Arc I; Meetings
Chapter 4
Vale Police Department
Commissioner Ozpin stared at the chessboard in his office, most of the figures laid to the side. To anyone walking in it would just seem like a pointless exercise being performed by a novice player, but to him, every piece was part of a puzzle. A puzzle to which he had precious little pieces.
Sighing, the white haired man threw the board one final futile look and picked up the stack of documents on his table. As much as his problems vexed him, he couldn't go around ignoring his other work.
As he picked up the first document from the pile however, a knock on his door, caught his attention.
"Yes?" the man asked and the door opened, revealing a tall teenage boy, with messy blond hair, wearing a black hoodie and blue jeans, a stack of papers in his hand.
"Mornin' Commissioner Ozpin," the young man greeted with a wave, but to Ozpin's trained eyes the youth appeared to be barely holding his eyes open.
"Jaune," Ozpin returned the greeting. "I trust your night was pleasant?"
"Eh," the teen shrugged, rubbing his eyes. "It was long, I'm sure of that."
"One needs to learn all aspects of police work if they wish to join the force, Mr. Arc," Ozpin reminded. "I too once was stationed at such a post. I admit I found the experience to be the most boring year of my life. It was also enlightening however."
"I'll… Take your word on that," Jaune shrugged. "Next time, mind warning about the horrid work hours before I sign the internship?"
"I did warn you that this was a demanding job when you came to me a few months ago, Jaune," Ozpin replied calmly.
"Yeah, guess you did," Jaune chuckled and placed one of the folders he was holding on the desk. "The 211 call reports you requested, Sir."
"Anything interesting?" Ozpin asked as he flipped the folder open.
"Can't be certain," Jaune replied sheepishly. "But I must say, it's a bit frightening how many murders take place in Vale. Three last night."
"As much as we paint Vale to be a crime free environment, it is still a city Jaune. And cities are filled with flawed individuals."
"Guess it is," Jaune replied stifling a yawn.
"Go home Jaune," Ozpin encouraged. "The report appears excellent."
"Thank you, S-s-s-sir." Jaune managed through a yawn and shuffled out of the office, though Ozpin saw that he barely made it to the honored "VPD Couch for the Deathly Exhausted", before he fell asleep on it.
Smiling at his newest aid's actions, Ozpin pulled out the three files regarding the murders.
The first was a self-defense case, Faunus shooting another, during a burglary. The shooter confessed immediately, so Ozpin left it to the side.
The second appeared to be a robbery at a liquor store, shopkeeper dead on sight, several leads pointing at the White Fang, but Ozpin dismissed it as well. The White Fang was anything but petty crooks. More likely it was a human masquerading as a Faunus to shift the blame.
The last file though was something worth taking a second look at.
An anonymous tip off about a dead body near a club. Jaune's notes described the voice of the tipper as young, calm and female. (The Commissioner disregarded Mr. Arc's note questioning if the girl was 'hot'.) That struck a nerve in Ozpin's mind. It was very much a longshot, but if he was right about this, it was his first tangible link to his problem.
Not wasting a moment, Ozpin picked up his scrollpad and dialed up the crime lab.
"Good Mor… Oh, Commissioner Ozpin," the secretary stumbled. "What can I do for you sir?"
"I would like the information you have on a murder case," Ozpin explained quietly. "It was reported last night. The dead body in an alley."
"Yes sir," the woman on the other side of the line nodded and started typing something on her computer. A few seconds later though she stopped and turned back toward Ozpin. "Um, Commissioner Ozpin? There is already a suspect in custody."
That bit of information, struck a chord, which immediately started to play havoc with Ozpin's mind. It was impossible for her to make such a horrendous mistake. She was far too good for it. No, this was a scapegoat. One that he now had to clear if this situation was to be even remotely salvageable.
The seasoned Commissioner didn't let any of that show on his face however and the only indication his subordinate received that something was wrong, was a pause, slightly longer than normal.
"I see," Ozpin drawled out. "Never the less I want all the information you can provide on the case."
"No Breaks" Café
"We're here!" Coco announced as she pulled into the parking slot in front of her café.
The statement was met with groans from most of the passengers, most notably Blake, who Yang realized, was now a peculiar shade of green.
The blonde quickly realized that unlike her and Ruby, Blake probably didn't have a chance to meet such an… enthusiastic driver such as Coco, for whom speed limits and sidewalks were just minor things.
"You okay?" the blonde asked their unwilling companion. While Yang was a good person, she wasn't about to leave a total stranger alone in her own house after all. She might have been blonde, but she wasn't that blonde!
"I've been on roller coasters that took turns slower," the raven-haired girl replied.
