"What do you mean you lost him?" Arslan seethed.
"He's good at what he does, and he's quickly been picking up on Naruto's tricks. What more can I say?" Reese shrugged and exhaled, throwing a dirty glare toward Naruto.
"Why are you throwing me under the bus? You loved that last prank we went on!" Naruto leaned over and whispered into Reese's ear, glowering as he did.
"I did, but that isn't the point right now. I'm covering my butt." Reese winked, causing Naruto to deadpan.
"Naruto..." Arslan's gaze sharpened and focused on an exasperated Naruto. "He's your responsibility. Find him. And if you join him to cause trouble... You know the consequences."
"Reese, sometimes I really hate you..." Naruto groaned, giving Reese a shaded glare before turning around and waving. "Fine. I'll search for him."
"Uh, you got his number on your scroll. Just call him." Bolin frowned, confused.
"Yeah, like he's gonna answer when he's enjoying the chase. This is fun for him." Naruto turned around and gave Bolin an impassive stare.
"Okay, that makes sense." Bolin grimaced while watching Naruto turn around and began to walk away. "Let us know if you need help."
"Reese, go with him," Arslan added, her stony expression softened, glancing around the surrounding blocks, noticing a few anti-Faunus signs.
"Dammit, I ain't getting out of this," Reese exhaled, withdrawing her hoverboard and jumping on, drifting after Naruto as he faded into the distance. "Yo, wait up, Naruto!"
"That's probably the wiser move. Headmaster Lionheart did note that Vale had been becoming increasingly hostile toward Faunus recently. Something to do with the volatile chapter of the White Fang in the area." Bolin rubbed the back of his head before frowning. "You think that girl could be her? I thought he said she ran away from home to join the White Fang?"
"He will confirm it for us later. There is no reason to assume until then." Arslan responded with a straight face and a shake of her head. "But if it is, we will need to keep an eye on her. If she gets in any trouble, I doubt he'll hesitate to run to her aid."
"And with how violent this faction of the White Fang is, that's not something I'm too keen on dealing with."
[ X ]
Ruby pursed her lips, wearily gazing at the back of Weiss as they had roamed the streets of Vale, seeking out other teams that could be arriving today, or, as Yang hoped, some dastardly criminals for them to stop.
Weiss hadn't said anything since they left the docks. She hadn't interjected in any conversations that Ruby knew Weiss found annoying! Didn't try to set things straight one time!
Something was bothering her, but Ruby didn't have a clue! This wasn't like when she was agitated because she wasn't named team leader! She knew what the issue was then and, with a little outside help from the Professors, amends and concessions were made!
Ruby couldn't help but want to try to fix this problem! The issue was that she didn't know what was wrong with Weiss!
Ugh! Why couldn't she just come out and say it? Or Blake, for that matter? She was always so quiet and left when something bothered her! Why was Yang the only person who vocalized her annoyances?
"Ah!" Ruby stumbled, almost running into a stranger with bright orange hair.
The only thing that kept her from tumbling and tripping into her was that Weiss suddenly held out her arm, stopping and catching Ruby in one swift moment.
"Pay attention to where you are going, dolt," Weiss stated with a cold inflection and equally frigid glare.
"Sorry!" Ruby squeaked, both to Weiss and the strange girl wearing a grey dress with green vertical stripes through it over a white blouse. "I should have paid more attention to where I was going! I was too lost in thought and almost ran into you! Are you okay?"
The peculiar freckled girl paused, her attention rapidly shifting to Ruby at an awkward angle that caused Weiss, Blake, and Yang to recoil. Then, with a bright smile and an electric gleam in her bright green eyes, the girl broadly smiled. "Saluations! Do not worry! I am wonderful. This often happens to me! It seems I blend in quite well and am lost in my thoughts, too!"
"Uh... Anyone else gonna state the obvious?" Yang bluntly grimaced as she leaned away from Penny, whose head had turned against her body before the rest of her body adjusted to greet them.
"Something is wrong with her," Blake leaned over and whispered.
"That's good... Um, my name is Ruby. These are my friends, Weiss, Blake, and my sister, Yang. Nice to meet you, friend." Ruby gestured toward her team while giving a soft smile.
Only to get stumped by the bewildered and awestruck expression on the odd girl's face.
"Do you mean that? You consider me a friend?" The girl's eyes shimmered with sparkles and hearts.
