Disclaimer: Music not mine, piano cover belongs to it's original owner.
It's time for Vao's death.
...
Weiss pushed through the smoke, tears flowing from their ducts. She didn't want to believe what she had just seen. She didn't want to believe any of it. She prayed she'd wake up in her bed. That when she left her room, they'd be waiting. But as she drew closer, she could see Y/N. He was frozen in place, staring at his brother in heart-breaking horror.
Vao's entire left side had been blown to pieces. His face was hardly recognizable under the burns, the scars, and his own boiling blood. His once lush, black hair, burnt to a crisp. Half of his face missing, exposing the cracked and destroyed skull underneath. But he was alive. Barely, but alive.
"V... V-VAO!" Y/N screamed. He ran to his brother's side, gently lifting him into his lap. "V-Vao, say something!"
His one eye looked up to his younger brother, filled with grief and pain. And shakily, he lifted his one remaining arm up to him.
"Y-Y/N... I-it... H-hurts..." He whispered hoarsely. Y/N held his brother in his arms, unable to hold back his tears. "Y-you're going to be okay, Vao! We're going to get you help!" He shouted. His voice betrayed his desperation. He turned a glare at Weiss, a snarl forming on his lips. "Call Raven! Call Verde! Call anyone!" He demanded. Weiss fumbled for her scroll, slamming her finger in the first icon she saw. It rang once, and Yang picked up.
["W-Weiss!? What's going on!? We heard an explosion!"]
"It's Vao!" Weiss shrieked. "Vao's hurt!"
Yang hung up immediately. Weiss dropped her device, running to Vao's side, a broken cry escaping her lips. Now she could see just how badly he was injured. His left side wasn't just destroyed; it was gone. There was no trace of his left arm, the stump of his leg, or even his chest. It was all gone, his organs spilling into Y/N's lap. It was a miracle he could even speak. He let out a half-hearted sob, clutching Y/N's chest weakly.
"Y-Y/N... A-am I g-going to die...?"
He gritted his teeth, turning his snarl towards Vao. "Sh-shut up... Shut the fuck up! Don't ever say that, Vao! We... We're going to get you to Beacon! A-and you'll get more prosthetics! R-robot parts! That sounds cool, doesn't it Vao?"
But Vao didn't laugh. He just stared up at them, his eye watering. His best friends. His best friends, who had always been there with him. And now he wouldn't see them again. Vao wasn't the brightest, but he wasn't entirely stupid, either. He knew he had made a mistake coming here. A mistake, just like most of his life. With the last of his strength, he pulled himself up towards Y/N, draping his arm over his shoulder. It was barely a hug. But the warmth was still there. Vao could feel a lump growing in his throat.
"I... I really was useless, wasn't I?"
Y/N held Vao gently, a whimper escaping. "No... You never were..."
"D-don't... Lie to me, bruv..." Vao whispered softly. "I... Sh-should have l-listened... More often..."
"You were perfect the way you were," Weiss growled. "You were... You were funny... Even if you don't think so, you were an amazing f-friend... So hang on, Vao... J-just for a little longer..."
Vao shook his head quietly, whimpering when the pain shot through his skull. "No... I f-failed... A-as an older b-brother... As a boyfriend... I c-couldn't even protect myself... I dragged everyone into my messes... I b-bullied my friends... I... I really am a g-good for nothing d-drunk..." He answered. His voice was getting quieter, and he looked like he was having a hard time keeping his eye open. "... B-but I had... Fun... E-even if I'm a failure, I had... A l-lot of fun..."
Y/N could feel his world crumbling. He didn't want to lose him. He squeezed Vao as tight as he dared, his tears staining his brother's wounds. And with a growl, he tried to lift him. To carry him to safety. But when Vao shrieked in pain, Weiss stopped Y/N. "D-don't move him! You'll kill him faster!" She begged. Y/N rested back on his knees, still cradling Vao. He could barely find the words to speak.
"... Verde... She's still alive, Vao... You aren't going to leave her, are you...?"
