Last Huntress - Chapter 8
-Reunion Tour-
Yang Xiao Long let out a laugh as she stumbled under the weight of her beaten opponent. The large, bloodied man had been foolish enough to challenge her to a round in the ring, and she had gotten a bit carried away. True to form, she had carried him back upstairs, compensating quickly as his weight caused her to sway from step to step. With a great heave, she stepped out from beneath his massive arm and let him fall into the chair she had positioned him over.
Using the back of a hand to clear the blood away from her split lip, she let out another merry chuckle as a figure slipped up beside her. "Hey Velv, get him a beer and some ice, my treat." She grinned as she gave him a heavy pat on the shoulder. "Sorry about that bud, didn't think I hit you that hard."
A groan was her only answer as she turned, and was for the first time since she had emerged from the basement, aware of the utter silence that had descended on the common room of the bar. Everyone was staring at her, too. "Oh come on people, I didn't put him in the ground or anything!" But as she scanned the faces that were now suddenly interested in looking at anything that wasn't her, she gathered that their worries were far from an inconsequential fistfight. Turning, she settled her gaze on a pair of wide brown eyes. "Velv? What's going on?"
"I.. Well, I um.." The rabbit-girl was as evasive as the rest of them, looking for all the world as if she would rather anyone else be talking to Yang. It didn't make sense. "One of the regulars sent this to me a few minutes ago." The words all rushed from the Faunus as if withholding them a second longer would be life threatening, but a scroll was held out to her at their conclusion.
Snatching the mobile device from a smaller set of hands, Yang was finding calm more and more elusive as dread set in as her mind ran through the possibilities of what could be so grave as to bring the bar to such a standstill. A careful kind of silence as if the tension hung on a knife's edge.
The display showed a gaudy advertisement, similar to those that adorned street corner kiosks or sides of buildings in the commercial areas of the city. Bright neon on the scrolls holoscreen, it showed a stylized laughing face in the same design as a jack-o'-lanterns grin, only this one was made to look vicious and menacing. Yang recognized it immediately. In Vale, you'd be hard pressed to find someone who wouldn't know this symbol, and whose authority it represented.
The jagged smile faded away into an advert showing a rose-like symbol, the top petals of the flower looking as if they were burning away. Text at the top showed a date and time, but those numbers barely registered as the screen flickered Yang read the final line that appeared.
'Watch a Huntress die.'
It was simple enough, lasted only seconds and got the message across very efficiently. People would fill in the blanks, just as she had.
Yang's mind raced, from the all too familiar emblem to the realization that since their fight the other day, she hadn't seen her sister. It wasn't uncommon for Ruby to avoid her after an argument, but there was usually some form of contact, either through their uncle or mutual friends letting her know that her sister was alright.
Panicked thoughts were burned away by anger that swept through her mind, as she mentally pieced together what had happened and just where Ruby had gone. Before she could recall that there was an audience to her actions, she smashed her fists down into the table she stood near, before gripping the underside of the surface and wrenching it upwards.
The unfortunate patrons in the path of the thrown table scattered as she let out an inarticulate scream of frustration, ignoring the wary looks as everyone but Velvet took an involuntary step away from her. Gentle hands took the scroll from her, bearing the wrathful gaze she sent the Faunus' way as her friend spoke softly.
"Not here."
Shaking from the rage that was building up inside her, equal parts anger at the stupidity of her sister and the deep sense of helplessness that accompanied the situation, Yang glared at Velvet for several seconds before storming towards the stairs behind the bars that would lead to the upper level. Utter silence followed her exit, even after she slammed the door behind her and ascended.
Shoving through the entrance to her room, she left the key in the lock and only made it a couple of feet into the space before she stopped, clenching her fists so hard her knuckles turned white. Her limbs shuddered as she struggled to simultaneously control herself, which had never been a skill of her's, and think of a way that she could get to Ruby.
She had been in the Crimson Quarter exactly once since Beacon had been shut down, and though she could go twelve rounds with the toughest civvie in Vale, she remembered the aches and pains of fighting against Torchwick in her prime. Not to mention his diminutive and deranged little sidekick. Now she was down two teammates to back her up, Ember Celica was still missing after she had been forcibly disarmed by order of the Remnant Security Council, and if she were really being honest with herself she hadn't kept up with Aura exercises as much as she should have.
