Co-author is busy and tasked me to handle this entire chapter. I hope I captured the original tone correctly. If you excuse me, I have internship and written report to do for the summer.
Enjoy.
Chapter 12:
Qrow Branwen sat impatiently on his uneven wooden chair, bouncing his legs restlessly. He had his hand wrapped around a mug of golden ale but didn't bother to drink it.
He needs to be sober when dealing with his sister.
Lil' Miss Malachite said that the Everknight summoned Grimm from a red portal, and the only person in his mind that could do something remotely similar is Raven. It's too much of a coincidence for Qrow to pass up. He needs to make sure that Raven isn't involved with Salem in some way least he has to confront her which will make things really, really complicated since she's Yang's mother.
If Raven isn't involved, then he can at least work something out with her so she can keep an eye out for Salem's Knight.
I really need a damn drink to calm my nerves. Qrow eyes the mug in his hand, feeling the cool liquid humming around the edge. Just a sip.
A swirling red and black portal suddenly tore open at the opposite end of his table. Qrow sighs and lowers his drink to face the emerging figure. Raven Branwen. His older twin sister.
"I see that you still haven't broken free from your alcohol addiction." She taunts him.
Ever since Raven left Yang when she was a baby and returned to the Branwen bandit tribe, the Branwen twins have not been on good terms. Combined with your typical sibling relationship of driving the other up the wall and they'll likely draw blood if one pushes it too far. Maybe even a limb or two.
"Raven."
"Hello, brother."
She pulls up a seat and sits down, removing her Nevermore mask to reveal a face that's strikingly similar to Yang's if she were older, had red eyes and black hair. With an unfriendly smirk, Raven rests her hand on the Nevermore mask and half shrugs with the other, urging him to not beat around the bush.
"Right, right. I'll get straight to the point."
"Like you could even walk in a straight line, much less see straight." Raven eyes the mug of golden ale, then to Qrow. "Why did you call me here?"
Qrow scowls, "I'm getting there." Raven rolls her eyes and slouches in her chair, further irritating him. "Visited an information broker somewhere in Mistral. Said broker mentioned something about red portals and Grimm."
"I have no idea what just said. Give me some context here."
He leans closer and speaks in a lower tone. "Do you know someone called the Everknight?"
"Qrow. I have no freaking clue what you're talking about." Why couldn't they meet in a desolate area? She would even be fine risking the Branwen tribe's current campsite instead of meeting in a tavern. "Enough with your stupid spy speak and get on with it!"
He knew his sister long enough to discern that she wasn't lying. The confused irritation is difficult to fake, especially when it comes to math and literature. Raven would throw a fit about it back when they were students at Beacon Academy.
He lets out a long sigh of relief and slumps over. "Thought so…"
Raven angrily raps him on the head with her knuckles. "Don't make me stab you. What is this all about?"
"The Queen has pawns." He answered cryptically, not wanting to say Salem's name out right here.
"And? You think I don't know that?"
She always knew that Salem has people working for her. Fools who think they'll have a place in her so-called new world order. Fools they may be, all of Salem's underlings are dangerous individuals in their own rights and can't be underestimated. It does beg the question of why Qrow is bringing this up, and in truth, she really doesn't want to know.
But for the sake of her survival and staying out of Ozpin and Salem's forever war, she needs to know. She must know if she wants to avoid getting involved in their cruel game.
"She also has a knight." Qrow clenches the mug tightly, causing it to groan.
Raven frowns and reclines in her chair. "The Everknight."
"Yeah…"
A knight is a far more valuable chess piece than a pawn. For Qrow to say that Salem has a knight and not a pawn implies that the Everknight is instrumental in Salem's scheme. Someone important, and most likely dangerous.
"Why a knight, and not a pawn?"
Qrow didn't really know how to answer that, but he's starting to piece together that the Everknight is wielding something much more than just a semblance.
"Have a hunch." He brings the mug up and gulps down half of the content. Wiping his mouth, Qrow continues in a very low and soft voice. "Met him twice already, can't remember his face even if I'm sober and it's clear as day. Controls Grimm and supposedly can summon them through a red portal."
Raven's lip twitches back into an angry scowl, furious that her brother would accuse her of working with Salem. "And you thought I had something to do with it."
"Whoa, hey now." Qrow quickly backs into his seat with both hands raised in the air. "I just thought it was too much of a coincidence, so I had to make sure."
That didn't appease Raven who slams a fist down onto the table. "So, everyone who doesn't play along with Ozpin's game is a threat. Is that it?"
