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Fractal Chaos 3
🕑 Added 2023-09-28 13:36:00 +0000 UTCChapter 3 of Fractal Chaos for anon. This one is more Blake focused.
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Blake had seen and done more than a lot of people her age. She'd been protesting since she was old enough to walk, she ran away from home when she was twelve and spent her adolescence in a terrorist group. She killed a man when she was thirteen, one of the SDC mercenaries who was kidnapping Faunus to work in the mines even the most desperate wouldn't risk.
She still remembered how numb she felt after that. A week straight of just going through the motions. He definitely deserved it - she'd tell even Weiss that - but taking a life still left its mark. Once upon a time, even Adam felt something when he did it.
And yet despite all the insanity her life had been before and after she arrived in Beacon, the recent days were pretty high up there. Yeah, even considering the immortal, unkillable Queen of all Grimm. Not only did she find out that alternate universes exist, but counterparts of theirs were popping in to say hello. It'd only happened twice so far and yet there was an undeniable nervousness and excitement present in all of them.
Why wouldn't there be? Alternate realities were fictional just like magic and Grimm Queens a year ago. It felt like they were stepping more and more into a fantastical, if scary, world.
She couldn't deny that there was a curiosity there too. While none of her alternates had shown up (and she hadn't been the victim of a switch), she found herself wondering just what the Blake Belladonnas of other worlds were like. Were there worlds where she made better choices? Worlds where she didn't run away from her parents or even turned Adam from his path before it was too late. Or maybe a world where she and the rest of team RWBY were Huntresses in a world without Salem and a Millenia long secret war.
Maybe she'd get her chance to see soon enough.
They'd come up with a system on how things would go nowadays. Always go in at least threes, keep the trackers on their scrolls active at all times, and don't stray from Atlas Academy. While some of them - particularly Yang - bristled at being cooped up, they acknowledged that it was necessary. The other Jaune that had first appeared made it clear that not all of their counterparts would be trained and the last thing they wanted was an innocent alternate getting mauled by Grimm because they got antsy.
They even came up with names to use for everyone who showed up. Apart from Rose and Yin, there was Schwartz for Weiss, Belle for her, Lie for Ren (apparently he hadn't used his first name in years...), Val for Nora, and Florentius (yes, seriously. It was apparently his middle name) for Jaune. Not creative, but at least they wouldn't have to call her counterpart 'Other Blake'.
The seven of them were eating breakfast in their rooms. Better to avoid switching in front of the students, or so General Ironwood said, "Who do you think's gonna be switched next?" Nora asked excitedly. Among all of them, she was the most curious and reckless about the whole thing.
"It's random, from what Penny said. We could be switched seven times in a row if luck particularly hates us." Weiss sniffed, "I'm just hoping Professor Polendina fixes this before things get that far."
"Why? This is awesome!" Nora shot back.
"We've gotten lucky so far, Nora. We won't always be," Ren explained, ever patient, "So far our alternates have been relatively harmless, but we can't discount the possibility of danger given an infinite multiverse of counterparts."
"Yeah. What if there's a world where we're all evil and Cinder's one of the good guys?" Yang asked. All of them shuddered at the thought, "I feel bad for whoever gets switched with Neo, too. They'll be stuck in a cell their whole stay here." They couldn't risk Neo escaping once she switched back with their alternate. They could only hope that whoever got stuck there was understanding.
"We've gotten lucky so far," Ruby said hopefully.
"The Jaune who arrived here was married to Neo and had no idea she was a criminal. You call that lucky?" Weiss raised a brow.
"That's still so weird," Jaune said, "A world where I'm married to Neo? And apparently my alternate was best friends with Roman and Mercury."
"You two did make kind of a cute couple. Like a big innocent dog and a really mean, really tiny cat." Nora giggled.
"Ugh, please don't put that image in my head." Jaune groaned.
Blake was just about to ask about their plans for the day when the familiar green energy returned. Thankfully, it wasn't on her. The swirling sphere of energy covered Weiss and Jaune instead.
"Oh no, not again!" Jaune groaned.
"So this is what it feels like? Alright. Brace yourself, Jaune."
They all looked away from the bright flash. The light lasted for only a few seconds before it was drowned out by the sound of another voice, "What the hell?!" That...sounded like Yang. Ignoring the spots in her vision, Blake looked to where Jaune and Weiss were and let out a soft gasp at the figures that replaced them.
