I told you I'd update today. And for the first time in forever is seems like I actually kept to that. Hooray for me!
This is the chapter that finally puts this story in the 50K range! This is now my second longest story (On The Road, Far From Home my first.)
A lot of you were pleasantly surprised at Summer's inclusion, which was my plan all along! So here's to Summer! Also, how's everyone liking the new Volume? Pretty awesome right? I just can't get a grasp on Winter's personality. She switches so often...
Anyway, that's irrelevant to the story so I'll stop now.
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.
Edit 12/5/17: Small changes and clean up.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"…Mom?" Ruby said weakly. It… it couldn't be. It can't be. She's… dead.
Summer Rose, very much alive and breathing, took a few more steps inside the medical ward. Everyone had fallen silent, waiting to see how this would play out. The tension in the air was palpable and could be cut with a knife.
Ruby watched as her long dead mom came closer, her echoing footsteps the only sound. Emotions long dormant began to resurface. As desperately Ruby didn't want to hope, as she knew it was truly impossible, she couldn't help but feel the emotion bubbling up. Feelings of being held as a child and cared for. By a mother. Visions of being a family together again came to her mind. Her, Yang and Mom and Dad, laughing as one, as a family remade. No more darkness. It was almost painful to feel, to hope. Her greatest desire right in front of her.
Summer stepped next to Ruby and looked down at her. Silver eyes met silver eyes. There was something indiscernible in Summer's eyes as she approached, but then they suddenly hardened, the silver turning cold. "Rose."
With that one word Ruby's world came crashing down. Those visions she had were blown away and scattered by that one word, as frostily stated as the uppermost regions of Atlas. Rose. That one word. That one name. The name that the other her went by. The one that everyone called her. The name of the other. It wasn't her.
And now her own mother called her that. She hated her, believed that she was on the opposite side. The Hunter's side. She believed that she was the enemy. Her own daughter.
Then it came to her. With that last thought she fully realized this wasn't her mother… not really. They were both strangers to each other, more so than ever now. A reality crossed family. Summer and Ruby, mother and daughter… from different worlds. Unfortunately Ruby's feelings were still there, begging to be released, coddled, accepted.
"No. No! I'm not her!" Ruby protested frantically. "I'm different! I'm not like her; Rose, I'm Ruby! Ruby! Not Rose, I'm not her! Don't think that!"
"Save it," Summer snapped, cutting her off. Ruby choked on her protests from the rebuke. "I don't want to hear the excuses they've fed you to parrot. The only reason you're not dead yet is because I don't know what the hell is going on here. Right now you better hope the people here have a damn good reason for keeping you alive. How much information you have and how we can squeeze it out of you before we're done. "
Ruby choked back a sob. Never in her life had she felt so worthless as she did right now. Even back… there and then, she felt something like a human. She at least believed that she was. Now she felt less than dirt; something disgusting that was left rotting in the bottom of a dump. Even her own mom was suggesting something similar to what the human Grimm did. "Please, just… just listen. Mom? Please?" Ruby whispered.
"No. You denied that I'm your mother since you were five. I've returned the favor and left like you asked. Now I get to say this to your face. You are no daughter of mine. Don't enjoy your short life while you can," Summer spat, then turned on her heel and pushed past the crowd that they had gathered, her white cloak billowing behind her.
There was silence, as if the entire world had stilled. Ruby was in shock once more. She refused to comprehend what just happened. She… rejected me? She hates me? But… I don't even know her. She doesn't know me! I'm not me, or her rather! I'm not Rose, but she thinks I am. She thinks that I'm her daughter, and she was my mom. She's my mom. Why did she leave me? Why? No! She's not my mom. She's from this world. She's not… she looks just like her. She looks like mom. Mom. Why did you leave me? Why do you hate me so much? What have I done to you? Please mom. Make it stop hurting. Take the pain away. Please, come back. Oh Oum she hates me!
It started out as a quiet sob. First one tear. Then another. And another. Then the dam broke and Ruby wept in anguish, her cries tearing apart her heart, echoing in the silence. The bandage had been ripped away and the scars reopened. Ruby couldn't help but wail uncontrollably, tears streaming down her face. Never before had she felt this crushed, this pitiful. Years old pain resurfaced and Ruby cried in despair like she never had before.
It hurt. It hurt so much to have her mom so close yet so far away. It hurt to know the feeling of a parent rejecting their offspring. It hurt to suddenly have that hope and just as quickly find it ripped away. Just like everything else in this world does, a part of her thought ruefully. She wanted to rip her heart out to stop it from hurting, but she knew it was impossible. So all she could do was cry. Sometimes they were tears of sadness, sometimes hate, anger, loneliness, but never happy, joyful tears. Never. She wasn't able to produce those tears anymore.
She didn't hear as people left, nor when Doc sat next to her and tried to comfort her. It didn't matter. Ruby didn't hear any of it.