Vao's eye met his, tears welling up. "... She... She's al-live...?" He whispered back. Y/N nodded.
"Y-yeah... Which is why you can't give up... You swore you'd always be there for her! And I'm not about to let you break your promise!"
But deep down, he knew Vao didn't have a choice. "V-Vao... Please... D-don't go..." As Y/N began to break, Vao just smiled up warmly at him, running his bloodstained hand across his cheek.
"N-nya... Ha... Ha ha..." Vao chuckled. "We had... A lot of... F-fun, didn't we...? A lot o-of adventures..."
"And we'll have more," Y/N hissed through clenched teeth. "We'll have a thousand more! We promised each other Vao! We promised when we were kids that we would be Huntsmen together! So you'll keep that promise! We'll have another adventure! We... W-we...."
Vao ran his bloodied fingers through his younger brother's hair, shaking his head weakly. "N-no... Y/N... It's over... I-It's all... Over... Our adventures together... They... Th-they're over... It's... It's over, Y/N..."
"Shut your fucking mouth, Vao!" Y/N screamed. Weiss couldn't speak. She had her hand clamped over her mouth. She could see it in Vao's eye. In his movements. His final moments were approaching. Shakily his hand reached out to her, pulling the heiress into. Vao snickered softly, his breathing beginning to shake.
"I... I-I love you guys... S-so... Fu... fucking much..." Vao panted. He was running out of breath. "Y-you guys... Made e-everything worth it... You made... Me s-so happy..."
His grip was weakening. They grew desperate, trying to shake Vao awake. But Vao just gave them a gentle smile, his eyes growing hazy.
"Th-thank you... F-for all the f-fun we had together... I l-ove... I love you... S-so... Mu... Ch..."
They could feel it. The thumping of his heart had stopped. His arm finally drooped down, dangling limply behind them, and his head falling forward. His raspy, labored breaths stilled, and he wasn't responding to their cries.
Vao had died in their arms. Y/N felt everything break. He shook Vao gently, trying to get one last response. But he had fallen silent.
Vao was gone.
He'd never wake up to see him snickering again. He'd never again go on a mission with him. He'd never spend the holidays with him. He'd never see that smile, that smile he never knew he needed so much, ever again. Y/N felt a cry rise up. That cry warped, it twisted, into a wail of distress.
Weiss was crying. Burying her face into Vao's frigid shoulder, they didn't even hear the doors slam open. Yang and Cardin screamed in horror as they ran to meet them, Junior frozen in place with his hand over his mouth.
But Raven and Verde. They felt the worst of it. The Huntress approached shakily, staring down at her child's body. Her worst fears had come true. Just as she had said, he got himself killed. Raven dropped to her knees, reaching a hand out and gently stroking the side of his face.
"... V... Vao...?" She whispered with a broken voice. "M-my... Vao...?"
Verde couldn't move. She could barely breathe. She just stared blankly at Vao's corpse, her face pale and blank.
He was her reason to keep going in this horrible nightmare. This nightmarish world. She tried to warn him, begged him not to go. But now he was gone. Her safety was gone. Verde felt her legs give out, falling to the floor. And as she stared, she screamed. She cried. She couldn't take it, the sheer agony that swelled and filled her heart as Junior and Cardin carried Vao's corpse out of the warehouse, Raven trying to soothe Y/N and Weiss. Yang wiped at her eyes, glaring at the shadow that watched them from the catwalk, sniper rifle still in her hands.
Ruby hissed furiously. Weiss had saved Y/N at the last minute. If the heiress hadn't been there, he'd have been caught in the explosion, too. But at the very least, she killed Vao. And without so much as a whisper, she dove out the window and disappeared into the night. Yang clenched her fist.
It was unforgivable. She didn't know as much about Salem as FRSB did, but that day she swore it under her own breath. A promise to herself. That no matter what happened, she would see this to the end. She knew how Y/N was; he was going to go after it.
And Yang would be right at his side.
Weiss tried to reach out to Y/N for a hug. She needed someone, anyone. But the katana-wielder shoved her. When the heiress met his eyes, she could only see hatred.
