Team RWVBY

Chapter 17

Emerald and Mercury returned from their trip in Vale to Roman's little warehouse.

"Oh, look! The kids are back! I see you both had productive day." Roman said as he approached from behind giving them a hug.

"Cleaned up your problem. Like you wanted." Mercury said as they both tried to wiggle from his grip.

"What I wanted was tact!" Roman started to squeeze harder. "What do I get? Murder in downtown Vale in broad fucking daylight!" He didn't let up his grip an inch. "If it were up to me, then I would take you and your little street rat friend here and..."

"Do what, Roman?" Cinder asked entering the warehouse on the platform above them. She stepped onto an automated lift, riding it down to their level.

Roman laughed nervously. "I'd, uh... not kill them?" He let the two brats go.

"Cinder!" Emerald said excitedly.

"I shall deal with there punishment, Roman." Cinder stated to the eccentric criminal.

"Punishment!? But we-" Mercury spoke up.

"Quiet." Cinder shut Mercury up. "Did I not specifically instruct you two to keep your hands clean while in Vale?"

As Cinder spoke, Roman pointed a finger at the pair while laughing in agreement.

"I just thought..." Emerald sounded sad.

"Don't think... obey, and be smarter. I trained you both to be better" Cinder admonished them.

"Yes ma'am. It won't happen again." Emerald said apologetically.

Cinder had turned to Roman. "Have the White Fang clear out this building. I'll send you details and coordinates tonight."

"Coordinates?" Roman asked.

"We're proceeding to phase two." Cinder turned to Mercury, and Emerald. "Come you two, we need to go pick up some uniforms." They started to walk away leaving Roman as he tried to light a cigar. As Roman reached for a light he quickly realized it had been snatched, his gaze set upon Emerald as turned back to face him sticking out her tongue out defiantly, holding the stolen lighter.

…

Atlas bullheads circled on high above Beacon tower.

"Ironwood certainly loves bringing his work wherever he travels." Professor Goodwitch spoke.

"Well, running an academy and a military makes him a busy man. Three more bullheads had entered the airspace as Ozpin spoke. "But yes, those are a bit of an eyesore."

He heard a beeping noise from his desk. A screen popped up, and Ozpin recognizing the man on it pressed the button and said, "Come in." The doors to Ozpin's office slide open to reveal General Ironwood.

"Ozpin!" Ironwood spoke cordially.

"Hello, General." Ozpin greeted him formally.

"Please, drop the formalities." Both headmasters approached and shook hands. "It's been too long. And Glynda! It has certainly been too long since we last met." James said with some charm to his voice.

"Oh, James!" Glynda gave a personable wave and then dropped the pleasantries. "I'll be outside." She said as she walked away.

"Well, she hasn't changed a bit." Ironwood said.

"So, what in the world has brought you all the way down from Atlas? Ozpin asked as picked up a mug and a kettle, pouring as continued to speak, "Headmasters don't typically travel with their students, for the Vytal Festival." He offered the cup to Ironwood.

"Well, it's been such a long time old friend. I thought we'd might catch up. Especially after you basically force me to add a five person team in the middle of the school year." Ironwood didn't keep his annoyance a secret. "There is also the matter of the message a little bird had sent us two weeks ago."

…

Team RWVBY were in the library playing Remnant the board game. Weiss and Cassian who had no idea how the game was played formed a team and played together as Vacuo.

"Hmmmmm... All right... All right!" Ruby exclaimed as she pointed at her sister. "Yang Xiao Long, prepare your kingdom for battle!"

"Bring it on!" Yang balled her fist.

"I deploy the Atlesian Air Fleet!" Ruby slammed her cards on the table. "Looks like I get to fly right over your Ursai and attack your walls and attack directly!"

Yang feigning disgruntlement pointed at Ruby and said "You fiend!"

"And since Atlas is part of Mantle, my repair time is only one turn." Ruby added.

"Sneaky move sis, but you just activated my trap card!" Yang showed Ruby a card upsetting her.

"Whaaat?!"

