Chapter 1: Into the Quarry
Weiss
Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, was in the middle of a training simulation with her partner Ruby Rose, when Yang Xiao Long interrupted.
"You guys, come quickly. You need to check this out. It's all over the news right now," she cried. Judging from her dishevelled hair, distressed tone and out of breath pants, Weiss knew that something serious must have happened because Yang is not someone whose hair falls out of place all that often.
"What's going on?" Ruby asked while collapsing Crescent Rose and turning to face her sister.
Weiss followed suit, sheathing Myrtenaster.
"I think this is something you have to see for yourself."
More anxious than curious, Weiss and her partner followed Yang out to the main student lounge where a sizable crowd had already gathered. They spotted Blake Belladonna, the last member of Team RWBY, amidst the mass of bodies closest to the holographic screen on the wall, and rushed over to join her. Blake's eyes remain fixated to the screen, her only acknowledgement that her teammates had joined her being a subtle twitch of the black bow on top of her head. Since that incident with Roman Torchwick and the cargos, Weiss had already come to terms with the fact that Blake is a faunus and used to be a member of the White Fang, but she still found reminders of Blake's history difficult to fully reconcile because of the all too painful memories from her past.
Weiss followed Blake's eyes to the screen where scenes of collapsed rocks and injured people, no, faunus, flashed through. The air was thick with clouds of black dust. Lisa Lavender's voice could be heard in the background as the camera swept through the devastation.
"As of now, we have no information on the number of casualties. Early estimates range between 200 to 300 faunus workers who are either injured, trapped, or possibly dead. Their status is unclear, since less than a small handful made it out in time before the second, larger explosion blocked the only entrance to the dust mine. No rescue attempt has been made yet since the Vale News Network first arrived on the scene. So far, the Schnee Dust Company representatives have not released any statements, despite this being the most devastating mining accident in recent history."
Lisa continued, "Founded by Lord Walther Schnee fifty years ago, the Schnee Dust Company is one of the largest producers of dust. It is considered one of the most powerful corporations in Vale. Current CEO, Anton Schnee, is the son of the founder…"
Weiss flinched sharply. Schnee. Dust. Company. Her family's company. Anton, her father. Responsible for the potential death of hundreds. There have been minor accidents in the past, but nothing to this magnitude. What happened? Beside her, Blake stood with clenched fists, body tense and agitated. Weiss thought about reaching out and placing a hand on Blake's shoulder, but decided against it. What could she say anyway?
She could barely make out Lisa's report on the Schnee Dust Company's use of faunus labour over the decades and the new changes in the Faunus Rights Bill. Right now, Weiss was only fixated on the confusion and fear racing through her mind, and Blake.
No one spoke around her. Every single student transfixed and in awe of the events that unfolded before them. News of disasters were rare, and such casualty numbers have been unheard of since the Faunus Rights Revolution, an event that happened before their time anyway.
"Rescue efforts have been minimal. According to Vale city officials, the reason for this is due to the high risk nature of extracting survivors from a mine that could potential explode again and fully collapse at any given moment. Scientists monitoring the situation have reported dangerously high levels of methane and coal dust to back up the claims."
"Oh no," Ruby exclaimed beside her. Her face revealed everything she felt. Ruby always cared about everyone. "Those poor miners."
Weiss could feel the awkward gazes directed towards her as if she's somehow responsible for this entire catastrophe. Her face felt flushed and her pulse quickened. The erratic beating of her heart was deafening to her own ears. From the periphery of her eyes, Weiss noted a few students discreetly whispering to each other, but she could no longer hear anything over the turmoil in her mind.
"Blake! Where are you going?"
Yang's voice drew her out of her reverie. The now empty space that was once occupied by the faunus confirmed Yang's question.
Blake
Blake ignored Yang. She had hoped that her team wouldn't follow her, but that was obviously a pipe dream as she could hear their hurried steps from behind. Of course her team wouldn't let her go off alone again.
