It had been a few more months before Alex went to see Ruby in her dreams again.
"Hey, would you prefer mom or lover?" Alex teases.
Ruby eeps as she drops her scythe as she balances on top of a tower spire and glares at him while trying to keep her balance. "Alex!"
"Mom or lover?" Alex asks walking toward her on thin air. "You also remember that this is a dream?"
Ruby blinks and looks down before stepping off the spire and steps on the same air before sighing as the scene fades away to white. "Which do you want?"
"Which do you want?" Alex asks before hugging her.
Ruby blushes slightly as she hugs him back and looks to him. "Well…I don't know. I mean…that little Alex is there for a mother, but you yourself…lover and…I don't know."
Alex smile and holds her. "I am just messing with you," Alex informs.
Ruby pushes him off. "Don't do that."
"So want to go to Weiss's dream or talk?" Alex asks.
Ruby frowns at him before sighing. "Can we talk a bit?"
"Sure," Alex says letting go and takes a seat.
Ruby sighs as she sits down on nothing as well. "What are you thinking of us as?"
"Humanity as a whole?" Alex asks.
Ruby slowly nods. "That and us,"
"Hum…tough question. As each of us have a different point of view," Alex informs.
"But the most answer you have?" Ruby asks.
"Me particularly? I used to despise humanity after everything, but now I am just interested in where they are going given the chance. Will they make the same mistakes or find another way?" Alex asks.
Ruby looks down a bit. "And us particularly?"
"I am going to keep that my secret," Alex says smirking.
Ruby shakes her head at that. "You promised to tell."
"But that would just boring," Alex says chuckling.
"Let's go to Weiss already," Ruby says frowning.
"I do care," Alex says.
Ruby stares at him when he finished that.
"Never wonder about that," Alex says going to hug her again.
Ruby holds her hand out and stops him. "Earn it by the end of this."
"Tell you what, call this and and you get the answer," Alex says creating a coin and shows her both side.
Ruby blinks confused. "What?"
"You call what end this lands face up and I give you the answer," Alex says.
Ruby hums. "Tails."
Alex flips the coin and watches, not interfering in any way.
They both watch as the coin rises before coming back down and lands on a table that appeared before them and makes a clinking sound before it lands tail side up. "Now tell me," Ruby says calming down after thinking too hard.
"Well you want so I will. I am very attached to you and your team," Alex says.
"You said attached, not attracted," Ruby realizes as she looks to him.
"That too," Alex says. Ruby blushes as she looks slightly shocked as Alex leans on the table smirking. "So…Weiss's dream?"
"What have you been up to?" Ruby asks.
"Oh, curious about us? I must say, the others are going to be flattered," Alex informs.
"Alex," Ruby says in a scolding tone.
"Regaining our strength and hiding from those who wish to capture and enslave or imprison us once more," Alex informs.
Ruby slowly points to him. "You didn't have anything to do with that warehouse gang attack…did you?"
"No. That was all our fiery personality," Alex says.
"It's still you," Ruby reminds.
"All him. He wanted another shot at the one who ran while his back was turned again. We also had to listen to his whining till we relented and let him hunt for the guy," Alex informs.
"You didn't kill him did you or was that part of the newspaper true?" Ruby asks curiously.
"That I can't tell you as it involves the plan we have," Alex says.
"Plan? What plan?" Ruby asks, glaring slightly.
"Our plan for staying free. For, if we are captured, you would never get to see our child innocence again," Alex says.
Ruby blinks before looking away worried now.
"You see and we don't want to endanger you unnecessarily," Alex says.
Ruby sighs. "You really do care, don't you?"
"Yes," Alex says.
Ruby looks to him again. "That first question you asked, is it still a joke?"
"No need to rush it," Alex informs.
Ruby slowly nods. "Can we go to Weiss's dream now?"
"Want to make it where she is a servant in it?" Alex asks.
Ruby smiles. "Yeah. Let's go."
"Hey kid, wake up," Qrow says shaking his niece awake.
Ruby shrieks and sits up suddenly before glaring at him. "Uncle Qrow! I was having a good dream."
"Dream about killing grimm later. We got a problem," Qrow says frowning.
"What?" Ruby asks tired.