"Y-you... You got him k-killed...!"
Cardin looked up at Y/N worriedly. "H-hey... You shouldn't blame Weiss for this... It was Salem..."
But Y/N was beyond reason. He stood to his feet angrily, shoving Weiss again. "You pulled me away! I could have saved him!"
Weiss was having trouble finding her voice. "Y-Y/N, you would have d-died too!"
"Shut up!" Y/N hissed. "You always hated Vao, didn't you!? You were always complaining about something he did! I-I'd bet this is what you wanted!"
Junior stepped forward, backhanding Y/N across the face. "You shut your fucking mouth, you little bastard!" He screamed. "She was saving your life! Look at her! She loved him too, just like the rest of us! So don't you DARE act like you're the only one hurting!"
Y/N could feel his senses coming back to him. He looked at Weiss, trembling where he stood. "I-I'm sorry... I-I..."
He couldn't finish his sentence. He didn't need to. Weiss picked herself off the ground, wrapping her arms around him. He didn't fight back.
And with one last look at Vao, they picked him up. He was already cold, his eyelid half shut. Y/N trembled as they carried him to the awaiting ambulance.
He'd never see Vao at his side again. His world was destroyed.
...
The dark clouds reflected their moods as Vao's coffin was carried across the graveyard. Ultimately, it had been decided he'd be buried on Patch, in the fields beyond the forest around their homes. Many people showed up; Vao's old rivals, his friends. None of them had been expecting the news of his death.
Y/N and Yang weren't taking it well. Who could expect them to? The were crying in the arms of their parents, who just watched in dismay and horror. Raven was the only one not with them. She sat by herself, hunched over and hiding her face in her hands as Oobleck wiped at his eyes with a handkerchief.
Verde stared blankly as she watched his coffin be set down on the ground, the funeral workers preparing for burial. She had lost all sense of herself. The only one she had ever felt safe enough to show her emotions to was gone. Ironwood wrapped his arm around her, trying his best to comfort her. But he knew it would never work. Verde wouldn't smile again. Not ever.
Cardin was crying in Sasha's lap, holding on to the giant tightly. Vao had been one of his closest friends since he moved to Patch. One of his best buddies. And while Vao wasn't the nicest of people to put it lightly, it still hurt to see him being buried in the ground. Sasha was barely holding on. She was wishing he was here. Vao would know how to lighten the mood. She was secretly expecting him to pop out, and admit it was all just a prank. That would be something he would do. But she knew that moment would never come.
The entire mafia had shown up. Miltia and Melanie were bawling their eyes out, Junior smoking his cigar quietly with his fedora pulled over his eyes. The men and women who worked under him were in tears, some not even daring to look at the coffin, knowing full well who was inside.
Vao's coffin began to sink into the ground silently, Y/N watching in distress. And as they buried him, he sat at the grave for hours. Even as the funeral goers left, he remained. His teammates, Cardin, Weiss, and Yang stayed with him, staring at the tombstone. No matter how many times they read it, they couldn't believe it was true.
Sasha reached a shaky hand out for Y/N's shoulder. He was trembling. But as she grazed his shirt, he pushed her hand away. "... Salem..." He whispered hoarsely. Verde looked up as he said it's name. He turned, facing them completely. His lip was quivering into a snarl, his tear-filled eyes blazing with hatred. "S-Salem did this... That's why... I-I'm going after it... Will... Will you guys... B-be there, with me...?"
Weiss could see it. Y/N was terrified. He was terrified of being alone. And who could blame him? Vao had always been by his side, but now he was gone. It was Verde he answered.
"... Of course, Y/N. We cannot let it get away with this... V... Vao... W-wouldn't have wanted that," she whispered emptily. Sasha gave her most confident grin. But it lacked that joy she once held.
"W-wherever you go... I go..."
Cardin and Yang just nodded silently. They couldn't say anything. And when Y/N looked to Weiss, she reached out and held his hand, giving him a small, weak smirk.
