Okay, I'm really sorry for the wait! I'm taking summer classes, and they've been harder than I expected.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS! IT REALLY MEANS A LOT TO ME AND MY MOTIVATION.
Also...Blake and Adam don't reunite in this chapter, BUT they're reuniting in the next chapter for sure...which I am posting right now. Yeah, this is a two-chapter update. I was going to post this in one big chapter, but I wanted to keep it from going on too long. I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 9 – The Schnee Dust Company
Blake wondered how long her and Fiona's journey would have taken if they used an aircraft carrier. Unlike her six-month long escape from Menagerie, the flight only took five days, including stops to rest for the night.
Blake slowly got to know her teammates. Rose and Laurel were the best of friends; they had grown up together when Rose had saved Laurel from a faunus fighting ring. They were on the run for two years; being petty thieves and stealing from whichever town they had visited. Meanwhile, Larch grew up on a ranch near Vacuo. His father was an ex-member of White Fang, and his older brother was expected to inherit. With no other options, he decided to join "the Faunus Army" (his father's term) and contribute to the cause. Larch was a silent man and rarely spoke, but he was a very useful mechanic.
Aster, however, remained quiet about herself and always steered the conversation in another direction when someone asked. Blake found herself studying her. What had she endured?
On the sixth day, Blake was awoken by the carrier shaking as it landed. She blinked her eyes and peered out the window. They were in a snowy forest. The morning sun was rising in the east, making the melting snow gleam in the light. In other circumstances, Blake would have admired the scenery around her, but her stomach was tying itself in knots.
Fiona walked over and handed her a packaged bundle.
"Here, dress in layers. I'm sure this will fit you." Blake thanked her and unwrapped the passage. Inside contained a large scarf, a pair of opaque tights, tight leather gloves, a padded hooded jacket, and a peacoat. All of the articles were in black.
"Is black my signature look now?" she muttered to herself, but put it on. By now, she would certainly look like a black cat, dressed in the dark shade from head-to-toe. Fiona and the rest wore a wide array of colorful mismatched clothes.
Laurel raised her eyebrows while Rose blinked. Aster looked perplexed, but Larch looked like nothing happened.
"You look like you're about to go to a funeral," Aster commented, "Black suits you, but this is just gloomy…"
"It's the only thing they have in her size," Larch explained, "In Vacuo, mourning clothes are either burned or thrown away, but it isn't uncommon for them to be donated."
Fiona looked uneasy but didn't say a word.
As soon as they reached the outskirts of the mining town, Blake regretted not taking the time to admire the forest.
What now stretched out in front of her was an ugly mining town. Other than the factory and mine, there were a handful of small buildings. Trash littered the streets, and the factory smoke stained the snow an ugly grey. Soot loomed over the sky in a black cloud, coating her mouth in lungs and making her cough.
Nearby was a weathered, wooden signpost with the fading words "Schnee Mining Camp #414" printed on.
A rotten stench mad Blake scrunch her nose, and Laurel made a face.
"We're supposed to live here?" Aster asked, "I can't believe Faunus would live like this."
Rose, however, remained silent.
"We're supposed to meet the overseer there," Fiona pointed at a building that was significantly nicer than its surroundings, "We'll get our identification cards and then…"
"A White Fang informant will meet us at that bar over there," Larch finished.
Fiona took Blake's hand, "Be careful, there's some black ice, and I don't want you to slip."
Carefully, Blake picked her way across the road. As soon as they reached the front doors, Laurel called for them to stop.
"Hold on, we need to get our stories straight before going in. I'm sure the dust company has dealt with infiltration before, so we need to be cautious." She pointed at herself and Rose, "We're from the same hometown. I'm applying for an electrician job while Rose is going to work in the packaging plant. Larch…" she pointed at him, "Will be a miner. Aster lost her job, so she is going to be in housekeeping for the Schnee committee members' house. While you two…" Laurel looked alarmed.
"Fiona! You need to use your Semblance!"
"Oops." Her russet hair turned a deep black and wavy, and her brown irises tinged amber. She looked like Blake's mother, and a pang of sadness pierced her heart.
Blake looked at her feet sadly, refusing to give into the sadness that had reemerged from years of locking it away.
"We're cousins, and I'm applying to be a factory worker," she recited.
"Yes, okay, let's go."
The documentation was uneventful; although, Aster did get a few suspicious looks. Afterwards, Fiona had dropped Blake off in the tenant room that they were supposed to be staying in.
Blake wasn't expecting much, but she wasn't expecting this…
It was the size of a toolshed. A sink and mirror was in the far corner while a sliding closet, which contained futons, was in the other. A shower and toilet were down the hall; they'd have to share with the rest of the floor. Holes were plastered over, and newspapers were pasted on certain parts of the wall to hide stains. A cracked window was in the right corner of the far wall, and, when looking, a fire escape was nailed to the outside. But, the window was too small for an average-sized adult to slip through; she wasn't even sure if she could squeeze out. The wooden floor was dirtied, and she was certain that she would splinter her feet if she walked barefoot. There was no heating, and it was the middle of winter.
Blake wished that she had a broom and some soap to clean the room a little, but she was sure that the management didn't even own a dustpan.
Sighing, the cat faunus began to unpack, hoping that there was a sheet large enough to cover the floor.
After her first two days here, there was nothing left for her to do in the tenant house. Early in the morning, Fiona would drag herself out of bed and walk to work. The camp would serve its workers breakfast, so there wouldn't be a risk of someone starting a fire to cook something.
