Fandom Distorted Mirror [IC]

[MyrtenRose]

There was something else to the tone Ironwood took when he eventually responded, though it was difficult to gauge precisely what. The fact that he had turned back to face the operations table by then meant Cinder didn't catch the ripple of what looked like guilt when it broke across his face, one that never would have made it to the surface if not for the enormous pressure he'd been under lately.

"Call it... trying to compensate for past mistakes, I suppose."

"Guess there's a lot of that going around these days." ​

The general had turned his head slightly to better listen over one shoulder, features once more locked back into a firm shell of inscrutable. A moment or two passed in the wake of Cinder's declaration before he nodded, a single, decisive movement rife with grateful resolve.

"Of course. A maiden willing to stand and fight is always reassuring, in spite of everything I just said. I'm just glad you see you don't have to go it alone." The sigh he gave was weary, as they all were of late, but there was indeed a note of relief in it. "Spring—I should say, Raven—is... injured. But I have no doubt she'll help you continue learning to control your abilities should you choose to. And... I promise I'll do everything in my power to keep you safe."

"...Whoa." Raven was Spring in the other world? That sounded wicked. The injured part, not so much. "Yeah, same here. I promise to learn about all my own power and use it to protect everyone too." Cinder gave an agreeable nod. Come what may, she would stand in the face of it to the best of her ability.​

"All that aside... This location remains secure. You're all free to get settled while we wait to see if miss Xiao Long has anything useful to report. Whatever she may have learned, however slight, I suspect it may be of significance to us all; So anyone who wishes is free to return when she arrives and listen in. Other than that... Dismissed."​

"Wait." Cinder countered despite the dismissal and her need for food and sleep. "There's...something else I want to ask. My former team leader, Arthur Watts. He's from Atlas originally, as you...probably know very well. As far as I know, after the disbanding of team WTCH, we all went our separate ways(except for Hazel catching up with me eventually). The three left of team MTEN too. I just...well, Atlas was his home. Do you know if...if he came back here? Where he is?"​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"Wait." Cinder countered despite the dismissal and her need for food and sleep. "There's...something else I want to ask. My former team leader, Arthur Watts. He's from Atlas originally, as you...probably know very well. As far as I know, after the disbanding of team WTCH, we all went our separate ways(except for Hazel catching up with me eventually). The three left of team MTEN too. I just...well, Atlas was his home. Do you know if...if he came back here? Where he is?"

"...I do."

He kept his reply laconic, broad shoulders stiffened slightly as his mind was plagued by thoughts of that smug little menace to society.

"He's in Atlas. If you'd like to try and mend bridges, I suppose I can give you his family address. Exercise extreme caution in transit to the city though, whatever the mode of transportation. And Cinder... By all accounts, he's finished. He intends to simply live his life. Fair warning."​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"...I do."

He kept his reply laconic, broad shoulders stiffened slightly as his mind was plagued by thoughts of that smug little menace to society.

"He's in Atlas. If you'd like to try and mend bridges, I suppose I can give you his family address. Exercise extreme caution in transit to the city though, whatever the mode of transportation. And Cinder... By all accounts, he's finished. He intends to simply live his life. Fair warning."​

"I know. He made that clear, and I don't intend to ask more from him after...everything. I only wanted to apologize. The way I left, it wasn't...the best. He deserves more than that. They all do. So yeah, I would be grateful if you passed that information to me."​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"I know. He made that clear, and I don't intend to ask more from him after...everything. I only wanted to apologize. The way I left, it wasn't...the best. He deserves more than that. They all do. So yeah, I would be grateful if you passed that information to me."​

He did.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

He did.​

"Thank you." With that she strode off to FINALLY eat.​

 

[MidwayLives]

Simultaneously, a peculiar thing transpired. However by whatever means Gwen might have reacted towards Emerald's opening statement, a quirk of the air flow from behind-- a strange guttural croak of some kind-- was more than compelling to elicit the cursory and investigatory glance of behind. She would have found nothing so distinct from the sprawling structures of Mantle that stood as a testament to the very essence of depression and upon turning back, the first she saw was strange expressions upon Emerald and Neo's, intensely perturbed by whatever it was they were seeing.

It came from behind, protuberances of sloughing grease terminating in alabaster metacarpals and phalanges of inhuman length suddenly clasping the crook of her jaw and left forearm, the tapered fingers slipping through the epidermis that parted with little resistance as one drew their hand through water. The sensations she felt were markedly different from what one might predict, the absence of pain a definitive subversion of expectations, with intense discomfort taking its place in its stead, the foreboding experience an understanding that it was the presence of something that never should have been there. It was not a protracted sequence of events, reflected in the entity's urgency as it subsumed the aforementioned arm with the jet black material, a very telling feeling of her hand becoming unresponsive to her mental commands, as if it disappeared, as if it was... replaced. The opposite appendage continued its meandering, the full length of its digits rippling beneath the flesh of Gwen's face, an errant digit emerging from the lower eyelid of one eye into plain view, obscuring her vision completely, as it entered the upper.

They froze and curved inwards, a pressure applied to her skull as if it were in a grip, bidding her to look upwards to see with her one eye a pulsing mass of black miasma, the vague shape of a head resting atop malformed shoulders from which its gangly arms extended, looming behind above. A wet, slapping squelch resounded from the amorphous cranium as it expanded and extended, lengthening towards her own with its very front unfolding in rippling waves to unveil scores of concentric fangs, rotating independently of each other, illuminated by an crimson incandescent glow from within its gullet that was otherwise muffled by its body. A rising chorus of the yawning screeches of the consumed and the damned rose from it cavernous mouth as it descended, engulfing the features of her face with a very primal intent.

To add her voice to those it had devoured, to absorb her into its fold...

What an absolute abomination of an illusion.

