…

…

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I don't care…

Ten weeks since the Fall. The situation in Vale was still out of control, but Professor Goodwitch had made decent headway on installing a sort of controlled chaos. A lot of Vale was still in ruins, but through hard work, the remaining Hunters and police force as well as civilian volunteers and some of Vale's seedier residents had managed to erect new, stable supply lines throughout the Kingdom. There wasn't much trade coming into or out of Vale, but all four kingdoms had learned how to be self-sufficient since the Great War. All that Vale really needed these days were more Hunters to keep the peace and give the ones that'd been working so hard since the Fall a break.

Despite the exhaustion and desperation of the remaining Hunters, things were slowly looking less and less bleak.

"She's a damn cyclone on the battlefield! I guess we were lucky Beacon took the hit it did, because if all the new students were like this, we'd be out of a job!" Mereoleona and all of her fellow Hunters laughed at the joke, some spilling their beer while others crunched on pretzels or other salty snacks.

I usually didn't attend events like this- in fact, I'd begged Professor Goodwitch to keep me off team missions, but Mereoleona and Kivuli insisted. Plus… it was at Sorrel's family's restaurant. It was quickly becoming a popular spot not just among Faunus, but humans as well- one of the great things about being in one of the least destroyed areas of the kingdom. Small miracles.

After an incredibly taxing extermination mission, the Vale exclusion zone had been reduced from around a few dozen square miles to just under nine. In celebration, all of the participating Hunters had poured into Golden Griff's and taken the large table at the front.

"Really, I'm nothing special. I didn't even advance to the Vytal semi-finals," I offered, hoping to get the topic of conversation off of myself. This group of Hunters averaged a few years older than me- mid to late twenties, but they seemed to see me as some sort of little sister. It was sweet, but I still wasn't ready for this kind of attention from others. It was too soon after… After everything.

"Oh bullshit! You know just because the CCT is down doesn't mean we can't watch those tournament matches, right? Jalad! You got the vid I told you to find?"

"You know it, Mereo!" Jalad was a large, friendly looking man with a thick, well kempt beard who I'd come to learn had a heart of gold. He'd been in the same graduating course as Mereoleona, but on a different team. Apparently he and Mereoleona had hated each other during their time at Beacon, but now all of that was in the past- especially after they'd lost their teams. He extended the Scroll as far as it'd go, giving the entire group a good view of what he was broadcasting.

"Check it! Blake's team made it to the finals," Mereoleona called, getting everyone's attention.

My blood ran cold. I'd just assumed that all video of the tournament matches had been deleted when the CCT went down. Especially considering Cinder had used the tournament as a springboard for the Fall. But that'd been foolish of me- millions of people around the world watched those tournaments. No small number of viewers would've hit the record button.

Jalad was broadcasting RWBY's match against ABRN. Most people picked their favorites between the doubles and singles matches, but everyone watched the team battles. The teamwork that was on display always seemed to get other Hunters excited and nostalgic. The group seemed beyond excited to watch the match, but it made my stomach crawl. Watching Ruby and Weiss and…

I kept my head down while everyone cheered. I'd been there. I didn't need to watch it. I couldn't watch it.

"Look at her go!" That was Kivuli- Mereoleona's partner- sitting closest to me. They had their eyes glued to the screen. We'd gotten somewhat close in the couple of weeks we'd been working together, so they seemed super invested in anything I did, certainly adopting the role of older sibling the most out of the rest of the group.

"OUCH, right on her ass." It wasn't often Jalad cheered for others getting hurt, but he didn't seem to mind much during a tournament fight.

"Damn, Belladonna, that was cold, you could've helped her back up!" Mereoleona chuckled, shooting me a smirk. I nodded but didn't speak. I really, really didn't deserve this praise. Instead, I did my best to occupy my hands and nibbled on some pretzels. I should've known that'd only catch Kivuli's attention, and they quickly offered me a mug of their alcohol. I wasn't sure what it was, but Kivuli was fond of fruity drinks that disguised their alcohol content just long enough for one to embarrass themselves.

