Chapter status: ALL NEW CONTENT. And for anyone out of the loop, I did a LOT of changes and edits in the previous chapters (finished this week of June 17th, so if you're reading for the first time after that date, disregard), so it would probably be a pretty big benefit to you to reread/skim from the beginning.
Also this hasn't been looked over by my writer friend right now, only my gf has given her onions and grapes. So, I may come back and do a few fixes later, but for now...enjoy!
Note: This chapter does introduce an OC, but he won't have a huge presence in the story. I tried to use an existing RWBY character to match the role I needed, and couldn't really come up with anyone that made sense, so I just created a character for the purpose.
Pyrrha set a mug of steaming black coffee in front of Yang. Her fingers lingered for a moment, and Yang looked up from where her head was laying on the table. Pyrrha's gaze, although still puffy with grogginess, was intent. Neither of them had gotten nearly enough sleep. But once she knew that Yang knew they were going to talk, the redhead let go of the mug and went to prepare some tea for herself.
"…Thanks," Yang mumbled, but she didn't reach for the coffee right away. Instead, she let her forehead fall back onto the table with a hard thud. Her back was still sore from being propelled into concrete the night prior, but with her enhanced healing, the ache would most likely be gone before lunch. She supposed she had been pretty damn lucky, all things considered.
"You're welcome."
Yang knew there hadn't been an escape from this conversation. Maybe if she got up and went back to sleep she could delay it for a couple more hours, though. It was still so early, after all.
But Pyrrha probably wouldn't let her do that.
The silence between them stretched on, only interrupted by the sounds of the cupboard door shutting, boiling water being poured into a cup, and a tea bag being retrieved from its box. Ruby and Sun were still sleeping at this time – no chatter or movement could be heard in the apartment next door. Neither of them would be coming in to save Yang any time soon.
The chair opposite to Yang scraped slightly on the floor when Pyrrha pulled it out to take a seat. Her cup of tea was placed on the table, too. It was still a little while before Pyrrha spoke, and when she finally did, all she said was, "At least we know what we're dealing with now. A coven of six vampires, one of them given some power over fire…and possibly another ancient."
Yang slowly raised her head again. She checked her partner's expression, seeing nothing that hinted at frustration or anger. She was calm, ready to tackle the problem, ready to figure out their next steps. The least Yang could do was match her stride. "Nightshade thinks we'll lure out the ancient if we arrest or kill the coven. If she's right, then that'll work in our favor, anyway. Aurora wants all ancients dead."
"Our main goal is rescuing the kidnapped civilians…if they're even still alive by this point." Pyrrha shook her head. "It's been over two weeks already. Those vampires are definitely using them to feed against their will, and there's no knowing under what conditions they're being kept."
Yang clenched her fist on her lap, a sharp spike of anger tensing her muscles. This was the side of things that made Yang remember why she joined Aurora, why she felt the necessity of hunting vampires. No matter how harmless and obedient to Aurora's restrictions most of them were, some were evil – got drunk on murder and feasting, found pleasure in exercising their superior abilities over mortals. Yang could feel her memories trying to surface, could feel the hate and terror that always accompanied them.
But Aurora had given Yang the tools to stop stories like hers from repeating themselves.
Aurora had given her the tools to solve this problem, whether Blake helped or not. If she's even still alive. Yang shoved the memories down. "If we take too long, there's a chance they'll strike again. If their first victims die."
Pyrrha nodded. "We need to get a better grasp on who the vampires in Vale are. So, this afternoon, we have our appointment to meet with Edrick Beryl. After that, depending on how it goes, we start searching for Fox Alistair and Yatsuhashi Daichi, even if it means staking out at Cryolife for hours or days upon end. We'll have to get as much information out of them as possible."
"Sounds good. Lemme just properly wake up, though." Yang finally took her cup and had a good drink of her coffee.
Pyrrha set her own finished cup on the table, keeping her hands around it. She stared into the empty, shallow depths for a bit, apparently considering something. Then she sighed slowly, a decision being made. "Yang."
And that was when Yang knew the moment had come. Pyrrha was going to confront her.
Their eyes met. Pyrrha still didn't look accusatory. She just seemed concerned. "Why…why did Nightshade sound like she was trying to protect you somehow?"
That wasn't one of the questions Yang had been expecting. And she didn't truly know how much Pyrrha had heard from last night's meeting with Blake. But the safest option was to assume she had heard everything. And even if she hadn't, Pyrrha was smart. Chances were, any conclusions she had drawn or assumptions she had made were close enough to the truth that if Yang was planning on lying, she would have to be extremely convincing.
But in the brief time it took Yang's still half-asleep mind to understand how she had to navigate this discussion, Pyrrha had already realized the blonde wasn't going to come clean. She leaned forward a bit and said, conciliatory, "I've been trying to see things from your perspective, to really understand what's going on with you." She softened. "Yang, I'm asking as your friend. I'm asking for the sake of these sixty years we've been working together and supporting each other. I'm asking because I'm worried about you. I've never known you to be so secretive." And then there was the barest twinkle that appeared in her green eyes while she reached over and gently flicked the back of Yang's hand. "And I'm sorry to say, but…you're not very good at it."
Yang was instantly miserable with guilt. Maybe you're just too good of a detective. Her shoulders deflated and her hands went to her face, pressing into her cheeks and then her temples. She stared up at the ceiling, wondering if the gods themselves might have some pity on her and just strike her down there on the spot. But now Yang also remembered how important the trust between her and Pyrrha was – and always had been – how they weren't just partners on the job, but that they also had a friendship forged in the fire of necessity and sacrifice.
Pyrrha wasn't Yang's enemy. She wasn't looking for opportunities to turn Yang in. She wasn't looking for excuses to judge Yang or make her feel inadequate or tell her she was failing her responsibility as a protector of the mortal world.
Pyrrha had been only-human once, too.
