Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
Y/N's eyes opened at the sound of the heart monitor, only to see the ceiling of the white room, the fluorescent light buzzing noisily overhead. With a start he sat upright, sweat rolling down his forehead. He could only think of Hazel, and nothing else. He tried to wipe the sweat away - only for his arm to remain unmoving. And as Y/N's left hand reached for his right, it only grasped empty air.
And finally, the memories came flooding back. His arm, torn off like a leaf from its branch. Y/N felt around the bandaged stump of his shoulder, wincing as he poked the stitches underneath the gauze. Reality hit him like a sledgehammer. His right arm was gone. The same arm he used to hold his weapon, to write, to do anything with, it was gone. He wondered if this was karma. After laughing at Vao for losing his left leg, he finally lost something. At the memory of his late brother, he could feel his chest beginning to ache.
"... So you're finally awake."
He nearly screamed when his uncle's voice called out to him. The drunk was leaning in the doorframe, his flask held tightly in his right hand, while his left was shoved into his pocket. He took a sip before stepping into the room, kicking the door shut behind him. "... Good to see you alive, though. You were in pretty bad shape. You were out for a week..."
Y/N didn't answer. He just looked at the stump of his shoulder emptily. It was hard to believe. No, he couldn't believe it. An entire piece of him, gone. Qrow pulled a chair beside the bed, sitting down in it and crossing his legs lazily. "... Hey, at least you'll get a prosthetic. Jimmy's makin' one now for ya."
That really didn't make Y/N feel any better. Having an artificial limb just wouldn't be the same. Qrow seemed to get a feel for the atmosphere of the room. He took another sip from his flask before leaning forward. "... Alright, we'll get serious. No more jokes. You almost died."
Y/N looked back up at him. His face was pale, and he looked sick. "... Is... Everyone else okay?" He asked softly. Qrow nodded.
"Yup. They're all in the waiting room. Your mom and aunt, well... They're fighting in the parking lot. Summer wasn't... Happy... To hear about you," he muttered. "If it hadn't been for Raven's distress signal, I doubt I would have made it in time."
Y/N had no idea how Qrow would have reached their location so quickly. He was at Beacon while they were investigating Innsmaw. But he pushed that thought to the back of his mind. Everyone was safe. That was all that mattered. But Qrow still looked like he had something to say. He set his flask down on the ground before turning a grim look to his nephew.
"... We told you, kiddo. What's it gonna take for you to wake the fuck up, and realize you're in way over your head?" He hissed in a low tone. "You lost your fucking arm. Vao got blown to pieces, and now that thing has his corpse for a reason none of us can figure out. So what's it gonna take, kiddo?"
Y/N was shivering under his uncle's frigid glare, but managed to meet his eyes. "... I-If someone doesn't do something about it... Even more people will die, right?"
"Shut the fuck up." Qrow's voice was deathly cold. "That's what I don't quite like about you. That sense of justice. That naivety. Do you really think you stand a chance? Against something you can't even hurt?"
Y/N suddenly felt suspicion rising in his chest. Qrow knew something, and wasn't telling him. "... What are you hiding, Uncle Qrow...?"
The drunkard shook his head. "None of your business. Just think about what I said. Promise me at least that, before you go after that thing again..."
Qrow didn't wait for his response. He just stood up and took a hefty gulp from his flask, turning and slamming the door shut behind him. Y/N sighed, pressing the button and waiting for the nurse to unhook the medical equipment before he began walking down the halls, towards the lobby.
Once again, he found himself grateful for his Semblance. But when he entered the lobby, no one was waiting for him. Confused, he made his way outside, into the parking lot - only for his jaw to drop in horror.
Just as Qrow said, Raven and Summer were fighting. But Y/N had made the mistake of believing it to be a verbal argument. What he saw were two women glaring at each other, bloodied and beaten. Sasha, Cardin, and Verde were struggling to hold Raven back, while Tai and Yang held Summer.
"You almost got Y/N killed, you slut! You think that just because Vao died, I have to deal with my kid dying too!?"
Raven was cherry red in the face, throwing a slew of curses and death threats. "Don't ever talk about Vao, you worthless piece of fuck! At least I was with Y/N! If I let him go off on his own, he'd really be dead!" She screamed. "And at least he has the balls to go after Salem! You and that dipshit father just sit there pissin' your bed every night out of fear!"
