"Please, you've got to help me stop that madman!" Greenstone pleaded once more to his captors without any care of how pathetic he might look to them or to anyone who could be watching or listening right now. Too much was on the line for him to care about his reputation.
As for his captors, Blake and Yang were taken aback by his plea. There were many things that they had expected to hear from the mouths of the White Fang once and if they were able to find them, mostly threats since they had come to help stop the organization… But hearing a member ask them for help stopping their leader, was perhaps one of the very last things that they expected especially after the fight they had with him. It was so out of the left field that they could hardly believe it, but their ears hadn't deceived them… perhaps he was trying to.
"Oh come on! Do you really expect us to believe such a bald-faced lie?" Yang said once she had processed his words. "Even a child wouldn't fall for something so obvious!"
Greenstone knew that it was a long shot, but he had to try anyway and keep trying. "I'm telling you the truth! I've been trying to take down Adam, it's why I'm out here! I've been trying to report him to HQ so Sienna will finally have the justification to throw him out!"
He then looked at Blake, "I know we're not friends. We're barely acquaintances but you've got to believe me! Please! Don't let Adam destroy everything we fought for!"
Blake looked away from him and turned to look at Yang who was already facing her. The two stared at each other for mere seconds that felt like hours, their expressions were indecipherable from the outside looking in. As for the two partners, they were searching each other's eyes for any clue on how to proceed. They were looking for approval from each other, not because they needed it but because they wanted it.
"Do you know this guy?" Yang finally asked Blake.
"He said the truth, we were coworkers but we weren't friends. Even calling us acquaintances would be too much. Adam kept us both busy so we were never in the same room for too long. However I have heard of him, he has a reputation for being an honorable man, as steadfast and strong as the concrete he commands."
Blake then turned her attention back to Greenstone, "What is Adam planning?"
Greenstone silently thanked whatever god was out there for this chance before answering, "He's going to use a train to smash a hole into Vale's wall and release a cloud of Rage into the city."
Both Blake and Yang's eyes widened and their mouths dropped at the claim, it was insanity. Just plain pointless insanity that would cause unimaginable amounts of pain, suffering, and death for seemingly no gain. It wouldn't do anything but undo decades of work to improve human and Faunus relations, and possibly drag the White Fang into a war with the Kingdoms, a war that White Fang couldn't dream of winning… And that last part was something that Adam would know, even at his lowest most insane point he was still smart enough to avoid fights that he couldn't win.
"Th- that can't be true!" Blake stuttered out after getting over the initial shock. "Adam is many things but he's not that bloodthirsty and he's not stupid either! Something like that would only get him exiled from the White Fang and hunted by the whole world! Sienna herself would personally hand him over to the authorities if he did something like that! He'd go down in history as a monster!"
Yang followed it up, "Not to mention that a plan like that goes against everything that he has done so far. Why would he unleash Rage into the city when he has managed to win so much support for the White Fang by helping Faunus who were suffering from it? Why throw away all that goodwill, especially after the Rally where his men were seen protecting civilians from the Nightwatch?"
"I don't know!" Greenstone admitted. "No one knows what's going on except for Adam and that stupid chainsaw-wielding thug he calls a lieutenant. Even Torchwick and his partner are in the dark and they have been trying to figure it out, believe me, they have been trying hard."
"Can you at least tell us where they are? Where is the White Fang hiding?" Blake then asked.
"They're hiding in the main subway station, the one that connects this place directly to Vale."
Yang shook her head out of open disbelief, "Vale collapsed those tunnels to stop the Grimm from entering the city, try again. And while you're at it, how about you explain what that is for?" She then pointed at the equipment that Greenstone had set up, equipment that Blake kept glancing at while keeping the ribbon tied around Greenstone secured.
"It's closed circuit communication equipment, with it I can send a message that can only be picked up by someone with the receiver."
"I recognize this sort of equipment, he's telling the truth but I don't know who has the receiver," Blake confirmed before asking him a question. "Who are you trying to contact?"
"I told you already, I am trying to reach the main HQ."
Yang rolled her eyes, "So you can contact Sienna or at least that's what you say you're doing. But what good would it do? I thought Sienna Khan was supposed to be the leader. If Adam is such a problem then why hasn't she banished him already?"
"Adam is too popular within the movement. If she kicked him out now then some of the more extremist factions might split off and that would make things worse for everyone. She needs proof that he is trying to do something that goes against everyone's interests and this is it! Even the most hardline extremists would be forced to accept her judgment."
