Carcer - Trapped in the Spider's Web
The young woman fell to the ground. She wasn't able to stand, shaking as frost clung to her long hair. She looked up, staring into the light of the cars chasing after her. The doors opened as men stepped out, each of them carrying large guns in their hands. She shivered in the snow, bowing her head as she waited.
And that was when her prayers were answered.
A large Beowolf-like creature appeared. It had long, dark crimson hair and a long, almost serpent-like tail that ended with a large scythe at the end. It stood between her and the cars, snarling at the men pursuing her.
The woman stared at the beast. She had never seen a Grimm like this before. What Miss Malachite said was true. This Grimm really had run out to protect her.
And so the woman reached into her pocket and took out a syringe. He popped the cap off in one quick motion, before she jabbed the needle into the Grimm's leg.
It screamed from the injection, and the woman could almost hear how human it sounded. It kicked her away, throwing her back as the Grimm stumbled a bit.
"Fire!" one of the men yelled, and they began to open fire. The tranq darts shot into the Grimm's hide, penetrating the black fur and filling its veins with more of the special blend. Diluted Gevaudan venom mixed with a few other chemicals. Perfect for knocking out other Grimm.
The Grimm roared in pain, before it shot forward and grabbed one of the men. It was so fast. The moment of shock was over. It dodged several shots as it lunged at one of the men. It looked ready to bite his head off as it slammed him into the side of the car.
It let out a roar, glaring at him with silver eyes… before it threw him aside. It tore into the car, ripping the roof clean off with its tail, before it bent down and flipped it over, nearly crushing one of the other men.
The Grimm let out a roar as they kept firing at it. The darts continued to stab into it, injecting it with more venom as it began to run. It ran on all fours, but it only made it a few feet before one of its arms just gave out under it.
She stared at it as it laid on the ground, trying to move its arms, but the limbs by now must have weighed several tons. It let out a groan that was probably its attempt to roar as the woman looked at her men.
"Anyone dead?"
"No, Miss Miltia," Tukson replied. He slowly got up, having been knocked against the car earlier. "We're okay…" He stared at the target, wiping some snow from his face. "It… it spoke…"
They were all told before what this thing was, but it seemed Tukson had a few reservations about the idea. Miltia chuckled at his shocked expression as she walked over to the trembling Grimm.
"Yeah? What'd it say?"
"It asked us to stop," he replied, and Miltia snickered at the revelation. She stood over the Grimm, watching as the silver in its eyes seemed to dim.
"Aww, big, tough Grimm, not so tough now, hm? Don't worry. We'll bring you back home…"
Jaune awoke to a splitting headache. He groaned quietly, slowly trying to rise up as his bones and muscles ached. The ground was hard as he lifted his cheek up off of it, feeling dirt clinging to his cheek as he tried to blink.
Everything was blurry. Where was he? What had happened? Like drops of water coming out of a cracked dam, Jaune memories slowly returned. He and Ruby had been so close to… something? New Atlas. Menagerie. They were close, when someone asked them for help, and then…
The dam broke, and the memories flooded into his mind.
They had been betrayed. He had been beaten. He forced himself onto his feet, only to stumble slightly and fall towards the ground. He caught himself, but it took him a moment to realize what he had caught himself on.
Metal bars.
"What?" His brow wrinkled as his fingers slid over the rusted metal. He looked around and it became readily apparent that he was trapped in a cage, just big enough for a man to stand in, but with no real room to walk.
"Morning. How was your nap?" a voice asked, and Jaune turned his head to find someone standing just beyond his cage.
The man smiled at Jaune as he sat in his own cage, and Jaune could tell that the man had gone through hell. His clothes, which were once a pristine white and white, were caked with dirt and dried blood. Similar stains littered his dark skin as he stared at Jaune with dark hazel eyes. His hair was short, making him almost look bald as he laid in front of Jaune.
"Hey." He waved at Jaune, lazily, as Jaune stared back at him. "Nice hoodie. Dig the rabbit," he joked as Jaune looked down at his normal clothes. No armor. That made sense.
"Who… who are you?"
"Flynt Coal. That's Neon right behind you." Jaune blinked, before he slowly turned around to stare at a woman sitting in another neighboring cage.
The woman hugged her legs close to her chest as she lifted up her head, forcing her lips into a small smile. "Hey, Blondie. I like your hair. You grow it yourself?"
The first thing that stood out about the woman was her hair. Bright orange, frazzled, and caked with dirt. It was obvious the woman hadn't had a bath in weeks. Her cyan clothes were almost navy with stains as she sat in her cage, staring back at him.
"W-where are we?"
"No talking!" a voice replied, and Jaune looked at the guards that were standing nearby. His eyes widened as he saw the masks on their faces.
"The White Fang…?"
He had heard about the terrorist organization long ago. When Vale fell, though, most reports of the White Fang seemed so small compared to the looming threat of the Grimm. He was shocked to see the masked men standing there, but the symbols they wore were unmistakable.
They glared at Jaune and the others, holding their guns up to the three prisoners. They parted slightly, letting a familiar woman walk over to Jaune. He scowled at the sight of her.
"Melanie."
"Hey, Jaune. How's your new room?" she chuckled, placing a hand on the bar and leaning down to stare at him. He lunged at her, slamming his body against the metal bars, but she stepped back, dodging his hands as they slipped through the bars to try and grab her. "Ooh, temper, temper, Jaune. You don't want to make the guards any angrier, do you?"
"You bitch!" Jaune cursed. "Where's Ruby?! Where is she?! If you don't let us go, I'm going to-" Melanie snapped her fingers and the White Fang stepped forward with batons in hand. The long, black rods crackled with electricity as Jaune understood the threat.
If he made them mad, they'd electrocute the cage and Jaune with it. He grimaced at the idea, stepping back as the vile woman chuckled.
"I'd say you should worry more about yourself, but I honestly don't care what happens to you. I can't imagine most people would if they knew your little secret," she giggled, placing a hand over her lips. "Scandalous."
Jaune's eyes widened as Melanie turned to the guards. "Our new Huntsmen here has a thing for the black and furry persuasion. Any port at sea, am I right?" she teased, and even from behind their mask, he could tell the White Fang stared at him with disgust.
He ground his teeth. He knew what she was doing. Making him out to be a freak… even if it was true. Jaune hung his head low, glancing at Flynt and Neon. He saw confusion in their eyes.
"This man has made himself real comfortable with a nasty ol' Grimm he's tamed. The same Grimm we get to watch get torn apart in the Arena," she sang, clapping her hands. "Aww, a boy and his monster. It's so sweet how love can blossom between freaks."
"Shut up!" Jaune roared, slamming his fist against the bars. He didn't even feel the pain as he glared at Melanie. "Ruby's not like other Grimm! She's a human! She-ahhh!" One of the guards slammed his electric baton against the bars and in an instant, Jaune was electrocuted.
His teeth slammed together. He tried to breathe, but nothing came out. He screamed. He screamed through gritted teeth until there was nothing left, but lightning in his lungs. His body arched, as his mouth clamped shut. All he saw was a white light as he felt like every inch of his body was violently burned and shaken.
Nothing was still. Everything burned. He couldn't even pull his hands from the bars. His hands tried to clenched into fists, and all it did was ensure he was fed more volts as his eyeballs felt like they were being cooked in his skull.
And then it all stopped, and Jaune fell to the floor, spitting up bile and vomit as tears fell from his eyes.