This was their promise to each other. That no matter what, they'd see this through. They hadn't realized the urgency before. That Salem wouldn't stop until every last one of them was dead, and it started with Vao.
And together, they left Vao's grave. Swearing to visit when everything was over, together, with no one missing.
... Life isn't that fair. Because as the sun set over the forests and the moon rose, it came. Ruby's black eyes stared down at the tombstone in front of her, wide with panic. Salem laughed inside her mind with glee.
{"Ready to dig up your dear brother?"}
Ruby's only response was a broken wail. Salem, in another attempt to torment her, was allowing Ruby to watch while the horrendous parasite controlled her body. Watching as the shovel dug into the dirt, scooping it out bit by bit. As Ruby began to sob, Salem crooned.
{"Oh, how I enjoy your reaction... Look, look... We're almost to the coffin..."}
Clunk.
The shovel struck the wooden box, and Ruby watched as her own hands were forced to move down and pull it from the ground. Surprisingly, it wasn't as heavy as she thought. Or maybe that was because only half of Vao was buried. She pried it open, exposing his corpse to the moonlight.
His skin had already begun to turn grey, his one eye glazed over. He was mostly covered in bandages to keep his organs inside - which only made him all the easier to carry. Salem snickered as it hoisted him into Ruby's shoulders, the poor girl feeling the softness of her older brother's insides through her shirt. And with a searingly hot pain, Ruby's soul was forced back into the depths of her body as Salem took over.
While it fled the scene of Vao's murder, it had a thought. A last resort, of sorts. It knew it couldn't underestimate Y/N. That had been it's biggest mistake in the First Timeline; he was determined. And it knew he was fully capable of meeting it at the end.
And for that plan, it wanted Vao's corpse.
...
It had been four days since Vao passed away. To say the mood had changed... Well, that would be an understatement. As they sat around the table, there weren't any jokes. There was no laughter. They just... Did their own thing. Verde was drawing half-heartedly in her sketchbook, not really feeling inspired. Y/N just ate quietly beside Weiss, who didn't even bother touching her food.
"... What's up... Cunts?" Blake tried. But she failed. She wasn't Vao.
Neither of them had realized how essential he was to their group. He was always the one stirring up the fun moments that he enjoyed so much. No teachers coming to scream at them for something he did, no one to pick fights with them. It was just too... Quiet, now. Yang looked at Blake from her tray, shaking her head.
"... Don't ever do that again."
"S-sorry..."
It was almost twenty minutes until someone spoke up again. Weiss drummed her fingers on her tray nervously, her fingertips giving a soft beat. "S-so, I... Um..." She fumbled with her words, unsure if she even wanted to say how she was doing. Verde's pencil stopped, and Y/N looked over the artist's shoulder. She hadn't even drawn anything. She just scribbled. The artist looked up at them, her face as blank as ever.
"... This... Isn't going to work," she said quietly. They didn't disagree with her. Cardin slumped forward on the table, wiping at his eyes. "... I miss Vao..."
They all did. Y/N wasn't very hungry anymore. He set down his sandwich, looking down at his hands. He wanted to find Ruby, and yet they didn't even know where she was. Not even Junior's men had seen her after that night. Miltia wiped at her eyes with her sleeve. Only to feel her scroll buzz in her pocket. She pulled the device out and glanced at the screen - before letting out a cry of horror. Y/N looked up at her in confusion.
"Miltia...? What's wrong?" Sasha asked worriedly. The disguised bodyguard looked up at them, her face a sickly pale.
"S-someone dug up Vao's body."
They all stood up at the same time, mixed expressions on their faces. A mixture of shock, horror, and anger. They knew who it was. What it was. Y/N clenched his fist, an idea forming in his head.
"... Innsmaw..."
Verde and Sasha looked up at him as he said the name. Y/N looked around at his friends, a snarl forming on his lips. "I-Innsmaw... Salem hides there, doesn't she? That's where... That's where her blood is..."
Verde nodded. "Yes. Do you have an idea to propose, Y/N?"
