Hey there, everyone Happy new year and fare well 2020. I know that I didn't post a proper chapter for most of the year and for that I am deeply sorry. Work, school and a series of personal matters held my attention for most of the dumpster fire that was 2020. I hope that everyone has stayed safe during these troubling times. And I just wanted to thank all of you who have followed this story of mine. I know its not the most popular story on the archive nor is some million word epic but I still appreciate that you all haven't given my little tale a go. So i guess with the end of the year I just wanted to say thank you to all of you. I cannot say for certain when the next chapter will be out but I can say that it will cover more ground and be the end of the content we saw in S1 of the cannon. also please leave a review or comment. Feedback always helps whether it be good or bad as of writing this its 3AM so I might have missed some things in my editing so if anyone notices words missing lemme know. (Hope I got them this is like draft 6 of this chapter.) Anyways I've let this drag on for long enough and Im not sure how many of you actually read these author's notes but please I hope you enjoy this chapter and please have a happy new year.
Beo sat quietly in his room within Beacon's student dorms. For the past four days he had been stuck in the featureless room, punishment for getting into a fight with Team CRDL at the beginning of the week. The only contact he had had with anyone in that time had been Goodwitch when she had been in to give him his daily lessons and to deliver meals. Other than that he had been left alone in the room with his thoughts and the stacks of workbooks that Goodwitch had left for him.
If he were back home the silence wouldn't bother him. Because even the quieter moments in the forest, there was always something happening, the wind blowing through the trees, small animals moving through the underbrush. His surroundings were alive and he could feel it. This however...was torture, the blank white walls and single window peering out made the room feel like it was closing in around him and to make things worse the dagger that had been returned to him had been taken away so he wasn't able to pry the latch on the window open to climb up to the roof.
Making the past four days feel like years. But today, today had been by far the worst. Goodwitch didn't come at all today and he had finished everything she had left. So he was left with nothing but his thoughts to keep him company.
His mind drifted between the fight at the beginning of the week. And how afterwards that rabbit thought he was helping her. Helping her was the last thing on his mind. In fact it made him sick. She didn't even try to fight back then again that only showed that she was weak. And the weak get eaten. Why was that so hard for others to understand?
He kept mulling the question around in his head for hours while he did small things around the room. Going so far as to begin recreating the cave drawings from his home in the forest on the blank white walls, it kept him occupied until the sun had long dipped below the horizon.
The sound of the doorknob rattling took him out of his stupor.
"Shit locked, c'mon you stupid, lets see pin goes here and a thirty degree turn. Ah! Got it!" Yang said as the door swung open. "Yo!"
Beo waved his hand. Why was she here? And how did she open the door? Beo wondered as Yang walked into the room. Her clothes were different from her usual casual attire. She was still sporting her usual bomber jacket however her usual shorts and back skirt had been replaced with a pair of blue jeans that fit her very well. Along with a pair of black combat boots that went up to her shins.
Beo studied her for a few moments before turning trying to find his white board.
"Nice to see you too Yang c'mon in" Yang said in a false baritone walking into the room "Oh why don't mind if I do Beo and nice digs very modern day captive. Oh the drawings are new."
Beo gave her a sideways look.
"I'm only kidding, I mean the drawings are cool. Don't be so uptight."
'What are you doing here?` Beo wrote.
"hm?" Said Yang, looking away from Beo's wall drawing. "Isn't that obvious? We're gonna hit the town tonight just you and me!"
Hit the town? What did that mean? Wait she was taking him into Vale?
Beo started to write something before Yang took the board away from him and tossed it away.
"Nope none of that tonight. No offence bud but if we had to write everything out tonight we won't get anywhere." She exclaimed. "So get on your jacket we're heading out. Also you might wanna bring this with ya just in case."
Yang reached behind her and pulled a small sheathed bone dagger from her belt. Beo's eyes lit up. He wasn't gonna ask how she got it away from Goodwitch and frankly he didn't care.
"You gonna just stand there all night? C'mon let's go." Yang said as she yanked Beo out of the room and towards the exit.
The city of Vale was loud. That was the first thing that Beo noticed after they had gotten off the transport from Beacon to the city. He was surprised with how easy it was for them to leave the campus. Easy as their passage may have been, there was one thing Beo had not expected. And that was the monstrosity that Yang had called "Bumblebee".
