut up. Now I gotta tend to Yang." Acid turned around and shouted, "Where's Yang?"
"MY NAME IS HEI AND IT'S NOT LIKE THAT."
"Looks like someone other than you called Hei 'Junior' to his face," Acid grumbled.
Dian giggled. Hei really didn't like being called Junior, especially to his face. When Dian first got recruited, she took joy in calling him that.
He was mostly used to Dian calling him Junior even if he flinched every now and again. Dian and Acid entered the room. Hei was calming down but he was still fuming.
Yang was busy walking around dazed.
"I assume you did this?" Junior asked Dian.
"Why would suspect me?" Dian asked innocently.
"Only you would give a kid painkillers."
"You gave Yang painkillers!?" Acid nearly shouted.
"So?"
"Now some mean bitch thinks I'm a pedo. All it takes is for her to spread that lie around. You know how much that might kill my rep?" Hei retorted.
"Keyword being might."
"Ugh."
"Wow. This place looks like shit," a familiar voice said.
Dian turned to the entrance. A long, pink-haired seductress entered the room. She had a pink eyes with long eyelashes. Bright, pale, smooth skin.
She was dressed on a pink, sparkling dress with heels.
Pink Jezebel.
Dian didn't like her. She was way too feminine for her tastes, but she carried a mean streak that Dian could respect. Come onto her or her whores too rough, then they would wake up with a knife in the back or all their limbs chopped off and shipped off to Mistral.
What Dian did like about Pink was her man-whores… and on occasion her whores.
"What happened here?" Pink asked.
"None of your business," Acid said.
"Whatever. We've got business to discuss. The Brown Ursas thought it'd be nice to attack one of my brothels. Of course, they didn't expect my boys and girls to shoot back."
"Well, looks like they're more organized than I thought."
Acid, Pink, and Hei started talking strategy.
"I'm going to go out," she informed before leaving.
She skulked around the Brown Ursas's territory. She opened her eyes and began looking at the places where Kuma could be. She could see people dealing drugs, trading blows, and everything else.
Then she saw who she was looking for. Kuma was in his mansion at the outskirts.
She took a deep breath as her eyes started to bleed. That part of her semblance was rougher than the rest.
Making her way to the mansion, she arrived at her destination. She stood above the fenced-off mansion and took careful aim.
There were several Brown Ursas outside guarding the house. Three outside, five in the house. She took out her railgun. She pressed a button and a small shuffling noise emitted from her gun. The Dust crystals were rotating inside before stopping. The gun was glowing a small blue light.
She fired the first shot as time began slowing down. Her eyesight may be running on a faster level but her body still moved the same speed. Still, she was aware of the fact that she might be missing the details behind her. It was an unnerving feeling and as much as Dian hated to admit it, having Acid watch her back was a relief.
The first guy was frozen as the other two began turning slowly. Adjusting her aim slightly, she fired two blasts.
Then there were three frozen bodies, silently screaming.
She hopped over the fence and went past the cold corpses. She went to the door and scanned the door. No alarm systems. Sloppy sloppy.
She broke off the handle and entered the house. Kuma was on the fourth floor, his guards were playing poker on the third.
Making her way to the third floor, she stopped right in front of the 'poker' door. She popped open her railgun and took out the blue Dust crystal.
The three didn't hear Dian. She busted through the door and energizing the crystal then threw the crystal onto the table.
Like a grenade, it exploded, unleashing a frosty hell for the three.
Now, it was time for the big man himself.
Reaching the fourth floor, she scanned the room. Kuma was a bronze-skinned and bald man. He wore a sleeveless brown leather jacket. It seemed like he was doing taxes or something.
He had aura. She didn't know if he had a semblance. Most kept their semblance a secret of they could. She needed to strike hard and fast.
Her railgun was perfect for the job. She switched the railgun to the red Dust crystal. Cranking the dial to the max, she placed the railgun to the door and managed sure her aim was true.
A large and unstable beam of fire blasted through and knocked Kuma into the wall, his aura shattered. He took out his weapons. Circular saws were attached to a pair of pistols.
Her railgun was overheated by the blast. He began open firing on Dian. She charged at him. He began swinging the spinning saws.
"Let's see how you handle Ying Zhao Pai!"
Oh dear lord, he was shouting his weapon's name like a prick. Nobody saw Dian shouting her weapon's name. 'Oh taste the fury of my Tesla Recoil!' Please.
"Don't be a pretentious prick!"
It was easy to dodge his attacks when she could see them as they were coming. Her eyes started bleeding again.
Dian ducked and weaved the saws before landing a single punch onto his chest. Despite Acid's bitchiness, she was adequately skilled in aura. She taught Dian how to use her aura to explode someone's heart with a single punch.
Kuma collapsed, grasping his chest.
"Dad!" a voice shouted from the front entrance. Dian saw a teenaged boy running up the stairs. It must have been Kuma's kid. He looked no older than seventeen.
Dian was about to run off before she realized something.
