Chapter 12: Sow the Seeds
Yang's talons clacked against the rusty loudspeaker she was perched on top of in Blake's office as she did the avian equivalent of impatiently shuffling her feet. The appeal of pretending to be a bird in front of the White Fang had long since worn thin for her. Unfortunately, she didn't have much of a choice but to continue the charade. The only alternative was to leave Blake to face her "brothers" and "sisters" alone, which wasn't something she was willing to do. She wondered if she should try pulling off sprouting talons from her fingers again.
A large map of the whole of the Kingdom of Atlas was spread out on the table in Blake's office, and Blake herself was standing over it. She had her mask on today, but it was still plain to see that her eyes were pouring over the map.
Several locations had been marked on the map, and they all corresponded to Schnee Dust Company mining facilities. Blake had sent various White Fang members out on scouting missions to observe and report back on the mines. Yang had no doubt those doing the scouting thought they were laying the groundwork for some big attack. In actuality, Blake was hoping they'd take note of the improvements to the workers' living conditions that she had on good authority from Weiss were being made. Unfortunately, Yang was skeptical that any of the scouts would care or even notice.
A knock sounded on the office's door.
"Come in," Blake said without looking up from her map.
The door opened. A guard was on the other side, but he stepped out of the way and let Ryn into the room.
"Thanks, buddy," Ryn said to the guard.
Judging by the look on the guard's face, he'd found Ryn's tone to be far too familiar, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he shut the door behind Ryn.
"Mantle? Really?" Ryn asked as he walked over to Blake. "Out of all the mines, you send me to scout out the one in Mantle?"
"You wanted the cushy jobs," Blake said, still studying her map. "What did you find?"
"Exactly what you're thinking I did," Ryn said. "The Schnees always keep the place squeaky clean so they can point at it and pretend all their other mines are like that too."
"Good," Blake said. "It'll be a useful point of comparison."
"Comparison for what?" Ryn asked.
Blake didn't answer.
Ryn actually managed to look a little put out for once. He said, "You know, the natives here are starting to get restless. They were all hyped up for that war Sienna was going on and on about. Then, poof! You come along and nothing."
Blake finally looked up from the map. She managed to project a threatening glare at Ryn, even with her mask on.
"Hey. Don't shoot the messenger," Ryn said, holding his hands up defensively. "I'm just telling you what people are saying."
"They'll be busy soon enough," Blake said.
"Doing what?" Ryn asked.
"Recruitment," Blake said.
"You mean like rabble-rousing in seedy bars and on street corners?" Ryn asked. "Seems a little old-fashioned."
"No," Blake said. "They're going to be talking to the Schnee Dust Company's miners and laborers directly."
Ryn looked intrigued. He scratched his chin, or rather, he picked at some of the scales on his chin. He said, "And how's recruiting more members into the White Fang going to help?"
Yang was curious about what Blake's plan was too. She knew that something Weiss had said at Team RWBY's get-together had dissuaded Blake from pursuing her original idea of making something big happen, but this was the first Yang had heard of whatever Blake was trying to do instead. She was a little disappointed Blake hadn't told her already.
Blake said, "You'll know when the time is right. Who knows. Maybe I just want to sneak a bunch of bombs into the mines."
"You don't really seem like the mad bomber type," Ryn said. "Well, whatever you say, Boss. I'll keep my ear to the ground."
"I'm sure you will," Blake said. She turned back to her map.
Ryn casually strolled over to the office's door and let himself out.
Yang really wanted to jump down and ask Blake what was going on. She'd noticed that Blake hadn't actually told Ryn much of anything. That could mean that she was bluffing or that she needed more time to work out the details. But Yang thought it was more likely that Blake expected Ryn to tell absolutely everything he'd heard to the rest of the White Fang members, and she'd only given him just enough information to whet everyone's curiosity.