But, the White Fang group soon realized that this was to limit the cost of food shipments. They had complained that they always felt hungry afterwards.
Meanwhile, Blake had been given a ration punch ticket. She would walk down the front desk, and the owners would hand her a bowl of grey, tasteless oatmeal. Afterwards, she would wander back to the room and clean. She used a wadded piece of newspaper as a broom, and some water and a rag that she had scavenged from the back of the closet to wipe down the walls and windows.
When she couldn't think of anything else, Blake practiced her semblance. At least the empty copies wouldn't make her feel so alone.
When Fiona got back, the group picked up their meals and carried them back to Fiona's room to eat together. They would discuss their findings and various rumors that circled around.
So far, there was nothing notable, and the group simply detailed their observations on pieces of old, yellowed paper. Then, they would send Rose, who was the smallest adult, to squeeze through the window, climb down the fire escape, and hand the notes to a waiting informant five blocks away.
When it was time to sleep, Fiona pulled on her winter coat over her workers' uniform (a dark blue jumpsuit) and fell asleep. The chill made their breaths visible, but Blake was grateful that they had numerous layers of clothing to prevent them from freezing to death.
One week in, Blake grew so bored of staying in the tenant building, that she asked Fiona if she could leave and explore the town. At first, Fiona had been reluctant, but, with her pleading, she soon gave in.
However, when Fiona had left the room for her shower, Larch opened the door and handed her a small pocketknife.
"Don't go down any dark alleys," he warned her and closed the door.
After Fiona had left for the day, Blake pulled on her peacoat, gloves, and wrapped her scarf around her head. Her cat ears stuck out from under the cloth easily, and she wished that she had some earmuffs to keep her human ears warmer.
Blake slipped Larch's pocketknife into her coat pocket and stepped out into the snow. Deciding to explore Main Street, she remained to the side in case of any drivers. There were no stoplights, and a car could easily drive out and run her over.
Blake's breath hung in white wisps in the air as she walked past a general store, two bars, and a tiny clothing shop. Numerous abandoned buildings lined the streets with graffiti and broken front glasses. Fading posters and fliers were posted to walls and telephone poles.
The cat faunus looked around for a bookstore or a library, but she remained disappointed. So far, the mining town had the bare minimum; nothing else to keep its residents amused during their free time.
Blake knew that there were multiple side-streets, but she decided to head back before the shift horn blew.
She would explore more tomorrow; it was the only other thing that she could do.
After a week of walking around the town, Blake had discovered a tiny bookshop tucked away between a pub and a Schnee convenience store. It had mainly sold newspapers and magazines owned by the Schnee Dust Company, yet it had its small store of books at the back of the store.
At first, Blake was overjoyed at the prospect of being reunited with her beloved books again. But, the man behind the counter was a human, and she was terrified to make her presence known. Surely, he would hate the sight of her and chase her out of the store once she set foot.
Moreover, she had no money, and, if she could ever get past the front door, Blake would have to purchase something.
Sighing, she parked herself on the steps of an abandoned building facing the shop. For a week, she spied on the owner, trying to find decipher the schedule. The greying man would always stand behind the counter next to the entrance of the shop. It had the occasional customer, usually a messenger sent from the overseer to purchase the morning paper. However, for the most part, the store was empty. She couldn't hide herself among a crowd.
The shop owner appeared to live in the apartment above the store, so she couldn't sneak in at night even if she got Fiona's permission. Worst of all, the door had a bell attached, which would alert the man to whoever entered his stop. She had walked to the back door, but it was padlocked shut. The man ate his lunch at the cashier register, only venturing to the back for a few minutes. The time frame would be too small for her to sneak in to borrow a book; she would return it at the next moment she got.
The man looked rough. His arms were littered with burn marks and scars, and his neck had a deep scar running across, likely from a bad fight. He wore a tattered leather jacket and scuffed boots that looked older than her.
Therefore, the only thing she could do was to walk past the store and read the headlines of the newspapers. The prospect had always left her in a foul mood; the books were so close.
In the end, Blake had to settle with headlines, but at least she would have something to read.
But…
One day a picture had caught her eye. It was in the far end of the corner, overshadowed by the headline "PYRRHA NIKOS – YOUNGEST CONTENDER EVER IN MISTRAL TOURNAMENT". It was of a woman in a white cloak with the words "Missing and Presumed Dead" written under it. The cloak covered her face, but she looked very familiar.
The picture intrigued her, and she strained her eyes in an attempt to get a better look. Yet, the glare of the glass made it impossible for her to decipher the smaller print.
She did not notice the shopkeeper had walked out to her until it was too late.
"Kid, if you want to read it, just walk into the store like a normal person."
Caught off guard, Blake let out a gasp of surprise and sprang back, subsequently losing her balance and falling flat on the ground. Hastily, she shot to her feet and was about to run before the man held his hand out.
"Hey, wait, I'm not going to do anything." Blake paused, and looked at him with suspicion.
"I was just walking by, that's all," she said. The man rolled his eyes.
"No you weren't. You've been staring at this shop for weeks and haven't stepped in to buy anything. If you're a thief, you ought to brush up on your skill. And if you're a Schnee spy. The fighting rings are on the other side of town."
"I haven't got any money," Blake defended, "I was only window shopping."
"Come up with better lies next time. If you want to read my books so damn badly, then just walk in."
"But…I can't buy anything."
"I heard you the first time, girl! Are you deaf?" Was this man actually inviting her in to read? She could still run; the man had a visible limp, and she could use a Shadow to deceive him.
