I have a Beta now: Dark Whisper from HarryPotterFanfiction!
The Fall Project
War
Friends and Family
For several days after the raid on the White Fang base, Weiss had been interrogated, questioned, and was even harassed by the media. When enough evidence was collected, a trial was held to determine whether or not the young heiress acted in self defense. Jaques Schnee was there every step of the way, along with a team of lawyers that loyally served the Schnee family.
Weiss acted the way her father expected; keeping her composure, speaking only when required to, and showing no signs of weakness or uncertainty. To her surprise she didn't even need to speak, and before long the jury ruled as expected; that Weiss was innocent and acted in self defense.
She was promptly released, and walked out of the courthouse with her father at her side. She ignored the blinding flashes of pictures being taken, keeping a straight face, remaining silent, and walking calmly toward a stark white limousine.
Inside, her heart was pounding.
The driver held the door open for her and she climbed inside, a nervous twinge growing in her stomach. Jaques Schnee sat quickly and pulled the door closed, turning back to Weiss with an angry glare. "That was a fool thing you did, stealing from the White Fang. Racing off to seek glory… Hmph!" He scoffed. "You are born for greater than the life of a Huntress, Weiss. We are Schnee! We have brought growth and prosperity in a time of desperation, and it is that legacy which you must uphold!"
Weiss simply sat there, dumbstruck. Her goal had been to make her father proud of her for recovering lost Schnee property, but instead she was treated like a stupid child who has embarrassed her father. It was simply ludicrous! But how could she prove that to him? Summoning her courage, she took a deep breath, "I-I thought that getting back our stolen dust would make you proud. I hoped you might see that I was looking out for our family."
"Ha! 'Looking out for the family?'" he cackled. "You are doing little more than following in your sister's footsteps! If you truly wished to look out for the family, you would never have left Atlas. No… Instead you chose to run off and chase your childish dreams of heroism and valor, failing to see that you will achieve little more than surrounding yourself with death and destruction. Huntsmen seek trouble, and too often to they meet their demise while doing so."
The heiress grit her teeth and clenched her fists, wanting nothing more than to protest her father's hurtful words. However, she new nothing good would come of it. Instead, she stayed in quiet contemplation, carefully considering each and every word she needed to say.
"Father?" Weiss started, gaining his attention. "How did the White Fang start?"
One of his silver eyebrows rose, "You don't remember? A group of faunus from the mines in Vacuo organized against the foreman, refusing to work. One of the insurgents sabotaged one of the machines, leading to the collapse of the mine and the deaths of dozens."
"But how does that have anything to do with the White Fang?" she asked.
"Well, naturally, I was blamed for the incident," he explained. "Support for the protesters increased exponentially, and before long they became hostile. We've been fighting their terrorism ever since."
"Is there a way for us to find a peaceful solution?" she questioned, hoping he might have an open mind.
"You honestly believe they want piece after all this?!" he snapped, "I have heard enough!"
The rest of the trip was spent in awkward silence. Weiss knew he would not admit to his faults, and didn't pressure him further on the topic. It was hard to think of what to do next. Should knew she should continue with her dream to be a Huntress, but how could she change the world's perspective on herself and her family if so many people seem intent on fighting each other every step of the way?
"Keep up!" Milo called from the side of the building, hanging upside-down on a pipe nearly thirty feet in the air. His arms were crossed as he looked down on Yang, a stern look on his face. "You must be completely mobile at all times. No ledge should be out of reach, no wall too high to jump over, and you have to be able to do it non-stop."
"Yeah well I can't fly, bird-brain..." she muttered under her breath, reaching for the next ledge with an exhausted left hand. They had already been at it for hours, and Milo wasn't even close to letting up. His training was downright brutal; pushing every muscle to the brink, testing her will and resolve at every turn. She knew it was effective, but it was completely exhausting.
When she came to the last few steps at the top of the building, he reached down and hoisted her up with a strong pull. "Nice work, getting faster already," he said with a grin, then pointed over a multitude of houses, toward several large warehouses to the west side of the city. "We're heading to building twelve next."
The blonde brawler took a moment to catch her breath before turning around to climb back down the side of the building, but Milo stopped her with an outstretched hand. "Wait, a second. Have you ever played 'the floor is lava'?" he asked with a sly grin.
Her eyes narrowed as she gave him a distrustful glare. "Yes..." she answered hesitantly, knowing this would only be another crazy training routine.
