“Yeah.” Yang started, taken aback by his admission. His eyes dropped under her gaze, shoulders raising and falling in a short shrug. “It’s what I’m trying to do. To make things right. I can’t change what I did, but I can choose what to do going forward and hope it balances out.”
It’d take time for Weiss to organize things for them. Ironwood and Winter had agreed to delay asking Ozpin about Penny, to keep the android in a sleep-like state, watched over by Ruby. Emerald was on her way back to Vale, seeking Taiyang for advice.
“Two days,” Weiss declared, hanging up her phone and turning to Yang. “Two days until we can have a ship ready to take you to Mistral. Haven, specifically.”
“She’s not in Haven.”
“Do you know where she is, then?”
“Well, no…” Yang frowned, looking away. “But Mistral’s a big place, we need to be able to…”
“You need a base of operations to start at. And resources. And… information.” She looked over her shoulder, her eyebrows pulling together. “I almost went to Haven, when it came time for school. Less sophisticated than Atlas, but it would get me out from under my father’s thumb. But…” She bit her lip, held her breath for a second. “But Lionheart, the headmaster there, just sorta… gave me the creeps. I think there’s something more there. I think it’s a good place to start.”
Me consuming media dealing with werewolves: “okay but if you’re gonna lock yourself in that basement during your transformation have you thought of including some enrichment?? How about a treat ball or a frozen Kong?? What are your thoughts on sniffing out treats”
Also, remember to protein load to avoid ravening. Beef, chicken, fish- whatever, just LOTS OF IT. The change takes a lot out of you, and the wolf will go out hunting for it if you don’t provide. Don’t bother with tofu. It’s no good trying to be a vegetarian by day if you’re a humanitarian by night.
All she could do was use a power she didn’t understand, a gift from a mother she couldn’t even remember. All she could do was see what had been, every mistake of the past that she wasn’t going to allow to repeat.
In Mistral, justice had been served with blades, between the party that assumed themself wronged and the accused wrongdoer. If there was actual crime, it was determined when one lay bleeding or dead. A truly innocent person would fight to keep their name clear. A truly wronged person would overwhelm any opposition.
In Vale he didn't know, but he'd seen what Ozpin had left of Cinder and he still had the scars from encroaching on Taiyang's territory. He could guess what they considered justice.
In Atlas there was the council. He waited with the others as Ironwood brought Watts before the decision makers of the city, paced and rubbed the scars on his wrist and thought about justice. Would they pull him into that room next, for crimes of an old life, of a desperate boy?
Winter slammed her hands onto the desk, her eyes narrowed. Across from her, Mercury’s arms were crossed, his own glare just as fierce. Ruby looked between them, biting her lip. Neither was going to back down, the the evidence against Watts was stacking up quickly… The things Mercury said he’d done, the things that he could be planning to do.
Fighting amongst themselves wouldn’t put a stop to that.
She stepped forward, put herself between them and pressed a hand against Mercury’s chest. “Listen… People can change. You proved that. So just because Watts has done something wrong in the past, doesn’t mean he’s still doing bad things. We should… We should give him a chance to explain himself.” She looked to Winter, watching the mask of professional calm slide over the older woman’s face. “And if there’s really something wrong going on, we shouldn’t act without going through the proper channels, right? That means talking to the council about it.”
“Stand up.” Tai’s hands stayed on her shoulders as she stood, toes once more digging into bare earth. The breeze coming down the chimney stilled, the sun warming her up steadily. “Open your eyes.”
Yang blinked against the brightness, staring at the field of sunflowers that seemed to go on for eternity in all directions. She turned around to look to her father, eyes widening as she realized he wasn’t behind her. “Dad?!”
The mountain had stood for millenia, had been her family’s keep and kingdom for centuries. Yang knew every nook and passage within the walls her father carved, the airflow of each hall, the spots that would be warm in winter and cool in summer.
She knew the reflections of light on the gold that flaked the walls and the deepest pools of shadows in the middle of the night. She knew of the rooms that had been blocked away by thousands of tons of rock and rubble, left to slowly become solid stone once again. Her mother’s room was one of those places.
Three days after Ruby left for Atlas, the air changed. Yang stood in the hallway outside her room, feeling the light breeze tickle her hair against her face. She cocked her head, one hand trailing along the wall, fingers seeing ahead of her eyes. Something different in her father’s room.
“Dad?” Yang called outside his door, answered by the greater rush of air from within. She let herself into the room carefully, her bare feet guiding her to the change, the short hallway behind his bed. “Dad? Hello?”
