At the top of the domed roof of the Hunter-Professor Faculty Complex, the girl holding the parasol stared with a grin at Ruby Rose, who stood far away and outside of the Cafeteria, holding her Crescent Rose with warning as petals continued to fill the air below. The heat from molten glass littered the campus, freshmen and junior students panicking and looking for shelter, some preparing their arms. As her long hair, divided in two colors of pink and black, blew against the wind, she pointed the end of her parasol - the name, Hush, carved with golden calligraphy into its base - down at at the soon-to-be Huntress, a machine gun barrel protruding from it, ready to fire at any moment. But, she felt a vibration in her pocket, a call coming into her communication Scroll, the portable device produced by Atlas and used by all Hunters on the field for easy distance contact. She rolled her eyes, loosening her grip and allowing Hush to fall to her side, removing her Scroll from her pocket. She answered the call, placing it close to her ear.
"What the hell happened?" she heard Roman complain from the other end, and she shrugged in reply.
"One minute I'm enjoying a nice drink, and the next thing, I hear explosions and screaming. Really puts a shiv in my time off, my 'me' time. Where are you, Neo?"
She placed the Scroll in both hands, sending a message to answer before placing it back to her ear.
"Oh, I see. Made it then? Shit, I swear that bitch wants to blow our cover."
Neo sent another text, then listened.
"No, No, No! Get out of there! I'm glad you found the little brat, but we'll deal with her later. Damn it! Guess we have no choice."
Neo rolled her eyes again, then looked down at the campus grounds, where the Valiant spotted her location, aiming their weapons at her and speaking through a microphone, "You have ten seconds to comply. Get down from the complex and face justice, and you might live."
As the countdown began, she listened in on the other side of the Scroll.
"Just activate the bomb already! Gods, can anything go our way?"
The countdown reached its end, and Neo held up her Scroll for those below to see, pressing a button on its side. Then, the ground began to quake, students their losing balance, distracting Ruby for a moment.
Neo placed the Scroll back to her ear.
"Their defenses aren't as good as they think. Just hurry up and get the goods, then get back to base. I'll have your favorite ice cream waiting! Chow!"
Ruby brought her eyes back to Neo once she regained her posture. She waved down at her, placing the Scroll back into her pocket, then smiled as she jumped backwards and down from the rooftop, disappearing from view of the authorities.
"Hey, get back here!" Ruby screamed. "Who are you!? Where's Cinder!?"
Just as she was about to make chase, the marble floor of Beacon's walkway began to crumble. The Valiant, Professors and senior students alike gathered around in preparation for a threat. As the ground caved into itself, the walkways fell apart, revealing passageways hidden underneath the academy. Terrifying beasts emerged from within, climbing, jumping, and crawling up from the depths. They were giant wolf-like beings with skull masks painted carved with red; they had sharp fangs that were ready to devour, and they spread through the campus like a wildfire. They towered over any human, possessed the strength to tear through metallic walls, and their saliva dripped from their mouths and burned like acid through nearly anything. These were the terrifying beasts of Grimm known as the Ursai, creatures of the dark wild that roamed the barren lands of Remnant.
Ruby had seen these beasts before, but never as many in such a closed spaces. She watched briefly in horror as they ripped through scared civilians swiftly, charging into those who fled in groups. The experienced Hunters on campus managed to fend them off well, but struggled to defend others. The bullets fired from the Valient's weapons were useless, the monster's forms absorbing them without damage. With such a sudden eruption of chaos, it seemed as if the masses of Grimm would never end. But, Ruby had a trick up her sleeve, a weapon that would change the odds in ways that no other Huntress could.
"I know I'm not supposed to do this in public mom, but..." an even greater storm of rose petals formed around her, and she closed her eyes as she held Crescent Rose firmly in her hands. "...HERE I GO!"
She opened her eyes, silver wings of light shooting out of the sides of her lids, streams of white flowing against her face. Her irises faded away, and her hair was pushed back against the force of her light wings that beat against the wind. Then, she tossed her cape around her body, transforming herself into a wave of rose petals, which flew through the air at great speed, approaching an Ursai nearby. When she was close enough, she returned to her normal form, looking the beast directly in its face. It lifted its arm, ready to claw her into pieces; but, her eyes glowed brighter, and she readied her weapon.
