So yeah, a lot of readers weren't that happy with what I had Yang do to Darrel. Well, you needn't worry. Everything happens for a reason.
Hmmm... Maybe those could be the arc words for this fic? Yes or No?
Chapter 21: Revenge Is A Dish...
The next day was Friday, and the class was combat training, with Professor Goodwitch. However, she had been called away to discuss certain matters with Professor Ozpin. As such, Professor Kor stood on the stage of the amphitheater, with a rack of practice weapons flanking him, with Professor Port beside him. They had been called to showcase how to best analyze your opponent. Most of the class listened to his speech attentively, though I was thinking about recent events.
I don't get it. I mean, something was strange there. Yang had every right to get angry at Velvet kissing me, but how much did she really see? I was just comforting Velvet, making her feel better. There has to be a reason. Kimba?
...
Oh, I get it. I disregarded your advice again, and you're not going to talk to me anymore? Listen, Kimba, you may think I'm being a cavalier idiot, but here's some news: the Reckoning is not my only concern anymore! So if you can't deal with the fact that I'm easily distracted, then you may as well send me back home! Let the Reckoning happen, see if I care! Because you threw me into this world, without any care about how I might feel!
...Darrel, your wellbeing has been my utmost priority since I first met you on the beach.
Like hell it is! You recruited me for a war that no one, but you knows, let alone cares about! You abandoned me to the Wahtani! And what would have happened if I couldn't get out of its stomach, huh?! I'm just a pawn to you, aren't I?! A useless chess piece which you'd sacrifice in a heartbeat!
That's not true! Darrel, you can't always rely on me for guidance. And though it may not appear to be so, I am always ready to assist.
Then prove it. Actually try and care about me.
Very well. But at this point in time, you have more pressing matters at hand. For instance, Velvet Scarlatina?
Snapping out of my thoughts, I felt a tapping on my shoulder. Turning away from the stage, as Professor Kor continued to talk, I was met with the doe-eyed form of Velvet. But to my surprise, rather than her uniform, which I had always seen her in, she was wearing a brown long sleeved jacket, with golden pauldrons and vambraces, lined with an intricate pattern. Completing the look was a pair of brown shorts, lined with more embellished golden armour, and a pair of black leggings, with the heels and toes covered in more golden armour. Clearly, this must have been her combat gear. Seems as though time was passing by normally back home: I had arrived in Remnant shortly after the contest for the design of Velvet's combat gear had been announced.
"H-hello, Darrel. Is everything alright? You seem distracted." She asked nervously, wringing her hands together. I just looked away, too depressed to say anything. Velvet caught on quickly.
"It's Yang, isn't it?" She asked, a tear welling in her eye. I looked at her, and gave a silent nod. Velvet just looked at her feet.
"Darrel, I am so sorry about kissing you. It was stupid, and selfish, and I was just so happy that someone thought I was-" she apologized, only stopping when she saw my forlorn expression.
"It wasn't your fault, Velvet." I said. Velvet looked into my mournful eyes.
"But it is! I acted on an impulse, and now you're paying the price! Yang won't talk to you because she thinks that you're a... a..."
"A gigantic, obnoxious, two-faced douchebag?" I droned emotionlessly.
"I don't know what that is, but yes! And it's my fault!" She cried, rubbing her sleeve against her eyes, in a futile attempt to dry them. I just sighed sadly, and drew her in for a comforting hug. She sobbed against my shoulder, staining my jacket with tears, as I rubbed her back. For once, I didn't know what to do.
"Hey, Darrel!"
The perky voice of Ruby Rose nearly caused me to jump out of my skin, as I flinched in surprise, my shoulder hitting Velvet's chin as I tensed in surprise. Velvet yelped in pain, as she separated from my grasp, clasping her hands to her mouth, and squinting her eyes shut, as I turned to face Ruby. She glanced at Velvet, who was rubbing her mouth.
"Hey, are you okay?" The new arrival asked Velvet. She nodded.
"I think tho. I justh bit my tongue." She mumbled. I muttered a quick apology, then turned to Ruby.
