Chapter 24: Hollowed

"Down!" the girl in white shouted. She, the other girl, and the man dropped to the ground, and Cinder and Adam did the same a moment later. It was a good thing that they had not waited any longer, or the rocket that skimmed above their heads would have surely made contact. The missile soared right over them and exploded in a fireball on the adjacent wall. Adam gritted his teeth.

"Who the fuck is firing rockets inside the building?" he shouted.

A gunshot rang out and there was a scream of agony as a body and heavy metal collapsed to the ground.

"No one now," the burly man commented.

The bartender rose from behind the counter, holding a bottle of dark-colored liquid with a burning cloth stuffed inside. He threw the Molotov cocktail aimlessly into the fray, and the bomb burst in the path to the door. The floor was instantly engulfed in flames, and the man and the girls stopped in their tracks.

"The way's blocked!" he shouted back to Cinder, Emerald, and Adam, and Cinder craned her neck to see. She could probably jump through the flames with minimal burns, but was not sure how to get Emerald through.

Suddenly, a noise rose over the gunfire and shouting, drowning out the sounds of the battle. It was a hellish screech that made the walls and floor vibrate. It was very loud and very close. The two sides slowed their battles, each individual washing over with an expression of fear. All eyes turned towards one of the metal walls as a metallic scraping reverberated through it.

"The Grimm are here," someone said.

Adam narrowed his eyes under his mask. "And not just any Grimm."

Cinder jumped with a stat when the scraping was cut off by a loud bang. Four long, sharp black digits punctured through the metal wall, stabbing through into the room. With metallic screeching, the claws ran down the wall and began slicing it open. Everyone gasped when a massive thudding bang echoed through the room, and the damaged wall began to bend and distort. Another hellish screech was released, and people began to panic. Some resumed fighting each other, and a few began to try and run towards the exit only to find the flames blocking it.

The wall burst open, the metal curving and twisting around the hole as the Grimm stepped inside. Its red eyes, nestled deep within a head that resembled a deer skull complete with twisting antlers, examined its prey. Its skeletal limbs clawed out as it stomped its hoofed feet and bellowed loudly.

"Wendigo!" the woman with the dreadlocks screamed just before the Grimm's skeletal ribcage, which protruded from its black torso, opened wide, each rib spreading open and elongating. Quickly, the Grimm lurched forward, and the ribs clawed at the woman, impaling her across her whole body. If she was not dead from the multiple impalements through her arms, torso, and head, she certainly was when the blades yanked her into the void beneath the Wendigo's ribcage, her bones cracking and her blood sloshing as she was compacted into mulch inside the Grimm's body.

The panic resumed. Gunfire and the sound of clashing blades once again rung out, filling Cinder's ears. Some tried to fire at the Wendigo, but it would simply raise its hand and block the onslaught before lowering its head and ramming forward, goring three people at once on its twisted antlers. Others tried to continue fighting each other, and others tried to escape. The dark-skinned stripper screamed and tried to jump through the flames blocking the exit, but they had since grown and covered more of the ground. She landed clumsily on her side in fire and broken glass, crying out as her body was covered in bleeding cuts and the flames burned at her. She attempted to crawl forward, but the fire was relentless. Her hair burned as she screamed out, then collapsed dead on the ground, the flames continuing to char her carcass.

"What do we do, Cinder?" Emerald asked groggily.

Cinder scanned the room. Everywhere she looked there was death, and she could not see any other way out. There was a hall nearby, but judging by the shadows she knew it only lead deeper into the building. Then Cinder's eye landed on the hole the Wendigo had entered from.

Cinder grunted as she carried herself and Emerald up towards the burly man. Using her free hand, she tapped him on the shoulder, and he turned around. Before he could speak, Cinder pointed at the hole.

"That's our way out," she said.

The man glanced at the hole. He hesitated, but nodded. "You're right, its the only way. We need to get through without being spotted by the Grimm or the bounty hunters." He extended his arms. "I'll carry her through first. Then each of you make a break for it."

It was Cinder's turn to hesitate, as she had to stop and consider placing the life of her injured friend in the hands of this strange man she had never met before. However, he had not given her a reason not to trust him, and she did not have much of a choice. She glanced over to Emerald who nodded in affirmation, and Cinder gently handed her over to the man. He carefully but quickly threw Emerald over his strong shoulder.

"You okay?" he confirmed.

"For now," Emerald wheezed.

