White Knight Errant
A RWBY fanfic by Andrew Joshua Talon
DISCLAIMER: This is a fan based work of prose. RWBY is the property of Rooster Teeth and WB Animation. Please support the official release.
Jaune looked around the table at his friends, his teammates, in the warm late afternoon sunlight streaming in through the windows of the common room. He focused his eyes on Blake and nodded.
"Okay," he started, "Blake? What's our target?"
Blake inserted a holodrive into the table's projector. A translucent blue map appeared over the table, and everyone looked it over as it slowly rotated.
"This is where the White Fang are holding a recruitment rally, the old Ucuetis Iron Foundry. According to Schwartz, the White Fang have been here for a few weeks. Meaning that it's probably a main hub base. We-They keep the bases very mobile to avoid detection. To keep the organization running, though, they still need finances and records."
She sucked in a breath.
"The White Fang can't keep a large digital presence, too easy to get hacked. So they keep a lot of our transactions and assets in paper form. If we get our hands on that information and hand it over to the police? We can hurt them severely, at least in Vale. Maybe even find out who is bankrolling them and making them work with Roman Torchwick."
Jaune slowly nodded.
"According to my, uh, Uncle, the best financial frauds mix legitimate business expenses up with their false ones to obfuscate things. Having the other half of the financial records can help the police match things up."
Blake gave Jaune a long stare, before nodding. Weiss hummed.
"We could also find where they're keeping that much Dust. It isn't easy to store all of that safely in a city on high alert, so they must be keeping it within reach, but off-site."
Much staring. Weiss shrugged.
"What? Every little bit helps."
"Thank you Weiss," Jaune did with a small smile. She flushed and scowled.
"Anything to stop having to play vigilante sooner," she huffed.
"Aw come on, you have to be enjoying this," Yang said with a grin and a wink, "Who wants to be an ice girl when you can be a bad girl?"
"Ugh," Weiss groaned. Jaune managed a weak smile at Yang, which she returned. Ruby cleared her throat.
"Okay," Ruby said with a nod, "So we'll want two teams. One to sneak in and get the stuff, the other to get into the rally itself."
"Sun and I can slip in-" Blake began, and Sun smiled, but Jaune shook his head.
"No. You're way too well known among the White Fang," he said. "Some of them may know you by scent alone."
Blake scowled.
"Then how do you suggest we do this?"
Jaune looked over at Nora and Ren.
"Sun will go in," he said, "With Nora and Ren as backup, all under disguise with cologne and perfume to cover their scenes. Ruby and Pyrrha should provide overwatch."
"I-We won't be going in with you?" Pyrrha asked, looking shocked.
"You're sending in Nora?" Neptune asked, giving Nora a wary leer. Weiss also looked dubious. Pyrrha winced in silent apology. Nora just grinned brightly.
"I am a master of disguise!" Nora said brightly.
"I trust Ren and Nora to do well, and they'll back Sun up perfectly if you need to escape," Jaune stated.
"There's no one better than her at making a scene, with explosives," Ren stated calmly. Nora practically swooned.
"Oh Renny~!"
Sun stared at them for a moment, before turning to Jaune and grinning.
"Works for me!"
Neptune facepalmed. Weiss sighed. Blake gave Jaune a disbelieving look, but he kept smiling. Blake sighed.
"The White Fang isn't as familiar with us as they are with the rest of you," Ren added.
"They also aren't celebrities, and haven't fought Roman Torchwick before," Ruby said carefully with an apologetic look to Pyrrha. "Sun has, but he's also not well known to the White Fang."
"This way, we'll each have one of our strongest fighters in our three teams," Jaune stated, "Pyrrha, Ruby, Weiss and Neptune on overwatch and as backup; Sun, Nora, and Ren in the rally to keep an eye on things; Yang, Blake and myself will go into the backrooms."
"Yang isn't exactly stealthy though," Pyrrha pointed out. Yang snorted.
"Yeah, like you're the picture of subtlety, Miss Cereal Box."
"Blake has to go in because she'll know what to look for," Jaune said firmly, "I'll go in because I know how to pick locks and I know how to sneak around pretty well. Yang will get us out of there if we need a quick exit."
"I am good at that," Yang smirked at Pyrrha, even as the redhead stared intensely at Jaune. He didn't pay any attention to it. Sun interjected.
"So yeah, we'll make it work," The monkey faunus said cheerfully.
"What about the rest of your team?" Ruby asked. Sun winced, as did Neptune.
"Sage got injured in a training mission, and Scarlet is having dinner with his dad aboard his ship," Sun explained. He grinned. "Neptune and I are more than enough to help if things go wrong though!"
"So, what do we do when things go wrong?" Weiss asked, her tone dry but a worried look on her face. Ruby smiled.
