College Fool didn't see, because I am sickly.
Beta: College Fool
Cover Art: Dishwasher1910
Book 3: Chapter 9
The Lodge – our Lodge – was a ruin.
The windows that flanked the main doors had been smashed outwards, while one door hung off its hinges and the other lay flat on the ground. The walls themselves were still in one piece, but it wasn't hard to see that the interior had taken the brunt of the damage. The main staircase, which had almost been close to being repaired, was once more destroyed. I tried to form some words, any words, but it was all I could do to shake my head.
"Why…?" Pyrrha whispered. "How…?"
"Mr Arc," a voice called. "You are the leader of this Guild, correct?"
I turned at the voice in time to see Miss Goodwitch approach. For once, the Warlock's expression was neither angry nor stern, and in fact held a note of sympathy. She stopped ten or so paces from us, and looked over the party with a cautious eye.
"I see that you've all returned safely from your Quest. That is good. I wish it could be to a better sight than this."
I felt… something. It was too hard to categorise. Anger, grief, shock… I felt all of those, and yet it was something more as well. The only thing I could do was point stupidly at what had once been our home and mouth the word; "How?"
Miss Goodwitch sighed. "I'm afraid I did not witness it, Mr Arc. I was called down this morning after messages from several other Guilds in the area. Some were complaints, while others were concerned neighbours. Either way, I arrived to find your Guild in this state."
"We didn't do it!" Yang cried. "Miss, please, you've got to believe us."
"I do," Glynda said, cutting off all argument. "Miss Xiao-Long, please rest assured that I do not jump to conclusions without looking at the facts. I spoke with several of your neighbours, and they confirmed the Guild House was in fine shape when you departed for your Quest. I'm aware this was not your doing."
There was a general sense of relief among our group, though I didn't let my guard down. It was hard not to with the trouble look on the woman's face.
"That said, this is still an issue for you and your Guild. As you are no doubt aware, Beacon demands that Guilds take care of their Guild Houses and maintain them to the best of their ability. You do not buy a Guild House, but rent it from us." She gestured to the ruined building. "If you cannot repair this, I will have no option but to take it from you and return it to Beacon's hands."
Ruby gasped. "That's not fair! You already said this wasn't our fault!"
"Yeah," Nora echoed, hands crossed over her chest. "Isn't there some rule where people who do the damage get punished? This isn't fair."
"There are protections for illegal damage, yes," Glynda said. "If this was work done by a third party, then we have insurance which would cover it, and you wouldn't be expected to pay for anything. Unfortunately, this wasn't done by a third party."
My stomach fell. "What do you mean?"
Miss Goodwitch took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. That was the biggest sign I wouldn't like the news she was about to deliver, and my thoughts were proven correct a second later. "I regret to inform you that witness reports suggest it was your Seneschal who caused much of the damage."
I couldn't breathe. "W-What…?"
"That's bullshit!" Yang roared. "Velvet wouldn't do that!"
"Miss Xiao-Long, I have testimonies from several sources – including members of the Labour Caste who were working nearby." Her tone brooked no argument, and as the words washed over us, there was none. It didn't seem possible. "A Seneschal of a nearby Guild saw it first hand and tried to intervene. She was forced to flee when Miss Scarlatina threatened her with an ornate staff."
"Kaedin's staff," Pyrrha whispered. "We did say it was worth a lot of lien."
Yang scowled and shook her head. "No way. I refuse to believe she'd up and steal our stuff like that. Even if she wanted to, why go through the effort of wrecking this place? It makes no sense."
"It would limit our ability to chase after her…"
"Pyr, I love you, but stop speaking like that or I'll get angry and do something you'll regret."
The mounting tension kicked me back into the real world, and arguments at least were easier to deal with than this. "Yang, Pyrrha, stop it," I snapped. "There's no point to fighting. I know you're both upset – we all are. Let's just… let's just sit down and sort this out, okay?"
"Arc is right," Weiss said, stepping forward to stand beside me. She looked to Glynda. "Where is Velvet?"
"I'm afraid she has fled Beacon. I tried to speak with her to find out her side of the story, but her room was empty." Miss Goodwitch sighed. "All her belongings were also gone, and she took her earnings and final pay with her."
