Yang had been so sure that Cardin's leadership could be boiled down to whoever was the top dog gets to make the call. She would have had issues with that but would have followed his orders within reason. Ruby's leadership was mostly just her thinking on her feet, something that Yang had been accustomed too.
Surprisingly, Cardin didn't lead that way. He still does on occasion that Yang guessed, correctly according to Russel, that it must have been habits that are being worked on but is a fallback whenever Cardin needed to. Against Grimm clearings where concentration of them had been higher than the reports, Cardin made harsh calls.
Unsurprisingly, it took a while for Yang to get used to this dynamic. CRDL originally were somewhat rocky after Forever Fall's incident when Cardin's teammates had left him behind with an Ursa, from what Ruby managed to tell her, though she did try to keep it a secret. Ruby was horrid in hiding secrets from Yang, especially if it is praise about someone, that one had been in praise of the Vomit boy.
She sighed as a lonely Grimm fell by her shotgun blast. Both daughters of the Xiao-Long-Rose household were filling in when a member of another team lost their lives. Ruby for Jaune and Yang for Sky. At least Ruby could probably do a better job fitting in. Team JNPR was at least a sister team to RWBY. CRDL was barely an acquaintance team.
"Russel!" Cardin commanded. His voice was certain. It was one of those habits he had creeping up again. "Get back here!"
"Sorry, Cardin." Russel followed and kept his head low. There was no complaint there.
"Sorry is all you're saying. I'm not seeing much acting." Always with that tough attitude.
From Yang's observation, Russel's style is all about getting close. Yang is of similar combat mind. Useful in one-on-one but not so much in team settings, especially when dealing against straggling Grimm. Russel must have found one and gave chase in territories not fully known to them without thinking much.
That was pretty much Cardin's command style. Ruby had cool nicknames and attack combos, Cardin had none of that. Simple, direct, with little in the way of coded messages. At most, it was simply hit things hard. If it doesn't work, hit it harder. Recently though, a new addition to that plan has occurred. If hitting harder doesn't work, charge Yang and throw her at them. Those plans quickly became her personal favorites and she'd always comply when that plan is called for. None of that was had right now.
It wasn't just hit them harder, mind you. There were times, a lot actually, where Cardin's hit things harder also meant hit the weak spot harder. Yang will concede that point, Cardin had an intellect to him with how quick he could adjust where and who would be the one hitting the Grimm. Cardin's weapon of choice was blunt and was used against the bone plating of Grimm. Russel and Dove had more bladed options and were thus thrown to the fleshier parts. Both Yang and Cardin could take on the tougher shells of armored Grimm.
There was one weakness of theirs: range. Yang's shotguns and Dove's weaponry weren't built for the longest distance. Those Nevermore and Lancers—the Grimm, not the Heroic Spirit—proved to be a bane of team CRBY's existence. Yang could get up there herself with a few shots against swarms? She couldn't bounce off of them for that long, and those buggers were agile. Once the shot flies, there is no changing that trajectory unless her name was Weiss Schnee.
Yang sighed again. None of team RWBY was here. Ruby didn't need to be said again but Weiss was there somewhere in Atlas. Did she have a new team of her own? Somehow, Yang doubted that. Weiss' icy heart did thaw out eventually.
She shook her head. There was one more member there but Yang wasn't about to think about Blake. As much as Yang hoped that Blake would come back, there was still that bitterness about her leaving them all, especially when she didn't even say goodbye. Granted, Yang would have argued back and made her stay but she would have, at least, preferred having seen her partner before she would run away.
Clearing out the Grimm took a while longer because of those airborne ones. Yang had a sinking suspicion that her father deliberately had them take this mission to expose their weaknesses while still being somewhat safe. He was there too doing his own thing and making use of whatever he could find to deal with the airborne Grimm: rocks, sticks, other fallen Grimm that have yet to dissipate. Yang was observing him enough that she followed suit.
The rest of CRBY eventually followed as well, except for Dove since he had the longest range out of all of them and didn't really need to. Those Nevermore and Lancers weren't too far. Soon, there were no Grimm in the area that they could see. They actually did more than what had been expected with the reported number being less than the number they encountered. CRBY's breathing was labored but not by much. Yang was the most winded out of all them by virtue of being the most out of practice. She still had ways to go.
