A/N: Chapter 83 of REKT. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or teams of RWBY, they belong to Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum. What I do own are the characters and teams of my OCs: REKT, GTSY, KACE, and DAZE. I also claim Ingrid, Teo, Reina's parents and aunt as well.
Special thanks to the reviewers and to the readers who Fav/Alert this story, I really appreciate it.
Chapter 83: Next Plan of Action
Inside Schnee Manor...
"Today's the day we try and get out of here, I can't stand being around that jackass of a father any longer." Weiss spoke to Timber in a hushed voice as they walked down the hallway, shoulder to shoulder as they went through the plan. Klein was involved in their discussions as well, so he did his part by looking into getting Weiss an itinerary and schedule of pilots flying in and out of Atlas on supply routes. Then the plan would be simple: Timber and Weiss will sneak into one of the bullheads flying out of Atlas, wherever they land they'll figure it out from there. If there is something that prevents them from getting to the hanger like guards or somehow if Jacques Schnee shows up to stop them then Flynt and his team will show up as their backup and lend support.
"What about your mother or Whitley? Will we be able to convince them too to defect from Jacques?" asked Timber and the white-haired huntress shook her head sadly.
"Mother will never agree to leaving this manor because it was a gift from my grandfather, her father. And even if she didn't think about leaving, she can't even take it upon herself to go against Jacques so she basically left Winter, Whitley and I to fend for ourselves. And Whitley...well, he's be raised this way because Winter and I were never around for him, to save him from Jacques' abuse. Now he obviously won't come with us either because he hates my guts and he has to prepare to take over the SDC."
"...then you'll be leaving them again, with no idea when you'll be back."
"If I decide to come back to Atlas." She said a little harshly before rubbing the bridge of her nose and let out a sigh. "I..this has been in my heart for awhile but what else can I do? When mother went to get herself drunk there was nothing neither one of us kids could persuade her to leave Jacques, he had her around his finger. Whitley's the same way in being abused by that man and I realize that had Winter and I stayed, we could've prevented such a thing from happening."
"But you two wanted to get out and be free from Jacques Schnee as well, you can't blame yourself for that."
"I know...but there could've been a better way of handling it." They got to Weiss' room and entered, the ex-heiress shutting the door behind them. "It's not the first time because I have regretted not bringing Whitley with me when he was a baby, but that didn't come to fruition. Now not only have I been removed from my rights as the Schnee heir, Whitley has been given the right instead and he definitely rubbed it in my face. So while I am happy that he has something to cling on to, I couldn't help but feel guilty of playing a huge part in pushing him down that route."
"Perhaps Winter also has that same sentiment when she left the two of you behind."
"Ha! Winter?! No, no..." Weiss waved a hand dismissively at the thought, although Timber thought he saw a glimpse of hesitation in her eyes. "Those two never liked each other, so Winter leaving hurt me more than it hurt him. It's only when I decided to follow in her footsteps that Whitley got hurt, and I wasn't there to save him from our father."
"And now we're leaving and he'll be alone again with the very man you despise." Timber watched his words carefully because he knew that this decision by Weiss was not one made lightly, she knows what her actions may be taken as to the younger Schnee child, another abandonment act and possibly one that will be final.
"He won't be alone, he has Klein and mother when she decides to not be useless." Weiss snorted as she went about packing some items into her small suitcase. Timber himself only had a small bag for his belongings too, so they were traveling light with only the necessities; this was great because they would be able to move quickly without too much worry. Taking a deep breath, she turned to the boy beside her and said, "I know they're going to be in very good hands if Klein is here, I have no worries."
"Do you think your relationship between your mother and brother will change?" asked Timber as they grabbed their luggage and stepped back out into the hallway.
"Maybe...but is a very big maybe." was her answer and they began to head to the hanger, Weiss taking special care to step on the carpet because her heels made too much noise on the marble. However they need to get in touch with Klein because he knows a short cut to get there without getting spotted. Luckily for them, the butler appears when he senses he is needed.
"Looks like you two have everything you need, the bullhead on the schedule is currently in the hanger fueling up and loading up supplies. For now head down to the first floor library and I'll meet you there. Master Whitley called me just before I came here so I must tend to him." Klein spoke softly as he moved across the space to converse with them. He turned to Weiss with a look of sadness in his eyes. "Weiss, I'm so sad to see you go, but you made this man happy nonetheless to see how much you've grown and change since you got out of Atlas."
"Thank you Klein, please do what you've always done with mother and Whitley. They need you more than you'll ever know and I'll always be thankful that you're here with them." She response, putting down her suitcase and wrapping him in a hug which he gladly reciprocated. "I'm so sorry for always putting that burden on your shoulders, it must've been so challenging."