The minute she had started the infernal machine Beo had a bad feeling about it. Only to have them confirmed when the two of them were weaving in and out of traffic at nearly a hundred miles an hour. Beo had found himself clinging to Yang every time she accelerated and blasted by the cars in their way. His stomach felt like it was in his throat and the blur of lights passing by was disorienting. The harsh neon signs bleeding into solid lines of color as they rushed by.
It was similar to when he had drank Ruby's blood a few days earlier. Except this time he didn't have the added bonus of the blood to alter his body and nervous system to be able to react properly to the speed. The entire experience was dizzying to say the least, and when they had finally come to a stop outside of a tall building with a pulsating beat coming from inside. Beo nearly dove off the bike and hugged the solid ground. Instead however, as soon as his foot touched pavement his legs immediately felt like jelly and he crumbled to the ground in a dizzy mess. To which Yang found extremely amusing.
"What's the matter? Beo don't got your land legs yet?" She taunted, not bothering to hide the grin plastered on her face.
Beo shot her a somewhat frustrated look as he got up. The building in front of them looked similar to the ones around it aside from the large neon side above the massive set double doors that said 'Juniors'.
As the two approached the doors flew open and two men in suits emerged dragging a young woman by the arms between them and throwing her out of the club.
She landed not too far away from Beo and Yang grumbling as she got up and dusted off clothes, and picked bits of olive and lemon out of her light green hair. Her skin was a darker brown and the way she walked reminded Beo of a jungle cat on the prowl. Each step seemed intentional and well thought out.
"Dammit I was so close, and they were twins too, gah Merc is never gonna let me live this one down if he finds out." The girl said as she passed by the two of them.
"Well that was interesting." Yang said. "Well Beo, shall we?"
The inside of "Junior's" hadn't changed much since the last time Yang had been there. Well aside from the increase in the amount of guards around the perimeter of the interior.
The music was loud and she could feel the pulse of the bass resonate through her entire body as a devious smile crept across her face. Slowly her pace began to match the beat. Beo's eyes were wide with equal parts amazement and equal parts terror as he took it all in, the lights, the music, the sheer amount of people dancing, drinking and laughing. She imagined it was a major case of culture shock for him. But she had to admit, it was pretty funny watching him tense up everytime the beat dropped and the chorus to whatever pop remix was playing resounded through the club.
She led Beo up to the bar, stopping him from getting swept up in the crowd on the dance floor. She wanted to get him used to the atmosphere before setting him loose on the dance floor. Junior wasn't behind the bar tonight, unlike the last time she had paid this place a visit when her search for information regarding a photograph turned into a brawl that she doubted Junior or anyone there that night would forget. And given the looks some of the security goons were giving her hunch was probably right.
The man behind the bar was shorter than Junior was, but seemed to share the shady club owner's sense of fashion. Sporting a similar white collared shirt and dark vest with a red tie and red tinted sunglasses.
"Welcome can what can i get for y- oh no no no. Get out right now!" The man behind the bar said. His rough exterior imiediatly crumbled into one of panic as soon as he saw Yang. "Listen lady, don't mean any offence but you, lady are on the bosses 'NSFB' board. Which means you are not safe for business so I would kindly ask that you leave now."
Yang couldn't help but smile a bit at that. Junior had a list of troublemakers? That was rich considering the types of deals and business he allegedly got up to in the back rooms and down on the docks.
"Ooo, well I didn't know that I was that important. Maybe you should be asking for an autograph. " Yang said mockingly.
"Look lady please, leave." The man pleaded but she was having a bit too much fun tormenting the bartender.
Beo meanwhile seemed to be entertaining himself by watching the crowd, his eyes darting back and forth between the costumed DJ on the podium above and the people dancing their hearts out on the dance floor. His face was a mix between amazement and confusion as his nose scrunched up when a man walked by with a woman way out of his league on his arm up to the bar to get drinks.
Beo sneezed as the two walked by again. Maybe the woman's perfume had an enhanced effect on his sensitive nose.
