26

Chapter 26: Coming Clean

The day had gone by surprisingly fast. Blake had gone into each class with more than a little fear, just waiting for that one student, or worse, one of the teachers, to make a comment about her ears. She figured it was only a matter of time before someone drew attention to her sudden change in species.

And yet… it never happened. Oh, she still got some curious stares, there was no ignoring that. Every class there was at least one human that did a double-take when they saw her, but none of them said anything. The worst she got was one guy in Port's class that, once he noticed her ears, moved from his seat next to her to one on the other side of the room. It hurt, but compared to what she'd been expecting, his reaction was rather tame.

The big surprise was the teachers. To Blake's utter shock, the teachers barely seemed to notice the change. The most she got out of any of them was a wide smile from Professor Oobleck, and a raised eyebrow and small nod from Professor Goodwitch. It wasn't until after lunch that she figured out the most likely reason: they'd already known.

It made sense. Ozpin had made her for the Faunus she was the moment he'd met her, and she had a strong feeling that he knew about her history in the White Fang. Of course he'd tell the school faculty.

If anything, it was the others that started turning heads. Everywhere they went, Ruby, Weiss, and Yang drew the attention of nearly every Faunus they came across. Blake had lost count of the number of dropped jaws and bugged eyes she saw throughout the halls as Team RWBY made their way to various classes. And every time, it was the same thing: a Faunus would see them, do a double-take, and then immediately look at their Mate's Marks. Again, no one said anything, much to Blake's relief, but there was no missing the curiosity and shock they drew everywhere they went.

Each of her Mates handled it differently. Ruby worried her a little, as the young leader seemed to try and sink into her cloak whenever she noticed too many eyes on her. Yang had told Blake before that Ruby used to be uncomfortable being around strangers, but this was the first time she'd seen it. She'd done her best to send her youngest Mate feelings of calm and reassurance. Judging by the grateful smiles she received from Ruby, it was helping, at least a little bit.

Yang was different. Whereas Ruby was nervous from all the attention, Yang seemed to thrive on it. Every time she felt some Faunus' eyes on her, Yang would just meet their gaze and smile widely, sometimes even giving them a little wave. Her response seemed to startle most of them into looking away (likely the reaction she was going for, if Blake hazarded a guess), but a few of them actually smiled and waved back.

Weiss… just seemed to ignore them. She wasn't being purposefully rude or malicious, Blake could feel that. Weiss just acted like the attention wasn't there. And Blake couldn't really blame her. Whereas Ruby and Yang got brief shocked glances, Faunus just stared at Weiss. Evidently, the impossibility of a Schnee being a Faunus' Mate was not lost on them.

At lunch, Blake couldn't help but ask Weiss how she just ignored all the attention. Weiss' response was simple: being the Schnee heiress, she was used to unwanted attention. The resignation Blake felt across the Link at that moment made her heart constrict. In response, Blake had simply wrapped her hand around Weiss' under the table, giving it a squeeze. The small smile Weiss gave her lessened her concern, coaxing out a smile of her own.

Things had died down a bit after lunch, at least enough that they could make it down the halls without seemingly everyone staring at them. After classes had been let out, Ruby even managed to drag her and Weiss down to the library to introduce them to Remnant: The Game. Neither of them had been all that impressed with it at first, but after a few rounds, they'd both started to have fun, if for nothing else than watching Ruby and Yang's reactions when one of them suffered a sudden defeat.

JNPR had even wandered in after a while, joining in on the game. It was the first time in a long while that Blake was able to just have fun with friends, all her problems and worries being pushed to the back of her mind for once.

Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to last. Soon after the game ended and Team RWBY started making their way back to their dorm, Blake's thoughts started going back to that news report. Ever since that night at the docks, more and more robberies had cropped up by the week. That had been bad enough, but this time, it had gotten worse. A security guard was in the hospital for massive internal bleeding, and another had both of his legs broken. The White Fang wasn't just stealing anymore; they were actively hurting people.

And the sheer amount of Dust stolen… something big was about to happen, that much Blake was sure of. And the fact that she was apparently the only one that understood that was infuriating!

Her souring mood was not missed by her Mates. Ruby and Yang kept sending her concerned glances, while Weiss just looked at her expectantly.

Blake almost sighed in frustration. She knew why Weiss was giving her that look. She was waiting for Blake to explain her change in mood, just like she'd promised that morning. And Blake had no problem with that, really! Her only issue was that in order to tell them what was wrong, she had to make them understand why this weighed so heavily on her. And that… could be a problem.

