The Wilted Rose

Chapter 11: Outlaws At Last

Mantle

11:00 PM

3 years to the fall

Y/n pov

Roy: Time to wake up, Red.

I groggily opened my eyes and saw that we were about to land in the tundra just a couple miles outside of Mantle. The area we chose was a very convenient blind spot, I gotta say. I stood from the cockpit chair and made my way to the hold. Winter at some point stopped struggling. Still looked like she wanted to rip me limb from limb though. 

Kyle was sleeping soundly next to Caroline. If I didn't know better, I'd think she was his mother. I noticed now that it was quiet that Caroline didn't have any outward traits that indicated she was a faunus. Would it be rude to ask? 

I walked to them softly. Caroline looked up at me and smiled. Now that I really looked, she looked to be about mid to late twenties with short light brown hair. I sat beside her, making sure that Winter and the pilots were well out of view before removing my mask. Caroline took a moment to actually examine my features, which was a little embarrassing to say the least.

Caroline: How old are you?

Y/n: Hmph, how old are you?

Caroline: Its rude to ask a lady that. 

Y/n: Never learned my manners....

We sat in silence for a moment before I chose to answer her question.

Y/n: Sixteen.

Caroline looked a little surprised.

Caroline: You look much older than that.

Y/n: Who's being rude now? Saying I look old.

Caroline laughed softly and I smiled. My sisters and I had interactions like this all the time when we were younger. Vernal did too, but it wasn't quite the same. She never let her walls down completely around Roy or I. Like she was expecting the worst of us.... Guess we proved her right. 

I let the thoughts go. They were of little use right now. I focused on Caroline again. Examining her again, I still didn't see any faunus traits. Looks like I was going to have to ask her. 

Y/n: I'm sorry if this is rude, but what kind of faunus are you?

Carolines' smile faltered. 

Caroline: I'm a eagle faunus. My eyes are developed much more than the average faunus. Hardly anyone notices at first glance. I was never accepted by faunus because of how subtle my traits are, and once humans realize that I am one.... Well, you know....

Y/n: If that's how it is, then why stick with faunus instead of striking out on your own?

Caroline: No one can survive on their own. Not only that, of the two, Faunus tend to treat there own better than humans do, even if they don't fully accept me. Its very rare to see a human who sees us as equal; Its even rarer to see two at the same time. Makes me want to buy a lottery ticket. 

I laughed a bit at her joke. Had to have some humor when it came to topics like these. I figured we had another fifteen or so before we reached our landing zone. I put my mask back on and decided it was time to get to work. Why did Jacques Schnee have a crate full of weapons, and how many more did too...

Roy pov

I was starting to get tired. Fighting through a Mine shaft full of bad guys tends to do that to you. I engaged the auto-pilot and stood up. I needed to do something to wake myself up. I went to reach for the big-ass gun I had taken but remembered that Y/n took it. He better not have broken the damn thing. I learn quickly but I don't want to mess around with the internals of weapons I don't understand. That's how accidents happen.