Ch:1 Searching
POV: Ruby Rose
"Vale is rubble. like roaches we have been scattered and stepped on with the swift indiscriminate foot of the the perpetrator. By forces we have yet to comprehend their motives or existence as they boldly stared us down from there guise. With the blinding fury of justice we gather once more in a more unified manner waiting for our opportunity to regain that which is already unreturnable. In desperation of our mistake to return from the rubble in which our enemies thought we lay dead. I guess they should have stood by their words and they would have known like roaches we slip the smallest of cracks to survive. To retaliate."
Glynda's words etched themselves in my mind as we took part in our journey. We had to choice but to complete to some degree hence our previously forced hateful investment in our retaliation. My thoughts weighed heavier on me than the first time I wielded my scythe.
The road however contrasting as lonely and empty, was a hopeful one for the simple premise of those old stories that ended in the hero that gets what he wants and lives happily ever after. It'll be hard at first but it won't be forever plus we'll end up with our happy ever after with enough time. These thoughts consumed my mind adjusting my views in a sad seemingly hopeless screen.
We made our way into another small nameless village on our way. The town itself was small but the people were kind in exchange for a extermination of some local grim they would give us a place for the night. Our first stop had to be getting back to vale to look for blake but getting to her will take a little bit of time. Without the airships we're stuck with traveling on foot for lack of a car and a license . Although I don't think the license matters anymore right now. w, we needed help and answers we hoped to find both in the newly destroyed city.
If we had to search under every piece of rubble and every square inch of vale we would all for the sake of blake. I know she had her reasons for running i know she is a little confused right now she isn't some weak person who runs away from her problems and this isn't enough pressure to make her crack.
She's dealt with worse i'm sure. 'All i could do was to go over the facts i had made for myself as we traveled.' We trekked on forcing our ambitions aside for brief moments of conversation and wonder although as time went on it became easier.
We never talked about it but we all knew we needed fresh air but not in the literal sense we needed to see someone from our past the ways things looked now, we seemed like the only people progressing towards the future to our happily ever after.
We just need to keep moving forward and get to familiar ground and expand outward, then our newly made horizons won't look so bleak and dark like where we are now. As we made our way our old selves came back as our 'sparks' returned to us.
The passion of a brighter tomorrow lifted our spirits as we arrived in vale, and just as soon flew back out of use like air after a hard blow from a beowolf. Actually seeing the place is such a condition was only part of the reason. The other reason was the replacement of grim as the new population of the city.
The sight before me wasn't pleasant but we had to continue. we settled into a abandoned building after clearing the grim from the area. I after we setup camp we made a fire made makeshift cots set up the old shift system and all went about sleeping.
No one was sleepy. Everyone was just consumed in thought except for Ren who was the guard for now. We made a silent pact to not thinks about the past while on duty If we did that could lead to a fatal slip up we didn't need.
As I began to realise I wasn't tired I tried different things to help but no such luck. I got fed up... what was causing the loss of sleep I already knew but I have yet to face. I couldn't get what I needed done tired, and that could be the final nail in my coffin. So I put it away... as best I could which was like putting a wet comforter on a high shelf annoying and tedious. I put it away do i wouldn't have to look at it anymore as it always shook me. I had managed to get it up there but the shelf of my mind is so small I could fall at any second which made a little cautious.
The next morning I felt as good as new i after putting away the pessimistic attitude I could make blake believe that there is still hope without a hopeful attitude myself.
When I woke it was my turn to watch. I sat quietly reorganizing my head I thought about the better times to cheer me up with medial luck my shift being the last. I have my thoughts to myself and by morning I was back to the place I belonged. I greeted everyone with a good morning.
"Well aren't you in a Good mood" Jon pointed out. "I think this is one of the few times you've spoken since we left."
"Yea sorry about that i haven't really been myself for this past week or two, but that's over know i need to get past it and stop moping like a child."
"We are on this journey to take down the people who destroyed vale to take back what we lost and ..." ruby trailed off as a image of pyra flash through her mind. She felt something falling when.
"Yea I get what you mean you don't have to say more." he said breaking the silence.
Nora yawned loudly as she exchanged good mornings with us then walked over and leaned on the windows sill across the room I followed suit.
"We have a lot to get done today are u ready."
"Yea but this is gonna take foooreeeveeeer do we have to look everywherrreeeeee." she sighed looking over bored.
