Original upload date: 7/6/2020
Revised upload: 8/6/2022
This chapter has probably had the most substantial change out of all of them thus far. A lot of contents from the last chapter got moved here and I removed an entire scene. Other than that, besides some polishing, a lot of this chapter remained the same. But I did try to make it more action-y than talk-y.
Please, feel free to follow and comment on predictions, thoughts, etc. I am always looking for new ways to improve my craft. Tell your friends!
Metal like Roses
By ReaderWarrior
I do not own Mistborn or RWBY.
Secrets
After being unable to get some sleep, Ruby got up early (for her) at a sharp six o'clock. Something was keeping her from falling asleep. The night before, Vin didn't really talk much. She ate, fiddled with her vials, and went to sleep (after everyone else was in bed, though).
Maybe she wasn't feeling at home yet. How do you make someone with no memory of their life feel like they belong?
Ruby wanted to help her new teammate. She seemed so lost and confused at times, barely reacting to certain words or terms that would normally get a reaction from anyone else. But when she fought, it was like watching an experienced huntress dance. Entranced wasn't even a good enough word to describe how Ruby had felt as she watched Vin's sparring. Ruby was practically jealous of her skill.
Almost.
But she felt bad for her, most of all. Vin had nothing to her name, only the strange vials she routinely made.
So in the early morning, when no one else was around, Ruby walked in circles around Beacon square. The park at the center of the school was rarely visited by the silver-eyed huntress. She'd much rather spend her time in the weaponry or out on the field. But whenever Ruby glimpsed at Vin out of the corner of her eye, in the few moments that she thought nobody was looking, Vin always seemed to glance this way.
So, to try and get into her mind, Ruby sat down at one of the benches and closed her eyes. Some birds were chirping and every once in a while she felt an ant or two try to crawl up her leg. Her hair and cloak shivered with every small breeze.
And it was all. So. Boring.
Ruby groaned and squinted at the yellow sun as it peaked up over the horizon. Why does it have to be so bright already? Jumping to her feet, Ruby began to pace back and forth, trying to think of something.
A surprise party? Maybe a trip into Vale?
Not paying attention to her surroundings, Ruby bumped squarely into someone and stepped back apologetically.
"I'm sorry!" she exclaimed as she noticed her victim was once again Headmaster Ozpin.
He smiled warmly at her before trying to wipe away the coffee (hot chocolate?) stain on his vest. "It is alright, Ms. Rose. Neither of us appeared to be paying enough attention to our surroundings. Might I ask what you were thinking so intently about?"
Ruby shuffled her feet around. "It's Vin. Our new teammate. I'm worried about her."
Professor Ozpin raised an eyebrow. "Well, amnesia and brain damage are serious injuries. I'm sure she is fine, however. I was made aware by Professor Goodwitch that Ms. Vin excelled in yesterday's combat class."
"Yeah! She flew and then made Cardin hit himself with his own mace a bunch of times!"
"Sounds like an enjoyable day of learning then," he responded with a chuckle. "So why do you seem as if she had been in Mr. Winchester's place?"
Ruby looked down at her feet. "It's just…" Ruby sighed, "she doesn't have anything. Any connection to Beacon or Vale."
"And you think she should have one?" Professor Ozpin asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Of course!" Ruby nodded. "Everyone needs something!"
"True. But you are forgetting one thing," Ozpin replied. "There are a few things that Ms. Vin does have ties with."
"What's that?"
"She has you. She has team RWVBY. Your friends and us. Everyone she has met so far who wishes to help her."
"Really?" Ruby's eyes widened at the revelation.
Professor Ozpin nodded. "I do not think she would have stayed with us for as long as she has if she didn't feel any connection to Beacon."
"I guess so…" Ruby paused and thought how easily it would have been for Vin to leave last night. Or even the night before. "But I still want to do something for Vin. I mean, she doesn't even have-"
Her voice froze as her mind kicked into overdrive. Oh. That's it!