"Then let's play," he smiled, then walked over to the other side of the building, facing their destination. Yang followed, her eyes widening when she noticed the sizable gap between each building from here to the warehouse.
Normally, leaping from rooftop to rooftop would be no problem, but in Mistral the taller buildings had nearly twenty-five to thirty feet in between each one. If she had her gauntlets, this wouldn't be a problem; she could use the hard recoil of the shotguns to gain an extra dozen feet or so. Only this time, no such tools were present.
"You're thinking too much again," the avian declared with a raised eyebrow. "Don't think about it; just give it everything you've got. The rest will fall into place."
"And if I can't jump far enough?" she asked, looking back at him through the corner of her eye.
"Then you'll miss the ledge," he bluntly stated with a blank expression that betrayed nothing.
It wasn't what she meant, though he might know that. She meant to ask if he would catch her if she fell. Some might think her crazy for doubting him, but if the past few days have shown anything, it's that he is a hardcore combat teacher. She wouldn't put it beneath him to let a student fail in order to learn a lesson.
"You planned this, didn't you?" she sneered.
"Maybe."
She couldn't wait to punch that smirk off his stupid face.
Yang took several steps back and sucked in a deep breath to calm her nerves, then charged forward. Her right foot planted down at the edge of the roof and she pushed off with all her might, soaring through the air as instinctive fear gripped her heart when she saw the long drop below. She reached out as far as she could, her fingers wrapping around a metal pipe at the edge of the opposite rooftop. The breath was smashed from her lungs when her body collided with the side of the building, and she gasped for air as she gripped the bar with both hands, desperately trying to lift herself up. The exhausted muscles in her arm and abdomen shook in pained protest, making her grit her teeth as the strain made them feel as though molten fire was flowing beneath her skin.
She yelped in surprise when a warm hand gently wrapped around her waist, her heart skipping a beat as Milo helped lift her just high enough to swing a leg over the edge and roll herself the rest of the way up.
The young woman turned around as he effortlessly pulled himself up, admiring how much of a gentleman he unexpectedly was. He smoothed out his clothes, then his eyes flicked up to hers, catching her stare.
"What?" he questioned, "Something on my face?"
"No," she shook her head, "it's just... thank you."
"For helping you up? I couldn't just let you fall."
She couldn't help but chuckle at his mild obliviousness, "No, Milo. It's just that most guys take the chance to be a bit more... grabby... But you didn't, so thank you."
"Oh," he blinked in surprise, "no problem." The young man cleared his throat a few moments later, not sure what to say in response to her compliment, and suggested they keep moving.
A few death-defying jumps later, they came to the large building the young faunus had specified earlier and stepped inside. Stacks of crates and containers were arranged in a semi-circle, and at the center were four odd-looking robots, currently deactivated.
"These will help me teach you everything you'll ever need to know," Milo voiced. "They're what I trained with when I was still in Atlas. Supposedly they are state-of-the-art, and extremely expensive. I used to call them Punching Bags."
Yang raised an eyebrow inquisitively when he revealed that bit of information. "But where did you get them, I wonder?" she asked with a hint of embellished sarcasm.
"I, uh..." he paused and his eyes widened, quickly clearing his throat and ignoring her suggestion with a hint of embarrassment. "That's really not important. All that matters is they'll help me make you into one hell of a fighter."
"You stole them didn't you?" the blonde questioned, a slight smirk growing at the corners of her lips. She was getting better at reading him.
"So these things have several modes of operation and performance levels," he started, ignoring her interrogation. "Until you get used to that new arm of yours, we'll be using only one drone at a low level."
The young woman rolled her eyes, frowning from being ignored. Rather than keep pushing the topic, she decided to humor him and accept whatever crazy training regimen he decided to come up with. "Okay, how many levels are there and where will I be starting?"
He pondered for a moment, tapping a finger to his chin before speaking. "I think there are twenty levels… You should start at five, and we can start easing off the training once you hit fifteen."
"Pfft, only level five?" she scoffed, "I might be a little rusty but I think I can at least handle ten!"
He shook his head and chuckled, "If you're feeling confident I'll start you off at six, but you might not be able to move fast enough," he said as he walked up to the small collection of droids. "They're voice-activated. Just start with 'Drones Activate,' then give the number of drones, the pattern of attack and other modifiers, then combat level," he explained.