Because… they were Mates now. She was connected to these three in the most intimate of ways; they had each willingly given a piece of themselves to her, physically made them a part of her. And with that connection came certain rights. Their problems were now her problems… and her problems were now theirs.

There were no secrets between Mates, not with something as important as this. And even if they weren't Mates, Blake knew her team. Once they realized how important the White Fang situation was to her, they'd want to help in one way or another. But as her Mates, Blake was an open book to them. They'd know if she tried to keep something important from them.

Blake heaved a sigh. She felt at war with herself. There was Blake of the White Fang, wanting to hide away from everything, keeping all her history and personal issues away from anyone and everyone., ensuring that it was her problem and hers alone. And there was Blake Belladonna, Huntress-in-training, Mate to Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, and Yang Xiao-Long, wishing, longing, to let these three know who she is, fully and completely, and accept any help they'd be willing to give.

Blake listened to both sides, trying to think of what would happen if she followed one path or another. It was the sight of another worried wayward glance from Ruby that she made her decision, much to the dismay of the butterflies in her stomach.

For them to help her, she'd need to tell them everything about her connection to the White Fang.

Everything.

Goddesses help her.

"Alright, Blake. This has gone far enough."

Blake resisted the urge to groan, putting her book down. She looked up from where she laid on her bed, finding Weiss glowering down at her, arms crossed.

"You promised you would tell us what was wrong after classes. Well, classes have been over for four hours and…" Weiss' stern look softened a bit, her frown fading to a thin line. "And I can feel that something's eating at you. So, please, tell us."

Blake swallowed. She looked across the room, finding Ruby looking back from her book, concern palpable. Above her, she heard the squeak of bedsprings as Yang no doubt moved to look down on them, the blonde's curiosity and worry leaking out across the Link. With a sigh, Blake sat up, swinging her legs off the edge of the bed.

"I know, I'm just… trying to think of how to explain everything."

"Something wrong, Blake?" Ruby asked, concern in her voice.

Blake fidgeted under their gaze. She felt her bed shake as Yang shifted on the bunk above her, Yang's golden locks hanging over the bed's edge as the blonde peered down at her. Blake swallowed down her nerves. "Do you all remember when I said that… there are no secrets between Mates?"

Surprise echoed through the Link as her Mates reacted to her words. Yang looked across the room, meeting Weiss and Ruby's eyes, before jumping off her bunk to the floor below. She sat down next to Blake, pulling her legs up to sit cross-legged. "Yeah," Yang said. "What of it?"

Blake looked around at them all. Ruby and Weiss looked back at her expectantly, Ruby's head tilted a little to the side, while Weiss crossed her arms, frowning. Equal parts worry and curiosity rolled off of them.

Blake took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Well… I think it's time I made good on that." When she was met only with confused stares, she clarified. "I… haven't been entirely honest with you all."

Surprise. Resignation. A small amount of hurt.

Blake flinched slightly. She couldn't pin down exactly who the emotions had come from, meaning that all three of her Mates had felt the same thing. The resignation stung the worst, Blake realizing that she'd kept so many secrets from her Mates that they'd grown used to it.

Weiss took a calming breath, the indignant frown that had formed on her lips fading into a tight line. "Okay... " she started slowly. "What haven't you been honest about?"

Blake bit her lip. "It's… about my parents."

That startled a reaction out of them all, eyes widening all around. "What about them?" Ruby asked, frowning.

Blake forced herself to meet the leader's eyes. She took comfort in Ruby's bright silver eyes, no judgment or anger reflected back from them, just curiosity and worry. She took another breath, steadying herself. "I told you all that I hadn't seen them in a long time. I… I think it's time I told you why."

She took a moment for the Surprise to wash over them all. "Um… okay," Weiss said slowly, her eyes widened a little. They softened when she saw just how visibly nervous Blake was. "If you're certain."

Blake swallowed slightly. "Sorry, it's just… I've been so wrapped up in my own head, I…" She gave a small sigh. "I'm not used to trusting people, and… this is about the most important secret I have."

Ruby blinked owlishly at her. "Why would who your parents are be such a big secret?"

Blake looked into Ruby's silver eyes. "Because of who they are. Or at least… who my father is."

Yang raised an eyebrow, frowning. "What about him? He do something bad or something?"

Blake shook her head, the corner of her lip turning up wryly despite herself. "No, no, nothing like that. It's just… I'm worried you'll look at me differently once you know who he is."

