A.N: One more chapter in Mantle before we push onwards. Once again, I'm truly happy with how this story is turning out, to be honest. As fun as the FWW Universe I'm creating is, having a chance to work on something more narrative-focused is great. Hope everyone enjoys the official 30th chapter of Wild Hunt. Hard to believe we're already at 30 official chapters, actually. That's awesome.
Chapter 30: Hometown Heroes
Robyn Hill was a lot of things. A very confident and self-assured woman, but also someone who was willing to listen to others when the situation called for it. A woman who was a true pillar of the community, thoroughly dedicated to Mantle's wellbeing, but also a rebel who was more than willing to commit illegal acts if she felt they were in Mantle's best interest. And this was in spite of the fact that many would argue illegal acts (regardless of their noble intentions) would only hurt Mantle's cause in the long run.
All in all, she was complicated. But, if there was one thing consistent about her, strange sights tended to catch her attention. Sights like that of that annoying kid, Dodge stumbling into her headquarters, flanked by his two associates-their names were Ollie and Bates, she believed-with what was clearly a broken and bloody nose.
Dodge could only stammer and whimper in pain and terror while Robyn just sighed. Though the kid was annoying, Robyn appreciated that he at least seemed to like her and support her goals. "What happened, Dodge? If you're asking me to beat up someone who beat you up, that's not going to happen. Now, if you were attacked and beaten by Atlesian soldiers, that's a different story."
Dodge whimpered. "Umm, someone would like to see you, Ms. Hill." He muttered before he and his Irregulars ran like hell.
Robyn was currently with her Happy Huntresses. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw one of her Happy Huntresses, May Marigold suddenly vanish. She heaved a sigh, it seems May was going to be paranoid today. Then again, whoever had to see her broke Dodge's nose, so maybe this person meant her harm as well.
Then, the person who had to see her walked inside and her eyes widened briefly before frowning. "Oh, so Atlas decided to send Remnant's Monster-For-Hire after me, huh? I didn't realize I had become that popular with the fat cats in the city above." She said.
Hansel Kobalt frowned right back. "Well that's a fine hello." He said sarcastically. "Aren't you supposed to be some 'woman of the people'? If I could vote in the council elections in this area, you wouldn't have my vote."
"Still, 'Monster-For-Hire' is a far more creative insult than I usually get." Hansel continued with a deadpan expression. "I guess you're a decent enough linguist to be a politician."
"Anyway, I'm not here on behalf of Atlas. Frankly, the good general and I don't exactly get along, so if he asked me to arrest one of his political rivals, I'd tell him to do it himself."
Robyn smirked. "Is that so? You know, normally, with our mutual dislike of General Ironwood, I'd suggest you team up with little old me. But, frankly, your presence would ruin my campaign in the future. Sorry, but teaming up with the likes of you just isn't in the cards for me."
"I'm not one for politics anyway." Hansel shrugged. "And just as I didn't come here on behalf of Ironwood, I didn't come here to team up with you either. I'm here for my own reasons. See, I'm on official business, investigating a theft in Atlas that's tied to something rather...personal for me."
"Oh?" Robyn raised an eyebrow.
"And, one thing led to another, so now I have some questions for you." Hansel told her. "You are a politician, right? So that means you should be more than willing to answer some questions for a citizen, right?"
"Oh, so you're calling yourself a citizen now? Last I checked, you're a foreigner who's 'just visiting'." Robyn replied, inwardly wondering just what it was Hansel wanted to speak with her about. "And even if you were a citizen, didn't you already say I don't have your vote? So why would I answer any questions for you?"
"Because I'd rather you cooperate with me." Hansel replied bluntly. "Look, if you care about the people of Mantle, you'd cooperate. This concerns them too."
At that moment, Joanna Greenleaf, arguably the closest thing Robyn has to a right-hand woman in the Happy Huntresses, stepped up to Hansel. "I think Robyn has made it clear she doesn't want to answer any of your questions. And if you really suspect that Robyn is the 'thief' that you're looking for, then you're an idiot, as well as a monster."
Hansel glared at Joanna for that statement. "We're clearly not communicating well here." He acknowledged. "I'm not suspecting Robyn of anything. I just found a lead that I'm investigating."