I winced. Way to set a good image there, Velvet.
"I am sorry for your loss," the teacher said. "I realise this isn't easy, especially not to hear this, but the rules are clear. Any damage caused by the Guild must be repaid by the Guild. Velvet Scarlatina was your Seneschal – your employee. She was a part of the Guild and under your supervision. If you can't repair this, I'll have to take it back for Beacon."
"But we'll be homeless," Ruby pointed out.
"You will always have the communal dorms, Miss Rose. I am not suggesting you will be expelled, nor even suspended. In fact, we are being unusually lenient on this, as we understand this was not exactly your fault. We won't demand reparations, nor will we punish you in any way." Miss Goodwitch smiled as best she could. "I would like to avoid this unfortunate scene if I could, but even I am beholden to the rules. I'm sorry."
She looked it. She genuinely did. Even so, I couldn't quite find the right words. Should I thank her, complain, shout that Velvet was innocent? In the end it was Weiss that saved me, as she stepped forward to take control.
"Thank you for meeting us and letting us know, Miss Goodwitch. Rest assured, we will have the Lodge repaired in no time."
"I am glad to hear it, Miss Schnee." The Warlock bowed her head. "The rules of Beacon require us to reclaim the Guild Hall within the month, but the headmaster has said we can turn a blind eye for two." She winced. "I am sorry, but that is all we can do."
"It will be enough. Thank you for understanding our plight."
It was a dismissal as clear as day, even if Weiss made it the politest one I'd ever heard. Miss Goodwitch saw it for what it was, nodded and wished them good luck as she walked back to the main school building. She left behind a heavy silence.
Eventually, Yang broke it.
"This isn't right. Velvet wouldn't do this."
"I agree," Weiss said. "I'm not sure she could do this. She is only a Tailor after all. No offence," she added with a glance towards me. "I don't see what motive she would have."
"The Staff is from a high level Mage," Ren said. "It would be worth a lot – especially to someone who doesn't have the earning potential we do."
"Then she would have taken that and left. There's no reason to do this much damage. All it would do is ensure we pursue her in search of revenge." Weiss snorted. "I very much doubt an NP- a member of the Labour Caste, would dare court that nightmare."
"What do we do?" Ruby asked. "We can't get this repaired in two months. Not unless we do another Quest like Atlas." She shivered, showing us all what she thought of that. "I'm not even sure we could find another Quest that pays so well."
"At least there are the dorms," Yang said. "I guess that's our only option."
"I'm not sure we have that," Weiss said.
All eyes turned to her. "What do you mean?" I asked.
"I'd have to check the contract to be sure, but I have a feeling this will invalidate the terms that were set between Torchwick and us. The building belongs to him and is being rented to us. If Beacon reclaims the Guild, he will lose it." She sighed. "He will not appreciate that, nor will he have left such a hole in his contract."
"He'll make us pay him back for the losses," I realised. "He'll take all of our equipment. We wouldn't be expelled, but we'll be forced out of Beacon nonetheless."
"Torchwick!" Yang snarled. "This is his doing. We were close to paying off the building and getting it for ourselves, so he did this to slow us down."
"But he said he wanted to sell it to us," Pyrrha said. "Jaune and I met with him. He seemed more than willing to go ahead with it. He seemed trustworthy."
"Pyrrha, he's a crook! He caught us in a bad deal and now wants to fleece us for what little we have left."
"I don't think he would do that. I trust him."
Yang bristled and looked like she might attack the other girl, but Ruby stopped her with a hand on the arm. Nora did the same with Pyrrha.
I couldn't help but watch with narrowed eyes. Pyrrha trusted Torchwick? Why would she do that? The idea itself was nonsense. No. it was stupidity beyond belief. Pyrrha wasn't an idiot, nor was she gullible. "Why do you trust him Pyrrha?" I asked. "What made you think he had our best interests in heart?"
The Champion's eyes widened. "Well, I… he…" Her face twisted as she looked for the answer. Sweat beaded on her brow, and she cringed as if in pain. "I… don't know," she finally admitted. "I just… he said we could trust him. I…"
"And you believed him?" Yang asked. She laughed. "Seriously Pyrrha, don't be an idiot. He's a criminal!"
