Chapter One: In the Cloak of Night

(BLAKE)

Thunder.

The roar echoed off the near empty streets, a storm was brewing and getting ready to unleash its wrath upon the city of Vale. The street lamps hummed with electricity and stained the streets in a yellow glow. Shadows contorted from the objects they were spawned and became terrify tendrils, from them a rouge shadow emerged without a source of origin.

Blake walked swiftly down the middle of the street, her eyes darting back and forth. Her increased senses allowing her to see through the shadows and to what lay beyond. She reached into her jacket and pulled out a sliver of paper, the piece of parchment only had an address, she was more concerned as to who had sent the note and why.

Clunk!

A soft sound of metal had Blake ducking seamlessly back into the shadows, her visage lost to the darkness. Her cat ears, tucked underneath a solid black bow, swiveled and help ascertain the location of the noise. Her eyes focused in on a couple of garbage cans, to the average bystander innocuous enough, but experience and instincts told Blake otherwise.

Using her twin weapons, Gambol & Shroud, she vaulted onto a building above her. Using a telephone cable as a high wire, she crossed the street to the adjacent building. Eyes closed she worked to slow down her heart rate, the beating in her chest became a slow, melodic rhythm. She opened her eyes and silently stalked over to the edge of the building. A shadowy figure was peering over the trash and towards the spot where Blake had disappeared, a white mask across their face showing their allegiance to the White Fang. Blake rolled her toes and took a single, deep, breath before pouncing upon the unsuspecting victim.

"GAAHH!" The figure cried, as she slammed into him, bringing her feet up and landing squarely on their back. Blake didn't hesitate to act, she drew forth her cleaver and pulled it to the persons throat.

"Who are you looking for?" Blake questioned, in a threatening tone, her pupils dilated giving her a more threatening appearance of a creature swathed in shadow than a huntress.

"B-B-B-Blake?" The figures voice quivered, Blake's ears perked up at the sound of a familiar voice. She grabbed the figure by the shoulder and twisted them around and ripping off the unsettling mask.

"Terrance!" Blake said in shock, she looked at the 14-year-old boy before her in amazement. "You've grown since I last saw you!" Her mind calling back to the 12-year-old lanky kid plagued with acne and the horrors of early puberty. Gone was that child, in it's place was a raven-haired teen, freckles dotting his pale face, his voice a deeper timbre as he sat on the cusp of manhood.

"You scared the shit out of me!" The boy cried in frustration, lightly punching her on the arm. "D-don't be doing that again!" Blake let out a playful laugh, it had been a favorite pastime of hers to sneak up on the younger recruits of the White Fang to help both teach and hone there more instinctive abilities as faunas.

"Well this is a pleasant surprise, when the I received that letter I was expecting someone…else." Blake opined as she studied him more closely and he studied her. He was dressed in an overcoat and wide brim horns to hide his ram-like horns; however, the tips could still be seen as they curved just behind his ear.

"You mean Adam?" Terrance guessed as he snatched the mask from her "No, I'm afraid Mr. I've-got-a-stick-up-my-ass is elsewhere, and I need your help." Blake smirked at Terrance's snarky reply, but it'd be a lie if she didn't suspect one of the higher-ranking members of the organization to be behind the message and perhaps a trap or two. She was still on edge as it was, occasional glancing roof ward and down either end of the alley for a possible trap, the White Fang was not an organization that took kindly to deserters.

"What's the problem?" Blake asked calmly, causing Terrance to suddenly grow pale and sickly.

"Well…I…It's uh…" He looked down, his eyes wide as he absentmindedly reached up and tugged on his horn. He looked back at her with a haunting stare, "It's best if you see for yourself."

Blake thought for a second. "Alright," she said calmly, "I'll go, but if this is a trap I will cut you to pieces before I go down."

Terrance gave her a horrified look and tugged at his collar, "Geez Blake! …alright, follow me." Together they began to walk down the street. "Of all the crazy people I ask for help it had to be this broad." He muttered under his breath, while silently praying for his throat to be intact by the end of the night.

