Ruby's eyes flicked open, dry and colorless. Her arm pushed her blanket off of her and reached for a pen and paper. She scribbled down a message for Yang.
"I'm going out for weapon mods! Vale probably has sooo many cool places to go to!" the card read.
Sounds close enough.
She dropped down and propped the card up on her swaying mattress. It was visible from the floor, so Yang was sure to see it. She then grabbed Crescent Rose by the handle, and slid out of the room, carefully opening the door as to not make a sound. Blake turned her head and murmured something. Ruby snapped her head back.
It's just Blake. She gently closed the door.
She walked down the hallway and down the stairs. The morning air was cold when she left the building. Ugh. It's cold today.
Not as bad as Atlas, anyways.
A trip on the airship and a short walk later, and she was at the Vale train station. She was standing in the main lobby, a huge, cavernous room housing the seating area for the station. The lobby had a large window on one end overseeing Vale. The opposite side sported multiple shops and vendors. The remaining two were lined with entry points to the level below, reading from one to twenty. The cold marble wall pressed into her back as she stared at the time table projected near the roof.
A ticket was held in between her fingers. She raised it to her eyes, and read the letter sequence on it.
O8I9. . . She looked towards the time table and scanned the dense lines of red text. Ah. Station 2B.
She weaved towards the station, making her way through the crowds. The gates had already opened, and a short line had formed. A woman tiredly snipped the tickets at the front. A tall security gate stood next to the ticket counter, holding up a thin blue film.
Ruby took her position at the back.
The line moved swiftly, and she found herself at the front in ten minutes. The man in front of her, clad in a formal business suit, pushed a card into one of the machines. A light on it flashed green, and the card popped back out. The man took it and walked forwards, through the security gate. The blue film wrapped around him. It beeped, and the film receded. The man continued on.
Ruby followed into his place. She handed over her ticket. The sullen woman waved it in front of the scanner and proceeded to tear off the front end. The rest was handed the back to Ruby, who stepped into the security gate.
"Weaponry detected. Please show a suitable license or you will be apprehended," a voice droned over her head.
"Oops." she took her Beacon id and waved it in front of the gate's scanner.
"Huntress ID detected. Permission granted."
She smiled and walked through. The door was already held open, and she descended the stairs. They led into an open space with multiple train tracks. The closest platform already had a few people lining up. She walked towards the far back end and stood behind a short line. The man in front of her had his hands stuffed into his jacket pockets, and was staring at the ground. His hand reached up to his mouth and twitched slightly as he threw away the burnt stub of a cigarette.
The train arrived, and the platform emptied. Ruby sat at a window seat. She lied back and turned her head towards the window. The compartment didn't quite fill up, and a few seats, including the one next to her, were free.
She focused her gaze on the view outside. The train lurched forwards, slowly picking up speed. It wasn't long before the view distorted and warped into a flash of colors, zooming by the window. She tilted her head back and stared forwards.
Her mind was blank for a moment and she enjoyed the peace, but thoughts and suspicions returned.
Why Forever Falls? Grimm are attracted to negativity, but nothing happened there last time. . . Certainly nothing to stop a field trip solely comprised of Hunters.
She focused for a moment and racked her brain.
Something's different.
But I don't know what it is.
She rubbed her forehead and lied back into her chair. An exasperated sigh left her lips. I shouldn't be doing this.
No, she thought. That's wrong. She was doing this to stop Salem and save her friends. That was all the reasons she needed. The thought calmed her, but it wasn't long before the nagging suspicion returned.
Before she could think any further, something else took her attention. The man from earlier had stood up. His left hand reached out to push himself up, but his right hand was still buried in his pocket. Ruby rolled her eyes. Not my problem.
Some time passed, and a scream resounded from the front. He was sprawled over the floor, two tranquilizer rounds planted in his back and a shard of glass in his right hand.
We never did enter the town during our field trip, did we?
Forever Falls looked different when Ruby left the terminal. For one, all of the tourist stores were closed or boarded up. Not many people were on the streets, and anybody who was there had their faces covered, were staring at the pavement and had their hands stuffed in their pockets.
It looks like I could be mugged here and nobody would bat an eye. She walked down the street, looking into the closed stores.
Anyways, I should start from the bars, I guess. Nobody would care about a minor drinking in a place like this.
The bar was dimly lit and moody, the air itself stale and suppressing. Dust lamps on the walls illuminated the room, and a set of windows against the wall scattered rays of light against the counter. Two patrons sat at the farthest end of the counter from the entrance, both minding their own business and silently sipping their drinks. A lonely stage stood against the wall, an untouched microphone propped up. A thin layer of dust coated everything.
A figure sat in the corner, cast in shadows. It brought its drink up to its lips and took a sip. Ruby felt its eyes focus on her.
She walked up and sat on one of the stools lining the counter. The bartender eyed her suspiciously. "Aren't ya a bit young to be here?" he asked. He put down the cup he was polishing. He placed his hands on the counter. His elbow brushed against the cup and tipped it over. It rattled as it hit the counter.
