Chapter Six: Flashback
Blake walked through the compound, the other White Fang members waving, her waving some back. Her best friend, Adam Taurus was in his workshop, trying to figure out something to assist in their next raid. She walked in, looking over his shoulder.
"What are you working on?" She asked.
"It's a semblance enhancer." He said. "It will essentially double the power I can draw from my semblance using a powerful amount of Dust."
"Hopefully you can control it." Blake said.
"Well" Adam said. "With every invention, risks are taken."
"Well" Blake said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Don't take yourself from those that care about you. Me and the rest of the group would hate for you to be killed in a fiery explosion because you didn't listen to common sense."
"Oh please." Adam said, chuckling. "I'm not that bad."
"This is your third workshop." Blake said.
"So?" Adam asked, looking at her with a shrugging grin.
"You're insufferable." Blake said, rolling her eyes.
"So you say." Adam said. "So, how's the group doing? Are they ready for the next raid?"
"Yes." Blake said, nodding. "The Dust is ours this time."
"Good." Adam said, grinning a little. "She'll be proud."
"You better hope so." Blake said. "You know how she can get."
"Yeah." Adam said, rubbing the back of his head. "I remember."
"Have you heard of that one character?" Blake asked. "This Grimm Reaper."
"You mean that one being that no one's sure what species or anything they are?" Adam asked. "The one that's supposedly the most powerful Huntress or Hunter in all of Vale? The one whose appearance is signified by rose petals?"
"Yeah." Blake said. "Do you think they'll be a problem?"
"I don't." Adam said. "I don't think they're on to us. And, even if they know, do you think they'll be the ones called to stop us?"
"I hope you're right." Blake said, sighing.
"I am." Adam said. "Don't worry."
"Alright.' Blake said, her ears twitching a little in nervous. She shuddered slightly, her kimono she was wearing shifting slightly with her movements.
"You might want to get into something more battle ready." Adam said, Blake nodding.
"Got it.' Blake said, nodding. She walked out, leaving Adam to his work.
Later—Schnee Dust Company warehouse
Blake and about twenty other White Fang members stood in front of the building, prepared to strike. Blake adjusted her black bow, giving the signal for the members to strike.
They nodded, rushing forward, one launching an explosive at the door, blowing it open. They all rushed in, attacking any guards that happened to show up. They managed to beat them all relatively unharmed. As they rushed through, several security robots appeared, armed for combat. They launched Dust rounds at the White Fang members, injuring several.
The remaining ones leapt up, attacking the robots, disabling them after some time.
Blake sighed with relief. She hadn't wanted to lose too many troops so quickly. However, before she or her troops could do anything else, a large explosion rocked the building. Blake was thrown out from the force, bouncing twice, pain all over her body. As she looked at the building, she saw that it was up in flames. Blake rushed forward to help her friends and comrades, but something brushed past her nose, distracting her. She picked it up and looked at it: it was a rose petal, blood red and followed by several others.
Blake looked to her side to see a sight she'd hoped never to see: a figure in a black dress and a red cloak, which hid her eyes. Held in her hand as if to emphasize her namesake was a large metallic scythe. This was the Red Death, Death's Flower, the Grimm Reaper herself.
Blake's expression turned to fear as she backed away, the figure noticing her at this point. She began to walk closer to Blake, Blake standing up to face the demon. She summoned a set of twin pistols, aiming them at the figure.
However, as the demon got closer, Blake saw a flash of silver, finding herself unable to move. Glued by her fear or some other unexplained force, she didn't move, the figure walking closer still.
She walked right up to Blake, walking past her and towards the burning building. However, as she did, she said something to Blake, her tone serious and causing Blake to shudder.
"Don't bother going after them.' She said. "They're all dead. Ask your friend why he would sacrifice twenty of his group, just for petty revenge. He knew this would happen."
"Wh-what?!" Blake said, her fear choking her throat. Thoughts were swirling in her head, confusing her as she felt that she could once again move. She rushed towards the building, trying to reach her comrades, trying to reach them. However, the figure held out her arm, blocking her.
"You'll be no help." She said. Blake watched in horror as she saw her friends' corpses burn.
"Why?" was all she could ask. The one question she knew she'd never get an answer to.
"They didn't deserve this." The Reaper said, disgust in her voice. "They weren't all bad like they were made out to be. Very few beings are this cruel."
"What makes you better than the one behind this?!" Blake asked. "I know of your reputation! You're a monster!"
However, the only thing next to her was a small pile of rose petals.
Present
Blake woke with a start, panting.
"You alright, Kitty Cat?" Yang asked, propping her head up on her elbow, turning over to Blake in their bed.
"Yeah." Blake said, panting. "It was just a nightmare. Nothing much."
"Seems to be a common occurrence." Yang said. "Wanna talk?"
"No.' She said. "Though, I think I saw Ruby in it."
"Huh?" Yang asked. "Doing what?"
"Well" Blake said. "You know that Grimm Reaper story from when I was in the White Fang?"
"Yeah." Yang said. "Why? You think Ruby was the Reaper?"
"I" Blake said. "I don't know. But, one thing is for certain: Ruby's definitely hiding some things from us."
"Of course." Yang said. "I doubt she just became a Huntress seven years early, and an A class one at that, just for nothing. Plus, there's something… unnatural about her. I hate saying stuff like this about my baby sis, but it's true. I mean, she floored Cardin in like two attacks and I'm pretty sure she held back."
"Yeah." Blake said. "I think I overheard her mention to Weiss that the only reason she wasn't S class was because an Academy diploma was required to be recognized as one."
"Really?" Yang asked.
