#riley currant

[sageywritings]

Down in the Second Period

Number 21 of the Devils, 5 minutes for fighting

Chapter 11 of my RWBY oc fic Flames of Change. Check out the pinned post for the full chapter list if you need to start from the beginning, and hope you wingers and web scrollers enjoy!

Auburn Vulpes belongs to me

Team JASR belong to @gruntnuker-rwby

Rin Aozora belongs to @solar-moon-byul

Shadow Stalvinge belongs to @shdwsprtn11

Riley sat in her locker with head down, focusing on twirling a puck between her fingers. The passing by of teammates discussing gameplans hardly fazed her. It was second intermission in front of a packed house tonight, even though a sizable chunk of the crowd were just looking for a brief escape from Vacuo's desert heat. Regardless, it made it all the more frustrating for the goaltender that with 20 minutes left to play her team was facing a 3-1 deficit. The offense was struggling to find a consistent rhythm, so she kicked herself a little harder for giving up a pair of goals she thought she should've easily had covered. But she'd never allow herself to be pulled out of the game. They'd have to rip her away from her position kicking and screaming.

“Hey goaltender.” The voice coming from the doorway that followed a knock Riley was too zoned in to hear brought her eyes upward for the first time in minutes. Sienna stood there, ears down a little. Her usual grin was present, but a bit more muted with a soft tenderness that replaced her loud brashness. Riley smiled back in turn, but it was fleeting.

“Hey she can't be in here! Team personnel only! We don't need distractions!” one of the team's defensemen Aurora growled at the fox-tailed punk. Sienna scowled and stuck out her tongue. Making sure to stare at Aurora the whole time she willfully ignored her, Sienna stepped inside and sat right next to Riley. The heat naturally radiating from Sienna made Riley want to curl up next to her like under the covers on the rare cold night, but she fought the urge.

“God is she always such a bitch?” Sienna asked, semi-hushed.

“She just wants us all to stay focused,” Riley answered in defense before finishing her thought in a mumble. “She and I both know I really need it right now.” Sienna frowned. She knew better than anyone how chill Riley was under pressure. Ice in the veins, especially when it was game time. But she could tell today was different. Riley was bothered, but she couldn’t figure out why. One of Sienna’s hands came to rest on Riley’s thigh, rubbing gentle circles on it.

“Hey, chin up. 3-1 is the worst lead in hockey, right? You got this. And if you don’t, then I’ll just fight the other goalie. If he tries to chirp you, I’ll just get him with a pipe wrench to the kneecap.” The casual madness brought a more long-lasting smile to Riley’s face, which in turn broadened Sienna’s own smile. It did way more to help than vague platitudes of optimism ever could. Just Sienna being Sienna. What could make her happier? She wrapped an arm around Riley’s shoulders for a supportive side hug, and Riley nodded with renewed determination. “Whatever happens, Riley, you know we’re in it together.”

“Hey, sorry we’re late.”

Riley sat on a bench with head down, focusing on twirling a puck between her fingers. The passing by of teammates discussing gameplans hardly fazed her. It was just past dusk, but she could still feel herself being pelted by Vacuo’s desert heat. She paid it as much mind as she did with Auburn and Rin’s arrival. In fact, despite everyone’s wear, the only one who seemed to mind was the approaching husky faunus, slick with sweat after the run there with her jacket tied around her waist. Auburn waved a hand toward Riley’s face after her apology drew no reaction, but again the redhead sat silent. Jade filled the uncomfortable void from behind her.

“Glad you made it.” Amber accompanied her with a soft wave hello. While not as low as Riley, it was obvious neither of them were in top spirits either. They probably spent the past day racked with emotion, and none of them good. But it also appeared to make the three of them equally determined. Auburn gave a nod before turning to face a building across the street.

“This is the place?” she said. The building she eyed was a small and unassuming brick fixture. Nothing about it from the outside screamed it was run by the so-called “force of revolution” White Fang. Though that was probably by design. But, Auburn's dad was sure it was the place, and she knew better than to doubt him. “So what's the plan? We just head in there and bust some asses till someone gives us something useful?” Her right fist met her left palm as she went on.

“Is everything just a bar fight to you? Not only are you gonna ruin an actual soup kitchen, but you're also gonna throw us in a situation where we don't know what to expect,” Riley finally spoke, doing very little to conceal her irritation. Jade placed a hand on her shoulder to calm her, even though she was just as displeased with Auburn's “plan”.

“Hasn't stopped us before,” Auburn mumbled under her breath with a shrug. Riley shook her head before looking up and meeting the green eyes of her team leader.

“What's the plan?” she asked her. Jade recoiled her hand back in surprise. She was always surprised when they asked her, like it was still a shock she was an actual team leader. Despite internally wondering if she should ask someone else, her team always looked to her and trusted her to lead nevertheless. 

“The White Fang have these kitchens all over Remnant. It was an initiative the Belladonnas pushed for during the previous regime. I remember there being one in Vale where I grew up. While it was primarily for faunus, they'd give a human a free meal too if they looked down on their luck enough.” She rubbed down the back of her neck until her fingers curled around the ends of her hair. Amber reached a hand out to her, but quickly drew it back when she continued. “Now I doubt they'd be so tolerant. Only a faunus is gonna be our ticket inside.”

“Problem with that,” Rin interjected. “Auburn and I just fought with some Fang guys. What if we get recognized?”

“Not to mention everyone on these streets is gonna know my face by now. It'd look suspect if I just strolled in asking for food,” Auburn added. She was right. With how notorious the leader of the Leash was, no Fang mask could hide her from the dusty, maze-like streets of her hometown. Before Jade’s brainstorming could go far though, someone crashing into her from behind nearly took her off her feet. A scaled reptilian faunus trucked through her before turning back with a scowl like it was her fault. While he was in normal street clothing, the hoodie marked with the red claw marks of the White Fang insignia made it clear who he was with. No mask required.

“Ugh move it stupid human! I’m already late enough!” he said nastily, only slowing down just enough to scold Jade. Auburn’s crimson eyes flared with the trademark rage that usually came before a quick and decisive combination of punches. But before she could pick her fight, Jade acted first. Her face didn’t express anger; it expressed the light bulb above her head going off. In a flash, she drew her weapon: two bladed pistols bound together by chain. She wrapped the chain around the mouthy faunus’ throat, effectively clotheslining him onto the dirt below. Jade followed up with a blow to the temple to render him unconscious, all before the other four girls could even question what she was thinking.

“Help me with this,” Jade said, strained as she began to try and drag the man’s body into a more secluded alleyway. Riley was first to snap out of the stupor and spring up to help her. Rin looked around in hopes they weren’t attracting too much unwanted attention. Not that most Vacuoan citizens cared enough to rat them out to someone that was supposed to stop them. Meanwhile, Auburn was just jealous Jade stole her KO. Once out of sight, Jade fished around through his hoodie pocket and found the missing piece to his ensemble - his Fang mask. The man probably wished he was wearing it. At least it’d cover the nasty bruise under one of his shut eyes. Jade held up the mask to her friends. “I think we just found our ticket inside. The girls then understood. Handing it over to Amber, she then started pulling the hoodie off of him with Riley’s assistance, all while Rin and Auburn stood guard.

“We’ll make sure to keep an eye on you while you’re in there,” she told Rin.

“Wait what? Me?? Why am I the one going in there? You’re the one always showing off how well you know Vacuo,” Rin said, flabbergasted.

“Yeah that’s the problem. Like I said, this whole kingdom is gonna recognize me, and they know I’m not gonna go anywhere near a Fang establishment. Besides you’ve been here long enough. You got this.” But before she could offer any more objection, Riley threw the hoodie at the husky girl. In her mind, they had already wasted enough time. She unfurled it so the Fang emblem across the chest was glaring back at her. Even as just a disguise, it felt… wrong. It felt like something she was grateful Shiina and Hikari weren’t here to see. But, she dismissed those thoughts and put it on, covering up the chain L logo of the Leash  on her tank top. She grimaced slightly at that awful heat. How could the others be so used to this weather they can wear leather jackets or hockey jerseys? Then, Amber outstretched a gloved hand and gave her the mask. It was nothing more than a monotone standard grunt mask, but now it was outfitted with a radio piece Amber had retrieved from her backpack.

“Damn, you did that really fast. You must be a tech wiz. I gotta call you next time I’m having computer problems,” Rin said with a soft smile. Her cadence was rocked with nerves she was trying to play off. If anything, the compliment and attempt at humor was to ease her own tension more than anything. But it backfired when all it drew was a shy nod from Amber. Again, Rin couldn’t figure out this girl’s deal.

“Let's go,” Riley said to get them back on track. Rin slid the mask on and tried to readjust her vision through only the tiny slits it provided. With one last pat on the back from Auburn - one Rin didn't see coming - she unsteadily made her way down the alley toward the back entrance of the kitchen. After struggling to find the handle, she let herself inside. Hopefully there would be an actual Fang agent back here where she could get some answers from. So long as she didn't fall on her face in front of them. Outside, Amber tapped her scroll a few times and synced up to the radio she gave Rin.

“Hey Snowdog, ya got me?” Auburn asked into the phone.

“How the hell do they see out of these things?!” Rin came back in a vexed whisper. All she could do was carefully stagger down the hallway toward a faint commotion. It grew louder and louder until upon opening the next door, then the noise blasted her in the face. A cacophony of shuffling plates and volunteers barking for what food needs to be made next. Rin scanned around, overwhelmed without the slightest clue of where to go or who to go to. That was until a panther faunus that was doing most of the directing pointed Rin out.

“You're late!” she said. It took Rin too long of a pause to register she was talking to her not to be awkward. She was just praying she wasn't in trouble after ten seconds of being there.

“Um y-yeah, sorry. Got caught up in a… sandstorm.”

“Doesn't matter, you're here now, we're down on workers and need you serving. And ditch the mask while you're inside,” the panther replied, practically pushing Rin along. Between not listening to her excuse and being allowed to stuff the mask away into her pocket, Rin was at least a little relieved. She was brought behind the counter, behind several different serving options. Spaghetti and meat sauce, chicken noodle soup, bread rolls, a plate of brownies for dessert. She didn't have long to get situated, however, before her first patron greeted her with a soft “how do you do, sweetie?” She was a short, elderly badger faunus whose white hair and face weathered with wrinkles told she had been through hard times. But, her smile was a genuineness Rin had hardly seen before. She reminded Rin of a grandparent who always looked forward to sharing stories of an exciting long time ago to the grandkids. Rin smiled back before filling her outstretched bowl with soup.

“Thank you so much, my dear. I don't know what I would do without you guys’ efforts here,” she said.

“Hey. It's like I always say. Us faunus gotta stick together,” Rin said. It was something she had said plenty of times in her life, but they lacked her usual gung-ho vigor. It just didn't feel right. It didn't make sense. To be wearing this hoodie, to have this mask, and see not shock or horror or outrage, but gratitude. And as she served more people, that continued. Endless gratitude. Full hearts to go along with full bellies. People giving thanks amidst endless swearing that “the scumbag rich in that floating city would never do this” and that’s what it makes it special. Rin couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride, no matter how sick or twisted it could be when viewed under certain lights. She was doing something right, but for the wrong team. Eventually, the dinner rush died down and that same panther dismissed Rin and the other workers so they could get plates of their own. While scanning for a place to sit, a ram-horned woman in the same hoodie Rin was in tapped her on the shoulder. She had been working next to Rin all night, but it was the first time she spoke to her.

“You seem lost. Come sit with me and a couple friends.” Rin nodded and followed the girl, whose striking blue curls made her easy to spot. They ended up next to a pair of faunus clad in Fang garb of their own. There was a girl with panda ears chatting away with a silver-haired man with a goat tail, along with a couple patrons that blew in from the street next to them.

“Ooooooh I haven’t seen you before. You must be new,” the panda faunus leered at Rin, who barely had the chance to set her tray down.

“Um yeah. I just signed up a week or two ago now,” Rin said, trying to play natural.

“We’ve been getting a lot of new faces around here lately,” the goat faunus said. “Seems like the recent publicity spike is inspiring the next generation. That Ospreay raid was a hit.” Rin fidgeted in her chair a little. The thought of people being “inspired” by such headlines wasn’t one that sat easy with her. At least it took the focus off of her, and meant she could dodge questions for at least a few more moments. She knew she was here for info, and now was her chance.

“What did you all think about that raid?” When no one immediately responded, Rin’s ears shot straight up. Did she mess up already? “I-I mean, you’re right it’s what got me to join. Seeing the Fang do that, that was just something else, man.” The Fang trio exchanged glances before each of them had a smirk grow on their faces until the point of laughter. It sounded triumphant, well-pleased, much more so than the shaky chuckle Rin mustered up to join in.

“Those capitalist bastards finally, finally got a taste of what they deserve,” the goat said, reclining away from his almost empty food tray.

“So many faunus have suffered just in the name of making their bottom line a few pennies bigger,” the ram spoke next, her tone carrying a more solemn weight to it. “So many lives destroyed, condemned to the lowest rungs of the ladder.

“A friend of mine worked in one of Ospreay’s factories as a kid, like age 9 or 10. She lost both her parents in an explosion there, and it caused her to get dust particles infused in her eye. She’s blind in that eye now. Know what the supervisors told her? Get back to work, you’re wasting company time.” Rin couldn’t find anything to say. Nothing she could say could make it any less appalling. Nothing could justify it, not to her, and even heartbreakingly less so for the four girls listening from outside. They all sat in uncomfortable silence. Jade pulled her hood over her head. Amber looked like she wanted to plug her ears. But no one was it feeling it worse than Auburn. The empire her team leader was set to inherit, the one he spent most of their time at Beacon flaunting. It was no secret this is what it was built on. It led to many fights between herself and Dash, shouting matches their neighbors JASR could attest to. But despite Dash’s seemingly endless shtick of playing the victim, despite all the yelling at his stubborn brick head, she kept coming back to that phone conversation at Amity. Him standing up to his father for her.

“Personally, I think they shoulda killed Tone’s brats already. I don’t get this whole ransom play. The only way they’ll understand us is through fear. Eye for an eye,” the goat said resentfully. Auburn stared at Amber’s scroll like she was ready to smash it. She marched forward, ready to vent into it loud enough for everyone to hear through Rin’s earpiece. But thinking quickly, Jade clasped a hand over her mouth.

“So they’re still alive. Alright,” said Rin. Auburn pulled Jade off of her and, after a staredown, her shoulders relaxed. She was happy to hear they were alive. Jade was happy Auburn kept her mouth shut. The next few minutes passed uneventfully, just casual back and forth among friends that Rin couldn't add anything of substance to. She was too deep into reflection of what they said about Atlas’ cruelty anyways, right up until they began rising from their chairs. It was nearing closing time, and most of the cleanup was done.

“So new girl. If you don't have any plans, you're welcome to come with us. We're heading to the Estates to watch the Underground fights tonight,” the ram offered. Rin froze as she stalled in search for an answer from the whispering voices secretly in her ear.

“What's that?” Amber said.

“A fight club that goes on at the Sunshine Estates every week. Bounced around in ownership a bit recently but still always a reliable show. Or a way to make cash, if you can win,” Auburn said. None of them needed to question how she knew all this.

“I don't know, guys. Maybe we should call her back. The longer she's there the more likely she gets figured out,” Jade stated.

“No! She's hardly learned anything yet! We need to see if we can get any lead on Sienna,” Riley retorted in defiance to her leader.

“Uh hey. You in or what?” the ram asked again.

“Uhhhhhh yeahhhh. Yeah I'm in.” After a moment of just stammering, Rin took it upon herself to make the judgment call. She wasn't too worried about being caught. But she couldn't shake a sneaking suspicion in the back of her mind Jade had a point. Despite that, the crew was on their way to the Estates, excitedly led by the panda faunus. Rin brought up the rear. Meanwhile, Amber and the others were being confronted by the soft but growing hum of static.

“Guys, this radio isn't built for long distances. I didn't expect her to be moving,” Amber said. Auburn motioned for them all to follow as she assuredly started leading her own trek. They followed behind the Fang pack by about a block, keeping their distance but still close enough to see Rin lagging behind. She was trying to find an opportunity to radio back to them, but there was no way to do it inconspicuously.

“We need more. Get anything you can, please,” Riley pressed despite the husky's attempts at contact. Her ears lowered, though they snapped back up when the ram girl slowed up to wait for her. She wrapped an arm around her to bring her forward, questioning what was on her mind.

“Sorry, I just… can’t get what you guys said at dinner out of my head. All the crap about the Ospreays. I gotta know, since that’s why I’m here, how do I get missions like that?”

“Pay your dues, work your way up, and show undying devotion, and trust me you’ll get noticed,” the ram smiled at Rin’s eagerness. “Besides that, I really don’t know specifics. The big missions like that are kept completely under wraps. Those probably never leave Mistral HQ. But I did hear a rumor that the person who led that mission is from Vacuo. Granted, I also head they were picked because they knew an Ospreay, but still means there’s hope for you.” Riley deflated, to the point where she almost slowed to a stop. Jade had to make sure she kept walking. Her mind raced too much to focus on keeping her legs moving.

“Could that be… Sienna? No, there’s no way. The Sienna I know wouldn’t do that. She might not have liked Dash, but… No, it has to be someone else.” Jade swallowed hard, while Amber kept herself glued to the screen. It unfortunately lined up with what Auburn had told them. Even more unfortunately, they never had the chance to share that news with Riley. Even if they wanted to, after last night, how could they tell her that? A short jaunt later, they arrived at the former gated community the Sunshine Estates. Inside the small checkpoint building at the entrance was a lone guard, the last one of his kind appointed by Vacuo public officials to keep loiterers and trespassers out. Those same officials, however, had very little power to stop his pockets from getting fatter from all the bribes he was accepting. The truth was every crew in the city had him under their payroll, and that included the White Fang. They passed by, only receiving a downward head nod for their troubles. Then, it was the girls’ turn, with Auburn still leading. The man stood up from his post and directly in the middle of the path inside.

“Auburn,” he spoke directly with a gravelly voice. Auburn smirked, her tail swishing. She seemed entertained more than anything by his attempt at intimidation. His size difference to the average person would have most thinking twice. But Auburn wasn’t most.

“Heya, Blaze. Glad to see the new owners kept you around. How’s the bank account looking these days?” The guard gave a small nod in acknowledgement that business was good, but he didn’t budge. “Look, I already got a date here to see the fights, but if you wanted to join, you just had to ask.” She pointed to Riley on her right at the word “date”, drawing an eye roll from the hockey star turned huntress.

“You know the drill. No weapons,” he said firmly. Riley stepped forward, almost instinctively squaring up to push her way through. She was already tired of wasting time they didn’t have. Auburn’s hand meeting her chest stopped her. “Hm. I see why you picked her as a date.”

“What can I say, she has a thing for abrasive fox faunus. So, this ‘no weapons’ thing. You told the same thing to your Fang buddies up there?” The man kept his ground and gave no answer. Auburn did the same. No one moved a muscle, apart from slight trembling from Amber. Leaning over slightly, she could see the submachine gun he always kept stashed under the desk of his office. With a sigh, she yielded and withdrew a stack of lien from her jacket, the same lien she had won from pool earlier in the day. This finally granted them access to join the growing audience.

Between two of the buildings led them to a packed courtyard. It once housed a playground and blacktop basketball court in view from plenty of rooms from their balconies to watch their children as they played. But today, it held a makeshift ring encased by a sea of rowdier growing spectators, and those same balconies served as viewing platforms for tonight’s main event. A lot of them of the ones watching from above were doing so behind White Fang masks, here to support one of their own. Auburn stretched to her tippy toes to look over the heads in the crowd, first spotting a wolverine clawed faunus in a specialized Fang mask of his own. In the other corner sat a familiar eagle faunus; Shadow was staring bullet holes into his opponent. Auburn figured he needed to make up for his losses. She found no sign of Rin though. Meanwhile, Amber had ducked away under a balcony along a graffiti coated wall.

“It’s too loud, I can hardly hear!” she shouted to the rest of her party. As if on cue, the problem got worse as chants of “Kick his ass!” broke out after ring introductions ended and the fight got under way.

“I lost her. Anybody know where she is?” Auburn said. Riley, using her height to her advantage, tapped her and pointed to the other side of the crowd, . They saw Rin, too busy taking in her first experience to do any investigating. She watched as Shadow ate a punch to the cheek before firing back a retaliatory shot. After a moment of playing with settings, Amber got the audio to come in a bit clearer, though it was still a struggle to put the noise aside.

“There's so many people! Are these fights always this packed?” Rin said.

“No, it seems like every crew in Vacuo is here tonight,” the ram said back before hollering in response to a vicious looking left jab from the dark-haired eagle faunus.

“What do we think of these other crews? Are they cool or?” Rin asked again.

“Depends on if they're smart enough to realize the White Fang is out of their league and stay out of our way,” the goat faunus said from behind them. “Some are, but then you get the few that wanna play big shot. Like the Leash.” Rin went rigid. She tugged on the bottom of her hoodie a little, just to make sure the Leash shirt underneath stayed hidden. “I swear the chick that runs them is dumb as hell. Likes to think she runs this city. She beat the shit out of me cause I was wearing Fang colors in her daddy's little bar. I'd love to kick that bitch's ass back to that excuse of a huntsman school she went to.” He had hardly finished what he was saying before Auburn started pushing her way through the crowd. Her blood was scalding hot. Amber tried to call out to her, but she either couldn’t hear or didn’t want to hear. All she saw was red.

“Auburn! Uhm guys?!” Jade and Riley, who had their backs to them to watch the fight, both spun around and instantly noticed the missing fox. Riley cursed loudly and started trying to chase her down. But it was in vain with how much of a head start Auburn got. The goat faunus felt a tap on the back. He turned around. Directly into a teeth rattling uppercut from Auburn that sent him flying into the rest of the Fang, Rin included. It also had the side effect of grabbing the attention of the section of people around them. And the attention of some of the Fang-affiliated onlookers above.

“You lookin’ for me? You wanna talk shit? Well here I am,” Auburn yelled.

“Auburn?!” Rin said impulsively before catching herself. Her tail tucked between her legs. Oh shit…

“Where the hell did you come from?!” the goat said, holding his jaw on unsteady footing. “How did you- wait, you know her??” He, the ram, and the panda, who were all squaring up ro defend themselves, all turned around to face Rin. Rin backed up protectively until her back bumped into someone else in the crowd. Rin shot a look for Auburn’s way hoping she had some kind of a plan of attack. No escaping now. The Fang member looking down from behind her had no intention of letting get that far as he drew his rifle and aimed down sights at the back if Auburn’s head. Jade and Riley saw this too. Jade drew her pistols, but had no clear shot. So instead, Riley took a puck from her pocket that was glowing red in the center. Pulling out her stick, she lined up her shot like it was a goal before tossing it to herself and smacking it at the bottom of the balcony. If the iconic sound of stick meeting puck didn’t alert everyone, the resulting explosion destroying the balcony sure did. Everyone turned around and collectively gasped.

