It had taken Alice time, but she finally had information on the envelope Blake had confiscated from her friend's mailbox. It didn't clear up all the questions. In fact, as always seemed to be the case, the answers they did get were only causing more questions.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡAZVs22Kcm9
Their source was not one of the questions that were answered, much to Blake's frustration. It wasn't from the Schnee Dust Company. In fact, the last envelope had specifically targeted an SDC facility. The number of faunus it portrayed as being there had been exact, and the condition of the living facilities, security, and working conditions were accurate.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡX7J8VtINNL
They were, as of a year ago. If you compared those numbers with the numbers today you would get a totally different picture however.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡU3Uz26t53b
The facility, #587C, had been a failing venture. The amount of dust produced from the mines was progressively shrinking with no new veins discovered in almost six months. They were scheduled to be closed down, the remaining labor returned to Vale for redeployment to other facilities, those willing to do so at least. That would have been a very small percentage normally.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡtEao7drSpN
Then seven months ago the facility had begun to change. Which exact pressure applied to SDC that caused the change was hard to say, but new money had been put into it, adding to the security of the facility and overall care of the labor.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1mVKvQedE2
Unexpectedly, at least to the company, the previously failing facility found three new veins that month, all of them large enough to keep it profitable for another year, at the very least.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡYz6T99ZCe2
Alice had backtracked on the reports Phoenix had gotten from Ruby and Weiss, removing any leads that Phoenix had given them, and looked at the ones they "happened to come across." Nine out of ten of them had a similar turn around until two weeks prior to the pair arriving. Then they simply stopped. No data could be found indicating what happened between those two weeks. By the time Ruby and Weiss arrived the facility was normally destroyed, apparently by grimm attacks.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡOIHY6OcyGB
What that could mean Blake didn't want to guess. Nothing good was obvious. That her friends were being massively manipulated by someone was severely pissing her off.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡlIYgtt7IGL
The worst part was of the nine that disappeared seven of them were SDC facilities. Whoever was doing this was purposely fueling Weiss's anger with false information.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡKFkRyt0x6f
Driving to the Rose's house, Blake stewed on what could be happening. She had tried calling Ruby yesterday after the meeting (and the distraction of a certain lion faunus) several times, but she hadn't picked up once. Blake continued to try that morning between meetings and helping Weiss and her wing leaders where she could. Weiss had said her wife was in a deep depression, suggesting that may be why she wasn't responding when Blake had questioned her.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡAUXhT465CN
Weiss's own depression was evident. Who could blame her? Whether she was disowned or not the loss of her father had to hurt, and then getting the insult of being barred from the funeral... It was cruel. In response Weiss had buried herself in her work. If she had her way Whicker Mining was going to be bankrupt when she was done. Even she wasn't that good, but the ferocity from her misplaced anger was the same.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡHXvFeZ9lHQ
Blake was playing hooky from her responsibilities this evening. Phoenix would survive without her there for the rest of the night, but the need to tell Ruby what she had found wasn't the driving force anymore, it was the real fear of something being wrong between them. Yesterday had not been the first time she had tried contacting her friend with no response. It had been that way since the day after she'd taken the envelope.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6svrj4VjC2
Had Ruby figured out Blake was the one who took the envelope and was angry about it? Good intentions or not Blake had invaded her privacy by taking it, but she didn't seriously think Ruby would be that sensitive for this kind of snub.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡydXwuQABWc
Was it that Blake had started monopolizing Weiss's time? The couple had so little down time between their forays into the forest. Maybe talking Weiss into helping had actually been a mistake? She knew the first time Blake had asked for Weiss's help back when they were in Beacon she had been worried about that, but that had been years ago and she thought the circumstances were different now.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡoEaUkoTtJA
She didn't know. It could be what Weiss had said: Ruby's depression. If that was all then Blake wanted to be there for her friend even more. A depressed Ruby was impossible to imagine. It meant she needed Blake's support. She needed her wife's as well. It added some validity to her fear that using Weiss was the problem. That Weiss was so intent on burying herself in that work though... Blake didn't know what to make of that.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡkQ2QilUdFx
Her thoughts were driving her hard to get to Ruby's house. Perhaps too hard, as she saw the flashing lights in her rearview mirror. Looking at her speedometer she noted she was doing five over the limit. It shouldn't be enough to get pulled over normally.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡfeKdKf3lQ0
The key word was normally. This could go several ways, both good and bad. Being as the figurehead of the faunus movement she could be welcomed and let off with a warning, or she could be harassed and given even more contempt than a bigoted officer would give an unknown faunus. The outcome that would be the most reassuring would be fair treatment. A speeding ticket, oddly, was reassuring. It meant they were becoming equal in more people's views.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡxeFH8Z51tP
Pulling over slowly she stopped at the curb and waited for the officer. She consciously placed both hands on the steering wheel at ten and two in textbook style to be sure there was no confusion on if she was holding a weapon. The fact Gambol Shroud was in the car at all was possibly an issue if the officer somehow didn't know who she was until she showed her Emblem for identification.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡCNFFDX1ybG
She hated the feeling, but she was itching to have her bow on to hide her ears. It would take the guess work out of how this was going to go down. The fact she wanted that protection proved Phoenix had a long way to go still in their fight.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5rVQEF5I0V
When the officer reached her door, he looked immediately at Blake's ears with narrowing eyes. It didn't add to Blake's confidence on her leaving with only a ticket. "License and registration," he said gruffly.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡJyaogjnllQ
Reaching slowly towards the glove compartment for the requested documents, a new sense of panic hit when she realized it could look like she was reaching for the machinegun sitting on the passenger seat. At least it could look enough like it for a cop intent on causing trouble for a faunus.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡbYEQDhOEQ0
Which this cop did.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡkWsgM6WRPX
Most cops would take a step away from the door at a perceived threat into a firing stance while drawing their weapon. It was textbook, and how they were trained. This officer didn't.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡNyvYWLij7D
Whether he thought it was more intimidating, which was Blake's guess, or more effective was a matter of debate. The officer leaned into the car to get a better angle as the barrel of the gun was placed directly against her spine. It was a stupid move. It took on average between two to three seconds for a person's reflexes to act. Even if she hadn't been a huntress that would be enough time for Blake to counter and have the gun out of the officer's hands. Being a huntress meant she had at least two additional counter moves available after that which would leave him incapacitated.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡaiBO9e6YTX
She didn't do that however, pausing and moving her hands out slowly to either side to again make it clear she was unarmed and cooperative. "Out of the car slowly," he said with what was probably meant as menace. Cardin was more intimidating than this guy.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡYeTquFxqxm
She obeyed; doing everything she could to appear docile. She suspected the only reason he hadn't tried to shoot her was because of the necessary investigation that would come after. She had enough lawyers to represent her that no matter what trumped up charge he came up with it could be defeated. She couldn't afford this looking like it was her fault in any way however. The head of Phoenix attacking a cop would be a great blow to her cause.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡnkVSjREBbL
"I'm a huntress. By law we are permitted to carry our weapons. I had no intention of drawing her. I was reaching to get the paperwork you asked for," Blake explained calmly. That she was a huntress was general knowledge in Vale. Her face had been shown everywhere with Simon's PR engine. It was always best to be sure however.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡfm4Qad5hbY
The cop snorted. "Faunus shouldn't be allowed to be huntsmen, Belladonna," he said, making her name sound like a slur.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡead7AHN87k
Well at least she knew he knew who she was. Now to see if that was a good thing or a bad. She didn't have much hope however.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡvvFqnYi2At
"Now put your hands on your head," he continued.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡNPPRG05Lig
She didn't like the sounds of this, but again didn't see any real choice in the matter. As expected the man put cuffs on her. His excuse was her extensive combat skills made her a risk. It was trumped up, but she dealt with it as best she could.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡKxrXF1FsaM
