Weiss finally rejoined her two remaining teammates in the hallway outside of their dormitory, she gave a quick polite nod to the also present team JNPR before entering the room that had been her home for the last two semesters.
Ruby flopped down on Weiss's bottom bunk, arms splayed with her red and black boots planted on the floor. Blake pulled out the chair in front of her desk and looked back into the center of the room where Weiss now stood with her arms crossed. Eager to recap and regroup after their final member's disappearance.
"So what do we know?" The heiress asked,
"Something between zip and nothing," Ruby dryly muttered from the bed.
Blake was suspicious, "What is with this sudden change in attitude Weiss? I seem to recall you saying this wasn't a problem."
"Well you were mistaken," She countered, "So do we have a plan?"
Their Faunus teammate still wasn't convinced, "You sure took off in a hurry though Weiss, would you care to,"
"My father and my sister are in town."
Blake's amber eyes went wide and she shot to her feet in alarm at the bombshell that just landed, Ruby sat up and looked to her teammate.
"Have you talked to them yet?" She asked her partner,
"Not exactly," Weiss muttered,
The almost paralyzed Blake managed to find her voice, "What do they want?"
"They're just visiting."
Both dark haired Huntresses were stunned into silence processing this information. Blake was worried, she knew from her time in the White Fang that if a Schnee was in your area then it was a good idea to get out as fast as you could. And the other part of her was wondering how this would affect their team with the eldest of the most rich and powerful man in the world's children in it. Ruby was wondering how this would affect their hunt for her sister.
Weiss leaned forward with her hands on her hips at the stun locked silence tilting her head gesturing for some form of comment from either of her teammates.
"Listen," She told them, "I can dodge around until the end of the tournament or at least until we find Yang."
"Are you sure you wouldn't rather just get them off your tail with a quick visit?" Ruby asked,
The heiress shook her head "No, I think finding Yang should be team RWBY's top priority now."
Weiss let out a deep breath, "So I suggest we all get a good night's sleep, we need to be at our best tomorrow."
"Right, of course," Blake agreed sitting back down in her chair, turning to the desk and leaning down on her elbows while she pressed her palms to her forehead adjusting to the news. Weiss moved off to their bathroom to prepare for the night.
Ruby decided that she had enough of this day and leapt up to her own bunk still in her day clothes intent on going right to sleep. But she nearly leapt out of her skin when she felt the small piece of notebook paper crumple beneath her slender frame.
She easily recognized her sister's chicken scratch hand writing.
"Ruby, sorry I had to leave like this so suddenly. But I haven't been exactly honest with any of you lately. There's this girl she saved my life on the train from Mountain Glenn and now she wants to settle that issue. I tried to get rid of her but she says she knows things about my real mother. Ruby I don't think you can understand but I have to take care of this. See you soon, I love you, Yang."
The young scythe wielder read the note three more times taking in the words. But one phrase stuck in her mind and refused to let go. She balled up and angrily threw the ruined note over into the trash bin next to Blake. The Faunus looked back up to the top bunk wondering what had happened, but Ruby rolled over onto her side and threw her hood up over her head thinking of that one sentence.
"I don't think you can understand."
It was still early enough in the night to be considered night and not unreasonably early in the morning as Yang and Raven walked the filthy sidewalks of downtown Vale. Drawing in sight of their destination.
"I don't think this is their real hideout Raven," Yang told her mysterious comrade.
She nodded silently in return. Yang drew back on a few fond memories of Junior's building which they were currently just a few buildings up the street from. The blue grey washed brick façade that hid the most exclusive underground nightclub and notorious criminal hangout in the kingdom. Primarily the memories of the day she almost burned it to the ground.
Raven spoke, "No it's not."
Yang sighed, "So what are we here for then? Junior's useful if you want information but I don't think he's going to help us this time. He didn't even know about,"
"We're not here for information," Raven told her, then took a step forward and pointed to a back alley further down the street, "We're here for them."
The white box truck stood out in the darkness, parked facing out of this little delivery alley briefly lit by an exposed light from inside after a door quickly opened and shut. The driver was hidden in shadows until a little puff of embers from the cigarette he was smoking illuminated his dark unmarked clothing and the twin boar tusks sticking out parallel with his jawbone.
"Well let's see," The blond began, "Shady well known criminal spot, middle of the night. Sorry to profile but Faunus driver, White Fang movers?"
Raven nodded, "I've been tracking this group for a couple of days now."