There was satisfaction among the team as they returned to Vale's cities. The outer boundaries kept a vigilant watch over the mostly untamed wilds. Natural borders may protect Vale from most Grimm, but there were a few variants that could traverse the mountainous lands and even the waters could be just as much a threat to them as it was a safe passage. Those that were specialized in underground and underwater were the biggest threat. Those may not be necessarily native nor common but that didn't mean they don't appear on occasion. Really, these borders were more against non-Grimm enemies.
The grass was greener around here, untamed and free. Yang would have loved it if she could bring out her bike and just ride out here. The dirt roads were traversed and the tires could be used off road. There were enough stops and villages for her to refuel if she wanted to. That adventurous spirit was still there.
She looked eastward. Was Ruby still there in Mistral? Or were they headed elsewhere? When Raven had finally left them, Yang had been on a mission and missed her chance to even say hi to her sister. Raven had better told them that she was doing well.
Activity picked up by the time they returned back to Beacon Academy. The school served not only as the place of learning but it was also one of the main hubs for any missions for huntsmen and huntresses in this time. Any means of building camaraderie was taken as professionals and students mingled and apprenticeships were formed. In time, CRBY would be taking their own missions without one another and without Taiyang shadowing them most of the time. The numbers they lost were slowly increasing.
But no matter how many missions they would take, no matter how many Grimm they have slain, there was no competing against the competition between Port and Vale's Companion Rider, Astolfo.
At the sight of team CRBY, Astolfo waved his hands furiously, as if he hadn't just singlehandedly come from another one of the massive Grimm excursions that would take most huntsmen a team to do. Some of Yang's teammates looked away, red in the cheeks and whispered among them if they had any chance with the "cute" huntress if it hadn't been for Port. Yang didn't have it in her to correct them that Astolfo was a huntsman. Not her place to tell.
Yang caught sight of Cardin smiling knowingly. He winked at her. He knew. Cardin knew and he wasn't about to tell them either.
There were a few envious looks thrown towards Astolfo and Port. Yang could never know which one it was for. It could be Port for all she knew and wasn't that the surprising part? Her believing that someone might not like Astolfo for taking away Port's time? In the middle of Vale's hard times, these two never once let up their boisterous spirits. It was infectious that Yang had half a mind to join in with their displays. Being one with the boys, so to speak.
And history will remember them as the best of friends, she thought. With how those two are? Nobody may never know for certain.
The sight of headmaster Ozpin approaching her father made her stand stiff. Every other huntsman and huntress were hardly surprised to see the headmaster back and forth around here. His Servant, Saber, was always in his company as well, more than deputy Goodwitch had been nowadays. With the Grail War ongoing, it doesn't surprise Yang but it certainly surprised everyone else.
Russel leaned in and whispered, "you think that Saber guy is one of the headmaster's old teammates?"
"Could have sworn there was another guy that went by that name," Dove replied.
"You think it's a code name?"
"Probably?" Yang wasn't sure how to approach the subject. No one else on team CRBY knew of this Grail War. All they knew was that Saber and Astolfo had been welcome additions on the Vale side of things. There was Archer as well but he and Watts were put more focus on their criminal empire and keeping the kingdom running for whatever plans they had for this Grail War.
Headmaster Ozpin spoke with Taiyang. Her father had some words in response but Ozpin did appear remorseful. Another mission already? The fact that it was from the headmaster and it involved Taiyang convinced Yang that it was Grail War matters. Perhaps Archer had given some kind of information that they needed to look into.
That never really surprised Yang. Those two still had their own plans and Ozpin, despite his years of experience, was being made into a pawn himself. The headmaster may be someone who wishes to be this mysterious mover of chess pieces but he had a bleeding heart. He was a warrior himself and had better leadership skills when out in the open instead of staying behind the curtain.
"Another mission already?" Yang asked, earning a groan from the rest of her new team.
"Just near the shores of Vale," Taiyang replied. "We have information in good faith that it is important that we at least assess the threat. Refugees but they're not flying any flags."