Sipping whatever remained in his mug, Professor Ozpin gave her a wink. "I feel as if you've come to a realization. Just remember to be careful. Nothing too fancy to start with."
Ruby wasn't even listening anymore. Her mind was already thinking through the plans, connecting dots and coming to ideas that birthed other ideas.
"ThankyouI'vegottogo," she mumbled before heading off.
Shortly after Ruby left, Vin did the same. Every time one of her 'teammates' moved, Vin became alert. And when she heard one of them leave, Vin panicked at the idea of her running off to betray her.
Betray you? a part of her thought. The part that was born in Kelsier's crew. Her trust. Why would she do that? There's nothing to even betray. You haven't told them anything. Not about your past, your powers, or even your true self.
Her fear, usually in Reen's voice, countered and said, " because it's safer if nobody else did. We were foolish enough to trust Ozpin and Ironwood. What's to say they don't plan to kidnap you if your usefulness dissipates like mist on a hot night?
Vin shook her head, as if to visibly clear the fog and thoughts echoing in her mind, and quickly changed into the outfit she arrived in. At some point yesterday the trousers and shirt were cleaned and folded. Most likely Weiss as she had been commenting on their stench.
She grabbed another handful of vials and tossed her mistcloak on. She barely waited to toss one of them into her stomach and burned the basic metals, feeling their warmth wake her up fully. She tossed the empty vial to the side and slowly snuck her way out the door.
Tin made the action seem like she was scraping metal sheets together. A glance back inside revealed that, thankfully, nobody else woke up. Vin closed the door behind her and sighed.
After her talk with Pyrrha yesterday, she commented that her team, JNPR, and Vin's were directly across from each other. Vin walked directly to the closest door and knocked. Moments, later, Pyrrha, already in full armor, opened the door.
Vin frowned. "Were you expecting me?"
She stepped outside and shook her head. "I'm sorry. I actually get up early to do some light sparring. My sleep schedule revolves around it."
Sleep schedule?
"Are you ready to go now, then?"
Pyrrha nodded. "Yes. Let's begin."
Pyrrha, confused, handed over her shield, Akoúo̱, to Vin. They had moved back into the training arena (but without any spectators, this time) and now stood on the center stage. Vin had tossed her strange cloak aside before asking. When she had the shield in hand, she made a motion for Pyrrha to step back.
"My semblance allows me to push and pull on any metallic object," she explained, her voice barely a whisper. She tossed the shield to the side and towards the bleachers. It stopped a few meters away and quickly flew backward. Vin ducked underneath it as it blew past and, this time on the other side, repeated the process.
Pyrrha watched in amazement as the shield was… how did she put it? Pushed and pulled back and forth with Vin acting as a center point or anchor. The strange girl would jump over, duck under, and dodge left and right to avoid getting beamed in the head by Akoúo̱.
This went on for a few minutes. By the time she stopped and grabbed the shield, a small amount of sweat was dripping down her face.
"That was incredible!" Pyrrha exclaimed. "How did you do that?"
Vin handed her back her shield. "Pushes and pulls. I can only do it in direct opposition or acceptance, though."
Pyrrha nodded. "I see. But with my semblance, I can move any object in any direction."
"Yes, but this will help you learn to control it. Push too hard and your shield will land in the wall. Pull too quickly and it will come rushing back at you without any time to react. Pull too late and it will just slow down or fall. The trick is balance. Every push has a pull."
As she walked to where Vin stood when she did the technique, Pyrrha closed her eyes and activated her semblance. For her, it was never about reaching inside. But instead, it was more so feeling that around her. In tournaments, she could feel when a blade was moving and could use that to react quicker or to grab ahold of it. Almost like a third limb.
Now, she touched the imaginary entity of her shield. The faintest of black light could be seen surrounding it now. After a nod from Vin, Pyrrha tossed the shield and, with a closing of her fist, tried to 'pull' on it. Sadly, she did so too weakly. It slowed slightly but continued to head towards the bleachers.
