Troll in Reviews
As has been noted, there is a troll in reviews spamming guest reviews and trying to frame people by writing their name in the name slot. Just ignore it. It's not worth the effort of paying attention to and I'm only writing this message so people are aware.
He's also pretending to be me by writing my name in guest review slots. I would only ever review something from this (logged-in) account.
Cover Art: Serox
Chapter 11
Team RWBY had no idea how to react as Coco Adel strutted back and forth before them, hand clasping her chin and eyes darting up and down their bodies. Every now and then she would pause, hum and lean in to stare into their faces, shake her head and move on. Back and forth, again and again, with Ozpin and Glynda stood in the background, one drinking coffee and the other jotting down notes on a clipboard.
The summons had come in the morning and made it clear they were free from lessons but had to attend in the auditorium. Ruby assumed it was so they could be made to do the community service or practice the speech thing they were meant to give as an apology, but that didn't explain why Coco was here and marching left and right like a drill sergeant.
As the team leader, it fell to her to pose the big question.
"Um. W-Why are-"
"Don't stutter." Coco clicked her fingers in front of Ruby's nose, making her jump. "You're the team leader, that means your word goes. If you're gonna say something, say it like you mean it."
"O-Okay." Her stammer earned a raised eyebrow and Ruby swallowed, firming herself and nodding. "Okay!"
"Better. There's hope for you yet."
"I think Ruby was asking what this is all about," Weiss snapped. "Perhaps we can have an explanation?"
"No. No. No." Coco shook her head and pointed at Weiss. "Too whiny. Too entitled. Too smarmy."
Weiss puffed up. "Excuse me!?"
"That's what I mean. You have the posh accent down, but you're making it sound too entitled, like you expect everyone to bow over and answer your every question just because you're you. The sophisticated angle can be appealing in moderation but go too far and you come across arrogant." Coco waved a hand behind her. "Big G, make a note."
"Noted." Glynda remarked, pen scratching on her clipboard. "And if you call me `Big G` again I shall flay the skin from your body and feed it to the Beowolves."
"I am not entitled!" Weiss roared.
"And now that you don't get your way, you start shouting."
Coco's flat point blew the wind out of Weiss' sails and left Yang sniggering. Ruby tried not to herself, but it was kinda true. Weiss wasn't all that bad when you got to know her, but she did act like she expected everyone to do what she said, often without realising it.
"I can see the angle." Coco used both hands to make a frame between her fingers and thumbs, which she aimed at Weiss. "There's potential there. A refined high lady type. Problem is, it's buried. Gonna take time to dig that out."
Weiss silently fumed.
"Not that I don't enjoy watching Weiss be dragged down a peg or two, but what is this all about?" Yang asked. "We didn't exactly get much warning."
"Full figure, long hair, cocky smile, sex appeal." Coco pointed two fingers at Yang and winked. "I can work with you."
Yang returned the gesture. "Ayyy. You know it, girl."
"Ahem." Ozpin stepped forward. "Not to interrupt your little moment, ladies, but I shall explain the situation for the rest of Team RWBY. Since the four of you have already shown a clear interest in interfering with the White Fang and their business, a worrying proclivity for breaking school rules and a reckless disregard for your safety and your general surroundings, we have decided to add to your punishment."
"I thought you said it was just community service," Ruby whispered.
"What was that, Miss Rose? I couldn't hear you over the sound of everyone in Vale asking me why four of my students burned down the docks and millions of lien in dust." He made a show of wriggling a finger in his ear. "What were you saying? Something helpful no doubt."
"N-Never mind…"
"That's what I thought. Now, I initially planned to bar you from ever encroaching on the White Fang again, but I've a feeling that order would go ignored."
Ruby, Weiss and Yang all turned to stare at the final member of their team, who crossed her arms defiantly and refused to speak. Yep, that was pretty much confirmation. Hard not to be when they'd already seen Blake poring over newspaper reports when they woke up. She had bags under her eyes already, suggesting she hadn't gotten any sleep.
"Instead of making an order I know you'll disobey, we've instead decided to enable you in the battle against the White Fang."
Ruby's jaw dropped. "What!?"
"You have?" Blake asked suspiciously. "What's the catch?"
"I have. And the catch, Miss Belladonna, is that you will not be fighting them traditionally. Glynda."
Miss Goodwitch strode forward and typed something into her scroll, causing a holographic image of a guy their age to appear before them using the same technology shown on the Bullhead they'd arrived in Beacon on. He was tall, blond and had blue eyes and a shy, almost goofy smile.
Hard not to recognise him when his face was plastered over the news, especially the news slating their team as reckless, inconsiderate and violent huntresses with no regard for safety, property or the peace. Worse, those self-same stories were drawing attention to how the White Fang had barely even fought back in the attack, painting them as bullies and the White Fang victims trying to stop Torchwick.
