Next plot chapter. Couldn't do the omake since people still seem torn on which team, though I think there's a slight leaning towards team Chaos by the end. Man, people have been hammering Blake in the reviews. Poor kitty. The one time she ran away she stopped Roman Torchwick, so what's everyone complaining about? Just cause she forced her friend into a fake relationship doesn't mean anything.
Anyway, this chapter has Blake either somewhat redeeming herself from being Worst Girl or just slipping down even further. You decide. This chapter ended up having some surprising focus on Weiss as well, though Blake still gets the lion's share of thoughts and development.
A lot of people also seemed to perceive Yang's segments as having the best chemistry, though whether it's romantic or not varies. A part of me is tempted to write a love triangle just for the possible segments and interactions. At the very least I can make a joke about Qrow realizing she's seeing a Rose and a Branwen fighting over a stupid blue-eyed blonde again. Then he starts drinking cause that shit was bad enough the first time.
On a side note, I'm looking back at the story premise and remembered some changes I made. The biggest one was that Jaune originally had no Aura despite being the babysitter of four Maidens. This would've really upped the black comedy and cringe comedy since the dude's life would've been in legitimate danger if the girls went off near him. Good thing I went with him unlocking it before chapter 1.
Ruby Rose was dying in his arms.
"Jaune..." She raised a hand up weakly, coughing as blood dribbled past her pale lips. He held onto her tightly, ignoring everyone else's cries about the monsters bearing down on them. He couldn't leave her, not like this. She was his best friend, the first one who'd accepted him into the team and saved him more than once since their journey began. He'd give his life for her's without any hesitation.
He tried to do just that, channeling as much of his power into her failing body before Weiss pulled him back, "It's too late!" she screamed. Jaune tried to struggle but his flails were weak and ineffectual. He'd been hurt so much that even Weiss' slender frame was able to pull him with disgusting ease, "You can't save her anyway! If we stay here then we'll all die!"
"I can't just do nothing!" he shouted back.
"We need to leave now!" Yang shouted, barely able to hold back the charging monster with her shield. Apart from Ruby she'd taken the most damage. One of her eyes had been gouged out and it took everything she had not to collapse on the ground next to her sister. At her side, Blake stabbed her blade against the large creature's back and twisted when it was ground hilt first into the dark flesh.
"She's your sister!" Jaune cried, "We can't just leave her! We can't!
"J-Jaune..." Ruby said again, barely heard over the din of combat and struggles, "It's alright. We had some fun, didn't we? I'll...see you soon." She laughed, giving him one last look at the radiant smile he'd grown to adore so-
"Okay, I have to interrupt here."
Jaune looked up to Blake and raised a brow. Across the table, Ruby looked annoyed at her dramatic death scene being interrupted, "What? We were just getting to the good part!" the redheaded reaper protested.
"It's dragging on too long," Blake countered, grabbing the dice before Ruby could. Next to them on the table, Weiss and Yang remained quiet while Tuskon, their gamemaster, munched on some chips.
The six of them were at the back of Tuskon's bookstore playing a rousing game of Bastilles and Beowolves, or B&B for short. Ruby had suggested, as always, they had a team day out for the weekend and they'd all agreed. After how their trip to Domremy ended, and Blake's sudden DustNet infamy, they all agreed. Even one day of forgetting all their problems sounded great right now.
It was sort of a surprise when Blake then suggested they do this. She claimed it was better than Yang's idea of going on a nightclub, Ruby's idea of going to a weapon showcase, and Weiss' idea of attending an Atlesian seven stage opera. He didn't even ask Blake how she knew Tuskon was a good gamemaster. As soon as noon had hit they'd made their way here and set everything up.
Even more surprisingly, everyone but Weiss had actually played it before. Blake chalked it up to boredom and lack of entertainment back in Menagerie while he and Ruby were shameless nerds who saw no need to justify themselves. Yang, meanwhile, shuddered and said it was part of a regretful past, back when she still wore glasses, had pigtails, and she wasn't the 'coolest chick on Patch'.
Humble as always.
"No it's not! Dice said I have Last Breath so I can have a dramatic death scene!" Ruby said.
"Yeah, and while you're doing that we're being eaten up by the werewolves." Blake's cat ears twitched in annoyance. He wondered just how this girl could lie to anyone considering she wore her heart on on her sleeve. Or her ears, as the case may be, "Most people use their Last Breath mechanic to perform a heroic sacrifice to take down a villain or at least do a distraction. All you're doing is getting the rest of the party killed."
"Well, I need a good sendoff!" Ruby threw her hands up, "We agreed on a no resurrection campaign I can't come back from this!"
"It's your fault for rushing in there, you dunce," Weiss said, looking at her partner with absolutely no sympathy. Ruby looked between Blake and Weiss as if she'd been betrayed, "We were told that the artifact was booby trapped. Why didn't you wait for me to dispel the enchantments?"
"I got excited, okay? Geez..." Ruby crossed her arms and pouted, "You know, this wouldn't have happened if someone did their job of tanking."
"I can't tank if you choose to run twenty feet ahead of me, Rubicus of Dorkon." Yang rolled her eyes.
"You know we probably could've saved you if you didn't pick a Damphir. The race that can't be healed by clerical magic," Jaune felt the need to point out, "It's kinda your fault we ended up here."