In good faith. That is as good as confirmation that it was from Archer and Watts. Those two were still around, always going over that new building being constructed. Neo was with them as well; she and Archer were always seen communicating in sign languages that Yang never figured out. Yang had begun to consider picking up the skill herself just to see if she could figure out what they're saying. They just had to be plotting something. They had to.
"That's it sir?" Cardin asked. "Just checking if a bunch of refugees are dangerous?"
"It's the direction they're coming from," Taiyang explained. "We're not expecting any ships coming in and they're not flying any flags. They're not ships for cruises either. They're closer for shallower waters but they're coming from more open seas. Something had gone wrong on their settlement. We're just there to make sure that nothing bad happens."
CRBY nodded along. But Taiyang gave Yang a special look that was reserved for them alone. Most would think it's just something between a father and daughter and it was, from a certain point of view. Grail War. This was a Grail War matter. Why Saber himself wasn't accompanying them, Yang guessed that there isn't a Servant among these refugees. Just a group of people that were caught in the crossfire.
Making sure her ammunition is still enough, CRBY, led by Taiyang, took their rest first before making their way to the ports. It past early afternoon and the sun was breaking them with this heat. Even Yang needed to cool off sometimes but this heat was unbearable. The summer season is harsh today. A conspiratorial part of her wondered if that had anything to do with Assassin's Master.
The sight of the cities slow repairs had become commonplace for Yang. But the sight of the criminal activities is something that she couldn't ignore. Which of them were working for Watts and Archer? Are they all working together? Or are they unknowingly going against a spider whose webs are far better woven than their own? Yang was hesitant to even spare change on the chance that the beggar was one of Archer's own goons. Or worse, it was Neo in disguise. She still remembered her teammates holding her back from doing anything hasty that one time. Cardin didn't know any of this history between Yang and Neo but that didn't matter; Yang had been close to being publically in the wrong again, just like she had with Mercury.
Salted seawater was a familiar scent for anyone coming from Patch. Father and daughter were especially used to it with how often they moved back and forth between their residence and the cities lately. They managed to catch sight of a few ships approaching from the distance. It might have looked like an invasion but there was no order to the formations. It would have been the worst invasion. None of them were even remotely ready for battle. Most were fishing boats that have sailed way too far from their intended area.
A few of Vale's own sea vessels, patrol boats, approached them. Yang had no knowledge on any of the process but it seems that things weren't exactly going well. The foreign boats had been allowed but there was an increase of Vale's own that surrounded them. There was a rushing haste among the other patrol boats and none of them particularly appeared to be the emergency kind.
One of the bystanders had a pair of binoculars on his person. "Bastards are coming back." There was a wrathful bitterness in his tone.
"Who?" Taiyang asked.
"White Fang," replied the guy.
CRBY jolted at the mention of the White Fang. Yang was especially bothered with how her hand, on instinct, moved to protect her prosthetic. White Fang. Adam Taurus. There was an inherent danger to it.
"Alright." Taiyang nodded. He then turned to address the rest of CRBY. "We'll be there to investigate anyway. But arm yourselves and be ready for combat."
"Yes sir," the boys responded. Yang did as well but hers came later and came out quite weak.
Breathe in, she reminded herself. Breathe out. She was stronger now. She liked to think she'd gone wiser with combat experience. Now it was the prosthetic's turn to protect the other hand. She held it tightly, making sure to feel the grip on it.
"Hey," Cardin said. "You still got a team behind you."
"What kind of top dog leader are you?" Yang chuckled.
"The kind that looks after his pack." Cardin returned with his own reassurance.
Yang patted the hand Cardin had on her shoulder. Out of everyone who would be there right now, Cardin wasn't even considered in Yang's mind. Her head titled as she noticed something poking out and onto Cardin's hand; he didn't have his gauntlets on.
"Never pegged you as someone interested in tattoos," she commented.
"It's a lark," Cardin replied. "I got it after Beacon. The rest of the boys do too."
Yang turned to see the rest of team CRDL—CRBY. They had one as well. Russel and Dove had one as well but theirs were more visible, Yang never noticed it since she wasn't really looking for it. Bits of it poked out of their covers.
