RWBY Rogue AU
Chapter 1 an old friend in a new city
It's been two years
Vacuo is a kingdom unlike any other. The Grimm-masked woman would know, she'd seen all four kingdoms in the past 2 years. It was a city built on an oasis in the middle of a desert, filled with people grateful to finally escape the burning heat. She herself had walked through the desert for about a month before she arrived in Vacuo proper, it was agonizing but the Grimm-masked woman was no stranger to suffering for her work. Her grim work.
Now that she was within the shade of the kingdom all that pain just seemed to vanish away. The Vacuoian streets were bustling yet open; people of every culture and creed, human and Faunus were everywhere in Vacuo. As the Grim-masked woman's eyes travelled across the crowd they were assaulted by vibrant colors of every shade and intensity worn by the citizens of Vacuo.
"Very different from dull atlas and with fewer Atlesian military"
The Grimm-masked woman wore a sleeveless black shirt and matching black pants. She had a loose white kimono hanging around her shoulders hiding a scar on right shoulder, it was covered with red markings similar to those that appear on grim bone-plates. A yellow belt held the kimono tight to her body, the belt itself was marked with a multitude of symbols the most important was a burning heart carved on the inside leather. Bound around her neck was a yellow infinity scarf made of a durable substance meant to resist blades, it also matched the Grimm-masked woman's hair.
The golden hair was the only amount of personal beauty she'd allow the rest of the world to see, as her face was hidden behind a white and red metal mask imitating the visage of an Ursa, only her red eyes could be seen from the outside. Strapped to her belt was a short single bladed sword in a Grimm-eques scabbard and a small metal case about the size of brick, it had cost a lot of lien to give this case a biometric seal, but in her line of work you get what you pay for. The sword was her most blatant weapon, and actually her least useful, Mother always told her to keep her true weapons hidden. Her real weapons were the white and red wrist bands she wore, disguised powerful gauntlets that could be unfurled at a moment's notice into crushing cestus. The gauntlets were wrapped around the hard corded muscles of her arms and were by far her deadliest weapons. The Grimm-masked woman was always ready for a fight.
But she was not sent here for one, though she might ache for it. She was sent here to deliver the package sealed in the box at her belt and secure an alliance with the buyer on behalf of her mother.
After about an hour of walking the Grimm-masked woman arrived at the meeting location; a dance club in the seedy part of town. The music emanating from the club brought back memories that had only soured with age.
"Can't start a fight this time. As fun as that would be" she sighed to herself as she descended into the club.
The Club
The club was black and red, with lights spinning and flashing throughout, a pumping beat shook the room and dancers jumped and jived to the thumping music. The place was amazingly clean and all surfaces were made of one reflective substance or another helping make the place always seem more crowded than it was. Near the center of the dance floor a white haired woman gyrated against another older woman. The Grim masked woman licked her lips looking at her.
"It's been a while" she thought "The desert makes you thirsty for more than just water"
Images flashed in the Grimm-masked woman's mind, images of taking the pale woman in her arms and kissing her, sucking the air out of her lungs with the kiss till she's exhausted from the kiss alone. Her gasping for breath and yet begging for more and the Grimm-masked woman would be happy to give her more.
"It's been a LONG while" the grim masked woman thought to herself shaking her head. "Focus on any possible threat, just like mom told you to. THAT other issue can wait"
The grim-masked woman scanned the room as she approached the bar.
"A couple of well-armed guards, a drunk huntsman and 3 possible white fang agents. None are paying particular attention to me"
She sat down at the Bar, eyes lingering on the white fang members. A grin split her face.
"Now they might be fun later" she mused "they think they're hidden but how many Faunus built like THAT, hang out in a place like this. Maybe I'll pay them a visit after this is sorted out"
The bar tender approached the counter, the grim masked woman did not look away from the gathered Faunus, he tapped the bar to get her attention.
"What can I get you blondie?" The bar tender spat at the Grimm-masked woman.
Her right hand twitched at the bartender's choice of words, the last person who called her that had received an ass kicking the Grimm-masked woman only regretted not taking to its ultimate end.
"Keep it cool, you can't start a fight here" she thought to herself as she turned to face the bar tender.
"Strawberry sunri…." The Grim-masked woman's voice trailed off as she locked eyes with Junior Xiong.
"Yang?" Junior said, a slight twinge of fear in his voice. "You're not going to wreck my new bar are yah?"
Yang Xiao Long lifted the grim-mask from her face and looked up at Junior. He almost looked the same, the same face and the same clothes, but there was a slight difference; he'd gotten older. Grey hairs were coming in around his temples and he got a cut underneath his right eye. That cut made Yang twitch slightly.
