Team WRBY [10/14] Aging Powers Struggle, Part A

The Act Two Adventure continues.

September 6, 345 S.A.

Her rhythmic tapping would have been calming for the bustling camp of Outpost 1 on the ashlands of the Northern River. But it was coming from Her Majesty, and everyone within the establishment knew that Queen Valens was an impatient woman; there was always work, and she resolved it as fast as possible. Impeding that progress was an unwise course of action. Thus, she put her only remaining limb of flesh, her precious left arm, to use by tapping on the table.

Within the confining and temporary wooden structure that served as the camp’s command post, the Fourteenth Queen of Vale sat with three assistants in the background. They kept their heart rates as level as possible, for they could see her growing frustration. Luckily, the guest of honor arrived at last.

Hurrying into the room, Brigade Master Qrow -or rather, Field Marshal Qrow- announced himself. “I apologize for the wait, Your Majesty,” he began, offering a sincere bow towards her.

“I take it your nieces are in good health?” she snipped, not a single grey hair moving as she spoke.

Grunting to himself, Qrow shut the door behind him and moved to take his place at the table. “I wanted to reprimand one of them for discharging their weapons without clearance.”

“They’re children,” she scoffed. “What can you expect from them?”

“Only the best,” Qrow answered, ignoring her disdain. After all, he had risked his own life and put his career on hold for them.

“Let them be the best ditch diggers today,” she ended. There were bigger boarbatusks to bash for the Fourteenth Queen of Vale.

Sitting down, he dared to take in her brown skin, covered in scars and. The woman’s piercing green eyes met him, and they weren’t friendly. “I do care for them, very deeply,” he apologized once more.

Blatantly rolling her eyes, Valens waved her precious left arm in dismissal. “I do not have the time to lecture you, a man of fifty-five. We have fifteen fortresses to build, so let us commence with the meeting; I leave in the evening to conduct the interrogation on the terrorists.”

Happy to oblige, Qrow cleared his throat and began, “Casualties are-”

“Yes, yes!” Valens snapped, lips curling and nostrils flaring. “I know all about the casualties! And it’s all because of this renegade hunter, or one of Those Who Fell, or whatever!” she vented. “All thanks to the wonderful efforts of Team WRBY!” she frustratingly proclaimed.

“I noticed your lack of enthusiasm last night,” Qrow acknowledged. “Is there any serious issue that needs to be discussed?” If she wasn’t happy with something, it was best to get her to talk about it, let she fume.  

“Forever Fall was a small frontier,” Valens lamented as she rolled her head, causing audible pops in her neck. “It was never a problem, and now we have this massive river.”

“But the conquest was done under your reign,” Qrow reminded her. “You shall be immortalized, Your Majesty. You’ll be hailed like Fuchsia Valens.” Everyone knew her name. One could not attend a school in Vale without having to write at least one paper on the last conqueror.

Waving her favorite hand in dismissal, she groaned, “My grandmother took over some marshlands, and all of a sudden she’s hailed as a conqueror. I’ve no need for such titles, Qrow. I also have no choice but to construct a brand new frontier twice as long as the old one. The old fortresses are worthless; the old roads are worthless; and now I’m suffering a manpower shortage!”

Qrow attempted to reassure, “It’s nothing you can’t handle, Your Majesty. We can replenish the losses.”

“Of course, of course.” Scrunching her lips, Valens continued, “I’ll have reinforcements out here by the end of the year, but yesterday’s incident has stirred up quite the commotion. Every Brigade wants to know if we’re in danger, and my lines have been blown up with requests from all over the net.” Panic was descending upon all of Vale, and Valens needed to figure out what she was combatting.

Dropping a Thermobaric Bomb on the problem usually got rid of it, but she had used up the kingdom’s entire supply on this awful river frontier. It would take months for their factories in the Central Mountains to rebuild the arsenal. Too bad, she lamented. If the production wasn’t a government secret she could outsource it to other kingdoms.  

“What would you have me do, Your Majesty?” Qrow diffused. It was his go-to question for calming Her Majesty. She could throw a fit of rage, but she could also reign herself in when presented with the infamous, subservient question of ‘How can I help you?’.

Sighing, Valens swallowed hard as her left hand began to fidget. “I can’t just tell the troopers to shoot anyone who has rabbit ears, now can I.” Tone leveling out, she hoped, “But you did tell me of this creature before?”

Nodding, Qrow explained, “They met this creature in Forever Fall. One of them managed to wound the creature before it escaped. The appendage was sent to the Capital for study.” From what he could gather, there was no evidence of any more of those creatures out there. One was proving troublesome enough at this rate anyways.

“Has that yielded any results?” Valens wondered, a hint of desperation in her tone. Every brigade master, every governor, even some of the Western majors were sending messages concerning the matter.

“Very troubling,” Qrow answered. “The tissue is dead on a cellular level, but at the same time it produces an aura of Grimm.”

Frowning, Valens asked, “Is this a symbiotic or parasitic relationship for the original tissue?”

Shrugging his shoulders, Qrow explained, “Apparently it’s both. The auralogists said that the Grimm aura revives the faunus aura, while the biologists said that the faunus tissue allows the Grimm matter to resonate and strengthen it.”

