A Semblance of Emotion 042

The ring of steel on steel reverberated through the room, Jaune feeling the vibrations rock through his wrist and arm. Across from him, a pretty face smirked at him cockily as she disengaged their stalemate, only to meet him again. Their swords clashed violently, sparks flying as they exchanged sword strokes, blow for blow, dozens of eyes following them as they did battle.

Another day, another work out at the gym, only this day, he was taking part with the other training Huntsmen to refine his skills. The woman he was fighting was a fully licensed Huntress, a fresh graduate from Haven Academy. To look at her, you wouldn’t pick her for the sword and board type with her long, neon blue hair that turned purple towards the ends, and her flashy, outrageous clothes that were just as vibrant and bright, but her arms were all corded muscle, her shoulders strong from countless hours honing her craft.

She was the real deal.

Her name was Kale, and they’d struck up a bit of camaraderie in a short span of time. Though Jaune had a sneaking suspicion that her name was short for something else. Her weapon of choice was the sword and shield like him, though different; a gladius and large, circular buckler. That had been their first point of bonding. It was rare to find a Huntsman in this day and age that had what many would consider a mundane weapon, so they were two peas in a pod in that regard.

It was strange to think that Crocea Mors was somewhat more advanced, because his shield could become a sheath.

She was good; really, really good. Her swordsmanship was different than his, but just as polished, and as they continued to trade blows, he saw no weaknesses in her guard. She hit like a truck, her muscles coiling as she struck again, this time tanked on his shield. The keen edge rasped across the face, and Jaune planted his feet, pushing her off before thrusting at her throat. She parried it effortlessly and punched out with her buckler, the two shields coming together with a loud clang.

They’d been sparring for nearly ten minutes now, non-stop. Sweat dripped down his brow, his breath coming in controlled pants. Her vibrant pink tank top was soaked in sweat, her ridiculously baggy, yellow pants flapping as she dodged his next slash. She was a sight to be sure, but the best part about sparring against her was her unpredictable nature.

Pyrrha had mentioned that his swordsmanship was sublime, if a bit rigid. It was something he was working on, and who better to do it against than someone that wielded somewhat similar weapons to the champion fighter, but also had a nature more akin to Nora.

If Jaune wanted to win, he needed to get out of his comfort zone.

He was very purposefully not using his semblance, and trying as many new things as possible. It meant that every so often, he would fail, and Kale would score a hit, but a little pain never bothered him. This was how you learned.

Trial and error.

Kale rushed in again, their swords blurring. This time, as their swords clashed, Jaune directed her blade inward before spinning to her outside, using the momentum to carry him around and strike at her back. She rolled forward to avoid it but he was quick to follow, leaving his feet, leaping into the air and using his weight and momentum to add power to his thrust.

It was something he’d seen Pyrrha do a few dozen times before.

Crocea Mors lashed out, crashing against the face of her shield. Kale stumbled back under the increased force and with a surge of inspiration, Jaune attempted a leg sweep. She grunted as his powerful kick took her just below the knee, and her leg buckled.

She tumbled, hitting the ground hard, but Jaune had kicked way too hard, putting so much force into it that he half-spun, exposing his back. He tried to quickly create some distance but felt her sword stab him in the lower spine.

Even though his aura protected him, it hurt like hell.

By the time he turned back around, she was already on her feet, her guard reset.

“That was sneaky of you,” she quipped. “You’ve never tried to kick me before.”

Jaune grinned.

He’d sparred with a half dozen other people but he enjoyed his bouts with Kale the most. She was nice, and didn’t let ego get in the way of a good workout. Some of the other Huntsmen could be a little uptight when they discovered he was just a trainee. It was a blow to their pride if he bested them, which happened more often than Jaune expected.

He was starting to see that his classmates were a bit special, especially his friends.

Jaune knew that Pyrrha could beat everyone in this room, and it wouldn’t be close. But even Yang or Weiss could do it, though it would be harder.

