VIII: Ositha

Joining the Fang


Espionage.

That word alone would immediately give you an idea of spying, gathering intel on the enemies ground, radar, counter-measure, and et cetera, right? Basically, things that everyone requires to help win a war. Ruby taught me that a bit when we play Remnant: The Game together; to improve my skills, she had said. Little did she know, I already learned and did that a long time ago.

Okay, what's occupying your mind, now? Is it an image of me with ninja mask, sneaking behind the enemies and blending with the shadows of the night? Well, I'd hate to admit, but it didn't look like that. It wasn't anything cool like you're imagining. Sorry for bursting your bubble, but the truth is; I could make the world's worst spy.

What's that supposed to mean?

That's what I'm going to tell here; the adventure of a misfit spy that infiltrates the extremist Faunus organization, White Fang. Yep, that's my first mission. You can imagine how screwed up it could be, as I used to have no skill in spying. However, I can only thank one thing: luck. It's pure luck, trust me.

Otherwise, I'd probably end up dead discovered as a human.

~-x-~

It all started with a simple, quiet, and breezy morning.

After a few cycles of waking up and sleeping in a girl body, I submitted to the fact that there's nothing in the world that could transform me back into my original self. I felt depressed, even if it wasn't so severe. Depression was my smallest issue, just like answering the call of nature. It turned out I could no longer pee while standing.

(I tried one time out of instinct, and I ended up wetting myself. It's not even funny.)

It's pretty hard to find the silver lining of my sudden body change. Sure, people kept saying I'm cute and pretty-and it was true; I've taken a look in the mirror. Usually, they would say my most striking figure was my crimson red eyes. I didn't take pleasure in being adored. To be honest, the attention got on my nerves.

This wasn't my body. This wasn't even me. I wasn't feeling like myself. I felt like being a puppeteer of a beautiful doll. It's not the best feeling.

I yawned, feeling so bored out of mind. The store was empty of visitors, so I decided to kill the time by reading some novels. Yes, I know. Novels. Not comics. You read that right. Since when do I take pleasure in reading literature? If I say since I met Blake, then I'd be lying. No, it was since ten minutes ago after I ran out of comics.

Trust me, you'd find yourself being more open-minded when you had nothing else to read in the middle of a store full of books. Besides, curiosity kills the cat; as a famous phrase would say. It wasn't like I had anything else to do. I've got everything cleaned and ordered. What could I say? I can be a miracle worker when I want to.

The problem was, I read those books, but I didn't indulge myself. It's more like filling the time while gazing at letters on the pages without any spirit to make even a sentence out of them. In a shorter word; I was doing nothing more than staring at them. Very productive, indeed.

I would've continued doing that bupkis activity if not for a customer's arrival. Taking the bell chime as the cue, I sang out with a cheer; "Welcome to Tukson's Book Trade, home to every book under the sun!"

Except that it's a familiar person who appeared before me. I almost choked right then, looking at her features. The most startling amber eyes. Feline ears hidden covered by her bow. Gothic-style black and white clothing with the dark purple leggings. And lastly, some sort of weapon strapped to her back. Blake Belladonna.

(That's the first time I saw Blake with Gambol Shroud.)

"Umm..."

Suddenly, I felt dumb. I didn't know why, even with my logic telling me that she wouldn't recognize my girl form, it was hard not to gawk at the cat Faunus. She's simply too hot not to stare at. Wait, if I was a girl and fawning over a girl, would it be called lesbian? Nevermind, that one was too awkward.

Please don't recognize me, Blake; I prayed jitterily with shaking fingers.

"I've never seen you before. You must be new here," she observed, strolling closer to a sweating me.

"Yeah!" I replied hurriedly, more than eager to follow the topic. "Tukson recruited me just a few days ago. Can I help you with something?"

The raven-haired girl gave no visible response other than her slight nod of acknowledgment. Well, that's Blake for you. I waited patiently as she browsed the novel shelf beside the desk. It's hard to study her long enough without the risk of being caught. Her new appearance was shocking, and that's an understatement.

