Author's Note: Sometimes I feel like Jaune changes subtly between each chapter, and I think it's partially a natural consequence of the time it takes me to write new chapters, and me being in a different headspace each time. It also probably has to do with the fact that aside from some overarching plots, I don't have a lot of things planned out. I kinda let things go along and develop as I write, because otherwise I'd be too caught up in planning the whole thing that I'd probably be creating maps of Remnant in order to properly gauge the time it takes for characters to travel from place to place and whatnot.
Well, no one's perfect, and I'm trying my best.
Also, here's a long one.
Sins of the Forefathers
Act the First: A Beacon of Hope
Chapter Fourteen: Two Week's Notice
"Weiss."
"Yes, Mother."
"Explain to me why you have chosen to not follow the family's footsteps and join the Specialists. Explain to me why you have chosen to instead follow the path of the southern barbarians."
"Of course, Mother." Weiss bowed, her off-center ponytail dipping forward, long white locks almost touching the ground. Raising back up and looking her mother in the eye - no, not in the eye, that was for equals, looking down at the floor as one subservient should - she began to speak. "Being that the Schnee Family has firmly entrenched its superiority in Atlas, I felt that it was time we expanded our reputation to other countries. Vale, having the closest political and cultural ties to Atlas, would be the easiest to expand our name to. Its economy is also the second freest of the four nations, after Mistral, meaning that expanding the SDC onto Sanus would also be viable while still falling within acceptable margins of risk."
"How would attending Beacon Academy lead to expanding the SDC?"
"As a natural consequence of my inevitable success in Beacon, the Schnee name - and therefore the SDC - will gain a foothold in the consciousness of Valean Guardians-in-training. The wealthier and more successful ones among them will naturally thus have incentive to order the SDC's premium Dust, as my success will be attributed to the superior Dust at my disposal in comparison to the crude Dust offered by competitors. From there, the SDC will spread in the public's consumer consciousness - especially when I achieve success in the Vytal Festival Tournament in two years - until the popularity of our Dust will surpass that of competitors and we can begin to make proper footholds in the country of Vale, buying out competing mines and shops."
Though Weiss' eyes remained on the floor as expected of one in her station, she could see her mother nod a bit in the corner of her eyes.
"A solid plan, though there is some concern, my daughter… all the success you predict presumes your own capacity to achieve success at Beacon Academy." She paused, and pursed her lips. "Are you that confident in your abilities?"
"Of course, Mother. I am your daughter, after all-"
"Don't flatter me Weiss, I'm not some Mistralian courtier." Willow stood up, turning away from her daughter and looking out the window of her room. She gazed out at her private garden and aviary, containing rare birds from across Remnant. A bright-feathered bird flew by and caught her attention before she sighed. "Ozpin, the Headmaster of Beacon, is well known to be an eccentric man… powerful, but eccentric. It is possible that he may bite the political bullet and place you in charge of whatever team you end up on, as Atlas Academy makes sure to do for our family… but it is equally possible that he will not." After a moment more, she glanced over her shoulder at Weiss. "How confident are you that you will still shine brightly enough to be noticed if you are not selected to be the leader?"
At this, Weiss simply smiled at her mother, taking the chance to dare to look her in the eyes. "There is a precedence for Schnee women to hold true power while others hold the attentions of the masses-"
"By the Brothers, Weiss, what did I just say about flattery? On anyone else that might have been a good move, but in this instance? Zero points. Not to mention you contradicted your own point of standing out - how can you stand out if you intend to be a shadow power?" Willow sighed, turning to face her daughter fully. "I will have your tutors review proper rhetoric with you. Regardless of where you end up going, you can't afford to embarrass yourself like that…" She gazed down at her hip, where a thin rapier hung loosely. Weiss' eyes were drawn to it as well - Optimates, the Schnee Ancestral Weapon, going as far back as the Great War. A rare blade, it was composed of an alloy of Brightsteel and Darksteel, and it's value was inestimable. The only possible drawback, from a technical standpoint, was that it was crafted in the days before transforming weapons had been invented, and so it was nothing more than a simple rapier; though the guard was masterfully crafted, a perfect mix of both stylistic and functional design.
Weiss hoped that it would be hers, one day. Though that seemed unlikely, given her elder sister's penchant for success - and yet, wasn't that why she was doing this in the first place? To stand out, to show that she didn't need the family's help to be successful, and therefore prove that she should be Heiress, and not Winter?
"Mother," Weiss began, seizing Willow's interest with her audacious decision to speak first, "what would you have me do to prove myself capable?"
Willow gazed at her daughter, reading her face and posture, seeking the slightest sign of deceit. All she needed was one tell - one flinch, to throw in her daughter's face and refuse her request.
She found none. For perhaps the first time in her young life, Weiss was completely serious about her desire to attend Beacon Academy instead of Atlas Academy.
Willow smirked. "Follow me." With no further discussion, she walked out of her private office, Weiss following at the customary two paces behind.
…
Weiss stood at attention in the estate sparring hall. It was a large, barren room, with only a glass ceiling to allow light in - the better to prevent damages to the room.
Her mother stood in front of her, though she had changed from her office attire to her sparring clothes - typical fencer's garb, it was a plain white unitard made of thick cloth. In her right hand was Optimates, unsheathed, but with a rubber cover placed over the tip. Willow had also tied her hair into a back ponytail to prevent it from interfering with her form.
