"Yang, please stop pacing and sit down. They're fine." Blake didn't manage to keep the irritation from her voice. Yang had spent the last few hours fretting over the reasons why Ruby and Weiss hadn't returned yet. The orange sunset filtering curtains only exacerbated her concern.
Blake wouldn't have minded so much if Yang's idea of worrying wasn't walking back and forth across the room, while exhaling loudly every few moments. Yang slowed and Blake had the brief hope of being able to return to her book. This was roughly disabused when Yang fell face first over her lower half, pinning her thighs to the bed.
Blake gave up any notion of enjoying herself quietly tonight. Placing her book on her pillow she addressed the prone figure. "What do you think might have happened to them?"
"Grimm might have attacked them." Yang spoke, without moving from her legs.
"They're both huntresses. You've spent a semester fighting alongside them. Come on, you know they could handle any Grimm this close to Beacon."
"They might have gotten lost."
"Ruby came fifth in survival class. I'm sure she'll be able to find a brightly lit academy."
"They might have gone to Vale and been mugged. Huh, that's got to be it."
Yang began to rise, intent on rushing to help her sister. Blake pushed her back down. "Once again, they're huntresses. What mugger in their right mind is going to attack them? Not to mention how much extra security is on the streets for the Vytal festival?"
"Well, umm…" Her theory shot down, Yang cast around searching for a new avenue for her worry. "They… they might have tripped and broken their legs."
"Right, so two trained huntresses, both with fully activated auras I might add, both contrive to trip and fall. Both of them breaking their legs. At the same time." She let a hint of scorn at the ridiculousness of Yang's suggestion enter her voice. "Suddenly I think muggers suddenly look more likely."
Yang's golden hair was incredibly soft as she wove her hands through it in an attempt to alleviate its owners worry. This level of physical contact would have been completely unimaginable in her previous life. The only time she'd used to touch people was in the heat of combat or sparring. Never for comfort.
Living with both Yang and Ruby required her to learn to cope with invasions of personal space. She could either be barely tolerant like Weiss, or surrender completely. She preferred her way. There was something magical about someone trusting you enough to lower their defences and open themselves to you. To allow you to touch their most prized aspect of themselves without any reservation.
Once again, she thanked whatever cosmic entity had guided her to Yang in the forest. With any other partner she might still have been the quiet, reclusive girl who always hid in the shadows. The girl she had tried so hard and failed to leave behind. But Yang burned, throwing light into the corners, banishing her defensive shadows, forcing her to come out and actually socialise. Even in the short time they'd been together she could recognise just how much she had managed to grow and owed it all to Yang.
"You know that they're probably just talking. It's going to take some time for them to go through it. Now, why don't we watch something while we wait?"
"I know, you're probably right, as usual. I just get so worried about Ruby." Yang rose, conveying her thanks with a smile and grabbed her scroll. They settled down together.
The moon rose and Blake started to worry despite her previous reasoning. The movie was all but forgotten in the air of tension that had risen between them and neither of them wanted to say what they were both thinking. They were saved by the rattling of the door as someone played with the lock.
Yang jumped up as Ruby appeared and crushed her in an embrace. Looking past the pair, Blake was more concerned with the appearance of Weiss. Dressed in her combat gear, Ruby's prized cloak draped over her narrow shoulders, her cheeks flushed with colour, eyes bright red, and walking with a pronounced limp.
As Yang was remonstrating with Ruby about not contacting her, Blake padded up to Weiss, speaking softly. "Are you ok?"
Weiss took a while before answering. "Not yet, but I think I'm on the right path now."
She still obviously had internal conflicts raging inside of her. That was something Blake could understand perfectly, but she knew Weiss could only solve them at her own pace. She gave her an encouraging smile.
A faint twinkle in her eyes showed gratitude and Weiss began to limp to the bathroom, before Ruby zipped in front of her. "Weiss sit down. I'll run you a nice hot bath, and I'll even put in extra bubbles. I know how much you like them."
