"Mom?" Alex asks as they rode in the car.
Ruby smiles. "Yes, honey?"
"What are we doing?" Alex asks.
Ruby chuckles. "We are going to guard a group through some grimm territory."
"To exterminate them?" Alex asks as he looks up to her.
Ruby hums. "Only if we need to. You can have their energy if you want."
"Mom." Alex says resting his head on her.
"Hey you three, we will be there soon." Yang says from the driver's seat.
Ruby smiles. "Better hurry up then. We don't want to disappoint our cogroup."
"Cogroup?" Alex asks as Weiss gives him his silver sword in its scabbard.
Ruby nods. "There will be a second group with us. They will help us with the escort."
"Ok." Alex says holding the sword in his arms now.
Ruby smiles and wraps an arm around him. "You'll be okay."
"Yeah, it will be fine." Yang says.
Alex tilts his head as he snuggles up to Ruby. "How bad?"
"Higher risk and reward." Yang says.
"Me too?" Alex asks.
"Don't worry about that." Weiss says patting his hair. "Ruby, what are we going to do about his hair. It is growing."
Ruby hums. "I guess we can trim it."
"When we get back." Blake reminds.
Ruby nods as she measures his hair. "Yeah. It's going to take a while anyway."
"But I like him with long hair." Yang says.
"Well, I like him with short. It's dignified and won't get in the way." Weiss countered.
"Come on Blake. Help me out here." Yang says.
"Better with short." She said crossing her arms.
"Ruby?" Weiss asks.
Ruby smirks. "Short."
"Aw." Yang whines as they come to a stop.
Ruby giggles. "Don't worry. You'll have a say in later haircuts."
"Come on everyone. Time to meet." Weiss says unbuckling herself.
Ruby smiles as she unbuckles Alex, but he beats her to it by unbuckling himself. "My smart boy." She said happily before getting out and leading him along with the rest by taking his hand.
"Nice ride." Coco says.
Yang smiles. "You can thank my father for helping make it cooler."
"The kid coming?" Fox asked.
Weiss nods. "Have to. Do you have anyone to watch over a grimm powered kid?"
"Your dad." Fox offers.
"Back home." Yang explains.
"Yeah. Why not leave him there?" Fox asks.
"Because he's stuck to Ruby's side." Blake said.
"Hey. I take my job seriously." Ruby says.
Blake smiles. "We know." They all said.
"And you three also see him as your child." Coco adds.
Alex leans on Ruby at that.
"I know Yang does, but Weiss and Blake?" Ruby asks.
They both smile. "We are all family." Weiss said.
"Blake, got anything to say for yourself?" Yang asks.
Blake smiles. "Family."
"Uh huh?" Yang asks suspiciously.
Blake sighs. "Mom."
"That is what I th…where is she and Alex now?" Yang asks. They were staring at the spot where Blake was and Alex missing. "I was looking right at her. How did she do that?" Yang asks blinking.
"Blake has gotten better." Coco says.
Ruby nods as she looks around frantically. "Alex?!"
"How did you do that?" Alex asks sitting in Blake's lap on the car.
Blake smirks. "The power of semblance."
"Alex!" Ruby yells before using her semblance to grab him.
Alex blinks as he is now being hugged tightly by Ruby as she glares at Blake.
"Explain." Yang says.
Blake smiles and shrugs. "It looked like he needed a hug."
"No. How did you do that!?" Yang demands as Ruby walks back with Alex.
Blake chuckles. "Semblance."
"As much as I would like to watch this, we have a job to do." Coco says.
"Then let's go before they start throwing punches." Weiss said walking her way.
"Yang, Blake, we are going!" Ruby calls.
Blake kept smirking as Yang glares at her. "Coming in a bit."
"Now or you can stay here and Alex will be with us." Ruby calls.
They both immediately rush off after them. "Wait for us!" Yang calls.
"Mom, what are we taking if we are leaving the car?" Alex asks.
Ruby blinks. "Um…Coco?"
"We are basically riding in all-terrain vehicles carrying supplies and people." Coco says.
Ruby smiles to Alex. "What she said."
"What sort of supplies?" Blake asks.
Coco hums. "Some military. A lot of general things."
"What type of military supplies?" Blake asks.
Coco shrugs. "Ammo. Some little basic guns."
"Sounds like something the white fang would hit." Blake says.
Coco nods. "That's why we are going through grimm territory. They won't dare strike in a grimm infested land."
"Actually, they sometimes do. It mainly depends on the branch of the white fang." Blake informs.
"You seem to know a lot." Coco observed.
