Chapter 12

The Lost and the Damned

The man who was Deckard Cain sighed. The memories of his past life could make Frank Ozpin feel much older than what he really was. Especially after looking over the police report. He had taken the team of RWBY from the custody of the Justice Department, and after talking to each of each of the girls except one, and hearing what had transpired.

Ozpin sipped his black coffee, mulling over the events. A criminal has the power of necromancy, something he has not heard of since Sanctuary, and an angel coming to the scene, and Diablo taking over Ruby Rose. Ozpin directed his mind to the latter two.

It didn't have to be just any angel, but the Archangel Imperius. No doubt he used the Hanus portal to get here. His spell must have been perfect for he had arrived intact. Now he has disappeared, and that is not a good thing. Despite their appearance and aura of light, the angels were no better to than the demons, unable to see past the humans of Sanctuary's origins. Many wanted to exterminate them, Imperius being the most vocal about it. However, they had let the humans of Sanctuary live, but would never aid them. All except for one.

Ozpin returned his thoughts to the matter at hand, as now was not the time for a stroll down memory lane. Now was about the matter of Diablo. His power is growing by the day, ever since his awakening. However, as a result Ruby also has access to that power, and due to the fact that she is host to two souls, her Aura is levels higher than many fully trained Hunters. Then there was the matter of what Ruby Rose was. All of this can be dangerous, should Diablo take control, and become the most powerful he ever has been.

But he hasn't, even after all this time, except for recently. How is it that a young girl is able to contain a Prime Evil? Was he is really one to question it, since he apparently trusted the girl? However, he still had doubts.

Ozpin has debated himself on whether or not to simply kill the girl and be done with it, be rid of the Lord of Terror for all time. Qrow would not be happy with it, and may even come after him, even if or despite his reasoning, but that would too bad. In the end he decided against it, as he will not spill innocent blood, just to be rid of a possible threat. Besides, the young Miss Rose seems to be doing well so far. That is until now, apparently.

How long with that last? Ozpin knew about the threat that Diablo possessed. Cain had spent much of his life researching the red devil and his ilk. He alone, out everyone in this world knew the evil he can wrought. Cain had spent much of his life researching the residents of the Burning Hells, tracked Diablo down, and aided the heroes to strike him and four other Great Evils down. And now he was risking it all on faith.

Ozpin took another drink from his coffee, downing the rest of it. The headmaster then gazed into the mug, looking at the last bits of caffeinated backwash, as if they somehow held the answers. He wondered which sides of him want to spare and kill the possessed girl. Deckard Cain the old optimistic scholar who came from a world ravaged by the residents of the Burning Hells, or Frank Ozpin the younger, in comparison, Hunter, who has made many hard decisions in his life, even before recovering his past life memories. He didn't dwell on the matter too long as it didn't feel like the time to have a third identity crisis.

The quiet of the office was soon disturbed as a knocking came from his door. "Come in." Ozpin call out. The door open and the subject on his mind entered. "Ah, Miss Rose, I have been expecting you.

Ruby Rose stepped into the office and from what the elder man could see, the young girl looked tired and haggard. Her eyes were bloodshot, and when she sat down, despite her efforts to sit straight, there was no denying her slouch, and her suppressed yawn, conveying her drowsiness. It was clear that she did not get much sleep.

"I'm sorry for all the trouble, Professor Ca-" she said, before stopping herself, "Professor Ozpin." she corrected. It seemed that she have some difficulty separating her thoughts and memories from that of the devil's.

"I imagine so." The headmaster said. He wasn't going to lie and say that that it was alright, that what she did was fine. "Not reporting the disappearance of Blake Beaumont, taken on White Fang with only your team and a couple of tagalongs, and brawling with, from what I was able to gather, an angel with Diablo taking control of you." Ozpin said, listing off the grievances, "This does not bode well, Miss Rose."