Melanie said nothing, before she turned away, leaving Jaune to tremble and twitch on the floor. He begged for Ruby to save him as his legs kicked at the metal bars of the floor. His muscles didn't obey him. He lost all control as he laid there on the floor, unable to even breathe without whimpering.
The guard that had shocked him was a mountain of a man. A giant hiding behind his White Fang mask. He knelt down before Jaune, ensuring the blonde could stare into the stranger's mask.
"I am going to make your life hell, boy. What little of it you have left, at least."
Ruby opened her eyes. She lifted up her head to the sound of roaring. She saw only blurred shapes and figures around her, before one figure moved closer. Black body, red eyes, white mask…
Her nose picked up on what it was first even before her eyes did. A Beowolf. It lunged at her, and she rolled out of the way, feeling her legs shaking under her. Her tail moved on instinct, slicing off the Beowolf's head.
It fell to the ground as the creature swung its arms at the empty air, still following the orders of a brain that wasn't there. It evaporated into black smoke as Ruby groaned in pain, feeling her muscles aching under the weight of her own body.
She looked around, finding stone walls surrounding her in a large circle. Her eyes then turned to the ceiling, staring at a metal, domed cage over her head. Beyond the cage were dozens, maybe even hundreds of people staring back at her. Many of them were seated on chairs, while others stood up to scream at Ruby.
Ruby quickly realized where she was. An arena. Her second revelation came as she looked at the doors surrounding her, most of them already closed.
She was trapped, even as one large door opened to reveal burning red eyes behind it. The Grimm stepped out, walking on its arms and legs as the ground trembled under it from each step of its massive arms. Drooling teeth of ivory and a body nearly bursting with muscle…
"Wait," she coughed, trying to shake the fatigue from her muscles. "S-stop." She tried to speak, watching as the Beringel leapt out. It pounded its hands against its chest for a moment, screeching at the top of its lungs as it charged at Ruby. "Wait!"
The Beringel's fist nearly ripped a hole right through Ruby. She dodged it as she heard the roar of the crowd. She shot her tail out at it, but it actually batted her tail away. She drew blood, but it didn't care as it reached out to grab Ruby by the neck.
She gasped for air, before her face was smashed into the floor. The stone shattered against her cheek as she felt one of her teeth crack against the hard earth. It slammed her head down again, beating her face into the floor as her head bled a black smoke.
She shot her tail through the Grimm's back, impaling it, but it only roared in bestial rage as it tried to slam her down into the floor again. Ruby quickly struck it with her claws, tearing at its pec, nearly ripping a hole into it as it finally released her.
Ruby couldn't lose the momentum. Even with her mask cracked and her vision obscured with her own blood, she pounced at the Grimm. Her claws struck at it again and again, like she was trying to dig right through the creature.
It tried to defend itself, but her tail sliced at its hands, cutting the fingers at the knuckles. Eventually the Grimm laid dead as Ruby panted for air, caked in the evaporating blood and viscera of the fallen Grimm.
"Well, would you look at that?!" a voice declared, and Ruby turned her head to find a woman with a microphone in hand. "This Grimm really does fight its own kind! How about that? As advertised, the only Grimm on Grimm violence you're gonna find! Now who wants to see some more?!"
The woman was met with wild praise and applause as Ruby's eyes focused on her. She was an older woman than Ruby. She wore beige and purple on her body, and for a moment Ruby was shocked at their quality.
The clothes weren't amazing, but they were clearly a fine material, and in this world of death and horror, it was clear this woman had to have some kind of high status to have such fine clothing on her body.
The blond woman fanned herself as she walked around, holding the microphone in her hand as she smiled down at Ruby.
"Go on, Grimm. Let's see your other trick. Speak, girl," she commanded, and Ruby scowled at the command.
Still, she had to try and escape. Jaune was nowhere to be seen. She had to find him. "Look, I don't want to hurt anyone, but I'm not a Grimm. My name's Ruby, I'm-"
"A smart Grimm. Yeah, don't see that everyday," the woman replied. She clearly didn't seem impressed and the people were too high on booze and violence to really care. "But don't act all high and mighty. We know exactly what you are. Tonight's entertainment!" she shouted, and the people cheered as Ruby's feet touched the ground again.
The Grimm was gone now, and more doors were opening as Ruby's eyes widened. "H-hey! Wait! Please, listen to me! I'm not like other Grimm! I'm good! I can help you, just let me out of here!"
"You're not going anywhere, Fido," the woman replied. "I promised my people a show, and Miss Malachite honors her deals!" It was clear the woman was putting on a show for her audience, a fact that only furthered annoyed Ruby. "So you're going to stay down there and give us some entertainment!"
"You're not listening!" Ruby jumped up and she grabbed onto the metal bars, landing right in front of the older woman. Ruby fought back a snarl as she leaned closer, nearly pressing her snout against the bars. "I know I look like a Grimm, but I'm a person! I-I'm human! I'm a human girl! A-a Huntswoman! You have to-!"
Ruby saw one of the nearby guards taking out a black baton. She could hear the crackle of electricity as she quickly released the cage, falling to the ground. She looked up at Miss Malachite, trying to reason with her captor.
"My name is Ruby! I'm a human girl. I-"
"I don't care what you think you are, missy. One look at you is all it takes to know what you are. A Grimm."
The people made their own feelings clear as Ruby trembled where she stood. She didn't just see and hear the hate they spat at her. She felt it. She felt it all around her. Fear and rage and disgust. A cocktail of negative emotions.
"Blow its brains out!"
"Tear it apart!"
"Kill it!"
Something that any Grimm could have felt as Ruby felt her heart pounding in her throat. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to cover her ears as the hate burned in her like a beacon. So many negative emotions clogging up her veins, making her heart race until-
"Look out." Ruby's eyes shot open, just in time as a Boarbatusk charged at her. She dodged it, stabbing it in the side with her tail as a voice whispered in her ear. "Excellent kill, Ruby. I'm so glad you haven't lost your touch."
Ruby felt her heart being squeezed between slender figures. She tried to say something, but nothing came out but a whimper as the Pale Corpse hummed in her ear.
"When was the last time you were fed, my pet? How much longer can you afford to go without a fresh meal? You used to love devouring undesirables…"
Ruby threw herself at a nearby door. She slammed her body against the metal, clawing at it as that voice laughed at her.
"You're not going to get out that way, Ruby. Maybe try the bars again? Maybe you can use your Semblance, but what if it doesn't work? Can you really afford to waste what little Aura you have?"
"Shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Ruby demanded, before her body disassembled, ripping itself apart and forming into a small whirlwind of rose petals. She shot towards the ceiling, reaching out to her escape, but a burning pain made her body reassemble.
She crashed against the metal cage, before she fell to the ground, clutching her burning leg. Acid burned right through her black hide and fur as he bellowed and screamed, clawing at the ground as she felt her leg rotting around her bones.
Ruby watched as another large Grimm entered the arena. She watched as it crawled towards her on sharp, almost sword-like legs. It moved like a massive centipede. It had a huge segmented body, with the head standing on an almost human torso. Even the head seemed almost like a mockery of a human skull, stretched open as mandibles clicked together between sharp teeth.
Below the drooling head were large tubes, almost like organs, each of them sloshing with some bizarre green liquid. Gleaming red eyes stared at her as two almost rotting arms each wielded long, ivory blades. She couldn't help but see a resemblance between them and her own tail as she watched the thing charge at her.