Weiss cocked an eyebrow at her, unimpressed. "Blake, I am in no position to judge anyone by who their father is."

Her bluntness got a startled look out of Blake, amber eyes widening briefly.

"Yeah, and me and Ruby can't really say much when it comes to other people's families," Yang admitted with a sheepish, if tight grin. The blonde shot a look at her sister. "Right, Rubes?"

Ruby, having come down off her bunk and taken a seat at the desk chair, sent back the same tight smile. "Yeah... " she agreed, looking down slightly.

Blake and Weiss watched the short interaction in surprised confusion. They shared a look, agreeing to question the sisters on that later. For the moment, Weiss simply met Blake's eyes with an expectant look.

Blake held the look for a moment, before sighing in defeat, her ears wilting. "Okay. Just… promise not to make a big deal about this?"

Ruby tilted her head slightly. "A big deal about what?"

"Just… promise me?" Blake pleaded. "Please?"

Weiss kept up her stare, though her features softened at Blake's hesitance. She nodded in agreement, Ruby and Yang mirroring her.

Accepting them at their word, Blake took a deep breath, steeling herself. She met each of her Mates' eyes, before looking down at the carpet. "My parents live in Menagerie," she started, willing her heartbeat to slow. "My mother's name is Kali, and… my father's name is Ghira."

Seconds ticked past in silence. Blake chanced a look at her Mates. Ruby and Yang looked confused, but thoughtful, while Weiss…

Weiss blinked. Twice. "Could… could you repeat that, Blake?" The heiress' voice was high and tight, thick with disbelief.

Blake's head lowered, grimacing slightly. I should have known Weiss would make the connection first. "My father is Ghira of Menagerie."

Weiss stared at her, wide-eyed. Then, slowly, she brought a hand to her face, pinching the bridge of her nose as she closed her eyes.

Yang let out a grunt of annoyance, cupping her chin in thought. "Ghira… why do I feel like I've heard that name before?"

"Because you have! Two weeks ago in Oobleck's…" Weiss cut her agitated words off with a deep breath.

Ruby, who was still trying to figure out what Weiss apparently had, looked between her and Blake in confusion.

Just when Blake was about to say something, Weiss dragged her hand down her face, letting out a long sigh as her pleading eyes met Blake's. "Blake, are you seriously telling us that the King of Menagerie… one of the founders and former Leader of the White Fang… is your father?"

Ruby and Yang's eyes widened to comical proportions, snapping in sync to Weiss, then Blake.

Blake swallowed at their looks. "He prefers to be called 'Chieftain', but… yeah." She grinned sheepishly, cringing at their incredulous looks. "Surprise?"

The three just stared. After a few moments of silence so deafening you could hear dust settle, Weiss dipped her head, covering her eyes.

"Alright, Blake," she said faintly. "I'll admit, I cannot blame you for keeping that a secret. I… Dust, I need to sit down."

As Weiss wandered off towards her bed, Ruby found her voice. "Blake… you're a princess?"

Blake blinked, then groaned. "No! No, Ruby, I am not a princess. I'm the chief's daughter."

"Um…" Yang asked distantly. "What exactly is the difference?"

"Menagerie is a sovereign nation, not one of the Four Kingdoms. My father is not a king, my mother is not a queen, and I am not a princess!"

Yang flinched away as Blake's voice rose. "Yikes, sorry! Sore subject, I'm guessing?"

Realizing that she had nearly yelled the last part, Blake blushed in embarrassment. "Sorry. But this is part of the reason I didn't tell you all. I didn't want to be treated unfairly for being a Faunus, and I definitely don't want people to look at me differently because they think I'm royalty."

"Well, that's silly!"

Blake, startled, turned to Ruby, who just smiled back at her.

"You're still Blake. Why would it matter if you're a… not-princess?" she finished awkwardly.

Across the room, Weiss sighed. "Because, unlike you, Ruby, not everyone looks at the world like it's made of cookies and rainbows."

Ruby pouted at her, sticking her tongue out. Weiss ignored her, instead lowering her hand from her face as she met Blake's eyes. "So… your father is the leader of Menagerie. That… honestly, that explains a lot."

Blake swallowed, one of her ears flicking nervously. "Yeah. Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you-"

She was cut off when Yang let out a chuckle. "Relax, Blake, we get the picture. That's… really nuts, but I can see why you'd want to keep that under wraps. Though, I got to ask-" The blonde's smile faded into an odd frown. "If your folks are alive, why haven't you talked to them?"

