A/N: Chapter 70 of REKT. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or teams of RWBY, they belong to Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum. What I do own are the characters and teams of my OCs: REKT, GTSY, KACE and DAZE. I also claim Ingrid, Teo, Reina's parents and aunt as well.

Special thanks to the reviewers and to the readers who Fav/Alert this story, I really appreciate it.


Chapter 70: A New Appendage

Back on Patch...

Yang sat on the couch, back slouching against the material, with that feeling of emptiness lodged within her chest. It was refusing to leave her alone no matter how hard she tried to ignore it. She had found herself a little sluggish to get out of bed in the morning, almost wishing to seek comfort back underneath the blanket. Merely turning her head to the right, her eyes locked in on the stack of books left on top of a table. It brought back memories of a certain, introverted bookworm of a teammate, and the blonde nearly burst out crying. She had berated herself multiple times that she wouldn't shed anymore tears, but the revelation of being left behind still hurt. It was obviously a raw wound that stubbornly stays open to attract salt.

Deciding to attempt at easing her mind into a peaceful and relaxing state, Yang reached for the remote and turned on the television. The relay towers were extremely spotty, and since the CCT was still frozen it was hard to get good quality footage. She traversed through the channels, mouth turned down in a frown as she was met with static. Just as she was about to give up and throw the remote to the side, one of the channels bleeped into existence. Her attention was glued to the screen as a male's voice was in the middle of a report on Beacon, all senses on alert.

"...with no hope in sight." The male reporter was saying, the scenes showing Professor Goodwitch doing her best to reconstruct the damage. "Try as they might, the left behind professors and a few past teams of Beacon Academy are doing their best to get a hold of their destroyed institution. These footage clips were captured moments by the relay teams, so it is unknown just how invested the grounds are with Grimm. It is currently extremely dangerous for teams to go and fix the CCT."

"Tch..." Clicking her tongue with distaste, Yang changed the channel immediately to another.

"...though the fail-safes have supported limited wireless communication within the kingdom, the loss of the CCT tower continues to prevent efficient information relay with others." The female reporter states. "Talks with Atlas officials regarding repairs have so far..."

"Hmph." Another press of the button, and the channel switched.

"Vale council voted this week to continue to ban any air traffic that doesn't have a direct correlation with evacuation." A male reporter popped up on the screen. "The council has made it clear that they feel..."

"Ugh...it's not like the council did anything to help us in our time of need. Why should I care of how they feel?" Yang growls under her breath and changes the channel again. She wasn't sure what she was looking for, but she knew that what she was looking at wasn't it. "They weren't there, they didn't experience these things first hand...Those old dipshits..."

"Multiple rumors continue to circulate as to who was behind the attack at the Vytal festival tournament..." At the sound of Liza Lavender's voice, the blonde's attention immediately zeros in, and she leans forward with interest. "Some believe it could have been a Grimm rampage, some believe it was just a bad stroke of luck. Others hypothesized that the invasion was a plan conjured by one of the students at Beacon Academy. Whatever the case may be, officials have now confirmed...that Adam Taurus, a high ranking White Fang member, was the mastermind."

Lilac eyes widened when the image of Adam Taurus appeared on the screen, his mouth twisted into a sickening smirk. Yang felt as though her heart was being constricted within her chest by a hand, beating and struggling within the phantom claws. Her anxiety rose, her breathing irregular, and she swore her body was on edge with all the hairs standing. It was almost as if she was having a premonition of an attack. Sweat was dribbling down her face, traveling down her chin, and dropping onto her lap.

"Any and all attempts to bring him into custody have been met with resistance...as of now, there's no word of his whereabouts." Liza continues her report, her voice slowly becoming nothing more than white noise. "Until next time...I'm Liza Lavender."

You thought you could avoid me, didn't you? How gullible you are.

"Wha-? What the-?" Yang gasped when a familiar red blade found itself hovering against her throat. Her body tensed up, almost like it had been paralyzed. The only thing that could move were her eyes, but she couldn't turn her head to see what was behind her. But there was no need, in her mind she already knew it was him. Oh no...how did he-?!

I told my darling multiple times that she'll never escape me. She'll come straight back to me in due time. His malice voice says teasingly against her ear, making the blonde clench her jaw tight with fury. As for you, well...you're just something that had to wedge itself between us, a filthy human. We had a relationship going way before you ever met her, a loving relationship.