Ugh. This'll take a while. She slid over some lien. "I'm older than I look," she said. She also threw in a threatening look for good measure.
"Ah. A misunderstanding," the bartender said. He's used to bribes, huh. "What do you want."
"I've heard rumors about Grimm activity around here. How true are they?" she asked.
"I can tell you it's not Grimm."
"Then what is it."
"I don't know."
Ruby slipped over another lien bill. "I'm sure you remember," she said. The bartender raised his eyebrow. She pulled the money back and made a move to turn around.
"Oh yes, I have a friend who thinks it might be the White Fang. He's not quite right in the head, but who knows?" Ruby nodded and pushed the money back, slipping out of her seat. Leaving the establishment, Ruby walked back into the cold autumn of Forever Falls.
So, White Fang? I guess it does kind of make sense. This place looks wracked with poverty.
This is near where Blake hijacked the train, right? I should probably check that area out first.
A crow flew above her head. It landed on a tree branch and stared at Ruby. She turned and entered a run towards the outskirts of the town, and into the forest. The road led off into the distance, moving past buildings and deep into the forest. She ran until the road ended at an outpost. A truck was parked in the corner, and the toll booth was empty.
Well, nobody would mind.
Ruby took out her scroll and showed a light into the dark booth. It lit up a computer and a chair, but nothing else. She pushed the windows up and reached in. Her hands grappled around for a while and unlocked the door. She stepped in.
She snatched a map from a neat stack in the corner. Then, she turned to the emergency locker. She smashed the glass open with her elbow and took out the fire axe.
Then, she set out into the forest.
She cut through the thorns with the fire axe, leaving a trail of damaged foliage. The vegetation opened into a glade with a patch of blood in the center. It was still fresh and was smeared across the grass and the underbrush. No blood led to or from the patch, though. It was as if something started bleeding there, and died in the same spot. A poacher.
But why here? In the one tiny reserve of this massive forest? She walked out to the center and kneeled down, searching for any hair.
She heard a ruffling to the left of her. There's somebody here. Her heartbeat rose, and she slowed down her movements. Everything from here was to be calculated.
Apparently, the hidden figure didn't think so. She charged out into the clearing, claws out. Her vest had the White Fang insignia on it, and her eyes were covered with their infamous Grimm mask.
New recruit, Ruby thought. She might be able to get some information out of her later.
She turned and reached her feet out, tripping the girl. Crescent Rose unfolded, cutting into the faunus' throat. Ruby pulled the girl's head up by her hair. One foot pushed down on her back. "Don't scream and I won't kill you," she muttered.
The girl gulped hastily. She winced as a trickle of blood ran from her throat. "O- okay," she stammered.
"Good. Are you part of the White Fang."
"Y-yes."
"What were you doing here?"
"Hunting a-animals."
"What's your rank."
"N-new recruit."
"Where are you stationed," Ruby asked. The girl stayed quiet. Crescent Rose dug deeper into her neck. "Where are you stationed," she asked again.
"T-there's a base that's north of here." The girl gasped for breath.
Ruby laid out the map from earlier. The girl frantically jabbed at an area right above a turn in the train tracks. "Anything else I should know?"
"Y-yeah, this guy called Torchwick is coming around for inspections today."
Oh, come on. Well, that means I can't go in, security's gonna be crazy high.
The girl raised her voice again. "Can I go now, please?" Ruby eyed her. She pulled away Crescent Rose.
The girl collapsed on the ground as the slit on her throat bled her dry. Ruby turned around and walked away. A wake of vultures was waiting, staring from the treetops.
"What's one casualty in a revolution?" she mocked the figure on the ground.
Ruby felt invigorated. The sun shone brighter, and the woods smelt sweeter. She had also located two massive walls of stone, in between which shown a passageway that probably led to the White Fang base.
She ran between them and watched as the light behind her slowly dimmed. The passageway narrowed, and she had to turn sideways to slide between the rocks. It opened into a damp cavern.
What's this?
A golden tear drop appeared above her. It stayed still for a moment and then stabbed down. Deathstalker.
Said golden tear drop flew away in an arc and bounced off the ground, splattering it with slime. The deathstalker roared in pain, enraged. Ruby took out her scroll and turned on its flashlight.
The deathstalker recoiled, and she emptied four sniper rounds into its eyes. Each one collided in succession, stunning the Grimm. Ruby walked up and placed the tip of her scythe between the Grimm's flesh and its faceplate.
A loud bang echoed through the cave, and the chitin tore off. The deathstalker wailed one last time before collapsing to the ground.
Ruby diverted her attention to searching the cave. She lit up the walls with her scroll, scanning them for an exit. The wall was all stone but a single wooden door. Am I in a cellar?
She stood still, listening for any noise. Finding none, she advanced to the door.
Something else caught her attention, though. There were paintings on the walls. Simple crude drawings applied with traditional pigments. Some depicted Grimm, other ancient Hunters. A particularly large mural showed a figure kneeling down, holding licking flames in his hands. Dust.