"Nonsense, I've seen so much here that even I could see the difference and change between Jacques and your grandfather Nicolas, even when Winter left to join the Atlas Military under Ironwood. Preferably not for the best, but we'll make do when you aren't here. I'll make sure Master Whitley doesn't follow too much in his father's footsteps, taking over the Schnee Dust Company is a hard career that he'll be dedicating his time to. As for the mistress' drinking habits..."
"Nothing can help her from that, she went too far." Weiss sighed and shook her head at the thought. "Just, make sure she's okay after she drinks and take her to the hospital if something wrong happens."
"I'll keep it in mind, Weiss. Now if you two will excuse me." He bows quickly and disappeared before Whitley has a chance to call him again, he has developed a short temper much like his father. Timber and Weiss watched him go before they made a move to continue to the library. Now it became imperative for the Schnee to keep her footsteps as silent as possible because we weren't walking on carpet anymore. The two of them were about half way down a particular hallway when they heard the shattering of glass on the floor. Putting a finger to her lips to signal quietness, Weiss guided them to hide just behind a couch near what Timber could only assume to be a very large office.
"You need to control your damn temper." The walls muffled the words a bit but based on Weiss' expression she recognized it as none other than General Ironwood. So he was here paying Jacques Schnee a visit and they seemed to have stumbled upon a very heated discussion.
"You're talking to me about control? That's a laugh." The other voice, definitely Jacques', followed suit sounding bewildered and flabbergasted. Actually it sounded like he was putting on an act because based on tone alone, it sounded like he couldn't care less what the general was throwing at him. "Do you even hear what you're saying? An absolute riot you are!"
"I am basing everything on my reports from your daughter." Weiss' eyes widened and she sneaked closer to hear better, leaning against the wall with one ear pressed. She's not sure what Ironwood is talking about, but she had a suspicion that the daughter in this conversation is likely to be Winter. "She's never one to tell lies."
"My daughter that you stole need I remind you!" Jacques sounded irritated and he lets Ironwood know it. "I'll never forgive you for that, James."
"Oh we're not having that discussion again."
"Oh yes, we have far more pressing matters to discuss hm? Well why don't we start with your apparent lunacy!" Jacques was enraged and sounded indignant, causing Ironwood to release a huge sigh before he spoke up.
"Winter is one of my best if not the greatest soldier I've ever had. If she's telling me there's a threat in Mistral then I'm not going to take that news lightly. She's been there for weeks, observing what is going on. The people there are mobilizing and there's been sudden spikes in both weapons and dust. Someone you and I are not aware of is making a play and I for one am not about to sit around and find out."
"How about that damn coward, Leo? What's he up to these days instead of lazing about and gorging himself on food?" asked Jacques. "Why doesn't he do something useful for once instead of sitting on his hands and let others do the hard work? Damn faunus, that Haven Academy have gone nuts electing a damn animal into that kind of position. Well, that's what they get! They reap what they sow!"
"I'm going to ignore the last part of what you said, but I agree. I don't trust Leo to stop whatever is going on at all, he'll just turn the other way and act like everything is still all good and right."
"As if you trust anyone in this world anymore...other than yourself that is." Jacques released a huff.
"For good reason too!" There was the sound of fists hitting against the top of Jacques' desk, indicating that General Ironwood was agitated. Timber and Weiss shared a look from where they were hunkered outside. Ironwood sighed once more and said in a slightly calmer tone, "If Oz would have just listened to me from the very start."
"...you know what you need?" Jacques asked but didn't let the other man to answer. "You need to get a damn grip."
"That's exactly what I'm doing." Ironwood growls, still annoyed and looking worse for wear the more Jacques observed him. "Our people need protection. By this time next week, the kingdom of Atlas will be officially closing its borders. No one in, no one out without the Council's permission."
"You mean without your permission, don't you." Jacques drawled dryly, getting Ironwood to knit his brows together. "Tell me you want to close Atlas down to every other kingdom without telling me you want to close Atlas down to every other kingdom."
"If that becomes the case, I would think you'd want to be on my good side." Ironwood places his hands on the desk and leans close, getting in Jacques' face to see the other's man's mustache twitch. "After all, I hold more positions in the Council than you."
Leaving it at that he began to stride to the door while Jacques is contemplating his next move. Hearing the approaching footsteps, Weiss and Timber quickly scrambled back to cover, barely hiding out of sight as the general exited. Ironwood frowned for a minute before leaving, not looking back before disappearing out of sight.
"Oh my god, what an intimidating man." Timber released a breath he didn't know he was holding while Weiss had a concerned look on her face. "What is it?"
"Ironwood...he didn't look very well."
"Guards! I seem to have some unruly and poorly raised mice on the premises at this hour." Jacques pressed a button which looked to be some kind of intercom, "Please contain and handle them thoroughly."