Blake stiffened, then seemed to slump in her seat. "I'd like to, but…" she sighed. "I don't know how to face them."

Yang raised a brow at her. "Face them? What, something go down the last time you saw them?"

A breathless chuckle escaped Blake's lips. "Something… I ran away from home."

A jolt of shock came at her through the Link, mirrored in her Mates' wide eyes. Blake ran a hand through her hair, pushing down her anxiety. She needed to do this, now, before she lost her nerve. Before any of the girls around her could react, she launched into her story.

"Before my father was the Chieftain of Menagerie, he helped form the White Fang, and became their leader. This was before the Fang had become what they are now. Back then, they were just activists, protesters. My father lead them for many years, traveling all throughout the Kingdoms, speaking with anyone willing to listen. The little bit of ground Faunus made towards equality was thanks to him."

As the three listened, there was no mistaking the pride in Blake's voice. Ruby and Yang shared a smile, while Weiss listened intently. When Blake continued, her tone lowered.

"But then… my mother found out she was pregnant. My father made a choice, and decided to step down as High Leader of the White Fang so he could be with his family. He still wanted to help the Faunus people, so when it came time for Menagerie to elect a new chief, dad put himself in the running. Everyone remembered all he did in the White Fang, so he got the Chiefdom easily. Everything seemed okay, until…"

She fell silent. She took a calming breath, preparing herself. She could feel her Mates, waiting impatiently for her to continue. She let the air our slow.

"Menagerie doesn't have academies like the rest of the Kingdoms. To start becoming a Hunter, you either have to be taught by your parents, or join some of the small school groups that form in some towns. My father taught me when he had the chance, but being Chieftain didn't leave much time to spar. So, he found a group being taught by a local prodigy. His name was…" Blake licked her dry lips, her gaze unintentionally flickering up towards Weiss. She looked back down as she muttered on. "...Adam Taurus."

Weiss' gasp sounded unnaturally loud in the silent room. "That's-"

"Just-!" Blake threw up a hand, amber eyes pleading into Weiss' wide crystal blue. "Just let me finish," she asked, her voice thick with emotion. "Please."

Weiss' shocked expression slowly morphed to one of startled confusion, before changing to grim acceptance. She nodded for Blake to continue.

Ruby looked to Yang helplessly, her older sister only able to offer a shrug in response. They both could feel the sadness, the regret, the shame coming off of Blake, wanting nothing more than to comfort the Faunus in some way, but unsure how. Before they could do anything, Blake went on, her tone turning almost nostalgic.

"Adam… taught me everything. He taught me how to use aura, how to master my Semblance. He even helped me figure out which weapon type suited me best. And… even when we weren't training, he was always there just to talk. He never talked down to me, even with the age gap between us. I could tell him anything. He… was my best friend."

"You looked up to him," Yang observed, worry forming at where she felt this was going.

Blake nodded. "Yes, I did. But, even back then… Adam didn't think very highly of humans, and he made that fact known at every opportunity. He would tell me about how Faunus were treated outside of Menagerie, how humans thought that we were beneath them. When he first started telling me these things. I asked my father if he was telling the truth. Dad admitted that he was right to a degree, but not to the extent that Adam made it sound. But… Adam kept telling me more and more and… I listened."

"When I was thirteen, Adam said he was leaving for Vale, to help the White Fang there after a protest turned into a riot. I asked my parents if I could go with him. I was one of the best fighters in our town, and I thought I was ready. They said I was too young to go off on my own, even if Adam was with me. I… didn't agree. So, when Adam got on the boat for Vale, I stowed away to follow him."

Yang let out a disbelieving laugh. "Bet your parents didn't like that."

Blake shook her head, a tiny smile on her lips. "The moment the ship got within range of a communications tower, Adam's scroll started ringing like crazy. My mother was hysterical, and Dad told me to get on the next boat back to Menagerie. Things got kind of heated, and… I said some things I shouldn't have. We went back and forth for an hour in the harbor, before we came to an agreement. They'd let me join the Vale branch of the White Fang on two conditions: that I called home as often as I could… and that Adam would watch out for me."

Blake paused to gather her thoughts. She could see the thoughtful look in Weiss' eye, not judging so much as considering. The frown on Yang's face worried her, doubly so when she met the blonde's eyes. There was no need for the Link, she knew: Yang had figured it out.

