V tapped the side of his coffee cup with one finger as he sat down at one end of a cafe table. Blake sat on the left side from him, sipping from a cup of tea while Sun was at his right, using his tail to sip his own tea.
"So you want to know more about me..." Blake finally broke the silence that had permeated since almost two days ago.
"Finally! She speaks!" Sun exclaimed in jubilation, "Two days and nothing but silence and cold looks. From both of you!"
V and Blake leveled their own glares at the rascal.
"See? Like that!"
V sighed as he took a sip of his coffee while Blake simply rolled her eyes.
"Sun, are you familiar with the White Fang?" Blake began.
"Of course! I don't think there's a Faunus on the planet who hasn't heard of them. Stupid, holier-than-thou creeps that use force to get whatever they want. Bunch of freaks, if you ask me!" Sun said while V remained quiet.
"I was once a member of the White Fang," Blake said.
Sun nearly choked on his tea and spit it out onto the table, "Wait, what?"
"That's right. I was a member for most of my life, actually. You could almost say I was born into it..." Blake explained.
"Back then, things were different. In the ashes of war, the White Fang was meant to be a symbol of peace and unity between Humans and the Faunus.
"Of course, despite being promised equality, the Faunus were subjected to discrimination and hate. Humanity still thought of us as lesser beings. And so, the White Fang rose up as a voice of our people. And I was there."
"I was at the front of every rally. I took part in every boycott. I actually thought we were making a difference. But I was just a youthful optimist.
"Then, five years ago, our leader stepped down, and a new one took his place. A new leader, with a new way of thinking.
"Suddenly, our peaceful protests were being replaced with organized attacks. We were setting fire to shops that refused to serve us, hijacking cargo from companies that used Faunus labor. And the worst part was, it was working. We were being treated like equals. But not out of respect... out of fear."
Blake put down her tea cup, leaving Sun in stunned silence while V had a contemplative look on his face, "So, I left. I decided I no longer wanted to use my skills to aid in their violence, and instead, I would dedicate my life to becoming a Huntress. So here I am: a criminal hiding in plain view, all with the help of a little black bow," she emphasized the last part with a wiggle of her ears under her bow.
Sun paused for a moment before saying, "So...have you told your friends any of this?"
"Just me so far," V filled in Blake's stead, noticing her discomfort at the question.
"Oooh...So that's why you're on the run," Sun realized. Blake continued to look downtrodden.
"Maybe we should go for a walk and decide what to do next," V said as he stood up from his chair and held out his hand to help Blake do the same.
"Sounds as good an idea as any," Sun followed suit as the trio exited the cafe.
The three of them turned down a side alley soon after beginning their walk. Sun strolled casually with his hands behind his head, V was examining a dark mass on his palm, and Blake just walked normally.
"So what's the plan now?" Sun asked as he looked around.
Blake contemplated for a moment before replying, "I still don't believe the White Fang is behind these robberies. They've never needed that much Dust before."
Sun's eyes widened in realization, "What if they did?" he lowered his arms as they stopped and began pacing in front of his two companions, "I mean... the only way to prove that they didn't do it, is to go to the place where they would most likely go to if they were to do it, and not find them there! Right?"
"Great idea, but where would that place be?" V commented.
"Well, while I was on the ship, I heard some guys talking about offloading a huge shipment of Dust coming in from Atlas."
"How huge?" Blake asked
"Huge. Big Schnee Company freighter," he motioned with his hands to indicate the enormity of the shipment in question.
"You're sure?"
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
"Well this is boring," Sun said, laying on his back with his hands behind his head. Blake was watching the docks intensively to watch for any sign of the White Fang while V was sitting cross-legged and reading.
"Patience yields great dividends, Sun," V flipped through the pages of the poetry collection in his hands.
"Right, right," Sun stood up, "I'm going to go and get some food; I'm starving. Don't worry, I'll be right back!"
When Sun left the group, V closed his book and moved to sit next to Blake.