Once again, as she had many times before since coming here, Ruby cried herself asleep, feeling emptier than ever before.
Roman had winced with the rest of them as Summer had gone on her tirade, which wasn't completely undeserved, but still, a little harsh. In all honesty I think that went worse than my conversation with Ebony earlier… at least that could be called a conversation. When Summer basically told Rose that she wanted her dead and stormed off, he wasn't the first to move. In fact he was dead last. It was enough to see Rose break down, and he then left in a hurry in order to avoid hearing her cries of pain and sorrow. He didn't want those feels.
He walked out the door and saw Summer standing in the middle of the hallway with her head bowed, the white cape covering her body and the hood pulled up. Neo was standing awkwardly behind her shifting her weight from foot to foot, looking anywhere but at her, uncertain if it were safe to approach the woman.
Roman frowned a bit and stuck his hand in his pocket for a cigar and lighter, but felt the data chip in there with them. He closed his eyes. Nope, I didn't feel that data chip at all. It's not the data chip that has very good evidence that Rose might not be Rose. It's not the data chip that has hours of video footage of her 'interrogation' at Beacon. And it's certainly not the data chip that might change Summer's mind about who Rose is. Nope, most certainly not. I definitely don't have any moral obligation to give it to her to at least attempt to put back their family. Yeah, morals, what're those? Definitely don't have none of those. So I'm not going to give this data chip over to her so she can make up her own mind about Ebony in there, because I certainly haven't. For all I know she's still Ebony. Nope. Not gonna' do it…
…Aw hell.
Coming up behind her he made a noise to say something but Summer held up a hand and said, "Don't." She kept her head down, facing away from them. "I don't want to hear anything you have to say about her. Finish interrogating her and then do whatever. I'm done with her."
"But-" Roman was cut off again.
"No. If you're trying to change my mind for whatever insane reason, she made her decision first. I made mine as well. I don't want to hear her lies. She can't be trusted." Summer said, something hidden in her voice.
"You know there is a reason why she's here. A reason that you may find interesting," Roman finally got out.
"Oh? And what is it," she snapped, spinning around so her face was right in Roman's. He could see her silver eyes, barely lit from the shadows of her hood. They simmered almost like Cinder's did with inner emotion. Just what that emotion was, Roman couldn't determine. "That she's suddenly had a change of heart and decided to spill all the juicy little secrets that Ozpin has? That she's chosen to become a pacifist and paint rainbows and unicorns everywhere? Something like that, hmm?" She finished a few inches away from his face, and he couldn't maintain eye contact any longer.
"Wellll…" Roman considered. Some of it's right.
"Go to hell. I saw something different about her, but it was false. She's lying, acting. Whatever she's said or done… she can't be trusted. She can't. When she's not a loyal huntress is the day the Grimm become harmless cuddly puppies. I don't- I refuse to believe that she's changed."
"Summer, wait-" Roman tried again.
"No." She whispered. With that, Summer suddenly dissolved into a storm of white rose petals, which then scattered past Roman and Neo on unseen winds further into the base.
Neo slowly came up next to him. 'Well, that didn't go over well.'
"You don't say," Roman drawled, a bit of a growl seeping into his voice. This has just been one of those days. I've been thinking that a lot lately.
'Do you think she's still Rose after that?'
"Damnit, we're still on this?" Roman sighed in exasperation. With Neo's nod, Roman grunted. "Fine, I'll admit that it's looking… unlikely that Ebony's still Ebony. But until Doc can verify that by checking her mind, I'll still have that dose of paranoia. Probably even after."
Neo rolled her eyes, 'Finally.' She nodded her head in the direction Summer disappeared to. 'We need to go after her.'
"We are not going anywhere near her. Not right now. We're likely to loose something important if we do. Let her calm down a bit." You know, it's actually pretty late right now. "In fact, let's go to sleep and have a brand new day to figure this crap out."
Neo sighed, but nodded. 'That sounds like a good idea.'
"Well, I do have them on occasion." Neo snorted.
There was a sudden muffled thump and some cursing, and when the duo turned they saw the quartet of Emerald, Mercury, Yatsuhashi, and Velvet stagger around the popular corner with a handful of other people in various states of wellbeing. All had their clothes worse for wear, some had cuts and bruises. Yatsuhashi himself was being supported by Velvet and another as his leg looked like it was hurt in some fashion. The bloodstains on his clothes were what really gave it away.
Roman raised an eyebrow at the motley group. I know I'm going to regret asking this. "What the hell happened to you guys?"
Emerald looked at Mercury, who shrugged. "Well…"
(Several Hours earlier)
"Well, you know what they say about hope," Mercury drawled from the doorway. Everyone had paused to take in the new arrivals. Xiao-Long, Belladonna, Schnee, Velvet and Yatsuhashi were all in combat stances, waiting for the second act to start.