Blake sighed before confirming what he had said, "Sadly he's telling the truth about Adam's popularity. He's been seen as a hero ever since he saved my father's life and his willingness to do wetwork has made him some allies among the more aggressive members of the White Fang… The group isn't as unified as it wants people to believe."
Yang nodded, accepting the explanation but still had another pressing question, "So Adam has pals and your boss needs evidence, so then why haven't you contacted her yet? You've been on this mountain and known about the plan for who knows how long, and you haven't done it yet? Also, I'm still waiting for you to tell us where the White Fang is really hiding."
"Which one do you want me to answer first?" Greenstone asked.
Blake asked, "Why haven't you contacted Sienna?"
"I've been trying to. But the Accelerated Deterioration was worse than I could have imagined. Today was the first time that I have been able to get a signal and I had to drive out here to find it… you probably heard the moment when it happened."
"That's why you were shouting?" Blake asked, starting to feel just a little guilty.
"I thought I was alone… though I'm happy to be wrong in this case, this is going to sound weird but I'm glad that you two were the ones to find me. This has honestly been a pleasant surprise."
Yang's eyes narrowed in suspicion, "Please don't tell me that you're getting off on this."
Greenstone suddenly became keenly aware of his situation; He was an older man who had been ambushed and tied up by two teenage girls who were now interrogating him out in the open… It felt like a scene out of some kind of niche porno or doujinshi, the sort of thing a masochist would pay good money for.
"T-That's… That's not what I meant. I'm not even into younger women. I like them older than me!" Oh yeah, like they're ever going to believe that! I just gotta hope that they drop this and continue the interrogation.
"Whatever you say," Yang said while rolling her eyes. "But enough about your fetishes, we asked you a couple of questions and so far you've only answered one. Now tell us where the White Fang are hiding."
"I already told you, they are hiding in the subway connecting Mount Glenn to Vale." Thank you to whatever god is out there!
"And I told you that Vale collapsed those tunnels, not to mention that Accelerated Deterioration would have affected them as well. Strike one." Yang's voice was taking a dangerous tone as a bit of red crept into her eyes.
"They weren't lying when they said they had the tunnels collapsed. But they did lie to the public about how far they took it. Most of the system is still untouched thanks to the Grimm who didn't have much reason to stay down here. Since the Grimm didn't stick around the deterioration is much less, the tracks are still there and the trains were still mostly operable, they just needed some parts replaced."
Blake mostly believed him, how could she not when she grew up as a member of a social movement that got either ignored or lied to and about by politicians. It was all too easy for her to imagine the council lying to their citizens, knowing all too well that they would never get caught… but she'd have to ask Oobleck about how deterioration works before she could accept the second half of his explanation.
As for Yang, outwardly she seemed largely unmoved and unimpressed but inwardly she was wondering if he was telling them the truth. She was from a family of Huntsmen, and many times she had heard both her dad and uncle gripe about decisions from different ruling Councils. Many times she would hear about how someone fudged the truth for their own benefit and how innocents would pay the price… Why wouldn't Vale's Council fudge the truth about completely collapsing all the tunnels? It's not like they would have to go that far to stop the Grimm, it's not like anyone would be able to check to see if it was true or not. As for the deterioration, it was believable. After all the buildings were still standing despite the constant exposure to Grimm so why would underground rails be different?
However, Yang wasn't ready to accept his claims just yet. "Okay, let's say that the tunnels weren't completely collapsed and are still usable, I can believe that… But how are you clearing the rubble? Do the White Fang even have access to that kind of equipment?"
Blake answered her partner, "Sienna could have gotten them that equipment, but the last time I saw Adam we were still roughing it out in the Forever Fall… and she'd demand to know his plan before granting that kind of request."
Blake then looked Greenstone in the eyes, "I want to believe you, Greenstone, I really do but Yang has a point. Adam doesn't have the means to pull this off."
Greenstone returned her gaze and answered honestly, "Someone has given him the means."
"Who?" Both girls asked at the same time.
"I wish I could tell you. I wish I could brag about uncovering this mystery but I can't, I don't even know where to begin. Torchwick might know something but whenever I ask him he lies about it… I think he's scared."
"Can you at least tell us why Torchwick is working with the White Fang?" asked Blake.
"I don't know. Adam doesn't even like the guy and Torchwick doesn't like him either. But something is keeping them together."
