Kapitel 718: 61
Chapter 61:
While time might have been of the essence, RASP and RYNB couldn't afford to allow the mission to disrupt their appearance as normal students. Of all of them, Ruby alone knew that this was doubly important, with Cinder and her lackeys hanging around Beacon. If they thought the two teams were up to something, and if they, as Ruby and Ozpin's circle suspected, were connected to the White Fang, then they might pass along a warning to the White Fang about what was coming.
So it was that the two teams decided to set their mission for Friday evening. According to Blake, it was a prime time for the White Fang to hold one of their rallies. Most workers would be getting off for the weekend, which meant that they'd be more comfortable with the idea of attending a meeting that might go late into the night. Considering what they'd learned about the new rally format from Ashley, it meant that tired faunus, fresh off a long day, would be more easily worn down and manipulated into being drawn in by the White Fang's rhetoric.
Despite the fact that they tried to look as casual as possible, Ruby and her friends were all on pins and needles during the latter half of the day. Once again, they would be hazarding their lives on a dangerous mission. The only reassurance that this wasn't them going off on some kind of independent investigation, but one that was fully supported by Ozpin. In a sense, they were already doing real Huntsman and Huntress work, albeit not the kind of work that Huntsmen typically did.
After their final class of the day let out, they quickly retired to the library, hoping to knock off their homework as fast as possible, while also maintaining appearances. They had a pattern of behavior to uphold after all. Any divergence from that pattern might cause someone to realize that something was amiss.
Finally, their homework done, the two teams returned to RASP's dorm room, where they suited up for battle. For most of the rest of them, that simply involved switching out their uniforms for their combat outfits. But Blake, who figured she needed as much cover as she could get, opted to trade out her usual outfit for a white v-neck shirt, with a cropped bottom, and black hems. Her legs were covered by tight, black pants, the overall change in her appearance hopefully keeping her from being recognized on the spot, when she entered the rally.
By the time they were ready, there was a soft knocking on their window. Looking out, Ruby grinned, seeing Sun literally hanging out...dangling from a tree branch just outside their window.
Opening it up, Ruby leaned out to greet their friend. "Hey, Sun. You made it."
"'Course I did," replied Sun, flashing her a cheeky grin. "I wouldn't miss this for the world. Sounds like this is gonna be one awesome mission, which is why I brought Neptune along."
"Neptune?" Ruby blinked. "Where?"
Glancing around, she spotted the blue-haired boy, standing on the ledge that ran along the wall, passing just beneath the window sill. He stood rigidly straight, his back pressed up against the wall, looking a little...tense. "Hey," he said, clearly trying to retain a casual and composed attitude...and not doing a very good job. "What's up? Can I come in? It's really high."
Ruby glanced down, figuring that it wasn't that high. She could easily drop straight down to the ground from this height. But she decided not to debate the point, instead moving to make room, so that Neptune could slide along the wall, then practically fall into the room. Behind him, Sun rocked his body to swing by his tail, before letting go of the branch, and executing a neat flip that carried him through the window, landing gracefully on the floor.
"Showoff," grumbled Neptune.
"So...what's the plan?" asked Sun.
"Basically, you and I are going to infiltrate a White Fang rally," said Blake. "We're going to see if we can get any information on this stolen Atlesian equipment."
"Right..." said Sun. "A Paladin, right? Sounds like a seriously badass piece of tech."
"Looked like it packs enough firepower to level a city block," clarified Jaune. "Once you guys have the location nailed down, we'll be there as support."
"Support for what?" asked Neptune.
"Well...unfortunately...thanks to our little squabble at the docks, the White Fang already have a pretty good idea of what Sun and I look like," said Blake. "If anyone at the rally recognizes us...things are going to get ugly...fast. So we'll need backup."
"Right," said Sun. "Sounds pretty good. Besides, considering what your friend has said about this new format, it's gonna be pretty dang hard to slip out without attracting attention, seeing as they're trying to railroad attendees into signing up. So, even if no one recognizes us, things could get pretty complicated."
"After that, we shake off pursuit, and get back to Ozpin and Ironwood with what information we have," said Blake, "assuming we have any."
"Yeah, I guess it would be a little much to expect them to have a map posted, complete with a little caption saying, 'Stolen Paladins, Here,'" noted Jaune dryly.
"Uh...problem," said Neptune. "If you guys do get found out, the White Fang is gonna know that you have information on where the Paladins are, right? Won't they just move them?"
