Jaune frowned, crossing his arms. "Don't look at me like that, I didn't do anything wrong."
Nora didn't bother trying to respond. She simply stood beside him, hands behind her back, rocking back and forth on her feet.
Jaune sighed. "Nora…" He warned.
She grinned. She had learned to feel a certain satisfaction from being able to make her thoughts known to others without using her words. It was tricky, sometimes, and at others the simplest thing in the world. Sometimes she had to pull her scroll out and put it back a dozen times in the span of a couple minutes. Others, she didn't have to do anything other than smile a certain way.
This happened to be one of the latter occasions. Jaune knew exactly what she was thinking, and to be honest, she didn't have to do anything else.
That said, she certainly wanted to.
She moved her lips silently, carefully making sure he caught exactly what she was trying to say. Coward, she mouthed.
Jaune groaned. "I am not a coward! I just…you know, happened to think that telling them absolutely every little detail over the scroll would be a bad idea. I thought we could, you know, ease them into it. Talk to them face to face."
Nora nodded. That made sense. She even agreed with him. Trying to tell Ruby and the others about Mercury and Emerald over the scroll…well, she had a feeling that it would end in destroyed property and broken bones, and she honestly wasn't sure whose bones they would be.
That wasn't why Nora was grinning like a madwoman. That wasn't why she was taunting him, albeit lightheartedly. No, the reason for that was much simpler, one that Jaune was pointedly refusing to acknowledge.
Agonizingly slowly, she drew one of her hands out from behind her back, and raised it to point behind him. Jaune huffed. "I have no idea what you're implying," He lied through his teeth.
Smiling, she used both hands to grab his head, twisting her leader around and forcing him to look up.
Olive's Garden. Maybe not the coolest name in the world, but it rolled off the tongue, and was catchy enough. It was also the crux of Jaune's master plan to avoid having to address the inevitable for as long as he possibly could.
"H-Hey, I'll have you know, I have nothing but the purest intentions at heart!" Jaune stuttered. "I mean, they're obviously going to be exhausted from the storm, and fighting off the Grimm, and making their way all the way here to Argus, so it only makes sense I'd treat them to a nice lunch before I break the news. I can't just lump everything in their laps as soon as they walk through the gates, that'd be ridiculous!"
Nora nodded slowly, still grinning indulgently. She pulled out her scroll, and a bead of sweat formed on Jaune's brow. She held her hand out, leaving her scroll free for him to read. And when exactly are you actually planning on telling them about Mercury and Emerald?
Jaune cleared his throat. "Well, uh, you know it's funny that you mentioned that, actually!" He rambled. "See, I uh, haven't necessarily gotten around to pinning down the exact moment, per se, but I really think that once we've gotten the mood a little lighter, it'll be much easier for us to, you know, ease them into it."
She raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. We? Her lips moved silently again, making sure he caught what she was trying to say.
He paled, his face falling immediately into despair. She could see his breathing start to pick up as he began to panic. "It is we, right?" He asked desperately, almost pleading with her. "You're not going to leave to do this alone, are you? You wouldn't do that. We're friends, teammates, you've gotta help me!"
She snorted, breaking out into a fit of silent laughter. She gently placed a hand on his shoulder, partly to steady herself and partly to reassure him. She nodded. Of course she wasn't going to leave him alone! She came along, didn't she? She just wanted to have a little fun, that's all.
He sighed, breathing deeply. The tension left his shoulder and color returned to his face. "Oh thank the brothers," He said in relief. "I would have just cut and run." She snorted again. "Hey, you laugh now, but I'm being dead serious! There is zero chance I'm going to break the news to them alone."
Nora quickly typed out a reminder on her scroll. You know, you could have at least told them a little bit more over the scroll. Jaune had kept their conversation…well, short would be an understatement. A few words were exchanged, along with a promise to explain everything soon and that was about all they had accomplished.