Y/N nodded darkly. He hadn't been so infuriated in his life. "Y-yeah... Let's go to Innsmaw... A-and resume our investigation. We might find... V-Vao... And a way to kill Salem... Which brings up another question. One for you, Verde..."
Their attention shifted to the artist, who had continued doodling. She didn't bother looking up from her sketchbook. "... Go ahead then. Ask away," she mumbled dismissively.
Y/N bit his lip and nodded. "Alright... Just how much of your research do you remember?"
"All of it. I told Vao my discoveries in the vain hope he would run away with me to Atlas, but he refused. He didn't believe me," she stated softly. "Because... It's difficult to believe."
"Yeah, well, it's kind of difficult to believe some sort of literal monster is chasing us," Blake pointed out. "So tell us everything. We'll listen."
Verde sighed, setting down her sketchpad to show them what she had drawn. And when they looked at the paper, they almost screamed in surprise. Verde pointed at the drawing. "... Sasha, can you tell me who this is?"
"That's... Vao?" The giantess whispered. But something was off about the picture. Vao looked almost nothing like he did in life. "B-but what's up with it? Why does he look like that?"
The picture was of an older Vao. With long black hair that fell to his ankles, nearly dragging on the ground. His teeth exposed into an unnatural, hungry grin, and his left eye, nothing more than a dark pit that blemished his scarred, yet still feminine face. Verde ignored her question, turning the page. This one was of Y/N. "And who is this?"
"M-me?" Y/N stuttered. His picture was strange, too. He looked older, like Vao, with small hairs sticking from his chin. His eyes seemed distant, yet firm, and his hair was longer. And in his hands, he clutched Crescent Rose tightly.
Verde sighed. "In my studies, I've discovered that this has all happened before. We've lived through this... This Salem thing before. I call it 'the First Timeline'."
"Timelines... What the hell are you talking about?" Weiss asked. Verde silenced her by holding a finger up.
"Let me finish. In the First Timeline, Salem orchestrated Y/N and... Vao's... Lives to go down a cruel and twisted path, in an attempt to manipulate them into its service using it's Blood. But it could only acquire one; the rowdiest of the two."
"Vao..." Cardin whispered. His voice was beginning to quake. Verde nodded again.
"Indeed. His left eye was gouged out by Summer, and during the Vytal Festival he killed her in self-defense. It destroyed his mentality just enough for Salem to wrap him around it's twisted finger, and it began to feed him it's Blood through meals. Corrupting him into what you see here. A schizophrenic, mindless cannibal who's one goal was to slaughter and devour anyone who stood in Salem's way," she explained. "He killed everyone. Ruby, Summer, Tai, Qrow, and even took Raven's eyes and ate them."
Yang covered her mouth, her face looking green. "Vao wouldn't... He would never do that..."
But Verde shook her head. "It did not matter to him. He believed he was doing the right thing because Salem promised something it never planned to uphold."
"... And what does this have to do with anything?" Y/N asked. Verde looked up at him, her gaze hardening. He couldn't recognize the emotion in her eyes.
"... This means we're living a second life, Y/N. But that is not what you're asking. You're asking how we could use this." She dug into her pocket setting something down on the table. Weiss wanted to backhand the artist when she recognized it. It was a vial, still full.
"Verde... What the fuck?" She growled. Verde ignored her.
"Salem's Blood... It's all linked to it's Blood," she whispered. "Do you not remember what happened when I started drinking it?"
"... You kind of got mean...?" Sasha suggested. "And you bit... Oh... Oh, shit..."
Verde gave a slow, curt nod. "Are you realizing what I am discussing now, Sasha? This blood isn't normal. It corrupts people. I should consider myself lucky I didn't immediately flee to Cnimbrerh's side."
"That word," Cardin interrupted. "There's that word again. Vao said it when he told us about your experiments... And you even said it once when we fought you..."
Verde nodded again. "Yes... Cnimbrerh is... It's Salem's true name. The true name for her abomination side, anyway." She held up the vial, showing it to Y/N. "When I say it's all linked to the Blood, I mean my words. It is, of course, just a theory. But perhaps with a bit more research-"
"You're not doing research again," Yang interrupted. "Last time you almost killed us."