"no just the commercial district the docs and the school for now."
"but isn't that dragon thing still there and what do we do about the grim."
"I'll think of something but let's save it for last. When Ren gets up let's get started on the commercial district. it will end up taking longer since we can't go too far from one another but we'll get it done eventually."
"I've been awake since everyone started talking especially Nora." we jumped at Ren's comment.
"Sorry ren." I apologised as we readied ourselves to leave.
The city was very ominous now that no one but grim remain nothing really could be heard except growls and other strange noises. I became a little on edge with that pretense but it couldn't be helped. As we searched each building we found what looked like makeshift beds with old candles or flashlights none of which looked recent either the person left or had died. The same thing happened with some of the others the ware houses looked like they were once home to a few but no one was found.
The first time we found one there was joy in the air and more of a spring in our step. We looked around for an hour to find whoever lived there. Maybe we had found blake already maybe we could finally leave this pile of rubble and emptiness that was and still is our failure. Suddenly everything didn't feel dingy and shattered. The forgotten mirror of our minds had the cloth taken off and another piece was placed back into the spider in cracks. A little more of our hope was restored but... With no Avail we regrouped back at the little camp and accepted the facts. They were gone to whatever safe haven they had chosen, while we were here sorting through tons of rocks to put back a 4 letter word the only mattered to me and the people whom it contained.
The cold continued to nip at is as we continued but with the brief moments of grim attacks we remained warm and alert enough to move on. The days was slow moving without sugar or using my semblance much both to conserve as much as possible. The only excitement was the brief moments when someone found more little hold ups. After a while they seem to become something a little more like the break rooms or something. They were somewhere we could escape the battlefield and the harsh 3 sided war between us, the grim, and the elements. We sat around for short stories of the past they came with warmth and a reminder the place beacon was to us and who our friends really were. With it's Descent into destruction something much more was lost than a building, but we also lost something we had needed to for a long time. Our enigma we put in front of or eyes every time we looked at like life. It may have changed our view of life but it not how we go about it.
The idle chatter we had accumulated helped pass the time and lighten the mood. It was just simple stuff like how Nora thought a cloud looked like something, or like the things we would rather be doing stuff like that to keeps our minds as busy as our bodies.
We even speculated on what everyone else is doing right about now (we couldn't have been more wrong) but the running jokes were sun is living with his fellow monkeys, weiss is living in her ice castle, Neptune is as far away from the water as possible. we didn't know enough about the teachers to guess where the went so we just said oobleck went to live on a coffee plantation and port went somewhere else to tell his boring stories. I mainly told them about our misadventures while going after the white fang. They reciprocated with talking about initiation and stories of there days before beacon.
We were all sitting around resting up for later. The day had been particularly quiet it was boring but could have been worse. Nora and Ren were talking about the day for a second. "I wonder when the last time I've ate pancakes Ren should make me some." "I don't think that will work with out pancake mix or a stove Nora." I echoed across the room. "hmmmmmm you're probably right ruby… mmm ok then. next time you have to make me pancakes Ren." "Make Them like u did when we were kids. Maybe one day well make them as epic." "What do you mean by *snicker* epic" I laughed. "So it seems you have yet to learn about the legend of the master pancake maker Lie Ren." Nora thrust her hand into the air as she began the epic tale of fluffy proportions. "It was it was the dead of night in the lie ren estate." "early morning." Ren chimed in. "there was no body in sight." "We had supervision" "There were 100's of boxes of pancake mix that lined the estate." "There was one." "Who Would have expected less for the day I was crowned ruler of the earth." "it was her birthday." "The war began as the sides collided." "Eggs, pancake mix and milk few everywhere as there mangled bodies hung from the walls. Then moans of torment and eternal damnation filled the air. As those left Standing was none other than me. Not even the newly formed pancake alliance could withstand my power." The group looked at Ren for a Correction but none came. Everyone just accepted the fact that No one at that point knew what she actually meant. "I think Ren gave up." I inferred Ren jolted giving us a questioning look but we dropped it Heading out back to the hollow city.
The next day was more eventful, more so than our entire time here. We found people. Leaving that morning we encountered an actual person it was a woman with short dark hair she was kind of pale and she wore jeans and a green shirt both her and her clothes looked to have seen better days.
