As a note, Volume II - Chapter II has been Rewritten and updated.
"Answer me!" Kali hissed as she gazed at the taupe-skinned jackal in black robes, her golden eyes intently focused on the man. "I can easily call the local police and have them arrest you! Any affiliation with the Black Fang is considered a crime in each of the Kingdoms after Adam's public speech."
"I have no idea what you are talking about, my dear Lady Belladonna." Corsac smoothly responded, his hands resting prayerfully as he turned to face the irritated matriarch. "We all saw no reason to stay amongst peers that no longer saw the world in the same light that we did. By no means did we join such a rebellious faction with such short-sighted goals. That would be quite irresponsible to our youth that came with us. We only wish to guide them in a more civil way that is aligned with our belief system. After all, not everyone shares your liberal views, my lady."
Narrowing her eyes and knowing a crowd was building as she had angrily stormed over here, she calmly took a breath. She then straightened her posture before giving him a slight sneer. She knew better than anyone that he was lying. But she had no proof he was, in fact, a Black Fang member. After all, he was not wearing the mask or emblem of their Fang. So she was left with little choice but to chastise him. "Views have nothing to do with it. Choice is what matters. I will live with whatever they choose in the end, and that is not what Sienna and her reign stood for. It's why the White Fang had so many splinter factions within and several minor faction leaders when Ghira and I were in charge."
"Which was a major fault in leadership and why High Leader Belladonna was asked years ago to step down. We needed a leader at the time to take command and focus us. We cannot be divided amongst ourselves and must stand united. To have one mind and a clear goal. Reverting back to the way things were is a step back in the wrong direction." Corsac countered fluidly, keeping his tone neutral, as if this debate was a simple discussion.
"Oh? You mean by recruiting those into her ranks and influencing those with the misfortune to have a less than stellar education into believing her views? To have them blindly follow her words without hesitation and thought of their own? Without a backbone to stand on their own two feet and act for themselves?!" Kali spat at the end and glared daggers at the jackal priest, Corsac. "I've been helping bring those that have come back from the old White Fang and reintroducing them into society, and it has been quite challenging for some to reintegrate. For you see..."
"Mom, who is this?" Blake rushed beside her mother and finally exited the van before frowning at the man before her as she could smell that he was a faunus. "Wait, you seem familiar? Your scent…"
"You must have met my brother, Fennec Albain, while in service, young lady Belladonna. Like myself, he was a priest of the God of Animals and often visited the Vale division of the White Fang alongside Sienna. He was one of her preferred priests as she enjoyed his sermons." Corsac explained, his gaze falling upon the younger faunus as she came to aid her mother before frowning as he noted a certain white-haired heiress in their presence.
"Oh, him." Blake frowned as memories returned to her, and she shook her head. "Yeah, I remember him. Didn't meet him or listen to him all that often since the Bulls were never one to attend Sienna's mandatory sermons. Always had better things to do. As Adam put it, why put your trust in the hands of some God instead of taking control of your fate with your own two hands? He was often butting heads with her over that and would not make them necessary in her absence."
"Disobeyed quite a few of her mandates, now that I think about it. Huh, guess he was looking out for the Bulls more than I thought." Blake absentmindedly added with a curious expression as she thought about her ex-mate before her ears drooped sadly at his memory.
She reminded herself that when they had the time, she wanted to visit his grave and pay her respects. The more she thought about it, the more subtle things she saw in how he was suffering and trying to protect those under his command. Her words reached him more than she thought.
He was trying to be better. He was simply lost.
"Seems like a few of Ghira's teachings made it through that thick skull after all…" Kali muttered before noting her daughter's depressed state after mentioning her former lover and tenderly rubbed her shoulder, giving her a warm and comforting smile. "He came around in the end. Remember that. That's what matters. He was turning it around and doing what he thought was right for himself and the White Fang."
Turning to her mother, Blake returned the smile, and her ears perked back up. Her mother was right. Adam did…
"I genuinely disagree with that point of view." Corsac interrupted the tender moment, and two sets of golden eyes seared into him as he stood his ground, uncaring of the glares. "What he did was unconscionably the worst thing for the White Fang as it divided us and made us weaker. Adam was an ignorant, short-sighted fool who destroyed what hope faunus had of fighting for their rights, as at least the Sienna's White Fang had the power to make the Kingdoms give us some changes. Now without it, what do we have?"
"A better world, you jerk!" Weiss fired off immediately as she recalled being held in a cell and waiting for what they would do to her.
"This coming from the daughter of the man hoarding our world's resources for profit and exploiting faunus labor? That's rich." Corsac gave a momentary cold stare toward Weiss before turning away from her, barely able to stand the sight of her. "You and your family are the scum of Remnant as far as faunus are…"
"And you and everyone else can watch me change that perception!" Weiss snarled back as her icy blue eyes glowed with determination as she snapped at the jackal. "I will change my company when I take it over from my father, and I will make it something my grandfather could only dream of! I'll ensure all my workers are taken care of and that our company will turn a profit, mark my words! I refuse to allow what happened to Adam or any other faunus to happen under my watch!"
As murmurings began to scatter amongst the small crowd in front of the store they were in front of, Corsac frowned deeply. This would not do. He needed some way to diffuse this as all his work until now was being undermined so easily. "Words only mean so much, my dear. Until then, we can only go by what we have seen in your past…"
"No, you are using my father's past." Weiss countered with narrowed eyes as she stood firmly. "While I do not have much of a history, all I have done in these past two months since I've become a Huntress is help my team and future husband continue cleaning up the streets of Vale of crime to record lows. I defend the Kingdom against Grimm and even a few terrorists like the Black Fang."
