The two of them reappeared on a windswept rooftop somewhere in downtown Vale.
Yang knew because she could still see Beacon shining up on the cliffs, its lamps flickering on to turn back the encroaching night. Even though there was still plenty of light to see by coming from the red setting sun.
Yang walked closer to the edge of the roof and looked down to get a lay of the land. They were somewhere in the business district she could tell that much, eerie howling sounds flitted around the buildings as the wind went on its way. Yang finished orienting herself while Raven sat cross legged on some air handling equipment then closed her eyes and seemingly going to sleep. Yang saw this, the fact that Raven might need rest after teleporting them both so much did cross her mind.
But Yang wanted her answers,
And she wanted them now.
"So Raven," She slowly began, "What do you know?"
"That's rather ambiguous for you Yang. I know a lot of things."
"Please," Yang asked again, while she sat down on some air ducts across from her ally of dubious worth and motivation.
But Raven smiled, opening her eyes while she pulled her weapon onto her lap and began spinning the multicolored cylinder very slowly by walking her fingers along it. Each tick eating away another ounce of Yang's patience. And after a few seconds Raven sighed and spoke.
"I knew your mother, briefly. It was a long time ago and I was pretty young but I saw her enough to remember… All those years ago, she inspired me. And a friend of mine told me all he could about her."
Yang leaned forward, tense with anticipation "What did he say."
"That she had a daughter, you, with some Huntsman she knew from her time at Beacon. Before she left for another cause."
"As in?" Yang replied growing impatient.
"She was one of the more vocal White Fang and Faunus sympathizers among humanity, and I guess actions speak much louder than words in the clan she came back to after her time at Beacon."
Raven paused when she noticed Yang looking down at the helmet beside her. Raven picked it up and placed it on her lap atop the sword, turning the face to the blond.
"Yes, Yang I did say the White Fang,"
Yang paused trying to phrase her next question delicately, her right hand moved up to scratch her hair while she thought,
"How… are you?" she slowly began.
"Half breed," Raven replied, "My parents were a Human and a Faunus. I was mostly brought up by the former. But I don't want to say more right now."
Yang was stunned, "You don't want to say more?"
"No," the dark Huntress repeated, "I don't and is it really that important?"
Yang thought about it for a moment and decided that no, knowing more about Raven wouldn't help get her out of this situation. Raven turned the helmet around and stared into its eyes for a quiet moment. But Yang couldn't help but wonder aloud about what Raven said.
"Still I didn't think that was possible,"
Raven looked up and tilted her head silently asking the blond to elaborate,
Yang looked away, "Sorry," she apologized.
"Yeah everybody is…" Raven said with a scowl. "I was lucky I didn't get any really visible heritage. Maybe I am a full Faunus. But still I knew, and a lot of other's knew and that's a prickly point with the 'true born' Faunus who had no problem reminding me. I got a lot of firsthand experience of all sorts of hate even though I tried my best."
She spun her helmet around a few times, lost in memories for a moment before she put the Grimm mask back at her side and looked at Yang again.
"Any way, ten years ago something happened on a mission. I don't know what, I don't know why. But Yang, your mother was killed. Not lost, not missing or imprisoned I saw her body. And I saw them burn it with all the other victims of that night."
Yang sucked in a deep breath and looked down at the ground, clenching her fists gripped on the edge of her seat. Yang's eyes shut tight while she processed this news. Finding out that the biological mother she never knew had been dead for a decade.
Raven attempted to console her in what way she could, "She was a good person. She started to teach me to fight, a lot of people looked up to her. Never backing down from anything and always there. I'm sorry Yang."
Yang let out a sigh, she wasn't sure what closure she really was looking for when she had started her search all those years ago. What Raven said was just too much to take in at the moment. If her mother was such a good person why did she still abandon Yang? A hundred new questions burned in her stomach full of raw emotions, but she steeled herself and looked Raven in the eyes.
"How did you learn about me?"
"The day of the funeral a lot of people were talking. About the past, the future, everything. I heard enough and my friend filled in the rest. Your mom fell in love at Beacon but was too committed to her ideals and clan to commit to that life yet. So she left her daughter with the father and never looked back. Don't be angry, some people are just like that."
"So you tracked me down because of just that? A story?"