"I…I can read them?"
"There's no one else, is there?" Dumbfounded, Blake simply nodded. The man stepped back and held the door open. He looked at her expectantly.
The cat faunus bowed her head and walked into the shop.
The man gestured to the newspaper racks. "You were reading those, right? I'm going to throw them out tomorrow anyways. If you were stealthier, you could have just looked in the dumpster in the back."
Feeling foolish, Blake gingerly took a paper from the rack and began to read. Although, her eyes didn't read them. She watched him from the corner of her eye, waiting for him to take out a weapon to attack her.
"Relax, kid, not all human hate the Faunus, you know." Blake looked away and tried to focus on the paper – "HUNTRESS SUMMER ROSE GOES MISSING ON SOLO MISSION".
"I'd be reading something else other than that tabloid garbage though."
Blake looked up at him questioningly.
"Who are you?" The shop keeper chuckled.
"The name's Sterling. I'm just your everyday bookkeeper." She looked at him with suspicion.
"Why would you sell books in a place where you'll get no business?"
"Why would a child be in a mining town?" he countered.
Blake remained silent. Were children usually banned in mining towns? She had no idea.
"We all have our secrets here," Sterling said, "I'm just some bookkeeper, and you're a little girl. Don't say you're older; heeled boots are the oldest trick in the book."
Blake eyed him with curiosity. Who was this man? How did he know? Did humans have some special ability? She thought about running, but…
The books were much too tempting.
Two months slowly inched by. By now, the snowfall had lessened, and the days seemed longer. So far, Fiona and the others had found inklings of Schnee management information. Mainly, it had come from Aster, who had been newly assigned to clean the overseer's study. More intel began to trickle in, and Fiona had reported that their supervisors were pleased.
Meanwhile, Sterling turned out to be a decent fellow. He usually nodded in welcome to her whenever she entered the shop. Their conversation was kept at a minimum, and they would only discuss vague topics, like the weather or books. Occasionally, he would hand her a crate of books to shelve, but he mainly left Blake to her own devices. Oddly, many of the books here were descriptions of ecosystems and how Dust was refined. To her it seemed like an odd combination, and she wondered what ulterior motives the man had. Sterling would be hunched over the front desk, muttering to himself as he typed on an ancient typewriter.
Yet, Blake still had no idea when they would be called home. Her friends began to get skinnier, and the cat-faunus herself had gone to bed hungry a few times. She felt like her rations were slowly getting smaller, and she would often find herself staring hungrily at the snacks in the convenience store. Stealing had crossed her mind a few times, but she didn't dare.
She remained silent until, one day, Sterling called her over to the cashier and placed a bowl of hot stew in front of her. Eyes wide, Blake stared at it, not completely sure what to do.
"Eat up, kid," he said, "I've seen you staring at the cookbooks in the back."
"Wha…Th-thank you." She began to hastily eat; it was the best thing that she had in years.
"I caught wind of rations being smaller. They're starving you guys, the animals." He chuckled at his pun.
The meat and vegetables tasted fresh, unlike the faint taste of plastic that always clung to the rations. But, how would he get this? There weren't any supermarkets this far out in the wilderness.
"How did you make this?" she asked as she ate, "I thought markets were banned."
"I didn't. Do you actually think I would swallow that stuff? Nah, I hunt for my meals."
"You hunt?" she asked as her spoon scraped the bowl, "But, I thought guns aren't allowed here."
Sterling snorted.
"Tell that to the ring managers! Guns? There's a whole black market!"
Blake listened with interest.
"Black market?" she inquired, "Is that how people make money here?" He looked surprised but then stern.
"Kid, I'm not going to tell you anything. I don't want you wandering around there. There's more to that place than dodgy merchants. That's no place for a child." Blake looked down at her empty bowl; her friends were starving, and an extra hand for food would help the group.
"My family is hungry…" she began, "I want to get more food than rations…can you teach me how to hunt?" Sterling eyed her with interest.
"Well, how eager are you?" he asked, "I don't use guns in the woods; they'll attract Grimm."
"Do you use knives?" Blake had a hard time imagining Sterling, who had a greying hair and mustache, darting up trees and throwing knives.
Sterling snorted.
"I use dual swords from my Hunter days. I have a few in the back," he gestured towards the back room. She looked at him in awe.
"You were a Hunter?" she asked, "Why are you here? I thought Hunters went on missions." Sterling chuckled, but his smile didn't reach his eyes.
"I'm too old to be on missions. I'll leave that for the younger ones. Do you know anything about weapons?"
"I know how to use a katana. I've sparred before."
"But, have you actually used it against a living thing?" Sobering, Blake shook her head.
"I tried to go against a Grimm once, but I got overpowered."
Sterling looked at her with interest.
"Always aim for the mask."
Another three months passed, and Blake would go the store, throw on a pair of haphazardly stitched pants, and follow Sterling into the forest. There, he would hand her two swords, and she would conceal herself amongst the trees. For the first time, her weapons cut flesh and spilled blood.
Under Sterling, Blake became skilled with dual swordsmanship and stealth. Surprisingly, Sterling was fast and precise; although, his blows lacks raw power. The cat faunus learned a swordsmanship that valued speed, stealth, and accuracy.
If a Grimm wandered in her path, it was slaughtered quickly; she didn't want any blood to spill on the snow.
