AN: Hello Everyone, Reborn123 here with a new chapter of RWBY: Dark Rose. We are now near ending of Vol 1 of the series and been very happy that many of you still continues to support the story. I love you guys!
Another is that after the conclusion of Vol 1 I will hiatus this story for at least 3-4 months because I will need to evaluate in what will happen next since I'm having some mental blocks now a days which is really fucking annoying.
Chapter 10: The Stray (Conclusion of Vol 1 Part 1)
It was Friday and Rune have decided to rest on this day but sadly that wasn't the case. Because Weiss dragged him and the entire team come to Vale to see the Vytal Festival which will be held next month. As much Rune protested that he didn't want to come but Weiss annoyed him to the point where he just decided to go for him to stop Weiss from annoying him.
Right now team RWBY were heading towards the docks and Rune had a grumpy look on his face.
"Oh, the Vytal Festival. This going to be absolutely wonderful." Weiss said with a smile on her face. Rune just rolled his eyes since he already knows Weiss intention to spy on the other team for the Festival and decided to keep quiet because he bad mood today.
"I never seen smile like that Ice Queen." Yang said with a grin on her face.
"How could you not smile? A festival dedicated to the cultures of the world! There will be dances! Parades! A tournament! Oh, the amount of planning and organization that goes into this event is simply breathtaking!" Weiss said happily.
'Bullshit!' Rune mentally shouted at Weiss. Not believing her words. 'I call bullshit!'
Yang sight and crossed her arms. "You really know how to take a good thing and make it sound boring."
"Quiet, you!" Weiss said to Yang as they continue walking down town.
As they stop near the docks and the sounds of foghorns are heard from the docks. "Remind me again why we're spending our Friday afternoon visiting the stupid docks?" Yang said.
"Yeah and can we hurry up. I just want to return back in our dorms and sleep." Rune said with a grumpy tone. He really just want to sleep now because it was Friday. His rest day! And soon he started to smell something that made him covered his nose. "Ugh and this place smell like fish!"
"I've heard that students visiting from Vacuo will be arriving by ship today. And, as a representative of Beacon, I feel as though it is my solemn duty to welcome them to this fine kingdom!" Weiss said as she ignored Rune and Yang words before she walks ahead.
"She wants to spy on them so she'll have the upper hand in the tournament." Blake said. Weiss scoffed as she turns around to face Blake.
"You can't prove that!" Weiss said and Rune just raised a brow at her. Rune decided his attention elsewhere and saw a shattered window shop down the street. A door full of yellow caution tape of the Vale Police Force
"What's going on?" Rune said as he decided to approach the shop. His team followed him and soon they were now standing before the shop with some detective in front, who is writing on his pad. "What happened here?"
"Robbery. Second Dust shop to be hit this week. This place is turning into a jungle." The detective said. Soon another detective came to the scene and this guy had brown spiky hair.
"That's terrible." Yang said with a sad sigh.
"They left all the money again." The spiky hair detective said and this surprised the team.
"Yeah, just doesn't make a lick of sense. Who needs that much Dust?" The black hair detective said.
"I don't know, an army?"
"You thinking the White Fang?"
"Yeah, I'm thinking we don't get paid enough."
'Well, they aren't that far. I'm sure that Torchwick and the White Fang are behind this. But why do they need that much dust?' Rune thought as he started to think of what are the possibilities that the White Fang and Torchwick needed that much dust. 'I need Zero to look into this'
"Hmph! The White Fang." Weiss said as she crossed her arms and pointing her nose in the air with her eyes closed "What an awful bunch of degenerates!"
"What's your problem?" Blake asked as glare at Weiss.
Weiss turns around to face Blake "My problem? I simply don't care for the criminally insane."
"The White Fang is hardly a bunch of psychopaths. They're a collection of misguided Faunus." Blake said as she cross her arms.
Weiss look at her skeptical and said "Misguided? They want to wipe Humanity off the face of the planet!"
"So then they're very misguided. Either way, it doesn't explain why they would rob a Dust shop in the middle of downtown Vale!" Blake said to Weiss.
