Earlier this morning team RWBY had received a message telling them to report to the VPD's main station, so now they were on an airship enroute to Vale. While Weiss and Blake used the time to review what their teachers had taught them over the first week of the new semester, Yang was looking at her sister with concerns. For a few days now, Ruby started to stare of into the distance from time to time, sometimes even in the middle of a conversation. What was strange about it was how Ruby always stared in the same direction, sometimes even turning her head around as her gaze unfocused. After making sure no one was around to overhear them except their teammates, Yang decided to finally ask her Sister what all that was about.
"Hey Rubes whatcha looking at?" she asked as she stepped next to the half Grimm.
It took a moment until Ruby turned towards her sister as she replied. "Well I can't actually see it, but I think it should be Mountain Glenn."
"And why do you always look there lately?" The Blonde asked, her hands on her hips.
Taking a short breath, Ruby leaned towards her sister and reduced her voice to a whisper the blonde had problems making out.
"Whenever I had come to the mainland from patch, I could tell there was some source of great food over there. And recently it has just gotten so much more intense,I feel like I need to go there and gorge myself on all the negative feelings there."
"Well in that case," Yang began as she put an arm around the redhead "We'll just have to take a mission to mountain glen at the start of next month and find out what's bothering you."
"Okay," Ruby said as she enjoyed the half hug from her sister. They stood like that a few more minutes, the half Grimms gaze soon returning to the southeastern horizon, before their transport finally sat down in Vale.
Turning towards her teammates, Ruby began to lead her team through the streets towards their destination. Much to their leaders displeasure, they had to pass by Tucson's shop without stepping in and seeing if her new order had arrived, as they were expected to arrive as soon as they could. But when they were about to cross a normally mostly deserted plaza, they saw a large crowd gathered, making crossing it more difficult than normal.
As they made their way through the gathered people, the girls began to wonder why all of them were gathered her before a Stage with only a pair of shipping containers on them. But when a group of androids stepped out of the containers, and the hologram of a man in a white suit appeared, causing Weiss to recognise the event, although the timing felt off to her.
"Oh it's just the international unveiling of the new Atlesian knights." Seeing Ruby stare at the robots in undisguised curiosity, the heiress continued "Now come on Ruby, I have both the schematics and the speech available for you to watch when we get back home." With that they continued to wade through the crowd as the Hologramm introduced itself as General Ironwood. After clearing the crowd they arrived at the frontdesk of the VPD in minutes, and were quickly directed to enter a first story meeting room.
After they sat down inside, they waited for a bit before Gruoni Viridian entered. After a short greeting, he sat down at the head of the table and began to address the girls.
"I am sure you four are wondering why you were called here today."
As all four girls just nodded politely he continued.
"The fact of the matter is, since we captured Torchwick and his White Fang helpers the terrorist groups activities have dropped significantly, the last crime they committed as far as we can tell was the altercation at a Bookstore miss Rose stopped. Since then not one crime seems to have been performed by a Faunus connected to the White Fang. Even the normal crime rates are starting to drop noticeably."
As he stopped to take a sip from his coffee, Blake spoke up.
"So what does that have to do with us?"
After he put his cup back down, the Police officer let out a short sigh before he answered.
"Because of what I just said, the council has decided to dissolve the Anti White Fang task force, and limit the resources we may spent on additional assistance, meaning that your mission to assist our investigation has effectively been canceled as of now. Which also means I have to ask you to return the badges you got at the start of it."
While the other members of team RWBY handed their badges in, albeit somewhat reluctant in the case of Ruby, Blake spoke up her voice slightly raised.
"So just because the White Fang is laying low for what, a month at most? We should stop investigating them or make sure they aren't preparing for anything big?"
lowering his gaze, the detective replied.
"I don't agree with the decision either, but I can't do anything more about it than you. But when you find something out, I will be more than happy to let my fellow officers follow up on any lead you can give us, task force for it or not."
Hearing this, Blake gave up her badge as well.
The girls spent their trip back to Beacon in near silence, all lost in their own thoughts about what they had been told. Once they closed the door of their dorm room behind them though, Ruby immediately spoke up.
"So what are we going to do next about the White Fang?"
Hearing this, Blake felt a smile growing on her lips, seeing as she wasn't the only one unwilling to give up their work against the White Fang.
"What do you mean next?" Weiss spoke up equally irritated as she seemed confused.
"Did you not hear what detective Viridian said?"
"I did," Yang spoke up from where she sat on her bed. "and he clearly said he would follow up when we brought him new information, notif."