At the end of hunting, Sterling would hand her a share of meat, and Blake would sneak into the inn kitchen to make stew. Fiona and the others were well-fed compared to the rest of the tenants. Moreover, Blake had come up with the story that she had gotten a job helping out in the kitchens, paying off the innkeeper to be silent with a daily bowl of stew.
Meanwhile, the snow had mostly melted, but icy winds still chilled her skin. With no snow, the buildings were covered in black coal dust, making her sneeze. Blake spent a lot of time in the forest, slowly getting a feel of where this town was and where to the run if needed.
Occasionally, Blake would see Schnee guards patrolling through the trees. She would dart up a tree and observe them. For the most part, they were incompetent and never noticed her – a black shape sticking out amongst the green foliage. Or, they were lazy and didn't think a little girl was a threat.
Blake wondered if the group was beginning to catch on about her daily disappearances. Aster would make offhand comments about the woods, and she would occasionally see Rose standing at the forest's edge. Yet, Fiona seemed more restless each day.
In the middle of the night, when Fiona thought she was sleeping, she would slip out the window and wouldn't return until the early morning. Moreover, rumors went around the town, saying that there might be White Fang agents. Wanted signs for any information had been posted, setting Blake on edge. She didn't know what she would do if she returned to an empty room.
One morning, Blake felt someone nudge her awake. It was still dark outside, but she could see the faint glow of the morning sun in the distance. Hastily, she turned over to look for Fiona, only to find her side of the bed empty.
For a brief moment, Blake began to panic until she heard Rose's voice.
"Blake, it's me. Fiona just left. I need to talk to you." Blinking sleepily, she sat up and looked at her questioningly.
"What's wrong? Was there a message?"
"No…" Rose looked uncomfortable, "It's about you Blake."
"What?"
"Laurel and I have spotted you hiding around in the forest sometimes, and, well, our group is well fed compared to others," Rose began.
Blake's mind raced as she tried to come up with ways to defend herself. She didn't want to be stuck inside all day, not when she had almost learned the intermediates of dual swordsmanship. Sterling was a good person; he didn't have anything against the faunus.
"I wanted to ask you, you haven't been in the fighting pits, have you?" Caught off guard, she felt relief and then confusion. Did they think she was in the fighting rings?
"No, I'm not. I don't even know where they are. I've gone out in the woods to hunt and forage." A look of relief spread across Rose's face.
"Thank god, I was so worried," she gulped, "Never go there, Blake, terrible things happen to little children who venture too far."
"Why?" Blake asked out of curiosity, "What happens there?" Rose pursued her lips, as if she were hiding a secret.
"You can't talk about this," she warned her, "I don't want Laurel to revisit those terrible memories. It took her years to heal."
"What did they do to her?" Blake whispered, "What did the humans do?" Rose paused, wringing her hands.
"Before the Great War, what some settlements did for entertainment was to pit people against wild animals and lured Grimm. People placed bets on fighters, and the owners made thousands of lien," Rose shivered, "After the Faunus War, stuff like that was abolished, but it still goes on today, away from civilization. The ones who run the rings…they kidnap Faunus children or adopt them in orphanages, raise them up to be fighters, and make them face Grimm."
"Did…did Laurel…"
"Laurel was adopted from an orphanage…" Rose's voice cracked, "She was so excited to have a home. Her mother left her there a week after she was born. After, Laurel was so…disappointed." Rose sniffled, and Blake offered a clean rag for her to blow her nose on.
"Thanks, Laurel was then stuffed in a room with ten other kids and taught to fight for six months."
Six months? It took Blake years to learn how to use the sword.
"What happened?" she dared to ask, "Was Laurel… did she have to kill Grimm?" Rose nodded.
"She did. I think, the only way she could have survived was because she was taught how to use a gun instead of another weapon. Laurel had good aim and could shoot at a distance; she doesn't even have a Semblance. Her enemies would be dead before they got five feet close."
Blake was quiet as she took in this information.
"Humans do that? They take kids and…" Rose sighed.
"Laurel's captors weren't human…. They were Faunus." Blake looked at her in shock.
"What? Faunus turned on their own? How could they? They're traitors!"
"Everyone does what they can to survive, others don't matter." Blake looked appalled.
"Others sell each other out? Then…who can we trust?" Feeling unsettled, Blake stared hard at her feet.
"You can trust us," Rose said warmly, "You can trust the White Fang members who want peace between the humans. You can trust some of the humans. Not all of them are bad." Rose's words eased her as her hands stroked Blake's back soothingly. "Humans aren't the bad guys just like all Faunus are good."
"What about you?" Blake asked, "Were you taken by kidnappers?" Rose looked sad.
"No, I was adopted by a human couple who couldn't have kids. They were great parents, and I will always think of them as my mom and dad. But," she sniffled, "the villagers kept on burning our fields and killing our cattle. When I was thirteen, they burned down their barn, and we lost all our food for the winter. I…didn't want them to suffer, so I ran away. When this mission is over, I'm going to go visit them back in Vacuo, see how they've been." Rose wiped her eyes and sat up straight.
"Anyways, I was just making sure that you weren't going in the forest to train or you had fallen in with the wrong crowd. Just don't stay too far, and watch out for Grimm and Schnee patrol."
"Rose, why are you and Laurel in the forest? I though you worked in the packaging plant." Rose jumped a little and laughed nervously.
"Haha, that's a secret. But, I'm sure you'll figure it out."
Two weeks later, there was word that a Schnee board member would be visiting for an inspection in a month. Her friends seemed a lot more tense, and Blake preferred to spend her time alone. Late at night, they would talk in Larch's room. Occasionally, Blake would catch phrases of "escape" and "deserter".