"We're getting nowhere with this!" Yang angrily said before looking towards Blake. "We should just call the others right away and let them know that we found the proof that we were sent here to find. Then we can check the subway and head home to Vale while Atlas takes care of it."
Blake glanced at the communication equipment and felt torn. What Yang was suggesting was objectively the correct choice, they came looking for proof of White Fang activity and found it. She wouldn't even feel guilty about handing Greenstone over to the authorities since she knew that Oz would make sure that the man would be treated fairly, more importantly, is that the authorities would be better able to act on the information Greenstone would provide… But she also wanted to do something about Adam, she wanted to warn Sienna.
She wanted to play a direct role in this… no, that wasn't right. What was driving her was a sense of responsibility both as a former member and as someone who had personally worked alongside Adam.
"Go right ahead," Greenstone said to the surprise of both girls. "Just let me contact Sienna first and I'll happily surrender."
Yang let out a dark laugh before pointing out an obvious problem, "We don't need your surrender, we've already caught you."
"Then I'm begging you. Please let me warn Sienna."
"Yang…," Blake wasn't sure if she believed he was sincere or if she was just hoping against reason that he was, but she had to make the choice she wouldn't regret. "I think we should let him."
"B-but what if it's a trick?" Yang asked her partner worried that they might be making the wrong choice and putting everyone in danger. "What if he is just distracting us so his friends can save him?"
"If they were going to that then they would have attacked by now," Blake pointed out.
"Alright then, how about you do it instead of him and I'll hold him down?" Yang suggested.
Blake shook her head, "That won't work. The HQ has a member whose Semblance allows her to identify people even if she can't see them. It has to be Greenstone or they'll just assume it's a trick."
Yang sighed "Fine, untie him and I'll make sure he behaves."
Yang then pointed both barrels of her weapon Ember Celica at Greenstone, "If you make one single odd move, then I'm going to kill you." Her eyes had turned red as she spoke and her voice was cold with dark determination.
But Greenstone didn't care, he had no intention of betraying them, "Thank you. Thank you oh so much."
Blake carefully unwrapped the ribbon around him, "Move slowly and don't make us regret this."
"You won't," Greenstone slowly got up and walked over to the machine. "Blake, can you hold the antenna so I can get a signal?"
Blake glanced at Yang who gave her a nod that she returned before picking up the antenna, "How should I hold this?"
"Hold it up as high as you can, stand on top of something if you have to. Stand on the cases if that's what it takes."
"This better not be a trick, "Blake muttered as she followed his suggestions.
Greenstone just chuckled as he fiddled with the controls trying to rediscover that signal he found earlier. If it wasn't for Yang pointing her shotgun gauntlets right at him then this entire scene would have probably seemed rather wholesome, and that thought made him somewhat sad… The cause he had dedicated himself to was never supposed to be like this. It was never supposed to drive comrades away and made people point weapons at you out of legitimate fear of terrorism.
Damn you Adam. Damn you and whoever is supplying you! He thought to himself as he gave directions, "A bit higher, a little bit higher… good, good. Now try to shift a little to the left."
*BEEP*
"We just picked up a signal and lost it but you're getting close!" Greenstone excitedly said. "Keep it up!"
*BEEP* *BEEP*
"It's getting stronger! Whatever you're doing, keep doing it!"
"I'm trying!" Blake answered while stretching her arms as high up as she could. "Yang, give me a hand."
Yang hesitated for a moment, she wanted to help her partner but she also didn't want to give Greenstone even the smallest of openings for any foul play that might be brewing in his head. But once that moment was over she quickly walked over to Blake while keeping Ember Celica trained on the man's back.
"What do you need me to do?" Yang asked Blake.
Greenstone answered, "Just pick her up, the signal gets stronger the higher the antenna is."
"I wasn't asking you," Yang snapped at the man before softly asking Blake, "How high?"
"As high as you can," answered Blake.
"How good is your balance?"
"Really good, what are you planning?"
"I want you to stand on my hand." Yang answered as she got on her knee and offered Blake one hand while keeping the other one pointed at Greenstone.
Blake instantly figured out what her partner was trying to do and followed along. Soon she had her feet planted firmly on Yang's open palm and after finding her balance asked, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. I'm going to lift you up on the count of three. Let me know if you need more time."
"I won't need it."
