Remember the Heroes
Chapter 4
Murderer
This was even more gruesome than before. The bodies were pulverized. Whether it was the cause of death or not was up to the medical examiner's report. Until then Ruby was assuming bludgeoning to be the cause of death. One of the bodies was practically mush, his head was barely holding together. None of them were recognisable. A picture was stuffed in the mouth of one of the victims. This time it was Lie Ren's photograph. On the back it read the same message as before. Remember the Heroes.
This time however, the bodies were left in a pile outside of the previous crime scene. Roman's club. How did they move the bodies without anyone noticing? Especially bodies this badly mushed. Ruby sighed, this was just getting more complicated and no clear answer was in sight.
"So they changed tactics." Ruby said. She had to resist not puking. She's seen corpses like this before, out in the wild. To think a human did this. She was sick to her stomach.
"Violent, angry, with incredible strength. Know any huntsmen like that?" Duffy asked.
Ruby sent a text to Yang. She needed to be sure she was okay. Not to mention where she was right now. Yang couldn't have done this, she thought. There were no signs of burns on the victims, ember celica tends to leave burns. This couldn't be her.
"Look at this." One of the M.E.s said. "Looks like burn marks."
That doesn't prove anything, she thought. Lot's of huntsmen and huntresses use bludgeoning weapons, lots use burn dust. It's very common. Yang couldn't do this, wouldn't do this. She couldn't tell Duffy, he'd insist they go talk to her about this, officially.
"Well? Any ideas?" Duffy asked.
"Not one." Ruby said. "But they use burn dust clearly."
"Common enough, doesn't help us much." Duffy said. "I'll give our killer credit, they know how to mask their trail."
"Yeah." Ruby said. "They certainly do."
"Don't worry Miss Rose, we'll figure it out." Duffy said.
"I just hope more bodies won't drop before then." Ruby said.
"I found an ear, a faunus ear." A medical examiner called out. "At least one of these bodies were a faunus."
There was a sudden flash and half the cops jumped and drew their weapons. Ruby turned to see a familiar face holding a camera. A bunny faunus with long brown hair tied in a ponytail. She put her hands in the air. Ruby sighed. Velvet started apologising.
"Sorry, I forgot to turn the flash off." Velvet said.
"What are you doing here Velvet?" Ruby asked.
"VNN wanted me to take some photographs of these gruesome crimes." She said. "You're not going to fight me on this, I'm just doing a contract job."
"No, there's no point trying to hide this." Duffy said. "It's going to get out eventually."
"Would you mind me interviewing you and your team?" Velvet asked.
"Yes I would." Duffy said.
"I thought you were just a photographer?" Ruby asked.
"I'm really hoping this case might help me get into real journalism." Velvet said. "Photography is wonderful but I really want to try something more."
"That's wonderful news Velvet." Ruby said.
"So you'll do an interview?" Velvet asked.
"Unfortunately I can't do an interview." Ruby said. "We're still in the middle of an investigation. When we find anything substantial we'll let you know."
"Oh, alright then." Velvet said. She took a few steps back and continued taking photographs.
"I'm proud of you Miss Rose." Duffy said. "You did good."
"That's one of our suspects remember." Ruby said.
"Wait, her?" Duffy asked. "She seems, meek."
Anyone was a better suspect than Yang right about now, Ruby thought. "She lost her whole team during the Battle of Beacon."
"Does she use burn dust, or blunt instruments?" Duffy asked.
"I've never seen her use her weapon." Ruby said. "I have seen her fight with her bare hands."
"Hey you!" Duffy called out to an M.E. "What kind of weapon would you say was used."
"I don't know, I'd need to take it to a lab." The M.E. Said.
"Guess." Duffy said.
"A mace most likely based on damage but the bruising is consistant with a fist. It just seems unlikely someone would have that much force. Let alone dust application." The M.E. Said.
"Could our meek little rabbit punch with this much force?" Duffy asked. Glancing at Velvet, who was still taking photographs.
"I doubt it, she's a huntress but this requires incredible strength, I still back my mace theory." The M.E. Said.
"The Martyr uses a mace." Ruby said.
"So you admit he's a suspect?" Duffy asked.
"I didn't say that." Ruby said. "I just acknowledged he carries a mace."