"Giant Nevermore! And if I roll a seven or higher, fatal feathers will slice your fleet in two!" Yang had slammed the card on the table. As Yang and Ruby bickered, team JNPR were sat at a different table close to them. Ren and Pyrrha were studying, Jaune was reading the latest book he picked up from Tukson before the break had ended and Nora was fast asleep as snot bubbles inflated from her nose.

"Goodbye my friends, you will be avenged." Ruby said as Yang's gambit paid off.

"Well, Weiss, Cass, it's your turn." Yang turned to the two. Weiss and Cassian were looking at their cards like they were in a different language.

"I have... absolutely no idea what's going on." Weiss said as her fingers traced over each card. Cassian had one hand on is chin as he stared at them.

"Look, it's easy! You're playing as Vacuo which means that all Vacuo-based cards come with a bonus."

"That sounds dumb." The Heiress replied.

"Why don't we play this card." Cassian pointed to the far left most card.

"Why that card?" Weiss asked.

"It's got a cool design." Cassian simply said. Weiss shrugged and placed the card on the table. Yang leaned over and inspected the card.

"Resourceful Raider! See, now you can take Ruby's discarded Air Fleet-" Yang explained the card.

"Nooo!" Ruby cried.

"You know put it in your hand! Also, since you're Vacuo if you have a terrain effect card, like sandstorm your soldiers could move through it easily and wipe my infantry off the map." Yang offered them the tip before warning. "But I will never forget this act of war."

"The sand is a harsh mistress." Cassian joked around.

Weiss still unsure of what it all meant asked, "And that means...?"

"You're just three moves away from conquering Remnant!" Ruby's words triggered something in Weiss. The Heiress stood with raised hands overjoyed as she expelled some psychotic laughter.

"Y-yes! Fear the almighty power of our forces! Cower as they pillage your homes and weep as they take your children from your very arms!" Weiss' grand evil speech was cut short as Yang shoved a card into her face.

"Trap card..."

"Huh?" Weiss asked confused.

"Your armies have been destroyed." Yang explained wiping out Weiss' pieces from the board.

Weiss deflated and crossed her arms. "I hate this wild game of emotions." She wept as Cassian patted her back.

"Sup losers." Sun's voice greeted them as he approached their table holding his fingers in a "peace" sign.

"Hey Sun!" Ruby greeted back. Neptune had walked up right next to Sun.

"Ruby, Yang, Blake, Cass…. Weiss." Sun gave emphasis as Weiss name, whose simply rolled her eyes in response. "I never got a chance to formally introduce you to my partner and best friend."

"Uhh, aren't libraries for reading?" Neptune asked.

Ren who had been trying his best to study shouted, "Thank you!"

Nora now wide awake, shot up and shouted, "Pancakes!"

"Shut up. Don't be a nerd." Sun said.

"Geh, geh, geh, geh! "Intellectual", okay? Thank you." Neptune pointed a finger gun at Sun before introducing himself to everyone. "I'm Neptune."

"So, Neptune, where are you from?" Weiss asked.

"Haven. And I don't believe I've caught your name, snow angel." The table cringed at Neptune's choice of words ready for the inevitable blowback.

"Um, I'm Weiss." Weiss answered like a shy schoolgirl. Everyone was shocked, most of all Sun who had sent Yang a incredulous look. Yang was too flabbergasted to even give a silent response back.

"Pleasure to meet you." Neptune said smoothly.

"I'm gonna go, need to grab something." Blake said as shoved Sun aside and left the room. She had been distracted the whole game. There were some worried looks but the team let it go for now.

"What was up with her?" Neptune asked getting some shrugs in response.

"So can we join the game?" Sun asked seeing a chance.

"We actually have to go too, why don't you play with Yang and Ruby." Weiss and Cassian had stood up. "It was a pleasure meeting you Neptune, I hope we can talk some more." She added before her and Cassian left the library as well.

"Come on guys let's play." Ruby said as Sun and Neptune took a seat at the table.

Neptune had slid close to Yang.

"You must be the Blonde Bombshell of Beacon." Neptune said in a flirty tone and the two started talking while they played.

Ruby watched from the table with squinted eyes at Neptune.

…

It was late at night; Ruby and Yang were playing video games on the couch, while Blake was spacing out as she tried to read at the table. Blake just couldn't get the White Fang off her mind. The two weeks of silence. It just didn't make sense.

