NOTE: So volume 4 has started and has renewed my interest in continuing and finishing this story. Of course that means that I will be writing what was supposed to be my version of volume 4 right when the actual volume 4 is happening.
Fortunately, most of what I have and still want to write so far seems quite different from where the actual show is going so it should remain different (though I actually guessed a couple things right, such as Nora's weapon upgrade). Not only that, but this story should go well beyond the timeline of 1 season.
I am debating whether or not to incorporate some of the new villains in this story after seeing them. I really like them plus, I don't feel bad about it because this is already plagiarism in the first place! :D If anyone has any opinion on this, feel free to let me know and I will consider it. Thanks and enjoy!
P.S. I swear I am going to try to be way more consistent with uploads for anyone who cares. I have several chapters already written for future content so it should start to speed up.
Chapter 7:
The warmth of the sun nudged at Blake's face until it finally forced her awake. She swiveled her head back and forth quickly and then rolled from her back to her stomach silently, attempting to stay out of sight. She did her best to keep her breathing even, but it was difficult. She was not supposed to have fallen asleep.
She had been watching Emerald and Mercury's hideout for the whole night and observing their every move, which did not amount to much. In fact, she had really spent most of the darkness contemplating how to handle the situation. Should she confront the two villains herself or should she warn her former allies at the Vale stronghold and try to work with them to thwart the two foes?
The second plan would be more successful if it worked, but Blake was very nervous about telling everyone about Mercury and Emerald. Would they believe her? Everyone must have known about her running away. The stronghold was where she should have been right now if she was not already with her team. How would anyone trust someone who abandoned her school, friends, and team so easily?
The young faunus rose slowly and peered out her window across the street toward Emerald and Mercury's hideout and then scanned the other surroundings. She was clear, it seemed, but she still had to check to see where Cinder's cronies actually were. She climbed out the window and up to the roof and then dashed to a fire escape and slid all the way down it silently before making her way across the street and up to her targets' room. She cursed to herself as she found that the two were already in mid conversation.
"We can't just leave her here. Someone might find her!" came Emerald's voice from inside.
"We don't have a choice and besides, this is a two man job. I'm not risking my own neck going in there without backup" retorted Mercury. "Besides, nobody's going to find her here. There's nobody even out here. Grimm haven't found us in weeks and she's way too knocked out to have any emotions to attract them to her."
Blake almost gasped in shock. She had completely forgotten this. Mercury and Emerald would have to leave Cinder alone to do whatever it was they were planning in the stronghold. Her mind raced. This was an incredible opportunity, but it only made her choices that much more difficult. She could try to move Cinder herself, but she probably wouldn't get very far and where would she even take her? She could go back to the stronghold and tell them, but would they really believe her? She could just wait for Emerald and Mercury to leave and finish Cinder off herself... what was the right thing to do? What would Ruby do? What would Weiss or Yang do? She shook her head quickly.
"Don't think about her" she thought to herself. Blake had been on her own for months and whatever spare moment where she wasn't fighting off Grimm or attempting to track down the White Fang was spent trying not to think about her former partner. The guilt of leaving her with all the pain and suffering and damage that she herself caused made frequent, unwelcomed appearances in Blake's mind and she really had not gotten any better at ignoring them.
This time was different, however. She was able to push Yang into the corner of her mind even if she was not able to completely kick her out. For the first time since leaving her team, she actually could be of use and help people. Of course, the problem was figuring out how best to handle this situation.
The obvious option was to rush over to the stronghold and try to talk to Glynda. Blake hated to leave her enemies alone and she hated even more the idea of having to face anyone from Beacon again, but this opportunity was too important to pass up and there was just no way she would be able to get Cinder anywhere on her own. Plus, as much as she wanted the cause of all the world's misery dead, having her as a live hostage could be far more valuable.
Not hesitating any longer, the nimble faunus deftly made her way down the abandoned building and across the street as quickly, yet silently as possible. Once out of sight and earshot of the building, she broke into a sprint. Doing her best to remember where the stronghold was, she kept up her pace even as she began to sweat and pant. She figured that the faster she ran, the less chance she would have to second guess herself.
This strategy seemed to work and it was not long before she turned the final corner and set her sights on the entrance to Vale's stronghold. She finally pulled up from her run to take a short rest and compose herself before facing everyone, but immediately after wiping the sweat from her brow, she heard a strangely familiar voice off in the distance.
"Blake?! Is that you?" Blake's eyes darted and instantly recognized the ears of Velvet Scarlatina. "It is! It is Blake! Hey Yatsu, Blake's back!"
She was literally jumping with excitement, which certainly surprised Blake. She even entertained the thought that Velvet might actually be happy to see her. Walking toward the entrance, she saw Velvet climb down from the same makeshift lookout post above the gate that she had seen Coco stationed in the previous night and open the door for her which Blake was impressed to see was somehow automatic and looked surprisingly sturdy. As her fellow former Beacon student came to greet her, she looked around and saw that the stronghold was actually quite impressive, something that she failed to see when following Mercury. Sure, much of the walls were clearly made of rubble, but they were impressively neat and looked quite sturdy and what she saw of the interior was surprisingly clean and well-kept. Glynda probably had something to do with all of this neatness.
