A/N and review responses at the bottom
"Notable property damage," Ozpin muttered. "Blocked roads, an unaccounted for White Fang driver and Lieutenant, and some civilian injuries, but no casualties." The professor paused to sigh. "Work like this is never pretty. Still...reports say you stayed behind to ensure the injured received aid and even helped with some of the debris."
Peter, out of costume and in Ozpin's office with him, paced across the room. "I did what I could. But I'm telling you, that truck was rigged to explode. A missing driver, that automatic-detaching trailer thing. Someone's pulling the strings from behind the scenes."
Ozpin frowned as he stared out the window, enjoying the view of Vale. "And our best bet is the White Fang."
"The question is why, though," Peter added, hand on his chin, lost in thought. "We were in one of Vale's nicer districts. Mostly human population. It could have been a terrorist attack on human-occupied areas. But then, the truck exploding no sooner than I had subdued the Lieutenant seems too coincidental. If it was rigged to detonate, then..."
"Then someone might have given the command to detonate early, after they realized that you were on the verge of stopping the truck," Ozpin finished. "That would make sense. But then what was the original target?"
Peter wondered the same thing. A moment of silence passed before Beacon's headmaster stepped away from the glass. "Was there anything – anything – else to report?"
"Nope," the vigilante replied. "We've covered everything. Getaway cars, the thugs, the half-full truck of Dust – everything."
The professor hummed. "Alright then. I believe that is all for tonight, then. I'd say you should return to your dorm and get some rest."
When Peter didn't respond, Ozpin turned to find the boy deep in thought. "Don't be too harsh on yourself regarding the explosion," the man advised. "The White Fang have been stealing Dust for months; there was no surefire hint to say that they were planning to detonate it. You did what you could."
"Yeah, I'm just...just worried that I'll have to keep a closer eye on their heists when I stop them. Can't risk more explosions like that."
Dust, unlike Earth bombs, didn't just explode in a ball of fire. Ice Dust exploded and rapidly expanded to form crystalline structures, while earth Dust exploded to rapidly form huge rock formations. Fire and lightning Dust would let out bursts of heat and flames, and electrical energy, respectively.
The result of the truck exploding, then? A big whirlwind of elemental Dust types, and a headache for the cleanup crew. At least, Peter reasoned, there were no fatalities.
"Yes, it does pose a problem," Ozpin agreed. "But then, if this were easy, we'd have more huntsmen and huntress applicants, now wouldn't we?"
The arachnid hero's response was a short bark of humorless laughter. Years spent as Spider-Man had taught him that the job was anything but easy. "True that."
"Have a good night, Mister Parker," Ozpin said softly. "Get some rest."
Peter hesitated before giving the man a final nod and made for the door. On his way out, he passed the ever stoic Glynda Goodwitch, who stood guard at the door to ensure nobody intruded on Peter's meeting with the headmaster. She gave him little more than a controlled look as he strolled by and away before she went into the office.
Peter had reported the events that had transpired Saturday afternoon to Ozpin. The man did a little research, and by Sunday evening, they were re-discussing the events. Tomorrow, Peter would be back in school, pretending as though he hadn't been involved in a high speed pursuit involving notorious gang members.
The walk to Team RWBY's dorm was short, and when Peter made it, he found three of the four members present.
"Where's Blake?" Peter asked when he had scanned the room. Yang, who was listening to music on her bed, slipped one ear bud out.
"She said she needed to go to the library," the blonde explained. "Something about an overdue book."
The only male in the room grunted in understanding. Weiss, who had been scrolling through something on her laptop, huffed. "She had terrible timing," the Schnee heiress commented. "It's late, and we have a quiz tomorrow!"
Peter glanced up at Ruby's head, where the redhead in question was flipping through a thick textbook. "And I'm guessing that's why Ruby's uncharacteristically staring at a math book?"
"Yes," Ruby groaned. "I've been at this for hours."
"Thirty minutes," Weiss corrected, a smirk touching her lips. Ruby's head hit the pillow with a soft whumph as she groaned, eliciting a chuckle out of Peter. "I did tell you that it would have been better to study earlier," the heiress continued.