Ruby slammed her arms on the ground, throwing herself out of the way, but the Grimm merely opened its mouth as she watched a long line of intestines… begin to glow. The smell alone was disgusting as the creature drooled. Each drop burned the ground beneath it, before it spat out a green liquid from its throat.
Ruby dodged it again, watching its acid melt at the floor as her leg hit the ground. Her wound was healing. She had to act quickly and kill this thing, but… but why was it even listening to Malachite in the first place?
"Careful what you think, Ruby. It just might be your last thought."
Ruby looked around. She saw no one, but she heard… That thing's voice. The Pale Corpse. Salem. She was whispering in Ruby's ears, and as much as Ruby hated to admit it, it was true.
She didn't have long. She was a stick of dynamite with the fuse lit. Nothing she did could save her now. She just had to hope she could reach Jaune before she… popped.
Jaune, Flynt, and Neon sat alone, in silence. After Melanie had properly humiliated the young man, he didn't really have much to say and neither did his fellow prisoners. The number of guards had been reduced, leaving only two men to watch the three, and even they didn't seem too invested.
They were quietly playing cards with one another, leaving Jaune to pick himself off the floor. It felt like he was coughing up ash as he stared at the puddle of vomit on the floor. He groaned in disgust, before he looked around the room.
It wasn't a big room, nor was it very well lit. He could see the walls were made of stone, and it didn't take much to guess this was some kind of prison.
"Where are we?"
"Underground prison. Owned by Spider," Neon mumbled, and Jaune's eyes widened. He had heard the stories from Pyrrha and Ren a few times. Spider wasn't just a gang from Mistral, they were the number one, biggest gang in all of Remnant.
"Apparently they capture Huntsmen and sell them," Neon explained. "They caught us a few weeks ago on a patrol."
Capturing Huntsmen and selling them? Jaune had never heard of that before, but considering the survival rate for Huntsmen was so low… Maybe it made sense to them?
But the question quickly became, why sell Huntsmen?
Jaune couldn't help but think of Ruby. She was a Huntsman, and then she was turned into… into a Grimm. Considering how close they were to RWC-05…
"Are you serious?" he whispered, hissing through his teeth as Neon kept her eyes off of him.
"Nah, jk. The White Fang just captured us for the lawl." Neon raised her brow as Jaune glanced at her, perplexed. "Why would I joke right now?"
"Good question," Flynt muttered, keeping his back to Jaune as he stared in the opposite direction. "But I got a better one. What the hell was Malachite saying to you? About a Grimm?"
"It's a long story," Jaune muttered, turning his head to avoid having the White Fang catch him talking.
"Ain't like we don't have time."
Jaune had to admit, that was true. "She's my friend," he muttered.
"Sounds like more than friends." Flynt didn't bother to hide his disgust. Jaune watched as his fingers twitched, scratching at the metal floor of his cage. "So is she really a Grimm?"
No. Well, yes, but…
"It isn't like that," Jaune growled, keeping his eyes on the ceiling and his lips mostly pressed together. The guards didn't pay any attention to them, but he knew that wouldn't last long. "Look, we're going to waste time interrogating me. We should try getting out."
"Do you think we haven't tried?" Flynt muttered. "We've been here for weeks."
"Spider caught us a while ago," Neon whispered. "They've got this arena they put us through first. To weed out the weaklings," she explained, her eyes staring through Jaune as she watched the memory play out before her eyes. "Honestly, I think they were just bored and wanted a show. Either way, we kept fighting until one of us…"
She was quiet for a moment and even Jaune tried to listen for her voice, all he heard was a quiet whimper. "That's how we lost Kobalt…" Her eyes fell to the floor, before rising again to look at Jaune. "That's where your friend is. If she's alive and she's not here. She's probably there," Neon mumbled.
"Then I've got to save her."
"The Grimm?" Flynt inquired, glaring at Jaune.
"I told you, she-"
The doors to the large room opened. Jaune lifted up his head, watching as a giant of a man walked in. He recognized the towering figure immediately. That was the man who had electrocuted him earlier.
He wore a white mask like the rest of the White Fang, and a sleeveless vest to better show off his rippling muscles and the black tattoos on his arm. Of course, all Jaune saw was his enormous size and the equally massive chainsaw in his hands. He dragged it against the ground, making a loud screech as the White Fang guards shot up and ran to the large man.
"Lieutenant! Sir, what can we do to-gah!" The Lieutenant grabbed one of the guards by the head, lifting him up as he screamed in pain. "Ahh! AHH!" His legs kicked at the empty air as the Lieutenant growled at him.
"Why are you looking at me? You're meant to look at them. His fingers dug into the man's head, and Jaune watched with wide, horrified eyes as the guard's mask began to crack… before it shattered against his face, crushed against his eyes by the Lieutenant.
The guard was dropped to the floor, and Jaune could see the pieces of the mask were embedded in hi eyes, in his skin, and-
Jaune tried to look away. He didn't want to see it. He tried to drown out the screams as the Lieutenant walked forward, strapping the chainsaw to his back as he moved closer. "Hello, boy." He crouched down, but even crouched he seemed to tower over Jaune. "Still with us, are you? Looking for your little lost puppy?"
Jaune didn't say anything. He kept his head down as the Lieutenant spat on him. Jaune felt the loogie fall onto his head and he shuddered in disgust. "What's wrong? I didn't break, did you?"
He leaned a little closer as Jaune turned his head away. "We're all talking about the ways we could break you. Did you gossip with your little buddies here? Have they told you what we've done to them? Kept their friend's corpse strung up just on the other side of the room for hours after he kicked the bucket. They didn't like that."
Jaune said nothing. He kept his head down as the Lieutenant snarled. "Had to bring them down and toss them in the trash after that. It started to reek. Now, their other member… We did some fucked up stuff to him."
"Kept him high for a whole week on some good stuff," the Lieutenant whispered. "The things he was willing to do for us when we cut him off-"
"That's not true," Neon growled. "Ivori never betrayed us!"
"Well, the kitty speaks. Good for-" Jaune reached a hand out and he grabbed the Lieutenant's collar. He then pulled, pressing his feet against the bars. He slammed the Lieutenant's face against the bars, cracking the mask as he tried to do so again.
But by now, the Lieutenant let out a roar and he pulled his body back, slamming Jaune against the bars. The blonde cried out in pain, falling back as the Lieutenant stood up to his full height.
"We've got a fighter here. Reminds me of you, Flynn," he laughed, looking at the other imprisoned man. Flynt didn't bother to even look as the Lieutenant rolled his shoulders. "Don't worry. We'll beat that out of you. In fact…" He snapped his fingers and the other guard ran to him, shock baton in hand.
"I've killed plenty of Huntsmen before in my life. We all know that your Aura can be a real pain in the ass. That's why we've got to torture you every few hours. Keep you humble. Keep you weak."
Jaune's eyes widened, before the shock baton was slammed against the bars. He screamed in pain as electricity coursed through him. Neon and Flynt averted their eyes as Jaune's screams echoed through the halls of the underground base.
Ruby tore the head off of the Grimm, leaving it to rot away as she gasped for air. Her legs gave out under her as she fell on the floor, trying to catch her breath. Her heart was pounding, and to make matters worse, she could still hear it.
Her voice.
"Don't look now, Ruby," she whispered in her ear. "You're the star of the show."