"We've been compromised, we need to go." The ex-heiress hissed as she grabbed Timber's hand and began running, high heels be damned if they make noise. "Listen to me, we may need to fight our way out because these Atlas guards won't hesitate to be rough with us!"
"Then why the hell do you have them here at the Manor?"
"Honestly speaking, my father thought that the latest and greatest technology that Atlas has to offer needed to be sponsored by the Schnee family, and he dished out a large sum of money to please Ironwood who was leading such innovation. Therefore some of the guards we're about to meet are merely prototypes but they come with some perks."
"Perks?"
"Just focus on running for now!"
"Shouldn't we be going to the library?" asked Timber, not that he knew where the library was on the first floor.
"I'd say yes, but if all the guards are trying to swarm us then there's a chance that the front door may be unmanned!" Weiss explained her reasoning, holding the huntsman back when a group of guards ran down the adjacent hallway. "That's when we'll take our chance."
"Weiss, you're making a big mistake if you think think can run away. I can see you on every single camera available to me in this household." The patriarch and owner of the Schnee Dust Company mused before he disappeared out of sight, making his way down a secret corridor that not even Willow was aware of that was built in his office. There was something the white-haired business man kept within the shadows of the manor and only used it for emergencies.
"There's a couple of guards ahead of us! We can't evade them!" Timber pants as he and Weiss ran as fast as they could – well, as fast as Weiss' heels could keep her from tripping and falling – to the front door. They had been doing well, but soon they realized that there were perhaps more guards than they originally thought.
"You two! Halt!" Some of the guards shouted while pointing their weapons at them. They turned on their heels and began running in the opposite direction. "Stop running!"
"Weiss? What's happening?" Whitley opened the door to his room as the two of them breezed by, annoyed by the rackus that was occurring. Annoyed that he was being ignored he fully exited the room and stood there in mild anger. Then he heard sounds behind him and turned to look, the color slowly drained from his face. By now there were a lot more guards standing there with their weapons drawn. "What the hell is all this?"
"Whitley! Watch out!" Weiss, turning around to see the guards about to open fire, used her glyphs to shield Whitley from being gunned down; the young man flinched as the bullets ricochet off the spell, cowering with his hands over his head. Thinking quickly, the older sister summoned a black-colored glyph underneath his feet and the doorknob of the room and practically threw her brother back in. She flicked her wrist and slammed the door.
"Let's go!" Timber fired a couple of arrows of his own to cover Weiss before they continued running. They lost the large group of guards and ran down another flight of stairs where the front door was in sight. "There it is! We're gonna make it!"
"To think you'll disobey me to this extent, even going so far as to injure a couple of the best guards from Atlas..." Jacques' voice seemed to be reverberating all around them, like he was everywhere at the same time. The two of them paused at the bottom of the stairs, looking around to try and pinpoint where the man was, "...it seems like I haven't disciplined you enough! Prepare to take your punishment!"
"Run! I don't know what he has up his sleeve, but if we're going to fight then we're going to need a lot of room and not put ourselves in a corner!" Weiss hauled Timber after her and the two of them immediately ran to the front door, slamming it open with their shoulders. The two ex-Beacon students barely made it outside to the large open courtyard when a massive battle suit slammed down before them, its guns pointed at them and whirring to life.
The Atlesian Paladin, it brought back some memories back when Roman Torchwick piloted one at a Faunus rally. Knowing that these things needed to be manually driven, although with the advancement of technology it wouldn't be long for these suits to be operated automatically. They both knew immediately who was at the helm of the suit, there's no doubt in their minds.
"Weiss Schnee! What part of you are NOT allowed to leave this place DON'T you understand!" Jacques' voice boomed out of the Paladin's stereos, frustration laced in the tone. Weiss stared up at him with a defiant expression on her face with Myrtenaster held tightly in her hand. "As if it wasn't enough for you to sing that damn song in front of our sponsors, get disowned and giving up your rights to the family company, NOW you're belligerently disobeying me?!"
"I will never be enough for you, but I'm done trying to bend my knee, done being groomed by you to take my place as the heir. Going to Beacon to spite you was just what I needed, and I have friends who are there for me."
"What friends? That single guy who trespassed onto our property without me knowing?" Jacques sneered as he moved the Paladin's arm to point at Timber. "Weiss, I thought I taught you better than this."
"You taught me shit! As expected of someone who just married into the family just to have the Schnee name! You only thought about yourself!" She shouted back at him, balling her free hand into a fist.
"Arrogant little–"
"Your disgust for the faunus race is just as appalling as your ruthless business man behavior!" The ex-heiress continued shouting, refusing to bottle up her emotions within her chest any longer, "No wonder mother had no choice but to take refuge in the garden and drink herself silly! It's your fault my family ended up the way it did!"
