Chapter 5: Kuo Kuana
It was not often that Violet got to walk around the Kestrel in her casual clothes. Of course, that was because the jumpship was normally out in the uncaring expanse of space that would instantly boil all the water in her body in the worst case scenario of a hull breach. But here on Remnant, she was happy to take the rare opportunity to sit in the pilot's seat without wearing her gear. Not that her armor was particularly uncomfortable, but nothing beat this kind of freedom.
Violet let out a content sigh. "This break was nice while it lasted."
"We don't get a lot of those," Yewan agreed. "But duty calls."
The Hunter adjusted herself in the pilot's seat before putting her hands on the controls. "You strapped in?"
"Ha ha," Yewan said dryly as he rolled his eye.
Violet chuckled as the Kestrel levitated up, pulling in its landing joints before the jumpship's afterburners lit up, blowing waves of sand away. She pulled back the controls and watched her view of the windshield change from the horizon to the blue sky ahead, taking off until they reached a comfortable cruising altitude at thirty-thousand feet in the air.
"Ready to cruise at a measly eight hundred kilometers per hour?" Violet dramatically turned her head to look at her ghost, whose onyx shell shuffled in his equivalent of laughter.
"For twenty hours, don't forget," Yewan drawled, earning a bored groan from his guardian.
"How could I?" She pulled up the digital heads-up display in front of her, viewing the map. She entered the coordinates for the west port of Menagerie and allowed the Kestrel's auto-piloting to do the rest.
"It's odd seeing you outside of your armor in the pilot's seat," Yewan commented.
"I have to enjoy it while I can," she said as she looked down at her clothes. This time she was wearing a plain t-shirt and gym shorts. All in black, of course. Having her entire wardrobe in a single color made it easier for her to mix and match as she pleased. Her free time was scarce as is—the last thing she wanted to do was think about what to wear, much to Yewan's chagrin. He insisted that expanding her wardrobe might be more fun than she thought. When she asked if he would change his shell, he looked at her like she was crazy,
Violet picked up her head to look at her ghost. "Before our meeting with Ghira on Menagerie, tell me more about the Schnees. I want to know exactly what we're stepping into."
Yewan's eye flickered for a few seconds, in what Violet could only assume was him scouring everything there ever was on the Schnees on the public databases. The flickering came to a stop. "Where do you want to start?" he said.
Violet shrugged as she sat back comfortably into the seat, staring out the cockpit at the sky and clouds before them. "From the beginning, I guess. We have time."
"The Schnee Dust Company was founded only two generations ago and it has since risen to be Remnant's largest producer and distributor of Dust." Yewan began. "It was founded by Nicholas Schnee. According to the public databases, he took a gamble and invested all of his inheritance on a Dust mining team. Obviously it worked out, since his expeditions were generally successful and the SDC earned a reputation for being an earnest company and reliable, as Nicholas Schnee frequently joined the operations."
"Hmm. Sounds like a good man," Violet commented.
"Maybe in some ways, but let's not give him too much credit," Yewan contended. "It is common perception that Nicholas Schnee was a poor businessman and many economists seem to agree. We have no way to know for sure because at the time, the SDC was not a publicly traded company, thus there are no public records. However, there are many testimonies that support that under Nicholas Schnee, the company was often in debt. In fact, the SDC is in large part responsible for Vacuo's barren resources. Along with the Mistral Trading Company, Dust mining was so rampant in Vacuo that its waste had a terrible effect on the Vacuan ecosystem and economy."
Violet sighed. "I spoke too soon."
Yewan shifted his shell in a ghost's equivalent of a shrug. "His business decisions often lacked foresight and the consequences are irreversible, but at the very least, his character was spoken highly of. Nicholas Schnee was generally seen as an earnest man who treated everyone fairly."
"So the SDC's mistreatment of their faunus workers did not begin under him then?" Violet guessed.
"Correct," Yewan affirmed. "Nicholas Schnee's daughter, Willow, married Jacques Gelé, who took her last name and became Jacques Schnee. Inexplicably, he was able to convince Nicholas to leave the company to him in his will. When Nicholas passed from his failing health due to his many Dust expeditions, Jacques inherited the SDC and turned it into the successful empire that it is today."
"But…" Violet trailed on, waiting for Yewan to continue.
"But for such exponential growth of any company, there is always a suffering party. In this case, Jacques exploited the company's faunus workers," Yewan said matter-of-factly.
Violet grimaced. She was waiting for that part to come up in the company's history. "Do the kingdoms not have labor laws? You told me earlier this week about the Faunus Rights Revolution."
Yewan let out a sigh—another trait he picked up from his guardian. Ghosts didn't have lungs. "All of the kingdoms have labor laws, and faunus have equal rights to humans. However, laws are meaningless if they're not enforced. The SDC's pockets also run deep. So far they have been able to pay their way out of every legal scandal."
Violet massaged her temples. "Fines are just the cost of doing business for the rich."
"Exactly," Yewan affirmed. "It is more profitable for the Schnee Dust Company to hire faunus workers at lower rates to work in unsafe conditions and pay the fines than it is for them to get regulated equipment and safety measurements."
Violet let out a deep sigh. "No wonder the White Fang has it out for them."
"No kidding," Yewan agreed. "The White Fang have stopped a few Dust mining operations in violent protest. In each one, many SDC supervisors and guards have been harmed and even maimed, but no deaths have been documented yet. However, I think it might just be a matter of time."
Violet raised a brow. "What makes you think that?"