I didn't think I've seen someone so close to went through a drastic change like this. The weapon on her back made me curious, though. I knew she'd been training in the arts of self-defense, but why would she need a weapon? The cleaver-sword thing looked very formidable, almost like Qrow's greatsword.

Not to mention her white vest that showed her midriff. I think my skin burned as my sight washed over her exposed stomach. Especially that belly button-

(SMACK! Darn it, I need to focus writing this!)

When I refocused my attention, I was staring right at her amber eyes. Uh oh. Busted. She asked, "Are you alright?"

"Pfft!" This time I choked for real. The girl said nothing as I coughed painfully several times to clear my throat. Wheezing, I replied in a meek tone, "I'm good!"

Again, there's no verbal response to my answer. I turned away in embarrassment and pretended to clean off the other side of the desk. Deep inside my mind, I cursed endlessly. It was just Blake, for Dust's sake! No need to exaggerate it like a big deal. We didn't have a thing anymore between us. Besides, she didn't know me.

The fact made me sad. It was sad but better than her realizing that her ex-boyfriend had become a girl. Obviously, it's hard to explain that one. Nevermind, this meant I had to be incognito toward her.

I didn't know how long I endured the awkward silence between us. Blake shimmed through the novels section like usual, ignoring others around her. Sometimes, I hated it when she did that. Why was I acting like this? I didn't know.

Okay, I knew. Deep down inside, I hoped she'd recognize me. I hoped she could help me. That's the biggest aspect I considered. If she doesn't know me, does that means I can get closer to her as a friend without her suspecting? Well, if I could befriend her. Maybe, I could...

And just like that, a spark of idea ignited in my mind. Along with it, a super insane plan hatched. I wasn't sure what inspired me to conceive the idea, but only later I told myself that I'm a genius. Not to mention a risk-taker as well. So many risks and flaws in the plan, but it sounded much better than being stuck in this store forever.

I will pretend myself as a Faunus that wants to join the White Fang. Sounds like a good plan? Note, the sarcasm is real. Sometimes, this reminded me why I usually end up with a bunch of troubles. It's because I stick my nose into so many things I shouldn't have.

But let me tell you, I didn't regret this one at all. It's my best decision ever. Now, it's time to talk to Blake into letting me join the Fang. However, little did I know back then, I didn't have to do it.

Suddenly, she asked, "Where is Tukson?"

"Huh?" I blinked. "Oh, Tukson. He's currently going out for a bit. I'm in charge until he returns. Is there something I can help with?"

Blake's flat expression didn't change. "No. I have business with him."

"Uh... okay. I'm sorry." I bowed my head a little.

So serious. I wonder what business do you have, Blake?

"It's alright," she dismissed. The Faunus pulled out her scroll and began browsing through it. She dialed someone and waited patiently. Not knowing what else to do, I turned away from her to give her a privacy.

Then, I caught her talking to the person on the other line. "I'm already at your bookstore. Where are you?" After a bit of receiving the response, she snapped the scroll shut. Amber eyes turned to me, who's watching the whole thing. It was too late to avert my gaze. Again, busted while staring at her. I cringed inwardly.

"Hey," the raven-haired girl called.

I pointed at myself. "Me?"

She nodded.

My heart beat faster, almost like the first time she called me by my name. Snap out of it, Os! You're looking stupid! A voice yelled in my head. Ignoring it, I gingerly approached her.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

"No, I'm just wondering; is your name Kora?"

I had to shove down the embarrassment that's threatening to resurface. It's the only thing I could come up with when Tukson asked my name. My mother's name. "Yes."

Blake stared at me with a calculating gaze, the one that she usually wore whenever she wanted to know more about something. I could tell she was curious, but back then I only hoped my name didn't sound so obvious. You could never be too careful with her, I tell you. She's a very perceptive person and a good analyzer.