“Thats the plan. Fuck it, bar fight!” Auburn called to Rin. Confusion reigned for a moment before panic set in. Some blitzed for the exits. Others began fighting amongst themselves. It was a full brawl, with Auburn at the center of it. The panda girl growled and brought out a collapsable bamboo styled bo staff, pointing it right at Rin’s throat. Rin flicked her wrists, snapping her arm blades out as she stood side by side with her Leash sister. The goat angrily charged Auburn with a few sloppy haymakers. She easily dodged and shoved him into another brawler, who turned around and decked the haphazard goat back toward Auburn. Drawing her new chain, she wrapped it around his wrist and used that momentum against him by kicking him away in the back.

The ram faunus paired off with Rin, unable to put her visibly distraught feelings into any words when she clashed with Rin’s blades. So she instead made her emotions clear with a hard headbutt to Rin, causing her to stumble back to. Back to a pole that once held a basketball hoop, Rin’s eyes widened before barely sidestepping a punch aimed at her nose. The ram’s knuckles met unforgiving steel, allowing Rin to kick her aside for the moment. Two more onrushing Fang members armed with swords were coming at her next, so she decided it was time to try out her upgrade. Her blades detached into two boomerangs. She threw them at the two assailants, with the left one sweeping one guy’s legs, while the right one initially missed only to nail the other guy in the back of the head on its return course. Rin caught them and they locked back onto her arms.

“Ditched the crossbow?” Auburn called out.

“I wanted to leave the sniping to… someone else,” she said. The panda faunus came at them with a war cry but Riley intercepted her, hooking the blade of her scythe on her staff. Auburn could feel the frost from the cold shoulder and supplementing unfriendly glare. Auburn wrinkled her nose a little, before a kick to the gut put her on her back. The wolverine faunus that was once one half of the show’s main event had climbed out of the ring to aid his Fang brethren. He had been trying to keep one eye on his opponent, but Shadow had mysteriously disappeared, faded from his peripheral vision into a dark corner. However, as the wolverine tried to stand over Auburn, Shadow materialized from the unlit shade along the building and cinched in a tight sleeper hold. As Auburn dusted herself off and got to her feet, the two exchanged a nod before she left Shadow to collect his winnings. Meanwhile, Jade was trying to keep the marksmen up top busy by firing pot shots at them. But, she saw two more on the ground charging toward Amber.

“Amber! Agh!” She groaned as a bullet struck her in the shoulder, her aura flickering green around her body, absorbing most of the blow. Amber froze in the middle of scrambling to pull something out of her bag. Right as the two goons got close, she brandished a handful of knives between her fingers. She yelped and chucked them at the attackers, but they all missed. They laughed in Amber’s face before one of them backhanded her, dropping her to her hands and knees. They taunted over her, until she raised a gloved hand that began to glow with orange circuitry-like webbing, and the knives retracted back to her, striking the goons in the back like hail.

The ram honed in on Rin again, but this time Auburn stepped in. Suddenly her chain split in two, each half locking onto a metal bracer on her fists. One hand wrapped its chain around the ram’s horn. She widened her stance and held serve, so Auburn used it as leverage to propel herself to her, nailing her with a superman-esque punch. The goat and the panda, now reunited, tried to coordinate a combined attack that would isolate Auburn. Riley knelt down, though, and activated her semblance. With a wave of her hand, the ground they ran on suddenly became a 20 foot long sheet of ice. As they slipped in place, concentrating all their effort in just staying upright, Riley deployed skates from her boots. With no grip, neither of them stood a chance. Slash after slash, she dashed back and forth like it was a practice drill, unleashing more punishment with every swing of her scythe. With both down for the count, Riley skated over to the goat. She towered over him with a terrifying glare.

“I’m done with games tonight. If you don’t recognize the name Sienna Umberon then you better point me to someone who does,” she bellowed. The pained goat faunus tried to a menacing scowl, but it fell flat. He tried to frantically move away, but the ice just kept him slipping in place.

“Wh-who?” was all he could croak out in genuine bewilderment. Riley lifted her skate so the blade was lined up right between his widened eyes. His thrashing intensified, but he still couldn’t get away. Auburn and Rin looked equally shocked.

“Hey whoa!”

“Riley!”

SLAM! She brought the skate down. After a moment of expecting to see the heavenly glow of the pearly gates, the goat opened his eyes to see her foot a mere few inches from his left ear. Riley turned and glared again at Auburn specifically, before a swift kick to the side of the head knocked the White Fang member out cold. She knelt down and started rummaging through his pockets, drawing confused glances from the rest of her team looking on. After grabbing his phone, she walked away and past Auburn. Again, the shoulder made Atlas feel like the desert.

“Did you really think I was gonna kill him?” she said icily. When Amber approached, she handed her the phone so she could store it away in her backpack. “Now let’s go. We need to get out of here.” The sirens they could hear advancing only served to prove Riley more correct. All the girls broke into a full sprint. Out the courtyard, out the Estates, past the armed guard who was too busy preparing for his own police troubles to care about them. Using Auburn’s extensive knowledge of the city’s layout, they kept to the back streets, making sure to steer clear of any main roads. Their pace did not waver all the way to a hideout Auburn knew would be empty and secure enough to lay low for a bit. They barely made it in the door before the toll of the run caught up with them. Amber was bent over, huffing heavily. Jade was still holding her shoulder where she got shot. Rin stripped off the hoodie and threw it at the wall in disgust before laying on the ground.

“Well. Coulda gone worse,” Auburn said, still somewhat chipper. Riley, still using her stick to steady herself as she caught her breath, slowly, frightening slowly, brought her eyes up so Auburn couldn’t deny the seething frozen fury in them. Auburn’s head tilted slightly.

“That’s all you have to say? ‘Coulda gone worse?’ Tonight was a disaster! We didn’t even learn anything about Sienna yet!” Riley said with an unnerving amount of rising anger.

“Eh we weren’t getting anything else from those foot soldiers anyways.”

“So that just means blow our cover? All you wanted to do since the night started was pick a fight. You were itching to do it, and it’s the only reason you thought tonight went ok. Cause you got what you wanted!”

“That’s not true!” Auburn fired back, showing her teeth. “I learned my team leader is still alive, and probably in Mistral.”

“A massive continent half the world away. Good job, Auburn, you sure found him.”

“What the fuck is your deal? We got what we could tonight.” By this point, the two had inched closer and closer so they were in each other’s faces. Jade tried to squeeze between them with her shoulder, focusing on keeping Riley back. But Auburn wanted none of it. “Nah Jade if she wants to keep acting stupid then let her find out what happens.”

“You really think I’m supposed to be calm about this? I haven’t seen the woman I love in months. I didn’t even know if she was alive! Now that I know she is, why should I stop? You just think I have to always be the calm one because I’m not as ‘chaotic’ as her.”

“Well you weren’t dumb enough to join the White Fang so.” Riley immediately slammed Auburn with a right hook to the chin. It was fueled by rage-driven instinct, one she had broken out a few times before when she was prepared to visit the penalty box. Jade jumped in further, as did Rin, who sprung up and hooked Auburn’s arms to prevent her from fighting back. She was too stunned to do so yet, but Rin knew it was coming.

“Why aren’t you more worried about her?! You two were best friends at Beacon! You were closer to her than you were to Dash, but now he’s your only concern? I heard all the arguments you two had at school, but now you’re all buddy-buddy with him? He’s been missing for weeks, but now you decided you’re motivated enough to do something about it?”

“We fought together. He stood up for me. And he didn’t abandon us!” Auburn’s voice was a nasty growl, as she still held her bottom jaw.

“He finally got you to believe his victim playing routine?”

“You saying he deserves this?!”

“No!” Riley snapped before pausing. She came down a little, the adrenaline subsiding momentarily with a deep breath. “I’m not. But don’t act like he’s our only priority.”

“Like you’re not doing it with Sienna? Sorry I have more sympathy for the kidnapping victim than the woman who carried it out herself!” She shook her head and looked away in refusal. She thought Auburn was just trying to provoke her more. Half her mind wanted to shove Jade aside and hit her again for saying such a thing. “I heard it straight from Sienna’s mouth. Just ask Jade and Amber.”

“Enough!” Jade screamed, her voice rippling. The argument finally ground to a halt, at least for the present second. She sighed. “Okay look, we’re all tired, and we’re all missing people. Why don’t we just rest so cooler heads can prevail tomorrow.”

“You’re right. But Auburn’s right too,” Rin spoke up.. “That’s not an excuse to let our emotions get the best of us. Like you said, we’re all missing people.”

“Amber’s been missing Sol for all this time, you don’t see her fuckin’ going on a rampage about it!” Auburn said.

“That hasn’t stopped me from trying though.” Amber’s voice was still soft, and her body language was reserved. Her eyes were cast downward. “Every day I work to get comms fixed again just so I can see his face. It’s selfish, but I’m doing it cause I miss him. I love him…” She was desperately trying not to cry at this point. “He made me feel like I didn’t need to be so shy at the world. But so does JASR. Sienna is a big part of that. She thought she could face anything, so when I was with her I thought I could too.”

“When I came to Beacon,” Jade stepped in to alleviate some of the pressure off of Amber’s shoulders, “all I had was my weapon and the clothes on my back. I didn’t know anyone, so when I got picked to lead a team, and that team put their confidence in me, I swore to give them my everything. Cause they were all I had.” She stopped as if to correct herself. “My friends are all I have. And that does include Dash. I stood up for him, I thought there was good deep down in him, and I still do. I want them both back.”

“See though, you can have these feeling and not be a cheap shotting bitch about it,” Auburn reiterated, never breaking eye contact with Riley.

“There you go just assuming I’m always the chill one. You realize I was always by her side right? I loved her fun mischief because it made Sienna Sienna. I never stopped her,” Riley said, calmer than before, but not by much.

“If you did maybe we wouldn’t be in this situation right now!” The silence that followed Auburn was as deafening as a grenade. They could hear a pin drop. Everyone in the room turned to Riley, but she met none of them. Her head fell downward, her face now hidden to Auburn under her jewel-toned hair. Her fists were clenched to the point where her knuckles changed colors.

“So it’s my fault…”

“Riley you know I didn’t mean it like that, it’s just-”. Riley didn’t think she deserved the luxury of being heard out. She had decided whatever Vacuo police presence was outside was more favorable than being here any longer. She stormed out the door without another word. Amber looked back just enough to see the crestfallen tears on her cheeks before she rushed after her teammate. Lastly, Jade’s eyes pierced the fox faunus harder than bullets from her pistols before making her exit. Rin turned to Auburn. She wanted to ask Auburn if they should go after them. She wanted to hug Auburn or pat her back or tell her to lie down. But she knew Auburn wouldn’t accept any of the above. So, she stood there, statuesque, left alone to wonder where their friend group from Beacon, the same one that thought they could take on the world and all the grimm in it, fell apart so badly.

[theonetheycallsagey]

Ignition Chapter 2: New Kids on the Block

The opening race! Who will come out on top? Who is this mystery driver coming from the crowd? Find out on this episode of Dragonba- er, I mean, Ignition!

Riley Currant and Sienna Umberon belong to @gruntnuker-rwby

Sapphire’s heart was about to beat out of her chest. Her hands gripped the steering wheel tighter. If they didn’t have to be ready on the pedals, her legs would’ve been bouncing with anticipation. Her eyes were transfixed on the skunk hybrid in front of her motioning for cars to line up. And behind that skunk hybrid, an empty city street under the lights of downtown ready for its players to take center stage. This was it. The crescendo, the beat drop that couldn’t even be rivaled by the ones she heard so frequently in clubs. It was exactly what Sapphire lived for.

The moment Royce’s arms dropped, Sapphire got her sweet release. A fleeting moment, but one she cherished nonetheless, as her suspense released into dopamine and adrenaline. Likewise, her Ford Focus RS felt that same rush as its 4-cylinder engine burst off the line. As Royce quickly disappeared out of view, she then shifted her priority to the car outside her passenger side window. The black Monte Carlo of Jynx Fushon was just beginning to poke its nose as they climbed through the gears. The 350 small block motor underneath the Chevy’s hood was putting each horsepower it produced to good use. As they continued down the initial straight, Sapphire’s rear view filled with the headlights of a Golf that was forced to fall in line after a poor start. And while she couldn’t see it, she knew that the RX-8 was fiercely keeping pace on the other side of Jynx. Sapphire kept her nose underneath the muscle car to hold onto the inside line for turn 1. But, Jynx didn’t drift up the track like she expected, instead remaining gripped to the street and keeping the two side by side. Now, Victoria was behind both of them, trying to pick a lane to apply pressure from.

Before they reached the next set of corners - a quick left-right flick one block over onto Odessa Avenue - Jynx's power started to pull him ahead. Sapphire groaned softly at the sight of taillights. Before Victoria could take advantage and follow Jynx past her, however, Sapphire sent her Focus through the cityscape chicane. The nimble hatchback had a much happier time going through the turns than her competitors. The gap to the Monte Carlo closed just as quickly as it formed. But, with Jynx on the apex, there was no opportunity for Sapphire to use her advantage and make a pass.

Facing the drivers next was a fast turn onto Summerwood Boulevard. Just outside the line of cones demarcating the track, a girl was sat in the back of a silver and black Chevrolet El Camino, with her phone out to record the action. First, she directed her camera on the lead as Sapphire tried to use the outside line to go the long way around, but to no avail. Then, she swiftly switched to Victoria defending a charging Cato. Just as she thought her filming job was done, though, the sound of an incoming V8 engine whipped her aim back to the street. As the Mustang flew through the turn past the girl, gaining ground on the others, she reached for a radio hooked to a belt loop on her denim shorts.

Back at the parking garage, everyone was abuzz with speculation at this new arrival. Questions kept arising like heat from the blacktop after a burnout, with no answers to appease them. Emotions ranged from bewilderment to concern to outrage. Who was this crowd missile? Why were they here? Were they looking for someone in particular? Everyone was looking to Royce for an explanation, but she had none to give.

“Yo boss, you’re seeing this right?” Royce’s radio hummed to life. “Whats going on? Who is that?”

“Harley, you’re like the 18th person to ask me that in the past two minutes. I have no idea,” she said back into the radio. The stress and frustration in her voice was a struggle to keep hidden. Meanwhile, the other three West Coast All-Stars were stuck watching the action from the sidelines. Solomon’s tablet displayed Sapphire’s onboard feed and the video Harley just messaged him. 

“C’mon, Sapph. Get around his ass!” Auburn yelled at the screen like a sports fan watching their hometown team.

“If she stays close and keeps biding her time, she’ll be fine. He’ll make a mistake long before she will. She’s got this,” Dash said.

“You guys are more worried about the race than the fact that there’s an intruder in it?” Solomon asked his teammates. He tried to keep his anxiety at bay and sound cool, but it still crept into his voice enough for his friends to recognize it. For his troubles, he received a hearty pat on the shoulder from Auburn. It took some effort to fake not feeling Auburn’s strength.

“She’s a big girl. She can handle it,” she said.

“That Mustang’s got no chance of catching up. Just some reject looking to cut the line and pull a fast one. So no, I’m not worried,” Dash added again with unwavering conviction.

“You should be.”

The trio all turned around to follow the trail of an unknown female voice. Stood behind them was the same biker Sapphire had taken a picture of before the race began. She faced them all with arms crossed over her black and red Icon biker jacket. Then, a pair of skeleton gloved hands moved to unfasten the helmet. The face revealed underneath had maroon shoulder length locks and red eyes that were staring down the All-Stars. The three of them exchanged glances and shrugs.

“Uhm, do we know you?” Auburn questioned.

“No, but you will,” the biker said.

“Ugh. The amount of corny ass lines I’ve heard from rookie nobodies,” Dash muttered while rolling his eyes so loudly it was a miracle the whole meet didn’t see it. The biker certainly took notice at his lack of care in keeping his words down.

“Watch your mouth, red. Name’s Riley Currant. I’m the leader of Garage 21,” she said icily at Dash.

“Never heard of it,” he scoffed.

“We’ve been going across the country beating the best each scene has to offer. New York, Chicago, Seattle. And now we’re finally at our last stop. LA, the origin of hot rodding and drag racing.”

“So, the Mustang. They’re with you?” Solomon asked the newcomer softly.

“Yup. That’s my babe. It was her idea.”

“Hmph. So you’re on a cute little road trip. Big deal. Why does that mean you get to just jump into a race you had no business even knowing about?” Dash said. Riley took one step toward him. She was the same height as Dash, so looking into his eyes as a smirk grew more and more across her lips was just that much easier. Dash furrowed his brow in turn.

“To get your attention,” she said. “We aren’t waiting. We wanna put the best teams on notice. And not gonna lie, when I heard you pull up in a Ferrari that sounded stock, I almost didn’t believe it was you.”

“How do you know about us?” Solomon jumped in again, inadvertently cutting his leader off before he could fire back with a comment defending his Italian baby.

“We got more reach than we thought,” Auburn nudged Solomon with her elbow, chuckling pridefully.

“Did you think we were gonna go into this blind? Besides, your influencer friend made it really easy to keep track of who’s who in this scene,” Riley said. Having heard bits and pieces of the conversation, Royce had joined the group at this point. She was eyeing the stranger cautiously, still demanding answers.

“Well if you’re as experienced as you say you are, then you should know this shit isn’t free to play. Barging in like this isn’t exactly how street racing works, sweetheart,” Dash said. With the grin still plastered on her face and without breaking eye contact, she withdrew a sizeable stack of cash from her pocket. She waved it in Dash’s face a little, prompting a swipe to knock it out of her hands that was too slow.

“You’re the organizer, right?” Riley addressed Royce. She nodded, still looking unsure as RIley handed her the wad of money. “We’re not looking for free rides. We’re just looking to make a name for ourselves. Just as we’ve done at every place we’ve stopped so far.”

“Oh you did that. But that’s not always a good thing,” Dash said, his words still armed defensively like daggers.

“Very ironic coming from you, silver spoon,” Riley said while desperately trying not to just laugh in his face. Meanwhile, Royce had been quietly counting the money during their back and forth. She had enough to cover her usual entrance fee plus a little extra. She stepped in between the two bickering redheads, waving them both off to shush them.

“She’s clear with me as far as money goes. Although next time, I’ll just text you when we get together,” Royce said. She stuffed the cash into her jacket pocket and in its place she pulled out a vape pen. One hit, a puff of smoke, the taste and scent of blueberry taking over. Her stress levels were finally coming down some. “Save me the anxiety, ok?”

The distance between Sapphire in second and Victoria in third had grown. It essentially split the race into two smaller battles. Cato was finding it difficult to get out of last. The RX-8 was doing good work keeping him behind, especially through the turns. If there was one benefit of being in the back, at least his attention could remain solely fixed on what’s in front of him. No reason to be glancing at his mirrors. Not like there was going to be a surprise fifth racer to defend from.

Wait, what?

Much to his surprise, a pair of Ford Mustang headlights were rapidly growing in his mirrors. By the time he noticed, it was too late to stop the charging blue oval. It breezed past him with enough straight line speed to make a defense almost impossible anyways. Now, the Mazda was next in their sights. As they neared, Victoria was unsure if she should even spend the energy on the tresspasser. She doesn’t count as an actual participant, right? But in the end, racer instinct kicked in. Nothing gets past. She threw a hard block on the Mustang. But, it could only stop their advance briefly. 

Back at the front, Sapphire was starting to get antsy. In her world, there were a lot more fun ways to get pinned down than being stuck in second place. But, that Monte Carlo was proving to be a nuisance to pass. In racing, catching someone is one thing, but getting around them was a whole different thing entirely. And if Sapphire didn’t know that before, she was certainly being reminded of that now. 

If she was feeling any kind of annoyance at her situation, however, she wasn’t showing it. Nothing was gonna shake her. She took a deep breath and instead of reaching for her shifter, she tapped the screen to the right of the steering wheel. On it was the radio tab left with the same playlist she boomed down the highway earlier on pause. The EDM made its return known with one subtle press of the play button. Jynx cocked an eyebrow at the mirrors he had been fixated on upon hearing the music.

Sapphire was all over his rear end. She first looked left. Then, she cut all the way to the right lane. Each move she took was countered by the Chevy, but the margin of error was shrinking. Every one of his safeguarding measures cut it closer and closer, looking more and more shaky. They began to approach a long right-hander that took them past the library, which had long been closed for the night. The turn tightened up on exit, meaning any passing here was going to be mere inches from ending in disaster. Upon entering the corner, Jynx’s car slid up just a little, leaving a gap just big enough to fit a Focus through. And right as the song’s buildup section was coming to an end-

“Got him!” The beat drop. Her eyes electrified. Her smile couldn’t be contained. She stomped on the gas pedal and gunned it toward the opening. It was a wild move, one that caused Jynx to stare outside his driver side window in near disbelief. She practically threw the car to his inside, but never once made any contact with the Monte Carlo. He was forced to listen to that beat drop as it passed him by. With that, Sapphire was now in the lead.

With the race well into its closing stages, Jynx had little time to waste in shifting to the offensive. He tried to put the power down on out the corner but Sapphire took his preferred racing line away. This halted his momentum for the moment, causing Jynx to growl under his breath. He barely had time to squint into a concentrated death stare at Sapphire before a glow from behind caught his eye.

“Heh, guess you don’t wanna lose that bet after all, Victoria,” Jynx said to himself. But, as the shine dimmed down and the front end came into focus, the invading Mustang made its presence known. “What the fuck? Who’re you??” he said louder in bewilderment. A blue car stuck behind him was a sight he welcomed, but with Sapphire in front of him, then..who was this? Likewise, Sapphire saw the fellow Ford slotted in line from behind Jynx.

“Party crasher, huh?” she said. Her voice did not express the surprise her eyes gave off at seeing this uninvited guest. There was no concern in her words, unlike her other competitors. There was no panic, no anger. Only a new thrill of someone new. “Ok, newbie. Better not miss your shot.”

As the now 3-way battle for the lead rushed toward the final turn, a left that would put them on a one-way track back to the parking garage, the Mustang suddenly darted out of Jynx’s slipstream and to his inside. Jynx moved down to try and squeeze them out of room, trying to force them to back out of it. But, the Mustang wouldn’t budge. With an impressive display of fearlessness, they kept on the throttle and turned Jynx’s move against him, practically powering him aside. The Chevy wiggled, forcing Jynx to give up the position as he had to let off the gas and recollect his car. With second now secured, all that was left was a last sprint to the finish line and a sporty blue hatchback. However, the battle for second cost both Jynx and the Ford too much time. Sapphire was able to streak across the finish line in first, securing another victory for the All-Stars.

“Yeah, baby! Yes!” Sapphire shouted in triumph. She eased on the brakes and gently brought the car back down to a leisurely, more speed limit friendly pace. The turn around and casual stroll back to the rest of her team was like a the drive to victory lane for her. And her teammates were the #1 fans to shower her with congratulations.

