Deploying the kickstand Yang shifted her bike up against the wooden log wall between a set of tents and ignored a stack of what looked like looted supplies marked with the banner of that coastal town they'd found their 'Guide' in shortly after they arrived, she counted at least three crates of food a few bags of linens, a rug or two that they'd likely taken from the market, her eyes flickered blood red as they settled on a pack stuffed with what she could only assume to be over a dozen watches necklaces and rings -several of which she recognized as wedding bands-, clenching her fist she stepped away from the tribes' ill-gotten gains and turned her attention back towards Koan and Lilly back at the gate.
Her fellow blonds eyed the camps residents with a keen eye in the event anyone tried anything, on the outside they projected an image of calm though she was certain they'd be ready for a fight at any moment, as for their guide he'd slinked off elsewhere after getting them inside to talk with two... she supposed they'd call themselves guards if the dirty and more than likely rusted, piece of crap guns that looked like they were cobbled together from bits of scrap and leftover parts, could be called weapons, manning the large double gate leading into the camp.
Pocketing her keys she glanced around the camp more than a few eyes had already settled on them, the youngest of which stood weapons in hand, held back only by their elders, who seemed to have somehow recognized her and began whispering from what she could hear were warning to their more eager members, however, their eyes reflecting not fear, but a mix of recognition and curiosity.
Shaking off their looks yang began making her way back towards the others, though not before turning her attention to the owner of the tent closest to her bike a Faunus, some kind of dog or maybe a wolf judging by the ears, though she didn't care to ask. The Faunus flinched under her gaze, her red eyes burning brightly for all to see and spoke in the calmest and even tone she could muster. "I don't have to tell you what's going to happen if someone messes, with my bike, do I?"
He swallowed, ears pulling back, flicking in almost the same way Blakes did when she was nerv-... Yang tsked pushing the thoughts of her old partner to the back of her mind, she didn't need them dredging up any old memories and the emotions tied to them not when she'd need to keep her cool above all else. Meanwhile, the unaware bandit took the foul mood flowing off the almost identical color pallet swap version of his leader, as a sign of her weighing patients and decided he better respond and soon.
"I-I'll keep an eye on it" he replied snapping Yang back to reality. "You won't have to worry."
"Good" she replied continuing on her way back towards the others, she spared another glance around the camp the number of whispers increasing the deeper she went. 'Do I really look that much like her?' She couldn't help but ask herself.
Stepping onto the dirt path that ran towards the center of the camp, Lilly and Koan fell in line behind her as they went "Starting to regret letting you talk me into this Yang." Lilly whispered glancing back over her shoulder and muttering a curse as more of the bandits filed in behind them cutting off their escape while still managing to maintain a safe distance "No going back now." she sighed, readying herself to morph at a moment's notice.
Making their way to the center of the camp the blond could see a tent resting upon a raised wooden platform at the very center of the camp, her eyes narrowed, if Raven was the woman Yang had made her out to be, someone obsessed with their own strength she certainly seemed like the one to set herself up on top of some raised pedestal so she could lord it over everyone around her.
She glanced at said blond out of the corner of her eye, the young woman's face set in stone her violate eyes fixed on the tent, she looked tense, anxious even judging by how her prosthetic hand would clench and unclench every so often, though she was hardly any different, if things went bad they'd have one hell of a fight on their hands and even if the great 'Bandit Queen of Mistral' deigned to grace them with her presence and hear what they had to say, there was still the challenge of convincing her to give them that portal.
"What's the plan?" Koan whispered sparing a glance towards the bandit lining the path ahead of them wearily, the deeper they went the harder it'd be for them to fight their way out.
"Let me do the talking." Yang replied keeping her voice low and level in the event anyone was listening in "I doubt she'll react all too well if either of you takes the lead on this, I'm the only one with any real connection with her." Though that in itself was a bit of a stretch, she still had to at least try and get her to listen. "But be ready for anything."
Yang took a deep calming breath in through her nose as they came to a halt before the tent, now more than ever she had to try and keep it cool, though that was easier said than done. This would be the first time she'd ever really spoken to her mother, and while a large part of her wanted to walk up and knock her teeth down her throat there was another part a small, foolish, naive part deep inside her that wondered if this meeting might lead to something more.
That this might be the day she finally had her answers, that her mother, the woman who brought her into this world might finally give her a reason, a fleeting glimmer of hope that even now she clung onto so desperately, that might explain why she had left she and her dad behind.
After all, a sane person didn't just suddenly marry a guy and get pregnant with his kid for no good reason, then decide you were just going to cast that newborn baby aside, just for the hell of it, right...Right?
Then the tent flap shifted and there she was, standing atop the stage her Grimm-themed helm in one hand while the other rested on the hilt of her sword, a cocky smile adorning a face so familiar it was almost as if she was staring into a mirror, albeit one weathered by time and the strain of years spent living on the frontier.
Her eyes regarded her in a mocking fashion as if her arrival had been part of some grand scheme rather than mere coincidence, it made her hate the subtle height difference the platform her tent was built upon granted her even more, the mere thought she was somehow looking down on her right now...
"Yang" Her mother greeted almost warmly.
She fought down the urge to scoff, instead replying with an even if somewhat stiff tone "Raven." Her name, nothing more.
"So cold... "Raven chided tilting her head back she stared down her nose at Yang, studying her and her two companions with a keen eye before carrying on. "Though I can't say I'm surprised, you've certainly been through so much over this last year, I certainly don't have to tell you how such experiences leave scars." Yang narrowed her eyes at the mention of the word, a phantom burning running across her neck where a collar once lay. "Yet still; you persevered and here you stand before me stronger than ever, your resolve, your determination tempered by fire, you've grown into a fine woman, a fine warrior." She brought her hand up from her hilt laying it over her heart. "I have never been more proud."
Yang clenched her fist tighter with each word, she wasn't about to let false praise go to her head, not when it was delivered with such a hollow tone, as though she was impressed but not surprised, as if her finding a way to pull herself out of that pit she'd been thrown in all those months ago should have been obvious, and that she was somehow responsible for it all.
"We need a portal." Her response was abrupt and to the point, she didn't have the time or the patience to entertain whatever game her mother was playing, all she wanted was to reach Uncle Qrow and her little sister, beyond that, nothing else mattered.
Raven faltered for a moment her brow creasing ever so slightly, yet she recovered quickly enough. maintaining a light and haughty tone. "Is that all?" she inquired evenly resting her hand on the hilt of her sword, she turned and began pacing across the stage as she spoke "Not even a word after having finally tracked me down? Instead, you and your companions trekked all this way from Vale, took one of my men hostages and forced him to lead you here, just for a portal?..."
