The day's assignment is collecting a sweet-smelling sap for Ms. Peach. Our Herbology teacher. She teaches basic aid and alchemy for medicine and poisons. The sap is apparently strong in healing properties, but is all kinds of dangerous to find.
For some strange reason, Jaune goes off with Cardin, but I think nothing of it. He must have made up with the guy and wanted to try to be friends. Not what I would do, but I am a lunatic, so there is much I wouldn't do. As long as Cardin sticks to the rules.
The gang and I are slowly, ever so slowly gathering the sap. Nora is impeding progress by drinking the stuff, but you just can't stay mad at the girl. It's like trying to yell at a cute little puppy that just wants to have fun. Only a true jackass would do it.
We are just about done when a loud Ursa roar swept across the forest. Wow... That thing sounds PISSED! CRDL team came running past us yelling about an Ursa that is attacking Cardin. Cowards, leaving their leader behind. Ruby tells Yang and Blake to go get a teacher.
"Hold up! I got this, go back up Jaune and Muscles!" I pop away and land in front of our return point. Miss Goodwitch is sitting in a chair, reading a book. "Miss Goodwitch."
She puts down her book and looks up. "There seems to be a problem with an Ursa. I came to tell you and maybe enlist your help." She nods and beacons me to lead on. I grab her arm and teleport back to the stop I left. I was about to lead he, but before I could, she is on her knees vomiting up her breakfast.
"Sorry about that. I've done it so many times that I don't notice the discomfort." She nods and get back up. I lead her over to where the commission was coming from, just in time to see Jaune cut the head off a monster of an Ursa. "Sorry to take your time Madam, it would seem that bringing you here was unneeded."
"No matter Mr. Black." She walks off to go back to her seat a ways back to continue reading. I go back to our site while to others were celebrating, only to find that a pack of beowolves were sniffing at our jars. Oh hell no! "Wo! Back away from the sap!" I draw my poisoned sword and hold it in a loose stance. Not threatening, but ready.
They growl at me, but when I give a growl they flinch back a little. It just felt right to do. I flex a little of my aura and start focusing it to my legs. What looks like the alpha gave a roar and charged at me. The rest followed the leader and came at me.
I took a step and gave an uppercut swing, vertically slicing the alpha's head in half. I continue the swing to the side and catch a pouncing wolf's leg. Cutting it clean off. The poison rages through its body and is dead in seconds.
I give one a jab, barely nicking its flank, but close enough to the heart for the poison to take. The time it took for me to kill the three, I am surrounded by ten. I give one a bludgeoning curse to the face as I direct a cutting charm through my sword and out the tip.
This seems to be the signal to attack and I give a swipe as one passes while putting up a shield to my side to have two others slam into it. I bring the sword down in an arch to absently decapitate the two. I return to my relaxed stance, but keep stalking around the circle they gave me. Keeping the pack in my sight.
On another unspoken signal, we both lunge and start the battle anew, me hacking and slashing with the goblin made weapon and they trying to take a bite out of my arms and legs. I give a sweeping arrow charm and three more get impaled by the wooden arrowheads.
Seeing the battle as a lost cause, the remaining three retreat to survive another day. Something in me is screaming, "These lowborn dare assault me! They dare disrespect me and just leave!" Unknown to me, I start growling and hunch over with my fingers in a claw like shape.
I drop the bloody sword and take off after the cowards. I easily catch up and tackle their leading wolf. Spearing my hand into the creature's eye from on top of it, I pull up and the bone face ripped off, killing the soulless creature. I give the others a feral growl as I pounce. I hammer strike one to the ground with an aura fueled hit, popping the head like a watermelon. The next has just enough time to give a whimper before I am on it. Beating its head to the dirt before I deliver a curb stomp to the base of its spine. Snapping the bones and killing the pathetic creature. Satisfied with a job well done, I head back to the sight to get my sword and meet up with the gang.
I arrive to see them poking the dead beowolves and Yang holding my blade, looking worried. I apperate beside Blake, who doesn't have her blades out and shout, "BOO!" Screaming the shit out of the group. I begin to laugh, but cut off before I could get going by Blake elbowing me in the gut and I open my eyes in time to see a knee coming towards my face. Well, this is going to hurt.