"To think you'd defend those miscreants and no good scoundrel ruffians who have done nothing but ruin our company and sabotage every train cart whenever I try to do business since before your birth. I won't let you forget how hard your childhood was because of them! And you have the gall to point the accusatory finger in my direction, your own father!"
"I think we're done here, no need to continue your piss poor gas lighting. Now if you'll excuse us," The ex-heiress turned to Timber and motioned with her head to the hanger where they could leave Atlas for good. "we're going to be on our way."
"Oh no, Weiss, we are not done and you are not running away again." Jacques sneered angrily, unable to accept that his daughter wanted to leave the family again to play huntress. "Your friend may leave the Schnee premise but you on the other hand... I'll drag you back and lock you inside even if I have to break everything you have. You made enough of a mockery of me as is, I cannot avoid to endure anything else."
"That makes two of us!" Weiss agreed, steeling her resolve and her gaze.
"Then there's nothing else I can say that'll persuade you to change your mind, huh. It's always going to be resorted to barbaric violence." The older man watched from the inside the pilot cockpit, zooming in on his daughter's determined face as she glared at him. He stroked his mustache before placing his hands on the controls, flexing his fingers as he came to a conclusion. "Very well, then there's only one way to settle this and make you learn your place. Don't come crying to me when you have a change of heart!"
"I always wanted to get out from underneath your thumb, way back when mother started drinking heavily and you sent Winter away. So trust me when I say this," Weiss got herself ready, watching the Paladin do the same thing, holding Myrtenaster confidently in front of her. Timber also got into a battle stance, ready to support her in this fight with his bow drawn. "...that you won't keep me caged inside ever again, I'll show you how much I've grown since my time at Beacon. My wings will no longer be clipped."
Back on Kuo Koana...
Sun's surgery was a success, the doctor and the nurses were able to patch up the wound and get the monkey faunus out of danger. Blake nearly collapsed when she heard the news, commenting how she was glad that he was safe as she wiped away her tears; she kept remembering how she wasn't there to save Yang that night at Beacon, or at least save her from getting her arm cut off, so hearing that Sun was going to be okay was a breath of fresh air.
While the blond huntsman rested, the others decided to try and plan out their next course of action because there are issues that needed to be talked about. With Ilia and the Fennec brothers still on the island, the biggest threat to them seems to point to the radical White Fang members, or at least the idea that brainwashing other faunas into the cause is a big threat. However, another thought brought up by Kairos is the obvious discrimination between the faunus living in Kuo Koana versus the faunus living in the Outskirts. The tanuki faunus was very adamant that this be addressed because she spent most of her time in the Outlands, she knows how they've been treated by their fellow faunus, but their cries for help from the chieftain seems to fall on deaf ears.
Ghira promised that he'll look into these incidents personally because he believed that faunus – no matter if they have one set of animal characteristics or two – had the right to live wherever and however they wish to on Remnant without worries, but they were more than welcomed to come and live in Kuo Koana if needed. There should be no room for division among fellow men or faunus.
"Shouldn't but it's still there, even in plain sight." Kairos all but stated, folding her arms over her chest. She didn't want to place all the blame on the chieftain, but she felt that he deserved some of the blame because he could've used his position of authority to make a change. "Don't let the wool be pulled over your eyes because everyone deserves to be seen and heard."
"Then these are the two items to focus on, and they're both quite big ones to tackle. It may be tough even with the four of us working together." Kali said from where she was jotting down notes on Ghira's black board, white chalk in hand. She taps against the board, look at the other three with a somewhat grim expression on her face. "Possible propaganda for the White Fang and how to mend relationships among our citizens."
Ghira rubbed the bridge of his nose, letting out a long sigh. "The White Fang has always stood for peace between humans and faunus, Sienna Khan was at the forefront of that mindset. I never moved my stance on it even when I stepped down. However that changed after Adam got in."
"He is aiming for the seat currently occupied to Sienna Khan, that desire of his never changed. In fact it only grew during my time, and Ilia's for that matter, he wanted to radicalize and revolutionize the faunus to be able to fight back against the oppressors." Blake said, her eyes widened slightly. Her hands clenched and unclenched from where they were placed on top of the table. "He felt betrayed and hurt, my guess is something happened to him in his youth before I met him."
"Something he has hidden underneath that Grimm mask?" asked Kali. Kairos glanced over at Blake with a confused look, the feline faunus realizing that her huntress friend probably hasn't seen an image of Adam. Out of all her friends only Yang has seen and tried to fight Adam. Getting to her feet and disappearing to her room, she rummaged around a few dressers before coming back, a small photo in hand.