"In response to these attacks, the Schnee Dust Company has only escalated the situation. They have retaliated by increasing production, which means even harsher conditions for their faunus workers. If even going that far hasn't deterred the SDC, then there's only one action left for the White Fang to take, at least in their eyes," Yewan noted.
"Hmm," Violet hummed. "Maybe. Maybe not. Keep monitoring the public databases after our mission at the manor. I'm curious what will happen."
"Sure thing. Don't forget why we're doing this though. This is to fulfill our end of the bargain for the information on the CCT towers," Yewan reminded her.
"I'm well aware, Yewan." She said with a slightly annoyed tone. "But it wouldn't sit right with me if our actions become the cause of even greater discrimination against a people."
"I know, I know." The onyx-shelled ghost eased. "I'm not saying that we can't help. I would be disappointed if my guardian didn't protect people. All I'm saying is that we have to at least get in touch with Ikora before making major waves on this planet."
"Agreed." Violet nodded as she let out a slow breath from her nose. "Alright, what else can you tell me about the Schnees?"
"I'm not so sure how useful the rest of this information is, but I'll share it anyway. It's not like we're starved for time." Yewan shrugged in his ghostly way. "The Schnee family live surprisingly private lives, but that doesn't stop tabloids from trying to cover every little thing that they can. Given that is the source of the following information, I would take it with a grain of salt. Perhaps heaps of salt."
Violet chuckled. "Well, let's hear it."
"Jacques and Willow Schnee are rarely seen in public together. This has led to rumors that they have a failing marriage, but we have no way of knowing how true this is—if at all. They also have three children—Winter, Weiss, and Whitley."
"Try saying that three times as fast," she joked.
Yewan rolled his eye before continuing. "Winter is the eldest child. It is well documented that she is currently attending Atlas Academy—one of the Huntsmen Academies. Atlas Academy also serves as the headquarters of the Atlesian military and even is the governing body of the kingdom."
"Do Atlesian Huntsmen become soldiers for the military?" Violet asked.
"Not always, but many do." Yewan informed her. "This has led some tabloids to report that Winter plans on joining the Atlesian military, since she has consistently scored at the top of her class. If that is true, that would disqualify her as heiress to the Schnee Dust Company."
"Leaving that to the middle child?" Violet guessed.
"Presumably. We have no idea about the inner workings of the SDC." Yewan shrugged. "The middle child is Weiss and the youngest is Whitley. Given that they are children, we know very little about either of them. Unfortunately, that hasn't stopped the tabloids from writing about them anyway. It is speculated that they have poor relationships with the rest of the family because they are hardly seen in public."
"Or maybe they just enjoy having their private lives?" Violet raised a brow.
"That would certainly be the happier option." Yewan floated up and down as if nodding.
Violet sighed as she took manual control of the jumpship again. "From the sounds of it, we might just have a very private family and a patriarch that uses bad business practices."
"That seems to be the case, but most people view the Schnees and the company as a single entity. Many faunus hold resentment towards the whole family, despite Jacques Schnee being largely, if not solely responsible for the company's direction."
"Hmm," Violet hummed.
The sun hung overhead in the clear blue sky when Sienna finally stepped off the ship and into port. As she stood on the dock, she closed her eyes and basked in the sunlight with a deep breath. The tiger-faunus let out a long sigh of relief as she opened her eyes, smiling at the tropical scenery in front of her. "It's good to be back."
She looked at the tropical scenery in front of her, between the beautiful blue water that met the docks and the familiar sounds of the back and forth bargaining at the market. Palm trees swayed lazily as the cool wind breezed past them, as if to show that they were likewise enjoying the weather.
Sienna turned to one of the dock workers. "Excuse me. Have you seen an airship fly in today?"
The dock worker raised a brow, confused. "An airship? I don't even remember the last time an airship flew overhead."
She nodded her head in thanks as the man walked away. "So she's not here yet."
"You sound disappointed." The familiar voice of Tukson sounded from behind her.
She turned her head to look at the approaching puma-faunus and rolled her eyes. "I'm just waiting for the key proponent of this mission. Which means I'm actually still working, unlike everyone else."
"Hey, hey, I'm working." Tukson raised his hands in faux defense. "I have so much reading to catch up on."
Sienna snickered. "Well, don't let me get in the way then. I'll see you later." She watched him wave her goodbye before walking away to enjoy this break. Who knew how long it would last. Past him, she saw a glimpse of red hair moving along the path that would eventually lead to the Belladonna manor.
Looking for the Belladonna girl, I bet. Sienna thought to herself. I never expected that they would get along, considering Taurus's dislike of Ghira. In fact, she hasn't seen him get along with anyone. Within the White Fang, he was certainly respected for his strength, and he at least tried to be courteous to those who shared his ideology, but that was about the extent of the relationships she's seen him form.
My gut tells me he's up to something. He's not the type to casually hang out with anybody. But even if I'm right, I would look like a fool for involving myself between children. Sienna massaged her brow. I'm sure I'm worrying over nothing. Better to leave this to Ghira and Kali.
Amber eyes looked to the clear blue sky, where not even a cloud, much less an airship was in sight. I could call her for an ETA. She shook her head. No. What am I being so impatient for? She'll be here. The tiger-faunus made her way to her home for a much needed bath. She followed the concrete path that eventually turned into clay tiles that were bordered by the tropical plants of the island. Her home was out of the way to get to, but she preferred it that way. The last thing she needed was nosy neighbors during her time off.
