A loud crash echoed through the night air at Beacon, clearly heard even above the howls and roars of Grimm, the volleys of gunfire, and the screams of civilians. Yang knew that it came from the courtyard, judging by how loud it was. She guessed that's where Weiss was and if she was lucky, she would find the others. She quickly finished off the Beowulf she was currently fighting by punching its skull into the ground with a powerful downward swing. Once the Grimm started to vanish in smoke, she raced towards the courtyard.
Once she arrived, she saw at least three wrecks of Atlesian Paladins and a few dozen piles of scrap that were once Atlesian Knights. One of the Paladin wrecks seemed to have just keeled over since there were no scratches or burn marks on it. Yang made a small internal joke that it had powered down mid-sprint. At the far end of the battlefield stood several students that attended the Vytal Festival. Sun, Neptune, Sage, Scarlet, all of team ABRN, Nora, Ren, Flynt Coal, and Neon Katt, just to name a few. But most importantly, she was right on guessing her icy teammate was there. The heiress was keeled over, exhausted, and using Mryternaster to support herself.
"Weiss!" the blonde brawler shouted as she raced towards the heiress, "You're okay! Have you heard from Ruby?"
Weiss could only shake her head in response.
"What about Blake?"
"She went after an Alpha," the Ice Queen began and pointed in the direction Blake had gone, "and some members of the White Fang."
"You look for Ruby. I'll meet up with Blake!" the brawler yells as she races off to find her partner. Weiss could only give a thumbs up in response.
As Yang raced on, she found resistance in the form of several of White Fang goons. "Outta my way!" the brawler shouted as she clothes-lined two of the Fang and tossed them into a wall, cracking it. She threw several punches at the rest of them and knocked them all out eventually. With that, she continued on.
Yang soon reached the cafeteria of Beacon, which was ruined with fires raging around it.
"Blake!" the blonde called out before she punched another White Fang grunt who thought it was a good idea to rush her with a sword. "Blake! Where are you?!" The young huntress soon hears a familiar voice scream in pain and she turns to its source. She sees Blake, lying on her back as a sword is withdrawn from near her left hip. Yang couldn't tell if the blood was stained red with her friend's blood or if it was naturally red but she didn't care. Her rage built up as she met the gaze of the monster that had stabbed Blake. It was a member of the Fang, a bull Faunus dressed in a black trench coat and wearing a special version of the Grimm masks the grunts wore. He smirked sadistically at Yang as he wiped the blood of his blade.
"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Yang roared and rushed forward at the monster in human form. If Yang could see his eyes, they probably rolled at her "human arrogance". The Faunus swung his red blade and a single motion, Yang felt her Aura break, she lost all feeling in her right arm, and then she fell on the cold hard stone floor. She was still conscious as she turned to see the wound the attack had left. A stream of crimson flowed out of her severed arm and began pooling on the ground. She had just enough strength to roll herself onto her back, staring up at the roof.
"Idiot," the White Fang leader spat as he drew closer to Yang, blade in hand.
"It's just how she is...Adam," came the voice of Blake. Yang's eyes widened in shock as she saw her partner standing right there, next to this monster. In her hand, she was holding a punctured blood-pack. The blood on Adam's sword WAS real blood, just not Blake's. "You know...you actually almost stabbed me there," the cat Faunus added.
"Well...I had to make it convincing enough…," Adam began as he firmly pinned Yang's other-and now only- arm with his foot, "now didn't I?"
"W-what?" Yang muttered, "B-blake...I thought...I thought you weren't WITH the Fang anymore…"
"Oh Yang...you never were the brightest member of our 'team'. It was a ruse. Adam LET me leave. It was a little secret plan me and him came up with. I infiltrate Beacon under the pretense of being a 'reformed member of the White Fang,'" the ninja interrupted herself as she started giggling. "I'm sorry...oh that's too funny."
"B-but...we trusted you! You're our FRIEND! You're MY FRIEND!"
"No...Yang...I never was. It was all...just...a ploy. Like Adam said...this...is OUR day."
Adam then reaches into his coat pocket and withdrew another Grimm mask, almost identical to his own but with black/purple markings instead of red. Blake took it from him and placed it on her face as her lips spread into a grin. "Thanks for holding on to that for me," Blake said before she kissed Adam's cheek.