"Yeah, Coco doesn't put much stock in breaks," Yang admitted. "Still! It was an admirable performance! Ruby threw up the first ten times."
"Ya-a-ang!" Ruby groaned at her for revealing some of the more embarrassing memories the two shared.
"What?" Yang asked innocently. "Just saying, would have been a shame to ruin the new outfit." She gestured toward the ensemble that Coco had managed to put together.
The outfit itself was rather simplistic (At least compared to most things Coco threw together.) and it consisted of a white, long sleeved V-neck zip-up shirt that is black along the bottom with black pants, white vertical stripe on the outer side of each leg. A stylish black belt and boots completed the look, along with the bow that was still present on the girl's head.
The bow really seemed out of place to Yang though. The girl looked composed, mature and quite frankly, like she was twice her age. The somewhat childish bow dispelled that image.
Then again, I wear short shorts and a vest, who am I to judge?
The trio followed Coco into her café, where they were greeted by a literal giant of a man, wearing light green samurai armor, with a horrendously large odachi sword.
Yang felt a tap on her shoulder and saw that Blake had leaned forward.
"Why is he dressed like that?" she asked.
"Coco's business is a cosplay café," Yang explained. "Yatsuhashi is one of her two biggest client draws."
"Where is she, Yatsuhashi?" Coco asked as soon as she was close enough not to draw too much attention from the patrons.
Instead of answering verbally the tall man simply pointed back to where Yang knew Coco's office was.
To anyone not familiar with the giant, they would have easily labeled his behavior as dismissive, but it was far from it. In fact, Yang didn't really recall ever hearing Yatsuhashi speaking.
"Velvet with her?" Coco asked after a brief look around the cafe.
Another nod from Yatsuhashi.
"This way you three!" the girl ordered yang and her friends, taking off her sunglasses with a flourish as she walked through the establishment.
Despite the grim situation, Yang almost laughed at Coco. No matter what, the girl always felt the need to look stylish.
Still this wasn't the time for laughing. If what Coco said was true (And Nora wasn't over exaggerating) then things were pretty bad.
Inside Coco's office, the girls found Nora sitting behind Coco's desk still in her pajamas, crying, if Yang were to judge by the amount of tissues she was doing that since she arrived.
"How is she Velvet?" Coco asked the other girl in the room and Yang's eyes were immediately drawn to the other major reason why the "No Breaks" café was so popular.
The girl was around Yang's height with long brown hair and eyes and was wearing what Yang suspected was the fantasy outfit of every male who has ever walked the streets of Vale.
Dark pantyhose leading to a one piece bathing suit that clung to her body of while still revealing just enough to make the imagination run wild. A little bow tie looped around her neck. Bringing up her hand to wave happily, she revealed cuffs covering each wrist.
What was really completing the picture were the pair of long rabbit ears that Yang knew were not fake. Velvet Scarlatina was to Yang's knowledge one of the happiest Faunus in Vale. After all she might have a job where she dressed as eye-candy, but she was the only one of Coco's waiters to have card-blanche by the manager herself to dump liquid in the lap of any patron who didn't understand the "Look but don't touch!" policy of the establishment.
"Not so good," the Faunus girl replied timidly. "I wouldn't suggest questioning her Coco."
"How are we going to get the whole story then?" Ruby asked from behind Yang.
A second later Ruby understood the error of her question.
Nora's head immediately shot up and the girl started to produce sounds that Yang wasn't even aware a human being could produce, several of the even reaching the hypersonic range, if Velvet's reaction was any indication.
As the amount of hysteria in Nora's voice grew however, Coco finally took charge. The fashionista manager simply moved behind the wailing girl and without any warning smashed her handbag into Nora's head, knocking the younger girl out.
Yang blinked along with everyone else at Coco's ruthless dispatch of their friends, until Blake voice the question on everyone's mind;
"What in Remnant did you do that for?"
"You're new! Don't question me!" Coco snapped, though to Yang's surprise Coco's tone didn't have quite the reaction expected.
"Why?" Blake repeated, eyes narrowing.
"She was starting to irritate Velvet," Coco sighed tiredly. "Faunus have sensitive hearing and it was hurting her. Besides, it was pretty clear we weren't going to get anything useful. Besides, I am willing to bet Lien to lettuce that Velvet heard the entire story about a dozen times."
"It was still cold," Blake didn't back out and Yang had to admit, that this girl had one hell of a backbone. It was liable to get her another trip to dreamland, but it was admirable.
"It was effective," Coco replied, but Yang saw her expression soften. "Besides the way she was going she was more likely to hurt herself."