…

A few minutes later, the duo found themselves standing outside of a door on a side street, a light rain had begun to fall, lightening arced across the sky. Blake noticed the lack of a handle on the outside of the door, she quietly gripped the pommel of Gambol a little tighter. Terrance preformed an elaborate knock at the door, for a few moments there was silence. Suddenly, a tiny slit a top the door swished open, revealing a pair of angry, bloodshot eyes. "Password…now." A gruff and tired voice demanded.

"Passwords are for those without friends and we're all friends here." Terrance retorted calmly, the pair of eyes rolled and muttered a few swears before swiftly shutting. Blake's ears perked up, underneath her bow as the sound of locks could be heard opening behind the door.

'A dead-bolt …a padlock…a turn-lock…' she thought, she heard several more she couldn't identify. If she was going to need to escape, it wouldn't be through the same way she was coming in. After a few seconds the door swung open with a horrible metallic screech causing Blake to flinch. A woman stood in the doorway, and let out a sigh, "alright Terrance what is it this time?" She was wearing a skirt and blouse like a nurse outfit.

Terrance looked at her with a cocky grin, "well Abigail, it just so happens that I found a person who can help us with our problem." Judging by the shocked look on the woman's face she wasn't pleased, whether it was for being called Abigail or the unwelcome guest, Blake couldn't tell. Before Blake could think of anything to say, the woman grabbed the two with a surprisingly strong grip and yanked them in before slamming the door closed with a thunderous boom.

The woman quickly reset the locks before turning and looming over the boy, Terrance went to speak.

SMACK!

"How dare you bring an stranger her!" She chided, her hand still raised threateningly.

"Well it beats sitting on my ass and praying our problems just end!" Terrance retorted angrily. "Judging by those hips of yours I'd say sitting is the last thing you need to be doing!"

There was a scuffle and Blake watched in bewilderment as the two threw fists and insults that grew progressively more profane. The woman had no outward traits of a faunas, but Blake could tell from her scent that she was, perhaps something hidden by her nurse outfit. Suddenly, a new noise began to draw in Blake's attention.

"o-o-ooo," came from down a hallway.

It was a low groan, barely perceptible to Blake, but it was there. She looked at the two feuding for a moment and decided to slip away to investigate the source of the miserable sound. She found herself walking deeper into the building, the lights off and a deafening silence filled the chilled air. However, where to some it might be a hindrance, to Blake it was a blessing as the shadows gave her cover as she stealthily crept down the halls.

"O-o-o-p-l-e-a-s-e." A voice called out, weakly from behind a curtain, Blake heard a loud throbbing noise in her ears. She realized it was her own heart beta as she came up to a white sheet that covered a doorway. She took a shallow breath and then pushed forward, fear keeping her on a knife's edge.

The room was spacious with fans gently circulating the air. A table ran down the center with an assortment of papers, a small radio, and a mug of old coffee from what Blake could tell. A row of curtains sectioned off the room on either side, on the far end, a wheezy voice sucked in air and breathed out slowly. "O-o-o….help…" a young voice rattled, Blake felt her blood run cold as her heart began to work double time. A bead of sweat trickling down her neck, she gently pulled the curtain back, she let out a gasp at the sight before her.

A girl lay in a make-shift hospital bed, her forehead was soaked with sweat and eyes closed, underneath them lay dark circles. Her skin was sickly pale white, and her breathing was shallow. "Wha?" Blake muttered uncomprehendingly, the noise seeming to rouse the girl for her fitful sleep. Her eyes were a brilliant emerald among her otherwise dull features, she stared up at Blake sleepily as her vision adjusted. "Easy," Blake whispered as she reached forward to comfort the small child, suddenly the child's face twisted in terror.

"NO!" The child screamed with a primal fear, causing Blake to jump back in fright. The young girl struggled to get up, to run away, but Blake noticed a pair of leather restraints holding her to the bed. She strained to escape, but her bonds proved insurmountable. Blake accidentally bumped into something behind her as she backed away, she turned and felt her heart nearly run into her throat. A man sat in the bed staring at the woman before her, uncomprehending as he moaned. Bloodied bandages covered his head, his sickly complexion similar to the girl.

Tap-Tap-Tap-Tap-Tap

Blake's attention snapped towards the hallway…someone was coming.

