Liberating Remant

Chapter 2 Settling In (Overhauled)

Ruby piped up, "Still better than most kingdoms, though. At least, the rest of the kingdoms other than Vale."

Blake nodded. "Yeah, better than most, but not without its faults. Anyway, it was a good story because it felt... realistic. Like the other kingdoms could follow the same path. I'd mistake it for history book if it didn't say that the kingdom came and went in a bright flash of light."

CRDL's Dorm...

In a dorm room on the same floor as Team RWBY, Team CRDL engaged in a different kind of preparation for the night. Cardin Winchester, the imposing figure with a stern demeanor, scrutinized a set of encrypted messages on his Scroll. Russel Thrush and Dove Bronzewing huddled around him, their expressions masked with a mix of determination and secrecy.

"Sweep the room and check for bugs," Cardin ordered. His teammates did as they were told, scanning the room and setting up jammers for any possible wires. Thankfully, Beacon values its students' privacy.

"So, any info on our mutual friends?" Dove asked.

Sky, always the nervous one, broke the silence. "This is some crazy shit, man. Infiltrating Beacon? What if we get caught? What if they find out who we really are?"

Cardin shot him a stern look. "Relax, Sky. We're trained for this. Just follow orders, and we'll be out of here before anyone knows what hit them."

Russel raised an eyebrow. "You sound too confident, Cardin. What if things don't go as planned?"

Cardin chuckled a hint of arrogance in his tone. "Things always go as planned if you make them. We're not amateurs, Russel. Well... we actually kinda are. But no matter!"

Dove, usually the peacemaker, interjected, "Come on, guys, let's not be pussying out now. We've got a job to do, and we're getting paid for it. Let's try not to fuck it."

"Remind me again why they sent us instead of the real deal... I dunno, someone like Tukson." Sky pointed out.

"Because it's surprisingly hard to get a mole in Beacon."

Russel glanced toward the dormitory door, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. "What if someone figures out who we really are? We can't afford to blow our cover. I don't trust Vale more than I trust Atlas."

Cardin frowns, "Don't worry, Russel. Just stick to the plan, and no one will suspect a thing. The more you say something will go wrong the more likely something will go wrong."

Cardin, now alone with his thoughts, glanced at the encrypted messages on his Scroll. Their mission weighed heavily on his mind.

Russel, noticing Cardin's contemplative expression, quipped, "Cardin, you look like you just found out the local diner ran out of pie."

Cardin scowled. "Very funny, Russel. Just thinking about our next move. Sometimes I feel like a pedophile spying on a 15-year-old girl."

Dove, ever the optimist, chimed in. "Come on, Cardin, it's not like the FBI is watching us. We got this."

Cardin's gaze hardened. "Easy for you to say, but we're playing a damn dangerous game here. Ozma is more cunning than we give him credit for."

Cardin trailed off, his attention drawn to his Scroll as he received a new message. He read it quickly, a small smirk forming on his lips.

"But in all seriousness, we have the advantage. We know the school layout, we know the routines, and we know how to blend in. Make Blake work for us. It can also give us a reason to give her a pardon and save face in the eyes of the kingdoms for her alleged crimes once Menagerie's status is revealed. It's obvious they would do their best to condemn Menagerie once they find out about their new status." 

Dove frowned. "But what if we run into Team RWBY? They're no pushovers, you know." 

Cardin fixed him with a withering glare. "Then we will back off. It's as simple as that. Our target is Ms. Blake Belladonna. The current head of state of Menagerie will surely not be happy if we're blackmailing his daughter, but it's not like we're gonna order her to kill her teammates... Actually, we'll come back to that possibility later. All we have to do first is to get someone inside their small team. Just imagine how important all of them are. Ruby the silver-eyed warrior, Blake Belladonna the first daughter of Menagerie, Weiss Schnee the heiress of the SDC, and, well, Yang..."

Dove leaned forward and asked, "So, how are we going to approach Blake? She seems like a tough one to crack."

Cardin leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers in thought. "We have to find her weakness. Everyone has one. And once we find it, we can exploit it to our advantage."

Sky frowned. "But what if she doesn't have a weakness?"

Cardin smirked. "Everyone has a weakness, Sky. We just have to find it."

Russel rubbed his chin. "What about her teammates? They seem pretty close. Maybe we can use that against her."

Dove nodded in agreement. "Yeah, what if we threaten her friends? That could make her cooperate."

Cardin shook his head. "No, that's too risky. It could backfire and turn her against us. We have to be more subtle."

Sky spoke up hesitantly. "What if we try to befriend her? Gain her trust and then use that to our advantage?"

"No teenage guy can do that!!!" Cardin exclaimed. 

Dove leaned back in his chair. "Yeah, but let's not forget who we're dealing with here. Blake may seem quiet, but she's a force to be reckoned with. We have to be careful not to underestimate her." 

With a slight smirk, Cardin stood up and stretched his muscles. "Well, boys, I think it's time for us to get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow."

With that, Team CRDL dispersed to their beds, each one lost in their own thoughts...