"… Well, what do they say?" Emerald asked after a anticipatory pause.
Mercury shrugged. "I don't know, it just sounded like a good thing to say." Emerald groaned, and the sound was echoed by others in the room at the letdown.
"So," a voice caught their attention. It was the youngest Schnee speaking. "Emerald Sustrai and Mercury Black. You're the ones that broke Rose out and compromised Beacon."
"Yep, that's us," Mercury said, smug as fuck.
"How did you get past our Grimm?" Xiao Long snarled.
"Eh, it wasn't that hard. Just needed to be quicker than them," Mercury said.
"If you don't want to suffer, you'll tell us where you're keeping Rose," Belladonna said, pointing her katana at them.
"Just like your former partner didn't suffer after you stabbed him in the back?" Emerald shot back. "Did you honestly think we'd stand down just by you asking?"
"Didn't even ask us politely, how rude," Mercury snarked.
WBY didn't respond verbally. Instead Xiao Long charged forward firing away with her gauntlets. Emerald and Mercury rolled in the same direction, and then ducked when a fist passed through where they were standing. Then the battle began again.
Mercury kicked out and got Xiao Long in the side before trying the same thing with the other foot. She blocked that strike, so he attacked several times with the same before spin kicking her, hitting the same rib area. She growled and threw several shotgun aided punches that forced him back before he retaliated with a shot from his own boot, causing a miniature explosion as the blasts connected. This is going to be fun, Mercury thought to himself.
Emerald on the other hand started playing support when Velvet and Yatsu started attacking again. She fired a couple times at the Heiress with her guns, forcing her to defend, leaving Belladonna to momentarily fend for herself against VY. The traitor was doing well until Yatsuhashi made a horizontal slash that she just didn't have enough strength to defend against and was thrown aside, not getting far enough from her shadow clone. Velvet on the other hand had gone after Schnee, and they were duking it out.
Seeing that they had it under control, Emerald went around to the various White Fang survivors scattered around the floor. She knelt down next to a dog Faunus that looked like his hand had been burnt off. "Can you walk?" Emerald asked urgently as she broke apart the ice.
"Yes." He answered. "My hand however…" He looked down at the stump.
"You're alive, that's what counts." Emerald helped him put it in perspective. "Now, help the others get to the roof. There'll be a Bullhead coming in a few minutes to extract us." The man nodded and went to another Faunus and started helping her up.
Another Faunus came out of the back and ducked over to Emerald. "Glad to see you got our call."
"The Lieutenant forwarded your call as we were in the neighborhood," Emerald replied dryly. "Help get the rest of them to the roof. We'll deal with the huntresses."
He nodded and headed over to free another. Deeming that there were enough helping out, Emerald returned to the fray. She was immediately met by Schnee and blocked her rapier with her dual kusarigama. The duel between the two was fierce as they were both quick and agile, striking multiple times with one movement. Every thrust was met with a deflection, then repose, counterstrike, block, another thrust, slash, jab, all in the space of a couple seconds.
I have to admit, she's good, Emerald thought as she tilted her head to avoid another cut. Watching her during sparing sessions didn't do it justice. She smirked as she deflected another thrust. But I know I'm better.
Letting Schnee's blade slide along hers, she closed the distance and got inside the white haired girl's space. Using her free weapon, she swung upwards trying to catch Schnee on her leg. Schnee flipped backwards to avoid the potentially crippling cut, but Emerald didn't let up and unlocked the chain on one of her weapons and wrapped it around one of Schnee's legs. She yanked on it and then slashed across Schnee's chest with her other weapon, leaving a cut that soon left a red stain.
Schnee freed herself from the chain and glanced down at the cut. The bleeding had halted thanks to her Aura, but the cut in her clothes was still present. Her blue eyes narrowed and met Emerald's red. "You'll pay for that."
"Eh, that's what they all say," Emerald said. Before she could resume the fight, she had to step back from a stray shotgun blast from Xiao Long, who then followed it, thanks to Mercury who had wrapped up his fight with the blond bimbo.
Mercury smirked, seeing WBY stagger to their feet after the beatdown they got, but it faded a bit, seeing Yatsuhashi favoring a leg, which had a growing stain on his pants. Velvet also looked winded, and he could feel a tiny bit winded himself. Okay, this has gone on long enough. He took a look around and saw that everyone that could be was evacuated. No need to fight them anymore, especially since we're on borrowed time. And knowing these three, more than their Grimm might be coming.
"Let's go," Mercury said. He kicked and shot twice mainly as cover fire and started going backwards to the stairs. Emerald also started shooting, making WBY scatter or put up barriers to block the shots. Once they got to the stairs, Velvet threw some ice Dust behind them to seal the way.
"That won't hold them for long… especially from Xiao Long," Velvet said as she helped Yatsuhashi up the stairs.
"Then we'll just have to hope then," Mercury said.