"You could say that," Raven replied bobbing her head around like she was physically trying to sort out her thoughts rolling in her head.
"I guess I got carried away with my imagination." She explained, "I was the only child my age in our little group. Maybe I pictured we could be friends someday, if I ever even found you. I finally learned a bit more about you a couple of months ago when I arrived in Vale and touched up with some people in the know. You'd be surprised how many in the shadows were interested in you and your sister."
Yang scowled and dryly spoke up with a small amount of weary sarcasm, "Great, sure and you just happened to find me in the middle of Mount fucking Glenn."
"I still really haven't gotten that thank you."
Yang swung her arms out and shrugged her shoulders at the same time,
"Bite me I'm here." She retorted.
"Whatever, I just had a feeling I might be able to trust you. That you might help me even if I didn't know anything about your mom."
Raven slid her feet down to the roof and laid her hands on her knees preparing to stand, "Like I said I've been tracking this group that the White Fang have sold out to for a future only they want. Who have no idea what the real price of that pipe dream just is. So I followed the Fang out to Mountain Glenn and saw you and your team starting your shenanigans."
"And you want my help taking them out." Yang said.
"No I want your help figuring out what they are planning," Raven corrected, "Or being told to do next."
"Oh, that's much better." Yang replied with even more sarcasm.
"I'd appreciate if you take this somewhat seriously Yang. These people are deadly."
"So you say," The blond replied waving her left hand around dismissively.
Raven stood and gripped the edge of her shirt over her left shoulder, she slid the fabric down and exposed a mess of scar tissue.
"First time I got close to this shadow group I got this. I'm telling you Yang, there are no rules or laws as far as these people are concerned. There is only their goal."
The spike of adrenaline that shot through Yang's chest instantly killed her jumbled up emotions.
"How'd they do that?" She asked Raven, generally curious and sympathetic.
Raven slid her shirt back into place, beginning an explanation while she turned around and bent to gather her things, "I tried to get to this undercover police group in Mistral and tell them about what I knew, but I was a little late you could say."
As Raven spun around Yang tilted her head raising her eyebrows gesturing for some clarification.
"They were dead and their killers almost got me to." Raven hung her head and sighed briefly, "I can't do this on my own Yang," She paused like her next words almost hurt her mouth, "I need help. If you're anything like your mother. Please..."
Yang rubbed the knuckles of her right hand against the palm of her left still full of doubts, but a deal was a deal
At least she knew that.
"Where do we start?"
Blake cringed as she heard the muscles cracking in Kad's shoulders as he rotated them around loosening up while pacing in the ready up area.
His footsteps echoed over all the other quiet voices chatting spread around the room. Beneath her bow Bake could feel her Faunus ears twitching in the direction of a few conversations.
She hadn't seen Ren so far Blake didn't want to think that Nora had somehow incapacitated the quiet boy. It was getting so late in the day anything could have happened. And Blake would prefer to advance in the tournament as honestly as possible. All her thoughts about Yang had been put on the back burners of her mind so she could muster as much focus as possible before her first match.
She tightened the ribbons around her arms, finishing off her own preparations and leaned heavily against the wall next to the door they had all come in through trying to preserve her energy. She was almost lucky that she knew a bit more about Ren's fighting style and how to deal with him than some random from across Remnant. Her plan was going to revolve around tiring him out since she knew he could match her agility, it was going to come down to who would get slow first and lose.
But her impromptu little planning session suddenly ended as Blake was nearly pushed over by another student walking through the doors and almost running straight into her as he took a tight turn around the corner.
She thought she recognized the careless speed demon as one of the Mistral exchange students. Unkempt gray hair and a two tone windbreaker, but she couldn't remember his name.
He brushed past her almost uncomfortably close before she could ask for or receive an apology and went straight for Kad. The giant turned around and faced this newcomer with a deep frown on his face.
Kad greeted his old associate by merely saying his name and nodding in recognition, "Mercury…"
He bent his neck almost pain fully backwards to look up at Kad, crossing his arms and cocking his stance acting like they could see eye to eye. He remained that way for a few moments.
Irritated, Kad ended their quiet standoff, "I'm a lot of things but I'm not telepathic. What do you want?"