The far end of the room had a different painting from the rest, though. It depicted a black figure raising its arms. Grimm kneeled next to the figure, seemingly worshipping it. Its hands lit up with purple flames and held up a line. A triangle balanced upside down on the line and two spheres were painted on top of the triangle. One was silver while the other was red.
The room suddenly felt a lot more uncomfortable, and Ruby quickly walked back to the door. A loud croak came from the joints as it opened up, revealing a long stairway leading upwards. She climbed for what felt like an hour until she found another door. She walked through it and entered a hallway. More doors lined the sides. An old and dusty rug covered the floor.
There were images on the walls. They showed a family. A mother, father, and two children. Somebody lived here.
A drawer was placed against the wall, topped with a vase of wilted flowers. She walked down the hallway, peering into the rooms. There were three rooms. Everything felt normal. It was almost as if the people living here just suddenly disappeared one day.
She found herself staring into the third room. There was something eerily familiar about it. She stood there, in conflict. Part of her wanted her to open the door. The other didn't. Her hand put itself on the doorknob, and turned. She winced as the door creaked open.
A table was against the wall, and a snuffed out lamp hanged from the roof. The room felt cozy. A rack was stood along the wall, weird clothing that Ruby had never seen hanging from it. A bunk bed took up most of the remaining space. The bed on top was overgrown with vines. The one below had a boy lying down, frozen in time. His hands were laid peacefully on top of his belly. He looked like he was ready for a funeral.
Ruby's heart skipped a beat. What killed him? She forced herself to walk up to him, and placed a finger on his wrist. It was still warm.
She felt a pulse. He's still alive.
Somehow that made her feel even more uncomfortable. She stood there, staring at the boy. She turned around and stepped out of the room, carefully closing the door.
Where's the other child?
Part of her knew what happened, but she pushed it down. Now wasn't the time to dwell over memories. She pushed her feet over into the living room. A table was placed down in the center, surrounded by chairs.
A pang of homesickness ran through her, but she ignored it. A door stood on the opposite side from the hallway.
She pulled her eyes from the room and stepped forwards to the door. Light filtered in from it, and she pushed it open. She was back outside, overseeing a White Fang base. A bullhead flew over her, forcing her back into the real world. Oh shoot.
She dived for cover behind a rock. Sensing that the bullhead didn't see her, she stepped out. A long series of steps trailed down from the side on the mountain, descending towards the base.
Ruby took a few careful steps downwards, hiding among the trees. She found a convenient outcrop, hiding behind it. She lied down and unfolded her scythe halfway. The scope popped out, and she leaned forwards, staring into it.
The bullhead from earlier had landed. A lieutenant walked up and gestured an order to a few recruits. The back of the bullhead opened, and the recruits heaved out a big metal crate. The lieutenant opened up the crate and took a handful of powder.
Dust? What are they doing with that?
Another figure in a white suit and orange red hair walked up. He twirled his cane and pointed it towards a cargo container. The recruits visibly recoiled but pushed the crate over anyways.
Roman. I could go kill him now. . . And what good would that do? It'll just screw up the timeline and alert Cinder. No use.
Roman walked around a bit more, inspecting the base. Then, finally, Neo appeared and teleported him out. Ruby's scroll started ringing. What, Yang?! She internally swore but accepted the call. She'll go looking for me if I don't answer this.
She tipped her scroll upwards so Yang couldn't see the foliage around her.
"Hey, Rubes, how's Vale?" Yang asked. Her voice warped and twisted as the signal weakened.
"It's awesome! They have like everything here!" Ruby beamed.
"Anyways, curfew ends in like an hour or so, so you should come back and NOT spend two whole days staring at guns while I search for you, okay?"
"Hey, that was like a year ago," Ruby smiled. "Anyways, see ya then, bye!"
"Don't forget!"
Ruby closed the call and lied back down. Ugh. Looks like I'll be going back now. She retraced her steps, passing through the dwelling and exiting between the rocks. The girl's corpse was already gone when she passed by. Nothing was left. No blood, no clothing, no hair. The forest had consumed her, and it thrived ever more slightly.
"What did I say about getting here before curfew?!" Yang remarked. Her eyes glowed red as she towered over Ruby.
"The terminal was delayed," Ruby frantically apologized. The train to Vale had arrived half an hour late.
Yang stared down Ruby. Sensing a bit of truth, she let it go. "So, what did you get?"
"There's too much stuff, I couldn't choose!" She pouted and threw herself onto her bed. Yang stared at her sister. She erupted laughing and climbed onto her bed.
"Ahahaha, I forgive you," she said after she pushed down her laughter. She shifted position and knocked Ember Cecilia off the bed. "Oops."
Ruby smiled as she pulled up her blankets. She dozed off when she felt something. A familiar set of eyes were peering into her. She turned to face the window, but there was no one. Just a black feather lying on the balcony.
She should have been concerned or alarmed, but weariness reigned supreme and she fell into a deep slumber.
I tried to put more description in this chapter, seeing how the previous ones were like 99% dialogue (and were kinda stale). I also took a jab at world building since seeing Beacon 24/7 is boring. Did it work?