The Smuggler of Vale

Out With the Old

I sat by Miltia's bed quietly with my head in my hands. It's been a couple of hours since my breakdown and my head was still reeling. I told Qrow I needed to think and he said he'd be right outside. I asked my father for years who my mother was and never got anywhere with it, it was always just training. He found what I was good at and drilled it into me until I was perfect. He sure as shit wasn't perfect, but at least he was around until I left for Vacuo. So that makes Yang my half-sister, and I never knew I had one. Did Raven just dump me on my dad's doorstep? Then she fucked off and joined Beacon for a while to get with Yang's dad and abandoned him and her too. What am I supposed to do with that information?  

I continued thinking until I heard a gasp next to me snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Melanie," she shouted as I stood up from my chair.

"Miltia, it's me, do you recognize me?" I asked firmly putting my hand on her shoulder

She jerked back and stared at me, I saw her eyes focus and she visibly relaxed "Good, you saved us,"

I said nothing and let her examine the room, I could see the realization that her sister wasn't here, dawning on her face.

"Smuggler, where is my sister?" She said with fear at the edge of her voice.

I took a deep breath, "She's gone, I'm sorry,"

"As in they took her?" She said tears starting to form.

"I'm afraid not," I said simply without emotion

She stared at me in disbelief, and then tears started falling as the realization set in. I stood quietly as she cried and wept from the bottom of her soul. The second person to have a startling revelation in this room today. I tried to put my hand back on her shoulder, and she jerked away again.

"DON'T TOUCH ME,"  she shouted "IF YOU WEREN'T OFF SAVING YOUR OWN SKIN, NONE OF THIS WOULD'VE HAPPENED,"

I said nothing just met her angry gaze without emotion "I'm sorry,"

"YOU'RE SORRY? WELL THANK THE MAIDENS, THE GREAT CRIMSON BLACK IS SORRY. TELL ME WILL THAT BRING MY SISTER BACK?"

"No," I said simply

"NO, WELL THAN THAT JUST SHOWS WHAT YOUR SYMPATHY IS WORTH DOESN'T IT?"

I stood there quietly as she sobbed violently again, after she finally started to settle down I spoke up again "Miltia, Junior called me last night and told me what happened, I left immediately to come help. I'm sorry I didn't track you down sooner. Junior warned me this would happen. I didn't believe him if you want. I can take you back to the nightclub-" I paused as she visibly jerked

"NO," she shrieked and I felt my eyes widen

I sat there as she trembled, but not just with sobs, with fear so palpable I could smell the endorphins. "Miltia, why don't you want to go back?"

She sat there sobbing away again curling up and turning away from me. I racked my brain trying to figure out why she wouldn't want to go back, Junior's like a father to these girls.

"Miltia, I need you to talk to me," I said sitting back down next to her bed.

"Junior-" She gasped out between sobs "Betrayed...us,"

"How did he betray you?" I asked carefully

"We...wouldn't... help," she managed before she broke back down

I sat back and finally pieced it together. This was a trap laid for me by Junior, the twins were the bait, Cinder must've finally broken him and he came up with this plan as proof of loyalty. The twins wouldn't go along with this and he turned on them. His men never turned on him, they were under orders.