Chp XXIV: Down

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

"Mirror, what's this thing I see? / Who is staring back at me? / Stranger to my heart has filled my mind / Mirror help me, who am I?" ~ 'The Path to Isolation' by Jeff Williams

"Shut. Up," I snarl into a cup. People turn, they look at me strangely—and just as quick as they look, they glance away.

I don't care. My name is Summer Rose. I am Summer Rose. Knowing me, I've probably saved all of these people's lives sometime or another, the ungrateful snobs.

Yeah, I'm Summer Rose—I'm Summer Rose and I'm wasting away at a bar somewhere on a wrong turn. To be fair, if I'm completely honest, it's a dignified wasting away.

(That's a lie and you know it.)

Shut up, conscience—I already have enough voices in my head. Really.

A glare and a sultry expression send the bartender scampering away. I have a headache and I can't tell if it's from her or the drinking. I don't care. It's all the same, isn't it? Same end result. The ends justify the means, blah, blah, blah. I groan and rub my temples.

Maybe I overreacted. Maybe yelling 'shut up!' isn't the best way to stop the voice in my head. Hell—maybe, just maybe the voice in my head hadn't meant to say anything.

The voice is the quiet type, apparently.

It's an irritating piece of shit.

"Ma'am, I've been asked to relieve you of your position."

My head snaps up. Who the hell is this guy? Oh. I recognize that uniform. Atlesian military, huh? I didn't know they were doing the police's dirty work nowadays. Pathetic, really. Ironwood should straighten out his guys.

"Oh?" I slur. "Buddy, do you have any idea who I am?"

"No, nor do I particularly care."

I jabbed a finger at the guy's chest. "Atlesians. Not know for your charming sense of humor are you?"

There's a twitch—just barely a twitch—in the guy's eyebrow. "Ma'am, I've been informed that you have been occupying that seat for more than a few days—"

"So? What, got a problem with a Huntress sulking? Well, that's just rude isn't it." I pause, then add, "Wait—I'm not sulking. I never said I was sulking." You know, just to clear things up.

"Ma'am, I'm asking you again—"

"No. Leave me alone." There's a disapproving noise in the back of my head. Shut up.

"I'd rather settle this with peaceful—"

That was when I had enough and kicked the stupid Atlesian officer in the chest. He flies across the room and crashes into a table. Customers scattered, looking equal parts infuriated and scandalized.

"Was that a threat? Were you threatening me? C'mon, show me what you've got!" I struggle to my feet sluggishly. 'Come and get me', I motion with my hand. I might be grinning. What can I say? Fighting is a real morale boost.

You don't have to think about anything except beating someone (up).

The Atlesian Officer grabs a handle from his belt. It flares and then suddenly, it's a double-sided holo-lance.

Oh, fancy. They got an upgrade while I was gone!

I grab my swords—hidden under my cloak—and fling them. The Officer twirls his lance. He blocks the first sword.

I teleport in front of him as he slashes down in an attempt to block the second sword. I grab my sword out of the air and swing upwards. The lance flies from the Officer's hand. My hand is moving before I think—and really, that's the beauty of it—and I punch the Officer in the stomach. He crumples onto the ground.

I test out my hand with a few swings—then I dodge a dust bullet. I turn. There's a group of Officers crowded in the doorway, rifles and lances pointed towards yours truly. I don't know if I was smiling before, but I must be now. I crack my neck and pick up the other sword. I point at the Officers. "Hey~"

I do hope the stunned onlookers are filming.

Gah! I fly through a window and wind up skidding to a stop in the middle of the street. Sharded glass and debris follow. I roll onto my back and groan.

Okay, maybe—maybe I bit off a little more than I can chew. Just a little.

I blame the drinking and the drumming headache.

Crap, the fucking Officers are storming out of the bar. What a merry uninvited band.

"Well, well, look what we have here."

I cover my eyes. "Not the time, Raven. Can't you tell I'm bus—Raven?!"

Former partner aka. historical pain in the ass, I remember.

She looks down at me—I'm lying at her feet. There's a glint of malice in her blood-red eyes. Actually, her face keeps on shifting between utter hatred and amusement at my pain and suffering—both of which I can't say I'm a fan of.