At the admission Blake seemed to recede a little and Yang used that opportunity to diffuse the situation.
"Velvet, why don't you tell us what Nora said?" Yang prompted, placing a hand on Blake's back to draw her back a bit.
"It was pretty much like I told Coco on the scroll," Velvet replied. "Nora barged into the café screaming that Ren was taken by the police. I managed to calm her down a bit from the start and she managed to elaborate. Apparently she woke up and was preparing to go to her job when the police appeared at their apartment and arrested Ren. Something to do with some body discovered near the "Nevermore" last night…."
The name struck Yang like a sack of bricks and she immediately stopped Velvet.
""Nevermore"? As in club "Nevermore"?" Yang demanded from the older girl.
"That's what Nora said," Velvet confirmed slightly confused.
"Oh crap,…"
"Why is the location so important?" Blake asked, but before Yang could form a proper response, Ruby filled her in.
"That was where we were last night," the younger girl supplied. "We placed the 211 call."
"We didn't," Yang corrected, feeling the hate that slipped into her voice. "Schnee, did!"
"As in Weiss Schnee?" Coco asked her eyebrows raised. "I'd really like to hear how you ended up in a club with the heiress to the 'Schnee Mining and Distribution' …"
"Yang you can't be seriously thinking that…" Ruby began, but at this point the blonde was beyond listening.
"Why else Rubs?" Yang asked. "Why the hell else would the police be after Ren?"
"Well…" Ruby started uncertainly. "Maybe they made a mistake?"
"Yes!" Yang replied. "They listened to Schnee!" With that Yang turned around.
"Yang we were there, when she made the call!" Ruby protested.
"And we have no idea if she didn't call them again later!" the blonde pointed out and walked pass her sister.
"Then you should ask her," Blake's voice joined the conversation.
"What do you mean?" Yang asked. "Ask her? I plan to beat…"
"You don't want to be making an enemy out of the Schnee family," the girl cut her off. "And going in accusing their heir of something like this is exactly how you'd do that!"
"New girl's got a point!" Coco nodded. "Go and talk to Schnee if you want Yang, but don't antagonize them… More than you've already have."
"Fine!" the blonde finally relented. "Can you at least give us a ride there?" she asked Coco.
"I'll hail you a cab and then I'll see about getting Nora back to her place," the older girl countered and pulled out her scroll.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
The girl's trip to the Schnee estate was silent for the most part, only Ruby trying to pick up a conversation with either Yang or Blake, but neither was obliging much. Yang herself didn't want to lose her focus. As for Blake… To Yang she appeared to be deep in thought.
In fact Yang was a bit curious as to why Blake was with them.
She didn't know Ren, as far as Yang knew, nor did she know Schnee. Hell the girl had been unconscious when they found the body. Her tagging along was a bit peculiar.
Then again it wasn't something overly suspicious. After all Yang and Ruby did offer her a place to stay for the night and providing some moral support might have been her way to repay them.
"We're here ladies," the cab driver called and stopped in front of the gates leading to the Schnee estate.
"Thanks!" Yang called and handed the man their fare.
"So," Ruby began her eyes widening at the size of the gate. "How exactly do we get in?"
"We ring the doorbell, I suppose," Yang shrugged and pushed the button on the intercom system.
"Schnee Family Estate," a male voice greeted them. "How may I be of assistance?"
"Um,…" Yang blenched at the voice. Truth be told she didn't expect there to be anyone actually waiting on the other side of the system. In fact she was hoping it was just automated to let them in.
She also seriously doubted that 'Here to shake down the daughter of one of the wealthiest people in Remnant' was a good reason to let them in.
Raking her brain for a few moments the brawler finally came up with a reasonable excuse.
"We're friends of Weiss' from School," Yang lied. "We had plans to meet up today."
"Right… And I am headmistress of Beacon Academy!" the man replied. "Now listen here…."
All of a sudden there was the sound of a struggle from the other side of the intercom, causing Yang to take a step back, before a new voice greeted the three.
"I apologize for that!" the voice, female this time, said. "Please come in!"
Yang looked dumb folded at what had just transpired as the doors opened automatically letting the three in.
"That was… peculiar…" Yang admitted. "Shall we?"
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
In retrospect, Yang should have held the cab until they actually reached the house would have been a great idea, since the hike uphill took them a good 15 minutes. What was even more annoying and felt like the architect was laughing at them was that it would have been easier to come from the other side, since the house was practically kissing the wall.
Still, in her opinion it could have been worse.
As the trio finally reached the front doors of the manor, they found that someone was actually waiting for them.
The woman appeared to be in her thirties to Yang, with short pixie cut dark hair and it was obvious she had just rose from bed, given that she was wearing a rather decorated, emerald green robe.
