Author's Note:
As always, I request the reviews.
A single knock on the door made both Neo and Roman jump. They both stood, and turned towards the source of the noise, springing to their ready positions. If it was one of Cinder's crazies, they would be ready to fight. No further sound came, though, and Roman looked at his partner with a raised eyebrow. She shrugged, signifying that she didn't know what was going on, and Roman started to step towards the door. He could look through the eyehole to make sure that there was no danger before he opened the door.
As he brought his face towards the piece of wood that separated their room from the hallway, he heard Neo shuffle a little closer to him. If there was anything on the other side of that door, she wanted to get at it before it got at him. He appreciated the concern, and certainly was not going to tell her to keep away.
When his eye came close enough to the small lens, he was somewhat taken aback by what he saw. A corpse, squat, and what looked like half rotted, was gazing back up at the lens. It was a little shorter than the position of the hole, closer to Neo's size than Roman's. He couldn't get the slight implication that it was a child's corpse he was looking at out of his head. The body had some certain parts of it rotted away, missing the majority of its organs and whatnot, but Roman could see that it still had most of its muscles on its arms and legs.
He looked back to Neo with a small, insincere smile before saying "I guess our escort is here." He opened the door, and immediately was assaulted by one of the most horrendous odors he had ever had the misfortune of smelling. It was a combination of wet dirt, sulfur, and rancid meat. He immediately turned away from the door, coughing and spluttering, his eyes tearing up as he did so. He was vaguely aware of Neo placing herself between him and the newcomer somewhere behind him, but he was too busy reaching for a handkerchief inside of his coat to give the situation much more attention than he already was.
Once he had gotten the handkerchief out and placed it over his mouth and nose, he turned back, breathing what was not quite fresh air, but at least tolerable. Neo was standing as tall as she could against the zombie, her umbrella raised in what Roman knew to be a defensive posture. He stepped towards them, half stumbling, and put a hand on Neo's shoulder. It was mainly for support, but he made it look like he was simply speaking to her. "Come on now Neo, I'm sure he's…" he looked towards the ghoul again, then modified his statement. "…it's here to get us out of here, right?" He gave the thing a questioning look, and it gave its head a few jerky nods. Roman smiled beneath the protective cloth, and clapped a hand on Neo's shoulder. "See? It's alright. Our new friend here is going to take us out of here." Again, the twitching, rotting corpse gave a barrage of nods, and Roman gestured towards the hall. "Lead the way then, friend, and let's have a talk with Naze."
The ghoul went scuttling down the corridor, and the two of them followed. Both kept their wits about them, careful to keep an eye and ear out for any of Cinder's toys that were creeping around. Luckily however, it seemed that they were all out, doing unspeakable acts of one kind or another.
The ghoul led them to a small backroom, where there was a hole in the floor, tiling having been cracked apart and pushed aside. Next to all of this, there was a shovel planted firmly into a pile of dirt, as if waiting to be used. The ghoul took the shovel in hand and slipped into the hole without a moment of hesitation. Roman looked at Neo, the handkerchief still pressed firmly against his mouth and nose. "Well? Do you feel like going first, or should I?" Neo knew that he going first would make him more vulnerable to anything that might be waiting for them down there, but there was also the smell to consider. If he followed directly behind their new guide, he could be immobilized by the stench. Admittedly, being in a tunnel at all with the source of such a smell in such a cramped environment with no airflow was not possibly a good thing, but she had faith that Roman could do it. All he needed to do was keep going.
She slid into the hole, and found that it was completely dark inside. It wouldn't be an issue for her, but Roman would probably refuse to enter a place like that. Not because he was afraid, or anything similar, but because the possibility of a trap was much greater. He would go if he had her assurances, though. She poked her head back out of the darkness, and offered a hand up at Roman. He eyed her, peered past her into what quickly turned to solid blackness, and gave a low whistle. "Is it like that the whole way down?"
While she didn't really know the answer to that, she did know that in the distance she had seen, there had been no light source. Her eyes were perfectly capable of functioning in the dark, but Roman's were not. He would have to be guided through the darkness. She nodded, and Roman sighed. "Well, there's no way I'm going down there and just crawling. You're going to have to lead me." She nodded, and smiled when Roman took her hand. He was nervous, she could feel it, but she could also feel that he trusted her. The feeling was sweet, but she didn't have that time to savor it. Instead, Roman joined her in the hole, and muttered "Alright, let's get this over with. Lead the way."
