And some more of this...
Chapter 25:
Giggling softly, Ruby just smiled as she held the Faunus' hands in the both of hers. Ruby had to admit that she was starting to be more and more happy that she was convinced to go to the rave just because she was able to meet a wonderful person.
"I had a great time Neon..." Ruby said as she could just stare into the woman's eyes for all eternity it would seem. She had already started to get lost in the forest that she could see in them. Just the thought that she could possibly be able to get lost in them longer was making the next part harder and harder on her. "And I'd love to invite you into the room... but I have to study and not to mention talk to my Mom and I guarantee if I don't she'll come in threatening countless people to find you... and it is just so much easier if I just call her and calm her down now." Ruby continued as she just smiled at the slight confusion. "I would really like to go on another one. Just not next weekend. My uncles and Grandmother are going to be in town and I really really don't want to miss them."
"I'm not afraid of anyone. Your mother or not." Neon said as Ruby just laughed. "What?" Neon said as she tried to bend down to see into Ruby's eyes just so she could find out what had set the girl off.
"The brave thing while normally hot... trust me when I say my Mom has plenty of skeletons in her closet... possibly literally... I could never tell if she was joking... point is she has no issues adding another. And I just don't want that addition to be you." Ruby said softly as she just leaned up and planted a kiss on her lips. "But today and last night was great. And seriously... I do want to do this with you again. Maybe not a rave. Because I tend to not go alone to those and my friends when sober and in Neo's case not making out with mirrors do tend to be frightening to most people." Ruby said as Neon just matched her gaze. "Just trust me. Don't try and stand your ground with them. I have no doubts that Neo would have stabbed one or both of us last night and wouldn't live long enough to regret it in the morning."
Sighing softly The feline Faunus bent down and kissed Ruby chastely. "Fine then... but I'm going to need your number if you want me to make any sort of plans outside of randomly stopping by to see if you want to go on some long walk... or come back to my place and get high again. This time with weed because ecstasy is pricey."
Smiling as she let go, Ruby simply reached behind her. "I like mystery in my life... but tell you what, I'll bring some really nice weed since you let me try ecstasy." Ruby said with a smile as she could see the Faunus look at her with doubt in her eyes. "My latest class for any day of the week is five. Just if you come don't come towards the practical area. It gets loud and even with ear protection it tends to hurt my ears. I'd only imagine it would be murder for you." Ruby said with her concern being genuine as she looked at Neon who just smiled at her with a sly smile. "Seriously Neon... I don't want you to be hurt."
Chuckling softly Neon just rolled her eyes gently. "You like mystery, I like danger. Just so long as you kiss my owies better."
Smiling as she stepped back into the room. "I promise I'd do more than just kiss your owies better. But seriously I need to go." Ruby said just smiling as she could see Neon walking away with a reluctant look in her eyes. Sighing herself, Ruby was about to close the door as she could see Neon quickly running back towards her.
Feeling her confusion grow, it was quickly replaced with the blush of embarrassment as Neon planted a passionate kiss on her lips. Feeling a small gasp slip past, Ruby could feel her blush intensifying as Neon and her own tongue performing a dance that Ruby could just fall in love with it all over again.
Giggling softly as she pulled back, Neon started to quickly walk out of Ruby's line of sight. "I'm going to get you back next time." Ruby said in just above her normal speaking tone that she knew from experience a Faunus on the stairs would have no issues hearing.
Sighing a happy sigh, Ruby closed the door as she spun around jumping slightly as she could see Yang just looking at her with a sly smirk on her face. "Do you just blush whenever someone kisses you? Because that is seeming a bit strange for someone so open." Yang asked as Ruby just glared lightly at her as she walked over towards her desk.
Plopping down into her chair, Ruby just took a deep breath. "She surprised me. Plus she is a really really good kisser." Ruby said softly as she could see Yang shaking her head. "I mean, I get that you have no issues with her being that hot, but she really really is seemingly out of my league."
"She is a bitch. And I'm not fat. How is she your type? Or are you just one of those people that have a Faunus fetish?" Yang asked as Ruby plugged her phone into the loose usb cord she had as she just chuckled softly at Yang's comment.
"She is a great cuddler and we talked for a long while after you left this morning about classic books. And if I did have a Faunus fetish, why the hell would I have dated Reese? She is human and there was this really cute rabbit Faunus girl a few years ahead of me in school. Great photographer."
"I don't know. Was she into you?" Yang asked as she closed the book she had been reading. "And from my experience Reese is crazy... so maybe you just have a crazy fetish."
"Oh she was. She even invited me to a dance while I was dating Reese who was fine with it... kind of had to let her down because I'm nothing if not faithful. She still took pictures of me and said that if I was ever single and she was single she'd love to take me on a date. And if I had a crazy fetish why am I not dating Neo? Although that is a different type of crazy. Would possibly get my mother to accept a girl I like though. Although Emerald is a lot hotter and totally my type in every regard except not being like my sister." Ruby continued as she picked up her phone gently to just check the charge.