So, Yang took a huge breath, took a huge leap, and admitted the damning truth. "I've been feeding her. Willingly. I was the one who forced Blake to drink my blood the first night of our investigation – not the other way around. And now she can only be sated by enforcer blood, specifically mine, because she's so old and my blood is extra special because of Raven…so I met with her again after a week. And because I'm stupid enough to agree to regularly feed an ancient vampire, Blake is doing what she deems is best to keep me 'safe.'" Yang hung her head. There, it was out. "…I'm sorry, Pyrrha."
Silence. Wide-eyed staring.
Then Pyrrha stood up and started pacing – but did not continue. She washed her empty cup of tea in the sink and put it away in the cupboard. She tried pacing again, but interrupted herself again to set her hands on the back of the chair she had been sitting on and returned to staring at Yang. "I'm going to shower. I need a moment to think."
Yang, who had watched her struggle to process the information, could only nod. "…Okay."
Pyrrha's gaze become more intent, but then she started heading out of the kitchen – except she stopped beside Yang, and for all the world looked like she was about to say something else, but thought better of it with one shake of her head and left the kitchen for real.
Yang wanted to sink into the floor. Maybe into the core of Remnant. Admitting her betrayal lifted an enormous weight off her shoulders, but now that weight was only replaced with another, even heavier one. Because now the consequences were what came next. Yang wasn't a coward – she'd face them. She'd face them head on. But what scared her the most was how her friendship with Pyrrha would be affected.
It was even possible that after they wrote their reports to SUN, Aurora could determine that Yang needed to be recalled to headquarters and retrained. Possibly even arrested. It wasn't a regular vampire she had been feeding, after all – it was a creature Aurora immediately deemed an enemy. What Yang had done could be considered treason. And in either scenario, she would be losing Pyrrha – both as a partner and as a friend.
Yang closed her eyes, feeling the heat behind her lids, the threat of tears. It was all her damn fault. Her damn weakness, her inability to put the greater good first over her own personal estimations of character. Her fucking, stupid empathy.
Blake had literally attacked her last night. Very clearly, Yang was wrong. Had been wrong this whole time. Blake's poison had infected Yang's heart, and no matter how much humanity Blake showed or how much she seemed to regret what she'd done – she was the deadly Nightshade, in the end. Even if she didn't actively go out of her way to kill anyone, all it took was for someone to cross her in a way she didn't like and that would mark their death.
Blake may have felt guilty. But she wasn't penitent.
And, really, how did that make her any different from the other vampires Aurora was hunting?
Yang stood and made some breakfast for herself – just some avocado toast with granola mixed in yogurt. She could barely stomach it this morning, but she had to eat. She had to keep up her routine, stay in shape, take care of herself – for the sake of working towards actually doing the right thing now, even if she might be taken off the case soon. But she could at least try to show Pyrrha she had learned her lesson.
By the time Pyrrha was done showering and getting ready for the day, Yang had already finished her breakfast and moved to their equipment storage space to stretch and go through her basic training exercises.
The redhead stopped at the doorway. Yang noticed her but didn't relent with her tucks and jabs at the air. She missed having a proper punching dummy. Even the punching bag at the gym nearby was barely an adequate substitute, having to hold back the extent of her strength against it. Whenever the duo had the opportunity of being recalled to headquarters, they fully took advantage of the training facilities together.
Pyrrha said nothing yet, and to Yang's surprise, she even came in and placed herself in front of the brawler, moving into a defensive stance. Yang hesitated for a second – Pyrrha had just showered, she didn't have to do this right now. But the warrior motioned for Yang to come at her, and Yang decided to take her up on this friendly spar.
She surged forward with an uppercut to the abdomen, followed by an immediate hook with her other fist, and Pyrrha dodged the first punch, blocking the second with her forearm. They circled, and Yang tried a couple jabs at different key heights, testing Pyrrha's defense. The redhead wasn't a seasoned martial artist like Yang was, but she knew enough to hold her own and give Yang a challenge. What Pyrrha lacked in experience, she made up for with quick reflexes and wit.
Yang feigned a punch to Pyrrha's left shoulder, turning it into a grab of her arm to sweep her under the legs with her foot. Pyrrha leaned into the fall, rolling over her shoulder on the floor once and springing back up to her feet behind Yang. Yang immediately turned, blocking Pyrrha's fist and catching her in the ribs.
"Oof!" Pyrrha hopped back, recovered, and jumped into a kick to Yang's side, powerful enough to knock the brawler off balance.
Yang stumbled but quickly found her footing. She grinned, returning to face her partner. "Nice." The energy was thrumming in her veins now, it was exhilarating. Yang had definitely needed this to wake up.
They circled again, and this time it was Pyrrha who went onto the offense. She matched Yang's intensity, rushing her with a series of jabs and kicks that forced Yang to slowly back up, mostly dodging from side to side than outright blocking. But then Yang did block – her forearm connected with Pyrrha's calf, and she shoved it away, moving into Pyrrha's open space and tackling her side with so much force that they both crashed into the opposite wall, tripping over some of their equipment and causing a mess.
"Ah! Yikes," Yang felt something made of metal poke into her waist, and she scrambled to get her weight off whatever it was. "Hey, you okay?"
At first, they laughed as they disentangled themselves from the heap on the floor they had ended up in. "Okay, maybe don't do that anymore," Pyrrha chuckled, and Yang helped her back up to her feet with an agreeing giggle. It was some of the ammunition boxes they had knocked over, and Yang had been sprawled on top of one. They stacked them back the way they were.
The duo continued fighting for a few more minutes, exchanging some more subdued hits and kicks, spending their energy until they were both panting and had worked up a sweat. Then, when they mutually tapped each other's fists and decided the spar was over, Yang pulled Pyrrha into a hug.
The redhead accepted the mark of affection, wrapping her arms around Yang tightly in return. Then they separated, and Pyrrha said she'd be right back.
Yang sat on the wood floor against the wall, near the doorway, and took the moment to breathe and calm down. She already felt a lot better, a lot more hopeful that maybe Pyrrha wasn't as angry as Yang had thought. It didn't remove the fear of Aurora's response to the betrayal, but…if Pyrrha could find it in herself to forgive Yang, then Yang thought that, just maybe, she could live with whatever Aurora threw at her.