"I don't know." Blake said. "I might have taken it out of context."
"Maybe." Yang said. "Oh well. But, I still want to know. There're so many gaps in my memory I can't figure anything out about the first fifteen years of my life because they're so fuzzy. There's something… someONE I feel I should remember, but I, I just can't. There's something blocking the memories, but I'm not sure what."
"Maybe you'll figure it out soon." Blake said.
"Yeah.' Yang said. "Well, since we're up… you wanna play some… veterinarian."
"Oh, Yang." Blake said, sighing with a small chuckle. "You sure know how to make me forget when I have a problem… as well as how much of a perv you are."
"Says the one who enjoys the hell out of it." Yang said, grinning, scratching Blake in between her ears.
"St-stop it Yang." Blake hissed, growling slightly until a low rumble was felt. Blake purred, snuggling up to Yang.
"Works every time." Yang said, grinning. Blake crossed her arms, pouting.
"It's not funny." She said.
"Of course.' Yang said, chuckling. "It's hilarious."
"It is not." Blake said, shoving Yang gently with her shoulder.
"Keep telling yourself that." Yang said, rolling her eyes.
Blake snuggled up closer to Yang, wrapping her arms around her. Yang wrapped hers around Blake, the two of them settling into their bed, the sweet embrace of sleep taking them soon after.
Later
Both of them woke up, stretching.
"That was great." Yang said. "I don't think I've slept that well in a long time."
"Me either." Blake said. "So, what's the other lovely couple doing?"
"Probably eating.' Yang said. "It's noon."
"We slept till noon?" Blake asked, surprised. "That's pretty late for a night we don't have our fun."
"Yeah." Yang said. "Well, let's go get 'em and tease 'em some more."
"You're gonna make them not become closer for fear of it.' Blake said.
"Nah." Yang said. "I got an idea to speed things up."
"What?" Blake asked. Yang whispered in her ear, Blake's eyes widening and a grin spreading across her face.
"That's pretty good.' She said. "Let's do it."
Later still
"Well" Ruby said. "This is actually not what I was expecting to do today."
"You think?" Weiss said, trying to not make it sound too hurtful.
Ruby and Weiss were stuck inside of Yang's school locker, Yang and Blake high fiving on the outside.
"This is so cliché." Weiss said, rolling her eyes. "Now, let us out!"
"Nope." Yang said, grinning. "Not until we see some results."
"What do you want us to do!?" Weiss shouted. "Rip each other's clothes off and proceed to copulate with each other?!"
"hmmm." Yang said, thinking. "Yeah, that sounds good."
Ruby and Weiss both turned red, though Weiss was more red in anger than embarrassment.
"You sick pervert!" She shouted, having to move to not squish Ruby.
"Yep." Yang said, holding up her scroll and shooting a video. "Now, get to the making out."
"Yang, I swear to god." Weiss said, growling a little.
"Swear to me." Yang said, making her voice sound like a growl, though not an angry one.
"Weiss." Ruby whispered. "We should just break out."
"How?" Weiss whispered back.
"Use your semblance." Ruby replied. "It'll make the metal brittle."
"You sure you can handle that much cold" Weiss asked.
"I survived half of me frozen." Ruby said, grinning. "I'll be fine."
"Alright" Weiss said, nodding. She put her hand on the wall, pulsing her semblance through it. Ruby grabbed her hand, Weiss confused for a second until she realized what Ruby was doing.
"She's adding her power to mine." She thought. "I knew Death semblance could take away energy, but to add… she's more capable than I thought."
After they had frozen a wall, they pushed against it.
"Hold on." Ruby said. "I think this might work."
She summoned Crescent Rose, but this time, it was attached to her arm and it had a smaller blade that jutted out at Ruby's forearm. Ruby smashed the ice with the blade, shattering it and making a hole in the locker. The two of them pushed more, tumbling out, Ruby recalling Crescent Rose so as not to slice Weiss with it.
They tumbled to the ground, Weiss landing on top of Ruby. Their weight pushed them, as well as their lips, into each other, resulting in an accidental kiss. When both realized what had happened, Yang had already taken several pictures and saved them.
"Perfect.' She said, grinning. "Well, that's a keeper."
"Yaaang!" Ruby whined after she and Weiss had gotten up, both red. "Don't do that!"
"Too late." She said, grinning. "Now, I just need to send these to dad and uncle Qrow."
"You do that." Ruby said, grinning as she used her semblance to swipe Yang's scroll, copying the entirety of Yang's pictures to her own. "And, I'll send him those ones of you and Blake."
Ruby swiped through a couple of Yang's pictures, turning red and closing the pictures.
"Would hate for them to get those, wouldn't ya?" She asked, recovering from seeing more of her sister than she ever wanted to see.
"Well then." Yang said, grinning and stepping up to the challenge. "I'll send him your search history."
"So?" Ruby asked, shrugging.
"With links and screenshots." Yang said, smirk widening.
"Then, I'll send him yours." Ruby countered, her own smirk widening.
Yang paused, biting her lower lip in thinking, trying to get another bit of ammo.
"Dammit." She said, snapping her fingers. "I guess we've got each other. Truce?"
"Truce." Ruby said, holding out her hand. Yang shook it, both of them grinning at each other.
"Now, I want ice cream." Ruby said. "Let's go, Weiss!"
Ruby proceeded to drag Weiss out of the room, Weiss trying to gain some footing as Ruby ran towards her favorite snack, leaving Blake and Yang to their own devices.
So, there's still more to Ruby's past. I wonder just how much she's hidden from the others. Maybe we'll find out soon.