RWBY: Shadow Company

Chapter 7

"We're getting close to the base now."

Jaune could see the academy. He opens down the window and pops his head out to get a better view.

Seeing Beacon on top of the cliff in the mountains was incredible. He had seen pictures and videos about the academy but never had he set foot inside it before. He did already visit Atlas Academy for sure.

But it's always exciting to go to a new place from time to time.

"Hey, try not to fall out of the humvee now. We just got here." Qrow jokes.

But Jaune wasn't paying attention to his jokes at the moment. "It's so amazing to see the place for yourself. It's a shame I'm not there to be a huntsman."

"Oh really? You don't seem like a huntsman material to me at all." Qrow and Bell chuckle.

Jaune rolls his eyes at them.

He could see the flying Bullheads coming to and from the helipads hanging on the cliff, transporting goods and people.

Suddenly, Jaune could hear the sounds of propellers roaring near them. "What is that noise?"

"I think it's coming from behind us," Bell said as he points his thumb at the direction of the sound, "Look up."

Jaune turns and looks up, seeing the other aircraft that was flying behind them. It was a black helicopter that looked more narrow. It didn't have the standard big twin jet engines that a usual Bullhead would have.

It's outdated due to its propellers which were considered an old design. Not many use them anymore.

Qrow sticks his hand out the window and signals it.

The chopper flies down to their level, just beside them. Jaune was amazed. They were flying so dangerously close to them.

"So cool," Jaune said. He could see the pilot waving at Qrow before pulling out his radio from the cockpit.

"This is Blackhawk 3. Captain Branwen, is that you inside that humvee, over?"

Qrow sighs and picks up the radio, "Confirm Blackhawk 3. Yes, it's me. What is it?"

"I've got word from the big man that he's waiting for you, said you're going be late for the initiation if you're not there in 10 mikes."

"I'm going to be late. Not yet." Qrow said. "At least, I'm not drunk like last time. That was an accident."

The pilot laughs and shakes his head, "Yeah. I remember that very well. The big man was so pissed when you showed up that day. It was your turn too."

"Hey, since you guys are getting there first, why don't you tell him that I'm arriving shortly."

The pilot jokingly said in a posh voice, "Yes sir, as you wish."

"Very funny, you damn comedian," Qrow said sarcastically.

"Relax, Captain. Oh, and by the way, is that the new kid hanging out your window?" Said the pilot. The others sitting by the door waved at Jaune.

"Yeah, it is. Say hi, Jaune."

"Uh, hello."

Jaune waves back at them.

"Alright, now get out of here, Blackhawk 3."

"Copy, we'll leave you be captain. See you back at the Citadel, out."

The helicopter slowly made its ascend and flies ahead of them to the academy leaving the three behind. "The Citadel?" Jaune asked.

"It's the name of our base, Black Citadel," Qrow said.

"So, that was a Blackhawk. I heard that only the shadow uses them. The slowest aircraft in Remnant, as everybody likes to call it. How come?"

"The councils were the ones funding all of our necessities. But, they've later realized that financing would be quite costly for us." Bell explained.

"That's where our paid security services come in. It was just a side job at first. That was until we've later realized just how much these folks would pay us for our service. It eventually became our second staple for the company. Even some of the huntsmen themselves had hired us a few times. There's nothing wrong with bringing a few extra guns with you. I mean, we almost got disbanded entirely because of that problem."

"So, are they still funding you?"

"Well, yes and no. Almost all except for Atlas still backs us. But, they don't pay nearly as much as last time."

That's understandable. When you don't have enough money, you have to find another source of income. And eventually, that would become your new source. Strangely enough, Atlas does this too with their shadows, but they already have more than enough money to support themselves.

Qrow points at the fork in the road ahead of them, "Take the left to the security entrance. No need to bother the huntsmen and huntresses in training."

Bell nods and reaches for the radio in the jeep and started to speak, "First Raven to Black Actual." The shadow at the other end replied, "Go ahead, First Raven,"

"Requesting permission for entry through the security checkpoint over,"

"Affirmative, you may proceed over."

"Roger, out."

Qrow yawns and stretches in his seat, "By the way, who's in charge of introducing the recruits this time? Is it you or the Colonel?" Bell asked.

