RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)
I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.
I am making no money from this.
Chasing Rainbows
Too much had happened.
Too much was still happening at that very moment if she were entirely honest with herself, something that she found herself less and less inclined towards of late.
The battle within and for the fate of Haven Academy had ended some time ago and for Ruby Rose the momentary peace and clarity that had come with the announcement from the now unconscious form of Oscar Pine that they needed to make all haste for the Kingdom of Atlas and the reunion between Team RWBY in their entirety, something that the young woman had, in her most private moments found herself beginning to fear may never happen had faded away, the brief huddling on the floor of Haven Academy's entrance hall feeling as though it were somehow both mere moments ago and a distant memory at the same time which, along with the countless other matters that each seemed to clamour for her every last scrap of her attention left Ruby's mind buzzing and her head beginning to pound with a dull ache that was not entirely connected to the blows she had sustained in the fight.
"So, what do we do now?" Silver eyes blinked several times as the sound of Weiss's voice snapped Ruby out of her momentary daze and forced her to focus and compel her thoughts which moved as swiftly and in as many disparate directions as the petals she left in her wake to cooperate with her wishes.
It was early morning and the sound of birds beginning to chirp as the first rays of sunlight began to tinge the horizon could be heard faintly from within the classroom within the cordoned off premises of Haven Academy that a large portion of their group had returned to after it had become clear that both Salem's close allies and Adam Taurus, along with a small portion of his forces had escaped and the subsequent debriefing from the Mistrali authorities which, in Ruby's mind had felt uncomfortably like a questioning, as though she were suspected of something. The classroom had been chosen upon the discovery of Professor Lionheart's body, whatever the man had been in life all present had agreed that stepping over his body to gather in his quarters was simply indecent.
Ruby gave no immediate answer and instead slowly surveyed the classroom, its' furnishings far more ornate than those of Beacon Academy and yet oddly more fragile in appearance for all their grandeur, as though Lionheart's weakness had spread outward to leave an empty shell of an academy in place of what Haven had once been.
It was Weiss who had spoken and Ruby found her partner behind her and to her right, in a position that the disowned heiress had almost certainly found herself in out of habit; though Ruby still appreciated the gesture of her partner acting as her right hand. Beside Weiss was Jaune, her fellow team leader continuing to use his newfound Semblance to ensure that the ivory haired young woman was in fact as fit for duty as her defiance compelled her to insist that she was; Jaune was however the only member of Team JNPR, or RNJR as they had briefly been to be present as with Oscar still unconscious rendering Ozpin unable to provide aid or guidance had seen Ren and Nora silently and without waiting to be asked carry the boys' limp form back towards Qrow's safe house.
Turning to her left Ruby saw something that caught her slightly by surprise, a detail she would have failed to notice if she were truly as naive and innocent as many often made the mistake of assuming, her Uncle, whom it seemed notable had not yet been asked for input or direction leaned against a wall whilst wearing a menacing scowl on his face yet rather than simply brooding Ruby quickly realised that his body language and posture were entirely too guarded for the situation at hand; at which point she realised that her Uncle had placed himself as close to Yang, who still bore the Relic of Knowledge along with red and puffy eyes along with a trembling hand which showed just how much effort it was taking her to maintain her composure.
Qrow felt that Yang was in danger and had moved into a defensive position, much as he had done for Ruby herself in the battle against Tyrian Callows.
From there Ruby finally turned and studied the people ahead of her; Blake seemed nervous despite being flanked by an utter behemoth of a man who exuded an almost palpable aura of warmth despite his intimidating form and a woman who could only be her mother whose kind features belied the sense of total control that seemed to emanate outwards from her. From what Ruby understood these were Ghira and Kali Belladonna, heads of a faction seeking to reclaim the White Fang name and restore the organisation to its' former ideals of peace and equality; this goal currently being enacted in the form of the contingent of fighters and other valued individuals that had travelled to Mistral searching Haven for any undetonated explosives or other dangers and securing the grounds under the command of Sun Wukong, the monkey Faunus acting more like a leader than Ruby could ever remember seeing.
The final figure in the room was a young woman perhaps the same age as Ruby's team-mates, tanned and freckled, the markings scattered across much of her skin and being prominent on both her cheeks and shoulders that Ruby couldn't help but notice were impressively well muscled much like the rest of her form; as expected of someone who had so effortlessly placed a White Fang insurgent in an arm-bar. Her deep reddish brown hair curled back away from a face whose shy and worried expression was made more pronounced by her rounded features which in turn seemed to make her eyes, a pale blue grey that could not quite be called silver stand out all the more; only for that timid appearance to stand at odds with attire that gave her the appearance of some kind of ninja or special agent.
It took Ruby several seconds to realise that she had been staring around the room aimlessly for several seconds and that she still needed to answer Weiss's question.
"Oz….Oscar" she hastily corrected herself, deciding that Blake would have to be informed of recent events at a later date "Says we need to get the Relic to Atlas Academy immediately….That seems like our best course of action"
"I agree" Qrow's low growl followed her words and Ruby turned to see her Uncle give her an approving nod and a reassuring smile, the briefest crack in his stoic facade "But it won't be that simple"
"Why not?" Weiss's tone had the faint air of a demand about it, though it was hard to deny that her frustrations were understandable given the blood still staining her clothes.
"After something like this transport in and out of the city is going to be locked down for at least a few days" it was Jaune that answered, his voice dull and toneless as though he hoped to keep any questions about his own actions during the fight against Cinder at bay by appearing composed "They don't want Cinder to get away….That's why we, why Ruby, Nora, Ren and I all had to take the long way to Haven travel across Anima"
"But there must be something that we can do!" Weiss insisted
"Sorry, this isn't a problem you can buy your way out of Schnee" the freckled girl whom Ruby assumed to be a Faunus spoke up, the note of derision in her snorted words causing Ruby's eyes to narrow slightly until Weiss retorted.
"I paid for an illegal flight into Mistral, I can pay for one back out of Mistral" her haughty tone stood at odds with the confident smirk she wore, a display far removed from the Weiss Ruby remembered from their first meeting at Beacon.
"Of course you did" the girl whose name Ruby still did not know muttered with a shake of her head, which was enough for Blake who had been pointedly looking anywhere but at Yang for some time to finally speak up.
"Ilia, she's a friend….That's enough"
"There is also another matter" Ghira Belladonna placed a hand on his daughters' shoulder as he spoke up, donning reading glasses seemingly in a display of habit "Namely the defence of Mistral-"
"Your people seem to have that under control….They did well for a bunch of fresh recruits" Qrow gave the Chieftain of Menagerie a nod of respect that he suspected was given by humans far too infrequently "Now that we know just how far Leo's actions went I can try and send word to any Hunters who were off-grid or radio silent and have them fall back to the Academy to relieve your people or bolster your numbers as you see fit"
"You think we're gonna be allowed to be the ones making a choice?" Ilia, as Blake had called her let out another snort, this one far more bitter in its' delivery as she rolled her shoulder to give the joint a satisfying sounding crunch; Ruby found now malice in her face, only a simple resignation however it was clear that this understanding was not universal as the heavy thud of Yang's boots announced her beginning to stomp forward, eyes flashing red as she glowered at Ilia, incensed by her tone with Qrow.
"And who are you, exactly?" whilst the words were delivered with none of Yang's once undeniable trademark fiery anger or equally common snappy, smirking confidence the simple coldness in her tone was enough to make Ruby visibly shudder as she realised that something had changed within her sister and that she had not been there to help her as Yang would no doubt have been if their roles were reversed, upon seeing Yang advance Blake placed herself between the two of them, feline ears slicking back in a flinching expression that snapped her partner out of her anger in an instant, leaving her instead with a sickened expression on her face as she realised how easily she had lost the control she fought so hard for. Seeing the situation devolving Ruby gently placed a hand on her sisters' forearm and slowly, carefully moved her a few paces backward toward Qrow whilst at the same time addressing Blake, finding as she did so that her own voice was missing some of its' warmth.
"Blake it's good to see you again….It really is, but things are tense right now for a lot of reasons. I understand that you trust your friend and that you're willing to vouch for her, but we don't know her"
"This is Ilia-" Blake began, with both of her parents making the most subtle of protective gestures and standing a little closer to their only child; all of which was seen, understood and respected by Ruby only for Ilia herself to step forward, face downcast and muscles coiled with some unspeakable tension as she spoke on her own behalf rather than allow Blake to defend her.
"I'm Ilia Amitola, until very recently I was a member of a militant White Fang cell with ties to Adam Taurus….Blake and I were friends and she convinced that this, what we're trying to do here is the way forward….But that doesn't mean that Haven's Council is just going to hand its' security over to a bunch of Faunus from Menagerie even if they don't have any Hunters. That was all I meant, I didn't want to cause offence….Except to the Schnee, but that's a given" the Faunus girl let out a weak and nervous laugh at that final comment to ensure Weiss that it was largely meant as a joke before finally looking up and holding Yang's gaze; as she did so Ruby was certain her eyes had deceived her as, for a fraction of a second Ilia's skin seemed to be a deep blue.
"And you….you're Blake's partner, the one who Adam hurt; who saved her at Beacon" Ilia's eyes drifted towards Yang's golden prosthetic before the freckled girl swallowed thickly, expression looking as though it had been a mouthful of glass as she croaked out her next words "Thank you"
"Okay" Ruby breathed out, sensing that this was not a conversation that would be productive to have at that moment "Ilia, thank you for your input….Mister, Chieftain, Sir-"
"Call me Ghira, friends of my daughter do not need to use titles" Ghira rumbled, whilst Kali merely gave a warm smile.
"Do you think you can convince the Mistrali council to let you help?"
"Sadly it will not be an easy thing" he lamented.
"Indeed, the fact that the late Headmaster was a Faunus will almost certainly be used as a justification against us"
"Leave it to me" Qrow's voice was filled with sudden determination "We need to get to Atlas….I can't imagine Jimmy's in a good place right now….Those same people who're bigoted against your people will be bigoted against plenty of other groups; I have ties to a lot of people in Mistral, if we're all going to be here for a few days anyway I can try and create some support for your people on the ground and force the Council to see that right now letting a reformed White Fang act as their security is the only real option they have"
"Sending Adam Taurus running should probably score you some points" Yang chuckled darkly, the briefest possible glance passing between her and Blake hinting that some fragile embers of hope that things between them could be mended still remained; her words caused Ghira Belladonna to give a subtle nod of agreement, his own features darkening with an unspoken rage towards everything the vile wretch who deigned to call himself a revolutionary had to his daughter whilst Kali's knuckles audibly popped with a similarly restrained urge for retribution.
"Hunter Branwen your help will be most appreciated….I only wish more of your people shared your willingness to see us as brothers and allies"
"Heh….I wouldn't exactly call the Mistralis my people" Qrow gave a low chuckle and a meaningful look "But I will help, because it's what Ozpin would want, because it's the right thing to do….And because it gets us on our way to Atlas faster"
"Okay" Ruby let out a sigh of relief "Yang, Jaune….Help Weiss back to the house, Weiss yes you do need help, yes you do need rest"
"What's that supposed to-" Weiss found herself silenced as she was carefully hoisted away by the pair of blondes who each stood far taller than her.
"Okay so, we've got a plan….at least kinda" Ruby blinked tiredly, the waves of exhaustion crashing over her "Blake….I don't know if you're planning on-"
"I'm part of Team RWBY" Blake's tone was firm and her expression resolute, which left Ruby wearing a more genuine and confident smile than she had for some time.
"Then start preparing, we move out as soon as we're able….Mister and Missus Belladonna; it's an honour" Ruby gave the faintest bow, despite Ghira's insistence on no such formality she refused to allow a repeat of the farce her first meeting with Winter Schnee had been "Ilia, it was….a pleasure"
"You too….I think I'm starting to get why Blake trusts you people" with that Ilia turned and strode away, dismissing herself as it became clear that there was no more that required her presence to be discussed and leaving Ruby staring after her, taking in an inordinate amount of interest in the way the older girls' muscled and freckled back and shoulders flexed as she rolled her arm again, the limb likely having been pulled or twisted in her grappling.
For all of her initial sourness Ruby thought that there were several interesting conversations to be had with Ilia Amitola.
After all, Weiss had opened up to her friends eventually so anything was possible.