"Next time, tell me harder," Ruby grunted. From the other side of the room, Yang snorted.
Peter shook his head and made for the dresser to get some clean clothes to sleep in. He paused when he noticed a familiar image on Weiss' laptop.
"Reading up on him again?" the boy asked warily. Weiss glanced at him.
"Yes. Yes I am," she replied. "Spider-Man did have an encounter with the White Fang while they tried to steal another one of my company's trucks, after all. He's still active, the Fang are still active, and I still don't have answers."
Peter had found out yesterday, upon Weiss' learning of the truck incident through the news, that the heiress had a suspicion and dislike for his alter ego.
She reminds me more and more of Harry.
The young man paused at the thought of his best friend. His heart momentarily clenched at the memory of friends and family, but Peter fought down the sensation.
"Are your employees okay?" he asked suddenly. A part of him just wanted to keep his mind off Earth; another part, more closely associated with Spider-Man's line of thinking, wanted to know if he had done his work in stopping the criminals.
When Weiss' expression turned sour, Peter felt a cold pit settle in his stomach. "I have no clue how my father's employees are doing, but I'm certain the White Fang wouldn't hesitate to put down people just trying to do their job. It hasn't stopped them in the past."
Peter mentally begged that nobody had gotten in the Fang's way during their operation. Any lost lives might have been preserved had he gotten to the scene of the truck robbery before it had been stolen.
The hero could only sigh and resign himself to his corner of the room, where a book on Dust applications and theories awaited him. For now, Spider-Man would be on break from the streets while Peter Parker put some hours into a side project of his. He'd be back midweek for more patrols, but for now, he was a student.
Still, even as Peter sat down to read, recent events refused to leave his mind. Between the White Fang's newfound aggressive use of Dust and Weiss' apparent distaste for his alter ego, he had a lot to think about. And that wasn't even mentioning the research he was trying to get done.
Things are never simple, are they?
~X~
Contrary to what her reserved personality might have indicated to others, Blake was not unaccustomed to walking through crowds of humans. A childhood spent participating in numerous peaceful protests against anti-faunus sentiments had taught her to shrug off the discomforts she may have felt earlier on in life. Several teenage years spent participating in a reformed White Fang's less peaceful operations, on the other hand, had taught her how to blend into and use a crowd.
The quiet bookworm stood among the streams of bustling pedestrians, several public service vehicles situated between them and the strange scene beyond the Do Not Cross tape. This was one of Vale's more prestigious districts, and so the majority of the citizens moving through here were human. Blake stopped the grimace from forming on her face at the thought of her kind being all but relegated to slums because of the work and education often denied them. She'd had these thoughts before; having them now would not change things. Action and progression towards a solution would.
And, in a way, that was part of the reason why she was here. Action and progression had to start with the retaking of the White Fang from people like Adam. This new group desired to to rule through fear, and Blake had seen how far they were willing to go to forward their goals.
It was not the faunus movement she had once been a part of.
It had to be stopped. Blake knew it, the humans knew it, and many faunus knew it too. The violence and bloodshed of the Fang's activities were not bringing about the equality desired. Still, she knew some faunus were happy to see someone taking revenge on the humans.
The young student shook her head to clear her mind. She was here for a reason: she couldn't do much about the White Fang alone, but from the vigilante all over the VNN reports on TV, she wasn't the only one looking to do something about the Fang.
The issue is finding him and getting him to work with me.
And though the first problem she'd have to handle when she came across it, the second, she was on her way towards solving. Quite literally; her destination was not too far past the site of Spider-Man's most recent tangle with the White Fang. Said site was quite the sight indeed.
In the center of the street was a large, bulging mass of stone and half-melted ice, results of the Dust truck explosion that had occurred the day prior. The road and surrounding buildings were covered in scorch marks from the fire and lighting Dust that must have been mixed in the explosion. The Dust that could solidify into a new form did; the huge obstruction in the road attested to that.
Blake had heard about Spider-Man's involvement in a police chase over a news report and had arrived on the scene later, on Sunday evening. Her teammates were busying themselves with their own devices back at Beacon. Today, she'd be alone.