"Uh..." Ruby blinked, unsure how to respond. She glanced over toward Weiss, who had mysteriously stepped back alongside Blake and Yang, each of them repeatedly shaking their heads. Nervously chuckling, Ruby returned her attention to the orange-haired girl and nodded. "Yeah, sure, why not?"
"Gah! Rubes, take a hint, girl!" Yang groaned as she palmed her face.
"Oh, wonderful day! My name is Penny, friend! It is so nice to meet you! Are you here to participate in the Vytal festival as well?" The girl known as Penny skipped with a brilliant smile.
"As well?" Weiss scowled, queerly raising her brow as she measured Penny with her gaze. "Yes, but we attend Beacon... And forgive me for saying this, but you hardly look the part."
"I am combat ready!" Penny beamed, undeterred by Weiss's comment.
"Yes, yes, you are." A mysterious male voice responded to Penny's statement.
A voice that caused anxiety and dread to root Weiss in place as three individuals exited a nearby store and approached them from behind Penny.
"Eh, who are you guys?" Yang screwed her nose and turned her attention to the three.
"Ah, apologies. We are Penny's teammates. You may call me Ciel," A young dark skinned lady wearing an Atlas uniform and a blue beret gave a respectful bow before waving her hand toward the towering ebony-skinned lad next to her with bright green gauntlets attached to his forearms. "This is Erin... And lastly..."
"Sasuke." A young man with onyx eyes and suave raven hair answered for himself, his gaze fixated on an unusually shy and trembling Weiss.
"How have you been?" Weiss hesitantly asked, unable to make eye contact.
"Tch," Sasuke answered with a click of his tongue, barely acknowledging her question as his gaze shifted to Penny. "We're finished. Let's go."
"Yes, commander!" Penny saluted before waving to Ruby. "It was nice to meet you, friends! I hope we can talk later!"
"If the schedule permits it, you may." Ciel addressed, withdrawing her scroll and scrolling through what looked like a detailed inventory.
"Uh, sure... Nice to meet you all, too." Ruby absently waved as the other team strolled away at a lackadaisical pace.
As they retreated, her gaze shifted to a downtrodden and depressed Weiss, unable to lift her gaze from the pavement. Ruby scowled. She had never seen Weiss like this before. It was as if all her confidence had been sapped away, and she was utterly defeated!
"Okay, what was that?" Yang glowered, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Are you okay?" Blake followed, concerned at Weiss's demeanor.
"I'm fine... Not like I can do anything about it anyway," Weiss muttered darkly, biting her lip before weakly glancing where Penny's team disappeared to. "That... Was my fiancé."
"...You wanna run that by me one more time?" Yang blinked after a moment of stunned silence.
"No." Weiss grimaced, taking a deep breath as she tried to recollect her composure. "Let's just go back. After that run-in with that degenerate and his friends, who just allowed him to run amok at the dock, and now this... I am tired."
"Don't call him that!" Blake snapped, unable to hold her tongue at the insult.
"Why not?!" Weiss hissed, startling Ruby and Yang as her gaze sharply snapped on Blake. "That's what he is! He was a stowaway causing trouble! No better than those criminal insane degen..."
"Stop calling us that! We are not degenerates!" Blake growled, his eyes slitting as the rage built.
"Hey, let's take a step back. I know emotions are high; I get that. But there's no need to argue with one another." Yang stepped between Blake and Weiss as Ruby stood frozen at the sudden conflict between her friends.
"...What do you mean by we?" Weiss responded after a long pause, glaring daggers at Blake.
Blake's skin tone paled considerably. Her lips quivered as fear welled within, and all attention shifted toward her.
"I... Uh..." Blake stammered and trembled before, in a wisp of black smoke, a shadow of her remained, and Blake disappeared into the distance.
"Wait!" Ruby snapped out of her funk, unable to follow Blake as she vanished. She clasped her temples in frustration and let out a pained wail. "Ugh!"
"What is with everyone today?!"
[ X ]
"Man, I thought this place was gonna be better than this," Sun muttered, casually striding through the streets of Vale.
His shoulders slumped for a moment. Sun's gaze shifted from all the shops around to see several signs that excluded Faunus from their shops. He had heard Vale's stance with Faunus had regressed lately in large part due to the actions of the White Fang. But he hadn't expected to see this much blatant hatred.