"Says the one who left her family behind; her own daughter and –"
"No. You abandoned our family. The Branwen Tribe is our family, and you abandoned them."
"The Branwen Tribe are nothing more than killers and thieves." Qrow shots back, glowering at his sister before sighing, looking haggard. "I don't wanna hear you your damn excuse. You wanna play both sides? You're gonna need my help."
He reaches for his drink only to be stopped by Raven. Her expression was devoid of emotions, only her cold, calculating, and ruthlessness remains.
"You know… Something tells me you're not giving me the whole story. You want my help? Tell me what it is I'm getting into. What are we up against?" She releases his hand and goes on in a condescending tone. "Don't be like Ozpin, little brother. You'll only disappoint and hurt those around you."
"Oh, that's rich. Coming from you. I'd rather be like Ozpin than you. Even when you were, oh so softer back then."
Raven angrily snatches up her mask and got up from her seat. "Then we're done here."
He watched his sister readied her sword. Ready to cut open a portal and leave as she did to Tai.
Qrow clicks his tongue and growls, "You remember when you said that Beacon would fall?" Raven froze at that, "A little bird overheard the Queen and Knight talking about Beacon. That it's best to avoid it, for now." His sister remains silent, carefully listening. "Then would you know it? I found the Knight in Emerald Forest, and it's not one of those little chess pieces from the initiation."
"… Work on your doublespeak."
"Whatever." He waves it off, "I think you piece the rest of the puzzle together on your own."
She grunts and cuts open a portal. "Goodbye, little brother. Enjoy your drink."
"Not worried about Yang?"
"She doesn't need my concern if she's strong enough. But if she isn't… Well, you know my rule." One time. One time will Raven save the life of those with whom she has a bond. A single chance to live another day and become strong. No more, no less; even for her own daughter.
Raven puts on her helmet and enters through her portal. Qrow tiredly watches the portal flicker out of existence, leaving him alone on the second floor with his half-empty drink. He downs his mug and puts a hand on his head, wondering what's his next move.
Wondering what Ozpin is planning, what Salem is scheming, how his nieces are faring, and… What the Everknight is doing.
/-/
It's a beautiful day in Vale and Jaune was enjoying a warm stroll down the city sidewalk. It was good to be away from the depressed and wrecked city that was Mountain Glenn. Dressed in his newly acquired casual clothes, because his usual clothes have yet to been washed, Jaune is here to enjoy an ordinary life for the day. He had one particular destination in mind, Tukson's Book Trade.
As usual, Pythia remains tuck in his new sports hoodie, seemingly bored out of its mind at the lack of negative emotions.
Crimes committed by Roman Torchwick and the White Fang had completely stopped, putting your average day citizen at ease. It's a different story for law enforcement, who suspected that the White Fang are planning something big.
All of it isn't Jaune's problem, because he's currently on a well-deserved break.
He had to wake up early to get to Vale, disembark from an airship, walks into the wilderness, and catch rides from Grimm to Grimm all the way to Mountain Glenn. Then he had to work together with Adam and Roman to set up a parameter around Mountain Glenn using the Grimm to deal with any intruders while making certain routes accessible to their operations.
That 'collaborative' work took longer than it should have because neither of them was willing to contribute and had their own view on how things should be handled. If it weren't for Jaune, things would have gotten ugly.
Jeez, and I thought adults can do a better job in a group project. Jaune had to single-handedly carry entire group projects all by himself before and is annoyed that he'll have to do the same here.
Underneath his sports hoodie, Pythia emits a faint chittering sound, laughing at his misfortune. He rolls his eyes and pushes open the door to Tukson's Book Trade.
The bell by the door jingles, announcing his presence to Tukson, a man with black hair and sideburns.
"Welcome to Tukson's Book Trade, home to every book under the sun!" Tukson greets Jaune with a kind smile on his face. He recognizes him as a returning customer since he bought a large number of books last time. "How may help you?"
"Hi, Tukson." Jaune returns his greeting and glances around, "Do you have any X-Ray and Vav comics to the most recent issue? I think it's currently at issue forty-six?"
"Forty-seven actually." Tukson nods towards the front, "The recent one was published two days ago."
"Then I have a lot of catching up to do."
Tukson walks over with an empty box in hand, "Would you like a box to hold them?"
"Yeah, that'll be great. Thank you."
"You're welcome. Call me if you need anything."
Jaune begins stacking piles of comic books into the box, scanning over the issue number so that he doesn't accidentally buy an extra copy. Ever since he came under Salem's service, Jaune has completely forgotten to read up on X-Ray and Vav for nearly a year now and is dying to catch up on the latest issue. He'll be dropping these off at his temporary residence and read up from there until duty calls him back to Mountain Glenn.