"Don't talk about my husband that way!" Summer hissed. "And Y/N won't ever go for Salem again!"
Tai grunted as he tried to pull Summer further away from her target. "W-what the hell are you talking about!?" He growled. Summer jerked her head towards Yang.
"Left back pocket."
Yang looked worried, but obeyed. Digging her hand into the pocket of Summer's jeans, she fished out the paper and unfolded it. It fell from her hands in horror. "A-auntie, you... You didn't!"
The paper slid in front of Y/N, stopping at his feet. He bent down to pick it up, grateful that Yang had already unfolded it. And as his eyes scanned the paper, he felt his heart stop.
Summer had pulled him out of Beacon. He knew he would never sign the paper, meaning she had forged his signature. He almost couldn't believe she would do something like this. Cardin noticed the one armed blonde standing nearby, calling out to him. "Y/N! What does it say!?"
Y/N couldn't speak. His entire dream of becoming a Huntsman, pulled away. Yang bit her lip, her eyes beginning to fade to a deep crimson. "Y-you... Pulled him out... Even though you knew this was what he always wanted..."
Summer tore free from her husband and niece, throwing her hands in the air. No one moved a muscle as she glared at them. Sasha and Verde almost couldn't believe it.
"That's right. I pulled him out of Beacon," Summer hissed. "Something I should have done before. I'm not going to let Y/N walk through death's door. How FUCKING much will it take for anyone to realize it!? Ruby's dead! Vao's dead! Y/N almost died! And you!" She was pointing at Raven, her finger trembling in fury. "You went with him to find Salem! You didn't learn anything when your kid got blown the fuck up, did you!?"
"I'd watch your mouth if I were you, bitch," Raven growled. Her voice had gone deathly quiet. Summer was beyond reasoning, however. She didn't listen to the warning.
"Oh, piss off! I shouldn't have put it past you! You never cared about your kids!"
"Summer, stop talking," Tai tried to intervene. But Summer was already approaching Raven. In her desperation to keep her son alive, she was beginning to break.
"Vao was always afraid of you, wasn't he? Shows just how much of a 'great mom' you were, huh?" She snickered. "And what happened? What happened, Raven? He was beaten and used as bait. Think about it, you stupid cunt! Vao was stronger than Y/N! Slow, but strong! And he still died! Or did you just never notice that!? You didn't, because you never gave half a SHIT, about your damned ki-"
THWACK!
Summer stumbled back when Raven socked her in the mouth, having pulled free from Sasha's iron grip. She wore a terrifying snarl - one that belonged to the leader of a bandit band.
"I'll fucking KILL you!"
If they were fighting before, they had just started nuclear warfare. When Y/N tried to get close, Raven kicked him away, snarling at him as a warning. The bandit leader charged Summer, lifting her off the ground and carrying her to a line of cars. With a furious cry, she slammed Summer into the hood of a truck, bending the metal like paper. Summer spat in Raven's face before kicking her foot into her chin, sliding off the hood and bolting towards her.
Summer grabbed Raven by the wrists, twisting her around and slamming her to the ground. She screamed as she bounced her friend's head against the pavement, like some twisted game of basketball. Tai tried to pull Summer away, but got kicked in the chest as a result. Raven used the distraction to flip over on top of Summer, slamming her knuckles into her teeth. A few of the bones clattered against the parking lot. Neither were pulling their punches. Verde shook Sasha's leg, pointing at them. "Sasha! Go!"
The giantess reached down and plucked them off the ground, pushing them apart. They were still trying to go after each other. Raven was tearing up, her arms still swinging.
"You stupid soft bitch! You don't know what it's like to hold your kid's body! You've never had a bone in your body that wanted revenge! Don't ever tell me I didn't care about my kids!" She shrieked. Summer snorted, spitting a glob of mucus at her. It landed on Raven's chest, the woman screaming in fury. Sasha winced in disgust. Summer stomped on the giant's foot, pulling free and storming towards Y/N and forcefully taking his hand.
"Let's go. We're going home," she snarled. Y/N didn't have the balls to fight her. He had never seen Summer lose her temper like that. Tai was still clutching his chest, the wind knocked out of him, but was shakily following. He didn't seem to have anything to say either. Sasha looked back, distress writhing on her face.
