Ruby, Blake and Weiss try to come to terms with prison life.
It was the morning after the Ilia incident and the lockdown was finally over. Morning meant a trip to the showers, followed by breakfast in the prison canteen. After the yard, the showers and canteen were the two most dangerous parts of the prison. Naturally, the three remaining cellmates were reluctant to leave their cell. Weiss and Blake had to face their enemies, without Yang to defend them. Ruby didn't have the enemies, but she didn't feel safe either. Given the threatening taunts of the first day.
It was agreed that they would stick together, they were all quite skilled fighters. So together, they probably didn't need to rely on Yang. Ruby sighed "We should be fine, as long as we keep watching each others' backs." She wished that Yang was around, the way she demolished Ilia made it clear that she would be immensely helpful. Alas, that was not an option but she was confident in the abilities of Blake and Weiss.
The walk from the cell to the showers was uneventful. Mainly because the showers were just at the end of the cellblock, and nobody was stupid enough to try anything while in that area. On a normal day, there were guards all over the place. But thanks to the recent lockdown and the high profiles of Weiss and Blake. There were more guards than usual and they were heavily armed as well.
The showers themselves were less safe. Although there were some guards present, the cramped spaces and blatant overcrowding. Made it harder for them to keep an eye on all of the inmates, and would greatly increase the time it took for them to deal with any incidents.
Ruby wasn't exactly comfortable with being naked in front of so many people. It may have had something to do with the lack of other females in her life. Once she had reached a certain age, Uncle Qrow and her dad would give her complete privacy. Which meant that she was not used to being naked around other people. Unfortunately for her, she didn't have a choice and was going to have to get used to it.
Weiss was completely uncomfortable with nudity, she didn't like her own body and seeing other people naked went against her family's conservative views. Having to change upon arrival was bad enough, but this was horrific. But she had no choice, and she did what she had to do. She Covered herself as best she could, while also making sure the clean herself thoroughly.
Blake didn't really care about the nudity, in her time with the White Fang. There were many situations where she had to be undressed with other people around her. So, it was nothing to her. Her main concern being how exposed she was to potential attackers. Having her cellmates with her gave some reassurance, but other than her brief scuffle with Ruby. She had no idea how they fought, or if they would be any good in a fight.
The three girls received several threatening and predatory looks, but nobody tried to mess with them in the showers. That would have been a relief, had it not meant that any attacks would happen at mealtime or in the yard. As far as any of them knew, they were just being sized up for later when their attackers were more likely to be armed.
"So far, so good. Let's hope things stay like this." Ruby said as she got dressed. Immediately, she regretted her words. She wasn't a superstitious person, but she couldn't help feeling that she had just jinxed them. But it was too late to go back, she would just have to hope nothing went wrong.
"I wouldn't say good, but things could be much worse," Weiss responded. She was still bothered by the nudity that she was forced to endure. She felt dirty and ashamed, she truly hated her own body and couldn't handle seeing others naked. It was strange to think the girl who recently disembowelled a man, couldn't handle nudity. But it was the truth, and that's how it would stay. Weiss saw no reason to change her views, she'd just have to go against them from time to time.
"We're still alive and uninjured. That's good enough for me." Blake said. Yesterday, she would not have cared about being alive or uninjured. But so much had changed in that short time. Now she had Yang to fix, and Ilia to work things out with. She was also more desperate to take Adam down, so she had a few reasons to live.
They reached the canteen without incident. They stood in the line for food, with guards watching to make sure nothing went down while the inmates were getting their food. Blake and Weiss stood in front of Ruby, as she was the least likely to get stabbed in the back.
Weiss sighed when she saw the so-called food, that they were expected to eat. She couldn't even tell what it was meant to be, clearly not something a Schnee should have to put up with. "This place just gets better and better. I thought the food they gave us during the lockdown was bad enough. At least that gave the appearance of being food." Once again, she was unhappy with the way things were in prison. But as with the showering, this was something she couldn't get out of. If she refused then the staff would find a way of getting her to eat, the idea of that was enough to make her comply.