It's fake, though. They didn't show that maniac faunus trying to kill Weiss…
"This is Jaune Arc," Ozpin said. "New and current leader of the White Fang in Vale, and as of this morning, pooling more popularity than your team."
"He's a criminal!" Weiss shouted.
"He is, but then so is Roman Torchwick and he's still managed to portray himself a gentleman thief. Do you know why that is?" He waited for an answer, but no one ventured. "It is because he follows a set of codes that conduct his behaviour. He remains honest, he honours any deals he makes, he limits casualties and only steals from those wealthy enough to afford it. Hardly the best of ideals, I admit, but it means the average person in Vale doesn't have to worry about being shanked by him in a dark alley and lends an air of mystique."
He was still a crook, though – and he'd not been afraid to chuck a dust explosive her way on that rooftop. Though I did attack him, she thought, cringing. While she didn't regret that, she was starting to wonder if maybe all of it could have been avoided by not making the first move.
"Roman is a clever man who knows that image is sometimes just as important as results, and it would seem that Jaune Arc is cut from the same cloth. His charitable efforts won him a chance and his actions in bringing a corrupt business to justice forced people to look at him differently. His latest attempt to stop a dust robbery only compounded that, and your interference, no matter how justified, has allowed him to pivot and show himself the wounded party."
"But they're not," Weiss hissed. "They're White Fang and that psycho tried to kill me."
"Miss Schnee, we are aware of that," Glynda said brusquely. "But that only proves the headmaster's point. Even if they still have murderous impulses and even if they still are violent, their leader's first focus was to edit that out the video and go on a PR blitz against us."
"Thank you, Glynda. PR blitz is a good term for it. We're looking like fools while they appear the mistreated heroes, and that kind of sentiment is dangerous. They are dangerous."
"I've been saying that for weeks," Blake argued. "This whole charade is just that – a façade!"
"No one is disagreeing with you, Miss Belladonna, but a façade must still be torn down before we move on the White Fang proper. They have chosen to engage us on a field of public opinion instead of force of arms. This is a wise move on his part; they can't hope to best Beacon in force of arms or combat ability. They can in the court of public opinion."
Ruby raised a hand.
"Yes Miss Rose?"
"Is it really that bad? I mean, they still broke the law so can't we just stop them anyway?"
"Miss Schnee. Would you care to answer this one?"
Weiss sighed and Ruby felt her heart drop, knowing from that noise alone that there'd be no escaping this. "The headmaster is right, Ruby. Brand can make or break a company. The SDC's is one of the worst on Remnant so I'd know. The only reason my father gets away with it all is because there aren't enough competitors to challenge him."
"Brand, marketing and PR," Ozpin said. "Done well, you can get away with murder. Handle it poorly and you may find yourself faced with a rebellion. That's an extreme example," he admitted when they all looked alarmed. "I doubt anyone will be marching on Beacon with torches and pitchforks, but the point remains. The more we try and brute force the White Fang away, the more we appear the villains. That wouldn't be so much a problem if we could take them down in one go, but you can never take a terrorist group down in a single battle. That's just not how they work. They burrow down and it can take years to root them out."
"And the White Fang recruits on volunteers," Yang realised. "Meaning the better they look, the more recruits they get, and the more we try and force them down, the more we turn faunus against us. Sheesh. That's bad."
Ozpin nodded. "I'm glad to see you understand."
Personally, Ruby didn't. They were bad guys. Bad guys should be stopped. That was just how the world was – or how it should be if it wasn't. Sure, it was a black and white view, but some things were supposed to be black and white. Criminality was one of those things. You either obeyed the law and were a good guy, or you broke it and became the bad guy.
Ugh. Why couldn't we have stayed with fighting Grimm? Those are easier to understand…
"You want us to be a part of the PR blitz," Weiss said. "Why us?"
"Why not you?" Ozpin countered. "The heiress of the SDC, an ex-White Fang member, the youngest huntress to join Beacon in a generation and… Miss Xiao-Long."
"Oi! Why didn't I get a title!?"
"Even aside from those things, you're the team who is most currently in the public eye thanks to your actions. Act, and people shall take notice. The cameras are focused on you. It's a redemption story and those, Team RWBY, are appealing."
"And why is…?" Yang waved to Coco.
"Miss Adel is here because she is Beacon's resident expert on all matters PR. Or maybe it'd be more accurate to say she's our expert image consultant."
"You know it, kids." Coco struck a confident pose, shades pushed down her nose. Ruby had to admit she looked good and acted the part. Even not knowing much about fashion, she could see that. "No one in Beacon knows more about making a statement than me. Under my tutelage, you'll all be whipped into shape."