“That’s how it’s done!” Auburn said while pumping her fist. Sapphire gave her a quick nod of thanks as she got out the car. But, any further celebrating was cut short as her interest was peaked in something else - the mystery Mustang that had now pulled alongside her. Peering over the roof, she waited for the driver to reveal themselves. Her anticipation was first met by a pair of fox ears, both marked with several piercings, most notably one with a pentagram on it on the left ear. That was followed by long brown hair done in dreads with the sides shaved. And as she turned around to face the All-Stars, a pair of heterochromatic eyes, one a glimmering gold and the other an icy, metallic blue, peered back at her. Piercings dotted her face as well, including her nose, lips, and brow. The lighthearted smile she gave was a stark contrast to Sapphire’s confusion.

“Damn, you know if I had an even start I woulda had you!” Her voice was a bit deeper in pitch than an average female voice. Her words carried no kind of regret whatsoever for the race she had just broken into. As she stepped out away from the cars and toward LA’s established top racers, she revealed a busty chest hidden under a comfortable T-shirt and jacket.

“How’s the cheesy quote go? It doesn’t matter if you win by an inch or a mile?” Sapphire said. She flashed her trademark heartwarming smile, almost as if to the other girl’s nonchalance. She recognized the game being played. Auburn joined her side, staring down the fellow fox hybrid with equal parts defensiveness and curiosity. She seemed like someone Auburn could roll with. “Sooo who are you exactly?” Sapphire inquired.

“Oh, right! Name’s Sienna Umberon. Your favorite menace to society aannnnd-”. As she left her sentence on a cliffhanger, she made a gesture to the rear of her car. On the rear bumper, there was a sticker that said- “Fastest Fox in Town,” she finished. Auburn’s ears twitched slightly. 

“Wanna try that last part again?” she said, desperately trying yet still failing to keep her anger internal. Any interest she had in making a new hybrid friend had dissipated into the faintest scowl across her lips.

“What do you drive?” Sienna implored, almost in a tone of voice that was dying to egg Auburn on.

“Challenger Hellcat.”

“She’s our Hellfox,” Sapphire added.

“Hellfox, huh?” Sienna said. As the redhead Riley now joined her, arm wrapped around her shoulders, Sienna looked up in thought for a moment. “Where do I know that from? Oh yeah! You from Detroit by chance?” Auburn nodded. The Motor City was her hometown, born and raised, and where she first cut her teeth as a street racer. “Yeah, heard about you a lot when we passed through. Seem like the real deal. You had all the records up there.”

“Damn right,” Auburn said with a surge of confidence at the reminder of her hometown accolades. However, as she processed that last sentence again, that confidence quickly left her chest. Her fox ears shot straight up, and her face twisted with shock and outrage. “Wait. Had?!?”

“The sticker doesn’t lie,” Sienna tapped the front bumper teasingly like she was knocking on a door. “Riley and I built this thing to hurt Hellcats’ feelings.”

“I don’t know where you come off trying to step up to us like this. You snuck into a race just to have a shot at the champs, and guess what. You lost. So if you want another shot like that, work your way up the right way, then we’ll talk, ok? Back of the line,” Dash came in at last.

“Ooooooo, someone’s worried my degenerate ass is gonna whoop your ass,” Sienna said to him, her tail swaying as her sarcastically saccharine words were only interrupted by a snort of laughter.

“Worried? About you? Only thing I’m worried about with you is you trying to steal my watch.” His unflinching anger and commitment to the tough guy approach only caused Sienna to laugh louder.

“Yeah, this was the first impression I got from him too,” Riley said, joining in the laughter at Dash’s expense but much quieter.

“The first impression should be I’m above whatever hole you crawl out of that you call a home. If that makes you hate me, then I guess you can hate,” Dash said. Suddenly, Sienna broke away from Riley and marched forward towards the elite. The giggling was now gone. In its place were eyes of fire and a clenched fist poised to knock out the former shortstop. 

“I refuse to be lectured about ‘the right way’ by someone like you! You wanna talk shit to my Riley, then I’ll show you some hate!” But, an icy hand from behind promptly found her shoulder and stopped her in her tracks.

“Babe. Not here,” Riley said. Her calming touch instantly caused Sienna to untense her muscles. It was always a certain level of soothing to her, even when she didn’t want to be soothed. However, the blaze in her mismatching eyes did not fade one bit. After a moment of neither of them backing down, Sapphire also stuck a hand between them to aid in defusing the situation.

“We should go, guys. Things are winding down, and we don’t need to risk police catching the afterparty,” she said. Even as Dash and Sienna both took a step away from each other, the two refused to break the staring contest for another couple uneasy moments. So, Sapphire kept going, “It was fun getting to race you. Hope we get to do it again more evenly next time. And welcome to LA.”

“Yeah. Welcome,” Dash said with biting mockery.

“Oh don’t worry. You’ll be seeing a lot of us soon enough,” Riley said. The two factions separated to their camps and began to disembark from the meet. As they drove off into the southern California night, the cast of characters returned backstage after another performance. No doubt that the next act had been altered by this meeting.

[luverofralts]

Arkhelios Adventures

Dear Theo:

Theo, I had a dream today. Forgive my bluntness, I need to tell you something and asking about your school work seems unimportant right now. I keep having these nightmares, but the one last night was too real and too horrible to ignore.

You and I were in Pleasantview, visiting your half-sister. You and I were normal, but the Void had covered Victoriana. The only thing left untouched was her face, which had separated from her body entirely. It was gruesome to see.

She acted like things were normal and you two were talking like nothing was wrong. I couldn't understand it.

Then for some reason, you disappeared. The princess began talking to me about magic and wands and upcoming exams. She hugged me and it was like grasping into a sudden coldspot in the water. She seemed loosely tied to reality, slipping against my embrace like a trickling brook. There was no heat coming from her at all. She was just cold and fluid and empty. It was like losing your breath when you're pummeled by a large wave with no way up to gasp for air.

Once I'd gotten a hold of my fear, Victoriana looked right at me and said, "It's coming, Adam. Find Atem. Find Riley Reeves. Follow the names. Follow the currants of the ocean. Be careful. The Darktides are a family under much scrutiny. Your demon is dangerous, but you know that first hand."

Then suddenly, I was at a party, watching Ewan Goldman walk onto the lot, huge black wings splayed around him.

He looked directly at me and said:

"I'm not here to join in the festivities. Unfortunately, I'm here for work. I'm so sorry."

This all has to be some kind of symbolism about the Goldman family, right? Like I have unresolved issues with one of them and my brain is trying to work it out. That has to be it. I'm not dreaming about the future or being influenced by the Void, I'm just having unresolved feelings. The thing is, I haven't seen the queen or your half-sister in months. Maybe even longer. What issue would I have to resolve? Can you maybe read your cards for me? Did they let you take them? I feel weird about calling your little sister to read cards for me. She doesn't need to deal with this.

I can't get the image of the queen's father out of my head. The way his wings shivered against the wind, the hollow, scraping tone of his voice...I've never seen something dead before. Not really. Not up close. I've seen Mr. Goldman before in person and he was just like every other person in the room. He looked alive despite not breathing. You can't really notice that unless you look for it. But the man I saw in my dream was horrifying. I can't even really explain it. He's just a shell for something without a flicker of life inside. Something silent and cold and unfathomable. I know how you feel about that terrifying dream you had a while back. The one about the terrifying guy who took you to the afterlife. It's not the same person, but it sounds like they have a lot in common. I don't know how to talk to Mr. Goldman now. It would be weird to see the disguise up close now that I know what's underneath. Well, what I assume is underneath. This didn't feel like a typical nightmare. I could feel the coldness of the Void wrapping around me. I think it was real.

But if it's real, what does it mean? Are we in danger? Should I warn someone? I doubt people would really believe me.

Please, please get back to me soon. Do you think Rien could help? No. No, this isn't anything to worry about, I don't need to bother her. Let me know what you think. Are we dreaming about similar things? Do you ever dream about the Void? Sorry for the weird message, but I'm kind of freaking out about this.

Yours Sincerely,

Adam

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Founded in early 2018 by Allison McNamara, editorial director at Mane Addicts and former POPSUGAR video host, the clean beauty brand is known for its fast-acting algae-infused formulas. The universal face oil is Leaping Bunny certified, free of synthetic fragrances and alcohol (which cause breakouts), phthalates and parabens.

Chrissy Teigen loves this face oil, raving about it in her fresh-faced Instagram Stories. The light-weight and for-anyone oil creates a moisture-preserving barrier, helping the skin to retain its natural hydration and nutrients.

Sunday Riley Oil Cleanser

Smartly crafted formulas that use clinically backed, nontoxic ingredients, paired with beautiful graphic packaging and clever product names have earned Sunday Riley a breathless legion of loyal fans and Sephora VIBs who buy the results-driven luxury line in droves. Its buzzy moisturizers, serums, and oils (which don’t come cheap) have gained cult status and continue to generate hype—and fly off shelves.

This hydrating face oil is rich and nourishing for dry skin. Its star ingredient is purified lactic acid, which works to even out your complexion and boost hydration, smooth the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, diminish the look of dark spots, and combat redness. It also has ceramides that help strengthen your skin barrier and keep water in, for plump and soft skin.

Paula’s Choice Skin Relief Face Oil

Launched in 1995 as one of the first beauty brands to be sold online, Paula’s Choice has a cultlike following for its skin-perfecting products that are backed by science. Founder Paula Begoun is often called the Cosmetics Cop and continues to uphold her promise to only use ingredients that work.

This best skin hydrating oil is packed with antioxidants, skin-replenishing vitamins and oils to moisturize the face and body for a healthy glow. It also contains soothing ceramides to improve the skin barrier so it can fight against dryness and inflammation.

You can use it 1-2 times a day after cleansing & before applying your moisturizer and sunscreen. It’s also safe to mix with vitamin C serum if your skin tolerates it well. It’s suitable for all skin types.

Drunk Elephant Rosehip Oil

Drunk Elephant first put marula oil on the beauty scene with this indie face serum that touts its blemish-healing benefits, but this product also has the added benefit of nourishing and balancing the skin. The raw, cold-pressed oil is rich in critical antioxidant polyphenols and barrier-boosting omega oils that are easily absorbed.

It also contains retinol and Vitamin C, which can help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Plus, the blend of babassu, avocado, jojoba, and shea oils provides plenty of moisture without a greasy feel.

This lightweight face oil is made with only six simple ingredients and is great for all skin types. The jojoba oil is cold-pressed so it doesn't contain any synthetic fragrances or preservatives. It also hydrates the skin and doesn't clog pores, which is ideal for those with acne-prone or sensitive skin.

[hellospunkiebrewster]

Déjà Vu – Part I of Duty

Author’s Note: I don’t do fics often or well I don’t think. However, this story has been gnawing at me and I’ve turned into Nadia after Steve’s disappearance. I decided to give it a go and I apologize if it takes time for me to get it all out there.

Summary: Several years after the events of the Homecoming Ball, Riley and the others are forced into an all too familiar situation. Only this time, the consequences will change the future of Cordonia in an immeasurable way.

Word count: 2321

I don’t own any of these characters or places, Pixelberry does.

“Riley!”

As it happens it all feels so familiar. The panic, the screams, the sharp pops resonating through the ballroom. Like before, it all happens in slow motion. Even with all the commotion she can hear the seconds ticking in her head. Riley is on the floor, crashing there as he collides with her. Glass smashes next to her, her drink tossed aside and forgotten. Her legs tangle in her skirts as they crumple around and under her. In a far corner of the ballroom, a window shatters. Blood, metallic in smell, is sticky on one of her hands. She stares down at his dark eyes, his hair ruffled against her chest. His eyes fearful at first, soften at the sight of her. Slowly the light and fire behind them fades to nothing and Riley knows he’s gone. She can’t find it in herself to cry out and runs her fingers gently over his cheeks, a quiet moment for just the two of them, despite the complete chaos surrounding her. She closes her eyes for a moment as she traces his lips with her thumb. She reminds herself how they feel against her skin. 

Riley holds Liam’s head in her hands, unable to call out for help. Her voice has disappeared just as he has. Her throat feels dry as she exhales the last of the air in her lungs. She feels her chest tighten as her body fights against her, begging her to scream. She can’t. There is no reason to, her husband, her king, her love is gone. His body is limp against her lap. Dead weight. She’s forgotten in the entropy of the ballroom. More pops echo through the vast room, but she doesn’t hear them. Instead, her heartbeat thunders in her ears. She can feel it through her body, all the way to her fingertips. With Liam on top of her, she is frozen.

Suddenly, strong hands grip under her arms from behind, pulling her from under Liam. He begins to slip unceremoniously to the floor. Riley, pulled from the horrible sense of familiarity, is only then able to gasp for breath, sucking in the heavy sulphur-tinged air of the ballroom. She was positive more shots had been exchanged, but her ears rang. Silence and a dull high pitched squeal engulfed her. The despair hit her like she’d been thrown into arctic waters. Suddenly her breath hitches in her chest again and she can’t take being torn from him.

Liam slides from her lap and she fights against the hands, trying to hold on to him for a moment longer. She wishes to feel his skin against her fingers and feel the tickle of his cologne in her nose. But whoever it is insists and doesn’t allow her to snake their grip. She’s pulled up to her feet and spun around to see Drake, his eyes sad, only looking at her and never at Liam, left on the floor. It didn’t feel fitting to leave him there like that, it wasn’t a proper place for a king, especially one as loved by the public as Liam.

It’s in that instant that grief finally finds Riley. Her thoughts are no longer in the ballroom. They’ve travelled to the other wing of the palace, to the royal residence, where she and Liam lived, created memories, and built a life together. There, they were just themselves, not a king and his queen. The beautiful moments they shared together there flood her all at once: the first night there after their wedding, the quiet five year anniversary celebration they had together almost a year ago, and telling Liam that she was pregnant. Suddenly it is all too much for her, she could feel the hot prick of tears forming. Drake is pulling her towards the exit, a door flanked and protected by the royal guard, away from Liam. She snaps her arm from his grasp. She can’t leave him, not now, not ever. She already feels hollow without him.

“Liam... Liam!” she shouts kneeling beside his still body. Her hands run over his chest, damp and sticky from his blood. She places her hands on each side of his face, turning his empty gaze to her. 

“Don’t... don’t leave me,” she cries futilely. She brings her face inches from Liam’s, resting her forehead against his. He already feels cool to the touch to her, even though it had only been seconds since this nightmare started. There’s just something completely different about holding him now.

“Collins, we’ve got to go.”

Drake’s hand is on her shoulder, ready to bring her to her feet again. He allows her another moment to place a soft kiss on Liam’s lips before pulling her to her feet and rushing her out a side door. Even as they’re leaving royal guards continue to fight and subdue the attackers. The one attacker at the middle of the room, lays only a couple meters from Liam, his gun has slid across the marble floor away from him after he fell.

“We’ve cleared the royal residence, Mr. Walker.”

Drake nods to Mara, continuing to usher Riley quickly through the palace halls and towards the place she and Liam called home. When they’re halfway down a long hallway connecting two wings of the palace, Riley collapses to her knees, unable to bear the immediacy of her grief any longer. Her palms press into the floor as she leans forward, her head about a foot from the plush carpet. The tears she felt forming in the ballroom broke free of their dam and fell in an unrelenting stream to the floor. A single sob escapes her lips before she is able to speak.

“He’s gone.”

“We don’t know that for certain.” Drake’s voice was unsure and distant, like he was holding back.

“I... I felt it,” Riley insists. She remembered the feeling of Liam’s entire body relaxing into hers after they fell to the floor. She remembered his arms thrown at odd angles. She remembered his eyes.

She lifts one of her bloodstained palms from the carpet and upon seeing her foggy handprint in the carpet, she vomits. The heave brings more tears and she lets out a low whimper. Riley sits up and bunches her hair in her hands at the back of her head, keeping her eyes closed, trying to regain herself in order to get up. She inhales sharply as her hands fall from the back of her head, down her neck, and to her lap. She looks up at Drake, who has been quiet since she last spoke, one hand gripping the back of his neck as he looks blankly at the floor to the side of his left shoe. Riley stands, her shoe catches in the hem of her dress, resulting in a tear. She looks down, not caring. She reaches to pull Drake’s arm down, resting her hand in the crook of his elbow.

“Let’s get back.”

They walk together back to the royal residence, both slightly lost in their own grief and concern. Riley leans into him, resting her head on his shoulder as they walk in silence back to the place that she and Liam called home. 

--

There is no distinguishing feature to indicate that this door is the entrance to the royal residence. It is just as perfectly ornate and antique as any other door in the palace. Behind it however, is her whole life. Immaculately clean, not by her doing, she opens the door to find the apartment exactly as it looked in the magazines when she and Liam first moved in and Trend did an exposé on Cordonia’s hottest couple and their home. Blankets were neatly folded at the foot of the chaise, her books just slightly lopsidedly stacked on the side table, and fresh flowers on every surface that was large enough for them. 

When they moved in, Riley asked to modernize the residence a bit to make it their own and not Constantine and Regina’s. As a result, the place emanated an eclectic old-meets-new aesthetic. Antique vases dotted several contemporary glass tables and the end of their kitchen bar. Regina insisted that a kitchen wasn’t necessary and that staff would surely take care of all their meals, but Riley couldn’t part with the ability to make something herself when the mood struck her. There was something soothing about stirring a pot, getting her hands floury when mixing a dough, or even just doing dishes. It brought her back to feeling normal and allowed her to separate herself from her queen self. She knew Liam appreciated it as the job was more than stressful from the moment the crown rested on his head. 

In the last seven years, she watched Liam, unwavering and always bound to his sense of duty, age beyond his thirty-six years. His hair began to grey around his temples shortly after their wedding. His eyes were often tired due to many sleepless nights. He always found himself able to relax in their little home inside the palace and Riley made sure he was comfortable and taken care of. The whirlwind romance never ended for them, they always relished the time they were able to spend together, and Liam always found ways to take advantage of tiny gaps in their schedules. As much as she needed him to help guide her in her role as queen, he needed her to bring him back to himself sometimes.

Riley crosses the living space to the small open kitchen, running the water in the sink. She furiously scrubs her hands together trying to erase the evidence that the past fifteen minutes even occurred. The stains fade from dark currant to the rosy pink of her palms and like that it was as if it never happened. She rests her hands on the front edge of the sink and hangs her head. She watches the water splatter against the white enamel of the sink, the edges of the water still tinged lightly pink. She closes her eyes and she sees Liam behind her eyelids, the light behind his eyes fades before her again. The memory brings her pain to the forefront again and she feels her eyelids quiver as she struggles to open them.

“Fuck.”

She is pulled from her quiet contemplation by Drake’s hiss. Turning off the water, she turns to him. He leans forward, his palms pressing into the cool marble counter, his head bowed. Riley dries her hands as she takes him in. She moves to him and slides in front of him, drawing him into her arms. She unsure which of them is holding the other as they cling to each other. She doesn’t hear the door to one of the back bedrooms open nor the sound of tiny feet padding towards them.

“Mama?”

Riley feels her core clench at the sound of her daughter’s voice. Her exhale is painful as she drops her arms and turns to her.

“Ellie,” she smiles, not ready to break her daughter’s heart, “you should be in bed. What are you doing up, apple muffin?”

She fights the urge to break down as Liam’s nickname for their daughter slides from her mouth unwillingly. She can see his smile in her mind as he held Eleanor for the first time. He called her that then and has since then. 

Eleanor Charlotte Rhys stood at the opening of the hallway, sleep in her eyes. She rubs at her eyes with the back of her hand. Her straight dark hair falls messily about her shoulders, her eyes, just like Liam’s but a gorgeous green grey like her mother’s, watch her mother and Drake as she blinks to adjust to the light in the room. She is a tiny thing, but she never looked larger or more scary to Riley than this moment. 

“Where’s daddy?”

Riley felt her heart shatter at the question. She was unsure how she could ever tell her what happened tonight. Her father was her favorite person in the whole world and they shared something that Riley knows she could never recreate. Her mouth fell open, struggling to find words, to find an answer for her daughter. 

“He’s not home,” Drake says from behind her, “And your mom is right, you should be asleep Ellie.” 

“I saw the light, when you came home.”

“Let’s get back to bed,” he took a few quick steps towards Ellie and snatches her up, swinging her over his shoulder as she giggles sleepily.

Once she hears Ellie’s door close, Riley steps back to find the wall behind her and slides down until she’s sitting. Her fingernail finds a groove in between panels on the wood floor and she clicks it in and out. Again, Riley doesn’t hear the door to Eleanor’s room open or notice Drake entering the room. Lost in her thoughts, she only looks up when Drake clears his throat. 

“I didn’t think that I’d have to answer that question until the morning,” she says blankly, never looking up at him. He moves to sit next to her. “How am I supposed to break her heart like that? She’s not even five yet Drake.”

She chews on her bottom lip as she fiddles with her rings, her ornate engagement ring and a simpler white gold wedding band. 

“I don’t know, Collins,” he runs a hand through his hair, looking away from her. It was getting harder for Drake to look at her as her grief became more real to her. She leans against his shoulder and warm tears roll down her cheeks, darkening the chambray of his shirt. 

She’s not sure how long they sat there, but eventually she decides to move to the comfort of the sofa, sitting with Drake in silence, fitfully falling in and out of sleep until she sees the horizon begin to warm as sunrise approaches.

--

Part II: Hopelessly Cold is here.

[acaellusthorne]

Traits - The Wolf-Man

Full name: Birth: Rhal’den Swiftriver - Druid of the Pack. Given Name: Acaellus Thorne

Pronunciation: Rhaal-DEN / A-KAY-LEE-US

Nicknames: Aca | Kay | Floofer

Zodiac: Libra

Languages. Very rough Common - but it is getting better! He can almost speak in full sentences, and can almost read. Writing is still hard. | However fluent in Darnassian - does not know why. 

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS.

Height: 7′5

Age: Unknown

Hair Color: Shaggy sandy reddish-brown fur, with a unruly mop of silver atop his head. 

Eye Color:  Striking Silver

Skin Tone: Liliac purple - though hardly ever seen as he cannot remember his elvish form

Body Type: Bulging muscle beneath thick fur. Clearly a creature that was created to be more wolf than man, it’s as terrifying as it is intimidating. Though fundamentally the same as the Gilneans suffering the curse, there are key differences. Larger, and heartier - there is little to denote this thing was once even vaguely humanoid before it was created. The fur is thicker, double coated like the wolves of Hyjal, and he even has a tail. 

Dominant hand: Terrible with both of them, but seems to prefer his right hand - though he does plenty with his left as well. 

Posture: Slouched and pulled in on itself, as if to try and appear smaller than he actually is. It would seem he is aware of his hulking stature, and tries to make himself as small as possible when meeting new people. 

Scars: Though his fur covers most of the scars, there are a few that still can be seen. Fur no longer grows as long around his neck, where it’s clear a collar either rested for a long time, or he’s had several on over the years. A long Lichtenberg Figure branches down his chest all the way to his navel, and several smaller branches bough off the main trunk. Either he was struck by lightning, or a powerful currant of electricity was coursed through his body. If ever found in his Elvish form, there are multiple puncture wounds, slash wounds, claw marks, and other indicators he has seen many battles - or unimaginable cruelty. 