"Ruby, if this is about Yang, then I swear to Dust that it's not what she thinks!" I exclaimed hurriedly, terrified that the petite girl would unleash her fury in the form of her beloved scythe tearing into my chest. Ruby just cocked an eyebrow, and tilted her head to one side, a befuddled look on her face.
"What? What are you talking about?" She asked innocently, a hint of worry in her voice. I was getting scared: was she trying to lull me into a false sense of security, get me to let my guard down? At this point, anything would be possible. I just gripped Ruby's shoulders, and bent my knees, so I was eye level with her.
"Ruby, has Yang said anything about me and Velvet?" I hissed, so that only the three of us would hear. Ruby gave me a worried look.
"I haven't seen Yang since lunch yesterday! I thought you might know where she would be!" She whispered. This threw me off. I had gone to comfort Velvet after lunch. Yang had seen us kiss, and after exacting my well-deserved punishment, she had disappeared. But if she hadn't gone back to the dorm... My stomach gave a backflip, as a horrible thought circled madly in my head.
'What the hell is going on?!'
Velvet stepped forward, a firm look on her face. As I looked down, I noticed her hand was clenched in a fist.
"Ruby, does this happen to Yang often? If she saw a guy she liked kissing someone else, how would she react?" She asked, her timid voice replaced with one of firm worry. Ruby shrugged.
"I... I don't know! I guess... she'd get a little jealous, but she'd accept the guy's actions! I mean, she knows that she can't control someone's feelings!" She answered frantically. Velvet and I exchanged a glance.
"Something's wrong. If Ruby is telling the truth, and I doubt she'd lie about her sister, then nothing adds up." I deduced. Velvet nodded.
"You're right, Darrel. We need to find her. But where do we start? We have nothing to go on!" She said, a worried frown on her face. I growled in frustration: there had to be some common link! Something that tied everything together! But what?!
Calm yourself, Darrel. Think about who is involved, and what their relationships are.
Taking a breath, I released my grip on Ruby, and looked at the two girls.
"Meet me in the library after class. We'll need to think about this." I said, before looking back to Professor Kor's lecture. One way or another, the three of us would dig out the truth.
Sitting at a desk and surrounded by books, the peace and quiet in the library helped me think clearer. Too much noise always gave me a headache. But in here, tranquility was in abundance, and I felt at ease. Or at least, I would, if this issue about Yang's bizarre reaction wasn't niggling in the back of my mind.
"Hey, Darrel. Should we get started?"
Looking up, I saw Ruby and Velvet standing side-by-side, carrying a ream of paper each. I gestured to the chairs opposite me. They sank into them, placing their paper on the desk.
"Okay, Darrel, Velvet. Seeing as this involves the pair of you, why don't you tell me what's happening?" Ruby asked. Velvet and I exchanged a quick glance, then turned back to Ruby.
"Very well. After I ran out of the cafeteria yesterday after Cardin and his teammates finished tormenting me, Darrel came to me. He offered some advice, consoled me, and I… I…" She hesitated, as if embarrassed to continue speaking. I piped up.
"She ended up showing her gratitude by, um, kissing me." I mumbled audibly. Ruby went wide-eyed.
"What?!" She exclaimed loudly, to the annoyance of a few nearby students.
"Shh, keep it down!" I hissed. Ruby muttered a quick "Sorry", and motioned to Velvet to continue speaking.
"Anyway, Yang walked in on that moment, and saw me kissing him. I tried to explain myself, but she said she didn't care about it. I made myself scarce afterwards." Velvet continued.
"Then Yang began yelling at me, saying she thought I was better than that. After slapping me, and judo throwing me onto the floor, she disappeared." I concluded. Ruby laid back in her chair, thinking hard about our story. After a few minutes, she leaned forwards, and beckoned me closer. I complied, so much so that our noses were almost touching.
"Darrel, I only have one thing to say to you." She said, giving off a stern feel to her aura. I sighed inwardly; here comes the lecture…
"That is definitely not how Yang would treat you if she saw Velvet kissing you."
Hearing those words nearly caused me to fall out of my chair. Fortunately, I caught myself before I hit the ground. Velvet was flabbergasted, as her ears had suddenly become alert, and her eyes became even wider, threatening to completely overtake her sclera.
"But… wha-how?!" I breathed. Ruby leaned forwards.
