Chapter 7
Doubt
Team RWBY,Qrow, Oscar, Maria, Shade, Dawn and Circa were at the front gate to an Atlas Military Base where Yang was trying to make them let the group in.
There were two guards that looked the same and were not budging.
"Our orders are clear! The Mistral-Atlas border is closed. Please"
"Have a good day."
The Second Guard finished the first one's sentence.
"Is this normal for you guys?"
Circa questioned.
"This is actually a new one for me, Dawn?"
Shade asked.
"Never ran into these two when I was in Atlas, although I didn't run into anyone really."
Qrow tried to convince the guards that they were trying to get Weiss home.
Dawn and Weiss weren't exactly happy about this strategy.
The guards looked at each other then at the group.
"Approach!"
'Oh no this is never this easy.'
Shade thought while keeping his guard up.
Weiss approached the gate and the guards looked at her.
"Very well you may speak to our commanding officer."
"We will fetch her at once."
The guards walked off while saying hup constantly.
"They were kinda"
Blake started saying.
"Super weird."
Ruby finished.
"It's times like this I miss being at Beacon."
Shade said with a sigh.
"That was the school you liked right?"
Circa asked.
"Yep it was fun for a while until…well you know."
"Right, right."
Circa looked down remembering what Shade said back at the village they were in.
"Hmmm."
Maria thought out loud
"What is it?"
Oscar asked.
"Well I may know this commanding officer."
"That's good isn't it?"
Ruby asked.
Dawn shook her head.
"Let me guess, it's the complete opposite"
Maria looked at Dawn.
"Well i wouldn't exactly call us "Friends"
"Rivals?"
Dawn asked while folding her arms.
"Uhh more like"
"Enemies?"
Yang questioned.
"That's the one!"
She shouted
"Wait what?"
Oscar reacted.
"Oh yes. I come through her about once every ten years to get my eyes checked up in Atlas."
She then mentioned something about cashews and a screening list.
Shade pulled Dawn towards him.
"If things go bad don't hesitate, we need to get the lamp to Atlas."
He whispered.
"Are you asking me to"
"No of course not, but if things look bad and a fight breaks out be ready for anything. I don't trust Atlas Military, especially the General."
"Right."
She nods.
Both the faunus of the group heard Shade's plan but stayed silent for the time being.
"Now,now. Let's not give up hope yet."
Maria stated in a cheery demeanor
"Maybe she's dead."
Suddenly the gates opened.
The Two Guards stood at the opened gate.
"Introducing"
"Special operative"
"Caroline Cordovin!"
They shouted.
The military woman the size of Maria walked straight to her.
"I've seen you've chosen larger contraband to smuggle this time."
"Oh Cordo. You know they say time changes people, but i see you've still got that stick right up-"
Shade immediately interrupted them.
"Ok how about we avoid these types of conversations, we're all on the same side here."
"Not with her."
Both of them said,
"Besides"
Caroline stated.
"I've already heard what your other little friends had to say, mister?"
"Leaf, Shade Leaf and let me tell you this, you would do well to listen to us."
"Oh and what makes you say I don't know what I'm doing?"
She started shouting.
"What are you doing here?! I thought I told you to leave!"
She shouted at Jaune, Nora and Ren.
"And I told you we won't rest until you let us through!"
Nora shouted.
Plant vines started pulling Nora down the road.
A message appeared on Dawn's scroll from Erika.
Dawn nods at Shade.
Caroline began basically worshiping Atlas saying everything there was a gift from them, as well as bragging that she was the only one with the wit and tenacity for running the base,relay tower and Argus.
The guards agreed with her.
"Such ego."
Circa commented.
Maria chuckled at this.
Caroline began shouting
"Someone clearly never taught you manners Fox. You're just like the rest of these Argus ingrates! The city wouldn't even be here if it weren't for our Atlesian ancestors and what do we get in return? The entire world is ready to put a knife to our throats!"
"Maybe it's because of that poor attitude of yours"
Shade stated.
Weiss stepped up.
"No one's happy about the Atlas borders or embargo, but I know General Ironwood is just worried."
"More like doesn't know what he's doing."
Shade said quietly.
Caroline unfortunately heard that.
"The General is no coward! Atlas is strong. If all the kingdoms plan to make us their enemy, then so be it! Atlas will prevail!"
Shade held his right arm getting ready to attack.
Before he could do anything else Dawn put her hand on his shoulder.
He turned to her and shook her head.
Shade sighed and put his arm down.
"Do you guys seriously have to do that?"