"Okay Kiddo….You've done enough for tonight, more than enough" Qrow murmured, features filled with pride now that the hostility in the air had passed "The Belladonnas and I can hash out some details….You need your rest as well, you took some pretty nasty hits and you're running on fumes"
"Thanks Uncle Qrow, it means a lot" Ruby mumbled, words giving way to a yawn as her uncles' comment allowed her to finally give into her tiredness and almost buckle under its' weight there and then.
"Summer would be proud….Even my sister knows it" Qrow's features twisted into something bitter and remorseful for the briefest moment at that before he patted Ruby on the back and sent her on her way.
Relieved of the weight of duty Ruby simply found herself looking for other ways to distract herself from the maelstrom of thoughts that had hounded her months, demanding answers that she didn't have ever since the night Beacon fell.
In her half-asleep state, with Blake appearing beside her to support her weight Ruby pulled her hood low over her face as she blushed faintly upon realising just how pleasant a distraction athletic muscles and cute freckles made for.
It had been a day since Adam Taurus's botched assault on Haven Academy, an effort to cement himself as the leader of a second Faunus revolution that would herald the beginning of a new age of Faunus power reduced to ashes despite being handed to him on a silver platter.
In an office sequestered in the slums of the lowest reaches of Mistral a certain Faunus with the sense to avoid the calamity was still laughing at that particular turn of events even now.
Dahlia Bone was a Vulture Faunus, originally born in the Under-City of Mantle whose appearance seemed to be a lesson in contradictions; She was taller than average and boasted an athletic, if slender physique which could have allowed her to be imposing or intimidating if she wished yet at the same time her gauntness and the unassuming posture often adopted by Mantle children, derided by those above them as 'skulking' and 'prowling' made it equally feasible for her to appear small and unimportant enough to blend into her surroundings much of the time. Her skin had the dried out and weather-beaten look of one who spent a great deal of time outdoors yet her pallid complexion was entirely without a tan, a common sight amongst those who dwelt close to the Mantle Crater where Atlas loomed over them and blotted out what little sun was available. Her features were rounded with last vestiges of the chubby face of a child, belying how far removed her actual age was from the sense of authority she tried to convey though even this was a story of two halves as that plumpness was contrasted against the unmistakable effects of malnutrition.
Dahlia could likely have appeared any way she chose to, yet tonight she had chosen to look fierce; something she had long since become accustomed to as the situation had continued to call for it.
Her attire was a variant of the uniform given to all members of the White Fang, customised to give her a commanding air the moment the teenage dissident had earned the right to do; black pants and a pale red dress shirt with several buttons unfastened complemented by a black waistcoat and loosely fastened pearl-white tie to give her an almost professional appearance that was jeopardised by both her youth and the fact that the outfit was completed by a pair black boots with red lining which reached to her calves and were then folded over, giving them the appearance of something worn by a pirate and a white coat that had once belonged to an officer in the Atlesian army before it had been stolen and personalised into something equally ostentatious, wide collared and flowing with gleaming buttons and a White Fang insignia in place of medals upon its' left breast; sleeves rolled up to reveal crudely made gang tattoos that had been a rite of passage in Mantle adorning her left forearm along with the fingers which ended in her Faunus attribute of talons.
Dahlia's face, despite its' residual baby fat was pointed and held hardness far beyond her years; thin lips cracked and dry, nose raptorial and slightly hooked though at a second glance it would seem more the result of being broken more than once than a natural thing whilst her eyes were a deep, visceral crimson made more prominent by the dark rings that perpetually encircled them. Her hair was an oddly off-white colour flecked with a gritty grey-brown towards her scalp, like snow with the faint traces of the ground visible beneath; tied back into a pair of braids close to base of her spine which reached to the small of her back where they were capped with silver skull-shaped ornaments whilst a single sweeping fringe fell in front of her right eye which, in contrast drew attention to the left side of her face where a single thin line of healed scar tissue reached from her jawline, narrowly missing her mouth before passing by an ear whose lobe and shell were littered with black and silver piercings and finishing at the edge of her temple; a trophy from a heist which had taken an unexpected turn which she wore like a badge of honour.
'After all' the rebellious young woman thought to herself with a twisted sneer 'Only someone like Adam Taurus would need to lie about where their scars came from'.
The laugh that escaped her caused the lighting in the dingy and cramped office located in an area of the city know as 'The Steeps' to flicker, owing to its' only source being the cigarette she was currently smoking; a habit she had picked up from her fellow miscreant children and chosen to make her own and embellish to make herself look more sophisticated by smoking from an ornate holder styled to resemble some serpentine Grimm, another trinket stolen from the Atlesians who strayed to far from the comfort of their floating home.
The sound of her laughter served as an unintentional greeting to someone below her and she found herself letting out an annoyed sigh as the sound of footsteps thundering up the stairs leading to the office she had been sleeping in after renting it with stolen lien and equally dubious identification preceded the door being thrown open and the light being turned up, revealing the lone flickering bulb to be unhindered by a lampshade and casting the bleak dwelling into stark relief whilst at the same time casting aside what little mystique Dahlia had managed to build around herself in her privacy despite the fact that her weapons and mask could now clearly be seen.
"Smoking in the dark and telling yourself you're gonna be the boos of all bosses" Dahlia give an irritable, petulant scowl in the direction of the Faunus she had been presented with; a boy shorter and stockier than herself boasting long horns which sprouted forward from his skull and a golden nose ring which stood out against his more standardised uniform in a way that the heavy weapon slung across his back failed to achieve.
"Fuck off Mulch!" Dahlia snorted, low and prematurely smoky voice coloured with the telltale broadness of a Mantle accent; the bovine Faunus before her had been a long time friend and one of those who had fled Mantle when word of an embargo following the Fall of Beacon had begun to spread, the two had survived the hostility of their bleak home city together, along with the attentions of the Atlesian authorities and the utter gutting of the White Fang's Mantle chapter by an unsponsored group of Huntresses led by an upstart politician.
Yet despite their closeness, something which neared a sibling relationship it was neither the time or the place for friendly bickering as there was work to be done.
"So come on….lay it on me" Dahlia sighed, taking another drag of her cigarette "How bad is it?"
"I don't….It's not great" Mulch shrugged gloomily, removing his mask to reveal concerned brown eyes "The Fang's in pieces-"
"And that's why it needs a little vulture like me to come and pick all those mangled pieces up" Dahlia countered with an attempt at levity that failed to land "They're not joining?"
"Some of the people who ignored Adam's order to meet with him at Haven are with you" Mulch began, inspiring a flicker of hope in his old friend and de facto commander only to quickly extinguish it "But some of the people who got caught have ratted people out so there's been more arrests-"
"I heard"
"But then there's this new….or old I guess White Fang cell back in town. The Belladonnas and a few old faces are offering amnesty, a lot of people are taking it" Mulch's tone had a hopeful air about it, as though he wanted Dahlia to consider it "And….Some of the others who got away from Haven are at Sienna's old base; they're against Adam but they're not with you right now….Word is Adam's only gonna be hiding out for a few more days then he's coming back and they're gonna try and face him head on. There's an offer to join them-"
"They're all going to die" Dahlia offered her opinion with a sense of finality.
"Yeah, probably" Mulch nodded with a forlorn expression "Some of 'em are good people….really believe in the cause y'know not like…."
"Like Adam" Dahlia scoffed, stubbing out her cigarette with an unnecessary amount of force as she considered the damnable state of the White Fang and how it could be traced entirely to its' current leadership; though the word was a loosely used one.
Dahlia's parents had been White Fang supporters of a more militant strand even before Sienna Khan's rise to prominence; an understandable position given the inequities of their home Kingdom and they had instilled in Dahlia both the same fiery passion and commitment to the cause that had seen them arrested a little after her eleventh birthday and the loyalty to their fellow Faunus that had seen them refuse to cooperate with the law. From there Dahlia had spent years running amok in a sustained act of grief-stricken vengeance through the streets of Mantle and Atlas alike, causing whatever havoc she could whilst hearing of recent developments within the White Fang from the various dissidents and insurgents who gave her what care they could. First of the pacifist Belladonna family, content to talk even when guns were aimed at their friends and family and then of Sienna Khan, an inspiring figure willing to take justice if it was not given whose actions and rhetoric filled the hearts and minds of a generation of disenfranchised Faunus all across Remnant. As the years went on there was talk of a new figure, Sienna's crimson right hand; a young man named Adam Taurus who would continue to deliver the High Leader's justice even as Sienna herself fell into the role of a grand architect, building a vision for the future of the Faunus.
In truth Dahlia now realised that Adam should have been the first red flag.
He was purported to be of Mantle descent, yet never in a lifetime of living amongst Mantle's White Fang had she heard of him. He was said to have abandoned a position amongst Ghira Belladonna's bodyguards in order to join Sienna's insurgent forces yet rumours persisted for years that the truth was far less heroic and that Adam had been dismissed and exiled from Menagerie, for reasons that changed with each telling of the story. Most concerning of all was his involvement in the Fall of Vale which had, for all its' striking at the heart of power done nothing at all to actually improve the lives of Faunus.
And then Dahlia had arrived in Mistral, harried and bedraggled gang of escaped street urchins in tow and finally she had met the mysterious crimson haired swordsman responsible for the White Fang's masks amongst other bleak and macabre things and she had known immediately that he was nothing like she had been led to believe. She had been promised a noble hero, fit to avenge Sienna Khan; instead she was confronted with a sinister and twisted madman who almost gloated in his new position of power whilst wearing a guilty smile that said more than words could ever hope to, all whilst using his new status to collaborate with humans towards unknown ends and enact some sick vendetta against the Belladonna family, specifically their daughter who, at roughly Dahlia's own age was simply far too young to have been involved with the man in any decent capacity.
The Vulture Faunus's taloned fingers drummed against the desk as she considered the sickening deviant who had led the White Fang down its' current path of self destruction, realising that he was a threat that would have to be dealt with eventually; as terrifying as that prospect was for her. In her introspective musing however she had left Mulch standing in awkward silence for too long and her old friend cleared his throat loudly to get her attention before speaking.
"So….You've got a plan right?" he mumbled "I get that you don't wanna join the Belladonnas….But they're at least doing something, if you want people to follow you then you've gotta have a direction….Running away from Adam isn't enough of a direction-"
"I'm not running" Dahlia snapped, the hint of an avian shriek coming to her suddenly far louder tone until she calmed herself with a deep breath and reached into one of the drawers of her desk and produced a map of concentric circles, indicating the stratified city of Mistral as it was constructed on the mountain it inhabited.
"Here….then here and here and here" Dahlia's deep crimson eyes seemed to shine with delight "Adam's a sick fuck but he knows how to grandstand and put a show on….So I'm gonna put a show on and my show will work, because I'm not an idiot….You get what I'm doing here right Mulch?"
"Yeah" the bovine Faunus nodded slowly, regarding the map with a concentrated expression and focusing on the places Dahlia had indicated "Yeah I think so"
"And you're with me right?"
"Always have been" he patted a gang tattoo that matched Dahlia's own with pride even as his face fell "But Dahlia….You're seventeen in two weeks, do you really think you can rally the whole Fang?"
"Who's left from the crew?" she asked hesitantly
"Nobody went with Adam when you said to stay back" Mulch's expression was proud again "So everyone who left Mantle with us, Ash, Brick, Stainless, Indica, Stones, Candy, Dross….Maybe a dozen or so others have already signed up, then there's some guys from 'East Wall Crew' in Sector Twelve, they left Mantle around the same time as-"
"Then that's enough, it has to be" Dahlia rose to her feet, rearing up to her full imposing stature and hoping that her attire and overall appearance gave her the commanding presence she was hoping for as she took her sheathed weapons and customised mask and regarded it for a moment; its' ivory surface more sharply angled forward with a slight curvature to its' lower edge and larger overall to create a shape that was a rudimentary image of a hooked beak, split only be a single visor with a deep red tint.
"The Belladonna's had their chance and did nothing with it, Sienna's dead and Adam's not the person we were told he was and anybody else we could actually believe in is gone….Tukson got whacked in Vale months ago and even if we could go home there's nothing left for us there. Something's gotta change Mulch" with that she donned her mask and with it her new identity of heir apparent to Sienna Khan's legacy "It's our generation's turn now, we're gonna change things….We start tomorrow"
Less than two days had passed since the attack on Haven and as such Ilia's mind continued to race with fractured and jumbled thoughts regarding everything that had occurred in such a short space of time.