"Darrel, I know Yang better than anyone. I'm her sister, remember? And even though she's not very open about it, she really… admires you. You could do no wrong in her eyes. Heck, she'd always listen to your side of the story." The red-haired girl explained. I just blinked. I had a feeling that Yang did more than admire me, but right now, that wasn't the issue.
"So, could you think of a reason as to why Yang acted like she did, Ruby?" Velvet asked. She looked up, deep in thought.
"I did notice something. After you and Darrel left, Yang followed you. She told me it was to grab something from her dorm, but the weird thing is, Cardin went after her." She murmured. I pounded my fist on the table, causing Velvet to yelp in surprise.
"He must have blackmailed Yang into doing this. He must be jealous of the attention I've been getting recently, and he's setting me up for a fall, or something!" I realized. Velvet looked at me confusedly.
"But Darrel, how did you come to that conclusion? We have no idea about what Cardin thinks." She explained. I just looked at the bunny-eared girl.
"Well, yeah, but at this point, I'm just theorizing. The brute loves being top dog around here." I shrugged. Ruby gave me a smile.
"That actually sounds plausible. But you'll need to get close to him to prove it. Or at least, get some confirmation. How are you going to do that?"
Later that afternoon, Velvet and I were hidden in the hallway right outside Team CRDL's dorm room, listening in for anything that might help. However, all efforts had been worthless: most of the talk was guy talk, who'd win the game, who was the hottest chick, that sort of stuff.
"They really love being pigs, don't they?" Velvet asked, hiding beneath a low coffee table, hidden from view, unless someone was deliberately looking for her. As I couldn't hear what CRDL were saying without pressing my ear up against the door, which would be very unwise, Velvet was relaying the conversation to me.
"You said it, V." I responded, bringing my magazine away from my face, and looking at her from my comfy position. I had opted for the "hidden in plain sight" approach, using a nearby magazine of Weapons, and my pyjama clothes to stay unrecognizable. Velvet just rolled her eyes, and kept her ears alert. After half an hour had gone past, Velvet looked to me.
"One of them is coming for a drink from the fountain around the corner. This is our chance." She said quickly. I nodded, and looked up, keeping an eye on the nearby door.
The door opened to reveal the blue haired member of Team CRDL, Sky Lark. Attached to his back was what appeared to be a halberd, with an inwardly curved head, and a spike on the opposite ridge. I gave the signal, and Velvet emerged from her hiding place, stealthily following Sky without making a sound. The blue-haired teenager rounded a corner, and Velvet pressed her lithe body against the wall, peeking around the corner. After a moment, she motioned me to move up for a better view, and I complied, crumpling up the magazine, diving behind a single seat couch. Looking over the headrest, I saw Sky leaning over a nearby drinking fountain, slurping up the water, his lips planted directly on the spout. Disgusting.
"Good. He's in position. Go get 'em, V." I whispered, loud enough that Velvet could hear me, but Sky couldn't. Velvet nodded, and walked around the corner, bumping directly into Sky. Staggering back, she tried to push past him.
"Oh, um, ex-excuse me." She said shyly, trying to get around him. Lark, however, just extended his arm, blocking her passage.
"Hold on. What was your name? Varlet? Veneer?" He asked. Velvet just looked at him.
"Velvet."
Sky's face lit up.
"Oh, yeah! You're that girl Cardin was picking on yesterday, weren't you?" He asked, his expression indecipherable. Velvet just raised one of her hands up to her lagomorph ears, rubbing the one that Cardin had yanked.
"What do you want, Lark?" She asked, her nervousness slipping away, giving way for firm anger to take its place. Sky just raised his hands defensively, trying to edge past her.
"Whoa, take it easy, Velvet. I just wanted to say sorry. Cardin was the one who pushed me into it. He's my leader, it's his way or the highway." He explained. Velvet just folded her arms, slowly circling the apologetic warrior, so that Sky had his back to me. Quietly emerging from behind the couch, I noiselessly approached him, hoping to take him down by surprise.
"That doesn't excuse your actions yesterday. You're here to learn how to stick up for the defenseless. If you can't even say no to your own friends when they tell you to pull my ears, then what good are you?" She asked, looking deep into Lark's eyes, her face showing a hard scowl. Sky just raised his hands.
