The dorm room of team RWBY hadn't been nearly as noisy as previously for several days now.
While it was typically filled with the sound of all four girl's usual back and forth banter of various note between various members. The team's morale was still down after the attack in the city and several days of fruitless searching for the mysterious Raven. Not even the dog Zwei was around to lighten the mood. Having been shipped back to Patch and the sisters' father Taiyang before his extended trip to Vacuo. Because of course Dr. Oobleck had been right about canines having many uses. Taiyang had trained Zwei since a pup specifically for them, and would find the little black dog very useful during his investigation.
Of course he hadn't told his daughters anything about said job, seeing no need to force more worry onto them. They had enough as it was.
Ruby was sitting atop her bunk on her red cape, crossed legs dangling over the side between the two major makeshift bedroom fixtures. Scanning through her scroll looking for any other noteworthy news from the city to aid in their pursuit.
Weiss was below her leader in an almost mirror position, once again scanning the slew of text messages from her sister and trying to decide what to do about them. While she pondered the possibilities, the Heiress snuck a glance over at her Faunus teammate.
The cat eared girl was at her desk facing away from her two companions. Running a cloth rag over the hilt-ward half of the shattered red sword of Adam. Making sure that his what remained of his weapon was spotless once more.
Both Ruby and Weiss knew it was not simple diligence in maintenance that had her so focused. Neither Faunus had shared any true parting words the last time they saw each other. Blake undoubtedly had some things left unsaid, boiling in the depths of her heart. Now doomed to just be another painful memory.
She could see her amber eyes reflected on the razor edge of the sword which Adam always cared for it. And taught her how important it was to watch her own equipment with the same fire. She had not decided whether or not to have the sword repaired yet.
Blake ran the rag over the blunt backside just one more time, deep in memories. But it wasn't so hard to tear herself away from them when the blonde hurricane of her partner entered the dorm. Their door crashing back against the wall with a loud bang.
Stormy was a perfect way to describe Yang at the moment. Her semblance on the edge of release, loosened up by her continued frustration at her failure to achieve her goal again for that morning.
Ruby had suggested she try a different approach to tracking down Raven, so that was exactly what Yang had been trying to do. But all of her contacts that she could reach wirelessly had given her absolutely nothing, or as Yang eloquently preferred fuck-all, for information.
Without a word she quickly vaulted up to her bunk to lay down. Head towards where her feet usually laid. Staring at the ceiling blinking away the red hue from her eyes.
"No luck I take it?" Weiss asked the taller huntress.
"Why do I even bother?" Yang growled back rhetorically.
She rolled onto her left arm to look at the opposite two bunks. "So… You two have tournament matches tomorrow."
Ruby blinked in surprise, "We do?"
"Yes, Ruby," Weiss sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. She brushed her partner's feet out of the way of her head as she stood and turned. "The council resumed the festivities, you'd know that if you had checked your mail this morning."
"And we shouldn't be wasting time," She said speaking of the subject of Ruby's own hunt, Weiss knew her leader was just trying to be thorough. Bu the Heiress felt she was losing focus, "The White Fang aren't a problem anymore."
"Yeah," the crimson girl agreed, "But there's still…"
Blake interrupted her, taking the side of Weiss, "Cutting away the body of a snake, has the same result as cutting off the head," The Faunus pushed her chair back then turned her head.
"Whoever the mastermind of this was they have no means to continue their schemes. They'll be long gone."
"But shouldn't we make sure?" Ruby countered. "It's the only lead we kind of still have."
"Have you found anything?" Yang asked.
"Well, I was thinking since you said Raven like your mom was…"
Ruby paused at the sudden beeping coming from the scroll she had just put down. One new message.
"Ruby this is Penny! Where are you?"
"Who's that?" Weiss asked, while smoothing out her white and light blue jacket.
"Shhhh," Her leader commanded.
"Are you at Beacon?" Ruby messaged back.
"Yes! With my father and Mister Ironwood. I'm going to be accepted!"
The young huntress smiled a little sensing her friend's happy tone. It was a welcome change to the dark mood that had settled over the school.
"Ruby?" Weiss spoke again, impatience sinking into her tone.
"Penny's here! She's coming to Beacon!"
"Oh, God…" Yang groaned throwing her hands up over her eyes. The Heiress sighed gently in agreement.
