Action, Reaction
Pyrrha hummed as she looked over Ilia's homework, the pair of them having fled their dorms for the quieter peace of the library in order to work ahead on history together. Not that Nora had driven them away with her usual antics, though she may have been up to something for all they knew.
Today's flight from their dorms was due to the fact that every other Friday was a half-day for their year... and most members of the various other teams had elected to make said Fridays into a kind of internal party day.
The past couple of weeks seemed like they had gone very well. Things had greatly calmed down between the various teams, thanks in large part to Professor Arc's classes, and Pyrrha had started to feel the same kind of relaxed ease she'd found in the first week of the year. Yang had started to invite Nora along with MINT for her weekend club runs, something that Ren was reluctantly dragged into as well. Ruby and Weiss preferred to either study or spar, and had found willing partners herself and Ilia.
Even Blake, quiet and evasive of Ilia as she remained, had started to spend time with herself and Ren, usually so that they could work on homework together. Gods, even CRDL had started to tone down their attitudes somewhat, at least among the other first years. They and FRST had seemed have formed some kind of mingling group together, and if they didn't often seek out the company of the other teams, they didn't openly antagonize them anymore either.
And the four boys had jumped in to MINT's Friday party plans with both feet.
It was slow progress... but it was progress. Pyrrha just wished that said progress didn't include Friday afternoons with raucous video game tournaments, arm wrestling competitions, and plots to smuggle alcohol into the dorms.
"It was the Fourth Battle of the River Green where Vale turned back the Mistralian advance for good, not the Fifth Battle of the Emerald Forest." She noted as she finished, "But apart from that everything looks correct."
"Thanks Pyrrha." Ilia said as she took the paper back, quickly erasing her incorrect answer and writing in the proper one.
"You're welcome." She replied cheerfully. "You're doing quite well."
Her partner sighed softly. "I think you're just being nice with that. It took me twice as long to get this done as it took you."
"But you did get it done on your own." Pyrrha nudged her with an elbow and smiled, "With only one wrong line from what I saw. How long it takes matters less than getting to the right answer."
Ilia gave her a mildly reproving look, but her lips were tugging at the corners. "Pyrrha... can you not be nice about something? Just once say something that's not supportive and kind?"
"I..." She felt her cheeks heat up. "Um... well, Cardin-"
"No!" Ilia's ponytail whipped as she shook her head, "Has to be about me, or someone you actually like. Can't cheat."
"But I don't like Cardin! He was an arrogant bully, even if he's improved somewhat lately." She protested. "Doesn't that count?"
Ilia crossed her arms and settled back in her chair, "No. I want you to say something mean about someone you don't already dislike. Like me. Or Ruby."
Her or Ruby?
Pyrrha wracked her brain, trying to come up with something that she didn't like about her two best friends. But... what could there possibly be? Ilia had stayed when she'd been about to leave for her sake, because she had begged her not to go. That was beyond anything Pyrrha could have ever hoped for from a friend. And Ruby seemed to be equally selfless, they were both always happy to spend time with her for no other reason than because they were friends.
Neither of them had ever said anything mean about her that she knew of, and now that she was being put on the spot, she couldn't think of anything bad to say about them either. Well... Ruby may have had too much of a sweet tooth, and Ilia could do with being a little more polite to strangers, but that didn't seem like what her partner wanted.
"You are hopeless." Ilia groaned, slumping forwards and resting her head in her arms. "Hopeless!"
"I'm sorry?" She wasn't really sure if she should be apologizing for being 'too nice', but Ilia evidently thought of it as a bad thing.
Her partner turned her head so she was looking up at her, one cheek on her forearms as her eyes narrowed. "Pyrrha, no one is as nice as you are. No one. What's your secret?"
She swallowed and lowered her voice. "I... already told you."
Ilia rolled her eyes, "No, not like that. I mean what's the mean, evil thing you do in secret? You can't possibly be just this... this... perfect."
Pyrrha had to blink a few times. "...perfect?"
There was a disgusted sound as Ilia dragged herself upright again and waved an annoyed hand at her. "Look at you! You're tall, gorgeous, smart, the best fighter of our age on the planet, and you're so nice you can't even think of a mild insult for your friends. No one is that well rounded, so what is it?"
"I..." Her cheeks darkened, "I'm not... all of those things!"
"Do you steal Blake's books? Maybe hide Mistralian hentai comics under your bed?" Ilia ignored her, and ignored the way her face started to blaze with heat as she gaped at her friend. "Sneak out on the weekends to get drunk in Vale? Go to fight clubs? Did you do drugs at all those parties you had to go to, or drag a fan or two into a closet with you?"
"I... I... no! I didn't sleep with my fans!"She all but shouted the last bit, drawing everyone's attention. If her cheeks weren't already the color of her hair they would have darkened even further as several other students snickered while she ducked her head and let out a whimper. "...I hate you."
"Aha! Knew I could get you to say it."
Pyrrha's head jerked up to see Ilia looking entirely too proud of herself as she started to pack up her papers and text book. "You... you..."