After a while, the air got tenser between us. Maybe that's what I felt because I could feel my knees shaking. What if she suddenly grabbed me by the neck and told me she knew everything, and that a little transformation on my body wouldn't change anything? Wait, I was being paranoid. There's no way she'd do that.

Finally, she spoke, "Tukson said you're a Faunus. But, you didn't look like one. Do you have a hidden trait?"

"Umm..." I swallowed. "Yeah, I have one. It's just, I'm not comfortable talking about it, though. Because-"

She pulled off her bow, revealing those feline ears I missed so much. "It's okay. You can tell me."

Luckily, I managed to pull off a dumbstruck look. "You are, too?"

The cat girl gave me a thin smile. "Yes."

Well, it's time to tell her my perfected lie. It took me a full night to come up with a logical explanation, plus a bit of research on the books. Luckily, Tukson was more than willing to allow me to read them. I looked down onto the desk and frowned.

"I'm a weird Faunus," I started. "So weird that my father shunned me away after my mother's death. It's..."

...a part of the truth. I collected the facts of many things that happened to me past this week and mixed them up to the best of my ability to make a convincing background story to support my existence. It's amazing how I did that, but hey, I'm a genius.

(I heard Yang feinted a puke behind me. Since when is she here?)

Looking at the girl's face, I saw nothing but pure curiosity and concern. I found more confidence coming, though. Inhaling a deep breath, I continued my story, "I'm a spider Faunus. I can make spider webs."

I know, I know what you're going to ask. Yes, I hate spiders. I hate them so much But that's why I chose them. Blake and Tukson would never expect an Osmond to lie to them using the thing he's so scared of. That's my logic, at least, just to be safe. And it appeared that it worked. The raven-haired girl's face frowned.

"I don't see how is that a problem. Spider Faunus aren't that rare."

"Yeah," I twiddled with my fingers. "The problem is, I ooze them out from there. Do you get it?"

Blake's face contorted in confusion. "What?"

I leaned closer and said in a lower voice, even though we're practically alone. "There. As in... you know?"

The pale skin of her face couldn't have gotten any paler. But then, she blushed and averted her eyes from me. Bright pink tainted her cheeks. Even I felt mine burned as well. A ridiculous lie, not to mention humiliating as well, but it's the only way I convince her that I couldn't show my non-existent Faunus trait.

"So, yeah. I've been running and living on the street for like, forever. It was helpful sometimes since many people tried to take advantage of me." At that, Blake's amber eyes widened. I shrugged it off. "When they realize what I am, they were disgusted with me and let me go."

A pause stretched between us. I gave her the time to absorb all the information while staring down to my hands. I sighed. "I am a freak."

Let me tell you, that story was sad so that I couldn't help feeling emotional. Unconsciously and unexpectedly, my tears fell. I just noticed that when something wet splashed on the skin of my hand. Blinking, two more followed. It was my life. Shunned away from everything I used to have because I'm a freak who woke up in a girl's body.

A hand reached out and gently grabbed mine. It was Blake's. "You're not a freak."

"I'm... not?" I asked her in a small voice.

"No, you're not," she repeated, sterner this time. Those amber eyes looked intensely at me with such a resolve; to help me out. She said, "They're wrong. So wrong."

"How can you be so sure about that?"

"Because I can prove it to them. To the humans. We can prove it. But I'm going to need your help," she tried to convince me.

"What am I useful for? I can only fight a little," I sniffled.

"That's more than enough," Blake said. "Do you want to join our organization? We're recruiting to help voice our plight so that humans can hear us out. Every Faunus counts."

"What's your organization's name?" I inquired, even though I already knew everything. "Who are you and why are you trying to help me?"

The cat Faunus told me, "I'm Blake, a member of the White Fang. And I'm helping you out because that is our goal. We will do everything for the Faunus."

~-x-~

That was how Tukson found us. I was hugging Blake so tight, acting relieved and touched. Yes, I will admit, there's a part of me that seized the opportunity, too. If there's any upside of this girl body, I get to hug her like an emotional wreck without making things awkward. My new slogan: always take a chance when possible.

