Another day, another chapter. Hope you all enjoyed last week and that this chapter will satisfy. First though, review response time. Guest; while interesting, unlikely to happen. Even if the plot was different, Reaper doesn't strike me as the romantic type. OutlastTheDark; the relationships where the two hate each others guts tend to work the best. And Overwatch lore is actually pretty neat, definitely recommend checking it out. Also, hype for May 24th release date! Now, on with the show!
WARNING- Slight Volume Three Spoilers in this chapter!
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Chapter 15- The Plot Thickens
Cinder paced quickly around the room, her eyes glancing subtly to the door every so often. She did not trust Emerald and Mercury to be clean with the execution of their mission, so she had sent Neo to shadow them. And she was not pleased with what she had reported. The retrieval had been a complete mess, and worst of all they had failed to eliminate the targets. They had been seen, their position potentially compromised. Neo had also confirmed that one of the hostiles had been the one from the warehouse, which was troubling news by itself.
She would have to deal with Emerald and Mercury when they returned, now she had another matter to deal with.
Cinder closed her eyes, letting herself slip into unconsciousness. Darkness dominated both her vision and her mind, the smothering shadows wrapping round her like a blanket. When she felt the shadows subside, she opened her eyes. The room she had been occupying was now covered in a thick layer of darkness, tinted a deep red colour. The world was a haze, nothing seemed as it should be there. Then a figure exited one of the many darkened corners of the room, standing tall above her. Looking up, she saw that the figure was featureless, yet was evidently female judging from its form. The only distinguishable feature were their eyes, a blood red colour that sent shivers down her spine. Slowly, Cinder knelt down on the floor, dipping her head low as the figure watched..
"What do you ask of me, Mistress?" Cinder asked, lifting her head as she looked at the figure before her.
"What troubles you Cinder?" the figure asked, tilting her head as she sauntered towards Cinder. "Are the Maiden's powers taking their toll?"
"No, Mistress." Cinder replied, wincing slightly as she felt the rage of the Maidens power rise slightly in her body, attempting to break free and rejoin the second half. She truly hoped that the other half of the powers were taking their toll on the Maiden. "The Maidens powers are not what trouble me."
"Then what is it?" the figure asked, curiosity laced in her words.
"It is the matter of this...Reaper." Cinder seethed, clenching her hands slightly as she mentioned the offending party. "He has thrown all of our plans into chaos! He's ruined years of planning!"
"I am well aware of this Reaper you speak of," the figure replied, her tone passive as it always was. "And you are to leave him be."
"M-mistress?" Cinder asked, her eyes wide with shock. Surely she had misheard, surely she saw the threat the Reaper posed.
"As I have stated, the Reaper is to be left alone." the figure repeated, causing Cinder to simply stare in shock. "Is there a problem?"
"Mistress, this Reaper is ruining our plans and you want us to just let him be?" Cinder queried, tilting her head questioningly. "Surely you understand the threat he poses?"
"I do, and it is for that reason you are to leave him be." the figure answered, her eyes narrowing when she saw the shocked expression turn to one of anger. "Do you question my judgement?"
"With all due respect, the Reaper must be taken care of before he proves too much of a problem!" Cinder stated, meeting the figures glare with one of her own. "Allow me to deal with him! I can make him wish he'd never set foot in Beacon! I can-"
"No!" the figure interrupted, her voice stern and authoritative. "The Reaper is nothing like you have ever faced! His power is beyond you!"
"He is just a man..." Cinder muttered, an orb of fire hovering over her now open palm. "...and all men break eventually."
"He is no man, he is neither living nor dead...but something else entirely." the figure warned, the flame resting on Cinder's palm extinguishing almost immediately. "Were you to face him in your current state, even with your allies, you would surely fall."
"Do you doubt my skill?" Cinder asked, her glare intensifying slightly.
"No, but I do not underestimate his..." the figure replied, causing Cinder's glare to subside. "My decision is final, do not engage without my permission. Am I understood?"