"Looks like she's as tough as advertised! The freak's got some fight in her!" Miss Malachite declared, earning more cheers from the people around Ruby. Members of the White Fang mixed with humans. All here to watch the bloodshed and death.
Ruby tried to stand, only to fall to the ground. She went still as Miss Malachite frowned, staring at the captured Grimm. "Or maybe I spoke too soon."
Ruby laid on the ground, unmoving as that same voice whispered into her ear. Cold, yet almost amused by Ruby's actions. "Playing possum, Ruby? My, we are learning."
One of the doors opened, and Ruby was tempted to make a run for it, but it only opened a crack. Just enough for two men to squeeze by as she heard other guards cocking their guns and aiming them at her body.
She had to give it to this Miss Malachite woman. She was prepared. One of the White Fang members walked up to Ruby, gently kicking her body. She barely moved.
"She's not moving, ma'am. What do you-?" Ruby shot up. She grabbed the woman and she shot her body back, slamming her own back against a wall as she brought her long tail around, pressing the blade against the woman's neck.
"N-no one move!" Plenty of people moved. Ruby cursed the hesitation in her voice as she tried to press the blade against the human's throat, yet she was careful not to actually hurt them.
And there was her voice again. Salem. Ruby couldn't even think of her name without sending a shiver down her spine. Her voice taunted Ruby, always coming just behind her. "Hesitating Ruby? Oh, that's right. You've killed dozens of Grimm, but a Faunus? Well, you haven't killed one of those in days."
"Shut up!"
"No one said anything, mutt," Miss Malachite replied. "Now, why don't you go ahead and tell us your terms."
"M-my terms?"
"Yeah. That's what you're trying to do, ain't cha? Negotiate a deal?" Miss Malachite chuckled.
"R-right. Yeah! I want to negotiate a deal! You let me go, and I won't kill this woman!" she shouted, and Miss Malachite didn't hesitate to reply.
"Go ahead. Kill her. I got plenty more where she came from."
No one said anything. Not the crowd. Not the guards. Not Ruby's hostage, and especially not Ruby.
"W-what?" Ruby blinked, and Miss Malachite leaned against the metal bars as she smiled at Ruby.
"You don't get it, do you? You're not getting out of there. Animals belong in cages, remember? Besides, I've got someone on the way eager to put the leash back on you. You're not going anywhere. I don't care if you try to kill a dozen of my men. You're trapped."
Ruby looked at the woman in her arms, and even she seemed shocked by the apathetic nature of her leader. Her eyes widened, before her arms went limp.
"If you're going to kill me, just do it," she spat.
"Kill her, Ruby. Just like old times."
She could feel the fear in the woman's veins. Pumping like blood. Ruby could taste iron. She could practically taste her blood…
"No, no, no," Ruby whimpered. She lowered her tail, and pushed the woman away, staring at her. "Please. Help me. I'm not a monster. I'm a person. I-"
"Get back in here," Miss Malachite ordered, and the Faunus woman looked up at her leader. She then turned her gaze towards Ruby, before turning away and leaving her alone once more.
"You are a monster, Ruby. You're my monster. And if you could remember all the horrible things you've done… Well, I know you'd give up trying to run away from me."
Terrified faces. Blood on her hands. Blood in her mouth. Ruby felt the memories rush through her, too fast to remember, but she felt each of them. Her stomach bubbled and her gut twisted as Salem reminded her of all that she was… all that she did.
She was a Grimm…
A nearby door opened once more to reveal more of the snarling beasts., and they threw themselves at Ruby as she laid there, still as a statue.
She couldn't even follow the woman to her door. The Faunus woman slipped away, safe once more as Ruby roared. She tore the attacking grimm apart, ripping them to shreds with her bare hands. She felt her teeth clamp down on the neck of one Beowolf. She bit down, and she pulled her head back, ripping the Grimm apart with her teeth as she tasted its evaporating flesh on her tongue.
"How do you have so many Grimm!?" she roared, glaring at Miss Malachite who seemed almost amused by the question.
"Tell you what. You survive the next Grimm and I'll tell you." She held her microphone close to her lips as she gave a declaration to the bloodthirsty crowd. "Our little hound has done pretty well for herself, but I think it's time we bring out a real challenge. Our reigning champion… The Slaughterer of Men! The Hunter of Hunters! The meanest son of a bitch you've ever seen! The Snallygaster!"
Ruby watched as another door opened. She spat what was left of the Beowolf's neck to the ground as that whisper made the hair on her own neck rise up.
"You can feel it, can't you? You're running low on Aura, Ruby… What will happen when it runs out?"
The metal door opened as large, clawed feet stomped on the ground. They were like the legs of a massive bird. Sharp talons that ripped at the dirt and earth as it marched forward. Ruby watched as a single, unblinking eye stared back at her. Burning red.
The monster walked on four large limbs, arms and legs like a Beowolf, but with a long neck that whipped back and forth. It ended with a bird's head, with a beak made of the same material as Ruby's scythe tail. A single eye stared back at her as drool dripped from the many teeth just past the sharp beak. Its body was made of scales, like a massive lizard stitched to the rotting corpse of a bird.
The large, featherless wings atop its back unfurled, as if it was trying to fly. The Snallygaster crawled forward as Ruby took her own fighting stance.
"Don't worry, mutt. It ain't gonna kill you. You'll just wish you were dead." Malachite smiled down at Ruby, eager to see the show, but Ruby noticed someone approaching the woman from behind.
She could hear someone talk to Miss Malachite, making her look away from the fight. "Ma'am, you have a call. It's the Benefactor."
Ruby watched as Miss Malachite walked away and the Snallygaster charged at her. Ruby dodged the creature's beak, and she shot her tail down to stab at it from the side. That was when one of the wings bent on its back. Ruby could hear bones inside of the Snallygaster breaking, before it drove the sharpened tip into Ruby's body.
She cried out in pain, stumbling back as the head shot at her like a snake. It was fast. Far faster than a Beowolf. Ruby barely dodged it, feeling the sharp beak nearly slide against her skin.
The two wings shot at Ruby, trying to impale her. She dodged the two limbs, before she leapt over the creature. The head lunged at her, barely missing her leg… before she watched as the beak opened up, and something rose up its throat.
She watched the bulge reach its mouth, before tendrils burst out from its maw. Long, black tentacles reached out for Ruby's leg, grabbing hold of it and letting the Snallygaster slam her back down onto the ground.
Ruby hit the floor, groaning in pain as she felt her body laid on the floor. Then she felt herself being dragged back towards the Snallygaster, which screeched at her. It sounded almost like someone screaming.
Ruby tried to kick her leg free, only for her eyes to widen. She shot her tail to cut the tendrils off, only to feel her leg being twisted. Then there was a snap, and all Ruby felt was pain. She couldn't see anything. All she could do was roar in pain as the tendrils tightened around her broken leg.
Her tail shot down, cleaving through several tentacles. Ruby crawled away, clawing at the ground as she pulled her body away from the beast. She turned her head back, watching as the cut tendrils already began to heal. Meanwhile, Ruby's leg slowly righted itself.
She felt her bones snapping back into place, the flesh repairing itself. It disgusted her. She wanted to puke. She wanted this all to stop. She wanted Jaune back…
The Snallygaster screeched at her, before it lunged forward, talons gleaming and beak hungry for her agony.