Yang must have seen the way Blake's face fell, because she let her frown lessen just a bit. She gave Blake an encouraging nod, a sign that she was still willing to listen.

It was the sudden widening of Ruby's eyes, and they stunned look on her face as she turned to Blake, that made the Faunus' stomach drop.

"Blake?" she asked hesitantly. "This Adam guy… Is he the one who…?" Ruby trailed off, simply pointing to her Mark.

Blake closed her eyes. She gave a small nod. She couldn't see the look on Ruby's face, but she could feel the way the younger girl's mood took a dive. Blake chose not to comment on it, continuing on.

"When we first came to Vale, Adam was the only person I knew. I was part of the Vale branch for three years, and I was at his side through all of it, even after he rose to be the local leader."

Her voice grew distant as she remembered. "He really was a good person once. He had his faults, but… he was kind… caring. He would help any Faunus we came across, no matter how big or small the task. He was an amazing warrior, the best I'd ever seen. He… was my hero. And over time… I really thought I loved him."

The emotions Blake felt coming off her Mates could not be put into words, and Blake didn't even try. The sheer ache in her chest was enough to turn her stomach.

"What happened?"

Blake's eyes came up to meet Weiss'. The heiress stared back at her, her face somehow both soft and stern. Blake slowly looked at each of the sisters. Ruby was biting her lip, fidgeting in her chair like she wanted to do something, but had no idea what. Yang met her gaze passively, a hard look in her eye as she waited for Blake to answer Weiss' question. Blake looked towards the ground as she did.

"He… changed. I wish I could say when it happened, but I don't know. Over time, he just got… darker… crueler. He said that during rallies, we had to be louder, more forceful. When we helped people, he started asking for compensation. And then… he started getting violent. He told us to fight. He told us to steal. I… in the back of my mind, I guess I knew what we were doing was wrong, but…" She shrugged helplessly. "He was Adam. I had listened to every word he'd said since I was a kid, I believed everything he told me. He said that this is what we had to do to get our message across… and I trusted him."

It was silent for a moment, before Ruby spoke up. "But… you realized what you were doing was bad… right?"

Blake nodded to her. "Eventually… but I should have seen it much sooner." She took a deep breath, steeling herself for one last time. "About a year ago, I… asked him to be my Mate." She took a moment for the girls' shock to abate before going on. "Our…'relationship', if you could call it that, wasn't exactly intimate. A few close moments, a very rare kiss every now and then. Most of the time, he was too focused on the White Fang's next move to do anything else. Looking back, what we had was…" She scoffed. "Pathetic. But I had nothing to compare it to, so I thought that was just how things were supposed to be."

"Knowing what I know now, I have no idea how we were able to Mark each other. I know that at the time, I had enough trust, respect, and affection for Adam to Mark him, but… I don't even want to think about how he viewed me in order to form a Mark on me. After we Marked each other, that's when everything fell apart."

"Why?" Weiss asked, not sure if she wanted the answer.

After a few seconds, Blake forced herself to look at her Mates, needing to see their eyes as she explained. "Because of what I felt from him. When I Marked you three… well, obviously, we didn't exactly go the traditional route." To her relief, her feeble attempt humor managed to get a crooked smile from Yang, and elicit a blush from Ruby and Weiss. "When you Mark someone for the first time, it takes a while before you're able to feel your partner's emotions. Your aura has to adjust and settle to the intrusion of someone else' aura. None of you noticed that because your auras settled while you slept."

"For me and Adam, it was different. We Marked each other in the morning of that day, and it took till mid-afternoon for us to fully feel each other. When we could…" Blake shuddered, her voice growing thick. "Right after we Marked each other, Adam got word that there was something big coming to the area: an SDC cargo train full of Dust."

The sheer shock and disbelief she felt from Weiss came as no surprise. Blake's amber eyes met wide crystal blue, taking note of how Weiss' mouth had fallen open in shock. A silent question came across the Link, a need for confirmation. Blake gave a slow nod. Weiss' mouth clicked shut, her lips twisting into a grimace. To Blake's slight relief, Weiss' displeasure was tempered with a sense of grim acceptance, the heiress nodding for her to go on.

"Adam and I went alone. 'Our first outing as an item', he called it. All the way there, I kept trying to reach out through the Link, to try and connect with him. It wasn't until we were already fighting the train's defenses that my aura settled."