"Could you please release me?" Blake whizzed to my ear.

"Oh!" I let go of her. "Sorry, I tend to get physical sometimes."

"It's okay."

I just realized Tukson was there, holding a medium shopping bag. Panicked, I tried to explain, "I'm sorry! I was here a-and-"

"It is alright," the male Faunus hold his hand to calm me down. "I was the one who arranged the meeting between you and Blake."

"You were?" I asked disbelievingly.

He chuckled and approached us. "Yes."

"Thank you." Was all I could say.

"No problem. It works both ways," he said, handing the bag to me.

My eyes trailed down to the item. "I'm sorry. I've been such a burden, Tukson."

The older male looked surprised, but he quickly took rein. "No, I didn't mean it like that. I don't have any problem with you staying here, Kora. It's just... the law is law. Besides, you will get a better life in the Fang, hopefully."

Will I?

At this point, I was sure I'm playing with the fire. It's just a matter of time before it burns me. But I didn't care. I wanted it. Why not try something new while you can?

"Still, I thank you," I told him once more. And then, I remembered there's a bag in my hands. "What is this?"

"It's a simple coat. My payment for your hard work past these three days."

"Tukson, I..." My voice cracked. I found my eyes brimming with tears again. After three hectic days of torturous life on my own without as much as a Lien, this was one form of kindness the gods sent me.

(I was so emotional that time, so I beg your pardon.)

He nodded his consent. "You're welcome."

"We should be off," Blake spoke up, already had enough of the sappy moment.

"Okay," I answered, feeling giddy after pouring out my heart's content unnecessarily. Turning to Tukson for the last time, I said my farewell.

"Take care, Kora," Tukson said as we left.

"I will, Tukson!" I called back to him.

I'm going to miss this store; I thought as the familiar bell chime sent us off. It felt like it's been a long time since I last stepped outside. The sun was hidden behind the clouds, unable to spread its warmth here. I glanced at Blake, waiting for her next instruction.

"You should wear your coat. It can get pretty cold there," she informed.

Nodding, I pulled out the coat. The fabric material was pretty soft despite its simple appearance. Clearly, it's not the best of the best, but when you're no longer the heir-next-in-line to a famous company, you have to decrease your standard a bit. I wore it without a hesitation and savored the warmth it offered. "So, where are we going?"

She stared at me disinterestedly, just as her usual old self. "The White Fang, of course. Where else?"

~-x-~

"You're going to need to wear it."

The cat Faunus placed some kind of mask on my accepting hand. I stared at her blankly, not comprehending why she gave me this. We're standing in an alleyway that contained back doors leading to the old warehouses on the shadier side of Vale's industrial district. I saw not a single soul here, but Blake nodded in confidence after seeing a white symbol of three claw scratches on the wall.

Perhaps it was a sign?

The cat girl confirmed that when I asked it; "Yes, it's a code where our recruitment takes place. Just so that only Faunus know."

"So... why do I need this? What is this mask?"

"It's a symbol. Humanity always see the monsters in us, so why not don the monster faces?" she told me.

"But not every single one of them, right?"

The Faunus appeared conflicted. Her gaze strayed somewhere else as if remembering something. Then, she shook her head and wore the serious expression back. "Yes, not all. But they still need to hear us out."

"I see."

"Don't worry." Her amber eyes softened, after seeing my nervousness. "I won't be too far. Just get in and follow everyone else, okay?"

"Mmhm, yeah."

I put the mask on. Its slits were the only things that allowed me to see. Otherwise, I felt the darkness(no pun intended) inside here. A part of me wanted to ask her how I looked like in this mask, but remembering our serious purpose and my big bold plan, I decided I didn't want to look like an idiot in front of her. Meek, maybe, idiot and dorky like the old Os? No, just no.