She felt a firm hand on her shoulder. Blake's reacted instinctively and whirled around, amber eyes meeting icy blue ones. "What?" She asked, her soft voice, which clearly surprised Weiss, whose stance suggested that she was expecting something harsher. Even Blake was surprised by her own tone.
"Blake," the heiress began, pausing to assess Blake's reaction before proceeding. "We're here for you. Let us know what we can do."
Blake felt her agitation ease up slightly at the knowledge that her friends are with her. It's a comforting thought to know that she could still have a family even after the White Fang. Even if this new family is somewhat dysfunctional and includes not just a former "enemy," but the daughter and successor to one of the White Fang's biggest oppressors. But Weiss was willing to accept her, despite her criminal past. Blake still didn't agree with most of Weiss' views about the White Fang, although the heiress had provided some reasonable arguments. After all, isn't the violent approach to faunus equality the reason that she herself had left in the first place?
She broke Weiss' gaze just as Ruby and Yang caught up. "Thank-you."
"Why are you heading towards the administration building?" Her team leader inquired.
There was no use in concealing the truth from them. They would inevitably find out what she's up to. It was different with Adam. He never pried. And she never shared more than she needed to.
But that was at times, lonely, and even a cat needs to feel sense of belonging.
"I'm going to convince Ozpin to let me take one of the airships to the mine."
"And you're going to do what exactly?" Weiss interjected. "You heard the news report. There is so much methane and coal dust in the air that another explosion is inevitable."
"So you would do nothing," Blake hissed.
"What can we actually do? We go there, try to blow up the rocks blocking the entrance, and you trigger an even bigger explosion. If the search and rescue can't do anything, what do you expect us to do?"
"I should have known." Even before she said it, Blake knew that she was being unfair.
Weiss held back her retaliation and sucked in a deep breath, probably to quench her own anger.
"Oh-kay," Ruby exclaimed before either Blake or Weiss could respond. "Weiss, you're absolutely right about the danger, but I think that if we can do something, we should. We're future huntresses after all! Not to mention that we're the best team at Beacon!"
"Ozpin would never agree to it. There's no way he'd allow us to leave on such a ridiculous mission where our chances of success is zero."
"I'm going with or without permission."
"We're all going," Yang chimed in. "It's obvious you're set on going, so we're coming with you."
Weiss
They ended up taking a private Schnee company airship after the meeting with Ozpin went exactly as she had predicted.
The team rode to the mine in silence, the only sounds audible being the humming of the engine and Lisa Lavender's continuous updates on the Vale News Network.
Weiss took the opportunity to mentally rehearse Ruby's plan in her head. They've all come to rely on Ruby's judgment so much. The moment they land, there would be little time to spare and evaluate tactics, which was her normal approach.
Weiss was to freeze the rocks obstructing the mine shaft entrance so that Blake and Ruby could shatter them with their Crescent Rose and Gambol Shroud. Once a sizable hole was made, it was her responsibility to freeze the rocks that lined the mouth of the cave itself for stability, and maintain a force field beneath the remaining rocks to prevent premature collapse as necessary while the others retrieved any survivors.
IF there are any, Weiss thought bitterly. Her family has been operating dust mines for decades after all. She knows all too well the extent of these types of accidents. This quarry happens to be her father's biggest mine.
Blake
Ruby's plan went without a hitch. Weiss froze the most unstable rocks on top allowing Ruby and herself to smash their way through without requiring any firepower. Blake was relieved to be able to detect the faint gasping of survivors with her acute sense of hearing, since all the coal dust obscured her otherwise equally sharp night vision.
She could hear Weiss coughing by the entrance. Her own lungs burned from the short exposure to the toxic gas and dust. She was incensed. This was the working condition of your average dust miner?
Blake worked her way deeper into the mine with Ruby and Yang trailing behind. She never really thought about what to expect upon finding the survivors, and even in spite of the most graphic mental images she could possibly conceive, nothing could have prepared her for the sight before her.