Jaune groaned. "I know, I know! I just panicked. All that was going through my mind was not telling them about Mercury and Emerald, and that was about all. I told them we were all okay, made sure they were okay, and figured everything else could wait a little longer."
She shrugged. That was his decision, ultimately. Maybe it was better to have everything for when they were face to face, but she had a feeling Jaune was already starting to regret it.
He put his hands behind his back, pacing back and forth, muttering to himself.
Just a small feeling.
He sighed, finally coming to a stop. Should we just go on and meet them at the gate? I don't want them to wind up getting lost their first time in the city." He frowned. "Then again, they do have Qrow and Oz with them, how much trouble could they really get up to?"
Once again, Nora shrugged. It was up to him, but in her opinion…"Yeah, what am I saying, they'll have half the city burnt down in an hour. Come on, let's get going!"
Probably the wisest choice, all things considered. She skipped alongside Jaune, following him as they made their way to the gate. Thankfully, it was nowhere near as swamped as it had been when they had first arrived. It seemed refugees were pouring in less and less as time went on.
Jaune sucked in a breath, and her eyes shot towards the entrance to the city. Despite her friend's obvious panic, she couldn't help but feel a small smile fall on her face. They made it.
There was an air of weariness over the group that disappeared as soon as Ruby spotted them. Her face lit up almost immediately, and she waved excitedly. The smile on Nora's face broke out into a full grin.
"Ruby!" Jaune greeted, all traces of his previous worry gone.
They embraced, and the others caught up behind her. Blake, Yang, Oscar, Qrow, all of them looked okay. She frowned. And….some old lady? "Hey, where's Ren?" Ruby asked, pulling away.
"He's back at my sister's house," Jaune answered.
"You're sister?" Yang interrupted, surprised.
"Did I…Did I not tell you guys?" Jaune frowned. Nora snorted. "I've been excited about this ever since I found out we were going to Argus! I spoke to Nora and Ren about it. Did I seriously not tell any of you?"
"Uh, no, you didn't," Ruby said. "But hey, we're here now! It doesn't really matter. We can just go to your sister's house, say hi, and we can all catch up with Ren."
Jaune's eyes bulged. "Actually, I had a, uhm, better idea!" He said quickly. "I'm sure you guys are exhausted from yesterday. Crazy storm, right? Are you hungry? I'm hungry. Let's just get a bite to eat real quick before we go walking around the city, it's a pretty far walk to Saphron's house."
"Uhm…okay?" Ruby said. Jaune grabbed her arm, all but running off with her. Nora smiled. Off to Olive's Garden it is, then.
Yang watched as Jaune led her sister off into the city, frowning. She turned to her. "Is something wrong?" She asked.
Nora thought for a moment. There was quite a lot wrong at the moment. She didn't think words existed for how complicated their lives had become. But to be fair…it wasn't like they weren't already complicated before coming to Argus. Hell, after finding out Oz is actually a magical reincarnating wizard and also a fourteen year old boy, Mercury and Emerald appearing out of nowhere may as well be normal.
Grinning, she shook her head. Yang shrugged. "If you say so. Oh, by the way, that's Maria," She said, gesturing towards the old lady. "She's here now. She's cool."
Nora nodded, accepting it without question. Like she said, weirder things had happened recently. Oscar just kinda showed up too. Her eyes widened. What if Maria was like Oz somehow? Maybe she was actually a super young witch who just looks really old?
"What a wonderfully informative introduction, dearie," Maria spoke up, walking past Yang. "Did they teach you your communication skills at Beacon?"
Yang frowned. "What? I didn't say anything wrong."
"You didn't say anything, that's the problem," Maria corrected. The hunched woman came to a halt in front of Nora. She looked up, extending a hand. "At least she got my name right. Maria Calavera, former huntress and currently a part of this whole mess." She gestured vaguely behind her. "Proper introductions can wait a little longer, I think. Your friend seemed to have made off with the tiny one,"
"Huh?" Yang blurted, spinning around. Nora turned, and true to Maria's word, neither Jaune or Ruby were anywhere to be found. Yang shook her head. "They ditched us. I can't believe they ditched us."