A familiar range of emotions passed over Weiss' face. Blake had seen them before. Whenever someone offered to do something for Weiss she was initially shocked, before calculating. As though she seemed unable to believe it was merely out of the kindness of the person's heart and they were instead trying to manipulate her. Although they were the sworn enemies of the White Fang, Blake didn't know what had gone on inside the Schnee household. Looking at Weiss, she wasn't sure she wanted to find out what could cause someone to treat the simplest offers with such scrutiny.
When she saw the depth of the issues Weiss had, she often wondered who had the harder life so far. The terrorist or the heiress. Life on the run wasn't easy, but there was at least a sense of camaraderie. A common goal. They helped each other. When their survival rested on every single member they had to. She had risen from that life with an awful lot of baggage, but nothing seemingly as heavy as that which weighed down Weiss.
Ruby hadn't missed the signs either. "Weiss, remember what we talked about. You're not alone anymore. You don't have to do everything yourself." Ruby pulled Weiss' hands to her chest, clutching them to her. "Please, remember that."
Nodding, Weiss moved to her bed, sinking onto the soft mattress with a relieved sigh. She laid back, her eyes closed. Yang didn't quiz her as Blake expected she would, perhaps sensing, as Blake had, that Weiss needed time to process whatever had happened today. Silently, Yang gestured to her scroll. They continued the movie in near silence.
Ruby bounced from the bathroom and helped Weiss to rise. Ruby seemed drained but hopeful at the consequences of the events that had occurred. Coupled with Weiss' words, it seemed as though Ruby had done what she had set out to do. She was a good leader.
In the hall on the stage, Blake had felt intense surprise that Ruby was named head of the team. Not that she had any desire to be thrust into the limelight, or had any concerns over Ruby's capabilities after seeing her in action against the Nevermore. No, she had just assumed that the girl who would one day run one of the largest companies in the world was destined for the position. Not the shy teen two years her junior.
But after seeing Ruby blossom under the added pressure, she was certain it was the right call. Looking at team JNPR as well, perhaps the criteria for being the leader wasn't to be the most capable, but to be the person who it would benefit the most. The person that would grow and flourish under the burden, becoming a much better huntsman or huntress because of it. Yes, that seemed to be like something Ozpin would do.
While Blake was contemplating the nature of leadership, Ruby left the bathroom and closed the door softly behind her.
"So what happened?" Yang had sat up.
Ruby dropped heavily on Weiss' bed, blowing out her cheeks. "I'm not sure how much I should tell you. Most of it is Weiss' story to share when she feels comfortable. I don't know," she shook her head. "I followed Weiss into the forest where she started to train, and she didn't stop. Even in the dark she just kept on fighting. She has a lot of things weighing on her and she's tearing herself apart. She believes that everything that happened on that train was her fault and the guilt has just grown and grown. All because I didn't see it earlier."
Yang had moved to her and now enveloped her sister in a hug. "We all should have Rubes. She's our teammate. We let her down. Now we need to help her back up."
"That's not all. She's frightened, terrified, of what her father might do if he finds out. She thinks he'll pull her from Beacon. The one place she feels happy. That's why she was training. Every time she was gone when we woke up, or when she wasn't here when we went to bed, she was out there practicing. Trying to get better, to improve, and destroying herself in the process. We all saw that she wasn't eating but, with all the exercise, she's so thin. I don't know how she hasn't collapsed yet. She can't sleep at night. She can't stay awake in class. She's a shadow of who she was before we went on that mission and I was the one who decided we should go."
"We all decided we should go, not just you." Yang put her foot down, her voice firm "This is not your fault. None of us could have known what would happen. I am not going to let you blame yourself." She enunciated each word clearly. "All we can do now is be there for Weiss/ To help her get over everything that is troubling her. You're not going to be able to do that if you're beating yourself up. So are you going to be strong enough for your partner?"
Ruby nodded.