"Yeah, pretty much." Yang shrugged back.
Raven paused clicking her tongue, she was just like the rest of them. "Family" She scoffed, a scowl settling across her features "Only ever coming around when they need something."
"Yeah well, we both apparently have different definitions of the word family." Yang replied in kind as if it was somehow her and her dad's fault that old Momma bird decided to disappear off to the middle of nowhere and live out her days robbing and butchering people for a living. "I doubt you could have made that any clearer than you did, eighteen years ago."
"It's a shame to hear that, Yang. I have words for you, words that I think you'd like to hear." If it had anything to do with trying to get her to shack up with her tribe or abandon her search for Ruby she definitely had another thing coming, though before she could voice her response Koan suddenly nudged her side.
Yang glanced towards her boyfriend, said shapeshifter flicked his head to the side, following his direction her eyes landed on the bandit surrounding them, their numbers have grown and some of them now looking at her in open disdain... she should probably reel it in before someone did something stupid. Sighing to herself Yang regarded Raven once more, the bandit queen having watched the exchange between the two younger blonds curiously.
"Look" Yang began in a much softer tone. "Sorry to disappoint you if you were hoping I'd come here for some big reunion or something, but I'm not, Ruby, my little sister is somewhere in Mistral right now, and she is in danger." Yang stressed, fighting to keep her tone as even as possible " I know Uncle Qrow and Adam went with her, but they are going to need our help, and I know for a fact you can bring me to her."
"Well, you were certainly right about one thing Yang" Raven descended from her stage standing before the trio " I am disappointed. After all, you found me, didn't you? Why not take that drive and use it to find your little sister if she means that much to you?"
"Because I can't be sure I'd make it in time if I spend weeks searching all of Anima for her." Yang stepped forward standing before her mother meeting her judging gaze head-on and for a moment she thought she saw a spark of pride in her crimson gaze. That spark, however, vanished at her daughter's next words. "The Psycho Rangers are hunting her, you know, the fuckers that almost tortured me to death back at that mine, their goons attacked me on patch, right outside my house, I'm only still here right now because of Lilly" Yang flicked her head back towards said yellow ranger before carrying on, her voice rising in intensity " And if they came after me that means they're going after her and the rest of my team as well, you might not care what happens to Ruby, but I do, so give me a portal, and I will be on my way."
Raven remained stock still, her hand folding and unfolding around the hilt of Omen as she processed her daughter's words, then after a tense moment of silence she spoke "That's very noble of you Yang, to want to protect your sister, but if what you say is true then you may want to consider your situation more carefully" Raven leaned forward, her words lacking any of their previous jovialness or false bravado, instead they seemed almost... Concerned "And instead of getting wrapped up in something too big for you, for any of us, maybe you should take a moment to consider your options." Their camp was isolated and changed locations regularly, making pinning down their location nearly impossible. "You'd be safe he-"
"Don't." Yang interrupted her eyes briefly flashing a burning red. "Don't even try and convince me otherwise, nothing will stop me from reaching Ruby, not even you." A tense moment of silence fell over the camp, as mother and daughter locked eyes, Koan and Lily shared a glance, their eyes moving to the bandits surrounding them, many already gripping their weapons, waiting for their leader's word, Koan reached back over he should gripping the hilt of his sword, while Lilly channeled Grid Energy into her palm preparing to summon her bow-staff.
Raven snorted, amused and disappointed at her daughter's narrow-mindedness. "Well... aren't you stubborn."
"Where do you think I got that from?" Yang prodded.
"I think, we're done here." Raven replied turning and making her way back towards her tent, she gestured to a group of her men to her right, her protege standing at the forefront of them. "Vernal see them out, the rest of you start packing up we'll be moving out soon." The young woman nodded drawing her weapons a pair of crescent-shaped blades with a pair of rectangular gun barrels affixed atop the inner wring at its center, she gestured for those around her to begin surrounding the blond trio.
"That's far enough," Lilly stressed, summoning her bow staff in a flash of light, the display shocking a few of the bandits around them many now eyeing her cautiously, some even taking a step back in alarm.
"You heard the lady!" Koan snaped drawing his own sword, silently debating on whether or not it was worth the risk of transforming, there was no doubt in his mind the second he did the whole tribe would turn on them and while some of his larger forms like Crabdozer or Tyrannopede might be able to hold their own against such numbers, his concern was with Lilly and Yang, there wasn't a lot of space here and while he had no qualms in flattening a few tenets and even some people if it came to it, there was just as much risk of them being caught in between it all.
Taking a chance Lilly glanced back at her charge, Yang's eyes remained locked on Raven's retreating form, cursing under her breath she called out to her in concern "Yang it's time to go, forget about her, we can figure something else out."
"Did you not hear a word I just said." Yang bellowed her eyes blazing red, deploying Ember Celica she leapt up firing her gauntlet and prosthetic in tandem to boost over the line of Bandits, landing at the foot of the platform directly behind her mother. "I told you I'm not going anywhere without a portal, even if I have to raise this whole damn camp of yours to the ground to get one!." The elder Branwen paused, turning her head slightly and regarding her daughter with a single blood-red eye, that quickly shifted past her.
"You dare threaten our Leader, our Tribe!" Another bandit cried charging into the fray beside a dozen of his tribesmen drawn in by the sounds of conflict, Yang cursed her head snapping back towards the others for a moment it looked as though they'd be overwhelmed, then suddenly a lightning bolt crashed down from above between the line of charging bandits halting their advance.
"That's enough!" Vernal called out, many of the bandits who had once been crying for blood mere moments ago, their expressions had shifted into a mix of fear and awe, all directed towards Raven's chief enforcer.
"Thank you, Vernal." Raven said, stepping past her daughter and addressing her tribe once more. "If you people don't keep it together this place will be crawling with Grimm" At her words they lowered their weapons and slowly began shuffling away, glaring at Koan and Lilly threateningly as they did so, said blonds slowly lowering their own weapons as they passed, satisfied Raven turned to regard her daughter in no small frustration. "My tent, now."
Yang stared at her mother in disbelief as she passed, a second ago she was more than willing to throw them out on their asses, but now she was going to help them? "Why?" She demanded.
Raven paused at her tent flap, an almost tired sigh leaving her " If you are really intent on going after your sister, then you need to know the truth."
/
Four hours, they'd been out here for four hours going door to door district to district talking to everyone and anyone they could find that would be willing to stand up against the white Fang, who were willing to join them on their mission to defend Haven Academy from Adam and his followers, and what did they have to show for it in the end.