Neo started off, following quite some distance behind the ghoul, pulling Roman's hand behind. He made a few muffled sounds into his handkerchief as he moved, but he kept moving. They moved along the tunnel, Roman hunched over in the cavern, and Neo walking normally. Dirt occasionally fell from the ceiling of the cavern occasionally, dirtying either Neo's hair or Roman's suit. Neither one cared too much, though. They would much rather escape from Cinder's growingly insane clutches and deal with a little excess dirt.
They continued down the tunnel for what felt to Neo like roughly half an hour, and to Roman like several hours, before the light at the end of the tunnel finally became visible. Neo felt Roman's pace quicken when he saw this, and she couldn't say that she blamed him. She didn't mind the cramped conditions, in fact she found that she liked it. It was like a den, simply feeling safer than any wide open area. Roman, however, was not comfortable. She could feel his nerves starting to prickle, telling him to get out as quickly as he could. Neo's hand comforted him, but he was still itching to get out.
When the two of them reached the end, Neo held Roman back, wanting to go out first to ensure that there was no kind of trap. She clambered up and out, pulling her way from the dirt, their guide having done the same when it reached the hole. After a brief fraction of a second, her eyes adjusted to the new levels of light, and the scene that met her was one that she didn't know entirely well how to deal with.
Furniture had been laid out in a clearing of trees, a table and three chairs, all made of some odd dark green metal, simply sitting still in the clearing. On the table was a small pendant, an emerald jewel inlaid in a silver frame in the shape of a serpent. She was about to step closer to examine the object further when she was hit by a wave of power. It was unsettling, and made her feel a mixture of nauseous and on-edge.
Her eyes scanned further then the table, and fell on the source of the power. Naze, not some ghost speaking on his behave, nor some body that he controlled from afar, but the lich himself, stood at the opposite end of the grove, peering at her with eyes so piercing that she thought she might faint. Roman emerged from beside her, and immediately felt a surge of fear pulse through his system. He practically cowered behind Neo, hoping that she would be able to protect him.
Naze stood still for several moments, then gestured to the seats. "Come, sit." His voice hit their ears like some combination of crunching leaves in the silence, and grinding, screaming metal, yet was somehow barely louder than a whisper. Neither one moved. They both only stood, staring and shaking.
Naze continued to stare at them, and Neo was able to grab ahold of herself, her mind pulling itself out of the haze. She knew that she couldn't fight something like that, nor could she hope to escape, let alone doing either of those things with Roman present. She turned, took Roman's hand, and led him over to the chairs.
Whatever aura Naze was giving off that inspired such fearful thoughts, he started to quell it, making both of them feel much more comfortable as they took seats on the cold metal. Naze spoke again, jawbone moving but without any lips, words simply coalescing out of the ethereal sounds that he made. "You wanted to negotiate, and so we shall. Now-" he moved towards them, robes gliding across the ground, and grass rotting beneath his feet. "-what is it that you want? Wealth? I assure you, there is plenty of that in our coffers, and we've little use for it. Power? There is boundless magic you could learn, but you'd need the patience for it. Servants? Only tell me the soul, and I shall make the proposition."
Roman stammered out a few unintelligible syllables before coughing, clearing his throat, and shaking his head. "I… uh, what's this?" He pointed numbly to the pendant sitting on the table. Naze's haunting, glowing eyes flicked down to the object briefly, then back to Roman's face, and he said "A small thing, with the capability of absorbing demonic power. It will act like a sponge, keeping you pure by taking corrupting energies in your stead. Yours, if you agree on our deal." Roman raised an eyebrow, and said nervously "And if I don't?"
Naze waved a hand dismissively, saying, "Then you may return to the one who would sacrifice you to her new masters at the drop of a hat. Believe me when I say that it will be a question of "when", not "if". It always is with demons."
Roman eyed Naze in a suspicious manner, and asked "And what was the job again? Just so we're clear on this." Naze nodded, and said "A wise practice, always. Our agreement will be, on your part, to keep me apprised of Cinder's plans, and when the time comes, to sabotage her efforts, ending her crusade at its most crucial point."
Roman nodded, following his so far. "And then?" His question hadn't hung in the air for more than a second before Naze was responding. "Then you will be freed from our agreement. Any short-term benefits that you received will be taken back, and I shall expect nothing more from you. You will be allowed to do as you see fit."
Normally Roman would be suspicious of an offer like that. If someone was hiring help, it was typically a bad idea to let it go. But he also got the feeling that Naze had plenty of people to do his dirty work, and that coming to Roman to do his dirty work was more of a convenience thing. If he really could expect such a clean severance, it would be wonderful. Normally he was the one trying to bargain someone's assistance.