"Stand over there," he told her, then moved to a good position to help him study her movements. "Drones activate!" He ordered, making all four snap into rigid attention. "Single combatant, unarmed, mixed martial arts, level six."
"PARAMETERS RECOGNIZED," they simultaneously confirmed, then three stepped back while one walked forward and assumed a fighting position in front of Yang.
Uncertain as to what she was up against, she lowered into her own stance and did what she usually did; try to size up her opponent. She was certainly no tech-genius, but anyone could tell that these robots were significantly different from the flimsy pieces of garbage Atlas used in their 'army.' The metal frame looked strong and reinforced, with countless tubes in between the armor that filled every millimeter of space inside the chassis, not to mention all the unseen motors, hydraulics, and other fancy gadgets to make the machine extraordinarily fast and powerful.
"Begin!" Milo shouted, and Yang gasped in surprise as the drone leaped toward her with lightning speed.
Milo breathed deep the misty air, letting the cleansing rush of flight clear his mind. He looked down on the city, watching the twinkling lights as they passed down below. The wind whipped through his hair and the feathers of his wings, sending tingling sensations up and down his spine. He couldn't help but release a sigh of contentment.
This is what freedom feels like; a place of peace that would forever remain beyond the reach of the troubles of the world.
His moment of peace was interrupted as Yang's arms tightened around his chest, the generous curves of her body pressing tightly against his back. "You're not saying much," he called back with a grin, adjusting his flight path toward her home about a thousand feet to the east.
When she didn't respond, he frowned and lifted his hands to grasp her arms in reassurance. As he had warned her, the Atlesian training drones had been an extremely difficult challenge for her in the current state she was in. It would take time for her to begin improving by any significant margin, but at the moment the young brawler was extremely upset by her failure.
He found himself considering what he should do to help boost her confidence. Would he be able to call in a favor and have her spar against someone? Is that even a good idea? What if she just needs a break? But she just took a month-long break…
Suddenly, Yang leaned forward and spoke into his ear, just loud enough to be heard over the howling wind. "Why are you doing this for me?" she asked.
He furrowed his brow, perplexed by her strange question. "You said you were tired and didn't want to walk all the way home, so I decided to fly you there."
"No, Milo… Why are you trying to train me?"
The question completely caught him off guard. His answer? Well, he couldn't just say that she was one of the few things he had left in the world, that sounded desperate and pathetic. At the same time, he couldn't just say that he was bored and found her interesting; she would both call him out as a liar and a shallow jackass. Instead, he said the best thing that came to mind.
"Why do you think I'm doing this?"
A short pause followed before she answered, "You think I'm weak."
"Weak? No..." he searched his mind for the right thing to say. He knew his many reasons, but which ones were true? What choices had he already made when in rage and pain that would change his life forever?
"Then why?" she urged.
He knew the truth, but the hardest part of that truth is that he couldn't give her all of it. "You needed a push in the right direction."
"… Is that it?"
Milo took hold of her one good hand, feeling the warmth of her soft fingers in his own. He lifted her hand to his lips and gently kissed the back of her hand. "No," he said, and felt her fingers tighten around his.
"Good," she replied, pressing herself into his back once more.
Oh, you stupid, stupid fool, he thought to himself.
Ruby was bored.
After the ordeal with Ozpin grounding them within the walls of Mistral, there was very little for her to do beyond her everyday routine. She would get up just early enough to get ready for school, study throughout the day in her various topics, then afterward she and the others would do a short training session with Milo. Every few days, he would go around and talk to each person, giving them something specific to work on, helping to hone their combat skills.
The young man seemed pleased enough with her skills, and instead focused on a theory he had about her semblance. For whatever reason, he was convinced that she wasn't using the full capacity of her abilities. Everyone thought he was crazy when he suggested that she should be able to speed up not just her body, but her mind as well.
Ruby took it in stride, however, and gave it her best shot, focusing deeper into her semblance than she ever had before. Unfortunately nothing substantial happened, but it felt like there was something there, it would just take time.
Even so, after all that work and after being banned from leaving the city, she felt as though a piece of her was being wasted. That drive to achieve the impossible, to protect and serve the defenseless, simply wasn't being used. The young reaper wanted to help her friends and get involved with the quest to help defend the city against inevitable attack, but other than following them around like a third-wheel, she simply couldn't help them very much.