His friends really were talented.

If Jaune used his semblance, he could beat Kale handily. The increase in strength and speed would overwhelm her, and his durability could take whatever she could dish out. Unless she had a trump card up her sleeve, which was entirely possible. Just as he was holding back his semblance, so was she, as far as he knew.

But Jaune was confident he could win.

They kept going for another ten minutes, a constant back and forth. Jaune tried a few more things, but in the end, it was deemed a draw, even though Kale had landed more hits than he had.

“That was great,” she exclaimed after inhaling her bottle of water. Two new Huntsmen took the field, a tall guy with a poleaxe and a shorter, slender guy with two mecha-shifting sickles. “Man, you really have a ton of aura. Even though I got some good strikes in, you’re still at like ninety percent.”

“My greatest asset,” he joked.

“Nah, man – your swordsmanship is really beautiful. I can tell you’ve worked really hard at it.”

That was the first time someone had called it beautiful before, though Pyrrha had shared a similar sentiment.

“Thanks.”

“I can’t believe you’re just a first year. Beacon really churns out beasts,” she shook her head. “If the others are as good as you are, I think you guys have the Vytal Festival in the bag.”

Another thing he liked about her is that she was very perceptive, and knew that he was constantly trying new things in their bouts when they had them. She was even willing to give tips, and they’d been a big help. For someone as spontaneous as she was, she was probably used to figuring things out on the fly like he was attempting to do.

“When you swept my legs, it left you exposed. You either need to go much harder and complete the turn completely, or you need to instantly move into your next movement. I know some people like to roll out of it and create distance.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

They spoke for some time, Kale going over their fight and giving a few more tips. When they parted, Jaune was in high spirits. He felt like he was getting better every day, and these sparring sessions were a huge help. He knew it was the holidays and maybe he should relax a little more, but Jaune craved improvement. Because he knew that wherever she was, he never once believed that Pyrrha was taking it easy.

When they met again, he wanted to show her how much he had grown.

Besides, he’d done plenty of relaxing. It wasn’t like he was training every second of every day. He spent time with Penny, and his time with Blake was nothing but indulgence.

Life was good.

Jaune hit the showers before drying and getting dressed. Waving at the receptionist on duty, he stepped out onto the street. It wasn’t raining but the sky was overcast, the air chilled. He had nothing else planned for the day, so he decided to swing by his hotel and drop off his bag of dirty clothes before wandering aimlessly around the city, exploring some of the more out of the way areas.

He kept Crocea Mors on his hip, though his armor was left in his room. He had no particular destination in mind, picking a direction at random and started walking.

Despite the gloomy weather, Vale was bustling with activity. After working out, he’d worked up a bit of an appetite, so he found a nice little cafe that served grilled sandwiches and picked up a smoked chicken and brie, the cheese hot as it oozed across his tongue after every bite. The inside of the bread had been smeared with some type of caramelized onion spread, the tarty flavor going well with the chicken and cheese. It was so good that he ordered a second one, and a milkshake to go.

His thoughts drifted to his friends, wondering what they were up to. He’d had a few message exchanges with Ruby, and she’d even invited him to visit her on Patch, something that he was going to take her up on. According to her, she’d just been tinkering with her weapon, and had even talked her father into letting her order some new, slightly expensive but totally necessary parts that she wished to incorporate into Crescent Rose. Most of it had gone over Jaune’s head, but he was glad that she was keeping herself busy.

Ren and Nora were both off grid, so even when he’d tried one day to call them from the CCT, it had failed to connect. Nora had warned him, but it hadn’t stopped him from trying, just to see. He hoped that everything was going well, and Jaune couldn’t deny that he missed talking to Nora and having her around. She was his partner, but more than that, they were together.

Without her around, Jaune felt as if he was missing something.

