Team JEST

Chapter 7: Secrets Revealed

S/N: I hope you guys enjoyed the previous chapter! I will try to get Chapter 8 out soon, so Arctic and I can get started on Chapters 9 & 10.

A/N: We don't own RWBY.

(x)

"Blake!" Yang called as she, Ruby, and Weiss looked for their lost teammate.

"Guys?" The trio turned to see Team JEST looking concerned. "What's up?" Johnny asked.

"It's Blake. She left, and we can't find her!" Ruby exclaimed.

"Why'd she go? Did Weiss do something?" Eric joked. After noticing the silence, he sternly asked, "Weiss, what did you do?"

"Weiss called Blake a criminal since she was a part of the White Fang before she came to Beacon," Yang explained.

"The White Fang ARE criminals!" Weiss justified.

"That doesn't mean that Blake's a criminal!" Thomas crossed his arms and shook his head in disappointment. "You're better than that, Ice Queen. Come on!"

"We'll help you!" Sam said.

"Thanks, guys. We could use the extra help," Yang said.

"I'll help, too!" The group jumped in surprise when Penny spoke up from behind them. "Who're we looking for?"

"Penny! Don't do that to us!" Johnny said as he placed a hand over his heart.

"Sorry. Who're we looking for?"

"Blake," Eric said once he calmed down.

"Ohhh...you mean the Faunus girl."

After a moment of silence, Johnny asked, "How did you know that?"

"The cat ears?"

"What cat ears? She wears a...bow..." Yang said before she came to the realization.

"Penny, we've got it covered. Right guys?" Ruby spoke. Receiving no response, she turned to see that everyone else, except Thomas, had left.

Thomas looked around, then sighed. "I dunno, Rosebud. We could the extra help."

"Yay!" Penny cheered. "Let's go!"

(x)

"What exactly happened between those two, anyway?" Johnny asked Yang as they walked.

"Weiss was calling the White Fang criminals, since they've been at war with the Schnee Dust Company."

"The company that my parents work with?"

"The same one. Anyway, apparently the White Fang killed several people she knew, and they even stole a Dust train from them. These actions did not please Weiss' dad, and resulted in a...rough childhood for her."

"Geez. And how did Blake respond?"

"'You have no idea what we go through.' Blake said that before she ran away, and she's been missing since Friday."

"And you've had no luck so far?"

"Why do you think we asked you guys for your help?"

"Point taken. Let's get searching, Shotgun."

(x)

That night…

She's gotta be here somewhere, Eric thought as he looked around the docks with his night vision. He sighed when he had no luck, until he heard the sound of an airship overhead. He looked up, and his eyes widened upon seeing the White Fang symbol on the ship. Oh, no. He looked to his left when he heard two pairs of footsteps rush by. They were too silent for anyone to hear, but he barely managed to hear the sound with his cat ears. He saw two figures run by, and he chased after them, believing them to be related to the White Fang in some way. He jumped on top of the loading container in front of him, and used his night vision again to get a better look at the figures. His eyes widened when he saw who it was. He crept over to where they were, sticking to the shadows. Once he was close enough, he whispered, "Blake!"

The run-away member of Team RWBY turned to see Eric, and she motioned for him to come closer. Once he was next to her and Sun, she asked him, in a hushed tone, "Why are you here?!"

"I should be asking you that! And why didn't you tell me that you were a Faunus?! Or White Fang?!"

"Former White Fang. I didn't like the way they were headed, so I ditched them."

"And who's this?"
"I'm Sun Wukong," the monkey-tailed Faunus said.

"As in the Monkey King?"

"I...guess?"

"She's not your type, by the way."

"Eric!" Blake blushed slightly. "Not now, okay? We've got something to do."
"Fill me in, and I'll help you guys out. Especially since that guy is still alive," Eric gestured to Torchwick.

"Still alive?"
"I meant out of custody."

"Sure…"

"No one asked you, Monkey Boy."

"Scratch me, Kit Kat."

"I like you already."

"Ditto."

"Intruders!" One of the soldiers had investigated the bickering, and found them out.

"Great job, guys," Blake groaned as she drew her weapon, and charged the soldier, easily taking him out. "Our cover's blown!"
"Sorry," Eric and Sun said sheepishly as they drew their weapons. Both took note of the other's weapon choice, Eric having his explosive knives and Sun having his bō staff.

