Soulbound

by xT-Zealot

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon, so it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well. That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years." [Pseudo-Novelization] -Completed-

10. White

Author's Note: So let's go over something real quick here. You're the one who got me into this when you thought of putting Ruby in a maid outfit because Blake is a cosplaying fiend in order to take care of a sick Weiss.

Brain: I did.

So how did we get from that to what occurred in the last chapter?

Brain: You deprive me of sleep and try to convince me that those Kickstart energy drinks are a suitable replacement for it.

…Fair point.

Brain: Besides, did you happen to notice what happened after that chapter?

*looks up at the Favs and Follows* …Fairer point.

---

"She's been gone all weekend," Ruby said dismally, hanging her head.

All weekend with no sign of Blake. Once Yang and Ruby took to the streets of Vale, they decided on a slower, more thorough approach instead of having the older sibling race through the streets on her motorcycle and banking on the chance of somehow spotting Blake. They visited Blake's favorite hangouts and other places that they knew would interest their teammate whether it be the many bookstores and libraries or Dust 'Till Dawn.

Once they exhausted their options, they moved on to what Blake would need such as food, clothing, and shelter. They hit various hotels, taverns, grocery stores, and restaurants starting with those closest to the Beacon skyport. She left on a Friday evening without notice and they hoped that it would play in their favor by having Blake be more inclined to hit the closest refuge that she could find.

It was the obvious thing to do and that was why they only spent a couple hours searching before going further downtown. If she was really trying to get away from them, the ninja would've thought of it and put as much distance as she could between them in case of a search before settling down - late or not. As much as Yang didn't want to admit to that being the case, Blake was a rather conspicuous individual. Huntsmen and Huntresses being the way they are and having permission to carry their armaments with them, they were a noticeable bunch in contrast to Vale's citizens even if the common folk were used to the sight of them wandering the streets.

Even then, there was no uniformity in Hunters; each person dressing and arming themselves with a weapon that was unique to them. Their group was a testament to that with Yang's gauntlets and Weiss's rapier to Ruby's gigantic scythe. With their color scheme of yellow, white, and red, it would be difficult for someone to see them and not remember something about them even if it was just in passing.

Blake possessed some notable features even if she wasn't as brightly clothed. Ask a person if they saw a white and black-dressed girl who wore a bow, adorned herself with ribbons, and carried what looked like a cleaver on her back and there wasn't going to be a large number of people who she could be mistaken with. They also had her picture on their scrolls of course.

Yet they came up empty. No matter how many places they've been to and flashed her image to employees or random citizens, no one was able to give them anything.

When they turned in Sunday night, it was with failure and a dwindling window of opportunity to find Blake. It was Monday now, meaning that classes have resumed with the new week. Never had Yang found it so excruciating to sit in class as she did today with the knowledge that every minute – no, second – was another that had Blake's trail growing cold…not that they even had a trail to follow.

"Blake's a big girl, I'm sure she can handle herself," Weiss put in, nowhere near as concerned as Ruby.

Yang's fingers flexed at her side to better exhibit her irritability when it came to the heiress. As grateful as Yang had originally been when she saw not only Ruby but Weiss waiting for her at Beacon's platform, it dried up pretty fast when it came to the latter's lack of care to the whereabouts of Blake. Weiss was investigating and asking questions with them but not with any urgency.

The brawler had to constantly remind herself that the fencer was nonetheless here with them and had again met up with them at the airship once their Monday classes finished. It was all that kept her from responding as sharp as she wanted to when she said, "Weiss, come on; she's one of our teammates."

The heiress glanced at her with a dubious expression before asking, "Is she? We all heard what she said."

"Weiss," Ruby warned, her tone heavy with it. Yang knew from the start that Ruby persuaded her partner to come with them but even she was getting annoyed with her attitude.

"Maybe she is, maybe she isn't." If Weiss didn't get the hint by the added edge to her tongue, Yang thought that giving the white-haired girl that much would get her to shut up. For her sake. "Either way she's missing and we need to find her."

The emphasis and the glare got Weiss to concede by staring ahead. It didn't keep her silent though. "A member of the White Fang! Right under our very noses!"

"I just hope she's okay…" Ruby replied, once again casting her gaze down.

It was with Ruby in mind that had Yang forcing her digits to relax, having become balled. It took her a moment longer to realize that Ember Celica had reacted to her growing resentment by deploying over her arms. Like her fists, Yang coaxed her weapons to dismantle, the knuckle plate and barrel shrinking while the lines of shells slid back to slip beneath the bracelets.

She did it slowly with the idea that the conversion would go unnoticed at least by Ruby who was walking ahead of them. A part of her did wish that Weiss saw it to show how thin the ice she treaded on was. It was getting thinner alongside their chances of finding Blake.

---

=One Year Ago=

Vale: that was to be the site of their next target. Along the northern edge of the kingdom was the forest of Forever Fall where a railway line cuts through the blood-red trees. Regularly-scheduled cargo trains take advantage of it to deliver much-needed Dust and other supplies to humanity's safe haven. It was the Dust that they were after and it was the Dust that they were going to steal.

Blake was troubled. There was nothing particularly odd about their objective or, really, anything wrong with it at its core. It fell under the White Fang's directive that it's followed for the last four years: to target those who've benefited from the use of faunus labor. Schnee Dust was a favorite because of how they exploited such a cheap source so excessively, leading to such dramatic growth that's led to the company becoming the number one supplier of Dust in only a few generations.

It was a Schnee-owned train that they were targeting so, no, there was nothing wrong about what they were targeting; it was the where.

Vale. With this war of theirs and her participation being restricted elsewhere, she sometimes forgot that there were other capitals all throughout Remnant. All human-centric and, undoubtedly, all of them biased to some extent when it came to her kind. When she did remember, it would leave her wondering how the White Fang ever had a chance to spread equality throughout the world when their efforts of peace were so easily quelled.

Fear's proven to work so much better. What's occurred during four years vastly eclipsed what meager progress they made during her twelve. She doubted it at first, questioning what good it did to make people afraid of you instead of respect you. Was the White Fang's reversal in tactics really going to do the same with the results?

It did. Easily.

It was rough in the beginning. The covert change of leadership was supposed to make it smoother when the organization as a whole – upon gaining the loyalty and coordination of its scattered cells – launched their attacks. Despite the intensity and speed of which they were delivered, the human population acted as if it was a momentary spike that would pass. The faunus of the White Fang don't fight back after all; they just stand in the streets where they could be stepped around and ignored.

There was retaliation undertaken by both police forces and civilians, targeting what faunus they could find in order to make examples out of them. Beat them down and suppress them. It worked before.

Not this time. Any human who sought to administer their own justice paid for it. The hunters became the hunted when they were the ones getting ambushed, they who were being pulled into the shadows and tossed right back out to act as a warning, and it was they who became fearful. Once they understood that their actions would be met with a violent reaction, they hid like the cowards they've always been.

There would be no sanctuary though. Any shops that tried to deny the faunus were put to the torch and became fiery examples to all that they were to be served as readily as humans. They could not ignore them anymore and would have to accept them or face the consequences.

Acceptance, Blake thought. Is that really what's going on?

It was working. As uneasy as she may've been, she couldn't argue with the results. She could walk freely on the streets now. She didn't have to look over her shoulder or duck her head or lower her cat ears anymore to avoid attracting nasty attention. When she asked for a service, she was provided with one.

That was what she wanted, wasn't it? The means may be questionable but the ends were justifying them, weren't they?

That was what she thought when she took to her own patrolling once she was sufficiently trained. She was a whole new person now and she came to actually appreciate her choice that led her here. Looking down at the cityscape, she truly believed she was some kind of guardian with her faunus sight and hearing allowing her to better sweep her surroundings for trouble.

When she found them, she mused that humans really did live up to their hypocrisy. They resented the darkness but only up to the point where they could use it to their advantage just like they did with everything else. In this case, they did so with the assumption that it would hide their deeds by hustling their victim into the alley. Coupled with that hypocrisy was their willful ignorance of how they were not the masters that they thought they were.

She proved that to them when she fell upon them with the help of the shadows. With her training and the weapon she constructed for such a time, she took them down with ease. She didn't kill them, not only with the reasoning that they would better tell a tale when they're alive but because she didn't want to kill them. It had always been about getting them to understand that a faunus deserved to be treated as equally as a human and if it required a few bruises to prove it then she was willing to do that.