Blake said nothing when I glanced back at her and went toward the normal-looking door-waiter. The guy looked pretty much like a human, but she told me he's the one that keeps humans out. That means he'd be the only trouble that stands between her believing me as a Faunus. If I couldn't get past this 'Faunus detector' guy, there goes my chance.

He turned to me as I approached. I tensed, but then forced myself to adopt the usual facade. Luckily, I still had diplomatical skills as a Burlywood. I stopped in front of him, allowing the guy to study my appearance. He's probably curious. Most of the Faunus have ears, antlers or at least a tail. Meh, no matter, once I told him the same thing I told Blake, he wouldn't have a choice but to believe me.

Eventually, he spoke, "Right this way, miss."

"Thank you."

I wasn't sure why he directed me to the alleyway behind him instead of the door. Perhaps he saw me as a human? Come on; I prayed. You've got to buy it. But instead of arguing, I followed his direction and walked away, leaving him alone with his duty.

The alley was dim, and my mask didn't help a lot with its tiny vision. Thud. I stumbled across something. I couldn't see in the dark. Luckily, my reflex as a trainee didn't betray me. It reminded me of something, though. I didn't have night vision an ability every Faunus have. Cringing internally, I prayed they wouldn't ask about it. How am I going to explain?

'Uh... you see, I used to eat a lot of sugar, and the doctor said my eyes suffered from it.'

No. I shook my head. Obviously, they're not going to buy it-Eep! I clamped my mouth shut a shrill cry from escaping. A masked person appeared out of nowhere in the dark and nearly gave me a heart-attack! Fortunately, he didn't notice my frantic heartbeats due to the sudden appearance. The guy only said, "New recruit takes the right."

Surprisingly, my voice was level after the jumpscare. "Okay."

Wait a minute. Does this mean I passed the test? No time for celebration, though. He ushered me into the room and closed the door behind me. I gulped. Right then, I was behind the enemy line. I was practically infiltrating their headquarters. Okay, maybe not HQ, yet, but it's still their territory.

If you only see this old warehouse from outside, you wouldn't believe its inside was well-kempt and filled by Faunus desperate to voice out their plight. Despite the run-down walls, rusty window bars, and faint lighting that hurts my eyes, it looked accommodable to me. Why didn't I come here earlier? No, wait.

Had I come here first and encountered them, I wouldn't have a good backstory and ended up recognized as a human. Yeah, thank Oum for that. With a small satisfied smile, I joined the other recruits that stood in the ceremony. Most of them were civilians, seeing from their normal clothes and appearances. It's pretty sad to see how desperation turned them to become dangerous to everyone else.

My smile fell, replaced by a frown. It was thanks to us, humans. Thanks to my father's company. Thanks to every bad thing humans had put the Faunus into. I didn't want to make a conclusion, yet. But with the proof in sight, I started to put two and two together. The White Fang was changing, and not for the good.

The guy who stood on the staging ground looked pretty menacing with his red striped mask. Or maybe it was his bald head. I turned my head around. There were several White Fang members with their mask and uniform gray vest. They stood guard around the perimeter; some of them even held a gun.

If my true identity got revealed, I'm a dead meat.

"Thank you all for coming. Now, let me introduce you to our Lieutenant, Adam Taurus," he spoke with a gruff voice toward all of us, forcing me to put my attention back on the stage.

A person appeared from behind the curtain. He walked onto the stage with the air of a leader around him. Every sounded step screamed deadly aura. Let me tell you something, his appearance made that bald guy looked like a puppy. My lips parted a little, but no sound came out.

Adam Taurus.

The black suit with crimson ornament(was it a rose?) fitted his feature perfectly. His crimson and black hair didn't waver as he walked as if showing his unfaltering persona. Even though half of his face were covered by the mask, I could tell that guy wasn't someone you'd like to joke with, with the constant frown that graced his lips.

All in all, his black clothing was worse than Blake's and by 'worse', I mean 'very scary'. But that's not the final straw. It was the weapon on his waist that caught my attention. Even from afar, I was pretty sure it's not a common gun with the length.

