As It Turns Out 12

"You think they're okay back there?"

Yang nodded. "Probably. Oobleck is a Huntsman, and one that teaches at Beacon. Guy is probably scary strong." Even if he was a quirky man, Yang wouldn't be surprised if he was as strong as her uncle.

Elroy grimaced. "If you say so..." He wanted to be there, in the thick of it.

Not because he particularly enjoyed fighting terrorists, considering his last experience with them had been him trying to run and failing miserably. However, he wanted to make sure the deal with Roman wasn't cracking or anything.

Alas, he wasn't exactly up to par with the others, so he was put in the easiest position they could find. Guarding outside.

Which was actually something important, as shown by the fact that they also put someone who could actually fight in the form of Yang. Grimm would be attracted to the secret base once the White Fang started getting their asses kicked after all, and so it was their job to stop them from turning the whole thing into a massacre.

Yes, apparently fighting Grimm was safer than fighting terrorists. Elroy didn't know how to feel about that.

Yang's face shifted with concern. "So... you okay there, hubbie?"

Had she succumbed to the power of awkward silence and could not hold back anymore? "Yes...?" Where had that question even coming?

Yang nodded. "Great." And then she nodded to herself. "Really great. Yeah."

Now he was the one concerned. "Did something happen?" He looked over his own body. "I'm not wounded or anything, am I?" He had heard stories about it.

Huntsman who would get hurt, and then simply walk away and not notice anything, not even raise their Aura to heal themselves, which eventually got them killed. It was something about adrenaline making one ignore pain.

Yang's eyes widened. "No! I think..." Now it was her turn to look him up and down, eventually becoming satisfied at not finding anything. "It's just that... you teleported into a White Fang base and got captured. I just wanted to know if you're okay after that."

Now that she said it... "I'm fine. I think." He put a hand to his chin. "Things went surprisingly well, since I've... lucked into Soul Bonding with Neo." He said lucked because he would have been dead otherwise.

Using Ruby's Semblance to try and escape had failed after all. If he ever got put into such a situation again, he would perhaps use Weiss' Semblance to jump over the mob of enemies instead.

Yang sighed. "Don't even remind me of that..." Her life was now tied with some criminal. For the second time. Damn it Blake. Well, at least Pyrrha sounded like a nice sister-wife to have.

She couldn't believe she just thought that.

But that wasn't time to think about any of that. "Welp, if you're okay, then you're okay." It was certainly a relief.

Beacon... and Signal to some extent, gave Huntsman classes on how to calm down a civilian who had found himself stuck in a combat area. Something which was very common when Grimm typically made villages into those areas. So far Elroy hadn't acted like those hypothetical civilians, which was certainly nice.

She had no idea how she would go about comforting her husband if he had been panicking. She was pretty sure any lessons she had learned would have flied straight out of her head.

Elroy tilted his head. "And what about you Yang? Are you alright?"

She blushed. "Where did that come from?" She was the Huntress here. "If you're worried about me fighting, don't be. This place only has like... Beowolfs and Creeps anyways." Some small Nevermore too. Nothing bad.

He shook his head. "I am not talking about your combat prowess, I have no doubt you will act magnificently." What did she mean by creeps though? Was that a insult? "It's just that you seem... shaken by something."

Yang look down. "I do, don't I?" She knew what he was talking about, she just didn't want to linger on it.

He nodded. "If you wish to talk, I'm here." Even if it was an awkward moment to do so.

Yang slowly, and hesitantly nodded back. "It's just that I... Am I doing something wrong with this whole Soul Bond thing? If that's the case, you can tell me you know?"

He immediately denied. "If one of us has wronged so far, it most likely has been me." They had all been great, taking the whole harem thing surprisingly well. "Why do you ask, Yang?" He didn't think she was insecure.

At least not beyond the level of insecurity all of team RWBY had shown so far.

Her blush became more prominent. "You know... 'cause... you and Blake did it." She couldn't believe she was talking about this with her husband. "And... I just wanted to know... like..." Seriously! "Why?"

Now Elroy couldn't help, but blush as well. "B-because the opportunity presented itself, I suppose."

She snorted. "Yeah, that's what I would expect from a guy. W-why Blake though? Is she more of your type?" Yang couldn't exactly blame him, cat girls and all. Blake was smoking hot.