"W-wait! Shouldn't Y/N have a say in this!? He's eighteen!" She cried out. But Summer only gave her a glare. If looks could kill, Sasha would have died where she stood.
"No, he doesn't. And he won't. Better start looking for some teammates," she hissed. She turned her glare to Raven, who was still struggling to break free from Sasha's vice-like grip. "And you. Don't ever come near my house again. If you do, I'll call the police." She pointed her finger at the others. "That goes for every last one of you. Your little Team FRSB, it ends here. I won't let you get Y/N killed."
"But Salem wants Y/N. You'd be putting yourself in danger," Verde pointed out. As usual, she seemed to be the most collected one of them. But Summer growled at her spitefully.
"He's in more danger wandering with you. If we had pulled them out of Beacon the first time, none of this would have happened. Because they went with you, Vao died. And now it was almost Y/N. And I'm not about to let you kill him like you did Vao."
Verde's face fell the moment those words left her mouth. Yang growled, her hair beginning to smoke. "You shut your mouth, Summer. Before I shut it for you. You've no idea what Verde and Raven are going through."
Summer didn't answer. She dragged Y/N towards her car with Tai quietly following behind. Y/N could only look back at his friends as Summer pushed him into the back seat, slamming the door shut before climbing behind the wheel and starting the car.
As they drove away, Verde looked at the ground. She never thought of it that way. If she had called Vao the moment she woke up, instead of attempting to surprise him, would he still be alive?
She felt sick. Very, very sick. Cardin tried to comfort the artist, but the moment his hand touched her shoulder she pulled away violently.
"Don't... Touch me. I... I need to study..." She growled lowly. She began to walk away, Sasha calling out to her.
"Wait! Where are you going?"
Verde answered as she walked. "To the Club. I... Need time to myself. Please understand," she growled. She left the four of them in the parking lot, disappearing as she walked down the street and around the corner. Raven finally pulled free from Sasha's grasp, storming to her car. Without a word, she drove away.
Cardin kicked at the ground, unsure what to do. Yang cried out in fury, throwing her hands into the air. Her blonde locks were beginning to spark with flame. "FUCK! Things just get worse! Screw this! I'm going to the Club too! I need a freaking drink!"
That left only Cardin and Sasha. The ginger, with his hands in his pockets, looked up at the tall tomboy. "... Sasha, I... Don't want to stop this. If we give up now, Y/N will be..." He trailed off. He didn't want to finish that sentence. He really didn't want to finish that sentence. Sasha nodded understandingly.
"... Yeah... If he stays in one place like that without Beacon or the mafia, he's practically a sitting duck," she agreed quietly. "Which means it's up to us to do something, Little Man."
"Like what?"
Sasha didn't have an answer for that yet. She wrapped her arm around Cardin, leaning down to peck him on the forehead. "We'll figure that out together, yeah? Let's go back to Beacon and lay out our options. Okay?"
Cardin was red in the face. "... Y-yeah..." Sasha smirked at his reply. "Aww, is someone embarrassed?"
"Sh-shut up."
Hand in hand, they left the parking lot, and made their way to the bullhead port.
Hazel grunted as he pushed the massive steel box onto the truck, checking inside to ensure they had Vao's corpse. When he made certain, he slammed it shut and locked it before looking down at the hooded woman below. "So, any idea where we're taking this, Cinder?" He asked calmly.
Cinder narrowed her amber eyes under the hood, leaning against the truck with a cigarette in her hand. "... Goddess believes it's unsafe to keep him here. It said it has a contact in the castle out in Vale. Any guesses? Corrupt official? The king himself?" She joked. She tossed the cigarette butt on the ground before climbing into the driver's seat, watching as Hazel squeezed in next to her, fiddling with the seat. With every attempt, he seemed to grow more and more frustrated. Yet the chair wouldn't slide back.
"Fucking... Damn it, Watts..."
CRUNCH!
The metal squealed and broke as he forcefully pushed it back, breathing a sigh of relief. Cinder rolled her eyes before stepping on the gas pedal, the vehicle rumbling through the forest. She pulled another cigarette from her pack, popping it in her mouth. Hazel's nose scrunched up in disgust. "Do you have any idea how bad for you that is?"