"HUUUUUH!" her eyes strobed in the face of the Grimm, and it screamed in agony as its body began to decay. Without even thinking, she slashed her scythe into its jaw, her entire body spinning into the blow, slicing through the head completely, until its head was cut in half, and its body turned into a puddle of Grimmsang.
She wasted no time, transforming back into her rose form, darting above the caved ground to Grimm-after-Grimm, her eyes flashing brighter and weakening the pack, slicing through their numbers, until nearly half of them were gone.
Not far away, Weiss Schnee watched, fending off an Ursai of her own outside the cafeteria and dodging shards of glass on her heels. As she summoned circular glyphs at the end of her sword, firing shards of ice into her opponent's body, she paid some attention to Ruby. She was fascinated by her Semblance, amazed that rose petals reached even her location from such a distance. When her enemy was down on its knees, its skull cracked from bombarding ice, she dashed forward and stabbed it through a hole in its mask. The monster dissipated in screams, its Grimmsang falling to the floor.
"What is that Semblance?" she said to herself, letting her guard down, comfortable with the amount of Grimm that had fallen due to Ruby's interference. As she watched her spin in the air with her Crescent Rose, her eyes shining, white wings lifting her upward, her feet barely ever touching ground, Weiss began to wonder where she had heard of such a power before. "Is that...Silver Eyes? It can't be." She watched a single rose petal fall between her feet. It dug into the marble, cracking it open, until a small bouquet of blooming roses grew from underneath. "What...is this?"
Finally, with one final slash of Crescent Rose, the last Grimm fell, Ruby Rose dropping from the air and to her knees at the center of the destroyed grounds. The students began to settle their fears, the professors and the Valiant helping calm the crowd. Suddenly, there was clapping, then cheering, the sound of screams and horror replaced with a triumphant roar. But, Ruby ignored all of it; despite the noise all around her, she kept her attention to herself.
A professor walked up to her, grabbed her hand, and helped her return to her feet. "That was brilliant young girl, simply brilliant, what a show!" He spoke a little too quickly for her to gather everything he was saying, especially through the commotion about. "Never thought I'd see the day, a student at Beacon, with Silver Eyes. You must've just discovered it! You must be a senior, yes that's it, but I've never seen you around before, no, not at all. I'm professor Oobleck, young lady, now what might your name be?"
As the rose petals dropped to the ground, blooming flowers on the floors and walls of the campus, Ruby regained her consciousness. Her eyes were completely turned to silver, and she stared blankly into nothing as she answered, "Well, actually, I'm not a student yet..." she laughed lightly.
From the dense surrounding student body, Glynda Goodwitch, the Headmistress of Beacon, stepped into the fray, power in her stride as she walked in her heels. Beside her was Headmaster Ozpin, spinning his trusted cane in one hand. They stopped in front of a chasm in the ground, and Ozpin smashed his cane into the dirt, sending a shock wave into the soil strong enough to distract everyone.
"Calm down!" he demanded, all eyes upon him.
Ms. Goodwitch held her wand in the air, sparkling lights floating around it, and the debris scattered about the campus began to levitate. First, the broken glass lifted off of the ground and flew into the air, returning to its place, repairing the nearby windows of almost every building in an instant. Then, the collapsed floor began to close, the marble walkway coming back together. As Remnant shook under them, the students watched as all of the destruction they had witnessed reversed in time, eventually returning to shape, as if nothing had occurred in the last few minutes at all.
"Thank you, Ms Goodwitch." Ozpin said. "I'll meet you at the auditorium." Glynda bowed her head, then left the area to attend to her duties. The students, Hunters, and Valiant gathered near him to listen as he prepared a statement. "There is good reason to celebrate this moment. After all, it is more proof to show the world what you Hunters and Huntresses are capable of. Still, we must be mindful. Officer." He addressed a Valiant enforcer nearby, who saluted to him. "Some of the civilians have fled in a panic. Find them and assess the injuries. Make sure to give them the medicine they need to calm their nerves."
"Yes, Headmaster." the man bowed, signalling a squad of enforcers to his side, and running to others parts of the campus, seeking survivors.
"As for you students," He crossed his hands over his cane, looking in all directions as he addressed them, "sophomores to seniors, go to your dorms. Their will be no classes today. Freshmen, don't think this little event has postponed your orientation. I will be at the Auditorium in half an hour. I expect all of you to be there. You are dismissed!"