"Good morning!" she greeted with a sunny smile that caught Yang a bit off guard. In all her visions, she pictured everyone and everything living in Schnee manor to be unwelcoming, monotonic and stuck up, but this woman was… Normal! If not for the huge decorative snowflake logo of the Schnee Mining Company, Yang would have been questioning if the cabby hadn't dropped them off at the wrong place.
"Um, good morning miss…" Yang fished for a name.
"Oh, no titles!" the woman waved dismissively. "I'm Willow. Weiss' mom. Are you Weiss' friends from school?"
"Hehe," Yang chuckled nervously. Great! Had to run into her mother of all people! Though she does appear nice…
"Yeah, we are!" Ruby helped Yang out cheerfully. "We swung by because we had a question about the club we were in last night…" Yang heard her sister trail off and a glance at Weiss' mother clarified why.
While the older woman was still smiling, her smile had gained a sharp edge to it that was a bit frightening.
"I'm sorry," Willow Schnee blinked at the girls. "But my daughter was where last night?"
"In a bar," Yang supplied, though she started to feel unnerved by the older woman's smile.
"I see," Mrs. Schnee nodded and without any warning turned with enough force to make her robes crack like a whip. "WEISS SCHNEE, GET YOUR BUTT OUT OF BED AND DOWNSTAIRS THIS INSTANCE!"
At the unexpected outburst, Yang saw that Blake took a step back, Ruby doing one better and hiding completely behind Yang, so fast, the blonde could swear her sister teleported.
"Yang," the younger girl whispered. "That lady is scary."
"Relax Ruby," Yang assured her sister, though much to her embarrassment, her own legs were shaking a bit.
"Maybe we should,…" Blake began, but before she could finish, Weiss' mother turned back toward the three.
"You three! Inside! Now!" she said in a tone that brokered no argument.
'Yes ma'am!" all three answered in perfect unison.
Next time I am going home after a boxing match! Yang promised herself miserably as she followed Weiss' mother into the house.
Schnee Manor, Living Room
"Now," Willow Schnee began as the girls, Weiss still in her robe and nightgown, "Who'd like to start explaining?"
Blake glanced around at the expression of the other three girls, which quickly confirmed that none of them were feeling particularly chatty. Yang and Ruby simply looked unnerved by Willow's expression, while Weiss herself appeared as if she'd seen a ghost.
Being a former member of the White Fang, Blake found the normality of the situation to be… amusing.
The image the White Fang held for the Schnee family was that of cold aristocracy and ruthless businessmen that trampled on anyone who they deemed beneath them.
Seeing the future heiress of the family being sweated like a normal teen who got caught for sneaking out was probably entertainment many people would pay for.
It's a shame I had to ditch my scroll, Blake mused as it dawned on her exactly where she was.
The hearth of the Schnee Mining Company and she just walked right into it with no problems and no hustle whatsoever.
A place where she could strike the killing blow against one of the greatest oppressors to Faunus all over Remnant.
Blake had a hard time believing this was true. After yesterday it actually seemed like a dream come true for her.
But it wasn't… Not anymore.
She was no longer with the White Fang and it no longer stood for what she believed it to stand for. This wasn't a dream, it was just Fate taunting her.
After all, she no longer had a dream, no longer had any goals besides survive the next day and the one after that.
"Well," Willow's words drew Blake out of her thoughts. "Since no one wants to start… You three!" she turned toward the girls. "Are you actually friends of Weiss? Yes or no?"
"Well," Yang began sheepishly. "Me and my sis know her from school, but saying we're friends would be…"
"A lie," Ruby supplied miserably as both girls appeared to wither under Mrs. Schnee's gaze.
"At least you're being honest about it," Willow muttered and turned toward Blake. "And you miss?"
"I just tagged along," Blake admitted. "Yang and Ruby gave me a place to stay and I came to offer some support as gratitude."
As a skilled liar Blake knew that the best lie was one with a grain of truth in it. She did feel grateful to the two sisters for giving her a place to stay the night, even if she was going to disappear in the next few days.
The lie however came from the fact that it wasn't her only reason for being there.
When she first heard about the murder, she recalled a conversation she overheard Adam have a few days before she was forced to run. Something about a murder that was paramount for the White Fang. While it was a long shot that this was the murder, the presence of a Schnee, even if it was by accident, was too much to overlook. And it might just give her the bargaining chip she needed to get the White Fang to leave her alone for the time being.
"Hm," the older woman nodded. "In that case… Weiss. Why did you sneak out last night?"
Blake was sure that anyone in the room could hear a fly buzzing around in the silence that followed the woman's question.
