Over the course of the next few weeks, Doctor Knowall got several visitors. Many of them Huntresses, hoping for some attention. He shut them all down professionally and sent them on their way. They were disappointed, naturally, but he paid it no mind.
He also got a few surprises.
"Doctor?"
He looked up from his studies on White Fang movements to see Cardin Winchester standing in the door way. He was holding his right wrist and wore a grimace.
"Yes, Mister Winchester?" He asked politely.
"I uh... I've been having these pains in my wrist for the last two days," he said.
Out from behind him stepped Velvet Scarlatina. She scowled up at him, her hands on her hips.
"The dummy just refused to go and get it treated," she huffed. Cardin scowled.
"I'm tough! It's gonna go away on its own!"
"Well it hasn't yet!" Velvet insisted, "So you'd better get it looked at!"
Knowall held back a small smile. He gestured to the examination bed, and Cardin walked over to it. The big paladin sat down with a huff, as Velvet stayed by his side. She wore a scowl as Knowall held out his hands and examined Cardin's wrist.
"You're channeling too much Aura through your muscles," Knowall deduced, "Even though it heals and protects you, too much of it can leave your muscles feeling sore. Apply a cold pack, then hot pack, and rest it for a day or two. You'll be fine."
Velvet smiled in triumph. Cardin grumbled but slowly nodded.
"I told you," Velvet murmured.
"Fine," Cardin sighed, "I'll take it easy."
"Good," Knowall nodded, "Also? Focus more on Aura control exercises. I believe Mister Ren is adept at it. You should ask him for pointers."
Cardin grumbled a bit more, but Velvet touched his bicep. He glanced at her then slowly nodded.
"I will, Doctor."
"Good," Knowall stated. He turned away to add some notes into Cardin's file. He heard Velvet and Cardin whisper a bit between themselves. After a few moments, she sighed and kissed his cheek.
"All right. But I'm going to make sure you take care of yourself," she stated firmly. Cardin smiled for a moment before his usual brash expression returned.
"Fine. Just not in front of the guys, okay?"
"Yes in front of the guys!" Velvet argued. "They're just as worried!"
"Hmph," Cardin grunted, "Fine. Now go. I'll catch up."
Velvet smiled and kissed his cheek again. She turned and headed out of the infirmary. Cardin watched her go then looked back to Knowall. He cleared his throat. Knowall raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, Mister Winchester?"
"I..." He shook his head. "Thanks. For-For making me make things up to her. W-We're dating now and uh..." He smiled. "It's amazing. It's like... It's like we just click, you know? I... I feel like a jackass for bullying her. She's really amazing. So thank you, Doctor."
Knowall nodded slowly.
"You're welcome."
"Can I ask a question?" Cardin asked. Knowall shrugged.
"Certainly."
"How did you know?" He asked.
Knowall stared at him. He slowly shook his head.
"I just had a feeling," he said. He smiled wanly.
"Make sure you treasure every moment you have with her, Cardin," he stated, "because it will never come again. Understand?"
Cardin nodded seriously.
"I will, Doctor," he said. He slowly got up and headed out the door. Jaune watched him exit. He closed his eyes.
For a moment he wasn't in Beacon's infirmary. They were in wartorn Vale near the Franklin Kingdom. Artillery was pounding overhead in the makeshift field hospital Jaune had cobbled together. The scent of blood, Dust, and gun oil filled the air, along with the screams of the dying.
On a cot, covered in blood, lay a dying Cardin Winchester. Older, with a scuffy beard and a missing eye, and desperately shoving a locket into his hands.
"Please... My wife and kids," he wheezed, "Tell them I... Tell them...!"
His Aura faded. His soul vanished. His eyes dimmed and he went limp as he let out his last breath. Knowall stood there numbly, stumbling back as the nurses did everything they could for the man... But there was nothing more to be done.
He shakily looked down. He opened the locket. A small hologram emerged, blue and translucent. An older Velvet Scarlatina sat on a couch, smiling with eyes full of love and warmth. Around her were three human/rabbit Faunus hybrids: Two girls and a boy, all smiling broadly for the camera.
Knowall took a deep breath. He closed the locket and shoved it back into his pocket. He was back in Beacon, back in the past.
He still didn't know why he had held onto the locket. By the time he got anywhere near Vale, the city had been left in ruins without a soul alive. The Winchester mansion lay in ashes. He didn't know if Velvet or their kids had survived.
Hell he didn't even know if they would survive this time around.
He clenched his fist around the locket tightly.
"It won't happen again," he swore, "I won't let it happen."
- - -
Jaune Arc had just finished up some training in one of the simulation rooms. Pyrrha had to beg off joining him as she had a meeting with her agent while Nora and Ren were off to have fun. RWBY had gone out into the city for a day trip.
Jaune didn't mind the solitude too much. He loved his friends but every now and again he needed some time to himself.
He got out of the shower and made it to his locker. He dressed then turned around-
"Jaune!"
"GAH!"