The first day had been spent in a bustle of seemingly unrelenting activity for the Chameleon Faunus almost from the moment she had awoken, late as that might have been due to the attack of Haven and subsequent meetings preventing her from sleeping until the sun had already risen.
There had been more meetings of course, more talk about fixing various problems which seemed to do nothing of any real value or steer things in any meaningful direction as decisions continued to be made, as they often were by people with no real incentive to accept or even consider the possibility of change. After growing frustrated at the lack of progress as the Mistrali Council continued to drag their collective feet in regards to even publicly acknowledging the actions of the Belladonna's White Fang Militia, much less allow the fact to continue to aid the Kingdom in a show of good faith to improve relations between human and Faunus Ilia had excused herself and spent several hours wandering the streets of Mistral alone; spending an admittedly unwise amount of her limited lien on new clothes in the process yet she justified it to herself with the discomfort she felt every time she caught sight of her own reflection whilst wearing her White Fang attire. Whilst it would have been no challenge at all for her to pass as human and ignore the infuriating amount of 'No Faunus' signs on display in the upper reaches of the city the Chameleon Faunus chose instead to avoid those businesses, while at the same time forcing herself to ignore the festering rage that coiled within her at the sight of those signs as it had done so many times before, refusing to let that fury become righteous violence as it so often had.
Upon returning to the hotel where the Belladonna family and their allies had taken lodgings Ilia had learned that Blake had already packed her belongings and was preparing to stay with her team-mates in preparation for an imminent departure, something which felt like a knife in Ilia's heart no matter how expected the decision had been. There had been no question of Ilia joining her childhood friend, no way that Ilia would have been able to accept hospitality from the young Hunters without feeling like an intruder and yet she had been unable to remain at the hotel, finding herself equally out of place amongst the starry-eyed idealists of this remade White Fang movement and Blake's parents; no matter how many knowing looks and quiet reassurances that she was welcome to stay Kali Belladonna offered.
And so she had run into Sun Wukong who had provided her with an almost laughably simple alternative.
The monkey Faunus had returned to Haven Academy and simply allowed himself inside the school he was still technically a student of without any consideration as to whether it would be allowed. Upon sharing a meal that the Vaccuan nomad had paid for Sun had offered her a place to stay, at least for a few days as he explained to Ilia that he planned to re-establish contact with the rest of Team SSSN and begin making his way back across the sea to his native Vaccuo to continue training at Shade Academy.
Ilia, after some deliberation and several attempts to decline the offer by stating that she was more than used to being alone and fending for herself which were dismissed by Sun who countered her arguments by pointing out that she no longer had to be, had finally accepted the offer and found herself attempting to sleep that night in a bed more comfortable that she could remember in a student suite that was larger than the home she had been raised in before her parents' death.
And yet sleep had still been hard to find.
She had awoken that morning still bearing the telltale signs of a cathartic crying session, something which a long shower, also more luxurious than she was used to owing to the abundance of warm water had washed away and yet Sun, whilst claiming himself to be a man of action had still been perceptive and thoughtful enough to notice that something was amiss. The blonde boys' response to this had been something oddly familiar, knowing instinctively that Ilia would not want to discuss her feelings he had led the freckled girl to the campus gym and donned a pair of heavy training pads; offering advice that had been common in the White Fang owing to that fact that whilst likely ineffective it was still deeply satisfying.
Hit the pads now so that you don't hit something else later.
Ilia, sporting a new pair of sweatpants and form fitting black tank-top had taped her own hands with practised ease and dropped into a fighting stance before taking up Sun's offer with a degree of forceful gusto that caught the boy off-guard for a moment and left him quickly shifting his weight and balance as the sound of flesh thumping against the pads filled the air.
'Thump!' Ilia's freckles took on an angry red hue at the thought of Mistral's council; her left jabs fuelled by bitterness at the bigotry and unwillingness to help their own people that reminded her so much of Atlas.
'Thump!' A right cross punctuated a bitter snarl at the knowledge that so many of the new White Fang who had been born and raised on Menagerie would experience the harsh reality of life in the Kingdoms for the first time in the coming days and that many of them may abandon the cause, or worse join Adam or which ever petty would-be tyrant that followed him in desperation.
'Thump!' A pair of left hooks, never at Blake herself but at the feelings that Ilia could not force herself to forget or push aside entirely; the urge to be better, to be something that she wasn't sure that she could ever be all whilst knowing deep down that it would change the way Blake felt about her.
'Thump!' Ilia's freckles darkened, shifting from purple to deep navy blue in an instant as she slammed her elbow into a pad with enough force to send Sun skidding back, her thoughts filled with the way Blake looked at her partner, an expression that had left bile rising in Ilia's throat even as she tried to force herself to be happy for her friend.
'Thump!' Another elbow strike as colours danced and swirled across her skin as she thought about all of Blake's new friends, those who had helped her escape Adam when Ilia had been too enraged to even try; even the Schnee who had the temerity to not be the venomous and hateful monster that Ilia had been expecting.
'Thump' her body returned to its natural tones whilst her freckles flashed pink for the briefest second at the sudden thought of girl Blake now called her leader, the caped girl with silver eyes whose cute face seemed at odds with the unquestioning respect those around her had afforded her; that unexpected thought caught Ilia so off-guard that her next blow, a vicious right hook was sent off target and she was left struggling to regain her footing and at the same time blinking in surprise as she staggered passed Sun who responded by laughing for a moment before finally shedding the padded mitts and flexing his fingers as he spoke.
"Okay….You wanna talk about it now?"
"Nothing to talk about" Ilia answered gruffly, knowing that it was possibly the least convincing lie to ever be uttered.
"Right" Sun drawled the word out slowly "And I'm a taxpaying citizen….I get it, or at least some of it. It's about Blake right?"
"Yes" Ilia ground out through clenched teeth as her entire body flashed a fiery red, a brief warning that her anger was reaching a tipping point; even if it was largely directed inwards at that moment. Sun wavered for a moment, seemingly weighing up his options before springing forward without warning, closing the distance between them to deliver a spinning hook-kick that Ilia flung herself backwards and into a crouch to avoid being knocked unconscious by.
"Okay, pad-work didn't do it" the monkey Faunus laughed "Sparring it is! No weapons, no Semblance….Come and get it off your chest"
"Oh you're gonna regret that" Ilia's expression became one of fierce determination as she lunged forwards and used her lower position to aim a punishing right hook at Sun's gut only for him to pivot at the waist and use the beginnings of a cartwheeling motion to block the attack before flipping over Ilia to land on her now unguarded and exposed right flank and lash out with a roundhouse kick. Ilia, no stranger to fighting responded with equally quick reflexes; positioning herself so that the kick connected with her right shoulder before wrapping her right arm around the limb and at the same time kick out at Sun's left leg with a sweeping motion to throw him to the soft mats covering the floor. The sense of victory was brief however as before Ilia could even stand fully upright Sun' tail had wrapped around her wrist, he then reached up with his left had to grasp at her tank-top before rolling with as much power as he could put behind the motion and simply hurling Ilia away from himself and leaving scowling, surprise and annoyance battling for domination as she leapt to her feet once more.
"For what it's worth, Blake's happy….she'd want you to be happy too" Sun noted, the conversational tone entirely out of place as he once again closed the distance with a crushing front kick which Ilia narrowly avoided with a sidestep to the right, which Sun anticipated and met with a backward-spinning elbow aimed at her face.
"Yeah I guess….she's kind like that" Ilia mumbled through ragged breaths, the words escaping her as she was too distracted to prevent them by blocking Sun's elbow with a forearm and then seizing his tail in her free hand to drag him backwards
"Way too forgiving" she added as she threw out a haymaker which Sun weaved under and countered by rushing at his opponent to seize her by the waist in a crude but effective tackle.
"You gonna keep beating yourself up forever?" he chuckled, only to gasp and wince in pain as his own attack was countered in turn; Ilia bracing to receive the tackle, snaking an arm under Sun's chin to place him in a headlock whilst also throwing out a flurry of knee-strikes to his exposed chest even as he continued to try and drag her to the floor.
"Maybe" she hissed petulantly, managing a sigh even in the midst of their sparring before continuing, her skin becoming the palest shade of blue with her next words "I know I've got no right to be upset and I want Blake to be happy….It just hurts to see it, does she even know how obvious it is to everyone?….Do they at least deserve her?"
"Yang?" Sun choked out a laugh, using the fact that Ilia had loosened her grip enough for him to reply to break out of her headlock by flinging himself forward into a handstand and landing a kick squarely on Ilia's forehead.
"I mean we all know what Yang did at Beacon….We all say we'd have stood up to Adam, she actually did it though" the monkey Faunus flipped back onto his feet, features filled with something unidentifiable as he considered his own feelings towards Blake and how they had changed "I don't think either of them have fully figured out what's happening with them yet-"
"I didn't just mean….Her partner" Ilia faltered, unwilling to say Yang's name as she and Sun circled one another in search of an opening "I meant all of her team, Blake deserves everything"
"Yeah" Sun nodded slowly "Yeah, they're good for her"
"Even the Schnee?" Ilia asked, eyebrow arching in disbelief providing Sun the signal that he needed to spring forward with an acrobatic spinning back kick which Ilia tried to evade, only to be struck by a follow up blow in the form of a risky and dramatic leaping roll which saw him land a knee-strike to Ilia's midsection and send her staggering back, dropping into a crouch as she gasped for breath.
"Weiss is….A lot to handle sometimes but honestly she means well, she wants what's best for people...she's unlearning a lot of things she learned in Atlas"
"I noticed she didn't spit on any of us" Ilia snorted with as much derision as she could manage, which turned out to be less than expected, forcing her tone into something nonchalant as she spoke again "What about the other one?"
"What, Ruby?" Sun asked, waiting patiently for Ilia to catch her breath.
"Yeah….Ruby" Ilia fought to keep her expression neutral even as a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, entirely unbidden and the Chameleon Faunus privately swore that if her ability to change colour made a fool of her at that moment she would do something stupid in return.
"She's fun" Sun's expression morphed into one of mischievous glee "More bad-ass than you'd think but also a total dork….Has a habit of getting broody or otherwise antisocial people to come out of their shells….Why do you ask?"
"Ass hole" Ilia's tone was good natured despite the snapping delivery yet still she lunged at her fellow Faunus again, determined to make him pay for knowing and assuming for too much for his own good, a low sliding tackle at his legs was quickly turned against her however as Sun simply leapt over it and drove his knee into her skull which left Ilia sprawled on the soft floor with her vision spinning and slowly blinking away spots and stars whilst Sun let out a hearty laugh somewhere overhead.
"Y'know you're not bad" the praise was genuine, even if the tone was a little condescending "Especially at grappling….My cousin Starr made sure I know how to get out of tight spots though….Hell, I might actually see her in Vaccuo if her Dojo is still running….It's been so long" the was something warm and yet anxious in his tone that Ilia couldn't help but notice despite her ringing skull and as she rolled on to her belly before pulling herself into a crouch again she decided, aching and sweat soaked as she was that it was only right to allow Sun to work out his own issues in much the same way he had allowed her to push through her own.
"Yeah well….I learned to fight in Mantle, we play rough" with that she surged forward and seized Sun's thighs and hoisted him off of the ground for a two-legged take down.
Ever since she had awoken from a long and much needed sleep following the attack on Haven Ruby's mind had continued to buzz with countless thoughts that chased one another within it and now that the adults who were nominally in charge of affairs in Mistral had deigned to pick up the slack the teen who carried far too much of Remnant's problems on her shoulders found herself with more time and less distractions at her disposal than she would have liked.
Ruby had never craved, nor even truly wanted any power or authority for herself yet now; after so many months of being the person who those around her so readily looked to for judgement finding herself once again seen as a child and looked over entirely by those with the ability to act was jarring in a way made all the more uncomfortable by the lack of peace it brought her. The Council of Mistral had acted predictably in all regards thus far, shutting down transport in and out of Mistral's centre for the next few days in an event to make sure that none of Cinder's accomplices escaped despite the apparent demise of the False Maiden herself, the Kingdoms' ruling body acting with a zeal shared by the few remaining alumni of Haven Academy present with Mistral's borders in their efforts to track down those who had impersonated Haven students to cause so much harm. In other regards however the expected implacability of the Mistrali ruling Council had become a detriment which Ruby was irked by her inability to directly challenge; short-sighted, closed-minded, insular, bigoted and unwilling to see reason.