Just like before, it wasn't a 1:1 transfer. Instead of an alternate Jaune and Weiss, there was another Yang and...herself. The other Yang - Yin, she reminded herself - was familiar in more ways than one. She looked exactly like the Yang beside her did save for one crucial difference: her right arm. Instead of yellow and gold metal, the limb was unscarred flesh. On top of that she wore the same outfit Yang did when they'd reunited in Anima, coattails and all, with Ember Celica on her hands. It was as if she was looking at Yang's reflection.
Her counterpart, on the other hand, couldn't have looked more different. Her hair was still long and tied up in a ponytail and her outfit was more akin to a uniform than her usual attire. A dress shirt, slacks, boots, gloves, and a coat, all of them stark white without a hint of black or any other contrasting color to be seen. It was almost like her other self raided Weiss' closet.
The biggest change was her weapon. Instead of Gambol Shroud, there was a full-length katana sheathed on her left hip. The sight of it brought back unwanted memories of Adam.
"Where the fuck are we?" Yin asked, eyes already blazing red.
"Woah, woah! Calm down!" Yang said. Yin's head swiveled to the all too familiar voice and she gasped when she saw her living reflection, "Look, this is a really weird story, so it's better if we sit down and get through it as fast as possible, alright?"
"What is this? Some kind of illusory Semblance?" Belle's eyes were narrowed and she was haunched in a battle-ready stance. Even seeing her didn't change anything, "Another one of your tricks, Yang?"
"Hey, don't look at me! I'm just as confused as you are!" Yin shot back.
"It's not a Semblance!" Ruby said, "Well...it kinda happened because of me and Weiss' Semblance, but that's not the point. The point is that you two are in another dimension!"
Yin looked at Ruby blankly without saying a word. Belle scoffed, "Another dimension? What is this, corner store novel?"
"I know it sounds insane - trust me, I know - but it's the truth," Blake said, "Listen, we can explain everything if you just give us a few minutes."
"Why shouldn't I think this is some kind of attack?" Belle sneered.
"We're perfectly willing to put our hands up and keep our distance if you wish," Ren added diplomatically, "We will also in no way attempt to disarm you. All we ask is that you listen."
"And if we say no? Will you stop us from leaving?" Belle asked.
"Nope!" Nora said, grinning like all was right with the world, "You can walk around or do whatever. You two will teleport back to your world after a few hours, so you can just look around if you wanna skip the exposition dump. You're probably gonna be pretty confused, though. I know I am whenever I skip the cutscenes and suddenly I'm fighting the party member I've had since the first dungeon."
"We...should probably listen, right?" Yin looked at Belle in uncertainty.
"...Fine, but I'll be keeping Nightshade close."
"Nightshade? Wow, Blake, even your alternate universe self is edgy," Yang bumped her elbow playfully.
"Oh, shut it."
Explaining was easier now that they had a sort of routine set. Yin asked most of the questions while Belle mostly kept quiet, only interjecting once or twice. They got down to the meat of things first. No unnecessary details, just telling them that it happened because of an accident with a temporal device and that they would be back to where they were safe and sound after a few hours.
"You know how insane this all sounds, right?" Belle asked after Ruby finished explaining everything.
"It's not much more sensible from our perspective," Blake replied, "All we know is what we've been through so far. Like we said, you two should be back to your world in just a few hours." From what Yin told them, they weren't anywhere dangerous either. A forest outside the walls, but not surrounded by Grimm or anything. Jaune and Weiss could take care of themselves till they got back.
Besides, it'd give them an excuse to actually have some time alone. The two were pretty obvious.
"This is not how I thought today would go." Belle pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Same, but I'm not complaining." Yin grinned weakly, "Give us a chance to talk."
"We have nothing to talk about, Yang." Blake blinked in surprise at the hostility in her counterpart's tone, "You're the one who insists on clinging to the past."
"Uh..." Ruby squirmed in her seat, "Do you two...not get along?"
"We're best friends," Yin said.
"No, we're not."
"Knew each other since we were kids."
"We met literally a year ago."
"Been inseparable ever since."
"I can count on one hand the times we spent together."
...
Blake didn't know whether to laugh or cringe in sympathy. Was she ever that bad, she wondered. She'd been in a bad place when she attended Beacon. She'd left everyone and everything she'd ever cared about for a dream that was, in all honesty, poorly thought out. She wanted to be the bridge between Faunus and Humans and thought being a Huntress would help her achieve that. It was only at the trip to Mt. Glenn that she realized how shortsighted of a view that was.