We followed her and found the answer the one our most asked mysteries why were the no bodies but so many refuges. They were all probability there. The camp itself was small it was a oddly designed 2 story hotel. "There are too many." i whispered to myself in awe at how many people were there in that tiny space.
I could understand the tight space if it was only temporary but something told me they had been there for a while. The woman exchanged a brief nod with them man and hopped over the 6ft fence with what i now noticed a bag, I guess supplies.
We sat down and watched for a while. They might not have taken kindly to strangers trying to impede on their "base" so distance was kept.
We noticed a people sitting next to the windows not really moving they weren't dead but they didn't look well nor did they seem happy. There was only one guard he looked tired but i could still tell he was a huntsman or at least a trainee, i didn't want to get into a scuffle so we left and began searching the docks for blake and for food. Our supply we had from the villages began to dwindle so we decided to fish Ren volunteered and nora joined him surprisingly enough. That left us to search and watch out for any grim creeping about there weren't many here unlike the other places we've searched.
After we returned to our improvised housing we just sat talking for a while. That day set in stone what would become a needed pass time on our empty lives. As it was set in stone those same stone tablet were read for the month that soon swept over us.
By this time we had searched about a third of vale with not so much as a glimpse or sign of people at the docks or the industrial district. The only ones we knew of we hadn't seen after our first encounter. It was odd… this place were these people's home how could they abandon it without a second thought. Why not fight, I mean the only people we've seen in this city don't even look like they are willing to fight for their home the just look stuck.
"Ruby?" jaune called from across the room.
"huh wha-" i said breaking from my dase.
"Are you ok? You look like you got trapped under a pile of books with your expression being so serious."
"yea" i mumbled half heartedly.
"HEY I know what will cheer you up miss sour pants." Nora stay voice rung out from the hallway as she and Ren walked in from patrol.
"You need to socialize and I know the best way. a potentially dangerous meet and greet with strangers." she yelled pulling me up from my seat in the corner and dragging me along.
"Come onnn jaune." Ren moaned as he trudged after nora on a new escapade.
After a short trip we had arrived at the adjacent building.
What we found wasn't in the slightest good all we could see was flashlights sweeping the rooms as the white fang's soldiers yelled out orders.
Them being held at gunpoint was bad enough but the yelling and fear that is sure to fester will attract grim. Most likely what they want.
"But what i want to know Is where that guy who was on watch?" i shrugged letting fly the agitated question.
"Dunno, But that doesn't matter right now we need to make a move and fast. No more innocent people are going to be hurt by the white fang." Jon said in a hushed but furious tone.
I didn't know if he was more angry at the white fang or that everyone else wasn't listening to him trying to sound cool.
"We all in favor." i whispered, the three noded and we surrounded the building silently except nora who was backup just in case things got too loud for our tastes. We looked into see the exact situation it seems that guy from earlier was knocked out cold but the guys around him looked pretty messed up. I counted 10 in total they were 6 down stairs and 3 upstairs and 1 was in the roof going through a bag.
Ren went through a broken 2nd floor window as I went up to the roof I sliced his gun in half and kicked him into the entrance to the roof. I went down to help Ren but he has already knocked them out and had everyone up there stay quiet. We went back to Jon and took point with Ren coming from one of the further back rooms. The signal was a grenade from Nora aimed at the cable antenna.
*BOOM*
Jon burst the door down while I rushed in. They were focused on us just like we want. An unexpecting white fang member was smacked with the side of my scythe into another which were caught graciously by the wall. Jon moved in with his shield through the bullets of the white fang that weren't going after me. Ren burst in from a the room with the stairs and returned their fire with Jon getting his hits in with the flat of his blade to their skulls.(Probably cracked them) Ren finishing the two after me with rubber bullets they fell to the ground and the people in the building watched silently in fear or shock we didn't know. "Well that was a little tense but we made it didn't we." Jon said almost falling while trying to sit down. I looked over the rest they were bunched up by the back corner spilling over in front of one of the 2 doors leading to the stairs and a door to one of the small rooms. "I suggest you move from here the white fang will be back." I Shouted. "Grim are bound to come, we can help you relocate but we'd better get moving now." Ren said going upstairs to tell the others.