She felt accomplished, the unconscious humans another addition to the progress that they were making. She still remembered when it was her who'd been at their mercy and another had come to her defense. Now she was doing her part.

So she was taken completely off guard when the hand she held out to the faunus she rescued was slapped aside.

"You're one of them," he growled.

Blake was only able to stand there, shocked, meeting the angry gaze before her eyes slid up. No, he was definitely a faunus and like his gaze those canine ears displayed hostility with how they were back and lowered. He was one of her own but…how he spoke to her was the same as when a human had done so; as if she was something else.

There were faunus who left the White Fang and chose to stick to their nonviolent methods in separate, newly-established groups. Blake never thought badly of them for it even if a few used to be colleagues who didn't wish to speak to her anymore. It hurt but she acknowledged it as a sacrifice that she was willing to make if it meant finally reaching their goal.

She remained uneasy though and it was sometime after that occurrence that she started taking a closer look at what they were doing. Humans weren't giving her dirty looks anymore but that was because they didn't want to look at her at all. When she tried to meet their eyes, they would turn away uneasily. That marginal space that went unnoticed she now identified when they sought to keep out of her path. When she asked for a service it was done with a hint of fear that she could now perceive.

They couldn't know she was White Fang. She and her comrades kept their identities hidden as even with their success, human law enforcement could take them down if they were ever recognized. No, it was her ears. They were scared of her because she was a faunus.

Yes, it was a complete reversal alright, and how ironic that when Blake asked what they really accomplished she could answer that it was nothing. Humans have become the fearful and it was the faunus who were preying on them. Other than a subdued local populace, they made little gains elsewhere as the big-time corporations and political bodies maintained their alienation of the faunus. In some aspects, they've grown more forceful with the White Fang responding in kind.

That brought up her group's more unsettling acts. Since the start they've undertaken kidnappings and assassinations. Blake had been spared from participating as she was still too young and untrained and even if she didn't like it she thought she understood that they were just doing it to make a stronger point and would stop.

They weren't stopping though. In fact, they've gotten more brutal. And now that she received her first big mission that was not to take place here but elsewhere…

She rested the back of her head against the wood of their latest hideout, her eyes closing as it sunk in. She…didn't want to do this anymore. She's been aware of this unsettling sensation that had steadily grown until it brought her to this revelation. She's been trying to hide her doubts, thinking that they may pass, but…they haven't.

She did want to fight back. Whatever reservations she may've had, how strong she was becoming did influence fantasies that she found attractive. She wanted to use that strength to protect but she wasn't going to be dishonest in that she didn't find anything appealing about just being able to administer a blow for the sake of it. She tried to explain it as natural, that there was nothing wrong with taking some satisfaction in bringing down her oppressors through force to show that it wasn't allowed…but she's been enjoying it.

And lately she was starting to suspect that that enjoyment may not be her own.

Her lids suddenly flew up, head turning quickly to the end of the corridor where the door to the planning room was. Atop her head, her cat ears sprung up tall and swiveled around to do the same. Once they were given their mission, Blake was dismissed but Adam had been told to remain. For what she didn't know but he silently directed her to wait for him.

Something was wrong though. That part of her that was Adam was pulsating with intense aggression. This close, she could practically feel the extreme emotion slipping through the seams of the door, like a gathering flood that was about to burst through although the door remained immovable. That was until it was flung open.

"Adam!" a voice called from within the room.

The faunus in question stomped out, jaw clenched so hard that it shook and it was what made his reply an angry bark of, "I know!"

Blake pushed herself off the wall to straighten herself as she turned to Adam, confused and worried about what happened. Whatever it was though, he didn't tell her as he gave her a subtle twitch of his chin – the only thing she could make out with his eyes hidden behind his mask – before storming past her.

Blake peeked back to the planning room, a tailed faunus watching Adam go. He turned to her and she actually felt a jolt go through her when she made out how the man was looking at her as if wary. That was added incentive for her to take off after her partner.

No matter how the dark cloud around Adam raged, it did little to dissuade Blake from jogging over to reach his side. Much like how they'd been before, after Adam convinced Blake to join him the two Fang members stuck close to one another. Blake originally thought nothing special about it as they were friends before and he was who she went to when she was settling in during the White Fang's change of tactics.

However, they eventually became aware of this bond that formed and grew while they trained together; a bond that went deeper than friendship or camaraderie that allowed them to fight and work in concert. It might be part of the reason why they were given as much attention as they were as well as being two young faunus who could make better use of their training involving their Aura and the fighting styles they took up. Blake came to take comfort in it, happy to be linked to someone that got her through these trying times full of misgivings.

So while she could perceive the rage that dominated him, she nonetheless felt sure that she could pierce through it to reach him. "Adam, what happened?"

"Nothing," he growled out.

An obvious lie and she knew that he knew it too; the response really a delay that he needed. Still she asked, "Is it about the mission?"

"No." Right after he corrected, "Yes." There came an irate grumble and shake of his head. "Give me a minute."

She granted him that, the pace he was setting and she following with haste to keep up leading her to believe that he wanted to get out of earshot before he told her anything. Remembering that cautious expression that their planner had given her, Blake wisely stayed silent and stuck to examining her partner.

Gnashing his teeth in frustration, Adam held Blush in a tight grip, his finger dangerously close to the trigger as if desiring to unleash Wilt on whatever or whoever may cross his path. While she didn't say anything, Blake tentatively reached out through their bond, her presence brushing against his in a way that she hoped would calm the tempest that swirled around him.

It worked albeit gradually and Blake had to prevent herself from flinching at the vicious gusting of vehemence. The stable support that she gave managed to accomplish in weakening it but not break it entirely, Adam visibly displaying it by loosening his hold on his sheath while the muscles in his jaw let up enough so that his teeth were no longer grinding together.

He finally came to a halt with Blake doing the same at the exact same time when she registered it. Although his covering made it difficult enough as it is, he didn't twist to meet her concerned gaze. "It is about the mission."

That much she was able to guess. "Is there a change of plans?"

Their objectives had been laid out quite plainly: board the train, locate the car full of Dust, then separate it from the rest. If they met up with any resistance they were to neutralize it and they were informed that the SDC had taken to automated defenses in response to White Fang's attacks. If all went well, they would signal a team meant to pick them up and loot the car. It was straightforward so she couldn't see what else needed to be added to it.

"Only a minor addition," Adam replied. "They want us to make a better example of it."

How he said it developed a sense of apprehension within Blake that she couldn't fully explain, especially as, other than his anger infesting his tone, Adam found nothing offensive about whatever their planner may've meant. "What do you mean?"

"We're going to locate the Dust and steal it, that part hasn't changed." Going over the plan again and rehearsing it in his mind seemed to be appeasing him as the strain began to ebb to the point that the quick, subtle shake of his shoulders was as if he was dropping some of the burden off of him. "What is changing is that we're going to take the entire train. Once we've cleared it and taken the Dust, we blow it up with demolition charges. They won't be running shipments through there again for a long time."

Blake was glad that Adam wasn't looking at her as he couldn't see how her eyes went wide at that. At the same time, the idea and his satisfaction at the alteration of their plan prevented him from sensing her disbelief. Or, perhaps, prevent him from perceiving that her disbelief wasn't at not being told about the plan but the plan itself.

Unnecessary, was Blake's first thought and she tried to keep her horror from being picked up by him. Completely unnecessary.

Blake had no love for the Schnee Dust Company. As much as she may disagree with the assassinations, they were directed at those who were responsible for the company's actions. She would never call it right but…she didn't know. Even necessary – a word that she used for her participation and most of the White Fang's actions – wasn't an apt description for it. She just didn't agree with it and the only solace she had was that it wasn't her that was performing those actions.

By clearing the entire train…did they mean the crew members as well? To take them out along with whatever security may be aboard? Kill them? Even if that wasn't the case – if they didn't have to kill them -, what were they going to do when they blew the explosives?

As terrible as this line of thinking was, there was something that stood out to Blake. Trying to suppress her abhorrence, she asked Adam, "Why didn't they want to tell me this?"

Here Adam hesitated and there was a spike of offence that came with the curl of his lip. It waned in the face of the sympathy that he directed to her. "This is a test."

It didn't take much of a leap of logic for Blake. "They don't trust me."

"They have no reason to!" Adam replied with a bit of snap, rotating to her. In what must be a placating manner he continued, "You've been with us since the beginning. You've been with me even before then. I have no doubts about your loyalty, Blake, but they still need some convincing."