Finally she found herself standing in front of her humble bungalow—a single-story building with a boat shaped straw rooftop. It didn't look particularly remarkable. Far from the comparatively grand Belladonna manor. It was the place she called home and at first she thought that was enough for her. The tiger-faunus pulled out a key from her pocket and unlocked the front door, gently swinging it open as she looked around inside from the doorway.
Is this the place I belong? She thought of her conversation with Tukson.
Sienna looked at the polished floorboards and all the scuffed lacquered wooden furniture that she had bought from various people in Menagerie. She didn't have anything that decorated the walls. The dining room table was relatively small and came with two chairs as she had bought it as a set. One for herself, and another for a guest she never had. The tiger-faunus waited patiently for a new feeling—for a sense of belonging. But none came. Instead she felt unsettled. It was the place she was supposed to call home, but she was hardly ever here. Everything in it was collected haphazardly with no rhyme or reason. She was just trying to make it livable as quickly as possible so she could have a place to stay between missions.
Sienna closed and locked the door behind her, walking about the bungalow and parting the curtains from the windows to allow natural light in. That was when she realized how dusty it was in here. I'll deal with it later, she thought. The tiger-faunus made her way to the bathroom, where she began to prepare a bath for herself.
Once it was ready, she stripped down and eased herself into the water, letting out a sigh of relief as the hot and soapy water encompassed her body. She leaned her head back, resting it against the tiles behind her, focusing her eyes on the shower-head above her.
She knew what she was fighting for. Why she couldn't afford to just stay at home and live comfortably. But if somehow the White Fang were able to truly accomplish their goals, what then? It wasn't something she had given much thought before. Would she finally feel a sense of belonging if her work was finally over? Was that enough?
What do I want? She wondered.
Adam stood in a clearing away from the town, leaning against a tree at the edge of the untamed tropical forest behind him. He focused on keeping a steady breath as he looked down at the grass with his arms crossed against his chest. He always felt restless whenever he wasn't actively participating in a mission, but this frustrated him to no end. To think that he was being forced on standby because they were waiting for an outsider. Not to mention that they still had no idea if this Violet Wei was even a faunus.
As he heard footsteps approaching, Adam picked up his head to see the young Belladonna. She was wearing a simple lavender colored top and black pants. The cat-faunus smiled at him, but it quickly disappeared when he offered none in return.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"You're late, Blake," he said curtly.
She held her hands behind her back, shifting awkwardly. "I had to ask my parents if I could go out."
Adam sighed as he stood up straight off the tree behind him. "If you want to get stronger, then you can't skip out on training."
"I'm here, aren't I?" Blake huffed.
The bull-faunus shook his head, disappointed. "What do you plan to do if your parents don't let you go out?"
Blake didn't answer, but she shifted around uncomfortably as she averted her eyes from the older teen.
"This is exactly what I'm talking about." Adam said, sounding almost accusatory. "If you're serious about joining the missions, you have to train properly so you can get stronger. If that means disobeying your parents, so be it."
"I-I know, but…" she trailed off.
"And you already know that your father's methods of running the White Fang aren't working anymore, right?" Adam reminded her.
Blake nodded.
"Then what's the issue?" Adam said plainly.
Blake didn't know what to say. "I'm sorry." She uttered.
"Don't be sorry. Be better. Now, let's see how your hand-to-hand is."
The two sparred for the next thirty minutes. It wasn't anything serious, as Adam knew she wasn't ready for anything real just yet. At the moment, they were focusing on building up her stamina and aura usage. They have been training together for only a year, and she's already made tremendous progress for her age. Prior to this training, she was completely inexperienced in combat. To improve so much in such a short amount of time was a testament to her talent.
Her talent is completely wasted under Ghira, Adam thought to himself.
At the end of their sparring session, he offered her a cool bottle of water. It wouldn't do either of them any good if she were dehydrated. She accepted the bottle with a nod, but looked up at him curiously. "Is something wrong today?"
He frowned underneath the mask. "What do you mean?"
"I don't know…" She began hesitantly. "You seem…tired?"
Adam carefully studied the young girl, who only seemed more confused by his silence. She's getting more perceptive, he noted.
"You're getting better," he commented, which earned a reddened face from the girl as she sheepishly smiled. "Something has been on my mind…" he trailed off as he looked at her up and down. "It would be good for you to know. If anything, so you at least don't follow their example."
Blake tilted her head up at the older teen with a curious expression.
"Sienna Khan seems to be having doubts about our new way forward." Adam shook his head. "I thought that we were seeing eye to eye, but it looks like she's been having second thoughts lately."
"I thought you said she was the best person to be the White Fang's new leader." the young cat-faunus said carefully.
"I did." Adam nodded before tsking. "But apparently some stranger has been putting new ideas in her head. And if all it takes is some outsider to say some pretty words in a matter of days to change her mind, then she has no hope of being a leader."
Blake averted her eyes again, something that was not lost on the bull-faunus. "What?" he said.
"That…why would Sienna change her mind because of a stranger? That doesn't sound like her…" Blake wondered.
"If this person didn't change her mind but it turned out that Sienna has been having these doubts all along…I don't know what's worse," Adam scoffed.
"Have you met them?" she asked.
"I have." Adam nodded. "Her name is Violet Wei. We're supposed to be seeing her here on Menagerie soon."
"If she's been invited here, she can't be that bad, right?" Blake asked, but then flinched under the older boy's gaze.
