RWBY: LIFE AND DEATH - CHAPTER 20

Blake and I continued studying and planning for the White Fang, preparing for what was to come, and it was easy to see our team was starting to question what we were doing, they just didn’t want to ask what.

“Umber, is everything okay?” Pyrrha inquired, her eyes full of worry.

“Yes, why?” I offered her a smile.

“Well, you’ve been distant lately,” Pyrrha replied.

“Yeah! You barely hang out with us anymore!” Nora added a few inches away from my face, narrowing her eyes in an accusatory manner. “Nora doesn't like being ignored!”

“We are your team, so if you need us… you can count on us,” Ren smiled, if only they knew they wouldn’t be saying such things.

“Don’t worry, it’s really nothing,” I assured them, lying through my teeth. “It’s just a lot of stress… school and stuff, don’t worry,”

“Okay, just know whenever you need someone to talk to, we are here,” Pyrrha offered, giving me a small hug.

“I will,” Lies, I wonder when they are going to stop.

As if on cue to break me out of this conversation, the metallic sound of my scroll vibrated in my pocket. The reason, a message from Blake, [They know! Please come!]

“I have to go,” I said, putting my scroll back in my pocket.

“It’s everything okay?” Ren inquired.

“Yes, I just need to run a few errands,” I replied.

“Can we help you?” Pyrrha offered.

“No,” I replied in a dry tone, running out of the room.

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[Pyrrha Nikos POV]

Why couldn’t he trust us, it pained me to see him carrying such weight, and not even knowing what he’s carrying, “He’s gone again,” I sighed, seeing him run out of the room to do heavens know what.

“He was worried,” Ren stated, “I felt his emotions spike when he read the text he got on his scroll,”

“You can do that?!” Nora gasped.

“To a minor degree, unfortunately I can only feel negative emotions… and his aura was full of that when he read the text,” Ren clarified.

“We have to help him then!” I declared.

“I agree, but you know following him is near impossible, he has very acute senses, making it impossible for us to chase, he would shake us off in a few minutes,” Ren sighed.

“Maybe team RWBY knows something?” I replied, “He’s been hanging out with Blake a lot… so maybe they know something we don’t.”

“Then what are we waiting for!” Nora nodded, blasting through the door to team RWBY’s room.

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[Yang Xiao Long - POV]

The words of Blake echoed in my head, as new things became clear answering many questions in a painful way. ~Well, maybe we were just tired of being pushed around!~ What were we supposed to do now, give her some time? Look for her, both?

“I can’t believe we had a member of the White Fang under our noses!” Weiss exclaimed, walking in circles.

“White Fang or not, she’s our teammate, and our friend!” Ruby protested.

“I’m with Ruby on this one,” I nodded.

“How can you!” Weiss hissed, “She’s a criminal!”

“She’s our FRIEND!” Ruby shouted.

“Yeah, right…” Weiss scoffed, “A friend doesn’t lie to you… besides I don’t know why are you so mad… all she did this week was spend her time with… oh no,”

With Umber, “Weiss don’t go out making assumptions!”

“He’s one of them too, how could I be so blind!” Weiss sighed in exasperation.

As Ruby was about to reply, someone knocked at our door, “Maybe is Blake!” Ruby commented full of hope, rushing to open the door, only to find team UNPR outside the door, all of them except Umber.

“Hi, sorry to bother but we have a few questions,” Pyrrha said, “Can we come in?”

“We are dealing with something right now, I don’t think we have the time to hang out,” I replied.

“It’s about Umber and Blake,” Ren added.

“There is nothing to say,” Weiss snorted angrily, “They are both criminals, members of the White Fang,”

“Members of the white fang…” Pyrrha said, as if finally understanding something, “So that’s why he was so afraid…”

“Of course he was,” Weiss rolled her eyes.

“Look here snow cone, I don’t care how you normally treat others, but Umber is our friend so get that broom out of your ass, before I SHOVE my hammer up there!” Nora growled, walking towards Weiss.

“Wow, wow, there is no need to fight!” Ruby jumped between them.

“I’m the victim here, we are all!” Weiss shouted, “All they do is kill, steal and destroy! Why should I speak of them any differently!”

“Weiss, does that sound like something Umber or Blake would do?” Ruby asked softly.

“I.. they…” Weiss struggled to find an answer, but Pyrrha seemed to find it for her.

“I know Umber, maybe not as much as I would like to, but I know him… I see so much of me in him, or maybe so much of him in me, who knows… but what I know is, that he’s a good guy, willing to sacrifice his own happiness for the sake of the greater good, to bleed for what is right,” Pyrrha smiled, “So White Fang or not, he has my blade should he need it, now the question is… do you guys know Blake as much as we know Umber? Because, in his hands I would blindly put my life on the line,”

“Without a question,” Ren nodded.

“Indubitably!” Nora nodded.

“How can you trust someone so much, you barely know him…” Weiss replied, her tone full of doubt. “We are just about to complete the first semester… how can you trust him that much in so little time?”

“I don’t know,” Pyrrha replied, “It’s the way he makes us feel, like… we can count on him… no matter the odds,”

“I get the feeling,” Ruby smiled, “I trust Blake with my life too,”

“Same here Rubes,” I smiled, proud of my little sister.

“Well, good for all of you, but I can’t!” Weiss shouted, storming out of the room.

“That’s it! I’m gonna go full PROCTOLOGIST on her!” Nora growled, only to be stopped by Ren.

“Let her be, she has a lot of things to work through,” Ren said in his usual calm tone.