"C'mon be a pal, I promise I'm not here to cause trouble. Just here to have a good time out on the town with my friend over there." Yang said, flashing her best smile at the man. "Besides Junior's not here and what he doesn't know won't hurt him right? I mean, my lien is as good as the next gal's right? So be a dear and get my gentleman friend over there, some drinks, pretty please?"
Yang slid a few lien across the bar. The bartender looked at it for a moment before groaning and taking it.
"Fine, fine first sign of trouble and you're outta here. What'll it be?" he asked.
Yang ordered their drinks before turning her attention back towards Beo after heckling the bartender a bit more. He had a serious look on his face as he looked at the glass in front of him. Like he was trying to decide if its contents would poison him.
"It won't bite you know its only a shirley temple and I'm pretty sure you've drank worse" She said. Although she honestly couldn't begin to imagine what the taste of Grimm blood was like. Well she supposed anything was better than the mushroom paste and the side effects that came along with it.
Beo sniffed the drink before downing the entire glass in a single gulp. Yang had to hold back her laughter as Beo's face twisted from the taste.
He shook his head and pushed the glass forward.
"What? Don't tell its too sweet! You eat honeycomb straight from the beehive, can't get any sweeter than that." Yang said.
Beo nodded in agreement but then he stuck out his tongue and made a small gesture with his hands like he was choking from the artificial sweetness. Yang shrugged as she finished her own drink.
"Hey Beo, mind if I ask you something?" She said
Beo blinked and waved his hand.
"Why'd you stay at Beacon? I mean aside from the obvious reasons. I mean who wouldn't want to be graced with my presence after an adventure like that."
Beo gave her a sideways glance before snickering, and motioned to his eyes and then to his temple before smiling and motioning to everything around them. It was pretty clear what he meant, at least to her.
"I guess you're right, being here is much more interesting than living day to day in a cave right? Granted you had a pretty sweet set-up that hammock looked pretty comfy." Yang said laughing a bit to herself. "I mean I don't know about you but, with what you've told me about Goodwitch's lessons almost makes me wish I risked a beowulf or two every time I left my house."
Beo looked like he was about to laugh before he stopped himself, he thought for a moment like he was seriously weighing his options before making a growling noise and his best beowulf impression and nodding.
Yang burst out in a gut busting bout of laughter at that, she wasn't surprised, she could see Goodwitch being a total slave driver with someone like Beo. Sure from what she had seen in the forest and in the time she had spent with him, the boy absorbed information like a sponge, just look at how quickly he picked up reading and writing. But his wild streak would definitely drive someone as rules oriented and proper as Professor Goodwitch absolutely insane.
"Also been wondering something, how did you survive? In the forest for that long by yourself, I know that you're a tough sonuva bitch but from the looks of that cave it looked like you were there for a really long time." Yang said.
Beo looked down at his cup and closed his eyes, took a deep breath and looked at her. He put his hand to his temple and shook his head. He must have been there for a pretty long time if he couldn't remember how long he had been in the Emerald Forest.
"Ookkaay, how bout this then, do you remember anything before the forest?"
Beo just shook his head. Yang didn't really know what to say after that, if what Beo said was true and he literally spent his entire childhood and well, life alone then she wanted to know who the hell left him there! Yeah, sure it sucked that that happened to him but look at him, he was fine. Covered in scars sure, deadly yes, and while someone else might have felt bad for Beo but Yang, she was pissed. She couldn't understand why any parent would just leave their child to fend for himself in the middle of a Grimm infested forest. At least when her mother left she had her dad and Summer to look out for her.
"Hey buddy, refill for me and my friend here." Yang said to the bartender. So lost in her thoughts she hadn't noticed Beo wanderer away into the sea of people on the dance floor.
A few minutes later, Yang had her refill and was looking forward to taking her time with this one to calm herself down after hearing about Beo's childhood abandonment that was the plan until the bartender cleared his throat after she took her first sip.
"Uh-lady." The barkeep said.
"What?" she said, slightly annoyed.
"Remember when I said no trouble."
"Yeah what about it?"
"That meant your boy-toy too." he said with a sigh.
Yang turned and immediately spit out her drink, as her jaw dropped. There across the dance floor was Beo latched on top of the club's DJ's giant bear head by his teeth. Kicking members of the club's security in the face as they tried to pull him off of the poor sap.
