I'm feeling a little less dead after a weekend to rest. Not that much better, but less awful. I suppose that's good. Thanks for your patience.
Cover Art: Kirire
Chapter 90
Blake was fast losing patience with the anomalies here.
"We no longer answer to you," said one, a squat and precariously balanced jumble of geometric shapes balanced upon one another. Its voice came out as if it were generated by clacking blocks of plastic together. "We have our own laws now."
"You don't. You have to follow the laws of Menagerie."
"But we are a part of Menagerie. We can petition the laws to change."
"That's not how it works. The White Fang have offered to give you a place here, but that means adhering to the local laws. You can't change them, and thinking up your own is a waste of time. You need to start settling in."
"If that is what ARC Corp wants then we will refuse on principle!"
"That's the most childish response I've ever heard. I hope you realise ARC Corp will slaughter you if they find out about you. There won't be any second chances for you if you can't make this work, and the White Fang certainly isn't going to stick their necks out for you."
"Threats won't move us," said another, a creature that appeared to be, for all intents and purposes, a five foot collection of grass. As in, a patch of grass where each blade was five feet tall. "We shall have to consider your words carefully. We will meet to debate—"
"No. For crying out loud, no. You can make a decision without debate!"
"How can we make the decision for others without hearing their input? No. This will be brought before an assembly and we shall discuss it. The next one is this afternoon. You are free to attend. Not welcome, but no one shall stop you."
"And will anything be achieved at this assembly?" Blake asked.
"There is always much progress."
Blake doubted that. She'd heard enough from the Albain brothers to be able to hazard a guess on how successful this would be. There was no arguing with them, though. Blake growled and stomped back over to where Jaune was having no greater luck than she. Less, even. The anomaly he was talking to turned and stormed away, refusing to listen to him.
"That could have gone better," said Jaune. "How was yours?"
"They want to debate the merits of our argument. We're invited to their nonsense meeting this afternoon. I expect nothing."
"Well, at least we can see firsthand how this is handled. That's something."
"Assuming nothing is achieved—" Which was almost a certainty, "—what will we do next? I know the Albain want us to be a stick but do we have any threats we can use? I'm honestly beginning to wonder if making an example of a few of them might be a good idea."
"Example?"
"Not kill. Not necessarily. I'm thinking we could imprison one or two. Menagerie does have its own prison, small as it is. We could show them some discipline, let them know there are consequences to their actions."
Jaune was already shaking his head. "There's too much risk of that making it back to my family, and the fear we cause will only last so long as we're on the island. The moment we leave, they'll fall back into old habits."
"Then what? If they need to be afraid of the White Fang and not us, then what's the point of us being here?"
"To advise the White Fang. And to inform your parents." He noticed her face twist unhappily. "I'm no happier about that than you but it's going to have to happen, and better you have control over it than let my family be the ones to do it. Or would you rather deal with Sienna and the Albain brothers while I talk to your family?"
"No. No, it's fine. I'd rather neither, but I'll take my family over the terrorists I betrayed." Blake sighed and crossed her arms. "I guess we'll be meeting here afterward to attend this assembly, right? See how bad a job they do at deciding things here."
"Yes. We'll meet back here in two hours. If your parents want to ask me questions, tell them I can make time for them tomorrow but make it clear there are some things I won't be able to answer." He unstrapped his sword and handed it to her. "Here. In case your parents need to see an anomaly with their own eyes. I'd rather it be this than the book you're carrying."
He and her both. The book that was her so-called "Slaved" Anomaly had obviously come along, as unavoidable as her own shadow. The voice within it was silent still, and the longer that went on the more nervous she felt. It used to whisper things to her all the time. Blake sighed and slipped Crocea Mors' strap around her chest so the sword hung against her back. It was a terrible place to keep a sword you intended to draw, but fine enough for simply carrying it. Blake had her own weapon on her hip if she needed it.
"This is going to be a mess," she said. "Good luck on your end."
"I hold no more hope of success than you," he replied, with a wry smile. "Let's see how this goes."
/-/
Convincing her family of even the existence of anomalies was a chore.
Jaune's sword, Crocea Mors, helped a little, but only a little. It was a sword that glowed and burned, but that could have been some unusual dust reaction in their eyes. It couldn't have been, not scientifically, but it was easier to assume some crazy, impossible reaction than it was to assume the sword defied physics and lived as an anomaly.