Convincing? For what? After all she's done for them? All she's given up? She was practically born and bred into the White Fang, her whole life having been dedicated to the group. Even if she hadn't agreed with the change at first – and she still disagreed on certain policies -, she still followed them. She still fought.

Yet now she was being told that it wasn't enough? That she still needed to do more? If it really was the worst that they were expecting her to perform, did this mean they weren't satisfied until she had taken a life in order to obtain a full membership? To permanently stain her hands so that she couldn't wash it off?

Adam had confidence in her and he freely showed it. She could do it. He had no doubt in his mind at all about her willing to go along with all of this, no questions asked.

So why was he so angry? Locking directly onto the slits of his visor, Blake firmly stated, "There's more to it than that."

Like a switch that was flipped, his features that became soft to better assuage her toughened up, complete with a click of his teeth coming back together.

She guessed right and immediately pressed on. "Something else is going on. They want me to prove myself because there's something else that they've planned." And considering Adam's reaction, it was a plan that even he was having trouble coming to terms with.

"…Yes," Adam confirmed.

That troubling feeling became full-on disturbing. Vale, this test that was being prepared for her, and even the details that she hadn't found strange before. The White Fang wasn't above stealing if it meant acquiring resources, even better if it was Dust as it can be considered as them taking it back from humans, but an entire train car of it? Was there more to this than making a better statement towards humankind?

"What is it?" Blake asked, desperately needing to know. If they really were expecting her to perform in such a way, she wanted to know the reason for it. "What do they plan on doing?"

Having been willing to answer her questions before, this time Adam clammed up. Though his mask was directed at her, she could practically feel his eyes shift away from her.

She asked again with more insistence. "What is it?"

"What's natural," he replied. "It's inevitable that we would move on, Blake. Our cause is right and we need to be able to reach our goals no matter what. We've made tremendous gains but we need to go further. We may not agree with some of the methods but it will lead to what we all want. And, sometimes, precautions need to be taken to insure its success."

He didn't trust her either! Whereas once he showed confidence in her, she could sense how he pulled away from her, as if trying to keep his doubts hidden. Not just in her but in whatever it was that was going on; what was causing him to try and persuade himself as much as her that what they were doing was right.

"Adam," Blake spoke quietly, waiting until she knew he had his gaze back on her. "This is becoming too much."

"This is what we wanted."

"Not like this!" she objected. "Adam, don't you think we've done enough? The White Fang was meant to get humans to treat us equally but they've come to fear us."

"Now they understand what we've felt," Adam replied, scowling.

"And what will that achieve? What will making them afraid of us do? We haven't come any closer to our goals at all!"

He stood where he was, quietly appraising her. "What would you want us to do then?"

Blake didn't know for sure but she didn't want them to do something that they'll later regret. "We just need to stop for a moment. You know our leader better than others. Just talk to him. Get him to suspend our operations for now."

"And then what?"

"They fear us. At the very least, they should be more open to negotiations. We should contact them to try and settle this peacefully."

"And then what?"

"We…" Blake paused, unsure of how to proceed or why Adam was asking her to explain more when the rest should be obvious. "We could put an end to this. We could finally establish equality."

"And then WHAT!?" Adam swung Blush between them at his shout. "What do you think is going happen afterwards!?"

Blake recoiled, her words effectively stolen from her as she stared at Adam in shock.

"We've done this before!" The red lines of his mask began to glow, the color adding a sinister illumination as he snarled. "They tried to banish us to a Godforsaken wasteland! The only reason any of them stopped was because we made them!"

The intense crimson matched the overwhelming squall of fury that Blake was swept up in as it roared across their bond. Within her mind she could see that hatred give shape to malicious phantasms that encircled her, reminding her so much of back then when she had been surrounded.

"And then what happened!? We lowered our weapons and they took advantage of it! They sought to chain us down! Banish us in their mines and the slums so that we can work under them instead! Any of us who tried to object were oppressed! We offer them peace and they spat in our faces!"

And just like then those wicked apparitions were torn asunder, their malevolent grins being ripped open into expressions of horror before they were sent scattering.

"You think this'll be any different!? It won't! We stop now and they'll try harder to bring us down and remain that way! No, the only way they'll learn is if we show every last one of them the folly of ever believing that they were superior to us! For the rest of humanity's existence they will only know fear!"

…You're hurting me.

Blake had to assume that how Adam gripped his sheath was as tight and as painful as his hold on her arm. Apparently unknown to him, he had backed her into a corner, his free hand having closed like a vice around her bicep to better pin her in place while he raged. Though she tried to hide it, a pained expression took over her face.

That didn't stop him but her mental interference was enough to get through to him. He immediately released her, his hand darting back as if stung. The infernal glow of his mask died just as quickly while what of his countenance that wasn't hidden by it advertised surprise at his own actions.

"Blake…" Compared to how loud he was a moment ago, her name may as well have been delivered in a whisper as he stepped away from her.

She didn't say anything, her preference to stare at the floor rather than him being all that she needed. That and how her violet-furred ears were folded down as if to hide from him; a response that was once reserved for the presence of humans.

Appearing regretful, Adam softly said, "None of this is our fault. They brought this on themselves."

She stayed mute and, taking the hint, the horned faunus removed himself, unknowing of the results of his outburst. Once he was gone, Blake brought her hand behind her back, slipping under the coattails in order to pull out a pair of items from the pocket there.

That mask of his should've given it away sooner. It was based off of a design choice that was being adopted by the White Fang as a way for members to hide their identities and offer full face protection. However, the curved metal that resembled fangs at their cheeks expressed how they desired to inspire fear by stressing their bestial qualities that their targets linked them to, ignoring their humanity. The red lines on Adam's mask referred to something worse.

The band and ribbon that Blake retrieved were meant to do the opposite. Once she became aware of how human civilians saw her, she chose the covering to alleviate their fears. Her brothers and sisters have embraced the side of the beast while she still strove to be seen as human.

The dreams should've confirmed it. Adam was close to their leader and it was not the first time that he'd been pulled away from Blake's side and would disappear on an assignment that only he could be trusted with. Blake never knew what those assignments involved but lately she's been having gruesome nightmares, unsure of their origins but becoming more vivid as time went on.

It was in the midst of her partner's tirade and the glimpse into the dark recesses of his soul that had Blake wondering if the nightmares were really just that.

They were corrupting her. In that brief moment, Adam's hate had been her own; his rage having passed through this bond of theirs so that it may burn as hotly within her as it did within him. Having felt it so plainly, she wondered if it had been subtly manipulating her this whole time by how she once relied on his presence. That gratification that she felt when harming others was in fact his and the longer she stayed here – the longer she stayed with him -, the more she'll be susceptible to it until she was truly lost.

She has seen what it is that she'll become if she stays on this course. Her cause is threatening to betray her and her friend was already lost to it and waiting for her to join him. It was the exact same scenario as before.

This time, however, she could see that there was nothing over this line she was being dared to cross: a point of no return. The life she once knew was gone and, this time, she was not going to follow it into oblivion. What they intend to give her as an initiation shall become her escape to…

To where? To this place called Vale she supposed but what will she find there? As corrupted as the White Fang's become, it was the only thing she knew. She also knew that if she was to find a new life, it would be one rife with distrust. To find a new place to live, she would have to do it with a lie in order to make it easier.

Blake lifted the band and placed it on her head. Then with the ribbon, she tied it under and over the band before binding her ears. When she made the final tug to tighten the bow that hid them perfectly, it was with the surety that anything was better than here.

Besides, she's endured plenty as it is. Remnant will be hard-pressed to find a way to get her to suffer more than she already has.

---

=Present=

Blake set her teacup on the small plate, the stilling liquid allowing her to see her reflection. "So, I left. I decided I no longer wanted to use my skills to aid in their violence, and instead I would dedicate my life to becoming a Huntress."

She looked across the table to the other occupant. "So, here I am: a criminal hiding in plain view. All with the help of a little black bow." She flexed her faunus ears to get the ends of the decoration to waggle for emphasis.

For once, her companion was the one who was speechless. After setting his own teacup down – not with his hands but with the monkey-like tail that was curled around the handle -, the blond-haired faunus had stuck to staring at Blake, hardly having so much as blinked during her story.