Eleven signatures
Out of the thousands of citizens of Kuo-Kuana, so far only eleven had been willing to offer their support to their cause, with the majority of them likely never having held a weapon in their life. Blake sighed to herself stirring her coconut drink aimlessly, at the very least she wasn't the only one upset by their results.
"I seriously don't get these people!" Sun groaned slamming his cup down on the table between them "How can they just sit around and do nothing with the White Fang getting ready to attack?!"
"Let's just be glad we were able to find some people to support us, Sun." Blake was quick to remind him, she hadn't expected their plea to be met with open arms but she'd at least hoped there'd be more people here willing to not only see the injustice being done and be strong enough to take a stand against it, though looking back on it now that may have just been wishful thinking, still what they had was a start if nothing else.
"The Faunus here in Menagerie - the ones that weren't born on the island - moved here because they were tired of fighting, of having to struggle constantly." Blake brought the coconut-themed drink to her lips, the cool fruit cocktail, washing over her tongue and providing a brief moment of respite from the tropical heat, setting her drink down to the side she drew her scroll, typing away at the screen she quickly added the names they'd managed to collect before stopping off to the lists of those who had signed up. "Menagerie is filled with people who came here so they could be left alone" She shook her head lightly "We're the ones asking them to put their lives on the line for a world that only ever tried to knock them down, every chance it got."
"Yeah, I guess that kinda makes sense." Sun deflated propping his head up on his fist "I mean from here; it must seem like Haven and everything going on there is an entire world away?"
Blake nodded sadly "That's the problem Sun. What people don't realize is what happens at Haven, is going to affect them whether they like it or not." Something no one else seemed to realize but them, Blake sighed rubbing at her brow in frustration. "If Adam gets his way and Haven falls, it's only going to make things worse for the Faunus. Everywhere." Did he even realize what he was doing, how many of their own people he would be hurting in the process? Sometimes she wondered to herself how it had come to this, he hadn't always been this way, so angry, so spiteful to the world around him.
"Adam..." Sun approached realizing the topic wasn't something Blake took lightly. "He's the guy you used to work with... right."
Blake sighed nodding her head slowly. "Yes." The truth behind their relationship was perhaps a little deeper than Sun believed, but she wasn't exactly comfortable discussing any of that at the moment.
Sensing her discomfort Sun tried to drop the subject "Yeah... just, forget I said anything." he waved off turning his attention back towards his own drink.
"No, it's fine, what he and I were it's...It's complicated." Blake paused taking a moment to look back on her and Adam's partnership over the years, the good and the bad. " I doubt you'd believe it but, back when I first joined up he wasn't anything at all like he is now, he wasn't a saint by any means, but he never went out of his way to do harm other than as a last resort." That wasn't her trying to make excuses for him, it's just the way it was, no one started off as a crazed sociopath, there was a process to it all, a trigger that sent them down that path, one she'd clearly missed, though there was no denying the signs had been there, she just hadn't wanted to believe it.
"What changed." Sun inquired.
"I honestly don't know." Blake sighed, if it had been something quick, something obvious she was certain she would have seen it. No whatever it was that made him this way, it had been with him long before she'd come into the picture. "But as time went on I started to notice he was slipping, it started slowly at first, the targets for our raids would get bigger, and our objective shifted from freeing abused workers and exposing corruption to causing as much destruction to facilities as possible... then there were the accidents."
"Accidents?" Sun asked, Blake looked up from her drink and gave him a meaningful look, it didn't take long for him to realize what she meant "...Oh" he looked away.
"Yeah" Blake sighed, she'd brought Adam up on it more than once, yet every time he had some excuse to justify why it happened and she'd trusted him, she'd hoped it really was just an accident. However, that hope had begun to fade as time went on and those so-called 'Accidents' became an all too regular occurrence during their missions. "Over time I started to see things more clearly, I started to see Adam more clearly." And yet she didn't want to believe it, instead clinging onto the image of the man she knew, the man she thought she loved all in the hope that she was wrong and that he could pull himself back from that darkness, and those hopes were shattered the day of the train heist, the day she truly realized just what he'd become.
'What about the Crewmembers?'
'...What about them?'
The memory of that day burned in the forefront of her mind, her fingers tightening her hold around her drink. " Adam won't accept equality, only suffering for what he feels the world did to him, and his way of thinking is dangerously contagious." She sighed her mind drifting towards a certain Chameleon Faunus teetering over the edge of the same Abyss Adam had descended into long ago. "That's what worries me about Illia, the longer she's with them the farther gone she'll be."
Sun nodded "I'm guessing she was your friend before all this."
"I'd like to think she still is." Blake sighed, which made this all the harder. "She lost her family in a mining accident when she was young, and while her chameleon traits would have let her pass as human, and live out a normal life, she still decided to join the White Fang, she said she couldn't stand by and do nothing, I admired that." Blake peered down into her drink her reflection staring back up at her intently.
"The White Fang at the time didn't exactly have the resources for any professional training so the two of us picked up what we could on the road, but as our numbers began to grow and our tactics changed, we changed with them, our combat drills, evolved from standard self-defense into advanced firearms training and swordplay lessons." Her own personal weapon had been constructed around the same time from parts she'd purchased in the few towns that accepted their presence or that were stolen from the facilities they raided. "In the end, my parents tried to get me to leave with them, but I refused. "She frowned down at her reflection disappointedly "I had Adam and Ilia, after all."
"You know we're going to have to face her eventually." Sun replied, with the way things were going he couldn't see a way for them to 'Talk' this whole thing out.
"I know." Blake replied evenly.
"So, what are you going to do?" Sun asked, Lizard girl seemed to be pretty far gone to him, I mean, she'd STABBED him for crying out loud, but... if Blake thought there was still a chance, he was willing to give it a shot.
"The Ilia I remember is still in there, she's just... buried under so much anger." She'd seen enough of her from their impromptu meetings these last few days to be certain of that. "I just have to try and reach her, the same way you reached me." Blake glanced up at him her ears folding down in shame "...I'm sorry for how I've treated you recently."
"Hey." Sun called out softly "I get it, you were going through a lot at the time, and me showing up out of nowhere and causing trouble just pushed you over the edge." I mean looking back on it now he had technically stalked her halfway across the world and dragged her back into another fight with the White Fang, so he couldn't really blame her for being a little pissed at him.
"That's no excuse, you were only trying to help, and I pushed you away every chance I got." Blake sighed to herself " I was drowning in so much guilt and regret and I used you as an outlet for it all, it was horrible and cruel of me to put you through all of that when you were just trying to be there for me."
