A/N

Originally a M-rated story, but changed to T cause nothing really needed it to be M.

A sunny day in an otherwise wintery climate is how today began for her. A fellow woman making her daily route on foot. Dressed in a long waistcoat, black gloves and boots, she certainly looked the part as a detective and that's what her resume would reveal. The glass door to her job is frosted and she simply pushes it open as she enters the building. Quickly, the receptionist made a warm greeting. "Welcome Miss Xiao long." Everyone in the office had been here already, either starting up nonsense, gabbled on the phone or were actually doing their job. Yang only nodded out of courtesy, not for her true assessment of her feelings.

"Don't want to be back" she muttered under her breath, passing cubicle after cubicle until transitioning through the office floor to her personal room. A twenty six year old rebel who's done enough to test Vale's interconnected crime syndicate. She's not quite done and doesn't plan to be but there's been huge progress since she joined. She loved the rush, of getting into a chase either through her bike or through a personal fight. For a woman who's rather top heavy, she has the athleticism to deceive any fighter wanting to go hand to hand. She peers through the blinds of her window, getting a sweeping view of Vale and the pedestrians walking down the street and filled with peace. She took note of a lone male faunus getting attacked in a nearby alleyway from a thug it appears. She looked with apathy filled eyes and soon closed the blinds with no remorse.

"Not my problem." Was then her phone rang, making her turn to see the ID. The number was one she feared the most. Her boss. Taking a deep breath, she accepted the call. "Yes, Yang Xiao Long speaking."

"Yang, come to my office now." Understanding that she other calls and cases to oversee, she tried to postpone it.

"Can I-"

"I said now didn't I?" The phone clicked and Yang sighed.

"Yes, cause you are my boss" she said, cursing under her breath as she hasn't adjusted yet for the day. If he took such a serious tone this early, then things weren't in her favor. She grabbed her folders listing her findings of the most recent case she undertook and made her way to her boss' office. It was clear it was a man of a position in power. The room trumped everyone else in the building and the view was one to behold. The adult resting in the chair was looking out to the city. Yang waited a few seconds to see if he would say anything, but he didn't, so she initiated.

"You rang?"

"Sit." Not wanting to get on his bad nerves anymore, she followed his commands. "How many times must I remind you, not to cause panic and fear to the public?" This isn'tt he first lecture she received so she answered truthfully.

"So, would you want this recent crook to get away with two suitcase filled with Dust? Come on, that's high energy stuff and flips for an insane amount on the black market. I just had to-"

"Had to what?" The chair turned, showing a late teenager with his hands folded together. He too wore brown gloves, his hair clean and groomed and with greenish brown eyes.

"Oscar-"

"Please, it's Pine." Her face looked in shock for a brief moment. If he wants to be formal, she is in the hot seat.

"Mr Pine, please let me explain. He ran out in the public and made a rendezvous with his team. I needed to stop them, so I hopped on my motorcycle-"

"And incurred thousands of Lien in damages on your attempt to chase them down. Look, I applaud your efforts because frankly, you are possibly the hardest working detective on duty. You have saved us or rather me several incidents that could have impacted our city in a negative fashion. From the massive drug bust of Dust, to ending an underground attack wishing to incite terror on the faunus-"

"That was a coincidence." She interrupted him with her own opinion and distaste of the events. Oscar simply stared back at her as if she wasn't suppose to speak.

"May I continue?"

"Sorry."

"Now, we recovered enough dust to pay off the damaged property. But your actions always make me dig into my pockets. This has to stop."

"If I stop, then these guys will only creep and test their boundaries. I have to show them that I can't let them get away with things!" A deep sigh left him as the boss hides his face in his hands, racing for a proper comment on this situation. After a few seconds, he took a deep breath and spoke with clarity and concern.

"I once thought like you and it's great to feel you are making a difference. Only now as I sit here in this position, where I observe different perspectives other than my own do I realize I can't rely on my judgement. You have done a phenomenal job and will continue to do so I bet. Thus, I can only imagine an improvement when you work with your new partners starting today."

"What?!" She rose from her seat in disbelief and immediately rested her hands on his desk as if to fight back. "No, no, no, I do not need anyone slowing me down!"

"If you are going to go on a tirade, please save me the headache as this has been passed from my directors above me. I can only vouch for you for so long. People are looking into everyone's files, and everything you do is logged."

"Bulls-" Oscar made a menacing glare that made her stop mid comment in favor of dropping her possible rant.

"Welcome to corporate politics." He can understand her frustration but laughing off how they have no actual powers cause at the end, there is always someone above. Yang took a moment to think, brushing a hand through her hair to ground herself.

"Okay, so who's my partner?" Might as well figure out who will be recording her actions.

"Oh, you'll love her. Hand picked for not making unnecessary problems if her record is to go by from Atlas' police division. A perfect juxtaposition to your extremely long rap sheet." She rolled her eyes in disappointment.

"Sounds like she plays clean."

"That's the point, she'll be overseeing and reporting to me your decisions and actions." She looked ready to retort but he placed a finger up to show she's not done. "My hands are tied, either this, or you won't be able to achieve your true goal and I know how much that means to you." A hitched breath escapes from the blonde woman who shook her head. Played such a cheap shot with her emotions "Fine, where is this woman?" On cue, there was a knock on the door.

