Chapter 475: 31
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Jaune moved a Rook forward, smiling behind his helmet, "Check." A week had passed now, practicing combat with Hazel and Chess with Cinder.
"Good work. You've managed to finally get me into check," she uncrossed her legs, leaning forward and sliding her Queen across the board to his right corner, trapping his King piece between her Queen and a wall of his own pawns and pieces. "Unfortunately, while you were assaulting my own lines, I snuck a powerful attacker right into your house. Were this a true battle, you would be dead, and your allies as well."
"Damn… I thought I finally had you." He turned when Neo tapped the side of his helmet, the small woman smiling at him when he turned to look at her and flicking the metal over his nose. "Yeah, I lost, I know. Don't rub it in, Neo, or I'll have Mii take all the ice cream out of the freezer."
She pouted, typing furiously at her Scroll for a few seconds before showing it to him, lips pursed and glaring at him cutely, "You do that, and my legs and mouth close shop for a week, Jaune."
"O-Okay, I won't!" Her pout stayed, and he scratched the back of his neck nervously under her gaze, "I'll even have Mii get you some cherries from storage to eat with your ice cream! Okay?"
She stepped back, looking at the roof and tapping her chin with her finger in thought for several seconds, and Jaune looked at Cinder. The other woman was smirking, clearly amused at some part of the back and forth he couldn't identify. He looked down at the Scroll she pushed under his nose, "Well, alright, I guess. But you're still in trouble later."
He dreaded what that meant a great deal, but Cinder coughed to get his attention before he could ask what that meant, "You should know, Jaune, you are improving quite quickly. But we don't have forever to spend filling you to the brim with everything you need to do what needs to be done. So while pursuing…" she pursed her lips and looked Neo up and down, and the woman raised an eyebrow in response and gave her a once over in return before sticking her tongue out, "your extracurricular activities with Neo, you need to be bettering yourself as well."
"How?" He asked honestly, resetting the board leisurely, "Like, what do you want me to do to 'better myself'? I don't mind doing it, I just want to know what I should aim for."
"Study." She said simply, smiling warmly at him in the fake way she did. "History, geography, political standings in the Kingdoms, military structures and symbols, all of these could be useful knowledge. After all, knowing who in a squad is the leader could allow you to get them to surrender if you were to take him as a hostage, for example."
Neo shoved her Scroll in front of him again, and he had to lean back to see it in his helmet, "If you learn all of this stuff, you'll be able to save more lives. That's what she's saying."
He read it off to Cinder, and she nodded, "Exactly." She stood, smiling as she walked towards the door and past him, trailing a finger along his helmet's chin, "You see, my Mistress is an honest one, but she doesn't truly care for our desires." She stepped behind him, resting her hands on his shoulders, brushing against his throat, and he held a hand up to stop Neo when she stepped forward with stormy brown eyes, "A wise choice, when I have a hand at your throat, Jaune."
"I know you won't hurt me." Jaune said, and Cinder wrapped a hand around his throat gently in response. His heart sped up, but he didn't move to try and stop her even if Neo clearly wanted to, "It's not trust, before you ask. I know you won't without reason, it'd waste all the effort you've put in. I'm useful, willing and incentivized to be loyal, and haven't done anything to you."
AFter a second, she chuckled and stepped back on his left side, passing by Neo as she walked back around the chess board, "Good work. Even without your Semblance, you're learning our motivations and personalities, and using that information." She turned to him, smiling almost proudly in a twisted way, "Now, imagine that same talent of yours turned on, say, the Council of Vale? Or an Atlesian General?"
"I'd be able to force them to give up." He said quietly, unnerved by Cinder's smile for a reason he couldn't quite put into words, "And if they start giving up rather than fighting, then I can save lives in the long run."
"Exactly." She said, nodding and looking past him as the door opened behind them, "Ah, Hazel. Is it that time already?"
"Yes." He grunted, Jaune standing and starting to put the pieces in a small box while Neo moved their chairs. Hazel watched him mutely with Cinder at his side until they were done, and the woman left. Hazel watched her go and shook his head, "I don't like her, boy. Do you know why?"
Jaune thought for a few seconds, the man's brow raised slightly and arms crossed, before he spoke, "You don't like people who play word games and mind games?" He offered, the man nodding. They stood in silence for a few seconds before Jaune spoke again, "So, uh, what are we doing today?"