The coal dust did little to conceal the horror of the limp and lifeless bodies collapsed into awkward heaps. Blake was at a loss for words, but thankfully, her team leader spoke up.
"My name is Ruby Rose and I'm here with my team mates from Beacon Academy. We're getting everyone out of this mine. If you can walk, please proceed towards the entrance by following Yang. She's the one waving her flashlight right now. If there's anyone around you who's injured and unable to walk, or unconscious, please try your best to help them out too if possible. Blake and I are here to assist too."
To Blake's bitter disappointment, less than a dozen bodies moved in response to Ruby's instructions.
"Over here," a hoarse voice whispered.
"And here."
Blake ran towards the voices as she carefully avoided stepping on any bodies. A short second later, she's on the ground and gently picking up a young faunus who couldn't have been any older than maybe thirteen years of age. She held in her rage silently. She needed to focus now, and anger leads to irrational behaviour. A few meters away, Ruby struggled to position a female faunus worker onto her back.
Without another word, both Blake and Ruby proceeded to the entrance. Seconds later, Blake deposited the unconscious boy onto the ground outside the mine where Yang had remained to take care of emerging survivors. Blake could hardly tell them apart, for they all looked the same. The survivors. Haggard and dirtied. Breathing laboured.
She herself inhaled deeply for a few breaths before heading back into the cave. Even the contaminated air outside was still leagues better than the toxic environment within. She didn't know how much longer any of them could keep this up. Their progress was slow. Too slow. But there were just so many unconscious faunus, and each time she returned into the depths with Ruby closely in tow, the shallow sounds of breathing dimmed by a few deadly octaves.
"One… final… trip, Blake," Ruby panted, coughing viciously as the two of them emerged from the mine to join Yang.
Blake didn't respond. A part of her recognized the logic behind Ruby's decision, but she didn't want to consider the alternative yet. As long as there are still survivors, she couldn't abandon them.
A loud rumble sent shockwaves through the ground and nearly threw Blake off balance upon her return to the mine entrance. She glanced at Weiss and saw that the heiress had erected a glyph above her head to prevent the downward descent of loose rocks.
"Hurry," she gasped, voice strained from the sheer concentration and will required to maintain the glyph.
Since the revelation of their respective pasts, Blake had started to notice the white-haired girl more. She was as intrigued about Weiss as she was conflicted about their relationship. She had gotten quite adept at reading the heiress over time. The way her eyes narrowed slightly when she's deep in thought, the shift in her tone when she's concerned but feigning exasperation, and especially the positioning of her body when she's putting on an act for the world. Weiss acts and speaks with the refinement of someone born into a world of expectations, but Blake can see through her façade of perfection. Blake saw Weiss for who she was, with her subtle acts of silent rebellion and eagerness to please.
In combat, Weiss always committed with nothing left to lose, which is quite a stark contrast to her analytical approach to fighting. Blake often worried that Weiss would overstrain herself, but the heiress never remarks on her exhaustion. And right now, with the entire weight of a cave on her shoulders, Weiss looked as if she could pass out at any given moment.
Blake didn't need any more motivation to work faster. She was back out before Ruby even left the mine, and barely caught Ruby's warning upon her return back into the darkness.
Nevertheless, it seems as if Blake's speed and luck had finally met its end, as the moment she scooped up an unconscious cat faunus like herself, the inevitable explosion happened. The cavern wall crumpled inwards. Too fast for Blake to react. The shockwave had stunned her sensitive ears, and sheer exhaustion from overexertion and lack of oxygen had finally taken their toll.
She closed her eyes and waited for the crushing blow, but instead, felt nothing.
Blake looked up. A glyph. Weiss.
Summoning all her remaining strength and willing her sore muscles to move, Blake ran towards the entrance, diving out just in time before the entire mine collapsed.
Weiss
Weiss vaguely felt the rocks shift around her, but she was much too exhausted to do much. Every breath was agonizing. Energy fully depleted, she closed her eyes and allowed the veil of darkness to descend upon her.