"I'll be honest. That actually looks much better than some of the meals I had in the White Fang. Back then I just had to eat what I could find." Blake responded. It was true, the prison food looked great to her. Occasionally, she would receive bland rations. But most of the time, it was what she could scavenge, hunt or steal. Other than the existential threats she had to face, prison wasn't too bad for her. That truly showed how bad the White Fang was, the fact that prison was about the same if not nicer.
Ruby didn't feel much like commenting on the food. She was hungry and getting food was all that mattered to her. Flavour and presentation meant nothing to her, she ate to survive. Summer Rose had been an excellent cook, the only member of the family with any culinary ability. Once she was gone it was whatever Qrow or her could whip up for them. It was never good but she learned to live with it. Edibility was all she looked for in a meal and the prison food achieve that.
The canteen was crowded but it was clear to see the different groups and gangs within the prison. A large group of Faunus inmates indicated he White Fang's section of the canteen. They kept looking over to Blake and whispering to each other about her. Clearly they had ill intentions, and they weren't even trying to hide it. The guards were either blind to it, or they were deliberately not doing anything about it.
On the opposite side of the room to the White Fang, sat the human supremacists. They all had shaved heads, they did that to show they didn't have animal ears. A lot of them also had face tattoos with anti-Faunus and pro-human slogans proudly displayed for all to see. Just like the White Fang, they were looking at Blake and making their own plans for killing her. Killing a Belladonna would be a great achievement for any of them.
There was one other group staring Blake down. It was Vernal and the Branwen Tribe. They did not look happy with Blake, probably blaming her for what happened to Yang. They were making any threatening gestures or visibly plotting, they just stared. That probably meant one of 2 things. They could already have a plan, or they could be waiting for Yang to take her own revenge.
"No offence Blake. But I'd hate to be you right now. I mean, two groups who hate each other are both out to get you. You probably don't want to hear it, but we really need Yang here." Ruby said. She had noticed all the attention Blake was receiving and who it was coming from. She had little experience with supremacists, but it wasn't hard to identify them.
Blake sighed and nodded "None taken. I had expected this but it still scares me. Also, I think you're right about Yang. She may be dangerous but, that's exactly what I need to fend them off." Blake knew what she'd be facing on the inside, but actually seeing it. That was hard to handle, even after what she had been through. Although she told herself that she deserved to die, death was still hard to face. Especially now that Ilia was back in the picture, and Yang needed her help.
Blake wasn't the only one receiving threatening glares and having plots made against her. A lot of smaller groups within the prison. Members of other gangs and crime families. They hated Weiss and all of the Schnees for that matter. Those gangs hated each other, but they would be willing to work together to take down the future head of the Schnee family. "I agree with Blake. Yang may be dangerous but we really do need her," she said, after taking in the scene and realizing how many enemies she had on the inside.
It took the trio a while to find a somewhat safe place to sit. They sat at a table with the least intimidating and threatening inmates. Everyone at the table turned to look at them as they sat down, there were actually some familiar faces in the group. Penny and Ciel were at the table, they were sitting next to a brown-haired girl. Weiss recognized her as Coco Adel. She was a member of a lesser family, associated with her own. Blake recognized the brown-haired Rabbit Faunus sitting next to Coco. It was Velvet Scarlatina, a childhood friend of hers.
The unfamiliar occupants turned away from the trio, not wanting to get involved in the trouble they were in. Penny and Ciel were pleased to see Weiss, the three of them had been separated during the lockdown. Coco was also pleased to see Weiss. Their families may have been connected through business ties, but they had developed a more friendly relationship during their many encounters at important meetings. Blake and Velvet hadn't seen each other in years. That meant that they didn't really know how to react. While Blake joined the White Fang, Velvet refused and that had quickly driven them apart.
"It's good to see you again Weiss. Salutations Ruby Rose and Blake Belladonna." Penny said excitedly as she gave a small wave to the trio. "It's good to see you too Penny," Weiss replied politely. "Hi," Ruby and Blake said simultaneously, not really knowing how to respond to such enthusiasm. "I assume you told her about us?" Blake asked. Weiss nodded "I did, please allow me to introduce Penny Polendina and Ciel Soleil." The two girls nodded politely to Blake and Ruby but remained silent.