"Better safe than sorry. One… two… three!" Yang then slowly and very carefully stood up lifting Blake's entire body as she did so. Once she reached her full height, she raised her arm over her head allowing Blake to reach the highest possible without also standing on the containers for the equipment.
The machinery made a noise but unlike the previous beeps, this one was a whistle. It started high but it soon faded until it reached a low hum.
"We got a steady signal!" Greenstone happily acclaimed. "Just keep holding her! I'm sending the message now.
He pressed a few buttons and flipped several switches before grabbing the microphone and nearly shouting, "This is Corporal Greenstone, can you hear me?"
For a second there was no response but then they all heard a *Click*.
Greenstone then started muttering something that sounded like a chant to Yang, "Blue sunset 542 Ĉiuj staras egale black star broken chain 78 neniuj reĝoj aŭ dioj." And then he stopped and waited for a response.
A feminine voice was then heard over the speaker, "Hey Greenie, start talking."
"Adam is going to ram a train filled with explosives and Rage into Vale!"
There was a chuckle, "Oh come on, I know you don't like the guy but that's extreme even for you. Adam isn't that crazy or that bloodthirsty."
"I have proof! I can prove that he's a nutcase!"
A faint howl could be heard in the distance. It was a Beowolf, perhaps it was drawn to Yang's anger, or maybe it was Greenstone's and Blake's anxiety, and possibly it just spotted them on the roof. Or it could have just been a coincidence and they worried for no reason… but that was a risk that none of them could take.
"Hurry up!" Yang angrily whispered at Greenstone.
The older man reached for his scroll and inserted it into the machine, "I'm sending you photos and videos of the basecamp. This will be proof enough!"
"Not necessarily," The feminine voice replied.
"What do you mean by that, Rosa!?"
"I'm going to be blunt with you; people think you're biased and they're right."
There was a second howl and it was closer than the first. More howls soon followed, it was a pack of Beowolves.
"What do you mean they're right!?" Greenstone demanded.
"It's no secret that you don't like Adam. Hell, you didn't do yourself any favors when you volunteered to join Adam's branch to spy on him."
"Please Rosa, just look at the pictures I sent you!" Greenstone was getting desperate and the howls were getting closer.
"I am looking at them… where did you take these and why is it so dark? Is that a train? Am I looking at a subway?"
"It's the main subway station on Mt Glenn. That's the train Adam is going to use to smash through the walls of Vale and trigger a Grimm invasion."
"How is he doing this and why would he do this when he's been running a hugely successful PR campaign?"
"The PR campaign is just a cover, this has been his goal from the beginning. He's got a backer, someone who's been giving him advice, supplies, and I'm pretty sure they have been giving him personnel as well."
Rosa's voice became dark as the howls got closer, "You are making some very serious claims right now."
"This is a serious matter."
There was a sigh, "Things are always serious with you… look, I already handed off your message and evidence. The only thing I can promise is that someone on Sienna's council is going to see it before the day is done but I can't promise anything more than that."
"Can you at least make sure that Ocean is the one to get it?"
"Sorry, I can't. But I will suggest that you start looking for more evidence, you're probably going to need it."
"Thanks for your help," Greenstone ended the call with a sigh before Rosa could reply. "Now what?"
Yang answered as she lowered Blake to the floor, "Now you pick up your halberd and help us fight our way through. Do. Not. Try anything stupid."
"They're already here?" he walked over to the side of the building and peeked; there was a small pack of at least a dozen Beowolves closing in fast with more probably on the way. Fuck, fuck, fuck!
Greenstone then used his Semblance to create a barrier of concrete around his communication equipment. It wasn't strong enough to take any more than a couple of hits but it was better than nothing… but he was still scared. He wasn't scared of the Beowolves, he knew what they were capable of and had killed plenty in the past… What scared him was the very real possibility that his work here would be for naught. What scared him was a potential future where Adam drove that train into Vale and undid decades of work. What scared him was just how close that horrid future was to becoming reality.
But addressing those fears would have to wait. Survival took priority.
The sun was slowly falling under the horizon and the town of Autumn Hills was oddly quiet. Everyone was indoors thanks to an early and enforced curfew that had been put in place on Sheriff Silvia's orders with the support of Mayor Carla. Officially the curfew was there to protect the townsfolk from any stray Grimm that might be drawn to Autumn Hills thanks to the negativity of an ongoing investigation… but that was a lie and everyone knew it.