"She has been invited here by your father and Sienna. Two individuals who clearly don't have what it takes to lead the White Fang," he said harshly. "Not to mention that we don't even know for certain whether she is a faunus or not."
Blake's face twisted in a confused expression. "What do you mean?"
"She still hasn't shown her face and is completely covered up by armor. I suspect that she may be a spy…" Adam trailed off in thought. "But even if she's not, her influence on the person who's supposed to become our new leader is not something we can ignore. I would rather nip this in the bud before it becomes a greater problem."
"Nip this in the bud? What do you plan on doing?" Blake asked.
"Me? Nothing," he said cryptically with a smirk. "If you see a woman dressed entirely in black, don't approach her. I don't need her filling your head with ideas either. Now put those hands up. Let's get back to training."
"We're here," Yewan said, waking his guardian up from her nap.
Dark eyes fluttered open , looking at the onyx shelled ghost floating in front of her face.
"What time is it?" she asked tiredly, her voice hoarse with sleep.
"It's about midday here in Menagerie," Yewan informed as he floated out of the way for Violet to take manual control of the Kestrel.
"Hmm," Violet hummed as she stretched in her seat before putting her hands on the controls, bringing the jumpship to a slow cruise as she leaned the ship to one side to circle around the island. "I can't believe they tried to sequester an entire people to this island," she mumbled.
"Fortunately they were able to win the war. With a history like that, it's no wonder the White Fang have steadily become more violent as of late. If peaceful protest isn't working, then what's left but tried and true methods?" Yewan wondered aloud.
"Yeah," she sighed. "But I'm not trying to get involved more than I have to in this matter, and certainly not with a war. We're fighting our own as is."
"Hopefully not. But conflicts have a habit of drawing in all sorts of unsuspecting parties," Yewan commented. "Besides, I wouldn't say that you have good luck."
Violet rolled her eyes. "We've been over this. It's not about luck. Being a Hidden doesn't exactly afford me to stay out of harm's way."
"There's danger. And then there's bad luck. You get both." Yewan nodded dramatically. Violet still debated him on his superstitions after all this time.
"Whatever you say," she drawled as she looked at the island below. "I don't see many traditional landing zones. I guess they don't get airships often."
"I think that open space near the port is supposed to be a landing zone," Yewan noted. "It's too high for any ship to dock and there doesn't appear to be any cargo in the area."
Violet shrugged. "Good enough," she sighed. "They should really mark these."
The Hunter descended the Kestrel onto what they hoped was supposed to be a landing zone, listening to the engine quiet down as they found purchase. She looked out the cockpit, seeing a few curious figures approaching the jumpship. "Yewan," Violet said expectantly as she stood up.
"Got it," the ghost affirmed as he routinely transmatted her armor back on his guardian.
Violet watched as after a faint shimmer of light, she was now seeing through a visor. "Thank you," she said as she approached the armory once more. She pressed a button next to the gate, before the metal grate slid up to allow access. Without much more thought, she pulled out Whisper and holstered it at her side.
"That's all you're bringing?" Yewan asked as he watched his guardian press the button again, bringing the grate back down.
"I don't imagine that it would bode very well for peace if I came to this meeting fully armed," Violet said as she turned to her ghost. "Besides, I think I will manage just fine if things take a turn for the worse."
The Hunter walked to the exit, watching the blast doors open before her with a hiss as the cabin depressurized. As the ramp stretched to the ground below, Violet scanned the scene in front of her. A few people who appeared to be fishermen and dock workers came up to see who their visitor was. No one at the moment appeared to be adorned in White Fang garb. They mostly seemed confused rather than threatened. And as expected, every single person was faunus. Violet offered a polite nod before walking forward, the ramp sliding back and the Kestrel resealing itself once she was fully outside.
One of the dock workers approached. "Hey…where you comin' in from, stranger?"
"Hello, I'm Violet Wei. I have a meeting with Ghira and Sienna. They should be expecting me." She informed the man. Times like this, she found it was often better to be polite.
"Ah," the dock worker sounded as he nodded his head. "Yeah, one of the boys did mention that someone was talking about airships. We thought it was weird. Guess they were talking about you. Speaking of, that yours?" he said as he pointed at the ship behind her.
She nodded.
The man whistled. "You must be rich."
Violet shrugged. "Not really." In terms of glimmer, she was actually quite well off. Ikora paid her very well as she was "her best agent," but that glimmer didn't mean much when she wasn't in the City enough to spend it. Most of the time, she was using the glimmer to upgrade or buy new equipment, but all of that glimmer would do her no good here. In terms of lien, she was destitute.
"Uh huh," the man vocalized, clearly not believing her. "Well I don't personally know who Sienna is, but just about everybody knows the Belladonnas. Further in town you'll find these wood criss cross fences around their manor. Biggest building around—can't miss it," he said as he pointed a thumb over his shoulder.
"Appreciate it." Violet nodded gratefully before walking off. She passed through the port and into the town, where she was greeted by a number of humble store fronts and fruit stands. Everyone she walked by spared her an odd glance, but no one seemed particularly surprised.
If the White Fang had been openly walking around here, then I suppose one more odd ball wouldn't be out of the question, Violet noted. As she continued to meander around, it wasn't long before she laid her eyes on easily the largest building in the entire town. He was right. Can't miss it.
The Hunter sat at a nearby bench, pulling up the new scroll function on her HUD, calling the only number she had saved. After a few rings, she heard a familiar and tired voice from the other end. "Violet?"
"Did I wake you?" She leaned back on the bench with her elbow propped up behind her.