A second knock sounded on the door. It was probably another scout reporting back. It would take a week or two before they all returned, but there were a few mines, like the one in Mantle, that were less than a day's travel from Atlas itself. But whoever was at the door, Yang didn't stay to find out. She leaped off her perch and flew out the office's open window. She had a gut feeling about something.
Yang flapped her wings and flew higher into the air. She trained her eagle eyes down on the warehouse below. Between the various skylights and regular windows on the exterior walls, she could see a surprising amount of the building's interior from above, and she quickly spotted Ryn walking under one of the skylights. She started circling around, keeping him in sight.
After a few minutes, Ryn paused in front of a partially open rolling door. He glanced over his shoulder in a suspicious manner. Then, apparently satisfied no one was watching him, he slipped under the door.
Yang immediately dove down. There was another rolling door on the outside of the warehouse about where Yang calculated Ryn was. It looked like it was part of an old loading dock. Yang swooped low and landed on a thin concrete lip at the base of the door. The door was closed, but there was a slight gap between it and the floor where the weather stripping had rotted away.
Yang jammed her head into the gap beneath the door to try to peer inside. She was able to make out what looked like a disused receiving area. There were three people standing inside. One was Ryn of course, and the other two were Yuma and Tock. Ryn and Yuma were speaking to one another, but Yang couldn't make out what they were saying.
Yang pulled back, but then she pressed the side of her head against the gap under the door. She had to strain her tiny ear, but she was finally able to hear something.
Yuma asked, "Recruitment? What's Belladonna playing at?"
Ryn said, "Do you want my opinion?"
There was a brief pause, followed by Ryn asking, "Well? Do you?"
"Yes!" Yuma said, sounding annoyed.
"I don't think she's playing at anything," Ryn said. "You weren't here for Blake's, ahem, disagreement with Sienna. But she made a pretty good case that the White Fang doesn't have the numbers to pursue our goals anymore."
"Humph. At least Khan knew what our goals were," Yuma said.
"You mean equal rights? Less slavery? Front row seats at the next Vytal Festival Tournament?" Ryn asked. "I'm pretty sure Blake's working on at least two of the three."
"'Equal rights' is one way of putting it," Yuma said. "The humans have had their turn at being in charge. It's time for our turn. Once we have the power to pack up all the humans and ship them off to an island in the middle of nowhere like they did to us, then things will finally be equal."
"It's good to have lofty dreams," Ryn said.
There was another stretch of silence. Then Yuma said, "It's funny how you're so eager to be everyone's friend all of a sudden. Sooner or later you're going to have to pick a side. So where do your loyalties lie?"
"With the White Fang," Ryn said.
"That's no answer," Yuma said.
"It's the best answer to a question that loaded," Ryn said. "You've really got to work on your insinuations. There was no subtlety to that at all."
Yang did not like what she was hearing. Ryn was right; Yuma was not being subtle at all. He was planning on taking Blake down, and the fact that he was willing to basically say as much to Ryn was a bad sign.
Yuma said, "Don't think you can hide behind your jokes forever."
"Who's joking? I meant what I said," Ryn replied. "I'm loyal to the White Fang, whoever's in charge. Besides. Do you really think I'm the kind of guy who would be all gung ho about stopping your counter-counterrevolution?"
"Maybe," Yuma said. "You ever hear about that old philosophical nonsense about only knowing someone once you've held them over a volcano?"
"It's a classic," Ryn said. "'And on that day, you will finally know the man.'"
"Like I said. Nonsense. But it's also true," Yuma said. "And a knife works in a pinch if you don't have a volcano. I've gotten to 'know' a lot of people, and it's amazing what some of them have inside themselves. So yeah. Maybe you would be one to get in my way. But maybe you won't need to. Maybe Belladonna really does have what it takes inside of her to be everything Khan was and more. But I doubt it. And when she fails, I'll be ready."
"Hmmm," Ryn said. "I've got to admit, I'm surprised."