"Let's go!" Eric threw his knives at a soldier, creating an explosion and knocking him back into the crowd, while Sun whacked a couple of soldiers away with his staff. "Torchwick's not going to be waiting forever!"

"Got it!" With that, all three Faunus ran towards the human, knocking down the White Fang as they went.

"And who the hell are these mutts?!" Torchwick angrily said as he turned to face Blake, Eric, and Sun. He did a double-take when he saw Eric. "Wait a minute. Aren't you the one who blew up my warehouse?"
"Look at that. He remembers," Eric remarked as his knives began to glow green.

"Payback time." With a snap of his fingers, several White Fang soldiers surrounded the trio. "You took my warehouse, so I'll take your head. Fair trade, Kitty?"

"Hmm," Eric held his head in mock thought. "Pass." He threw his knives down, and, when they exploded, an earth dome formed around the three, then blew apart as rocks flew around and knocked down the White Fang. "Besides, I thought the White Fang didn't affiliate themselves with humans."

"Oh, look at you, Kitty! Smarter than I thought you'd be," Torchwick sarcastically remarked. He casually aimed his cane at Eric, and launched a bullet, causing the green-haired Faunus to dodge.

"No you don't!" Blake yelled as she rushed at Torchwick, reverting her Gambol Shroud to its katana form as she grabbed Torchwick and held him in place, her sword at his throat. She removed her bow with one hand as she addressed the surrounding members of the White Fang. "Brothers of the White Fang, why are you aiding this scum?!" The White Fang members looked at each other in confusion.
Torchwick chuckled. "Kid, didn't you get the memo?"

"What are you talking about?"

"The White Fang and I are going in on a joint business venture together."

"Tell me what it is, or I'll put an end to your little operation," Blake threatened as she drew the blade closer to Torchwick's neck.

There was a deafening sound in the air, and as the two looked up, Torchwick remarked, "I wouldn't exactly call it a little operation." As the trio of good Faunus were distracted, Torchwick smirked as he aimed his cane at Blake's feet, and shot.

(x)

"Tell me you two heard that," Thomas said as he turned towards the direction of the sound.

"We heard it," Ruby replied. "Let's go!" Ruby ran to the docks with Thomas and Penny following her.

(x)

"What was that?" Yang asked as she looked towards the direction of the noise.

"Nothing good. 20 to 1 that's where Blake is," Johnny replied as he ran ahead.

(x)

"Blake!" Eric ran to his friend's side as she got up. He steadied her as he asked, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Blake replied. They heard a gunshot, and both dived in opposite directions as the ground where they were standing blew up, with more gunshots following Blake.

As Blake ran away, Torchwick looked to the direction where Blake went, then to where Eric went. "Come out, kitties." He was rudely interrupted in his search by a banana peel falling on his bowler hat. Then, he was knocked down by Sun, who managed to climb the shipping containers during that time.

"Leave them alone!" Sun sternly told the crook.

More White Fang members jumped out of the airships, one bunch landing behind Torchwick, and the other landing behind Sun. "You are not the brightest banana in the bunch, are you?" Torchwick remarked.

Sun prepared himself as the White Fang charged him. With his fists and feet, he knocked a couple down, before taking out his collapsable bō staff and knocking down some more. To get rid of those left standing, Sun slammed his staff on the ground, creating a small shockwave that knocked the remaining White Fang off of their feet.

Blake peered out the corner of a shipping container, Eric looking out with her. After Sun threw a White Fang member at Torchwick, who calmly dodged it, the crook fired a bullet at the monkey, who spun his staff to deflect it. "HE'S MINE!" Blake and Eric yelled at the same time as they jumped in front of Sun. They both charged Torchwick, and engaged him in a 2v1 duel.

Torchwick was holding his own rather impressively, blocking both Eric's and Blake's strikes with his cane. He landed a couple of hits in between the clone-creating and dodging, chuckling at the two Faunus' feeble attempt to fight back. He was not prepared for Sun's interference, as the Monkey Boy knocked Torchwick away from the downed cat Faunus duo. He quickly broke apart his staff into two nunchucks, and fired a bullet from one at Torchwick, who was unable to block it. "Gunchucks," Eric whispered in amazement. The two fighters kept on fighting, with Sun launching rapid-fire shotgun blasts from his gunchucks. Using Torchwick's distraction to her advantage, Blake got up and kicked the human away. Torchwick looked up, and saw a shipping container hanging over the duo. He aimed his cane and shot the rope, causing the Faunus to dodge in different directions.