"But he said-"
"Forget what he said." I stepped towards her and looked into her eyes. She looked confused, hurt, but also a little vacant. I scratched my chin and went with a random idea. "Hey Pyrrha, do you remember the deal he proposed for us when we met him?"
Her eyes lit up. "Yes! He asked us if we'd be willing to sell the staff we got from Kaedin."
"That's right. He offered us eight thousand lien for it." I tried not to react as Nora snorted, and Ren whispered about the amount. I kept my eyes on Pyrrha's. "What did you think of that deal?" I asked. "Was it a good one?"
"I think so. Eight thousand is a lot of money."
"Pyrrha, eight thousand for a staff like that is a joke," Weiss said. "Kaedin Sands was a powerful Mage. His staff is likely the same. It would be worth ten times that, or maybe even more."
"I-It is?" Pyrrha looked around for help, but no one provided it.
"It was a bad deal," Ren agreed.
"Yep." Nora said.
"I mean, he was really old," Ruby whispered. "That was probably his tenth weapon or something, and he'd have gone for the best he could find. That bow we got was almost worth that much…"
"I…" Pyrrha's brow creased. "But it was a good deal. It was the best we would get."
"It's the best deal you'll get."
The exact same words Roman had told us. I took a deep breath, but wasn't sure what to do with the suspicion. "Forget it," I said. "We should get inside and unload our gear. We might as well see what's still in one piece and what isn't." I took a step towards the Lodge, and hesitated. We'd left someone behind, and she shifted awkwardly. "Ah, Blake…" I winced. "Sorry you had to see all this. Uh… I'd invited you in, but…"
"It's fine," she said. Her golden eyes scanned mine. "Is there any way I can help?"
"No… this…" I sighed.
"This is our problem," Weiss said, coming to my rescue yet again. "Thank you for your aid, but this is an issue for our Guild. It would be better if you didn't get involved."
Better for her. It went unsaid, but we all knew it.
Blake looked between us and the Lodge with an unreadable expression. Even had she wanted to help, there was little she could do. An Assassin wasn't exactly skilled with rebuilding a house. She sighed and backed away. Her lips parted, but she hesitated. In the end, she didn't say anything. She nodded her head to each of us, and headed back to the school building.
I don't think I was the only one who wished I could follow.
/-/
The inside of the Lodge was as bad as the out. Our couches were overturned and badly damaged, while the wooden chairs we'd had were discarded by the walls, shattered into pieces. It looked like someone had taken them and thrown them against the woodwork. There were also feathers everywhere, as the cushions were torn and shredded.
"Velvet made these," Yang growled, sat on one of the couches she'd turned back over. "Why would she tear up her own cushions?"
"I don't know already!" Weiss snapped. "I think we can all agree we have no idea what's going on or why, and you can't jump to conclusions," she added. "I know you want to blame Torchwick, but there were witnesses that said Velvet did this."
"What if they were on his side? What if they were wrong?"
"How wrong can you be when your name floats above your head?"
Weiss had a point there. Even I had to admit that. True, my amulet had changed my Class, but I'd never heard of anything like that before and definitely not something that would change both. It didn't mean such a thing couldn't exist, but it was a long stretch. And if Velvet had been framed, then why had she fled Beacon? Why hadn't she stayed to give her side of the story?
"We need to find out what's going on," I said.
"We also need to figure out what we're going to do," Weiss warned. "It's no good going on a crusade for the truth if we end up getting kicked out of Beacon."
"There's the contract as well," Ren said. "Someone should read through that and see what happens if Beacon reclaims the Guild Hall."
"And repairs," Pyrrha sighed. "We can't sleep in here like this…"
My head pounded. That was too much, and with too little time. Naturally, they were going to look to me for an answer, though I had no idea what I'd done to warrant such faith. Maybe it was just that everyone else was like Pyrrha and didn't want to be in charge. I'd been lumped with it thanks to process of elimination.