Deciding to take precautions she swept under the desk, just as Terrance and the woman came barging into the room. "I can't believe you let that woman in here!" Abigail screeched over the girls' cries, Terrance merely held his head in shame. Blake noticed he was now nursing a black eye which covered the lower third of his cheek. "Quick! Get me some sedatives, 3cc's!"

Terrance was quick to move as he walked over to the desk and pulled out a draw, reaching inside. He swiftly moved over to where the woman was now holding the child still. "Aim for the main vain!" She demanded, Terrance looked at the girl as she thrashed about and tried to locate it. The woman rolled her eyes and snatched the syringe from his hands before batting him away. "Aw hell, just let me do everything then!"

In no time, she quickly inserted the needle and pushed down on the syringe. Immediately, the girls' vain attempts of escape grew still, and her screaming ceased. The woman wiped her forehead and shook her head, Terrance shook his head and stared at his feet in defeat.

Click!

Shnik!

Blake moved like a phantom clicking on a lamp and pointing the light into their eyes and then pulling forth her gun. The two looked up in surprise before they both threw up her hands in fear, only Blake's yellow eyes were visible… and they were filled with rage. "Alright you two!" She threatened in a low monotone voice, "I've seen enough, and I want to know what the hell is going on here before I sic every police officer and hunter on this place!" She held her scroll aloft ready to dial up her team, the two paled at the thought.

"N-n-now listen!" Abigail stammered.

"No! I want answers, what is going on here? Who is she? Why is she sick?" Blake snarled, her gun shaking slightly in fear.

"That's what I was trying to tell you," Terrance began softly, "we need you to find out." He looked at Abigail and nodded, "show her."

The woman looked at Blake and sighed, "I guess…you've seen enough already." She gently stroked the head of the sedated child before reaching over and grabbing a cool, damp rag and placing it on her forehead. "We found her, along with everyone else in here, abandoned and left out in the street and clinging to life. They are all faunas…or at least they used to be."

"Used to be?" Blake said quizzically, lowering her gun. The woman grimaced at Blake's question before standing up and gently pushing the girl onto her side. She beckoned her to come close, Blake felt her heart speed up again as she eased towards the bed. The woman shined a light down the woman's back, from the neck to the base of her back. As the light shined down Blake's eyes and she let out a gasp of absolute horror feeling her legs nearly give out from under her, she gently grabbed a nearby chair for support. She finally understood why Terrance had been so keen for her to see it with her own eyes.

Where the faunas' girls tail should have been, only a bandage and some stitches were to be seen.

"She's one of the lucky ones." The woman said coldly, Blake looked away from the grizzly scene to the woman. "Some of them aren't even given stitches, just a gaping wound or worst."

"Why haven't you taken them to the hospital!" Blake argued, the woman shrugged and pointed to all of the curtains in the room.

"Hospitals aren't to keen to treating faunas well, plus many of these people have no recollection of where they are, who they are, or what happened to them. The last thing these people need is a bunch of hunters and officers running some slip-shot interrogation onto them."

"That's why we need you Blake." Terrance cut in, looking at Blake with sincere, pleading eyes. "You were the best at getting to the bottom of these problems. I know you can find whoever is doing… this… and put an end to it."

Blake found herself sitting down, from the weight of what she had just witnessed or from what was being asked of her, she couldn't tell. "I…I…"

Abigail walked over to her and kneeled in front of her, pity in her eyes. "Listen, Terrance obviously overestimated what you could do, why don't you just head back to Beacon and forget about this. It brings me pride to see when faunas become hunters and protects the rest of us, I'd hate to see you get wrapped up in…all this." Blake looked up at her, uncertain how to respond. It was true, she didn't even know where to begin, she didn't even have a potential suspects list. Suddenly, she heard the sickly girl attempting to turn over in bed, tears in her eyes.

"M…momma…help..." She whimpered, Blake slowly stood up, Abigail took a cautious step back from the huntress.

"I start tomorrow…" Blake growled, giving a sad glance to the child, she then turned and walked to the door, her body merging with the darkness. Where the huntress began and shadow ended, Abigail couldn't say.