The murmurs began to pick up further as everyone began to recognize Weiss, and talk started shifting toward her and the Gale Fox's wedding, Corsac grimaced. Things were getting away from him here and fast. He was on the verge of cutting his losses and leaving here as Kali, as much as she disapproved of his choice, didn't have any grounds to arrest him.
Then he saw Blake recoil at Weiss' words at the mention of the wedding.
Curious.
"I can say that his record is outstanding despite his recent blemish, and your work with him must ease his incredible load for this fair Kingdom for humanity and Faunus-kind, I do say. The Gale Fox has done quite a lot for Vale and plans to extend to other Kingdoms from what I hear." Corsac commented in an amused tone as his gaze shifted towards Blake only for a moment before he gazed straight into Weiss' eyes with a smirk. "But I am curious about how your friends feel about your wedding plans. Especially say, your faunus friends. Given the circumstances around this wedding, it is quite the occasion, no?"
"W-what?" Weiss recoiled as she staggered backward, not expecting that comment while Blake's ears dropped and her face dropped hearing those words.
"It doesn't matter what I think! It's happening." Blake hissed as she glared at Corsac, trying to figure out his game, as both were taken aback, and even Velvet flinched further back as she wasn't sure how to feel about the situation.
Corsac, however, only grinned underneath his robes at their reaction. So there was something more going on than he had first thought. Even more curious. And with the rumors spreading through the news that there was something about the Gale Fox being mated and forced into this arrangement…
"Is that so? From what I've heard, there is a rumor floating about that he happens to be mated, no? Are you aware of this, my dear, or is this rumor simply unfounded?" Corsac grinned as he pushed his advantage as the murmuring began to turn, and the few faunus in the crowd were paying close attention to the debate.
Weiss had stepped back fearfully when he brought up Naruto's commitment to Blake, whose ears flattened and golden eyes narrowed. She knew that part of his earlier plans was to spread information and cause concern and a rift in the community with all the publicized efforts on the marriage her father was pushing so he would think twice about pushing for this arrangement. It was risky, something they all knew, but they had little choice if they wanted any leverage in the situation. But now, with the deadline being moved ahead of schedule and so near, it felt like it was starting to backfire, and she could see it in the angry faces of the few faunus in the gathered crowd in the small town here on Patch.
And what could she say? She knew the truth; somehow, this guy could catch her in a lie. With a simple glance at Blake, he had noticed something that led him to this inquiry, and now she felt trapped. And as Blake was hissing beside her, upset, how could they even respond? It was frustrating that he turned this around on them when this had all started because…
"Your brother, I remember him." Weiss suddenly frowned momentarily as she recalled something, and then a sickeningly sweet grin came to mind. "If I'm not mistaken, his brother's name was Fennec, wasn't it Blake? Fennec Albain?"
"Yeah," Blake pondered for a moment as she wondered what Weiss was thinking of before the slightest of grins came to mind as she tightened her grip on her weapon. "Oh, I remember why that name sounds familiar. We do get to do this here…"
Suddenly drawing forth Shroud and Myrtenaster, the duo held their weapons before their priest, who looked on with narrowed eyes. "What is the meaning of this?! We were having a simple, peaceful…"
"Corsac Albain! I hereby ask you to submit peacefully to your arrest as a known member of the Black Fang along with your brother Fennec Albain, a known member of the terrorist organization." Weiss ordered as she glared at the perturbed jackal while holding her weapon at the man. "You may peacefully protest and submit your case at the station, but you are under suspicion for the attempted assassination of one councilwoman June Fawn less than one month ago."
"Everyone, please disperse!" Velvet began to run interference in case things turned ugly alongside Kali, recognizing this could get out of hand quickly if Corsac chose to resist. "Please head inside the store! It will be safer inside for the time being!"
"You heard her! Get inside! Move it, move it!" Puck ordered as he flew and dashed around like an energized ball of blue energy, darting around the crowd, smacking people with his spiky flower even though he was sure none of them could see him.
They could at least feel him smack them.
And as the small crowd of townspeople started to scurry away and duck inside, knowing how crazy fights with hunters could get. And as thunder cracked above as what seemed to be a gathering storm surge above. Wind began to sweep through the streets and build around them, catching and blowing their hair, making the tension grow. Corsac growled under his cloak as he retrieved a small dagger from his cloak. Their eyes narrowed at this development as their hair fluttered around as the only times they saw the weather shift this suddenly was when Naruto was serious…
Or when Raven was using her powers.
However, Corsac's intentions were clear. He was not about to go without a fight.
"So you've been playing me all this time?"
"Honestly, no," Weiss stated as she glared heatedly at the jackal faunus with distaste. "I only remember because your robes reminded me of something Ruby said when she and Yang first came upon the scene and helped stop the attack. All she remembered was that the assassins had robes and that…"
"There was another there she couldn't see. So let's see if that one is around!" Weiss finished before she noticed something hit the ground right before all three of them, and Corsac quickly turned and closed his eyes, covering his ears in the process. "No! A flash…"
"Ah!" Weiss screamed as she couldn't close her eyes fast enough and a deafening snap felt like it ruptured her eardrums.
She stumbled around as she tried to find her footing, slamming herself into what she knew was the van's hood and letting out a vile string of curses. Not only was her vision destroyed by that flash, and she couldn't see anything, but all she could hear was this deafening ringing sensation reverberating and vibrating through his skull, shaking her brain and turning it to mush. All she could hope for was that someone wasn't attacking her, as she didn't think she could defend herself in this state.