"I never doubted you, you're the best leader this team could have. I'm just so proud of you."
As the two sisters hugged again Blake thought back over what Ruby had said. The mission was meant to have been an easy reconnaissance operation. Like the dozens she had performed for the White Fang. Go to a location, don't get detected, and find out what was happening. When she was alone it was so easy. She had honed her skills to be nigh on invisible when she wanted to be. Her teammates often jokingly referred to her as a ninja, never seeming to realise just how close to the mark they were.
If she had gone to Mountain Glenn alone, she would have been able to infiltrate the White Fang base without alarm, but then what? There had been too many guards for her to do anything. No, she would have had to sit impotent, seething on the side-lines as the White Fang moved forward with whatever their plan was.
Despite the casualties, the senseless waste of life, she preferred how it had gone down with their intervention. The plan had been rushed or at least she assumed it was. There was no way the White Fang had gone to that much trouble just to get a couple of Grimm into the city. In her debriefing Ozpin hadn't been much help in pursuing that train of thought. No, he had been much more interested in her.
The single bulb hanging above the table had blinded her, obscuring the rest of the room in impenetrable shadows. The metal chair had no give in it, digging into her legs. Another petty annoyance. The room he'd interrogated her in had been designed to be uncomfortable, intimidating. Perhaps it might have worked on some of the others who were sat in her seat, but it was nothing compared to what she had experienced in the past. It almost made her laugh. It was an interesting power play by Ozpin, making students wait here. Not content with his authority over them as headmaster, he just had to crank up the tension. Last time he had left her with polite words, comforting words, but she had seen the flash of anger in his eyes. He knew she was hiding something.
The door swung open, groaning on its hinges. It could have been a coincidence, it wasn't. Ozpin entered as calm and self-assured as ever.
"Good evening Miss Belladonna, first I have to apologise. I would never have sent you on that mission if I knew the extent of the White Fang operations in the area. I have a duty to you and your team and I failed in that duty." He appeared sincere and Blake had to admit he probably was. It was what made working him out so hard. On the one hand he was the kind headmaster whose door was always open, even for the most trivial of problems. On the other, he was the ruthless man who believed in a baptism by fire, throwing his students off of a cliff into a Grimm infested forest on their first day. All to separate the wheat from the chaff.
"You know we would have ended up there anyway. We were fixated on it."
"Nevertheless, my apology stands. Now, onto other matters. I've been reviewing Doctor Oobleck's report and the security footage from Vale. You and your team did exceptionally well. You not only managed to disrupt the White Fang, but you managed to contain a large number of Grimm inside the square long enough for reinforcements to arrive. You operated at a level far beyond what I would expect from a first year team. You prevented what could have been an absolute catastrophe and, although the casualties that occurred were tragic, the numbers would have been a lot higher if it hadn't been for you."
"Have you found out any more about what they were planning? That couldn't have been the extent of it."
"No, I sent a team back to Mountain Glenn but the caverns had been. The only prisoner we captured is being less than helpful, but we're not here to talk about him."
"Who are we meant to be talking about then?" Blake's stomach clenched. Ozpin's brown eyes stared into hers, trying to unearth the secrets that had to remain buried.
"We're here to talk about you, Miss Belladonna. Three times now you have stumbled upon White Fang operations. Three times interrupting them when my own agents were oblivious of their presence. After the docks I gave you the benefit of the doubt. You could just have happened to be in the right place at the right time as you said. But at the warehouse. Knowing about Mountain Glenn. My belief is starting to run a little thin. So tell me Blake, were you simply in the right place at the right time?"
Blake took a heartbeat to think. She was running along a very thin line. She loved Beacon. It gave her access to everything she had once craved and at the slightest slip up she would be gone. Either expelled or imprisoned. She wanted to help him but she couldn't reveal her past.
What she'd done. That would only end one way, and if she stonewalled his investigation, gave him nothing, his response would be to rip her from Beacon. She had to run along that line not falling to either side. This was where his attempt at intimidation had backfired. She'd had time to prepare.
