Twenty-Four
AndrewJTalon
Experienced.
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2015
- Messages
- 3,136
- Likes received
- 99,296
- - -
Pyrrha Nikos had always been a bit intimidating to Jaune Arc since they'd met. She was beautiful, powerful, talented… And also a bit crazy. Since then, his opinion had changed a bit:
She was really crazy.
Yet it was kind of endearing in a strange sort of way. Or maybe that was Jaune's hormones talking. Most of the time it was kind of scary.
The entire trip back to Beacon to meet her mother though? That was terrifying.
Pyrrha was almost entirely silent, answering any questions in a vague, soft, quiet way. Her eyes avoided his gaze almost constantly. Her smiles were small and entirely too plastic.
Not even in the scary way, like when she was going full on yandere.
Why is this more disturbing than her going nuts? Jaune wondered, Shit, I hope I'm not coming down with Argus Syndrome. Identifying more with my captors than my allies. Wait, is Pyrrha my captor? She wants to be my captive, after all, in chains and-NOPE. NOPE. Not even going down that road!
They arrived at their common room. Pyrrha let out a soft exhale as she stood in front of the door.
"She's here. Let me go in first," she said quietly. "Please, don't speak unless she speaks to you first. It… It will make things go more… Smoothly."
"Okay," Jaune said, stepping back. Even Nora stayed quiet, just watching Pyrrha with interest, while Ren remained cool and composed.
Pyrrha opened the door. A tall, older redheaded woman waited for them at their main table, wearing a nice Mistralian style pantsuit in blue, with her hair in a tight bun at the nape of her neck. She looked far too regal to be in their cluttered and warm common room, even more than Weiss did.
Cool blue eyes were framed by severe glasses, as she fixed her daughter and her companions with a sharp stare.
"You're late, Pyrrha," she spoke with light disapproval.
"My apologies, Mother," Pyrrha said softly, her eyes downcast, "I was out with my team in Vale and did not know you were coming."
Pyrrha's mother processed this, before she shook her head.
"Try not to let it happen again in the future," she said. She stood up, and held out her arms. "Give me a hug."
It came off as more of an order than a request.
"Yes Mother," Pyrrha spoke, walking over and hugging the older woman. It was quick, almost perfunctory, before Pyrrha's mother let go first. Pyrrha stepped back, standing properly like a posed mannequin at a shop. Pyrrha's mother eyed Jaune and the rest of JNPR.
"Come in then," she said.
Jaune entered first, Ren and Nora trailing behind. Jaune cleared his throat. Even three months of hell in the wilderness couldn't remove all his manners.
"I'm Jaune Arc, leader of JNPR and Pyrrha's partner. This is Lie Ren, and Nora Valkyrie. How do you do, ma'am?"
Pyrrha's mother cooly assessed them before she spoke.
"I am Athena Nikos, Pyrrha's mother and manager. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mister Arc, Mister Ren, and Miss Valkyrie."
Her tone was very polite, but guarded. She was already assessing them like Jaune would a potential threat.
"Please, sit," Athena said, gesturing to the table. Jaune, Nora, and Ren took their chairs. Athena sat down, and Pyrrha sat down next to her after. Her hands were in her lap, and she sat poised as though posing for a photo.
"May I ask why you were chosen as leader of the team?" Athena asked Jaune, eyes focused on him like a laser beam.
"Jaune demonstrated excellent leadership and tactical abilities in our initiation," Pyrrha quickly spoke up, "He led us to victory-"
"I was asking him, not you, Pyrrha," Athena said, her tone still polite but clipped. Pyrrha lowered her eyes back to her lap.
"Yes, Mother."
Nora was frowning deeply, and her hands were twitching towards her hammer. Ren remained stoic, though his eyes were intense.
"I took charge of the situation in the Initiation," Jaune said, "But our entire team worked together very well. Pyrrha was instrumental to our victory."
"Of course she was," Athena said with a nod, as if any other option was unthinkable, "But why did she follow your lead?"
Jaune resisted the urge to shrug.
"I came up with a workable plan and they followed me. We put it into action, and it worked," Jaune explained.
"That simple?" Athena pressed.
"That simple," Jaune replied evenly. Pyrrha looked back down again, and Jaune found he really didn't like it.
Keep it together, keep it together.
"You didn't take charge?" She asked Pyrrha. Pyrrha shook her head gently.
"Jaune did so first, and the plans were sound. I trusted his judgment," she said quietly.
"I see," Athena hummed. "You wouldn't happen to be related to the Arcs out of Radian? Doctor Isabel Arc's family?"
"I am her son," Jaune said politely.
"I see," Athena said with a slight nod, "Your siblings all went for non-Hunter careers."
"Yes."
"Why did you choose this path?"
"To live up to my family legacy, I guess," Jaune said. Athena's eyes narrowed.
"You guess? My daughter's life and reputation is in your hands, Mister Arc. I trust you won't take that lightly?"
"Of course not," Jaune said, biting back down a surge of anger, "She's my partner and teammate. I would never let her down."
Pyrrha flushed, but maintained her elegant posture and neutral expression. Athena scowled, and slowly nodded.
"See that you do. Mister Ren? Miss Valkyrie? I don't have any family records for you two. Orphans, I take it?"
"Yes," Ren replied, putting a hand on Nora's thigh underneath the table, "Our village was destroyed in southern Mistral when we were children. We've been on the road ever since."
"You did not receive formal training?"
"We did," Ren said, "Later on. Much of our combat experience was gained out of necessity. To survive."
"I see," Athena said, her tone unchanged.
On and on the questioning went. Athena had Pyrrha go get them some tea and water, and Pyrrha served them with all the mannerisms of a broken house maid. She went back to sitting by her mother, back to that plastic, pleasant smile and almost robotic demeanor as her mother continued her interrogation of the team.
Honestly, Jaune didn't think he'd miss the underground deathmatches, but this woman was making that seem almost preferable.
"What are your intentions towards Pyrrha, Mister Arc?"
Jaune was in the middle of sipping some tea. He swallowed, and slowly lowered the cup to the table. He looked Athena right in the eyes.
"My intentions are to be her partner and ensure we all graduate this school to become successful Hunters," he said. It was bland, but it was the kind of response his mother had made in a lot of meetings with businessmen.
"Then you have no romantic interest in my daughter?" Athena asked coldly.
Geez… What kind of response would win here? Jaune thought to himself. Wait, do I have any romantic interest? I mean… Kind of… Sort of…?
"We're friends," Jaune decided on, "We trust eachother."
"That's not an answer, Mister Arc."
"He… He has a date with a member of another team tonight, Mother," Pyrrha said softly. Athena scowled slightly.
"I see… Keep it that way, Mister Arc. My daughter can't afford to be distracted by romance at this stage in her life."
Jaune nodded, even as Pyrrha held back a look of distress.
Well, fuck you too, bitch. No wait... Shouldn't I be glad? Argh, damnit hormones...!"
Athena turned her suspicious eyes onto Ren next.
"What about you, Mister Ren?"
"I-"
"He's taken!" Nora said cheerfully, hugging Ren tightly, "I'd take a hammer to any girl who tried to steal my Renny away!"
"Y-Yes," Ren grunted through Nora's grip, "We are... Childhood sweethearts..."
"We're gonna get married and have a dozen children and eat pancakes for every meal~!" Nora giggled, "He just has to propose!"
Jaune hid a smirk.
Payback's a bitch, my friend.
Athena's nose wrinkled at that response, but she seemed satisfied. She looked back at Jaune.
"Good. I would hate to think that my daughter would be taken advantage of," she stated, "I'll hold you responsible for anything that happens to her."
Jaune's eyes narrowed as he stared her back down.
"I won't let anything happen to Pyrrha, Mrs. Nikos," Jaune said, his anger flaring up at the implied insult, "You can count on that."
Pyrrha actually smiled, a bit like her old self, but went back to that plastic, neutral expression the moment Athena's eyes went to her.
"I see… Well. It was a pleasure to meet you all. I have things to do, it is nearly time for dinner." She rose. "Come along, Pyrrha. We have much to discuss."
"May I… May I have a moment with my team?" Pyrrha asked quietly. Athena stared at her, then slowly nodded.
"Fifteen minutes. I will meet you at the Bullheads," she said. "Don't be late again."
"Of course not, Mother," Pyrrha agreed. Athena turned and walked out the door, her footsteps loud in the silent room. The door slid shut behind her. Nora slumped forward, groaning.
"Ugggghh… That was the worst thing ever," Nora pronounced. Ren nodded slowly.
Jaune stared at Pyrrha, who flushed and looked back down.
"Geez… Is she… Always like that?"
"She's just looking out for my welfare," Pyrrha murmured softly, "She has a hard time trusting just anyone with me. She does care for me… Really."
"Pyrrha," Jaune said, sliding his chair to sit next to her directly, "She's not… Abusing you, is she?"
Pyrrha looked up in shock.
"What? No, I-!"
"Because if she is, I am perfectly willing to make her eat her own teeth."
Pyrrha's eyes widened and her cheeks flushed.
"Wh-What-?!"
"Yup," Jaune with a nod, holding up his fist, "I will walk down and punch her in the face. Right now. No questions asked."
"Very diplomatic," Ren said dryly. Nora grinned.
"Ooh! Ooh! I call her kneecaps!"
"N-No! No!" Pyrrha said, waving her hands, "She-She isn't abusive! She's just… You know…" She looked aside. "Just very… Um… Concerned about me. She was in entertainment herself as a child star. She… She doesn't want me to be exploited. She just… You know…"
Jaune sighed, and squeezed Pyrrha's hand.
"Yeah," he muttered, "I get that. My mom could be pretty strict, too. Though she definitely didn't make hugging me seem like a chore."
Pyrrha sagged a little. Jaune worked his jaw.
"Will you be all right?"
"Y-Yes. Yes, I will," Pyrrha murmured.