"Alright, and how do I know that I can trust you on that?" The question didn't have any latent accusation, but was more of Roman testing the temperament of his soon-to-be employer. Naze made an odd noise, then proposed the counter question "What's to stop me from killing you now, reanimating your body, and forcing you to do this? I've no particular reason to, and I should think that you would like that." Roman's face paled. He hadn't thought of that being an option. Luckily, however, Naze had said that he wouldn't. Roman knew that he wasn't bluffing when he said he could, though.
Naze spoke again, saying "But it matters little. Let us reach an amicable agreement, shall we? Name what your loyalty to Cinder is worth, and I shall match it." Roman thought, but his mind came up blank. It still wasn't free of the impeding haze that surrounded Naze, and the question was so large that springing it on him like this made it almost impossible to think of an answer. In his puzzlement, he looked over at Neo.
The pint-sized killer was giving Naze a wary look. He knew that she was trying to read him, like she did other people, but was having trouble. What surprised Roman, though, was that there was something odd about her expression. There was something about Naze that was puzzling her, but he couldn't tell what it was.
Realizing that Roman was looking at her, she shifted her gaze to him and thought for a moment. If they were going to be leaving Cinder behind, they would need plenty of money. She reached into her pocket, and pulled out one of the cards, turning it so the picture on the side faced him, clearly showing what she meant. Roman nodded, and turned back to Naze, saying "Ah, yes, lien! We're going to need lien, and lots of it."
Naze responded by saying "I'm afraid that we have no lien, but I do believe that gold has significant value these days. Payment could be arranged easily in gold, or in any other precious material, if you have a preference. Or, alternatively, if you desire lien that much, exchanges could be made. That would take time, though, and I would not have it for you as quickly."
At the mention of gold, Roman's jaw dropped. Gold wasn't insanely valuable, but it was certainly something that could be used as currency. If he was being offered a complete payment in gold, Naze must've had enormous amounts. But gold could be trouble, too. One hundred liens-worth of gold was heavy, and took up a lot more room then a simple card that lien would normally take. In the end, he found himself leaning far more towards the somewhat boring lien option. "I think I would rather take the lien."
Naze nodded, and asked "Very well. What is your price?" Without any initial restriction, Roman felt nervous. This was an important part of the deal. He didn't want to lowball it, and leave himself with a small gain, but he also didn't want to name a price horrendously high. But it would be another good test of his new employer to see how much he was willing to spend on him. A small smile creeped across his face, in spite of the fear he still felt, and he said in almost a joking tone, "Fifty million lien." The price was absurd, and would make him about the second richest man on the planet, but Naze had said that he only needed to name his price.
Neo looked at him, shocked, not believing that he had said that. He folded his arms though, and kept a steady gaze on Naze. Naze looked at him, and his gaze seemed to intensify, starting to drill through Roman's head. It wasn't anger, but it was intensity. "I'm afraid that causing an economic recession is not within the realms of possibility. Allow me to offer a sincere apology, and amend my original statement. I will pay any price, so long as it does not cause a global economic crisis."
Roman sighed, and said under his breath "It was worth a shot." Now having to find a reasonable solution, he spoke again. "Fine, how about two hundred thousand?" It was still a huge amount of money, but wouldn't have quite the catastrophic effects that his other offer would. Naze nodded and said "Much better."
The three looked at each other for a few more moments before Naze asked "Anything else? I would caution you to be careful, as if you take too much, Cinder might suspect." Roman, in spite of the tense situation, waved a hand dismissively as Naze had moments before. "Don't worry about it, I'm an expert at keeping things hidden. That old hag won't know a thing." Naze responded with a terse "Quite" before Roman set back to thinking about what spoils this could earn him.
There was so much for the taking, he didn't know where to start. The money would cover living costs for a while, but there was no fun in that. He needed something else. He needed something that might entertain him after all of this was over. Sure, being part of the cabal that was going against more or less every other major force had been good while it lasted, but something would have to take its place. Maybe he could just settle down, and go back to the simple life of thieving, mugging, occasional murder, pretty small time stuff. On the other hand, he had liked being in command of the White Fang while that little romp had lasted. Maybe he could start his own gang of degenerates and criminals, which would be good too.
He shook his head, jarring himself out of his happy thoughts. There was business to be done. As hard as he'd tried, he couldn't come up with anything other than money. It seemed like a waste of a wonderful opportunity, but that was the name of the game. "Alright, I think that's it."