"Given your dialogue, I assume you two aren't a team in your dimension?" Ren asked.
"What, like in Beacon? I wish." Yin's shoulders sagged.
"We were, but I decided that there were more important things to focus on. The Grimm aren't the monsters that lurk in the cities."
"Uh..." Yang looked between the two awkwardly, "So, how'd you two meet?"
"Beacon." Yin grinned, though it was noticeably strained, "Me and Blake were partners for a year. Then she decided to drop out without a word, no note or nothing. Thought she was in danger so I decided to come looking for her."
"That sounds...familiar." Blake squirmed in her seat. Even now she felt guilty for how she acted after Beacon fell. It was a miracle that her friends forgave her the way they did. Most other people would've cut her off, "From the way you make it sound, Beacon didn't fall in your universe."
"Beacon fell?" Belle raised a brow.
"Yeah, long story." Ruby frowned. Among all of them, she took Beacon's fall the worst. Yang spent months just surviving, but that was because of her arm - justifiably so. Ruby felt the loss of every single life lost when Vale was ravaged by the Grimm, "We were really struggling for a while there - still are, actually - but at least we're together again. Me, Weiss, Blake, and Yang. Team RWBY."
"Wait, you were in Beacon?" Yin asked, "The Rubes from back home's still in Signal. We were in a team with Pyrrha and Cin-"
"Weiss? Do you mean Weiss Schnee?" Belle suddenly cut in. There was a dangerous edge to her voice.
"Um...yeah?" Ruby leaned back at the sudden hostility.
Belle suddenly rounded on her, fury raging in those familiar amber eyes, "You were on a team with Weiss Schnee?" She spat out the name like a curse. Blake wanted to say she didn't understand, but she knew all too well. She hadn't been happy when she ran into Weiss on their first day at Beacon.
"She's not what you think," Blake said, compelled to defend her absent teammate.
"She's the CEO of the SDC. I really doubt that."
"Wait, so Weiss never went to Beacon?" Yang asked.
"Not that I can remember." Yin shook her head.
"Alright, so if Schnee's here, then where the hell is she?" Belle growled.
"She and Jaune were switched with you two," Ren answered.
"Of course. Of all the luck..." Belle muttered a curse under her breath that she couldn't pick up even with her enhanced hearing.
"You...really don't like Weiss, huh?" Ruby asked slowly.
"What gave it away?" Belle sneered at her, "She's everything wrong with Humans. They exploit my kind just to gain a little more Lien and then label us terrorists when we fight back."
"But Weiss isn't like that! She wanted to change the SDC for the better! She even got disowned because of it!"
"Well I don't know what your Weiss is like, but mine hasn't done anything. Jacques Schnee is dead and nothing's different. Faunus still die under those fucking mines and nothing we do ever changes that."
The way she talked, the passion in it, was familiar. A churning realization formed in Blake's gut and she balled her fists at her sides. The next words came out before she could stop herself.
"You're still in the White Fang, aren't you?"
Belle looked at her with an unreadable expression, "I am." The reply felt like a bucket of cold water being dumped over her head. It made sense, and some part of her acknowledged the possibility given what they were dealing with, but she still felt horrible hearing it. She'd given five years of her life to the White Fang and intentionally blinded herself to the realization that they weren't the group she ran away from her parents for. Was Belle's White Fang the same? A group that used murder and terrorism to achieve their goals?
"I see..."
"Judging by how you're asking, I'm guessing you aren't," Belle crossed her arms.
"We...went our separate ways." Again, thoughts of Adam came hurtling back to the forefront. How many years had he lied to her, she wondered. She believed in him. He was her idol, her mentor, and her lover. If he said so he'd walk straight into a nest of machinegun fire without her Aura. It was that same charisma that led others to help him ravage Vale and attempt to attack Haven.
"Ha...so you're on a team with Weiss Schnee and you left our brothers and sisters. This world's a joke."
"Hey, Blake-"
"Watch it," Yang stood, cutting off her counterpart. Her lilac eyes had turned red, "The White Fang was a big reason why Beacon fell and Taurus cut off my arm. You ain't gonna find a lot of sympathy from us there."
"Adam? He's...alive in this place?" For the first time since she arrived in this dimension, Belle's guarded look faded and she honestly looked hopeful.
"No," Blake said before Yang could respond, "He's dead."