"Was he a big guy?" Duffy asked.
"Yeah, especially compared to you." Ruby said.
"Thanks." Duffy said. "I needed that affirmation of my size."
"No problem." Ruby replied. "Now can we step away from these corpses?"
"Fair enough, the M.E.s will take care of everything from here." Duffy said.
Ruby returned to her apartment. Room 516. She found Yang leaning against the wall by her door. She looked tired. Ruby gave her a suspicious glance as she opened the door. She let Yang go first. She wanted a look at Ember Celica. She stared as she passed. There was a bruise on yangs knuckle. A small bit of blood too.
"What's with the bruise?" Ruby asked.
"You noticed?" Yang asked. "Oh, I didn't want to bother you."
"What happened?" Ruby asked.
"Some guy started getting handsy and I punched him." Yang said. "All there is to it."
"How hard did you punch the guy." Ruby asked.
"Not a matter of how hard but where, I got him right in the nose. It was a bleeder too." Yang said. "I'll wash my hands, I won't dirty your furniture."
Ruby wasn't sure what to do. Her suspect list was getting bigger but Yang wasn't making things easy. Everything she was saying, everything she was doing was making herself look like the suspect. It could be Velvet, she thought. It could be the Martyr, or even a police officer, and not a huntress at all. She sat down on the couch. She listened to her sister wash her hand.
"Hey Ruby can you give me a hand?" Yang said. "It's not washing off."
"Sure." Ruby said. She hurried over and grabbed a rag. She helped Yang scrub her hand clean. Yang just gave her a lopsided smile during the whole thing. It must hurt having to rely on others for such simple things. "All done."
"Thanks Rubes." Yang said. She stepped out of the washroom.
Ruby glanced at the rag. It was now stained with someone's blood. She stuffed it into her ammo pouch. She hated herself for it, but it could be evidence. How could she think Yang could have done it, Ruby thought, it wasn't possible. She stepped into the living room. Yang was already asleep on the leather couch. Ruby sighed and went to bed. This job was starting to get to her.
"Ruby." A voice called out to her, Yang's voice. She opened her eyes.
Her room was pitch black save for a small glow from the window. She saw a silhoutte of Yang standing over her. There was something wrong, her head was tilted and she was twitching. Ruby sat up.
"Yang what's wrong?" Ruby asked.
"How could you let it happen Ruby?" Yang asked.
"What?" Ruby asked.
"Why didn't you stop it?" Yang asked.
"What do you mean?" Ruby asked. "What's going on?"
"The murders Ruby, you had a chance, now you lost it." Yang said. She swung faster than Ruby could react. She started hitting and just kept hitting. Ruby screaming in pain and terror.
Ruby woke up sweating. It was almost morning. The sun would be rising within the hour. She hopped out of her bed and grabbed Crescent Rose. She slowly crept into her living room. Yang was still passed out on the couch. She let out a sigh of relief. She went back into her room and placed Crescent Rose back in it's resting place. She smiled. It was only a dream.
Ruby hopped in the shower. Her heart was still beating in her chest like a sputtering motor. She stepped out and wrapped herself with a towel. She stepped into her bedroom and dressed. She came out and Yang was already in the shower herself.
Breakfast came and the two sat across from each other. Ruby stared at her from across the table.
"Pass the salt?" Yang asked.
Ruby slid it across. She barely touched her food. She watched Yang stab at her sausage with her fork. Ruby shuddered slightly.
"You okay Rubes?" Yang asked.
"Bad dreams." Ruby said.
"About what?" Yang asked.
"The murders." Ruby said.
"Maybe you're working the case a little too hard." Yang said. "Maybe you should take a break."
"I can't." Ruby said. "People could die."
"I'm getting a little worried about you." Yang said. "You're starting to look like me after it happened." She glanced down at her nub. It twitched slightly. "I still have nightmares."
"I'm fine." Ruby said. "I just am making some headway and it's not looking good."
"If you say so, I still think you should take some time off." Yang said. "Maybe we can get Jaune out of the house together and go see a movie or something."
Why does she want me off the case? Ruby thought to herself. She felt her hands balling into fists. This wasn't helping her calm down. This was just one more stress. She couldn't trust her own sister. She stood up.