After the cuffs were secure he sniffed the air noticeably. "Have you been drinking?" he asked, nearly crowing with joy. copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡNFis6FroI1
Well this just went from annoying to dangerous in a flash. She actually had had a few drinks before heading over. Nothing too bad of course, especially with the regenerative abilities of her aura, but it would affect a breathalyzer she figured.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡSvQInwIti1
Again, this was something her lawyers would get her out of in only a few hours. Simon, on the other hand, was going to have her skin as soon as his hands were free from the nightmare the press would be handing him.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ3yb1dcGGn
A few minutes later her fears were proven true and she found herself in the back of the police car. She was sure he wrote down the wrong numbers. Even by huntress standards that blood alcohol level should have been enough to make walking difficult. Anyone without control of their Aura would be in the hospital with alcohol poisoning.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡtt3LW9rny9
On the drive to the station she tried to recount how many glasses she'd had, and flinched realizing the numbers he had written were probably right.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡorFf93MSw4
Two hours, and one count of "resisting arrest" later Thompson picked her up from the station. The resisting arrest had happened at the precinct office, with plenty of witnesses to her "violent behavior." All of them had helped "pacify" her.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡTg8sr9GEPm
Even with aura it was going to take some time to mend her wounds. Aura didn't fix dental damage, so that was going to be a wonderful office visit she would rather have avoided. At least the internal damage had been kept to a minimum. A couple of broken ribs at most.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1jQ54MewaN
If she had resisted, truly resisted, she would have been able to walk out with the entire precinct unconscious. That would only have proven they were right in trying to take her down. This way, at least, they would have a harder time proving anything besides eye witness testimony that was automatically suspect.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡFzelOnoAgU
She hadn't expected the men to start staging the scene, delivering blows to a couple of the officers, causing bruising that looked worse than they were to prove how dangerous she'd become. The entire event was going to be a nightmare when the media got a hold of it.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡF9bOCCXigN
"So, how much did you really drink?" Thompson asked, sounding both worried and annoyed. Maybe even angry, which she admitted was justified.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡFi6wnbjCIt
She wouldn't lie to him. With embarrassment she answered "Just under a bottle of whiskey."copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡpo2EJR28si
"A full bottle?"copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡ38seW4QTn7
She automatically got defensive. "It's not as bad as it sounds. Huntsmen have a good resistance to alcohol."copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡH3pOzNZSpI
His voice moved from annoyance with hints of anger to full anger. "Don't tell me about resistance. I am ex-military, remember? I've worked with enough huntsmen to know how resistant you are. Even you had to have been feeling the effects."copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡmP6puPgwYI
That hurt. Partially because he was right, but mostly because of the disappointment beneath the anger of his voice. She never wanted to hear that again. "I'm sorry. I didn't think I'd drank that much. Half a bottle at most," she told him with true humility.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡP1RifNm6HK
Her lover sighed. "Are you okay?" he asked gently, moving away from the subject. Unlike most humans he didn't just know what had happened. He understood it. Nearly every Faunus in Vale would.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡdoNDcnqcfQ
Blake rolled her right shoulder once experimentally, grimacing slightly at the pain it caused. "I've had worse."copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡUCG01aQhHP
"We've all had worse," he replied, glancing sideways and his eyes showed sympathy as he looked over the damage. "More than you can heal by yourself?" he asked.copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0wQRO5Fbbm
Shaking her head in denial she replied "They had Gambol Shroud far enough away from me I couldn't keep them from hurting me, and it stunted my ability to heal afterwards. Now that I have her back it won't take long to heal most of it. Two days at most. I'm hoping Simon can use pictures of the superficial damage to counter whatever backlash this has."copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡWpKK2X7t9n
"It'll be bad."copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡk3Z040bViS
Sighing, Blake replied, "I know."copyright protection165ＰＥＮＡＮＡKjpAbeGQqS
