On the rooftop of Adam's lair, the new High Leader groaned in pain. He sat with his back to the damaged wall of the rooftop entrance in the upper right corner, his legs spread out upon the floor. Right in between them at his crotch was a bag of ice wrapped in paper towels.
All around him, other Revolutionist soldiers were on the ground. Some were awake and trying to recover from their injuries, while others were still unconscious.
Hector looked at his boss's boss in concern, kneeling beside him in silent anxiety.
"Damn it... How could I have been beaten so easily?" Adam asked no one in particular.
"Is your um... manhood injured?" Hector squawked.
"Not quite, I had a small bit of aura channeled there. But that doesn't mean it hurts any less!"
The new High Leader howled in pain. Wungeng, who was standing by, squinted at him before taking out a small bag of prepared popcorn- Parmesan cheese flavored- and opening it. He started eating the popcorn, and Adam immediately noticed the loud crunch.
"You!" Wungeng looked up, with a slight 'Hmm?'. "You're distracted, and you are responsible for letting that monkeyman beat me! You had one job, Wungeng! One job! And you failed it!"
The pig scoffed. "Blaming me for your personal failure?! Not cool!"
"What happened here?" a feminine voice asked, nearly shouting.
Adam looked up to see Athena flying a few feet above him with her wings. "Bruna? What are you doing here?"
"I received a distress signal from one of my messengers. Said something about her clothes being stolen, not to mention alarms blaring off because of an intruder or group of them. Let me guess, you were interrogating your prisoner before everything hit the ceiling fan?"
He groaned before answered. "I was, but intruders got in. And then she escaped."
Albeit unconcerned with Blake specifically, Athena folded her arms. "That is highly unfortunate."
"Not to mention I think Wungeng owes me an explanation on how he knows that monkey tailed menace." He looked at the Vucuan Fang leader, who had resumed eating. "So start talking!"
He howled in pain as the pig groaned. "Fine." Wungeng finished eating and sighed. "My real name is Zhu Bajie Huong, and that monkeyman is Sun Wukong, my maternal half-brother. But don't ever call me by Zhu or Bajie or Mr. Huong! I left that name behind a long time ago."
"That would explain the 'little brother' comment." Ilia spoke.
The owl winged faunus landed on the ground to meet with his eye level. "You had some sort of fallout with your half-brother, I presume?"
"It was more than a mere fallout, Lady Bruna." Zhu clarified. "We both hail from the Sanzang Tribe back in Vacuo, only Sun has pledged his loyalty to them. But who needs loyalty to a tribe? The Sanzang tribe could suffer and die for all I care. Everyone I ever cared about is long gone. My father? Left before I was born! My mother? Dead! My stepfather, and closest thing I ever had to a real father figure? Also dead! All I have left of my torn family is this old photograph of the old man who abandoned me. And I swear, if I ever find him, I will beat the living daylights out of him until he gives me answers!
"As for my tribe, they deserve to suffer and perish, along with any other nomadic tribes who condemn themselves to the desert. My aunt, uncle and cousins never cared about me, or my tastes, or anything but keeping the tribe together. So why should I help them? All they ever did was hold me back. Not to mention they refused to take my idea of settling into a permanent settlement such as Vacuo City. Is it wrong to want a better life? To want something better than moving around all the time? To not want sand in my food? To not want to have to eat disgusting things? Or always struggling to survive?!
"What's the point of roaming the desert when there are perfectly stable permanent settlements in the kingdom?! I even told them they should have settled into Vacuo city or some other permanent place, but they didn't listen! My own uncle, the tribe chieftain Altan Sanzang turned down the idea, stating it would cause disaster. What a bunch of bullshit! How does he know that my plan wouldn't work?! All of the tribe members are ignorant fools! Altan is the biggest fool of all, and his son Shiva, destined to be chieftain one day is no better!"
There was a long moment of silence. Well, save for Adam occasionally groaning in pain.
Eventually Douglas broke it by saying, "That's a lot of pain and frustration. No wonder you joined the White Fang."