Blake was not in the same position. She shielded her eyes when she saw the drop, having trained with her mate enough and dealt with his dirty tactics. Training with him so often in the midnight hours at Beacon seemed to pay off, as she was ready for something like this, especially in tense situations.
The resulting boom was still beyond painful, and she grimaced, falling to one knee as her cat ears flattened on the top of her head. The disorientation from that sound alone was enough to melt her mind, but seeing Corsac running, she knew she had to give chase seeing Weiss' state.
She couldn't let him get away!
Sprinting after him, she knew she could catch him. He wasn't slow by any means, but she was hurt, which was a handicap she didn't like. She was wielding her aura freely, using it like how she practiced in the concept training she had with Naruto. It felt like he was moving in slow motion for her as she applied aura to her feet and flowed it throughout her legs at a steady pace. While he was right that they could never do the same things, there was plenty to learn from how the application of the other worked as they were similar in some aspects.
She growled when she rounded a corner and saw Corsac heading toward the town's gate. She could catch him. Amplifying one's strength and speed was one of those things she slowly started to grasp from his lessons on chakra's nature. It was coming in clutch here. Otherwise, she wasn't sure she could in her state. The wounds on her body were hampering her movement considerably, and she was pushing through every pain in her body to catch him.
That's when she saw it out of the corner of her eyes. A shimmer of movement. Almost something invisible. As if something wasn't supposed to be there. A flash of grayish-blue within an almost invisible shimmer.
And then, as winds picked up incredibly and almost swept her off her feet, halting her momentum, a flash of electricity extended electric rod nearly pierced her chest.
Only to pierce through a shadow of Blake instead.
The shimmer of motion gasped in surprise as she heard a thud behind her and turned around as her weapon retracted in a more whip-like state, but before she could bring it to her defense, she held it to her side. And she stared deeply into the golden eyes of a trembling faunus looking upon her with dread.
"Ilia?!" Blake looked at the form of the attacker that prevented her from reaching Corsac and was left in utter disbelief.
The form of a young woman her age shimmered into existence, a black mask covering the top of her face but not the dark freckles on her cheeks that almost seemed scale-like. Long brown hair tied up in a ponytail behind the back of her head shimmered in the same dark shading as the wall behind her and swayed behind her.
And golden eyes met grayish-blue.
"No, Ilia, please tell me you haven't joined them!" Blake worriedly expressed seeing color-shifting faunus before her, distressed and trembling at the sight before her. "Don't you understand?! That was never Adam's intention! He was trying to save the White…"
"Don't lecture me, traitor!" Ilia snarled, and with a sudden twist, she turned and landed a clean roundhouse kick into Blake's jaw, sending her sprawling face-first to the ground below. "You left the Bulls! You have no idea what it was like or what Adam thought when you were absent!"
"Ilia, I was there with him at the end! I saw him change back to who he was before Sienna twisted and turned him into what he had become!" Blake cried as she turned her head back to glare at her one-time friend in the White Fang. "I saw what he did to protect the White Fang and humani…"
"Shut up!" Ilia roared as she lashed out, stomping Blake on the side of her back, which made the faunus cry out in pain as she landed directly against one of her wounds. "He despised humans! He would never do anything to help them! That's why he forged the Black Fang! He saw the White Fang as too helpless and weak! But he was misguided and forgot that he needed the sway and power it provided! And for that, we will unite the Fangs once more!"
"Ilia!" Blake coughed as the wounds on her back reopened, a slight amount of blood tinging her old outfit as she defiantly stared at her old friend. "I can't let you continue down this path! This isn't what Adam wanted! What Shade wanted!"
"Don't you dare bring them again, or I'll…" Ilia hissed as she raised her weapon to strike when her eyes darted to Blake's side, noticing the stained blood already, and lowering her rapier. "Are you already injured?"
"Why the hell are you even out here, Blake?!" Ilia cried as tears began to form in her eyes, looking down at the faunus as she shivered. "Stop pushing yourself and go home already! Let this happen and be done! The world will be better for it!"
"Blake!" Velvet cried as she turned the corner and saw Blake down on the ground with Ilia standing next to her. "Get away from her!"
"Next time, I can't hold back! I won't hold back! I have to do it for the sake of our kind, Blake!" Ilia bit her lip as she looked down at Blake and turned away from her friend, her body beginning to cloak against the background. "I always wished those eyes could see me the same way…"
"They saw him back then, but now that is only a dream," Ilia whispered as she sprinted away, using her natural camouflage to make it difficult for Velvet to track her as she fled the scene.
"Ilia!" Blake cried out as she watched her friend fade from existence as she fled, struggling to keep track of her while holding onto her stomach as she got back to her feet simultaneously, Velvet came up beside her wanting to check up on her and continue the pursuit seeing a possible suspect. "No, don't! I…"
"I…"
"Blake?" Velvet looked at her friend in concern, saw the light bloodstains, and winced, knowing the wounds must have reopened. "Don't worry, the little guy is here. We can get him to fix that right up…"
"Ilia, I promise..." Blake looked at the place where she last saw her friend disappear. "I won't let you suffer in darkness like Adam…"
"I'll drag you out of it and save you!"
Strolling through the station halls, offering small greetings to her officers as she passed by, Glynda observed the ongoings in the police station as she made her way through the building. She was still getting used to the change of pace of her newly appointed job and title, but ironically what was demanded of her was similar in some ways.
While most officers were just trying to do their job, she had to keep a strict eye out and maintain order, as quite a few seemed to be troublemakers. Some were sniveling and hid behind others. Others were boisterous about their opinions. It did not matter to Glynda. It was clear what kind of shift she was going to run, and while strict, she was fair and for the people. She ensured her officers were treated respectfully and fairly, but they understood their boundaries.