Naze nodded again, and motioned towards the pendant. It slid across the table towards Roman, and he picked it up by the chain. The serpent design seemed to coil around the gem, and there was a very clear sense that the thing was really alive. Curiously, Roman couldn't tell it the thing was trying to protect the stone from those who might take it, or protecting those who would take it from the stone. That was probably the intention of the thing, but he dismissed the thought as he slipped the chain over his head. "You're sure this thing will work?" he asked, figuring that it would be best to check.
"So long as the gem remains intact, no demon could corrupt you." Came the response, and he tucked the thing under his shirt, hiding it completely. Next he stood, pushing the chair out behind his and putting a hand out towards Naze, saying "Deal?"
Naze eyed the man's hand for a moment before bowing his head slightly and affirming "Deal." Roman felt suspicious that Naze hadn't shaken his hand, but as his gaze wandered, he saw the grass where Naze had stepped, and thought better of touching him at all. Neo also stood, still giving Naze the same odd look as she had before, but Roman was now itching to get out of here. He was reaching his limit of exposure to Naze's presence that he could take without breaking down, and he didn't want to do that in front of him. "Alright, well, it's a pleasure doing business with you, I look forward to our partnership in the future, and I have to say, you run things smoother than anyone I've dealt with before. Good job."
Naze stood, putting most of his weight on the ancient wooden staff at his side, and Roman observed the countless trinkets rustle across his chest as he did so, each one radiating a different kind of bizarre power. The faded grey robes blew slightly in the light breeze that moved through the clearing, and Roman thought about if those had actual uses, or if they were just for show, and the power he felt from them was just a trick.
He tore his gaze away from the lich, and cast it around the clearing. Outside of the trees, the brush was thick, and it would be a hard job of getting through it without a direction to head. They didn't even know where they were. This was a concern that Roman voiced immediately, saying "Hey, uh, how are we supposed to get out of here?" Naze looked to Roman for a few seconds, as if placing him in some mental category, and then said "Transport to the nearest town is arranged."
As he said this, a line of the trees that surrounded them cracked and broke down, landing with solid crashes a short distance from the group. A thing that most resembled a chariot, open backed and with two wheels, was pulled behind a horse several heads taller than Roman, with a thin layer of skin hanging off of a skeleton that looked like it had been assembled using various bones, not all from the same creature. It came to a dead stop in the clearing, and seemed to look at Roman and Neo with empty sockets.
He gave Naze an incredulous look, then thought better of asking if he was serious. Of course he was, he didn't joke. Besides, the ride looked at least safe, with large handlebars, and a sturdy looking construction. Roman sighed, and started walking towards it. If it would get him away from Naze, he would do it. He couldn't take much more.
He pulled Neo along with him, and stepped aboard. As he did so, Naze said, echoing Roman's earlier words, "A pleasure doing business with you." Roman took a hold of the bars, and felt Neo's arms wrap around his waist. There was enough room on it for both of them to stand side by side, but he wasn't about to complain.
In a sudden jolt of movement, the horse reared up on its hind legs, making its harness groan and displaying an unnatural rage of movement with its forelegs, before slamming back into the ground and charging off, dragging the chariot along behind it. It crashed into the trees, and felled even more as it tore its way through the forest. Naze watched them go, hearing Roman shout at the top of his lungs. The meeting had gone well, and he had recruited two more for the inevitable battle with Cinder and, perhaps, her demon masters.
That would be a very interesting conflict, and Naze looked forward to learning all he could about the beasts before sending them back to the twisting nether that they called home. Thinking of battling demons led his thoughts to the two others he had brought to his cause. Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos. They only served him so that they could get Nora back, he knew this, but that could be a better motivator than any amount of money. He offered a service that no one else could provide now, not even the Paladins. They themselves had proved this quite well with their spectacular failure to purge Nora. She was only more powerful now, and would continue to grow so until she was killed, or fully transformed into a demon. If she did turn into a demon, it could be an entirely new problem, separate from Cinder's crusade. And it would require more recourses to stop. As much as he hated to do this, he figured that it was about time to take that matter into his own hands. He would have to be clandestine, though, to avoid creating expectations. He was no savior, and didn't want to be regarded as one.
Yang walked towards the tower in which Ozpin's office was located, confident that she would do well. She had compiled the list of names, made sure that it was all formatted correctly, checked and re-checked her facts, and finally was ready to present them. It would feel good, like a weight being lifted off of her. She was glad to be doing good, though. Not only for Naze, but for the rest of the world as well. She hoped that all of the souls whose names were recorded in the scroll clutched loosely at her side.