Neo loved it.
​

"Welp, about time to go." Emerald quipped, her hand extended for Neo's in a halfway awkward gesture that seemed intended for a low-five, before it became abundantly clear what her intention was, one half of Thief's Respite whirling in her opposite as the chain extended, hooked something, and with a deft yank saw the two departing in a comedic fashion much like exiting stage left via a vaudeville hook. If Neo wanted to help expedite the effort and obscure their position more so, all the better.

Neo took the offered hand.

She couldn't care less about whatever this absolute tool of a soldier thought. She hadn't even bothered introducing herself.

Neo and Emerald would have to be better. They'dd have to do better whenever they caught up with the others.

But none of the Atlas grunts she'd murdered back at Beacon had been half this cocky.

Still, a long drawn out fight just wasn't on the agenda!~
​

The numerous AK-200s opened fire with their rifles at this point, completely predictably to anyone who had encountered and knew enough about that model of robot. But the older model AK-130 that was Jennings, he did not. Instead two grappling hooks of his own shot out from his forearms, one aimed to wrap around Emerald herself and the other to snag the middle of the chain itself. With either or both got firmly locked in, the machine yanked with all the strength it possessed to bring the pair crashing back down to the ground before they could escape.

The rifles?

No problem. Even if a couple of shots pinged them the aura would help mend most of the damage if any.

The hooks?

They were definitely a problem and one Neo wasn't in an oppertune position to do much about. Cutting them with Hush's blade may have worked but not before-

*thud*
​

Gwen's head snapped over to the pair, eyes instantly locking on to the targets. The pistol on her hip was drawn in an instant, yet by the time it was aimed, the weapon was no longer a pistol. There was a strange grey rippling throughout the weapon as everything except the grip shifted into a different shape. When Malware settled, the now assault rifle looking weapon immediately fired two shots. Not at the targets directly as Jennings went about bringing the pair of them down, but at where she estimated the duo would impact. Two projectiles shot forth and stuck to the ground in those spots. The projectiles opened up and revealed a distinct purple glow in the split-seconds before the two intruders hit the ground.

Those devices' intent? To keep the pair struggling against a heavy pull of gravity aimed to pin them to the street.

Neo had been arrested one other time while in this world.

It was after her other suckerpunched her and performed a stylish combo to knock her out.

Then some Atlas goons cuffed her and threw her into a cell.

Truth be told, if Neo had known how things were gonna play out? She may have just worked with Brawnen and killed this other world's Yang right then and there.

But that said, the time in that cell had SUCKED and she'd just comforted Emerald. Made it clear that no matter what this world threw at them, they'd be able to move through it no matter what. They couldn't do that if they were both captured and locked up like they were just a bunch of common thugs caught loitering on the streets. So as Neo and Emerald collapsed to the ground, Neo smiled.