Tattoos: None that can be seen through the fur. 

Most noticeable features: His soft eyes. Though massive, and intimidating, there is something to be said for a beast attempting to make itself smaller, and watching the world with curious, gentle eyes. 

CHILDHOOD.

Place of birth: Unknown ( Hyjal )

Hometown: Anywhere - takes to the forests of Elwynn more than anything else. ( Grew up in a small village in Hyjal - near the shrine of Goldrinn ) 

Birth weight/height:  7 pounds, 19 inches long

Manner of birth: Natural

First words: "Woo-Woo” - Said in an attempt to call his mothers wolf to him. 

Siblings: None

Parents.  Birth Parents: Tyrnal Swiftriver (Father - Druid of the Pack. Deceased) Vyrandria Swiftriver - (Mother - Druid of the Pack. Deceased) |  Adoptive Maternal Figure: Margery Throne - Harvest Witch. Found Acaellus in the woods around Daral’Nir in the woods of Gilneas. Took him in, named him Acaellus, and taught him common. 

Parental involvement: Acaellus, as he currently is, does not remember anything from his past before being awoken during the Cataclysm. Margery, the woman who found him, was a kind and compassionate woman. She took him in, named him, clothed him, housed him, and began to teach him Common before the Forsaken invaded Gilneas. 

ADULT LIFE.

Occupation: Though hardly a place in civilized society for such a creature, Acaellus eeks out an existence by tending to the graves in the Stormwind graveyard. He cleans them of weeds, plants flowers, and makes sure the clutter and trash is picked up. The grave keeper repays him with little bits of dried meats and food stuffs with a few silver coins. 

Current Residence: Anywhere Victoria lives

Close friends: Riley Flynn ( @blue-eyedraven ) | Claire Donnovan ( @flying-fox-of-westfall ) |  Victoria Quinn ( @booksinbloom ) | Jasper Quinn ( @jasper-quinn ) 

Relationship Status: Involved with @booksinbloom

Financial Status: Dirt poor - as there is no reliable income

Vices: Self-imposed Isolation | Alcohol (past life ) | 

SEX & ROMANCE.

Sexual Orientation: Straight

Romantic Orientation: Straight

Preferred Emotional Role:  submissive | dominant | switch | unsure

Preferred Sexual Role:  submissive | dominant | switch | sex repulsed

Libido: On the high side, usually.

Turn-ons:  Compassion | Empathy | Gentleness | Respect for the Dead | Humor | Intelligence | Patience | 

Turn-offs:  Arrogance | Cruelty | Controlling/Violent tendencies | Impatience | Apathy | Cruelty to animals | 

Love Language: Tender, yet profound. For all his years of isolation, there were very few opportunities for him to find love. Yet, when he does find it, he will hold onto it. He will often curl in close, invade personal space, rest his head upon their lap, shoulder, atop their head. He will usually hug his person, hold them close, nuzzle against their cheek like an affectionate puppy. Behind closed doors it’s even worse. He’s absolutely doting, and loving. 

Relationship Tendencies. Slow for everything. Isolation tends to lend one to never establish meaningful relationships. However when they are found, they are treasured. 

MISCELLANEOUS.

Hobbies to pass the time: Making Flower Crowns | Growing plants | Tending to flowers | Braiding hair | Little bits of bead work | 

Mental illnesses: PTSD 

Physical Illnesses: NA

Left or right brained: Left

Fears: Dogs | Men | Shackles |  Lightning | Collars | 

Self Confidence Level: Moderate

Vulnerabilities:Victoria

Tagged by: @dae-shadowvale

Tagging: @booksinbloom

[sweethoops]

http://ift.tt/2nwiRGm   Cuando empiezas una temporada con un balance de 11-30, lo más probable es que tires la toalla y empieces a pensar en un Draft que viene plagado de talento, pero eso para Miami, no existe. No si se cuenta con Spoelstra de entrenador, y su mentor, Pat Riley, en los despachos. El curso de los Heat no va a pasar a la historia por ser la mejor de sus últimos años, porque no hace tanto eran el equipo a batir por toda la liga, pero si que será uno de los más recordadas en los aficionados de la South Beach por el tremendo arreón y la muestra de pundonor ofrecido en esta segunda parte de la temporada. Nadie sabe cómo acabará la película de aquí a un par de semanas, lo que está claro es que en el diccionario de Miami no se encuentra ninguna definición en términos de rendición o derrota. El factor Spoelstra y la gestión del vestuario No es tarea sencilla gestionar un vestuario en el que antes de empezar la temporada sufren la baja definitiva de Chris Bosh por enfermedad, y la marcha del eterno capitán Dwayne Wade a Chicago, tras toda una vida en Miami. Con estas dos ausencias lo lógico es hundirse moralmente y comenzar una reconstrucción, y más mirando de donde venían, una temporada de 48-34 y eliminados en semifinales de la Conferencia Este. Aquí entra la tarea de un Spoelstra, que ha mentalizado a sus jugadores para no creerse inferiores a nadie y luchar ante la adversidad. Los Heat alcanzaron entre enero y febrero 13 victorias seguidas, y tienen un balance de 24-7 en los últimos 31 partidos; el mejor de la liga. No solo eso, sino que han conseguido colarse en Playoffs, cuando hace unas semanas parecía mas que una quimera. Todavía quedan una decena de partidos por disputarse, y pueden permitirse soñar con alcanzar a los Hawks en la quinta plaza ya que tan solo están a dos victorias de ellos, las mismas que derrotas de quedarse sin la 8ª plaza. Y de todo ello el gran artífice ha sido Erik, al que muchos colocan como “Entrenador del Año”, si los Heat logran alcanzar la post-temporada. Esta es su 9ª temporada como entrenador jefe, antes estuvo 11 años de asistente, por tanto, toda una vida al servicio de los Heat. Spoelstra aprendió al lado de uno de los grandes entrenadores de la historia, Pat Riley, artífice de la dinastía creada por LeBron-Wade-Bosh, y mentor de un entrenador que ha cogido saber los mejores métodos de su maestro y añadirlos a su libro de estilo personal para convertirse en uno de los mejores “coaches” de la liga. Habiendo superado ya las 430 victorias, es cuestión de tiempo que supere a Riley (454) como el entrenador con más victorias en la historia de la franquicia de Florida. Además ha dado galones a jugadores desconocidos y a otros por los que la mayoría de entrenadores no apostaban demasiado. Esa confianza entre jugador y entrenador ha hecho que exista una compenetración que se ve reflejada en el juego de Miami. Una plantilla llena de currantes sin ningún ego El roster de los Heat a simple vista no parece demasiado fastuoso, más si lo comparamos con los equipos con los que están compitiendo en el Este que cuentan con un plantel mucho más potente como: Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls o Atlanta Hawks. La gran virtud de los de Spoelstra es ser un bloque compacto, donde los jugadores han creado una química especial y cada uno entiende y se adapta a su rol a las mil maravillas. Whiteside y Dragic son las puntas de lanza, pero detrás de ellos hay todo un elenco de jugadores que o bien han revivido sus carreras cuando apuntaban a la deriva, o bien se han ganado un puesto desde la Liga de Desarrollo. Pívot y base han encontrado una sintonía perfecta que les hace convertirse en una de las mejores parejas de la NBA, complementándose a la perfección y reflejado fielmente lo que es una pareja por antonomasia en la liga, creador y destructor. El esloveno está rallando este curso a un nivel excelso, prácticamente calcando los números que cosechó en la temporada 13-14 con los Suns, que le valieron entrar en el tercer mejor quinteto de la NBA y lograr el premio a “Jugador más mejorado”, nada mal. En aquella temporada sus guarismos fueron de: 20,3 puntos; 3,2 rebotes; 5,9 asistencias; 1,4 robos; con un 50,5% en TC y un 40,8% en T3. Curiosamente aquel año los Suns consiguieron un balance de 48-34, igual que el de Miami la temporada pasada, aunque los de Arizona no lograron ni entrar a Playoffs con tal cantidad de victorias. Esta temporada está promediando: 20,2 puntos; 3,9 rebotes; 5,9 asistencias; 1,2 robos; con un 48% en TC y un 41,7 en T3. Los paralelismos asustan, y más si comparamos el roster de ambas franquicias en esos momentos, con una temporada mucho mejor que lo que marcaban las expectativas marcadas por la calidad de los jugadores. Por su parte, Whisteside sigue con su progreso paulatino que ya le convirtió durante el curso anterior en uno de los pívots más dominantes del mundo. En este simplemente está confirmando dicho honor y mejorando sus prestaciones. 16,8 puntos; 14,2 rebotes y 2,1 tapones son sus guarismos en una temporada en la que ha logrado batir algunos récords de la franquicia. Con 935 rebotes en la campaña, se ha convertido en el máximo reboteador de los Heat en una temporada, superando a Rony Seikaly; además lleva una racha de 18 dobles-dobles seguidos, la más larga en la historia del equipo. Todo ello le ha valido para ser elegido mejor jugador de la semana en la Conferencia Este. El otro jugador que hay que destacar sobremanera es Dion Waiters, un asiduo a las listas de “cabras locas” que la NBA va actualizando de tanto en tanto, y donde a veces también se tachan nombres, como en este caso el suyo. Y es que a sus 25 años y tras un periplo complicado por Oklahoma, la carrera de Dion daba señales de venirse abajo, pero el alero ha encontrado en el calor de Miami su casa, y un lugar donde poder mostrar todo el talento que atesora. Con la confianza total de Spoelstra y más centrado que nunca en lo que haga en cancha y no fuera de ella, está promediando 15,8 puntos; 3,3 rebotes y 4,3 asistencias, siendo el tope de su carrera en pases a canasta y en rechaces. Además de lograr varias canastas ganadoras sobre la bocina y ser nombrado “Player of the week” en febrero. Una regeneración total. Tras ellos asoman una pintoresca mezcla de jugadores jóvenes y contrastados como: Tyler Johnson, Josh Richardson, James Johnson y Wayne Ellington, además del todoterreno Winslow, lesionado de larga duración. Todos superan o están cerca de hacerlo, los 10 puntos de media y aportan, cada uno de ellos, en otras facetas esenciales para el devenir del equipo. Por tanto, si contamos a Winslow, encontramos hasta 8 jugadores con una media de 9,5 puntos o más. La definición de juego coral en todo su esplendor. Por último también hay que hablar de los no invitados a la fiesta, aquellos que han salido de la D-League, y que para sorpresa de todos, les ha valido una sola oportunidad para demostrar por qué se han hecho un hueco en un equipo efervescente. Okaro White, Rodney McGruder y Willie Reed, encarnan a la perfección ese perfil de jugador. Los 3 ya tienen o han superado los 24 años, y aunque acumulan un bagaje escaso en la NBA, podemos decir que no son unos “chavalines”, habiendo gastado oportunidades en la NBADL o en otros equipos, oportunidades que ahora ya no piensan dejar escapar.

http://www.sweethoops.com/miami-heat-cuando-perder-no-existe-en-el-diccionario/

[allcheatscodes]

red dead redemption ps3

http://allcheatscodes.com/red-dead-redemption-ps3/

red dead redemption ps3

Red Dead Redemption cheats & more for PlayStation 3 (PS3)

Cheats

Unlockables

Hints

Easter Eggs

Glitches

Guides

Trophies

Get the updated and latest Red Dead Redemption cheats, unlockables, codes, hints, Easter eggs, glitches, tricks, tips, hacks, downloads, trophies, guides, FAQs, walkthroughs, and more for PlayStation 3 (PS3). AllCheatsCodes.com has all the codes you need to win every game you play!

Use the links above or scroll down to see all the PlayStation 3 cheats we have available for Red Dead Redemption.

Check Xbox 360 cheats for this game

Genre: Shooter, Third-Person 3D Shooter Developer: Rockstar Publisher: Rockstar Games ESRB Rating: Mature Release Date: May 18, 2010

Hints

Cheats in the Newspaper

Cheat codes can be found in the bottom right hand corner of newspapers so buy them when you can.

Leg Work

This best works in armadillo. If you have the throwing knives, throw one knife using dead eye at the persons leg then see if he pulls out a gun. If he does throw another knife at his other leg from farther away he will sometimes drop on his knees and shoot at you with his gun. Then kill him however you want. I prefer a knife to the eye but do what ever you want.

Easy Skin Animals

When you have shot an animal of any kind and do not like to wait to collect the “reward”, just simply park your horse over the animal, hop off, and hit triangle to skin the animal. This saves alot of time.

Tackle A Bull

First, get in a fight with anyone who will fight back at Macfarlen’s ranch. Go to the cow pen (wile in the fight)and then set up a ground tackle and when the bull charge’s ground tackle. YOU WILL GRAB THE BULL AND THE BULL WILL FALL AND YOU CAN PUNCH HIM!

Homing Dynamite

Select dynamite from your weapons and then go into Dead Eye aiming mode. Position the orange arch so that it passes through or comes into contact with your target. Press R1 to lock onto your target and then press R2 to send the dynamite chasing after the intended victim. The dynamite won’t stop flying after the target until it’s dead. (Also works with firebottles a.k.a. Molotovs).

Make Money

Go out to the mountains and shoot bears, cougars, bighorn up in mountains cougars claws are worth $24 and bears are worth I think $18.

How To Get In The Villa House

In the misson where you kill bill there are some men with axes chopin th door down and you have to use the gatlen gun if you stand inbetween the door and the man you should be spawn inside the house if you want to get out you can just trow a fire bottle at the door and it will say you assalted one of Reyes men.

Early Access To Mexico

Go to “Frontera Bridge.” and ride quickly to the end of the bridge and get off the horse. Let your poor horse fall into the water. Do NOT call a new horse. Next, walk backward until the railroad track starts running into solid ground – it’s not very gar. Next, turn left and go down the steep slope all the way to the riverbank. There are a bunch of small bushes by the river and the music should also switch to Spanish music. If you don’t hear the new music you’ll have to start over. Finally, set up a campsite when you hear the music and you will then be on the Mexican side of the river. The “Romita de la Baya” bridge will take you back across the border, and you’ll have to do the same thing with the horse here, let it fall into the river and set up a campsite on the island. The campsite should be near the edge of the island to the north, either to the left or the right of the bridge.

Hint

If you go to the shallows, you will get a volcanic rifle, by defeating the gang members.

Location Of Survivalist Flowers

Survivalist 1Collect 6 Wild Feverfew: Found in Hennigan's Stead and Cholla SpringsSurvivalist 2Collect 6 Desert Sages: Found in and around Gap-tooth RidgeSurvivalist 3Collect 4 Red Sage Plants: Found in and around Rio BravoSurvivalist 4Collect 8 Prickly Pears: Found in and around Punto OrgulloSurvivalist 5Collect 7 Wooly Blue Curls: Found in and around PerdidoSurvivalist 6Collect 8 Butterfly Weeds: Found in and around Diez CoronasSurvivalist 7Collect 10 Hummingbird Sage Plants: Found in and around Tall TreesSurvivalist 8Collect 12 Prairie Popies: Found in and around the Great PlainsSurvivalist 9Collect 15 Golden Currants: Found in and around the Great PlainsSurvivalist 10Collect 10 Violet Snowdrops (collect 2 more of every herbavailable): Found in and around the snow-covered parts of Tall Trees

West Dickens Takes A Break

Begin a mission with West Dickens that requires driving or shotgunning hiscarriage. When you are a few hundred yards away from the mission’s beginningpoint, press Triangle (on PlayStation3) or Y (on Xbox 360) to jump free. Remainidle and do not get back on the carriage. Eventually West Dickens will jump offthe carriage and begin urinating.

Make Easy Money

Buy the house available in Armadillo, then after you did that, go to the bank and go in, DO NOT KILL THE GUARD, go to the back room and simply break the safes just like you use a combination lock for real and check the boxes in the same room as the safes and you should have 180-200 dollars.

Master Level 10

To kill all 3 rare animals, go and steal a stage coach. just sit in the drivers seat and shoot the rare animals. the animals can’t reach you. It’s like shooting fish ina barrel.

Buy A Mule

You can buy a mule in some general stores in Mexico but they are slow and will not jump over anything.

Sheep

You can find a sheep in the pens in armadillo and sometimes in the MacFarland ranch (can only be found in the day time and are rare animals).

Warning When Using Cheats

If you use a cheat code you will not be able to unlock trophies or save the game.

Easy Money

Hi RDR fans, I know how to make easy money. Some ways a good person might are:jobs, bounty hunting, help people who are being robbed, if a band of thugs (people who ride in on their horses shooting pistols in the air) shooting them, looting dead peoples bodies (they wont need it where they’re going), and hunting. Evil ways are:gambling, robbing, cattle and horse rustling, murdering then looting the body, winning duels, aim at people with your gun because they’ll pull out their gun and shoot you and that gives you the right to defend yourself and hit and runs.

Cheats

Gun Set 2

Enter: I’M AN AMERICAN. I NEED GUNS

Unlimited Ammo

Enter: ABUNDANCE IS EVERYWHERE

$500

Enter: THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL, WE THANK YOU

Infinite Horse Stamina

Enter: MAKE HAY WHILE THE SUN SHINES

Infinite Dead Eye

Enter: I DON’T UNDERSTAND IMNFINITY

Spawn A Horse

Enter: BEASTS AND MAN TOGETHER

Jack Attack

Change John into Jack, enter: OH MY SON, MY BLESSED SON

Lewis And Clark

To unlock all areas, enter: YOU GOT YOURSELF A FINE PAIR OF EYES

Invincibility

Enter: HE GIVES STRENGTH TO THE WEAK

Diplomatic Immunity

To remove your wanted level, enter: I WISH I WORKED FOR UNCLE SAM

Unlock Suit

Enter: DON’T YOU LOOK FINE AND DANDY

Complete Fame

Enter: I AM ONE OF THEM FAMOUS FELLAS.

Gun Set 1

Enter: IT’S MY CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT.

Decrease The Bounty

Enter: THEY SELL SOULS CHEAP HERE

Full Cheat List

All Guns : WE NEED GUNS JOHN! Always drunk : I’M DRUNK AS A SKUNK AND TWICE AS SMELLY Become a nobody. : HUMILITY BEFORE THE LORD Decrease Bounty : THEY SELL SOULS CHEAP HERE Diplomatic Immunity : I WISH I WORKED FOR UNCLE SAM Enable the Sepia filter. : THE OLD WAYS IS THE BEST WAYS Fame : I AM ONE OF THEM FAMOUS FELLAS Get $500. : THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL, WE THANK YOU! Good Guy : IT AINT PRIDE. IT’S HONOR Gun Set 1 : IT’S MY CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT Gun Set 2 : I’M AN AMERICAN. I NEED GUNS Infinite ammo : ABUNDANCE IS EVERYWHERE Infinite Dead Eye : I DON’T UNDERSTAND IMNFINITY Infinite Horse Stamina : MAKE HAY WHILE THE SUN SHINES Invincibility : HE GIVES STRENGTH TO THE WEAK Man in Uniform : I LOVE A MAN IN UNIFORM Play As Jack : OH MY SON, MY BLESSED SON Sharp Dressed Man : DON’T YOU LOOK FINE AND DANDY Spawn a horse-drawn coach. : NOW WHO PUT THAT THERE? Spawn a horse. : BEASTS AND MAN TOGETHER Unlock all areas. : YOU GOT YOURSELF A FINE PAIR OF EYES Unlock All Gang Outfits : YOU THINK YOU TOUGH, MISTER?

Complete Honor

Enter: IT AINT PRIDE. IT’S HONOR.

U.S. Uniforms

Enter: I LOVE A MAN IN UNIFORM.

Become A Nobody

Enter: HUMILITY BEFORE THE LORD

Enable Sepia Filter

Enter: THE OLD WAYS IS THE BEST WAYS

Unlockables

Avatar Items For PS Home

Gentleman’s Attire :Beat the Rockstar Games Social Club “Skin It To Win It”challenge Lady’s Finest :Beat the Rockstar Games Social Club “Skin It To Win It” challenge Posse T-Shirt :When the community reaches an unspecified amount of money in TheStrike It Rich! Rockstar Challenge this will be unlocked Red Dead Redemption Logo T-Shirt :Open a chest northwest of Riley’s Charge in aburnt down building Rockstar Logo T-Shirt :Open the chest in the attic at the Marston Farm house atBeecher’s Hope Sombrero :Shoot the hat off of an enemy on expert aim mode

Level Unlock For Weapons

Repeater Carbine Level 2Throwing KnivesLevel 3Volcanic PistolLevel 5Winchester RepeaterLevel 8Schofield RevolverLevel 9Pump ShotgunLevel 11Springfield RifleLevel 13DynamiteLevel 15Double-Action RevolverLevel 17Sawed-Off ShotgunLevel 18Rolling Block RifleLevel 20Fire BottleLevel 22Semi-Automatic PistolLevel 24Semi-Automatic ShotgunLevel 26Carcano RifleLevel 28Henry RepeaterLevel 32High Power PistolLevel 35Bolt-Action RifleLevel 40Evans RepeaterLevel 43LeMat RevolverLevel 46Mauser PistolLevel 49Buffalo RifleLevel 50

Unlockable Pistols

Cattleman Revolver – Unlocked from the beginning Volcanic Pistol – Clear out Twin Rocks Hideout; for sale at Armadillo Gunsmith ($100) Semi-automatic Pistol – Clear out Fort Mercer Hideout; for sale at the Escalera Gunsmith ($300) High Power Pistol – Given to you during “Bear One Another’s Burden” Mauser Pistol – For sale at the Blackwater Gunsmith ($800) Schofield Revolver – Becomes available during “The Gunslinger’s Tragedy” Double-Action Revolver – Clear out Tesoro Azul Hideout Lemat Revolver – For sale at the Escalera Gunsmith after the Revolution ($1250)

Unlockable Rifles

Repeater Carbine – Given during “New Friends, Old Problems” Winchester Repeater – Clear out Tumbleweed Hideout or complete “Spare the Rod, Spoil the Bandit;” for sale at Armadillo Gunsmith ($350) Henry Repeater – Clear Nosalida Hideout Evans Repeater – For sale at Blackwater Gunsmith Springfield Rifle – Clear Gaptooth Breach Hideout, given during “We Shall Be Together in Paradise;” for sale at Thieves’ Landing Gunsmith ($300) Bolt Action Rifle – Given during “The Gates2 bing Red Dead Redemption Cheats of Presidio;” for sale at Escalera Gunsmith ($750) Buffalo Rifle – For sale at any Gunsmith shop when you become a level five Master Hunter ($475) Rolling Block Rifle – Given during “Empty Promises” Carcano Rifle – For sale at Blackwater Gunsmith ($1100)

Unlockable Weapons

Double-barreled Shotgun – Given during “Spare the Rod, Spoil the Bandit;” for sale at Armadillo Gunsmith ($150) Sawed-off Shotgun – Clear Pike’s Basin Hideout; for sale at Thieves’ Landing Gunsmith ($250) Pump-action Shotgun – Give during “And the Truth Will Set You Free” Semi-auto Shotgun – For sale at Escalera Gunsmith ($1000) Dynamite – Given during “Father Abraham;” For sale at various stores Throwing Knife – Given during “The Great Mexican Train Robbery;” for sale at various stores Fire Bottle – Given during “The Demon Drink;” for sale at various stores Lasso – Given during “Wild Horses, Tamped Passions”

Easter eggs

Currently we have no easter eggs for Red Dead Redemption yet. If you have any unlockables please feel free to submit. We will include them in the next post update and help the fellow gamers. Remeber to mention game name while submiting new codes.