Ruby swallowed. "T-Tutelage…?"
"From now on, Miss Adel is in command of Operation Shining Light."
"Shining…?"
"Light…?"
"Yes." Ozpin looked around. "Because we're shining the light on the White Fang? And this is Beacon – the tower, like a lighthouse…? It's a good name." No one knew quite how to respond to that one. "Well I think it's a good name and I'm the headmaster, so it's Operation Shining Light. Miss Adel is to be considered a teacher in any way that matters. You will follow her orders or you shall be answering to Glynda. Am I understood?"
"Yes."
"Yeah…"
"Yes sir."
Ozpin didn't even react to their words. He was focused solely on Blake.
To be fair, Ruby didn't blame him.
"This is stupid," Blake said. "We're playing into their hands."
"We have to, Miss Belladonna, because right now we're being led around by his hand. Better to beat him at his own game than do nothing and let him get away with it. You may wish to bring him low and force his surrender, but I ought to remind you that force is what caused the White Fang to fail in the first place."
Blake's head whipped back. "I… we…"
"Violence does not solve everything. In fact, and aside from the Grimm, it solves precious little. The White Fang under Adam achieved nothing of note in Vale. Under Mr Arc, in less than a month, it has already captured the front page three days in a row." He let that sink in for a moment of stunned silence. "I will be frank with you, Team RWBY. We need to address this issue. I'm not blind and I do believe the White Fang has nefarious aims in mind. However Mr Arc acts, the White Fang is still run by Sienna, a confirmed anti-human supremacist. We must prevent them gaining a foothold in Vale."
"I'm in," Blake snapped, eyes closed. "I… I'll do whatever I have to."
"Thank you. I don't expect any of you to enjoy this any more than I am, but we do what we must. Rest assured you'll be given credit for any lessons missed and you'll also be rewarded for this. Try not to see it as a punishment so much as an opportunity to learn a specialist skillset."
Ruby smiled weakly, not at all convinced but willing to try. If it meant exposing the White Fang and protecting people, then so be it. As long as Coco didn't expect her to do any public speaking, it'd be fine.
"Very good. I shall leave you to Miss Adel."
Well, that didn't sound too bad.
/-/
"IMAGE! Say it with passion!"
"Image," Ruby chimed. She was the only one to do so. Weiss, Yang and Blake refused to play along, scowling or crossing their arms in defiance. "Guys, come on," she pled. "We promised we'd work with Coco on this."
"Damn straight you did. You realise I can give you detention, right?"
Yang sighed and caved. "Image…"
"This is stupid," Blake said. "Why does shouting `image` help us understand anything?"
"I already know a lot about image and marketing," Weiss argued.
"Oh, really." Coco strode up to the projection of Jaune Arc. "Alright, then. Tell me, what's the most important image decision he's made so far? What stands out as his crowning achievement? Not you, Rose, Xiao-Long. I want the sulking twosome to answer."
Yang shrugged and came over to stand next to her. It seemed like Coco just wanted to make a point that they should listen to her, but Blake was too sure of her knowledge in the White Fang and Weiss too proud to listen. It was her being made team leader all over again, except now Weiss was expected to listen to another person as well.
"It's his first attack," Weiss decided. "He chose an obviously corrupt target so there was no chance anyone could claim the White Fang were in the wrong."
"Hm. Interesting." Coco gave nothing away. "And you, Edgy Spice?"
"Don't call me that. And his crowning achievement is getting the newspapers on side. People are stupid and will believe whatever they're told if the newspapers tell them to. They're convincing people the White Fang can be trusted."
"Corrupt targets and newspaper support. Are those your final answers?"
Blake and Weiss exchanged a look and a nod.
"Bzzzt! Wrong!" Coco sashayed over to the projection and pointed to Jaune's head. "This is his greatest achievement – and the fact you can't see it is proof why you need to learn more about image."
In her teammates' defence, Ruby couldn't see it either.
"His face?" Yang asked. "I mean, he's not ugly but I wouldn't say he was good looking either…"
"Not his sex appeal – though that can work for you girls. We'll get back to that later."
"Wait, what?" Ruby squeaked.
"His greatest and most effective decision is the fact you can see his face at all. Think about it. Up until now, the White Fang have hidden their faces behind masks shaped like Grimm, telling the world they're violent monsters akin to the Grimm themselves. Do you know why they did that?"
"Y-You said something about sex appeal. What did you mean?"
"Intimidation," Blake grumbled.
