Chapter 41 – The Emu Wars

omg Menagerie = Australia confirmed?!

Jaune looked back at Tyrian's household.

"He isn't moving, and it's unlikely that'll change anytime soon," Blake said. Now was as good enough time to tell him the story she'd been keeping private this far. She couldn't remember just when she'd decided that she wanted him to know everything, to truly understand who Blake Belladonna was and where she'd come from, but she did know that she'd been waiting for the perfect moment, and this might as well be it.

Stowing his binoculars, Jaune gave his partner his full attention and gestured for her to continue.

"I'm telling you this, not Velvet, so don't go blabbing, m'kay? She doesn't even know I'm White Fang, and I want it to stay that way."

Jaune nodded. Blake heaved out a long sigh and slid down along the hedge into a sitting position to get comfortable. Jaune remained standing, his eyes checking Tyrian's abode every now and again; that was good, since Blake wasn't going to be much use once she started getting choked up in her own sob story.

"How much do you remember from the last time we talked about this?" she asked.

As far as Blake could remember, they'd only ever discussed the topic once, but she wanted to know if Jaune even recalled the details from back then. She'd admitted to a lot of things that day.

He started counting the points off on his fingers, making the dark subject matter seem childishly comical. "You never killed anyone, but he – this Adam guy – did. You were in a noncombat role at the end of it. I think you mentioned something about being born in the White Fang?" Jaune scratched his chin. "I never gave it much thought, but it really doesn't make that much sense. I read that the White Fang was founded twelve years ago, but you're seventeen."

His problem was that he was interpreting it literally. She and the White Fang had both been the child of Ghira Belladonna, and she'd been there to watch it grow up at the same time as she had turned from child to adult.

"It's more than that. If you want to know about Adam, you need to know about the White Fang, and if you want to know about the White Fang, you need to know about Menagerie. It goes back a long way, really. The island had been given to my people as a reward for triumphing over Atlas in the Faunus Rights Revolution, according to the Treaty of –"

"I know the history," Jaune said, sounding a little bit offended and a big bit proud.

To be fair, if he did know about Menagerie, it was just cause to brag a little. Most humans didn't care much for the Faunus' story, and fewer still actually knew the true facts.

"Alright, smarty pants," Blake said. "The floor is yours. Impress me."

"Menagerie was granted as a boon for the Faunus, intended to be their own homeland with full sovereignty, an academy, a council – the works. Mantle was planning to honor that and send agreed upon annual resource deliveries the Faunus' way, but then it was discovered that the Dust reserves in Menagerie were far lower than anticipated, making the Faunus' position no longer one of absolute power. Around the same time, Atlas took over and declared themselves the new administration of Solitas and exempted themselves from agreements that their predecessors had made. The few weak coups that tried to stand up to them failed due to their superior technology, and both Menagerie and Mantle ended up screwed."

Blake shook her head. "Nothing's wrong there, but it's Atlas-centric. I'd more or less expect it's how they teach it in schools. There was a lot more going on, especially inside the Menagerian government. Maybe a third of their loss of power was due to the lack of Dust they could cough up on short notice, but the big thing that ended the Faunus' military dominance was the demilitarization efforts by Maharani Lukannon."

It was a painful topic to bring up, but this ancient history wasn't nearly as tangential to Blake's torrid romance with Adam as it might have seemed. Either way, Jaune seemed interest in the history lesson, so she went on with it.

"Menagerie was home to new and exotic types of Grimm that had never been seen before – thin, python-like snakes that could stretch for hundreds of feet, solitary Sigma Beowolves that were the size of houses, amphibious spider-crab hybrids that could climb sheer walls and chase a Faunus anywhere they wanted. It was almost impossible to live there, and the population was actually going down in spite of the post-war baby boom.

"Lukannon was the Maharani at the time (the early chieftain title), and her island was in a state of disaster. Atlas was giving her people trouble, but Mantle intended to follow through on its bargain, so she made the call and diverted resources from the military to hunters. It was a controversial decision at the time, and it remains one to this day, as it saved the island at the cost of it its future. The novel Grimm were entirely eradicated, making Menagerie safe to live on; it was the first time in history that species were known to go extinct in their entirety. However, Menagerie had no means to defends itself from foreign powers by the end of the Grand Grimm Campaign, and Maharani Lukannon never even tried to build up the Faunus' might again. Some claimed that she had always wanted demilitarization and took advantage of the Grimm to push her social agenda."

