Chapter 15: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back


Taylor

"Why do you want to spy on the competition for the Vytal Festival? We'll be taking classes with them for a while anyway," I asked.

"We're not spying, we're… greeting the incoming students from our fellow Huntsman academies. And there's no problem with gathering more information earlier, is there?" Weiss stated, head turned away to not meet my eyes and to hide the red blooming on her cheeks.

"Not inherently, but exams just ended. Isn't everyone getting ready to head home and such?" I asked.

"That's exactly why we have to hang out now!" Ruby exclaimed.

Blake gave me a look that asked if she or I should break the news.

"Actually, Blake and I have some business that we have to take care of today," I said guiltily, and Ruby deflated.

"But, I wanted your thoughts on the compet—I mean, your help greeting the students coming in from Vacuo. You are the liaison for all of the first-years, after all." Nice save, Weiss.

"I'm only a liaison for Beacon students."

"I'm sure that they can catch up with all our spying when we meet back up with them tonight," Yang said, giving Blake and me a look from the corner of her eye.

"Not spying!" Weiss protested.

Blake and I waved as we parted toward our destination.

Vale was in the throes of preparing for the Vytal Festival. Even though there were still months until the giant floating arena would arrive in Vale to mark the start of the celebration, the town was already being decorated and organized for the mass influx of tourists and visitors.

Banners were plastered across streets, welcoming all to Vale. Shops were already having sales to commemorate the massive festival, though it was no doubt a way to make some profits as well. Maintenance robots were on double duty, taking care of the plant life and cleaning up any garbage.

There were also cops at every street corner. The VPD were out in force, keeping a watchful eye out for any possible signs of another Dust robbery by Roman and the White Fang.

"Was that… okay for us to do?" Blake asked.

"What? Not going to check on whatever team from Vacuo decided to come to Beacon a few weeks early for whatever reason?"

"Not that. I meant not telling the others."

"I think so. They would have wanted to come if we told them, and they aren't exactly stealthy, nor do they have experience with stakeouts or information gathering—at least, not the type we're doing. We're going to tell them tonight anyway," I said.

"Yes… we are…" Blake parroted with obvious trepidation.

Based on the locations I had narrowed down, I knew what area Roman's base of operations was most likely in.

Technically, Blake and I were going there to confirm the information, but my swarm was also going to do a little bit of direct surveillance to get the building's layout.

The plan was simple: get a team together, attack as a group, and cause enough of an incident for the VPD and Huntsmen to arrive as support.

Yang and Ruby would be more than happy to assist. Weiss might be a little hesitant, but I doubted persuading her would be difficult in the end. They were easily strong enough to help, and we knew them, so they were an obvious choice even if you ignored the fact that they were Blake's team.

This all meant that Blake and I would have to tell them why we wanted to handle the situation instead of just tipping off the VPD. Well, specifically, why Blake needed to confirm why the White Fang were doing what they were doing herself. Which meant Blake was going to tell them that she was a Faunus.

"We need the backup, Blake," I said as we boarded the train to get across Vale. My bugs snuck into the space between two of the train cars. "We can't take risks with something like this. We'll have one chance to take Roman down and find out what's going on."

"I know," Blake ground out before letting out a sigh. "Sorry, I'm just… I'm just nervous."

"Focus on the warehouse first. We need to confirm if it's the right one or not. Then worry about talking to the others."

"Well, infiltration is more familiar territory," Blake said with a small smirk.

Our destination was an old warehouse district that was supposed to store shipments of food coming in from outside the city before they were distributed to local vendors.

After getting off the train, we made our way to our destination. I spotted where the taller buildings abruptly stopped in favor of a large section of warehouses. Dedicating so much space for storage within the city seemed odd to me at first, but it made sense given the danger of the Grimm outside the walls.

We jumped off a fire escape and landed on top of the tallest building overseeing the district.

Ten large buildings were lined up, five on each side, all facing a large central area for transport. Unlike the warehouses where I had fought the White Fang, these buildings were painted with reds and blues instead of being left a dull gray. A concrete wall with a black iron fence atop it surrounded the entire district while security cameras could be seen hanging from the lips of the roofs. It had been built next to a section of suburbs, so the upkeep was greater, the buildings were nicer, and it was more isolated from outside eyes.