"You and Neptune can form ice barriers around the exits," Ruby said, "To keep the White Fang from escaping, or chasing us!"
Jaune nodded slowly, his gaze sweeping over his friends.
"Any questions?" He asked.
Nora raised her hand. Jaune smiled wryly.
"Yes Nora, you can break their legs"
Nora lowered her arm, looking content as she patted Ren on the thigh. Ren didn't respond. Pyrrha bit her lower lip.
"Should we write up a statement ahead of time to inform the police what we're doing, so this time we aren't arrested?"
Jaune beamed at her.
"That's a great idea, Pyrrha!" He said, and Pyrrha blushed prettily.
There was a short pause, before Ruby spoke in a soft tone:
"... And Iridescent? What if she's there?"
Jaune looked sharply over at Ruby. She winced, but her silver eyes were still locked onto his blue. He could feel the tension in the room from everyone else-Save from Sun and Neptune, who both looked confused.
Jaune sucked in a deep breath in his nostrils. He forced his eyes to stay locked onto hers despite his doubt.
"... We get in, get the intel, and get out," he stated softly. "If things go wrong, getting out is your-"
He paused.
"Is… Our biggest priority," he finished.
He could feel Pyrrha, Blake, and Yang's looks on him.
Ren spoke up, firm but calm.
"We do the mission and focus on our goals. If Iridescent arrives and fights us, we respond. We are all capable of subduing someone like that, but I also see no reason to go out of our way to spare her life or to mourn if she perishes in a fight if we are caught, nor do I see a reason to even seek her out at this junction if no fighting occurs when we could just as easily have her arrested later with this information we gather. If that happens, her crimes will catch up with her, and she will likely be imprisoned for life at the least."
Jaune smiled at Ren. Ren nodded back, a small smile on his face. Ruby looked relieved, and smiled broadly. He could feel Yang, Weiss and Pyrrha relax, as Blake nodded to Sun with her own small smile. Sun nodded back, a peaceful and understanding look in his eyes.
Neptune blinked.
"Who's Iridescent?"
Jaune winced.
Damnit…
"Let's hope you don't have to find out," Yang stated firmly.
The industrial sector of Vale was commonly represented on a map as one big gray section. The truth was somewhat more complicated, owing to the Old, Middle, and New Sections of the city that expanded outward and inland away from the mouth of the Great Pishon River Delta. The Old Industrial sectors were scattered around the river's shores, some of them having had their own individual walls away from the main city walls to enable their safe operation away from human habitation. Most of their buildings had been converted into warehouses for the ever busy docks, small high tech industrial operations, or left to rust and rot as Atlasian automation and Vacuoan cheap labor allowed for most consumer goods to be made overseas.
Underground music movements and criminal enterprises both made use of these relics. The White Fang in particular had staked out an abandoned iron foundry for their recruiting rally this night. The building itself was a dismal heap of brick, red as blood and covered in broken windows and doors only illuminated by the bonfires and Dust-powered lights the faunus organization had brought in.
It bordered an overpass, filled with noisy nighttime traffic of cars, buses, and motorcycles. On the other side stood tall rows of newer apartment buildings and shops, built as part of an effort to revitalize Old Vale some decades ago. The results were somewhat mixed-More commerce was brought to the older sections of the town, but the property values remained low and fights over zoning continued, the endless petty power plays of municipal politics.
This was of no concern to the two figures standing on top of a rusting crane overlooking the warehouse. One was in a black body suit with red armor over her generous feminine curves and powerful muscles, a White Fang mask on her face and a katana at her side. Her hair was long, black, and curly. She sat in a crouch, glaring down at the assembly.
The other was a tall man in a dark blue cloak with hood. HIs dark skinned face was obscured by a black mask, but his keen red eyes and locks of his dark black hair still escaped his disguise. He wore black armor under underneath his cloak and white pants, with tall leather boots. A silver bow was on his back, while a curved kukri hung from his belt. He stood with his arms at his sides, relaxed, looking down at the White Fang members at work with a hint of amusement in his eyes.
The wind blew, rustling their clothing. The woman sighed quietly.
"I still don't know how you talked me into this," she stated.
The man grunted.
"It is necessary. Besides, you still keep an eye on your daughter, despite your protests," he said.
"She's reckless," the woman huffed.
"Yes," the man said, "As well as caring. You did well to have no involvement in her life."
The woman shot a glare at him, which the man took stoically.
"I wouldn't be talking," she sneered, "You haven't been doing a good job keeping an eye on your brats."
The man snorted in nostalgic amusement.
"My daughter is just fine. My nephew? Well… He is his father's son. Impetuous, unpredictable-"
"Stupid," the woman countered. The man chuckled.
