Behind Bars, Volume 2

Part One: Breached

I'll try to include most of the important details you'll need to remember in the chapters that follow, but here's a brief summary of events up till now (warning – spoilers):

Yang was sentenced to eight months for assault in Briarcliff, a prison in the mountains to the east of Vale. Despite her efforts, she gets caught in the rising tensions between the human and Faunus inmates. After her cellmate – Cadeja Álvarez – comes back from solitary confinement (for fighting to protect her sister), all hell breaks loose because the guards pulled her fangs. A riot ensues, and one of the COs is killed. The panic and fear cause a massive Grimm attack – during which Yang finds out that Sasha Orlov, her frequent tormentor and fellow D block inmate, was tasked by Raven to keep an eye on her. Everything seemed hopeless and it looked like the Grimm would completely overrun the Birdcage, but in the end, Atlas military support arrives to lend a hand, led by Winter Schnee.

Also where you see a * the translation of the passage will be provided at the end with the author's note.

"Dad, for the thousandth time stay home! They've only just got the phone lines back up, no way are they gonna be letting any visitors in here. Place is a wreck," said Yang, sighing heavily.

"I know sweetheart, but if I could just-"

"Dad!" huffed Yang. "Stop being so stubborn and listen to me. I. Am. O-kay," she said, slowly emphasizing each syllable.

After waiting for two days to get to the top of the phone list, Yang had spent the past ten minutes convincing Taiyang that she was alright and that rushing off to the Birdcage would be pointless.

In the wake of the attack, the eastern side of Briarcliff lay in ruins. D and A blocks were uninhabitable, and even some of the central parts of the compound had been severely damaged. Many administrators had returned to the Birdcage to find their offices destroyed, practically torn to pieces.

Repairs would take weeks, if not months – Briarcliff was going to be operating at only half its capacity for quite some time. Even with Atlas's military support and an inrush of new CO recruits, work would be slow.

It had taken nearly a week just to get the prison's communication lines back up. They'd restored phone privileges to the inmates almost immediately, but visiting hours were 'canceled indefinitely by order of the Warden.'

Glancing at the timer by the phone, Yang chewed on her lower lip. Her time was nearly up.

On the other end of the line, Yang heard her father grumbling to himself.

"…wouldn't stop a huntsman, not with the lack of bodies guarding that place right now… sure Qrow would know a way…"

Yang rolled her eyes.

"Dad," she said gently.

Taiyang stopped his mumbling at the sound of her voice.

"I promise you I'll call again when I get a chance, and I'll take care of myself," she continued, hoping that he'd finally listen. "I'll write too – I'll even send you a letter to give to Ruby the next time she gets in touch – just, stay put. Please."

"Yang…" he said, his voice still unsure.

The line beeped, indicating that her phone privileges were about to end. Yang squeezed her eyes shut, feeling like they'd wasted too much time.

"You have to go," said Taiyang, resigned.

"For now," she said, voice wavering. "But not for long, I promise – whatever it takes, I'll be in touch. And I will be safe; please don't worry." She smiled, even though he couldn't see. "Go hug Zwei for me."

"I will," he said, tone brightening a little. "I love you, Yang. Be careful."

"I love-"

The line clicked and Yang was cut off before she could finish.

"…you too," she murmured to herself.

Hanging up the receiver, she turned and checked out with the guard on duty in the comms room. Taking down her name and prison number, he recorded her use of phone privileges before pulling out a set of manacles.

With three little metallic snips, he clamped the chains around each of her ankles and her wrist. The fourth manacle he left dangling, uncertain of what else to do with it. Taking an awkward first step with the chain dangling between her legs, Yang let herself be led towards the exit.

I hate these stupid things. Almost makes you miss the monitors…

After the ankle monitors had been released and the D block inmates had taken them off, they had been scattered throughout Briarcliff – dropped wherever panicked inmates had left them. Many of them had been damaged in the attack, left useless or in need of repair.

In the meantime, extra measures were taken to help replace the function of the monitors: All D block inmates were cuffed during transport between the various areas of the prison, and were more heavily guarded than prisoners from any of the other housing units.

Reaching the door, the CO handed her off to an Atlesian Knight. The robotic soldier responded automatically, marching Yang out of the room and leading her down the hallway.

The two moved silently through the corridors, Yang shuffling awkwardly a foot in front of the Knight. Occasionally, the automaton would prod her in the back with the hefty firearm it carried in both of its hands, speeding her along.