"The little missy in black got a point there." A voice said. The group turns around and Rune eyes widen in surprised on who he saw. It was Zero and he was wearing a black jacket with a white shirt underneath it and black pants and pair of boots. He had his sword strapped in his back. "What's up Rune?!" Zero smiled at him. Blake and Weiss looks at Rune surprised while Yang was looking at Zero with a hint of lust in her eyes.
"Rune, you know this guy?" Weiss asked Rune and Rune just nodded his head.
"Rune, can you introduce to your cute friend over here." Yang said with grin on her face. Rune just gave annoyed look to Yang while Zero just let out a small chuckle.
"Well it's nice to meet you all. I'm Jin Kurogane." Zero introduce himself to the team. Rune raised a brow at him.
'Jin Kurogane? Really Zero?' Rune thought with disbelief as he didn't think that Zero would came up with an alter ego.
"Well I'm Yang Xiao Long. Nice to meet you handsome." Yang purred at Zero. Rune just mentally facepalm at this while Zero just sweat drop at this.
"I'm Weiss nice to meet you." Weiss greeted him.
"I'm Blake" Blake said to him. Zero just nodded before turning to Weiss.
"Anyway, you're little friend is right Miss Weiss. Besides, the police never caught that Roman Torchwick. After all Torchwick is a well-known criminal in Vale and most his criminal records are robbing dust." Zero explained. Blake said a grateful smile at him while Rune gave him a look that said. 'Search it up.' Zero just nodded his at Rune.
"That still doesn't change the fact that the White Fang are a bunch of scum. Those Faunus only know how to lie, cheat, and steal." Weiss said. Blake growl in anger while Zero just rolled his eyes.
'Wow, she really hate faunus. She and I will not get along very well.' Zero thought.
"That's not necessarily true-" Yang said before she was suddenly interrupted by a voice.
"Hey, stop that Faunus!" A voice shouted in the docks.
As the team and Zero overhears the cry for help and rush over to investigate, a Faunus with a golden monkey tail is seen running down the length of the boat and leaping on to the edge as the two sailors are about to apprehend him.
"Do you think that one of the contestants of the Vytal tournament?" Rune whispered to Zero.
"Maybe. I'll give some information about the tournament contestant. Cool?" Zero whispered back.
"Thanks, and make sure you investigate what happened, I have a feeling Torchwick and the White Fang are up to no good to use those dust. Try to contact Venutus, maybe he can pick some information about the White Fang plan. Come to my dorm room around night time." Rune whispered to Zero and the black hair male faunus just nodded at him.
Soon the group saw the monkey faunus is being chased by the detectives. As he runs past Team RWBY and Zero, Rune and Zero saw that the monkey boy winks at an astonished Blake before he continues to run away as he continues to chase by the detectives.
"Well, Weiss, you wanted to see the competition, and there it goes..." Yang said.
"Quick! We have to observe him!" Weiss said as she hold her finger up. Rune, Zero and Blake watched as the girls started chasing the monkey boy also before the black hair girl snap out from her thoughts and started following Weiss and Yang.
Rune let out a sigh and said. "I better get going before those three do something stupid."
"Sure, but Rune" Zero eyes turned narrowed and his changed into amber with slit in the center. "I think you better watch out for Blake girl. Something tells me that she's hiding something big besides being a Faunus."
Rune just nodded at him before he started following his team as he enhance his feet with aura to catch up with them. Soon he was with the team again as they continue to chase the monkey faunus they rounds the next corner, but then Weiss bumps into someone and trips. She looks up only to see the Faunus jump on to a building and disappear from her view.
"No, he got away!" Weiss said in frustration as the team stops to where she was.
"Uhh... Weiss?" Yang said as she points strangely at the girl underneath her teammate. Weiss finally sees that she fell on a smiling girl, which startles the heiress and she hastily gets up.
"Sal-u-ta-tions!" the girls said. Rune take a look at the girl. She had short, rather curly orange hair that came down to her chin, and she wore a pink bow on the back of her head. She also had bright green eyes, light skin and freckles. She wore an old-fashioned blouse with short feminine overalls, as well as a black and green collar with a matching pair of stockings. But the way she speak is…robotic like she was a robot.