Weiss stared at her mother's blade- once, it had belonged to her ancestor, Brutus Schnee, and with it, he and Gaius Caesar had conquered Old Mantle. The metal was beautifully patterned, with the Brightsteel and Darksteel alloys alternating in waves and curved lines along the edges and spine of the blade.
Weiss spared a glance over to the wall. Klein, her personally assigned butler, was there, holding a first-aid kit. He was short for a grown man, standing at about five-foot-four, and portly, but his posture was textbook for his station. Alongside him was Jeoffry, her mother's personally assigned butler, a tall, wiry man with a hooked nose and wire-framed glasses. One more attendant was there, a Faunus maid with dog-ears. She was Delilah, her brother's personally assigned maid. Speaking of her brother-
Whitley stood against the wall, his hands clasped behind his back in a parade rest stance. His eyes were the most focused on Weiss and Willow compared to those of the servants. His weapons, a pistol-dagger and Dust imbued shortsword, hung from the sides of his hips.
"Whitley."
"Yes, Mother."
"Pay close attention to this duel. It is not often that I have the time to personally instruct you, but this opportunity should suffice for now."
"Yes, Mother."
Willow turned to Weiss. "To reiterate, the rules of this duel are thus - you may use anything at your disposal, whereas I will only use physical attacks. You will succeed if you manage to injure me, and I use that wording specifically - glancing blows or light taps will not count. If you intend to prove yourself to me, prove that nothing will stop you - not even me."
Weiss nodded and assumed her stance, standing straight up with her feet together and keeping Myrtenaster in front of her, angling her body slightly to the left so her left hand was in the lead.
Willow narrowed her eyes at this before placing her helm on her head, the wire mesh obscuring her face. She then assumed her stance, spreading her legs wide but leaning her torso back, keeping Optimates pointed straight in front of her.
Right, Weiss thought, beginning to circle around her mother as she planned her offense. Mother uses the Old Valean School of Fencing, the same as Brutus used in the Great War. It was originally designed as a self defense system, something that could easily be picked up and used… and she wants me to strike first, hence her defensive stance.
As she circled, her mother didn't move much, simply pivoting in place while retaining her stance.
She wants me to attack first… well, that was the plan!
A Glyph appeared under Weiss and in an instant she was flying forward, her left arm drawn back in preparation for a thrust. As she approached her mother, she pulled Myrtenaster's trigger, sending Fire Dust flowing through the blade's channels, and she thrust her arm forward-
Only to have her momentum completely arrested as her mother simply leaned forward and thrust her own arm forward, Optimates striking Weiss' chest before Weiss could fully extend her arm. Weiss was flung back but caught herself with a Glyph, a pure-white snowflake surrounded by a circle appearing in the air to stop her. It turned black and held her in place as she grit her teeth and summoned more, an array of white Glyphs in the air. She pressed the trigger of Myrtenaster once more while cycling through the chambers of the revolving action, and Dust flowed out of the tip and into each Glyph, imbuing them with various elements.
She repositioned herself, and saw as her mother switched stances to a high guard.
In that case-!
The Glyphs around her burst as they released their elemental discharges, with bolts of lightning, balls of fire, and razor thin icicles shooting out at Willow - all aiming above her waist. Her mother kept up with the barrage, either deflecting or dodging each shot with ease.
Weiss then turned the Glyph she was attached to and angled downward. When her mother turned and exposed her back to deflect an icicle, Weiss activated the Glyph and rocketed forward, her blade held horizontally to completely unseat her mother-
Only to once again be knocked aside as her mother turned with the motion of her deflection and kicked Weiss square in the face, her mother's heel smashing against her nose. This time, Weiss tumbled and rolled across the ground before she caught herself, flipping back into her stance.
With a low, instinctual growl, Weiss pulled the trigger of Myrtenaster once more, sending lightning coursing down the blade. With more Glyphs summoned in the air, she launched herself, shooting forward, but this time, she aimed herself not at her mother, but next to her, passing by with her blade extended in an attempt to deliver a passing blow.
Her mother dodged it - because of course she did, though Weiss acknowledged that it was a wiser response than blocking her electrified blade and taking the shock. Still, she didn't expect to land with the first shot.
With an array of floating Glyphs surrounding her mother, Weiss pinballed herself back and forth, each time aiming herself in such a manner as to force her mother to abandon her stances and restrict her movements.
And then - her chance came. Her mother's stance had thinned, her feet closer together than they normally would be.
Weiss pulled the trigger and sent ice Dust down her blade, as she came in from an overhead Glyph and jammed Myrtenaster in the ground. Ice spread out from the point of impact and surrounded her mother's feet, locking her in place. With a flash, she pulled Myrtenaster from the ground and thrust it at her mother once more.
Willow was not deterred by her lack of a proper stance, and simply deflected the blade, delivering a quick slap to Weiss' wrist with the flat of Optimates. Weiss grit her teeth through the pain and held on, pulling her blade back before thrusting again and again, each attack parried and riposted by her mother.
Finally, Willow decided to settle things and waited until Weiss performed some ridiculous pirouette before she delivered a quick thrust to Weiss' sternum. It prevented Weiss' next attack as well as shattered her Aura, and Willow took the opportunity to flick her blade and rip Myrtenaster out of Weiss' hands completely.
As it came flying, the blade of Myrtenaster flipped over, pointing towards Weiss-
"Young Madam!" Klein gasped, immediately rushing over with the first aid kit. Weiss had collapsed and was holding her hand over her left eye, but Klein was swiftly attending to her.
Willow kept a cold expression as she broke the ice keeping her in place. "Jeoffry," she called as she sheathed Optimates.