Immediately, the students scrambled, and the professors left the area. Somehow, he managed to control the student body's energy, to make it seem as though all was well. The disaster that had taken place left everyone's minds, like a distant memory.
"Headmaster!" an enforce gained his attention. "I just got a call from the Shopping District. A Dust store was robbed clean. Looks like they took advantage of the situation. The boys are looking into it now."
Ozpin scowled, but gave no reply.
Ruby stumbled toward him through the masses, walking in an uneven pattern until she stopped in front of him, staring blankly, "Hi Ozpin! Could I have some help getting to the Auditorium? I've been lost since I got here." she grinned and shrugged.
Ozpin stared into her eyes, seeing emptiness, "Young Summer...Ruby. Are you blind?"
Her head looked to the side, "Mostly. It happens, but it'll wear off eventually. I can only see Aura's, and Grimm, but its not easy. There's no way I can get to orientation on time like this." she frowned.
"Hey!" Jaune yelled from nearby, sprinting next to Ruby, bending over with his hands on his knees as he caught his breath. "I lost you back there. I mean...Oh man...actually, I ran away! I'm sorry, but I saw what you did. That was incredible!"
Ruby titled her head and giggled, "Thanks. It was nothing."
Ozpin looked at them and grinned, "Seems you're not going to be able to hide your Silver Eyes for long, little Summer. Its a powerful weapon against Grimm, as it damages their soul, destroys them from the inside. But..."
Ruby interrupted, "I know, it can hurt people pretty badly too."
Ozpin continued, "That's right. With enough control, it can disable Semblances, destroy Auras, or even trap someone's soul in the spirit world."
Ruby replied, "Well, I'm more worried about them finding out I'm a Branwen."
Jaune exclaimed, "You're a Branwen! That's amazing!"
Ozpin laughed, "There's one. Well, not everyone will react so positively, I understand. The Branwen Tribe has stirred much trouble for the Kingdom, especially as of late. Sooner or later, you'll have to stop hiding, little Summer..." he scratched his cheek. "I mean...Ruby."
"You really miss my mom, huh?"
Ozpin answered after a long pause, "She was partially responsible for making this academy possible. A true Huntress at heart. We all miss her." He tapped his cane on the ground. "No more time. Coco!" He called out to a student walking by, bullet sleeves and clips covering her person, wearing sunglasses and coffee shaded clothes, along with a beret over her short black hair.
She walked up to him and saluted, "Yes Headmaster?"
Ozpin turned to her and said, "You're very familiar with campus at this point, I'm sure. Please, guide these two students to the Auditorium. Ms. Ruby is blinded and this young man seems lost."
Coco bowed, agreeing to the task, "Will do!"
Coco grabbed Ruby's hand, startling her as she pulled her towards the campus.
"Hey, wait!" Jaune began to follow them.
Ozpin smiled as he watched them leave. Soon, he stepped away from the grounds, prepared for a speech for the year's freshmen at Beacon Academy.
...
"Guess this is it." Jaune said, walking next to Ruby in the moderately-sized Auditorium, filled with freshmen students standing before the speakers platform, and oddly no chairs. The wall on the stage behind the podium bore the emblem of Beacon Academy, a silhouette of Beacon Tower. Glynda Goodwitch waited patiently next to the podium for Ozpin to arrive.
Coco, Ruby and Jaune's junior guide, waved her hand and walked away when she was done dealing with them, "See ya."
"Ruby!" Yang yelled from the freshmen body.
"Yang!" Ruby replied, still unable to see through her recovering eyes. "I gotta go. See you after the orientation!"
"Hey, wait!" Jaune reached out, but Ruby went to her sister before he could get a word in. "Great, where else am I going to find nice, quirky girl to talk to! Oh, hey!" He stepped aside when he saw a potential friend, a young red headed student behind him smirking as he moved away.
Yang opened her arms as her sister came to her, hugging her tightly when in range until her back cracked. "Oh, sis, I was worried about you! I heard what happened. Are you okay?" Yang placed her back on the ground. "You went and blinded yourself again!"
Ruby smiled, "Yeah, sis, I'm alright." her sight was starting to return, and she could see a hazy image of Yang's face. She winced when she spotted fuzzy red marks all over her cheeks face. "What's that on your face?"
