Son of the Branwen

Chapter 11: Black and White

Two whole days. That's how long Blake and Hawk have been gone from Beacon. Despite her attempts, Blake couldn't convince Hawk to change his mind and go back. In the two days, Hawk got to know Sun better and had apologized for nearly shooting him the night in Beacon. The three were sitting at a table of a café in Vale, each sipping at their drinks respectably.

Blake sets down her cup of tea and sighs softly before looking over at Hawk and Sun.

Blake: "So, you want to know more about me?"

Sun: "Finally, she speaks! Nearly two days and you gave us nothing but small talk and weird looks!"

Blake gives Sun an annoyed look, but he pointed and nodded.

Sun: "Yeah, like that."

Hawk set down his coffee shaking his head but stayed quiet. Blake rolled her eyes and looked over at him before looking back at Sun.

Blake: "Sun... Are you familiar with the White Fang?"

Sun: "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!"

Hawk watched as Blake quietly sipped at her tea while she listened to Sun, before setting down her cup. Just as she was about to talk, Sun used his tail to pick up his cup and started taking a drink.

Blake: "I was once a member of the White Fang."

Hawk arched an eyebrow as he swirled his coffee, trying not to overreact to Blake's statement. Unfortunately, Sun wasn't as discreet. He immediately went cross-eyed and started to choke on his drink. He quickly set the cup down and held out a hand to process that fact while he recovered from choking.

Sun: "Wait a minute, you were a member of the White Fang?! Hawk did you hear her?! Why aren't you shocked?"

Hawk rolled his eyes and set the cup down.

Hawk: "Of course I heard her. I'm just better at keeping calm than you."

Sun playfully glared at Hawk before the two focused on Blake.

Blake: "That's right. I was a member for most of my life, actually. You could almost say I was born into it..."

She looked down at the table and into her cup of tea, as the images of battle between Faunus and Humans played out in her mind.

Blake: "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."

Blake paused for a moment, and took a shaky breath before continuing. Hawk noticed that she had gotten slightly choked up at the mention of the Fang's old leader, but he kept quiet.

Blake: "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. 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."