"At this age? It is unavoidable," he said. "But he survived. Became all the stronger for it."
"I suppose," the woman allowed, reluctantly.
The woman grunted, returning her glare back down to the growing rally.
After a moment, she spoke again.
"Working with White Fang and that woman is dangerous."
"Yes," he said. "But the rewards will be worth it."
He spotted a familiar boy in a green cloak approaching the back of the warehouse, with a few other members of his team. Up in front, he spotted the little sniper take up a high position, while the other Hunters-in-Training mingled with the other Faunus entering into the rally.
His eyes lingered on the young man. For a moment, he saw another young, foolish boy in his place. Smiling, laughing, and joking in rusty white and blue armor with a blue scarf waving from his neck and a sword on his back. A dark skinned boy with a bow, kukri, blue cloak, and a scowl stood alongside with his arms crossed over his chest. Another blond girl with glasses, dressed in green with endless pouches on her belt was yelling at them for something or other. A meek but beautiful redhead in white and pink was trying to keep the peace between them, holding a staff between her hands. As she always did and tried.
It was all so painfully familiar.
"We do not change our ways easily, Arjun," the woman warned softly, "You have won your place with us… But your ambitions are great. Greater than we have ever attempted."
For a moment, Arjun looked to the northwest. To a place across the sea on the southern coast of Mistral. He could almost see the white palace he had grown up in. Almost see the city, the kingdom he was forced to flee.
"Long ago," he said, "My ancestors were no different from yours. Bandits living in the shadows, surviving in the darkness, the cracks of the world."
"What changed?"
Arjun smiled behind his mask.
"Vision. We saw outside of ourselves. Saw what our people could be. What we could be." He shook his head. "Now, I see the same. For all peoples of this world. A vision of peace. Of prosperity."
He looked at the woman.
"A world without borders… And a world without Grimm," he finished. "Without her dictating our destiny. Only us."
"You, you mean," the woman returned sardonically.
The man nodded.
"Me… And you. Our people…" He went back to staring down at Jaune Arc and his friends, "A stronger, better world."
He looked at Raven.
"Why be a bandit queen… When you could be the queen of Remnant?"
She stared at him behind her mask. Slowly, she nodded.
"Queen of Remnant, hm? I like the sound of that," she said. "But I don't see a crown on my head yet."
"No," Arjun said, "Not yet."
Silence fell again. Loud music began to play from below. The woman sighed quietly.
"If we have to save them from this rabble, it will just be embarrassing."
"Or a learning opportunity," Arjun said. The woman snorted.
"Strength is what matters."
"There are many kinds," Arjun said quietly. "Are you ready?"
"Yes," Raven stated flatly, "But indulging that child-"
"Will be worth it, in the end," Arjun stated. "We have to see how they have grown."
Nick… I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, he thought, But I will be here for your son. Your family. I will build them the world you couldn't. I will make things right. It will be a better world.
A better world… For us all.
The White Fang rally, at first glance, looked more like an underground rave than a terrorist recruitment event. Which, Jaune imagined, was the point. Holding it in an abandoned factory that was often used for such events made it less likely for the cops to show up. Unless they got too loud.
Nora, Ren, and Sun made their way towards the front entrance, mingling with the other Faunus all entering. Sun still looked a little unhappy with the hair and fur dye applied to him. That said, his dour expression definitely helped sell his disguise.
Ruby and Pyrrha were above them, hidden in the cluttered pipes, AC Units, and various other structures all over the rooftops of the old industrial buildings. So far, nobody seemed to have noticed, even with Faunus senses. Blake had assured them that the colognes and perfumes she had used would disguise their human scents, but the real test was coming up in a matter of seconds.
Nora bounced up to the white masked bouncers, beaming with her hair bright blonde and horns glued to the sides of her head. Thanks to her open commlink (Her Scroll, but she preferred to call it a 'commlink'), they could hear everything that went on.
"Heyah buddy! This the White Fang rally?" She asked happily.
The bouncer stared at her like she was stupid.
"Of course it is! What kind of a Faunus are you?" He demanded.
Nora smirked, and proudly pushed her breasts up with her arms.
"I'm a cow faunus!" She announced.
The bouncer flushed, and stared downward. Long enough it was easy to see Ren's muscles tense, even from this distance.
Nora then yanked Ren next to her, grinning happily.
"And he, of course, is the most magnificent example of a sloth faunus!" Nora cheered, before nuzzling Ren's shoulder. "Aren't you, snookie wookums?"
The only thing Ren had done to disguise himself was the addition of black rings around his eyes and a black jacket over his normal clothing, along with cologne to disguise his scent. Nevertheless, he seemed slightly more relaxed at Nora's touch, though Jaune could definitely see how the bouncer cringed a bit. Ren's stare could be very intimidating.
