Chapter 25: The Silence
"And the silence will set her free..."
Nex tapped the terminal, the locker hissing shut.
Oh well, oh well.
There would be time for some extracurricular activities in the future, as soon as he went down Vale and took his dust from Roman.
Maybe during the weekend.
For now, there was a certain someone trying and failing to sneak past his extra pair of ears. Little red trying to sneak past the big, bad wolf.
Well, if their world was a fairy tale.
"Hey, Rubes," Nex said. The clacking of flats over tiles stopped. He spun to face her. "What's wrong?"
Ruby eeped, jumping on her tiptoes. "Nex! What what's wrong? Nothing's wrong."
Nex rolled his eyes. Says the girl whose smile strained as she tried to raise her head.
Evidently, something was wrong. And he would not be himself if he did not ask what. But still, there really was no point in forcing Ruby to tell if she did not want to. Everyone had a choice. It was distasteful to take that away from them.
"It's fine if you don't want to tell me," Nex said, offering her a smile. "But sneaking around isn't really your style."
Nope. Ruby Rose was loud, even if she seemed quiet at Signal. And she was definitely the exact opposite of her partner. The shy and introverted Blake Belladonna—the ghost-ninja of Team SSBR.
Ruby frowned, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt. "You've figured me out, team leader. It's just..."
She paused. Her silver eyes roved over the hallway. It was empty, save for the two of them. Benches lining the middle, a pillar here and there—the locker room looked the same as the one in Signal.
The sun sank past the half-closed window, painting the glass with strokes of red and orange.
Most of their fellow students would be out in the courtyard or in the cafeteria, seeking a reprieve from the school life, while he would have checked on Oathkeeper, maybe swing it a few times. Or even his corgi hoverboard and maybe add some more modifications to the thing.
That plan was derailed when the missing R of Team SSBR showed up by the lockers.
Ruby never ate lunch with them. She even avoided sitting next to them in their shared classes. Weiss took it in stride, wanting to give Ruby some time to herself. Blake was as quiet as ever, reading one of her books whenever the issue came up. Some book called Ninjas of Love or something—an accidental glance over her shoulders had revealed.
It was probably not as interesting as The Man With Two Souls, though.
"How do you talk to Weiss?" Ruby said. She leaned against a locker, crossing her arms. "I know I asked you before, but you just seem to really get along. Like, at a more than just ordinary partners level."
It was doubtful other pairs had to fight the White Fang alone. But maybe they did. Or maybe they had to fight some other terrorist cell or something. Like Grimm, petty criminals, or thieves.
Nex hummed, quirking an eyebrow. "You already know the answer. What's this all about?"
"It's Blake. I think she hates me," Ruby said, her voice coming out in a hushed whisper. Almost like she was spilling some dirty little secret. "You don't think she hates me, do you?"
Ah. So it was a conflict of interest between two of the socially challenged elites.
But still, Blake Belladonna was more of the quiet type, not the hateful type. Evidently, Ruby Rose saw it differently.
Maybe it had something to do with the fact that she was Blake's partner while he was not.
"Nope. I don't think she hates you," Nex said, patting her shoulder. Huh. The silver-eyed girl was just a little bit shorter than him. "I don't think anyone can hate you."
Not even at the Sanus Festival when he accidentally lost control.
Hating on Ruby Rose was like hating on an innocent corgi. It was pointless—a waste of time and effort. The only things worth hating were manipulative fathers and losing.
More on the first one. Certainly more.
"Thanks," Ruby said, smiling as she stared at his chin. "But why is she ignoring me?"
It was doubtful Blake was ignoring Ruby as much as she was just being reclusive. But the bubbly, socially-awkward girl probably saw that recluse nature as something specifically targeted towards her.
Fuck.
Someone else should have been giving the advice and the pep-talks.
Not him. Oh, certainly not him—the edge lord, the anonymous thief, and even the sleepyhead.
Where was Winter Schnee when someone needed a few words of encouragement?