"Ha! You are so delusional. I will not let you...do anymore harm to her." Yang growls, but her voice betrayed how she actually felt. And her phantom bully could hear it as he laughs out of mockery.

Such bravado you still spill out, as if you're trying to boost your own confidence! Look at yourself, shivering and trembling against my blade like a scared rat. My mere presence has already sent you packing in defeat! You couldn't possibly expect to win. The blade pressed deeper, and Yang felt as though a warm liquid running down. And I'll continue to prove my point over and over and over again. Can you envision it?

"Nnngh!" Yang grunted as fingers gripped her scalp.

Your body defiled and abused by my hands...in front of her! She will bear witness to your death like a public execution.

"No..." The blonde attempted to get out of the grip, but it was fruitless. "No..."

Oh yes, imagine the look of loathing and hatred on my darling's face when she watches the life run out of you. The grip loosened, and she finally saw the silhouette of Adam standing before her, the sickening sneer on his face. You can't save anyone with your weaken state. You couldn't even save her...from me! You are nothing more than a worthless, weakling. A human!

"WUFF! WUFF!"

"Oh, Zwei. You're here." At the sound of the barking, Yang was snapped out of her trance. The corgi, sensing something was extremely off, had left his bed to cuddle against his owner's side. He gazed up at her in longing, tongue lolling out of his mouth. She gently runs her hand through his fur, feeling the soft material rub against her skin; the panic attack she experience had been pushed to the back of her mind, but she was still affected by it. Staring at him for a few minutes before adding, "You're a lucky dog, aren't you. You got the good life. What a good boy."

"Arf! Arf!" He barks again in response, wagging his stumpy tail at her words.

"Kiddos, I'm hooooome!" The door swiveled open and Taiyang entered with a bunch of boxes in both arms; he managed to twist the knob with one hand before shoving it with a foot. Grunting from the fact that his vision was blocked from the objects, he maneuvered his head to the side so he could see. "Hmm? Hello, honey! I'm happy to see that you're up!"

"Hey Dad." Yang replies with the monotonous tone in her voice, moving to turn off the television and tilting her head back to see the older blond. Hearing her father's voice as well as seeing him made her feel a little better, but she still felt exhausted from her mental hallucination. "Seems like you were busy running around in the sun."

"Mmhmm! You know it, some of these errands must be taking their toll on me!" Gently closing the door with a foot while busting out laughing, Taiyang set the boxes down and grabs the one perched on the very top. "By the way, where's Efram? I know I saw him eating before I went out the door."

"Who knows." She shrugs her shoulders at his question. "He's probably somewhere outside by the cliff or something."

"Honey..." Taiyang sits down in the unoccupied reclining chair, places the box on his lap, and looks at his daughter with concern in his eyes. While he was proud that his daughter had the strength to get out of bed, he was still worried that she was still stuck in the deep funk; the more he tries to drag her out, the deeper she seemed to dig herself in. "Did you...have another attack again? ...something tells me that it was worse than the others you had experienced."

"...yeah. It was a little more...intense." She answered him honestly, staring at the ground and avoiding eye contact. "It's okay though, I'm fine now. I'll just...avoid watching anything from the television. Or...ignore the news from my Scroll. Actually...I guess I'll just not touch anything technology base so I don't see any news."

"...were the news about the tournament?"

"Oh they were covering everything." She growls, the vibrations lodged deep within her chest. "The Vytal Festival, the Grimm invasion, the White Fang..." She swallowed before continuing, "I'm reminded of what happened and there's still news about how I shot Mercury in the leg. I'm still being considered a criminal...a menace to society. I might as well avoid running into anybody outside these walls."

"Well...anyways, I'm happy to announce that something special has come into the mail today! I'm sure the two of us have been anxiously awaiting for this day to come!" Trying to sound cheerful and shifting the focus away from the negative, Taiyang held out the box for his daughter to take. She arched an eyebrow in curiosity as she stared at the object now sitting on her lap. Her father chuckles lightly and adds, "Go on, I think you'll love it."

Hmmmm, Dad's acting cheerful and upbeat for my sake...guess whatever is in here should be worth it. Yang gently grabs the covering of the box and opened it with a little hesitance. The lighting within the room reflected off what seemed to be a prosthetic arm, its silver coating so shiny that the blonde could see her own reflection down to the littlest detail. The world seemed to have come to a standstill as the blonde just stared at the object.