The raven-haired girl walked slowly along the sidewalk, observing the aftermath of the encounter. Do Not Cross tape was everywhere on the street, and the blockade had kept the streets clear of cars within the vicinity. Blake had gotten as close as she could without sneaking onto the scene.
When the news had reported on said scene, Blake had, at first, frowned at the idea. The White Fang stole Dust, they didn't detonate it like the had last night. However, she quickly reasoned with the thought. The Fang had stolen plenty of Dust. Perhaps now they were putting it to use. So why did they detonate the truck? To cause fear?
To get rid of Spider-Man?
That might make sense. He's been a thorn in their side for a while, but the White Fang hasn't been this forward in a while.
Then again, things had been changing rapidly in the White Fang over the past few years. A pang of dread shot through Blake at the thought that perhaps the group she had once been part of had reached some sort of goal, and that the next step was detonation.
Is this what the all that Dust is for? Terrorist attacks in the city?
Surely not! With the amount of Dust robberies over the past several months, enough Dust must have been stolen to level city blocks left and right. The panic and negativity would attract every Grimm in the forests – Vale would be overrun. Blake knew Adam was willing to kill, but she doubted even he would obliterate an entire city like that. Humans and faunus alike would suffer for it, and to what cause? To send a message?
Blake wouldn't – no, couldn't – believe that something like that was the goal. What purpose would Vale's destruction serve?
None, she told herself. There had to be another reason. The next guess she had, and perhaps this was because he had already been on her mind, was that Spider-Man was their target. Perhaps the explosion had been meant to rid the Fang of their newest opponent.
It seemed like overkill at first, but then again…
Whatever they're doing, they're getting more brazen about it. If the White Fang's making a new move, then I'll need to make mine.
Blake had a plan for making a big splash in the White Fang. She could get some of it done alone, but if she wanted to take large strides towards taking back the faunus organization, she'd need help.
And she knew just whom to start with. But first, she had a mental checklist to go over. Her time in the White Fang had taught her many things about the organization, including the whereabouts of many of their local haunts. Now she just had to check to see how many of them were still relevant.
After all, if the main thing she had to offer her quarry was information, then it'd better be accurate.
~X~
The door opened with a gentle creak, the sound all but overshadowed by the chime of the bell. Blake's sensitive ears only barely picked up the difference in sounds. Blake pulled the hood off her head.
A male grunted from somewhere up front. "Welcome to Tukson's Book Trade. We close in a few minutes, so please- "
Tukson's voice died out when he saw Blake, his eyes going wide. His gaze darted behind her, around the room, then back to her. The young huntress couldn't blame him – two ex-Fang members meeting in a city where the White Fang was incredibly active? She'd be nervous too; and she was.
"How can I help you?" Tukson asked after a moment of silence, trying to act natural. Blake knew the telltale signs of a nervous, cornered man. She made a visible hand sign – an old 'all safe' gesture used in the Fang during her time there to indicate they weren't being recorded or watched – before stepping forward.
"Just doing a little research," Blake replied coolly. Tukson motioned to the old school paper sign on the door that read Open. Blake flipped it, letting the Closed side face the outside.
"Blake," Tukson said quietly. "You know this is dangerous."
"I know," Blake admitted. "But I've checked multiple times, and I haven't been followed. We're safe, trust me."
The man sighed, momentarily letting his head hang low. After a few seconds, he looked back up, and when he did, Blake saw his small smile. "It's good to see you again," he stated. "Been a while since I've seen a familiar face."
Blake smiled right back. "Likewise."
"So...what are you doing here?"
"I need information," the raven-haired girl replied. The only other soul in the room frowned at her.
Tukson had been something of an information broker in the White Fang before rising to an infiltrator rank. His decision to leave the White Fang, then, with all he knew, was not an easy one. He had fled from his branch's base in Atlas to Vale. Blake had interacted with him on a few missions here and there, and Tukson was no stranger to Adam's focus on her.
The young student knew her presence would put Tukson on edge, and it would continue to do so, so long as Adam lurked somewhere out there. Even though the man had gone under a different name during his time in the Fang, Blake knew he was still nervous about being found out by Adam or his cronies. Last she checked, Tukson's ultimate desire after leaving the White Fang had been a peaceful, honest life.
