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Chapter Text

He ran as fast as he could, his wings hanging close to his body. How badly he wanted to fly, just leap into the night air and fly away. Blood dripped down his arms leaving such a trail behind him.

The sky was dark and cloudy overhead. The moon only peered out from behind a cloud, giving him scattered beams of light to see his way. A sharp wind ruffled his hair, casting his scent ahead of him. Normally that would have been good for him but in this case it didn't matter. The two on his tail could catch him without a scent. His blood was enough to follow him anyway.

He tripped over a root and fought to keep his footing. He couldn't fall now. His only hope was to outrun his chasers. Every second mattered in this hunt. Every second lost was another chance his life was going to end.

Hands scrabbled in the ground he shoved himself upwards and staggered on. His wings, his wings, dammit!

He'd have flown away if he could, they couldn't follow him into the air. But upon first encounter, their only focus had been on his wings. He'd dodged and weaved, striking back even. But eventually the wore away at his strength and a blow severed his wings.

Not completely. His extra limbs still clung to his body but they hung limp and useless. They shredded them until nothing was left but the boney frame and a few patches of skin. He knew that even if he got away he would never fly again.

That broke his heart to no end but he couldn't think about that. It would drag him down and he'd be caught. And if that happened, he'd never fly again anyway.

Blood dripped down his shoulders down across his body. It was his biggest give away. Water. A river. Anything. Just to lose them in the mix of scents. To get rid of the blood. Where could he find a river? Where could he go to? He didn't even know where he was. This was new territory, uncharted land that he had no knowledge of. He just had to pray that something went his way.

What had he even done? All he'd done was come to the city to find his fated. Human civilisation wasn't the easiest to navigate but he hadn't done anything wrong! He gritted his teeth. This was unfair.

He'd shown up in the city, scaring a few observers. But he'd tried to stick to the shadows, away from any humans. His chest still ached from pain and he wasn't sure if it was just his own pain or his fated.

He shook the sweat from his eyes and ploughed on. One day, one day he'd return and find them. He find his fated and make them the happiest person in the world. And he make his pursers lives a living hell.

He kept going, hardly wavering in his course. A straight line was the quickest way after all. His ears strained behind him, hoping to hear silence. But somewhere behind him a pair of feet ran.

A pair. One pair. His senses instantly went on alert. He had two pursuers. They always hunted as a pair, that was their whole thing. Which set his nerves on edge. Where had the other one gone?

He got his answer when a sword pierced his shoulder. Leaping from the trees like a angelic goddess, his hunter speared him from the front. Blood exploded across his face, hot and sticky against his skin. He was thrown back and he screamed.

Her hunter drew back her sword and sliced at him again. His forearm came up and blood hit the forest floor. She was graceful in her movements, each strike calculated and intent. No matter what he did she didn't lose her calm expression.

He was panicking. There was no way he'd be able to fight them off. He needed to run. His wings rattled against his back as he stumbled away, only a cruel reminder of how far away escape was. He tried to make his way away from her but she just kept coming, kept slashing.

His ears were on high alert now. He still had a chance, a tiny sliver of a chance, while she was alone. As skilled as she was, if he could just manage to get ahead of her, he could flee.

He was fast, quite fast actually. Even injured like this he should be able to lose her. How she managed to catch him he didn't know. Humans were as surprising as ever.

The footsteps behind him were getting louder. Approaching at a speed that he didn't even want to think about. He was doomed to a dark faith at their hands.

The demon felt his lip curl, blood boiling beneath his skin. A new anger rose within him. How dare they. How dare they hunt him like prey? He was no animal that needed to be slaughtered! He was a person!

He rose from the ground, snapping his teeth in a snarl. His hands shook but he curved them into class anyway. He'd fight until his last breath. Opening his jaws he let out a roar, the sound echoing into the night.

His attacker didn't even flinch. She just gave him a withering look. Pathetic her eyes seemed to say.

"Finally found some teeth I see," she sniffed, kicking him across the jaw. Her voice was beautiful, even as he staggered back. Melodic and sweet. But ice cold. She gave him an amused smile, one that chilled his blood. Frightening. Deadly. "I think I can sort that."

Her punch knocked a tooth clean from his jaw and he screeched in pain. His eyes watered and the moment he couldn't see he knew he was doomed. Her sword stabbed through his stomach and he knew it was over then. He collapsed to the ground.

His torso felt like it was on fire. A wet dark pain erupted from the wound, sending jagged ripples of spasms up his body. He clutched at the sword, scrabbling at it, trying to remove it. His hands slid on the blood and his struggles got weaker.

No….

"Oh, you got him," a voice came in from behind him. "Didn't leave any for me?"

Her partner had arrived. Too late to anything but watch him die. His attacker gripped the end of her sword and yanked it out, only bringing a fresh wave of pain. He screamed high and curled his body in on himself.

This wasn't okay. He couldn't die now… His fated… They needed him.., they couldn't… he couldn't leave them alone..

"He's still alive," the first attacker said, pacing around him. "You can finish him off if you like."

A pair of footsteps approached him, the very same ones he'd been listening to as he fled. She leaned over him, a mane of blonde hair tumbling towards him. Purple eyes met his. She was pretty, he wasn't going to lie. But she had this grin, a smile like this was fun.

And he hated that.

She cracked her knuckles, wisps of smoke coming from the gauntlets she used as her weapons. Her arms were bulky, well muscled, those of a fighter's. She looked him over once and then stared him in the eye.

"Sorry, fella," she smiled in such a friendly tone. "Hate to do this but you know. A job's a job."

She raised a hand and at that moment her partner came to stand beside her. As bright as she was, her partner was as cold. Dressed in white and red, wielding a sword that was coated in his blood. She gazed down at him too.

She was pretty as well, in a more sharp and angular way. Refined taste he'd call it. Once you got under her skin he'd imagine she was really really sweet. But her eyes gleamed with an amused fire.

Both of them. Killers. Murderers. Used to this. He clenched a fist. This wasn't right. This shouldn't be happening.

The blonde drew back her arm and swung. Tears sparkled in his eyes as her fist came down on his skull. The last thing he saw were his killers, Weiss Schnee and Yang Xiao Long. The greatest Demon-Hunters of all time.

Chapter Text

Yang prowled through the shelves, eying the different wares on show. This was one of the more… controversial shops in the area. A shop for the buying and selling of demon body parts. Whether it was for decoration or for some ritualic ceremony or even for medicine, this shop would have it for you.

Yang and Weiss were regular business partners for them. The prices were fair and they were always guaranteed to get a buy. Which was good as it wasn't easy to find a place to sell parts.

Large wings hung on the walls, encased in glass and looking majestically fine. The stubs of the wings were sanded down so they were round and clean. Very, very different from the reality. She could totally understand why people would want them on their walls. Nothing said edgy like a pair of demon wings.

Horns and the skulls of demons sat in glass cases, the flesh usually removed. Strangely for some reason the rich that bought them didn't like looking at the murdered creatures that looked a lot like them. What a shocker.