"Ugh…" I really can't deal with her now. I'll rip out her throat later.

"Truce?" asks Raven, an eyebrow raised.

I grumble under my breath. Memories of the past—better days—surface in my mind and I hate them. I want them to die. Burn in a flame.

"Truce?" asks Raven. She smirks and gives me a hand.

I glare. "Truce." Then grinning, I take the hand and Raven pulls me up.

I shake my head and the past is gone.

"What was that?" Raven says drily, waiting for my answer. "I couldn't hear."

"Fine! Fine."

Raven smirks and steps over me—but not before taking the opportunity to jab her high heels into my stomach. I make an infuriated grunting sound and I hope my eyes scream murder. Raven doesn't notice—or she's ignoring me. She nods to someone. "Neo?"

Then the drinking and the headache catches up to me and I faint—

—I mean, take a break from the action.

"Pyrrha Nikos, is it? I believe we've met before—when you were a mere child."

—Yes.

"Once a thief, always a thief, I suppose. Just as once a bandit, always a bandit."

—…

"Ah, did that upset you? How amusing."

—…

"I have a task for you. A very...important task."

—I'm sorry. I don't do that anymore.

"I wouldn't say that so soon, if I were you. This—This is for the betterment of the world. And...Well, isn't that what you always wanted?"

—…I've learned that there are many means to reach an end—and I've learned that not all of them are to my beliefs.

"Hm...I'll assume that means you're listening."

"Raven," I say drily, sitting up. "I'm surprised I didn't wake up in chains."

"Please, I'm no monster." Raven looks up from her scroll. She's sitting cross-legged on a chair in the other side of the room. She examines her nails. "You really have too little faith in me."

"Maybe I had too much faith in you." I crack my back. I try my best to look nonchalant—sound nonchalant—when I nearly want to throw myself out of the building in hopes of getting rid of my gods damn headache.

It's even worse, now. Maybe it's the hangover.

"Hm, amusing. We both know you have no faith in anyone, Summer."

I glare. I hope I'm glaring hard enough. I switch topics. "Where's your new friend?"

"Running some errands. It was all I could do to stop her from slitting your throat."

"What's her problem?" I mutter. I tilt my head. "Wait—did you just sa—"

"Oh, trust me. I'm not happy about keeping you alive either—but I need you alive for now, so you'll stay alive for now."

I storm up to Raven. "What is it now, Raven? (Dumb line, by the way)," I snap. "Because guess what? I don't have any reason to keep you alive."

Raven's face is a mask of indifference. She looks at me in the way that someone might look at a rat. It's embarrassing and infuriating and I know she knows that I hate it when she does it.

"You can't kill me," Raven says simply, standing up. She's smug and I know it. "I've taken ah...certain precautions."

My hands reach for my belt. "You took away my weapons...I'm not seven!"

Raven waves me off. "Then act like you aren't—though I find it endlessly amusing that you think taking away your weapons was the only thing I did."

"What did you do?"

She smirks, high and mighty. "Who knows?"

It takes all my willpower not to strangle her then and there. (I know Raven has a plan, she always has a plan—that doesn't mean I have to admit it.)

I try for a different tactic. "I thought you ran away. I thought you wanted nothing to do with my—the cause."

"You're right," said Raven. "I wanted nothing to do with your cause."

The room is small—a third-rate hotel room, even—and Raven takes the opportunity to open a tiny refrigerator and grab a drink. She's doing this to annoy me, I know.

Raven sticks a straw into the drink and sips for a very, very long time. She finally says, "You weren't always a monster, Summer. You were charismatic—charming, even—and I think you still are. It's different though. Everything is different."

"Did you—did you just call me a monster?" I say incredulously. "Don't make me laugh. The only monster in the room is you."

"Hm, I suppose there are two monsters, then." Raven is looking at her scroll again. "Tell me—how are your eyes feeling?"

"Dead."

"They are connected to one's soul, no? With every use, they suck the life out of their users..."

"..." I know that. Of course I know that. I took the sacrifice so I could save the world.

Something I must do. Something only I can do.

" ...and with every use the user becomes less human," Raven says dully—she lays out the facts, cold and bare.

"So?" I ask. I'm getting irritated. I don't want to be here—but I have nowhere else to be.

"So perhaps you're not the person you used to." Raven's eyes flash. "The Summer I know—knew—is long gone. That's why I left—because the new you can't save anyone, nevermind yourself."

"I'm not different," I say hallowly. "I was never different."

"Tell that to the lives you sacrificed for your petty little cause just because—You. Didn't. Want. To. Lose."

"..." She doesn't understand. No one ever understands. That's not—That's not true. "You would've done the same thing," I finally say. "You fucking hypocrite."

"I would've done the same thing," Raven agrees. "But I followed you because I thought you wouldn't do what I do." Raven looks out the window. "I suppose I let my emotions get the better of me—I felt like humanity was worthless, in the end."

"Is it?" I ask. "I mean—Humanity."

Raven shrugs. "Everything is worthless."

"You—"

"Everything is worthless to something," continues Raven. "And I wonder how much worth you put in your daughter, Summer. Is she just a means to an end to you? Like everything else?"

I stiffen. "Worry about your own kid, will you?"

It was a threat—not a request or a question.

"I'm afraid I'm a lost cause in the parenting department," says Raven drily. "But I am curious—were you willing to turn Ruby into—well, for lack of better wording, you—for your cause?"

Was I? I don't even know anymore. I usually let someone else handle planning things—like Raven.

"I'd do anything to defeat Salem," I say plainly. It's the truth—the only truth I can give and loathe as I am to admit it, Raven is someone I can trust, someone I know.

But—"You don't get to go there, Raven."

Raven nods once. "Hm. It just doesn't seem fair—Ruby doesn't know, does she?"

"...No."

"A shame then, that she's under the impression you've always been like you are."

"..."

"In fact, I hear she recently learned of the tale to your miraculous revival."

I whip around. "You didn't—"

"No, but alas, apparently my daughter takes after me after all."

Damn, I knew I should've gotten rid of any compli— No—Yang, ugh—DA—

Raven ignores me. She lets someone in through the window. "Welcome back, Neo. Anything to report?"

There's a pause. Raven continues, "Hm...I suppose that's—mildly concerning. But then again, we can't check every airship that lands in Argus…"

I stagger, my footing unsteady. . I can't—Yang didn't—can't—What will they say—think? I didn't—I didn't do anything wrong. It was for the greater cause—it was for the greater cause.

But this—this—My vision turns red and I lash out. I teleport behind Raven, hand reaching—

—…

"Gah!" My body stiffens and I crumple to the floor.

"I applaud your attempt," says Raven, grinning. She crouches to my level. "But we went over this—you can't kill me."

"Her! You used her against me. Ghh—!" I cradled my head. It feels like needles injecting into my head. Like the hurt that followed—

'Can we please just kill her already? Put her out of her damn misery?' asks Neo, poking my side. 'It'll be quick. I'll make it quick.'

Raven raises a hand. "No. We—She makes an exceptional advantage controlled."

'Hmph. Just remember—'

"Yes, yes. You'll get your chance." Raven's eyes are leveled on my body. "Have a good night, Summer."

—I agreed.

—I have nothing to lose.

—Nothing to look forward to.

—Nothing to go back to.

—The least I can do is to stop the same fate from happening to others.

—If it means helping Raven Branwen—then it's a small sacrifice.

—I was at peace, I think.

—I was happy when I died.

—It just took a while to realize it—or maybe I knew all along.

—That there was never a grand destiny or a heroic fate.

—And this—this isn't living and it will never be what we need. It never was.

—We're holding onto a false life never meant to be.

I spend the next day sulking—I mean, thinking things over. I stay in a chair, following Raven's every move. I tell myself I'm thinking of ways to escape—or to kill Raven, preferably to kill Raven.

"How long are you going to stare at your scroll?" I ask, trying to get under Raven's skin. "The glorious Raven must have more productive things to do with her sad, lonely life!"

Raven does not take the bait. "I do—and I'm doing it."