"Yang? Do you like it?" asks Taiyang since his daughter hadn't said a word for awhile. He was unsure how to gauge the other blonde's expression. "Is it not to your liking? I can call Ironwood and have him come and–"

"No..." She responds after a shaky breath, picking up the box and placing it on the table. The stump of her right arm began to throb slightly, and she grips it tightly. "I don't...I don't want that man anywhere near our home." Her fingers tightened into the stump, and she spats out, "He did absolutely nothing when Penny died. He didn't do anything when the voice called him out. When Beacon fell, when his soldiers...the very ones that were produced to serve and protect...we were on our own against the Grimm invasion!"

"Yang..."

"No!" She releases an outburst, glaring at her father before the fight fizzled out. Letting out a sigh, she states, "I...I need to clear my head. It appears...It appears that I wasn't as ready as I thought I would be."

"Yang..." Taiyang watches as his daughter stood up, not even looking at the arm. "Yang, if it's my fault, then I'm–"

"It's just too soon, Dad." She mumbles, ignoring the concerned whine coming from Zwei, as she shuffles towards the kitchen. Taiyang rose to his feet as well, but he didn't pursuit her as she leaves through the door. He already saw the hurt and perhaps a bit of embarrassment flashing through her eyes when she walked passed him.

Letting out a sigh of his own, he sits down on the couch and felt Zwei's wet nose against his hand. The family pet could sense the thick atmosphere, and attempted to cheer his owner up with a couple of licks. Taiyang glances down at the dog and gave him a couple of pets in return, silently thanking him for his presence. The feeling within his chest reminded him of a time when Summer died and Raven walked out of his life. It took a long time before he found himself back on his feet, but before that he drunk himself silly. After cleaning up, he promised himself he wouldn't fall back on drinking ever again.

"I...I wish there was something more I can do for her." He says after awhile, resting an arm across Zwei's back. "I imagined we both would be happy about the gift, but...I can't help but feel like I disrespected her in some way. It wasn't my intention to lower her self-esteem or make her feel even worse...but apparently I did. I just don't want her to stay depressed for any longer. You get what I mean?"

"Arf! Arf!"

"Yup, I knew you were always the best boy." The older blond runs his fingers through his messy hair, and smiles for a second. "Guess all we can do is wait for her to come back on her own."


At a rundown joint...

Qrow wondered through the whittle-downed door, making his way towards the unoccupied bar. He made sure the kids were settling down for the time-being before hurrying off to do his own investigation. Roaming around with Team RNJR slightly stressed him out both physically and mentally, but the elite huntsman couldn't imagine doing anything else since Ozpin's circumstances were currently unknown. Besides, he promised Taiyang that he'd watch over Ruby and keep her safe whenever they run into trouble.

"Hurrrrrrrgh, and yet there's nothing here for me to drown. I'm running low on my alcohol too." The slick-back haired huntsman muses aloud, letting out a sigh of disappointment and despair. He leans against the counter, arms crossed and one leg propped up. "Maaaan, what's a guy gotta do around here to get some decent booze?"

"Seems like you're falling on hard times, especially when it comes to your drinking habits." Another voice cuts through the atmosphere. Qrow turns to see a similar pair of crimson-colored eyes staring at him from behind a mask. "I'm surprised your liver hasn't drowned."

"Raven. I'd say what a nice greeting, but we both know how much a lie that is. Got anything else to say that isn't jabbing at my style of living?" Qrow retorts. "Don't answer, I don't wanna hear it."

"Fair enough, Brother." Raven removes her mask, tucking it in the crook of an arm. Qrow took a sharp breath, keeping himself grounded and reminding himself that he was speaking to his sister, not Yang. He had to bite his tongue when the enduring nickname 'Firecracker' nearly tumbled out, there was no way on Remnant he was going to give his twin a nickname. "Honestly I don't think I'd be able to say anything that isn't a jab at your habit."

"Let's not dwell on me, I don't want to be seen as a complete narcissist and toot my own horn. You have been keeping your eyes on both me and the kids." He said in a tone that held no accusation. "Care to explain why?"

"Hmph. Do I need to state my reason towards doing things?" Raven scoffs at him, taking a seat at the bar and placed her mask on the surface so she wasn't stuck holding it. She never liked standing on her feet for longs period of time unless necessary, or if she wanted to show dominance towards others. "I do what I want in order to survive. Did you already forget what the tribe taught us?"