"Hello," Ren said, and paused. The bouncer leaned forward.
"You-"
"I am…" Ren paused again. The bouncer grimaced.
"You-!"
"Happy to…"
The bouncer cringed.
"Okay fine, you can-!"
"Be here…" Ren stated.
The bouncer stared at Ren. Ren clearly just stared back.
"You can go in-!"
"To support… The White Fang," Ren finished.
"Just get in there!" The bouncer groaned. "You too, monkey boy!"
"Thanks," Sun grumbled, as Nora squealed and led them into the rally proper.
Jaune smirked a bit over at Blake. The hidden cat Faunus was wearing a dark blue cloak over her ears. Yang was next to her, wearing a dark green hoodie with sunglasses.
"I have no idea how she did that," Blake muttered.
"That's why we're the team leaders," Ruby commented over the Scroll. "Also! There are three guards at the rear entrance."
"Be careful, Jaune," Pyrrha murmured.
"We will," Yang stated over her Scroll firmly. Jaune nodded, and they headed off, practically feeling Pyrrha's tension over the communications link. Blake vanished into the shadows ahead, leaving Yang and Jaune to head down the street away from the loud noises at the front of the building.
They made their way towards the wall of the old iron foundry facing the river. They spotted three White Fang guards, all armed with Dust guns. They turned towards them as they approached, and lifted their guns.
"Hey buddy, you and your girlfriend can just head off-"
Blake dropped behind them and knocked them all out with one swing of her fist. Yang huffed.
"Well, now we're not going to have any fun," she protested.
"The less fun we have, the better," Jaune decided. He got to the electronic lock and bent over, studying it intently.
"So?" Yang prompted.
"A SchneeTech 303 lock," he said, "I've seen them a few times."
Yang hummed.
"So uh, you have a nerd way to get us in?" She asked.
"I can probably figure out the code-" Blake submitted, but Jaune swung his fist and shattered the lock. Blake rolled her eyes.
"Or you can do that," Blake sighed.
"What? This cheap piece of crap can never connect to the wifi properly," Jaune said, pulling the door open. "They'll never see us coming."
"HEY! You can't just-!"
Jaune punched the White Fang operative who spoke, sending him crashing into the brick wall facing the open door. He slumped, out cold.
"I mean, how super advanced could they make their security if it's a place they have to dump at a moment's notice?" Jaune asked with a shrug.
"He has a point, how secure could it be?" Yang asked.
Blake sighed as they walked into the hallway. It was dark and dingy, with only dim emergency lighting to provide illumination. Blake sniffed the air, and headed towards the left. Jaune and Yang followed.
"So, just out of curiosity, how much breaking and entering have you done?" Yang muttered to Jaune. Jaune shrugged.
"I dunno… Does it count if they kidnapped you first?"
"I don't think so," Yang hummed, "Though honestly, Blake probably has a bigger rap sheet than the two of us combined."
"Could you two please shut up?" Blake muttered. They turned a right corner, and then a left. They came to a door with another electronic lock. Blake sighed and punched it, smashing it to pieces, before she flung the door open. Jaune had his shield up, and tanked the shots that came through. Blake and Yang charged around him through the fire, easily downing the six White Fang operatives in the room. Jaune entered after, looking around at the filing cabinets and tables covered in paperwork the now groaning, unconscious guards had been managing.
Blake immediately began sorting through the nearest pile of folders, scanning the pages rapidly as she swapped through the stacks. Yang began going through the file cabinets and safes, breaking one open with her superhuman strength easily. She yanked out a stack of lien with a whoop.
"Woohoo!" She cried, "Jackpot!"
"Put it back, Yang," Jaune said.
"It's wrong to steal, even from thieves," Blake added, sorting through the pages rapidly and not looking up.
"Jauuune," Yang whined. Jaune sighed.
"It is wrong," he said, "Even I only took what I needed."
"And if I needed a hot new dress for a date with you~?" Yang simpered, batting her eyes at Jaune. The blond knight stared at her with a deadpan expression. She sighed, and shoved the money back into the cabinet.
"Fine, but I hope we get a reward," she muttered.
"It would be nice," Jaune agreed. He turned to a stack of paperwork himself, and opened it up. He began scanning through the papers, but he was mainly keeping an eye on the door. He felt like he really had to look like he was doing something…
A line in reality opened up right next to him, burning red. It opened up like an eye. Jaune's eyes widened in shock as a strong, black arm came out, grabbed him, and yanked him through.
"UWAH-?!"
"JAUNE!" Screamed Yang and Blake, just as the portal shut.
"What the hell was that?!" Yang shouted. She had seen a dark figure in the-portal?! Curvy, female, but that was all she could see! She had her fists up as she scanned around the room.