"You know I don't do that anymore," said the older faunus, his brow still creased.
Blake held her hands up in a peaceful gesture. "I know, I know, but this is important. And it's for a good cause."
Tukson raised an eyebrow. "What cause?"
"The same one I told you about when I first left Adam behind."
The store owner's eyes went wide. "You serious? Blake, it's a noble goal, but you can't take on the Fang by yourself. And the moment you show your face, Taurus will be after you. What will information change?"
"Who said I was alone?"
Tukson smirked. "Ever since Taurus, you've always preferred to work alone." Blake's ears twitched; he had her there.
"Even so," she said quietly. "This is important. There is a chance, but I need you to help me out, and then I'll be out of your hair."
The man's shoulders sunk a little. "They won't take meddling lying down, you know that, right? Especially if it's from you. You put us both at serious risk if you do anything – especially if it's with information I gave you."
Blake took a deep breath. "I know. But I do have, well, something of a plan this time around. And your role would be minor, just this once, I promise."
When Tukson remained quiet, watching her with wary eyes, she continued. "It's...a long shot, but I think I see a way to start really taking the fight to the Fang. It's a way to take it back."
There was another moment of silence as Tukson studied her. His lips pressed into a thin line. "Does this plan, in any way, involve that Spider-Man character?"
Her golden eyes widened before Blake blinked. "That obvious?"
"Hmm," Tukson grunted, propping his elbows on the customer service counter. "He's all over the news. Apparently, he's one of the biggest threats to crime Vale's seen in a while. And since the White Fang is the biggest gang in town…well, you see the rivalry."
"Then you know why I want to contact him. He's good – good enough that he's actually put a dent in their operations."
"I also know that he may or may not take kindly to an ex-White Fang member approaching him," Tukson warned. "How do you know he'll listen?"
That was a good question. Truth be told, Blake had no guarantee that she wouldn't get a hostile response. And though she wasn't obligated to say that she had once been a White Fang associate, if she approached Spider-Man with inside knowledge about the group, he'd want to know where it came from.
Still, relying on the vigilante's work, it was likely that he'd want to know what she had to offer either way. She'd need to be tactful with her answers, but so long as she didn't give Tukson up, her conscience would be clear.
"You said it yourself," Blake began, eyes locked with Tukson's. "Out on the streets, he's the White Fang's rival. If I tell him I have something that will help him really cripple White Fang ops, he'll want to know. The lives he might save with that information should also get his attention."
"And if he asks where you got your information?"
"He'll have no idea you were part of this. No one will. I just need to know what you know, and then I'm gone. I know you've moved on from the Fang, so I won't ask you to help me keep dealing with it."
And, in a way, Blake envied his ability to move on. Tukson wasn't like her. He had left the past in the past and began an honest life, never looking back at the volatile faunus he had left behind. On some level, Blake wished she could do that; just let go.
But another part of her knew, and would always know, that the White Fang needed to be stopped. She yearned for its early days, when the path to equality lied along peace and proving themselves. It was an unfair fight, but the blood of the innocent was not on the Fang's hands.
As of five years ago, however, the path took a drastic shift into a horrid direction. In the back of Blake's mind, the thought of her old brothers and sisters in the White Fang turning to violence and bloodshed like they did would always unsettle her.
And now, with detonations in the street and mass robberies of weaponized chemicals, Blake knew someone in the chain of command was making a move.
The man visibly mulled over the information. Finally, he sighed and bowed his head. "My rule is that I'm not going on any more infiltrations. I've started a new life for myself and I don't need Taurus hunting me down because I showed my face again. Other than that...what do you need?"
Blake let out an inward sigh of relief. "Thank you," she all but whispered. "You were with the Fang longer than I was, and you left after I did," she explained. "You saw more of what Adam was doing in Vale, and you've got more recent info on what they were all doing here, even before they sent you back to Atlas for a while."
"I suppose I do."
"I have a list of safe houses we used when I was still a member. I need to know about any other locations you might know about, and any locations that have since been taken down. I've done some research, but the V.P.D are pretty tight-lipped about some of their raids."
Tukson grunted, running a hand through his hair. "My info isn't entirely up to date," he cautioned. "Anything I say could be wrong – Taurus' branch here has been pretty mobile lately."
