Chapter 25: Adapt or Die

In which love is in the air, but heartbreak can't be far away.

Nikos was staring at Bronzewing. Bronzewing could feel it even without the aid of his semblance. He elected to remain silent and focus on studying his braille text, but Nikos eventually grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him to an isolated corner of the library. Bronzewing allowed himself to be carted away from Arc, who was reading his own graphic novels. It would all be easier if Bronzewing didn't fight it. He deserved what was coming, anyways.

"Dove, there's something I need to do."

"I understand. The library may not be the most appropriate location for this. Shall we 'take this outside' then?"

"Outs– Dove, I'm not going to fight you. Dust, why would you think that?"

"…"

"Right. Sorry. That's actually what I wanted to say – sorry for keeping a grudge for so long. Jaune and I have been speaking about what happened. He's forgiven you, and he gave me some advice on why we need to come together as a team. It was…actually really mature."

Both looked at Arc.

Nikos said, "It's often a challenge to reconcile his immature, boyish side with how wise he seems at times. Sometimes, it's like he's two different people. Look at him, reading his comics." Bronzewing couldn't see her blush, but he could hear it in her voice.

"Nikos."

"Yeah, Dove?"

"I cannot accept your apology."

"Wh– but– Dove–"

"Not until I have at least attempted to atone for my errors. I shall aid you in your endeavors so as to make up for the distress I have brought you and the team."

"Thanks, Dove, but there isn't really anything I need help w–"

"Together, we shall ensure that Arc attends the upcoming dance as your partner."

"What do you mean? We've been partners since initiation."

"As your romantic partner."

Bronzewing assumed Nikos' face was turning some shade of red based on her changing expression. She grabbed Bronzewing's forearm and pulled him outside of the library.

Bronzewing was typically not partial to jocularity, but in this instance he could scarce resist. "Have you decided to take this outside after all, Nikos?"

"Dove! Are my feelings for Jaune that obvious?"

"To everyone but Arc himself. I'm certain Thrush has already perceived them, perhaps earlier than myself. He tends to excel at social awareness."

"Dove, I can't ask you to help. It's something I need to do myself…"

"Then I'm afraid your apology must remain unaccepted. Team Adventure shall have to remain adversarial for the remainder of our academic careers."

Nikos frowned for a moment then broke out into a grin. "You're not going to budge, are you?"

"Not when an opportunity has arisen to succor two members of my team simultaneously."

Thrush popped out of a puddle on the floor. "I think Pyrrha's the one that wants to succor Jaune."

"Can you not, Russ!" Nikos shrieked in surprise at appearance of their fourth teammate.

"Sorry, Pyr. I overheard my name when I was in the drink and decided to eavesdrop. You guys tryna hook up Jaune and Pyrrha?"

"We are attempting to secure a romantic relationship between Nikos and Arc, yes."

Thrush frowned. "Dove, two things. First of all, try not to make a blossoming virginal love affair sound so boring. Second, fuck you."

"Russ, he took a hit for Jaune in the food fight. You were out, but I saw it."

"And this sudden burst of selflessness just so happened to be when you had a clear line of sight, eh?"

"Jaune was the one who Dove hurt, and Jaune's already forgiven–"

"Pyr, I love ya, but shut the fuck up." Thrush exhaled. "On the airship, Dove was the one who said we should befriend Jaune. He told me that Jaune would be our third amigo – the new guy to make our dynamic duo into a titanic trio. Then, Dove went and took a steamy shit alllllllll over that. If Jaune was one of us, one of the guys, and that weasel was happy to screw him over, how long will it be until I'm next? Pyr, we – Dove and I – grew up together. We've been friends since we were babies. I thought I knew him, and finding out that he's a fucking snake in the grass hurts me too. Even if I wasn't the one got fucked over."

Thrush sniffed and wiped his eyes. Bronzewing had not even perceived he was crying until then. "So yeah. I'll help you guys on Mission Get Pyrrha a Date, but I'm not doing this for Dove." He stepped back into the puddle and melted away.