"Yes, Madam?"
"Remind me to fire Weiss' combat instructor," she said as she removed her helmet. "If this is all my daughter is capable of, he isn't worth what we've been paying-"
She started as a hand grasped her shoulder, turning her around. As Willow turned, her eyes widened as she saw Weiss' right arm reared back, before slamming into Willow's cheek.
Whitley gasped, as did the servants, but then they fell silent and looked to Willow, in wait for her response.
To Weiss' dismay, her mother didn't even have the decency to have her head knocked back - she stonewalled it, the punch merely leaving a bloody print.
Still, Weiss remained steadfast and stood tall as she declared, "Nothing will stop me from achieving my goals, Mother. Not this injury, and not even you."
Willow narrowed her eyes and held her left hand out. Immediately Jeoffry handed her a hot towel, which she used to wipe the blood from her face.
As they stared at each other, Weiss holding strong and Willow showing no signs of tiredness, the others in the room held themselves still, until finally-
"Very well, Weiss. You pass. However, your combat skills are atrocious - all acrobatics and flashy moves. We are still going to fire your combat instructor."
"But Mother-!"
"And in exchange," Willow continued, "I will personally instruct you until you leave for Beacon."
Weiss' eyes widened - Even Winter hasn't received personal training from Mother! - and she nodded. "Of course! Gladly!"
Willow nodded back. "Good." She turned away. "I will send for you. In the meantime, continue your studies as usual. Oh, and," she glanced over at the wall, "do train with your brother some more. You have grown too accustomed to fighting your instructor - you must face multiple opponents to truly grow as a fighter."
Weiss composed herself and bowed. "Of course, Mother." With all the tension gone, she finally let herself go, and began to heave from the exhaustion of the battle.
"Klein, make sure Weiss receives proper treatment for her injury. If she loses her eye, so will you. Jeoffry, fire Weiss' combat instructor."
"Yes, Madam," the two butlers said in trained unison.
"Whitley?"
"Yes, Mother?"
"Do be sure to train with Weiss as I said."
"Yes, Mother."
Willow walked away, leaving the others to scramble and fulfill her wishes.
Amber pointed at a chair. "Sit," she commanded.
Blake obeyed, though not without thinking that if Adam saw, he would be livid. 'Sit? Does she think of you as some pet to be trained? Kill her!'
Blake ignored her mental vision's commands and waited patiently, taking the opportunity to look around.
Amber's living room - or at least she assumed it was, though given Amber's wealth and status as a Rank 3 it was entirely possible that this was its own separate 'greeting room'.
It wasn't quite as elaborate as the Apex's Palace, but it had its own charm. There was a common color scheme - earthen tones of brown and green, with the occasional splash of yellow, red, or orange. There were no pictures of Amber or anyone else - lending credence to the idea that this was a greeting room rather than her personal living room - but there were a few tasteful paintings and wall prints. The most ostentatious thing in the room was a large wall hanging - the crest of Vale, two crossed axes surrounded by a wreath, made entirely of bronze.
"A bit pretentious, isn't it?"
Blake turned as Amber walked back in, carrying a tray with two cups, a teapot, and some other accoutrements on it.
"I hope you enjoy black tea. There's milk and sugar as well."
"Black tea is actually my favorite, thank you," Blake said as she took the cup that Amber poured for her.
Amber sipped at her tea, before looking back at the crest. "It was a gift from a friend - one of my old teammates, before we went our separate ways. Everyone on our team was from a different country - me from Vale, him from Atlas, so on and so forth."
"So he commissioned the piece?"
"No, metalworking was a hobby of his - he made them himself, one for each of us."
"Is it normal for Guardian teams to split up?"
"Yes, actually. Not immediately after graduating, as most teams typically stick together to take on their first few years of official work as a group, but as you get older, you get pulled into different responsibilities. Me into this position, him into some premier Specialist group… and the others had their own callings."
"That seems…"
"Sad? No more so than any other group of friends going their own ways. But enough stalling." Amber placed her cup down on its saucer and glared at Blake. "Explain yourself. In detail."
Blake sighed as she put her own cup down. "My name is Blake Belladonna."
"Belladonna? Were your parents-"
"The founders of the White Fang, yes. But it wasn't always-"
"I know. I've studied the history of the organization." Amber began to recite what she knew, as though from memory: "The White Fang was a protest and lobby group until the founders, Ghira and Kali Belladonna, were run off of Vale due to death threats and an attempt on their life. In the aftermath, there were several years of no response from Menagerie until the White Fang resurfaced under the command of Sienna Khan, ostensibly under the orders of the Apex. They initially restarted peaceful protests, but those were a cover for an underground insurgent campaign, which has continued operations until the present day." Amber looked at Blake. "I never would have expected their child to take part in the insurgency." She leaned back in her armchair. "What led you to it?"
Blake stared at the floor. "Growing up in Menagerie, I didn't know much about humans, or life outside the island. But I knew that we weren't liked. State propaganda aside, we had tons of Faunus immigrants come in constantly, fleeing some sort of oppression or ostracism. Plenty of wounded Faunus as well, injured by human taskmasters who didn't give a damn about anything but the profits, and to hell with their employees!"
Blake caught herself and coughed, taking a sip of tea to calm herself down. Amber remained stoic through the outburst and waited for Blake to continue.
"Eventually, Sienna went to the Court of the Apex and asked for permission to start a Third Faunus Revolution. Her plea was rejected, but Verna, one of the Family Heads-"
"Family Heads?"
"It's not really relevant to the White Fang-"
"Tell me."
