-
Yang gave a growl of frustration, "Blake! Ruby!" She called into the street of downtown Vale.
It was dawn as Weiss and Yang strolled in Vale to try and find Ruby and Blake.
"Weiss, you aren't helping!" Yang exclaimed, whirling on the heiress - who huffed.
"Why should I help? They're your sister and partner!" Weiss countered.
"Yes, but you caused this!" Yang snapped.
"Weiss caused what?" Penny said, appearing from seemingly nowhere.
"AHH!" Weiss shrieked and leaped back, causing Penny to tilt her head to the side in confusion. "Don't do that!" Weiss shouted, hand on her chest.
"I live with Ruby, happens all the time." Yang said and shrugged. "Now," She added with a glance at Penny, "Have you seen my sister or Blake, Penny?" She asked.
Penny shook her head. "No, Yang. I have not seen friend Ruby." She stated.
"And Blake?" Weiss inquired.
Penny shook her head again, "The Faunus?" She asked
Yang and Weiss looked puzzled. "What do you mean? She wears a… bow…" Yang said slowly, and realization dawned on her. "Oh shit…" she whispered under her breath.
"What?" Weiss asked.
"That's why Ruby was so protective of Blake yesterday. She was… with a fellow Faunus." Yang explained softly.
"Alright. But that doesn't help us find her." Weiss countered. "But do you know who could help us find them? The police." Weiss said. Yang looked outraged.
"No, for Ruby's safety and Blake's, we are not going to the police!" She seethed.
Weias narrowed her eyes, "And how do suppose we find her?" She asked
Penny spoke up "I can help you two. If we divide downtown Vale into thirds, and each of us looks for them. If we find one of them, than we meet back up here." She said.
Weiss nodded, "See, Yang. It wasn't that hard, and it's much better than walking around and calling their names." She said. Yang sighed
"True. Let's get going. We don't have all day, and Ruby can cover ground insanely fast - she'd be gone in a heartbeat. And she'd probably reach Mistral after a day of running." Yang added.
"Her Semblance is speed, correct?" Penny inquired.
"Yeah. Let's get going - Gods know where she could be now." Yang said.
Ruby and Blake walked in an alleyway, the shadows cast by the walls provided comfortable shade for the two.
"Ruby, last night… what did you mean to show me?" Blake asked, breaking the silence.
Ruby's tail swished, "I wanted to show you my empire. I have done so much to help our cause - and I want you to be apart of it." She said. Blake shook her head
"No, Ruby. You know I'm not coming back. I've made my choice, and you've made yours." Blake said definitively.
Ruby's tail dropped, "I know…" she admitted sadly "I… just don't know why I offered. I respect your choice, Blake. I really do. But things are changing, and I want you to be on the right side." She said.
"What "right side" Ruby? There's no "right side"!" Blake exclaimed, stopping in her tracks.
"There is a right side, Blake… it only depends on your beliefs and where your loyalties lie." Ruby said, "For me, I joined the White Fang to fight for equality. I saw a place where I belonged, and I do. I stick by the White Fang to help spread the word that we - the Faunus, and I - a demiGrimm, will not be tormented and seen as lesser beings any longer." Ruby said, and started walking again.
"I left because I saw the wrongness in what the White Fang was doing." Blake admitted.
"Yet we make the lives of Faunus better. Day by day. I've led Grimm raids on SDC facilities that use Faunus labor, I've made speeches at 'Fang rallies, and my faction and I are planning raids on Atlas directly, eventually - Jaques will see the truth." Ruby said.
"At the cost of how many human lives?" Blake asked.
"Human lives do not concern me. Their demises serve as reminders that, like the animals they brand us as, we are ruthless and will do whatever it takes for our message to be received." Ruby said.
"And why would humanity listen?" Blake asked.
Ruby sighed, head dropping a fraction. "I honestly do not know, because I'm not one of the faces of the White Fang. Yes, my reputation and name is one of the most well known out of any Faunus, but my heritage paints a target on my back. I control the Grimm operations, but nothing more." She said softly, hand curling to a fist.
Yang pulled Bumblebee around a corner, her eyes searching for any sign of Ruby or Blake.
It was after noon, and Weiss reported nothing so far. Penny reported nothing also. And Yang came up with dead ends.
Where are you? She thought.
Weiss scoured the streets with a critical eye, searching for a sign of a rose petal.
She walked along, reflecting on how she got here.