"What are they doing?" Yang asked,
"Distract the driver and I'll see," Her accomplice in reconnaissance said.
With that the dark Huntress turned around and moved towards the black iron fire escape running down to the street they had just rounded. Yang let out a single sigh, before she banished her misgivings and put on a big smile with her chin held high.
"Excuse me sir?"
The boar Faunus went ramrod straight in shock dropping his still burning cigarette onto black pants and latching both of his gloved hands onto the steering wheel before him. His shock was quickly replaced by sudden confusion seeing the young blonde in black and white hanging from his rearview mirror.
Yang tried to ignore the fumes wafting from the interior and put on another smile, "Have you seen a dog wandering around here?"
She held her hand out palm down miming something low to the ground for reference. Trying not to stare directly at the shadow of Raven right over her head preparing to leap onto the roof of the truck. The driver coughed reached down picked up and then threw the smoldering packet of plant matter out the passenger side window.
"Sorry what?" The Faunus asked,
"My dog," Yang elaborated on her lie, "He's got loose and I'm looking for him."
A voice called out from the alley behind them, demanding the presence of the driver. He glanced over his shoulder but then back to Yang.
"I'm sorry miss I haven't seen any dog. Could you get off my door, I gotta go."
She grabbed onto the window frame with her right hand, trying to emulate Ruby's lethal puppy eye gaze, "Are you sure mister? I'm really worried."
The Faunus' brow furrowed and he unceremoniously threw open the door knocking Yang back down. She landed on her feet and weathered the blistering look the driver gave her before he settled his coat and moved back to his compatriots.
Like a cat Raven landed silently on the white roof of the truck, going flat to her stomach merging with the darkness until she sensed the coast was clear. Moving jut as quietly as she had fallen down Raven slid down to the latch and opened the cavernous back.
Almost two dozen crates were haphazardly thrown into the giant box, she ignored the smaller cases. Raven knew the White Fang was always running guns she was here for something bigger.
A prickle ran down her spine and she spun back around into a fighting crouch with her hand on the hilt of her sword, eyeing the bright outline of Yang standing at the back looking in.
The dark Huntress scowled in annoyance and pointed two fingers back towards the door that led to the club. Yang almost groaned aloud but brought the entrance into her peripheral vision. Raven shifted more crate looking for the larger ones she saw buried underneath. But after flipping open ones latches and raising the lid a hand span Raven slammed it back down.
"What is it?" Yang whispered,
Murmuring voices echoed through the thin side door, Raven quickly reclosed the latches and exited the truck. Shutting the door when hanging by one hand from a chord attached to the rolling sheet of metal planes. Once her feet hit the ground Raven grabbed Yang's right arm and dragged the Huntress in training back behind a pair of green dumpsters on the side of the alley.
Unoiled rusting hinges squealed open as light spilled into the corridor ahead of a chorus of male voices.
"…And I don't expect to see any of you here again."
Yang flinched at the familiar gruff tone angrily dismissing who she assumed were more incognito White Fang. Raven tightened her grip to silence the Huntress.
Whether through assurance or warning Yang did not know.
Another voice sarcastically responded, "One would think you're trying to get rid of us Junior."
The club owner growled deep in his throat, "Go piss up a rope,"
"We're professionals man."
"By your own made up standards," Junior snapped back "Tell your boss who ever it is I'm done."
There was rustle of expensive fabric being re-adjusted, "Torchwick was bad enough, but I'm a business man. Revolutions are not good for business."
Flat bottom shoes clacked away and the old door shut behind them, another male voice spoke up in jest,
"Mehhh, I had to keep bombs in my expensive headache salon, phhtp!"
A short thud was the answer from his companion cuffing him on the ear and the first voice spoke again,
"Quiet… Did anyone touch the truck?"
Yang's heart almost leapt into her throat. But the Faunus determined they we're still uncompromised and loaded up into the truck. One belch of black smoke and they were headed off into the night,
The two girls stood from their hiding place and walked out to the edge of the sidewalk.
"More bombs? In the city?" Yang asked in disbelief,
Raven nodded silently yes to both questions, "Atlas area denial devices, yeah the same kind they used in the breach."
Which was not good news at all,
Yang sighed scratching her long tresses, "Alright… There's not a lot of uses for bombs. Can I go now?"
"And do what?" Raven replied, "Go to the police? The Atlesians? Do you really think you can convince them in time to do some good?"