"And really, if I did suspect her as the thief, I'd have damn good reason to. Because, let's be honest here." Hansel's expression turned cold. "You've stolen from Atlas' military how many times now? For people who claim to be fighting for Mantle, you're frankly more criminal than hero."
"And now you die, brat." Joanna and the third Happy Huntress, Fiona Thyme, a sheep Faunus, charged forward, drawing their oddly designed staffs with crossbows attached.
Fiona moved to Hansel's side, where he kept Wolf Fang sheathed. I'll use my Semblance to disarm him before he has a chance to try and fight us. She thought. With Joanna using brute strength to distract him, I can get him for sure! And then there's the fact that May's waiting to ambush him as well from the other side! We've got him for sure!
"Take this!" Joanna yelled before being repelled by a fiery kick to the stomach from Hansel.
Hansel then grabbed Fiona by the skull. He also reached right into the invisible space that May had created and grabbed her by the head as well. Robyn's eyes widened. He knew where May was?
They didn't honestly think that was going to work, did they? Hansel thought. Invisibility Semblances are only useful when they hide the ability to be sensed by Aura.
Hansel then slammed both women to the ground, heating up his hands with his Semblance for good measure. Robyn finally reacted. She pointed her crossbow right at his forehead. "Damn brat!" Joanna yelled, recovering from her kick.
"You've got damn good teamwork, but you're way too easy to figure out." Hansel told them. "I knew there was one of your own hiding with a Semblance as soon as I walked into this room. And this one left herself wide open by going for my sword instead of me. But if a Huntsman's only weapon is his weapon, he frankly sucks at his job."
"Let the girls go, brat." Robyn glared at him.
"I'm not here to pick any fights. You idiots attacked me first. Don't go acting like you have the moral high ground." Hansel replied, remaining surprisingly calm in the face of a crossbow being pointed at his face.
Robyn smirked. "You say that, but who's the brute that's hitting girls here? Don't you know it's impolite to hit a lady? You should be a dear and take it easy on us."
"I happen to be a believer in real gender equality." Hansel replied with a deadpan expression on his face. "I don't care who my opponent is. If they're going to pick a fight with me, I'll smack 'em down if they're a man or a woman. And I've certainly got no patience for someone who picks fights, with an 'I can beat you regardless of my gender' attitude, and then demands special treatment because they're a particular gender. That just sounds a little hypocritical for my tastes."
"If you have any pride as a Huntress, you think like a Huntress first, not as whatever gender you are. The Grimm don't care, so why the hell should I?"
Robyn shrugged and heaved a sigh. "Well, it was worth a shot." She said. "I guess I can respect someone who doesn't hold back regardless of who it is."
Hansel glared at Robyn's constantly changing personality. He shook his head, regaining his focus on his task. "Look, we're getting off track. I'm only here because I want answers to my investigation, and right now, you're the only one who can help me. I have no interest in arresting you, even though you frankly should be in jail. And I'll only play bad cop if you force me to play bad cop like right now."
"But I only came here for answers, and one way or another, I intend to get those answers." Hansel firmly told Robyn. "So I think it's in your best interest to just cooperate and answer my questions. Now, is that clear enough for you?"
"Because I just want to make sure that we're all on the same page."
Robyn frowned. "You know, talking tough shit with a weapon pointed at your head only works in the movies. I will actually kill you."
Hansel's expression turned cold. "I disposed of my fear of death long ago." He replied in the most serious expression Robyn has seen on anyone. "So if you think you can threaten me into submission, you're a fool."
Robyn's eyes widened. He can't be serious, no fear of death? No, he is serious! What the hell…I've heard the stories about this kid, but even the most hardened Huntsman fears death just a little. But this kid...he just doesn't care.
Joanna snarled and prepared her weapon once more. She was going to take Hansel's head for this. "Let May and Fiona go." She demanded.
"Agree to answer my questions without any fight, and I'll do just that." Hansel replied.
"You piece of shit!" Joanna shouted. "Who the hell do you think you're threatening? We were top graduates of Atlas Academy before we became vigilantes for Mantle. And there's four of us. Even you can't possibly beat us!"