And shattered.

~~~~

Okay, so two things.

This chick-whoever she was-her arsenal was going to be annoying as hell to deal with. Between the robots and that gravity gun? Getting bogged down into a street fight would only drain their aura and be a waste of their time and energy. Which meant staying and putting up and fighting was just out of the question. It'd end up going this bitch's way in the long run and Neo was going to do everything possible to keep the two of them from getting a front row tour on how Atlas treats prisoners. More so if Schnee was still on Team Ozpin...

No, they just couldn't let this happen. During her time with Cinder here in Atlas, Neo had done some snooping around. There had to be somewhere they could lay low for a bit. Give themselves a bit more breathing room and plan on how to catch up with Pintsized!Cinder and friends. Couldn't do that if you had a whole squad of bots and their ringleader pursuing you though. Holding tightly onto Emerald's hand and gripping Hush's blade with the other, Neo continued to run. If they just got far enough, she could use her semblance to disguise the two of them and they'd be golden, at least for a little while. At the present time, Neo'd barely managed to put some distance between them as she looked back over her shoulder past a nearby building as they ran.

"...Hm."

Truthfully, he'd been hoping for something more resembling a spectacle. A true display of incompetence on the Special Operative's part as Paradise and him seemed to take their time getting involved in the midst of things. Mainly due to a mixture of pettiness and not having a good enough idea about what both of the intruders in question were capable of.

The display he'd just seen sealed it.

They were both illusionists of some kind and it seemed the shorter one had a decent way of making herself scarce.

"Doubt they've gotten far. If she could avoid trouble that easily, she'd have done it straight from the moment she'd seen your-rather loud by the by-approach. Wouldn't have needed the other girl to play parlor tricks."

He scanned the area with a quick lookover.

"No...I'd say they're closer than they'd like to be..."

"Too far and it'd have proved a strain on her semblance. Not far enough and she'd be underestimating you. Maybe they still are." He mused.

"Paradise!"

He shouted, one of the few times he'd raised his voice since joining this 'operation.'

"Yes, Magenta!"

"Go see if you can 'cut' our friends off...."

He spared a glance to Helios.

"And you can circle around and cut off their escape..."

Paradise was already racing off, eager to show that the training he'd done with Magenta hadn't been in vain!~

​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"...Huh. That sounds more like home than prison to me...if home had 19 more corgis that is." Ruby shook her head to clear her mind of thoughts about getting dogpiled by that many Zweis. "You got it sis, I'll text you the locale after I talk to the bosses here. And nope!" She pointedly refused. "I'm going to kick so much butt, Yang. If you don't want to get so permanently left behind in the butt kicking department that'll you never be able to catch up, you better hurry!" ​

"Well, well, but what if you didn't until I was there, did you think of that oh she hung up."

Yang snorted and cut off her end of the call as well with a shake of her head, but the smile on her face radiated a relief that sunk all the way down to her bones. The last time she'd talked with her sister, actually talked with her, was... all the way before they got on the train to Haven. Hearing her voice after so long, and her being just the same as always was a grounding experience she hadn't even realized how much she needed until after it was done. Now she just had to get there. Somehow. With no money.

"Wonder how long of a walk it is..." She murmured as she gently tossed Masque back her scroll with a "heads up sis" towards her shirt covered head and pulled out her own to check the location sent to her. Oh. Just some abandoned dust mine entirely outside of the whole city. So like only two days straight of walking. She groaned in frustration and drummed her fake fingers on her knee with a sour frown. "Reeeaaaally shoulda asked Salem for like, a saving the world stipend or something."

She did know someone who apparently had cash on hand, and a way to get around in Atlas (outside of Weiss), but they were.... her eyes drifted up towards the ceiling, drawing a bead on where she knew the hotel was past the concrete. Welp. She stood up and dusted off her knees, before she leaned on the wall next to her with a quiet frown as she glanced over to Masque, not having forgotten her words before the call.

"So.... yea. I saw Maria a little while ago. She... wasn't a very big fan of us. I mean, not super surprising and all, considering who we all work for. We fought and....she broke my mom's back" she muttered as her eyes flicked away from Masque's own with a stormy glare. "It shouldn't have happened; it was my choice to go where we knew she was, and she was the one that got hurt." She readjusted herself on the wall, and though it was subtle, it was going to be much easier for her to make any sudden moves Masque's reactions to her next words might've required.

"...but we did fight back. and in the end, she lost. I'm sorry Ruby."

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"...Okay then." The chameleon eventually replied. She took the shadow fang agent at her word, it made sense after all. Though Ilia deliberately ignored any addressing of the first half of what Snake had said, truly and fully not wanting to get dragged into that once more. "Then, if you are really willing..." Ilia paused for a moment as she bit her lip. "...could you just tell her I'm sorry? That I'm sorry I didn't consider how she felt about any of it? That I'm sorry my absolute focus on Blake, and the other me, didn't let me see...truly see, somebody else who needed help. Not until it was too late, judging from how she returned to Sienna and your group." She shook her head in regret. A chance to help Taurus before she completely lost her way like Adam had, and it felt squandered. "Also, if you can, and if she's willing...could you ask her to come here? To Atlas? For a meeting on neutral ground."​

snake took a really long time thinking that answer over

Snake absolutely did not want to do either of those things.

Eve Taurus was a wonderful young woman, and a powerful asset to boot. She had, in Snake's mind, been jerked around by other's loyalties and commitments enough. Putting her in this Ilia's cross-hares, make her feel like she'd done something that even prompted Ilia to want to apologize, could only be damaging to the poor girl's psyche. It would be cruel, and cruelty was Snake's least favorite implement in her tool box, and frankly one of the least effective. No one truly did what you wanted if you were cruel to them.

...yet cruelty to one was often kindness to another, and kindness was a far more potent currency.

"...I can't justify pulling a Talon all the way to Atlas for a simple heart to heart, Ilia." She eventually answered "It's not some honorary, symbolic title, Bull is one of the most important fighters and leaders in the Fang now. Her being here isn't a small favor by any stretch. But... if you can give me something in return, I could make something happen. Justify needing her here to the High Leader"

She leaned back against her desk with her hand propping her up.

"As I said before, the Fang has had it hard in Atlas of late, for reasons that I'd like to keep to myself for now. But it does necessitate some changes in how we operate, and so I'd like what should be a very simple favor for you to organize; a meeting with the resistance."

 

[MyrtenRose]

snake took a really long time thinking that answer over

Snake absolutely did not want to do either of those things.

