Hello!

How are you since ... last month?

*cough and hide somewhere until the end of the chap*

Raven : Coward ...

.

It was pitch black, as always. It was always easier to keep quiet at night, besides the lack of light, most people slept, and those still awake were loud enough to drown out the sound of a pair of boots landing on a roof.

The air vent was closed with a dirty grille, and the duct was not wide enough for even a small adult to fit through. Yang shrugged and melted the screws by pressing down on them with a hot finger. She caught the gate before it fell and set it quietly down beside her. A small adult might not be able to fit in, but a nimble child with one less arm had just enough space to fit inside. As expected, she arrived in an empty room. After removing the absurd amount of dust she had collected, she pressed the button on her headset.

-I'm inside.

-Okay, you remember your route?

-Yes.

-Let's go then. And please don't start an unnecessary fight, I didn't buy Lil' Miss roundtables for nothing.

-Yeah yeah …

Rook sighed on the other end. It wasn't their first mission since she talked with Qrow, and they both knew this warning was unnecessary. On the one hand because Yang was perfectly aware that she had to avoid being noticed, and on the other hand because she almost always ended up exploding something anyway, with her fist or her flames, warning or not… It was the kind of thing that hadn't changed.

Not much had actually changed. Her style, now that she wore red armor on her arm and a winter leather jacket, looked a little less civilian, but since she was old enough to be in combat school no one posed any question. Rook had restricted their field of activities to Anima and eventually Vacuo, and made sure not to meet anyone problematic. And Qrow contacted her once a month to keep her updated. Officially, he was on the trail of the "Burning Falcon", a cool nickname given by the Atlas media, but could not find her yet. This cover wouldn't last forever, Ozpin knew Qrow was a good spy, but it was better than nothing and let them time to think. Rook had also started to be a little more curious, without going overboard, she asked her about her tastes, her hobbies, her life in the tribe …

It was the first time she told anyone about it, Qrow already knew how the tribe worked, and she hadn't developed when she talked to Mercury. Rook was interested, she asked her where she slept, what she ate, how they did in winter. Yang had told her about a particularly cold winter that she had experienced when she was young, even if she didn't remember it very well, she just knew what her mother had told her afterwards. She didn't ask a lot of questions about the raids, but Yang suspected that she might not like the idea of gratuitous mass murder. She didn't ask about Raven either.

Finally, there was the weapon, or rather the weapons, that Qrow had found in the rubble of the tent. Tantos, like the ones she had learned to wield the sword with as a child, but of much better quality and with a mechanism in the handle. The edge of the blade was smooth, without an imperfection, but a thin hollow transparent cylinder ran through it lengthwise, blocked by a small, almost invisible filter just beside the tip. The handle was black with some kind of on / off button, currently set to the middle position, and at the top and bottom of the handle was a yellow ring that looked like it could turn. It was a real pro weapon, a real Huntress weapon, designed especially for her, a gift for her, a gift from her mother, that she intended to give her. But she didn't. She didn't have the time to.

Yang still hadn't used it, on the one hand because it was a double weapon… which therefore required two hands… but also because she had no idea how the buttons and rings on the handles worked.

Besides, she preferred to use her mother's sword to fight.

Beside all that, Yang still didn't have a mask since her mother's helmet was still too recognizable, and the missions always went the same way. Like this one, she had to infiltrate a lab and cause an "accident" in one of the labs to create a diversion, while Rook went through another location to retrieve some data requested by the client, on the other side of the building. It was hacking, and Yang had never touched a computer unless it was to blow it up, so it was better for everyone if she just took care of her part.

Following the planned route, Yang didn't meet anyone, the corridors seemed empty. Normally there weren't many security guards, and the researchers were all in their labs. As long as neither of them took a pee break at the wrong moment, she was safe.

It didn't take her long to get to her destination. In front of her, in the middle of a hallway, stood a quite mundane door, the one she and Rook had chosen as a distraction, with the list of authorized persons displayed beside a card scanner. Getting in and causing an accident was going to prove to be a little harder than expected. Yang swept her gaze around, but there was absolutely nothing around her, not a piece of furniture in the hallway, and the air vent this time was too small to fit even her head. And she didn't dare try to knock to make someone open to her, she was supposed to be as discreet as possible. It was the kind of moment when she regretted she could only use fire. The subtlety was far from being her best asset, and something like wind or water would have been great …

Wait. Of course, water!