It was a testament to how successful ARC Corp's suppression of information had been that it took over an hour for them to accept to having open minds, and even that only came because of her begging them to take her seriously. They were listening to her more out of affection than belief, and she was beginning to think Jaune would have been better for this after all. At least he could have shown his arms to them. Those were a little more obviously unnatural.
"Look, you'll know for certain once you meet the people the White Fang have brought to the island," she said. "Some of them are so obviously inhuman – and not faunus, either – that you won't be able to deny it. That's not the point. The point is understanding the company I work for, because they are Dangerous with a capital D. They are deadly, unforgiving and uncompromising!"
"Like the White Fang," said Ghira.
"No. Nothing like the White Fang. ARC Corp is capable of forcing cities to evacuate with a single order. They're capable of changing the laws in every kingdom at once. They're capable of eradicating the entire population of Menagerie and getting away with it."
"Then why haven't we heard of them until now?" Kali asked sceptically.
"Because they prefer staying in the shadows, and because Menagerie has never been important to them." Blake groaned. "Mom, this is serious. You could all very well be killed if you cross them. I will be killed if they find out about the anomalies we let the White Fang bring here. I'll be dead in an instant and you'll never hear from me again."
"Then quit."
"I can't quit!"
"Why not?"
"B—Because it won't matter!" She floundered a little. Technically speaking, there was nothing keeping her from quitting. "I know about anomalies and I know their secrets, so even if they let me walk away they'll keep an eye on me. And it won't matter if they find out what Jaune and I allowed to happen here. I'll be complicit whether I stay in the company or not."
"This is all sounding very shady," said Ghira. "We should talk to a lawyer."
"For fuck's sake!" Blake shouted, shocking them both. "You're not listening! ARC Corp control the law. They can change the law. You'd disappear the moment yo tried to cause trouble, and then I'd disappear the next moment. Stop thinking like this is some criminal organisation. ARC Corp is funded by and has a hand in almost every government on Remnant. One of our jobs saw us prepared to abandon Vale and declare it a lost city. And we have that kind of power. Easily. You think the White Fang killed the Schnee family? That was us. We stormed the Schnee manor and killed them all. I killed Winter Schnee myself!"
It was close enough to the truth, and enough to shock them.
"We invaded the SDC, killed the Schnee family, took it over and ordered Atlas to look the other way – and they did! Atlas grimaced and let us take over without so much as raising a single complaint. When Adam came to Vale and kidnapped Jaune, I killed him and every faunus with him. Fed them to an anomaly. And no one cared. We are above the law. We are above governments and kingdoms. ARC Corp is so high up the freaking totem pole that the Grimm themselves don't mess with us!"
"What—?"
"Nothing is as you know it!" she snapped. "And I can't say more without putting you in extreme danger but suffice to say I'll never die to a Grimm. I'm much more likely to die to a bullet to the back of the head." Blake hesitated. "Or my body simply crumbling to dust because I broke a legal contract. Or maybe my soul and body being devoured by a book."
"Blake, you're not making any sense."
"Good! Good!" Blake glared at her parents. "That's one of the first things you need to understand. Anomalies don't make sense. They are bizarre, improbable, and sometimes downright impossible. And many of them are violent non-human monsters that it's my job to hunt down and kill. Others are non-sapient objects that we hunt down and remove from the public before they can cause serious problems. And those problems can range from disappearing people to collapsing realities. Mountain Glenn didn't fall to the Grimm. It fell victim to an anomaly that we killed earlier this year."
Ghira and Kali looked at one another and then back at her.
"How are we meant to believe this?" asked Ghira. "We trust you, Blake, but this is..."
"This is fantastical," said Kali. "It's ridiculous. And one glowing sword doesn't prove anything."
Damn her parents for being so sceptical, and for being so sensible. This was why she hadn't wanted to tell them – not because of trust or faith or problems there, but because they were reasonable, intelligent people. And intelligent people didn't suddenly start believing in little green men or secret government-controlling organisations. That was the realm of idiots believing any little conspiracy theory coming their way.
The fact that it was true in this case didn't make the people who believed that any less stupid.
Even a broken clock was right twice a day.
"One of you come with us this afternoon then," she said. "The anomalies here are hosting an assembly. They're... They're a damn mess. They think they're their own kingdom or something, forming their own government, holding debates. Only ever debates, though. Nothing ever gets done and the White Fang are losing patience. Us, too."
Ghira and Kali exchanged another set of looks. "It does sound like they need some leadership advice," said Kali. "And better you be the one they come to than Sienna."
"Hmmm. I suppose so." Ghira sighed and rose to his feet. "Very well, daughter. Show me this proof of yours."
