A school dance before a festival seemed simple enough, but due to the main draw of that festival being a tournament where teams are going to be fighting against one another made it seem much stranger to Scylla, but she wasn't the type to pass up a chance to dress up. Making her way through the doorway to the rarely used conference hall, typically made for large announcements and assemblies, it was the perfect place to host such a large event. A string of cool blue and violet balloons littered each table and pillar in parallel, likely a show of precision only Weiss could tolerate setting up. Strangely enough, Scylla expected a more regal and bright tone for the event, but to her surprise, the room was mostly filled with darker shades, the bright moonlight pouring through the many large windows resulted in a surprising amount of natural light that kept the room both atmospheric and comprehensible.
"Well, looks like you guys really put your heart into this." The redhead said, smiling as she approached a small pedestal at the entrance, team RWBY's muscle taking the position of greeter.
Yang waved as she approached. Wearing a surprisingly simplistic, yet still beautiful white dress, open at the back as the straps going over her shoulders on either side looped around and connected at the nape of her neck.
"A lot of it was Weiss, decision-wise anyway. I don't think I've ever seen her so excited and tired at the same time. You look amazing, by the way!"
Scylla blushed, she wasn't used to compliments, living with Cyprus saw to that enough. But she couldn't hide the amount of effort she put into finding an outfit that suited her. A sleek azure coloured gown lifted barely an inch above the ground, the satin material with deep pleats surrounding the lower half. From the waist up, the dress turned into a sharp vest, sleeveless and with a steep, very narrow v-neck shape at the front. "Thanks, you too...So how come you got stuck with door duty?" She asked.
"Someone's gotta do it." Yang replied, shrugging with a smile. "After the first hour I get to hang out."
"Keeping your date waiting, huh?" Scylla joked.
"Yeah I..." Yang scratched the back of her head, chuckling nervously. "I don't have one."
"What? But you're so...You know..."
Yang grinned, leaning over her small stand as her friends' face began to turn bright red. "Go on?"
"Pretty."
Yang pulled away, giving the poor girl some breathing room, any more prying and the brawler thought Scylla might have caught fire with the heat from her cheeks. "I know." She said in jest. "But I think we were all just too busy with this to have a look for a proper partner. Except Weiss of course, she's had her eyes on Neptune the last few weeks."
"Who now?" Scylla looked around, past Yang and to the busy floor ahead, keeping an eye out for the Heiress.
"Remember Sun?"
"The Faunus with the Staff...Nun-chuck...Gun-chuck things? Oh yeah, what about him?" She asked, tilting her head.
"That's the one, the rest of his team finally made it from Haven. She's been pretty crazy about him since he got here, so I assume she's roped him into a dance or two."
The two shared a laugh, until Scylla felt a soft jab poking her in the back. A line of disgruntled faces stood behind the redhead, several students in a rainbow of stunning dressed an smart suits now finally losing their patience as they waited to be admitted onto the dance floor. Amidst the tapping feet and rolling eyes, Yang quickly urged her friend to once side and into the main hall, giving a brief goodbye before attending to the remaining guests.
Thankfully, the rush along was enough to help the student remember her goal. She wasn't here to enjoy the company, she was a scout. Scylla did her best to recognise and imprint every face that she passed by, strolling across the outskirt of the dance floor. At each exit, a pair of armed guards stood, rifles held in their grasp rather intimidatingly and their pristine, white armour with coloured trims courtesy of the Atlas military.
"Hey you two, having fun?" Scylla said, managing to spot a pair of familiar faces in the crowd.
"We would be..." A bubbly voice replied, Nora and Ren of team JNPR stood just at the edge of the dance floor, holding large red cups filled with punch. "If someone asked me to dance!"
Ren looked stunned, looking around from side to side, almost aloof that the words were pointed at him. "I thought you wanted to get punch?" He said, innocently.
Nora scoffed and pouted in his direction once more. "It's the thought that counts, Ren!"
Scylla stood, chuckling at the bickering pair. As enjoyable as it was to watch, she couldn't help but take advantage of the cover they helped give. The load conversation resulted in quite a few turned heads, and Scylla managed to get a good look at every one of them, shrugging in response at the crowd's stares.
Meanwhile, Cyprus crouched by the edge of a rooftop, almost feeling like a customary action to take whenever he went out at night by this point. The chill of the night air struck his exposed arms, causing him to shudder as he held his hood, keeping it in position over his head just in case it decided to fall off. He cursed his luck, While his companion got to enjoy the festivities, he was stuck in the cold waiting for the unlikely chance of something to happen outside of the grounds. Not only that, but the odd patrol making their way around the grounds made the vigilante feel completely unnecessary.