"You're worried," V started.
"Why shouldn't I be?"
"I didn't say you shouldn't be. I was just starting conversation."
A small silence settled between them.
"What did you mean back in the library?"
"Hm?"
"One of the last things you said was I looked better without my bow on. Did you..really mean it?" Blake asked with some color on her cheeks.
V smirked before quoting, "'Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?'"
Blake gave him a light smack on the arm for the comment, causing him to chuckle at her embarrassment. However, the two were interrupted when Sun came back and sat on the other side of Blake.
"So lovebirds, anything happen yet?"
"We're not—" Blake protested. V cut in with, "The shipment's been unloaded, but nothing exciting's happening yet."
"Cool, cool. I stole you guys some food!" the monkey boy cheerfully commented, offering an apple to each of them.
"No thank you," V politely declined.
"Do you always break the law without giving a second thought?" Blake scolded.
"Hey, weren't you in a cult or something?" Sun countered, much to Blake's anger, "Okay, too soon!"
The trio was interrupted by a Bullhead's engines as one of the craft in question shone spotlights on the ground. Soon after, it flew past the teens' stakeout area and landed between some shipping containers. As soon as the ramp was lowered, an individual in a metal fanged mask exited the ship.
"Oh no," Blake whispered.
V looked closer at the individuals leaving the bulkhead and found they all had a read symbol on their backs: a wolf with three claw marks on it.
"Is that them?"
"Yes...it's them," Blake murmured as one of the members began shouting orders to the others.
"I suppose you didn't think they'd do this," V said.
Blake looked at the scene sadly, admitting, "No. I think deep down I knew. I just didn't want to be right."
Blake closed her eyes. V looked closer at the group with a frown, noticing a distinct man with a bowler hat, a cane, and a long white jacket.
"Hey! What's the holdup!?" Roman Torchwick shouted, wildly gesturing with his arms as he strutted down the ramp, "We're not exactly the most inconspicuous bunch of thieves at the moment, so why don't you animals try to pick up the pace?"
"Why are the White Fang working with a human?" V wondered aloud. Blake said nothing; she unsheathed Gambol Shroud before walking off the edge of the place they sat and landing at the docks.
Sun shouted after her, "Hey, what are you doing?!"
"I find it best not to ask," a new voice added. Sun looked to his left to find Griffon perched on V's shoulder.
"So...talking bird..."
"What? You got a problem with that, monkey boy?"
"I bet you taste like chicken."
V sighed at the two's back and forth insults as he stepped off after Blake, Griffon carrying him safely to the ground. He looked around the corner of a Dust shipping container to find the criminal pacing impatiently and ordering around the Faunus he was with.
"No, you idiot! This isn't a leash!" he was interrupted by Blake sneaking up behind him and putting her sword to his throat, "What the-Oh, for f—"
Blake cut him off, shouting, "Nobody move!"
The White Fang soldiers readied their guns and equip their swords in response.
Excellent plan Blake...
"Whoa! Take it easy there, little lady."
As the White Fang closed in on her, Blake used her free hand to remove her bow, revealing her Faunus traits to them.
"Brothers of the White Fang! Why are you aiding this scum?" Blake demanded
The White Fang members lowered their weapons a little at this development, unsure of what to do. Roman, however, simply laughed.
"Oh, kid, didn't you get the memo?"
"What are you talking about?" Blake demanded, her blade pressing a little further in his throat.
"The White Fang and I are going in on a joint business venture together!" Torchwick explained.
"Tell me what it is or I'll put an end to your little operation."
Suddenly, the air was filled with the sound of engines. V looked up to find three Bullheads hovering above the scene
"I wouldn't exactly call it a little operation..."
Blake looked up in horror, and Roman capitalized on her distraction by firing a shot from his cane at her feet.
Blake, dazed but relatively unhurt, quickly rolled and ran out of the way of Roman's continued attacks, flaming missiles destroying cargo behind her as she tried to retreat behind more containers.