"Now there's two of them," Weiss muttered to herself.
Metal clacked together as Blake sheathed Adam's sword and stood to look at her team, "What else Ruby?"
The scarlet leader glanced back down, "She wants to know if we can meet up for her test."
"Spinning swords and lasers. Eh, sounds fun." Her sister admitted.
The younger turned back to her scroll, "Where is it?"
However no reply was immediately forth coming. Ruby sat for another moment silently waiting in confusion.
"Penny?" She texted in question.
Nothing.
While their leader gawked at her scroll, Blake turned back to grab her own weapon next to the desk. Latching the back-pad over her white shirt and black vest after brushing her flowing hair out of the way then moving to the door.
Yang called out, curious where her partner was headed. "Blake?"
"I'm going to the library." She replied.
"Okay why?"
"Ruby is a little busy at the moment," Blake said halfway through the threshold, "And, she might have something there. I can look through the news instead."
The blonde merely blinked in acknowledgement returning to her melancholy but Blake had other ideas.
"You should come along." She told her partner,
Now Yang's eyes fluttered in surprise, "Me?"
"Like Ruby was going to say. If Raven was White Fang she might be looking for their remnants too."
Weiss spoke up in agreement, "Go on Yang, at least some of us should be productive."
"Some of us?" Yang said glancing over,
Weiss looked back to Ruby, who had finally torn her gaze away from the still blank scroll. "I assume we've got to go find Penny?"
"Uhhh…" Ruby muttered collecting her thoughts.
"And that you have no idea where to begin?"
"No need to be like that."
Weiss sighed, "Come on."
The growing list of text messages Ruby had been sending remained stubbornly unanswered as she followed close behind the pale white figure of her teammate. Careful to walk in Weiss's high heeled footsteps while her eyes were elsewhere.
Which was proving difficult as the Heiress wove through the crowds heading away from the training halls. Weiss was a little surprised new student hazing, as she liked to think of it, was usually quite the event. The improvised initiations always drew a crowd, rare though they were. However these halls were quickly becoming the most sparsely populated she had ever seen them.
But Weiss figured that they had found the right arena when she noticed two Atlas soldiers standing at attention next to the doors directly in their path. The eyeless helmets busily scanning the students walking past them. When their dull gaze swept over Weiss both soldiers snapped to and straightened their postures immediately.
Ruby bumped into her partner with a small oof in surprise. Glancing up at the back of her white pony tail and then sweeping up over her partner's shoulder to see what had stopped them.
Team RWBY's leader smiled, "This means something…"
What meant even more to her was when the double doors swung open from the inside. Parted by two more guards, one in blue armor and one in red. Stepping ahead of General Ironwood keeping pace with the slower headmaster Ozpin. Neither man noticed or chose to acknowledge the first year girls. Neither did the grey haired one in the white lab coat who followed him out, but the little ginger android behind him certainly did.
"Penny!" Ruby called out,
She looked and waved slowly without any of her usual enthusiasm at the sight her friends. Her father turned first looking for the shouter. Then gently nudged Penny in the direction of the other girls with a smile before standing back. The two headmasters put aside for the moment rapidly disappearing down the hall.
Penny did not look happy. Her head was tilted down in defeat and disappointment.
"Are you alright?" Weiss asked.
"Yes, hic, I… I… I mean." She couldn't finish that thought,
Ruby hated to see any of her friends in such a state. She reached out and squeezed Penny's right shoulder to try and comfort her, "What happened?"
"Where should we start?"
"Take your pick," Blake said to her partner as they walked through the maze of tables on the library's main floor. "Missing persons, robberies, vandalism, smuggling, protests. There wasn't much the White Fang didn't have a hand in."
The blonde nodded, solemn and agreeing with the Faunus, "What do you think their end plan was?"
"I don't know," She replied, finally picking a study table to approach. "We'd always dreamed we'd make it to Vale in force. The Schnee family was always a target. But to me it always felt like the majority of us couldn't agree on anything much, they were just getting so tired. I left before the ones who got them into the Breach and the Blast kidnapping really appeared and... Refocused everyone."
Yang powered up one holographic info station then sat down, pushing the other chair in front of her out with a tall boot from beneath the table for her friend. Blake was flipping through her scroll as she sat down sideways, facing towards the bright archway window letting in the late morning light.