"It's kind of their job to do things about these things…"
"Well if they were good at it we wouldn't be in this situation." Raven quipped wearily,
She let out a deep breath and turned to Yang on her left, "Look, let's follow them to their hide out and see what we can do. If it looks like that's going to be nothing then I'll call us even and we'll go get someone, deal?"
The blond still didn't like it, angry thoughts were beginning to boil at the back of her mind. But she had to admit Raven might have a point, and she could see some form of light starting to shine at the end of this tunnel.
"Fine," Yang finally agreed, "But in case you haven't noticed the truck is getting away."
Raven smirked, "I hope you aren't afraid of heights."
Leaping up fire escapes and across roof tops was child's play for the two young huntresses, the white truck stuck out like a sore thumb in the late night shadows as they pursued the would be White Fang bombers. Sprinting past air conditioners and vents, jumping through Raven's red swirling portals when they came across roads to wide to jump over.
They crossed almost half the city before the truck took a sharp right turn and disappeared into a brick arched tunnel which slope down deep beneath the city beneath the towering freeways on the edge of the low class residential districts. Guards inside quickly closed two massive doors behind themselves and the vehicle sealing the road and bombs away behind heavy plates of sheet metal.
Raven and Yang crouched behind the low lip of a convenience store roof and surveyed the underground portal.
Yang clenched her fists on the cement, "Well crap, now what?"
"Well we're gonna have to get in there." Raven answered.
Blinking in shock Yang turned her head to the girl on her left, "Are you serious? They could have a whole army waiting in the underground, do you even know how massive that place is?"
"Well what do you suggest we do?"
"…Wait are you serious?"
The blond didn't believe she just heard those words, Raven asking for her ideas?
The dark Huntress nodded, choosing to believe she was serious Yang swallowed once thinking. What to do other than running to Headmaster Ozpin.
"Well, if you insist." She began. "Let's find some other entrance like a manhole or something. Track them down and see if we can catch them by surprise."
Raven rubbed her gloved right hand beneath her chin silently for a heartbeat before nodding in agreement. "Right, but not now. I'm tired."
And the disbelief returned to Yang's mind, "Are you kidding me?"
"No," The other girl simply replied, "Using my semblance so much was not a good idea. I don't want to run in there half dead already. You can take the first watch for a few hours."
"Did you just forget why we are here?"
Silence answered Yang's question as Raven stood and moved over and sat down on the gravel roof to their left, not concerned or worried in the slightest. Yang pressed the issue, knowing Raven had heard her.
"Hello? We don't have time to rest."
Red eyes flicked up to her, "They aren't going to do anything yet Yang trust me."
"They could attack the Vytal festival." Yang proposed,
"For what? Nothing is a worthwhile target there and the Atlesians are waiting everywhere. The White Fang going around slaughtering innocents will only hurt their cause once word gets out. They have a plan but right now we have time, understand?"
A little Yang admitted, but she still didn't like it. Once she knew there was a threat coming her way she always had to meet it head on. With that Raven ticked her chin to her collar bone and promptly went still as a corpse. However Yang still couldn't just let things sit just like that, just quite yet,
"How can you be so calm?" She asked the sleeping form of Raven.
She stirred and cast a single red eye and raised brow over, "This isn't my first rodeo Yang, I know these people. I've fought with them, I know their tactics and habits and that patience is a virtue that could save your life out in the wilds. Now are you done?"
No less of anything Yang decided to give her concerns a rest, figuring that she would probably have more luck getting answers from a brick wall. But she also knew that one way or another this would all be over tomorrow.
Kad laid flat on his back on the too small bed in his corner of their little dorm room, right arm back behind his head on the little white pillow while his left rested on his bare abs. One leg in his black school pants crossed up over the other bent at the knee and planted firmly on the ground. Quietly just breathing in and out in the darkness not really resting just listening to the sounds of his team fast asleep.
The stillness calmed him down, and let him focus on other things at the back of his mind. But he couldn't escape from falling into a loop of annoyance with his old friends with how Mercury and Emerald had tried to play him that morning. Cinder would have known better,
But in the midst of his wandering half rest a noise drew his awareness to the desk beside him. The giant leaned over on creaking springs and picked up his vibrating scroll.
Seeing the single new message from an unlisted number he recognized all too well,
"Phase three starts now."
A tiny smile creeped across the Primarch's face, anticipation swelling in his chest.
It wouldn't be long now…