"It's my turn. Jon wanted me to take this one. And Ares will be leaving soon for a mission once he sees the recruits settling in before we start."

They pass through a heavily guarded checkpoint and a tunnel leading right underneath the base.

"So, how big is this place anyway?" Jaune asked.

"Well, if you give a company the freedom to do whatever you want, if it won't harm anyone, the sky's the limit," Qrow said.

"What?"

"It's big. Almost as big as the academy." Qrow deadpanned.

"Oh."

"We're here." The humvee stops in front of the drop-off zone. A bus was in front of them. And Atlesians lining up outside the bus. "That must be the recruits from Atlas. They sure do like their white uniforms. That must be the last bus to arrive here. How many are there this time? 200?" Gared asked.

But Qrow shakes his head.

"At least over 300 of them, from what I heard. Atlas always liked to bring the biggest numbers over here. And this year's the biggest we've received so far," Qrow said as he steps out of the jeep.

"Follow me, Jaune. Let's get you settled in with the rest. Gared, go park the jeep and meet us in the hangar."

"Understood, meet you there. oh, and Jaune, welcome to Beacon."

"Thanks, Bell." Jaune grabs his bag and hops off. He follows Qrow closely behind him, not wanting to get lost and miss his initiation. The place was quite spacious. Other shadows are casually walking around the base.

"It's not much, but we try to make it feel like home. Over here is the entertainment room. Video games and movie screens are there." Qrow said, opening the door for Jaune to see.

"Woah."

Qrow closes the door and continues, "And here is the sports hall, its got your basic running track, swimming pool, and a basketball court." He pointed at a long window wall showing the guys swimming and playing sports inside. Jaune wasn't much of an athlete, but he could start trying. "There are still others, but for now, I'll bring you to the hangar. It's also our workshop for our vehicles. Come on."

They reached the hangar. Jaune spotted a few stationary Blackhawks inside. It was tempting to ride one of them, but just the thought of flying already made Jaune feel a little dizzy.

"Captain, you're on time. Only two minutes to spare." Said the shadow.

"Alright, how many do we got?" Qrow asked the shadow standing by the door.

"Let's see, 42 from Vacuo, 104 from Mistral, 312 Atlesians, and 291 from Vale. That brings us to a total of precisely 749 of them. 685 Humans and 64 Faunus."

Said the shadow holding up a clipboard.

"We got one more, this one here, just recently," Qrow said, pointing at Jaune.

"750, then." He ticks the board.

"Alright, you go pick a chair and sit down. I'll go start us off, and you make some friends if you can. Now go on. I'll be seeing you soon." Qrow said. Jaune nods and walks towards the row of seats. Qrow leaves him to meet his shadows.

Facing the makeshift stage, he feels his body slowly filled with nervousness as he observes the other people who were much older than him. The others looked more experienced than he has already made him feel uneasy. They were all dressed in their uniforms, both from Atlas, Vale, and Mistral. Luckily there were a few in civilian clothing. They must be the ones who managed to pass the interview, just like him. They look just as nervous as he is. At least that calms him down a little.

It was already dark, but the perfect view of the moon and the lighting were bright enough to lit up the place.

Suddenly, while being distracted and not looking where he was going, he accidentally bumps into someone, almost causing both of them to fall over.

Jaune quickly apologizes, stuttering as he steps back, "Uh s-sorry."

Jaune's eyes went wide as he got a good look at who he had accidentally bumped in.

He noticed that the man he bumped into was older than him. His armor looked well worn and hardened in battle. His red hair had a tinge of gray, and wearing an eye patch over his left eye. He was also wearing a bright red shoulder cape over his right shoulder. His eyebrows raised a bit upon looking at Jaune.

"It's alright, son. You're new here, and that's obvious. Everyone is nervous when they first came in, so don't worry so much. But after today, I hope this won't happen again. Being absent-minded isn't a shadow's trait. You understand?" He said as he pats Jaune's shoulder.

"Uh, yes. Thank you, sir." Said Jaune, finally gaining a bit of confidence.

The older man nods and leaves him be. He sighs and shakes his head.