"Correct!" Coco ignored Ruby and pointed to Blake. "Intimidation was the name of the game, but by shirking his mask – and the horrible connotations of it – not only does he avoid those same comparisons, but he offers out a hand of trust. He says `I'm not some faceless monster, but a person just like anyone else. Get to know me. Judge me and see what kind of person I am`." Coco waved her hand through the projection. "It's genius. It means that the White Fang suddenly has a face and a name to go with it, so when they do something nice out in Vale – or if they get attacked by you lot – it's not faceless, violent White Fang getting their asses kicked. It's that lovely and sweet Jaune boy who helps the homeless faunus down by the shelters."
"Sympathy," Weiss realised. "Empathy."
"Precisely. You can't empathise with someone in a mask, but you can when he loses it. Course, that's dangerous too – he throws away any chance of anonymity. But if you're determined enough to take that risk, you can reap the benefits. That is why his crowning achievement isn't in what he's done or who he's won over, but how he started it all. Exposed. Visible. Honest."
"Or he just never saw the point of a mask because we knew his identity from day one," Yang said.
"Or that," Coco allowed, "But do you really think it'll be something that stupid?"
Ruby watched the holographic man's face as it came back into focus. Now that Coco had pointed it out, she started to notice things. He was smiling. Not confidently or grinning, but a shy little smile that made her feel at ease. It made him look funny, even approachable. Was that on purpose? It might have been, and it took away from any chance of seeing him as an evil terrorist.
I'm falling for it as well, she thought, awe and shock mixing in her head. Even if I know he's a murderer, I can't help but think he doesn't look all that bad.
It was an eye-opening experience, and the more she thought about it, the more examples came to mind. Miss Goodwitch dressed and acted like a teacher who wouldn't take any time wasting, and you could tell from the first time you saw her. Was that what imaging was, choosing how to send a message?
On the opposite end, Cardin Winchester had terrible imaging. He wore big armour and tried to portray a macho image, but bullying Velvet – a girl much smaller than him – only made him look like a thug. Cardin was a huntsman, someone who was skilled and likely ready to give his life to protect innocent people no matter his views on faunus, and yet he looked like the meanie while the current leader of the White Fang – a literal terrorist – looked like a misunderstood hero.
"It's real," she breathed. "He really is doing the PR thingie!"
"Huh?" Yang looked back. "Ruby?"
"And we fell for it. We fell for his trap and made Beacon look like idiots!"
"You sure did, Red. You sure did." Coco smiled. "But don't worry, we'll be working on fixing that – and fast. First things first, image. Second, action."
"Action?" Weiss asked.
"Ah. Ah. In order. Action with a bad image just makes us look bad. I'm going to typecast you quickly." Coco stabbed a finger at Yang. "You're the hot and athletic one. Brash, confident and saucy. Got it? Your job is to appeal to hormonal boys and girls that want to be like you."
Yang blinked but didn't look upset. "Okay…?"
"No. Not `okay` with a question mark. Be spunky. Be assertive. Be a badass." Coco lowered her shades. "You need sunglasses. Aviators. You need to be the cockiest bitch out there. Show me your best killer smile."
"Like this?" Yang asked, smiling brightly.
"No. Not your friendly smile. I want a smile that says you're a badass bitch who's gonna take 'em for a ride. Smug, sexy and cocky. Like this." Coco leaned forward, one hand on her hip. Had she not been wearing a sweater she might have shown cleavage, but even without, the saucy smile she gave had Ruby heating up.
"Oh right." Yang grinned again, this time all teeth and almost vicious. As she did, she ran a hand through her hair, sticking her chest out. Winking once, she blew a kiss at Coco.
"Perfect! Sex and danger, all in one."
"Should she really be trying for sex appeal?" Weiss asked. "Yang is seventeen."
"She's also a huntress and people are as people are. No use us complaining about it." Coco rounded on her. "And the thing is, we're not asking you to change. This is just the image you're giving off on the job. You can be yourselves in private."
Ruby wondered if Coco knew that Yang was like this in private.
"Weiss, you're the refined and noble type. I want measured speech, solid posture and critical eye gestures. Yeah, like that." Coco nodded, apparently not realising Weiss was glaring hatefully at her. "We need to work on your temper, though. You're a whiny little bitch."
"How dare you!"
"See? Honestly, you're not all that whiny – I just said that to tick you off – but what you are is quick to anger. That's fine, but you can't afford to show it. Refined kind of relies on the idea of having good control of your temper. You don't look refined when you're red-faced and spitting. You look stupid."
Weiss struggled for control. "Are you saying I should ignore when someone so blatantly insults me?"
"No. Get angry. Be angry. I don't care what you feel, just don't show it. You're meant to be the aloof, intelligent `above it all` type. Who cares if the idiots are insulting you? They're idiots. Ignore them. Or if you can't, bottle it up and rant to me about it later, but for now the best thing you can do to get back at them is ignore it. Don't be baited."