Yang rubbed her thumb over her cheek, then looked down to see lip stick smudged on it. "For the God's sake! You have no idea Ruby." She rubbed her face clean of multiple kiss marks. "I've made way too many friends. I've been invited to the Beauty Club, the Sports Club, the Bath Club, the Dance Club, the Signs-That-Have-Words-Too-Small-To-Read Club, and tonight have a date at the Junior Club!"
Ruby responded, "Wow, that's a lot of clubs. You're so popular and you've only been here for a few hours! Great job, sis!"
"Yeah, but honestly, I have a funny feeling about all of it. Can't let the opportunity to get to know some people slip by though. So, what have you been up to, sis?"
"You mean since I exploded this girl." Ruby answered.
Yang replied, "Wow, Meltdown already, huh?"
"No, literally Yang. I burned her."
"Ummm ..."
"She was very angry." Ruby tapped her fingers together in embarrassment.
"Are you being sarcastic?"
"I wish. I tripped over this crabby girl's luggage."
As Ruby spoke, Weiss Schnee walked quietly behind her and listened, fury in her face.
"I tried to say hi, and she yelled at me, and I tried to help, but then my eyes blew up, and her Dust exploded and I was REALLY sorry, and then she yelled at me again, and I just wanted her to stop yelling at me. Her scar made it extra scary."
Weiss threw her arms down, and screamed, "YOU!"
"AH!" Ruby jumped away, her back hitting her sister's chest. "It's Happening Again!"
Yang gritted her teeth, 'Oh Gods, you really exploded this girl."
"I'm sorry!" Ruby yelled, catching the attention of some of the surrounding freshmen.
"Look!" Weiss held up a pamphlet with the words 'Dust for Dummies' on the front, a picture of a dumbfounded looking Hunter on the cover.
"I can't see anything...what is that?"
Weiss suddenly spoke with a professional tone, "The Schnee Dust Company is not responsible for injuries or damages sustained while operating a Schnee Dust Company product. Although not mandatory, the Schnee Family highly encourages their customers to read and familiarize themselves with..."
Ruby's was overwhelmed, Schnee's words blending together and sounding more like a chalk board being scratched as her focus faded away.
"thiseasytofollowguidetoDustapplicationsandpracticesinthefield!"
"uhh..." Ruby didn't know what to say.
Weiss pushed the pamphlet closer to her face, "You really want to start making things up to me?"
Ruby nodded her head with a worried look, "Absolutely."
Weiss smacked the pamphlet into Ruby's hand.
"Ouch."
"Then read this," She pushed her face uncomfortably close to Ruby's, "and don't speak to me ever again!"
Yang interrupted while patting her sister's shoulders, "It looks like you two just got off on the wrong foot. Why don't you start over and try to be friends again?"
As Weiss stepped away, Ruby smiled and said, "You're right, Yang, that's a great idea." she moved forward, unsure of exactly where Weiss was, keeping her hands behind her back. "Hello, Weiss! I'm Ruby! Wanna hang out. We can go shopping for school supplies!"
"Oh, yeah!" Weiss smiled sarcastically and shook her chest and knees. "We can paint our nails, and try on clothes, and talk about CUTE BOYS," she pointed at Jaune at the other side of the Auditorium, "LIKE TALL, BLONDE, AND SCRAGGLY OVER THERE!"
Ruby fluttered her hands with joy, "Wow, Really?!"
Weiss paused and blinked several times before answering, "No."
She pranced away, and Ruby held her head down with a frown, "Oh...she doesn't like me at all Yang..."
"Give her time." her sister replied. "Hey, look, the speech is about to start."
Ozpin stepped onto the stage and behind the podium, all freshmen watching him and Glynda Goodwitch. They stood among a room of anticipating, anxious, and hopeful students in search of a dream, the dream of becoming a Hunter. They all came for different reasons, but shared one purpose; a burning desire to fight the forces of darkness, and to bring prosperity to themselves and their loved one.
He tapped the mic in front of him, passing a sound check, and began his address.
"I'll ... keep this brief, as it has been a hectic morning for all of you. Many of you have traveled far, in search of knowledge, of purpose, of a new path, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you likely plan to dedicate your life to protecting others or yourselves."
Suddenly, he paused, a vision of something at the door of the Auditorium appearing to him. It was a deer gleaming with light, staring at him, then turning its head away, disappearing into the walls. He blinked, realizing it was an illusion. He lifted his hands from the podium for a moment, then placed them back when he regained his senses. He glanced over the room, Glynda watching carefully and with concern.