"Mmm," Sienna grumbled on the other line. "Just a nap. Did you make it yet?"
"Yeah. I'm waiting for you in town, near the Belladonna manor. Sitting on a bench right now."
"Okay." She heard some rustling from the other end and a yawn. "I'll be there in twenty minutes."
"Lucky for you, this is a comfy bench," Violet said dryly. "See you soon." She hung up before taking a look at her surroundings. Menagerie was quite beautiful. She always wondered what a vacation for her would look like. She imagined tropics and beautiful sights not quite unlike this with a drink in hand. Too bad safe tropical locations were few and far between on Earth, and she can forget about finding anything remotely like them anywhere else in the solar system. Odder still were all the eyes on her as the locals passed by. Her discomfort grew with each passing moment, as her stark black attire stuck out like a sore thumb in their vibrant surroundings. She wasn't used to so many people seeing her out in the open. The Hunter hadn't even sat on a public bench in the Last City.
Violet heard a set of footsteps approach her instead of pass by, breaking her from her thoughts. She looked up, expecting to see Sienna, but instead she was greeted by a new figure. She stood much shorter than the tiger-faunus by about half a foot, and also had black cat ears instead that had gold piercings in each. Her attire consisted of a white sleeveless top and a black skirt. It could almost be considered modest if it weren't for the gold silk trim. The woman offered a kind smile. It was rare for Violet to see someone smile at her so warmly. It even reached her eyes. "Hello. By any chance are you Violet Wei?"
The Hunter nodded. "I am. Do you know me?" she said evenly.
The cat-faunus shook her head, though the smile didn't disappear. "No, I just heard about you from my husband. I'm Kali Belladonna." The woman stretched a hand out.
Violet stood up, shaking her hand. It was firmer than her appearance would let on. "Nice to meet you, Missus Belladonna. Name's Violet Wei, but you already knew that."
The shorter woman laughed, holding a hand over her mouth as she did so. "Missus Belladonna? Please, just call me Kali. May I refer to you as Violet?"
The Hunter nodded.
"I saw you sitting here on my way back from the market." Kali lifted the woven basket in her other hand. "Have you been waiting here long? You could have just knocked on our door. I'm sure Ghira would have let you in."
Violet shook her head. "No, I haven't been waiting long. I just flew in about twenty minutes ago and was on this bench for even less. Besides, I didn't think it would be appropriate for me to come without the one who set up this meeting."
"You must be talking about Sienna." Kali nodded. "She'll catch up. Why don't you come in for tea?"
"I don't mean to be rude, but I am here on business," Violet said evenly. "It is a very kind offer though."
"What's the rush? You just got here." Kali waved her hand as if to shoo away Violet's comment. "At the very least come in for tea until Sienna gets here. The business can wait until then, right?" She took a few steps back with a mischievous smile. "I'm not taking no for an answer." She turned around and walked towards her home.
Violet sighed in defeat and followed, seeing no point in arguing something so fruitless. The estate was certainly not humble, especially compared to most of the other homes in the area. On the path to the manor alone was solid paved concrete with oil street lamps running parallel along each side. Along the paved path were benches, despite being a private estate—an indication that they had guests often enough to warrant them. And then of course was the manor itself. It was quite large with a concrete foundation, and wide stairs that led to double doors. She noted how walking up to the estate, everything from the path to the home itself was perfectly symmetrical. The only similarity it seemed to have with the other buildings in Menagerie was the boat shaped roof, though it was made up of clay tiles rather than straw. Kali led her to the double doors, where she opened one of the doors and gestured for Violet to go inside.
Do they not have a culture of locking doors? Violet thought to herself as she observed the double doors. It had no internal locks to speak of and not even so much as a deadbolt. "Thank you for having me." Violet nodded gratefully as she walked past.
"Of course!" Kali said cheerfully as she closed the door behind her. "Allow me to show you the way."
Violet followed the cat-faunus through their large home. The Hunter took note of her surroundings as she walked through the manor's halls. The most curious room they passed by was something she could only describe as a council room of some sort. I guess that's where the White Fang have important meetings, she thought. She was only able to see it for a few seconds, but it was outlandishly large for a simple family home. It was obvious that it was so much more.
Kali slid open a partition door at the end of the hall, revealing a circular room with a low-sitting square table in the center. On each side of the table was a cushioned mat to sit on, the blue stitching of which stood out in contrast to the marbled floor. The most striking features of the room were the jade pillars that supported the tall room and the skylight in the ceiling that allowed sunlight to perfectly shine upon the table. "Please, have a seat." She gestured for Violet to enter.
Violet nodded and walked in, taking in the room. The high ceiling helped make the space feel much larger than what was practically available. After sitting down on one of the cushions, the room actually felt more barren, as she looked at the lack of any other furniture or decorations, save for the hanging plants that complemented the pillars.
"Do you have any preferences for tea?" Kali asked, still standing by the doorway.
"Actually, I don't think I'll have any," the Hunter said evenly.
"Oolong it is," she said, seemingly entirely ignoring any and all protests. Her ears flicked for a moment before she called out into the hallway. "Blake is that you? Perfect timing. Can you keep our guest company while I brew a pot?"
After a few moments, Violet watched a young cat-faunus quietly walk into frame. She looked up at her mother who smiled kindly in return and ruffled her head before walking away. The young girl stared at Violet with a quiet look of recognition. "Hi, Blake. Is it okay if I call you that?"
