Chapter 8

"The Vale City Police department had raided the nightclub RYSE after police investigations had uncovered links between it and the criminal mastermind Roman Torchwick, who had organized several Dust robberies this past summer. The site was found to contain stockpiles of illegal arms shipments and other forms of contraband. The police could not find any signs of the club owner, Hei "Junior" Xiong, anywhere near the premises, and his current whereabouts are unknown. If you live anywhere near the area, be sure to lock your doors and do not stay out past eight. If you see Hei Xiong or find any information that might lead to him, be sure to inform your local authorities as soon as possible.

"The police have also investigated several other outposts scattered throughout the city, including a Jerry Raspberry's ice cream shop located in the southern districts, where the body of Tang Zephyr was found. Upon further investigation, the shop owner, Lou Green, is reported to have gone missing. Police investigation of other Jerry Raspberry stores is currently underway.

"In other news…"

Once the elevator had reached the top, the doors opened and Blake stepped into the Headmaster's office.

Almost immediately, Headmaster Oberstein stood up from his seat to greet the cat Faunus. "Good afternoon, Miss Belladonna. You seem to be right on schedule." The way he addressed her mimicked that of her liege, King Reinhard von Lohengramm.

Based on what the king told her about Oberstein's temperament, Blake knew scheduling her meeting beforehand would be the best way to earn the Defense Minister's favor. Over the past few days, she had seen many people walk out dejected or incensed after spending only a few seconds in Oberstein's new office.

The headmaster gestured to the three chairs sitting before his desk. "Come, have a seat. You must be tired."

The silver-cushioned chairs were a new addition, based on what she had seen from old pictures of the office. Oberstein had also curtained the headmaster's desk with a blackish cloth. She couldn't blame him. Even Blake had to admit that Ozpin's desk looked ridiculously tacky.

The headmaster circled around to the left side of the desk. "Surely you didn't go through all this trouble just to come in and say hello. What exactly do you wish to talk about?"

"I'm surprised you just let me walk in here," said Blake. "No guards, no anything."

On the other hand, there seemed to be quite a few metallic rings and indentations that could easily store automatic turrets or drone hangars. Those definitely hadn't been there before when she had last looked at Beacon's blueprints. It wouldn't be too hard for her to take them all out. Of course, the Defense Minister was probably aware of all this.

"How forthcoming of you. But one should always be more cautious against the guns they cannot see instead of the ones right in front of them." He obviously wasn't referring to the hidden gun turrets, though Blake couldn't find anything else in the room that would match that sort of description. Besides the chairs of course.

"So you know?"

"Anyone with half a brain would have known you were a spy the moment you stepped into these halls. Some were quicker in reaching their conclusions than others. Using the transfer student program for the purposes of spying is one of the oldest tricks in the book."

Blake half expected the man to say he knew because she had just told them, or something along those lines. If Blake had really wanted to go about spying, she would have done so in a way that was much less obvious, but Reinhard had insisted that she would go to Beacon through the transfer student program.

"Of course, that's not the real reason King Reinhard has sent you here."

Blake simply remained silent, crossing over her legs.

"If he was really interested in gathering information about our current state of affairs, he wouldn't have dressed you in such pomp and circumstance. No, you're here to act as his personal messenger. However, seeing as Ozpin's out of the picture, I'm afraid you might find that a bit difficult."

Blake wasn't exactly pleased with what the Defense Minister had managed to deduce. Oberstein was already complicating her mission here by accusing Ozpin of treason, though his lack of resistance hinted that something was up. "What did you do with Professor Ozpin?"

"The man was guilty of treason. I had simply placed him under arrest. Regardless of stature, there is no man, woman, or child who stands above the laws of this nation."

Considering how calmly Vale's defense minister spoke, Blake sensed something was up. Regardless of one's own idealism, there were just some individuals who were too powerful for the law to hold any effect. Considering his influence and prestige in the world of hunters and huntresses, professor Ozpin was one such man. And besides, Blake had heard the two didn't get along, so something was amiss.