Nora pulled out her scroll, her fingers blurring across the screen. Don't worry! I know where they're going!
"Cool! Let's get going then," Yang said. "Now that he said something, I think I actually am a little hungry. I could go for a bite to eat."
Nora shook her head, smiling as she turned to lead them. I did warn you, Jaune. You won't be able to put off telling them about Mercury and Emerald forever.
She was right, of course. Forever lasted about twenty minutes. Twenty-five or maybe thirty if you count the time it took to make their way back to the cafe. Ruby and Jaune had already grabbed them seats, and were chatting about some comic book or another.
To his credit, he did a pretty good job of distracting them. And it was nice to catch up, even if they had only been apart from each other for barely more than a day. It turned out that a lot can happen in one day, and not just from their side of things.
Their section of the train had crashed, but they all made it out okay. That was actually where they found Maria. They managed to find shelter in an abandoned little village called Brunswick, where Tyrian had finally caught up with them.
She…she felt a little guilty for not being there. She should have been there. But they had all made it out okay, and Tyrian was finally gone. And they all had plenty to worry about without getting worked up over stuff that doesn't matter anymore. Tyrian was dead. The others weren't. End of story.
Still, her hand flew up absently to her throat. He had been plaguing the back of her thoughts ever since Oniyuri, and now, without her even seeing him since then, he was gone. It was a little hard to believe. But Yang, Blake, and Ruby had all seen him, shot through the neck and dragged off into the darkness by the Apathy. That didn't sound like something he could just walk off.
There was something else, she was pretty sure. Something they were trying to avoid talking about, but she wasn't sure what. Something else must have happened at Brunswick, or maybe before they reached the abandoned town. She pushed it out of her mind for now. It could wait. It wasn't like she and Jaune weren't also hiding something.
But lunch couldn't last forever. Soon enough most of their plates were empty, and it was clear Yang and some of the others were getting anxious. Nora nudged Jaune's foot under the table. She nodded slightly towards Ruby. Might as well get it over with.
He held her eyes for a moment, waging a silent argument, before he finally gave in, looking away with a sigh. He paused, not sure how to broach the subject, before clearing his throat. "Uh, guys? There's, uhm…something you should all probably know. Preferably before we get to my sister's house."
Yang rolled her eyes. "Dude, we know she's going to try and embarrass you. It's her sworn duty as an older sister." Ruby nodded sagely, a haunted look on her face. "Don't worry, whatever we learn here, stays here. Promise." She winked.
"It's, uh, a little more serious than that, actually," Jaune said nervously.
Ruby frowned. "Jaune? What's wrong?"
Another pause. "When we first arrived," Jaune said carefully. "We obviously went to Saphron's house before anything else. When we got there…well, my sister had other visitors."
"So it's going to be a little cramped at your place," Yang shrugged. "I don't see the big deal. I mean, I'd rather sleep on the floor than outside. Honestly, it's no problem. We have sleeping bags."
"Yeah, that's not exactly what I meant." Jaune said. He bit his lip in worry, before sighing. "Mercury and Emerald are here in Argus."
The effect was immediate. Eyes widened, and a ripple of concern and fear passed over the others. Nora winced. Now she wasn't so sure it was a good idea to just rip the band-aid off like that. At least it's out in the open now.
"What happened?" Weiss asked in concern. "Is your family alright?"
Jaune nodded, still refusing to meet their eyes. "No, they're uhm, they're fine. Perfectly fine. Which is part of the problem, actually. Mercury and Emerald were staying with them for a while. They're…they're still staying with them."
"Jaune?" Yang asked, frowning. "I don't get it. What's going on? Are they holding your sister hostage or something?"
Well, moment of truth. Jaune couldn't keep giving them half answers. It was time to actually explain everything. But…he didn't have to do it entirely by himself. She was here for a reason, after all. She might not be able to explain everything for him, but she could at least give him a little support.