But one thing stood out. She had to find her partner and Blake. Or God knows where they could be. Yang was frantic, last she saw her. And in the long run, Weiss really didn't want to be on the receiving end of Yang's fury.
"I'd better find you, you dolt." She muttered.
Penny was in an alleyway, sending files to her father and General Ironwood.
She would search for Ruby later, but the updated files were paramount.
Semblance: Speed
Teammates: Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna.
Ruby froze tail bristling. Weiss's scent was nearby.
Blake sensed the change in behavior. "What is it?" She asked, but a familiar haughty voice answered the question.
"There you two are!" Weiss exclaimed, walking quickly towards them.
"Weiss." Ruby greeted coldly, shifting slightly in front of Blake, to protect her if needed. But Weiss was calling Yang,
"I found them. Meet me by Tukson's, and they'll be there with me." She said.
Ruby bristled, grabbing Blake's arm and ready to run.
":Ruby.:" Yang commanded over speakerphone. ":Don't run.:" she ordered, but to Ruby, it sounded more like a plea.
"Ruby…" Blake said warningly, concerned as to what Ruby was thinking.
Ruby let go of Blake's arm. "I won't, Yang." She sighed in defeat.
"Come on. We have to meet with Yang." Weiss said, waiting for Ruby and Blake to walk in front of her.
They walked along the streets of Vale, and finally met up with Yang. Penny was nowhere to be seen.
"Ruby, please stop this." Yang pleaded. Ruby knew what Yang ment, and shook her head.
"Yang, I'm sorry. We've been over this again and again. I won't." Ruby replied quietly.
Weiss, who had a clue what they were speaking about, finally spoke up. Facing Ruby directly, she addressed something that she needed to make Ruby understand.
"You can't keep running away, Ruby." Yang beat Weiss to it. Ruby looked ashamed. "Because I don't know what will happen if I can't find you again." Yang said softly.
Ruby dipped her head, "I'll always come back, Yang. You know I will." She said.
"Don't make promises you can't keep," Weiss said softly, facing Ruby. "Because even though I have no idea of what goes on in your head, I doubt you wouldn't run if everything you cared about was destroyed." She said.
"It won't happen." Ruby said "Because I'll stop it. I will protect them. Even at the cost of my own life." She said softly.
"And, Ruby?" Weiss asked. Ruby turned around to face the heiress, "I'm sorry. For everything. The sap, Professor Port's class, and everything else." She said.
Ruby nodded, and simply began to lead the way back to Beacon.
Ruby drowsed in the moonlight of the dorm. Unlike the other members of her team, Ruby was laying on the ground in a patch of moonlight from the window.
The moon was setting, and Ruby knew dawn was coming eventually. But she was contented with it. I can't keep running… but it's in my instincts to. She thought. Sitting up, Ruby looked around. Everyone was asleep.
Weiss was asleep, alongside every other occupant of the dorm.
Ruby felt bad, she wanted to pledge herself to her.
But how can I trust a Schnee? her mind asked, the instinct part of her mind.
I'll give her time. Weiss will prove herself. Ruby reasoned to herself.
Yet what if I pledge to her and she betrays me? Pledges give up my fight instinct - I wouldn't be able to defend myself. Ruby's instinct reasoned.
I'll give her time. I'll wait to see if she is truly worthy. If she is, than I'll pledge myself to her. If not, then I won't.
Ruby rolled over to her left side, basking in the moonlight, dark hair gleaming ebony with her red tips blood red.
She had so much to ponder.
Her Scroll buzzed. Berra.
Commander Rose, I was alerted by Blaine that a new shipment of Grimm is on its way. Details?
Ruby wracked her brain, Blaine was head of Grimm Retrieval. But she didn't have any memory of a new shipment.
No. I do not have any details. Please contact Blaine and ask him on my behalf what Grimm is being shipped. Ruby replied. There was a pause.
Very well. Was Berra's response.
Also, please alert Artemis and ask her for a report on training. I haven't had any reports lately. Actually, the reports from Artemis were a week late. Artemis was usually punctual.
Very well, Commander Rose. Was Berra's response.
Thank you. Ruby texted, and put her Scroll back.
After lunch, Ruby was planning to go to the library for studying. But fate had other plans.
"Hey, Red." A voice called. Ruby paused midway through the courtyard. Cardin Winchester.
"What is it?" Ruby growled, scenting only malice radiating from the boy.
"Is that… a tail?" Cardin laughed, Ruby moved said tail out of the position where the tip showed. "Oh my god! Wait, wait. What's this?!" He asked, grabbing Ruby's cloak and tearing it away. Ruby held onto it, and it tore away. Ruby's tail was exposed -
And her spikes.
