27

Chapter 27: Information Gathering, Part 1

Beacon Entrance

"Ugh, I thought that class would never end," Blake groaned as she adjusted the wraps on her arm. The four Mates made their way through the halls of Beacon, each checking over their weapons and equipment.

Walking beside her, Ruby fussed with her scarf, trying her hardest to get it to sit right. "I know, right? I mean, why do we need a Grimm Studies class every other weekend- oh, dang it!"

"You need some help there Sis?" Yang asked as she slipped Ember Celica onto her arms, a smirk in her voice.

"No, no, I almost got it! I just need… maybe… okay, yes," Ruby muttered dejectedly, her arms hanging limply in defeat as her new scarf hung undone around her neck.

Yang chuckled, then went to help her sister. The group came to a stop just inside the courtyard as Yang wrapped and rewrapped the scarf around Ruby's neck, the younger girl craning her neck to give her sister space. Weiss rolled her eyes, then kept reading the checklist she'd made on her scroll.

Blake shook her head at their antics. Ruby had had the idea that they all needed "stealth outfits" for when they were searching Vale for clues about the White Fang and Roman Torchwick. Weiss hadn't seen much point to it, but to her surprise, Blake had agreed. Her usual outfit was the same one she'd worn during her time with the White Fang, so a change of clothes made sense, just in case someone she knew was at the rally. Yang hadn't really cared one way or the other, though, after hearing Blake's reasoning, she agreed on the outfit change, much to Ruby's joy.

They'd each done some digging through their belongings and managed to throw together some new outfits from what they had, save Blake, who hadn't come to Beacon with much more than a few changes to her usual clothes. Thankfully, Weiss had a white jacket that fit Blake perfectly.

Honestly, for being thrown together at the last minute, Blake had to admit that her Mates' new outfits were pretty good. Though, she had a feeling that Yang's jacket didn't have to be quite that tight… and the smirk Yang sent her when she was caught staring confirmed it for her.

The only issue was Ruby's. The little leader wanted to wear a scarf with her outfit, one that matched her cloak. The problem was, once she put it on, the scarf completely covered her Mate's Mark. For Ruby, this was a crisis.

"You don't have to show your Mate's Mark off, Ruby," Blake reminded her for the third time. "It's just something some Faunus like to do." Myself included, she added silently in her head.

"Yeah," Ruby conceded. "But you said they show off their Marks because they're happy they got it, right? Well, I'm happy to have it, and I want them all to know it!"

Blake couldn't stop the slight grin forming on her lips. Happiness and contentedness came off of her, easily picked up by the three. Ruby smiled at having made Blake so happy.

Yang, however, was frowning. "Well, I hate to tell ya, Rubes, but that ain't happening if you try and wear this thing." She pulled the offending scarf off of Ruby's neck, giving up her fight with it. "It's just too big."

Ruby pouted, taking the scarf from Yang. "Aww… But it looked so cool!"

"Do you even need a scarf?" Weiss asked, looking up from her scroll. "It's not that cold out."

Ruby slumped a little, feeling bashful as she stuffed the scarf into her back pocket. "Well… no… but it looked cool!"

Yang snorted, fighting a smile. Weiss raised an eyebrow at her, then groaned. "Puns…" she grumbled. Then she turned serious, looking over her team. "Okay, so everyone knows where they're going?"

Ruby nodded, a confident smile on her face. "Yep. Me and you are going to go to the CCT tower and get all the info the SDC has on the White Fang."

"There should be a White Fang recruitment rally downtown tonight," Blake said. "I'll mingle with the crowd and see if I hear anything of interest."

"And I'll head down to my usual nightclub," Yang added. "See if I can find anything out on this Torchwick guy." A sudden sense of worry drew her attention to the girl next to her, finding worried blue eyes staring at her. "Something wrong, Weiss?"

Weiss stiffened at the attention. "Nothing."

Yang frowned, putting her hands on her hips. "It's something. What?"

Weiss' eyes darted back to Yang, then to Blake. "Nothing, I just…" She sighed, averting her gaze. "I looked up where that nightclub is. It's in one of the riskier parts of the city."

Yang tilted her head. "Yeah. And? That's what makes it so fun to go to!"