"Because,…" Weiss began, her voice barely beyond a whisper. "I wanted to, I guess…"
As she uttered the words, Blake could feel an understanding pass between the two women, something only they realized out of the conversation.
"I see," Willow nodded slowly. "I'm just glad your father is out on work for the week." Weiss' mother sighed. "But that does lead me to my next question. Why did you three come here?"
"Well," Yang began. "It sort of happened after we left,…"
"You mean had to run out of," Weiss corrected and Blake really started to wonder if the girl was pre-programmed to argue with Yang.
"Fine!" the blonde conceded. "After we ran out of the club we stopped at an alley where we,… Um,… Found a dead body."
The reaction the words brought was instantaneous and one that Blake had seen many a time from people not accustomed to seeing death on a daily bases: shock, fear and near panic.
"I assume," Mrs. Schnee began, regaining her composure, though Blake noted that her face seemed paler than before. "You informed the police, I take it?"
"Yeah, Weiss did!" Ruby supplied.
"Yes and now a friend of ours has been arrested for the murder," Yang continued. "We wanted to inte… ask if Weiss had said anything after her initial call."
"And why," the white-haired girl began, anger clear in her voice. "Would I frame someone I don't even know?"
"Because you're a selfish…" Yang began to respond, but a quick, stern look from Mrs. Schnee silenced her quickly.
"And who is this friend of yours?" Mrs. Schnee asked.
"Lie Ren," Ruby answered. "His folks used to own a small herb shop and…"
"Oh I know the place," Willow brightened up instantly. "It has a wonderful selection of tea and many herbs I like to grow. And I also know the young man you're referring to. Very cordial and polite. Lives alone as far as I am aware, correct?"
"Legally emancipated a few months ago after his parents died," Yang confirmed ad Blake saw a shadow pass through the blonde's face. "Didn't want to deal with the system so close to 18."
"I find it hard to believe he'd ever kill someone."
"That just it," Yang interrupted. "He wouldn't. Ren couldn't hurt a fly!"
"If he's a friend of yours, I find that difficult to be…"
"Weiss enough!" her mother silenced her. "I believe you're forgetting that you're in quite a bit of trouble and in no position to judge anyone!"
The Schnee heiress withered at her mother's words, causing Blake to fight a very evil smirk off her face.
"This arguing isn't getting us anywhere," Willow sighed, leaning back in her chair. "So! Here's what will happen! You three will go and talk to your friend. It might help you a bit to calm down. And Weiss is coming with you!"
"I'm what?!" Weiss shrieked.
"She's what?!" Yang asked at the exact same moment and both girls shot each other a glare, before shutting up.
"I don't want any complaints from you Weiss! Fact is you should be happy I don't just call your Father!" Willow chastised her daughter and then turned to Yang. "Nor do I want to hear any rebukes from you Miss Xiao Long! I am sending my daughter with you to maybe get you to ease off a little on her. She and by extension my family isn't the reason for all the evil in the world."
Blake blinked at the statement in utter confusion. Either this woman was just this blind to what was happening in Remnant, or she had convinced herself that it wasn't true. It was… Sad.
"In the meantime," Mrs. Schnee continued. "Would you girls like breakfast?" she finished, her sunny smile returning to her face as if she hadn't just chewed out and ordered them around just moment before.
I concur with Ruby, Blake thought. This woman can be scary!
Vale Police Department, Holding Area
Weiss couldn't believe her Mother!
While there was the fact that the heiress was grateful that her Father wasn't made aware of the situation, being forced to go around with these girls, two of which she didn't even know and one she hated, was just too much.
And then her Mother actually invited them to breakfast!
After witnessing that Xiao Long was just as much a barbarian as Weiss always imagined her to be, the white haired teen was now sitting around a visitor's table at the Police Department, waiting for this Lie Ren to be brought in so the other three could talk to him.
Weiss herself had no idea what they were hoping to learn from all this. After all the VPD would have done their job and therefor the boy must have been responsible for the crime.
But even so, there was a treacherous voice in the back of her head that questioned that. After all she knew that her Father was operating in a… Moral gray area at best. Obviously the police weren't infallible. Though why would this be the case for something so… Small.
From what Weiss understood, the person they were here to see, owned a herb store… No, he didn't even own it, his parents owned it and he inherited it not a few months ago. Who would go out of their way to frame him? It wasn't feasible and it wasn't logical.
Weiss' musings were interrupted, when the door to the holding area opened and a guard walked into the room with another person, wearing a gray inmate jumpsuit.