Tukson watched as the Grimm fought one another. He had never seen anything like it before. The Grimm were tearing each other apart, and when the Snallygaster broke… the hound's leg, he flinched.
That scream sounded way too human. He had heard of Grimm sounding human before, but the way this thing spoke. The way it talked.
It wasn't trying to sound human. It sounded human.
He remembered listening to it beg when he had helped capture it. He saw it beg here and now. It sounded so damn human. Like it really was scared…
He looked away as the fight continued. He couldn't keep watching. He couldn't take the crowd cheering and laughing, eating up the show with joyous praise. He turned his head to Miss Malachite and he watched as she walked away, leaving the show to play itself out.
"Hey, I'm going to get some grub," Tukson grumbled, and another guard nodded his head. Tukson left the fight behind as he wondered… When did things turn to shit?
He joined the White Fang to help Faunus. To make a better life for himself and his people. With the rest of the world going to hell, Faunus had to stick together, after all. He joined to help people, yet things had just gotten worse and worse.
They were told to attack people, told that they were the enemy. He opened fire at soldiers, and the families hiding behind them. He watched as Faunus and humans alike were killed by the White Fang…
The death of Sienna Khan only furthered the corruption. No one knew how she died. The official report was a human attack, but no one really bought what Taurus tried to sell.
Then Tukson heard rumors of Faunus disappearing. There one minute, gone the next.
Eventually the White Fang disbanded. That was how the news spun it, at least. Too much infighting, too many disappearances. What was left of them was cannibalized by other organizations. Spider, the Xiong Family, and even the New Atlas military.
People still called themselves White Fang. Whether it was to ride the organization's reputation or a matter of pride, he wasn't sure anymore. He wasn't even sure why he wore the uniform anymore.
He did what he had to to survive. Miss Malachite opened her doors, welcoming whatever members of the White Fang that wanted to join her. Tukson was one of them. The deal sounded too good to be true.
Food, power, riches, and the recent revelation that Miss Malachite could protect you from the Grimm. No one knew how she was able to control them, well, control wasn't the best word for it. They just didn't kill or eat anyone that Miss Malachite told them not to. Beyond that, the Grimm were segregated from everyone else, waiting for tribute in the Arena.
No one knew how Malachite did it, but everyone guessed that the Benefactor had a hand in it.
People said it was one of the biggest reasons that even during all of this, Miss Malachite had such power. Rumor was that she had an ally watching her back for a few favors here and there.
The latest favor was capturing a talking Grimm that said it was human. He and his fellow Faunus had been assigned to the job, led by Malachite's own daughter.
And now Tukson… What was he supposed to do? He stood in an empty hallway, pulling his mask off as he sighed. What was he thinking? He could feel bad for the Grimm as much as he wanted, but what good did it do?
He wasn't going to help it. That was a death sentence. So… where did that leave him? Just feeling bad for it?
What the hell was he supposed to do…?
He should check on Ilia. The Faunus that… hound captured. The one it threatened to kill. The one that was spared by it.
Ilia Amitola was White Fang, just like him, and just like him, she fled to Spider to survive as the rest of the world went to hell. She was young. Too young for all this bloodshed and violence. Too young to be used as a bargaining chip.
So why did that Grimm give her up without a fight?
The sound of rushing footsteps made Tukson put his mask back on. He turned his head, watching as several White Fang members pushed another on a large hospital bed. He saw a familiar face as he followed.
He wished he hadn't. The man's face was mangled, and he turned his head in disgust as he called out to one of the other Faunus.
"Ilia, what the hell happened to them?"
"The Lieutenant needed an example." Tukson had to fight his anger down. He bit the inside of his cheek, before he grunted out a reply.
"Where was he stationed?"
"Guarding the new prisoner. The one that came with the Grimm." Tukson nodded his head, before he turned his gaze back to the poor bastard's face.
Was this the future he had waiting for him? He held bile down his throat as he looked at the young woman. He tried not to stare at blood and broken flesh as he spoke.
"Ilia, about the Grimm-"
"Not now, Tukson. I'm going to help get this man to medical care. Just stay back, alright?" She didn't even look at him. Of course, Tukson knew how to talk to kids nowadays. All of Ilia's words were code for just not wanting to talk about it.
She focused on helping their people. Tukson supposed that was commendable, but that Grimm was still fighting for its life. Desperate to escape the shackles humanity had given it.
Tukson couldn't believe he was sympathizing with it.
Jaune laid on the ground. He didn't move. Flynt and Neon were in similar conditions. The torture had ended a while ago, but the pain lingered in their bodies. Jaune felt like his body had gone through hell. His muscles ached and his fingers twitched as the agonizing pain still lingered just under the skin.
He stared at his foot. Another scar his life had granted him. He closed his eyes and laid his face on the warm, metal floor. He didn't move as he thought of Ruby.
He missed her.
Jaune thought of her warm body. Her soft arms embracing him. Her kind words and… and…
Shit, he really did like her, didn't he? What kind of luck did a man need to have the fate of falling for a Grimm? Or rather, a woman that looked like a Grimm.
He couldn't give up here. He refused to just lay down and die without saving her. He had to get up and fight.
For Ruby. For everyone else that these bastards had captured, killed, and hurt.
But to do so, he'd need a plan, and a lot of luck. He grabbed the bars and lifted himself up. He looked at the two guards watching them. Neither spoke, keeping their eyes locked on the three Huntsmen.
He sat up, and he thought of Pyrrha and her own Semblance. He sat down and did his best to imitate it, slowly moving his fingers as he stared at the ring of keys one of the guards had. He had to find the right balance between not making it too obvious, but letting himself be caught.
It didn't matter if he was just waving his fingers like an idiot. It didn't matter if it didn't do anything. The guards would think-
"Hey. Idiot, stop," Flynt grunted, glaring at Jaune. "They're going to-"
"The hell do you think you're doing?" one of the guards asked, walking over to the cell.
"Looks like he's trying to use his fancy Semblance. Heh, what's wrong, Huntsman? Performance issues?" one of the guards mocked.
Jaune silently thanked Pyrrha as he the guard took out a stun baton. Now came the hard part. While the young man's Semblance was useful, it kept him to the role of support and healing. That was his role with Ruby, after all.
But he had something else that gave him an advantage over others. He had a lot of Aura compared to others. Even after all the pain he had gone through, he had some left that he could have used to protect himself.
He didn't. He buried it down, suppressing his own Aura as the guard electrocuted his cage. Jaune electrocuted and without his Aura to protect him… It was the worst pain he had endured yet.
He didn't even scream. He didn't cry. His body trembled as his teeth smashed into one another. Grinding. Cracking. He chipped a tooth from biting down so hard as he felt his body violently shake.
Pain. It hurt. He couldn't see. He couldn't think. It all just hurt too much as he felt like he was being torn inside out. The pain ended after only a few seconds as he fell to the ground, still smoking as drool dripped down from his mouth.
He tasted blood. He ignored it as the guards started to walk away.
"N-nuh…" His tongue felt too big for his mouth. He squeezed his eyes shut as he tried again. "Nuh… not… man… ehh…enough."
"Huh? You say something, Blondie?"
"Jaune, what are you doing?" Neon whispered, but Jaune grabbed the bars of his cage and forced his body up. It was hot to the touch as he stared at the two guards. He spat blood at them from his cell.
"N-not man enough t-to… fight me." He stared at the two men, glaring at each of them. "Open this door. I'll… kuh, keh… kick your ass."