"Strength and endurance training." He grunted shortly, "Two hundred pushups, now. We'll fight later, don't worry."
Because combat training wasn't harsh enough, now he had muscle training, endurance training AND combat training… Perfect.
"Enough." Hazel grunted after almost forty-five minutes, watching Jaune pant around the room for the twentieth time as he came to a stop in front of him and sank to his knees, breathing heavily, "You're getting stronger."
Jaune looked up at the comment, panting echoing inside the helmet annoyingly, "T-Thank you, Hazel."
He grunted, offering a hand to him, "Shouldn't kneel like that, blocks up your throat." Jaune took it, letting the bear of a man pull him to his feet and maneuver his arms so they were crossed over his head instead, "Like that, opens up your lungs more. Lets you breathe deeper."
True enough, after a few moments he felt his breathing calming along with his heart rate, "Thanks. Where'd you learn the trick?"
"Vacuo. Was in the Guard there when I was younger." He gestured at his arms, "They wanted me in the Guard bad."
"I'll bet." Jaune said, letting his arms drop to his sides and taking a deep breath, "You look like you could rip a Beowolf in half if you wanted to." He grunted and nodded, and Jaune's eyes widened, "Wait, you actually can?"
"Yep." He said, "Now get ready, it's time for a few spars." Jaune heard Neo land next to him from… somewhere she disappeared off to when he was running, and turned to see her draw her sword excitedly, "Not today, girl. One on one time."
She pouted at him and then Jaune, before sighing and walking off, "Wish you hadn't done that, she'll be uppity all day now, Hazel."
He shrugged and brushed past Jaune, walking to the center of the room before speaking, "You're not up to fighting several people. Not at that level yet." Jaune followed, him out to the center of the room. "One on one, so I'm not holding back, though.
Drawing his sword and shield, Jaune slid into his old stance, amalgamated with Pyrrha's after being exposed to her for so long. Shield pressed an inch from his chest, and sword off to his right, pointing at the floor with his arm pulled back slightly. Hazel simply raised his fists, waiting for Jaune to say he was ready.
The moment he did, Hazel closed the few feet between them faster than any man his size had a right to move, and Jaune flinched at it. He raised his sword and swung for the man's chest, and Hazel blocked it with his left forearm before grabbing it with his other and turning. Pressing his back against Jaune's shield, he yanked Jaune into the air over his shoulder and slammed him into the ground hard enough to drive the breath from his body.
"Fast reaction, but a bad one." He grunted, stepping around Jaune and offering him a hand, "But when you got here, wouldn't have even had a reaction in time before I clocked you."
"Yeah, I know." He grunted as the large man helped him up, or more accurately lifted him off of the ground and set him on his feet. Jaune didn't really have any involvement beyond his arm being attached. "You just… move too damn fast for me, Hazel. At least for now, you know?"
"Hm." He grunted, walking back to the starting point and looking at him, "Keep trying then, see if you can start catching up."
Jaune stood for a few seconds, catching his breath and thinking. Hazel always rushed him, even if Neo was 'helping' Jaune in training too. Jaune would always slash and try to back away, and Hazel would block with his left arm before countering in some manner. Whether that was with his fists or by flinging Jaune around the room like a sack of potatoes, it didn't matter. Jaune could predict up to at least the counter, and use that to try and get inside his guard.
Jaune nodded curtly, sliding into his familiar form once again, and Hazel threw himself at him again. This time, Jaune didn't swing madly at him when his feet landed and Hazel started to hammer against his shield. Instead, he took a note from Neo's book, and turned with his shield when Hazel's fist landed for the third time. He'd tried this before, always trying to swing at his open back.
Instead, when Hazel slammed back, Jaune caught it on his shield and turned again, ending up in front of him and swinging at Hazel's surprised face as he fell back, off balanced by the lack of something to hit. Hazel's arms crossed in front of him to block off the attack, but Jaune pulled it back and instead slammed his shield into Hazel fully with his body's weight behind him. That, coupled with the loss of balance, caused Hazel to fall with Jaune on top of him in a jumble of metal and men. Jaune tried to bring his blade around, but it was trapped between his shield and Hazel's chest where it had ended up at some point in their fall.
Before he could think up another plan, Hazel's arms wrapped around his body and squeezed, Jaune gasping as his back popped and the breath was driven out of him. Then he threw the blonde off of him, sitting up on the floor and watching Jaune catch his breath for a moment before standing up and rolling his neck.