"I should have bought a thermos."
Sitting by the edge of the roof, he waited. And waited. Occasionally the odd couple would run off for some time alone, some stopped by the guards and others getting away. But all of them gave off no negative vibe or seemed to be going anywhere other than the dorms, still, it kept him on his toes.
The upper floor of the hall had a few balconies jutting out from the sides, and he managed to look up just in time to see Pyrrha Nikos gazing blankly into the distance. The urge to wave was infuriatingly tempting, but subtlety was of the essence, so he kept his head down, and waited just out of direct line of sight.
After well over an hour had passed, and it seems the door were either locked, or everyone looking for a quick getaway had already left. Because as the music increased, bass pumping rhythmically against the floor like a well ordered march, Cyprus saw a figure barrelling in his direction from the street. Two guards had just rounded a corner, leaving him with the only eyes for the moment.
"Who...?" He began, before the figure leapt upwards along one of the building's steep stone walls, almost effortlessly scaling until they pulled themselves upward with a single reach of their arm, turning head over heels in the air before landing feet first and continuing to sprint.
Back inside the building, Ruby had finally drawn out the last of her social energy, the introvert sighing as she sought the nearest exit to get some fresh air. The huntress in training felt like a fish out of water at this particular event, her feet sore from the high heels, and her dress uncomfortably tugging at her hips as she made an effort to push it back down her body. Grumbling, she made her way out the side door just in time to see the mysterious figure making their way through the school grounds, and up across the rooftops, and promptly began to give chase. Taking out her scroll, she quickly tapped the relevant buttons as she went, and called Crescent Rose from it's home in the locker bay.
As she gave chase, the masked figure moved out of sight, and right into the path of Cyprus. His eyes widening, he reacted just in time to reach for his weapon. The compacted staff took aim at the silent figure, and fired. An electrified metallic bolt left the chamber, but was quickly shut down as the figure, now clearly a dark haired young woman, produced a sword from her hip and repelled the sparkling projectile and sending it barrelling into the rooftop.
"Aw crap." Cyprus sighed, right as the woman barrelled overhead, just narrowly escaping the bolt and soaring over his head. With a flawless, cat like landing, she continued to sprint onward. Although he wanted to comment on how she could move so fast in heels like those, he settled for grumbling and hastily rising to his feet and giving chase.
The pair headed through the dim, empty grounds of Beacon, the woman rushing towards the Central Communications' Tower and with each step, leaving Cyprus further and further in the dust. It was as if every movement she made towards the tower was planned months in advance, though Cyprus's interruption of her journey caused stealth to be put to the wayside. As she charged straight at a lone guard by the door, a flying kick to the side of his head caused his helmet to crumble as he smacked into the pillar beside the entryway.
"Well, time to speed this up." She said to herself, smirking as she entered through the doorway, a group of around six or so guards stood bored in the first floor, wandering aimlessly around the multitude of consoles that surrounded an elevator. That is, until the assailant rushed into the room, and leaping forwards, wrapped her legs around the neck of the nearest guardsman, swinging her weight around until she tackled him to the ground, a flurry of quick punches leaving him too concussed to react.
"Hey! Hands up!" Another shouted, aiming his weapon at the woman in black, the rest of the guards soon following the example.
Cyprus was far behind at this point, the mystery woman outrunning him by a long shot, making jumps and turns with ease. Thankfully she was always just in sight, and when the first guard went down, different instincts kicked in for the vigilante. The discomforting, crushing sound his helmet made left Cyprus to run to his side by the pillar, as more sounds of hand to hand combat and pained grunts echoed from the entrance room to the tower.
"Crap, crap. Hey, stay with me!" The hooded student said in a panicked tone, lifting the unconscious guard and removing his severely damaged helmet, his aura flaring around him as a trickle of blood slid down the side of his head. Thankfully, he was still breathing, and Cyprus rushed into the building once he ensured the unfortunate guard was still kicking.
By the time he made it inside, the guards lay scattered, their armour broken in places, weapons littering the floor beside them, and their assailant in the centre staring right at him.
The outfit was unfamiliar to him. A spy-like black bodysuit covering her legs and torso, with a sharp v-neck style that if not for the situation, the impressionable young man might have found it alluring. However, as she looked at him, black mask covering most of her features, his heart stopped. Those fiery amber eyes glaring at him, and in the short time before the doors closed, the woman's face could be read by anybody with half a brain. First shock, then fury, then calm as she ascended, meanwhile Cyprus stood still, his body refusing to move until a second body knocked him in the back.
