THIS FIC HAS ALMOST REACHED ONE HUNDRED REVIEWS! THANK YOU SO MUCH! I'm so sorry for the long wait; I had finals. This chapter is long though, and Adam is mentioned a bit around the middle. But, don't worry! The next chapter will be interesting!

Also, to the reviewer who asked what would happen if Blake and Lycannis were only one surviving the attack and Bane and Adam find them, Lycannis will probably do what happens to him in this chapter, and Blake might(?) go with him. Or, she would stay with Adam and Bane and become like them. She'd be a bit more merciful, but she'd probably become as bad as Adam.

Anyways, enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 8 – The Vytal Headquarters

Blake and Fiona trekked through the forest for six whole weeks. Compared to Menagerie's hilly lands with temperate climate, Vytal was mainly mountainous with foggy mornings. Oftentimes, Blake would wake up in the middle of the night due to temperature drop. By now, she was sure that dark circles were present under her eyes.

Fiona had told Blake that the new White Fang headquarters were in a remote mountainside area with many abandoned mines and ravines. Privately, Blake wondered what the planners were thinking. She felt that a headquarters should be accessible to everyone. Older members of White Fang would need help to enter.

At the beginning of the seventh week, Blake and Fiona had just paused to rest from a long morning of hiking. As Blake slowly sipped some water, Fiona remained perched on a jutting piece of rock, observing the surroundings.

"We're kind of close," she muttered, "There should be a patrol squad coming up around here." Blake reached into her bag and offered Fiona her binoculars.

"Can you see anything?"

"Nope," Fiona replied, "there's too much fog to tell. I wish the sun would come out."

"Grey skies are kind of gloomy," Blake agreed, "Sunny days are a lot more cheerful."

After nearly half a year of travelling, Blake and Fiona would finally arrive in their new home. Blake imagined it to be a near replica of the old one. She would take up residence in the library and read nearly every book it had to offer. Occasionally, there would be a rare visitor, perhaps Adam would stop by. After a year apart, would he still remember his childhood friend?

Blake sighed. By now, she was probably unrecognizable to him, and she found it difficult to imagine an older version of him. Would his face still hold that determined spark?

The noise of rustling bushes tore her from her thoughts. Fiona jumped down from her perch and handed Blake the binoculars.

"That's strange," Fiona muttered, "I would have seen the patrol by this point. I guess it must be the fog." The rustling grew louder, but it sounded like one pair of footsteps compared to multiple.

"Fiona," Blake said in concern, "I don't think that's a patrol…" Fiona's eyes widened in alarm.

"What? No, that can't be possible, Grimm are usually kept away in a 5 mile radius." Fiona looked back at the rusting bushes.

"Blake, stay ba-" A large, clawed paw swiped out at her, missing Fiona by inches. Before the little girl could run, an Ursa poked its head out and let out a monstrous roar. Fiona loaded her rifle and took aim, only for the Grimm to swipe at her. Its paw caught her by her shoulder and sent her slamming against the cliff side.

There was a loud crack, and Fiona went limp. For a terrifying moment, Blake had thought that the blow had killed her. But, she could see the slight movement of her chest.

Seeing that its entertainment had stopped moving, the Ursa turned its red eyes towards Blake. Its lips curled back, showing its sharp teeth.

The cat Faunus froze, too terrified to move. The Grimm began to rapidly move towards her, and Blake dashed towards a nearby tree with the intention of climbing it.

However, the little girl realized that she would be leaving Fiona to die; she didn't want that.

Turning to face the Grimm, Blake reached into her pocket and gripped the only weapon she had – a small throwing knife.

Using her Semblance, Bake dodged an oncoming swipe and sprinted past the Grimm to Fiona. The fox Faunus was still unconscious, and Blake would be willing to do anything to defend her.

Hurriedly, Blake threw the knife at the Ursa and managed to stick it in its arm. Roaring, the Grimm swiped at its arm, trying to dislodge the knife. While it was distracted, Blake retrieved the rifle from Fiona's hands – it was a lot heavier than she thought.