"Grief can affect us in many ways, at times it can make us do things we never thought we were capable of, turn us into something we never thought possible." The two Faunus nearly lept from their seats at the unexpected addition to their conversation, their hands instinctively moving for their weapons as their heads snapped towards the new arrival.
Aurico regarded the two teens evenly from beneath his hood, then after a moment of silence bowed his head lightly in greeting "Apologies, I didn't mean to startle you."
"What are you doing here?" Blake leaned forward whispering harshly "You and your... leader, are supposed to stay back at the house."
"And so, she remains" Aurico replied calmly resting his arms at his sides "However your father has granted me permission to leave the manor to check in on your progress." He tilted his head toward Sun "Judging from your expressions when I arrived, I assume the attitude from the rally is more widespread than we first assumed."
"It's... been a little harder than I thought it would be, but we're getting there." Sun defended.
Aurico nodded "That is good news" Turning his head to regard Blake he asked "May I join you."
Blake narrowed her eyes lightly, though before she could give a response Sun answered for her "Sure, man." The monkey Faunus reached out with his tail grabbing a spare chair from one of the empty tables on the boardwalk and pulling it over while sending Blake a knowing look, she'd made her stance on Sienna and her people well known for everyone back at the Manor, but now wasn't the time to start snapping at people, even if they were White Fang.
"Thank you." Aurico accepted the seat with a nod and settled down between them, resting his hands on the table for all to see, he knew they were both suspicious of him given his arrival with Sienna, though he hoped to put an end to that now that he had the chance "I understand there has been some animosity between us since Sienna and I's arrival, however, I can assure you, I am not-"
"Look" Blake snapped halting his next words." I appreciate you and your high leader offering your aid to help us stop Adam, but can you save the rhetoric about how the White Fang under Sienna wasn't what we've heard." Blake fixed him with a small glare "So long as you're willing to pull your weight I don't care what side you're on, just spare us the justification for your moderates, I'm not in the mood."
Sun nudged Blake's leg slightly from under the table shooting her a small glare, Blake returned the look in kind reaching for her drink and turning her attention towards the coastline in an effort to distance herself from the conversation, Aurico merely tilted his head to the side slightly, before asking her "Why do you assume I am part of the White Fang?"
"Wait" Sun picked up. "You're...not part of the White Fang?"
"No" Aurico replied to him evenly causing Blake to still her ears pulled back slightly in alarm, before folding in on themselves. "I share no brotherhood with its previous or current members of the White Fang, though given who I arrived here with I understand your confusion as to where my allegiance may lie." Aurico shifted his gaze back towards Blake, who looked away a look of shame passing over her. "Though given your past interactions with the White Fang I cannot blame you for harboring resentment towards anyone who might associate with its members past or present."
"No, I...I shouldn't have assumed." Blake offered before, after a moment of consideration adding "Nor spoken to you like that" She sighed rubbing at her brow in frustration "I don't know what's been wrong with me lately." It was just like what happened with Sun all over again, she'd assumed the worst and out of frustration and misdirected anger she'd snapped at an innocent man, though that in of itself raised a rather important question "But, if you weren't with Sienna, what were you doing at the White Fangs compound?"
"Hunting Adam Taurus." And suddenly he had the Faunus duo's utmost attention, sighing to himself he rested his hands on the table with a troubled expression "I was there at the Fall of Beacon, I fought beside Qrow Branwen and General Ironwood in the defense of Vale and its people, I've seen firsthand what Adam Taurus and the White Fang that follow him have done, and my comrades and I thought it necessary he is removed from the board before any more damage could be done."
"And he's what led you to Sienna" Blake surmised, receiving a confirming nod from the Aquatarion.
"I arrived shortly before he staged his coup" Aurico replied. "The guards I incapacitated when infiltrating the compound were ironically enough part of the forces meant to aid in his takeover, and once I heard the commotion from within the throne room, well the rest is history." It was a strange twist of fate indeed, his goal had been solely on removing Taurus and eliminating one of the Psycho Ranger's allies, and while he had failed in that mission by prioritizing saving Sienna, he wouldn't say it was a loss, for any Ranger, a life saved even one that had strayed from a more noble path, was a victory.
Sun nodded along with the conversation while sipping at his drink, then he paused a thoughtful look passing over him "Hey, wait a minute." He spoke up drawing Blake and Aurico's eyes to him, the monkey Faunus then gestured to the red ranger "You said you and your friends were trying to take out Adam?"
"Correct" Aurico replied.
"Then couldn't we you know get ahold of them and bring them in to help or warn Haven right now, I mean Miss K said your Semblance was what got you both here." It should have been easy for him to just hop back over to Mistral and bring the rest of his team back, or better yet warn Haven about what was coming. "Couldn't you just, jump there and back and warn them." he added cupping his hands close together and gesturing from one side of the table to another for emphasis.
Blake found herself agreeing with Sun's words, while her father had dispatched one of his own messengers to warn Haven about the upcoming attack, it would still be days before they were able to reach Mistral, time that Adam could use to draw in more support and build up his forces further for the assault, the fact that she hadn't thought of that herself spoke of how blinded by her own resentment she'd been at the time. "Can you?" she inquired.
"I could do so for the latter, though that may cause issues once your father's own messenger arrives." It had crossed his mind already, but even if he intended to leave he needed to be certain of the situation here before he could consider departing, even then there was no guarantee the Mistral council would believe the words of some stranger, nor dismiss Menagerie's offer to help, given the tense political climate within the Kingdoms at this time. "As for my team if our last communication was accurate they will already be making their way to Mistral as we speak." Speaking of which, now may be the time to address certain topics "I believe they were accompanying your friend Ruby and her team on their journey."
"Ruby" Blake's eyes widened at the mention of her teammate's name, then narrowed just as quickly her previous suspicions beginning to rear up once more. "How do you know about my..." Blake trailed off as for the first time she focused on his face, the bulbousness, the discoloration of his skin not to mention what looked to be a set of gills peeking out from just above the collar of his robes, it was all just so... Alien "Are you a Plumber?"
"Plumber?" The same badass space cops Blake had told him about, from her time on earth. "Like Alex?"
"I am not a plumber." Aurico shook his head lightly "Though Alex and I do belong to the same order." He glanced around at the boardwalk ensuring there were no prying eyes aimed towards them, before the air around his face seemed to glitch and flicker and for a moment his face was hidden behind a red helmet with what looked to be a gold headband above its jet-black visor.
"You're a Ranger" Blake breathed.
"Indeed, my name is Aurico, Last of the Rangers of Aquitar." He explained.