"Bah. As if I could ever forget our childhood, it was a rocky road." Qrow frowns, as if he remembers the past. The furrow in his brow was an indication that he really dislike bringing up his childhood. Ever since he sided with Ozpin and left the tribe behind, his father forbid him from ever coming back. Thus, when his parents passed Raven was left in charge. "The strong live on while the weak die off. It's the law of survival."

"I should give you credit for actually remembering, for someone who abandoned the very tribe who brought us up. We wouldn't have survived without them."

"You'd have first hand experience in the abandonment department, you're like master level." He jeered back, getting a smoldering look from his sister. "Do you even know that Yang lost her arm?"

"I-"

"Don't answer, it was rhetorical." He cut her off immediately, and waved a hand dismissively. "Seriously, you've been keeping your tabs on everyone...well, everyone that have the potential to assist you and give you benefits. You never show interest in those that don't. I've asked you multiple times to abandon the tribe and help Oz and I against Salem. You never took my words to heart."

"Of course I wouldn't, because they held no merit. I know that there is no beating Salem, we just don't have luck in our favor! How many times must I drills those words into that thick skull of yours?!" She angrily responds, slamming a fist against the counter strong enough to make it shudder and groan. If she hit it repeatedly with the same amount of strength, there was no doubt she'd destroy the place. "You and Ozpin are sending those kids to their deaths. And you two don't seem to have an ounce of guilt on your conscious."

"And I bet you would have guilt on your conscious if you don't get off your ass and help." He looks her in the eye and adds for personal measure, "If Summer were still here, she'd try her best to convince you. As a friend...and leader. I know for a fact there was no way you could have denied her back when we were students. Or did you push all those days into that black hole of a brain?"

"How dare you pull that card on me. You always were that way whenever we trade words." Raven seethed, her right hand inching towards her weapon. But she could see that Qrow was also inching a hand towards his. Both siblings could sense when the other was going to attack. Thinking about it, she let her animosity go and withdrew her hand.

"Look, it hurts me more than it hurts you." Qrow sighs as he cross his arms over his chest, feeling back for his own flesh and blood. "We've been at this war for as far as I can remember. I honestly believe that Ozpin has a way to take Salem down, it's only a matter of time which we are unfortunately limited on."

"Hmph. There's no such thing as infinite time."

"If there was, then we wouldn't be stuck in this sticky situation."

"She doesn't have it, does she?" Raven then questions, one eye brow raised with interest. "I scoured the debris of the school, and truth be told, there was more Grimm than I could possibly feast my eyes upon. I couldn't help myself and took a couple out just for hunting purposes, but afterward I couldn't bring myself to keep interest and left."

"That's so like you, Sis, always playing with your food and not finish. Sometimes I wonder if you find immense pleasure in torturing others."

"Answer the damn question. Does she or does she not, have it?" She growls a warning.

"...no..." He relents and answers her. "She does not have it."

"Make sure to keep it that way."

"What about the Spring Maiden? Do we know where she is?" Qrow asks her.

"No, the maidens continue to allude us...besides the fact that Salem has the Fall maiden." Raven frowned at him and decided to take another jab at his ego. "You didn't do a good job in protecting her. You made use of the tidbit I gave you, and in the end...it didn't even matter because she no longer exists in this realm. I hope you feel pretty damn proud of yourself."

"Fuck off. Where were you when that happened? Pruning your feathers, or were you running away like a coward?" That got a reaction out of her, and her teeth clash together in anger.

"I guess we're done talking here...until our next meeting location." Whipping out her sword after changing subjects, she slashes a dark portal into existence. Picking up her mask she says, "Next time I hope you have some more information to share. I warned you a couple of times ever since the war caught up to this generation, but one thing is for sure...you really cannot trust anyone. I'd be extremely careful if I were you."

"Where did we go wrong, Raven?" Qrow watches as his sister places her mask on and walks towards the portal. "I've had my suspicions, but there's no way Ozpin would betray us. There's too much at stake for us to make unnecessary mistakes."

"Well, Brother...that's something you have to figure out on your own. There's only so much I can do on my end." with that she steps forward and allows herself to be swallowed by the portal. Qrow runs his hand through his hair, before heading out as well to check up on the kids.