With a sigh, Sun shook his head and shrugged his shoulders, his posture resuming with his typical swagger and shit–eating grin. "Whatever. Wonder how pissed Arslan is gonna be this time... Maybe I should call Naruto and have him join me. There are some places we need to hit."
Ignoring the stares he received as he confidently strutted past, Sun smirked. People like that didn't bother him. Their opinions were just that. But he was more than happy to put them in their place and embarrass them.
"Hm?" Sun's gaze drifted, falling on a curvaceous figure with hourglass hips and a round, firm... "Wait, I've seen that one before?" Sun squinted, recognizing the glimpse he caught. Without hesitation, he approached with a smile, seeing that the bow she had been wearing had disappeared. "Yo, you look better that way."
Stopping in her tracks, Blake awkwardly turned toward Sun. However, she remained silent and stared at him, causing Sun to flinch mentally. Her gaze stared right through him. She wasn't just looking him over like other ladies did...
She was carefully measuring him as if he were a threat.
"Ah, sorry if I was being a little bold there. The name's Sun. Nice to meet ya." Sun responded stiffly, unnerved by Blake's silence and gaze. It bothered him that she still didn't say a word and just stared at him...
Was she mute or something?
"You are... Naruto's friend?" Blake finally broke her silence.
"Oh, you know him?" Sun responded with a wide grin before laughing. "Yeah, he's my senior at Haven. He's cool. He looks out for me and shows me around."
"Yes," Blake's one-word and flat answer caused Sun to squint.
"Uh, you seem pretty tense," Sun frowned, glancing around before his eyes fell upon a nearby cafe that didn't have a sign posted on it. "You wanna grab some coffee or something? Maybe tea? I heard it can relieve tension?"
Sun repressed his desire to deflate at the lack of interaction with Blake. All she did was stare... And nod?
"Cool. I'll pay," Sun's tail flicked behind him, pulling his wallet out of his back pocket.
Once more, Blake didn't say a word. Sun exhaled and shook his head, leading the way. Maybe once she relaxed, she would actually talk. He hadn't expected her to know Naruto, and he was curious how they knew each other.
And she was a looker with a nice...
[ X ]
"Can we just call it a night? Or at least can you finally call him? This is getting ridiculous." Reese complained, dragging behind Naruto while repressing her yawn as the shattered moon of Remnant dimly lit the streets of Vale.
"You can if you want. I'll be fine searching for Sun on my own." Naruto snorted, shaking his head as they roamed through the streets.
"Heh, I know you will be fine. I'm worried about anyone who might start up trouble with ya. Don't need you to get arrested again for beating a racist to a pulp." Reese commented with a sly grin before she frowned, recalling the situation last year.
"Bastard had it coming. I could have lived with the slur, but the moment he dragged you all into it was a step too far." Naruto scoffed, glowering at the memory.
He would do it again. No one demeaned his friends...
"Huh? Them again?" Naruto frowned, stopping as he noticed a trio of girls wandering the streets. He frowned, noting a particular member of the team was missing, and their gazes seemed to be on a swivel...
"Yo! Fancy meeting you all again so soon!" Reese waved, drawing Ruby's attention.
"Oh, hello again. Still searching?" Ruby forced a smile.
"You again..." Weiss smoldered, glaring at Naruto.
Naruto scowled before rolling his eyes, ignoring her and focusing his attention on Ruby and Yang. "Yeah, he can be a handful at times. What's going on with you all? And where's Blake?"
"Uh... You see..." Ruby nervously chuckled, rubbing her head.
"It's been a day." Yang gave an exasperated sigh, jabbing her thumb over at Weiss. "Blake revealed she was a Faunus after Princess here was having her own set of issues. Weiss took umbrage with a statement Blake made that sounded like she was a part of the White Fang before she took off."
"Oh... Damn." Reese's chipper demeanor fell, awkwardly glancing at Naruto.
Naruto simply sighed and dropped his head. It seemed Blake hadn't changed...
"She was, wasn't she?" Weiss huffed, her intense stare intensifying.
"Does it matter if she was?" Naruto responded, meeting Weiss's gaze, undaunted by her sour disposition. "Maybe she was, maybe she wasn't. It shouldn't really matter what she did before. She is here now to become a Huntress and help everyone on Remnant. That is all that matters right now."
Weiss recoiled, grimacing as she shamefully glanced away, biting her lip.