As she sat down on her own bed the heiress let out an annoyed huff before she continued.
"Even so what can we do that neither we nor the police have tried before?"
At this, Blake moved in between the three other girls.
"We could try to infiltrate a recruitment meeting. After all I am a Faunus, and Ruby is close enough as long as they don't try to force her to take off her 'mask'."
Shortly after she finished, she felt the strong grip of her partners hand on her shoulder.
"Sounds like a plan to me. But in case anything goes wrong, Weiss and I should be nearby to help you get out if you need back up."
"Let's do this!" Ruby shouted excitedly in agreement.
"Very well then," Weiss agreed reluctantly, "When do you think the next such meeting will take place?"
Scratching her head behind her ear, Blake took a moment to think about it before she replied.
"I am not completely sure about it, but there is normally a semi secret code scratched into nearby walls to lead to new Recruits to the meeting place. When we arrive there, I should be able to find out when the next actual meeting will be."
"Well then let's change into something more discreet and go find it." Ruby said cheerfully already at her closet looking for a simpler outfit.
A few hours later, the cat Faunus was leading the wolf eared girl through Vale's industrial district, both of them wearing simple hoodies in their respective colors, and a black skirt with a red rose print for Ruby, while Blake went for a pair of simple black pants.
For the last half hour or so, they had been following the directions given by claw like marks left on the walls of some buildings. Grateful that the code to lead in potential recruits had not changed, Blake soon spoke up.
"The warehouse the meeting takes place in should be around this corner."
After Ruby nodded silently in response, they turned around the corner, Blake removing her bow to reveal her cat ears.
Before the side entrance to the warehouse they could see a deer Faunus in a white west and a White Fang mask over his eyes. As they approached him, he took two similar masks out of a small box besides him holding out one for each girl when they reached him.
Blake took the offered mask immediately and put it on, but Ruby looked up at the man and asked.
"Can I keep my own on instead?"
"No all initiates are supposed to wear these." He said as he shoved the mask into the half Grimm's hands.
"Do you want to know why I am wearing this mask in public?" Ruby asked her voice laced with anger. "I cover my face with it so others don't run away in terror at the scars some Human asshole gave me as a child. But that is not the only reason I finally agreed to come here tonight. Since my mother left us, my human father has been extremely hostile to our kind. The first time I brought a friend home who was like me? He punched him in the face hard enough eh landed on the other side of the street for having a tail. So if you don't want me just because I prefer not to show my scars to strangers, I'll just have to fight for my kind on my own!"
Hearing the heated and emotional speech of the young girl before him the deer Faunus relented and let the two of them through the door. As they walked along the small empty corridor they found themselves in, the Cat Faunus lowered her voice enough that Ruby could barely make out the words and spoke.
"How did you come up with that story, you normally are not such a good liar."
"That's because I did tell the complete truth, the first time I led one of my black furred companions back home, dad caved in his face with his fist."
It took the cat Faunus a moment of shocked silence that the half-Grimm had been referring to the Grimm during her speech. And of course a Huntsman would slay a simple Beowulf in a single attack. But before she could continue the conversation, they had reached the warehouse main room, with about a dozen other Faunus already waiting before an empty stage.
A few moments later the deer Faunus from outside stepped onto the stage.
"Welcome brothers and sisters, don'T be discouraged by the fact that we are so few here today." He began, speaking loud enough to be heard throughout the room before him.
"Most of our members are preparing our next message to the oppressive humans controlling this city. But even then we need to help our fellow Faunus deal with this situation until we achieve lasting change." Grabbing a stack of papers, he stepped down from the stage and began handing out the papers to the attendants.
"We need to support the businesses of our fellow Faunus. we have also obtained enough food supplies to help the most unfortunate of us. Just because the humans want to paint us as nothing more than rabid beasts, does not mean we can ignore the plight of our fellow Faunus. On these, I have noted you the names and Addresses of Businesses that could need some volunteer helping them out a few evenings a week for free. I also noted the locations of where we maintain a few slightly hidden soup kitchens where your help in feeding your fellow Faunus would be very appreciated."
After he had handed each Faunus and Ruby a sheet of paper, he took to the stage once more.
"Now I hope I will see all of you again at our next meeting."
With that he left through a door behind the stage and the gathered Faunus began to leave in small groups. Following their example, Ruby and Blake began their trip back to beacon as well.
So Frohe Weihnachten to all of you, or happy [insert winter Holiday of your choice here].