Jaune takes a deep breath as he calms himself. "Great, Jaune. Just great. Not even the first day in, and you're already messing it up for yourself," Jaune silently scolded himself, "I need to calm down, yeah, need to be calm. You've just got here, Jaune." Jaune reassures himself. Maybe sitting in the back would be a good idea, and it was more vacant. He avoids any more eye contact and makes a b-line to his seat.

He breaths calmly to himself as he puts down his bag and sits down. His heart was still beating a little fast after that encounter. He closes his eyes and breaths.

He slowly starts to relax and open his eyes again to have a look around. The others were talking among themselves, a mixture of every bit of Remnant in one room. Some of them were shaking hands and having small conversations. It felt nice, in a way. To see how people from different places, coming together and interact with one another.

Jaune wasn't very social, and he didn't dare to start a conversation with a stranger he doesn't know. The room was beginning to get more crowded as more people were coming in. The empty seats in front of him were starting to fill up.

Jaune was too distracted that he didn't notice that someone else had already sat down beside him.

"Good spot. You can see the whole stage from here."

"Argh!" Jaume screamed, managing to get the attention of everyone in the hangar. Everyone and even the one beside him were staring at him.

Jaune rubs the back of his head and apologizes, "Uh, sorry about that, everyone."

He managed to hear someone scoff and said, "Civilian." The rest went back to continue whatever they were doing.

Jaune sigh and closes his eyes, "How much worse can this get?" He thought as he leaned forward to placed his hands on his face.

"Hey, you alright? Sorry about that. I didn't mean to scare you there. You seem pretty nervous about this." He whispered, looking a little sorry for scaring him.

Jaune opened his eyes and turns to the stranger speaking to him. He did surprise him a little.

His hair is jet black and cut high and tight, a standard haircut for Atlesian soldiers. His eyes were green, and he was wearing an Atlas uniform.

"Oh, yeah. I guess I am just a little nervous about all this." Jaune said. He laughs and pats Jaune's shoulder, "Cheer up, man. It can't be all that bad, can it?" He said.

"Yeah, thanks, uh," Jaune pauses.

"I'm Will, and you are?" Will puts out his hand to him, "I'm Jaune." Jaune said as he shakes Will's hand. "Nice to meet you, Jaune. I can see why you're so nervous. You don't look like you've done this before." Will said.

"Yeah, well, I'm not a soldier. I'm just a civilian." Jaune said with a hint of embarrassment. Will noticed it and decided to cheer him up, "Well, hey, we all need to start from somewhere, right? Don't be so worried. I heard some civilians did pretty well in the shadows. So maybe, there's a chance for you."

Will didn't know how much it was for Jaune. But his reassurance helped him feel a lot better. At least Jaune wouldn't feel so lonely in this new environment.

Qrow watches from the sidelines.

Jaune was already shaking hands with a new friend. But wait till he learns who his new friend is. He turns his attention from Jaune and looked over at the other rows of new enlistees as the last of the men has entered the hall and had seated down.

Clean and fresh from the army.

Courtesy of the Atlas Military, the Mistral Armed Forces, and the Vale's 57th Corps, and the exceptions of civilians mixed in here and there, especially Jaune since he is one of them. After he just made a fool of himself just now.

Qrow rolled his eyes.

After seeing enough of them, Qrow turns to one of his men, "Who are all these guys? I hardly see a shadow here." Qrow smirks, the others chuckle a bit.

Qrow looks up and sees the big man himself. Entering the hall as he watched the recruits that had arrived. He was hard to spot as he was wearing the same standard armor like everyone else.

The General sends a nod to Qrow, with Qrow nodding him back. "Alright, the big man is here. Let's get everyone acquainted," Qrow said to his shadows.

He leaves his spot and walks to the front of the room.

"Recruits! Attention!" Shouted a Black Raven.

Everyone stood up from their seats, hands on their backs and eyes facing forward. The civilians and Jaune just stood up awkwardly.

Qrow walks over, "At ease, and sit down." Qrow said as he casually walks up to the stage, not looking at them, his black uniform and armor shining in the moonlight, his red cape tattered and flowing in the wind. He grabs the mic and tests it to see if it's working.

