I'm sorry this is late! But I actually came down with a cold and couldn't really do anything the past few days... :( But I'm feeling mostly better, so edited this today. Enjoy and happy Sunday!
Minutes after Cinder's announcement, they were summoned to Beacon by Professor Ozpin and Glynda. In the interest of saving energy (and to prevent Blake from having to run all the way there), they caught the next airship to the campus.
The vessel was surprisingly vacant – allowing the four girls to lapse into complete silence as they watched the city of Vale slip by beneath them. Yang could make out the signs of turmoil on the streets as looters had already begun their nefarious activities. Her mind burned at the thought of criminals taking advantage of this time for their own personal gain, but there was nothing she could do to stop them at the moment. All she could do was squeeze Blake's hand a little tighter, knowing that her virtuous partner would be just as upset by the scene as she was.
As soon as the airship touched down on the landing pad at Beacon, they flew down the ramp and across the main avenue leading towards Beacon's auditorium. In the distance, several other figures were visible entering the front entrance, undoubtedly other huntsmen answering Ozpin's call. Yang felt their pace quicken ever so slightly as the building grew increasingly closer to them.
Their pace instantly slowed to a brisk walk the second their heels hit the tile front entrance, still conditioned after four years of schooling and numerous reprimands to not run in the hallways. Entering the amphitheater moments later, they found that there was already a small crowd of huntsmen gathered near the front of the room.
The group wasn't nearly as lively or boisterous as one would have expected, exhaustion and gloom seeming to be the predominant moods. While she didn't know some of the older huntsmen very well, Yang could tell that they were all broken, in one way or the other, from the events of the past few weeks. Most had likely lost close friends or teammates to the other side, or been betrayed by someone they thought they had known, or were now sporting scars from close encounters with death.
In particular, it killed her to see Nora standing quietly with Pyrrha and Jaune – not a smile on her face or bounce in her step. Just standing there, morose as the rest of them. Nora was always the one person that could be counted on to be bubbly under any circumstance, but today she was mellow and reserved.
Yang had had the…misfortune, she would say, of being there when Ren had been captured. Team RWBY (minus Blake) had been called to help Team JNPR handle a rather large horde of Grimm that had been released inside a shopping center. The combat had been frantic in such close quarters, with maneuverability nearly nonexistent. The level of destruction had been incredible; the entire inside of the building had been laid to waste in a matter of minutes.
She could still remember it – the slight feeling of relief she had felt when the battle had turned in their favor. When they had managed to thin the Grimm down to a level they could manage while also sparing time to get any civilians to safety.
That's when Team CRDL had appeared.
Her mind seared at the memory. No one had seen it coming. One second, they were clearing out waves of Grimm. The next second, Cardin Winchester and his team of…of traitors…had appeared out of nowhere.
They had targeted Nora, since the huntress had been furthest removed from the rest of them. She was too far away for anyone to come to her aid quickly enough. Except for Ren…he had been the closest to her and had somehow made it to her, shoving her out of the way just in time to take a firm beating from the four boys.
Team CRDL hadn't given them any time to respond, picking up the now-unconscious Ren and disappearing with him seconds later.
Nora had chased them…but that was the last time Yang had seen the girl until now. Weiss, Ruby, and she had ended up battling the rest of the Grimm by themselves – allowing Pyrrha and Jaune to try to track down the girl and prevent her from becoming the next victim.
Yang could still remember coming back to the house that night, feeling completely sick to her stomach over what had just happened – defeated in a way only losing a close friend can make you feel. Thankfully, Blake was usually enough of a distraction to keep her mind off of things. Still, she knew how it felt to lose a partner…and it wasn't something she would wish on anyone else in the world – and certainly not on one of her close friends.
Yang tugged Blake closer to her as Professor Ozpin and Glynda moved onto the stage in front of the room. She couldn't help feeling…guilty…that her partner and teammates were still safe and here with her. As if the other huntsmen here tonight might judge her for not having the misfortune of losing a teammate hanging over her head.
What little noise there had been in the room quieted as everyone stilled in preparation for what Professor Ozpin had to say. The man had likely had a hand in training all of the people in this room besides Glynda, allowing him to remain the unquestioned leader through everything. They respected him, admired him, but…they needed him to come up with a solution.
"Good evening to all of you…" he began cordially, bowing his head slightly towards them. "I imagine by now you all know why we asked you to come here tonight."
Somber nods encircled the room.
"How did they get so many Atlesians?" a huntress with red hair and even redder eyes demanded to know.
Professor Ozpin sighed as he turned towards the questioner, having clearly expected that question to pop up sooner or later.
"They built them," he answered plainly before expanding upon his words when confused murmurs broke out amongst them.