"But ... I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy. In need of purpose, of direction." His tone changed to sternness.
The students began to whisper to one another, confused over the Headmaster's demeanor.
"You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step. It is up to you to decide what you will do with it. Your destiny, the fate of mankind, is in your hands..."
He looked down and stared at the podium, sighing before he backed away from the stage, and left the auditorium through an emergency exit.
Ruby rubbed her eyes, her vision becoming clearer as she recovered, "Is it just me, or did he sound kind of spaced out?"
Yang leaned to the side, and whispered, "Yeah...weird."
Glynda Goodwitch stepped in front of the podium and took over the address. "This meeting has served both as a general orientation and as a welcoming ceremony. The boys will gather in the Observatory and the girls will go to the Ballroom to sleep for the night. I hope you packed your sleepwear. Your initiation begins tomorrow; you will gather at the Beacon Cliffside above Emerald Forest. Goodnight."
Glynda Goodwitch walked off of the stage in a hurry, chasing the Headmaster and leaving the students behind.
As the freshmen left the Auditorium in confusion, Yang held Ruby's hand and walked her outside, "C'mon, sis, let's go clothes shopping. I'll find you some nice red pajamas."
"Okay, Yang. I'd like that."
Ruby adjusted Crescent Rose on her back against her ammo belt, and they stepped outside, ready for their new beginning.
...
Night had come, and the young freshmen of Beacon Academy gathered in their respective areas to rest. Ruby and Yang sat on the floor of the Ballroom - the girl's area - beside each other on their futons, surrounded by many students. Yang wore her brown shorts and a tank top, while Ruby wore her newly purchased pink pajamas with tiny strawberries sewn into them, and a tank top as well. Her sight had finally recovered, so she could could continue gaining familiarity with the campus and its many locations. Crescent Rose and Ember Celica, the sister's primary weapons, rested by their side. The room was dimly lit, perfect for sleep, and most who spoke did so very quietly, considering the female enforcers waiting by the doors that executed a strict quiet policy.
Ruby crossed her legs on her futon, feeling uncomfortable with her attire, "Yang, I don't get why we cant just sleep in our underwear. I don't like this."
"We're not in the woods anymore, sis." Yang stood from her bed. "Some of the folks here think its rude we're not even wearing slippers."
Ruby pointed at a group of students who wore loose sleepwear from the Kingdom of Mistral, "But, look at them, they're practically already in their underwear. How am I supposed to sleep like this!?"
"I've been to the city more times than you, sis." Yang replied, walking to a window next her bed. "It's something you just have to get used to. I think they call it customs, or something like that. Doesn't matter to me, I won't be sleeping tonight anyway." She stared intently through the window. "I have to go to this Junior Club. Supposed to meet with these girls called the Malachite Sisters. I hear they're a pretty hot topic in this school. Maybe I can make some connections."
She was silent for awhile, and Ruby asked, "What are you looking at?"
Yang smiled, staring through a window outside of the opposing observatory building, where boys of various build and stature roamed around shirtless, talking, drinking and playing games, "Oh, I just see some food from next door. Looks Yummy."
Suddenly, she saw Jaune wearing a bunny-shaped pajama suit. He spotted Yang staring at him from afar and he waved, proceeding to dance.
"Yuck." Yang turned away and walked back to her futon. "Suddenly lost my appetite."
Ruby noticed a familiar face sitting down on a bag chair between two end tables in the Ballroom. It was the fierce looking Faunus girl that defended her against crabby Weiss at the entrance of Beacon, eating snack pellets for Faunus students in one hand and reading a book in another.
Yang saw her glancing at the girl and asked, "Do you know her?"
Ruby stood and replied, "Yeah, she helped me when I was getting yelled at. I'm going over there to talk to her."
Ruby approached the girl, Yang following waved and stopped close enough for casual conversation.
"Hi, nice seeing you again." Ruby said.
The girl looked up, her whiskers flaring and the bow on her head hiding her ears moving slightly, "I'm reading."
"Oh." Ruby looked down.
Yang crossed her arms and said mockingly, "Aren't you friendly?"
The girl angered, showing her teeth.