Blake was equally flabbergasted. She shook her head, papers dropped in a pile in front of her.
"H-How…?
"Are there any White Fang members you know of who can do that?!" Yang demanded almost frantically. "Any with teleportation powers?!"
"No, but-!"
Blake ducked underneath a whip that was crackling with lightning. A whip that had appeared out of nowhere. Yang got her fists up as she felt Aura, and just barely deflected a sword strike with Ember Celica. The force of it drove her back. Blake stood up next to her, Gambol Shroud drawn and ready to confront the two figures standing at the door.
Facing them was a slim redheaded girl with freckled skin in White Fang gear wielding a whip. Her mouth was set in a grim line, and even through the white mask, Yang could tell she was glaring at Blake hatefully.
The other was a tall, dark-skinned man, broad shouldered and with a lantern jaw and tall fox-like ears. He glared out at them from underneath a red hood, over a white and black combat outfit. He held up a bronze-colored dagger, with red glowing striping running along the length of the conical blade.
Blake stared in horror at the girl. Obviously, they had some history, which Yang was sure was going to make this nasty.
"Ilia?!" Blake gasped.
"Surprised to see me, traitor?" The girl demanded, her skin and clothing shifting to resemble the background. "You won't see me again until I murder you. For breaking my heart."
Yang looked over at her opponent. The fox snorted.
"It is a shame," the fox Faunus stated, "That I don't get to kill the one who slew Thanh."
"It was a team effort," Yang growled.
"Then I get to prove my strength regardless," the fox Faunus stated, before he and Ilia lunged!
It wasn't like Ren was against this idea exactly. He and Nora had a slightly more flexible take on morality than most of their classmates.
Living on the road from childhood as orphans tended to make that happen. So going out and delivering vigilante justice was not a major issue. Detention was preferable to the punishment for failure they had experienced in the wilds.
They didn't rob people or hurt people who didn't hurt them first, of course. They did plenty of perfectly legal jobs to make ends meet: Hunting, fishing, killing Grimm, farmwork. But when people tried to kill them, they fought back.
He remembered what his father had told him, the day after he had seen him kill some bandits outside their village. He had been so young, and so frightened. His mother had tried to hold him back, but he had watched through the open gate as his father had skillfully and elegantly killed those who had threatened their village.
Afterwards, he had sat with his father in their kitchen. His mother had been cleaning his father's weapons. His father had pulled him into a hug, and looked down into his eyes with a gentle but firm expression. He had said:
"The decisions you make and the actions that follow are a reflection of who you truly are. They chose to try and kill the innocent just for their own selfish desire. I chose to kill them to protect the innocent. Remember that difference, my son. Always remember."
Ren had remembered. He had fought harder, trained harder, all for the sake of living up to his father's ideals, and protecting Nora. She was his everything.
It wasn't until Beacon that they met someone who… Who understood. It was difficult to put into words, but when they met Jaune and saw his eyes? Nora immediately felt comfortable around him. He knew her tells inside and out. That made him relax around Jaune.
Jaune had given them direction. He had accepted them completely. Pyrrha had followed. Despite her upbringing, she was a misfit too.
It was not a feeling Ren had had for a long time. The feeling of family. Of belonging.
So while Ren was somewhat concerned about Jaune's quest for vengeance and Blake's desire to stop White Fang, he understood it. He agreed with it. He and Nora would follow Jaune to hell and back if required.
That said… He had the feeling that Jaune's plan for him, Nora and Sun wasn't entirely motivated by tactical considerations. Especially as she took the chance to grind on him as they joined multiple other teenagers on the dance floor.
"Woohoo! Yeah! This song rocks!" Nora cheered. She held his shoulders tightly, and bumped herself against him to the beat. Ren, feeling aroused yet wary, kept his senses tuned to their surroundings. Most of the Faunus dancing in the middle of what had once been a production floor were caught up in the rhythm and power of the flashing lights.
There were plenty of White Fang members around who walked with purpose and restrained violence. Weapons were hidden under their clothing and their eyes were sweeping the area carefully, looking for any signs of danger.
Sun was dancing by himself, his disappointment over his dyed hair and fur vanishing as he got to strut his stuff.
Ren felt Nora bump back against him insistently. He responded in kind, keeping his hands on her shoulders.
"You could be more aggressive," Nora said quietly, "It would help keep eyes off us."
Ren stared into her eyes. Her wonderful blue eyes, so wide and bright…
"I'm a sloth. I'm supposed to be slow," Ren murmured back. Nora held him tightly, standing on tiptoes to whisper into his ear. He felt her body against his.
He'd felt it plenty of times before, but in this situation, with the heat of the room and the gleam in her eyes…
"I know how slow you are," she hissed. Ren sucked in a breath, and focused on Semblance to keep himself calm.