Rarer pieces like spikes or poisonous stingers were held in the back. Most demons were the generic winged and horned beasts you'd expect. But a few had spikes rolling down their spines or poisonous stingers curving from their backs.

They were few and far between but always delightful to take down.

She browsed down the aisle, eyes picking out some pieces that she herself had brought in. They were selling for a bit more than she'd gotten for them but she didn't really mind. They weren't scraping for money.

"A thousand? You've got to be kidding me." Weiss' voice reached her from the front of the shop. "These are high quality wings. Fresh even. Eight at least."

Yang spun on her heel and strode back towards her partner. The shop was empty at this time in the day, most customers arriving at night to buy objects that were… less desired by the general public. Which meant it was a good time for business discussions.

Weiss had the long case open on the counter, lifting one wing with her hand, showing it to him. The frame was strong and sturdy but the leathery wing was torn and ragged. Yang could see the shopkeeper frowning at it.

"Hmph. It may not look like much but not everyone wants the perfect and intact wings," Weiss said. "Look. The ragged edges make it look classy and artistic. Good wall decoration for the aristocrat that come here."

The shopkeeper was debating, taking the wing from Weiss himself. He turned it over before looking back up. He raised six fingers.

"Six and half," Weiss countered and the keeper nodded. A good sale if anything.

Yang waited outside for him, sunglasses shielding her eyes from afternoon sun. The bell above the door tinkled as Weiss came out, tucking something into her purse. Their profit no doubt.

Her partner looked up to see her, a brief smile appearing. "We've got another job."

Yang couldn't stop her eyebrows from flicking up in surprise. It had been a while since they'd had a hiring. Even as famous as they were in the demon hunting circles, jobs were far and few between. Personal grudges against demons were rare.

"Who after, Snowflake?" Yang asked as they started to walk towards Yang's bike.

"I'll tell you the details later," her partner shrugged. "But these rogues seem pretty dangerous. The media is scrambling ovee them. They've even been given a nickname by the press."

"Which is?"

A pause. "Ladybug."

Yang kicked her feet up on the table, feeling pretty good with herself. The job had gone down easily. Just a simple chase out into the woods before putting the poor creature out of its misery. What a rush.

Sometimes she wondered if she really was the brutal one of the pair. Weiss' blows had been devastating and surely painful. She wasn't sure if Weiss would have killed him or just let him bleed out. With her she didn't know.

Weiss sat across from her, flicking at something on her scroll. Her sword, Myrtenaster, sat on the table in front of her; recently cleaned of the demon's blood.

Yang crossed her arms behind her head. "How much did we make, Snowflake?" she asked somewhat teasingly.

All Weiss did was give her a look then glanced back down. "For his head? They gave us ten grand because the horns were long and fine. His wings got us six and half. They were pretty damaged."

"Nice! We scored well."

Weiss only nodded.

The selling and buying of demon body parts was a huge and profitable business for hunters. The amounts people would pay was astonishing. Collecting demon parts was a hobby nowadays. Yang herself had a collection of demon claws, strung in a rather flashy necklace that she may one day wear.

Neither of them were scraping for money at this point. Weiss certainly wasn't with her family, the Schnees were some of the richest out there. But she didn't like to talk about them so Yang assumed she had some falling out. She didn't pry into what her partner didn't want to speak about.

Still. It always interested her that a Schnee, someone with their life laid out for them, would leave and become a hunter. Hunting was in no way easy. Death and injury was always around the corner, just waiting to pounce when you were least expecting it.

They were both incredibly lucky that they'd met someone as skilled as each of them. And for other more personal reasons too.

Yang stood up and walked around behind the hunter. Weiss sighed as Yang wrapped her arms around her neck. But she didn't complain. For a few seconds Weiss just kept scrolling. But then she shook her head. "If you have to do that at least let me sit on your lap."

So Yang did. A few seconds Weiss curled up in her lap with a face like she didn't even care. But Yang had come attune to the way Weiss' body moved. She leaned into her, soaking up her warmth. Her feet locked around her knees.

That wasn't enough affection. Having been on the receiving end of Weiss' affection for a while now, Yang knew that Weiss was holding out on her. And Yang was feeling rather needy at the moment.

Yang kissed her neck gently. When this got no response she did it again. And again. Her partner was a master at poker faces and could appear unbothered at anything. She was doing that now.

One time she'd even been eaten by a giant nevermore when their hunt brought them further than they thought it would. When Yang cut her out she looked like she was stepping out of the shower. Wet but unbothered. Maybe slightly pissed, you could never really tell with her.

Weiss just kept typing.

Yang frowned. Her arms were around her waist so she wondered if she could put them to use. Slowly, tracing their way down, her hands came down to rest on her thighs. Her fingertips drew patterns on the creamy white skin, edging closer and closer to her hips.

Now that got a reaction out of Weiss. The pale girl flushed gently and a free hand came down to brush hers. It was almost encouraging. Yang continued kissing her neck while tracing her way up her thighs.

"Hey, cut it out," Weiss moaned, slapping her hands away. "I said we got another job, this time from those Torchwick guys."

Yang was reluctant but she settled back to just holding her waist. She stroked small circles with her thumbs, just below her ribs. "Torchwick? You mean that fancy redhead with the stick? I thought he was more anti-faunus than anti-demon. What the hell does he want?"

"Nothing. He was killed yesterday." Weiss twisted around to straddle her. Weiss leaned her head on her shoulder, arm out behind her. But one hand trailed behind, caressing her collarbone before moving lower to touch other parts. Yang inhaled deeply.

"Apparently two people, a demon and faunus, broke into his estate and consumed his soul. This is supposedly because of what happened with the Belladonna family," Weiss read.

Now Yang had heard about this. Two or three days ago, Roman Torchwick called the military on Ghira and Kali Belladonna. The official reasons for the slaughter of their estate said fraud and abuse. That they resisted capture and they were forced to kill them.

But everyone knew it was just another 'faunus-cleansing' Torchwick act. No one would admit it but they all knew.

The Torchwicks were some of the morally grey in society. But with their wealth and influence, they had the support they needed to just do whatever they wanted. Which was awful and usually brought suffering and death. Really it was only time before something happened.

"The two culprits have no clear face ID but we have descriptions. Going from what is said, one would most likely be the daughter of the Belladonnas, a faunus, likely looking for revenge."

"Fair enough…" Yang mused. Those Torchwick lads were bastards anyway. He got what was coming for him.

"The other is unidentifiable but clearly a demon. The public have nicknamed the twosome 'Ladybug' because of their 'black n' red' colour schemes. Torchwick's family want us to find and kill them. Deliver their heads to them."

"How much are they paying? You know I'm a faunus sympathist. I'm inclined to cheer her on."

"A huge sum. Close to a million."

Yang's eyes almost popped out of her head. No way. A million? As in one million? That was an insane amount of money! Just for these two kids? Were they mad? These two were a big deal.

As much as she'd hate to have to kill them, a job was a job, especially with pay like this.