“Ruby, um… Dr. Watts is, how do I say this… Evil? Would you guys call him evil?”
“Considering what he apparently did to faunus…” Blake muttered, her eyes narrowing. “Yeah, I’d call him evil.”
Her day hadn't been the greatest.
Atlas was too far from her comfort zone, hard concrete, high buildings of glass and steel. She preferred the forests of Mistral... Or, lately, the ancient mountain Taiyang had carved into his home. She'd sat high on its cliffs when she had the time, felt the sun on her skin and the rocks under her body, the world of green that yearned to reclaim. It'd been peaceful.
Nothing like that in Atlas and adding onto her discomfort were the people. Too many of them looked at her with wary eyes, kept her from blending in unnoticed. She didn't intend to steal, knew better than to try here, but woman that passed her held their purses closed a little tighter, children gave her a wide berth, and even the men touched a hand over their pocket after she'd passed by.
Emerald had resigned herself to being sequestered in her hotel room until they left, to having her only peace come from the necklace she wore... Until she'd gone back.
With The Quick and the Dead 2: Card Games on Motorcycles officially done posting, it's time to resume Dragon Conqueror!
...Almost.
I have a few chapters ready to go but March has been a tough month for me so unfortunately I'm not as far ahead as I'd like to be. That said, I'll resume posting Dragon Conqueror starting April 1st with the chapters I have done coming every few days and then further chapters being posted as I complete them. Thanks for sticking with me through it, everyone! <3
The Quick and the Dead 2: Card Games on Motorcycles
Epilogue
She never intended to go back to the police, decided to give up that life for something she’d always wanted. But when the opportunity to clear the criminal records from her new family comes along, Yang couldn’t say no. Even if clearing their names might cost her everything.
Yang sputtered, looking between her father and her uncle. Beside her, she could feel Ruby’s slack-jawed amazement and, perhaps most confusing, Mercury’s amusement. “But… you two… how long have-- What ?”
“I mean… On and off since college? But uh this,” Tai lifted his hand slightly, fingers linked with Qrow’s, “this is a few years old.”
“But you’re--you’re dads !”
“Technically, only he’s a dad.” Qrow shrugged, frowning just slightly at Mercury. “What’re you smirking at?”
“That they didn’t see it. I’ve only known you two for like two weeks, and I saw it.”
The Quick and the Dead 2: Card Games on Motorcycles
Chapter 8
She never intended to go back to the police, decided to give up that life for something she’d always wanted. But when the opportunity to clear the criminal records from her new family comes along, Yang couldn’t say no. Even if clearing their names might cost her everything.
“Hey… can I tell you a secret?”
“Of course.”
A head dropped heavily to her shoulder, hand squeezing hers as the engines of the plane cycled up. “I’ve never flown coach before.”
“You are the world’s most spoiled brat,” Blake snickered, kissing the top of Weiss’ head. “But you’re cute, so it’s forgivable.”
The Quick and the Dead 2: Card Games on Motorcycles
Chapter 7
She never intended to go back to the police, decided to give up that life for something she’d always wanted. But when the opportunity to clear the criminal records from her new family comes along, Yang couldn’t say no. Even if clearing their names might cost her everything.
They’d lost the tail. Something had happened, something with Cinder and an accident and Yang. Blake and Ruby exchanged a look in the car, the sirens around them growing louder as more cops joined the chase. They were almost there, almost at the exit… but the last two had been blocked by barricades, major streets inaccessible. The suburban sprawl around the airport had thinned, sod and astroturf lawns replaced with dry desert and rocks.
“How do you feel about off-roading?” Ruby asked softly, watching the sign fly by that said their exit was in one mile.
“How does your Jeep?” Blake asked back, looking over the ground.
“She can do it on the beach.” Half a mile to the airport exit. Ruby signalled left as if planning to switch to the lane that would rejoin the larger interstate, cutting the wheel hard right and slipping between a gap in the guardrail.
The Quick and the Dead 2: Card Games on Motorcycles
Chapter 6
She never intended to go back to the police, decided to give up that life for something she’d always wanted. But when the opportunity to clear the criminal records from her new family comes along, Yang couldn’t say no. Even if clearing their names might cost her everything.
“Get to the airstrip, Yang’s tailing them on the highway.” Even over the phone, Emerald’s voice exuded frustration. She and Mercury had chased some tourists nearly five miles out of the way, an eternity in this traffic. “We’re going to catch up with her and make sure we have the right car.”