"We're talking about multi-ton pieces of heavy machinery," Pyrrha pointed out. "Those aren't something that you can just pick up and carry off at a moment's notice, especially not without attracting attention. We'll just have to get back to Ozpin and hope that he and Ironwood can mount a response quickly enough that they don't have time to move them."
"And, they don't necessarily know that we're after the Paladins," said Weiss. "If we're involved, the White Fang will probably assume that we came with the intent of breaking up the rally, considering what happened to Ashley. So, hopefully, they won't think about any information they might have let slip."
"Assuming they let any slip to begin with," added Ren. "In any case, this is the best plan we've got."
"So how do we play this?" asked Sun.
"Basically act like we're heading out for a night on the town," said Yang, wearing a grin. "We're gonna spread out through Vale, sorta like we're students looking to have fun on a Friday night. Actually, while you and Blake are scouting out the rally, I'm thinking of hitting up a friend of mine on the shadier side of town. I figure he might have some info that could help us out."
"Worth looking into," said Ruby, her eyes going to Sun's partner. "Why don't you take Neptune with you?"
"What?" blurted Weiss, looking rather unhappy at the prospect.
"Sure, sounds like a plan," said Yang, wearing a grin, a playful twinkle in the eye suggesting that she was doing it as much for Weiss' reaction as practicality.
"B-b-b-but..." Weiss tried fish for a protest. But Pyrrha quickly took one of Weiss' arms in her own, tugging her towards the door.
"Come along, partner," said Pyrrha playfully. "I'm looking forward to another visit to the arcade."
The others watched the pair go, Ruby giggling, before glancing at Jaune. "Shall we?" she asked.
"Sure," said Jaune, flashing Ruby a grin.
The two of them headed out through the door. The others followed suit, making their way to the airship docks, catching separate flights into Vale, and spreading out through the city. However, they tried to keep their positions near the edge of the industrial district, where Blake believed that the rallies would be held, the White Fang taking advantage of the warren of warehouses that could be taken over for a night or two, before being neatly abandoned.
Ozpin looked up from his work at the sound of the elevator doors opening. A smile appeared on his face as he saw a familiar lanky figure saunter into the office. "Hello, Qrow," he said. "I'm glad you were able to respond so promptly."
"Yeah, well, when I get a message like that, it's kinda important to be quick on the draw," said Qrow. "So...Autumn's attacker is here, huh?"
"She is indeed," said Ozpin, bringing up the images of Team CMSN. "Cinder Fall would appear to be the culprit."
Qrow squinted, staring at the images. "They look...kinda familiar."
"You said your view of them was distorted in some way, when you rescued Autumn," said Ozpin.
"Yep," said Qrow. "The one who did it...her face was flickering in and out of focus, like an old holoscreen. I thought it was maybe her magic. But I've also wondered if it's something else. Illusion-type Semblances ain't unheard of, after all."
"Very true," agreed Ozpin, thinking back to the warning Ruby's team had received from Neo.
"How'd you find out?" asked Qrow.
Ozpin's smile widened slightly. "Would you believe that your niece is the one who identified them?"
"Huh?" Qrow blinked, shocked by the idea. "Say what? How would Ruby know how to spot a Maiden?"
"That is the question," agreed Ozpin, "albeit one I have decided to hold off on asking. However, I have confidence in her assessment. Her senses are remarkably refined, and her ability to sense that which is not visible to the naked eye is especially impressive. From the way she described it, sensing the portion of Autumn's power bound to Cinder's soul was rather traumatic."
"Yeah, I'll bet," said Qrow, feeling more than a little uncomfortable at the thought of his favorite niece sensing something so disturbing. "But I guess it saved our bacon."
"That it did," agreed Ozpin. "Of course, now the question is how to act on this information."
"Well, that ain't gonna be easy," noted Qrow. "If this Cinder-chick figures out we're onto her, she'll probably bail and disappear, and we'll be left right back where we started."
"Those were our thoughts exactly," agreed Ozpin.
"Well, whether in strategy or combat, foresight is key," said Qrow. "Know where the enemy is gonna be, then get there ahead of them. We know where they are now, but what we need to do is figure out what their next move is gonna be." He frowned. "So...to start with, what are they tryin' to accomplish by coming to Beacon in the first place?"
"I imagine that one of their priorities is finding Autumn, in order to finish what Ms. Fall started," said Ozpin. "Looking for her at Beacon would be the logical place to start."