"Were those 'some' right?" Jaune asked.

Blake bit her tongue. "Maybe."

That was the official Belladonna family line, but Blake knew the truth from verbal histories. The answer to his question was yes.

"The Maharani had been an opposing voice at each stage of the escalation of the conflict that led to the Faunus Rights Revolution," she said, hoping to move on from that topic as quickly as possible. "Anyways, Menagerie was powerless for the better part of the previous century because of this. It took two generations for the island to stabilize, but by the time it did, my own father, Ghira Belladonna was in command, and he founded the White Fang."

"Your…Your father?" Jaune stared blankly at Blake. For some reason, he chose that moment as the time to quickly check on Tyrian for signs of movement. "Wait a sec. You're the daughter of Mr. White Fang?"

"Yup. Daddy Dearest made the White Fang." Blake put a hand over her face and slid her own eyelids closed at the slightly embarrassing family history. None of the Belladonnas were particularly proud with how things had turned out, but her father probably had the most regrets. "It ended up being so ineffectual that it became a laughingstock before the schism, but at the time, he advertised it as the influence of the Faunus spreading out across the world to save our brothers and sisters who'd never joined us on the island of Menagerie and still lived among the humans."

Jaune's jaw had dropped. He probably thought she was some sort of crown princess of Menagerie and heiress of terrorism.

I mean, he's not strictly wrong.

It wasn't like she was some rich bitch intentionally slumming it up with him and Velvet. That life of what she now realized was immense privilege was lost to her, but it was still a part of her story. Nothing could erase her Belladonna last name, nor could it wash away the stench of White Fang criminality of which she reeked.

I have to tell him the rest. If he's to truly understand why I did it all, he needs to know.

"It's more than that," Blake said, burying her face into her hands. "Lukannon was Ghira's maternal grandmother. The White Fang was meant to be him righting our family's wrongs."

That was the big kicker that most people who knew Blake weren't aware of. She hadn't just been dissatisfied with her own father and run into the arms of militant terrorists, nor was it teenaged rebellion that was 'just a phase.'

Blake had felt the full weight of her family's failures on her shoulders. Her ancestors had lost the Faunus their status as the dominant military superpower, and her father had promised change and delivered nothing. Thus, when the White Fang started to get results by way of aggressive action…

"You liked the change at first, didn't you?" Jaune surmised.

Blake didn't try to hide it. "The Belladonna name became a curse word in the White Fang. Call someone a Belladonna and you'd just branded them a coward. Two generations were famed for their inaction, and I wasn't going to be the third. When the new blood came to power, I was all for it. I embraced it with everything I had, becoming the picture-perfect Belladonna poster child for Sienna. I did her bidding without question, I worked harder than anyone, and I never hesitated to present myself as a future candidate for succession when she retired. Blake Belladonna, she was going to be the first among the new Belladonnas, the ones who got shit done no matter the costs."

It hadn't felt like brainwashing at first. When Sienna took Blake out to kill Grimm and lavished her with the praises that her own parents had been far more frugal with, it was just her proving her worth as a good subordinate and earning deserved commendations. When the Fang had needed her to turn those blood-earned skills on people in increasingly violent mission, Sienna justified it as avoiding the waste of Blake's unique and exceedingly special talents. Blake had given herself away to the White Fang, but Sienna was the one who took and stole her

"It was when people started frequently dying on missions that I changed my mind," Blake explained to Jaune. "The odd self-defense kill didn't bother me, but when we began to bring body bags with us, I told Sienna I wanted out. And she caved instantly, charging me with handling our resources efficiently instead. I thought I was getting my way, but she just saw that her precious little pawn was breaking and decided to let me bend instead. It was all the better for her, as she could now let Adam kill freely without risking my delicate sensibilities being offended by being there to witness it. A-And Adam, he…she…"

Jaune was waiting for her to finish at her own pace. That was nice of him.