His partner's older sister always had something nice to say. Words only a big sister could have spoken, especially when she was drunk out of her ice-queen composure.
Nex shrugged, pushing himself away from the locker. "I don't know. Let's ask her."
Ruby frowned, fidgeting with the chain on her belt. "I can't. She'll get mad."
But then if she did not, then nothing would have happened. Standing still while something could be done was foolish. Playing in the park was a waste when people could have been earning lien or honing a chosen craft.
Well, maybe he could encourage her a little.
Nothing wrong with a little bit of encouragement from time to time.
Right?
"Rubes. Nothing will change if you don't act," Nex said. "I don't know about you, but I don't fancy the team breaking apart on our second day."
That would get her attention.
Ruby stared at her black flats—like the pair that his partner wore in Atlas Primary. "Alright then. Let's go ask Blake, team leader."
Apparently, he was right.
They strolled through the winding hallways.
Ruby Rose was silent the entire time. But still, there was no need for words. Certainly not when their course of action was already decided. She and her partner needed to talk. Not the terse, one-sentence answers Blake supplied. But a talk like the ones he and Weiss shared. It would not come to a hospital bed, but their dorm would probably be a close alternative.
Well, hopefully.
Ruby stopped before the door leading into their room. "So, uh... This is it. Yeah. You can do this, Rubes. You can talk to Blake. You can talk to your partner."
He placed his bracer over the terminal, just a few inches away.
The door opened with a click.
"Ladies first," Nex said, waving at the doorway.
Ruby stepped into their room.
Weiss sat on the edge of his bed, the bunk above it already hers. Her fingers danced on her scroll, a frown tugging on her lips.
Blake leaned against the ensuite's wall, sitting on the floor, a book already clutched in her hands. Her bow looked as stiff as ever.
Both of them were still in their school uniforms, class having been dismissed by only about an hour ago.
"You've finally found her," Weiss said, looking up from her scroll. She flashed him a smile. "Welcome back to Remnant, Ruby Rose."
Ruby waved a hand at his partner. "Hi, Weiss. Sorry about not eating lunch with you. Or not sitting with you. Or—"
"Stop. It's perfectly alright if you want some time to yourself," Weiss said, raising her left hand. "Just don't make a habit out of it, alright?"
Ruby nodded, twiddling her fingers. "Alright. So, uh, Blake."
The ghost-ninja looked up from her book—The Man With Two Souls again.
"You don't hate me, do you?" Ruby said, one hand clutching her elbow. Hugging it close to her chest. "Oh my gosh that came out all wrong, I mean, I didn't do anything to offend you, did I?"
Weiss shot him a look—a look definitely saying, we should go somewhere else.
Nex nodded. "Hey, team. Weiss and I will go grab some dinner. Find us when you're done."
Weiss pocketed her scroll, practically skipping towards him. "Yes. And we expect absolutely no one to come out. Not until you've finished talking."
Thus, they left the BR of their team.
Alone.
Weiss stared at the locked door, the varnished wood looking fresh. "You didn't have anything to do with that, did you?"
Nex shrugged. "I may have guilt-tripped the loud R into talking with the quiet B."
Weiss arched an eyebrow. "Nexus Shade. Are you telling me that you manipulated Ruby Rose into having a conversation with Blake Belladonna?"
When she phrased it like that, the act sounded morally reprehensible. But well, if they spent all day shuffling words, then they could have made anything sound bad.
Bad and good were relative. Sometimes, people had to do something bad in order to do a lot of good. Cinder Fall in particular, but there really was no point in thinking about that time-bomb yet. The woman was an unknown, a person who seemingly did not exist anywhere.
At least, not on official records.
"Nope. Not really," Nex said. "I just told her that I don't want the team to break apart on our second day. So they better talk it out."
Weiss frowned, her hand already slipping into his. They strolled through the empty hallway, following the most efficient route to the cafeteria—something she practically made everyone on their team memorize.
Darkness covered the windows like ink, but the overhead lights did their job well.
"I can't blame you," Weiss said. "They're the exact opposite of each other. It's natural that they have some friction."