Frowning as she lowered her phone Ruby grabbed one of her books that she dragged towards her. "So how did you spend last night slash this morning? I only ask because I didn't intentionally mean to lock you out all night. And I do feel a little bad." Ruby said as she grabbed the note pad that had been inside of it.
"Drunk room. Got bitched at by this one girl. I swear I've seen her before, but I can't put where. Why are all the hot girls just bitchy? That is why I prefer men most of the time." Yang said as Ruby just chuckled grabbing the highlighter that as near her stack of books.
"Preaching to the choir. But in my experience women are better at spotting bullshit being spewed by another woman. As for where you've seen her... I can't tell you. You are the extrovert out of the two of us and always have your nose in a magazine. Maybe she is a model." Ruby said idly as she dragged the highlighter across the short sentence.
Just the sight of which was enough to make Yang roll her eyes. The way Ruby had been able to just jump into studying over something that, to Yang had seemed so boring the handful of times Ruby had said something out loud.
A knock on the door caused Yang to look up. "That would probably be Emerald on the phone with my Mom. Can you open it for her? I don't want to lose my place." Ruby said softly as Yang just sighed walking towards the door. As she opened it she just jumped slightly at the heterochromatic shorter girl with a phone pressed to her ear.
Not even waiting for any sort of response, Neo pushed past Yang as Ruby reached across her chest to hold her free hand out. "Hi Mom. I know I promised to call in the morning but I was a bit preoccupied and slept till about noon. And my phone has been dead all day." Ruby said as she lowered a finger down to mark her place as she looked at Neo a little shocked at the appearance.
"Emerald is busy trying to figure out something stupid." Neo said as she skipped around Ruby to jump down onto her bed. "And how do we have the same bed but yours is always more comfortable?"
Rolling her eyes gently Ruby just sighed gently. "And that sigh isn't towards you Mom. Neo is being Neo."
"I would have preferred if you charged your phone and called me as soon as you could Ruby. Especially now that two of your uncles are here. And I heard you met a girl last night. She didn't try anything you didn't want to happen did she Ruby?" Cinder said as Ruby just smiled softly at her mother's concern.
"No Mom. She never did. I was the instigator last night. All she did was a surprise kiss she gave me when I saw her off at my door which I liked. She is very pretty though. I think she is angering Reese though." Ruby half lied as she could just see her mother already liking the woman for that one thing alone. "And I'm just studying now as I talk occasionally with Yang."
"Are you eating right? Or far more preferable, willing to take a week off because your uncles are already on my last nerve." Cinder asked as Ruby just smiled gently because she knew that question was going to come up anyways. She just figured it wouldn't be as up front as that.
"Mom, I have two tests this week. One in math and another in physics. If I didn't you know I would have already started to drive back. New girl or not. Especially because Grandma Salem is going to be coming and I really want to show her some of the new models I've built... plus you promised we could work on some of the cars." Ruby said as she pinched the phone between her ear and shoulder as she uncapped the highlighter to cover another section in the bright yellow liquid. "By the way, can you talk to Marcus about him hitting Mercury? I'm starting to worry and he may go too far one day. I mean it looked like he had bad neck damage when he drove us to Junior's."
"Ruby, I can't control what happens behind closed doors for the people that work for me. All I can do is talk to him. Knowing Mercury he probably already has a plan that you are just going to need to trust." Cinder said in a soft scolding manner that Ruby knew was just from her feeling slightly useless to fulfil a request of Ruby's.
"I know Mom. I'm just worried about Mercury. He is too proud to admit he needs help even if it is to mask the visible bruises with makeup. And I fear he may be planning something that he can't come back from that will destroy his soul."
"Okay Ruby, I'll talk to the both of them. If I don't talk to you before you have those tests good luck on them, and remember to eat properly. I don't want you to be in the hospital from anemia again." Cinder said calmly as she could see looked across the broken table to see the beaten friend of her daughter.
"You know I will. And worst case scenario I'm back on supplements." Ruby said softly as Cinder laughed softly. "I've got to go Mom unless you can explain to me 'Stefan's Law'. I love you Mom and I'll see you Wednesday."
"I love you too Ruby." Cinder said calmly as she could hear some sororal mocking from Neo that Ruby had snapped at as Cinder just smiled hanging up her phone as she looked towards the twenty one year old who had been gently trying to stop the bleeding on the dusty floor.
Chuckling softly as she tossed the phone to Roman who had been eyeing the corpse behind Mercury. A gentle kick towards the ribs as he just sighed softly raising up to the top of his head to remove his hat.
"Such a shame. He owed me ten bucks." Roman said softly as Cinder just dryly chuckled as he quickly shook his head as he replaced the bowler cap onto his head as he walked towards the child reaching into his inner coat pocket and produced a silver flask and handed it to the man. "Trust me kid, if she is in a bad mood, at least you can go chasing after that man pain free." Roman spoke as Mercury just shoved the flask back.