Ilia gave her a grin, her freckles warming to pink for a few moments. "What? You're cute when you're embarrassed, and I wanted to see if you could actually say something mean. That... was really, really tame, but at least you managed it. Now come on, party should be over... or at least moving down to Vale."
She... had no idea how to respond. To any of that. Ilia had to gently grab her elbow and haul her out of her chair to get her moving, and it wasn't until after they'd exited the library that Pyrrha felt as if she was a functional human being again.
"Did you really have to say all of those things?" She asked as they walked, "I'm hardly perfect, and I definitely don't do... any of those!"
"I know." Ilia patted her arm gently, shifting her backpack around with the other. "I was just trying to get a rise out of you. You don't make it easy you know."
Pyrrha sighed, looking away. A few students were out and about, and she saw Doctor Oobleck talking with a civilian woman in a lovely dress on a bench, but it remained a quiet, peaceful day. "...but why? Do you really enjoy embarrassing me so?"
If you say yes... I don't know.
She knew that she was a little socially stunted thanks to her... overly focused upbringing, but she was starting to wonder if Ilia was more serious about her little looks and comments than she'd seemed. Not that she was the only one that Ilia gave oblique looks too, but... then again she was hardly alone in doing so, and she was at least far more discrete about it than most of the boys. And some of the other girls, for that matter. Yang was anything but shy about her interest in Professor Arc, and Shae tended to stare unerringly at any boy who was at least reasonably attractive.
Then again, I may just be projecting... it isn't as though I've ever had anyone interested in me for being me, rather than the Invincible Girl.
Worse, she had no idea if she even liked girls. She... thought she might, somewhat. but it had never really been a subject she'd seriously put consideration into. If Ilia asked her on a date, and she... realized that she didn't, what would she say? What could she say? And then there was Blake, and whatever was or had been between her and Ilia.
"Eh." Ilia wagged a hand back and forth a little, "I'll admit it's fun, but some of it is from Jaune. He says letting people vent from time to time is a good thing."
"Oh." Pyrrha considered that, feeling her entire body relax as she realized she'd dodged a rather large bullet, at least for now, "And... you think I need to?"
She was quiet as the turned a corner, moving into the trees that surrounded the dorms. "I think that it makes me feel better, after he prods me into just... yelling and ranting about things. I know you don't like to talk about your parents but... maybe you should try?"
Pyrrha chewed on her lip, looking down at her shoes as they walked. "...you think so?"
"Yeah... look, if you want I can go with you to see him tomorrow." Ilia suggested, "He's usually available Saturday morning, and-" She broke off as her scroll chirped. "Sorry."
She shook her head, waving for her to check it while she thought about the kind offer. Pyrrha would have been lying if she hadn't said she hadn't thought about it before, going to the professor that was. He seemed to be really helping Ilia, and he was so kind in class. His lessons may have been harsh at times, like their first one, but she knew he'd done it because he cared for them.
And he had looked as nearly distraught as she after failing most of them, clearly not enjoying his role as the harsh teacher.
If Ilia comes with... maybe it won't be so-
Beside her, Ilia began to tremble violently, her scroll almost flying from her fingers as her skin rippled to green and her eyes widened. "Ilia?"
Her partner seemed to try to say something, but could only keep gaping at the device in her hands.
Pyrrha quickly stepped closer, gently wrapping her fingers around a wrist to try and help her calm down, glancing at the scroll as she did. The screen showed the messenger program, with an image of two red headed girls in uniform walking away from whoever had taken the picture. It took her a moment to realize that it was the pair of them, and that it had been taken within the least couple of minutes.
The caption read, She's cute! Your partner?
"Um," She coughed quietly, "Ilia, who sent that?"
Ilia licked her lips... and still couldn't seem to find her voice.
"Ilia?" Pyrrha gave her a gentle shake, trying to see the name on the scroll but finding only the sender's number. "Ilia, you're starting to worry me, you need to calm down."
Green skin worked as Ilia swallowed, letting Pyrrha carefully pry the scroll out of her hands before she broke or dropped it. "...do you... remember my plan? About Blake?"
"Of course." She said with a slight nod. "I was there when you sent the message two weeks ago, but that didn't seem like the kind of response you were... looking... for." It abruptly clicked. "Oh. Oh dear."
Ilia's voice remained rough, "This... this wasn't the plan. This really wasn't the plan."
Pyrrha nodded, entirely understanding. "What do we do?"
"Well," A voice spoke up politely from behind them, "I always thought introductions were the proper place to start."
Neo stood atop an apartment building overlooking Vale's dockyard, the hum of the air conditioners behind her a steady, almost calming drone compared to the sounds of seagulls and other stupid birds. The Friday afternoon sunlight was pleasantly warm without really being hot, leaving her feeling rather comfortable as she checked the sight-lines towards the number four dock.
A massive freighter flying the Atlesian flag was being slowly pushed in by tugboats, workers buzzing around and getting ready to start off-loading crates. If Roman's information was right, they'd be at it into the evening, and then all day tomorrow, setting up his heist late Saturday night. She needed a spot where she could see most of the area, where she'd be able to jump down to back-up Jaune if he couldn't handle the terrorists... or if things went so badly that he or Roman needed an emergency escape.