"Didn't ask, don't care," Cinder growled. "I got screamed at because you didn't kill Y/N. He was right there, and you mucked it up."
Hazel frowned. "I was fighting Qrow and Raven at the same time. At least I got his arm - just makes him easier to take down."
"That's not the point," Cinder hissed. "He was in your freaking hands." She shook her head, focusing on driving as she blew smoke out the window. "... Forget about it. Let's just get this over with..."
Hazel was quiet for a moment, drumming his sausage sized fingers against the door thoughtfully. "... So what did Goddess need his body for? There's only half of it, and he's just a kid," he finally said. Cinder shrugged, taking a drag from her cigarette.
"Dunno. I've heard a rumor going around the Cult that Goddess 'had an idea'. Could be bait again. Or maybe it just hates him that much, and he's a trophy." She narrowed her eyes, taking another long puff. "... Still can't figure out why Goddess is using it's Blood to preserve the body, though. He's dead; giving him Blood is pointless... Unless..."
Hazel looked over to her. "... Unless what?"
Cinder smirked. A nasty, awful smirk. "Oh... Oh, that would make sense..."
...
The car skidded to a halt in the driveway, the familiar sight of trees flooding Y/N's vision as Summer pulled him out of the car. His childhood home loomed before him, like a towering statue in the cool breeze that ruffled his hair. Summer ran her fingers down his back, a small smile on her thin face.
"Welcome home, Rosebud..."
He felt her hand slide into his pocket. He tried to pull away, but it was too late. She already took his scroll. "M-Mom, that my-"
"I'll give it back when I block a few numbers. In the meantime, go to your room. Your things are already upstairs, and dinner will be ready shortly!" She cheered happily. Y/N sighed. He didn't want to be here. A part of him was still in denial that Summer would pull him out of Beacon. But Y/N didn't want to argue with Summer. In a way, he understood why she was doing this, even if he didn't agree with the method. Pulling his arm free, he walked into the house, kicking the door closed behind him. Summer sighed, glancing behind her as Tai approached. He didn't seem very happy.
"... What the actual fuck, Summer?"
The woman looked bewildered. "What did I do?"
Tai pointed at the house before letting his arm drop back down to his side. "Do I really have to explain it to you? All of his friends are at Beacon, and you go and take his scroll. Was pulling him out not good enough? What do you even plan to do with it?"
"Block all of their numbers," Summer said calmly. "Maybe we should have talked about this, Tai. But I'm not about to let Y/N die, too."
Tai was beginning to lose his patience. "So we just make him unhappy? Instead of us helping him fight Salem, we keep him here? Think about it. If Raven wasn't there to send a distress signal to Qrow, Y/N would have died."
"He wouldn't have even been out there if it wasn't for-"
"Yes he would have!" Tai shouted angrily. "For the love of Dust, Summer! If Raven wasn't there, he'd have gone on his own!"
"Don't yell at me!"
As Y/N opened the door to his bedroom, he could hear his parents arguing from the window. He closed it quickly, not wanting to hear it. As his blue eyes gaEd around his room, he stared at all his belongings. Even his game console was brought back. He trudged to his bed, sitting down on it and picking up his weapon that was leaning against the frame. It felt awkward to wield in his offhand. He set it down in his lap, running his fingers along the blade.
The memories hit him hard. Countless hours spent training alongside Verde, Vao, and Sasha. All the fun he had. It hurt. He knew Summer wouldn't allow them to come anywhere near him, and a part of him was beginning to resent her for that. Gripping the handle again, he tossed the weapon to the floor before giving it a kick.
Knock, knock.
The door opened before he could say anything. In the frame was his father, holding a prosthetic. He smiled sheepishly at him. "... Hey, sport. Got your arm."
Y/N didn't say anything. He didn't feel like talking. Tai closed the door behind him, gripping the prosthetic gently. "... Can you take off your shirt so I can attach it?"
Y/N just did as he was told. He was beginning to hate that part of himself. Always doing what he was told. If he did what he wanted, he wouldn't be here. Once the shirt was tossed to the side, he could feel Tai touching his shoulder as he tried to attach the artificial limb. After several minutes, it settled into his shoulder stump with a soft click.
"... Can you feel this?" Tai asked. He poked the back of the prosthetic's hand. Y/N shook his head. Tai glanced at his scroll before humming thoughtfully.