Yang's eyes widened in shock and horror as Adam returned the kiss but his lips were firmly pressed to Blake's. The blonde felt a mix of disgust and heartbreak as she could do nothing except watch. Tears began to well up in the blonde's eyes.
"Would you like to do the honors….my darling?" Adam asked his partner.
"Of course I would," the cat Faunus cooed as she drew Gambol Shroud. The blade was maneuvered above Yang's heart. Blake cut an "x" shape to show where she'd stab.
"Goodbye...Xiao Long," Blake smiled sadistically as she thrust her sword down into Yang's heart.
Yang suddenly awoke and jolted straight up. She was panting in fear and awoke in a cold sweat. The blonde looked around and saw that she was still in her humble home in Patch. It was at least mid-day given the sun shining so brightly. The blonde had thought it would be better if she slept in today. Clearly, that idea wasn't the best. She wiped some of the sweat off her brow and calmed down.
"Just...just a dream...it was just a dream…," Yang mumbled to herself as she leaned back in bed. She rubbed her temples as she heard a knock at her door. No doubt it was her father.
"Sweety?" Taiyang called, "you awake?"
"Yeah…," the blonde responded in her now usual disinterested tone.
"Can I come in?"
"Just...give me a minute...ok Dad? I need...I need to clear my head."
"Why not come out then? Go outside? That always helps."
"No. I...I just a minute here...ok?"
"Ok. If...you want to talk...you just need to ask."
"I know Dad...I know." The blonde could hear her father walk away. Once he left, she sighed. She looked at the bandaged stump that was once her right arm. She felt guilt, regret, and failure. She believed it was because of her own arrogance that she lost her arm to that terrorist. She also knew what that terrible nightmare was about. She knew it was her own feeling of betrayal given form. Even though she woke up, she still felt like she was having a nightmare.
A few hours later, there was a knock on the front door of the Rose-Xiao Long house. Tai was getting ready to fix dinner for himself and Yang but stopped to see who it was, especially this late. He walked up to the oak door and opened revealing General James Ironwood of the Atlesian Military holding a large white briefcase in his right hand.
"General? Shouldn't you be in Atlas?" Taiyang inquired.
"If you're referring to the nightmare of political turmoil that's going on over there, I'm quite sure that Specialist Schnee can handle things while I'm here," Ironwood stated firmly.
Meanwhile in Atlas, Winter's desk is currently cluttered with files and reports on the political relationships with Vacuo and Mistral, with new ones coming in every fifteen minutes. Winter was currently filling out one of the hundreds on her desk. In fact, it looked like she had been pulling this job for nights on end.
Back in Patch, the general continued to converse with Tai.
"Also..please, just James will work."
"Right. Sorry. Thought you'd appreciate the formality though," Tai joked. "But...I'm guessing you're not here for a friendly visit are you?"
"I need to speak with Miss Xiao Long."
"What? Yang? Why would you need to talk with her?"
"To right a wrong from four months ago."
Yang was still in her bed when she heard the door to her room open.
"Dad?" the blonde asked as Tai stepped through the doorway, followed by Ironwood. "G-general Ironwood?"
"Hello Miss Xiao Long," the general greeted.
"I thought you were still needed in Atlas."
"As I told your father, Specialist Schnee can handle things while I'm away."
"So...why are you here?"
"Firstly...I would like to personally apologize for what happened in the Vytal Festival. After several pieces of evidence were provided to us, it became clear that you were framed that day."
"And yet...you only said I was having 'stress induced hallucinations.'"
"But...I wasn't wrong it seems. You DID hallucinate...but not because of stress. It is now believed by myself and several analysts that you were the victim of an illusory Semblance. "
"What?" both Tai and Yang said in unison.