"We made a mistake…" he admitted gravely. "While we were focusing on the Grimm attacks - keeping the citizens of Vale safe and locating the perpetrators, we failed to notice or even be alerted to the fact that shipments of parts used to make the machines used to build Atlesians were going missing from the docks or the factories."
"They started with small pieces, but increased their takes as they increased the intensity of the attacks. It didn't raise any red flags when a handful of calibrators or a few conveyors went missing…not when there were Beowolves running the streets."
Yang scowled. So it had all just been a complicated slight of hand trick? Focus on the obvious threat over here, while completely missing the real threat taking place in the background…and they had completely fallen for it. Of course, it would have been up to the companies to report the incidents to the police, who would have needed to inform the huntsmen of the occurrences. And Professor Ozpin was right – there had simply been bigger issues to worry about than what would have looked like petty theft.
"But, we cannot do anything about that now," Professor Ozpin continued. "You all understand what Cinder's demand is?"
More nods around the room.
"Good. Then you realize we cannot allow the…assassination…of Remnant's top government leaders to happen. Any ideas for how we can prevent this from happening will be listened to."
"What about the huntsmen from the other kingdoms?" a younger huntress with vibrant blue hair spoke up.
Professor Ozpin nodded his head.
"A message has already been sent to the other huntsmen, who are on their way as we speak. But they will make it here tomorrow night, at best – far too late for the deadline we have been given."
"But if we turn ourselves in, there will be even more huntsmen to fight them when they arrive! Isn't that even worse?" a hulking hunter who Yang did not recognize cut in. The man was likely over seven feet tall and built like a tree. She couldn't help being thankful that he was still on their side, as the menacingly gigantic sword strapped to his back made Crescent Rose look like a small child's toy.
Professor Ozpin nodded his head again thoughtfully, index fingers held up to his chin.
"Yes…there could be more of us to fight when they do arrive, but it will at least give them the chance to succeed."
As mumbles of discontent spread throughout the room, Professor Ozpin cleared his throat and continued in a loud, clear voice.
"Surely all of you remember that the huntsman's creed is to protect the great kingdom of Vale and ALL its inhabitants. Preventing the deaths of not only our government officials, but also those from our neighboring kingdoms, insures that there is a chance for life and order to continue after all of this. Cinder means to cause chaos – anarchy – so that Vale will tear itself apart from the inside out. We cannot allow her to bring our government to its knees."
More murmurs began spreading around the room at Professor Ozpin's words.
Yang didn't like the idea either. She would rather be able to continue fighting than to keep some useless government officials alive…but Professor Ozpin had never led them astray in the past. His words had a certain weight of truth to them that she couldn't dismiss. She respected him too much.
"What about an antidote? Have you been able to develop one?" Weiss spoke up from Yang's right.
Whispers reappeared as a tiny bit of hope sparked amongst the crowd, only to be dashed when Professor Ozpin sighed.
"We're still weeks away, at best," he answered sadly. "We've only been able to test how quickly it dissipates in the bloodstream, which is about 3-4 days. Other than that…we've simply run out of time."
Silence.
As Yang stood there, looking at the doomed faces of those surrounding her, she suddenly realized something.
Her aura wouldn't allow her to be controlled by the drug for more than a few minutes, let alone a few days. Adam and Cinder had certainly already figured that out, or they would piece it together pretty quick. If Yang couldn't be controlled with the drug…well then…
Whatever happened, she was going to die.
She felt a familiar spark in her chest. The one that always came to life when she was injured – on the edge of falling. It was the fire that kept her going, that made her stronger, that allowed her to stand back up and fight back.
"Why don't we fight then?" she spoke up, drawing everyone's eyes in her direction.
"We're huntsmen, after all," she continued, feeling her heart burn hotter and hotter as the thought continued to grow in her mind.
"Cinder's not going to care if we show up and surrender, or show up for a battle. All they want is for us to be removed as an immediate threat. And they have more than enough weapons and huntsmen to overpower us, so she would be assured they would win. But I'd much rather go down fighting than to ever give myself up to them."
The huntsmen around her began nodding their heads in agreement at her words. A few even managed to crack small smiles at the thought.
A spark…sometimes, that's all people needed.
Professor Ozpin also seemed to be thinking carefully on the thought, and slowly nodded his head as well.
"Yang."
Yang turned towards her partner's whisper, finding Blake's ears lying almost completely flat against her head.
"That's suicide…"
She smiled sadly at Blake before responding.
"Blake…either way for me…it's suicide."
Her partner's head tilted slightly in confusion at the comment.
"The drug only works for a short amount of time on me…" Yang began softly, trying to explain this as gently as possible. "If Adam or Cinder can't control me…I'll be…expendable…"
Blake's eyes opened widely when she realized what Yang was saying.