Blake paused, contemplating. "He felt… cold. When I touched his aura, it was like… there was nothing there. Some basic excitement from the fighting, satisfaction, but… nothing deeper. He was… hollow. At least until… we found the Dust car. Once we'd secured the car, I thought we would just separate the cars, coast to a stop until we could call for a pick-up. Instead… Adam started handing me explosives."

"Whoa…" Yang interrupted, eyes wide. "I don't remember hearing about a train exploding. Even in Patch, we would have heard of that!"

Blake nodded. "You're right. You would have. It would have been the biggest attack on the SDC to date, which I'm sure is what Adam was going for."

"But that didn't happen," Weiss stated, baffled.

Blake shook her head. "No. When Adam told me to start planting charges, I asked what we should do about the train's crew. He said… 'What about them?'"

For the first time since Blake had started her tale, her expression turned to anger. "He was happy. There were almost twenty people on that train, and the mere idea of all those humans dying horribly thrilled him. He was going to kill them all…" Her hands unconsciously fisted up. "And he was going to enjoy it."

It got quiet as her words sank in. Weiss was staring at Blake with a look of horror. The idea that someone she cared about was connected to someone so vile was unnerving. That Blake had been so close to someone like that… Weiss felt a type of fear she hadn't known existed as she considered what Blake's life must have been like with such a man.

Yang just looked at her, a despondent frown on her lips. Behind her concern, fresh fury sparked to life. She remembered Blake's breakdown two days prior, how the Faunus' response to whether her former would-be Mate had hurt her had been that soul-tearing murmur of "not physically." To Yang, that didn't matter. Physically or not, this Adam had hurt her Blake. If she ever met this guy, Yang was going to hurt him. End of story.

Ruby bit her lip. At that moment, the only thing the little leader wanted to do was wrap Blake in the tightest hug she could muster and never let go. The only thing stopping her from doing so was the mix of hesitance and determination she felt from Blake. She could feel how hard it was for Blake to tell them all of this, but the Faunus wanted to tell them. Ruby didn't want to risk whatever nerve Blake had gained in order to tell them her past. "What did you do?" she asked quietly.

Blake met her silver eyes. After a moment, her hands unclenched, lying limply in her lap as she looked down at them. "There was one last piece of security on the train… some kind of weird spider mech. Adam gave me the charges, and told me to start planting them while he took it down. I went to the next car and…" She took a shuddering breath. "I couldn't do it. I couldn't keep following him. Adam… he wasn't the person I knew before. Looking back, I think I'd started noticing beforehand. I just refused to acknowledge it. But at that moment… I had a direct Link with his soul. I got a good look at who he really was, what made him what he is. And what I saw… terrified me.

"I didn't think. I didn't have the time. I stood there on that flatbed, and I heard Adam destroy the mech behind me. I knew he was going to follow me up the train, so… I turned around and disconnected the cars. The train pulled away as the car he was on slowed down. I could feel it, the shock he felt as she watched me go. But as soon as he processed what had happened…"

Blake's voice cracked. She swallowed a few times, taking one shaky breath after another. "He was so angry. It… it was like he was screaming in my mind, howling with rage. As soon as the train stopped, I ran. I didn't think about where I was going, I didn't even have a place to go. I just needed to get away."

"Seven days. His Mark lasted for seven days. I couldn't sleep, I barely ate. I just ran. Because every second, I could feel it, the never-ending rage across the Link. I didn't stop, just running from town to town. Somehow, I ended up in Vale, back at the harbor." She paused, clenching her eyes shut. "I almost did it. I wanted nothing more than to buy a ticket and go back to Menagerie. But… I couldn't face them. How could I? How could I tell them about everything I'd done in the White Fang? How could I tell my father what I had let the White Fang become? That Adam and I…" She let out a trembling breath. "They'd hate me."

The room went silent. Blake took a few deep breaths to calm herself. She felt a line of water run down her face, a tear spilling from her eye without her noticing. She quickly wiped it away, willing her tears away.

"I really doubt that."

Blake started, turning her head to face Yang. The blonde frowned at her, her expression soft. "It ain't like you meant for any of this to happen. Yeah, ya screwed up, but… you really think your folks would hate you for this?"

Blake swallowed. "Why wouldn't they? My dad spent his whole life building up the White Fang, and Adam tore it all down in three years… and I helped him do it."

"When was the last time you talked to them?" Ruby asked quietly.