It wouldn't continue to be an issue if we got thrown out, but I could kiss my dream of becoming a Hero goodbye. Even then, I'd be better off than everyone else, wouldn't I? I could take off my amulet and go back to being a Blacksmith. With my high level, I could even make a good living off it. The others wouldn't have that luxury. They'd be seen as failures and outcasts, and likely relegated to the Soldier Caste. Their futures would be ruined, their ambitions over. Their lives would be ruined.
I couldn't accept that.
"Yang…" I whispered.
She looked up. "Yeah?"
"I want you to go into Vale and find Velvet. Take Nora with you to act as a tracker, and Ruby as well in case she makes a run for it. Try to find out what happened. Get the staff back if it's there. We might be able to sell that and fix the Lodge with it."
"Hey, yeah – that's a plan!" Yang grinned and surged to her feet, already halfway to the door before she realised she'd forgotten the others. "Nora, Rubes, you comi-"
"Already ahead of you, sis!" Ruby laughed and slipped under her arm.
"Let's go, let's go!" Nora agreed, bowling Yang out the way. The door slammed shut behind them. If they found Velvet, that would be good – but the staff was the prize. Even so, I couldn't stop there. My head turned to the left.
"Pyrrha, I want you to take Ren and read through the contract. Try to find anything related to what happens if we lose the Lodge."
"Okay!" Pyrrha smiled and rushed off with Ren in tow. She looked relieved to have something to do.
Weiss raised an eyebrow towards me. "Is there any reason you didn't want me looking into that? I'd have thought I would be the best fit for research."
"You would be, but I want you to come with me and meet Torchwick."
"You suspect something…"
"I suspect a lot of things right now," I said. It was hard not to. "I have more suspicions than answers, but we need to sort something out. I want to see what he has to say about this, and we probably need to meet with him anyway."
"Why take me? I want the real answer, Arc. There's something that's rattled you, and I don't appreciate being left in the dark." Her eyes widened, and then narrowed. "Is this about Pyrrha's reaction to Torchwick?"
Weiss caught on quick, as usual. She was smart like that, or maybe I was just obvious. Either way, I shrugged my shoulders and nodded. "When we first met him, Pyrrha wanted to go ahead with that deal."
"Eight thousand is a fool's amount…"
"I know, and… I think Pyrrha knows that too, or knew it."
"Explain." Weiss commanded.
"At the time, he used the exact words `the best deal we would get`, and Pyrrha's repeated them almost three times now. She believed him instantly, and I know she's not great at bartering, but this is a step too far. She's not an idiot, but she definitely seemed it there."
"You think there's foul play involved, and that Pyrrha might already be affected. You also think I'll be better suited against it…" She hummed to herself. "The differences between Pyrrha and I would be my Intelligence Stat. You assume that will let me look above such ruses?"
"Actually, I was thinking more on your Charisma," I admitted. "I remember in Class, Oobleck said Mages have a B score in Charisma. Is that right?"
"It is. Some schools of Magic actually use Charisma as their primary Stat, hence we need it. Pyrrha, on the other hand, would not. Hmm, so you think she was influenced somehow and had no defence against it? Interesting…" Weiss regarded me. "As a Knight, your Charisma score would have protected you, which explains why you were not tricked into selling it."
Actually, no, it didn't. A real Knight probably would have been fine, but my Charisma was garbage. That was the one thing which ruined my theory, and it still bothered me. If Roman had tried some Charisma play, then surely he would have caught me in it as well.
Still, it was the only idea I had, and all we could go with.
"It's as good a plan as any," the Mage said, standing. "Come, let's go and see what he has to offer."
/-/
"Yeah, I heard about what happened," Roman said. "It's a real nightmare. Who'd have thought a little thing like her would have been capable of such damage? Shows you there's more to people than meets the eye, huh? It's always the quiet ones."
Weiss smiled politely and laughed along, but was clear to me – and probably Roman too – that she wasn't in the mood. It hadn't taken us long to reach the TRE Guild Hall, and the same silent girl as before had been waiting for us. She'd led us down to Roman without much fuss, and it had seemed he was waiting for them.
Was that suspicious?
Part of me wanted to think so, but at the same time, the building was listed in his name, so he'd have been made aware before we were. That was if the news hadn't already reached all over Beacon by now. I couldn't help but think gossip of a Guild completely trashing their Hall would be juicy to most people.
