Not dead, just really stuck when it came to writing. I don't think this came out great, but I got it done and good enough to be posted, which makes me happy. So enjoy.
"We're proceeding to phase two."
What that section of the plan was, was apparently not for Roman to know fully at this time. Though he knew his objective of heading over to Mountain Glenn with as much Dust as he felt necessary. And he could guess on what Cinder's crew was from the false papers and uniforms the teens picked up as they left after her. He sighed, pulling out the cigar from his mouth and putting it away. His nicotine addiction would have to suffer until he could grab another lighter elsewhere.
There was a tap to his side, the criminal glancing down to find Neo at his side. Locking gazes, her hands started to gesture.
"They taking the kid with them?"
"Well, she can't exactly come with us to Grimm infested ruins. What?" He huffed as Neo's face drew into a pout. "She can't! Besides, they're probably going to drop her off at a kindergarten or with some babysitter out of the way. It's not like they can just walk in the front door with a kid in tow."
"Look! Look! You can see all of the city from here!" Ruby squealed, hands pressed up against the glass. A gentle turn tilted the airship, bringing even more of a view of Vale into sight as they passed overhead.
"Ruby!" Emerald pushed her way through the crowd of people also sharing the aircraft. "Don't take off like that. You have to stay close to us, remember?" It wasn't a good feeling to feel the small hand slip from hers and then have her disappear from sight, even if there was no way for her to get off the ship for now.
"But look! You can even see the docks from here!" She pointed at where the sea met the edge of the city, even the warehouse looking so much smaller from this height. The only problem, she wasn't sure if she was pointing out the right building. They all looked the same from here, indistinct blocks of grey and black. A hand wrapped around hers, the grip more firm than before.
"Hm. You can see the boats coming in as well." Including what looked like a couple of barely discernible police boats zooming in on their place. Which would be nothing but a completely cleared out warehouse home to nothing but rats and bugs.
"All passengers, please prepare to disembark." Speakers crackled to life as the pilot spoke. "We will landing at the Beacon Academy port soon. Make sure to have all your belongings with you as you leave." The crackling ended with a chime as the cliff side came closer in their view, the school's buildings beginning to tower over as they approached. Ruby's free hand pulled on a strap of her backpack, the Beowulf face on it twisting as she adjusted it.
"So why are we heading to this academy?" She'd heard snippets about it already, half picked up conversations between the criminals. Home for Hunters in training, and separate from the city in both location and control. "I thought you and Mercury didn't go to school anyways." Emerald's eyes slid off to the side, carefully eyeing the other people wearing uniforms around them to see if anyone had been paying attention.
"Well, we're not really here to take classes." She admitted, giving her full attention back to Ruby. "It's just that this place is going to be hosting a huge festival soon…"
"Oh! The Vytal Festival!"
"Yeah, that's right. And part of that is a huge tournament. Only problem, only those that are part of the schools get to compete." There was a rumble to the craft as it started to hover, workers in bright gear and holding light sticks directing it from the ground to an empty space.
"Ah." Now the black uniforms with white trimmings made sense. "Mercury does like to beat people up."
"Hey, enough with the slander." Another figure joined them at the window, the teen in question reaching down to pinch at Ruby's cheek, smirking at her objection to it. "It's not my fault I can't seem to find any fair fights." The ship shook as it finally met the ground, people starting to crush towards the exit ramp as it came down slowly. "Cinder says she's going to take care of some business. We're off to find the dorms."
"They sure do seem to love their arches here." Emerald muttered, as they passed by yet another one on their way down the down the courtyard out front of the school. The occasional glance their way had made her tense originally, but the more the gazes passed over them, the easier it was to start relaxing.
Mercury on the other hand, was striding through like he was used to being in one of the most prestigious schools in Remnant. Even with a child clinging to his shoulders, little feet unconsciously kicking around his sides as Ruby gaped at their surroundings.
"That one has a collapsible staff! Oh, and she's got a flame sword!"
"Sounds pretty basic for a future Huntress to have though." Emerald enjoyed seeing the girl mentioned turned a shade of red at the comment as the kept walking. "Aren't our weapons cool enough for you?"
"Well, yeah. But there's just so many different kinds here!" A tall boy with a giant green sword almost as tall as he was and a hooked tip strapped to his back walked past them, earning a sigh from Ruby. "Can't wait to make my own some day."
"Already got some plans?"
"Not really. But I know it's going to be the coolest. Even cooler than all of yours. Though I guess that's easy when you don't have one." A yelp soon followed, Ruby grasping at the collar of Mercury's to stop sliding down as she found the arms holding her loosening. "Mercury!"
"Oh no." Even with no change to his expression, the monotone gave away how much he cared. "It seems I've suddenly gotten weaker. Perhaps, from thinking how cool your weapon will be."
"Stop! Rocket legs are cool, I promise!" But it was too late, no scrabbling for grip would stop her demise. With the last of her ability, she reached up one hand over Mercury's shoulder. "Emerald, avenge me! Urgh." A soft thump came from her back meeting the ground, limbs flopping out spread-eagle. Emerald sighed, looking away.
"If you're done dying, I think the dorms are past the dining hall over here." She pointed past the large fountain, another arch set of arches next to the main impressive school tower showing more normal looking school halls.