"We got a lead on the one who stole the maiden's power," Qrow says.
Ruby is now more alert. "Who did it?"
"Name from what we could gather is Cinder Falls or that is the name she goes by at least. Rumor has it they have found another original grimm like the one they freed," Qrow informs.
"Where?" Ruby asks, quickly getting up and getting dressed.
"I will inform you on the way. A good sized team is being gathered to go after her and if she awakens it, this grimm," Qrow says.
Ruby stops for a bit. "Can I…make a suggestion?"
"Sorry kid. Already got everyone we can. Though you will see some friends from Beacon," Qrow says.
Ruby looks worried now. "When do we leave?"
"Get your clothes on first then meet me outside where the airship is," Qrow informs.
Ruby pauses in her dressing as she looks at him.
"Right. Leaving," Qrow says leaving and shuts the door and Ruby looks behind her to see an outline.
"I know. I'll follow," Alex says smirking a bit where she can't see still.
"Alright, listen up. We are going after the one who was behind the attack on Vale," Qrow says to all the huntsmen and soldiers on the airships over the comms.
Ruby still watches out the window as she partly listens and keeps an eye out for Alex.
"As such, they also are the ones who released the original grimm that is now loose in the world. Our information tells us they have located a second one and going to free it. We are taking them down hard and fast before they can and if we fail, we will at least be hitting them hard and try and slay this grimm if released. This mission is going to be difficult and, depending on your point of view, we may be lucky or unlucky to draw the other one that is free with this. We are the vanguard behind us will be a fleet of Atlas airships and the vale first and second armored division and the first army of Vale. That is how serious the kingdoms are taking this threat," Qrow informs.
Ruby becomes worried now as she hears him talking about taking down Alex who waves at her before leaving with a good idea where they are going.
"I don't have to tell any of you what mobilizing a first army means for any country as this isn't normally done unless in war times. That is how serious this is. These people aim to destroy entire kingdoms. We have to take them out now," Qrow informs as Reese walks over to team RWBY.
"Hey. I see you all are alright from what happened at Vale," Reese greets.
Yang smiles. "Yeah. We came out fine."
"Hard to believe it has nearly been a year," Reese says.
"A year of trouble. A year of taking contracts. And now a day of taking a military operation," Blake says.
"Let's get our minds off of that. Any of you have a special someone yet?" Reese asks.
"No," Most of them say except Ruby who kept staring out the window.
"Hard to believe. I got one though," Reese says proudly.
Yang chuckles and grins. "Who's the hunk?"
(note go back and change the name alex gives to Azure for Reese
"His name Azure. He has lightning semblance and let's just say he really knows how to work my ass," Reese says suggestively.
"Wow. Already?" Blake asks smiling.
"Oh yeah, but he is a wanderer so he is traveling the world, but he sends me messages every so often," Reese says.
"Oh really? What does he send? Like what a great ass you have?" Yang laughs.
"No. He is very sweet. 'Hey beautiful. Are you doing alright? Wish you were here. Ect.' Is basically what he sends. So when we get back, any of you interested in getting to know each other better?" Reese asks suggestively.
"I thought you already had a guy?" Weiss asks suspiciously.
"I haven't been proposed to yet. Beside, it might be fun trying the other team," Reese says, getting Weiss to understand what she was suggesting.
"Um…why interested in girls all of sudden and why only us?" Weiss asks, getting Yang and Blake to blush slightly.
Reese smirks. "Because you four are very good eye candy and I want a taste."
"Smooth," Yang says before realizing Ruby wasn't saying anything and looks to her still watching. "Ruby? Sis? You okay?"
Ruby looks to them now with a worried expression. "Girls…you know what the first grimm is…do you really want to go through this?"
"We don't have a choice. We have to stop her before she completely destroys a kingdom," Blake says, not letting it slip they knew the grimm Qrow was talking about personally.
"But…?" Ruby starts before Yang starts pushing her away.
"Please…just…go along with it and if he comes to you first then tell him to stay hidden or get out," Yang whispers as they get away from the crowds of team gathered.
'Alex, don't come,' Ruby thinks.
"Alice, are you keeping up well enough?" Alex asks.
Alice nods as she keeps running after him. "Yes sir."