The doors slid open and after a short introduction to the receptionist, she was in the elevator towards Ozpin's office. It wasn't long after that the doors slid open again, and she found herself in the office of the man who had tried to help Naze out in his efforts.
Gears turned as they always did, and he was sitting behind his desk, sipping coffee as he looked over a few papers. From the elevator Yang couldn't tell what the papers were, and when she started to walk towards the man, he tucked them neatly in a folder and filed them away. Obviously whatever it was wasn't for her eyes.
He looked up at her and said "Ah, Miss Xiao Long, I've been expecting you. Please, have a seat." He gestured to the chair across from his desk, and Yang took a seat, a smile on her face. "Thank you, Professor. I think you're really going to be impressed with this." She took a brief moment to pull up the list on her scroll, and handed it across the desk to him, saying "I'm the one who did most of the research, but I won't be making the offers. That will be the ones who have been doing it for hundreds of years. They're good at that kind of thing. I tried to get as wide a range of people as I could, and I can get more, if it becomes necessary."
Ozpin nodded, and started to look over the list. Yang watched his face carefully for any reaction, and found herself somewhat impressed by how even his expression was. He was probably really good at poker. He continued to read over the list for several minutes, leaving Yang to simply sit and wait. As patient as she liked to think herself, this was straining her abilities. Instead of doing anything that might distract Ozpin, she started to look around the room.
His desk was ordered impeccably, as she guessed that it always was, and the mug of coffee in his hand was still steaming. The few papers that were still on his desk looked like typical boring teacher stuff; teacher reviews and letters about funding. Overall it was nothing that Yang could bring herself to care about, even if she tried. Instead of continuing to read that, she looked up.
The gears that turned above them made a dull rumbling sound, and Yang could understand the appeal of the background noise they created. If it were her office, though, she wouldn't be able to focus. She would probably be worried about them falling down on her, or stopping, or something else weird like that.
She looked from the ceiling to the window at her side. The view of Vale from this office was probably one of the best in the city, the sprawl stretching for miles and miles in one direction, and the blue, smooth sea in the other, were calming sights. It was strange, to think about the fact that out there somewhere, there were horrible monsters pouring out of a hell portal and corrupting the souls of innocent people out there, mostly unopposed. Maybe she should've gotten this list to Ozpin a little sooner. It might've prevented more suffering.
Finally Ozpin nodded, and handed the scroll back to her. "It looks very good. I am impressed with the volume and detail that you managed to get for every individual." Yang smiled, glad that he appreciated it. "However, there was one entry that I do have a question about. I noticed that Summer Rose was on your list, without very much detail. I think I know the answer to this, but I still must ask. Is there any personal reason that you want her brought back? I know that she was a strong Huntress, but it is impossible for me to imagine that one as impassioned as yourself has been able to separate reason from emotion so completely."
Yang sighed, hoping that this didn't make bringing back Summer impossible. "No, I suppose I can't say that it was just logic. It's just that…" She searched for the right words, and decided to plea with Ozpin to let it slide. "Please Sir, Ruby has had a lot of heartache. I think that she deserves to see her mother again. And I want to see her again too. You can understand that, right?"
A wry smile came across Ozpin's face, and his gaze shifted to something invisible, far away. "Yes, I can. I knew Summer as well, she was a good woman. I would look forward to seeing her again." He blinked, and his attention seemed to return to the office. "You'll have no opposition from me, and I highly doubt that anyone else reviewing this list will have any either. I will formalize this and send it out right away, thank you for doing this."
He inserted a small data stick into the port on the side, and transferred the information before pulling the device out and handing the scroll back over to her. Yang nodded and stood, asking "So when do you think that we can start this whole thing? You have to make an announcement first, right?" Ozpin nodded, taking a sip of his drink, then saying "Yes, the announcement will be made once the list is reviewed. There is some backlash expected, but it should be manageable. If things get out of hand, then force will have to be used to make sure there is no interference with your efforts. I sincerely hope that it doesn't come to that."
Yang nodded. She hoped that it didn't too.
With her business concluded, she stood up, and bid her farewell to Ozpin before walking back towards the elevator and heading back down to the ground. She was glad she had finished that. Now she could get back to Ruby, Blake and Weiss. Her friends were important, and she wanted to make sure that they were alright.
When Ruby looked up from the weapons magazine she was reading, it was because Yang had returned from her errand. She hadn't said what she was going out to do, no matter what Ruby had done to try and get her to tell.