Ruby lowered her head, ashamed of her actions. "I'm sorry, we were just looking for our teammate, and things just sort of... got out of hand." She said, remembering what had transpired, the confusion and worry for Blake, witnessing someone die right before her eyes, caused by someone she never would have guess would do such a thing, then the appearance of something alien to her, and the hijacking of her own body, and how helpless she feel in her own mind. She didn't want to dwell on it.

"This probably wouldn't have transpired if you have told me, or someone else. I would have had a capable Hunter join you." Ozpin informed.

Ruby looked to, and fiddled with her hands, "This just seemed like something we should do ourselves. And Weiss did advocate to inform somebody, but Yang and I overruled her, afraid of the result."

"Afraid that we would take measures against Miss Beaumont, because of her Faunus race, her previous affiliation with the White Fang, and the fact that she forged her way in?" Ozpin asked, already knowing the answer.

Ruby was curious, wondering how much the Headmaster knew, and his reasons why he let Blake to continue to study here. However, now was not the time to be asking questions while she was being reprimanded.

"I'm disappointed, Miss Rose, though I suppose that I shouldn't be surprised, that you would have let fear dictate your reasoning." Ozpin said, causing Ruby to hang her head. She didn't hear from the Lord of Terror, despite his earlier screams and promises of making sure Ruby will suffer horrifically, and that all she holds dear will share that fate. He had remained silent since she started walking to the headmaster's office.

"As I have said before, there is no way to separate Diablo from your soul," the elder man reminded, "However there is one way, and I will offer you a choice." Ruby snapped back up, curious as to what this question was.

"Would you like die?" Ozpin asked, as though it was a casual question. It took the red and black haired to figure out if she heard right.

"I'm sorry, professor?"

"You heard me, Miss Rose. Would you like to die?" He repeated, "If you die now, the threat of Diablo is gone from the world entirely, and if it is done now, then there will no longer be any worry about you harming anyone, friends, loved ones, and so on." He said, "I can make it quick and painless. You will hardly feel a thing."

Ruby sat in the chair, digesting what she had just heard. She could die, and that would be the end of it. No more worrying about being possessed, no more threats and thoughts of her family dying at her hands. No longer will she had to bare this curse. Diablo had heard what Deckard Cain had said, and grew concerned. He readied himself, ready to push and try to take his host over again. The red devil didn't have much power to work with, but he will have to make do somehow.

However, there was another thought one tugging in her mind. How would dad take her death? Uncle Qrow? Yang? How will they take the news of her sudden death? "Professor Ozpin, what will you tell my family, if I were to accept?"

"Simple, the truth." the bespectacled man simply said, "They most certainly not like it, and will resent me for it, possibly outright attack me. However, we both know what would happen if Diablo takes over." he said, making it clear that it be worth it in his eyes.

"I know this a hard choice, Ruby," Ozpin said, somber in his tone, "but I will not force you choose. I am no stranger to difficult decisions, in both lives."

Ruby thought about it. Can she trust herself to contain Diablo? During his attempt at taking control, Ruby had begged her teammates to kill her. Did she mean that, or was that a moment of panic, unable to think of any other solution in the wave of fear and pain. In truth, Ruby didn't want to die. She wanted to Diablo gone, but she still wanted to live. Ruby was still a young girl, and she want to see the world, meet people. Be a Huntress. Could she do that with this demonic soul within her? She didn't know, but she was sure going to try. It may seem selfish, Ruby thought, but that was too bad. There was brief thought that there might be some influence on her mind.

"I'm sorry, Professor Ozpin, but I want to live." Ruby said, looking the Professor straight in the eye, letting him see her silver colored eyes to let him know that it is her saying it. Ozpin cocked an eyebrow.

"May I ask for the reason, Miss Rose?" He asked. Ruby could say a couple of things, how she doesn't want to upset her family, how she could contain Diablo even though she has doubts about that, and so on. Whatever the case, it still came back to the selfish reason.

"I just do not want to die, professor." the young girl said, "I know how that sounds, but that is the truth." she said, sitting straighter, any dreariness from her lack of sleep was gone, her voice filled with determination. There was a moment of silence, Ozpin considering Ruby's answer.