"Still," the taller blonde started speculating out loud, before she changed her approach "Or I guess, what did you want to see happen Blake? Way back when."
Yang knew her friend's core desire. Her dream both in and out of the White Fang had always been a world of equality and fairness. But the road towards those goals could have taken any number of shapes.
The Faunus paused and looked up. Through the tall shelves, unfocused at the far away wall with the sun outside moving through the peaceful trees jutting into the wide blue sky, "I figured the council would just have to listen to our voice if we kept on our course. Until you know I realized what we were becoming. Eventually I hoped they would start negotiations, get some action actually going to enforce the equal rights laws and well…"
Their eyes met, Blake's full of sadness, mirrored in sympathy to a lesser degree in her partner's. "But I guess nothing ever turns out like we plan."
Yang nodded and huffed in agreement, "You can say that again."
"What?!"
Penny sighed, "Ruby..."
Ruby couldn't believe it, neither could Weiss whose eyebrows rose a bit, dubious. Weiss spoke, "You bowled through a whole White Fang attack force last semester and you couldn't handle one Faunus on his own?"
Penny shook her head, "I didn't lose."
Still the Heiress couldn't believe her ears, "Then why?"
"It's no one's fault,"
The three of them turned to face the Doctor. The old man's voice was calm and collected. He moved forward to crouch on one knee in front of his daughter.
"Father? What?" She stuttered in bewilderment.
He sighed and gripped Penny's arms, "I'll explain later my girl,"
"You said…But… how am I supposed to save the world if?"
"You keep training." Geppetto said. "This is… just a minor set-back. Unfortunate circumstances with the world. Things are difficult now both Mr. Ozpin and General Ironwood have a lot on their plate. But don't worry, you were perfect my girl. I know at the end of the tournament we can get you another chance here, early. Let the world see you for what you are."
At least Penny smiled at that, Dr. Gepetto stood and straightened out his sweater. He knew his clever little girl wouldn't be totally satisfied with that answer. But he didn't want to go further into the subject at the moment. So he had another suggestion to lift her spirits.
"Perhaps you girls would like to come for a visit?" He offered
"To where?" Weiss asked.
Penny smiled, "Our airship… hic!..." She blushed and paused for a moment, "We'll not ours exactly."
"Ohh wow!" Ruby exclaimed excitedly, "How big is it? Have you been to the engines? What…?"
One of the heiress' pale hands clamped over the mouth of her red caped rambling leader. Stifling the barrage of questions.
Dr. Geppetto laughed once, struck by the similarities between his daughter and her new friend.
"Alright have fun you three," The doctor kissed the top of Penny's head briefly. She beamed at the other two girls as her father walked away after the general and Ozpin.
Blake could see Yang's head slowly angling downward, nearly in sync with the blonde's own eyelids drooping closed.
"Yang!"
Her partner suddenly snapped up sucking in a deep breath through her nose, banishing the weariness that had been weighing her down through their search after her very early morning.
"Have you found anything?" The Faunus asked
"Have you?" Yang asked back.
Blake scowled and leaned her head slightly forward.
The blonde sighed, "Fine, jeez…"
Yang looked back down to her scroll, dark and idle by the holographic board in front of her.
Idle only for the briefest of moments.
The little rectangle of technology came to life and started vibrating to attract her unknown number, Yang picked it up cautiously getting a closer look at the text displayed across the screen before she chose to answer and heard one familiar voice,
A voice in pain.
It was Raven…
"Yang help me."
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A/N Could have been longer could have been shorter, had to be something I'll settle for whatever progress I can get right now. Uggghhhh... writer's block
Thank you youtube for saving me a few hundred dollars to not go to RTX,
Any way watched the panel and bootlegged animation scenes, (The hype is real)but just it occurred to me to mention this even though you guys probably already figured,
Vol 3 won't really be cannon here, other things to do, and just consider my versions of like winter and/or raven to be different since I wasn't going to wait a year to keep going on this. FYI winter will be an older sister in the show, I'm sure I just made an ass out of u and me with Raven, but fuckitall. And if any new teams don't get a mention just assume something (death) happened to them in... unspecified for the moment things coming up.
This bit setting up the Remnant climax I'll probably say is the hardest part I've had to do so far but hang in there, hopefully I'll get more out early next month, if my return to college goes well.
Adieu' (I think)