Unease seemed to settle over the group, but Blake wanted to remain upbeat. Therefore, she spent her days away and out in the woods with Sterling.
However, one day, when Blake walked into the store, a woman was standing at the front, talking to Sterling. Blake froze in the doorway as the woman turned to look at her.
She smiled at Sterling smugly.
"Aww, Sterling, I didn't know you hired someone to help you in the shop. See? You are getting old." The woman giggled impishly as he growled.
"Blanc, don't you know how to talk to others with respect?" Blanc ignored him and approached Blake.
To Blake's surprise, Blanc was a cat Faunus, like her. A pair of white cat ears protruded from her head, which was framed with long, straight nearly white platinum blonde hair. She wore a strange ensemble of clothing that was somewhat flashy but fashionable. Blanc wore something that resembled a tattered grey party dress and a sleeveless knee-length long coat. The bodice scooped low below her chest and was tied together by laces while it flowed out in elegant waves, embellished by a ribbon that hung from one edge, stretched across her back and to the other end. Under the vest, she wore a black ribbed, high-neck sleeveless tank and beige shorts. Blanc had a pair of thigh-high grey heeled boot which were laced together with black ribbon. She wore a golden shoulder guard that strapped across her chest, a black armband, a black sleeveless glove, and a black and gold wrist guard.
However, what stood out the most was her heterochromic violet and gold eyes.
"Hi, I'm Blanc, nice to meet you! I hope Sterling isn't a huge grump to you every day!" Taken aback by her forwardness, Blake shook her head.
"Leave the kid alone, Blanc." She waved him off.
"You're not a little girl, are you? I can tell! A lot of boys will chase you soon!" She shook Blake's hand.
"I'm just dropping by for a few weeks. I'm in between jobs and Sterling owes me a favor. I hope we can get along!" Grinning broadly, she walked back to Sterling's desk.
"So, is she your research assistant?"
"No! Go back upstairs, Blanc." Blake looked at Sterling questioningly.
"Research?" she asked, "Sterling has been doing research?" At an instant, Blanc sobered and turned to look at him.
"Sterling…"
"Blanc, just go." For once, she seemed to follow his words and left the room, her heels thumping as she ascended the stairs.
Looking worried, Blake stared at Sterling in confusion.
"What's going on?" Sighing, Sterling walked out and approached her. Blake took a step back.
"Sterling, what's going on? Why are you here?" The man looked conflicted as he tried to find the words. There was a long stretch of silence before he spoke.
"I'm sure you figured out that I'm not here to sell books." He pulled out a chair and motioned for her to sit. "And, I know you're smart enough to not go around telling anyone this, but I wanted to keep you as far from this research as possible. Well, Blanc can't keep her big mouth shut; I should've known that and kept her away. I've been studying something that…won't be as widely accepted in the scientific community."
"What?" Sterling held his hand.
"I'm asking you to hear me out. Have…have you ever wondered how the Grimm came to exist?"
Blake's mind drifted back to the tales she had read in the library.
"No one knows, but there's myths saying that they were the tortured souls of animals."
"They've been around since the dawn of man," he explained, "Grimm and humans have been in a constant struggle for control, for land, resources, whatever. Man was able to overcome them with Dust, but, the stakes have risen. There's been more Grimm attacks within the last few decades, on farms, ranches, and villages. Don't you think there's a reason why?"
Blake shook her head.
"Do you know what else have risen in the past decades?"
"No," she replied, "I don't." Sterling looked serious.
"Do you know what the Schnee Dust Company does, other than mass produce Dust and butt heads with White Fang?" Blake tensed as her organization's name come up, but she remained silent.
"In any major city, Vale, Vacuo, Atlas, oh especially Atlas, there's a bunch of Schnee stores and merchandise. They're the richest corporation in Remnant; hell, they own most of the selling market. Wouldn't it make sense that they'll have their claws in politics? Lobbying politicians and bribing local leaders. Affecting the laws of the cities, micromanaging the schools, controlling labor and environment protocols?" A cold chill began to creep down her spine as Sterling continued.
"Do you know how Dust refinery works? It spews so much smoke and pollution in the air that they have to keep the refineries up north in the cold air to prevent the air thickening into smog. The surrounding rivers turn black and kill the fish. Their railroad system had destroyed thousands of natural habitat."
"This is a refinery town." Sterling chuckled.
"On the nose."
"Is your research about the environment?"
"Environment plays a big part, but it's not the key point. When looking at the stats, Grimm attacks in general have spiked ever since the company's grasp strengthened and began to mass produce. They're the real ones pulling the strings; they can silence any opponents." Blake began to feel very scared for him, a human.
"Sterling, will they…?"
"Hold on, I'm not finished yet. When I figured that out, I did some digging. I'll admit, a lot of it was illegal, but I noticed a general trend. If the Dust company has angered the Grimm so much, then why are they still successful? With the amount of environment destruction they've been doing, why hasn't there been a Schnee refinery burning down every other week? It dawned on me. In my younger days, I fought along with humans and Faunus alike, and do you know what I noticed? Grimm always go for the humans first."
Blake's breath caught in her throat.
"What?"
"It's not just from experience either. Towns with majority Faunus populations are rarely attacked while human settlements are usually razed within the first five months. Have you ever wondered why there's such bad blood between humans and Faunus, to the point where humans tried to put them on an island? It's because there's animosity that stemmed from the lower rate of Grimm attacks. Faunus lived longer and were able to settle."