As Jaune was placing the twenty-fifth issue into the box, a taxi swerves into the front entrance of Tukson's Book Trade, catching their attention. Two faunus wearing Grimm masks kicks open the taxi door and point their assault rifle into the bookstore.
"Get down!" Tukson dives behind his counter, barely avoiding the hail of bullets that rip through the store.
Jaune throws himself flat on his belly and covers the base of his neck. Thick pieces of glass shower the floor, bouncing off of his aura. Why do I always get into these kinds of situations?!
Pythia hisses in annoyance and uncoils itself from underneath his hoodie to avoid getting hit by the shards of glass.
Why is the White Fang here?!
Jaune couldn't fathom why the White Fang would start shooting up a bookstore. There weren't any 'No Faunus' signs on the store, not to mention it's illegal to have such a sign here in Vale. And the bookstore owner himself seems to be a nice guy, friendly and helpful to all his customers regardless if they're human or faunus.
So, why are they here?
"That traitor got away!" One of the White Fang soldiers growls, "After him! And someone deal with that human if he's still alive."
Jaune winces and begins to formulate an escape plan that doesn't result in him fighting against his supposed allies. He made sure that his magic glove is activated, safeguarding his identity. The White Fang storm into the bookstore with their guns drawn. One of them turns his barrel towards Jaune.
His training immediately kicks in and throws himself to the side, feeling the bullet whizz near his ear. The terrorist shouted something and set his weapon to full auto, lighting the entire place up with bullets. Jaune rolls across the floor and knocks over some displays to hinder the terrorists from moving forward.
"Son of a… Hold still!" The terrorist growls and reloads his rifle.
/-/
While the hit squad was distracted by the ruckus Jaune was creating, their getaway driver was temporarily put out of commission out by a teenage girl with long black hair and amber eyes.
Blake Belladonna turns her attention to the remaining three terrorists and pounces on them, striking them across the head in one swift motion. They unconsciously collapse to the ground with a painful thud.
"Tukson! Are you alright?!" Blake frantically calls out to her parents' old friend, heavily breathing with each step she takes.
She cannot believe that the White Fang would dare commit such an atrocious act in broad daylight, much less try to assassinate a former well-respected member of the White Fang like Tukson. She angrily kicks the terrorists' weapons out of their hands and surveys the damaged store for any sign of blood.
"Um…" The cat faunus instantly points her weapon at a blond human teenager, causing him to flinch. "Wait, wait! Don't shoot!"
Blake hastily draws back her weapon and quickly attends to him. "I'm so sorry! Can you walk? We need to get you out of here right now!"
"I-I can walk. Thanks for saving me."
"Come on, let's get you through the backdoor."
She ushers him towards the half-open door behind the counter, figuring that Tukson had already escaped. It was at that moment of mental preoccupation did Blake fail to notice one of the White Fang soldiers regaining consciousness. The terrorist slowly fingers his combat knife hidden underneath his vest and springs off the ground.
"Look out!" The blond boy shoves her out of the way and puts his hands out to defend himself. The terrorist slams into him, knife cutting into his hoodie.
"No!" Blake cries out in horror.
Both crashed onto the counter with the boy cracking his head against the wooden tabletop. The White Fang soldier flips him over, wrapping his arm around the blond boy's neck, using him as a shield. The knife looks like it's still stuck painfully in the boy's stomach, but she couldn't see any blood bleeding through the fabric of his hoodie.
"Don't move!" The terrorist pulls out a pistol and points it at her. "Or this guy –"
He was suddenly interrupted by a loud hissing noise that seems to be coming from the blond boy. Something violently squirms underneath his hoodie, knocking loose the lodged knife and emerged out of the hoodie's neckline.
A jellyfish-like Grimm lunges out, latching onto the terrorist's neck and arm and pulling him into the air like a marionette. Blake watches with a bewildered expression, shaken that a Grimm had somehow spawned from the blond boy, like something from a horror movie. She was too shocked to even notice the blond boy in question was fine and pinching his forehead in exasperation.
The terror on the terrorist's face is evident even with his mask on. He gurgles something that Blake's cat ears managed to pick up from where she stands.
"Ever… Knight…"
Blake didn't understand what the terrorist was saying, but it was enough to snap her out of her shock. She is a huntress-in-training. It is her duty to combat the Creatures of Grimm.