It did. I find I was standing... well hunched one second and then in a tree a few inches deep another with a blinding headache and a broken nose. "OW!" I whine as my nose fixes itself. "Great way to take a joke guys, damn," I say as I slowly extract myself from the tree. My back!
"Oh dust! Sirius! You scared me!" Blake cried as she helped get me out of the tree. I just chuckle a little as she pulls me out. I meant it to, just not to get thrown into a tree.
"Yeah, I can tell." Straightening my sore back, I hear a slight whimper. Looking over, I see the beowolf I nicked. Resilient bugger. I stalk over under the watch of my friends. Crouching down, I roll the injured creature over. The others couldn't hear the whimper, it is too low for human ears, even trained to the extent of a hunter.
The Beowolf opens its red eyes and looks at me with fear and insanity. Caressing its head with my left hand, I block my other arm from its sight with my body, straightening it to a spear shape. I see it realizes what I'm about to do, but doesn't fight, just leans into my hand, seeking some comfort for what is about to happen. Keeping still in the eyes of the dying creature, I raise my arm to impale the head from bottom to top. In one swift motion, I take the hand caressing its head and cover the eyes as I spear my arm toward, doing as planned. A somber silence falls on the area.
Getting to my feet, I lick my hand clean as I go to Yang to get my blade. "Its pack is dealt with," I call back to the teams behind me. "I made sure of that." Yang is still staring at the dead creature as I take the blade carefully from her hand. She only snaps out of it when the sound of my blade sheathing echos the silent field. "C'mon guys, lets turn in the job."
I grab my team's jars and start towards Goodwitch. I hear the teams scramble behind me, the sound of jars moving fills the air, not one voice. Not even Nora. The silence lasted for all of five minutes and Nora starts prancing around the path, singing a little song about the stuff we were collecting. I crack a grin and hear Yang snicker behind me.
Miss Goodwitch is sitting back at her chair as we enter the clearing with the jars. "Ah, good, the Beowolves didn't take anything while you were gone. Let that be a lesson to you, when you are collecting items of interest or on a protection detail, never leave the object of the job alone."
We head back to the school at that and continue our daily lives as hunters and huntresses in training.
Soon, a festival starts up in Vale, Weiss seems unusually excited about it as well. On the day before the festival, we head down to town to watch them set up as class is out for the next week to let people go to this world-wide festival. Ah Vale, my point of arrive in this dimension and the first place I
openly killed a group of people, as well as met Yang. A bright spot in a relatively dark memory.
Wiess start gushing over the festival as we walk down the street, "Oh the Vital Festival! Oh this is absolutely wonderful!" Wow, even gushing over something, she keeps up the air of sophistication.
"I don't think I've ever seen you smile this much Weiss, it's kinda weirding me out," Ruby says. I share the sentiment.
A horn sounds from a cargo ship as we enter the docks. "Remind me again why we are spending our Friday afternoon visiting the stupid docks?" Yang asks Weiss.
"Why my dear Yang, it is to bask in the smell of dead fish! Just smell that air!" I take an exaggerated whiff, and promptly vomit over the side of the railing into the water. Oh my lord that is FOUL! Ruby pats me on the back while everyone, but Weiss laughs at me. "I would like an answer as well Weiss. I had a good meal and now the memory is tainted."
Blake gives me an answer when they all calm down, "She wants to spy on them so she can have an upper hand in the tournament."
"You can't prove that!" You just did my white-haired friend. We hear Ruby make a surprised noise and see her looking down the street. I look where she is staring and see a broken into shop with police looking around.
Curious, we head over to see what happened here. Ruby asks an officer scribbling on a tablet, "What happened here?" Matching my thoughts.
"Robbery, second dust shop to be hit this week! This place is turning into a jungle!" The cop sounds tired as he walks away. We hear the cop talk with another, "They left all the money again! What does someone need all that dust for?!" I don't know, maybe explosives, the many ways to use said material?