Eve Taurus was a wonderful young woman, and a powerful asset to boot. She had, in Snake's mind, been jerked around by other's loyalties and commitments enough. Putting her in this Ilia's cross-hares, make her feel like she'd done something that even prompted Ilia to want to apologize, could only be damaging to the poor girl's psyche. It would be cruel, and cruelty was Snake's least favorite implement in her tool box, and frankly one of the least effective. No one truly did what you wanted if you were cruel to them.

...yet cruelty to one was often kindness to another, and kindness was a far more potent currency.

"...I can't justify pulling a Talon all the way to Atlas for a simple heart to heart, Ilia." She eventually answered "It's not some honorary, symbolic title, Bull is one of the most important fighters and leaders in the Fang now. Her being here isn't a small favor by any stretch. But... if you can give me something in return, I could make something happen. Justify needing her here to the High Leader"

She leaned back against her desk with her hand propping her up.

"As I said before, the Fang has had it hard in Atlas of late, for reasons that I'd like to keep to myself for now. But it does necessitate some changes in how we operate, and so I'd like what should be a very simple favor for you to organize; a meeting with the resistance."

oh thank god Ilia had been just about to zap herself just to be sure she didn't fall asleep waiting for Snake's slow ass to finally reply

"A...a Talon? Oh." She supposed it made sense for someone of Eve's ability to be one of those but...to be that deeply ingratiated with them now, so soon, after everything...whatever slim hope Ilia might have held that Eve was playing them, that there was some long con she just wasn't seeing...it seemed even slimmer now. To be considered one of the most important fighters and leaders...

Ilia shook her head, not wanting to think about it too much lest she get drawn into a lengthy silence.

Still, Ilia had already guessed that was probably what Snake would reply with. A favor for a favor. She'd spent some time mulling over return favors herself, things she could give back to the Shadow Fang member...she didn't like most of them but if she had to make those choices than she would. What Snake asked, however, had not been one of the favors Ilia had thought about.

"What would you get out of a meeting with them...?"​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

oh thank god Ilia had been just about to zap herself just to be sure she didn't fall asleep waiting for Snake's slow ass to finally reply

"A...a Talon? Oh." She supposed it made sense for someone of Eve's ability to be one of those but...to be that deeply ingratiated with them now, so soon, after everything...whatever slim hope Ilia might have held that Eve was playing them, that there was some long con she just wasn't seeing...it seemed even slimmer now. To be considered one of the most important fighters and leaders...

Ilia shook her head, not wanting to think about it too much lest she get drawn into a lengthy silence.

Still, Ilia had already guessed that was probably what Snake would reply with. A favor for a favor. She'd spent some time mulling over return favors herself, things she could give back to the Shadow Fang member...she didn't like most of them but if she had to make those choices than she would. What Snake asked, however, had not been one of the favors Ilia had thought about.

"What would you get out of a meeting with them...?"​

"Words, of course. Preferably civil ones, along with some light refreshments." She answered, her words drifting naturally back towards light and warm. "If the resistance budget can't afford it, then I can acquiesce to a snackless meeting I suppose. The words are the important bit anyways"

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Words, of course. Preferably civil ones, along with some light refreshments." She answered, her words drifting naturally back towards light and warm. "If the resistance budget can't afford it, then I can acquiesce to a snackless meeting I suppose. The words are the important bit anyways"

"What kind of words? And what if they refuse?"​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"What kind of words? And what if they refuse?"​

"Very important words. And well, I'd hoped the civil part implied that partings would be equally so, regardless of everyone's answers" She lilted with a sly smile before she shrugged. "unless of course you mean if they refuse the meeting, in which case I'll have my answer regardless."

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Very important words. And well, I'd hoped the civil part implied that partings would be equally so, regardless of everyone's answers" She lilted with a sly smile before she shrugged. "unless of course you mean if they refuse the meeting, in which case I'll have my answer regardless."

"I guess I could try." She made no promises.​

 

[MidwayLives]

"Wonder how long of a walk it is..." She murmured as she gently tossed Masque back her scroll with a "heads up sis" towards her shirt covered head and pulled out her own to check the location sent to her.

*thunk*

"Ow."
​

She did know someone who apparently had cash on hand, and a way to get around in Atlas (outside of Weiss), but they were.... her eyes drifted up towards the ceiling, drawing a bead on where she knew the hotel was past the concrete. Welp. She stood up and dusted off her knees, before she leaned on the wall next to her with a quiet frown as she glanced over to Masque, not having forgotten her words before the call.

"Did you enjoy talking to the other me?"

The Masque asked petulantly as she pulled her shirt down and stuffed her scroll away.

Listening to that had almost been as worse as sitting in the cell.

Almost.
​

"So.... yea. I saw Maria a little while ago. She... wasn't a very big fan of us. I mean, not super surprising and all, considering who we all work for. We fought and....

"Oh! Well, I'm sorry to hear that,Yang! She's usually so nice to me, I didn't realize that she'd left such a bad impression! Maybe you just caught her at a bad time or something! Yeah, that has to be-"
​

.she broke my mom's back"

That cut off the Masque's words of praise and she as at a loss for a moment or two.

She didn't like talking about her mom. She really didn't.

But she'd barely a chance to know her aunt. The bandit lifestyle and bullying her Yang came first before anything else.

Maybe she and this Yang had a better relationship....

'I'm...I...I'm sorry, Yang. Really....She...She shouldn't have done that. She's nicer than that. I can't even begin to imagine the Maria I know doing that..."

It was a lot to take in. Of course, the Masque wasn't oblivious. She knew that by all accounts Maria was a monster. But did that mean she was any less deserving of friendship or affection? The Masque didn't think so. She believed everyone deserved a chance until they didn't. If they attacked her with the intent to kill or spat on her beliefs and dreams was the line that separated those who received the Masque's kindness and those who didn't.
​

"It shouldn't have happened; it was my choice to go where we knew she was, and she was the one that got hurt." S

The Masque found herself reaching out towards Yang despite herself...

Try as she might staying flustered or upset with this woman was a goal in futility. She just made the Masque feel so welcome and safe when she was around.

"No...No, don't blame yourself...Maria just made a mistake that's all...I'm sure if I talk to her, I can-"
​

"...but we did fight back. and in the end, she lost. I'm sorry Ruby."

"You...."

The Masque didn't make any violent movements. She just sat there as her face took on an absolutely horrified expression.

Nobody liked her at Ozpin's fortress. Blake slapped her hand away when they'd first met and that'd been the extent of their relationship. She'd already explained the reasoning between her Yang's constant harassment of her. Weiss didn't need to be explained either. But between Ozpin himself and Maria, they were the only people who gave her a similar feeling to this Yang. 'Masqueykins' this and 'you're such a good girl!!!~' that. The comments made her feel loved in a place where love seemed vacant. Apparently something had gone wrong down the line and Maria had gotten herself...