Pyrrha flinched and awaited the crash. However, it suddenly changed direction and zipped towards Vin. She plucked it out of the air and marched over to Pyrrha.
"Again. Try a bit harder."
She took Akoúo̱ back and nodded. "I'm sorry." Pyrrha threw the shield again, this time letting more of her power grow as she touched it. She made the motion of pulling it and-
Oh, shoot!
The shield glowed black and lunged back at her. Faster than she was expecting, it suddenly zoomed backward. Pyrrha closed her eyes and winced, waiting for the blow to hit her aura.
However, it never came.
Once again, Pyrrha was shocked to see Vin standing now in front of her, grunting as she held the shield. The girl skidded backward slightly, then dropped Akoúo̱ with a clang.
Vin clutched her hands, wincing slightly.
But she was so far away, Pyrrha gasped. How did she get over here so quickly?
Clenching her fists, Vin turned around and asked, "what happened?"
Pyrrha looked down at her feet. "I… I pulled too hard."
"Exactly. The point is to push and pull. Not one or the other. If Kelsier was here he would-"
Vin's face darkened.
"Who is Kelsier?" Pyrrha asked. "Are you remembering someone?" She had, of course, heard the gossip surrounding Beacon's newest addition. Ruby had, after dinner, pulled her, Jaune, Nora, and Ren aside and confirmed that Vin did have amnesia. She had even included them in their 'Vin-Duty' group chat.
I should have made a comment when we started training, she realized. Somehow, she doubted Vin had told her teammates that she had left.
"He's no one," she snapped. "Go again." Vin kicked the shield back up into the air and gave it back to Pyrrha.
Pyrrha took it and tried to study the girl. But she had already turned around to march back to where she could watch from a distance. She'll open up in her own time.
With a soft exhale, Akoúo̱ was once again thrown aside. This time, as she unleashed her semblance upon it, she tried something different. Instead of instantly pulling on it, Pyrrha stopped it. The shield froze in the air with pulsing black energy as if awaiting further instructions.
Pyrrha was happy to give them. Come, she thought, pulling it slowly but with a firm hand. The shield responded and did so at a reasonable pace. Nothing akin to the speeds Vin used, but still fast enough to warrant a side-step. As it crossed behind her, Pyrrha lost control for a split second and it fell to the ground with a loud Clang!
Offering little pity, Vin simply said, "Again."
And so they would continue for almost two hours.
Vin was impressed. Pyrrha already had some practice moving things, but not perpetually or over a long time. But even with that inexperience, she picked up the skill fairly quickly and was already starting to move the shield back and forth without having to stop it. However, she still had some trouble keeping the momentum as she dodged.
Granted, the jumping and ducking aspect of this training was due to Vin's Pushing and Pulling only working directly away and towards her body. But it would help Pyrrha learn to use her semblance under panicked situations. Currently, Pyrrha had only been able to jump over the shield about twenty times, and rarely multiple in a row.
Pulling out her scroll, Vin realized it was now noon. She was surprised at how useful this device was. A majority of its functions were still unknown to her. But even she recognized a clock. She glanced outside and watched a white cloud slowly crawl across the blue sky.
It was such a strange sight.
Vin turned back to Pyrrha who had just completed her third jump in a row. Her forehead was damp with sweat and her breath was ragged as Vin walked up to her protégé. As she did, Pyrrha grabbed her shield from midair and turned back to her.
"How was that?" she asked.
"Good. Better than when I first used steel and iron."
Pyrrha frowned and looked up with a quizzical expression. "Steel and iron."
"My semblance," Vin lied, mentally kicking herself for letting her guard down. "I call it steel-pushing and iron-pulling."
"That's an… unique term." Pyrrha studied Vin, trying to read her. But Vin had many years of playing ignorance to fall back on. "I'm sorry. It's not my place."