The man took a few deep breaths, then sprinted towards the hole. Emerald grunted, but remains on the man's shoulder. The man weaved through fire and over corpses before looking over at the Wendigo, which grabbed one of his men by the head, hoisted him screaming off the ground, then tightened its grip with a loud crack. The man fell limp as blood leaked out from the Grimm's digits. The man felt his heart grow heavy with regret for the life of his colleague, but took advantage of the Grimm's focus being elsewhere and dove trough the hole to the other side. He and Emerald landed in a narrow hall, with the exterior wall on the far end having been torn open as well to the sun of the outside.

He glanced back. "I hope they make it," he said.

The two girls ran with each other next, facing much less adversary as they escaped through the hole. One of the women who had been fighting with a bounty hunter saw them escape through it and began to run towards the hole in hopes of escape. Cinder and Adam ducked behind a broken speaker and looked out, and Cinder could not help but flinch when what looked like a small bolt of lightning rocketed across the room and struck the fleeing woman in the back. She seized and shook from the shock, a burn mark on her clothes and back, before collapsing dead onto the floor just a few feet from escape.

Cinder turned her head to see another man with light blue hair run out from the dark hall, holding a weapon that looked like a gun affixed with blue blades. It had Lightning Dust cartridges loaded into its clip.

"What the fuck is going on here?" the man shouted. He saw the Wendigo and stepped back. "Holy shit!" He began firing at the Grimm, which turned to face him. It bellowed and charged, pointing its antlers at him, but he jumped out of the way and let it pass him, skidding to a stop in the dark hall.

"Neptune, watch out!" a bounty hunter shouted as the Wendigo charged back, and her allowed it to miss him again, all while firing at it.

"Let's let them handle the Grimm," Adam said. "Go!"

Cinder shook her head. "You first," she said.

"But-" Adam started.

"Now!" Cinder yelled in an authoritative voice.

Adam was a bit taken aback, but sighed and complied. He checked to make sure the coast was clear, then sprinted through the carnage and out the hole with the others.

The Wendigo clawed at Neptune, who rolled across the ground to evade its claws. One scratched his back as he passed under it, tearing his shirt and eliciting a pained yelp from him. He jumped back to his feet and fired at the Grimm again, making it bellow and once again charge. Neptune dodged the attack once more and allowed the Grimm to ram into a group of people fighting on the far end of the room, killing all four of them instantly. The Wendigo whirled around and opened its ribcage, extending its ribs out like the bloom of a deadly flower, then ran at Mercury, attempting to grab him. Neptune dodged, and began firing his weapon into the void that the ribs had exposed. Electric shocks ran across the Wendigo's body, making it shudder and shake. The ribs clawed again, and a few dug into Neptune's shoulder , yanking sizable pieces of flesh off. Neptune yelled as he clutched his arm, but then saw two bounty hunters, the man with the neck tattoos and Nadir Shiko, rushing to his aid. They each attacked one of the Wendigo's legs, causing the Grimm to fall to its knees, bellowing. Neptune stood straight, readied his weapon, and then charged forward, using the blade to swiftly cut through the Wendigo's neck. The Grimm's skull-like head fell to the ground, the red light gone from its eyes as the rest of its body collapsed.

Cinder watched the Grimm fall, then sprinted to the hole. She jumped over debris and cadavers before leaping through the exit, landing painfully on her chest. She opened her eye and glanced up to see Adam and Emerald, standing with the man and the two girls, waving her outside through a smashed wall. Cinder hurried to her feet and ran to them. As soon as Cinder was close, the man waved all of them along and began to run. Cinder did not know where he was leading them, but followed anyway.

Neptune clutched his shoulder and watched as the remaining bounty hunters executed the rest of the attacking group. Neptune heard wheezing nearby, and looked down to see one of the men who had been part of the group, a pig Faunus, lying dying on a pile of debris with a gunshot wound in his chest. Neptune marched over and slammed his boot down on the man's chest, making him gasp in pain.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

The man showed no expression as blood ran from his mouth. "For Crown… and country…" he wheezed before closing his eyes and dying.

Neptune narrowed his eyes. "Sun's not gonna like this," he muttered angrily.

They ran for a few miles through the abandoned city, slowly making their way northeast. Cinder would continuously check behind her, seeing if they were being followed, but every time she looked back she saw no one. She wished that it would have bee a comfort to see no one trailing them, but it only made her feel even more unease.

