Blake was gone.
They have searched for her for the past few days and found nothing. Not even a trace of her last known location. It's like she completely disappeared off the face of Remnant. The barbarian had assisted them with finding Blake, but her tracking skills were unsuited for an urban environment. In hindsight, she did say that she wasn't a "manhunter", which Weiss assumed was their version of a bounty hunter.
Speaking of which, Ruby appeared to be more sullen after Blake's disappearance. She always maintained a face of etiquette, but ever since Blake ran away, she appeared more contemplative. She was depressed even. It baffled Weiss because they should've known that something like this would happen. They're assassins, why should they form bonds in a dangerous environment where one wrong move could spell the end for both?
She shook her head, before crossing out another potential location for Blake's location. All that remains for possible locations where Blake was located was in the Industrial District, which had a recent uptick in White Fang activity.
Yang should come back from the store any minute now, Weiss takes a sip of her drink.
She was undoubtedly conspiring with the local cells sharing what she told her. Weiss gritted her teeth, whatever that thing did to her scroll, it completely purged the data Xavier gave her about Ruby. Her threat about Lisa still carries weight, but she still needed that evidence. She knows her way about the media, without anything to back her word. Lisa would most likely create a media storm about her being paranoid about Fang attacks. Her train of thought was interrupted when Yang sat in front of her.
"So…"
"So?"
"Your scroll, Weiss. It's been a few days since Blake left, and I think it's time for me to ask some questions."
Weiss didn't respond.
"So, your scroll."
"I already said what happened."
"I know that's not the full story Weiss. It was stolen, yes, but that doesn't explain why your scroll had a pic of Blake, much less thrown into our dorm. Whenever someone asks about what happened, you get cagey."
Weiss bit her lip, how exactly does she explain the incident without sounding completely insane?
"I want you to tell me everything that happened Weiss. I know we didn't see eye to eye in the past. But I'm willing to overlook that if it means we can find out what happened that day."
Weiss looks away, trying to come up with a lie, though a glance back at Yang shows that she would most likely see through it. Then it hit her, the best lies are those that contain a half-truth.
"Well, I can't say because what happened wouldn't make sense unless you were there to see it."
"Weiss, our teammate was a White Fang, we slept and ate together and she was a Fang. I think I could understand whatever happened in the Emerald Forest."
"Well…" Here goes. "After we slaughtered some of the local Grimm, we took a short break. Blake was exhausted after testing out a new ability I developed, and she was sitting by a fallen tree."
"Ok… go on."
"Well, we started discussing grades, and Blake was interested in learning business as a retirement goal after she's done with being a Huntsman. She wanted to see an example of how things are done at the SDC."
"Wow, Blake's into business?"
"I know, right? Could you imagine someone like Blake in a suit?"
Yang went silent for a moment before she thought hard about it. Her face went a little red at the idea to which Weiss scoffed before continuing.
"When I took out my scroll to show her how things are done at the SDC… barring the… you know. A juvenile Nevermore attacked me, and the whole ordeal was strange. It's hard to properly describe…"
"Strange?"
"Yang, you're aware of Nevermores taking trophies from their victims right?"
"It's something I remember from Professor Port's class, why?"
"Well, during his delusional ramblings, has he ever mentioned a Nevermore that immediately dropped their attack to focus on an object, and then immediately runs away?"
"Weiss, are you sure-."
"I am sure!" She interrupted. "It attacked me when I took out my scroll to some meetings from the SDC, and when I dropped it. It just… hissed at me before flying away. Not only that, it was strange in its appearance, it didn't look like a Grimm."
"What?"
"It didn't look like a Grimm. Grimm have eyes full of hate, and their appearance is feral and dangerous. The Nevermore? Black, empty soulless eyes, streams of black down its face, and it looked too clean. Have you ever heard of a Grimm that looks anything similar to what I've said?"
Yang shrugged her shoulders. Her face remained skeptical and Weiss could see it.
"Well, you can ask Blake about it, but since she's missing… All you can do is trust my word on it."
"Hmm, did you at least tell the teachers about this?"