"This is us when we got a couple of experience in the White Fang, a little after the masks were required for members to wear." Blake placed the photo on the table and sat back down, Kairos leaning close for a closer inspection. In the photo were two individuals standing shoulder to shoulder with a nice background behind them, a female with a black bow and a male with red hair and two small horns jutting out of his head. "I never asked him to remove the mask...well, it's more like I never questioned what was underneath."
"Then it's safe to assume he's hiding something that he doesn't want you to see."
"Mmmm." Blake made a noise of agreement in the back of her throat, glancing at the photo herself. Her eyes almost had a faraway look in them, as if she was reliving a brief memory. "Don't know if I'll get a chance to see what's underneath."
"Whether or not you get a chance or he removes his mask himself, the point is that Adam Tauros continues to walk on the path to make sure any hopes of faunus and humans to live in harmony are crushed. Those in the White Fang are slowly turning their backs on Sienna Khan and I'm sure she's aware of it." said Ghira before he shakes his head. "Unfortunately I have a slight feeling like she'll slowly cave in to his demands too."
"But she's summoned Adam to meet with her, she may have an inkling that something isn't right."
"What?!" Blake interrupted immediately, alarmed at what her mother just said. "Sienna Khan summoned Adam? Why? She's never done that before!"
"It is unknown at this time, Blake, why she summoned him. Most of my constituents who have stayed by her side don't say anything, trying to keep whatever it is under wraps." Ghira told her slowly. "We just know that Adam is moving to respond to Sienna's calling. He isn't one who'd brush her aside for his own agenda."
"Isn't it possible that he'll try and dethrone her during their meeting? It'll be very easy for him to do because Sienna wouldn't suspect it."
"Blake..."
"I'm being very serious! Adam has that capacity, I know him better than anyone here!" She slams both hands on the table, glaring at her father for a minute. "If they meet and he sees the opportunity, there's a possibility that he'll kill her and take over White Fang right then and there. And I should know, you know that too Dad because you were the one who tried and warn Sierra, just how dangerous it is for Adam to take over the leader position."
"Mmmmm, perhaps I'll send her another written letter but given her reaction the last time I told her...it won't be so easy." Ghira mused as he proceeded to bring out a couple sheets of paper. "Strange how I haven't heard anything from her since I sent her the last letter. Usually she'll reply quickly, at least back when we didn't rely on our scrolls for instant replies."
"How long ago was that?" asked Blake.
"...a week and a half ago, give or take." The panther faunus glanced at the calendar, rubbing his beard. He knitted his brows together in thought. Could it be that someone has intercepted my inquiries? I haven't heard back from my messenger either and he's one of the bests I had, it's not like him to fail in delivery. Or could it be that she has received them but don't bother to reply to me anymore so my messenger is stuck in her hands?
"Ugggh...where...where am I? How the hell did I get here?" A faint voice floated through the walls, catching everyone's attention. They weren't expecting Sun to recover when he was moved from the room to the couch in the living room. "What is...what is this place? Hello? Anyone there?"
"Oh! Sun's awake!" Blake's ear twitched joyfully at the sound, even Kali's ear twitched at the same time, and the two of them glanced towards the door that led to the living room. The young huntress glanced at her parents who all but smiled, shooing the teenagers out to be with their friend. Leaving the chieftain and his wife in the room, the two huntresses left and made their way to the living room quickly where the monkey faunus had been laid out on the couch. When they showed up, Sun had carefully moved his body to sit up against the couch, gently rubbing the wrappings around his wound.
"Blake! Kairos! You're here!" He exclaimed, his tail wiggling excitedly in greeting as the two females rushed to his side. "Glad to see some familiar faces."
"Sun! Thank god you're awake!" The princess of Menagerie said with relief in her voice, taking occupancy on the other side of the couch from him. Kairos decided to sit down in one of the other chairs, getting herself comfortable. "Do you remember what happened?"
"Ummm...uhhh...let's see...we were chasing that girl because she was hanging out outside your home..." Sun rubbed his head for a minute as he tried to get his thoughts in order. "We were on the rooftop trying to get her to stop, and when we caught up you were staring really hard at her and thrown words..." Then his eyes lit up and he exclaimed loudly, "Oh! And then she had the audacity to stab me with her weapon! Yeah, she fucking stabbed me! Ugh!"
"Yeah...she did stab you with her weapon." Blake nodded her head before falling silent to collect her thoughts. Turning to the blond male she said, "This is why I left it all behind Sun, because those I care about keeps getting injured no matter what. They get injured by those from my past so I am partly to blame."