Team Rainbow was on the verge of falling apart.

Unbeknownst to the others, Weiss had secretly been in league with the Mistral all along. Furthermore, Yang allegiance was not to Vale but in fact to Atlas. This betrayal would've torn Ruby apart if it weren't for the fact that she was loyal to the creatures of Grimm herself. Blake was the only one among them who was not a traitor – she fought for Vale and Vale alone.

"It's over, my former partner," Yang cackled. "You've fallen right into my trap. I pay three lien chips and activate my City Wall defense card. And, because I have a higher technology score than any other kingdom, I can leave it face up for two more turns. Your Grimm armies shall fall to pieces! Mwahahaha!"

Ruby's head fell down to the table, shaking the pieces. "NOOO-snrk-OOO!"

Yang's smile briefly faltered. "What?"

"My Grimm will be destroyed. I'm mourning their loss."

"Ruby, why are you laughing? WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU PLANNING?"

"Planning? Why, my dear sister, I'm not planning anything…unless you're referring to my Centinel Grimm."

"What?!"

"Oh, you know," Ruby giggled, laying the card on the table. "The secret army of Grimm that I'd been saving since my extra draw three turns ago. They have the Burrow ability and can dig right under your shields."

Blake had been trained by the best of the best of the White Fang. She could strategize, read her opponents, and plan 10 steps ahead. She'd taken on the SDC, the Atlesian Specialists, and the Mistralian Hunter's Corp, and she'd come out on top of all three. Her understanding of tactics was unparalleled.

As such, she was completely lost. A glance Weiss' way confirmed that she too was equally confused by Remnant the Card Game.

"…and unless any of you have an Active Hunter card facedown, there's nothing you can do to stop me! Mwahahaha back at ya, Yang!"

Blake flipped over a card that was lying on her side of the board.

"NO! A level 8 huntsman? When did you – Blakey, why? I thought we were friends. I thought we were frieeeeehehehends!"

"There are no friends, Ruby. Only the Grimm and the Kingdoms."

"You saved my ass from my treacherous sister, Blake. Oh, I could kiss you right about now!"

Weiss leaned over to Blake and whispered, "How did you know to play that?"

"I didn't. It fell out of my hand earlier by mistake, and I only just noticed it now," Blake whispered back, careful to not let Ruby hear.

"I didn't want to do this, but you leave me no choice. I deploy my Find an Alpha Grimm card. I can search through the deck and instantly play any Alpha Grimm card. I choose–" she shuffled through the deck briefly "–the Cenitaur! My Centinels rally around it and fight your huntsman."

Ruby and Blake rolled the dice. Ruby's came out higher.

"Yes! Mwahahahahaha!"

"Not so fast!" Weiss placed a card on the table. "I, um, activate the Dust Raiders action card. I can demand any dice be rerolled. So, uh, mwahaha?"

Ruby and Yang looked at the card. "Uh, Weiss…"

"What?"

"You can't play that."

Weiss expression fell. "W-Why not? Did I mess up? Oh, I hate this game of emotions we play." Tears streamed down her face.

"No no no, it's not that. At least, not this time. That card's from the White Fang expansion pack. I don't even know how it got in there."

"The white what?" asked Weiss.

Blake's heart stopped beating.

"The White Fang expansion pack. In an effort to make Remnant the Card Game more accurate to Remnant the world, they release expansion packs every now and then. Newly discovered Grimm, advanced technologies, current events – things to mix up the game and make it seem more modern."

"What's the White Fang?"

Ruby and Yang looked uncomfortably at Blake. What did they…oh, Dust. Those two expected her to explain it to Weiss since she was a Faunus. This must have been how Sienna felt all those years ago when the men in the White Fang decided to make themselves scarce the morning Blake ran out of her tent crying about blood on her bedsheets and between her legs. It turns out that had not, in fact, been an assassination attempt by the SDC.

"Weiss, it's a…it's a Faunus thing."

Weiss put down her cards. "Blake, I'm…I didn't mean to–"

"It's okay, Weiss. You didn't insult us or anything. The White Fang is just a bit of a touchy subject."