"What the hell?!" Cardin demanded, backing up. Ruby burned in shame as heads turned. "What the hell is that?!" Cardin yelled, pointing at Ruby's spikes.
"Stop!" Ruby yelled, balling her fists up.
"Oh my god, it's ugly!" Cardin yelled. The rest of Team Cardinal wasn't far behind.
Dove grabbed Ruby's arm and ripped a glove off, revealing hands with bone claws.
"Freak!" He screamed, backing up.
":STOP!!:" Ruby screamed, backing herself into a tree. She was surrounded, but she couldn't fight them, or she'd get into trouble.
"RUBY!" Weiss yelled, and in an instant the four bullies were flung backwards by a gravity glyph.
"What the hell is going on?!" Yang demanded as Blake and her ran to Ruby's side.
Ruby looked down, shame burning in her. "They did this. Cardin attacked me for being a Faunus… and they ripped away my cloak.
"Weiss. Hold them in place. Only place these four are going is straight to the infirmary." Yang said through clenched teeth.
"Gladly!" Weiss huffed, holding the four in place with a glyph.
"Misses Schnee and Xiao Long, that will not be necessary." Ozpin requested, Professor Goodwitch was at his side.
"Break it up!" She demanded. Weiss released the four boys, and Yang reluctantly put Ember Celica back in bracelet form.
"Miss Rose, are you alright?" Ozpin asked.
"Yes, Professor Ozpin." Ruby replied.
"Good." He said.
Ruby looked at her shredded cloak and draped it over an arm, shame was a raging inferno in her chest. With a last look at her teammates, Ruby used her semblance to blast herself to the dorm.
Shutting the door behind her, Ruby pulled the curtains shut and went to her drawer. Pulling out a spare cloak, Ruby put it on and threw the hood up. She went back to the drawer and grabbed a sewing kit. In silence, she mended her torn coak. Thankfully Cardin had dropped the part he had torn off.
Just as she was about to finish the process, she could scent trepidation behind the door.
Knock, knock.
Ruby halted mid-stitch, and placed the needle down.
"Ruby?" Yang's voice carried through the door.
"Come in. All of you. I'm fine." Ruby affirmed calmly, pulling her hood back.
Yang, Blake, and finally Weiss, entered slowly. "Are you sure?" Weiss asked.
Ruby sighed, she already was fed up with Weiss acting like she owed her for eternity. Yes, she was trying to make up her wrongdoings to Ruby, but it was getting her nowhere.
"Yes, Weiss." Ruby stressed, locking eyes with the heiress. Her tail swished as she approached Weiss, who stiffened.
Finally, she addressed the issue at hand. "Sit down, all of you, please." Ruby said. The trio sat immediately.
Ruby sighed. "On the beds." She corrected. They moved to the beds.
"Now, Weiss. I just want to make it clear: I forgive you. So stop acting like you owe me your life. Judgement from others is something I face every second of my life. I suck it up and deal with it, today in the courtyard was nothing new." Ruby said, Weiss opened her mouth. "It was only a matter of time before the whole dang school found out - let them. Their fear will make a decent snack for me." Ruby interrupted, anticipating what Weiss was about to say.
Weiss shut her mouth, Yang pinched the bridge of her nose. "Ruby… please don't feed…" Yang asked.
"No, Yang." Ruby replied. Yang deflated.
"I know I can't control you, Rubes. But I want to make sure you don't…" Yang trailed off as Ruby's eyes narrowed.
"I don't what, Yang?" Ruby questioned quietly, slowly turning to face the blonde. "What is it that you don't want?" Ruby demanded again after no response. Yang worked her jaw, trying to find the words. "Well?" It became quiet after that one soft word from Ruby.
"I just don't want you becoming the monster everyone projects onto you." Yang admitted. Ruby went still, fists tightening.
"Is that it?" Came Ruby's quiet response.
"Ruby, ple -" Yang began, Ruby gave a roar, eyes sparkling in outrage as she attempted to claw the blonde - only for the pledge to snap her arm back to her side. Weiss and Blake backpedaled.
Ruby's eyes widened as she looked at her hands. She gave a shuddering breath and gave a whimper. "I… I didn't mean to, I… I just… I just…" She apologized, tail still.
"Ruby…" Yang breathed. Ruby turned away, hands trembling as she removed her gloves, revealing bone-like claws adorning her hands.