Nora made that much harder, as she placed one thigh up over his hip, and ground more insistently against him.
"I… I'm sorry," he whispered.
"You were going to tell me something," Nora murmured into his ear, "At Forever Fall. Before you thought we were gonna die."
Ren gulped.
"I… Yes," he mumbled.
"If we're pretending to be other people," Nora continued, "Couldn't you… Couldn't you pretend to tell me?"
"I…" Ren grimaced. "It's not easy… To say…"
"Even if it's a lie," Nora whispered, "Please."
There was pain in her eyes. It made Ren feel low, despite his Semblance. No matter how skilled he became with his Semblance, there were things he just couldn't manage.
Not when it came to her.
"It wouldn't be a lie," he whispered back.
He sucked in a breath as her gaze seemed to go right into his soul.
She reached up to cup his cheek.
She was always his weakness, and his strength. His reason for being.
Yet… If they crossed this line… What if… What if they ruined what they had? He'd seen many romantic couples fall apart because passion made everything more complicated.
He felt himself hesitating at that.
"But if… What if…" He tried to get it out, even as he found himself drowning in her beautiful eyes…
When Sun bumped into him from behind. His face and Nora's came together. Their lips met.
"Whoops! Sorry bro," Sun said quickly.
The music, Sun, the crowd… It all faded away. There was nothing but Nora's scent, heat, and her mouth.
They broke apart, staring at each other while panting for breath.
"You guys are super good at this disguise thing, by the way," Sun added, with a smug grin. Nora stared up at him, for once speechless.
Ohhh boy, Ren thought, Ohhh boy, oh boy, what do I do oh shit oh shit OH SHIT-!
She giggled. She smiled up at him, almost shyly.
There was only thought in his head at this.
Fuck that's cute.
Ruby was a little conflicted. It would be nice if it was raining right now. It would fit her mood. Being in the dark, dramatic night as rain poured down while she scoped out evildoers. Ready to swoop in and strike them down for justice!
Just like in her comics.
At the same time, her mood was conflicted enough that being wet and cold would probably just make her feel worse. Maybe the last thing she needed was more drama.
She watched the White Fang rally from the rooftop of another abandoned factory, amidst a bunch of old pipes and chimneys. The sounds of distant traffic and sirens came from across the elevated highway, as well as the horns of boats in the river and harbor nearby.
It was so boring.
"Ugh," Ruby muttered, "I wish I was in there. I could have been a-a puppy Faunus or something…"
Pyrrha smiled blithely over at her from her own holding position. Milo was in rifle mode, and she peered through the scope periodically.
"We're better used out here," Pyrrha said, "As I recall, you agreed with Jaune."
"I, yeah," Ruby sighed, checking through her own scope. So far, nothing out of the ordinary was happening.
Everything was going well… Which is why Ruby was worried. Incredibly worried. Yet not over the operation. Right?
"It'll be alright," Pyrrha spoke softly. She looked over at Pyrrha in shock. Pyrrha blushed.
"I mean, um… If you're worried? You look worried."
"I am," Ruby admitted, "Things are going way too well, and when I wasn't worried, I…" She sighed. "Nevermind. It's stupid."
"I… I can listen if you want," Pyrrha offered.
"We're on a mission," Ruby insisted.
Pyrrha kept an eye on the rally through her rifle scope.
"I can still listen," Pyrrha said quietly.
Ruby bit her lower lip nervously, and stared out at the factory as well. She wasn't sure how to talk about this. What happened in the Forever Fall? Her father had told her to keep it quiet.
Well, guess it was a good thing she was worried about another thing on top of the Silver Eyes drama.
"... I just… Um, listen. I'm really sorry for the food fight," Ruby said quietly. "I was… I wanted to get some frustrations out. Yang had a great date with Jaune, and you're going to have a great date, and… And I'll probably just mess it up."
"It's okay Ruby," Pyrrha said kindly, "You know Jaune's not that shallow. And, well… It's not like I know how to go on a date any better than you. Or Yang…"
"Yeah but you're…" Ruby sighed. "It's stupid. We're on a mission, our friends are infiltrating a terrorist rally… Being a teenager is stupid."
Pyrrha smirked a bit.
"It's not all bad," she said softly, "I promise. Besides, he's just as clueless. We're all figuring this out together. And if it's about your body… I mean… You'll grow up, Ruby."
Ruby smiled.
"Thanks, Pyrrha," she said, "If I'm being honest? I hope we… We can make this all work out in the end. Blake tells me it will, if we work hard and we're open and honest."
Pyrrha beamed back.
"I hope so too, Ruby," she said. "I…"
She checked her scope. She frowned deeply, as Ruby joined her in sharing the same expression.
