RWBY Through Worlds

83: Not Superhuman

Yang blinked and opened her eyes. She felt kind of numb--and also really, really tired.

Her Aura seemed pretty depleted.

Where was she? Some strange room, hooked to some wall.

She tried to move her wrists, but they were fastened down pretty firmly.

"Hey," she called, her voice more weak than she expected, but she swallowed and tried again. "Who's there? Where are you?"

"Oh, you're awake?" A woman's voice answering her.

Someone came walking into the room holding a candle--like an actual candle, no fire dust, old school. 

"I thought that would keep you out for much longer." The woman looked at Yang almost admiringly. "You're a tough little girl, aren't you?"

Yang strained, but the woman said,

"Don't bother struggling. Those cuffs you're in? They neutralize Aura. You'll only hurt your wrists and deplete it more."

"Neat," Yang said darkly. "Why did you kidnap me?"

"Oh, it's nothing personal, Goldie." The woman waved dismissively. She was wearing huge welder's gloves, and she had an apron on with stains all over it.

Her hair was this wild, frizzy, purplish color, and she had an impressive 4-inch long scar down one side of her face.

"Relax, I'm not going to hurt you," the woman added. "At least if all goes according to plan. I just needed bait."

"Bait? For what?" Yang narrowed her eyes.

"You've got a powerful mama." The woman pulled a gadget out of her apron pocket and examined it. "That's all. But she's not super chatty, right? I needed a little incentive for her to show up."

"My mother is dead," Yang said.

"No, she's not," the woman said. "I'm pretty sure you know that. Is that your attempt at a bluff?"

"If you mean Raven Branwen--" Yang didn't even think of trying to play this off somehow; she wasn't that subtle. "--we're not close. And she's not going to show up to bail me out, so, sorry, but you wasted your time. She only thinks about herself."

"I mean, that is the popular story," the woman shrugged. "But a mother never really forgets. Take it from me. Anyway, what else does she have left?"

She walked to a table and picked up some blueprints. "I'm sure this invention will work. I just need a bit more power. D--- it, I'll have to use most of that new supply run. D--- Ironwood and his embargo. Set me back months, the fool."

"I know who you are," Yang said narrowly. "You're the inventor, Victoria Kanap."

"My reputation proceeds me?" The woman looked up. "Really? How odd, I was so careful to disappear. Don't tell me someone has been more indiscreet than I thought."

"Why do you want my mother?" Yang asked. "I thought it was the Summer Maiden."

Victoria faced her more head on.

"You know an awful lot," she said, and her tone shifted into this cold, calculated one that was wholly different from before. It made a chill go down Yang's spine. "Don't tell me you've all contrived to be a little more clever than my colleagues thought? Well, isn't that just embarrassing. You know who I am? You know what I want? Or have I been double crossed already?"

Yang was silent.

"Now we aren't talkative?" Victoria put a hand to her chin and leaned forward a little, still calculating. "Well, I'm sorry to see it. How much of your group knows about me? Just you?... No, you're not that clever. Your d--- uncle maybe...or Raven herself. Hmm, that could complicate things. I'd better be ready for any number of surprise visitors."