She nudged him under the table with her foot again, this time in a show of support, instead of pushing him on. He jumped in surprise, before relaxing, letting out a slow breath. He nodded in thanks. "No. No they aren't. Mercury and Emerald are at my sister's house as we speak, because I told them I'd let them stay. And that I'd speak up on their behalf to you guys."
All of the fear and concern on their faces was replaced with anger and outrage the moment Jaune finished speaking. Shouts of protest immediately burst out, all arguing at once, as if Jaune could make out what they were saying. She waited along with him in silence for them to wear themselves out. Maybe once they get it out of their system, they'll be more willing to listen?
The most fervent arguments seemed to be coming from Yang and Blake. Weiss seemed to be almost in shock, Ruby looked betrayed, like she was still trying to fully wrap her head around what Jaune said, and what it meant. Oscar just seemed uncomfortable, and Qrow…
Qrow didn't really seem to care one way or another. Nora frowned.
Finally, the shouting died down enough for Yang to actually be understood. "Why?" She asked. "Are you insane?"
"Look, just…" Jaune sighed. "Can you all at least promise to hear me out, before you say something? Please? It wasn't like I just decided on this on a whim. I'm not exactly a huge fan of letting them stay either, but I have my reasons."
Yang looked like she wanted to argue with him, but Ruby spoke up first. "Okay," She said firmly. "You're our friend, Jaune. Obviously, you have to have some kind of reason, right? So tell us, then."
His shoulders sagged in relief. "Thanks, Ruby." He took another pause, before speaking. "None of us are happy that Mercury and Emerald are here," He clarified. "Me, Nora, Ren, we were all just as angry as you are when we first got here. We spent most of yesterday trying to chase them around town. But…Saphron and Terra were the ones who found them. And they brought them back to the house. And I was angry, I'm still angry, but I really do think it's best if you hear me out."
Ruby nodded. "We'll listen."
Jaune smiled lightly, before continuing. "First off, they're not with Salem. Haven't been for weeks now. They didn't even know Cinder was dead. They've been here, in Argus, laying low and trying to stay out of everything. Eventually, they ran into Saphron and Terra, who offered them a place to stay."
Right, it was probably a good idea not to mention the technical kidnapping part of the story. At least, not yet. "They said they didn't recognize the name. They said they don't want any part of the fight with Salem anymore. They just want to be left alone. And I believe them."
"That's it?" Yang scoffed. "You believe them, just like that? Off of nothing but their word?"
Jaune winced. "Yang, it's a lot more complicated than that…"
"I don't think it is!" She argued. "They were the ones who struck first. They were the reason the festival went wrong. The reason Beacon fell, and Vale went with it. And now, even if they are telling the truth, they just want to walk away from it all? Just like that? And you want to let them. They're the reason Pyrrha is dead!"
"You don't think I know that?" Jaune hissed. "I don't want them to stay. I don't want them to escape punishment. But do you know what I do want? I want to get to Atlas, and bring the Relic to the General like Oz said. I want to keep going, to bring the fight to Salem and stop anyone from having to go through something like the fall again. So another Pyrrha doesn't happen. And I want us to have the best chance we can of making it out alive. And I happen to think that letting Mercury and Emerald sit the fighting out here, away from it all, and yes, free, is a small price to pay for getting rid of two very dangerous people who otherwise might risk going back to Salem. She doesn't have a lot of allies as is, and Mercury and Emerald both leaving her? On top of Cinder dying? If it means we have an easier time, then Mercury and Emerald can hitch a flight to Menagerie and drink from coconuts while sunbathing for all I care!"
He took a deep breath, calming himself. "But it isn't my decision, not entirely. Not mine, and not just Nora and Ren's either. We're far from the only people they hurt. I do think this is for the best, though. We get rid of two dangerous enemies for practically nothing. We don't have to risk a fight, or give in to some insane demand, just leave them alone. And honestly? I think Saphron and Terra would be a hell of a better influence than anything they would experience in prison, if we could even get them in prison. I told them I would speak on their behalf, and I have. So now, we have to come to a decision."