"Don't ask." Yang says.
Coco hums as she stares at Blake before they continue walking.
"So where do we ride?" Weiss asks.
"We are heading south. There's a path made out a long time ago and we are taking that. It should be the safest through the land." Coco explains.
"Ok, but…no you are not getting to ride by Alex." Ruby says looking at Coco seeing she was looking at him.
Coco rolls her eyes. "Seriously?"
"Ruby on a protective mom mood." Yang says in a singsong voice.
Ruby huffs. "That's right." She said proudly.
"Ok, what did I miss?" Fox asks walking up with a bag of trail mix.
Coco rolls her eyes. "Dealing with many mothers."
"The pregnant women again?" Fox asks.
Coco and the others hit him with many rocks.
"Was he being serious?" Weiss asks.
Coco sighs and throws the rock away. "Yeah."
"How many?" Weiss asks.
Coco shakes her head. "Three of them."
"Ok then." Weiss says before pushing Ruby and Alex along.
Alex blinks as he looks to the passing landscape and turns his head to the others riding on their own vehicles around the large truck and carriage where he is sitting on the boxes in it. "Mom?"
"Yes?" Weiss asks.
Alex turns to her. "What do we do here?"
"We are here just to guard all of this from grimm and bandits." Weiss calls.
Alex looks to the boxes before turning his head to the front and turns his whole body toward that direction.
"If you need to, get some rest." Weiss says holding him in her lap.
Alex nods and leans against her as he closes his eyes.
Weiss smiles as she strokes his hair as the ride on the top of the vehicle.
Ruby stares worried at them as she rode with Yang.
"He is fine." Yang says as their vehicles bust through fallen trees.
Ruby sighs. "I hope so. We are going through tough territories."
"Blake is still on edge too." Yang says.
Ruby slowly nods. "Excepted. Her past sure is complicated."
"You think they are going to ambush us?" Ruby asks.
Yang shrugs. "Maybe. At this point, they'll take anything. Ruby, beowulf." Yang says pointing to the right before Ruby blows it's head off.
Ruby sighs as she locks her scythe. "Down."
"I expected much more." Coco says.
Yang raises an eyebrow. "There might be. They always travel in packs."
"Yeah, but we have been in the territory for an entire day and yet no big horde. Something is up." Coco says.
"Maybe the white fang has got most of them and they are hiding." Fox said driving the truck.
"If there were the case, where would they keep them all?" Coco asks.
"I mean killed and are setting up an ambush." Fox explains.
"Hold on. I see something up ahead." Yang calls seeing smoke rising.
"On guard everyone!" Coco calls.
"Burning flesh. Death. A controller." Alex says opening his eyes.
"Controller?" Weiss asks looking to him.
"Coco, it looks bad." Velvet calls.
Coco frowns. "Everyone get ready. Two stays. The rest of us separate and go off to the sides."
"I'll stay with Yatsuhashi." Velvet says.
"I got Alex." Weiss calls.
"I know." Ruby growls as they ride ahead.
Yang smiles. "Don't worry Ruby. You'll be back with him."
"She already took off." Blake says.
Yang sighs. "Of course."
"Ruby, Alex keeps saying something about a controller." Weiss says.
Ruby raises an eyebrow. "Where?"
"You know what that means?" Weiss asks.
Ruby frowns. "We got a big one."
"Care to share with the class?" Coco asks.
"Alex can sense when we got a special grimm. A very tough one in fact." Weiss explains.
"I mean what a controller is." Coco says.
"A servant who has evolved beyond initial limitations. They have the ability to dominate lesser servants and usually have a mutation that makes them stronger." Alex says.
"Like the chameleon's stealth." Ruby says.
Coco nods. "What do we got with this?"
"I can't sense anything else. Either it's out of range or hibernating right now." Alex says as what looks like a battlefield comes into view.
"What the…?" Fox asks as he slowly stops the truck.
"This is…white fang. All of them are white fang." Blake says.
They all stop as they stare at the scene of all the dead bodies and smoking ground. "What happened here?" Ruby asks.
"The controller did this." Alex says.
"Where is it?" Weiss asks looking around.
"I don't know." Alex says.
Coco sighs. "Alright. Leave the truck here for now. Fox, you and Weiss watch it. The rest of us are going to look for it. Keep the kid here."
"How bad?" Weiss asks.
"Well…one controller, but why are there no other signs of servants?" Alex asks.
They all look around at that. "That is weird." Yang said.
"Grimm hunt in packs. If this is a grimm that can dominate other lesser ones, where are they?" Fox asks.