She raises Gambol Shroud in its pistol form and points it at the Grimm's black spherical body resembling a smoky crystal ball covered with bone-like plates and spikes. In response, the Grimm pulls the terrorist higher using the faunus as a shield.
"What?!" She lowers her weapon and jumps back, uncertain how she should proceed.
What happened next made was even more perplexing.
"It's okay, you can put him down now." The blond boy calmly spoke to the Grimm, "He didn't know who I was."
To Blake's surprise, the Grimm obeyed and released the terrorist who fell to his knee, gasping for air.
"Fo-forgive me." The faunus begs while wheezing, "We didn't kn-know you'll be here! None o-of us did!"
Why can this guy control Grimm? Why do they act like he's an important member of the White Fang? Isn't he human? Too many questions were flowing through her head at once, but as far as Blake can remember, there were no humans in the White Fang.
"I know. It's nobody's fault." The blond boy helped faunus up and turns his attention to Blake. "Go and help the others. I will hold her off."
"Huh?!"
Too many strange things were happening at once for Blake to process, briefly muddling her reflexes at a critical moment when the jellyfish-like Grimm shot a fireball from one of its tentacles. Blake jolts back from the surprising attack and raises her weapon to block the incoming projectile.
It struck Gambol Shroud and disperse, but the black ribbon attached to her weapon caught fire, quickly spreading across her weapon accessory. She yelps drop onto the floor, stomping the flames out.
"Don't use fire in here! I don't want to burn down a building, especially if I'm inside it!" The fire sprinklers then activated, drenching everyone with a steady pour of water. "Okay, no electricity either! You'll electrocute all of us!"
The Grimm let out a vicious hiss and repositioned itself to block her escape route while the blond boy had the backdoor secured.
"Who are you?!" Blake was now agitated, being soaked and unable to comprehend what is happening. "Why are you working with the White Fang? Aren't you human?!"
She may be fast, but there are so many strange and unknown factors that are making her hesitant. Especially with a Grimm somehow in tow. Despite its size and appearance, Blake knows it's not to be underestimated after witnessing it lift a fully grown person in the air with ease.
"What's wrong with a human working with the White Fang?" He asked, looking offended.
Blake stood there in silence, feeling the water drenching her hair and maybe seeping into her brain. Is this person messing with her, or has he been brainwashed somehow?
"B-because they don't like humans!"
"They're fighting for faunus equality. Even if they don't like humans, they'll have to work together with them to achieve that."
"They don't work with humans anymore!"
Ever since Sienna Khan took over the White Fang, the organization has stopped working with humans and resorted to violent tactics to achieve its goals. The White Fang is still fighting for equal rights for faunus but has become extreme in their approach. It can be said that the White Fang might have lost their way, like Adam Tartarus.
"That's a lie. How are you so sure of that? Why are you so harsh to their cause?" The blond boy narrows his eyes, clearly judging her. "What do you have against the faunus?"
By now, Blake wanted to tear her hair in frustration. She is a faunus and was once a member of the White Fang. Only recently did she leave after disagreeing with their escalating violence and involvement of innocent lives. Who is he to tell her off?
"Do you even know what the White Fang does these days? Are you brainwashed? Do you have Stockholm syndrome?!"
The boy opened his mouth to retort, pausing when he heard Stockholm syndrome and begins to ponder deeply; cupping his chin. That gave Blake some hope. She could deescalate the situation, kill the Grimm floating nearby, and apprehend the White Fang in one go.
"Do I really have Stockholm syndrome?" He murmurs to himself.
"Yes!"
The floating Grimm seems to thought otherwise, shrilly hissing at him.
The boy looks at the Grimm and shrugs. "Yeah. You're right."
Blake looks between them puzzledly, "Who… Is right?" To her astonishment, he points at the jellyfish-like Grimm. "The Grimm, really?! The Grimm is right? On what?! Is that an actual Grimm? How are you even conversing with it?! Wait, no! Arrgh!"
Focus, Blake! Focus!
She is soaked in cold water, is in a shot-up bookstore that belongs to her parent's good friend, terrorists are running around, a human and Grimm somehow working together, and worse of all her Ninja of Love book she ordered is most likely destroyed.
"Are you okay?"
"Do I look okay?!"
"Not… Really?"
The four terrorists from earlier, including the getaway driver, suddenly ran back into the store with a panicked expression.
"There's more of them!"
The blond boy was taken aback. "More of what?"
Loud maniacal laughter filled the air as a taxi car the White Fang was using came crashing down near the storefront. "You can't hide from us! Surrender evil villains and your legs will remain intact!"