"You know, you're talking a lot about hope recently, makes me wonder if you're secretly an optimist," Emerald joked.
Mercury glared at her, but shrugged. Honestly, things have changed. How though remains to be seen.
Velvet created another ice barrier as they heard a horrendous crack and shattering sounds from downstairs. "And there goes the first one," Mercury muttered.
Going up the last flight of stairs, they found the other five Faunus crouched behind a closed door. "What is the matter?" Yatsuhashi asked, out of breath.
"The entire roof is swarming with spiders!" The dog Faunus with the missing hand said. "Aaron found that out the hard way."
"Ohhh, riiiight. We forgot about that," Mercury winced.
"Now what?" Someone said, a hint of hysteria in his voice as a second crash was heard.
"Alright, here's what we'll do," Velvet said and handed off Yatsuhashi to a couple of people. "Mercury, Emerald, we'll take point and form a perimeter to protect them, since that's what we're supposed to do. Yatsu, sorry but you'll have to take it easy with that leg and stay with them."
He nodded in understanding. "I will do so Velvet-san."
"The rest of you, if you have weapons, provide covering fire. Focus it at the Recluse's eyes."
"Got it," was the general reply.
"Why weren't you team leader?" Emerald asked lightly.
"Wasn't bloodthirsty enough I suppose," Velvet shrugged, the stump of her ear twitching in ghost pain.
"We better go," Yatsuhashi said, hearing thundering up the stairs.
"One, two, three, go!" Velvet counted, and burst through the door, lightning Dust shooting from her hand, shocking the Grimm closest to the door, turning their ichor black skin to a lighter charcoal before they started to disappear into the wind. Emerald and Mercury came after, Em firing away, hitting her targets with accurate shots and Mercury kicking them and breaking limbs from the hits. The rest of them came streaming out; only two had kept their weapons but were firing at the black masses.
There were about twenty Recluses left, but after the initial break, they started swarming again. The three fighters were hard pressed to keep them at bay as the group went to the edge of the building. A whine was heard as a bullhead came swooping down, then the sound of firing weapons as the White Fang inside opened up on the Grimm. "Come on!" One of them gestured to get in.
"You heard him, get!" Mercury shouted as he kicked another Grimm, the bullet from his boot turning its brain into mush. There was a rush as they got in, but not before the huntresses caught up.
A whistling was heard and then an explosion against the bullhead as Xiao Long shot her longer distance cartridges at the bullhead in an effort to bring it down, Schnee using her infernal glyphs to protect the blond. Everyone stumbled around, trying to get their balance in the swaying air vehicle.
"Velvet!" Emerald shouted at her, urging her to do something.
Velvet reached into her pocket and grabbed another Dust crystal, a red one, and chucked it. It landed on the roof and rolled a bit. Emerald turned her gun on it and shot, creating a large explosion that knocked down WBY and a few Grimm.
"Go! Go! Go!" The dog Faunus shouted, and the door closed and they sped off. After a few seconds everyone took a huge collective breath as they finally got out of that.
"Let's not do that again for a while," Mercury joked, getting agreeing nods from everyone.
(Several hours later)
"After that, we needed to hitch a ride here in a truck since our bullhead was damaged and leaving a trail of smoke that anyone could have followed, even if they didn't have us on radar." Emerald finished her tale.
"Four-Seven-Niner was certainly happy about ditching her bullhead," Mercury sarcastically said.
"And now you're here," Roman concluded. He sighed, I knew I shouldn't have asked.
"Yeah," Emerald agreed. They had found themselves back in the medical ward where the others were being looked over by Doc and Velvet, who had some medical training. Everyone, except for the dog Faunus with the missing hand, had treatable injuries and would be able to make a full recovery.
"Honestly we got lucky," Mercury said. "If it were a full team, or there had been more, we wouldn't have been able to save as many as we did. Hell, even a few minutes later and there wouldn't have been a point."
"Well with these 'purges' happening lately every person is better than nothing," Roman commented, inadvertently glancing at Rose who was in a deep, exhaustion induced sleep, then immediately looking away to avoid talking about her.
No such luck. Emerald caught the glance. "So how is she?"
"Uh, who? Velvet? She seems fine to- OWww!" Roman cut off when Neo smacked him in the back of the head. He glared at her, Neo pulling an innocent look that nobody bought, before he growled and said, "Oh fine. Rose isn't getting any better in the head anyway. In fact she might have been set back to when she first arrived."
"Ooookay? Why?" Mercury asked.
"Guess who showed up today. Somebody with personal issues with her."
It took a moment before both of their faces paled. "She didn't," Emerald said in horror.
"Oooooh yeah. It went about how you'd expect."
Emerald looked over at Rose. "That's terrible."
"It wasn't completely undeserved," Roman replied.
Emerald gave him the most loathsome gaze ever. "You're an asshole."
"What? What'd I say?"