"I didn't quite join them immediately." Wungeng corrected. "I became a thief known as Ganglie to survive in Coquina. Coincidentally, Sun was there as well at Oscuro Academy, and tried to catch me and turn me into the authorities." He chuckled, a smug grin seen. "It didn't work. Sometime after I outwitted him, I had attracted the attention of the previous Vacuan White Fang leader- an old man known only as the "Baron of Bats". He never mentioned his real name and his faunus trait, a pair of claws, was hidden from almost all throughout most of his life. He chose me and helped enhance my aura and combat skills so that I could be the new leader one day. Within a month I became his lieutenant. Alas, three months later he passed away. I stepped in to take his place and have been leading the Vacuan White Fang branch ever since."
Athena raised an eyebrow. "So, if you're here, then who's leading in Vacuo?"
"Don't worry, I selected a random specialist to lead temporarily in my absence."
"I see. Good that you left someone to hold the reins." She then remembered... "Now that I think about it, where is that messenger?"
Addie, a complete wreck, had entered the scene. Her long red hair was tangled and frizzy. Her blue eyes, exposed from her mask being stolen, were sunken and tired. She was barefoot and almost all her clothes were gone. The only thing she was left wearing, aside from a white bra and pair of panties, was her fang necklace.
Ilia's closest cohorts were quite shocked upon seeing her.
"Ahh!"
"What the heck?!"
Douglas and Hector, as well most of the other men, looked away from the half-naked messenger. Adam, still in pain, paid little attention to her, whereas Ilia and Wungeng stared at her. She stood there shivering, her dog tail shaking.
The chameleon winced. "What happened to you?"
"I'm not sure." Addie answered. "One moment I was just minding my own business, then the alarm goes off, and then I find myself beaten up, knocked out, and the next thing I know my clothes are gone!"
Wungeng smiled at her. "You say that like it's a bad thing."
The messenger moved her hands over her arms, trying to warm herself. "It is a bad thing!"
"And why would it be? You look good with them off."
Addie just gave him a glare.
"Don't worry, I have some backup clothes." Athena told her. "If you'll come with me."
Lady Bruna extended her hand and Addie took it. With her wings, Athena ascended into the air and they flew about a quarter of a mile away from where Adam and his small troop were. The two landed on a rooftop, and upon descending, the owl knelt down and got out a backpack. From there she retrieved a plastic bag full of clothes.
"Unfortunately, this is the only set of backup clothes I have at the moment. I hope they are to your liking."
Athena turned around to try and give Addie some privacy. She took out a pair of black heeled ankle boots and the camera focused on the Mistralian Fang leader before Addie spoke, "Okay, you can look now!"
She turned around to see Addie in some blue track pants with a black line down the side of each leg, partially covered the heeled boots. Addie also wore a red silk blouse with a ruffled scoop neckline. The ruffles on her neck were in a slightly lighter shade of red. Her sleeves were undone button up and folded to show her wrists.
"You look quite fetching. How do you like your new clothes?"
Addie cheered. "They're really nice! Thank you!"
"You're welcome. Glad I could be of assistance."
"So... um, just who was that guy staring at me?"
Before Athena had a chance to answer her question, her scroll rang. "Hello?" A moment of mumbled silence. "Yes. Why do you ask?" Another series of mumbles, this time longer, went on. "So you would like a meeting between me, Ares, Wungeng and yourself tomorrow morning?" Over the phone, she received her answer. "That can be arranged. I shall go to Ares and inform him at once. In the meantime, I suggest you get some rest. You looked like you were exhausted from fighting the catgirl and her allies. I'll see you tomorrow, High Leader."
She hung up, ending the call.
"Who was that?"
"That was our new High Leader." the wise woman answered with a smile. "Tomorrow morning, me and the other leaders meet to discuss the next steps..." She then looked dismayed. "and planning Sienna Khan's funeral service. Oh this won't be easy..."
"I can't believe she fell like that." Addie told her.
"Even the mightiest of warriors fall, Addie. It is a fortunate yet unfortunate truth. I realize that one wages war that there is always a price to pay, and I didn't want Sienna's death to happen. When she and Adam confronted me on the rooftop, I was scared for my life, as anyone would be. Had it not been for the huntsman and the Grimm, I don't know what I would have done. But it was those two villains that caused me to realize I was waging war for the wrong reasons." As she spun her tale, she concluded, "Which is why it is important for the Revolutionists to stay united and remember who our true enemies are."