His calls to Weiss continued, so he had a fair idea what she was up to. Jaune could tell that she was counting down the days until he arrived, and just the other day, he’d gotten confirmation for his flight to Atlas sent to his scroll, as well as his hotel reservation. She had spared no expense, putting him in business class and booking him into the fanciest hotel in Atlas. Jaune knew because he looked it up, and the cost for a night’s stay was… frankly obscene, but she wouldn’t be persuaded. He was only coming for her, on her request, so she was going to ensure that he experienced only the best Atlas had to offer in compensation for his time, and the trouble she was causing him.

Jaune didn’t see it that way. It was no trouble at all, but Weiss saw it differently.

He’d exchanged a few messages with Pyrrha, as well, but due to the distance, it required him going to the CCT to send and receive, so their conversations were more like exchanging letters than simple texts. They’d spoken of nothing, mundane topics like the state of the weather, and what they’d been doing with their spare time. He told her about meeting Penny, and how she was a little strange but nice, a genuine soul. Pyrrha complained about the cold, though admitted that she often ventured outside of Argus to admire the forests carpeted in white snow, and the way the winter sun glistened amongst the branches.

Other than Ren and Nora, the only person he hadn’t heard from was Yang.

He’d shot her a few texts but they’d remained unanswered. When he questioned Ruby about it, she said that she seemed normal, but was constantly making trips to Vale. That wasn’t unusual, according to her. Before Beacon, Yang spent a lot of her time in the city. It was strange that she wasn’t answering messages, though.

He was a little concerned but Ruby was on the case, so it helped set him at ease. If there was something going on, she’d get to the bottom of it.

He sipped on his milkshake as he walked, occasionally entering a store to browse. He saw signs of White Fang activity; another Dust store had been hit, and the place was cordoned off with police tape. Since their failure at the docks, there had been less incidents, but this was proof that they were still stealing as much Dust as they could get their hands on.

The police were trying but so far, they’d had little luck.

Jaune was just crossing the street when his scroll began ringing, and when he pulled it out of his pocket, it was a picture of Ruby that greeted him.

He answered immediately.

“Hey Ruby,” he said happily.

“Hey Jaune,” she said, and Jaune immediately saw that something was bothering her.

“Are you okay? What’s wrong?” he asked quickly, becoming serious. “Did something happen?”

“It’s nothing like that,” she said, though the worry in her silver eyes spoke volumes. “It’s Yang. I think I know what she might be up to.”

“I’m all ears.”

She hesitated. “I mean, I know it’s silly, Yang can handle herself but… in the past, she’s had a really bad habit of getting mixed up with the wrong type of people.”

“Like friends leading her astray or…?”

Ruby shook her head. “No, not like that. Just… you know, meeting up with shady individuals and getting into fights, those sorts of things. Like that nightclub incident at the start of the year.”

Right. When she’d totalled a club. Jaune also remembered Yang telling him about protecting that liquor store from those hoodlums.

“I was snooping in her room,” she sounded ashamed to say it. “And I found some things. Names, mostly. People. I don’t know who they are but when I did a web search on one of them, there were lots of articles about organized crime.”

“Like the mafia?”

She nodded. “Yeah, sorta… and there was also the name of a store. It was circled, and Yang is Vale today, so I thought…”

Ruby wanted his help.

“I can go have a look, if you want,” he offered. “Just send everything through.”

“Thanks, Jaune.”

“Yeah, no problem. Anytime, Ruby.”

She immediately sent all the information to him. Jaune had a bad feeling about this, but Ruby was right about one thing. Yang knew how to handle herself.

He did a quick search of the address, and followed the directions.

The scenery changed as he moved into a slightly more rundown part of town, bordering on the industrial sector with older buildings much like the faunus dominated area, but not as well maintained. The atmosphere here was a little more tense, something Jaune picked up on immediately.

There were groups of men loitering on corners, and at a glance, it was clear they were armed. If Jaune had to guess, they were carrying concealed handguns, strapped to their waist. At least that was how it looked with the way their shirts bulged slightly on the side or back.