"No. We weren't just in the right place at the right time. At the docks I heard one of the White Fang talking. He said something about a warehouse. I wasn't sure if it was significant. That's why I didn't say anything at the time and I wanted to find out before I brought it to you." She said forcing a look of contrition onto her face. "So we decided to investigate, by ourselves. We searched the industrial district block by block before we stumbled upon the warehouse. By that time we would have missed whatever was happening if we informed you. So we pushed on. We were able to infiltrate the meeting and that's where we found out that something was going on in the south east. You know the rest." It was a half-truth.
"Hmm… and yet, even after finding out about the south east you still didn't come to me. Instead your leader revealed the information to me by accident and before I intervened you were planning to, what was it? Give your huntsman the slip at night. So tell me Miss Belladonna, why didn't you come to me like you said you were going to?"
Luckily for Blake it wasn't the first time she had been questioned in this manner. The key was to let the interrogator think they had dragged the information out of you. Make it embarrassing, something they'd think you would try your best to hide and they'd ignore the rest of what you had said, clutching at their victory. She let her voice grow louder, giving it a stressed edge.
"I was embarrassed. He beat me. I wanted payback. If I came to you, you could have assigned it to another team. I would never have got to fight him again. To prove that I was better. That's the reason. The truth. That I wanted revenge." She watched Ozpin carefully. He had jumped ever so slightly at her raised voice, and now his eyes were pensive, perhaps even believing. His next words caught her off guard.
"And would I have been wrong?" he said, his tone soft.
"What?"
"You say I could have sent someone else. If I had known all the facts, then I may have. You would not have had your revenge. That's true enough. But the team I sent may have been more experienced, better prepared, and they may have been able to stop that train. To stop those deaths. So tell me Blake, was your revenge worth it?"
The conversation had completely derailed from her meticulous script. The sight of civilians screaming, crying out in terror, in pain, flashed through her vision. Was it her fault? "I… No of course it wasn't. I mean… nothing was worth that."
Ozpin gave a gentle nod. "As a huntress your first task is to defend the people who cannot defend themselves. Be it from Grimm or other threats. You are the weapons wielded by the hands of the vulnerable. You must never forget that. It must be your mantra. Your vow. If you let that ideal slip you will be nothing more than one of the many mercenaries wandering through our world. We are only separate from them because our goals are noble, theirs base. They may fight Grimm for coin, but we do it because we know in our hearts that it is right and we don't expect any reward for it. That is what you must remember.
"And Blake you must not blame yourself for what happened. If you had confided in me I would still have sent your team. It would have played out the same way. You must never feel guilt for another's actions. All those deaths were the fault of the White Fang. Not yours." A chill ran down her spine at his next words. "And they will pay the price," Ozpin said, his voice different ̶ ̶ cold and terrible and hard. A voice harder than any she had heard before. There were no doubts as to what the cost of their actions would be.
"I have one more thing to ask of you Blake. You are a brilliant fighter and have done exceptionally well in your time at Beacon. But it is time for you to take a backseat in this fight. You are still students. Let the professionals handle it from this point onwards. The stakes are only going to grow larger and so is the danger. At this time, you are not ready for it. So I ask for your promise that you will not go looking for the White Fang again. Do I have it?"
His previous words made sense and, more than that, she knew that they were true. The look that had passed over him frightened her. She knew that his response would be filled with blood. She had seen more than her fair share in her past and didn't want to step into that world again. More importantly, she didn't want to drag her teammates into that existence of fire and pain. They were all somewhat naïve about the true way the world worked, Ruby especially. She knew that she wouldn't back down if she ran across the White Fang again, but she wouldn't go looking for them. "I promise."
"Thank you," he rose, heading toward the door. "I look forward to watching you fight in the tournament. Goodnight, Miss Belladonna."