Blake breathes out a sigh of relief. Her team; Team RNBY has arrived.
"Oh… Use the backdoor!"
Blake couldn't let that happen and moved to stop them. Her body blurred, leaving a shadow clone behind to distract the Grimm, but it wasn't fooled and managed to wrap one of its tentacles around her leg.
"Oof!" She lands flat on the counter. The Grimm pulling her back. "Let me go!" Her hand grips the edges of the counter and begins kicking at the Grimm's hold on her. "Let go! You guys, help!"
"Blake?! Hold on we're here!"
Her teammates burst onto the scene; their weapons readied.
"What the? A Grimm? What's going on here?" Nora blinks dumbfoundedly, "Is this one of those Mistral's adult manga where a tentacle monster –" Everyone sputters at her remark. Ren quickly puts a hand over her mouth and shoots her a questioning look that made her blush. "Heheh… Well, I may have… Gotten my hands on some… Mature things back when we're at Mistral."
Even Yang looks slightly flustered, "Filth! Absolute filth!"
"Guys! Pay attention and help me!" Blake angrily yells at her teammates and points at the blond boy. "This guy is working with the White Fang and is somehow controlling a Grimm!"
Her teammates merely blink at that, unsure of what their teammate had said.
"And things just got much more complicated…" The blond boy sighs and raised a hand, creating a blue light barrier to block their path.
"Nora! Go!" Ren throws a lightning Dust shard at her which she caught and crushed in her hand, creating an electrical discharge that feeds into her semblance.
"Stand back!" Nora grins widely and swung her hammer, instantly destroying the light barrier.
"Yang!"
"Ugh, my hair… Got it!" The blond brawler fires her gauntlets behind her, propelling herself forward to deal with the Grimm that has her partner in a bind.
The Grimm releases its hold on Blake and flies toward the blond boy, coiling its tentacles tightly before dropping into the boy's hand. He blocks a few bullets with his light barrier and points the Grimm at them like some sort of magic scepter, unleashing a blast of fire.
The water and fire chemically reacted, creating a thick cloud of steam to cover his escape.
"Nuh-uh!"
Nora zooms through the smokescreen and smashed the counter with her hammer, knocking it against the backdoor, blocking his escape. She then lunges at him, swingingly wildly and making contact with his light barrier. The impact was powerful enough to push the light barrier into him and sent him flying out of the bookstore.
"Whooooa!" He quickly created another light barrier to break his fall, landing and regaining his balance before they could follow up on their attack.
Blake begins to use her weapon to pull down the flattened counter that was blocking the backdoor. "You guys hold him off! I'll go after the White Fang!"
"No, you don't!"
A fearsome-looking Geist emerges from a red portal, seemingly created by the blond boy.
"Another one?!"
The Geist immediately bound towards the bookstore, melding into the walls. The solid wall begins to crack, oozing black mist that snakes toward the backend of the store.
"Blake!" Yang grabs her partner by the arm and pulls her back in time to avoid a swipe from the Geist's claw.
The Geist sinks back into the ground. Wispy black smoke emanates out, pulling objects toward the center point. An amalgamation of wet books, wood, plastic, and metal was pulled into a pile; bending and breaking. The entire building begins to creak and shake, almost as if it's collapsing inward.
"We need to get out now!" Ren fires his machine pistol to distract the blond boy enough for them to get out of the store and into an open space where they'll be able to fight effectively. "Who are you?" Ren demands, "Why are you releasing Grimm into the city?"
"Yeah!" Nora grips her hammer tightly, "And how are you doing that!" She points at the jellyfish-like Grimm in his hand. "A magic wand made of Grimm? Are you some sort of evil wizard?"
"I'm not a wizard." The blond boy straightens up and took on a defensive stance, "More of a knight, supposedly."
Blake took advantage of his dialogue with Nora to strike first, lunging forward in a black blur. Each slash was like a black silverly arc, glimmering underneath the sun that hovers over their heads. She grits her teeth in frustration as the 'knight' effortlessly weaves through her attack like it's a mock-battle dance. Even with her superior speed, his footwork seems to be flawless and tailored, allowing him to dictate the flow of the battle.
"Yaaaaah!" Her partner joined in the fray, unleashing a barrage of fiery bullets with her Ember Celica.
"Keep him pin down! Nora, with me!"
Team RNBY engaged their target with tactical dispositioning, trying to pry open a weakness in his defense. Surround and overwhelm him with their superior number and firepower.
However, their opponent seems to understand their intention and immediately went on the offensive.