"So?" Weiss frowned. "You think we should?"

"Heck yeah!" Yang grinned. "This will be the most exciting hunt we've had in years! These two are going to be legends, let me tell you!"

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Do you ever think of anything but the hunt?"

Yang smirked and grabbed Weiss by the collar of her shirt. She pulled her closer, stroking a hand along in the inner skin of her thigh. A sharp inhale. "Oh, yes. And she's sitting right in front of me."

Weiss' eyes gleamed. Two seconds later Yang found herself flung onto the double bed they shared. Weiss was prowling up her body, a fierce hunger in her eyes. Her legs came up on either side of her hips whole Weiss lay over her. Yang could feel herself getting hotter under her gaze.

"What about the hunt?" Yang said breathlessly.

Weiss leaned back to strip out of her shirt. Yang's eyes roamed her pale skin, drinking in all its fine glory. Weiss shook out her hair.

"That can wait until morning," Weiss purred. "Because I've got something higher on my to-do list." Weiss kissed her gently.

Yang's hands came up to touch her face but Weiss snatched both wrists and slammed them down above her head. She pinned them there, letting Yang squirm helplessly beneath her as they kissed.

This was one of the reasons Yang loved Weiss. Seeming cold and unbothered on the outside but when they got inside she was a monster in bed. Sweet and kind at other time but always a beast in the sheets.

Weiss broke away to remove her bra. The lights were dim but Yang took her all in. Beauty. Ice cold beauty. And she was giving it to her.

Weiss grinned. "And that's you."

And then they dove into a rough tangle of limbs and kissing and acts that made Yang certain that she wouldn't be able to walk in the morning.

Chapter Text

Yang let out a yawn, stretching her legs from side to side. God she ached. Last night had been… passionate to say the least. Sheets ruffled, entangled in the dark, lips all over each other. Weiss was as dominant as ever and while Yang loved it with her whole body, it did make her quite sore the morning after.

She was quite thankful they weren't starting the actual hunt until tomorrow because physical fighting was not something she was up for. Instead today they had headed to the Torchwick mansion to learn more about what exactly they were up against.

Weiss was standing next to her, tapping a hand impatiently against her arm. Her partner was itching to get looking at the damage and being told to wait in the hall was setting her off. She looked up, feeling her gaze and arched an eyebrow.

"Someone seems stiff," she commented, a sly grin appearing. "Care for a massage later?"

Yang rubbed her neck with a moan. "Don't rub it in, I'll be fine." She paused. "Or maybe I'll say yes to having your hands all over my body again." Weiss just smirked slightly.

The door ahead of them opened and Yang looked ahead to see the new head of the house walk out. She was small, even smaller than Weiss, with pink and brown hair. Her eyes matched this colour combo and she walked with a skip in her step. She was holding a cane Yang noticed.

"This is Lady Neo," the guard at her side said, dipping his head respectfully. "Lady, this is Yang Xiao Long and Weiss Schnee, aka Freezerburn. The hunters hired to avenge Sir Roman."

Yang and Weiss both bowed slightly, though Yang keep her eyes on he. So this was the woman who'd hired them. Yang wasn't going to lie, she was quite interested in Neo.

Though it was rumoured that she and Roman had been intimate lovers, the official term on their relationship was partners. Not unlike how she and Weiss acted but the Torchwick's partnership was more business. There was some criticism that Roman had given her his estate in his will rather than perhaps a brother or other family member.

"Lady, hmm?" Yang commented out loud m. "Interesting."

"While the Torchwicks have no legal titles, out of respect we address each member of the estate as Lady or Sir," the guard said stiffly. "It's tradition."

Neo nodded and made some quick hand signs. Yang realised she was using sign language to talk to her guard. Yang herself unfortunately didn't know sign language. The guard nodded.

"Lady Neo would like to tell you that I will act as her voice for your time here," the guard said. "And that you are very welcome here."

"Thank you," Weiss nodded. "We are very sorry for your loss and grateful for the job." She tapped her sword. "Now, we're here to gather some information on the culprits from what happened here."

"Of course. I'd be happy to help, " Neo signed.

Weiss gave a curt nod. "I'd like to take a look at Sir Roman's body. Yang? Maybe you could look at the camera footage?"

Yang nodded in agreement. Already they'd spotted out about eight different camera monitoring the hallway they stood in. While Weiss would see up close what had happened to Roman, Yang would watch the whole fight commence. To study their targets in detail.

"Very well. Yang if you'd follow me, Weiss I'll have someone sent for you in a few minutes."

Yang nodded, scanning the small woman. She was slight, seeming unthreathening but there was this shine in her eyes that make her uneasy. There was a hidden strength beneath that small surface. Neo just turned on her heel and started to walk.

Yang exchanged a glance with her partner and padded after the lady of the house.

The camera room was at the back of the house, the door hidden by a large painting. While the security was inherently extra, with the things that the Torchwicks were involved in, Yang wasn't at all surprised they went to such an effort.

It only made her wonder what else they were hiding.

Neo sat down on the main chair after they entered and started to typing. The security on the computers was immense and detailed. At first Yang tried to follow what she was doing but the sheer speed at which she was typing made her have to stop.

"I'm assuming you want to see the time of attack?" The guard speaking for Neo made her jump instinctively. He was so silent, truly like the woman's shadow.

Yang leaned over beside Neo, frowning at the multiple screens in front of her. "Which outside cameras captured their descent past the walls? Angles to their landing points? Play all footage at once."

Neo arched an eyebrow but obliged to answer. And Yang watched intensely.

Yang didn't know how long she'd spent in the dark camera room but after what seemed like ages, they finally emerged, finished with their task. The light of the hallway was harsh against her eyes and looking out the window she saw that it was no longer morning.

She was satisfied she could recognise the demon and the daughter on sight. Also studying their fighting patterns and movement speeds, she reckoned she could guess their moves to a point. They worked as a team but everything was more instinct than familiarity. These were new fated, inexperienced.

She learned a lot from it. It was quite rare they had such clear footage of their targets. For such a great hunt, they were very lucky.

"Did you get what you were looking for? "

Surprisingly, the head of the house has stayed with her the whole time, careful guiding her through the sequence even though she still flinched at the last part. At the end, Yang always stopped just for her sake. Besides, Weiss would have enough information anyway.

Yang looked down at Neo. "That and plenty. It was certainly useful, thank you. You've done a lot for me."

Neo cocked her head to the side and signed another thing. But the guard made a stuttering noise, awkwardly clearing his throat. "Miss, I can't say that."

Neo rolled her eyes but seemed to change the course of her sentence. Her hand moved again. "Of course. I'll have you escorted to where your partner should be. Good luck with your hunt."

Yang bowed low and together with Neo's guard they left for Weiss. Her partner was on the other side of the house and they weaved their way through corridors. On the way, she couldn't help seeing the damage the Ladybug duo had done.

Cracks ran down the walls like spiderwebs and painting or furniture were shredded. Dark stains were left on the walls despite the obvious attempts to remove them. Even some of the maids were still scrubbing. The stains were going to be tough to remove and she grimaced in sympathy. For both the stainers and the cleaners.