"All right. Just so you know, though… It's creepy seeing you like this."
Pyrrha turned sharply to Jaune, her eyes wide in shock.
"I… I thought you didn't like how I was-"
"It can be annoying, but… I'll take that over you acting like a scared little rabbit," Jaune said honestly. "Look… When you're with us? You can act however you want to. You can be yourself, all right?"
"I... I don't know what that is," Pyrrha murmured.
"HORNY!"
"Nora!" Ren scolded her, as Nora giggled.
Pyrrha managed a warmer smile.
"I... I guess I am," she mumbled, embarassed.
"Yeah, but after meeting your mom," Jaune said, "I can... I can understand it."
Pyrrha slowly nodded back. She turned to Nora, eyes asking permission. Nora giggled, and held out her arms.
"Aw, silly! You don't even have to ask!"
Pyrrha smiled, and hugged Nora tightly. She pulled back, then looked between Nora and Ren. Nora nodded, as Ren sighed and held out his arms.
"It's not like I'm known for being 'huggy' anyway," Ren deadpanned. Nora giggled again.
"Just with me!"
Pyrrha nodded, and gave Ren a brief hug. She pulled away... Then stared awkwardly at Jaune.
He sighed, and held his arms out.
"Come on."
Pyrrha stared in disbelief… Before a large, wide smile erupted on her face. She hugged Jaune tightly with a squeal, nearly knocking him over.
"URK!"
"Oh Jaune~! I-I just-I love-!"
She coughed, and pulled back. Jaune held her close though.
"It's okay, it's okay," Jaune muttered, "Really. It's okay. Just uh... Chill, huh?"
"Right, r-right," Pyrrha managed, her face bright red. She nuzzled him happily. "Mmmm... You smell so good... Ah..."
She coughed self consciously, and pulled away quickly. Jaune was as red cheeked as her.
"Uh... Thank you?" Jaune managed.
"Sorry-"
BONK!
"Owww!" Pyrrha whined, rubbing her head. "J-Jaune-!"
"Didn't I tell you not to say that if you haven't done anything wrong?" Jaune asked with a gentle smile.
Pyrrha blinked. She smiled warmly back, a sparkle in her eyes.
"Yes... Yes you did," she murmured.
Shit... This girl is dangerous, Jaune thought over the sound of his rapidly beating heart. He cleared his throat again, looking to the side.
"But I'm not just gonna get bowled over, all right? Besides… If there's one thing I agree with your mom about, it's that you can do a hell of a lot better than me."
Pyrrha shook her head.
"I don't think so," she said softly. She stood up, reluctantly, and headed out the door. She cast a last, lingering look back at her team, her friends, before she left, closing the door behind her. Jaune sighed and rubbed his face.
"Geez…"
"So… Pancakes?" Nora asked brightly.
- - -
Don't think about Pyrrha, Jaune thought to himself, as he checked his suit and tie, Don't think about her... She'll be okay. All right? She needs friends. That's what she needs. Friends. Like Yang.
He nodded to himself in the mirror and smiled.
Yes. Friends like Yang. Who are fun, honest, funny, confident, sexy and beaut-
Jaune bashed his head against the wall.
"DAMNIT!" Jaune growled.
Pyrrha had to be so affectionate and now he was infected with Horny!
Sure, Yang loved to flirt but... But that was her thing!
"No, no, not gonna, not even gonna," Jaune muttered. He took a few deep breaths. He headed out of the bathroom, and into the common room. Ren was cooking again, Nora eagerly awaiting whatever he prepared. He walked up to the RWBY dorm room door, and knocked.
The door was flung open, and he was greeted by an angry Weiss.
"What, you here to yell at me too?" Weiss snarled.
Jaune, per his wont, glared back.
"Okay, what's your deal? Why are you suddenly in bitch mode, I thought you had your fun today-?"
"SHUT UP!"
Weiss took deep, angry breaths, her eyes wild. She turned and stalked off. Jaune watched her go, and blinked. A very quiet, very pale Ruby walked up to the door, wringing her hands. Her eyes were red from crying.
"Ruby? Ruby, what's wrong?" Jaune asked urgently, reaching out to rest a hand on her shoulder.
"Um... Weiss and Blake got in a big argument today, and... Uh... Blake ran off," she murmured.
Jaune's eyes widened, and he stared over at Weiss. She was glaring at her Scroll on her bunkbed, her back to them.
"Okay, so, what happened-?"
"She's White Fang, Arc," Weiss growled.
"She was White Fang! Was!" Ruby insisted. "She-She quit, she said so herself-!"
"And that counts for nothing," Weiss growled.
Jaune blinked a few times, and gaped.
"Wait, she's that Blake Belladonna?!"
"Funny how none of us made that connection, huh?" Nora asked. Ren lifted his eyebrows slightly, which may as well have been a gasp from him.
"Aw, geez," Jaune muttered. Ruby nodded slowly.
"Y-Yeah... Um... Yang went to try and call her in the courtyard. She's... I think she's still there."
Jaune nodded, turned, and ran off. Ruby looked over at Weiss.
"Weiss... Weiss, please-"
"We are not having this discussion, Ruby," Weiss stated, throwing her covers over her head, "Goodnight."
Ruby sagged. She felt Nora's arms wrap around her from behind.
"Hey," the older girl murmured, "Come join us for pancakes. All right? Let Weissy cool down. Talk to her tomorrow."
Ruby looked over at Weiss, still covered up in her blankets. She slowly nodded.
"I... All right," she murmured, "Thank you, Nora."
"What are friends for?" Nora asked. She smiled into the room. "Goodnight, Weissy. Talk to you in the morning!"
There was no response. Nora turned off the lights, and closed the door. She led Ruby over to the table, and sat her down, still hugging her.
"Everyone can use time to cool down, right?" Nora asked softly, as Ren put down some pancakes on plates in front of them. Nora dutifully slathered them in syrup and whipped cream, Ruby's favorites.
"This... This is really big, Nora," Ruby mumbled, "I... I don't even know if Blake will come back, or if Weiss will ever-"
"No. You don't," Ren said gently, "But worrying about it won't help. It's probably for the best that Blake and Weiss have space right now."
"They wouldn't do much else but fight like dogs and-Ohhhh," Nora blinked, "Is that why Blake always glared at me when I said stuff involving kitties? I'll have to use sloths instead. No, wait, maybe a sloth faunus would be offended?"
"I just..." Ruby closed her eyes, not feeling hungry. "I feel like such a bad leader... I-I couldn't resolve this-"
"And neither have leaders with decades of experience," Ren said, again in that gentle tone, "The fight between the SDC and the White Fang is not something any one person can resolve easily. Especially not with two people personally involved in that fight."
He nodded to the pancakes.
"Eat. It will make you feel better."
"It always makes me feel better, Ruby," Nora beamed. Ruby sniffled, before she took up a fork. She cut off a piece of pancake, and brought it to her mouth. She chewed it, and swallowed. The warm sweetness filled her mouth, and settled in her stomach in a comforting way. She sniffled again, but managed a smile up at Ren.
"It... It tastes great!"
"Told ya," Nora giggled. "That's my man! Though... I know you'd prefer Jaune be the one cooking for you right now."
"Ah! Oh! Uh," Ruby blushed bright red. "I-I mean... He is... He is like my big brother... And-And Yang, and Pyrrha, and uh-B-But I really appreciate you, Ren! Honest!"
"It's all right," Ren said, a slight smile on his face, "Thank you Ruby. Besides, Jaune's got a lot more issues to juggle than I do."
"Boy, does he," Nora laughed.
- - -
Jaune ran down to the courtyard. The stars were already out, twinkling as a backdrop for the ever present shattered moon. He put that out of his mind as he scanned around. He spotted a shock of blonde hair on one of the stone benches that guarded the center of the stone courtyard. He approached Yang carefully, as she dialed again and held her scroll up to her ear.
"Blake, it's Yang. I know I've left a lot of messages but please, just pick up. I just... I just want to know you're all right. Okay? Please call me back."
Yang hung up, and her shoulders dropped with her Scroll. She sighed heavily, like a much older woman. Jaune cleared his throat. She sat back up, ramrod straight, and looked over her shoulder. Her blue eyes widened.
"Oh shit, I completely forgot-!"
"No, no, it's fine," Jaune said, hands up. He walked over to the bench, and stood in front of it. "I mean... I don't think we'd have a lot fun, anyway."
Yang smiled weakly.
"Yeah... It'd be a bit of a bummer," she said quietly, before looking back down. Jaune sat on the bench next to her, and looked over her shoulder at her scroll. A long line of texts filled the screen, all unanswered. Yang sighed and folded her Scroll up.
"How's Ruby?" She asked. Jaune grunted.
"Ren and Nora are taking care of her."
"I'm glad," Yang said softly, "And Weiss?"
Jaune shook his head.
"Angry."
"I..." Yang bowed her head. "I guess I can't blame her. Everything she's gone through. I-I don't know how much you know-?"
"My mom's been called in to help victims of White Fang attacks," Jaune said, blunt and quiet, "And rescued hostages. When she made me help out at her hospital, I... I saw some medical reports. Saw some..." He shook his head.
"If they did that to normal humans and Faunus..."
"Yeah," Yang murmured. She sighed.
"Are you okay?" Jaune asked.
Yang glanced at him, and then back up at the stars.
"No," she murmured. "I mean... Blake's right. Faunus have had it rough. Everyone knows about the SDC and Mistal's bullshit... But living in fear that you were gonna fall into the hands of... Of monsters? Blake was one of them? She left because it was too much, too violent, but..."
"Well," Jaune mused, "I don't think Ozpin would just let a crazed murderer into the school. Not unless she was genuine about turning over a new leaf and all. She could have done terrible things to Weiss at any time."
"I know," Yang said quietly, eyes drifting back down to the courtyard, "And she hasn't... But I don't know if that's enough for Weiss."