Weiss bit her lip nervously. "But… is it safe?"

Yang blinked. She crossed her arms, a small smirk forming on her lips. "Weiss, I can bench 850 and punch Grimm into powder. I can handle myself if some morons try to pull something." Weiss didn't look convinced, so Yang added, "You guys are gonna meet me there afterwards anyway. It'll be fine."

Weiss' frown lessened slightly, Yang's bright smile giving the heiress a bit more confidence. That confidence came crashing down the moment she turned to Blake, her trepidation felt by all. "What about you, Blake? Are you sure you'll be okay going to that rally… alone?"

Blake mirrored Weiss' worried expression for a moment, before giving her a reassuring smile. "I'll be okay, Weiss. Everyone will be wearing masks, myself included. Even if someone I know is there, they won't notice me once I'm in the crowd."

"Besides," Yang piped in. "If Blake's right about where the rally is, it'll be just a couple blocks from the nightclub. Something happens to either of us, the other will be right there to back them up."

Weiss nodded, conceding the point, but still held her frown. "I know that. It's the fact that something could happen to you two that worries me. I just…" She huffed, her brow wrinkling in thought. "I don't like you two going off by yourselves."

Yang held in a groan. "We'll be fine, Weiss. Sheesh, I didn't peg you as the mother hen type."

She instantly regretted her dismissive words when Weiss glared at her, her anger spiking. "Well forgive me for wanting the few people important to me to stay safe!"

Yang quickly backtracked, throwing her hands up in defense. "Hey, I didn't mean it like that! I just…"

"Whoa, time out!" Ruby suddenly flashed between the two, holding her arms out to separate them. She'd stayed quiet as the three had talked, figuring that Blake and Yang could handle Weiss' worries themselves, but between Weiss' anger and Yang's telltale signs of being about to go on the defensive, Ruby had to stop this before it began. A Weiss/Yang argument could last hours, and they didn't have time for that right now. Plus, she doubted Weiss would like to make a scene with so many people around.

Turning to Weiss, Ruby said, "Weiss, Yang has been going to this club for a while now. She knows her way around it. And Blake knows the White Fang. If she thinks she'll be okay on her own, we should trust her. Right?"

Weiss hesitated, surprised by Ruby's interruption. She scowled for a moment, before her face softened to a pout. She crossed her arms, looking down. "I suppose…"

Ruby smiled brightly. "Yeah. And besides," she put a finger to her temple, tapping it. "It's not like they'd be completely alone, right?"

Weiss blinked. She was confused for a moment, then realized: the Link. With it, she would know her girlfriend's emotions at any time. She'd… always be with them. A warm feeling built in her chest at the thought.

Uncrossing her arms, Weiss gave a small, sheepish smile. "I'm being silly, aren't I?"

Blake smiled, shaking her head. "Not really. You're just worried about us. Just trust that we know what we're doing, okay?"

Yang grinned, tussling Weiss' hair a little. "We'll be okay, Weiss. It's cute that you care, though."

Weiss huffed, batting away at Yang's hand, but nodded all the same. "Fine. I still wish you had someone to go with you, but if you're sure you'll both be okay… I suppose I'll get over it."

Ruby nodded. "Okay then, if that's taken care of, then let's get out there and find those bad guys!"

"Yeah! Let's… whoa."

Ruby blinked at the sudden shout behind her, as did the rest of her team. All four of them turned towards the voice.

Moments Earlier

"It's unfair, I tell you! Completely unfair!"

The eyes of passersby were drawn to the constant shouting of the young man walking up one of Beacon's many paths away from the cafeteria. He had his hands stuffed in his pockets, his head down as his blond-furred monkey tail swept from side to side in agitation.

"Yes, yes, I figured that out the first dozen times you told me," said the blue-haired boy walking beside him, exasperation clear in his voice.

Sun shot Neptune a brief glare of annoyance. "Well, it is! What did I do to deserve being put under house arrest? Name one thing, just one!"