"Yang… I…" Ruby whispered, carefully putting the gloves back on. Yang said nothing and just hugged Ruby as tight as she could. Ruby sighed and resigned herself to accepting the hug, giving a low whine.
"Ruby. Let it be. It was my fault for bringing it up." Yang said, tightening her grip on the Grimm girl. They stayed like that for a moment, before Yang released her. Turning to Blake, Yang addressed her partner. "Blake, I want to ask you this one time. Did Ruby pledge to you?" She asked. Blake's eyes widened as Weiss's eyebrow twitched, as if it wanted to raise, but the heiress stopped it.
"Yes. She did." Blake admitted. "I also wanted to know what that feeling was last night… it felt like a…" Blake said, but trailed off.
"Pull, towards wherever Ruby was?" Yang supplied. Blake could only nod. "That was Ruby "calling" for you. But all of the others who are pledged to her can feel it. I felt her call for you, and knew she must have pledged to you." Yang explained.
"What else can Ruby do with a pledge?" Blake asked.
"You can send out a… S.O.S. call of sorts to Ruby. But only use it when you're completely out of all other possible options. This is because it triggers something… primal, in Ruby. It locks all of her attention onto your location, and she'll stop at nothing to get to you. It may seem innocent, but this is the part why you shouldn't do it: Ruby will stop at nothing to find you, and she'll destroy anyone who poses a threat to you or gets in her way to you. I won't show you how, because I don't want any accidents. If anything bad happens and Ruby isn't around, I'll send the S.O.S. myself." Yang said.
"Anything else?" Blake asked.
"No." Yang said, Ruby nodded.
"Ruby… I think I'd want to have a pledge." Weiss said hesitantly. Ruby's head whipped around.
"Weiss. I don't think I'm ready to do that yet. It's not you, it's just me." Ruby admitted, guilt in her eyes. "Anyways, I want to finish this." Ruby said, walking to her nearly mended cloak and finishing it off quickly. "I also have somewhere to be tonight." She added, ignoring Yang's scorching glare, but the brawler refused to be ignored. A hand slamming on the desk made Ruby jump.
"You're not leaving tonight. You still have a sentence to serve, and I'm not letting you leave my sight." Yang stated.
Ruby gave a growl, eyes narrowing. "Yang. I'm not going to run away again. I'm just going to the Emeral Forest tonight to establish a pack." Ruby said, Yang shook her head as hints of red showed in her gaze.
"Ruby. You don't need a pack, you already have your own team to lead. So you're not leaving." Yang told her.
"I don't care, Yang. I'll do what I want." Ruby said defiantly.
"Are you sure about that?" Yang challenged, eyes blood red.
"What are you going to-" Ruby challenged back, but Yang grabbed her wrist.
"I'll incapacite you. Nothing serious, just a sprained ankle. But enough to slow you down. With your semblance, you'll be healed by tomorrow." Yang said.
"You can't be serious!" Ruby snapped.
"Serious as a heart attack." Yang replied, and threw Ruby by her wrist onto her side, before straddling her and holding her leg in her hands.
":I yield!:" Ruby howled in desperation. Yang's eyes flickered back to lavender.
"Good." Yang growled. "Now, I say we work on the homework for tonight."
Ruby sighed and relented.
Meanwhile, Berra was in one of the Grimm loading docks. Cinder had apparently sent a gift for Ruby.
It was Grimm, obviously. But the interesting thing was what types of Grimm they were.
"Clear the airlock!" She called out as the workers finished pushing the metal containers into place. They then scrambled to the doors so the area was clear. Speaking into a radio, Berra commanded "Send out Ves into the arena."
She watched through the glass as one of the doors in the large arena was opened. Ves walked out calmly. The beowolf rose to its hind legs and sniffed the air, giving a growl.
"Open crate one." She said. The heavy door was opened and a Grimm lunged out. It had a bone mask that at the bottom curved down into two long fangs. It snarled at Ves - who snapped its jaws at the saber-toothed Grimm. Ves attacked, easily pinning the other Grimm. It bowed in submission and Ves swung its head to where a holding pen door was opened. The Grimm padded inside and it swung shut.
Two more of the saber-toothed Grimm were in two separate crates. In four more crates each contained a manticore, thrashing and ready to attack. Ves subdued them - before the last crate contained a Sphynx. Ves subdued it and Berra sighed in relief. Something made her curious though - those Grimm were from Mantle and Mistral.
"Captain Berra, ma'am. You have a visitor." One of the grunts called her over.