Blinking, Blake slowly let that information sink in; a cloud settled over her head.
"The company mainly hires Faunus labor, so Grimm attacks have been deterred. That way, they can produce more while lowering protection costs. Everyone's wondering why there's such a big spike in recent attacks. It's because the company is growing bigger, polluting the environment, and using their money to keep their opponents silent! They're slowly turning Remnant into a garbage heap!"
Blake let the weight of the information sink in. To her, it seemed very vast and complex, but she nodded.
"Sterling, how do you know that you're on to something?" At that a troubled look descended over his face.
"It's because they tried to silence me before," he was quiet for a while, staring off into space, "After I graduated, my team and I took a few jobs, fought off some Grimm, but after a while, we just grew apart. We had different goals. It happens to the best Huntsmen teams."
"Does that happen a lot?" Blake asked out of curiosity. Sterling shrugged.
"They all split eventually. Some have kids and settle down while others go off solo."
"What about you?" There was a sad look in his grey eyes.
"Two teammates got married and went off; I get postcards from them every few years. But, I wasn't alone. I had Violet." Sterling's voice trembled.
"She was my childhood friend; our parents were on neighboring farms. We used to go running out in the fields and worked together. Our families were good friends. When we were old enough, we went to the Huntsmen academies to train together. Our parents had enough money to send us."
"What happened to her?" Blake dared to ask. Sterling was quiet for a while.
"After our team split up, Violet and I took on the few odd jobs, anything to get by. I guess you could call us mercenaries, but, to be safe, we never took anything that seemed too shady." He paused, as if trying to come up with the words.
"Violet and I got hired for this really high-profile job; we were supposed to be bodyguards for a Schnee councilman. We protected him from any White Fang attacks and kept his stuff safe. Turns out he was in charge of environmental research and planning. Really, his job was to locate where the next Schnee mine would be, but…" he scowled, "That man just dropped towns at random. Never cared about the environment like my family taught me. Polluted rivers and burnt down forests. Worst of all, he started harassing Violet."
A shadow cast over his face.
"One day, he had gone too far, and I lost my temper. I put a bullet through his heart and have never touched a gun since."
"What happened after?"
"Well, Violet and I made a break for it. I stole a copy of the research he had just to piss them off. I got branded a murderer and Violet a White Fang conspirator. You see, she was a cat Faunus with a grey tail. We went into hiding for a couple years, built a little house in Vytal and lived a domestic life. I started investigating the notes and know that Remnant will be in danger if the Schnee Company continued. So, I tried to get it published. I'm not very book-smart, but Violet was there to help me out."
He went silent for a while.
"One day, after coming back from hunting, I saw smoke from the trees. Those Schnee bastards had set our house on fire, and…" he swallowed, "I found Violet out back…they slit her throat."
Blake felt her body slowly turn to ice. It was then that she realized how much danger she and her friends were in. A heavy weight fell on her to the point where it was hard to breathe.
"I'm going to see that company burn to ground or die trying."
For the next day, Blake couldn't look Sterling in the eye without feeling uncomfortable. However, she quietly took out the swords and trekked out into the forest to hunt.
She had just about passed into the line of trees when she heard Blanc call out to her.
"Hey! Blake, wait!" Blanc ran up to her.
"Mind if I go with you? Sterling's in one of his moods today, so I'm going to give him some space."
Nodding, Blake continued through the trees. They walked for about thirty minutes before Blanc sighed and sat on a nearby boulder. Smiling, she motioned for Blake to join her.
"I guess he told you about my aunt Violet, huh?" Her words caught Blake's attention and she nodded.
"I didn't know my aunt too well, but Sterling was surprised when he ran into me. I guess I look a lot like her."
Blanc was quiet for a while.
"Y'know, we have the same Semblance. Do you know what Sterling's semblance is? They actually pair well together."
Blake's ears perked at Blanc's mention of Semblances. Blake never told Sterling she had one, but, looking back, she figured that Sterling had to in order to be a Hunter.
"What is it?" she asked. A small smile was on Blanc's face as she placed her ungloved hand on Blake's shoulder.
"Sterling's Semblance is Perception. He has much better target perception than others, so his strikes will always land on an opponent's weak spot. I'm pretty sure he's taught you a couple of his identification methods. Aunt Violet, on the other hand, had Intuition. When she touched people, she could usually predict their moves and actions. Sometimes, if she could touch them for more than a minute, she would be able to get a good idea about their future and some of their past. Their abilities aren't flashy but very, very useful."
Blake then realized that Blanc had her hand on her shoulder for more than five minutes. Eyes wide, Blake looked up to see Blanc smiling complacently.
"You looked familiar," she said, "Although, I guess I should have expected it. Shade was thinking about joining up with the White Fang the last time I ran into him."
Leaping to her feet, Blake stumbled away from her. To her horror, she realized that she had left a Shadow in her place. Blanc calmly waved it away.
"How do you know my father?" Blake shot.
"You even have his grandmother's Semblance. I guess he was right; Semblances do skip generations after all," she sat back comfortably, "Blake, before they died, did your parents ever tell you what they did before joining White Fang? They weren't as peaceful as you thought. People do tend to mellow out with age."
"How did you know my parents?" Blanc's smile widened into a grin.
"During my early years as an informant, your father came to me for background on people and job listings. He paid me, and I was off on my merry little way. Although, I guess I probably shouldn't tell you if he didn't say so himself."
