Chapter 18: The Calm Before The Storm

Weiss couldn't believe it. Her sister had died two years ago, how was she here now?

"Yes, hello Weiss, I am pleased to meet you again." Madyln twisted her mouth into a sneer.

"But, you were killed!" Weiss sputtered. "How are you still alive?"

"So you remember that day well. Let me refresh your memory." And with that, Madyln began. "In the days leading up to your concert at the White Castle, the White Fang kidnapped me. They told me all about their ideals and said that they knew I was half-faunus. So I agreed to join them, and they sent me back home. The day of the concert, I activated one of the robot mechs and proceeded to pretend to be killed by it. But instead of killing me, it brought me into the waiting arms of the White Fang. They accepted me and started my training, and so here I am."

Weiss had been waiting for Madyln to finish her monologue, and used the break to ask something that had been gnawing at her.

"Why did you convert to the wrong side, Madyln?"

"Don't call me that! It's too human for a top notch White Fang agent like me!"

"What do you want to be called then?" Weiss was the prisoner here, and it wasn't smart for a prisoner to aggravate her captors.

"Vayla. If you call me that other wretched name again, I will torture you until you're crying for help."

During this whole time, Weiss had been looking for a way to contact her friends. She saw that Vayla had a walkie talkie, but that wouldn't help her if it was on the wrong frequency.

As if reading her mind, Vayla set a strange device on the table beside her.

"This can alter its frequency to match a specific scroll, and I intend to contact your teammates using it."

"Why would you do that?" Weiss asked.

"Because I am directing them to a different endgame, one where I am in control."

"But what are you trying to do?"

"You wouldn't have heard, would you?"

Weiss shook her head no, so Vayla continued.

"The White Fang has offered a reward for anyone who can find Blake Belladonna and bring her back to justice."

"You want to go after Blake?" Weiss was trying to comprehend the conflicting thoughts flitting through her mind: On one hand, Blake had been the reason she had run in the first place, but on the other, Blake was her teammate, and she couldn't bring herself to willingly give one of those up.

"I do, I intend to grab the ten thousand lien and use it to buy some better equipment for myself."

"You would turn in one of your sister's friends for money?"

"In a heartbeat."

"Hello?" Vayla's voice was heard through the scroll Yang was holding.

"Got a match!" Yang yelled, looking in wonder at the scroll she was holding in her hands.

"Really?" Ruby rushed over, before being squished against her sister when everyone else followed.

"Yep, see?" Yang held the scroll up for everyone to see, to the radio she said. "Hello? Who is this?"

"You recognize my voice, don't you?"

'Vayla.' Sun heard Michael say in his head.

"It's Vayla, she must have Weiss." He said out loud.

"I am in possession of Weiss, your friend." Vayla said. "Bring me Blake Belladonna and I will let her go free."

"Never, but we will find you." Yang spat the words out.

"Is that so? Well then, you know where I am. Hide and Seek, bitch." The connection was cut and Yang switched to seeker mode.

"I'll go tell Ozpin." Ren was out the door by the time he finished.

"Where is she?" Blake asked, hanging on Yang's shoulder.

"She appears to be," Yang zoomed out the map. "In a warehouse about one hundred and fifty miles from here."

They knew that the scroll could detect wavelengths from around the world, and they often used it to find a match of another scroll. It was a normal way for students to know where the rest of their team was.

"Uh, important question here." Jaune broke in. "But are you using Apple Maps or Google Maps?"

Pyrrha facepalmed and Yang turned her eyes skyward.

"You have got to be kidding me." Sun said.

"Is that really relevant?" Pyrrha asked through her hand.

"Apple Maps can't be trusted!" Jaune replied indignantly.

"Never mind, let's just go to Ozpin's office and see what he wants to do with this information. Stay here." Yang stood up and walked out the door.

"So Yang should be along soon to show you the loca-" Ren was interrupted by the person in question barging through the door. "Speak of the devil."

"Professor, I've found her." Yang said, laying her scroll on the table. "What do you suggest we do with it?"

Ozpin pushed his glasses down and massaged his temples before picking the scroll up.

"Give me time to think about this, but at the moment I'm thinking of sending out a rescue team. It's obvious that she is heavily guarded."

"Of course, but if I may, who would be on the rescue team?" Blake asked.

"I was thinking two teams of third-year students for the task."

Blake set her jaw, and stepped forward.

"With all due respect sir, I strongly disagree."

"In what way." Ozpin looked at her amusingly.

"I should be on the rescue mission. After all, I was the one who caused this problem."

"Give me time overnight, and I will tell you in the morning. But I will earnestly consider your going."

"Thank you sir."

"Let me message you the location." Yang said.

Suddenly, the sound of a hundred Gavins doing the Ricky Gervais filled the room.

"Nice notification sound." Yang said with a smirk. "I didn't know you liked the Achieve Men."

"Well- You know what, never mind. You don't need to know my life outside of school." Ozpin hastily replied.

"You have one?" Yang asked with mock horror.

"Yes, teachers do exist outside the classroom." Ozpin rolled his eyes. "Now shoo, I have some sleep to grab."

"In all honesty, how much sleep will you be getting tonight?"

"Exactly thirty minutes, you are dismissed."

"What about the tournament?" Krystal asked as Team SCAR walked into their room.

Sun rolled his eyes and responded.

"I don't think that the tournament is the most important thing happening right now."

"But I want to fight!"

"If Ozpin chooses us to go on the rescue operation, we might get the chance to." Colton added.

"YES!" Krystal unslung Toxid and hugged it.

"Really?" Aurora raised her eyebrows and pulled out Scandiv.

"You're holding your weapon too." Krystal said sarcastically.

"I'm making sure it's okay." Aurora started checking Scandiv over.

"You two are both insane." Colton walked over to his bed. "We should get some sleep."

"Right, we need to be ready for whatever Ozpin throws at us tomorrow."

"Do you think he's going to change his mind and send Team RWBY to save Weiss?" Aurora asked.

"Down one now." Krystal muttered.

"I don't think he would send them alone." Sun replied to Aurora's question.

"You mean he would send other teams with them?" Krystal sat down on her bed.

"Yes, Weiss, Blake, and Yang wouldn't be able to do it on their own."

"You doubt them?"

"It's not that, it's that it might be too dangerous for three people."

"Good point," Colton came in. "But right now, we have to get some sleep."

"Night, night!" Krystal laid down and dozed off.

"Good night, everyone." Aurora followed suit and fell asleep.

Author's Note:
Next Sunday is the big one, over five thousand words. I don't have much else to say except for saying thank you to all of the readers. If you enjoyed it, don't forget to follow, favorite, and review. Chas1881