"Look, even if I said no, Cardin would make me do it anyway. That's just how he is: as long as he leads us, he'll just have the final say. I'd fight back, but you know how he is in training. He doesn't hold anything back anywhere. Truth be told, he scares me." He answered. By now, I was within arm's reach of him.
Now is the time to strike. Do it!
"If he scares you, then what do you think about me?" I asked, taking Lark by surprise. He whirled around, laying his eyes on me, and remaining petrified with fear.
"D-Darrel?! What are you-Ungh!" He spun twice, with a red mark on his cheek in the shape of a fist, raised his hand and outstretched finger, then collapsed. I had punched him. Hard. Enough to knock him out. Velvet gave me a horrified look. I just glanced back towards CRDL's dorm room.
"If they heard him, they'd come in force. And as cool as your abilities are, Velvet, I doubt we could take on Dove, Russel, and Cardin." I explained. Velvet gave a small nod, then knelt down, grabbing Sky's ankles. I did the same, only grabbing his splayed arms. Together, we hauled him to an empty room, throwing him onto a chair. If Sky knew what was good for him, we'd have some answers very quickly.
By now, night had fallen, and Sky still showed no signs of arousing. During this time, I had changed back into my combat gear. Granted, my PJs were comfy, but they wouldn't help in the interrogation. As we waited, Velvet had taken to staring out the window at the crumbling moon, whilst I had pulled out my scroll, and began to play Sudoku. Right as I was about to finish on the third puzzle, I heard a groan from our prisoner.
"U-ugh..."
Looking up from my scroll, I noticed that Sky was coming round, rubbing his no doubt aching jaw. I compressed the tablet into its storage form, while Velvet turned away from the window overlooking the statue placed out the front. As Sky blinked in the harsh light, Velvet and I scowled down on him.
"Wha-what happened?" Sky asked. Velvet leant forward, putting her face close to Sky's.
"The two of us have questions. And you're going to answer them. Otherwise..." She whispered. As she trailed off, I stepped forward, cracking my knuckles. Sky flinched, but otherwise, he didn't react.
"Ask all you want, Velvet. I don't know how good I'll answer them."
I stepped forward, roughly gripping Sky's face, letting him see the very obvious anger in my face. He swallowed fearfully.
"Recently, Yang saw me kissing Velvet. Rather than accept that my feelings, she lashed out, slammed me to the ground, and running off. Do you know where she went after that? Did you see her at any point in the past 24 hours?" I asked. Sky just blinked.
"How the hell would I know? She's your teammate, isn't she?" He responded, giving a vile scoff. I turned away, to face Velvet.
"He's dodging the question. We need a different tactic." I whispered to my partner in crime. Velvet nodded, and knelt down beside our prisoner.
"Sky, if you truly respect the Faunus, then you'll tell me what I need to know. What do you know about Yang's recent escapades?" She asked, her soft voice sounding terrifyingly demonic. Sky, however, refused to flinch.
"What would I know about that? Maybe she's just blowing off some steam, drawing little versions of your boy toy into a tree, then knocking them down. Whatever, I don't know anything." He spat in Velvet's face. I strode forward, furious.
"Listen to me, you son-of-a-bitch, you better think really hard about what you say, because I will send you home to mommy in itty-bitty pieces!" I yelled in his face. Sky just sneered.
"You want the truth? I was in my dorm all day. Aside from lunch, and a lecture with Oobleck, I had nothing else to do, so I just did some homework like a good little boy. Why would I care about Velvet kissing you?" He grinned, his eyebrows downturned. But he hadn't realised his most fatal mistake.
"Velvet kissed me, huh? Didn't I say it was the other way round? That I was kissing her?" I asked coyly. Sky nodded energetically, still giving that punchable smug grin.
"But how could you know that, Lark? The only ones who know the full details are Darrel and I. After all, I kissed him first." Velvet smirked. A few seconds had passed before Sky finally caught on. His face fell from relief to shock, as he now knew that he was, for lack of a better word, screwed. He leaped out of his chair, and sprinted for the door. Fortunately for us, Velvet had had the foresight to lock the door. As Sky struggled with it, I strode forward, unfurling one of the blades on my arms. Sky just continued to struggle, until I thrust my blade into the wall, deliberately missing his head by a narrow margin. I wanted to terrorize him, not outright kill him. I placed my elbow below his ear, right behind his jawbone, trapping him in place. Lark just struggled.