Ruby growled, not at all happy that the entire group had united against her. Hey, it wasn't their fault she'd chosen such a niche combo. Seriously, who the hell would pick a Damphir Inquisitor? Those guys were useless at low levels and they didn't have the party or money to channel negative energy or buy potions of Hurt. They warned her as much and she'd blown them off, saying everything would be fine.
The rest of the party was more balanced, at least. Blake had made a half-Elf assassin with a dip into rogue for lockpicking and disarming traps, Weiss an Elven sorcerer with an ice dragon bloodline, and Jaune a halfling Bard for that bonus to Charisma. He was gonna pick Paladin, but Yang had beaten him to the punch with a Human Female Crusader and said she was gonna be the holy sword and board. The expected Monk class was met with a scoff about how she didn't want to roleplay 'an uptight hobo'.
"You know, this wouldn't have happened if you let me use my old character..." Ruby muttered.
"Oh, you mean the one who's a total Mary Sue?" Yang smirked.
"Onyx Nightshroud is not a Mary Sue!" Ruby cried defensively. Everyone else's silence, even those of Weiss', spoke volumes.
Yang raised a brow, "Rubes, you made a Damphir Chronomancer that had Dragon Lineage and busted attributes. She literally had an artifact cloak that you gave her in character creation that made her immune to non-magical weapons and natural attacks. Oh, and you gave the last game master the puppy dog eyes so of course he gave you a +5 life drain scythe as a reward after our first campaign."
"So?" Ruby asked back shamelessly.
"By the Brothers, this is my first time playing this game and I know there's something wrong with this picture." Weiss huffed, "I swear, if your antics lead to the death of the Lady de Chastain then you and me are gonna have words, Rose." A part of him wasn't surprised that Weiss had taken to roleplaying just a little too quickly. Before they'd even finished up their characters she'd constructed a whole elaborate backstory about how her character had rebelled against her noble family and struck out as an adventurer to find her own path in life.
It clearly wasn't based on anything personal, no siree.
"So are we gonna continue the game or what?" Tuskon asked. It was nice of the guy to spot them with barely any warning. He'd waved it off and said being in a bookstore left him a lot of time to read up on modules.
"Yes," Weiss said before Ruby could answer, "Ruby, make a new character and this time pick something sensible. I won't place the Lady de Chastain's fate in a Kobold Monk or whatever insane combination you can think off."
"Killjoy..."
"What was that?" Blue eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Nothing! Nothing at all!"
Jaune waited as Ruby grumbled and started over from scratch. Being in the dark room with the rest of the team, it was easy to forget about everything piled up on them. In here magic was just a fantasy and they could be whoever and whatever they wanted. Team RWBY didn't have to worry about people coming for their powers or having to tell grieving family members that their husband, wife, children, or parents died.
He rubbed both palms slowly. They'd told Winter about his Semblance and what it could do for both the team's magic and their own Semblances. She'd been surprised. Apparently direct Aura manipulation was a relatively rare Semblance, so much so that she knew only a single one in all of Atlas' military to have a similar ability; a Specialist by the name of Vine. Even then he used it as direct extensions of his fighting technnique rather than transferring it from himself to others.
Either way she'd informed them that she would tell the general after that day's training session and come up with some new simulations afterwards. On the bright side he was considered more of an 'asset' now. On the not so bright side, she and General Ironwood probably saw him as nothing more than an Aura battery for the rest of the team, even if they didn't say it out loud just yet.
Whatever. After his talk with Yang he kind of realized he didn't really care what they thought of him. They weren't his friends like the rest of team RWBY were. Their opinions mattered more than people he barely shared two conversations with.
While they were waiting, Jaune looked across the table to Blake and gave him a subtle nod. Well, subtle in the sense that someone across the street maybe wouldn't have noticed it. Everyone else on the table, even Ruby who was trying to find something that wouldn't set off Weiss, noticed the gesture. Yang rolled her eyes and took a couple of Tuskon's chips. The girl wasn't nearly as stealthy as she thought she was.
Standing up and dropping a note in his lap as she passed by wasn't subtle either. Jaune looked at the tiny slip of paper that said 'WE'RE GOING TONIGHT' in big, bold letters and sighed. Of course her suggesting the game was part of that plan. If their game lasted long enough then they could stay in Vale past the curfew and wouldn't be able to go back to Beacon. This way she could sneak out of whatever hotel they were planning to stay at and come back before the others woke up. It would've been foolproof...
If he didn't tell everyone the second she'd left the room yesterday to make plans.
What? Just cause she had a problem about being a lone wolf - or was it lone cat? - didn't mean he had to feed into her craziness. It was either this or coming back after no doubt getting delayed after getting into unexplainable shenanigans to the team waiting for them. And then Blake would say something stupid about how they were necking each other in the Emerald Forest cause telling the truth was like pulling teeth for her.
Blake doubled back after her 'trip to the bathroom' and narrowed her eyes at him, silently asking if he was sure he wanted to come along. He didn't bother dignifying that with a response. She was his friend, of course he was sure about coming with her to meet the leader of Remnant's most notorious terrorist group. If he didn't she might've destroyed Vale. Granted she would've crippled terrorism, but destroying a kingdom was a bit too high of a price for that.