Neptune raised an eyebrow at his friend and leader, a look that clearly asked 'are you serious?' "Well, let's see," he started, counting each point off on his fingers. "You left the school without permission, you broke into a restricted part of the harbor, stowed away illegally on a cargo ship, evaded police…"

Sun's shoulders slumped, lowering a little bit more with each point. "I only asked for one…"

Neptune continued like Sun hadn't said anything. "Broke into the restricted part of another harbor, got into an unauthorized fight with known criminals…"

"Hey, that one shouldn't count! Besides, Blake and Ruby were there, too, and I doubt they got locked in a hotel with the Haven faculty for a week!"

Neptune fixed Sun with a stern glare. "Probably because they didn't go around bragging to every classmate they came across about how they took on a terrorist organization and 'won'. Which did not happen, by the way, since you told me it was some girl with magic swords and laser beams that took them down." He let out a breath, trying to calm himself. "Sun, you're lucky it was just a week. By all rights, you should have been kicked out of the tournament, if not expelled."

Sun rolled his eyes, a small smirk worming its way onto his face. "Wow, Nep, glad to know you care about my education."

Neptune responded with a smirk of his own. "Me, care? Naw. You're our team leader. You get kicked out, the rest of us can't compete."

Sun snorted. "Yeah, yeah. So, I miss anything during my stay at Hotel Haven?"

Neptune shrugged. "Not really, but I haven't exactly been socializing with the Beacon students. Mostly just stayed in the Haven dorms, reading up on the Festival."

Sun let out a groan. "Well, that sucks. Guess I'll just have to ask Blake myself."

"Ask her what?"

"About when we're going to go after that Torchwick guy."

Neptune blinked. "Oh." They walked a few more steps, before Neptune came to a screeching halt, a baffled look on his face. "Wait, what?! Sun, you just got back from a suspension because you fought that guy. Why the hell are you going to do it again?"

Sun shrugged, not even stopping as he continued up the path. "Why not? There's something weird going on with the White Fang and this guy, and I want to know what it is. Plus, it sure beats sitting around until the Festival starts."

Neptune let out a groan, sprinting to keep up. "Oh, yeah," he drawled, voice thick with sarcasm. "Tracking down a mobster and his legion of Faunus cultists. Sounds like a real blast."

Sun slapped Neptune on the back, grinning widely. "Glad you agree. Thanks for volunteering!"

Neptune's eyes widened, a sharp denial on his lips. His mouth soon snapped shut, his eyes narrowing as he glared at Sun. "I'm not getting out of this, am I?"

Sun just smirked. "What do you think?"

Neptune just groaned.

A small chuckle came from Sun. "Hey, look at it this way: either everything will go great, which is more likely to happen if you help, or we'll both get kicked out of the tournament, which would have happened anyway if I got in trouble by myself.

Neptune stared at Sun, his left eye twitching. Then he pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to ward off his oncoming headache. "We get caught, Scarlet and Sage are going to kill you," he said simply.

Sun laughed it off. "Aw, they'll be fine. Now, I think Blake said her dorm was on the third floor…"

Neptune gave the surrounding buildings an appraising look. "Yeah, that's not really specific." While he had to admit Beacon was impressive to look at, for the life of him, Neptune couldn't tell one building from another. And they were all huge. Finding one dorm room out of the likely hundreds in the surrounding buildings would take forever.

Sun just shrugged again. "She said there was a tree across from her window. That should make things easier."

Neptune gave the grounds another once-over, focusing on the building they were walking beside. There were trees everywhere, plenty of which were near various windows. I doubt it… Neptune thought to himself as they neared a turn around the building's corner, dreading the likelihood of chasing Sun all over the campus in the search of the Team RWBY dorm. And knowing Sun, he'd probably have Neptune do something weird, like climb the outside of the building to search.

It wouldn't be the first time.

He was pulled from his thoughts when he heard Sun start mumbling to himself. "Now, where to start looking… maybe-"

"Well, forgive me for wanting the few people important to me to stay safe!"

They both froze at the sudden yell, just steps away from rounding the corner.

"...right around the corner," Sun finished, blinking. He gave a bemused grin. "Well, that was easy." He went to keep walking, when Neptune grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back.

"Uh, Sun, if I'm not mistaken, that sounded like Weiss, and she does not sound happy. Maybe we should try this later?"

Sun waved him off. "Nep, relax. If it's really a bad time, the worst they can do is tell us to get lost."