They laughed at him. They thought his Aura was gone. Jaune felt his vision blur for a moment, before he tried to focus. He saw one of the guards walk closer.
"You can barely stand. You think you can actually fight us without an Aura? Thought you Huntsmen needed it to even think straight."
"Apparently, they do."
Jaune stumbled back. He nearly fell onto the floor as he caught himself. He spat at them again, and he watched as one of them held up the keys. Jaune watched with bated breath as the guard pushed the key into the lock and turned it, opening his cell.
That was all Jaune needed. One of the men grabbed Jaune by the collar, pulling him out of the cell and onto the cold, hard stone floor. Jaune slammed into it as the two guards lifted up their fists…
In an instant, Jaune summoned back his Aura. He brought it to the surface, like letting out a breath he'd been holding, and it was… amazing. It was like a shot of morphine. The pain began to fade, if only a little bit as his wounds healed slightly.
When the first punch hit him, it wasn't Jaune crying out in pain. The guard's fist connected with Jaune's cheek and he cried out in pain as his knuckles cracked against Jaune's Aura.
"S-shit! What the hell?!" Jaune didn't say anything. He remembered Pyrrha's training and he drove a single punch into the man's gut. He couldn't even cry out as the air was knocked out of him, before Jaune pushed him into the other guard.
"Damn it, move!" He pushed his friend aside, but by then Jaune was in front of him. He drove his fist into the man's head, breaking teeth out as the guard was brought down.
It was a slaughter. Jaune was faster, better trained, and stronger than both of them. With even just a fraction of his Aura, he was able to beat the two down, knocking them both out.
Jaune stood on shaking legs as he stared at the two guards. He felt like shit, but he had to keep moving.
He reached down to pick up the keys. He couldn't help but kick one of the men. Petty? He didn't care. He then brought himself to the cell, and he tried to bring the key to the keyhole. His hand was trembling. The keys fell from his hand as he cursed his luck.
He reached down, and his fingers wouldn't stop shaking. He told his body to stop, to just listen, but they just kept shaking. He stopped, sucking in air through gritted teeth. He ignored the taste of blood.
"Jaune?" Neon's voice called out to him, and he just forced a smile onto his lips as his fingers finally wrapped around the keys.
"I-I'm okay. I'm okay." He forced his body up and pushed the key in, unlocking the cell and pulling open the door. Neon came to him, placing her arms on his body.
"That'll do, Blondie. That'll do," she chuckled weakly, and for a moment Jaune saw a familiar face in Neon's eyes.
"Nuh… Nuh…" Nora. He saw Nora in those eyes and Jaune felt a knife dig into his chest. He tried to ignore it as Neon gently laid him onto the ground.
"Here, I'll take these, and you rest on the nice… stone floor. Okay?" Neon took the keys from him as she helped him sit down. She quickly undid the lock to Flynt's cage, helping the man out as they looked at Jaune.
"That… was a gutsy move, Jaune," Flynt complimented. "Can't imagine how painful that must have been to-"
"Very," he grunted. "V-very painful."
"Yeah," Flynt mumbled, nodding his head as he stretched his limbs. "Brothers, it feels good to be out."
"Seriously." Neon's tail stretched out behind her, curling slightly, before she rolled her neck around a bit. "So, what's our-?"
"Ruby," Jaune grunted. "I-I've got to save Ruby."
"Your Grimmfriend?" Flynt asked, only for Jaune to glare at him.
"She's not my girlfriend."
"He said Grimmfriend, not… Wait, is she your girlfriend?" Neon blinked, tilting her head slightly. "Yeesh, and I thought I had relationship problems."
"No, I mean, ahh," Jaune just groaned loudly, pushing his body back onto his feet. "We've got to find her. She's… she's more important than either of you could imagine."
"Man, you must really be simping for this girl," Neon chuckled.
"Doesn't matter how bad you have it for her," Flynt scoffed. "We need our weapons if we're going to do any damage."
"We'll have to go to the armory," Neon declared, before she gently tapped her chest. "Good thing I know where to go. I saw it when they were moving us between rooms once."
Jaune sighed. He knew they were absolutely right. This place was probably crawling with White Fang and Spider gang members. If he wanted to save Ruby, he'd need Crocea Mors and his armor.
"Alright. You're right."
"We need to form a plan," Flynt declared. "Plan our next move and what to do from there." Jaune's skin crawled at how much time they would waste, but he knew they were right. "And maybe, you can finally fill us in on your little friend?" Flynt inquired, crossing his arms as Neon gently patted Jaune's back.
"Exposition time, big guy."
"Right…"
Jaune had tried to give the two the shortest, most brief explanation for him and Ruby's adventure. The three knew it was only a matter of time before more guards came, and so while he talked, Neon and Flynt locked the guards up into one of the cells and readied themselves to move.
"A talking Grimm," Neon mumbled to herself. "And I thought I was weird."
"You're sure we can trust this thing?" Flynt asked, and Jaune held up his hand.
"As long as I can give her some of my Aura, she'll be okay, but the longer we're apart, the more dangerous it is. For all of us."
"Aww, that's so romantic," Neon beamed. "You two are so cute together."
"Neon," Flynt sighed, shaking his head. "You're talking about a Grimm, remember?"
"She's not a Grimm," Jaune firmly replied. "And we're not together," he added, turning his glare towards Neon, who held up her hands.
"Hey, no judgment."
"I don't have time for this," Jaune sighed, making his way to the door, only to be stopped by Flynt.
"If your plan is to go one man army on everyone in here without a weapon or back up, you just went from brave to stupid. Neon and I know where they keep our weapons. We can find gear there and then we can help your girl."
Jaune didn't even bother arguing that last point. He just seemed stunned that he finally, maybe, possibly had help. "You'll help?"
"Sounds like this… thing isn't a typical Grimm," Flynt shrugged. "And if what you're saying is true, sounds like she could use some help. As long as she's on our side."
"She is" Jaune sighed. He let out a sigh as he prayed the two could help him. "I promise. She'll help us."
"Alright," Neon grinned. "This'll be fun. Just like old times! Except we'll all live hopefully."
Flynt nodded the same, and Jaune took this moment to hope that he'd get there in time. That he could help Ruby with two new allies. "Thank you," he whispered.
"Don't thank us yet. We've got to move quick before the guard rotation comes in and we're found out." Flynt led the way, leading the group to the door and opening it slowly. "The armory ain't far from here. We can grab our weapons and then tear this place apart."
"What were your guys' weapons, anyways?" Jaune whispered.
"I used a pair of nunchucks," Neon explained with a grin. "I packed Dust in them to use while I fought. Flynt played a trumpet."
Jaune waited for the reveal of what the trumpet turned into, but as Flynt slipped out the door, Jaune couldn't help but ask. "Wait, that's it? Just a trumpet?"
"It worked for me," he replied as Jaune raised his brow. He followed the two to a sealed room and he watched as Flynt held up the key ring they took from the guards. "Guess we're lucky these guys do things old school."
Flynt pushed the key in, unlocking the door and pushing it open just enough to peek inside. He held up his hand, motioning the group forward and they followed him inside. Jaune stepped forward and he stared at the large array of weapons inside.
He saw mostly standard issue rifles, smaller arms like pistols, heavier, explosive weapons like grenades, but his eyes were drawn to his own familiar weapons. Crocea Mors was hung up on the wall like a trophy, beside several other more exotic weapons.