When Yang walked back in, Ruby was quick to put the magazine down and jump up from her bed, practically flying over to her sister's side. Rose petals even flew from her cape, the strange dark blood patterns on her cape moving around in the threads as they always did. The petals reminded Yang of her mother, and the fact that Ruby didn't know what was being planned. She didn't know that her mother was coming back from the dead soon.
She felt bad that she had to keep that a secret, and didn't know if she could keep it that way. She was alright at keeping secrets for others, but with Ruby, there was a certain pressure to tell her everything. If she didn't, how could she expect Ruby to be totally honest with her? It wasn't just hypocritical, it was dishonest.
Ruby threw her arms around her sister and looked up at her with enormous, puppy-dog eyes, saying "Can you tell me now?" As much as she wanted to give her the good news, Yang shook her head. "I don't think so, Rubes. Sorry." She ruffled her sister's hair, and walked past her towards her bed. Ruby made a small whining noise and said "Come on! What's the big deal? I'm not going to tell anyone."
Yang sighed as her sister's begging started to get to her. If she kept this up, she wouldn't have a choice but the tell her. She needed a way to get her to stop, and she wanted to check if it was alright it she did tell Ruby. "Ruby, please, I don't think I can."
Her sister looked down towards the ground, and said "Oh, alright, sorry." Yang sighed again, and replied "I'll ask if I can, though. Just hold on." Ruby smiled, and nodded vigorously. Yang turned away from her, and started to reach for Naze.
He wasn't too busy, as the response came immediately, not in the form of any word or command but only in attention. She posed her question without hesitation, and awaited the response. "Can I tell Ruby that we're going to bring her Mom back? I mean, it's kind of wrong to spring something like that on her all of the sudden. I have to tell her."
The reply wasn't forthcoming, and she started to grow nervous. Then his voice came, bouncing around in her head like a gong. "If you feel that she can keep a secret, then fine. Her silence will be your responsibility."
Yang smiled, and turned back to face Ruby, wanting to give her the good news. She had just pulled herself up into her bed, and was about to start reading her magazine again. When she saw Yang's face, however, she stopped. "What?" She knew that smile. It meant that there was a secret for her. Yang said "I just asked, and I can tell you." Ruby smiled, and leaped off of her bed again, hitting the ground and bounding towards Yang's bed again.
As she took a seat, Yang looked around the room, making sure that there was no one else in earshot. She wanted to tell Blake and Weiss too, but they had a lot less to do with this then Ruby. Satisfied that they were in private, Yang turned to Ruby again and said "Aright, you can't tell anyone about this. And I mean that." She turned, whole body facing Ruby, and her sister did the same, sensing that what she was about to learn was important.
Yang started to speak in a deathly whisper, leaning in close to Ruby, saying "Alright, you know that things are going bad around the world, right? Like… with the demons and stuff, yeah?" Ruby nodded, and Yang continued. "Well, you also know how important people like Hunters and Huntresses are, and how if we didn't have them, the Grimm would pretty much flatten us in a few days, right?" Ruby nodded again, and again Yang continued to speak. "Good. Well, pretty soon, Hunters and Huntresses are going to be sent to go fight the demons, and Naze is going to give them some help, improving their weapons and stuff so that they stand an actual chance." A look of confusion came across Ruby's face, and she said "Wait, what about the Grimm? Won't that leave the cities and towns wide open?"
Yang nodded again, and had to keep herself from smiling. "See, that's the good part. Naze isn't just leaving us on our own on that one, he's going to support the Kingdoms' defenses while their armies are away. And instead of using the knights and stuff he already has, because, well…" she shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly "…they're terrifying bringers of death, and it would give him a pretty bad name it that's all people saw, he's going to use Hunters." Ruby stared back at her uncomprehendingly. "What do you mean, "use Hunters"? I don't…"
Yang interrupted her, but she got the feeling that it clicked in Ruby's head before she even started talking. "He's going to bring Hunters and Huntresses back from the dead. Which means-" the words "you can see mom again" were never able to leave her throat, because Ruby practically threw herself at Yang, a vicious hug being used.
Yang laughed, but stopped when she felt Ruby press her face into her shoulder, and her body start to shudder. Yang gently rubbed her back and patted her head, comforting her as she slowly came to grips with the fact. Eventually, Ruby's sobs slowed, and she started to sniffle as mucus ran down from her nose. She pulled herself away from Yang and held herself at arm's length, looking Yang in the face. Her eyes were red and puffy now, but they didn't seem to be sad. Her body still shook, and her mouth was twisted into a shape that certainly seemed to suggest sadness, but its corners were pulling up.
