Chapter 16

Blake and Weiss sat in the library, studying for an exam in a history class they shared. World History: Great War to Present was not a particularly challenging course, and it was material they had covered in their earlier schooling, but it paid to be prepared. Blake's scroll went off. Weiss ignored it at first, lost in her studies, but soon realized Blake was just staring blankly at the screen. "Blake?" Weiss asked. No reply. "Blake."

"Huh-oh." Blake snapped out of her trance. "I...I gotta' go."

"Go?" Weiss scoffed. "Where? Why?"

"Bathroom." Blake lied as she began closing her books and tossing things into her bag.

"Liar!" Weiss accused. "Why are you packing your stuff?"

"I'll be a while." Blake answered as she zipped up her bag. In her haste she dropped her scroll on the table, affording Weiss an unobstructed view. On the screen was a picture of Ruby reclining on her bed, pouting at the camera. Most notably, she was wearing nothing but stockings and a partially unbuttoned top. "See ya'."

"Traitor!" Weiss exclaimed.

"Sorry, not sorry." Blake said as she rushed out.

"Damnit Ruby." Weiss grumbled. Deciding that there was no point to further study without Blake, she packed her own things. With a huff she stood and tossed her bag over her shoulder, carrying in her hands a textbook borrowed from a nearby shelf. She located the aisle, then the exact spot, slipping it back into place.

"Hello Weiss." A sultry voice said.

Weiss froze for a moment. She knew that voice. She spun around. Sure enough. "C-Cin?" She gasped.

"I had wondered what became of you." Cinder said. "After your parents' tragic deaths you simply disappeared."

"I tried to contact you...after I recovered...but my messages never got through." Weiss explained. "Did you change your details?"

"No." Cinder replied.

"O-oh, well, we moved." Weiss continued. "Winter sold the company and we went into seclusion. Sorry."

"I don't need your apology." Cinder waved her off.

"But...what do you want?" Weiss asked, now thoroughly confused. "Why did you approach me? Why haven't you done so before?"

"I did not believe it was you." Cinder laughed. "Winter was tall, imposing and well developed. I expected you to follow in her footsteps, but is seems nature failed you." Weiss flinched, looking down at her chest. She raised her arms to cover it, feeling a pang in her heart and a stinging behind her eyes. Cinder stepped closer, drawing Weiss' gaze up with a finger on her chin. "I expected you to have more fire. You were once so passionate. Has your parents' passing broken your spirit?"

Weiss jerked away, taking a step back. "What is wrong with you?" She scowled. "You were never like this Cin. If I hurt you, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I missed you. I tried to talk to you."

"I have no interest in a worthless heiress to nothing." Cinder hissed.

"Was that all I was to you?" Weiss demanded. "Money?!"

"No, you were worth so much more." Cinder sighed. "A pity, truly." Cinder turned and walked away, leaving Weiss to gape at her.

Weiss felt numb. Her heart began to ache, and her lower lip trembled. Swallowing, she fumbled for her scroll, tapping it with shaky fingers before raising it to her ear. "Heya' Weiss, 'sup?" Neon answered.

"Neon, can you come to the library?" Weiss asked, her voice shaky, watery and meek.

"Weiss?" Neon gasped. "Are you okay?"

"I'm in the history aisle." Weiss said. "Please, I need you right n-now."

"I'm on my way." Neon declared. "Stay on the line, okay?"

Weiss leaned against a pillar of the bookshelf, sliding down it to the floor. Her scroll slipped from her fingers as she moved to cover her face, finally sobbing into her hands.

Weiss and Neon stood before Weiss' dorm room. Though Neon's hearing was not as acute as Blake's, it was still sensitive enough to hear the panting, squeaks and slapping inside. She seethed before slamming her fist on the door three times, eliciting a rather high pitched yelp from therein. "Get decent now!" Neon demanded. Her arm lay draped around Weiss' shoulder, holding her close. Weiss was downcast, arms wrapped around herself protectively.

After a minute the door opened to reveal a hastily dressed Ruby, wearing a loose red t-shirt and black shorts. "I'm sorry w-Neon?" Ruby gasped. "Weiss, what happened?!" Ruby rushed to pull Weiss into a hug, one eagerly returned.

"While you two were having fun, Cinder decided to have her fun with Weiss." Neon scowled.

"That scary chick in my art class?" Ruby asked.

A fully clothed, enraged Blake appeared as Ruby led Weiss inside to sit on her bed where they continued to embrace one another. "What did she do?" Blake asked.

"After you left, Cinder found Weiss and decided to torment her." Neon replied. "She called me because you two were busy getting freaky."

"Neon, stop." Weiss commanded. "It's not their fault. They couldn't have known this would happen."