Blake sighed and continued. "As you know, Menagerie is a monarchy, ruled by the Apex. Technically, it's similar to Mistral in that it's a monarchy based on merit, with the Apex being the most powerful Faunus on the island. Also like Mistral, the Apex has a Court, where various Family Heads - essentially, Faunus nobility - meet to discuss policy, and occasionally hear the entreaties of the common populace."
"What are the names of all the Family Heads?"
"I don't know. I was eight when I ran away from my parents and joined Sienna in Mistral. I just know Verna because my parents were her friends. Verna convinced Sienna that even if the Apex wouldn't approve a full mobilization of Menagerie's forces, she should just start a grassroots movement and recruit locals and other disgruntled Faunus."
"And Sienna took that to heart, I assume?"
"She did. She started with peaceful protests, which I took part of, but once Faunus got more involved with the organization, she started training them, teaching them how to fight and getting information from them that she could then use to subvert local authorities wherever she was."
"It probably helped that she started in Mistral."
"Absolutely. The lax nature of Mistral's laws have given the Fang unprecedented operating freedom there… The organization even owns property in some of the frontier villages, which they use to train recruits, and has a recruitment office in the capital. It operates like an actual business, except that they hire Faunus for war, rather than a normal job. Sienna trained me herself for a few years while I helped her in the frontier, and then she sent me to Vale, where I was placed under the command and tutelage of-"
"Adam Taurus."
Blake nodded.
"What made you decide to leave?"
"Sienna recruited Adam in Mistral, and he quickly became the Fang's strongest combatant. In terms of raw ability, he's even stronger than Sienna. He's not exactly the most charismatic person, but he's an able tactician and an excellent combat leader. Sienna sent him ahead to Vale-"
"Five years ago."
"Right. After training a bit more, she sent me to learn from him in the field four years ago."
"So why desert now?"
Blake was silent for a few moments as she searched within herself, trying to find exactly what it was that changed everything. Eventually, she grasped it.
"I killed a person for the first time when I was thirteen." She choked a bit as the memory assailed her - a common blade plunging into the neck of a human who she'd caught attempting to assault a young Faunus girl, younger than she had been at the time - and shivered. "It… he deserved it. What he did... I won't apologize for killing such a monster."
To Blake's relief, Amber didn't ask her to elaborate on it.
"After that, I was fully on board with the Fang. I killed, and killed… But it was always for the sake of the Faunus. It was always to save those who'd suffered under the oppression of human taskmasters.
"But a war is a war, even if it's a subtle one. Not everyone could bring themselves to keep going, especially recruits from Vale. Mistralians, they understand the value of doing whatever it takes to win. But Valeans - even Valean Faunus - have a relatively easy life. Most of them couldn't bring themselves to fully commit to the cause. And if they wanted to walk…"
"You couldn't allow them to leave. Not if they could tell the authorities."
"Yes. And I was responsible…"
As Blake trailed off, Amber poured herself another cup of tea. "So is Adam that dedicated to the White Fang, that the organization matters more than its individual members?"
"I don't think so, actually. Adam was always… cagey about why he fought. He always said it was for the Faunus, but he never seemed sincere to me. I think he's searching for something… I don't know what, but he thinks he can find it by working for the Fang."
Amber nodded, musing on Blake's words. "I wonder... So what do you intend to do?"
"I can't take back what I've done. But because of my experience, I'm skilled in just one thing - killing. If nothing else, I felt that the best way for me to atone would be to use that skill for the betterment of others-"
"A Guardian. You want to be a Guardian."
"Yes. Obviously, a regular application would be impossible-"
"But an apprenticeship would negate the need for that. And so you come to me. But if you know of me, you know how powerful I am. So tell me," Amber said, flaring her Aura brightly for Blake to see, a brilliant yellow-orange that bathed the room in light, "why would I do this for you? What's to stop me from simply arresting you?"
Blake quailed under the pressure. An Aura Flare was a simple thing really - just making your Aura, which always surrounded you, visible to the people around you. It had no practical use in combat, and was usually just practiced as a method of Aura control.
That being said, to do it so casually, sustain it continuously, and to make her Aura so bright - Amber had impressive control over her Aura.
Blake swallowed as she considered her next words.
"I believe…"
...
Jaune's words came to her.
According to Amber's history, she has her own fair share of secrets. Public IGO records don't have anything on her before her entrance to Beacon at seventeen.
What does that mean? Don't most records start at Beacon?
No, records start as soon as you enter the IGO's systems. For most people, that's in Guardian prep schools like Signal in Vale, or one of the Martial Art Clans in Mistral. But if their first recorded entrance to the IGO is Beacon or one of the other Academies, that means they got strong enough to qualify for those without going to a prep school. Which means one of three things: a private education, an apprenticeship, or a life in the underworld.
What makes you think it's the third one?
Her first two years in Beacon are marked by a series of disciplinary actions, then they peter out. Surefire sign of someone slowly adjusting to 'normal' society.
The IGO even has disciplinary reports on file?
Yeah. 'Course, the public doesn't have access to that sort of thing. Need informants to get useful stuff like this.
The club owner got you this?
Nah, above his pay grade.
So who-
Doesn't matter, just think about what you're going to say.
...
"...that all people deserve a second chance. That as long as they're willing to work and make up for the things they've done wrong, they should at least get to try and make things right again."
Amber's eyes narrowed as Blake met her gaze. Amber was likely trying to detect if Blake was lying.