Silence fell over the group after he finished speaking, the only sound left being the idle chatter of the rest of the cafe guests. Yang was still glaring murderously, but the others seemed much more conflicted. Blake sighed. "I don't…where would we even start?"
"Well, what does Oz have to say?" Jaune asked. "He probably has some idea of what to do. Or at least, a suggestion."
"Oz isn't feeling very cooperative right now," Yang interrupted bitterly. "Unless something has changed, Oscar. And he's the last person any of us wants making decisions for us."
Nora frowned. What was Yang talking about? What happened when they separated? "No, uhm, nothing's changed." Oscar said awkwardly. He seemed uncomfortable. "Still radio silent."
"What does he mean, radio silent?" Jaune asked. "And what happened with Oz?"
"A lot," Ruby said, before Yang could start. "We'll fill you in on everything once we're back with Ren, but for now…Oz isn't here. And he isn't going to be, not for a while. He doesn't have any say in this."
"Okay…" Jaune said hesitantly. "So what about you? After Oz, you're the closest thing we have to any sort of leader. What do you think?"
Ruby bit her lip. "I don't…this is a lot bigger than just me. Mercury and Emerald hurt a lot of people."
"Yeah, maybe just take a look around for a second!" Yang waved around them. "Refugees are flooding the city, and Haven wasn't much better. Beacon fell. Vale fell. And two of the people most responsible are sitting in your sister's house right now. Why is this even a discussion we need to have?"
"They do have a point," Blake said. "Think about it. Two less crazy people chasing us down? Two less people working for Salem? We can always figure out something more permanent once we deal with Salem, but don't you think leaving them alone for now might be for the best?"
"We don't even know if we can deal with Salem!" Yang hissed. "Are we just going to let them hide away here forever? Their criminals! Terrorists!"
"So was I," Blake reminded her. "And you all gave me a second chance."
Yang snorted. "And you left, as soon as you were put in a position where innocents might die. They killed Penny. They killed Pyrrha. Everyone who lost their lives in the fall, or to the Grimm in the aftermath, their lives are at their feet. And they knew that. Knew it for months. Beacon didn't just fall in a day, Blake. They're evil people."
Jaune winced. "I wouldn't say that, Yang. Beacon is their fault, yeah. They've done horrible, awful things, but there's a lot you don't know. A lot we didn't know. It doesn't excuse anything, but it's not as easy to call someone evil as you think it is, Yang. And they are trying to leave it behind them."
Nora almost let her head fall to the table. That was a poor choice of words…
Yang scowled. "Leave it all behind them? Really? Do you think all of those people who lost their homes can just leave it all behind them? What about the people who lost their friends, or their family? Can they?"
"Yang, that's not what I-" Jaune started.
She held out her prosthetic hand, rolling down the sleeve for emphasis. "Am I just supposed to leave it all behind me? None of us can just forget Beacon, Jaune, I know you know that. As much as any of us, more than any of us, I know you know that. So why are you defending them?"
Jaune sighed, laying his hands on the table. "Because it's what Pyrrha would have wanted."
Yang stopped, taken aback. She frowned in confusion, but Jaune carried on. "You are right. They shouldn't be able to just move on. They should be punished somehow, for what they did. But we aren't in a position to do that. And we need to get to Atlas, and personally, I think we have a much better chance of getting there and stopping Salem with two less people hunting us down. And…they are trying to change. Not in the way any of us would want. I don't really think they regret the fall, so much as what came after. At least, not Mercury. But they don't want any part of it anymore. They just want a normal life. And if Pyrrha were here, I think she would want to help two people who are trying to better themselves. Even with everything they've done."
Yang opened her mouth, but Ruby spoke first. "I think we should at least hear them out," She said quickly. She seemed surprised to realize that she was the one who spoke. "I-I just mean, we should at least go to his sister's house. Speak with them for ourselves. Instead of just sitting here and making our decisions just off of what we know from Beacon."