"And, if they clued into what your original plan of action was gonna be, they'll also figure that the student body is a short-list for your Guardian candidates," added Qrow. "So they're probably trying to screen the students here, and figure out which one is your first choice."
"Quite likely," agreed Ozpin, frowning. "But is that all they are here for?"
"Huh?" grunted Qrow.
"Ms. Fall and her cohorts went through the trouble of crafting extremely comprehensive cover for themselves as Haven students," said Ozpin. "Had Ms. Rose not sensed Ms. Fall's...condition...there was nothing about their profiles that would have raised any red flags for us. That tells me that this infiltration is meant to last for an extended period of time."
"Through the festival, you mean," clarified Qrow.
Ozpin nodded. "So our enemies may well have multiple objectives, which include the festival or the tournament factoring into their plans in some fashion."
"Well, if they came as a visiting team, then they're probably gonna get involved with the tournament," mused Qrow. "But what the hell would they be trying to accomplish by doing that?"
"Above all else, we must remember that these are Her agents," said Ozpin firmly. "If She sent them, then I imagine that the ultimate aim of their plan will involve the Grimm, in some fashion."
"Orchestrate a Grimm attack, huh?" mused Qrow.
"Indeed," agreed Ozpin, tapping the surface of his desk, and calling up a holographic map of Vale. The map was ringed with red contact-icons, indicating the positions of recent Grimm attacks. "Our defenses are pressed, more-so than usual. Normally, this would hardly register as a minor uptick, hardly worth noticing. Certainly, the military is more than capable of handling these numbers for now. However, we can definitely trace the source of this phenomenon.
"Violent activity by the White Fang is on the rise, resulting in increased anxiety amongst the populace. On top of that, it's caused growing tensions between the humans and faunus, resulting in still more fear and anxiety. Then, there is the scarcity in Dust, caused by the thefts of said resource, perpetrated by the White Fang and the piracy at sea. The resulting increase in price and lack of availability is worsening the mood of the citizens even more."
"So you're thinking that they're gradually stoking negativity," said Qrow. "They want to draw in even more Grimm."
"Yes," said Ozpin. "And, if they can make those negative emotions surge and peak, then the results will be disastrous."
Qrow swallowed.
"Of course, given what James has reported, with the theft of his Paladins, we might be facing that critical blow sooner than that," added Ozpin.
"What was that shellhead thinking, bringing those things to Vale anyway?" growled Qrow.
"Most likely the same logic that induced him to bring his forces along with him, when he delivered his students into our care," said Ozpin with a sigh. "He meant for it to be an assistance, a bolstering of our firepower against this threat. Unfortunately, such power does not help us to deal with those who are already within our own ranks."
"Always trying to swing a sledgehammer where we need a scalpel," grumbled Qrow.
"True enough," said Ozpin. "Hopefully, we can deal with this situation without resorting to James' firepower. However, if push comes to shove...having it available might not be the worst thing in the world."
"Assuming we let the bad guys' plans get that far," growled Qrow.
"That just makes it all the more imperative that we figure out their next move," said Ozpin. "So then...if we presume that their ultimate aim is to trigger a large-scale Grimm attack, what short-term objectives would they need to satisfy, in order to make it possible?"
"Hmm...?" Grow pinched his chin, staring at the map of Vale. "Well...in any conflict, particularly one where they're trying to control the reactions of the populace, the most critical component is gonna be seizing control of the flow of information."
"In other words..." prodded Ozpin.
"They're gonna target the tower," said Qrow. "I don't know what exactly they'd do, but you can bet that they'll come after this joint sooner or later, if only to bring it down, so that we can't communicate with the other Kingdoms anymore."
"I see," said Ozpin, nodding to himself. "That certainly makes sense. That being the case...we might be able to give James something to do after all."
"Good," said Qrow. He paused. "But before we do, I've got a question for ya, Oz."
"What is it?"
"You have any idea what Tai's been up to?" asked Qrow. "I dropped by to check up on him, on the way here. But the house was empty. From the looks of things, he hasn't been drinkin' himself into a stupor."
"That sounds like a good thing," noted Ozpin.
"I wish it did," countered Qrow. "But, the problem is, if he ain't drikin' away his sorrows, but he's still taking that leave of absence from Signal, then what is he doing? I figured I'd check and see if he'd taken any missions. Going to you would be faster than checking the mission-boards."
"True," agreed Ozpin, tapping his desk again. The map of Vale disappeared, and was replaced by a listing of missions, and the Huntsmen who had taken them. However... "Mr. Xiao Long does not appear to have taken an official mission," he said, his tone growing a bit more worried.
