Southern Vale
2:34 PM
146 Days to the Fall
Red Hood Pov
Blake and I were making good time getting to the camp. I had estimated about two hours to and from, but we were a little over a hour in and almost there. That was probably due to the excessive speeding I was doing. In retrospect, I probably shouldn't be pushing my bike like this. It worked, but it was nowhere near where it was before. That's also taking into account that the only stop that we made was one just before we left Vale, and only long enough for me to get dressed in my combat gear.
The ride was cathartic. Enough to get my mind off of that blue-haired twat. Blake was holding on to the bag of Lein. She was surprised that I had actually trusted her to hold on to it. In truth, I didn't quite trust her yet, but I was getting there.
After a few more minutes of riding, we arrived in the general area. I pulled off to the side of the road and killed the engine. The camp shouldn't be any more than a mile into the forest. The plan was to be as passive as possible when we got there. Blake wouldn't have a problem interacting with them, it was me that was the problem. When they see me, I assume that all hell will break loose. Thus, I'll have to either hang back or play it passive. I'm opting for the passive approach. Better for Blake that way in case I'm wrong in the assumption that she'll be welcomed.
Blake: So to reiterate, all we're doing is giving them the bag?
Red Hood: For the tenth time, yes.
Blake: Just making sure. When your around, things tend to get a little....
Red Hood: Fucked up? I'm well aware... Look, we're going to keep it simple. We walk in, explain the situation, convince them we're not a threat-
Blake: I don't think I'm the problem here....
Red Hood: ....Convince them I'M not a threat, give them the money, and be back at Beacon before nightfall. Like I said, simple.
I didn't expect it to be that simple but I sure as hell was going to try to keep it that way. We started to make our way into the forest after hiding the bike. Blake was leading the way. She had better senses so she'd catch any danger well before I would. I was better off watching our back.
The walk was quick with it only being a mile and a half in. Normal folk would think this is a long walk, but for two people who have excellent endurance and is capable of keeping a steady pace can finish the march in twenty minutes. We could've done it faster but I'm sure I speak for Blake as well when I say this, but I'd rather not emulate a military ruck march unless I actually had to.
The camp came into view. Everything looked normal, at least as normal as a camp full of deserting terrorists can be. There were a number of armed guards standing around the parameter. They were remarkably well armed for a bunch of deserters. Guess they got their hands on some of the weapons that were stolen from that ship.
Red Hood: Put your hands up.
Blake: What, why?
Red Hood: We're strangers and armed ones at that. Do you think their going to take kindly to that, especially with me with you?
Blake didn't respond and followed my example, raising her hands up. We stepped out into the open and had just about every gun in the camp trained on us. Neither of us made any sudden movements out of fear that the slightest twitch would get us shot.
I had to keep myself focused on why we were here. I didn't take kindly to having guns pointed at me, so I had to remind myself that these people weren't my enemy. Blake was visibly shaken at having a dozen rifles pointed at us. Much like the night that I was discovered by Ozpin, I figured now would be a good time for a little humor.
Red Hood: Take me to your leader!
Deserter 1: The only thing your about to take is a bullet! Why are you here!?
...Guess they didn't appreciate a little tension breaker...
Red Hood: Your deserters trying to escape the White Fang, so I brought you a present. Blake, open the bag and put it down, slowly.
Deserter 2: Before that, why the hell would you help us!? Everyone knows that you kill any White Fang you come across! What makes us different!?
Blake: He want's to help you! I deserted too and he spared me, so please believe that he wants to help!
This was why I wanted Blake with me on this. With her with me, they were less likely to just shoot and be done with it. Her speaking on my behalf would also keep their fingers off the triggers. A few of them lowered their weapons but there were some that weren't convinced. On the bright side, at least there's only seven rifles pointed at us now.
Deserter 1: But why would he?!
Red Hood: Because between her and Tuckson, they've shown me that not all of you are pieces of shit.
Deserter 1: You know Tuckson?
Red Hood: ....I knew him....