Vin grabbed her mistcloak and tossed it on her shoulder. "It's fine. That's enough for today. Tomorrow we can work on two objects."
Pyrrha bowed her head. "Yes, thank you for your time."
"It's better than being stuck with them," she mumbled.
"Team RWBY?"
Vin nodded.
"Well," Pyrrha said, "they are just trying to look out for you."
"They're just so… energetic," she sighed "It's almost as if they've never had a reason to stop smiling."
Pyrrha shook her head. "You would be surprised. Almost every huntsman or huntress here has a good reason for it. And rarely does that purpose not stem from personal loss." She pulled out her scroll and typed at it for a moment. "Besides, they seem to be worried about you now."
Holding up the device, Vin stared down at the screen and saw what she thought to be some form of communication. Strange images attached to words that - somehow - Vin could read were sprawled along its sides.
"It would seem they are looking for you. I'll let them know where you have been." Pyrrha smiled. "There is more to them than you realize."
More doesn't mean depth, Vin thought as she swallowed a vial's contents. And nobody's scars are as deep as mine. A quick farewell nod was given as Vin headed back to RWVBY's dorm room, Pulling herself up across the Beacon skyline.
'Vin is on her way back. Sorry. We were training,' the icon of a shield said.
Sighing, Ruby relayed the message from Pyrrha back to her team. They all gave equal sounds of relief and, in the case of Yang, tossed their weapons onto the bed.
"She could have told us," Weiss frowned.
Blake shook her head. "Vin is, well, not an adult, but her own person. We can't be upset that she left without a chaperone."
"I'm just upset that we missed out on Vin and Pyrrha fighting." Yang cracked her neck. "Do you think Vin won?"
"It was just training."
Embarrassingly, Ruby let out a loud yelp as the fifth member of her team crawled through the open window behind them.
"You called?" Vin asked as she stood up.
"You scared us!" Ruby yelped. She clutched her chest and gasped. "Why didn't you come in through the door?"
She shrugged. "It was easier."
How in the kingdoms was that easier?!
"Can we bring this back to her surprise?" Weiss asked. She nodded towards the roll of paper at one of the desks. "I don't think it's necessary for us to question her right now."
Ruby's eyes lit up. "Oh, yeah!" She grabbed Vin by the arm and pulled her over to the table. She pulled away, though, as Ruby unfurled the first paper, revealing the results of her work from the day.
"What's this?" Vin asked
"A gift," responded Blake. "Ruby thought you should have something to signify you are joining up with us."
"So I'm going to help you make your own armor and weapons!" Ruby interjected. She waved at the blueprints depicting completely original armor. Since Vin wasn't here, she modeled it after herself since they had the same body type. It would be easy enough to alter that.
"Why armor?"
"Because when I saw you fighting earlier, you looked so cool! But you didn't have anything to help you fight. So I thought we could make you some!"
Ruby expected Vin to be surprised or happy. She was even hoping that maybe she would give her a hug as thanks.
She hadn't expected her to start crying.
After her declaration, the young woman froze and stared down at the blueprints. Vin's face seemed to darken even with the daylight shining in. Then, a small tear rolled down her face.
"I'm sorry," Ruby said, desperate to get the situation back under control. "I thought you would like it. I shouldn't have started designing it without you!"
"Look at what you did," Weiss said, "what did you think would happen?"
"Obviously not for her to start crying!" Yang defended.
Vin's hands clenched. "How?" she asked, her voice barely heard.
Ruby looked back at her new teammate. "How what?"
"How can you be so… carefree? How can you stand there and offer me kindness? What do you want from me?" As she spoke, Vin's voice grew in volume. More and more tears began to fall down her face.
"Use you?" Blake repeated. She walked over to her and place a hand on her shoulder. "Why would you think that?"
"Because that's what everyone does!" she hissed.
Weiss frowned. "We were only trying to be nice! You don't have to be rude."