To be fair, she hadn't expected her little shit of a sister to do something as monumentally stupid as approaching Roman Torchwick. He had, in the years after his last escape from their pursuit, left them well enough alone. Now she was helpless to do anything while he executed the girl she had been desperately trying to keep alive these last four years.
It did not help that the last thing she had said to Ruby was that she would want her out of her life if it wasn't for a few drops of shared blood. For years she had been cleaning up after the careless wolf-girl, and in that time she had reached the end of her rope on several occasions. But the younger woman had always come back, and a brief apology passed between them. Now it was likely she would never see her again, and a sudden darkness gripped at her heart as fear crept in. The realization that the final words she had spoken to her little sister were so unnecessarily cruel and petty threw her emotions into a loop between terror, anger, and regret. Her darkened thoughts were interrupted by the soft click of the door closing behind her, causing her to turn and face whoever had entered her room.
Yang had expected to find Velvet coming up to check on her, but what she found was a figure with its back turned to her, clearly feminine in build. From a pair of boots that ended just below the knee to the half skirt fringed with a blood red lace, she had trouble placing the style until the wild mane of black hair shifted and revealed a howling Beowulf with claw marks slashing through it on the back of the white jacket.
The White Fang.
"Yang," The word pinged off some deep memories, the notes of a voice beating to the same rhythm it had so long ago. A torn cat ear twitched as its owner turned to face her, revealing eyes the color of amber, lacking the fire that had once illuminated their depths. "It's been a long time."
Blake didn't know if it was fear or relief that coursed through her as the blonde stared at her. On one hand, she was certain that Yang was going to hit her. After all, her old partner was already in an agitated state, and she did have it coming. On the other, brilliant crimson irises had bled back into a more docile and inviting lilac.
The lull did not last long, as those wide eyes eventually recovered from the shock of her arrival and narrowed dangerously as they looked over her attire. Within a single heartbeat, Yang was next to her, fists gripping the edges of her collar and slamming her back against the wall. "What are you doing here?" The words were bit at her through grit teeth, the blonde's fury focused on her for the moment. Even as she opened her mouth to respond, she was cut off. "Fuck it, I don't care. Get out!"
With one hand still firmly gripping her collar, the taller woman reached for the doorknob, clearly intent on throwing her from the room. Blake stopped being passive and reached out to close the door just as it was opened, matching the glare that was suddenly swept her way. "It's about Ruby."
Those red eyes were back, burning a bright crimson hue. It wasn't helping that she could barely control the growl in her own voice, or the scowl she shot back at the other woman. She shoved Yang away from her, taking a threatening step forward as she did. They weren't teenagers anymore, and she spent far too much time walking on eggshells among others to do it now. She had come to help, and if she had beat the truth of that into the other woman, she would.
At first she assumed that it was shock at her actions that gave the other woman pause, but then Yang gave her a strange look. "What did you do?" The question put her off balance, on the defensive again as she stumbled over a few tries at explaining what had happened. How she had been involved with sending Ruby into a death trap.
"You wouldn't come back," She whispered fiercely, "Not after seven goddamn years, without a good reason." Yang was a alarming sight to behold when she was angry, all flames and shouting. But true fury, when the blonde got quiet and serious, was downright menacing. "I know what mess Ruby is in, and suddenly you just reappear. What. Did. You. Do?"
Each syllable was accompanied by an accusing digit that jabbed her in the chest, driving her back against the wall. She had known it would be rough, she had prepared a small speech. All of that seemed to have been swept away by the fire of Yang's anger. "The job she was working on, the reason she went into the Quarter.." Blake had been a gang enforcer for quite some time now. She had pummeled people into the ground and not blinked twice at the order to do so. But now she gulped and stuttered like a frightened child. Being here, being yelled at by the taller woman. It made her feel like a teenager again, like she was back in Beacon and had just done something stupid enough that even her old partner disapproved. "..We hired her, the White Fang. She didn't have a choice."
Blake saw the fist draw back and she heard the impact, but she didn't feel it. As her eyes slid open again, she observed the sizable dent in the wall only a few centimeters from her face. After a moment of quiet, she returned her gaze to Yang. The woman winced once as the hand was withdrawn, but otherwise seemed calmed from the outburst. "Look, she stopped someone who was going to pick us off from the rooftops. But our leader took an.. Interest in her."