'You killed her..."

Yang hadn't explicitly said it but that was the only measure she could think of. You couldn't just 'lock up' something like Maria. She'd find a way out and you'd be right back to square one. No, if you wanted to 'beat' her, you had to cross the line that divided all men and take her life.

Or...Whatever she had animating her.

The sniffles came back but the Masque didn't frown. Far from it actually.

"That's ok. You had your reasons....Sounds like it was you or her....I'm glad you weren't hurt.."

Even with the smile, the pain in the Masque's words was obvious. Horrific monstrosity she may have been but Maria was the only one of Ozpin's minions who actually seemed to give a damn about what she had to say, what she thought about, etc. Now? She had absolutely less than nothing.

Well, easy come easy go, yeah?

Hopping to her feet, the Masque turned away from Yang.

"Go. Get out of here if you want to. I said I didn't want to fight you and I meant it. Take that other me's stupid directions and...*sniffle* go to the stupid resistance....Stupid..." She held up hand to her eyes. "You said 'we', didn't you? You were at Weiss's for quite a while....Tell me....Was Weiss the one who...." She let the implication hang where it was. If that was the case then one might have audibly heard the Masque's heart breaking. You could even set it to a watch.

If Weiss had been her killer, what did that mean...? Did she not believe in their dream anymore? Was...Was she an enemy?!​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"I guess I could try." She made no promises.​

"That's all I can ask" Snake said with a nod, "Though in turn I cannot make any promises about Eve. The promise I can make is that so long as the resistance harbors no ill will towards us during the meeting, we will abide the same. Good luck, Ilia. Feel free to keep in touch."

She clicked her scroll off and stared out the window with a placid frown. Too many pieces had shifted around the board in strange and frightening ways in the last few weeks. It was certainly a risk to attempt to take a more direct hand in their upcoming moves, but at least she'd finally have a vague idea on the board state instead of the chaos she was dealing with now.

"Stream- Sorry, Panther." She said into the seemingly empty office, ensuring her reflection wasn't visible in the window as she looked out on it. "I'd like a word, if you're here"

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

*thunk*

"Ow."




"Did you enjoy talking to the other me?"

The Masque asked petulantly as she pulled her shirt down and stuffed her scroll away.

Listening to that had almost been as worse as sitting in the cell.

Almost.

"Oh! Well, I'm sorry to hear that,Yang! She's usually so nice to me, I didn't realize that she'd left such a bad impression! Maybe you just caught her at a bad time or something! Yeah, that has to be-"


That cut off the Masque's words of praise and she as at a loss for a moment or two.

She didn't like talking about her mom. She really didn't.

But she'd barely a chance to know her aunt. The bandit lifestyle and bullying her Yang came first before anything else.

Maybe she and this Yang had a better relationship....

'I'm...I...I'm sorry, Yang. Really....She...She shouldn't have done that. She's nicer than that. I can't even begin to imagine the Maria I know doing that..."

It was a lot to take in. Of course, the Masque wasn't oblivious. She knew that by all accounts Maria was a monster. But did that mean she was any less deserving of friendship or affection? The Masque didn't think so. She believed everyone deserved a chance until they didn't. If they attacked her with the intent to kill or spat on her beliefs and dreams was the line that separated those who received the Masque's kindness and those who didn't.


The Masque found herself reaching out towards Yang despite herself...

Try as she might staying flustered or upset with this woman was a goal in futility. She just made the Masque feel so welcome and safe when she was around.

"No...No, don't blame yourself...Maria just made a mistake that's all...I'm sure if I talk to her, I can-"

"You...."

The Masque didn't make any violent movements. She just sat there as her face took on an absolutely horrified expression.

Nobody liked her at Ozpin's fortress. Blake slapped her hand away when they'd first met and that'd been the extent of their relationship. She'd already explained the reasoning between her Yang's constant harassment of her. Weiss didn't need to be explained either. But between Ozpin himself and Maria, they were the only people who gave her a similar feeling to this Yang. 'Masqueykins' this and 'you're such a good girl!!!~' that. The comments made her feel loved in a place where love seemed vacant. Apparently something had gone wrong down the line and Maria had gotten herself...

'You killed her..."

Yang hadn't explicitly said it but that was the only measure she could think of. You couldn't just 'lock up' something like Maria. She'd find a way out and you'd be right back to square one. No, if you wanted to 'beat' her, you had to cross the line that divided all men and take her life.

Or...Whatever she had animating her.

The sniffles came back but the Masque didn't frown. Far from it actually.

"That's ok. You had your reasons....Sounds like it was you or her....I'm glad you weren't hurt.."

Even with the smile, the pain in the Masque's words was obvious. Horrific monstrosity she may have been but Maria was the only one of Ozpin's minions who actually seemed to give a damn about what she had to say, what she thought about, etc. Now? She had absolutely less than nothing.

Well, easy come easy go, yeah?

Hopping to her feet, the Masque turned away from Yang.

"Go. Get out of here if you want to. I said I didn't want to fight you and I meant it. Take that other me's stupid directions and...*sniffle* go to the stupid resistance....Stupid..." She held up hand to her eyes. "You said 'we', didn't you? You were at Weiss's for quite a while....Tell me....Was Weiss the one who...." She let the implication hang where it was. If that was the case then one might have audibly heard the Masque's heart breaking. You could even set it to a watch.

If Weiss had been her killer, what did that mean...? Did she not believe in their dream anymore? Was...Was she an enemy?!​

"-I was."

Yang thought Weiss' plan was a bunch of dangerous nonsense. There was no 'getting in good' with a monster like Ozpin. Hell, even the Ozpin from their world used and discarded people with his lies, no matter how good his intentions were. Weiss wasn't playing with fire, she was roasting marshallows over a volcano, and in the process hurting other people for the volcano.

But Yang just tipping off Ozpin's forces to the fact that Weiss was planning a big ol' coup in the end of it all wouldn't achieve anything but even more people getting hurt which was already happening anyways but she didn't know that yet. There wasn't anything good that'd come of that, and it was way more acceptable in Yang's mind to have that danger pointed at her anyways. Besides, it wasn't even all that much of a lie; Yang had every intention of fighting Maria when she went down there, and she helped Weiss find the tool she needed to do it.

She rubbed her arms with a pained frown, her words quiet when she continued. "...We talked a bit during the fight. I know she was important to you Ruby, and... and I'm sorry. I understand what its like to lose someone important to you, and even if it was her or me, I understand if you hate me now. But... you're important to me too." She as she looked up. "You don't have to cling to the bad people in the world just because they're the only ones that used to care. Not if you don't want to."

 

[MidwayLives]

"-I was."

"...You did what you had to do."

The Masque replied.

Eventually.
​

"...We talked a bit during the fight. I know she was important to you Ruby, and... and I'm sorry. I understand what its like to lose someone important to you, and even if it was her or me, I understand if you hate me now.

Hate her?

Hate...Her???

"No!"