"That's what I was afraid of," muttered Qrow. "From the sound of things, that idiot hasn't given up on dragging Ruby back home."
"Indeed not," said Ozpin. "Despite seeing Ms. Rose achieve a draw against Ms. Nikos, he still deemed her unsuitable for Beacon, and attempted to forcefully remove her-against my warnings, I might add-and was prepared to fight through anyone in his way, in order to do so."
"So he hasn't suddenly had a change of heart, and we've got no idea where he is now," said Qrow. "That's a bad sign."
"Very bad indeed," said Ozpin. "It will take some time to prepare for dealing with Ms. Fall. So long as you stay in contact, you are free to look for Mr. Xiao Long. Hopefully, you can find him, before he does something rash."
"My pleasure," muttered Qrow, already heading for the elevator.
"You are also free to keep an eye on your nieces," added Ozpin, prompting a start from Qrow, who paused, and turned to look inquisitively at the Headmaster.
"What are they doing now?" Qrow wondered, thinking he might not like an answer.
"They are currently on the trail of James' missing Paladins," Ozpin explained. "As such, one of their teammates is currently working to infiltrate a White Fang rally."
"Right..." said Qrow.
"For the time being, I ask you not to intervene, unless you determine that they will be harmed otherwise," said Ozpin. "Allow them to fully apply and test their own abilities first."
"Trial by fire, huh?" mused Qrow. "That's beginning to sound awfully familiar, Oz."
"I gave them a choice," said Ozpin, smiling indulgently, "just as I did with you."
"Yeah," agreed Qrow. "But it's a choice I'd rather they didn't have. Still, I guess if you think they're good for it, that should speak for something."
"I certainly have faith in their capability," replied Ozpin.
"I hope they can live up to it," muttered Qrow, heading for the elevator again, his pace increasing.
Blake traced her fingers along a set of three parallel grooves, carved against the side of a wall. "We're close," she said.
"How do you know?" asked Sun.
"It looks like a claw-mark," said Blake. "The angle it's carved at indicates direction. The spacing between the lines tells distance."
"Wow..." said Sun. "That's quite a bit, for a trio of scratch-marks."
"That's how they manage to keep avoiding the law finding their rallies," said Blake. "These are guideposts for those already initiated, they then provide the route to newcomers, without informing them how they got that information."
"Makes sense, I guess," said Sun.
The two of them started walking again, Blake taking the lead. They soon learned they weren't alone. In the distance, they could see other people, approaching from a different direction, along the street, or coming out of nearby alleyways. The presence of ears or tails indicated that they were also faunus, all of them gradually converging towards the same location. Reaching a corner, Blake and Sun peered around to see the other faunus filing in through a door, an older faunus in a black suit, with a pair of bat-ears extending from the sides of his head, handing out small, white masks to the new arrivals.
"Why the Grimm masks?" asked Sun.
"It was Adam's idea," said Blake. "If humanity wanted to keep treating us like monsters, then we'd give them monsters."
"Real upstanding guy," groused Sun.
Blake sighed. "Let's just get this over with." Leaning back behind the corner, she pulled out her scroll, quickly sending a message to their friends, informing them of the rally's location, while Sun kept watch.
After that, Blake slid her scroll back into her pocket, and the two of them heading for the door. Reaching up, Blake pulled her bow free, revealing her ears for the doorman, prompting him to let them in without question, happily handing them masks, which enabled them to blend in with the other attendees.
"Here we go," muttered Sun softly.
Blake glanced about nervously. Slowly, her hand reached over, fingers brushing against Sun's knuckles. His response was to turn his own hand, and take hers in a reassuring grip, the two of them taking as much reassurance as they could in each other's company, as they proceeded into this tense situation, on a very dangerous mission.
"That was pretty good," said Jaune, he and Ruby stepping out of the restaurant, and into the early-summer evening of Vale.
"Yeah," agreed Ruby, rubbing her belly happily.
Since the plan called for them to simply act like students, spending their Friday evening out on the town, that was exactly what they did. Specifically, Ruby and Jaune had headed over to pay a visit to the comic shop, Jaune even buying the latest issue of his favorite X-Ray and Vav line ("To keep our cover," he claimed afterwards). Then they visited a local weapons shop, where Ruby could ogle the various parts and mods she didn't need ("You never know," was her response). Finally, with the sky growing darker, and the lamps lighting, they stopped for dinner at a nice restaurant that Weiss had recommended.