My use of the past tense didn't go unnoticed. I didn't tell Blake about what had happened. In fact, I wasn't planning on telling her or the camp about what happened to him. The camp had gathered around to see why the armed sentries were ready for a fight. Hearing what I had said set the camp in a panic.
Deserter 2: What happened to him....?
Red Hood: The White Fang caught on to what he was doing. The money is his.... I saw that he would come to this camp every couple of weeks and with him gone.... I figured he'd want the money to go to other folk who still had a chance to get out.
The sentries all looked between themselves with the rest of the camp before lowering their weapons. Blake was about to lower her arms when she noticed that mine were still up. I wasn't about to spook them and have someone get jumpy enough to start shooting. Before she could question why I was keeping them up, I spoke first.
Red Hood: Give them the bag.
Blake walked slowly to the camp. Her seeing me being cautious was enough to keep her from letting her guard down. She opened the bag and showed them the contents. If I had to guess, it wouldn't be enough for supplies to get to Vacuo, but it would be enough for a trip to Mistral. That would arguably be the better place anyway. Vacuos' landscape itself would kill you well before bandits or Grimm would. Having lived in Vacuo for a time, I can say with certainty that I wouldn't recommend it under any circumstances except for the most dire.
The contents of the bag were searched to ensure I wasn't trying to set them up. After being satisfied that we weren't a threat, the tone around the camp completely changed. We started as unwanted visitors, now we were heroes. Well, Blake was. I stayed out of the way, waiting for Blake to finish getting the adulations of the camp. We gave them a better chance, or A chance at surviving at least.
To them, we were a godsend. Not that I saw it that way. Tuckson was still dead, and their survival wasn't guaranteed. All I did was attempt to make a shit situation to a slightly less shit one. Blake noticed that I was keeping away from the camp after she gave them the bag. I guess Blake, having excused herself, pried herself away from crowd and walked over to me.
Blake: Why are you standing so far from the camp.
Red Hood: I've done what I came here for. Now I'm just waiting for you.
Blake: So that's it?
Red Hood: What're you talking about?
Blake: We drove for a hour and convinced them to take the money and you don't want nothing out of it?
Red Hood: Not everything I do requires me to get something out of it.
Blake: That's not how I mean it. They probably have information that would be useful.
Red Hood: Maybe.... But I doubt it's anything that I couldn't find out on my own.
Blake: ....What if I want to know?
I looked Blake in the eyes. She had been distracted back at Beacon and suddenly she's focused on the camp. Specifically the information that she could get out of this. My eyes flicked over to the camp. These people were the same as Blake and she wanted to use them for information? I'm not about to judge her, but it was low.
Red Hood: ....Go ask them then, just make sure that they head for Mistral and not Vacuo like Tuckson was.
Blake: Why Mistral?
Red Hood: It's safer. Sure it's teeming with more Grimm than Vale, but it's geography makes it almost impossible to track someone in and the White Fang have almost no presence there.
Blake: But Vacuo has no White Fang.
Red Hood: But Vacuo itself is out to kill you. Which one is deadlier? White Fang, or mother nature?
Blake: Point taken...
Red Hood: Then what are you waiting for? Go ask them?
Blake, without missing a beat, returned to the people of the camp. I turned slightly and lifted my mask so I could smoke while I waited. I figured while I was at it, I'd send a message to Neo. Torchwick was less likely to respond since he was the "mastermind". Besides, I haven't heard from them in a while.
Red Hood: 'Hey, you and Torchwick still good? Haven't heard from either of you in weeks.'
Almost immediately, I got a response back.
Neo: 'We're fine. Roman has been being excluded from a lot of the planning that their doing.'
Red Hood: 'They don't suspect you two, do they?'
Neo: 'If they did, I doubt that we'd still be alive....'
Red Hood: 'Fair enough.'
That didn't really need saying. I was more asking if she thought that they were burned. At this point, Neo and Torchwick had helped me more than they really had to. Sure, we have our agreement that I won't get in their way so long as they pay me a small cut of the money they make, not step too far out of line, and give me information, but never was it stipulated that they had to actively help me the way they had.