"About what?" Yuma asked.
"You," Ryn said. "I never figured you to be a schemer. You're usually more of a go-for-the-throat kind of guy."
"Let's just say I was inspired by a parable I heard recently about the benefits of patience," Yuma said. "I told Belladonna I'd give her a chance, and I meant it. But if she turns out to be…lacking. She's already demonstrated what the White Fang does to lacking High Leaders. We'll know soon enough."
Yang almost flew off right then and there to go warn Blake, but she managed to restrain herself. It was clear Blake still had time, assuming Yuma was being truthful, and Yang realized that if she left now she might miss something important.
"How?" Ryn asked.
"Pardon?" Yuma responded.
"How will we know soon enough?" Ryn asked.
"Something's about to happen," Yuma said. "And Belladonna is going to have to show us her stripes."
"Ominous," Ryn said. "I'll be on the lookout for volcanos then. Whatever you've got planned…. I can't wait to see it. I mean that."
Yang heard the sound of footsteps. Presumably Ryn was walking away.
There was more silence, but Yang kept on listening. She hadn't forgotten that Tock was in the room too, and she was desperate to get some kind of read on her. Yang just knew Tock would be a huge factor in whatever was about to happen.
Eventually, Yuma asked, "Can your boss really deliver?"
There was a faint buzzing sound.
Yuma said, "Partner. Whatever."
There was another buzzing sound. Yang finally put two and two together and realized that Tock must have been sending Yuma messages over her scroll. Could she actually not talk? It was amazing how she was managing to be so infuriating without even being aware that Yang was listening in.
"Of course I'm worried," Yuma said. "Ryn's already on his way to tell anyone who will listen what I said. If nothing happens I'll look like an idiot."
"Don't give me your smart mouth. Can your partner deliver?"
"Good."
"Don't bother. The less I know the easier it'll be for me to act surprised."
Yang decided she'd heard enough. She hopped off the ledge she was standing on and took to the sky again. With a few flaps of her wings, she flew over to Blake's office again. Then she swooped in through the open window and landed right on top of the map on the table.
Blake was talking with some White Fang scout who Yang didn't recognize. They both turned toward Yang, obviously surprised.
Yang cawed at Blake.
Blake glanced at her visitor and said, "I'll send for you later."
"But…!" the White Fang scout started to protest, but she must have thought better of it. She said, "Yes, High Leader."
The scout quietly walked to the door and left the office.
As soon as the door closed, Yang transformed and scrambled off the table. She tried to tell Blake everything immediately, but she ended up saying nothing. She wasn't sure what the best way to broach the topic was. Blake seemed to be a lot more skeptical as of late, and this was definitely the kind of thing she'd blow off as Yang exaggerating.
Yang's worry must have shown on her face because Blake asked, "Yang? What happened?"
"Maybe we should take a break and head back to the cabin for a few days," Yang said.
Blake didn't respond right away. She stared at Yang for a moment. Then she tilted her mask up so it was resting on top of her head. She said, "Yang, we've talked about this. You know I can't do that."
Yang was suddenly even more alarmed. Blake looked absolutely terrible. There were heavy bags under her eyes like she'd been awake for days on end. Yang couldn't believe she hadn't noticed sooner. It was true that Blake had been wearing her mask more and more frequently, but Yang didn't think that excused her from not paying close enough attention.
"How much sleep did you get last night?" Yang asked. She'd gone to bed before Blake and had gotten up after her, just like every night recently she realized. Yang had assumed Blake had at least gotten some sleep. Now she wasn't so sure. Why hadn't she realized sooner?
Blake scowled at Yang's question. She reached for her mask and lowered it back down again.
"Blake, stop being stupid," Yang said, sounding frustrated. She reached for Blake's mask to pull it off her.
Blake yipped in alarm at Yang's hands coming for her face and scrambled backward.