"Tell me what? I'm old enough to know." There was a pause.
"Your father was an assassin, Blake. You know, I was the one that set him up to meet your mother. Looks like I'm a great matchmaker after all."
"You…set my parents up with each other?" First Sterling, and now this bombshell? What else was going to happen this week?
Blanc giggled.
"Oh yeah, she was a great herbalist. Her pastes did wonders on infected wounds, but that wasn't her specialty," Blanc paused dramatically, "It was poison. Luna was pretty adept in making toxic tea brews. Anyways, someone didn't like her and put a price on her head. I gave Shade the job, and well..."
She gestured towards her.
"You're living proof that my ability worked." However, Blanc's smile faltered.
"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone about why you're here. It doesn't concern me much anyways."
Pausing, she reached out and handed Blake a key.
"There's a trunk under Sterling's guest room bed. Violet had it commissioned for him a long time ago. Before, well… Use it if you're in a pinch, okay?"
She stood and turned to head back towards the town; however, she turned back to look at her.
"By the way, use good judgement, will you? Blind loyalty can corrupt even the best heroes."
Blake wasn't sure if she liked Blanc. On one hand, the informant knew all about Blake's past and possible future. On the other…
Now that she thought about it, Blanc was kind of scary. But, Blake only saw glimpses of her for the rest of her visit. It wasn't until her final day that they spoke again.
Blanc had merely waved goodbye and told her to take care.
Three weeks passed since her visit. Blake and Sterling pretended things were normal. Occasionally, he would give her a few pointers with her double-bladed style, but that was the furthest extent.
At home, however…
Tension seemed to rise amongst the White Fang spies. One night, they gathered into Fiona's room, talking in hushed voices. Blake pretended to be asleep.
"They had this planned from the beginning," Aster whispered, "Didn't they?"
"What should we do?" Rose asked, "I mean, we didn't sign up for this. Headquarters were going to plant us here for a few months, and then we'd get a call to return, but…"
"C'mon Rose," Laurel said, "I don't think White Fang would do this to us. I mean, we've been giving them pretty good intel. They're probably just waiting for more, and the official's arrival next week is just some coincidence. It's a two-birds one stone kind of thing." However, she seemed unconfident, as if she were trying to convince herself more than her teammates.
"Don't kid yourself, Laurel," Larch broke in, "You haven't been on a spying mission. If the higher ups were actually trying to have us spy, then they'd ask for reports a lot more frequently."
"What do we do?" Aster asked, "There's been a change in orders that we have to follow. But, I don't want to be the one to do it."
"They say that we can return after," Rose added, "Maybe, just this once…"
"Do you want to do it?"
"No! But…if I had to…"
"Guys…have you ever wondered just exactly why we were chosen for this mission?" Fiona spoke up. There was a pause.
"No idea, to be honest," Rose admitted.
"I thought that they picked me because I was close to Rose."
Larch shrugged, "I never gave it much thought. The pros outweighed the cons."
"My face…" Aster mumbled.
"I thought I was assigned because I had experience, but, when I met you guys, only Aster has been on a minor spy mission."
"What are you trying to say?" Laurel asked.
"None of us have any work experience in common…" Rose finished, "Larch did weapons maintenance; Aster was part of crowd control; Laurel was in communications; Fiona was in sanitation; and I worked in propaganda."
"That doesn't make any sense," Larch agreed, "The White Fang isn't stupid. If it wanted to get its hands dirty, then why didn't it send out a more competent team, especially when we're given a job like this? A good assassination job is never done by amateurs."
There was a long stretch of silence.
"Why the hell would White Fang stoop so low?" Laurel complained, "This organization isn't the same one I joined." There was a murmur of agreement before Fiona gasped.
"Hold on, before the Menagerie attack, who's side did you support?"
"Lycannis," they said universally. Suddenly, it felt like the temperature just dropped. Rose cursed under her breath, and Aster whispered "oh no".
"They'd actually go for low-ranking grunts like us?" Larch was in disbelief, "None of us were outspoken about it, so why…"
"It's a power struggle," Fiona growled, "The higher ups are wiping out all risks of an uprising."
"What do we do?" Aster groaned, "Lycannis supporters…they were sent on missions and never returned."
"I worked in office filing for a while," Fiona said lowly, "They were marked missing and presumed dead."
"We're not getting out of here are we?"
For the next two days, Blake felt uneasy, close to the point of outright panic. White Fang wouldn't try something as terrible, right? Meanwhile, they were still debating whether to follow through with White Fang's plans or to desert.
Larch and Laurel were in favor of running off, but Fiona and Rose wanted to stay. White Fang deserters were marked as traitors and bounties were placed on their heads.
Although they were like family to her, Blake didn't want to get involved in the dilemma. She wasn't sure if she was unwilling to face it or simply too young.
Yet, she had a horrible feeling that her peaceful life was going to end soon.
It ended next week.
Like usual, Blake woke up in the mid-morning, pulled on her clothes, braided her long hair, and walked to Sterling's for her hunting.
Everything seemed normal. Dark clouds hinted at new snowfall, and the cold nipped at her nose.
Yet, when she walked into the store, Blake knew something was wrong. Sterling was nowhere to be seen, and the bookstore was almost too clean. Blake checked behind the desk, and its usual messiness was gone. There was no stack of papers, and Sterling's typewriter was missing.
Blake's mind flashed back to the memory of the General Store from so long ago. On instinct, she pulled Larch's pocketknife from her pocket and slowly crept to the back room.