V suddenly felt cold metal press against his back as a voice said, "Hands where I can see them!"
V put his hands up as he turned to face the White Fang grunts behind him, counting five in total.
Easy enough, he smirked. Shadow appeared leapt forward with Griffon shouting, "Fuck yeah!" as they tore into them. Griffon shocked two of them near to death with a line of lightning strikes while Shadow swept another two to the side of a shipping container, knocking them out instantly. The remaining one tried to fire their weapon only to find it was soon destroyed by a shadow spike. His hands immediately shot up.
"Honestly, I hate working for these guys, they are so weird," he dropped the remains of his gun. V simply gave a small smile and waved him away, prompting the grunt to run behind a shipping container.
"Aww, you're not letting me have any fun," Griffon moaned.
"Relax, I'm sure there are plenty more for you to have all the fun you want with."
V headed back to the area where Blake was before to find Sun fighting off multiple White Fang goons. After pointing forward, Shadow and Griffon charged in to assist while V simply walked around the outside, far away from the combat.
"IT'S BARBECUE TIME!" Griffon cackled with glee as he continued to blast White Fang members with lightning, often times taking hem out instantly; Shadow growled as it leapt about, stabbing some enemies with spikes while slashing up others. Sun simply beat down anyone coming near him with his staff, though mildly shocked by the familiars.
"He's mine!" V heard Blake shout as she charged Roman, who was lining up a shot on him.
Blake got in close and quickly became a blur of afterimages. She slashed rapidly with both blades at Roman, who backed away and deflected each would-be blow with his cane at unbelievable speeds. Blake continued to try to dodge around and find a weak point, but she was unable to and was knocked away by a few strong strikes from him.
Just as Roman dealt with Blake, Sun leapt right in front of the criminal and disconnected his staff into two spinning circles of flame-firing shotgun nunchucks. Sun swung each gun at Roman while firing everything he had at him, but even with the rapid series of shots and flying bullets, Roman managed to defend himself against every bullet and hit until a millisecond-long pause allowed Blake to get a slash in and knock him back.
V's familiars finished with most of the grunts as he continued to watch the battlefield. Suddenly, more engines were heard as five more Bullheads approached V's location. However, Griffon and Shadow were a bit preoccupied with the White Fang to deal with the new threat.
"Well, it seems I might have to be a little more...serious," V mused.
Some of the White Fang members near him glanced around in confusion. V said nothing.
He simply raised his left arm and snapped his fingers.
"Eradicate them all."
As soon as the loud snap of V's fingers echoed through the air, an object akin to a meteor fell from the sky, and crashed into the area in front of him, sending White Fang members and debris flying everywhere. Out of the crater, a gargantuan, pitch black golem emerged. It's body seemed to be made of demonic fluid, and it had a large, glowing orb for an eye where a person's neck would be.
"Show then your worst, Nightmare," V commanded, and the golem obeyed.
As the White Fang recovered, Nightmare slammed its fists into them, continuing to knock them about as Griffon and Shadow continued on the offensive and Sun and Blake dueled Torchwick.
The bullheads landed and let out many White Fang fighters, some with large weapons like rocket launchers. However, their charge was interrupted by a large lightning bolt.
"HAHAHAHAHA! FUCK YEAH!" Griffon cheered as he strafed the White Fang members coming out of the Bullheads with lightning. Nightmare lumbered over and joined in pummeling the reinforcements. Shadow, now finished fighting White Fang fighters nearby, simply purred and walked around in a circle before laying down, seemingly falling asleep.
V sighed, quoting with mild sarcasm, "'Tyger Tyger, burning bright, In the forests of the night; What immortal hand or eye, Could frame thy fearful symmetry?'"
V's lamentations on his cat were halted by the roar of four more Bullheads overhead. V groaned at the new annoyances as he ran to Nightmare and jumped on his back, stabbing his cane into the giant's shoulder.