"Maybe, and I'd rather not test that. Like I said, I'd rather things didn't get violent. But if you want to make the first move, then by all means, go right ahead." Hansel threatened.
Robyn took one last look at the deadly serious expression on Hansel's face and heaved a sigh. This was one fight she did not want to pick now. Even if it was against the Blue Demon of Remnant. Taking a guy like him down would certainly boost her popularity with the citizens of Remnant. And he was on her turf. She could kill him and then make up any story she liked. But, looking at him now, she could not help but fear that she would bite off more than she can chew in trying to take him on. "Okay, fine," she said, "you want to talk? Let's talk things out like civilized adults. Joanna, stand down. And you, you better let May and Fiona go."
"What?" Joanna looked at Robyn in shock. "Come on, Robyn, we can take him!"
"Maybe, but how much damage do you think he can do to Mantle before we subdue him?" Robyn asked, making Joanna fall silent. "The Kobalt Family's Semblance, Purgatorial Flames, is infamous for its incredibly destructive power. Even if we could kill him, there's no doubt he'd probably wipe out a city block or two before we manage to bring him down."
"And besides, if he really wanted to hurt May and Fiona, he'd set them on fire." Robyn pointed out. "He's holding back on those two."
Joanna relaxed at this. Robyn then took her crossbow away from Hansel's forehead. "Okay, we won't fight you." Robyn said to him. "But you now have to let go of May and Fiona."
Hansel nodded. "I'm a man of my word." He said, taking his hands off the heads of both May and Fiona.
May and Fiona managed to get to their feet. "Son of a bitch, your grip is something." May muttered while Fiona just whimpered in fear.
"Seriously," Joanna folded her arms, "I can't believe we're cooperating with this piece of shit."
"Joanna, if we kill him, we'll also provoke the wrath of Professor Ozpin and the rest of Beacon Academy." Robyn reminded her. "That's one hornet's nest that even I have no intention of poking."
Joanna groaned at this. Professor Ozpin. No matter how strong they were, they could not compare to Ozpin, even if they all fought him at once. Robyn then gestured to Hansel to follow her. "Something tells me the girls don't really want to be in the same room as you." She pointed out. "Please, let's talk in my office."
Hansel nodded and followed Robyn into a simple room with a desk. This was indeed her office. Robyn took her seat at her desk. "Now then, what exactly is this theft that has led you to me?" She asked.
"It's not necessarily the theft. It's someone who may have been connected to the theft." Hansel replied to her. "What can you tell me about a recently deceased woman by the name of Blanche Amaranthe?"
This got a reaction out of Robyn. "Blanche?" She asked in shock. "What in the world does Blanche have to do with...whatever it is you're investigating?"
"So you do know her." Hansel folded his arms.
Robyn narrowed her eyes and grabbed Hansel by the hand. Hansel looked at Robyn's act in confusion. "Umm...what?" He said flatly.
"Tell me again," Robyn ordered, "you're here to question me because of Blanche Amaranthe, right? And it's gotta be verbal, you hear me?"
Hansel shrugged and decided to humor her. "I'm here to question you because of a connection between Blanche Amaranthe and the crime I'm currently investigating."
Robyn's hand suddenly lit up, making Hansel frown slightly. "A Semblance, huh?"
"I'm a human lie detector." Robyn revealed. "That's my Semblance, and I've just discovered that you're telling me the truth. So, what about Blanche brought you here? I'll keep my hand here to make sure you keep telling me the truth."
"Why would I start lying after telling the truth to you now?" Hansel asked, a bit put off by the woman's paranoia.
"Call it instinct from living as an underdog." Robyn responded. "Now, continue. And remember, my Semblance will call you out on any bullshit."
Instinctively biting his lip (since he knew he was about to become the bearer of bad news), Hansel got straight to the point. "I found clues suggesting that there's a face-snatching infiltrator who killed and impersonated Blanche, thus providing an opportunity to likewise kill and impersonate a certain security guard who was supposed to be protecting a vault full of Atlas' secret projects."
Robyn silently nodded before briefly slouching in exhaustion and shock. Hearing about Blanche's murder back when it actually happened was bad enough. Knowing there was a deeper, darker tale involved with her death made it a thousand times worse.
The silence went on for a bit longer until Hansel acknowledged, "I know it sounds far-fetched and a lot to process, but it's the truth."
