Prologue: A New Beginning

"Why is it that wherever we go, we always find ourselves in the middle of some evil plot? I mean, we're only students, so why does danger keep seeking us out?" Weiss whined, restocking Myrtenaster's chambers with vials of red and blue dust that she had picked up after taking out the last group of baddies that their team had come upon.

The mission had started as simply as any other that could be assign to the Hunters and Huntresses at Beacon Academy. Therefore, how it ended with them now chasing White Fang members through a sprawling labyrinth was almost as surprising as it was comically routine. The team had gone on a mission to track down a rogue Beowolf that had been spotted wandering far too close to the town's perimeter. Having packed light for the quick trip turned out to be both a blessing and a curse, since the Beowolf had led the members of team RWBY on a chase far from the school grounds and more towards the other end of Vale. By the time they had finally caught up to the Grimm and slain it - Yang taking distinct pleasure in the deed due to having trudge through miles of unbeaten paths that left them filthy in all ways imaginable - the sun was beginning to slip beyond the horizon.

"Well, it is too late to head back now," Weiss said, staring at the setting sun as though she can pull it back into the sky by willpower alone.

"Plus, the last shuttle to the school had just taken off, and another won't be ready until 7 tomorrow morning," Blake added, checking the time on her scroll. They would call for help, but the area they were currently residing in was out of service range.

Ruby began to scan their surroundings, desperate to help her team and take charge. Many of the buildings surrounding them have seen better days, slumped over and in a sort of state that would make it less than ideal to try to camp out in. Finally, she spotted a newer looking building in the distance, just a little walking ways from their current location. When she mentioned it to the others, Yang moved towards it first, desperate to get into shelter before night fell and more Grimm would begin to roam the streets.

"Well, not like we have any other choice," Blake said, Weiss nodding in agreement. The weary Huntresses joined Yang and entered the building, which seemed to be an abandoned warehouse. Only after entering and walking around a little did Ruby begin to wonder just how many time they could possibly be 'in the right place at the right time.' Why is it when all they want to do is rest are they confronted by members of the White Fang and Roman Torchwick? It was still funny, though, looking at the complete shock and surprise on the con's face.

"Ladies! What an unexpected surprise. I honestly am shocked to see you so soon. I feel so unprepared to entertain you right now," the man sputtered uncharacteristically. Quickly smoothing out the wrinkles in his visage, he turned towards the surrounding White Fang member. "Can you guys please take care of this situation for me? I have other things that I must finish." Before the girls could react, he threw a red crystal towards them and fired his cane, causing the crystal to explode in their faces. By the time the Huntresses could see properly again, Roman was gone and White Fang members were advancing on them. Fatigue long forgotten, the girls prepared to fight their way through.

Fast forward several minutes, and the girls were now dashing down underground hallways in search of where Roman could have disappeared. The only reason they found these extensive tunnels was when someone tried to escape underground. However, he probably will never be the same after Yang sent him flying down the ladder, propelled by two dust shells. More White Fang members crawled through the corridors, but the girls made steady progress through the halls.

Which leads them to finally resting long enough to reload and try to make head or tails of their new location. Ruby stared down the two tunnels, both forking off to lead further down into the earth. Torchwick must be down one of tunnels, Ruby thought, looking over her team for an assessment. Aside for some cuts and bruises, everyone seemed to be running at full throttle.

"Alright, team," Ruby shouted, the three Huntresses turning to face her. "Time to split up. Yang, Blake. Go down the left tunnel. Weiss and I will go right. If you find Torchwick, try to separate him from his weapon and tie him up so we can get him to the police. Meet back here in ten minutes."

"Alright!" Yang replied, punching the air with her gauntlets in excitement, earning an exasperated sigh from her partner.

"Let's get moving."

Weiss and Ruby sprinted down the white-washed hallway, weapons at the ready. An eerie quiet settled over their progress, the echoing sounds of boots and heels filling their ears. Someone must be up ahead and was waiting patiently for their arrival, probably staying silent to not give out their location. Two sharp rights and a left later, the pair found themselves in front of a steel door, beckoning them to enter. Ruby gave the icy Huntress a level stare that the girl returned, the two silently cooking up a plan of attack. Weiss unlocked the door with one of her glyphs and slowly crack the door open. Just enough for the two to slip in and confront whatever nasty trap was awaiting them.