"Cyprus? What's going on?"
Ruby staggered and reaffirmed herself, her momentum hard to stop in her fancy footwear.
"It's..." He began, swallowing before attempting to speak, all while Ruby looked around at the fallen troopers.
"We need to get up there, come on!" She exclaimed, gripping Cyprus by the arm and dragging him along, snapping him out of his trance as she tapped furiously on the call button beside the elevator doors. But it would take time, as it first had to drop off the initial passenger. Taking a step back, she looked to the vigilante, who's skin was pale and damp with sweat, looking like he'd seen a ghost. "What's wrong?
"I...Nothing. I'm alright." He stated, gritting his teeth and taking a deep breath.
The two waited until the elevator began it's descent towards them, the maddening lack of sound around them creating an intense, restless atmosphere. Thankfully, the clicking, sliding sound of unfolding weapons broke through the quiet, and Cyprus readied himself.
All of the guests having long since arrived, Yang finally found some time to enjoy with her friends. Thankfully there was enough entertainment to go around, and standing a spot to relax alongside Blake and Scylla, the three stood in awe at the sight that beheld them.
"Where did he get a dress?" Yang asked, eyes wide.
"Did they...Rehearse this?" Blake continued the line of questioning, doing her best to hide a smirk.
Before them they indulged in the comical, yet strangely impressive sight of team JNPR, standing in a line as the centrepoint of the dance floor, performing a routine that in no way could have been improvised and must have been the result of hours of practice. And to top it all off, their leader, Jaune was donning a lovely white dress.
"I don't know, but half of me wants to join in, the other wants to record it and share it with the world." Scylla laughed, the short lived dance coming to a close as the quartet split in half, and danced in their own little worlds whilst the students applauded and laughed around them.
"No Cyprus tonight?" Blake asked.
"Said he was too old for prom, but I think he's just too embarrassed to come without a date." The redhead smirked, her simple enough lie proving effective as the other two let out a soft chuckle at his expense.
"Well, be sure to let him know he missed out on one hell of a show." Yang said, taking a quick sip of punch.
As quiet as her evening was in terms of work, it was no question whether she preferred indoors or out in the cold, the entertainment alone reason to stick around. Unfortunately that entertainment meant distraction, which in turn meant missing something more important, the train of thought spiralling until Scylla found herself watching each person like a hawk once again. Ozpin did ask them to do so personally, after all.
Looking around, she took note of each unfamiliar face once again. A taller boy with blue hair danced rather awkwardly alongside Weiss, the heiress not seeming to care about his two left feet much to everyone's surprise. Remembering his relation to Sun, she could cut him out of the suspect list fairly easily, alongside a pair of other students who were conversing with him, likely the rest of their team. The investigator found herself becoming repeatedly frustrated, due to the people of Remnant being so diverse by nature, it was hard to pick anybody in particular out from the crowd. Even the most brightly coloured, strangely styled being felt in place, at least when it came to Beacon. The desire to become a Huntress lead to some interesting personalities by design.
One more circle around the perimeter of the room, and Scylla was tempted to call it quits, especially when one of the members of JNPR met her hallway to the stairs.
"Hello, Scylla!" She exclaimed, beaming widely.
"Hey Pyrrha, too much dancing?"
The prodigal student had a spring in her step, looking like she could burst into laughter or tears any second. "Not even close, I feel like I could dance for hours!"
"I saw your performance, you guys do that on a whim?"
"We spent a night or two practising for fun, I didn't think we would actually get to do it." Pyrrha looked at the floor, her cheeks flushed. "Jaune just kicked it off and it's a miracle we all remembered!"
The other girl folded her arms and looked towards Jaune in the crowd, who was currently answering a barrage of questions from his other teammates. "He always full of surprises like that one?" She said, gesturing to his outfit.
"He made a little wager with me, it seems he is true to his word."
"He's a good egg, a little odd but that's not always a bad thing."
It didn't look like anything could ruin the girl's mood, and Scylla took note of her reactions when talking about Jaune. It was familiar, her time with Coco helped realise that, but this was much more. A pure, unstoppable schoolgirl crush had taken over Pyrrha's heart, and as adorable it was to watch, it was the unspoken rule of thumb not to interfere.