Whirling around, Vin stormed directly up to Weiss and grabbed her arm. She bent it back, forcing the heiress onto her knees.
"Everyone I know has used me," Vin growled, staring down into Weiss' shocked eyes. "Everyone wanted my powers. Camon and his schemes, then Kelsier and his rebellion." She leaned down. "So what about you? Political power? A girl like you screams Noble. Ran away from your parents?
"I never knew mine. My father used my mother like the whore she was and believed I was dead along with my brother and sister. And his job was to hunt half-breeds like me to keep us obedient and powerless."
Vin let go of Weiss' arm, dropping the girl and letting her clutch her wrist. She must have sensed Yang moving to intercept because Vin dodged the girl's grab.
"And you? The koloss of the team. All you care for is the next fight and how long you can make it last." Vin continued to dodge Yang's swipes. With a hand wave, Yang, as if pulled by her belt, was flung backward into the wall. "You'll never beat me. I've killed gods and kings. Monsters and creatures beyond your nightmares. All that strength is nothing. You're just a scared little girl afraid of losing everyone close to you. You try to take the hit for everyone but never realize how much that will break you."
Yang's bracers suddenly flew into Vin's hand. Then, with a toss, they were flung directly at her face. Ruby knew that her aura would protect her, but she still took a step to help her. But instead of hitting her, they crashed into, and partially through, the wall barely an inch from her ear.
"If I wanted to, you'd already be dead."
From over her shoulder, a black cord suddenly lunged out and wrapped around Vin's arm.
"You need to stop," Blake ordered, pulling on the other end. However, Vin grabbed it with her other hand and then tugged on it. Eyes going wide, Blake suddenly was pulled forward and sprawled onto the ground.
"And you are going to stop me? The girl who can't even bring herself to show her true self." As Blake struggled to stand, pushed down by some unseen force, Vin grabbed the bow off her head and revealed her feline ears. Blake hissed loudly and covered them in a panic.
Vin gave her a look of… pity? "Is that your plan? To use me to help save your people? Well, I've fought that battle before. I've killed a thousand-year-old tyrant ruler and established my own emperorship. But it'll cost everything. Do you want to make that sacrifice?"
By the time it was Ruby's turn, Vin's tears were covering the floor. Her breath was ragged and blood was dripping out from her palms. As Vin's gaze upon her, Ruby felt terror and sorrow beyond anything she had felt before. If it wasn't for the fact she was so terrified, she would have fallen to the ground.
"The leader. So intent on saving everyone. Trying to regain the safety she lost as a child." Vin's eyes were red and puffy but also filled with a rage unknown to the huntress-in-training. "You don't know the meaning of safety. Not when you're alone at night, afraid of who would try to rape you, steal from you, kill you just so they could get a few more crumbs of bread the next day."
Vin grabbed the sides of her head and looked up to the ceiling. With a loud voice, she screamed, "What do you want from me?!"
All of a sudden, the forces holding Yang and Blake disappeared. The blonde landed on her feet and looked ready to fight again but Ruby held out a hand to stop her. As painful as the words she said were, Ruby could feel the pain in Vin's eyes. It was like a pure emptiness with no joy or happiness.
"Only Elend loved me," she sobbed, crumbling to the floor and balling herself up. "And now… No one does."
Ruby sat there and watched the girl sobbing on their floor. Yang stood to her left, unmoving but with eyes shining crimson. Her knuckles were completely white. Across from them, Weiss was still on the ground; her hurt wrist forgotten about. Blake, to Ruby's right, slowly stood up but made no move at the girl.
Strangely, she seemed mostly apologetic and not at all upset at Vin's lashing out.
Ruby felt the same and sat down next to her.
"My mom died when I was just a kid," she whispered after waiting for Vin to calm down. "She was a huntress, one of the best. But she was an even better mom. Dad says that she'd always make us cookies after she came home - like she wanted the day to be special before she left the next time.