Craning her head up to the ceiling, Valens quickly lost interest in the lecture. Releasing a low growl, she tilted her head back down and asked, “Can I kill this thing or not?”

Restraining himself, Qrow nodded.

“Scribe One!” Valens called out, snapping her head towards the intern. “Find the members of Team WRBY,” she demanded. “Have them compile a report on their encounter with the creature in question now.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” the intern hastily responded, bolting out the door.

“Qrow, send the old report to me again; I’ll review it later.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” he acknowledged, bowing his head and conveniently copying the file via Scroll.

“Until I’m brought up to speed on this rogue, we’ll just have to be on our guard.” Satisfied with the plan of investigation, Valens decided, “Next topic!” Motioning for a second scribe to approach, she began, “The deserters. I can understand their fear, but I can’t send a message to the entire kingdom that I’ll allow people to break the annual oath they swear to me.”

The second intern performed a few swipes and taps on his Scroll, causing the surface of the table to light up with a gentle blue. The desired documents and pictures appeared on its surface and projected into a three dimensional slideshow for Qrow.

“The Rifle Troopers will work in factories.” Swiping through the profile pictures of the twenty-five deserters, Valens thought aloud, “But execution twenty-five skilled pilots is a waste, and pardoning them would set an unacceptable precedent. And if I reassign them to work for the state, others might decide to take their chances.” Turning her gaze from the holograms to her newest Field Marshal, Valens offered with complete sincerity, “They were your responsibility. What would you have me do with them, Qrow?”

Qrow let out a small breath. He could breath easy, knowing that she was calming down. “To be fair,” he carefully began. “They only took flight after they saw one of their own being killed and thrown from his Bullhead. That would instill panic among most peo-” he attempted to justify.

Raising her left hand to silence him, Valens shot down, “I’m not here to be fair, Qrow.”

Many lost their patience with this woman, but Qrow had interacted with her far longer than many. “Then I suggest you reassign them.” Seeing the look of displeasure, he elaborated, “If you keep me on this project as Field Marshal, I’m going to need as many experienced people as I can get. There are plenty of Thermobaric Bomb factories in the Central Mountains that need skilled delivery pilots. Send them there, and everyone wins.”

Valens paused. Qrow’s solution was certainly better than picking beans or rotting in a mass grave. “Very well,” she acknowledged. “Scribe! Write that down! Convicted pilots. Labor. Thermobaric Bomb factories. Central Mountains.”

“Then what is the next item on the agenda, Your Majesty?” Qrow prompted, drawing her out of thought.

Operating the holographic UI, Valens pulled up a map of the area. “I’ve never done any expansion operations, Qrow. No one has, not since Fuchsia.”

“Your grandmother would be proud of you,” Qrow complimented. “One must endure great loss just to-”

“Don’t patronize me,” she spat as she pointed to Outpost 1 on their holographic interface. “Now, you were telling me before about a lack of troops for this outpost?” Much had happened since their last talk via radio, and her memory was only human.

Brow furrowing, Qrow scrunched his lips in disappointment as he corrected, “I was referring to all fifteen, not just this one. If you want me to effectively defend the entire length of this river I’m going to need more manpower.”

Sighing in frustration, Valens compromised, “ I can replenish your losses, but that will have to do for now.”

“This frontier will remain vulnerable until the fortifications are completed. The Northern Valley and East Marshes have been firmly occupied for decades and are not in any danger,” he argued. “My zone should be regarded with more importance, and you can find the manpower by diverting transfers,” he firmly but gently suggested. “Instead of transferring people into your Royal Guard you could transfer them into new Brigades, which I could use to strengthen this zone.”

“And delay my next campaign?” Valens finished, unamused. Grimm incursions were at an all time low, thanks to her decision to take the fight to their forests. If someone didn’t depopulate the borders, they would slowly build up and overflow into her kingdom. It had to be her, and he wanted to derail that?

Qrow offered a solution. “You’ve delayed such operations before, but your kingdom is taking in many new peoples thanks to the conquest of Forever Fall. Let’s run a recruitment campaign for the global tourname-”

Slamming her hand against the table, Valens exclaimed, “I had forgotten all about the Vytal Festival!” Turning in her chair, she pointed to her second assistant and ordered, “Contact the Governing Council. Tell them to issue orders to all of the cities taking in foreign peoples. They are to prepare for a new recruiting campaign immediately! We’ll start with Vale itself.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” the assistant acknowledged before dashing out of the room.

“Indeed,” Valens thought aloud as she leaned back in her chair. “They’d be ready by three-forty-seven.” With a fleeting smile, she asked, “How many troopers do you need?”

Hesitating on popping the question, Qrow said, “I’ve designed a network of fifty fortresses.”

He caught that small, isolated twitch in her left eye. “Fifty fortresses?” The kingdom’s frontiers had slowly been fortified over the generations, but the key word there was ‘slowly’. To undergo such a massive investment so quickly would be a strain.

Qrow’s window of request was closing fast, so he gambled, “Give me five more Brigades and I can guarantee that you’ll never have to worry about this pesky river ever again, Your Majesty.”

“Impossible!” Valens immediately dismissed. “I won’t have that kind of manpower for at least another year, and I certainly don’t have the materials on hand for fifty fortresses.”