Yang continued, dodging eye contact occasionally, "I like your bow! Matches your black hair, and your bangs. I'm her older sister, by the way."
The Faunus girl grew more irritated.
"Oooookay, this girl's a lost cause. I'm going to get ready for the Junior Club. I'll see you tomorrow morning, sis." she walked away from them, picking up her Ember Celica from beside her futon, placing them over her hands and wrapping them comfortably around her wrist before waving goodbye. "Take care!" She went for the exit, opening the door.
"Goodnight!" Ruby exclaimed, Yang closing the door behind her. A Valiant guard placed a finger over her lips, telling her to quiet down. Ruby looked left and right, grinning, then asked the girl. "What are you reading?"
Suddenly, the girl's anger subsided, looking down at her book, then back at Ruby again, "Well ... Its a story about a man with two souls, each one fighting for control over his body."
Ruby smiled, then blushed as she knocked her heels together, "Oh, I love books." She crossed her arms behind her back, kicking the floor a bit. "Yang used to go to the city and pick them up. She'd read to me almost every night. Took forever for me to go to sleep without her. Its hard for me to read when my sister is around, I always prefer her to read for me: her voice calms me down. The stories of heroes and monsters ... They're one of the reasons I wanted to become a Huntress someday. Its why I started making weapons. Yang won't tell you, but," she leaned forward with her hand against her cheek and whispered, "I helped her make Ember Celica."
"Why do you want to become a Huntress?" the girl asked, placing her book to the side and setting her cat snacks on her lap. "Hoping you'll save the world and live happily ever after?"
"I'm hoping we all will." Ruby answered. "As a girl, I wanted to be like those heroes in those books. I wanted to protect people that couldn't protect themselves."
The girl replied with a smile, "Pretty ambitious for a child." she slowly frowned. "Unfortunately, the world isn't a fairy tale."
"What's your name?" Ruby begged to know her. "How old are you?. Are you a cat Faunus?" She sat down on the floor and faced her.
The girl finally opened up to her, "My name's Blake ... Blake Belladonna. I'm seventeen, and yes..." she grabbed the whiskers above her lips with both hands, and tore them off of her face, blood seeping down to her chin, "I'm ... a cat Faunus."
"Oh No!" Ruby jumped forward, grabbing a blanket from an empty futon and rubbing the blood clean from Blake's face. "Why did you do that?"
"I have my reasons." she replied, pushing Ruby away with her clawed feet. "At least now I can walk around without people pointing it out."
"That's horrible..." Ruby stood up, saddened by what she had witnessed. "You must not like yourself that much? There's nothing wrong with being a Faunus."
"Don't push your luck with me, Ruby Rose." Blake picked up her book, pretending to ignore her.
Ruby smiled, "Hey, you know my name! You must have been listening over here." she thought for a moment, another question coming to mind. "Why did you help me, when I was getting yelled at?"
Blake slid her book down, and looked up at her again, seeming almost guilty in her expression, "Because ... I saw your crest...the rose emblem. You must have come from the Branwen tribe. The Faunus and the Tribes have always been brothers and sisters ... Until recently. Speak of the Gods."
Weiss Schnee stomped into the conversation, Ruby pulling her elbows close to her chest in anxiety, "What in the world are you doing here?!"
Ruby answered, "This is the freshmen girl's area."
Weiss screamed, "I can't sleep with you in here!" a guard signaled her to silence her voice, and she turned to the guard and revolted, "Don't shush me! You know who I am!? I'M WEISS SCHNEE, Heiress to the Schnee Dust Company!"
Blake interrupted, "Why do you hate her so much?"
"She's a Hazard to my health!" Weiss raised her voice further, before storming off in some direction far away from the two of them. "Ugh! The people they let here. I swear, I never!'"
As the famous Ice Queen left them, Ruby allowed her heart to settle, placing her hand on her chest and sighing, "It was nice meeting you Blake. I'm going to get some sleep. Goodnight."
Ruby walked back to her futon and jumped in her bed like a monkey, then covered herself in several blankets, immediately snoring.
Blake smiled and waved, "Goodnight."
Then, she felt her Scroll vibrating in her shorts pocket. She picked up the phone, answered the call, and placed it above her head next to her bow, listening through the fabric. She waited for a voice on the other end.
"How are things going on your end, dear?' said a young man on the other side.
"Everything's going according to plan, Adam. The walls are already coming down from inside."