"Alright, listen up. I'm Captain Qrow Branwen, leader of the Black Ravens. You'll be seeing a lot more of me during your training here. And if you think that your military training was hard enough, or if you civilians think that becoming a shadow is easier than you think, then I can guarantee you that you're in for a hard time. Now, the General would like to share a few words with you all. A welcome speech, if you will. So you listen up, and you listen well."

Qrow ends and backs away from the mic.

Jaune noticed that someone is walking towards the stage. Jaune was able to get a good look at him. The first thing he noticed is his hair was white as snow, and wrinkles adorned his face. His beard was huge, and his gaze sends a shivering feeling down his spine. He was pretty sure that everyone else felt the same thing as well.

"That must be him, the General," Will whispered to Jaune.

Everyone else became dead silent, and no one dared to say anything. Qrow turns to him, "The floor is all yours, General." Qrow said. The General nods and steps forward.

"Thank you, Qrow."

Qrow leaves the stage as the General took the mic and begins his speech.

"Greetings everyone, I'll try to keep this short. I am General Jon Vitalius. Leader of the Black Centurions and the First Commander of the Shadow Company. You are all here for a reason. To find work, a place to stay, earn some money to support your self-indulgences or for your loved ones. Some of you have nowhere else to go, others with no purpose or no background. Some of you have no families, or you're alone in this world, and you see yourself as useless, undeserving, and unwanted. And few of you come from different lands, the cold city of Mantle, to the hot desert sands of Vacuo. And the luscious land of Mistral. But here, in the Shadow Campany, we are all one family. We are brothers in arms. We came from all parts of a family. Fathers, brothers, and sons. We, shadows, will dedicate our lives, our hearts, and our strength for Remnant. It's been 80 years since the great war had ended and over 20 years since the company's founding. But our battle has not yet finished, and the Grimm still roams around Remnant. And every one of you that stands here will also have a chance to rise through the ranks and achieve something for yourself if you prove worthy enough. Whatever you may have done in the past is behind you now, good or bad. Because here, in the Shadow Company. You will begin anew. Also, there will be no discrimination, no infighting, and no bullying. You are all men, not children. You're soldiers, and you are not performers. The only easy day was yesterday, gentlemen. It is your chance to prove your worth, so don't lose that chance. Lastly, I wish you all the best in your training. That is all."

The General stops and takes his leave, letting Qrow have the floor again. "Alright, you all heard the big man. I don't want anyone fighting among each other. You are here to work together, not by yourself. Your training will start first thing tomorrow in the morning, so tonight, we're going to assign you to your rooms and your partner."

Another shadow stands beside Qrow and reads out the list of names. Everyone looked at each other. Jaune looks at Will, "Don't hope on it. We may not get to be partners, dude, and there's a lot of other guys here too."

Jaune nods, "Yeah, that is a pretty low chance."

"But the General seems like an okay guy. At least better than my previous one."

"But his speech, he made it sound like we are more than just mercenaries," Jaune said. "Maybe, but that's just to let the others don't feel so bad about joining."

"Next, Jaune Arc and William Goodwitch Ironwood." Said the shadow.

Will was a little surprised and looked at Jaune, "Oh, look at that. Guess we are going to be partners." He puts his arm over his shoulder. But Jaune didn't say anything as he looks at him, "What?"

"Ironwood?"

/-/

Blake couldn't believe what was happening right now. Escorted like a criminal by an enemy of her kind, and everyone else was standing there. Watching her with disdain as she passes them.

She did try to escape them by planning to attack them by surprise and run back to the port. But that plan failed as there was another shadow behind her and stopped her from possible escape.

Reily tried to help her, but she too had been apprehended along with her.

They took their weapons and belongings away and handcuffed their hands together, and any hope for shouting for help was gone as they wrapped their mouths tight with a cloth.

Blake couldn't look at the others, and all she felt was humiliation as they kept staring at her. She could hear their voices, either talking about her or the White Fang.

"Mommy, look. It's the White Fang. I thought they are all gone?" A child said. The mother quickly carries her child, "Stop pointing at them. Go back inside the house now."

"Isn't she that Belladonna's kid. What is she doing here?"

"Probably sent here to spy on us, no doubt. Remember the last time the White Fang tried to "recruit" us in?"