"Just dropping by," Mercury said with the smuggest smile Kad had ever seen him put on.
"And being a nuisance."
"Whatever, not as much of one you've been."
"You got something to say?"
"No, just expect a talk tonight."
"Fine, get lost."
Mercury just smiled more, "Gladly," he said spinning on his heels and promptly exiting the room back the way he came. Blake was curious, she didn't think Kad hung out with any of the exchange students and the little dialogue with Mercury had raised her eyebrows slightly.
Blake took a few steps toward APRC's leader, "You know him?"
"Obviously," He replied dryly, before he could elaborate a deep male voice crackled to life over the loud speakers.
"Round four contestants please step into the arena and find your match up."
Kad let out a deep sigh secretly relieved having narrowly dodged another bullet coming from his past. Even though Blake could have cared less at the moment
"Shall we?" He asked Blake, turning his left palm up and sweeping the same arm to the stadium door.
The last member of team CFVY was about two heads shorter then himself. Yatsuhashi bowed in recognition when Kad stepped in front of him. Kad reciprocated the gesture with a brief nod before drawing his knife and taking his ready stance.
Ren was checking his pistols while Blake approached, standing more to the middle of their pad which wasn't illegal. They could stand anywhere they wanted on their half. So Ren was already planning to close the distance.
"I've been looking forward to our bout Blake," JNPR's green clad gunslinger said with a bow. "It will be a pleasure and an honor."
Blake's right hand reached up to the hilt of her sword, she crouched and brought her left across her chest ready for action replying to his courtesy with a smile and a few quick words, "Thank you, and good luck to."
With nothing else to say Ren raised Storm Flower, the shared name for his pair of pistols. Silently waiting out the last few seconds before the duels began. Blake could respect his down to business attitude.
As the spotlights flicked to their dimmer state, Blake jumped and flipped backwards using her semblance as Ren charged slashed his blades through the shadow clone she left behind. As quick as he could he brought his arms up to block as Blake fell out of the air and cut down with Gambol Shroud still in its blade sheath, using gravity to her full advantage. His feet left the ground Ren was thrown back a step.
Yatsuhashi dashed forward reached over his shoulder and brought his giant curved sword into a deadly arc down. Kad casually swung his knife right and deflected the strike into the ground. Following with the momentum he swung his left fist into the side of Yatsuhashi's head, whose aura flared and dropped as stars danced across his eyes as Kad sent him stumbling, but quickly and blindly struck up backhanded trying to clear some room to recover.
Blake separated her blades and stood waiting for Ren to come to her. He wasted no time jumping forward and kicking out with his right leg.
His foot hit another shadow clone, but this time Blake had rolled forward under him and spun around then swung. Ren did as well and her katana cracked into the blade of the pistol in his right hand and he punched forward with the other.
Kad ducked and stepped back the great sword nearly clipped him. Kad punched low, right then left too brutal short blows into Yatsuhashi's stomach dropping his aura to the barest green.
Blake didn't want to use her semblance again, she leaned to the side and Ren missed. His jab was light anyway there wasn't much force behind it. Blake spun right and jumped smacking her sheath across Ren's legs. He skipped to the side in response, bringing both his weapons back over his head and down at Blake, she crossed her swords in front of her. When Ren struck Blake couldn't match his strength and was hit on her shoulders.
Kad laid his knife back across his forearm. Heavily winded, Yatsuhashi spun and cut clockwise in one smooth turn, Kad stopped the hooked blade dead in its path. The blow probably would have cut a decent sized tree in two but Kad's arm barely flinched held high to the right.
Spinning back around the other way, Yatsuhashi only hit empty space when Kad ducked below the follow through but lashed out with a strong right kick which Kad caught by the ankle to throw the shorter Huntsman onto his back.
Blake brought her arms low and cut Ren's cheek lightly with the tip of her Katana, it wasn't much but it made him blink. That was all the opportunity she needed to jump and kick out with both feet sending Ren skidding backwards and coughing. Blake propelled herself back the opposite direction landed on her left and rolled on that shoulder back to her feet.
She bent her right arm back, and Gambol Shroud collapsed down into its grapple hook which Blake threw as hard as she could right at Ren who ducked and fell flat on the ground. He spun around and fired once low at Blake. She couldn't move fast enough and the low velocity dumb round knocked the wind out of her and her aura down another notch.