She personally hoped it was the former. She was sick of having to hold back against the brats even on those times where Jaune let her spar with them. A real fight, with criminal jerks Jaune wouldn't complain about her hurting, was just what she needed to unwind.
Shaking her head a little, she moved closer to the edge, holding up a thumb as she compared the distances between the different buildings. This was one acceptable, more than the last one she'd checked. It had a good view of the area in question, with the only blind-spot being the warehouses on the southern end of the lot. If Roman's info was right, and they'd be coming via Bullheads, that wouldn't be much of a problem.
And if a few of them try and flee that way... well, more fun for me.
She was not thrilled with her reserve role in the plot, not even a little. Jaune had quickly picked up on that, and she'd gotten a wealth of foot rubs, sundaes, and back massages over the last week to make up for it in advance.
It still didn't change the fact that tomorrow night she'd be stuck waiting on top of a building for Roman to need an emergency extraction, or for Jaune to need extra help dealing with the terrorists... but it had made the past few days rather relaxing.
Letting out an inaudible sigh, she made sure she had the building's roof memorized before walking over to the side facing a dark alley. A shattering flex of her semblance later had her on the ground, her nose wrinkling from the smell of the nearby dumpster. Resisting the urge to simply teleport back to Beacon, she quickly picked her way out into the street and joined the general foot traffic. As much as she deserved more pampering from Jaune for everything she was doing... there was still more work that she had to get done.
A half block's walk brought her to an outdoor cafe, one she had been to before. The idiot waitress, some teen girl with more breasts than brains, needed almost a full minute to realize that Neo couldn't speak, and scurried away before returning with the manager. He, at least, recognized her and quickly took her specialized order when she used proper sign language to give it to him.
"Sorry about that ma'am." He offered, placing her massive sundae and a cup of coffee in front of her when it was ready. "I'll make sure the staff knows to get me right away next time."
Neo pursed her lips, then took a tiny bit of ice cream into her mouth. The pleasant flavor of alcohol mixed in with the vanilla and strawberry made her relax enough to dismiss him with a little wave instead of the full glare she'd been considering.
He took the hint and departed without a word, leaving her to her treat.
She took her time enjoying it, keeping her eyes open and on the crowd. The cafe was right on the corner of a T-intersection, and the seat she'd chosen let her see down all three streets to at least some degree. If the White Fang had any brains at all they'd have a least one or two people around to notice that their target had arrived, and would be checking out what kind of security would be present, as well as being on the lookout for poachers.
After a fruitless half-hour of slowly imbibing, she paid for her food with Jaune's lien, rose, and then went wandering to see if she could spot them directly.
Three hours later her partially relaxed attitude had worn off, and she was dropping into the same seat while the manager brought her another sundae... this one with twice the rum drizzled over it. If this was how the day was going to go, she wanted to at least have a pleasant buzz going for the rest of it.
Seriously, not a single one?
There had been a few faunus in the crowd, but none that had matched what she thought of as White Fang material. All of them had been as decidedly middle-class or above as the humans around them, shopping and chatting about the Vytal Festival. None had been casting furtive looks at the docks, or been sitting in places to see them, or anything really.
I didn't see any this morning either. Or yesterday.
She hadn't really been willing to take Roman's word that the White Fang was incompetent, idiots didn't assassinate SDC board members after all, but she honestly was starting to wonder. Not that she'd expected to see someone up on the roofs assessing the place with her, or evilly twirling a mustache like those cartoons they'd used to show in the orphanage, but she'd thought she'd spot someone doing something. Or maybe even just hear a juicy rumor from the crowd or dock staff or sailors or... just something!
Instead it was looking like she'd wasted yesterday keeping an eye out for them, and now wasted most of today doing the same. Even if they had already surveyed their target, they should have had at least one or two expendable idiots around just to keep an eye on it. And Neo knew that she was damned good at spotting surveillance types, if they'd been around she'd have seen them with how much time she'd spent trying to find them over the last couple of days.
Oh well. Now she could at least say she tried, and spend the day relaxing. Today had been a half day for the first years, so she when she got back she could have Jaune to herself without any-
"Hey Miss Neo!"
...brats.
Neo glowered as team RWBY pulled up next to the cafe, their young leader waving cheerfully. She'd give the girl some credit, a scythe as a weapon was fairly inspired, especially with the giant cannon built into it... but she was just so nice. So irritatingly, obnoxiously nice that she couldn't stand it.
Go spend twelve years in Vacuo's orphanages and see how nice the world is then.
"No Jaune?" The blonde asked, glancing around.
She twitched an eyebrow and pointedly waved a hand at the obvious lack of her partner.
"Right, sorry, just asking." Xiao-Long at least seemed able to translate her expressions into words, though her continued lusting after Neo's property still left her on the shitlist. "Didn't think we'd run into anyone here, Weiss wanted to spy on any other students coming in for the Festival instead of enjoying the dorm party."
"I said no such thing!" The heiress snapped. "As the leading members of our year I simply thought we should set an example by properly-"
Rose sighed, lightly hopping over the railing and into the cafe while the other two started up a full argument. "Mind if I sit? They've been at it since Yang found out we weren't staying at the party."