The Grimm's black spherical body blazed and sparked violently, making everyone cautious in their approach. The blond boy begins to spin the Grimm like a juggling torch, creating a swirl of flame around himself, preventing them from getting close. It was something akin to fire performance, a beautiful and deadly fire dance that not even the reckless Nora and Yang would dare charge in.
They took a step back as the shifting flame begins to expand, denying them their melee advantages. Still, they have plenty of options left to consider.
Nora smirks and shifts her hammer into its grenade launcher form. She takes aim and fires. A grenade with pink trailing smoke flew through the sky and into a blue light barrier that appeared two meters from her face, well within the blast radius. The resulting explosion blew Nora onto her backside with soot covering her face.
"Wah! Bah!" She coughs and picks herself off the ground, "I'm oka- Gah!"
A fireball struck her in the head and knocks her over, causing her aura to slightly flicker.
"Nora!" Her partner rushes to her aid, evading the waves of flame that begin to erupt from the fiery display.
The blond boy begins to spin on his heel and leaps in Nora and Ren's direction, letting the Grimm in his hand guide and light his way, creating a large twisting fireball.
"Look out!"
Ren glances back, witnessing a massive spiraling fireball soaring in their direction. He quickens his pace and tackles Nora to the ground, shielding her with his entire body while Blake and Yang anxiously looked on, unable to assist their team leader.
The flaming mass roars over their head, much to the relief of Team RNBY. It swiftly dissipates once it went over; the blond boy landing and fleeing back into the bookstore. The store itself has become tainted with dark stains and pulsating fissures. The Geist continues to warp and churn the structure, twisting the building into something that best is described as an actual monster house.
"Sorry about that! Nothing personal!" The blond boy waves them goodbye and went through the backdoor, seemingly being swallowed.
And with that, the Geist releases its hold on the building causing it to sag and crumble. All Team RNBY could do was stand there in the open and stare numbly at the collapsing building.
"What… Just happened?" Yang asks her partner.
"That's what I wanted… Ah-ah… Achoo! Ugh… That's what I wanted to know…"
"That was too real to be an illusion or a dream." Said Ren, still on top of his partner.
Nora shakily eyes him up and down, unsure what to do in her current situation, being pinned down on the ground and all. "Y-yeah. Too real. Getting too real. Really fast!"
The sound of polices siren can be heard coming closer and closer to their location, prompting them to wonder how they're going to explain this to the police.
/-/
Adam watched the news broadcast on a portable TV. It showed security footage of a stolen taxi speeding down the road and coming to a screeching halt in front of Tukson's Book Trade. The footage was taken from afar, but he can easily see the men he sent getting out of the taxi and opening fire. The footage then fast-forwards to a figure with a large bow leaping onto the taxi and taking out the getaway driver.
Behind his mask, Adam squints at the blurry, but familiar figure. The newscaster continues narrating the story while some of the footage repeats itself.
"… Fortunately, a huntress-in-training from Beacon was at the scene to prevent any tragedies from occurring. There were no injuries reported. Authorities are still investigating the incident and will provide another public statement soon after. However, the suspects are currently at large and law enforcement is offering a reward for any information that…"
"This might make things easier for us." Said a large burly man, known as the Lieutenant. "If we can find Tukson, we can use him to lure her out."
Adam waves the suggestion away. "No. If we do that, she'll only run again."
He knew Blake well enough and won't risk the projected setup he has in mind. His former student is currently enrolled at Beacon Academy, and Cinder promises him that their operation will lead to the downfall of Beacon. He'll meet her soon enough while advancing the faunus cause and achieving the impossible, bringing down a Huntsman Academy.
The red-haired bull faunus and his lieutenant turn their attention to the knocking at the entrance to their makeshift command post.
"Adam, Lieutenant. Sorry for interrupting you guys." A blond human teen and his floating Grimm companion walks in and greets them with a nod. "Just checking in to ask about the incident at Tukson's Book Trade."
The Everknight.
An outlandish title or alias that would have made Adam roll his eyes were not for the Everknight's terrifying ability to control Grimm. Unsettlingly, he might add; treating the Creatures of Grimm like pets instead of bloodthirsty monsters.
Surprisingly, the Everknight has been polite, friendly, and often time casual with everyone. In contrast to Cinder and Roman; the former is manipulative and very patronizing, while the latter does not hold back his disgust and displeasure of working with them. Despite that, Adam can't help but be wary of him. Several red flags made him cautious around the Everknight.
