Shadowed White

As I worked on the Zeta Gundam manga, I received a call from Willow.

" Hello, Willow. How did Weiss do on your little test?"

The Schnee matriarch kept silent, which made me call out to her.

" Willow?"

" She passed Silva, but she got an injury over her eye that will result in a scar."

Willow solemnly replied, and I asked with growing concern.

" Can she see out her eye, alright?"

" Yes, Klein examed her, and aside from some scarring, she will be fine."

" What about you, Willow? How do you feel about this whole situation?"

An awkward silence descended the conversation for a few moments until the Schnee matriarch said.

" Mostly guilty for putting her through the test that gave her a scar but also more than a bit proud that Weiss passed the test."

I could hear the warmth in her voice toward the end of her sentence, which made me smile. I then asked Willow.

" Have you talked to her yet?"

" Not yet, no."

" You should, especially since you won't see her for a while while she is attending Beacon. Don't let your last face-to-face conversation be about your wanting to attend Atlas instead of Beacon. Weiss might be angry, but she won't hate you, not truly."

I heard Willow sigh as she asked me.

" Should I really?"

" Willow, talk to her before she leaves. It would mean a lot to her, and it would show that you do care about her well-being."

" Thank you, Silva."

I smiled as I said.

" Anytime, Willow. I will see you as soon as I can."

The Schnee matriarch and I ended the call there, and I went back to work on the Zeta Gundam manga. I want to get the first few volumes at least out before I attend Beacon.

***

Blake Belladonna felt nervous as she overlooked the train tracks from the cliff she was on. The ninja cat girl clenched her fists until a familiar voice called out to her.

" Blake?"

" Sorry, Ilia. I'm just nervous."

Ilia Amitola looked at her friend with worry and then assured her with a slight smile.

" Don't worry, Blake. We can do this."

" I know, Ilia, but it doesn't make it any easier."

The two looked at one another until a male voice called out.

" Darling, Ilia, are you two ready?"

They turned to look at Adam Taurus, the current Leader of the Vale Branch of the White Fang. Ilia and Blake shared a look, then looked resolute as the ninja cat girl answered.

" We're ready, Adam."

" Good, but I still don't know why you want Ilia along for this raid. You and I are more than enough to tackle the security."

" It's just a precaution, Adam; the SDC should be aware of our recent actions against them and might have increased the level of security for their cargo trains. Better to have her and not need her than need her and not have her."

The bull faunus nodded in acknowledgment and took out his Scroll to check the time, and smirked as he said.

" It's time. Let's go!"

Adam ran off to reach the target, with Ilia and Blake closely following him. They slid down the steep incline, then jumped to get the cargo train. The bull faunus found a hatch and sliced it open with his sword Wilt before hopping down with the ninja cat girl and chameleon girl following closely behind him. The instant they touched the floor of the train cart, the security system came online to reveal Atlesian Knights that responded.

[Intruders, identify yourselfs.]

The bull faunus smirked as he launched his sword at the nearest robot, which toppled it, and he immediately grabbed his free blade to slice down the falling machine. The Atlesian Knights immediately switched to combat mode as their hands changed into volcano guns to fire on the faunus. Blake and Ilia jumped into action by attacking the bots nearest them. Blake used her Gambol Shroud to slice and dice the robots while evading gunfire. Ilia used Lightning Lash to shock the robots as she whipped her weapon around.

The group soon took out the robots before moving on and running into more Atlesian Knights and quickly dealing with them. They soon reached the cargo hold, and Adam looked pleased with the high-quality Dust crystals he saw in the container he opened. Then, he ordered the two girls.

" You two go on ahead while I set the charges."

Blake frowned but kept silent as Ilia followed her to the next cart. The chameleon girl looked back at the bull faunus and shook her head with a disappointed and disgusted look. As Adam gleefully set the charges, he heard something and looked to see a large spider-like drone appearing from the shadows above. The next moment the spider drone transformed to fire off a massive energy blast which then burst open the train cart, and the bull faunus landed on an open-air train cart and then called out for assistance.

" Blake, Ilia, to me!"

He did not hear any replies and looked around to see the rest of the train separated and speeding away in the distance. It hit Adam like a lightning strike. Ilia and Blake abandoned him without a word, and unfortunately, the spider drone emotionlessly continued its attack on the stunned bull faunus. Adam roared out in pain and rage as he took out his current feelings on the machine.

Meanwhile, Ilia and Blake rode on the train as they watched the red of Forever Fall with solemn looks. The ninja cat girl asked her friend.

" Did we do the right thing?"

" Blake, you said yourself, Adam does not care about getting the faunus equal rights, only his spiteful and petty vengeance against the humans. In the end, the Vale branch has become no better than a cult for Adam's twisted ideology, and we had no way to contact the High Leader since Adam kept a tight reign over communications. The only thing we could do was get away and try to get in contact with the High Leader another way."

Ilia assured Blake as she reached for the ninja cat girl's hands to clasp. The cat looked at her friend and gave her a weak smile as she said.

" Thanks, Ilia. For being here and coming with me to Beacon."

" No problem, Blake. Anytime."

The chameleon girl said with a bright smile, and Blake looked to the horizon, feeling lighter than before with a renewed sense of purpose as she clenched her fists. She decided to put Adam behind her along with the current White Fang, as she did not want to inspire fear for respect.