"Mereo, when did you dye your hair blonde?" Aloe, the closest in the group to my age. He was an upperclassman I actually recognized from Beacon, but we'd never had the time to talk until now. He had spiky, mint colored hair and watery green eyes that seemed to glow in the dark. I'd wonder how he even found this group if it weren't for how some of the older Hunters seemed to attract lost souls to them like moths to a lamp.

"She's even slipping around like you used to," Glasera teased. She was the tallest of the group and always clad in such bright white clothing that I somehow had never seen stained. She'd been in the grade just before Mereoleona's and Jalad's and wasn't above teasing her underclassmen.

"Glasera, if you bring up that match one more time-"

"Battle scythe? Haven't seen one of those in a long time!" That was, of course, Sora, the weapons specialist of the group. He was a shorter guy with fluffy white hair that always led a fight with his giant club in the shape of a key. His outfit was covered in various zippers and straps that held so many attachments to his weapon I was sure even he wasn't sure how many he actually owned. Each attachment changed the weapon drastically, giving him something to use no matter the occasion.

"Is that the Schnee heiress?" Glasera again, leaning in closer as she watched Weiss save Ruby from Bolin.

"Two against two, I guess there's never any doubt which set are partners," Aloe said with a small chuckle, raising his mug to me as he spoke. I nodded but didn't answer, knowing that he'd lost most of his team during the Fall made it difficult to accept his praise.

"That's the wrong Belladonna!" Kivuli was surprisingly good at seeing through my Semblance. They'd explained it as something about the shadows being wrong? I'd have to pay a bit more attention while making my own if I wanted to continue using them as bait.

"Blake, don't do it!" Hamana was a giant of a man, with dark skin, broad shoulders, and curly, pink hair. He was incredibly soft spoken for someone his size, and the "recruiter" of the group. He gave the air of someone who was fun and safe to be around, and his defensive Semblance was one that'd saved several missions in the few short weeks since the Fall.

"SNEAK ATTACK? HAVE YOU NO HONOR?" That'd been Leopold Vermillion, Mereoleona's younger brother. The fiery attitude was clearly genetic. He would've been attending Beacon next semester, and he was certainly trying to make up for the lack of training that'd been cut short ever since Signal Academy had been forced to shutter its doors.

"Skater should've been paying attention. Blake, I support you and your connivery wholeheartedly," Kivuli chuckled, shooting me another smile. I nodded, unable to hide a small smirk. I had been pretty proud about that attack. I finally took a sip of the drink they'd offered me earlier, the taste of cranberries and apples flooding my mouth but not doing as well a job of disguising the strong alcohol as usual.

"Merde, talk about falling for it." Marais, a muscular man who wore his Faunus traits proudly- large frog legs that he certainly put to work with the way he seemed to bounce around a room to clear Grimm from tight spaces. His weapon was a whip with an incredibly sticky end that he used to slam his opponents around a room.

"That's gotta be cheating," Hamana chuckled as he finished his beer. Aloe poured another mug and slid it across the table to him.

"You're worried about Blake cheating! Look at the Schnee!" Mereoleona again, pointing at the screen to get everyone's attention as Weiss readied one of her more powerful attacks.

"Giant ice hand? What kind of Dust is she even using?" That was Mujigae, the Dust specialist who was finally taking a verbal interest in the fight. Her eyes were normally a stark white, but depending on her mood changed to any of a dazzling array of colors. I was positive I hadn't seen them all yet.

"What are the boys even doing in this fight," Mereoleona asked with a chuckle, playfully nudging Jalad with an elbow.

"Their best, probably," Kivuli smirked, resting a hand on their partner's thigh.

"Saved by a woman. What else is new?" Glasera, a smug smile on her face as Arslan saved her remaining two teammates from an embarrassing ring-out.

"I don't see anyone complaining," Jalad said with a wink.

"And when will it be my turn to be saved in such a way," Marais followed up, earning an exaggerated eye roll from Glasera.

"The Schnee is on the move again," Leopold said excitedly, his lion tail thumping loudly on his seat.