Glitches

Currently we have no glitches for Red Dead Redemption yet. If you have any unlockables please feel free to submit. We will include them in the next post update and help the fellow gamers. Remeber to mention game name while submiting new codes.

Guides

Currently we have no guides or FAQs for Red Dead Redemption yet. If you have any unlockables please feel free to submit. We will include them in the next post update and help the fellow gamers. Remeber to mention game name while submiting new codes.

Trophies

Trophy List

High Roller – Win over 2000 chips in a hand of Poker No Dice – Complete a game of Liar’s Dice without losing a single die What about Hand Grenades? – Get a ringer in a game of Horseshoes Austin Overpowered – Complete Twin Rocks, Pike’s Basin, and Gaptooth Breach Hideouts in Single Player Evil Spirits – Complete Tumbleweed and Tesoro Azul Hideouts in Single Player Instinto Asiento – Complete Fort Mercer and Nosalida Hideouts in Single Player Fightin’ Around the World – Knock someone out in melee in every saloon in the game in Single Player Strange Things are Afoot – Complete a task for a Stranger People Are Still Strange – Complete 15 tasks for Strangers Buckin’ Awesome – Break the Kentucky Saddler, the American Standardbred, and the Hungarian Half-bred Clemency Pays – Capture a bounty alive Exquisite Taste – Purchase a rare weapon from a gunsmith Bearly Legal – Kill and skin 18 grizzly bears He Cleans Up Well! – Obtain the Elegant Suit More than a Fistful – Earn $10,000 in Single Player Frontiersman – Obtain Legendary rank in any Single Player Ambient Challenge The Gunslinger – Score a headshot on any enemy using Expert targeting mode Man of Honor/Chivalry’s Dead – Attain highest Fame rank and either highest Honor rank or lowest Honor rank Gold Medal – Earn a Gold Medal Rank for a combat mission in Single Player On the Trail of de Vaca – Uncover every location on the map in Single Player Friends in High Places – Use a pardon letter with more than $5000 bounty in Single Player Redeemed – Attain 100% in the Single Player Game Completion stat Mowing Them Down – Kill 500 enemies with a mounted weapon in any game mode In a Hail of Bullets – Kill 500 enemies with any pistol or revolver in any game mode Long Arm of Marston – Kill 500 enemies with any rifle repeater, or shotgun in any game mode Bullseye – Get 250 Headshots in any game mode Unnatural Selection – Kill one of every animal species in the game in any game mode Have Gun Will Travel – Complete all Hideouts in a single public Free Roam session Slow on the Draw – Get 10 Assists in a single Hideout in a public Free Roam session Hit the Trail – Get from Blackwater to Escalera before sundown in a public Free Roam session Posse Up! – Create a Posse and get the maximum number of members The Quick and Everyone Else – Be the top scoring player in any three consecutive FFA games in public matches How the West Was Won – Reach the top rank for multiplayer experience Go Team! – Be on the winning team for four consecutive victories in any team based game in public matches Most Wanted – Become a Public Enemy for 10 minutes and escape alive in a public Free Roam session Red Dead Rockstar – Kill a Rockstar or someone with this trophy in a public multiplayer match

Secret Trophies

That Government Boy – Complete “Exodus in America” Land of Opportunity – Complete “The Assault on Fort Mercer” Sons of Mexico – Complete “The Gates of El Presidio” No More Fancy Words – Complete “An Appointed Time” A Savage Soul – Complete “At Home With Dutch” The Benefits of Civilization – Complete “And the Truth Will Set You Free” Into the Sunset – Complete “The Last Enemy That Shall Be Destroyed” Nurture or Nature – Complete “Remember my Family” Manifest Destiny – Kill the last buffalo on the Great Plains in Single Player Heading South on a White Bronco – Evade the U.S. Marshals while riding the Hungarian Half-bred horse Strange Things Are Afoot – Complete a task for a stranger Dastardly – Place a hogtied woman on the train tracks, and witness her death by train

[sageywritings]

Scarlet Hearts and Blue Blades

“This must be the place,” Riley thought to herself.

“Where are we?” Sapphire said.

Chapter 8 of my RWBY OC fic Flames of Change! A bit of a longer entry to make up for the slightly longer wait time than the past few chapters. Check the pinned post on this blog for the chapter list!

Auburn Vulpes, Jack Vulpes, and Sapphire Hyacinth belong to me.

Riley Currant and Jade Meadows belong to @gruntnuker-rwby

Shiina Mori and Rin Aozora belong to @solar-moon-byul

Shadow Stalvinge belongs to @shdwsprtn11

“This must be the place,” Riley thought to herself. Amidst the placards advertising what brands of alcohol were served, a small glowing neon sign of a stitched up heart was all the confirmation she needed. The Scarlet Heart. She wasn’t supposed to be here for at least another hour. But, she spent all of last night either tossing around in bed or trying to give and receive comfort from Jade and Amber. After enough restlessness, she gave up and decided to get a head start on the day. Perhaps just that much sooner in finding Sienna. With a deep breath, she stepped inside.

The bar was dimly lit, helped only by the noontime sun pouring in from the windows. Patrons were scattered about the bar and booths. Most were there to grab a quick bite to eat during their lunch break or to socialize with nothing better to do. Some casually watched sports highlights from the previous night as they ate. But, even though the operating hours said that they hadn’t been open long, there were at least a couple people subscribing to the mantra “It’s five o’clock somewhere.” Riley surveyed the poster and memento laden walls. A lot of them were centered around boxing: old newspaper clippings of historic title changes and posters hyping pay-per-view main events. There was a pair of ancient looking gloves encased in glass next to one of the TVs, and above the bar was a title belt that Riley couldn’t figure out if it was real or a very convincing replica. It quickly became no surprise why Auburn asked to meet here. Just when she thought she was too early and needed to grab a seat and wait for the fox faunus though, Riley recognized a tail swishing around.

Bent over a pool table, Auburn had cue in hand lining up a shot. Riley could only hear the distinct clack of pool balls before seeing the maroon #7 ball rocket past her tail and into the corner pocket. On the other side of the table, a man with long black hair and marked with a large pair of eagle wings watched on holding a cue of his own. Both of the arms coming out of his black tank top were coated with tattoos. A bandana sat around his neck under a face containing thick stubble. It was a face that looked clearly vexed, which did not disappear as he turned his focus to the approaching Riley.

“You want next game or somethin’?” he spoke with a country accent. Alerting Auburn to turn around, she met her friend with a smirk and a familial head tilt.

“Sup Riley. You’re here early,” she said before staring down the 8 ball. “I was just killing time till you got here.”

“Yeah, well… wasn’t exactly getting much sleep last night,” Riley said with a shrug, trying in vain to repress a downcast sigh. Auburn stopped and gave her an understanding nod but quickly spun back around to the pool table. Nothing she could say could make Riley magically feel better. But while the lack of bother was normal for Auburn, Riley couldn’t help but feel put off by it. Like she could show just a bit more concern about the situation. “You seem… really calm given the situation we’re in right now.”

“Helps when you’re making money,” she replied with a chuckle. She smacked the cue ball, whic in turn met the 8, before banking off both a striped ball and the wall before coming to a slow roll and finding its new home in the middle pocket. Auburn sheathed her tool like a sword and outstretched her arms at her opponent. “Oooooh bad luck, Shadow. Double or nothing wasn’t so kind to ya. Doesn’t mean triple or nothing won’t be better though. Whattya say?” The man she called Shadow groaned and stared at the ceiling. After a moment, he went to a leather jacket that was hung on a chair behind him and withdrew a stack of lien out of the pocket. He tossed it on the table for her to quickly take and count.

“How about we forget the lien and forget the pool? Instead we hit up the dartboard and if I win, I get a date with you,” Shadow said. Auburn folded her arms. The urge to roll her eyes was so strong that Riley wanted to do the same just thanks to proximity.

“This isn’t the guy you brought me here for is it?” Riley leaned over and asked. She couldn’t break eye contact with Shadow. She was too amazed with his gall.

“Oh hell no,” Auburn said back while stuffing her winnings in her chest.

“C’mon, can ya blame me? I know fire’s hot but you’re definitely Au-burnin’ hot one,” he said with an unabashed grin that was as suave as he thought that pickup line was. Riley was getting Beacon flashbacks in both the best and worst ways. That was somehow worse than the beyond cheesy lines Dash tried out beginning of his freshman year, including one to her that was best left in the past. But, she couldn’t stop conjuring memories of her girlfriend seeing Auburn take a page out of Sienna’s playbook and use her chest like a pocket dimension. Suddenly, a cold, unshakeable grip locked onto Shadow’s shoulder and the outstretched wings tucked timidly. He tried to twist his way free of the hold, but it was no use. The man that emerged from behind Shadow’s wings stood a good several inches shorter than him, but looked tougher than anyone in Vacuo. His hair was nearly a full buzz besides being a bit longer on top, and he had a fuller beard than the eagle faunus. His wedding ring dug into Shadow’s shoulder blade. Once Riley saw the fox ears on his head that looked strikingly similar to the woman next to her, she smiled as it all made sense.

“Son, if you’re gonna have the balls to hit on my daughter in my bar, you gotta have a better opener than that,” the man said with a gruff, raspy voice. Shadow finally wrestled free from the vice grip and faced the other man, attempting to hide the discomfort and keep a straight face.

“Damn, Jack,” Shadow said while shrugging his shoulders to stretch them, “You woulda done the same thing back in the day in my shoes and you know it. Assuming, y’know, she’s not your daughter. Still, cut me a break.”

“Oh I did. I coulda went for the wings.” Shadow’s wings instantly folded as small as he could get them. Even if he didn’t fully believe Jack would do it inside his bar, there was still a chance. A greater chance considering it was Auburn he was messing with. It was one he couldn’t afford to take. He retreated to a booth, cutting his losses where they were and leaving Jack with both Riley and his daughter.

“You know I coulda handled that, Dad. He didn’t have a hope in hell,” Auburn said, hands on her hips.

“You've been saying the same thing since you were a kid. Usually it was about a fight you started,” he said back with a hearty chuckle. Auburn rolled her eyes and stepped up to her dad so he could pull her into a hug. For a moment, her eyes closed and her ears lowered as that nostalgia of being safe in her father's arms like when she was younger washed over.

“And was I ever wrong? And why do you assume I was the one that started the fight??” Jack released the hug so he could give her a look that could only be read as “Really?”.

“Are you really gonna ask that question? I've seen you pick a fight cause one guy took the last flaming hot cheetos out the vending machine,” Riley finally spoke up. Before Jack had the chance to question anything, Auburn cut him off.

“Dad, I want to meet a really good friend of mine. This is Riley. We hung out a lot at Beacon.” As she motioned to the redhead that was trying to stuff all of her exhaustion and anxiety away, Riley gave him the best smile she could muster. Jack almost let out a sigh of relief.

“Oh she's from Beacon, thank goodness. Hate to see who you drag in here off the streets.” Jack laughed harder when Auburn held out her arms in bewilderment at what they meant. Riley couldn't help but snicker at her expense too, even though she couldn't pretend like she didn't have plenty of Vacuoan street punk in her. “Hey, anyone that has to try and keep my battering ram in check is welcome here. Jacinth Vulpes, but my friends call me Jack.”

“Riley Currant. It's nice to meet you, sir,” she replied. Jack nodded as he made his way behind the bar and began wiping down the vintage bottles of liquor that adorned the back shelves. Meanwhile, the two girls claimed a pair of stools. Riley's body seemed to flop into her chair more than she sat in it. Auburn frowned.

“How are the others?” she asked.

“They're… going through the motions right now. Can't say they're great emotionally but we're all hitting that point where we wanna do something about all this. Amber's going to work today and see if there's any trace of Sienna from security cams around where she found you. And Jade is crafting battle plans as we speak. She won't allow herself to cry though. I think she needs one.”

“And what about you?” she said next after a slow, receptive nod. There was a long, poignant pause. Auburn found it harder and harder with each passing second to maintain her gaze.

“Well I’m here early cause I’m on garbage sleep, so that should tell you a lot. But I’m still here. I’m ready to do whatever I gotta to bring her home.” Auburn finally let her eyes fall away and kept her lips pursed shut. She couldn’t show any sign of the bubbling anger inside every time she talked about Sienna like some innocent victim, and not someone who made her bed for everyone else to lie in. Mercifully, her dad made the inadvertent save from behind the bar before the silence could reach awkward lengths.

“So is it a daydrinking kind of visit or are you girls just here to cure boredom?”

“Actually we came to see you,” Auburn came back with.

“Isn’t that a nice surprise? My daughter finally coming to visit. Whatcha wanna t-”

“We came to ask you something. Do you know anything about what the White Fang’s doing lately?” Jack was brought to a screeching crash of a halt. His shock froze him to the point where he had to set down the bottle of vodka in his hand because he nearly dropped it. With arms crossed, he eyed Auburn with insatiable suspicion.

“Whyyyy?” He carried that same concerned parent demeanor Auburn had heard hundreds of times in her life. “How many times have I told you not to mess with the White Fang?? Don’t touch them with a 50 foot pole.”

“Hey, I’m not the one messing with them!” Auburn held up her hands to show her freedom from guilt. “We’re looking for someone. And since Uncle Bren used to be in the Fang, I figured maybe he’s told you something.” Jack still didn’t look convinced. No answer Auburn could’ve gave would’ve eased his worry. 

“How did you even know he’s ex-Fang?” he said.

“He let it slip one time when he was drunk.” Jack closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose with an exasperated sigh.

“Dammit, Bren,” he cursed under his breath before quickly snapping back to full volume. “You’re talking to the last person that would know anything about what they’re doing. Bren and I agreed a long time ago to keep that shit in the past. And if any Fang come in here,  I just let ‘em drink in peace. They don’t need me being nosy about whatever the hell they’re up to. Like they'd tell me anyways, and besides I don’t wanna know. As long as they don’t cause trouble, it’s whatever.” Auburn and Riley’s hearts both visibly sank. She knew it was a longshot, but she was still hoping it would yield at least an inkling of a direction to go. But instead, all it was earning her was a lecture. “Is this about that redhead from Beacon that was on your team that I’ve been seeing in the headlines lately?”

“Partially,” she responded in a half ashamed mumble. There was no use lying. There was only bracing for the coming speech.

“I thought you didn’t like him. Complained to me about how he was an arrogant jackass that could never back up how much he ran his mouth?”

“Still not entirely wrong. But… he's not so bad when you get to know him. And what kind of huntress doesn't stand up for her team when they do for her?”

“I know you've always thought you could take on the whole world with one arm behind your back, but you can't take on the entire White Fang. No matter how big of a crew you can make. They're bigger, they're much more dangerous, and they will not hesitate to put you down for being in their way, even though you're a faunus.” His sympathetic smile was little consolation to her. “Please, Auburn. Sit this one out.”

“Sir, this is not her fault. This is mine, I'm dragging her into this,” Riley finally interjected. Auburn wanted to object since this was her idea technically, but Riley wouldn't allow it. Instead, she fished her phone out of her pocket and rapidly began scrolling through her gallery until she landed on a picture of her and Sienna taken in Beacon's locker room. “Have you seen her pass by your bar? She was in Vacuo recently.” Spinning the phone to face him, Jack studied the other fox faunus she pointed to for a moment.

“Can't say I have, sorry.” Riley didn't even have the willpower to accept the scroll back from him. Her head met the countertop in dejection. Auburn was handling it better than her, but she still possessed a downtrodden look in her face, mainly out of concern for her friend. She moved a hand to rub her back but backed off as Riley lifted her head.

“Well fuck, there goes my lead. Now what?” Auburn said.

“Maybe you should get back to your pool game. Hate to pull you away from your priorities,” Riley chimed back.

“What’s that mean?” Auburn was taken aback. “I’m just trying to keep us moving forward here!”

“You just don’t sound worried! We have friends out there fighting for their lives and you’re just in here shooting the shit like it’s a night out on the town!”

“And what’s worry gonna get me besides a headache from slamming my face into the bar? Just cause I’m handling it better than you doesn’t mean I’m not worried! I’m trying to get Bubblegum back!” Riley cocked her head indignantly, like she was waiting for an end to a sentence that was already over.

“Only Dash?” The two’s looks turned more into glares at each other. Raising an eyebrow, Auburn waited as if she was permitting Riley to keep going, while Riley sat waiting for Auburn to do the same. Neither of them budged.

“Enough.” In the end it was Jack who broke the tense silence. Auburn winced and closed one eye, knowing that tone all too well. Similarly, his most common patrons recognized it as well, but it didn’t fully connect with Riley. “I didn’t call this bar for 12 Rounds for a reason. You wanna fight, then you take this shit to a ring. Keep it out of my bar, got it?” He fully zoned in on Auburn, too knowledgeable with what she was prone to causing. She was leaning away to avoid the stern daggers he was giving.

“Sorry, Dad,” she said loud enough for it to come across as meaningful.

“You’re not gonna give this up, are you?” He already knew his daughter’s answer. The question was more for the red-haired woman to the other side of him. One look at Riley and he could clearly tell the distress and anguish prevalent in her eyes through the bags of lack of sleep. It looked like the only reason she didn’t cry out with “Please” was to maintain appearances. He shook his head. He couldn’t believe he was about to do this. “Well. I heard from someone that there’s a Fang run soup kitchen just a couple blocks from here.”

“A soup kitchen?” Auburn said. Both girls perked up, Riley with more renewed optimism and Auburn with more perplexity. “What the hell are they running a soup kitchen for?”

“They’ve had it since the regime change, back when they were peaceful. A lot of the programs they started to help faunus back then they’ve kept up with.” Jack shrugged after placing a freshly polished glass under the counter. “Not everything is just black or white.”

“Alright, there’s our lead C’mon let’s go!” Auburn pumped her fist and immediately bolted from her seat. She stretched her arms out like the muscles on her biceps were getting antsy, itching for some work. Riley, however, hadn’t moved. She appeared deep in thought.

“Wait.” Auburn stopped in her tracks. “We can’t just storm in there right now, we’re not prepared.”

“You’re the one that wanted me to show more urgency!”

“Which you’re only doing cause you know you got a chance to start a fight!” Auburn was not a fan of today. She felt like she spent way too much time getting grilled. “You and I can't just go in there alone with no plan. We'll be in enemy territory unarmed. You don't even have your whip anymore.”

“I'm never unarmed as long as I have these.” Auburn held her fists up in a half-committed boxer stance. Riley and Jack mirrored head shakes.

“We need to wait for the others. Jade and Amber wanna help just as much as I do,” Riley said.

“I'm not even gonna ask what happened to your chain,” Jack said, causing Auburn to again lift up her hands with palms out like she was pleading innocence to a cop. Her pleas of “not my fault” did little to Jack, even though it was the truth. “Go see Uncle Bren,” he said through muffled fingers as his head landed firmly into his hand. Auburn rushed to him into a bearhug that would snap most in half, but it didn't even get him to stumble. He returned the favor. “Love you too, kit. And make sure to visit me again soon. We got some catching up to do. Same spot as old, alright?” Nodding the whole time, Auburn promised she would do just that in between a couple “love yous”. After Riley gave one last “nice to meet you”, the duo left out the door and down the street. In the direction of the junkyard.

MISTRAL

Somewhere deep in the Mistrali woods, two pairs of footsteps crunching leaves and twigs underfoot were the only rustlings of life under the canopy of trees. They moved lightly, briskly, but frivolously hopping over tree roots and ducking under branches. The trail was just a few miles long, if you could even still call it that with how much nature had reclaimed. But it was still a few miles Shiina knew like the back of her hand. She was even using her spear as an explorer would use a machete to cut back the encroaching vines and shrubbery. Meanwhile, Sapphire was too stunned by the raw beauty of the surrounding scenery to help contribute. Despite staying here for a little while now, this place kept finding new ways to endlessly charm her. It was such a far cry from the life she led at Beacon. Soon enough, their walk led them to a clearing in the trees, causing Shiina to stop and take in the view like they had just arrived at a grand destination, the hidden city of gold.

“Where are we, Shiina?” Sapphire said.

“Where the sun and the moon’s song never dies for those who listen for it,” she said with an intimate warmth in her voice. It sounded like someone reminiscing about feelgood childhood memories, like a favorite homecooked meal. After a brief moment, she shook off the binding spell of nature with slight embarrassment. “This is where I train. Or where I go whenever the tribe gets to noisy and I need to get away.” Sapphire was confused how that little village could be too noisy in any way. It was nothing compared to the nightclubs or concerts that dotted the urban maze she called home. But, she let it slide. “It’s been awhile, and I want to train with you.”

“You and me both, girl. Now I get why we’re somewhere so secluded. But I wish you told me sooner. I woulda wore something a bit easier to get out of.” Shiina tilted her head until the realization hit and a burning red blush overwhelmed her cheeks. “Oh. Oh you meant actual training, alright.” Shiina tried to glower at her fellow huntress, but it melted quickly. She knew Sapphire was joking even before her sticking her tongue out gave it away.

“Sapph, I’m serious,” Shiina said while desperately hoping her blush would subside. It wasn’t going away nearly fast enough. If Sapphire really wanted to fluster her, she would’ve answered with “so was I”. But she resisted the urge, and again let the moment pass. “I know your bow transformers into a glaive, but you seem hesitant to use it. Why?”

“So this is why you told me to leave my arrows behind,” she said before a thoughtful pause. “I dunno though. I guess it’s because with my team, Dash and Auburn covered the close range, so they left me to handle the sniping. I just feel like I’m a better archer.”

“Which is fine until you’re without your team and a Beringel trucks you through a wall.” Sapphire bowed her head in acceptance. Her recovery was going well, but her back and shoulders were still sore from that. Shiina was more shaken up having to witness it. Someone would think she was the one getting run over by a rampaging beast. “There’s nothing wrong with being a better archer, the things you do with arrows are incredible. But the best huntresses in my opinion use every tool they have at their disposal. So I think you have to level up your spear work.” Recoiling a little, Shiina grew anxious that her words came across too harshly. But Sapphire was too focused on the authenticity of her admiration. She nodded and readied up, glaive in hand straight up and down with blade pointed to the sky. Shiina smiled. “Alright, let’s get started! So your glaive is a guandao. Not too far off from my naginata except mine is built with a thinner blade for more speed, whereas the guandao has a wider blade for more stopping power. So for the guandao, it came into use-”

“Speaking of training, how's yours coming with your semblance?” It took a moment for Shiina to recover from the whiplash of her flow of consciousness suddenly crashing. Sapphire was too restless for an entire history lesson.