"Hehe, right? Who cares what any of us did before?" Yang grinned, agreeing with Naruto's assessment. It only widened as she slunk next to Naruto, holding her scroll. "Say, since you are looking for your friend, would you like to trade numbers? Just in case we run into him or you come across Blake?"
"Really? Right now?" Ruby blandly squinted, scrutinizing her sister's actions.
"Sure, can't hurt to stay in the loop. ...Besides, he's hot." Yang elbowed her sister as she sheepishly grinned.
Naruto didn't seem to notice this action as he pulled out his scroll, scanning Yang's scroll before frowning. "And might as well call Sun... Who knows, he might answer and help us out."
"He's not been answering calls either? Blake hasn't answered ours." Ruby whimpered, looking around helplessly.
"No... Naruto has refused to call him out of principle." Reese mildly seethed.
"It's our bro code." Naruto frowned as he brought up Sun's information and made the call.
"Yo, what's up, Naruto? Did something happen, and I need to haul ass?" Sun immediately picked up, much to Reese's indignation.
"You can say that." Naruto gave a side nod, glancing over at Ruby and her team. "Say, I'm here with those girls you ran by. One of them happens to be an old friend of mine, and she's gone missing..."
"Oh... Uh..." Sun stated, surprised, before he began to stutter nervously.
"She's with you, isn't she?" Naruto blandly stated, his long fox ears flattening. "Where are you?"
"Uh... Can I say?" Sun anxiously asked, glancing over on his side of the call toward an individual he was with.
"Coffee..." Blake's voice whispered over the line, her finger appearing in the call, pointing up to a sign that Sun moved his scroll to display.
"Be right there... And don't you dare bolt." Naruto snarled, feeling Blake wince on the end of the call. Shutting off his scroll, he turned to Yang. "You know where that place is? I'm still figuring this out."
"That's an outdoor cafe not too far from here." Yang pointed behind them before glowering. "We just passed by there? How did we not see them?"
"They were probably inside." Ruby let out a sigh of relief, shaking her head as she glanced over at a silent Weiss but said nothing.
Weiss withered from her stare but did not make eye contact. "I won't say anything..."
"I just want this day to be over."
[ X ]
Nothing could describe the anxiety Blake felt. She felt a tumultuous storm swirling in her mind. Thoughts that popped into her mind kept sweeping up and adding to her dilemma.
However, it all led to one source... Everything kept coming back to the White Fang.
And now, she was sitting at this cafe with her new friends and her old childhood friend, and a few of his friends.
Today could not be any worse for Blake. She was struggling with these emotions separately. Together, it was a nightmare.
"She's been like this for a while. She's said ten words at most since I ran into her." Sun apprehensively scratched his ear.
Sitting back in his chair, Naruto let out a sigh. But with a light, comforting smile, he shook his head. "What do you want to do?"
"Run..." Blake muttered, her ears curling and folding on top of her head. She really wished she hadn't tossed her bow away.
"At least you're honest," Naruto exhaled, giving Blake a sympathetic look. "You know I don't hold anything against you, right?"
"I know," Blake bit her lip, her wavering gaze unable to look up and meet Naruto's. That was until she hissed after a loud crack, and she grasped the top of her forehead, nursing the welt that was now forming. "What was that for?"
"We're even now, idiot." Naruto scoffed as he shook his hand, as everyone else leaned away, stunned.
"You're not supposed to hit a lady!" Weiss shouted, her eyes narrowing as she snarled at Naruto.
"We do this all the time when the other does something we think is stupid," Naruto blinked, utterly confused.
Weiss gnarled her lips and gnashed her teeth. This was common between them?! Unacceptable!
She might have been upset at Blake, but...
"It's okay... I think I needed that, thanks." Blake mumbled, grumbling as she still rubbed her head a moment later before exhaling.
"I get it. You were too in your own head. Thinking about all your mistakes instead of focusing on what's important." Naruto shook his head before grinning.
"You still shouldn't hit a lady..." Weiss sneered, glaring at Naruto.
"Eh? As I said, we do this all the time. She hits me when I do something stupid. I hit her when I think she has done something dumb. It's only fair." Naruto frowned as Blake winced.
"Sorry about those times..." Blake sheepishly hung her head.
"Heh, it was that kind of relationship, huh?" Yang shrugged, thinking nothing more of it, used to such physical interaction before her expression softened as she gave her partner a concerned glance. "You okay? Not gonna run off?"
"No," Blake sighed before taking a sip of her coffee. "Those thoughts were knocked out of me... Literally."