"Never tackle someone much stronger than you unless you have a knife." He gestured at the sword in his hand, scraping against the stone floor as Jaune moved, "Good plan, though. Want a good knife?"
"Yeah, sure." He said quietly, reaching up with his hands and sheathing Crocea Mors and groaning, "Ugh, I think you broke something…" Neo landed on his hips with a thud and he groaned louder, the girl giggling mutely, "And there goes the rest of me."
"Hm." He grunted again, Neo scrabbling to get away before he caught her collar and lifted her off him like a cat. She clasped her hands in front of herself, smiling innocently when he turned her to face him, "I told you. Behave during training."
She held up her Scroll to him, "But I'm bored."
Hazel sighed and looked at him as he sat up on the floor, and Jaune shrugged, "She gets bored easily."
"Hm." He dropped her on the floor next to him unceremoniously, "She could always clean up your quarters then." She blinked owlishly at him for a second, the large man smirking and crossing his shoulders, "If you're that bored, work."
She shook her head and hopped up, bouncing to the corner and plopping into the chair before crossing her legs and nodding curtly.
After a few seconds, Jaune turned to look up at Hazel, "Can we end combat training and start on you teaching me how to keep her controlled, Hazel? I don't remember Roman even having that much control over her."
"Later." He grunted, turning and returning to his start position, "Maybe. If you drop my Aura to the orange."
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The shopping districts of Vale are a series of long, bright avenues spiraling out from a large fountain and park in the northern section of Vale. Between the busy streets of brightly lit stores, stalls, buildings and the bright boardwalk of it, warehouses for storing the goods sat, dark and grey clashing in large blocks with the bright and colorful shops around them, eventually culminating in the waters at the far north of Vale..
"Just try to relax, Weiss-cream." Yang said cheerily as they walked through Vale's streets towards the shopping district's center, the waters around Vale visible in the far distance. "Just a couple of girls, out shopping ahead of the Vytal Festival. Nothing odd or weird or… suspicious there at all, right?"
"Are you trying to convince me, or you?" The Heiress asked with a raised eyebrow, sighing when the blonde grinned and shrugged. "Honestly, between the two of us, I don't see how you think we'll find anything. The White Fang won't be out in the open at the shopping district of all places."
"Then I guess we'll just get some nice clothes." Yang said, faking a sad sigh, and throwing her arms in the air. Weiss tried not to get jealous when everyone looked at her for it, "Oh! And strawberries for Ruby, she loves them."
"You give her too many sweets as is, Yang." Weiss sighed, shaking her head, "But I suppose fruit isn't that bad for her. Does she like apples, oranges, and so on?"
"Oh yeah, she loves anything sweet." Yang said quickly with a bright smile, doing her best to ignore that odd feeling on the back of her neck. Like she was being watched, which she was by every guy on the street, but this was a different kind of being watched. "So, uh, yeah, fruits and stuff are great if you want to butter Ruby up for something. Oh! You should stock up on strawberries to use as treats to get her to study with you more."
"Treats?" Weiss asked with a raised eyebrow, almost giggling, "Is she a puppy?"
"I dunno, maybe?" Yang offered weakly, shrugging, "I mean, have you seen her pouts? It's awful!"
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Blake watched from the rooftop, barely peering over at them with Adam at her side, tapping his foot aggravatedly. The two were dressed to be as inconspicuous as possible, Adam wearing a simple white shirt under a black jacket with his rose stenciled into his right shoulder over denim pants and heavy boots. Of course, the sword in his hands ruined part of the disguise, but that was par for the course and not as bad as his mask and horns.
Blake on the other hand was wearing a horrendous frilly lily skirt under a white blouse, both of which showed off far more skin than she was comfortable. The disguise was mostly so the sun hat she was wearing matched up well enough not to arouse suspicion. She had only a few options to hide her ears, and her bow might have aroused offence from their recruit options. Who would follow revolutionaries who seem to hate what they are?
"We should just take them, Blake. We won't hurt the blonde, but the Schnee-"
"Found out about my heritage weeks ago, and not only kept it quiet for me, but even took me aside to privately inform me she intends to meet with the White Fang when she inherits her business and discuss better contracts and conditions for her workers." Blake interrupted, sighing quietly and hoping he'd accept the argument, "We fight people who judge others for how they're born, Adam. What does it say if we do the exact same thing?"