The little girl struggled to lift and aim the weapon as fast as she could. Pulling the trigger, Blake fired the shot, and missed it by a mile off.

"C'mon, c'mon…" she muttered as she tried to aim again, "Please…please…" the Ursa cried out and knocked the rifle barrel, causing the gun to go off and the bullet to bury itself in its left eye.

The Grimm howled and went crazy, lashing out and blindly swiping at the Faunus. Desperately, Blake pulled out the cleaver sword and desperately tried to fend off its swipes. Blake used her Semblance and dashed at the monster.

The faunus girl swiped at the Grimm, managing to catch it by the arm. However, her resistance was futile as the Ursa swiped as she took a stab, embedding the blade in its arm.

"N…no…" Blake took a step back and tried to return to Fiona's side, but the Grimm roared and blocked her way. The only thing that could prevent her from being eaten alive was to cry out for help or run.

"H…Help…" she gasped out between two heaving breaths, "Someone…please…" Out of nowhere, a shot rang out. Next, there was a splurt of the Ursa's dark blood raining down on Blake as the Grimm fell over dead.

Shocked, the little girl turned to look at her savior. In the sun's light, she saw a group of three White Fang members. The emotions during the situation had drained her and, combined with a day's worth of hiking, Blake could barely keep her eyes shut.

She stumbled and fell to her knees; Blake was exhausted. Her and Fiona's long journey had finally come to an end.

There, as the masked White Fang member ran up and grabbed her, Blake felt light headed and everything faded to black.

"Blake? Blake?" she could feel a hand gently shaking her awake, "Blake, I need you to wake up." Blinking, Blake noticed that she was in a medical unit bed. She was wearing one of the blue, papery gowns and a heart-rate monitor was taped to her heart. Fiona sat in front of her with a worried look. Gauze was wrapped around her head and band-aids littered her arms.

"You're okay…" Blake sighed in relief. Fiona laughed.

"Yeah, kiddo, I'm fine, but you passed out from exhaustion." Fiona reached out and brushed away a lock of bangs from her face. "I wasn't playing attention, and we could have died if a patrol wasn't nearby." She reached out and helped Blake move to sit up.

"I need to catch you up on what's happened so far. A lot of things changed while we were on the run." A somber look cast over the fox faunus' face.

"Do you want to hear it now, or would you like to know later?" Fiona asked. Her downcast expression made Blake feel concerned. They had been on the run for half a year and, not once, had Fiona considered calling White Fang. Initially, Blake had wondered what had caused Fiona's hesitation. But, now, the little girl knew that something was off.

Why had Lycannis not come with them?

Blake nodded.

"I want to know now." Fiona pursed her lips and moved closer to her.

"You can't tell anyone," she warned, "You're still too young to know everything, but you're old enough to at least know some of the basics."

"Mr. Lycannis told me some stuff that day," Blake added, "I know White Fang isn't working as smoothly as it should."

Fiona looked uncomfortable.

"Blake…I guess you ought to know this, but after the attack…" she trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"Fiona? What happened?" The fox faunus sighed and looked Blake in the eye.

"Lycannis stepped down from leading White Fang. A day after the attack, he was found in the woods and taken here. Three days later, Bai Lycannis fully resigned from White Fang, and no one has seen him since."

Blake looked at Fiona in shock.

"What's going to happen to White Fang? Who's going to lead it?" Fiona leaned back in her chair and folded her arms.

"That's the thing, I'm not sure. Right now, it's been divided up into three factions with an individual leader for each, but…" She trailed off as her brown eyes searched the room, as if checking for eavesdroppers.

Eyes wide, Blake tried to process the new influx of information. White Fang had become fractured? How could this happen? Lycannis ran the organization so well, and he had just dropped off the grid?

"Have you tried to find Mr. Lycannis?" the girl asked Fiona. However, she sighed and shook her head.