"I… Yes." Weiss sighed, eyes closed. "I can see your point and I'll admit my temper is something to work on. You're not going to demand I change my outfit or my hair? I expected more demands to be honest…"
"We can work on wardrobe later. This is basics." Coco waved a hand. "And to be honest, you all have the wardrobes down anyway for the most part. It'd be a change if I had to make Blake into the refined type and you into the sexy type, but that's just making hard work for ourselves." Turning, Coco grinned. "And now for our resident faunus."
Blake stared back defiantly.
"First things first, you're losing the bow."
"I refuse."
"That's cute. It wasn't a request, though." Coco waited but the bow remained in place. "Fine, we'll do this the hard way. What do you really think hiding your ears is doing for you? Your team knows. Hell, I knew – and I bet every faunus in Beacon can tell, too. Who wears a bow in their hair nowadays? Seriously, who? You're either from period Vale or you're hiding something and news flash – the name `Belladonna` is kind of known to all faunus everywhere."
Ruby blinked. "It is?"
"Your family is famous?" Yang asked.
"I did think it sounded familiar," Weiss mumbled.
"Oh my God, you four are idiots! Fine, none of you know world politics. That's cool. Thing is, you're not really fooling many people. What you're doing is making people think you're either ashamed to be faunus, or afraid to show it. Neither of those angles is good for image purposes. Are you?" she asked. "Ashamed or afraid, I mean."
"No. I… I'm proud of who I am."
"Good. You should be. Nothing wrong with being faunus and plenty good about being strong enough to put up with the crap they get put through." Coco grinned her way. "Thing is, there's a lot of faunus who are afraid, and with good reason. Having a strong faunus role model to look up to could do them a lot of good, especially when the only other role model right now is the White Fang themselves."
Blake hesitated for a long moment, before slowly reaching up her hair. The bow slid back, revealing two perfectly shaped feline ears that blended in with the black hair around them. They twitched and flicked, and she somehow looked more real, at least to her. Ruby smiled, liking Blake more with her ears out than hidden away.
"You look good, girl. My partner tried to hide her ears too – under a beret no less. Can you imagine?"
Ruby looked pointedly to Coco's, wondering if that was the same beret. What did it say that Coco wore it now? Maybe that she was proud of the fact Velvet could show her ears, and that she supported it.
"Your job," she told Blake. "Is going to be to appeal to the faunus, to be the alternative route. To show that faunus and humans can stand together. How does that sound?"
"That… I like that." Blake smiled. "It's a great message."
"You're also going to be the token edgy, goth, emo or scene chick. I want maximum mood, moderate angst but go light on the brooding or sulking. And definitely no `life is suffering` moments. We want you to appeal to that demographic, not feed it."
Blake sighed. "And just like that, the inspiring moment is ruined."
Ruby sniggered.
"And you!" Coco rounded on her, making Ruby squeak loudly and hop back.
"Y-Yes? D-Do I need to do things…?"
Being asked to change was a little scary, especially if it meant having to put on something like the others. She wasn't sure she could smile like Yang did or talk in public like Weiss might have to. Even standing tall in the face of criticism was hard for her. No, she had to do it. For her team. If they were strong enough to handle this, she would be as well!
"I-I'm ready," she stammered. "I'll do what I have to!"
"Cute. Young. Spunky. Tomboyish. Energetic. Enthusiastic. Happy." Coco slammed her hands down onto Ruby's shoulders, tears brimming in her eyes. "You're perfect!"
Ruby gaped. "Eh?"
"Whaaat!?" Yang yelled.
"How is that fair!" Weiss complained.
"Ridiculous that she gets away with this…"
"This is serious business," Coco said. "Do you like cookies?"
Ruby gasped. "I love cookies!"
"Perfect. I have a budget for this. I want you to always have cookies on hand when on PR jobs. Eat some and share the rest with any children. You need to look sweet, so I'm banning vegetables on PR jobs. If you want to eat something, it better have a sugar content."
Ruby's eyes sparkled. Her mouth watered.
"Yes Coco! I'll do whatever my image consultant says!"
"That's the attitude! Now, we need a dedicated huntress type as well. The spunky, never say die, obsessed with weapons and all things huntress type. Can you handle that? Do you think you can fake it? Do you like weapons?"
Ruby squealed. "DO I!?"
/-/
Jaune sagged back against the vending machine, empty chocolate wrappers around his legs. He'd needed the sugar rush after the debacle that was the battle at the docks and all but fallen asleep after, too exhausted both physically and mentally to stay up.