"I want to hear it from her." Adam said shortly, hand gripping his sword tightly.
"Alright, fine." Blake growled, thinking for a few seconds.
This hadn't been what they were supposed to be doing, they'd been talking to recruits and recruiters for the better part of yesterday and had continued it into today until someone arrived and said a Schnee was close by. Adam had charged off straight away, and Blake had only just convinced him not to attack two Huntresses-in-training in the center of Vale right next to several of their recruiting bases.
He started to crouch-walk towards the ladder, and she grabbed his arm, "No, we follow them for now. Wait until they're alone. And no sword, we're not going to fight we're going to talk. And you can't wear your mask either, we don't want to get spotted."
"I'm not going anywhere without my weapon or my mask, Blake." He growled, yanking his arm free roughly and pausing before sighing. "Look, Blake… Things between us got bad before you left, I see that now. And I am trying, so…" He sighed before sitting on the roof next to the ladder, crossing his legs, "You get them to come here then, and we'll talk about a few things."
"Thank you, Adam." She hesitated before kneeling down beside him and wrapping her arms awkwardly around his shoulders. It took a second of surprised stillness before his off hand reached up to wrap around her shoulder, "I know you're trying, it's just… Things have to change if we want to change the world for the better."
He grunted, and she pulled away with a small smile. Maybe being with the White Fang was going to be a good thing at the end of the day after all?
Dropping from the roof top, she walked out onto the boardwalk, looking for all the world like a normal shopper on the streets. She followed the brightly colored duo for a while, listening to the two chat as best she could from about ten feet away until they ducked into a small dress shop. She waited for a few minutes before going in, spotting Weiss alone on a small bench by a changing room. Aside from the duo, the only person around was the cashier who wasn't paying any attention at all.
She kicked off her heels at the door, slinking towards the inattentive Schnee and, swallowing a nervous sigh, sliding into the set next to her, wrapping an arm around the Heiress, "W-Who do you think-"
"Shut up, Weiss, before Yang hears." Blake murmured in her ear, watching the pale legs under the door move back and forth as she changed outfits. "I'm here on behalf of the leader of the White Fang in all of Vale, Weiss, so keep quiet."
"Ruby and Yang still have faith in you, you know." She whispered lowly, Blake casually wrapping an arm around her shoulders and draping her hand across the bottom of her neck. The Faunus could hear and feel her pulse speed up, and sighed, "Was it misplaced?"
"No." She said quietly, standing and making the Schnee rise with her. "It wasn't, even if I can't explain everything right now. Just…" She sighed as she slid her heels back on and led the Schnee out of the store, "You told me that you wanted to talk to the White Fang, right? Try to make things right peacefully?"
"Yes, but being escorted there with one of their member's hand on my throat isn't how I intended to have that happen." She said quietly as they made the return trip, before Blake turned them into the alleyway and she hesitated for a moment. "Just tell me if this ends up with me dead, Blake. You don't have to lead me on for that, I'm unarmed and you have your hand on my throat."
"That's not the intention here." She said, stopping them at the ladder and letting her go. She hated having to push Wiss around like this, but Adam and countless others were no doubt watching her. She had a part to play."Climb up."
The Schnee climbed the ladder, doing her best to be as dignified as possible despite the fact that if Blake cared, she'd get an eyeful and after a moment the two were on the roof, Adam having moved across it to the edge of the building where it overlooked the boulevard with a sign between them, throwing the roof nicely into shadow.
"Schnee." He growled, the girl flinching back at the sword resting across his lap before walking across the roof and sitting a few feet away from him, primly folding her legs.
"I haven't had the pleasure of getting your name, sir." She was nervous, Blake could tell, but Weiss wasn't trained in business for fun. She knew how to handle others in a negotiation. "My name is Weiss, though. I prefer that name to my maiden one."
Adam looked at Blake when she hopped onto one of the small vents near her and nodded before looking back at the smaller girl, "Fine then, Weiss. We spotted your friend and you walking around, and many of us wanted to just kill you." He let that sit for a moment, and the girl shifted nervously, "Blake suggested differently though. She suggested we… speak."
"About?" She asked, looking at Blake.
"When you first found out about me being a Faunus, you… too me aside, and told me your future plans." Blake gestured to Adam, "Well, here is Adam, a leader of the White Fang, willing to listen to what you have to say." And if you say it well, you could make a huge difference in the world and save lives. "So tell him."