The girl nodded hesitantly. Violet hoped it was just pre-teen awkwardness and that she didn't somehow already have a bad reputation on the island.
"My name is Violet Wei. I don't know if your parents told you I was visiting. Sorry to intrude." The Hunter nodded politely.
Blake looked behind her at the empty hallway before looking back, seemingly taking careful steps forward until she sat down on the mat across from her. A silence fell between them, something that Violet was perfectly comfortable with, but made the child squirm. She seemed to be deep in thought before finally resolving herself to say something.
"Do you know my parents?"
The Hunter shook her head. "Not personally. This is our first time meeting."
"Then…what are you doing here?" the girl asked probingly.
Violet raised a brow curiously. She knew children tended to be brazen, but something about the young cat-faunus's tone told her the question was quite purposeful. "Just some business. It's not that interesting—I don't want to bore you." The Hunter shrugged.
"Is…this about the White Fang?" Blake asked carefully.
Her father is the High Leader of the White Fang, so there's no way she wouldn't know about them. But judging by her hesitation, she's probably left out of their missions. I remember Sienna saying that after having a child, Ghira has since grown even more averse towards violent means of protest, Violet thought to herself. "Yes," she said plainly.
Blake stared into the visor, but when she realized that the woman in black had no intention of saying any more, she huffed. "Why does everyone just treat me like a dumb kid? I see the same things that everyone else does. I can do things about it, too."
Blake observed the woman across from her. She expected the woman in black to reproach her or outright ignore her like so many others did. Everyone except Adam. Violet sat perfectly still with her posture upright, until finally Blake noticed a small rise and fall in her shoulders as if sighing. "You're not a dumb kid," the Hunter said evenly. "Clearly you know much more than people apparently give you credit for."
The young cat-faunus was surprised. It wasn't much, but no one else other than Adam gave her the time of day.
"But," Violet continued. "Children shouldn't have to be getting involved in these sorts of matters. Childhoods should be spent making good memories," she said thoughtfully. "I don't think it's wrong for your parents to want that for you."
"I…" Blake trailed off, looking down at the table in thought before looking back up, a little less confident than before. "But I want to do something. I'm faunus, too."
"Then do something about it," Violet said matter-of-factly. "If it matters that much to you, then little things like people telling you not to shouldn't stop you, right?"
She sounds a little like Adam, Blake thought.
"I'm probably not the one who's supposed to be telling you this," Violet sighed. "Just remember that whatever you do, do it because that's what you want and for no other reason. If someone tells you to do something and your gut is telling you it's wrong, listen to your gut."
When's the last time I did something because I wanted to? I'm a Hidden because I'm good at it. I take these missions because I have to. But that's not the same as wanting something. What do I want?
"O-okay," Blake said simply, seemingly not knowing what else to say. The conversation didn't go the way she expected. "That makes sense."
Violet nodded. A silence fell between them again. Violet was comfortable. Blake was not. A few more moments passed before Blake gave in again. "So…why are you wearing a helmet?"
"Blake, is that any way to talk to a guest?" Kali's voice came from behind her.
The girl jumped and looked behind her to see her mother smiling with a pot of tea in one hand and a stack of teacups in the other. She turned around, staring at Violet as if she was betrayed. The Hunter merely shrugged.
Kali set the teapot in the middle of the table and placed a cup at each side. She sat down on one of the mats, beginning to pour tea for each of them, except for the empty side. "I hope my daughter wasn't bothering you too much," she teased.
"Mom!" Blake said, exasperated.
Violet couldn't help but chuckle at being part of such a domestic scene. "Not a bother at all."
Kali smiled and picked up her teacup in both hands before taking a slow sip of the hot drink. Her eyes met Violet's visor expectantly.
Violet looked down at the filled cup in front of her and then back at Kali. "Sorry. I would prefer not to take off my helmet."
"Oh, that's alright." Kali waved a hand. "I poured you a cup because I wanted to. What kind of host would I be if I didn't prepare tea for my guests?"
Violet nodded gratefully.
"I hope it's not too rude to ask, but what is the reason for the helmet?" Kali asked between sips.
Violet paused for a moment. "I…was shot in the face." It wasn't entirely a lie. She has been before.
"Oh…I'm so sorry."
The Hunter shrugged. "It healed up well enough." Also not entirely a lie. She was perfectly fine. "But I keep a helmet on now. Call me paranoid."
"No, of course n—"
Before Kali could finish her thought, Violet raised her hand. She was getting a call. The Hunter allowed her voice to pass through the suit, so it wouldn't seem like she was sitting there in complete silence in front of them. "Sienna?"
"Where are you?" The tiger-faunus's voice came from the other line. "I'm near the Belladonnas, but I don't see you anywhere."
"I'm already inside. Kali happened to pass by and let me in."
"Already on a first name basis? Good for you." Sienna snickered. "If you're with them already, let them know I'm walking up." She hung up.
"Sienna should be at the door in a few moments." Violet informed the others.
"Blake, could you let her in, please?" Kali asked her daughter.
The girl nodded and got up, making her way to the front door.
"So, are you a huntress?" Kali asked curiously.
Violet shook her head. "Not exactly."
"A mercenary then?" When Violet didn't answer, she smiled sympathetically. "You don't have to say if you don't want to, but you do know that we're the White Fang. We're considered criminals by the kingdoms. We might be in the same boat."
"I'm just Violet Wei," she said evenly.