It was Sun Wukong who Blake and the others witnessed running from the police after stowing away on the ship. How it turned out to be like this with her having invited him to tea she was still trying to understand, especially as their acquaintanceship had begun with a sly wink that he gave her upon passing while on the run.

As implausible as it should've been, the first thought that came to Blake's mind was that he knew what she was. Something about that wink and the grin – as brief as it was – gave off an impression that went beyond a teen boy who had taken a fancy to a girl who caught his eye despite that being a popular plot point for a good portion of her romance novels. Him being a faunus and how he singled her out specifically within the center of her team further pointed to it. In one instance during the weekend, she asked how he knew.

"Do you think you're the only faunus who's tried to hide who she is?" was his reply. As obscure as it was, Blake found that she couldn't argue with that and chose to go with it.

It didn't really explain how he'd gone out of his way to follow her back to Beacon, supporting his claim as a great stowaway by sneaking aboard the same airship that Team RWBY had taken back to the school where he roamed around until he happened to catch the fleeing Blake with cat ears exposed. It was his mentioning of the airship that opened up the option of retreating from the school grounds entirely that Blake ended up taking. Remarkably, Sun chose to follow her still.

When she asked why, he had given her an easy shrug and a grin. "No real reason. Think of me as a mysterious wanderer in a city he isn't familiar with and looking out for anything that might be interesting."

Blake arched a brow. "And you find me…interesting." It wasn't a question.

The grin widened. "A cat girl hiding her heritage and studying at a school for Huntresses?" He produced another wink similar to the first. "I find you very interesting."

Apparently interesting enough to keep on bothering her throughout the weekend. While Blake wanted nothing more than to lock herself in a room and wallow in her misery, Sun paid her numerous visits as a knock on a door and her peering through the peephole would have her seeing him standing there. As if able to know when she was looking at him, he waved and asked if she was ready to come out yet.

She ignored him, thinking that he would leave her alone eventually. He didn't and, gradually, the cold shoulder evolved to annoyed looks that Blake would open the door in order to send him with the thought that that would get him to move on. That proved to be her undoing as Sun took it as a sign of her flagging resistance which led to her exchanging small talk with him before she would settle the door back between them.

She took some pleasure in his surprise when, this morning, she not only opened the door but stepped out, closing it behind her before heading out of the hotel. Sun walked along behind her, making some queries about where they were going when she checked out at the lobby and started traveling through the streets with no apparent destination in mind. She chose to maintain her silence though, waiting until she reached the first tea shop she happened upon and taking admittedly refreshing sips that she needed after eating little and drinking nothing but tap water during her two day isolation.

When she thought she was prepared, she stated, "So, you want to learn more about me."

It didn't matter anymore. That was her reasoning anyway. Her secret was already out and the odds were that it spread all throughout Beacon over the weekend, possibly to the city's authorities at this point. If not Yang or Ruby then Weiss would've made sure of it. She was a criminal who's been exposed and she would probably need to leave Vale entirely soon.

Sun's response to her past gave credence to it…after he expressed his opinion of how those in the White Fang were a bunch of freaks to him. Blake had the hindsight to bring her cup to her lips in order to hide her grimace even if she was expecting it. As she later found out, humans weren't the only ones who've come to hate the White Fang. Once a symbol of hope for the faunus, the organization has become a stigma to her people.

Suffice to say, she revealing that she was once a Fang member had Sun choking and spitting up the mouthful of tea that he was downing.

He listened though. He gave her a chance to explain and it came as a disconcerting blow when he seemed surprised of what the White Fang's original duties were. It seemed people really did forget what they once upheld, not that she could blame them.

He finally blinked, breaking the trance that left him unusually still and silent when compared to how he constantly pestered her. She was expecting what would come next: how he would say that it didn't make what they did right, that she was a criminal, and that she deserved what she got for being a part of all of it and not leaving sooner.

He didn't say anything as harsh. Instead, he actually seemed to be sorry for her when he asked, "So, have you told your friends any of this?"

Blake closed her eyes, the surprise she felt at not being cursed at outweighed by the thought of her friends. Yang…Ruby…even Weiss she couldn't honestly say she was happy to have left. She missed them, her partner most of all. They've all done so much for her, welcomed her, showed her that she could be happy and experience all that had originally been denied to her and what she gave up when she deluded herself into thinking she was doing it for the greater good.

In repayment, she lied to them. Whether her reasons were good or not, she still lied. It was another unforgiving lesson where something wrong was still wrong no matter how you tried to rationalize it.

"I…wanted to," she replied honestly, forcing her lids to slide back up despite the attractive plan to shut everything out and leave her to her regret and sorrow. She's done enough of that in the past forty-eight hours.

Sun placed his bracer-clad arms on the table, putting his weight on them while threading his fingers together. Still undeservingly gentle, he asked, "Have you tried?"

Blake sighed, sagging against the back of her chair. "I wanted to do that too but I always got stuck at trying to try and tell them. I could never figure out how best to do it."

"Talking usually works."

Blake slowly shook her head. "It's not that easy. One of my friends is going to inherit the very company that I've had a hand in attacking. I'm not blameless, Sun, and people don't forgive something like that."

"You could always give them a chance to." While his hands may be occupied, he still possessed another limb that was available to him. That tail of his crossed over the table, slipping through and then wrapping around the handle of her teacup so that he could lift it up to her. "You gave me a chance."

The words were as sincere and meant to be as supportive as the gesture. While Blake accepted the latter, gently taking the cup and sipping slowly, she couldn't do so as easily with the former. "It's not about giving them a chance; it's about me. I was given multiple chances to do things differently and I wasted every single one. It's too late for me and much too late for forgiveness."

It was a recurring theme in her story. When she left the White Fang, it was too late to do so guilt-free. She had her chance to save herself from the blame but she wasted it. She wanted to tell her team but such a day – if there ever would've been one - came too late. Her own partner had given her a chance to do so but she wasted that too. Even if she wanted to tell them now, it was too late. She had her chance to not take the airship and go back to explain herself but, yet again, she wasted it. In doing so, she left behind a confession to being part of a terrorist group and nothing else.

They probably wouldn't want anything to do with me now.

---

Ruby cupped her hands over her mouth, shouting to the sky, "Blaaake! Where are youuu?"

They were starting to run into some luck the further they went downtown. After downloading the results of their latest search criteria, Ruby read them off and led her team to each one-by-one. While walking to each site, Yang brought up Blake's image on her scroll and brandished it to whoever happened to pass them along the sidewalk.

Disappointedly, there was little change in results. Much like how it was yesterday, whenever she got someone's attention they would give her scroll a squint and then shake their heads. Yang was accustomed to taking a pummeling – came with being up close and personal with her fights after all -, but no blow that a well-skilled opponent or lucky Grimm had landed on her could possibly measure up to each negative response that carried with it the dismay and disheartenment that more than made up for the lack of bone-crushing strength.

It was the closest she ever wanted to be to throwing in the towel but, at the same time, there was no way she was going to. She never took well to losing and considering losing here meant losing Blake, it was inconceivable for her to give up.

During a notably empty stretch of roadwork, Yang took the opportunity to stare down at the image of Blake that she chose. It was a default image; taken when they were all accepted into Beacon and then linked to their scrolls before they were issued their devices to provide a photo ID that went with whatever text or voice-recorded messages as if the recipient really needed something else to identify the sender along with the name and team they were from.

Yang had customized some settings on her scroll, including swapping out her portrait, but Blake never did. As humorless as it was, it was the best thing that Yang could use as the stiff neck and plain expression showed off her face perfectly yet there was just enough room to take in her signature bow and the beginnings of her white shirt and black vest, the pistol grip that also acted as the hilt of Gambol Shroud extending over her right shoulder amidst her ebony locks to display her symbol and loaded clip.

Yang needed to make an amendment: the image seemed downright severe. Blake's lips weren't perfectly straight, the ends curving downwards notably. Her golden-eyed gaze was just as bare except for a slant that, looking at it now, Yang could see complemented that curving of her pupils to make – whether she knew it or not – Blake appear as if she was challenging the camera. The brawler never paid much mind to it before but…

Yang tapped against the bottom corner of her screen, bringing up the gallery of saved images that she started skimming through.

There were loads of images; an electronic album of their first year at Beacon. There were pictures of RWBY of course – including self-pics that Yang took of herself or with Ruby at her side - but there were images of JNPR, random shots of Beacon itself during initial exploration of the school, their professors, and other classmates.