Weiss kept looking into the history of her family, trying to discover the true beginnings of the faunus war to come up with a way to end it with good relations. Blake kept running off with Sun on a daily basis to find out what the White Fang were doing in and around Mistral, and trying to influence the opinions of faunus who have yet to pick a side. Yang did eventually start going back to the academy, but rarely left Milo's side. At first she was moody and distant, but slowly turned back to her original, joking, pun-making self once a few weeks had passed.
JNPR spent every last bit of their free time out in the city talking to in keepers, shop owners, and anyone else Jaune deemed important enough to talk to. They often spoke about Vale; how the city was woefully unprepared for the attack and how things could be different here in Mistral. Ruby didn't know how Jaune's progress was going, and she didn't know what everyday non-huntsman people could do to fend off a militaristic siege or a horde of nightmare-creatures, but he seemed hopeful.
It wasn't until one day the young reaper was wandering around town that she found a place to spend her time. It was a murky, humid, dreary day in the late evening when she was eating at a small sweets shop at the center of town when a pair of Huntsmen caught her eye; a young man and woman walking behind her.
The woman was short but well-built, with bright crimson eyes and silver hair tied up at the back of her head. She wore simple tattered wrappings around her chest with the same torn material used to create a makeshift skirt, along with dark brown leggings that came down just past her knees. Both of her forearms were covered in white bandages, with leather padding protecting her upper arms and shoulders. A large, black sword with green runic markings on the blade was strapped across her back. She looked like she's lived a rough life so far, but seemed to be happy nonetheless.
The man was tall with a thin build. He had long, dark black hair tied back in a ponytail, and light gray eyes that flicked back to his companion every so often. His blue pants were loose and baggy, and he wore a long, gently curved sword at his hip; likely a katana of some sort. His face was peppered with gruff stubble, and there was a deep scar across the bridge of his nose.
Ruby watched as they took a few dozen steps down the sidewalk and turned left down an alleyway. Her curiosity piqued, she quickly jammed the last pastry into her mouth and took the remaining few gulps of milk before running after them. Rounding the corner in a shower of rose petals, she managed to catch the door at the far side of the alley latch shut. Above it hung a small sign with a hammer crashing down on an anvil.
Ruby smiled. Blacksmiths usually had weapons, and weapons mean she has something to talk about! She dashed forward and stepped through the door, her smile fading a bit when she saw rows and racks of simple tools, ranging from carpenters nails and saws, to a farmer's tilling blade. Before she dashed her hopes completely, she decided these huntsmen came in here for a reason and was determined to stay until she found out why.
"Dad, you in here?" the young woman called, while the man noticed the young huntress-in-training. He turned her way and smiled in greeting, but Ruby could see the wary look in his eyes.
She simply smiled back, excitedly waving a greeting. The young leader's eyes widened and her jaw dropped when the shop owner stepped out from the back room. He was a massive man, standing well over six and a half feet tall, with a thick, stocky build and a round belly. His hair was black like coal with flecks of gray, and he had a matching short beard. Tied at his neck and around his waist was a tan apron, stained black by crafting residue.
The man smiled wide, showing slightly yellowed teeth with a chip in the front left canine. "Reyna! Back already?" he laughed, spreading his arms to envelop the much smaller woman in a hug. Upon releasing her, he gave the man a handshake and a smile in greeting.
"Already? It's been three weeks you old coot!" She said, putting her hands on her hips, giving the smith a smirk. "Did you get my armor finished yet?"
"Yes, yes… But first," he nodded toward Ruby, "who's your young friend here?"
She could feel her cheeks grow warm when attention was called in her direction. "Oh, I'm not with them!" she said, shaking her head in slight embarrassment. "I just came here because I was bored and wanted to see what you have… so sorry for intruding!"
The young leader was about to push the door open to leave when the old man spoke up. "You're one of them Beacon students, aren't you?"
Perplexed by his question, Ruby turned back in the blacksmith's direction. "Mhm," she hummed with a nod, trying to read his expression. He looked… sad. Apologetic? It was hard to say.
"My name is Clovis," he said, "this is my daughter Reyna and her fiancée, Julius. I've taken care of more Huntsmen than I ever care to count," he added with a chuckle.
"Ruby. Ruby Rose," the young leader declared, reaching out to shake his hand.
The man accepted, then motioned Reyna toward him, tentatively taking her hand and carefully unraveling the bindings around her forearms. "How are you holding up?" he asked, eyes flicking to hers as he inspected the scarred flesh of her arm.