"Oh is that all you are?" A familiar voice called from down the hall. The two at the table looked to the source to find a confident Sienna Khan walking down with a young cat-faunus next to her, who did not share in her confidence. As Blake returned to her seat, the tiger-faunus took to the remaining open side. "I'm assuming our humble hero hasn't told you about any of her exploits last week."
"It's good to see you too, Sienna," Kali chuckled. "Now, what was this about heroics?" Blake seemed to perk up in interest, too.
"Violet here is a bit of a vigilante." Sienna pointed a thumb at the woman in black next to her as Kali began to pour Sienna a cup of tea. "Single-handedly took on that Dust mine in Vacuo. Even gave us all the Dust. And before you ask, no one died."
"Oh?" Kali looked at Violet with a curious expression.
"And then she helped save our camp from Grimm that same night." Sienna looked at Violet next to her, wondering what kind of expression she was making underneath that helmet. "I ended up getting separated from the others during that skirmish, so she took me across the desert to catch up with them. But not before saving a town." She smirked.
"I didn't save a town." Violet unconsciously picked up the teacup in front of her with no way of drinking it without removing her helmet.
"You should've seen it, Kali. It was like an old western." She mimed drawing a finger gun from her waist before laughing.
"You really did all that?" Blake asked with wonder in her voice.
"It wasn't so dramatic." Violet shook her head as she placed the cup back down.
"Please." Sienna rolled her eyes. The tiger-faunus looked at the young girl with a smirk. "The mysterious stranger rolled into town, looking for her steed. She couldn't bear to see the injustice and took care of the bad guys all by herself."
"It wasn't all by myself. You were there, too. As I recall, you said that I couldn't have all the fun," Violet reminded her.
"What did you save the town from?" Blake asked curiously.
"Ah," Sienna scratched the back of her head awkwardly. "A faunus gang. They were terrorizing the humans there, killing anyone that didn't pay them."
"You helped the humans there?" Kali asked, surprised.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sienna frowned.
Kali raised up her hands, smiling politely. "I didn't mean anything by it.
Sienna held the glare for a few seconds before deflating with a sigh. "Don't read into it. Vacuo is not where we need to increase our efforts."
Violet observed the three of them. While Sienna and Kali talked, Blake sat silently, contemplating something. She didn't know many children to philosophize. "Excuse me," she said, bringing their attention to her. ""May I meet with Ghira now? I believe there are things we must discuss."
"Right, of course." Kali smiled apologetically. "My husband is probably in his study. I'll take you both to him. Blake, do you mind taking the tea set to the kitchen?"
The four of them stood up, with Kali taking the lead. Violet stopped next to Blake as she began picking up the teapot. "It was nice meeting you, Blake."
The young cat-faunus looked up at the Hunter and offered a sheepish smile before returning her attention to the tea set.
Violet and Sienna followed Kali, this time being led upstairs until they were met by a solid wooden door. Kali knocked on it a few times before raising her voice to be heard through the door. "Ghira, honey. Sienna and Violet are here to see you."
"Come in!" A booming voice came from the other side.
Kali opened the door for them, gesturing for the two to walk inside. She looked at her husband sitting at his desk across the room and gave him a loving wave before closing the door. The man behind the desk stood to his full height, standing taller than even Violet by a few inches. He wore beige pants and a royal purple robe with white fur trim, leaving it open for his bare chest which had a large patch of black fur. "Violet Wei, is it? Welcome!" he greeted her heartily.
Violet looked around the room. It seemed that the Belladonnas had an obsession with symmetry. Almost completely covering the walls were rows and rows of bookshelves. They were nearly filled to the brim, and a quick glance showed all sorts of titles on morality and ethics. In the middle of the room was a rectangular coffee table, with a sofa on each side save for the one facing Violet at the door. On the other end of the room was Ghira's desk that was elevated on a marble platform, and on either side of the desk was a potted plant. On the wall behind it was a large painting of Kuo Kuana.
"You know I'm here too, right?" Sienna raised a single hand with her other resting on her hip.
The puma-faunus laughed as he approached, clapping Sienna on the shoulder. "It's good to see you too, Sienna. Please, introduce me to your friend." The man's grin seemed to stretch for miles. He turned to sit on one of the couches.
"Oh, we're not…" she trailed off as she looked at Violet, who stood silently looking back at her. "She's…we're just acquaintances." Sienna walked over to one of the loveseats and sat down. Violet sat across from her.
"Is that right?" Ghira asked curiously, his wide grin turning into a mischievous smile. "I didn't know our great Sienna Khan to bring a mere acquaintance home."
"Ghira." The tiger-faunus stared daggers at the large man.
If looks could kill, he would be dead twice over, but the man seemed to pay no mind. Instead the large puma-faunus laughed more. "I only kid." He looked over at the woman in black, who had been sitting in silence. "Ah, where are my manners? Violet Wei, right? It is so nice to meet you. I'm Ghira Belladonna. I sort of lead this whole White Fang operation, but it's been getting bigger than I alone can manage. I owe a lot to my wife and Sienna for picking up after me." He stretched an arm across the coffee table.
Violet grasped his palm in her own, shaking it. "From what I can tell, you have very capable people helping you." She turned her head to look at Sienna, who confidently smirked in return. The Hunter looked back at Ghira, leaning back in her seat.
"That is very true," he chuckled, turning his attention to Sienna. "You tell me you're just acquaintances, but I know you wouldn't ask just anyone to come back to Kuo Kuana, especially for an operation so important. How can I be sure we can trust her to do this?"
"Because I trust her," Sienna said plainly, looking at Ghira with unblinking Amber eyes.