Neo considered that, then shrugged and waved at a chair. The little girl quickly took it, the disguised faunus slipping in to take the other at her small table.
"Thank you." Belladonna offered politely.
She shrugged in reply, spooning some of her sundae into her mouth, making sure to get plenty of the pooled rum as she did. If she was going to deal with these four long-term, she really didn't want to be sober while she did it.
Someone's stomach abruptly growled, and Neo glanced up to see Rose not quite staring at her treat with something like lust in her silver eyes before grabbing a menu. "Which one is that?"
"Um, Ruby?" Belladonna tried, her nose twitching once. "I don't think you want that one."
"But it looks so good!"
Neo nodded enthusiastically, enjoying the mixed flavors as she continued to work on demolishing hers with one hand while another pointed it out on the girl's menu.
"Aww... it's in the adult section." Rose pouted with a frown, "Why is ice cream in there? Oh wait, rum... ugh. Wait? You can put drinks on ice cream!? Uncle Qrow never mentioned that!"
"Probably for a good reason Ruby." Belladonna offered.
"But..." Her voice trailed off when Neo smiled and pulled a second spoon out of the little napkin it had been wrapped in, pointedly offering it to the girl. Rose stared at it like she was offering her a shot of a drug that she knew she shouldn't take... but badly wanted to anyway. "I shouldn't, I'm only fifteen and..."
Neo fought the urge to roll her eyes. She knew her mark, and a little nudge moved the bowl around, letting the little huntress see the chocolate drizzled all over the vanilla and strawberry just as Rose's stomach rumbled again.
"Ruby-"
The spoon was yanked from her fingers a moment later, silver eyes widening as she tasted it. "Wow... that's good, kind of tangy!"
Belladonna glared at her, her bow twitching furiously on one side... and seriously, how did none of them ever notice that? "You're giving alcohol to a minor."
"I'm a huntress!" Rose growled around a second spoonful, like the world's most petulant puppy.
Neo pointed at her in agreement. Once you were at a school like Beacon or Shade you were more or less considered an adult, legally speaking. That had less to do with things like alcohol and driving and more to do with liability and consequences given the power difference between hunters and civilians... but it worked out for her amusement, so she wasn't complaining. If Rose turned out to be a mean drunk, that would be entirely too entertaining, and a good end to a boring pair of days.
"...stop that faunus!"
Belladonna suddenly jerked her head around at the shout from outside, and Neo perked up as well, standing to get a better view. A monkey faunus was hanging from a lamp post out in the docks, laughing at several uniformed men who had evidently tried to chase him down but were now stuck trying to figure out how to get up after him.
He didn't look like the White Fang type either... but maybe he was the refuge in audacity type?
Eh, chasing him down would be more fun that trying to get Rose drunk while her annoying teammate hovered around.
Tossing some more of the lien she'd taken from Jaune onto the table, she headed for the exit, only partly surprised to see Belladonna simply vault the cafe railing and head towards the docks. Rose paused to shovel one last bit of ice cream into her mouth, then hurried after her teammate. They reached the stairs leading down to the docks just in time for the faunus to come flying up them, two cops in hot pursuit.
Neo was forced to reconsider her choice almost immediately.
The guy was barely a guy, he couldn't have been older than the brats around her. And from the way he slowed on seeing them, even giving Belladonna a wink before picking up speed again... his hormones and lower head were running things far more than his actual skull.
Not White Fang type. Not even slightly. A waste of her remaining sundae even.
I'll chase you down just for-
"Quick!" Schnee yelled as the two cops raced past, "After him!"
...nevermind.
If chasing him down meant dealing with the four of them even longer, she wasn't interested. Neo watched them go, then hefted her parasol up onto a shoulder and started walking back towards the Bullhead docks.
Someone owed her massively for how disappointing today had been.
"You tried to get Ruby drunk?" Jaune asked, looking up as Neo collapsed theatrically onto their couch. "Seriously?"
Neo's hands waved, asking what part of how bored she'd been he didn't understand.
"She's fifteen."
His partner didn't see why that was a thing, she'd started drinking long before that age.
Jaune could only sigh, "That doesn't mean you have to corrupt her. She's a good person, with a good heart."
From her expression he'd just started speaking in tongues.
"Look, little pranks are fine, and if you want to keep replacing Ozpin's coffee I personally find that hilarious, but trying to get Ruby to start drinking booze is a bit much." He tried, "Ease of on that, please. For me. I'll take you to The Club next weekend and we can both get smashed on Junior's shakes."
She considered that, tapping at her chin with a pale finger. After a little while of that she evidently found his offer acceptable, nodding and kicking a boot off, then the other before wiggling her feet in his direction.
He lifted an eyebrow. "I have grading to do."
Neo's eyes both shifted pink and narrowed to angry slits.
Jaune sighed again, "Bring a chair over here then, I'll massage them while I work."
An hour later saw Neo's head lolling on her shoulder as she apparently slept, his left hand cramping slightly from where he'd been massaging her feet and calves for most of that time. But on the bright side he had at least finished marking his class's last assignment, and he'd already gotten through Glynda's... so that meant he'd have nothing to do besides prep for their mission with Roman tomorrow.