The conversation with her headmaster had given her a lot to think about. Although she had successfully hidden her past, the other points kept rolling around her mind. What he had said was right. She shouldn't shoulder the blame for another's actions, but she couldn't help feel guilty.
Yang and Ruby were still talking quietly on Weiss' bed and at long last Blake was able to return to her book. She knew people thought she was strange for reading to the extent that she did, but it had always been her way of escaping. She used books to live a different life. To go to a world where she wasn't a terrorist, where she could forget the things she had done. Although, her life was immeasurably better now, she still enjoyed the thrill of finding out what was on the next line, the next page. Blake smiled, let them think she was weird. She leant her head back on her pillow and prepared for an adventure.
An hour later Weiss emerged from the bathroom in her nightgown. Yang proceeded to attempt to shatter her ribs in a hug, which Blake added to albeit more lightly. Ruby feeling left out leapt at them and almost sent them all tumbling to the floor. It was perhaps an indication of how emotionally drained Weiss was that she didn't attempt to struggle out of the physical contact.
Yang whispered in Weiss' ear. "We are all here for you. Remember that." Blake added her silent agreement.
"I know." They stayed that way for a few more moments before they separated. Weiss limped to her bed, inciting Yang's curiosity.
"Ruby didn't tell us how you hurt your ankle."
Weiss shot Ruby a scowl and, in that moment, Blake knew she would recover. "Someone, thought it was a good idea to distract me in the middle of a combat routine and I slipped."
Looking like she desired something unpleasant to happen to her big sister, Ruby replied. "I wasn't thinking and was really worried and I-"
"It doesn't matter. I forgave you. This time."
Meanwhile, Yang had turned her grin on Blake. "So you're saying that you, a highly trained huntress with a fully activated Aura, tripped injuring yourself. Hmm… I'm sure I said something like that happened, didn't I Blake?"
Blake shot Yang her best glare before taking refuge in the bathroom, hiding from the sounds of her partner's laughter.
The cafeteria was busy. The buzz of conversation and clattering utensils caused Blake's ears to twitch as she entered with the rest of her team. They were all in a good mood. For the first time that week Weiss had been present when they woke. Weiss' Aura had healed her ankle and, after eliciting a promise from Ruby to help her train in the evening, she was almost back to her normal self. They collected their meals, Weiss with encouragement from Ruby selecting a variety of fruit, and sat at their usual table next to JNPR.
Velvet entered the room, glancing around nervously. Blake liked the timid Faunus. She was not only smart, kind, and a strong fighter, but she had an even stronger character. Blake didn't have the strength to deal with being judged constantly due to her heritage, but Velvet managed it with a smile no matter what was thrown at her.
Blake's gaze swept round, homing in on Cardin. He and those like him were why removing her bow was unthinkable. As long as they remained with their casual racism and biting remarks, Faunus and humans would never be able to coexist peacefully.
She'd loathed herself after watching Cardin bully Velvet. She had sat in anonymity, denouncing the acts but not stopping them. Just as far too many in the world were only too happy to do. After that day, she and Yang had made a pact to look out for Velvet. Whenever, they saw her alone in the presence of CRDL they would stop and talk to her.
Like all bullies CRDL were cowards. Velvet always seemed grateful whenever they approached, even if she didn't say anything. The one thing that puzzled Blake was why Velvet never fought back. She'd taken Grimm on while unarmed. Cardin would barely be a challenge for her, and yet she never even offered a harsh word in her defence.
Velvet was alone as she usually was in the morning, and Blake tried to catch her eye. Velvet didn't see the signal and sat down at an empty table. Even though seats were now becoming limited a pocket of space remained around Velvet. Several people approached before abruptly turning away. The reason was obvious. The acts of the White Fang in Vale had made the Faunus a target.
Despite what Ozpin said, that they were making great strides towards equality, she knew the truth. Most humans were inherently racist ̶ ̶ a dark legacy of the Faunus War ̶ ̶ and it took only the slightest provocation to bring it to the top. A peaceful protest for Faunus rights was a fair target for most of the population. People would hurl insults, and then stones.