“Oh uhhhhhh I haven't really made much progress lately. Supposedly I can conjure from tattoos on other people too, but I can't even master my own,” the inked fox faunus said. In the held out palm of her hand, a small garden snake inched along before fading away as she folded her arms across her chest. Her shoulder hunched forward slightly. Her gaze fell to the shine emanating from her blade. Sapphire didn't have an opportunity to inquire why before Shiina spoke once more. “I'll stop boring you with the history details. Let's just get into the combat, shall we?”

Sapphire couldn't argue, even though remorse of ruining the mood started to creep in. Shiina took center stage. Every strike she demonstrated had a light, airy flow to it, almost as natural as the landscape they sat in. It was as if the essence of the forest was channeling through her, culminating at the tip of her blade. Then it was Sapphire's turn. As Shiina pointed out, her weapon provided slower, heavier strikes. But, without a quiver full of arrows weighing her down, she could really let loose with some impressive footwork of her own. Some more acrobatic swings she made look effortless. As she moved, Shiina couldn't help but notice the muscles on Sapphire's back that were generating a lot of her power. She assumed the tone was from having to constantly pull back the bow string. She had to remind herself not to stare.

“Very nice, Sapph. You're looking good,” Shiina said. After though, her face contorted with regret. “I-I mean your moves were good! I mean your footwork and your strikes were-aaaahhhh.” The sentence stumbled along until the last few words barely petered out into a discomposed noise.

“I was hoping you were talking about me more than the fight moves, but thanks for the compliment, boo,” Sapphire giggled. She wasn’t thrown off by Shiina’s minor meltdown; she thought it was quite cute in fact. Shiina knew that too, and knew that was why she egged her on. The bushes to the west of them began to rustle. Neither of them paid any attention at first, writing it off as the wind. But, it grew louder without any accompanying breeze. Then, a low, rumbling growl reverbed through the forest. They both froze on edge. “Y’know Shiina, if you’re hungry you could’ve said something and we would’ve headed back early.” Her voice carried no confidence in the joke.

“That wasn’t me.” Shiina’s eyes locked to the bushes as they both gripped their weapons tighter. Their suspicions were confirmed when they could see several pairs of demonic red eyes peering through the darkness between the trees. Slowly, a pack of beowolves crept out of the gloom, prowling on all fours. Now revealed in the light, the growling grew louder until the pack leader stood up on its hind legs and snarled.

“Again? What is it with the grimm lately?” Sapphire said.

“I didn’t mean for today to be a trial by fire,” Shiina remarked as she spun her weapon into a ready position.

“Shouldn’t be a problem. Just watch.” With a subtle wink, Sapphire took off in a sprint toward the intruding grimm. Just before she reached them, however, she planted her glaive into the ground and, swinging around it like a pole, drove her boots right into the alpha’s head with a dropkick. A quick followup slash to stagger it freed her to begin tackling the rest of the pack. Shiina was almost temporarily stuck in place appreciating the unorthodox offense before snapping out of it and rushing in to lighten Sapphire’s load. Using the shaft of her naginata, she was able to block and parry a big swipe that was aimed at Sapphire from behind from one wolf, leaving it wide open for counterattack.

The two moved not only like they were connected with nature but also in rhythm with each other. When one needed to step away, the other would step in and take the heat. They would slide under each other and jump over each other. It was all immediate, seamless, and speechless. One by one the creatures all started to fizzle away into black smoke. One beowolf in particular they locked onto at the same time. They blitzed their target, criss-cross cutting it and leaving it nothing more than a hazy black afterthought. But just as that formation ended, the alpha was back on the hunt. It charged through Shiina, clubbing her in the face with a forearm that sent her flying several yards back. Then, in a full gallop it plowed into Sapphire, its massive claws pinning her to the ground by her shoulders. The attack knocked her spear out of her hands and out of reach.

“Sapphire!” Shiina yelled as she sat up. PTSD of their last grimm encounter wracked her mind. Last time she was left unconscious and helpless. But this time, Sapphire was awake, groaning and struggling in pain but still fighting. From Shiina’s point of view, it looked like she was trying to reach her boot, but the beowolf’s grip dug her harder into the ground as she did so. The claw raised up and began coming down right at Sapphire’s face. Right as it did though, Sapphire was able to grab a frost arrow she kept hidden in her boot. Letting out a primal yell, she stabbed the creature. With the tip broken, firmly lodged in its ankle, the grimm suddenly became entrapped in ice mid-swipe. Wasting as little time as possible, Shiina ran in and delivered the killing blow, shattering the newly made ice sculpture into pieces with one drive into its chest. Sapphire sat up and dusted herself off.

“I told you no arrows!” Shiina chastised after a second to catch her breath and her thoughts.

“You also said the best huntresses use all their tools at their disposal.” Again, Shiina couldn’t argue with her even if she wanted to. “Got ya there!” She smiled softly. She was just thankful this brush ended better than the last one. But as helped the archer up, Sapphire noticed Shiina still looking concerned. Her stare was fixed on the spot of the forest where the grimm originated from. “What’s wrong?”

“These grimm attacks are happening more frequently. And they’re coming from the opposite direction they usually do. The grimm usually come from the east, deeper in the woods. But lately they’ve been coming this way. In between our village and the bigger towns in the area.”

“Hmmmmm something must be attracting them. Something worth investigating?” Shiina responded with a determined nod. “Sweet! I’ve been wanting to hit up the town anyways, got some catching up to do with city life. Maybe we can try contacting our teammates again.” Those towns still couldn’t hold a candle to the major cities in the kingdoms, but it would still be enough for Sapphire to scratch her itch. “But that’ll have to be saved for another day. It’s getting late, we should head back.” She had no desire to trek back through that “trail” in the dark, even with a guide who knew it like the back of her hand like Shiina. So on that, Shiina led the way back home, right as the sun was beginning to dip toward the horizon.

VACUO

“Yo Uncle Bren, you home?” Auburn unceremoniously crashed the silence that the junkyard office was sitting in. But, none of the rusted wrecks around her answered back. All she could hear was the feet meeting metal steps, both hers and the ones of Rin behind her. They approached the door and Auburn knocked on it loudly several times only for nothing to happen again. Only then did she see the handwrittennote taped to the window next to the junkyard’s logo.

“Auburn. Sorry I missed you. Jack told me you were coming. Door’s open. You know where everything is,” she read from the letter. “Sweet!” She opened the door and stepped inside, with Rin following much slower as she took in the new scenery. Beyond the table and usual basic office furniture, there was scrap metal everywhere. Junk and broken bits and pieces all cluttered into various piles around the room. Some were rusted like their prime was an era ago, while others looked newly refurbished to the point of appearing fresh out the factory. Various machines that did said refurbishment dotted the outer walls of the room. It looked like a mess at first, but somehow also seemed like everything had a place, a method to the disorganized madness. Meanwhile, smaller tools like hammers and wrenches and a welder’s mask sat scattered on the table next to metal that was being fashioned into blades and gun barrels.

“Jeez, time to have a garage sale, don’t ya think? Clean out some of the old energy, y’know?” Rin said with a soft chuckle.

“My uncle recycles all this stuff and crafts weapons out of it. By the time he’s done, you would never guess the stuff he makes came from crap people threw out.” Auburn crouched down and started digging through some cabinets, tossing things like gun magazines and blade handles over her shoulder. “Ugh c’mon where is it?” she groaned to herself. As Rin casually strolled around the room, she came across a stack of several schematic papers on one of the counters. They looked like current works in progress. Rin was amazed someone could pull all this together from trash nobody else saw use in.

“Wow. So he made your whip?” Rin asked while beginning to scan through the stack of blueprints.

“Oh hell no. He made me build it myself. He just kinda lightly supervised while drinking to make sure I didn’t set anything on fire. But.” She kept searching as she talked, knocking over a whole nearly finished sword accidentally in the process. “He’s got a spare prototype that he kept around here somewhere in case something happened to mine. I doubt he got rid of it. Unless he found something else to use it for.” As she kept rummaging, Rin stopped to study one design that caught her attention.

“Would he be mad if I used some of his tools to make some adjustments to my gauntlets while I’m here?” she said.

“Knock yourself out.” Auburn again didn’t move her head away from her task. Once she saw the glint of a bladed chain under a stack of other collected items that didn’t have a set place, her crimson eyes flared with excitement. “Aha!” She yanked it free, toppling the stack over carelessly. But, out with the chain came a piece of paper tied to it. There was a design hastily sketched on it in permanent marker.

“Ohohoho Uncle you are a genius you know exactly how I think!” Rin’s ear flicked and she tilted her head, only momentarily pausing her search for a machine that could play with steel. “Let’s just say imma need a minute to work too.” The time over the next hour or two didn’t so much as tick by as it soar by. The clanging of tools meeting metal, the sparks flying, the tossing aside of pieces that wouldn’t fit for ones that may. Auburn and Rin putting whatever mechanical know-how they had to use coalesced until they hit the point where they could stop and applaud the fruits of their labor. Auburn’s phone blowing up with calls and messages was the sole thing signaling to them how much time had passed. Jade’s name underneath a caller ID photo of a rose wrapped in thorns faced her.

“Sup Jade,” Auburn answered the call. “Yeah, sorry we got caught up working on something … You’ll see … “Alright, yeah we’ll be right there. Fill us in when we get there … Alright, bye.” She quickly stashed her phone. “They’re ready. You ready?”

“Let’s do this!” Rin eagerly punched her fist into her other hand. The pair loaded up and hurriedly left the junkyard behind, Auburn barely remembering to lock everything up they were leaving so quick. Their next stop was this soup kitchen Auburn’s dad had mentioned, where Jade, Amber, and Riley were waiting, planning for whatever could possibly come next.

[sageywritings]

Sapphire: why is Sienna smiling?

Sienna: what, I can't just be happy?

Riley: Dash fell down the stairs

Dash: she fucking pushed me

[sageywritings]

*it's Halloween and Riley is dressed as Jason Voorhees while Dash is dressed as a 1930s era mobster*

Dash: a fashion disaster in a hockey mask. Riley you were supposed to wear a costume

Riley: not as fitting as the son of a corrupt businessman playing a criminal

Dash: ...touchè

[sageywritings]

The Mission

"Mind if I come too? Gotta get everyone together. We need to talk." It was news Auburn was dreading having to break. Even with more time to prepare, telling this to their faces wasn't going to be easy.

The next chapter of my RWBY OC fic Flames of Change. Make sure to see the pinned post for the other chapters in order!

Auburn Vulpes belongs to me.

Jade Meadows, Amber Himmel, and Riley Currant belong to @gruntnuker-rwby

Rin Aozora belongs to @solar-moon-byul

Amber wasn’t sure what to think. Up until this point, it had been an otherwise unremarkable day. Another day at work at Shade Academy trying to stabilize communications between the other two kingdoms that weren’t deemed lost causes. Another day hoping the team at Beacon would make some headway in their repairs. Another day hoping that comforting voice would come through. But another day that it never does. Regardless, she began her walk home, wondering how long the usual song and dance of deciding what to eat for dinner tonight would take. Until she spotted one of her closest friends that she hadn’t seen since Beacon standing on a rooftop with another girl she had never seen before, and both of them looked freshly worse for wear.

“Auburn? Are you ok? You look like you got into an argument with a Beringel,” Amber inquired. The approaching fox faunus was holding her side and sporting a couple of newly acquired bruises. The other girl similarly limped through pain and soreness. Amber couldn't tell if the Beringel had won.

“Hey, where ya headed?” Auburn resolutely dismissed her concern through gritted teeth.

“Um I was just heading back to our apartment now. Jade and Riley are waiting for me.”

“Mind if I come too? Gotta get everyone together. We need to talk.” Auburn had said the same thing while on the roof. It didn't carry the weight of someone who wanted to catch up with a chat over drinks. It sounded more like what someone says when they're about to end a relationship that isn't working anymore.

“Sure? You’re always welcome. We can patch you up while we’re there.” Amber wasn’t sure what to think, but as she clutched onto her cat backpack a little tighter and led the march down the sidewalk, she could feel the anxiety welling in her chest. She wanted to talk with Auburn about nothing in particular like they used to after class. She wanted to rekindle some of the magic that was desperately missing from Beacon. It was a wish she had been pining for more frequently as of late. But, hushed inaudible murmurs from behind nixed her plans for the present moment.

"Who is this girl?" Rin whispered from over Auburn's shoulder.

"That girl we just fought? That's one of her teammates," Auburn said.

"Wait what??" Rin's ears shot straight up in shock. "Does that mean-? Does she know?" Auburn shook her head.

"She has no clue, none of them do. They've been looking for her since the fall. All they know is she disappeared." Rin's ears lowered in sorrow. Sorrow for this girl she hadn't even spoken a word to yet. Her heart broke into more pieces when she realized she and Auburn were about to share the truth they were burdened with.

“Hey Auburn?” Amber’s usual soft-spoken mildness coaxed the two of them out of their respective mindspaces. “Have you… heard from Solomon?”

“No. But I know he’s alright out there. He’s tougher than you first think,” she replied. The optimism didn’t quite connect with Amber.

“I see,” she said solemnly. “What about Dash? Do you have any news on him?”

“You could say that.” Amber turned her head to look back at her for an elaboration, but received none for her troubles. The conversation came to a tense and uneasy halt after that, so Rin tried her best to make small talk with the orange-haired stranger.

“I like your backpack. I kinda have a thing for cats too,” she said with a chuckle. Amber gave her a nod as a genuine thank you, but it did little to ease everyone’s nerves. Again they returned to awkward silence. Rin had to fight back the urge to sigh. “Is it much farther? I’m not exactly built for this heat.”

“Just around the block,” Amber said. As promised, only half a block later Amber led the Leash duo into an apartment complex. They went through the lobby, up two flights of stairs, then stopping at the first door on the right, room 302. One turn of the key later and the three of them were met with an arctic blast. The apartment was kept like an igloo, the polar opposite to the desert heat outside. Rin tilted her head back and outstretched her arms in relief like she had just reached the promised land after a hero’s long, arduous journey. Posters of bands and shows garnished the walls. One corner of the living room was marked by a pile of laundry, while another had a duffel bag of hockey gear complete with a full set of goalie pads. On the coffee table sat a stack of comic books next to a bong that was recently used, as evident by the faint aroma in the air.

“Look decent, guys. We have guests,” Amber called out while dropping her backpack on the couch. Stepping into the room from the girls’ left first was Team JASR’s leader Jade Meadows. Her stark black hair, free from her beanies for once, fell messily down the shoulders of her hallmark purple hoodie. 

“Hey Auburn, about time you came to visit. Finally gonna show us all your hangout spots?” Jade smiled as she passed by to make a quick pit stop at the fridge before flopping into a bean bag next to the couch.

“Auburn’s here? She doesn’t count for looking decent,” another female voice came in from the other room. Auburn smirked to herself; she knew full well “decent” in this household just meant wearing pants. The other voice sauntered in to reveal a taller woman with maroon hair in a hockey jersey that didn’t quite stretch down enough to show a slip of short gym shorts on underneath. Riley Currant gave her old friend a fist bump before looking past her curiously. “Although your friend does. Sup.”

“Oh yeah, right. Everyone, this is Rin. Rin, meet Amber, Jade, and Riley. We were all close back at Beacon,” Auburn said.

“Nice to meet all of ya,” Rin said while flashing a peace sign. Each of the JASR girls gave her their own version of pleasantries. Rin tried to buck up with a chipper smile, but it took considerably more effort than normal. She really didn't want to just open up with this truth bomb that she and Auburn were loaded with. She scanned around the room for something to break the ice with, again trying to drum up light banter. And in her infinite wisdom, she settled on the bong.

"Sooooooo who can take the biggest hit?" she asked with a snicker to cover up

"Sienna," all three answered in unison with a soft yet heavy, almost mournfully reminiscent chuckle. Well that didn't work.

"It's not even close," Jade added.

"Hey I can give her a run for her money," Riley said before her gaze was magnetized downward. After a dragging moment, she willed herself upward to face their new and probably confused visitor. "Sorry, Sienna's our fourth, and my girlfriend. We… haven't seen her for a while though."

"Have you had any luck finding her? Any leads?" Auburn asked. Maybe they already knew. Maybe she didn't have to be the herald of terrible news. However, the silence that followed spoke volumes, as the magnet on the floor tugged at Riley once again.

"I haven't had time to look with all the tech stuff keeping me busy," Amber filled the quiet void.

"I don't even know where to begin looking. I miss her but… where do I even start?" Jade spoke up next.

"I've been doing everything I could, but Jade's right. I just… wish I knew she was alright. That she's alive and not hurt so I can bring her home." Riley sighed. "I know she's still out there though. She's too stubborn to go down." Auburn folded her arms and leaned on the wall behind her. How was she supposed to this? She was never the type to keep secrets. The truth was always quicker in her mind, so why waste time? It’s gonna hurt no matter what, so rip the band-aid off. But, that had never been harder to live by than this very moment. How was she supposed to say the right words when her heart was in her throat. How was she supposed to even look them in the eyes?

“You miss her too, don’t you Auburn?” Jade said. “It’s not like we’re the only ones who lost a friend, you two were really close. Not to mention Dash. I’m worried about him too. I know he was an ass but I always felt kinda bad for him. I don’t think he was all bad.”

“Yeah…” she trailed off again. She was mentally cursing at herself to say something. “Kinda hard to miss her right now though.”

“What does that mean?” Riley said, recoiling in indignation. The question hung in the air for an uncomfortable amount of time for her liking. Likewise, Amber also had her head tilted in puzzlement and Jade cocked an eyebrow.

“Hard to miss what you just saw.” It was barely a strained croak past Auburn’s lips. Rin was backing her Leash leader, eyes darting between each JASR member, examining for any kind of reaction.

“Wait. You saw her??” Jade exclaimed first.

“So she’s alive!” Amber said next, echoing the relief coming from her green-eyed teammate.

“Oh thank gods!” Emotion surged through Riley to the point where her body couldn’t contain it. Rushing to Auburn, she pulled the boxer into a tight hug, barely able to stand on her own. “Thank you, Auburn! Wait, that must mean she’s in Vacuo! Where is she? I gotta see her.” Auburn’s reddish fox tail tucked between her legs, accidentally brushing past Riley’s knee. “Ohhh I get it, it’s like a surprise right? She’s waiting jump in here from out the hallway.” Once Riley released the hug, she still had Auburn by the shoulders. Then she could read her expression. It was dejection. Each agonizing second the beam on the hockey star’s face slowly, painfully slowly, diminished. “Auburn. Why isn’t she with you?”

“Does she not wanna see us?” Amber asked sheepishly.

“We didn’t do anything wrong, did we?” Jade said. Auburn sighed heavily, so heavy it felt like it could drop out of her lungs and through the floor.

“No you didn’t. She did. She… joined the White Fang.” The grip on Auburn’s shoulders loosened bit by tiny bit, but Riley’s arms still remained extended outward, frozen beside slight trembling. Her expression was also motionless, nothing more than a blank, dead stare that pierced right through Auburn. “I’m… really sorry you had to learn this way.”

“I am too. Not the first impression I wanted to make with you guys,” Rin tacked on. Jade wanted to get up and console Riley, but all she could do was sink further into the clutches of her bean bag. Amber clung to a pillow from the sofa, wrapping it around her chest like it was a bulletproof vest. All of her concern, however, was bouncing back and forth between her friends.

“W…what?” Riley said. Shock, bewilderment, disgust, utter devastation. It’s like she couldn’t compute. It didn’t add up. “What? No that’s not- why? Why would she leave us? Leave me? I-is it something I did? Why would she go back to the Fang?”

“Back?” Rin’s husky ears twitched.

“She and her brother both joined when they were kids back when it was peaceful. Their parents didn’t want them to, but they did it to try and help their family. And help themselves,” Jade swooped in to answer to save Riley the trouble.

“You kidding me? So she has a track record of this?” Auburn said.

"But she wouldn't go back to them! Not the way they are now!" said Riley, trying to grasp any tatter of hope. "Are you absolutely sure it was her?"

"Do you really think I wouldn't be able to tell if it was her? There aren't many people with pierced fox ears and two different colored eyes that spit flames. She went back to-"

"There's no way, there has to be more to the story. I can't believe you."

"Really? Still think I'm lying?" In a huff of exasperation, Auburn lifted her shirt to show newly acquired battle scars, scratches and burns from an all too familiar pair of fiery claws. She then pulled out the two pieces that remained of her trusted whip. What once had helped Auburn win countless duels while training was now indistinguishable from scrap metal. Finally with the fortitude gathered to rise from her seat, Jade peered over Riley's shoulder and clasped a hand over her mouth.

"No way. Hang on I got a med kit here, I can help take care of that," she said, but Auburn waved her off. Meanwhile, Riley took one of the junked halves into her hand and 

"A-anyone could've done this. That doesn't mean-"

"Riley, c'mon," Auburn fired back.

"No! I can't believe you! I… I just can't!" Riley turned around and stormed back into the room she originally came in from, slamming the door shut behind her. The only noise that accompanied the thick fog of tension were crashing sounds of things being thrown around carrying through the wall from the other room. None were feeling it more than Jade and Amber, both of them glued back to their seats.

“Should I go check on her?” Amber said softly to Jade.

“Not right now. She’s gonna need a minute.” A louder thud suddenly snapped all four of them to eye the wall. “A long one.” No one had anything else to say. The aura of defeat and devastation was too deafening. They were left to just wallow in silence. Rin had her hands firmly stuffed in the pockets of her bomber jacket. Auburn held her fists behind her back to prevent them from lashing out at the nearest wall. Amber kept her attention up and chest out as if her posture was the only thing keeping the floodgates of tears from pouring out, while Jade just looked… tired. So very tired.

“This… feels really personal. Do I need to leave?” Rin posed to the crowd. She wasn’t sure if it was more for her sake or theirs at this point.

“No you’re fine,” said Jade. “This isn’t your fault it’s just-” The JASR leader was cut off by the sudden swinging open of that same door with it meeting the wall with a sharp smack. Now dressed in actual pants, Riley flew between the two sides of the discussion and made a beeline for the pile of hockey equipment. Even then, the slight glisten from her cheeks displayed to everyone she was not as fortunate in holding back the tears. The first thing she went for was a stick that clearly stood out from the rest as something more than just a tool for a pickup game on the rink. Then, she knelt down and, unceremoniously tossing some pads and dirty jerseys aside, fished out a custom mask and placed it on the top of her head.

“What are you doing?” Rin decided to be the one to inquire.