Tossing his pencil aside, he leaned back in his chair and ran through the plan again in his head.
Neo would head out first, going 'clubbing' as she often did Saturday night. He'd delay in his rooms for a bit under the excuse of preparing for his Monday class, then take a later Bullhead to join her in town. He'd take a shortcut past the docks in an effort to meet up and oh-so-accidentally stumble across the crime in progress. According to Roman, there would be several Bullheads present, but only around twenty terrorists.
That was rather tall odds for a straight fight for him, but that's what Roman would be around for. The thief would remain dedicated to his 'mission', telling the White Fang to keep loading the dust while he drove off the interloping Huntsman. They'd fight for a bit, Roman would lose, and then Jaune would knock out as many of the distracted faunus he could while Roman kicked up a fuss during his escape.
Nice, simple, with Neo standing by as backup.
He flicked a finger along the bottom of a foot, making her let out a breathless giggle and kick it out of his grasp, cracking a brown eye open.
"Knew you were just pretending." Jaune smiled, "My foot rubs aren't that amazing."
Neo gave her an artful little shrug, lifting a leg and nudging his chest with her toes. Shaking his head, he brought his right hand up and started working her calf, snorting as her eyes rolled back exaggeratedly. "You're acting like I'm doing something else."
She seemed to consider that, then rolled her hand in a 'maybe-later' fashion while nudging his free hand with her other foot. Knowing she'd get annoyed if he didn't, he started rubbing at her other calf as well, at least for minute or so they had before his scroll went off with a blaring ring. Both of them twitched violently, which was more painful for him than her as two feet planted themselves uncomfortably in his stomach.
Jaune coughed and tried to catch his breath, swatting the audio only button while Neo pouted. "Professor... excuse me, Arc speaking."
"Jaune, Bartholomew." Bart's voice carried across easily, "I apologize for the late hour, but could you please join me at the dorms? A situation may develop that I would appreciate your support with."
He sighed, "I'll be there in a few minutes."
"My thanks." The call went dead as Neo reluctantly dragged her feet out of his lap, getting up as well. He almost asked if she felt like coming with, but she merely gave an angry toss of her hair before heading for the bedroom. She, it seemed, was done for the day.
Shaking his head, he grabbed Crocea Mors and his cloak, getting them both situated on his person before heading for the door.
To his surprise, he ran into the other teacher not at the dorms, but rather at the base of the main tower just as he walked outside. "Bart?"
"Ah, Jaune, good." The older man rose from where he'd been sitting on a bench. "I thought it best to give the children and their guest some privacy for now, but with team RWBY due to return from Vale soon it seemed best to acquire backup familiar with the situation."
Jaune blinked a couple of times, "...you lost me."
Oobleck blinked several times, then made an understanding sound. "Ah, you aren't... right. Miss Amitola indicated that you approved of her plan to confront Miss Belladonna?"
Ah. "Yes, I thought it simple enough, and better than one or the other simple losing their temper in the cafeteria sometime in the next month or two."
"A decision I suppose I cannot fault you for." Bart shook his head, waving for Jaune to follow as they got moving. "However, there appears to have been unintended consequences. The message she sent did not result in what Miss Amitola hoped for, instead... well, she and team RAVN are currently entertaining Mrs. Belladonna while they await the other team's return."
Jaune opened his mouth, then felt his teeth click together as he shut it. "Oh. Well... crap. That's..."
Oobleck sighed. "Complicated? Quite. As you no doubt guessed, myself and the other staff were quite aware of young Blake's family and former career, however we had assumed that her parents knew of her current location. Evidently we were mistaken. Miss Amitola's message, well intentioned as it may have been... concerned them."
"Oh shit..." Jaune groaned, rubbing at this face even as he felt fate laughing at him. Evidently he and Blake had had more in common than he'd ever thought. "They didn't know she was here?"
"They had not spoken in more than a year prior to this point, due to philosophical differences over the White Fang's direction." Oobleck shook his head slightly, "So far as they knew, she was still a member of the organization, and to find out that she and her friend had deserted to attend a school for hunters... was a pleasant shock, but a shock all the same."
He grimaced, "And Ilia didn't know about the divide between them? She said that Blake's parents practically raised her."
"They likely did quite a bit for the young woman, but the Belladonna's are...well, in public, on Menagerie, they no doubt support Sienna Khan and the modern White Fang, but I assure you that privately they do not condone her methodology." Oobleck said, "They likely did not bring up any such doubts in front of Miss Amitola, and their confrontations with their daughter were almost assuredly very private in nature."
Jaune ran a hand through his hair, blowing out a breath. It made a sad kind of sense. Ilia, not knowing that Blake wasn't on speaking terms with her parents, would have reasonably assumed that they knew the pair were in Beacon. And, since she and Blake had hardly spoken except to argue since the semester had begun, the other girl would have never had a chance to correct her about it. Ilia, desperate for a way to confront Blake that doesn't result in simply outing her, hits on the idea of asking her parents for advice.