They were organized by date so the further she got into the year, the more Yang saw of Blake. Much like how she was in person, Blake avoided being in the center of the shots as she did with attention. Any group photos usually had her in the corner or somewhere off-center but all of them with her not looking directly at the scroll itself as the dark-dressed girl purposely avoided it with a book or something else that was either legitimate or made up on the spot to excuse herself.

Later on though, she started meeting with the lens albeit with visible reluctance and exasperation. That was later joined with a subtle lifting at the corner of her mouth.

Yang ceased the swiping of her finger upon getting to one picture in particular. It was late in the winter when they all returned to Beacon and Yang and Ruby had done so with packets of hot chocolate mix and marshmallows to serve to their respective partners to better end their first winter together. Yang caught a particularly cute image of Weiss looking with amazement at her mug, a chocolate film at her lip. Ruby could be seen behind the heiress, grinning from ear-to-ear.

It was the one that she took of Blake that Yang was admiring though. Her partner had donned on her yukata, intent on spending the rest of that evening in her usual way by resting on her bunk with a book. Blake was against the headboard, her pillow tucked at her lower back to make it more comfortable, but the book in question was closed and resting on her lap. In its place she delicately held her own mug of drinkable chocolate and marshmallows. Upon sighting the camera, Blake faced it fully to properly send a small but genuine smile.

That was sometime after Yang saw Blake laugh for the first time. She wished she had a picture of that too but the thought hadn't come to her then. Besides, she assured herself that there would always be a next time…

There is going to be a next time, Yang swore fiercely. It was with that in mind that the blonde had a hand over her mouth as she called out. "Blaaake!"

Half an hour ago, those short, impassive squints that people would give Blake's image were lasting longer with a flare of what Yang hoped was recognition that got them interested. Gratefully, their comments switched from never seeing her to finding something familiar about her. Finally they got not one but two random citizens spread evenly apart who remembered seeing her around this section of the city. They mentioned it being a day or two ago but it was leagues more than what they had before.

Desperate and having a third individual give them a similar reply had Ruby giving in to shouting Blake's name with the chance that she might be nearby with Yang soon joining her.

They were the only ones doing so and not having a third voice join their own had Ruby stopping and turning around to address her partner. "Weiss, you're not helping!"

The heiress in question had been trailing behind them, silently scanning the area but with an expression that was far from as worried as theirs. At Ruby's criticism, Weiss gave her leader a look of mock surprise before sarcastically suggesting, "Oh, you know who might be able to help? The police."

"Weiss…" Nearly growling out her name, Ruby crossed her arms tightly against her chest. It seemed much too out of place for the youngest member of RWBY, showcasing how even her patience was becoming tested.

Hardly affected by it, Weiss flung out her own arms to her sides as if she was the one who was rightfully offended. "It was just an idea!"

Ruby turned around and resumed walking but not without tossing another annoyed look and comment back to the fencer. "Yeah, a bad one."

"Weiss, I think we should hear her side of the story before we jump to any conclusions." The tone that Yang used did not make it the suggestion that it may've seemed to be. She swore, if Weiss kept going and if even Ruby was becoming fed up with her attitude…

"I think that when we hear it you'll all think that I was right," she replied, unaffected by their warnings.

"And I think Weiss's hair looks wonderful today!"

The merry and not to mention unexpected comment served to bring the entirety of Team RWY to a halt, the three members whipping around to face the speaker. It put any annoyances on hold with Ruby exclaiming, "Gah! Penny, where did you come from!?"

It was indeed the ginger-haired girl who they bumped into three days ago and, just like back then, she had mysteriously appeared without anyone noticing. And just like then she found nothing odd about it as she waved pleasantly, her smile enhancing those too-bright green eyes as she greeted, "Hey, guys! What are you up to?"

"Um…"

Yang glanced over at Ruby, finding her sister to be uneasy about her 'friend'. Whether it was because she was uncertain about telling Penny about the situation with Blake or about giving Penny a reason to follow them was debatable. Thinking that they didn't need to tell the other girl everything and that she was someone who would recognize Blake, Yang chose to step in. "We're looking for our friend, Blake."

Apparently Penny did remember Blake, brows springing up in remembrance. "Ooooh! You mean the faunus girl!"

A collective silence fell over the three teammates who blinked in unison at her. Ruby volunteered to break it with the exact same question that was going through Yang's mind right now. "Wait, how did you know that?"

Seemingly puzzled by the question, Penny tilted her head to better point to the top of it. "Uh, the cat ears."

Yang blinked again. Did she mean…? "What cat ears? She wears a…" Her eyes widened in realization and she barely got the last word out. "…bow…"

The second round of silence made one of Vale's powerful gusts of wind particularly audible with the sound of a rolling tumbleweed enhancing it as the ball of dried up vegetation went right past them. Yang watched it go by before shifting to Weiss, the heiress as astonished as she was to the extent of being incapable of tossing out one of her mean-spirited quips concerning their missing teammate.

"She does like tuna a lot…" Ruby mumbled when Yang went to her.

White Fang being an all-faunus organization. Blake's eyes. The tuna. Her bow. They all assumed she was a faunus but it looked like none of them had been able to guess what kind.

How did I not figure it out? Yang asked herself.

The answer was so obvious that even if it came immediately, she wondered why it didn't do so sooner. Because I don't care.

Human or faunus, cat ears or no cat ears, Blake was still Blake to her. No matter what people called her or what she might possess, Yang didn't care. She hadn't come out here to find a faunus or a criminal…just her partner. Her friend.

Penny visually swept the area around them. "So where is she?"

"We don't know," Ruby replied sadly. "She's been missing since Friday."

Penny gasped and Yang had to step aside to avoid getting bumped into when she crossed the distance to seize Ruby's arms dramatically. "That's terrible! Well don't you worry Ruby my friend, I won't rest until we find. Your. Teammate!" She nodded her head determinedly to each word.

…Nope, was Yang's reaction and for once she and Weiss seemed to be in agreement when the white-haired girl motioned her head in a direction that was anywhere but here. High time we split up to cover more ground anyway now that there's four of us. Ruby will understand.

Unaware of the strategy that had been made by her subordinates, Ruby struggled to keep up a smile, trying to be polite. "Uh, that's really nice of you, Penny, but…uh…w-we're okay." She nodded quickly in what she hoped was convincing manner. "Really. Right, guys?"

She was greeted with empty space when she sought aid from her teammates who she could now see had abandoned her. Another forceful breeze blasted through where they had been a moment ago.

"It sure is windy today," Penny commented, taking an interest in the tumbleweed – the same one – bounce past them in the opposite direction this instance.

---

"You know, I think you're picking a terrible time for a trip."

Blake exhaled noisily. "Sun."

"I mean I've been around and I can tell ya that there's a reason why people are gathering here. Yes, there's the festival but that's because Vale's got the perfect weather for it! Vacuo at this time of year? Don't make me laugh!"

"I know what you're trying to do."

"Then there's all the hassle for travel arrangements. You think you're going to be able to book a flight out of here that easily? It's not just the sea lanes that are getting packed with all the incoming traffic. Waaay more trouble than its worth. And what's with those airline peanuts anyway?"

Blake chose to pinch the bridge of her nose for a reply and add a shake of her head. A better question is what was with this apparent attraction that light-haired individuals had when it came to her. The monkey faunus was still at her side even after they left the tea shop.

"In my honest opinion, you should wait a bit longer. A week or a month. I don't think a year sounds as absurd as it might seem at first. You should chill out and enjoy what Vale has to offer. Maybe hang out with your friends and pass the time by explaining your deep dark secrets that they'll totally forgive you for."

Now Blake shot him a dark look and when she uttered his name it carried a veiled threat. "Sun."

"Okay, okay!" He held up his hands defensively.

"Look," Blake began, her glare relaxing, "I'm not leaving. Not yet, anyway."

"Well that's sort of a relief." Truly glad to hear that much, Sun brought his risen hands behind his head. Though he arched back as if to stare up at the towering buildings that surrounded them, he maintained his pace alongside Blake. "Is there something else that you need to do?"

There actually is, Blake mentally admitted.

Blake wasn't leaving right now even if sense said that she should do so. She had her own savings of Lien that she gathered for such an occasion but they'll dry up pretty fast if she paid for anymore nights at hotels. Some other lodging – such as the alternatives she used when she first arrived in Vale – were inaccessible as, if anything, that would increase the risk of being located if the VPD was really on to her as people knew her there. With no other refuge in Vale, the sensible course of action would be to either barter or sneak aboard a vessel – whether it be air or sea – that could bring her to another continent and, with it, another capital.