Blake thought for a moment. "About… ten months ago. After I was sure Adam didn't know where I was, I worked up the nerve to call home. My mom answered. I… I couldn't tell her what had really happened. I told her I wanted to try something different, separate to the Fang. I had the idea to become a real Huntress, and enroll at Beacon. She was… surprisingly okay with it. She wished me luck… told me she'd be proud of me no matter what I did… and… that was the last time I spoke to her."

Yang let out a long breath. "Geez… almost a year? That… really sucks, Blake."

Ruby let out a little whine of a hum, looking more than a little upset. "Are… are you sure you don't want to call them? They probably miss you."

Blake grimaced, meeting Ruby's silver eyes. "And I miss them, Ruby. But… I just can't face them, not after everything Adam and I did. I can't face them until I've dealt with the White Fang."

"Wait, 'dealt with'?" Weiss repeated, startled out of her deep musings. "Blake… the White Fang is huge! You can't just deal with them by yourself!"

Blake stared back at her, defiantly. "I have to! No one knows the White Fang like I do. No one else knows how they operate. Except now, they're changing. More brazen robberies, becoming more violent; working with that Torchwick guy? Adam's White Fang has never worked with humans, let alone taken orders from one. If I wait too long, what I know about the White Fang could be useless. They're getting ready for something big, and no one seems to be doing anything about it!"

Weiss flinched back as Blake's voice rose to a near yell. The worry, the fear, the sheer desperation Blake was feeling at that moment washed over her like a raging river. Ruby and Yang reacted similarly, Ruby biting her lip as she felt Blake's emotions.

Weiss met Blake's intense stare with her own. Then she sighed, crossing her arms. "So what do you suggest we do, Blake? We're students, still learning. Even if you have inside information, we can't take on an army by ourselves."

Blake's ears dipped down at her words. Nice as the thought was, she knew an outright fight against the White Fang would be suicide. That's not even to mention Adam. One-on-one, she had no doubts who would win in that fight. Then she had a mental image of, instead of fighting him herself, it was Ruby trying to fight Adam. Then she pictured Yang… then Weiss…

A shiver went down her spine, her stomach turning cold. Forget the White Fang, just Adam by himself would be more than a match for any of them.

Rather than a sigh, it was a feline whine that escaped past Blake's lips as she crossed her arms, same as Weiss, glaring down at the ground. "I know. But if I just knew what they were doing… It would be a start, at least."

"Well," Ruby started. "Why don't we do that? The White Fang are somewhere in Vale, right? Why don't we find them and spy on them?"

Weiss sighed. "Ruby, all the law enforcement in Vale are trying to do that right now, with no success. What luck would the four of us have to do what they can't?"

"Well, I think it's worth a shot," Yang said, her trademark grin slowly spreading across her face. "I could ask around some of the nightclubs I go to. Someone might know where to find this Torchwick guy."

Weiss raised an eyebrow at the blonde, looking both amused and exasperated. "I should really be more surprised that your local hangout might know where a known criminal is." Yang's grin just grew, and Weiss shook her head. She focused back on Blake. "I suppose I could try and access the SDC records. Maybe I could see if they've found something we don't know about."

Blake's ears perked up a little, surprise and gratitude coming off her. "I can ask around and see when the next White Fang rally is. If I'm lucky, they might say something about their future plans."

"Alright!" Ruby clapped her hands together, jumping up from her chair. "We have a plan! Team RWBY is going to be the youngest group of Huntresses in history ever to take down a scary terrorist organization!"

Weiss rolled her eyes at Ruby's excitement. "I'm pretty sure we'd be the only group of Huntresses to ever pull something like that off."

"Even better!" Ruby beamed.

Weiss just sighed, a fond smile on her lips. "Well, if we're going to do this, I want to have a bit more to the plan than what we have." She pulled out her scroll and started typing.

"Oh! Good idea." Ruby went to do the same, then started to frantically pat at her pockets. "Uh… where's my scroll?"

Weiss huffed in exasperation. "When was the last time you used it?"

Ruby thought for a moment. "Um… Oh! When we were in the library." A few seconds ticked past, before Ruby's eyes widened in a panic. "I left my scroll in the library!" Without another word, she ran out of the room. There was a loud thud from down the hall, Ruby's voice echoing as she exclaimed. "Whoops! Sorry!"

Weiss rolled her eyes again, still staring at her scroll. "That girl, I swear…" Her air of indifference was ruined by the small, upward curve of her lips as she typed away at her scroll.