"If you'll excuse me I think me and my 'boy-toy' have some hell to raise, tell Junior to put it on my tab, kay thanks!" Yang said as she shot off towards the center of the club to join Beo in the fray, a grin spreading across her face.
Yang's fist slammed into the face of the security guard that had been reaching for the back of Beo's neck. Sending the grunt flying across the room and into the far wall with a loud crash.
She squared herself, her fists clenched and ready as she loaded a couple of rounds into her gauntlets. Her back was to Beo who was still flailing on the giant bear mascot head.
"I take my eyes off you for a minute and you go and start a party without me! geez Beo I'm hurt." Yang mocked an ear to ear grin on her face.
The DJ finally managed to shake Beo off of his head as Beo landed behind her, his dagger drawn. And his back to her's.
"Well Its alright I guess, do me a favor. Try not to kill any of them, kay? It'd be a major headache if Goodwitch found out." Yang said as Beo nodded.
The entire club erupted into an all out brawl, in an instant both Beo and Yang dove into the crowd of security guards punching and slashing at anyone and anything in their way. Yang wove between two guards as she delivered a cross to one and sent the other flying with a left hook to his temple.
Beo meanwhile was busy dodging a myriad of short swords, batons and knives, his dagger moving like an ivory flash that let loose a thin red mist as he slashed out the tendons on their arms and legs. Occasionally Beo would end up on the ground using the but of his dagger to render whatever unfortunate soul that had been taken down with him unconscious.
The loud music playing in the club seemed to blend together with the sounds of the ensuing chaos. Shots firing from Yang's gauntlets acting as makeshift baseline after she sent the DJ flying towards Beo and he in turn hooked the costumed man's giant bear head with his blade mid flight and slammed him down into his sound mixer.
The lights flashed and changed as the control board began to short out. Yang did a poor job at hiding the excitement that was plastered on her face. She ducked underneath a wide and sloppy baton strike as she delivered a swift uppercut to the guards jaw and sent him into a large disco ball that had been hanging in the rafters.
'"Whoops sorry boys looks like disco night is canceled" She said firing three more explosive shells at the feet of a group of approaching guards.
Yang laughed as she imagined the look on Juniors face when he saw the destroyed mirrorball. Must have cost him a pretty penny given the size. It was then that Beo slammed into her side. The two of them sliding across the floor and slamming into the far wall.
"Damn, what was that!" Yang said looking to Beo, his nose was bleeding and his eyes were glowing faintly, his expression that predatory focus that he got when he was in a fight.
He nodded his head towards the center of the dance floor as the two rose to their feet.
"Now didn't the nice barman tell y'all to play nice?" Said a wall of a guard. His glasses didn't fit his face and his suit looked like it would tear at the seams any second, but what caught Yang's attention the most was the massive silver maul resting on the man's shoulder.
Yang and Beo got up, as the large guard walked ahead of the gathering crowd of his co-workers. Yang noticed the head of the maul was split almost completely down the middle vertically, stopping just before it met the handle.
"Well aren't you a big one, what's Junior been feeding you?" Yang said reloading her gauntlets. Beo meanwhile was cradling his slack left arm. He winched and let out a grunt as he slammed his shoulder back into place. "Ouch, felt that one. You good bud?"
Beo nodded as he brought his dagger up once again. He reached down and pulled out the plastic water bottle that held the viscous grimm blood. Beo Uncorked it and downed the contents. His aura flaring its deep blue as his eyes began to glow a deep red. Yang watched as her friend's muscles bulged and his arms elongated slightly, while bone plating began to break through the skin on his arms forming a macabre layer of armor.
"Umm, Beo you sure that's a good idea, I mean I'm all for a good time but that's a little much ain't it?" Yang said nervously remembering the bloodbath she found him in the center of during initiation.
It was Obvious that Beo wasn't at that point but still, that wild look in his eye made her equal parts excited as it did worried. Either way Beo was gearing up for a fight. Beo looked to her and gave a wicked smile, his canines growing into sharp points as he got low to the ground and waited.
Well at the very least it seemed like he was in control, for now. Yang cycled the chambers of her gauntlets, loading in fresh slugs ready to be fired at a moment's notice. She readied her stance and looked to the large bouncer with the hammer.