"Is that a ramp," Aloe asked in disbelief. I couldn't help but smirk again. Ruby had spent weeks planning this move, and we'd spent even longer perfecting it. I was proud of our teamwork, even if I really did feel I didn't deserve the praise for it.

"Blake and the blonde? Mereoleona, are you watching this?" That was Sora- he had such a knack for people's fighting styles. The group were holding their breath as I followed through with the move we'd worked so hard on. I'd throw Gambol Shroud to Yang, Weiss would make the ramp that'd get her to speed, Ruby would give me the platform for the needed altitude, then-

"LOOK AT THE TEAMWORK," Leopold shouted, far too young to mind his volume considering the alcohol his sister had let him sneak.

"That's a 3KO," Hamana cheered, his giant smile was infectious among the rest of the group.

"Probably would've been a 4KO but Blake was bloodthirsty," Kivuli teased, winking at me again as they praised me.

Everyone was shouting in excitement as Jalad searched for the next video. I couldn't help but feel a little proud. It'd been Ruby's plan, but we'd all worked hard to make it a success. Mereoleona reached to pat me on the back, a wide smile on her face as she congratulated me. I chuckled again and took another sip of the drink Kivuli had offered me. Maybe I could actually enjoy myself around these people. They'd all lost something, but they were still fighting. It made me feel… almost hopeful.

"The doubles rounds are next, right," Glasera asked, clearly one of the people who put more stock in the doubles rounds than the singles.

"Booo, skip it," Marais shouted, leaning forward and bumping Glasera's shoulder with his own.

"Will you ever shut up, Marais," Glasera sighed, rolling her eyes at the man and putting a hand on his shoulder to get him to sit back down.

"Not of my own volition, mon amour, but if you'd ever like to sit on my face to have some peace and quiet-"

"The round is starting, can someone PLEASE sit on Marais' face before I have to," Jalad said loudly, getting another laugh out of everyone as he set the screen back for everyone to get a good view. Apparently that'd been why he and Mereoleona hadn't gotten along that well. He was never serious.

"20 Lien to do it right now, I'm trying to watch-"

"Blake, your team didn't ask you to go to the semi-finals! Are they insane," Kivuli asked, interrupting Sora before that conversation could go any further. I opened my mouth to speak, but decided to nod instead. Yang and Weiss were the obvious options. While Yang and I had exceptional teamwork, neither of us had area focused attacks or defenses. If we needed it, we'd lose. That's why we'd all decided Weiss was the better choice.

"Is that Nyan Cat," Aloe asked confusedly. Apparently he'd been preparing for his team's tournament round during RWBY's semi-finals and hadn't caught our match.

"Neon Katt, babe. She's an influencer in Atlas," Mujigae explained, playfully ruffling her boyfriend's hair.

"Topheavy? Since when did we start shaming pillows," Jalad asked, getting a big laugh from the group.

"As an AFAB, I do not support this woman on woman bullying," Kivuli sighed, looking almost disappointed in Neon for her comment.

"As a bisexual, I do not support tit shaming," Hamana replied, getting an even bigger laugh from everyone.

"Is that a trumpet," Sora asked excitedly, his gray eyes wide as he examined Flynt Coal's weapon.

"Ouch, Mereo, your little sister keeps getting kicked around," Glasera said smugly.

"Did you not just see her get a 3KO eight seconds ago," Mereoleona countered, almost as invested in Yang as I was.

"You knock her down, she gets right back up!" Sora again, far more correct than he probably realized.

"They let rollerblades into the arena? That seems unfair," Mujigae said with a tilt of her head, her iridescent hair catching the flickering light of the bar and scattering it in dozens of different colors.

"She's too fast for her! Ouch," Hamana said, visibly flinching from the combo Neon had just managed to perform on Yang. I couldn't help but crack another smirk. No one knew Yang like I did- well, except maybe Ruby and her father. All those hits and they only served to piss her off.

"Are those glowsticks," Sora asked, his voice flat and monotone as he watched Neon activate the dust in her nunchucks, clearly not approving of the method.

"Bottom heavy," Kivuli repeated with a huff.