Pyrrha came back with two bottles of water. She lowered herself down next to Yang on the floor and gave one to her. Yang gratefully took it and had a long swig.
When both young women had properly recovered their breath, Pyrrha finally spoke. But she didn't say much. She only said, almost casual, "So…you feel responsible for her."
Nothing awful, nothing accusatory.
Yang considered that, tossing her bottle from one hand to the other. She frowned. "I did. At first. I don't know, maybe I still kinda do. I'm the one who locked her into needing my blood for sustenance."
Pyrrha leaned forward and creased eyebrows to look at Yang. "How did that even happen? I reread your report of that night… You were obviously not factful."
"She was frenzied, out of control, so starved she looked like she'd crawled out of a grave from a zombie holovid. She wanted me to kill her, and I didn't." Yang leaned her head back on the wall. "I offered my blood, and she warned me what would happen, but…" She sighed, recalling the events of that fateful night. It all seemed like such a blur now, adrenaline guiding Yang's choices at the time. "I mean, I wasn't going to, really. But then she got free because I kept hesitating, and I had to make a split-second decision – kill her so she wouldn't rampage through civilian lives…or feed her, myself. So…I shoved my wrist in her face, and that was that. I didn't know enough at the time to believe she'd actually been telling the truth."
Pyrrha was quiet as she processed the information Yang had provided. She looked down, turning her bottle of water over in her hands absentmindedly. It seemed she was trying to come to some sort of decision of her own. Whatever it was, though, she didn't say it. Instead, she said, "You feel more than just responsibility towards her."
It was so matter-of-fact. Still not accusing, not reproachful…but forcing Yang to confront it.
Yang rested her forehead on her knees, wrapping her arms around herself and letting the water bottle hang between her legs. She let out a long sigh again. This was definitely part of the problem. "I don't know what I feel, or why I feel it." Don't lie to yourself. Frustration surged through her again, and she raised her head and sat straighter to shrug hard while motioning with her free hand. "I mean, she's fucking gorgeous, duh, and she's done things that make her seem like she's maybe actually a really fucking good person, too, and her flirting turns me into a dumb gay mess, and, just…" Yang deflated, her complaining tone becoming defeated. "But she's not. A good person, I mean. Or, probably not, anyway. Whatever front she's putting up… She's killed a lot people, Pyrr. And I'm pretty sure she'd kill again. She's probably just pretending to like me, too, so that I'll listen to her. And after last night…"
Pyrrha said nothing for a little while. Then, she bumped Yang's shoulder with her own, and her voice was gentle. "Okay, so, then…what do you want to do?"
Yang's eyebrows rose in surprise. She met Pyrrha's gaze, saw the compassion, saw the gravity, and didn't understand. "What do you mean? You don't have anything to say to that? No advice or opinion? No, 'Hey, Yang, an emotionally healthy person would stay so far away from that, just FYI'?"
Pyrrha thinned her lips, and the look on her face told a long story of agreement, but she did admit, "I don't trust Nightshade. I don't trust Nightshade for a second. And if she's not being genuine with you, then I really don't like her, either. More than that, I fear the threat she represents for the mortal world. She's lethal, and if she snaps, I don't see any outcome in which we win that fight. My personal moral compass is telling me we should obey Aurora's orders for the greater good." Pyrrha's tone softened again, though, and she put her hand on Yang's arm. "But you confided in me, Yang, and I understand how hard it was for you. You're still obviously conflicted, and you're self-aware enough to realize how this all sounds from an outside perspective. So, I'm asking you…what do you want to do next? What do you need so that you can commit to your stance, one way or another?"
Yang could only stare at Pyrrha. She also almost started crying right there on the spot – because she understood now. Pyrrha had forgiven her. Even more than that, Pyrrha was in Yang's corner. Against all odds, Pyrrha was setting aside her responsibility, her sacrifice, in order to support Yang, even if doing so turned her away from the direction her compass was pointing.
She could get lost doing that, following Yang through an unbeaten, treacherous path. She could face bad repercussions. She could get hurt. But she was doing it anyway.
Yang could not have ever asked for a better friend, a better partner. "I could kiss you right now."
"Please, don't."
Overwhelmed with emotion as she was, Yang could only laugh, although it came out sounding a bit strangled. "Yeah, on second thought, ew, gross, a straight girl."
Pyrrha shook her head, her lips twitching. "Stop deflecting. Answer the question."
Yang kept smiling for a moment, teasing, but then she knew she had to be serious. Pyrrha was taking a risk for her – the least she could do was justify it, make it worthwhile. So, she thought about the question her partner was asking, thought about the things that had happened between herself and Blake, and thought about her own feelings and causes of doubt. Then, she said, measured, "I don't understand why Blake attacked me. She was super specific with me that her instincts forced her to survive no matter what, so it doesn't make sense that she'd possibly kill her only source of food. So…I'd like to ask her why. And…more than that, I need to know where she actually stands. About killing, about doing better, being better. I can't bring myself to end her life without knowing for sure what's going on in her head."
"Okay. You want to talk with her again. What if she refuses? What if she attacks?"
What if…
It may not have been purposeful, but the question poked at Yang's guilt. Blake hadn't even answered her message from last night. And it wasn't like the vampire had gone to sleep. Vampires didn't do that. So, she was either dead, or ignoring Yang – and since the former seemed unlikely, then Yang was getting the bad feeling Blake was beginning to show her true colors.
If Blake couldn't justify herself, couldn't bring herself to even care about being accountable for her actions, then there was very little reason left for Yang to keep dragging Pyrrha through this nonsense – or for Yang to keep investing the own fucks she gave and should never have been investing in the first place.
So, despite the hurt she felt, Yang firmed her expression and finally replied, "If she refuses or attacks? Then we do our job and protect the mortal world."