She couldn't believe herself what things had come to – after all this time, she and Blake had finally managed to get their feelings for each other out in the open. Their team had been reunited. And now…Cinder and Adam were going to rip them back apart. Permanently this time.
But suddenly, Blake's eyes narrowed slightly, an idea seeming to pop into the girl's mind.
"Blake, what…"
She didn't get a chance to finish the question before Blake had stepped away from her and stood in front of all of the huntsmen who were now preparing for all-out war.
"Wait!" the Faunus shouted, regaining everyone's attention at the front of the room.
"Just wait a second…" Blake continued in a softer voice as everyone stared at her. "There has to be some sort controlling drug, or something. Not an antidote…but something that only gives certain people control of those injected with the drug."
Blake clenched her fists in frustration when the crowd regarded her skeptically. She turned back towards her teammates and spoke directly to them, willing them to understand her.
"Yang, when Adam injected you with the drug, Ruby yelled at you to stop. She ordered you to stop, but you didn't; you disobeyed her. So, what would make you obey Adam and not Ruby?"
Suddenly, what Blake was trying to get at began to make sense.
Yang nodded her head as Blake then turned to everyone else, who were also looking at the Faunus girl with much more interest.
"There's something or some way that Adam was different. Something put him in charge and no one else."
Yang couldn't help smiling as Blake stumbled onto something very, very important.
She watched happily while Blake continued explaining her theory, quickly winning over even the most dubious of believers within the crowd. Yang felt her heart swell with pride that the Faunus girl in front of them was her partner, her best friend, her…girlfriend.
She refocused when Professor Ozpin began speaking again.
"If Miss Belladonna's theory is correct…then there could be another drug out there. Somehow, the two combined create a pair – a bond between master and servant."
"So…if we could find the second drug, we could potentially gain control over the other huntsmen?" Weiss asked.
Yang noticed a fleeting smile pass by Nora's lips, collectively realizing what that could potentially mean.
They could turn the tide against Cinder and Adam if all of the huntsmen were on their side. Cinder might have an entire army of Atlesians, but the huntsmen were what truly made her followers deadly. The Paladins and Knights wouldn't stand a chance if all of the huntsmen were united against them.
"It would have to be somewhere in the Capitol," Pyrrha suggested. "I don't think they would travel very far without it, if it's that powerful."
"We could do what we did at the base!" Yang spoke up excitedly. "Send in a scout while the rest of us serve as a distraction out front. It will draw all of the guards and huntsmen outside while we search the building."
"Hmm…yes, make them think we want a battle, when what we actually want is more time," Professor Ozpin finally agreed after listening to them talk for several minutes.
"Volunteers?" Glynda finally spoke up from beside their mentor.
"I'll do it," Yang immediately said, while Nora's hand shot up into the air at the exact same time. Several other people raised their hands as well.
But Blake shook her head.
"No…none of you can go…" she said firmly, causing everyone to look at her in confusion.
"Cinder is expecting all of you to surrender, remember?" Blake explained as she looked around the room, amber eyes ablaze. "She'll know which huntsmen are remaining, and she'll notice when someone is missing."
Well, there goes that plan, Yang thought to herself as the room deflated.
"Then who can do it?" Ruby asked to no one in particular.
"I can do it," Blake finished.
NO, Yang internally screamed at the idea, feeling panic surge through her veins.
But Weiss and Ruby looked at each other for a split second, before Weiss began slowly working her way through the rationale of Blake's idea.
"You know…that could work…because they don't know that Blake is still alive. In fact, if Adam had checked into it at all, he would actually have found records that Blake died."
Yang and Blake turned to Weiss in surprise.
"What?" They both shouted at the same time.
Weiss looked almost sheepish as she explained.
"Well, we didn't want Adam or Cinder to find out that Blake was still alive and try to come finish her off in the hospital. So…we created her death records. We even had a funeral for her…"
Yang continued to look at the heiress in complete dismay.
"Why didn't you tell me about this?" she demanded.
"Because you would have flipped out if we had tried to tell you!" Weiss shot right back at her.
She instantly backed down, holding up her hands in defeat. She couldn't argue that Weiss was wrong about that. She wouldn't have been able to handle even the fictional idea of Blake's death when her partner had been trapped in a coma.
"Ok…" Blake continued after shaking her head slightly. "Well, even more reason I should be the one to do it. They think I'm dead, so they won't know that I'm missing from the plan. They won't go searching for me if they don't see me in front of them. I can slip in through the roof and try to find whatever they're using while they think all of the remaining huntsman are on the Capitol's lawn."
Yang shook her head furiously.
"No. No way. Absolutely not."