"Dude" Sun hissed hunching forward he leaned across the table towards the red ranger. "Why didn't you say something at the house."
"The situation was tense enough as is with Sienna's arrival and the recent actions of the White Fang members on the island." Aurico replied in a hushed tone. "Revealing my presence would have only distracted you from the matter at hand." He frowned slightly "In any case Whiger was supposed to meet with you once you arrived on the island and bring you up to speed."
"Whiger" Blake whispered, the same Whiger that had been imprisoned in that mine beside Yang and helped her escape alongside the other rangers. "He's here?"
"Given the threat upon you posed by the Psycho rangers, we sent him to act as a sort of guardian for you, Adam, Adam Park "Aurico amended before there was a chance of any confusion on Sun's part." Went with Qrow to Keep an eye on Ruby as she and the remnant of JNPR travel to Haven, Cassie and Cam travelled to Atlas to assess the situation there and watch over Weiss, while Lilly remained on patch, to watch over Yang" Noticing how she seemed to deflate at the mention of her partner's name, Aurico reached out resting a comforting hand on her shoulder "She's doing well, from what Lilly told me in her last transmission, she, Yang and Koan plan on making the trip to Haven to join up with Ruby and Adam."
"Then they'll be at Haven" Blake surmised a sense of foreboding welling up inside her, the others would have no idea what was coming and here she was half a world away unable to warn them, unable to help them, just like last time. The memory of Adam cleaving Yang's arm off as she lay there helplessly flashed to the forefront of her mind, followed swiftly by Alex departing from the beacon landing pad after handing her off to the medical team to rescue Ruby from Cinder and Psycho Red, only to never return.
Her hand slipped down into her jacket pocket, her fingers curling around his Plumbers badge steadying herself, now wasn't the time to let her emotions drive her to do something stupid again, not while she was still suffering the consequences of the last time. She had to keep her head and approach this rationally, her father's messenger would reach them eventually, the best thing she could do for them now was to focus on bringing more people to the cause so that when Adam arrived at Haven, it wouldn't only be her teammates their too greet him but her and a small army of their brothers and sister as well.
However, there was still one burning question on her mind. "If Whiger was sent here to warn me about the Psycho Rangers, why didn't he?."
Sun set his drink down and leaned forward his tone taking on a rare seriousness with his next words. "You think maybe we should check in on the guy, something might have happened to him?" If those well... Psychos, were after Blake, it made sense they'd go after the guy sent to protect her first.
Aurico shook his head lightly "Maybe, he was here a few weeks before you arrived, so he may have been more knowledgeable of the situation ahead of time and thought better than to reach out to you so soon, not with the White fangs eyes on you." In a perfect world that would have been the case, but the chance he had been compromising and forced to flee or worse, wasn't something they could ignore "Still, it's worth checking in and seeing what went wrong."
"Was he staying nearby?" Blake asked, digging into her pocket and depositing some Lien on the table for their drinks, before retrieving Gambol Shroud and affixing it to her back.
"A townhouse close by to here, we should be able to find him there." As one the three rose from there and began making their way back down the boardwalk towards the residential district. Unannounced to them, however, a set of jade-green eyes watched them from a few tables away their owner sighed slightly as she dabbed her lips with a napkin, she'd honestly been enjoying the food here and would have liked to have finished it, but duty called.
Standing up from the table she deposited a few Lien cards down beside her food an offering of her praise to the chef and a silent apology that she would be able to finish it and began to follow along as the trio made their way back towards the residential district, brushing a few stray strands of hair behind her ear she activated her earpiece.
"We've got a small problem" She whispered.
"White Fang?" The phantom beast inquired from the other end of the line, he didn't sound surprised, and she supposed neither would she given the display at the rally earlier that day.
"No" She replied leaning back on the railing at the edge of the walkway as the trio ahead of her stepped out onto the main pathway and were quickly swallowed by the crowd. Despite foot traffic being pretty heavy around this time of day, her mother's coat made her easy to pick out as the trio made their way through the crowd in the direction of the industrial district. "Aurico showed up a little earlier and filled them in on a few things, they're heading towards the old safe house now."
"Will I be needed?" he asked.
"Not after what happened earlier Corsac and Fennec will have people looking for your avatar, you need to stay put for the moment and let the heat die down." Kelly replied, his little outburst earlier put a target on their backs and forced them to relocate from their townhouse less the White Fang managed to pin them down and make it easier for their goons to try and silence them. "I'll introduce myself once they're inside and clear things up, if you're looking for something to do in the meantime try listening in with those bugs I planned around the Albion compound, if they let anything slip well know about it, I'll contact you again afterwords or if anything comes up."
"Hmm so be it." Deactivating her comm, Kelly sighed to herself, Whiger was a great warrior and excellent tactician when it came to open combat but his skills in terms of espionage and spy craft were somewhat lacking, his warrior code and value for honor likely having something to do with that, though she wouldn't hold it against him.
Stepping off the main road she made her way deeper into the maze of back streets and alleyways until she was certain no one would see what came next, tapping the center of her utility belt the dial flashed once again and the nanobots got to work, flowing across her body like a flood of silver her casual clothes being broken down and reformed into her Proto-tech armor and cloak, before switching direction and sweeping up over her neck and face reforming her helmet, glancing down at herself she shifted from one foot to the other clenching and unclenching her fists to ensure nothing was out of place.
Satisfied she raised her arm up and fired a grapple line up to the nearby balcony, using it to propel herself up to the nearby rooftop, she landed in a crouch her cloaking projector coming to life, the light of the mid-day sun bending around her body concealing her from the Faunus passing below, she broke out into a sprint leaping from one rooftop to another, closing in on safehouse as few streets away.
It was time for Nightshade to say hello.
/
The townhouse Aurico had led them to was tucked away in one of the side streets, it was larger in comparison to some of the houses they'd passed in the residential district, though that could be attributed to its proximity to Kuo Kuana's industrial sector. Menagerie was cramped, to begin with, so most workers tended to bunk together, she glanced around at the almost identical buildings lining both sides of the street, noticing a few eyes watching them from the upper floors curiously.
Blake winced, her ears flexing in on themselves instinctually as what sounded like one of the heavy industrial saws they used in one of the lumber yards further in, roared to life. "You okay." Sun asked.
"It's just a little louder than I was expecting." Blake replied flexing the fluffy appendages atop her head in an effort to block out the dull thrum bouncing around in her ears, for a moment she almost regretted having forgone her usual bow after she and the others made it back from Bellwood, it would have at least muffle the sound of the heavy machinery close by... and maybe the dog whistle Ruby had used to rain in Zwei after he made off with one of her books back at Beacon, she could still remember the horrified look on her leaders face and the teary-eyed apology that followed "How far are we?"