Yang looked up and searched the ceiling, until she found a small gray circle. She moved to just below, and a flame appeared in her hand. With a smirk, she watched the smoke slowly rise to the smoke detector.

Even though it had taken longer than expected, Yang had managed to get out without a hitch, and was currently waiting for her partner in front of a bar a few blocks away, in the cold winter wind. She had killed no victims this time, and normally left no evidence of her passing, an investigation would simply result in a malfunction of the fire system, not sabotage. Like what, Rook was worried for nothing, she was perfectly capable of not blowing up everything around her if she wanted to.

-Hey kid.

Yang turned to the voice, a man in an apron who had just stepped out of the bar.

-You shouldn't hang out here at this time, it can be dangerous.

Yang sighed, she hated when she was treated like a child when she had left more corpses behind her than a Hunstman who failed to save a village.

-I can protect myself.

And to back it up, she twitched her hip, jingling the Dust's bladed scabbard still clinging to her waist. The man didn't even seem so surprised, it was Mistral after all.

-And what are you doing here then? Waiting for someone?

-Yeah, and she should be soon.

Or at least she hoped so, because at this rate Rook would only find a frozen snowman. She was still soaking wet from those stupid sprinklers and the wind was freezing… Luckily she didn't take her jacket with her inside, at least she had a dry item of clothing to put on when she left.

-Well, you can come inside if you want, I'm not letting a kid waiting in the cold.

The good thing about Mistral was that when you seemed to come from the shallows or be a part of a somewhat dark group, the age limits became completely obsolete. Yang followed the bartender inside, where the temperature was much more bearable, there was even some music. She knew she was getting strange looks, but as always, she didn't care, and sat down at a table with a cup of jasmine tea. It still wasn't the one she was used to, but it was already way better than Atlas's.

After several minutes of waiting, Rook finally entered the bar, and Yang had to try hard to make fun of her. Her mentor was drenched from head to toe, and a thin layer of snow was on top of her head and on her shoulders. Her angry gaze quickly swept the room, causing several people to curl up in their chairs, until it finally landed on Yang. She crossed the room, leaving puddles behind her, and sank into the opposite chair, crossing her arms.

-Uh… Sorry?

-What don't you understand in "sticking to the plan"?

-What? I had no way in without being spotted. And I got wet too so don't complain.

Rook growled and ordered a green tea.

-I remind you that you have an earpiece precisely for this kind of situation.

-Yeah yeah… Did you still succeed on your side?

Rook smirked, and pulled a small USB drive out of her pocket.

-Of course, who do you think I am?

And they drank their tea quietly, enjoying their hot drink on a winter's night. Some things hadn't changed.

It was snowing lightly outside, but that didn't matter. At best it was one more constraint on Mercury, for he had to be careful not to leave any traces. This wasn't the first time his father had sent him back on a mission alone since his "failure" in Atlas, where he had failed so badly that even the media had ignored his existence, because after all, it wasn't like if stealth was a good assassin's primary weapon, was it? That was why he preferred to go through the roofs, the journeys were shorter, quieter, less risky… and when he jumped, he felt like he was flying…

Being on a mission alone away from his father already gave him a deep sense of freedom, but the moments when they were in the air, the wind in their hair, without his feet touching the ground, floating in the void without being in contact with anything… That was true freedom.

Too bad it never lasts more than a few moments. But anyway, he had a mission to finish.

-I wonder how Falcon is doing…

-Uncle Qrow!

Without further warning, Ruby threw herself on her uncle, almost knocking him over. Arms clinging tightly to his waist, she heard him laugh and ruffle her hair. It had been sooooooo long time since she had seen him! He hadn't even come for her birthday! Mom said he had started doing long missions again, but still …

-Hello kid.

Ruby looked up at him, pouting.

-Stop calling me "kid"! I am ten years old now, I'm a big girl!

She barely noticed the flash of sadness that crossed Qrow's eyes, before he grabbed her by the collar of her cloak to lift her up like a kitten, looking below her as if searching something.

-A big girl? Where? Do you see one?

From her position in the air, Ruby tried to give him a few kicks with a growl, but her small legs didn't allow it. Finally, Qrow put her down, laughing and ruffled her hair again. Ruby groaned a bit to show off, then returned to her usual childish smile. She knew he was just teasing her. And she had more important things in mind anyway.

-Oh! Come with me! I have to show you something!