"We do have some friction, right?" Nex said, smiling. "I think it's the part where I like sleeping in class and you like taking notes."
Weiss smirked, fixing him a glare. "Why, Mr Shade. I think it's the part where you wanted to cower in a lab, while I wanted to fight off the White Fang."
Touche.
But then again, he never did claim to be a paragon of virtue. Or even an example of bravery.
Well, what did they say again?
Cowardly rats lived longer than the brave cat. Or something. That one probably came out wrong.
"You're braver than me," Nex said, nodding. "Besides, that turned out well enough. Right?"
"True," Weiss said, her smirk easing into a beatific smile—a loose, lopsided grin that could have outshone the lights in the hallway. Lifting the dimples on her cheeks, even—slopes of white arcing over pink. Like she just gobbled down a cone of ice cream. "That was my first, you know."
Nex quirked an eyebrow. The mess hall was right there. "First?"
"Nevermind, sleepyhead," Weiss said, glancing at their joined hands. Her lips twitched, her smile definitely straining. "I'll tell you in the far, distant future."
The glass slid open. Loud, grating chatter flattened his extra pair of ears—seemingly the one constant in public places. The scent of meat lingered in the air, filling his empty stomach.
Nex shivered, the air surprisingly cool for a place that stored warm drinks and fresh food.
They made it to the short line of latecomers.
Weiss released his hand, snatching a steel tray from the rack. He reached out to take one, but she nudged his forearm.
"We can share a tray," Weiss said, smiling. "Unless you're planning to have a buffet for dinner?"
Nex shrugged, taking a plate of bagels and some sort of seasoned meat. He placed it on their shared tray, topping it off with a cute little banana. "You're right. It's not good to stuff yourself at dinner."
As the saying went, eat breakfast like a king, eat lunch like a princess, and eat dinner like an underpaid, Atlesian pencil-pusher—definitely a thin jab at his home-kingdom's employment policies. He chuckled as they went down the aisle.
Weiss shot him a questioning look.
He shrugged and told her that it was nothing.
Weiss placed some salad and slices of pork on her metal plate. She copied his banana and asked for two glasses of water. He had to thank her for that one.
They made it off the counter, her hands gripping the edges of their tray.
Nex tapped her shoulder—she did suggest the idea. "Allow me, Miss Schnee."
Weiss grinned, pushing their tray towards him. "Oh very well, Mr Shade. Far be it from me to refuse your kindness."
Nex placed the tray on one hand, balancing it over his head.
Well, it was easy enough.
It was expertise gained from carrying drinks to tables in the Huntsman's Respite. Those were the days before the old bartender retired, and Mekel saw fit to promote him to the empty position. It was a fierce fight, with the other goons vying for the right to stand behind the glass counter, but he managed to ace the interview with his weapon. Hrunting and Vigilance was definitely scary—for them at least.
"Hey! Dynamic duo!" Yang said, raising her arm. "We saved you a spot!"
The blonde waved at them. Two tables away. The rest of team AXRN sat at the long table. There were four empty seats and four filled plates. Apparently, they only just arrived themselves, waiting for his team to show up for dinner. Their two teams did eat lunch together. Maybe it was going to turn into a routine—a clique, even.
They settled into adjacent chairs—the green metal ones. Undoubtedly, a school of super-powered teenagers had to have the sturdy stuff. Just like in Atlas Primary.
"Broody Face," Yang said, biting into her pork chops. "Where's Ruby and Blake?"
Nex shrugged, glancing at the opposite end of the table. "They're having a fun little talk."
Nora grinned, shovelling pancakes into Ren's plate.
Ren's fork blurred as he tried to separate the pancakes from his food, placing them on a different plate—the one with a stack of pancakes growing taller, slowly ascending into a pyramid.
The poor, stoic man. Partnered with an overactive girl like Nora. Maybe he was even a member of the socially challenged elite. But then again, there really was no way to know for sure. Certainly not since Lie Ren spoke even less than Blake Belladonna.