But Verde shook her head. "I'll take the necessary precautions. Consuming Cnimbrerh's Blood is not on my to-do list."
They began to argue. Yang was beginning to lose her temper, while Verde remained completely calm. Weiss nudged Y/N, her blue eyes meeting his. "... I think Y/N should decide."
Yang and Verde stopped fighting, looking at the heiress in surprise. The heiress cleared her throat before lowering her voice. "I think we should let Y/N decide," she repeated. "This... See-nimby-whatever, it's after him. So... What should Verde do, Y/N?"
The katana-wielder already knew Verde would just do research on her own if he said no. And gaining more knowledge would prove very beneficial. He let out a shaky sigh, nodding his head.
"... If she knows what she's doing, then... She should start studying again..."
"You're an idiot."
It was Miltia who spoke. In her disguise, she leaned forward. "... But... It's our only way. So Verde?"
"Yes?"
Miltia flashed a small smirk. "Don't fuck up this time, yeah?"
Verde nodded her head. "Of course."
This was usually the part Vao would say something. Something to lighten up the mood. As the atmosphere darkened around them, they returned to eating in silence.
And as the bell rang, they moved on to class. Dreading the final ring, and the hour they would plan their return to Innsmaw.
...
It was Raven's class. It was going about as well as you'd expect. As Raven's chalk stick shakily scrawled the lesson on the blackboard, she droned on and on. For once, she didn't even bother yelling at the kids behind her. And that was one of her favorite things to do.
Y/N jotted down notes from his textbook, knowing he wasn't really going to learn anything from his aunt. And besides, studying helped take his mind off of him. Raven set down her chalk, running her fingers over her eyes.
"... I'll be right back," she hissed. She didn't wait for a response. She just stormed out the door. No one could really blame her for not wanting to teach. Her kid was dead.
Of course, no one knew the truth behind it. Vao's death was labelled a suicide in an effort to hide Salem's existence. Whether anyone actually believed that was beyond Y/N; Vao never gave off the impression that he was suicidal. And while most students showed him sympathy, there were a few that didn't.
Specifically those three.
"Wot's all this?" Russel mimicked from behind Y/N's head. The katana-wielder didn't understand how anyone could be so repulsive. And then again, there was Rojo. He shook his head, ignoring them while Cardin growled at his team under his breath.
According to his tall ginger friend, no one in Cardin's team had liked Vao every much because of something he did at the beginning of the year. He had, according to Cardin's testimony, bought a fake pregnancy test and video called Russel's mom pretending to be a woman, stole and crashed Sky's expensive car, and kidnapped Dove while he slept, leaving him stranded in the Emerald Forest far below Beacon without any clothes. That, and he owed them each over fifty thousand lien. And now with Vao dead, they picked a new target. One who was much more passive, and wouldn't fight them. Y/N.
Dove fired a spitball at him, a smirk forming on his lips when he didn't react. "Aw, does someone miss big brothe-" he suddenly dropped to the ground screaming when the paint struck him square in the chest, searing through his uniform. Y/N didn't realize what was happening at first. In an instant, Verde had launched herself over the desk, tackling Dove to the floor when he tried to stand up. Sasha jumped to her feet, immediately cheering for her leader.
"Get him, get him! Short power!" She was shouting, unaware of the irony in the fact that she towered over everyone. Y/N was bewildered, having no clue what to do in this situation. Verde was the shortest student in the classroom and was winning. Cardin knew what to do; he just laughed his ass off.
"Du fetter wichser!" Verde was screaming. "Fettsack! Fettsack!"
Only Weiss had any idea what Verde was saying. The heiress hid her smirk, averting her gaze from the scene. Y/N scowled, trying to pull the artist off the bully. "Hey, that's enough! Verde, sto-"
He was cut off when Sky decked him in the mouth. He bumped into his desk, holding his tooth. It had been knocked clean from his mouth. He threw the bone on the ground, headbutting him in the chest furiously. Russel was demanding Cardin do something, but the ginger was hunched over his desk. Yang came from behind Sky and hit him in the back of the head with a textbook, saving her little brother from getting his shit rocked. Y/N spun to face Russel, who was glaring at him. The shaven-headed prick just smirked. "Ooh, still sensitive?"
