Day 7: AU Day

Vampire & Human AU Continued

Bloodlust made it hard to remember things. Both in the moment, like why Yang didn't want to drain someone—Blake—dry, and afterwards, trying to recall what happened when the siren call of 'blood blood blood' overwhelmed her thoughts.

Yang wasn't sure how she got from beside Bumblebee to out of sight of the road, pine trees surrounding her.

Where was Blake? The last thing she remembered was—

Oh no.

Not Blake.

Someone please tell her she hadn't killed Blake.

Her heart thundered in her ears. Wait, that wasn't her own heart, it couldn't beat that fast any more.

She looked down and saw red. Not bloodstained snow, nor Blake's body. Ruby's cloak. Worn, as always, by Ruby. Her little sister's arms tightened around her.

"Ruby?" Yang automatically hugged her back.

Ruby looked up, sheer relief in her silver eyes. "Yang!" She squeezed harder. "I thought I lost you."

"Me? Where's Blake?" 'Please tell me she's not dead please tell me I didn't kill her please please please not Blake.'

Ruby smiled. A reassuring sight. She wouldn't be smiling if Yang had eaten Blake. "She's fine. Uncle Qrow got you off her before you had more than a nibble. She didn't come with me because of the whole wanting to suck her blood thing. She wanted to, though. I just… Well. You'd never hurt me. And you didn't."

Yang sagged. "He did?"

"Yeah, Kiddo." Qrow's voice came from under a fallen pine tree. The break in the trunk looked fresh, oozing sticky sap. Qrow pushed himself out and up, and brushed himself off, clothes even more wrinkled than usual. He patted himself down and pulled out his flask. He gulped down a mouthful, and rubbed his jaw. "Tai would be proud. You hit me more and harder than he managed at his best."

"Sorry."

Qrow waved off her apology. "Ruby stopped you before you actually hurt me. You couldn't help yourself. I should've had Blake feed you first, while you were weakest. I knew you banned her from providing blood for a reason. Of course you'd get carried away."

Yang tried to keep herself from exploding. "Why didn't you stop her from feeding me at all?"

"You needed every drop of blood you could get. You're fine now, but you didn't see yourself back then. Forget Firecracker, you were Overcooked."

Ruby shuddered. "Don't remind me, Uncle Qrow."

"Sorry Pipsqueak."

Yang looked up, checking the position of the sun. "We need to get moving, find shelter before nightfall. Qrow and I might be fine in the cold, but you won't be, sis."

"Right, hopefully somewhere less Grimm infested." Ruby looked around. "Which way back to the others?"

While the snow was trampled around them, there were a lack of footprints they could backtrack to Bumblebee. Qrow must have thrown her most of the way and jumped after her from tree to tree, or maybe even flown in bird form. Ruby must've used her semblance. That the petals had vanished meant it took alarmingly long for Yang to regain her senses.

Yang shrugged. "Don't ask me, I can barely remember anything except wanting blood."

"My bird form ain't a homing pigeon." Qrow took another swig from his flask.

"No, but if you transformed, you could fly up high enough to see the road! And I really really really want to see crow Qrow!" Ruby practically vibrated in her eagerness.

"Kiddo, I'm too drunk to fly straight."

"You've got a landing strategy, right?" Yang asked.

Qrow scoffed. "Every huntsman worth his salt does."

"Good." Yang darted over to him, grabbed him and tossed him upwards as hard as she could.

A rather grumpy Drunkle Qrow led the way back to the road, footsteps weaving slightly.

The others looked relieved to see them. Yang couldn't help but notice their eyes lingering on Ruby, as if they'd been afraid she wouldn't return at all, or if she did that she wouldn't be in one piece.

Before Yang made a beeline for, well, Bumblebee, she cautiously stepped as close as she dared to Blake.

Blake's cat ears perked up, her eyes on Yang, mostly inscrutable but certainly interested in what she had to say.

"I'm sorry. For, y'know, biting you."

"Don't worry about it. I wasn't expecting it, but no harm done. It's… kind of flattering you wanted more that much." Blake blushed and looked away.

Qrow snorted. "You mean you liked being under—Ow!" He yelped, staggering away from Maria. She'd whacked Qrow with her cane. Right, Maria, that was the old woman's name. Yang had forgotten it while pain addled.

"Shut up and help me on the trailer. If you play your cards right I might have a story for you all."

They reached Argus before dark. Maria's story filled in the time nicely. It was funny, hearing Qrow acting like a starstruck fan. But then he'd based his weapon on Maria's, just like Ruby had on his. Maybe that made Maria Ruby's grandma in a tenuous way, or at least Maria's scythes were Crescent Rose's grandparent.