"No, but people like us, his supporters, haven't been able to get hold of him. He's vanished, and I'm sure he's never going to come back." Fiona bit her lip nervously. "Right now, Lycannis' supporters have been quiet. We don't want to draw much attention to ourselves. People who were more outspoken about their support have…" Fiona trailed off, and Blake felt a jolt of fear run through her.

"Are they dead?" she whispered in terror, "Are we next?"

"No, no," Fiona denied hastily, "They just haven't replied back to any messages or haven't turned in any status reports, that's all. There isn't any confirmation that they're alive, but White Fang would have made an official report if they're dead."

If Blake were older, she would be suspicious, but, being the naïve child that she was, the cat faunus breathed a sigh of relief.

"Okay, I won't talk about White Fang," she agreed, "Will I be able to leave bed soon?" She looked forward to returning to the library.

However, Fiona simply leaned forward and used her fingers to comb out Blake's black, wavy hair.

"Well, this base is kind of different from the old one. It's a lot less…" she struggled to find the words, "…homely. There's only the barracks, the medicine center, cafeteria, and an office."

Blake's disappointment must have shown because Fiona quickly added, "I'm sure the office has something for you to read. Even though this place isn't very kid-friendly, I bet some members leave their kids here before they leave for a mission."

Footsteps could be heard from outside the curtain and a dark silhouette could be seen through the white linen.

"Hello?" Fiona called, "Is there something you need?" A black-gloved hand reached out and pulled aside the curtain, revealing a masked White Fang member.

"Hello," the member was a woman, "I just need your kid to answer a couple questions for the report. It won't be too long, but protocol requires me to ask you to step out of the room," she said politely.

Nodding, Fiona rose from her chair.

"Let me know if there's anything wrong, okay. Blake?" she said, "I'll be outside the room." And, with that being said, Fiona left Blake with the unknown woman.

The White Fang member pulled out a clipboard and sat in the chair.

"Okay," she said calmly, "I just need to ask you a couple questions, and your guardian can come back in the room, alright sweetie?" Blake nodded.

"Okay."

"Alright, good. First question, what is your name and what base did you come from?"

"My name is Blake, and I came from the one in Menagerie."

"Okay, how old are you?"

"I'll be turning twelve in a few weeks." The woman's mouth twitched.

"Were your parents part of White Fang?"

"Yes." More scribbling on the clipboard.

"Can you use Aura, and are you able to use your Semblance?"

"Yes." The woman's scribbling stopped.

"Alright, Ms. Blake, I have all the information I need. I think there will be another official that'll want to speak with you when you're better. I'll take my leave." The White Fang member stood up and turned her back to Blake.

Eyes widening, Blake stared at the emblem in shock. Instead of the head of a white wolf-like beast in the middle of the circle. The emblem had changed into a bloody red color, the beast's teeth were sharper, and the circle had been replaced with three jagged claw-marks.

Instead of peaceful, the symbol looked much more sinister.

As soon as the woman left, Fiona ran in.

"What did she ask you?" she asked worriedly, "did she say anything bad?"

"No, they just asked me my name, where I'm from, my aura, and if mom and dad were members." Fiona paused and looked puzzled.

"Huh, I thought they were going to be more invasive…hmm…I guess they already got enough from my answers." A frown remained on her face.

"Still, something doesn't feel right…"

After a few days, Blake was permitted to move from her bed. Unlike the Menagerie headquarters, Blake quickly become bored. There were no other children her age, and Fiona was busy in the office.

With nothing to do, Blake spent the remainder of the week practicing her Semblance, trying to make the Shadow remain longer. The cat faunus practically lived in the medical bay and watched the resident doctor treat small scratches and wounds.

It was the only thing she could do. Fiona had forbidden her from visiting the training grounds.

Blake felt cooped up and miserable, but she didn't want to bother Fiona.

It was the middle of the second week when Blake noticed a change in the headquarters. The hallways seemed more crowded and the medicine bay had more visitors. Moreover, Fiona, likely worrying that the influx of visitors was hostile to children, had told Blake that she was not allowed to leave the medical bay.