I handed Blake a beanie and a domino mask before putting my own on. I sent my swarm into the vents of the buildings in sparse amounts so that they would be less visible.

"Are these necessary?" Blake asked, even though she was already putting them on.

"Not really. If we're right, we'll be hitting the place early enough that they won't really help. However, I have one arm and you're a yellow-eyed, black-haired beauty. We're not exactly inconspicuous." And I think black hair may actually be one of the minorities in terms of hair color in Remnant. "Plus, if we get spotted, then regardless of whether we run or fight, they'll probably see how skilled we are, which would narrow the search even more. These won't protect our identities for very long, but they will buy us a little time if they do try to find out who we are, which is all we need," I said and scrunched up my hair to hide under the beanie.

"You've thought this out," Blake stated, before frowning irritably as she fidgeted with her beanie.

"I try to be prepared. Is it bothering your ears?"

"Yeah, a little."

"Ball your hair up at the top and use it as a tent to give your ears some room," I suggested. "I would do it for you but…" I waved my stump. I still could have done it, but it would have taken more time than I cared to take for something like this right now.

"Oh, thanks. I'm not used to wearing hats," she said as she adjusted her hair.

"What do you think?" I asked, pulling out my Scroll and using its video function to zoom in on the area.

"Nice area, low crime rates even with everything going on. Lots of room to work. Easily enough space to store all the Dust," Blake listed methodically, her eyes narrowing as she inspected the area.

I was about to respond when my bugs found the correct warehouse.

It was a large open floored building stacked with shipping containers. A line of metal-framed shelves held various barrels that were marked with food labels along with their supposed destination.

My bugs made out the letters as warnings of its contents being spoiled if opened, probably to stave off anyone curious enough to look inside. Aside from the large sliding doors, the only other entrance was a smaller door located at the far corner of the warehouse from the main door. Catwalks lined two walls with a connecting walkway between them that ran high above the floor. A rising platform that acted like an elevator sat in the middle of it.

Most of the shipping containers, cases, and barrels were sealed, but the ones my bugs were able to enter had Dust, weapons, or were filled with smaller crates that were also sealed tight.

"The only question is, which warehouse is it, and how do we go about checking them without getting seen by the cameras?" Blake pondered aloud.

"We don't need to go near any of the warehouses. We just need to get into the gatehouse," I stated, pointing to the small building beside the large metal gate leading into the area.

"Would the guard working the gatehouse keep a record of their arrivals? If they were smart, they'd scrub the security tapes and replace it with blank footage."

"Yup, that's why we're looking for a warehouse that doesn't have any regular shipments going into it and for dates when there are no scheduled shipments coming in."

"Because that's when they're most likely to be here," Blake reasoned. "They'll still have someone working the gatehouse though."

"I'll take care of him. While I'm doing that, you think you can slip in and check things out? I'll send a message when the guard is coming back."

She raised an eyebrow. "Alright. I'll stay up here and head in when you've cleared the guy out," Blake said.

"Right, I'll text you when you're clear to go."

I dropped off the roof back into the alley and walked along the concrete wall until I turned the corner and was out of Blake's sight. Then, I sent in a Rapier Wasp.

Just like the queen Rapier Wasp I had found before, this bug also felt odd to my power. The connection was cleaner, the bug's senses easier to interpret, and I could put stress on the connection to make them even clearer. I'd specifically brought this one along to test it.

Aura was the likely answer, but bugs couldn't generate enough Aura to produce a visible glow, and Scrolls couldn't pick up on it. I wasn't sure if they could activate Dust, or if I could activate a bug's Aura with my powers at all yet.

Then again, I still didn't know how Aura had affected my powers nor the full extent of the changes since I'd woken up here on Remnant. Or if stressing a nervous system could cause Aura to flare somehow.

Regardless, it meant I had a large, scary Rapier Wasp headed straight for the gatehouse. The slightly ajar door made for an easy entrance.