"It should just be around the corner." Aurico replied.
"So, what's the plan" Sun whispered to them as they closed in on the house. "You take the front while Blake and I go in through the back."
"Let's hold off on the theatrics for now." Aurico advised as they approached the front door of the townhouse, they didn't need to cause a disturbance for the locals, nor draw any further attention to themselves "We're here to see if Whiger is still staying here and failing that find where he went and why he..." Aurico grew quiet coming to a halt, his eyes narrowed. The screen door covering the entrance had made it difficult to see from a distance, though now that they were closer he could clearly see both the front door was left slightly ajar, and a large crack running along the frame of the door.
His eyes turned towards the first-story windows then tilting his head back he peered up at the ones above, the curtains were shut with little to no signs of movement from the gaps where light peeked through. Looking back to Blake and Sun he found the two of them already in the process of drawing their weapons, his own hand drifted into his robe closing around the handle of his blaster pistol finger resting on the trigger.
Aurico gestured back towards them to wait and edged towards the door, reaching out he took hold of the handle for the screen door and pulled it open, drawing his blaster pistol out of his robe he brought it to bear and slowly pushed the front door open granting him and his allies an unobstructed view through to the hallway beyond with two rooms connections, one just past the doorway to the right while the other sat below the staircase connecting to the upper level near the back of the hall.
He gestured with his free hand for Blake to follow him, then between Sun and the second floor above, catching on quickly enough and pushing his aura into his legs the Monkey Faunus lept up towards the second story above scaling up past the windows and onto the roof, disappearing out of sight. With that, he and Blake entered the cat Faunus keeping her weapon aimed down the opposite end of the hall while the red ranger moved to inspect the first room, a living room by the look of it, though the room was very spartan with little in terms of furniture or what could be described as personal belonging though that had not spared it from whoever had forced their way inside.
The coffee table at the very center was overturned its legs snapped off one by one and discarded to the side. The floor cushions that may have once surrounded it were sliced open with their contents spilt out across the hardwood floor and even that had not been spared, with several floorboards having been broken inwards or ripped up altogether. Yet these were not the signs of battle no, this scene spoke of anger, frustration and desperation, whoever had done this had been looking for something and evidently came up empty-handed.
Stepping back out of the room into the hallway he looked at his companion and nodded, Blake returned the gesture, and they continued down the hallway. A low creak came from the floor above, Blake raised her weapon up taking aim at the source of the noise. While she knew it was most likely Sun performing his own sweep of the upstairs it was still better to air on the side of caution.
Continuing down the hall her ears twitched and flexed every few moments searching for even the most subtle sound that could give away the location of an unseen enemy. Reaching the back of the stairs she aimed up towards the landing above, Aurico stepping past her to cover the two doorways ahead as they moved along the edge of the stairs.
Little by little more of the upstairs came into view, she spotted Sun peering over the upstairs banister, their eyes met, and the Monkey Faunus gave her a quick nod before moving towards one of the upstairs rooms to continue his search. Blake shifted her attention back towards the two rooms they still had to search on their end, finding Aurico peeking through the closest one to their right.
Looking back at her he shook his head. "Closet" he called back to her in a hushed tone.
She nodded shifting her gaze towards the room on the far left.
Pushing open the door they were greeted by the room that had once been the kitchen, much like the living room it too had been turned upside down, cupboard doors swung open, draws ripped out of the holdings and dumped out across the counters and floor alongside a small pile of broken glass and shattered porcelain, nothing had been spared.
Debrie crunched under their feet as they entered, and for a moment she wondered how they hadn't heard about this earlier, the walls of the house weren't that thick and judging by the level of damage, the perpetrators hadn't seen it necessary to be quiet either, the idea no one hadn't heard something and not bothered to report a possible home invasion was laughable.
Then again after all the time she and Sun spent trying to recruit people to their cause, the idea of her own people turning a blind eye to something like this -especially considering the likelihood of who was responsible for all this - became more likely by the second. "The White Fang must have come while we were out this morning, do you think they found him?" she didn't spot any clear signs of a fight though given the amount of destruction throughout the house, she could have easily missed something.
"I can't say" Aurico knelt down on the floor brushing aside some glass shards with his sleeve and began sifting through the papers scattered across the floor underneath "But we'd be seeing far more damage than what's already here if he did, no, whoever was here came looking for him and when they didn't, tore the place apart trying to find just where he went." Shaking his head he tossed the paper aside and reached for another, he doubted anything would come of it, but there was always a chance the White Fang had overlooked something.
"So where does that leave us?" She glanced around at the wreckage of the room and stepped towards the kitchen counter where a small pile of debris, cutlery and other items that had been dumped out of the draws lay and moved to begin her own search for any clues Whiger might have left behind that might be able to tell them just where he'd gone, though she quickly stopped herself realizing the futility of it all.
If he had left anything behind the white fang had probably found it already "Whiger's... appearance made him a liability for some early missions, thought we were able to recover an Id mask from Beacon "Aurico began to explain "It's a piece of plumber tech from Earth Alex left behind that allows the users to alter their appearance to match the local populous." Shaking his head he cast aside the last of the papers, dusted his hands off and rose back to his feet "My best guess would be that he's gone underground for the moment and will try to reach out to us later."
Blake nodded along with his words recalling her interaction with Alex back in the Beacon infirmary, and at the time there'd been no indication that the Medic in the room hadn't actually been one of Atlas's soldiers until Alex had revealed himself. With that in mind, for all she knew Whiger could have been one of the people they'd passed along the way here, and they would never have noticed "We should get back to the house and tell my parents what we found."
"Agreed" Aurico replied the duo moved out of the destroyed kitchen and back out into the hall, Blake leaned towards the stairwell and called out "Sun, come down we're leaving!" she stepped back waiting a few moments for his response or to see him emerge from one fo the upstairs rooms to join them, but there was nothing.
No voice called out to them in confirmation, nor could she hear any signs of her friend moving around on the upper floor, just a heavy, soul-crushing, silence, which left a lead weight forming in her gut. She looked at Aurico who stared back at her in equal concern, drawing their weapons the two moved towards the stairs.
"Sun... are you okay!" she called up once more, her tone laden with caution.
After a tense moment finally, she heard him respond "Yeah...Uh, I'm good!"