"Not really." He winced, that was not something one should say about one's own wife. "Actually, she is my type, but so are you, Yang." And everyone else too.

Elroy may have not been in love with them due to some strange reason, but that didn't mean he couldn't... erm... appreciate their aesthetics so to speak. Basically, his wives were all super hot, even Ruby in her own way.

A weak smile appeared on Yang's face. "Good to hear... why pursue her so much then?"

Elroy's eyes widened. "Pursue her...?" Had he done such a thing? "I... My apologies, but I'm confused at that."

His confusion made Yang angry however. "You know... You guys are always together and stuff, and now you're bumping uglies... She got the first Soul Bond, the first kiss, and even the first... you know." Technically Penny had gotten the first kiss, but that didn't count. It was just a peck.

Elroy frowned. "I... If I'm being honest, Blake has gotten none of my firsts besides the Soul Bond." Which he couldn't exactly control. "I haven't been focusing particularly on her, truly."

He looked down. "With that said, I'm sorry Yang." He knew the mistake he had been made. "I have not been giving you... and everyone else, the same opportunities." He had messed up in his attempt to make them comfortable.

He continued. "I decided to be passive in this relationship due to its nature, to let everyone be on equal footing, but Blake already had experience in romantic relationships. So she moved faster than everyone else..." Her rapid progress must have made it seem like she was being prioritized.

But the truth is that for her and Elroy, kisses and the like just weren't the end of the world. Still, he should have taken into account how that was very much not the same for the rest.

He had made a mistake. "I will try to change my approach, that I promise you Yang."

Yang's smile became more confident. "T-thanks, I'd appreciate it... Man, you're just as agreeable as always."

Elroy scrunched his eyebrows together, almost offended. "Agreeable? What is that supposed to mean?"

She tilted her head. "It means that I'm pretty sure if Ruby asked you to be her pony, and made a convincing enough argument, you would agree and actually do it." Though Ruby wasn't really in that age anymore. Probably. "Don't stress over it, it's not a bad quality to have."

His smile became constrained. "I'll try to take that as a compliment then." He would not become a pony!

She chuckled. "Good! It's meant to be one! And also... sorry for putting you in this awkward spot, hubbie, with accusing you of picking one over the other." By the end her face was full of guilty.

And Elroy was back to being confused. "No need to apologize for that. It was my mistake." But if she was feeling this way, perhaps he had made another?

Yang waved him off. "Maybe a little bit, but I'm not a saint either. I'm not supposed to act super jealous and stuff..." Her face became red. "I really did miss you though, so I guess those feelings came to the forefront."

She could bet she was the only one who had felt this way. Ruby probably didn't care too much, and Weiss probably took Blake passing ahead as a challenge instead of a monumental loss.

She continued. "It's pretty strange ya know? Not a lot of time passed, and I don't think I would have been freaking out if you just decided to take a weekend off and didn't contact me. But for some reason this mission felt more... Ugh... I guess it's because of the distance."

Was she really about to talk about this...? Well, it was Elroy, so it was fine. "The truth is... I don't really know how to deal with this Soul Bond business."

"I believe that may apply to all of us." And especially to him! "So do not worry. We'll figure it out as we go." He really hoped that would apply to him as well.

"Yeah." Which is why she was happy they had this talk. "But even back before I Soul Bonded with you... well... I kind of hated this whole Soul Bond thing you know?"

He gasped. "Really?"

"Uhum." Even if it was probably for a stupid reason. "It wasn't something I obsessed about or anything, but if I was in a history class and the teacher suddenly talked about some legendary kind and his legendary queen who were Soul Bonded, I would frown and roll my eyes."

She put a hand on her Mark, bellow her scarf. "And the reason for that is... Ugh... My parents were a bunch of screw ups. Like... really bad screw ups, or at least my mom was." Her dad put his act together eventually, at least.

"I'm sure you have been wondering why Ruby and I don't exactly look related... well, that's because she's my half-sister. My biological mom just... went to who knows where after she had me." All Yang knew about her is that she had been part of her dad's team.

She sighed. "And then there was Ruby's mom... who is also basically my mom." She did raise Yang... for a while. "She went and got herself killed, so that relationship didn't last either." It hurt to even think about it.