It was a relief to be reunited with JNR. Or maybe they were about to be JNOR with the way Nora hugged the living daylights out of poor Oscar. Jaune led the way to where they'd been staying, with his sister and her wife. And their baby boy Adrian, who was cute as a button. Yang just wished she could trust herself to be close enough to play with the toddler. But after the incident with Blake, she didn't want to risk it. What if Adrian turned out to be as tasty as Blake? What if he fell over and grazed his knee or something, drawing blood?

Qrow leaned close. "Hey. We should talk. Privately."

Yang sighed. She followed her uncle, hoping he'd sobered up enough not to be her drunkle.

"What is it?"

"Something more about vampires. I didn't tell you during your crash course in vampirism because I wanted to be sure you had enough control."

Yang stared at him. "Doesn't what happened with Blake prove my control isn't great?"

Qrow smiled his crooked smile. "No, because Ruby got you to stop."

"Because it's Ruby. That doesn't prove anything."

Qrow raised an eyebrow. "Your mortal sister got you to stop with nothing more than a hug. That proves a lot to me. I say you're ready to know more."

Yang couldn't argue with that.

"All right then: vampires can enthral mortals. Doesn't work on other vamps. It's a bit like in movies, but it's not as simple as one look and they're yours. It takes eye contact, touch, and it helps if they already like you. Don't try it in combat, it takes too long, and it won't work if they hate you. Failed enthrallment gives you a splitting headache." Qrow looked at Yang and finally noticed the look on her face: horror. "What's up?"

"That sounds so fucked up. Why would I want to do that?"

"It can help get you a meal in a pinch and have no one you can trust to do it. Relax, Yang, it doesn't have to last forever. You can release them at any time. They won't remember afterwards."

Yang shook her head. "Still messed up."

"Some vampires misuse the power, sure. I only use it when I need to. It comes down to a choice: a mind whammy on someone who might not deserve it, or losing control because I left it too long before feeding. I know which I can live with."

Yang sighed. "I suppose when you put it that way…"

"Yeah. I'll teach you how to do it. Just don't use it to get Ruby to eat a healthy amount of cookies. I know it's tempting, and it'd be for her own good, but it's a slippery slope."

Yang had to smile a bit at that. Ruby and her cookies… "So how's it work?"

"You're not gonna like it."

Yang tried not to sigh again. If she sighed too much she'd feel like a Schnee, and she didn't have the right hair or eyes for that. "Just tell me, Qrow."

"We're going to need someone for you to practice on. One of your friends, not a stranger, not until you get the hang of it."

Yang frowned. "I'd want a friend to be able to consent. How could they do that if they can't remember?"

"We-ell, I don't think you need to worry about that. You're not going to get it right away. No, Kiddo, your problem is something else entirely. Whoever you pick is going to know what you're capable of."

Great. So one of her friends would never be able to trust her again. Thanks a lot, Mom. Maybe it came down to who it'd hurt least to see suspicion in their eyes. Probably Oscar. But that was messed up to land on a kid, and he wasn't old enough to consent to mind fuckery unless Ozpin took the reins. And Oscar claimed Ozpin was hiding after Jinn revealed his secrets. So not Oscar. Then… Jaune? No, she was coming at this wrong. Like a coward. She should pick who she trusted most, and trust them to handle this. So… Ruby. But if Oscar wasn't old enough to consent, neither was she. Weiss or Blake, then.

But it couldn't be Blake. She hadn't said much about Adam, but she didn't need to for it to be clear that bastard had done a number on her.

Yang sighed. "Weiss."

Blake appeared, so abruptly that she had to have used her semblance. "Pick me. I'm here for you."

"Faunus and their hearing," Qrow muttered. "This was a private conversation!"

"What? No! I can't ask this of you. Not with your history." Yang didn't elaborate. Blake knew exactly what she meant, and Qrow didn't need to know.

"You don't need to ask. I'm willing."

Yang shook her head. "No way. You already compared me to Adam just before Beacon fell. The last thing you need is another similarity."

Blake took Yang's right hand, the prosthetic's pressure sensors registering squeezing. "I regret it more than I can say. You're not him. He wouldn't even hesitate if he had mind control powers and not just normal manipulation."

"Blake…"

Blake met her gaze unflinchingly. "I chose to trust you, and I'm not going to change my mind."

Yang heaved a sigh. She didn't want to risk damaging Blake's probably fragile trust, but she didn't want to reject Blake after she opened up either. "All right."