"... It says here that you should..." He readjusted the limb, poking the prosthetic again. Y/N could feel it that time. Atlesian technology was something else.
But even with his prosthetic attached, Tai didn't leave. He just sat next to his kid, staring at him guiltily. "... You alright, sport?"
Y/N bit his lip. "I'm... F-fine..."
Tai stared at him for a moment before shaking his head. "You're not fine, Y/N. C'mon, tell Dad what's on your mind. I'm listening."
"I said I'm fine... Leave me alone," Y/N hissed. But Tai didn't budge. He just stared at Y/N quietly, striking anger into his heart. Jumping to his feet, he snarled. "What are you looking at!? I'm fine!"
"Is that really what you feel? Or are you just saying that?" Tai asked softly. "... Bottling in your emotions is a bad idea, Y/N... Doesn't matter if you're a man or a woman. We're all human; it's natural to feel down. So go on, tell me. It can be between us. No one has to know."
Y/N could feel the lump growing in his throat as he tried to suppress it. But as Tai stared at him with that soft, tender gaze, he found it increasingly difficult.
"I... I-I..."
Tai stood up, wrapping his arms around Y/N gently. "It's okay, Y/N... It's going to be okay..." His words were soothing, finally breaking him down. Y/N felt a cry escape his lips, his one arm wrapping around his father's back. His prosthetic was more difficult to move, but with a few twitches and jerks, it made it's way there.
"I... I was the useless one, wasn't I...?"
Tai ran his fingers through Y/N's hair carefully. "What makes you say that?"
Y/N bit his lower lip, his vision growing hazy. "W-when Vao... D-died... He told me he felt useless... I-it was me, wasn't it? I couldn't save him... I couldn't even attack Hazel... I... N-never deserved FRSB. I'm an idiot. Mom is... M-Mom is right. I can't... I can't fight... I..." He broke down completely, unable to finish his sentence. Tai sighed softly, pushing Y/N away to look at him in the eyes.
"That ain't you, Y/N. You aren't useless. You're just going through a lot. In just two months, you killed a man, lost your brother, and now you don't have a right arm. On top of that, I feel there's even more that's been happening that I'm not aware of. You're only eighteen; you're going to break under that kind of pressure," he cooed softly. "It's normal to feel this way. But you aren't useless. Far, far from it."
Y/N wiped at his eyes, taking a deep, shaky breath. Tai guided him back to the bed, sitting down with him. "... Go on, Y/N. I'm sure you have a ton of questions... I'll answer them all."
Y/N sniffed, wiping at his nose with his sleeve, not saying a word. Tai knew Y/N was done. With a grunt, he stood to his feet and ruffled his son's hair. "... If you need me, I'm always here... Okay?"
"... Okay..."
Tai turned to the door, pulling it open and giving one last look at Y/N. Zwei trotted inside the room, his tongue lolling out of his mouth. The man nodded. It'd be good for Y/N to have a pet. Without another word, he closed the door.
And the moment no one was looking, he let the tears fall. He knew what Y/N meant about feeling useless. If he had been a better father, he could have stopped a lot of their troubles from happening. He wouldn't have been like Summer and locked them away. He would have fought by their side, protected them. Because in the end, what would hiding them do but delay their deaths?
And deep down, he knew Y/N. He knew he was just like him. That even if he was in danger, he'd still go for it. He knew how pointless it would be to try and stop him. With a shaky sigh, he began making his way down the stairs.
Dinner was almost ready.
...
Cardin was sitting on Sasha's bed, watching as the giant eagerly went over their plans. He was leaning back on his hands, watching boredly as the tomboy ranted.
"Erm... Sasha?"
"Yeah!? It's a good idea, right!?"
Cardin hesitantly shook his head. "That's... An awful idea. If we break through the front door, we'd be arrested for breaking and entering."
Sasha sighed, slumping her shoulders. "Well... Any ideas then?"
"Did you really try, or did you just repeat what you saw in an action movie?"
Sasha slapped the top of his head playfully. Of course, Sasha is much stronger than Cardin. He sank into the mattress, feeling his spine nearly crumble like a slinky. "Shut up, it was a good movie. For real though, any ideas?"
Cardin thought back. There were a few times when he'd be grounded, Y/N and Vao would typically sneak him out to play. Of course, Y/N and Vao were usually the reason he was grounded in the first place. "We could... Call him?"