A slightly hefty man with short, faded blue hair sat in a chair, leisurely filling out some papers on a desk in front of two screens. One was likely the security feed, while the other sounded like a soap opera.

The man yawned and lazily glanced around until his eyes settled upon two angry eyes that desired to inflict stabbing pain. He blinked, and my wasp buzzed.

He slowly stood up from his chair and tried to shoo the bug out the door with his hands. My wasp flashed its stinger, then flew right at him.

The man sprayed out a flurry of curses as he dodged and ran, trying to swipe at the bug to no success.

Finally, he rushed out the door, then slowed about sixty feet from the gatehouse. Thinking he had gotten away, he looked back, and my wasp was right at eye-level.

A girlish yelp echoed through the area, and the man fled once more, looking back to see my august of mayhem in hot pursuit.

I sent Blake a message, and my bugs tracked her journey into the gatehouse. The screams of the guard were still audible as he ran through the compound. It was impressive how fast someone could run with the right motivation.

After a few minutes, I made my way to Blake as I felt her leap back over the wall. I got the text telling me she was done seconds later.

"You got it?" I asked as I landed on the rooftop next to her.

She just stared at me with a single eyebrow raised before gesturing toward the distant cries of the guard.

"Just a scary prank I had ready in case a student wasn't listening to me during my tutoring sessions," I lied. She rolled her eyes and her lips turned upward.

Blake pulled out her Scroll and brought up the pictures she had just taken. "Looks like you were right. The check-in list has nothing coming in or out of warehouse seven for the last few months. The only thing I saw for the descriptions of new shipments was 'out of town food supply'."

So, the stolen Dust had been labeled as food that had been brought into the city. I doubted the VPD was following up on the purchases of every restaurant and market in the city, so it'd be hard to tell that these shipments weren't actually heading to their supposed buyers.

"Then that's most likely the one." It was. "We'll just have to stake this place out to make sure we're right. Was there a date for the next shipment?"

"Yeah, it was stapled to the wall for easy access. There's a shipment every day except tonight and tomorrow," she stated with an anxious glint in her eye.

"So that's when the stolen Dust shipments will most likely be delivered. We'll have to get everyone on board and come right back."

"Y-yeah." She shifted nervously while her ears noticeably twitched under her hat.

"I still don't understand why Sienna Khan would allow any of this. It seems rather counterproductive to make the White Fang act like villains, even to the other Faunus," I said, changing topics to give Blake something else to focus on.

"I… Sienna gives a lot of leeway to those who are… committed to the cause. She trusts those under her because she knows they share her goals," Blake stated.

"That makes it sound like she doesn't understand that there are many ways of accomplishing the same goals, and some of those methods may be very different from what she would want to happen."

"That's... fair. Nothing like this has happened before though. I just don't know who she would have appointed to lead things in Vale that would trust a human and resort to… what they're doing now. There has to be something we're missing," Blake said with a shake of her head.

"Maybe it's whoever or whatever has Roman acting strangely," I guessed.

"What do you mean?"

"Roman's criminal history. He's good at what he does, shows a bit of flair and flamboyance, but he's never done anything that would put him in over his head. What he's doing now has made him one of the most wanted people on Remnant. It's not his style to have so much heat on him." It was like how Coil had made the Undersiders ramp up their presence. "Frankly, he's too good at what he does to be, well, sloppy like this. He's either being coerced, went crazy, or he acquired something that made him confident enough to take on the world. However, he's still working too methodically for me to think he's snapped, and I doubt he would choose to piss off entire kingdoms even if he had an ace in his pocket," I explained. "He's also noted as being a bit of a racist, so him working with the White Fang is even stranger," I added, causing Blake to scowl. "So, coercion is the only option left."

"But who would have the power or resources to blackmail Roman and get the White Fang to do what they're doing?"

"No clue. Someone that has a real grudge against Vale for some reason? The amount of stolen Dust is enough to wage a small war, but I have no idea why."

"Well, hopefully we can do something about that," Blake said firmly. "All we have to do now is… All I have to do now is be honest with them." Her eyes betrayed how little confidence she had.