Qrow put a hand on Blake's shoulder. "You gotta be ready for this. Whatever you feel for Yang is gonna be dialled up to eleven. You can still back out, no shame."

Blake didn't hesitate. "I'm here for Yang. Whatever she needs."

"Okay." Qrow removed his hand and turned his attention to Yang. "Remember: eye contact, touch—preferably skin contact—and most importantly: focus. Your willpower is what matters here. Shouldn't be a problem for you, but no one gets it right first time."

Blake stepped closer, taking Yang's other hand. She raised her head, meeting Yang's gaze, golden eyes unblinking.

"Now, think hard about something simple you want Blake to do for you."

Hm. Yang drew a blank. She absolutely couldn't think about Blake feeding her, even if that was the whole point of this power for a halfway decent vampire: emergency blood access. Anything but Blake offering her neck. But what?

Blake leaned closer, eyes falling to Yang's lips. She felt Blake's warm breath tickle her, lips so close.

Brushing hers, Blake's heat against her ambient cold.

Yang froze for a moment. A kiss?! That wasn't her command! Abort abort abort!

Yang threw herself backwards, falling over. A very undignified squeak escaped her. She'd be blushing if she still had the body heat and circulation for it.

Qrow laughed, the drunken bastard. "I warned you!"

Blake buried her face in her hands, trying and failing to hide her blush.

"Come on, try again. And give Blake something to work with this time, Firecracker, or she'll find something she wants to do. Seems she really wants—"

"Please shut up." Blake slowly lowered her hands, glaring at Qrow. He grinned shamelessly at her. Yang kicked his shin. He held his hands up in surrender.

This time Yang reached for Blake, cupping her cheek. An intimate touch compared to hand holding, but at least it meant she'd be able to keep things more platonic than kissing. Much as she wanted to kiss Blake, she didn't want it to be when Blake was under her influence.

Great. Another thing to carefully not think about when focusing her willpower. No feeding, no kissing. What was safe? She thought about their friends and the harmless affection between them. Nora and her gentle pokes of Ren's nose. What did she call them? Boops.

Blake's eyes went slightly unfocused, and she reached up and booped the tip of Yang's nose. Yang grinned. She relaxed her intense focus on Blake.

Blake blinked rapidly. She shook her head as if to ward off a fly, cat ears rotating as if trying to follow an elusive sound. She turned confused eyes to Yang. "Did it work?"

Qrow clapped them both on the back. "Damn right it did. That you can't remember proves it. Anyway, time we tried to get the Atlesian commander to help us. Let's get the others and head out."

"What did I do?" Blake murmured to Yang. "Nothing embarrassing I hope."

"Just a boop."

"A…? Oh, right. Like Nora does to Ren."

The battle-axe of a commander was far from helpful, even before she spotted her arch enemy with them. Who knew Maria still had enemies? For such a petty reason too. Over nuts of all things!

So Jaune came up with a plan for a bit of grand theft airship. It relied heavily on Weiss sneaking Maria onto an airship under the pretense of returning to daddy dearest, and even more so on Blake disabling the Atlesian radar.

A lot of things could go wrong with the plan. Yang didn't like it. But she kept her mouth shut because they needed to try something, and she didn't have any better ideas.

Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. Blake wasn't responding to her scroll.

Yang mounted up on Bumblebee and zoomed off, heading for the emergency rendezvous point within range for a certain cat faunus with a self confessed speciality in running. A natural stone bridge over a waterfall. Yang didn't know what she'd do if Blake wasn't there. Apart from try not to panic, and frantically search for her partner.

It wasn't easy to hear over the roar of Bumblebee's engine, even for a vampire, but Yang caught the gunshots and clashes of swords in the distance. Blake was heading for the rendezvous, but she had company. Had it gone wrong with Atlesian security? They seemed to be giving Blake far more trouble than they should be. Maybe it wasn't Atlesians. Maybe it was someone else. Maybe… him?

Yang was almost there. She considered going for the path leading over the bridge, but worried it would take too long. She patted Bumblebee. Yang accelerated towards the edge. She dismounted from Bumblebee and hurled her precious bike at Blake's attacker in the same motion. She caught a glimpse of red hair and black horns. Adam. With vampiric strength behind the last flight of Bumblebee, he tumbled off the natural bridge. Too bad good old Bumblebee did too, splashing down into the river far below even as Yang landed safely beside Blake. She helped Blake stagger over to the edge, her partner clearly on the verge of collapse. They both looked down.

Nothing but rushing water, the roar of the waterfall behind them.

"Is he…?" Blake pressed against Yang, leaning on her. Definitely exhausted. Her aura had to be running low.

"Dead? Not something I'd trust without a body. I should go down and check."