They navigated through the maze of hallways, people busily buzzing past them. When they passed closer to the Yard, they had to skirt around piles of debris that had yet to be cleared from the Birdcage.

After a few minutes they had made it to the entrance of the Rec Center, but a group of Atlas personnel blocked the doorway. Two Atlesian Knights stood at attention, guarding the entrance on either side. Huddled in a loose circle between them were half a dozen soldiers of varying ranks.

Two soldiers who hovered at the back of the group – nearest to Yang – clearly weren't a part of the higher ups' conversation. They had their heads turned away, mumbling to one another under their breath even as a man with silver hair and gold lieutenant's bars on his shoulders continued to address the soldiers.

As Yang and the Knight escorting her came to stop a few feet away, she heard bits of their muttered exchange.

"We've been on this damn shift for twelve hours already. How much longer do we have to stand here listening to this bullshit?"

"There's not enough men to go around, even with the new recruits to boost CO numbers – great help they'll be. This place is a shithole…"

"Yeah well it's not even our shithole… it's just like Beacon all over again… Vale leaning on Atlas for yet another bail out."

"No argument there… backwoods place can't even take care of its own. If it weren't for our military they'd all be Grimm fodder…"

"…I mean, what else can you expect from a kingdom as disorganized as this?"

"Not much I guess. Fuck it, I just wanna go home. I-"

The soldier's words cut off as the doors to the Rec Center banged open.

"This room is unsuitable – it won't work," said a voice – clear, commanding, and in control.

The small crowd of soldiers parted in the middle to make room, but Yang knew who was marching out of the Center before she could even see her.

Recognizing the voice, Yang watched for Winter as she strode through the group. The white-clad woman appeared, moving towards Yang with clipped, brisk strides.

"We can't use this facility for overflow housing. The floor is unsuitable and the interior would require too many men to secure it properly. Honestly…" she said, shaking her head. A company of pale-faced, weary-worn men followed close on her heels.

Registering the Specialist's approach, Yang's robotic escort stood up straight and saluted. As the party approached Yang and the Atlesian Knight, Winter's eyes flicked up and studied them. Folding her hands behind her back, she stopped abruptly in front of Yang – bringing the rest of the soldiers to a halt.

For a moment, Winter said nothing – she simply continued to study Yang, who struggled not to look away deferentially.

Worried that he was supposed to say something, the man standing just behind Winter's right shoulder – her XO or second in command – jumped in, thinking that she was waiting for information.

Reading the numbers on Yang's prison uniform, he typed them into a scroll and started to read off her files.

"Yang Xiao Long, inmate number 04-1991. Six months remaining of an eight month sentence for assault. First time offender. Former resident of cellblock D-"

Winter held up a hand – cutting him off.

"I know," she said, eyes never leaving Yang. "Take the men back to headquarters, I'll meet you at the Warden's office."

"Ma'am," he said, nodding curtly. He briefly glanced at Yang, unsure, but he quickly moved to follow Winter's orders and he led the contingent of soldiers and Atlesian Knights off towards the administrative offices. Even the Knight who'd escorted Yang from the phone room followed.

When they had turned a corner and disappeared from sight, Winter seemed to release her breath – shoulders sagging slightly.

"All day long, dealing with complete idiots…" she grumbled, more to herself than to Yang.

Yang tossed her hair, clearing a few errant strands from her eyes. Not sure of what to say, she murmured a quiet, "I'm sorry."

Winter smiled, eyes softening. Relaxing her stiff stance, Winter started to pace around the hallway and Yang trailed her with her eyes.

"I asked Weiss about you," she said after a moment, still pacing slowly. Her long white coat billowed lazily around her legs as she moved.

Winter turned her eyes back to Yang, her gaze settling on her ruined right arm.

"She told me what happened to you during the Battle of Beacon. She also told me your side of the story about what happened during the Vytal Tournament," she said, eyes narrowing. "She seems to believe you…"

Her words trailed off for a moment, getting quieter.

"Or at least, she wants to believe in you enough to ignore what she's seen with her own eyes," she continued, her voice growing louder again.

Yang felt the defensive words bubbling up in her throat – she'd had plenty of people doubt her story before; Winter was far from the first.

"I'll stand by what I've said in the past. I saw what I saw – Mercury was attacking me – I just don't know how to prove it," she said, her chin raised defiantly.