He, not knowing that either, gives Ilia the go-ahead to message them concerning her hiding of her heritage and the strife it's causing between the two friends. Ilia may not have used the nicest of words, but she'd assured him she just wanted to ask for advice, for the right way to talk her into taking the bow off. So she'd sent off a message probably including some slight venting, and begged for advice and a message from them to Blake to try and help.
Said parents get the message and are understandably confused as hell, and likely extremely concerned, over what the heck happened to make her quit the White Fang and join Beacon.
"Just her mother?"
Oobleck nodded, "Yes. Ghira's role as chieftain does not allow him to travel, as it is only the fact that a passenger liner was at the island allowed Kira to arrive here as quickly as she did."
A blonde eyebrow rose, "You're on first name terms... oh right, you're epic Wyrm hunt on Menagerie."
To his surprise, Bart actually looked a little embarrassed. "Please, Jaune. I spent two weeks getting sand in my boots and then dropped a rock atop its head while it sunned itself. Hardly the fight of legend that Peter likes to tease me about. But yes, I remained on good terms with them both, and they allowed me a degree of archaeological exploration while I was there."
Jaune let out a quiet laugh, "All right. So... what's the plan?'
"Neither Miss Belladonna or Miss Schnee is likely to react well to the news." Bart answered as they neared the dorms, the ten o'clock Bullheads returning from the city, "We will remain only long enough to ensure them both that we are aware of the situation concerning the young ladies pasts, and that they have given us no cause for concern. After that, it will likely become a private matter between the Belladonna's and we will leave them be."
"Right..." Jaune felt his voice trail off as he watched a Bullhead land, and saw three colorful figures get off. "...I think we've got a another problem."
Bart blinked at him, turned, and then did a head count of his own. "...ah."
"Weiss-"
"No." Weiss snapped at Ruby, her heels clicking as she headed for the teachers she could see talking near their dorms. "A member of the White Fang, a terrorist, right in our dorm room!"
"You don't know it's like that!" Yang countered, moving to block her, blazing red eyes glaring down at her. "You really think she couldn't have done something if she'd wanted to?"
Some small part of Weiss had already considered that, but the rest of her was too furious over everything that Blake had screamed at her in the streets to pay attention to it. "Did you not listen to anything I said!?"
"Did you not listen to anything she did!?" The blonde loomed over her, something Weiss discovered that she was rather good at. Her fists clenched, and even in her current mood Weiss fund herself taking a step back. "...Weiss, just give her a chance to explain herself. One chance. If we don't like it... I guess we'll go to the teachers."
Weiss started to reply, then saw Ruby move to stand next to her sister, her expression somber. Her own fingers curled, but... she let out a huff of air. "...fine, one chance to explain why we shouldn't turn her in to the police."
Neither of her teammates looked thrilled with her choice in wording, and only Ruby sharply elbowing Yang seemed to stop her from exploding and starting another argument.
One in which I would be right once again!
"We can figure this out." Their leader, as usual, tried to be the confident one in the middle-ground. "We just need to find her and talk to her. We've only got the weekend before classes start, so we'll have to start early tomorrow morning. I think we should get to bed so we'll be ready to go first thing."
Yang continued to glare at Weiss, a gesture she returned, then only slowly relaxed. "...yeah, sure Rubes."
At most two days to find a former teammate revealed to be a terrorist, and prove that I'm right. She could work with that... she wasn't happy about it, but she could handle a slight delay. And honestly, they were acting as if Blake would seriously be out in Vale all weekend. She didn't have all that much lien on her, certainly not enough for even a cheap hotel, she'd be back in school later tonight. All they had to do was stay awake and wait for her to come crawling back, or maybe set up some kind of alarm on their door if Ruby insisted that they sleep.
By morning we'll be in Ozpin's office getting this resolved.
"Fine." She conceded, "What do we tell the teachers until then?"
"That you're being a Weiss-Queen and Blake needed time to cool off." Yang offered, the pun delivered with a harsh, cutting emphasis instead of her usual playful tones. "Come on, sooner we're in bed, sooner we're awake and looking tomorrow."
Ruby shook her head and waved for them to follow, Weiss and Yang keeping a respectable distance between them as they left the landing pads. To their surprise, both professors were still standing near the doors, evidently waiting for them all to arrive.
"Doctor Oobleck, Jaune." Ruby tried for nonchalance, and failed miserably since she wouldn't meet their eyes.
"Ruby." Professor Arc greeted, "Yang, Weiss. Where's Blake?"
Yang crossed her arms, "Still in Vale, she and Weiss had a fight and she needs some time to cool off."
Weiss blinked when the young professor actually pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a ragged breath through it, "Of course she is..."
Oobleck frowned at them all, his hands clasped behind his back. "May I inquire as to the nature of the conflict?"
Yang licked her lips, and Weiss sighed before speaking up, "A difference of philosophy regarding criminals, the discussion grew heated. We were hardly prepared to stay the night in Vale however, so I expect her to return on the last Bullhead at eleven."
"...ah." To her surprise once more, Oobleck shook his head and let his shoulders slump. "I believe I should be the one to handle this conversation Jaune, given my personal connection."
"It's fine." Professor Arc shook his head, "I'll stay with you."