"There are more White Fang gangsters surrounding the building," Pyrrha observed. She immediately hit her Scroll.
"Jaune? Yang? Nora? Ren? Sun?"
Static. Ruby scowled at her Scroll, and brought out her electronic noise analysis app. It was great for repairing Crescent Rose's electronics.
"Come on, come on, what's…?"
There was a large electromagnetic field forming a dome over the White Fang Rally.
"Jammer," Ruby hissed, "It's a trap! Again!"
She was coiled like a spring from her anxiety, and she was going jump out-
Being surrounded by Grimm in the Forever Fall, piles of red leaves around her like blood-
Ruby took a deep breath.
"All right Pyrrha, let's put together a plan and-"
She looked to her right. Pyrrha was long gone, diving for the thugs on the street with her weapons bared and a snarl on her face.
Yang and her dad weren't here, so Ruby let out the most appropriate word she could think of.
"Shi-!"
The restaurant wasn't the classiest place Weiss had ever been to. Just a transformed auto shop in Old Vale that Neptune had brought her to. The decor was made up of auto tools, parts, and pictures of the previous owners with their cars and family. It was very open and airy, with windows transformed from garage doors to let in the night air. They had a perfect view of the Pishon River, as ships moved back and forth in the dark waters underneath the broken moon.
It was roughing it by her standards, but that added to the sense of excitement. Neptune had been full of flattery and warm, honeyed words all night, the lit candle between them accentuating his best features.
The food was below her standards, but she loved it all the same. The wines were little better, but same thing: The thought of her father having conniptions over what she was having and doing filled her with glee.
Well… It should have.
"You know, the moon matches your hair," Neptune says, "Like a beam made out of the starlight."
"Mmhm. Thank you Neptune," Weiss managed, her eyes still focused on the river. Neptune sucked in a breath.
"So… You doing okay?"
"I'm fine," Weiss said quickly, looking back at him with a smile. "I mean… They would call if there was a problem, right?"
Neptune nodded.
"They absolutely would," he said, "I mean, your team would, right?"
"Sure, sure!" Neptune said with a bright smile. A bright smile that didn't fully meet his eyes. Funny enough, she'd seen that a lot from Neptune on this date.
"Neptune," Weiss pressed.
Neptune shrugged.
"Well, I mean… Sun is the kind of guy who won't call for backup if the fight is awesome enough. The harder the fight is, the more exciting it is for him. That's kind of how he rolls."
Weiss' eyebrows went up high. Neptune held up his hands and rapidly shook his head.
"But your teammate and Arc are super responsible, right?"
"Oh, uh… Well," Weiss tried, "Mostly."
Neptune sighed.
"I thought the point of this was to relax, Snow Angel," Neptune said, "And go out if they called for help. Right?"
"R-Right," Weiss said with a nervous nod, sipping her wine. "They're… They're probably fine."
"Totally," Neptune said with a bright smile. "Now… I think I was talking about your hair? Comparing it to-"
"To moonlight, yes," Weiss said with a sigh. This had felt like such a good idea at the time. Just relax, let their teammates do their vigilante mission, and meet up with them after.
Yet despite her bravado… Her thoughts just couldn't stay here.
Jaune yelped as he was thrown out of the portal and onto a hard, concrete floor. He got up and swung his sword around, trying to nail whoever had grabbed him!
The figure vanished into another portal, leaving him in darkness again.
"Damnit," Jaune grunted. He sniffed the air. It still smelled like the factory, but it was pitch black.
Need a light…
He focused his Aura into his sword… When bright lights flashed overhead. He hissed and squinted, letting his eyes adjust. The walls were pure gray concrete. The room was wide, very wide, and clear. The black doors on the far side of the wall looked like truck ports, so this was a loading bay of some kind. It looked a hell of a lot cleaner than the rest of the factory so far.
Oh, and there was a catwalk running along the walls above him. With a lot of White Fang goons holding guns standing on it. All of those guns were pointed at him.
"Shit," Jaune muttered. He reached out with his Aura senses-They weren't as great at range as other people's, but he could tell none of these guys had their Aura unlocked. That was good.
"I really don't want to hurt any of you," Jaune shouted, his voice echoing in the large dock area, "So why don't you just let me go before I have to get violent?"
"Well, that's a change."
Jaune's blood ran ice cold. His fists clenched around his weapons. His heart pounded in his ears. He gritted his teeth. He slowly turned around.
There were three giant cargo containers sitting underneath the catwalk: Red, green, and yellow. Atop the green one, dressed in a tight purple suit, her long hair shimmering like it always had…
"You," Jaune whispered, his rage too strong for him to say anything louder.
Iridescent smirked, and leaned over, letting him see down her open jacket and get a good view of her large assets. It made him feel absolutely sick to his stomach as she crooned.