Either way, Roman was as friendly and affable as he was the last time.
"I'll waive your rent for this month, but that's the best I can do. I have to make a living as well, and if I lose the Hall, I'll be out of pocket."
"Thank you for agreeing to that much," Weiss said. "I assure you that we'll do our best to continue paying as per the terms of our agreement."
"I hope so. You lot have been good customers so far. I'd rather see you in than out."
He seemed so casually honest about it, and it made sense. Had I overreacted? Had Pyrrha been right? I always weighed in on the side of the Labour Caste, seeing them as the victims, but here and now, was that still the case? Kaedin's weapon was worth a lot of lien, and more than a Tailor could earn in eight years or more. Velvet could open her own business with that kind of money.
Was she really responsible for all of this?
"We would rather stay in Beacon as well," Weiss said. "Forgive me, but I've been forgetful lately. What happens if we fail to save the building before Beacon repossesses it?"
"Let's not that happen, hey?"
"Or course not, but if it does… what would be the fallout?"
Roman sighed and leaned back in his chair. He crossed one arm over his chest and used the other to bring a cigar to his mouth. He took a drag, and then let out a short cloud of smoke. "The fallout would be bad for all of us," he said. "I'd lose the building, and worse, my chances of getting another within the school. Sure, the teachers would think it your fault for wrecking the place, but I'd be in trouble for not doing enough checks to make sure this didn't happen." He winced and put his cigar down in a little ash tray. "I wouldn't be in that much trouble, but it would cut into our profits. I don't want that to happen."
"Naturally," Weiss accepted, "but what would happen to us?"
"Well, I'd need you to cover my losses, I'm afraid. Our contract is a pretty standard tenant's agreement. If you cause damage to the property, you have to pay for it to be repaired. If you lost it entirely, you'd need to repair that damage."
"We'd need to buy you another Guild Hall!? Are you-" I froze as Weiss' hand touched my leg, but that wasn't the only reason. It was the actual ice creeping up my feet, securing me in place. Her eyes were on mine, and very cold. She shook her head. "N-Never mind," I said, sitting down. "I apologise for my outburst."
"Please forgive him, Roman. He's been badly affected by this, as have we all."
"Well, I suppose that's understandable." He grinned at me. "No hard feelings, kid. I'll let it go."
Why, that slimy son of a bitch! I wanted nothing more than to leap across the table and strangle him, but Weiss' ice wouldn't let me. That was probably a good thing given that he was in a much higher year than I was. Whether a Thief was a combat Class or not, he'd probably smear me across the wall of his office.
"Thank you for that," Weiss said politely. "I think we've done what we came for. We just wanted to keep you abreast of what happened." Weiss stood, and since the ice cracked off my feet, I assumed I was supposed to as well.
"Appreciate it, missy." Roman said. He remained seated opposite us. "Anything else I can help with?"
"No, I think that's all." Weiss turned away and motioned with her hand for me to follow. I did, and nearly walked into her as she paused in the doorway. "Oh, there was one thing," she said, speaking out loud. "I believe you offered my Guild mates a deal on a Staff. Is that still on the table? We might take you up on it."
No, we damn well wouldn't. I opened my mouth to complain, but froze when Weiss shot me a furious look. My teeth clicked together instead, and I looked away.
"I'd still pay eight thousand for it, yeah," Roman said. "Sadly, I don't think you have it anymore, do you?"
Weiss blinked. "Oh, you're right. Well, it's a shame but never mind. Thank you for your time, Roman. I'll hope to see you again with money for repairs. Have a good day." She nodded and made her way up the stairs without waiting for his response, and I followed in silence.
Neither of us spoke as we came up from the basement, nor as we made our way outside. It wasn't until we were several minutes away – and definitely out of hearing range – that I dared speak up. Even then, I kept my voice quiet.
"What did you think?" I asked. "I wasn't sure at first, but he did cut our rent for the month, and it makes sense he'd be in trouble if the hall was taken away." It hurt to admit it, especially after everything I'd claimed, but admit it I had to. "Maybe I was wrong."