“You said you just saw Sienna. That means she’s still gotta be in the city. I’m going to bring her home. Even if I gotta scour every single block and every single street corner and I gotta fucking kick the ass of every White Fang member including hers to do it!” With a small twitch of her wrists, the stick transformed, with the taped up blade of the stick being replaced by the gleaming blade of a scythe.

“Alone? Riley wait we can come with you,” Amber interjected.

“You’ve got no leads to go off of, let’s think about this,” Jade tried to plead reason next.

“C’mon Riley, you know this ain’t gonna help anything. All it’s gonna do is tire you out and make you feel worse, so just sit your ass down.” Auburn’s bluntness certainly wasn’t helping, but nothing else was working either. Riley clearly wasn’t listening. Without another word, with the scythe resting on her shoulder, she exited through the front door and disappeared from view once the door shut with a loud bang. Auburn clenched her fists and shook her head. Rin went to put a hand on her shoulder but it was quickly pushed away.

“Great fuckin idea! Let’s just act stupid and start a parade down the street looking like Jason Voorhees just subscribed to the NHL Network!” The only thing stopping her from putting a hole in the nearest sheet of drywall was the fact that this was not her apartment.

“She’s just hurt, Auburn,” Amber said sympathetically to try and soothe her.

“Hurt? This is how we deal with hurt now? We’re all hurt! I’m hurting! First Ospreay, now this?? I’ve had to hear these headlines for weeks now. I’ve been worried sick he hasn’t been brought home yet!” She tried to take a deep breath, but it did little to temper her intensity, only the volume in her voice. “He wasn’t given the choice to leave like Sienna.”

“I know, Auburn. Trust me, I know. I don’t like it either. I wish she handled it differently too. But we all deal with trauma differently,” Jade said, hanging on to any resolve she can.

“We all got trauma! That doesn’t give any of us an excuse to run away and become a mercenary!” Auburn yelled.

“I’m not excusing it! Everyone’s trauma is different! Sienna’s is different from yours, which is different from mine, which is different from hers!” She pointed to Rin, chaining her back into a debate she was praying to stay out of.

“I’m sorry but I kinda agree with Auburn here. It doesn’t sit well with me that she left. I know the huntsman teams aren’t forever, but to me that means you stick together with those people through thick and thin,” Rin chimed in. “And the redhead? Not exactly helping. She acts like she’s the only one missing someone when she’s not…”

“It doesn’t sit well with me that she’s the reason Bubblegum is a prisoner of war right now!” Auburn fired, using her longtime nickname for Dash.

“That’s not true, it’s just a coincidence,” Jade said, still trying to pacify the resident punch-happy fox.

“Then why was she bragging to me about it?! Why did she tell me she was picked because she personally knew Dash?!” If it was possible for someone’s heart to sink past rock bottom, it was evident from their faces that Amber and Jade had achieved it. The color drained from their faces. Auburn’s ears instantly slicked back apologetically and she winced. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to just drop it on you like that.”

“She… she really told you that?” Jade’s voice was nothing more than a quivering, heartbreaking whisper. “Oh fuck.”

“D-do we tell Riley?” The tears Amber had miraculously suppressed for this long to stream down her face, leaving visible glowing trails down her cheeks before burying her face into a pillow. Auburn raised a hand toward the tech expert, but she knew it would be futile to try and get her to stop crying. Nor should she try. Amber badly needed this release. They all did, but Jade was still holding stern. Months of worrying bottled up just to come crashing down with something barely a half step above the worst possible outcome. She was still alive, but to be in the White Fang doing their biggest dirty work jobs so far out of reach from them.

“Sorry, guys. Really I am. I understand if you need some time,” Auburn said while rubbing her arm before nudging Rin with her elbow. “C’mon, Snowdog. Let’s go find her.”

“Which one? The flaming fox or the star goalie?”

“Whoever we find first.”

By the time Riley had left, only the final breaths of light from dusk watched over her. That was a few hours ago, and night had long made itself cozy within Vacuo by this point. Certain neighborhoods in the kingdom that were already sketchy during the day became downright treacherous in the dark. But, Auburn knew them too well to care, to the point of sending Rin to split up to cover more ground. It was unclear if it was confidence or determination or sheer rage that motivated her to walk these streets so worry-free. But nonetheless, she passed Sunshine Estates, The Lanes, anywhere that looked like it could house a White Fang hideout, anywhere that looked like it could remotely capture Riley’s attention. But, there was no sign of anything. Rin hadn’t called, so it was unlikely she was having any luck either. No gang would’ve dared messing with Riley so long as she was lugging that scythe around. Maybe she went home. Maybe her experience mirrored Auburn’s right now so she decided to call it a night.

As Auburn decided to circle back home, she whipped out her phone to text Rin to do the same if she hadn’t already. Before she could message Jade next to ask if Riley returned home, she noticed something while passing a public playground. A lone figure barely discernable through the darkness sat at the base of a slide slumped forward with their hands covering their face. Auburn passed the gate and tiptoed closer, and she did the sobbing grew louder and louder. Then, Auburn laid eyes on the hockey stick sat at her feet, and the goalie mask leaning against one of ther thighs. Riley choked back a sob with an ugly gasp.

“Auburn,” she started despite her not saying a word or noticing that Riley saw her approach, “everyone always said I was the strong one. They looked at us and thought I was the stability, I was the rock. Sienna would always agree. But it’s wrong, it’s all wrong.” Auburn was a little grateful her tear-glazed eyes were fixated on her mask. She couldn’t bear to look her in the eyes right now. “I’m nothing without her. I need her back.” Auburn wanted to tell her how she was connected to the Ospreays’ kidnappings. She wanted to tell her that the Sienna from Beacon, the stoner chaos monster that would stuff her dinner plate with nothing but ice cream and would let loose pigeons during classes for the hell of it, was gone. But she couldn’t. Not right now.

“I getcha. It was bad enough wanting to do everything in my power to get Bubblegum back. I thought there’d be some kind of ransom paid by now and he’d be back with his family. I want him back too. But I’ve had to be strong about it. You say you’re not the strong one, but you’re the one still here, still fighting for your relationship.”

“No no no, I’m not, I’m not the strong one.” Riley was emphatically shaking her head before Auburn even finished before repeating, “I need her back.”

“I do too, she’s my partner in fox crime, but-”

“Do you know how long it took Alex to convince her to give Beacon a shot? Months of trying to get her to take the entrance exams. He told me he hoped it would be both of their tickets out of their shitty childhood and onto something better. I had hoped that Beacon would give her security in her life that she needed and it would never get ripped away. And I was wrong…”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean she gets to respond like this,” Auburn said.

“I’m not saying she’s right. But I know she’s scared and alone. She needs help. I am going to get her back. Even though I don’t have any inkling of what the first step of doing that is.” Part of Auburn’s brain couldn’t fathom why she was more worried for a girl who abandoned her than a friend who was forcibly taken from his home. It was enraging having to bottle those feelings up, but the other part of her brain knew exactly what she was going through, and condolence didn’t even begin to describe. However, after a moment of contemplation, her eyes widened and her ears perked with an idea. Maybe this was the push needed to get both of their friends back.

“I may have an idea,” she said.

“You do??” Riley finally looked up at her fellow huntress in training like she was the last bastion against hopelessness.

“I know someone we can talk to. It’s a complete shot in the dark but it’s better than anything else I got. You ever been to the Scarlet Heart?”

“That bar on Carmine Street?” Riley said after a pause with slight confusion on what that had to do with anything. “No, never been. Why?”

“Go home for the night. Get off this playground and be with Jade and Amber. They need you bad right now and you need them. We’ll meet there tomorrow. Just get some rest for me tonight, ok?” Auburn plunked a hand on Riley’s shoulder before the latter suddenly sprung up and wrapped her in a tight hug. She buried her face in Auburn’s shoulder, her tears staining and running down her leather jacket.

“Thank you for even trying. Thank you thank you thank you,” Riley said softly. After a moment to collect herself, Auburn softly returned the embrace for a few moments before letting go.

“We’re gonna get them back. Dash and Sienna both,” she said. Not much else was exchanged between the two as Riley picked up her things and Auburn escorted her home. Auburn wasn’t absolutely confident that they were going to get Dash out of the White Fang’s control in one piece, or that Sienna would even want to come home if they found her. She wasn’t sure how, or if she was even wanted to see Sienna, but she knew that’s what Riley needed to hear. And she needed to hear it too. Deep down, she knew it. They were going to get their friends back.

[sageywritings]

Home Turf

After what she would call a productive few weeks, Sienna returns home. And besides the barrage of memories, she’s faced with faces both familiar and new.

A loooooong overdue follow-up to the post-fall of Beacon storyline I started years ago at this point. Major shoutout to all of my friends who allow me to use their characters and show me more patience than I probably deserve. Thank you for being a big reason I write. Hope you enjoy, and read Home Invasion and Back to the Streets before this if you haven’t! (check the main blog) 

Auburn Vulpes (mention of Dash Ospreay) belongs to me

Sienna Umberon and Amber Himmel (mention of Riley Currant) belong to @gruntnuker-rwby

Mention of Alex Umberon belongs to @wetsliceofbread

Rin Aozora (mentions of Hikari Izumi) belong to @solar-moon-byul

The desert sand and unchecked factory activity in the air overwhelmed Sienna’s senses with familiarity. She was too accustomed to hearing the alleyways bustling with the usual gang deal that was just waiting to break down. She could vividly remember her brother trying to get her out of those situations. But even with Alex trying to pacify her flames, he couldn’t stop her from learning the streets’ tricks and trades. A smile crept across her face as she remembered using some of those tricks at Beacon, especially on Dash. His arrogance was always just begging for a taste of comeuppance. The only difference was that it was usually Riley that had to cool her flames. The smile quickly faded.

“Like they’d take me back now…”

Sienna stood in front of a corner store, leaning on the wall with head down and arms folded. Her White Fang mask was in her pocket, a plain black hoodie doing the job of hiding her identity instead. After the raid on the Ospreay facility at Izolim, the higher ups granted her some time in Vacuo for what she justified as “scouting purposes”. In reality, she wanted to take the time to get out of the White Fang uniform and take in her old home for the first time in what felt like forever. 

To her left was the Sunshine Estates, a suburban neighborhood built by foriegn dust companies to house their workforce. But, as the natural resources were drained, and the “investors” pulled out, it had been long left abandoned - apart from the gangs that were willing to bribe the guards for access. Downtown was on her right, with Shade Academy towering over everything as the only source of control in the kingdom. Nothing was there to stop the flooding memories. The nights in the JASR dorm she spent keeping the girls awake until 3 AM sharing stories. Seeing them for the last time the night Beacon fell. Standing over a bruised and bloodied Ospreay backed by her squadron. Happiness, sorrow, pride. It rushed her all at once.

Sienna knew she was flawed. Just like Vacuo. But that’s what made Vacuo so special. It made it home. A home that would accept her. A home where if you could survive, you are welcome. She could take comfort in that at least. It’s the place that taught her how to handle anything thrown at her. Including a man almost knocking her off her feet as he raced down the street in a crazed rush.

“The fuck is the hurry?” she said to herself, glaring his direction upon jolting back to reality. Two more ran past, one on each side of her. Both were faunus females who looked like they were in hot pursuit of the man. She zeroed in on the one of the left: wavy brown locks whipping in the wind, fox ears, black leather jacket, chain dangling from her right hand. Sienna’s eyes widened.

“Again? Damn, Bubblegum, what the hell?” Auburn’s voice was an exasperated sigh at reading yet another headline of White Fang activity. Seeing her team leader’s family name as the center of critical media reports was nothing new to her. It almost always solicited from him the same rant of how he was innocent, powerless to stop his company’s ways. Auburn always tried to distance herself from his talk, not wanting to create more friction within their team than their clashing personalities already caused. But for the first time, the news reports about Dash brought sympathy out of Auburn rather than rage.

“I never wanted this. Maybe it coulda been different if I had stood with you. Like I’m supposed to.”

“Hey, I’m... really sorry about your friend. He might’ve been an ass but that’s just not right.”

The voice didn’t serve to snap Auburn out of her haze, but instead to easefully goad her out of it with a genuinely caring tone. She turned around to face the speaker: a husky faunus that stood a few inches taller than her with a mess of black and white hair tied into a ponytail. Heterochromatic eyes looked at Auburn with as much concern as they could offer. 

“Thanks, Rin,” Auburn said softly. 

“The White Fang have always been too shady to be trusted, and now everyone knows. You know I got your back. Us faunus gotta stick together right?” Auburn let out a chuckle.

“Yeah, you’re definitely a good fit for the Leash.” Rin proudly straightened her jacket and fixed the collar around her neck before giving her new “boss” a silly smile and a thumbs up.

“I’m just surprised that you and the others let me join. Must be weird considering we had really just met,” Rin said on a more serious note despite maintaining her smile.

“We don’t turn anyone that’s willing to help. They were especially on board after I told them about what you did at Vytal.” It felt like everyone at the Amity Colosseum knew about Rin Aozora.

It was only because of Sapphire that they had met in the first place. After facing off against Haven’s Team SPHR in the first round of the tournament, she couldn’t resist the opportunity to meet such a beautifully named team. She eventually turned her focus to getting to know their team leader Shiina, leaving Auburn to meet two of its other members, Rin and Hikari. Off the bat, she could tell the two were an inseparable duo. One would pick up and play with the other’s little habits and quirks. Their communication was the best it could be, especially considering Hikari was mute.

While Hikari was off taking pictures of the arena, Auburn got to know the girl under the husky ears a bit better. How she met Shiina before their time at Haven. How comfortable she was having spent the whole day with a group of faunus. And most importantly, the lengths she’d take to protect Hikari. Which became to evident to Auburn very quickly.

“What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue? Say something!” The loud, burly voice snapped both of them to see Hikari backed into a corner, shying away from someone harassing her. Auburn never quite learned the exact details, or anything else the bully said. She only watched and served as unnecessary backup as Rin marched forward, turned the guy around by his shoulders, and nailed him with a rattling uppercut that sent him crashing into a concessions stand. Most of the crowd erupted into cheers, but Auburn was the first to congratulate Rin with her signature rock horns. 

After the dust had settled at the Battle of Beacon, Auburn’s teammates were split up. Sapphire was seperated during the battle, Dash was forced by his family to retreat back to Atlas, and Solomon was placed on a team tasked with repairing the CCT. She stayed on campus as long as she could, even refusing the local huntsmen when they tried relocating her to the Vale refugee site. But, nothing could keep even part of her team together. She hated the idea of admitting defeat, but with nothing and no one left for her at Beacon, the only logical place Auburn felt she could go was home. However, the moment she decided on getting a plane ticket back to Vacuo, she found Rin. She told the SPHR member about her plans, and Rin almost immediately asked to join her, to Auburn’s shock. Rin wanted to see new places, and she figured what better time than now. So, Auburn took her in and brought her into the Leash.

“Hey Snowdog,” Auburn said. “I never did ask. Why didn’t Hikari come with you?” Rin’s expression almost instantly sombered and her eyes darted down to her feet.

“Hikari… always thought she was holding me back. She always thought because she was mute she was always a problem, a burden.” Rin’s eyes downcast to her scroll. She was met with a picture of her and Hikari at the top of Haven Tower, the moonlight illuminating their warm embrace. “When I offered to cover her plane ticket and everything, she still refused. She was so scared she even tried to break up with me. I flat out didn’t allow that.”

“So long distance? Must be hard, even with normally functioning comms,” Auburn said. “My nerd’s working his wizardry I’m sure.”

“I’ve been trying to learn as much sign language as I can. That way she doesn’t have to spend so much time writing down her words and showing me.”

“Wow. I’m so sorry,” Auburn said with ears flattened. She wasn’t even certain why she was apologizing. She just knew in her heart that Rin would not let her relationship disappear, all but confirmed by the husky faunus’ gung-ho thumbs up. Before the Leash duo could share any more, their attention was brought to a cry coming from around the corner. One peek to its origin saw a man waving a stack of lien over a small boy, the latter clutching his squirrel tail to his chest.

“C’mon, whattya need this for? Rats just scrounge for food, don’t they?” the man gruffly guffawed.

“Hey!” Rin yelled, wasting little time in making their presence known. “I know I’m new here but if you’re scared of a little squirrel I don’t think Vacuo is the place for you”

“Really? This again, Lucky? Didn’t learn your lesson last time?” Auburn chimed in.

“Oh shit!” Without any hesitation, the crook called Lucky bolted down the street. Both Auburn and Rin quickly gave chase, their loud footsteps terrifying the crook into not looking back. He tried to use everything on the sidewalk as an obstacle, throwing newspaper stands, trash cans, even people in their way. But, right as she hurdled a trash can, Auburn found her opening. Pulling her chain whip off of her waist, she cracked it at his legs. It wrapped around one of his ankles and tripped him, forcing him to crash hard into the pavement. Auburn quickly pounced on him and wrenched his arms behind his back until he dropped the lien. That allowed Rin to scoop it up and run off to return it to the boy.

“Fuck, the cops really should start thanking me. You assholes never make it easy,” she said while making her way through the small crowd that had formed. Suddenly, the last person she passed grabbed her by the collar of her jacket and pulled her into an alleyway. As soon as they were out of sight from the street and Auburn could fully realize what was happening, she broke free and elbowed her assailant in the stomach. She spun around with a punch aimed at the head, but the hooded figure ducked.

“Easy, easy, Hellfox,” she said in a instantly recognizable voice that caused Auburn to freeze in her tracks. The hood lowered to reveal the same pierced fox ears and bright blue and green hair that joined Auburn in so many escapades at Beacon.

“Sienna?!”

“Miss me?” She could barely say any more before Auburn wrapped her into a bonecrushing hug. Despite her fellow faunus’ strength, Sienna handled the vice grip well and hugged back. “Don’t tell me you’ve gone soft.”

“Shut up,” Auburn said back upon stepping back and meeting Sienna’s audacity with a light glare. “I get a pass since I haven’t seen my partner in crime for so long. Jade told me you went missing after Beacon, what happened?”

“I did. I… needed some time alone. Take care of things y’know? I would’ve told them, but… it was just too hard. I couldn’t bring myself to say goodbye to them. I doubt they even wanna see me.” Her eyes darted down and her ears flattened, but only briefly before Auburn’s fiery response brought her focus back up.

“Bullshit they miss you! They just want you to come home! Wait, that means you haven’t seen them yet?” A slight shock hit Sienna before she softly shook her head. “Then why are you here with me? C’mon let’s get Team JASR back to kicking ass as a unit!” Auburn had no idea where to find Jade, Amber, or Riley. But, it didn’t stop her from grabbing Sienna’s by the wrist in an attempt to lead her to no set destination. However, Sienna didn’t budge.

“We can’t!” she said sharply. Caught off guard, Auburn let go of her.

“Why not?” she asked.

“Because-” she started before her eyes peered over Auburn’s shoulder to see someone approaching. “Because of something I’d rather say in private.”

“Huh?” Auburn said, turning around to see Rin returning. Unsure of who Auburn was talking to, she stayed back, leaning on one of the walls near the entrance of the alleyway. “Rin’s a friend, anything you gotta say will be safe with her.”

“If you’re a friend of Auburn, then you’re chill with me,” Rin said, giving the leader of the Leash a thumbs up. Sienna wouldn’t even meet them with eye contact. 

“Fine,” Sienna said. A certain gravity loomed in her voice, followed by a long pause. Not used to this coming from Sienna, Auburn’s curiosity and worry simultaneously grew. “Auburn, what do you think of the White Fang?” 

“Are you serious?” The brunette fox faunus was slightly taken aback. Given the weird behavior, she didn’t expect it to culminate into that question. She even lightly laughed it off, not taking Sienna seriously. “I think they need to give me my Ospreay back. No one’s allowed to mess with him but me.”

“Oh. So you’re ok with all these atrocities he’s committed to the faunus.”

That knocked the smiles right off of both Auburn and Rin. Sienna finally looked up again, and her eyes held no jokes to be found. Her ears twitched. Rin stepped up until the point where Auburn extended an arm to keep her back.

“He’s not the one calling shots at the head of the company,” Auburn said.

“Yet he just stood by and let it happen! Not even a word on trying to change anything!”

“He can’t exactly say stuff like that when he’s under his dad.”

“And was Daddy stopping him from talking to us at Beacon? Tell me. Did he ever mention a word to you about wanting to change anything?” Auburn’s crimson eyes glanced downward, the pained expression on her face evident of the truth she did not want to admit. “That’s what I thought.  He’s just as guilty as the rest o-”

“What’s your point? You really gonna side with the terrorist organization that’s making us all look bad?” Rin interjected. Sienna’s ears perked up before she turned fully to the husky faunus. She eyed her up and down and her expression of indignation quickly gave way to a grin creeping across her lips. It was like a hunter first spotting their prey.

“You. I remember you. From the Vytal Festival. That was awesome,” Sienna chuckled. It did nothing to calm Rin. “You’re a Vytal legend in my book, and you didn’t even have to win your match. That’s impressive. But you of all people should know why I fight.” She dug into her hoodie and finally revealed her ornately crafted White Fang mask, a Woodland Recon mask modeled after an ursa. “You know why I struggle more than anyone. Lemme ask you this. Your girl, where is she right now?” Rin’s ears lowered and her previously icy glare softened. 

“Rin,” Auburn spoke up with rising concern. “You know Hikari wouldn’t want you to do this.”

"So you don’t know. You’re separated. You understand where I’m coming from then. And what about you, Auburn?" Sienna snapped her attention toward her fellow fox-eared brawler. "You're one of the, if not the strongest Beacon had to offer. You know it, and I know it! But you also know they're never gonna give you the opportunity to prove it. Not as long as people like Ospreay are in your way."

"I can make my own opportunities," Auburn firmly said. But, before she could go on, Rin stepped forward. Trancelike, she approached Sienna, contemplative to the point of not listening. It took a moment for her gaze to leave her feet and focus on the Fang lieutenant. Then, she slowly extended her hand. Sienna smirked. 

“Faunus like you and me, we gotta stick together, right?”

"I knew you'd see what I see. Don't worry, both you and your girlfriend are both welcome with us." However, when Sienna went for the handshake to finalize the deal, Rin's outstretched hand turned into a middle finger right in Sienna's face. Just like that, Rin thieved the smirk off of Sienna. The burst of laughter from Auburn was the only thing masking Sienna's growl.

"So much for sticking together," she grumbled to herself. Before the laughter had even stopped, Sienna suddenly clocked Rin with a hard punch, causing her to stagger back a couple steps. Where Sienna's fighting capabilities and strength had improved since Beacon, her notorious temper did not. Auburn quickly got between them, perhaps for the first time in her life trying to stop a brawl as opposed to instigating it. Rin stared down the former JASR member while holding her jaw. Then, with one quick jolt of her arms, two elbow blades that ran up the length of her arms emerged. Sienna responded in kind by extending her claws.

"Boss. You're not gonna defend this shit, are you?" Rin said to Auburn. Without a word or a moment’s hesitation, Auburn spun on her heel to nail Sienna with the same treatment she gave Rin. Sienna fell to one knee, but was only kept down very briefly. She snarled as Auburn continued.