"AS A BISEXUAL-"

"Gotta love the trash talking," Glasera chuckled, interrupting Hamana's second pass at the joke.

"How is he fighting with a trumpet, I don't understand-"

"The heiress is so fast!" Nothing could stop Glasera's excitement at watching Weiss on the combat floor. It felt like she was getting ideas from watching Weiss as much as Mereoleona was watching Yang.

"Is that THREE clones? That kid's gonna go far." The Mujigae seal of approval wasn't exactly difficult to earn.

"Her eyes are red now?" Marais asked curiously, leaning in a little closer to get a better look at the screen.

"Are they flirting?" To be fair, Sora thought everyone was flirting.

"As a bisexual I can support this." Hamana got an even bigger laugh from everyone. Jalad was barely able to keep his Scroll steady as he chuckled into his mug.

"Fat shaming?" Kivuli, yet again far too disappointed in Neon's trash talking to cheer with everyone else.

"This is a bad night for the bis," Mujigae sighed, pouring Kivuli some more liquor to drown their sorrow.

"Oof double KO," Glasera flinched, physically distraught at how Weiss had so easily sacrificed herself to save Yang.

"Mon coeur, look again. The Coal kid remains standing!"

"We're NOT cheering for him, Marais," Glasera scolded him, gently whacking him on the shoulder.

"Perhaps YOU are not-"

"2v1? Oof this isn't gonna go well," Aloe said with a sigh. His own doubles round had ended in a 2v1- one that he'd unfortunately failed at securing.

"Don't count her out just yet," Mereoleona huffed. She had her eyes on the Aura bars. It'd be a tough fight, but Yang wasn't out just yet.

"All this environmental damage! You'd think she's mad or something," Jalad commented. He was a big enough guy he often caused his own fair share of environmental damage without being angry.

"She can't hit her-"

"You guys are idiots, she's clearly doing it on purpose," Mereoleona interrupted, pointing at the screen as Neon was forced to skate around a giant crater Yang created.

"She's missing Neon every time-"

"She's getting the cat bitch out of the way!" A quick elbow from Kivuli made Mereoleona stop just long enough to realize what she'd said. "I can say it- I am a cat bitch."

"Oof rest in pieces Flynt Coal," Glasera teased, an even bigger smirk on her lips than normal.

"Well it seems my night is ruined," Marais sighed exaggeratedly, earning another whack from Glasera.

"Aaaand Neon just tripped," Mujigae sighed, taking a sip of her drink before looking away. She clearly already knew what was coming.

"Okay, I'll stand corrected, maybe she WAS doing it on purpose," Sora responded.

"ONE SHOT," Leopold shouted incredulously.

"That blonde one is a powerhouse! A 3KO and a 2v1?"

"She was on the same team as Blake, of course she's a powerhouse," Hamana said loudly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world that anyone related to me would be so powerful.

My ears twitched as someone in the bar made a bit more noise than normal. He was a big, bearded man who I'd so far seen talk to three different people so far, and trade something suspicious looking after speaking with them. Normally it'd be a Hunter's job to take some sort of interest in something like this, but we were spread far too thin these days. We didn't have the luxury of dealing with petty crime, and the kingpins and criminals of Vale knew it. Plus, we were sort of relying on them for security. We cleared larger and more dangerous Grimm from an area, while they made sure none of them moved back in. It was an uneasy alliance, but one that benefitted them as well. I turned my back to him and took another few sips of the alcohol Kivuli had offered me, trying my best to not let my attention linger.

"Finals round," Aloe said excitedly.

"They sent Blondie," Mereoleona said proudly.

"She deserved it after the last fight," Mujigae responded, flagging Aloe for a refill of her drink.

"Are THEY flirting," Sora asked confusedly as Yang and Mercury spoke before the fight. I finished my drink at the implication. Sure, Yang and I were no longer… that didn't mean I wasn't uncomfortable with the idea!

"I don't see the chemistry," Hamana responded, playfully ruffling the younger man's hair. I was able to breathe a sigh of relief and flagged Aloe for a refill of my own drink. I have to admit, my memory gets a little fuzzy after that.