It was tough to talk about this. Not because it made her upset or saddened her – no, she'd already shed ever tear possible over her own stupid choices long ago. What made this so difficult was admitting the truth out loud. Opening herself up felt like revealing her most vulnerable side to Jaune and lowering her aura – one harsh word or scathing but true criticism could destroy her entirely.

That was why she felt like she needed to tell him. Blake wanted to prove something to herself. Her experiences with Adam had made her a frightened, scared kitten, and she wanted the world to know that she wasn't.

There was also a desperate element of hope thrown into the mix. If Blake chose to tell Jaune her sordid story, she would be choosing trust and love over pain and fear. Doing so felt like some sort of minor symbolic victory.

I'm declaring that they haven't ruined me. I can still put my faith in another being.

"In hindsight, it seems obvious." Blake exhaled and tried to slam her head into the hedge, but it was flimsier than her and lost a few branches. "The Belladonna family had held power in Menagerie for over a century, and the name itself meant something. A lot, in fact. Sienna had me, the presumptive heiress of the island's ruling family, to mold as she saw fit and humor with promises of future leadership when it suited her, but it wasn't good enough. Adam was her preferred pick to lead the White Fang. He was the one who really got shit done, the way she wanted it, so she…she tried to get the best of both worlds. She encouraged us in our relationship, always stretching the rules for her two golden children to ensure we got our time off together. Alone. Private. At night."

Blake hoped that Jaune could fill in the blanks.

His eyes dropped from her face to her stomach, telling Blake that he had.

"A-Are you –?"

"No," Blake said immediately. "I wouldn't have admonished Velvet back at the farm if I were in the same delicate position as her. But Sienna tipped her hand after that. She asked me how I was and if I needed a pregnancy test the very next day. It was a sweet concern, and she phrased it in such a sisterly way that I didn't even notice anything until I was getting ready for the next night. Adam was getting ready, and I realize…he'd told Sienna. I hadn't, and she knew, and…he had been reporting his progress to her."

It was painful to go over such a traumatic history, but at least it was over. Finally, Blake could get to the good part.

"So, I joined a combat mission the next week and 'disappeared' on it. And that was the end of the White Fang for me."

Wow. The good part was depressingly brief.

"I think Adam loved me in his own way, but he loved the White Fang more," Blake said, thinking back on her interactions with the bull Faunus. "But by the end, he only cared about either of us for what we could offer him. Me, my devoted attention and a blissfully idiotic heart full of love, and the White Fang, enough power to enact his vision for Remnant."

As she'd suspected, it wasn't enough to drive her to tears. The upside of going through such a troubling life as a child was that she had thick skin. Adam may have been something she fears (any rational Faunus would), but only the actual person, not the mere thought of him.

Jaune joined her in her seated position. Blake noticed that he hadn't checked Tyrian's whereabouts in a while, so she glanced over and confirmed with her binoculars that the sleeping Faunus was still just that – sleeping.

"I'm sorry," Jaune said.

"It isn't your fault."

"But that doesn't mean I can't be sorry. Besides, I bitched and moaned about not getting into a primary combat school and all while you had it much worse."

"And it's like I told you – my suffering doesn't lessen yours, nor your mine." Blake shrugged. "For what it's worth, I do appreciate that you care."

"Do you mind if I ask you something?" said Jaune.

"You just did." Blake huffed out a small laugh. "But no, go ahead."

"Did the White Fang…the Adam one…ever accomplish anything? Or did it end up just as pointless as your dad's one?"

Wow, he really doesn't mince words. I might be offended on both of their behalf's if I hadn't come to the same conclusions myself when I abandoned both people.

"Nothing much," Blake admitted. "What they did…wh-what we did, it was mostly just self-gratification. We saw results in front of us and told ourselves we were making a difference, but that difference was limited to our immediate range of vision. Humans in Vale half a world over didn't stop discriminating against Faunus because of a storeowner in Mistral getting lynched. Honestly, Ghira's speeches probably made more of a lasting difference because they weren't censored for graphic content when they were televised."

"Ah. W-Well…I…" Jaune choked on his words for a moment. "Now that…man, how do I put this? You have me and Velvet now, so…I…we…all three of us…"

Blake had no idea what he was trying to say or where he could even be going with this. Was he trying to comfort her by saying she had a team, real friends she could count on this time around?