Emerald angrily sighed. "Nothing. Fuck it; Merc, let's go." Mercury shrugged and followed her out.
Roman sighed and looked over at Neo, who gave him a 'Really?' look. Getting no help there, he pulled out his cigar and lighter and had just took a drag when DuFrense stormed over. "Not in here Roman!" He plucked the cigar out of his mouth and tossed towards the door.
Goddamn, everyone's so tense these days, he thought, conveniently looking over the fact that he was part of the everyone. "You know what, fuck it. I'm done with today. Don't wake me up unless the building's collapsing." He stalked out, lighting a new cigar as he went, contemplating just falling back to sleep if he got such news.
(Several hours earlier)
Weiss watched as the White Fang bullhead soared away with the traitorous scum inside. The aircraft was leaving behind a trail of smoke, but they wouldn't be able to follow it in the physical condition they were in.
"Fucking shit!" Xiao Long bellowed as her hair ignited in anger. Weiss silently agreed with that sentiment, but her mind was now racing on how to salvage this.
"What do we do?" Belladonna asked accusingly, as if it were her fault.
"Don't take that tone with me!" Weiss shot back. "Let me think… Contact Miss Goodwitch and see if they can track that bullhead."
"Oh no, you're doing that," Belladonna smirked. "You're the team leader for now. It's your job to take responsibility for this."
Weiss snarled and held the point of Myrtenaster under the Faunus' jaw, but then lowered it in resignation, knowing she was right. "Fine," she growled. She pulled out her Scroll and called Goodwitch with major trepidation. After three rings, her face appeared on the screen.
"Miss Schnee, I do hope you have a good reason for calling."
"Yes, we found a White Fang hideout in the city, but some of the rebels escaped in a bullhead. I would like to request for it to be tracked so we can pursue."
"Negative."
"Wha-?" Weiss started, but Goodwitch cut her off.
"You already have prisoners to bring back. There's no need to go after them at this time. Bring what you have back to Beacon."
"Uhh, about that…" Weiss said warily, preparing for the inevitable chastising.
"Miss Schnee…" Goodwitch said with a warning clear in her voice. Weiss would have imagined her tapping her foot in impatience if she wasn't terrified.
"All of the alive rebels escaped Ma'am. Velvet Scarlatina and Yatsuhashi Daichi were with them, and Emerald Sustrai and Mercury Black came to assist them. We were outnumbered, which allowed them to escape."
Goodwitch's eyes narrowed and Weiss fought the urge to look away. "You let them go." Weiss didn't say anything since nothing would help the situation. Goodwitch made a sound that was halfway between a sigh and a growl. "Team RWBY is in a precarious situation right now as your past successes are now being eroded away by your current lack of progress… For now, salvage the situation and then return to Beacon. A few days for reflection might have some positive benefits for you. A full report is to be expected. "
"Yea Ma'am," Weiss replied morosely. Goodwitch ended the call and Weiss put away the Scroll. She looked around, her mind thinking. What would Mistress do? How would she turn this into a victory? We failed, so how to make this work? She eyed the blackened Faunus body on the roof that had been killed by necrosis. That gave her an idea. Oh, that would work. Yes, that will definitely work. And we can paint it as the White Fang's doing. Mistress would approve.
"Alright!" She said, getting the attention of Belladonna and Xiao Long. "This is what we're going to do now. We'll burn the building down with everyone inside," Weiss said. "They allowed the White Fang inside their home, and now they'll pay the consequences. Afterwards we'll blame it on those scum."
"That sounds reasonable." Belladonna commented.
"Good," Xiao Long said and stalked downstairs.
WB looked at each other in mutual understanding. Xiao Long when agitated tends to become a loose cannon, and they didn't want to be on the firing range when she let off. With a quick order to her Grimm to go back to Beacon, Belladonna and Weiss headed down, hearing crashes and smelling smoke rising. When they got down, most of the first floor already had flames crawling up the walls.
"Yeah, she's really pissed off now," Belladonna dryly commented.
"Let's just not be inside when the building collapses. She might survive it falling on her, but not us." Weiss responded.
"Maybe we should block the door to test that?"
Weiss had to give a smirk at that. "Tempting, but we're already walking on thin ice with Goodwitch. Let's not give her an excuse."
Belladonna shivered. "Good point. Besides she's wild in bed." She turned. "Hey, Firecracker! We're going! Unless you want the building collapsing on you…"
"Fine I'm coming," Xiao Long shouted as she came out of the back, her hair on fire.
The three huntresses in training exited out of the building just as a crash was heard. As they and their Grimm walked away, the first screams from inside started as the fire reached them.
(The Next Day)
"Alright Ruby, any pain or soreness in the ribs?" DuFrense asked.
Ruby sighed in annoyance. "No," she replied, although there was some, but it was barely there.
"Any irritation in your throat?"