Blake watched all this with a smile on her face. The way Ruby and Weiss interacted was entertaining before, but now that she could feel what they did, it added a whole new layer to how Blake saw them. Ruby's genuineness to everything she did, the way Weiss tried to be annoyed by everything she did.

A small nudge on her arm drew Blake's attention to the girl beside her. Yang had a small smile on her face.

"What?"

Instead of answering, Yang leaned in close, surprising Blake with a kiss. After a brief moment, Blake returned it, her eyes sliding closed.

Across the room, Weiss looked up from her scroll, feeling the sudden spike of contentment from the partners. Her eyes widened in surprise at the sight of them kissing. Strangely, while she expected to feel jealousy or the like, Weiss only felt contentedness herself, as if the fact that they were happy made her happy as well. Her eyes went back to her scroll, save a chancing glance at them one last time.

The two pulled away after a few seconds. Blake, her cheeks warm, tilted her head slightly, asking a silent question.

Yang gave a half-smile, draping her arm across Blake's shoulders. "Looked like you could use a pick-me-up."

Blake smiled back, leaning into Yang's side. For a few moments, the only sound in the room was the tapping of Weiss' fingers on her scroll.

"So," Yang started. "If we fix this whole White Fang thing, you going to call your parents?"

Blake's ears lowered slightly, a familiar ache forming in her chest at the thought of her parents. "If we can clean up the mess Adam and I made… then, maybe… I hope so."

Yang nodded, agreeing. "Good." Her grin suddenly widened, turning into a mischievous smirk. "'Cause I'd like to meet me and Ruby's new in-laws."

There was a sudden clattering sound from across the room. Weiss stared at the partners with wide eyes, her scroll having slipped from her fingers. "In-laws?" she asked, her voice rising a few octaves.

"In-laws?" Blake echoed faintly, her ears drooping as low as they could as she pulled slightly away from Yang.

At their reaction, Yang let out a sheepish laugh, rubbing at the back of her head. "Well, Blake, you did say that Mating is kind of the Faunus equivalent to getting engaged. That means your parents are our in-laws now… right?"

Blake swallowed. Through everything, that thought had somehow slipped her mind. But now that Yang mentioned it… "Well… in a way…"

"Oh…" Weiss buried her head in her hands, letting out a helpless whimper. "Oh no…"

"Weiss?" Blake asked, confused by her action. "What's wrong?"

Weiss pulled her head up, fixing Blake with a rather blank look. "Blake you're the princess of Menagerie, right?"

Blake growled slightly, her ears pinning back. "I am not-"

"I know what you said!" Weiss half-shouted, cutting off Blake's indignant insistence. "But to the world at large, that's what they'd see you as, right?"

Blake gave a grunt of annoyance. "Most likely," she relented, reluctantly. "Why?"

Weiss' expression morphed into a helpless grimace. "Blake… the princess of Menagerie… the Faunus safe-haven… is engaged… to the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company."

It took a moment for Weiss' words to really sink in. When they did, Blake's eyes widened as much as they could, her ears standing straight up on her head. Yang looked between them both, shock on her face as if she was just realizing the full implications of what Weiss said. And though Weiss hadn't said it out loud, it didn't stop Blake from realizing.

The Chieftain of Menagerie now had a Schnee for a daughter-in-law.

Yang summed it all up nicely.

"Well… this just got a lot more complicated."

Unknown Location

Roman Torchwick looked around the warehouse, watching as various White Fang grunts scurried from place to place, setting the stage for the next day's rally. He turned around, looking up at a large form, covered in a massive sheet.

Tougher armor, stronger servos… not to mention all my little additions, hehehe…

Roman smirked at the thought. He was almost hoping things would go wrong, just to give him an excuse.

Okay, Little Red, Kitty Cat. Hit me with your best shot. I'm ready for ya this time.

Betaed by Covert Weapon

After lengthy consideration (like, ever since volume 4 happened), I changed a bit of the dialogue Blake has about her parents. I usually don't like retconing my work like that, but this is something that has been bugging me for literal years, and now that I'm cross-posting on Ao3, this felt like a good time to do something about it. Sorry if it's caused any confusion.

Old A/n: Place in the RWBY Timeline: Welcome to Beacon

A/n: Well, there's Blake's history. I hope I did a good job at it.

Happy New years everyone! Here's hoping this one is better than the last one!

Wow… I've been writing this thing for over a year… and I'm nowhere close to finished yet. Thank you, all of you, for sticking with my weird little story for this long. I hope you'll all keep reading as we go on into the future.

'