Winter simply smiled. Rather than replying to what Yang had said, she changed the subject.

"I've met your sister before, you know. Ruby – right? She's an… interesting person, to say the least," said Winter. "Can't say I see much of a family resemblance though."

Taken by surprise, Yang didn't know what to say.

Eventually, she murmured, "We have different mothers."

Winter clearly hadn't been expecting that. She seemed to process the information for a moment, her eyes narrowing.

"Well that explains away the physical resemblance, but I wasn't talking about that." She smiled again. "As much as Weiss complains about it, I think she rather likes your sister's… energetic personality. I only met her briefly, but Ruby certainly seems like one of those lucky few whose innocence won't easily be corroded. Unlike some others I could mention…" she said, taking a step closer to Yang.

What is she getting at? thought Yang, eyebrows furrowing together.

"Yeah – Ruby's special. Her optimism is a gift," said Yang, watching Winter warily.

"That it is," she said.

For a second her smile faded, and she almost looked sad. But after a moment she shook her head – as if to clear away her thoughts.

"And speaking of gifts," said Winter, "I have one for you."

Gently she pressed something into Yang's hand. Looking down, she saw that it was a small envelope.

"Weiss asked me to give this to you. She didn't trust our father not to confiscate a letter addressed to the prison, so she had it sent to me," she said, walking away. While Yang stared at the small white envelope, Winter started to follow in the footsteps of her men – heading down the hall in the direction of the Warden's office.

Looking up at Winter's back, Yang said, "Thank you."

Winter's stiff posture had returned – shoulders square and arms crossed behind her back. Just before she turned the corner at the end of the hall, she said something soft – her voice floating back to Yang.

"Take care, Xiao Long."

For a brief moment, Yang was alone in the hallway. Wondering whether or not she'd just made another friend, Yang tucked the letter into her pocket for later and pushed through the double doors into the Rec Center.

Inside, the room was crowded with people. Most of them were inmates – but ringed around the Center were a dozen COs and even a couple of Atlesian Knights. Yang recognized almost none of the guards – and a good deal of them looked fairly fresh-faced and clueless, more or less standard for new recruits.

She hobbled her way over to the guard closest to the door and held out her wrist – waiting for the manacles to be removed. She flinched at the CO's touch – her skin was ice cold. However, the guard made quick work of the cuffs around Yang's wrist and ankles, leaving Yang free to move about the room unfettered.

The low hum of conversation buzzed through the Rec Center as Yang elbowed her way through the different pockets of inmates grouped throughout the wide open space. She felt the floor sloping gently downwards under her feet as she picked her way towards the stage.

As she got closer to the far end of the room, Yang noticed that the groups of women seemed less random. A fairly large crowd stood huddled together – mostly Faunus but with a few human women mixed in. They all watched the stage attentively.

What's going on? What're they looking at?

Peering up at the Center's multipurpose stage, Yang noticed several figures. One sat cross-legged on a metal folding chair. Others were forming a line up to where she sat.

"What the-"

Yang's eyes bulged when she recognized the seated figure.

"Church?"

Yang watched as the line of inmates each took their turn before Church. The woman who'd made it to the front of the line knelt, placing one hand on Church's knee, the other held over her heart – making the same gesture that Yang had seen Cadeja make on several occasions before.

Her hand was held in a closed fist with her thumb dividing her middle and ring fingers. Her wrist was twisted so that her palm faced forward and her knuckles touched her chest.

While the woman knelt, Church laid her hands on the inmate's shoulders and closed her eyes. The woman seemed to be whispering something – too faint for Yang to hear. After a moment, Church raised her hands and smiled at the woman, who thanked her and moved on – making way for the next girl in line.

The process was repeated again and again until the line dwindled down and the last girl received her blessing – or whatever it was – from Church.

Afterwards, the congregation bowed their heads. Looking around awkwardly, Yang followed suit – not wanting to cause offense or draw attention to herself.

After observing a moment of silence, Church ended the session by saying a few simple words.

"Let us remember what has come before and what has tried us in these difficult times – but let us not be broken and always remember both the Light and the Dark, our strengths and our weaknesses. Now, we go in peace."

As she spoke, her eyes seemed to un-focus – looking somewhere above the crowd. Shortly after she finished, Yang saw what looked like a dizzy spell strike the girl, and Church wobbled in her chair. To steady herself, Church rested her forehead in her hand and gripped the side of her chair.