"Yeah, but-" Before Neptune could continue, Sun pulled away from him and nearly sprinted around the corner. He could only sigh as he moved to keep up. "This is gonna end badly," he mumbled to himself as he shook his head.

Sun rounded the corner, nearly colliding with a group of Beacon students that chose just that moment to do the same. He quickly dodged out of the way, shouting a quick apology when he nearly collided with a brown-haired rabbit Faunus. Ignoring the dirty look he got from the beret-wearing girl next to her, Sun scanned the courtyard for the source of the yell he'd heard. To his relief, he found the whole of Team RWBY, standing off to the side of the building's entrance. He started over to them right when he heard Ruby's happy shout.

"Okay then, if that's taken care of, then let's get out there and find those bad guys!"

Sun's grin grew. Wow, talk about perfect timing. "Yeah!" he shouted, laughing internally as he pictured the surprised looks he'd likely get. "Let's…"

His grin quickly faded away, his mirth turning into shock.

"...whoa," he breathed out, his voice faint.

The four girls turned to face him, and Sun could only stare dumbly back at them.

The first thing he noticed was Blake's ears. Specifically, her Faunus ears, which were currently on full display, no bow in sight, right in plain view of the rather crowded courtyard. Given what he'd learned about Blake the previous month, that alone would have been enough to give him pause. However, what Sun saw took an immediate back seat to what he felt.

The moment Sun laid eyes on Blake, his shoulders suddenly felt heavier. It was as if someone had come up behind him and clasped him on the shoulders, ready to lead him away from where he was at a moment's notice. It was a feeling he had felt dozens of times throughout his life, especially since he started spending time in big cities where there were more and more people around. On instinct, his eyes flicked towards Blake's neck. Sure enough, there was a multi-colored design on her skin that had not been there the previous week.

She's… already Mated to someone. Well… dammit…

Sun felt his stomach sink, his shoulders slumping. He knew it'd been a long shot, especially given Blake's reluctance to let people in, and the fact she'd made it clear that they were just friends. But there was a large part of him that couldn't help but be attracted to the cat Faunus. He'd been hoping that once she'd gotten to know him a little better, she'd be willing to give him a shot.

So much for that… he thought to himself dejectedly.

"Sun?"

The surprised, somewhat concerned call of his name pulled Sun out of his thoughts. He blinked, suddenly finding amber eyes staring into his own.

Blake was frowning at him, looking concerned. Once he met her gaze, Blake tilted her head in confusion, then, her eyes widened. Her features softened in understanding, then she looked at him almost… apologetic?

After a second, Sun groaned internally. Crap, I must have had some look on my face. Thinking fast, Sun flashed her his usual grin, nodding to her. She had nothing to apologize for. It wasn't like he had said anything to her, not seriously. It stung a bit, no doubt, but that wasn't her fault. Though, now I'm curious. I wonder who…?

Unconsciously, Sun's eyes drifted to the side, landing on Yang… and quickly had that feeling in his shoulders again.

Oh…, he thought in surprise, once his eyes landed on the same Mark Blake had. Well… they are partners, so I guess that makes sense… Didn't think Blake swung that way, though.

"Are you okay, Sun?"

Once again pulled from his thoughts, Sun turned towards the lighter voice. "Yeah, sorry about that Ruuuu…." He trailed off, staring at the young leader in shock.

Uh… okay… That's different. Blake has more than one Mate? Didn't see that coming. I didn't even know she and Ruby were that close. Though, Ruby was the one who showed up a the docks, so maybe they're closer than I thought… wait…

Ignoring the odd look Ruby was giving him, Sun looked closer at the Mate's Mark on her neck, really analyzing it. Now that he could see it up close, he could tell that it was mostly made up of four different symbols. Three of them were vaguely familiar to him, having only taken notice of them once or twice, but it was the fourth one that he recognized instantly. Not too difficult, seeing as how that particular symbol was slapped onto everything from bullets to toothpaste.

No way. Slowly, Sun turned his head towards the last member of Team RWBY, meeting the impatient stare of Weiss Schnee, who had her arms crossed in annoyance.

The same Weiss Schnee that had the same Mark as the rest of her team. The same Weiss Schnee that was giving off a very familiar feeling as he stared at her.