She flinched when she spoke the word, and for a brief moment, she saw a flash of pity cross over Yang's features. It nearly tripped her up, to see such blatant emotion. It was rare in her world, where faces were always covered by masks. "You know how the Fang operates, she had to finish the job or she'd put you and everyone else she loves in their crosshairs. I think she only had one lead."
"Torchwick." It was an obvious enough connection, if the blonde had seen the same advertisement she had. "So why are you here Blake? You and your little revolution gonna storm the Quarter and save her?"
She had to work to still the growl that rose in her throat at the mocking, more angry at being reminded of the origins of the White Fang. There had once been noble goals, and a sense of honor in even their criminal acts. To be nothing more than common gangsters now, and for her to be forced to serve such corruption, was far from enjoyable to be reminded she was an attack dog now. "No. The White Fang isn't going to do anything, she isn't one of them and they have the treaty to think about.."
"'They'?" Gone was the passive aggressive tone that told Blake there was a countdown to her getting thrown out, and what had replaced it was a sense of curiosity in Yang's voice. "What are you planning?"
Taking in a deep breath, Blake rocked on her heels before letting it out, giving a shrug as if it was of no importance. "I have a plan, I just needed to.." She trailed off, not sure if she wanted to admit she thought her plan would end with her as lost to the world as Ruby now was. She had just wanted someone to remember she had tried. Someone who had once cared. "I needed to make sure you knew to stay put while I do this."
Already she could see the protest forming on the other woman's lips. "Don't argue with me on this, Yang. This isn't a guns blazing mission, I'll just get in and out, and the consequences will fall on me." It was a lie. A surprisingly well crafted lie considering she had just come up with it. She really could use the brawler along on this, going into a building she didn't know the layout of and planning on making a fight of it, but that was not enough to justify throwing another of the few people she had once counted as friends to the wolves. No, she had stood idly by while Adam drafted Ruby into their war, she would fix this.
But every good lie holds a kernel of truth, and the other woman had not missed it. "What.. Consequences?" She had been ready to turn and leave, to run from this curious feeling that was creeping through her chest, a gnawing sensation of guilt that she had lied to a friend. It was strange, that after so many things that she should feel guilty about, this was the first in a long while that truly affected her.
She didn't turn to face Yang, but she was surprised by the idea that the other woman cared what happened to her. It had simply been long enough that she had assumed the anger at her departure would be the only thing she would find here. But that had always been what pulled her to Yang and Ruby, that they had a way of including her in their circle of friends without hesitation. Blake had thrown it all back in their faces, screaming that no one would have understood what she was going through.
The pressure in her chest was building, driving her to escape this place and these memories that had been brought to the forefront of her thoughts. Blake turned the knob and opened the door, pausing to speak after taking a step, remembering that there was a question that needed answering. "I'll be breaking the treaty to do this. The people I work for won't be happy. I'll have to go to ground, so you won't see me for a while."
A laugh came from behind her, dry and sardonic. "What else is new?"
Yang stood there for a long time with her arms crossed over her chest, watching the hallway as if expecting something else to come out and surprise her today. Her sister had been captured by the leader of the gang that hated Faunus, not to even mention the history between Ruby and Roman. To top things off, her old partner had reappeared after seven years. Seeing Blake had been confusing to her. She had fought the urge to knock the other woman upside the head for what she had done, but simultaneously had to resist being happy that she was alive.
So much had changed, from the piece missing from the left cat ear that lay uncovered, the dark look in the amber eyes that peered back at her. Blake had always seemed like she had led a rough life, but to Yang, the brunette had just seemed beaten down by the world. It was different with Ruby, who would try to convince her that she was fine with everything that had happened and how things had ended up.
Blake seemed as if she had stopped fighting, and merely accepted the horrible parts of her life.
It was a far cry from the passionate girl she had once known, one who had once told her in detail how terrible the White Fang had become. Yang scoffed as she recalled the jacket that she had seen the Faunus wearing, the idea that someone who had once betrayed the gang now wore their colors so casually caused a brief swell of annoyance before she calmed herself down. Everything was building off the frustration of knowing that Ruby was in danger, and being able to do exactly nothing about it. At least there was a small bit of hope now.
Before Blake had shown up, her mind had been racing through a hundred scenarios, but most had been simple variations of kicking the door in and trying to take on the whole of Torchwick's group by herself. Not a very good plan, even if she was being optimistic. The best result of that ordeal would have been her being captured right alongside her sister.
