Chapter IX

"You what?!"

Weiss Schnee almost jumped.

She was sitting in her dorm room in Beacon Academy with her teammates, Ruby Rose, Yang Xiao Long, and Blake Belladonna.

The three had been trying to investigate Roman Torchwick, and trying to finally put him behind bars after years of facing him. But it was Blake Belladonna who was most invested in the investigation, to the point where she was failing her grades in the academy. They were trying to get her to go to the school's dance to take a break.

"We want you to go to the dance," Ruby repeated.

"That's ridiculous!" Blake said.

"Blake, we're worried about you," Yang told her in a calm voice. "This investigation is starting to mess with your head."

"You can't sleep," Weiss counted the facts, "you hardly eat, and to be honest, your grades have been suffering!"

"You think I care about grades?" Blake said, gesturing out the window. "People's lives are at stake!"

Yang put her hand on Blake's, lowering it. "We know, and we're all still trying to figure out what Torchwick is up to."

"Thanks to you," Ruby said, "we know he has a drug deal planned at the docks."

"And," Weiss continued, "according to the records I have been looking into, my suspicions of Doctor Jonathan Crane are correct. He has been sending all three of the arrested men working for Torchwick into Arkham Asylum. Most recently, Victor Zsasz."

"But there's still unanswered questions!" Blake insisted.

"Blake, you won't be able to find anything if you can't even keep your eyes open!" Ruby said.

"All we're asking is that you take it easy for one day," Yang said.

"It will be fun!" Weiss said. "Yang and I will make sure of it."

"Yeah!" Yang exclaimed, pumping her fists. "We're planning the whole event!"

"Excuse me?" Blake was only angered more.

"Team CFVY's away mission lasted longer than expected," Weiss explained.

"So, Weiss and I were asked to pick up where they left off," Yang continued. "And now we can make sure you have the perfect night."

"And once it's all over, we'll return for our search, rested and ready."

"So what do ya think?" Ruby asked Blake.

But the brunette wasn't interested in what they had to say. "I think this is a colossal waste of time."

Blake walked away from the group and opened the dorm door. "I'll be in the library." Without another word, she walked out of the room.

Blake pushed her back against the door behind her, and sighed. Her amber eyes looked around for a moment, and she shook her head, making her way through the halls. She headed for the library, where she sat down, and started looking up Jonathan Crane.

Weiss had said he was possibly working for Torchwick, and she needed to talk to him.

Overnight, she managed to receive lots of information related to him. Enough to plan out a good talk with him the following day.

It didn't take long for her to track him down. He had been walking from his home to Arkham Asylum, the mental asylum he had built.

She took the opportunity to rush up beside him.

"Dr. Crane," she said.

Crane looked to her, and he appeared to brighten up as he saw her. "Miss Blake Belladonna. You're a friend of Weiss Schnee."

Blake was admittedly surprised he knew who she was, but she didn't let it deter her. "You think a man like Victor Zsasz, who butchers people for the mob, doesn't belong in jail?"

"I would hardly have testified to that otherwise, would I?"

"This is the third of Torchwick's thugs you've had declared insane and moved into your asylum."

"The work offered by organized crime must have an attraction to the insane."

"Or the corrupt," Blake added.

Whatever had caused him to brighten up when he saw her faded, and he came to a stop, turning to face her.

"I don't know what you're accusing me of," he said. "But I can assure you, I have nothing to do with it. Now, why don't you go back from wherever you came from?"

Blake glared at him, watching as he left her alone.

She sighed. She didn't know how to continue the interrogation. She wasn't used to being a detective, as much as she enjoyed it. But she would find a way to stop him.

She made her way back to the academy . . .

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