"It's fine, kid, the hand says you're telling the truth. But you know, even after seeing her body at the morgue, I still find it difficult to accept that Blanche really is gone from this world," confessed Robyn.
"Is that so? What exactly was your relationship with her?" inquired Hansel. Hansel had remembered what Pietro told him earlier (about Blanche befriending the Happy Huntresses as a whole), but was still in the dark about the specifics of Blanche and Robyn's relationship.
"Blanche was a close friend, someone who deserved better." Robyn said softly, remembering the good times they had spent together before Blanche sealed her fate by volunteering for the role she had as an honorary Happy Huntress.
"And if the rumors are true, she was also an associate of your Happy Huntresses," continued Hansel, "Did she ever play any role in your group's alleged extracurricular activities?"
Understanding the implications of Hansel's wording, Robyn frowned for a moment. "Since when do investigations involve putting the dead on trial?" She demanded.
"Excuse me?" Hansel frowned.
"Why are you trying to dig up dirt on Blanche's past? Isn't her death a horrible enough punishment as is?" Robyn glared at him. "I heard the autopsy details, kid. Her stomach was cut open and her face ripped from her body! She probably went through plenty before she died!"
Hansel remained surprisingly calm in the face of Robyn screaming unreasonably at him. "Relax, lady, you're missing the point."
"Which is?" Robyn narrowed her eyes.
"I'm not here to smear Blanche's reputation; I'm here to learn about how to catch her killer and impersonator, which means you and I have a common enemy. And if Blanche was being impersonated, I want to learn what possible screwups her killer might have made while setting up their disguise," elaborated Hansel.
Now catching on quickly, Robyn continued, "Which means finding out which parts of Blanche's personal life and work the killer may not have properly imitated, correct?"
"Exactly," affirmed Hansel.
Robyn still eyed Hansel with some suspicion. "Alright then. But if you're going to be going to be asking about Happy Huntress business, you're not wearing any listening devices, right?"
"I thought I already told you I'm here for my own reasons," replied an exasperated Hansel, "Ironwood can do his own damn surveillance on his own time; so no, I'm not wearing any bugs at the moment."
Robyn gazed down at her hand. He's still telling the truth; that's good, reflected Robyn.
"Okay then," acknowledged Robyn, "Your story checks out, so I guess it's now my turn for me to tell Blanche's story."
Hansel silently nodded, thus gesturing for Robyn to continue. The leader of the Happy Huntresses heaved a sigh. "Blanche wasn't exactly fighting on the front lines alongside my other Happy Huntresses," Robyn began, "but she was arguably my best damn informant in Atlas."
Hansel continued studying Robyn's expression. Noticing something that seemed off to him, he inquired, "Your words suggest you're proud of Blanche, but your body language suggests otherwise. I'm sensing there's more to this story."
"Of course there's more to tell," bitterly admitted Robyn, "out of all the intel-gathering cover stories Blanche could have chosen, she ended up picking prostitution."
Hansel nodded in understanding. "It's a tragic profession." He acknowledged. "Every criminal organization I've taken down had their fair share of prostitutes working for them. They all looked so dead inside, but of course they always wore the fakest smiles when they were...well, the point is I can understand why you'd want her out of that life."
"Believe me, I've had more than my fair share of heated arguments with Blanche over this topic," continued the Mantle politician, "But she had a certain way with words...and she also just really enjoyed sex. And I mean she really enjoyed it."
"A certain way with words?" repeated Hansel, blushing and purposely avoiding the fact Robyn admitted to Blanche being something of a sex addict. "Coming from a linguist such as yourself, that's quite the admission to make. What sort of words are we talking about here?"
While digging for a memory, Robyn scratched her head briefly. She recalled, "Let's see, it was something around the lines of…"
"Robyn, the average Atlesian nobleman is more likely to let their guard down around a mere high-class escort than they would be around a snoopy journalist." Blanche had told her. "And you can't deny the results, either."
"Even if I can't argue with the results, I can't agree with you constantly selling your body, Blanche, especially when I plan to crack down on prostitution when I'm a councilwoman!" Robyn argued back.