Now that they were fully on the same page, Pyrrha agreed to omit information from the reports she and Yang had to write to Aurora that morning about Yang's meeting with Nightshade. That was, nothing of Yang's less-than-professional involvement with Nightshade would be mentioned. Pyrrha's support of the situation would delay any consequences Yang surely deserved, and the blonde was eternally grateful to her partner for it. In fact, the duo figured that their best course of action would be to reveal to Aurora the important pieces of information Yang had gathered thanks to her closeness to the vampire – both about the case, and about ancients in general.
This way, whenever things did blow up in Yang's face, at least the enforcer could say she had been useful for something.
Going out with a Yang.
They couldn't retract or void the reports they'd written from the beginning of their investigation, so, instead, they devised a different sequence of events to explain how Yang had this information and direct access to the ancient now. Pyrrha was reticent to stray too far from the truth, and so they wrote that a woman who revealed herself to be Nightshade walked up to them and Privates Crescent and Ruyi in broad daylight, and requested to meet with Yang later in the evening. Seeing that Nightshade seemed inclined to conversation more than violence, they decided to show up for the rendezvous with Pyrrha situated with a sniper on a different building nearby.
The rest closely followed the true story. They wrote that they believed they could garner intel about Nightshade by gaining her trust and playing her game, and that, eventually, they would soon be much better prepared to strike when she least expected it.
It felt like a solid, non-suspicious retelling of what had happened, painting the circumstances in their favor. But, really, Yang and Pyrrha would only know for sure how convincing they had been when they met with Raven and Glynda again.
Yang was not looking forward to that one.
Ruby and Sun joined the duo while they were just finishing up the reports. They raided the fridge, as if they didn't have food in their own apartment for breakfast, and as they got comfortable to eat, Yang and Pyrrha shared a look.
They had to let Ruby and Sun in on what was going on.
So, from where Yang was now leaning back on the counter, she started, "I've got one hell of a funny story to tell you…"
Trees, bigger lawns, and less bumpy roads became much more common as Pyrrha and Yang drove further out in the suburbs. The houses weren't so squished together, and they got larger and prettier, too, stone masonry replacing boards and slats. For a little while, Yang stared out the window from the passenger side quietly, taking interest in how different the area was from downtown Vale. She'd never been around here before.
It was just supposed to be a twenty-ish minute drive, but they'd still turned the radio on and hummed along to a couple songs they knew that played. There wasn't much opportunity to learn the new kinds of pop tracks being produced these days – the radio was really the only time they sometimes heard them, or if they decided to give a listen while working out. Yang did enjoy the new music, although she also always had a bittersweet fondness for the old, scratchy, and much more simple music that used to play sixty-plus years ago.
And driving in the car like this with the radio on brought back memories, too, going on road trips with her dad, Summer, and Ruby to go camping in the mountains nearby as a family for the weekend sometimes. No scrolls back then, either. Only outside activities and board games and meals cooked over a fire.
Blissfully ignorant of the danger that lived side by side with them.
And now Yang couldn't go back to living a regular life, even if she wanted to. Did she want to?
Not until I find their killer.
…And then what?
After a while, though, Yang interrupted the relative silence in the vehicle and said, "You know how we're enforcers?"
"…What's an enforcer?"
Yang snorted. "Anyway, I've been thinking about something."
"Uh-oh."
"Excuse you." Yang rolled her head over to look at Pyrrha, saw that her partner was grinning. It made Yang smile, too. She reached over towards the volume knob for the music and turned it down some. "If you're done giving me snark, this is actually a tiny bit important."
Pyrrha glanced at her and laughed. "Okay, I'm listening."
"Did you know Aurora arrests enforcers who stop reporting for duty?"
"Well, I mean…yes. It was in the contract."
There was a pause.
Pyrrha let out the tiniest little sigh. "Please tell me you read the contract."
Yang's face contorted and reddened slightly into…something. Definitely something. "Yeah, I read the contract! And I don't remember seeing anything about that."
"So, you didn't read the fine print. Oh, dear. Why am I only learning this about my partner sixty years later?"
Yang groaned. She could have scrambled to try and justify herself, but the truth was that there was no valid justification. The decision to become an enforcer may not have been impulsive or spontaneous in itself, since she'd prepared and thought about it for two years beforehand, but she'd also been so directed by a need for revenge at the time that the simple offer of becoming superhuman had blinded her to the other consequences. And Qrow hadn't exactly been forthcoming about all the details, either.
"Listen. I'm trying to make a point. Don't you think it's weird that we're straight up arrested if we try to back out?"
"It's what we agreed to, Yang. Enforcers could pose a problem for mortals, too, if we're just left to do as we want. We outlive them, by a fairly long shot."
"One might even say…"
"No –"
"A Xiao Long shot." Yang grinned. "Eh? Eh?"
Pyrrha narrowed her eyes at her partner. "It's just the face that you make." And then she smiled, too, shaking her head.
Yang laughed, sending her a cheeky wink.
"Anyway, you were trying to tell me something before the worm in your brain wiggled."
"Oh, yeah. Right. Um." She quickly jogged her memory, remembering the last thing Pyrrha had said. The smile slowly left her face.
Yang understood the reasoning. Knew, from a logical perspective, that it made sense. She'd even had similar thoughts as Pyrrha when Ruby had initially brought up Qrow being rogue. But after the events that had transpired since that conversation – Raven and Glynda making their appearance and being so strict, learning about ancient vampires, discovering that Aurora wasn't the only organization taking care of vampires in some way or another… "It just doesn't seem…right. I don't know. Forget it." She returned to looking out the window, unsure where she was even going with this anymore. Even if she had read the fine print, Yang wasn't certain it would have changed her decision. Not back then, anyway.
But now…
Well, that was the problem. What if the motivation wasn't there anymore? Or the initial agreement to it all?
What if Yang didn't want to keep doing this after she found and dealt with the one who killed her parents?