"You know," Scylla began, turning to see her golden haired teammate as he conversed. "I wondered how a guy with his skills made it into Beacon, but after seeing him with you guys, it kind of feels like it's meant to be."
Pyrrha cocked her head. "What do you mean?"
"Well, it's obvious he wouldn't have made it this far without you. But I think he's done his part for the rest of the your group, too. He's got an aura about him, and I'm not talking about the kind everyone has." the hacker shrugged, smiling as she moved past the other girl towards the stairs. "You make a good team. See you around, Pyrrha."
It was strange for Pyrrha to hear such words come out of Scylla's mouth, but they weren't unwelcome. Smiling, she nodded and turned to continue on her own way. The newer student however had stopped halfway up the stairs, spotting a couple on the second floor at the opposite end of the large open hall. Other students passed by them frequently, making it difficult for her to focus, but she tried her best as she stalked up the angled path. One woman she didn't recognise, darker skin and mint green hair just down to her neck with two thinner, longer strips down her back.
"Hang on..."
The man next to her was a different story, the fancy suit made him much more inconspicuous among the crowd. But his hair, the same ashen grey styling of the man that caused her so much distress a while ago. Unfortunately her cameras weren't exactly as good as to make out specific features, due to the distance at which they were set up, but the resemblance was uncanny. Once she reached the top of the stairs, she worked through the challenge of making her way through the groups of other students without losing track of her prime suspect. But as she worked around the left side balcony, she locked eyes with the mans' apparent partner, her maroon hues narrowing as her cover was blown.
Within an instant, the pair backed up into the crowd, and Scylla gave chase. She might have been leaving a rude impression, knocking over guests and bumping into others, even spilling a small dash of punch on her dress.
"They couldn't have gotten far without making a scene, they must be...Here!" Scylla thought, tearing aside a couple who looked towards her with disdain, only to be met with empty space.
"What the...How did they...?" She began.
"Hey, watch it!" Grumbled another student, giving her a scowl as she pushed the the redhead through the gap, shaking her head.
She stood in the center, catching the glances from confused other students who quickly turned away to avoid the awkward situation. Thankfully for her, the quiet turned back into conversation and loud discussion as the music and noise of the crowd below influenced the rest once again. But Scylla was empty handed, and without any leads.
"Where did they go?"
"Cy'? You doing okay?" Ruby asked as the pair rose in the elevator. She had noticed his change in attitude since the moment they met up in the building, his hands were shaky, his skin pale and sweating and his sense of humour seemed to have been buried deep. He didn't answer her calls, and it wasn't until his fellow student waved a hand in front of his face that Cyprus gave any kind of reaction.
"Huh?"
"I said are you alright?" Ruby asked again, looking a little more concerned.
"Depends who we're up against." He began, tightening his grip on the staff and exhaling slowly. "If it's who I think it is, well..."
"Who do you think it is?"
"I'm not sure, but don't hold back. I'm sure she won't."
The wait was unbearable. The whirring of the elevator as it ascended didn't do nearly enough to help break any kind of unease the two felt, thankfully it gave them time to prepare. The doors to the highest level of the tower slid open, and it was quiet. It looked as if nobody had been up here all night. Rows of interlocked desks with computers and other pieces of equipment lay strewn in precise patterns all around the room. The large glass windows that encircled the top level of the building brought with them a brilliant view of the night sky, it would be peaceful if not for the infiltrator that the pair were hunting.
Cyprus took the first step, slowly and as silently as he could, he moved forward. Checking every corner he moved past, he expected a surprise attack, and in a strange way was rewarded for his extra care. As the hum of empowered dust began to formulate above one of the desks, a series of sharpened crystals levitated to their left.
"Ruby, move!" Cyprus shouted, diving behind one of the solid desks just as the row of Dust began to glow a burning orange, and fly towards the pair, detonating on impact with the floor and sending sparks and shards in all directions.
The woman stood once her assailants were separated, Ruby lowering herself by a desk on the opposite side, keeping Crescent Rose in a ready stance, she watched as she moved behind her cover to the open.
"Well, there's a face I didn't expect to see at Beacon."
"Huh?" Ruby asked, looking towards Cyprus who knelt behind his own defensive position, eyes wide as if in shock.
"And you brought a friend, how cute." The woman grinned, before sliding a pair of Onyx coloured blades slid from her back, quickly forming together, interlocking to form a longbow that housed three decorative, gleaming arrows of seemingly the same material.
