Silence filtered the space where most of them rested, after the authorities came everyone was escorted to the Medical Facility; after a brief check-up most of the teens were sent back to Beacon to speak to the headmaster. If that wasn't enough, the news company covered the story almost immediately wanting the future hunters and huntresses to answer what happened.
The air in the room was tense, not even the sharpest blade could fracture it; everyone took to corners or chairs no one moved an inch, some of the teens were confused but easily filled in by others.
"We need to get our stories straight." Yang broke the metaphoric walls down, her legs crossed as she sat straight. "The guy was killed by all of us...at least that is what we tell them; they won't be able to figure out who done it if we blame each other singularly." Her chest puffed outwards as everyone remained quiet. "I say blame your partners; they can't expel us and I won't let Blake take the fall for something like this." Yang's eyes shot over to her partner which made Blake flinch.
She wasn't asking for this, she knew what she did; she kept Nyx's hands clean her mind free from the guilt of taking a life. Even if that meant looking down upon or looked at differently, Blake was used to this.
"W-why did you do it?" Verdant's voice came from the corner, he held a confused look his eyebrows knitted together for a moment, "I don't want an excuse...taking a life isn't easy but you are acting as nothing happened." His blunt tone forced Blake to look the other way, her hands gripping the ends of her top.
"It isn't like ending someone isn't part of the job, somewhere down the line we'd all be force to do it; Grimm isn't the only threat." Nyx voiced her opinion without much thought, her eyes closed and hands into ball form.
"I did it because...I have taken someone's life before...and it doesn't get any easier, but if I hadn't done it someone else would have-I'd rather take the burden than let someone else. Call me selfish or look at me differently, but you don't know me, life isn't sweet and that man wasn't good; the look in his eyes said it all." Blake's voice hushed Verdant for the moment and they were back to square one.
"I-I haven't taken a life so I don't understand what you are feeling...but I know it must be hard; that's why I am going with Yang's plan." Ruby's voice echoed out into the air-conditioned room, her silver eyes not wavering.
"He's dead." Kuro's voice caused the mass attention onto him, "If Blake didn't kill him we wouldn't be here; we'd be dead most likely-so she took his life, take into account how many he took? If your morals collide with that fact; then can you really become a hunter?" Part of him knew he should've kept his mouth shut.
"We don't know each other that well! We shouldn't fight at a time like this, Ozpin will soon call upon us and we'll all have a punishment; if you don't like Yang's idea then spill the beans to him; I will stick to the plan so we can keep someone from going to jail and expelled." Roy's voice swayed the air in the room, and the temperature lessened.
"Some of us weren't there during the act, so I say we speak as if someone told us like gossip." Leo looked around and as everyone nodded he felt some sort of relief.
The speaker blared and everyone went quiet, "Mr. Violet please come up the elevator." Ozpin's voice came through and Kuro stood making his way towards the movable death square.
"Don't forge-"
"I know...Kianna did it." Kuro shot his partner a smirk before stepping inside.
Ozpin's POV
"Mr. Violet. I assume you know why you are here?" I picked the male apart that sat right in front of me, to my knowledge he was the one to initiate going out on a reckless mission, and from the medical records, he tangled with the deceased victim. A simple nod from the teen allowed me to press onwards, "Good, so can you explain to me what happened?"
"I honestly don't know; after I was subdued everything is blank but I can inform you that the monster wasn't human he was different." His attention was on my scroll, and he showed no signs of lying.
"From the autopsy, I can see a cut on the victim but that wasn't the cause of death; I am merely curious as to how you landed a decent hit on him? From the police reports your peers said he was as quick as a blind dragonfly." My hand came to my mug but I made no indication of drinking it.
"Luck?" I could only take that answer.
"Well, who did the deed?" My question got a reaction out of him, but he wanted me to know that.
"Kianna, at least I heard she did; she got the jump on him and took her shot with some weapon." Kuro began to rub his thumb and index finger together in some attempt to calm down.