"Yes!" he grinned. Now he just had to find his armor. He froze as he stared at the wall of weapons. Dozens of them. From dozens of different Huntsmen…
What had happened to them…? And was he right to suspect a connection between their disappearance and Ruby?
He didn't want to dwell on things he couldn't control. He moved forward, past Flynt to reach for his sword as Neon's ears twitched and her head whipped behind them. She felt it before any of them.
The door was kicked open as White Fang guards took aim at the group.
"Look out!" She tackled Flynt, pushing him to the ground as several bullets flew over their heads.
Jaune quickly grabbed his weapons as the towering figure of the Lieutenant pushed the other guards aside. He revved up his chainsaw, and yet his laughter seemed to cut right through the sound.
"Good. Was hoping you'd escape. I'll make sure to put what's left of you back in the cage…"
Four White Fang guards aimed their guns at Neon and Flynt, and despite Jaune knowing how bad of a move it was, he couldn't leave them undefended.
"Catch!" He threw his shield forward and Neon quickly caught it, letting the force of the thrown spin her around as she beamed ear to ear.
"We are back, Flynt!" she giggled as her partner stood beside her.
"Noble, boy," the Lieutenant laughed. "But it wasn't going to do much good for you anyways." He moved forward, chainsaw in hand as Jaune gulped.
Ruby wasn't going to save him. He had to save himself.
Time to step up.
The Lieutenant swung his chainsaw, and Jaune dodged it as he swung his sword into the Faunus' side. His sword collided against his Aura, earning a laugh from the giant..
"Ow. Stings." His hand shot out, and Jaune barely dodged it. He knew he couldn't match the man's strength. Jaune was running on fumes from everything that had happened.
He had to fight smart, and he couldn't believe it, but he was thankful for Cardin. The two had sparred several times over the course of knowing one another. Cardin was strong, but he was slow.
He kept his distance from the chainsaw and the man's grabs, but he couldn't just play defense. Jaune was slowly tiring him out, but he needed something with more power and range.
Man, he really wished Crocea Mors could turn into a gun.
Thankfully, he had options behind him. Jaune dodged another blow, stumbling back as he hit the wall. He then reached to the side, picking up one of the weapons at random… and he saw a silver trumpet in his hand.
"Seriously?"
He looked up to see the Lieutenant charging at him with his chainsaw in hand. Jaune took a deep breath, before he held the trumpet in hand and blew. The boom of sound was a horrendous sound, but it was strong enough to throw the giant back, slamming him into the wall behind him.
Jaune held the trumpet down, panting as she stared at the Lieutenant. He chuckled a bit as he saw Flynt from the corner of his eyes.
"Told you," the man grinned, before he punched a White Fang guard to the ground.
Jaune watched as Neon shot past him, moving almost as fast as Ruby. She left a rainbow trail behind her, ramming into two guards at once with his shield in hand.
"Never miss a beat, never miss a beat!" she beamed, before she turned to see another guard taking aim at Flynt. "Flynt, catch!" She threw the shield to him and he caught it, shielding himself as Neon shot forward again and slammed her legs into the guard for Flynt. "KA-BLAAAM!"
Jaune smiled. He could practically hear Nora smashing Grimm in two, protecting Ren and the rest of the team, bringing a smile to-
"Ahhh!" The Lieutenant lunged at Jaune, who barely dodged in time. The trumpet fell to the ground as the giant snarled. "I'm going to break you in two." Jaune swung his sword to help try and keep the distance between them, only for the Lieutenant to catch the blade.
Jaune had to let go of his sword, watching the Faunus throw it behind him as he growled. "No more games. Now you die."
"Jaune, catch!" Neon shouted, throwing something at the blond. He barely had time to catch it before he realized she had thrown her nunchucks to him. He stared at the weapons, before he looked at the Lieutenant, who was swinging his chainsaw to cleave Jaune in two.
He ducked under the attack, swinging the nunchucks into him, only to scowl at their blow seemed to do minimal damage.
"C'mere, boy!" he roared, grabbing Jaune by his hoodie and holding him up.
"Neon, how do you work these things?!" the blond shouted as Neon sped by.
"You got to bend them! Haven't you ever used a glowstick before?!" she replied and Jaune growled as he quickly grabbed the nunchucks in hand and bent them.
"No!" He swung the nunchucks again, slamming them into the Lieutenant's head. There must have been Dust inside of the weapons as they froze over half the man's face, earning a partly muffled, horrified scream from the Faunus as he stumbled back, trying to break the ice from his face.
"Jaune, go low!" Flynt shouted, and Jaune did so, ducking down as Neon jumped over him, slamming into the Lieutenant with a powerful charge. She rammed Jaune's shield into the Faunus' face, shattering the ice as he fell to the ground, his mask shattered and several of his teeth laying on the ground, each stained in blood.
"Whoa… Way to go, Nora," he chuckled, earning a confused stare from Neon. Immediately Jaune felt shame and regret plaguing his soul, and he let out a sigh as he rubbed the back of his head. "Er, Neon."
She stared at him, her smile replaced with a look of concern. She held his shield out to him and he took it back, sheepishly.
"You good?" she asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. She offered a sympathetic smile as he nodded his head, smiling back. "Cool. BRB," she smiled, leaving Jaune with his shield as the blond turned to look at the four beaten guards… and four Flytnts standing over them.
"Uh…?"
"My Semblance," the four replied. Three of the copies slid back into the original, before he walked over to the wall of weapons. He picked up two swords as Neon examined the arsenal, before noticing something laying in a box on the side
She dug through it quickly, before she pulled out some roller skates, beaming at the sight of them. "Ooh! My skates!" she beamed, before she quickly slipped them onto her body. Jaune watched as she tapped the heels together, and the wheels vanished into the soles of the shoes, before she saw a whip hanging on the wall.
"This belonged to Ivori," she explained, picking up the long cable. "Our teammate. He kicked so much ass with this thing," she chuckled. "And I always made BDSM jokes cause, you know, it was too easy not too. He hated them," she muttered, a smile on her face as she walked up to Flynt.
He handed her one of the swords he had picked up and Jaune watched with wide eyes as they executed the unconscious Faunus. They killed him, and Jaune couldn't help but flinch.
Of course, he had killed people too, but… There was something particularly brutal about this death. Then again, Jaune wasn't sure if he could blame either of them. They had captured here, tortured for a month, never knowing if they'd know freedom again.
Jaune just turned away, quietly finding his armor, sword, and scroll. Once he was done, he turned to the two and found them walking towards him. Flynt had his trumpet in hand as Neon held up her nunchucks.
"Oh, baby, I missed you!" She beamed at the sight of them as Flynt gently stroked his trumpet. "So, Jaune, how was using our weapons?"
"They're good," he chuckled. "But I prefer something more classic." He motioned to his sword and shield as Neon grinned.
"Totally, totally, but you know… Since you blew on his trumpet, it's kind of like you and Flynt shared an indirect kiss," she teased, and Jaune honestly wasn't sure if he was thankful for the attempt to lighten the mood or not.
"Now what? We're gonna go save your buddy," Flynt asked and Jaune nodded his head.
"If you two are still with me."
"Hell, yeah," Neon grinned, snapping her fingers. "Let's see. Flynt Coal, Neon Katt, Jaune's what's your full name?"
"Er, Jaune Arc?"
"Arc. I like that! Okay, then we'll become Team CARN!" Neon beamed, giving him a thumbs up.