Her railgun finally cooled down. She toned back the dial and switched the crystals again. The railgun emitted a soft yellow color.
The door swung open, revealing a boy that looked nearly similar to Kuma, except that he had hair. She didn't waste any time gawking at his hair and fired the blast of electrical Dust at the boy.
One blast and Chiu Verner was no more. He was nothing but a burnt corpse.
She didn't understand why Junior was so not gun-ho about killing these assholes. Fuck the consequences.
Seriously, what was the worst that could happen?
She felt like she jinx'd something.
Everyone knew the gang life would catch up to them eventually. Yet, she could never imagine the day her husband and son getting killed.
Whoever did this was going to pay?
It could have been the Predators or even someone in the Brown Ursas. She didn't suspect Hei, he wasn't stupid enough to pull off a stunt like this.
There would be time for mourning later.
Right now, things were going to get heated. Not everyone was going to recognize her as boss. There was going to be in-fighting.
She could tell that Gilbert Covenant wanted to be the boss of the Brown Ursas. Obviously, he has got a small faction of Brown Ursas loyal to him. If she had to wager, she probably has about half of the Brown Ursas's loyalty.
Right now, she had to call a meeting while she still could. Gil was probably gathering his forces. Knowing Gil, he was going to respond in force.
She had to match in force. Blood was going to flow in the streets. Then there was the matter of the other gangs.
Would Hei take them both on? Or just wait for the victor?
Then there was Novocaine Allerie to deal with. Her gang of Predators were like sharks lying in wait. It did lend some credibility to the rumors that she was a shark Faunus.
But, it was best to deal with the most obvious problem first, which was Hei.
They were in a little feud between their two gangs but Hei seemed like a reasonable man. He seemed like a live and let person.
Besides, his business was struggling and he couldn't afford an all out war. He didn't advertised the fact, but she was clever enough to figure it out.
She took out her scroll and spread the word that she was calling a meeting.
Then she took out her scroll and made several calls, trying to track down one of Hei's numbers. It took awhile and she had to exhaust every connection she had, but she finally managed to track one of his numbers down.
"Who is this?"
"Chloe Verner."
"So what do I owe the pleasure? Especially after your husband tried attacking my club?"
"My husband is dead."
"Oh. My condolences. But what does that have to do with me?"
His tone was questioning. He really didn't know that Kuma was killed.
"Isn't obvious? I just want a ceasefire. Bygones be bygones. When I deal with my insubordinates, everything would go back to a relatively normal state, isn't that we all want? I just want reassurance that you won't do anything because you seem like a man of honor."
"So long your in-fighting doesn't spill over into my territory, then we'll be golden. But if I may inquire, what about the Predators?"
"I'm sure you'll have your hands full with them."
"Fair enough."
She closed her scroll. Whoever did was going to pay. If she had to suspect someone, it was a new player, someone acting out of accordance. And the only ones who would do such a thing would be a new player in town.
Perhaps it was the person who wiped out the Fake AH crew.
She picked up Ying Zhao Pai.
"I swear I will avenge you."
Acid got a text in the morning.
'Need to discuss things. Meeting at the club.'
"Goddamn it, Hei."
The kids weren't going to like this. After yesterday's events, they were suppose to have an off-day.
She got up and stretched before getting dressed.
"Kiddos, we gotta make another trip to the club again."
"Ugh. Whatever," the twins said annoyed.
"Come on, don't be like that."
Even Yang huffed slightly.
"Tell you what, after the club, we'll do whatever you want. We'll go shopping, watch a movie, whatever you want."
"Really?" they all asked.
"Yep. Now get ready."
Yang hobbled slightly when she was getting ready. It saddened Acid that Yang actually did that just so she could help.
She really needed to change the way Yang fights. The twins were pretty skilled in using their aura, now if only that could rub off on Yang.
After a couple of minutes, they set off to Hei's club. Once again, the kids were placed in the backroom. They had to arrive there early, before any of the crew saw the kids. Only Hei and his enforcers actually knew about them.
Well, Umber knew but Acid could trusted her with her own life.
Hei stood at the DJ's stand while the rest of his crew began to gather around on the dance floor, waiting to be addressed.
Acid stood next to Dian.
"Bitch-ass," Dian greeted Acid.
"Bitch," Acid greeted back.
"Ladies, if you're going to fight, at least let me get my scroll out. That stuff sells on the 'net ya know," Pink said as she settled nearby.
"Shut it, Pink," they both retorted.
"Bah! If you're not going to do it, I'm sure I could scrounge up some willing men to take your place."
"Why don't you use your whores?" Dian retorted.
"Escorts," Pink retorted. "Besides, you don't complain when you buy their services."
"Point."
"Attention!" Hei said, silencing the room. "Now, you're probably wondering why I called this meeting."
Dian opened her mouth to say something but Acid smacked her on the shoulder.
"The Brown Ursas is currently undergoing a power struggle. Right now, it'd be best to sit and wait this out. I have gotten word that one of them is open to a ceasefire between the two of us."
