Team REMY – The Power Within
It takes Ruby and her comrades all their strength to look into the face of evil.
[Author's note: This story follows Team REMY – Interlude, which in turn follows Team Remy's First Adventure and Team REMY. It concludes the Team REMY series.]
Winkie County was a rocky wasteland pocked with groves of spiky trees. The four members of Team REMY were lying on a stony rise, looking at the castle of Almira Gulch.
"Funny sort of castle," said Edward.
"According to the map from the crypt, that's it," said Ruby.
"Does it look sort of tilted to you?" said Melanie.
Indeed, it was not your usual castle. The front of it was a broad stone staircase, with a row of columns and a huge metal door which was off its hinges. On the lintel above the columns there had once been metal letters, but now only a few were left. NAT ... IBRA ... Y ... OF ... That was all. And, as Melanie had pointed out, the whole building rested at a slight angle, as if it was slowly sinking, with one side having dropped further than the other. Or maybe the earth was slowly rising to envelope it.
"What are those things like holes?" said Edward.
There was a series of holes in front of and around the building. They seemed to be full of bubbling black mud. As the group watched, Grimm creatures emerged. Beowolfs, Ursas, Beringels. They emerged, one every few minutes, shook themselves, and then wandered into the wilderness.
"Well, I guess that answers one thing," said Ruby. "And raises a whole heap of other questions."
Yatsuhashi grunted.
"Now what?" said Edward.
"We find a way in, we drop a world of hurt on Salem," said Melanie. "And Gulch as well if you want, I have no objection to it. An old building like that, there's got to be plenty of access points. We should take a look at the back."
They got into Hummer.
A shadow passed over them. Then another.
Something whacked into the vehicle. It rocked.
"Go!" shouted Ruby.
Melanie floored it. But there were Gryphons, a dozen or more, coming in.
Melanie was heading for a grove of trees that might provide some cover against the attack. But ...
"We're not going to make it!" she said as another of the beasts slammed into them.
"Oh yes we will," said Ruby. She opened the hatch in the roof and climbed out. She snapped Crescent Rose into firing position. One down, another one. But there were many more.
Melanie hefted her shotgun. "Drive!" she said to Edward as she clambered through the hatch.
"I don't know how!" cried Edward.
Yatsuhashi reached across the seat and took the wheel. "Keep your foot on the pedal, my friend," he said calmly. "Take it off when I tell you."
Melanie and Ruby, crouched back-to-back on the roof as the vehicle bounced along, were firing, turning Gryphons to ashes. Then a Nevermore came out of nowhere and slammed into Hummer. It went spinning as Yatsuhashi fought for control.
Ruby went flying through the air, her scythe spiralling from her hand. Melanie made a despairing, hopeless grab for her.
And then a Gryphon snatched Ruby out of mid-air. Holding her in its talons, it pulled up. Ruby tried to punch at it, but it whacked her with its beak. She knew no more.
The Gryphons turned towards the castle.
Ruby awoke to darkness. It took her a few moments to remember what had happened. But even as she swam back to consciousness she realised that she could not open her eyes. She put her hand up to her face, and felt a blindfold. No, not just a blindfold, more like a metal band wrapped around her head.
She felt around, and came to a set of bars. A cell.
"Couldn't let those silver eyes of yours do whatever it is they do, could we?" said a voice from the other side of the bars. Gulch. "Don't bother trying to get it off, you won't be able to. It's there for good.
"Which leads us to the big question, what should I do with you, relic-girl? You're nothing without your weapon and without your eyes. So I am thinking that I might put Salem's consciousness into your head. She's right here, by the way, still in the Seer. What's that, pet? You like that idea? Yes, you would have a lot of fun, I would think. But still be working for me, stuck as a blind little girl."
She mock-whispered to Ruby: "She really doesn't like you, you know. Do you think there would be room in your skull for two? For as long as you lasted, anyway."
"Bring it on," said Ruby. "I've got a score to settle."
Gulch gave a bitter little laugh. "Well, I'll get working on the spell," she said. "Shouldn't take too long. Oh, and don't expect your friends to save you. Last time they were seen they were heading for the horizon. And in any case there are hundreds, thousands of Grimm creatures in this library, all under my control. And a dozen of my guards."
Ruby gave a little start. "Uh, did you say library?" she said.
Gulch laughed again. "They don't teach you much at Beacon, do they," she said. "Yes, this place is old, very old. Goes back to the time before Remnant became all that remained. When the moon was one piece. Before Dust, before the Brothers, before the Grimm. This building might be all that survives from that world."
"Which reminds me, we have a book of yours," said Ruby. "I doubt you'll be getting it back."
Gulch laughed once more. "Still a little fight in you, eh?" she said. "There's still a smell of hope on you. You ... you don't really think your friends will come back for you, do you? They would have to be crazy to even try." Ruby heard her go.
