Omake: In Memorium
It had only been a few day since the Battle for Beacon, an underwhelming name for what had been a slaughter of near historic proportions of the people of Remnant and perhaps one of the biggest blows against Vale itself since the loss of Mountain Glen in life and property according to the newscasters that tried to provide some explanation as to what had happened. A terrorist attack by the White Fang, Grimm, and a previously unknown group called Black Queen.
Lisa Lavender continued her report, "The Vale Council is offering a reward to anyone who has information on the names and activities of the attackers that led to the Battle for Beacon, and a substantial reward for any information that leads to an arrest of the perpetrators of either the White Fang or of Black Queen members. In other news Beacon Academy has shut down classes in light of recent events and the death of Headmaster Ozpin. Acting Headmaster Glynda Goodwitch has instead opened the academy as a shelter for those currently without homes and to serve as a staging area to take back those parts of the city that have been barricaded and handle the teams of Grimm that were able to make their way into the city. Miss Goodwitch only had this statement to share with us before she personally lead a group of volunteer students and huntsman into one of the areas."
Glynda appeared on the screen, the time at the corner showed that it was a recording, "The Battle for Beacon, is not finished until we take back our homes from the monsters, and will not be finished for me until justice is brought to the perpetrators. To those with the skills and the courage to take back even a little bit that was lost, whether that be with a blade or tending to the wounded, come to Beacon and we will send you to where you can do the most good."
Lisa Lavender came back on, "Messages of support from the other kingdoms and headmasters have...
Kali turned the TV off, she'd been watching too much of the news, hoping for some kind of information that she didn't know but there was no mention of Adam's fight with her daughter nor what happened to her after that. Kali guessed that she shouldn't be surprised by that fact as there were then enough tales of heroism of students and huntsman to keep the public's attention. Still it had been a thin hope that someone might have shared details with her about what had happened to Blake after she'd heard the last words she was likely to ever hear from her daughter again barring a miracle.
"Our team is in danger, mom. I have to go."
Kali knew that it must have had something to do with Obsidian that she would speak that way and she should have been concerned about her daughter and this strange entity having such a bond. She had seen her daughter screaming at her and her husbands decision to leave the White Fang. How hurt and scared Blake had been then and how assured she had been in comparison. Whatever Obsidian's intentions or goals, Kali was confident that she would not hurt Blake and that Blake would not be willingly separated from Obsidian. Now she was dead, because as skilled as she had become Kali didn't doubt for a second that if the girl was alive she would have reunited with her team and her mother at the earliest convenience.
It hurt to think about that, Kali wished she could have done something but it had taken so long for the effects of the drug that Adam had given her. Fighting had never been her strong suit but Ghira always said her kind heart was far more impressive than the ability to swing around a sword. Kali felt like her heart had broken with the loss of her daughter and she wished she could take it out on Adam.
Adam was a casualty of the Grimm, his darkness swallowed up by another and Kali deeply hoped that the same fate hadn't fallen upon her daughter. Blake's darkness was different but perhaps it had acted as a lure to the Grimm as much as any other source of despair in the city. Kali had talked to Ghira about what had happened, as best she knew, she had heaped praises on her girl and her desire to protect her team. It didn't matter how much she said how proud she was it didn't stop Ghira and her from crying at the loss.
Kali just wanted to get home to her husband and mourn with him but the situation in Vale made it so that travel was difficult. The docks and the airship platforms had been hit hard during the attack and travel was currently limited to getting the students back to their home academies and visitors back to the capitals of the other kingdoms first. Considering her association with the White Fang in the past, even if she had been a non-combatant, Ghira still had enemies in Mistral that would still be willing to take her hostage and with the events of the Battle for Beacon, it appeared that there were some factions of the White Fang she could no longer trust for protection. Her safest route would be to get direct passage to Menagerie but no such vessel was available and Kali found herself stuck in Vale until one did, or someone she trusted to handle themselves would go along with her.
"Our team is in danger, mom. I have to go."
Kali knocked over the small table in her guest room, Kali should get in contact with Blake's team see what they knew but her fingers stood still above her scroll for the hundredth time as she considered what she would say to them. Had Blake even reached them, and what would they tell her honestly that she didn't already know. Blake had gone to protect her team, and had lost her life in doing so. Her only child gone, how could she not get angry at them even just a little but they were even less worthy to be blamed than Adam was.
In normal situations the protocol would have been the headmaster or perhaps a favored teacher would deliver the news to the parent when the death of Academy Student but there were too many and the danger to prevalent to stick to such a tradition. Kali had instead received an alert the day after the battle with Blake's currently known status as deceased, body lost.
Feeling self-conscious, Kali moved the table back to it upstanding and regular position in the room when there was a knock on the door, Kali considered ignoring it, but if this was another kidnap attempt she doubted they'd be so brazen as to do it in the middle of the day in such a well trafficked part of the city. Willing to accept anything at this point to serve as a distraction she grabbed hold of a kitchen knife and peeked through the lens to see that a young Vacuon man was on the other side, his black hair was short on the right side and went past his jaw on the left.
"Hello miss, sorry to bother you, but I'm going through these blocks trying to get people names and addresses in order to reunite them with their loved ones. Lot of people got separated and we're trying to do everything we can to reunite them." The young man said.
Kali shook her head, "I don't think that's possible or necessary in my case young man."
The young man understood what she was saying and looked down, "I'm sorry to hear about your loss. If that's the way it is than I'll leave you be, but all I can ask is that you don't give up. I don't know your situation, but I do know that when you get beaten down then take the time to heal and then get back on your feet and fight again. Struggle is what leads to strength is what one of my teachers would tell me."
Kali gave a small smile, "Thank you for that, considering how things are I think we're both going to have to struggle whether we like it or not." She held out her hand only to realize that it was still grasping that knife, flushing she threw it behind her and shook the young man's hand.
He introduced himself, "Call me Brawnz."
"Kali." She answered in turn.
"You sure you don't have a name you want me to look for? Some places are so bad they could be wrong about what happened? Not that I mean to get your hopes up but. I'm sorry for bothering you, I'll get out of here." Brawnz said.
Kali thought it lost something to the retreat when he only moved fifteen feet down the hall to knock on the next door in the hotel but she was grateful for the space. Awkward teen that's bad with words or not, he was right about one thing that she couldn't mope around here wallowing in her grief until some ship chartered to Menagerie came her way. She needed to honor the memory of her daughter as well and do something constructive besides tipping over the table in her room. Tomorrow she'd make her way to Beacon and volunteer to help, something public preferably but that would be a discussion she'd have when she got there. If her heart was broken, then helping to mend others in this time just might help mend her own.
"Our team is in danger, mom. I have to go."
After all, Kali knew Blake wouldn't have stood still in a time like this either and that seemed the best way to honor her memory and her last words to her mother.