Several of the crowd started shouting before Hei cleared his throat. It took several seconds before they finally settled down.
"Unless I say otherwise, do not engage, let them deal with their own business. Which brings me to the topic of the Predators."
Someone in the crowd shouted, "They've been too quiet!"
"I agree. Novocaine Allerie isn't a person to do nothing. She is always planning and scheming. So while the Brown Ursas are busy shedding blood in their streets, we will be dealing with the Predators before they could strike first."
There was a chorus of agreement while Acid's scroll chimed.
It was Umber.
"Yeah?"
"Acid! Are you and the kids alright?"
"What? We're fine. We're at the club."
"What do you mean? I thought you and the kids were taking an off day again."
"No, but what is going on?"
"There was an explosion! On your floor. I'm in the elevator."
Wait… it must have been… Felix.
"Listen! Don't do anything. I'm on my way."
Acid turned to Dian. "I have to go. Watch the kids."
"You're leaving me with them? Why?"
"It's an emergency and I have to go now."
Acid made her way through the crowd and out the door.
Umber shut Felix's door behind her.
It was good- not great. Still, she had worse but it was nice to unwind every now and again. She considered dating again. Acid would poke fun at her again but it wasn't like Acid got any.
Speaking of Acid, it was nice to see Acid clean this long. Maybe it had to do with the kids. Acid wasn't going to do it with kids around.
She contemplated dropping by, but she was going to be on the clock soon enough.
Umber straightened out her hair and went into the elevator. She started cracking her knuckles out of boredom.
This job paid well, but sometimes she felt a little more excitement would be better.
When the doors open, she found a drunk teen raving and swinging a broken beer bottle around. Well, it looked like her prayers were answered.
"I'm Gust! King of the world! Master of the forbidden cheese arts! Challenge me and face the consequences of my wrath!"
He was dressed in Beacon's uniforms, which meant he had aura and a semblance. Well, this was way above her pay grade. She had to approach this really carefully.
"Sir, calm down and-"
"You ain't the boss of me!" He charged forward but Umber ducked his drunken attempt at a stab while Umber retaliated with a solid punch to his stomach.
His aura took most of the damage, but from what Acid told her enough about aura to figure out a solution.
She went behind Gust and got him into a choke hold. Aura didn't protect from suffocation.
The man tried collapsing onto the floor, desperately trying to get out of the choke-hold. Umber didn't relent.
"No! You can't… defeat… the cheese meister!" he managed to sputter out before passing out.
The rest of the security guards rushed over and helped Umber up.
"You alright?" one of them asked.
"Yeah. Take him away and call up a hunter while I 'suit' up."
The rest of the guards dragged the man away while she went to one of the security rooms to put on her uniforms.
She went up to the desk to chat to the person there before several large booming sounds interrupted her. The attendant got several calls and told Umber that it came from… the floor where the kids were at.
Umber rushed to the elevator while taking out her scroll.
She had no doubt that Acid could handle herself, but she might need Umber's help with the kids.
After a brief discussion with Acid, she let out a sigh of relief that they were out of harm's way. Now, she just needed to deal with whoever was causing trouble.
Umber could probably take them whoever they were.
Then the elevator doors opened and the last thing Umber saw was fiery, amber eyes.
Acid pushed through the crowd and the cops.
"Out of my fucking way! Umber!"
She ran up the flight of stairs and when she finally made it, there was a pile of ash in front of the elevator.
There was a burnt and damaged scroll. She could recognized the broken, purple case. It was Umber's. No no no no no!
She collapsed onto her knees. "Umber."
Her hands were covered in the ashes of her dead, best friend.
"Why..."
Umber never wanted any part of violence. She never joined Hei's gang with her yet Umber stuck by her side. She wasn't part of this life! She was out of the way!
Why the hell did this happen?!
She placed her palm in the pile of ashes. This was an old technique. She didn't know why she was doing this, perhaps it was a form of closure.
Her aura pulsated through the ash. Sensing the use of Dust and aura, she pulled her hand away. She didn't know how long the aura was used on Umber. It couldn't have been seconds or hours, but everyone always assumed the worst. Most people jump to torturous conclusions. Some assumed torture and worse.
For Acid, she had to assume that Umber didn't have a dignity of a slow death. She would have assumed it was Felix but… it wasn't his M.O.
He reveled in leaving mangled bodies- not piles of ashes.
Goddamn it! Goddamn it. She wasn't part of this life.
"Acid Sparks," a stern voice broke through her silence.
There was no love in the voice. Acid knew the person behind the voice. Last time they met, she spat in her face.
"I need to ask you some-" Glynda started.
Acid turned around, tears staining her face.
"Just… please… give me some time."
Surprisingly, Glynda merely nodded, with a solemn recognition. She experienced loss before, but that was a given considering she was a huntress. Glynda left her a card.
Everything was a blur after that. Acid went to an abandoned building where she used to keep her stash. Acid kicked down the door and entered the house.
Getting on her knees, she began tearing up the floorboards.