She wasn't. Though Jaune had given her useful information in regards to Amber's personality, she didn't need it for this - she truly believed what she'd said. After all, it was the reason she'd decided to leave the Fang in the first place.
Finally, Amber nodded, lowering her concentration and dispelling her Aura Flare. "Okay, I believe you. Blake… I'll help you get into Beacon."
Blake bowed her head. "Thank you."
"Is there anything else I need to know?"
"Actually, there is one thing."
"Oh?"
"Before I left, Adam mentioned that he was growing tired of your interference in Forever Fall." Not a lie, actually. And from a certain point of view, neither was the next part. "He put out a bounty on your head. I've seen the group that took the job, and one of them wants to defect as well. He actually helped me escape, but he's still trapped by his group. He's only with them because he doesn't have another option."
Amber sighed, rubbing her temples. "Oh, sure, now you drop this on me, when I've already agreed to help you… well, if he's as genuine as you are I guess that works too, but I'll have to meet with him to make sure."
"I can set something up. He's still being watched so he'll have to be careful."
"That's understandable." Amber looked out the window before turning back to Blake. "Send him a message if you can, but regardless, you're staying here tonight. The forest isn't safe at night."
"It's summer, I still have a few hours of light-"
"If you want to go you can, but if you came from the city… well, you know how far the entrance is from my house."
Blake paused before standing up. "I'll stay here."
Amber nodded. "Good. Go ahead and wash up, bathroom's on the second floor to the left. I'll get dinner ready."
With that, Amber turned away. Briefly, Blake once again heard Adam's command - Her back is turned, strike now! - but she knew better. Even with the advantage of surprise, Amber would rip her to shreds.
Especially since she hasn't given my weapon back...
Sitting down at Remy's Bistro for the second time that summer was a bit disconcerting, especially considering that the last time I'd eaten here I'd ended up in a life or death situation.
Unfortunately, ever since Blake had clued me into Tukson and Baburon's true identities, it would be pretty similar going. Although, this time around, I would be in control. I showed up early to make sure of it. Thankfully, we were in another private room - Tukson had really splurged on this dinner, especially since he would be paying for the five of us; Aurie was coming too.
…
When Tukson arrived, my eyes instantly roved over him and Baburon.
Formal-casual. Collared T-shirts. Nothing hidden. But they're pretty strong, especially if Baburon is the same rank that Blake used to be. I probably have better technique, but in a two-on-one, the odds are stacked against me.
Good thing I won't need my strength for this.
Following behind them was Aurie and Tariro. Aurie had on a soft blue dress with a pleated skirt that went past her knees, and her gray-black hair was styled down around her shoulders. She wore more sterling silver jewelry, a chain necklace with some green jewel inset. An emerald? Pretty expensive if it was real, and a tad ironic from a certain point of view. She seemed to be wearing contacts for the night.
Tariro… It was the first time I was seeing her, aside from a few photos Tukson had shared with me. She had on a light blue sundress with a blue jacket covering her arms and shoulders. Her hair had evidently grown in some since her surgery, though it was still short enough to pass as a military haircut. Her Faunus trait was plain to see as well, puma ears, as Tukson had described. Her amber eyes stared nervously at me for a moment before she sat down.
"You sure got here early, Jaune," Tukson commented as he settled himself in.
"I didn't want to show up late and feel awkward… not that I don't feel awkward anyway, to be honest. Are you really okay with me being here? This feels like the sort of thing you should celebrate with just family and friends."
"It's okay," Tariro spoke up. "Dad said you were nice… and besides, it'd be nice to meet more people in Vale. I haven't had a chance to make many friends since we moved here, what with… well, you know."
I winced inwardly. Well, shit, Blake did say she was innocent. I was originally going to use her as leverage against Tukson and Baburon… but I suppose I don't have to actually involve her to do that.
"Well, if it's okay with you."
We sat down, and things progressed smoothly. We chatted about work, Aurie's property problems - I offered to talk to a bad tenant for her - and Tariro's plans for the future.
She wanted to be a doctor, wanted to save people just like she was saved.
How sweet… I'm sure my dad would call it sickeningly ironic, though. That the child of a killer would want to save life… Well, if I'm anything to go by, it is pretty ironic.
Still… Sorry Tariro, but you might not be able to do that. Not in Vale, at least.
Setting up a moment alone with Tukson and Baburon was simple enough. All it took was a toast, and a spill.
"Ah- my dress!" Tariro cried out as red wine splashed on her.
"Oh brothers, I'm sorry-" I said. "I've been training hard these past few weeks- sometimes I don't know my own strength." It had been a bigger problem the first days after Cinder awakened my Aura, but this was pure bullshit.
"Come on, Tariro," Aurie said, rising and taking Tariro with her. "Let's get you cleaned up in the bathroom."
"Sorry!" I called out again as they left the private room.
Tukson and Baburon chuckled at my mistake. "Jeez Jaune," Tukson said, "That was clumsy of you."
I sighed, and said, "No, it wasn't."
"Then what was it?" Baburon rumbled.
I placed my handgun on the table. "Well executed."
"Whoa hey, what's this about?" Tukson said- too calmly for a supposed normal person.
I made a point to look at the both of them. "There's a bomb under the table. The switch is in my hand. Baburon, go ahead and look."
Baburon twisted his body to look, then nodded as he rose back up. "It's there," he said. His eyes had lost their earlier mirth. No doubt he was wondering what this was all about.
"What's going on, Jaune?" Tukson asked. "There are better ways to say you want to quit."