He met her gaze, squinting as if deciphering the tiger-faunus before smiling. He turned to Violet. "Okay, so tell me about what it is that you need from us."
Violet frowned. "That's it?"
"Sienna is not quick to trust anybody. If she trusts you, then that means you've left quite the impression." Ghira nodded.
"No need to read into it that much, Ghira," Sienna sighed.
Violet chuckled. "Thanks for trusting me, Sienna."
"Hey, don't thank me yet. This is an exchange, remember? We still have a job for you." Sienna brushed the comment aside.
The Hunter nodded. "Sienna tells me that you have information on the CCT towers. Security, patrols, guard shifts—whatever you have on them, I need."
"Hmm," Ghira stroked his beard in thought. "It has taken us a very long time to collect that information. We wanted that in the back pocket in the event we needed to broadcast a message to all the kingdoms. It hasn't escalated that far yet." The large puma-faunus trailed off in thought. "For the mission you're about to embark on, I'm not sure if this is a fair trade."
Violet frowned, glancing between Sienna and Ghira. "Why not?"
"The mission is important, yes. If you leave our message and demands right in the Schnee home without hurting anybody, we send a powerful message to the SDC. However, if you use the information we give you to stage an attack against the CCT towers, that would render communications for the whole world useless." He quickly raised a hand. "Not that I think you would go so far. After all, Sienna trusts you and your methods for the mission as is. That being said, even if you plan on infiltrating them stealthily—for reasons I still don't know, mind you—on the chance that you get caught, all of our information becomes useless. They'll improve their security, change their guard shifts—everything changes."
"Surely not everything would change," Violet argued. "There are multiple CCT towers and I know that the kingdoms are not strictly working together. Any communications between them are largely regarding Grimm. They would never discuss how to govern or manage their own securities with each other, especially considering their histories. Let's say I am caught—which would never happen—then that renders a single CCT tower's information useless to the White Fang. You would still be able to access the others in the event you need to broadcast a message."
"And which one do you plan to go to?" Ghira asked, leaning forward with interest.
"Atlas Tower. I don't imagine the White Fang have any intention of broadcasting any message from there. It is logistically nonsensical in every sense. This sounds like more than a fair trade to me."
Sienna raised a brow. "Why Atlas Tower? It has the highest security measures of all."
"I intend on going immediately after my infiltration of the Schnee manor. Since I will already be in Atlas, it is the most convenient for me and surely for the White Fang as well."
"Hmm." Ghira nodded as his mouth stretched into an impressed smile. "Very well. We will provide you with our data on Atlas Tower. Now then," he turned to Sienna. "You gave me the brief already, but let's hear the full details of this mission."
Sienna looked between Violet and Ghira with a pleased smile. "Violet, how capable are you in stealth missions?"
"I'm infiltrating Atlas Tower, aren't I?" the Hunter answered with her own question.
"So, more than confident." Sienna looked at Ghira. "She's good. I traveled with her for two days and the entire time, I couldn't even hear her footsteps." She looked back at Violet. "If you're that quiet without even trying, I can only imagine what you're like when you do."
Violet cracked half a smile, though her helmet didn't allow anyone to notice.
"And as proven by our jaunt across Vacuo, completely self-sufficient," Sienna continued. "Not to mention well equipped. Violet has all the necessary skills and gear to make this happen. How many other people do we know have their own airship? That's already zero, and that's before factoring in having the right skillset."
Ghira chuckled. "You've sung her praises plenty already, Sienna. I'm convinced that she's the right person for the job."
Sienna nodded and turned to the woman in black. "Violet, you will infiltrate the Schnee manor. Jacques Schnee has a habit of somewhat regularly having galas and fortunately for us, our sources in Atlas tell us that it seems like they'll be having another in two days' time. The purchases and shipments matched patterns in the past." The tiger-faunus smirked. "Big party. Lots of noise. Drunk guests. Perfect conditions for you to sneak by and leave this in his bedroom."
Sienna slid a folded piece of paper across the coffee table. Violet stopped it before it could fall to the floor. The Hunter picked it up and unfolded the paper, reading its contents.
"Jacques Schnee. You and your company have exploited the labor of faunus workers by knowingly placing them in unsafe working conditions and mistreatment by human supervisors. We demand reparations. Not only will you cease this exploitation by fairly paying faunus and abiding by the mining codes of the kingdoms, but you will also afford equitable treatment to faunus workers. You will codify and enforce faunus rights within the company. Failure to do so will result in the destruction of more SDC Dust mines. Do not make us escalate further. White Fang." Violet read.
Ghira nodded, satisfied. "Weren't you the one telling me that peaceful methods weren't working anymore?"
Sienna tsked. "Don't get full of yourself, Ghira. This only works because it can be delivered straight to the man at the top. And that's only possible because of Violet."
The Hunter folded the piece of paper, slipping it into a pocket.
"Leave the paper somewhere easily seen. If possible, make it theatrical," Sienna snickered. "We need him to think that the White Fang could do what they please within his own home."
"Not that this would happen, but what do you want me to do if I get caught?" Violet asked.
"Do not kill them. That would only make matters worse for us," Ghira cautioned.
Sienna rolled her eyes. "I will defer to our High Leader in that regard. Do what you need to do to escape, but make sure no one dies. Having seen your skills, I don't think that will be an issue. Also, burn the letter." The tiger-faunus shrugged.
Violet stood up, signaling an end to the meeting. "Easy enough."