The truth was that curfew was there to protect Erik who was at the moment sitting in a jail cell located within the sheriff's office inside the centermost Hill. The curfew was there to protect him because many in the town felt that there was no need to carry on with the investigation despite the remaining unanswered questions… though the good people of the town would insist that the answers were obvious. Erik had already confessed to being the Grimm and his family had a history in the town, so what need was there for an investigation?
Why not just get it over with?
That sort of thinking always led to trouble. The idea that it was alright to just skip both the investigation and trial to get to the punishment was an idea that led to innocents dying and crooks walking away. But it was also an idea that had an undeniable appeal, a promise of a return to normalcy and the knowledge that if you were right, then your actions made sure that none were escaping justice.
The situation between the sheriff, the town, and the Whitebays was a tense one.
As for Team PRAN and Heathcliff, they weren't underground helping guard Erik. They weren't keeping watch on any of the tunnels that would lead to where he was being kept. They were outside but they weren't patrolling the hillsides to prevent anyone attempting anything less than well-intentioned from above in the cover of darkness. They weren't even watching out for any Grimm activity that might be drawn to the rising tension of the town.
They weren't allowed to do any of those things.
What they were allowed to do was sit on the beds and floor of their quaint little hotel rooms and talk about it through the night.
"This is bullshit!" Nora nearly shouted as Heathcliff gave them the bad news.
"It is bullshit." Heathcliff said in agreement, "It's more than just bullshit, it's downright shady as well. Honestly, the whole thing just reeks o' corruption. I wouldn't be surprised if Erik was being made to confess to every little thing or worse."
Team PRAN looked at Heathcliff with no small amount of surprise and concern that Pyrrha put into words, "I'm… glad you feel the same way but… should you be saying all of that?"
"The older man rolled his eyes, "Oh c'mon! Yer all thinking the same and besides, neither the mayor nor the sheriff is here to hear it so there is no need to hold back. Trust me when I say that it's better to git it off your chest now when you can, otherwise, you might find yourself wishing ya did."
"That's true…," admitted Ren but he wasn't fully convinced. "However, wouldn't it be better to put that energy into something productive?"
"Why not both?" Nora asked.
"Because that might lead to some bias," Ren pointed out to his partner.
Nora was quick to counter, "Bias that would happen anyway if you let that stuff stay on your chest. So why not let off steam?"
"That's a good point," Ren conceded before saying, "I personally find the people of this town to be… somewhat strange."
"Somewhat strange?" Heathcliff asked with a chuckle. "C'mon be honest with us. Back when I was interrogating Erik, just how many people got a little too close to the house and then tried to play the whole thing off as just them going out on a walk?"
"Too many," Ren confessed before looking at his teammates and asking. "Just how many people talked to you about what the Whitebays supposedly did?"
"Too many and each one was somebody either too young to remember or heard it from someone else," Pyrrha said, shaking her head.
"What's dis now? C'mon, share the story," Heathcliff asked as he plopped down on the floor.
"You probably already heard it from either the mayor or the sheriff, it's about a previous mayor and how the Whitebays came to be known as cannibals despite no one having any solid proof," Pyrrha answered.
Heathcliff scratched his chin a few times as he searched his memory, "They didn't tell me anything about it."
"Really?" Nora asked as she scooted a little closer to the center of the room. "Nobody told you about it? That's weird, that's really weird."
"It is weird, but I do know the story. Erik told me about it or at least his version of it and I did ask Carla and Slivia bout it… they told me that they would look into it and get back to me later. I'm willing to bet that the version you all heard might differ from mine just a little bit, it might even differ from each other. So who wants to go first?"
"First for what?" Jaune asked.
"First to share their version of the story. Just because we're stuck here doesn't mean that we can't git any work done. So c'mon then, who's up first or should I break the ice?"
Pyrrha pulled out her scroll, "Before we start we should get ready to take notes."
"Excellent idea!" Heathcliff said as he pointed at her, "Now how bout you begin?"
"Me?"
"Well someone has to start!" Nora said as she got her scroll ready to record whatever Pyrrha said.
"Fine… but you're next."
"Deal."
One by one they shared the story as they heard it and as Heathcliff suspected, there were differences between each version. Mostly minor stuff such as dates or the weather or the number of people involved but there were also important details present in one telling but absent in others. For example, the version that Pyrrha and Ren heard did not mention the deputies but Nora and Jaune did but there were differences in the number of deputies and the names of deputies… But despite all of those differences, the main points remained the same; there was a Grimm attack, the Whitebays were trapped outside, and the Mayor and Sheriff caught the Whitebays with the bodies of people killed by the Grimm but couldn't get the evidence to convict them.