Weiss Schnee was a Faunus' Mate.

Weiss Schnee was Blake's Mate.

...okay, now I'm just lost.

"Uh, dude? You okay?"

Sun pulled his eyes slowly away from Weiss, finding that Neptune had caught up to him and was looking at him like he'd lost it.

Sun stared at Neptune for a moment, then looked back at the four girls. After a few seconds, he asked Neptune, "I was only gone a week...right?"

Neptune nodded warily, still eyeing his friend and partner. "Yeah…"

Sun kept staring at him, then slowly focused back on Team RWBY.

...must have been one hell of a week.

Sun rubbed the back of his neck, grinning sheepishly. "Hehe… sorry about that. Just kinda… surprised me there."

To his immense relief, Yang smirked, letting out a laugh. "Yeah, we've kinda been getting that all day."

"Getting what?" Neptune asked with a frown. Between the way Sun was acting and how the looks they were getting from the girls of Team RWBY (seriously, why was Weiss glaring at Sun like he just made a bad joke?), he had the distinct feeling that he was missing something.

Sun looked back at him, his expression indecisive as his eyes flicked between Neptune and Blake. "Uh... " After a moment, Blake gave him a small nod, confusing Neptune even more. Since when does Sun take cues from Blake? Sun, however, still seemed a bit lost himself, so he leaned over and whispered to Neptune, "It's a Faunus thing. I'll explain later."

"Ohh... " Neptune droned, understanding… well, sorta. Never having been around Faunus much before meeting Sun, Neptune had fallen into the occasional social pitfall when certain subjects came up. Luckily, Sun was usually there to explain things… unluckily, it was usually after he'd already accidentally insulted someone, but still, points for trying.

Sun, his usual grin back in place, put his hands on his hips as he turned to address the girls. "So, what's this I hear about 'finding those bad guys?' 'Cause, if it's what I think it is, we want in!"

"We?" Neptune muttered, sending a halfhearted glare at Sun, which was promptly ignored.

Blake frowned at him. "Sun, we already have everything planned out, for just the four of us." She put extra emphasis on word 'four', her eyes narrowing dangerously.

Sun felt a small chill go up his spine. He'd been on the receiving end of that tone of voice more than once, one that clearly stated, 'This is Mates business, back off'. It rarely, if ever, turned out well for him.

Still, thin ice or not, he wasn't ready to back down just yet. "So, you have a plan that's completely safe, no danger whatsoever?"

The answer he got nearly made him bust out laughing. Blake's ears dipped down a bit, her eyes widening ever so slightly. Weiss frowned, biting her lip as her eyes flicked between Blake and Yang. Ruby rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, looking off to the side. Yang just crossed her arms, looking annoyed.

"It's safe…ish," Ruby eventually said.

Sun raised an eyebrow. "Uh huh. So there's no denying that more people would make it safer."

Blake let out a huff, a pleading look in her eye. "We were hoping not to involve our friends in this, Sun."

Sun couldn't help but scoff. "You kidding? Charging headlong into danger is the perfect time to involve friends. Why do you think I brought Neptune?" He jerked his thumb towards said friend, who scowled halfheartedly at him, but nodded in agreement nonetheless. "Besides, in case you forgot, I was at the docks that night, too." Sun's eyes went towards the sky as he remembered. "Between you, me, and Ruby, we got our butts kicked. Might've been kicked permanently if that girl with all the swords hadn't been there." Then he blinked, realizing something. "Whatever happened to her, anyway?"

It was Ruby who shrugged at him, frowning. "Dunno. Penny disappeared after the fight, and I haven't seen her since."

Sun hummed. "Bummer. But still, my point stands. C'mon, guys. Strength in numbers, teamwork, all that jazz?"

It was silent for a moment. Then, strangely, Ruby, Blake, and Yang all turned towards Weiss. The heiress glanced between them all, biting her lip nervously. Blake and Ruby turned thoughtful, while Yang let out a frustrated groan. "Really, Weiss?"

The heiress pouted, her eyes soft. "Please, Yang?"