Yes, they would have to be crazy, thought Ruby.
There were two human guards on the other side of the bars.
"Hey," said one of them to the other. "Do you think we'll be able to get a piece of her? She's a pretty one, after all."
"Don't know if there'll be much left after the boss gets through with her," said the other. "But we'll see. Maybe we can – "
Ruby listened to them talk about the things they would like to do to her. She did not have much choice. She tested the metal blindfold and, as Gulch had said, it was not going to come off easily.
She heard someone else enter. "Food from the kitchen," said a voice to the guards.
She heard the guards begin to eat. "Hey, this is really good," said one of them. "Better than the usual slop."
"Special ingredient," said the other voice.
"Yeah, well, it's ... uh, you should ... hey, what is ... what's ... " There was the thump of a body hitting the floor. In a moment, the other one went down.
"Good to see you, Edward," said Ruby, as he searched the guards for the key. He found it and opened the cell door. "Or it would be if I could see. Can you get this off me?"
He examined it. "Not easily," he said. "Here, hold on to me. We have to go, there's sure to be other guards."
"How did you get in?" said Ruby as they crept through the hallways.
"I think it's a vent or something," said Edward. "Too small for Yatsu, he's waiting outside. Melanie took out one of the guards, that's how I got the outfit. She's guarding it, just along here a bit more. Damn, that girl is all muscle and bad attitude."
"I heard that," said Melanie's voice. "And I can tell you that you won't get into my pants by flattery, Ed. I like the headwear, Ruby. Fashion statement?" She put Ruby's scythe, folded into its carry-case, into the holster on Ruby's back.
They began to crawl through the vent. Edward and Melanie led Ruby down some steps and along a path. "We're coming up to the front of the building," said Melanie. "Hummer is parked in the trees. Only hiding-place we could find. Come on."
There was a sudden screech from above them. Ruby guessed it was a Gryphon, probably perched on the top of the building. It had seen them.
"Not good," said Edward.
The three of them stopped. There was the sound of Grimm footsteps.
"Definitely not good," said Melanie.
"How bad?" said Ruby. "How many?"
"Uh, er ... a lot," said Edward. "A real lot. Coming from everywhere."
A Beowolf lunged at them. Melanie leaped, and kicked out with her boot blades, taking its head off. The Beowolf disintegrated.
"Well, that's one," she said.
"Leaving ... ?" said Ruby.
"A very large number, minus one," she said.
Suddenly, there was the roar of a motorbike, charging. Ruby heard Yatsuhashi's sword slicing through the air, through Grimm bodies, a dozen or more. He leaped off the bike, coming up next to them.
He saw the blindfold on her. "Back to back, around Ruby," he said.
The Grimm charged, from all directions. Yatsuhashi's sword, Melanie's blades, Edward's frypan. Grimm fell and disintegrated. But there were many, many more.
Yatsuhashi picked up Melanie and swung her around, feet outwards. She cut a swath through the creatures.
"Big guy, now!" said Edward. He loosed an energy beam from his elbow. It slammed into Yatsuhashi's sword, and then, its power enhanced by the blade, was reflected into the Grimm. Yatsuhashi turned, and the beam swept through the crowd. They fell back; Team REMY had a few seconds of respite.
"That's it, I'm out," said Edward.
"Try this, then," said Melanie, unslinging her shotgun and throwing it to him. "And don't tell me you don't know how to use it."
"On it," said Edward, cocking it. "My dad's a military guy. But ... not sure there's enough bullets. We've killed dozens of these things, and it doesn't seem to have made a difference."
Melanie pointed upwards. Gryphons and Nevermores were starting to come in, to join the attack. The other Grimm were forming up to charge again.
"Sorry I got you into this, guys," said Ruby.
"We're a team," said Melanie. "We stand together."
"Damn, like this I can't even use my scythe," said Ruby. "So ... I'm useless."
"No," said Yatsuhashi. "You are not your weapon. I saw your power when you healed Fox. It is inside you. It always has been."
It always has been. For Ruby, for a long moment, time seemed to stand still. She was suddenly aware of her heart beating. Her breath. The blood coursing in her veins.
"Guys," she said softly. "Get down."
"Uh, why?" said Edward.
"Ruby says get down, we get down," said Yatsuhashi. He pushed Edward and Melanie to the ground, and crouched over them, sheltering them.
So where does the power come from, to see the fight to end?
From within.
A wave of energy burst from Ruby, radiating outwards. A storm of power, a hurricane of force.
Yatsuhashi and the others were aware of a gale of ashes swirling around them, as the Grimm army disintegrated. Nevermores, Ursas, Gryphons, all of them.
Then it was over.
Ruby pulled the broken blindfold from her face. She and her team looked around.
"Okay," she said. "Now let's get Gulch and Salem."