"Interesting," Heathcliff said after hearing all the stories and being sure to note the differences. "That's nothing like the one Erik told me. Though I guess I shouldn't be surprised, I'd imagine that the accuser and the accused have different perspectives."
Jaune moved a little closer to Heathcliff, "How different?"
"Besides the obvious, there are a couple of details like the names of the Whitebay family members back then. But the most interesting thing is why they were gathering the bodies."
"Wait, he admitted to it?" Pyrrha asked surprised and she was hardly the only person in the room who felt the same. "Why would Erik admit to something like that? Why encourage the rumor when it only makes him and his family look guilty?"
"Because there is no point in trying to deny it, so they did the next best thing and tried to explain it. According to him, they weren't eating them. They were preserving the bodies so they could be buried later."
"Bullshit," said Ren. "The Grimm only care about killing, they have no patience for anything else. They don't go any farther than they have to, this is common knowledge. They would have known about that, so why were they really collecting the bodies and what were they planning to do with them?
"It could be that they weren't thinking straight, most people don't during a crisis." Jaune pointed out trying to give the family the benefit of the doubt.
Ren shook his head, "They were able to collect the bodies without the Grimm attacking them, they knew what they were doing."
Nora then suggested, "Maybe it's delirium?"
Pyrrha tilted her head, "Delirium?"
"Yeah, drug-induced delirium that gave them an emotional high strong enough to hide them from the Grimm but also made them act strangely. It's a bit more common than you'd think in towns and settlements or at least it is in Mistral. Vale could be different."
"But how likely is that?" asked Jaune.
Heathcliff answered. "There are a few local species o' weed that could be used to make hallucinogens but they require lengthy treatment and there isn't a single report of their users doing anything like that."
Nora shrugged, "It was worth a shot."
"And it was a great shot," Heathcliff said, "Cases are often like puzzles with pieces missing. You have to be willing to look in odd places to find the solution."
Pyrrha then suggested, "Maybe they were just drunk? What was happening just before the Grimm attacked? All the stories we've heard started with the attack."
"Now that's a great question, tomorrow I'll ask the mayor to look into it. Does anyone else have any other ideas?" Heathcliff asked as he looked around the room.
The members of Team PRAN thought it over for a few moments, there wasn't much to consider just yet. The story, while interesting, only explained why people distrusted the Whitebays. But there wasn't anything yet to suggest that any potential inaccuracies were relevant to the current case… maybe that would change later but right now there was no reason to dwell on this.
Pyrrha then broke the silence, "How about you tell us about what you learned during interrogation?"
Heathcliff was more than happy to oblige, "Well for starters I found out that Erik is our Grimm."
"Wait, really?" Nora asked on the behalf of her team. "We're already done?"
"Technically yes, but practically no. We still need to see this through before we can pat ourselves on the back and head home. We still need to figure out who spilled all o' that blood onto the hillside."
"But you said Erik was our guy," Jaune asked, confused.
"No. I said he was our Grimm. We still don't know where the blood came from and neither does Erik, or at least that's what he says."
Nora then had a question, "So what was the guy's deal? Was he a furry or was it his idea of a joke?"
"He's a shapeshifter."
"I'm sorry, what?"
Heathcliff chuckled before repeating himself, "He's a shapeshifter."
"Explain."
It was at that moment Heathcliff's Semblance went off and for a second or so he didn't understand why. Then he noticed the way Team PRAN stiffened up, the way that their eyes slightly widened, small nervous twitches, and how their breathing sped up… Something about Erik being a shapeshifter is setting these kids off but why? Did they have a bad run-in with one? But then are they asking me to explain what I meant when I said he was a shapeshifter? Are they superstitious? Maybe, but then how would the entire team have the same superstition? Perhaps I ought to explain and then see how they react.
"When I said that he was a shapeshifter what I meant was that his Semblance can alter his body. It's not too impressive but in the dark, it's not too hard to see why people would mistake him for a Grimm."
There was a silent breath of relief from Team PRAN after he spoke those words and Heathcliff was sorely tempted to try and prod into it but thought better. Oh yeah, let's just start poking at what could very well be a sore spot for these kids, no way that could blow up in my face!
Pyrrha then asked, "So I guess the reason he trained at night was because he didn't want to make those cannibalism rumors worse?"