"Yeah, blackmail and extortion are not exactly motivational."

"Don't forget they did more than just those, and they took my brother away from me, and I haven't heard from him since. He's probably dead now."

"Fucking assholes."

What in god's name are they all talking about, saying such things about us behind their backs. Are the shadows spreading fake lies about them too? Someone must be behind all this, and she's going to find out sooner or later.

She turns around to check on Reily. She seemed to stop trashing around ever since the old house. She has been real quiet now and must be too tired from all that fussing. Or she couldn't care anymore.

Blake was still looking around for a sign for escape. She could use her semblance and cast a shadow to mimic an attack. But Blake couldn't just leave Reily all alone with them, plus they would have just shot her down. She had seen what they could do back on that train, and doing that would mean a quick death.

This rain wasn't feeling the mood in the slightest, but at least these monsters were kind enough to hold up an umbrella for them.

"Where are you taking us?" She tried to speak through the cloth.

"Quiet."

Well, so much or trying to have a conversation.

She could see their symbol on their shoulders, a lotus flower floating on water. What kind of symbol is that?

They have been walking for a while now, and there's no telling where exactly they are heading.

She knows that they are still inside Kuo Kuana. But she noticed something a bit different about the place. There were a lot of houses here. Of course, the town would grow over the years, but she didn't think they would expand this big.

Now that she thought about it, Kuo Kuana's houses were always poorly made and would always break easily. They never have any experience on how to build a home.

Her father remembered the story of back when they first settled here. But that story was already too unbearable to hear. He said it was the most troubling moment of our time. Back then, it was every Faunus for themselves.

"Stop. We're here." The shadow stopped her from walking. They stopped in front of the stairs that lead up to the most prominent houses in Menagerie, and Blake was confused.

Is this their base? It doesn't look like it. But regardless, the shadows guide them up the stairs and under the shelter. They stopped at the large door and stopped again. One of the shadows knocked on the door, another shadow from the inside opens the door slightly.

"What is it, brother?" He asked.

"We're here to deliver these two to see the shogun."

The shadow opens up the doors, "Of course. Come in, brothers."

Blake's eyes were wide. That shadow holding the door was a Faunus. How? What!?

"Move," The shadow shoved her and Reily through the door. As they were walking away, Blake kept her gaze on the Faunus.

"Traitor!" She freed her mouth and suddenly screamed. She ran towards him, but the shadows held her back before she could get close.

"That is enough, Belladonna." Said the shadow.

She continued to scream, surprising Reily in the process. "No! You are all monsters, you lied to my people, and you killed so many of us! Let go of me!"

"Blake, stop it." Reily tried to calm her down but to no avail. The shadows quickly placed the cloth back on her mouth. They continue to make their way into the room where this shogun would meet them.

They arrived in one of the rooms. It looked like a study room from all the shelves of books and the massive desk in the center.

"You two, sit." said the shadow.

A soon as they sit down on a large sofa facing the desk, the two shadows from before had already left the room.

There was a shadow standing in front of the desk, and his back was facing them, "It's finally nice to meet you, Belladonna. Relax, it must have been a long and tiring journey for you two." He said as he gestures his shadows to the low table in front of them and placed two cups of tea and hot meals on the table.

Reily's stomach started growling. Blake rolls her eyes.

The elderly chuckles and walk towards them.

"I figured you two must be hungry. But first, I need to confirm with you." He turns around to show himself. He's old, was what came to Blake. But he looked like a very seasoned fighter and has seen enough bloodshed in his lifetime. His armor bears a white lotus flower on his chest with a pink sash around his waist.

His armor reminds her of one of those ancient warriors in her books, almost like those samurais.

"Those binds seem uncomfortable. I'm sure you would want them off." He said. Both of them nod.

He walks towards them and kneels. "I'm not going to hurt you two. I like to have a conversation, is all."

He sighs, "If I remove the cloth, would you promise me that you would not scream again?"

She slowly nods, still glaring at him. He removes the cloth from her mouth.

"Who. Are. You?" Blake asked slowly in anger.

The shadow looks at her and smiles gently.

"I am Captain-General Li Ren, commander, or shogun of the Black Lotus."

End of Chapter 7