Weiss' first impression of the teen was not something particularly striking. He was taller than her, but not by much, with black hair, which appeared to be tied at the back. It also had a magenta streak on its left side, which was a perfect match for his eyes.
The man's entire demeanor appeared calm, despite the situation. Weiss would assume he'd at least appear anxious about being thrown in jail.
"You've got five minutes," the guard announced and left the five of them in the room.
"Hey… Everyone," the boy greeted after spotting Weiss and Blake.
"Ren!" Xiao Long called out and quickly enveloped the poor man in what appeared to be a strong hug, if Ren's expression was any indicator.
"Good to see you too Yang," Ren greeted back. "What brings you here?"
"What brings us here? Ren you're in jail for Remnant's sake! What kind of friends would we be if we didn't come?" the blonde asked as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"That explains you and Ruby, but who are those two," he motioned toward Weiss and Blake.
"Oh, this is Blake," Xiao Long pointed at the black haired girl. "I sort of met her last night. And over there's the Ice Queen." The larger girl added with a sigh. "She sicked the police on you."
Weiss bristled at the other girl's words, completely overtaken by the desire to strangle the blonde boxer.
"I did not 'sick', the police on anyone!" the heiress managed to hiss through gritted teeth. "I reported a murder. The police arrested your friend!"
Despite the situation Weiss noticed that there was a twinkle of amusement in Yang's lilac eyes as she was obviously enjoying teasing Weiss.
"Before this can escalate," Blake spoke up, drawing Weiss' attention away from her irritations with Xiao Long. "Do you mind telling us what happened Ren? Your friend,… Nora… wasn't exactly in a position to explain much."
That's sugarcoating it, Weiss thought, barely resisting the urge to roll her eyes.
"I'm not really sure what to tell you," Ren admitted. "I woke up this morning and everything was normal. Then about 10 minutes after we opened the police came in with a warrant for my arrest."
"What evidence did they have?" Weiss asked, her curiosity getting the better of her, causing her to nearly bite her tongue.
Her entire plan relied on just being there, appear completely uninterested and then leave, once this little visit was over. After all her mother told her to accompany Xiao Long and her group only for the trip to the department and nothing else.
But she would have been a liar if she claimed she wasn't even a bit interested. Ren appeared… Normal and completely out o0f place in Xiao Long's circle of friends. She might have actually bought the whole 'couldn't hurt a fly' thing by looking at him. He wasn't lying as far as she could tell. As much as she loathed the life her Father was trying to force on her, all the time she spent learning how to talk to business men she did learn one very important thing: how to tell if someone is lying to her.
And Lie Ren wasn't.
"Well," Ren began with a sigh. "I didn't understand much, but what I did manage was that apparently my fingerprints were on the scene of the crime and that the last phone number on Tukson's scroll was mine.
"And did you actually call this… Tukson?" Blake asked.
"Well,… yes," Ren admitted. "I order books from him all the time. I was checking to see if he had a copy of a book on herbs that I was interested in."
"Did you actually meet?" Blake inquired.
"Not really," Ren shrugged. "He said he had a different meeting last night so we re-scheduled."
"This is pointless," Weiss sighed, earning her a glare from Yang, but the white haired girl explained before Xiao Long could protest. "Tukson was shot. You don't own a gun right?"
"I… Do… Technically," Ren answered and Weiss followed his gaze toward Ruby as the younger girl suddenly became very interested in the floor.
"Ruby,…." Yang drawled out. "Something to share?"
"Well," the younger girl began quietly. "I sort of gave Ren a pair of stylized submachine guns for his birthday last year."
"Functioning?" Yang asked, but her tone suggested to Weiss she already knew the answer.
"Pff!" Ruby scoffed. "Of course! Why would I give someone non-functioning guns?"
For a few moments after the statement, utter silence reigned in the small room, until the sound of Weiss facepalming reverberated throughout, startling everyone.
"We really need to talk about your gifting habits Rubs," Yang reprimanded her sister.
"Your dunce of a sister is gifting lethal weapons to people!" Weiss protested, already at the end of her rope. "There is nothing to talk about, she's the one that should be locked up!"
"I'm going to get locked up for killing you pretty soon Schnee!" Yang threatened, but before either girl could continue on, Ren cleared his throat.
"Look," Ren began calmly. "I never actually used those things. They are placed on a plaque in my room. I haven't even cleaned the mechanisms since I got them."
Weiss noted that the raven-haired Blake had gotten even quieter than normal, a thoughtful expression on her face. As she opened her mouth to speak however, the guard entered.
"Time's up!" he called. "Feel free to stop by tomorrow if you wish." He offered the girls, a slight apologetic smile on his lips.