Yang had changed as well, her hair was bound up in a ponytail behind her head and was not as crazy as it once was, bags hung under her eyes accompanying a small scar beneath her left eye. She looked a lot older than 19. She smiled lightly towards him actually happy to see someone from her past who had yet to stab her in the back.
"Nah Junior, breaking your place isn't in the cards tonight"
The fear evaporated from Junior's eyes, he leaned against the bar as if he was speaking to his favorite customer. He pulled out 2 glasses and began preparing Yang's sunrise.
"So Yang what's it been? 2 years, 3?"
"2, and I thought I told you to call me sir" Yang grinned at that last bit, remembering the destruction she rained on Junior and his goons. Junior only shrugged and poured the sunrise into yang's glass. The Pink juices of the sunrise swirled in the glass. Yang stared at the rose colored drink for a bit before Junior pulled out a small yellow umbrella and placed it into the glass.
"I didn't think "sir" would be appropriate for a wanted woman" Yang tensed at that, hand drifting toward the sword at her hip.
"Relax Blondie I won't sell you out" Junior said waving Yang's hand away. "Can't risk you busting up my place in a fight is all."
Yang relaxed, she leaned forward grinning up at junior. Yang wasn't short by any means but Junior dwarfed just about everyone in the dance club. Man was a giant and could look beowolves in the eye without lifting his chin.
"You sure, I'm told I'm quite valuable, you could rake in a ton of lien, if you catch me and turn me in" she put on her best wolfish grin as she said that.
Junior chuckled and poured himself a strawberry sunrise.
"IF being the important factor" he replied sipping the cocktail. "So yang what brings you to my bar… again?"
"Business" Yang replied cold and quick. Junior glanced at her, one eye-brow quirked up. She'd have to change the subject "So when did you move to Vacuo?"
"A little bit after the Vytal festival and your escape" junior said without breaking stride. "You pissed off someone fierce Yang, cause they came looking for anyone who might've harbored you"
Junior swirled the drink in his hand looking around the room thoughtfully.
"And I couldn't have those Atlas nerds snooping around my establishment, so me and my boys just packed up and came here."
Yang frowned at that and held her glass with both hands. She'd only ever really bullied junior but she never disliked the guy. Alotta people got hurt cause of the Vytal festival and junior hadn't been one who deserved it.
"Sorry about that" she mumbled.
"Eh it's no worry, we were planning on moving house again anyway. Huntsmen got too cozy at my bar, it was bad for my other businesses" Junior leaned closer to Yang in a conspiratorial manner. "So what business are you doing at my bar… Sir?"
Yang looked from junior to the armed guards around the club, junior it seemed had gotten himself some better guys since the last time she was in his bar. Better quality weapons better armor and a few had scars from previous fights. She was confident she could take Junior and his goons no trouble, but she might scare off her client and draw the cops' attention. That would bring in the huntsmen, who in turn would bring the Atlesian specialists.
Don't start a fight
Yang reached back, grabbed the case and set it on the bar in front of Junior. Junior flinched as she brought up the box.
"Just a delivery is all, confirmation of a finished job."
Junior glanced at the box, he knew what confirmation meant and he could guess what was in the box. Junior shrugged, tightened his tie and began cleaning glasses.
"Any business done in my bar owes me a cut"
Yang glared up at him and her grin turned wolfish.
"You sure about that Junior? You want to piss off a dragon?"
"Everyone pays a cut and you can't afford to be caught" he said matter-of-factly. "It's just rude otherwise".
"Fine 10%" Yang said as she leaned back in her chair trying to appear as relaxed as possible.
"Please I make more off tips, 20%"
"Considering the service here that's amazing, 12%"
"Guess people just like my face 15%". Junior extended his hand towards Yang, his face deadly serious. "Final offer, take it or find someplace else to deal"
Yang looked at the hand for a bit before taking it in her own and squeezing just a bit too hard.
"Well junior I certainly find your mug to be ruggedly handsome, you got yourself a deal"
They both shook hands and Yang ordered another sunrise.
Half an hour and 4 sunrises in Yang was beginning to wonder if the client had forgotten the meet location, she'd spent the last thirty minutes chatting with Junior about the state of the world and reveling in the fact that she finally had someone to properly talk to.
Then a man in a dark green suit seemed to pop up right next to Yang, Maybe it had been the sunrises but she hadn't heard him walk up to her. She turned in her chair towards him, feigning drunkenness as much as possible, it was easy; she'd had a few sunrises.
"Mista Green ah presume" She slurred her words as much as much as she could without sounding too exaggerated. "You are late mate hehehe" she giggled at her own rhyme.
Yang stood up from her chair swaying slightly as she approached her buyer. Mr. Green sneered at Yang and began reaching for the Box on the bar. Yang drunkenly fumbled at the box pulling it towards her chest, almost dropping it twice, she pointed a finger at the space 11 degrees to Mister Green's right.