"We've done research on two of the members of Mister Black's team, those being himself and Emerald Sustrai. The other two...it's as if they don't exist. Emerald Sustrai is the culprit of creating the hallucination you saw. A girl matching her description has been connected to a spree of petty thefts where the item was stolen in the presence of the owner. Witnesses claimed that the owner was under the impression someone was buying it from them and then another customer reported that it had been stolen. As for Mercury...I thought the name sounded familiar but couldn't place it. Once I did the research...I found him...or rather...his father. Marcus Black. The man was an infamous assassin that was responsible for over 50 assassination plots. He's been hired to kill everyone from politicians to civil rights leaders to crime lords. Twenty years ago...he was officially presumed dead."
"And yet four months ago...I fought his son and supposedly broke his leg in an unprovoked attacked," Yang added.
"Exactly. Once the CCT systems is repaired, I fully intend to clear your name by releasing this information to the public."
"You'd...really do that?"
"Of course."
"But...I have the feeling this isn't the only thing you came here for. Just drop by, say 'I'm sorry for wrongfully arresting you' and leave; there's gotta be more."
"Yes. With Tai's permission...I need your help."
"My help?"
"Her help? Tai asked.
"Yes. Your help, Miss Xiao Long. People don't trust Atlas right now. Vacuo isn't sure what to think while most of Mistral, from what my reports have said, well...diplomatic relations with them are strained. I need someone from Beacon to help fix this broken trust. Someone who was there at Beacon, someone who knows for a fact that the Paladins and Knights of the Atlesian army went rampant."
"So you plan on turning my daughter into the face of a propaganda campaign for Atlas?" Tai interjected, anger slowly building in his voice.
"No, nothing of the sort. Right now, Grimm activity is on a dangerous rise. This week alone, three small villages were completely destroyed in Atlas. If the kingdoms are not reunited against the mastermind of the attack during the Vytal Festival and the Grimm...then humanity is doomed."
"James, look," Tai began, "I'm already worried sick about one of my girls who is currently out there looking for the exact same thing you are. The last thing I need on my mind is-," he was cut off when he heard another knock at the door.
"Did...you bring someone with you?"
"No. No one except for Specialist Schnee knows exactly where I am. Everyone else was told I was on an away mission. Not my exact my location."
"Maybe it's...just someone else. Let's not get paranoid here."
James nodded and motioned for him to go answer the door. When he opened it, he saw a man wearing a winter coat with a fur lined collar standing in front of the door, mumbling to himself.
"Good Argent, is it always this cold out here?" he muttered before he realized Tai had opened the door. "Ah! Mr. Xiao Long. Apologies for that little mumbling of mine, I haven't been to Patch before," the man said with a surprisingly warm smile.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Vitallion. Doctor Vitallion Greene. I happen to be one of Mistral's best prosthetic producers. After all I do work at a company for such things. Now...I heard from a hunter of Haven Academy that during the DREADFUL events of the 'Battle of Beacon' that you're daughter was left SEVERELY handicapped by a monstrous member of the White Fang-for which you have my deepest condolences sir. BUT! I am willing and able to ease her pain."
"I...don't think that will be necessary Doctor."
"Why? Has someone else offered? I can assure you, I can top whatever offer they've presented you with! Model, make, cost, whatever the issue is, I PROMISE you that I can make a better deal."
"What about the best military equipment on Remnant?" the general said as he walked behind Tai.
The good doctor's eyes seemed to widen in surprise. "G-general Ironwood! What an unexpected surprise! I was unaware that YOU were the one offering the prosthetic to poor little Yang."
"Tell me...what company are you from...Doctor Greene?"
"What company? Why Charon Industries of course! Medical division of course."
"Really? Charon Industries? Last time I checked...Charon Industries was a military vehicle manufacturer."
"O-oh? It...it is? I-I mean of course it is! How foolish of me to forget!"
"And if you're here on official Charon Industries business...why aren't you wearing their emblem on your jacket? They always have their personal insignia emblazoned on them. "
"Oh...oh...I...I...ohhhhhhhh you know what...screw it. I might as well drop...the...ACT!" the doctor roared as he grabbed both Tai and Ironwood and tossed them out of the house. "Thank you for the tips, General. I know how to make my disguise more convincing for the next performance."
Tai and Ironwood managed to land on their feet and get into combat stances. The General drew his revolver and Tai activated his own gauntlets, Sancti Ignis. The gauntlets resembled Ember Celica in terms of design but they were red instead of yellow.