"It's not your fault, Blake, really." Sun says softly as he looks at her, knowing that from what he knew about Blake she was quick to put blame on herself. It was due to the feline faunus' upbringing that made her this way, and Sun hopes that one day she'll learn to be more forgiving. "It was my choice to follow you, and it is my fault for getting my injury, the person who did this to me just happened to be affiliated with you."
"That's exactly my point, Sun. My friends get hurt by someone I know or a group I ran with back in the day, and I'm just so sick and tired of witnessing it. This incident was the second time, and I should've learned my lesson the first time." Blake dared not to raise her voice at him because he just regained consciousness, closing her eyes and taking a couple of breaths. "I... I'm sorry. It's just...when Yang got injured it was because she jumped to save me, against my mentor who at the time was a high-ranking officer in the White Fang. I tried to stop her from coming but because he wanted to provoke her, I got hurt and she attacked him immediately just as he had hoped. It was all a blur, and I could never forgive myself. Seeing you get hurt by Ilia only reminded me of that night at Beacon, and it scares me because you could've died."
"I'm here, Blake. I didn't die."
"I know you didn't...and I know you're here because you're fucking talking to me. That's all fine and dandy, truly, it is!" Blake stood to her feet, trying to hold back tears but failed as they dripped on the carpet. Sun zipped his mouth shut and just watched her carefully. "But...but what if the next time someone close to me isn't so lucky? You met Ilia and she isn't even the worst...Adam in my opinion, is the worst of the worst. I don''t want to experience that again."
"You may act like your selfless, and yeah your chameleon friend got me good. But honestly, I'd do it all again if it meant protecting you." The way Sun says it nearly stops Blake's heart and she gaped at him with her mouth open.
"I...I'm not asking for you to do that for me, Sun."
"And I'm not doing this even if you did. I'm doing it because I want to. My choice so I'll deal with the consequences on that front. I can promise you that Yang will probably say the same if you ask her." Sun's facial expression softens a bit as he added, "We, no...all of us that you've made friends with at Beacon...we don't want you to be alone and face your problems by yourself. Stop trying to take everything for yourself and push us aside like we meant nothing. I'm going to talk for myself, but that honestly hurts more than anything the bad guys could ever do."
"I've been alone since I defected from the White Fang on my final mission, and I acted as a criminal hiding in plain sight before I was granted acceptance into Beacon as a student. But now, every day since I came back home after everything that has happened, I can't stop thinking about all of them. My friends, my teammates...Ruby, Weiss...Yang...I love them like I'd love anybody else. And I hope they hate me for leaving like I did."
"How could they possibly hate you?" This time Kairos spoke up. She had been silent watching the other two speak to each other without any interruptions. "Weiss was taken away by her father the moment our fighting was somewhat finished while Ruby and Yang were flown back to Patch once the latter was deemed okay for the journey by the medics. You only stuck around before that in the hospital ward before going to the docks. But during the span of those events all three of them didn't really know your plan."
"Because I didn't have a solid concrete plan, just wanted to get away and come here to see my parents. Out of everyone I feel like Yang would know what happened, that I had ran and abandoned her even though I left a piece of me behind."
"If they're truly your friends then they'll wait for you to explain your reasoning to your actions." Kairos told her. "Let them decide on what to do after they hear your side of the story, because right now they either know some parts or none at all. They'll end up assuming the worst."
"What if they don't believe me?"
"Like I said, leave it up to them to decide on what to do once they get the full picture. Sun's right as well, you can make your choices but don't make choices for the rest of us. We fight for you because we want to." The tanuki faunus smiles gently at her friend. "Now, aside from them what are we going to do? We need a plan for ourselves since we're here."
"Oh right," Sun grunted as he scratched his head in thought. "We don't have too many leads about how much the White Fang have a hold on the residence here. And based off what we learned from those scumbag brothers, it seems like the claws are in pretty deep whether they're all aware or not."
"Not to mention most of the civilians came here for a peaceful life, they aren't interested in all the politics and war between nations. They want to be left alone." Blake sat back down and rubbed her temples. "This is going to be much harder than I anticipated."
"Not to worry, Remnant wasn't built in a day." Ever the optimist who sees the positive in any situation, Sun grins at the prospect of a challenge. "We'll take it steady and learn as we go. Sure we may not be able to persuade the citizens but as long as we can change the White Fang bit by bit, then that's already progress in my book."
"How aware are the citizens about the White Fang?"
"Most of them are aware of its establishment in the beginning, because I created it myself under the guise of bridging a friendship between faunus and human, so it's safe to say that the roots of the White Fang are embedded very deep." The teens looked to see Ghira and Kali walking over to join them with a couple of folders in hand. "Glad to see you're conscious, Mr. Wukong."
"Thank you, sir!" Sun says in his super chipper self, and normally it grinds Ghira's gears but he lets it slide this time.