Yang wasn't deterred. She kept reaching for Blake's mask and said, "Blake, it's just—"
Blake suddenly slapped Yang hard across her cheek. Yang's head jerked to the side. She'd been so caught off guard that her aura hadn't even protected her. A stinging sensation spread across her face, but it wasn't the physical pain that hurt the most. She realized she'd done something that had triggered Blake's past trauma from her relationship with Adam. Yang always tried so hard to do right by Blake, but it was absolutely aggravating that she never seemed to get things exactly correct. For a brief moment, she felt a swell of anger directed toward Blake for being so fragile, but she immediately and willfully redirected it toward Adam. He was lucky he was dead. It was the only thing sparing him from Yang's wrath.
Blake slunk away, saying, "Sorry! I'm sorry!"
"No! No! That wasn't your fault!" Yang said. Her instinct was to go over to Blake and hug her, but she didn't know how that would be received.
Blake was clutching the sides of her head now. Yang didn't need to see her face to know what kind of emotional turmoil was boiling inside of her.
Yang hated this so much. She couldn't help but feel that being High Leader was destroying Blake, and she couldn't seem to do anything about it. She figured it was time to go for broke. She said, "I overheard Yuma. He's plotting against you. He said something about you being forced to show your stripes soon, and that he'd be ready when you fail."
Blake looked up at Yang. She slowly lowered her hands and asked, "Is that what this is about?"
"Why don't you sound surprised?" Yang asked.
Blake said, "Because it's not unexpected."
"It's not…! Blake! This is crazy!" Yang said. "You're expecting people to stab you in the back, like, literally?! And you're still sticking around?!"
"It's my responsibility," Blake said.
"It's not your responsibility to die for the White Fang!" Yang said.
"If I don't do this, who will?!" Blake asked.
"This was Ilia's idea!" Yang said. "Let her be the High Leader."
"I know Ilia," Blake said. "If she thought she could handle being High Leader, she would've killed Sienna herself."
"Instead she's going to get you killed!" Yang said.
Blake was silent for a moment. Then she said, "If…. If it really looks like it's going to come to that, I'll leave. We'll leave. But I've got a chance to turn things around for the White Fang. I have to take it."
Yang crossed her arms. She was legitimately considering physically grabbing Blake and dragging her away. But she knew she could never bring herself to actually do that. Blake would never forgive her, and what good would it do anyway? It wasn't like she could keep Blake locked up. She said, "What's your plan then? What's all this recruiting you mentioned to Ryn for?"
"It's for collective bargaining," Blake said.
Yang actually had to pause to parse what Blake was trying to tell her. Then she said, "You want to turn the White Fang into…a giant labor union?"
"Something like that. Yes," Blake said.
"Will that…work?" Yang asked.
"I don't know," Blake admitted. "But Weiss can help make sure the Schnee Dust Company duly considers our demands. And if we get enough civic-minded members in the White Fang again, then Yuma's voice won't matter anymore. He can't start a riot without rioters."
A heavy silence hung over the room as Yang contemplated what Blake had said. It was certainly a novel idea. Yang wasn't really an expert on labor unions as her current quasi-under-the-table employment by Weiss was the closest thing she'd ever had to a legitimate job. She figured the Schnee Dust Company would have all kinds of ways to disrupt what Blake was hoping to accomplish. But with Weiss and the White Fang there to stop them, maybe Blake's plan could work.
Yang said, "Alright, but you've got to promise me something."
"What's that?" Blake asked.
"That you'll get some rest every now and then," Yang said.
"I promise I will," Blake said.
"I'm going to hold you to that," Yang said.
Blake actually chuckled. She asked, "Are you going to enforce mandatory nap times?"
"You've never seen me get sneaky before," Yang said with a grin. "Trust me. You'll never see me coming."
Author's Note: I can't actually say much about this chapter since anything I do say would basically be a spoiler. But I'm starting to think this Yuma guy might not have Blake's best interests at heart.
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