"Why would they believe me? I don't even have video evidence to support my claim, and the other person that could back me up is currently missing and a dangerous criminal."
"No, she isn't! She's been with us since Initiation, there's no way she's a traitor!" Yang said in Blake's defense.
"She's White Fang Yang. I fully know what those supremacists are capable of, she viewed us as nothing more than pawns in her schemes to kill me. Remember, the innocent never run Yang."
A waiter came up to them, he placed down the bill. Weiss takes out her credit card and hands it over to the Waiter. The two were silent on the trip back.
Another objective crossed out. She still needs to work on building a rapport with Yang. Now, she needs to pay for another copy of Ruby's diary.
That incident still replays vividly in Weiss's head. The empty eyes, the hissing, the stealing of her scroll. It was too fantastical for someone to even explain without sounding insane. Grimm interested in items instead of the destruction of Humanity? It seemed like an impossibility, and yet it happened.
Not only that, but Ruby has something to do with it, or at least is related to what happened. The Grimm somehow managed to purge her scroll of everything related to Ruby, and that's the one Weiss couldn't wrap her head around.
WHY would a Grimm delete knowledge about a White Fang spy? Obviously Ruby didn't know about their trip, nor her plans to blackmail Blake into working against her. But somehow, that Grimm seemed keen on protecting her, it attacked her when she took out her scroll to threaten Blake. It stopped attacking when she dropped her scroll and flew away. Then suddenly her scroll was locked in a box that suddenly vanished when morning came, containing an image of Blake's cat ears and her connection to the White Fang.
Weiss paused and looked at the Library in front of her. This entire situation sounds insane now she thinks about it, but it all happened. She NEEDS to know more, to plan, to get rid of that barbarian. Yet the more she seems to delve into this rabbit hole, the farther the light seems to get.
Doubt. Doubt for the first time since she and Ruby started their feud crept into Weiss's mind. An unwillingness to meet Xavier, to get another copy.
Was it worth the effort to continue down the rabbit hole? Was it worth it to fall through the world and see the indescribable?
She gritted her teeth. She was hesitating, Hesitating! Even that barbarian was right with one thing: Hesitation is defeat. Yet she can't bring herself to enter the library. Why? Was she scared? Regretful? No, she wasn't regretful, what she was doing was right. In fact, this situation made Ruby even more suspicious and dangerous. She has Grimm protecting her from Weiss. Was the White Fang domesticating Grimm and somehow succeeding?!
She has to know more! She must!
And so she entered the library. She sent a message to Xavier earlier, so he should be in a quiet, far away location from any prying eyes.
Past this bookshelf, then this desk, and then Weiss froze.
In the distance was Hera Bianco, the leader of Team HRLD, talking to Xavier. She quickly ducks behind one of the bookshelves, before peaking. The two seem to be casually chatting before Hera takes out some Lien, high denominations. Xavier was eager to take the cash, before transferring something to her scroll.
He… He's selling Ruby's Diary to other people?! She didn't expect this! She thought they had an unspoken agreement!
Hera turned around, and Weiss quickly hid in the nearby bookshelves. Covering her face with a random book she pulled from the shelf, she hears Hera's footsteps get closer and closer before they start getting fainter with each step. Once she hears Hera is away from the area, Weiss emerges from hiding, and power walks to Xavier.
The brunette boy was in the middle of eating his lunch when he saw Weiss angrily walking to him. He quickly finished chewing and started to stutter his words.
"W-w-Weiss! I didn't expect you to come so-."
"What was that?!" She hissed at him.
"What was-."
"Don't make any excuses. I saw you with Hera. What were you thinking?"
"Now Weiss, I'm just the merchant, and I have to sell my wares if I want to make a living. Besides, my parents cut my credit card because of my grades and I need some cash."
"W-what? Beacon already provides us with a monthly stipend, on top of the Lien we can earn from missions, and you want more money?"
"You see," he takes a bite from his sandwich. "That money, I use for Dust, supplies, and working on my weapon. By the time I'm done with it, I barely have enough to enjoy myself for the hard work I do. So you can see why I need to expand my options for revenue. "
"That doesn't justify you going behind my back and selling her diary to other people! We had an agreement?"