"You weren't. He was lying."
"He was? How could you tell?"
Weiss looked behind her and around us, and then stopped by a babbling fountain attached to the side of someone else's Guild. She let out a long breath, and the pleasant – ever polite – expression on her face faded. It looked like she'd been forcing it on through the entire meeting.
"I hate politics," she said, frowning just because she could. "I hate people like him, too. People who say one thing but mean another annoy me. Compared to that, it's a blessing to deal with you lot, even if Yang winds me up on al almost daily basis."
"I… think she does that on purpose because your reactions are so..." I trailed off as she glared at me. "So, you said he was lying? How? I didn't spot anything."
"I'm not surprised. Roman Torchwick is good, I'll give him that. A Thief naturally has a D Stat for Charisma, so I've no idea how he's so charismatic, but I felt it affect me. His arguments made sense. His demeanour seemed sincere, and he was welcoming. Too welcoming…" Her eyes narrowed. "What really gave it away was how it ended. I asked him about Kaedin's staff, and he knew it was no longer in our possession. How could he have known that?"
"Well, it might have been part of the report from the teachers."
"And yet Miss Goodwitch never mentioned it to us," Weiss pointed out. "Beacon would also not have known what we had stored there, or in what quantities. If they had record of the staff being stolen, then surely they would have also informed us of it. There was no such report. Miss Goodwitch only informed us of the damage that was done, and of her attempts to find out the full story. She would have focused on that long before she considered stolen goods. She'd no doubt wait for us to submit a report of what was stolen. After all, we're the only ones who would know."
"We're the only ones who should know," I finished for her. "Which means Torchwick was aware of what happened – and of what was taken." My eyes widened. "Is this proof he was responsible?"
"Not necessarily," Weiss countered, "or not in the way you believe. Velvet might have stolen it and Torchwick simply checked for the staff. She might also have worked for him. You need to consider that he might have asked Velvet to do that, or paid her, or similar. Another explanation is that he simply did his research, and noticed the staff being sold in Vale." She shook her head. "We can't jump to conclusions yet, I'm afraid."
More complications, then… not exactly what I wanted, but the best I'd get. We set off again on the journey back to the Lodge, our conversation mostly focused around Torchwick, the contract, and what we'd do about it. Paying for a new Guild Hall was out of the question. There was no way we'd be able to afford that, but paying for the repairs on it again left sour taste in my mouth.
"We'll have to see what the others find," Weiss said. "I suppose we've already done Ren and Pyrrha's task for them, but it'll be worth seeing if the others can find Velvet."
I glanced towards her. "You don't sound confident of that."
"I'm not. If she really did run, there's a good chance she will have left the city."
"We can't-" My words were cut off by a strange feeling against my waist. It felt like something vibrating and heating up. "Sorry, I think my Stone is going off."
"Excuse me?"
Weiss sounded unimpressed, but made a sound of understanding as I pulled out the strange magical Stones Archmage Ironwood had given us. I held it to my ear and spoke the magic word, "Accept."
"-aun, Jaune, can you hear me?"
"I hear you, Ruby," I said.
"Oh, cool. I didn't know if this would work or not, and it's the first time I've really used it, so I didn't-" Ruby cut off, and I could hear some voices in the background talking to her. "Oh right, sorry. Um, Yang says we need you and Weiss to come back to the Lodge. We're on the way home."
"You're coming back already? Did you find her? What happened? Did she do it?"
"I think it's probably best you see for yourself. We found her, but she won't tell us anything. You… Jaune, I think you need to see for yourself." Ruby sounded so serious, so unusually serious, that I couldn't help but nod. It took me a second to realise she couldn't see that.
"Okay, we'll be there." I held the Stone up. "End Communication."
"Progress?" Weiss asked.
"I have no idea. They want us back at the Lodge."
"This better be worth it," Weiss grumbled. "This whole mess is complicated enough as it is."
Funnily enough, I didn't think it was about to get any easier. I kept that unpopular thought to myself, however. Instead, I jogged ahead, the Mage hiking up her robes to do the same behind me.