Torchwick had his cane aimed at Sun's head, but was interrupted by a loud, "HEY!" The two turned to see Ruby walk up on the roof of the warehouse overlooking the docks, as she slammed her scythe into the roof.

"Oh, hello, Red!" Torchwick waved as he turned to face the young Huntress-in-training. "Isn't it past your bedtime?"

"You know him, Rosebud?" Thomas asked as he unholstered his guns and switched them to their swords.

"I had a little encounter with him before I was enrolled in Beacon," Ruby explained.

"Is he your friend?" Penny asked the couple.

"Penny, get back!" Ruby instructed the girl. Seizing the opportunity, Torchwick aimed his cane at Ruby and fired. Thomas saw the bullet coming, and tackled Ruby out of the way, as Torchwick laughed. Penny had a look of rage on her face, as she walked forward. "Penny! Wait! Stop!" Ruby called out to her friend.

"Don't worry, Ruby!" Penny looked back to Ruby. She faced forward again. "I'm combat ready!" As she said this, her backpack opened, and several swords popped out, forming a circle behind the girl. As she ran forward, Penny's swords flung forward and knocked down several White Fang members. When Penny landed, she broke into a roll as her swords came back to her. She stabbed through one member, then through another, sending the second one back to the shipping container. She used her swords as a spinning shield to knock back two White Fang members that charged her. She flipped over one, her swords knocking another down. She gestured forward, and her swords went through the rest of the White Fang, knocking them down like bowling pins.

As Penny was beasting through the White Fang (pun intended), Thomas and Ruby watched in shock. "How is she doing that?" Thomas asked.

"Semblance, maybe?" Ruby offered.

"That seems unlikely, sweetie." The two kept watching as two airships, both of which were cut apart by Penny's laser, flew over their heads. After she launched her swords into an airship that was carrying a shipping container, Penny walked back, dragging the airship with her.

"These kids just keep getting weirder," Torchwick remarked after he ran back to his airship, and after he saw Penny pull the ship (that her swords were pulling) into a bunch of stacked shipping containers. The remaining two airships flew away into the night sky.

(x)

At dawn, the police were at the docks, along with Sun, Blake, Eric, Thomas, Ruby, Johnny, Yang, and Penny. The group was sitting on a bunch of crates when they heard footsteps approach them. They turned to see Sam and Weiss approach the group. Ruby got up, and began to speak. "Look, Weiss, it's not what you think, she explained the whole thing you see, she doesn't actually wear a bow, she has kitty ears and they're actually kind of cute." Weiss stood in front of Blake.

"Weiss, I want you to know that I'm no longer associated with the White Fang. Back whenー"

"Stop," Weiss cut Blake off. "Do you have any idea how long we've been searching for you?" Without waiting for a response, Weiss continued. "Twelve hours. That means I've had twelve hours to think about this. And in that twelve hours, I've decided…" Everyone waited for Weiss to continue. "...I don't care!"

"You don't care?" Blake asked uncertainly.

"You said you're not one of them anymore, right?"

"No, I haven't been since I wasー"

"Uhpbupupup…I don't want to hear it," Weiss dismissed with a wave of her hand. "All I want to know is that the next time something this big comes up, you'll come to your teammates. And not someー someone else."

"Of course, your friends work, too," Sam added.

Blake looked to her team, who all smiled at her. Then she looked to her friends in Team JEST, all of whom nodded. Blake wiped away something on her cheek, then said, "Of course." This prompted a smile from Weiss.

After a moment, Ruby cheered, "Yeah! Team RWBY is back together!"

The group came closer, then laughed as Weiss pointed a finger accusingly at Sun. "I'm still not sure how I feel about you!"

"He's chill, Weiss. If it wasn't for him, Blake and I would've died," Eric defended his new friend.

"Hey guys," Johnny got everyone's attention.

"Where's Penny?" Thomas finished what Johnny was about to say.

From a police car that wasn't too far away, Penny watched her friends. "You should know better than to go running around in a strange city," the driver spoke.

"I know, sir," Penny responded, slightly ashamed of her actions.

"Penny, your time will come."

(x)

S/N: Another chapter, done! Sorry if this was rushed, but I can't wait to get to Chapters 9 & 10! And a quick review of what's to come in chapter 8; just expect the fruits of Johnny's training to pay off. It's going to be short, and just one match, so I can get started on Chapters 9 & 10.

A/N: Please R&R!
S/N: Till next time!