V pointed at the aircraft, and soon after, Nightmare charged up and fired a large purple laser beam at the Bullheads, slicing them all in half.
"Hell yeah! That was awesome!" Griffon whipped as he landed on V's shoulder after he jumped off Nightmare. The golem melted back into shadows and the black coloration of V's hair returned. He turned back to try in find Torchwick, only to see he had vanished.
He's a slippery one...
He looked at Sun and Blake. Sun stood with his mouth agape while Blake was wide eyed at the display. V simply smirked back
"THAT WAS TOTALLY AWESOME!" someone shouted at the top of their lungs. The three teens turned up to the top of the dock to see Ruby Rose throwing her hands in the air from the cheer before taking them back down and smiling sheepishly.
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
Later, a handful of police cars arrived at the docks, where Ruby, Blake, Sun, and V sat on boxes in silence. That is, until Weiss and Yang appeared on the scene.
Ruby noticed heir approach and got up, explaining, "Look Weiss, it's not what you think, she explained the whole thing. See, she doesn't actually have a bow, she has kitty ears and they're actually kind of cute..."
However, Weiss ignored the red cloaked girl and immediately walked towards Blake
"Weiss," Blake started, "I want you to know that I'm no longer associated with the White Fang. Back when I was with the-"
"Stop!" Weiss cut her off, "Do you have any idea of how long we've been searching for you?Twelve hours. That means I've had twelve hours to think about this. And in that twelve hours, I've decided..."
The other members of RWBY, plus Sun looked on, worried at what she would say next.
"I don't care," Weiss simply stated.
"You don't care?" Blake was surprised at the simple apology.
"You said you're not one of them anymore, right?"
"No, I-I haven't been since I was younger-"
"Ah-bah-bah-bah-bah!" the heiress interrupted once more, "I don't want to hear it. All I want to know is that the next time something this big comes up...you'll come to your teammates. And not some..." she looked at Sun, "Someone else."
"Of course."
Weiss smiled and nodded in acceptance of the reply. The moment was serious and silent for a second more until Ruby screamed, "Yeah! Team RWBY is back together!"
"Also, since when did you have white hair?" Ruby pointed at V. The others also glance at him for an answer.
"Since birth. My...semblance changes it to be black," V explained.
"Oh. I think you're so much cooler with white hair, though," Ruby commented.
"Why, because it looks like your old friend?~" Yang joked.
"Ah! Yang, don't share embarrassing stories with everyone!" Ruby immediately freaked out.
"Come on Rubes, everyone knew you and him were meant to be!" Yang teased before starting to sing, "~Ruby and Ne—"
"STOP IT!" Ruby began lightly punching Yang in the arm repeatedly much to everyone's amusement and laughter.
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
In Argus, a man sat behind a desk. He had an old fashioned phone on the surface near him. Opposite the phone was a box of pizza, with a single slice in the man's hand.
He had white hair and wore a faded red jacket with a skull on the back and the sleeves rolled up. Underneath, he wore an ordinary black henley T-shirt with three buttons that had sleeves reaching just past his elbows. For his legs, he wore a pair of black jeans, a black belt with gold accents, and brown boots. On his wrists were a pair of black driving gloves and white bandages.
As he was about to begin eating the pizza slice in his hand, the phone next to him began to ring. The man groaned as he set the slice of pizza down on a paper plate in front of him as he picked up the phone.
"Devil May Cry?" he greeted with a grin. He nodded, going "Mhm" in understanding at the questions on the other end. Eventually, he hung up and got up, grabbing a sword that lay on the wall behind him and his slice of pizza as he kicked his chair under the desk.
"Dante, who was that?" a voice called from upstairs.
"Oz called, Will. He just needs me this time, so hold down the fort and keep the bills paid until I get back so Morrison can stay off my case," Dante shouted up the steps to his flat mate.
Dante walked out the door with a smirk on his face, "This'll be fun."