Although Blake didn't like the new rules, the little girl soon realized that the medicine bay was a common place for members to gossip. Even though the information wasn't particularly interesting, she heard word of a special group being trained.

No doubt Adam would have made the team, and Blake wondered if he was in the headquarters right now. She was tempted to try to find him, but the serious look on Fiona's face prevented her from attempting to find out.

Therefore, Blake simply stared out of the window and watched the doctor treat patients.

However, one day, a White Fang member strode in and asked for her.

"Are you Blake Belladonna?" he asked. Looking at him, Blake noticed that he was a tiger faunus.

"Yes, did something happen to Fiona?" she asked in concern. The member shook his head.

"No, but I've been requested to take you to the training grounds." Blake frowned.

"Does Fiona know about this? I'm not supposed to leave here without her permission." The tiger faunus seemed slightly irritated at her reluctance.

"One minute," he said and left the room. Confused, she stared after him. Why had he wanted to bring her to the training grounds? She wasn't old enough to be a member yet; she was only twelve.

Two minutes later, Fiona burst into the room, smelling strongly of disinfectant and floor cleaner. The masked White Fang member was hot on her heels. Fiona reached out and firmly gripped Blake's arm, pulling her close to her.

"She's too young for that kind of training!" Fiona argued at the tiger faunus, "Blake only knows how to defend herself. She can't attack, and I honestly don't think she will want to hurt anyone!"

The tiger faunus frowned and folded his arms.

"Me and my team saw what she was capable of," he countered, "Your charge knows how to use her Semblance and Aura. Sixteen-year olds can't do that. She knows how to use a blade, and her fighting style, although it's for self-defense, has an offensive nature."

"That doesn't mean anything!"

"Your charge was able to hold off an Ursa Major while any other kid would have been killed!" the member began to raise his voice, "Do you honestly think White Fang would sit back and let that talent go to waste?"

"Blake doesn't have a killing intent. She doesn't want to cause pain on anyone. You would be teaching her how to kill! She can't handle that!" Scared, Blake stared at the floor.

What was going to happen? Was she going to be separated from Fiona? She didn't want that!

Blake looked up at the two of them fearfully as she held onto Fiona's pant leg. The tiger faunus glared at Fiona. In comparison, he seemed to dwarf her.

"With the right training, she could be one of the highest-ranking members of White Fang if you weren't holding her back with Lycannis' childish ideals," he shot back, "How old are you? Nineteen? You're too young to be in charge of a minor. Your inexperience will get her killed."

His words seemed to strike a chord with Fiona. Her brown eyes flashed with fury.

"Shut up," she hissed, "People like you have no idea what raising a kid is like. Yeah, I'm young and inexperienced, but at least Blake won't turn out to be a murderer like the rest of the children White Fang has abducted!"

Her words seemed to echo throughout the compound as they bounced off the floor and ground. A crowd had gathered at the door to watch the spat. Masked and unmasked members stared wide-eyed at Fiona.

Glaring at the tiger-faunus, Fiona was about to place Blake back behind the sheets when there was movement from the crowd.

The members parted to reveal another Faunus, a panther Faunus with jet black ears, similar to Blake's. He wore an intricately carved Grimm mask with red accents, but he quietly removed his mask from his face. His bronze eyes locked with her amber ones.

"What kind of commotion have you caused, Khan?" he said tiredly, "It's the fourth time this month that you have caused an incident with another member. Apologize this instant."

Khan looked reluctant, glaring at the panther-Faunus, before inclining his head towards Fiona.

"I'm…sorry…" he said begrudgingly before storming off from the crowd. The panther faunus turned to look back towards the bystanders.

"This isn't a show," he stated calmly, "Do you want me to give you more tasks to keep you all busy?" Obediently, the crowd of onlooker shuffled off.

"Now then," he turned to look back at them. Fiona flinched.

"Sir," she was about to salute to him, but he held his hand, "Please, don't be so formal." It was then that Blake noticed that this member was not like the others. Instead of the usual uniform, he was dressed immaculately in a dark grey dress-shirt and black dress pants.