"I see." Addie said with a yawn. "It's been a long day. And an even longer night."
"Well, you can either head back to my hotel fortress, or you can relocate to Adam's new lair."
"I'd rather head with you. The pig-tailed dude kinda creeps me out."
Athena nodded in understanding. "His name is Wungeng, and he has reasons for being here."
Confused, Addie asked, "And what are those reasons?"
"I have no idea, but I guess I'll find out tomorrow." Athena took her hand and they ascended into the sky once again. "In the meantime, I must find Ares and tell him that Adam requests his presence."
Meanwhile, the faunus quartet found themselves roaming a dark area of the city. With Blake in the front leading the pack, she had her left hand towards Gambol Shroud on her back, ready to fight in case of another ambush. Sun's weapon, Ruyi Bang and Jingu Bang, still in its staff form, rested on his back. All the while, Sun had one hand in his weapon, as if expecting to fight immediately. Kali had her hands away from her frying pan, but much like Sun and Blake, were tense as they roamed the city. Ghira, trying to keep himself alert, was constantly on the lookout for criminals and/or White Fang members.
The four descended down a hillside, bare of everything save for its natural flora and a paved sidewalk on both sides of the hill. Upon reaching the bottom, they passed through a residential area of houses directly next to a street, dimly lit by street lamps.
"How much further is it to this 'haven'?" Kali asked.
"Shouldn't be too much farther from here." Blake answered, her face unseen.
"Not to sound like one to complain, but the more time I spend here, the more I'm beginning to hate this place." Ghira told his allies. The strongman folded his arms and grimaced, not finding anyone stalking them. "And now that the White Fang are here, this place is already much worse. I just hope this place we're going to is as safe as Blake says it is."
"There it is." Blake stated, slightly more calm. "The only haven for us in this criminal-infested city. The Lower Highlands."
The Lower Highlands district was a massive stretch of land, about five miles worth of illuminated buildings. Immediately in front of them were a few nightclubs and restaurants, while other taller buildings were lit like spires. There were a few jumbo-tron television screens, displaying various advertisements mounted on a few spread-out skyscrapers. The most noticeable advertisement on a light blue screen with black letters was for Grand Industries- The Auto Industry of the Past, Present and Future!
Other advertisements included- Whack A Grimm! Play now!, Compost King- Play now!, Always 17- 30% of all gear this week only!, a picture of the Achieve Men, "Read Like Roses Book Club" with the books Bound By Destiny, The Man with Two Souls, and Ninjas of Love in the background, Pine Farms, and Nuts & Dolts Computer Repair.
The amount of light present was enough to almost, if not completely overwhelm the eyes of anyone, human or faunus. The four stopped for a moment to let their eyes adjust. There was a significant crowd of people, both human and faunus enjoying the nightlife. Many of them were shown entering or exiting buildings. A female faunus with dog ears and a human boy were shown holding hands on the opposite side of the street. Some members of the crowd wore modest clothing, some were slightly teasing, while a small few were dressed extremely risque. Smells of cooked food, smoke and other aromas all mixed together to form an odor both delicious and repugnant at the same time.
"What's that smell?" Sun sniffed the air. "I smell food. Dang it, I don't think I've eaten since lunch..."
"Really? All I smell is smoke, and not the good kind." Kali responded.
Ghira raised an eyebrow, perplexed. "Do they ever sleep?"
"Some people don't." Blake motioned for them to come forth. "The locals say this is the part of the city that never sleeps. Along this stretch of the road, you'll find several late-night restaurants, nightclubs and stores that are open twenty four-seven. Due to the night crowd that has begun to gather, there are almost always witnesses to any criminal acts that occur here. Criminal activity is extremely low and most crooks are caught in two weeks, if not less. And the best part is, this part of the city has completely eliminated police brutality."
"They eliminated police brutality in one major part of the city?" Ghira asked. "That seems too good to be true."
"According to an online Nina News article I read shortly before the Vytal Festival Tournament started, they did." Blake added. "If it still holds true, hopefully we won't get any weird looks either."
Cause that's the last thing I need... Blake thought.
"So... are we just going to roam around until we find a place to stay?" Sun asked.
"Last I looked, there's a nice hotel that isn't too expensive on the northeast end called Winds' End. Hopefully they still have decent security."