"Um…Hi there" Rune said to the girl. He really doesn't any else to say for this moment.
"Are you... okay?" Yang asked as she stare at the girl.
"I'm wonderful! Thank you for asking." The girl said happily.
The team looks at the girl bewilderment look on their faces. Yang started talking again. "Do you... wanna get up?"
The girls thinks for a moment before she gave her response. "Yes!" She said before she leaps back on her feet while the team steps back a little. Kinda creep out from the way she move. "My name is Penny! It's a pleasure to meet you!"
"Um...It's nice to meet you Penny. I'm Rune." Rune started and soon started introducing there selves as well.
"I'm Weiss."
"Blake."
"Are you sure you didn't hit your head?" Yang asked and Blake hits her side. "Oh, I'm Yang."
"It's a pleasure to meet you!" Penny said happily.
"You already said that." Weiss said to her.
Penny pauses for a few seconds before she answered again. "So I did!"
'Okay, this girl is definitely weird.' Rune thought. He started to think that girl may be a special child or something.
"Well, sorry for running into you!" Weiss said before they started to leave. Rune gave last look at Penny and gave her small smile and wave.
"See ya around...friend." Rune said. He really didn't know what to call her but he didn't felt anything negative about the girl. So maybe the girl just need a friend or something.
"She was... weird..."Yang said as they were now far away from Penny when she said that. Rune would agree with her but never admit it out loud.
"Now, where did that Faunus riff-raff run off to?" Weiss said as she started looking around for that monkey faunus. When suddenly Penny appeared in front of them.
"What did you call me?" Penny asked. Weiss looks back and forth in shock that the girl suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
"Oh, I'm really sorry, I definitely didn't think you heard me!" Yang apologized to Penny hoping that she didn't hurt the girl feelings.
"No, not you." Penny said to Yang before she walks through the group and leans her head down towards Rune. "You!"
"What?" Rune said confusedly. What the hell did he say?
"You called me 'friend'! Am I really your friend?" Penny asked. Rune looks at his teammates and saw that majority of them made a deny motion to him. This made his mentally smirk since he wanted see want kind of reaction what would three do it he say yes.
"Yeah. I see you as a friend." Rune said as he sent a grin to her. He looks at his team reactions and this made him mentally laugh. Yang, Blake and Weiss looks at him with comical look on their faces before they fainted. Rune started to wish that he had a camera to capture that moment.
Penny looks overjoyed and laughs before she started speak. "Sen-sational! We can hang around, play arcade, read comics and so much more!"
Rune just let out laugh as the team started to get up again.
"So... what are you doing in Vale?" Yang asked, curious why the girl is in Vale.
Penny turns to the three girls and said "I'm here to fight in the tournament."
Weiss was surprised at this and asked "Wait, you're fighting in the tournament?"
"I'm combat ready!" Penny said as she saluted to Weiss.
"Forgive me, but you hardly look the part." Weiss said, not believing that a girl like her will join the tournament.
"Says the girl wearing a dress." Blake retorted to Weiss.
"It's a combat skirt!" Weiss said as she crossed her arms.
"Is there such thing as a combat skirt? Because I don't believe it." Rune said to Weiss and white hair girl just glare at Rune. Rune just shrugged it off. It's not his fault that he doesn't believe things like that.
"Wait a minute." Weiss said as she realize something before she move towards to Penny and grabbed her by the shoulder. "If you're here for the tournament, does that mean you know that monkey-tailed... rapscallion?"
"The who...?" Penny asked. Weiss hold up a poor drawing of the criminal-in-question out of nowhere and said.
"The filthy Faunus from the boat!" Blake eyes narrowed at Weiss and she gritted her teeth. She had enough of Weiss discrimination towards the monkey faunus.
"Why do you keep saying that?!" Blake shouted Weiss. Getting Weiss attention towards to her.
"Huh?" Weiss asked confused why Blake was shouting her. Blake walks towards Weiss with an angry look on her face as she continues.