"We?" He laughs. "We never had such an agreement. You wanted me to melt my brains out translating Ruby's god-forsaken, and I mean that literally, language so you can have a one-up against her."
Weiss remained silent at his words.
"Besides, Hera and the rest of HRLD are nice. They've decided to go full in on helping you get rid of Ruby, plus," He looked at the Lien on the table. "They pay well for my services, like you."
He takes a sip from his drink. "Well, I suppose you're here for another copy then. I heard someone throw a brick into your dorm's window a few nights ago, did anything happen that day?"
"No, someone thought Ruby still lived with us and decided to terrorize the wrong room." She quickly lied.
"Eh, not my problem. Cash?"
Weiss takes out Lien and hands it over to Xavier, who greedily snatches it from her hands. He then grabs his scroll and sends a copy to Weiss's scroll.
"Done. You should have another copy, I'm not sure why you somehow deleted your copy, but that's none of my business. I should thank you, Schnee."
"For?"
"You gave me a nice, profitable business. People here would want to know how to mess with Grimm Angel, and they'll sell their souls if it means learning how to get rid of her."
"...So you're going to continue selling-."
"Of course, I would! Who wouldn't? This is literary gold right here, I just got to make sure the faculty doesn't know about the deals, and I can make bank while not having to work a sweat! Knowledge is power, and power is money, and money makes me happy and the world goes round."
Weiss's eyes widened. This was quickly spiraling out of control. She knows HRLD would keep it to themselves, but selling it to the entire school?! She would have dragged JNPR and Yang down with Ruby with rumors and scandals, and her rep-.
She stopped, before slamming her hands on the table, startling Xavier.
"How much?"
"What?'
"How much to keep it buried. Just you, me, and HRLD? How. Much?"
"Well…"
"Triple? Quadruple? Just name your price."
"Quadruple sounds nice, I could even get a car with that amount of money. Hell, perhaps early retirement and I barely have to fight Grimm." He chuckles at the idea.
"Good, just… give me a few days to transfer the money in an unscrupulous way."
Weiss sat down, deep in thought. This was snowballing out of control, and she barely stopped it before it got bigger. Before she can think deeper. Something hit her face.
"Ow?" She looked down at the table to see. "A fortune cookie?"
"Ya know, you confuse me, Schnee." He takes another sip. "I can't get a bead on you. Me and HRLD have their priorities straight, yet you seem to flip-flop. I thought spreading and selling Ruby's diary would help, yet you clearly don't want that. I thought you would be glad too. Especially since you're a hypocrite backstabber."
"I'm not a hypocrite! This was for the good of everyone. She's dangerous!" She snapped.
"...Riight~." He doesn't believe Weiss, to which she scoffed.
"Well, what I'm trying to say is simple. I'm doing this for the money, to get rich. HRLD hates Ruby, they think she's nothing more than a freeloader who is only here because she's Ozpin's special toy. You…I don't get you. There's something more to it, I thought it was reputation, but now I'm not sure."
He points to the fortune cookie. "Which is why you should try your luck with fate."
"Fate? I'm not superstitious."
"Oh, but it can help. Fate and destiny are the rage right now, especially since the news about the Princess in Red and the Eclipse. People are flocking to know if they're going to be alright, if they're going to die, what their fate is etc. All I'm saying is that you should give it a chance, and see what your destiny lies."
Weiss looked at him, then at the cookie. She mulled it over for a moment, before shrugging her shoulders. She's not exactly losing anything, and it would just be pointless nonsense either way, she can use the free snack.
She opened the packaging, before snapping the cookie in two and taking out the note inside. Her heart sank when she read what was written on it.
The first domino has fallen
Blake falls onto her bed, exhausted and extremely sore. Ever since she was exposed, she never stopped running, darting from safehouse to safehouse. Using aliases and resorting to stealing. It's been a few days, yet she feels like she's been running for months. She looked at the calendar hanging from the wall, it's Wednesday. She groans and sinks deeper into the bed.
This is the third place she's been to this week. She can never stop running now, at least she should be able to stay at this hotel for some time.