They continued their way through the crowd, and before they knew it, they found a five story hotel with blue-painted brick walls. On both the ground floor and above them were windows for each room. On the higher levels there were small porches. The entrance doors were made of glass and when they opened, the smell of cinnamon could be detected. Overhead was a sign in blue letters reading, Wind's End Hotel and Inn
In addition to a camera overhead, there were two guards, one male, one female. They looked to be smiling or content as they did their job.
"Looks like I was right. The security measures are still in place. Let's go."
Blake and co. went past the guards, her father opening the doors for them and they entered the hotel. The lobby had bright yellow walls with brown lines and floral prints and olive green carpets, with a beige and brown carpet at the front desk. To the left of the desk was an elevator, while to the right were the stairs. The receptionist was asleep on the job, his right arm acting as a pillow. He was snoring softly, which occasionally turned loud.
After observing this for ten seconds, the four exchanged confused looks.
"He looks so peaceful I wake to wake him up." Ghira sighed. "But alas, we have no choice."
He rung the bell and the receptionist woke up and looked around in panic.
"What? What is it, boss?!" He suddenly realized who he was talking to. "Oh, sorry about that." he yawned. "How may I help you?"
"One room please, two beds." Ghira answered.
The front desk guy blinked. "Um... is it just me, or is she wearing the uniform of a White Fang member?"
"Well um, that's cause um..."
"She recently got out of the White Fang." Sun improvised. "She realized she wasn't doing the right thing and left them."
"Ehm... Okay." The receptionist yawned. "How long do you think you'll be staying here?"
Ghira paused for a moment to think before he answered, "Give us a week and we'll see where we're at."
Another yawn was heard before he handed the strongman some keys. "Alright. Here's your room keys. Attached to the key you'll find the code that you can put onto your scrolls."
"Thank you sir."
"No... problem..."
He soon fell back asleep.
"Do you think he'll remember us in the morning?" Kali asked.
"I doubt it. Let's just go." Sun stated.
The four went to the left and went to the elevator. Thankfully the elevator was empty when it had arrived, and they shuffled in.
Hopefully no one checks the camera footage and sees my ears. Then again, I already feel exposed...
Soon enough, the elevator door dinged and they roamed the halls with cream colored walls and light brown carpeting.
"Here we are." Ghira noted. "Room 585."
He swiped the key-card and they all entered the room. The hotel room had light blue walls and a yellow ceiling with three lights and the bathroom entrance to their right. When Kali turned on the lights, the room was better illuminated, and two beds, both with red and white spread, were seen on the left side of the wall. Further down there was an open arched doorway leading to another room on the left and a small table designed for two to four people on the right.
"Finally, we have a place of refuge." Everyone set their bags down as Ghira continued, "We should be safe here for the time being."
"Um... I'm not sure we have enough beds." Kali chirped. "There's only two beds, four of us and only one of us is completely together."
Ghira realized the now-obvious fact and grimaced. "I did not think this through."
The monkeyman turned to the younger catwoman. "You take the bed, Blake. After today's events, you deserve it more than I do."
She looked at him, concerned. "Are you sure?"
"I'm from Vacuo, I can sleep just about anywhere." Sun told them. He started exploring the other room, walking off-screen.
"Hopefully there's a couch here somewhere..." Kali stated.
"Found one!" Sun shouted from afar.
"Excellent. Now then, next order of business- acquiring food, because I'm pretty sure all of us are starving." Ghira began. "Now I'm sure there's some form of food delivery service here." He looked around the room. "Where's the guide?"
Blake turned away from her father and went to the window, adorned with blue curtains. With the curtains pulled back, she stared at the city below her and then stared into nothing.
Her thoughts began to torment her; How could this have happened? This is all my fault. I should have known better! I let anger consume me, just like anger consumed Adam! I went down the path of vengeance, wanting to kill him, and now I'm not even sure I can beat him. How can I face him? And Haven... about to fall. Is that my fault too?
"Blake?"
Her thoughts were disrupted as she looked at her mother. "I found a menu for a local place less than a mile away from our hotel." She handed her daughter the menu. "Is there anything you would like?"