"Then just think of it as a means to an end! Have you seen how much dirt I've gathered on Atlas' elite already? And I'm only going to get more! I'm working my way into the good graces of Scott Alabaster, the Alabaster Family Heir. His favorite is Dandee right now, but I'm getting there. The concessions we'll get from him about his father alone will allow us to double our entire budget for your upcoming campaign!"
"Blanche, I still can't approve of you endangering yourself like this...even if we both know you're also doing it because you enjoy it."
Blanche had smiled knowingly before continuing, "Let's face it, Robyn; we're the underdogs of Remnant. We need to use every dirty trick at our disposal if we're to have any shot of winning against Atlas' fat cats." This was where she went for the kill, so to speak. "All our lives, Atlas has been stacking the deck in their favor, denying Mantle the fair treatment it deserves; so why the hell should we bother playing fair?!"
"Was it worth sullying your body and dignity?" Robyn had questioned, trying one last time to dissuade her from continuing.
"For Mantle, for the Happy Huntresses, and for you, I would pay any price to see Mantle restored to its rightful place." Blanche's big smile had widened. "And it's like you said Robyn, I enjoy it."
Blanche had then placed a reassuring hand on Robyn's shoulder. "You're doing a splendid job playing your roles as both politician and thief, so please just give me a little more time to squeeze more mileage out of my role, too, okay?"
"...She was found murdered a few days later. That was the last conversation I had with her in person. Heh, I don't think she even got to question that pampered little prick, Alabaster." Robyn bitterly concluded. "I couldn't look into my own friend's death because it would out the fact I was friends with a prostitute. It would've sunk my campaign. Blanche...she had encouraged me to disassociate myself with her in public settings. She was...truly a loyal friend."
After listening to Robyn's recollection of Blanche's words, Hansel observed, "That's certainly quite the memory you've got there; she must have meant a lot to you."
"She wasn't just a subordinate, nor was she a mere ally of convenience," elaborated Robyn, "We considered her a member of our Happy Huntress family, even though we never publicly admitted it."
Remembering what Pietro told him earlier (and what Robyn now just confirmed), Hansel replied, "Yeah, that's quite the connection you've got there. And I suppose things would become awkward for your campaign if it was widely known and confirmed that Mantle's Hometown Hero had close ties with a prostitute."
"And hopefully, you will do your part in keeping that connection secret," warned Robyn, "Even though it's for the sake of helping catch Blanche's killer, I'm taking a huge risk in trusting a controversial stranger such as yourself."
Hansel scowled. "We're not friends, Robyn," He acknowledged. "And I certainly would rather not be friends with someone like you."
"The feeling's mutual." Robyn spat, tightening her grip on Hansel's hand.
"But I don't need to be your friend for you to trust me, you need only look at my reputation, and not the bullshit that the media's over exaggerated for the past year or so." Hansel told her. "If you actually took the time to investigate the cases I've involved myself in this past year, there should be one thing that's perfectly clear."
"I never give up until my job is done. One way or another, the one who killed Blanche and is stealing from Atlas will be brought to justice. So trust that resolve instead."
Robyn fell silent at this. Her face then fell. "...Please, make sure she can rest in peace." She said softly. "You have no idea how frustrating it was to be unable to look into anything about her death."
Hansel nodded. "I'll bring whoever did it down." He promised. "They made an enemy out of me, too. That'll be their biggest mistake."
"Now, is there anything else you can tell me?" Hansel asked. "You mentioned that was the last you had communicated with Blanche in person, was there anything else? Phone conversations or texts that seemed off? Anything like that?"
Robyn thought it over. "Now that you mention it, there was." She said. "I saw her in Mantle a day after that conversation. I wanted to talk to her about her efforts, so I signalled her with a hand sign that looks like a gliding bird, like this."
Robyn slowly moved her hand in a decline. "A Happy Huntress that gets that signal knows to slap their wrist, like a falcon landing on its trainer. It's a way for us to get the other's attention in secret."
"Blanche...she just looked at me in confusion and ran off. I didn't think too much of it. Figured she didn't want us to risk anything. I even texted her afterwards to apologize. She didn't respond for hours."
"And that's weird?" Hansel raised an eyebrow.