Worried, Yang pushed around the edge of the crowd and climbed onstage. By the time she got to Church, Mirra, Raya, and Cadeja had already appeared.

Running over, Yang held out her hand.

"Church, are you okay-"

The words died in Yang's throat as Church's hand shot out and grabbed her around her wrist. Yang hissed in surprise and tried to tug her arm back, but Church's grip held firm. Where the girl's skin touched her own burned and Yang thought she saw something dark flash in Church's eyes.

"Let go!" she yelled, pain searing into her skin from the intense heat.

But a moment later – the heat had vanished and Church's skin was cool. Staring at where her hand held her wrist, Yang's mouth dropped open.

"Church, easy. Come back, it's okay."

It took Yang a second to recognize who had spoken. The words had come from Mirra, who now stood behind Church with a hand on her shoulder. Mirra's voice was surprisingly musical – her words forming around a lilting accent that Yang had never heard before.

Distracted, Yang missed it when Church let go and she was startled to find that her wrist was free. Looking back up at Mirra, she noticed that the girl's eye was still heavily bandaged.

"Hello Yang," said Church, back to her normal self.

Yang couldn't help but stare.

It's like nothing even happened…

"Um – what-"

"It's nothing, ave rota," cut in Cadeja. "No te preocupes. Está bien. Church was just a little tired from the service. It was longer than usual."

Cadeja and Mirra looked perfectly at ease, but Yang noticed that Raya looked a little frightened.

So I'm not the only one who doesn't know what that was.

"What do you mean? What was that service?" asked Yang.

Now Raya's look of fear turned to one of confusion.

Ok so maybe I am the only one who doesn't know what's going on, thought Yang.

"No sabes?" Raya asked, clear blue eyes boring into Yang. When Yang simply shrugged, Raya turned to her sister – still disbelieving. "Ella no sabe?"

Cadeja shook her head.

"No, she doesn't know." Turning to Yang, she said apologetically, "Raya's experience of the world is limited to what she knows from our people. She hasn't interacted much with outsiders before – she just doesn't understand that not everyone is familiar with some of our customs."

"O-kay…" said Yang, still waiting for an explanation.

While they spoke, Mirra helped Church down to the floor in case she had another dizzy spell and almost fell off the chair. Once she was settled, Church's eyes wandered up to Yang.

"Are you familiar with the Tale of the Two Brothers?" asked Church.

"The old fairytale? I mean – sort of yeah, I guess," said Yang.

"Fairytale," murmured Cadeja, smiling. "If only. There aren't many who still believe – especially in times like these. But the Two Brothers aren't just fairytales for everyone."

"Look around you," said Church, arm waving over the crowd of inmates, many of them still standing near the stage. "Look at all of these women here today. They've come seeking answers, needing to find some sort of reason amidst all the chaos. So many lives were lost…"

Yang winced, remembering. Of the roughly eight hundred inmates from A and D blocks, nearly two hundred had died, and countless more were injured. Many were still in the hospital ward, fighting to survive. On top of that, dozens of guards had died in the attack – following in the footsteps of CO Lowell.

"So what did you tell them?" asked Yang, hesitantly.

"Nothing that they didn't already know," said Church matter-of-factly. Again her eyes seemed to un-focus, looking but not seeing what was right in front of her.

Does she ever give a straight answer? thought Yang, trying not to show her frustration.

Apparently, she wasn't entirely succeeding because Cadeja cut in.

"Think of it this way, Xiao Long. The Two Brothers were the gods of Light and Dark, and together they made man. We have a piece of each of them within us, and we need to work to be aware of that in our choices and in how we live our lives. It helps us to take some time to reflect on that," she said, catching Yang's eye.

"Okay but what does that have to do with Ch-" Yang's question died on her lips when she saw Cadeja emphatically shaking her head. Clearly, it was something she'd have to ask later.

Confused, Yang quickly glanced at Church. She was still seated on the floor, not quite looking fragile, but she definitely wasn't fully recovered from whatever it was that had happened before.

The girl seemed to have retreated into her own world, eyes trained on the floor. Unselfconsciously, she flexed the bones in her hands and short, sharply curved claws slid out of her nails with an almost inaudible snick. For a moment Yang was startled, almost having forgotten that Church was a Faunus.