"Where is it?!" she yelled.
She hated this feeling. It had to be hushed away. She finally found a tiny bag of pills and vials. This would be her only chance to bury those feelings away. It was better to use than to let these emotions control her.
The drugs dulled her bit by bit. She wasn't an unfeeling sociopath like Dian, but Acid became so jaded. Sure, she could play the role of a nice and caring person, but underneath that was a trained killer. Hell, she has gotten used to those feelings.
She could snap from the role of a caretaker to a murderer in an instance. She still retained a sense of empathy for a select few, but she could never be that hopeful kid that cherished life.
It seemed like every good moment was tainted.
She was like Yang. Except she wasn't being honest or open. The kid could be sad and be angry but it was real. Acid couldn't afford that luxury nor would it work with her.
Every kingdom preached individuality. What worked for Yang wouldn't work for Acid. She was certain on one thing, and that was stopping Yang from taking those painkillers. Acid wasn't a role model to strive for.
Acid prided herself on being somewhat professional. Last time she used, it was on her own time. Everything else was business. She couldn't afford to mix her 'past-times' with business. Nobody needed to know that Acid might be a sobbing wreck.
This was her only escape. Everything else had to do be leafs in the wind. This guilt had to be gone with the wind.
Gulping down the pills, Acid began to lose herself. Everything became weightless and time slowed down to a still. Everything was drifting away.
'Get up and face the day!' her old master would say. Her master was the only one in the village who even knew about aura and semblances and Grimm.
She trained to fight- to protect her village. Her master was getting old. He wouldn't last much longer.
The day she left for Vale seemed so hopeful. After all, her brother went ahead of her and Vale seemed like a good place to live in. Even if he lived on Patch, the city of Vale held so much promise.
She was going to learn and apply to Beacon. The fucking moment she arrived, her boyfriend came rushing right after her.
Her master failed. The village was gone. It was just her first love and her. She couldn't call her brother or anyone else. Whether it was teenaged stupidity, stubbornness, or any combination of the sort, they were on their own. They could barely manage to scrape by. Her dreams of Beacon were dashed. She couldn't leave Shiro alone.
Then Shiro Flutter was claimed by the streets. A simple mugging gone wrong. She couldn't believe it. She had this power and yet when he needed her most, she failed him.
Then the grief and sorrow overtook her and it was her downfall. The details remained fuzzy, but Acid was brought into a fighting ring.
Beaten again and again because she kept breaking down. That was when she got her first hit. It was used as encouragement and an incentive for her to fight.
Those feelings of guilt resolved, all she could focus on was getting out and getting her next hit. It was relatively simple. Her whole life was boiled down to two simple directives. She murdered everyone there. They didn't know about her semblance, which allowed her to slip through her surly bonds.
Eventually, she met someone. Umber Ethereal. The one who sheltered her, the one who tried her best to keep her off her drugs, and the person she believed in.
When Acid joined Hei's little gang for cash... or for drugs, she wasn't certain, Umber didn't condemn her. She stood by Acid's side through it all. Sometimes she wished like she was Dian. For all her faults, Acid still cared deep down and that was her flaw. Dian wasn't like that, she was uncaring and laughing at the world.
She wished she was like Dian.
Because right now, the world seemed a little darker.
Acid woke up next to a sleeping body. He had a pretty face with green hair. Tattooed on his chest was a big, pink heart with stitches inside it which formed a smiling face. It was used to mark Pink's escorts.
It a way he was trapped like her. He had decisions made in his life had entrapped him into this life. Kinda like her. Kinda like the kids. Each decision driving them deeper and deeper.
In a way, they were all bound by some form of fate.
She put her hand to her head and glanced around. It looked like she rented out a motel room and one of Pink's escorts while she was on her high. She got up from the bed and put on her bra and underwear.
There had to be no regrets with this. Those feelings were gone and dealt with. Her hand began twitching before she gripped it.
She needed a smoke.
Then came the small sense of self-loathing for regressing back to using. Truth was… that the guilt felt better than the sorrow.
And she hated herself for that.
She stomped through the hallways.
Two burly men with masks followed behind her. Of course, their presence was merely superficial. There was no doubt in her mind that she could handle herself. Her men brought the imposing factor.
Their display of manliness was not just for show. The couple was the definition of 'macho'. Hell, they were kinda show-offs, showcasing their strength. Some took pride in that, just like some take pride in their beauty.
Individuality was a beautiful thing.
She rubbed her shaven head. Tiny, little scars marked her head. It was a badges of honor for her. Although the huge scar right on the middle of her back.
It would always be a mark of shame for her. Even if no one knew about it, it's a source of shame for her.
Taking out her bladed tonfas, she stopped in front of the door. She gestured for her men to stay back. Beneath their masks, she could tell there was disappointment. She wore no mask, besides no one would dare accuse her.
One look into her beady, black eyes and they were immediately silenced.
Fear was almost palpable when her eyes bore into anyone, including her men. Although, they respected her more than they feared her.