Pyrrha didn't say anything, but the reason quickly became obvious – they had arrived at their destination. She turned into a driveway that continued on between sparse trees for a bit, and then the mansion came into view. It was three stories on the left side, only two on the right, but it covered a lot of surface area and the design was composed of modern building blocks, sleek and smooth with lots of long and large windows. There was a gently curving roundabout near the entrance. It wasn't opulent or over the top, not like some of the other homes Yang had started catching glimpses of on their way here, but it was definitely rich.
Edrick Beryl lived here. Maybe his son, Oliver, did, too. With any luck, he'd make his appearance for this meeting as well.
As Pyrrha found a parking space for their vehicle, she said, "Remember. We have to determine how much he knows first, so no throwing the word vampires around right away."
"Yeah, yeah. I'll just tell him dragons and fairies have been real all this time and we need him to save the world from an evil sorcerer."
"Oh, good. I'm sure he won't mind."
Yang snickered, unbuckling her seatbelt. Technically, they could have just brought up vampires right away, and then if Edrick was confused, they could have wiped his memory of the last few moments. But that wasn't an ethical or responsible manner of proceeding, and Aurora required their operatives to use that ability as sparingly as possible. It was one of the reasons why it was an ability not granted to junior enforcers until much, much later, when they proved themselves worthy.
Ruby was probably due to receive it soon, now that Yang was thinking of it.
Yang and Pyrrha got out of the vehicle and headed towards the large doors of the mansion. Pyrrha rang the bell.
It took a moment, but a butler finally opened up for them. He greeted them with a smile and said, "I take it you're the two detectives Mr. Beryl was expecting?"
"That would be us," Yang confirmed, returning the beam. Both she and Pyrrha took out their fake VPD badges to show proof. "Detectives Ember and Akouo."
"Of course. Please, follow me. He's in his parlor."
They were let inside.
Edrick Beryl, as it turned out, was simply relaxing by a fireplace while reading a book, comfortably wrapped up in a maroon robe and sitting in a plush armchair, slippered feet propped up on a poof. When he saw Yang and Pyrrha arrive at the parlor behind the butler, he adjusted his reading glasses further up on his nose and closed the book, setting it on the stand beside the armchair.
"Well, a good afternoon to you, detectives," he said with a small smile, standing up with slight difficulty – stiffness in his aging form. There was still a warmth to his dark brown eyes, a charismatic presence to him that made a lot more sense to Yang for someone who spent a lot of time in the public eye. He walked over to them as the butler left the room, extending his hand.
Pyrrha shook it first. "Hello, Mr. Beryl. I'm Detective Akouo. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"Detective Ember, hi," Yang greeted him less formally, but still put on a pleasant smile as she briefly shook his hand as well – being careful not to squeeze too hard.
"The pleasure is mine. Please, have a seat. Would you like some tea? Coffee?"
"Just some tea, thank you." And Pyrrha gave Yang this look that told her to just deal with it.
Yang shrugged. They sat on another armchair and loveseat placed near the fire, facing diagonally to Edrick's seat. Edrick poured them cups of tea, and as he did so, he asked, "So, what brings the police to my home?"
They accepted the cups. Glanced at each other. They weren't used to speaking with mortals about vampires. Normally, their only interaction with mortals when it came to the job was saving them and making them forget vampires. And they weren't even sure if Edrick knew anything at all to begin with. He certainly didn't seem nervous or suspicious of Yang and Pyrrha's presences.
But they had to start somewhere.
As Edrick sat back down, Pyrrha put on her business face and said, "We have questions for you. About Cryolife. Specifically, about the warehouse." She went quiet, letting that settle, and both enforcers watched Edrick for any telling signs of anxious realization.
He only creased his bushy eyebrows, confused more than uneasy. "The warehouse? Did something happen?"
"Do you know what's stored inside?" Yang prompted. She hoped Edrick actually did know what happened at the genetics research company he freaking owned.
He thought for a moment, and replied, "A lot of valuable equipment, some in disuse. Shipments, but that section is separate. Biological material – a lot of it hazardous if not handled with proper safety measures." He was then quick to add, "I assure you all necessary precautions and protocols are in place. The last health and safety evaluations were just last month and I was informed everything was up to regulated standards. Unless –" he suddenly looked surprised, then suspicious, and repeated, "Unless you're here to ask about the incident with the semi that got turned over on its side in front of the warehouse, and the strange small crater in the pavement near it?"
Yang and Pyrrha were unable to stop from glancing at each other with a wince. Not that it'd been their fault directly…but they had instigated that situation. Yang tried to recover fast and said, "No, it's not about that."
"But…you do know what I'm referring to."
"Well, yes. But –"
"With all due respect," Edrick started tightly, "should my lawyer be here for this conversation?"
"Mr. Beryl, please forgive us," Pyrrha spoke up, conciliatory, "We really aren't here to speak about anything that has happened, per se, and we certainly aren't trying to make any accusations. The lawyer won't be necessary, this conversation is confidential."
To his credit, Edrick didn't immediately trust that. There was suspicion in the crease of his brow and tilt of his head, and Yang could practically see the gears turning behind his eyes. After a brief moment, though, he said, "Very well. Go on."
Yang inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't that they didn't want a lawyer involved because of illegal questioning, but they were on a time limit and the subject matter required secrecy. As much as the two enforcers would have been fine letting Edrick do whatever he needed to feel comfortable speaking with them, a lawyer would have been wildly inconvenient.
Pyrrha nodded and leaned forward a bit. "Thank you. Let's focus on the biological materials you spoke of. Is blood one of them?"
"Yes, of course, but…" Edrick glanced between the two women. Paused. Then he said, "Detectives, please, tell me if there's a problem."
Yang looked at her partner. They weren't going to get anywhere if they kept trying to skirt around the subject. "I think we should say a name."
"Ember, no. It's not –"
"Trust me. Watch his face change." Yang returned her attention back to Edrick before he could question her meaning and before Pyrrha could stop her. "Does the name Nightshade ring any bells, Mr. Beryl?"
The reaction was almost instantaneous. For just a second, his expression was blank, but then Yang saw the exact moment recognition – and then, just as quickly, fear – entered and darkened his eyes. He closed them fast, brought his own cup of tea to his lips to take a drink and try to hide his face.