"They're good people, Blake. You know it, I know it. It'll be fine."

"I know. I just… I never"—in that instant, Blake's mask slipped, and beneath it was a girl utterly terrified of having those around her hurt because of what she had done. Just as quickly as it had come off, Blake brought her mask up again—"wanted anyone to be involved in what I did, not if they could get hurt. And now I'm about to ask them to put themselves in that exact position," she stated with a slight tremble, hands clenched.

"Do you feel that way with me?" I asked, cutting into Blake's dread.

"No… You were doing this without me. I doubt you would stop if I asked you to," she said fondly.

"True. But, do you think that if one of the others had the information I had and didn't know about your involvement, that they wouldn't go after the White Fang too?" I asked.

Blake opened her mouth, and it hung open for a small time before she closed it, and her thought process was clear in her expression. "You're right. I can't see them not stepping up… Thank you, Taylor. That helped."

"Then there's only one thing to do."

"Yes." Her ears went downward, and Blake's hands shot up to cover them, before bringing her hands back down with a flush in her cheeks.

"They won't care that you're a Faunus," I assured.

"I hope not, I really do."

The rest of the trip back to Beacon was in silence.


"Do you think just the rest of Team RWBY will be enough?" Blake asked as we made our way into the dorm building.

"If what you told me about the average strength of the White Fang members is true, I think we'll be fine." And based on the ones I fought at the docks, I wasn't worried. Unless there were more like that one with the chainsaw—even after training and getting used to Aura, I knew I still couldn't beat him in a one-on-one fight without something like the nanothorn dagger or a solid plan.

"Yeah, I was just wondering if there was… someone else we could ask," she said weakly.

"Don't back out now, Blake."

"I-I just… I wanted them to treat me like I was normal…" Her bow dipped as her ears curled sadly.

"You wanted them to get to know the real you?" She nodded once apprehensively. "Have you spent any time with them to give them a chance to be able to so far? Besides the slumber party, that is." She paused before shaking her head lightly. "Will you be able to take time away from going after the White Fang to give them a chance?" Again, she paused, for longer this time as she fought with herself over the answer before guiltily shaking her head again.

"You're right. We need their help now. I… I didn't give them time to get to know me. I just thought that I could deal with the White Fang first and then I'd…" she said defeatedly, then slumped her shoulders wearily.

"Whenever you're ready, Blake."

"R-right." She took a moment to prepare herself, let out a heavy breath, and her face became more determined. "Right," she reconfirmed to herself.

We made our way to our dorm room to find our teammates lounging about. Ruby and Yang were playing a video game while Weiss studied at her desk.

Yang turned her attention to us with a blank expression, violet eyes focused on Blake and me as though she was trying to figure out a puzzle.

"Hey guys! How was your… um, shopping?" Ruby asked with reddening cheeks.

"Shopping?" I echoed.

This snapped Yang out of her gaze as she put on a mischievous grin. "You know, for both of your more 'adult' activities."

So, that's what's going on.

Blake rolled her eyes, tension waning slightly.

"It was fine. We'll take you next time, Ruby. Show you the ropes," I said dryly.

"N-no thanks, I'll be fine!" Ruby shouted with desperate speed, which made Yang howl with laughter. 'Wha—Yang!" Ruby huffed as she realized she had been lied to.

"Our day was fine. How was the spying?"

"Terrible!" Weiss exclaimed exasperatedly, seemingly eager to complain. "First, we passed another store that the White Fang had robbed. Though, I'm not surprised that those degenerates are continuing to show their true nature. I really don't understand why the VPD or the Huntsmen haven't gotten together to get rid of all of them before they do anything else." Blake stilled beside me. "And the only person we saw was some Faunus riffraff who had stowed away illegally on the boat here," she ranted. "Then, we tried to chase him, but the rapscallion got away. Honestly, it was all a big waste of time!"

Shit.

Any resolve in Blake's eyes had been swiftly crushed. Now, they only held a silent plea, one frantically confessing that she wouldn't be able to tell them.

I sighed. I couldn't exactly blame her.

"We wanted to stop by and pick up some stuff before heading out again," I said.