She stared up at him, trying to decipher his intentions. Did the argument just cause too much disruption or was this person here for the same reason?

"Now, then, I've heard reports that your ward is an adept Aura and Semblance user." Fiona stiffened, but she nodded.

"Yes, Blake can use her ability to make copies of herself." He raised his eyebrows in interest.

"Hmm, so she can deceive her attackers. That kind of semblance isn't common. Were her parents Aura users."

"No, they didn't. She's the only one, sir."

"And you?" he narrowed his eyes at her, "It's rare for someone from the spy division to be demoted to janitor."

"Office maintenance," Fiona corrected before adding, "I can change my appearance at will, like my hair and eye color."

His eyes gleamed as he studied Blake.

"Admittedly, Khan does have a point. If your ward utilizes her ability in combat properly, her skill could be on par with the top hunters and huntresses that Remnant has to offer. She does have potential, and White Fang would be…reluctant to let such talent to go to waste."

Fiona tensed, and Blake hoped that there wouldn't be another outburst. Fiona could get into serious trouble.

"She's still too young," Fiona repeated, "I'm not having her learn anything until she's of age."

"I see," he pulled out a seat and gestured for them to sit. Blake clung to Fiona like her life depended on it. She was terrified that he would rip her away and she would never see Fiona again.

"Please, sir, Blake's parents didn't want her to start on any missions or duty until she is sixteen."

The panther-faunus' ears twitched.

"Oh, did they? Did they say anything about training or self-defense?"

"Well, she already knows self-defense but-"

"What about the safety of others?" he countered calmly, "The both of you would have been killed and eaten if a patrol hadn't shown up. Your ward wouldn't leave you to die, so her only choice was to fend off that Ursa Major herself. Grimm never leave their prey, so her only option left is to kill it. But, she can only deflect its attacks until she runs out of energy. What then?"

Fiona looked annoyed and deflated.

"Look, I'm not asking her to start going off on training missions. She doesn't even have to leave the compound, but learning how to fight is essential."

Fiona looked down at Blake with conflict in her eyes.

"He has a point," she murmured to her, "Grimm are ruthless and stop at nothing to kill prey. You only have once choice; kill or be killed. I'm still against this, but… I think it's best for you to decide."

Blake shifted uncomfortably. The answer was on her tongue.

"You don't have to decide right away-"

"I'll do it," Blake said quietly. He looked surprised at her decision.

"Okay then…" he looked at Fiona, "Feel free to drop in and supervise." She relaxed a little and looked relieved.

"Thank you, Mister…"

"Pitch. Call me Lieutenant Pitch."

For the next two months, Blake had spent her days in the training yard, practicing her form with the katana the compound had lent her. Once the Lieutenant had heard about her previous experience with it, he had been eager to make it her main weapon.

Her instructor, a raccoon faunus with a large bushy tail, had spent a week correcting her grip and swings. Often, he would stop and sternly criticize her.

But, within a month, Blake's skill had steadily improved to the point where she could learn advanced techniques. Then, two weeks later, she began the obstacle courses and stealth attacks.

Blake honed in her skill very carefully and often practiced until the late hours of the day.

Along with the katana lessons, an Aura mentor has been assigned to her. Blake enjoyed this teacher the most. She had been intrigued with her Aura and now there was someone with extended expertise to teach her.

However, Blake was stuck with just focusing it to the point where is surrounded her body in a purple glow. The Aura mentor described it as "controlling your power", but it had often left Blake with a dull headache from concentrating.

Fiona had often stopped by and watched from the sidelines, eying her teachers with suspicion. Lieutenant Pitch frequently observed her as well, scrutinizing her with his bronze irises. Blake would see them sitting on the same bench together; not a word exchanged between them.

The cat faunus sincerely enjoyed her lessons; it was better than being cooped up in a room all day.

It was the late afternoon, and Blake had just finished running an obstacle course. Her teacher said that it was supposed to improve her speed and agility, but she only felt sore afterwards.

As she was approaching the medical bay, she noticed the silhouette of two figures standing near the doorway.