"Weiss, why didn't you call us?" Blake asked.

"I didn't want to interrupt." Weiss answered. "I knew Neon would help."

"I'm so sorry Weiss." Ruby sighed. "This is all my fault. You can always call us, no matter what. I'm sorry…"

"It wasn't your fault." Weiss cut her off. "Stop being a dolt."

"I thought Cinder was your friend, back when you were kids." Blake noted.

"She was." Weiss sighed. "She was pretty much the only friend I had…"

"What did she say?" Blake demanded.

"Nothing I haven't heard before." Weiss groaned.

"Weiss…" Blake pressed.

"It seems nature has failed you Weiss!" Weiss exclaimed. "Has your parents' passing broken your spirit? I have no interest in a worthless…" Weiss clutched Ruby closer, her sobs cutting off further speech.

Ruby's eyes watered as she tried to soothe her friend. "I'm sorry…" She repeated.

"Where is she?!" Blake seethed. She balled her fists, beginning to shake with barely contained rage.

"How would I know?" Neon asked. "I don't track the bitch."

Blake snarled, striding to the door and slipping on her boots. "Blake!" Ruby called after her as she headed out.

"No!" Blake snarled back, slamming the door behind her.

Blake headed for the library, and after a few polite inquiries as to Cinder's location, she was directed to a nearby outdoor area commonly used by smokers. There Cinder sat atop a picnic table, a lit cigarette between her fingers. She was flanked by a mint-haired, olive skinned girl and a tall ash-haired boy on the benches. Blake strode toward them, and they stood as she neared. "Cinder." Blake growled.

"Well now, today certainly is eventful." Cinder smirked.

"Stay away from Weiss." Blake threatened.

"Oh, word travels fast." Cinder laughed. "How is dear Weiss?"

"None of your business." Blake snapped. "From this point forward, you do not go near her. You do not speak to her."

"And who are you to make demands of me?" Cinder asked. Her gaze settled on the top of Blake's head. "Ah, I see. Weiss has tamed herself a big kitty. She was always rather partial to cute and fluffy creatures."

Blake eyes bulged. She felt her ears twitch freely. What a time to forget a hat. She gritted her teeth and growled, baring her sharp canines. "Stay away from Weiss." Blake demanded. "Final warning."

"Or what, you'll hiss at me?" Cinder asked. "Piss on my door? Leave a hairball on my pillow?" The mint-haired girl giggled, the ash-haired man scoffed and Cinder grinned.

Blake felt herself shaking with anger. She was about to strike, consequences be damned, but felt a hand grab her wrist. She snarled and looked at the perpetrator, only to find designer sunglasses mirroring her own glare back at her. Coco frowned and stepped in front of Blake. "Racism...Fall, you insist on lowering the bar." Coco shook her head.

"Adel, fighting other people's battles are we?" Cinder asked.

"I've been watching you Fall, and I do not like what I see." Coco declared. "You are cruel, callous and careless, either unaware of or unperturbed by the damage you cause others. But you are nothing special, just another bully, childish and insecure, so I tolerate you." Coco stepped forward and Cinder's companions took on nervous looks. Coco was not much taller than Cinder, and a little shorter than the man, but her glasses made her seem more imposing, less human. Even as her companions faltered Cinder stood her ground. "But I have my limits. Don't fuck with my own, Fall. You do not want me as your enemy."

Cinder's smirk faded as she glared at Coco, who continued to frown, looking more disappointed than angry. "Fine." Cinder sighed with a shrug. "I have more entertaining things to do with my time." Cinder tried to push past Coco but the latter did not budge, nor even look at Cinder. Cinder took the hint and moved around, her companions following her.

Once Cinder was gone, Coco sighed and looked to Blake. Blake's ears lay flat atop her head. Coco took off her beret and handed it to Blake, who was somewhat confused by the act but took the hat. "Are you okay?" Coco asked.

"I...forgot." Blake sighed.

"Minor slip-up, did many see?" Coco asked.

"I don't think so." Blake grumbled. "Just the ones that mattered."

Coco laid her hands on Blake's shoulders. "Violence does not help us here Blake." Coco advised.

"I just wanted to do something." Blake explained. "She hurt Weiss, Coco. After all she's done for me, the least I can do is keep her safe, and I failed."

"The least you can do is be there for her when she's in pain, instead of running off to cause more." Coco suggested.

Blake opened her mouth to argue, but stopped, her ears drooping. "I fucked up." She groaned.

"Only a little." Coco encouraged.

"I yelled at Ruby." Blake sighed.

"You can apologize." Coco countered.

"I should never yell at her." Blake stated.