This hadn't been the plan but she was sure Jaune would understand.
/-/
"I don't care one way or the other," said Jaune, which was about as good as she could have hoped for. "Mr Belladonna will be dealing with them in the long term anyway, so this works out. I just hope he doesn't expect anything productive to be achieved tonight."
Ghira grunted. Even if he didn't believe the anomalous angle, he'd apparently decided to believe that Jaune was a threat. Great. They'd gone from trying to match her up with him to treating him like the next Adam. Blake wasn't sure which was worse.
"My parents don't believe the anomalous angle," she said, handing his sword back to him. Jaune threw it around his back as she had. He also rarely used the sword in combat with how self-harming it was, so wielding it on his hip was pointless.
"Good. That means they're sensible. I'd strip down but how can you know my arms aren't a Semblance? It doesn't matter since they'll see anomalies in here that simply can't be defined by faunus traits or a Semblance."
"How can you be so sure?" asked Ghira. "Semblances can change the way people look. And I've heard of some faunus – lizard, in particular – who can have different skin tones, scales, even slit eyes and razor-sharp teeth."
Jaune laughed. Blake did, too. If her father expected some subtle differences then he was in for a world of shock, and the two of them chuckled as they led him toward one of the main buildings in the settlement. It was little more than a wooden barn.
"How can this be called a village?" asked Ghira. "Sienna should have constructed new homes for them by now."
"Sienna has tried," said Jaune. "We talked about those efforts in my meeting with her. She's been trying to have her people build this place for them, but the anomalies keep refusing it because they're not happy with the plan yet. That's their issue. All planning, no action. They've also been resistant to anyone from the White Fang making decisions for them, up to and including refusing Sienna's offers to have someone chair these meetings or keep them organised."
"What are they debating?" asked Ghira.
"Anything and everything. Sienna listed a whole lot of things but I guess we'll see for ourselves what's on the itinerary tonight."
They approached the building and Ghira sucked in a breath at the sight of his first anomaly. It was the geometric shapes one from before, which couldn't have been luckier on their part because it sure as hell wasn't something that could be explained as a Semblance – unless that was illusions.
"You're here," it rattled. "I stayed outside to welcome you. Who is this?"
"This is my father, Ghira Belladonna. He's the Chieftain of Menagerie. That is, he's the elected leader of Menagerie who looks after the city and island."
"He makes the laws, then? Are we to call you king?"
"Uh. No." Ghira answered hesitantly. "I'm really more of a caretaker. The laws here are decided by the people as a whole, through legal systems and by those trained in legal matters. My job is more to be a representative and to work in the interests of the citizens. And you can just call me Ghira. It's my name."
The geometric shapes... well, they didn't smile because they lacked a mouth, but they stood a little taller and looser (if that were possible), in a manner that seemed to imply pleasure. The rattling and clicking voice was also lighter. "That sounds like a positive system! Why are you here tonight?"
"My daughter thought I might be able to offer my advice, seeing as how I deal with meetings like this on a regular basis." He left out that this was also to prove the existence of anomalies. "I'm not here to dictate things. Only to watch and offer advice if requested."
"I do not know that all will be happy with that but many shall be pleased with your effort. Come in. The assembly will begin once all are gathered."
The inside of the barn-like building was as spartan as the outside. There was a single wooden table without chairs at the far end, and then nothing but sleeping bags, most of which had been laid out with anomalies sitting on them like mats. They'd arranged themselves like a class of schoolchildren facing the table, some kneeling, others laying, some sitting cross-legged and a few hovering inches off the ground.
Ghira stared at them boggle eyed.
"Don't stare," said Blake, gently elbowing him in the gut. "It's rude."
"B—But—"
"We should take a seat near the back," said Jaune. "Out the way."
The geometric shape anomaly seemed pleased with the decision and wandered over to find a spot to sit down at. His plastic shapes clacked and clocked together as he assembled himself anew in a pyramid-like fashion on a sleeping bag. Up front, a creature that looked like a tall stick insect wearing pants and a shirt hanging limply from his stick-like limbs ambled his way to the table and stood behind it. He picked up a rock and tapped it on the wood three times.
Everyone fell silent.
This was it, then.
"Welcome to our fifty-second annual assembly," he said. Blake's eyes widened. It hadn't been fifty-two days since they left Vale, so they must have been having multiple meetings a day. As many as three to five to make sense. "Our primary subject for the day's meeting, as it has been for the three before, is to decide on a matter of great importance." He paused meaningfully. "The colour of this interior space."