"Aren't you going to introduce me?" Coco asked with a smirk. Weiss sighed "Hello Coco, I see prison hasn't changed you." Coco winked at her before turning to Ruby and Blake "Hey there. I'm Coco, Weissy's best friend. I'm guessing you're Ruby and Blake, thanks to Penny's little outburst." Coco's introduction earned a scowl from Weiss. She hated being referred to as Weissy, which is exactly why Coco called her that.
Blake and Ruby gave small waves. "Hi, Coco. Yeah, I'm Ruby, Ruby Rose." Ruby took a liking to Coco, so she gave a rare friendly introduction. Normally she wasn't a people person, but every now and then. She met a person she actually liked, in this case. Coco. "Hey, Coco. As you already know, I'm Blake." Blake introduced herself with a little less enthusiasm than Ruby. It wasn't that she had a problem with Coco. It was just that she still hadn't broken eye contact with Velvet.
"How come you're sitting with Penny and Ciel?" Weiss asked. Just because Coco was from a lesser crime family. It didn't mean she wasn't well known. So, it was surprising to see her without an entourage. "They're my cellmates. Same as Velvet here." Coco replied as she gestured to the Rabbit Faunus. A look of confusion appeared on her face when Velvet didn't say anything. That's when both she and Weiss noticed her staring at Blake. "What's wrong Velvs?" Coco asked worriedly.
Ruby was confused about what the girl was doing. Until she looked at Blake and realized that she was doing the same thing. "Blake? What are you doing?" she asked. Blake blinked and shook her head "Sorry about that. Hey Velvet, it's been a while." Blake was worried about how Velvet would respond. They hadn't exactly been on good terms last time they saw each other. But now that she had seen the light and abandoned the White Fang, she hoped that they could rekindle their friendship.
Velvet snapped out of her trance-like state when Coco waved her hand in front of her face. "Sorry, Coco. Hello Blake." She said nervously. "How are you?" Blake asked. The answer probably wasn't going to be good, given that they were in prison. But Blake wanted to make polite conversation, in hopes of patching things up with Velvet.
The Rabbit Faunus sighed heavily "I'm fine, thanks to Coco. How about you?" Velvet was polite, but her words felt cold. She didn't know about Blake leaving the White Fang. So it was reasonable for her to assume that Blake was still with the now-terrorist organization. Blake was well aware of that and she knew she had some explaining to do.
"That's good to hear Velvet. I want you to know that I left the fang, I saw what it was becoming and I turned on them. I'm sorry for the things I said to you in the past. I was a stupid, misguided kid and I didn't realize what I was getting myself into. I understand if you hate me for it, but I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me." Velvet was caught off guard by Blake's admission and apology.
"You really hurt me, Blake. Telling me that I was dragging our kind down and that I wanted to be a slave to the humans. I hated you for a long time for that. Then I stopped because I realized that you were just misguided and those words weren't your own. But after what happened to that train, I lost all faith in you. The Blake I knew as a child was gone. She became a monster. How can I forgive you for that?" Velvet asked. Trying and failing to hold back her tears.
Blake was crying too "I don't expect you to forgive me. But I need to tell you this. I was on that train and I tried to stop it. I finally saw what the fang had become and I tried to stop it. But I failed, I was thrown off the train to die and I had to watch what happened. I tried to save those people, but I wasn't good enough." She put her head in her hands. Ruby felt bad for her and tried to comfort her. Wrapping an arm around her and rubbing her arm.
Weiss and Ruby kept straight faces. They already heard the story and understood how bad Blake felt. Ciel, Penny and Coco were all shocked at the story. Penny and Ciel were aware of her past thanks to Weiss, but they had not expected the story or the emotions they brought out of Blake. It was all new to Coco, she was only aware of the Belladonna Family and their connection to the White Fang.