"Stop calling him a rapscallion! Stop calling him a degenerate! He's a person!" Blake shouted at her.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Weiss said as she releases Penny and motions to objects around her. "Would you like me to stop referring to the trash can as a trash can? Or this lamppost as a lamppost?" Weiss said with sarcasm in her voice. Blake gritted her teeth in anger.
"Stop it!" Blake shouted at Weiss.
"Stop what? He clearly broke the law. Give him time; he'll probably join up with those other Faunus in the White Fang!" Weiss said to Blake as looks at her in the eyes.
"You ignorant little brat!" Blake growled at her.
"I have to agree with her on that one." Rune whispered to Yang. Yang just gave her brother a blank look before they continue to watch Blake and Weiss continue to argue.
Weiss was offended by Blake comment as she watch Blake turns away. She glare at Blake and follows her. "How dare you talk to me like that! I am your teammate!" Weiss said to Blake. Blake turns around and she still wearing an angry look on her face.
"You are a judgmental little girl." Blake shouted.
"What in the world makes you say that?"
"The mere fact that you would sort that Faunus boy with a terrorist group solely based on his species makes you just as much of a scoundrel as you believe him to be!"
Yang and Rune just continues to watch the two argue and Yang was looking uncomfortable. "Um, I think we should probably go...and stop those two."
"Be my guest but there's no way that I'm getting between those two because I'm sure that I will just end up as a victim of this." Rune said to her. If there's one of the things that Rune learn in this life is that you should never get involved of two girls arguing over something unless you want the victim of their fight.
"Where are we going?" Penny said as she suddenly pop behind Rune. Rune and Yang ignored her and continued Weiss and Blake argue with one another.
"So you admit it! The White Fang is just a radical group of terrorists!"
"That's not what I meant, and you know it!"
==Later that Night==
"Are they still arguing?" Rune said as they returns to the dorm room and saw that Weiss and Blake continues to fight.
"Pretty much." Yang said to her little brother. Rune just let out a sigh and rubbed his temple. He has the feeling that this was going to be a major headache and what's worse is that Zero was here hiding but he couldn't pin point the location because of the major headache that was coming to him from the two argument. But he could tell that Zero was very close to them. The two continue to watch as Weiss and Blake were sitting at each other beds and facing each other.
"I don't understand why this is causing such a problem!" Weiss said as she continues to argue Blake as she refuse to back down and the fact that she doesn't Blake problem with her.
"That is the problem!" Blake said to her.
Weiss gets up from her bed and glares at Blake. "You realize you are defending an organization that hates Humanity, don't you? The Faunus of the White Fang are pure evil!"
Blake gets up from the bed as well. "There's no such thing as pure evil! Why do you think they hate Humanity so much? It's because of people like Cardin, people like you that force the White Fang to take such drastic measures!"
"People like me?" Weiss asked confusedly with angry look on her face.
"You're discriminatory!" Blake said as she pointed at the problem of Weiss.
"I'm a victim!" Weiss said as she as they stare each other down in silence, Weiss leans in close, leering as she speaks quietly "You want to know why I despise the White Fang? Why I don't particularly trust the Faunus?" She said as she leans against the bookshelf by the window. "It's because they've been at war with my family for years. War, as in actual bloodshed. My grandfather's company has had a target painted across its back for as long as I can remember. And ever since I was a child, I've watched family friends disappear; board members executed; an entire train car full of Dust, stolen. And every day, my father would come home, furious. And that made for a very difficult childhood." She ended as she bangs her fist on the bookshelf.
Everyone stare at her while Rune decided to approach her and try to comfort her. He knew that Weiss had hard childhood but they are not bad as Zero and the other members of the Dark Rose organization. But he still feel sorry for her. Rune place a hand on her shoulder and said with soft comforting voice.
"Weiss, I-"
"No! "Weiss cut Rune off as she turns away and walks back over to Blake "You want to know why I despise the White Fang? It's because they're a bunch of liars, thieves, and murderers!"
Blake finally reached her breaking point and shouted at her. "Well maybe we were just tired of being pushed around!"