"I'm ready!" Ruby shouted, throwing down her new character sheet. Jaune looked over her shoulder. Female Human Ranger with exotic weapons proficiency and a Dog companion. Alright, that they could work with.
"Everyone ready?" Tuskon asked.
"Ready," they all said.
Blake looked at the time on the scroll. Two AM, it said. The meeting with Sienna was in an hour. Meeting so late - or so early, technically - made sense. Faunus had perfect night vision and most people were asleep at this time. Those that weren't such as many police officers were still groggy or unfocused due to the late/early hours and wouldn't really notice anything amiss. It wasn't as if the White Fang had 'TERRORIST' in bright glowing letters above their heads.
...Though, it would've been really useful if Adam did. The giant blaring 'ASSHOLE' would've been a real nice warning...on top of everyone from her parents to Sienna Khan herself telling her. Hey, she was young and dumb and made poor life choices.
"Alright..." Blake put the scroll back in her shorts pocket and took a deep breath. She'd decided to scout out ahead to ensure that there weren't any traps or any of the usual tricks she remembered. As unlikely as it is that Sienna Khan would come to Vale personally just to kill her, she couldn't be careless. Official policy was to hunt down all traitors, though in practice many sects ignored that rule if said traitor was too harmless or too troublesome to get to. Tuskon was the former and she was the latter. They knew she was in Beacon, but attacking a Huntsman academy was suicide in so many ways.
She'd been tempted to leave Jaune out altogether for his own safety. She hadn't told him the location and if she just didn't come back then he wouldn't have been able to find her. But she didn't. Despite everything, it was...nice to have someone who cared and trusted her enough to come along of their own volition; and not just because they wanted to control her or thought they knew better. He trusted her to know this was the right call.
Her lips quirked up in a small smile despite herself. For all her doubts about everything, becoming a part of team RWBY-J was one of the brightest spots in her life. After Amber's death she thought she was alone again. Now she was here, part of a team of Maidens just like her and given a task where the five of them could help save the world. While she hadn't given up on fighting for equality, being able to do something without having to question her methods was an utter relief after years of slippery slopes and moral lapses.
She was almost at the room now. The lights were off, as expected. All she had to do was pick up Jaune and go to the meeting. With any luck they'd be back before the other three woke up; and if they weren't back by the time they were awake then she had a list of excuses prepared already. Personally she was partial to the one where Jaune somehow got lost on the way to the bathroom and she had to lead him back. She knew he'd understand.
He was kind like that. A true friend, a sensible young man, and he-
"Hey, Blakey." Yang grinned.
-he was a fucking traitor!
Blake stood at the door, frozen in shock, as the lights turned on and her entire team - her friends - sat facing the door. The chairs were arranged in a semi-circle and the beds had been moved to the corners to give them more room. In front of the semi-circle was a lone chair, its very presence radiating despair, and Blake realized with rising dread that she knew exactly what this was.
Weiss smiled diplomatically and pressed her palms together, "Blake, I think it's time for an intervention."
Oh, hell no.
Blake turned around to escape the traitor and the rest of her teammates, but Ruby was faster. With a burst of Semblance enhanced speed, she sped past her, slammed the door shut, then dragged and sat her down onto the vacant chair. Before she could think about mounting another escape, Weiss used her own Semblance and covered all doors and windows with Glyphs.
There was no escape.
"This is for your own good, Blake!" Ruby said sweetly, walking back to her seat.
Blake turned to Jaune - her supposed friend - and glared, "You traitor..."
"Hey, don't look at me. I'm not the one who decided she was gonna meet a terrorist leader just cause she asked."
"I told you why!"
"Funny, you didn't tell us why." Yang cut in, and Blake shrunk in her seat at the look of almost parental disapproval she gave her, "Which is funny, cause I could sworn we had a talk about you going off on your own after your stunt at the docks. I remember you being super sorry about that. Was I just imagining that?" she asked Ruby and Weiss sarcastically.
"Nope, definitely remember that," Ruby chirped.
"As do I." Weiss nodded.
"Right, and then we had that thing where we basically grew as a team and learned to trust each other. That happened too, right? Cause I remember us all working together and being really good at stuff when we do that. Like the Breach. You remember that, Jaune?"
"I do." Jaune nodded.
"Yeah, so that's why it's really weird that we had to find out that our little kitty cat decided she was gonna go off and meet this Sienna Khan lady and dragged poor Jaune along without telling us. Super weird, actually."
"I didn't...drag him with me! He offered to join! I would've gone alone!"
"And that makes it better how?" Blake shrunk even lower when Yang's eyes turned blood red, her lax expression turning to something far more stern. Why did she feel like a kid again? "You're telling me your original plan was to go meet a terrorist leader and tell none of us about it? Not me, your partner, or the rest of your teammates? Am I getting that right?" Blake opened her mouth, "I suggest you pick your answer real carefully, Blakey."
"This...isn't how it was supposed to go," she said eventually.
"And how was it supposed to go? You meet Sienna Khan despite betraying the White Fang and absolutely nothing untoward happens?" Weiss raised a single brow. It a powerful gesture that spoke of many things for its subtelty; as expected of someone raised in Atlas high society.
