Chapter 3: Blackwing Takes Flight
"That. Is. AWESOME!" Ruby screamed as she jumped up and down in some black tank, and pink jammies with red hearts riddled over them.
I was totally dumbstruck. No, really. I didn't know how to respond to that, except: "What do you mean 'awesome'?! You weren't even supposed to know!"
"Know about what?" someone asked, and there stood a girl with snow white hair, pale blue eyes, and... oh wow. She only had a towel on. At least her, ah... assets were concealed (albeit they were kind of small).
"Oh, Weiss, you won't believe this: this is Mercury. He's the Spider-Man-" Ruby started before I clamped my hand over her mouth. The second after that, I finished for her saying, "... the Spider-Man's biggest fan."
"O~kay" Weiss said with an awkward tone. "Ruby, I'm headed over to the infirmary to check on Yang, so I'll meet you there. As for you, Mercury, for your sake, don't try anything with Ruby. Yang's had a rough experience and is now more protective of her sister than ever before. I just needed to let know ahead of time" Weiss said before heading back into the bathroom with a change of clothes.
'As if I'm into Ruby that way' I thought to myself. Although, now that I think about it, she is sweet.
Once the door closed, I turned to Ruby with a panicked expression on my face and brought her away from the door. "Ruby," I started telling her, "you can't just blurt out that I'm the Spider-Man."
"Why not?" Ruby asked. " I don't see what the big deal is."
"The 'big deal' is that if everyone knows, it could mean trouble for all involved, including you and me. So please, promise me you won't tell anyone about this" I told her.
"But I-" Ruby started, but then I shut her down fast: "Ruby?"
"Fine, I won't tell anyone. But you are taking me out to wherever I want, whenever I want. Deal?"
That crafty little-. Well, I'm desperate to keep this a secret. Besides, I've always wanted to go out with a girl. "Deal" I told her. What could go wrong.
Meanwhile, at the Crowbar...
A woman was sitting at the bar, nursing a shot of Patch whiskey. She had a mess of jet black hair, a pair of red eyes, a black and crimson Ronin dress, and an expression that could slaughter a man ten times over.
She recently came from her hideout in Anima to hide from the authorities, who had found her tribe and arrested them all. She's been on the run ever since.
Now, she needs some way to get back at the system. She was wondering how, until a hooded figure sat next to her and ordered a Bloody Mary. He leans over to the woman and whispers a question: "Are you Raven Branwen?"
The woman's eyes dilate with alarm, her hand quietly rushed to the hilt of her nodachi, and was poised to strike the stranger. "That depends on who's asking" she replied.
"I'm just a generous man," the man started, "for I come to you with a gift.
"A gift?" Raven asked.
"One week from now, there will be a shipment coming to the docks. It contains a weapon that will bring vengeance against the ones who have wronged you. But that's only if you're up to the task" the man simply stated. "When you think you are ready, here is my card. You will see that I am kind."
Raven takes the gold card from the man and looks down. She only sees a number and a name: Xerxes. "Xerxes? What kind of fucking name is this?" she asked. But when she looked up, the man named Xerxes was gone.
It has been one week since Raven met the enigmatic Xerxes. She was at the docks, spying the ships from a distance, and communicating through her commlink, asking, "Which ship contains this weapon?".
The voice on the other end states, "It is the middle cargo ship. Your weapon is located within the lower deck, encased in glass. You'll know it when you see it."
She could only sigh, and thought to herself, 'This weapon better be worth the trouble'. She sprinted towards the docks, became a bird, and perched herself along the lamp post. She then flew towards the middle ship, as she reverted to her human form upon landing. Along the way to the lower decks, she was careful not to be spotted by any guards or spotlights, as her raid would be forfeit otherwise. She finally makes it to the bulkhead, when she suddenly takes cover to her right. The bulkhead opens, and a guard walks out, unaware of the thief sneaking in and closing the door behind her.
Upon reaching the lower cargo bay, she started searching for this elusive weapon. 'He said it was in a glass case' she thought to herself. That's when she finally found it: a pair of rocket propelled wings, each with a complementary MP5K submachine gun. The wings themselves are of a strong titanium-based alloy, able to withstand extensive damage. And the mask had night-vision goggles, making it perfect for nighttime attacks.
Raven could only smile, as she walked up to the device, saying "It's beautiful," before smashing the glass case. She put on the wings with ease, admiring her new combat apparatus, until a pair of guards walked in on her moment. One shouted "Hey! What do you think you're doing?!"
Raven only replied with this: "I'm trying on some new clothes" before spraying the guards with Dust. After the two drop dead, Raven flies upward, her wings drilling out of the surface of the ship, and into the night sky.
Sorry for the wait, folks. I've been so lazy. Anyway, Raven's back, and now more dangerous than ever. Will Mercury triumph against this new foe? Will Ruby be able to keep Mercury's secret? Will I finish the new Light In the Darkness chapter I've started working on? Stay tuned to find out. Kamina out.