"Is there anything else you would like to discuss?" said Oberstein.

"You know people are going to try breaking him out, right?"

"I am very aware of that, Miss Belladonna. I have taken ample precautions should such a scenario ever arise. You wouldn't think about joining such divisive elements, would you?"

"Of course not, Headmaster Oberstein."

Obviously, Blake was lying, but the headmaster didn't seem to particularly care about the cat-girl's response. Considering how many cameras were littered all over the school, it would be surprising if he didn't already know about everyone's concerted effort to try to break out the old headmaster, along with some other person who had been jailed for one reason or another. She didn't know what effects the new changes in team leadership would have, but they probably wouldn't make much of a difference. For the most part, it looked like Oberstein was trying to remedy some of Ozpin's more questionable choices for team leaders.

"How disappointing. I was actually hoping you could be of use to us."

"And by us you mean?"

"The greater security of Vale, of course. I'm aware that there may be some… hostility between us, but I believe the Kaiser has sent you here as a sign of friendship and goodwill."

"Kaiser?" She had never heard anyone refer to her liege in this manner before. Still, the Defense Minister had somehow managed to intuit Reinhard's intentions for sending her here.

"I seem to have slipped my tongue. You must know that I had lived in the mountains of Jotunheim long before coming here to Vale. Were the circumstances different, it is likely that I would be serving under the man you call your king, who would now be ruling over all of Mistral."

Hearing this from one of the most powerful men in Vale was strange to hear indeed. Still, it wasn't all that strange to hear of people speak fondly of other nations, especially those they regarded as their homeland. In fact, Blake had been born in the outskirts of Vale, before her parents moved to northern Mistral when jobs became available. That was before the Butcher King Braunschweig had taken over.

"Kaiser is the name that the people of Jotunheim would call the kings of old. Do you know the legend of Kaiser Rudolf?"

"Sort of," Blake responded. The legend told of an ancient warrior who had made a bargain with the powerful demon god, Odin, who gave him command over the legions of hell in exchange for his own soul. It was said that his empire spanned across the continents of Mistral, Mantle, Styx, old Atlantis, and the northern parts of Vytal. When he died, he was damned to an eternity of suffering, and his empire had fragmented into a million factions fighting over the spoils. The legend of Kaiser Rudolf was Jotunheim's explanation for how the Grimm came to be, but obviously it didn't hold up to facts. Grimm could not be controlled, and there was no evidence that such an empire had ever existed.

"It seems as though your liege seeks to emulate the legendary Kaiser, even though he may be nothing more than an ancient myth. But even though Eastern Mantle and the Dominion of Menagerie have joined his great commonwealth, how can Reinhard hope to achieve that when he doesn't even control all of Mistral?"

"King Reinhard still has a long life ahead of him," Blake said with a straight face.

"How true. I have heard he has just reached the age of twenty-four, has he not?"

Blake nodded. "That much is true."

"It is quite a miracle that he has managed to accomplish so much at such a young age. But it seems that we have diverged from our original topic of discussion." Oberstein took a moment to straighten up the papers on his desk. "Regardless of your own personal inclinations, I would like for you to observe these futile efforts of Beacon's students to break the old headmaster out of prison. Furthermore, I would like for you to make note of…"

Blake crossed her arms and smirked. "What if I refuse?"

"Then I shall have you meet the same fate as Ozpin and the Valkyrie girl." Despite whatever influence he wielded, the Defense Minister was getting cocky, even if his pale face did not show it.

"Article 27 of the Vale Peace Accords dictates that…"

"I know everything there is to know about Article 27, Miss Belladonna. It does not exist."

"What?"

Blake jolted out of her seat, but then was almost immediately pulled back by a series of cords that sprung out of the chair.

Dust dammit! Of course it was the chairs! How could I let myself make such a dumb mistake?