Blake sighed in relief lowering Gambol Shroud, her expression shifting from concern to minor annoyance as she called back to her friend once more "Then hurry up! We need to get back to the manor and tell my parents what we found." Stepping back, she moved to sheath Gambol Shroud though a hand settled on her forearm stopping her, she turned back to Aurico whose eyes remained locked on the upstairs, he glanced at her shaking his head silently.
"There's another presence on the upper floors." He informed her.
Blake's grip tightened around Gambol Shroud her pulling back slightly though before Blake could ask how many or where they were, Sun called out to them once more "Yeah about that, uh... you guys might want to come up here, sh- she says she wants to talk to you... " Sun trailed off for a moment then added "Both of you."
Blake looked back towards the stairs her grip on Gambol Shroud tightening 'She?' Her mind jumped to Ilia, but why here, why now? Pushing past her initial shock Blake drew the sheath off her back and flipping it into a backhanded grip she moved towards the stairs "Where are you?"
"Last door on the left." A semi-distorted voice called back to them, that alone made it clear this wasn't Ilia... her old friend wouldn't waste time hiding her identity after everything that had happened.
"We're coming up." She called back her face twisting into a snarl before adding "And If you hurt him, you won't make it out of here I swear to you on that."
"Not like I planned to." The voice called back easily, though whether that was in assurance or as a threat was unclear given the electronic distortion in their voice, though Blake wasn't about to take any chances. She bounded up the stairs two at a time jumping up she springboarded off the wall and over the banister and onto the second floor and moved towards the door, in the corner of her eye she spotted Aurico coming up the stairs behind her, his own weapon in hand as he checked through the other rooms behind her as he went.
Normally she would have berated herself for the sloppy move. For all she knew, there could be more people up here that had been waiting for her, and she'd given them a clear shot at her exposed back, yet she paid that no mind for the moment her topaz gaze remaining locked on the room ahead, the door was open for her and from her position in the hallway she could see sun sat on the single bed within, his hands raised in a clear sign of surrender.
She approached the door and their eyes met, he flicked his head to the side no doubt in the direction of the unknown assailant and half expecting him to take a bullet for his troubles she picked up the pace, crossing her arm over her chest so the flat side of the sheath acted as an improvised shield, the barrel of Gambol shroud peaking over the top she pushed into the room turning to face the unknown figure her finger on the trigger ready to fire.
Sun hung from the wall his body splayed across its surface by a translucent blue gel that engulfed the majority of his body and limbs leaving only his left foot and tail free, a second fresher layer of gel covered the lower half of his face stopping him from warning them of the deception while leaving just enough room for him to breath, he tilted his head down to regard her wearing a more than sheepish expression.
Just then, his tail flicked through the air pointing behind her desperately.
A gentle hum greeted her ears, it was both a familiar and foreign sound not native to any weapon on Remnant though she recognized it clear as day, how couldn't she when they were the same weapons used by their greatest enemies and supplied to the people who burned Beacon Academy to the ground. Her eyes widened; Blake dashed back towards the door leaving a clone of herself in place to take the hit that never came.
Emerging by the doorway she brought her pistol up to fire diverting some of her Aura into her legs to fuel her charge forward, though she was never given the chance, instead two grey capsules the size of a golf ball shot towards her, Blake swung her sheath in an upward arc to deflect what looked to be a miniature explosive to the side, though that proved to be her biggest mistake as upon impacting Gambol shrouds sheath the capsule shattered, the same transparent gel spattered across her arms, and the upper left side of her face, the gel hardening almost immediately leaving her sword arm locked out to the side and her left eye sealed shut.
"Gah!" Blake cried out in alarm stunned by the impact and her momentary loss of vision, she had no time to react as the second capsule struck her in the center of the chest and despite its relatively small size the force behind the impact combined with the weight of her weapon in her extended off-hand, sent the huntress in training stumbling to the side into the wall behind her beside Sun, the gel covering her upper body hardened in seconds pinning her in place.
Their attacker's aim turned towards the door just as the red ranger raised his own blaster to fire, there was a tense moment of silence between the two as they faced one another. Aurico's eyes narrowed at the armored stranger the telescopic lens on their visor contracting, then after a moment their attacker lowered their arm and bowed their head to him "Red Ranger" They greeted in a distorted yet obviously female voice.
While taken aback by the sudden shift in demeanor, Aurico remained firm keeping his aim traced on the armored stranger as he pushed deeper into the room, while they themselves remained seated on the bed, their arms resting comfortably in their lap. "What are you doing!?" Blake called out to him as she pulled and thrashed against her bindings, yet despite how hard she tried nor how much aura she channeled into her limbs they wouldn't budge. "Shoot her!"
"You're wasting your breath." Their 'Attacker replied turning their gaze away from Aurico to address Blake uncaring of the blaster pointed her way "Their code forbids them from escalating a situation unless their opponent forces them to, and I didn't come for a fight." She raised her hands up in a sign of surrender much to the surprise of the Ranger present.
"You call this not wanting to fi-nghh!" Blake winced as pain erupted across her scalp, as several locks of black hair that were trapped by the same gel that imprisoned her, yanked back as she turned her head to regard their attacker. Said individual gave a disinterested shrug in response, though couldn't help but wince under her helmet at the sight of their mother's pain.
Turning her head back towards the Red Ranger she replied "I said I wanted to talk." They replied maintaining a professional demeanor despite the situation at hand. "Monkey boy drew on me the first chance he got, and Kitty came charging up here gun drawn." Not that it would have done anything against her armor, still the last thing she wanted was some stray shots or ricochets sent flying out into the neighborhood outside and possibly injuring someone... or alerting the half a dozen Faunus that had followed the three of them here. "I acted only in defense of myself, nothing more."
Aurico narrowed his eyes at her, though didn't dispute their claims. "While I apologize for my companion's rashness, you must understand given the situation and your presence here, her actions were more than warranted, Miss..." Aurico trailed off.
"You can call me Nightshade, and before you start throwing out any while theories about me or if this is a trick." Nightshade pulled back her cloak from around her waist revealing the plumber's badge attached to her belt.
"You're a Plumber?" Aurico Asked
"You can check my credentials if you like." She replied detaching the badge from her belt Nightshade passed it over to the red ranger who caught it effortlessly with his free hand. She wasn't worried about what he might find or see on the badge, he was one of the few people here whose knowing wouldn't affect events to come and who knew the consequences if things got out.
Activating the badge a holographic display before him, Aurico's eyes glided over the lines of text that appeared before him detailing the identity of the self-proclaimed plumber before him. Every few moments he would glance up towards Nightshade to ensure she hadn't shifted or moved from her spot on the bed.