She spoke, her voice now a little harder to understand, "R-r-really?" Her spluttering made Yang feel bad, but there was certainly a good feeling when she said "Yes, really." Ruby's mouth pulled into a definite smile, and she wrapped her arms around her sister again, now letting the tears run down her face freely. Yang continued to rub her back, and whisper comforts to her about how everything would be alright. She didn't think that there was any need for this, but it still felt right to do.
Eventually Weiss and Blake returned from whatever it was that they had been doing, and their eyes immediately were attracted to the sight of Ruby bawling in Yang's arms. They froze, unsure of what to do. They didn't know if it was something that they could help with, or whether it was a matter that giving their friend privacy would benefit from. Yang's eyes flicked over to them, and she made a small motion for them to leave the room before mouthing the words "two minutes" and motioning for them to leave again. They nodded, and the door closed softly as they went back into the hall.
Yang then started to push Ruby off of her gently, saying "Alright, come on. I know you're happy, but you're making a mess. She got up with her, and guided her into the bathroom, helping her clean her face, reorder her hair, and make sure that she looked as she had before receiving such a sudden blow.
Then she walked back out, obviously trying to hold herself together, and the door opened again. Blake was the first in, and as she walked through the threshold her eyes were already on Ruby, who was in the process of climbing into her bed once again. She then looked to Yang, then started to walk over to her own bed, announcing in the somewhat awkward silence "We're back. How'd it go, Yang?"
Yang nodded and gave a small smile, saying "It was good. I got it done, and I think I did a pretty good job." Blake nodded, and Weiss walked into the room again. Her gaze lingered on Ruby longer than Blake's had, but Ruby didn't seem to notice. She pulled herself into her bed, grabbed her magazine, and clumsily pulled her hood up over her eyes. Weiss was reminded of the week where Ruby had been depressed, and felt an acute worry that the unpleasant experience was about to be repeated.
At a sharp elbow from Blake, she gave a small, indignant "Hey!" before realizing what she was doing and walking into the room with her. "We got the assignment sorted out, Oobleck is going to fix the grade." The paper seemed of so little importance now than it had around an hour ago in the face of whatever was troubling Ruby.
Yang nodded again, and said "Alright, cool. So what are you going to do now?" Her voice was even, as if nothing was wrong, but there was a certain emphasis on her words that made Weiss feel like she expected something from her. She looked back at her teammate, not fully comprehending what she wanted, before slowly responding "Oh, uh… we were just about to ask if you wanted…"her voice started to trail off, and Yang started to motion to a poster behind her. Weiss tried to quickly tell what she was indicating when she pointed her finger directly at a small background element. "…to go out for ice-cream?"
It sounded a little more inquisitive then it should've but it seemed that that mattered little anyways. Ruby's head did move slightly at the mention of one of her favorite treats, and Yang smiled. "That sounds pretty good. Hey, Ruby, do you want to go with?"
They could all see that she wanted to go, but there was something holding her back. Yang spoke to her sister, imploring her, saying "Come on, Ruby! You love ice-cream! Let's go!"
Slowly, Ruby slid out of her bed, and under her hood, Yang could see a smile. She smiled too, as Ruby dropped back to the floor and started walking by her side. She put her arm around her sister, glad that she had decided to join her.
"I know, Jaune, but we have to get Nora back."
Pyrrha agreed with him, she didn't want to work with the undead, but if it would get them Nora back, it would be worth the discomfort. Jaune sighed, and dropped his shoulders down. "I know, but it just feels wrong. I mean, we're being used, right? Isn't that kind of obvious?"
Pyrrha shook her head, and said "No, we aren't being used. Not yet, anyways." She looked around at the inside of the Paladin sanctuary. They had come back after being told to find a place to wait until Naze needed them. "But we will be, when he needs us." She heaved a heavy sigh. "I wish he would hurry up." It was a feeling that both of them knew well. They were impatient, and wanted to get on with their quest. Nora was still out there, and Ren was still at great risk. They couldn't feel comfortable with that, especially after what they'd seen in the junkyards. Nora was turning into a monster, and Ren was caught in her clutches, unable to escape.
They had been promised that communication would come soon, and that soon after that Nora would be fixed. It had been at least three hours since then, and they were starting to fidget. Every time the door opened, their gaze shifted over to the door and their ears perked up like hounds. It was always just a Paladin, or some other person coming to hear about the Paladins, though.
Just when they had started to give up on the possibility of being called, and were about to agree that going on their own would be a better option, a whispering, wavering voice sounded from somewhere behind them, and they both rounded to find one of the ghostly figures that Naze seemed to use as lookouts and couriers peeking through the wall. It only spoke two words, and they had the feeling that only they could hear them. "Go outside."