“Please!” he implored, daring to raise his voice and thrusting an open hand forward. “Hear me out, Your Majesty. This river is three thousand kilometers long. A fortress every sixty kilometers would form a tough barrier, and neighboring forts could rapidly respond to any horde within the hour.”

Valens’ gaze slowly contorted into conflict, allowing a few moments to pass in silence.

Finishing his pitch, he murmured, “Nothing could cross this river without our approval.”

Staring at the geography of the river, Valens began to see the possibilities. “I’ll convene with the other kingdoms. If we work together, we can make it happen.”

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“Get! Go on, get!” Yang scolded, scaring a small gang of reporters and flirtatious students away from Team WRBY’s door. “If you want someone to share their story, you should stop treating them like an object and more like a person!” she shouted before slamming the door shut.

“Nicely put,” Blake complimented as she emerged from the bathroom, hair done up in the usual way so as to hide her ears. “If you keep dragging us into crazy adventures, Weiss, we’re going to have to hire a gang to keep the reporters away.”

“I could pay for that,” Weiss reassured her second-in-command as she combed Ruby’s hair for the night.

Leaping into her top bunk, Yang stretched herself out, popping all the joints in her body. “If we moved to Atlas we wouldn’t have to worry about that One Who Fell at our doorstep.”

“You can’t just run away from the problem,” Weiss said with thought. Seeing that Ruby was staring at her, she returned the smile, eliciting a giggle from her Standard Bearer. “If that creature is going to keep hunting, we have to do our duty and hunt her down.”

“That’s the logic you used when facing the Cinder lady,” Blake warned as she checked her Scroll. As second-in-command, one of her responsibilities was to play secretary for Weiss at times. “Also, the repair people just texted us. They’re repairing the Segmentation Armor, but the grand sum is going to be around five thousand lien.”

“Transfer the amount to them, please?” Weiss kindly requested. “And if Valens were to call us to arms to fight the creature-”

“Buuut she’s not going to do that, because we’re just four kids with permits to carry weapons?” Yang reminded her, rolling onto her stomach and resting her right cheek on her arms. Staring down at the two lovebirds, she wondered how it might end. The odds of marriage were quite low, especially if Weiss got Ruby killed. Of course, Weiss would not live long enough to regret that.

Sensing the sudden surge of anger in Yang’s aura, Blake cautiously segued the conversation. “All we have to worry about is our internship in your uncle’s brigade. If Valens wants to hunt one of Those Who Fell she’ll hunt with her Royal Guard, not us.” At least, Blake hoped that the Royal Guard would suffice.

“Do you think she can control Grimm?” Ruby wondered, failing to hide her fear.

“Definitely,” Weiss answered. “Blake was the only one who didn’t see it; we pushed her army to the breaking point, and she withdrew them. She didn’t know that we ourselves were about to break. She was definitely a human or a faunus before the Grimm got her.”

“The question is: how many?” Yang sighed. “The whole species? Just a few hundred? How does it work?”

“I don’t think we can answer those questions,” Blake grunted as she finished with her Scroll. “The question we need to answer first is how would we go about killing such a dangerous creature?”

That brought silence to the room, save for the gentle combing of Ruby’s hair. After a few moments of thought, Weiss decided, “We know she’s not invincible. If Gambol Shroud was sharp enough to take off her ear, then our weapons and tactics aren’t useless.”

“But we caught her by surprise,” Ruby reminded her. “She was totally unprepared for an attack at that moment.”

“What?” Blake demanded, turning her undivided attention onto Ruby.

“That’s not possible,” Weiss immediately dismissed, although Blake sensed that subtle jump in her aura. “She attacked me. Of course she would be prepared for a counter attack. She probably wasn’t expecting you to rush back to the scene with your aura so depleted. She clearly underestimated your semblance.”

Scrunching her lips, Ruby broke eye contact with her leader. “I dunno. She was so lax about it.”

“How about this,” Weiss immediately decided. “I’ll come up with some scenarios. Different locations, different resources, let’s see what would be the ideal way to fight her.”

“Sounds good,” Yang decided. It wasn’t really, but she was tired from the day, sore from the digging and manual labor, and full from dinner. It was good enough for now.

“Yeah,” Ruby agreed. “Besides, we could always just move in with you at the Schnee Estate and worry about Atlas Grimm and the occasional Yeti.”

“I could not pay for the damages to the estate!” Weiss heartily laughed.

Leaning against Bumblebee’s bunks, Blake kept her attention on Weiss.

“Then I guess we’ll just have to find another estate to stay at!” Ruby challenged with a grin.

“You wanna go exploring the world?” Yang asked, genuinely interested. They hadn’t talked about what they’d do when they grew up in years. In their youth, they were going to work for their uncle, she fondly recalled.

“Sure!” Ruby decided. “There’s three other kingdoms to see. Three more capitals, all that exotic food.”

“Oooh, fair point. Let’s go!” Yang agreed, sharing a small laugh with her teammates.

“Would this be a team trip, or just for sisters?” Weiss asked as she and Ruby switched places at the dresser and mirror.

“Well, that would depend on what you and Blake want to do,” Ruby said, not picking up on her girlfriend’s tone. “And when are you going to get a haircut? Long hair takes so much time to wash and comb.”