For one, Roman has considerably toned down his disgruntlement and cruel remarks towards the faunus ever since the Everknight arrived. The man had never shown the slightest fear around them, even when Adam and the entirety of the White Fang threaten to kill him.
In fact, Roman would actually dare them to be true to their words.
Yet, the appearance of the Everknight was all that's needed to make him and his little assistant fearful, which gives off quite an impression. There's also the fact that the Everknight is technically Cinder's superior, and is only acting under her due to orders from above.
Adam stops himself from automatically retorting that it's none of his business. It wouldn't do well for him to offend the one person who can easily let the Grimm overrun the entirety of Mountain Glenn.
"The squad I sent wasn't aware you were at their targeted location when they executed their task, and neither did I." Adam answers slowly. Carefully watching for any reactions or changes to the Everknight's expression. "We weren't made aware of your movement."
"I know. I'm just here to say that It wasn't your fault." The Everknight assures him with a smile. "I was just wandering around in Vale and happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Plus, I can cause people to forget about my appearance. They wouldn't have recognized me anyway."
Adam narrows his eyes slightly behind his mask. He has another reason to be wary of him. I knew I wasn't the only one having difficulties remembering your face…
The bull faunus grunts and walks behind the table with a map laid on top of it. "They also told me that you help them escape despite their attempts at your life." He dismisses his Lieutenant with a wave. "You have my gratitude for that."
Never would Adam thought he'll be thanking a human, but it's a small price to pay to ensure that the Everknight continues to assist them. A failed assassination attempt and an intervention from his former student would have resulted in the loss of one of his experienced death squad teams.
"You're welcome. I'm here to help after all." A curious look crossed his face. "I couldn't help but overhear you guys were looking for someone."
Adam draws up his eyebrows. They must have been talking too loud earlier.
"It shouldn't be of concern to you." He can put aside his personal business for now, and certainly doesn't want the Everknight getting too involved in them.
"Are you sure?"
"It would be a waste of your time."
"I can at least keep an eye out."
Adam figures it wouldn't hurt to have the Everknight lookout for his missing student and lover, seeing how he can walk around in Vale easier than any of them.
"Hmph. I believe you've already met her. Black hair and amber eyes? Has a large black bow?"
The Everknight bends back a bit, looking up at the ceiling. Then to Adam. "Oh, her! I think her friends called her Blake?"
Adam scoffs, "Friends? I highly doubt they are her friends." He smooths out the map on the table and scowls. "She continues to hide her heritage behind her little bow. The moment her so-called friends figure out Blake's a faunus, they'll turn on her. And when that happens, she'll be on the run again. This time she won't have us to look after her, she'll all be on her own."
"… It sounds like you two have a personal history, that I won't press you on."
"I taught her everything I know." Adam readjusts his posture and stood straighter. "And it pains me that she lost her way. She wants nothing to do with us, and as long as she continues to run, I can't help or be there for her. So, unless you can think of a solution, there is nothing I… Nothing we can do."
The Everknight appears to be deep contemplation. "That's not the impression I was getting from her."
"What?"
"When your student stepped in, she was very… Stubborn in figuring out what the White Fang was doing."
"… It wouldn't matter. If we try to lure her or search for her, she'll probably run if she sees me."
"Why would she run from you?"
Because I'm the only one that can stop her if she tries to escape. Adam fixed him a look. "Because she knows I'll try to bring her back."
"Then why don't you try not to bring her back?"
"… What?"
"Well, it's like this. Whenever a guy chases a girl, she'll run… Uh." The Everknight pauses and made a face. He turns to leave. "Never mind. I'll probably be wasting your time. Sorry."
Now it was Adam's turn to be curious. "Wait. I would like to hear it at least."
"Well… You'll most likely see this commonly in a TV series. Whenever a guy chases a girl, she'll play hard to get. When he stops chasing after her, she starts to get curious and will want to find out why." Even with his mask on, there was a very clear 'are you serious' look coming from Adam. "Hey, it worked just now."
"Really?" Adam asks drily.
"Yeah. You didn't really look interested in our conversation earlier until I said never mind."
That made Adam paused. He's right.
He wasn't invested in their conversation because he was sure of himself. He was sure that the Everknight would continue to humor him in finding a solution, then unexpectedly subvert his expectation by giving up midsentence. In turn, it made him curious to find out what was it the Everknight was about to suggest.
He was subtly baited into the Everknight's mind game and lost. A staple of reverse psychology.
Adam smirks. He normally would be upset that a human had outplayed him, but finds himself respecting the Everknight's cunningness.
"I will give you that." He briefly returns his attention to the map. "I'll consider your suggestion. For now, I need to prepare for our next operation."