They walked up the steps and through the massive doorway, and into a large chamber. It was lined with books, reaching almost to the ceiling.
Gulch, with Salem on the leash, was standing there, behind a line of human guards, with guns. Ruby noticed that each of the guards had a sort of tattoo on their wrist; maybe it was what protected them from the Grimm. They were sweating in fear, even trembling.
Gulch's face was white. She had obviously seen the destruction of her Grimm horde.
Ruby snapped Crescent Rose into its full length. Yatsuhashi wiped ashes from his sword.
Melanie looked at the row of guards. "Really?" she said. "Really?"
The guards began to look at the door.
"Scat," said Melanie.
As one, they ran for it. In a moment, they were gone.
"Looks like you're out of allies," said Edward to Gulch. "And out of tricks."
"Not yet," said Gulch. In a single movement, she pulled away the restraints on Salem.
Immediately, a Seer tentacle lanced toward Ruby.
And slammed into Edward's frypan.
"That thing is very handy," said Yatsuhashi.
Gulch was running for a door on the far side of the chamber. But then another tentacle from the Seer shot out. It wrapped around her leg, and threw her down. There was the crack of bones breaking.
The Seer was shooting out tentacles at Team REMY, as it moved towards a door.
"You ain't goin' anywhere, bitch," said Melanie. Her hatchet spun through the air, and smashed into the Seer's eye. It went down, spilling dark liquid.
Edward, Ruby and Yatsuhashi walked over to Gulch. She was trying to crawl away, pulling her broken leg behind her.
"Far enough," said Edward. He cocked the shotgun.
"So ... you're just going to kill me?" she said. "In cold blood?"
"That's the plan," he said. "Unless anyone has any objections."
"I do not," said Yatsuhashi.
"Coco will be glad to hear it," said Ruby.
Edward put the barrel on Gulch's neck and pulled the trigger.
They walked over to Melanie, who was staring at the Seer carcass. It was slowly turning to cinders. "Do you think she's dead?" she said. "Gone for good?"
"Let's hope so," said Ruby. "One way or another, I think you can say that your score is settled."
"So ... we're done?" said Edward.
"No," said Yatsuhashi. "One more thing." He picked Ruby up and kissed her. When she got over her surprise, she kissed back. It was a long, passionate kiss.
"About fucking time," muttered Melanie.
Glynda was pacing up and down, angry, throwing occasional glances at General Ironwood, who was sitting at the back of her office. "It was supposed to be a scouting mission!" she snapped. "Instead you decided to go up against two incredibly powerful, extremely evil creatures! And, Ruby, you dragged a ... civilian ... into it! This ... woman!"
"Hey!" said Melanie. "How'd you like an armoured boot up your too-tight ass, lady?"
Glynda glowered. She continued: "And also ... and I can hardly believe this ... my son as well!"
"Uh, what?" said Ruby.
"Calm down, Mom," said Edward. "Dad's alright with it. Aren't you, Dad?"
"I will put it in the boys will be boys category," he said. "I know you were always unhappy that you were not suitable for Hunter training, son. But you have proved your courage, from what Miss Rose tells us. Mind you, I might have had a different view if you had come back dead. I might mention, also, that the quality of the food in the Academy mess really went down while you were on your adventure."
"AARGH!" shouted Glynda. "You ... people!"
"The task was done," said Yatsuhashi. "That should count."
Glynda slumped into her chair. "I ... I suppose so," she said. "I suppose ... I could even say that you did a good job. Even a remarkable job."
"There, you see, dear, that wasn't so hard, was it?" said General Ironwood.
"These guys are married, are they?" whispered Melanie to Ruby.
"Sort of," whispered Ruby back. "As I understand it."
"We brought back many books from the library," said Yatsuhashi. "They are very interesting."
"I suppose," said Glynda, "that it might be a good idea if you went through them, gleaned what you can. We can probably find some sort of office for you. A small one."
"Miss Rose," said General Ironwood, "I hope that you will come to Atlas, and to Mantle Academy, to supply your expertise as a weapons designer."
"No way!" snapped Glynda. Everyone stared at her. "Er, I mean, she can do that right here at Beacon," she said.
"We'll pay you more," said General Ironwood.
Ruby looked at Yatsuhashi. He looked straight back.
"I think I'll stay at Beacon, and Vale," she said.
The four of them left the office. "I guess this is it for Team REMY," said Ruby.
"Yeah, I should go back to the kitchen," said Edward. "It's my vocation, really. But I'm glad that I know I can do other things now, as well as cook."
Ruby nodded. "What about you, Melanie?" she said.
"I think I'll head to Mistral," she said. "Tell Junior that he's hired me again. I guess it's sort of my vocation, as well. But I'd like to know, what about you two?"
"I am thinking ... a date," said Yatsuhashi.
"And I am thinking," said Ruby, "that that sounds just fine."
END AND AMEN