“Normally I’d disagree with you, but having spent the weekend on the frontier I’m inclined to concede you the point,” Weiss lamented as she watched Ruby lovingly brush her hair. “Also, I need to get a few pairs of thermal leggings, like the ones you wear.”

“Don’t like the frigid winter wind on your bare skin?” Ruby chuckled. “Don’t worry, I’ll show you where I get ‘em. So, what does Weiss Schnee, heiress, huntress, singer extraordinaire want to do when she graduates?”

Still as a statue, Blake continued to watch Weiss.

“Honestly, I think we all make a great team,” Weiss began. “Tactical, efficient, cooperative, obedient. I couldn’t ask for a better band of sisters.”

“That’s not quite how a family works,” Yang worriedly said as she moved her legs up, giving Blake more room.

“I was speaking strictly in terms of a team,” Weiss assured her. “You all are the best, and I don’t care what we do, so long as we do it as a team, as a family.”

“And if that family wants to part ways at the end?” Blake asked.

Sighing, Weiss countered, “Would it be so hard to keep working together?”

“Okay, before anyone sheds any tears,” Yang interrupted, flipping herself onto her back. “We’ve all got two more years before we have to cross that bridge. Let’s worry about that then, please?”

“I should have been more thoughtful,” Ruby agreed. “Let’s just drop it until we have to actually think about that. Besides, the Vytal Festival is almost here. Let’s worry about what we’ll do for the tournament!”

Blake begrudgingly decided that Ruby had just misread the creature’s body language in the heat of battle on that fateful day. Weiss wasn’t showing any signs that she’d been caught in a lie, so maybe there was no need to worry.

Returning to a more relaxed state, Blake realized that she was extremely sore, tired, and sleepy. “That’s a brilliant plan, Ruby,” she complimented as she got comfy in her bed sheets.

“Of course it is!” Yang laughed as she snuggled up for the night. “It’s Ruby’s plan. When has she ever had a bad idea?”

“How about when she ate in class?” Blake quipped with a yawn.

“Hey!” Ruby complained. “That was fine! The problem was when Weiss decided that you guys had to eat too!”

“And as a result: you stopped breaking the rules,” Weiss summarized with a smirk. Reaching back, she caressed Ruby’s left hand. Ruby, in turn, set the brush down and eagerly returned the gesture. “Now, I think it’s time for bed.”    

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“I had always questioned the equality between faunus and human, finding my treatment to be unfair; but I never would have suspected that greater cruelty could be found elsewhere. Those legally found guilty of being enemies of Vale received no rights or protections. If they were deemed valuable, they were not killed; but the guards could do what they liked with no reprimand. When I began writing this history of events, my research revealed that this kind of mistreatment was the norm in the day of Valens the Fourteenth.

“I came across an entire library of torture logs. I was overwhelmed at first but was able to find the ones for Mercury Black, Emerald Sustair, and Cinder. Mercury quickly talked, Emerald confirmed his statement, and Cinder used her power to go into some kind of semi-conscious coma; she was completely immune to all forms of torture, and Valens herself could not bring the woman to wake. Cinder remained comatose until December 23 when she escaped.

These logs served another function besides archiving information: they could intimidate future enemies of the state, so as to provoke the disclosure of information without wasting time on beatings. Mercury Black was not given this option. Valens oversaw a full evening’s worth of torture for information, and while he was resilient at first he did give in before she was about to kill him. The entire log is not for the faint of heart, but I have included the last segment, the tamest part, in Appendix B for the reader. For those unwilling to watch it, I’ll provide a summary…”

-Blake Belladonna

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Mercury awoke with a start. Burning, yet numb. Freezing, yet totally alert. Heart racing, sweat trickling down his face, he shook his damp hair out of his eyes, only to see the woman in front of him again.

Grey, robotic legs, scraped and worn from years of trial. An armored skirt of faded white, equally worn as the legs. A simple, white undershirt housing a standard B cup, a robotic right arm attached at the shoulder, even more scraped and worn than the other limbs. Brown skin, lots of scars, and a set of piercing green eyes.

And then the pain came roaring back to him.

“Congratulations, boy,” Valens began with boredom. “You win the bet. She wouldn’t rouse from her slumber.”

Having just been forced awake, Mercury found himself still a bit out of it. The smoking burns all over his body weren’t helping either.

“Your leader. This Cinder lady,” Valens clarified. “You said I wouldn’t be able to wake her this afternoon? Then we tortured you some more, and you- well, I suppose you couldn’t witness that part,” she mumbled. “At any rate, you’re proving to be no good to me alive.”

“Stop,” he pleaded. “I’ll talk.” When he first arrived, he figured he could stand the abusive guards; after all, Roman had held out for months without spilling the beans. But in the following days he had learned to respect the cocky thief for enduring the hourly beatings, dehydration, sleep-deprivation, and electroshock therapy.

And then the Queen came along, and she was in a league of her own when it came to venting frustration.

“Ah, thank you!” Valens said with delight. Setting down the stun baton on the table filled with various torture devices, she asked, “So, what can you tell me about Cinder?”