"Kick his ass!" Coco shouted from her seat. She had tossed aside her sunglasses to see better, and from her team's reaction they were anticipating the fight. Except Yatsuhashi. He was meditating or something. Maybe sleeping. Y/N charged at Russel with his fists held in front of his face, throwing a haymaker. But the bully just ducked around it, throwing his body weight into Y/N's chest and lifting him off the ground. The katana-wielder felt his heart slam in his chest as Russel threw him over the desk, bouncing across the classroom floor. He gritted his teeth as he stood to his feet.
"You little bastard... You're the one who told him that Verde was dead," he snarled. Russel just shrugged.
"Hey, not my fault he went and offed himself. Just proves he didn't have what it takes to be a Huntsman."
Y/N saw red. He broke into a sprint towards Russel, plucking a chair from the ground and threw it at full force. Russel ducked again, and the chair few into Sasha's gut, shattering to pieces. That didn't phase the giant one bit. She was still cheering. She likely didn't even know she was hit. The classroom had already formed a circle around Y/N and Verde, watching the fight eagerly.
Dove was covered in bruises, his legs shaking. But still he stood next to Russel, seeing double. Y/N crouched down, jumping into the air and slamming his hands down on Russell's head. He retaliated by kicking Y/N's legs out from under him, shoving him back to the ground. Verde, on the other hand, was chasing after Dove. Dove was running like a little bitch.
Russell lifted his foot to kick the rest of Y/N's teeth out, only to be tackled to the floor by Yang. The blonde's hair was on fire, and her eyes were burning crimson. Before Y/N could help her beat the snot out of him, Sky came barreling towards him with the force of a freight train. Y/N spun around him, the big guy stumbling when he didn't grapple his target. Y/N leaped back and charged, dropkicking him to the ground. He threw himself on top of Sky, slamming his knuckles into his chin as hard as he could.
He wasn't about to let them get away with disrespecting Vao.
"Cock sucker!" Russell shouted angrily, kicking Yang away from him. He didn't look like he was doing too well. Yang doesn't pull her punches. He was swaying on his feet, his hair a mess. Velvet made sure to take pictures.
Dove screamed in terror when Verde latched onto his back, clinging on like a squirrel in a tree. He threw himself around, looking to Russell for help. "Get her off! Get her off!" He wailed. But Russell ignored his teammate, turning his attention away from Dove as Verde dragged her paintbrush across his back. Russell whistled loudly, Sky turning his focus on Yang while he turned to Y/N.
"This fight's between you and me, Flower Boy!" He shouted angrily. He shoved into Y/N, body checking him to the ground and driving his heel into his chest. "It's funny! No one ever cared about Vao when he was alive! He was the biggest asshole here! But now that he's dead, I'm supposed to be all sensitive and cry like everyone else!? Fuck that! I never even liked that little faggot! He got what he deserved!"
Y/N grabbed Russell's ankle, twisting him to the floor. He rolled out of the way as the prick tried to kick him in the nose, the two standing to their feet. The classroom went into a frenzied roar, cheering for Y/N. Nora was pumping her fists into the air wildly.
"Break his legs! Break his legs, Flower Boy!"
Pyrrha shouted over Nora, cupping her hands around her mouth. "Fight dirty! Fight dirty! Teach him good!"
Russell was already running towards Y/N, screaming at the top of his lungs. Y/N thought back to how Vao fought. Thinking fast, he grabbed one of Raven's binders she used for teaching and scattered the papers in front of him, blinding his opponent. Y/N swung his leg into the paper wall, hearing Russell's high pitched cry as he dropped, his hands cradling his junk. Y/N grinded his foot into the floor and charged like a bull, rearing his head back and slamming it into Russell's forehead. Before he could hit the ground, Y/N grabbed him by the tie and kept headbutting him until his own forehead was bruised and swollen, kicking Russel to the ground.