"I know, but it's better than nothing. Any useful details on recent operations would be good too, if you have them."
"I don't have much in the way of their recent activities," the store owner admitted. "But about those safe houses..." He paused to grab a pen. "I'm gonna need a map."
~X~
"You, uh, good there, Blake?" Peter asked, eyebrow arched. The raven-haired student looked exhausted.
"Hmm?" she managed out. "Oh, I'm fine. Just slept kinda bad last night."
I can tell, the boy noted mentally. While Blake powered through the fatigue like a champ, the signs of a tired body were evident. She swayed once in a while, just enough to get Peter's attention. "Must have been some errand trip," Peter chuckled. The other teen had been out Sunday evening getting things done. Apparently, though, she might have stayed out a little too late.
"You could say that."
"Students," bellowed the voice of Professor Port as he walked into the room. "Please take your seats and settle down! We have exciting news this morning!" Next to him walked Glynda Goodwitch, professional as ever. Yang elbowed Peter.
"I bet you ten Lien the 'exciting news' is a story where he and Glynda bagged an Alpha Beowolf before returning home and being hailed a hero," the blonde teased with a grin.
"This week, you will all be putting your combat skills to the test!" the round man continued. "You'll face opponents in the form of both Grimm and...your very own classmates!"
Peter looked back to Yang. "I'll take that ten Lien now." Yang scoffed, but he caught the trace of a smile.
"This Thursday, you will all be undergoing an outdoor assignment in which you will be working with your team in the surrounding countryside," said Port. "You will be graded not only on individual performances, but on teamwork as well. You will receive more information as the date draws nearer, but you should be aware. And remember, teamwork."
So they're probably telling us this now to get us to start about thinking team strategies and the whatnot, Peter reasoned.
"Also worth nothing: Mister Parker," Port called, turning to face the boy in question. "For this assignment, you will be working with Team JNPR. Come Thursday, be aware that you are expected to appear for JNPR's scheduled time frame for the exam, not Team RWBY's."
"Yes sir."
"And Team JNPR," the man said, turning to the team. "Do not forget that, either; the five of you are expected to show up together, just like every other team would."
He received a series of nodding heads in response. "That said..." the male teacher motioned for Glynda to step forward.
"Good morning, students," she began. "The second announcement is that tomorrow, your dueling classes will begin."
Chattering rippled through the class as students excitedly reacted to the news. Even Peter sat forward, more interested than ever.
"Duels will be held for both team fights and individual battles. You're all expected to participate – no exceptions. You will meet with me tomorrow at our usual time, and I will lead you all to the dueling room. Arrive in your armor. Your weapons will be in the dueling room for you when you arrive."
Peter made a mental note to double down on his own side project in order to finish in time for the dueling sessions.
"You'll receive further instructions tomorrow," Glynda continued. "Other than that, continue to work hard in your academics and remember the team exam on Thursday. More details will also be provided as the date draws near."
With a polite nod, Glynda gestured to Port before she made her way out of the classroom. The students broke into excited conversation over the new development. Yang was shadow boxing, her grin wider than ever. Her sister was practically bouncing in her seat. Even Weiss looked excited.
Blake, interestingly enough, looked like she had other things on her mind. Peter figured the girl was still trying to stay awake.
"Now then, students, there is some more good news!" Professor Port added. "Before we start our Grimm studies, I do have a bit of a story for you. It's an exciting tale of a time when both Professor Goodwitch and I found ourselves on a perilous journey."
Next to Peter, Yang let out a bark of laughter. "I'll take that ten Lien back!"
A/N: Oh ho ho! The unused side character from canon returns! Obviously, Tukson didn't really interact with Blake in RWBY, but he is an ex-Fang member. We don't know much about him from canon, but given his common ground with Blake (both leaving a violent, changing White Fang), I think it'd be fair that he and Blake would get along well, provided they met. And in this story, they clearly have.
Also, this chapter was originally supposed to be a lot longer, but since finals week is just around the corner for me, I figured I'd cut the planned content from this installment and put out the chapter as is, since finals/work will take priority and eat up a lot of free time. This will give you guys something to read in the meantime, set up for duels and the whatnot, and confirm that I'm not dying again, just busy finishing up school.