They were peace officers, not hunters, and did not share the same liberties in some aspects. However, in others, they had more rights which were more beneficial…
"Glynda!" A familiar voice snapped her out of her thoughts as she strolled through the station, drawing her attention toward the entrance to see what she assumed to be a drunken crow with one of her officers standing in front of him to block his path. "I need to talk to you! It's an emergency!"
"Oh no, did he get booked for public intoxication again? This will be the first time I'll have to deal with it as Chief of Police…" Glynda muttered under her breath as she refrained from palming her face in annoyance at the possibility of her friend causing her such embarrassment. "Let him through. I'll deal with him."
Her demeanor changed as she took a few steps towards them, screwing her attention as her vision concentrated on Qrow's demeanor and seeing Harbinger openly carried behind him. Very rarely did he ever carry his weapon in public unless he had returned from a mission, was on the job, or was expecting trouble. The stern expression on his face, while often present due to his demeanor, was more often concealed by his drunken behavior.
And he wasn't drunk. So something was wrong.
"Qrow, if you needed to contact me, you could have simply called," Glyda warned as Qrow pushed by the officer and casually made his way to the head of police. "It's not like my number has changed since the other night. After all, I got that message. I've been busy, however."
"Well, glad to hear that. I'll get that answer at a later date. It's not relevant right now." Qrow waved that off before his eyes narrowed. "And I did try. Unfortunately, every call I made said you could not be reached."
"What? That shouldn't be the case. I haven't touched…" Glynda withdrew her scroll and frowned as she saw no activity before Qrow suddenly yanked it from her hands. "Qrow, what the hell?"
"Atlas, that explains it. These things are useless now. Best to buy a new one. Vale tech is better, at least until this all blows over." Qrow responded and snapped the small piece of tech in two, tossing it casually aside, almost catching an officer with one of the pieces with his carelessness.
"Qrow, what is the meaning of all this?" Glynda tapped her foot as she glared at the Branwen harshly. "You waltz into my station in the middle of the day, demand my attention, and then break my scroll saying things like that demands an explanation."
As aloof as ever, the crow gestured for it to be taken elsewhere. "Yeah, well, I can't exactly say anything with so many ears around, so how about we take a walk? While we're at it, let me get straight to the point. Let's go to the cells so I can make sure nothing has happened."
"What?" Glynda's emerald eyes glinted behind her glasses as she scowled at the man before turning, leading the way with a graceful stride. "I'm not sure what game is being played here, but she is safe. She is kept in solitary away from other prisoners…"
"It's not the prisoners I'm worried about," Qrow warned as he followed with his hands in his pockets and watched everyone they passed with careful eyes, as he didn't trust anyone. "You and I both know this place had its fair share of corruption before you took over. There's no way you've rooted it out in such a short time."
Glynda flatly glared back as she bristled at the comment but said nothing in return. She knew it was the truth, and it would take more time to get even close to rooting out the corruption in the system if she succeeded. She needed a proactive council to do that, and the one thing she knew was council could have been more genuinely proactive.
They were slow-acting and reactive.
"It hasn't even been a week, and while I do expect an attempt, what makes you so certain it's going to be now so suddenly?" Glynda inquired as they entered the regular cells, checking up on everything to ensure it was working well and providing that those incarcerated were being treated fairly.
"Well, how should I put this?" Qrow waited as he saw Glynda stop for a moment as she offered one of the inmates some water in a paper cup and tossed the cup in the bin after he was done, as they continued. "Let's just say we rattled and kicked the hornet's nest, cracked it open, and found something we weren't expecting."
"Dammit," Glynda hissed as they walked into the solitary confinement section of the station, stopping as she lowered her head while Qrow looked upon the setup, seeing it was small as Glynda had to put a code in at the door since he had destroyed her scroll. "I told him he was getting sloppy and something like this would happen…"
"Glynda, something else is at play here. Are those locks scroll accessible?" Qrow commented as he looked at the lock on the door Glynda was opening.
"Of course. Everything is these days…"
"Change is to a hard lock. Keys only. Don't care if you must remove the door to do it. Get it done. Technology is not our friend currently." Qrow frowned as the door was opened.
And his eyes narrowed seeing the officer slumped against the wall, a streak of crimson pooling from their chest where their heart was located.
Glynda's eyes narrowed as Qrow's darted across the room as the sound of a scuffle was heard in the small room. And Qrow withdrew Harbinger, firing once into the officer struggling with the captured assassin as she scampered back into her cell. The officer was driven into the wall as an aura crackled and burned around him, and as he opened his eyes, he suddenly found a massive greatsword at his throat. Qrow stood in his face, his red eyes burning heatedly. "I'm not in the mood to handle things nicely, so I suggest you cooperate. Otherwise, my hand might slip."
"And I'm tempted to let it slip right about now. Let me abide by the Branwen code. See where this goes." Qrow added with rancorous laced intent dripping with every word as red eyes bore into the assassin's, daring him to make a move and give him a reason.
The reason did not come as a bloodied steel dagger dropped from his hands, and the man swallowed hard as the massive blade pressed tightly against his throat. No other move was made, not pushing his luck against what he knew was an ex-bandit of the notorious Branwen's and that it was a wise idea to keep distance from the clan when they entered their territory.
It was safer for all to do so.