"Yup, though that backfired spectacularly."
"Hold up!" Jaune then said, "Maybe Erik saw something? He's been training outside at night, if anyone was in a position to see something it would have been him!"
Heathcliff pointed at the young knight, "Great idea! Which is why I already asked him."
"He didn't see anything, did he?"
"He says he didn't but maybe he's lying. Do you want to know what I think? I think that he's telling the truth but also that he knows more than he lets on."
"What makes you think that?" Ren asked. Please don't say that it's a gut feeling.
"Experience. I've found that in most cases it's best to always assume that the prime suspect knows something even if they're innocent. Until all reasonable angles are explored, you have to assume that you've missed something."
"And what angles are you planning on exploring?"
Heathcliff leaned back and gave the question some thought, I don't have many options here… It's honestly shocking how little leads we have here. There are some people I can talk to but after that, all we have are rumors though I guess that's better than nothing.
He then leaned forward and answered, "I think that I ought to talk to the rest of the Whitebay family and touch up with the mayor and sheriff. As for you guys, you probably ought t-!"
A sudden loud knock at the door followed by the familiar voice of Brandy interrupted the detective, "Heathcliff are you there!? You weren't in your room so Imma really hoping you're here! We got trouble. Big trouble!"
Heathcliff got up to open the door and as he did Pyrrha used her Semblance to undo the lock on the door for him. The sight of the door unlocking itself made him pause and look at her, "That's cool."
"Thank you."
He then opened the door and moved to the side so Brandy could come inside which he did. Once inside the deputy quickly looked around the room and seemed rather relieved when he saw Team PRAN. "Oh thank the Brothers that you're all here together cause we got trouble!"
"What happened," Jaune asked worriedly.
"Erik's gone."
Heathcliff grabbed Brandy by the shoulders, "Explain."
"We had the guy sitting quietly in a cell when there was a buncha commotion, some townsfolk were breaking curfew and trying to visit his cell. While Slivia and the other deputies were trying to handle those people, someone or something musta dug a hole through the wall and busted Erik out!"
"Where are the Whitebays?"
"They should still be in their home, you think it's them?"
Heathcliff moved Brandy out of his way and walked out of the room as Team PRAN followed closely behind him with their weapons at the ready. As they walked through the hallway of the inn he ordered Team PRAN, "Go join the hunt for Erik and be ready to protect him."
"You think they're going to try and lynch him?" Ren asked.
"I hope I'm wrong but I got a feeling that I'm not."
Nora then asked though it was more of a statement than a question, "So you're going to confront the Whitebays?"
"Yup. Though how it goes down will depend on them." Heathcliff said before turning around to face Team PRAN, "I want you guys to join the hunt for Erik. Find him first, take him in, and protect him from the town."
They all looked at him with worry but it was Pyrrha who put it into words, "Do you think they're going to try and lynch him?"
"I don't know. But I don't want to give them the chance to disappoint me."
Together they marched out of the inn and once they were outside they all took a moment to survey the situation. There was only an hour or so left of daylight and nearly the entire town was out and about despite the curfew. Most were trying to figure out what was going on but there was a growing crowd of people gathered around Mayor Carla and Sheriff Silvia who were trying their damndest to restore some semblance of order.
Without the need for words, Team PRAN and Brandy split from Heathcliff and made their way over to the crowd to join the hunt for Erik.
As for Heathcliff, he made his way over to the hill on the furthest edge of the town. Unlike all the other hills, this one had noticeable signs of neglect like broken light, damage on the bridge, a broken fence, and many other smaller things… such as a worn down path leading to a door in need of a new coat of paint. This was the hill where the Whitebays lived.
Heathcliff walked up to that door, opened it, gazed into the dimly lit underground hallway, and entered.
A small but very nimble Beowolf leaped onto the roof and made a beeline toward the closest person. In this case, that person was Yang who was busy ripping off the jaw of a different Beowolf and had her back turned to the approaching foe… Sensing an opportunity to strike, the small Beowolf sped up and all but leaped at the blond huntress.
That plan came to a screeching halt as a bullet from Blake's pistol struck the beast right in the forehead and pierced right through the skull… This was the manner in which the fight proceeded, Beowolves tried to climb onto the roof and were promptly struck down by the Huntsmen on top who were quick to defend each other and kill any Grimm in range.