"Yang…" Weiss began slowly. "It actually sounds like…it could work."
"No," she said again, still shaking her head, even though Blake now was looking towards her with pleading eyes.
"And Blake would have the greatest opportunity for success if Cinder doesn't have any suspicion that anything is going on inside the building while the fight is outside," Velvet added, instantly drawing Yang's wrath her way.
"NO!" she shouted forcefully, slamming a fire-engulfed fist down on the surface nearest to her. She turned and stormed out of the room, fizzling in barely controlled fury.
How dare they try to make Blake do this? She had just gotten out of the hospital a few days ago. She could barely fight to save her life. No, she couldn't fight to save her life. Just because Blake could walk around normally did not mean she was in the type of shape to take on Atlesian warriors or another huntsmen. She was not ready. And, as far as Yang was concerned, Blake probably never would be. Not for this type of mission.
"Yang."
Yang turned to look at her partner, who had chased her out of the room, eyes full of fear and concern.
"Yang…" Blake began again, but Yang cut her off.
"You can't do this, Blake. You're not even 100% healed yet! What if you run into one of the huntsmen under Cinder's control? Or you run into Cinder? Or…"
Blake would know who the last person was, the one that Yang was actually most afraid Blake might run into. He had failed in his task the first time…she was positive he wouldn't make the same mistake twice.
"Yang…" Blake began again more firmly this time, slipping her hands into Yang's as she peered into her eyes.
But she wasn't ready to listen to Blake just yet, as a thought occurred to her.
"Run away with me," she said, gripping Blake's hands tightly in her own.
Blake laughed at the suggestion, but Yang wasn't finished.
"No, I'm serious, Blake," she continued. "Run away with me. You, me, Ruby, Weiss…we can all run away from this, right now. We can make it to Vacuo or Atlas…or we could survive in the forest, I don't care! But we can leave, Blake. We don't have to be a part of this."
Realizing that Yang was being serious, Blake regarded her with intent eyes, squeezing her hands slightly to gain her full attention.
"Yang, this could be the best shot we have to end this, once and for all. To defeat Adam and Cinder. Vale needs us."
"I don't care what Vale needs!" Yang shouted back at her, before instantly diffusing as the harsh sound of her voice caused Blake's ears to twitch slightly.
"What about what I need?" she added softly.
"I can't lose you again…I need you, Blake…" she trailed off, anger already dispersed as her voice shrank to hardly more than a whisper. She could feel defeat already beginning to set in.
"I won't ever leave you again, Yang," Blake replied confidently. "I'll always be here with you. I promise." She leaned forward on her tiptoes and gave Yang a tender kiss on the forehead to emphasize her words.
Yang looked down at the floor, deflated and resigned to the fact that she wouldn't be able to convince Blake not to go through with this. And she understood why. She really did. Running would be the cowardly thing to do. They would be abandoning their city, their friends, their family…but at least they would have more of a chance at survival…
She pulled Blake into a firm hug, nestling her head in Blake's neck in a briefly uncharacteristic show of vulnerability before she pulled away and forced a small smile.
"I'm going to hold you to that promise."
The two of them walked back into the ampitheater hand in hand. Yang found everyone else busy strategizing how best to approach the battle with the huntsmen and Atlesian warriors, how to stay alive as long as possible without being overrun. The feeling in the room was completely different from several minutes earlier. The somberness had been replaced by…hope.
They finally had a plan that might work. A way to bring their friends and teammates back to them. The thought alone was enough to turn these subdued huntsmen back into focused fighting machines.
Weiss and Ruby looked towards her with small smiles, already knowing that Yang had caved to Blake's plan.
They spent the next few minutes with Professor Ozpin, developing the best way for Blake to get to the roof of the building without being detected. They finally decided that they should use the cloaked ship that they had stolen from Cinder's first base.
Even though Blake didn't really know how to fly the ship, the coordinates could be programmed in and autopilot enabled to get her to the correct location. She could then jump out and navigate her landing on the top of the building as the remaining huntsmen gathered in front of the Capitol, hopefully drawing all of the captured and volunteer huntsmen outside to fight.
Once inside the building, Blake would search for whatever drug was being used to control the huntsmen. When she found it, she would take it, join the battle, and take control over Cinder's huntsmen. Hopefully, Cinder and Adam wouldn't be able to override her orders, but even if they could, it would theoretically cause enough confusion to turn the tide in their favor.
When all of the planning had been concluded, the huntsmen began to head home to get whatever sleep they could in the next few hours. They would definitely be needing it.
As they sat on the airship headed home, Yang clutched Blake's hand in her lap as if the Faunus girl held the only key to keeping Yang's heart beating. And for the first time in a very long time, Yang wished that the sun would never rise.