Alex looks back at her and smiles. "I can carry you because I can move faster."
Alice looks to himself a bit surprised. "Um…sir?"
Alex slowly stops and picks her up bridal style. "I got a few tricks. Hang on," he says smirking before running as Alice wraps her arms around his neck tight and suddenly turning into rose petals and flies off.
"So Alice, we will most likely find another true grimm like ourselves at the end of this," Alex informs as he runs.
"Another? What is this one like?" Alice asks as they keep looking ahead.
"I don't know, but if it challenges my dominion, we are killing it," Alex informs.
"Yes sir," Alice says, keeping her head close to his chest. "Alex?"
"Yes?" Alex asks.
Alice looks to him. "Do you have to fight those you want?"
"That depends, but you are not allowed to hurt the huntsmen and women that attack. There are a few amongst them I have set my sights on," Alex informs.
Alice slowly nods. "Yes Alex."
"And if you do want I say, I will also do you when this is over," Alex informs.
Alice gulps and blushes. "Thank you Alex."
"And this ass of yours is going to get quite the workout," Alex informs.
Alice blushes bright red and buries her head more into his chest.
"Now are you ready? They are also sending Vale's first army and two extra armored divisions for this. So we have to make this fast," Alex says before seeing a huge explosion in the distance.
Alice looks ahead and sees the fireball rising up. "Alex?"
"You won't come in to help until I say so. So stay hidden," Alex informs.
"Yes Alex," Alice says watching ahead.
"And remember this ass getting worked on later so don't get damaged in this fight," Alex instructs.
"Yes Alex," Alice says, feeling the want in her right now.
"Those mortars may be inaccurate, but they are giving us a hard time advancing," Yang says as they took cover in the battle that had erupted.
"How in the heck did this erupt into a full scale war?" Blake complains as they duck their heads from a nearby motor strike.
"I guess the info was right on the money. So Blake, these White Fang or not?" Weiss asks.
Blake takes a peek before ducking her head as they hide behind the fallen tree. "No…not these guys. They are a mix. No way would White Fang allow humans into their group."
"More likely a merc group or criminals from Minstrel then," Weiss says as one of the heavy machine guns that was shooting at the huntsmen was destroyed by a RPG shot.
"We have to get past that line of fire and we are not going to do it hiding here," Yang says taking a peek.
The team was about to move up when they felt it, a huge burst of grimm energy similar to when Alex unleash his power when they were around.
"Did they get it?" Ruby asks, looking to see anything from the cave they were guarding.
"RAHHHH!" they heard a yell as the entrance was blasted wide open by a red beam of energy.
"Holy…!" Yang yells as most of the defense line in front of the cave was wiped out by the energy beam, causing smoke and dust to hold in the air. A figure soon walks through the heavy smoky air to slowly show a man in a prisoner like striped outfit with glowing red eyes and what looked like a tattoo on his left arm. "I'm guessing that's the grimm."
"Take it down!" one of the soldiers yells before opening fire on it as even Coco joined in with her mini-gun.
"This isn't going to work, is it?" Blake asks, remembering how Alex dealt with being sliced in half.
"I'm seeing holes and red spots," Weiss says looking through binoculars as the original grimm is peppered with gunfire and dust strikes, ripping his uniform into tatters and opening more wounds.
"So not all are the same. Good to kno…" Ruby stops as those that were firing on the grimm not too far from them were hit by the beam and were just gone.
"Looks like he can fight through pain. Which means we need to stay out of range and keep hitting him," Yang says checking her gauntlets.
"Stop and listen to me!" Cinder yells at the grimm.
The beam stops as the grimm lowers his arm and slowly turns his upper body toward her at that with the same blank expression he has been holding before lifting his arm again and firing at her, making her take cover. "No one commands me!" the grimm declares.
Cinder growls to herself. "Fucking great. Release another monster and you don't control. I wish it was as easy as the grimm."
"Actually, it's much harder for them because they are stupid to not even be kept as pets and domesticated for that matter," she hears.
The grimm was about to keep rampaging when they all felt it, a second surge of grimm energy and on a nearby hill stood Alex, his fiery personality in control.
The grimm slowly stopped firing and turns toward him now, feeling such a surge of energy and a want to take it for himself before lifting his arm and fires off a blast, destroying the hill and Alex gone.