Especially when it was presented to them by a sixteen year old clad in a tattered cape.
Talks between Ghira and Kali Belladonna and the Council were ongoing however, the leadership of the reformed White Fang refusing to give up their ideals of bringing a more enlightened era into fruition without the loss of innocent lives and Qrow had continued to help them in this regard, his own impressive service record, closeness to Ozpin and ability to gather and organise the tattered remains of Mistral's Hunters into something which could feasibly function and bolster the support offered by the emissaries from Menagerie slowly chipping away at the stony resolve of those in power whilst Ozpin, unable to reveal himself in the body of Oscar Pine used Qrow's contacts to begin the process of a series of underhanded political machinations that the former Headmaster had noted were far more in line with Salem's way of thinking but still ultimately necessary. The people of Mistral may have had differing opinions on Faunus or outsiders in general however the idea of turning away perfectly capable warriors at a time when the Kingdom had been weakened by treachery from within and the Creatures of Grimm lurked at its' walls would inspire a hostile lack of confidence which would in time compel the Council to do the right thing.
Ruby however was not directly involved in this plan and had spent her time resting, training as much as she was able with the limited space and resources available to her, making minute repairs to Crescent Rose and doing what little she felt she could in an effort to be the leader that she felt her friends needed her to be.
She and Yang had spent several hours together the previous day discussing what had occurred in the vault below the academy from whence neither Cinder, Raven or Vernal had returned which had led to a heartfelt discussion between the sisters where each of them had ensured the other that they were proud beyond words. Blake's arrival had changed the tone in the house subtly but undeniably as she and Yang continued to skirt around one another nervously, both of them clearly building up the courage for a discussion that would set the course of whatever future they had together; currently the two were both elsewhere in the house and in different rooms, something which created a tension which Ruby disliked but had no desire to intrude upon, she trusted and respected them both to make their own decisions after all.
Ren and Nora were currently elsewhere as the pair, or rather Nora with Ren's silent support and approval had informed Ozpin in no uncertain terms that it was still Oscar's body he was using and after the fight against Hazel Rainart they would be providing a security detail for the boy; a condition which Ozpin had agreed to before venturing into the city on his latest attempt to stir up political actions, something which Nora had become more enthused with as time went on. Jaune had stated that he would have like to join his team-mates however he was simply exhausted, his newfound Semblance had taken a toll upon him despite his absurdly vast Aura reserves; something made more prominent by the fact that he had insisted on giving Weiss multiple additional rounds of his Aura-enhancing and healing treatment, sceptical to the point of paranoia that the former heiress could be so swiftly and easily recovered after the grievous wound she had received at Cinder's hands. Currently Ruby was sat on the floor in the living room of the safe house, Jaune dozing off on the sofa behind her whilst Weiss was flitting around and finding ways to keep herself occupied with a hyperactive bent that Ruby could not find a way to mention without sound like a hypocrite; the young leader had a series of blueprints spread out on the coffee table before her with a series of markers strewn across it yet whatever modifications to her weapon she had intended to work on had been pushed to the back of her mind.
Truly the work had been an effort to distract herself from the seemingly insurmountable task of processing her own feelings, a veritable maelstrom of unprocessed grief and anger that had been compressed into something small enough to swallow and ignore so that she could keep moving forwards, only to find herself struggling with insecurities and doubts about her ability to lead.
Letting out a sigh she allowed herself to simply lean back against the sofa, avoiding Jaune's arm and letting her eyes drift closed and the sea of flickering images that she faced every time she did so to assert itself.
Grimm running rampant through the streets, her friends and family injured, a Scorpion Faunus whose menacing air made her think of all the warnings her father had given her about strange men, Cinder, Emerald and Mercury and then finally a round, freckled face offset by a tanned and powerfully built frame.
"Oh come on….You barely even spoke to her" Ruby chided herself with an exasperated whine as she found her mind once again finding it's way to Ilia Amitola.
Ruby was well aware of the fact that she was attracted to girls, that realisation had lingered in the back of her mind half-formed for years prior before finally coalescing into something distinct during her time at Beacon Academy where Ruby's already noteworthy awkwardness had been compounded by the fact she had been surrounded by young women a few years older than herself who had ranged from pretty to mind-numbingly stunning.
The caped Huntress shifted her weight and made herself comfortable as she considered that thought, musing not for the first time that it could easily have been her partner to make her answer the questions she had about herself had it not been for the fact that she had been utterly terrified of Weiss in those early days; instead the honour of being Ruby's first real crush had gone to Emerald Sustrai, something which Ruby let out a bitter laugh at every time she thought about it. There had also been Penny, the copper haired android had been delighted to have Ruby as a friend even as their actions seemed to move ever closer to something else with each interaction, She had also been incredibly pretty.
"Stop it" Ruby's breath hitched and she fought back a choked, strangled sound of both anguish and disgust at herself; feeling that Penny deserved so much more than to be ogled and gawped at in her absence.
Instead she slowly turned her mind back Ilia and what pitifully little she knew of her; she had come from Menagerie with Blake and so was almost certainly Faunus although that detail made no difference at all to Ruby, her accent however was something that Weiss had been able to pinpoint to a rough geographical area of Mantle; somewhere close to the slum-housing afforded to SDC miners. Beyond these certainties Ruby was forced to admit that she knew almost nothing about Ilia and that the image she had in her head was entirely based on projection and conjecture, though she would readily argue that anyone who defected from Adam Taurus's side to fight against him like Blake and Ilia had must be a brave and decent person, that anyone who travelled across the ocean to help strangers who would likely never appreciate the gesture must be kind and caring, that anyone who could be confined to a ship with Sun Wukong must have either an incredible sense of humour or unshakeable willpower and that anyone who could first disarm a series of bombs with ease and then leap into combat and begin manhandling terrorists with ease was simply one of the coolest people Ruby had ever met. These observations were of course all made even better by the fact that Ilia Amitola was, in Ruby's mind very attractive with her freckles, defined muscles and-
"I brought you a coffee….Five sugars, as you need it" Weiss's voice broke Ruby from idle musing, if it could still be called that and left her sputtering and choking on air, though thankfully not loudly enough to wake Jaune as she sat up straight, silver eyes darting from her partner to the steaming mug that Weiss had placed on a coaster rather than setting down directly onto Ruby's abandoned blueprints.
"Nice Weiss strikes again" Ruby beamed finally, letting a warmth wash over her "How are you?"
"Physically…." Weiss trailed off, blue eyes showing something beyond them, a sign that she too was dealing with unspoken issues "I'll be fine, I'm just mentally preparing myself for whatever we face when I return to Atlas; my departure was hardly on the best of terms"
"Wanna talk about it?" Ruby offered
"Not right now" Weiss shook her head before taking a sip of her tea "Are you okay Ruby….You look tired, stressed-"
"Aren't we all" Ruby managed a soft chuckle at that, pausing for a moment and deciding to throw out a cautious comment; safe in the knowledge that her partner was unlikely to laugh at her for it "I'm just thinking about a lot things….I was wondering about Blake's friend Ilia, I don't suppose you've heard anything from her?"
"I can't imagine why she'd want to speak to me" Weiss pointed out, giving a brief smirk as she added "Although I haven't had proper verbal sparring in far too long….Blake has promise but Ilia clearly has an Atlas education despite her accent, she'll appreciate the artistry involved"
"Please don't" Ruby chortled, still taking care not to wake the snoozing Jaune "I was just wondering if she's okay….I mean I know we could have made better first impressions with each other but….Well, our first impressions weren't great either and she seemed really uncomfortable about everything, I know it was tense but-"
"Have you asked Blake?" Weiss gave her partner a pointed look.
"Well….No" Ruby fidgeted, struggling to find an excuse as to why she had not asked the long-absent member of Team RWBY as she knew that Blake would decipher anything that Ruby tried to hide or imply within moments.
"Well then, that makes things easier for us both. I wanted to ask you for a favour" Weiss noted "Would you mind giving Jaune and I some privacy?"
"Wait...Huh?" Ruby blinked several times, utterly nonplussed by a series of words that did not seem to make sense in any context until Weiss, seeing the direction that the younger girls' mind was most likely to wander in quickly clarified.
"Not for…..That, you dolt" she huffed, traces of her former imperious attitude rising to the surface only to be replaced by something more gentle "We're all walking on eggshells and ignoring it but Jaune….Is not in a good place, you heard the things he said when he was fighting Cinder"
"Yeah" Ruby admitted with a sigh, utterly ashamed at herself for not broaching the subject with her fellow team leader yet unsure of how to do so without creating a situation where the two of them fed off of and encouraged one another's anger.
"So when he wakes up I'm going to talk to him….I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for him and I need him to understand that, to understand that none of us want to have to mourn another friend"
"Thank you….I just wish I knew how to….In Beacon I might've been able to reach him"
"We've all changed since then" Weiss nodded slowly before forcing her tone into something more upbeat "But it's fine….you can thank me by giving the two of us some privacy, maybe you should ask Blake where you can find your….New friend"
"You….You….Dolt" Ruby gasped, delighting in using Weiss's signature teasing jibe against her as she pulled her cape low over her face to mask the blush that coloured her cheeks with the certainty that her partner, far more perceptive than her often aloof demeanour would suggest, knew far more about the thoughts filling Ruby's daydreams than the younger girl would have liked.
Ruby did however take the steaming cup of coffee Weiss had made as she used her Semblance to streak up the stairs in search of Blake, who would likely know where to find Ilia.
The sparring match had continued to grow steadily more vicious and heated, the line between friendly competition for the sake of relieving stress and outright combat being blurred into irrelevance as the 'do or die' attitude and hardy tenacity instilled in those who roamed the Grimm infested and inhospitable Vaccuan wastelands was pitted against the equally unrelenting and fierce survival instincts drilled into the denizens of the under-city of Mantle where crime and desperation were rife and life was cheap from an early age.
As was highlighted by the pained and sputtering gasp that left Ilia when Sun's left jab slipped through her guard and left her skin cycling through several colours in surprise before finally settling on an angry red with yellow freckles at being punched in the throat.
"Oh crap, you okay?" the blonde boy's voice was suddenly panicked as Ilia staggered backwards and dropped to the ground and supported herself with one knee and hand as she sucked in painful lungfuls of air before glancing up at her opponent. The two of them were exhausted and soaked in a sheen of sweat that left Ilia's clothes clinging to her body whilst Sun had already discarded his shirt, leaving various marks on display where Ilia's own blows had landed; reddened sections of tender flesh that would have already begun to purple were it not for his Aura.
"Don't worry, I'm just getting started" Ilia choked out, locking eyes with Sun for a brief moment wherein her eyes changed colour to a fierce, almost glowing red that provided a warning that the monkey Faunus was entirely unable to act on as Ilia charged again, this time intent to end the fight completely.
Closing the distance she immediately forced the boy onto the defensive by ducking under his right hook and slamming her own right fist into the inside of his right knee, leaving him wincing in pain and hobbling slightly before following up with a left hook to the kidney as she reared back up to her full height as she threw a powerful but wild haymaker at Sun's face which connected with a satisfying crack and left blood dripping from his left eyebrow until his Aura sealed the cut a second later with a faint golden light. Sun' counter-attack was equally ruthless, blocking Ilia's left incoming elbow with his left hand by pivoting at the waist he allowed himself to slip under her guard once again, his follow up right hook being thrown from the waist and thundering against her ribs before his tail snaked around the girls' waist and pulled her backwards and into the path of a spinning hook-kick.
Which left Ilia spitting out a mouthful of blood, yet still undefeated.
Growling in wordless anger she staggered back a few steps only to wheel around and lunge before Sun could press the advantage; her first assault was a leaping knee aimed at the boy's face which he blocked hastily yet upon landing on the mats Ilia continued her attack without hesitation, using his raised guard to slip a pair of punches into both kidneys before seizing him by the waist and despite him being larger and heavy than himself lift him over her shoulder and throw him to the ground behind her in a move that took her to the mats as well. Before Sun could rise Ilia made her play and pounced, positioning herself behind him and locking her legs around his upper arms and torso in a way that also pinned his tail in place whilst at the same time wrapping her left around his neck for a choke-hold; her skin became an even more vibrant shade of red, eyes becoming the same yellow as her freckles as she began to rain blows down on the blondes' head with her right fist, her words taking on an almost hysterical note as she yelled.
"Tap or nap Wukong! Tap or nap?"