"Where are you going this late?" Yang asked.

"Nowhere, really. We just wanted to check up on something," Blake stated, too stiffly to sound truthful. She wouldn't meet their eyes.

"Well, if there's anything we can do, you just have to ask!" Yang said with a smile, quickly hiding a hurt expression.

"Yeah!" Ruby seconded.

Weiss gave a nod in agreement.

The words would have meant more if not for what had been said before. Blake would always be expecting a caveat to their kind sentiments, a hidden exception for Faunus. It wasn't true, but part of her would always be waiting for it.

I gently guided Blake out the door, her mind withdrawn as she stewed in the renewed dread of them finding out her secret. I led her to the end of the hall before stopping.

"Are you okay?" I asked softly.

She took a steadying breath before answering. "Yes. I was prepared for that, but still…"

"I understand."

"I'm sorry for backing out like that. I just froze up… What should we do about backup?"

I took a second to think about who I could ask. Asking Ozpin for backup would probably lead to getting the VPD and maybe the Huntsmen involved, but it also meant a lot of questions, and I wasn't sure if we would be allowed to participate. That option was out, partly for how Ozpin would act after it was done, and partly because I thought Blake needed to be there. I wasn't close enough with the other Huntsman teams to be sure that they wouldn't go straight to Ozpin.

The only other option was…

"Would you be okay if I asked Team JNPR?" I asked.

I trusted them, a thought that surprised me on how confident I was in it.

Her reaction went from complete refusal, to contemplation, and finally finished on acceptance. "Do you think they would tell the others?" She seemed more worried about her team's reception to her being a Faunus and her past. Maybe she cared enough to hold their opinions above others. Or maybe she was less worried that Team JNPR would have a negative reaction.

"Not if we asked them to keep it a secret. That doesn't mean the others won't find out eventually, Blake."

"I know, just... not tonight. I'll tell them later, when I'm…" She let the sentence end with a downcast look.

"Alright. Why don't you head down to the lockers and get ready while I talk to Team JNPR." Blake gratefully took the offer with a sharp nod of her head. I guessed she wanted some time alone.

Okay, how to play this…

I knocked on the door across the hall from our dorm room and heard some shuffling inside before Ren opened the door. Nora reluctantly stopped jumping up and down on her bed, Pyrrha glanced over a magazine, while Jaune was scratching his head in frustration at an assignment on his Scroll.

"Good evening, Taylor," Ren said politely.

"Hello again!" Pyrrha called out happily with a friendly wave.

"Hey, guys. Are you busy right now?" I asked.

"Uh, no. Not really. I could use a break anyway," Jaune said. Ren moved aside and let me in the door, which I quietly closed behind me.

"What's up?" Nora asked as she hopped down and bounced off her bed with her butt into a standing position with both her arms up, like a gymnast would. Ren pulled out a small sign with a ten on it, and Nora beamed.

"I was wondering if you all would be willing to help me with something?" I asked. "It's something dangerous and not entirely… legal."

"We'll help," Pyrrha stated confidently, then blushed as she glanced at her team. "Oh, sorry! I shouldn't have spoken for everyone."

"I think we'll need a bit more information before deciding anything," Ren said calmly, undisturbed by my request.

"Blake and I may have found out where Roman Torchwick and the White Fang are hiding their stolen Dust in the city."

There was a silent beat as Team JNPR processed what I had said before Nora stood up and walked up to me with a serious expression on her face.

"Taylor. First, I cheered for you to break Cardin's legs." That's what she had been yelling then? "Then you actually did it."

"Uh—" I started before Nora continued.

"Next, you helped Pyrrha and me develop the 'Fastball Special'. Which is amazing." She almost sang the last word. Is it possible for someone to have stars in their eyes like that?

"Not my first choice for a name—"

"And now, you're asking us to go out with you and smash the bad guys who have been mucking up Vale?!" This level of excitement shouldn't be allowed for one human.

"Y-yes?" I was fairly certain I knew where she was going with this, but you could never be absolutely sure with Nora.