"You should've told all of us, Blake! We're a team!" Ruby shouted. Blake flinched when those wide, silver eyes focused all on her.
"...I think I already told you how bad an idea this was, so I don't have to say anything." Jaune shrugged.
"Alright, fine, I should've told you!" Blake growled, trying and barely succeeding in repalcing her shame and guilt with indignation, "But what would you have done if I did?" she asked, still looking for a way out.'
"We would've gone with you!" Ruby said immediately. Jackpot. She'd found her way out.
"And you don't think Sienna Khan wouldn't be threatened when all five people who stopped the Breach show up at her doorstep?" Jaune shuffled in his seat, probably not expecting to be included in that context. Good grief. Even if he was a dirty traitor his lack of self-esteem was sad, "I had my doubts bringing Jaune along already, but at least he wasn't recorded despite being there too."
"If this talk's gonna be so peaceful then why the worry?" Yang asked.
"You go to a peaceful talk with a bomb and people are gonna get nervous even if you don't plan to use it." Weiss looked vaguely offended at being compared to an explosive. Speaking of... "And you don't think the White Fang's leader is gonna say something if I bring a Schnee to this talk?"
Finally, Weiss' confident demeanor faded and she looked uncertain. Good, now they were seeing sense. She didn't tell them for their own good. She did trust them, but this was the best way to keep them safe. To keep them-
"Uh-huh, and what's the excuse for Ruby and me? Cause I don't buy the whole 'she's threatened by us' thing." Yang crossed her arms.
...Shit.
"Why not?"
"Cause you're there and you're the scariest one? Last I checked, none of us could change the weather."
"She wouldn't be threatened because I'm too self-controlled for that. Right, Jaune?" He pointedly looked away and played with his scroll. Her eyes narrowed. The traitor wasn't doing a lot to get back in her good graces. He'd pay for that. When mom and dad came to visit again she'd tell them he proposed. That'd teach him, "Look, we were just going to share information. That's it."
"That isn't the point, Blake." Jaune brought a hand through his hair, "If I didn't walk in on you reading that letter, would you have told me?" She didn't reply. He sighed, "And what happens next time something like this happens? How many times are you just not gonna tell the rest of what's happening 'for our own good'? The last time you ran off alone you trashed the docks."
"I don't know why you guys keep bringing that up. It ended with stopping Roman Torchwick and putting an end to the Dust thefts. Oh, and I got a bunch of reward money that I'm sharing with all of you."
"...She's kinda got a point there," Ruby said.
"Because you won't always be so lucky." Yang breathed out frustatedly, "Sure, maybe if you go out alone and this Sienna woman tries to spring a trap you end up stopping her and become a national hero. Or, just level with me here, maybe she actually succeeds and you get hurt or killed. And we wouldn't even know about it because you didn't tell us!"
"That's because-"
"Do you trust us, Blake?" It was Weiss who asked, somewhat surprisingly.
"...What?"
"It's a simple question. Do you trust us? Because I do. All of you here are my friends."
"It's...not a question of trust. It's-"
"I know how difficult it must be to place your faith in others. I know all too well..." Weiss continued, completely ignoring her. Was...this still part of the intervention? "I grew up being told that everyone always wanted something from you. Wealth, influence, or even more...base desires." She frowned, "Every single interaction and relationship I've had I've viewed through that lens...until I met all of you."
"That's...really touching, Weiss, but I think we've-"
"For the first time in my life I've found people outside of my family that I care about and care about me. People to whom I'm just Weiss, a Huntress-in-training and not the heiress to the SDC." Alright, so Weiss had just hijacked her intervention. This would've been a good time to slip out, except the exits were still covered by glyphs...and Weiss didn't even look close to finished with her monologue.
The next three quarters of an hour were spent with Weiss going over the trauma she'd experienced in her past. Blake felt sorry for her, she really did, but somehow everyone had seemingly forgot the whole 'meeting with a terrorist leader' thing in favor of comforting their suddenly confessing teammate. Even Blake's attempt to escape had been foiled when Yang pulled her into a group hug after Ruby vowed that they would remain friends forever.
"Guys! I think we're missing the point here!" Blake shouted, struggling to pull herself away from the circle of limbs, "Remember the meeting with Sienna Khan? The meeting that's gonna take place in ten minutes and that I'm going to be late for now."
"Oh...right." Weiss coughed awkwardly, "I'm sorry, I was caught in the moment."
You were caught for forty five minutes, Blake wanted to scream. Instead she brought a hand down her face and sighed, "Look, I know you all are still angry, but going together as a group still isn't an option. Even if Weiss stays out - because bringing her is not going to happen - she will be threatened if three of the four Defenders of Vale show up in her doorstep."
"Then you're not going, cause there's no freaking way we're letting you and Jaune walk in there by yourselves," Yang said firmly.
"That's not an option either," Blake bit back.
"We're not going anywhere like this," Jaune cut in, "How about you three hide close by and be our backup? If something goes wrong you can swoop in and rescue us. You're good at that, right?"
"Bet your ass we are." Yang clicked her tongue, "Fine, guess it's better than the two of you going in there without any kind of safety net."
"Are you sure you'll both be okay?" Ruby asked.
"We'll be fine, but we have to leave now. Something tells me making Sienna Khan wait isn't a good idea." Blake massaged her forehead.