"Boxer vs kickboxer? This is a good matchup. We sure it's random," Jalad asked.

"Looks like he's more than just a kickboxer. There's capoeira in there too. And… breakdancing?" Sora was certainly some sort of savant at this.

"Crazy flip!"

"Good block!"

"Yeah keep him zoned, he's got no range!"

"WILD KICK!"

"Their footwork is amazing, I see how these two made it to the finals."

"UPPERCUT!'

"ELBOW!"

"RINGOU-"

"NOT SO FAST! HE'S BACK IN!"

"Oh he's ANGRY."

"She's gotta make some distance, he's got her on the ropes!"

"Oh, of COURSE he has a distance attack!"

"This kid is amazing!"

"BLONDIE NOOOO!" Leopold roared, hands resting on his temples as Yang was absolutely overwhelmed by Mercury's attack.

"He won?" Kivuli almost couldn't believe it, glancing over at me with confusion on their face. I sipped my new drink, not wanting to spoil-

"Wait, I don't think I heard the bell-"

"SHE'S BACK UP!" Leopold shouted, swaying as he stood up in his chair to watch the rest of the fight.

"Why do I hear boss music," Marais asked loudly, earning himself a silencing hand over his mouth from Glasera.

"Oh she's angry!" Even Hamana was standing up from his seat now.

"LEFT! RIGHT! LEFT! RIGHT!" Leopold and Mereoleona were chanting in unison as each of Yang's blows connected, far too fast and powerful for Mercury to respond to.

"She won't let him breathe!"

"LEFT! RIGHT!" Everyone was chanting now, absolutely enraptured by Yang's dominance in the ring.

"JAB!"

"THE HOOK OF THE CENTURY!"

"HE'S DOWN!"

"GO BLONDIE, I NEVER DOUBTED YOU," Leopold shouted, finishing his own drink before Mereoleona could force him back to his seat. Everyone was laughing, cheering, partying… It was an atmosphere that was hard to think in, especially for me.

Maybe it was because I was already a little drunk. Maybe I was just too enraptured watching Yang work her magic on the combat floor. Maybe… maybe I just made a mistake. But I realized far too late what came next.

"Jalad… Jalad stop the video please." I could barely get my voice above a whisper. I was familiar with the symptoms of PTSD but how could I possibly be experiencing that from-

"THAT CHICK IS AMAZING!"

"Belladonna, you were dating that powerhouse?" Everyone was too busy cheering for Yang. Far too excited with her victory. A fight like that always sets emotions so high. It was the perfect storm for what came next.

"Jalad, the video! Please close-"

"Wait a sec, wasn't this fight-"

"JALAD!" If I were faster… If I were less inebriated… maybe I could've cleared the way to Jalad faster. I knew he wasn't doing this on purpose- the bar was loud, and everyone was drunk and excited. But how I wished I'd been able to get up from my seat faster. As it stood, I was three feet away from him when it happened. Not fast enough to stop him before-

The entire bar went quiet as Yang attacked Mercury. It was just as brutal as I remembered it. The way Yang lunged at him, the way he'd crumbled to the ground, the way she'd stood over him as he writhed on the floor.

It was awful.

No one could look at me. Kivuli was already beside me, and rested one of their gloved hands on my shoulder, but even they couldn't look me in the eyes. The bar was silent for about a minute before Mereoleona cleared her throat.

"Look… the adrenaline during a fight-"

"We've all hurt someone accidentally, right," Kivuli offered. They weren't exactly lying. We were warriors-in-training. Sometimes things happened… But never like this.

Never like this…

"Yeah, it's… She was a first year student. She probably wasn't used to-"

"You people are all idiots." The large, turned in his barstool to face my group. Even inebriated I could tell he wasn't exactly the most innocent man in Vale, and the two women on either side of him… Well, he was certainly protected from anyone trying to start a bar fight with him. "Replay the video."