It was too obvious to be a telling sign, which meant he wanted me to think he was nervous. "Are you positive? Any attempt to cover up a murder will make you an accomplice and you'll be subjected to confinement with the culprit. It will be a stain on that questionable record of yours not that your record had much among it."
Kuro narrowed his eyes on the older man, shifting in the seat the teen let out a deep sigh. I was correct, all previous signs were what he wanted to be known. The teen gave an uninterested smirk, "You've been looking into my files?"
I didn't expect him to flip the switch but it was something different, "I must grab better information on who I'm dealing with... the thing is your record doesn't hold any information on you." I played my bait and all he had to do was take it, "Sure, it states some general information; but nothing about your prior schooling nor childhood, at first I regarded it as a mistake but after looking over it..."
Kuro cut me off before I could finish, "Perhaps, you misplaced my items? But if not, my childhood was regular, and sorry if my life is boring." I could merely run my index finger along the rim of the mug.
"Boring? Anything, but that; I mean growing up an orphan must've been rough?" My eyes skimmed the time before coming up with a decision, "I have a lot of students to interview today so please make your way out; may we continue another."
Well, so far the responses have been timely placed, everyone was blaming someone else no one blamed the same person so far; but I had my suspicions.
Verdant took a seat, his eyes clear as day. "Before we begin; it's Blake." The forward response caught me on edge.
"Pardon? What makes you say so?"
"I don't have no definitive proof or any worries about the female, but sir it is her; the person that killed than man was indeed Blake, all I ask is that you pardon her from serious troubles." This was the best he could do at the moment.
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because I feel this is the right thing to do." Verdant didn't stutter in the slightest.
"Your peers have said otherwise, why should I believe you?" I was tasked to give some sort of statement to the police, and of course, the law would try to make a charge; but I wouldn't let them harm the students.
"You are the headmaster, I believe you already figured out who done it, but I was hoping to make it clear." With that Verdant stood and left, strange kid indeed.
"Kuro did it." This answer honestly surprised me. His partner already said he done so, but why was Sky? My silence wasn't enough for him to get the hint so I cleared my throat and to my dismay no result.
"Please keep going."
"Kuro killed the guy...and I fear we are next; he isn't right he is different from the rest of us."
Still, Sky Lark wasn't a trusted source out in the slightest. "Maybe, you are confusing him with someone else? He was reported unconscious when authorities got to the scene."
I should put this male in some sort of psychological program; considering the state Grady was in, perhaps it was messing with his mind? Seeing as the Faunus was still in care after his aura healed most wounds spoke alone, this threat was new and missing reports have been coming to a rise over the area; hopefully 'he' would arrive soon.
"Even if he wasn't the cause of this, you should pay close attention to him!" Sky slammed his hands on the desk, fear embedded into his eyes, not fear of getting caught fear of getting killed.
"I will take this into consideration you may exit."
Sky looked at me like I was the crazy one here, and as he went towards the elevator he shook his head. All these stories weren't adding up, some of the students weren't at the scene and or not in commission; they were obviously covering for someone and without a doubt, I knew who. Still, teamwork like this was rare.
Nyx's POV
Something like this really shook up some foundation, especially those which now knew what Blake was capable of. Part of me was relieved when she stated her reason, but at the same time I was guilty I was clean sure but she dirtied her hands for me. My back melted onto my bed, it wasn't nighttime anymore but everyone missed some shuteye so we all agreed to get some; Ozpin granted everyone a punishment along with a couple of days off from class which worked in our favor.
"Ozpin, really let us off huh? Strange he wanted to speak to Blake though." Leo knew his team wasn't sleeping, after such a night who would be sleep?
"One of us most likely told, the plan revolved around trust and I can't say everyone trust her..." Kianna's soft voice filled the room after the male's and I couldn't help but silently nod; not that it'll be noticed. "Ozpin had a handful to say to me; about my arrest and this I am treading on thin ice."
I need to act like a leader and at this moment, a leader would use this to bring a team together Blake mentioned something about her past; maybe some minor explanations would bond us? "Would you guys feel comfortable enough to share part of your past with the team? What Blake postulated, kept me thinking who exactly I'm sharing the room with."