We arrived back in good time, but the others still beat us to it. Weiss and I saw them through the shattered window as we arrived, and more than that, a pair of rabbit ears, too. I felt a tugging in my stomach, an unpleasant sensation, as I realised what that meant. Velvet had been in Vale, which meant she had fled from Beacon. And if she wouldn't tell Ruby, Yang and Nora anything, that meant she was hiding things, too.
To think that someone I'd vouched for what do such a thing. Maybe I was blind. Maybe I was unfair on Heroes, and needed to stop playing my Caste off like we were the victims. I looked to Weiss, and she looked back. She sighed, ducked her head, and pushed through the opening where our door had once been.
I hesitated outside.
It was a stupid thing, because I knew I'd need to go in eventually. I couldn't let a single girl frighten me away from where I needed to sleep, but at the same time, I wasn't sure I was prepared to hear her reasons.
I can't jump to conclusions… I can't sit out here all night, either. Time to be the brave Knight I'm claiming to be.
The others were silent as I stepped in through the door and into the living area. Their faces told me in an instance that the news wouldn't be good. Too solemn by far and when both Nora and Ruby looked like that, you knew something was up. Either sugar had been outlawed, or I was about to get some of the worst news ever. I braced myself for the worst. "I'm here."
Velvet flinched. Her shoulders became hunched, and her ears drooped.
"About time, champ. We found Velvet." Yang gestured needlessly towards the girl. She was garbed in a thick robe with a hood down by her shoulders. Whether she'd chosen to wear that, or it was the only way they'd been able to smuggle her into Beacon, I didn't know. "She won't tell us what happened though," Yang added. "Nor who did this."
"I-I can't…"
"Can't, or won't?" I growled, and grabbed at her shoulder. Weiss shot me a warning look but I ignored it, and spun her around.
My breath caught.
"I can't," Velvet cried. Tears poured from her eyes, both the right, and the swollen left – down cheeks black and purple from bruises, and over a lip that split and bled. She gasped and sobbed, and my hand fell away as if it had been scorched. Far from the frightened criminal I'd expected, I was presented with someone who'd clearly been beaten black and blue. "I can't," she repeated. "They said they'd kill me if I did!"
"Who…" I asked vacantly. My eyes were wide, my mind abuzz. "Who did this to you?"
"Someone who wanted Velvet out of the way," Yang replied, growling as she took the terrified girl in her arms. She kept Velvet's face against her breasts, and the girl burst into tears. "Someone who wanted to make sure she didn't come back, and that even if we found her, she'd be too afraid to talk about it." Her eyes flashed red. "Someone who's crossed the line!"
"Torchwick…" I breathed out. My eyes slid to Weiss', and she nodded. "We have to take this to the teachers."
"We have no proof."
"Velvet is proof," I yelled, throwing an arm towards her. She whimpered and burrowed deeper into Yang's grip.
"She can't talk of it, and even if she could, no one would believe her. There are witnesses who saw her do this."
"But Weiss, she's injured," Ruby shouted. "If she did this, she wouldn't look like that! Who did she lose a fight with, the wall!?"
"I know that, Ruby. Damn it, I'm just saying that they'll need more than that!"
"Weiss is right," I said, and then instantly regretted it as several sets of eyes turned to me. Ruby crossed her arms, while Yang hugged Velvet tighter and glared. Nora leaned suggestively on her weapon, and even Pyrrha looked disturbed. I held my arms out and addressed them all. "I'm not saying we're not going to do anything. We are. I'm just saying that going to the teachers isn't going to work. Like Weiss says, there are witnesses who claim to have seen Velvet do this. Her word isn't going to count against that, and her being beaten up by someone she won't even name isn't going to help."
"Then what do we do?" Yang asked. "We're just going to leave it like this? If Torchwick did this, then we can't just keep paying him. He'll do it again and again – and as many times as he needs to until we're thrown out."
"Then he'll repair the Hall before Beacon claims it," Weiss said. Her eyes flashed. "That's his goal. He wasn't lying when he said the Hall being repossessed would be bad for him, but he doesn't intend to let it get that far. He'll force us out, claim our gear, then keep the Guild Hall and use it to trap some more gullible students next year." She slammed her hand down on the table, then winced when Velvet whimpered. Voice a little lower, she continued. "Yang is correct. There's no point in continuing to pay him. We need a solution."