"Only one can stand at the top and I have staked my claim. Fall in or challenge my right to stand at the top," Alex says seriously as he reformed nearby on a tree.
"You are a failure!" the grimm yells as he prepares to fire another blast before being hit by a fireball in the face and sends him stumbling back as he tries to wipe the flames off.
"I'm sorry. What was that? Because the peanut gallery couldn't hear you," Alex taunts as he holds another fireball in hand.
"All forces, move back. Switch to plan B," Qrow announces over the radio.
"They have gotten territorial," Coco says moving back with her team.
"Ruby, come on. Alex will be fine," Yang reassures as she tries to snap Ruby out of it by shaking her shoulder.
"Let's go," Alex says charging forward, bobbing in and out of the beam shots as he kept throwing fireballs at the other's face, making him choose between constantly attacking or defending his face as Cinder and her two subordinates moved away as well.
"Stay still you fucker!" The grimm yells, trying to constantly switch between the two styles as Alex kept firing and running around him.
"As you wish!" Alex yells before slugging him hard across the face, his fire increasing,
The grimm gets his head turned to the side and pushed back before turning his head back and glaring at him. "Die!" he yells as he fires off a beam of energy at Alex, making him duck to the side before running off.
"I see those eyes of yours are the source of that power," Alex says as his fire increases, making his hair become akin to it and turn blue before moving in close and kept giving him a one two combo like a boxer would, not giving him a chance to counter or shoot his energy beams again as the grimm kept feeling the impact of the metal gauntlets.
The grimm's eyes glowed bright red before he reaches out and grabs one of his fist and an energy starts to appear between their hands and then a red beam shots out, blowing Alex's hand apart and sends him back a little.
"Ah. That's going to sting," Alex says as he holds his stumped arm and moves back before they both hear a whistling noise and looks up to see some missiles coming at them. "Well, I take my leave. Exit stage left!" Alex yells, running off quickly.
"Not happening!" the grimm yells, shooting the missiles down and giving Alex time to regenerate his hands.
"You're open!" Alex calls grabbing him from behind before the grimm yelled out in pure pain as Alex had put a finger through each of his eyes and was doing his best to crush his head.
"Get…off…me…!" the grimm yells loudly as he grabs Alex's hands and tries to rip them off, but immense heat starting to flow his head. He felt his own blood started to boil and his brain and eyes melt into their respective colored goo before the screaming stops as Alex slowly let's go and flicks off the rementates of the charred flesh as it continues to burn.
"We won't tolerate being challenged like this," Alex says as he looks around.
'So was that the only one? If so,then we should go be…wait. No. Anyone else sense that?' calm asks in their head, sensing another source of grimm energy.
"Target two down. Target one is still standing. Permission to engage?" an officer requests over the radio as Ruby looks on fearfully, watching Alex.
"Permission granted. Get that thing," Qrow relays and everyone starts to move up, including all the huntsmen and women.
"Alice!" Alex yells as he turns to glare at the cave. A tank round fires off toward him before a sudden red blur comes in and stops in front of him, the round exploding and letting the smoke clear to show her original outfit as Alex walks toward the cave. "Keep them busy. I'll be back soon."
"Yes sir," Alice says before unleashing her grimm power and slices the ground in front of her and making cover. Letting them know she was like him and Blake recognizing her sword instantly as Blush and Wilt, Adam's sword.
"Sir! A new target!" the tank crew yells over the radio before a large scythe like limb came down and split the tank in two.
"That's Adam. That's actually Adam," Blake says almost fearfully. More so then when he attacked the school.
"Really? Because Adam has a rack," Yang says, making Blake realize that this was a female.
"Should we stop her and Alex?" Ruby asks, not wanting to attack neither now.
"I don't think it would be a good idea to attack at close range. That sword of her's belonged to Adam, leader of the white fang and could cut through aura defenses," Blake warns.
"Seriously? That's mess up," Yang says as she realizes that she can lose her semblance as well.
Alex ran down the hallways of cave systems, following the path, breaking through any barriers between him and the energy he sensed as calculating took over as he had more speed and close to fiery's destructive capabilities.