"For Faunus and humans," Yang added.

"It started out as a Faunus civil rights group. It protested mistreatment of the Faunus in all its forms – segregation in Valean public schools, Atlas' downright racist laws, even your own family's mistreatment of Faunus employees."

Weiss' eyes fell. "Ah…even if such wealth was acquired at the expense of my employees' safety'."

"What?"

"The first day we met – you, Ruby, and me. I said I could replace all of my Dust, and you said–"

"You remembered that?"

"I'd remember anything if you said it."

"Why…oh. Right."

Ruby and Yang uncomfortably threw down their cards as well. It looks like nobody was feeling like playing games right now. Blake decided to continue with the history lecture.

"Going back to the White Fang. There isn't a Faunus on Remnant who hasn't been impacted by it, for better or worse. It started as activism, but it morphed into something different. White Fang members started using actions instead of words to make a difference. It was harmless for a while – instead of protesting, Faunus of the White Fang would walk into stores that refused to serve our kind and carry merchandise outside to smash up. No one was hurt, and a message was sent – screw with the Faunus and lose everything. The worst part was that it worked, perfectly. Many stores stopped putting up 'No Faunus' signs in their windows.

"But it wasn't out of respect or acceptance. It was out of fear. And the White Fang lapped up that fear. They started to trash the stores that held out, then burn them down, and it finally escalated to the point that the owners' dead bodies were found afterwards."

Ruby covered her mouth with her hands in shock. Yang grimaced, but it looked like she'd already known.

Blake paused. "And now…now…"

Yang finished for her. "They're openly a terrorist organization. Spokespeople of the White Fang regularly call for Faunus supremacy and the extermination of all humans."

Weiss played a hand on Blake's. "You knew someone in the White Fang, didn't you?"

Blake needed to carefully choose her words. Coming out as a Faunus was a necessity she'd chosen to do on her own terms, but revealing her ties to the White Fang? That would straight up ruin the life she'd built up here at Beacon.

"I did. A friend of mine, Ilia."

Not a lie. Ilia was White Fang.

"She and I were close as kids, but we grew apart because of the White Fang."

They'd been assigned to different continents by White Fang leadership. Let the others fill in the gaps however they liked – Blake had said nothing but the truth.

"She…she died."

Ilia had died. That part was entirely true.

Blake had watched the life drain out of her best friend's eyes.

Blake had failed to save Illia.

Blake had pulled Gambol Shroud out, but that only made the bleeding worse.

Ilia hadn't taken the news that Blake would be leaving for Beacon well. Blake should never have even told her. She'd just wanted to say goodbye. Perhaps a part of her hoped Ilia would validate her choice to go, that she'd support Blake and tell her that it was the right thing to do. Instead, Ilia tried to stop her by force. She'd attacked with a viciousness Blake had never seen in the little Faunus before and declared she'd rather die than allow Blake to leave.

In the end, Blake had to make a choice. Fight Ilia or return to the White Fang (and Adam) with her metaphorical tail tucked between her legs. Everyone knew that the Vale branch's leader never forgave, not even someone he thought he loved.

Beacon was a way to get away from that lunatic. Beacon was a chance to help people and make a difference, a real difference, the kind of difference she'd been failing to make in the years prior. And, as much as it tore Blake apart to lie about Ilia's death, Blake refused to tell the truth and be expelled over her involvement with the White Fang.

Weiss, Ruby, and Yang could never ever know, especially with the White Fang operating so close to home in Vale. Weiss may not have recognized the Fang when she'd fought them alongside Penny, but Blake could read between the lines of their story. No one else wore those uniforms. Blake had helped them in the early days of Dust theft, and the guilt still ate away at her. Even though she often felt responsible for the White Fang's malevolent actions, trying to stop them now would draw too much attention to her. Loathe as she to hide in the safety of the school, the best choice was to keep a low profile for now. The only choice, really.

Blake's voice wavered as she spoke. "Let's talk about something else."

"The dance is coming up," Yang said quietly.