That the world had somehow turned on its head and proclaimed him the victor of said battle was something he frankly couldn't understand. Magic on Lisa's part, it was the only explanation. Torchwick had gotten away and far from come out as heroes, they'd fought against the actual heroes from Beacon.
Except, people were calling them victims.
Honestly, I'll take it. I don't understand how it's happening, but I'll take it gladly.
"You're awake."
Blinking the sleep away he looked to the side, seeing Ilia sat nearby. "Ilia. Were you sleeping with me?"
"I was sleeping here," she said carefully. "The same as everyone. You need to get up, boss. There's… well, I think it's your job to handle this."
"Handle what?"
Ilia only shook her head and offered a hand, hauling him up. The rest of the kitchen area of the warehouse was empty but he could see the sleeping bags and empty cans of soda that suggested everyone had bunked there for the night. Following Ilia outside, he entered back into the main warehouse building.
Bane was on his knees, head lowered. Yuma stood awkwardly beside him, Trifa on his other side, and both looking more serious than he'd ever seen them before. The very second he entered, Deery was on him, eyes stained with tears.
"Boss, please, you don't understand. Bane didn't mean it!"
"Deery, what-? I'm not sure I even understand what's happening here."
"Bane went against your orders, sir." It was the first time Yuma had spoken to him so respectfully, but he didn't fail to notice the tinge of fear. "Adam was very strict on what that means. Bane… He's submitted to your decision. Whatever you want to do to him." Yuma's eyes trailed down to Crocea Mors meaningfully.
Suddenly, Deery's panic made a lot more sense.
"No!" he barked. "No killing! No one dies here!"
"Adam would have-"
"I'm not Adam!"
Jaune gasped as Deery slammed into him, mumbling `thank you` into his chest over and over. He rubbed her back awkwardly, watching as the others in the warehouse finally relaxed. Bane didn't look up, but the others backed away, even Tukson in the corner letting out a breath and finally releasing the thermos flask he had a death grip on.
Had they really thought he'd do it? Adam would have. He hadn't even been haunted by Adam last night; he wondered if that meant Adam was pondering over Blake's actions. Or sulking.
"Bane, look up," he ordered. When the man didn't comply, he repeated it. "Look at me, Bane. I'm not taking your life. I'll never take your life or anyone's here. We're friends, aren't we?" Him and a bunch of terrorists, but friendship didn't mean agreement, did it? He could like them as people without wanting to be a part of this.
"I'm sorry." Bane's voice rumbled. "I lost control."
"It… well, it won't happen again, will it?"
Bane's head drooped lower.
"Bane?"
"Can't control it," the giant whispered. "Not when there's a Schnee in front of me…"
Oh. That… That was going to be a problem, wasn't it? Jaune bit his lip, unsure what he was supposed to say or do. Death was out the question, but punishment wasn't, but even then, if this was going to be a repeat thing then he had to know more about it.
"Uh. We won't be doing anything today so people who don't need to be here can go home."
Tukson and Perry took advantage of that offer, excusing themselves to return to home and work. Deery didn't go with and instead appeared determined to stand by and defend Bane. Yuma and Trifa made their own excuses to go and gather supplies, while Ilia mentioned checking on the comms device in the sewers and making sure nothing happened to it. Soon enough it was just him, Bane and Deery.
He was glad they all caught the hint.
"Do you want to talk, Bane? I need to understand."
Bane grunted. "Deery."
"I'll talk," she whispered. "I was there." Her smile turned bitter. "Bane and I aren't actually native to the city. We come from Vale, but a Schnee lumber camp up north. It felled trees to be shipped back to Atlas to burn in the dust refining plants. It used to be a small village, but it was taken over by the SDC before we were born. They… They were ruthless."
"Ruthless businessmen?" he asked.
Deery chuckled and took hold of her top, drawing it up to show her midsection. "Not quite."
...
SDC
...
The thick, red brand was burned into her skin with thick lines above and below. There was no mistaking it a tattoo, it was a brand delivered by burning hot metal pressed into flesh. The skin around it was tight and red, scarred for life.
"My God…"
"We weren't people up there," she said, letting her shirt fall back down over it. "We were resources, all of us. They protected and fed us, but we had to work shifts cutting, pulling or pruning the trees. My job was easier, sort of. I was a cook. I made food for the camp."
"And Bane was muscle I assume."
"Yeah." Deery looked back to him sadly. "Bane was one of the main lumberjacks. He was a master with a chainsaw. The thing is, well, did you never wonder why he's so big? People can be tall, sure, but Bane is huge."
"I just assumed it was genetics, though if you're bringing it up now, I guess that's not the case."
"Bane was part of a series of tests performed on faunus in our camp. His mother… she was injected with things before she had him. She didn't survive the birth. Bane grew big, too big, but that was fine from their point of view. He could be worked harder for longer and he didn't tire or get sick like most faunus did. He was the ideal worker."