"Hiding maybe. Or maybe killed." Blake said kicking a dead body.
"It is alive." Alex says.
"Then we have to hunt for it if it will cause trouble." Fox said getting out of the truck.
"And abandon the convoy?" Coco asks smacking him.
Fox frowns as he holds his head. "Ow. I mean a small group of us watch the convoy. Look, can we just separate now?"
"Not advisable." Ruby says holding Alex.
"Then how do you propose of beating this thing?" Fox asks.
"Our job is for the convoy protection. Not extermination." Ruby says.
"Alex is gone." Yang said looking around.
"Alex!" Ruby yells running around frantically searching.
Coco groans. "Great. Okay. Instead of extermination, we got a search. Half of us stay with the convoy, the other goes to find him."
"He isn't far." Blake says as they saw something being turned over.
Ruby gasps. "Alex!" She yells using her semblance to rush over.
Alex looks back as his shadow throws the vehicle to the side.
Ruby pants heavily as she reaches him and hugs him. "Don't run off like that."
"Survivor, at least most of him." Alex says.
Ruby blinks and looks to see a fang member groaning as he holds his stump of an arm. "Guys!" She yells behind her.
"How did you?" Coco asks.
"I could smell the fresh blood." Alex says.
Blake raises an eyebrow as she looks the member. "What happened?"
"Grimm came from nowhere and destroyed our mechs like they were playthings." The white fang says.
Yang hums as she walks around him. "And what did it look like?"
"An ursa, but different and a lot bigger." He says before spitting up blood.
"And where did it go?" Coco asks walking up.
"I don't…oh, I lost my left arm." He says.
Coco facepalmed at that. "Are they always idiots?"
"He is dying." Alex says.
Yang leans down to the member. "What else do you know?"
"Our weapons…our dust didn't work." The member says fading.
They all looked surprised at that. "Why?" Yang asks quickly.
"It's fur rust…" The white fang suddenly stopped.
"He's dead." Alex says.
Ruby sighs and pulls him away. "That thing is still out there."
"I don't like it. He said they couldn't use dust." Coco says.
"Which means we are going to have a heck of a time killing it if need be." Yang said.
"Which means we are avoiding it and informing the entire world. I don't think any of you get how bad this is. A grimm that can disable dust leave us basically defenseless. None of our weapons will work. None of our vehicles or defenses will work." Coco says.
"Then we have to take it out." Yang said thinking now.
"With what? What doesn't use dus…" Coco stops as almost everyone's eyes turn to Alex.
Alex looks at all of them. "Yes?"
"He does use a silver sword and no dust on it." Blake said.
"No!" Yang yells.
"Then you can use it." Fox said crossing his arms.
"We are going now." Ruby says firmly.
"And if we run into the grimm?" Fox asks.
"I'm sorry Fox, when were you in charge?" Coco asks.
"When it's the kid's life in question." He said looking to her.
"What was that?" Coco asks revving up her minigun.
"The kid is going to go in if we have to. We can't dodge this thing." Fox declares.
"Yang, knock his block off." Ruby says as Yang's eyes had already turned red.
"I can do it." Alex suddenly said.
"No Alex." Ruby says holding him as Yang grabs Fox and starts beating him.
Alex looks up to her. "But I can do it, mom."
"No, you can't. We know nothing about this thing and I don't want to lose you." Ruby says holding him tight.
"…it doesn't matter anymore. It has our scent." Alex suddenly says.
"Which way then?" Blake asks looking around.
"It disappeared. It's smart and a lot more evolved than I thought." Alex says sounding worried.
Ruby hugs him tighter. "Guess we have fewer options now."
"Mom, this is bad, very bad. It shouldn't be able to do…oh no." Alex says spotting something.
They all look to where he is now looking and instantly looked worried as they see a bubbling pool of black goo. "What is…?" Coco stops as it seems to rise.
"Pure concentrated Grimm energy." Alex says.
They all took out their weapons as Ruby pushes Alex behind them and stays by him as the goo still rises.
"It can't last long outside a servant, but it's not the energy that is the problem." Alex says.
"Then what is the problem? Dust not working?" Fox asks.
"No. There should only be two reasons why it can be here. One, it is badly hurt and barely holding itself together, but there wouldn't be that much and not in one place." Alex says.
"And the other?" Ruby asks worriedly.
"It's about to change and become stronger." Alex says.
"Then how do we kill it?" Yang asks.
"Kill it." Alex says plainly.
"How?" Yang asks checking her weapons.