The young woman winced at his touch. "It still stings from time to time," she said, quickly rubbing a transparent gel into her old burns that Julius had handed her, then carefully wrapping her arms back up.
Clovis then turned his attention to Ruby, an appreciative smile adorning his face. "A few years ago, a huntsman in training saved by daughter from a truly terrible fate."
Ruby shook her head in solemn understanding. "Lurker acid…" she suggested, remembering the pictures of the large, insect-like Grimm from the textbooks at Beacon.
"That's right," Reyna confirmed. "I was deep in southern Mistral when I came across a large nest of them. They eventually whittled down my aura and then one of them sprayed that crap all over my arms."
Julius frowned, but continued the tale. "I was away at the time. Luckily the stranger was nearby. He killed the lurkers and brought her to a nearby inn, where they were able to treat her. She told him about her father's shop, and that they owed him a favor."
"Well, we haven't seen him since," the red-eyed huntress shrugged. "I doubt he'll ever turn up again."
"Actually he showed up not too long ago. He called in his favor too; gave me a bunch of high-tech schematics and said he'll pay me for my best work, but I've already decided not to charge him. Because of him, you are alive and getting better every day, and for that I am thankful," the old man said with a wide smile, then shook his head to re-focus himself. "Forgive me, I've gotten carried away. Since you are practically a Huntress already, how would you like to go back and see the collection? Anything a growing warrior might need out in the wilderness..."
"Really?!" the red reaper exclaimed, barely able to contain her excitement. Clovis laughed and waved them all into the back room.
Ruby gasped as she stepped through the door, her eyes growing wide as she gazed upon the rows and racks of weapons on display. Swords, knives, daggers, halberds, spears… each type of weapon ranging from simple, affordable pieces all the way up to beautiful masterworks that made her eyes sparkle with delight.
Once their business was finished, the blacksmith's daughter and her fiancée left, though Ruby hardly noticed them exit. After nearly an hour of seeing the young huntress fawning over the tools, Clovis approached her with a proposition in mind.
"You certainly seem to know your stuff," he suggested, giving her an approving smile.
"Yeah! I've always liked messing with weapons. I put a lot of work into designing mine," she said, quietly admiring the etched finish of an ornate sword on display.
"I can see that," he chuckled, "But have you ever thought about making things for other people to use?"
She whirled around in stunned surprise, her eyebrows furrowing as the thought sank in. "You mean… You think I could be a blacksmith?"
The man nodded with enthusiasm. "If you really do love weapons that much, then I have no doubt that you could be one of the best."
"I… appreciate that, but I'm training to be a Huntress," she explained, "Even if I wanted to try, I have to put that before anything else."
"Of course, of course… but you said you were getting bored lately, right? How about you swing by when you're bored, and I'll show you a thing or two. Just as a hobby, you know?"
"I don't know," she hesitated, stopping to consider what happened on a daily basis. She was doing everything she needed to for Academy training, but other than that she wasn't accomplishing anything. Rather than just waste her time, she would be far better off learning a skill that she might be able to use in the future.
"I think that's a good idea," she said with a smile.
As time passed, the group continued to focus on their personal goals. Milo trained Yang each and every day, pushing past her frustrations and seeing real progress after merely a few weeks. She grew stronger day by day, as did her trust and friendship with Milo. They started spending time together outside of training, and Milo even continued his education at Mistral, though he refused to spar with anyone other than Yang; calling it a waste of his energy and time.
Weiss discovered an irregularity in the Schnee shipping routes, finding that some shipments weren't being stolen; they were instead being routed into dangerous territory intentionally, compelling her to dive even further into the cause of this behavior.
Blake didn't find much about the White Fang, but did manage to get in touch with her father in Menagerie, who agreed to send a contingent of guards that would help protect the school should the need arise. She and Sun appeared to be a couple, though the former would never admit it.
Pyrrha was getting worried about Jaune. He was so determined to organize the defense of Mistral that he often neglected sleep, staying up late into the twilight hours to finish a new idea or theory. Before she knew it months had passed, and as the toll of stress on his mind and body grew, she could see that he was vastly overworking himself. The young Mistrali knew that there was no way to convince him to slow down, but the worst part of it all was the fact that she had no clue of how to help him. He was working himself to death for the betterment of the entire city, and for that she loved him… but she couldn't sit idly by and watch as he works himself to the point of collapse.
And he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath."
-Mark 2:27
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