Despite her current situation, Blake couldn't find any traces of Oberstein's amusement on his face, even though everything else dictated otherwise. The very least he could have done was laugh at her suffering like the damn scoundrel he was, but Blake couldn't even have that luxury. The empty expression on the man's face was infuriating to say the least.

"I thought even someone like you would have understood the situation better, but you have disappointed me. It seems that you have made the mistake of underestimating me, Miss Belladonna. Although I may not possess the same strength that others hold in high regard, I did not ascend to this position by making careless mistakes."

"You're bluffing!"

Oberstein let out a slight chuckle. "You seem to have been misinformed. Article 27 never existed. It is nothing more than Reinhard's fabrication to give you the false illusion of safety. Seeing as you're guilty of conspiracy against Vale's government, it would be within my full powers to detain you. The Kaiser would have no choice but to deny any connections with you."

"But what if you're wrong about this? What if you're wrong about Article 27? What if the word gets out about what you're planning and Reinhard finds out about this? Can Vale afford to face the onslaught of war once again?"

The headmaster pushed himself up from his desk and briefly dusted off his suit. "How naive you truly are. Do you really think I would lie about legal matters such as this? You may be one of Reinhard's trusted advisers, but in the end you are still nothing more than a seventeen-year-old child. To think that I must be the man responsible for your own education."

Blake continued to struggle against the bonds. "You're not going to get away with this." As soon as I get the chance, I am going to tear that smug face of yours straight off the bone.

"My actions have been less than honorable, but I do not do this out of desire for my own gain. If you are willing to cooperate with me, perhaps I shall be willing to aid the Kaiser should the need ever arise."

"Do I really have a choice?"

"You always have a choice, though some options may be wiser than others. Do I have your word of cooperation?"

"Yeah, sure." For now, anyway. "Am I free to go now?"

"As you wish." He then pressed a button underneath his desk, causing the cords to release their grip.

Blake then got up from her seat and turned to examine it. Aside from a few slightly larger than normal gaps in the fabric, the chair had shown no signs of thick cable-like cords having sprung out from it just a few minutes ago.

The cat Faunus stepped just a few inches away from the desk and looked Oberstein straight in the eyes. I could kill him right now. No, he would be expecting that. She would have to wait for some other opportunity.

In the meantime, she turned back and walked toward the elevator.

Blake stood outside of Beacon Academy, waiting by one of the cliff-side elevator shafts. It was already ten past six, so it was likely the others were still eating.

Emerald had been the first to arrive, which didn't bode well for the mission. Quite frankly, she looked like she was only here for the joyride, and she'd probably bail out if things got too rough.

Julian and Ren soon followed. At the very least, she could rely on them, which was why she had discussed her plans at greater length with them. Ren had a personal interest in this, so there was no question of where his loyalty lied. Julian, on the other hand, seemed dependable enough. Though Blake could sense the boy was reluctant, he didn't seem like the type who would back down on promises. On the other hand, he did seem a bit more shaky than usual today, his eyes glancing around every which way.

"So," Emerald spoke up, "remind me what exactly we're doing tonight?"

"We're just going to meet with some of our sponsors." Specifically, they were going to meet with some friends in the outer reaches of the city, where they would plan the specifics of their eventual prison raid. Even though it was likely Oberstein and his lackeys would find out, they still needed to keep at least a semblance of secrecy.

"Huh, maybe I should ask some of my friends if they'd like to join."

"You know people?" asked Ren.

"Of course, silly! You wouldn't think after having lived for most of my life in the city that I wouldn't have made a few acquaintances along the way? West side represent!"

"What's taking the others so long?" Blake asked Ren.

"Jaune and Pyrrha are still eating, but I have no idea where Ruby is."

Weiss was the only one among them who wasn't going to be present, considering she didn't show up when everybody had met in the transfer dorm. Even Cardin showed more enthusiasm than her, despite being a prejudiced asshole. Although Weiss was now supposed to be SLVR's team leader, she couldn't even reign in her own team.