The Brown Ursas ran on fear and looked where that got them. Still, her enemies knew that fear. It like blood in the water.
Her target may not experience that fear, but she would soon enough.
Kicking down the door, she charged at the nearly naked woman. The man in the bed had a 'wonderful' high-pitched scream. Her eyes widened in surprise as she brought the first slash across the stomach, not giving her any reprieve. She spun around and kicked Acid in the face. Then she kicked Acid right in the crotch before slashing Acid in the throat. That final blow shattered her aura.
Acid was a skilled aura user, but all the skills in the world didn't matter if she couldn't use them.
Acid stumbled back, eying her belt draped on the lamp. Her belt had had her holstered guns.
She tackled Acid into the wall, before letting loose her teeth. Trade secret, she sharpened her regular teeth. It had hurt like a bitch but aura made sure that the process went smoothly.
Acid let out a scream as her teeth burrowed into Acid's flesh. "Fuck you, Novacaine!"
Then Acid transformed into a whirlwind of wind and everything was flung about in the room. When the winds finally died down, Acid's guns were gone but the escort was still there.
One of Pink's, if she had to guess. Their profession as a whole was marred in shame. She was never the one to believe in the stereotypes of women being smart, confident, and beautiful nor the stereotype of men being strong, dumb, arrogant, and handsome, but everyone had the means to fight. It was what their whole society was based on.
Still, everything was relative. Sometimes, the stereotypes had some truth and other times they were so hilariously wrong and off-centered.
It was kinda like morality in this world in a way. A whole wide spectrum. It was various shades of grey with patches of white and black scattered about. It was like their culture. Everyone was unique- different and they rarely followed set expectations.
Despite all that, what she hated was the weak. Pink's escorts were supposed to be trained and strong. Yet, here was an escort quivering in her wake. Even Acid fought despite her panic. It may worked to Novocaine's advantage, it didn't negate the fact that she despised the weak.
She sheathed her tonfas and raised her hand to her men. "Send a message."
They cracked their knuckles in glee as Novocaine walked out.
She leaned back against the wall as the escort screamed out. The Brown Ursas were most likely not going to survive their little mutiny. If they did, they would be too fractured to survive a well-placed attack.
If Gil won, he was too violent and reckless to actually lead a gang. And if Chloe won, she would be too focused on reconstruction. Which was a weakness in of itself.
Junior's crew was a different story. True, they were struggling money-wise but they were a force to be reckoned with. Acid and Dian were semblance wielding enforcers. They brought the firepower to his crew.
Now, she knew Acid's semblance. Semblances were one of the pride and joys of the 'enlightened'. A hallmark of their uniqueness.
The couple walked out of the room, knuckles bloodied.
"Message sent?" she asked.
"Message sent," they replied.
"Alright, get out of here. And sorry for dragging you away from your little honeymoon."
"Anything for you, boss."
That's what she liked in her Predators. Respect. What she liked in her enemies, however, was fear.
She looked through the cracked open door. A message in blood. A marked corpse hanging from the ceiling.
She shut the door.
Yang watched as Dian barged into the room, obviously pissed off.
"Who the hell does she think is?!"
"What happened?" Yang asked.
"Acid ran off, saying it's an 'emergency'. Fuck her! And fuck this headache!" Dian took out a bottle and gulped five of the pills.
Yang and the twins watched Dian chug down the pills.
"Oh and on top of all that, Acid's going to be pissed that I'm being a bad role model for Yang and the twins!" Dian tossed the bottle.
"Listen kiddos, do as I say not as I do. Especially you, Yang."
"Are you alright?" Miltia asked.
"I dunno. I feel like Acid right now. Stupid headache and stupid medicine." Dian slunk down on a bench.
"So what we're you playing to do today?" Dian asked boredly.
"Um..." they all started. Miltia glanced at Melanie who glanced at Yang.
Yang shot them a dirty look.
"We were suppose to go shopping and maybe see a movie."
Dian hummed before pausing. "Yeah… I think Acid would be better for that."
Melanie waved her hand as to say 'Go on' to Yang.
"Maybe… you can take us."
Dian started laughing. "You're asking me? You know who I am, yes?"
"Yeah, but-" Yang gestured toward her bad leg, which was getting better by the hour. "I think we deserve it."
"Point," Dian conceded. "Now, what are we shopping for?"
"Clothes among other things. We've been wearing nothing but these same old clothes for awhile."
"Ah. You're at that age. Carving your own identity. Wearing unique outfits as a brazen statement to the world. Which means… I would have to commission several outfits. Which is coming out of my pocket. Alright, but any outfits and resizing is coming out of your pocket in the future. Is that what you want?"
Both boys and girls had aspirations of being unique. Every huntsmen and huntress was uniquely styled, even certain individuals had that same sense of style. Yang used to have aspirations of being a hunter, dressed in a gaudy outfit, righting wrongs and slaying evil.
Now? She just wanted to find her mom. Her previous aspiration of being a huntress was gone. Did that make her a bad person? She did what she had to do and that couldn't be a bad thing. Besides, all the people she hurt were bad people… besides well...