Outside of the VPD Precinct
"Well," Yang spoke up for the first time since they left the room. "That could have been better."
"Yeah" her sister sighed in defeat and Weiss' mask almost slipped at the younger girl's dejected expression.
Almost.
"Well," the heiress shrugged. "While this has been fun, I do have other things to do. Goodbye!"
With that Weiss turned around, determined to ignore the looks the other three were probably giving her. Before the heiress could take two steps however, Ruby shouted after her.
"Wait, Weiss!" the younger girl called out and seemed to almost materialize in front of her.
"What?" Weiss raised an eyebrow at the younger girl, who appeared to look uncomfortable under her gaze.
"Aren't you going to stick around?" the brunette asked a hopeful tone in her voice.
"No," Weiss answered curtly and Ruby seemed to deflate at the answer. "This has nothing to do with me. I came along this far just because my Mother made me. Nothing more, nothing less. Now move aside!" the heiress ordered and moved to go around Ruby's little human blockade when a voice caught her attention.
"So you're not interested in what I was going to ask?" the girl asked, stopping Weiss in her tracks.
Because she was interested. Blake as she had introduced herself appeared to be calm, collected and rational given what little time Weiss observed her. Every time she spoke it was with a specific reason. It was in fact a startling resemblance to Weiss' Father of all people. Never a wasted word if it could be helped. That's what got Weiss interested in what the girl's query would be; because it probably had some meaning.
"Okay, I'll bite!" the white haired heiress turned around, trying to appear as disinterested as she could. "What brilliant question did you have?"
"Why wasn't Tukson's other meeting investigated?"
The question actually managed to catch Weiss off-guard and she considered it. If Ren was telling the truth, for which she had very little doubt, there was no reason that he should be the only one detained…. Unless…
"You think that someone tampered with the scroll?"
"You mean there's a way to prove Ren's innocent?" Yang jumped to her feet.
"Maybe," the raven haired girl shrugged. "If we can find where this Tukson person worked."
"You say that like its hard!" Ruby asked pulling out her scroll. "Do you spell 'Tukson' with a 'C' or a 'K'?" the girl asked after a moment of consideration.
Tukson's Book Trade
After learning how to spell 'Tukson' correctly (And earning a bump on the head courtesy of Weiss.) Ruby and the others ended up in front of a neat looking bookstore. The lights were off, but from what Ruby could make out inside, the place was filled with books and not just on the shelves. A great deal of the shop's inventory was apparently in boxes and stacks on the floor.
"So," Yang spoke up, drawing Ruby's attention away from the window. "How do we get in?"
"Anyone got a hairpin?" Blake asked, examining the lock.
"You're not suggesting we break in, do you?" Weiss asked exasperated.
Ruby cast the white-haired girl a curious glance.
Ruby wasn't the best when it came to socializing and understanding people, she couldn't deny that.
But it puzzled Ruby why the girl was this cold. Sure their first meeting hadn't exactly gone smoothly and being forced into this situation was obviously not doing her any favors, but for the most part Ruby had no idea why she acted like that. After all, after they cleared up the initial misunderstanding at the club, Weiss didn't seem all that cold and unreachable.
Right now however she was just as Yang had described her so many times; cold-hearted, with an air of superiority around her. Ruby would be the first to admit it was intimidating, but also… forced, like she didn't actually want it to be there.
Shaking her head clear of those thoughts, Ruby focused back on the situation at hand. After all, she could have just been imagining the entire thing and right now Ren being in trouble was more important than anything else.
"Look, we came all this way," Yang reasoned. "Let's at least take a look. What's the worst that could happen?"
"You didn't just ask that," Weiss sighed.
"That's just superstition," Blake waved the two off and turned toward Ruby. "Do you have a hairpin?"
"No," Ruby admitted and started rummaging through her pack. "But I do have a gun cleaning kit." She declared pulling the aforementioned article from her pack.
"Why do you have that on you?" Weiss asked taken aback by the information.
"Oh, this is the bag I normally carry for the gun range." Ruby explained. "There are a lot of things in here.
"It will do nicely," Blake examined the content a smiled ever so slightly. "Thank you Ruby."
With that the raven haired teen turned toward the door, Yang hovering over her head, leaving Ruby and Weiss standing a few feet back, simply watching silently.
The silence was reaching an uncomfortable level, when Weiss broke it.
"So, um,... You were serious about the weapon design thing, huh?"
Ruby knew that the girl was just talking for the sake of talking, but nodded never the less.
"And how exactly did you get started?"
Ruby looked over the heiress trying to determine if she was actually interested or just trying to sting her along to mock her.