Cinder clenched her fists yet again, her eyes narrowing slightly before she relinquished her grip, letting her fingers unfurl as he arms went still. "Yes, Mistress..."
"Good," the figure replied, gesturing for Cinder to stand. "Now rise my faithful servant, for we have much to do."
"What would you have me do?" Cinder asked, standing as the figure paced the room in a similar fashion to what she had done only minutes ago.
"You are right about one thing, the Reaper HAS thrown our plans into chaos." the figure murmured, stopping in her tracks to face Cinder. "It is best that you and your allies lay low for the time being. I will contact you when the time to strike is nigh."
"Understood," Cinder replied, bowing her head slightly before looking up to face the figure. "If I may ask...what if the Reaper engages us?"
The figure stopped, turning to face Cinder with narrowed eyes, as if deciding herself what to do in such a scenario. "If you are able, convince him to put aside his goals and join you...he could be an invaluable asset." the figure finally replied, her form beginning to slink away into the shadows as the conversation came to a close. "Otherwise, pray that you live to speak of your encounter..."
Light suddenly entered Cinder's vision, causing her to close her eyes in an attempt to shield them. When next she opened them, her vision was no longer coated in the darkness that once dominated the room. Sighing, she quickly took out her Scroll, typing a few commands as she contacted both Emerald and Mercury.
"Cinder, we got some intel on the Reaper!" Emeralds voice crackled through, sounding over joyous about the news. "We're headed back to your position so we can see what this bastard can-"
"That won't be necessary any more, we do not need the information any longer." Cinder interrupted, her gaze still steadfast when the thief and assassin replied.
"Wait...what?" Emerald asked, her voice evidently portraying her confusion.
"Are you kidding me?! I lost a foot to get this intel!" Mercury's voice shouted, causing Cinder to roll her eyes.
"The plan has changed, as has our mission." Cinder replied, causing the thief and assassin to murmur in confusion. "I will tell more when you return."
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Ruby sighed as she stared out the window, the sky beginning to darken already. Turning round, she eyed the clock, groaning in slight annoyance at the time displayed. 8:00PM, hours before she would normally be in the dorm on a weekend night.
After the discovery of Team GRCE's bodies on site, Ozpin had officially enacted a curfew on Beacon grounds. All students were allowed outside their dorms between the times of 7:00AM and 5:00PM. No students were allowed outside their dorms outside those hours unless they had been given special permission.
Ruby turned to face the rest of her Team, to see how they were passing the time. Weiss was cleaning Myrtenaster, the blade having gotten dirty during a combat exercise earlier that day. Blake had finally taken a break from investigating the Reaper, now reading a small book on her bed. Yang meanwhile was taking a well earned nap after all the hours of research she had been doing, not having bothered changing out of her casual attire.
"I don't like this..." Ruby muttered, turning to face the window once again and stare into the night.
"What are you talking about?" Weiss asked, turning away from her blade to face Ruby.
"The idea of being cooped up like this." Ruby replied, causing Blake to turn away from her book and stare at the red hooded Huntress. "I just feel like this is what they want..."
"What do you mean?" Blake asked, narrowing her eyes slightly.
"Think about it, we're all confined to our dorms with no way out." Ruby explained, earning worried stares from Blake and Weiss. "I can't help but feel like this is what he wanted, for us to be trapped with no where to go."
"Like fish in a barrel?" Blake asked, the worry on her face easily matching the tone of her voice.
Ruby simply nodded in response, causing both the Heiress and the Faunus to look at one another in slight concern. Ruby's Scroll suddenly buzzed to life, causing Yang to suddenly wake up in response.
"Wha-what happened?" Yang asked, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as she yawned loudly. "Did we win?"
"What are you talking about?" Weiss asked, crossing her arms over her chest as she raised an eyebrow. When she received only a shrug from Yang in response, the Heiress turned her attention to Ruby who was now looking at the Scroll.
"Its Jaune..." Ruby muttered, picking the Scroll up as she accepted the call. "Hey Jaune, what's up?"