"Heh, what's the matter big guy? Are we playing a little too rough for ya?" The blonde said mockingly.
"Heh you don't know who your messin with lady! Acer Sintonizar, here is one of the bosses best enforcers! He's a Beacon dropout and everything. Shame the twins are on break or you'd be sorry." shouted one of the club's identical goons.
The goon's comment was met with a resounding focused blast of force knocking him into the nearby wall, and for a split second all sound in the club was replaced with an almost harmonic ringing. As Acer picked his now ringing hammer off the ground and placed it back on his shoulders.
"Graduate. Jenson, Beacon graduate. Ahem, I apologize for my associates rude outburst but I'm going to have to ask you politely to leave. The two of you have raised enough hell tonight." Acer said, adjusting his glasses.
Yang was surprised with how polite this talking wall was, especially after seeing him launch Beo into her, and one of his own guys into a wall without actually hitting him. But that didn't mean that she was going to listen.
She couldn't help but feel the urge to wipe that polite grin of his face. After all the look on Junior's face would be priceless. That coupled with her's and Beo's itching for a good brawl at this very moment.
Yang couldn't suppress a battle hungry grin to mirror Beo's own.
"Sorry big guy but, that's not on the menu tonight." Yang said as she looked to Beo. "You ready?"
Beo's eyes glowed a deep crimson as he gave her a wolfish grin and nodded.
"Alright!" She shouted, smashing her gauntlets together in a fiery explosion.
As both she and Beo shot towards the large security guard. Each of them taking opposite sides. Yang threw a series of quick jabs towards the man's abdomen only for her fist to strike Acer's hammer. Suddenly like what happened on the dancefloor earlier all the sound in the club distorted and stopped for a split second and Yang felt herself being blasted backwards by a wave of force that was followed by a resounding crash.
The room was ringing as the music faded back to its constant rhythm. Yang slid back as she gritted her teeth, her ears were ringing. She watched the same thing happen to Beo as his dagger met with the man's hammer and a similar but higher pitched pulse emanated from the hammer as Acer's aura flared. Beo turned mid air and landed on his feet almost immediately darting towards one of the pillars out of sight.
Acer, meanwhile, decided to focus his attention on Yang. As the behemoth of a guard slammed his maul on the ground and sent another shock wave in her direction. Yang barely had time to react before the wave of weaponized sound crashed into her sending her further back and into the wall.
"Shit!" she spat, "You know. Kinda no fun if you're just gonna be hittin the ground more than hittin me."
Yang fired off a volley of shots towards Acer each one soaring towards him like a signal flare. Acer struck the side of his hammer with his fist and her shots were met not with what should have been the satisfying sounds of impact, but with a dull thud as they were intercepted by a shimmering barrier of sound.
She was getting frustrated. Where did Junior find this guy? She wove between shockwaves that traveled through the air and along the ground, the club floor warped almost like the sound was rippling through it. But every time she or Beo got within reach, the bastard would just blast the two of them back with another one of those radial pulses.
"Okay that's really starting to get on my nerves!" She exclaimed.
Beo looked at her from across the room, and pointed up. Her eyes trailed up to where he was pointing and saw one of the light arrays sparking and barely hanging on by a few wires and bolts to the support beams.
She smiled and nodded. She fired off three shots at the dangling strobe lights. Each one hitting their target with a destructive force that Yang found immensely satisfying. The lights groaned and creaked from the sudden impact and swung down in a destructive arc, knocking over decorative pillars and bowling some guards who were unfortunate enough to be standing in the way.
Acer slammed his maul into the incoming threat, his aura flared again as a wall of force emanated between the hammer head and steel beams, sparks flew from the now shattered lights. Acer despite his barrier was pushed back a good thirty feet. As Beo dashed in from behind driving his dagger into Acer's leg, quickly tearing through his aura's protective shell and into his flesh.
Acer screamed in pain as the bone blade tore through the back of his calf and immediately into his thigh on the other leg.
Beo didn't stop however. With unnatural speed Yang watched as Beo took his dagger and made a series of quick slashes to the man's back before another shockwave sent him flying into the DJ stand on the far side of the dance floor.