Jaune nodded. He put his arm around her shoulders. She turned to him, eyes questioning. Jaune shrugged.
"Ren and Nora are comforting Ruby. I should comfort you. It's bothering you just as badly."
Yang smiled wanly.
"I... Thanks," she said. "Where's Pyrrha?"
"At dinner with her mom," Jaune grumbled. Yang winced.
"That bad, huh?"
"She's the worst," Jaune confirmed.
"Yeah, well," Yang sighed, "I guess that's a theme with a lot of us. Our parents are missing... Or we wish they were."
"My mom isn't all bad," Jaune admitted. "Hell, next to Pyrrha's, she looks sane. I..." He trailed off as Yang tensed up. "I'm sorry. Did I say something wrong?"
"No... It's just..." Yang took a deep breath.
She explained about her biological mother Raven. How one day, she just up and vanished. How she had gotten Summer and Ruby... Then lost Summer. How she'd tried to find Raven with Ruby once... And almost gotten killed.
When she was finished, she stared at Jaune with a blank look in her eyes. He frankly hated how she looked. The exact opposite of what Yang should be.
"Gods Yang..." Jaune shook his head. "I'm... That's just horrible."
"Every time someone I care about runs out on me, or forgets me, I just... It just brings it all back up," Yang admitted, letting out a short, humorless laugh. "I know I don't know Blake that well but, when you fight together...?"
"Yeah, you know them," Jaune nodded. "I... I get it."
They sat in silence for a bit. Yang sighed.
"I'm sorry about date night... I-I know we were just going to go as friends and have fun... Maybe it was a bad idea. Maybe it's just... Just me," she said.
Jaune looked at her strangely... And it clicked. He pulled her into a tight hug. She gasped softly, and looked into his eyes.
"I just want to promise that... I'm not going anywhere, Yang," Jaune said.
Yang blinked. Her eyes widened.
"I-I didn't say that-!"
"And, one bad day doesn't mean we have to call everything off forever," Jaune said with a smile. He coughed. "I-I mean, if you still want to-?"
"I-I do! Really, I do," Yang said, shaking her head, "It's just that every time something like this happens, I... Fuck. I just can't help but wonder if it's me. Hell, with Ruby, I feel more like a single mom."
"I know," Jaune said with a nod, "I know. Hell, I feel like a dad with my team."
"Well," Yang managed a chuckle, "Pyrrha does want to call you 'Daddy'."
"Yeah. Don't I know it," Jaune sighed, but he gave her a smile at her questioning look. "Long story. Sides... She wasn't the only one."
Yang went bright red. She laughed nervously.
"Y-Yeah... Heh... Good joke, huh?"
"The others thought so," Jaune chuckled back, mood a bit lighter. He adopted his somber expression again. "Seriously though Yang. Don't think one bad night's gonna ruin everything. Maybe when Blake gets back, we can talk this out. I'll help any way I can. I promise."
Yang nodded.
"Ruby would like that."
"So would you," Jaune said earnestly.
Yang sighed, and leaned in. She rested her head against his chest.
"... Why do you care so much?" Yang murmured.
"That's simple," Jaune said, wrapping his arms around her to tighten the embrace, "One day my mom's gonna find out I got into Beacon... And one of you has got to be able to get me out of the country somehow."
Yang snickered.
"And, well... As much as my family drove me crazy? When I was crying, or scared, or hurt..." His faced darkened, "Assuming they hadn't caused it... They were right there with me, comforting me, and ready to help me, or throw down for me. It... It's how I was taught. It's who I am."
Yang nodded, face hidden from him by her hair. She snickered.
"That's so frigging corny."
"Yep."
"I... I didn't say it was a bad thing," Yang murmured. Jaune chuckled and patted her back.
"Yeah..."
"Oh!"
Both Yang and Jaune looked up. Cardin and Velvet were standing in the archway to the courtyard.
"Arc, what are you doing here?!" Cardin demanded.
"Uh... What are you doing here?" Jaune shot back.
"Homework!" "Nothing!"
Both Velvet and Cardin looked at each other. They looked back at Jaune and Yang.
"Hanging out!" "Hiding!"
They looked at each other again. Jaune rolled his eyes.
"You're bad at hiding your relationship."
"Least I'm not a-a playboy!" Cardin sputtered. He grabbed the blushing Velvet's hand and dragged her off. "We'll go... Do nothing somewhere else!"
"You do that," Jaune deadpanned. Yang snickered.
"You are one hell of a matchmaker, you know that?"
"Please, if I was actually any good, I'd be getting paid."
- - -
Blake ran. She ran, and ran, and ran. She double backed, she took different routes, she backtraced her steps, until finally, she ended up in a small park near the downtown area. She walked past the rows of neatly tended bushes and trees, past the children's playground, until she finally made it to a park bench. Her every step was heavy, and slow.
She made it to the bench, and slowly, mechanically, sat down. The cool night air blew past her in a light breeze, as the broken moon shown down upon her.
Crickets chirped, still alive this late in the year.
She closed her eyes, and just tried... Tried to become lost in the ambience.
It made her feel like something else. Anything but what she was.
I knew it was too good to last, Blake thought to herself, On a team with a Schnee... What was I thinking? Ozpin promised me a pardon... But what good is that if all she can see is a monster?
She stared at her hands. Throughout her time with the White Fang, she'd tried to see them as clean, as righteous hands. Hands that struck blows for justice, for equality. It got harder to do that though, as time went by. Even if she didn't land the fatal blows, even if she didn't directly participate...
In her nightmares, she'd started to see them covered in red.
"Nice evening."
She had Gambol Shroud out and locked onto the speaker in an instant. He had his staff on her in the same moment. He grinned cockily, as her eyes went wide.
"Least I thought so," he added with a shrug.
"You!" Blake growled at the monkey faunus. "What do you want? Haven't you caused enough trouble for one day?"
The Faunus gestured to himself with his gauntleted hands, raising his eyebrows.
"Me? What did I do?"
"You just... If you hadn't...!" Blake gritted her teeth and scowled down at the ground. "It doesn't matter... It would have happened eventually... What do you want?"
"Well, that's pretty rude for a princess," the monkey Faunus commented, making Blake stiffen up, "Thought you were supposed to be taught manners."
"What... What are you talking about-?"
The faunus grinned, and pulled out a plastic sealed envelope from his jeans. He opened it up, popping the seal. Familiar scents went over Blake's nose, and her eyes widened. She lowered her weapon as the monkey Faunus spoke.
"By Order of Minister Shon Wukong, Sun Wukong, his nephew," Sun read, glancing up at her with a wink, "That's me, is to seek out and make contact with one Blake Belladonna, daughter of Ghira Belladonna, Chieftain and Lord of Menagerie."
"You... My father-?!"
"Apparently you disappeared about... What, five years ago?" Sun went on, "And your parents have been frantically searching ever since. My uncle got a lead on you, and since I'm here for the Vytal Festival, he asked me to look into things." He smiled.
"And unless you're faking your scent... Unlikely, given how badly you're hiding your ears... I'd say you're the runaway princess I'm looking for. Am I wrong?"
Sun held out the envelope to Blake. She stared at it like it was from another planet.
"I... Why would-?"
"Hey, it's my job," Sun said, shrugging, "My uncle made it clear that I was supposed to find out where you were, and how you were. Oh, and deliver a letter from your parents. This letter, by the way."
Blake continued to stare at the letter. Sun made some motions with it, pushing it nearer.
The cat faunus continued to stare. She reached out with trembling hands... Before pulling back.
"I... I can't..."
"Aren't you at least curious as to what they have to say?" Sun asked, tilting his head curiously. Blake closed her eyes.
"I know exactly what they'd say," Blake said, in a mixture of bitterness and sorrow. "I... I don't deserve it."
"Well," Sun sighed, his tail curling a bit as he scratched the back of his head, "That's a problem. See, I was told, very specifically, to deliver the letter and have you read it. So... Until you read it, job's not done."
He shot her a wide grin, his teeth shining in the moonlight.
"So. Until you read it, guess I gotta stick around."
"You don't have to-"
"That, and... You look like you're running away again," Sun added shrewdly, making Blake flinch. "You run away again, you won't read the letter. So, I'll be stuck chasing you around. As much as I'd love to be paid to chase a pretty princess around, I don't want my entire life to be about that, ya know?"
Blake snorted.
"What are you?"
Sun shrugged.
"Just a guy, with a job, and a runaway princess."
"I'm no princess."
"Yeah, and Ghira ain't technically a king, but hey," Sun shrugged. "I'm hungry. You want to get something to eat?"
Blake blinked. Sun shrugged.
"Well, if you die of starvation, my mission's a failure. So I might as well take care of you, Your Highness." He bowed.
Blake scowled, her ears going flat.
"Please stop doing that."
"I will if you go get something to eat with me."
Blake shut her eyes tightly.
"... Fine."
"Good!" Sun chuckled, extending his arm. "Shall we?"
Blake got up, and stalked past him. Sun shrugged, and just followed behind.
"Ah. Here are some royal manners at last, I see."
"Do you ever stop talking?"
"Let me stick around, and you'll find out."
She did not smile. She did not.
- - -
It was, Pyrrha supposed, one of the nicer restaurants in Vale. Gorgeous, soft red carpeting, beautiful views of the city skyline, sleek black tables with efficient, well dressed waiters. She was dressed in a slinky red dress that showed off her charms, combined with perfect make up and her tiara to make her appear like a goddess dining in the sky.
Only the best, as her mother would say.
She sipped her wine as her mother efficiently and neatly cut her steak and devoured it. Athena looked intently at her daughter, chewing her steak before swallowing. She wiped her lips with a napkin before she spoke.
"You're distracted."
"We have talked about my classes and fellow students, Mother, as you wished to," Pyrrha said carefully.
"There is also a great deal you haven't talked about," Athena said, her lips thinning. Pyrrha held her gaze.