"It can die like anything else. Just needs a lot of punishment?" Coco asks.
"Yes." Alex said simply.
"But?" Fox ask now with a black eye.
"It's hidden itself from my senses. Something it shouldn't be able to do even if it was a converter." Alex says.
"Wait, it shouldn't be able to?" Yang asks.
"No, it's different. It's different?" Alex asks thinking as the pool seems to screech.
All, but Alex look to the pool as it screeches and seems to boil in the rays of the sun and start to burn.
"Looks like we need sunlight if it hates it that much." Weiss said.
"Grimm's power can't take the light." Alex says.
"Let's get back to everyone. We are being hunted." Blake says.
Coco nods. "Let's go. We are done in this field." She said carefully moving backward.
"Kir royale." Alex says as he starts firing.
Ruby holds him. "We need to get back to the others."
"You are clearing the area to see, aren't you?" Coco asks before opening fire herself.
Everyone starts to fire themselves and tries to hit what they can. "What is he looking for?" Fox asks.
"Nothing. We are clearing so we can see and it can't sneak up on us." Coco says.
"Then what? It can disable dust." Fox points out.
"But it won't be able to take us by surprise like the white fang." Blake says before they start aiming the other way.
"And we can't hurt it like normal grimm." Yang said.
"Maybe, maybe not." Blake says as they cleared the tree line.
"What's going on?!" Velvet yells from the truck.
"We got a problem a big alpha level problem." Coco says getting on.
"A WHAT?!" Velvet yells.
"Alpha. Incredibly powerful commanding grimm." Coco says.
"You have to be kidding me!" Velvet yells.
"No, we are not and what is worse. It is close to evolving. Remember what we were briefed on about a grimm that can change people into grimm?" Ruby asks.
Velvet groans. "Great! Just great!"
"That is what it is close to becoming. The smoke was from an attack on the white fang. It was a massacre and there was only. It was no other grimm." Coco adds.
"So what's the plan?" Weiss asks still watching the field.
"We call for backup." Coco says calling the hunter's organization.
Alex stares at where the black goo is and tilts his head.
"And that?" Velvet asks as they drive by.
"Pure grimm energy." Yang says.
"It's leaking energy which is a very bad sign." Alex said.
"How bad?" Fox asks.
"End of kingdoms at least." Alex says.
"He has a grim outlook, doesn't he?" Fox asks dryly.
"Think about it. A grimm that has the power to neutralize dust and can possibly turn humans into grimm on top of controlling lesser one. If anything, I think he is being optimistic." Blake says.
"So what the heck do we do?" Fox asks annoyed now.
"Hush. I am being connected to the council." Coco says still on her scroll. They kept waiting as half of them stayed on watch for anything before Coco sighs in relief. "Good. Okay. We got an alpha level grimm and it seems to be hunting us. We need a backup at our position now."
"Please repeat. Did you say alpha? Like an alpha Beowulf?"
"No, Alpha level sir. And it's a possible bear type." Coco clarifies.
"That isn't possible. You must be mistaken."
"It can disrupt and/or neutralize dust you stupid desk jockey!" Coco yells.
They all go wide-eyed at that outburst as Alex stared at her. "We need non-dust weapons."
"Now get me the council of the kingdom!" Coco yells.
"One second." A very tired voice calls.
"Yes?" Coco asks.
"What is this about? An alpha grimm?"
"A grimm that can dominate lesser grimm to obey it and what we found out from a survivor before he died it disrupted their dust." Coco says.
"And you want a backup for something we can't kill?"
"Would you rather it raise an entire army of grimm and start attacking the kingdoms directly?" Coco asks and soon receives silence.
"Fine. But it will take some time to get to you."
"Just pray we kill this thing because, with that kind of power, no bomb will work." Coco says and the line goes dead again.
"So what now?" Velvet asks unnerved by all of this.
"We watch out for anything wrong." Coco said.
"Alright." Velvet says.
"Alex, you alright?" Weiss asks.
"I can't figure it out. Why didn't it have more grimm?" Alex says.
Weiss hums. "That's true. It should have more grimm on its side."
"And yet it didn't. Why?" Alex asks himself trying to think.
Ruby sighs. "Maybe it thinks it's too tough and wants to do it alone."
"No. It is smart and knows it can control." Alex says starting to pace back and forth on the moving vehicle.
"Wow. He's really getting smart with this. More so than these assholes." Coco said pointing to her scroll.
"Why doesn't it have followers? Why can I not sense any other servants? Why have we only encountered one other servant so far?" Alex asks himself before going silent and pacing back and forth.