Scowling at the scene as she strutted upon it, several officers coming upon it, she snapped cuffs immediately onto the false officer as she immediately recognized he was not one of hers, turning him around and against the wall to do so as Qrow lifted his blade to allow her to seize him. Once cuffed, he gripped the cuffs and pulled back, handing him to the nearest officer. "Take him and process him! I want every charge you can put on him and then have him ready for interrogation!"
"Yeah, leave that one for me. I'll make him talk." Qrow stated, grabbing the cuff, taking the man, and giving him a fierce gaze. "Let's just say this bird doesn't mind snacking on a few hornets to get to the main course."
"Qrow, you know I can't let you do that. It goes against protocols." Glynda frowned as she kept an eye on the officers checking on the female assassin she held in her custody. "It needs to proceed through the proper channels first…"
"Not if I invoke national security laws. Huntsman's duties are to protect civilians at any cost, and if the threat is to the Kingdom itself, we are given full immunity to justify our actions in due course." Qrow countered as the assassin in his grip began to writhe before he was pulled back into the Branwen's intimidating growl. "So I suggest cooperating so this goes smoothly for your sake! It can get quite messy, and it will only worsen if I have to bring in some friends!"
And as the assassin terrifyingly wilted from the pressure exerted on him, Glynda shook from the shock. But only for a moment before she took a few steps to stand in front of Qrow as he led the assassin out of the room. "Qrow, that is only with due course. Your actions will also be reviewed, and I've never seen a case where it turns out well for the Huntsman or Huntress that has invoked them!"
"What is happening? Tell me." Glynda's emerald gaze cut into his as her misgivings about the state of affairs sounded grim. "Why are such drastic measures necessary?"
"Glynda," Qrow spoke with concern as he looked up at the camera, frowned, shook his head, and returned his gaze to her. "I've already told you what I can right now. Not when we are possibly being eavesdropped on."
"Trust me when I say this is for the Vale and its citizens above all else. Do not trust him with our safety."
Firmly keeping her eyes level with Qrows, not batting an eye, Glynda was conflicted. She knew Qrow was an excellent Huntsman and one of the few she respected, despite his less-than-stellar habits.
No one was infallible.
But to see him so resolute about what he was willing to do, to revert to his old ways. To revert back to how his clan used to get things done, and while she imagined he occasionally did some stuff like this on the field as it was necessary to see it like this in this situation bothered her greatly.
However, she always trusted him. Even if he was drunk and barely able to support himself, he always stayed true to his beliefs. And for that, she tepidly nodded, her lips puckering weary. "My trust in you has never wavered, even in the midst of your most drunken hazes. I may question your judgment, but you have never given me a reason not to trust you."
"You are and always have been an exemplary Huntsman, and while not without faults, one should only hope to strive to follow in similar footsteps," Glynda admitted as she gazed at Qrow with some admiration. "I trust those instincts like I always have, and I trust my friend. So I would like him to tell me what is happening here."
"Ah, gonna make me blush with compliments like those." Qrow grinned before sighing as he wanted to tell Glynda but couldn't with everyone around and the cameras present as he didn't feel safe.
Then an idea came to him.
"Tonight. Go to the place where this journey truly started for them. I feel many questions will be answered there." Qrow discretely passed the message in a whisper as he walked by her, blocking his lips from the camera as he did.
Glynda noticed this but gave no outward reaction besides an outward sigh and acted like he was ignoring her. "Fine, but know I'm reporting this to the council!"
"Wouldn't have it any other way!" Qrow smirked as he gave a small wave while walking by before giving a predatory grin toward the assassin in his custody. "Say, have you ever watched that horror movie series? Wish Yang was here as she could refresh my memory on the title as it was something like HackSaw or something like that…"
The assassin was shaking and jittering in Qrow's grasp, looking far more nervous than before the crow's grin dropped as his eyes glinted fiercely. "Good, because I don't."
"Because if you don't give me what I want, I'm about to get real damn close to what they do in those movies or emulate them without knowing the source material. Understand?"
"Yes!" Was the only answer he needed to hear as they continued to move ahead.
Qrow's red gaze burned brightly as he pushed the man ahead, still intent on interrogating him regardless of his compliance. He needed every scrap of information he could get.
Vale's safety and his family depended on it.
"Oh, Master Naruto. Lady Winter. I am surprised to see you both here." A short, stocky, balding butler greeted Naruto and Winter at the premises of the luxury estate here in Vale that Jacques had bought for his duration of the Vytal Festival as it took place here, giving a light bow to his lady Schnee. "It has been far too long. I feared I would never be graced with your presence again, my dear child. How have you been?"
"Klein," Winter, in a rare moment, had a sad but slight smile curl onto her lip as Klein moved from the door and ushered his guest into the estate. "It has. It's encouraging to see you are spry as ever. I am…"
"Not the ideal situation, but I will manage. I will manage and find my path." Winter answered honestly after a moment's pause, and the hesitation in her voice caused Klein some concern.
"My dear, whatever the trouble is, do know that whatever it is, I will always help you in whatever way I can." Klein tenderly replied, seeing Winter's hesitation, and couldn't help but comfort her as he did in the past. "I can't in good conscience let my lady suffer without knowing if there is anything I can do, so do not hesitate to ask if you can."
"Father would never allow such a thing," Winter shook her head as she looked around at the luxurious estate and frowned as it already seemed he had been applying his touch to decorating the place and found it quite gaudy. "Is father or mother around? This is urgent."