But the damage was done. Yang mouthed, 'I told you,' at Pyrrha, who just sighed and nodded, and then they both waited for whatever lie Edrick was probably about to spout at them – and that was if he wasn't being controlled by Blake in some way or another, too.
When the cup came away from his mouth, Edrick already did appear more composed. He worried at his bottom lip with his teeth and took a heavy breath before saying, "I've heard it. A long, long time ago. I don't see the correlation with Cryolife's warehouse, though."
A long time ago? Yang hadn't expected him to be even somewhat honest about what he knew, but if that part was true… Why?
But then realization dawned on Yang. That's right. Blake disappeared for fifty years. Wow. Except it was possible Pyrrha hadn't thought about that yet, judging by the intensity in her gaze. Yang could practically see the hamster racing on its wheel inside her head. She decided she better take control of the conversation for now. "We'll get to that. Tell us more about Nightshade."
Edrick was quiet. Thoughtful. But there was stiffness in his shoulders, tension in the paleness of his knuckles as he gripped his teacup. "I don't really know anything," he muttered.
But he did know something. Something that made him uncomfortable.
Yang and Pyrrha shared a knowing look. The problem was that Edrick wasn't a vampire, and the two enforcers weren't the mortal police. There would be very little they could do if Edrick decided to categorically remain silent.
"I think you'll find that we know a lot more than you may believe, if your refusal to answer has anything to do with a fear of sounding crazy," Pyrrha tried, compassionate, and Yang marveled at her ability to pull that out of her ass without explicitly saying vampires. And she wasn't even done. "Have people like Nightshade been coming to the warehouse, for the blood? Do you know?"
Edrick definitely looked nervous now. He swallowed hard. Took another sip of his tea. "I'm not aware of any blood being misplaced, stolen, or going anywhere that it shouldn't."
Well, there's a safe non-answer. It didn't incriminate him. Didn't reveal any information. Could have meant anything. For all intents and purposes, it could even have meant he did know vampires were swinging by and grabbing bloodpacks – but that the activities were all legal and according to plans.
And if that was the case, then there really wasn't much Yang and Pyrrha could do. They would still report to Aurora about their findings, of course, but as this was an entire mortal company that had dealings with vampires, Aurora would likely have to intervene through other, larger-scale channels.
At least, that was what Yang assumed. There was always a first for everything.
Yang put her untouched tea on the coffee table in front of her. "Edrick. Can I call you Edrick? My partner and I aren't here to accuse you of anything or bring any kind of consequence on your head. We're just looking for information." She looked him in the eye. "Do you or do you not know any other people like Nightshade?"
He stared at her. At them. Not afraid, not yet, but there was apprehension, suspicion, there for sure. "Who are you? You're not really the police."
"It doesn't matter who we are," Pyrrha replied, placating, "but if it helps you trust us, we're here to stop Nightshade and those like her from hurting anyone. But we need names. Physical descriptions. Anything you can give us. If you have transaction records somewhere, we want them."
There was a silence. Edrick put his cup down and rose to his feet, stood in front of the hearth, staying partially turned away from the enforcers. He took a breath as if he were about to say something, but then he just remained quiet and took the fire iron beside the hearth to rearrange some of the blackened logs inside. The fire crackled and a few creosote flakes fluttered onto the stonework on the floor.
Finally, he said, almost murmuring, "Nightshade never hurt me. But she was clear on what would happen if I misused or…betrayed her assets. I haven't seen her in over fifty years – and I haven't dared stray from her orders regardless. Even if she's dead, she never struck me as the type to leave her affairs unattended or unfinished. There's something about her…" A subtle shudder went down his back. "She's…intimidating."
She sure is. Yang wouldn't fight him or anyone on that. And Blake actually being dead after being shot with a high dosage of UV-C twice – something that would have normally KO'd any other vampire below five-hundred years old – was still up for debate, too, so that wasn't helping.
Before she or Pyrrha could say anything in response, though, Edrick turned to face them again. That apprehension was still very present. "If I tell you what I know, you can protect me from her? You can guarantee she won't be able to hurt me, however indirectly?"
Yang met Pyrrha's eyes across the short distance between the armchair and the loveseat. No, they couldn't guarantee that. And after being attacked by Blake last night, Yang couldn't even be sure that the ancient was, in fact, an entirely good person and wouldn't hurt anyone at all anymore.
But there were twenty-two people still missing. And Edrick was their only strong lead after almost two weeks of constant, almost fruitless, investigation.
And it seemed like he wasn't being controlled, either – at least, not in the vampirically charmed kind of way by displaying erratic behavior or verbally shutting down when certain topics were broached – which meant that Yang and Pyrrha could get this information out of him if they reassured him enough.
Pyrrha switched her attention away from Yang and looked straight at Edrick, and lied, "She won't be able to hurt you."
Yang firmed her expression but didn't say anything. Just hoped it seemed she was supporting her partner's affirmation. She thought she'd have been used to lying by now. She'd been doing it so much since her arrival in Vale, after all.
It was an effort not to shift in her seat.
Edrick must have believed Pyrrha because, although he massaged his temples for a second, frowning, he eventually nodded and said, "Alright. Very well. I don't know much. But the lead scientist at Cryolife, Dr. Bartholomew Oobleck, isn't…well, he's probably what you're looking for. I never really got a good look at his face because he's always wearing a mask and opaque safety glasses every time I meet him, but he's been working there for as long as I can remember and he never seems to have…changed." Edrick stared at the fire again. "Same amount of energy. Same ageless skin, from what I've seen. And he was never afraid of Nightshade. Spoke to her like they were good work colleagues, on the same level."
Dr. Bartholomew Oobleck. They had a name. A vampire working as Cryolife's lead scientist for decades, if not longer. Yang and Pyrrha shared a meaningful glance, and then Pyrrha asked, "Have you seen any others you suspect are…different?"
"No. I'm required to schedule my visits ahead of time, as per Nightshade's directives. What I suspect is so that they can hide whatever it is they are hiding before I arrive."
Yang almost let that slide and moved on. But then she saw Pyrrha's suspicion, and something clicked in the blonde's brain. They all seemed to agree that Blake and Dr. Oobleck weren't human, that blood was being given out to people who were like them – and if the vampires knew that Edrick knew, then… "Sorry, and what do you think they're hiding, exactly?" Yang arched her eyebrows and leaned forward.
She knew this wasn't technically relevant to their own part of this investigation. This was Ruby and Sun's area to discover. But Yang and Pyrrha were already here – they may as well help. And Yang was already in so far above her head, she needed know what was truly going on in Vale.
Plus, Pyrrha certainly wasn't protesting the further questioning, either. She was paying rapt attention to Edrick.
He rubbed the back of his neck, looked up at the ceiling and then down at the floor. The stress lines on his face seemed even more prominent. "I don't know," he sighed. "But I heard…things. Some animals or creatures making unnatural noises from behind closed doors in the laboratory." He passed a hand over his bald head, fingers pressing into his spotting, dark bronze skin. "I may own the business in name and face, but I'm far from having any involvement in its management or experiments. I don't ask questions, I just do what's expected of me – like my father and grandfather before me."
What the fuck. It was all Yang could do not to stand up and pace. Her leg did start jittering. She didn't have the slightest idea what to make of this new information – and how it all tied into the vampire problem in Vale. What was Blake doing with Cryolife?
"But I might be able to retrieve those transaction records," Edrick added after a moment of deliberating silence, "and get you a list of every person who picked up blood from the warehouse."
Yang's heart thudded harder. It was one of the things Aurora would be looking for at all costs. That list would finally get them somewhere in this investigation – and some control over the situation in the area, too. It might even make Raven say something nice for once. And maybe, just maybe, the killer of Yang and Ruby's parents was on that list, too.
It was all at her fingertips.
Unfortunately, it was also likely all at the cost of Edrick's life. It was becoming clear that, for some obscure reason, Blake had a personal stake in the kinds of lives the mortals and vampires led here in Vale, which involved keeping Aurora un-involved, and if she was alive and learned of Edrick's betrayal…
There had to be a way to keep him safe. But this was part of the reason why Aurora did their damnedest to keep mortals separate from the world of vampires. As deeply entwined as Edrick was, he couldn't stop with no strings attached, couldn't be made to forget, couldn't be seen as an innocent bystander, someone to ignore when shit hit the fan. He was caught in the crossfire, very likely by no will of his own – if Blake hadn't allowed him to walk away.
And that was just Edrick. There was Oliver, and who knew how many others, to consider in all of this, too.
Literally the most complicated situation we've ever had to deal with.
Nothing felt quite right. Nothing was as simple as arresting or killing a problematic vampire, closing the case file, and tagging it with a nice little 'Mission Complete' note.
Yang didn't remember signing up for navigating around mine fields and throwing rocks in areas where others were standing. She didn't remember signing up for this. She was just supposed to have been the rock, not the hand taking aim while deciding who got to live and die.
Because that was the reality – they could try to save Edrick and the other innocent victims all they wanted, but the powers at play were the ground Vale had been built on. One wrong explosion…
"When do you think you can get us that list?" Pyrrha wondered.
Edrick frowned. "Give me a few days, I need to plan. I don't know if I should schedule my visit ahead of time or not for this."
"I might have an idea," Yang suddenly said, heart accelerating in her chest. Teamwork makes the dream work, right? "It could make it easier for you to go in without drawing too much attention if you work with us. But before I share the details, my partner and I need to discuss with our other…um, colleagues."
Pyrrha gave Yang a questioning look, but Yang just shook her head and pursed her lips. They had to get that list. The least they could do was try making its retrieval as smooth as possible. Yang just hoped her plan would be approved. I don't see why it wouldn't be, though. Might be one of the smarter ideas I've ever had. Pft.
Edrick hesitated, then he walked over to the desk nearby and got a pencil and notepad from one of the drawers. "I'll give you my code so you can contact me directly. If you can help with this, I'd greatly appreciate it."
Yang and Pyrrha both stood, and Pyrrha was the one who took the piece of paper from Edrick. "Of course. That's our job." She glanced at Yang and added, gaze returning to their host, "Be on standby for our call, then, I suppose."
Yang extended her hand towards Edrick with a smile she tried to make reassuring. "Thank you for all the information you provided, too. We'll do our part and keep Nightshade from harming you."
Liar. There's nothing you can do.
Well. She supposed they could lock him up in one of Aurora's specialized jail facilities – but even then, Yang was pretty sure there was nowhere on Remnant safe from Blake if she chose to go on a hunt.
How had Pyrrha looked so natural and convincing when she'd lied earlier? Yang felt it like the bitter taste of rusted metal in her mouth. Not that she knew what rusted metal tasted like, but it tasted like what she imagined it would taste like.
As they were just starting to walk out of Edrick's parlor, he suddenly called out to them, "Listen, I don't know what organization you belong to, but…"
They turned, saw Edrick hesitate, and then he continued, "You've provided me with some comfort, knowing that I'm not as alone as I thought with regards to…whatever they are."
Oof. The knife of Yang's guilt twisted deeper. It was like arriving in Vale suddenly made being an enforcer feel like a bad thing. But they had to do what was necessary to save as many human lives as possible. Families. Moms. Dads. Children who didn't deserve to have that ripped away from them.
We're the good guys…aren't we? It's not even our fault that we have to make these choices.
But even Raven hadn't answered that question. And Yang hardly thought right now was the best time to start going down that rabbit hole. It seemed far too late, anyway.
They thanked Edrick again and said their final goodbyes to him, and then Yang and Pyrrha headed back out and into their vehicle.
As they were buckling up, Pyrrha looked over at Yang and asked, "So, what's this plan of yours, hm?"
Yang took her scroll out of her pocket and brought up Ruby's messaging. "I'll tell you at the same time as Ruby and Sun so we can discuss. It's not really big or anything, if that's what you're wondering. But it's an extra little something."