While Acer gripped his leg in pain. Yang rocketed forward her fist finally connecting with his torso. As she unleashed a flurry of furious straights, hooks and crosses. Each one exploding with a tremendous force.
Acer's massive muscular form was shot back into one of the support pillars as the LCD screens that lined its sides shattered from the impact. The music in the club began to distort and shift as Acer got up, using his maul like a crutch his aura flared again and the air around him began to distort like a desert mirage.
"I tried being polite, but y'all just don't listen now do ya?" Acer sighed. "Lemme show you what playin rough really looks like."
And with that Acer Sintonizer slammed his massive maul into the ground and almost as if the room had been engulfed in a thunderclap as a massive burst of sound erupted from the hammer. Yang's hands instinctively went to her ears to protect them but it didn't help much, for a few seconds she couldn't hear anything aside from a constant high pitched ringing. She looked over to see Beo climbing out of the rubble of the DJ booth. His eyes pinched shut in pain as he gripped his ears.
Beo stumbled and fell off the ledge and onto the dance floor. Yang was shouting his name but it didn't seem like he could hear her, hell she could barely hear herself. Suddenly yang felt something hard slam into her side, as Acer's maul launched her towards the temporarily deaf Man-Grimm. And for the second time that fight Yang and Beo collided. Yang felt her aura flare as her semblance kicked in, converting most of the damage she took into residual power.
Slowly her hearing began to return. She could still hear a faint ringing as the constant rhythm that had been resounding through the club the entire time sounded strangely distant and somewhat muffled.
"What the hell?" Yang groaned as she got out of the pile of rubble. "Okay I'm calling bullshit!"
Acer was walking towards them, surrounded by a shimmering barrier of sound. Muted thumps of bass and music played in constant rhythm.
Beo crawled out of the pile next to her, a similar displeased frown on his face. His forehead was bleeding and his dagger was gripped in his hand, dripping with blood. Yang could tell he was starting to grow tired of the fight. Or at the very least, annoyed.
Beo reached around in his pack for the bottle of beowulf blood and made a face when he pulled out a shattered plastic bottle dripping with blood.
Yang watched as Beo frowned and then looked to his dagger and drew his tongue across the bone surface.
Beo's aura flared blue again but this time, instead of his body becoming more bestial, Beo's eyes filled themselves with tinges of copper and a vibrant yellow shine. Beo winced a bit as his hands shot to his ears like he was trying to block out sound that wasn't there.
Before shaking his head and looking up, Yang did the same, just in time to see Acer slam his hammer on the ground once more as a shockwave pulsed out of his barrier and towards the pair.
Yang tackled Beo out of the way of the blast as the pile of rubble exploded behind them. Yang fired off a few more shots only for them to bounce harmlessly off of the barrier.
"This shit is starting to get real old. You got any Ideas?" Yang asked her patience wearing thin.
Beo nodded. Before pointing to himself, Acer, and then her gauntlets while bumping his fists together. Yang smiled if she understood what Beo was getting at, then all it would take is a single well placed flurry of blows.
"Alright, do your thing. Real quick though I need you to punch me. As hard as you can." Yang said, Beo looked confused. "You heard me HIT ME!"
Beo reacted quickly, his fist slamming into her stomach. Yang chuckled as she felt one portion of her semblance activate as the force Beo struck her with was absorbed, and transformed into energy for herself.
"That oughta be just enough. Break that barrier down, and I'll handle the rest!" Yang shouted as Beo shot off like a rocket.
Acer let loose another torrent of shockwaves, Beo made no attempt to dodge. Instead he grabbed a broken pipe from off the ground and slammed it against his dagger as a similar blue tinted shockwave blasted out from him, it was weaker than Acer's but it managed to disrupt Acer's enough that the Man-Grimm could push through the attack.
Yang let all the power she had stored up from the earlier fighter mix with her frustration and excitement. Creating an explosive cocktail of power that was just waiting to be let loose, she just needed to wait for Beo's opening. Her hair was already beginning to glow a bright gold as the burning energy built as her eyes began to shift from their usual lilac to a fiery red.