"I uh….I think he's done"
Ilia's skin turned green and then yellow and finally she sprung away from the beaten monkey Faunus, left shuffling awkwardly and breathing heavily as took in the sight of Ruby Rose standing before her and looking utterly agog at what she had stumbled on.
"I uh….we were….It's not what it looks like?" she offered, vaguely aware of Sun moving somewhere behind her and hoping that he would corroborate her story so that it did not look as though Ilia had been beating the sense out of one of Ruby's friends for no reason. Instead the silence lingered for a moment longer before Ruby, who had continued to stare in wide-eyed silence finally gave an impossibly wide smile and exclaimed.
"You can change colour? That's so cool!" whatever Ilia had been expecting it had certainly not been that, the knowledge that Blake had gone to the lengths of wearing a bow to hide her Faunus heritage, as Ilia had seen whilst watching the Vytal Tournament; the hateful thoughts whispered in her ear by the Albain brothers taking root as she did so, had given her an impression of Team RWBY that she was quickly realising with each interaction would need to be re-evaluated.
"Thank you and uh….nice boots?" Ilia struggled with her uncertain response, being far too used to negativity in response to revealing that she was in fact a Faunus; whilst privately hoping that her freckles did not betray her by changing hue at that moment she couldn't help but notice that Ruby's cheeks seemed to colour ever so slightly, prompting Ilia to keep talking.
"So what're you doing here?" She winced upon realising that her voice sounded accusatory, her usual gruff brusqueness hard to shake "I mean I didn't realise that there was anything left to do here other than hold the fort until Haven's Professors get back?"
"I was talking to Uncle Qrow and he was saying that some more photographic evidence might help move the Council, or at least make people in Mistral convince them to stop being jerks; show everyone just how close they were to not having Haven Academy at all y'know? Ruby shuffled awkwardly "And I uh….I asked Blake and she said that the two of you were here, I wanted to make sure you were okay 'cos nobody has seen you since the meeting after….Well, everything"
"Yeah, I'm good….and thank you" this time Ilia was sure that her skin did betray her by changing colour, if only slightly in response to the warm feeling that came with knowing Ruby had thought to ask about her and seek her out; yet at the same time the chameleon Faunus found herself concerned by how anxious Ruby currently looked. The stoic and resolute, if battle weary leader from two nights ago was entirely absent, as was the capable fighter that Ilia had witnessed on the CCT footage and instead Ruby's hands were stuffed in her pockets as she tried to shrink into the folds of her ragged red cape as much as possible without physically drawing it around herself.
And somehow it managed to take nothing away from how cute or impressive Ilia thought she looked.
She was well aware that she was staring and also well aware that Sun had quietly and deliberately wandered away from the conversation to retrieve his shirt and the discarded sparring pads, massing his skull as he went but Ilia simply looked at Ruby and found herself wanting to know more about what lay behind her bright silver eyes, awkward smile and mass of tightly packed, lean muscle including thighs that were made all the noticeable by her boots and ripped stockings.
'Stop checking out her legs and say something for the love of the God of Animals' Ilia chiding herself mentally before speaking again, certain that Sun was trying not to laugh at her sudden inability to articulate herself or function.
"So….Do you need help with anything?"
"I actually already got the photos that Uncle Qrow needed" Ruby admitted, shuffling again before chewing her lip nervously and clearly bracing herself for something "But….We can hang out if you want? I was going to check out Mistral because I've spent most of my time here training and there's a really cool comic store that I want to visit before I leave, I don't know if you like comics but it could be fun, or we could-"
"That would be nice, really nice" Ilia murmured, cheeks flushed as she was caught utterly by surprise by the offer which in turn left her stomach swooping with several feelings only for sudden doubts to rise to the fore, though not about Ruby or the offer itself "But….Do they accept Faunus? I can blend in-"
"If they don't then I'm not spending my lien there" Ruby answered firmly and without hesitation, something of the commanding presence she had displayed during their previous meeting returning and leaving Ilia struggling not to react visibly. After a moment she tried, privately admitting that it was a laughable attempt, to act nonchalant
"So….I'll meet you here at four?" she suggested "I need to change out of these clothes"
"I'll see you then" Ruby beamed, trying desperately not to be too obvious as her bright eyes roved over Ilia's form at the mention of her needing to change, taking in just how muscled the Faunus was until finally her cheeks flushed scarlet and she made her exit.
"Okay, I've gotta go" she almost yelped "I'm pretty sure somebody is waiting for me….I'll see you in a few hours" with that she vanished in a blut of petals, leaving Ilia smiling with dumbstruck fondness in her wake until Sun finally lost his self control and burst out laughing.
"Oh smooth, really smooth!" he exclaimed.
"I knew I should've broken your jaw" Ilia grumbled as she trudged back towards her sparring partner "But uh….thanks for giving us a little space"
"No problem" Sun shrugged, slipping his shirt back on "Are you sure you're gonna be okay?"
"I'm hanging out with someone, not shopping for a ring" Ilia huffed, fully aware of what the monkey Faunus was driving at; only to hang her head a moment later "Am I being an idiot?….I mean the whole Blake thing and now I'm…..'hanging out' with one of her friends, is that weird?"
"Not the weirdest thing we've dealt with this week" Sun replied with a dismissive wave of the hand "But hey this might actually help me….Scarlet's still pissed at me for leaving but if I tell him I've got a friend who's got a date later and needs moral support he'll be here in five minutes"
"You're an ass hole" Ilia snorted, playfully punching Sun's shoulder "But I get why Blake likes you"
"My highest honour in life, being Blake's friend" he gave a mocking bow but there was something wistful in his expression that spoke volumes until it was replaced by a smirk "There's one thing that I don't think anybody warned you about yet though"
"What is it?" Ilia sighed.
"You know that Ruby is Yang's little sister right?" Ilia froze, turning Sun's words over in her mind for several seconds before throwing her hands up indignantly at the cosmic joke that had apparently been played on her.
"OH COME ON!"
It was nearing the end of the working day, the sun beginning to tinge the sky with reds and golds as it set over the mountainous Kingdom of Mistral and Dahlia Bone was moving into position, heart hammering in her chest with the knowledge that the small faction of White Fang initiates she had gathered to herself, largely made of her fellow evacuees from Mantle were doing the same across the city.
A few dozen souls, more than she had led at once and yet still a small force indeed in the face of what needed to be done; gritting her teeth the vulture Faunus simply assured herself that it would be enough simply because it had to be and as she tore her eyes away from her mask which she held in hands that rested on her lap she spoke, forcing a commanding tone into her smokey and pitching voice.
"Dross, how much longer?" she punctuated her words with a rap of her fist against the metallic divider between herself and the drivers' compartment of the stolen van that she and several of her comrades were huddled in the rear of. The white van baring the logo of a furniture company that did not actually exist was one of many that had been stolen and had its' plates an appearance changed in recent months as the White Fangs' operations often required a steady supply of easily disposable and inconspicuous vehicles; it was also one of several such vehicles, each emblazoned with a similarly falsified logo driving in a convoy fashion towards the destination Dahlia had chosen, each of them carrying a roughly half a dozen armed Faunus.
"A couple minutes, I'm taking us the long way….Too many cameras on the main roads" Dross, the sharp-eyed and sharp-toothed Jackal Faunus replied; canine ears pricked as he spoke. The young man was barely a year older than Dahlia herself and yet already had an extensive career as a getaway driver as well as a reputation for being one Mantle's most prolific car thieves; currently he wore black overalls stained with paint instead of his White Fang uniform so as not to be caught yet still Dahlia knew that he was carrying at least two weapons on his person.
"Good….This isn't Mantle, no spy drones wandering around at least" Dahlia muttered before snapping her fingers to get the attention of someone she did not know, the leader of a fellow Mantle street gang who had joined the White Fang "Your people ready?"
"They're ready" the stocky feline Faunus whose uniform had been modified to include black gauntlets replete with silver studded knuckle-dusters nodded with a scowl that showed below their mask "Not happy about being told they're not invited to the main party though"
"East Wall Crew couldn't rob a burger joint, you think we'd bring you to rob a bank?" Mulch snorted from this position beside Dahlia, pausing in his task of rechecking the triple-barrelled and rotating canon laid across his lap in order to receive fist bumps from members of the gang that he and Dahlia called family.
They were going to rob a bank, hearing the Bovine Faunus say it out loud suddenly made it real to Dahlia in a way that made her gulp.
"Really wish you hadn't brought that thing….Just aim it at support columns or people with an Aura, we start shredding random people in the street we look as stupid as Adam" she noted, eyeing the weapon her old friend carried with concern before turning her attention to her fellow gang leader and letting out a sigh at their small mind and lack of imagination "You really don't get it….Your friends are the main party, this is the distraction; it just had to be us….had to be me leading it"
"You're right I don't get it" the feline Faunus shrugged dispassionately "Explain it so it makes sense"
"We hit the bank" Dahlia began with an annoyed sigh, certain that she was being tested and being determined to rise to the occasion "It's massive, there's barely any Hunters left in Mistral but it'll bring them our way; we're gonna be gone by the time they get here and let's be real….Nobody likes bankers, even humans so we're probably gonna pull some support from this. At the same time the rest of our people are in cars all around the city, as soon as you give the signal they're gonna go into as many of the businesses with 'No Faunus' signs up and start burning 'em down and roughing up owners….Get it now?"
"So we're just beating the crap out of people"
"We're targeting the people directly upholding the system" Dahlia insisted "Whatever Adam was doing wasn't helping us, so it's time to go back to Sienna's way of doing things; pre-emptive self defence….Anyone standing against the Faunus won't be able to stand up when we're done"
"And since there's no Sienna we need someone else to lead us, you think that's you Bone?" the feline whom Dahlia only knew by nicknames and epithets snorted.
"You signed up" Dahlia noted "Whatever happened back home aside….I know you can fight, I know you were offered a chance to be in the room when the others try and get rid of Adam"
"I like fights I can win" the feline scoffed, clearly sharing Dahlia's opinion of those willing to throw their lives away in a direct conflict with Adam. The two stared at one another, Dahlia's eyes hard and fierce until the sudden halting of the van caused her to slip her mask into place, readjusting her hair slightly before letting out a slow breath which she hoped had not sounded as shaky as it had felt before Dross called back to her.
"We're here….Plenty of witnesses, looks like people cashing cheques"
"Plenty of Faunus too" Dahlia murmured "Word is this bank does serve Faunus….Won't give us loans or fair interest rates though, I almost wanna say burn the place but we need people to see that we didn't hurt anyone who didn't have it coming"
"That why you brought toy guns?" one of the other Faunus sat in the rear of the van snorted, throwing a disparaging glance in the direction of the weapons slung over Dahlia's back.
"You haven't seen 'em in action" Mulch chuckled darkly, coming to his old friends' defence as Dahlia herself simply unslung the weapons in question and examined them. A pair of batons that had been stolen from heavy-handed police officers, indistinguishable from military personnel during a small riot in Mantle after the fall of Beacon which Dahlia had spent a considerable amount of time, effort and resources modifying to her liking; each weapon was roughly the length of her arm and comprised of a long Atlesian steel cylinder with a bulky mass of black cowling filled with thin slits which would glow an electric blue when activated and unleash arcs of crackling electricity on contact. At the other end of the weapon was a comfortable and snug handle featuring a trigger system whilst at the mid point of the weapons' shafts were a pair of black slider mechanisms that hinted at the weapons' alternate mode; the batons could on command be shifted into a ranged form which resembled a shotgun which, instead of a solid projectile or buckshot would send lightning arcing outwards in a concentrated burst capable of overloading an Atlas Knight to the point of violent explosion as Dahlia had tasted several times, the weapons could also be combined into a double barrelled form with even greater destructive capacity.
They had been named 'The Assault Batteries' after a series of miscreant escapades and Dahlia loved the weapons dearly; the were symbolic to her, made from the results of an act of violent resistance, capable of being dangerous whilst at the same time not limited to lethal force and capable of becoming more than the sum of their parts
Just like Dahlia's vision for her White Fang.