"What's the hurry? Now that you've given me some more details, it's time for you to spill the beans." I snarled. Sky continued to struggle, but it was hopeless: no matter what happened, I would never release him.
"Why should I tell you, pipsqueak? You're just one scrawny kid! Cardin's stronger than you'll ever be!" He grunted. I just applied more pressure to the side of his head, almost ready to squish his head like a grapefruit. I leaned into his ear.
"Lark, I rode and controlled a Nevermore during initiation. I sent a Boarbatusk crashing through five walls with just one single punch. I let myself get swallowed by a Wahtani with a time bomb strapped to my back, so I could detonate it in its stomach. You think Cardin could beat me? I'd like. To see. Him. Try." I hissed in his ear.
Sky had frozen to the wall. He was no longer struggling, nor did he have that cocky look on his face when I first pinned him to the wall. Instead, he was shaking, and his face was twisted in one single emotion.
Terror.
"Alright, alright! Whaddya wanna know?!" He panicked. I released him from my pin, and he immediately dropped like a sack of potatoes. As he got to his knees, Velvet strode forward, grabbing his collar, and forcing him onto his knees. All confidence that Lark had whilst we had interrogated him was now gone, replaced entirely with fearful cowardice.
"How do you know about my kiss with Darrel?" She inquired angrily.
"Yang followed Darrel out of the cafeteria, saw him comforting you! Cardin followed her, and saw it too! Then he told us!" He yelped.
"What does Cardin have against Darrel?" She asked, her voice full of venom, something I never thought was physically possible. Sky just covered his head, terrified of the pair of us looking down angrily at him.
"Cardin's jealous of all the fame you've been getting for the past few weeks, so he wanted to ruin you! Make sure that you'd get what's coming to you!" He gibbered frantically, his eyes swiveling to me. I knelt down in front of him.
"So where does Yang fit into this?" I snarled. Sky looked at me in a panic.
"Cardin knows what you mean to her! He told her to break your heart, or else something bad would happen to you and her half-pint sister! That's all I know, I swear! Please, just let me go, I won't tell anyone, I promise!" He broke down into tears, surprising me. Sky did always come off as a cowardly bully, but I never expected him to collapse into heaving sobs. Velvet released her grip on him, and Sky immediately curled into a ball, broken with fear. She unlocked the door.
"Get out. And don't even think about telling Cardin about this. Otherwise... well, you'll know." I growled. Sky gave a whimper, much like a scared puppy, and was out the door in a flash. Velvet turned to me.
"Good job, Velvet. You know, this confidence you have is really cool." I praised. Velvet smiled warmly.
"W-well, with you at my side, I feel like nobody could beat me. I guess it's because of the talk you had with me yesterday." She said, a rush of colour flooding her cheeks. I smiled, and gave her a quick hug, feeling her hand rubbing up and down my back. Knowing that Velvet could be confident was a weight off of my mind.
"Now what?" Velvet asked, pulling away. I just gave a wicked grin. Yang had been blackmailed into breaking my heart, and Velvet had been caught in the crossfire. Now was the time to plot vengeance on Cardin. And with a field trip to the forest of Forever Fall inevitable, now was the perfect time.
"I guess I should start planning a 'sting' operation."
GODDAMMIT, BARB!ME!
Alright, I lied a little bit in the last chapter's author's notes. As it turns out, there is a reason for Yang's actions: Cardin is blackmailing her into ruining Darrel, so he can claim popularity for himself. If she didn't, he'd do something to him and Ruby. As a result, Yang had no choice, but to comply.
So for those who are a little worried about me having thrown the Yang/OC ship under the bus, WORRY NOT! It is every intention for me to have them end up together.
And yes, the pun is glaringly obvious. It's time for Cardin to suffer!
P.S.: I know Confident!Velvet may come off as a bit... off, but for the life of me, I couldn't get Shy!Velvet to work for this. So... yeah.