After kicking down the front door, I walked in on the beginnings of absolute chaos.
The issue when it came to dealing with the White Fang in most situations was that for all the Adam Taurus's and Sienna Khan's that made up their ranks, there were twenty more that were just normal people that were fed up with the hand life had given them and wanted to at least act like they were fighting against it.
They were the kind of people that might go to rallies or protests, rant about how things would be better with certain people in charge, and make threats about things they didn't like. But when faced with danger or threats of violence, they would think more about getting to safety than suddenly finding a weapon and rushing towards a fight, especially if they weren't expecting to face a situation that involved those things.
In other words, totally normal people.
If it wasn't for the fact that they were being used as disposable muscle for a scheme to destroy the city and eventually the world, I'd probably have been on their side or at the very least cheering them on. Depending on what actions they were taking, that is. The Faunus had gotten a rough deal in life and had plenty of valid reasons to want changes for their situation. Changes the current governments hadn't exactly been eager to embrace.
So I wasn't exactly enjoying seeing everyone beginning to panic as I walked through the door.
Unfortunately they were being used as disposable muscle for a scheme to destroy the city and eventually the world so I couldn't just let them go until I had a chance to ask my questions.
I pulled several gems out of a dedicated pocket and flicked them towards every exit I could see. Naturally these weren't normal gems, but mystic codes that once in place created a combination barrier and illusion over the doors so that they appeared to have vanished and been replaced by more of the wall while preventing anyone from accidentally opening one anyway, so the only visible exit was the door behind me.
Of course, being suddenly trapped only made everyone panic more, so I quickly spoke up before someone blindly acted out. "Good evening, everyone. I'm sure none of you are happy about me being here so I'll make this quick. Who is the leader here?"
"Why?" Someone in the crowd shouted belligerently, "So you can make an example of them for the rest of us 'animals'?"
I sighed at the expected angry response, but talking was better than panicking.
"No, because I want to talk to them about where I can find Roman Torchwick and his boss."
A ripple ran through the crowd. "So what, you only care about us now that we're working with someone hurting the SDC's bottom line?" Another voice called. "We won't tell you anything!"
"Yeah, get lost!"
"We won't bow to some corporate bootlicker!"
Mob mentality was a hell of a thing.
A handful of shouts from what I assumed were the more hardline White Fang members in the group and then suddenly every Faunus in the building was screaming defiantly at me instead of looking to escape.
I was actually inclined to let them, since I was hoping they would eventually calm down enough that I could talk things out – but my hopes were dashed when I picked out something one of them were saying…
"There's only one of her! Huntress or not, if we all rush her together we can take her down!"
Now that was more concerning. Not because I was actually worried about being rushed by a bunch of civilians, but because there was no way a few of them weren't going to be hurt or worse if they did so. And the one spurring them on was either a fanatic or someone looking to use them as shields while they escaped.
So before they could do something they'd regret, I lifted a hand and Traced dozens of swords that hung behind me in an unspoken threat. The growing fervor of the Faunus crowd was cut off at the knees.
"Look, all I want to do is talk to the leader about Torchwick and his boss," I repeated. "I don't care about the SDC's bottom line or the Faunus trying to get a better life – so long as you aren't hurting anyone. Give me what I need to find him and all of you can go."
"And what have they done that should make us give you anything?" An older man with a pair of rounded ears demanded. "Torchwick might be using the White Fang for his own uses, but he's honest about letting us strike at our oppressors. What would you know of our struggle?"
"Nothing." I replied easily, which caused a few in the crowd to bristle. "I'm not a Faunus. I haven't had to deal with the discrimination like you all have. Any comparisons would just be hollow words." Hell, I wasn't even from this world so I couldn't even say I understood what they dealt with abstractly. Anything I could say would just come off as patronizing. "But just because I can't claim to understand your struggle doesn't mean you deserve to be used as convenient tools by that group if they are who I think they are."
"And who is that? Because Torchwick isn't exactly shy about who he is." The man I was beginning to think was the leader or at least a trusted second asked.