"You didn't know Blanche. She almost always responded in 30 minutes or less, no matter the situation." Robyn explained. "She told me she wasn't mad but just told me to exercise a bit more caution, because she was sleeping around with some very powerful men who might hurt her if they found out we were connected. I was honestly kind of curious…"
"Because that would give you some very good blackmail?" Hansel deadpanned.
"Well, I was also concerned about her." Robyn assured him. "But...also that."
"Anyway, she was found dead the next day. That was another reason I really wanted to look into her death. If she did get the attention of some powerful men, I needed to find out who. But, if word got out I was investigating something like that, they'd figure out I was good friends with a prostitute who was sleeping with powerful men in Atlas. My campaign would be ruined."
"That was...actually a big reason why the girls were on edge when you came here…" Robyn claimed.
"Not that I don't appreciate your loyalty to Blanche, but we both know that's untrue." Hansel told her.
Robyn sighed. "Yeah. We were on edge, but to be honest, kid, your presence is enough to set anyone who can fight off."
"...As I've experienced." Hansel muttered.
"Point is, it would seem that Blanche was already dead before that last exchange." Robyn pointed out. "She was the one who came up with those signals, for crying out loud."
"That is strange." Hansel acknowledged. "So if she was dead before that exchange, that must've meant her killer was already scouting out their next target. The soldier that got them past the other guard."
"Still, at some point, they must've…" Hansel trailed off, wondering at what point did his culprit steal the identity of one of the Atlesian scientists.
"Must've what?" Robyn raised an eyebrow.
"Stolen the identity of someone high up enough to steal right from under Atlas' nose." Hansel revealed.
Robyn folded her arms, finally letting go of Hansel's hand. "Will that be all then, kid?" She asked.
Hansel nodded, rising from his seat. "Yes, that will be all." He told her.
Hansel began to leave Robyn's office, only to stop in place. There was one more thing he had to get off his chest. Something a hell of a lot more personal. "And Hill?"
"Yeah?" Robyn raised an eyebrow, wondering what Hansel could possibly have left to say.
"If you really want to be the 'hero' these people need, I advise you to clean up your act." Hansel told her. "That means no more stealing from the military, no more blackmail, and no more prostitutes working as your 'information gatherer.' Even if they were the ones who chose to do it for you."
"Getting high and mighty with me, brat?" Robyn demanded.
"No, just consider it some friendly advice...even though we're not friends." Hansel told her. "I'm not here to arrest you today, but with everything you've apparently been accused of, I have every right to take you in, and kick the asses of every single one of your Happy Huntresses."
Robyn was put on guard at this. "But I won't, because I promised you I wouldn't. And I'm good for my word." Hansel told her. "So just take it as a warning."
"If you want to play fast and loose with the law, just go full-time as a criminal. I know a lot of politicians are crooks, but that doesn't mean you have to be one as well." Hansel snarkily noted. "Or better yet, register as a Huntsman. Plenty of Huntsmen are not the most savory individuals as far as the law goes, and plenty more are just plain selfish. I'm no better, I do this job because I want to and because I've got personal goals I'm after. I'm as selfish as they come."
"Your point?" Robyn relaxed a little. She did not need her Semblance to know he was being honest when he said he did not plan on arresting her.
"These people are counting on you to give them a strong, reliable voice in Atlas and Mantle's politics." Hansel reminded her. "How the hell is that going to work when that voice is a criminal who should be in jail for things like theft and blackmail?"
Robyn did not have an answer to that. She wanted to give her default: 'we're already the underdogs, so playing dirty is allowed' response. However, she could not bring herself to say it. Even if there was truth to her belief in the necessity of playing dirty, there was truth to what Hansel said as well. "Better men than us have risen up through their own merits and honesty, regardless of how shitty this world is." Hansel reminded Robyn. "You want to help the people of Mantle? Then be an example to them and show Atlas that they are to be taken seriously. Don't just stoop to the level of crooked politicians before you're even elected and give them fuel to discount you."
"I can already hear it now: 'why should we listen to any of your policy ideas? You should be in jail.'" Hansel said, deepening his voice to imitate a stereotypical politician.
Robyn could not respond. "Well, take it any way that you will. I don't care." Hansel claimed. "You wanna keep playing dirty in order to win? Go right ahead."