Everyone went silent as he stopped before us. He studied each of us briefly. I almost panicked when he held a longer gaze on me, but thankfully he didn't come over and asked my trait out of the blue. That would've been a funny business. Also, I didn't want to find out what weapon he's using, yet.

"I'm glad all of you are here," he started his speech. "Because not many are willing to fight for our cause. However, that will change soon."

Adam's left hand never strayed too far to grip his weapon. He looked like someone who's been living on the edge with so many enemies around him. Perhaps, actual enemies, not like me and my father's rivals.

"We're here because of one thing; humans. For years, they've been treating us like animals, monsters, and anything lower than their place. We've tried to reason with them. We've tried voice our thoughts out. And their response?" he spread out his arms in front of the audience, daring anyone to answer.

"Nothing," I whispered to myself.

"Nothing!" his voice rose up in anger and the guy curled his hands into fists. "All we wanted are equality and justice. And that's what the White Fang is going to do for the Faunus. We will drive humans back so that they know we're equals. And then, we will set upon the world for justice of so many wrongdoings they've done to us in the past!"

His voice resonated in the dim room, emphasizing his point. Some of the recruits were murmuring in agreement. I stayed silent. I didn't like his tone the slightest, or how he worded his sentences. The Faunus lieutenant continued.

"We're going to take back what is ours by rights. And that starts now, by changing our ways. The humans always push us around despite our protests. Now, it's time for us to fight back. We will show them our strength!"

I could hear agreements along with anger from those around me. It's pretty scary, being a sole human surrounded by angry Faunus.

"Our High Leader shared the same cause with me. She has entrusted me to lead this Vale branch of our organization. And I promised I won't let her down, not just for us, but for every single Faunus on Remnant. That, is my promise."

The male Faunus stepped forward, his right hand raised as a clenched fist. "Today, we're here because of our same goal; to make the world a better place for the Faunus. That's your reason to join us, wasn't it? Then, it's time for you to rise up and speak out your beliefs to the world. Who is with me?!"

A chorus of 'we're with you!' hailed him. I had no choice but to join them as well. The commotion was loud, making me thankful that I didn't have any extra ears.

"Good." He looked down at us, pleased. "Now, it's time for us to move out. We'll move on to our base at the outskirt of Vale tonight."

(The fun starts right after this.)

~-x-~


AN: This is a bit short for a chapter, only 4.6k word-ish. I got the plot going, but for this chapter, I couldn't extend it any longer since it'd look forced. Next chapter, though, I think I can make it longer(hopefully). So, yeah, while I use 'Kora' here as Ositha's name, it's not her real name. Obviously, she's not going to name her after Osmond at this moment. We'll get to that later.

Fyi, Kora is Greek for crow, a little hint on Ossy's relation with Qrow and Raven. That's for future chapters, but I'm leaving this hint here. Also, the spider Faunus idea was because I found it both amusing and ironic at the same time. Seriously, I can't stop smirking while writing that. XD

And for anyone who's fretting of not seeing our dorky super-lame-hero, don't worry, we'll get back to Osmond's PoV later since this story is split two between Ositha and Osmond. I'm planning to do a 'four chapters' before switching PoV, but that remains to be seen.

For those who wondered, the boy Osmond is still the same guy, but just have no idea he has activated his semblance. That's why we kicked Ositha out from the mansion here. No one would believe a random girl saying she's Osmond, duh. The two will figure their unique ability later, including a telepathy ability which is yet for them to learn/use. I will try to explain 'Mirror Matching' as this story goes, slowly and step by step so none of you will be shocked.

That's it. Oh, also yeah, I'm late again due to procrastinating. Guilty as charged.

~ Karvost (Kronosmond)


Review Replies: I've responded to the only review from the previous chapter via PM... (yeah, only one, so sad) so I don't think I need to repeat it. Thanks anyway, UT Midnight Sky.