Dove was writhing around on the ground, his uniform literally on fire. Verde had returned to her seat, calmly sketching in her notepad. Sky was occupied with Yang, managing to match up with her punches. Y/N was about to rush to help her, but someone grabbed his shoulder, spinning him around to floor him. Russell swayed heavily on his feet, his smirk stretching.
"C'mon. You think I'm goin' down?"
Y/N didn't know if he could win another fight with Russell. He never realized just how strong Cardin's teammates were. They weren't pushovers, that was for certain. He ducked under a swing from Russell's fist, twisting his arm behind his back. But Russell slammed his foot on top of Y/N's, freeing himself to roundhouse kick him away. Coco climbed on top of a desk to shout something at him.
"Y/N! Do it like Vao! Grab his dick and twist it! Twist!"
It was becoming increasingly evident she just wanted to hear Russell scream like a girl. Y/N wasn't even on his feet when Russell attacked again, punching him in the mouth. As much as Y/N didn't want to fondle another man's tool, he wasn't fighting to lose. His fingers reached down, grasping Russell. The shaven-headed bully's eyes went wide. "H-huh!?"
Y/N twisted his wrist as far as he could, Russell squealing above him. Y/N shoved him off, sprinting towards Sky and Yang - who had frozen in terror. Y/N glanced in the direction they were looking, just in time to see Raven spiraling towards him in fury.
"Little shit!"
With one punch she knocked Y/N out cold, dropping him like a rock. Raven grabbed her water bottle and splashed it on Dove, snuffing out the flames. The pudgy blonde sat on his knees, wiping at his eyes. "Th-thank you, Prof-"
Dove just couldn't catch a break. Raven kicked him in the jaw, sending him to the ground with Y/N. And turning to her students, she growled.
"Who's idea was this?"
...
Y/N held the icepack to his head as he slumped in his chair. Verde and Sasha were at his side, the giant dozing off and the dwarf just drawing, like usual. Yang and Cardin were sitting across from them, in a conversation with Weiss. The heiress hadn't even done anything, Raven just didn't like her.
Currently, their professor wasn't in the classroom. Y/N supposed she was trying to find something for them to do in detention. He just had to get into a fight on the day he planned to start investigating Salem again, didn't he?
Worth it, he decided. Even if he got his assed kicked. The door swung open, and Raven strode in silently, slamming it shut behind her and locking it. She didn't look at the as she made her way to the front of the classroom, and only then did her eyes gaze at them.
"... Dove is in the hospital for third degree burns. Anything to say for yourself, Ms. Forest?"
"Ich bereue nichts."
Raven stared at Verde for a moment before Weiss translated. "She says she has no regrets, Ms. Branwen. I have no idea why she's speaking Atlesian, though..."
Raven shook her head. She wasn't dealing with it. She had more important matters to discuss. In fact, that was the entire reason she had left them with CRDL; she was hoping they'd fight. It gave her an excuse to send them to detention. She reached into her desk and pulled out a bottle of whiskey, taking a sip from it and leaning against the wooden object. "... Give me one good reason I shouldn't call the police."
"Because it happened in Beacon, therefore it's in Beacon's jurisdiction," Weiss answered. Raven threw an eraser at her.
"That's not what I'm talking about. You're all in Junior's mafia, aren't you?"
Their hearts stopped. Even Verde's pencil had stopped moving, her green eyes looking up at the teacher, as blank as ever. Raven shrugged. "I'm the only one who knows. I ain't a snitch. But I could be."
She wanted something, Y/N realized. He could see where Vao got his negotiating skills from. Raven pushed off the desk, pacing back and forth as she walked. "... A few nights ago, I visited Vao. Found his grave empty," she muttered. She had their attention and she knew it. "So I started looking into it myself. I found some things in his room, and I traced it back to that little club of yours."
Cardin was panicking. "O-oh... Mom is going to skin me..." He whimpered. Raven stopped pacing, turning her glare to them.
"... I want in."