"Let's do this" she muttered after several seconds passed and, hoping that she sounded as imposing as had aimed to she slipped passed those around her and ensured that she was the first to exit the back of the van that she had travelled in; springing into action the moment the first breath of cool, fresh air touched her skin and the first gasps of startled pedestrians reached her ears. Dahlia saw the other vans that her comrades had travelled in and banged one of her batons against the chassis of the nearest vehicle in order to give the signal to commence the attack whilst behind her word was being sent to her fellow revolutionaries throughout the city. As the vulture Faunus began sprinting towards the entrance of the bank, a pair of vast and orate double doors adrenaline surged through her and her mind raced with thoughts of victory and the bright future ahead of her should she be successful.
Right now the White Fang was eating itself, torn between those with good intentions but lacking the will to confront harsh realities and determined to appeal instead to the good nature of their oppressors and on the other hand a monster, a man who used what had once been a noble force for change to wage petty vendettas and stalk young women; a man who had killed the only true leader of the White Fang in her own throne room.
With Sienna Khan's death Dahlia had no heroes left, instead she realised that she would simply have to be the force for change she needed.
"EVERYONE GET ON THE FUCKING GROUND!" the words left her in a savage avian shriek as she hurtled through the door of the bank, smashing the first guard to stand against her to the ground before he could even raise his weapon; he booted foot striking him to the chest and as Dahlia strode forth she did not even break her stride, overrunning the paltry resistance against her with ease and aiming the Assault Batteries, discharging them in the separated ranged forms at the nearest tellers' desks to destroy the panic buttons which would have brought shutters down behind her. A fresh wave of panicked screams informed Dahlia that the rest of her team had arrived and a statue exploding into dust and fragments confirmed that Mulch had been unable to keep himself from showing off his heavy weapons' capabilities.
"I SAID GET DOWN!" Dahlia repeated, sweeping her weapons across the crowd threateningly
"ANY FAUNUS HERE CAN LEAVE! YOU, START OPENING THE SAFES OF HUMAN OWNED BUSINESSES!" Dahlia smiled beneath her mask as the staff begun rushing to comply with her demands.
Her revolution began now.
Following her admittedly unbecoming exit from Haven Academy Ruby, still blushing and barely coherent had sped through the streets of Mistral's upper reaches in a crimson blur until she reached Qrow's safe house where those who had been absent upon her departure were yet to return. She had initially intended to tell Yang what had happened, giddily accepting whatever teasing would undoubtedly come her way however upon her arrival Ruby saw that her sister and Blake were preoccupied and whilst it seemed that their discussion was about nothing in particular the fact that the two of them were talking at all was something the leader of Team RWBY had no wish to interfere with; instead she had approached Weiss and Jaune whose own much needed conversation had evidently concluded and, upon being told by the ivory haired former heiress to cease her senseless gibbering explained the situation. Weiss, not being privy to what might be expected of a sibling in such situations owing to the privacy, often to the point of official classification that her own sister surrounded herself with for much of Weiss's childhood was supportive, bemused but ultimately of little help; Jaune however with his plethora of sisters and the strategic mind that had seen him earn his position of leadership had begun helping Ruby prepare for what his fellow team leader insisted was not a date with gusto.
And now Ruby simply could not believe her luck.
With just a few minutes worth of research on Jaune's behalf she had learned that the comic store she had spied previously was not only entirely accepting of Faunus patrons but was in fact owned and run by a Faunus family; making it one of very few such establishments in the city of Mistral itself, though Ruby's own accounts of the various settlements littered across Anima where humans and Faunus had seemed far more equal, including the blacksmith and armourer who had aided Team RNJR on their journey had clearly gone some way to dispelling some of the notions Ilia had about the Kingdom of Mistral as a whole if the way she was currently smiling was any indication.
With said smiles causing something in Ruby's brain to fizzle out or grind to a halt with comedic effects.
Ilia looked, in Ruby's opinion utterly incredible. Gone was her former all black attire from her White Fang operations and the sweatpants and tank-top she had worn whilst sparring, instead she currently wore a simple pair of red pants that stopped at her calves and a grey vest cut short enough to display a generous amount of her toned and freckled midsection, including well-defined abs; this simple outfit was complemented with with a brand new pair of black leather combat boots with heavy burnished gold buckles along with a matching bracer around her right wrist and short-sleeved leather jacket with a creamy white lining and a collar which Ilia had taken to wearing popped. Overall the outfit was simple but perfectly conveyed a sense of rebellious toughness which left Ruby struggling not to swallow thickly or otherwise audibly make an idiot of herself.
Although after a moment she managed to remember what she had been saying.
"So then I said 'Are you robbing me?' with a big dumb grin on my face and kicked him through the window" Ilia doubled over as she burst out laughing at the recounting of Ruby's defending of a Dust store which had seen her admitted to Beacon Academy; something which left Ruby fidgeting happily and wearing a grin so large it threatened to fall off of the sides of her face.
"So that's why we only ever hit the warehouses and not the shops….Because nobody wants to mess with you" Ilia teased gently, leaving Ruby blushing furiously before adding "Well, that and the fact that Old Man Coal's store in Mantle did everything it could to mess with the SDC; shame he had to close up shop….Anyway, you see anything that's caught your eye?"
"Uh…." Ruby trailed off, half a dozen quips and innuendos that she would never have the brazen temerity to utter aloud coming to mind, all remembered from occasions where Qrow had visited Patch with new stories of his latest thrilling adventure or jokes between older students at Signal Academy. Instead she glanced around surroundings that she had been admittedly very little attention to; the comic shop, being in the upper middle tier of Mistral's stratified layout was a large and spacious with an architecture that made it seem gran from the outside, whilst its' interior was a four-story high treasure trove of pop-culture; rows of shelves taller than Ruby herself by several feet were stacked with comics and graphic novels from all across Remnant with popular titles, limited edition works and variants and independent titles on display and each row of shelves having a glass display case filled with equally sort after merchandise and memorabilia at either end. There was more to the store than this however, the establishment also boasted several nooks and alcoves filled with comfortable seats and coffee tables as well as its' own coffee shop meaning that patrons could read at their leisure with a hot drink.
Ruby took several moments to peruse the shelves of comics in front of her, seeing that even whilst talking to Ilia her feet had somehow intuitively carried her towards the shelves which carried her usual titles, series filled with high-adrenaline action and heroics, populated by characters whose abilities had once seemed impossible; as she continued to browse she failed to notice Ilia subtly following her gaze to see what she was looking at until the taller girl spoke up.
"Oh I used to have these back home….The movies weren't great though"
"Yeah, Michael Beige really shouldn't be allowed near anything people have nostalgia for" Ruby gave a wry smile before shrugging and adding "Still, at least the soundtracks were good?"
"Consider Dungeons make better soundtracks than albums" Ilia nodded with a grin of her own "They were supposed to be working on something for the CCT adaption of 'Multitude of Myths'...Then obviously the CCT went down"
"Wait, you played MoM?" Ruby gasped, focusing on that rather than allowing her thoughts to be bogged down by memories of the Fall for just a few moments, excitedly exclaiming "You're a nerd too?….Wait, I mean, what I uh-"
"It's fine….and yeah, I guess so….I just stayed out of the online lobbies due to all the slurs" Ilia admitted with a smile and a grin, freckles shifting to the faintest pink for a moment before she continued "I spent a lot of time alone back home, kids in Atlas knew I was from Mantle even before they knew I was Faunus so I was always the poor kid; never had a lot of friends….Then when I was in the Fang Blake and I had spare time between jobs"
"So you gamed and read comics while Blake was reading….filth?" Ruby whispered the last word out in a dramatic stage whisper that left Ilia laughing again, in turn leaving Ruby beaming with pride even as her stomach swooped.
"She still reads those?" Ilia asked with a fond smile "Yeah she used to read everything….She'd have a stack of novels and then another stack of books on revolutionary political theory on her desk even before she left home; she was twelve and had finished the required reading for college courses"
"Woah" Ruby mouthed, realising that whilst she had known her team-mate was a voracious reader she had not quite understood just how bright Blake truly was, likely due to her going to some lengths to appear unassuming; something which the caped girl promptly decided she would work o correct"
"Wonder if there's anything here we could get Blake?" she asked Ilia "I might leave it lying around and let her think it's from Yang"
"That's a nice idea….but sneaky" Ilia noted
"I am not a crook" Ruby answered in a forced monotone before her eyes roamed the shelves once again, lighting up in delight as she saw something she had missed upon its' initial publication; only to frown as she realised it was higher than she could reach "I'm gonna look for a ladder and-"
"I've got it" Ilia interjected, producing her weapon in its' collapsed for before unfurling Lightning Lash and using the flexible metal tip of the segmented whip to knock the shelf and send the comic Ruby had been eyeing falling into her hands.
At which point Ruby was left hoping that Ilia's hearing was not quite as keen as Blake's since the sound that escaped her was somewhere between pathetically embarrassing and utterly indecent.
"So cool" she finally managed to whimper as her eyes grew wide watching Ilia collapse Lightning Lash back into its' condensed form with a series of flourishes that left no doubt in Ruby's mind that the girl she insisted she was not currently on a date with knew exactly the effect she was having on her.
"Oh this?" Ilia's attempt at sounding coy was ruined by the smirk currently dimpling her round cheeks and the way her eyes had shifted to a hot pink "I wanted a lightning Dust weapon….It was what my parents were working with when….well, I wanted it be symbolic; I don't think the SDC ever cared enough to realise-"
"We don't have to talk about this if you don't want" Ruby offered.
"It's fine" Ilia breathed out "It's funny that even at my angriest I made a weapon like this….When everyone else was getting knives, guns, hammers and then that one idiot had a chainsaw I still picked a weapon I could use for non-lethal take downs. I didn't wanna do something if I didn't mean it"
"I uh….I guess I kinda went the opposite way when I made Crescent Rose" Ruby rubbed the back of her head, producing her own weapons' collapsed form and continuing in response to Ilia's questioning look "There's a lot of Grimm on Patch and not a lot of Hunters, really just my Dad and a few people either starting or finishing their careers looking for what they think is easy work; so you've always gotta be ready for anything if you live near the woods….And, well I've always wanted a weapon like my Uncle's; so I guess that's why I made a scythe that's also a high-impact customisable sniper rifle"
"A scythe that's also a high-impact customisable sniper rifle" Ilia mouthed the words back slowly and quietly, skin changing colour subtly as she did so in ways that Ruby tried futilely to interpret.
"That" the Chameleon Faunus murmured, smile tugging at her lips "Might be the coolest series of words I've ever heard….You should get your own comic series….and be featured in a fighting game"
"Stop" Ruby's cheeks turned a colour that was comparable to her cape as she pulled her hood over her face and hid herself behind the comic book that Ilia had reached for her, flustered beyond her ability to react otherwise; only for her flustering to apparently make her more endearing Ilia as the taller girl draped a muscular arm over Ruby's shoulders, leaving her barely able to form coherent thoughts.
"You're cool" she insisted, gently leading the way towards one of the alcoves with comfortable seats "Even when you're being cute" Ilia stopped short at that, finding herself flushed and caught off balance by her own slip of the tongue; with her own mind suddenly racing and questioning if she had said to much, too fast she found herself silently persevering and continuing to walk with an arm draped around Ruby, the pair now both nervous and looking for a way to dispel the sudden awkwardness.
With a distraction presenting itself in the most unwelcome of ways.
"You hear that?" Ilia asked, voice suddenly firm as her muscles tensed and coiled.
"Hear what?" Ruby asked, lowering her hood and straining her ears; her own demeanour shifting to one of readiness upon noting the change in Ilia's tone; after a moment she picked up on what the Faunus was referring to.
"Gunfire?"
"And screaming….It's close by" Ilia nodded, the two girls both finding their hands flying to their weapons in an instant and catching sight of the other mirroring the action a moment later; the air was suddenly charged with a heavy, electric energy as the pair shared a glance and nodded in silent agreement before speaking in unison.
"Let's go!"
Within Qrow's safe house a sense of normalcy, brittle and tenuous as it was had settled over the various teens inhabiting it.
Oscar, returned to full command and ownership of his body had arrived back at the house with Ren and Nora still flanking him protectively as though they expected Hazel Rainart to come crashing through a wall at any moment; the young farmhand had since elected to nap for a few hours and recover energy that had been drained by his body and still only recently unlocked Auras' attempts to bring him back to full health after the events at Haven. This left Ren and Nora free to make themselves something to eat and then join their friends, specifically Jaune and Weiss who had been sitting oddly close, though the telltale signs of an emotional exchange that the two of them bore suggested that their conversations had been complicated, if ultimately helpful.