Jaune felt sick. "They experimented on him…?"
"More like they drugged him repeatedly. Hormone boosters. Steroids. Lots of performance enhancing drugs and some dust mixtures. There were others too, but most of them died. Bane's the only one who made it through in one piece. When they realised that, they thought it might be something to do with him, so they… they…" Deery cut off.
"Melissa," Bane said mournfully. "Sister…"
"They put your sister through the same thing they used on your mother, didn't they?" He hoped he was wrong, but their pain said it all. He'd heard nightmare stories about the SDC camps, but most of those were from the White Fang and he just assumed it was their propaganda at work.
There was no way people could really endorse such slavery. No way humanity would allow it.
Villages rise and fall outside the walls all the time and no one cares. If they won't even protect far-flung villages against the Grimm, why would they try and protect them against the wealthiest company on Remnant?
"Melissa didn't survive the birth," Deery said. "Nor did the baby. Bane went nuts when he found out. The SDC beat him down and… well, the foreman punished him as best he knew."
Bane drew a hand up to his shoulder and pulled his top off. Jaune hissed at the sight of his chest and back, covered in red lines and scars, visibly delivered by a whip or sharp cane. Sprinkled among those were more burns. SDC. SDC. SDC.
"It was too much," Deery said. "Bane was the gentle giant. Everyone loved him. The foreman might have thought he was cowing us, but it drove us into a frenzy. They couldn't hold us back and we washed over them like a tide. I-I didn't see much. I ran to Bane and helped him, but by the time it was over all the SDC personnel were dead and we decided we were done with the place."
"You came to Vale?"
"It was the only place we could go. And when the White Fang came, we signed up. I may not like the fighting and everything, but their mission isn't wrong. I don't want others living like we did." Deery smiled suddenly. "And things are good now. You're better than Adam ever was."
"Yeah." Jaune swallowed. "I'm not going to punish you. I can't. Did… That girl, Weiss Schnee, was she a part of it?"
Bane shook his head. "No. Lost control. Sorry…"
"Anything Schnee sets him off," Deery explained. "We know they weren't involved. I doubt even Jacques Schnee himself knew what was happening – the individual camps are autonomous, kind of like their own self-run governments. Maybe not all of them are that bad, but they had to fulfil quotas for the SDC and when there are no protections in place to look after faunus and a foreman's word is as good as law…? That kind of power corrupts."
"Not her fault." Bane intoned. "But I want to kill a Schnee. Know it's wrong, but…" He shrugged one shoulder helplessly, the criss-cross of latticework scars over his back stretching painfully. That Bane didn't cry out spoke all too much of what had happened to him.
"We'll have to keep you away from her. Can't have you killing Weiss Schnee. I'm sorry if that upsets you."
"Doesn't. Want peace."
"I'm glad to hear it." If Bane would agree to stay back from her, that might be enough. He hoped so. Weiss Schnee the huntress wasn't responsible for this, and like they said, even the Schnee family itself might not know for sure what was happening in their autonomous camps.
Did that make it better? Not really. Everyone accused the SDC of slavery and they always denied it, which meant they had to be aware of the possibility – and those rumours probably didn't come from nowhere. Somewhere down the line, someone in the SDC was ignoring this. Enabling it. Was there anything he could really hope to do about that from all the way in Vale?
Maybe. Just maybe.
"Hey, you said it was a lumber camp, right?" He waited for Deery's nod. "That'd mean even if you shut it down, the SDC would still need lumber for their refineries. That would probably still be done in Vale, wouldn't it?"
"Yes. I think so. Why?"
"Sienna is demanding we start recruiting new members, but it's risky to do anything right now with Beacon riled up. We need to stay out of their sights for a little bit, but Lisa will be on my back if we don't do something she can report on." Jaune leaned on the nearby wall. "How about we take care of three birds with one stone?"
/-/
Deep breaths, Blake thought. Deep breaths. I can do this. This is to stop the White Fang. This will help fight the White Fang. This is not a waste of my time.
That had been drilled into her head over and over. What may have seemed useless was actually valuable PR, which was the single most important resource the White Fang held right now. By building their own, they weakened Jaune Arc's grasp on the group. Weaken it enough and he'd surely be replaced, letting things return to how they should be – White Fang evil; her huntress.
"I can do this."
Weiss, Ruby and Yang were already doing this as well, spreading themselves thin.
"Deep breath. I'm ready. I'm a huntress. I've faced Grimm."
The door opened and a kindly woman stood there, smiling brightly at her. "They're ready for you, dear. Thank you so much for this. You have no idea what it means to everyone for you to come down and do this."