"But then one day… she didn't. And it hurt. A lot. You're right, I want to make everyone safe. But it's for her. And even though I don't know what that kind of fear feels like, I do know that here, with us, you will be loved. And you'll never need to worry about us trying to take your bread."
Vin's sniffles slowed, but she didn't look up. Her shoulders sagged slightly and her shaking seemed to stop.
"I don't know what a 'noble' is, but that my life before Beacon was one of extravagance." Weiss moved around to Vin's other side and leaned forward. "I did run away from my father, but with good reason. He uses everyone, even his own family, his own personal gain."
Weiss paused to look at Blake. "He treats everyone around him like nothing more than garbage. So I came here to make it right. I'm going to become a great huntress and retake my father's company. I don't want to use you, but I will ask for your help. And in return, I'll offer mine."
Directly across from Vin, Blake leans down and stares at her. It wasn't until the girl looked up at her that she began her own monologue. "I am a Faunus. That means I've been looked down upon my entire life, as if I am nothing more than a new breed of animal. Yes, I hide my ears, but that's because everyone's either afraid of us or degrades us. The White Fang tried to help but we just made it worse, becoming a terrorist group that spreads panic instead of cooperation.
"I fight because it is right and because I hope that everyone will be treated equally one day. The White Fang is my problem, not yours, so I would never ask you to help me with it." She smiled. "Besides, I don't plan on losing anyone. I'll save everyone I can. You won't have to take part in any of my battles unless you want to. I promise you'll be safe."
Unlike her teammates, Yang didn't sit down. She instead let out a scream and punched at the wall. A second hole was birthed directly underneath the one that came from where her Ember Celica was embedded.
"I know that it hurts being strong," she growled. "But I wouldn't give this to anyone else. I lost my mom and almost lost Ruby too. All because I was weak. So I will become the strongest to defend everyone I love." Yang turned around and walked back to Vin. "And I'll protect you too. I don't want to use you as a practice dummy. I want you to be there when I can't. So please," Yang smirked, "don't hurt us, or I'll hurt you."
Vin felt something inside of her break with each of her teammate's words. Even after she snapped and berated them, literally attacked some of them, they were still being kind.
Actually kind.
Not the kind that Kelsier was. His stemmed from a desire to overthrow the empire. At times he almost felt like a father to her. But he also felt like another warden too.
But these girls… they were kind by nature. Vin thought they were faking, using a face of kindness into tricking her into helping them. But it was just the opposite. They're trying to help her.
They smile because they know what it is like to cry, Vin realized. And I tried to push them away. They were being honest and open and I spent these last few days hoping they would stop.
Lord Ruler, what have I done?
Vin looked up around the circle at each of them. "I…"
She didn't even get to finish before Ruby grabbed Vin for a hug. Then Yang. Then Blake. And even Weiss. This time, Vin didn't push them away. All she did was cry.
And Team RWVBY stayed like that for a long time.
Now on her bed, Vin looked up at her teammate's concerned expressions. The sun, now red as it sank, bathed the sides of their faces with warm and familiar light.
It reminded Vin of home.
But this was home now. And she was finally accepting that.
"guess I owe you an explanation…"
"No, duh!" Yang exclaimed. "We thought you had amnesia."
Vin shook her head. "That's what Ozpin came up with to make it easier for me to integrate into Beacon."
Blake raised an eyebrow. "Integrate? Were you sent to spy on us?"
"No. When you found me, I appeared in a bright light, correct?"
Ruby nodded. "Yeah…?"
"We think," Vin said, "that that was me arriving on Remnant."
Weiss looked quizzically at Vin. "What do you mean, 'arriving'?"
Vin shook her head. "I don't know myself. It's possible the power at the Well sent me here. But the main point is that I am not from Remnant. I'm from Scadrial."
Even without tin, it would have been possible to hear a pin drop. Each and every member of the group was frozen in shock at that truth.
"You're not from Remnant?" asked Ruby. Her voice was even smaller than usual. "Then… what are you - who are you?"
