Team RWVBY

Chapter 5

Yang woke up in a sour mood. First off, they hadn't had any luck finding Ruby's emblem last night. Her sister's normal cheery demeanor, replaced with a sullen mood. Secondly, she had woken up to a scroll message, anonymously sent, containing a file. Having clicked on the message the file opened up revealing two pictures; the first, a picture of their newest teammate Cassian in what looked like a line up shot, the second picture, was a zoomed in close of up his left shoulder highlighting a small tattoo of an ankle chain, like one you'd see in a prison. Underneath the picture there were some words, reading it to herself

'Cassian Vale criminal?'

The file only gave more questions, not really knowing what to think of the information just yet. She wondered if her team had gotten the same file so she got dressed and exited her room. The other girls were already dressed seemingly waiting for her. By the looks on their faces they must have gotten the message as well. Weiss was looking quite pensive, clearly thinking of it. Blake looked unsure of herself, wondering if this was true or some prank. Ruby on the other hand looked worried, and Yang couldn't help but get angry at the implications of what that message would mean. Of all mornings, it would be very beneficial if Cassian were actually to still be here and yet like every day this week, he was already gone. Without much other the four girls simply went out off to breakfast. Thankfully they found him there in the cafeteria, sitting by himself, there was wide birth of space as people were seemingly avoiding sitting close. As Yang looked, he didn't all too worried, like he didn't even notice. Had he not gotten the message? As the girls slowly and cautiously sat down next to them the second their butts hit the seat he spoke,

"It's photoshopped. I've never been arrested." So, he had gotten the message.

"So, you don't have a tattoo?" Weiss asked. No one was eating. They were too invested in this now.

"I do."

"And is it of an ankle chain shackle?" She followed up with another question. Yang watched as Cassian scowled slightly. Ruby looked like she wanted to interrupt, to not cause a fight but there was no getting a word in.

"Does it matter?"

"It just might. With everything going on, with today's anonymous message, can you blame us for being curious. Since you've come to Beacon there have been a number of missing items being reported by numerous teams." Yang was glad Weiss was taking point. She knew herself and she might have started talking with her fists.

"I didn't take your emblem Ruby." Cassian looked directly at her. "And I didn't take anything else." He glanced between the rest of them. Before anyone could speak more, they were all interrupted.

"Well, well, well, if it ain't the Vacuo Street Rat himself." Cardin shouted as he approached their table. "Scouting out your next target?" Yang watched Cassian closely, he was angry. That much was obvious, and yet he didn't respond. He simply got up and made for the door. 'Damn it,' Yang thought. They still hadn't gotten answers and he was leaving. No, not anymore. Yang wasn't going to sit back anymore. After Cassian had left Yang stood up.

"Yang, where are you going?" Blake asked.

"Forgot something back in my room, don't wait up for me." They didn't look like they believed her buy Yang didn't care to even wait for a response, she was already heading towards the door in the same direction Cassian had left. Exiting the cafeteria, she spotted him further down the hall. She was going to confront him right then and there but then she noticed he wasn't going back to their dorm room, or even to a professor's office, he was going outside. Curious she decided to follow instead, staying a bit back not wanting him to catch on. She followed him across the academy grounds all the way to the bullhead station. She watched him get on the large taxi ship, like the one from initiation, that would ferry student between Beacon and Vale all throughout the day. What was he doing in Vale? Yang had to find out. She got into the bullhead as well, finding a nice secluded corner to not be found. She might get in trouble for skipping classes but this was far more important.

Meanwhile, the remaining of team RWVBY sat in Professor Ports class as the burly professor rambled off on another one of his stories. The loss of her mother's emblem was taking its toll on Ruby, even it being Port's class Ruby just stared blankly.

"Ugh, Yang's scroll is off. Where did she go?" Weiss whispered as she pocketed her scroll after trying to contact Yang for the fourth time now. She was annoyed, not at any one in particular, well maybe Cassian. This whole situation was frustrating. They weren't involving Ruby in the discussion; she didn't need to hear this right now.

"I can only assume she went after Cassian." Blake whispered back. Weiss got angry hearing his name. Scratch her earlier thought she was annoyed at him.

"That's it. After class I'm going to the headmaster to rectify this. I'm going to ask him to remove Cassian from our team. Will you come with me?" She asked Blake.

"The headmaster did ask for us to give this some time, and we don't know if he actually stole anything either." Blake was unsure on what to do. Cassian evasiveness on the matter didn't help his innocence but they had no proof. Maybe he was a criminal in the past but if he hadn't done anything wrong now and was looking for a fresh start in Beacon could she judge him on that. She's been with at the school for months now and was keeping a huge secret from her own team, a Faunus and an ex-member of the White Fang looking to Beacon for a fresh start. If she was in his shoes she would want to be judged on the truth.