Ghira let out a breath.
Jaune sighed.
Blake's head fell into her hands.
"I would suggest a light blue. Does any disagree?"
"I disagree!" grated the ice-anomaly. It stood and trundled behind the table, accepted the rock and tapped it once on the table. "Light blue would make it so that I disappear into the colour. This building must have a darker tone. I suggest a dark red."
"Brighter colours create happier feelings!" said someone in the audience.
"Who says this? Where is this written?"
"I have read it in a scientific journal," said the anomaly. There was much chatter. "The journal is known as Homes Weekly and is a repository of much knowledge and expertise. Its experts say bright, pastel colours will improve the atmosphere of a room."
Was he talking about a weekly magazine...?
"Pastel colours is vague and non-specific," said the ice anomaly. "We must be clear in this assembly. Please state a colour."
"Pastel green."
"Objection!" the geometric shapes raised a sphere. "We cannot all know the precise colour of pastel green without witnessing it. There are many shades. We must be shown a specimen of said colour before any decision can rightfully be made."
There was a grumbling of agreement, and no objections. "Our friend speaks wisely," agreed the ice anomaly. "Shall this be decreed, then? That we shall agree to provide an example of pastel green at the next assembly, and then a further vote on whether to paint the walls that colour shall be scheduled?"
"They're debating on when to hold the next debate," Blake groaned. "Kill me right now..."
"Objection!" another appendage was raised from another anomaly. "Simply referring to the next assembly is vague and non-specific. A date and time should be decided. I would suggest tomorrow morning."
"We may not be able to find an example of pastel green by such a time—"
Jaune cleared his throat. "We can show you a picture of it on our scroll right now." He raised his. "It would take no time whatsoever to show you it, and then you can decide if you want to paint your walls in that colour. We can do that right here and now."
There was silence, and then, "Very well. The colour shall be looked at now, and then we can schedule the next assembly for tomorrow morning."
"Objection! I would like to go for a walk tomorrow morning."
"Noted. Does anyone have tomorrow midday free?"
"Tomorrow midday is scheduled to decide whether the stray dog we have adopted shall be named Spot or Patchy," pointed out another anomaly.
"You are correct. The speaker offers his apologies for failing to recall this. However, tomorrow afternoon is scheduled to decide whether Spot or Patchy is actually a dog or a skunk. We are to hear arguments from both sides with diagrams provided from online. The painting of the building must therefore be left until the day after at the very earliest."
There were sounds of agreement and the ice anomaly went to sit back down, surrendering the stone to the stick-insect anomaly once more. "Next on the itinerary is the arrival of ARC Corp on Menagerie, and the return of Jaune Arc and Blake Belladonna."
Finally, some progress. Blake sat up once more as several anomalies turned to look at them. Ghira shifted next to her, surprised at the level of animosity being sent their way. He was starting to believe, or at least starting to realise there was something going on here, especially in the way these creatures were staring hatefully at his daughter.
Jaune stood. "Jaune Arc of ARC Corp would like to say a few words to this august assembly, if he may."
Rather than wait for permission, he strode purposefully past the seated anomalies and to the table. Something that seemed to send a wave of consternation through the crowd. The stick-insect anomaly surrendered the stone, however, which Jaune took and rapped once upon the table, mimicking those that had come before.
"You know me and who I am, so I won't bother introducing myself. What I will tell you is that the White Fang are becoming frustrated with this constant debating going on. They offered you a place here on the proviso that you would assist them, and their patience isn't limitless. They are doing their best to help you by building homes and a community for you, but they are being stonewalled by your refusal to let them get started."
"Deciding on the colour of this hall, deciding on the name for a dog. These aren't matters that need to be discussed at length. If you but let the White Fang get to building, you could each paint your own rooms whatever colour you wanted. You can call the dog whatever you want as well. It'll learn to react to both names. As for what species it is, simply ask one of the Albain brothers and they'll tell you. You're wasting time with these constant meetings and time is not something you have in abundance! ARC Corp will notice you unless you integrate with the people here, and that means getting on with that and accepting your place in the White Fang."
The irony of them promoting integration into a terrorist group wasn't lost on Blake, but it was better than what they were currently doing. If the White Fang ever got tired of this, they might decide their agreement with her and Jaune wasn't worth keeping. That could lead to conflict that might draw the attention of Jaune's father, and then it'd all be over.