Julian then turned to face the cat-girl. "Say, you're a member of The Church, right?"

"I guess you could say that, why?"

"Do you think they would help us on this?"

"Not likely. I don't think they'd want to get involved in something as criminal as this." That much was true. Even though Reverend Aquamaria had come to Vale to help spread the Word of Testaments, it was unlikely she would be able to assist on this type of venture in matters outside of moral counsel.

"Huh," said Emerald, "I never would've thought that you of all people would be one of those lame church-goers."

"Take that back!" Blake growled, her cat ears twitching.

"Make me!" spat out Emerald.

"Let's leave religious matters out of this, shall we?"

"Fine!" The green-haired girl simply smirked.

Far up ahead, Blake saw Pyrrha dragging along Jaune down the main landing strip. As soon as two of them reached their position, Jaune fell out of his partner's grasp and keeled over onto the ground, out of breath.

"Jaune, are you alright?" said Pyrrha.

"Yeah, I'm alright, I just need a moment. That's all."

There was a brief pause, and then Ren directed everyone's attention toward Beacon. "Look who finally made it."

When Blake stepped over to examine him, the girl noticed that his shield on his back looked remarkably different. For one, the thing looked heavy enough to house a gun that could pierce through tank armor. Furthermore, instead of its original white-and-golden design, it now boasted of an elaborate red, white, and black spiraling motif with several roses forming a border around it.

"So," said Emerald, "how's your new toy?"

Once he regained his strength, Jaune stood back up and dusted his pants. "Heavy, but I figure I'll get used to it."

"What happened to your old shield?" Blake asked. Although she hadn't been in the hunting program for very long, this was the first time she heard of someone switching out part of their personal equipment.

"I still have it. It's just that Ruby's been busy working on developing some new weapons for our team."

"I helped too…" said Pyrrha.

"I know you did, Pyrrha. Still, I haven't decided what to call it yet, but given time I'll think of something. Julian's the one who thought of this, otherwise I'd still be just a dork with a sword and shield."

Julian rubbed his head as he spoke, "Actually… I just figured that giving some of our squad members a few upgrades would improve our combat performance. Even in an urban environment, a sword and shield isn't going to do you much good if the enemy can hit you from over a mile away without you even noticing. I just figured I'd help level things out for us. Besides, Ruby seemed to be the most willing person to help us out."

"I would've done it, but doing other people's chores for them isn't exactly my thing," remarked Emerald. Yeah, I don't exactly see you being much help.

Just then, Blake saw the white-haired heiress march toward them, dragging Ruby along by the collar of her orange Pumpkin Pete's T-shirt. Though barely noticeable, the scythe-user's hands had been stained with a bluish liquid, and bits of scrap metal had been scattered all over her clothes. Even though the cat Faunus had seen Ruby several times throughout her time here, she had never seen Ruby wear that particular outfit, including her dull, faded pants.

"Well, look who decided to show up," remarked the Southerner.

"Shut up, green-haired dolt! You're lucky I even found this red-haired dunce!"

"Her hair doesn't look that red…" remarked Jaune.

"Anyway, I'm coming with you guys." Silence. "What? None of you are shocked?"

"Not really. We're going to need any help we can get," said Ren.

"I just thought I should be here to support you since I'm the team leader and all. That doesn't mean I approve of this or anything."

"Are we there yet?" Ruby said in a daze. Her head was still rolling from being dragged all the way across Beacon.

"Well," said Blake, "looks like that's everybody. I…"

"Hey losers, wait up!"

Oh god no…

Right at the end of the runway, team CRDL was making a headlong dash towards the eight of them. Blake had intentionally neglected to invite them to this meeting, seeing as they'd probably brag about the whole thing whenever they got the chance.

"This isn't going to go well, is it?" lamented Julian.

"Ugh, let them come with. Just be sure to keep an eye on them." Ren turned to face the cat-girl. "Alright, Blake, show us where we need to go."