"I'm not the one who needs to quit, Puma." I stressed the use of his code name, and despite whatever training the White Fang gave him, he flinched. "I've been talking to a mutual feline friend of ours."
"Belladonna," Baburon scowled, his voice thick with derogatory. "The traitor. Where is she?"
"Out of your hands, and out of Adam's hands. Look," I showed them the detonator. "I'm not just talking to a cat. I'm working under a particularly fiery lady. One who's reached out to Adam recently."
"Fall."
"Has she told you why she wants the Faunus' assistance?"
"To Bring Vale to its knees," Baburon said.
"It's more than that. She wants to destroy Vale entirely. What did she promise Adam, Baburon? That in the absence of Valean Authority the Faunus could take over? If Cinder gets her way, there won't be anything left to take!" I slammed my empty hand on the table. "Even if you ignore the absolute madness of her suggestion that your meagre guerilla troop could match the might of the IGO's Central Authority - not to mention a Rank 1 and 2 working alongside each other at Beacon - then consider how she plans to get around that!"
"How then?" Tukson asked.
"By letting Grimm loose in the city!"
"That's insane! How would she even-"
"Through the Omen of Victory."
It was a well known title, especially to men as old as these two- hell, they'd probably watched team STRQ claim the Vytal Festival Tournament both times, growing up. Before she vanished from public life and was unceremoniously stripped from the IGO's accounts and records, Raven Branwen was a well known and well respected - and feared - woman.
As were her powers. To the point that most men referred to her by her title rather than her name, in fear of her somehow knowing that someone was talking about her.
Baburon leaned in. "You're saying that Fall is working for-"
"The Branwens, yes," I said, ignoring Tukson's panicked shushing motion. "She's said as much to me."
"With power like that at her back, what would Fall need the Faunus for?"
"Isn't it obvious Baburon? She wants you and the Grimm to be the bait, the forces that everyone focuses on - only for her people to swoop in during the midst of the chaos to take control. Cinder never planned on giving Vale to the Faunus… and even if she did, without the power of The Omen to assist, you would be given a Vale overrun with monsters."
Baburon slammed his fist on the table, breaking off a piece. His face was taught with rage, teeth gnashing.
"Careful Baburon, the bomb is real after all."
"So why tell us, Jaune?" Tukson drew my attention back to him. "If you're working for Fall-"
"I'm not working for her by choice," I shook my head. "I told you before that I want to be a Guardian, and I meant it. But she's powerful and well connected, and I've been running myself to the bone the last few weeks trying to find a way out of working with her… and thanks to our mutual friend, I have it."
"I suppose you can't tell us your plans."
"You suppose right. But I wanted you to be aware of what she's doing, what Adam might be walking into-"
"Because you want the Faunus to win?" Baburon interrupted.
I looked him in the eyes. "I don't give a damn about your revolution. But you guys have treated me well, and I felt that I owed it to you to not go in blind, dealing with her. And if you don't believe the sentiment, then if nothing else, keeping a resource away from her is a win for all of us."
"So what do you think we should do?"
"Personally, I think you should get out of Vale. Go back to Vacuo, or Mistral or Menagerie if the desert isn't your home anymore. But all things considered, it's up to you." I made a point of disarming the detonator and putting it back in my pocket. "I did what I wanted to do."
"Was the bomb really necessary?" Tukson asked.
"I felt it the best way to make sure you were paying attention. Don't worry, I'll disarm it and bring it home later."
"Aurie'd kill you if she knew you were making those kinds of things in her building…"
"And she'd kill you if she knew you two were involved in the Fang, so I guess we're all on thin ice."
There was a tense moment, and then Baburon and Tukson looked at each other and sighed. "Alright, fine," Tukson said. "We'll let Adam know that Fall isn't to be trusted."
"That's all I wanted to get across… Oh, and this I guess…"
"What now?" Baburon said.
"You joked about it earlier, but uh, I kinda do have to quit, so you can consider this my two week's notice."
"Damn," Tukson groaned into his hands. "Back to fourteen hour days for me… I suppose this has to do with our fiery friend?"
"That, and I have to get some things settled for Beacon. Speaking of which," I reached below the table and slid a briefcase over to Tukson. "That's not a bomb, it's got twenty-K in it. Feel free to check."
Tukson's eyes widened but he clicked the briefcase open, at which point his jaw dropped. "You had this much money on you all this time, and you chose to work for me?"
"Not all this time. Turns out that as much as Fall's a bitch, working for her pays. Consider it a get well gift for Tariro."
The next few moments passed in awkward silence until Tariro and Aurie came back.
"Whoa," Tariro gasped, "what happened to the table?"
"Well," I rushed to cover for Baburon, "we figured we'd pass the time with a little arm wrestling. Your uncle's pretty strong, even for a guy without Aura."
Tariro giggled. "Yeah, he's always been like that."
Things went back to normal from there, although there was a slight bit of awkwardness at the end of the night when Tariro asked for my Scroll number. Apparently she wanted to keep in touch with her first new friend since her surgery.
Well, she got it. If nothing else, having an ear out on Tukson would be useful for me.
Inside a warehouse in the commercial sector of Vale, Emerald and Mercury sparred. It was more for Emerald's benefit than Mercury's. He was the son of an Assassin, like Jaune, and all things considered a far stronger fighter than Jaune. His strength was not in doubt.
Emerald's was. She was a thief and street rat, not a killer. Not yet, anyway - she'd yet to commit that particular crime, but if nothing else Cinder wanted her strong enough to take part in Amber's Assassination.