She started giggling hysterically before she shot off and latched onto Jaune's legs. "Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease—"

"Yes, sure, wait—why are you asking me for permission?" Jaune cried as he unsuccessfully tried to shake Nora off.

"Of course we would ask you, Jaune. You're our leader, and we're a team," Pyrrha said.

Ren nodded to Jaune in agreement, and Nora appeared beside Ren to do the same.

"Well… Taylor's helped us with a lot of stuff, especially me," Jaune added the last part unconfidently. "I think that we should repay her if we can. Besides, going after those guys is what Huntsmen do… right?" Pyrrha looked proud of Jaune's answer. "B-but I don't want to tell you guys what to do if you don't want to."

"But, Taylor, shouldn't this be something to tell Ozpin or the other Huntsmen about?" Pyrrha asked.

"I would rather not. At least, not yet. I was wondering if you could keep this between us and Blake for now," I stated.

"Just you and Blake? What about the rest of Team RWBY?" Jaune asked.

"…What I'm about to say is a secret okay? I'm asking you not to tell anyone."

"What about—" Nora began.

"No one. Not Team RWBY, not the teachers, not anyone," I stated firmly. I hadn't meant it to sound so aggressive, but old habits die hard.

Ren raised a hand to his shoulder-height. "May I ask why?"

"Blake is a Faunus." That got widening eyes and looks of confusion. "She wants to personally find out why the White Fang have resorted to such brutal methods lately, and Ozpin would likely forbid us from going if we tell him." Hopefully, I could get by with not telling them Blake used to be in the White Fang.

"Wait, Blake's a Faunus? Why would she hide that?" Jaune asked confusedly.

"Because she's worried about how people would treat her," Ren stated sadly.

"It's just awful what the Faunus have to go through. I'm sorry that Blake felt that it would be better to hide who she is," Pyrrha said sympathetically.

"That's why she wears the bow!" Nora exclaimed.

I watched the collective realization wash over the rest of them.

"Is that why Blake was so distant and absent up until now?" Pyrrha asked.

"She was trying to find answers," I confirmed.

"Blake hasn't told the rest of Team RWBY, that's why you aren't including them," Jaune deduced. "Wow, she was fine with us knowing before her team?"

"That situation is complicated, and we needed help sooner rather than later. It's why I want you guys to keep it to yourselves. Blake will tell them, but only when she's ready."

Pyrrha stood up, her magazine forgotten at her side, and walked up to me. She reached out, and I let her take my hand into hers. "Taylor, thank you for trusting us with that, and I will do everything I can to help," Pyrrha stated with finality.

I looked into Pyrrha's eyes and I saw unwavering faith. She believed in me and wanted to help. Not just because it was a good cause, but because I had asked.

"Thank you, Pyrrha. Really," I said, squeezing her hands as I did.

"Then it seems we're all in agreement," Ren said warmly.

"You can count on us," Nora exclaimed eagerly.

I felt a knot of anxiousness unravel.

"So, when is this happening? And what should we expect?" Jaune asked.

"We believe they are either going to be there tonight or tomorrow. So, we're getting ready to head out now actually."

"Yahoo! Team… Okay, that's a lot of letters to make a color. We'll work on that on the way. But we're off to save the day!" Nora declared as she grabbed Ren and rocketed toward the lockers to get their equipment.

Well then, I guess I'm off to fight a gang of criminals. Just like old times.

Chapter 15 End


Author Notes:

Praise be to Juff, Breakingamber, ccstat, Sigravig, Majigah, and PastelStoic! I will carve your names into the annals of history with blood and fear! All shall know of you and bow in reverence and resignation of their fate!

So, yeah. Blake and Sun didn't meet this time around. Everything else happens basically like in canon during RWY's expedition. So, Penny and Ruby still meet and such.

I believe that the Weiss rant is the last part from canon that stays the same way it was in the show. After this… none of the major events in canon happen, I'm pretty sure.

The warehouse they're looking at is the one from Volume 2 Episode 1 that Roman, Emerald, Mercury, and Cinder are in.

Just a little while longer and Taylor can finally have her arm so that I don't have to worry about accidentally writing her doing something like she still has both arms.