"Where the heck did that furball get off to!?" Violet demanded of no one in particular. She was getting irritated quickly at Xavier's absence. I told him to check in with me every few hours, but I've gotten nothing! She fumed, stomping her way to the lift pads to get to Vale. Behind her trailed Ross and Tanya, both equally as concerned as their leader on this matter.
"He said he was gonna stay at an inn, but he never told us where." Ross stated, gaining annoyed glares from the two girls.
"Well thank you, captain obvious." Violet grumbled, "Got any other news for us?"
"You're wasting time with your rhetoric, Violet." Tanya said, pulling her eyes away from her scroll briefly.
"Hey."
The three students quickly span around to meet a familiar duo.
"Pein, Nox, what are you doing here?" Violet asked, her teammates taking a few steps away from the pair.
"We saw what happened last night." Pein replied with a smile, "Your scruffy friend split, heading straight for Vale with one Blake Belladonna." He told them, adding emphasis on the second half.
"He left with Blake?" Violet asked, a mischievous smirk growing about her from the ammunition she'd been supplied with.
"Yeah, right ofter she took that bow off and revealed that she's a faunas." Nox added with a shrug.
The five of them stood there quietly for a few moments...
"What!?"
The three members of VRTX were slapped across the face with this sudden reveal.
"Looks like the cat's out'a the bag now, eh Nox?" Pein joked, nudging his partner's shoulder and smiling.
"No," Nox groaned, his hand smacking dead in the center of his forehead, "Just... No."
"Wait, did you know where in Vale they were headed?" Violet questioned, purposefully ignoring Pein's awful pun. Seriously, that was Peinful. She thought. Crap, now he's got me doing it!
"They said something about an inn near the docks." Pein revealed, "Something about Blake wanting some space from her team."
"Thanks Pein!" Violet said, before grabbing Ross' and Tanya's wrists and running off toward the lift pad.
As they ran off, the two members of team PUNC watched.
"How'd you know about the part with the docks?" Nox asked his leader.
Pein grinned and turned to his subordinate, "I sent Colette to spy on the pair. We're keeping tabs on all these kids, remember?" Pein told him, gaining a nod from his partner, "Besides, we need them at the docks. We've got a loose end to tie up."
Nox's eyes widened, "The informant?" he asked, gaining an affirmative nod.
"While he's dealing with the brats, we'll screw him up." Pein began to explain, "Coal and Umber are gonna jot down a few more notes up here while we take care of business down there."
"But Pein, wouldn't we do better if we attacked him all together?" Nox questioned.
"Yeah," Pein replied, "But no one's seen those two yet. We've already been spotted by those brats." He elaborated, Nox nodding along understandingly, "We show any more of what we are and they'll start to suspect."
Nox placed his hand under his chin, "What if the informant kills one of them?" He asked.
"Then that'll be one less runt to deal with later on."
"What if the informant lets something slip?"
"Then we let it slip."
"Huh?" Nox questioned, confusedly.
"Remember what we are," Pein assured, "What we're here for." Pein sighed as he watched the transport carrying the three members of VRTX off to Vale fly away. "The more fear and distrust, the better. They're like wooden planks, buddy, the more pressure you apply the faster they'll break." He told his colleague with a reassuring pat on the shoulder, "They get even easier to break when there's been termites eating at'm."
"I got it, Pein." Nox said, "But what happens when they try to squash the termites?"
"Then we apply more pressure."
It was at this moment, on the other side of the city, that Blake and Xavier were having breakfast at their inn. In Blake's hands was a teacup, nearly empty. Xavier on the other hand had been scarfing down bacon faster than he could think, much to Blake's discomfort.
"Shwr," Xavier began in an attempt to say 'so', "Hwr yh dwrn?" He asked before swallowing and repeating himself, "How are you doing?" Xavier's plate was cleared of food, not a crumb to be seen.
Blake looked up briefly, letting out a long and stress filled sigh. "Xavier," She spoke, "Do you know of the White Fang?" Her eyes peered down at her drink reflectively, cast down with fear of his coming response.