The teens took a few steps, pausing to look back at Ruby still on the ground, doing death groans. It took Mercury picking up her legs to drag her body along behind them before Ruby decided to think twice about being dead and start walking again.
"So," Ruby jogged to catch up to catch up to their stride. "How long is it until the tournament comes?"
"About a few weeks?" There was a quirk to Emerald's voice as a pack of students rushed past them, coming from the hall they had to walk past, a few panicked yells coming from them. Despite the surprise, Ruby shrugged it off to walk ahead.
"So we have to stay at this school for THAT long? Do we have to go to classes too?" Most of what she knew about schools came from shows on TV and in her books. The amount of kids that detested going to one and sitting in a room all day long brought reluctance at being here.
"Well, we might." Mercury nodded as he easily matched her pace. "You, on the other hand, will probably won't meet the height requirement for them."
"Then I'll be staying behind, like at the warehouse." Nothing really changed other than the setting. "It's going to be a whole lot of boring again too."
A wet smack came as a purple splatter appeared against the glass window next to Ruby. After jumping back from the glass, she then pressed her face to a clear patch next to the splatter.
A girl with dark hair whipped a string of sausages around, before switching to a pair of baguette sticks to face off against a red headed girl also wielding a baguette. Melons flew through the air, to be punched aside by a pair of turkeys worn like gauntlets on a blonde.
Ruby tried to move for a better view as turkey girl moved to engage the melon lord, only for a swordfish to come flying to slap against the window and leave a greasy smear across a fair length of it, reducing everything through it blobs of colour shifting frantically around.
Not even thinking, the first option she turned to was to start for the doors into the hallway nearby.
"No." Two voices spoke and two hands grabbed at Ruby's backpack before she could take more than a step. And given the stern looking administrative type lady that was now stalking towards that same set of doors, not a moment too soon.
"I changed my mind." There was a crash above them that rattled the hall as the lady strode in, another following a short while after. "This place seems a lot more fun."
"We can go looking for fun later. Trouble, not so much right now." Emerald tugged her backpack to lead past the halls to their original destination. "You know Cinder wouldn't like us getting mixed up with something like that before even getting set up." There was a whine, but Ruby couldn't argue against that, being led away by the straps of her bag.
"And you two!" The click of heels had come up behind them before they could disappear from the scene, stern voice freezing Emerald and Mercury in place before they turned to face her. Half moon glasses slipped a notch down her nose as she peered at them, trying to place their faces in her memory before her gaze drifted to their uniforms. "What are you doing here?"
"Just finding our way to the the dorms." Mercury answered without any slip of sarcasm accompanying his blank face, for once. Emerald offered as bright a smile she could manage as the stare passed onto her. Ruby simply blinked back from between the two, hanging onto one of each teens' hands.
"You're visiting students from Mistral, correct?" A nod to confirm. "I don't recall Haven Academy saying they were letting children onto teams now."
"She's my little sister." Again they both acted at the same time, silence falling in with the realisation of their actions as the woman took another sweep of them. Taking in the features and probable age of Ruby and trying to match them to the teens without finding any success as her brow pinched together. They could practically see the ideas floating behind her eyes, a silent huff of air passing out before she spoke once more.
"Listen, I don't know what kind of dynamics are going on with your team. But if you or your team mates are… overcoming familial issues while taking part of the tournament, please know that you can ask our administration for some extra support while you are staying here." She studied Ruby again, a sudden grin from the child earning a small smile back. "Make sure to pass that onto the rest of your team. Now, do you need any help finding your way to the visitors' dormitory?"
"No, there was a map around the entrance that helped point it out to us. We should be fine, thank you." A couple more lines of conversation ending, and Emerald was able to extricate them from dealing with the lady. They turned round the corner of the dorms, her shoulders sagging as the tension bled away with her breathing out.
"Let's not get stuck talking with her again any time soon."
"I thought you enjoyed being teacher's pet though." Emerald's features drew together. "Or is it just Cinder's pet?"
"Really?" Her voice dropped low into a hiss for only Mercury to hear. "You're going to do this shit in front of the kid?" One hand twitched back, going for where her pistols would have been on her back.
All she got was a smirk.
"Looks like we haven't raised any red flags in entering."
A hand stroked down over Ruby's hair as she hugged tight to Cinder's side as they sat on a bed, smoothing a stray lock back into place. Moving in as part of the earliest waves of 'contenders' had come with perks, such as being able to pick out one of the larger rooms available. Not to mention a good view, and no other teams in the immediate vicinity for now.
"About that," Amber eyes flicked to Emerald. "It seems at least one of the administration knows that… basically Ruby is your kid. Or at least thinks that one of our 'team' might be an underage parent."
"Hm. It was bound to happen sooner or later." Emerald had been expecting irritation at best, not complete acceptance. "What matters is avoiding having them poking around too closely."
"Then, what happens next?" Mercury asked, sprawled out on the floor next to his bed.
The corners of Cinder's mouth quirked up as she gazed down on Ruby and her backpack. The backpack which had been looked over by security not suspecting a child. And, in addition to part of Ruby's own luggage, held a few special tools of her trade.
"Complete infiltration, of course."