"That answer your question? You wanna play Fang Sienna? I'll treat you like Fang. And when I'm done, I'm dragging you back to your team to show them you've lost your mind."

"NO!" Sienna lunged for Auburn with her claws right as the Leash leader was reaching for her chain whip once more. Realizing she wasn't going to arm herself in time, Auburn ducked the strike and went to aim a counterpunch at Sienna's stomach. But, Sienna was too quick. A second slash forced Auburn back. Then, the barrage of punches started to come in. Auburn put up her hands in a defensive boxer stance. It could only do so much to defend herself from Sienna’s fiery claws though, her aura was left to absorb the rest of the damage.

Rin took her chance to launch forward and get in Sienna’s face. The first swing had her blade missing Sienna’s chin by only a mere few inches. The next punch connected to the fire-wielder’s gut. Then, Rin began to start raining in punches of her own. A few connected, most didn’t, but they all kept Sienna on the back foot. Then, with her back pressed to the steel of a dumpster, Sienna quickly pounced back. A wayward miss from Rin caused her to be just off-kilter enough for her to slide between the husky faunus’ legs, slashing both knees as she did so. Rin dropped off her feet right into a knee strike from Sienna that caught her right in the nose. 

However, before a fiery claw could follow up, something yanked Sienna back by the wrist. Auburn’s chain had found its way wrapped around it, giving Rin access to nail a strike to grant her some breathing room. Sienna caught Rin’s next punch with her left hand, then caught one from Auburn she saw coming with her peripheral version with her right. With a primal scream, a ball of flame suddenly burst from Sienna briefly engulfing all three girls. It seemed to do just as much damage to Sienna as it did her opponents. But, she was still first to her feet, catching her breath as she eyed Rin laid out on the ground with her aura flickering.

“You two are only proving my point. You’re both so strong and capable. Imagine what we could do if we-”. A war cry from Auburn interrupted her. She turned around just in time for the Hellfox to pick her up and drive her into a spear tackle. They both ended up crashing through the door of the abandoned warehouse next to. The old door splintered and easily gave way as both the fox bruisers landed on a layer of dust coating the floor that had sat undisturbed for years. Auburn barely had a chance to even roll over and gather her surroundings. Sienna was first to her feet again and sprinted over to aim a penalty kick at Auburn’s head. Eyes wide, she rolled out of the way at the last second.

“Cheap shot! And that’s coming from me!” Auburn remarked, still on one knee with whip in hand.

“Says the girl who sucker punched me,” Sienna snapped back. Auburn again flung her whip into action, this time wrapping it around Sienna’s waist. Forcing Sienna to her, she grabbed her and tried to throw her over her shoulders for a suplex. Sienna was able to tuck and rotate her body enough so her head and neck only absorbed some of the damage. Auburn’s next attack was intercepted with a fist of flame, causing her to growl and wince. Sienna shoved her back with her semblance active.

“Commander, where are you?!” Sienna’s ears shot straight up when her earpiece echoed to life.

“Ambushed! I’m in the old Arashi warehouse!”

“Roger. Sending backup your way!” the voice responded.

“Negative! Prepare an evac. We need to get outta here before we attract more attention. Meet me on the roof!”

“Roger that.” Sienna wasted no time in going for the stairs that led her to a series of catwalks once used to survey the manufacturing floor of this building. By this point, Rin had gathered the strength to give chase once more. She locked eyes on Sienna. Then, she detached both of her blades and clasped them together to form a crossbow. As the weapon whirred with transformation noises and loaded, she icily aimed down sights and fired. An arrow caught a direct hit to Sienna’s calf, causing her to stumble to the floor.

“Auuuugh!” she cried in both pain and frustration. Rin fired another couple of bolts. One whizzed past over her shoulder, another pinged off the railing. But, this holdup gave Auburn enough time to catch up. She swept Sienna off her feet again with a constricting bearhug. She desperately tried to kick and squirm free, but Auburn’s chain was around her neck. Auburn wrestled her to her knees as Sienna grabbed at Auburn’s whip with both hands. Her destination, the fire exit that led to the roof, was a tantalizingly close. It was only a straight run of a few dozen yards.

“Do you have any idea how worried Riley and Jade and Amber are? Do you have any idea how much I’ve worried for you?! We all thought you could’ve been dead!” Auburn cinched in her chokehold tighter as her emotions boiled over. Rin had joined her, standing behind as backup.

“They can think I’m dead. I might as well be,” Sienna said amidst her strain.

“Cut the crap, Sienna,” Auburn fired back.

“This world wouldn’t let me be with Riley! Be with any of them! You heard the things your precious team leader Bubblegum said to me and her at Beacon. So I’m fighting for a world that will. And taking some pleasure at getting back at that little shit Ospreay for how she treated her.” Auburn’s eyes of crimson suddenly widened with flared anger. Even though she was first to start a fight, even she had never felt a rage-induced adrenaline rush like this. Everything around them began to cloud.

“What?”

Sienna scoffed.

“How do you think the Ospreay raid was so successful? They had to have someone that knew the target well. Too well.” Auburn sat there incredulously. She didn’t say anything. “Need me to spell it out for you? I led that mission. I took him prisoner. And I’m making sure he repays the favor for how he treated Riley.” While this was going on, unbeknownst to Auburn thanks to her haze, Sienna’s semblance was kicked into high gear. Auburn’s chain was beginning to melt and twist and warp under Sienna’s grasp.

“Auburn!” Rin’s voice brought Auburn harshly back to reality where she focused in on two armed men clad in White Fang armor bust through the fire exit door. Rin had her crossbow aimed at the two soldiers in return. Then, Auburn’s weapon finally gave way, breaking into several mangled pieces. Sienna elbowed her captor then slashed at her, allowing her to make a break for freedom. The two cronies gave her cover with a hail of gunfire. Acting quickly, instead of pursuing Sienna, she activated her own semblance, Kinetic Armor. An energy overshield formed around her as she rushed to Rin to serve as a bulletproof shield for her. All of the bullets ricocheted off of her, but it kept both her and Rin pinned down long enough for Sienna to disappear into the stairwell. They both chased after her and the other Fang members, but once they reached the roof, there was no sign of anyone. All there was upon first survey was the Vacuo sky beginning to tinge orange for sunset.

“Dammit!” Auburn cursed. She went to the edge of the rooftop and looked down to the street below. The only potential clue left for her was a black SUV speeding southbound. After a moment, she felt a hand touch her shoulder, the same calming hand from earlier.

“Thanks, Auburn. You really saved my tail back there. I really don’t know what to say,” Rin said.

“Don’t gotta say anything. That’s just what faunus sticking together looks like, right?” The pair of newly made partners exchanged smiles then firmly clasped their hands together. It was almost therapeutic to Auburn. A sign of loyalty. Something she valued above all else, something that was in short supply. She was glad to have picked her friends correctly in Rin. Speaking of friends-

“Auburn?”

A familiar voice coming from the street. One that brought Auburn the same wave of nostalgia Sienna’s did, despite this one being much softer spoken than the other fox’s. She peered down to see a girl with bright orange hair with a cat shaped backpack slung over one shoulder. Another friend she had missed from Beacon in another member of Team JASR, Amber Himmel. 

“Amber!” Auburn called out.

“What are you doing up there?” Auburn’s ears instantly slicked back.

“Amber…” she repeated, this time her voice carrying a weight of disappointment in it. Like it was weighed down by something on her mind she didn’t want to share.

“What’s going on?” Amber said one more time.

“We need to talk.”

[theonetheycallsagey]

Family

An angsty flash fiction prompt given to me by @gruntnuker-rwby in less than 1000 words. An important conversation between Sienna and Riley

Team JASR belongs to @gruntnuker-rwby

“Sienna. The What are you saying?”

Sienna’s fox ears instantly flattened. It took her days to muster up the courage to open up about this to someone. Even when she did, she was barely able to croak the words out. Her heart was in her throat. Her fingers fidgeted, tapping her hip. She knew Riley’s first reaction would be far less than supportive, but maybe she could give her the guidance she was looking for.

“I know you come up with crazy ideas all the time, but please just take a step back and think. This is the White Fang we’re talking about!”

The fox faunus’ eyes darted away. Although not her intention, Riley’s words stung. Every feeling she had was suddenly illegitimate.

“I have been thinking. I haven’t been able to get it out of my head in the past week. Ever since that pro-faunus rally in the courtyard.”

“You mean the guy that kept saying Beacon wasn’t fair to its faunus students when the academies are one of the few places where we’re all equal?”

“Is it equal?” Sienna muttered halfway under her breath. A simple question, but one that caused Riley to draw back slightly. She brushed her maroon locks aside from her face and crossed her arms over her oversized pajama shirt.

“You can’t be-”

“This is as good as it’s supposed to get for a faunus? I can’t go a day without hearing someone like Ospreay badmouth you just for hanging out with me!” Riley wanted to argue it, to say it was just Ospreay being his usual self, but even she couldn’t excuse it. She tried her best to just let it go, but it was never that easy for Sienna. “If that is the best it gets for me, then the rest of the world sure looks like shit!”

“I get it,” Riley said softly in a voice that she could rely on to soothe Sienna when she gets fired up. “I really do. But if it means being with you, I’ll go through it all.” Sienna’s eyes lost their intensity and softened up. “I know you want change. I do too. That’s why we’re becoming huntresses. We’re being the change Remnant needs.”

“Huntsmen have existed for decades now. And nothing’s changed. The White Fang is still fairly new and they’ve made more progress in five years then huntsmen have in a hundred!”

“Yeah, through violence and bloodshed! Is that what you want? They’re too radical!” Riley’s voice picked up in volume again.

“As long as it’s not murder, I don’t care how it’s done! Arson, vandalism, it’s all fair game! Just the same torture faunus receive thrown back at them,” her disdain turned into a low growl by the end of her statement. Her fists clenched tight. The tip of her tail sparked as her semblance flared. With eyes closed, Sienna didn’t see Riley approach it and gently put her hands on her shoulders. Sienna’s eyes open to directly lock with Riley’s.

“Sienna, the White Fang don’t fight for equality. They fight to make faunus the dominant species. Beacon fights for you as much as you fight for it. This is home, and Jade, Amber, and I are your family. And you better believe I’ll fight the world for my family.” Riley leaned forward and planted a small kiss on Sienna’s nose, at least soliciting a small bit of warmth from her girlfriend. She stepped back, but slid one hand down to caress her back, almost as if she didn’t want to let go. “It’s late. I’m gonna get some rest. You should too.” With that, Riley turned around to climb into bed, checking to see if their argument had woken up Jade and Amber before doing so.

That memory was as vivid replaying in Sienna’s head as it was when she first experienced it. Months had passed. Beacon had long fallen. It had been so long since she’d seen Riley’s face. She sat alone, staring at her custom White Fang mask through eyes that were desperately trying to not tear up.

“I’m sorry, Riley,” she whispered to herself. Her squadron was calling for their commander, but she didn’t flinch. Just a few more moments. “I’m sorry I’m not worth it. Not worth having people say we can’t be together. Saying I don’t matter. You shouldn’t have to fight the world for me.” Their calls got louder, but she couldn’t care less. “But I won’t just let us fall apart without putting up a fight.” A bang on the door. With a deep breath, she slid the mask on.

“I wish I was there. But this is how it needs to be. For our family.”

[theonetheycallsagey]

Back to the Streets

First time I’m doing this on Tumblr, so here goes nothing. This is a one-shot RWBY fanfic prompt involving both my and @gruntnuker-rwby‘s OCs. This takes place after the Fall of Beacon, as we catch up on Jade Meadows trying to start over with a new life post-Beacon invasion. But, chaos doesn’t stay away for long in the world of Remnant. Enjoy!

JASR belongs to @gruntnuker-rwby

DASH and The Leash belong to me

“The campus and surrounding areas remain inaccesible. Try as they might, the remaining huntsmen and huntresses cannot seem to get a hold of the situation at Beacon Academy.”

Jade sighed as she watched the news through the window of the television store. The on-display TV’s usually played the news, and it felt like every time she passed by, the headline was the same. It was almost as if it was the same rerun for the past couple months, but Jade knew the fact that Beacon’s condition was not improving. Each time she saw the broken campus, it was too easy to close her eyes and recall the times when she called it home. The images of being with her team in the dorm and causing trouble with their friends were all still so vivid in her head. But, she couldn’t focus on that past life right now. She had to go to the store and pick up groceries to make dinner tonight.

Jade adjusted her beanie and kept her head down as she approached The Lanes, a district of downtown Vacuo notorious for gang warfare. It seemed that every gang that called Vacuo home resided there, and fights over turf were regular. With every pair of eyes outside that turned to watch her as she walked by, she could feel her pace quicken. Even as she left The Lanes, she barely slowed down until she reached her destination.

Stood before Jade was a little convenience store located on the corner of Carob and Hickory. Before she walked in, a buzz from her hoodie pocket made her draw out her scroll. On it displayed a message from her friend and former teammate Riley Currant asking Jade to pick up some chips for her. Jade shook her head and smiled at the screen, typing up “We’ll see” as a response before entering the store. 

Upon walking in, she noticed a dark-skinned wolf faunus near the entrance. His short white hair was tucked under a fedora, and he was sporting a black bomber jacket. His attention didn’t shift from the newspaper he was reading, and it seemed he was oblivious to the world surrounding him. Jade took a few minutes to go up and down the aisles, scratching off the items on her shopping list one by one. She even made sure to grab Riley her snacks. Once finished, she went to the register, greeting the small elderly man behind it with a warm smile.

Midway through checking out, Jade noticed two guys come from the back of the store, one with sunglasses on and the other with a bandana covering most of his face. Two more walked through the front entrance, with one standing in front of the doors and the other standing next to the wolf faunus. Before Jade could even react, she felt something cold press against her neck. She froze. Her hands slowly and shakily raised above her head.

“Down,” the scratchy voiced leader Shades said. Lester, the bodyguard that accompanied him prodded Jade’s neck with the gun harder, forcing her to her knees. The one that approached the wolf faunus, named Aries, suddenly sprinted toward him and put a knife around his throat. The wolf didn’t tense up or even look away from his newspaper.

“Now. Give us the money,” Shades said with bat in hand. He feigned a swing in order to scare the cashier enough to start emptying the register. But, all of the thugs were suddenly caught off guard by the sound of light chuckling coming from the faunus.

“This ain’t gonna work,” he said, smiling while putting the paper down. His icy blue eyes glinted in the light, and he showed no signs of fear.

“Quiet, fleabag!” Aries said. “It don’t work that way anymore! You got no power!”

“Just figured I would warn you. What do you think, guy?” he said while motioning to the one guarding the entrance. They all turned to see him bright red in the face, violently trying to grasp for air with a chain wrapped around his throat. A face suddenly peeked from behind him, one that Jade immediately recognized but never thought she’d find here. The familiar brown fox ears and mischievious crimson eyes.

“Auburn?!” Jade exclaimed.

“What?! We got Leash!” Shades said as all of the gang members simultaneously readied their weapons for a fight.

“Miss me, boys?” Auburn said. Shades charged at her, so she rammed the one she had in a choke into him. She then jumped off of his back and nailed Shades with a big punch. Acting quickly, Jade used the distraction as an opportunity to elbow Lester in the knees. He groaned angrily, then aimed at her but before he could fire, Auburn had thrown an entire display of candy bars at him. It knocked him back and forced him to drop the gun, giving Auburn a chance to run at him. She quickly nailed a left jab to his stomach, then a right. He swung wildly, which Auburn easily ducked. She spun around him, wrapped her arms around his waist, and lifted him over her shoulders, suplexing him into the shelves. She stood over him, her body now glowing.

While this was all happening, the wolf smirked and delivered a headbutt to Aries to get him off. He reached into his jacket and slipped on a pair of brass knuckles. When Aries went to retaliate, the wolf nailed him with an uppercut, flooring him in the process. He landed next to the gun, which he scrambled to grab and point at Auburn. Jade saw this and ran toward him, hitting him with a kick to the chin, but not before he fired it twice at Auburn’s back. While she winced slightly, the bullets just bounced off of her. She turned around with fury covering her expression.

“Kinetic armor, bitch!” she said before wrapping her chain whip around his waist. She ran past him and yanked him off his feet and through the front window, sending him crashing to the sidewalk outside. The only one left was Shades who was staggering to his feet. He tried to punch the wolf, but he intercepted it and wrenched his arm backwards to its breaking point. He fell to his knees and looked up at his assailants.

“Did The Lanes miss me? Because I’m back to reclaim what’s mine,” Auburn said while wrapping her chain around her fist. “See, I had to come back. Because scum like you never learn.” She then suddenly rained down a hard right to his temple, then a second, then a third. The last one knocked him out and sent his trademark glasses flying off his face, shattering on impact. Jade couldn’t help but cringe slightly, even though she knew what Auburn’s wrath was capable of.

“That feeling never gets old, Revan,” Auburn said to the wolf before turning and finally facing Jade. Jade smiled softly at her, unsure of how to greet her friend from Beacon. Their teams were close, and after the fall, she wasn’t even confident that she would see them again. It had felt so long since the last time they were together. However, Auburn did her the favor and pulled her into a tight hug.

“Why do you have to do this? You’re making me miss Beacon,” she said, smiling the whole time.

“Glad to see you too, Foxy,” Jade said in response before stepping away. Revan looked at the two with his head tilted in curiosity while dusting off his fedora.

“You know her, boss?” he asked.

“Hell yeah,” Auburn said. “I told you Beacon had some great people.”

“I could tell by the way you fought. Most people just hide in the corner,” he said while handing Jade her bag of groceries. Once she took it, Revan pulled out some lien and tossed it on the counter to the shaken cashier. “On me, don’t worry.” Before Jade could protest, the sound of incoming sirens cut her off.

“Welp, time to go! Mika’s waiting out back,” Auburn said. “Jade, you’re coming with us. We have some catching up to do.” Jade could only nod as she took her food and followed them out the back entrance. Behind the store laid waiting a yellow sportscar with the engine still running. Revan slid across the hood and got into the shotgun position, and Auburn opened the door to the backseat to let her in. As soon as everyone was in, the car sped off, away from all the incoming police cars.

“Picked up a hitchhiker?” said the female driver. She had shouler-length navy blue hair that faded into yellow, and she had yellow markings painted on her face. She was wearing a white and blue hoodie marked by a #00 and had on a pair of cut-up jeans.

“Right, introductions. Guys, this is Jade Meadows. She’s a close friend I made from Beacon. Jade, let me introduce you to the crew. Revan Polaris”

“M’lady,” Revan said on cue while tipping his fedora. Jade rolled her eyes and Auburn knocked the hat off of his head.

“And the driver is Mika Inari.”

“Whaddup, girl?” Mika said. “Where are you going by the way?”

“Could you bring me to the ice rink? I’m meeting a couple of friends.” Mika nodded and Auburn chuckled to herself.

“Guess Riley is up to her usual. What about the rest of the team?”

“Well, Amber, Riley, and I are fine here in Vacuo,” Jade said before trailing off. Auburn turned, now looking a little worried, and waited for her to go on. “But... we lost contact with Sienna. We have no idea where she is.” Auburn clenched her fists hard enough to where her knuckles cracked.

“She’ll be ok,” Auburn said, mainly to reassure herself. Jade nodded in agreement, also trying her best not to think about it.

“What about you guys?” Jade asked in an attempt to change the subject.

“We got split up. When Atlas called back all of their soliders from the other kingdoms, the upper class got paranoid. Dash got called back, so Sapphire went with him. I hope she likes the trophy wife lifestyle. And Solomon is currently in a group tasked with fixing communications in Vale.”

“You know how much Amber misses him?” Jade said.

“Hell, I miss him,” Auburn said back. “I miss all of them. Even Ospreay.”

“Yeah. But at least you have a good crowd here.” Jade’s words prompted Revan to take a bow in his seat, and Mika shot her a thumbs up. “So... is this what you’ve been doing since Beacon? Leash?”

“It’s what I did before Beacon too,” Auburn replied.

“Isn’t The Leash the gang that got charged with arson after the old Arashi warehouse burned down?”

“Yeah, the same Arashi warehouse that got linked to faunus trafficking a few months later,” Revan added.

“Don’t listen to the cops. Don’t listen to the news. We’re different. We only target other criminals,” Auburn said. But Jade crossed her arms, not quite swayed by her words. She had heard a lot about The Leash, and although most of it was just rumors, she knew they were a group shrouded in mystery.

“Why should I believe that?” she asked.

“Because I was its leader!” Auburn said, legitimately shocking Jade. “Well, at least I used to back when it actually existed. After I left for Beacon, the group bascally disbanded. When I came back and tried to get us all back together, I couldn’t get a hold of most of them. The only ones I could get were these two.”

“Those vixens ain’t loyal!” Revan yelled. Jade looked down and processed what Auburn told her. She knew her friend to be loose with authority, taking orders more as suggestions, but she knew Auburn would never be a criminal.

“What made you make The Leash then?” Jade couldn’t help but ask and learn more about Auburn’s past.

“Because there’s a lot of injustice in this world that needs dealing with,” Auburn said. “I remember my first day of school. Little cutie Vulpes was about 6 years old and ready to make friends. What I got instead was kids a few years older than me picking on me for being a faunus. My dad and I watched some boxing movies together, so I decided that it would be best if I used some of those moves.” She was then cut off by Revan and Mika both trying to hold in their laughter.

“Yeah, you guessed it,” she went on. “Got my ass handed to me that day. I ended up getting used to it the teasing at least. Still made some good friends, like Mika. Until one day when we were about 12, and this group of guys stopped us on the street. I was ready for whatever crap they had to say, but they didn’t focus on me. They focused on Mika. They called her a disgrace for hanging out with an animal in public.” She paused again, her emotions boiling over just bringing it up.

“Anger didn’t even begin to describe how I felt. I didn’t know what else to do, so I just swung at one of the guys. Then again, and again, and again, till I made sure he was down. That was the mistake the first time I tried to fight. The guy got up. Wasn’t letting that happen again. From there, I knew I had to get stronger, not for my sake, but for my friends. Eventually, a lot of people that felt the same way, human and faunus alike, joined me.” Jade smiled slightly at Auburn’s sincerity.

“Problem was, The Leash was getting me into a lot of trouble with the law. I didn’t care, but my dad did. So one day, he handed me a little pamphlet for some place called Beacon. To me, it was a place to fight for what was right without worrying about the cops. Sounded like a win-win to me. So the next time I could, I said goodbye to my dad, and got on a plane to Vale.”

“And the rest is history,” Jade said. “That’s very sweet of you Auburn.” Before the sharing could go any further, Mika pulled into the rink’s parking lot.

“We’ll catch up more another time. Tell Riley and Amber I say hey, ok?”

“I will. It was nice meeting you guys,” she said to Mika and Revan, who both flashed her a smile and waved as she exited the car and walked off. She sighed happily before entering the building. One small step toward normalcy.