Beo closed in on Acer, pipe in one and and dagger in the other he clanged them together again sending a small shockwave towards the barrier. Acer struck his hammer making the barrier extend to meet Beo's attack. And in that split second Beo's dagger struck the pipe again bringing it down into the barrier.
The two waves of sound clashed with each other reverberating in a massive crash. As Beo's dagger slid through the barrier and cut across Acer's hand. Acer shouted in pain as his hand let go of the hammer and Beo's pipe connected with the side of his head, with the dagger biting into his side. Acer's maul slammed into Beo sending him flying off to the side.
"Dammit" Acer said as his barrier dropped.
Yang wasted no time as she slammed her gauntlets together letting loose the torrent of energy that she had been building up.
"All right! Here I come you bastard!" Yang roared as blazed forward and let her fists run wild on his unshielded torso.
Each strike increasing in ferocity, landing on every and any vital spot she could hit. She could hear ribs cracking and feel Acer's muscles spasm on impact and it felt good to finally get a solid hit on the goliath bouncer.
"YOU'RE FINISHED!" Yang roared as her explosive uppercut caught Acer's jaw and sent him flying into rafters above.
The impact was like thunder as his massive form fell back down onto the dance floor with a mighty crash.
Yang had a wild grin that stretched from ear to ear. As her fiery aura began to simmer down some, transitioning from a raging inferno to a burning coal.
"grmnmmm" Beo groaned as he crawled out of the rubble and met Yang in the center of the club.
"Oof you okay there slugger?" Yang inquired.
Beo looked like hell, he probably felt like it too. Scrapes and cuts marked his body, one of his arms was hanging limply at his side probably dislocated from Acer's hammer strike. His free hand was gripping what was probably a set of broken ribs.. But Beo just shrugged and held out limp arm towards Yang.
"Yeah that needs to get reset. Uh let's see. Oh here bite down on this" Yang said snatching a discarded bowler hat from the floor.
Beo clenched it between his teeth as Yang gripped his injured limb and popped it back into its socket with an audible crack!
Beo let out a sound that Yang could only describe as an angry ursa caught in a trap. His voice was rough and raw.
As Beo tested his newly relocated shoulder. Yang started to say something about rejointing the fun when the blaring of sirens came echoing from the outside.
"You know as much fun as this has been I think we should probably make ourselves scarce." Yang said as she grabbed Beo and made a break for the exit.
The pair managed to make it back to Yang's bike and down the street before the club was swarming with police and several ambulances. Yang felt herself laughing like a madwoman as they sped down Vale's winding streets, weaving in and out of the busy streets.
Beo's grip around her waist was like a vice as he desperately tried to say on the bike. Yang knew that she was a very skilled driver, despite almost hitting a pedestrian in what looked like a white pinstripe suit trying to cross the road, the most that she would need to worry about was most likely tickets for blazing through any and all red lights that got in her way.
Eventually the pair made it back to the auto tram station and boarded the vessel back to the clifftop campus. Beo was looking over the railing his eyes fixed on the city lights growing smaller in the distance.
"So! What didja think of the city?" Yang said excitedly. Her back leaning on the rail.
Beo beamed as he gave a thumbs up followed by more crude gestures that Yang easily could tell was an extreme dislike of her prized motorcycle.
"Wha? I coulda sworn that you loved that ride, or was that just an excuse to put my waist in a death grip?" She teased.
Beo scowled a bit, seemingly not registering her jest. He shook his head and repeated the motorcycle hand gesture.
"Fine, fine I get it. Yeesh bit my head off about that." Said Yang jabbing his shoulder. "Nice job tonight slugger. Had a lot of fun."
They were quiet after that. Beo didn't make any more hand gestures or strange faces. And Yang stood there with him looking out over the rail. The lights in the distance growing further and further away.
The only sound was the slight rumble of the air tram as it glided through the air. Yang breathed in the cool air, it was a great end to the day, a good way to balance out the boredom that was the trip to the Forever Fall, she would be lying if the perpetually crimson treetops were not stunning to look at but, she had missed all the action when Jaunne of all people killed an Ursa.
It wasn't until a quarter past midnight that they landed and made their way back to the dorms. As they split off and said their goodbyes which was mostly Yang talking while Beo nodded as she opened her door quietly and snuck inside. But as the door closed Yang could swear she heard a rough voice say.