The city became even more decrepit and destroyed than even she was used to; there was a large stretch of area with nothing but piles of rubble and a few buildings that looked ready to collapse any moment. She looked behind her again, then looked forward to see the man and the two girls slow to a stop. He gently put Emerald down.

"Are you okay?" Cinder heard him ask Emerald.

"Emerald groaned, but was able to stand straight. "Yeah, I think so," she replied.

The man nodded, then reached down and grabbed something in the rubble pile. He exhaled loudly, then grunted as he lifted what appeared to be a wide metal ring. There was a loud creaking, and both Adam and Cinder scanned the area to make sure it was not alerting any Grimm to their presence. The man groaned as he pulled up a large metal trapdoor, which had been covered by dust and rocks. He huffed as he grabbed its underside and lifted it all the way open, forced to use two hands to support its weight.

The girl in white waved them along, and she and the girl and red hopped down into the square hole in the ground. Emerald glanced down, and Cinder watched as she bent down and began what looked like a descent down a ladder.

Cinder heard the distant screech of a Nevermore and whirled around, trying to see it, but grey clouds had moved in and were covering the sky.

"Cinder, come on," Adam insisted, grabbing her hand and pulling her, still looking to the sky, over to the hole. Adam went first, jumping down onto the ladder. Cinder turned to make eye contact with the man, and saw he was beginning to struggle from holding up the door. She took a deep breath and defended the ladder.

The concrete pit went down about ten feet before Cinder felt more concrete under her boots. She turned around to see inside the hidden bunker.

It was very similar to their old base, except much smaller. It consisted of one large room with monochrome concrete walls, floor, and ceiling, and two smaller rooms shooting off from it. In one of the back rooms was an impressive-looking computer with satellite dishes, poles, and wires surrounding it. The other room had three cots and a framed photograph of a heavyset woman on one of the walls. The main room had a small table and chairs, and several large wooden crates.

Cinder heard the trapdoor slam closed, and ten heard the man's heavy footsteps coming down the metal rungs. She moved deeper into the room to allow him room to come in. Upon reaching the bottom, the man huffed heavily as he pulled out a chair from the table and sat down. He glanced up at Cinder, Adam, and Emerald, who stood close together near the crates. The two girls leaned against the wall next to each other and crossed their arms.

"Please, sit," the man said in between breaths.

"That's okay," Cinder said cautiously. She did not want to offend the man who had saved them, but she was not sure who he was yet and she did not want to risk getting comfortable.

The man nodded. "I understand," he said. "You don't trust us yet. Well, can't say I blame you." He sighed and stood up, minding a crick in his back from hoisting open the door. "I believe introductions are in order." He extended his hand. "Hei Xiong. But everyone just calls me 'Junior'."

Cinder cautiously took his hand and shook it. "I'm-" she began.

"Cinder Fall," Junior interrupted. "I know. And you're Emerald Sustrai," he added, nodding to Emerald and releasing Cinder's hand. He then looked to Adam. "I'm afraid I'm not familiar with you, however."

"Adam Taurus," Adam introduced. When he saw Junior about to say something, he interjected. "Yes, that Adam Taurus. No, I'm not with the White Fang anymore."

"Well, that's good to hear," Junior said. He waved his hand towards the two girls. "Miltia and Melanie Malachite," he introduced, though he neglected to specify which was which.

Cinder raised her eyebrow. "Malachite? Where have I heard that name?"

The two girls lowered their heads, and Junior explained. "You're probably familiar with "Little Miss" Malachite. She was their mother."

"I remember now," Emerald said. "Malachite was a member of the Crown."

"What's the Crown?" Adam asked.

"They were an organization who wanted government reform even before Lord Ozpin took over," Emerald explained. "They were terrorists, really, attacking academies and places of political power to try and force their agenda."

"Oh, is that what you think?" the twin in red shouted, standing upright. "We just saved your life, you ungrateful bitch!"

Junior waved her down, shutting his eyes tight. "Miltia, please," he said, and she backed down.

Cinder glanced over from the girls to Junior. "You mean you guys are-"

Junior nodded and rolled up his sleeve, revealing a brand on his forearm shaped like a small, three-pronged crown. "Yes, we are Crownsmen," he clarified, ruling his sleeve back down.

"So why would you save us?" Cinder asked, on her guard.