“Right. Be safe, Em.” Ruby glanced to Blake in the passenger seat, swallowing down her nerves. All the car chases she’d been involved in before, she had her bubble light to get people out of the way. In just her Jeep, there was no way of getting past traffic. It was time to put those defensive driving lessons her dad had insisted she take to the test. “Seatbelts, kids…”
They wove between traffic, nowhere near as deftly as a motorcycle but still making good time. Ruby pushed the gas pedal, edging the speedometer five miles higher, then ten. They had to make it on time, they had to--
“Shoot,” she hissed as lights popped up behind her, looking to Blake with wide eyes. Speeding, all the guns, and this was going to slow them down too much. “Um..”
The Quick and the Dead 2: Card Games on Motorcycles
Chapter 5
She never intended to go back to the police, decided to give up that life for something she’d always wanted. But when the opportunity to clear the criminal records from her new family comes along, Yang couldn’t say no. Even if clearing their names might cost her everything.
It was late but she couldn’t sleep. Not with what the day had brought. It kept playing over in her head, the look on Emerald’s face, the hope… Maybe she was only ever going to be second place to Cinder. Maybe…
“Can’t sleep?” Emerald asked beside her, rolling over in the bed and pressing her mouth near Ruby’s ear to talk. “Come on, let’s go for a walk.”
If there was any place to be awake at unholy hours of the night, it was Vegas. The two of them strolled down the strip, more crowded than midday, the neon lights almost as bright as the sun.
Not nearly as warm, though, and Ruby moved closer to Emerald, trying to share some of her warmth with the other girl. She’d worn a hoodie, at least; Emerald was in only a light t-shirt. “Hey, um…” It wasn’t an easy subject to touch on, wasn’t something that she even wanted to bring up at a time like this. But she had to know. “About Cinder…”
“Don’t.” Emerald pulled away, her voice hard. “Don’t talk about her. You don’t know her.”
Variations on a theme of first times. Canon divergence for the end of v5.
Warnings: Violence, explicit sexual content.
@gauntletsandgreavesweek
Read on AO3!
She’s bent over her notebook, pencil moving studiously as Port lectures about something completely unrelated to the class. Mercury watches her, watches the unconscious way her hand lifts and brushes wild blonde hair behind her ear. When she looks up at the rest of her team he can see her eyes, bright lilac full of laughter. She catches him staring and grins, flashes her paper to him, a doodle of the professor who is still going on about his tangent. He grins back, unashamed of being caught, his fingers miming putting a gun to his head. Yang Xiao Long would be just his type if he could take that risk.
Yang decides she’s gonna wipe that stupid, smug grin off his face. She grasps his wrists, shoves his back to the wall and leans up on her toes until they’re eye to eye. The tension in his body thrums into her, the constriction of his pupils, the hard muscles of his arms and legs ready to fight her off. Until her lips press against his, soft and warm, inviting him to enjoy. Yang slides her hands up his arms and over his shoulders, keeps Mercury in close as she tastes his tongue in her mouth.
He’s not smirking anymore when she pulls back, is as flushed and breathless as she is. “So maybe I do,” she whispers, kissing him again before he can get smug and ruin the moment. Maybe she does like him… And maybe he likes her, too.
Breathe in. Breathe out. He knows what’s coming, he knows who he’s up against. Mercury watches the roster spin, his grin growing as it matches him up against Yang.
Just follow the plan.
She’s tough, he’ll give her that much credit. Faster and stronger than most anyone else in the finals. He realizes within minutes that he’s going to have to take her much more seriously than his two-on-two match. Just like she said, he better not go easy on her.
He draws himself back just enough not to make a finishing blow. Follow the plan. He can take a hit like a pro, can face her wrath and still smirk at it. Even if those red eyes in his face make his chest clench up in a way he hasn’t in years. Even if the whole-body pain of his aura breaking freezes the air in his lungs and fills his nose with the smell of whiskey.
He can take it.
It’s not like this first fight will be their last. He can take it… and he can give it right back as soon as he has the chance.
“What do you want from me?!” His fist slams into the wall and she flinches, but doesn’t back away, doesn’t look away.
“How about the truth?” The words surprise her just as much, but the way his eyes widen makes it worth it. It’s nice to see something besides smug on his face.
“About what…” His wariness, the way he pulls back… This is the enemy she’s dealing with. Even if he’s as much of a kid in over his head as she is.
“About… Why you’re doing this.”
Mercury makes a face. “You don’t care.”
“I’ll decide that,” Yang says, making a face right back. “Why Cinder?”