She nodded curtly, pausing to think for a few seconds before looking at the man opposite her, "My family's history is a long one, relatively. How much of it do you know?"
"Only that your father took over the business a few decades back, and essentially enslaved my people." Adam growled lowly, grip tightening on his sword. "But by all means, enlighten me. Now's the only chance you'll get, after all."
"My grandfather took over the business after my great grandfather passed away. At that time, the Schnee name didn't mean anything. We were barely a competition for the store around the corner…" She sighed, reaching up to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear, "My grandfather gambled everything on an expedition, which he lead himself, into the mountains miles from anything civilized. And he discovered a huge vein of Ice Dust, deep in a dark cave. A year later, operations were in full swing exporting that Dust to the Kingdoms. He said the Faunus were invaluable to the success of the expedition, and went to pains to give them equitable contracts, often paying extra for Faunus fighters since they could see in the dark."
"Then my… father, for lack of a better term, married into the Schnee name and, as soon as my grandfather became old enough, had him carted off to an old retirement home. Under him, the Schnee name has been dragged through the mud. People, especially Faunus, have suffered." She looked him in the eyes as best she could behind the mask, "I intend to return to the old way of conducting our business. That's why I am at Beacon, sir. I intend to fight for everyone, including your people, as though they were my family."
The three were quiet for a long time until Adam drew his sword, looking at the red blade. Weiss and Blake both did so as well, in fear and readiness for a fight, "I killed your cousin with this sword." He looked when her hands gripped tighter in her lap and her breathing became heavier, "Do you know why? Why I kill people, I mean."
"Because you think that it's the only way to get the effect you want." Weiss asked quietly, looking at the ground sadly and smiling, "And I suppose you intend that for me as well, Adam?"
"No." He said, standing and sheathing it, the two women looking at him in slight surprise, "At least not today. But you had better hold to your promises, Schnee. No." He sighed, walking past her, "Weiss. We'll meet again either way, but you'll decide how that meeting goes."
He dropped off the roof, and Weiss let out a nervous breath alongside Blake's, looking at the Faunus, "I can't believe that worked…"
"I can. He's reasonable when you give him reason to be. Just… stay up here for a few, until we're gone. He might change his mind if he sees you following us." She hesitated for a moment before sighing, "And… tell Yang I said I'm sorry for everything, okay? Ruby too."
"You could come back with us." Weiss offered weakly, sighing when Blake shook her head, "I'll tell them, I promise. Just… try and be safe, Blake."
Fifteen minutes later, Weiss stepped out of the alley and spotted Yang looking for her worriedly. The blonde noticed her and jogged over, throwing her arms around the smaller girl, "Where did you go? I was so worried, and I forgot my Scroll so I couldn't call you."
"It's… a long story, Yang. One I actually need a drink for." Yang's eyebrows went up and she shrugged, leading her towards one of the bars she frequented.
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Pyrrha smiled lightly, the small Corgi rolling around on the bed next to where she was lying on the bed with her knees pulled up to make room for Ruby, the small animal nuzzling her side affectionately. "His name is Zwei, and I figured you could use some… You know, cheering up?" Ruby said sweetly, sitting at the foot of the bed with her legs tucked under her chin, "He always helps me out when I'm said."
Zewei climbed onto her chest, nuzzling into her neck and laying there while the Mistralian stroked his fur, and she smiled, "He's so sweet. Where did you get him?"
"My, uh, dad got him for me and Yang when my mom… passed away. He's a therapy dog! So he's trained to help people who are sad." She smiled widely, watching the small tail flick back and forth excitedly, "He's a good boy too, he's always acting good and trying to be affectionate, and he never messes on the floor."
"I never had a dog." She said, lifting the squirming thing up in her arms and then hugging it to her chest, "I always wanted one, but I was always… Busy, I suppose, training and travelling to tournaments. My parents never allowed it."
"Well… You're welcome to play with Zwei all you want!" Ruby said brightly, petting him before hopping off the bed, "I'm going to head to the library to study, if you don't mind watching him?"
"Um, sure, Ruby." She watched the girl bounce from the room, and Zwei licked her hand affectionately. She scratched his ears absently, relaxing on the bed with the Corgi snuggling on top of her chest, "That's a good boy."
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Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone