Okay, back to this. By the way so you all know I have a new person helping me. It is Vitalis Obitus. He is my beta reader. For this story thus far anyways, and he has been here since Chapter 18. Only reason I'm bringing it up now is because I've had a few chapters in my back pocket for a while. While I'm at it, I'd like to thank my normal go to editor Abiectio. Both of them are amazing. Please don't let them kill me...

Chapter 21:

The ride was silent. Ren gave a rundown of what needed to be done, Ruby told the trio that would be with her what they would be doing. They mostly decided to stay in silent before they got to their destination. Ruby was busy inspecting her rifle she already knew was in flawless, no, perfect condition. She was just doing it to be certain that it held no stray scratches or other damages.

The black metal always felt right in her hands. She had already examined it multiple times since the briefing had finished. Finally satisfied, Ruby set the rifle aside began to relax as she looked around. Normally they would never get clearance to use a low flying passenger carrier, or the preferred name of 'Bullhead'. They flew at a low altitude, just under most radars and very fast. The journey that should take them four hours, only takes one by Bullhead, going at half speed.

But Ruby was fine with the speed. It gave her time to think fully, normally the group of people with her would have a spotter for each person, but this was too high of a priority to have that many people, they wanted as few highly trained people on the ground as possible. "Ruby, I forgot to ask, how is Blake? You both seemed to be in a better mood before we left." Ren asked trying to make some form of small talk to distract himself but also to help clear Ruby's mind somewhat.

"I'll tell you later. I can understand what you're doing though, and for that I thank you. All I'm doing right now though is figuring out how to do what Blake asked of me and not look like a blubbering fool." Ruby hummed as she began to start a tenth round of checking her gun. She already had her mind calmed. Right now it was just the semantics of waiting. It wasn't even that long of a wait left. Three minutes before Ruby and her team got dropped off, four minutes for Ren and then five minutes before they returned to join Ruby's squad and prepare for Evac.

Before Ren could say anything else the pilot came over the intercom. "Red squad, you have the light." Ruby smiled as she climbed out followed by the trio she had. Before it took off Ruby checked the ear piece she had, "I think beers on you this time around anyways Ren. Don't get shot. Nora would kill me." Ruby said as the ship began to take off as Ruby looked at the large house as she placed her rifle down.

"I want the east and west side covered. Two on the west because if the floor plan is right, there is an escape route along the west side. If what little information we have on Mercury is true, he will try and run once we start our storm." Ruby said as the others began to think things over. "It isn't hard. The best one and the worst one between you three takes the west. I'll stay here and the remainder takes the east. I shouldn't need to sort that out. The lives of nine agents depends on us giving them correct support." Ruby said as the trio nodded and broke off following Ruby's orders.

Ruby laid down on the damp ground and looked into the scope. She switched the scope into thermal as she began to survey what she could from her vantage point. Before long she heard Ren chirping in. "What are we looking at number wise?"

"From what I can see, eight people. Give me a minute to check with the others." Ruby said quickly shifting channels. "I need a number count, and once that is done send up markers." Ruby continued as she began to place her own markers on the men she could see.

"We have ten visible on the west. Markers are up." Ruby heard from her ear as she began to take a few deep breaths. "Three on the east. The numbers seem off but I am finding a few blue body shaped patches. Markers are sent up." The final man said as Ruby shifted back to the first channel.

"There are twenty one people in there with multiple anomalies. If they are living they have markers up on them. Ready when you are." Ruby said aligning her sights with one of the men after she shifted to her normal scope as to not accidentally hit her target. "West side is the most fortified number wise. East has three. Be careful." Ruby said as she heard a door breaking over her ear piece.

Ruby pulled the trigger on the man she had in her sights. The glass shattered as he ragged dolled and the furthest wall was painted with his grey matter.

Ren stood over the last guard and pulled the trigger to end his life. "Ruby, the place is cleared. Found the anomalies." Ren said as he walked over to one of the bodies. He brought his hand down to search for a pulse.

"It is Mercury Black, and two women. Neither are Cinder or Emerald. No exterior wounds, or signs of bruising. We need to take their bodies back, but if I had to guess, Mercury got poisoned for making the mistake of contacting mercenaries himself, as well as losing Roman. I'll send up a flare for Evac." Ren said walking over to the nearest window and fired a flare straight up.

The red smoke lit up the early morning sky. He could see the single casualty being one of his men getting shot in the shoulder. But not a single one of Mercury's men survived. Questions were raised but he was sure they would find answers somewhere. He would be damned if the only lead to Cinder was dead.

Before long he could see Ruby walking up the stairs. He smiled as he saw the rest walking over and quickly bound Mercury's lifeless hands as they began to lift Mercury's body and walked out. "This is going to need to be explained to Ozpin. To go along with an autopsy, as well as a sweep of this house. We need answers but I doubt Cinder would have left anything." Ren spoke to Ruby as they undid their earpieces as they walked behind the squad.

When they sat down on the Bullhead, they tossed Mercury's body down as Ren and Ruby put their feet up on his body. They were beginning to loath the wild goose chase Cinder set them onto. But both of them would be damned if they would let their friends and family be brought into harm's way, just because of one delusional woman who wanted to cause true anarchy. All they knew was they will have Cinder's body before them, or die trying.

"And how long did it take for the raid to complete?" Ozpin asked staring the duo down.

Ren and Ruby stayed at attention while Ozpin began to digest the information they gave him. "Ninety five seconds. We caught them unaware, and with the support Ruby and myself had we easily surprised them and seized the compound. After the siege ended we found the target's body without a single bullet wound and was deceased. No foul play was evident but it is my professional opinion that he was poisoned." Ren said as Ozpin turned to face him.