Yang was peering out of the window to watch was going on. She had heard her father and the general being thrown.
"Hmmm...a brawler much like his daughter and a primarily long ranged fighter. Hmph. Well...Yang doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Killing the father's certainly going to add weight to the message and killing the general of the Atlesian armed forces...well...that'll just be a bonus. So I don't see why we can't drag this out," the fake doctor mumbled to himself, rubbing his chin as he spoke.
"You're really going to fight us both on your own?" Tai asked.
"Do you take me for an amateur? I'm not alone here Xiao Long! I never got to introduce my supporting cast!"
"Supporting cast? Why are you talking like that?"
"What? All the terminology? Oh it's a hobby. I like making theatrical productions on the side. Ironic given what I am."
"You talk like you're-"
"Not a human? Yes! But I'm not one a Faunus either. But more on that later! Time for the supporting cast introduction!"
A rifle shot is heard as a bullet impacts right in front of Tai and Ironwood. Shortly after, the revving of a chainsaw could be heard.
"Hehehe...finally...I get to kill the General," a man wearing the garb of the White Fang walks forth, wearing a full Grimm-facemask and wielding a weaponized chainsaw.
"The second in command of the White Fang…" the General stated coldly.
"Remember what you promised me...Vitallion...I get to kill the bimbo in there," another voice added. Said voice belonged to the ruthless leader of the White Fang, the monster that had haunted Yang's nightmares: Adam Taurus. When the blonde saw the bull-Faunus, she froze.
"He's...he's here?! No...no no no no...why is he here...why is he here...why is HE here?!"
"Yes, yes, Adam. You'll have her head...as long as it'll shut you up for a while about your ex," Vitallion deadpanned.
"Like you'd understand," Adam retorted.
'Oh no, I understand. It's hard NOT to when you talk about her every hour of every day and at every damn MEETING! 'Oh Blake this! Oh Blake that! Let me make her suffer more my lord by devoting all of our VALUABLE RESOURCES to hunting her down!'
"...You're lucky we're on the same side Admiral...otherwise...I would slit your throat right now."
"Oh you may try. I'd have your own men take the attack until I can only use your Lieutenant over there as a shield."
"Do...I even get a say in this?" the lieutenant added.
"No. No you do not," Vitallion said with a smile, "Now then! Back to the matter at hand! Murdering an entire family and General Ironwood!"
Vitallion summoned his own weapon, a pair of single headed Liuxing Chui,better known as meteor hammers. The weapons themselves were made of a cold black metal, the chains wrapped around his entire forearm, and the heads of the weapons glowed red.
"Taurus...you and your lapdog will get the JOY of killing Ironwood..leave the father to me."
Taurus and his lieutenant and rushed towards the general of Atlas, swords at the ready. Ironwood stood his ground as the two as the two Faunus made a mad dash towards him. The first to attack him was the lieutenant, swinging his chainsaw down on the general but a single shot from the general's revolver knocked the strike back. Adam used the opportunity to swing Wilt at Ironwood's side. The red blade was blocked by Ironwood's right cybernetic arm.
"It'll be a pleasure to kill you," Adam taunted as he tried to break through the General's defense, "You're as much a symbol of oppression as the Schnees are. WIth you gone...we're one step closer to victory."
"If you're looking to take down symbols of oppression...you might want to take a look at YOURSELF!" James roared as he punched the bull-Faunus with his free hand and sent the terrorist flying. Adam used Wilt to slow himself and continue the attack. He sheathed the red chokutō and opened fire with Blush. The General dodged each of the shots of the rifle and retaliated with shots of his own. The Lieutenant tried to attack James with his chainsaw again but due to the size of the weapon, the strikes were too slow and easily dodged by Atlas Academy's headmaster. James then threw a punch to the chainsaw-wielding lieutenant which send the Faunus flying. Adam saw that and growled. He unsheathed Wilt and rushed at the General, continuing their fight.
Meanwhile, Vitallion was twirling one of his weapons as he and Tai circled each other.
"So if you're not human...and you're not Faunus...what...ARE you?" Tai demanded.