Blake nodded. "I agree. And for what it's worth…I don't think it's a bad idea. Letting them stay here, while we go to Atlas. It helps us, and it helps them, and it hurts Salem."
"I agree," Weiss said.
"It's not really my place to say," Maria spoke. "This seems to be something between all of you."
The others turned to Oscar. He frowned. "I can't really speak to Oz. I don't know what he would think."
"We don't care what Oz thinks," Yang all but snarled. She struggled to restrain herself, and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. She was angry, but not at Oscar. "We care what you think. You might not have been at Beacon, but you're a part of this now, and you have a say."
He still seemed uncertain, but at least he gave an answer. "I think…I think we should at least see if they're being genuine. And if they are, I think it would be best to leave them alone. We have enough problems with…everything, as it is."
Yang didn't seem happy with his answer, but she didn't say anything against him. She was the one who encouraged him to speak, after all. "Yang," Blake said gently. "No one is saying you have to forgive them or anything. I know I certainly don't. This is just being practical. We can keep going to Atlas, as quickly as possible while avoiding a fight. Or, we can try and apprehend them, and turn them into the police. And risk someone getting hurt, or worse."
Much of the anger had fled from Yang's face. She certainly wasn't happy, but she didn't snap back like she would have back when they were in Beacon. It wasn't just me who's changed, Nora thought absently.
"Let's go then," Yang said calmly. "You said they were still at your sister's house."
"Yang…" Ruby began.
"What?" She asked. "This was what you all wanted, right? To go pay them a visit? Then let's go." Yang stood up, pushing her chair underneath the table.
"I want to talk to them."
She knew the others were worried about her. They kept sneaking glances when they thought she couldn't see them, worry and concern written clear as day on their faces. They were expecting her to blow up. They were expecting her to start a fight. They were expecting her to be angry.
And why not? Why wouldn't she be? She was pissed, and rightfully so. But she wasn't…she wasn't volatile. She hated them looking at her, like they expected her to go off the handle.
You would have, once, a traitorous voice said in the back of her head.
She pushed it away. Things had changed. She had changed. Everyone did, in some way, after Beacon. You don't go through something like that and walk away the same person you were before. It just so happened that her arm made it a little more literal in her case.
A scowl darkened her face. Her arm, which she lost because of Mercury and Emerald.
Maybe they were right. Maybe she would fly off the handle. Brothers, it would be satisfying, wiping that stupid smirk off the bastard's face. She could still see it, clear as day. And that fake smile of Emerald's…
Her fingers curled into a fist, and she had to make an effort to unclench them. She tried to take a careful breath without drawing attention to herself. Relax. You're Yang Xiao-Long, You've got this.
"Right, uhm, here we are!" Jaune introduced nervously, coming to a stop and gesturing towards what must be the Cotta-Arc's residence. "I think I'll just go in real quick, tell Saph and Terra everyone's here." To prepare them, he left unsaid.
"That's alright," Yang interrupted, not taking her eyes off the door. "We can introduce ourselves personally."
Jaune swallowed, and she felt the eyes of the others burn into the back of her head. "O-Okay then," Jaune said glumly. Yang walked past him climbing the steps one by one. "We're screwed," She heard him mutter under his breath.
Ignoring all of them, she strode forward, pushing the door open. She came to a halt, sharply inhaling. Her eyes narrowed, as they landed on the sight of Mercury and Emerald.
She's a lot angrier than I remember, Mercury thought, watching as the blonde walked up to him. She did a fair enough job of hiding it, but he knew what to watch for. She was trying too hard to keep her face even, her voice level. Her fingers twitched occasionally, threatening to curl into fists.
She was angry. Livid. She was just itching to wring his neck, and he didn't really blame her. But…she didn't. She simply stood there, in silence, staring as he stared back. Do it, he urged her on silently. Do something, at least.