Blake had joined them shortly thereafter, the feline Faunus casting wilful glances in the direction of the stairs leading up to where Yang could be faintly heard exercising; she and her partner having managed to engage in small talk that had at least the basest pretence of being like old times and whilst it was obvious that there was still much that needed to be fathomed out and addressed between them Blake found herself hopeful, feeling now that it was at least a possibility she could safely entertain. At that moment however Blake was sitting alongside Jaune and Nora on the sofa whilst Weiss and Ren feigned disinterest and preoccupation close by in a display that fooled nobody as they each enjoyed a spectacularly entertaining new pass time.
Namely sharing the messages and pictures both Ruby and Ilia were sending to their friends, each unaware of the other doing so, showing the progress of what both of the girls insisted was not a date.
"This is amazing!" Nora cackled "Quick I need a number for a take-out….Nowhere delivers spaghetti, I need noodles stat!"
"Why do you need noodles?" Blake asked, both intrigued and also filled with a healthy amount of caution as her eyes darted from the picture of Ruby and Ilia entering the comic store to Nora's admittedly unhinged grin.
"The spaghetti scene…..with the two cartoon dogs" Nora elaborated, speaking as though it were the most logical thing in the world and leaving Blake burying her face in her palm whilst Ren and Weiss, still pretending that they were not listening to the conversation sought to hide their grins and Jaune, chuckling at the notion rose to his feet, likely in search of noodles until Blake sat him down again.
"Do. Not" she said bluntly "This is fun….we do not tamper"
"But I was gonna take my guitar and-" whatever misbegotten idea was about to leave Jaune's lips was silenced before he could be ridiculed for it by the sound of the roaring and crackling fire warming the room being extinguished with a whoosh of motion before an ebony feathered and crimson eyed bird swooped into view, morphing into the from of an alarmed looking Qrow Branwen in a flash of Aura.
"So….are dramatic entrances just a thing your family does now?" Nora asked, the deadpan delivery used for effect standing at odds with her usual exuberance "Your cape's on fire by the way"
"No time for being a smart-ass" Qrow growled gruffly, patting the smoking fabric that had been ignited by the last flickering embers of the fire in a display of his perpetually bad luck; the veteran Hunter's sense of urgency spread to the teens around him and had them quickly rising to their feet.
"What's wrong? What's happening?" Weiss demanded
"I need everyone to get ready, weapons loaded" Qrow answered, prompting Blake to turn her eyes upwards, pupils slitted in sudden focus.
"YANG!" at the sound of Blake's voice, a door was flung open elsewhere in the house followed by the sound of booted feet rushing across wooden floor until Yang came into view, electing not to walk down the stairs and instead vaulting over the bannister to land in a crouch from which she quickly rose, Nora remaining silent but still glancing from the blonde to her uncle with a quip being visibly suppressed.
"What's wrong?" Yang demanded, focus entirely on her partner yet before she could answer Blake's scroll vibrated with a series of incoming messages and as she began to read them Qrow spoke up.
"Someone's just tried to rob a bank in the city" the revelation caused the group of teens, still students yet far too experienced to the title to face him once again, Nora raising a single fist and giving a small smirk.
"Smash the system Comrades"
"That's not all!" Blake exclaimed, suddenly deeply worried if the movement of her ears were any indication "It's the White Fang!….I've just heard from Blue, my Dad's chief of security; there's attacks happening all over the city, certain business are being targeted and burned down-"
"So the bank's a distraction" Yang growled, eyes flashing a red that help as much danger as her tone "Where's Taurus?"
"I-I don't know" Blake admitted "It doesn't look like he's leading any of the attacks"
"Yang focus, big picture" Qrow urged, keeping his tone from its' usual gruffness as he placed a hand on his nieces shoulder "Like I said we need to move out. Blake, have your parents and their people move to deal with the smaller groups-"
"What about the Council-" Ren's comment was cut off with a dismissive wave of the hand.
"If they don't take help now then they deserve a riot" Qrow scoffed "Let the people from Menagerie deal with the smaller groups, we'll take out the people at the bank and the whatever Mistrali defences Leo didn't gut can man the walls….this is gonna bring Grimm"
"Okay you heard him" Jaune stepped forward, falling into an authoritative tone "Nobody wake Oscar, he's in no shape to fight….Everyone else, let's-"
"Where's Ruby?" Yang asked, having noticed her sisters' absence immediately but having no opportunity to comment on it; it was Blake who answered, seeming to shrink in on herself as she did so as uncertainty as to how her partner would react left her ears slicked against her skull.
"Ruby is in the city….With Ilia" the two partners shared a glance that seemed to stretch out for several moments as Yang processed that her younger sister was currently in a strange city, in the midst of an attack and in the company of a former insurgent who had only recently defected from Adam Taurus's side and whom Ruby had known for less than two days. Eventually she let out a slow breath, some of the tension leaving her body with it.
"Blake I'm going to ask you one question….Is Ruby safe with your friend"
"Yes" Blake answered without hesitation "They're near the bank now, Ilia will be with Ruby when she goes after them" at that Yang simply nodded and reached into her pocket to produce her aviators, which were quickly donned as she flashed her partner a confident smile that caused Blake's features to light up with a joy that felt out of place considering the situation.
"They want to continue a vicious cycle…." Yang's smirk grew "Well my bike's a vicious cycle and it's parked outside, let's roll"
With that Yang and Blake led the charge, Qrow hastily writing a note to Oscar before he, Jaune, Weiss, Ren and Nora followed after them.
Ruby and Ilia had rushed towards the sounds of violence and been confronted with a group of over a dozen Faunus carrying various weapons, along with bags stuffed with lien; each of them wearing a uniform and stylised Grimm mask which the two girls would have recognised anywhere. Seeing the White Fang in the midst of such a brazen assault had sent Ilia into a righteous fury, causing her to yell out a challenge to the group who had almost immediately dropped their takings and given up their goal of fleeing towards their waiting getaway vehicles, instead readying their weapons and preparing for the imminent violence as both Ilia and Ruby crashed into them.
Despite the chaos and frantic, desperate fighting Ruby couldn't help but focus on Ilia; watching in awe as she dispatched foes with the same ferocity she had shown whilst sparring with Sun, except now it was clear that she was, if not entirely unrestrained, certainly not pulling her punches.
"Oh my gosh" she mouthed, skidding to a halt as another group of four assailants charged at the Chameleon Faunus only to be halted by her counter assault, the first of her attackers swinging a length of steel pipe at her face only for Ilia to weave under the ferocious blow and respond by swinging her right arm upwards and bending at the elbow to lock her attackers' own right arm in place from behind before slamming her left fist into their shoulder, causing them to drop their weapon before slamming her elbow into the base of her opponents' skull.
Throwing the first beaten attacker aside Ilia moved to the second without hesitation by leaping over their now unconscious form, as a Faunus whose rat-like tail twitched between him came running at her brandishing a knife Ilia sprung forward with a low and vicious front-kick which snapped out to strike a knee, leaving the attacker stumbling forward with their head falling into the path of Ilia's oncoming knee; from there the Chameleon Faunus wrapped her arms around her opponents midsection to lift him from the ground before slamming him head-first back down on to the ground with a crack that made it clear that the young man would not be getting up any time soon.
With two opponents left Ilia finally drew her weapon, reaching to her waist and deploying Lightning Lash as her arm drew back, sending the whip flashing out in a wide arc that struck both attackers at once, striking them in the gut and immobilising them with arcs of crackling electricity which flickered across their bodies as their Auras failed.
Ruby watched all of this unfold in a matter of seconds, allowing herself to lose track of her surroundings and present an opening for a stocky feline Faunus whose outfit included black leather gauntlets fitted with knuckle-dusters to come charging at her. The younger girl finally let out a yelp of surprise as her assailants' wordless yell startled her back to her senses; only for help to come in the form of Lightning Lash ensnaring her attackers' reared back fist and pulling the feline Faunus into the path of Ilia's forearm which collided with their windpipe.
"Thank me later" Ilia flashed Ruby a smile that could only fairly be described as cocky before winking and rendering the feline Faunus unconscious with a well placed kick.
"So cool" Ruby whispered under her breath, privately resolving to remember the excellently delivered one-liner and use it herself should the occasion arise. From there she simply smiled back at Ilia before bursting into motion as she unfurled Crescent Rose.
At which point it was Ilia's turn to watch, dumbstruck by her partners' abilities.
"She really should get own comic" the Chameleon Faunus muttered to herself in open distraction as she watched Ruby materialise behind a trio of armed attackers and swing her scythe in such a way that it tore their legs from beneath them and sent the trio face-first to the ground, yet that the blade of the weapon did not tear through flesh and bone. A booming gunshot rang out and a window behind the caped Huntress exploded in a shower of glass, only for Ruby to vanish in a burst of petals once again, Ilia barely able to keep track of her movements as she raced across the street to where a Faunus with quills in place of hair had drawn a shotgun; upon reaching the shooter Ruby's response was to deliver a kick to his chest, her own momentum leaving the man bent double before driving the shaft of Crescent Rose under his chin as she somersaulted over him; resulting in the porcupine Faunus being hoisted from the ground and hurled across the street whilst Ruby landed gracefully, twirling her weapon as her silver eyes scanned the area for any more attackers.
Finding one in the form of a horned, bovine Faunus levelling a triple-barrelled cannon at Ilia's back.
"GET DOWN!" Ruby's words came out as a panicked scream, sending Ilia leaping aside a fraction of a second before a streak of crimson rocketed through the space she had occupied and as she rolled to a stop and leapt to her feet again she managed to glimpse the precise moment where Ruby, travelling at full speed, headbutted the would-be gunman square in the face to shatter both his mask and Aura in a single blow whilst at the same time breaking his nose with a painful sounding crunch.
As Mulch fell to the ground unconscious three things happened in such rapid succession that they were almost simultaneous.
Firstly Ruby turned to face Ilia, her smile one of relief rather than the look of confident control that the younger girl had been aiming for.
Secondly the sound of a weapon being cocked and the scent of ozone filling the air for a split second preceded a flash of light and a bolt of lighting surging across the street.
Thirdly, help finally arrived. Ruby flinched reflexively, bracing herself for something that even she could not outpace yet the expected pain never arrived and instead the bolt of Dust-formed lightning was instead dissipated and halted by the glowing form of one of Weiss's glyphs, the droning buzz of insectoid wing-beats turning Ruby's gaze skyward to where Weiss herself was mounted on the conjured form of a Queen Lancer, Jaune behind her holding on for dear life and looking decidedly ill. A moment later a roaring engine announced he arrival of Blake and Yang as the Bumblebee came speeding into view whilst another arrival was signalled by an explosion and contrail of candy pink smoke as Ren and Nora leapt off of Magnhild which Team JNPR's most diminutive member had practically flown into battle, much as she had done during her initiation to Beacon Academy with her partner clutching tightly to her. As she landed Nora converted the weapon to its' ranged form and a moment later the entire street trembled as each of the White Fang's getaway vehicles were reduced to twisted heaps of ruined scrap.
Yet the fight was not concluded.
"She's getting away!" Ilia warned, directing her words toward Ruby as the masked Vulture Faunus whose weapon still crackled and glowed in the aftermath of its' discharge took several steps backward, the young woman whose more esoteric weapons and modified uniform identified her as someone of authority within the group seemingly considering her options before turning and bolting in the direction of a small alleyway. Ruby's expression darkened at this and with out hesitation she called over her shoulder to her team-mates and friends, just as her Uncle Qrow swooped into battle, reappearing from his avian form to tackle a White Fang grunt to the ground.
"You guys make sure there's nobody else in the bank and that nobody is hurt! Ilia and I are going after their leader!" with that she turned to Ilia herself "Come on, let's do this!"
Ilia promptly sprinted after Ruby without hesitation or a second thought.
"Shit, shit, shit, shit!" each curse was exclaimed with a ragged breath as Dahlia Bone hurtled from one alleyway to the next, taking several sharp turns at almost random intervals as she hastened to make the tactical retreat that she refused to admit was anything else.
She certainly hadn't fled and left her friends behind.
With her justifications and excuses sounding feeble even to her own ears Dahlia continued to run, the Assault Batteries in her hand as she went and frantic, disjointed thoughts colliding with one another in her mind as she struggled to see a way that anything resembling a victory could be snatched from the jaws of this defeat. What had been intended as a brief diversion to draw Mistral's defenders away from the businesses that her lackeys were currently in the process of sacking and putting to the torch had been reduced to calamity the moment that Hunters had arrived in force; Dahlia's weapons, whilst capable of obliterating the mechanical sentries that prowled the streets of Mantle at the behest of Atlesian authorities were simply no match for such an opponent.