Oobleck gave him a small smile, then turned back to them. "Well, ladies. Allow us to escort you to your room, you have a guest waiting."
...what?
"A guest?" Ruby repeated blankly, looking at the two of them, only to receive shrugs in return. To their combined frustration and confusion, neither professor would say anything further, instead simply waving them inside and ignoring their questions entirely.
A guest? Who would visit us? She hardly had anyone who would. Winter, perhaps, but she would have told Weiss she was coming and would certainly not have done it in the middle of the night. Yang and Ruby's father or uncle? The pair were supposed to be teachers as well from what she knew, maybe they'd elected to visit once their own classes and work were complete?
But again... at ten thirty at night on a Friday?
Weiss got her answer when they reached their floor of the dorms, and found the awkward forms of team RAVN sitting and standing around the small kitchen. With them was an older woman, somewhere in her middle age. She wore a dark black and white dress whose simplicity understated the rich fabric it was made of, and was in the middle of preparing herself a cup of tea with an unusual focus in her yellow eyes.
...and she was a fuanus, with gold piercings in a pair of cat ears poking through her black hair.
Weiss felt her lips part and her mouth go dry as things clicked in her mind.
"Kali." Doctor Oobleck greeted as he walked through the door, actually bowing to the woman. "Allow me to introduce Professor Jaune Arc, of Group Tactics and Excursions. Behind him is Ruby Rose, Yang Xiao-Long, and Weiss Schnee, of team RWBY. Jaune, ladies, Kali Belladonna."
Thankfully, Professor Arc took the lead, since Weiss was having a hard time processing just what was happening.
"A pleasure ma'am." He stepped ahead, giving the woman one of his usual smiles. "Ilia thinks the world of you."
Ilia?
The woman, Kali... Blake's mother, actually let out polite laugh, and when she spoke her voice was a softer, more confident echo of her daughter's. "I'm sure she does. Any friend of Bartholomew's is a friend of mine, may I call you Jaune?"
"I really prefer it actually." The teacher smiled, "I spent a lot of time in Vacuo, not real fond of the formal stuff."
"Oh, I understand completely, please call me Kali. And these must be my daughter's friends." Weiss swallowed at the last word as the woman turned to regard them. "It's a pleasure to meet you all."
"I... same. Ma'am." Ruby stuttered, clearly as aware as Weiss was that they were very down one Blake right now. "We... uh, didn't know you were coming."
"It was a bit of a rapid decision between her father and I." Belladonna seemed to sigh, looking over them once more. "He would have preferred to come as well, but being the Chieftain of Menagerie rather inhibits him. I'm sure he's pacing in his office waiting for me to call."
Weiss felt her shoulders tighten and her body shrink with almost every word. Blake is... the daughter of Menagerie's leader? That's...
That was something else entirely. She wasn't a random terrorist, she was... was the government of that island involved in the White Fang? Weiss had no idea. Her father had never given those faunus any thought, and her private tutors hadn't touched on the government or politics of the place either. Did they have a Council? Or was Chieftain more of a... was Blake royalty? Their heir?
"I don't suppose you three could bring her out to me?" She continued, "It was quite the journey to Vale's coast, and then a rather long flight. If I could speak with her for a few minutes before I retire?"
"Um..." Yang coughed into her hand, "I... um, Blake's..."
Weiss lifted her chin, "We just found out about her ancestry today. It was... a shock for everyone. We also-"
"Weiss." Ruby hissed.
"-learned of her former career." Weiss lifted her voice, speaking over her. "Which was a far more rude shock, especially to me."
She expected denials or counter-accusations, much as Blake had started to throw around. Instead Mrs Belladonna... closed her eyes while her own shoulders slumped, as if great weights had suddenly landed there. "If I were in your position, I suppose that I couldn't blame you, Miss Schnee. I take it my daughter attempted to defend herself and her comrades... and then departed when confronted in return?"
Yang's red eyes glared daggers at Weiss, "Something like that."
"My Blake always preferred to think things through alone, even when others wished she wouldn't." Mrs Belladonna gave RAVN's table a pointed look, and Weiss glanced over to see Ilia's freckles turn pink as she looked at the floor. "She... always had a hard time trusting anyone, even people close to her. Did she return with you, or is she still in Vale?"
"Vale." Ruby reported quietly. "Last Bullhead will be here soon, and she didn't have much lien. We... think she'll be back on it."
"No." Ilia's voice made them all look her way as the other faunus present lifted her head. "She won't. If you challenged her, she'll want to prove you wrong if she can... and she'll want to do it alone. That's just how she is."
Weiss scoffed. "You heard us, she has no lien, she-"
"She'll stay in homeless shelters." Ilia cut her off impatiently, "Or abandoned buildings, or maybe even break in somewhere. What set off the fight?"
Yang continued to glare at her, only turning away to recount first the sighting of the blonde faunus stowaway, then the robbed dust shop, and then the argument that had followed. Everyone listened intently, not speaking until the story was done. When it was over, everyone glanced between Ilia and Kali, waiting for their wisdom.
"Ilia?" The older woman prodded gently, "As much as it pains me to say, you may have a better idea of what she is thinking right now."