Mercury doubted that she would be. He'd never taught anyone before, and his dad's idea of teaching was to beat the shit out of him day after day until he figured out how to make it stop.
And he had.
If Cinder wasn't so busy with her own bullshit he'd have suggested she train Emerald, but in truth, anyone would have been a better teacher. Well, maybe not Neo. She'd probably be even worse than him, since it would just be nonstop sparring but without the benefit of him occasionally pointing something out.
If Cinder really wanted her strong, she could have just pulled her Branwen connections and given Emerald over to them for a week or two… then again, the Branwens were pretty selective of who they let into their group, so who knows whether Emerald would make it in.
Kinda made him curious as to how Cinder got in, but whatever. Main point, there was no way in hell Emerald would be strong enough to really do any damage to a Rank 3 after just a few weeks of training. But then again, he supposed that that wasn't her job. She just had to survive long enough for her Semblance to be useful.
As he mused on this, Emerald swiped her twin gun-sickle things at him- one high, one low. It was pretty basic as far as techniques went - intending to force him to focus on one but let the other hit him - but it would work against most people.
Mercury wasn't most people. Rather than guard, Mercury spun on the balls of his new feet and delivered a sharp back-kick to Emerald's sternum, sending her flying back and crumpling into the floor.
Mercury sighed as Emerald slowly got up. "Not a bad try," he said, "but it's more the kind of thing you finish off with, rather than going straight for it. Deliver a series of opposite-angle and off-angle attacks first to mess with their defense, then go for something like that. Or better yet, use your Semblance to make them drop their guard… Why haven't you been using it recently?"
Emerald spat blood on the ground and wiped her lips before replying.
Huh, must have bit her tongue, or cheek.
"I know that with my Semblance, I'd be doing a lot better. I could make you miss me by inches or feet, make you open your guard… but something that simple won't mean much if my actual combat abilities stink. And if I can lose to Jaune, then there's no way I'll be much help against Amber."
"You're right about that… still, I think you're focusing on the wrong thing. I know Cinder said she wanted you strong," he held a hand up to keep her from interrupting. Honestly, I disagree with Cinder and instantly she wants to argue… is she her student or her worshipper? "But no matter how much stronger you've gotten these past few weeks, it won't mean much to a Rank 3. I might be able to serve as a distraction if I move at my top speed, but even with my new legs from the doc, I won't be able to do much damage to her. As far as distractions go, your Semblance would be way more effective. If you really want to be useful in our immediate, upcoming fight, then practice using your Semblance while fighting, instead of having to stop and focus to use it."
"Do you have any idea how difficult it is to craft an intricate illusion-"
"No, but you don't have to craft an intricate illusion once the fight starts. You just need to make Amber lose concentration. Make her vision turn red or purple, or just blind her completely, honestly. You can do that, right?"
Emerald blinked a few moments, her mouth stuck open as she was about to reply. "I- I've never tried that before, honestly."
Mercury held his hands out. "Well?"
Emerald stood still and focused on him. "Okay, let me just-"
And then he saw nothing. Physically, he knew his eyes were open, and he could still faintly hear the background noise of the warehouses around him, but one moment he could see, and the next he could not.
"Is it working?" Emerald's voice rang out.
"Yeah. I can't see."
"Okay." Her Semblance ended, and he could see again. "So I guess that works."
"Good. Now that we've confirmed that," he got into his stance, "we can work on making sure you can use it while under attack."
"One thing, first," Emerald interrupted.
Mercury sighed. "What?"
"You and Jaune-"
"Alright, stop right there. I know Jaune's done a lot of good for me, and I don't doubt it's some kind of play on my loyalty. But I'm not stupid enough to think I can take on Cinder or The Omen, even with his help. Sure, we have to be careful not to kill him or his dad's gonna rip us apart, but I'm not going to betray you all or whatever. I've got better self-preservation instincts than that."
Emerald nodded. "Okay. As long as you remember that without Cinder, you'd be nothing."
Mercury rolled his eyes and got back in his stance. "Yeah, whatever. Now remember, just try and get enough focus to blind me while I attack."
He charged in.
…
Later that night, as Mercury prepared for bed, he removed his new prosthetics and performed the basic maintenance that Watts had informed him to. As he did, he mused on the fact that Emerald - and therefore Cinder - were clearly aware of the fact that his loyalty was tenuous at best.
Jaune got one thing right. I can't hang with these weirdos for too long or I'll get stuck with them for life - however long or short that may be. But that doesn't mean I have to run from them to Jaune and his dad's faction… I've no intention of running from the party of a psycho bitch into the party of a man who makes my dad look like a saint. I owe Jaune, but that doesn't mean I'll put him before myself.
But who does that leave? Torchwick? Should I go independent, like my old man?
…
Man, this whole 'thinking for yourself' thing is hard. How the hell does Jaune balance out dealing with Cinder, Torchwick, that White Fang chick he's got living with him, and his job?
I was sitting in my apartment, cleaning some new guns from Junior, when I got a text from Blake.
Argo Herring Argo Delilah
It was gibberish of course, but it was coded gibberish. AHAD- Amber Has Accepted Deal.
Simple stuff, really. We'd developed a small number of codes in this style to account for a few of the various outcomes I'd thought of.
If she didn't send me anything in forty-eight hours that was code for We're fucked.
It was a little surprising that Blake had messaged back so soon, but whatever. As long as things went according to plan.
What I didn't plan for, however, was for my Scroll to start ringing. At first I thought it was Juli, but I noticed that the calling number was blocked.