Maybe once she found her mom, she could become a huntress. Then she could atone for Ruby.
That thought gave her a sense of comfort.
"Yep!" they all chirped.
"Fine. Fine. But I want to see more enthusiasm in your training. Yang, I swear you're going to end up dead in a gutter so more aura training. And Miltia and Melanie? More semblance training. You better find your damn semblances."
They all nodded their heads.
"Alright. I'll bring you to a tailor I know. Then. Maybe! Maybe we can watch a movie. But first things first. Wait a moment for me." Dian left the room and reentered with three pieces of paper and a pen.
"Now draw your emblems. You're familiar with the concept, yes?"
They all nodded. Dian handed Yang and the twins the paper. "This will be yours forever. No take-backsies."
Yang considered what to draw. She remembered her dad's emblem. It always looked like an outline of a burning heart to her.
So, she made it a little bit more literal and it was less of an outline than her dad's. It was her own emblem, something to define her for the rest of her days.
She had spent minutes carefully drawing it. She made a note saying it was suppose to be yellow. When she was finally done, she handed the paper to Dian. She didn't get to see Miltia and Melanie's symbols.
"Hey, where is your emblem?" Melanie asked.
Dian gave a wicked grin and took off her coat. Inside the coat was a swirl of light-indigo ovals forming a vortex, vaguely resembling a flower's petals.
"There you go scamps. Now are we going or what?"
They followed Dian to her car and they waited in the back. Eagerly, they discussed how they would design their outfits and how cool they would look in it.
"I'm going to look pretty in mine. Pretty dangerous!" Melanie said.
"Like you could ever pull it off unlike me," Miltia retorted.
"Hey scamps, remember practicality! No gaudy outfits otherwise, I'm not giving you dick, got it?"
"Yes," they all mumbled.
They pulled up to a rinky little shop.
"Alright. We're here. Let's roll."
They all got out of the car and headed into the shop. The shop showcase clothes of many varieties. Some were elegant dresses, fit for a queen. Others were suits, some fancier than the ones that Hei's crew wore. Whatever the clothes were, they were made of pristine quality. Whoever made them clearly had passion in their work.
"Hey!" Dian yelled out. "It's your… fifth best customer!"
"Dian?" the tailor called out.
"That's me!"
"You still owe me for your last coat! Bullet holes are not fun to deal with."
"Fine, put it on my tab."
"This isn't a damn bar." The tailor and her assistant came into view. The tailor wore a hood with a bandana covering most of her face. Yang could only see those dull, grey eyes. They still had a certain gleam in them. The assistant was also dressed in a similar fashion, and she saw sparkling, light grey eyes. "Now, what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Commissioning some outfits for the little kiddos here. I hope you remember your policy."
"Don't lecture me on the 'no questions asked' policy, considering I made it!"
"Can it Araneae," Dian spat.
"That's Ms. Weaver to you! Now-" She turned to her assistant. "Dusk, take the pair of twins and sketch up a design."
Dusk took the Malachite twins into a backroom.
"How's the apprenticeship going?"
"Don't pretend we're friends. But, matter of fact, my son is doing quite well in the business. Everything you see here? All him. Soon, everyone will be dealing with him. I only hope that he won't have to deal with your sorry ass."
"Point."
"Mom! Where did you put the sketchbook again?"
"Coming dear!" She went into the backroom while Dian took a seat and Yang sat next to her.
"Hey, Dian?" Yang started.
"What is it, kiddo?"
"Why are painkillers so bad?" Yang asked.
"Well, first off. I am a fucking bad influence. So, do as I say not as I do. Actually, don't listen to me at all. Except for this next bit. Second off, if you want to indulge some vices, better not be painkillers. It be better to indulge in some legal vices," Dian explained.
"Why should I indulge in… 'vices'?"
"Who knows. We all have our reasons. Acid does, I do. Although, you shouldn't go looking for one. The moment you do, your childhood is gone forever. Besides, I only used the painkillers because it was an emergency. Oh god, I'm starting to sound like Acid. Someone shoot me."
"I'd gladly do it. C'mon, blondie. It's time," Ms. Weaver said.
Araneae examined the girl before her as she doodled her desired outfit.
A little, blonde girl with blood-red eyes. She could see the eyes of a warrior. There was no doubt that she had aura. Aura often marked a life of war, strife, and violence.
Still, she could tell the girl was going to grow into a beauty. She had already started planning ahead. Customers were a plentiful. Her shop was valued because of discretion and quality.
Her stuff ranged from simple emblem stitching to full-on outfits, custom made. Hell, some even got custom made pajamas. Some, like Hei's crew, may have had a dress code with their suits but that didn't stop them from decorating them. Some stitched on their own emblems to wearing unique cufflinks.
First-time customers almost always became loyal customers. People's tastes often changed throughout the years and some may even keep the same outfit but required resizing.