"I don't know, an army," the partner says as he adjust his straps.
"You thinking the White Fang," The officer says, waving his gun at the shop. What is it going to do, spit glass at him? It's a crime scene, not a shoot out, man.
"Tthe White Fang, what an awful bunch of degenerates." Weiss huffs, makes her stance on the White Fang known. From what I can tell, they are a peaceful group of Faunas that had to resort to terrorism to get equal rights. Surprisingly, it worked, but now they are kind of just keeping with the banditry. At least they aren't killing regular people on some racist crusade.
"What is your problem?" Blake sounds oddly mad.
"I simply don't care for the criminally insane!"
"The White fang is hardly a bunch of psychopaths, they're a collection of misguided Faunus!" Blake voice may be steady, but I can hear the anger.
"Misguided?! They want to wipe humanity off the face of the planet!" I could be wrong about that crusade thing or Weiss is exaggerating again. There is that distinct possibility, especially without the extensive smearing of the White Fang.
"Okay, very misguided!" Either she is subscribing to Dumbledore thinking, or a Faunus. That would explain the trying to defend the terrorist group aiming to help out Faunus, plus the cat smell covers most of her human scent that... doesn't... go... away. Dammit! Why didn't I put this together months ago?! I'm an idiot! "Either way, it doesn't explain why they would rob a downtown dust shop in the middle of Vale!"
"Blake's got a point. besides, the Police hasn't caught that Torchwick guy I ran into a few months ago, maybe it was him," Ruby said. A valid argument. That Torchwick guy, while funny, is a lunatic and does have a gang to fund and supply.
"That doesn't change the fact that the White Fang are a bunch of scum! Those Faunus only know how to lie, cheat and steal!" Oh shit, Blake looks even more mad, got to stop this before claws come out and princess gets her ass kicked.
"Hold up on that one Weiss! You are insulting a LOT of people with that comment! Myself sorta included! I will have you know, I do not cheat or lie to people! Stealing... Eh, only if I have to. And what about Velvet, she's cool. Does she look like a lying thief to you? The White fang are like Blake says, misguided. They don't represent a race, but are just trying to help the race."
"But-"
I cut her off, "But nothing! I know a terrorist cell, and the White Fang are far less dangerous than they are! They do not kill people in the streets for being different then they are, they do not bomb civilians or hunt school children. These White fangs may be slightly more dangerous than a gang, but are not a group of killers or we would be hearing a lot more about them. Blake may actually be right if you think about it. They are bandits for sure, but haven't crossed the line that we know of."
"How can you, you be sympathetic towards them?!" Weiss cries.
"Who said I agree with them? I am indifferent to them, not agreeing, but not hating them. I understand where they are coming from, the way they fight the government. Hell, I started my own underground training of school children against government wishes at my old school! I could technically be considered a terrorist by building an army against the government beliefs and using it!
The Death eaters had some high up politicians in their ranks and we beat the shit out of them! One had the ear of the prime minister even! Am I a bad person in your eyes for doing this? Building a resistance and using it to protect people, by beating a faction of a group of people."
"Well they were the enemies," Weiss said, "It was necessary for you."
"Now think, not all Faunus are like the White fang. Like I may be from a noble line, but am not a blood purist calling for the death to all muggleborn. The Faunas are not thieves, but are still sympathetic to their cause. Unlike mine, the White fang members is something that gives them a little hope to live without fear of the Government. To the Faunus, what is the government and corporations that are actively seeking to put them in concentration camps and always have them in a state of fear?"
"The enemy..." Weiss answers in a small voice.
"Correct! See, there is reason for everything. The Faunus as a whole are not killing people willy nilly. The White fang in general do not have bad goals, equal rights for all Faunus. Just trying to help, stupidly I have to add, to fight for their right to live in peace. They are not scum, just heavily misguided and needs stomping out before they fall under the influence of someone who will take the step they haven't started. Like this Torchwick character. Now that man is dangerous."