Offering a small smile, Vin shook her head. "I ask myself that question a lot. Am I skaa? Mistborn? A street urchin?"
Blake cocked her head to the side. "Skaa?"
"That's what I am. My race. In my world, there were two races. The nobles and skaa."
"That's not a race," Weiss scoffed. "That sounds like a class system."
"It was that too. The nobles lived in great keeps and castles, while we, the skaa, were slaves. Tools to be used by any passing noble who wanted to get something out of their system." Vin looked down at her feet. "Any way they wanted."
Ruby gasped. Blake's eyes were wide. Weiss' hands covered her mouth in shock.
And Yang looked like she wanted to kill someone.
"You were… a slave?" Ruby asked.
Vin shook her head. "I was one of the lucky ones."
"The lucky ones?!" Blake interjected. Her hands waved across her body. "You have scars all along your back. Bruises and marks that are at least ten years old!"
Again, another round of shocked gasps. However, unlike last time, Yang let out a roaring cry. Her eyes flashed red, which Vin thought must have been tied to her semblance, and she punched a third hole in the wall.
"Why didn't you tell us?" she snapped, breathing hard.
"Would you have beloved me?" Vin asked. "Would you have believed me if I said I was from another world? Damnation, do you believe me now?"
"No," Ruby said. "I mean-"
"We would have listened to you," Blake said.
Vin squeezed her fist. Her hands were now bandaged. She had shoved her nails into her palm during her breakdown and Weiss had carefully used some gauze to wrap them up like a bandage. "You're so different from everyone else I've known," she sighed. "Trust wasn't usually given freely. Especially not in my life."
"Your life?"
"Yes. I'm what's called a Mistborn. And skaa Mistborn are hunted down."
"What's a… Mistborn?" Yang asked.
"It's… like someone with a semblance. Mistborn can burn metals." Vin pulled out one of her vials. "And different metals access different abilities."
"Wait. Pause." Weiss held up her hands to form a cross. "You're saying you have more than one semblance?"
"Not exactly," Vin answered. "Technically, I am just an Allomancer. But most of the metals I burn are paired with an alloy. There is usually a push and a pull to what I can do. And it's not like I can use these indefinitely, I can only use the powers when burning the metals and if it runs out, so does the power."
Why are you telling them everything? Reen's voice asked. They could use that to betray you!
No. I almost betrayed them already. They deserve to know.
Yang sat down next to Vin. "So what powers do you have?"
"One of them has to be flight!" Ruby exclaimed, her eyes shining. "There's no way you were able to jump or fall into the window without it."
Vin chuckled. "Kind of. Steel and iron let me Pull and Push on other metal anchors. I can also manipulate emotions, make my senses and body stronger, sense and disguise other abilities… and I even used to be able to see into the future."
Another round of silence.
"So… you could see market trends or predict the stock market?" Weiss asked. A bit of greed formed in her eyes.
Vin looked at her with a confused eyebrow raise. "Stock market? No. It only worked a few seconds ahead of the current time. And I don't have that metal anymore."
Weiss deflated. "Oh."
"Hey," Yang said, "future sight is still cool! Imagine how much of an edge that would give you in a battle. You could be unstoppable!"
Vin shuddered at the thought of Yang burning atium. "That's why it was the rarest metal. Any Mistborn burning it had an almost assured chance of winning."
Blake nodded. "That makes sense."
"I'm sorry," Vin whispered. "This all started because you were trying to do something nice and I took it the wrong way. If you want…" She sighed and looked up with a soft smile. "I would like to take another look at those designs."
Ruby, almost in the blink of an eye, jumped up and grabbed Vin's hand. "Really?!"
Vin nodded, causing Ruby to run over to the large stack of papers she had left on the desk.
"So I was thinking we could start with some armor." Ruby pulled out one of the blueprints and sat it down. "You seem to prefer speed and agility over raw power, so I was thinking shin-guards, a chest plate, and maybe some gauntlets to give you a free range of motion."