Absentmindedly, Church started to scratch at the wooden surface of the stage beneath her.

Meanwhile, Cadeja continued her explanation.

"The women you saw here today are struggling with the Darkness. It's what brought the Grimm here in the first place, and it's also what they left here in their wake. Death and destruction – they're both parts of what it means to be alive in this world. Not everything in us comes from the Light, and even then, what is Light can be dangerous too. It's about finding the balance, and reconciling the different parts of yourself to one another."

Yang nodded along, still watching Church. The Faunus had scratched a small picture into the wood. Yang squinted, seeing four interlocking circles carved into the stage. Each of the circles was the same size, and together they formed a perfectly balanced wheel.

"I guess that all makes sense…" mumbled Yang.

"Not everything can be explained in simple, logical terms," said Church – her nails still deepening the carvings of the four circles. "There's magic woven into the fabric of this world, Yang. Never forget that."

Cadeja hummed deep in her throat, nodding her assent, and for the first time in a while, Raya spoke up.

"Desde el nacimiento, tenemos miedo de la Oscuridad. Pero la Luz también puede quemarte," she said, looking at Yang. "Cuídate con la Luz. La Oscuridad es peligrosa… pero no es toda. La humanidad consiste de los dos."*

Yang frowned, struggling to understand the girl's thick accent. She managed to get most of it – from what she could tell, Raya had expanded on the fact that both the Light and the Dark needed to be approached with caution and respect. Regardless, it was clear that her tone was one of warning.

More time had passed than Yang had realized, because a moment later the guards started calling for girls to line up. Their small group turned to say their goodbyes – the D block inmates being ushered to a separate corner where they could be cuffed for transport back to the cells.

Cadeja walked away with Raya for a moment, her arms holding her younger sister protectively. Yang watched them go, knowing that Cadeja would come back to join the D block inmates in a minute. As she always did when she looked at them, Yang felt a pang of homesickness – longing to hold her own sister the way Cadeja held Raya.

Yang stiffened when she felt a hand wrap around her wrist. Glancing over, she saw that it was Church. Mirra had disappeared somewhere in the crowd.

"You have a great light inside you," she said. In one of those rare moments of clarity, Church's eyes sharpened and bore into Yang's, holding her in place with their intensity. "But be aware of your darkness, Yang. There are many things in your life that will seek to tear you apart if you let them. Especially in a place like this, they will come for you, and you'll have to be ready to face them."

Not waiting for a response, Church let go of her wrist and left. Stunned, Yang simply stood there for a moment – staring at where Church had held her wrist only a moment before.

Church's last words replayed themselves over again in Yang's mind.

They will come for you, and you'll have to be ready to face them.

A sudden chill made Yang shiver violently, tossing her hair over her shoulder. Something in what Church had said turned Yang's mind back to everything she'd been struggling with since the attack.

Does she mean… Raven? But – how could she know? There's just no way.

Still confused, Yang wandered blindly over to where the D block inmates were lining up. Not paying attention, she cut into the line ahead of several other girls.

"Oh, come on little sister – I know you don't like me, but cutting in line? I mean, what are we, twelve?"

Unable to stop herself, Yang rolled her eyes heavily.

Why the hell can't I look where I'm going…

Her eyes turned inward, Yang hadn't noticed that the two girls she'd cut in front of were Sasha and Roxie.

Even without the limits on her aura from the monitor, it's a freaking miracle Sasha isn't still in the hospital ward, thought Yang – remembering the sight of the Nevermore's beak protruding from Sasha's back. She must've really pushed herself to get out so soon. Just my luck…

When Yang didn't turn around or respond, Sasha took a step forward and leaned in close. Her mouth hovered by Yang's ear and she draped on arm over her shoulder.

"It's okay. I'll forgive you – head's probably all scrambled from listening to that lot muttering old wives tales," said Sasha, gently angling Yang towards the group of A block inmates. As they watched, Cadeja finally split off from the rest of them and started to head to the back of the line of girls waiting to be cuffed.

Exhaling heavily, Yang tried to shake Sasha off. A satisfied grin spread over Yang's face when her elbow connected with Sasha's side and the girl hissed, drawing in a sharp breath.

Still a little sore, huh?

Not paying attention to Roxie, Yang wasn't prepared for the small girl to step around them and get in Yang's face. The shorter girl gripped Yang's chin in her hand, forcing her to meet her gaze.