"Yeah." Xavier responded with an equally discomforted demeanor, "I heard of'm." He readjusted himself in his seat to sit straighter as he prepared for the ensuing conversation. "I know- knew someone who was part of all that."
"How do you feel about them?" Blake asked calmly.
"Honestly, I'm not sure how to feel." He answered, gaining a curious stare from the cat girl across from him. "They've done so much crap, but they've also improved things for us." He elaborated, "And I can't believe that all their members are heartless terrorists, as much as I try." Xavier's fists clenched slightly, "They wanna help," His voice cracked, "I know they do. But I've seen the crap they do firsthand, seen the people they hurt, seen the numbers of people killed by just three of them."
Blake shifted on the other side of the table, watching as the wolf boy before her struggled, "So have I, Xavier." She said softly, "That's why I left."
Xavier's eyes shot up to meet Blake's and the two just sat there in silence.
"I'm sorry," Blake whispered, both she and Xavier in identically shameful positions.
"Don't be." Xavier told the girl, surprising her, "It's not your fault that my brother left me."
"But it is my fault all those workers are dead!" Blake nearly shouted, gaining the attention of the other tenants at other tables. The girl looked around, a startled look about her.
Xavier sighed before standing up and grabbing Blake by the arm. "We gotta go, Blake." He warned, gaining a nod from the girl.
The two grabbed their gear from the woman working the desk up front, as they couldn't keep their weapons inside the inn. They then headed out, Blake trailing close behind her friend.
Soon enough, the two were back on the street. They were walking around with no particular destination in mind.
"So, Blake." Xavier began, looking over his shoulder to speak to the girl as they walked, "Tell me why you're telling me all this stuff about you and the Fang now."
Blake slowed down, a bit of red dashing her pale cheeks as she sighed, "You're the only person I can trust right now." She said bluntly, her eyes darting to the ground shamefully, "Plus, you decided not to tell anyone when you found out who I really am." She added, wiggling her cat ears beneath her bow to remind Xavier of what she was: a faunas.
Xavier rolled his eyes."Why do you hide, anyway?" He asked her as the two of them walked.
"Many reasons." The girl replied with a grumble.
"Care to go over a few with me?" Xavier pressed on.
Blake sighed, shaking her head. "I don't wanna be judged by other 'normal' people." She told him, "That enough for you?"
"Really?" Xavier grunted back with a condescending tone, "I may be a bit slow, but I'm not a complete idiot." The wolf boy stopped before Blake abruptly, taking hold of her arms and stopping her as well, "It's 'cause you don't want any faunas recognizing you either, ain't it?"
Blake was startled by the sudden strong contact from her male counterpart. She looked away from Xavier ashamedly, before lightly nodding. "I don't want anyone to know who I am. If they do they-"
"Shut up."
Blake's eyes darted back up at Xavier confusedly. "W-what?"
"I said, 'shut up'." Xavier repeated, "Come on, I hate repeating myself." Xavier let out a sigh, staring upward. Great, now she's got me doin' it too. He thought woefully before continuing. "You are not a member of the White Fang, Blake, get that through that pretty little head of yours." The wolf boy told Blake, "You're a Huntress, a young woman who's gonna change the world with her weapons. It doesn't matter what we were, what matters is what we do now, you got that?"
Xavier let go of Blake and took a few steps back.
Blake's face was red. She didn't know whether to feel angry at his abruptness and lack of sensitivity, happy that there was finally someone who knew her secret past and was completely unfazedby the revelation, or embarrassed from the sudden and close contact with an attractive boy. "What..." Blake began to say, struggling to find words to accommodate any of those feelings, "What the Hell is wrong with you!?"
Xavier quirked an eyebrow, "Not a reaction I was expecting."
Blake took a few steps back. "You find out I'm a faunas and I've been hiding it from everyone, so you give me a night out. You teach me to use your sword for no apparent reason. You learn I'm ex-Fang and you shrug it off like nothing." Blake continued to list off the other odd behaviors Xavier had been demonstrating, all the while the boy in question was leaning back and listening to her with his hands behind his head. "...I just don't get any of it! What do you have to gain from any of this!? From me!?" Blake concluded, her face displaying anger and confusion.