The stores here were a little different, as well. Adult stores selling videos, toys, costumes of a sexual nature. Strip clubs. Seedy love hotels. Brothels. He’d never seen the like before, being from the country.

Sex work was legal in Vale, so it wasn’t a surprise to see them being advertised so boldly, it was just something he’d never personally encountered. There hadn’t been any near the love hotel he’d visited, at least none that he’d seen. This wasn’t the red light district that Blake had spoken of, but a smaller version of ill repute. Jaune had a feeling that when night fell, the street would come alive, but right now, it was slow. Other than the men loitering around, and Jaune, there were only about a half dozen other people, and the on street parking was barely used.

He was about to move on when he heard a loud metallic clang, almost like an old trashcan skidding across concrete. The armed men on the corner perked up, alert, and Jaune glanced around, trying to pinpoint where the sound had come from.

There was a narrow alleyway nearby between one of the sex toy stores and a love hotel. He caught raised voices, though it was impossible to hear what they were saying. A woman and a man, at least.

Jaune didn’t hesitate, walking down the alleyway.

What he found was not what he was expecting.

“Yang?” he asked, surprised.

At the sound of her name, she turned, her lilac eyes wide. “Jaune?”

Even before he’d seen her face, he knew it was her. No one had such lovely hair as her, a tumble of golden threads that shined even in the dull light. Dressed in a pair of tight leather pants with a matching leather jacket overtop an orange tank top, she looked like she was about to go on a joyride on Bumblebee.

His eyes scanned the scene. “What’s going on?”

At her feet was a large man, at least three hundred pounds, maybe more. Yang had a boot planted firmly on his back, keeping him pinned as he struggled. Another man was unconscious, sprawled against a wall, the trashcans around him spilling their contents all over the ground.

That was where the noise had come from.

Two other men stood across from her, firearms trained on her, their expressions angry. One had tattoos on his face, while the other had a thick gold chain around his neck.

“Oh,” she looked around sheepishly. “Uh… I’m working?”

“Working?” he pressed.

“Well… no, I guess not,” she sighed, rolling her eyes. “This is personal.”

“Listen, bitch – do you want to die or somethin’?” one of the men threatened, the one with the tattoos, waving his gun. “How do you think this is going to end?”

Yang jerked a thumb at them, expression one of disbelief. “Can you believe these guys?”

Jaune frowned. “I think you’ve upset them.”

“I just had a few questions, and now they’re getting their panties in a bunch,” Yang said, shaking her head. Her long blonde hair swayed behind her back. “If they’d just answered like good little boys, things wouldn’t have gotten violent.”

“Hey, cunt,” the one with the chain barked. “I think you’ve got the wrong idea.”

“No,” Yang said, voice light. “I think you do.”

They didn’t realize she was a Huntress, surely. Because if they did, they’d know those little handguns were going to be useless. Either that or they were just stupid.

“How about we teach this bitch a lesson?”

Okay, maybe they were stupid.

Jaune stepped forward but it was too late. The tattooed man fired, and his aim was true. Yang’s head jerked back as the bullet slammed into her jaw, her aura flaring bright yellow in protection. The gunshot echoed in his ears, and he saw their eyes widen in alarm. The bullet fell to the ground, crumpled from the impact of striking Yang’s aura.

There was a moment of silence, the air heavy, uncertain.

“Hey, what the fuck is going on down here?” another voice called, and those men from the corner approached, guns drawn.

This was getting messy.

Yang moved, a blur of motion. The tattooed man barely had time to shout before a fist shattered his nose, blood spewing from his nostrils as he reeled back, the handgun tumbling from his limp fingers. The man with the gold chain swung his gun around but she was too fast, a brutal uppercut rocking his jaw, his teeth shattering from the force.

Jaune made his move.