"Yes. They're undergoing a team-building exercise," Weiss said, taking a sip from her tall glass. "All for the sake of Team Snowbear, of course."
"Ruby's okay, right?" Jaune said, right across him, sitting beside their team's brawler. "She's been acting really weird."
Weird was an understatement. But hopefully, Ruby Rose would be back to normal. Right after she actually talked with Blake Belladonna.
"I think she'll be fine. It's just a minor hiccup," Nex said, slicking back his fringe. The thing, while awesome, was getting a little bit in the way. "Partner stuff. Nothing that's unnatural."
Case in point—them.
Yang raised an eyebrow, poking the drumstick on her plate. "She's having trouble with Blake?"
Nex nodded, biting into a bagel. "Probably. You're the big sister, right? You know Ruby better than us."
"Ruby's not the most sociable person," Yang said, frowning. "It's worse in Beacon. Because here, she's younger than everybody else."
Why did it even matter?
Age was only a number—a set of irrelevant digits. A huntsman's worth was measured in terms of his intellect and his skill of arms. There was an addendum about honour and morals, but those two were more flexible. There was no honour on the battlefield. Honour was reserved for the books or the movies—where real lives were not at stake.
And morals?
Morals depended on the person that held them. A serial killer had a very different set of morals compared to the ones held by a sheltered farm boy.
"That's why she's having trouble with Blake?" Weiss said, a slice of golden-brown meat speared on her fork. "How come?"
Yang nodded. "Yeah. I mean, look at Blake. She's leagues ahead in maturity. Quiet, graceful, buried in a book all the time. And my lil' sis likes weapons instead of books."
That made sense.
Nex chewed on the bagel already in his mouth, the sweet butter melting over his tongue.
Bliss. Liquid bliss that could have gotten him drunk.
The mass-produced bagels of Atlas seemed tasteless in comparison. Maybe he could ask Neo to bring some Valean bagels. Well, the next time she teleported into his flat. He could probably bribe her with more ice cream as soon as he refilled his fridge.
"That's true. But surely they can find some middle ground, " Weiss said, humming. "And meet halfway. They are partners."
Jaune put down his can of soda. "Wait, that reminds me. How did you and Nex... you know, become a thing?"
"I'm not sure how that's relevant to our discussion, Arc," Weiss said, crimson staining her snow-white cheeks. Her eyes narrowed into daggers, poking holes into the poor Vomit Boy. "That thing is strictly between my partner and I. Isn't that right, Nex?"
Faultless logic. As expected of his partner. Well, their partnership was strictly between them.
But maybe Vomit Boy was referring to something else?
Ugh.
What was it about people and their weird, arbitrary code phrases?
The world would probably be better off if people just said whatever it was they wanted to say.
Whatever.
Nex shrugged, offering the blonde a smile. His partner's glare was particularly freezing. "Weiss and I spend a lot of time together. I think that's what they need. Time."
"Yes. They need time," Weiss said, coughing as she flashed him a smile. But still, she was burning even redder. Maybe she needed to see the nurse? "They need time to adjust to each other."
Yang grinned, slinging an arm over her partner's shoulders. "Yeah, Vomit Boy. Leave the cute dynamic duo alone. We can talk about my lil' sister."
"Right," Jaune said, flushing as he grinned at the blonde brawler. "So... uhh. I think that's them, actually."
Speak of the devil. Or the she-devils.
Ruby and Blake slipped through the sliding doors, the shorter girl bearing a skip to her steps. She grinned and pulled her partner towards the line. The ghost-ninja smiled, even as she was dragged along by the silver-eyed girl.
"I think they'll be fine," Nex said, sighing. He bit into another bagel.
The pair took the last two seats at the table, putting down two separate trays.
Ruby waved at them, grinning as she held up a thumb.
Blake sighed, staring at her broccoli and tuna.
"I realize I've been less than receptive to our team," Blake said, frowning. "Especially to my partner. I promise I'll try to be more talkative."
Great. Even if she sounded a little terse, it was still three full sentences. Baby steps.
Right?