"Good. I have questions." Weiss's gaze shifted to Blake before she took a breath and crossed her arms. "But before we get to this, I want to make this perfectly clear. I have a reason why I despise the White Fang. Why I don't trust Faunus. For as long as I have known, my grandfather's business has had a target marked on its back. I've watched entire train carts of Dust disappear. Family friends kidnapped and ransomed. Board members' blood was shed needlessly. That's why I hate the White Fang."
"That sounds like how Sienna operates. She was in charge of the Atlas back then, before taking over the current iteration of the White Fang." Naruto muttered under his breath.
"Why do you know that?" Weiss hissed, her head snapping toward Naruto and leaning away.
"I was an orphan who lived in foster care in Atlas until I was eleven and the mine incident happened," Naruto responded, causing Weiss's eyes to widen and blanch. "Sienna was the reason many orphan Faunus went to Menagerie, and I was no different. I didn't join the White Fang as she had hoped, unlike most of the children she brought to Menagerie. Found her actions hypocritical. Violence breeds hatred. Hatred leads to more violence and continues the cycle."
"Oh, I know that line! It's in the Brothers of the Sun and Moon!" Ruby's eyes sparkled.
"Huh? Never read it before. I'm not much of a reader. That's Blake's thing." Naruto raised his brow, leaning away from Ruby's enthusiasm. "It's just from what I've seen. It's what happened to my friends... Why most of them joined the White Fang outside that stupid hack bastard that the General adopted for being extraordinarily talented... Jerk."
"Naruto..." Blake's shoulder slumped, and she winced.
"You know Sasuke?!" Weiss gasped before clasping her hands over her mouth.
"Uh... Do I want to know?" Naruto deadpanned before sighing as he glanced over Ruby and Yang.
"Supposedly, he's her fiancé," Yang stated, frowning at Weiss's demure reaction.
"Oh. If he is the same cold jerk I remember, you have my condolences." Naruto flinched as Weiss glared at him.
"I don't know him, but he was a jerk earlier. He stared her down before completely ignoring Weiss when she tried to converse with him earlier." Ruby scowled and smoldered in her seat.
"Yeah, that sounds like him." Naruto exhaled before he glanced over at Blake. "Should we call it... Or do you want to explain?"
"It has been a day, but after everything, I think I should explain. It's the least I can do after running away as I did." Blake nodded before releasing a weak sigh, her features stiffening. "I should start from the beginning..."
"And when my parents' movement for Faunus rights turned into the White Fang."
[ X ]
Naruto had to stifle a yawn. The morning sun had dawned, and its light had shone on the cafe. It was strange to see a little place such as this to be open twenty-four/seven, but he wasn't going to complain.
Everyone had mainly fallen silent after Blake finally finished speaking. Naruto had only interjected a few times to add more details for what he knew, typically parts where he was around for. That and for the parts where Blake ran away from home.
She was displeased that he framed it as if she believed she could change Adam.
Weiss fumed for the earlier part of it. Much of what Blake had said had likely clashed with what she knew, knowing the faction in Atlas had done some questionable things before. However, as he added, knowing the current iteration of the White Fang's leadership was based in Atlas at that time, her demeanor shifted and calmed.
She seemed contemplative and thoughtful. Understanding.
"So, you were contemplating seeking out your old friends to see whether or not they were at fault... Without us." Weiss narrowed her eyes at Blake.
"I was, yes. That was what I was thinking when I ran into Sun." Blake withdrew and backed away from Weiss, but confirmed that it had been what she was planning.
She didn't want to involve them.
"Girl, that would have made us worry more! What were you thinking?!" Yang exclaimed, palming her face before dragging her hand over it.
"I wasn't until Naruto knocked some sense into me," Blake pitifully sighed.
"Glad to help, cause you ain't doing that alone. Not without me." Naruto gave a momentary smirk before his face stiffened and he glowered. "Adam and Ilia are my friends, too. And I haven't given up on them."
"Not without us." Weiss snapped, throwing a shade glare at Naruto. "You might be childhood friends, but we are Blake's team. We stay together..."
"Huh? We're not friends." Naruto scrunched his brow, glancing over at a sinking Blake, confused. "Big Guy and Mama Kali took me in and showed me the ropes when I moved to Menagerie. I may have moved around foster families for most of my life, but I found my home there when they adopted me."
"Blake's not my friend, she's my sister."