The thing faded back into the wall, and the two looked to each other. Jaune's expression was confused at first, then his eyes drifted over to the eye patch. It really did fit amazingly, hugging up against the curves of her face like a glove, and the symbol in the middle was exactly hers. She had expressed that she liked it, and had even admitted that she had forgotten she was wearing it to some degree, but she had also said that she liked it very much.
He could feel his face turn red, and tried to turn away to hide it. This didn't work, though, and Pyrrha put her hand on his shoulder. "Jaune…" she wanted to say something, but the words didn't come, and the plea died in her throat. Instead, she just stood, and turned towards the door. "I guess that is the signal we've been waiting for. Come on, Jaune, let's go." Jaune stood, and nodded mutely.
The two of them walked towards the exit, and were about to leave the building when a voice called from across the room. "Are you leaving?" Amber was making her way towards them, looking concerned. Both Jaune and Pyrrha stopped dead in their tracks. They had hoped that something like this wouldn't happen. Jaune swallowed the hard lump in his throat, then spoke up. "Yeah, we're heading out again. Don't worry, we won't be doing anything like we did last time." Pyrrha nodded, backing up his story. "Yes, we learned our lesson with that one."
Amber looked between them, the concern clear on her face, before saying "Well, I wish you the best of luck. Be careful out there, stranger things happen every day, it seems." Jaune nodded, this time telling the truth. "Yes, we will be. Thank you for everything you've done." Jaune reached out a hand, and Amber shook it, a sad smile on her face. "I hate goodbyes. Let's just hope to see each other again, shall we?" Jaune nodded, and Pyrrha shook her hand next. Then, their farewells completed, Jaune and Pyrrha resumed their course towards the door. When they entered into the light of day, they stood there, confused for a moment, before Pyrrha pointed and said "Over there!"
The shadowy figure was staring at them from between two buildings, and made a rather ominous visual. That was the only hint they had of where to go, though, so they followed hesitantly. The alleyway that they found themselves in was dark, and covered in filth. It didn't seem like a good place to meet with anyone, but they supposed that there was little risk in anything bad happening to the undead. Maybe it was the case that they simply didn't take into account that Jaune and Pyrrha were still very much alive, but there was nothing to be done about that. As they followed the shade, it kept a constant distance with them, making sure that they never got too close.
Both of them got the feeling that they were being led straight into a trap, but neither one really believed that it was. If Naze wanted to kill them, then he could have done so at any point. There was no need for faking an alliance. Perhaps this was how all of his minions functioned, in the dark about their motives. It wouldn't surprise Pyrrha, it seemed like something Naze would do.
But, finally, they came to the dead end of the alleyway, left with nowhere else to go. Both of them looked around, puzzled, for anything that might indicate what they were supposed to do. "What's up with this?" Jaune asked, frustration as clear as day in his voice. Pyrrha understood, but she was more anxious than frustrated. There had to be something out here, waiting for them. Maybe it was some kind of test. But was it some logic test, like a riddle? Or would they have to battle something back here to prove their worth?
After a few minutes of looking around, footsteps from the far end of the alleyway set both of them on edge. They turned, and readied their weapons, preparing for anything. Jaune glanced sideways at Pyrrha, wondering if she was alright with fighting. She was strong, but she might still have not been used to missing her eye. Something like that could easily make fighting difficult.
The footsteps grew closer and closer, and eventually a form could be made out. A man, about average height, and a short woman. No other details were readily available, but as the two groups continued to grow closer, they saw more and more of each other.
The face of Roman Torchwick, identifiable from so many different newscasts, peered at them as he stopped walking, looking both of them over with a critical eye. He had a cigar in his mouth, and a cane at his side. His bowler hat was tipped slightly down at an angle, and he walked with a sleazy grace. The woman at his side walked slightly behind him, a parasol held gently in front of her. She had strange colors on her clothes and hair, pink, brown, and white, and her expression was a constant smile, like she was aware of something no one else was.
Jaune was about to tell them to leave, else they would attack, when Roman removed the cigar from his mouth, tapped the ash off of the end, and rolled his eyes. In the tense silence, his sarcastic remark seemed to carry far. "Wonderful. More children I have to work with."
Jaune was caught off-guard by this, and lowered is sword and shield. "Work with?" He sounded incredulous, and Roman sighed. "Look kid, I don't like it any more then you do. In fact, I probably like it less. At least you get to work with someone famous."