"Just a light tickle." DuFrense made another note on his Scroll and some sort of hum.
"Okay, can you lift up your shirt so I can examine your cuts?" He said gently. Ruby closed her eyes and rolled up the gown, her mind blanking to avoid thinking about why she had those cuts in the first place… or the last time someone looked at her without a shirt. "Mostly healed, but there will be scaring which shouldn't affect you in any major way," he said as he looked around her skin.
"I know," Ruby said. I've seen them enough times and healed enough to know that. She hadn't been able to sneak some white Dust since there were so many people in the ward now.
DuFrense frowned slightly but schooled his expression. "Now then, is there anything you want to discuss? Anything at all."
Oh many things, but nothing I'd actually talk about, or with you, Ruby thought sarcastically. She had woken up feeling dead inside, remembering the night before when her mom… no, not her mom, met her. My own mom rejected me. I reached out and she smacked me away. I want her… I need her so bad, but I can't. She doesn't see me. She's not my mom, but… I can't help it; I just want to hug her and hold her tightly, and to have her hold me.
She instead shook her head, keeping silent.
Doc looked at her with a peculiar eye, but refrained from commenting. "Okay. So how about we get you using your legs again? Do you feel like walking around a bit?"
Ruby nodded again, "Sure." She slid her legs off to the side and slowly got off the bed. From her excursions to get White Dust, she could now stand and walk on her own, but she still felt stiff.
She looked over and saw Doc frowning outright. He looked up and met her eyes. "You've been getting out of bed on your own haven't you?"
Ruby just shrugged. "What?" She challenged.
"You got out way to easily for someone who been in bed rest for ten days." He said.
"I needed to use the bathroom," Ruby reasoned.
"That's not it," Doc stated.
"What do you want from me?!" Ruby shot back.
"Whoa, hey, I'm not accusing you of anything," Doc defended himself.
"Let's just go," Ruby muttered, and started stretching out her legs and taking small steps to get her legs used to walking once again. When Doc reached out to help her, Ruby shoved his hand away. "I'm fine. I know how to use my legs," she snarked. Doc backed off, holding up his hands in an 'okay fine' gesture and Ruby continued walking.
I can walk. I know I can. I can run. I can run faster than the wind. Faster than anything. So why is walking so difficult? Why is everything difficult? Why doesn't anyone believe me? Sure Doc says he does, and Emerald and Neo… but I can still see the suspicion in their eyes... Well, less so in Neo. She smirked bitterly. I know when people are hiding things from me, or when they aren't being truthful with themselves. They say one thing but I can tell they don't mean it. I just never was able to call them on it because I had an image that I liked. But here… all they see is her, even if they know it's not. At least Ro-Torchwick admits that he doesn't believe me. Whoa, that was weird.
Distracted by her own thoughts she started to take longer steps. She didn't hear the sudden warning from Doc until it was too late. She walked face first into somebody. Giving a little 'eep!' Ruby fumbled backwards until she regained her balance. "I'm so sorry! Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Ruby rushed to apologize to the person. He looked up and recognized the person, who looked a tad different. "Oh! Hi Velvet."
The rabbit Faunus had recovered quickly and had a small smile on her face until she saw who had run into her. Then her face turned to stone. "Rose."
Ruby froze at the hated name, then sighed and closed her eyes in irritation. "I'm not her," she said, tired of trying to defend herself. "Rose is a different person, someone from this world. I'm not from here."
"What? You're crazier than I recall. Of course you're Rose. I remember. You were there trying to shoot Yatsu for helping me escape from Beacon."
"That. Wasn't. Me." Ruby insisted, trying to keep her temper down. It was only partly working.
"It's true you know," Doc said, coming up behind Ruby. "This isn't the girl we know. She changed."
"Oh sure she changed, and once she's done with her mission, she'll change right back." Velvet accused, ignoring Doc's attempts to interrupt her. She turned back to Ruby. "Why are you here. What are you doing?"
Ruby's eyes flashed, and not figuratively, with silver light. Repressed emotion, anger chief among them, rose to the surface. "Oh gee, what does it look like? Like I'm trying to recover from something? I'm standing here in a hospital gown, trying to get used to walking again. And this is after I got dumped in this world by a Dust accident and tortured by the people that I considered my friends and family; people I could trust. I was beaten, cut, stabbed, tortured, shot full of who knows how many drugs, r-ra-raped, healed and then tortured some more while being disoriented and confused, all within a day of arriving here. All the while protesting that I'm not this Rose person, the other me. And then after I get 'rescued' everyone still thinks I'm her and push me away. And then my own mom shows up and practically says that she wishes I were dead and walks away. So yeah, there's a reason why I'm here.
"Or maybe there isn't?" Ruby realized. "If all you are going to do is treat me like this, then maybe I'm better off on my own, trusting no one, trying to find a way back by myself. Is that what you're trying to do? Are you all trying to push me so far that I snap? Are you trying to make me into this Rose by treating me like her? So what is it? What do you want from me?!"