The guard left Yang outside a room and indicated with a hand for her to go inside. So she entered the room to see Weiss kneeling down, her back facing her. She crossed the room, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. "Hey, how you doing, Snowflake?"

Weiss looked up, a smile on her face. "Quite well actually. Just look at this."

And Yang looked down to see the dead body of Roman Torchwick.

She let out a low whistle, crouching down next to her. "Damn… it's been a while since we've seen a consuming," she murmured.

Roman had always been a reasonably pale man but his skin had been drained off all colour. His jaw was locked open in a state of screaming and his eyes were wide and glassy. They stared upwards, unseeing but undeniably filled with terror.

Weiss was looking at the chest of the man. And there, like always, just at the base of his throat where the tip of his sternum began was coated in blood. Not a lot but enough. A tiny hold as an access point for the demon.

"Whoever this was, they are incredibly dangerous," Weiss mused. "Look at the size of that wound. Tiny… To be able to absorb the soul so accurately... such strength shouldn't be underestimated."

Yang didn't know that much about demonology but Weiss definitely did. Her partner was the kind that studied things intensely so she always came out on top. Yang, well... wasn't anything like that. She preferred finding loopholes and having dinner. Beside Weiss knew enough for the both of them.

"So what have you discovered?"

"The guards… were pretty roughed up. I've been watching the videos of them fighting and have learned a lot on how they fight. The demon fought with a scythe but didn't land with one, which is the most important part. Which means our prey is not only a souleater but a summoner."

Summoners were demons (or even the extremely rare human) capable of summoning objects from far places. Such objects varied from personal treasures to random pieces of food. Or in this case a weapon. Typically they'd need some personal connection with the object but still. It made her all the more powerful.

Yang nodded intently. "And skilled with that scythe says the mess they left. Though the daughter isn't one to be messed with either." She yawned. "Dammit. This is going to be tough." She grinned. "But exciting!"

Weiss rolled her eyes. "You're so focused on the hunt you might explode." Her partner smiled. "But come on. We ought to start it." Weiss stood you, brushing out her skirt. "Get that bike of yours ready, we're going hunting in the morning."

Chapter Text

Yang could feel Weiss' arms around her as they drove out of town. The wind whistled past them, her motorbike helmet protecting her from its chill. The road was pretty quiet, only a few odd cars drifting by. The sun was out and shining, though it wasn't warm.

They were heading out to the woods that surrounded the Torchwick estate. After reports that the culprits had fled into them, they both reasoned that there would be the easiest place to catch a trail.

From the reports of their friend Pyrrha in the police force, Blake Belladonna had never been back to her family home. And since the demon didn't have any human property this meant that the duo had to be hiding out somewhere in nature.

How far from estate they fled, Yang wasn't sure. Airborne demons were a lot harder to track than those without wings but the surrounding trees with high arching branches gave them a little bit of hope. Scents captured on the leaves from the brush of a wing or low flyer would lead them to their prey.

Yang pulled up at the side of the road, barely down the way from the entrance to the Torchwick estate. The place was even quieter than it had been yesterday, hardly a person in sight.

Usually the place, being a centre of business for certain people, hummed with life and car passing through almost every hour. But now the skeleton force manned the walls and no people entered through the gates.

It was gloomy and dull, a stage of mourning for the estate.

Yang slipped off the bike and removed her helmet. The air was light, breezy to the point of chilly. Which would be useful for scent tracking if they managed to find a trail. Keyword was if.

Weiss jumped off behind her, exhaling gently. Her partner smoothed out her skirts and glanced upwards, scanning the sky around them. There weren't much clouds and the sun gleamed down at them. It was truly a fine day to go hunting.

Yang pulled her gauntlets from the saddlebags, sliding her hands into her favourite weapons. They'd been modelled just for her and fit skin tight but comfortably. She clenched a fist and grinned.

"You ready to move, Snowflake?"

Weiss clipped her sword to her belt. Weiss was a fencing master. She once fought in the national championships and come out having won it but completely bored. Yang had never met anyone that seemed close to her skill. Besides fencing, Weiss was also physically adept with a few martial arts under her belt.

Yang herself was highly trained in several martial arts, ranging from uses in street fighting to fighting a dozen armed opponents at a time. So she wasn't a slack herself. She could keep up with Weiss no bother.

Weiss slid her 'glyph glove' on. An unofficial Schnee product that allowed her to create these glyphs to aid her in battle. Her partner nodded. "Let's move."

The two entered the forest, a silence settling over them. They were looking for tracks, a trail, something that would give them a clue where they'd find their prey.

But if the demon had wings, trails on land would be few and far between. Still they searched.

The woods were quiet around here, only a few animals or birds hopping around. Which was quite useful for them because they could listen for any unnatural noises. After a few minutes the two split off, heading for different areas. While Weiss stayed on the ground, Yang started to climb the trees. Up and up, she climbed until she could no more.

From here she could see the extent of the whole forest and how far it stretched from end to end. The distant mountains marked the end and the many miles between could be hiding them anywhere.

She exhaled. This was going to be a long day.

She jumped from tree to tree, circling around the edge of the mansion. Something. She took a deep breath. Years of hunting had trained her nose to recognise scents that were out of the ordinary. Once found, the upgrades to her weapon would let her track it to their prey. But no matter where she ran, all she got was the damp scent of leaves and nature.

An hour passed and then a second before Yang's eyes spotted something. She almost missed it as she turned to jump into another tree.

Heading north towards the mountain was a dark shape. A winged creature. From this distance she could make out any details except that they were flying and at a high speed as well. She frowned. Were those… rose petals falling behind them? Red against the dark colour of the wings, falling like a light rain down into the woods.

There they were. Ladybug. Black and red.

Yang curled her hand into a fist. What were the odds. To set off on a hunt only to have them fall straight into your lap? These two, despite their apparent talent at fighting, were not good at hiding.

"Weiss! Weiss!"

It took a few seconds but her partner joined her on her branch. She opened her mouth to ask what was the matter but then saw where her eyes were angled. Weiss closed her mouth.

"It's them…." she breathed. "Ladybug…."

Already the excited gleam Weiss got in her eyes was burning. Yang could understand. The thrill, the burn, the tsunami of emotion you got from the chase, it was life changing.

Yang flexed her arm, feeling her blood starting to thrum. "Up and at 'em," she grinned.

Weiss drew her sword and leapt up so her feet were balanced on Yang's forearm. Yang planted her foot down, lowering her arm to get ready to throw.

This was their technique for catching the ones that run. Demons were naturally faster and trying to reach them on foot was near impossible. So Yang, using the power focused in her gauntlets, would hurl Weiss ahead to intercept them while she ran to catch up.

It worked every time they used it.

"Be careful, Snowflake?" Yang warned.

Weiss gave her a smile. "Naturally."

And Yang flung her into the air, a high arching throw. She should have started running there but she paused, waiting to see what would happen.