"Where's this meeting taking place anyway?" Jaune asked.
"A warehouse in one of Vale's poorer districts. There are some White Fang sympathizers in the area and they'd be falling all over themselves to host Sienna." Especially considering how rare it was for her to leave Menagerie. That was assuming she wasn't being metaphorical about meeting face to face. If she went there and there was nothing but a kitbashed CCT monitor she wasn't gonna be happy.
"Should we be worried that Vale's security is so compromised that the leader of the White Fang can just stroll on in?" Weiss asked no one in particular.
"Eh, probably, but we're not politicians so we can't really do anything about it." Yang shrugged.
"I think we should still tell the headmaster, at least," Ruby said.
"Could you please hold off on me indirectly betraying them even more till after we finish this meeting?" Blake sighed. This wasn't how she thought the night would go. Jaune was going to pay for this.
They were late. Making the leader of the White Fang wait for them was either the dumbest thing they could've done or the ultimate power move. Maybe both. Either way Blake didn't feel good as they walked up to the warehouse, "You ready for this?" she asked Jaune. Instead of his usual hoodie he'd worn a gaiter that hid the bottom half of his face from view. She'd told him before that it could help mask his expressions and he'd taken it to heart.
"As I'll ever be." Jaune shrugged. No surprise there. Despite his criminal lack of confidence he was absolutely fearless. If she was in his place she wasn't sure if she'd take the job of watching over a group of Maidens. For whatever flaws he had - a traitor being the top of that list - the guy had nerves of steel. She wondered if he could even feel fear. He'd always been so calm and collected since she first knew him.
The sentries milling around the entrance looked for all the world like a group of disenfranchised, loitering Faunus youths. It was the perfect disguise. Civilians would stay away and the average cop wouldn't think them worth the hassle of actually moving.
"Here comes our guest of honor." Yuma grinned sarcastically, bat wings flapping as he did. It would've looked a whole lot more threatening if he wasn't wearing a baggy jersey and a backwards baseball cap.
"And she brought a friend," Trifa added, looking Jaune up and down with a grin. She at least had the good sense to not dress like a wannabe athlete, even making sure to hide the criss-crossing veins on her arms and chest with a nice leather jacket.
"We're here to speak with Sienna."
"Say that louder, why don't you? Don't think the people on the next street over heard." Yuma rolled his eyes.
Blake growled, "Stop wasting my time. She invited me here to talk. If you're going to keep sniping at me I can turned around right now."
"Yeesh, you've gotten even more uptight since we last saw you." Trifa rolled her eyes, "She's inside. We're not even gonna take your weapons, as a show of good faith. Not like you need them anyway," she said the last part in a whisper, though Blake's cat ears picked them up regardless. So she was right. Whatever this talk was about, her new power was part of the equation.
Blake slipped past and Jaune tried to follow only for Yuma to stop him, "...Let him go. Now." Blake snarled.
"Just curious on what type of Faunus he is," Yuma said, "You hiding your trait under that mask?"
"He's-"
"I'm Human." Jaune, the brave fool, said without any hint of fear. Blake wanted to scream. What kind of idiot said they were Human to a group of White Fang? Jaune, apparently.
Trifa sneered, "Didn't realize you were keeping pets now, Blake."
"Call him that again and I'll burn you to ash." Her eyes didn't light up, but the clap of thunder above above them was enough to wipe the sneer off the Spider Faunus' face. Blake grabbed Yuma's hand and wrenched it away from Jaune's chest, "Stop wasting our time and let him pass."
"Fine, have it your way."
Thankfully the inside wasn't a maze of hallways and rooms. Instead it was wide open and sitting at the center in front of a table was Sienna Khan herself. Seeing her caused Blake to freeze up for a moment. While she didn't fear her the as she did Adam, the woman cut an intimidating presence. One didn't successfully radicalize a peaceful protest group without knowing violence intimately; and for someone like her it was second nature.
They weren't alone. At Sienna's sides were two masked bodyguards, both proudly wearing the masks of the White Fang, wielding spears in their hands. Their Aura was awakened and they were trained. Nothing less for her personal guard.
"Blake." If she was surprised at Jaune's presence, she definitely didn't express it. Instead she nodded to the bodyguard on her right and he placed a second chair across the table, "So glad you could make it."
"Sorry we're late. There were some complications." She sat to the chair on the right while Jaune took the other. Even now, sitting in a dilapitated warehouse with nothing but an old table between them, Sienna still sat as if she was on a throne. And despite it all she somehow made it look regal, "This is my friend, so whatever you can say to him you can say to me."
"Hm..." She eyed him up and down just like Trifa did earlier. Jaune's expression didn't change, or if it did she didn't see it, "You're Human, aren't you?"
"I am." Jaune nodded.
"And yet you walk into a White Fang meeting. I can't tell if you're bold or stupid." Now it was his turn to look her up and down. Seeing the movements, Sienna smirked, "Am I such a terrifying sight? Do you fear me, boy? Or is it disgust you feel for someone that isn't Human?" Her smirk had turned into a predatory grin and Blake tensed, ready to protect Jaune if she had to.
"...No, I'm actually wondering something. Are those ears fake?"