Raising the gun that had been used up, Cinder gestured for the standing man to back away as she could see Mercury shaking as Cinder squeezed the trigger in rapid fire until all the rounds had been spent into the corpse.
"I'm not mad. Marcus was living on borrowed time anyways. Tell me Mercury do you remember what I told you that I hate when I brought you into the fold?" Cinder said calmly as she tossed the gun towards the corpse.
"Letting Ruby know what it is we do, sloppiness and being a rat." Mercury spoke quickly knowing that just because the gun wasn't in her hands doesn't mean he wasn't as good as dead. There was no real way to know until long after this meeting had happened.
"Partially right. If someone was dumb enough to tell Ruby that the big bad gang she worries we'd be dealing with is us they won't live long enough to finish that thought. If you get sloppy or think becoming a rat is a smart idea you are on borrowed time." Cinder said calmly as she could see Mercury just wondering what she had been getting at. "Marcus, in the last ten years has gotten very sloppy, and had on several occasions had nearly told Ruby. I was planning on having him driven out to the desert where I'd have him buried up to his neck, his face smeared in honey and ants released on his face. My point is I'm not mad at you... for doing away with him like he was a rabid dog."
At that clarification Mercury could feel what blood was left inside of him draining. "I am mad that you made Ruby worry so much as she made it a point to try and stop you from doing this. So here is what is going to happen." Cinder said standing up lightly dusting herself off. "You are going to take a sudden vacation to Vacuo under the pretence that I have business I want taken care of there. You are going to stay there until you are fully healed. By then I expect Marcus to be dismembered, flesh stripped and dissolved and his bones turned into bone meal and being used to fertilise my peppers and tomatoes. If Ruby asks, what do we tell her about your father?"
Taking a deep breath Mercury just closed his eyes as he tried his hardest to think of something that wouldn't invoke the woman's ire when a bad performance review often lead to people being killed. "After we talked to you, we all felt it was best if he took up early retirement deep in the mountains of Atlas." Mercury said as Cinder placed a hand on his slightly injured shoulder.
"Good. Now I expect you to be in Vacuo by tomorrow night. Inform Emerald and Neo about what happen if you want but make sure they know this falls in line with the rest of Grimm stuff. If any three of you tell her about the passing of this dog, well, I'll make sure all three of you take very early retirement and I won't let any of you be useful like Marcus will be. And go to a vet not a doctor. They'll report the injuries to authorities which will lead to us to having another chat which will result in you hoping I was mad right now. Am I clear?" Cinder said coldly as the silver haired man nodded his head. "Good. I think the one on sixth still owes us. If not, Consult Adam Taurus. He owes us big time for breaking him out of maximum security. If he refuses notify Sienna, and go to the doc's house as a last resort. Got it?"
"Yes Boss." Mercury said softly as he could see Cinder gently resting a hand on top of his head.
"Good. Roman, I want that corpse and gun disposed of yesterday. And I want a parcel of bone meal in my hands by week's end. If you don't mind, I need to prepare my house for Salem coming to town in six days and have real pains in my ass to deal with now." Cinder said as she could see Roman pulling out an older phone to type away a few messages.
"And the crime scene?" Roman asked in general as Mercury just chuckled dryly.
"Burn the house for all I care. Just take the pictures of my mother out first. After that I don't care. He has a safe under his bed the combination is four zeros." Mercury said curtly as Cinder smiled.
"You heard the orphan. The currency, wire it through our normal channels and get it back to Mercury who can handle it however he wants. Any documents that Marcus had pertaining to Mercury hand them to him upon his return. Everything else I want either on my desk, or used to set this shack on fire."
"Got it boss." Roman said softly. "And I'll make sure he is on a plane tonight once he is patched up."
"No. I want this done thoroughly. Marcus knew too much. Mercury isn't dumb enough like his father." Cinder said in a far colder tone as Roman nodded his head.
"Then this place is going to be dust in a few hours. I'll have the boys block off the quick routes for firefighters and police, what is left they won't be able to prove, and the earth will be salted." Roman said calmly as Cinder just smiled at him. "Any other requirements you want?"
"Get the boys in Vacuo to make cover for Mercury and get the brainiacs to ghost Mercury on an earlier flight two weeks ago. Once that is all done I want a report." Cinder said walking towards the door. "And don't botch this up as badly as you did Emerald's parents."
Author's Note:
And done. That was a fun chapter to write. Mostly from the Cinder angle in my opinion.
Guest: I think you may have been reading too far into Ruby's character in a lot of my stories if you think she is always right and everyone else is wrong. Not to say I haven't done that with Ruby's character intentionally in some, but that was only three finished stories total. In this Ruby is just rebellious but also doesn't want to rebel too much thus far.