"Is there?"
"You can't hide anything from your mother, Pyrrha," Athena said softly. "I saw the way you looked at Arc."
Pyrrha sucked in a breath through her nostrils.
"What does it matter? We're friends. That's all."
"You want to be more than that."
Pyrrha stared at her mother.
"Why would I? You made things clear-Rudely, I might add."
Athena stared at Pyrrha in shock. Pyrrha felt herself wince, but she held her ground.
The older woman steeled herself with a sip of wine, before she spoke.
"Pyrrha... I understand I may have come across as harsh, but it was for your benefit."
"Was it?" Pyrrha asked. "Was it necessary? We've fought together. We've bled together-"
"That doesn't make them good people, Pyrrha," Athena insisted. She sighed, setting her wine down.
"Pyrrha... I fell in love with your father because he acted like he was different from all the sycophants and scumbags who used me," Athena said, in a tone Pyrrha was well familiar with, "He offered me love, offered me sincerity, offered me freedom... And it turned into a cage. A cage you were nearly put in. I don't want you to end up the same way!"
Pyrrha grit her teeth. Her temper, usually so restrained around her mother out of habit and fear, was rising fast. She'd had a taste of freedom, of love, and it made her reckless.
"He's not like that."
Athena scoffed.
"You barely know him-"
"He keeps pushing me away and saying I can do better! But I can't," Pyrrha insisted, "Because he treats me better than everyone! He listens to me and lets me be a person!"
"So did your father," Athena said fiercely, "He played mind games, he made me think I was getting out of the starlet life while he twisted me like a puppet! You can't take him at his word! Everyone has an agenda! Everyone lies! Everyone is selfish-!"
"Except me," Pyrrha stated, cold as steel, "Everyone is selfish, even you, because you can't get over what Father did to you."
Athena gaped at her daughter like she'd been slapped. She studied Pyrrha as though she was some kind of eerie forgery, not her blood. It made Pyrrha feel powerful, for the first time in her life.
"If everyone is selfish," Pyrrha continued, "Then I should be allowed to be happy if I'm going to risk my life to protect people!"
Athena shook her head, looking almost desperate. It fed the fire inside Pyrrha.
"What's gotten into you?! Isn't this enough? I let you go to Beacon! I agreed that you needed a place to grow! To shine! But maybe I was wrong, if it's making you want to throw everything away for a pretty face and a pack of false promises!"
Pyrrha felt her Semblance roar inside of her. She could feel the iron inside her mother's blood. For a moment, she was tempted to seize hold of it, and tear it out.
She instead nodded very slowly.
"Let me go... Throw it away," she murmured.
Athena frowned.
"Pyrrha?"
Pyrrha sucked in a deep breath, and set down her silverware.
"I think I'm done here," Pyrrha stated calmly.
"Wha-?"
"Don't book me for anything for the rest of the year. I will not show up for anything."
Athena gaped again. Her cold blue eyes were expressing something other than contempt. It was fear. It made Pyrrha feel good.
"You-You can't-!"
"I can. I will. Good night, Mother," Pyrrha said, standing up and turning away. She walked off. She heard Athena get up and run after her. She felt her grab her arm, desperately.
"Wait! Wait Pyrrha, don't cause a scene-!"
"I already am," Pyrrha said firmly. Athena shook her head frantically.
"Pyrrha, please! I love you! You're my daughter! Don't you understand? Everything I do, everything-It's all been for you-!"
"No, no I don't think it was," Pyrrha said firmly, "It was all for you. And I've finally realized that... That I can't keep letting you do this. It's not fair to me, or you."
"Pyrrha-!" Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What did he say?! What did he promise-?!"
Pyrrha yanked her arm out of her mother's feeble grip. She didn't care about everyone's eyes locked onto them, she didn't care what the social media would say.
She felt strong, for the first time in ages.
"He told me to make myself happy. He asked me what I wanted. He listened. And he made me realize... I deserve to have all of those things. With, or without him."
Plus, she thought to herself, feeling giddy, He killed an Ursa with his bare hands. That was sooo hot.
She couldn't help her grin as she nodded to her gobsmacked mother.
"Goodnight, Mother."
She turned and left, ignoring her mother's cries.
She had never felt so happy before.
The trip back to Beacon took far too long. She was itching to just leap out and run the rest of the way herself! Finally, she was back on campus. She ran across the quad, holding her high heeled shoes in one hand. She burst into the JNPR dormroom, quietly, but quickly...!
She blinked. Ruby was tucked between Nora and Ren on their joined beds, all three sleeping peacefully. Jaune was also sleeping, but on the floor: Yang was snoring in his bed. They held hands as they slept.
Pyrrha's eye twitched. She clenched her fist... And let it go. She smiled softly, and caressed Jaune's cheek.
"Thank you," she murmured. She planted a kiss on his forehead. "It... Might get complicated, but... Thank you."
She turned and got undressed for bed. She'd ask about everything tomorrow, but for now...
She felt free.
- - -
Roman sighed as he walked into the warehouse office, Neo prancing alongside him. The sight of blood was nothing new to either of them. Not even on a young woman.
"HELP! HELP ME!"
This though... This was a little much for him.
"Hey!" Roman shouted, holding up Melodic Cudgel to the beast on the bed, "What the hell are you doing?"
The large, green scaled man grinned savagely, his teeth red with blood. The terrified, naked young human woman who had just fallen to the floor covered her shoulder with a sheet, as blood rapidly spread across it.
"I thought I was enjoying a taste of your city's offerings," the reptilian Faunus man laughed. The woman cringed as he advanced, clawed hands reaching for her.
Roman cocked Melodic Cudgel, and the Faunus man paused.
"Eating hookers is a good way to attract attention," Roman said, cold and hard as the Atlasian glaciers, "You? We'll just make into a set of luggage."
The Faunus threw his head back and laughed, his yellow eyes narrowed in glee. His green scales ran up and down his sides, over his scarred face and bald head, down over the upper half of his face like a mask. The rest of his skin was deathly pale, almost corpse-like, but heavily muscled.
"You'd really challenge me, pitiful human?"
"Way I see it, I'm the one with the gun and his pants on," Roman stated calmly, "Dying in the nude's no way for a man to go."
"Bah," The Faunus man sneered, getting up and turning away. He pulled on his pants. "Let her go. You ruined it for me."
"Mister Torchwick-" The hooker whimpered. Roman sighed, shaking his head.
"Honestly Gloria, ya gotta start vetting your Johns more thoroughly," Roman tutted. He pulled out some Lien and handed it to her. "Here. Tell Madame Rouge to hire a few more bouncers, eh? Get yourself checked out, too. He's a Komodo dragon, after all."
Gloria grabbed her clothes and ran. Neo watched her go with a somewhat curious eye, as Roman kept his eyes on the Faunus. He finished pulling on his white pants, and green and gold tunic. He pulled a White Fang mask over his face, hiding his eyes but not his needle like teeth. He turned to face them, grinning sadistically as his long tail waved.
"You bring me here just to see you brutalize a hooker?" Roman asked, "Or there a point to this? I'm a busy man."
"No one's too busy for Thanh Qinglong," Thanh stated, sitting down in an old office chair like it was a throne. He gestured out the windows, where other White Fang thugs and operatives worked tireless unloading Dust.
"You come up with that name yourself?" Roman deadpanned. Thanh growled.
"I earned it in battle in Mistral."
"Ah, yeah, the war against helpless women and children," Roman snarked, "Forgot about that one."
"Watch your tongue, human," Thanh grinned, "I got a taste for your flesh long ago. Maybe I'll devour you... And take your little whore for a breeding bitch."
Neo smiled, lifted up her umbrella, and extended her blade. She signed something to Roman, who shook his head.
"Not now," he grunted. He spread his gloved hands. "Again, the point?"
"We're bringing in the full shipment tomorrow," Thanh stated, "The ship got diverted due to a storm."
"Gee, that's great news," Roman sighed, "You couldn't have texted me? Had to bring me down here?"
"Yes," Thanh growled. He rose and stalked right up to Roman, towering over him.
"You think the fire woman considers you important, don't you?" Thanh growled.
"Well, seeing as I'm handling the Dust shipments and planning the heists, yeah, that makes me important," Roman said.
Thanh snorted in his face, hot breath and the smell of poison washing over him. Roman was so glad he'd gotten the deluxe anti-toxin boosters for himself and Neo. Made dealing with Thanh slightly less of a chore.
"We'll see how long that lasts," Thanh smirked, "I pull this off, maybe the fire woman won't need you anymore."
"I'm quaking in my snakeskin boots," Roman snorted back. "You need a lot more than scales and a bad breath Semblance to run this town, Thanh. Sides, thought you animals hated working for us measly humans."
Thanh threw his head back and laughed.
"Hahaha... Closer I get to her, closer I get to making her my bitch. Or my meal. Either way... I just want you to know your days are numbered, Torchwick. I have your scent... And I'll enjoy hunting you down."
"As always," Roman deadpanned, "Such a pleasure, Thanh. Take it easy, huh?"
Roman and Neo turned and headed out, walking along the catwalk of the dock warehouse. Neo again made some signs, her smile sadistic. Roman nodded grimly.
"Relax Neo... We're gonna get you your pound of flesh. Just gotta wait for the right time..."
- - -
Thanh Qinglong is a combination Sino-Vietnamese name. First part, "Thanh", means "Green" in Vietnamese. "Qinglong" means "Blue/green/young dragon" depending on the characters used. I decided we needed a guy to really hammer in how far gone the White Fang and Adam Taurus in particular have become, so a sadistic cannibal and misogynist seemed to fit the bill.
If Pyrrha's turn around seems fast, keep in mind, she is HIGH off of friendship and love. And damnit, after getting a taste of that, she's NOT letting her mother run things anymore. Though this will have some repercussions down the line.