Junior sighed and sat back down in his chair. "It's true, the Crown has sought political reform long before Lord Ozpin took over," he said. "And yes, I'll admit that we've done some unsavory things to achieve that. But after Lord Ozpin took over, there was only one government to overthrow: his. He knew that we would fight even harder against him than we had against the original Kingdoms, so he did everything to wipe us out. He sent his Huntsmen and Huntresses to kill any Crownsmen they came across. That's how we lost their mother…" The Malachite twins lowered their heads again. "They would infiltrate and terminate. Eventually, our leaders, Jax and Gillain Asturias, just had us go into hiding until Lord Ozpin thought we were wiped out."

"So what do you want with the Resistance?" Emerald asked.

Junior straighter himself in his chair. "The Asturias twins have, for a while now, wanted to get in touch. They believe we have a common goal, and that's to end Lord Ozpin's tyranny over Remnant. Two high-ranking agents have been a part of your organization for a while now, keeping tabs and helping you out. We wanted to make sure your goals truly aligned with ours and if you needed help to begin with."

"Two agents?" Cinder said, shocked. "Who?"

"Carmine Esclados and Bertilak Celadon," Junior replied.

Cinder sighed. She did not know Carmine and Bertilak as well as she did Tyrian, Watts, and Hazel, but she had no idea they were part of two organizations.

"Honestly, if they hadn't lost communication with you, we would have come in sooner," Junior said. "But that's besides the point. The point is, the Crown and the Resistance may have our differences in how we do things and what our views are, but we have the same goal, and that's to get rid of Lord Ozpin. We're offering a truce, an alliance. We can work together, share our plans and resources, and after Lord Ozpin is taken down, then we can worry about political struggles. What do you say?"

Cinder hesitated. What he said made sense, but she had only known the Crown as terrorists and warmongers, so it was difficult for her to take his word.

"Do Hazel, Tyrian, and Watts know about this?" Cinder asked.

"If everything's going to plan, Carmine and Bertilak should be explaining everything to Hazel and Tyrian now," Junior answered. "Watts already knew. He didn't have the details, but he's the one who's been helping us communicate."

Emerald placed a hand on Cinder's shoulder. "We need to discuss this with Roman and Mercury," she whispered.

Junior heard her. "By all means," he said. "We expected you to be hesitant, it's only natural. We'll help you back to your base, and you can contact Watts when you have an answer. He'll patch you through to us."

Junior slowly stood back up, and pushed the chair back. "But we implore you to stay for the night, at the very least. It's getting dark, and the Grimm will be out in droves come sundown. We don't have any extra cots, but we do have some blankets."

Cinder glanced to her allies, who both returned expressions of uncertainty. She took a deep breath and stepped forward.

"You'll understand why we're not too trusting," Cinder said. "And because of that, you'll understand why we don't exactly trust you to escort us back to our base. We will stay the night, and in the morning, we'll allow you to escort us back to where the bounty hunters captured us in the hopes of retrieving our weapons. We can find our way back from there."

Junior's brow furrowed. "Are you sure? If the bounty hunters are out looking for you, they'll be sure to check there. Your weapons may not even be there anymore."

"We have no choice," Cinder explained. "Those are our only weapons. If you do as we ask, it will help us to better trust you. Once we get back to our base, we'll convene with our allies and contact you with a response within the next forty eight hours. Deal?"

Junior hesitated, but nodded. "Deal," he said. He wandered over to one of the wooden crates and pulled the top off. "Now, let's see if we can get you all something to eat."

Mercury tightened a screw on one of his prosthetic legs. He was feeling better, at least, physically. Mentally and emotionally, he was distraught. Cinder, Emerald, and Adam had not returned, and it was now nighttime. He feared the worst. He would have lashed out angrily if he had the energy.

Roman sat on a chair in the corner of the cold basement, shivering slightly. He was bored and concerned. He gently reached into his pocket and pulled out a small square photograph. He exhaled sadly, a pain in his chest as he looked at the woman staring back at him, her pink and brown eyes seemingly making contact with his.

There was a faint noise from the corner of the room. Both Roman and Mercury sat up to see Salem, wrapped in blankets on the side of the room, rustling restlessly and moaning. Suddenly, she gasped loudly, startling both of the men. She bolted upright, her eyes wild and her muscles tensed.

"Maiden!" she screamed, confused. "Maiden! Maiden! Maiden!"

Mercury, though still weak and sick, stood up and hurried over, careful to not spread his germs over to her. "Roman, go get her medicine," he asked. Roman nodded and hurried to his feet, then hurried over to a pile of supplies in a far corner where the herbs for Salem were kept.