Yang held her gaze for a few seconds. Then she let out a sigh, hanging her head. "Dust dammit," she muttered to herself. She raised her head, her annoyance clear. "Fine! If it really makes you feel better, Weiss, someone can tag along with me." Her annoyance abated slightly when Weiss gave her a grateful smile. Yang rolled her eyes, a small half-smile forming.

Neptune looked between the two of them, baffled. What just happened? He went to ask Sun if he knew what was going on, but when his friend caught his gaze, he just mouthed "later." That just made Neptune even more confused, but he left it alone for the moment.

Speaking to the group as a whole, Yang asked. "So, what's the plan now?"

Blake still looked unsure, but after a moment's contemplation, she nodded. "We stick to the old plan, just now we'll be in teams of two. Ruby and Weiss will go to the CCT. Since he's the only other Faunus, Sun can come with me to the White Fang rally and gather information. That okay?" she asked Sun, focusing on him.

A sly smirk formed on Sun's lips. "Go undercover to a secret terrorist meetup? Sounds like fun!"

Yang nodded, then turned to Neptune. "Guess that means you're with me. Quick question: do you like motorcycles?"

Neptune blinked at the apparently random question. "Uh… what?"

In answer, Yang grinned in a way that reminded Neptune way too much of when Sun got one of his 'great' ideas. He gulped. What has Sun gotten me into?

Ruby clapped, beaming. "Great! Now, let's get started!" Hopping from foot to foot, Ruby took off down the path at a speed just under running.

Weiss let out an exasperated sigh. "Ruby! Wait for me!" Before she left, Weiss turned back to the others, focusing on Sun and Neptune. She hesitated for a moment, before softly asking. "Watch out for Yang and Blake… please?"

Neptune blinked. Given what little he'd known about the Schnee family, he'd expected Weiss to be businesslike and professional all the time. But the clear concern in her voice… it was kind of endearing. Cute even.

Behind him, Sun gave Weiss a thumbs-up. "No problem, boss! I'll bring her back the same as she is." Blake rolled her eyes at him, arms crossed. She smiled at Weiss, nodding.

Neptune nodded as well. "I'll watch her back. You can count on me." For good measure, he winked at her.

Weiss blinked at him in surprise. Her cheeks tinted slightly. "U-um… thanks!" she stammered out. Then she took off after Ruby, who had become just a red dot in the distance.

Neptune looked after her, confused. That… wasn't quite the reaction I was expecting.

"Oh, dude…"

Neptune turned around at Sun's resigned voice. The monkey Faunus was shaking his head, hand slapped over his face. Neptune tilted his head at him.

What? What'd I do?

A sudden chill went up his spine. Looking away from Sun, he found Blake and Yang glaring at him. Their happy smiles were gone, replaced with sharp frowns as their eyes bored into him. What freaked him out the most was how Blake's eyes were now slitted, while Yang's burned red.

With quick stiff steps, Yang walked towards him and grabbed him by the arm, dragging him towards the airfield. "C'mon. We have to grab my bike," she growled out, her voice leaving no room for debate.

Neptune let out a quick "whoa!" as Yang nearly pulled his arms out of its socket. As he was dragged off, he looked back towards Sun for aid. Sun just shrugged helplessly. "Good luck, dude!" he called out, smiling sheepishly.

Neptune just glared at him.

Betaed by Covert Weapon

Old A/n: Place in the RWBY Timeline: A Minor Hiccup

Sorry, Neptune. I like ya, but that's what you get when you hit on Weiss in my story.

To anyone wondering why this chapter took so long, all I can say is: F*** THIS CHAPTER! Seriously, all I wanted was to make a chapter of Sun finding out about Blake and her Mates, to get a point of view from someone who had been out of the loop during all of it. What I didn't count on was how freaking hard it is for me to write him and Neptune. I'm still not fully satisfied with what I have, but after three weeks, this is about as good as it's gonna get.

If anyone has any tips on how to write them better, y'know, get in their heads a bit, I'm all ears. They're not going to be in the story a lot, but they'll be around enough that I want them to sound like themselves whenever I need to bring them in.

Anyways, next chapter is when the fun stuff starts. Expect a little action, a little drama, a whole bunch of fluffy WhiteRose goodness. And the introduction of, hands down, my favorite RWBY character of all time.

Let it begin!