Groaning, Mercury rattled, “She’s the leader of the White Fang; her favorite henchman is Roman Torchwick; she wants a bunch of dust for something big; and I’m one of her bodyguards because I make for a great distraction if I can weaken an opponent.”

“Interesting!” Valens complimented. “Go on, please.”

“My semblance allows me to force hallucinations onto others if they’re in a weakened state of mind,” he explained. “That’s why I’m valuable to her.”

“And what does Cinder want with the dust?” she requested.

Shaking his head, he reiterated, “I’m just a bodyguard.”

Sighing, Valens prompted, “Can you give me troop strengths? Cell locations? Officers? Recruitment grounds? Anything helpful.”

“I get to live?” he demanded.

“You get to live out fifty years on a farm with a shock collar,” she offered. “After that, you’re a freeman.”  

“Better than death,” he huffed with a scowl. “I know of one recruitment area, an old warehouse that’s already abandoned.”

“Not helpful,” she dismissed.

“The cell I’m in is a few hundred strong,” he offered.

“Also not helpful,” she said, shaking her head. “Boy, I have a conference in fifteen minutes; if you can’t give me anything I’ll try the Emerald girl next week.”    

“She was born in Vale!” he exclaimed, getting just a little bit desperate. “Once, in a conversation we had, she told us she’d never been overseas. I don’t know when she was born or what her real name was, but that still means she was trained here! That’s valuable information, right?! A- a- a huntress of Vale, gone rogue at some point, has a history with you guys.”

Nodding, Valens agreed, “Potentially. What else?”

“Her second-in-command is a guy named Adam Taurus,” he immediately answered. “Faunus guy, uses a long sword for slashing. He’s pretty much a sociopath.”

“What is he going to do now that Cinder’s in my possession?” Valens asked.

“The go-to plan Cinder outlined in case of capture was to start killing everyone until you capitulated,” he informed her.

“Well that isn’t going to work,” Valens scoffed. “If we’ve been handling you for the past five years, what makes him think now will be any different?”

“No, you’re not getting it,” he said, shaking his head. “Adam’s goal will be to slaughter indiscriminately. He’ll kill until he can get Cinder back.”

Nodding along, Valens agreed, “ I’d be very impressed if he could pull it off. Now, how large is the White Fang?”

Racking his mind for every shred of information, Mercury estimated, “Gotta be around fifty thousand strong. We’re a large group, and she got elected when you passed those punishment laws in three-twenty-nine.”

When she brought her cold, hard, robotic hand down on his skull, Mercury promptly remembered that 329 S.A. was the same year her mother had died. Huge media event; she’d been a very popular queen. Not that he was around to see it go live, but he had watched the vids. What a headache he was starting to feel.

Valens composed herself, quickly checking to make sure that she hadn’t gotten any blood on her hand. “Is Cinder’s primary weapon wielding dust?”

“Yeah,” he groaned, vision blurring thanks to that konk he’d received. “Never saw her shoot up, but she had to be injecting it directly. She can summon armor, clothing, weapons, exploding projectiles, pretty much anything that doesn’t have mechanical parts.”

“She never gave her motivations for leading the White Fang?” Valens prompted.

Why couldn’t he get his aura to heal the wound? He was in constant pain. “Never asked.”

“What about other plans?” Valens asked. “If she hadn’t been captured.”

“I don’t know,” Mercury answered. “All she told us was that we’d have five minutes tops to rush in, find Roman, and break out. He’d get some recovery time, and then we’d go from there.”

Nodding, Valens decided that he wouldn’t leave just yet, but he wouldn’t die just yet either. “Is she afraid of anything?”

“No.” Shaking his head, he said, “Cinder is fearless.”

“Has she ever been thrown into a fit of uncontrollable rage?” Perhaps the right trigger could provoke her into awakening. Right now, her being in an unwalkable slumber. “Perhaps she’s been overcome with grief?”

Shaking his head again, he reiterated, “She has never been sad. Never laughed, never screamed, never even complained about anything.”

“Really now.” Craning her neck, Valens decided, “Good to know, boy. You’ll stay here until I return. I’ll make sure the guards don’t give you any beatings.”

“Can’t I get a bed?” he bargained. “I’m telling you everything I know. Doesn’t that warrant a mattress and a blanket?”

Taking her leave, Valens assured him, “I’ll have the taskmaster work it out. If you think of anything important, just say it out loud; the mics will record it, and we’ll discuss it next week.”

Still clamped to his torture table, Mercury’s attention centered again on the aching pains in all parts of his body.

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“...which was what happened. Besides the December 23 attack in Vale, the White Fang hit sixty-two other cities in the West practically on a daily basis. No one would hear of these smaller attacks, because the media was instructed to blacklist all White Fang-related incidents. They only covered the December 23 attack. I wasn’t able to even find any hints of these other attacks until I began to dig into the previously classified secret data vaults. Almost eight thousand people were killed. This war of terror only came to an end when Cinder joined the Coalition.”

-Blake Belladonna

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October 27, 345 S.A.

“Yang, move your arm!” Ruby complained as she squeezed in with her teammates, carefully situating the Team Standard so that it wouldn’t damage anything.

“Yang, if you get any of that cheese on my outfit I will feed it to you from the other end,” Weiss threatened as she got crammed into the corner and loaded up the desired settings.