The silence that came after was so heavy you could hear a pin drop. The bodyguard to Sienna's right shuffled uncomfortably while Blake looked at Jaune with wide, disbelieving eyes. Sienna herself had looked shocked and it took a moment for her to regain the flawless confidence she had before.
"...Excuse me?" she asked.
"Those ears." Jaune pointed to his head, as if clarification was the issue, "Faunus only have one trait, right? That's why Blake has cat ears but no tail. So...why do you have both ears and stripes? Those can't both be real, right?"
"Jaune..." Blake sighed. Leave it to him to ask that, of all things.
"No, Human, my ears are not fake." Sienna grit her teeth, "The stripes are tattoos and they're meant to honor my ancestors and heritage."
"So...you're a tiger Faunus and you have stripe tattoos. Wouldn't that be like if Blake drew whiskers?"
"Jaune!" Blake hissed, stamping his foot. Did he not realize the danger he was in?!
Sienna...laughed. Even her bodyguards looked uncomfortable at that, "You are an amusing one, aren't you? I can see why Blake keeps you around." The older Faunus turned her attention back to her, "Very well, if you insist that he stay then who am I to argue?"
"Good. What do you want?" Less than a year ago she wouldn't have even considered the idea of talking to Sienna so disrespectfully. Now here they sat, and as much as the older woman might try to deny it, they did so as equals.
"Adam." Blake gripped the edges of the seat tightly, "I assume Gira and Kali have told you that I've officially disavowed his actions."
"Hm." She crossed her right leg over her left, "So what? You expect me to believe you came all the way here personally cause of Adam?"
"Of course not, but we can get to that later." At least Sienna was blunt. Honeyed words and double meanings weren't her modus operandi, "Adam's actions have more repurcussions than I believe he realizes or cares about. While our organization isn't well-liked, for the most part we're considered the problem of Atlas and Mistral. Vacuo and Vale have no interest in our eradication."
"But the Breach changed that," Jaune said. Sienna's golden eyes flicked over to him, "This Adam guy crashed a train through the tunnels and let Grimm pour into Vale. If it wasn't for Blake and the rest of team RWBY hundreds or thousands of innocent people would've died. And all of it would've been the White Fang's fault."
"Very astute." She nodded grimly, "Yes. While Adam and those more zealous consider this some sort of grand victory, they're fools. Had he succeeded he would've eradicated a kingdom at worst. That would unite every single nation against us. Menagerie would be a battleground and no one would care if the Faunus are innocent or not."
"I don't think you have any place talking about innocence," Blake muttered.
"And you do? Or was I imagining all those years where you fought and shed blood for our cause?" Blake didn't reply, "Regardless of what you think of me, I've no wish for the Faunus to be oppressed even worse. While Vale isn't as accepting of us as Vacuo, it is still far better than how Atlas and Mistral treat our kind. But not anymore. Adam's attack has failed and yet the Faunus living here have to suffer the consequences. You know this."
"...What do you want?" She couldn't give her any room. If she gave her an inch Sienna would take a mile.
"Help me stop Adam." Blake's breath hitched. She knew it was the answer, but hearing it out loud was another thing entirely, "You know him better than anyone. Adam is a spiteful man and he takes any failure as a personal affront to his own ego. The fact that you were one of the four who stopped him will undoubtedly only worsen that." Blake scowled, "He won't take this loss well, and it'll only encourage him to even more extreme acts. "
"I'm kinda scared to ask, but what exactly is more extreme than letting Grimm pour into Vale?" Jaune asked.
"I've no idea, and yet I'm certain he'll reach that goal. Adam has always been spiteful.
"Oh, don't you start." Blake hissed, "You aren't blameless in this. You were the one who encouraged him to kill, you were the one who praised him and touted him as a hero with every life he took."
"There's a difference, girl, between killing those who would seek us harm and profits from our oppression to attacking innocents. The Grimm would've killed everyone in Vale, Human and Faunus. While I aspired for the White Fang to be feared, it was to replace the discrimination we faced. To be treated as a threat not worth fighting. Adam would see us devolve into the animals they see us as and have everyone hunt us down."
"...Probably a bad time to point out, but you saying the Breach and using Grimm is a bad idea is kind of weird when you have bodyguards wearing Grimm masks in the room right now," Jaune said.
Blake didn't even sigh this time. Jaune's fearlessness was going to get him killed one day. At least he had someone sensible like her watching out for him.
"You would not understand, boy."
"You're right; I wouldn't. I'm not a Faunus and I'm not gonna pretend I'm some expert just cause I'm friends with Blake. Still, there's a reason Blake left your group and she knows what Faunus are facing."
"Adam's actions in the train were not under my orders."
"But I bet you wouldn't shed any tears if those people died, even if they were innocent, because worked for the SDC." Blake sat up straighter and looked the woman in the eye, "This isn't just about the Breach. You wouldn't have come here and risked so much if it was so impersonal. Tell me the truth, Sienna."
Sienna let out a frustrated breath and rubbed her forehead, "There's been a...schism in the White Fang. Those who see Adam as a hero are following in his beliefs. They believe that the best way to ensure equality is through indiscriminate slaughter. And if any Faunus are caught in the crossfire then it's an acceptable loss." Sienna's scowl was fierce, "This has to stop, else the White Fang will tear itself apart before the other Kingdoms do."