The brief flash from her eyes might have been a clue into just how upset this revelation had made her.

"No no NO! You don't understand! I don't hate you!"

She jabbed out to gently punch Yang in the stomach. Barely any force behind it at all.

"I don't like hating anyone....I just wish we could all be happy..."

She made sure her sword was securely strapped to her back and moved to walk past Yang.

"I could never hate you."
​

you're important to me too." She as she looked up. "You don't have to cling to the bad people in the world just because they're the only ones that used to care. Not if you don't want to."

She stopped right beside Yang.

"You're important to me too. I love you, Yang."

The Masque hugged her one more time.

"But you can't protect me by yourself. The others at the resistance? They'd never understand. They'd want me locked up, toss away the key." The hug was broken off and the Masque started to take a couple steps down the stairs. "I sat in that cell and contemplated a lot of things. I never want to go back to that. I refuse to go back to it." She continued on.

"I'll see you around, ok?"

​

 

[MidwayLives]

After the attack and kidnapping of Trifa, the motel that she and Tyrian had been staying at was closed off pending a police investigation. The other people staying at the motel had been talked to by the police but hadn't given anything of substance. They heard the sound of presumably the killer smashing through a door and a woman's screams dying down little by little. But they'd been too terrified to look outside their doors and see who it may have been or what they wanted. But they did at least manage to make some kind of connection.

Throughout the duration of the attack, everyone reported hearing a consistent gust of wind blowing through the motel.

Once they were sure everything had calmed down, the wind stopped.

It'd been storming outside but it almost seemed like too specific to just be a coincidence...

"Huh. I hope they figure it out..."

A soft spoken voice murmured from a distance. His bright pink hair standing out as the sunlight glistened upon him. In one hand was a soda that'd quite clearly had a few swigs taken out of it. Sitting atop the boy's head was a simple snapback cap. Watching as the police did this and that, he started to turn away from the scene. It was too depressing to look at a scene like that. As he walked, he got a couple of waves and shouts of concern and to stay safe out there. The boy didn't look much older than 17 or 18. Just a likable face in this crime stricken town.

"Hey, thanks guys! Don't worry! I'm sure the police will catch the man behind this in no time! Let's just keep living our lives!"

A face with a past that nobody knew....

The boy's name?

Aurora Beige.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

A soft spoken voice murmured from a distance. His bright pink hair standing out as the sunlight glistened upon him. In one hand was a soda that'd quite clearly had a few swigs taken out of it. Sitting atop the boy's head was a simple snapback cap. Watching as the police did this and that, he started to turn away from the scene. It was too depressing to look at a scene like that. As he walked, he got a couple of waves and shouts of concern and to stay safe out there. The boy didn't look much older than 17 or 18. Just a likable face in this crime stricken town.

As his walk turned a corner, it came to a jarring rough stop thanks to somebody else shambling around the same corner and straight up colliding with the kid. Complete with a shocked grunt. The person stumbled back a step as her hand briefly rubbed at her forehead. When the hand that wasn't currently clutching a bottle of beer lowered back to her side, her gaze to the kid was a less than pleased one.

"hey! doooooooooon't you know that...you gotxta be watching *hic* mwhere the hellz yer going, tehre are othrer people walking herge yous know, uhhhhhh...pinkie." She finished as her eyes flickered to his hair, taking in what she could to describe the guy. "Cruzy color." Her free hand rose up again, sluggishly trying to knock the hat off his head. Judging from the scruffy mess that was her hair(the parts he could see at least, a lot of it hidden behind a dirty hood she wore), the way she moved and talked, the bottle in her hand and the frankly overwhelming smell, it was obvious that this woman was as completely wasted as one could get. After a couple seconds and another swig of her drink, the woman did her best to lean over to the side without also falling over, eyeing the scene behind him.

"The hell htappened *hic* there?"​

 

[Indolent]

Robyn's eyes narrowed in suspicion at that news. All the effort the Branwens had gone through to spring Yang out, and all the trouble that ensued when the rest of them came to aid the twins out of a dicey situation...all that, only for Yang to get free on her own. That didn't add up. Either the girl was more crafty than Robyn had given her credit for, unlikely given the length of her captivity, or...Weiss had let the girl go, for some reason. It was the unknown reasoning that had her most concerned. Deep thought on that matter could wait, however. Her purple eyes moved to look at one of the group in particular as she strode over. "Fiona." She greeted in friendly relief that one of her own returned unharmed. "So, Penny's driving is that bad huh?" Robyn questioned with a smirk.​

"Robyn!" The sheep faunus sang the name out as she beelined for the leader of the Happy Huntresses, a grand smile betwixt her rosy cheeks, proximating herself so closely she very nearly contacted her bodily. The distance between remained the same, Fiona gazing upwards as she held a conversation with all the ease and comfort of old friends. "Yep, here, wanna see?" The good Miss Thyme extended a hand sidelong, bidding Robyn's eyes follow, and soon as they did, the faunus made an exaggerated show of shakes to the hand.

"The intense vibrations haven't left me yet." She feigned a somber tune, undercut by the devious grin that pushed past as she laughed at her own humor.

"Although, I do feel bad for Penny. Even if Ironwood wasn't as hard on her as she thought he would have been, I feel bad anyway. Maybe I should've gone with her instead of keeping watch for our getaway vehicle and route. Hindsight is 20/20 after all..." She frowned.

 

[MidwayLives]

As his walk turned a corner, it came to a jarring rough stop thanks to somebody else shambling around the same corner and straight up colliding with the kid. Complete with a shocked grunt. The person stumbled back a step as her hand briefly rubbed at her forehead. When the hand that wasn't currently clutching a bottle of beer lowered back to her side, her gaze to the kid was a less than pleased one.

"Eeep!!"

Aurora dropped his soda bottle and fell flat on his ass as Vernal bumped into him. Quickly scrambling for the lost beverage, Aurora shook his head from side to side. "P-Please!! Don't hurt me!!! I don't have any lien! Just let me go!-"

Oh, ew, this lady reeked of booze...
​

"hey! doooooooooon't you know that...you gotxta be watching *hic* mwhere the hellz yer going, tehre are othrer people walking herge yous know, uhhhhhh...pinkie."

"S-Sorry...You're right, Miss. I...I should have been paying more attention. I'm so sorry!!"

He mewled before looking upwards.

"Oh, yeah! I've got pink hair! It's well, I like to think it's kinda unique-"
​

. "Cruzy color." Her free hand rose up again, sluggishly trying to knock the hat off his head. Judging from the scruffy mess that was her hair(the parts he could see at least, a lot of it hidden behind a dirty hood she wore), the way she moved and talked, the bottle in her hand and the frankly overwhelming smell, it was obvious that this woman was as completely wasted as one could get.

Aurora was cut off as the hat was slapped off his head. Watching it flop onto the ground, Aurora paused and looked it over.

He'd said nothing for a moment or two.

This woman was a total booze jockey, just another piece of the scum that infested Mistral.

The kind that...

"It's not crazy...it's me..." He grumbled as he reached over to place his hat atop his head. "Miss, I think you need to sit down. Maybe you've had too much to drink."