They'd eaten well, but lightly, not wanting to suffer from cramps, if things on Blake's end went south and they were forced to fight. Fortunately, the place they'd gone to hadn't been one for large portions, so they'd been able to eat just enough to keep them going for the night, without weighing them down, if things got...frantic.
Now, they strolled down the street, side by side, their path gradually carrying them closer to the edge of the industrial district. As they walked, Ruby found her hand straying to Jaune's, who responded by taking her hand in his, sending a giddy sensation rushing through Ruby. It was a shame that they were on a mission, she found herself reflecting, as this situation felt an awful lot like a date.
Maybe it would be fun to go on one of these later...when we aren't trying to track down a bunch of heavy weapons, she thought, definitely enjoying Jaune's company. The contact between them was enough to make her cheeks flush a light-red color.
Even as they walked, Ruby kept her awareness up, her senses spread out to encompass the area around them. As wonderful as it was to spend the evening with Jaune, strolling along in Vale's twilight, they couldn't allow themselves to forget that they were on-mission. Ruby intended not to let her guard down for a second, considering this a part of her training, developing what her teachers had called the Shingan, a particular ability that built upon one's senses, in order to provide them with a complete picture of their surroundings, one that could be provided without resorting to Extension, which limited her ability to rely on her defensive Aura.
So it was that Ruby felt his presence before she saw him. The feeling of her awareness brushing against the presence of a familiar Aura brought her to a sharp halt, tugging Jaune to a stop, and eliciting a startled yelp from him.
"Ruby! What-?" Jaune began, only to be stopped by Ruby quickly shushing him.
Unfortunately, the damage had already been done. The sound of her name got his attention, and he turned around, quickly rushing around the corner to find the source of the voice.
"Oh no," groaned Ruby, sagging and frowning as Taiyang Xiao Long came into view, his expression frantic. He skidded to a stop, facing them fully.
"Ruby," he said breathlessly, the sight of him making Ruby's stomach churn uncomfortably.
We really don't need this right now, thought Ruby. As if on cue, the scroll in her pocket chimed, indicating she had a message, Jaune's scroll chiming as well, which meant it was Blake, indicating that she'd found the White Fang rally. As if the timing of this wasn't bad enough.
The roar of Yang's motorcycle cut through the early-evening air, accompanied by a screech of tires, her bike sliding to a stop, drifting neatly into a parking place. Pulling off her yellow helmet, she flashed a grin behind her at her passenger. "We're here."
Neptune had to force himself to unwrap his arms from around Yang's stomach, though feeling her toned front wasn't the only reason he was reluctant to let go. Riding along with Yang was an experience comparable to fighting a high-level Grimm. Neptune's libido had been forgotten entirely, and he clung to her with all his strength, sure that any weakness on his part would lead to him being thrown through the air, whenever she executed one of those death-defying turns along the street. As a consequence, his arm muscles were stiff from the constant effort, making removing them an effort in and of itself.
Still, he managed it, and Yang appeared to enjoy it, not even threatening to slug him. Instead, she gave him an amused grin, before heading off towards their destination. Neptune quickly fell into step behind her, seeing that they were heading for what was obviously a nightclub. "Um...Is this really the place?" asked Neptune, wondering if Yang just wanted to use the mission as an excuse to hit up the bar and dance floor.
"Yep," said Yang. "The owner moonlights as an information broker."
"Uh huh..." said Neptune, frowning slightly.
A man in uniform stood in front of the club's doors. He was dressed in a black suit, with a dark-red tie, his head covered by a bowler hat, with red trim above the brim. His eyes were covered by sunglasses, despite the fading light. His head slowly swiveled back and forth. Like most nightclubs, this place wouldn't open for a while yet. He was probably there to turn away anyone who tried to get in early. As they came closer, his eyes fixed on them. He was clearly preparing to warn them off...only for him to completely freeze at the sight of the blonde bombshell striding confidently closer.
The response was immediate, and the man let out a shocked yelp, turning to open the doors and dart through, before pulling them shut behind him. From within, Neptune could hear still more shouts, the bouncer apparently calling for additional help.
"Should I be worried?" he wondered.
"Nah, I've got this," said Yang with a grin.