Blake twined an arm around Yang's. "Not alone."

"You need a breather."

"Then we wait up here and keep watch while I rest a bit. Just enough to catch my breath."

Yang thought of Ruby and the others. But it was already too late for Blake to disable the radar, going by the gunfire in the distance. Unless Grimm were attacking Argus. Not impossible during daylight, just unlikely. Fear was always stronger at night, a beacon for Grimm.

Blake pointed behind them. "One of us should watch the waterfall side, in case he managed to get upstream from where he fell. He's tricky like that."

"Got it. You watch over Bumblebee's grave, I'll keep my eyes on the other side." Yang turned around. She braced herself so Blake could still lean against her.

"I'm sorry about Bumblebee," Blake said. "I know how much your bike means—meant to you."

"Some things are more important."

"Like getting some revenge on Adam?" Blake's tone was understanding rather than judgemental.

"The look on his face right before Bee crashed into him was priceless," Yang allowed, before adding under her breath, "But you're far more important than revenge or my bike."

Blake's breath caught. She nuzzled back against Yang. Whoops. Chances were Yang hadn't said that quietly enough. Blake's cat ears were probably as sensitive as a vampire's.

Yang cleared her throat. "What do we do if he comes back?"

"If he's alive, he will. I tried to get him to leave. He wouldn't. He won't stop until he's dead or we are."

"What if we captured him and got him locked away in Atlas, somewhere secure enough?"

"Death would be better than that for him. Death might be what he'd get anyway, he's not just a terrorist but a killer." Blake sighed. "I wish he'd leave us alone. I wish he'd take the chance to turn his life around. He was a good person once. But that boy is long lost, buried under spite."

"I'm sorry," Yang murmured.

Blake shook her head, her hair brushing against Yang's back. "He maimed you and then tried to kill you. You don't need to feel sorry for him. He doesn't deserve it."

"I'm sorry that a good person is buried somewhere under what he's become. I'm sorry that killing him will hurt you. Which is why you should let me do it."

"That's why it should be me. I feel like I bear some responsibility for what Adam became."

Yang wished she could turn around and stare at Blake. But she had to keep her eyes on where Adam might pop up like a very disturbing and soggy jack-in-the-box. "The only one responsible for that is Adam."

"I should have been able to bring him back onto the right path."

"Blake. No. His choices are his own. They're not on you. It's not your job to save anyone, apart from the people of Remnant from Grimm. That's the oath you took as a student huntress."

"That and to uphold the peace. Surely that means it was my duty? Upholding the peace by keeping Adam on the straight and narrow."

Yang shook her head. Not that Blake could see it. "Only if you swore your oath while in the White Fang, and it still wouldn't be your duty alone."

"Well, no. But I can't help wondering what if—"

"I hate to interrupt, but what ifs don't help. I had enough of them myself after Beacon fell."

"You didn't do anything wrong," Blake stated.

"Oh? What if I'd dodged instead of attacking when the illusion of Mercury provoked me? What if I didn't rush Adam in blind rage after he stabbed you?"

Blake twitched. Almost like she'd wanted to turn to face her. "Yang. Those weren't wrong. They were you being you."

"Yeah, me being an idiot. I was so easy to fool."

"I was the fool, the bait for Adam's trap. Even if I'd told you about his semblance, what could you have done? He might've killed me to spite you if you stopped to think."

"What is his semblance?" Yang asked.

"I really am the idiot here. I knew Adam's still out there, and what did I do? Fail to tell you what you needed to know if he found us."

"Blake. Please stop beating yourself up. Adam's done enough of that already today. Just tell me. His semblance. What is it?"

"Right, sorry. It's like yours, except he doesn't absorb hits with his body, but through his sword. He releases it through slashes with his sword, he glows red when he does."

"He doesn't have to feel it?" Yang groaned. "That's just cheap."

Blake nodded, hair brushing Yang again. "He doesn't. But what I really should have warned you about is that he can cut through aura with it. I'm sorry."

"Yeah, found that out the hard way." Yang flexed her prosthetic. She resisted the urge to look at it, keeping her eyes on the far side of the stone bridge. She narrowed her eyes. Were those fingertips, right on the edge? It was hard to tell with the spray from the waterfall.

Black horns and red hair darkened by water crept up, followed by a gleaming blue eye. He saw her watching. His eyes narrowed, the blind one with a nasty branding scar over it doing whatever the sighted one did. Adam launched himself upwards, aiming straight for them.

He might have managed to send them to join Bumblebee, if not for the inconvenient little fact that Yang was faster and smarter than she'd been at Beacon. All thanks to life's cruel lessons, some cherrypicked advice from her father, and a dubious gift from her mother.