Without asking his opinion, she grabbed him by the arm and dragged him into her room. Ruby's room was everything you would expect from a child's room, full of toys, dolls, Grimm figures, a plastic castle, clothes that never reached the dirty laundry basket, school books strewn everywhere, an absolute mess. As usual. But she didn't care and walked across her room, skillfully walking between the toys on the floor, until she reached her desk. There she grabbed a sheet of paper half-buried under her drawings and pencils, and proudly handed it to the Huntsman.

-Look! I imagined it myself!

Qrow took the sheet and glanced at it, while Ruby was shaking with excitement. It was a rough felt-tip drawing of a red and black scythe, giant if he relied on the "2M LONG!" written above. Qrow smirked.

-You've already started to think about it? You still have two years before Signal you know.

-I know, but I had too many ideas last night and I couldn't sleep so I drew lots of weapons and finally I chose this one because it's a scythe just like yours so you'll have to come more often to teach me!

Qrow put a hand on his chest looking mock shocked.

-Are you saying I will be forced to visit my niece? That's terrible!

At that Ruby's smile faded.

-Bah… It's the third time you don't come for my birthday… Before, you used to come every year, even when you had lots of missions…

Qrow felt a tinge of guilt, and unwittingly, Ruby added another layer of it.

-Plus, you said "my niece", not "my favorite niece". You always say "my favorite niece" usually, and after I can tell you it's silly because I'm your only niece …

-Oh …

-Did I do something wrong …?

The tears that threatened to fall from Ruby's large puppy eyes were all it took to make Qrow crack. With a sigh, he crouched down to her level and put his hand on her head.

-You didn't do anything kid. It's just … I have some … personal problems.

-I know, it's *sniff* it's what mom said… but…

-See? If your mother says it, it must be true.

-Hmm … She also said Santa was real … until last year …

-Yeah … Uh … Listen … I'll tell you when you're older, okay?

-How older?

-Older like …

Qrow swept his gaze across the room, then returned to the drawing in his hand.

-… like when you know how to use this thing.

-But it's in a long time! I haven't even made it yet!

-Then you're going to need a little helping hand.

At these words, Qrow stood up and grabbed a pencil that was lying on the desk, then turned with a smirk.

-And you want a professional advice? Add a gun.

Ruby couldn't help but smile. She really loved spending time with her favorite uncle.

The party was going pretty well, the guests were feasting on petit fours and champagne, and the music in the background was good but not too intrusive, allowing guests to chat without raising their voices. In a corner of the great room, a young girl in an evening dress sank into a chair, sighing, exhausted. The journalists were finally gone, after more than an hour of harassing her, still with the same questions to which she gave answers, for the most part learned by heart. Her parents had organized this party even before knowing if she would manage to win this tournament, one more way to make her understand she had no right to make mistakes …

-What did I get myself into…?

It wasn't even a big tournament, it was limited to first and second year students of Sanctum, and while she did seem like a prodigy who had no difficulty at all fighting older students, it was really just an impression. And to think that from next year she would finally have the minimum age to participate in regional tournaments. She didn't even want to think about it. But… that was the deal she made with her parents. They would let her become a Huntress, provided she was the best. She had been naive to think that they were just talking about her school results…

But it was temporary, until she completed combat school. … Four more years to wait …

-Yo ho! Remnant to Pyrrha! Do you hear me?

-Ah!

Pyrrha jumped when she suddenly heard a voice next to her scream at her, so that she almost fell from her chair. Fortunately, a warm hand grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back into place with a laugh.

-Pay more attention to what is going on around you, Miss Warrior.

-I'm sorry…

-And stop apologizing, you're hopeless, you know that?

Pyrrha almost answered a second "Sorry" reflexively, but held back just in time, and looked away, blushing. Another laugh was heard beside her.

-Still shy, eh? I can sit?

-Yes of course.

The young woman pulled a chair closer and sat down. Unlike Pyrrha, who had slumped in her chair and barely had time to wash and change after her tournament, Hérica stood straight, her hands resting calmly on her knees, her long dark hair tied in a perfect braid, a silver silk ribbon tied in it, accompanied by a light but expert makeup. Until a few years ago, Hérica wanted to be an actress, just like her mother, even though she was aiming for the cinema rather than the theater, so she had been trained in consequences. But since her kidnapping, she had made up her mind to become a Huntress, like her cousin. Her side of the family was less strict, luckily for her, but to say that they had been disappointed would be an understatement. Nobody had really tried to stop her, but nobody had supported her either …

-So, how is Amélie?