Waiting in the center of the room, out in the open for all to see, was a hulking White Fang member. His mask obscured his face, and tattoos could be seen sprawling up his left arm. His weapon was out for the two girls to see, a monstrous contraption that looked to be a human-sized chainsaw of dull grey metal. Behind the wall of muscle was the only other door in the room, leading to some unknown destination. That must be where Roman is hiding, Ruby concluded, knowing Roman's distinct pattern of placing the heavier obstacles in their way the closer they got to him.

The man stared in their direction, aware of their presence, yet he didn't move an inch. Weiss gave Ruby a calculated look, a battle plan hatching between the two Huntresses-in-training. Slowly, Weiss moved closer to the epicenter, drawing the man's attention to her while Ruby moved to stay behind her and in the man's blind spot. Once her partner entered the circle in the middle of the room, a loud whirring sound filled the room, the man revving up his weapon.

He ran at Weiss, swinging his weapon down at the girl. She doesn't blink, sidestepping him while lifting her sword point down so that the chainsaw slid harmlessly down the blade, sparks flying. Spinning, she thrusted at her opponent, sending him stumbling back to avoid getting hit. Fire dust danced down her blade and shot out at the White Fang member, forcing him to use the guide bar to absorb the attacks. All the while, Ruby waited in the background, watching for the signal from her partner to make her move.

"You must be a Schnee," the masked figure sneered. "I will personally enjoy killing you. Maybe I'll chop you into pieces and have them sent back to your company. Yeah. That sounds like a wonderful idea."

The man moved for her again, slicing his weapon horizontally in order to cut her in half. But the heiress had expected this move and placed up a barrier protecting her sides. His weapon slammed into the barrier at full force, shattering the shield and knocking him off balance. This was just what Ruby needed.

"Go. Now!" Weiss yelled, not once looking away from her opponent.

A glowing red glyph appeared midair, heat radiating off of the symbol. Ruby crouched down and quickly channeled her Semblance, exploding forward in a blur of red and roses. She shot straight through the fire glyph, resulting in her temporarily turning into a human fireball. The door located on the other side of the room was composed of strong steel, locked to anyone on the wrong side, but that wouldn't stop Ruby's plan. She rocketed into the door, the fire surrounding her acting like an explosive that sent the door flying off its hinges and down the corridor.

Ruby flew just a bit further down the hall before her Semblance wore off, rolling so that she wouldn't be sent sprawling. Popping up, she continued down the corridor, not once stopping to look back at Weiss's fight. She knew that the white-haired heiress could hold herself, and she would personally get a scolding if she turned back now and allowed Torchwick anymore time. So, confident in her partner's skill, Ruby left her behind and ventured deeper in search of the savvy criminal.

Silence settled down on the scythe-wielder once more, emphasizing the fact of how she was heading off to fight without her team to back her up. But this is what happens to Hunters and Huntresses. They are expected to fight well as individuals as well as a unit, able to divide and conquer without hesitation.

She reached the end of the spiraling corridor with open into another yawning cavern. Unlike its predecessor, this room was very much occupied, large crates towering above her and the growls and snarls of caged Grimm filling the air. High above her, cranes and hooks dangled in the non-existent breeze. She approached cautiously, keeping her eyes peeled for any sign of the orange-haired criminal.

A high-pitched scream alerted the young Huntress-in-training of imminent danger. She sprang forward, the ground she once stood upon exploding. Shielding her eyes from the falling debris, she spotted Roman walking out from behind a stack of crates, swinging his cane nonchalantly.

"Well, well, well. I had kinda hoped you would be the one to come and face me, Red. It has been quite some time since we have spared against each other one-on-one. I was beginning to assume you think I was too threatening to fight on your own."

Ruby narrowed her eyes at the jab, choosing not to comment. She quickly pulled up her scythe and fired a shot at the arrogant man. He predicted her move, lifting his cane and spinning it so that the bullet hit its side, falling harmlessly to the ground. He smirked and shot off three more rockets, forcing Ruby to dash behind a stack of crates for cover.

"Come on, Red. Where's that bravado of yours? Didn't you personally want to put me behind bars? If that's so, then you're going to have to try a lot harder than that!" Roman fired his cane at the other end of the room, exploding the lock from several of the cages holding the Grimm at bay. Then, he fired the curved end of his cane skyward, catching one of the dangling hooks, and shot up to safety.