"...I see." The hope was gone and the same wariness from before returned, "Did you have something to do with it?" she asked Yang.
"What if I did?" Yang raised a brow in challenge.
"Hey, no fighting!" Ruby stood between them, "Look, I dunno what the White Fang is like in your world. Maybe they're different. I mean, Beacon didn't fall in your world, so I'm hoping they are. Let's just wait out the time till Weiss and Jaune come back then you two can go back to what you were doing. Alright?"
"...Fine." Belle turned on her heel and left the room without another word with Yin quickly following after her. Blake internally debated on stopping her or telling the general about her affiliation before deciding against it. Ruby was right, they'd be gone in a few hours and Belle didn't look like she wanted to stay here any longer than what was necessary.
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Atlas Academy. She was in Atlas Academy. Blake felt sick.
The irate cat Faunus stomped down the halls, brushing past the milling students. This was some kind of disgusting prank the universe was playing on her, she was sure of it. Another dimension. Another dimension where she left the White Fang and she was in a team with Weiss Schnee, of all fucking people. She would've laughed if she wasn't so god damned pissed off at the whole thing.
Thinking about her traitorous counterpart just made her angrier. The thought that there was any kind of world out there where she abandoned her brothers and sisters and pissed all over Adam's sacrifice was infuriating. He'd given his life to ensure that Jacques Schnee was dead, and for what? An unmarked grave and for nothing to change. There wasn't even a body left for them to recover.
Being here in Atlas only worsened how she felt. Atlas and Mistral were the symbols of Faunus oppression. Jacques Schnee exploited her kind as slaves in all but name with the tacit blessing of everyone else in this so-called shining city while Mistral treated them like second-class citizens at best. And now her counterpart was here, fighting for them like a good little pet.
"Blake! Hey, wait up!"
She let out a short breath and turned back to look at her former partner. She should've known being transdimensionally kidnapped wouldn't slow her down at all, "What?" she bit out.
"Where you going?"
"Getting some air to clear my head." She turned around again and kept walking. Yang followed after her, of course. And why wouldn't she? She'd followed her all across Saunus and up to Anima.
"So..." Yang said, arms pressed against the back of her head in a carefree manner, "We're still a team in this universe."
"Suppose so."
"Kinda makes you think, doesn't it?"
"No, it doesn't." Blake refused to meet her gaze. She'd gone to Beacon under the guise of a student in order to find sympathizers for their cause. While the White Fang was numerous, even a single Huntsmen could take out an entire cell. Not everyone had the level of training she did. She'd hoped to find new recruits who understood their plight and could put their training to use in helping their fellow Faunus.
She had to give up her mission when she'd heard of Adam's sacrifice. How could she waste three more years when her brothers and sisters fought and bled for equality? She'd left in the middle of the night and assumed that the rest of her team would chalk up her sudden flight as not being able to cut it as a Huntress. She doubted Cinder and Pyrrha would care, in all honesty. It wasn't like she'd made an effort to bond with them.
She hadn't returned to the White Fang. Sienna gave her missions that she could accomplish by herself. It was more practical that way. With her training and experience, she worked better alone than with a group.
It was a week later that Yang found her camp. Blake still had no idea how she managed that, but her former partner was like a tick that way. No matter how far she ran or where she went, Yang would find her and keep trying to convince her that she could still come back to Beacon. Even telling her about her affiliation with the White Fang and the real reason she went to Beacon didn't deter her. Neither did doing the missions Sienna sent her on. She was still convinced things could go back to the way they were.
"They kept walking till they ended up outside. Blake breathed in Atlas' cold air and let out a frustrated sigh. She wanted to scream, to rage against how insane this all was, but she kept it in. No sense in losing control now.
"Don't tell me you're not even a little bit curious."
"No, I'm not, Yang." She looked at the blonde with a steely gaze, "I don't care that some counterpart of me decided to be a traitor and stay at Beacon while the Faunus suffered. It just makes me more convinced that I did the right thing."
"Is that really what you want, Blake? Look at her! She looked so happy to be with her team. Why not even consider you can be the same?"
"I'm done talking about this." Yang tried to grab her hand only to get a clone instead. Blake ducked around the closest building out of sight. It wouldn't keep her away for long - nothing ever did - but for now it would give Blake some much needed peace and quiet.
She walked until she was sure she was alone. Blake breathed out slowly and leaned with her back against the wall. Being here felt...wrong. Back home, she would've been regarded with suspicion because of her race, but here her counterpart was well-known enough that no one gave her a second glance. A few even stopped to say hi to her, though she paid them no mind.
She never should've gone to that school. Maybe if she'd been with Adam she could've done something, convinced him not to go ahead with his plan or protected him somehow. Something. Instead, she lost herself. She'd gotten distracted playing the role of the would-be Huntress and put off her duties. Not anymore.
An hour passed in peaceful bliss, giving her the chance to process her thoughts. Despite all the insanity, the only thing she could really think of now was how much time she was losing. She had a mission back home that she couldn't afford to fail. The weight of the dust explosive felt heavy in the pocket of her coat. Such a tiny thing, but it packed enough power to destroy an entire block.
Footsteps came from her right. Blake turned her head and scowled at the sight of her counterpart walking towards her, "What do you want?"
"Just coming to check on you." Her mirror raised both hands, "Seemed like you were in a bad mood."
"And what, you thought seeing my twisted reflection would cheer me up?" Blake scoffed, "You abandoned your brothers and sisters. Seeing you is the last thing that's going to make me feel better."
"I don't know what the White Fang were like in your world, but Adam corrupted them here." Blake's hands balled into tight fists. She wanted to throttle her, "He led them to ravage all of Vale with the Grimm and then he tried to do the same to Haven. He tried to murder our parents." Blake grit her teeth. Bullshit. This was all bullshit, "Maybe your Adam was different, but here he was-"
"Shut up!" Blake snarled. She grabbed her counterpart and slammed her against the wall, one arm pressed against her neck. Their faces were just inches apart, "Adam's a hero. I won't let you-"
"You can't pretend things are the same." Her mirror replied, face infuriatingly calm, "Like I said, maybe things are different. The Weiss of this world wouldn't ever dream of following in her father's footsteps, but maybe she does in your world. I just need you to understand that."
A moment of silence passed between the two before Blake pushed herself off, "...Why did you leave the White Fang?" she asked softly.
"The White Fang changed. Or maybe they were always like that and I was ignoring it." She looked away, "I ran away from home to fight at their side when I was twelve. I called my parents cowards and screamed so many awful things at them. I thought Sienna was right. The only way to earn equality is to fight for it. Anything else would be letting the humans trample us."
"And you disagreed?" Blake scowled.
"No." She shook her head, "In the beginning, it was justified. We killed mercenaries who kidnapped Faunus or foremen who ignored safety hazards just to save money. But then the people who 'deserved' it slowly shifted. A security guard just doing his job or a politician's secretary? What about anyone who worked for the SDC? They 'made their choice', so killing them was okay. It was Us vs. Them."
"You can't gain equality by begging on your knees."
"But where does it end? Until every human is guilty and it's okay to kill them?" Blake's lips pursed. It was an argument she'd heard before, "We can't gain equality over a mountain of bodies."
"And what do you suggest? Just give up and play the good little Huntress while the Faunus suffer?"
"That's what I thought at first. I know now it's not that easy." Blake laughed under her breath at the tacit confession. Yeah, no shit, "But that doesn't mean I should stop trying. And a part of you feels the same."
"You don't know anything about me."
"Yin - your Yang - told me all about it. You snarl and scream at her, but there's a reason you let her stick around." Blake's eyes narrowed at the unsaid accusation, "She's proof that Humans and Faunus don't have to be at each other's throats."
"I'm not an idiot. Yang's not prejudiced, but that doesn't magically fix how the majority of Humans see our kind. They'd sooner give ground to the Grimm than admit we're more than animals! The White Fang are the only ones fighting for the Faunus and the only thing the humans understand are fear."
"That's not true!"
"Oh really? So did your method work? Are the Humans and Faunus standing hand-in-hand and working together?" Her mirror's silence was the only answer she needed, "You can talk about ideals all you want. The other Faunus - the ones who can't defend themselves - suffer while you spout on about there being a better way. Maybe that's fine with you, but I won't let them down just to ease my conscience."
"So where does it end? Keep piling bodies until one side destroys the other?"
"If the Humans would rather die than admit we're the same as them, that's on their heads." This was the same argument she'd had with her parents - the same argument her reflection had with her own parents.
"What about your Yang?"
"What about her? I warned her time and again and she refused to listen. Anything that happens to her is on her head." Her mirror's lips pursed and she clearly wanted to say something before Blake cut her off, "What happened to Adam in this world?"
"...Huh?"
"Adam. You said he was dead, but there's more to it than that, wasn't there?" Her eyes narrowed, "You had something to do with it."
"...And what if I did?"
"Heh...so you're not just a traitor."
"You don't know what you're talking about." Identical eyes met hers with a blazing fury, "He destroyed Beacon and killed so many innocent people, Human and Faunus, and I already told you what he tried to do to Mom and Dad. We stopped him at Haven, but even after that, he didn't stop. He stalked me across Anima and tried to kill me. I begged him to just let go and he kept fighting. If it wasn't for Yang, I'd be dead."
"What did you do to him...?"
"No, I'm done talking about this."
She turned to walk away. Blake grabbed her shoulder only for her counterpart to suddenly twist and pin her against the wall this time. Blake unsheathed Nightshade and aimed it at her gut while her mirror did the same and pressed the edge of the sword against her throat. Aura would ensure neither could kill the other so easily, but the message was clear.
"Did you feel anything when you killed him?" Blake snarled.
"Fuck you." The edge pressed just a bit tighter, "We share the same face, but you don't know anything about me."
"You're the one who came here trying to offer sage advice." Blake sneered, "I never asked to be taken to this joke of a dimension or to get life advice from a traitor."
"Fine. Go kill yourself back home for all I care."
Her mirror let her go and stalked off without another word. Blake rubbed at her neck and let out a slow breath. As much as she hated to admit it, her traitorous reflection's words bothered her. The Adam she knew was a hero, a man who sacrificed his life to strike a blow against Faunus oppression. The idea that he would turn into someone so crazed that he'd attack his fellow Faunus was...disturbing.
Yes, she understood that casualties were expected, and sometimes innocents were caught in the crossfire, but ravaging a whole city? She couldn't imagine it, and yet her counterpart was so assured.
Blake clicked her tongue and walked away. She remained lost in her thoughts until she saw a broadcast from a nearby screen.
"Yes, yes, thank you." Jacques Schnee looked to the camera with a winning smile, "Yes, of course, I'm aware of the allegations, but they're just that. There's been no proof of anything that should hinder my running for council-"
She shot the screen with Nightshade's rifle mode. A few students screamed and asked what the hell she did that for, but she paid them no mind. Jacques Schnee was alive. Worse, he was running for office. For all her reflection's talk about how there was another way, all she proved was that she was incapable of doing anything. How long had she been in Atlas while this was happening?
She couldn't just stand by. This wasn't her world, but she'd be damned if she let Jacques Schnee escape the punishment he deserved.
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"Room for one more?"
Yin looked up and Yang grinned back. In her hands were two trays filled with her favorites...well, as close as she could get considering Atlas' menu.
Gods, this was the second time she'd seen her reflection, and yet it still felt weird. At least the last counterpart was different. This one was damn near identical to her, arm aside.
"Sure." Yin smiled and accepted the tray gratefully while Yang sat across from her. General Ironwood wouldn't be happy with them coming to some place so crowded, but they couldn't stay cooped up in their rooms. The last two 'guests' they had were weird, but at least they were friendly enough.
"So..." Yang started.
"So..." Yin replied.
"Alright, I'll start." Yang sighed, "You and your Blake, what's the deal?'
"Huh? Well, she's my partner."
"Not that." Yang leaned forward and looked her counterpart in the eye, "You clearly care about her more than that."
"Well...yeah." She chewed on her food for a moment, "I just...I know she's a good person. No matter what she says or what group she's a part of, I know that. I can't just stop and forget she existed."
"And you're willing to drop out of Beacon for that?" Yang couldn't judge, not really. She'd only ever gone to Beacon as a step in her original plan for a carefree life of traveling Remnant. She also knew what it was like to care about Blake, though admittedly, the Blake she knew didn't look at her association with the White Fang like it was something to be proud of.
"You sound like Dad and Rubes." Yin huffed, "She and Dad were pissed when I told them what I was doing. 'Going off chasing a terrorist', they said."
"Listen, I get doing what you think is right, fuck what anyone else says, I just hope you're sure." She picked up a burger and chewed on it slowly, "When Blake and I met she'd already left the White Fang. Just want to make sure yours is worth all the trouble."
"She is. I...I get why she thinks the way she does. Back in Patch, I never really thought about the whole Human or Faunus thing. Home was small enough that no one really cared what kind of ears you had. Vale's a whole different story. Beacon's supposed to be free of all prejudice but you still get people like Cardin Winchester that none of the teachers or other students give a fuck about."
"So why do you think you can convince her to come back?"
"I don't know, but I have to keep trying. It's better than going back to the White Fang."
"Huh. She really must've made an impression on you if you're that dedicated."
"She's my partner," Yin said as if that explained it all, "I just...I don't wanna give up on her."
"Hm..."
They finished off their food and went back to the dorm room. Ruby, Nora, and Ren went down to Mantle to talk to Dr. Polendina and Penny, so it was just her, Yin, Blake, and Belle here. At least they didn't have to worry about any more unexpected switches today.
Yang opened the door to their room and gasped when she saw Blake sprawled out face-down on the floor, "Blake!" Yang turned her around and checked her pulse. Stable, "Blake, hey!" She shook her gently and lightly slapped her cheeks.
"Y-Yang?" She groaned and sat up,
"What happened? Are you alright?" Yin asked.
"Yeah, got tazed..." She sat up and groaned, waving Yang off when she tried to help her keep steady, "I was...talking to Belle. She took my scroll and was trying to get a Bullhead in, said that she wanted to explore Atlas. Didn't believe her. We got into a fight then..." Her eyes widened, "Shit...she said something about Jacques Schnee's press conference and that everyone there would 'serve as a message'."
"Ugh, Gods damn it," Yang hissed and turned to Yin, "You know her better than either of us. How far do you think she'd go?"
"I, well..." She rubbed the back of her head, "Usually she's more precise with who she goes after, but she's been pretty pissed ever since we ended up here. She might - might - think that offing this Jacques guy wouldn't be enough."
"Fuck."
"Call the others. Doubt they'll get back here in time to help, but still. The General too. He might be able to do something."
"Got it." Yang tapped her scroll contacts.
"Thought you'd be happy to get rid of this Jacques guy?" Yin asked.
"I wouldn't shed any tears if he tripped and broke his neck, but it's like you said, we can't risk anyone else getting caught in the crossfire. If even one innocent person dies, then it's too much. Or do you disagree?" Blake raised a brow.
"No, you're right, it's just..."
"Maybe think about what you'll do when you go back," Yang said, "Sometimes, you do have to consider if someone's still worth it."
She called the people they needed to and the three of them ran for the rally. Ruby, Ren, and Nora were already on a Bullhead, but it'd take them a while to get back to Atlas from Mantle. General Ironwood said he'd do what he could on his end, but he doubted Jacques would let him disband the rally. More likely he'd consider it an attempt from the general to 'stop his political ambitions'. Ugh.
"I don't see her." Blake hopped off the borrowed car and looked around. There was Weiss' dad up on stage and a literal flood of people - reporters, journalists, supporters, and even just curious passerbys - all bunched together. They couldn't make out one face from another, "Any idea where she is?" she asked Yin.
"No, sorry. She didn't exactly take me along on her missions."
"What about you, Blake? You're the closest thing to a mind reader right now. What would you do if you were planning to attack a rally?"
"Different circumstances. Normally, I'd focus on being close enough to see everything but have a good enough position that I can escape if anything goes wrong. Here, she knows that she'll be transported back, so she's not going to be too worried about an escape route. All she has to do is find somewhere to hole up. Why bother with a chase when you don't have to?"
"Maybe she's in the crowd? Figure that she can get lost in the panic?" Yin suggested.
"No. Guards would be looking at the crowd in case of an attack, so a frontal assault is pointless. And if she's planning to kill more than just Jacques, she'd need to use something like an explosive. Can't risk getting caught in the blast radius."
"So where?" Yang asked frustratedly.
"Hold on." Blake looked at the crowd then the surrounding buildings. Jacques' speech was in the middle-class district. Well, middle-class for Atlas, at least. Made it look shining compared to Mantle. There were numerous buildings around. Mostly offices, though Blake's eyes lingered on a different one, "There. Apartment building. Can give her a view of Jacques Schnee and let her decide the right time to do whatever it is she's planning."
"There's dozens of rooms there. We can't check every single one."
"We don't need to. I can narrow down the floor I'd pick if I was in her shoes. Should make it quicker."
"Alright, we'll follow your lead," Yin said. Despite her words, Yang could tell she was nervous.
"You okay?" Yang asked as they followed Blake into the building. A quick flash of their licenses was enough to get them past the landlord.
"Yeah..."
"You know she's not gonna stop when she goes back to your world. What if-"
"I've stayed up enough times thinking about that," Yin cut her off.
"So you know you have to think about what happens if you can't convince her to come back to Beacon." Yin didn't reply, "...I can't tell you what to do. Once you guys go back to your world, I'll never find out what happens. The only thing I can say is that you should be sure that you can sleep at night when everything's said and done."
They went through each room on the floor Blake led them to. The fourth try led to a barrage of machine gun fire shooting through the door just after Blake knocked, "Careful!" Yang kicked the door down and charged in, making sure to take the brunt of the gunfire.
Belle opened her mouth to say something - maybe a threat or just to cuss them out - but Yang paid her no mind. Instead, she kept charging ahead and hit her square in the jaw with a Semblance-empowered punch. Belle managed to keep standing despite the force of the blow, but she was unbalanced enough that Blake could swoop in and slash at her chest.
This time, she activated her Semblance and dodged the hit, "Blake, stop!" Yin charged in last and tackled her to the ground. Belle's eyes widened in shock as the two of them crashed against the hard floor, her sword clattering away from her left hand while something else rolled away from her right. Yin refused to let go, keeping her from using a clone to escape.
"Let go of me! Let go!" Belle growled and reached for her sword. Yang kicked it out of her reach while Blake scoured the apartment for the other thing that fell, "He deserves to die!"
"But it's not just him, is it?" Blake asked, voice surprisingly soft. In her hands was a detonator. Shit...
"What, you think the people down there are innocent?" Belle laughed, "The people of Atlas...they stand aside and laugh when our kind die. The people who surpport him, who smile and clap while he makes his speech, all of them are no different. They're content to sit by and let us suffer as long as it doesn't concern them. Well, I was going to make sure they understood. You should be thanking me."
"Blake..." Yin's expression was conflicted, though her grip remained strong.
"Congratulations. You protected Jacques Schnee. I hope you're proud of yourself." Yang couldn't tell if she was talking to Yin or Blake when she said that. Maybe both.
The question of what came next was answered when an all-too-familiar sphere of energy covered the struggling pair, "Shit, looks like you two are heading back," Yang shook her head, "Hey, remember what I said! Make the right choice!"
"I-"
Yin didn't get a chance to reply before the room was covered in a bright light. When Yang looked back, their counterparts were replaced by Jaune and Weiss. More specifically, the two of them sprawled out on the floor with Jaune right on top of the ice queen.
"What in the hell?!" Weiss pushed Jaune off and scrambled to stand while Jaune did the same. Both their faces were red. In any other situation, she would've loved to tease the hell out of them, "Alright, who was it that showed up in our place that they were pressed against each other on the ground?!"
"That's...a long story." Blake sighed. The detonator was still in her hands, "Just be happy the two of you weren't there to deal with it."
"It wasn't easy for us either," Jaune frowned, "We were in the middle of nowhere without a town or village in sight. It was nighttime there too, so we had to camp out in the forest without any supplies. Not fun."
"Thankfully, Jaune proved rather adept at that." Weiss smiled, though there was still a touch of pink on her cheeks.
"Could you guys flirt somewhere else? We're kind of exhausted here." Yang's shoulders sagged.
"Fine, but you'd better explain exactly what happened later." Oh, not even gonna deny the flirting? She'd save that little tidbit for later.
Weiss and Jaune left, leaving just her and Blake in the room. Blake looked down at the dull tube in her hand and carefully set it down on a nearby table before walking over to the open window. It gave her the perfect view of Jacques' speech. Old bastard didn't even realize how close he came to blowing up.
"You alright?" Yang asked, sidling up next to her.
"I'll live." Blake smiled, though it was obviously strained, "Just...seeing what I could have been is hard."
"Hey, you're not her."
"I know, but I can't deny that she was right about some things. Is it wrong that a part of me hates that we stopped her? All those innocent people down there...and then there's Jacques Schnee. So many people suffered because of him and I just helped save his life. Makes me feel sick to think about."
"We all have those moments. What matters is what you did in the end." She reached out her right hand and squeezed Blake's palm. Blake reciprocated the gesture without caring about how cold the metal was, "I'm exhausted. Wanna head back?"
"Sure. I just wanna pretend today never happened."
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Next chapter will be Saboteur Weiss, who I already showed in 'Heiress to Nothing'. That one puts the focus more on the prime Jaune and Weiss plus gives more hints of White Knight.