I thought that making Sun a man on a mission was better than him just being a simp. I hope you agree as well.
Pyrrha Nikos had always been a bit intimidating to Jaune Arc since they'd met. She was beautiful, powerful, talented… And also a bit crazy. Since then, his opinion had changed a bit:
She was really crazy.
Yet it was kind of endearing in a strange sort of way. Or maybe that was Jaune's hormones talking. Most of the time it was kind of scary.
The entire trip back to Beacon to meet her mother though? That was terrifying.
Pyrrha was almost entirely silent, answering any questions in a vague, soft, quiet way. Her eyes avoided his gaze almost constantly. Her smiles were small and entirely too plastic.
Not even in the scary way, like when she was going full on yandere.
Why is this more disturbing than her going nuts? Jaune wondered, Shit, I hope I'm not coming down with Argus Syndrome. Identifying more with my captors than my allies. Wait, is Pyrrha my captor? She wants to be my captive, after all, in chains and-NOPE. NOPE. Not even going down that road!
They arrived at their common room. Pyrrha let out a soft exhale as she stood in front of the door.
"She's here. Let me go in first," she said quietly. "Please, don't speak unless she speaks to you first. It… It will make things go more… Smoothly."
"Okay," Jaune said, stepping back. Even Nora stayed quiet, just watching Pyrrha with interest, while Ren remained cool and composed.
Pyrrha opened the door. A tall, older redheaded woman waited for them at their main table, wearing a nice Mistralian style pantsuit in blue, with her hair in a tight bun at the nape of her neck. She looked far too regal to be in their cluttered and warm common room, even more than Weiss did.
Cool blue eyes were framed by severe glasses, as she fixed her daughter and her companions with a sharp stare.
"You're late, Pyrrha," she spoke with light disapproval.
"My apologies, Mother," Pyrrha said softly, her eyes downcast, "I was out with my team in Vale and did not know you were coming."
Pyrrha's mother processed this, before she shook her head.
"Try not to let it happen again in the future," she said. She stood up, and held out her arms. "Give me a hug."
It came off as more of an order than a request.
"Yes Mother," Pyrrha spoke, walking over and hugging the older woman. It was quick, almost perfunctory, before Pyrrha's mother let go first. Pyrrha stepped back, standing properly like a posed mannequin at a shop. Pyrrha's mother eyed Jaune and the rest of JNPR.
"Come in then," she said.
Jaune entered first, Ren and Nora trailing behind. Jaune cleared his throat. Even three months of hell in the wilderness couldn't remove all his manners.
"I'm Jaune Arc, leader of JNPR and Pyrrha's partner. This is Lie Ren, and Nora Valkyrie. How do you do, ma'am?"
Pyrrha's mother cooly assessed them before she spoke.
"I am Athena Nikos, Pyrrha's mother and manager. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mister Arc, Mister Ren, and Miss Valkyrie."
Her tone was very polite, but guarded. She was already assessing them like Jaune would a potential threat.
"Please, sit," Athena said, gesturing to the table. Jaune, Nora, and Ren took their chairs. Athena sat down, and Pyrrha sat down next to her after. Her hands were in her lap, and she sat poised as though posing for a photo.
"May I ask why you were chosen as leader of the team?" Athena asked Jaune, eyes focused on him like a laser beam.
"Jaune demonstrated excellent leadership and tactical abilities in our initiation," Pyrrha quickly spoke up, "He led us to victory-"
"I was asking him, not you, Pyrrha," Athena said, her tone still polite but clipped. Pyrrha lowered her eyes back to her lap.
"Yes, Mother."
Nora was frowning deeply, and her hands were twitching towards her hammer. Ren remained stoic, though his eyes were intense.
"I took charge of the situation in the Initiation," Jaune said, "But our entire team worked together very well. Pyrrha was instrumental to our victory."
"Of course she was," Athena said with a nod, as if any other option was unthinkable, "But why did she follow your lead?"
Jaune resisted the urge to shrug.
"I came up with a workable plan and they followed me. We put it into action, and it worked," Jaune explained.
"That simple?" Athena pressed.
"That simple," Jaune replied evenly. Pyrrha looked back down again, and Jaune found he really didn't like it.
Keep it together, keep it together.
"You didn't take charge?" She asked Pyrrha. Pyrrha shook her head gently.
"Jaune did so first, and the plans were sound. I trusted his judgment," she said quietly.
"I see," Athena hummed. "You wouldn't happen to be related to the Arcs out of Radian? Doctor Isabel Arc's family?"
"I am her son," Jaune said politely.
"I see," Athena said with a slight nod, "Your siblings all went for non-Hunter careers."
"Yes."
"Why did you choose this path?"
"To live up to my family legacy, I guess," Jaune said. Athena's eyes narrowed.
"You guess? My daughter's life and reputation is in your hands, Mister Arc. I trust you won't take that lightly?"
"Of course not," Jaune said, biting back down a surge of anger, "She's my partner and teammate. I would never let her down."
Pyrrha flushed, but maintained her elegant posture and neutral expression. Athena scowled, and slowly nodded.
"See that you do. Mister Ren? Miss Valkyrie? I don't have any family records for you two. Orphans, I take it?"
"Yes," Ren replied, putting a hand on Nora's thigh underneath the table, "Our village was destroyed in southern Mistral when we were children. We've been on the road ever since."
"You did not receive formal training?"
"We did," Ren said, "Later on. Much of our combat experience was gained out of necessity. To survive."
"I see," Athena said, her tone unchanged.
On and on the questioning went. Athena had Pyrrha go get them some tea and water, and Pyrrha served them with all the mannerisms of a broken house maid. She went back to sitting by her mother, back to that plastic, pleasant smile and almost robotic demeanor as her mother continued her interrogation of the team.
Honestly, Jaune didn't think he'd miss the underground deathmatches, but this woman was making that seem almost preferable.
"What are your intentions towards Pyrrha, Mister Arc?"
Jaune was in the middle of sipping some tea. He swallowed, and slowly lowered the cup to the table. He looked Athena right in the eyes.
"My intentions are to be her partner and ensure we all graduate this school to become successful Hunters," he said. It was bland, but it was the kind of response his mother had made in a lot of meetings with businessmen.
"Then you have no romantic interest in my daughter?" Athena asked coldly.
Geez… What kind of response would win here? Jaune thought to himself. Wait, do I have any romantic interest? I mean… Kind of… Sort of…?
"We're friends," Jaune decided on, "We trust eachother."
"That's not an answer, Mister Arc."
"He… He has a date with a member of another team tonight, Mother," Pyrrha said softly. Athena scowled slightly.
"I see… Keep it that way, Mister Arc. My daughter can't afford to be distracted by romance at this stage in her life."
Jaune nodded, even as Pyrrha held back a look of distress.
Well, fuck you too, bitch. No wait... Shouldn't I be glad? Argh, damnit hormones...!"
Athena turned her suspicious eyes onto Ren next.
"What about you, Mister Ren?"
"I-"
"He's taken!" Nora said cheerfully, hugging Ren tightly, "I'd take a hammer to any girl who tried to steal my Renny away!"
"Y-Yes," Ren grunted through Nora's grip, "We are... Childhood sweethearts..."
"We're gonna get married and have a dozen children and eat pancakes for every meal~!" Nora giggled, "He just has to propose!"
Jaune hid a smirk.
Payback's a bitch, my friend.
Athena's nose wrinkled at that response, but she seemed satisfied. She looked back at Jaune.
"Good. I would hate to think that my daughter would be taken advantage of," she stated, "I'll hold you responsible for anything that happens to her."
Jaune's eyes narrowed as he stared her back down.
"I won't let anything happen to Pyrrha, Mrs. Nikos," Jaune said, his anger flaring up at the implied insult, "You can count on that."
Pyrrha actually smiled, a bit like her old self, but went back to that plastic, neutral expression the moment Athena's eyes went to her.
"I see… Well. It was a pleasure to meet you all. I have things to do, it is nearly time for dinner." She rose. "Come along, Pyrrha. We have much to discuss."
"May I… May I have a moment with my team?" Pyrrha asked quietly. Athena stared at her, then slowly nodded.
"Fifteen minutes. I will meet you at the Bullheads," she said. "Don't be late again."
"Of course not, Mother," Pyrrha agreed. Athena turned and walked out the door, her footsteps loud in the silent room. The door slid shut behind her. Nora slumped forward, groaning.
"Ugggghh… That was the worst thing ever," Nora pronounced. Ren nodded slowly.
Jaune stared at Pyrrha, who flushed and looked back down.
"Geez… Is she… Always like that?"
"She's just looking out for my welfare," Pyrrha murmured softly, "She has a hard time trusting just anyone with me. She does care for me… Really."
"Pyrrha," Jaune said, sliding his chair to sit next to her directly, "She's not… Abusing you, is she?"
Pyrrha looked up in shock.
"What? No, I-!"
"Because if she is, I am perfectly willing to make her eat her own teeth."
Pyrrha's eyes widened and her cheeks flushed.
"Wh-What-?!"
"Yup," Jaune with a nod, holding up his fist, "I will walk down and punch her in the face. Right now. No questions asked."
"Very diplomatic," Ren said dryly. Nora grinned.
"Ooh! Ooh! I call her kneecaps!"
"N-No! No!" Pyrrha said, waving her hands, "She-She isn't abusive! She's just… You know…" She looked aside. "Just very… Um… Concerned about me. She was in entertainment herself as a child star. She… She doesn't want me to be exploited. She just… You know…"
Jaune sighed, and squeezed Pyrrha's hand.
"Yeah," he muttered, "I get that. My mom could be pretty strict, too. Though she definitely didn't make hugging me seem like a chore."
Pyrrha sagged a little. Jaune worked his jaw.
"Will you be all right?"
"Y-Yes. Yes, I will," Pyrrha murmured.
"All right. Just so you know, though… It's creepy seeing you like this."