Curious, she stopped and listened in.

"You'll never know how to address your subordinates unless you treat them with respect and dignity." It was Lieutenant Pitch.

"They ought to respect my rank," the voice belonged to Khan, "I'm the leader, so it is their duty to follow my orders."

Pitch sighed in irritation.

"That's not how you're supposed to act," he chided, "Look at the Taurus boy in Vacuo. He's nearly half your age, and he can command his subordinates more effectively than you ever will."

A sharp intake of breath passed through Blake's lips. Adam was in Vacuo? He was already leading members?

"Because he has Bane to scare the sh*t out of them if they screw up," Khan grumbled, "Is that your plan for the little girl? Turn her into an administrator when she's of age. That's one rank below you. Or will she be your personal bodyguard? Looks a lot like your kid cousin, doesn't she? With bigger ears and darker eyes-"

There was a whoosh of air and a loud smack.

"You've overstepped your boundaries," Pitch said quietly, "I'd advise you to keep your mouth shut until further notice."

There was a series of footsteps, and Blake hurriedly ran around the corner, only to bump into Fiona.

"Blake!" Fiona said in surprise, "There you are. I was working late, and…Oh, hello Lieutenant."

Pitch nodded at Fiona.

"Do you like the job reassignment?"

"Oh, yes, filing is a lot better than mopping floors," she said respectfully, "Thank you so much for the promotion."

"I noticed that your ward is improving. Has her Semblance become more developed?"

"Yes," Blake answered curtly, "I've gotten better." She looked nervously at Fiona. "can we get dinner?"

"Yes, come along, Blake."

Another three months passed, and Blake had begun to practice more complex techniques. Moreover, she had begun sparring with her mentor once a week. That was what Blake had looked forward to most, and she would often practice on wood dummies.

She had just finished leaving a large slice over its chest when her instructor called for her to stop.

Blake looked up at him expectantly and waited for his advice, but he simply waved her off.

"You look tired, my dear," he said kindly, "I've been told that you have been practicing after hours. You've been making such good progress, but I think you need to take a day off. Go take a walk outside, although it will be snowing later today."

Blake wanted to protest; practice was the only thing she could do to keep herself occupied. However, she nodded.

"Okay. Thank you, sir." Blake placed the sword back in its sheath and put it back in the weapons arsenal. With the extra free time, she didn't know what to do with herself. There was nothing to read, and Fiona was at her job in the office. Lieutenant Pitch and the Aura instructor were the only people she spoke with.

Blake missed Adam at times like this. Before the attack, she thought about him every day, but, now, he was merely a distant thought pushed in the far corners of her mind. Blake tried not to remember old childhood memories. She would be turning thirteen in a few months, and she wanted to act more like an adult. Fiona had always said that she acted very mature and level-headed for her age, and her Aura mentor mentioned that her emotions were more consistent than usual.

She strolled slowly down the hallways, watching the falling snow. Blake's mind conjured images of the lone store in Menagerie's village, but she hastily dispelled it from thought. As she approached her bed in the medicine bay, she noticed light streaming from under the janitor's closet and muffled voices echoing from the wood.

Blake was about to ignore it, but her cat ears picked up Fiona's feminine timbre. Had she locked herself in? Fiona told her that she had gotten herself locked in a closet during her first week.

Without thinking, Blake swung the door open and saw Fiona and Pitch standing on opposite ends of the room. They both shared serious looks as Blake stared at them in confusion. Were they…?

"Thanks…for the information, sir," Fiona said awkwardly, "I'll give you my decision by the end of the week."

Without looking, she took Blake's hand and pulled her to herbed in the medicine bay. Blake, fearing a scolding, opened her mouth to explain.

"I thought you were locked in there." Fiona held up her hand.

"No, no, I'm not mad. It's nothing, really. But, the Lieutenant gave me some important information." Fiona looked around in case of eavesdroppers. "I've been assigned a spying mission."

"What? That's great!" Fiona shook her head.