"Ruby, is everyone with you?" Jaune asked, his tone almost hushed as if aware someone was listening.
"Yeah, Teams all here. That a problem?" Ruby queried, tilting her head suspiciously.
"No, but I think I found something important..." Jaune murmured, causing Ruby's eyes to widen in shock.
"All right, putting you on loud speaker!" Ruby replied, pressing a button on the Scroll before setting it on the table for all to listen.
"What's up, Vomit Boy?" Yang asked, jumping from the top bunk of the bed and landing with a soft thud.
"We've been looking up those Gabriel and Morrison guys, and I think I found something important." Jaune replied, but not before sighing at Yangs nickname for him.
"What is it?" Blake asked, leaning forward slightly as she spoke.
"Apparently some time before the graduation, they had a fight. A big one too." Jaune replied, the sound of typing following shortly after.
"What type of fight?" Weiss asked, stroking her chin subtly.
"Like an argument, except it almost escalated to a no bars duel."
"What were they fighting about?" Ruby asked, tilting her head slightly.
"No one is certain, but if I were to guess, something to do with Overwatch." Jaune answered, though not after a short silence.
"What makes you think that?" Blake asked, her eyes narrowing with confusion.
"Apparently, Gabriel had been obsessed with Overwatch's shut down. My guess, he found something he didn't like." Jaune once again answered, before he sighed loudly. "I'm starting to think maybe Ren was right and that maybe Ozpin has something to do with Overwatch shutting down."
"Seems a little cloak and dagger for him though don't you think?" Yang defended, entering the conversation yet again. "Plus, Ozpin doesn't strike me as the guy who frames his opposition."
"Maybe," Jaune agreed, the sound of shuffling following close behind. "But it's all we got so far and-"
Jaune suddenly fell silent as the sound of glass smashing echoed around the room, causing both Teams to look around in panic.
"What was that?" Blake asked, looking around as she attempted to discern where the noise came from.
"I...I don't know!" Jaune stuttered, his own Team looking around as well in their own Dorm.
A scream of both pain and fear followed shortly, followed by the sound of metal cutting into flesh as the scream suddenly cut off.
"Please don't tell me that's who I think it is..." Weiss whimpered, holding Myrtenaster out with a trembling hand.
"Okay...we won't..." Yang murmured, activating Ember Celica seconds later.
"Look!" Ruby shouted, pointing out the window. When the rest of her Team looked, they all gasped.
Lying on the floor was the broken body of a student, a pool of blood forming beneath him. Seconds later, a stream of black mist landed next to him, quickly taking the form of the Reaper.
"It's him!" Blake whispered, her eyes narrowed into slits.
The Reaper looked around, his gaze stopping as he locked eyes with RWBY. Standing up straight, the Reaper leaned forward slightly and slid his thumb over his neck from left to right before bolting off into the night.
"He's getting away!" Ruby shouted, pounding her hands on the glass window.
"Not if we can help it!" Yang replied, quickly punching the window and shattering it. "Come on!"
"Ruby, we do this, we might not make it..." Weiss warned, pulling Ruby back slightly as the hooded Huntress attempted to clamber out the window.
"I know...but we have to try." Ruby replied, earning a nod from Weiss in return. "Jaune, get the rest of JNPR, we're going after the Reaper!"
"What?! Are you crazy?!" Jaune shouted, clearly stressed out by the whole situation. "He catches you, he'll kill you!"
"Alone, probably. Just us four, maybe. But together we might stand a chance." Ruby pleaded, staying silent as she awaited Jaune's response.
"All right, we'll catch up as soon as possible!" Jaune sighed, then the call went silent as he hung up.
"All right then ladies..." Yang shouted, twisting her head to the left as she felt the bones pop. "Let's go beat the crap out of this guy."
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Sorry if the chapter was short, but next week is going to be big. The first fight between RWBY, JNPR and the Reaper. Liked it? Leave a review and constructive criticism is welcomed. Any questions? Either PM me or leave in a review and I'll answer next chapter.
Raging Archon out.