The door to the common room gently opened and in walked Cassian and Weiss each holding a couple of shopping bags.

"And she calls me a bad influence." Yang snorted. "She's gonna turn him into a shopaholic."

Cassian had been spending quite a bit lately. His room was so much livelier, his wardrobe more colorful. He didn't look worried about the amount he was spending even though he still hadn't disclosed the actual amount of Lien he had amassed. A frantic knock at the door took all of them from their thoughts. Cassian cautiously opened the door before Jaune came barreling in almost falling over.

"Jaune!?" Almost everyone said. Jaune had stabilized and looked around the room before his eyes settled on Blake.

"What's wrong?" Ruby asked worries about her best friend.

"Blake, Tukson's dead." Jaune stated.

Blake had dropped her book, taken back by the news.

"Who's Tukson?" Weiss asked.

"Wait wait wait, Tukson the book store guy you two went too." Yang had answered Weiss' question.

"What happened? When? How?" Blake had so many questions, they were falling off her tongue as she tried to understand how this could happen.

"I went into Vale to pick up a new book, but when I got there the shop was covered with police tape. I had asked around and they said he had been found shot and killed yesterday during the middle of the day." Jaune explained.

"Did they know by who?" Blake asked.

"They couldn't confirm, but they think it was the White Fang." That got everyone's attention.

"The White Fang? Killed a book store owner?" Weiss asked clearly doubting the idea.

"He was a former ex member, like me." Blake said, and suddenly things started making sense. "He kept in touch with them even after he left. He mentioned to me about wanting to leave recently. I just didn't think…" Blake was unconsciously walking towards the door while she talked.

"Stop!" Weiss shouted pointing at Blake. Blake's hand retracted from the door knob.

"You made a promise to me, to all of us, that you would let us know if something was wrong!" Weiss flipped through the hair dropping her bags before landing on the couch back balancing herself and pointed at Blake again. "So, spill it, Blake Belladonna." Weiss quickly realized how she looked and hoped off the couch dusting off where she stood and pointed again at Blake.

"Torchwick, the White Fang, all of it! Something big is happening and no one is doing anything about it!" Blake let it all out.

"They've been quiet ever since the fight on the docks." Cassian stated.

"And Ozpin told us not to worry. Between the police and the Huntsmen, I'm sure they can handle it." Yang pointed out.

"Well, I'm not! They don't know the White Fang like I do!" Blake fired back.

"Okay, between blowing up nightclubs, stopping thieves, and fighting for freedom, I'm sure the three of you think that you're all ready to go out and apprehend these ne'er-do-wells! But let me once again be the voice of reason. We're students! We're not ready to handle this sort of situation!" Weiss tried to be the voice of reason.

"Well yeah, but..." Ruby started before being cut off by Weiss,

"We're not ready!" Weiss repeated herself.

"And we may never be ready! Our enemies aren't just going to sit around and wait for graduation day." Blake pointed at the door. "They're out there, somewhere, planning their next move, and none of us know what it is, but it's coming! Whether we're ready or not!"

Ruby raised her hand. "Okay, all in favor of becoming the youngest Huntresses to single-handedly taking down a corrupt organization conspiring against the Kingdom of Vale... say aye."

"Yes! I love it when you're feisty! Time for team RWVBY to kick some ass." Yang exclaimed pumped up.

"Who could say no to that." Cassian chuckled.

"Well, I suppose it could be fun." Weiss agreed.

"None of you said aye!" Ruby said slightly dejected.

"Me too!" They all turned to Jaune who to be honest they had forgotten he was there.

"Jaune, no we can't ask you to get involved." Blake said.

"It's too late for that! Tukson was a good person, and I'm not gonna sit back knowing the people that killed him are still out there. He deserves justice too so I want to help!" Jaune stood his ground determined.

"Alright then, we're in this together!" Blake stated.

"I should get my team; they'll want to help too!" Jaune said taking out his scroll.

"Let's hatch a plan!" Ruby exclaimed.

"Yeah!" Multiple voices shouted.

Author's Notes: Hope you enjoy! Feel free to comment/review.