"Had...Fun...Yang."
"And that's what happend" Beo wrote.
Yang nodded in agreement. She had done her best to fill in spots where Beo missed but the two professors, Goodwitch especially, looked more tired than anything. The exact details of her ward's escapades the night before seemed to have only increased the migraine that she had no doubt been nursing since the hospital and damage bills came across her desk.
Ozpin cleared his throat before taking another sip from his coffee before speaking again.
"Well thank you for that, that was...most enlightening to say the least. However Beacon has a reputation to uphold, normally your punishment would include paying off the debts and a temporary revoking of your leisure pass to Vale." Ozpin said, folding his hands in front of his face.
"But given the circumstances and the proximity to the Vytal Festival that Ms. Xiao Long you will be responsible for the damages and Mr. Cobalt you have just earned yourself an entire week of remedial lessons on etiquette with Professor Goodwitch." He continued.
Beo visably stiffed at the mention of extra lessons, as if he hadn't had enough of those in the past few weeks. Either way the blue haired boy did not look thrilled about his punishment.
After another lecture from Goodwitch the two were dismissed after what felt like almost a year. As the two made their way down the elevator. After a few minutes Yang broke the silence.
"Okay spill…why didn't you mention you talking?"
"What do you mean?" Beo scribbled.
"Oh so that's how its gonna be eh? Well mark my words buster you're gonna talk again and when you do I'm gonna make you say uncle."
Beo smirked as he shrugged and walked out of the elevator doors as they hissed open. He wrote something down and tossed the notepad to Yang as he left.
Yang nearly broke out laughing again. As she read three simple words.
"Game on then."
The Previous Night
So far The Man in the Pinned Striped Suit's stay in Vale had been rather enjoyable. The people were rather accommodating and much more suited to idle conversation than the common folk of Atlas.
And he had even had a brush with danger as well as he was nearly hit by a motorbike carrying a couple who looked as if they were enjoying their youth, and judging by the amount of police trying to keep up with them they were exploring the thrills of youthful troublemaking and rablerousing.
But that paled in comparison to where he was heading. The Gilded Truffle was one of the most exclusive restaurants in all the world. Unfortunately it had been closed the past few years following the premature passing of their star chef. However recently the famed establishment had obtained a new even more renowned up and coming talent that The Man in the Striped Suit just HAD to sample tonight of all nights, the night of its grand re opening.
The restaurant itself was not a particularly fancy building, a single story with a black shingled roof and ebony colored walls with golden filigree decorating the exterior windows and an ornate sign out front that bore the restaurant's logo a simple golden truffle.
He was seated and his order placed. He decided on the chef special, a dish that was not listed on the menu for supposedly the chef would change the dish per order but no matter what it would be guaranteed to be a masterfully crafted and unique dish. Paired with the finest wines that the city had to offer.
He was in the middle of savoring his glass when his scroll rang and showed an unknown number listed. He smiled, for he knew exactly who was calling, an old companion. One he thought dead or at least in hiding.
"Mr. Aesir, to what do I owe the pleasure?" The Man in the Striped Suit said his voice like silk freshly woven off a loom.
"Atlas? No no, I find myself in Vale these days. Much more accommodating for my...interests as you know, in fact I'm indulging myself right now if my intuition is correct as you know it usually is. I may have a wonderful project on my hands for the coming future."
They spoke like this back and forth for a while before his friend posed a question that warranted an immediate answer.
"Hmm, So you really are forming a new group. Are you sure that is wise, after well what happened seventeen years ago? Well let me ask is SHE still involved?"
The answer was a resolute no which made him smile.
"Good I never understood what you saw in that witch but alas, I cannot join your new group of monsters. I find that in these times I must focus on my own endeavors. Ah unfortunately Mr. Aesir I must let you go, I believe my entrée has arrived and if the rumors are true these dishes are worth killing for." he said as he hung up and dug into his meal.
He smiled as he ate, he was not disappointed.
Three days later. Chef Collin Holmstead, the star chef of The Gilded Truffle, was reported missing. Three days after that he was found dead posed in a massive diorama, his body flayed like a holiday ham, and stuck on a spit. Dressed like the gourmet meals he served.