"Hey payment first boyo" she rubbed her fingers together "I need that sweet lien or Little Bear here won't let me leave"
Junior grunted at the comment as a gesture of acknowledgement.
Mister Green reached out and grabbed the case's handle.
"Sorry to tell you this, but the funds have already been sent to your employer" His voice slithered out of his mouth like a King Taijitu from a cave. "So looks like your stuck here"
Green pulled at the case but Yang didn't let go, she stumbled forward and into Green, she turned towards him and drunkenly belched in his face.
"Sorry Green bean but if yah lie to ME again" she pointed at herself in as an exaggerated manner as possible. She dropped the drunken façade. "Then I'll snap you like a green bean and Raven will thank me for the service."
Green froze staring at Yang, she liked shocking people and dropping the drunk act certainly shocked Green. "Bloody snake deserves it for trying to steal from a drunk"
Green reached into his coat and handed Yang a stack of Lien. She leafed through the Lien one-handed, never taking her other hand from the case.
"Seems like it's all there mister green, Let me get that lock for you" She twisted her hand and pressed her thumb onto the finger print scanner until it beeped and a metal click could be heard. She let go of the case and Mister Green covetously gripped the case to his chest. Yang leaned back against the bar, she removed a number of Lien bills from her stack and handed them to junior who pocketed them without a word. Green opened the case and looked at the contents inside, his face turned sour and then down right angry, he glared at Yang.
"Where's the index finger you bitch?" He snarled at Yang. Yang rested her hand on her chest and put on a face of mock shock.
"You wanted proof that the target was dead and we've supplied it, I know normally we supply our clients with just the index finger but Raven thought it would be fun to mix it up and give the client the whole hand minus that finger" She gave Mister Green the toothiest smile she could manage. "Unless of course it was actually the finger you wanted and this whole assassination has just been a means to get that digit"
Mr. Green's glare faltered at that.
"Raven doesn't like being swindled Green"
"We didn't swindle her!" he replied stammering just so slightly.
Yang rounded on green getting close so he could see his own reflection in her red eyes.
"Really cause sending her out to kill a man and just give you a highly valuable finger without paying her the finger's proper value sounds a lot like swindling, or perhaps you thought you'd turn Raven into a pawn" Yang prodded Green in his dark green vest. "Raven doesn't like it when clients take advantage green, so either pay us the finger's real value or cut Raven in on the deal".
Green took a step back and scratched his chin considering that, Raven was quite the name to throw around in these circles and it was not a name to wield lightly. Yang used her mother's name as often as she damn well pleased.
"Fine" Green eventually said "We'll cut her in on the deal"
Yang took a step back from Green and spread out her hands in a placating gesture.
"Excellent, ill inform Raven you're interested in a profitable partnership between us." Yang smiled at green. She turned away from green and saw the 3 Faunus walk out towards the bar's exit, a smirk rose to her face. Yang grabbed her Ursa helm, dropped a fist full of lien on the counter and began walking towards the Faunus.
"Crazy Bitch"
Yang didn't turn back. "The true fun's leaving the bar" she thought.
"Wait… you're that crazy bint from the Vytal festival"
Yang froze in place.
"Yeah you're the psycho who broke that kid's leg and attack Atlas security." Green shouted at yang's back. Junior froze and the music seemed to die down slightly.
Yang turned on a dime to face Green, the loveliest smile plastered on her face. She began walking towards him, swaying her hips in what she still knew was a sultry manner.
"Well you know what they say about Crazy girls" She purred at Green, leaning closer to him. Green gulped and looked shocked at how close Yang was to him. "We're supposed to be excellent in the sack. So how about a kiss before I go Greeny?"
Yang leaned even closer to Green, crimson eyes glimmering up at him. Green's face seemed to shift from shock to delight and he started to lean towards Yang, lips puckered.
Juniors hand shot out and grabbed Green pulling him back. Green squirmed in Junior's grip and Yang gave Junior an annoyed look, akin to a cat whose favorite toy had just been removed.
"Get your hands off me what are you doing?" Green shouted at Junior trying to break his grip.
Junior Pulled Green towards him and glared into the little man.
"I'm saving your life you idiot" His gaze shifted to Yang. "And saving my bar in the process"
Yang gave junior a friendly wink, turned around, placed the helm on her head and left.
"Now, time for some fun"
Author's notes
Ok this is my first Fanfiction so any constructive criticism is welcome. I got a few more chapters already written up so those will be posted eventually. I don't Own RWBY that belongs to Rooster teeth, I don,t even own the idea for the rogue AU but i asked permission to use it so I think im in the clear. The Au's creator can be found tagged/rogue+au/page/2 here