RWBY: Team CRML
Chapter 7
"How do you know that?" Chrome asked her. Realizing he just ratted himself out, his cat ears folded back.
"I knew it!" Weiss pulled Chrome into the dorm room, shutting and locking the door so he couldn't escape.
"Weiss, you need to take a breath!" Yang told her.
"No!" Weiss stomped her foot. "The White Fang have terrorized my family for years!" Weiss suddenly drew her weapon, pointing the tip at Chrome's neck. "I say it'd be fair if I got a bit of payback!"
"Weiss!" Ruby grabbed her arm.
Weiss didn't even budge as she shook her leader's arm off, taking a step towards Chrome with pure hatred in her eyes. "Weiss." Yang stepped between the two as Chrome continued to back away until his lower back pressed against the bookshelf that sat under the window. "You need to take a breath, and calm down."
"Calm down?!" Weiss shouted. "No! I have every right to be angry! This... Animal has probably killed countless innocent people!"
"We don't know that." Yang told her. "Just take a breath, and calm down."
"Have you?" Ruby stepped forward, her eyes staring into Chrome's.
"Have I what?"
"Have you killed people?" Ruby asked him.
"N-no." Chrome shook his head. "I only ever acted in self defense! And even then I fought to disarm and incapacitate."
"Bullshit!" Weiss growled, her anger boiling over.
"It's true." Chrome stared at the heiress. "Yes, some of the White Fang killed humans, most finding joy in it, but not me or my sister!"
"Sister?" Weiss asked. "Who? Blake?"
Finding no reason to lie about it at this point, Chrome nodded. "Yes. But I swear, we've never killed anyone."
"Liar!" Weiss tried to push by Yang but Yang didn't budge.
"Chrome!" Ruby pointed behind him and towards the open window. Getting the hint, Chrome slid out, hanging as far down as he could before letting go.
Hitting the ground, Chrome fell onto his back. Quickly getting to his feet, Weiss and Yang both looked down at him. Looking up for just a second, he turned tail and ran.
He didn't stop until he reached Vale, placing his hands on his knees as he caught his breath. Standing up straight as he took a breath of air, he looked around a bit to get his bearings before heading down the street.
Looking to the sky, it was rather dark out which meant Chrome had to find a place to sleep. Checking his wallet, he had more than enough to spend the night at an Inn.
Hearing the sound of thunder cracking through the sky, Chrome looked up again just as a drop of rain hit his forehead followed by another and another. Suddenly, it was pouring down.
Within seconds, Chrome's clothes were completely soaked through. Sighing, he began roaming the streets, getting more and more soaked by the second.
After what felt like forever, he finally spotted an Inn. Making a beeline for it, he walked inside and approached the counter. "How much for-"
"Excuse me." the girl behind the counter said. "Sorry, but no Faunus allowed." she pointed down at a sign below the counter.
"Oh." Chrome just looked to the floor. "I'm sorry to bother you." Chrome turned to leave.
As he reached for the door, the girl behind the counter cleared her throat. "Well, I guess, since it's raining, I could...turn the other cheek."
Chrome looked back to the girl. "You're sure?"
"Yeah. But you'll have to leave early in the morning." she told him.
"I can do that."
"Okay." the girl just smiled.
Paying for the room, Chrome walked over and went inside. Taking off his soaked clothes, he hung them up to dry before laying in the bed.
Back at Beacon, his team had noticed his absence. "Hey, did Chrome say where he was going?" Liam asked.
"Nope." Nicci replied. She laid on her back and had her head hanging off the bed as she read a book.
"He's been gone for some time now." Liam added.
"Now that you mention it." Nicci sat up. "It has been a few hours, right? What do you think, Marek?" she leaned off her bed to look at him.
"Hmph." Marek crossed his arms.
"Alright." Liam jumped down from his bunk. "That's it, man." Marek glanced over to Liam. "Ever since this year's started, you've barely said anything and you always hide your face. Now, our leader might be missing and you just grunt as if it's not that big'a deal? Could you show just a bit of concern?"
After a few seconds, Marek sat up and turned to Liam. "Everything I do has a reason behind it, Branwen. Why I don't talk, why I hide my face, and why I don't give a damn! Everything has a valid reason!"
"Then why do you want to become a Huntsman if you don't care?" Liam crossed his arms.
"Because it got me away from my so called 'family'." Marek got to his feet, glaring at Liam.
"What's so bad about your family?" Nicci asked.
"You don't want to know." with that, Marek laid back down in his bed. "Now, if you're so worried about him, why not go find him, huh? Better yet-" Marek pulled out his scroll and waved it. "-why not give him a call?"
"Yeah, I tried that." Liam told him. "No answer."
"Well, I'm sure he can find his way back." Marek rolled onto his side. "Now leave me alone."
Liam and Nicole both shared a quick glance. Shrugging, Nicole laid down as Liam got back in his bunk. "Guess we can look for him in the morning."
With that, the three of them closed their eyes to get some rest.
End of chapter 7