"Maiden!" Salem shouted again before she threw her head back, almost slamming it on the stone floor. Her eyes rolled back, and she began to spasm and shake violently.

Mercury's eyes went wide with panic. "Roman, quick!" he shouted. "I think she's having a seizure!"

Saliva spurted out of the woman's mouth as she shook her head. She mumbled and groaned through the foam, muttering "Grimm… Grimm…" as she did so.

Roman returned with some ground-up herbs and warm water, but set them aside. While medicine would likely help, it was best to try and give it after the seizure ended. Roman crouched over Salem and, gently rolled her onto her side. Mercury bunched up a nearby blanket and placed it under Salem's head so she would not injure herself. Salem spat, then her hands shot out from under her blankets and clawed at her forehead. Here eyes rolled back and she suddenly made eye contact with Mercury.

"Help… me…" she said in a clear, but worried voice. Then her eyes shut and she stopped moving, falling limp to the ground, breathing slowly.

Both Mercury and Roman sat back as Salem slept next to them, saliva still running down her cheek. Roman removed his hat and wiped his brow.

"We'll give her some medicine when she wakes up for water," he said.

Mercury shook his head. "She needs medical attention, especially after a seizure."

"I don't disagree with you," Roman said, "but we don't really have that luxury. And with Cinder and the others not back yet…"

Mercury eyed him. "Torchwick, what are you thinking?"

Roman shook his head. "We can't keep doing this," he said. "We need to give serious thought to maybe letting Salem go."

Mercury frowned angrily. "I thought we'd put this behind us."

Roman placed his hat back on his head. "Kid, we all owe Salem, but we just can't provide for her anymore. If Cinder, Emerald, and Adam don't come back, it's just going to be you and me. And we can't go out looking for supplies and leave her here alone, and we can't stay here and starve. The least we can do for her is put her out of her misery."

Mercury shook his head. "I refuse to believe she's that far gone. Didn't you hear her just now, asking for help?"

Roman made eye contact with Mercury. "What kind of help do you think she's requesting?"

Both men stopped talking and stared at Salem, running through options and plans in their heads.

"Yeah, not doing that," Ruby snapped, putting her hands on her hips.

Lord Ozpin raised an eyebrow. "It's the only way we can ensure the power makes it into your body without any… obstacles."

Ruby frowned. "Fine. But you have to turn around."

Lord Ozpin despised being told what to do, but if it meant getting to the experiment faster, he reluctantly obliged. He turned around, his silver hair and green-clad back turning to Ruby.

The Reaper winced as she glanced down at her red and black outfit. She wore an expression of discomfort as she too reluctantly began following orders. She removed the black cincher around her waist and carefully pulled off her black blouse, skirt, leggings, and boots. She felt especially uneasy removing her signature red cape, even more so than her red undergarments. She piled them messily on the floor, then sighed.

"Alright, Ozzy. Now what?"

"Step into the chamber opposite Vernal," Ozpin instructed, his back still turned. Lie on your back. Knock on the glass when you're ready."

Ruby glanced over at the chamber, still a bit worried for her safety. She would never shake her fear of the risk, but if she wanted power, risks were something she had to take. She took a deep breath and began a steady pace towards the imposing glass cylinder. Her bare feet felt the cold tile underneath them as she approached. The door was a simple pull one with a thin gold handle. She gripped it and swung it open. A metallic odor drifted from the chamber. Taking another deep breath, Ruby slowly stepped up inside the pod, turning so her back was on the metal sheet within. She grabbed the door as she backed into the machine, pulling it closed. There was a metallic click as it secured, and suddenly all Ruby could hear was her own heavy breathing and rapid heartbeat. The white noise from the room was silenced. There was no draft. It was all very still. The metal was cold on her bare back. Ruby reached down with her left hand and covered her bare genitals, then used her right hand to firmly rap on the chamber glass before reaching her right arm over her breasts and covering them.

Lord Ozpin heard the faint knocking and turned around. He looked once to ensure Ruby was in the pod securely, and she scowled at him. Lord Ozpin showed no interest in her outside of his passing glance, and began pressing buttons on a panel next to the machine. Ruby watched him closely, her eyes occasionally darting over to the woman lying comatose in the other pod.

Lord Ozpin turned the machine on, and it hummed to life with hot air being expelled from hidden vents. Ruby could not hear the machine turn on, but felt the thin air around her begin to move.