"Does it even matter anymore if he did? He has yet to even try and attempt to be a proper member of this team. We've given him ample chance to share and to even get to know us before his even full time starts here. Yes, he's new to Beacon but he's clearly not some antis-socialite. He knows exactly what he's doing and yet he can't even simply start the day with us. It would be an honor to represent Beacon at the Vytal Tournament, but putting up with his behavior will not be beneficial for our team. Ruby is not in the right state right now so it is up to us." Blake still was unsure but what Weiss said wasn't wrong, so she nodded. After class had ended Ruby went on to the next class while Weiss and Blake stayed back making an excuse to talk to Professor Port. After she had left, they simply walked together to the headmaster's office. They would get an excuse for the tardiness of their next class from the headmaster himself. Surely, he would understand. All students were in class by now, meaning Beacon's halls were empty, professor offices would be empty as well, or they were supposed to be. So, why was there noise coming from Professor Goodwitch's office? This was supposed to be the time of the senior year's combat class, meaning Miss Goodwitch wouldn't be in her office. Curious, both Weiss and Blake entered the office. They were shocked to see Sky and Russel, currently standing over Miss Goodwitch's desk trying to break it open. They heard the door open, their gazes trailing up at Weiss and Blake.

"Fuck." They both said in unison. They both tried to make a run for it, but Weiss was too quick. Sending a black glyph forward she trapped Russel and held him in place. Sky able to dodge it, ran for the open window, they must have used that to get into the office in the first place. He left his partner behind.

"I'll hold him in place. Secure him, and then we'll go get the professor." Weiss ordered. Headmaster Ozpin could wait for now.

The ship had finally landed in Vale and Cassian exited first. Yang, thankfully having not been found, shortly followed after. Cassian seemed lost, constantly checking his scroll as he walked the streets of Vale. It had to have been his first real time in the city. He spent almost half an hour walking before he finally stood outside what must have been his destination. He was standing outside a shop, but not just any shop. It was a pawn shop. Yang's eyes were red.

"That fucking asshole." She muttered under her breath; her fists clenched tight. All that talk about not stealing anything and then going to a fucking pawn shop. She wanted nothing better to do then to walk over there and beat the shit out of him. She very much almost did, taking everything in her to hold herself back. She needed to hold back though, because she needed proof. With proof she could bring it to the headmaster and get the asshole expelled, not before getting her own licks in at the dead man. She waited across the street by the corner as he entered the shop. She watched as a few minutes later as he stepped out the store and walked away. Seeing that he was gone and the coast clear she approached the shop, going straight for the register. "That guy that was just in here, what did he sell?" Yang asked, her eyes still a constant red.

The pawn shop owner had looked up from his scroll to look at Yang and said, "Nothing."

"I saw him come in here! What did sell?" She asked again her tone had raised.

"I already told you, nothing. The guy comes in here, and shows me this." The pawn shop owner takes out a piece of paper, on it a drawing of Ruby's emblem.

'Wait what?' Yang thought to herself, her eyes had changed back to Lilac.

"He tells me that he thinks someone stole it from his friend, then asks me if anyone had come here to sell it to me. Promised to pay double to get it back. Great as an offer that was, I don't got nothing like that. I tell him no one's sold me anything like that, and the fucker gives me 100 Lien saying, there's more if I call him first thing if someone does and then gave me his scroll number." The man looked back down at his scroll. Yang was utterly confused, her jaw even dropped. He wasn't here to sell Ruby's emblem; he was here to try and find it. Why? Yang couldn't fathom an answer. She simply slowly walked out the door. As she stepped out, a whistling sound snapped her out of her thoughts. To her left, Cassian was leaning against the wall of a building.

'Fuck'

Before she could even mutter a breath, Cassian spoke first. "There are five more pawn shops in Vale. I'm thinking whoever stole Ruby's emblem might have sold it to one of them. You wanna come with?" Yang was speechless, but nodded. As he walked away, she followed.

"Didn't you have important meetings with professor's today?" There was an extra question hidden in there, one that she hoped he would catch on too.

"Yea, a written test with Professor Peach." He didn't catch the hidden question it seemed.

"You could get in a lot of trouble for that." Come on Cassian don't make me ask it, just get what I'm trying to ask, she hoped.

"Guess you will too, seeing as you skipped classes to follow me." He was making her ask it.

"Why?" Yang stopped beating around the bush.

"I decided this last night, after we hadn't had any luck finding the emblem at Beacon. As to why?" He stopped walking. He had taken the three rings off his fingers and held them towards her. Yang opened her palm and he dropped the rings into the. "Read the inside." Yang carefully flipped them over and read out loud.