"Understood, Miss Rose." the headmaster said, "I'll respect and trust your choice." Ruby relaxed a bit, but could make a guess that he might not tolerate a second time. "Now then, if I may ask, how did it feel?"

"It…" Ruby hesitated, trying to find the right words to describe her possession, "It was horrible, my conciseness being suddenly and violently forced back. It felt like I was behind glass, watching Diablo move my hands, made me see what he was seeing. I'm glad that he didn't hurt anyone." she said, thoughts of her slaughtering everyone she knew entered her mind. Ruby quickly banished the images. "I... Don't think I could handle watching someone die at my hands."

"I understand that sentiment." Ozpin said, then changed topics to get the young girl's mind off the subject, "Is there you wish to ask or tell me?"

"Yes sir, I want to ask how you do you know about Blake's name?" Ruby asked, very curious, "My team and I only found out just recently."

"Please, Miss Rose." Ozpin said, leaning back into his chair, "Do you not think I can't recognize a forged transcript. Miss Beaumont's may be one of the better fakes I've received, but it is still a forgery." He said, his face still neutral. "And once I had done some digging, it wasn't hard to figure out who she really was. Her cover name, Belladonna, was her mother's maiden name."

"If you knew," Ruby started, "then why did you let her be admitted?"

Ozpin looked directly at Ruby, "I had thought she was a host. Mephisto's to be exact. I had interviewed her, and I could feel the feelings of the anger, hurt, and hate that she had buried. I had thought he was slumbering, like Diablo had been with you. Horadric magic helps, peering into minds." A thought suddenly pinged within Ruby's mind, one that she had almost forgotten about.

"Professor Ozpin, Blake isn't his host. Jaune is." she informed, causing the headmaster to sigh.

"I should have guessed, though I had thought it was Baal, or Belial." Ozpin said, clasping his hands, "Something must be done with Mister Arc."

Ruby didn't like the ominous way he used 'must be done.' "Professor, maybe you could exorcise Jaune, it might not be too late for him."

"You may be right, but what are to do if the person you know as Jaune is nothing but a mask, worn but the Lord of Hatred?" the elder asked the girl.

"I refuse to believe that. I do not believe the honorable and kind person I know as Jaune is really some kind of trick." Ruby firmly said, surprising the headmaster, who then smiled.

"You have a kind and honest soul, Miss Rose. Let us hope that continues to keep Diablo at bay." He said, then to paused to ponder the options. "If you can convince Mister Arc to see me when I am present, then I have will see what I can do."

"When you are present?" Ruby repeated, "You mean you're leaving?"

"Yes, I have some very important and pressing business. Do not worry Miss Rose, if Mephisto is among us, I doubt he'll make any sort of move anytime soon. He of the dramatic sort, wanting to make his schemes grand." Ozpin reassured. Diablo grunted, believing the same about his brother, how superfluous his actions can be. Doesn't make him any less dangerous though.

"I... I understand, Professor Ozpin." Ruby replied.

"If there is nothing else, you are dismissed." the elder said. Ruby bowed, and left the office, closing the heavy doors behind her. Once she was gone, Ozpin pull out his Scroll and dial in a number. He then waited for the person on the other end to answer, and sure enough, he did.

"Qrow, have you found the murderer yet?" the silver haired man asked.

"No, whoever this person is, they are careful. I only found one lead that went nowhere. A Faunus bookstore owner, who is functionally brain dead." the man on the other end replied, "Forensics geeks are baffled, unable to figure out what happened. We, on the other hand, have an idea, right?" Qrow said.

"I'm on my way." Ozpin said, getting up from his chair, and grabbing his cane.

"What Oz? You think your mystery threat killed her?" Qrow asked.

"We better hope not." Ozpin said, leaving his office.

/

The night was filled with activity inside a warehouse, far in the outskirts of the city. Men in White Fang uniforms carrying crates and cases to and fro, organizing and preparing everything for some dark purpose. Emerald and Mercury walked through it all, not caring that they if they were in the way, or impeding those working.