Blake asked.
Caroline took a deep breath and stated that if Weiss has come to her senses they'll escort her home but not her friends of "questionable character".
She gave Blake a look.
Blake looked down a bit.
Circa glared at Caroline and a burst of aura hit everyone around her.
A chill went down everyone's spine except Shade.
'Again?'
He thought.
Caroline shook out of her state.
"We're done here."
The gate closed after Caroline and the guards exited.
"And now I really hate Atlas or her. I can't really decide."
Shade said while glaring at the base.
He turned and began walking away.
Hiroki was waiting near the house.
"Let me guess it didn't go well?"
"Not even in the slightest."
Shade leaned against the wall next to Hiroki.
"So then what's the plan?"
Hiroki questioned his leader.
"There is none at the moment."
Shade said without hesitation.
Hiroki raised an eyebrow
"Really? I'd expect Ozpin to have a plan by now."
Shade sighed.
"When everyone's together i think it's time we told you all what happened while we were separated.
The group was inside and were told the events involving Jinn.
Erika was sitting on a stool looking down thinking and processing the fact that their foe was immortal as well as Ozpin's ex wife.
Hiroki was near the door silent.
Jaune on the other hand punched a nearby wall causing it to crack.
"Jaune!"
Ruby shouted.
"Everything we did was for nothing!"
Jaune said angrily
"That's not true."
Blake stated.
"Really? Cux it sure does sound like it."
Nora said.
"An immortal being, how are we supposed to beat that?"
Erika questioned.
Everyone was silent.
"Wow, great plan everyone."
Jaune said sarcastically.
Oscar spoke up.
"Look, none of this is great, we know. But we're not the bad guys here. "
"Are we sure about that?"
"What?"
"He's in your head, isn't he?"
He started walking towards Oscar.
'I don't like where this is going.'
Shade was standing next to Erika and Circa while Dawn was sitting on the staircase.
"Did you already know about this?"
"He didn't know any of it!"
Weiss shouted as Jaune grabbed Oscar by his overalls and slammed him into a wall.
"How much longer can we even trust him?"
Shade went behind Jaune.
"That's enough Jaune!"
"How do we even know it's really him?! What if we've been talking to that liar this whole time?!"
"I said that's enough!"
A large shadow arm came from Shade's arm and threw Jaune to the ground sliding him against the floor a bit.
Everyone looked at Shade as the shadow arm began to vanish revealing his normal hand.
Shade started to shake a bit and ran out of the house.
"Shade wait!"
Dawn ran out but by the time she was outside he was gone.
"Damn it!"
She shouted before walking back inside.
Jaune was gone but she heard a door slam.
Nora went upstairs.
"I think it would be best if we had some time to ourselves."
Ren stated.
He followed Nora.
"Maybe we could all use some space."
Yang added.
"We don't even know where Shade went."
Dawn said, concerned.
"After what just happened i don't blame him for running away but just give him some time he'll come back after a bit."
Yang stated.
Dawn walked to Erika and Hiroki.
"Where's Circa at?"
She said noticing the Faunus Child was missing.
"How would I know?"
Hiroki walked out the door.
'An unkillable enemy, I already have someone that needs to die. I don't need this right now.'
He thought as he left.
"Maybe she's hiding in the house somewhere."
Erika guessed.
"I don't think so, she's smarter than that. I think the only thing she would do…..is go after Shade."
Dawn slowly realized.
"Damn it."
Erika shook out of her thoughts.
"You find her, I'll convince Hiroki to help."
"Right."
The two ran outside.
"Erika, about Salem."
"Look i don't know what to think right now, lets just focus on the now and we'll worry about what comes next later."
The duo split apart.
Shortly after, the Sun was beginning to set.
Circa was running across streets trying to find Shade.
'Cmon, where are you?'
She thought before cutting into an alleyway to get to the next street.
Before she exited though she bumped into someone.
"Oh sorry."
Circa looked up.
"Don't worry you didn't hurt me, but I do know how you can help me."
"Sorry im trying to find my friend can i maybe not help you ye-"
"My queen doesn't have the patience for that."
Circa backed away slowly as Kiryu walked out of the shadows.
"You're the asset after all."
AN:I took my time with this one didn't I? Luckily I'm trying a new style which will hopefully give me more time to write the next couple chapters. On the topic of RWBY though i am aware of the release date of Volume 9 but i don't have a crunchyroll account nor do i plan on getting one anytime soon so i'm going to be taking my time between volumes from here on in as i don't want to catch up to the main series. For now though Until next time.