Her aim was nearly perfect as always, Weiss heading straight for them. Midair her partner spun, a glyph shimmering at her feet. Weiss leapt and slashed. The demon's screech was audible from where Yang stood and she knew she had to move. Weiss and the demon fell from the sky into the forest and Yang started to run.

Suddenly there was a hot pain right across her shoulder and Ruby screamed. Blake was screaming something too but she couldn't hear it. Feet thudded against her lower back before pushing off again. Ruby plummeted through the tree, wings curling around Blake in an attempt to protect. Down and down, crack after crack. Branches snapped against her body like whips. Until they hit the ground.

Ruby hit the ground in a roll, her shoulder screeching with pain from the impact. They rolled until they hit a tree and Ruby let out a shuddering gasp. Blake had wriggled out of her grasp and was hovering over her, hands touching her face frantically. Her mouth was moving but she could barely hear it. Fuck. Fuck.

A person landed gracefully behind her.

Blake spun around productively, ears flattening against her head. Ruby's chest rose and fell and she crawled onto her front. Her wings rustled on her back, pain flaring up from that tiny movement. Whoever had struck her had struck in her a way that would make it utter hell to fly before healing. They has grounded her.

"Ladybug, I assume," the girl said, her sword pointing towards the ground. She had long white hair and wore all white, save the slight red around her collar.

Her long thin sword dripped with Ruby's blood.

"Must say," the girl drawled, taking a step forward. This earned her a hiss from Blake. "You both are quite disappointing. Killers of Roman Torchwick? I expected better."

"Weiss Schnee," Blake snarled, raising her weapon.

The girl didn't even react. "Yes. And you are Blake Belladonna. Care to introduce me to your friend? She has such pretty wings."

Ruby stood, placing a hand on Blake's shoulder. She could stand, she could fight. She just couldn't fly properly. She ran her tongue across her teeth, showing off the sharp ends. "Ruby Rose. Her fated."

Weiss took another step forward. "Oh yes, that would make sense. You demons and your fates. Wow. I'm almost impressed."

Ruby reached out a hand and summoned Crescent Rose. With her weapon in her hand she felt safer. Stronger. Weiss raised an eyebrow, giving her an approving nod.

"You good with that? Let's find out!"

Suddenly Weiss was coming at them, her sword slashing in an x. Ruby grabbed Blake and jumped out of the way, only managing to parry the next strike. A foot looped behind her and a slash cut her thigh. Ruby spun away.

By Oum, that girl was fast, another strike slashing before she'd even landed. But Ruby's whole thing was speed. She gritted her teeth.

Ruby lunged in, scythe arching through the air in a rapid spin. Weiss blocked and jumped back, feet landing on the tree behind her. She powered off towards her and Ruby side stepped.

Weiss was back again, lunging in towards her chest. Ruby parried and fired off a round at her. She missed of course, the white haired girl spinning.

Suddenly something black shot by Weiss and the girl hissed. Blake followed her weapon. She kicked Weiss across the face and spun around again. Weiss had already scrambled away, putting distance between the two. She was bleeding from a gash on her shoulder. But she smiled coldly at them.

Ruby was debating trying to fly away at this point. It would hurt like hell but if she used her power to its full potential, they could run. Weiss was human. No matter what she tried she'd never be able to catch them.

Ruby spun Crescent Rose and Blake joined her side. They exchanged glances.

"Hey, did I miss much?" a cheery voice broke through the woods behind Weiss.

A tall, blonde woman appeared behind them, cracking her knuckles. Purple eyes gleamed at them with frightening amusement.

"Babe, you're bleeding," she frowned.

Weiss shrugged her off. "It's nothing." Her icy gaze focused on the two of them.

"Yang. Yang Xiao Long," Blake hissed. "The final part of Freezerburn."

So these two were the famed Freezerburn. Maybe she could see why they were legendary. They had only slain Torchwick yesterday and here they were, ready to bring them in for justice. Mad. It was mad.

Yang exhaled, her hands smoking. Those were her weapons Ruby realised. Her fists, enhanced and ready. She could only imagine how much it would hurt for her to get a hit from them.

"Time to get cracking."

Yang and Weiss both lunged at the same time. Ruby barely had to time to dodge Yang's first punch before another caught her at the side. The pure force of it sent her sprawling into a tree.

Blake let out a screech as Weiss darted for her. Ruby felt a slight throb in her chest, Blake's pain. Shit.

Ruby's vision was suddenly blocked by mane of hair and then fiery fists. Ruby was kept on her toes to keep Yang off her. The fight was vicious but very few injuries were actually caused.

Ruby swung and slashed, going to the next of her ability to take her down. But Yang matched her blow for blow, block for block. She seemed to predict her movements, shifting her attacks right in her oath each time. Ruby had barely any time to block, nevermind much counters.

But for some reason every time she hit Yang, the girl came back faster and stronger. Of course they traded the few scratches and broken skin but nothing major was done.

But the first blow, the one across Ruby's shoulder, was starting to ache and ache. If they were going to escape they'd need to do it soon. Blood was dripping down her shoulder, leaving a trail where she jumped.

"Must say," Yang panted, barely dodging Crescent Rose for the sixth time. "You're pretty good. Maybe inhumanly good."

Ruby's attention was elsewhere. Yang and Weiss had somehow managed to place themselves between her and Blake. This wasn't good. They couldn't stay here with them. They were too strong and quick.

Ruby leapt backwards, firing at Yang. The blonde paused in her advance, deflecting the bullets away. Blake. She needed to get to Blake. Her fated's eyes darted towards her and for the second they connected, a message passed between them.

Blake nodded. Ruby twisted her body and spread her wings. Pain flared across her body but she jumped away. Feet pressed against the tree and powered over Yang's head.

Weiss turned towards her, blue eyes narrowed and sword ready but Blake kicked her arm out of the way. Ruby landed next to her, Crescent Rose vanishing.

"Don't you dare!" Weiss snarled.

Blake grabbed hold of Ruby's arms, chest rising and falling. "Go."

Ruby leapt into the air, the strain on her wings only increasing. Up they went over the trees until they were hovering in open air.

To fly Ruby was going to need to use her semblance. She rarely used it at all because of the strain it put on her body. But if she didn't do it right now they'd both die. She exhaled, feeling it deep in her chest.

"Yang!" Weiss screeched.

Her partner was at her side in a flash. Ruby could feel her power growing in the pit of her stomach. Only a few seconds. Just a few more. Blake clung tighter to her. Ruby felt her power reach its strength and she spun in the air, aiming for the mountains. And she tore towards the mountains at record speed.

But the very second before she took off she felt a hand close around each of her ankles.

Ruby's strength started to vanish as she crested the mountain, speed decreasing dramatically. Blake's hands ran up to her face.

"Ruby, Ruby, slow down," her fated begged. "You're losing too much blood. Ruby! Ruby please!"

But she couldn't slow down. Those two, Freezerburn, were clinging to her. Even now they'd hadn't let go. If she slowed down they'd only be able to attack. She couldn't give them that chance.