“Yang, I think you’re perfectly fine just the way you are,” Blake balanced out with a grin as the team tank filled in with the rest of them.

“Aaaw yeah!” Yang hooted in the confined space as she passionately - yet carefully - waved her roasted something covered in a spicy sauce and dunked in cheese, just one of the hundreds of delicacies one could sample at the grandest gathering of peoples, cultures, arts, and sciences: the Vytal Festival. “And how appropriate!” she remarked as the four fighters got comfy with each other. “Say, ‘cheese’!” she laughed as the flash went off.

One picture simply would not do. To commemorate their victories over the other teams, Team WRBY had to get a few more pictures. Various poses and faces were struck, laughs were had, and minutes were spent as they got that perfect picture with the right background.

And just a little bit of cheese was spilt.

Their first day had been a packed one. With just training sessions and scheduled matches to attend, Team WRBY made it a day to remember. With the buzz of them returning from the mysterious Northern Frontier wearing off, the girls weren’t harassed in the morning with journalists, messages, and requests for interviews, and were able to make their way right out to the capital city.

Atlasian troop transports were being offered to the students, so Team WRBY got a great look at their kingdom’s capital  and the massive, floating colloseum that hovered above it. Of course, as grand as their fighting arena was, the crown jewel of their kingdom was not outshined.

That title went to city of Vale itself, boasting a population of over four million, hosting human and faunus, offering all careers and trades. The capital city, now gorgeously decorated in festivities, was divided into three circles:

The innermost -sitting on top of the other two circles- was the city’s Sanctuary, the heavily defended fortress that housed almost one million of the inhabitants. All of the greatest --and richest-- minds, thinkers, and top secret government information, could be found inside its walls, housed in expensive homes or government data vaults. The walls themselves were so daunting that one could see it all from the Central Mountains. The innovation and technology of the three outside kingdoms combined with the strength of Vale to form the largest, walled fortress city on the continent of Vytal. Although the Sanctuary had five brigades as a garrison, they primarily repaired roads, policed the undesirables, and patrolled the lower two circles.

The Second Circle was also walled, although to a lesser extent. Housing well over two million people, it was home to those who couldn’t quite afford the heavier expenses of the Sanctuary. Yet, it was a bustling metropolis that was carefully managed and controlled, ensuring safe passage for most people and for all commerce. One could enter with nothing in the morning and find work by noon, winning a decent income from a private business or signing up for the Royal Army or an army of any kingdom. Public hospitals, schools, kitchens, and baths were there -and even nicer ones in the Sanctuary- for anyone’s use, assuming they possessed citizenship. If one tried to bypass that requirement, the five brigades

The Third Circle was the last ring of the shining capital city. Lacking walls, it gave easy entry for all coming and going. Anyone who had a product to push was set up for the first official day of the festival, and Team WRBY could easily see that the unity of the world was proudly displayed in all three rings of the capital city.

Normally reserved for government business, the extensive flight decks were used by civilians that day as thousands touched down on the very top of the Sanctuary and spilled down into the lower circles. First were the general festivities, the food, entertainment, and usual merriment. World famous actors, musicians, and artistic talents performed for live audiences and streamers. If one had an interest, the Vytal Festival was there to satisfy it.

For the corporations, a vast number of trade shows held in the Second and First Circles promised precious profits -after Valens got her cut of it- for those with the newest innovations in their markets. If there was a product it was there for the whole world to see.

While this was going on, the Amity Colosseum broke open its first round of tournaments, pitting the teams of the world’s academies against one another and stating exotic battlefields. Lava, ice, jungle, all feasible biomes were generated to spice up the fight.

Of course, what fun is a fight if there isn’t a little money wagered on the side?

“Weiss, pleeease!” Yang implored as they strolled the bustling streets of the Third Circle. “Am I not your friend, the one who avenged your broken arm?” she reminded the leader as they quickly glanced at the wares of a small dust vendor. “Am I not your most reliable tank who valiantly holds the line?”

“You are indeed those things to me,” Weiss agreed as they observed a labor-bot, designed specifically for shot-loading, weapon-cleaning, and armor-polishing. Weiss considered making the eight thousand lien investment, but she decided that the bonding moments they shared over doing the work themselves was far more valuable.

“So can’t you-” Yang attempted once more before Weiss finally finished it.

“I’m not loaning you a single credit, lien, or ounce of dust for your gambling,” Weiss finalized. “If you want to bet on a match, you’ll have to do so with your own money.”

Demoralized, Yang accepted defeat from Weiss before promptly turning to Blake.

Holding up her hand, Blake promptly stated, “I’m not a bank.”

“How much do you even need?” Ruby asked as she observed a humble weapon’s stand that proudly advertised its wares from Vacuo. A lot of the weapons were marketed as sand-proof, which made sense for a kingdom that had a giant desert in the middle of its lands. Keeping the Team Standard --its cast iron snowflake towering over everyone-- firmly planted on the ground, she thought, “It can’t be that much, right?”

“I just need two thousand lien for the minimum entry bet!” Yang explained as their eyes went wide. “You guys remember Pyrrha, right?”

Raising an eyebrow, Weiss recalled, “We haven’t spoken to her in weeks.” Coming to a four way intersection closely monitored by Rifle Troopers, Team WRBY prepared to separate.