"His body will be prepared for an autopsy. Our best lead has been killed but hopefully, if Cinder is behind his untimely demise, she slipped up and gave us a hint to her location." Ozpin started as he took the mug that was previously just precariously placed on the side of his desk. He began to take a long drink from the mug.

"Miss Xiao Long as well as Miss Valkyrie have been escorted to your office. You two are dismissed until further notice." Ozpin said, leaving no room for either to argue an alternative view point. Not that either had one. It was something they learned about Ozpin a long time ago, it wasn't that his word was law. No, it was he already considered whatever your stand point was. If most minds were a mine field his would me more akin to a desolate plain. He had a brilliant mind that already considered every single thought you would ever have to argue any of his discussions.

"Yes Sir." They both said in unison as they left. Closing the door just behind them.

"Well, now I'm all kinds of pissed. I can't vent any aggression at that bastard for what he did." Ruby yelled as Ren laughed.

"You still have yet to tell me what was on your mind. So you should tell me now, or you can wait until we are surrounded by the others." Ren posed the ultimatum, smiling as Ruby began to glare his way.

"Well, as you know the relationship between Blake and I was up in air. Well this morning after I woke Blake up, she gave me this." Ruby said fishing out the ring Blake had cherished so much from around her own neck. "She wants me to put it where it rightfully belongs. On her finger, and she told me that I was to place it onto her finger when we got back. So I need to go and place it on her finger, about nowish. So if you want to stay here and piss me off, whilst Nora is in our office, I'm going to stab you." Ruby said taking the ring off of the leather length of rope.

She began to twirl it around her hands and marvelled at it's simplistic beauty. Most people would feel insulted with the white gold ring that had but a single diamond in it. Ruby still remembered exactly why she bought the ring she was holding in particular.

Blake saw it out of the corner of her eye one day. They were walking down a busy street celebrating Blake's birthday and Ruby couldn't make up her mind about what to get her. So they decided to just walk around while they waited for the reservations at Blake's favourite restaurant.

Blake fell in love with it and it supposedly reminded her of Ruby's eyes. Whilst Ruby couldn't see it, if Blake loved it and enjoyed looking at it. So just over a year later Ruby began a mass hunt for the exact same ring. She wouldn't accept anything less. Blake deserved nothing less than perfect. Ruby quickly let the ring slide back into her palm as she closed her hand around it. She didn't even realise she was standing outside the door that practically housed her entire existence.

"Oh, nice to see you realised where we are. You've been zoned out for a while." Ren joked as he opened the door.

"I'm still not sure how you can accidentally shoot yourself in the foot? More importantly how you were able to get out of the hospital so early after it." Blake asked quizzically as Yang shrugged her shoulders. As she put her heavily bandaged foot up onto Ruby's desk.

"Actually, the bullet didn't damage much. It was more of a flesh wound. Granted she did require some stitches, she will be fine in a weeks' time. Two weeks max." Ren said making their presences known. Ruby smiled as she placed her rifle onto her desk. Hearing the satisfying hollow thud from her rifle connecting with the steel surface.

"Don't touch that Yang. You don't have the best experience with guns right now, and that right there has been built and modified to kill someone from as far as two miles away. You won't have a foot if you accidentally shot yourself with my baby." Ruby spoke with her voice filled with the mirth of what was to come.

"She actually isn't joking. I've seen what Crescent Rose can do. You would be lucky to even have a leg. That rifle's sole job since Ruby designed it and built it has been to kill. Thus far it has done just that. If she has you in Crescent Rose's sight, it will been fatal. So it is best to just look." Ren said defending Ruby's point.

"Regardless, my point right now is don't touch her until I empty all the ammo from her." Ruby started as she pulled Blake up from her seat staring at the blank screen that was Ruby's computer at that moment.

Before anyone could comment, Ruby dropped to one knee and held the ring up. "Well Blake, over a year ago you promised yourself that the only way the ring will go back onto your finger is if I put it there myself. Call me a stinker for tradition but the only way an engagement ring only has one way to go onto a finger is if someone goes down onto one knee for it." Ruby started hearing the silence befall the room.

"Will you, Blake Belladonna do me the honour of continuing to marry me? Despite all the crap that has come up in the last year. And without trying to sound cheesy, you are my entire world." Ruby said as she could see Blake beginning to tear up.

Blake felt a lump in her throat again. It was a feeling she may have felt before, except this time she asked for Ruby to do just that. The lump was bigger than last time, but she still was able to swallow it, but still couldn't speak. She decided the best substitute would be just violently nodding her head. Before Ruby could even brace herself Blake dived onto her, kissing her.

"Well, while they are doing that. I'm hungry. Either way we should leave them to... celebrate." Ren said gesturing for them to leave the room. They all practically jumped out the door to leave Ruby and Blake to their own devices, Yang however couldn't resist making one comment, which left Blake's face redder than the highlights in Ruby's hair and Ruby embedding a throwing knife in the wall an inch from Yang's hair.

Author's Note:

Yeah, happy ending. And I still loath it. Time to start adding in the angst in the upcoming chapters.

Editor's Note:

This is addressed to the beta reader I have suddenly learned my author possessed. Ahem, the message is thus; "Care to help me string the author up by his thumbs for not informing me of this?"

Beta Reader's Note:

A response to the Editor: The author didn't tell you of me? Well, now I am insulted. But shouldn't we hang our secretive author by their toes instead? The fingers may still be needed for writing this wonderful fic, after all~!