Pyrrha turned sharply to Jaune, her eyes wide in shock.
"I… I thought you didn't like how I was-"
"It can be annoying, but… I'll take that over you acting like a scared little rabbit," Jaune said honestly. "Look… When you're with us? You can act however you want to. You can be yourself, all right?"
"I... I don't know what that is," Pyrrha murmured.
"HORNY!"
"Nora!" Ren scolded her, as Nora giggled.
Pyrrha managed a warmer smile.
"I... I guess I am," she mumbled, embarassed.
"Yeah, but after meeting your mom," Jaune said, "I can... I can understand it."
Pyrrha slowly nodded back. She turned to Nora, eyes asking permission. Nora giggled, and held out her arms.
"Aw, silly! You don't even have to ask!"
Pyrrha smiled, and hugged Nora tightly. She pulled back, then looked between Nora and Ren. Nora nodded, as Ren sighed and held out his arms.
"It's not like I'm known for being 'huggy' anyway," Ren deadpanned. Nora giggled again.
"Just with me!"
Pyrrha nodded, and gave Ren a brief hug. She pulled away... Then stared awkwardly at Jaune.
He sighed, and held his arms out.
"Come on."
Pyrrha stared in disbelief… Before a large, wide smile erupted on her face. She hugged Jaune tightly with a squeal, nearly knocking him over.
"URK!"
"Oh Jaune~! I-I just-I love-!"
She coughed, and pulled back. Jaune held her close though.
"It's okay, it's okay," Jaune muttered, "Really. It's okay. Just uh... Chill, huh?"
"Right, r-right," Pyrrha managed, her face bright red. She nuzzled him happily. "Mmmm... You smell so good... Ah..."
She coughed self consciously, and pulled away quickly. Jaune was as red cheeked as her.
"Uh... Thank you?" Jaune managed.
"Sorry-"
BONK!
"Owww!" Pyrrha whined, rubbing her head. "J-Jaune-!"
"Didn't I tell you not to say that if you haven't done anything wrong?" Jaune asked with a gentle smile.
Pyrrha blinked. She smiled warmly back, a sparkle in her eyes.
"Yes... Yes you did," she murmured.
Shit... This girl is dangerous, Jaune thought over the sound of his rapidly beating heart. He cleared his throat again, looking to the side.
"But I'm not just gonna get bowled over, all right? Besides… If there's one thing I agree with your mom about, it's that you can do a hell of a lot better than me."
Pyrrha shook her head.
"I don't think so," she said softly. She stood up, reluctantly, and headed out the door. She cast a last, lingering look back at her team, her friends, before she left, closing the door behind her. Jaune sighed and rubbed his face.
"Geez…"
"So… Pancakes?" Nora asked brightly.
- - -
Don't think about Pyrrha, Jaune thought to himself, as he checked his suit and tie, Don't think about her... She'll be okay. All right? She needs friends. That's what she needs. Friends. Like Yang.
He nodded to himself in the mirror and smiled.
Yes. Friends like Yang. Who are fun, honest, funny, confident, sexy and beaut-
Jaune bashed his head against the wall.
"DAMNIT!" Jaune growled.
Pyrrha had to be so affectionate and now he was infected with Horny!
Sure, Yang loved to flirt but... But that was her thing!
"No, no, not gonna, not even gonna," Jaune muttered. He took a few deep breaths. He headed out of the bathroom, and into the common room. Ren was cooking again, Nora eagerly awaiting whatever he prepared. He walked up to the RWBY dorm room door, and knocked.
The door was flung open, and he was greeted by an angry Weiss.
"What, you here to yell at me too?" Weiss snarled.
Jaune, per his wont, glared back.
"Okay, what's your deal? Why are you suddenly in bitch mode, I thought you had your fun today-?"
"SHUT UP!"
Weiss took deep, angry breaths, her eyes wild. She turned and stalked off. Jaune watched her go, and blinked. A very quiet, very pale Ruby walked up to the door, wringing her hands. Her eyes were red from crying.
"Ruby? Ruby, what's wrong?" Jaune asked urgently, reaching out to rest a hand on her shoulder.
"Um... Weiss and Blake got in a big argument today, and... Uh... Blake ran off," she murmured.
Jaune's eyes widened, and he stared over at Weiss. She was glaring at her Scroll on her bunkbed, her back to them.
"Okay, so, what happened-?"
"She's White Fang, Arc," Weiss growled.
"She was White Fang! Was!" Ruby insisted. "She-She quit, she said so herself-!"
"And that counts for nothing," Weiss growled.
Jaune blinked a few times, and gaped.
"Wait, she's that Blake Belladonna?!"
"Funny how none of us made that connection, huh?" Nora asked. Ren lifted his eyebrows slightly, which may as well have been a gasp from him.
"Aw, geez," Jaune muttered. Ruby nodded slowly.
"Y-Yeah... Um... Yang went to try and call her in the courtyard. She's... I think she's still there."
Jaune nodded, turned, and ran off. Ruby looked over at Weiss.
"Weiss... Weiss, please-"
"We are not having this discussion, Ruby," Weiss stated, throwing her covers over her head, "Goodnight."
Ruby sagged. She felt Nora's arms wrap around her from behind.
"Hey," the older girl murmured, "Come join us for pancakes. All right? Let Weissy cool down. Talk to her tomorrow."
Ruby looked over at Weiss, still covered up in her blankets. She slowly nodded.
"I... All right," she murmured, "Thank you, Nora."
"What are friends for?" Nora asked. She smiled into the room. "Goodnight, Weissy. Talk to you in the morning!"
There was no response. Nora turned off the lights, and closed the door. She led Ruby over to the table, and sat her down, still hugging her.
"Everyone can use time to cool down, right?" Nora asked softly, as Ren put down some pancakes on plates in front of them. Nora dutifully slathered them in syrup and whipped cream, Ruby's favorites.
"This... This is really big, Nora," Ruby mumbled, "I... I don't even know if Blake will come back, or if Weiss will ever-"
"No. You don't," Ren said gently, "But worrying about it won't help. It's probably for the best that Blake and Weiss have space right now."
"They wouldn't do much else but fight like dogs and-Ohhhh," Nora blinked, "Is that why Blake always glared at me when I said stuff involving kitties? I'll have to use sloths instead. No, wait, maybe a sloth faunus would be offended?"
"I just..." Ruby closed her eyes, not feeling hungry. "I feel like such a bad leader... I-I couldn't resolve this-"
"And neither have leaders with decades of experience," Ren said, again in that gentle tone, "The fight between the SDC and the White Fang is not something any one person can resolve easily. Especially not with two people personally involved in that fight."
He nodded to the pancakes.
"Eat. It will make you feel better."
"It always makes me feel better, Ruby," Nora beamed. Ruby sniffled, before she took up a fork. She cut off a piece of pancake, and brought it to her mouth. She chewed it, and swallowed. The warm sweetness filled her mouth, and settled in her stomach in a comforting way. She sniffled again, but managed a smile up at Ren.
"It... It tastes great!"
"Told ya," Nora giggled. "That's my man! Though... I know you'd prefer Jaune be the one cooking for you right now."
"Ah! Oh! Uh," Ruby blushed bright red. "I-I mean... He is... He is like my big brother... And-And Yang, and Pyrrha, and uh-B-But I really appreciate you, Ren! Honest!"
"It's all right," Ren said, a slight smile on his face, "Thank you Ruby. Besides, Jaune's got a lot more issues to juggle than I do."
"Boy, does he," Nora laughed.
- - -
Jaune ran down to the courtyard. The stars were already out, twinkling as a backdrop for the ever present shattered moon. He put that out of his mind as he scanned around. He spotted a shock of blonde hair on one of the stone benches that guarded the center of the stone courtyard. He approached Yang carefully, as she dialed again and held her scroll up to her ear.
"Blake, it's Yang. I know I've left a lot of messages but please, just pick up. I just... I just want to know you're all right. Okay? Please call me back."
Yang hung up, and her shoulders dropped with her Scroll. She sighed heavily, like a much older woman. Jaune cleared his throat. She sat back up, ramrod straight, and looked over her shoulder. Her blue eyes widened.
"Oh shit, I completely forgot-!"
"No, no, it's fine," Jaune said, hands up. He walked over to the bench, and stood in front of it. "I mean... I don't think we'd have a lot fun, anyway."
Yang smiled weakly.
"Yeah... It'd be a bit of a bummer," she said quietly, before looking back down. Jaune sat on the bench next to her, and looked over her shoulder at her scroll. A long line of texts filled the screen, all unanswered. Yang sighed and folded her Scroll up.
"How's Ruby?" She asked. Jaune grunted.
"Ren and Nora are taking care of her."
"I'm glad," Yang said softly, "And Weiss?"
Jaune shook his head.
"Angry."
"I..." Yang bowed her head. "I guess I can't blame her. Everything she's gone through. I-I don't know how much you know-?"
"My mom's been called in to help victims of White Fang attacks," Jaune said, blunt and quiet, "And rescued hostages. When she made me help out at her hospital, I... I saw some medical reports. Saw some..." He shook his head.
"If they did that to normal humans and Faunus..."
"Yeah," Yang murmured. She sighed.
"Are you okay?" Jaune asked.
Yang glanced at him, and then back up at the stars.
"No," she murmured. "I mean... Blake's right. Faunus have had it rough. Everyone knows about the SDC and Mistal's bullshit... But living in fear that you were gonna fall into the hands of... Of monsters? Blake was one of them? She left because it was too much, too violent, but..."
"Well," Jaune mused, "I don't think Ozpin would just let a crazed murderer into the school. Not unless she was genuine about turning over a new leaf and all. She could have done terrible things to Weiss at any time."
"I know," Yang said quietly, eyes drifting back down to the courtyard, "And she hasn't... But I don't know if that's enough for Weiss."