His eyes drifted down, falling onto her arm. Or rather, the lack thereof. The edges of his mouth flicked up in a half smile. For a brief moment, he weighed his options. There were more than a few benefits to just keeping his mouth shut. Just for a few minutes. "Glad to see someone who could put up a halfway decent fight made it out of Beacon, Blondie." He grinned. "If not in one piece." Dumbass, He cursed himself.
Beside him, Emerald's head slumped into her hands, and he heard one of the others sigh, either Saphron or Terra.
He tensed, preparing himself for a fight. One never came, though. Yang just sighed, shaking her head. She walked closer, crossing her arms and staring him down. "You two brought Beacon down. Crippled Vale. You're responsible for thousands of deaths," She accused.
"We did," He answered, not bothering to try and deny it. Why was she bringing up the obvious? "You know that. Half of Remnant knows that."
"They don't know half of what you did though, do they?" She said. "You lied to us, to everyone, for months. You and Cinder. You practically murdered the first Fall Maiden. Lionheart said you helped butcher the staff at Haven."
He shuffled, trying to ignore Emerald flinching. That had been a nasty bit of business. For her, at least. She didn't sleep for three days after that. "Again, yeah, we did. I never denied it."
"And yet, here you are, hiding out from us, from Salem, acting like nothing ever happened," She growled. "Jaune said you two are trying to leave all of that behind you. That you're trying to change. Do you even regret how many lives you ruined?."
He shut his mouth. Silence reigned, and Yang continued to stare, unflinching, until Emerald broke the tense quiet. "Yes," She whispered, almost to herself. "I didn't…I didn't think about it for a long time. Not while I was with Cinder. Every…everything she asked us to do, no matter how awful, I thought it would be worth it. Because I owed her everything. I was just paying her back. And…I wanted her to be proud."
She swallowed. "After, uhm…after we left her, it was hell. Disaster after disaster, never having enough time for one of us to stop and think. Not until we came here. We've had nothing but time since." She lifted her head to look at Yang, tears threatening to fall. "I hate it," She whispered. "What I did for her. What I know I would have done, if I stayed. I would have gone along with anything, if it made her happy. I just…I just want it to end. I don't want to hurt people anymore. I want a home."
Yang looked away, turning her gaze to meet his own once more. "And you?" She asked. "Do you regret it?"
"No," He answered truthfully. There wouldn't be any point lying, she'd see through him in an instant. He could, at least, explain himself. "I went along with Cinder because it was that, or die. And besides, what did the people of Vale ever do for me? I didn't care then, and I don't care now. They're dead, I'm not."
Yang nodded slowly, as if she was expecting his answer. She probably was. "What exactly do you want? What do you think your endgame is here, seriously?"
He rolled his eyes. "You know, why does everyone keep asking me that lately?"
"Answer the question," Yang demanded.
Mercury sighed. He leaned forward. "Emerald wants a home. A normal life. I'm fine with that. Just so long as the two of us are left alone. Me and her, and a bit of peace and quiet." He paused. "Preferably here." He nodded towards the Cotta-Arc's. "They're less annoying than most people."
"You realize that's impossible, right?" Yang said calmly. It wasn't a taunt, or a vicious snipe, it was a statement of fact. "You two have lasted this long because the CCT is down. Word hasn't spread as fast about who was responsible for Beacon. No one can agree if it was just the White Fang, or if someone aided them. At least, nobody who wasn't there. But word will spread. Cinder is already well known, and you two are public enemy two and three. And the CCT will be back up eventually. You'll be recognized, and back on the run, probably within the month, even if we left you alone."
His temper flared. "I…" He breathed out, shutting his eyes. "I know," He growled. His expression softened, becoming almost mournful as he looked away. "I know," He whispered.
"But you don't have to be," She said.
He looked up in confusion. The others, everyone else was looking at her with similar surprise. "What…what do you mean?" He asked hesitantly.