Xavier leaned his head back and took a deep breath. "It's nothing." He said with a half smile, "I'm just a 'good samaritan' as they say." Xavier brought his gaze back to Blake once more, "I'm also a sucker for pretty girls. Makes it even worse for me when they're crying like you were." His half smile spread into a cheesy grin that lit up his face, so big that it made him squint.
Blake's eyes widened and a small shade of red tinted her cheeks. "Your leader is right; you are an idiot."
"Great," Xavier replied, "Now you're acting like your teammate Weiss."
"Don't compare me to her!"
"Hey, calm down! I'm just having a little fun."
"At my expense?"
"At everyone's expense. It's just how I roll."
The students' bickering was cut short by a loud beeping. The scrolls in both their pockets were sounding off, signifying a call coming for each of them. Blake pulled hers out, showing a call coming from one Ruby Rose. Hesitantly, Blake ignored the call.
Xavier flipped his scroll open without thought, neglecting to even check the contact. "Sup homes, this is the X-Dawg-"
"Shut up Scruffy! Tell us where you are!" The loud and rage filled voice of Violet Storm demanded, cutting Xavier's stupid rambling short.
"Well, I was gonna tell you anyways Vi', but now I don't think I will!" Xavier replied in a mock pouting voice. "You meanie!" He added. As Violet let loose a chain of threats and insults, Xavier slid his scroll closed.
Blake gave her male counterpart a curious stare before shaking her head as if to say: "I don't even want to know."
"Vi' being Vi'." was all Xavier said in response with a shrug.
Blake nodded.
Elsewhere in Vale, the leader of team VRTX was fuming over the lack of cooperation from a certain wolf faunas.
"Grrr! I'm gonna kill that blockhead!" Violet growled, thrusting her fist hard into the brick wall to her left. "He always does this; Running off and disobeying me. He's an idiot!" she complained to her two teammates that were just hoping that she would calm down.
"Violet, I don't think it's that big a deal." Ross said in an attempt to calm her down. "He's probably just messing around, trying to have fun. It's not like he's off getting into trouble."
"You don't know that, Ross." Tanya said to the red head, "That canine has a tendency to get himself into the most inconvenient of situations at times."
"Translate?"
"Xavier's a trouble maker." Violet simplified, rounding the corner of a building and slamming into one Ruby Rose.
Bonk, tumble, slump.
"Oww!" The girl grumbled, rubbing her head.
"Hey, you should really watch where your going sometimes Ruby." Said Ross as both team leaders got to their feet.
Behind Ruby were her other two team members and another wide eyed girl who the three had never met. "Ross!" cheered Ruby after seeing her friend again. "and... Violet?" she asked, cocking her head as she looked over the leader of team VRTX. "It is you!" The pale little girl said with a gasp, "I can't believe it! You've gotten so big." She mused, walking around her old friend and inspecting her. "Where have you been?" She demanded, "I haven't seen you in forever!"
"Uh, Ruby, I'd love to let you continue your little reunion, but we're a little busy." The girl in white standing behind her said.
"Ah, what were we doing again?"
"We're looking for Blake, you dunce!" Weiss cried, making Ruby flinch and jump into Violet's arms.
"Good to see you haven't changed, Ruby." Violet said with a chuckle. Violet then raised an eyebrow, "Wait, you're looking for Blake?" She questioned.
Ruby nodded and sprung out of Violet's hold. "She ran away last night and we think she might've come down to the city."
"Well, we're coincidentally searching for an absent member of our own." Tanya told her.
"What?" Ruby asked with a confused look about her.
"Xavier ran off last night as well. Another exchange student from Vacuo told us that he and Blake ran off together." Ross explained, gaining nods from the three members of team RWBY.
"Perhaps collaborating with one another may prove fruitful in our efforts at locating our missing comrades." Tanya suggested.
"What?" Both Yang and Ruby asked in unison this time.
"She means we should work together." Weiss translated.