She frowned. "And you know the funny part? She and dad had gotten matching tattoos. A fake Mark. It was supposed to be a symbol of how she, differently from my biological mom, wouldn't leave dad. You can see how that went."

"So I... kinda started disliking Soul Bonding. Thought it was unfair how some people had it, how maybe my mothers would have stayed if their souls like dad too, or whatever." It was stupid. She knew that.

But she couldn't help it. "And then I got Soul Bonded, and suddenly I'm married to someone, and I don't even feel like complaining because I actually love the guy." She pouted. "I'm like... someone who took her family out of poverty by winning the lottery. Feels kinds dirty, but I can't complain."

"And the worst part is that this whole Mark really does feel like a crutch... I mean, when I got it, my first thought was, great! Now he won't leave me! How pathetic is that?" She was definitely a mess.

Elroy looked down. "A crutch huh?" For him, that was just funny considering he didn't felt it. "It is one. That much is true."

"Wait!? You are actually agreeing with it!?" She didn't expect that!

"I would be a fool to deny it." It would be like saying the sky is green. "It's a simple truth... maybe if it wasn't for the Mark, our relationship would have never started in the first place. I certainly know I don't make a habit of talking to Huntresses."

"However, crutch or not, it is real, and it has started. A bond between us has been established, perhaps not in the most common way, but it is a bond nonetheless." And it
might just be the most strange bond in history. "And I do not blame you for trying to nurture it, Yang."

"You see any mistake made in this relationship as an affront. I see it as a proof that we are trying our best, that you are trying your best." Now here came the part that would probably get her mad. "Which makes us better than your biological mother in many, many ways."

She crossed her arms. "Oh yeah?" She gotten angry, as expected.

But he didn't back down. "Yes. Do not misunderstand, I am not saying one should remain a slave to their loved ones, but one does have a responsibility to their family."

"I do not know why she left, but I do know she should have fought harder for you. Fought as hard as you fight for me." He looked down. "And as for your second mother, your true one... That was a simple tragedy Yang, to blame the world for is as natural as breathing."

Yang scoffed. "Well, that's easy to say—." And then her eyes widened, as realization struck. "Oh shit, I'm complaining about unfairness to an orphan."

He smiled. "It is in your right to do so. My lot in life does not invalidate yours. And besides, while I may not do much of it nowadays, I have certainly raged against my fate quite a bit in the past."

She tilted her head. "I see... did you... how did you feel about them?"

He closed his eyes. "Love. I think. I do not remember much of them, but they did not fail me, their time simply... ran out. But I'm certain that they tried their best."

She pouted. "Yeah, yeah, I get it hubbie."

He chuckled. "I'm serious Yang. Do not compare yourself to your biological mother, she should be the one comparing herself to you. As far as I'm concerned, you have throughly surpassed her." He had no like for a woman who would abandon her own child.

It felt like a spit to the face of his parents who were robbed of the chance of raising their own.

Hesitantly, Yang nodded. "I'll try." She still wanted to meet her mother one day though.

If nothing else, to call her a coward.

The ground began to shake. "An Earthquake?" Elroy looked around, that would be troublesome for his friends down there. Really troublesome.

Yang waved him off. "Nah. It's probably just the fight starting."

Elroy paled. "They are causing all of this with their fight?" And the worst part is that he could see it. Mountain Glenn wasn't an area that suffered from earthquakes, if it was they wouldn't have focused on subterranean development.

He shook his head, clearing his mind. "Then let's hope they aren't falling for a trap, and do our job." Though if they did, it wouldn't be the end of the world.

Yang and Erloy hadn't gone after all, so they could do something about it. And that was not to mention how Doctor Oobleck had called reinforcements from Vale who were probably in their way already.

Yang grinned. "Now that's what I'm talking about!" She punched her fists together, and activated her weapon. "Just remember to stay back, if you don't get in their way, the Grimm won't target you." They would be too focused on the emotions down below.

Elroy drew his sword. "I'll do my best." Yang clearly wanted him to hide, but maybe he could kill a few here and there?

As they had predicted, Grimm came rushing in for their area, seeking an entrance to the fight down below.

Yang didn't hesitate to rush-in. "Woohoo!" Using her gauntlets to quite literally fly in, and throwing herself at a pack of Beowolfs.

Elroy however, stood still, watching them from afar. This was his first time seeing a Grimm that wasn't just a enemy in some propaganda movie about how Huntsman could totally make mince meat of them.