It was this barely veiled attitude which had caused the White Fang to forsake peaceful marches and move to more extreme methods. As much as she hated to admit it, terror was a valuable weapon. When the humans knew the White Fang was there, the discrimination vanished, replaced by false smiles and nervous glances. It was this change in attitude that the members of the White Fang saw. They, including her, would think they'd made a difference. Improved the standing of the Faunus. Then they would move on to another area to enrich the lives of others.
It wasn't until she had left the White Fang that she saw the truth. After the area was quiet for a time, the discrimination returned, only intensified. Verbal attacks became physical. A nudge here, a push there, until a Faunus snapped. Then the mob mentality could reinforce itself. Yes, the Faunus are all the same, they're all violent, all criminals. Nothing has changed since the Faunus War. It's us against them.
Attacks against Faunus increased, businesses trashed, individuals assaulted. The police didn't care. Why should they? Despite diversity drives by a few lonesome politicians, they were still mainly human. Humans who had gotten in the way of the White Fang. Why should they help the animals who gunned down their colleagues?
It was this that caused the Faunus to group together, only finding safety in numbers. Driven from their homes, their lives, resenting those in power who allowed this to happen. They should change it, but how? Then a lone Faunus comes along. Remember who made them treat you with respect. Remember who helped you. Join us and they won't look down on you anymore and many would.
They found courage in the hated looks that had been directed at them. Strength in the attacks they had been on the receiving end of. Their hatred was encouraged and allowed to fester until the humans deserved whatever they were ordered to do to them.
The good Faunus, the kind, non-violent Faunus, were turned into weapons, and the cycle of violence would begin again. That realisation had been a shock to Blake. It had been a mystery why their cells were ordered to move so often. She had just thought that they'd had completed their objectives. It was a devilishly clever system.
This was what she could see as she looked round. The hostile looks. The murmurings. It had been a week since the failed attack and, with no hint of movement from the White Fang, people were beginning to become angry. It wasn't as bad in Beacon as it was in Vale. In the city the wheel turned.
People couldn't see it, but of course, a person could be smart, people could only be stupid. It would never end until the White Fang were regarded instead as the terrorists they were, not a Faunus rights movement.
A bright light waving before her eyes distracted her from her thoughts. "Here, read this. There's been another one." Yang held a scroll with the news upon it.
Blake scanned the article. White Fang nest found attacked…Twelve of the animals dead… found dismembered… the third such attack in the last week. The wording of the report was exactly what she had been thinking about and some of her rage escaped with her words. "Look at this, nest, animals, this is what drives anti-Faunus prejudice," she checked the author. "Written by a human, and the tone. It's celebratory." Of course it was written by human, the Faunus struggled to rise to any position of responsibility. Even while working twice as hard as the corresponding human. Just another fine example of institutionalised racism.
"Well, what do you expect to call them? They are animals." Weiss had looked up at Blake's words. The two of them had made great progress since the end of last term, but a lifetime of fear-driven racism was not erased over a weekend.
"No, there not. They're terrorists." Blake put extra emphasis on the last word.
"Yes they are, but they attack civilians, innocents. If they act like animals, I'm going to call them animals."
Blake looked around, JNPR and all the others sitting near them were staring at her, awaiting her answer. "Attacking innocents is deplorable, but can't you see if you treat them differently because they're Faunus, it only reinforces their viewpoint? In their view it condones what they did. Would a human terrorist group be called animals? No, they wouldn't. They would be called terrorists. That's the only way we can beat the White Fang, make them a terrorist group, not a Faunus rights group." Weiss appeared pensive, as did many of those near her. Perhaps she could make a difference.
Seeking to diffuse the tension, Yang chimed in. "At least it says the police are looking for whoever has been doing this."