"I know I have you guys," Blake said, patting Jaune on the shoulder. "Thanks, friend."

"N-No. Okay, yeah, that too, but I'm trying to offer…l-like, Team Job, it's growing in influence. We have funds and we've got a steady client stream, so we would probably be okay if we tried to…I dunno. You would know better than me."

"Know what?" Blake asked, thoroughly baffled. "Jaune, what are you getting at?"

"We have a platform. We could try to use it. F-For the Faunus. I mean, we're a Faunus-owned small business with a Faunus majority." Jaune's cheeks were almost red now, and he seemed to be having even more trouble getting the words past his lips even though the message was clearer now. "If the White Fang didn't work out but you still want to make a difference…it'd be a small one, but better than no one, right?"

"How?" Blake asked, intrigued a little bit by Jaune's interest in the topic.

"You would know better than me, cuz, you know. Ex-activist and ex-terr…b-bad guy." Jaune covered his mouth with the back of his palm. "I'm really mucking up this pitch, aren't I?"

"It sounds like you might have some sort of picture in your head of what we're doing here," Blake said. "Just describe it."

Jaune opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He groaned a bit, shut his mouth, opened it up again, and repeated the process.

At long last, he managed to clear up his thoughts. "I mean, I was sort of just thinking…l-like, your issue is Faunus, and mine was primary combat schools. And, like, it's not about me, but…c-could we sponsor or host some sort of weekend-training school charity thing for young Faunus who want to be hunters? 'Team Job's Juniors' or something?"

It was a nice idea, but Blake couldn't help but poke the immediate hole in it that was too big to ignore.

"We aren't hunters, nor are we accredited. It wouldn't be enough to get them into Beacon. Setting up our own primary combat school is impossible."

Jaune shook his head. "Ren mentioned on the mission that if you get a test proctored by some dude in Vale, you can skip the actual primary combat school part and get straight into Beacon. I know it's a long shot, but…never mind."

"I do like the idea, Jaune," Blake admitted.

It wasn't so much his half-baked desire to right their shared wrongs as much as it was the idea of actually doing something that Blake liked. Sure, Team Job had been her priority for a while, but Jaune was correct in describing them as financially secure for a while.

I still care about the Faunus, but I had to put my passion for my people on hold while I ensured I could survive. Maybe now I can restart it, at least in some small way.

Her job didn't exactly have weekends, but the downtime in missions that she usually spent reading or just lazing about could certainly be put to better use.

"We'll talk more about it," Blake decided. "It needs work, but maybe we'll do something."

"It doesn't have to be a school," Jaune said. "Or even teaching. I just suggested that, but we can do whatever you want. I-If you even wanna. I just figured, you were talking about…and maybe you'd like to…and if you don't wanna, because the White Fang was too much for you, then we don't have to –"

Blake shushed him with a finger to the lips.

"Sorry," he said. "I'm rambling."

"No, be quiet." Blake's cat ears perked up. "Do you hear…sirens?"

Coming Soon: You Got a License for That?

Jaune has no choice but to break every law known to man, all in the name of Team Job.

Author's Notes

In case it's unclear: Sienna wanted Adam to be her successor, so she pushed Adam to 'start a family' with Blake and become Mr. Blake Belladonna. It would give him the official way into the Belladonna family in the event that haters hated on him and posted negative messages in the comments section, since hardliners might object to a non-Belladonna ruling Menagerie.

And one might also notice some Schnee family parallels going on…

Naturally, Blake isn't going to say that since she hasn't even met Weiss here, but I just wanted to get all the dirty dirt out in the open at least somewhere.

I nearly did two Jaune POV chapters in a row again. This time, though, it was an honest mistake. This chapter and the previous were going to be one and the same, but then I decided to split them up. Thus, I had to fully rewrite the non-dialogue portions of this chapter to be from Blake's perspective.

(also, next chapter has to be Jaune due to plot, and I couldn't have three Jaune POVs in a row)

Extremely obscure E.T. reference in the teaser for next chapter. No one will get it, I'm almost certain.

Happy rats, and don't do crime!