She had the feeling of being x-rayed from behind and turned around, fist swinging. She caught Doc in the shoulder and he staggered back slightly, though mainly from surprise and not any actual force behind the slug. "Stop that!" She screamed. "I'm tired of being analyzed! Tired of being treated like a ticking bomb! I've told you over and over I'm not Rose! What more do you want from me?!"
At this two White Fang guards stormed in with their guns pointed at her. "Ro-Ruby! Please! Calm down," DuFrense tried. It was hopeless. Ruby had passed into the realm of fight or flight, old memories of the White Fang coming at her. She didn't have her sweetheart with her, and since her body and Semblance was literally made for speed, there was only one option.
She tapped into her Semblance and breezed past the two guards, the world slowing down around her, everyone moving in slow motion. Ruby burst through the doors and had to jump and run on the wall to avoid slamming into it, taking a sharp left. She had no idea where she was going, just away. After what felt like minutes, but really only a single one at most, she found herself in a dimly lit storage closet, locking it behind her.
This isn't fair, she thought as she paced in the small place. I didn't want this. I just wanted to be a huntress, to do the right thing, to fight Grimm. Not… all this. How can a world be so wrong? So destructive? Why did it have to be me? I don't want to be here. I want Yang back. I want my sister. I want my dad. I want Uncle Qrow. I want… mom. She's here, but she's not. She left me… again. I just want to be a normal girl with… normal knees. Heh. She couldn't help it; a small chuckle escaped her lips. It grew into a laugh and she didn't stop. She laughed until she couldn't breathe anymore, as tears streaked down her face again. When she paused for breath she angrily wiped them away.
"Why do I keep crying all the time?" I just want it to stop. She sat down behind some boxes, utterly exhausted, just waiting for the inevitable when either someone found her or she worked up enough energy to leave on her own. The second option was looking highly unlikely. So she sat in the dim lighting, waiting for something. Anything to change.
Or maybe nothing at all, to give her a final reason it end it.
"Damn it! I was hoping this wasn't going to happen!" DuFrense ranted back in the infirmary. Ruby had suddenly disappeared with a trail of red rose petals following her out of the door. By the time they followed, the petals had vanished by the second turn so they had no way of knowing where she was at the moment.
"What was that all about?" Velvet asked, confused and still wary at the other girl being nearby.
"You don't know?... Oh wait. That's right, you don't," DuFrense said, realizing that she in fact wasn't around to know. "Well, to make a long story short, what Ruby said was true. She is not Rose and has been tortured by the Hunters. It's a little unclear if she's from an alternate Remnant or not since I still can't get a good reading on her mind because she's still too emotionally unstable. But she's somewhat progressing so that's a plus, but meeting her not-mother last night might have done some damage though."
"… That was the longest short story I've ever heard," Velvet deadpanned.
DuFrense sighed, "Look, just get Neo, Emerald, and Mercury, and tell them to tell Roman to give Summer the data chip. She needs to see it."
"Sure…?" Velvet said confusedly as she walked out the door.
DuFrense sighed. "Well at least I have an idea of where our White Dust supplies have been going. Damn." He rubbed his face. At this point I just want Ruby to get better so I won't have to deal with this. I'm a doctor not a psychiatrist. The only thing that might work is if she and her mother 'reunite'. Then I could tell for certain if her memories are real. At this point however, does it even care? Huhgh, I want a drink.
Roman saw Neo along with Mercury and Emerald coming up to him. "Oh no."
"Oh yes," Mercury said, his usual dry humor in his voice.
"Look, I don't know whatever it is, but it's probably something I don't want to do and it's not worth it, alright? Just… go back to doing whatever it is you were doing before and we'll forget about this." Roman said, backing up.
"Ruby's gone missing," Emerald said.
Roman blinked. "Well that's just fan-tucking-fastic. How many did she kill?"
"No one. She apparently got angry over the fact that no one believed her completely and bolted," Mercury said. "No one has gotten in or out of the base so she's still inside somewhere."
"So why have you come to me then?" Roman warily asked.
"Velvet said that Doc told her to tell us to tell you to give Summer the data chip." Emerald said.
"… What?"
"You need to give Summer-" Mercury started, but Roman interrupted him.
"Yeah yeah, I got that. Just… why? What good will it do? That woman completely hates Ebony. If anything, getting those two together would just end up with one of them dead. Hopefully Rose, but still…" he muttered.
Neo tapped her foot to get their attention. 'Admit it, the info changed how you look at her. It will do the same for her. Let us do the talking since your people skills are so sub-par.'
Roman threw his hands up in exasperation. "Fine, whatever. Let's get this over with. If she attacks it's not my fault."
There was a knock on the door, and she looked up from her Scroll, going over plans and schematics, troop and hunter movements and the like. "Yes?"