I let it ring until it died… and it promptly began ringing again, with the number still blocked.
Fuck.
I moved quickly, plugging the Scroll into my laptop and starting a program. It was more complex than a password-breaker: in simple terms, if someone tried to find my location based on my Scroll's position by calling it, they would instead get sent on a wild goose chase to some other part of Vale.
It had cost me quite a bit of Lien to acquire.
With the program up and running, I quickly taped a piece of paper over the Scroll's camera so whoever was calling wouldn't be able to see me. Then, I answered.
An old man was on the other end. His hair was gray, and thin round glasses adorned his face. From what I could see of his clothes, he wore a green suit. He had less wrinkles than one might expect from a man in his late eighties, but I could only guess that that came with the territory of being a Rank 1.
Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon.
"Hmm," he mused. "I assume you've blocked the camera. Well done, Jaune Arc… it is you, isn't it? I hope Amber didn't send me a wrong number…"
"What do you want?"
"I'd like it if we could speak face to face, but evidently you do not. Regardless, I am aware of the threat on Amber's life, and thanks to the message that your friend sent to you from Amber's home, I am aware of your location. Although it now says you're in the Commercial District… Did you make this program yourself?"
My heart dropped and I bolted up, grabbing my pistol even as he continued. "I know you won't believe me, but don't worry - I haven't sent any police or Guardians your way."
As I stood a few feet away from the door, my pistol pointed at it, I called back, "Then what did you call for?"
"To make contact, and ask you a few questions."
"About what?"
"Your father. And your intent with my Academy. You see, Amber has guaranteed me that Blake is genuine in her intent to redeem herself, and I know Amber well enough to trust her judgement. I just want to see if you are equally as genuine."
I stared at the door for a moment longer before walking back to my phone. If he knew where I was and had sent Guardians, then it really wouldn't matter where I was when they broke in - I'd be fucked no matter what.
"You want information about my dad? Let's make a deal, Ozpin. I tell you what you want to know, anything you want to know - under whatever lie detection methods you want - and you let me into your school."
"It's not that simple I'm afraid. Even if I were to accept such a deal, the IGO and the Council would have something to say about it. You've been relatively successful at staying under the radar so far, but as soon as your name enters our records it would set off alarms with them."
"Fine then. How about this - I'll do some jobs for the Council and IGO. They offer me contracts, I pick and choose who, and the taxpayer subsidizes a criminal's death. Just another Tuesday."
"Well, that might actually get them on board, but I'm afraid you're missing the main point."
"Whether or not I intend to redeem myself?"
"Yes."
"You know my father, right? You know his history?"
"Yes."
"Do you know when he got me involved?"
"It was right after your mother died, if I recall." He spoke casually about it, but I actually appreciated it. It would have pissed me off if he got all apologetic about it when he didn't know me.
"Yeah. Twelve years. Twelve years, I've been fighting and killing to survive. And I'm sick of it. I don't keep count, but I- I remember. Sometimes. I have dreams about it, and I want out. And the safest place to get out to, is to the place run by the one man in the world that my father hasn't beaten."
"So you seek asylum from your father?"
"That, and… well, I wouldn't call what I'm looking for redemption. I have skills, and I'm not proud of how I got them, but I have them. I could probably try and settle down into a normal life, but my father would just find me and fuck things up all over again. I can't avoid him forever - but in your Academy, I'll be able to get strong where he can't go. Maybe strong enough to be rid of him for good. And after that… I just want to make the world better."
Ozpin was silent, his fingers interlaced in front of him. Finally he said, "Hm, not a bad start, but I think you're still hiding something. 'Making the world better' is rather vague as goals go. Regardless, I think these terms are acceptable. You give information to me and do jobs for the Council and IGO, and in return you get to attend Beacon with the goal of bettering yourself. Do you agree?"
"I'm gonna need this in writing and obviously I'm not going to just accept any job the Council and IGO try to force on me, but in general, yes. I do agree."
"Then consider this an early welcome to Beacon, Mister Arc."
A/N 2: I was originally planning a bit more with Tukson, Baburon, Aurie, and Tariro, in that they'd be more involved with the pre-Beacon plot in general. However, that thought went out the fucking window like a bat outta hell the minute Cinder and Co. got involved. It's just a matter of relevancy, really… I mean, between a major antagonist and a side character I'd like to do more for, it's only natural that the antagonist gets more play.
What, exactly, would they do? To be honest- I mentioned before that I'm not great at planning, and this is an example. Didn't have much to work with besides "Part of Jaune's Pre-Beacon life" and "Part of the White Fang Subplots". Tariro and Baburon would get more development, maybe explain why he hates the Schnee so much. With that said, while this is pretty much the last we'll see of these guys for a long while, I do have some thoughts to work them in to some extent later down the line.
Though, considering my upload schedule, don't expect them back anytime soon.
Oh, uh, and since Aurie won't be coming back in a while (if ever), I figure here's the inspiration for her:
It's Araiguma/Arai-san/Common Racoon from Kemono Friends. That's why her name is Aurie, and why she's a germaphobe.
Tariro was literally just "Tukson's Daughter" in my head. So, also a Puma Faunus, except with darker skin and green hair instead of black.
Review Replies:
TheDragon2000: Thanks! Here's more to read.
AlmightySpartan: There is a very specific reason that Jacob neglected that education for Jaune. We'll be getting to that soon, once Jaune and everyone are at Beacon proper.
TheSlySage: Here's more, my man.
gogo bananas: Thanks bro. Hope you enjoy this next part, as well as what's to come.