“Well, I’ve actually been keeping up with her,” Yang revealed as she brought her teammates into a circle. “She’s been cleaning house in the Colosseum, and it’s a sure-fire win if we bet on her!”

Pursing her lips, Weiss nodded along. “I’m sure you’ll be able to scrape the lien together before her next match and before the entry bets rise even further.”

“What if I promise to carry all of your purchases for the entire festival?” Yang offered.

“Most stores offer delivery systems for acceptable fees,” Weiss countered. Addressing the team as a whole, she said, “Now, our next match isn’t until the twenty-ninth.”

“Have you decided who should represent the team?” Ruby asked, eager to be one of the two lucky fighters to move on to the next round of fights.

“We’ll go over it tonight,” Weiss answered. “Now, today we can-”

“What if I give you a say in which motorcycle we buy? Today, while they’re all on sale?” Yang tantalizingly tested, placing her hands on her hips and leaving forward.  

Recalling the list of motorcycles Yang had sent her, the ones that would run her thirty thousand lien, Weiss hastily counter-offered, “I will buy you a nice dinner if we knock that out today.”

It wasn’t as exciting as money on a fight, but Yang figured that a free meal was better than nothing. “I accept your terms!”

Taking out her scroll, Weiss made the necessary transaction. Looking to Blake and Ruby, she informed them with a smile, “You have a pool of three hundred today. Enjoy yourselves.”

Giving her girlfriend a quick hug as Yang pulled her from her grasp, Ruby thanked, “That’s awesome, Weiss! Good luck with the motorcycle!”

Waving goodbye to her partner and sister, Yang quickly departed with Weiss for the automobiles being sold in the Second Circle.

“I bet Weiss will get her a hovercycle,” Ruby theorized, folding up the Team Standard and strapping it to her back.

“Oh, that simply won’t do,” Blake denounced with a smirk. “Yang loves the friction of wheels on the ground; she’d never settle for a smooth, relaxing hovercycle.”

“True enough, but I don’t think Weiss will go down without a fight.” Left alone with the mysterious Blake, Ruby decided, “I’m sure they’ll have fun either way.” Turning to her teammate with a hop in her step, she asked, “What do you want to do, Blake? We’ve got trade shows, tech shows, weapons shows, art shows, everything!”

Nodding in appreciation, Blake asked, “Would you be okay with a soothing cup of tea? There’s a place in the Second Circle that has quite the reputation.”

“Tea, huh?” Ruby wondered with a smile. “I haven’t had it in forever. Show me the way to… prosperi-tea?” she laughed, black and red hair shaking with her head as she took great pride in the joke.

Sharing in the humor, Blake countered, “I don’t know if you could appreciate it in its entire-tea.”

"Aha!" Nudging her friend in the ribs, Ruby admitted, “That was good. Let’s go!”

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“I love you,” Yang confessed with a sultry tone, slowly caressing and groping her new lover, the green and white Shredder X-9 motorcycle. Tires that could move through ice, sand, ash, and marshland? It was too good to be true. “You’re not my Bumblebee, but I can move on; we can move on together.”

“You’re absurd,” Weiss scoffed as she observed the flesh and steel intertwining in forbidden love.

“Shut up. You’d be lucky to peg a gal like me,” Yang fired back as she continued to display affection for her new love interest. “I’ll take it!” she decided.

Reading the tag, Weiss wasn’t so sure. “It’s not the most fuel efficient,” she observed.

“Neither was the Bumblebee,” Yang dismissed as she continued doing her thing.

“Do you even know how well it will handle?” Weiss wondered, observing the fourteen thousand lien price tag. A fair price, she reasoned. The only issue would be her father. He’d see the list: forty thousand on armor, five thousand on repairs for said armor, and now a motorcycle for sixteen thousand.  

“It’s a continuation of the Bumblebee line; when they stopped producing the originals,” Yang explained as she dismounted. “The Shredder line came out to replace it.”

“You must have the healthiest relationships,” Weiss laughed as she dismissed the vehicle. “Not quite what I’d like for you. Let’s look at some more first, please?”

Groaning, Yang went along with the terms of their agreement.
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“I know I’m not as romantic as Weiss, but I can still show you a good time,” Blake quipped as they toasted with their tea cups. Taking her time, she breathed in the aroma of chamomile. Smiling human ear to human ear, she wondered how she had been missing out on this.  

Overlooking the illustrious garden setting, Ruby praised with a chuckle, “You’re doing a fine job, Blake.” Foliage from the four kingdoms were elaborately constructed to simulate a wilderness while maintaining its restaurant atmosphere. Flowers of all color, trees and plants, everything one needed for an exotic garden was here for their viewing pleasure. Even though this was the Sanctuary level of business, Ruby was quite impressed.

The only downside was the tea.

Having already finished her first cup, Blake said, “It’s a drink of all cultures, you know.”

Wanting to be a polite guest, Ruby finished the cup of blech. “I hereby reject tea culture,” she decided, much to Blake’s audible amusement.

Hoping to avoid disturbing the other diners, Blake got control of her laugh.