"I have to go." Ruby said.
"You aren't done your food." Yang said.
"You can have it, I'm not hungry." Ruby replied.
She stepped outside her apartment and closed her eyes. It can't be true, she thought. The idea of her sister being her suspect was horrifying. She had the rag, she'll take it in and have it analysed at the lab. She'll have the truth. One way or another.
Ruby and Duffy stood in the lab, the forensic scientist was comparing the blood sample she provided to the blood samples of the victims. The tension was palpable. Duffy didn't say anything when she brought the evidence in. Not even an I told you so. Her heart was pounding, her head was spinning. She needed to be proven wrong. That was what she was for, right? She wasn't sure at the moment. She wanted the killer caught. This whole case was beginning to twist her around. She wasn't sure how she felt. She did feel like she was going to hurl.
"Same blood type as one of the victims." The forensic scientist said. Ruby felt like she was about to lurch over. "But, as far as I can tell that's all they have in common." He shook his head.
"So she's not our killer." Duffy said. "Ruby this is good news."
Ruby took a deep breath. She wasn't the killer. So someone was trying to frame her. Because they went to great lengths to make it look like it was her. Despite being told otherwise there was still a chance Yang was responsible to. She just wasn't lying about punching a guy out on the way home. There's that sick feeling again, she thought. She should be happy, she knew that. Her sister was likely not involved. She took another deep breath.
"Are you sure you are okay Ruby?" Duffy asked. "Do you need time off? Go see a movie or something?"
"Are you asking me out Duffy?" Ruby asked.
"Oh you wish." Duffy said. "Just take a day or two, get your head straight."
"I'm fine." Ruby said. "I just want to catch this killer."
They left the morgue and found the hallway full of sprinting cops. One of them stopped in front of them and motioned them to follow. Captain Gorlois was standing in front of the crowd. Ruby and Duffy found their spot in the center and watched.
"We have confirmation that a man matching our description of the killer has been sighted dragging a body into a construction site in the reconstruction zone. We have the place surrounded and are ordered to reinforce their positions. Get to your cars and head down there. We've got him cornered." Captain Gorlois said. "Miss Rose, we would be honored if you assist in taking down this scumbag."
"Of course." Ruby said. She turned to Duffy, he nodded and they headed for the door. The crowd hurried outside, pretty much every cop in the building seemed to be running for his car. Ruby climbed into Duffy's car.
The drive wasn't long, pretty soon they were in the reconstruction zone. A large construction site for an apartment building was completely surrounded by the police. Ruby climbed out of the car and ran into the the building. Duffy struggled to keep pace. She stopped him.
"Wait for backup." Ruby said.
"I should say the same thing to you." Duffy said. "Be careful Miss Rose."
"C'mon Duff, this is what I do." Ruby said.
"I thought you hunt monsters." Duffy said.
"I do." Ruby replied.
She charged into the building with Crescent Rose. No longer did she have to play guessing games, no longer did she have to doubt her friends and family. She'd get her answer. She was smiling brightly. She can stop this before anyone else gets hurt. She slowed her movement and listened, scanning the building with her scope. The building was fairly open, much of the floors weren't in place. She heard a creaking noise.
She continued to walk through the construction site, she could hear sirens outside. Flashing lights illuminated the building. Red, and blue painted her path. She heard a noise. A rattling sound. She headed for it. When she arrived she saw a horrible sight.
Roman Torchwick was dangling from a meat hook. She followed the rope to a crane overhead. She didn't like Roman, but she couldn't just leave him like this. She jumped up and sliced the rope with her scythe. He dropped to the ground. She pulled the meathook out. He gasped and started panicking.
"There!" He shouted. She turned and saw movement above them. She turned and dove forward, using her semblance to propel herself forward. She hit the side of the floor above and pulled herself up. She followed the outline through the darkness. She aimed and fired. He was running across a beam. The shot hit him and he slipped. He fell off the side of the building into the alley below. She dove down after him. She was standing over Martyr. He seemed to be unconscious.
She reached for the mask and removed it. She found a young man a few years older than her, with burnt orange hair and indigo eyes. She recognised the face, from a long time ago. She recoiled slightly. There was no way it was him. She stared in shock.
"Cardin Winchester?" She asked.