"If it came out to the public," Yang started. "That the two of you maybe weren't as willing to serve Cinder as you were in reality. That you were a little more regretful, that you had somehow atoned for your actions, well…things might change."
He scowled. So that's where this is going. "We came here to stay out of the fight, blondie," He snarled. "That means both sides. We're not any more eager to pick a fight with Salem than we are with you brats."
"Good, because I'm not asking you to," Yang said cheerfully. "We need to get the Relic to Atlas. But after Haven…" She paused. "We want to trust the General. We do. But we've been burned a few too many times recently. We also don't know how hard it'll be to get to Atlas. We know there's a blockade around the city, but we're hoping Weiss can get us in. If not…"
She pointed towards them. "You two help us get to Atlas. You don't have to come with," She added, before they could protest. "They'd shoot us on sight if they knew you were with us. But you do what you can from here, and once we're gone, we're gone. You can stay here, with the Cotta-Arc's, and keep them safe. Then, once we meet with the General and the CCT hopefully goes back up, we'll put in a good word for you. Make sure that when people start to really know who you are, they'll look at you in a bit of a better light."
He opened his mouth, confused, then closed it. He was speechless.
"At least, that's my offer," Yang said. "Depends if the others are cool with it."
Jaune nodded, still obviously surprised. "That…works for me, yeah."
"I think that would be best," Ruby said. The others gave various signs of agreement.
He couldn't quite believe what he was hearing. This…this can't be real. It can't be this simple. There's a catch somewhere, some trick he missed. Maybe she's just trying to lure them into a false sense of security.
"Why?" Emerald blurted, giving voice to his own doubts. "We thought…I thought…"
"That I'd be the one jumping for your throats, right?" Yang finished. Sheepishly, Emerald nodded. "Well, I was. And trust me, I don't like this. But…Jaune was right. We can't afford a fight we don't have to take, and if you're genuine, like Jaune and the Cotta-Arcss apparently assure that you are…then it's for the best."
"It's not what I would exactly want," She clarified. "But at least one of you feels guilty. And as for you…" She nodded towards Mercury, "If you're willing to keep your hands to yourself, I'll take it as a win. So, deal?"
He didn't have to exchange a look with Emerald. "Deal," They said in unison.
Yang nodded, satisfied. "Cool. Problem solved. But listen," She leaned in closer, lowering her voice to a growl. "If you hurt them, or anyone else who doesn't deserve it, and I hear about it, I will come back, and I will find you. And I'll bring backup. Capiche?"
They nodded, and she stepped away. "Great. I'm gonna take a shower now, if you don't mind."
"It's at the end of the hall," Terra said, more out of reflex than anything else. Yang thanked her, and left.
The tension broke as soon as she did, now that it was clear there wouldn't be a fight. Jaune made some introductions, and the brats all took the time to catch up with each other, occasionally throwing a worried look their way.
He didn't care. He barely noticed.
They had gotten rid of Jadis. They had been recognized, their lie exposed to the only people in the world who still trusted them. They had fled, come back, and anxiously awaited for the rest of Arc's friends to arrive, certain they would spell the end of the short peace they had bought for themselves.
But they didn't. They had even offered to let them stay, provided they lend them a hand. They didn't even have to leave the city. They barely had to lift their fingers, and they would earn themselves…maybe not a pardon, but at least a chance.
He had spent so long convinced it couldn't happen. That, eventually, it would all come to an end. Sure, he had hoped it might last a little longer recently. But he always knew it wouldn't last.
And now…now, he was beginning to think there was a chance that it could.
Gonna keep this short, probably. Not much to say this time around. I enjoyed writing Yang here. Everyone in the fic expected her to go off the rails, but her entire character Arc in Vol 4 was her learning not to burst into rage every five seconds. She grew as a character, and I liked having a chance to show that here.
Thank you for reading, and if you enjoyed then please, feel free to leave a comment! I love seeing what everybody thinks!
As always, I crosspost on AO3!
Next Chapter: Tuesday, August 30th