​

After a couple seconds and another swig of her drink, the woman did her best to lean over to the side without also falling over, eyeing the scene behind him.

"The hell htappened *hic* there?"

"Look out!"

Rising back to his feet, he reached out to place a hand on Vernal's shoulder to try and steady her. Rude as she'd been, he had a feeling it was the vast quantities of alcohol doing the talking. No need to lose his temper on somebody who clearly had a problem. Even if they were probably a total write-off. As he followed her gaze, he frowned.

'I guess last night there was a murder at that motel. It sounds so scary, y'know? The killer just came in, killed the guy at the front desk and then kidnapped somebody. I hope they find him and bring him to justice!"

Oh, how could he have forgotten???

"I'm Aurora, by the way! Aurora Beige!"​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"...You did what you had to do."

The Masque replied.

Eventually.


Hate her?

Hate...Her???

"No!"

The brief flash from her eyes might have been a clue into just how upset this revelation had made her.

"No no NO! You don't understand! I don't hate you!"

She jabbed out to gently punch Yang in the stomach. Barely any force behind it at all.

"I don't like hating anyone....I just wish we could all be happy..."

She made sure her sword was securely strapped to her back and moved to walk past Yang.

"I could never hate you."


She stopped right beside Yang.

"You're important to me too. I love you, Yang."

The Masque hugged her one more time.

"But you can't protect me by yourself. The others at the resistance? They'd never understand. They'd want me locked up, toss away the key." The hug was broken off and the Masque started to take a couple steps down the stairs. "I sat in that cell and contemplated a lot of things. I never want to go back to that. I refuse to go back to it." She continued on.

"I'll see you around, ok?"

​

'They might understand better than you think.'

That's what Yang desperately wanted to say. Sure, apparently this Ruby might've been some terror child growing up, but she was still a kid. The young woman that just hugged Yang clearly wasn't the same. She didn't even understand how she could work with Ozpin and be such a non-hateful, goofball of an existence. last month, or even last week, that would've been exactly what Yang said. She would've trusted that the others in her life would get it; that not every enemy was a heartless monster that needed a good old fashion face rearrangement courtesy of a pair of flaming fists. That even if they'd done something awful, the reasons mattered, that they wanted to be something better than what they were mattered.

But...

"Some people make their own beds, anyways."

"So then, James. You were on the council with this one for a while. Any suggestions on what to do with her? Imprisonment sounds fantastic from where I'm standing.

"Cute. I'mma zap her."

...she was starting to think that she might've been the only one to believe that. She knew for sure that if she could convince this Ruby to just come with her, she could put her on a path towards being a better person, and one of the worst enemies Ozpin ever made. She also knew that any of that trust would be shattered if she got the sort of welcome she expected from the resistance, and that any chance of that path would dry up and be buried under pure resentment. Humans were just like that. It didn't matter if it was for their 'own good', treating someone as the hated enemy just guaranteed that was all they would ever be to you. So instead she just returned the hug as tight as she could, the servos whirring slightly in her arms from the force as she buried her forehead in Ruby's hair.

"...okay. Glad you don't hate me, don't think I could honestly handle it. And Ruby?"

She pushed her back by the shoulders and gave her a warm, judgementless smile.

"I'll be here. If you ever change your mind."

She finally let her go, and watched her walk down the stairs with a that same smile, not letting drop into the mournful frown it wanted to be until she was sure Ruby wasn't circling back. She sniffed and found the need to rub at her eyes with her sleeve once she did, and it took her a few deep breaths to bury that all back down. She still hated this place. She didn't know if there was someone who was 'responsible' for it all, if it was just a coincidence how laser targeted all these changes seemed to be at the people involved in her life.

But if she ever found out there was a genuine culprit, they were in the for the worst ass kicking of their life one Yang got a hold of them.

She sighed and went the opposite way up the stairs, intent on jumping off the roof as a shortcut to the afterlife for those she knew in her heart to be the real villains to let the wind rushing past her face and the shock of landing on her aura wake her back up. She didn't wanna try to negotiate with Ilia halfway to tears.


---------------------------------------------


There was a knock on the hotel room door. If and when Ilia opened it, Yang was leaning in the doorway with a wide, cocky grin as she gave Ilia a finger gun greeting with her free hand.

"Got rid of ya tail."

 

[MyrtenRose]

"S-Sorry...You're right, Miss. I...I should have been paying more attention. I'm so sorry!!"

"Whateveeeeer." She slurred. Despite her earlier admonishment, she...really didn't care all that much.​

"It's not crazy...it's me..." He grumbled as he reached over to place his hat atop his head. "Miss, I think you need to sit down. Maybe you've had too much to drink."

"No, nay...im...shtill wulking and shtuff. Awakes, I mean. if im that, then I can still have mores..." She took another gulp to prove it.​

"Look out!"

Rising back to his feet, he reached out to place a hand on Vernal's shoulder to try and steady her. Rude as she'd been, he had a feeling it was the vast quantities of alcohol doing the talking. No need to lose his temper on somebody who clearly had a problem. Even if they were probably a total write-off. As he followed her gaze, he frowned.

'I guess last night there was a murder at that motel. It sounds so scary, y'know? The killer just came in, killed the guy at the front desk and then kidnapped somebody. I hope they find him and bring him to justice!"

She didn't say thanks but neither was there any angry yelling or pulling out of his grasp or something like that. "Ohhh, that right? murdre in schmistral, that is a firssst." ​

"I'm Aurora, by the way! Aurora Beige!"

"...did I ask..."​

 

[Indolent]

What an absolute abomination of an illusion.

Neo loved it.


Neo took the offered hand.

She couldn't care less about whatever this absolute tool of a soldier thought. She hadn't even bothered introducing herself.

Neo and Emerald would have to be better. They'dd have to do better whenever they caught up with the others.

But none of the Atlas grunts she'd murdered back at Beacon had been half this cocky.

Still, a long drawn out fight just wasn't on the agenda!~


The rifles?

No problem. Even if a couple of shots pinged them the aura would help mend most of the damage if any.

The hooks?

They were definitely a problem and one Neo wasn't in an oppertune position to do much about. Cutting them with Hush's blade may have worked but not before-

*thud*


Neo had been arrested one other time while in this world.

It was after her other suckerpunched her and performed a stylish combo to knock her out.

Then some Atlas goons cuffed her and threw her into a cell.

Truth be told, if Neo had known how things were gonna play out? She may have just worked with Brawnen and killed this other world's Yang right then and there.

But that said, the time in that cell had SUCKED and she'd just comforted Emerald. Made it clear that no matter what this world threw at them, they'd be able to move through it no matter what. They couldn't do that if they were both captured and locked up like they were just a bunch of common thugs caught loitering on the streets. So as Neo and Emerald collapsed to the ground, Neo smiled.

And shattered.