"Well, alright, then." Pyrrha put the car into gear and started rolling out of the driveway. They were quiet for a bit as Yang sent off a text to Ruby asking for a quick meeting with her and Sun in about thirty minutes. Then Pyrrha asked, "And what about what we've learned about Nightshade? How are you feeling?"
"Oh… Um." Yang sighed heavily and shoved her scroll back into her pocket. "It's not looking good. Using fear to make Edrick cooperate… Ugh." Yang rubbed her brow with one hand, frustrated. What did it say about her that she was hoping so fucking hard for there to be a reasonable explanation? There just wasn't any way.
Blake was abusing her power, just like all the other problematic vampires Aurora had hunted down in the past. End of story.
Pyrrha only gave Yang a concerned look from the corner of her eye. She reached over and turned up the volume on the radio up a little, and they listened to music in silence for the rest of the drive back to their duplex.
Ruby and Sun arrived in Yang and Pyrrha's living room for their meeting about twenty minutes late. Ruby came rushing in, and before anyone could even ask anything, she stuck out her hand and showed six tickets spread out between her fingers. "Ta-daaa!"
Yang stopped pacing back and forth, shared a look with Pyrrha, and then said, "Ruby, if those are concert tickets and they're the reason why you're late…"
Ruby scrunched up her nose. "Uh, well, they are the reason why we're late, but they're not concert tickets. Why would they be concert tickets? Meanie of so little faith."
"We're working too, ya know!" Sun added with a finger-gun as he entered the living room and took his spot on the armchair. He had a banana in his hands, stolen from Yang and Pyrrha's kitchen counter, which he immediately started peeling so he could take a bite.
Yang took one of the tickets from Ruby's hand in order to check it out. It was a navy-blue color with elegant writing in gold. "What could you have possibly –" but then Yang saw the snowflake in white on the left. Arrowheads and jagged sword points, with a single hexagon in the middle. Cryolife's symbol. There was a date inscribed for an event happening three days from now.
She arched her eyebrows at her sister, but it was Sun who said between chewing banana bites, "We were looking up as much information on Cryolife as we could find, and then saw that they were hosting a charity event real soon, in collaboration with Adel."
"That famous high-end clothing line company?" Pyrrha wondered with surprise from the couch. "That's…an unexpected partnership."
Yang looked off to the side, trying to think of a possible correlation, but nothing came to her. Maybe there didn't have to be a correlation, though. It might have just been two companies coming together to raise money. But Yang was beginning to feel like coincidences didn't happen in Vale, not when it came to this.
"Yeah, so Sun and me went to buy tickets right away!" Ruby followed up. "Even got some for Raven and Glynda. Figured they might want in. Seems like the kind of thing we could spot vampires at, since Cryolife and big money are involved."
"Good thinking, you two," Yang offered with a smile, and she stuffed her ticket in her pocket before giving Ruby's hair an affectionate ruffle.
"Hey!"
"Speaking of Cryolife, though," Yang continued with a wink at her little sister, "Pyrrha and I just came back from a meeting with Edrick Beryl. We gathered more information about Nightshade, but even more importantly, Edrick told us he could us a list of every vampire who swung by to get blood at the warehouse."
"Oh, shit," Sun let out, and it was his and Ruby's turns to share a wide-eyed look at the revelation. "That's a game changer."
"Which is why I figured we might as well work with Edrick directly to make sure he can get us that list."
"Wait, so why aren't Raven and Glynda here with us?" Ruby suddenly asked. "This sounds like something they'd want to hear."
Yang motioned at the tickets in Ruby's hand. "Did you ask for their permission to go buy those, too?"
"Point taken."
Yang shrugged. "We've been doing this for decades. Let's show them we're very capable, too."
"Let's hear your plan, then, Yang," Pyrrha urged. She opened up her laptop and started setting up to take notes.
Yang took a breath and went to sit on the couch beside her partner. She played with the joints of her prosthetic hand almost right away. "Edrick told us he usually needs to schedule his visits to Cryolife ahead of time. But Nightshade has been gone for over fifty years and only recently came back – and we don't even know what state she's in right now after Pyrrha shot her." Yang tried to relax, tried to seem more casual by just leaning forward and leaning her forearms on her knees. "I think it'd be totally fine for Edrick to visit unannounced at the same time that you and Sun go in for your fake health and safety evals tomorrow – and me and Pyrrha keep Edrick safe."
"So our mission would have a double objective, then," Ruby pointed out. "We'd technically be a distraction as well."
"I like it!" Sun agreed. "It seems kinda low-risk, too. They're not gonna get sus about the owner of the company fishing for files, I'd imagine."
"What if we get stopped at the gate again, Yang?" Pyrrha wondered. "They had a protocol against Aurora entering – they might not let Edrick enter either if he's unannounced."
Yang passed her hand through her hair. "Like I said, it's been fifty years. The people working there aren't all gonna be the same people that were working there before. I'm willing to bet that if that situation does come up, Edrick would just have to pull his weight and they'd be like 'Welp. If the owner says so.'" She shrugged. "And if it still doesn't work, then we get Edrick to schedule a visit. The only downside to that is we might have to wait a few days or weeks – which, honestly, it's not great, but it could be worse."
There was a bit of a pause. Then Pyrrha said, "I suppose you're right. It's worth the try, just for the sake of expediting this every chance we get." Her keyboard clacked, and she added with a genuine smile, "Great plan, Yang. I'll go ahead and contact Edrick in a few minutes, then, to figure out the details."
Yang almost breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn't necessarily used to be being the one who made plans like this. She was the one who supported her partner in whatever way she could – because whenever Yang acted outside of the plan, things seemed to royally backfire on her in life-changing kind of ways.
Maybe because those split-second decisions were always on the whim of emotion. Of anger. Of empathy.
Maybe Raven was right to be so stone cold, to see things so black and white.
Or maybe it's the only way she can live with herself.
Yang wondered if it did make things any easier.
Lemme know what you thought!