"Oh? Me? Well every world has stories about us! Lots of different names as well. Some call us djinn, others oni, but we prefer...DEMONS!" the Admiral roared as the chain of his weapon extended and he swiftly swung the metal ball down on Tai. The huntsman quickly rolled out of the way but then the demon Admiral spun the second ball of the weapon around him to try and hit Tai as the first ball-and-chain retracted. Tai kick the ball in the opposite direction to try and entangle the Admiral. The demon knew this trick all too well and adjusted his return swing as it returned to his hand.
"Nice try, Xiao Long but you're not the first actor to try that trick on me!" the Admiral taunted as he swung both of the metals orbs down on Tai. The huntsman blasted both of them with blasts of fire that stopped them and made them fall into the dirt with loud thuds. The Admiral for some reason smirked at this.
"What are you smirking at?" Tai asked.
"Oh...you know...just THIS!" the Admiral shouted as flames engulfed his hands. He then sends flame down the chains of the meteor hammer and into the orbs. The orbs transformed into fireballs and the ground began to shake. The ground beneath Tai began to heat up before a giant pillar of fire erupted from beneath the ground, seemingly engulfing the huntsman.
"Ohhhhhhhhhhh how I LOVE the pyrotechnics!" the Admiral chuckled as he saw the fire rage in front of him.
"DAD!" Yang shouted. Somehow Vitallion heard her and turned his head to look at her. The glare he gave her and the smile that spread across his face were full of murderous intent and sadistic glee.
"Don't worry...little dragon...you'll be joining dear old dad in the ground soon enough," the admiral smirked before he received a punch to jaw.
"You really thought I wouldn't see that coming?" Tai asked.
"In truth...might NOT have been my smartest strategy," the Admiral admitted, "but I doubt you'll be able to dodge THIS!" Vitallion's weapons begin to glow once he removes them from the ground. He begins spinning them in the air above his head as he forms a fire-twister that he then directs towards Tai. Tai dodges and shoots blasts of fire Dust at the demon but he blocks them by spinning his weapon. Tai continued to fire on the demon Admiral but Vitallion's defense held strong. Vitallion then slammed both of the metal orbs into the ground, causing several geysers of flame to erupt all around. Tai easily dodged them and blasted Vitallion between movements. When the last pillar erupted right in front of Tai, the huntsman shot five blasts right through it. When the pillar died down however, the Admiral was gone.
"How the hell…" Tai began but was interrupted as one of Vitallion's meteor hammers wrapped around him. Vitallion somehow managed to teleport on top of the roof of the house behind Tai as he dropped down from above.
"Hooooooooooowwwwww tragic...the daughter gets to watch the father die. It's like I'm writing the plot for a REVENGE story here!" the Admiral taunted as he readied his second weapon, spikes extending from the head of the weapon. Before he could strike though he froze as he heard something approaching.
The Admiral turned to look behind and then turned back to Tai.
"Um...you hear that too right? That sound? Trying to make sure I'm not going insane here…"
"Yeah...I hear it," Tai responded, just as confused as Vitallion.
Yang could hear the rumbling as well and instantly recognized it as the roar of an engine. A motorcycle engine.
"Wait...that can't be…," Yang began, "Bumblebee?" Yang's motorcycle had been left at Beacon when it fell to the Grimm but that roaring engine was unmistakable.
Tai had drawn the same conclusion, confusing Vitallion.
"Bumblebee? What in the name of Argent does a tiny little stinging bug have to do with any-" the Admiral was cut off as the motorcycle smashed into Vitallion, sending the demon into the wall of the house behind as shouted. The chains of his meteor hammer went slack around Tai and he was able to free himself from them.
"Thanks," he told the driver of Yang's motorcycle. The woman who was riding the motorbike nodded, her helmet still covering her head and the visor was down.
"Ooooooookaaaaaaaaaaaaay, well THIS is a plot twist! Suddenly a knight just rides in on iron steed! Not the way I'd write it..," Vitallion complains as he dusts himself off, "Honestly I'd say that no one came to save the valiant huntsmen from impending doom and maybe let the daughter go to hatch her revenge scheme."
"Shut up," both the driver and Tai said in unison.
"What?" the lieutenant asked. "How did she get here? I thought the listening post would've warned us!"