To a civilian observer, this might have seemed like an easy fight but a Huntsman would recognize just how precarious their situation was. Defensively speaking the rooftop was a terrible place to be making a stand; they were fully visible, had limited space for movement, and the Grimm had multiple angles that they could approach from… fighting here was a deathtrap that would be sprung the moment they failed to keep up with Grimm.
"We need to get indoors!" Blake shouted as she killed Beowolf with a stab to the chest.
Yang glanced around to find her options and found a couple, "We can jump into the building next door, or we can bunker down here. Hey Greenstone, are the stairs intact or do I have to punch a hole in this roof?"
"The stairs should be safe but I'd rather jump. That way we can lead these bastards away from my equipment. Also, where is the rest of your team?"
Blake killed another Beowolf before attaching her ribbon to her pistol and setting its blade to sickle mode, "They should be already on their way." She then jumped off of the roof and threw her weapon while below several Beowolves abandoned their climb to leap for her.
It was a suicidal move on the part of the Grimm, most would fall short and then fall to their deaths. But they didn't care as long as they got to drag Blake down with them. All it would take was one success to spell the death of that Huntress and a few were coming close.
But Yang shot down those Beowolves and after Blake safely landed through a roof, she turned to Greenstone, "Do you need help?"
"Nope, I got enough Aura to make it and keep fighting."
"Good luck," Yang then jumped off the roof while pointing Ember Celica behind her and angling it towards the ground. She then pulled the trigger and the force of the dual shotgun blasts extended her jump allowing her to easily clear the distance and soar over the Beowolves beneath her as she entered the neighboring building through a window.
Now it was Greenstone's turn, he glanced at the equipment that he was leaving behind and whispered a silent prayer for its safety. He then ran, he ran toward the edge of the building while chased by monsters. And as he ran he used his Semblance to shift the concrete into a ramp that extended beyond the roof but it would not be enough and he knew it. So he also put what remaining Aura he had into his legs and leaped once he reached the end.
A feeling of flight overtook the man, it was exhilarating, and for a moment he forgot all of his problems… and then he hit a window.
He stumbled onto the floor of the building and just laid there, he wasn't hurt. He was just trying to wrap his head around how his day had taken a crazy turn and how it wasn't over yet. He was also still thinking about that feeling of weightlessness. That was incredible! I should have been a stuntman.
Her heard footsteps headed his way followed by a familiar voice, "Are you okay?" Blake asked.
"I'm fine… where's your friend?"
"I'm here," Yang answered from behind thanks to the window she had entered from. "We're not out of this yet."
Blake nodded, "But here we don't have to worry about Nevermores or getting surrounded or attracting more Grimm. We have time to block the entrances and then we can hold them off until the rest of the team shows up."
"And then what?" Yang asked while looking at Greenstone. "I know you said that you'd surrender but is that for the best?"
"What are you talking about?" Blake asked.
"You heard his call just like I did. What Adam is planning is worse than we could have thought and he needs evidence."
"I thought you didn't trust me, what changed?" Greenstone asked.
"I don't. But you didn't run away when you had the chance, that means something to me."
"Thank you."
*Bang*
"Shit, she's coming," Yang said, looking toward the direction of the gunshot. "She's going to be here really soon."
"Who's coming?" Greenstone asked.
Blake answered, "Ruby. She's Yang's little sister and the leader of our team. And that also means that Weiss and Doctor Oobleck are close… Whatever we do with you we need to decide fast and figure out how to explain it to them."
*Bang* *Bang*
The gunshots were getting louder, closer, and coming in fast.
Author's Notes: I thought this chapter was going to be an easy one but I missed several days of writing thanks to writer's block. Just goes to show that I need to get better at planning and put aside several days for rest… Funny enough, the next chapter is probably going to be late because I'm going on a week-long vacation in June.
Apart from that, in my headcanon, the White Fang is sort of a "Big Tent" organization. In other words, it is an organization whose members cover a wide spectrum of beliefs but are united by a common broad goal. The benefit of such an organization is the numbers, the broad appeal, and the diversity of tactics now available… The problem however is that such an organization is prone to in-fighting and internal politicking as different factions inevitably clash.
Henceforth why Sienna can't just get rid of Adam, doing so would cause a splinter to happen within the White Fang. But she can send him somewhere where his preferred tactics would be inadvisable. This is why he is in the kingdom of Vale because attempting overt violence there would only hurt the cause and give her an excuse to punish him.
And if anyone was wondering what language Greenstone was speaking, it was Esperanto.