Sterling's swords were missing.
Frightened, Blake didn't know whether to run or continue. However, she didn't want to leave Sterling if he was in trouble.
Perhaps he had to flee at last moment? Or did something much more sinister happen to him…?
Trying to calm down, Blake decided to check the upper rooms. If Sterling had to leave, then he would definitely take some of his personal belongings with him.
Blake slowly ascended the stairs, ears pricked for any sounds of movement. Slowly, she opened Sterling's bedroom door to find that it…was empty.
The bed was made, no clothing littered the floor, and the desk was empty. It was immaculately clean, but she could tell something was very wrong.
On the nightstand was a folded picture, depicting a woman with blonde hair and violet eyes. Blake could see a grey cat tail in the far corner; this woman was Violet. The photograph was old and worn, and there were creases from it being folded up and carried around.
Sterling wouldn't leave this behind. He hadn't left willingly.
Internally, she began to panic and wanted to run out into the woods to find him. But, a small pocketknife would do nothing against a Grimm if it decided to attack her.
She then remembered the key that Blanc had given her; it was still in her pocket.
Heart pounding, she ran to the guest room and looked under the bed. Sure enough, there was a brown trunk under the bottom. Blake pulled it out and turned the key.
With a click, the top swung open, revealing a long, thin item covered with a drawstring bag. Frowning, Blake wondered why Blanc would give her an empty rifle; she couldn't find a box of ammo anywhere.
But, she then noticed silver words written on the bag strap – "Gambol Shroud". Curious, Blake loosened the string and pulled out a long, black sword. A small piece of paper fluttered out.
"Variant Ballistic Chain Scythe" was printed in back ink, while the words "Use it well" was written in red, loopy handwriting.
Turning the weapon carefully in her hands, Blake noticed that a pistol was built into the hilt. The sheath itself had a sharp edge, and when she pulled out the sword, it was a katana with a sharpened double-edge and a raised pike.
This was the kind of weapon that belonged to Huntsmen. Eyes wide and gaping, Blake admired the sword. Whoever took Sterling forgot to go dispose of this.
Blake slid the sword back into her bag, slung it around her shoulder, and pushed the trunk back under the bed. Snow had begun to fall, and she had neglected to bring a thicker jacket.
Let out a huff of irritation, the cat faunus ran to the coat room, threw on her pants, and filched a hooded jacket and a beanie to cover her ears. She'd be easier to find if someone knew what her Faunus trait was.
By now, snow had covered the ground, and whatever evidence left behind by Sterling's assailants would soon be covered up.
This was planned.
Blake tried not to panic as she maneuvered though the trees; her amber eyes darted back and forth for signs of the slightest movement.
All was quiet, except for the crunch of snow under her footsteps. The cat faunus wanted to call out to her mentor, but she didn't want to attract the attention of Grimm or…something worse.
Blake searched the forest for hours but didn't stumble across anything. She wasn't sure if she should be concerned or relieved.
However, as the sun began to set, she had to stop looking. Blake was shivering, and she just wanted to curl up under the blankets.
She'd check back tomorrow.
The next morning, however, she was woken up by the sounds of shouting. Rubbing her eyes, Blake sat up, thinking she had overslept to noon.
"What's going on?" Laurel asked as she poked her head in, "Is there a fight?"
"No," Larch's voice called out from the other room, "Building's on fire. It's on the other side of town, and the Schnee workers have it under control. Go back to bed."
Laurel breathed out a sigh of relief and returned to her room. Fiona pulled at her covers, and Blake laid down., unable to fall asleep.
The fire confirmed it; she knew it was from the bookstore. Sterling had been found out, and the fire was destroying any leftover evidence. She now feared over the safety of her group. Would they try to kill her too?
Blake turned at her side and stared at the closet door. She had hidden Gambol Shroud under a loose floorboard. Blake was thankful that she had at least managed to save the weapon. It was a beautiful piece of work that seemed to call out to her.
The cat faunus wanted to use it but decided that it would be much too dangerous. For now, she needed to lay low and wait for the whole thing to blow over.
But first…
Blake waited for three days to make sure that nothing else would happen. On the fourth morning, she got ready much slower than usual, as if wanting to stave off her task.
Slowly, Blake trekked through 5-inch layer snow to find a husk of a building- Sterling's bookstore.
All that was left of it was a skeleton of scorched woodwork and the blackened ash of burnt paper. The smell of fire drifted in the air, and a faint layer of snow covered the remains.
It was deadly quiet.
Without a word, Blake picked up a nearby stick of wood, walked to where the doorframe would be, and plunged the stick into the muddy ground. She removed her gloves and pulled out her braid from her hooded jacket. With shaky fingers, Blake untied Adam's ribbon, an ancient relic of a happier time.
She slowly crouched and tied a bow around the stick. It was a marker for the death of a kind man, who looked past her Faunus heritage and saw potential, who challenged her preconceived ideas of men, who showed her that a human could suffer as much as a Faunus…who planted that seed of doubt of whether humans were the Faunus's true enemy.
A lone tear slipped down her cheek. The marker was the closest thing to a gravestone.
Wow, that was kind of depressing, wasn't it. This chapter was mainly for Blake's character development. Hope you enjoy the reunion!
If any of you are curious, Blanc is Blake's original concept art. I really liked it and wanted to incorporate it into the story somehow, so she's the one who gives Blake Gambol Shroud. :)
Also, I got a tumblr if any of you guys want specific answers :
Love,
raining-indigo