She flew over the mountain and over the forest behind it. These trees were different, taller, more pines. How far could she go? Her legs were kicking, trying to shake Freezerburn from her legs. But their grips were like iron, not letting go.

But then the pain in her wing seized up and Ruby let out a scream. It was too much for her, trying to carry four people while injured. She just didn't have the strength.

And so she felt from the sky, vision darkening. She could briefly hear Blake screaming her name and then Freezerburn yelling some unholy words.

"Ruby! Ruby! Ruby!"

Ruby blacked out just before they all hit the ground.

Chapter Text

Yang felt the wind whistling through her ears and suddenly they were falling. She shut her eyes the moment the demon had started flying. And she was thankful too. For the pure speed that she flew at almost dislodged Yang. One hand wasn't nearly enough to cling to the demon with but with an iron grip she made it. She was still holding on.

And she then they hit the ground. Yang rolled to the side, trying to take the brute of the fall off her legs. Everything blurred into one from the exertion and she gasped for air. Her chest rose and fell. If she let go anytime during the flight, she would have been a goner.

"Ruby! Ruby!"

It was the faunus girl, she briefly recognised. Right. They were doing that. Yang rubbed her eyes and pushed herself up. Her lungs were battered, the force of air pushing everything from their movement. Weiss lay beside her on her back, her knuckles white from the strength of holding onto her sword and the demon. She released her hands slowly.

Blake was on the other side of the clearing, kneeling over the demon girl Ruby. The demon appeared not to be moving. But still alive from the rapid rise and fall of her chest.

Yang exhaled and clambered to her feet. Her legs shook but she only swayed gently. Weiss opened her eyes and gave her a relieved look. The heiress slowly sat up, looking strangely pale. Even pale for Weiss.

Yang offered her a hand and pulled her to her feet. Weiss stumbled into Yang, managing to right herself before they both fell. Yang blinked, feeling trembling hands work their way into her shirt. She could feel herself recovering with each passing second. She reckoned it was more the shock of the flight than actually feeling hurt or anything. As she thought about it, it was wearing off.

But damn, Ruby could fly. And fast too.

Blake's eyes darted towards them once before she went back to the demon. Yang saw the wings flutter once before the demon cried out. Awake then.

Wherever Weiss had cut her, she'd done so excellently. The wings didn't appear in any way damaged but Ruby was incapacitated. Luckily there'd be no more flying away. If anything Yang was quite thankful for that.

Though she didn't have any clue where they landed and how far away from the forest they were. They were still in a forest but the trees looked different. Larger and more spaced apart. Branches angling downwards. She prayed they weren't too far away.

Yang took a step forward, tottering but staying standing. Her footsteps seemed to echo, louder than intentional.

Blake whipped around to glare at her, lips peeling back in a hiss. "Get back!" she snarled, crouching protectively over the demon. "I'll shred you if you lay a hand on her!"

Yang's heart felt a clench of pity. Here was a young faunus, desperate to protect her injured fated. Against two seasoned demon hunters.

Yang didn't know the exact reason behind the fated and their partner but she'd heard so many tales of their lives. Tales that spoke of the bond between the demon and human. Or faunus in this case. That bond, once accepted, was the strongest force on the planet.

Two beings, bound to love and be with each other, broken apart? Feats of inhuman strength had been displayed from the strongest.

Losing a fated was worse that losing anything else. If the whole world must burn so a fated could stay with their partner, then burn it would. The sacrifice they'd be willing to go through… amazing.

Yang looked at Weiss who clung to her arm. Sometimes.. She wondered about their relationship. If there was really love in at all. They'd been together for years. But even then… sometimes she didn't know. Weiss didn't express her feeling very well

Ruby was sitting up, dark hair looking stark against the pale of her skin. She was losing blood and quickly.

"Blake.." she murmured, barely audible.

Blake let out a snarl, levelling her sword at them. Weiss stepped away from Yang, spinning the barrel of Mystrander. Getting ready to resume the fight. Yang cracked her knuckles and started walking forward.

"Sorry 'bout this but you know… it's work-"

Everything seemed to slow and Yang felt the world shift around her. Behind her Weiss screamed, screamed her name. Yang's head whipped back to see Weiss leaping through the air, not at the demons but at… at her?

Yang turned back to see Blake firing off bullets… not at them but...around them…

Her head turned to look. From shadows gleamed eyes and claws, rippling muscles and deadly strength. Yang looked up just to see the first Beowolf descend on her.

Then time sped up and she was sent flying across the ground. For the second time that day she collapsed to the ground, air shoved from her lungs. She'd only just been able to raise a hand to prevent the strike from being fatal. But the claws scored deep wounds down her arm, cutting deep enough to definitely leave a scar.

Howls erupted from all around them and then rapid footsteps. Running, coming, ready to kill.

They'd fallen straight into the heart of Beowolf territory. Yang's ears picked up an endless number of them, rushing towards their new prey. And just like that the rules were reversed and the hunters became hunted.

Yang staggered to her feet. Weiss. Weiss. She shook her head, shaking the blood from her arm. It just kept falling. But she started to run, to run towards her partner.

The Grimm were coming from every direction and she was forced to fight them off. These were bigger than any Grimm she was used to. Enhanced, enlarged. Going to be endangered. Yang let out a screech as she leapt, fists crashing into the skulls of the nearest Beowolves. She slammed them into the ground. They were quickly replaced by another four.

The wave seemed endless, coming as quickly as they were taken down. The other were struggling as well.

Weiss was the furthest away and dueling with about a dozen. Her partner was looking stressed, spinning away from them. But they kept coming after her. Fire rippled down her sword but it didn't seem to be helping. Her usually cold expression was replaced by one of stress.

Blake was leaping all over the place, trying to get back to where Ruby lay. Somehow she'd be separated from her fated and was fighting her hardest not the die. Graceful as she was, even she couldn't dodge them all.

Ruby, while injured, was snarling and her scythe was back in her hand. Most of the Beowolves were skirting around her as if recognising the supernatural being as dangerous. But a couple were advancing, cautiously but moving forward. Checking.

Yang snapped back to her own fight and kicked the one into the tree behind her. Teeth snapped, claws slashed. There was so many, too many. She'd needed to get to Weiss. They worked better together.

A huge white Beowolf let out a howl, the sound echoing through the woods. Yang whipped around, spotting it from its position on a rock outcropping. That one seemed to be the leader. She didn't know much about fighting pack-Grimm but surely there was something about taking out the alpha?

Yang punched a wolf and ducked under another. Already she was weaving her way through. Wolves attacked from every angle and Yang dodged and whirled away. Her movements were slow but eventually she made it across.

The huge wolf prowled down, eyes glowing. The closer she got the bigger she realised the wolf really was. At least twice the size of a normal Beowolf with teeth three times as long.

Yang fought her way slowly towards it, earning herself several scratches and bites on her way. Blood was dripping down her legs and arms, staining her clothes and the ground. Pain burned through them and the constant fighting just made it all that worse.