She caught Adam by his ankle before he could slash at them. Yang slammed him down onto the rock below. It was nice and smooth stone. Until he hit it. The breath rushed out of him and his aura broke in a shower of red sparks. Impressive that it survived the hit from Bumblebee and the fall, really.

Blake turned, Gambol Shroud's cleaver sheath in her hands. She gasped.

"Definitely as well you had me watching the other side, Blake."

"Huh—How?" Adam wheezed. He tried and failed to extract himself from the rock around him. "What are you?" His cold blue eye was wide, fixed on Yang.

Yang thought for a moment. "Thirsty." She eyed Adam's neck.

"Yang!" Blake looked almost… jealous? Really?! Jealous of someone Yang hated? She certainly sounded indignant. "He'd give you indigestion."

"What are you talking about?!" Adam looked between them. He tried to lean away from Yang. "What are you, a cannibal?"

"Technically? Just blood, and I don't kill. So far…" Yang looked darkly at him, eyes tracing his throat as he swallowed nervously.

"Yang. Leave him to me."

"Keep your pet vampire away from me," Adam growled, his attention on Blake.

Blake stepped closer. "I'm the one you should be worried about, Adam. You had your chance. You should have left us alone. Now it's too late."

Adam gave Yang a nervous glance out of the corner of his eye. "Let's talk about this, Blake."

"No. I can't believe a word you say after what you've done. Even if I could believe you'd leave and never come back, I can't risk you telling anyone about Yang."

"I won't tell anyone."

"No, you won't." Blake's voice was firm, sadness in her eyes. She picked up Adam's sword from where he'd dropped it.

Adam grabbed his scabbard. He levelled it at Blake. It had to be a gun of some sort, with that snarl on his face.

Blake stabbed him, right where his heart should be. If he had one.

His shot caught by Yang's arm right in front of Blake. Minor damage to the prosthetic, just some scratches. Better that she had to redo the paint job than Blake get her aura shattered or worse. Yang had no idea if Blake had enough aura to use her semblance, and wasn't about to take the risk that she didn't.

"Oh," Adam gasped, staring at his own sword piercing him.

Yang could smell his blood. It wasn't as good as Blake's, but still disturbingly appealing.

Blake tugged the sword out. It was a quick death, his eyes unfocused and face slack by the time the blade left him. It came as a relief for Yang. Not just knowing he was dead and couldn't come after them again, but dead blood didn't appeal to vampires.

Blake shuddered. She dropped the sword, red blade clattering on the stone. She fell to her knees beside his body, reached down, and tried to close his eyes with shaking hands.

"Let me?" Yang rested a supportive hand on her back.

"I should do it." Blake's voice trembled, much like the rest of her.

Yang reached out. She took Blake's hand in hers, steadying it. Then together they closed glassy eyes.

"I wish…" Blake sobbed. "It shouldn't have had to be this way."

Yang wrapped her arms around Blake. "I'm sorry. If I'd kept my big mouth shut, you wouldn't have had to cover anything up for my sake."

"I still had to kill him. He'd have been back, no matter what he said." Blake's words were thick with tears. She turned into Yang's arms, throwing her own around Yang, clinging to her. Yang wished she could do something to help. Something more than holding her. The powers of a vampire couldn't help.

Something crashed in the distance. Something big. Yang felt deep in her gut that it was something to do with Ruby, her big sister instincts screaming at her.

Blake sniffled, looking in the direction of the sound. "What was that?"

"No idea, but I'm sure Ruby's in the thick of it. We'd better go."

Blake took a shuddering breath. "Right."

Yang helped Blake to her feet, giving her back one last stroke. She bent down and picked up Adam's sword and sheath. She wiped the blade clean on Adam's jacket. "Do you want his weapons? Gambol Shroud is kinda broken right now."

"I probably should take them," Blake said, reluctance in ever syllable.

Yang passed them over.

Blake sheathed the sword. She frowned down at it. "I'll make do with what's left of mine. I don't want any part of him." She hurled it away. It hit the water far below with a muted splash. She retrieved the pieces of Gambol Shroud.

"What about his body?"

Blake sighed. "We don't have time to bury it or burn it. Maybe we can come back later. If you're right—and I trust your big sister sixth sense—Ruby's in trouble. The others might be too. Let's go."

They hurried off, leaving Adam behind in the past. Where he belonged.

AN: I might rewrite and continue this vampire AU as a separate story. I feel like I could do more with it when not under the constraints of my self imposed challenge of spending one day per prompt.