He closes his eyes, the tension in his body pulling his shoulders upward, pinching his face inward. For the first time, he looks… tired. “She was the first person to ever… See me as a person. My old man didn’t, I was just a tool to him, something he could change to work better. She… wanted me just how I am.”
She swallows, looking away for a moment. It could be a lie, but… There’s something too vulnerable in him for her to believe that. “You don’t owe her anything.”
Mercury’s eyes open slowly, looking her up and down. “I know. It’s why I’m here, and… Not there.” It’s not much, might be almost nothing to most people, but… She inches closer, touches his arm gently as they settle into silence. It’s the truth. It’s enough.
“Mercury!” The scream of his name is the only warning he gets before the King Taiju coils around him, twin heads rearing up in front of him and ready to strike, swallow him whole. He can’t even get his arms up to pretend like it’s possible to block the blow, can’t kick free, this is it, he’s–
Bright yellow flashes across his vision and he has a moment to register the look in Yang’s eyes, the absolute fury directed at the Grimm. She cocks her arm back and fires, another flash of yellow hitting the white head of the snake, sending it reeling with its black twin. The coils around him loosen enough for him to pull free and Mercury yanks away, rolls to safety as Yang goes fist to fang with the beast.
He’s up again in a moment, heart pounding as he gets back into the fray, delivers kicks up and down the Grimm’s massive spine until it lays in smoking ruin between them. Yang moves over to him, her hands and eyes on him quickly.
“What are you doing?”
“Making sure you didn’t get hurt.” She looks everywhere but his eyes, her fingers faulting when she can’t find an injury.
“I’m fine. I…” He swallows his pride, touching his hand over hers. “Thanks. For saving me.”
“It’s what friends do.” She turns her hand to squeeze his, her face serious. “They look out for each other.”
It’s a long road ahead of them. Yang looks across the airship to Mercury, a frown tugging at her lips. He’s gripping the arms of his chair, knuckles white. She unbuckles as the ship levels out, carefully crosses the open space to the seats next to him and takes the empty seat to his left. “Hey…”
The strain on his face tells her plenty of the story, the way he inhales to steady himself before speaking. “Hey, blondie.”
She doesn’t ask if he’s okay, doesn’t ask what’s wrong. That’s a bit too personal for… whatever they have. Her handle settles over his instead, fingertips slowly rubbing his knuckles until his grip relaxes a fraction. Until he eases up on the armrest and turns his hand up to hold hers.
The others with them are spread around the ship, talking low, looking out windows, meditating. She’s pretty sure that Qrow is asleep, and Oscar seems to be inching that way, his head falling onto her uncle’s shoulder more and more frequently. Weiss’s eyes are on the window, her back turned to the rest of them. Ruby and Blake are sitting, talking with Emerald. Somewhere behind them, she can hear Nora snoring, assumes all of their team is napping together.
Yang turns her focus back to Mercury, leaning over to drop her head onto his shoulder. “Better?”
“Yeah… I just…” He shrugs, jostling her slightly. “How… how are you?”
“Mmm… I’ll be okay.” Her hand squeezes his gently, her thumb rubbing over the back of his hand. They relax into it, drift towards sleep.
It’s trust, which is enough. And it’s maybe moving too fast, but she thinks it’s safe to feel it, if not say it. She loves him.
They move together, steady, measured. Rapid breathing and slow hands. Yang takes the lead, guides him close, closer, closest. Her nails scrape up his back at the feeling of him inside her, at the warmth of his breath on her neck. The pressure of his hands on her hips increases, noises locked in the back of his throat.
It’s good between them. The heat, the pressure, the pleasure. The way their lips keep finding each other and breaking apart, the way their hips press to meet. Their hands go all over each other, sliding on sweat-flicked flesh, familiarizing the feeling of hard muscle and old scars. Her hand finds his, links their fingers together and squeezes.
“Mercury…” She breathes his name out against his shoulder, her teeth digging in for just a moment. A new scar, a better scar. One that won’t make him flinch.
“Yang…” He pants it into her neck, breathes deep the scent of her. This close it’s all he can smell, this close she’s all he can think about.
She arches against him, her teeth sinking into her metal right hand to muffle her noises, body shaking and rocking with climax. When she drops back to the bed exhausted he pulls out, hastily finishes himself into the condom and disposes of it before joining her on the bed, body pressed tight to hers.
“Mm… Mercury…” She curls into him, feels the tremble in his fingertips ease as they run up and down her back. It’s not the first first and it won’t be the last first, but it’s a good first. The kind of first both of them will be able to look back on with fondness.