Deeper and deeper into the cave, he passes by the dead chunks of bodies of White Fang and mercenaries that the other grimm passed when they woke him up probably. No, what he wanted was even deeper.
'I have to go faster. Alice won't be able to hold them off forever,' Alex thinks destroying some automated defences as he passed them.
'This is definitely different. It's not…weak,' stoic says, all of them feeling the frown.
'Looks like the ancient tech was used,' calm thinks.
'And the idiots all tried to get this. They must have sensed the surge of energy,' calculating says.
'Or they could have knowledge of these places,' excited says as Alex blew a door off the hinges.
"Holy…" Alex starts as he now slowly walks to another pod that was like his, only with older and simple metal, an age old system nearby with green text on a black screen. "This…could they have updated ours?" Alex asks himself as he walks up to the frozen capsule which seems to have some ice melted off by the amount of puddles on the rock ground. Alex watched in waiting before unleashing his power as another did the same.
The capsule door suddenly blew off and Alex turns to the side quickly and dodges the deadly door and sees it crash into a wall before looking to the one in the capsule and sees some smaller hands reach out before grabbing the sides of the capsule and then lifts itself up to show a long light blue haired girl who yawns and rubs her eyes with a long sleeve that reaches past her hands and wearing a white hoodie with blue trimmings is much bigger then her by coming down to her knees, hiding any pants she must have. The girl slowly turns to him and tilts her head.
"Got chips?" she asks.
"No. The world has changed greatly and I want to know, are you with me or my enemy like that other one imprisoned here?" Alex asks seriously as, unlike the last this one's aura, this one nearly matches his own in power.
The girl tilts her head the other way now. "Other one? What other one?"
"The other true grimm that was imprisoned here," Alex says.
The girl hums. "Oh…I think. Well…what side are you on?"
"My own is the only side left from before we were imprisoned," Alex informs.
The girl shrugs. "Then that's what I am," she says looking to her sleeves and messing them by waving her arms around.
"In this together so no one can put us back in those things or enslave us again?" Alex asks extending his hand as it was glowing with the white flame aura.
The girl holds out a sleeved hand and grabs his hand though the sleeve. "I really hate sleeping sometimes."
Alex smiles as a blue flame aura appears through her sleeve and mixes with his own. "Then we best go," Alex says before picking her up.
She yelps and hangs onto him before he runs off out the busted door. "Where are we going?"
"Out. My servant is holding off an army for me to get you," Alex informs.
"You're sweet," she says grinning now.
"She is also like us. A true grimm and she became one not even a year ago," Alex informs.
"Wow. At least we have a capable one to help fight for us," she says smiling widely. "It would have been boring."
"Also, don't hurt anyone out there. I have my eyes set on a few," Alex informs.
"Done…as long as I get a shot," she says giggling.
"Alright, I will do you too," Alex offers.
She blinks to him a bit confused. "Huh?" she asks before looking to herself and then him as she checks their sizes. "I'm about half your size."
"Would you object to it?" Alex asks.
She then smiles. "Nah. Not really. In fact, I am wearing nothing under this."
"After we get out of here we will find you something to wear and then we can do that," Alex offers.
She giggles. "Better be sexy."
Alex smirks as he runs to the entrance, but stops when she holds up a hand.
She hums as she hears the sounds of fighting and explosions. "What are we facing?"
"An army," Alex says as she holds up her arm and a swarm of bats come out of nowhere from her sleeve, bursting out of the entrance to the cave and swarming in the sky before she jumps out of his hands, readying herself. "You want to fight as well?"
She grins. "Like I said, I hate sleeping sometimes."
"Where the heck did these things came from?!" they heard and look outside to see the bats swarming everyone and keeping them busy.
"Let's go," Alex says walking out to see Alice holding off a few huntsmen's blades.
The girl grins and rushes toward before jumping over Alice and kicks all the huntsmen away before turning and smirks to Alice. "Hi. New lover for your guy."
"Alice, we are done here," Alex says as excited took over.
"Sir! There is another!" a soldier yells over the radio as Alex grabs Alice and the girl and runs off before Alex used his wind powers to take them to the sky and air blast any airship coming after them.
"Dammit…we lost…" Qrow says disheartenedly.