"Blake, mistakes are made." Coco declared. "Put the beret on and keep it. I know you don't have one." Blake looked at the hat in her hands, hesitating for a moment, then slowly put it on, slipping her ears within and looking downcast. "If Velvet could hide, she would. I wouldn't blame her and I don't blame you." Blake perked up a little, offering a small smile. "Come on, our family is hurting."

Yang headed for the kitchen, empty glass in hand. Her arm was aching, not an intolerable pain, but one she knew would soon worsen. She walked to the sink and started filling the glass. "Hey Yang, Summer wants to take her fitness plan to the next level." Pyrrha announced. "I'm taking her to the gym. Want to join us?"

"Uh…" Yang hesitated. "I'm not…"

"Please." Summer beseeched. "It would mean a lot to me."

Yang sighed and turned off the tap. "Fine." She agreed. "I just need to get dressed."

Yang headed back to her room, took a pair of painkillers, then threw on some workout clothes. She joined Pyrrha and Summer in leaving the house, all three getting into Summer's sedan. It was not a particularly long ride to the gym, but to Yang it seemed unending. Retracing the route she had taken so often reminded her of all she had lost. Summer and Pyrrha chatted away about this and that, but Yang sat there in silence, just staring at the passing scenery. It was already almost two months since she had last been to the gym, almost two months since that fateful day.

Summer pulled the car to a stop in front of the gym. They headed inside and Pyrrha helped Summer sign up for a trial membership while Yang wandered around. It still looked the same, sounded the same, smelled the same, but it felt different now. Yang had loved being there, but now she just wanted to go home. Once the paperwork was out of the way, Summer headed into the locker room to change. She emerged in a loose t-shirt and baggy shorts. "We have to get you some new workout clothes." Pyrrha observed.

"What's wrong with them?" Summer asked.

"You should really wear something tighter-fitting." Pyrrha replied. "Yang's outfit is more like it." Yang wore a tight yellow tank top and tight black short shorts. "It doesn't get in the way, and it gives you full freedom of movement."

"I'm a little afraid of how I'd look wearing a getup like that." Summer admitted. "I don't exactly have Yang's physique."

"Not many people do." Pyrrha encouraged. "You'd look fine, I'm sure of it."

"Well...next time I guess." Summer agreed. "For now I just want to get to work."

"Great!" Pyrrha cheered. "I have a session scheduled in fifteen minutes, but I'm sure Yang can take care of you."

"I...what?" Yang gasped.

"Bye!" Pyrrha jogged away, not waiting around for the inevitable argument.

"This was a setup, wasn't it?" Yang accused.

"It is and it isn't." Summer shrugged. "I really did want to train here, but Pyrrha thought it would be good if you were the one who trained me."

"I guess I don't have much of a choice." Yang sighed. "Alright, head over there and start stretching." Yang pointed to an empty area. "Then jog a mile on the treadmill. That should be good for a warmup."

"Warmup?" Summer groaned.

"You're the one who wants to get in shape." Yang said. "If I'm going to train you, I'm going to do it right."

There was much grumbling, but Summer did her stretches and finished her mile. Yang was unimpressed with Summer's time, but the important thing was she had finished. After that it was on to the weightlifting. First up was a machine that worked out the biceps. Yang set a weight she thought was appropriate, but Summer was unable to lift it at all. Halving it made it just possible, so Yang bumped it down a little further for Summer to be able to do a decent number of reps. The process repeated as they moved from machine to machine.

At times Yang felt tempted to jump in and do the exercises herself, to show Summer that she could lift the same weight with just her one arm. But what was the point? It was not as if she needed to impress Summer or that she would even be impressed really. As was her habit when working out, Summer complained at every stage, combining protests with mild threats in a bid to get Yang to reduce the workload. Yang refused to budge and Summer grudgingly completed the exercises Yang set before her.

After almost an hour of working out, Raven appeared, fresh from teaching a jiu-jitsu class. "Damn Sum, haven't seen you this hot and sweaty since we were teens." Raven joked. Summer groaned. "Or this breathless. Putting her through the ringer eh?"

"She wanted me to train her." Yang explained. "She'll be sorry in the morning."

"I'm sorry now." Summer grumbled.

"That's good, that's how you get better." Yang laughed. "You push yourself until you're sorry you started, then you do it again, and again, and again until you look in the mirror and love what you see too much to stop."

"It's hard to focus." Summer complained. "Everyone here is so beautiful, so much muscle. I just feel self-conscious, like everyone is watching me. I can feel every jiggle when I move and it's embarrassing." She lay back for a second set of bench pressing.

"There's nothing wrong with a bit of jiggle Sum, and you only started a few weeks ago." Raven encouraged. "You gotta' get in the groove before you start getting more defined. See how smooth your stomach looks already?" Summer's shirt had pulled up as she lay back and Raven pulled it further still.