The former prisoner of war glanced at the menu, consisting mostly of stir-fried dishes, fried rice and ramen bowls. She set it down and looked at the ground, uninterested. "I'm not hungry."
Her loved ones all exchanged worried looks and nervous glances.
"Are you sure?" Kali asked.
"You just went to Hell and back. You're exhausted. You should eat something." Ghira advised.
"Just get me anything with seafood." Blake answered dismissively.
"Alright then."
As Ghira took food orders from everyone else, Kali turned away and found herself looking through pictures on her Scroll. She was looking at a photo of herself, Ghira and Sienna from several years ago. Then she switched to a photo taken six years ago, shortly after Sienna became High Leader. She was wearing the Badge of Leadership on her right side, and her best friend Maura was also there. The two appeared to be dining outdoors at a shaded table on a sunny day in Menagerie.
Maura... Sienna... Kali sobbed.
Ghira started dialing the number at the bottom of the page. As he placed an order for food, Sun stood by Blake's side, and extended his hand forward, only to draw it back. She looked sunken and empty. "Blake?" He tried to take her hand in his, but she shied away from him.
"Please, just leave me."
Sun looked at her forlornly as she went to the other room.
What am I supposed to do now? Blake's broken, and it's all Adam's fault. He felt his anger increase. Adam... That damned bull-king!
A cold chill crawled up his spine as he stood there silently.
All the while, Yang had just exited the Xiao-Long/Rose family home, standing all alone. With the knife in her left hand, she stood in the cold as snow and wind chilled her to the bone. Her arm was shaking, both from the cold and from fear.
"Well Yang, you've reached the end." She exhaled, her breath seen in a puff of smoke. "So, what's it going to be? A quick, bloody death? Or a slow, less brutal death by succumbing to the cold, harsh winter storm?" She looked at the knife in her hand. "Even if I did have the nerve, would I be able do it?"
The former fighter looked back to when she saw Raven at Beacon Academy...
The world is cold, cruel, harsh. Everyone I loved has disappeared... It's not like my life means anything anymore. I set out to become a huntress, but now I can't do that, or anything else. And even if my arm did come back, which it never will, I'd never be able to fight again. I haven't fought in months, and my skills are nothing but rust by now.
She then thought back to her closest friends. Her sister Ruby, Weiss, and Blake. Her other friends- Jaune, Nora, Pyrrha, and Ren. Coco, Fox, Velvet and Yatsuhashi. The members of teams JNPR and CFVY respectively. Other students... Even one of her friends and classmates from Sanctum that chose to attend Beacon Academy.
A memory of one of Yang's old friends came back to her...
Her name was Rae Noire. She had a petite build with pale skin, ocean blue eyes, and shoulder length black hair. She wore a white headband in her hair close to her forehead. She wore black jeans, a white tank top under a black vest with a v-neck. Around her neck was a silver necklace with a square shaped amethyst stone.
It was just the two of them in Beacon's courtyard, their other friends deciding to head to the amphitheater for the introduction.
"So we're finally here." Rae spoke.
Yang smiled. "Yeah, I'm really excited!"
"Yeah..." Rae said dismissively.
The raven haired girl turned away sadly and started to walk away.
"Rae?" Yang ran up to her and looked in her eyes closely. "What's wrong?"
Rae sighed in sorrow. "It's.. it's my older sister. She's gone off the deep end."
The blonde brawler blinked. "Your... sister?"
"Corvina Noire. We... we were raised in a racist household. Our parents told us that faunus were evil, heartless and thoughtless. Savages even. We were scared growing up, and we had to remind ourselves of the truth, that faunus weren't inherently evil, and we had done so well not believing our parent's bigotry. But after her falling out with her faunus friend... Marrok, I believe his name was, she started losing herself to the darkness. She never told me the full story. Five years ago, she left, and now I know what became of her... She created the Noire Armada, and from what I heard, they seek to destroy all faunus."
"They couldn't really do that?" She felt a sense of fear. "Could they?"
"What I can't believe is that Corvina is the one doing this. And now the Noire name will be forever tainted. I wish I could find her, try to talk some sense into her..." She sniffed. "How is it that we can easily lose our way from the cradle to the grave? No... forgive me, I've said too much..."
"Rae..."
Rae walked away, leaving Yang alone.