"Tried."
"And what happened?"
"His crazy mom answered, demanded I never call that number again, and now the scroll ain't even ringing. I'm guessing she might have broken it."
Cardin sighed. He wasn't really liking the new Summer. "Well... We could... Um..." He really couldn't think of anything. Whenever Y/N and Vao busted him out, it usually involved Vao doing something to get his mom outside, like the time he set her car on fire. Vao loved fire. But Cardin wasn't Vao, nor did he want to spend time in prison. He sighed, defeated. "I... Have no idea."
And so there they were, brainstorming.
"... Mail?" Sasha suggested. Cardin gasped.
"Oh, wow! I can't believe I didn't think of that! Let's send a letter right away! I bet Summer would give a random letter to Y/N right away!"
Sasha frowned. "Sarcasm is a low form of humor, you know that?"
"You're a low form of humor."
The next thing Cardin knew, he was in a headlock struggling to breath as Sasha's thighs crushed his head. He didn't know how to feel about this situation. Sasha hummed thoughtfully. "What about just kidnapping him?"
Cardin couldn't answer. Cardin was barely alive. Sasha released her grip, waiting for him to catch his breath.
"Ki... Kidnap him? Who are we, the mafia?" Cardin thought about that. They actually were the mafia. "Actually... That could work..."
"It could?" Sasha asked in bewilderment. Cardin nodded.
"Yeah! I think... Holy crap, I have an idea!" He shouted. He was already making his way to the door with Sasha in tow. He paused, turning back to her. "Wait, can you drive?"
"Well, I don't have a license, and I can't fit in small cars."
"But can you drive though?"
Sasha nodded. "Yeah, why?"
That was all Cardin wanted to hear when he pulled open the door - only to freeze. Weiss stood in the frame, tapping her foot against the ground. "... Going somewhere?" She asked rudely.
"We're going to get-"
"I know where you're going!" The heiress interrupted Sasha. "Why didn't you invite me?"
"Well," Cardin began. "You were crying because Y/N got pulled out so we figured we'd give you some space. Do you want to come?"
"Of course I do. I'll drive!"
Sasha looked down. "But I thought I was driving...?"
Weiss patted her on the forearm because she couldn't reach her shoulder. "Sasha, you usually take up two seats in a normal car. You can't fit behind the wheel."
"... I don't know if you're calling me fat, or jacked. I'd pick your words wisely," Sasha growled. Weiss shivered, turning on her heel with a bright smile on her face.
"W-well! Let's be on our way then! Before dawn breaks! Banzai!"
Cardin and Sasha looked at her awkwardly, the heiress turning a light shade of pink. "... What? Don't your teams have a catchphrase?" The heiress asked.
Sasha shrugged. "Well kinda, but it's unnoffocial because Vao made it. And we don't ever talk about it. Ever."
"And my team would bully me if I ever suggested something like a catchphrase," Cardin pointed out.
"... No offense, but your team sucks Cardin," Weiss muttered. She looked to Sasha. "Come on, your catchphrase can't be that bad."
"Vao made it, it's bad."
Weiss felt that was all that needed to be said. Turning back around, she began walking down the halls, Sasha and Cardin following close behind.
...
The car slowed to a halt across the street, the heavy box in the bed of the truck sagging the vehicle's backside. Hazel glanced over at Cinder, arching an eyebrow. "... Awfully easy getting into the city... Surprised they didn't check the box in the back."
"That's because this contact is apparently important," Cinder groaned. She leaned back in her seat, running her fingers across her forehead. "They've been expecting us. Watts is already here; he told me this was the meeting point. So where the hell is he?"
She muttered the last part. Hazel shrugged his massive shoulders, pushing open the door to the truck and stepping out. The frigid night air made his face twitch as he leaned against the vehicle, stretching his legs.
"Took you long enough, brute."
Hazel scowled when Watts's voice called out to him. "Ugh... What is it, Arthur?" He turned, his heart stopping in his chest. There was no way this was the contact.
No way in hell. Cinder was looking out the window, her mouth wide open.
Standing next to Watts was him. With his long, brown hair underneath the golden crown. Cinder felt her heart pounding in her chest as she spoke.
"K... K-King Iris?"