There was a pleasing thought for her this week: she was able to accomplish her goals for today.
Raid. There is going to be a Dust raid at the dockyards in two days. Rapid insertion through the use of Bullheads and then quick extraction of the Dust. Now that begs the question.
What now?
She's been reduced to a paranoid state, constantly checking the news if Weiss followed through on her threat. She can't go back to Beacon, not only that, she's being stalked. If not by someone, then something. That Nevermore and those Black-eyed Grimm, those weren't normal Grimm. She checked the CCTnet for anything that resembled it, but all she got were fairy tales and religious texts that were just exaggerating for the sake of telling the story.
Now she has two options, death from raid, prison, or death by stalker.
All she just wants to do is sink into a deep sleep and disappear from the world.
She should've never run from home.
She should've never listened to Adam.
She should've just listened to her parents.
Now she destroyed her life beyond belief, with no hope of crawling back into the light. She can't go back to the light she once had.
…
She is a Faunus. She's far from home. She is a coward. There's nothing for her to do here, nothing that she can do. Maybe she…
There was banging from the door. The wolf of despair howls, as it loses its next victim as Blake goes full alert. She grabs Gambol Shroud and points the barrel at the door. Her ears didn't hear anything beyond the knocking, but she wasn't sure if it was the police using the hotel staff as a pawn.
"Blake?" Sun's voice is heard through the door. "Blake, are you here?"
What?
"What?!"
She ran to the door and looked through the peephole. Sun must've heard her footsteps, as he put his face close to the peephole.
"Hello~."
Blake unlocks the door and slightly opens it.
"Sun, what the hell are you doing here?" She hissed at him.
"What are YOU doing here? Silver said that you ran out of Beacon for no reason when I asked about you. What happened?"
"T-tha-that's not important. Just leave Sun." She tried to close the door, but Sun's foot was in the way.
"Sun!" She angrily said as Sun forced his way inside.
"Gods. You don't look so good, Blake, be serious for me. What happened."
"Nothing! I…I just have some insomnia. I just have to face my problems directly… instead of running away."
"You're right, but you look like you're pushing yourself too hard. You always have me around if you need help. You could've just given me a call… you do have my scroll number right?"
"It's…" She sighed, before walking back to her bed and falling onto it.
"Sun, have you ever realized how badly you messed up in life."
"From time to time, why?"
"That's what I'm feeling right now. I fucked up…badly."
"How badly?"
"Stalker and angry Schnee."
"Ohhh…"
"Which is why," She stood up. "I want you to leave."
"Why?!"
"Because there are things that I don't drag more people into! I already got Weiss down my neck, someone has been following me and exposing my ears! I barely had any sleep! I just-!" She screams in frustration.
Sun remained silent to Blake's outburst. When he tried to say something. Blake stopped him.
"If I need you, I'll call you… Just… just let me have some sleep."
Sun simply nodded, before leaving the room. Blake looks at the door, her face in a depressive frown before flopping to her bed and quickly falling asleep.
Blake woke up to the sound of her scroll ringing. Her mind is foggy from exhaustion as she struggles to pick up her scroll. An unknown caller. Most likely a scam caller who somehow got her number. She accepts the call.
"Mmm, no I'm not-."
"Blake?"
Blake's mind shot awake. That voice. That voice she thought she would never hear again. She sat there, in fear and shock. A tear starts to form in her eye as she struggles to formulate her words.
"M-mom?"
"Blake!" she exclaimed. "Blake, I… I missed you so much. We missed you so much. We've been worried sick about you!"
"Mom… I… I…" She started crying, she cried like she was a child again. Oh, how she missed her parents so much. She has so much to say.
"Blake… What's wrong?"
"Mom… I messed… I messed up really badly. I…"
"Blake… don't worry. I'm here now. Your mother is here to take you home."
"Really? A-are you sure?"
"Yes. Oh, I can just tell, you're absolutely devastated about what happened. Uh, Blake. Where are you so I can pick you up?"
"Oh… I'm at 41st Street, Jade Square Hotel, 8th floor, room 809. Please, come quick. I don't want to stay here anymore. I want to go home."
There was a period of silence before Kali spoke again.