"Hello, lover~..."
Omake: Dance Class with Professor Goodwitch
Glynda Goodwitch looked around the weekend class she had called from the stage in the auditorium. She shook her head with a feeling of nostalgia.
Mostly girls, as expected, she thought, Boys will be boys.
"Welcome to Dance Class," she greeted, in her usual prim and proper tone, "Now, you are representing your schools. You should strive for excellence in all you do, and that includes dance."
It was a bit of a secret, but Glynda Goodwitch loved to dance. Synchronizing body, music, and soul appealed to her sense of order. It was also relaxing, in a far healthier way than drinking alcohol or destroying parts of the Emerald Forest.
Not that she begrudged her fellow teachers their vices.
"Now," Glynda stated, "We will start off with a demonstration. Do I have a volunteer?"
"Yes you do, Professor!" Miss Xiao-Long cheered. She shoved a familiar tall blond forward. "Go for it, Stud!"
"URK!" Jaune Arc looked up to Glynda on the stage. He shakily lifted up his right hand.
"Uh, if it's all right, ma'am?" He asked.
Glynda held back a smirk.
"Come forward, Mister Arc. I won't bite," she said. Arc blushed-Yes, that's where his thoughts went. Despite her strict personality and love of order... Embarrassing teenaged boys was part and parcel of being the "hot" teacher. And she had to find amusement where she could.
Jaune approached her slowly, as though she might lash out at him if he so much as twitched wrong.
"Have you danced before, Mister Arc?" She asked. She distantly recalled Isabel saying she made her daughters attend dance classes. Jaune nodded.
"A few times, yeah. Some basic lessons, but I wasn't very good."
"Nothing wrong with that," Glynda said, a touch more gently, "We will start off with a waltz. You know how to do that, Mister Arc?"
"Er... I think so," Jaune said. Glynda reached out and took hold of his wrists. She placed one on the small of her back, and the other in her hand. She held back a smirk at his red face.
"Then let's give it a try," she said. She nodded to a music player with speakers nearby, and her Semblance activated it. A classic waltz began to play, and Glynda checked Jaune's feet briefly. She nodded again.
"Good. Now, the man will lead," she stated. "You know how to lead, correct Mister Arc?"
"Yes ma'am," Jaune said with a nod. He gently pressed against her, and she stepped back. He stepped forward with her, a bit clumsily but serviceable enough.
"One two three, one two three, one two three," she counted off, as they danced around the stage slowly, keeping in time with the music.
"Keep aware of your surroundings," Glynda lectured, "Don't run into other dancers, or a wall."
"Yes ma'am!"
The song came to an end, and they stopped in the center. Glynda gave Jaune the barest of smiles.
"Not bad," she said.
"Hmm... Think we could try something a bit faster?" Jaune asked. Glynda raised an eyebrow.
"Such as?"
"FOXTROT!" Xiao-Long shouted. Jaune sighed, and shrugged. He still looked a bit hapless... But there was a strange glint in his eyes for just a moment.
"A foxtrot might be nice," Jaune said, "I've done that once or twice."
Glynda smirked inwardly. He was asking to do something fast, hm? Well, he'd probably step all over her feet, but if he was asking...
"It's a fast and more advanced step, but all right," Glynda said with a nod. She waved her crop, and the music became faster and jazzier. She took his hand and put the other around her waist.
"Now, start off like this... Bit faster..."
He let her lead as she stepped more quickly with him across the stage. He hummed, and smiled.
"So, like this?"
His grip became tighter. His stance more confident. He stepped with confidence to the music, firmly in control. Glynda found herself struggling a bit to keep up, but her muscle memory from hundreds of lessons kicked in and she matched his pace and energy. He swung her about in perfect harmony, and she even leaped with him a few times.
He then let her spin away from him, and the music carried her in a whirlwind away. He caught up to her and dipped her dramatically, just as the music came to an end.
She was left panting, staring up into his eyes as he held her in his strong arms. He grinned at her.
"So... How'd I do, Professor?" He asked.
Cheeky boy, she thought to herself. Deliberately hiding his skill to, what? Prank her? That explained Xiao-Long's interjection.
Well... Two could play at this game.
"Not bad," she said, as she got her heart rate under control. Jaune pulled her back up. He made to pull away, but Glynda yanked him back into her arms.
"Let's see how you fare with some more advanced dances, Mister Arc," she practically purred. It had been a while since she cut loose. And knocking this cheeky little prankster down a peg or two would be fun.
Jaune grinned back, that glint now fully revealed in his eyes.
"Sounds good to me, Professor."
Cheeky boy, Glynda thought more fondly. She'd show him.
Or make it so he had to dodge so much female attention he'd regret it.
Either way? She was going to have fun with this.