I rub my temples. A few minutes later, I say, "At least get me a drink. Don't bandits entertain their prisoners?"

"No. Besides, you're hardly a prisoner."

"Maybe I behave better drunk."

"We both know that's not true."

I pause. "...What did you do to get the girl on your side?"

"Neo hates your guts. That helped."

"Not Neo. The other one."

"Nikos."

"Yeah. Her."

Raven looks up. "You underestimate the willingness of someone who had their free will—and death—taken from them."

"But—I know how she thinks. I am her." I frown. That came out wrong. "I mean—you know what I mean. I'm not—I refuse to be—her."

"It's simple," Raven tells me, "You did an awful job choosing your candidate."

"Yeah, yeah, rub it in," I grumble. "You just can't help it, can you?"

"I'll admit—I do think that if I were in your position, I would've done better," Raven says with a small shrug.

"Hm...You were always unbearable."

"I could say the same for you. If it wasn't undying optimism, it was sky-high egotism."

I deflate. "I thought you chose me as partner on purpose."

"Yes—if only because you seemed like the most competent person around with the exception of Qrow, and, let's face it, I would die before I partner with my idiotic little brother."

I raise an eyebrow. "You're twins."

"So?"

"Little—"

"I was born first."

"By, like, five seconds."

"So?"

Raven frowns at her scroll. She's multitasking—entertaining me and doing...whatever she does on her scroll. She's doing it to get under my skin. She knows that I hate it when people don't pay attention. She always does it. She keeps on doing it.

"If it's any consolation," Raven says, still more preoccupied with her scroll. She doesn't even look up. "Choosing you was the worst decision in my life."

I can't help it. I'm hurt. My fingers curl. "Well, tha—"

Neo bursts in through the window. She rolls into the middle of the room—her aura flickers and she's bleeding from scrapes and cut.

Raven throws away her scroll. "Neo—!"

'They're coming!'

I'm already standing by then—training and instinct kicking in. "Who?"

'Raven, they're here—I think they're here. They're after her. Get her—'

The hotel rocks and Neo doesn't get the chance to finish typing. She's thrown across the room by a gust of wind. Raven cuts through a dust bullet—it explodes. Raven flies into me and we tumble over. Ash and dust cover the room.

"Persistent one, isn't she?"

"Yes~, persistent…hehehehe."

I push Raven off myself. "I think," I say, gritting my teeth, "Now would be a good time to get my weapons back."

"Ah, Summer Rose! Just the lady we were looking for."

The dust settles and there are two new figures in the room.

"Pardon the rude interruption," one of them says. He bows. "My name is Dr. Watts, my partner is called Tyrian."

The other figure whips around a scorpion tail and laughs like a maniac, or—I think—he really is a maniac. "That's me!"

Dr. Watts straightens and smiles—white teeth and all. "It's nice to meet you, Summer Rose. I hope you've had a good day for I'm afraid it's about to be your last."

A/N:

So...Opinions?

Summer and Raven banter is fun. I like writing that. They're such hateful people by themselves, put them in a room and—well, you see.

Reviewer Responses

merendinoemilliano: :)

SuperSaiyajin4Vegeta: oof, lol

The Wizardrous Magicman: Ah, I guess now I have to check out Dark Souls sometime—but I just got Assassin's Creed: Odyssey so it might be a while. Alas, time and my wallet prove to limit my experiences.

Nerd315: Interesting, interesting—let's see if you're right… And thanks for writing and have a nice day, too!

Treefrogger: lol

EmptySpot: hehe, and what do you think I feel writing?

Phalanx30: A Matter of Time and Death is one of those Jaune Groundhog Day stories, right? Not particularly a fan of those—but that stems from a dislike of Jaune-oriented stories in general. He's usually too much of a generic protagonist for me. And what intention for Arkos do you mean? There are a lot of ways one can go with it, after all, and I can't give much of an answer with such a vague concept. ;)

Ethos the ET: I'm glad you're enjoying the story. And um...I'm not sure how to respond to your questions…

Lord of Memory: Ooh, like Kiritsugu, huh? Now that you point it out, I can see it. Anyway, here's to hoping that my writing will continue to live up to expectations!

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