"Well clearly, lieutenant, it must have been destroyed! Or all our men were just killed. Either or. However...as it stands...we must report this to our lord."
"WHAT?!" Adam roared as he kicked the General in the stomach, "We're RETREATING?!"
"We've lost the advantage. In truth I had hoped we would end this much quicker but it seems that the script has been revised...to my dismay."
"But there are ONLY THREE OF THEM!"
"Clearly you don't know the value of shock-tactics. We once had the advantage of an unknown assailant. We had intimidation, surprise, but now we no longer have that. Consider this...the end of the prologue Mr. Taurus! The end...of the beginning. Now, Ironwood, Xiao-Long, Mystery Girl, we'll leave you to...whatever you're going to do but know this...this is just getting started! Exit, stage right!"
The Admiral summoned a rune behind himself and his two companions that all three of them jumped through. Once all three were through, the rune vanished.
"So...that just happened," Tai stated bluntly.
"A glyph...he must have a similar Semblance to the Schnees," Ironwood added.
"I think that Vitallion guy was a little...unhinged...called himself a demon."
"It's true," the driver of Bumblebee interjected.
"You believe him?"
"If I didn't see a small army of them back in Vale...I would've called him crazy as well."
"And...if you don't mind me asking...who exactly ARE you?"
The girl took off her helmet revealing a young black-haired girl with a matching bow atop her head. Her amber eyes were unmistakable.
"Blake. Blake Belladonna."
"I remember you. You were another member of team RWBY. How did you know about this?"
"Easy...I took out a listening post in Vale run by the White Fang and some new military faction calling themselves the Fourth Legion. Those are the demons I ran into."
"Blake…," Yang joined in the conversation, standing in the open doorframe.
"Yang…," the Faunus said as she walked past Ironwood and Tai. She now stood in front of her partner and was ready to speak...only for Yang to slap her in the face.
"That was for leaving when we-when I- needed you most! Where the HELL did you even GO during the past four months?! And why was there not even a NOTE?! RUBY even knew to leave a note!"
"Wait what?! Ruby's gone?!"
"Don't change the subject Belladonna! You KNEW I would be hurt from this and yet you just up and LEFT! WHY?!"
"BECAUSE IT WAS THE ONLY I COULD THINK OF TO PROTECT YOU FROM ADAM!"
Yang froze for a moment. "W-what?"
"You didn't HEAR...what he said that night. He said he would make it his MISSION to destroy everything I...care about…," the Faunus had stopped herself from saying "love". "And when Adam makes a commitment like that...he will NEVER let it go. He's a relentless monster with no regard for human life. And if a Faunus tries to defend a human...he'll simply mark them a traitor and kill them too. I thought the only way to protect you...would be running. If he saw...that...I didn't care...well...then...he wouldn't hurt you. Because if he did...if he came here and hurt you more...I already can't forgive myself for being the reason your career as a huntress took such a hit...if you DIED because me..."
"Blake, I…"
"You had every right to be mad at me Yang...but...now...even IF I had run as far away as Vacuo...he still would've come for you."
Suddenly, Yang grabbed Blake and pulled her into one of her infamous hugs.
"W-what's...this for?"
"This is for coming back, Blakey," Yang said as tears of joy filled her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.
The next day, as the sun rose over Patch, the door to the Rose-Xiao Long house opened. First to cross the threshold outside was Blake, with a backpack full of supplies for the journey ahead. Following the Faunus was Yang Xiao-Long, wearing her normal combat attire with a new right cybernetic arm that she had spent hours painting yellow and black.
"Alright...Yang Xiao Long is back in the game!" the blonde proudly shouted to the world.
(And there you have it! Yang is back in the game! Some might say it's a bit too quick to have her back in a single chapter, remember, this is four months later so, she's been out of the game long enough I say. Once again, I bring a Chinese weapon into the hands of the demons, a Meteor Hammer and I give the Admiral of the demon forces an entire hobby of making theatrical productions. Given he's a demon though...they're not normal. Anyway, next week, we'll get Belail's debut in combat against Neon Katt and Flynt Coal and team RNJR's battle against the Hydra on the water. As always, read, review, and enjoy.)