Groaning, Ruby quickly set to work with finishing off the snarling Grimm charging at her. She tapped into her Semblance a tiny bit to propel herself into her enemies, whirling Crescent Rose in a deadly tornado of rose petals and steel. She plowed through the Grimm, killing them off in seconds, and then use a sniper shell to rocket herself to the dangling criminal.

Roman dropped to the ground, rolled and sprang up, shooting off more projectiles for Ruby to avoid as he dashed for cover. With his weapon, long-range attacks would be more effective against a powerful close-combat weapon like Ruby's scythe. If Ruby could back Roman into a corner where his tiny cane would be no match for Crescent Rose's size and reach, then victory would be hers.

Hitting the ground in a roll, she popped up behind a stack of crates, formulating her next move. With her team, she could've used Blake and Weiss's close-quarter counterstrikes to corner the man while Yang eliminated any possible threat that could arise. However, Ruby was alone right now, and she greedily wanted to be the one to personally hand the orange-haired criminal off to the police. So, she was going to have to depend on her speed advantage in order to overwhelm him and go from there. Satisfied with the plan, she peered out from behind her hiding spot to pinpoint her opponent's location. Surprisingly, he was standing in the center of the room for Ruby to see, not even trying to hide.

Roman smiled wickedly, his face twisting into an evil sneer. He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out what Ruby thought was an oddly-shaped cigar. Only until the fluorescence light struck it did she see the reddish-black light emit from it, bathing the criminal in an eerie glow.

What the man held daintily between his fingers was probably the strangest dust crystal Ruby had ever laid her silver eyes on. She racked her brain to try and remember the lectures on dust given by her teacher back at Signal Academy. Unfortunately, the only memory she could conjure up was making childish doodles of her teacher instead of actually taking notes. What can she say, she was a doer, not a reader.

Still, she had been in enough dust shops and has hung around Weiss long enough to know that the thin crystal clutched in Roman's gloved fingers was something new. Something new and dangerous.

"This," Roman announced, indicating the thin black crystal with a flourish, "is the newest advancement in dust technology. Recently discovered, this crystal is the rarest of them all to come by. But, thanks to my employer, I was granted this beauty for my services to the cause."

He lowered his head, the bowler hat casting shadows over his face. "I believe now is the opportune time to see what this baby can do."

Ruby's head snapped up. He wasn't crazy enough to attempt to use a dust crystal without knowing its use. She watched the orange-haired criminal, hoping that he was joking. The only result she got was a deranged look in his eye, his madness causing her stomach to fall. Panicked, she leapt out from behind the crates and made a mad dash towards him, a scream ripping from her throat.

"Stop!"

Roman threw his head back, spreading his arms wide as if awaiting retribution. "Come now, Red! Let's descend into Hell together!" He flung the crystal into the air, reddish-black light cascading downward as it twisted in dead space. Before Ruby could catch it, faster than her Semblance could kick in, he swung his cane skyward, took aim, and fired.

"No!" Ruby screamed in horror as the rocket collided with the thin crystal, the sound of shattering glass puncturing the air.

At first, nothing happened. Ruby was about to let out a shaky breath of relief when she heard a whooshing sound. The shattered remains of the crystal began to swirl and form a massive red-and-black cloud. Her skirt snapped in the sudden increase of wind, a tempest beginning to stir around her. She sunk Crescent Rose's blade as deep into the concrete as she could in hopes it would keep her anchored as the world spun out of control.

The crates she had been hiding behind lifted off the ground, snatched up by the storm's claws. They flew higher and higher, almost weightless, until they reached the malevolent cloud. When they made contact with it, the crates disappeared one by one without a sound.

Ruby gritted her teeth and tightened her grip on Crescent Rose's hilt as the tempest picked up faster and faster. Dozen more crates flew towards the reddish-black cloud, only to blink out of existence the second it made contact. Please, she cried out in her mind. Please let this nightmare end!

She heard a pop sound and was vaguely aware of her body lifting towards the Heavens, her scythe still firm in her grip. She squeezed her eyes shut against the rushing wind. She was only aware of the roaring wind, a delirious cackle, rippling fabric, and a scream that sounded almost like her own. She opened her eyes in time to see the last flash of red as she crossed the threshold and disappeared into a silent oblivion.

X

And there we are. I have been tinkering with this story crossover idea for a little while now, and have finally decided to post it. I will try to post regularly, but no guarantees because I'm a horrible person sometimes. Anyway, that's all for now and I'll see you later. :)