As if one queue, Kianna grew quiet as if she was trying to force herself to sleep, Kuro being mostly quiet this whole time; didn't help me. Yet again, thanks to Leo's kindness we continued.
"C'mon guys, it won't hurt to speak about something about us right? Like where we come from? Kuro you start." Leo sat in his bed and glared daggers at the male pretending to sleep.
After a couple of minutes, Kuro shifted in his bed lifting up slowly; the blanket sliding down his skin revealing his exposed chest and a small scar. "I'm...from a small tribe; that didn't move much I loved every member of my tribe and I think...I'm sharing too much." Flopping down onto the mattress, the male gave a half-ass smile before turning over.
He was the last person I would've assumed spoke, still it was delightful knowing he was willing to open up even marginally. Clearing my throat I figured I should go next, "I hail from Atlas..." I found myself hesitant to finish images of what transpired days ago ringing in my head; would telling them certain things serve as a vantage point for them? I trusted them, or at least I thought I did. When those men confronted me Kuro helped drive them away. Leo was finding some way to help me, so trust was there. "I'm from a noble family; actually we are well known in some places my family's lineage is finicky but I don't let it get to me."
The quietness made me doubt my words, perhaps I went too far? "I guess you can say I am from here, all my life I've been in and out of Beacon every little corner and pathway I know like the back of my head...my friends and family support my decision to come here and that's it..." Leo subconsciously put emphasis on family, which got my attention; now we were close to being finished and I prayed this didn't strain our growing relationship.
Kianna took her sweet time debating, it came to the point where no one thought she was going to speak; yet after a quick sigh, her voice came out. "Like Kuro, I am from a tribe; but I can say I traveled a lot so home is a distant memory." It was short and sweet, and I couldn't help but smile.
"Looks, like you two, have more in common than you think." Leo attempted at a joke that didn't get much of a reaction. "Tough crowd."
Sleep came like a calm storm engulfing all of us.
Binda's POV
After the eventful day, one could say that everything went back to normal but that was unlikely. Blake's reveal shook every support, no one on our squad did the deed which meant we didn't have the death on our minds like them; they were sleeping next to a murderer. Perhaps, I was sleeping next to one also? I didn't know these people well and they didn't know me; plus the past was the past right?
"Is everyone sleep?" I didn't think no one would respond, and towards the start, I began to think I was right but Verdant calmed my nerves.
"No, not yet."
His short sentence held a lot of meaning behind it, he was too exhausted to speak, who wasn't? "Do you guys think Blake is alright?"
"Shut up and go to sleep please." Sirvard silenced the room, and for a moment I thought about throwing my pillow.
This was my team at the moment, something like this was just a hard pill to swallow. Even Roy was quiet, letting a sigh part my lips I took Sirvard's advice.
"Sir! Taewon was defeated and lost his life!" Sweat harbored the unrobed female, it seems she ran straight to him.
"I understand. He wasn't of any importance just a mere test; do say who took him out though? His strength could rival a mountain of Grimm." The male voice oozed with interest.
"S-some hunters! W-we lost them and came straight here; we know you warned us about hunting near Vale but the number of people and Faunus mingling were disgusting."
A sadistic grin went onto his features, "Some people can't understand that a new world is coming; but soon we'll show them how are the new recruits?"
"Dead. No one shows any promise of passing." Her voice didn't waver in the slightest.
"Interesting, don't fret I manage a deal with the infamous Roman Torchwick! We shall soon have more of everything if things go smoothly then; we'll see our queen." A gust of wind blew by knocking the leader's hood off. "Have some men move out to the closest outpost and please don't get caught this time." The female bowed and left the male to look at himself in the shard of glass that laid on the floor. He was balding, but that wasn't the most important aspect his right eye had white and black veins linking up with it.
"Once we rid these useless Faunus...humans shall see the new world."
A short chapter this was, supposed to release this last week but finals came up. Happy, day after Christmas! I will be gone for two weeks after the next chapter just letting you guys know ahead of time.
New Arc means: expect the unexpected. This will break some characters down, especially with what I have planned. Thanks for all the support!