The fact that they were willing to play double agent was telling. It may have been something born out of not wanting to be on the business end of my pistols but at this point, Torchwick would have to really fuck up for that to happen. Hell, if things were a little different, He and Neo could've been Huntsmen. Maybe I should lessen the cut of money I'm taking from them.
Neo: 'Oh, but while I have your attention. Walker and Taurus came back. Walker is a Major now.'
Red Hood: 'Yeah, a major pain in the ass.'
Neo: 'The rank, Y/n...'
Red Hood: 'Obviously....'
I looked and saw Blake coming. I took my last puff off of my cigarette and put it out. I pulled my mask back down and turned to face Blake. Just before Blake got to me, I sent Neo one last text.
Red Hood: 'Got to go. Tell Torchwick to contact me when he can.'
I pocketed my scroll before getting a reply. Blake didn't look to happy. I can only assume that they either told her something that she really didn't want to hear, or they told her to fuck off. I doubt that they did though, she would have been sent back as fast as she had returned to them.
Red Hood: You ready?
Blake: ....Yeah.
Red Hood: ....What did they say?
Blake: Adams back in Vale and he's cracking down on people leaving the White Fang.
Red Hood: Funny, because I just got told he and Walker was back.
Blake: ...So I just wasted my time?
Red Hood: No, on the contrary, you confirmed the information I just got. Thanks for saving me a couple hours. Was that all you got?
Blake looked rather upset when I asked. Guess that was. It was nothing actionable like I assumed she was after but it was still something. It means that that getting these people the money now and not later was the best thing we could have done for them. Who knows how close they are to catching up to the camp.
Blake stayed silent the entire walk back to the bike. She was typically a quiet person but she was being too quiet. Arriving at the bike, I hopped on and tossed Blake the helmet. We made the drive in a hour, and I'd like to get back in that time too. Blake caught the helmet but just held it. She was clearly bothered by this whole thing. I sighed and got back off the bike.
Red Hood: What's the problem? We kept it simple, like I said. No one was hurt, they took the money and we got information out of it-
Blake: But we didn't get anything of value out of that information!
Red Hood: That's not true. We know what their focusing on. Think about it. Where are they getting the manpower to hunt down deserters?
Blake: I... I don't know...
Red Hood: It's simple, their recruitment rates are either up, or their getting backing from Sienna Khan, maybe even both. If they are getting backing, that means that their getting ready for something and their trying to discourage people from deserting by making a example of them.
Blake: But if that's the case, then we still don't know what their planning!
Red Hood: Your right, we don't.
Blake: Why are you so flippant about it!
Red Hood: Because I have ways of finding out. I may not be gearing up and going after the White Fang every night, but that doesn't mean that I'm not still tracking their moves. Give me some time and I might have the answers I'm looking for.
Blake: ...Answers we're looking for...
Red Hood: I'm sorry?
Blake: Torchwick and the White Fang need to be stopped and I'm not going to sit back and let you do everything!
Red Hood: Torchwick isn't the problem, Walker is.... How about this, I keep looking and when I get something, we can go and put a stop to it. Who knows, maybe we can take them all down in one go.
Blake pondered for a second before she reluctantly agreed. It was the best I could offer her. Not that I was being entirely truthful. I wasn't about to tell her that I was working with Torchwick to get some of this information. The only person who really figured out how I was getting my information was Yang, and that was because she goes to torment Junior whenever she wants dirt on something.
Blake put her helmet on and I started the bike. I had work to do when I got back apparently. I hit the throttle and took off. I was pushing the bike a little hard today so I might want to set some time aside to work on it. Well, at least Tucksons death wasn't for nothing, that was something. I just wish that it never happened to begin with. Now that Taurus and Walker were back in the picture, and Cinders lackeys being here now, I guess now would be a good time to start fucking with the White Fang again. I just hope that Blake, and the others for that matter, didn't do anything stupid in the mean time....