"So Blake. Tell me, what happened to you? What happened to that fiery passion from before?"
"Life… and stuff… I don't feel confident talking over the phone. I just want to see you again."
"Oh, don't you worry. I'm on my way, but please. Tell me what's on your mind so I can help you."
"Well… It's the Schnee, Weiss Schnee. She broke into Ruby's locker and got her diary translated, and then she blackmailed me into helping her get rid of Ruby!"
"I'm… sorry… did you say "Ruby", Blake?" Kali sounded angry for some reason, but Blake ignored it.
"Yes! She violated her privacy… and so did I. I betrayed her and I felt hollow ever since. I just… I don't know what to do. But she read through her diary and found out that I was a Faunus."
There was another brief pause.
"Blake… Ruby is quite known in Menagerie. She became popular after you left… How is she?"
"I… Wait, why do you even care?"
"She… is very important in Menagerie. A close advisor to your father."
"W-what? I think I would've heard about this from the White Fang, besides Ruby's from an unknown kingdom, not from Menangire." A pit starts to form in Blake as she grows suspicious.
"Oh, all of that. Fake, fabricated, she likes to keep a web of intrigue you know."
"Did she also have a prosthetic arm made from Moonstone, in a region of the world where we can't even make our own prosthetics, that also exceeds Atlas's prosthetics?"
"Well… I… Oh look I see the hotel! Don't worry Blake, I-."
"What's my favorite drink?"
"What?"
"What's my favorite drink?"
"...Tea obviously. What mother wouldn't know their childe's favorite drink?"
"What flavor?"
"...Green tea?"
Blake's arm shakes in anger. "You… you… Do you think this is fucking funny? Did Weiss send you to mock me, to use my mother's voice? You're fucking inhuman!" She lashed out at the person who dared to mimic her mother's voice.
"...Oh Blake," Kali?'s voice suddenly went into a monotone. "You have no clue what you've stumbled into."
"W-what?!"
Kali? Laughed, it was cold and sadistic. "Your defilement shall cease, and she shall return. All shall be right once again. I thank thee… for thy idiocy."
The call suddenly ended. A ticking can be heard in the room, Blake sat there trying to process what happened… until her ears faintly heard something hitting the floor in the hallway outside.
Followed by the sound of flesh being crushed.
Panicking, she runs to lock the door, before heading back to the bedroom. The stalker… The stalker is here. That's the only explanation! But… she needs to hide. She grabs Gambol Shroud and considers her options.
The window is risky, and the Stalker is currently in the hallway. Maybe she could trick them somehow? She decides to leave the bathroom light on, and then she drops the towel near the slit of the door. That way, her pursuer would think she's in the bathroom. She then opens the window.
Three, loud bangs echoed in the room.
"Blake~. Your mother is here~." Kali?'s voice can be heard outside the door
She hides quickly under the bed, Gambol Shroud in her hand.
Two bangs followed, then there was a brief period of silence before the door was broken down.
"Blake~. I'm here… Where are you~?" Kali? enters the room.
All sound seems to become muffled, as that ticking grows louder in Blake's head. Step by step. The imposter looks around. Bake sees that they're armored somewhat, wearing white armored boots. They are also large.
"I know you're here~." A sadistic, ethereal laughter was heard. "I can just… taste the fear from the air~."
The imposter stops next to the bed. Blake tries not to breathe and maintain her composure, but she's panicking internally.
"Ah~. There you are~!" She stared wide-eyed at the boots, expecting the bed to be turned over.
The imposter walks to the bathroom. The imposter chuckles. "You know you can't hide forever Blake~."
Blake's plan was working, the door was too risky, but she could try climbing down the window. She prepares to leave the bed.
The bathroom door was broken through with a great crash.
"Why delay the inevitable Blake~? You know, thus you die~."
The rest of the bathroom door was broken down, and Blake crawled out from the bed and silently moved to the window. Looking down, a fear of heights hits her, but she must overcome this fear. She grits her teeth as she is about to jump.
A chilling gaze pierces her soul.
She turns around.
Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock.
Black. Black, no features. She can see only black because of the shadow from the light in the bathroom.