"Stop it," she hissed, her voice barely more than a whisper. "Wouldn't want to draw any unwanted attention to ourselves." As she spoke, she made a point to look at both Yang and Sasha.

Stepping back, she released her grip on Yang's face. Yang's eye followed Roxie's gaze to the nearest guard – a new recruit with his hand on his nightstick. The CO was incredibly young – perhaps not much older than Yang – and he looked petrified, liable to lash out at the slightest hint of unrest.

Resigned, Yang stopped struggling against Sasha. Feeling like she'd won, Sasha leaned back onto Yang, letting her chin rest on the girl's shoulder.

"We should have a chat sometime, little Yang," she said, voice cooing in her ear, "without all your Faunus friends around."

"I think I'll pass. Whatever it is that you're involved in, I really don't want any part of it," growled Yang through her teeth.

"Really?" said Sasha, sounding mock-offended. "I would've thought you'd be dying for answers…"

Yang frowned, not wanting to admit that Sasha was right. Raven was like a big blank spot in her life – wherever she showed up, a million questions followed.

"Regardless, there are other ways to motivate you. If you don't want to talk, I could always drop in on your cellmate. You seem particularly attached to that one, it's a shame what happened to her."

"You don't sound too broken up about it," retorted Yang.

"No, I guess I'm not," said Sasha, smiling. Her voice growing more serious, she whispered low enough so that only Yang could hear, "Don't think for a second that that wolf bitch isn't at least a little broken after, well…"

Sasha paused and snapped her teeth together emphatically in Yang's ear.

"She's vulnerable right now. Especially with that little pup of hers – what's her name? – Oh, yes. Raya."

"Back off Sasha. You need to leave them alone," said Yang, struggling to control her voice.

"Oh I will. Nothing has to happen to them, it's all up to you."

With that, Sasha let go of Yang and stepped back, Roxie following suit. The three of them remained silent as they moved up the line, and each took their turn being cuffed for transport back to B block, where the former residents of the Wilds were being housed.

"You doin' okay, ave rota?" asked Cadeja.

They were back in their cell – or at least, the cell they shared with two other inmates in B block. Yang sat on one of two mattresses the guards had dragged in for her and Cadeja. All she had was a blanket and a pillow, plus a few of her meager possessions tucked underneath – including her letter from Taiyang and now the one from Weiss as well, still unread.

Yang stared blankly at the wall opposite her. She had been in a haze ever since her encounter with Sasha.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, not really looking at Cadeja.

"Like I'd believe that," muttered the Faunus.

Cadeja eyed the other two women in their cell. Wondering if maybe Yang didn't want to say anything in front of them, she switched tact.

"Dígame. Qué pasó? Te vi con Sasha antes, es sobre ella?"

Before Yang could come up with a response using the few phrases she could remember that would satisfy Cadeja without actually telling her about the threats against her and Raya, another voice spoke up.

"Secrets, secrets are no fun…"

Yang sighed heavily.

Here we go again, she thought, bracing for another argument. What are the odds that we'd end up roomed with Darrah of all people…

With the destruction of most of D and A blocks, inmates had been squeezed together in what little space was left. D block inmates had been doubled up into cells with B block, while A block was bunked with C.

With hundreds of inmates now roomed in sets of three or four in cells meant to hold only two, overcrowding was a growing issue that got worse with each passing day – especially as more and more women were released from the hospital ward.

It was even worse here in B block, because more women from the Wilds had survived than from A block. Once the monitors had come off, they'd at least been able to defend themselves. A block had fewer trained fighters, and as a result, their numbers made up many of the casualties.

"It wouldn't be a secret if you'd bother to learn a language other than your own," snapped Cadeja. "You're the librarian, ain't you? Pick up a dictionary and learn somethin' why don't ya."

Yang slapped her palm against her face.

Every damn day…

Cadeja and Yang had counted themselves lucky when they found out they were still roomed together – or at least, they had until they'd shown up at the cell to find themselves faced with Darrah.

Putting Darrah and Cadeja into a tiny, overcrowded room… it wasn't such a great idea.

"I could do that. But you know what would be a hell of a lot simpler?" quipped Darrah. "You speaking English."

Yang heard Cadeja growl lowly.

Looking away, Yang's eyes settled on the fourth girl in the cell. She'd been Darrah's roommate since before the attack – and the poor girl seemed mildly afraid of her. Yang couldn't tell if the girl had always been naturally quiet, or if she'd been dealing with Darrah long enough to know that silence was her best defense. All Yang knew of the girl was that her name was Laurel.