"There's a hitch. I'm going to be there for an entire two months, and the conditions…are not exactly humane." Blake frowned. Where were they going to send her? Was there a chance that she…might not come back?

"I'm going with you," she responded immediately. Fiona sighed and stroked her hair.

"I'm making the final decision. You have more than enough basic training, and I do have the option of taking you along. It would bring actual credibility for my disguise, but…" Fiona paused as she tried to find the words to say, "You know I want you to be safe and out of harm's way."

"I'm not going to get separated from you!"

"I know, I know. But-"

"No!" Blake could feel tears well up in her eyes, "I don't want you to go without me! Please!" A somber look hung over Fiona's face.

"I…I know why they want me to go on this…" her voice began to tremble, "They want me away so they can teach you how to kill. I still have authority, so they can't do that. But, if I'm gone…"

"That's a stronger reason why I should go with you. I don't want to use my abilities to hurt others."

Fiona looked conflicted.

"I…"

"Fiona, please, you're the only family member I have left."

Fiona swallowed and looked down at her feet.

"They're sending me to the Schnee Dust mining camp near Atlas. I'm supposed to pose as a factory worker in the refining mills. If I gather enough intelligence to warrant a White Fang revolt, I can retire and still get monthly pay. It's enough for the two of us, so we can leave White Fang-"

Selfishly, those words didn't sit well with Blake. Leave White Fang? She wanted to help human and faunus relations not to run away from them.

Blake remained silent; the rest of Fiona's life plan sailed over her head.

It was a while until she realized that Fiona had stopped talking.

"I…I still want to go. I…don't want to be alone."

The final weeks leading up to Blake and Fiona's departure were uneventful. Blake tried to finish the final parts of her training while simultaneously resting her body. Even though Fiona had told her that the most she would do was to keep their tiny tenement room clean, Blake wanted to be able to defend their miniscule living space from any intruders or thieves.

Meanwhile, Fiona was meeting with her teammates to discuss tactics. Late at night, she would check on Blake, looking tired and in a foul mood. One time over breakfast, Blake asked her what was wrong. Fiona had mumbled something about "arrogant assholes" into her coffee mug but refused to elaborate.

Blake hoped that Fiona's teammates wouldn't think that she would be a liability.

However, the cat faunus wouldn't meet them until the night before the mission. Supplies and new clothing were being distributed out, and Fiona had said that one of her teammates would be able to tailor anything too big.

When Blake walked into the room, three pairs of eyes were on her. Nervously, Blake stared back. Two faunus, one around Fiona's age and another a few years younger, introduced themselves as Laurel and Rose. Laurel, who was cheerful and friendly, had large, grey wolf ears while Rose, who was rather shy and reserved, had a long, spotted leopard's tail. From the corner, a buffalo faunus with two sharp horns nodded at her and mumbled the name "Larch".

"Where's Aster?" Fiona asked, "She's usually the first one here."

"Aster went to go get the packages," Laurel said, "So this is Blake." Laurel towered over her and Fiona.

"She's really adorable!" Laurel exclaimed, "How old is she?"

"Twelve"

"Oh, it looks like I'm going have to make her look a little older!" she looked excited at the prospect of giving Blake a makeover. She nodded at Rose who opened a nearby trunk and began digging through its contents.

"Hmm, we need to make Blake look fourteen, but she's still too young for makeup, right?" Fiona nodded in affirmation.

"It looks like we're depending on heels to make her taller. Has she worn them before?" Blake gave Fiona a worried look.

"No," Blake said, "I haven't"

"I guess that means we're using a thicker and lower heel. Maybe some boots would work. Have you found anything, Rose?"

"Yeah," Rose called back, "I've found some stuff. Here, come take a look." She eagerly pulled out a black overall dress, a purple turtleneck, a package of sheer black tights, and low-ankle black boots.

"Dark colors usually makes the wearer look older," Rose explained, "I'd give her navy blue, but those are hard to come by."

"Try on the shoes," Laurel urged, "I want to make sure you can walk around comfortably in them." Blake pulled off her regular shoes and put on the boots. Indeed, she did feel taller, but the heel was stable enough for her to keep her balance.