Yatsuhashi quickly jackknifed back onto his feet, both hands on the hilt of his sword angled to his left crouched and ready for the next round of blows. Kad was more than happy to oblige. Spinning his knife normal again he jumped spun right and jabbed down.
The orange blade moved up and the point of Kad's knife struck the widest part of Yatsuhashi's weapon. Again he stumbled back half a step recovered and struck at Kad with his sword hilt.
Kad turned right and pushed on Yatsuhashi's shoulder sending him stumbling. His left hand dropped to his chain and Kad spun it out around Yatsuhashi's feet. Snaring them together, but the shorter trainee remained defiantly standing. Kad flung the linked steel away, the slack circled a few more times around Yatsuhashi, a couple loops around his both legs but the majority wrapped up his right.
Ren rolled forward spun and kicked at Blake's legs. She flipped through the air and cut with both blades down at Ren. Each hit his legs once and chipped a little more at his aura and endurance. As he came to his feet Ren punched at the cat Faunus aiming for Blake's stomach to stun her.
She tried to move back, Ren didn't hit her full force he only succeeded in pushing her back. Which Blake was more than happy with but Ren ran forward to close the distance.
She spun and tried to keep her blades moving, Ren was quick and they were soon circling around each other trading lighting fast strikes on extremities and rarer harder hits on bodies. Their duel turning into the endurance test as Blake knew it would.
Immobile, Yatsuhashi cut back at Kad again in a two handed blow with all his might to his furthest reach. Kad reached forward and caught the swing, intercepting the hilt. Latching his left hand down between both Yatsuhashi's own. Kad pulled back his iron grip and brutal strength ripped the sword away tossing it behind him.
Kad twisted and seized the shorter trainee by the throat lifted Yatsuhashi up and then threw him down at the floor.
The upperclassman hit the ground with a violent crash shaking the arena floor. Yatsuhashi coughed and squirmed stunned on the ground his strength lost and aura almost spent. Yatsuhashi coughed trying to get his breath back while twisting on the floor. Taking stock of his odds, with sword gone and aura was practically spent. He shakily pushed himself up on his right hand holding his left across his chest gesturing he had enough.
He accepted there was no shame in admitting defeat.
Their pad was illuminated and Kad's name glowed green amongst the list of combatants high above his head, Yatsuhashi's turned red. The first victory and the first loss of this round.
APRC's leader sheathed his knife and pulled his black chain back, giving half a false smile to his fallen opponent along with an offered hand. Yatsuhashi humbly accepted the help up, still stunned by how much power had been so casually levered against him even in this simple motion.
"You are even stronger than you look," the big swordsman said,
Kad shrugged, "So they tell me, good fight by the way."
"Indeed," Yatsuhashi replied, the helping grip turning into a firm handshake.
Blake ignored the lights flashing back on elsewhere, Ren was slowing down but that didn't matter, she was too. Their auras were practically matched right above the red.
Holding both swords parallel Blake made her final move. She battered the pistol in Ren's right while his guard was down and jumped. Landed with her left foot on Ren's stomach, dropping her katana Blake grabbed a fistful of his long hair and threw her weight backwards still turning. He couldn't fight their combined momentum and fell to the ground.
As he came to knees and took aim at his friend Blake's cleaver sheath smacked into his forehead finally cracking through his aura and knocking Ren to the ground.
Ending their duel.
Blake slouched trying to catch her breath as Ren rolled onto his stomach and tried to stand. While just on his shaking hands and knees Ren felt a helping hand grab his right arm and bring him to his feet.
Blake looked closely to make sure that he wasn't too banged up, Ren sighed and grimaced.
"Well fought," He said before groaning in resignation and exhaustion.
Blake was concerned about that sound, "Are you alright?"
"Yeah I'm fine," He said trying to wave her concerns away, "Just didn't think I'd be the first."
The Faunus girl tightened her grip reassuringly, "It's okay. Really what's the worst that could happen next?"
"Considering who I have for a partner, anything"
"Well that's true but who knows? She might do something horrible like try and make you feel better."
Ren didn't have a response to that. The two of them could only restrain themselves for a moment before they dissolved into sputters of laughter.