Blake was still looking at this when Velvet ran up to her and gave her a very unexpected (but not unwelcomed) hug.
"Ooooh, it's SO good to see you! Everyone from Beacon has been worried sick about you Blake. Well, not Team CRDL, but everyone else was. Some people even thought you died, but I knew you were OK. I figured you just needed some time to yourself. I know how you like that kind of thing and I figured you would turn back up, but still, I can't say I wasn't worried about you."
Not sure what to say, Blake simply stared with her jaw agape at Velvet as she finally stopped talking and broke apart from the hug. Unfortunately, she noticed Blake's expression and looked quite hurt.
"Oh no!" she said apologetically. "What did I say?"
"No, it's not that!" Blake replied immediately, not wanting to cause any distress. "It's just…"
The truth was that Blake had not expected anyone to be anything less than angry and hostile toward her. She half expected to have to break the door down to get in and try to explain the situation to everyone. She did not expect or even feel that she deserved such a welcome as the one she had just received from Velvet.
"I'm very happy to see you, Velvet" finished Blake while giving her friend the first genuine smile she had had in months. "Things are just… complicated, and I have some very important news. I need to speak to whoever is in charge here, now."
"I'll take you to Glynda right away!" Piped Velvet, taking Blakes hand in hers and jogging into the compound, pushing the button to close the door as she went.
Blake hurried along with Velvet, still impressed with how well-kept the Vale stronghold was. It was certainly a massive improvement over her own living conditions. She could not help but see, however that there was nobody out and about. Velvet had noticed the puzzled look on her face and answered the question before Blake was even able to ask it.
"All the citizens are locked up their houses now because all the huntsman, huntresses, and most of the police are in one of Glynda's strategy meetings" she explained as they rounded a corner. "We can't leave certain areas unguarded though, so today Yatsu and I guarded the main entrance and Cocoa and Fox are patrolling the docks with a couple policemen. I used to hate having to be on guard duty and not being in the meetings, but they've gotten so boring that our team is always volunteering to get out of there."
They turned another corner and Velvet finally pulled up from her jog as they came upon what looked like an old, abandoned dust shop.
"I may actually want to be a part of this meeting though now that you're here, especially if you've got something for us to finally do around here! Well, here we are."
The door to the shop wasn't even locked and there seemed to be nobody inside. Blake's eyes darted around, looking for some clue as to where a major strategy meeting could be held. Velvet then pulled on a dust dispenser and a part of the wall in the back opened up to reveal a staircase that lead downward. She beckoned Blake to follow and the two girls walked down the dark steps as the door slid shut behind them. The staircase corkscrewed sharply downward and there was only the dimmest of lighting. Blake nearly fell several times due to Velvet's pace, but she did not ask her to slow down. She wasn't even worried about interrupting Glynda's meeting anymore. She had Velvet with her and this was just too important to wait.
It was not until they reached the bottom that the light finally started to brighten. There was no door at the end of the hall, however, but Velvet still rushed over to it with no hesitation. She began pushing several of the bricks in the wall I rapid succession and Blake could swear she heard her whisper "Ozpin" during the sequence. Soon, the wall slid open and Velvet grabbed Blake's hand and rushed her into what looked exactly like one of the classrooms at Beacon.
"Professor Goodwitch!" Yelled Velvet as she continued to rush Blake over to the front of the classroom. Glynda was there with professors Port and Oobleck who were both looking at a very large and detailed map of Vale that was being projected on the screen at the front of the room while many students and what looked like police were sitting where the students would sit if this was actually a classroom. Before Velvet could say another word, Glynda looked over with a shocked look on her face and spoke incredulously.
"Miss Belladonna? Where have you been?"
This was the type of reception Blake had been dreading.
"Well I'll be, it's one of my favorite students!" Boomed Professor Port.
"Blake! You're okay!" Added Professor Oobleck enthusiastically. "We have been worried sick about you."
Blake had not been expecting this. If she didn't know any better, Port and Oobleck were nearly as excited to see her as Velvet was. Even Glynda's expression softened as Blake walked up to them.
"We certainly have been worried about you. We sent several search parties to look for you, but I am very glad to know that you're alive."
Dumbstruck by this reception, she did not immediately speak and Glynda continued.
"Velvet, take her to the hospital immediately. I want her looked over and I will join you both when this meeting is over."
Velvet, however, did not move and instead reminded Blake of why she was there in the first place.
"Blake has something important to tell you!"
Glynda looked even more shocked than she had when she first saw Blake.
"Do you, Miss Belladonna?" she asked in a kind, but slightly patronizing tone.
Blake finally regained her composure enough to burst out "I know where Cinder is!"