Everyone from huntsmen and huntresses to criminals went through her shop. Certain people actually made their own clothes to varying degrees of success.
Even apprentices like Yang here went through the shop. There were rare occasions where huntsmen and huntress trained their kids instead of sending them to primary combat schools then getting them applied to secondary combat academies.
Funny enough, most apprentices understood practicality. Rich children often went for fancy and flashy outfits. It wasn't a problem, she still made lien either way.
Yang finally finished her sketch. It was crude, obvious made by a child but still unique in it's own way.
Araneae scanned it over. It was rather simple. A small yellow vest with a hood and simple brown shorts. Her emblem was plastered on the right side of her jacket.
It was different to say the least. Most went for more covering, as Araneae often used a certain type of silk that was hard to cut through, providing even more protection.
Hell, even the twins with their matching outfits had outlined a practical dress with ideas for protection.
Yang didn't have any of that.
"Is something wrong?" Yang asked.
"No, no. Just a bit different than what I'm used to. Most go for a little more protection. You do know that the clothing I make adds extra protection?"
"Yeah? And?"
Araneae noted that Yang walked with a slight limp. No doubt, her aura was already on it, providing a quick and speedy recovering. Araneae could only suspect what that meant.
Did Yang want to get hurt?
Araneae chided herself. No questions asked.
"Yeah, it looks good. It's definitely good. Is there anything else you want?"
"I got a question," Yang said.
"Shoot."
"How many outfits do people go through?"
"Replacements or new outfits?"
"Both." Perhaps Yang was a thrill-seeker. Who knew? Obviously Yang had plans for the future, but had an idea of danger she might have to face.
"Well, some people go through many replacements, others don't. And for outfits? Some get a new one every month until they find their grove. Others find that 'one' outfit that they stick with the rest of their lives."
Araneae flipped to a new page and started sketching. Once she was finished, she showed it to Yang.
"How do you draw so good?" Yang asked with a glint in those red-eyes.
"Years of practice."
Yang gave the sketchbook back.
"When do you think this would be done?"
"A week or so," Araneae replied.
"Thank you, Ms. Weaver."
At least these kids had manners unlike Dian.
"Please, call me Araneae. Now come on."
They both left the backroom and Dian was waiting with the twins. They looked somewhat annoyed with her.
"You promised," they exclaimed.
"Nope. I said maybe. Acid promised you."
"Dian! Pretty please!"
Dian turned to Yang, who immediately put on some puppy eyes. Then she turned to the twins who were also giving her pleading eyes.
"Fine. Only because we still got time to kill."
Dian took the kids out of the shop.
"Come on, Dusk. We got orders to fill. Start with the Adel order."
'Come on, Spruce!' the villain said. 'You will never find your love.'
'I will never give up!' Spruce shouted back. 'I've come too far to stop now!'
'Then face your greatest fears!' the mustache-twirling villain ranted.
The mustache man flipped a switch and a menacing, shadowy bulk entered the room.
'You evil monster!'
His dead friend turned into an evil robot machine.
'I'm sorry, old friend,' Spruce muttered before he took out his twin bazookas and laid down the pain to his former friend.
The machine got blown up, splattering oil and blood all over the place.
The mustache man will be next!
'You think that will deter my plans?' the villain taunted.
He flipped another switch, revealing his love and his second best friend tied up over a vat of acid.
'You must choose, Spruce Willis!'
Spruce fired his bazooka rockets at the mustache man before he could flip the switch.
Yang and the twins started whooping with glee.
Spruce saved his love and his friend.
Only for his love to stab his friend in the back.
Spruce watched with horror as his love ripped the knife out.
His love then dropped the knife and embraced him in a tight hug.
Spruce slowly gave her a hug back.
'The End?'
The credits began to roll.
Ride Hard III by Spruce Willis.
Yang and the twins started screaming. 'What? That's it!?'
Dian started laughing with glee.
Dian brought them back to the apartments. There was some hub-bub about explosions and one of the rooms had police tape around it.
The kids had a good time with that dumb Spruce Willis movie. She tried calling Acid on her scroll several times.
"Fucking Acid," she cursed under her breath.
She couldn't even curse normally unless she wanted the kids to wake up.
Flipping through the channels was really getting boring. She heard footsteps approaching her and she immediately spun around. Red eyes greeted her in the darkness.
"Hey, Yang. What the fuck are you up so late?" she asked quietly.
Yang rubbed her eyes and muttered, "I had a nightmare."
"Come on, 'lil killer. You're tougher than that."
Yang didn't say anything. "Argh. Fine. Sit down by 'Auntie' Dian and tell me all about it."
She sat down but still said nothing.
"Yang, I swear to god, you better tell me or stop wasting my time."
"It was so dark. I couldn't see anything. And I saw her and I couldn't save her. Then I was completely alone," Yang said quietly.
"Kid, what is done is done. Seriously, stop moping around. You can't change the past, but you can shape the future. Seriously, you got me paraphrasing Acid right now. That's twenty push-ups in the morning."