"Let's not push it, Neon," Flynt sighed.
"What's a kar…a cur, uh… How did you pronounce it?"
"Cairn. Totally badass name, trust me. Now, come on!" Her shoes turned into roller skates as she moved on ahead, motioning for the two to follow as they glanced at one another.
"She's a lot to handle, but she means well," Flynt stated and Jaune just smiled as he followed along.
"I like her."
Ruby felt her arm snap. The Snallygaster then threw her away, letting her heal as she screamed and writhed on the floor. She tried to breathe, but the pain was making it hard to even see as the Snallygaster slowly moved closer towards her.
It wasn't going to kill her, but it clearly enjoyed playing with her food. Her tail shot out to hit it, but it was so damn fast. It dodged her attacks before the head lunged forward. She moved back, barely dodging the beak.
She had never fought a Grimm this strong before. She was used to facing off against powerful beasts, but this one was different. It was as fast as her, maybe even faster. She couldn't get a hit in, and the range of its neck and tendrils were far longer than Ruby's tail.
She didn't dare use her Semblance. She didn't know how much more of Jaune's Aura she had.
All this while that voice taunted her, always just behind her.
"You're slowing down, Ruby."
Ruby ignored her, just like she had been for the last few minutes, but she wasn't sure how much more of this she could take. Her tail shot out at the Snallygaster's many tongues, cutting a few off, only for them to regrow, healing back as it tackled her down.
She was pinned under it as its hands pinned hers down. Her tail stabbed at its body, but it didn't even seem to react as it dug its beak into her shoulder, ripping through her flesh and black smoke spilled out.
Ruby cried out in pain, before her tail shot through its legs, cutting the limb off before she threw it off of her. She panted for air, watching as the Snallygaster fell to the ground. The creature was missing a leg thanks to her, and she hid her smile with a snarl.
Finally, some damage. Then her hope fell as quickly as it rose. The dismembered leg evaporated in a black smoke as the wound began to heal itself. Ruby's eyes widened, she ran forward, striking at the creature.
She clawed at the Grimm's face, blinding one eye, before her tail stabbed into its head again, before ripping its way, leaving a mash gash. Each wound began to heal as soon as she made it.
Her fists pounded against the creature, before one of its long tendrils shot out and wrapped around her arm, bending it back.
Ruby cried out in pain as her arm was nearly ripped off of her. She was slammed back down, before a large, taloned arm stabbed into her chest, ripping her apart. She screamed. She screamed louder than she ever remembered screaming.
She couldn't keep this up. She wasn't strong enough, and she couldn't risk being any stronger than this.
"Then you'll die here."
She couldn't die here. Jaune. She had to see him again.
And her past. She had to discover who she was and…
And she had so much left to do. She couldn't die here.
"Then you know what you have to do."
She could feel the Grimm slowly crushing her arm. She could feel her bones breaking. She felt-
"Mom!" Ruby screamed as she watched Summer being apart. The Grimm had grabbed her mother's arm and placed the other hand on her shoulder and simply… ripped her in two.
The sounds Ruby heard. The monstrous screams of inhuman beasts. The silent scream as her mother's body hit the ground. Ruby ran and…
And Ruby roared.
Ruby's arm fell apart, transforming into rose petals. The rest of her body followed, disassembling into a massive cloud of petals, before each of them shot past the Grimm. It screeched at her, trying and failing to claw at the scarlet fog. It felt each petal cut at its body, like razor blades as they flew past it.
The cloud of rose petals flew into the air, before it began to separate. One large cloud became three twirling, spinning drills of red and they each turned around to strike at the Grimm. It felt one rip through a leg, before another dragged claws over its chest, and then another cloud slammed into Snallygaster's chest.
The rose petals trapped the Snallygaster within their cloud. A mist of red that began to slowly turn black as Ruby attacked it. Faster. Harder. Her arms would materialize, before vanishing again, just fast enough to attack, before it was gone again.
It was like being trapped in a sea of needles. Ruby attacked from every angle, a wild, unpredictable storm of claws and death. It didn't matter if she only did a small amount of damage.
She'd kill it with a million paper cuts if she had.
The Snallygaster roared in defiance, opening its mouth to unleash its tendrils. The tendrils stabbed at the rose petals, unable to properly damage Ruby… before her tail stabbed right through the head.
The Grimm twitched. It tried to move even as its head was skewered. A hand struggled to rise up, trying to grab at the rose petals that connected to her tail. Ruby bit down on the Grimm's neck as the rose petals once more formed her body.
She drove her teeth down deeper on the Grimm's neck, harder, drinking in the black smoke it bled. Ruby's silver eyes began to fade as her hands held the Snallygaster, keeping it trapped against her even as its claws struck her body.
She didn't care. She kept biting down harder until her mouth finally fell shut… and the Grimm's head fell to the ground.
Ruby breathed in the rotting Grimm's body. She tasted it. She… she felt a hand gently stroke her cheek.
"Good, girl. I knew he hadn't dulled your killer instinct." Ruby tried to turn her head, only to realize her own hand was rubbing against her mouth… and that she couldn't move her head.
She felt her teeth dragging against her arm as that voice continued to sing into her ear. "Now I want you to kill everyone in this room, and come back home, understand?"
Ruby tried to move her feet. She tried to move her hands. Her arms. She tried to do anything and… and…
She heard the doors open. She wanted to turn and face him, but her body refused as a familiar voice called out to her.
"Ruby!"
She opened her mouth to scream. To warn Jaune to get away from her. She begged to whatever gods there were that this wasn't happening.
"Oh, Ruby… Look who it is. The man who tried to take you away from your family." Ruby felt her body slowly turn around, her eyes glaring at Jaune as her tongue licked her sharp teeth. Ruby was screaming, but she couldn't even hear her own voice as Jaune's eyes met hers.
"Bring me his head."
Ruby's body let out a booming roar, shaking the earth. Her mind and soul begged for her body to stop, but it charged forward, claws bared and tail raised as Jaune scrambled to defend himself.
END
Sorry for the wait on the chapter, folks. This one turned out to be a long one and it ended up being split in two just due to the length. I hope to get the next chapter to you all very soon!
As for Ruby, things are looking bad. She's finally lost control just as Jaune has found himself new allies. Will Team CARN be able to survive their battle against the beast within Ruby? And what about Malachite and her mysterious Benefactor? Why is this Benefactor hiring the Spider gang to capture Huntsmen? I think you know why. But what about Tukson and Ilia? Whose side are they on?!
Find out all these questions and more in the next update!
I hoped you enjoyed the peek at the larger world around Ruby and Jaune. As the story continues, you'll be seeing much more of it, as well as the fates of more familiar characters. If I were to cut the stories into arcs, this chapter and the next mark the end of Ruby and Jaune's journey to Menagerie, and a whole new journey awaits them as they rise to become Salem's greatest enemies.
Thank you for reading. Be sure to leave a review if you've enjoyed the story so far. I love reading all of them, from mocking Jaune for being a monster lover, to talking about how horrifying the Grimm are.
Speaking of which, the Death Raptor is based on the Snallygaster, a cryptid of American folklore. I kept a lot of the details, but changed the name due to finding it too awkward to use as something scary in this context. I actually had a poll on my Twitter, Leafydream0, asking people if it was a silly sounding name, and most people thought so.
Anyways, thanks for reading. See you all next time. Be safe, and remember you are loved!