Vin nodded. "It requires a lot of precision to use steel and iron. I like being as light as possible, but it would help if I could get better footing. What kind of material do you use?"
"Usually steel," Weiss said. "Some people infuse their outfits with dust, giving them extra attack options."
"I would like to avoid using metals as much as possible," Vin responded. She then remembered her newest metal and its alloy. "Do you have any aluminum?"
"It's a fairly inexpensive material. Why?"
Remembering Pyrrha and her abilities, Vin whispered, "aluminum negates Allomancy."
"Why is that?" Blake asked.
Vin shrugged. "Aluminum negates and duralumin enhances. That's just how it works. For every push there is a pull."
Ruby nodded and jotted some notes down. "I think I have an idea. What about weapons?"
"I've usually used knives. Glass or obsidian. I have trained with a staff, however."
Ruby made another notation. "Something small and compact?"
Vin nodded. "Of course. I will also need room to store vials."
"What about compartments in the shin guards or breastplate?"
"How about both?"
Ruby smiled. "I like how you think. Now, how about guns?"
"Never used them," Vin explained. "The Lord Ruler controlled all technological advancements. Most likely he didn't want ordinary people to have a power equivalent to a Coinshot.
"The Lord Ruler?" Yang asked. "Sounds like a tough guy."
Vin looked at Yang and tried not to glare. "The Lord Ruler was known as the Sliver of Infinity. A piece of God. He ruled for over a thousand years as an evil tyrant who endorsed the slavery of my kind as well as the schism between us and the nobles."
"Yikes."
"What do you mean 'was'?" Blake asked.
"He was that tyrant I… told you about. Kelsier, my teacher, led a revolution to avenge his wife. I was the one to stand over the Lord Ruler and stab him in the chest with a spear. But Kelsier… he didn't make it."
Again, team RWVBY fell silent.
"Woah," commented Yang.
Weiss nodded. "Indeed."
"I'm sorry," mumbled Ruby.
Vin looked back at her and asked, "what for?"
"You've lost so many people. I'm sorry you had to go through that."
Vin, in a moment of compassion she rarely felt, placed her head on Ruby's and mimicked the action she had seen Yang do. "Thank you. It was almost a year ago, however. I've had my time to grieve."
Whipping away a tear, Ruby gave a smile and nodded "Okay. I think I can work with this. What's my timeframe?"
"The Vytal festival," Blake replied.
Ruby nodded. "Alright." She rushed back over to the desk and grabbed another piece of paper. The sound of scribbling in began to grow as she started to draw more detailed images on more and more sheets of paper.
"When's the festival?" Yang asked, leaning over to Weiss.
"Two days starting tomorrow," she answered, not even ending to check her scroll.
"Then we should probably get some sleep," Blake said.
Vin nodded toward Ruby. "What about her?"
"She'll be fine," Yang smiled. "She's just a weapons nut. Trust me, you're in good hands."
As her teammates, with the exception of Ruby, began to climb into bed, Vin took a moment to look at them. Really look at them.
They were her family now. And she would look after them like they looked after her.
Aaaaaand another one's done! I actually originally had this chapter and the previous one under one giant chapter. But I decided against it.
I was really looking forward to this chapter since it allows team RWBY to see more of Vin's past. I wonder if that will affect anything…
It really made me happy to see that I got 100 views in under 24 hours with my last chapter. Seriously, THANK YOU. Please, feel free to follow and comment on predictions, thoughts, etc.
Thank you for reading my story!
Xfel: I'm glad to hear you're enjoying it so far. Yes, I did do the "crossover character immediately joins Beacon" trope, but I think it works best for my first attempt at writing fanfic. I am trying to find a balance for Cinder's character. Yes, we now know her to be a violent, angry woman, but back then she was cockier. And I think that Emerald's semblance was just one plan they went with.