"As you wish, I will show you the way." Klein chuckled as he motioned for them with a wave of his arm and a slight bow before leading them down the hall, having them trail behind him. "However, if this were a year ago, I would say you would be correct, my dear lady. Even at the start of the year, you would be right. But something feels different about your father, and I feel a change about the man that I can't quite put my finger on. I don't want to say it's a genuine change of heart, but…"
"When both you and Weiss were in the hospital that day, it was the most worried I have ever seen him. For all his wealth and power, there was nothing he could do that day." Klein explained as he led the way down the hall, taking a path as Winter looked on while Naruto remembered the day and what he had proposed to the man moments before going into surgery and sighed, wishing he hadn't made that mistake now. "Something in him changed. Mind you, he still has his slick and devious ways as before, but I saw him willing to put aside things…"
"To take care of his family. And I apologize for where that put you and the lady Weiss, young master. I know how rough it must be with everything going on in your life, and dealing with him, I can imagine, only intensifies the strain." Klein apologized to Naruto and bowed his head.
"You have no idea how true that is," Naruto muttered under his breath at how everything had turned out since the wedding was moved up ahead of schedule.
Or ever since Jacques had even shown up in his life. The moment he arrived at that hospital, everything changed in his life, and it had not been pleasant to deal with. Deep within him, he could hear a voice stating it would be so terrible if his instinct was right and someone was sent here to assassinate the man after everything he had put them through.
Naruto immediately squashed the thought as he gained a look of grim determination as he looked throughout the hallway, letting his senses scan the estate and sensing for any emotional wavelengths that did not belong. There were several Atlas droids, which did not make him feel comfortable in the situation, but at this time, he felt Ironwood was not the one making a move. He wasn't about to cut off his primary resources so foolishly.
Unfortunately for Naruto, this wasn't about his wants. This needed to be done. If this new enemy wanted Jacques out of the picture, he would keep the mogul upright and stronger than before. And it was both to his benefit and downfall simultaneously.
The irony of it all. And the funny thing was he wasn't sure if he could let the man be assassinated regardless…
He didn't want to see how Weiss would react upon hearing that news.
While he sensed several presences within the estate, most likely meaning Jaques was meeting with someone or at least having an elitist get-together, he wasn't quite sure if everyone he sensed was invited…
"Klein, how many people are here, may I ask?" Naruto asked as he led them to a door and gently knocked as they arrived at their destination.
Almost caught off guard by the inquiry, Klein gave the fox a pondering glance as he heard Jacques' voice boom from the other side of the door. "You may let them in."
"Just two, young master. Councilman Rick Steele from Vacuo and my lady Council from Atlas, Camilla. Of course, Mrs. Schnee is in there as well, hopefully not too carried away in her drinking, so one can hope she'll notice her daughter has arrived." Klein answered with a frown before trying to smile and pass it off as if the boy was curious about what he was walking into.
However, from the tense positioning, he could tell otherwise. He was afraid something else was going on and feared more was happening than what he was aware of. He could only hope it was simply something he was imagining.
"Seems like mother hasn't changed in the last decade, unfortunately." Winter sighed pitifully, knowing the state her mother was in when she left and fearing it could only have gotten worse over the years, having barely seen her since Weiss was twelve.
Ever since Weiss' tenth birthday, she had truly lost the will to continue as that was the last straw for her, and she resorted to the bottle. That day they had utterly lost their mother.
"Only worse, I'm afraid," Klein answered honestly, lowering his head before faking a smile as he opened the door and showed them inside and gave a courtesy bow toward Jacques as he sat at the mantle of a garish table arrangement, both other council members seated at the long sides of the table enjoying cups of tea. "Pardon the intrusion, your daughter and future son-in-law unexpectedly arrived, and it seemed quite urgent."
The room was rather luxurious, as expected, and drowned in antique decor. A globe Remnant. Bookshelves upon lavish bookshelves. A lacquered table with luxurious velvet loveseats surrounding the long sides and a garish chesterfield sat at the head of the table, with Jacques sitting in it, of course. It wasn't the largest of rooms, but it could fit a dozen people. It felt too spacious to be a study yet had the feel of one. A host room, perhaps?
Jacques gave a simple wave as he brusquely brushed off the intrusion. However, he raised a slight eyebrow upon seeing which of his two daughters had arrived alongside Naruto as he entered the room, stopping to glance at those in the room with Winter standing at his side at attention. "Under most circumstances, I would be very displeased with an interruption during this pleasant discussion on how better to run our Kingdoms, but I am more than willing to take a moment for the future patriarch of the family and company and my estranged daughter. I am willing to make an exception."
"It is interesting, however. I first thought it was my dear Weiss when Klein said, my daughter. It has been quite some time since we last spoke, my dear child. I dare say years since we last spoke." Jacques added with a snide remark cuttingly before farthing adding to his barb. "Brothers know you and Weiss gave me quite the trouble, unlike your brother. Whitley has always been such a well-behaved and well-groomed young man. Follows in his old man's footsteps, I tell you."
Winter kept her composure despite wanting to sneer at the comment, earning a chuckle from Steele and a peal of snide laughter from Camilla. She wanted to respond that he never gave her or Weiss the same stern treatment he had toward Whitley, but she held her tongue and turned her gaze to her mother as she stood nearby, unfortunately with a cup of wine in her hand. At least it didn't seem like she was lost in it as her soft blue eyes were gazing upon her in stunned silence, almost as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.
That her long-lost daughter was standing before her once more despite everything she had allowed to happen. This only made Winter mildly snarl, and Willow flinched in response, shrinking back and away.
The action was noticed by Jacques, who now held a scornful gaze as he held it upon his daughter. But before he could retaliate, his attention was drawn to Naruto, who was done gazing around the room. "And where is the boy by chance? Before entering, I sensed five presences in this room, and I only see four."