She strode through the compound and saw an orange haired man, accompanied by the same girl that Cinder Fall had brought when she first visited.
"Ah, you're Berra?" The man asked, leaning on a cane.
She nodded "Its Captain Berra to you, sir. What is your business here?" She asked.
"Roman Torchwick. I work with Cinder Fall - I was supposed to meet with her here," He introduced himself and added in an undertone to himself "but I can't imagine why the hell that woman insisted it was here of all places."
Berra raised an eyebrow when the girl Torchwick was with smacked his leg quickly with the parasol she carried, causing him to howl in pain. In response, Berra could hear some Grimm stirring in the facility in response to the pain and possible anger the man was most likely broadcasting. If it had been a trainee doing that, Berra would have had the authority to punish him. But no, he was a guest. "Mr. Torchwick - please stop feeding the Grimm your emotions! This is an area where the untrained Grimm are!" She told him.
"Yes, Roman. Listen to her." Cinder seemed to appear from behind the man. She trailed a hand down his arm as she walked past him Berra wanted to smile at how Roman grimaced and seemed extremely uncomfortable around the woman. "I hope everything arrived safely?" She asked.
"Yes. All the Grimm amounts you disclosed are present." Berra confirmed. Cinder nodded.
The black haired woman walked to the door where the Sphinx thrashed. She placed a hand on the door and snapped in Grimmspeak. ":Quiet!:" it calmed down and she nodded "I assume that Ruby Rose will be able to control these Grimm?" She asked.
Berra nodded. "She has extraordinary control over the Grimm here. We have a few specialized people here who train with them when she's not here. Contrary to popular belief - Grimm are quite intelligent." She gave a laugh.
Cinder nodded and Roman scoffed "Their smart enough to know what-" he made a sound of gibberish in a deep gravelly voice, almost a human version of someone spamming random characters on a keyboard "means." Berra and Cinder clapped hands over their mouths to try and hide their laughs. Neo gave a smile, slowly shaking her head. "So, anyways. I hear bs about there being a freaking Nevermore here. Prove it." He said. Berra sighed.
"For the love of all things on Remnant." She hissed under her breath. "Ask your boss." She told him instead.
Cinder looked to Berra, who reluctantly nodded. What Berra wasn't expecting to happen was Cinder to call out in Grimmspeak. What Berra made out was "Baryonyx, Talon of the sky! I ask you to heed my call and scream your rage to the heavens so that your enemies may hear!" But she was ad libbing. Whatever it was, a screech filled the area in and Roman flinched.
"That was a Nevermore…" he groaned. Neo gave a smile.
"Miss Fall may we get to business now?" Berra asked, a bit uncertain as she heard the Grimm shifting around - a few even slamming against their cells. Cinder nodded.
"Of course," she responded, waving a hand "Roman, come. And for the love of the Brother Gods above, don't touch anything or rile up the Grimm." She added.
Berra led the way to one of the conference rooms. Neo and Roman conversing as they walked. The mute would sign or Roman would read her body language and respond.
Now her hands were a blur of motion as Roman talked in response "Yeah, I'm fine. No, Why the hell do you assume I have brain trauma from that!" More signing and then Roman exclaimed in exasperation "Neo! Why?" Causing the mute to grin and stick out her tongue. "What am I going to do with you." The smile turned smug as she rested her parasol across her shoulders. "You're impossible…" he sighed.
Cinder and Berra exchanged a look and Cinder shrugged.
A/N: Ok, Ummm... Hi I exist. So last this was updated was in... November of 2018. I'm super sorry, and I got busy with other projects and stuff like that. Not really an excuse - but the only real one I have was that I couldn't post due to technological reasons. I can just say that everytime I got a notification that one of you favorited or followed Red The Beast I felt immense guilt for neglecting the story. BUT don't be scared that I'll flee off to wherever I've been for over a year again, because the next chapter is already almost done - it'll be up by tomorrow or even tonight at the earliest. I really can't apologize enough for this and I swear it won't happen again. All I'll say is that Volume two will be a bit boring and extremely short, it's kind of filler but the real purpose is setting up for Volume 3 - which with what I'm scheming up, will be one hell of a trainride. Ok, I'll shut up.
But seriously, thank you ALL for the support. I'm considering a Discord server for the community (even though the story isn't that popular) because I want to get to know you, the readers, more. Consider giving feedback via Reveiw or a PM. How was the chapter, what would you like to see in the future?
-Firecat21870