"They're disgusting..." Elroy expected to see a terrifying monster, but to him they just looked like utterly ugly and filthy animals. The enemy of humanity sure was disappointing, it was outright insulting even.

He nodded to himself. "I can kill them." If they were like this, then there was nothing to fear.

He called upon Ruby's Semblance, and made way to Yang. He definitely could not do what she was doing, their levels of skills were quite literally years apart, but he could support her and kill any wounded Grimm she left behind.

However, Yang was naturally surprised at him moving to the thick of it. "Elroy!? Go back!" Even as she spoke, she didn't stop attacking Grimm with her gauntlets.

He covered her back, slashing at a Grimm's head and taking it. "It's fine. I'll retreat should this prove too much." His Aura was shining, covering his entire body.

It was a waste of energy really, but it was what he knew. And it would protect him from any blow... besides, if he did reach his limit, he could ask Penny for more. He doubted she was engaged in combat.

Yang blushed, and didn't argue back. "Okay! Let's kick ass!" She knew she should have sent him back, but... couldn't a girl fight by her husband's side!?

And so they began, Elroy had been worried he would drag her back, but his Mark made sure he was always at least out of her way. A pair of Marked fought perfectly side-by-side after all.

Yang's eyes widened, as he cut the head from another Beowolf. "You're doing surprisingly well!"

"Well, I am cheating." It was definitely unfair that he could use Ruby's and Blake's Semblance whenever he wanted to retreat. "Or perhaps your job is simple enough that even a supermarket cashier can do it?" A little bit of teasing was okay, right?

She chuckled. "Don't push it buster! You're lucky we're dealing with small fries." With a quick blow she sent a Beowolf flying. "I did say to Penny that Beowolf were basically not Grimm."

"Indeed." He spotted a strange Grimm out of the corner of his eyes. "And I believe one of these small fries is testing their luck." The thing was trying to dig down...

He steadied his body. "Here I go then..." Summoned a gliph beneath himself, and then launched his body at the thing. While leaving a clone behind and speeding himself up with Ruby's Semblance.

A interesting thing about Blake's Semblance, is that it did create some amount of momentum in a direction of one's choosing.

Wedding Ring, that was the name Ruby had given to his weapon. Apparently it was surprisingly well made for something found in a store, having a total of three forms, rapier, spear and a shotgun. He only knew how to use the rapier form, and barely.

There was something else that was special about it however. It's blade had Red Dust infused with it, ignating when Aura passed through a specific part of it.

Elroy did it so, and the blade burst with fire.

And so the small Grimm was trounced by a man who was speed up by three Semblances who was carrying a fire sword. It was like a truck had hit him.

He quite literally evaporated. "Perhaps that was a bit of overkill..." He didn't know if the thing was gonna be strong or not though. A small size did not mean a lack of power.

He was now empty however, so he took a deep breath and called for Penny. Soon after, his Aura shined seven colors once again.

He raised his sword. "Yang, focus on the small Grimm! They're trying to dig down!" Some Grimm wouldn inevitably pass through their blockade.

However, Beowolfs had to at least find entrances, find holes in the ground. This other, weaker creature, could make holes. And even if they posed no threat, it would still become a new entrance, a new problem to deal with.

Yang gave him a thumps up. "The Creeps!? Sure!" And so her focus shifted.

"Ah... I'm glad she wasn't calling me creep." So that was the name of those small filthy things huh?

He launched himself at another, this time with only Weiss' Semblance. And then at another. And then at another. It became almost routine... and before long the ground stopped shaking. Grimm stopped appearing.

Yang let out a sigh of disappointment. "Ow... We finished them all before I even found a big one..." She wanted to fight a King Taijitu or something!

"I believe that is a good thing, Yang." He sheated his sword, having full faith his friends had made it through. "This battle is over. The day is won."

Winning felt good, unsurprisingly.



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Winning had led to scary results, unsurprisingly.

"Erloy Reyne." Ironwood stood before him, because he of all people had come as support, and he was far more intimidating than a lousy pack of Grimm. "A job well done, but... are you really asking that of me?"

Elroy sighed. "Yes... please pardon my wife and her friend... brother... guy." He probably came off as ridiculous.

Especially since Neo was sitting on his lap. That definitely didn't look good.