There was something bothering her though and it assisted her in getting her out of her slump. She lost count of how many times she went over how things had gotten so messed up but she did gradually begin to focus on what inadvertently led her to ousting herself.

"You just arrived here but I don't suppose you've heard about the string of Dust robberies that have been going on, have you?" Blake asked. "There was one that happened the night before you arrived."

"Hm…" Sun knitted his brows together and at her peripheral Blake noticed how his tail curled up on itself behind him in thought. "I did find it strange that those two jokers just happened to be at the docks to chase me. Was that why you and your friends were there too?"

No, the reason they were there that day was because they were spending it as a team. They were smiling, joking, and talking excitedly about what they were looking forward to to the up and coming Vytal Festival. It was three days ago but felt longer still. The ache that Blake suppressed was still fresh though.

"No," Blake finally answered. "We came across it right before you arrived."

"And you want to…find out who's doing it?" Sun guessed.

Blake nodded. "Those same detectives were saying that the White Fang might be involved."

His spine visibly straightened at that and the quick glance he sent her way told her that he understood what she was getting at. Trying to remain cool, Sun regained his lazy composure and stared back ahead. "So what's the plan?"

A good question and Blake held a hand to her chin as she tried to think of what to do. "I still don't believe that the White Fang is behind these robberies. They've never needed that much Dust before."

Sun stopped, forcing Blake to do the same. "What if they did?"

It was a question that Blake had pondered about before. When she came to Vale, she had worried about the possibility of not getting away as cleanly as she suspected. It wasn't just Adam who could've easily guessed where she'd gone as there was only one destination that the train was going to. The best she could do was slow them down by separating the train cars and pray that they would be too busy collecting the Dust instead of catching up and giving chase to a runaway member that wasn't as deep in their operations as Adam was.

Despite her unplanned detour to the forest grounds of Forever Fall itself, she did make it to Vale in relatively short order and stayed alert for White Fang sightings. There were occurrences and the ones that were confirmed to involve the Fang she passed off as nothing. It didn't take much to cause civil unrest; that much she could attest to from personal experience. You only needed one or two well-placed agents or Fang sympathizers to dismantle something like that civil rights protest that happened the day she boarded the airship that took her to Beacon. Other than an unpleasant sense of familiarity, she didn't perceive any danger that could be directed to her.

Once she did start attending that combat school after putting her fears at rest, she put the White Fang out of her mind. It was only during the past three days that she started thinking about her group and revealing her story to Sun had her going over her last moments with it.

Even if taking a train car of Dust was an unusual amount, it should be more than enough to keep the White Fang satisfied for quite a while. She didn't know why they would turn to robbing Dust shops in the middle of Vale of all things.

But it has been almost a year and her mission was in Vale's vicinity. Even if nothing big has really come under her notice during that time…

While she mulled it over, Sun maneuvered in front of her, his hands waving and grasping what had to be the invisible pieces of a plan he was trying bring together to present to her. "I mean, the only way to prove that they didn't do it, is to go to the place that they would most likely go to if they were to do it…and not find them there." He grinned awkwardly as he sought her approval. "Right?"

Despite the rather roundabout logic, it was still logic and one that Blake found agreeable. After all, it was the obvious and only thing she had going for her right now. "The only thing is I have no idea where that would be."

Sun pounced on the opening. "Well while I was on the ship I heard some guys talking about offloading a huge shipment of Dust coming in from Atlas."

That caught her interest. "How huge?"

"Huge!" Sun held out his arms for emphasis. "Big Schnee company freighter."

"You're sure?"

Pleased at her insistence, Sun nodded enthusiastically. "Positive."

Atlas, Dust, Schnee. It was too perfect of a setup for her past to play out with the only piece missing being the White Fang. If there was ever a place that they would appear, that would certainly be it.

"Did you happen to hear which docks they were going to do the offloading on?" Blake queried.

"Day, time, and location," Sun confirmed. "As for the first two, they said it would be tonight. For the where, I can show you."

She knew what he was implying and Blake shook her head. That was too much. While she's welcomed his presence for this long, she wasn't going to have him follow her that far. "No, you're going to tell me and then stay out of it. This isn't your fight, Sun; this has nothing to do with you."

"Oh?" He actually seemed amused by that. "I beg to differ. I'm a faunus, the White Fang are all faunus, and they're giving faunus a bad name. I think it has something to do with me."

More roundabout logic but Blake wasn't going to let it slide as easily this time. "The White Fang is dangerous. I don't want to put you in danger in case they really are there." The last thing she needed was for someone to get hurt because they followed her into trouble. If there was going to be a fight, it was going to be hers alone.

"Don't you worry about that!" Sun's hands disappeared behind his back and when they reappeared, they each held what looked at a glance to be red sticks that broke in half, the pieces linked by the chains that jangled between them. "Meet Ruyi Bang and Jingu Bang!"

What first came to Blake's mind were nunchuks but her experience of viewing a wide selection of exotic weapons during her time at Beacon had her instinctively making out the special attributes about these ones easily. Other than being made of metal with the red coloring broken up by gold detailing that matched the chains, Blake saw that they weren't something as simple as iron bars chained together. The curved handles, triggers, and the muzzles belonged to guns; small, lever-action shotguns to be exact. Gunchuks then, and even if it was a design she had never seen before, Blake could guess that these weapons took advantage of the recoil to perform a dangerous flurry of motion meant to overwhelm the opposition.

There was no distinguishable characteristic to tell her which was Ruyi and which was Jingu. What they did tell her though was that to use them effectively required a vast amount of dexterity to spin them without the wielder tangling them or hitting himself with them while working the triggers and the levers to not only fire but reload after each individual shot. She doubted Sun was just carrying them around for show.

After running her gaze along the pairs of weapons, Blake examined its owner with newfound respect. Clearly there was more to Sun Wukong than being a great stowaway. Having known that it was going to be difficult to keep him from coming with her or even him giving her the information unless she agreed to his participation, seeing that he was armed and potentially trained had Blake finally relenting. "Fine."

Smirking, Sun flipped them around so that one end of each was tucked underneath his armpits while he held out the other ends in front of him, the chains growing taut. "Besides, the White Fang might not appear at all and you've been worried about nothing."

Blake would like to believe that. While she may've protested against the feasibility that the White Fang were involved, the more she thought about it the greater her uncertainty became.

"It's inevitable that we would move on, Blake. Our cause is right and we need to be able to reach our goals no matter what. We've made tremendous gains but we need to go further."

I don't think it was just me that was being prepared that day, Blake thought apprehensively. Was the hijacking of the train really the start of something bigger? And were the Dust shops really a hint to what may come later?

She couldn't leave. Not yet. The last time she left, she at least made sure to do the right thing when she saved those crewmembers. Her escape plan may've required it but if she was presented with the option to leave and not involve herself in the hijacking at all, she wouldn't have taken it with the knowledge that doing so would've potentially doomed them.

Before she leaves Vale, she wants to confirm something that she was becoming increasingly fearful of: the White Fang were coming, and in their wake would be the nightmare that, to this day, she couldn't fully escape from.

She may not belong in Vale, but she didn't want to see it and its people become consumed by it either without her at least attempting to prevent it if it turned out to be the case.

---

"You know her!?" Yang nearly threw herself over the counter. "When did you see her last!?"

Weiss held back from rolling her eyes and took some relief that she was smart enough to keep herself at a distance in case they did get potential news about Blake and Yang would behave in an unseemly manner. The shushes that she received from the employees and looks she got from customers who were sitting and reading at a nearby table made up for it.

Yang ignored them though, attention fully on the elderly woman who had to readjust her spectacles when the teen nearly jumped her. "Why, I haven't seen Blake in nearly two weeks. Not since she picked up her last preorder."

It was another bookstore, this one deep in downtown and on the list that Ruby gathered from the city's interactive map although it was further down. They decided to separate from their team leader for a reason so it wouldn't do them any good to just bump into her again by arriving at the next location that she was going to.

How did she even find us anyway? Of course Weiss was referring to Penny; that profoundly strange girl she literally ran into. There was something truly off about her. Whatever, she's Ruby's problem now. Serves her right for not listening to us.