-She's fine. She told me to congratulate you on her part, she wanted to come but she is still too small, she would have fallen asleep in the middle of the party, and the parents are still not comfortable with the idea to know her out of the house at night.

Thinking of her younger cousin, Pyrrha allowed herself a small smile, her first real smile of the evening.

-I understand. Thank her for me then.

-Of course.

Peaceful silence fell between them as they simply enjoyed the music. Hérica was one of the few people in their family who did not seek perfection and fame, she expected nothing from Pyrrha other than someone to have an honest conversation with. It hadn't always been the case, before her kidnapping, Hérica behaved like a little diva, for whom appearance and good manners were more important than anything. She wasn't mean, but the rare times the two cousins had spoken had only ended well thanks to Pyrrha's infinite politeness and humility.

And then one day she came to visit her to watch her train. Pyrrha had of course agreed, not quite knowing what to expect, and was very surprised to see her take notes, without making a single comment about her messy hair and sweaty clothes. It was only a few weeks later that Pyrrha learned that her cousin had completely revised her plans for her future, much to the dismay of her parents. Since then she had regularly come to encourage her, ask her for advice, and even sometimes train with her. And although she still had a plague attitude at times, Hérica was the only person Pyrrha could call a friend.

-By the way, I forgot to tell you about it the other day, but I'm starting Haven next year.

-Really? Do you think they will accept you, even if you haven't training for a long time?

-It will be three intensive training years with one of the best Huntress in training in Mistral, they will obviously accept me. And in the worst case, don't forget I'm still an excellent actress, I will find a back-up plan.

-Yes, I guess.

Yes, Hérica might be a good person inside, but she was the kind of person you didn't want to alienate.

-Also Pyrrha, I'd like to know, what made you want to become a Huntress?

-Oh that's …

Pyrrha looked away again, blushing. She knew what she was going to say was silly, but it was the truth.

-I always wanted to be a Huntress. Even though I don't make much of a difference, I want to help make the world a better place, as much as I can …

-It's good… I guess…

Pyrrha looked at her cousin, frowning a little. She was looking at an invisible spot on the floor with a serious expression, and her hand gripped the fabric of her gray dress.

-Hérica?

-You know the Huntsmen don't just fight Grimm, do you?

-Uh… Yes, I know, they also fight criminals.

-And I saw some of these criminals.

Pyrrha looked down. That's right, her cousin had been kidnapped by assassins before being handed over to a criminal in Vale, she had seen firsthand what what they were about to face one day, and yet it was what gave her the motivation to take the plunge. It was one of the reasons she admired her.

-Do you think I'll be ready one day?

Herica chuckled and turned to her, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

-I think if you really want something, nobody can stop you kid. But …

Her smile disappeared again.

-Hérica… you're scaring me…

-He? Oh.

Unlike her cousin, Hérica hardly ever apologized, but Pyrrha was able to tell when she thought it.

-It's just… Among the two assassins who kidnapped us… One of them was your age.

-What?

She had never told her that. In fact, Hérica had never talked about her kidnapping, except to the police. It was understandable, and of course Pyrrha never forced her to, she only learned the main part from her parents. But she wouldn't have expected to hear there were such young criminals. That was sad …

-And… how was she?

Herica closed her eyes for a moment as if to remember what she had seen.

-Strong. Very strong. More than you are now.

Pyrrha swallowed. Journalists already took her for a prodigy, what would they say about a girl who two years ago was better than her now …

-And you think… Do you think that one day… I will be able to stop her?

-Honestly, I don't know… I hope you won't have to.

Okay, if Pyrrha wasn't terrified before, she sure was now. But she understood why her cousin was talking to her about it. She was worried about her. At least it made her feel a little better knowing someone really cared about her.

*get out of her hiding place*

Hey! So, what do you think? Was this waiting time worth it? Of course it was, there's Pyrrha in the chapter ... And Hérica has decided to become a Huntress! Hey, I don't struggle finding names for characters I don't plan to use u_u

Since Pyrrha is based on Achilles, I based Hérica on Hercules. I really suck in history and mythology, so don't expect a thousand references n_n' Also ,I know there's no "é" in english, but I let it because I like putting some french touch sometimes and there's a lot of "é" or "è" in french (my own name has two "é") XD

I think that's all for this time, so see you next time! Take care! n_n