The approaching men had their guns up and ready, but they weren’t fast enough. Jaune palmed the first guy’s gun, pushing it away before striking him in the throat with his elbow, instantly incapacitating him. As he dropped, choking, Jaune lashed out with a kick, not hard enough to break his leg but hard enough that his leg buckled instantly, crumpling with a scream of pain as his pistol went flying.

The last guy fumbled his gun, fear destroying his composure. Jaune’s fist slammed into his face, knocking him out before he hit the ground, his body taut as his legs spasmed.

They were criminals. Criminals willing to shoot what they believed were civilians, but it was still a nasty sight to see someone laid out like that, their body stiff as a board.

The three hundred plus pound man remained frozen on the ground, no longer struggling. Yang turned to face Jaune and he saw her eyes were red, though they quickly bled out, returning to their pretty lilac.

The man he’d kicked cradled his leg, face twisted in agony. Jaune kicked the gun he’d dropped away.

“Yang,” Jaune said, voice stern. “What the hell is going on?”

She scowled.

“I was trying to get some information, but these jackasses weren’t talking,” at his continued stern expression, she sighed. “What are you even doing here? How’d you know where I was?” she paused. “Ah. Ruby said something, didn’t she?”

“Don’t be angry with her.”

She clucked her tongue. “She went through my stuff. Oh, she is going to get an earful when I get home, that little brat.”

“She was worried. I told her you weren’t answering my messages.”

She looked away, guilty.

“Look, I was just busy, that’s all…” she said lamely. “Okay, fine – that was totally loser vibes. I should have messaged back, but…”

“But what?”

She looked around, admiring the carnage. The man whose teeth she broke was whimpering, holding his jaw as blood dripped from his chin.

“Let’s go somewhere else,” she said, walking by him.

“Wait, let me call an ambulance.”

He quickly dialed the emergency number and gave them the location, then followed Yang out of the alley. She was waiting for him with crossed arms.

“You didn’t need to do that,” she said. “They’re criminals. They don’t deserve your concern.”

“Maybe not. But we don’t know their circumstances.”

“One of them shot me in the face,” she reminded him, eyebrow arched. “If I didn’t have aura, I’d be dead.”

“If you didn’t have aura, you wouldn’t have cornered them in an alley pumping them for answers,” he countered. “But fair point. Maybe he’ll think twice before shooting someone after you broke his nose.”

He doubted it.

“Come on, let’s walk and talk.”

Yang turned and started walking. Jaune’s eyes briefly fell to her behind, and the way the leather of her pants stretched across her ass before shaking his head and jogging to catch up.

“So – speak,” he said.

“Tch. Are you actually pissed at me or are you just being the stern, concerned friend?” she grumbled. “I don’t much like you being angry if that’s the case. It’s different. Not a good different.”

“I’m not angry, I’m worried,” maybe he was a little bit angry. Seeing Yang get shot in the face was not a pleasant experience, even though she was fine. “What the hell were you trying to get them to tell you?”

She didn’t answer immediately. Jaune didn’t press but remained by her side, and a few minutes later, they heard the siren of an approaching ambulance. It rushed by them, lights flashing, and a little while after, a group of police vehicles followed.

“You called the police?”

“Yeah. They were armed, I was worried about the paramedics.”

Yang laughed under her breath.

“I guess since it’s you, I don’t mind telling you. I know I can trust you, Jaune. You’ve… been a good friend, and I’ve seen the way you’ve handled the problems on your team…”

Jaune waited.

Yang cleared her throat. “So – you know how Ruby and I are only half-sisters?”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah, well – my mom, my bio mom – she abandoned me when I was a baby. She had me, stuck around for a few months, and then high tailed it. Guess I was an inconvenience that she didn’t want to deal with.”

Though her face was blank of emotion, and her voice was matter-of-fact, Jaune could hear the hurt buried in her tone.