The fact that she raised her right fist, and opened up Ember Celica did not exactly fill Neptune with reassurance. Not even breaking stride, Yang punched out, discharging her weapon upon contact with the door. To Neptune's surprise, the door itself held pretty well. But the force blew it back on its hinges, making it swing open rapidly. Behind it, he could see the bouncer, and several identically-attired men, get sent sprawling. From within, the beat of the music thrummed out, like the pulse of some massive, living creature. Yang continued forward, closing down her gauntlet, and sauntering forward with a confident smirk on her face.
"Hey!" she cheered, coming in through the door. "Guess who's back."
The response was a series of rapid clicking noises, the sound of guns being drawn and readied. Yang and Neptune found themselves staring down the barrels of over a dozen guns of various types, ranging from pistols to submachine guns.
Yang's only response was to scowl. The music that had been playing started to loop, prompting Yang to turn her glare up to the DJ booth, where the DJ slowly rose up, then quietly lifted the needle off the skipping record, before sinking back down again. That seen to, Yang quickly returned her look back to the men assembled in front of her.
"Wait!" interjected a voice in an urgent tone, a burly, well-dressed man pushing his way between the bouncers. Hei Xiong came to a stop, pushing down the barrel of the gun, belonging to the man standing beside him. "Blondie...you're here...why?"
"Because someone still owes me a drink," answered Yang, giving him a smirk.
Hei, otherwise known as "Junior," let out out a defeated sigh. "Come with me," he said in a low tone. His response prompted the bouncers to lower their guns, the group dispersing, throwing wary looks Yang's way as they did so. None of them seemed to give Neptune so much as a glance, seeing as they were so worried about Yang...save for two black-haired girls, standing beside the door, staring at Neptune intently.
Turning to regard them, Neptune found he liked what he saw. They were clearly twins, sporting identical green eyes and black hair. One wore her hair in a short bob-cut, clad in a red, strapless dress, with black lining, decorated with what looked like newsprint. The other wore a similar dress, but of a very pale-green hue, with a prominent feathered scarf around her neck. The girl in red sported wrist-mounted claws, while the girl in green stepped forward, her bladed, high-heeled boots clicking sharply against the floor.
Deciding to fall back on his surefire charm, Neptune flashed them his best grin, throwing back his head slightly. "Ladies..."
The girls looked him over, then glanced back at each other, before looking back at him again. In perfect unison, they scoffed, "Whatever," before turning on their heels and strutting away.
"Well...that could've gone better," said Neptune, rubbing the back of his head, before setting off in the wake of Yang and Junior.
"Found your sister, I heard," noted Junior.
"Yeah," agreed Yang. "Pretty crazy to run into her at Beacon."
"I'll bet," agreed Junior, already working on preparing Yang's drink, knowing exactly what she was about to ask for. Less than a minute later, a Strawberry Sunrise, complete with a little umbrella, came sliding to a stop in front of Yang, who accepted it with a grin.
Yang wasn't all that surprised, given that Ruby had talked about her by name, in the interview she and Pyrrha did with Lisa Lavender. Obviously, Junior, considering the...spectacular...manner of Yang's inquiry, was easily able to put two and two together.
"I'm happy for you," said Junior, sounding surprisingly earnest, turning away to clean a glass. "Your sister got really lucky. Most kids don't last long on the streets. If it isn't the elements or starvation, the real sickos out there wind up doing them in instead."
"Sickos?" queried Neptune.
Junior gave him a flat look. "Let's just say you don't want to know what some freaks do to get off, and leave it at that. I don't have anything to do with that crap."
"Did Roman Torchwick?" asked Yang.
"Hell no!" said Junior earnestly, freezing as he realized the intensity of his own exclamation. He paused, shaking his head at the bouncers, who'd paused to look their way. Realizing that his outburst had resulted in giving away some information, he glared at Yang and Neptune...
...Until Neptune smiled and slid a lien card across the bar to him. Looking down at it, Junior inspected the card, and the amount on it, before nodding and dropping his hand over it, pulling it over to his side and pocketing it. Meanwhile, Yang shot Neptune an incredulous look, which earned a smile and a shrug from him.
"Clever kids," muttered Junior, sighing. "No, Roman had nothing to do with that kind of racket." He paused again, rethinking his phrasing. "I should say that he did, but he was the kind of guy who made taking those sorts down his side gig."
"He targeted traffickers?" asked Neptune, both him and Yang finding their eyes widening at the thought.
Junior smirked at their surprise. "Well, I wouldn't say he did it for entirely altruistic reasons. Trafficking can be pretty lucrative, which is one of the reasons it's so hard to stamp out. Roman would take them down, free their merchandise, and help himself to all their capital. At one point, one of the little ones he set loose ended up sticking with him."