...what? Oh gods, she's White Fang too isn't she!? Her fighting style, her emotions, it all makes-
"She'll want to prove that the White Fang isn't evil." Amitola said finally. "That they're dedicated to faunus improvement, not killing or stealing dust. She'll... probably want to focus on that, try and catch whoever is behind the robberies."
Doctor Oobleck made an almost pained sound, "Such a thing would... not go well for her."
Weiss blinked. "...Professor?"
"The White Fang are hardly behind the dust robberies, or at least, not behind the majority of them." Their history teacher shook his head, "The man responsible is believed to be Roman Torchwick, the same man you challenged some months ago Miss Rose. He is a former huntsman, and as skilled in battle as he is at criminality. Is Blake's scroll online?"
Yang shook her head, "She turned it off right after she ran away, calls go to voicemail and she's not responding to messages."
Blake's mother seemed to slump further. "Blake..."
In spite of her own anger, Weiss felt her heart squirm uncomfortably in her chest at the honest pain in her voice.
"Ok." Professor Arc took a step forwards. "Look, it's late, and she'll have already found a place to lay low for the evening. We should all get some rest and start a search for her tomorrow. Bart and Mrs... sorry, Bart and Kali can stay in school in case she comes back and try to get a hold of her on her scroll, she'll have to turn it one sooner or later and a message from her mother might get her attention."
Doctor Oobleck nodded, and he turned to the rest of them. "Teams RWBY and RAVN, I'm assuming you'll both volunteer, can come with me and Neo into the city to look. If we don't find her tomorrow, we'll see about recruiting more people for Sunday."
"That sounds like a plan," Mrs Belladonna replied, "But I would prefer to search for my daughter as well."
Professor Arc turned to her, running a hand through his blonde hair. "...all right, but if she is looking for Torchwick, I think you should stick with your daughter's team. I don't want anyone running off alone."
She nodded politely as she rose, holding her tea. "Thank you, all of you. I'm glad that my daughter has such good friends, even in times like this. I will see you in the morning."
Weiss bit her lip as Doctor Oobleck escorted her out, the normally hyperactive man slowing to wake alongside her. For his part, Professor Arc walked over and murmured a few words to team RAVN, words that had them all nodding and Ren responding with something. The Professor seemed to relax at that, then waved them off.
"Come on Weiss." Yang's hand fell on her shoulder, "I think we need-"
Jaune's voice cut her off. "Team RWBY, you're staying here. Sit."
They did so, taking RAVN's chairs rather nervously while the tall man remained standing. He at least moved a bit away so that he wasn't looming, but his expression told them that he wasn't happy even before he started speaking.
"Did you three not learn anything at all in my first class?" He asked, "Assuming you're telling me the truth about that argument... Yang, Ruby, excuse me, but what the hell where you two thinking just watching that fight happen right in the middle of a street?"
Weiss felt the sisters flinch into their chairs, neither looking anywhere near him.
"Especially you Yang. You heard me take Pyrrha to task for that, and here you did exactly what she did." The Professor planted his hands on his hips, making his cloak flare out a bit behind him. "And Ruby, why didn't you stay with Blake? She's fast and quick, but you could have easily followed her with your semblance."
"I... she just... said she wanted to be alone."
Jaune shook his head, "Ruby, there's times when a leader has to ignore what her team says and do whats best for them. You can't tell me she was thinking clearly in that moment, or that she's better off alone in the city right now."
Her partner shrank further, and then those blue eyes turned to Weiss.
"She's-"
"We knew, Weiss. All of the teachers knew." He cut her off effortlessly, ignoring the way her eyes widened. "You really thought we didn't? That a little bow would trick us? Blake and Ilia are here, and we're letting them stay, because they left that life behind. Because they wanted to be something more than their pasts and their names... I'd have thought you would know something about that."
Weiss... broke eye contact, joining the others in examining the floor.
"...right, you three get to bed. Meet everyone at the eight o'clock Bullhead to the city." There was a quiet sigh as he turned around, "We'll find her."
Right, so, this chapter was supposed to come out this morning but ended up undergoing an almost total rewrite throughout the day. I'm still not entirely happy with it, but I don't want to rewrite it again so here it is. I dropped a few hints as to Ilia's plan last chapter, not sure anyone got them from the reviews, but maybe some of you did. Might as well confirm now that, yes, pretty much everyone's parents/families are going to play a role at one point or another in this story considering the kind of chaos Beacon gets involved in.
Next chapter should kick off with a yang as the docks proper begin, with the usual several complications to make life interesting. I'm very glad to see that lots of you are enjoying the story and I hope I can continue to entertain moving forwards. In all honestly, my personal life is not the best right now, and your reviews and forum discussions brighten my days considerably.
So thank you all for reading and letting me know what you think.
Please read and review, criticism is welcome, flames not so much, as usual. Reviews are my lifeblood as a writer.. every-time my email goes off with a review it makes me want to write more, so please take the time to leave one. Guests can leave them as well, and it only takes a minute, so please. Even if it's as simple as "I enjoyed it, please continue."
Thanks, Kat