"We'll do better if we divide and conquer, there's too many moving parts as is that it can get twisted real quickly." Kali says as she sits next to her daughter. "Blake and Sun will focus on doing what they can to dispel current White Fang influence or at least persuade the public to change and perhaps uncover what it is Adam intends to do with the help of Ilia's scroll."
"Have you gotten a chance to crack the scroll?" asked Sun to which Ghira shook his head no.
"I haven't done so yet, but it shouldn't be too hard." The chieftain replies. "I'm just currently running diagnostics to make sure there aren't any malicious viruses before proceeding. The last thing I need is to be hacked in return."
"Then while you're doing that, what will you do, Mom?" asked Blake as she turns to the older female beside her.
"I'll lend my help to Kairos and see what can be done to repair the broken relation between the faunus here and those in the Outskirts; makes sure to keep your father in the loop because he'll need to be aware of what's going on." The older female faunus dipped her head to Kairos, "We'll get started tomorrow if you're up to it."
"That's fine by me."
"Then that's our plan!" Kali smiled to Ghira who nodded his head in agreement. "I'll probably be away from the house all day, so I'll make lunch in advance. We'll definitely be back for dinner."
"So that's one part of the plan done." The older male turned to Sun and Blake, quirking an eye in anticipation to hear their plan of action. "What about your half?"
"It's clear to me that if we want to try and drive any influence the current White Fang has out of Menagerie, then we'll have to aim for those in charge." His daughter responded, amber eyes narrowing as the thoughts raced through her head, "Namely Ilia and those Fennec brothers. They're going to be our most likely suspects to keep our eyes on."
"They're probably aware that we're on to them and will lay low for awhile if they know what's good for them; however, I willing to bet some of my money that they'll proceed to go with their plans in the shadows where we least expect it." Sun added his opinion into the conversation. "So chances are we may not come up from new information if they won't do their dirty deeds in the public eyes, so... that's the only frustrating part."
"As frustrated as that may be, there's still opportunities around the island that'll suit you adventurous types, it behooves me to ask for you two to treat this as a simple favor from the chieftain." Ghira says to them, watched as they shared knowing looks before nodding their heads. "It'll give you two a chance to learn more about this island and its culture – especially for you, Mr. Wukong."
"Sounds like a plan, there's always something new to discover here on the island I'm sure to scrounge up!" Sun was really energetic to get back out into the field. He then noticed the look Blake was giving him and he backpedaled just a bit, "Of course, everything must be done in moderation, and I shouldn't over exert myself until I'm fully healed." That got Blake to smile.
"Thank you Sun...thank you everyone for everything up to now." Blake spoke to the broader audience in the room, folding her ears back just slightly. "All this time I feared I had to tackle the White Fang alone, to stay my cowardly self and run away. I let my emotions cloud my judgment and I lashed out trying to push away anyone who reached out their hands to help, however...I never noticed when I wasn't alone anymore. I have friends who have accepted me for who I am and not what I am. Friends I can count on, friends who are willing to risk everything and stay by my side to see things through to the end. I know now that it's not my place to tell you what you can or can't do, so...I need all the help I can get if we're going to make these plans work."
"That goes without saying, we won't leave you to fend for yourself anymore. You can lean on us whenever you need to, don't shoulder those burdens alone." Kairos responds easily. "I can't wait to see the changes we'll make here on the island for the betterment of all of the faunus here."
"You never intended to stop fighting like you mentioned back on the ship, that was a big old lie wasn't it?" The blond smiled as well. "Your fight towards changing the course of the White Fang and taking it back from the hands of those radicals maniacs starts right here, in the heart of Menagerie. And you can bet your ass that your parents, Kairos and I, we'll be behind you every step of the way now."
Elsewhere in Vacuo...
"How long has she been out cold like that? Should we be concerned by this point and consult an actual doctor?"
"When Dalton brought her back from the ruins out there it's been about," There was a slight pause, not for dramatics, but because the individual who was answering the question was probably trying to calculate something. "...a long time."
"Wow, thanks for the obvious." The first voice stated sarcastically. "But seriously, shouldn't she be waking up right about now?"
"Standing around and arguing won't make her wake up any faster." Another voice, a calm one, joins the conversation. "The best we can do is continue to watch over her and assist her in the healing process."
"But we've been watching over her for forever!" The second voice whined a bit.
"There there, we must be patient. She'll wake up on her own time."
Ughh, so many voices around me...giving me a massive headache... I groaned or attempted to make a noise or any movement, anything to grab the attention of whoever was in this place with me. However, my body felt so sluggish and heavy, so it didn't follow any orders brought about by my brain. The voices continued to bicker and talk among themselves, not at all paying attention to me. I opened my mouth to try to speak some basic words, curse my tongue being tied, but all that came out was a garbled mess. It made no sense. Somehow my throat also felt dry so it did nothing to help produce any sound.