Nodding, Blake followed the woman into the room, into the classroom.
Thirty faces looked back at her eagerly. Children, all between the ages of eight and ten, staring at her with their beady little eyes. Paints, collage and bright crayons lay discarded on the tables, while the walls of the juvenile classroom were covered in posters and motivational messages.
"Alright class," the teacher began. "As promised, Blake Belladonna has come down from Beacon to talk to you all about what it means to be a huntress and to answer any questions you have. Now, I want you all to be nice to her. Say hello."
"Hello Miss Belladonna," thirty voices intoned as one.
Blake shivered, but kept her head high. They were only children and this was just an informational visit to be seen and to show the next generation what it meant to be a huntress, both so some might consider the career for themselves, but also to show that Beacon wasn't just some cold and faceless academy, but a place full of kind and happy people eager to help, even if it meant answering the questions of children.
And really, how bad could it be?
/-/
"Never again," Blake wept, face buried in Yang's chest. "So many questions. So stupid. Why haven't I tried to befriend the Grimm? Can I have a Grimm puppy? What's my favourite Grimm? What do Grimm taste like? Why do Grimm have skulls on the outside of their faces? Why don't I know why Grimm have skulls on the outsides of their faces? Have I never thought of taking the skulls off to see what's inside? Why have I never thought of taking the skulls off to see what's inside?"
Blake banged her face against Yang's chest, almost like she was trying to knock herself unconscious and escape this hell. It didn't work very well, given Yang's rather `bouncy` chest. That didn't stop Blake trying.
"They're evil, Yang. Evil. Humanity is doomed. Let them perish and wipe the world afresh. Let the Grimm win. At this point it would be a mercy…"
"There, there," Yang said, equally tired and rubbing her partner's hair. "It'll be okay."
"My dress!" Weiss wailed, holding her skirt out. There was brightly coloured paint and dots of sparkling dust down the front of it, utterly ruining it all. That she'd kept calm and smiling even when the children daubed on her was proof of Coco's training and frankly evidence that Weiss could, when pushed, show the kind of patience not even Summer Rose could have managed.
"They wanted to wrestle me," Yang sighed. "I thought that'd be fine. Just let them win and have fun, right? No. Everything is pointy. Knees. Elbows. Hips. Hands. I feel like I've been put through one of those machines that grinds rocks down into dust. This PR stuff is torture. How did you ever manage it, Weiss?"
"The SDC did it for me, and that was mostly just throwing money at things…"
"Sheesh. I wonder how Rubes is doing."
Yang, Weiss and Blake peeked around the corner and into the last classroom. Ruby was taking much longer than expected, which probably meant she was in an even worse spot than them. Poor Ruby had no idea how to handle talking to new people, so this must have been even worse for her.
"-and then I was like Wam! Bam! Wazzooo!" Ruby kicked the air. "And Torchwick was all `oh no, I am defeated` and begged me for mercy. It was super cool!"
"Wow!"
"Ruby's the best!"
"I wanna be like Ruby!"
"So cool!"
"Ruby! Ruby! Ruby!"
Yang stared, equal parts surprised and betrayed, but mostly just annoyed, as all the children clapped and cried out in awe and naked admiration, leaving Ruby nodding happily from the front of the class, hands on her hips and wearing a huge smile.
"Okay, future huntsmen and huntresses. Who wants some cookies?"
"I DO!" the class chorused.
Five minutes later Ruby walked out with a big smile on her face, cookie crumbs around her lips and the adulating praises of the class and the teacher behind her, all of whom were eagerly proclaiming they wanted to be "just like Ruby" when they grew up.
"Hey guys!" Ruby said cheerfully on seeing them. "This PR stuff is actually pretty easy, huh?"
Bit of a non-Jaune chapter here, what with Team RWBY starting their side-careers as icons and faces of Beacon. There'll be some more practical examples of that in the next chapter. A lot of people noted that Bane was in fact a lot better against Weiss than I made him out to be. I went back and watched it and you're probably right. It was hard to remember it all since it was so long ago and I think I just remember it ending weirdly because Blake appears, does something, and then I think it just cut out with Bane dropping down for some reason.
Either way, it probably wouldn't have changed last chapter because the difference between Bane vs Weiss on the train and Bane vs Weiss at the docks is that Weiss can dodge and give ground at the docks like she did, while on the train she was forced to face him and fight in close quarters due to both the carriage and the bombs. Though she doesn't show it all that often in the show itself, I always imagine Weiss as more of a wide, open space kind of fighter.
Her glyphs and ice terrain and summons would all work really well when she has more room to manoeuvre.
Next Chapter: 14th April
P a treon . com (slash) Coeur