"Objection!" shouted one anomaly. "We will not be rushed—"
"Overruled!" Jaune fired back. The anomalies gasped. "Your opinions won't matter to ARC Corp and it's only the White Fang keeping you safe and hidden from them. Your primary focus should be on being grateful to them and letting them help you. Even if you can't decide on a colour, simply leave the walls barren and get onto what really matters."
"We do not answer to you anymore!" said another, rising angrily to its feet-like appendages. "We are our own people, proud citizens of name-not-yet-agreed-upon!"
Jaune sighed. "This!" he spat. "This is the problem. A name, a colour, a style. It doesn't matter. That should be your last concern. At least get things done in the right order. If needs be, I'm prepared to step in and decide these things for you—"
It was a bad choice of words. Anomalies flew to their feet and began shouting. After years of having Jaune make the decisions before them, the last thing they were prepared to accept was him coming here and doing the same again. Jaune didn't bow down, however. He wasn't afraid of any of them and might even have been hoping one or two would make an aggressive move so he could defend himself and make a point. If so, it was a callous move, but she couldn't fault it. They needed results here and couldn't afford to be soft.
"We will die before we subject ourselves to your control once more!" shouted one.
"If that is your choice, I'll gladly honour it," Jaune replied. "While I normally do my best to contain anomalies, I'm not beyond eliminating them when there's no other choice. Those who wish to challenge me and die should say so now."
Blake reached for Gambol Shroud.
Ghira's arm snagged her wrist. "No!" he hissed.
"This isn't time for second thoughts, dad," she hissed back. "This is more dangerous than the White Fang."
"But killing isn't the right option!"
"If they'd get their crap together, we wouldn't need to."
Ghira growled and surged to his feet. "ENOUGH!" he roared. The hall went silent with shock. "I am Ghira Belladonna – High Chieftain of Menagerie! These... These people are my citizens despite their lack of a name or inability to make decisions, and I will not see them threatened by outside forces."
Blake cursed. "Dad, no!"
"Who is he?" asked one anomaly.
"He is the democratically elected representative of Menagerie," said the polygonal anomaly.
Ghira strode to the front. "That is correct. I make sure Menagerie runs, dealing with complaints and issues from its citizens while making sure services such as our hospitals, fire response and police services run efficiently. I am a caretaker entrusted with the wellbeing, lives and happiness of the people who live on this island, which now includes all of you." He took the stone firmly from Jaune's hand and tapped it once on the table. "And here and now I am looking to take no more than three anomalies—" The word sounded odd on his tongue. "—and let them shadow me as I help run Menagerie. There, they will be able to see how we do things and how we keep everything organised. They will learn the best ways to run a large settlement like Kuo Kuana, and they can bring that experience back here to teach the rest of you."
There was fresh muttering, some shocked but, to Blake's surprise, more were pleased. There were nods of heads from those who had heads.
"The ones chosen will not be leaders or rulers of your people because that has not been decided. They will be educators, learning from myself and bringing back this experience to share with you all. You can decide your elected leaders at a later date. However, I am on a strict timeframe and cannot wait forever for you to pick the three that will shadow me. I will need their names before this meeting ends."
There was a gasp from the stick-insect creature. "But our schedule—"
"Sometimes a time-sensitive matter will come before you all that cannot be pushed back. This is a normal part of governance and why it is so important to have leaders who can make decisions. At times like this, we would call a lock-in, which is where everyone works until a decision is made. I need to know who I will be inviting to shadow me tomorrow, so a decision must be made tonight." He drove the stone down again, crashing it into the table. "Choosing three of you to learn from me should not take long! Let us get started on this now and get the ball rolling!"
Even after saying that, it still took three damned hours for them to decide on a small group of anomalies to follow her father through the coming days, one of which was the polygonal shape assembly which had brought them here. Ghira looked exhausted by the end of it, and he seemed to know he'd be facing the same exhaustion over the coming days as he tried to teach them anything at all.
"I'll talk to Sienna," he told them. "Maybe see if she's prepared to let one shadow her as well. If she has the patience for it. Leave your mother to me. I shall explain the things I have seen." He grimaced. "And I'll let her meet with these three when they come. We would like to talk with both of you as well, as to our daughter's position in your company."
"I'm not quitting, dad."
"That doesn't change anything. The last time we met, we didn't get to know the real you or your job. Kali and I would like to change that. And I won't hear any complaints, Blake. You pushed aside our protests with Adam and look how that ended."
Blake winced. "I mean, it ended with me having a really high-paid and legal job. Isn't that good?"
Ghira's glare was not impressed.
"We'll be there," promised Jaune.
Next Chapter: 26th February
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