"Guys, guys...GUYS!" A booming voice shouted to quell everything else. The room was almost silent saved for my heavy breathing that was caught on. "She's awake."
"Oh. My. God. YES! Finally!"
"Reina, how are you feeling?"
"Does anything feel out of place? Like something weird or whatnot?"
"Gave everyone such a fright, glad to see that you're alright."
"Too many voices..." I frowned, my brows pinched together and a look of discomfort crossed my face.
"Perhaps it'll be best if we give her some space." The calm voice spoke. "She just woke up so we can't hound her all at once. I'll stay with her, the rest of you wait downstairs okay?" The other voices murmured among themselves before I heard the shuffle of feet and then the door closed.
"Where am I?" I asked, knowing that the one with the calm voice is still in the room.
"You're in a guestroom here." The bed mattress caved a bit and I felt the presence next to me. "The building is owned by Dalton and his team."
"The village in Vacuo, near Oasis..." I spoke as the word came to the tip of my tongue. "So I'm still here..."
"Yes, you are in Vacuo and inside a village." The voice affirmed the location I spoke of. "Do you remember why you are here in Vacuo?"
"...I...I..." My memory was quite hazy and in pieces, but slowly and surely I started remembering. The fall of Beacon, everyone splitting up, and my arduous journey to Vacuo. Then I met up with Dalton before making my way out to the ruins to find a certain someone. "My dad, I came here to find my dad."
"Keep going. Did you find him?" The voice coax gently, prompting me to continue talking. "What did you two do?"
"I found him and we hung out together because it has been way too long since I've last saw a family member. A living family member mind you." I spoke as the memories slowly came to me. "I was genuinely happy to see him...but then," I took a shuttering breath before continuing, "then I found out that he was being manipulated by the one person I loathed in this world. The one person responsible for my dad and I to go into hiding. We fought, and the other person would've won had my father didn't use one last trick."
"The explosions followed by the beam of light. It was you."
"No...it was my dad. His one last heroic act to save me." I turned my head in the direction where the other person was. "After that I don't really remember."
"After what happened, everyone was scared and unsure. However, just as Dalton was about to gather a squad to head out and investigate, he mentioned a male coming towards them with you in his arms. Your father, for his last act, delivered you to us to look after."
"That's my dad, my hero." I smiled, fondly remembering him and the last words he told me. Then I asked the person in the room, "Could you help me sit up? My back's starting to hurt after laying for however how long on this mattress."
"Of course, I'm happy to be of assistance." I felt a pair of arms by my side, one placed on my shoulder while the other slipped near the middle of my back. There was a slight push and I slowly sat up, the stiffness of my body crying from the movement; laying ramrod straight for a long time really puts the pressure on my bones, on my everything.
"How do you feel?" The voice asked me after awhile, keeping her hands on for comfort and support.
"Feels kind of weird, like my body isn't mine." I told the individual honestly, feeling the muscles tense up before relaxing in a couple of places. "But, I'm sure the feeling will subside after awhile."
"I'm proud of you for this first step. Now...how about we slowly make our way downstairs, where everyone else is. I'm sure they must be really anxious to see you on your feet."
"I'd like that." I said before laughing hollowly at the situation. "Just baby steps for now."
"Yup, baby steps. I don't suspect someone to just jump out of bed and run a mile after resting for so long." The other voice lets out a laugh too. "Here, let me remove the blankets for a minute."
I felt the breeze on my skin once the cover was pulled away. One of the hands reached over and grabbed one of mine, the one closest to the edge, and slowly placed it on the end, letting me know how much I had to scoot over to swing my legs over. The mattress moved, indicating that the other person stood up, the footsteps indicating movement to the door.
"Do you need assistance? I can grab you something to help you walk like a cane or something." The voice asked me after a moment, noticing that I have yet to move my body. "Sorry I shouldn't have been more considerate."
"...I can't see anything." I murmured from where I sat before shifting my body towards the edge, slowly swinging my legs over the edge of the bed. Moving my hand in front of my face, I waited to see if the aura outline that I used to see would show me a hand waving. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. "I can't see... the lines... they're not here. They're not here!"
"Woah woah, slow breathes now. Come now, deep slow breathes." The calm voice spoke to me and I felt a hand placed on my thigh, comfortingly as I took deep shuttering breaths; the individual had crossed the distance between us and knelt in front of me. After a minute or two the voice asks softly, "You can't see? What happened?"
"No, I cannot...and I don't know why. The outlines of everyone and every object are no longer there." I put my hand down and lowered my head, letting out a shaky sigh. "I'm lost in perpetual darkness now."