It was large, way bigger than a human, and it barely fit in the bathroom. But above its head was a halo, it was unknown, dangerous. She lost her breath when she realized the truth about her pursuer.
IT WAS LOOKING DIRECTLY AT HER, AND IT WAS NOT HUMAN.
She jumped out of the window. That was not a human, not human, those two words repeating in her mind. That was the thing that mimicked her mother's voice.
She used her ribbon to pull herself onto the nearby roof, and she heard the sound of concrete and glass being smashed. There was only one thought in her mind now.
Run.
Heavy, rapid footsteps stomp behind Blake as she jumps to another roof. The sounds of claws scraping the ground as she dives into a nearby alleyway, and she watches as the thing lunges to her previous location. It moved so fast that it appeared like a blur. However, her short victory is ruined when she hits the railing of a fire escaping causing her to tumble painfully to the ground.
With a hard crack, and the flashing of her aura, Blake slowly gets up, before her intuition kicks in and she flashes away from her position. Half a second later, a lance pierces the ground, before quickly dissolving. The THING lands on the ground as Blake continues to run away. An inhuman howl is heard echoing in the alleyways.
Left, right, left, left. She dodges another lunge as it slams into the brick wall. Screams can be heard as it quickly looks up and dashes inside. They went silent shortly after as it ran out of the hole it made.
Never look back, never look back.
She heard a hard stomp and used Earth Dust to make a clone. Right after that, another lance struck the clone, tearing the upper half off. There's no way she could fight that thing!
Right, right, left, left. She slips on a bottle and falls. She's panicking severely now, her breathing is erratic. She takes out Gambol Shroud and fires at the THING while on the ground. The THING seems to slow down, was she injuring it?
An ethereal, sadistic laugh is heard. Blake screams as she unloads her entire magazine into the gigantic, shadow-obscured figure. Even with her natural night vision, she couldn't make out what the THING was. It takes a step with each pull of the trigger.
It was mocking her.
"WHAT DO YOU WANT?!"
She can see it crouch down, the sound of bone and flesh crunching and reforming. She used a clone to dash away as it lunged at her. Claw-rending concrete, it eviscerated the clone.
She continues to run, right, right, right, left, right, left.
Dead end.
Dead end.
DEAD END.
"No, nonononono NO!"
More laughter, it was behind her. She can't escape. She could climb, but it would take too much time.
She turned around, the figure slowly approaching as she fell to her knees. Tears streamed down her face. It appears it would take its time to kill Blake.
This is it.
This is how she dies.
Not a quick death via a bullet to the head, but a cruel, inhuman slow death through whatever was following her.
A whistle.
A whistle echoed in the alleyways.
"C'mon, they're this way!" A voice echoed in the alleyways.
The THING stopped and seemed confused. The sound of multiple footsteps can be heard.
"Code 10-23, we're pursuing the suspect. Requesting reinforcement ASAP!"
Wait, that voice…
She could tell the THING was conflicted, its claw moving back and forth as the policemen got closer.
It stomps the ground, before letting out an inhuman roar of rage before lifting off into the sky, never to be seen again.
Oh gods… it could fly too.
One person and four glowing people ran towards Blake. The glowing ones quickly dissipated, as she realized who her savior was: Sun.
"Holy shit, Blake are you alright?"
She just stared at him, before she started to cry, she started crying hard. Tears and snot come down as Sun hugs her.
"Shhhh, it's going to be ok."
They remained in that position for some time, Blake's crying slowly turned into sniffling, and then panicked shuddering breaths.
"I-I… I'll tell you everything. Everything I know Sun."
"Do you need me to take you back?"
"No, no no. Just. There's a safe house nearby. Just… listen to what I say."
"Gods, I'm so tired."
WN: They are persistent for a reason. They never stop, they never tired. They exist to serve, and they are feared for a reason. Their terror has been rebirthed, by a Faunus who made the mistake of becoming a Know.
Terminology used:
Know- A term forced upon someone. To acquire it usually leads to a short life. Knowledge is power after all, and there are those who will kill to keep said knowledge buried. Their victims were "in the Know".