"You're right. Torchwick is exactly what he appears to be – a petty thief, no matter how successful he's been. It's the other one I'm worried about. The one in the red, dust-infused dress." I replied.
"I've no idea who that is."
That wasn't too unexpected. From what I could remember, Cinder seemed pretty hands off with the regular White Fang. She really only showed herself to the leaders and gave orders through them.
"I don't know her name." I lied. "But if she is who I think she is, then she's a member of a Grimm cult dedicated to destroying Human and Faunuskind alike. A cult that might have been responsible for the destruction of Thornbell."
Instantly, the crowd erupted into noise at my accusations.
Sure, I was absolutely lying my ass off about not knowing who Cinder was and that she was at all involved with what happened at Thornbell but that wasn't something anyone could prove. And while I doubted the core of Adam's militant White Fang would care about what I said all that match, my hope was that rumors that she could have been involved would spread among the newcomers and discourage at least a few of them from joining up.
Maybe the rumors that the Fang was helping a death cultist would be enough to get the more moderate members to demand they stop working with her altogether?
Unlikely, but I could hope.
"And what proof do you have?" The leader demanded to which I just shrugged.
"Only my word, not that that's worth much to you I expect. But I was at Thornbell when it fell. Any of the refugees that stayed in Vale could tell you that."
He frowned, "You're right. That doesn't mean anything to me… but if you're right about that…"
I lowered my hand and let my traced swords fade away. "Then confirm it for yourself. I'm a teaching assistant at Beacon so if you decide I'm telling the truth you can send me a message pretty easily." Then I snapped my fingers and cut the illusions hiding the other doors.
"You're letting us go?" A random woman in the crowd asked.
"Like I said before, I can't blame you for wanting a better life as long as you aren't hurting people." I replied. "But Torchwick is only out to help himself and his cultist friend is going to hurt everyone. So, yes, if me letting you go let's me find and stop them before it comes to that, I'll consider it a bargain. And if not? Well, I found you once before. I can probably do it again until I track them down myself."
That didn't seem to go over well with several people in the crowd, but none of them made an issue of it as everyone quickly fled out the exits until it was just me in an empty warehouse.
-o-
"Was it really a good idea to let them all go?" Leona asked once I rejoined her after digging around the meeting place for any clues or documents the White Fang might have left behind.
"It's not like I was looking to capture anyone in the first place." I pointed out.
If a member of Torchwick or Cinder's groups had been there I wouldn't have hesitated to remove them from the board. But a bunch of mostly normal people? They were better off spreading rumors about Cinder to the rest of the Faunus than sitting in a jail cell.
"But don't you think it's risky? This was the only lead we had to one of their meetings, what if we never find one again?" My apprentice worried.
I shrugged. "A little bit, but that's always going to be a thing dealing with shadow groups. Maybe they decide to run away, maybe they change their plan to something we can't detect until it's too late, maybe they do something unexpected… but I'm expecting them to come to us actually. And if they don't? Unless they completely stop all activity in the city, someone somewhere is going to know about it. We just need to find someone who will let us know if they find out."
"Haah, I'm no good at this spycraft." Leona sighed.
"Don't worry, I don't enjoy it much either." I agreed with her. "I just got a lot of exposure to someone who constantly thought like that."
You didn't spend a lot of time living with Kisuke without picking some stuff up or going insane. The man was fundamentally incapable of not creating branching plans for all sorts of situations even when a more straightforward approach would work just as well. I'd probably always prefer the more direct path myself, but worrying about getting snared in one of Ozpin's plans was bringing out some bad habits.
Because even though I genuinely hoped my plan to sow some dissension into the White Fang worked, I didn't care if it did because I knew another location Cinder had to target if she wanted her plan to work.
Even if this was the only run in with the White Fang I had, I could just wait for her there and she'd come to me.
That was for the future though.
"Come on, let's head back to Beacon. I'd like to relax at least a little bit before classes start again."
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