“Yang…”

“Anyway, Summer stepped in after she was gone, and along came Ruby. She isn’t my mom by blood but she’s my mom in everything else. I love her, more than anything. She gave me my annoying little brat of a sister,” this part was said with fondness. “And she raised me… until she left, as well. Though it wasn’t her fault. She died.”

Jaune remained silent.

“So yeah, it’s the typical cliched shit. I want to speak to my bio mom, I have since I was little. She discarded me like trash but I still want to talk to her, to ask her why. Pathetic, right?”

“It’s not pathetic, Yang,” Jaune said softly.

“You don’t have to soften it. It is. It is pathetic. Why the fuck do I care so much?” her tone shifted, filled with disgust. “But I can’t help it. My dad refuses to talk about her. My uncle – Uncle Qrow, he’s my mom’s brother. He refuses to talk about her, as well. I don’t know if they think I can’t handle it or…” she trailed off for a moment, looking up at the overcast sky. “I dunno. I don’t know much about her. I know her name is Raven Branwen, and I know that she was involved in criminal activity in the past. She was on a team with my dad, Summer, and Qrow… beyond that, I know nothing.”

That explained why she was speaking to criminals, then.

“When I was little, I thought I’d found a lead. Dad had left some stuff out, a photo… some other papers. I was stupid,” she said bitterly. “I thought I could find her, and I took Ruby with me. Idiot. She was still a child. I was still a child… and we were nearly killed by Grimm. If not for my uncle, we would have been.”

She stopped and turned to face him suddenly, and Jaune was caught by her eyes. They were filled with self-loathing.

“I endangered my little sister for what? Some fucking bitch that wanted nothing to do with me?” her laugh was hollow. “But I can’t stop. I need to look Raven in the eye and see it for myself. But I won’t endanger my sister again. I know she is old enough now to handle herself, but I won’t do it. And I didn’t want to get my friends involved, either. You guys… you mean a lot to me. I just didn’t want you to get entangled in this bullshit.”

Jaune could see clearly that this was eating at her. Had been eating at her for years. Not just her mother but the fact that she’d put Ruby in danger for what she perceived as her own selfish desires. It was unusual to see Yang vulnerable. Much like Nora, she was a girl who faced the world unrepentantly.

But much like Nora, there was a darkness hidden behind the smiles and bombastic attitude. Deeply rooted in her past.

Jaune stepped closer to her but didn’t touch her. “Yang… we’re friends, right?”

She blinked at him. “Of course we are. Didn’t you just hear what I said?”

“Right. But friends look out for each other, don’t they?” he pressed. “And friends get to choose who they are friends with. We aren’t family, where we don’t have a choice.”

“Where are you going with this?”

“What I’m saying is, you shouldn’t be making the choice for us. If you have a problem, you can come to us. I know I’m not your partner or even on your team, but I have your back. You had Blake’s back, didn’t you? When she needed you? When I needed you. So let me return the favor.”

Her jaw wobbled briefly before she looked away, glaring. “Fuck. So this is what Blake was talking about.”

Jaune frowned. “What?”

She laughed, suddenly. “She said that when you get on a roll, you could make friends with a Grimm with your words alone. That you’ve got a silver tongue and know just what to say.”

“I don’t know anything, Yang,” he said firmly. “I’m not trying to say the perfect thing. I just say what I feel.”

“That’s even more dangerous,” she then sighed, her lips twitching. “Anyway, you don’t need to convince me. I wouldn’t have told you all that lame stuff if I wasn’t already considering letting you help out. You wouldn’t leave me alone anyway, right? If I tried to fob you off.”

“No, probably not.”

Their eyes met, lilac peering up at him through her eyelashes. They were long and pretty, fluttering as she blinked.

“You like to save helpless damsels, huh?”

“No one would ever accuse you of being helpless, Yang.”

She smirked. “Don’t you forget it.”

She started walking again, and Jaune joined her.

“...I appreciate it, you know?” she said quietly. “Thanks.”

“No problem, Yang. Anytime,” he replied.

They walked on in silence.