The white Beowolf turned towards her almost expectantly. The wolf prowled towards her, the other Beowolves giving them a wide berth in which to fight.

Yang took a deep breath. Right. She started to run before picking up speed. By the time she reached it she was running at a full sprint. The wolf lunged to meet her and Yang slid beneath it. And gave a savage uppercut to its belly. The Beowolf screeched in pain.

Yang kicked it up again and jumped, raising both arms. The wolf was watching her and she slammed her fists straight into its head. The wolf collapsed to the ground, dead.

The rest of the wolves were circling, slowly coming in closer. Yang kicked the dead wolf but they didn't seem to care. Killing the alpha did nothing. Nothing. They kept, kept wanting the kill. And Yang didn't know how long they'd be able to keep this up.

Weiss cried out from across the way and Yang's heart leapt in her chest. No, no, no! A crowd of wolves lay between her and her partner and she started to panic.

"Weiss!" she cried. She was moving but far too slowly. Her partner was on the ground, sword slashing but that wasn't going to keep them all at bay.

Like sharks or piranhas they descended into her, attacking her from all the angles she couldn't cover. Weiss screeched in pain.

Yang shoved and pushed, her fighting getting even bloodier and bloodier. She was getting desperate but the incoming waves were too strong. They were too far apart. She tried jumping, tried everything to make her way across but there was just too many.

"Weiss! Weiss, no!"

And then a miracle like something she hadn't expected soared over her head.

Blake swung across the clearing, clearly bleeding from several gashes down her body but she kept moving. The faunus let out a battle cry before landing feet first. The first Beowolf didn't even see her coming.

Like a whirlwind the faunus spun, slashing this way and that way and taking hits in return. But she kept fighting, kept pushing the wolves away. Her eyes gleamed with a wild fire and the wolves died.

Yang let out a roar and punched. How the hell were there so many Beowolves? They didn't have any near their hometown. Why? Yang felt her fear grow. She wasn't angry as usual in fights. No she was terrified. Terrified of losing the one person that made her life so much better.

Blake emerged from the swarm, holding Weiss in her arms. Weiss was alive but looked brutally dazed. Blake was bleeding, blood running down the side of her face. The faunus leapt over the heads of the beasts and ran across the clearing to where Ruby was. Yang couldn't believe her eyes.

Bellowing at the top of her lungs, Yang charged, shoving her way through. Blood ran from her wounds but she fought and fought until she was side by side with Blake.

The faunus only briefly acknowledged her existence before ducking away from a wolf. Both their partners lay on the ground next to them, Weiss trying to talk to the barely conscious Ruby.

"You saved Weiss," Yang gasped.

Blake turned a backflip and shot a wolf. "Yes."

"Why? Why would you do that? We're trying to kill you."

Blake paused for a second only to weave around her. They moved in sync, attacking while the other fell back and vice versa. Blake fired off two round before looking back at her.

"I could save her. So I did. I'd never just let someone die without at least trying."

Even helping an enemy, a hunter. Yang felt as though she'd seriously misread the two. The infamous killers of Torchwick but so kind? She didn't know.

"You're pretty good, I'll admit," she said as she whirled behind the faunus. "We'd make great partners."

Blake's lips twitched in amusement. "Maybe in another universe." She leapt from Yang's shoulders before stabbing a Grimm between the eyes. "I feel we'd be best friends."

"Get down!" Weiss' voice shocked them both and Yang spun.

Her partner was standing in the shadow of the tree, holding Ruby up by the shoulder. The demon was bleeding and badly but she was awake. Barely. Her eyes, her silver eyes were glowing. And it was getting stronger.

Blake grabbed her arm and together the two of them threw themselves to the ground. And just in time too.

The demon let out a screech and a harsh light erupted across the forest. She could near the anguished cries of the Beowolves as they were burned alive. Leaves disintegrated and Blake flattened her ears. No Grimm were left standing.

Even though that was quite good for them, Yang couldn't help but shiver. That was the power that they'd been up against? It was pure luck Weiss had gotten that blow in beforehand.

If they'd tried to fight that… if Weiss would even made it out alive… She didn't want to think about that.

Blake cautiously stood then offered her a hand. "I think we can call it truce," she purred, ears twitching. "For now anyway."

Yang took her hand and stood up, dusting herself off. "I think I can accept that," she grinned.

The two of them stepped towards their respective partners. Ruby was even paler and looked like she'd have collapsed if Weiss hadn't been holding onto her. She gave them a weak smile before her eyes rolled back in her head.

"Ruby!" Blake cried.

Weiss immediately lowered her to the ground. "Don't worry," she advised Blake. "I've got this. She'll be okay."

Chapter Text

Yang sat down against a tree, trying to ignore the sting pains coming from her wounds. She was bleeding, a lot more than she'd thought she been. The Beowolves really had ruffed (sorry not sorry) her up.

Weiss was across from her, leaning over the fallen demon. Her partner was injured too. They all were. Blood running down and hitting the ground like rainfall. The rest of their wounds weren't that serious but if left untreated, would probably be really bad.

Blake stood over the two of them, eyes narrowed and watchful. Her grip was tight on her weapon, causally holding it so she able to fire at a moment's notice. It was noticeably trained on Weiss.

Yang slid over to Weiss' side and pressed a kiss to her temple, flashing Blake a warning glance. The faunus slowly lowered her weapon but that didn't still her nervous guard over the demon.

Weiss was pulling cloths and bandages and other medical stuff out of her sleeves, trying to stop the blood flow from Ruby's back. The demon was bleeding heavily. But her gaze slid up to the two of them, acting like territorial bastards they were they were hovering.

"If you two aren't too hurt, go look for somewhere we can set up camp," her partner instructed.

"Camp? We aren't saying here, we can't-" Blake began.

Weiss gave Blake a withering look. "I'm not forcing you to do anything but unless you want to stay her in the middle of Beowolf territory while all being injured and our negative emotions attracting them, be my guest."

That pretty much shut the faunus down. But Yang understood that it wasn't her lack of understand of the situation but rather her fear of staying anywhere near them. And leaving Ruby alone with her.

Blake looked uncertain, more than a bit worried. But she let out a sigh and looked at Yang. She jerked her chin towards the trees. "Come on then."

A few hours later the four of them were sitting around a small fire inside a cave. The cave had been earlier scouted out by Blake and Yang before they all located back to it.

From what she'd seen, Yang reasoned they were over the Vale Mountains and into the lands beyond. Typically Grimm territory, though with what Ruby had done to the Beowolves, not much would be coming after them that night. The fire was low, enough to keep them warm but low enough to not attract any unwanted visitors.

Weiss had patched them all up, even going as far to stitch a few of the deeper scrapes up. The sheer amount of bandages that woman carried in her storage sleeves made Yang wonder what the hell she'd expected to get into.

Weiss was now curled up by her side, her partner looking weary and tired. It was only just starting to get mildly dark but that didn't matter. None of them were even considering leaving the cave until morning.

