White Sheep

Chapter 33

Here's the next chapter of White Sheep

Beta: College Fool

Cover Art: Kegi Springfield

Chapter 33 – Steel Sheep

Yang  wasn't sure what she'd expected when they decided to try and rescue  Jaune. Sure, there'd been the expectation of a fight somewhere along the  way, and probably an awkward moment where she saved the guy who maybe  liked her, well, definitely liked her if the dates were any indication,  but whom also liked Ruby, and was now also kind of Weiss' boyfriend.  Either way, it was bound to be awkward and weird. And she knew that,  accepted it, even.

What she didn't expect was to see a  vaguely wounded and furious Hentacle stood opposite a woman who set  Yang's heart racing. That old image she'd found among her father's  possessions must have been twenty years old at least, but the woman  before her seemed to have aged not even a single day.

M-Mother...?

"Yang,  Yang, snap out of it!" The world slowly came back into focus, and she  noticed the worried looks her teammates were sending her. Blake took a  step forward. "Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine," she lied. "Where's Jaune? I don't see him."

"Not  here," Ren said, watching the two combatants with a wary eye. "In this  regard, I think no news is good news since we can rule out him being in  Hentacle's possession. Still, who is that person he's fighting against?"

Raven Branwen... her biological mother.

"Someone  who isn't our problem," Blake pointed out. "We still have Atlas behind  us, remember. We need to get out of here before we're caught." She tore  off her White Fang mask and threw it aside, the three of them doing the  same. "Now's as good an opportunity to escape as ever..."

"First my  mech fight, and now an epic showdown," Nora whimpered. "I thought you  were my partner, Blake. I thought I could trust you..."

"We'll watch it on the news," Ren promised for the second time.

Nora sighed. "It's just not the same..."

Yang  agreed, and wanted nothing more than to rush forward and help the woman  against the monster. On the other hand, Blake was right, they did  need to get out of here, and there was still Jaune to think of as well.  He was more important... more important than even confronting the woman  who had abandoned her. She swallowed her frustration and nodded. "Let's  try and find the others. We can track Jaune's scroll using their team  beacons."

"That sounds like a good idea-" Ren was cut off as Nora  tugged on his arm. "Nora, what's wrong? We're not staying to watch this  figh...t..."

His words trailed off.

"I think we are..." Nora said.

Grimm.

So many Grimm...

They  appeared as if from nothing, though as she looked closer, small puddles  of what seemed to be blood proved to be the cause. Ruby had mentioned  something similar, how Hentacle had created Grimm by splashing his blood  atop the roof of a building. Two Beowolves, if she remembered  correctly.

This was far more than that. There were Beowolves among  them, but Ursa and Boarbatusks, too – and it was only luck that  prevented there being airborne foes to contend with at the same time. In  total, there had to be at least forty, and they ranged from small to  large, filling the deserted warehouse complex.

Yang took a step back, less afraid, and more shocked – horrified, even.

"Grimm..." Ren whispered. "In the city..."