"C… P… W…" Wait a minute. "Cassian, Pip, Wendy?" He nodded. Did that mean?

"Th- They're?"

"They're dead, three years now. Those rings are the last thing that I have to remember them by. If I had ever lost them, I would be feeling like how Ruby is right now." Cassian explained. Yang was silent, any lingering anger was completely gone now.

"You know." She paused slightly. "If you had talked to us, interacted with us even just a little in the few days you've been at Beacon, I might not have stalked you. Weiss might not have even considered you a thief."

"It's not that…" He was going to lie again. Not just to Yang but himself. "You're right. I'm not used to this; having a team, sharing, in Vacuo you mind your own business, you only have yourself. I guess I told myself that I could just get by keeping to that."

"That's pretty stupid you know right? I mean, we we're gonna be on a team for four years."

"I never claimed to be smart." She scoffed.

"Let's find that Emblem. Then we talk… as a team, ok?" Cassian nodded and the two set off.

Hours had passed and the two had no luck finding the emblem. Every shop they went too, no one had it. With little left to do they were both on the ship back to Beacon.

"Uh oh." Yang's voice caused Cassian to look out the window. There, waiting by the docking station, Professor Goodwitch stood and she did not look happy.

Cassian sighed. "Well, you know what they say, rip it off like a band aid." The ship had landed and the two walked out together.

"Miss Xiao Long you missed a whole day of lessons, and you Mr. Vale, these meetings with the professors are for your benefit or did you forget. So, just what were you two up too?" She held nothing back. Cassian was about to explain everything but Yang had stopped him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Professor Goodwitch." She didn't dare call her Ms. G now, she knew this was serious. "This was my fault. Ruby's emblem was missing, I thought someone had stolen it and gone to Vale to sell it. I forced Cassian to come with me to help. Ruby's mother gave that emblem to her, it means everything to her. I couldn't just sit back and do nothing." Glynda's stern expression had softened. She let out a deep sigh and spoke again.

"Given the circumstances and the interesting events of today, I will give you both a warning. Do not do this again or there will be trouble, that goes double for you Mr. Vale." Yang and Cassian were confused.

"What happened?" Cassian asked.

"I think it best you discuss that with your team." The professor simply put, confusing the two even more. "Return to your dorm room, before I change my mind." They didn't need to be told twice, both quickly leaving the area. A good distance away they slowed down, Cassian not being around the bush like Yang had earlier asked,

"Why?"

"I wasn't lying when I told Ms. G that emblem means everything to Ruby. You went out of your way, risked getting in trouble just to try and find it for her. I respect that." She spoke honestly. "Besides, the whole school probably thinks you're a criminal so I think you can get a break." She said smiling.

"Thank you." The rest of the walk back to their room was silent. Entering they saw the others waiting on the couch.

"Yang! Cassian! Where have you two been?" Ruby charged forward hugging Yang. She was happier, what the hell happened while they were gone?

"We were in Vale, I thought someone might have sold your emblem to a pawn shop so I was checking them out. Ruby's eyes widened, she looked touched.

"I was stalking him. Thought he was doing something shady, but yea, he's telling the truth." Yang, blunt as ever. "What happened? Ms. G wouldn't tell us, said to talk to you all."

"I got my emblem back! Cardin and his team we're behind everything,"

"Wait what?" Both Yang and Cassian said. It was Weiss' turn to explain.

"Blake and I were on our wat…" She caught herself before she said anything more.

"To get some advice from." Blake came in with the save.

"Yes, and we heard some noise from Ms. Goodwitch's office. When we checked it out, we saw Sky and Russel trying to break into her desk. I had trigged my glyph and trapped Russel while Sky was able to escape. We had quickly gotten the professor and Russel had quickly ratted out his team. Ever since Tuesday night, they had been breaking into student's rooms, at night, and during class."

"Those dickheads!" Yang was furious, eyes returning to red. "Where are they? I'll give them a piece of my mind and Ember Celica."

"They were all quickly rounded up. They are under suspension, their continued enrollment here, is under review. They were also the culprits who sent out that school wide scroll message this morning. All to frame you for everything." Blake spoke to Cassian.

"I suppose, I owe you an ap…" Cassian cut her off before she could say anymore.

"Don't apologize. I haven't given any of you four a reason to really trust me since I've been here." The silence from them told him that he was right. "It's about time I started." He paused and swallowed the lump in his throat. "My real name is Cassian Quetz."

Author's Notes: Two chapters in less than 24 hours! It's backstory time now!

As always feel free to comment/review.