The tubes that connected the two pods began to glow a dark amber color. Vernal screamed and began to shake, still not regaining consciousness. The glowing power in the tubes moved its way over to Ruby's pod. She felt the metal on her back begin to heat up. Suddenly, a current of what felt like lightning shot through her body. Ruby forgot covering herself up as she seized into a rigid position, her arms at her lies with her hands gripped into fists. Every muscle, every vein, every cell, every atom of her body felt like it was on fire. Ruby gritted her teeth in pain, grinding them before even she, the Reaper, could take no more. She slammed her eyes shut and opened her mouth, screaming louder than she had ever before as the burning pain engulfed not only her entire body, but seemingly her entire black soul as well. Images of death and darkness ran through her mind, but they were not ones that would appeal to her sick sense of comfort. She saw blood, whose she could not say. She saw the bloody bodies of women, and what appeared to be two dragons circling the moon. They all came to her so quickly, and she was in so much agony she could not even begin to interpret them. Another jolt passed through her body, somehow even more painful than the last. Ruby screamed again, even louder.

Jaune rose, checking his Scroll. "It's time for the mission," he said to Pyrrha. He extended his hand.

Pyrrha gripped it and allowed him to help her stand. "I'm getting bored of waiting anyway. I'm sure Lord Ozpin of all people can handle himself."

Jaune nodded as they turned and began to walk down the hallway. Before they got far, both of them heard what sounded like a faint screaming. Jaune turned around.

"What was that?" he asked.

Lord Ozpin slammed a leaver on the panel down, and the machine quickly quieted. The glowing in the tubes dissipated, and the occupants of both pods fell limp. A small bit of blood ran from the corner of Vernal's mouth as her head slumped over.

Ruby lay unmoving in the pod, her body limp and with no signs of life. Her chest was not even moving to signify her breathing. Lord Ozpin pressed a button, and the lock on her chamber door clicked, and the door slowly opened. Hot air rushed out of the pod, but Ruby did not move.

"Miss Rose?" Lord Ozpin said nonchalantly. "Did you survive?" Ruby lay motionless.

Lord Ozpin shrugged his shoulders. "Well, back to testing," he remarked. He turned his back and began to walk away. He only made it a few steps before he heard it.

Ruby's eyes shot open, and a flash of light illuminated her vision. She bolted up, gasping for air, with hints of a muffled scream on the end of her grasp to life. Lord Ozpin turned around and saw the young girl, naked and sitting up in the chamber, panting heavily. Sweat ran down her body. Her entire body pulsed with each heavy breath she took. Most noticeably, however, were her eyes. Her irises were unmistakably glowing silver, almost reflective. Shimmering silver energy pulsed through them, traces of it even seeming to leave her eyes and evaporate in the air.

"You survived," Lord Ozpin commented calmly.

Ruby's eyebrows dropped as her silver eyes glared over at him. "I…" she struggled to say between pants, "… refuse… to die… so easily…" In defiance, she sat up and got on her feet. Her legs shook in pain and weakness beneath her, but she pushed through it. No pain would ever equate what she had just experienced, so it barely phased her. She stumbled forward, catching her balance at the last moment. She stood straight, her head spinning and heart pounding. She glanced around the room, mouth ajar. Her vision seemed brighter, and she could sense things in the dark… dark things, Grimm… surrounding her but at a distance. She blinked, and suddenly her vision was normal again. She could still feel the Grimm's presence. She closed her eyes tightly and concentrated, and opened them again to again find her vision engulfed in silvery light. She focused on the presences around her, then concentrated again. The silver energy pulsed outward, and Ruby could see it burst through the air like silver flames. It lingered, burning and evaporating off of her very being, and the Grimm answered its call.

Spider and Beetle Grimm emerged from the Darkness, chittering and squeaking evilly. They crawled over to Ruby. Those on the ground began climbing up her legs, and Spiders lowered themselves from black web lines above her, dropping onto her shoulders and back. A small baby Ravager flew over and perched on her shoulder. Soon, dozens of small Grimm were scurrying over her nude body, not attacking. Ruby felt the sensation of their small sharp legs tap and wander over her skin, but did not react. They swarmed her in obedience. She held out her hand, and a small Spider Grimm crawled into her palm. It stared at her with its eight red eyes, its fangs and mandibles twitching. Ruby cocked her head and observed it.

"I…" she said in an almost whimsical voice, "…have surpassed you." She then snapped her hand closed and crushed the Grimm in her grip.