He stopped suddenly eyes widening if only slightly then firming once more, tilting his head up from the holographic display he stared at Nightshade studying her for a solid minute "A-Aurico?" Blake called out to him softly, the Red Ranger's gaze snapped towards her despite his usual stoic demeanor there was a look of shock and disbelief in his eyes.
Rolling his jaw he nodded towards the Cat Faunus. "She checks out." Deactivated the badge and passed it back over to the Plumber.
"Like I said before." Nightshade began to explain, leaning back on her elbows across the bed and crossing one leg over the other, her helmet-clad head turned towards the two huntsmen in training. "I'm not here for a fight."
Lowering his blaster pistol the Red Ranger gestured towards his companion with his free hand. "Would you mind?"
Nightfall turned to Blake and Sun "Just make sure she doesn't try anything" She gestured to Blake who's one good eye still sported a small glare. Tapping away at the interface on her gauntlet the hardened gel that pinned the two huntsmen in training to the wall suddenly became fluid once more "Whoa!" Sun cried out, his weight combined with the no longer solid substance pinning him to the wall and sending him crashing to the floor.
Blake pulled herself free from the wall, wiping away the gel staining the left side of her face, and fixed Nightshade with a seething look. "Blake." Aurico warned stepping in front of the cat Faunus whose glare turned to the Red Ranger. Aurico met her gaze easily unfazed by the young woman's anger, after a moment she let out a long breath through her nose.
Sheathing Gambol Shroud she held her weapon out towards Aurico "Hold this" she said, the Aquatarion accepting the weapon and holstering it across his own back before stepping aside. Satisfied Blake stomped across the room towards Nightshade "Start talking right now" She demanded towering over the plumber agent sat atop the bed in front of her. "It's been almost a year since we left Earth and Magister Tennyson promised us the Plumber's support to fight the Psycho Rangers "She leaned down, so she was face to face with the Plumbers, her eyes reflected back at her in their Helmets visor "So where the hell have you people been!"
Nightshade held up her hand in a gesture of peace to the angry -and rightfully so considering what she knew of the situation- Faunus. "Look you have a right to be angry, but I suggest we shelve this conversation for the moment." Nightshade pushed herself up from the bed, making Blake back pedal slightly "You picked up quite the tail along the way here, and I doubt they're just going to let you waltz out of here." She threw her free hand towards the window.
"What?" Sun asked wiping his hands off on the floor he moved towards the window in question.
"Guy in the poncho with braids at the mouth of the alleyway three houses down to the left, he's been following you since the boardwalk." Nightshade called out over to him "There's another on the balcony across from us, the shirtless one with the scar across his shoulder, he's been watching the house for most of the day now."
Sun reached for the curtain intent on pulling it open but stopped himself, instead moving to the side of the window and peeling it back he looked down into the street below, following Nightshade's directions he quickly spotted the Faunus who matched the description, though he was still a little skeptical. "I see 'em, you're sure they're White Fang?" Sun asked, they looked normal enough and seemed to just be talking, that is until he caught the guy in the alleyway looking over at the house before typing away at his scroll a few seconds later the one across from then answered his own and looked up from the street below directly towards their window, Suns stepped back away from the window before he could be seen.
"She's right." he called back a scowl settling across his feature. "Bet they already called in some of their buddies when they saw us come in."
Blake cursed under her breath, Sun was right, if there were lookouts that saw them enter then they could expect company relatively soon "If we head out through the back we should be able to cut through the side streets and-"
"They've been watching the house for some time now waiting for Whiger or anyone associated with him." Aurico cut in, holding Gambol Shroud back out to her "Odds are they'll have agents waiting in the side streets to ambush us if we make a run for it."
"Then we'll have to fight our way out." Blake replied accepting her weapon back with a calm look of resolve.
"Everyone slow down for a second." Nightshade cut in rising from her place on the bed she stood between the others holding her hands up in a calming gesture. "The last thing anyone needs right now is for you to poke the hornet's nest by starting a brawl in the middle of a crowded street." From The chatter she'd picked up from inside the White Fang compound the White Fang were prioritizing dealing with the backlash from the press conference earlier that day and maintaining their public image 'Until the time was right' as Corsac had put it.
Honestly when she heard 'that', she'd thought about taking them out then and there but making such a drastic change in events could lead to unforeseen consequences further down the line. As much as it pained her to put her family in danger, the attack had to happen, if it happened sooner or not at all not only did she risk creating a literal time paradox but losing an ally that had been key in averting the destruction of Haven Academy. 'Just stick to what Paradox told you Kelly' She reminded herself 'This is how things are meant to go.'
"Look" Nightshade went on reaching to the back of her utility belt she held up her cloaking projector for all to see "This is a cloaking projector, it's a piece of tech that produces an energy field around the user making them invisible to the naked eye." Nightshade explained gaining the full attention of those present "If I adjust the field generator I can make it so it'll cover a small group of people and we can all get out of here and to my safe house."
"Cool" Sun muttered awed by the piece of tech no bigger than a miniature flashlight.
"Why would we go with you?" Blake who still found herself somewhat skeptical of the armored Plumber spoke up, her more than convenient appearance here today combined with the fact she'd waited so long to get in contact with them despite having been on the island for just as long perhaps longer than herself, evident by the so-called Safe house she mentioned, only adding to her suspicion.
"You came here looking for Whiger as well as answers." Nightshade pressed noting the subtle twitch of her ears as proof she had her interest at least. "You come with me; I can give you both."
"We agree." Aurico replied immediately, casting a look at Blake when it seemed like she might argue. A healthy amount of suspicion could be expected given the suddenness of their arrival and the situation they found themselves in now, but agreeing to Kel-Nightshade's plan was the safer of the two options available to them given what the other option entails.
And should this turn out to be some form of deception, if push came to shove they at least had the advantage in terms of numbers.
"Fine" Blake relented.
"Alright." Nightshade replied stepping past the Aquatarian and into the upstairs landing, typing away at her bracer before looking back over her shoulder at the three "Stay close and don't lag behind, safe house isn't too far."
A/N: Well, Rooster's teeth have been shut down.
It's always a sad moment when a studio or show you've followed since you were younger shuts down after so long, though I can't say the signs weren't there given the list of controversies and troubles that have plagued the studio and its team over the last decade, not to mentioned Warner Brothers less than stellar record in recent years when it comes to their handling of certain products.
And while I am, sad to see it go, with WB's decision to sell off a number of Rooster Teeth's IPs such as RvB, RWBY and Camp Camp, it gives me a little hope that the shows I've grown to love over the years might actually end up getting picked up and get given a new lease on life, rather than just being abandoned altogether.