Yang frowned. "Let me guess...little midget, mismatched eyes, brown and pink hair, likes umbrellas..."
"Right on target," said Junior, smirking. "Normally, Roman didn't give much thought to what happened to those kids, after he freed them. He liked to call the cops, 'cause it kept the Kingdom's resources tied up for a little longer, while he conducted a few extra heists. But that girl, she had some pretty useful gifts. Roman took a shine to her, and basically began grooming her for the business."
"Did he...?" Neptune asked warily.
"No," said Junior firmly. He sighed. "If anything, Roman basically adopted her. She's probably the only one in the world he actually trusts and cares for. The bond those two have, it's stronger than blood."
"Hmm..." Yang frowned, looking down at the bar.
This was more than she'd been hoping for, but not quite the kind of information she'd been expecting. She'd intended to press for info about the White Fang activities, and leads on Ironwood's Paladins. However, a rather idle inquiry on her part had resulted in some pertinent information on another of their mysteries, the actions of the mysterious Neo, who'd gone out of their way to warn them that Ashley was still in danger, even up at Beacon.
From what Junior had told them, Neo was singularly loyal to Roman Torchwick. Roman might have been in jail, but it appeared that Neo was working to serve his interests outside. She was presently working with the White Fang, yet had also seemingly betrayed them. It jived with one of their theories that Neo was working with the White Fang under duress, with Roman's wellbeing being at stake.
But why reach out to them then?
"That all you want?" asked Junior, watching Yang sip her drink with a strangely pensive expression.
Yang opened her mouth, but stopped when Neptune held up a hand. Reaching into his pocket again, Neptune pulled out some more lien, and slid them across to Junior. "Actually, the real reason we're here is to ask if you know anything about what the White Fang has been doing," he said.
Junior frowned. "That's dangerous business, kids," he said.
"I like danger," said Yang, shooting the bartender her best daredevil grin.
"I noticed," said Junior, rolling his eyes and remembering what had happened the last time Yang had come to the club. Then he sighed. "Anything in particular?"
"They've been stealing a lot of Dust," said Yang. "Any idea where all that Dust is going?"
Junior frowned. "Now that you mention it, my contacts at the perimeter walls have told me they've noticed quite a few unscheduled flights heading back and forth between Vale and the southeast, that old, abandoned extension..."
"Unscheduled flights?" Yang's eyebrows went up.
Junior nodded. "Bullheads," he said. "They don't have any flight plans, no known IFF, or any identifying marks. However, someone in the chain of command appears to have been bought off, because everyone's been told not to bother with them."
"Right...not suspicious at all," mused Yang.
Junior nodded. "Anything else?"
"Uh...Let me think..." Yang tried to think of any other questions they might need to ask, while Neptune sweated beside her, wondering how much money he would have to part with, before this was over.
Then there was a ring from Yang's pocket. Pulling at her scroll, her frowned reappeared, a serious expression on her face. "Well, I think that's gonna be it for now," she said. Picking up her Sunrise, she downed what was left in one go, before standing up. "Come on, Neptune."
Sighing in relief, Neptune pushed away from the bar, trading a small nod with Junior, before he followed Yang towards the doors. Once again, he couldn't help but notice how the bouncers all shied away from Yang as she walked past them, giving her a wide berth.
Outside, he followed Yang to her bike. "What's up?" he asked.
"Blake and Sun found the rally," said Yang. "They're going in, now. We're gonna go meet up with the others, and make sure they have backup."
"Roger that," said Neptune, swinging his leg over the motorcycle's seat, and hugging Yang from behind once more.
Bumblebee's engine roared, Neptune yelping as the sudden acceleration lifted the front wheel clear of the ground for a few seconds, before he and Yang rumbled off to prepare for whatever might await them.
Blake and Sun stood amidst several faunus, all of them wearing the white masks of prospective initiates to the White Fang. The group was a loose crowd, dressed in all manner of outfits, which contrasted sharply with the organized ranks of uniformed members, with their larger, more prominent masks, who had lined up on the left side of the warehouse floor, all of them facing the stage, where, presumably, the speakers would start stirring up the crowd with speeches of human bigotry, and White Fang retaliation for such.
A large portion of said stage was dominated by a massive object, hidden beneath a tarpaulin, the mere sight of it imparting an ominous feeling to Blake and Sun, who already suspected what it might be.