Review Responses – I read all reviews, but I respond to those that seem like they are asking a legitimate question or bring up something that I'd like to address. If you stopped by and said something like 'good work' or 'good story', then know that, even if I don't directly respond to you below, you have my thanks!
Maelaeran: If he's there only on weekends, then yes, but the plan is for him to appear on weekdays too (sorta like he did back in New York, where he balanced school/Spidey life).
BlueSynth: Thanks! On the topic of Peter appearing only on weekends, I answered that question in the response immediately above this one.
Batthan the Dark Knight: Heh, I'll have to look into that.
TomahawkESP: Maybe, but it's not quite decided yet.
Jedi Alex Colbent: Ladies and gentlemen, we now have the official Spider-Yang theme! Also, fun fact: I was listening to the nightclub remix of 'Maximum Effort' while writing this response :P. And thanks, it's good to be back!
Noob6: I don't blame ya for that line of thought. Like I told others, whether or not anybody else appears isn't decided yet. The decision will be easier once we see what happens in RWBY during future volumes.
AsouShibata: Yeah, with him having a home/food now, he doesn't need to take the pictures anymore.
Jeggetts4. 0: The villains return indeed. With the amount of craziness that goes down in RWBY canon, someone's bound to tick Peter off; we'll just have to wait and see!
Krypto-Saiyan Primal65: Yeah, inspiration can be hard to pick up after a long break, but, here I am! I'm not sure if I'd say that Peter is quite on Glynda's level (she's pretty strong), but he's definitely closer to professional huntsmen than a lot of the other students (Pyrrha, though, is also pretty high up there). I've actually thought about having this Peter be four years into his Spidey career (starting at age 13, since he's currently 17), but it's still up for debate. Ahh, okay, I see what you meant by reality ensues (I misread it the first time). Yeah, we might see some of those. I haven't seen Spider-Verse (yet!) but once I do, I'll look into it! We'll have to see about the Web-Warriors, and while Peter might upgrade his suit, it would have to be his own upgrades, since Tony doesn't exactly exist on Remnant.
Jack54311: I haven't seen it yet, but I plan to soon, hopefully. I'll see what kinda new powers it offers, thanks!
JVfirer: Maybe one day, we'll see.
The WovenMantis: The reasons you stated are exactly why I'm on the fence, too. I want to first let people see what I plan to do with Peter's intellect/powers before really coming to a decisive conclusion on Aura. And yeah, a lot of the media strangely ignores his spider-sense lately. Wonder why?
Guest: While I definitely want to spice up his fighting style a bit, I have another plan for it, which you'll see soon :)
Guest: I can see why you're worries about the other Marvel characters. That risk always exists, yeah. My plan is to first see where the rest of RWBY canon goes on in Volumes 7 and onward.
edgelesspigeon: Aha, someone responded! Always a pleasure to hear that amazing response. I'm glad you're enjoying the work so far, and thanks for the compliments! I do agree that some crossovers tend to heavily favor one side over the others, unfotunately. Here's hoping this story continues to please!
Guest: True, true. I definitely want at least one conversation where Peter casually names off some of the insanity of the Marvel universe, like the repeated alien invasions or the time he turned into a spider mutant. RWBY's reactions would be great to write! We'll have to see about other characters, though.
Guest: While I definitely think he'd want to help out the faunus, I think the terrorist organizations are a bigger threat than the mistreatment of the faunus people (not to downplay their hardships, of course). I'm not sure how literally he'd count as a faunus, but I always imagined that he'd stick to calling himself human, since he falls under the category of a human mutant, whereas a faunus is, well, a faunus.
ToiPelado: Thanks, friend! I appreciate the heap of compliments, it really helps to keep the creative streak going when people actually like what you write. And while I do get busy, my hope is to definitely not let this story die!
Enchie: That's true, but he didn't know he'd be at Beacon when he rescued the hostages. He hadn't decided to start holding back more, yet.
Croniklerx: I'll get back to your PMs very soon, hopefully this weekend (I'm leaving in a few minutes, so I need to get this last set of reviews done fast).