"Must be her now. Please, come in." As instructed, the door open and Yang wanted to take a look at her potential partner. A girl with black hair down to her lower back, golden eyes, and more astonishing, was the cat ears adorned on the top of her head. A faunus, great, that's exactly what she needed. "Yang, meet Blake Belladonna, she'll be your partner from now on." The new woman smiled as she greeted her new partner.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Yang." Accepting, but curt in her tone, she was exactly as what Yang feared. A perfect puppet and only someone who will slow her down. "Huh, you're nothing like what Oscar has told me." A tic mark rose on the blonde woman's forehead.

"And what did he tell you?"

"Don't worry about that, it's nothing to discuss about right now." Mr. Pine tried to cover his tracks which was met with cynical reception to his employee. "The key thing here, is to get to know one each other. I will be handing out a case soon and I want you two to have some chemistry before I send you on your first mission together. I have no doubts you can achieve success. Now, go, have some coffee or a little brunch, it's still early. Once it is morning tomorrow, I want you two ready at my desk for this assignment." The ambitious boss took a moment to gaze at his watch before eyeing his employees, specifically Yang. "Understood?"

"Yep" Yang said, rising up quite quickly. "Thanks." Though, she was fooling no one, this wasn't her preferred method. Blake bowed to show her respects to Oscar as her partner already left the room. She close the door to his office and raced up to learn more about Yang.

"So...Yang-"

"Stop right there." Quick in the delivery, she had all intentions to shut everything down.

"What?"

"I don't know what you heard or think you are going to accomplish, but I do not need someone like you, overseeing my actions. Whatever you have to say to me, you can keep it to yourself. I don't deal with people slowing me down, let alone a faunus." The last part was said with malice, which brought a sigh from the raven haired woman.

"Fine, I apologize on trying to have a good first impression." She curled her hair backwards, awkwardly looking at the ground. Yang immediately started to walk, but was stopped by Blake. "Can I at least ask you what's your problem?"

"What problem?" She turned to give a mean look for even asking such a thing.

"Faunus. Do you have issues cause of my race?" The short fused woman turned her head to look at her and shook her head. It brought back a memory she's been trying to forget for the longest.

"I don't got time for this, just, do whatever you want, I'm getting coffee. I'm going to be working and won't have time to do this chemistry nonsense." She left Blake by herself, to which brought frustration and defeat.

"I thought the discrimination was worse in Atlas." Just like that, the two new detectives were off to such a great start.

The sky was black with the moon being its only source of brightness. The lone woman walked in the cold to her highrise. The door to her apartment opens, revealing an inner look at her life. Clothes were scattered on the floor, and the dishes were piling up. Every day she told herself to clean up, but nothing changes. Everything stays the same. She simply closed the door and yawned. Immediately she headed into the kitchen for some food. She opened the fridge, realizing there happens to be a tv dinner leftover and some red wine left over. A grin formed on her lips on not needing to do takeout. She then realize that a certain somebody didn't greet her. "Ruby!" Loud and boisterous, she called for Ruby to come to her, and she waited a minute until realize there was no answer. "Ruby?" She walked over to her bedroom, confused at the lack of attention. She saw nothing out of the ordinary, which made her annoyed. She picked up a chew toy and squeezed it, revealing a Welsh Corgi ran from underneath the bed and sat patiently at its master.

"There you are Ruby. You must be hungry." She walked over to her pet's food bowl, grasping a bag nearby to pour a healthy amount. Right away, Ruby was quick to eat away, with a gentle hand running on the top of the corgi's head. She rose from her position and walked over to the living room, turning the tv on for some background noise on the news and contemplated to herself. It's the usual. A lonely room, a lonely lifestyle, separated from everyone she loves or once loved. Some by lack of keeping up, and others, from force. She can't help but to do a monologue in her mind of what's going on right now. "No one's going to stop me. Not Oscar, not Blake, no one. I won't rest until I make it right." She hanged her head in a deep sigh, her hand pulling the drawer open. A loaded handgun is resting on top of a old photo, wrinkled but in good condition otherwise. She grabs it, seeing herself when she was younger, in her teens, her uncle, her father and...

Always, the ripped photo reminded her of loss. She can only imagine the missing portion. She places the photo back in disgust as she shuts the drawer close with frustration. Walking back, she enters the kitchen to grab the bottle of red wine for herself. The use as a stress reliever worked wonders for the agitated woman. It would prove a great toast as she heads onto the balcony of her apartment that overlooks the city of Vale. A city she's sick of, but is helping only by association and for her personal vendetta. She chuckled to herself, as if she had encountered the best joke in a long time. "You've already taken so much out of me, what's left?" She downed a generous drink before sighing heavy. "You can't hurt me anymore, so...do your worst" she said to herself, ready to take on what this city has in store for her. Once she caught a small buzz, she knew enough was enough. Tomorrow's a work day, can't get too drunk. She places the bottle back and heads to sleep so she can face what the world has to break her down.