Yang returned to the present. I haven't heard from Rae since the fall of Beacon. I hope she's alright, along with my other friends... Wait, why am I out here again?
She felt herself get colder. The chill crawled all over her arm, the frost nipping at her face, and sighed.
Corvina may have lost her way in villainy, but I have been destroyed by depression. I remember hearing on the news that Corvina was killed a number of months ago by some faunus girl pretending to be a human. No one has a name on her though. I wonder if Rae knows about this... Oh, but why would it matter? It doesn't matter to me. Because they can't help me. Not Rae, not Tangerine, or my father, Ruby, Weiss, Blake. No one can help me escape this darkness.
She lifted the knife and stabbed herself in the arm. It was not enough to kill her, but it sped up the process. She looked at the knife...
Just end all the pain.
...And was about to stab herself in the chest, but as she brought it closer, she stopped herself. Wait. If you died... who would mourn for you?
The door suddenly opened and Taiyang gasped as he saw his daughter suffering with the knife in her hand.
"Yang!"
Yang turned around and gasped as he and Zwei ran to her. She dropped the knife aside into the snow, leaving a small red puddle there and the ex-fighter broke down sobbing. She activated her aura, a faint trail of yellow seen to try and prevent further damage.
"Yang, what are you doing here?" He then noticed where she had stabbed herself. "And why are you bleeding?!"
"I... I can't do this! I can't go on living like this! Pretending that everything will be alright and that I can recover from this! I can't! I'm tired of being so alone! Of everyone important abandoning me!" She sobbed. "I've been suffering alone... So alone."
"You're... you're not alone. You don't have to be this way. Please, come in! Before you catch a cold or worse!"
He lead his daughter back into the house and Zwei followed, whimpering. After closing the door and having Zwei sit down in front of it, the former STRQ member scrambled around trying to find the first aid kit. Once that was done, he got out the bandages and tended to Yang's wound.
"This is all my fault. All my fault..." Taiyang sobbed.
I... I'm a horrible father... he silently mourned.
Yang looked at her father. "Dad, please... Don't blame yourself. You're just one person."
"I know you said you wanted your space, and I tried to give that to you. Both to respect your wishes and partially because I didn't know what to do. It's clear now that all this isolation wasn't been helping matters. Not to mention Ruby leaving to play the role of heroine..."
He didn't finish, but he didn't need to.
She sighed. "You're right. I've been lonely for months. I told Ruby that she could do whatever she wanted, so she left. I acted like my feelings didn't matter, even when they do. I downplayed my feelings, not wanting to hurt anyone or drag them down with me. And all I've done is hurt myself even more in the process. Honestly I fear that there's no one who can help me." She looked at the floor, feeling numb.
"There may be one person who can help."
She didn't look up. "And who might that be?"
"Remember Madame Mallari?" her father asked. "Our neighbor who's a doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist, therapist and folk medicine practitioner?"
"Vaguely. I forgot she had so many fields of expertise."
"She's also said to be the best doctor in Patch. If anyone can help, she can. I'll call for her first thing in the morning. In the meantime, is there anything you'd like to drink? I can only imagine you're freezing."
"Some tea would be nice. Lavender, with a hint of honey, if we still have some."
"That can be quickly arranged."
He set a pot of water to boil and while that was going on, he went upstairs to retrieve something.
I guess maybe I haven't lost everything... I have broken the habit of silence, but can I still save myself?
Her thoughts were disrupted by her father returning with a blanket. She let her aura around her arm fall as she took the blanket and tried to keep herself warm.
"Thanks dad."
"You're welcome." He tried not to grimace, but failed. "I hope Dr. Mallari can help."
Yang looked away, mumbling, "As do I."
As Taiyang went back to the stove to finish making the tea, Yang was left with her thoughts, trying not to succumb to negativity.
It's so cold out there, and in here. But how long will this last? I can't believe I nearly killed myself. That bloody knife... perhaps it'll remain buried there...
Outside, the bloody knife was still on the ground, soon buried underneath a fresh layer of white snow.
From afar, Salem observed the situation and sighed.
"So much for the death of a former heroine. Still, there are other ways to derive strength from negativity."
The witch observed an image of Blake, shivering and silently sobbing underneath the covers.