"Who the hell are-"

"Replay the damn video," he repeated, practically daring Jalad to defy him. No one at the table was exactly afraid of this man, but everyone was curious as to what he could possibly be alluding to. Even I couldn't help but wonder what he might've been talking about. Jalad looked to me, letting me know it was my call to make. I nodded and he replayed the video. I flinched all over again as Yang attacked the helpless Mercury-

"Did you see it? No, of course you didn't. Watch her eyes. She's not looking at him. She's looking past him," the suited man explained, pointing with his baseball bat weapon at the screen.

Jalad replayed the video a second time, and this time I looked out for what the suited man had said. He was right. Yang's eyes never met Mercury's until he'd hit the ground. They'd been locked on something in the distance. Something that seemed to be moving quickly towards her considering the way her eyes tracked it. Maybe a thrown weapon or even a fired Dust shell?

What was going on?

And how hadn't I noticed-

"Yeah, I mean… that's gotta be the adrenaline-"

"Junior, these guys are idiots," one of the women said, rolling her eyes at the group.

"It's like trying to teach a Rapier Wasp not to sting," the other woman said.

"Someone was manipulating Yang Xiao Long," Junior explained, finishing his own mug of beer. "Hell, you'd think a bunch of pro Hunters like yourselves would've figured out something was up-"

"What are you talking about?"

"Pull up the CFVY vs CMEN doubles match."

"I don't-"

"Miltia?"

"On it, boss." The woman clad in red jumped up onto the long bar table without disturbing a single drink. Her heeled boots clacked against the hard wood as she walked across, easily making her path despite the dozens of mugs, cups and plates in her way. She plugged in her own Scroll to the television, forcing the entire bar to watch what she was playing instead of just my group. She skipped most of the fight, completely ignoring Mercury's 2v1 against Coco and Yatsuashi just to focus on the video of Coco alone in the wooded area of the map.

"See? She's talking to herself," Junior explained. "Except she doesn't think she's talking to herself. Watch out, she's in the trees. She thinks she's talking to her teammate."

"What do you think that proves-"

"Melanie, the Nikos vs Polendina fight, please."

"Already on it." Melanie had already jumped onto the bar table herself, carving an even more graceful path across the table than her sister had. She only stopped for a moment to glare at me. I wasn't sure why. I… I didn't know these people… did I? She hmphed loudly before joining Miltia at the head of the table, swapping Scrolls so everyone could watch this fight.

"Watch her strikes," Junior explained. To anyone paying attention, the answer was almost obvious. How had no one been paying attention? "She's blocking and dodging attacks that aren't happening. Her eyes are tracking way more targets than the robot girl ever actually had."

"... okay. That is weird. But what do you think-"

"Someone was manipulating the entire tournament," he declared, loud enough for the entire bar to hear. Everyone in the bar had turned to watch the conversation, and they were all fully invested in what Junior had to say. "Probably the same bitch that attacked Vale in the first place. And you idiots let it slip right under your noses the entire time, and blamed Blondie here when she was just as much a victim as the rest of us."

No one spoke. Not a single person tried to argue. He was right. Not a single person had tried to fight for Yang Xiao Long… Not even me.

"For a bunch of wannabe heroes, you sure do abandon on your own real quick, don't you," Miltia sighed, arms crossed over her chest. She was glaring at me too, her pale green eyes scrutinizing every inch of me.

"If I'd ever turned my back on my partner like that, I wouldn't even bother apologizing. I wouldn't deserve it," Melanie replied, this time very pointedly not looking at me as she spoke.

Was it because I already felt guilty? Was I reading into this? Or… did they know?

"Come on, girls. There's better company back at home," Junior said loudly, calling his bodyguards back to him.

"Hmph!"

"Hmph!"

Both women were off the table and at their boss' side without disturbing a single drink or utensil on the table. This time they both made eye contact with me before they followed him out the door. No… No, they definitely knew what I'd done… But how?

"What the hell was that about," Jalad asked, doing his best to break the tension with a playful laugh.

"Blake," Kivuli asked worriedly, the first to notice that I started having a panic attack. I hadn't had one in…

"Blake!" Mereoleona was already at my side, a hand on my shoulder desperately trying to comfort me.

I don't think I could blame myself for losing my lunch on the alcohol…