Penny's unorthodox ability when it came to locating them may play in their favor in finding Blake although Weiss shouldn't really be that puzzled. The sisters were hollering all throughout Vale so it was natural that they would attract Penny's attention. Either way, it looked like she and Yang may've gotten a possible hit for their random choice when the storeowner not only found Blake familiar when Yang showed her picture but even referred to her by name.

What potential optimism faded away immediately and Yang dropped her shoulders. "So she hasn't been around in the past few days?"

"No, I'm afraid not." Shifting her attention to the monitor at her station, the older woman lightly tapped on a keyboard and Weiss could barely make out how the tiny reflections on her glasses changed to coincide with whatever was brought up on the monitor. "She has a book on reserve but that's not due to be out for a while longer. She doesn't really stop by anymore unless she's picking something up."

"I see," Yang said disappointedly. She was about to step away only to pause and take a look around the interior of the bookstore. It was bigger than the ones they've visited previously and the number of customers who were perusing the shelves or taking advantage of the available tables and chairs alluded to plentiful business. "She's a regular here?"

Weiss assumed that Yang asked because of how far this particular store – Readers' Orchard – was from Beacon's skyport. With so many other bookstores that were closer, it begged the question of why Blake chose this one to shop and place orders at.

"Oh, she used to be more than that," the owner explained, smiling fondly. "For a time, she practically lived here. I never had a problem with it as this is a big place and I could always use the extra help, especially from one who appreciated books as much as she did."

Yang perked up at that and even Weiss had to take her own examination of the spacious store. Blake used to live here?

"She offered to work for free in exchange for a place to stay until she got back on her feet," the woman went on. "I didn't mind. Ever since my husband passed away and our son moved out, it can get a bit lonely when I close up."

It was common with a lot of these independent stores and shops. While Weiss had her family estate, she quickly learned that city residents were more limited when it came to housing selections in order to better cram human and faunus populations together. Quite often these places of work in the commercial district also acted as places of living.

The floor above may be reserved for personal use, Weiss surmised. If a family of three used to be housed here, then there was room that could be loaned out.

"This was how long ago?" Yang asked.

"Months now. She didn't stay long as she applied and was accepted into Beacon. I found that hard to believe as she was such a nice and polite girl; I couldn't think of her as a Huntress even if she had that unique sword. She was a quiet one though." The woman suspended her recollections for the moment, suddenly gaining an interest in Yang as she studied her. "Do you go to Beacon as well?"

Yang shifted uncomfortably. "Uh, yes. I'm actually Blake's partner."

"Ah, a caring one at that to be all the way out here looking for her." The woman suddenly frowned. "I hope she's not in too much trouble."

"Oh, no!" Yang waved her hands in what Weiss assumed was a pacifying manner and not a nervous flailing of limbs. "Nothing serious. She just…got lost."

Weiss bit back an urge to comment on that – both on the 'lost' part and how unconvincing Yang sounded – while the owner nodded. "Well she did seem new to Vale when she came here. It can be confusing if you're not familiar with the city. I hope you find her soon."

"I'm sure I will!" Forcing herself to look and speak with more confidence, Yang finally walked away from the counter and Weiss took it as a sign of them leaving. "I'll remind her of that book in case she forgot when I see her."

"Sorry I couldn't be much help."

"It's alright." Yang opened the door, the bell at the top chiming to signal their leaving. While she held it open for Weiss to walk through, she gave the owner a wave of farewell. "Thanks anyways."

The taller girl's pleasantries lasted as long as it took for the door to close. Once it did, she reverted to a more dejected stance as she stared vacantly at the knob and muttered, "This is hopeless."

The sightings seemed to have only motivated the brawler for as long as they could and this latest disappointment was the last straw. Between not having found Blake throughout the whole weekend and now Monday steadily reaching an end with no change in results, it was finally getting to her.

Weiss chose not to agree or disagree, busy mulling over this latest bit of intel as she wandered to the edge of the sidewalk.

The timing matches, she deduced. She took to lodging here for as long as she needed to infiltrate Beacon. Her arrival and attendance is unlikely to be chance.

"You really don't care if we find her, do you?"

Weiss turned to find Yang giving her a look with narrowed eyes that broke through the disappointment enough to make it clear that she was unhappy with the suspicion. Insulted, Weiss replied, "Don't be stupid; of course I do. I'm just afraid of what she'll say when we find her."

There was nothing but truth in them. Weiss did care about finding Blake but not for the same reasons that her other two teammates shared. It was those same reasons and the mounting evidence that had Weiss anticipating what Blake will say to them if they found her.

The fencer had done some of her own investigating without the knowledge of Yang and Ruby. Mindful of the possibility that Blake might've taken to leaving Vytal altogether, Weiss did make use of some of the resources that came with her name. Out of all methods of delivery that the Schnee Dust Company used, the sea was what they relied on the most. While geography was a factor as nearly all the human capitals had those bodies of water between them, there was also the fact that the White Fang didn't possess the means to attack such vessels during travel.

With the debacle that occurred at the Forever Fall railway line, Vale's become dependent on that specific delivery practice. It established extensive ties between Schnee Dust and the management of the city's docks that Weiss was able to use to her advantage when she requested sightings of a certain bow-wearing girl. She didn't specify who or what Blake was – she still wanted to keep that information to herself -, but they readily provided for her.

As of right now there hadn't been any sign of such a girl matching Blake's description having been seen at the docks nonetheless requesting passage out of Vale. While Weiss didn't rule out the chance that they missed her or Blake decided on something else, she was inclined to believe that she was still around when she took into account of what she's gathered so far.

The heiress had that in mind when the heels of her boots tapped against the asphalt, ready to resume their expedition but not without making a comment. "The innocent don't run, Yang."

The older sister was momentarily quiet but, much like the younger one, she had some unexplainable inclination to defend Blake as as soon as she began matching Weiss's footsteps, she said, "We don't know if she's guilty of anything right now."

Seriously, what was with them? What could possibly make them think Blake was innocent of anything? She admitted to being with the White Fang and that was more than enough. No one in the White Fang was innocent and when they've been all about killing and spreading as much mayhem as they could, there was no doubt in Weiss's mind that Blake had done something unforgivable.

I am speaking to her partner though, she reminded herself. Spend too much time with the enemy and you become sympathetic to them. She might need to help rid Yang of any misconceptions she may have for Blake. "She's said enough, Yang. She admitted to being with the White Fang."

"But not for how long or if she's even still with them," Yang retorted.

"I think her actions explain that. Someone who isn't with them or, at the very least, hasn't done anything shameful wouldn't have run off. If she was truly innocent, then there's no reason to not stay and explain herself."

Weiss was keeping her back to Yang and the brawler hadn't seen fit to walk alongside her, leaving the heiress to settle with her silence as an indication that her argument was undeniable. It stayed that way for a while, long enough for Weiss to realize that she wasn't sure as to where they were going but she soon shrugged it off as unimportant. At this stage, it wasn't so much them finding Blake that she was counting on.

"It's not that simple for her," Yang said unexpectedly. "She's a faunus, Weiss. Trust doesn't come easy for her. She might've just been afraid of how we would react."

Weiss rolled her eyes disbelievingly. "Yeah, react to her crimes. Why wouldn't she trust us, anyway? She's spent nearly a year living and fighting with us so don't you think that she would've trusted us enough to tell us?"

She barely detected Yang's slow, weary breath. "She…wanted to. I know she did. She tried to tell us."

"But she didn't. Sounds to me like the reason she might not have is because she suspected that we would react badly."

"Or because you were yelling at her," Yang replied and Weiss felt a stroke of irritation at the implication that she was to blame. "After everything you shouted at her, I can understand why she would want to run."

"Oh, so this is my fault?" Weiss returned sarcastically. "Because I raised my voice? Because I was being mean when I was informing you all of what the White Fang have done to my family?" What they did to me.

Understanding that she erred, Yang apologized, "Weiss, look, I'm sorry. I can't imagine what the White Fang has done to you-"

"No, you can't."

"-but that doesn't mean we can't give Blake a chance. We should really hear her side of the story."

"Why?" she practically growled, becoming increasingly enraged at how everyone was so blind to the obvious. "Say we give her a chance, what then? Shall we stand there and listen to her say that she lied to us? That she's killed people? That she's actually still with the White Fang?"

"Weiss!"

"No!" she snapped, body shaking with outrage. "Since you all refuse to see it, let me enlighten you to what's been going on: Blake was spying on us!"

"Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company." Admiring the vial of red Dust that she held in her hand and the stamped snowflake, the girl's amber gaze slid up to focus on Weiss, a knowing smirk at her lips. "One of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world."

No longer able to put one foot in front of the other thanks to this all-consuming fury, Weiss stood there and hissed out through her teeth, "She came to Vale and to Beacon so that she could infiltrate and tell her comrades all about the school and about us! And now that she's been found out, she's probably gone back to them! There's probably a whole group of them hiding out in the city somewhere, just waiting to strike! While you're all worried about looking for her, she's probably telling the White Fang everything she learned about us, helping them plan for an attack on us and-!"

Hands seized her. Weiss broke off when one gripped her shoulder and spun her around so that it and its counterpart can grab the front of her jacket before lifting her off her feet. Though caught off guard, Weiss instinctively struck at the arms only to have her hands bounce off the solid metal that guarded them. She still had a mind to voice her objections. "What are you-? Unhand me-!"

"SHUT UP!"

Weiss did but not because she was ordered to. When she looked to the face of her attacker, it was to see her at the receiving end of the pair of crimson fireballs that burned within sockets partially covered by golden bangs alight with flames of the same color. Those bangs were a portion of the blaze that had overtaken Yang's entire mane.

The heat was centered at her head, Weiss able to feel it with how the ends of those flames flicked and waved close to her, but she knew that the source was Yang's own body and Aura. The hands that seized her jacket and bunched it beneath her chin were slightly cooler than the imitation of an inferno that was atop Yang's head. It was nowhere near enough to burn her or be considered as unbearable but Weiss could discern the rise in her own body temperature that was uncomfortable.

That discomfort was the least of her concerns compared to the seething blonde who was shouting in her face. "I am sick and tired of you judging her!"

Ignoring how she was beginning to sweat in what should be a cool spring afternoon or how the armor plates of Ember Celica pressed against her chest as Yang clutched against the handfuls of her jacket to lift and bring her close, Weiss willingly met her red hot orbs. "What am I supposed to think, then?"

"Nothing!" Yang snapped. "You don't think about anything and you don't do anything! All you need to do is shut up and actually give a damn about your missing teammate!"

"Why should I?" Weiss snarled. Seeing her struggles as futile, Weiss had her fingers wrapped around Yang's gauntlets in a show of defiance. "She didn't have the decency to tell us anything herself!"

"Let me tell you something about her then!" She pulled Weiss closer as is to give her smoldering gaze a better chance to burn into the heiress. "I know that she's been hurt! I know that whatever she's done, she regrets it!"

"And that makes whatever she may have done alright?"

"No, but I can tell you that she didn't come to Beacon to spy on us! She left it behind! She knows what she's done and she wants to do her part to make up for it!"

"So, what?" Squeezing in a vain attempt to crush the armor, Weiss bitterly asked, "Are you expecting me to forgive her? After what her kind has done to me?"

"You need to look beyond your own pain; there's more to this than just you, Weiss! Neither you or Blake wanted this war! No matter what you or others say or think, no one wanted or deserved any of this!"

The grip on her jacket loosened but Weiss didn't lessen the one she had on Yang's arms. The heat lowered to a degree while the flames receded but remained simmering. The brawler's stare was no longer as intense but her irises retained their red hue.

"I'm sorry, Weiss." Her voice changed as well, now gentle. "Whatever happened to you, I want you to know that you have my sympathies. Ruby's sorry too. She's worried about you just as much as she is about Blake."

Although Weiss maintained as much of a fierce front she could muster in her position, the pity accomplished in weakening it. The frozen glaciers that were her own eyes softened and strayed, her fingers relaxing a fraction.

"Blake's sorry too," Yang added. "It was her choice but one she's suffering from. She's stopped fighting so there's no need to continue this. Not with her."

"She made that choice." Her response was quiet but it carried a frigid chill. The glaciers that slid back to the forefront were once again hard with a reinforced layer of ice. "I was never given one because of it." Weiss's lip curled. "Whatever she may be suffering for it, I'm sure she deserves it."

The heat dropped but in a way that was negligible; like tossing ice cubes at a lava flow. It was noticed but only for the second it would take for them to melt and evaporate with the molten river hissing and bubbling in response.

Then it shot up. The air around them wavered as temperatures skyrocketed to a broiling point. Weiss didn't melt but another wave of sweat broke out on pale skin that became flushed.

Yang tore an arm out from Weiss's grasp, eyes and hair flaming with the latter throwing out fiery tendrils that were immersed in frenzied whipping. The brawler pulled back the limb, the appendage at the end forming a fist to show off the barrel that extended from the plate above her knuckles.

She didn't work the pump-action but Weiss wasn't going to find out if it was loaded nor was she going to hang here defenselessly. The hand Yang freed herself from dropped to Myrtenaster.

Before she could arm herself, Weiss landed hard on the ground, barely having the mind to keep her chin tucked in so that the back of her head wouldn't hit it even if her Aura would protect her. Her back was against the asphalt but the heiress used one hand to fix that, sitting herself up while the other wrapped around the hilt of her rapier in preparation.

Yang dropped her arm from where she brought it back but not forward, having chosen to drop Weiss instead. The one that had held the heiress returned to her other side. They both had tightly-clenched fists. Peering down at the fallen girl with contempt, Yang spat, "I don't know what Ruby sees in you! You're just a stone cold bitch, aren't you?"

This was unbelievable! Completely unbelievable! Unable to understand why this was happening, Weiss released Myrtenaster so that she could prop herself up with both hands as she screamed, "Why!? Why are you defending her!? How can you even excuse her if she ends up saying right to your face that she's done all those things!?"

Yang hesitated, the prospect earning a period of speculation as the brawler's eyes became unfocused as if they were trying to have such a scenario play out in front of them. As the seconds ticked by, Weiss began to think that she had gotten through to this oaf.

"I don't care."

The admission coincided with how ferocious crimson dulled and began to give way to tender lavenders. The gathering of flaming tendrils that was Yang's hair lost its vigor as the fire ebbed and faded altogether, leaving behind the curled gold that hung around her sedately. With a winding of gears, Ember Celica reverted to its docile form that matched the unballing of Yang's fists.

"I just want to let her know that it's okay to smile again. To laugh. That the world isn't something that she needs to be afraid of."

The change went beyond her Semblance and weapons and it was one that Weiss had never seen before. The broad shoulders of the brawler drooped and the laxing of her digits transferred to her toned arms that guaranteed tremendous power but now hung slack. That tall height of hers lost several inches as head and body became bowed.

"I don't want her to run anymore. I don't want her to feel like she needs to hide anymore."

Her downed gaze served to bring Weiss more into her sight instead of taking her out of it. Catching her eye, Yang lowered her brows and flecks of crimson danced within those lavenders to remind the heiress that she may be looking at a sorrowful teenaged girl but it was one who was a Huntress through and through. "Especially not from us."

With the fight drained from her and her subtle warning delivered, Yang turned her back on Weiss, leaving the heiress to her spot on the sidewalk. By the time it came to Weiss to pick herself up, it was due to the embarrassment when she noticed that there were people across the street looking at her.

Barbarian! she silently insulted, that same embarrassment and the bruising to her pride swallowing any shame that the blonde savage may've mistakenly thought she should feel. Why was she the one being insulted and humiliated?

Weiss purposely kept her gaze from across the street, refusing to give the peasants so much as an acknowledgement. She could hear the subtle chatter and when she stood up she could swear that she made out the name 'Schnee' as soon as the symbol on her jacket came into their view.

Stone cold…

It seemed like someone was finally getting that part at least. After a quick brush and straightening of her skirt, Weiss produced her handkerchief to wipe the sweat off her face while her skin cooled with the help of yet another of the city's breezes. While she regained her composure, Yang's warning went through her mind, the heiress able to decipher the meaning behind it.

That was fine; she was done with this charade anyway. If she was right, she may soon have no more use for Beacon or Team RWBY.

---

Author's Note: You make me make other people yell a lot.

Brain: I'm trying to get down the drama of this epic, romantic, action, comedy, space opera!

But…but RWBY isn't a space opera…

Brain: …Well clearly we need to do something about that later on.

I'm thinking we might need to change up the genre a bit. We've been getting a lot more drama than we have been adventure.

Brain: Looks like our next chapter is coming up just in time then!

I am actually really looking forward to that one. With all this time getting into Blake's head, it's what she finds at the docks that I really want to write out the most.