"Oooh." The two girls and Ross replied with unintelligent nods.
"Perhaps the docks may prove a good place to look first." The girl in the back suggested, surprising the three girls of team RWBY.
"Gah! Penny, where did you come from!?" Ruby demanded.
"You mean she wasn't with you the whole time?" Ross asked them.
The other two members of team RWBY shook their heads and waved their hands vigorously, trying to discourage Ruby from some decision. "Yeah... Penny's with us." Ruby told them.
Both Yang and Weiss dropped to the floor.
"Salutations strangers! My name is Penny." The odd girl with vibrant orange hair and semiformal cyberpunk clothing mused. "Any friend of Ruby's is a friend of mine."
"Great, Penny, great." Yang told their companion, "but could you keep it down there, P? We're trying to determine where they might've run off."
"Perhaps the docks would be a good place to look. I've heard that cats do enjoy fish."
"What are you talking about, Penny?" Weiss asked with her hands on her hips.
"Blake? She's a cat faunas. Have you not seen her cat ears?" Penny cocked her head and smiled as she explained.
"Cat ears?" Ruby questioned, "Blake doesn't have cat ears! She wears a big black... bow..."
It was at this moment that everyone realized what Blake really was.
"She does really like tuna." Ruby whispered.
Far away from the two teams was an abandoned warehouse. Or so it may seem. Within it stood three teens in full black bodysuits, covered by bone white plates. Over their faces were different masks that resembled different Grimm.
Before them was the tied up and beat down form of one Roman Torchwick, his minion Neo dead on the floor before him. "Neo..." He winced, staring at her broken lifeless form. His eyes darted up as one of the teens sauntered over to him.
The teen was obviously a boy, wearing a bone white deathstalker mask that was damaged around the right eye. Out of the hole in his mask fluttered payne grey bangs and a crimson eye shone at Roman's green ones.
"First of all," Began the deathstalker boy, "I would like to thank you for informing us on that whole business with Cinder and her two pets. Getting rid of them saved us a huge headache down the line."
Roman simply growled at the boy, causing him to raise his eyebrow curiously.
"Secondly, I'd like to extend an invitation to you."
Roman's eyebrows raised and his glare became a sneer. "What could you offer that I could want, kid?" Roman asked with barred teeth. "You killed Neo, what more could happen?"
"Mr. Torchwick, I'd like to offer you a place in our little club of people that are gonna live through all of this." The deathstalker boy told Roman in a voice like that of a businessman.
"What are you saying?"
"Where do you wanna be, Roman, at the end of the world?"
Roman's eyes widened when he heard this, "You know how I roll, don't you?" He chuckled. His chuckling soon turned into a hacking cough, his lungs contracting in pain.
"You wanna do what you always do: survive."
"You hit the nail on the head there, didn't you."
The boy in the mask smiled, his expression only escaping through the hole blown over the eye. "We can help you survive, Roman." he told him. It was then that the deathstalker boy moved aside, showing off a machine. This machine had two chambers that looked disturbingly like glass coffins, the one on the right was empty while the one on the left had the body of a Grimm slumped inside it. The Grimm was a Griffon, the flying horse Grimm.
Roman's eyes widened when he saw the contraption. "What the hell is that thing?" He asked calmly, looking between the deathstalker boy and the machine before him.
"This 'thing', is our answer to this world's problems." the boy said as a matter of fact. "It's gonna make you pretty and pale like us; all Grimmy and such."
"What's it gonna do to me?"
"I already told you, you idiot."
"Is it gonna hurt?" Roman asked mockingly, like a child would ask before getting a shot.
"It will definitely be an experience." the boy replied. "Are you up for it?"
So, how do we feel about the new chapter? I don't have much to say about it.
i picked out some voice actors for each member of VRTX
Violet: Cherami Leigh (Voice of Asuna from SAO)
Ross: Haley Joel Osment (Voice of Sora from Kingdom Hearts)
Tanya: Ashley Johnson (Voice of Ellie form The Last Of Us)
Xavier: Dante Basco (Voice of Zuko from Avatar, The Last Airbender)
Good day.