"But if your bullshit gives me a damn good reason to, I will come after you and your little gang, hard."
"Is that a threat, kid?" Robyn asked, finally able to respond. She narrowed her eyes.
"I don't make threats, Hill, I make promises." Hansel shot back. "Don't give me a reason to keep this one."
Hansel then walked out of Robyn's office, only to have three weapons pointed right at his face. "Eavesdropping, seriously?" He deadpanned.
"You think we're just gonna let you walk out alive after making threats like that?!" Joanna demanded.
"Promises." Hansel corrected.
"You little-" Joanna began before being cut off by Robyn.
"Just let him go, Joanna." Robyn ordered.
"But Robyn…" Joanna trailed off.
"He's going to bring Blanche's killer to justice." Robyn reminded the girls. "Isn't that right, kid?"
Hansel nodded. "So, let him go." Robyn ordered firmly.
The Happy Huntresses all grumbled and lowered their weapons. Joanna made sure to spit on the floor in front of Hansel's feet for good measure. Hansel just looked at her with an unreadable expression before walking away from the Happy Huntresses. He was soon out of the building they were using as a hideout.
"You sure letting him go like that was a good idea?" May asked.
"It...might come back to haunt us." Fiona added.
"Kid won't do anything. Semblance showed me he's good for his word." Robyn firmly noted. "I still don't like him, he can burn with the rest of that despicable family of his. But, I can't deny the kid's got enough honor not to go back on his word."
"...Do you honestly think he can catch the fucker who killed Blanche?" Joanna asked.
Robyn remembered what Hansel told her. To trust in his resolve to get the job done, no matter what. And with that, she nodded. "Yeah," she said, "yeah I do."
And so, Hansel began making his way back to the airfield to receive transportation back to Atlas. He took a moment to gaze at his scroll and grimaced at the time. "2:30 AM," he shook his head in disbelief, "I can't believe I was out this late...actually, what am I even saying, I can. I knew I was going to be out late."
Hansel then remembered he had something important to deal with tomorrow. "Team RWBY's going to be taking on Team GLDN tomorrow...and the next day too." Hansel noted. "I guess I owe it to 'em to show up and give 'em a little bit of moral support."
"Still," Hansel continued, "I did all I could to make sure they were ready. Whatever happens now is up to them."
"Let's see if their pride and resolve is enough for them to carry the day."
"As for me, I really need to get some sleep." Hansel groaned. "Gods, I hope I don't fall asleep in the middle of the day."
As Hansel continued making his way back to the airfield, he could not help but think back to the brief skirmish he had with the Happy Huntresses. "Does she seriously think that little of me that I'd use my Semblance to its fullest in populated areas?" Hansel looked and sounded offended at the thought of it.
"I mean, I get the bad rep, but I'm still a professional dammit. I take care to hold back when I'm in populated areas." Hansel noted to himself before sighing. "Well, her mistake in assuming was my gain. A four on one fight could've gone either way."
A few hours later, as Hansel tried to get at least a few hours of sleep to recharge for his investigation and his students' battle, the clock struck 6 AM, and said students were preparing for their upcoming battles.
Weiss Schnee desperately tried to perfect her summons.
Blake Belladonna was practicing with her Semblance.
Yang Xiao Long was going through some morning workouts, currently in the middle of pushups.
Ruby Rose was sprinting around a track in Atlas Academy's courtyard, trying to mix her Semblance in with her regular running.
The battle between Team RWBY and Team GLDN was about to begin...
A.N: So, who would've actually won that 4-on-1 fight if it happened? Honestly, the Happy Huntresses probably would've on account of being four experienced Huntresses with great teamwork. But, they don't have Hansel's bad publicity. As long as they thought he was willing to burn down entire city blocks with the people in them, they weren't going to do anything. They'd have won the fight, but Hansel won psychologically. And when you're not here for a fight, that's honestly one of the most important things.
And so, as Hansel makes progress on his investigation, we switch focus to Team RWBY, about to begin their clash of pride with Team GLDN. Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. And a big thanks to Ryuzaki 007 for cowriting the past two chapters. He's way better at mystery and intrigue then me, folks, so be sure to give him credit. See y'all next time and stay healthy and safe.