"Yeah. I heard that Velvet's team, the Coffees, will be planning it. I bet they'll make it have some really fun theme, like tropical vacation or masquerade ball or…something" Ruby added, trying and failing to sound chipper. Blake didn't care. She was happy for an excuse to think of something other than Ilia.

She spared a glance at Weiss, who was staring distantly towards a window. Blake took a moment to calm herself before speaking.

"I'm surprised you haven't asked me out, Weiss."

Yang grabbed Ruby and stood up. "Hey sis, I just remembered that, uh, Nora said, uh…"

"…said she wanted help building sandcastles!"

"Right! That sounds believable! Let's go! We'll be back in a few!"

Weiss sighed. "Dolts, the both of them." To Blake's question, she explained, "I wanted to wait a little bit. When you found out about my feelings, I'd just referred to your people as non-sapient. It would've been tasteless to ask you out right then, and after that it never seemed like the right moment."

"Yeah, I guess we've constantly been food fighting, dealing with your new Atlesian BFF being weird, or having awkward conversations over board games." Blake nodded. "I appreciate you not forcing it."

Weiss looked away. "Of course, as we're both women, there is no social convention for who's expected to ask first. You could always be the one to…you know…"

Blake smiled. "I'll consider it, partner."

Weiss lit up immediately. "Thanks."

The two turned back to the board game, where Ruby and Yang's hands lay face down on the table. Blake turned to look at Weiss, who was looking right back at her.

"Shall we…?"

"We're new to the game. It's only fair."

"It's pretty much their own fault for leaving their cards unattended."

"We'd be remiss in our duties to Vale and Atlas if we didn't."

Blake peeked at Yang's cards, while Weiss looked at Ruby's.

Ren wasn't sure if he was supposed to pull out the chair or not. It seemed like the kind of thing he was supposed to do, but he could not for the life of him figure out why that was. What if there was some deeper subtext in Valean culture with which he was unfamiliar? What if pulling it out was insulting? What if not pulling it out was insulting?

In the end, he decided to play it safe and pull out the chair. Regardless of hidden meanings, it would make it easier for Sky to take a seat if he did. On the other hand, he could think of no way to justify inaction.

Sky thanked him as he sat down, and Ren exhaled. He'd made the right choice. Ren took the seat opposite Sky at their table.

Now what? He'd never done this before. Perhaps a compliment…

"Um, you look…nice?"

Sky blushed. "Thanks, you too. I'm glad we got to do this."

"As am I."

"To be honest, I wasn't entirely sure you were going to say yes."

"Why not?"

"Well, uh – it's just that…how to put this. No one in our team – in any of the teams, really – understands what's going on with you and Nora."

"We're not together. She's made that clear, numerous times. I was under the impression you knew."

"Yeah. I just didn't know if 'not together' meant a casual relationship – ya know, some 'no labels' kinda thing – or if it meant nothing at all."

"To be honest, Sky, I'm not sure if Nora herself understands."

"Do you…want her?"

"Nora is an exceptional person and an amazing partner."

Sky's face fell.

I suppose that phrasing was rather tactless, given our present situation. Ren backtracked desperately. "That is to say, an exceptional huntress and friend. When I said partners, I meant partners like you and Cardin. No, I cannot in honesty, say that I'm interested in Nora romantically."

Sky raised an eyebrow. "Not at all?"

Ren sighed. "To be perfectly honest, we've been together for so long that it would seem strange now. It would be like dating a sister, or a cousin. If Nora had asked me before, I probably would've said yes, but she never did. Whenever others inquired as to the nature of our relationship, she'd always vehemently call it 'not together-together.'" Ren scowled briefly. "She had her chance. Plenty of them. But for now, let's just enjoy one another's company."

The waiter arrived. Sky and Ren ordered, and the man jotted down their choices on a notepad. As he nodded and left, Ren decided to ask a question that had been on his mind for a while.

"So, why a torch?"

"Huh?"

"You wielded a battle axe during initiation before that thing destroyed it. Why make a torch for your next weapon rather than another axe?"