The Everknight nods understandingly and walks away. His floating Grimm following beside him to which he affectionately pets it.
"I'll leave you to it."
Now alone in the command post, Adam silently readjusts his setup with a knowing look on his face.
Omake (based on a Reddit thread by DeftTheFyreFox):
Cinder bursts into Salem's throne room with a look of childish annoyance. Like a teenage daughter whose plan happened to not go as planned.
"Salem! Err, I mean my queen! My ultimate evil plan has hit another snagged! My henchmen are stuck at Haven Academy going through their stupid and obstructive enrollment process! My ultimate evil plan is not on schedule!"
Salem lazily glances at her, "… And you came all this way from Mistral to tell me this?"
"Yes. It was a well-planned journey." She first commandeered an airship; forced a pilot to train her how to fly it because Mistral's pilot controls are completely different than Vale and Atlas's; learned how to plot a flight course; and graduated from piloting school with a license to operate all airships before flying off to Salem's domain.
"You planned a trip, but not a phone or Grimm call?"
"I don't trust the privacy with the scroll I have." Cinder pulls out her scroll. It was tightly bubble wrapped with rubber bands inside a cushioned box. "Watts is clearly listening to our conversation. I know you can hear me, twig man!"
"Why not the Seer in Leonardo's office?"
"It went on strike."
Cinder's blunt answer made Salem raise an eyebrow. "Why did it go on strike?"
"Uh… It's a long story, which has nothing to do with my super important ultimate evil plans!"
"Hm…"
"I require additional and competent assistance that isn't Watts or Tyrian." She refuses to work with that Atlesian elite snob and absolute psychopath of a faunus. Well, second absolute psychopath of a faunus. Blake beats Tyrian by a long shot when it comes to adult literature.
"You've just crossed off almost all of our sentient assets." Jaune is already helping Cinder, which leaves only Hazel left.
Cinder gave Salem a baffled look, "Wait, they're sentient?"
"… What happened to the ones I gave you?"
"They don't exist anymore. Spiritually, I think."
"And what makes you think I would have more on hand to spare?" Salem gestures at the desolate landscape that her castle was built on. "There's not a single soul here beside you and me. Even if I do find some capable people, why would I send you any more?"
"Because… I'm your favorite?"
"Hardly. You don't look or function like a Seer."
"But you choose me to be… Wait! The floating jellyfish is your favorite?! What can it do that I can't?!"
"For one, it can show me entertaining things. Which you can't do."
A Seer floats into the room with a TV antenna wrapped soundly in its tentacle. It begins to use the antenna to stream through the channels from the CCT.
Cinder bristles, "I can be entertaining. I'm good at evil entertainment: Kicking puppies, setting things on fire, and feeding people to Grimm…"
"Uh-huh. Sure." Salem rests her head on her hand, mentally changing the channels until she found a TV show to her liking. "You do realize that I and others before you have done that so many times. It gets old very quickly."
"Ugh… Well, at least I'm your second most favorite?"
"No. Dr. Wilson Beringel is."
"That gorilla Grimm therapist is?! There's bias in this! All of your favorites are Grimm!"
"That is false. Jaune is my third favorite employee."
Cinder catches her breath and heavily breathes out. "Okay. Why is he your third most favorite?"
"He runs errands for me without complaining or whining, like you. And, he's also a great dancer. Especially when I make him do his fire performance." Salem answers dismissively, signaling for a Grimm to fetch her some snacks and drinks while she enjoys her televised program.
"What? I can dance and make fire without Dust." She forms a fireball at her hand to demonstrate.
"Yes, but unlike you; it's hilarious when he accidentally catches himself on fire and flails around trying to put it out."
"B-but I can use magic! Even with half of the maiden's power, I can control the elements! Ultimate powers at my fingertips!"
"You and many others. Now shoo. I have my stories to bear witness to!"
Cinder slumps and walks out angrily, childishly mumbling to herself. "Wait. Can I at least take Spike out for a walk?"
Spike is the name of the Alpha Beowolf that Jaune treats like an actual pet dog. It got its name due to the numerous spikes growing on its body. It would serve well as Cinder's personal attack dog since Jaune isn't around for the moment.
Salem was too distracted to notice Cinder's intention. "Yes, yes. Try to ensure that no harm comes to the Beowolf. I do not want another Goldfish Replacement scenario, again."
"Don't worry." Cinder touches her fingertips together with a villainous smile. "Spike is in good hands. He'll have lots of fun, ripping others apart. Mwahaha!"