Yang clenched her fists together as she gave a brief shout of frustration, only now realizing that she had been pacing the room as her muscles cried out for something to do. As she paused, she saw the figure by the door that had been watching her. Long rabbit ears were perked up, and wide brown eyes studied her as Velvet stepped into the room, hands behind her back. "I closed the bar for the night, sent everyone home. A few grumbled, but no one caused trouble." The brunette brought her hands up, revealing a bottle filled with a dark amber liquid and a couple of glasses. "And I brought this, thought you might need some company."
With a smile, her friend set the glasses down on the desk before twisting off the cap of the liquor and pouring two drinks. After placing the bottle upon the rare open area of the surface, Velvet lifted both glasses and offered her one. No sooner had her fingers wrapped around the container then she brought it to her lips and drained in a single go, letting out a small hiss as the liquid burned at her throat.
When she lowered the glass again, the Faunus was watching her with a bemused expression. Yang observed the other woman for a long moment, only just now noticing the red tint to Velvet's cheeks. In fact, the rabbit-girl seemed a bit tipsy already, indicating that the sip from the glass she held had not been her first drink.
"I, um.. I heard Blake." Velvet tilted her head to the side and lifted a finger to point at one of her rabbit ears, as if it were necessary to explain. Yang stepped around the shorter woman, pouring herself another glass from the bottle as she gave a nod as her only answer. "I think Ruby is in good hands, for what it's worth."
Turning while she downed another gulp of the dark liquor, she let out a rough laugh. "You didn't see her. She's not the same Blake we knew. Now she's run down and beaten. I half expect to never hear from her again." The words carried a more bitter taste than her drink, most of them lies. She was angry at the world and a girl she had once called 'partner'. Only now all the rage and all the hatred she had held onto had resurfaced, and without an outlet, turned inward. Now she feared the worst fate of two women, scared that she would never hear from Ruby or Blake again.
And it would be her fault. It was always her fault.
Her own mother had walked out of her life with zero effort, as if it had been an afterthought. She had been entrusted to support Blake in what should have been years together at Beacon, but even she had been blindsided by the Faunus abandoning them. The safety of her two remaining teammates had even been compromised while she had lay in an infirmary, laid low by her own recklessness. Thousands died during the Breach while she had slept away the night in that bed, injured and blissfully unaware that she was failing in every sense of her duty as a sister and friend.
As if to sprinkle more shit upon the heap, her mind turned to the last days of her father, who had spent a life alone doing his best to raise her and Ruby. A man she had viewed as the strongest she had ever met, wasting away to an illness for which there was no cure. These thoughts and memories, tainted by her viewpoint and a night that begged for truth, would not be silenced. They only came faster and faster until she was pummeled by the sheer emotions behind the images, so quickly that she lost track of why she suddenly felt like there was no coming back from this darkness that had taken hold of her life.
Yang wasn't sure when she had begun to sob in earnest, having felt only the first tears and from there been enraptured by her own depressing thoughts. She wasn't sure when she had sit down on the edge of the bed, or when the glass had tumbled to the floor. All she was sure of the warm arms that had wrapped around her, pulling her into a gentle embrace and allowing her a shoulder to bury her face into. She had always been so careful about the appearance of strength even if what lay beneath was anything but strong, but in the presence of a friend who had lost as much as she, there was no way for her to resist the pull of emotion that this bastard of a day had forced upon her.
Before long she found herself laid down on the bed, a warm hand caressing her shoulder as she rested her head into the pillow. Exhaustion and drink drove her closer to the edge of sleep, but what truly lulled her into unconsciousness was the feeling of Velvet being nearby, offering her silent support.
Author's Note: It's been a while, I'm sorry about that! Between work, life, and games there just hasn't been enough time to write the quality of work that I want this story to be. This chapter was actually supposed to be an intermission of sorts, a quick break to explore how all this is effecting Yang. So next chapter will continue with Ruby! Won't take more of your time here except to say THANK YOU for all of you that follow this story, and that I hope to get a more regular update schedule worked out soon. As always, please leave a review with your thoughts, I love to hear from you! OH, before I forget. I know the story is kinda depressing.(Understatement?) If that isn't your thing, that's okay, but if you're already in a dark place and this is making it worse, please do not continue to read it! I can't promise that it'll get better, but I can say that it won't be all doom and gloom the entire way. There will be bright spots, but I do not want to make anyone's life worse for having read my work. Thank you. -Fox