"To give them a medal." Cardin's shout echoed from across the room, laughter followed. Blake knew whatever thoughts she'd implanted were gone. The mob mentality again.
Cardin grabbed Velvet's ears, as his cronies and the surrounding humans looked on appreciatively. The anger that had been flowing so close to the surface throughout the morning burst from her. A shared look with Yang and they rose, the rest of RWBY and JNPR rising with them.
As much as Weiss might despise the White Fang, she had come a long way in her treatment of law abiding Faunus. The rest of CRDL, with the exception of Cardin who was enjoying himself too much to notice, exchanged worried looks as the group approached. As it happened so did the rest of the students. After a certain food fight at the start of the term, the two teams had gained a bit of a reputation as being slightly insane. Only reinforced by the Grimm they had apparently hunted down on their initiation. Most of the students began a slow retreat to the doors.
Russell was even paler than usual as he touched Cardin's side. Cardin, swallowing as his eyes came to rest on the manic grin on Nora's lips. Velvet made use of the distraction and ran towards the exit. Torn, Blake paused for a moment before sprinting after her. As much as she would have liked to wipe the smile of Cardin's face, Velvet needed her more. The great oak doors to the cafeteria had almost swung shut when all hell broke loose behind her.
Blake stepped into the bathroom and the volume of the whimpering cries increased. Velvet stood over the sink, tears pouring down her face, her ears drooping. Seeing her like that Blake wanted to comfort her, tell her she knew exactly how she felt, to tell her the admiration she felt for her, but to do that she would have reveal her secret. She weighed up the pros and cons in her mind, before making her decision.
"Velvet, I know exactly how you feel. There's something you don't know about me." She trusted Velvet. She was a good person. One who wouldn't betray her. Blake took a deep breath, steeling herself.
"That you're a Faunus. I know." Velvet had looked up as Blake had prepared to make her confession.
"But… But how?" The world crashed down around her.
"You're a cat Faunus, and cats eat rabbits. I had to be careful."
Noticing the nervous smile on Velvet's lips, Blake decided to humour her. She forced a small laugh, Velvet wasn't one who usually made jokes. "Yes, I suppose they do. But I need you to tell me how you knew."
"It wasn't difficult. I mean, you wear a bow, that's it. I noticed the first time I saw you, b-b-but I haven't told anyone," Velvet stuttered at the dark look that Blake was wearing. A legacy of previous lessons about the best way to keep a secret. Blake forced a smile onto her face.
"I know you wouldn't. It's ok. I trust you." Breathing deeply Blake began to feel normal again.
Velvet turned back to the mirror, staring at her reflection through clouded eyes. "I don't blame you, you know. If I could hide, I probably would, but I can't. I have to deal with the looks. The idiots like Cardin. I'm lucky that I'm a huntress. We're judged almost entirely based on skill. When we're out there, the people don't care if a human saves them, or a Faunus. They only see a huntress. But here, in Vale, I have to deal with it. See it every single day."
"You're much stronger than I am. I could never put up with their stares like you do. I think you're incredibly brave."
"Thank you," Velvet gave a small hiccup, an adorable expression appearing on her face, before it disappeared once more. "But people like Cardin aren't the worst of it. It wasn't too bad until a week ago. Most were kind, or at least indifferent, but then the attack happened and it all changed. There are always bullies, but it hurts far more to be turned away by someone you thought was a friend." She echoed Blake's earlier thoughts as she continued. "The White Fang think they're making our lives better, but they're not. They're only hurting us. They're idiots who think violence is the only way forward, but I won't repeat their mistakes."
"Is that why you never fight back?"
"Yes, if I wanted to I could put Cardin in traction, but do you know what would happen if I did that?" Blake shook her head. "I would be the evil Faunus who attacked an upstanding citizen. It wouldn't matter that he's been picking on me for months. Only the headline would. I would probably be expelled and I can't afford that. I need this." She continued in a quieter voice. "I don't know if you know this, but my family doesn't have a whole lot of money, or anything really. There aren't many jobs for Faunus apart from menial labour, but being a huntress, I could buy them a house. Give them a better life. That's why I need this. Why I can't afford to get expelled. So I sit there and take it, and then I go and cry in a bathroom. Thinking about their faces, about how happy they will be when they see their new bedrooms."