"No problem," Blake gritted through her teeth.

After a long train ride and a half-mile's walk, the whole gang had reached the city's northwestern harbors. Heavy freighter ships had been docked alongside the vast concrete piers, and large warehouses had been lined along the eastern side. In some places, searchlights shined from some of the larger buildings, which had been sealed off by chain-link fences. Every so often, the group spied a shadowy guard lurking on the roofs with a rifle in hand. The whole place looked more like a series of military bases than anything that conducted normal business. But that was to be expected in this day and age.

The place they were looking for had been a defunct shipyard along the northern end of the docks. When they found it, it looked much like one of the other warehouses, except it had been entrenched right on the fork of two adjacent piers. A few windows sat on the top end of the building, where thugs could peek with their guns out and snipe away at any unwanted visitors. As they approached, Blake could see the reflective shine of a gun barrel as it poked its head out of one of the windows on the right.

The only way into the whole complex was through a pair of yellow gate booths. One could easily jump over the white-and-orange bars barricading the entrance, but the building's other defenses would take care of anyone trying to take the roundabout approach. Not that it would have stopped Blake, but she was here to negotiate, not to infiltrate.

As soon as the mob of twelve stepped up to the pair of booths, a voice came from the one to the left, "Welcome young children. What sort of business do you have with such meek and humble fools as us?"

The tinted black windows concealed the person inside, but with her finer Faunus senses, Blake could see that the person had been wearing a white theater mask, bearing an expression of joy. It seemed almost clownish.

"We're…" Cardin tried to speak up, but Ren held his mouth shut.

"I am Blake Belladonna of Jotunheim, and these are all acquaintances of mine. We would like to speak with the captain."

"My, my, my… so many guests! We are in for a party tonight! By the by, may I see your invitation?"

"Certainly, I'll show it to you myself."

Blake stepped around to the other side of the gate, stepping over the lever, and entered the booth from behind. In addition to the mask, the person inside had been wearing a black suede jacket, shining leather pants, and dress shoes, along with a wide-brimmed black-and-white sombrero. Once the door closed behind her, Blake leaned up close to the guard and whispered the pass-code.

The guard stood up and then made an elaborate bow, "Then I welcome you all to this our wonderful and magnificent ball!"

Outside, the east-side gate lever lifted itself up, and the others began to pass through. After Blake stepped down from the booth, everyone made their way to a small alcove straight ahead, which hooked left into the main entrance. Part of the wall jutted out to the right to keep would-be assassins from taking potshots at anyone who stood in the doorway for too long.

After a few seconds of waiting, another guard similarly dressed to the one at the booth opened the door from the inside. Soon enough, they were all inside.

"Ohmygod! It's a real pirate!" shouted Ruby as she ran over to the man dressed in a pirate outfit standing a few feet in front of them.

The freckle-faced man took off his tricorne and made an elaborate bow. His bluish-teal hair was shaped similarly to that of the great general Yang Wenli, but otherwise he did not share the man's Midwestern descent.

He placed his hat back on his head, and tipped it with his leather-gloved hands. "Captain Dusty Attenborough at your service! How may I help you this fine evening?"

A/N: For those of you who have read this far, I would like to apologize, as I am putting this story on indefinite hiatus. To be honest, I've had this chapter written up for a while, and it is only just now that I've mustered up the energy to post it. The truth is, I've kinda abandoned this story a while ago, as over the time I've written it, I've lost the will to continue with this story. I'm only posting this chapter up for the sake of showing how much I have completed. My designs for this fic were far too ambitious, and the lack of overlap between the two canon materials doomed this fic from the start, though I probably wasn't as strong as I could have been in my opening chapters of this fic. I have since moved on to other projects. I do not think I will continue with this project unless some sudden motivation inspires me to do so. I do not know how many of you will be reading this, but if any of you would like to know what my plans for the rest of this story were, feel free to PM me.