Jaune fell back in shock. Blake was standing there, her eyes wide.
"Blake? Wha-This is the boy's locker room!" He whispered, his eyes scanning around frantically, "We're going to get in trouble-!"
"Jaune, listen! I... I need to tell you something," Blake said, her voice thick with restrained emotion.
It only took a moment for Jaune to calm down. Blake was in distress. It had to be important.
"What is it?" He asked quietly.
"I..." She shook her head. "I-I came to say goodbye."
Jaune blinked.
"What?" He asked dumbly.
"I..." She winced. "Weiss... I-I told Weiss that... That I was White Fang. I-I told my team and... And I can't stay here anymore."
Jaune's eyes bugged out.
"What? Blake, I-!"
"I'm sorry I lied!" Blake cried, her voice harsh from holding back a sob, "I-I'm sorry! I was White Fang! I-I did terrible things! I-I don't belong here, all right?! I-I don't deserve your kindness! I don't deserve anything! N-Not until I fix this! Not until I stop them!"
Jaune gaped.
"Blake, I-Wait a-!"
"Goodbye! I... Please forgive me," she whispered. Jaune reached out again.
"I do forgive you-Wait-We can talk this-!"
His arms went through Blake, and she vanished as the shadow clone dissipated. He pulled his hands back with wide eyes.
"Blake. No," he murmured.
His Scroll screamed at him. He picked it up and answered the call from Ruby.
"Jaune! Blake just ran off! It-It's a long story-But can you and your team help us find her? Please?!"
Jaune stared at the place Blake's clone had stood. He slowly nodded.
"We'll be right there."
"Thank you," Ruby sighed in relief, "I'm just... It's a long story. I don't know how much you know but-"
"It doesn't matter," Jaune said firmly, "She's my friend. We're going to find her."
"Yes," Ruby agreed with equal determination, "Yes we will."
- - -
It was seldom that Blake Belladonna would ever admit to making a mistake. She wanted to believe they were just setbacks, wrong turns, not full on errors on her part. After all, she was trying to bring justice to the world. She was fighting for her people to be free and equal!
She couldn't afford to make mistakes.
However, she'd started to re-examine that assumption after leaving Adam and the White Fang. With the White Fang she had felt increasingly isolated and alone as she voiced her opinions and desires, and was humored, patronized and ignored. She had felt like she was the only one who had kept sight of their mission: Equality, not domination.
When she'd had enough, she ran away. She found Jaune, and for the first time in a long time? She had felt listened to.
She didn't tell him everything, but she did voice her worries and concerns. He had listened. Even if he couldn't do anything else for her, he had listened and taken her seriously. He had done his best to help her. They had trained together and he had helped her feel safe.
Blake hadn't felt safe in a long time. And for a time, her new team had also made her feel safe. Beacon had felt safe.
So when her team found out she was formally White Fang? That safety was gone. So she had run away again.
She'd run into Sun Wukong, a nice enough Faunus boy. Honestly? Too nice, too flirty. He was confident and sunny, yes, but took nothing seriously. Not as much as she would like. Still, he was kind enough to tell her about a White Fang operation at the docks, and even kinder to fight with her.
She hadn't made a mistake. She was... She was going to fix things. She was going to correct an error. It couldn't be the White Fang at the docks, or if it was? They were taking orders from some human criminal.
Well... As she laid on the hard concrete after taking a powerful hit, her Aura flickering around her, she realized she was half-right.
Roman Torchwick, gentleman thief and gangster, scowled at the tall, hulking reptilian Faunus who swaggered up beside him. He was swinging around a giant monk's spade with Dust-powered flamethrowers attached. He wore only a pair of pants and a White Fang mask around his neck like a collar: He was heavily muscled and covered in scales, bald, with sharp teeth, red eyes, and a long swinging tail behind him.
He was Thanh Qingquong, a gangster and murderer, a Komodo Dragon Faunus... And a former member of the White Fang.
Or so Blake thought.
"Took you long enough," Roman groused, "Kitty-Kat was all over me!"
The reptile Faunus grinned, baring his sharp fangs.
"I had to deal with the monkey whelp," he sneered.
Blake sat up and gasped.
"Sun! What did you do to him-?!"
"Knocked him out," Thanh chuckled, "I'll suck the marrow from his bones soon enough! You though..." He pointed the monk spade at her, "Adam's gonna want you back, kitty." He grinned terribly.
"But not before I get a piece~..."
"You-You can't work for Adam," Blake gasped, "You-You murderer! He banished you! He told me-!"
"He lied, Little Cat," Thanh cackled, "Just to spare his little princess' feelings! How do you like that?"
"But you-you can't work with humans!" Blake growled.
"Said by the cat whoring herself out to humans," Thanh sneered, "I can smell them on you even now. Pathetic."
He stomped over to her. He swung his monk spade down, and she barely rolled out of the way. She got to her feet, unsteady, and unleashed several shots. Thanh ignored the bullets as he charged, swinging wildly. Blake dodged with her incredible agility, but a blast from the flamethrowers forced her to evade in mid-air with a clone.