"She has a cat-like grace to her movements," Laurel gushed, "You'll have to chase off the boys when she's older, Fiona." Fiona laughed and shook her head.

"I'm sure Blake can handle herself at that age. Try on the rest, move out of the room, Larch." Larch got up and pulled his chair out into the hallway without a word.

Rose eagerly handed Blake the clothing and motioned for her to change behind a curtained area.

As she changed clothes, Blake noticed the large contrast from what she usually wore. The new clothes were undeniably feminine compared to her worn shirt and pants. Blake vaguely recalled that they used to belong to Roan's nephew.

Pulling the dress over her head, Blake tried imagine what she looked like. The clothes were surprisingly comfortable, and the dress's double row of bronze buttons glinted in the light.

She stepped out, and Laurel grinned with triumph.

"See? She looks great! Is there anything too loose or too tight?"

"No, It's fine." Just then, the door banged open.

"Sorry I'm late, guys! I had to do a bit of overtime in the mess hall."

"It's fine, did you get the packages, Aster?"

It was a young raccoon faunus with short, wavy brown hair. However, unlike her instructor's long, bushy tail, Aster had a raccoon's dark markings stretching across her eyes and face. It was the first time that Blake had seen a faunus without the usual ears or tail. Hastily, she looked away, but Aster chuckled.

"It's fine. Everyone stares when they first see it. I'm not offended."

Aster set down the large box that she was carrying.

"Okay, everything here is supposed to contain our supplies for the whole thing." Inside were six bags of items; each had a name sewn to each."

"Okay, we leave on the air carrier coming from Vacuo tomorrow morning…"

"Blake, it's time to go." Blake felt Fiona shake her gently.

"One minute," she murmured sleepily as she rose from bed and stumbled to the bathroom. Blake splashed water on her face, brushed her teeth, and braided her long, wavy hair in a messy side braid. She tied her braid with Adam's gold ribbon.

For a moment, she wondered of Adam was on the plane, but that was a passing thought.

She pulled on her new clothes, shrugged on her backpack, and tied her boots, taking a few experimental steps before moving out into hallway and towards the mess hall.

Stomach filled with nerves, Blake sat down and slowly ate a dry piece of toast.

"Here," Laurel sat down handed her a mug of coffee, "It tastes terrible, but it'll keep you awake." Blake took a small sip and made a face.

"There's thirty more minutes to go. The Vacuo carrier will be late due to some fog." Laurel threw her head back and downed her coffee.

"Fiona's in the landing field. I wonder if the Lieutenant will miss her." Blake looked up at Laurel, surprised.

"What?" The wolf faunus looked a little sheepish.

"Oh, I guess you didn't know. Well, there's a rumor going around that the Lieutenant fancies her. Fiona doesn't return them, but she's nice at least."

"Laurel, it's bad to gossip," a voice chided. Aster sat down nearby.

"It's so interesting though," Laurel protested.

"That means nothing," Aster said, "How would you like it if someone said that about you?"

"Sorry, sorry."

"Anyways, you should hurry up. The carrier is arriving earlier than we thought."

Blake finished her breakfast and hurried to the landing fields. Fiona stood by the door while a Grimm masked Lieutenant Pitch stood a small distance away.

The carrier had already landed, and White Fang members were already leaving the plane.

As the last member left, Pitch turned to Fiona.

"It was nice knowing you."

"And you too," Fiona responded with a small smile. By now, the whole group had gathered and were slowly making their way to the plane.

For a second, the sound of her name carried through the air. The voice sounded familiar, and she turned around to look. But, there was nothing but the throng of White Fang members shuffling into the headquarters.

However, just as Blake was about to step on, she thought she saw a flash of red from the corner of her eye and her name being called again. Yet, the girl simply dismissed it as her imagination and moved to her seat.

The aircraft door snapped closed.

Okay, before you guys throw stones at me, they will reunite in the next chapter, don't worry!

Thanks for the favorites and reviews!

-raning-indigo