Why didn't it have to happen then I asked myself. As Ren left another appeared, a white fang member holding a limp person. "Don't move or I'll finish her off for good." he shouted in a menacing tone we all froze as Goodwitch dangled loosely in his grasp she had a deep gash on her shoulder and was deathly pale. "Drop your weapons and no funny business." "All of you get down naaaaaaaahhhhhh..." He was interrupted by a hand placed on his head that left him sprawled out on the floor. I caught goodwitch before she fell. "Nora what we're u thinking she almost gone already you want to kill her." i Yelled in in a panic, trying for a pulse. "Calm down. Ruby ..." she said shakily. "she wasn't grounded ruby it didn't affect her." Ren said walking over. "What are u talking about electricity moves in to any conductor." i said looking her over as i stopped her her feet it hit me. "I'm sorry Nora I should have trusted you knew what you were doing." "It's fine people don't always notice that kinda stuff when their adrenaline is pumping." Thankfully they weren't touching the ground so she couldn't have been hurt bad.
I looked back to the more pressing matter. her shoulder had a serious infection that coupled with her rapid breaths and pale completion meant it was deep rooted and needed immediate attention.
"Jaune, come grab goodwitch we need to move now there will be enough grim as is we can't attract more. EVERYONE IF YOU'RE COMING NOW IS THE TIME WE PROMISE WE WILL GET YOU OUT OF HER SAFE BUT THERE CAN BE NO HESITATION WE NEED TO MOVE THIS SECOND ALL WOUNDED ARE TO BE CARRIED UNLESS THEY CAN KEEP UP. LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND. " I yelled at the crowd before turned and walked out of the door extending my scythe once more to prepare for the onslaught. "Let's go." "Wait, can you promise our complete safety." i froze as some one from the crowd uttered those words I had been wondering myself. "Yes" i said continuing my stride. I have to…
We filed everyone out and searched the building as fast as possible to be sure. Our March began as we set off into the night. Our destination was our little base but this gamble could backfire on us monumentally but we had to goodwitch's life is in danger. We can let her die she is the key to our retaliation and that I'd all that matters right now.
The silence of the night that was only so much as disturbed as our footsteps had now been broken as i heard the loud growls of the pursuing beowolves growing closer.
I watched carefully as i knew they wouldn't just come from one direction, with this many people we would be swarmed from all sides. I nodded to jaune to take lead since he was the only one of us without a ranged weapon. The moment we switched it had already begun. A leaping beowulf was knocked off course by ren with his pistols. It was dead before it hit the ground, as i took rear guard i signalled ren and nora to the adjacent roof tops. A pack soon met me at my position meaning i was already guaranteed to be slowed down or worse separated. "Damn only four people can do so much." I slashed a beowulf that had closed in as i spotted an overpass that could be useful. I switched modes and aimed for the bridge waiting for the perfect timing and shot. The bridge was primed for the second shot to collapse it. I calmly waited for us to cross i called to nora telling her to deliver the final shot to be sure it would fall.
I had forgotten the beowulf pack behind me and that was a mistake that i had to pay for with the pennies i had left. One of the remaining 4 jumped and, slashed leaving a huge gash on my back. I lost my balance from the shock of the wound and fell while i realised my greatest fear had come to pass. The shot rang out over the commotion and rubble crashed to the ground as the bridge was destroyed. "Shit." I rolled to my side avoiding another beowulf attack before limping off towards the falling rubble hoping i could use my semblance to somehow scale the pile of concrete.
I never got there, the beowulfs were too fast they surrounded me in an instant. I watched carefully as the circled me waiting as i was for the right time to strike.
The moment was slim but if i use my semblance at the right time i can escape while thinning out the group. I stopped looking for a moment and as if on cue my chance came. I flew becoming a cyclone with my blade swinging violently in this tornado as it acted as my counter weight. I ran through the path i had cleared as quickly as possible with my disorientation but was caught in the arm but another swipe. This time i wasn't able to stand I was hurt too bad, I could do nothing but kneel as i fended of beowulf's. I knew it was dark and visibility was low they probably didn't see me go down… . Now It's the time. I need to get back to everyone and finish what i've started this won't be the… end.
A/N: if u like the story consider leaving a comment it would be much appreciated and if you want more it's on the way don't worry i'll try for a weekly to biweekly update but i'm not superman or super talented so i still need a life in between. In the meantime you could try checking out my other series removed. I guess that's all for now hope you enjoyed and hope to see you again. BTW if i messed up pls tell me send me a dm or leave a comment if you'd like.