This story was as tragic as any Blake had heard, but sadly it was too common among the Faunus population. She'd walked through the slums inhabited by them. Talked to them. Stayed with them. She knew the life they lived and here was someone struggling to help her family in a world that didn't want to let her. It now made sense why Velvet was in some of their classes despite already having passed them. She was just trying to get a little bit of extra credit. "Ozpin wouldn't expel you. I've talked to him. He seems to genuinely care about Faunus rights."
Velvet let out a harsh bark of laughter. "He might say that to your face, but when the angry messages start pouring in, do you really expect him to sacrifice himself for me? Selfless people don't rise to the top. No, he would explain the situation. He would say I have only to say the word and he would step in front of the bullet, but he wouldn't leave me a choice and I would be gone.
"I mean, look at this academy. Actually look at it. As much as Ozpin might preach acceptance, look at the teachers. I've admitted to being bullied because I'm a Faunus, but do they try and stop it. No, they just say it's simply dreadful and move on. Look at today, the kitchen staff could see what was happening right in front of them. Did they even attempt to intercede? No, people in authority just don't care. That's what gives the White Fang their power. They're the only ones who say they're helping us. As much as Ozpin says it doesn't matter who you are, he doesn't put his foot down because he knows how that will be perceived on the outside. So he talks about ideals and pretty words, only making the shallowest attempt at enforcing equality."
Blake could see the truth to much of what she said. Surely Ozpin could stop it if he really wanted. "You're right. I never really thought about it that way. I guess, being able to hide, I was insulated from the worst of it. Listen, if you ever need someone to talk to, give me a call. I'll be there."
Looking at her scroll, Velvet wiped her eyes. "Thank you, for being here, for understanding. It helped. I've never talked to anyone else about all this." She gave Blake a quick hug. "And all the other times you stopped Cardin, it helped me more than you can imagine." Blowing out her breath, Velvet forced a smile onto her face. "But now we've got to get to first period. I can't afford to miss it."
They left the bathroom together, feeling much closer than before, and Blake asked a question she had always wondered. "Why do you always eat breakfast alone? I mean, where's your team?"
"Oh, that. Fox and Yatsuhashi always eat early and hit the gym before lessons. And Coco isn't exactly what I'd call a morning person. It's just as well," she giggled, her eyes sparkling. "If Coco had seen what Cardin was doing before she'd had her coffee… Well, they would have been mopping pieces of him off the floor for the next week. That's the reason why I never told them anything. As much as I would like to see Cardin get his comeuppance, I don't want anyone to get in trouble because of me."
"Umm… Velvet I think I have to tell you something."
A/N: Well that was a rather heavy chapter dealing with some very dark themes. I really hope that RWBY actually addresses the theme of institutionalised racism, which is apparent in the show. The White Fang and the Faunus rights movements go some way but they need to be explored in more detail. I meant what I said that Beacon seems to be inherently racist from the way the show is written. In S1E12 when Oobleck asks if any Faunus have been discriminated against, after receiving confirmation, he says it's simply terrible and moves on. Now ask yourself if in a school the same thing happened but with racial discrimination, would the teacher just move on, I find that hard to believe. Now I realise I am hopelessly overanalysing two lines from the show and giving them far more weight than I should, they were simply in the script to show that Faunus discrimination is still present and the show didn't have time in the arc to go into it. But it is little things like this that persuaded me to write this story, to try and expand on them giving them meaning. Let me know what you think about the themes I addressed in this chapter.
As always this is my first story so a review saying what I did well/ what I could improve upon is incredibly helpful and if you've managed to struggle this far, thanks again for reading.