"What?" Jacques stated, caught off guard by the query before his thoughts began to push elsewhere. "I can assure you we are all that is here, my boy. The few guards we keep on retainer remain outside the perimeter as I feel it is quite unnecessary and rather bothersome for day-to-day life. The automatrons do well enough to keep the inside safe, and Klein is more than adequate as our staff…"
Naruto reached into his pouch in less than a second and tossed a single golden shuriken that carried harder and faster than his normal shuriken. It whizzed directly over Willow's wine cup and stuck hard into a target that blended with the shadows, burying into their shoulder.
"Mother, get down!" Winter cried as she triggered a black glyph underneath her to boost her momentum, jumping past and over the table in the blink of an eye as she drew her saber as the intruder was inches from Willow, blade drawn.
A glass of wine shattered on the floor.
Blood splattering followed.
A stunned silence.
The deadened air was filled with a gurgle and shrill.
More blood splattered onto the carpet as the shady figure collapsed onto his knees, kneeling before a frighteningly still Willow as she looked at her daughter, holding her saber to her side before sheathing. And the man's dagger fell limply to the floor as blood poured from the gash found in his throat to his chest as he dropped to the floor, his life essence staining the carpet as Carmilla shrieks filled the room.
"Klein, call the guard and make sure Whitley is safe!" Jacques immediately ordered as he alertly stood from his chesterfield in alarm but held no hesitation about what he needed to do as he surveyed the scene. "Camilla, would you kindly shut up?! Steele, if you mind escorting her from here?! The guard should meet you at the door and escort you safely off the premises!"
As Klein immediately left to call the guard and make sure the young master was safe and sound, Steele numbly nodded but seemed otherwise capable of acting as he began to coerce Camille from her shrieking state and out of the room. Jacques calmly and coolly walked over to his petrified wife as she looked upon not the body but her daughter's back, having watched her effortlessly slay an assassin just moments away from taking her life. "Willow dear, let us leave the clean-up to the staff and guards. We'll catch up once the area is safe and contained. Let us let them handle it for now."
Giving a feeble nod, she never let her sights leave Winter's form until Jacques began to guide her away and toward the door. Willow lowered her head and allowed herself to be taken away. Winter had saved her life even after that small exchange they shared a moment earlier. After failing her so much in her life…
She was still there for her.
Stopping at Naruto's side as he assisted his wife across the room, Jacques' face stiffened as he steeled his face. But his voice was eerily quiet. "Tell me one thing. Was it who I think it was behind this?"
Glancing into the man's light blue eyes with a stern but neutral expression, Naruto nodded as he looked back toward Winter as she turned and examined the body in disgust. "It's a little more complicated than that, but yeah, it is who you think it is. Something has changed…"
"Let go of young master, you fiend!"
"Klein!" Several voices rang out from the room, each from the Schnee family, as they all turned to the door.
Winter rushed the door but fell behind Naruto as he quickly outpaced her out of the room. He didn't hesitate to follow the sound since he felt the man's presence nearby and could feel two nearby now that he was searching for them. He quickly entered the hallway and burst through a room to see a darkly clad figure clutching Whitley tightly, holding a dagger to his throat with her left as Klein was knocked onto one knee.
"Don't move, or I'll cut this kid's throat!" The assassin immediately called out, hearing the door smash open and seeing Naruto enter the room and seconds later, Winter followed behind him. "I'll do it! Don't tempt me!"
"And then what?" Naruto asked the assassin before he motioned toward the room. "Your only means of escape are through two windows while guards secure the premises making escape a more difficult prospect than entering. You are in the room with a Huntsman and a Huntress who you know possess superior physical skills than you, so fighting isn't an option, and running isn't likely unless you have a hostage or tools to help you escape."
"Shaddup! What the hell do you know?!" The female assassin countered and bit back her nerves as she looked around for anything she could use to try and escape. "Like you know anything! This kid is good as gold for my ticket out of here! You wouldn't let any harm come to him…"
"She isn't too bright, is she?" Whitley commented, composed despite the situation, and grimaced at the touch of a blade against his neck before his icy blue eyes pierced back into the assassin. "Let me give you a brief history lesson about my family…"
"Like I…"
Whitley ignored her, bristlingly the assassin as he sharply gazed into her eyes while keeping calm. "My father gave up his career and life in Mistral to take a shot in the dark and become the most successful businessman in Atlas in a company that hadn't had any success prior. My eldest sister exiled herself from our family for her freedom and a career in the military. My other sister scarred her left eye for life to gain a chance to train at the most renowned Huntsman academy in the world instead of staying at home to learn the trades of business or hone the crafts she treasured so dearly there."
"Do you honestly think I won't carve away my own pound of flesh to get out of this situation?" Whitley coldly stated as he glared directly into her eyes without fear of the repercussions.
And it seemed to have some results as he could feel the blade in her left-hand waver as she looked at him and only him. "What the hell is wrong with you and your family?!"
Whitley only smirked at her. "What I know is that you are gullible, and you let yourself fall victim to the simplest ploy there is, fool."
Her eyes widened, but in that instant, it was over. A sickening thunk was heard, and a crimson liquid poured from her forehead, a shuriken lodged firmly deep between her eyes. Whitley's satisfied smirk grew as the arm with the dagger was removed from him. Naruto shoved the assassin aside, making sure the blade didn't nick the boy on the way down. "Ah, much obliged. As confident as I was, I wasn't looking forward to that moment to carve my pound of flesh. Truthfully I don't want mine to be literal, but more figurative like father's."