"Diiiiiaaan," Yang moaned.
"Fine. Five pushups."
"Pleeeeeeeease."
"Fine. Zero." Dian gave in.
Yang rested her head on Dian's arm. To her credit, Dian didn't flinch away.
"What do you do when you have nightmares?"
"I don't have nightmares," Dian said smugly.
"Really?"
"I don't see anything in my dreams."
"So, you never dealt with any nightmares?"
"Never said anything like that. But seriously, I'm not the best person to ask this. Besides, you got friends. You could always go bother them."
Yang didn't say anything and coozed up to Dian. Dian couldn't shrug her off. She couldn't be her regular crass self otherwise Junior or Acid might have her head.
Speaking of, where the fuck was Acid? Seriously, Acid never ran off… well except when… she was…
Fucking bitch-ass Acid!
She finally relapsed. Still, she lasted far longer than Dian actually expected her to. At least, Acid had the dignity to not do it in front of the kids.
Seriously, Dian thought they were going soft. Although, taking care of kids had that sort of effect on people. Most people had some sort of heart, even Dian. But Dian could never actually have that sort of life. One time she desperately longed for it, now it was a fool's dream.
Although her heart was long been buried. Hei's newly recruited kids were her crew, but Dian wouldn't have any problem dealing with any kids of a rival crew. Still, was she going soft?
Dian reassured herself that she wasn't. That massacre proved it.
"Hey, Dian?" Yang asked.
"Yeah?" The kid was playing twenty questions with her.
"How strong are you?"
"You should know the answer, but why ask?" Dian questioned her.
"I need to get better."
"No duh, but why?" Dian retorted.
"Every time I fight, it's always 'be more careful! Yada yada!'" Yang slumped a little.
"You fight pretty good, 'lil killer. A little reckless 'fo sho. You need to find better ways to use your semblance. And maybe your aura."
"How?"
"Here is some blabbering Acid told me one time. 'You gotta find your own destiny'. It makes sense in a dumb way but what's with all the questions?"
"Do you have plans for the future?" Yang asked.
"Not really," Dian replied. She paused for a moment, pondering if she should even ask. "You?"
"I just want to find my mom. Then, I'll help Hei on my spare time, I owe him that much. But to do that..." Ah, she started thinking about the future, because of 'Ms. Weaver'. She had that sort of effect.
"Planning for the future is good. As opposed to blindly stumbling about," Dian muttered.
Yang yawned and closed her eyes. "Hey, Dian."
"Yeah?"
"You're not as bad as everyone says you're are," Yang muttered before she drifted off.
"Actually… I am. But… thanks."
Dumb kids were making her go soft.
The world was a cruel place. There was no debate to her next decision. She picked up Yang and went into the kid's bedroom.
The kid didn't need to be as fucked up as her.
The twins were sharing a bed. There was only two beds. Dian placed Yang in-between the twins. It was going to be amusing the next morning.
She heard someone fumbling with the door. Dian saw it was Acid.
That bitch better be sober!
She left the room and opened the door. Acid was wearing only a bra and underwear.
"You're not high again, are you bitch-ass Ac-" Dian saw Acid holding her neck, blood seeping out.
"Goddamn it, get in." Acid leaned on Dian as she brought her inside.
She set Acid onto the couch and Dian got out the medical kit.
Dian started stitching Acid's neck up. She was no doctor but it got the job done. Dian left the room again and got a set of Acid's clothes.
She tossed onto Acid.
"Get dressed, you look like one of Pink's girls."
"Sh… shut up," Acid said weakly as she started getting dressed.
"So what the fuck happened?" Dian asked.
"Novocaine."
"As in Novacaine men or..."
"Novocaine herself paid me a visit," Acid said.
"Well, shit. She's finally making her move. How did you get out?"
"Semblance." Acid began coughing.
"So, what's the plan?" Dian asked. Acid was always more smarter than Dian. More often than not, Dian was the weapon and Acid was the planner.
"We call Hei, organize a counterattack before Novacaine could do any damage."
"Brown Ursas aren't going to cause us any trouble?" Dian asked.
"They are the wild card in the equation. It all depends on who wins. It could be a three-way war if nothing goes smoothly," Acid explained.
"Well, nothing goes right. So expect the worst."
"Oh shut it," Acid said.
"Well, you never do so hot at the tables. Losing lien left and right."
"I gotta call Hei."
"So why did you run off?" Dian asked in a jeering tone.
"Didn't know you cared," Acid said sarcastically. "It was a false alarm. Nothing else."
Dian plopped down next to Acid and flipped on the holoscreen.
"At least nothing else could go wrong," Acid muttered.
"You probably jinxed it."
"In… other news, the huntsman, Qrow Branwen…" the TV started.
"Will you shut your trap for once?" Acid said in a hushed tone.
"Who is now offering a cash reward to anyone who can help locate his nieces, Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long."
"Wait what?" They both turned their heads to the holoscreen.
"Well shit," Acid said.
"Called it."
Next Chapter: The Sins of the Father