Ruby still hadn't woken up but Weiss assured them that she was fine. She just needed to rest and heal. The demon currently lay with her head in Blake's lap, the faunus lovingly stroking her hair.

Which brought them all to their next problem. The hunt.

Blake was watching their every move, jaw tense as if just waiting for an attack. She'd even chosen to sit on the other side of the fire just for that barrier between them. Fair enough. It was right to be wary after what had just happened.

But Yang knew that the hunt wasn't going to go on as planned. Because of what had just happened.

It was supposed to be fun. An exciting hunt, a true challenge to their skills. But while it was a challenge, exciting wasn't exactly what she'd describe it as. They'd almost died trying to even survive. They hadn't even gotten to the proper fighting.

Blake cleared her throat. "So. What's going to happen?"

Weiss shifted from her position to look at Blake. The faunus gazed at her.

"Are you going to try kill us again?"

Despite her cold expression, Yang could see the small gleam of fear in her eyes. Blake knew that if the two of them came at her there and then she wouldn't be able to fight them off. She wouldn't be able to protect Ruby.

Yang shook her head.

"Look, Blake," she sighed. "We did try to kill you and I admit that. It wasn't personal. We're hunters. We were hired to kill you. You don't understand how much the Torchwicks are willing to pay for your heads. A shit ton. We'd be settled for life and I was jumping at the opportunity."

Blake's eyebrows were furrowing and her hand reached for her weapon.

"But I'd say we owe you a personal debt." Yang took Weiss' hand, rubbing her thumb along the back of it. "You saved her when I couldn't and for that I will never stop owing you."

Weiss' hand curled around her own and she could feel her partner's eyes on her. But Yang didn't look at her, inside focusing on the faunus in front of her. "If I lost Weiss I don't know what I'd do. I'd lose the thing that means the whole world to me. I… I wouldn't be able to that.. ." Yang felt herself shaking. "Thank you. Thank you so much. You didn't have to do it but you did…."

Blake's hand released from her weapon and she sat back, one hand lightly tracing the base of Ruby's horns. "I… I…" For once the faunus looked like she hadn't got a clue what to say.

Yang shook her head and looked down at Weiss, only to have her partner cup her face and kiss her. It was gentle and soft, a sort of thank you in a way. When Weiss pulled away, her eyes were shining. With tears or happiness she didn't know. Maybe both.

"I love you," her partner breathed before kissing her again.

Something inside Yang's chest exploded. Those words, those three little words, with that sincerity, she could have died happy. "I love you too," she managed to murmur.

Blake cleared her throat quietly and Yang pulled away, little reluctantly. Right, back on track. Both of them looked back at Blake, blushing.

"In all fairness, you saved Ruby," Blake said, glancing at Weiss. "It might have been your fault to begin with but still. The thought counts, I guess."

"Is there anything we can do for you? Anything? I just feel… how can we repay our debt?"

Blake looked down at Ruby for a few seconds before looking back up. "I mean… I guess there's one thing that we need right now..."

"Tell us."

"We need a place to stay." Yang and Weiss frowned in confusion. "Not permanently of course but until we recover and can get out of the country. Just a place we can lay low and hide out. For the time being."

Yang and Weiss exchanged a glance. "I think we can do that."

Yang walked into the house to a cheery chorus of "Hey Yang! Welcome home Yang!"

About a month had passed since their first encounter with Ladybug and the two secretly moving into their house. And what a month that had been.

The media had absolutely blown up when they came back and said that they'd failed. That Ladybug had gotten away and that the hunt was over. Everyone was in shock; their friends couldn't believe it, their family, their fans. This was the biggest news of the century. The first demons to ever escape from Freezerburn.

Which meant that Ladybug had gotten even more coverage than before. There wasn't a single person in Vale that didn't know who they were. Which, while making hiding them in their house a little harder, was insanely cool.

Luckily their house was on the outskirts of town, away from most prying eyes and in private quarters. The two could relax out in the garden without fear of being caught. Even at night Ruby could go out and stretch her wings for a bit.

Still, Neo had been ever so disappointed and gone on to hire other people. Obviously none had been successful and the Torchwicks were slowly going on without their revenge. They were functioning just not as efficiently as they had before.

Yang set down the bag of groceries to have Ruby flap over excitedly. "Oh I can smell them, I can smell them!" she squealed, diving into the bag. The demon emerged with a bag of strawberry cookies and let out a shriek. "Yes! Thanks Yang!"

Yang let out a chuckle and waved her on. "Honestly I don't even know. This is the last straw with you."

There was a collective groan.

"You know I swear your jokes just keep getting worse," Weiss sighed, coming up from the side to kiss her cheek.

"Weiss would you say that?!"

Weiss narrowed her eyes. "I can't even tell if that was a pun or how you normally talk."

"Oh shut it you-"

"Bickering like an old married couple already," Blake commented teasingly from where she lay on the couch. The faunus turned the page of her book. "Gosh, I'd swear you were married already."

Yang grinned at the faunus, kissing Weiss' forehead. "Soon to be, soon to be, little kitty." The ring around her finger seemed to shine even more and Blake gave her an amused smile.

"Speaking of that-" Ruby coughed, her mouth full of cookies. ""-are we able to come to that or are we still wanted criminals?"

"Ah sadly the latter," Weiss sighed, leaning back. "But who knows? Maybe Ladybug could crash in, desperate for a rematch against the retired, marrying couple."

"It'd be like something out of a book," Blake yawned. "But note, we technically won that fight so why would we want a rematch?"

"That's just what the media thinks because of our cover story. We all know that Freezerburn kicked your ass," Yang grinned, flexing a muscle at the two of them.

"Not true! Ladybug is far superior to you guys!"

"Oh yeah? You wanna go?"

Ruby rose from her chair and spread her wings dramatically. She cracked her knuckles and grinned. Blake rose from her seat, putting her book down. "Ready when you are, Xiao Long."

"Not inside you idiots!" Weiss scolded. "Go outside if you want to fight! Last time you broke five vases!"

"Babe come on. You have to fight too!" Weiss gave her a look and Yang gasped. "You have to! How can we be Freezerburn then? Without the Freezer to my burn… " She gasped, clutching her heart. "I am nothing!"

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Fine. But we have to keep it down. Hand to hand combat only please."

Blake walked by and clapped her shoulder. "That's the spirit." Ruby flew out after her fated, the demon pretty much hopping with excitement. Blake entwined their fingers, the two already co reading about their strategy.

The past month had been long and exciting and lots of things had grown from it. Relationships and friendships between new comrades and housemates. Weiss rolled her eyes again. "I'll never get over these two," she muttered as she exited out the door after them.

Yang felt a smile brim to her lips. This was what happiness felt like. Not worrying about anything, not fighting, not hunting. Just kicking back and enjoying life. Not permanent, huh? She'd admit she'd be sorry to see them go. But for now they were staying and it was great. Yang flexed her arms, feeling her blood starting to flow. Oh yeah. She was going to do this.

"Wait for me!" she called as she ran out to join her new, semi-dysfunctional family.