"It's Emerald, can I come in?"
Summer quirked an eyebrow and said, "Sure." What does she want? The two had conversed many times since Cinder brought her into the plan and were… not quite friends but close. Close enough that they could talk about semi-sensitive things.
The door opened and Summer's eyebrows rose further as more than just Emerald walked into the relatively small room. "You failed to specify if it was just you," Summer quipped, a hint of irritance in her voice. I really don't want to deal with people right now.
"Yeah, well, we're a special package deal for the moment," Mercury said.
"What is it? I have things I need to do," Summer said, gesturing to her Scroll.
"It's about Ruby," Emerald stated.
Summer's eyes flashed. "I don't want to hear about her. She chose her path, as did I. We're nothing except enemies now." I don't want to hear anything about her.
"That may be, but you don't know how the situation has changed," Emerald started, but Neo pushed through, interrupting her.
How did you find out about Ruby being here? She asked through her Scroll.
Summer narrowed her eyes. What is she going on about? Neo was another of the few Summer could 'talk' to, but she didn't have Roman's ability to translate her body motions as much as he did. "I saw her face on a wanted poster. Some large amount of lien if she's brought back alive."
And did you wonder why she made it onto those posters?
Summer shrugged, feigning indifference. "I just figured she fucked up big time and was missing. Either that or you had managed to capture her in a fight."
Neo shook her head, an amused smile on her face. 'Nope.'
Mercury spoke next. "She was actually being tortured in Beacon after some sort of Dust affected her. The best theory right now is that she's from an alternate Remnant and wound up here."
Summer blinked. They're joking. They have to be. "That's absurd. That sounds like something from a bad sci-fi movie."
"Well if you won't take our words for it," Roman finally spoke, which had to be some sort of record. He reached into his pocket and pulled out something, which he then tossed to Summer. It was a data chip, easily compatible with her Scroll. "Take a look at that. For some unknown reason, this has these three idiots-ow!-believing her story," Roman said, rubbing his arm where Neo hit it. "In any case, the game has changed, but whether the piece has changed colors has yet to be seen. Doc still needs to run a full mind scan because she's been so fucked up in the head-OW! What? It's true!"
Summer eyed the chip with some suspicion. This wouldn't be the first time we've… alright, be real here Summer, I've been fed false information by Ozpin and Xiao Long. But this is the first time it's gotten this far. "Are you sure this is real?"
"Aside from the fact that Emerald and I personally saw half of it? Yes," Mercury said. "It's what caused us to bust our cover and rescue her. Cinder already has the intel we need and probably has seen what's on that," he nodded to the chip. "And you know how she is."
Summer blinked in surprise. Cinder saw this?... She knew. She had to have known. Something clicked in her mind suddenly. I was there! I was there when she got the call from Emerald and Mercury, in the room with her. I wondered why she got quiet… "Yes I do. And I will be asking about this when I see her next." She said, her tone causing some discomfort among the intruders.
"Look; watch it, don't watch it, whatever, just don't go tearing up the base," Roman said with all the subtlety of a battle-ax. "We can't afford you two going at it, alright?"
Summer growled at him, but nodded. "Fine. Now since you all won't leave me alone, if I say I'll read this will you go away?"
"Good enough for me," Emerald said.
"Fine, whatever. Now leave!" Summer loudly said. Roman was the first to go, followed by Mercury and Emerald, then lastly Neo. Summer eyed them all as they exited.
She didn't catch it when Neo looked back, flickered and disappeared right before the door closed.
"For the love of Monty," Summer muttered now that she was alone. She held up the data chip in her hand and looked at it. So, apparently you're supposed to change my mind about Rose, huh? That won't happen. It can't happen. I can't afford to think like that. It took me so long to get over her the first time; I just can't get my hopes up if She's actually changed. I won't. This will change nothing. She's not my daughter and will never be anymore… Ruby…
"Ma! Ma-ma!"
….
"Go away! Leave! Youwr not my mom!"
….
"…Mom?"
Her silver eyes blinked open from when she had closed them at some point. Growling at herself in anger for her treacherous thoughts and memories, she punched the bed in frustration. "Damn it all!" She inserted the chip into the slot and loaded up the files. 'Ruby or Rose?' 'Dust Accident & Grimm Pit' 'Interrogation' and 'Torture' all appeared as new files.
Fine, let's get this over with. She tapped the first one, her inner conflict only just in the opening stages.
This is just a quick thing we're writing to provide some background to what's on this file…
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Sorry for the cliff hanger, but don't despair! I'll probably have another chapter up either late November or early December since I'm riding a wave of creativity and am not swamped with finals yet.
Shout out to JimmyHall24 for helping me by giving me ideas with this chapter!
Anyway, I need to get to class, so don't forget to R.R.F.F (Read, Review, Favorite, Follow)
-OrangeGalen