"Accursed Blunts." one of them muttered. While neither would have taken that, and would administered a punishment, now was not the time. They walked to a foppish man who had his back to them, staring intently at a map of Vale.

He turned when he heard them approach, "Oh good, the kids have arrived. Do you know what time it is? Mother dearest has been worried about you." Roman said, walking around and hooking his arms around the pair's necks. "It's no good to keep that lady waiting." He said, the hand on Emerald sliding down to her waist, much to the red eyed girl's disgust. "Not that I care, anyway." There was a quick rustle of movement, which was immediately followed by Torchwick feeling a gun barrel pressed against the underside of his jaw.

"Oh, not the best move to make on her." Mercury sounded with a smirk, "Trust me."

Roman removed his hands and went back to his table, "Eh, whatever. You're not my type anyway." He said offhandedly, the pulled up a slip of paper. "I'm more interested in where you two have been." Emerald looked surprised and began to search her pockets, wondering if she really had been robbed.

"Little girl, I have been doing his for a long time, and I'm being trained by the head honcho. You're out of your league." He smugly said, taking a look at the slip of paper.

"Oh, how cute. You two want to run with the big boys." He said, crumpling he paper and tossing it, then continued to talk down to them, "I thank you for doing some leg work, but next time leave it to the adults."

"Don't try to play off the fact that you were beating around the bush for this." Mercury said, getting tired of being insulted, "The beast had secrets, and he wasn't an asset. He was a problem, one that you were procrastinating on." The grey youth clicked his tongue, "What would the big man say to that?"

Roman got in the kid's face, an angry glint in his eye, enchanted cane in hand, "You don't get to get to threaten me here, boyo." The dandy hissed, "If it were up to me, you and your hoodrat friend here would have-"

"Would have what, Roman?" asked a voice, a woman soon appearing after it, standing on an elevated platform that lower itself to the ground. Emerald, who had been ready to tear apart Torchwick for that comment, stayed her hand.

"Cinder." the mint haired girl said in acknowledgment, while Mercury simply nodded and crossed his arms.

Roman turned his back to the red dressed woman, and grabbed his cigar from the table. "Why, beat them to an inch of their lives, was what I was going to say before I was interrupted." Roman said, taking a moment to examine his quality bit of tobacco. Cinder scowled.

"You are to do no such thing. We have a deal and a plan to see to." Cinder said, trying to remind the crook of his place. It failed.

"Ah no, I have a deal with your boss, and it's her and my boss's plan that we are seeing to. You may be her favorite, but that doesn't make you any more than what I am. A lackey." Roman said, turning to the dark hair lady, who was try to kill him a deadly glare, eyes glowing with power.

"Spare the light show, Fall." Torchwick said, putting the cigar in his mouth, the started to speak through it, "In fact, why don't you put that circus act to good use and give me a light."

Cinder was ready to burn the criminal until he was nothing but a blackened skeleton, she would then see if his necromancy would help there. However, she spared a glance at the young duo, curious as to why they stayed silent. They were standing stock still, anxiety on their faces as plain as day. There was only one thing that made that way, and now that she thought about it, there was an alien feeling of uneasiness creeping in the back of her mind.

Cinder's burning anger immediately sizzled away when she spotted her, sitting cross legged atop some crates, hunch forward, head resting in her immaculate hand, elbow sitting on her knees, all with a smile on her pink lips.

"Mistress Andariel!" Cinder exclaimed in surprise, and even Roman, who wasn't aware of her presence, widened his eyes, the deathstick drooping. "I did not hear you arrive." she said, turned to face the Maiden of Anguish, head bowed.

"That is because I wanted to see how my subordinates acted without my presence, and I am amused that you have not torn each other's throats." the demon woman's smile was gone as she rose from the wooden box and strode forward. "However, I would prefer if you didn't, for that would be detrimental to the plans."

Andariel stopped before her subordinate, and Cinder felt the demon's hands on her body, cold palms on her shoulders, gripping them tight. Cinder glance up, and met the Lesser Evil's poisonous green eyes, gleaming with an alien energy. Cinder quickly darted her eyes back down.

"Understood, mistress." Cinder said, and with that, Andariel released her grip, and walked past her.

"Good. Do not forget I can take away my gift to you." the redheaded demon said, striding up to the map on the board. "Tell me, Torchwick. How goes the Dust collecting?" She asked, scanning the large paper. Roman took a moment to fiddle with his lighter and puff on his bit of tobacco.

"I have been stealing every bit of Dust, and got whatever Ashes I could get my hands on." the dandy said, taking the lung dart and waving it all over the print. "Prices are through the roof, the police are camping at every corner, and there are talks of mobilizing the militia." Roman bragged, "This town is running scared, and we have the Vale Underworld in our pocket."

"Hm." Andariel sounded, taking it in, "Go back to your teacher. Tell him the news. There are other matters to attend to. Cinder, Mercury, Emerald, come." the maiden firmly called out, as she strode away, her posse following close behind.

Roman breathed a sigh of relief. He never enjoy talk to that... Woman, he supposed. Torchwick motioned to put the cigar back in his mouth, only to find it gone, right from his fingers.

He looked up to see Emerald, the fat stogie between her teeth. She smiled, and puffed the cigar in mocking triumph. She then spit it to the floor, and crushed it under her heel, before running off to catch up with the others.

/

The day had continued on for Ruby and her team, thought all of them were mostly silent and tense. They hardly spoke to each, each with different multitude of thoughts swimming in their minds. When it was time for bed, they had changed, laid on their mattresses, eager to sleep the night.

Ruby meanwhile tossed and turned in her bed, before finally settling on her stomach, for she no longer felt comfortable sleeping on her back. She closed her silver eyes and tried to drift off, but her body continued to feel irritated, all along her back, and the sides of her head, oddly. Ruby tried to ignore it, but the feeling continued to pester. Maybe she has a rash of some sort, though she didn't know from what, and that worried her.

Getting out of her bed, Ruby made her way over to Weiss. She had hoped that helping her, Ruby could mend fences, and try to restore Weiss' trust. "Weiss." Ruby call out softly, shaking the heiress. Thankfully it didn't take much to wake her, as she soon started to stir. The white haired girl blinked, and her eye soon focused on her partner.

"What do you want?" she said, sounding harsher than she would probably wanted it. Ruby ignored it.

"Can take a look at my back? I think I might have a rash or something." Ruby requested. Weiss scrunched her face in disgust, but sighed, and sat up in her bed.

"Fine, turn around." Weiss said, on hand reaching out to turn on the lamp. Ruby happily did so, and began to lift up the back of her shirt. She thought this was a good start. If Weiss didn't like her anymore, then she wouldn't do this favor for her, instead telling her to go bother Yang or something. This seems like a good direction.

The lamp came on, illuminating their half of the room. Weiss gasped, once her eyes adjusted and she got a good look at her partner's back. The heiress rubbed her eyes, hoping that she had imagined it, something caused by the remains of her sleep, but that wasn't the case.

"What?" Ruby asked, looking over her shoulder, and only seeing Weiss looking intently at her back, her hand hovering over her mouth. Weiss soon looked up to her leader, blue eye's meeting silver.

"Ruby! You have scales on your back!"

/

Donzo! Something I forgot to mention last chapter, thanks to Troper Cheapsunglasses for the recommendation, it is an honor. Now time to work for a TVTropes page! Wouldn't that be something? That means that I have to this story so good, people will take the time to analyze it for trope to put on a page.

I accept the challenge!

Anyway, I had a hard time coming up with a slur for the Faunus to use against humans, since the usual slurs of meatbag, hairless apes and such don't really work. I had found that did work, Blunts and Dullards. Compared to Fauni (Faunuses?), human senses could be considered duller than theirs, so I'm going with that.

Also, thanks to my friend GetterDragonRagnarokSamurai for beta reading this chapter.

Until Next Time, My Friends