Sighing deeply as he still found taking the life of another tragic and unfortunate, but in this case very necessary due to how easily everything could have spiraled out of control, Naruto turned to the youngest Schnee and gave a reaffirming smirk. "Honestly, I'm more impressed that you kept your composure in such a dire situation. Most would have panicked and acted irrationally. Yet you were calm and assertive in it despite the threat of danger, knowing exactly what needed to be done."
"Almost frighteningly so, I might add."
Whitley's smirk grew as he dusted himself off from that scuffle and ensured his clothing was pristine. "Coming from you, I will take that as a compliment."
"Young master, I apologize…" Now on his feet, Klein came over to check on Whitley and see if there were any injuries on the boy.
"I am fine, Klein. Not a scratch on me." Whitley brushed off the butler's care before giving him the mildest of concerned glances. "I do worry about your health. You took quite a blow to your head while attempting to rescue me. I know you are our doctor too, but I think you might want to check yourself. It looked particularly nasty from my vantage point."
"Poppycock, young master. My jaw is only sore from the blow, nothing more. I have received far worse trauma from accidentally walking into your sister's training sessions." Klein attempted to boost morale as he moved to usher Whitley from the room, not wanting to stay in the room with the corpse of the assassin any longer than necessary.
However, Whitley focused on the third party in the room. He curiously stared at his eldest sister, puzzled by why she was here. He hadn't seen her in ages and hardly spoke to her when she did return to the estate in Atlas, as it was always for Weiss when she did. Not that she didn't stop to greet and check in on him, but it was only briefly, as they never had anything in common.
He never shared the same drive as his sisters did. He found it quite barbaric to use such force when plenty of others could do it in their stead and automatrons so no life could ever be wasted. But it became increasingly obvious as he grew older that some things couldn't be left to the droids or other people's hands.
Sometimes you had to do it yourself.
"Winter, it has been some time, dear sister. I haven't seen you awake since Weiss's last concert at Atlas before she left home and came to attend Beacon. I was there while you were in surgery, but the General had you moved so his people could look after you in recovery." Whitley spoke in almost a condescending tone as he looked up at his eldest sister with a modicum of conceit in his posture.
That was when he noticed the slightest stains on her left coat arm and frowned as Winter returned his greeting with a cold tone of her own. "It has been some time. I apologize, but I have been exceptionally busy with work and…"
"Looks like you could use this," Whitley commented, holding out a handkerchief for his eldest sister. "I do say red blends naturally with our color palette. I don't think wearing it in such a manner is befitting our stature."
Letting her eyes drift to her coat, she gently took the handkerchief and gently dabbed it against its blood stains, frowning as she knew it wouldn't ultimately come out. However, Whitley spoke in a hushed tone with the slightest hint of care. "Are mother and father okay?"
The faintest of smiles curled on the corner of Winter's lips as she looked down at her younger sibling. As pretentious, cold, and calculating as they all were…
"Whitley!" Willow barreled into the room, her dismay drawn over her face and, in a rare moment of expression, enveloped her youngest child tightly. "Thank the Brothers! You are safe!"
"Mother, I am fine. Honestly." Whitley was not prepared for the genuine affection displayed by his mother and wasn't sure how to handle it, somewhat shaken by this turn of events.
He could handle being in a tense situation with a knife at his throat. He had several role models to aspire to and emulate. But to handle this? How could he do that?"
A deep frown came over Jacques' face as he approached the door, two automaton guards behind him. Years of arduous work and building trust with fellow businessmen. However, in one swift moment where they could not see eye to eye on how to handle a situation, this was what it came down to?
He snarled, and his mustache twisted on his face. Involving one's family was petty and a coward's tactic. The assassins didn't target him. They targeted his wife and his son? And what were his automatons doing? How had they blindly allowed two intruders into his house so easily? And where were his alarms for when someone entered his…
"Ironwood…" Jacques came to a startling realization before, with a simple press of control beside him, the droids beside him shut down, and he gave a scornful glare at them before his gaze shifted to an approaching blonde faunus. "So, he's involved in this as well?"
"When I said it was complicated, I wasn't lying." Naruto gazed at the current patriarch and head of Schnee Dust Company, suddenly noting he was getting a call on his scroll, and frowned as he saw the number on it. "I went in today with entirely different expectations than what I have come out with, but…"
"Ren, what's the matter? Dealing with a lot on my end here, so this can…" Naruto answered the scroll as he knew he wouldn't call for any reason, and his eyes narrowed. "Wait, what?"
"Yeah, I'll be there shortly. That is too much to discuss over the wire. They may be tapping and monitoring our calls." Naruto bit back a growl after a short pause and hung up his scroll, refraining from tossing the device as he slid it into his pocket.
With a quick observation of the young man's body language, Jacques recognized the situation and knew something more was at play. "So it wasn't me he was targeting, it seems. He's trying to target both of us, and now James is involved? What is his game?"
"I'm not entirely sure, but what I know is…" Naruto looked upon Willow, finally releasing Whitley, still shaken but looking upon him with reverence and appreciation.
And he grimaced as he felt he did not earn that, for the words that left his lips next were hollow and bitter. "Remnant is on the brink of another Great War, and I'm front and center stage for the whole damn thing."
"And I'm the only one that can stop it."
Thank you to all my readers, and hope you enjoyed the chapter.
Volume III is slowly wrapping up, and production on Volume IV is beginning.
To the Guest asking where the last chapter started from.
Ren, Nora, and Yang were caught in that situation in the chapter before.
Don't know what else to say there.
As for Kushina/Kurama thing...
The first release of April will be your answer.
So keep an eye on the update schedule.