Before giving voice to that thought however a clicking sound came from the direction of the shop door and Ruby saw just as Blake pushed it inward.
"After you," she gestured with a flourish.
"That was… Fast." Weiss stated as she walked into the store.
"How did you get it so quickly?" Ruby asked in awe as she retrieved her case. "I tried to break into Yang's room once and I spent like 3 hours before finally opening the door."
"It takes some practice," the older girl replied. "Maybe I'll show you,… Someday." She added as an afterthought, a dark shadow passing through her features, but Ruby attributed it to the change in the light.
"Anyone got a clue where we should begin?" Yang asked, hitting the light switch, revealing that what Ruby saw through the window was pretty much what they got; a great deal of books scattered throughout the entire establishment. Floor, shelves, counter, there were even books on most of the chairs Ruby could see.
"This is a shop for books, maybe he kept a record somewhere," Blake reasoned moving behind the counter.
"In this day and age?" Ruby frowned. "It's probably more likely it was on his scroll."
"What do you see around us?" Blake asked.
"Um,… Books?" Yang guessed. "This place is positively booked."
Ruby saw that Blake's hands slowly closed and opened at the pun and she herself had to suppress a giggle.
"Enough puns Xiao Long," Weiss chastised, clearly not enjoying the situation. "What's you point?" the heiress turned to Blake.
"Tukson obviously put a lot of effort into this collection," the black-haired girl mused. "Nobody who would spend so much time collecting books would risk them on the slim chance of dropping a scroll."
Ruby glanced around the place again and had to allow that Blake might have had a point.
"Okay Miss Expert," Weiss challenged. "Where would such a ledger be?"
"Right here?" Yang asked holding up a book from the counter which read 'Tukson's Ledger' on the cover.
Ruby quickly dashed behind her sister as the blonde opened the book, searching for the last written pages. Soon after Weiss joined the trio as they all started looking through the orders.
"What the hell's a 'cat's cradle'?" Ruby heard Yang ask.
"A game you play with strings," Blake responded looking at the same spot of the ledger Yang was.
"B-o-ring!" the blonde declared. "Who orders stuff like this?"
"It's not boring," Blake protested. "It's actually quite challenging to master. And to answer your question, apparently a 'Miss C.' ordered it."
"Oh, this must be Ren's order!" Ruby pointed excitedly at a notation about "Herbs of Vacuo and how to use them properly'.
"If he was telling the truth," Weiss began earning her a lilac glare from Yang. "Then the next order should be our mystery meeting."
"The next order is 'The Third Crusade'…" Blake trailed off.
"I've never heard of that bo…" Weiss began, but her words were cut short by a crash coming from the front of the store and Ruby managed to see, for a split second, a clear liquid bottle, with a lit rag at the throat, before it shattered, it's content spilling on the floor and catching fire.
Before any of the girls could react, three more bottles followed the first one, lighting the entire front of the store on fire, completely cutting off the girl's escape route.
"Okay," Yang gulped as the flames began to spread more and more, slowly crawling toward them, causing the temperature in the room to rise. "This is bad."
Ruby watched as the flames started to creep closer, smoke already obscuring the ceiling of the shop completely. As the red hot tongues of the fire drew closer, Ruby could start feeling a sense of dread building up inside her, slowly paralyzing her body, her breathing becoming incredibly shallow.
As the girl struggled to move her feet, she felt a hand tug her shoulders and turned around to see Yang pulling her back.
"We need to move!" her sister ordered, snapping Ruby out of her stupor and the four girls quickly moved into the back room of the store, Blake quickly closing the door behind them.
"I cannot believe you people dragged me into this!" Weiss screamed as soon as the sound of something collapsing was heard from the other side of the door.
"Oh come on it isn't that bad!" Ruby shrugged, trying to calm down the older teen. After all, panic wasn't really constructive, though she was inches from it herself. Remnant, who was she kidding, she was already panicking!
"No we're just trapped in a burning building!" Weiss pointed out "With no way out."
Ruby looked around and noted that unfortunately, the girl had a point. The room was fairly small, used as a storage area, by the looks of the unpacked boxes. The only two doors in the room were the one that they just came through, which by the sound of it and the bellows of smoke coming through the cracks, was now blocked by the flames and a heavy duty metal door that maybe led toward the street.
"Anyone got a key by any chance?" Yang asked as she examined the keyhole.
Ruby knew that tone. It was the exact same tone her sister had whenever she managed to force her to go to a hair salon to cut her hair; upbeat, but clearly terrified.
Not wanting to give completely into panic, Ruby started examining the door and her eyes quickly fell onto the large keyhole.
"I don't," the brunette admitted. "But I might just have an idea…"