Velvet completely lost it, she couldn't hold herself together any longer. "If t...that's t...true. T...then I F...forgive you, Blake. I forgive you." she said before turning into a blubbering mess. Coco pulled the crying girl into a hug. "It's alright Velvs. Coco's here for you," she said softly. Velvet calmed down. Her cries fading to sobs as she buried her head in Coco's shoulder. Blake managed to calm herself down. "Thank you, Velvet."
Yang spent the morning restrained to a bed. Her hands were bandaged and she was being watched over by Officer Nikos. "Think you can explain yourself now?" the redhead asked once Yang had stopped trying to free herself.
"What is there to explain?" Yang asked in return. She was playing dumb. Hoping that Officer Nikos would drop it.
"You were fairly clear about your reasons for attacking Amitola. How about you explain why you didn't kill her?" Officer Nikos kept pushing for answers.
"Why does it matter?" Yang asked. Struggling to keep her cool as she was pushed further. She didn't want to admit her mistake and her weakness.
"I've heard a lot about you. Yang Branwen is never merciful. So tell me. Why did you stop?" Officer Nikos didn't let up with her questioning.
"What's your deal? What do you really want Nikos?" Yang asked. She was desperate to stop the officer. It was shameful to reveal the truth.
"I want to understand you. Clearly you're not the monster you pretend to be. You're still human. Work with me and I'll try to help you." Officer Nikos explained.
"How can you help me? I'm here to die. My life is over whether I kill anyone or not." Yang hit back. She was genuinely confused by Officer Nikos. How could she possibly help? Why would she even try?
"You're conflicted. Questioning that philosophy of yours. You can change for the better. If you'll just open up to me." Officer Nikos tried again.
"Even if I do work with you. Even if I do change like you think I can. I'm still stuck in this place for the rest of my life." Yang hit back once again. She didn't want to admit it, but her resolve was breaking. Her mind was a real mess, thanks to Blake, Ilia and even Ruby. She was questioning everything and she didn't know what to do.
"That doesn't mean you shouldn't try. You can't bring back the people you've killed. But you can redeem yourself. At least tell me what stopped you, Yang." Officer Nikos was pleading with Yang. For some reason, she was desperate to get to know her. She was desperate to help her out.
"Fine, I'll tell you. But you better swear to me that nobody else ever finds out. Once this is over, this conversation never happened. It's between you and me, I'll go along with this pointless plan of yours." Yang's inner turmoil forced her to give in. Something had broken inside her. A whole life of fighting and she was broken down in a single day. A few complete strangers changed her in some profound way.
"Thank you, Yang. I swear I won't tell a soul. The other's think you're a lost cause, but I have faith in you. You were merciful, you gave up and didn't put up a fight, you regret your actions so much that you smashed your hands up. So you can go ahead and tell me, I'm here for you even if you don't want me to be." Officer Nikos had faith in her, she saw right through her. Yang couldn't believe what she was hearing. This stranger who she considered to be her enemy just the day before, seemed to care about her just as much as her own mother did. In fact, she seemed to care even more.
Yang didn't want to accept the truth and she didn't want to admit Officer Nikos was right. But there it was right in front of her and there was the person who would help her face it.
Then the rage came back. The rage exploded within her. But this time it was directed at someone new. It was directed at Raven. Raven did this to her. Raven ruined her life. Raven manipulated her. Yang wasn't going to soften up. She was going to unleash her fury on the people who really deserved it. The Branwen Tribe, The White Fang, and the man with the bowler hat that Ruby mentioned.
A smile spread across Yang's face. But the rage in her eyes made it clear that it wasn't just a friendly gesture. "Officer Nikos. I want to thank you, this little talk really helped. One day I will listen to your advice and change myself for the better. That is a promise and you can hold me to it. There are just a few things I have to handle first, you won't like it but it needs to be done. No harm will come to the innocent, but I'm going to send the guilty straight to hell. Please don't try to stop me. I don't want you to get hurt and I will seek redemption from you in the end."
Pyrrha may just have messed up big time. Good job she's on Yang's good side.