Shrugging her shoulders, Ruby explained, “I never was a fan; I just kinda forgot about that.” With the humidity getting to her, she decided to remove her cape. “How ‘bout you, Blake? What are you not ‘one for’?”

Raising an eyebrow, Blake asked, “Is Weiss on or off the table?”

Nodding, Ruby acknowledged, “I know you and Yang don’t think she’s perfect.” Hesitating, she pushed, “But is she really so bad?”

Blake did pause at that, careful to choose her words. “Weiss has proven herself to be an extraordinary organizer, manager, administrator,” she started.

“But not a leader?” Ruby deduced. Leaning back in her chair, cape folded in her lap, she made it quite clear that there were no eggshells Blake had to avoid.

“A leader inspires some feeling that they’re doing the right thing and that by being there I’m helping to doing the same,” Blake elaborated, recalling days gone by. “Weiss does not inspire that in me.”

“She’s more of a boss to you?” Ruby wondered. No malice, no judgement, just a person wanting to understand.

Blake appreciated that. Wearing a gentle smile, she answered, “She’s more of a commander to me.”

Eyes widening, Ruby legitimately felt surprised by such a response. “Wow, Blake. I didn’t know you felt she was so brutal.”

“She used us, Ruby,” Blake elaborated. “Like a Company Master uses his company. She used us to guard her family’s dust; and she used us to jump ahead into Valens’ arms.” Grimacing, she decided, “Weiss has earned my confidence. I know that she can use her surrounding resources to get any job done; but that does not make her a leader to me.”

Nodding, Ruby acknowledged, “You’ve got points, Blake.”

Refilling her cup, Blake noticed the tone in which she said that. “You disagree?” she pushed.

As Blake drank, Ruby answered, “I just see her at a different angle. Her actions have made Vale a greater kingdom, and I know that she’s made me a better person.” Noticing that signature eyebrow-raising, Ruby chuckled and elaborated, “Not all by herself, of course; it’s just that I appreciate her actions.”

“I don’t dispute the results of her actions,” Blake clarified, setting her empty cup down. As she began to refill it she prompted, “What about her intentions?”  

“She’s not like that,” Ruby stated. “I think she’s a good person, for what she’s done and for who she is,” she encouraged, offering her empty cup to Blake.

“More?” Blake asked, prompting Ruby to nod. She was happy to accommodate the younger girl. “I’m afraid that I don’t agree with you on that, Ruby.”

“That’s a shame,” Ruby sighed as she drew in Blake’s attention. “Just please do me a favor: try to get along with her at least? You two work great together as teammates, but I know that you two can do better. Maybe not the best of friends, but you guys can share a mutual respect for each other.”

A brief pause fell between the two girls, allowing the surrounding chatter and white noise to seep in. Ruby was coming from a completely different background than Blake, but now that they were together it offered Blake a chance to share in the hope that Ruby was trying to share with her.

Humming in thought, Blake conceded, “You’re an optimist, Ruby.” Offering a toast, Blake proposed, “If you can find the heart to date her, then perhaps I can find the heart to be a better friend.”

Aura bubbling in contentment, Ruby let shine a beautiful smile that promised much. She was more than happy to toast to that.

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The busiest crowds had dispersed for vehicle purchases; as such, not many people were left to browse the massive warehouses that had been rented out to the companies. Standing in one of those many rows, amongst the engineering of the four kingdoms, were Weiss and Yang.

“Why not?” Weiss asked, crossing her arms in frustration.

“It hovers,” Yang explained yet again for the millionth time. Glaring down at her teammate, she wondered how this wasn’t making any sense to Weiss.

“What’s wrong with hovering?” Weiss demanded, slapping the black leather seating for good measure. Originally an Atlesian design, it was manufactured in Vale and given the Hunter’s touch. “It’s energy efficient, quiet, and can seat two people and their supplies.” Glaring up at her teammate, she wondered how this wasn’t making any sense to Yang. “It’s also much more user friendly. I could get comfy with it by the end of the day. It would be much more efficient for you and the team.”

“It hovers,” Yang repeated.

“It’s mechanically superior!” Weiss argued.

“It’s mechanically suckier,” Yang decided, crossing her arms and refusing eye contact, flamboyantly tossing her hair over her shoulder.

“I bet I could get more airtime on one of these than you could with any set of wheels!” Weiss challenged. If her team was going to use vehicles, they were going to be the best on the market.

“Hah!” Yang doubted. “Okay, Ice Queen, how about this: You take that hover-sucker, and I’ll take the Shredder X-9 on a testrun. If you can get more airtime than me, I’ll go home with that hover-sucker.”

“And if you win?” Weiss sighed in resignation.

Smirking, Yang stated, “I not only go home with the X-9, but you also have to give me two thousand lien for Pyrrha’s entry bet.” Offering her hand, she challenged, “You want a piece of this action, Ice Queen?”

Looking to the price tag of the hovercycle, Weiss observed the modest price of sixteen thousand lien. Even with the X-9 being fourteen thousand, she’d have to call Father about it either way.

“I will destroy your hopes and dreams,” Weiss condemned as she shook hands with the blonde. “And when you fall, I shall still be in the air!”

“You there, saleswoman!” Yang called out to the conveniently-placed woman. “My friend and I would like to test two of your vehicles on the obstacle course!”