As bad as he felt, Cyprus could tell the woman was distracted with his Scythe wielding friend, and trusting her to avoid the first shot at least, he raised a hand to the console and leapt over the desk. Kicking the computer screen onto the floor, he charged at his opposition, picking up speed and sliding onto the floor in the hopes of anticipating, and avoiding her next shot. With the first shot deflected by Ruby, the second turned to aim in his direction, but never fired.
"Not even a hello? You disappoint me, darling."
Cyprus rose to his feet and swiped down with his blade, the extended staff giving him plenty of reach on his opponent, but she simply blocked his first few strikes with her bow, effortlessly knocking him back in response and reforming her weapon into it's twin blade version.
"What are you doing here?" He asked, only met with a quick strike, a jab forward that he just barely managed to knock out of the way with the rear end of his Pole-arm. Meanwhile, Ruby aimed down her sights, holstering her Scythe in the ground and firing a few well placed shots. The first just barely missed it's target, and the next two while landing where she wanted, were blocked as the villain held out her hand, the shots impacting just before they reached her.
Taking the initiative, Cyprus charged straight at his distracted target. He gripped Tempest close to it's bladed edge, shortening his reach but allowing him to get up and close. The woman in black furrowed her brow behind her mask, taking note of the vigilante's attack and smiling as she deflected his glaive. Thankfully for him, though, training paid off as he managed to land a left hook with his free hand onto her face, and then nothing.
"You didn't even miss me?"
"Cinder..." Cyprus was stunned for a moment, the shape of her face, the bright hue of her eyes, and even the scent of her perfume were all familiar for good reason. And his fears became a reality just in time for the woman to grip him by the hair, and slam his head into her knee before tossing him aside, the wavy hum of his aura flashing around his body as it flickered.
"Cy!" Ruby yelled out, pulling Crescent Rose from it's anchored point and spinning it until the blade was raised above her head, despite her poor footing she kept stable long enough to ready an attack. Cinder prepared herself to strike, but unexpectedly sheathed her weapons as the elevator behind her flashed with the arrival of another. Falling for the bait, the student couldn't help but turn around as she watched two Guards in their steel grey armour tinted with yellow as they raised their guns and scanned the room.
"What is going on here?" A voice called out, the well built general soon followed his flanking guardsmen, hands held behind his back with an unmatched look of seriousness. Ruby smiled as backup helped alleviate some of her fears, but when she turned back to face their assailant, she was nowhere to be seen. Dropping Crescent Rose and helping Cyprus to his feet, Ruby stood shaking in her boots, or rather her heels, as she stood before the prime military, she felt a cool breeze brush over her back, one of the large windows looking out over Beacon had been destroyed. Not smashed into thousands of pieces, but melted away to form a rushed hole in which their assailant made a hasty retreat.
The guards now put on high alert, it was up to Cinder to make herself invisible. Thankfully, her new garments provided the perfect escape as she strolled with confidence through a dark, unseen hallway towards the ballroom. A pair of soldiers were hot on her tail, but by the time she made it to the next set of doors into the main hall, her catsuit-like clothing peeling away and reforming with a flick of her wrist. Her body metamorphosing into a new, stunning black dress, shining sequins and all as the mask covering her face was left to crack as it hit the floor below.
Having avoided their hunter for the evening, Emerald and Mercury danced inconspicuously near the center of the room, both keeping an eye on each others' backs for the suspicious student.
"May I cut in?" Cinder asked, tapping Emerald gently on the shoulder. Submitting, she complied and allowed her to pair up with her assassin counterpart. As she left, she could see the aggravated emotion that was masked beneath a calm visage, like the eye of a storm she danced.
"And how's your night been?" Mercury asked, enjoying the chance to finally lead, even if it was just for a moment.
"A little hiccup in out plan, but we still succeeded." She replied, eyeing the exits once more to see another pair of armoured men begin searching the area.
"Should we be worried?"
"Not yet, though we might have to lay low for a little while. An old friend of mine happens to be in town." Mercury cocked a brow, but chose to stay silent as Cinder continued. "We'll finish up our drinks and call it a night I think."
"Better sooner than later, Emerald's been keeping a nosy friend of ours off our backs all evening." He gestured to the top balcony, and took note of a very stressed, defeated young freckled woman, giving a few more looks over the crowd in a vain effort to spot her targets once more.
"I'm sure they won't be too much trouble, our plan is only just beginning."
The moonlight painted a stunning vista out of the many windows, and the two danced amidst the students enjoying their once in a lifetime evening as best they could. After all, who knows how long it would really last?