"Technically, Feather's Edge was a halberd. It's more like a cross between a pike and a battle axe. Anyways, I changed weapons for the same reason Weiss did. Our weapons failed us. The strategies and moves we built around them are stale, so it's time to adapt or die."

"Weiss said that about her rapier, Myrtenaster?"

"No, but I'm absolutely sure that's how she feels. When I used my halberd against the Grimm that night, I didn't even do any damage. You got some shots on it, and Nora even managed to take out a tusk, even if that didn't last cuz of the aura regenerating it back. Me? I was out of the fight immediately."

"Well, you did throw your axe, er, halberd at it. It's not surprising that you lost it."

"Yeah, but Feather's Edge is heavy. A strategy I've used since I was a kid was to toss my halberd, let opponents try to pick it up, and then rush them when they couldn't. I was always the biggest, strongest guy in combat school, but now…"

"…now there are enhanced Grimm, Invincible Girls, and Noras," Ren finished.

"Exactly. Initiation was a wakeup call. I'm no longer the toughest guy around, so I can't rely on brute strength and a big-ass weapon anymore. It's time to grow up. I made Arson because it's shaped close enough to Feather's Edge to apply mosta the moves I know, but the fire opens up a bunch of new doors for varied attacks, strategies, and such. It's time I fought with the biggest muscle of all."

"Ah, the quadriceps femoris."

"T-The brain."

Ren smiled. "Guess again."

The waiter brought out their meals and drinks, Sky with a deluxe barbecue bacon cheeseburger, and Ren with a cucumber sesame salad.

Ren looked at his glass of ice water. "If you don't mind, sir, would you be able to heat my water?"

The waiter nodded, took the glass, and returned to the kitchen.

"My turn to ask a question. What's up with the water?"

"Nora and I spent so much time on the road where our only source of water was streams or ponds. We didn't have the lien for utilities like purification tablets or filters, so our only recourse was to boil the water. I suppose that over the years, I've just become accustomed to it."

The waiter returned with the now warmer beverage.

"Thank you, sir," said Ren. "I appreciate your consideration."

The tall, blonde-haired man nodded. Sky's eyes followed his backside as he left.

"Should I be worried about him?" asked Ren, jokingly.

"Yes."

"…what?"

"Not like that. Did you notice our waiter speak at any time?"

"No, I guess not. Perhaps he speaks a different language."

"But he understood us perfectly."

"Could he be a lip reader? Why does it matter?"

Sky's eyes narrowed. "Something about him was wrong. The way that he looked at you – it was like he was trying to hide a grin."

"I'm sure it's nothing. But, if you're worried…" Ren called over a waitress attending to another table. "Ma'am, we were wondering–"

"I'm so sorry for the delay folks. We're a little short-staffed tonight. We'll get someone to your table right away."

Odd. Perhaps Sky was onto something.

"But…we were already served."

The woman blinked. "You were? By whom?"

"Some well-dressed waiter looking dude. Big guy, blonde hair. He didn't talk much. It worried me a little bit."

"I don't believe we don't have anyone by that description working here tonight." The waitress looked down at their served food and smiled. "But, if you've been served, I suppose I must be wrong. It's not like the food just came out of thin air."

Sky touched his burger, and it disintegrated into tiny shards of glass that slowly disappeared.

StormFlower and Arson were out in an instant.

"You brought your weapon on our date?"

"So did you!"

The two raced to the back kitchen, just in time to see a short woman waving at them with a scroll in her hand. She winked a pink eye at the two boys, and vanished.

Omake

Ruby: I've got you now, Yang!

Blake: *plays card*

Yang: You saved my ass, Blake. Oh, I could kiss you right about now!

Weiss: *draws weapon* Try it, bitch.

Next Chapter: Ironwood – In which three veterans of an eternal war come together to induct a tenderfoot, ponder an entity with godlike powers, and talk out their feelings.

Author's Notes - New fanfic started! Be sure to check out my next work, titled 'K'! It's also finished, it's completely separate from TES, and it's much shorter (50 chapters, ~192 words).