"I think maybe I'll stick with working out at home for a while." Summer sighed. "At least until I feel a little more confident."

"Well, whatever makes you comfortable." Raven shrugged. "I've got some weights and stuff you can have, and Glynda would probably loan you some equipment...if you bake her that slice she loves."

"And put extra brandy in it." Yang added.

"Or hell, just give her a bottle of brandy too." Raven suggested. "We can get some stuff done with that."

"What kind of stuff?" Summer asked.

"Sex stuff Summer." Yang sighed.

"Oh!" Summer gasped. "Wait...how would you use brandy for that?"

"Body shots mainly." Raven replied. "And Glynda gets freaky when she's drunk."

"Does everything come back to sex with this family?" Summer groaned.

"Yes." Yang confirmed.

"Yup." Raven nodded. Summer sighed in exasperation and lifted the bar.

Ruby sat in the back of her art class, drawing. Her headphones hung around her neck, playing music loud enough for her to hear, but not so loud that it would bother others. Her project was a series of drawings, characterizations of her friends and family as warriors. Currently she worked on Raven. Her table was littered with sketches and references, mostly prior attempts and failed experiments, but her current version was to be the final piece.

"Such a talented little Rose." A sultry voice said. Ruby jolted, looking to her side to see Cinder smiling almost lovingly at her. "Who is she?"

"Oh, this?" Ruby asked. "This is based on my Aunt Raven."

"It's a beautiful rendition." Cinder praised. "Is she of Mistrali origin?"

"Yeah, she's kinda' obsessed with the culture too." Ruby replied. "She teaches jiu-jitsu back on Patch."

"You're from Patch?" Cinder said. "I've never been, but I've heard it's quite the paradise."

"It's beautiful, especially in the fall." Ruby giggled. "Heh, Fall." Cinder laughed at the pun. Ruby noticed she had moved closer. "Miss Fall."

"Cinder." She insisted.

"Cinder...how would you like to be part of my project?" Ruby asked.

"I would be honored." Cinder answered.

"Pose for me, on that desk." Ruby grinned. "Something...alluring."

Cinder smiled and sauntered to the desk, pushing away its chair before perching herself atop it. She leaned one arm on the desk and puffed out her chest, a come-hither look on her face. "Is this satisfactory?" She asked.

"Very." Ruby replied. Ruby flipped to a fresh page in her sketchbook and began drawing, keeping it hidden from Cinder's view. Cinder looked regal in her pose, sultry and seductive, her golden gaze burning down at Ruby. Ruby found herself smiling. "How do you feel about leather, Cinder?"

"Beautiful, when used tastefully." Cinder answered.

"I agree." Ruby smirked. "The right amount of leather highlights the body, enhancing the natural beauty of the individual."

"You have a way with words, Ruby Rose." Cinder declared.

"Hehe, thank you." Ruby laughed. "Mamma always said I was well spoken."

"She sounds like a smart woman." Cinder noted.

"She is." Ruby confirmed. "I take after her as best I can."

"Beautiful too then." Cinder added.

"Cinder, behave!" Ruby exclaimed. She faked a giggle as Cinder chuckled. Ruby reached for a red pen, then gold, before grinning. She took out her scroll and snapped a picture of the sketch before slipping it back into her pocket. "Done!" Ruby tore the page from her sketchbook, handing it face down to Cinder. Cinder smiled as she took hold but her face contorted into a scowl as she looked at the sketch. "It's a bit rough, but initial sketches tend to be."

"What is this?!" Cinder demanded. The sketch showed Cinder, arms and legs bound by studded leather belts. Another wrapped around her chest, hiding her nipples but pressing her breasts together. A third strap ran down the center of her chest and between her legs. A leather choker and ball-gag completed the ensemble. It was mostly black line art, but with color for Cinder's golden eyes and the red gag.

"A work of art." Ruby grinned. "What's the matter Cinder? Don't you find it beautiful? I thought you liked leather?" Cinder clenched the page but did not tear or crush it. She glared at Ruby who smiled serenely. "I'm not stupid Cinder. Did you really think I would fall for it? You think I would fall for you? After hurting my best friend? After insulting my girlfriend? You thought you could just walk up, wink at me, and I'd fall into your lap? Did you think I would be scared of you? Seriously...what were you thinking? I honestly can't figure it out. You're either incredibly full of yourself or just have no idea. Either way we're done here. Keep the picture...consider it a gift."

Ruby packed up her things as Cinder stood there, staring at her, utterly lost for words. Ruby gave Cinder a friendly smile before leaving the room. Cinder stood there for a few seconds after Ruby left before bursting into laughter. "What the fuck?"