Blake's words hit me like a mace.
"We fight like Rogues."
Weiss turned towards me. "Huh?"
"We've been doing this wrong the whole time." I paced across the room, my mind awhirl. "We've been playing by the rules and trying to get out of this legitimately. We've been doing everything by the book. Torchwick hasn't. We never stood a chance in the first place. What did we expect, when we're not playing the same game?"
"You're not making any sense, Arc."
"Aren't I?" I stopped by her. "Weiss, if someone challenged you to a game of chess and cheated; what would you do? Would you keep playing and try to beat him, even when he keeps moving the pieces around as he wishes?"
"No. It would be a waste of time. I wouldn't be able to win if we didn't play by the same… rules…"
Her mouth fell open.
"I think I see Jaune's point," Ren said. "So long as we continue like this, we're at Torchwick's mercy. He knows how to bend the rules to his favour, and he's no doubt made sure we can't go to the teachers with this. He expects us to try and expose him. He'll have plans in place to make sure we can't."
"Then we don't," I said. "At least, not in the way he expects. We don't try to expose him for fraud. We get him for something worse."
"And what would that be?"
I opened my arms wide and gestured to the room we were in, or more specifically, the ruined and broken remnants of it. I then pointed to Velvet, who had fallen into a fitful slumber in Yang's arms. The poor girl looked exhausted, physically and mentally.
"I thought you said we didn't have enough proof for that," Yang whispered, stroking the girl's hair. "Velvet isn't going to talk. She's been scared into silence."
"We don't need her to talk," I said. "Torchwick has been pretty clever so far, but he made one mistake. Or rather, he let greed get the better of him – and that will lead to his downfall. To be fair, it's hard to blame him. There's a lot of lien involved. He got impatient."
Weiss gasped. It seemed she'd caught my meaning, and she surged to her feet. "The staff!"
"Exactly…" I turned to the others, a grin on my face. "Torchwick may have framed Velvet for this, but he couldn't wait to get his hands on Kaedin's staff. It had to be his, and he must have gotten impatient when Pyrrha and I refused to sell it. Whomever he sent to do this, they also took off with it. But the thing is, the headmaster and Miss Goodwitch saw us return from the Quest with it. They know it belongs to us."
"So, we tell them it was stolen and that Torchwick has it," Pyrrha said.
Ren shook his head. "He'd sell it before they arrived, or just hide it. We're almost certainly being watched, so if we go to the teachers, he'll know. That's if they believe us at all. It might take time for them to go through procedures to search his Guild Hall, and that's time we don't have. He'll look to shift the staff as soon as possible."
"Then what are you suggesting?" Yang asked. "Just say it simple for us so we can understand."
"I'm saying we need to stop thinking like Heroes, and start thinking like Rogues. We need to play him at his own game, and win. We need to find Kaedin's staff, and prove that he stole it from us."
"You want us to infiltrate a literal den of thieves, and steal something from them?"
I looked to each of them in turn, noting the shock, horror and downright disbelief on their faces. As a plan, it was definitely a pretty poor one – but it was the only thing we had, and maybe Blake had been right all along about that. I took a deep breath and looked at them all.
"Yep."
What do you want? If you make a guy like Jaune the leader, he's going to propose unsound plans. Either way, it's time to take the fight to Torchwick and put an end to this once and for all. Or die trying. One of those two options, definitely.
Anyway, there's the chapter. Hope you enjoyed. I suppose we're actually only six chapters or so from the end of this book, but I'll still not be able to actually give out the name of this book until near the end.
It's worth noting for aspiring authors, that a thing like Velvet would be normally best set out over two chapters. I.e. she is suspected in the first, and then revealed as not being the criminal in the second. That said, at 7k, this actually is the length of two chapters – and if this were a real book, it would probably be cut into two anyway, with the Weiss & Jaune meeting Roman part being the beginning of the second chapter. I toyed with the idea of splitting it up, but it would have padded things out and dragged them on. Ultimately, I shrugged and went with this.
Next Chapter: 31st July
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