Jaune nodded. He put his arm around her shoulders. She turned to him, eyes questioning. Jaune shrugged.
"Ren and Nora are comforting Ruby. I should comfort you. It's bothering you just as badly."
Yang smiled wanly.
"I... Thanks," she said. "Where's Pyrrha?"
"At dinner with her mom," Jaune grumbled. Yang winced.
"That bad, huh?"
"She's the worst," Jaune confirmed.
"Yeah, well," Yang sighed, "I guess that's a theme with a lot of us. Our parents are missing... Or we wish they were."
"My mom isn't all bad," Jaune admitted. "Hell, next to Pyrrha's, she looks sane. I..." He trailed off as Yang tensed up. "I'm sorry. Did I say something wrong?"
"No... It's just..." Yang took a deep breath.
She explained about her biological mother Raven. How one day, she just up and vanished. How she had gotten Summer and Ruby... Then lost Summer. How she'd tried to find Raven with Ruby once... And almost gotten killed.
When she was finished, she stared at Jaune with a blank look in her eyes. He frankly hated how she looked. The exact opposite of what Yang should be.
"Gods Yang..." Jaune shook his head. "I'm... That's just horrible."
"Every time someone I care about runs out on me, or forgets me, I just... It just brings it all back up," Yang admitted, letting out a short, humorless laugh. "I know I don't know Blake that well but, when you fight together...?"
"Yeah, you know them," Jaune nodded. "I... I get it."
They sat in silence for a bit. Yang sighed.
"I'm sorry about date night... I-I know we were just going to go as friends and have fun... Maybe it was a bad idea. Maybe it's just... Just me," she said.
Jaune looked at her strangely... And it clicked. He pulled her into a tight hug. She gasped softly, and looked into his eyes.
"I just want to promise that... I'm not going anywhere, Yang," Jaune said.
Yang blinked. Her eyes widened.
"I-I didn't say that-!"
"And, one bad day doesn't mean we have to call everything off forever," Jaune said with a smile. He coughed. "I-I mean, if you still want to-?"
"I-I do! Really, I do," Yang said, shaking her head, "It's just that every time something like this happens, I... Fuck. I just can't help but wonder if it's me. Hell, with Ruby, I feel more like a single mom."
"I know," Jaune said with a nod, "I know. Hell, I feel like a dad with my team."
"Well," Yang managed a chuckle, "Pyrrha does want to call you 'Daddy'."
"Yeah. Don't I know it," Jaune sighed, but he gave her a smile at her questioning look. "Long story. Sides... She wasn't the only one."
Yang went bright red. She laughed nervously.
"Y-Yeah... Heh... Good joke, huh?"
"The others thought so," Jaune chuckled back, mood a bit lighter. He adopted his somber expression again. "Seriously though Yang. Don't think one bad night's gonna ruin everything. Maybe when Blake gets back, we can talk this out. I'll help any way I can. I promise."
Yang nodded.
"Ruby would like that."
"So would you," Jaune said earnestly.
Yang sighed, and leaned in. She rested her head against his chest.
"... Why do you care so much?" Yang murmured.
"That's simple," Jaune said, wrapping his arms around her to tighten the embrace, "One day my mom's gonna find out I got into Beacon... And one of you has got to be able to get me out of the country somehow."
Yang snickered.
"And, well... As much as my family drove me crazy? When I was crying, or scared, or hurt..." His faced darkened, "Assuming they hadn't caused it... They were right there with me, comforting me, and ready to help me, or throw down for me. It... It's how I was taught. It's who I am."
Yang nodded, face hidden from him by her hair. She snickered.
"That's so frigging corny."
"Yep."
"I... I didn't say it was a bad thing," Yang murmured. Jaune chuckled and patted her back.
"Yeah..."
"Oh!"
Both Yang and Jaune looked up. Cardin and Velvet were standing in the archway to the courtyard.
"Arc, what are you doing here?!" Cardin demanded.
"Uh... What are you doing here?" Jaune shot back.
"Homework!" "Nothing!"
Both Velvet and Cardin looked at each other. They looked back at Jaune and Yang.
"Hanging out!" "Hiding!"
They looked at each other again. Jaune rolled his eyes.
"You're bad at hiding your relationship."
"Least I'm not a-a playboy!" Cardin sputtered. He grabbed the blushing Velvet's hand and dragged her off. "We'll go... Do nothing somewhere else!"
"You do that," Jaune deadpanned. Yang snickered.
"You are one hell of a matchmaker, you know that?"
"Please, if I was actually any good, I'd be getting paid."
- - -
Blake ran. She ran, and ran, and ran. She double backed, she took different routes, she backtraced her steps, until finally, she ended up in a small park near the downtown area. She walked past the rows of neatly tended bushes and trees, past the children's playground, until she finally made it to a park bench. Her every step was heavy, and slow.
She made it to the bench, and slowly, mechanically, sat down. The cool night air blew past her in a light breeze, as the broken moon shown down upon her.
Crickets chirped, still alive this late in the year.
She closed her eyes, and just tried... Tried to become lost in the ambience.
It made her feel like something else. Anything but what she was.
I knew it was too good to last, Blake thought to herself, On a team with a Schnee... What was I thinking? Ozpin promised me a pardon... But what good is that if all she can see is a monster?
She stared at her hands. Throughout her time with the White Fang, she'd tried to see them as clean, as righteous hands. Hands that struck blows for justice, for equality. It got harder to do that though, as time went by. Even if she didn't land the fatal blows, even if she didn't directly participate...
In her nightmares, she'd started to see them covered in red.
"Nice evening."
She had Gambol Shroud out and locked onto the speaker in an instant. He had his staff on her in the same moment. He grinned cockily, as her eyes went wide.
"Least I thought so," he added with a shrug.
"You!" Blake growled at the monkey faunus. "What do you want? Haven't you caused enough trouble for one day?"
The Faunus gestured to himself with his gauntleted hands, raising his eyebrows.
"Me? What did I do?"
"You just... If you hadn't...!" Blake gritted her teeth and scowled down at the ground. "It doesn't matter... It would have happened eventually... What do you want?"
"Well, that's pretty rude for a princess," the monkey Faunus commented, making Blake stiffen up, "Thought you were supposed to be taught manners."
"What... What are you talking about-?"
The faunus grinned, and pulled out a plastic sealed envelope from his jeans. He opened it up, popping the seal. Familiar scents went over Blake's nose, and her eyes widened. She lowered her weapon as the monkey Faunus spoke.
"By Order of Minister Shon Wukong, Sun Wukong, his nephew," Sun read, glancing up at her with a wink, "That's me, is to seek out and make contact with one Blake Belladonna, daughter of Ghira Belladonna, Chieftain and Lord of Menagerie."
"You... My father-?!"
"Apparently you disappeared about... What, five years ago?" Sun went on, "And your parents have been frantically searching ever since. My uncle got a lead on you, and since I'm here for the Vytal Festival, he asked me to look into things." He smiled.
"And unless you're faking your scent... Unlikely, given how badly you're hiding your ears... I'd say you're the runaway princess I'm looking for. Am I wrong?"
Sun held out the envelope to Blake. She stared at it like it was from another planet.
"I... Why would-?"
"Hey, it's my job," Sun said, shrugging, "My uncle made it clear that I was supposed to find out where you were, and how you were. Oh, and deliver a letter from your parents. This letter, by the way."
Blake continued to stare at the letter. Sun made some motions with it, pushing it nearer.
The cat faunus continued to stare. She reached out with trembling hands... Before pulling back.
"I... I can't..."
"Aren't you at least curious as to what they have to say?" Sun asked, tilting his head curiously. Blake closed her eyes.
"I know exactly what they'd say," Blake said, in a mixture of bitterness and sorrow. "I... I don't deserve it."
"Well," Sun sighed, his tail curling a bit as he scratched the back of his head, "That's a problem. See, I was told, very specifically, to deliver the letter and have you read it. So... Until you read it, job's not done."
He shot her a wide grin, his teeth shining in the moonlight.
"So. Until you read it, guess I gotta stick around."
"You don't have to-"
"That, and... You look like you're running away again," Sun added shrewdly, making Blake flinch. "You run away again, you won't read the letter. So, I'll be stuck chasing you around. As much as I'd love to be paid to chase a pretty princess around, I don't want my entire life to be about that, ya know?"
Blake snorted.
"What are you?"
Sun shrugged.
"Just a guy, with a job, and a runaway princess."
"I'm no princess."
"Yeah, and Ghira ain't technically a king, but hey," Sun shrugged. "I'm hungry. You want to get something to eat?"
Blake blinked. Sun shrugged.
"Well, if you die of starvation, my mission's a failure. So I might as well take care of you, Your Highness." He bowed.
Blake scowled, her ears going flat.
"Please stop doing that."
"I will if you go get something to eat with me."
Blake shut her eyes tightly.
"... Fine."
"Good!" Sun chuckled, extending his arm. "Shall we?"
Blake got up, and stalked past him. Sun shrugged, and just followed behind.
"Ah. Here are some royal manners at last, I see."
"Do you ever stop talking?"
"Let me stick around, and you'll find out."
She did not smile. She did not.
- - -
It was, Pyrrha supposed, one of the nicer restaurants in Vale. Gorgeous, soft red carpeting, beautiful views of the city skyline, sleek black tables with efficient, well dressed waiters. She was dressed in a slinky red dress that showed off her charms, combined with perfect make up and her tiara to make her appear like a goddess dining in the sky.
Only the best, as her mother would say.
She sipped her wine as her mother efficiently and neatly cut her steak and devoured it. Athena looked intently at her daughter, chewing her steak before swallowing. She wiped her lips with a napkin before she spoke.
"You're distracted."
"We have talked about my classes and fellow students, Mother, as you wished to," Pyrrha said carefully.
"There is also a great deal you haven't talked about," Athena said, her lips thinning. Pyrrha held her gaze.
"Is there?"