"You don't have to," Cardin said. "You are a member of team CRBY. This is for team CRDL."
"Now I really feel like my team left me behind."
"Team," Taiyang interrupted them. "They're approaching. Ready yourselves. Keep your weapons sheathed. We don't need to start things with hostility."
CRBY nodded along. With as much dignity as they could muster, the team were representing not just Beacon, but Vale as well. They are going to be the first impression for these incoming refugees. If they come in peace, CRBY would have to give them that sense of security, that everything was going to be alright. If they come for battle, which was unlikely the closer they got and thusly got a better look, then CRBY were ready and weren't about to let themselves be pushed aside and take it. Vale's huntsmen were still capable of fighting threats.
Predictably, the shores had tension. White Fang clothing garbed many of the faunus here with others being armed themselves. There were no masks and their faces were clear. The others had their arms raised with some exchanging messages among them. But one figure among them took Yang's immediate attention.
"Sun?" Yang called out.
"You know them?" asked one of the law enforcers. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"Hey Yang!" Sun waved at them as though he wasn't being surrounded by police. "Haven't seen you since the Vytal Tournament! How's Ruby?"
Taiyang was the first to move. He whispered things to the police officer that none could hear. When the officer contacted someone, probably a commanding officer, Taiyang turned to them and said, "don't start any fights. You hear?"
"Crystal clear, dad," Yang answered. She turned to Cardin. "Boss?"
"Since when do you call me that?"
"Since now." She forced out a grin. A laxer atmosphere was needed. "Work in progress. I'll think of something."
"How about never. That sounds dumb. Makes me sounds like a schoolyard bully—don't. I know I am—was. But you tore down a nightclub that was just doing business."
"You know what, fair. Let's just get these negotiations over with. Yo, Sun! What are you doing here?"
The two shook hands as though they were childhood friends. Truth be told, Sun was just that friendly of a guy. Makes things really easy to get along and helps ease out the tension. Law enforcement and armed faunus were still tense but at least the non-armed ones were doing well.
"Well you know, just… hanging out. Thought I'd come back, see how things are going on here."
"Sun," said a female faunus. Yang couldn't tell what her faunus traits are. Her skin color changed. A chameleon. The faunus sighed. "Ilia Amitola. Acting leader for the people of Menagerie. Are you the leader of this team?"
"Nope." Yang shook her head. "That guy is the alpha dog around here." Was it offensive that she compared Cardin to an animal.
Neither of the two seemed to mind nor care. "We're looking for refuge," Ilia said.
"We figured," Cardin replied. "Look, I'm not exactly a diplomat but I can at least hear you guys out."
"That's fine. I wasn't exactly elected. Somebody had to take charge. Turns out its me and the monkey king over here."
Sun chuckled.
Yang tuned out of the conversation as this Ilia told Cardin of stuff.
Cardin's loud "what?" forced her back in. He looked confused.
"I don't know it myself either. Calls himself Caster…"
Yang's lilac eyes widened. Caster? A Grail War? In Menagerie? No wonder Archer and Watts informed Ozpin. Had they always known? Or had they planned for this since the start? No. It couldn't be. It had to be one of Salem's movements. Watts was still part of Salem's circle and this must be before he and Archer came to Vale.
Cardin was having a headache. Meanwhile, Yang noticed that Sun looked uneasy. She slid her way to be next to him.
"So," Yang began. "Something bothering you?"
"Who? Me?" Sun chuckled nervously. "Nothing! Nothing at all. Ha, ha."
Then, she heard a familiar voice call out to her. "Yang?"
Though conversation was still had between Cardin and Ilia, Yang saw her. She saw Blake, small, uncertain, and shaking. The rest of CRBY looked to her. Ilia and Sun looked at one another nervously.
Before Yang could even react, another voice, masculine this time, was heard. "Do you humans of Vale even see the pain on these refugees?" Adam Taurus came out. "Or do you think that your pain is greater than the one you've caused for countless generations."
"Adam," Ilia chastised. She tried to continue but no words came out.
"Adam Taurus," Cardin repeated the name. "Leader of the White Fang, and one who led the attack on Beacon." The lark tattoo tensed. His eyes turned cold as he addressed Ilia. "You've been holding White Fang members?"
"Look, I know this is bad," Sun tried to make things better. That upbeat part of him was gone. "But I swear that these guys need help, please."
While Cardin was busy contemplating the decision, Yang stared hard at Blake. She's standing right next to the man! That monster who cut off Yang's arm, and Blake doesn't even remotely look disgusted at being in proximity.
"Russel!" Cardin said. "Get Yang out of here."
"Okay, Cardin," Russel complied. His laughter was nervous. "Hey Yang, how about that hairstyling, huh? You said you wanted you wanted more shine, right?"
"Yang," Blake tried to reach out.
"You stay right there!" Yang exploded, the vocal kind. Russel was still fine and didn't have any burn marks. Her focus was on Adam. She raised a finger. Words were trying to form. She lowered the finger and shook her head. "Let's go."
/-/
"Yang, please!" Blake tried to give chase.
Cardin stood between them. "Listen here, Blake. Things are looking bad for you guys right now." His eyes were more focused on Adam Taurus but Blake was a classmate.
"What makes you think you could stop me?" Blake reached for a weapon.
"Because I'm trying to make sure that not all of you will be arrested on the spot." Cardin stood his ground. In direct combat, he was confident in dealing with Blake. Her strength was in agility and speed.
"She's my teammate."
"Same here." As proof, he pulled out his scroll. CRBY was a registered team. Team names weren't really registered, just a shorthand way of referring individual members. Team names get recycled and dropped all the time.
"Blake," Ilia commanded. "Stay down. Sun, hold her."
"Ilia, you can't be serious!"
Adam tried to step in. "Who gave you command of the Wh—"
"When neither of you took it up. Things were rough on all of us, I get it. But we also had others who're still around. Sun and I are the only ones who could keep this going. At least, until things get better for us." Ilia turned to face Cardin, eyes pleading.
"The decision isn't mine to make," he said finally. "But I can at least make sure that none of you will be mistreated, within reason."
"That's all we ask," Ilia sighed.
"But we smell anything remotely bad." Cardin raised his mace at Adam. "Know that we're not going to let it happen a second time."
"Understood," Sun said. "We'll keep them in line."
Tensions were still present and Cardin wasn't about to just leave them here. Those armed were willing to keep things civil but never once did they put down their arms. For Cardin and Dove, it was the longest waiting time that they had the displeasure of enduring. Other huntsmen had begun to arrive and by the sounds of it, headmaster Ozpin himself came in to represent all of Vale's huntsmen.
Taiyang Xiao Long had arrived along with the headmaster. The man would have been worried for his daughter's absence if it wasn't for the fact that Yang was still within sight. Looking back towards Blake, Cardin could see that the faunus girl had this pained expression to her. Cardin would have pitied Blake and would have tried something but Adam Taurus was still in close proximity and there was nothing that Blake was doing to even put distance between the two. The sight of them must have been especially hard for Yang. Circumstances had to force those two to work together. But Cardin couldn't just let the attack on Beacon slide. Not everyone knew Blake, not even Cardin himself since he wasn't exactly a close friend.
The headmaster had an unreadable expression. His eye had focused on Blake and there was no doubt that he had questions of his own.
"Mr. Winchester," Ozpin said. "Take a break. We'll take it from here."
"Understood, headmaster. Dove, come on."
Dove followed meekly. Cardin looked down on the ground where Ozpin's cane was scrapping deep.
Finding Yang was the simplest matter to be done this day. Both she and Russel had this specific spot where Russel was tending to an angry Yang's hair. Russel was being especially careful even by the standards that Cardin had known of the man. Yang's protectiveness with her hair was a known quality even back during the Beacon days and right now, she was especially pissed at the sight of her teammate along with the one responsible for that prosthetic of hers.
"How did it go?" Yang asked. She didn't even turn to face them.
"Not my call anymore. I might be able to vouch if you—"
She shook her head. "I just… I don't want to see her right now. Especially seeing her like that. With him."
Russel and Dove looked to Cardin. None of them had any chance of beating an angry Yang Xiao Long in a fight. None of them had shot at escaping if she decided to target them actually. Cardin made his decision as leader.
"Tell any of us if she's—anybody is bothering you, you hear?"
Yang nodded her head. "Alright." Her voice was soft. It was closer to a whisper. Her eyes focused on that prosthetic.
More huntsmen begun to gather around the place. With White Fang gear and clothing among them, suspicion on all of them was high. Ilia and Sun did what they could to make things as smooth as possible. Adam Taurus, for all of Cardin's disgust, was at least compliant enough to not cause any problems.
For Yang's sake, Cardin looked out especially for Blake. She seemed to just go along with it. The suspicion of her intentions made everyone wary around her. Not even the faunus huntsmen among them could become a face they could trust. Cardin caught sight of Beacon's Professor Thumbelina Peach, a swan faunus, doing what she can to at least be open to the faunus.
Cardin saw one civilian among the crowd being held back by the police. That civilian raised something in the air. Cardin saw it reflect daylight. It went airborne and was aimed at one of the refugees.
It never reached them. Cardin's hand was in the way. Consequently, that civilian was taken away and pushed out of the crowd. If he heard that cry of "freak," then everyone else heard it too.
"Thank you, sir huntsman," the refugee said.
"Just doing my job."
Cardin caught Blake's sight. She saw that too, huh. Yang certainly did since he felt a metal fist touch his shoulder a moment after. Yang focused on him hard. There was strain in her not trying to look at Blake's direction. The blonde went back to her work, away from Blake. Cardin turned to Blake and shrugged. She needed the space and there was nothing that he could do about it.
Professor Astolfo was the best thing to happen here. That boisterous huntsman was lifting everyone's spirits. There was still distrust and suspicion but the tensions were being cut, leaving behind only an awkward air around them. Professor Port was doing the same thing on the other side.
"There's more to being a huntsman than being the tough fighter," Cardin thought out loud.
"Looks like someone's finally learning what it really means to be one," replied Taiyang Xiao Long.
"Sir." Cardin got stiff.
"Relax. Just here to make sure that you boys are doing well enough. This sort of thing is tough on anyone's mind. We're giving them the help they need sure, but we aren't exactly about to forget what happened with Beacon either."
"They're not the same ones." Not all of them at any rate.
"I know. Those clothes were taken because they had nothing else to put on their backs. I saw what you did for Yang too. You're a good man, Cardin. You're a good man."
"With all due respect, sir." Cardin shook his head. "Someone had to die for me to wake up. There's a better a man there too and he should be here instead of me."
"But who's going to look after my girl when I'm out on missions?"
Cardin knew it. He and his team had been encouraged to become professionals for Yang.
Taiyang raised his arms in surrender. "I probably should have done a better background check, I'll admit. I didn't know you kids were bullies at first. All I knew was that you boys lost a member and that you're in the same class as Yang. I'm worried for her."
"I understand, sir."
"And you three have been good to her. That Russel guy is like a brother she never had a chance to drag to hair salons." Taiyang laughed.
"Sir." Cardin didn't want to miss his chance. "About one of the refugees—"
"I know." Taiyang shook his head. "But even the headmaster couldn't pull those strings." His eyes gestured to some journalists taking photos and interviewing various huntsmen, law enforcement, and refugees. "Too soon for that. We'll need some time. Otherwise, they'll think we're colluding with terrorists."
Something about that tone sounded bitterer than usual.
"Just," Taiyang continued. "Just give it some time. Who knows? Maybe Yang'll come around."
Cardin nodded. That wasn't guaranteed to be any time soon. Not as long as Adam Taurus was around. That man was the most watched among them. Even the other refugees, Ilia and Sun especially, were watchful of him.
AN: On one hand, Yang and Blake finally met up again. On the other... oh wait. (sorry and that joke was stolen from ERB)
But seriously though, I never expected that this is direction I ended up taking Cardin in any of my fics. I'd have like two nickles, which isn't a lot but I don't put Cardin in the spotlight much to begin with.