Silence drops down on the scene. A surprised Weiss backs away slowly, Rune and Yang were also completely surprised at this. Rune never thought that one of his teammates was a member of the White Fang. Then suddenly realization struck him again.
'Oh shit! Zero will sure want to get some information from Blake!' Rune thought and started already thinking what kind of things that Zero might do to Blake to get some information.
Blake realizes her mistake as she looks around at her teammates. "I... I..." She suddenly dashes out the door
"Blake, wait! Come back!" Rune said as he runs over to the door and calls to her down the hallway as Yang sits herself down and Weiss looks down.
"Dammit" Rune cursed and soon he heard a noise again and suddenly he couldn't detect Zero aura, meaning that he left. Rune just hope that Zero won't do anything bad to Blake.
==With Blake==
Blake runs outside and arrives at a statue of an armored man with a sword and a hooded woman wielding an axe on an outcropping, staring at the Beowolf under the stone heroes in particular.
She closes her eyes and slowly lifts her arms up to her bow and pulls the string to release the bow from her hair. She wipes away a tear away as the camera pulls up to reveal her Faunus ears. On the verge of crying, she becomes startled when she hears a voice above her.
"I knew you would look better without the bow. A voice said. She turns around and looks up. She the monkey Faunus from earlier.
"Ms. Belladona." Another voice said. The two faunus turn to the statue and saw Zero was standing on top of it. Zero eyes were narrowed at Blake.
"Who are you?" The monkey faunus asked. Zero turn his attention the said faunus and said with cold tone.
"I think you better you keep quiet, Sun Wukong." Zero said as he revealed the identity of the monkey faunus. Sun shivered at tone Zero used and complied since he felt some killing intent coming from Zero.
Zero turns back have his attention to Blake and his eyes turned amber with slit in the center that is similar to Blake. Blake eyes widen in surprised at this.
"Now, I think you and I need to talk."
==With Rune==
Rune was in a middle of his sleep until he heard his scroll started ringing. His eyes opened and he wore a sleepy expression on his face. He picks his scroll and opens it. He saw it was a message from Zero. His eyes were wide awake and immediately looks at the message and started to read it.
If you're worried about your teammate don't worry she's with me and the monkey Faunus name Sun. I won't doing anything bad to her unless she doesn't give the answers that I want.
-Zero
Rune just let out a sigh before he return back his scroll and before he started fall asleep again. He mentally prayed that Blake won't do anything stupid against Zero because Zero won't hesitate to kill her since she was member of the White Fang. Former or not. Zero will want information from her even resorting to the most painful way as possible.
==Time skip==
Rune, Weiss, and Yang walking through the empty streets of Vale. Rune never received a contact from Zero during the weekends and was hoping that Blake was alright.
"She's been gone all weekend..." Yang said. She was worried for her teammate/partner.
"Blake's a big girl, I'm sure she can handle herself!" Weiss said.
"Weiss, come on. She's one of our teammates." Yang said as she continues to look around.
"Is she? We all heard what she said!" Weiss said. She was still surprised that one of her teammates was a member of the White Fang.
"Weiss." Rune said with a warning tone. He really had enough of Weiss attitude.
"Maybe she is, maybe she isn't. Either way, she's missing, and we need to find her!" Yang said to her as she looks left to right in search of Blake.
"A member of the White Fang! Right underneath our noses!" Weiss said. Rune just let out a tired sigh and looks ahead and whispered.
"I just hope she's okay...Don't do anything stupid Blake."
==With Blake Sun and Zero==
Elsewhere, Blake is sipping a cup of tea and sighing. She looks up at Sun sitting across from her, who holds his drink with his tail as his hand props his head up. She looks to her right and saw Zero who was also sipping a cup of tea before he place down on the table. Sun takes a sip when Blake puts her cup down.
"So" Blake started and the two looks at her as she catches their attention. "You two want to know more about me..."
OKAY THAT'S A WRAP FOR THE FIRST PART OF THE CONCLUSION OF THE VOL 1. STAY TUNE FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER OF THE STORY. REVIEW, FAVORITE AND FOLLOW ME AND THE STORY! NO FLAMMING PLEASE.
REBORN123 OUT!