The crowd quieted as a hulking man, wearing a full-face, more ornately decorated version of the typical White Fang mask strode forward, his imposing presence prompting conversations to slow to a halt. Everyone's attention was riveted on the figure standing on the stage.
"Anyone you know?" Sun whispered softly, his lips inches away from Blake's human ears.
"Meinrad," Blake whispered back just as softly. "He's a lieutenant, strong, dangerous...fanatically loyal to Adam."
"Sounds like a nice guy," Sun muttered.
"Thank you all for coming," declared the man. "I am sure you are all eager to hear how the White Fang has fought, and continues to fight, for the sake of our fellow faunus. To that end, there are several here, who shall speak about what the White Fang has done for them. I implore you to listen to what they have to say."
"Here it comes," said Blake, remembering what Ashley had told them about the new rally format.
Sure enough, one by one, the speakers came on the stage. They gave impassioned speeches about human mistreatment, violence, discrimination, and subjugation; each speech followed by the story of how the White Fang had saved or avenged them. With each speech, Blake found her frown deepening, anger rising within her, as she wondered if these people would talk about what had happened to Tukson, or Chrys, or Ashley and her family; how the White Fang killed and threatened people for the crime of not wanting to be part of acts of heinous violence. Sun's hand in her own helped her keep her calm though, and the two of them waited out the tirade, which dragged on for one hour, then two...
When it was closing in on three hours, Meinrad came back onto the stage. This time, he was joined by another figure, one even more familiar to Blake, familiar to Sun as well.
"Uh oh," Sun whispered as they watched the svelte figure of Ilia take the stage alongside the lieutenant.
"Is that a human?" someone in the crowd asked.
Blake winced, her ears drooping as she remembered the stories Ilia had told her, about passing for human at an Atlesian school. From the slight tensing of Ilia's posture, followed by her skin and spots washing red and yellow respectively, Blake suspected that her resemblance to a human was still something she no longer enjoyed bringing up. If nothing else, the change in her skin-color was definite proof that she was a faunus...even if most of the crowd were not familiar enough with Ilia to recognize the anger represented by those colors.
Ilia took a steadying breath, and her colors returned to normal. She proceeded as though no one had said anything. "Brothers and sisters," she called out, "tonight, we have something special to show you."
"Uh oh..." muttered Sun, his and Blake's eyes once again going to the tarpaulin-covered mass dominating much of the stage.
Ilia continued, striding back and forth across the stage as she spoke. "Tonight, you heard stories of how the humans have abused us. You've heard about what they do to keep our people down and oppressed. When they do so, we strike back. We remind them that we, the faunus, are not to be trifled with, to be taken lightly. And yet...very little changes.
"The root of that problem lies, not just with the humans who oppress us directly, but the systems that prop them up, the systems that resist, and even oppose the change necessary to recognize us as equals. The Kingdoms, the Councils, the Huntsmen, and their Academies; these are the systems that put the status-quo ahead of doing what's right. It is in their benefit to do as little as possible. And so, these forces of oppression must be fought."
Angry muttering filled the warehouse, coming almost entirely from the crowd of prospective recruits on the right, many of them voicing agreement with what Ilia was saying.
She continued. "But fighting against these systems is not something so simple. They are powerful. In order to stand against them, to oppose the cause of our people's suffering at its roots, we need power. Fortunately, we have gained powerful allies, allies who have aided us in amassing the power we need to truly strike back at the cause of our pain."
The muttering of the crowd grew more excited, many of them leaning forward eagerly. Ilia turned her head, nodding to someone behind her. A few shadows moved behind the object, and the tarpaulin slid off.
Blake gasped, Sun along with her. They weren't the only ones. Shocked voices filled the room as the hulking figure of the Atlesian Paladin was revealed for all to see. Despite having already seen the hologram, and gotten an impression of its size, Blake wasn't prepared for the sheer bulk of the machine that rested, crouched, at the center of the stage. It looked exactly as depicted in Ironwood's hologram, with the addition of a red White Fang symbol painted on one side of the chassis.
"Whoah!" Sun gasped, staring up at the machine. "You showed me the pictures and all, but this thing..."
"Yeah," agreed Blake. And Adam has eleven more of these! If he unleashes them on Vale, it will be nothing less than a bloodbath! We have to stop this!
Then, to Blake's horror, a new sound began to rise amongst the faunus, both those gathered for recruitment and the soldiers lined up...cheers. The faunus assembled in the warehouse were looking up at this engine of death and destruction...and celebrating.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein