Chapter Text
Far across the ocean I can hear the sound of thunder
I listen closely, but I hear no evil
The walk back to Beacon was surprisingly quiet, all things considered. The experience was a novel one. Peaceful silence was a bit of a rarity, in their little group. As it turned out, tense, fraught silence was much easier to manage. Score one for team RWBY, Blake thought to herself. Voicing it seemed inadvisable.
Nobody bothered them on the way back. A few people even crossed the street. Blake imagined that there was probably a proud Vale tradition of avoiding the oddly dressed young people with bad attitudes and complicated weaponry. In a town like this, four girls walking at night was practically a threat.
They’d left Sun back at the docks. He had other accommodations, and things were delicate enough without another source of tension. Now though, Blake was starting to wish he’d tagged along. Without the distraction, it was difficult to ignore the reception they’d likely receive upon returning to Beacon. Never inclined to shy away from adversity, however, they were all putting in a commendable effort. Yang was the easiest; she’d been following Ruby’s every move since she heard about the tiny shooting incident. Ruby herself, Blake was less sure of, but given the way she’d been fretting about Penny’s disappearance earlier, she could hazard a guess. As for Weiss – Blake had no idea. Ever since saying her piece earlier, Weiss had been uncharacteristically silent. Blake wasn’t sure if this was a matter of processing the weekend’s revelations, or just the calm before the next storm.
Like everything else about Weiss, the situation was complicated. While her attitude was small minded and bigoted, she was clearly a product of her environment, and Blake could admit Weiss hadn’t had a choice about that. She was holding out a cautious amount of hope though; Weiss had pulled a rather fast turn around for Ruby, twice in fact. Weiss had both admitted she was capable, and that she had the potential to be a good leader. Blake wasn’t sure if the same willingness to change would be extended to her, or whether this would be the issue that pushed Weiss too far. If that happened, it was going to be ugly. Not only was there no way for Ruby and Yang to avoid being dragged in, there was also the matter of Blake’s own feelings.
When she’d first met Weiss, she’d seen exactly what she expected. Most of it was second hand knowledge, as there was surprisingly little information about Weiss publicly available. But the spoiled heiress story bandied about the White Fang had been in full evidence. Then she’d actually gotten to know Weiss, at least as much as Weiss let anyone actually know her. She was smart, dedicated, and entirely willing to work for what she wanted. Blake could respect that. She could also, on rare occasions, be incisively funny. Blake and Yang had come to the conclusion that tragedy was Weiss happening to you, comedy was Weiss happening to someone else. There was also the small matter of Blake’s first reaction upon seeing Weiss being ‘They didn’t mention she was beautiful’, but that was a whole other mess that was far too thorny to get into. Besides, she’d had rather similar thoughts upon meeting Ruby and Yang, because the Beacon student population had an unfair number of hot girls.
Messy, complicated attractions aside, Blake had started to honestly want Weiss’s friendship, at the very least, and not just because it would make team living easier. That didn’t mean she was willing to serve a probationary period, constantly waiting for Weiss to snap.
Unfortunately her musings, along with any imminent explosions, were interrupted by their arrival at the Beacon gates. While Blake had fervently hoped for a quiet return, she’d even go as far as a slink, home, it wasn’t to be. Professor Goodwitch was waiting for them. Oddly enough, she didn’t look impressed by their valour.
“I understand there was yet another incident involving the local criminal element?” Goodwitch started without preamble. Before anyone could answer her, she continued. “I’m sure you’ll be happy to know that there was no loss of innocent life, though the property damage was extensive. The mayor, naturally, is thrilled.”
Blake winced at that. While the docks were hardly a residential area, Vale was a busy city. People were around at all hours of the night, and the thought of anyone getting caught in the crossfire was sobering. She had left the White Fang to avoid hurting people. If her attempt to intervene had gotten anyone injured, the irony would have been a little more than she could take right now. Feeling guilty about the team is hard enough, she caught herself thinking. Back in the White Fang, she’d been relatively ambivalent about the feelings of her comrades, largely due to their frequent lack of them. Having people whose opinion mattered to her was surprisingly exhausting.
As if things couldn’t get more uncomfortable, Goodwitch faced her directly. “Miss Belladonna, I’m led to believe you provoked the fight?” It wasn’t a question. Though it did raise one; specifically where she was getting her information from. The police hadn’t really asked for detailed statements or anything.
“Actually, she was intervening to stop the theft of Schnee company property, Professor.” Blake’s eyes snapped over to Weiss. Chin up, eyes defiant, voice firm. Weiss was actually serious about defending her. Blake couldn’t help the slight thrill of surprise at that, though the relief was short lived.
“How very civic minded of her. I’m sure your father will appreciate that explanation, Miss Schnee.” Goodwitch’s voice was dry enough to wither. Weiss paled at the words, seemingly more concerned by her father’s ire than the school’s. Blake kind of wished she’d seen that under better circumstances. With how white Weiss was normally, that was kind of a neat trick. Weiss held her ground and said nothing, her posture visibly brittle.
“We were just trying to do the right thing,” Ruby interjected eagerly, taking the focus off Weiss. The heiress stepped back as soon as Goodwitch looked away, but her face stayed hard and her arms crossed, so Blake was guessing she wasn’t entirely cowed.
“Which while admirable, was terribly misguided. You could well have been injured by that shot Miss Rose.” When it became apparent that her admonition was being taken somewhat more lightly than she would prefer, Goodwitch shifted to glare at the whole group. “Understand this; there are reasons, important reasons, why Huntresses and Huntsmen do not serve in the military, do not act as law enforcement. We learn to fight Grimm. In that fight, the necessity of victory allows us certain liberties. In populated areas, our methods can do more harm than good. Can any of you imagine the damage that would have been done had that Dust shipment ignited? I suppose we should merely be thankful Miss Rose had her allergies under control.”
They all winced at that, partially in horror, partially in embarrassment. Ruby had hunched so far down in her cloak the hood had eclipsed her face, and Weiss’s colour had returned in a rather dashing shade of scarlet.
“They were members of the White Fang, working for a human. Letting them steal that shipment could have been just as dangerous.” Blake figured it was time to speak for herself. If she was surprised at how steady her voice came out, that was no one’s business but her own.
“Be that as it may, you would have been far better served by immediately reporting it to the police, and allowing those more qualified to handle the situation. Your actions tonight were reckless and irresponsible, Miss Belladonna, and there will be consequences. For all four of you,” Goodwitch snapped her riding crop against her boot, cutting off any objections before they were voiced. “You are a team, and are expected to act like it.”
“So Blake and Ruby are in trouble for getting involved, and Weiss and I are in trouble for not being there?” Yang blurted out, with a courageous amount of heat. Goodwitch favoured her with a long, level look before continuing.
“Miss Belladonna and Miss Rose thoughtlessly endangered the lives of innocents. The two of you allowed them to face danger without you. I’ll leave it to you to guess which I consider the more grievous offence.” Yang subsided at that, casting a guilty glance at her sister. Blake knew how protective Yang was; she’d be castigating herself for ages over this. Weiss, already tense, had gone from resembling a statue to a coiled spring. Maybe we’ll get that explosion after all. As the four of them stood there, caught up in private recriminations, Goodwitch glanced down at her scroll and sighed.
“As I said, there are to be consequences. The four of you will not be attending the festival, nor will you be taking part in the tournament.” There was a quartet harmony of indignation in response. Naturally, it was Weiss who first managed to voice a coherent objection.
“But we are a skilled team, Professor! We could help Beacon’s standings!” The measured, upwards drift of Goodwitch’s eyebrow seemed glacially slow in the following silence.
“While your concern for Beacon’s reputation is appreciated, Miss Schnee, I’m sure we will survive without you.” Blake was impressed. Goodwitch’s voice was even drier that time. How’d she get that much desert in her throat without choking? Ruby must have agreed, because she wordlessly offered the professor a water bottle. To her credit, Goodwitch accepted with aplomb.
“As I was saying, the four of you are to remain on school grounds for the duration of the festival. Make no mistake; your continued attendance at Beacon is on the line here. Now, return to your room. I believe you’ve all had enough adventure for one evening.” Ultimatum delivered, Goodwitch swept off, already engrossed in her scroll.
The four of them looked at each other, but there wasn’t really anything to say. Blake wondered if the tenuous new peace would hold up. They’d all been excited for the festival, and it would be – not unexpected – for the others to blame her for this. Well, she figured, as they trudged back to their dorm. At least the silence was companionably despondent this time.
***
Back in their dorm, they all changed and readied for bed, all stiff, mechanical motions and faraway eyes. There was a soft murmur of protest as Yang insisted on checking Ruby over for injuries, but even that was quickly swallowed by the pall in the room. Nightly rituals complete, they all retreated to their respective beds. Nobody was meeting anyone’s eyes, but there was no rush to turn off the light either. A quarter of an hour passed without relief. Blake searched for a way to break the tension, with the kind of slowly increasing desperation normally reserved for the last five minutes of class, or the first five minutes of a conversation with Nora. She’d had a taste of what losing this team would feel like, and she wasn’t keen on having it happen again. Before anything came to mind, however, Yang let out an explosive sigh.
“Man,” she started idly, “I haven’t been chewed out like that since the first time Dad found me in bed with bottle of beer in one hand and a shirtless Achieve Men cut out next to me.”
Out of all the ways to break the stifling tension between them all, Blake never would have predicted hysterical mirth. Just like that, they were all giggling, even Weiss. She was surprisingly good at it.
“What do you mean, ‘the first time’, you pervert?” Weiss demanded once she’d calmed down a bit, struggling to get the words out in between gasps of laughter. The question set them all off again, Yang rolling over to stare at them with a rueful look.
“Look you, what happens between a girl and her life size, high definition monument to abs is her own business, ‘kay?” Ruby snorted, apparently overcome, before triumphantly squeaking out a response.
“She made it talk!” Blake couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed this hard. She was pretty sure she hadn’t had bruised ribs last time though. Ouch. That was a problem. It only got worse though. Yang jumped down from her bed, pointing at Ruby with a gleeful expression that promised more hilarious, hilarious pain.
“Says the girl who calls her weapon sweetheart! I’m just waiting for the day you update Crescent Rose with a vibrate function!” Yang’s grin wasn’t phased by Ruby’s shriek of outrage, or by the pillows simultaneously thrown at her from three separate beds. As teamwork went, it wasn’t bad. Blake’s paroxysm of laughter hitched into a grunt, as the motion aggravated her ribs. Yang’s expression immediately turned to concern, and she sat down next to Blake on the bed. “You okay there Blake?” Yang asked, cautiously probing her side.
“I’m fine. Bruised, not broken,” she responded, shying away from the contact. Having someone look after her injuries was… unprecedented. While she appreciated having someone care about her well being, it certainly did take the humour out of the room. Apparently that was Yang’s cue to turn serious.
“I’m sorry about the festival guys. I know the tournament was gonna be cool.” Blake and Ruby looked at each a moment, and then both turned to Weiss. She’d been positively exuberant, by her standards. If anyone was going to get upset, it was her. That was not an unusual state of affairs. Weiss surprised them all, however, with a tolerant sigh.
“It’s alright, Yang. It wasn’t anyone’s fault, and I’m just glad we’re back together.” Her expression turned sour for a moment. “Besides, it’s not like any of us were going to beat Pyrrha, anyway.” Yang opened her mouth, paused, and closed it with a shrug. Blake sympathised. Some facts weren’t worth arguing.
There was an unspoken consensus that it was probably time to go to sleep. Pillows were retrieved, beds were returned to, the light was switched off. Under the cover of darkness, however, it was easier for Blake to gather her courage, and ask the one question she’d been worrying over all evening.
“Hey Weiss,” she whispered, more out of nervousness than decorum “Why’d you stick up for me with Professor Goodwitch?” That was fairly light. Much less dangerous than the real questions she was dreading having answered. Do you really not care that I’m a faunus? Does my history with the White Fang really not matter? …Are we okay? There was a pause, and she thought Weiss had chosen not to answer. After a long moment, however, she received a soft reply.
“I told Ruby I was going to be the best team mate I could be. That means you and Yang, too.” Oh. Just a team thing then. Blake couldn’t help but feel surprisingly disappointed at that. She hoped for something more, even if she wasn’t sure what. She was still fighting down the unexpected surge of hurt when Weiss spoke again, stopping her in her tracks. “You’re my friend Blake. That hasn’t changed.” Well. That was an entirely different situation.
“Thanks, Weiss,” she muttered, cheeks warm. Not only were they friends, they apparently had been for a while. She’d never been sure. Apparently this friend thing isn’t as hard as I thought. Sure, she’s a hopefully recovering racist with a temper like an Ursa and the glare to match, but she’s ours. The happy thrill Blake felt was only magnified when Ruby and Yang interjected, a soft “Go Weiss”, and “I knew you could do it” respectively.
Weiss let out a huff. “Yes, well.” She’s embarrassed! That’s adorable. “A Schnee always does her best, and I suppose this is no exception.” No more need for secrecy, supportive friends, and a melting ice princess. Blake could have basked in the warm feelings running through her. Ruby apparently felt slightly different, however. In the darkness, she lent over the side of her bed to look at Weiss, though Blake was fairly sure human vision wasn’t that good.
“Maybe you could try not worrying about being a Schnee, and just be Weiss? Just around us, maybe?” Ruby’s voice was small, and oddly gentle. When Weiss didn’t reply, she pushed herself back up, snuggling into her pillows. Blake did likewise, feeling a lot more relaxed than she had in a long while. Just after the tell tale sounds of sleep started coming from the top bunks, however, there was a soft whisper from Weiss’s side of the room. This time she was certain human ears wouldn’t have picked up on it.
“I’m not sure I remember how.”
Just like that, the bed felt cold again.
***
She rapped sharply on the door.
“Come.”
Professor Goodwitch entered, closing the door behind her with a soft click. “I’ve spoken to them. It remains to be seen whether they take the lesson to heart.” She paused, uncharacteristically hesitant. “They believe they’re being punished.”
Ozpin raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t they?” His voice was deceptively mild.
Goodwitch straightened, her eyes firm. “As much as they may bemoan missing out on the festival, it hardly seems a commensurate punishment.” There was another pause, longer this time. “I also know that whatever my feelings on the matter, you would have done the exact same thing in their situation, consequences be damned,” Goodwitch finished, leaving the corollary unspoken.
Ozpin lent forward, taking a slow sip of his coffee. “This Torchwick character…” he started, tone measured, “Has some worryingly broad associations.”
Goodwitch let out a sharp hiss. “I remember. You’re certain it’s related?”
“Qrow is,” Ozpin equivocated. His face gave nothing away, but the fact that he’d brought it up at all was telling.
“So the confinement…” Goodwitch let her question trail off.
“Tournaments can be dangerous. Accidents happen.” Ozpin’s voice hadn’t changed, but his knuckles whitened around his coffee mug. “As Miss Schnee pointed out, they have the makings of a skilled team. I’d prefer not to lose them this early in the game.”
There wasn’t really much to say to that. Goodwitch turned to leave. Behind her, Ozpin stared, unfocused, at nothing. Once she was outside, she shook her head, once, before pulling out her scroll. There was, as always, work to do.