~~~~

Okay, so two things.

This chick-whoever she was-her arsenal was going to be annoying as hell to deal with. Between the robots and that gravity gun? Getting bogged down into a street fight would only drain their aura and be a waste of their time and energy. Which meant staying and putting up and fighting was just out of the question. It'd end up going this bitch's way in the long run and Neo was going to do everything possible to keep the two of them from getting a front row tour on how Atlas treats prisoners. More so if Schnee was still on Team Ozpin...

No, they just couldn't let this happen. During her time with Cinder here in Atlas, Neo had done some snooping around. There had to be somewhere they could lay low for a bit. Give themselves a bit more breathing room and plan on how to catch up with Pintsized!Cinder and friends. Couldn't do that if you had a whole squad of bots and their ringleader pursuing you though. Holding tightly onto Emerald's hand and gripping Hush's blade with the other, Neo continued to run. If they just got far enough, she could use her semblance to disguise the two of them and they'd be golden, at least for a little while. At the present time, Neo'd barely managed to put some distance between them as she looked back over her shoulder past a nearby building as they ran.

"...Hm."

Truthfully, he'd been hoping for something more resembling a spectacle. A true display of incompetence on the Special Operative's part as Paradise and him seemed to take their time getting involved in the midst of things. Mainly due to a mixture of pettiness and not having a good enough idea about what both of the intruders in question were capable of.

The display he'd just seen sealed it.

They were both illusionists of some kind and it seemed the shorter one had a decent way of making herself scarce.

"Doubt they've gotten far. If she could avoid trouble that easily, she'd have done it straight from the moment she'd seen your-rather loud by the by-approach. Wouldn't have needed the other girl to play parlor tricks."

He scanned the area with a quick lookover.

"No...I'd say they're closer than they'd like to be..."

"Too far and it'd have proved a strain on her semblance. Not far enough and she'd be underestimating you. Maybe they still are." He mused.

"Paradise!"

He shouted, one of the few times he'd raised his voice since joining this 'operation.'

"Yes, Magenta!"

"Go see if you can 'cut' our friends off...."

He spared a glance to Helios.

"And you can circle around and cut off their escape..."

Paradise was already racing off, eager to show that the training he'd done with Magenta hadn't been in vain!~

​

There never was the intention for a drawn out conflict with the newcomer they'd run across, especially with the level of firepower and backup she was packing. It was a fool's choice to make otherwise. The whole of it was a risky gambit, debatably stupid, where the sole intention was to ferret out whomever it was stalking the two. Emerald's curiosity was satisfied now, or rather, replaced by the alarming need to make tracks and go the opposite direction of said tracks.

The only issue, the crux of it all really, was that Emerald Sustrai was entirely unfamiliar with the layout of Mantle itself. There were no series of easy boltholes to flitter themselves to absolve themselves of the eyes in the sky, no points of contact she knew personally beyond those they'd arrived with and the resistance. No assets to leverage here whatsoever beyond their cunning and semblances.

On the other hand, it seemed very much that Neo had an inkling, the way she conducted herself after extricating the two of them from what easily was a precarious situation. She was what allowed for the reversal of her hook, an abrupt departure opposite to what had been portrayed, her illusions of glass an ever persistent thorn in whomever they blighted's side. Something of a commanding presence arose from the gesture of Neo's, grabbing Emerald's own hand as she guided her down the various paths away from the temporary scene of the kerfuffle.

Emerald would have said something at risk of giving themselves away so instead she elected to do two things. A brief exercise in forgoing the use of her voice, though not in the same manner as Neo, and to demonstrate her burgeoning trust in the assassin by letting her take the reins for now. It was easier this way, always had she favored working from behind-- better yet from the shadows-- to be ever vigilant and alert for whatever encroached upon the two with a well devised reaction of Thief's Respite or her hallucinations.

She absolutely had no intentions of being clapped in aura-stunting manacles and ensconced within a hole unfit for human habitation. Emerald suspected Neo didn't either.

 

[MyrtenRose]

There was a knock on the hotel room door. If and when Ilia opened it, Yang was leaning in the doorway with a wide, cocky grin as she gave Ilia a finger gun greeting with her free hand.

"Got rid of ya tail."

The door didn't open and it was hard to tell if there was anyone standing on the other side of it, given how dark the room inside was and how silent Ilia's footsteps could be when she wished it. But she was absolutely looking through the peephole with a heavy frown on her face, and it was only after a lengthy silence, so long that Yang very well could have taken it as her being completely ignored or that Ilia wasn't even there anymore, that the chameleon finally spoke up. Her voice was slightly muffled as she talked through the door. "...I thought you weren't going to come back. Why did you come back?" There was sadness and frustration mixed up in there, easily heard even muffled as it was. "It...would have been better for all of us if you...stayed away." She tried to sound confident in that but she couldn't hide the uncertainty.​