He twisted his spade upwards, and smacked her across the face. She tumbled through the air and slammed into a crate, smashing it beneath her. She groaned as Thanh stalked over towards her, drooling over his sharp teeth.
"Now... Adam didn't say how to bring you back," he chuckled, leering up and down her body, "But I don't think he'll mind if I have a taste~..."
Blake gritted her teeth. It was... It was all her fault. Everything... She had to get away, she had to...!
Thanh raised his spade over his head, and swung down. Blake tried to move, tried to summon her Aura-
The monk spade clanged loudly against steel. Blake blinked, dumbfounded, as she saw a familiar boy with blond hair and a sword and shield standing in front of her.
"Jaune?!"
"Blake! RUN!" Jaune shouted. He shoved Thanh's spade aside and thrust his blade for his stomach. His sword pierced through, right to the hilt. Jaune looked up in shock. Thanh just smirked, and laughed. He then swung a great arm and backhanded Jaune, so hard he went flying.
"JAUNE!" Blake screamed, as Jaune slammed into some nearby crates with a loud crash. Thanh cackled as the wound healed.
"Another simp trying to help you, huh?" Thanh laughed. "You only attract the weak, just like you..."
She could hear gunfire nearby: Familiar gunfire. Ruby and her friends were storming in, she could hear it. But Thanh was already stalking towards Jaune, twirling his massive weapon around. Blake struggled to her feet and dashed after the brute. She leaped up onto his back and wrapped her arms around his throat. Thanh's tail cracked like a whip, several times, beating Blake on her back as he reached up to grab her. She tried to evade, but a tail whip forced her down and Thanh gripped her arm. He pulled her over and held her up and away from him, laughing at her. She struggled to get free, kicking and punching and biting, but Thanh just kept laughing.
"End of the line, princess!" He snarled. He slammed her to the ground, cratering it under her body. She yowled in pain, and shrieked when he stomped down on her chest. He leered down at her as he reached out for Jaune.
"First, I'm going to eat your little boyfriend," he sneered, "Then? I'll see about you~..."
No... No, please, Blake prayed, please... Someone... Anyone...! PLEASE! Don't let him pay for my mistakes! PLEASE!
Thanh's terrible face leered down at her. He licked his lips, his sharp teeth glistened in the moonlight... And then a fist met the side of his jaw.
His eyes widened in shock. His jaw deformed from the force of the blow. Teeth and blood flew out of his mouth as he was knocked off his feet. He went flying right into a forklift, breaking it in two and making it explode.
Blake stared at the fiery wreck, before slowly looking over at their savior.
Doctor Knowall stood there, cracking his knuckles, his face a stern mask of pure, cold rage.
"Belladonna," he barked, "Look after Arc. I'll handle this."
"Y-Yes sir," Blake managed, too shocked to disobey. She got up and checked on the groaning Jaune as Knowall walked in front of them.
Blake pulled out her Scroll and linked it to Jaune: His Aura was regenerating, and he was conscious. Relief filled her as she squeezed his hand. He opened his eyes and blinked away stars.
"Ugh... You okay, Blake?" He asked.
"Yes," Blake insisted, "How did you-?"
"Heard about White Fang operating here," Jaune wheezed, "Called in everyone to come here when I heard gunfire... I-I'm sorry I couldn't-"
Blake smiled and squeezed his hand, fighting tears.
"There's nothing to apologize for," she whispered.
Thanh burst out of the wreckage, roaring in rage.
"Who has the fucking balls?!"
Knowall eyed him with a bored look, the wind from the ocean making his white coat wave slightly.
"Thanh Qingquong, aka Thanh the Immortal?" Doctor Knowall asked. Thanh sneered.
"That's me!"
"You possess a Regenerative Semblance, correct?" Knowall asked calmly, his sensible shoes making barely any sound as he walked towards him. Thanh cackled.
"YES! I can regenerate from any injury, no matter how severe, little man!"
Elsewhere, she could see the rest of RWBY and JNPR appear, fighting through the White Fang members. She could even see Sun: Unconcious, but being carried by Nora. Relief flooded her.
He's okay... He's okay...
Thanh cackled again and pointed his monk spade at Knowall.
"So you have no chance, little man! No matter what you can throw at me, I'll just keep coming back!"
Knowall nodded.
"Well, that's great news!" Knowall said cheerfully.
"Oh? And why is that?" Thanh sneered. "You happy to die to an immortal, foolish ape?!"
Knowall calmly pulled his labcoat off, and tossed it aside. Weiss caught it, flushing bright red, as Knowall next pulled off his jacket and then unbuttoned his sleeves. He rolled them up, loosened his tie... And grinned the most terrifying smile Blake could ever remember seeing.
"Because I don't have to hold back," Knowall growled, before he lunged.
Blake could admit to making many mistakes. She would deal with that. But it was somewhat comforting to know that Thanh the Immortal had made even worse ones.
- - -