"Well t-" We are cut off by shouting by the docks. We all go over and see the commotion. A monkey Faunus had stolen away on a ship and is fleeing the authorities in a rather impress manner. As he pass, I give him a thumbs up for his flips and all. The guy winks at Blake while nodding at my gesture. Weiss gives pursuit to observe the competitions.
Rounding a corner, we run into someone smelling greatly of metal. Must be an engineer or metal worker. After checking to see if she is okay, we learn she is named Penny, so we introduce ourselves to the odd girl. She really doesn't show any change in emotion or facial movement. Ruby starts the intro.
"Hi Penny, I'm Ruby!"
"I'm Weiss."
"Blake."
"Are you sure you didn't hit your head?" Blake gives her an elbow to the ribs, "I'm Yang!"
"Sirius," I introduce myself last. This person must really work often with metal, she doesn't give off any human scent what so ever.
A very awkward pause lasts a bit and I just leave. "Cya guys, I'm going to buy a pretzel or something. Anyone but metal girl want to come? No? Okay." I need some food to replace my lost lunch and this is getting very awkward.
I walk away as Weiss interrogate the girl on where monkey boy went. Going to a vendor, I find me a pretzel and purchase the doughy treat. It is coated in butter, so I got a little plate with it. Getting diabetes with this thing. Screw vampire level healing.
As I munch on it, I see Blake storming off. Oh hell, what did Weiss say? I run to catch up with her. "Pretzel my dear?" I offer the plate to her. "It is better than it looks."
"No thanks Sirius."
"Weiss stick her foot in her mouth again?" She just nods as I pop in some pretzel. "Eh, just ignore her kitty cat, I'm sure she'll apologize eventually."
"Why do you call me kitty cat all the time? Is it the bow?" She flicks the bow with her finger.
"Nah, you smell like a cat. With dog and vampire sense of smell, I can tell you're part cat. Little ashamed to admit, but I just figured that out talking to Weiss about the White Fang... Yeah, had a little... Huge lapse in thinking for a bit. Just half a year... My god! Why didn't I put two and two together in all that time?!" I still am agonizing over this. She is one of my best friends here and I sleep in the same room as her, how did I not figure this out sooner?!
"So... What do you think of me now that you know I'm a Faunus?" She seems worried for some reason.
"Huh? You're still my friend. I grew up in a place Fuanuses don't exist. I have no prejudice against them and I am one now, so why would I think of you differently? You're still the girl that I owe two debts to for saving my life and one of my comrades." I take another bite out of my pretzel while it is still hot.
We walk in silence as I munch on my food. "What if I told you I was... Part of the White Fang until recently?"
"I would say that I don't care. You don't preach their motto or anything. I have probably done much worse things in the last few years then you have in your whole life, unless of course, you've killed thirty plus people in three years while training an army of teenagers to follow your lead and kill more people in the name of vigilantly justice under a manipulative old man?"
I stop to toss my dirty plate. When I start turning around, I feel Blake wrap me into a hug, pressing her face against my back. I feel some tears go through to my skin. I didn't wear my coat today. Turning around, I embrace her fully to comfort her. "You left and that's what matters. The past is the past and it hasn't shaped you into a bad person."
She calms herself and backs up. "Thank you Sirius." I just give her a smile and start walking back to Beacon. I really don't care about scouting the tournament. I can't get an accurate reading on a person just by watching them look around a festival. Blake follows me.
(AN: Feelings! *Punch a wall* So many! Hello, I am the Jester as you probably can tell with, you know the name under the title. Here is another chapter of Vampire of Beacon. I made Harry a little more sympathetic to the cause of the White Fang, but don't misunderstand, he doesn't support their methods. He just knows why they do it.
I would like for you all to check out my bro's channel, Dawnriser. He is a much better writer then me [I will still write though!]. Unlike me, he doesn't have ADD and has about a 40k backlog for his RWBY story. We both started on one, me five days before him, but never comparing stories, there hopefully won't be too many similarities. I would like and say I wrote a 20k story in the time between this and the third chapter. Scraped it, I think. Maybe I'll do something with it, we'll see. That is sorta why I don't post much. Sorry. Thank you for all the positive reviews and so many follows and favorites! Jester out!)