"So why come to a traitor?"
"Don't play coy, Blake. It doesn't suit you." The woman's smile was dry, "Your new abilities. In all the years I've spent in this world, I've never seen anything quite like it. You didn't have that before you left our group." And what a good thing that was. If she had Sienna would've propped her up as another symbol, an idol to be followed blindly. Just like she did with Adam.
"And now you want Blake back because of it," Jaune said.
"I do." Blake almost laughed. At least the woman was honest, "With your new gifts we could make strides, accomplish in weeks what would take years."
"Huh, and what makes you think I'll even consider that? You know why I left."
"I'm not asking you to smite down hospitals and schools. Are you telling me you would feel guilt striking at those who would kidnap our kind and sell them to slavery? Those who hunt us down and treat us like animals because of what we are?" Blake didn't reply, "You've your doubts on me, but I've always fought for our kind and I'll do so till the day I die. You believed in it once."
"I still do." Blake grit her teeth, "I just don't think terrorism is the way to go about it."
"Terrorism? Is that what you call freeing those who are treated as cattle? Fighting back against those who would oppress us?"
"You won't bait me, Sienna." Blake's fists clenched tightly. She was right; just like she told Weiss all those months ago, she didn't feel regret about striking back at those who'd done worse than throw a few slurs. She couldn't go back, though. If she did she wasn't sure if she could rip herself away again, and with the powers of a Maiden she couldn't let that temptation fester.
"You could do so much for the other Faunus, Blake. With your power-"
"She said no," Jaune said, voice surprisingly rough.
"I wasn't talking to you, boy."
"Doesn't matter. Blake gave you her answer."
"He's right." She nodded gratefully at Jaune then turned back to Sienna, "You want to help me find Adam? Fine, we can both agree that whatever he's planning isn't good for anyone, but I'm not rejoining the White Fang and I'm not gonna be turned into a weapon for you. I'll fight for the Faunus my own way."
"By being a Huntress? Don't be naive. The Grimm are mindless. It's the Humans that will continue to damn our kind." She sighed, "But if you wish to cease this discussion, then fine. You're correct that Adam is the primary threat now. You can work with my people and-"
"No," Blake cut in, "Give me the information you have on Adam and I'll take care it..." She looked to Jaune "...with the rest of my team. We can handle him."
"And I'm supposed to trust that? You're powerful, there's no doubt on that, but you're also compromised by your past relationship with him. You need an objective mind to see it through."
"I don't trust you."
"Nor I you, and yet a mutual enemy makes for strange bedfellows." She lounged back on the chair, "A compromise then. I'll give you any and all information we gather on Adam but in exchange a trusted agent will be with you when you stop his plans."
"And who is this...trusted agent?"
"I believe you're familiar with her. Ilia Amitola." Blake's heart stopped. Ilia...that was a name she hadn't heard in a long time, "She's an old friend of yours, if I recall, and she never did like Adam. She can assist you in your task and ensure you won't be compromised. I trust this is fair?"
"...Fine." Blake closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It wasn't ideal, but Adam was the bigger threat. Until he was dealt with they could-
The sounds of fighting came from outside. Sienna's eyes narrowed dangerously till she noticed he and Jaune were just as surprised as she was, "We gotta get outside." She and Jaune shared a nod before they ran out. By the Animal God, please don't let it be what she thought it was.
It was exactly that.
"Hey, anyone else wanna get close?! Come on! I got a knuckle sandwich for all of you!" Yang shouted, both fists raised. At her side both Ruby and Weiss had shifted to battle stances and unsheathed their weapons. They were surrounded by the sentries, almost all of whom were eyeing Weiss like she was a sheep that had wandered into the Lion's den.
Except this sheep could freeze and shatter them with a thought.
"What the hell is going on?!" Blake shouted.
"Blake! They found us!" Ruby shouted back.
"I know that! I can see it happening right now!"
"In hindsight, perhaps trying to hide against people with perfect night vision wasn't the best idea." Weiss said, utterly calm despite being surrounded by people who'd love nothing more than to tear her apart limb from limb.
She didn't know whether to yell at her team or to yell at the sentries to back off. In the end the choice was made for her when footsteps came from behind and Sienna's cool voice echoed through the tense air, "Well now, this is a surprise." She crossed her arms and looked at each of team RWY in turn, stopping when her eyes reached Weiss, "I didn't expect a Schnee to be in attendance."
"Believe me, it wasn't my plan either." Weiss' eyes narrowed. The tension in the air was thick enough to choke on. Weiss despised the White Fang for what it did to her family and now she stood no more than twenty feet in front of its leader. Sienna looked at Weiss like she was the symbol for Faunus oppression; as if one single person shouldered the sins of her entire Kingdom.
"Why are you here? Did you come for revenge against us?"
"It's sorely tempting, I'll admit, but no, that's not why I'm here." Weiss looked to her and Jaune, "I came here - we all did - to ensure that both our friends were safe. No more, no less."
"Hm. Are you certain of that?" Sienna asked. Despite knowing what even single one of them could do, let alone an entire group, she showed no fear.
"Believe me, I'm sorely tempted to escalate this situation, but Blake believes you came here in good faith and I trust her. So long as she has no reason to doubt that I'll do nothing more than defend myself." She glared at Trifa and Yuma in particular. The two looked like they were tempted to swipe at her.