Grumbling and rolling over onto her side, Yang laid down on the make-shift bed.

"Guys, can we not do this tonight?" she said – cutting off whatever retort Cadeja was firing out in her rapid accent. "I have a headache and it's almost lights out."

Cadeja muttered something unintelligible and laid down on the mattress set up next to Yang. Up on the top bunk, Darrah huffed and slammed shut the book she'd been reading. Through it all Laurel said nothing.

True to Yang's words, it was only a few minutes before the lights shut off – the little voices of the humming fluorescents all fading as one.

The din of conversation was slower to disappear from B block – hundreds of girls all crammed in together not quite settled in for the night.

Draping her arm over her upturned ear, Yang tried to block them out and she squeezed her eyes shut. She frowned, knowing that it would be quite some time before she managed to fall asleep.

After a while, she couldn't so much hear as she could feel Cadeja snoring lightly on the mattress next to hers. A low vibration thrummed through the metal coils. By then, many of the girls in B block had drifted off to sleep – including the three in the cell they shared with Yang.

Pulling a blanket tight around her shoulders, Yang stared into the darkness – seeing only quivering shadows that danced and fell like motes of dust.

Truly alone with her thoughts for the first time all day, the sight of the shadows brought a memory of Church's words to Yang's mind.

"Be aware of your darkness… they will come for you… you'll have to be ready to face them."

What did she mean?

The question buzzed around Yang's head like a gnat, worrying away at her and keeping her from falling asleep.

Raven, Sasha, Adrienne – I don't understand any of it.

But is that all Church was talking about? She said "they" – is it more than just that? What am I missing?

Yang went back and forth, arguing with herself.

I'm being ridiculous – Church doesn't have any special powers, even if Cadeja seems to think so. There's no way she could know…

Right?

Trying to focus on anything else, Yang listened to the small sounds in the darkness. Straining, she thought she could hear the pattern of one of the lark's songs somewhere in the distance, but after a moment she realized that she must have imagined it.

Since the attack, she hadn't heard the lark's singing. She wasn't even sure if she – whoever she was – had survived. It was entirely possible that she had been killed by the Grimm.

It wasn't until several nights later, alone and haunted by nightmares – new and even worse than the ones she'd had before about the Fall of Beacon – that she realized the high, soft voice had become one of the few small comforts she had here in the Birdcage. Without it, she felt even more alone than ever, like she had lost something she cherished.

Determined to chase the demons away, Yang closed her eyes and let her memory of the lark's melodic voice fill her mind. Slowing her breathing, she let some of the familiar tunes wash over her thoughts – hearing the notes even if she didn't know most of the words.

At one point she found herself humming one of the songs under her breath, but she stopped when she realized that it was the song of La Llorona – the mother who'd massacred her own children for the shame of what they were, and what she had made them to be.

Fucking halfbreed, hissed Sasha's voice in her mind – ruining the song.

Well that worked well, grumbled Yang to herself.

Lifting herself up, Yang grabbed her pillow and dropped her head back down onto the mattress. Squeezing the pillow in her closed fist, Yang slammed it down on top of her head – trying to block out the sounds of the prison.

Just go to sleep dammit… she thought, almost pleading with herself.

Tomorrow will be better than today, it has to be…

Those last few words became like a mantra, and she repeated them over and over again to herself.

It has be, it has to be, it has to be…

For hours she lay like that in the darkness – lulled by the repetition of the phrase – and somewhere in the gentle crawl of time she drifted off to sleep, a small frown still on her face.

*Translation: From birth, we are afraid of the Darkness. But the Light can burn you as well. Be careful with the Light. The Darkness is dangerous, but it's not everything. Mankind consists of them both.

Author's note: Hey guys! So I'm back with volume 2! Hope you enjoyed the first chapter, as always please hit me up in the reviews/PMs to let me know how you think it's all going, your feedback really does help!

Just a heads up, the chapters for volume 2 will probably have to be released more slowly than the ones for volume 1 because some things have been "restructured" at work (aka layoffs) so now I'm not going to have quite as much free time :(

But as always, I promise to do my best! Got lots of exciting stuff in store, and already I'm trying to tie some things back into canon (been setting this up for a long time so I'm really excited to dive into it all!)