"This might take a while." Yang said
Days later, most of the passengers were on edge as many hadn't slept. None was even sleeping now around the campfire.
"We can't keep this up." Weiss said tiredly.
"Can I see a flashlight?" Alex suddenly asks speaking for the first time in days.
They looked surprised at him before Fox gives him one. "What do you need it for kid?"
"I had an idea." Alex says shining the light at the foliage.
They look to where he shining the light. "I don't…" Ruby stops as they see a bright red glare shine at them from behind the tall bushes. "Is that…?"
"I can't sense you, but now I see you." Alex says before the red light disappeared and they heard a lot of movement in the foliage.
"So it's been there the whole time? I'm getting tired of this." Yang said slouching.
"Ah, crap. It's stalking us. Keeping just close enough to make us feel threatened without actually seeing it. It's trying to wear us down." Coco says.
"This is taking too long and it's taking a toll on us. We have to end this somehow." Blake said.
"That is what it wants. It's smart and wants to wear us down it must have some…very…experienced. THAT'S IT!" Alex yells.
They all jump at that and jolt awake. "What?" Ruby asks getting tired.
"It's too smart and has too many abilities. It's not one servant. It's many fused into one." Alex says.
They all blink at that. "Wow. That…makes sense." Velvet said.
"But that should be impossible. Servants have a built-in limitation not to do that on their own to remain numerous and keep them in control as the more there are in their heads, the harder it is to control. Even a Daedra warrior can't control some when they did that. Which me…" Alex says stopping at the end.
"Which means?" Yang asks raising an eyebrow.
"They were forced to bond. Someone wanted a weapon." Alex says.
"Could it be the white fang?" Coco asks out loud.
"If it was, they wouldn't have been taken by surprise like that. No. We have a third party." Blake says.
"Then we might have a big problem with this." Fox said.
"One problem at a…Alex, you're smiling." Yang says.
Alex smile just grows as his sharpish teeth show.
"He's got a plan." Weiss said smiling a bit.
"How do you deal with a dangerous group that isn't truly unified?" Alex asks.
"How?" Fox asks.
"Get them to fight one another." Alex says.
"And how do you propose we do that?" Fox asks.
"Notice how it ran when it was spotted?" Alex asks.
"Yeah, what about it?" Blake asks.
"Why would it do that if it was stalking us and many grimm knowing that we are tired and not at our best and can disrupt dust?" Alex asks.
"That is a goo…they aren't cooperating with one another." Coco says now smirking.
"Which means we just need to make it fight itself, but how is the question." Blake said.
"We set a trap." Alex says.
"We need bait." Yang says looking to Fox.
"We need me." Alex says.
"No!" Ruby yells standing up.
"Mom. I am the obvious choice to lure it into a trap. It needs more power to evolve and I am the only one left in the region most likely now." Alex says.
"No, you will not. We just send someone who has a large collection of dust crystals." Ruby said definitely.
"Everyone, shall we leave them alone?" Yang asks.
"Let's go." Coco said getting up and walking away with everyone else.
"Mom?" Alex asks.
Ruby frowns. "I am not allowing you to put yourself in danger like this. Do you know how much you make me worry?"
"Mommy?" Alex asks moving closer to her.
Ruby shakes her head. "You are not risking yourself."
"Mommy?" Alex asks hugging her.
Ruby starts to tear up as she looks to him. "I can't let you go."
"Mommy, you know it is the only way. It will sense me and know something is wrong." Alex says holding her.
Ruby slowly shake her head. "I can't."
"Mommy?" Alex asks before kissing her cheek.
Ruby hugs him tight. "I don't want you to die again."
"I'm not mommy." Alex says hugging her back.
Ruby sobs quietly. "Not again."
"Mom, I am right here." Alex says.
Ruby sniffs and hugs him tighter. "I know. Just don't die, okay?"
"I won't as you will be there watching over me." Alex says.
Ruby smiles slowly. "Yeah. I will."
"I won't be in true danger if Mommy is watching over me." Alex says.
Ruby smiles and sighs. "Okay."
"Thanks, mommy." Alex says sitting in her lap.
Ruby smiles greatly. "Just be careful."
"You should rest. I will watch over you." Alex says.
Ruby smiles and starts to close her eyes. "Okay."
"Lay down mommy. We going to have a lot to do." Alex says before shining the flashlight again looking for the red reflection.
Ruby nods slowly and kept hugging him. "Okay."
As Alex searched, he found it again and just kept shining the light and glaring at it, his own eyes turning red.