"Trust? You say this even knowing her past?"
"I do. I trust her with my life." Blake swallowed and ignored the thumping in her chest. There was no doubt or hesitation in Weiss' response.
"Hm." Sienna smiled, the gesture not quite reaaching her eyes, "Fine. Blake and I have reached an accord and we shall contact her soon. You all may leave now."
"Boss, it's a Schnee!" Yuma yelled, "She's-"
"I gave my guarantee that this meeting would be peaceful, Yuma," Sienna replied coolly, "Besides, do you truly believe that you can win this fight? You've seen what she can do." The not-so-subtle reminder made most of the sentries wary, though a few still looked tempted to take their chances regardless. To them Weiss' death, however slim that outcome was, would be worth whatever risk.
Yuma didn't say anything and neither did anyone else. Blake kept glancing back as the five of them walked away and returned to their hotel room. Weiss' face was set in a scowl and Blake couldn't blame her. Justified or not, the White Fang were responsible for a lot of her grief. Coming face-to-face with the one who ordered those attacks and being forced to walk away was a bitter pill to swallow.
And she did it because she trusted her.
"What do you think, Blake?" Jaune asked, his gaiter pulled down.
"Hm?"
"This deal that Sienna Khan made? You think it's legit?"
"I think she wasn't lying when she said that Adam is the bigger threat." And she still wanted her back. No, she wanted her power. If Sienna had even an inkling on how the Maidens chose their successors Blake had no doubt the meeting would've ended with a knife to her throat. It wouldn't have worked, of course. Even if she didn't think of someone else as a final rebellion, Sienna was too old to inherit the powers.
"What about this agent she's sending? Ilia, right?"
"Yes. She's...and old friend." Blake looked down at the ground, "We can talk about it later, alright? Right now I just want to get some sleep."
"Alright. I'll be here if you need me."
"The same for me, Jaune." She smiled, finding comfort in the presence of her team.
...Even if Jaune was a traitor who she'd get some well-justified revenge on soon.
Blake: "Jaune's so calm. I wish I could be as fearless as he is."
Jaune: *internally screaming the entire chapter*
So yeah, either Blake remains Worst Girl or redeems herself. You guys decide. Either way, I noticed that Blake has gotten a lot of interactions and segments with Jaune. More than the other girls, at least, which wasn't really my plan. I guess it makes some sense since she's team RWBY-J's problem child so they gotta deal with her shit the most.
Next chapter is either the omake or the guys night out. I decided to make the latter a main story chapter since we can see Qrow expanding Jaune's training. The first method: taking him to a fight club full of people with unlocked Auras, punting him to the cage, then betting on who wins.
Questions:
1. So I've been getting reviews that perceive Ruby's crush on Jaune as one-sided due to the way Jaune responds to her. One review even described her segments as her being like a 'brocon little sister'. Does it really come across as unrequited? I kind of wrote it as Jaune not against the idea but so distracted with everything else that he tries not to dwell on it.
2. Would you guys keep reading if I took the cast out of Beacon? I've got some hypothetical segments in mind like Ironwood forcing Weiss out anyway and the team following her to Atlas Academy, for example.
Review Answers:
roxasdualwielder - Team RWBY does stuff like that in the first omake.
sos read - Correction: Jaune does want to stay, Blake didn't force him. Jaune's not special or unique, but he doesn't have to be. So long as he has plot importance, which he does in the Council arc and later parts of the White Fang. Oh, and the boys night out next chapter which is just him and the guys plus some training.
ReadYesyes - A giant Zwei would be weird in her implied to be wet dream. He's a good boi.
rickysmith290150 - Yeah, it was cliche, but people like that stuff. Hopefully this chapter is less cringy.
Chuck B. Winanaki - Jaune acknowledges that in this chapter, though he says he doesn't care so long as team RWBY sees him as more than that.
Fazrulz - I wrote them as if they have "feelings" for each other? If so that wasn't intentional.
hirshja - I doubt Sienna cares about Weiss' childhood. If ruining Weiss' life would make the Faunus' better she'd do it with no remorse. And while Weiss can forgive Blake, she can't do so to the people who ordered her family members murdered, even if she understands why.
Calcetin Sock - Why do you keep insisting on Monochrome? Pretty sure Bumblebee was teased before.
tienhui wang - I didn't really intend for it to come across as one-sided, just Jaune focusing on other things besides romance.
Mr. What If - Unlikely she knows. If she did then Ozpin did a really bad job wiping that knowledge away from the public zeitgeist.
Zathol - I'm leaning towards Jaune doing the things team RWBY is to busy to. Safeguarding civilians, picking off stray enemies, healing them in combat etc etc. Being a support unit, basically.
Also, from what I gather Huntsmen are basically mercenaries and can work for anyone. While they can't force team RWBY to work for them, the Council could give them lucrative job offers and it's not illegal for them to accept said contracts. The other stuff like promises of better Faunus laws are under the table deals, which Ozpin won't really care about.
AnimeFan0216 - Eh...she was kinda right here. The meeting went off fine and RWY almost fucked it up by getting caught. Also, Jaune may be marrying that Bellabooty soon if Blake has her revenge.