"You can't hide anything from your mother, Pyrrha," Athena said softly. "I saw the way you looked at Arc."
Pyrrha sucked in a breath through her nostrils.
"What does it matter? We're friends. That's all."
"You want to be more than that."
Pyrrha stared at her mother.
"Why would I? You made things clear-Rudely, I might add."
Athena stared at Pyrrha in shock. Pyrrha felt herself wince, but she held her ground.
The older woman steeled herself with a sip of wine, before she spoke.
"Pyrrha... I understand I may have come across as harsh, but it was for your benefit."
"Was it?" Pyrrha asked. "Was it necessary? We've fought together. We've bled together-"
"That doesn't make them good people, Pyrrha," Athena insisted. She sighed, setting her wine down.
"Pyrrha... I fell in love with your father because he acted like he was different from all the sycophants and scumbags who used me," Athena said, in a tone Pyrrha was well familiar with, "He offered me love, offered me sincerity, offered me freedom... And it turned into a cage. A cage you were nearly put in. I don't want you to end up the same way!"
Pyrrha grit her teeth. Her temper, usually so restrained around her mother out of habit and fear, was rising fast. She'd had a taste of freedom, of love, and it made her reckless.
"He's not like that."
Athena scoffed.
"You barely know him-"
"He keeps pushing me away and saying I can do better! But I can't," Pyrrha insisted, "Because he treats me better than everyone! He listens to me and lets me be a person!"
"So did your father," Athena said fiercely, "He played mind games, he made me think I was getting out of the starlet life while he twisted me like a puppet! You can't take him at his word! Everyone has an agenda! Everyone lies! Everyone is selfish-!"
"Except me," Pyrrha stated, cold as steel, "Everyone is selfish, even you, because you can't get over what Father did to you."
Athena gaped at her daughter like she'd been slapped. She studied Pyrrha as though she was some kind of eerie forgery, not her blood. It made Pyrrha feel powerful, for the first time in her life.
"If everyone is selfish," Pyrrha continued, "Then I should be allowed to be happy if I'm going to risk my life to protect people!"
Athena shook her head, looking almost desperate. It fed the fire inside Pyrrha.
"What's gotten into you?! Isn't this enough? I let you go to Beacon! I agreed that you needed a place to grow! To shine! But maybe I was wrong, if it's making you want to throw everything away for a pretty face and a pack of false promises!"
Pyrrha felt her Semblance roar inside of her. She could feel the iron inside her mother's blood. For a moment, she was tempted to seize hold of it, and tear it out.
She instead nodded very slowly.
"Let me go... Throw it away," she murmured.
Athena frowned.
"Pyrrha?"
Pyrrha sucked in a deep breath, and set down her silverware.
"I think I'm done here," Pyrrha stated calmly.
"Wha-?"
"Don't book me for anything for the rest of the year. I will not show up for anything."
Athena gaped again. Her cold blue eyes were expressing something other than contempt. It was fear. It made Pyrrha feel good.
"You-You can't-!"
"I can. I will. Good night, Mother," Pyrrha said, standing up and turning away. She walked off. She heard Athena get up and run after her. She felt her grab her arm, desperately.
"Wait! Wait Pyrrha, don't cause a scene-!"
"I already am," Pyrrha said firmly. Athena shook her head frantically.
"Pyrrha, please! I love you! You're my daughter! Don't you understand? Everything I do, everything-It's all been for you-!"
"No, no I don't think it was," Pyrrha said firmly, "It was all for you. And I've finally realized that... That I can't keep letting you do this. It's not fair to me, or you."
"Pyrrha-!" Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What did he say?! What did he promise-?!"
Pyrrha yanked her arm out of her mother's feeble grip. She didn't care about everyone's eyes locked onto them, she didn't care what the social media would say.
She felt strong, for the first time in ages.
"He told me to make myself happy. He asked me what I wanted. He listened. And he made me realize... I deserve to have all of those things. With, or without him."
Plus, she thought to herself, feeling giddy, He killed an Ursa with his bare hands. That was sooo hot.
She couldn't help her grin as she nodded to her gobsmacked mother.
"Goodnight, Mother."
She turned and left, ignoring her mother's cries.
She had never felt so happy before.
The trip back to Beacon took far too long. She was itching to just leap out and run the rest of the way herself! Finally, she was back on campus. She ran across the quad, holding her high heeled shoes in one hand. She burst into the JNPR dormroom, quietly, but quickly...!
She blinked. Ruby was tucked between Nora and Ren on their joined beds, all three sleeping peacefully. Jaune was also sleeping, but on the floor: Yang was snoring in his bed. They held hands as they slept.
Pyrrha's eye twitched. She clenched her fist... And let it go. She smiled softly, and caressed Jaune's cheek.
"Thank you," she murmured. She planted a kiss on his forehead. "It... Might get complicated, but... Thank you."
She turned and got undressed for bed. She'd ask about everything tomorrow, but for now...
She felt free.
- - -
Roman sighed as he walked into the warehouse office, Neo prancing alongside him. The sight of blood was nothing new to either of them. Not even on a young woman.
"HELP! HELP ME!"
This though... This was a little much for him.
"Hey!" Roman shouted, holding up Melodic Cudgel to the beast on the bed, "What the hell are you doing?"
The large, green scaled man grinned savagely, his teeth red with blood. The terrified, naked young human woman who had just fallen to the floor covered her shoulder with a sheet, as blood rapidly spread across it.
"I thought I was enjoying a taste of your city's offerings," the reptilian Faunus man laughed. The woman cringed as he advanced, clawed hands reaching for her.
Roman cocked Melodic Cudgel, and the Faunus man paused.
"Eating hookers is a good way to attract attention," Roman said, cold and hard as the Atlasian glaciers, "You? We'll just make into a set of luggage."
The Faunus threw his head back and laughed, his yellow eyes narrowed in glee. His green scales ran up and down his sides, over his scarred face and bald head, down over the upper half of his face like a mask. The rest of his skin was deathly pale, almost corpse-like, but heavily muscled.
"You'd really challenge me, pitiful human?"
"Way I see it, I'm the one with the gun and his pants on," Roman stated calmly, "Dying in the nude's no way for a man to go."
"Bah," The Faunus man sneered, getting up and turning away. He pulled on his pants. "Let her go. You ruined it for me."
"Mister Torchwick-" The hooker whimpered. Roman sighed, shaking his head.
"Honestly Gloria, ya gotta start vetting your Johns more thoroughly," Roman tutted. He pulled out some Lien and handed it to her. "Here. Tell Madame Rouge to hire a few more bouncers, eh? Get yourself checked out, too. He's a Komodo dragon, after all."
Gloria grabbed her clothes and ran. Neo watched her go with a somewhat curious eye, as Roman kept his eyes on the Faunus. He finished pulling on his white pants, and green and gold tunic. He pulled a White Fang mask over his face, hiding his eyes but not his needle like teeth. He turned to face them, grinning sadistically as his long tail waved.
"You bring me here just to see you brutalize a hooker?" Roman asked, "Or there a point to this? I'm a busy man."
"No one's too busy for Thanh Qinglong," Thanh stated, sitting down in an old office chair like it was a throne. He gestured out the windows, where other White Fang thugs and operatives worked tireless unloading Dust.
"You come up with that name yourself?" Roman deadpanned. Thanh growled.
"I earned it in battle in Mistral."
"Ah, yeah, the war against helpless women and children," Roman snarked, "Forgot about that one."
"Watch your tongue, human," Thanh grinned, "I got a taste for your flesh long ago. Maybe I'll devour you... And take your little whore for a breeding bitch."
Neo smiled, lifted up her umbrella, and extended her blade. She signed something to Roman, who shook his head.
"Not now," he grunted. He spread his gloved hands. "Again, the point?"
"We're bringing in the full shipment tomorrow," Thanh stated, "The ship got diverted due to a storm."
"Gee, that's great news," Roman sighed, "You couldn't have texted me? Had to bring me down here?"
"Yes," Thanh growled. He rose and stalked right up to Roman, towering over him.
"You think the fire woman considers you important, don't you?" Thanh growled.
"Well, seeing as I'm handling the Dust shipments and planning the heists, yeah, that makes me important," Roman said.
Thanh snorted in his face, hot breath and the smell of poison washing over him. Roman was so glad he'd gotten the deluxe anti-toxin boosters for himself and Neo. Made dealing with Thanh slightly less of a chore.
"We'll see how long that lasts," Thanh smirked, "I pull this off, maybe the fire woman won't need you anymore."
"I'm quaking in my snakeskin boots," Roman snorted back. "You need a lot more than scales and a bad breath Semblance to run this town, Thanh. Sides, thought you animals hated working for us measly humans."
Thanh threw his head back and laughed.
"Hahaha... Closer I get to her, closer I get to making her my bitch. Or my meal. Either way... I just want you to know your days are numbered, Torchwick. I have your scent... And I'll enjoy hunting you down."
"As always," Roman deadpanned, "Such a pleasure, Thanh. Take it easy, huh?"
Roman and Neo turned and headed out, walking along the catwalk of the dock warehouse. Neo again made some signs, her smile sadistic. Roman nodded grimly.
"Relax Neo... We're gonna get you your pound of flesh. Just gotta wait for the right time..."
- - -
Thanh Qinglong is a combination Sino-Vietnamese name. First part, "Thanh", means "Green" in Vietnamese. "Qinglong" means "Blue/green/young dragon" depending on the characters used. I decided we needed a guy to really hammer in how far gone the White Fang and Adam Taurus in particular have become, so a sadistic cannibal and misogynist seemed to fit the bill.
If Pyrrha's turn around seems fast, keep in mind, she is HIGH off of friendship and love. And damnit, after getting a taste of that, she's NOT letting her mother run things anymore. Though this will have some repercussions down the line.
I thought that making Sun a man on a mission was better than him just being a simp. I hope you agree as well.