And then there had been Ilia Amitola.
The girl was something of a legend within certain areas of Mantle, a local who had pummelled the rich Atlesians above them so thoroughly that Sienna Khan herself had taken notice; making the Chameleon Faunus closer to the truth of what Adam Taurus had always claimed himself to be and Dahlia had known from the moment she had seen Ilia's whip lashing out that she and her allies were in a kind of trouble that they had not prepared for.
"Come on, come on" she snarled through gritted teeth, refusing to slow or clutch at her side as she turned into another alleyway, this one a dead end though a rickety and precarious metal stairway led up to a first floor entrance of what was likely an apartment above a store. Seeing the stairs gave Dahlia the beginnings of an idea, running towards it the Vulture Faunus decided that she would use the stairs as a springboard to clamber onto the roof and from there take up a vantage point from which she could coordinate her remaining forces, using her White Fang splinter group to create more distractions and have their vehicles run police cars or vans off of the road whilst Dahlia herself returned to the bank and used the fresh wave of chaos as cover to free those who had been captured.
Such a display of derring-do would make her a legend within the White Fang and cement her position as the logical choice to lead.
Setting her jaw she sprinted up the stairs, the sound of booted feet against metal ringing out until she had reached the top and, without slowing leapt onto the dubiously secure railing running around the small landing which the door opened onto and prepared to vault herself upwards and onto the roof. Her feeling of confidence in her impending victory and unrivalled abilities was quickly snatched away however as time seemed to slow to a crawl and the air was smashed from her lungs as something moving at impossible speeds collided with her in mid-air.
Ruby Rose had arrived.
The two girls seemed to fall in slow motion and Ruby twirled her scythe around, hoping to use its' blade as a hook with which to pin the White Fang leader to the ground rather than maim her opponent whilst Dahlia, acting on near-frenzied instinct decided that the time for non-lethal force had passed and that the current situation truly was a matter of do or die. Ruby's eyes widened in sudden fright as the Vulture Faunus combined her weapons, the Assault Batteries forming what appeared to be a double-barrelled shotgun of sorts and yet rather than fire twin volleys of electrical destruction a single sphere of blindly bright blue light began to form at the mouth of the weapons' barrels, punctuated by a low and thrumming base note before the inevitable discharge.
Ruby was left with her ears ringing and an agonising, burning sensation engulfing her as the blast of lighting struck the shaft of Crescent Rose and travelled along her arms to envelop her and from there the scythe was torn free of her gasp, sent hurtling backwards and downward to embed itself into the dead-end wall of the alleyway with the caped girl herself following it a moment later, the back of her head impacting against the brickwork with a jarring thud that cracked their surface and left Ruby sinking to her hands and knees with her vision swimming as she tried to rise.
As her eyes regained focus the first thing Ruby saw was a booted foot flying toward her face.
"Tell the Belladonnas the Fang's under new management!" Dahlia declared with a fierce and victorious yell as she closed the distance between the two of the and delivered a running kick to Ruby's face which flung the shorter girl back to her feet only for her to sink backwards as her skull was once again smashed against the wall by the force of the impact. From there Ruby, despite the blinding pain that left her head ringing tried to reach out to where Crescent Rose was embedded in the wall nearby only to be denied and sent crashing to the floor, gasping for air and convulsing as Dahlia continued her assault; shifting her weapons to their stun baton modes and keeping them at full power as she swung her right arm into her opponents gut before driving the weapon in her left into the back of Ruby's head as she doubled over.
"Holy shit I didn't think it'd be that easy!" Dahlia almost burst into disbelieving laughter as she realised that she had done the seemingly impossible for a Mantle street urchin and bested a Hunter, the thrill of her success pushing her to continue to hammer the point home by raining kicks and blows down on the caped girl who desperately tried to block and cover as much of herself as she could until finally the Vulture Faunus raised both of the Assault Batteries overhead and prepared to bring them crashing down for a final strike.
At which point the battle took another turn.
"GET AWAY FROM HER!" the sound of a gruff Mantle accent, each syllable trembling with unfettered rage sent chills through Dahlia a moment before her body was racked with indescribable pain. Before she could even fully turn to face her new opponent Ilia, who had finally caught up with Ruby had sent the Lightning Lash whipping out to ensnare both of Dahlia's weapons and then the Chameleon Faunus promptly used all of the Lightning Dust at her disposal to devastating effect, causing something critical within the Assault Batteries to fail in catastrophic fashion.
Dahlia watched in horror as her weapons exploded in her hands.
"TRAITOR!" the aspiring leader screamed at her fellow Mantle native who had abandoned their shared cause; something in her delivery of the accusation causing Ilia to falter so suddenly that her skin shifted from the blazing red it had become to a deep blue for the briefest of moments before Dahlia drew close enough for them to begin trading blows.
Dahlia opened by attempting to rake her talons across Ilia's unguarded face, to which Ilia responded by casting her weapon aside and leaning back far enough to allow the blow to sail by her face before kicking out and striking the Vulture Faunus in the midsection, sending her back several paces.
The next exchange same as Dahlia rushed in again this time tempering her fury with caution as she dodged Ilia's incredibly fast right cross, side-stepping and lading left and right jabs to her opponents' freckled face before taking Ilia's right wrist in her taloned hand and driving a shoulder into her chest to create the leverage and momentum needed to slam Ilia bodily into the wall of the building whose roof she had intended to reach. Before Ilia could counter Dahlia unleashed a left hook followed by an elbow strike to the face which impacted with nerve-rattling thuds yet still the Chameleon Faunus was not beaten, blocking a subsequent right hook aimed at her kidneys with her left knee before pushing herself forward and forcing Dahlia to grapple with her.
Where it quickly became apparent that the avian girl was the weaker combatant.
"Bone?" Ilia hissed out through gritted teeth, surprised at the sudden recognition despite the mask her adversary still wore "Dahlia Bone….Don't do this….Your parents will be out in-"
"THEY SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN ARRESTED!" Dahlia screamed, incensed beyond words that the traitor before her would presume to reason with her or use her parents names against her. Spurred onward she slammed her head into Ilia's face, sending a web of cracks across the visor of her own mask but stunning her opponent enough to break free of the grappling they had been engaged in, and swiftly wrapping her arms around Ilia's waist to lift her bodily from the ground and slam her downwards, falling with her but using the motion to position herself on top of her opponent, straddling Ilia and raining punches down on her face.
This was no longer a heroic retaking of the White Fang and the beginning of a personal revolution; it was simple a street fight and as she wrapped a taloned hand around Ilia's neck Dahlia assured herself that she would leave her enemy face down in the nearest gutter.
"Just stop!" Ilia choked out, eyes wild and skin rapidly changing colour as she struggled to breath "I get it, I've been where you are….I get that you don't know what else to do-"
"I know exactly what I'm doing! I'm doing what you don't have the stomach to see through! You want a better White Fang then stop being the Kingdoms' lapdog! THEY KILLED YOUR PARENTS AND YOU'RE WORKING FOR THEM!" Dahlia's rage grew with every word, steadily losing herself until she no longer felt the punishing knee-strikes that Ilia was delivering to her back in an attempt to free herself and finally, pushed into the depths of her fury Dahlia removed her mask; allowing Ilia to see the hate in her deep crimson eyes as the Vulture Faunus used her free hand to smash the visor and take a shard of glass to stab and slash with whilst still throttling her pinned opponent with the other.
"I didn't want to kill civilians!" Dahlia let out an unhinged cackle "But you? You I'm gonna-"
The rest of her threat went unsaid as a painful crunch filled the air, echoing horrendously in the alleyway.
Ruby Rose had pulled herself to her feet and launched herself forwards, forgoing Crescent Rose entirely and instead picking up the discarded form of Lightning Lash in order to slam the butt of the weapons handle into Dahlia's Bone's uncovered face, leaving the Vulture Faunus swaying as her Aura visibly shattered around her until finally her eyes rolled back and she collapsed to the floor with a thud, allowing Ruby to pull Ilia to her feet and into a crushing hug.
"Are you okay….Oh my….Is she, is she okay?" she asked hands covering her mouth as she saw Dahlia Bone's unmoving form and realised that she might have struck with more force than intended in her urgency; whilst capable of extreme and overwhelming displays of violence Ruby was not needlessly heavy-handed and would much prefer no to kill if it were possible. Ilia massaged her neck for a moment before speaking.
"Yeah….Yeah I'm okay, thanks for that" she cautiously crouched down beside Dahlia and rolled her over, giving a wince that was almost appreciative in its' delivery as she looked up at Ruby "She's out cold….You broke her teeth as well"
"Heh well I uh-" Ruby rubbed the back of her head, suddenly looking anywhere but at Ilia as she held out Lightning Lash for her "I guess I still need to work on my hand to hand fighting but uh….Your weapon is really cool, it did the job"
"You're really cool" Ilia snorted before regarding Dahlia again "So, what do we do with her….I know we should hand her over to the police but-"
"We could hand her over to Blake's parents" Ruby suggested thoughtfully "I can have Uncle Qrow come and collect her….If Mistral's Council doesn't want Menagerie's help then she can be tried on Menagerie"
"Sneaky" Ilia gave a small grin "But not a bad idea….Are you okay, you were getting pretty roughed up back there?"
"Not the first time I've been hit in the head this week" Ruby gave a sullen pout, thankfully managing to appear as though she were joking and causing Ilia, who had been gingerly touching a cheek that would certainly be bruised the next morning to let out a soft laugh.
"You did good….Come on, let's go and make sure the others are okay" she chameleon Faunus suggested, using her whip to bind Dahlia's arms to her sides before draping Ruby's arm over her shoulder and helping the shorter girl limp back towards where her weapon was still stuck in a wall. The two of them sharing a single glance that left their cheeks coloured in a way that was nothing to do with the exertion of the fight as they both became suddenly aware of the physical closeness; prompting Ilia to clear her throat and attempt to lighten the mood.
"So first you stop a robbery at a Dust store, now this" she gave Ruby a fond smile "So, what're we doing for our next date, overthrowing the Atlas government?"
"Next date?" Ruby sputtered, turning a shade of red that almost matched her cape whilst Ilia could only flush a vibrant, almost neon pink as she realised what she had said.
It was time to say goodbye.
In the days following the White Fang's attempted bank robbery the impasse between the Council of Mistral and the contingent from Menagerie had ended and the first, wary steps towards an alliance and understanding had been taken.
Whilst neither Adam Taurus or any of those working alongside Cinder in her attack on Haven Academy had been found, the False Maiden still being missing presumed dead the capture of so many of the remaining White Fang insurgents had effectively eliminated the threat that the organisation posed to the Kingdom; which in turn allowed the Belladonnas and their closest allies to begin using their part in halting the dozens of small scale attacks as political capital.
Thus far the two groups had agreed that the White Fang insurgents captured would be taken to Menagerie to face justice, a form of exile that was only tolerable despite the sneering tones it had been discussed in because so many of those captured hailed from Mantle which remained under embargo. Beyond this the beginnings of trade relationships and an understanding in regards to the White Fang's presence as part of Mistral's defences for the foreseeable future had begun to be drawn up and whilst it would be some time before such things were finalised or indeed a real sense of trust and community between the two parties could be established more than one veteran Faunus Hunter had been offered a position within the new faculty of Haven Academy and the limited progress was hopefully a sign of things to come even after Ghira Belladonna returned to his post as Chieftain of Menagerie.
This also meant however that transport routes in and out of Mistral had been opened once again, allowing Team RWBY and their friends to leave the city, intending to use the Argus Limited train in order to reach the trading port between Mistral and Atlas, from which they would find a route to the icy Kingdom itself.
Which was how Ilia had found herself in Mistral's train station, the warmth of a goodbye hug from Blake quickly fading.
"She's waiting for you down there" Blake murmured, words barely audible as she slipped by and made her way over to Sun; who had reunited with the rest of Team SSSN in recent days; the knowing smile on her old friends' face leaving no doubt in Ilia's mind about who Blake was referring to. Ruby and Ilia had spent much of the intervening days in one another's company; both alone and with the rest of Team RWBY and JNPR which allowed the Chameleon Faunus an opportunity to relax and feel as though she was regaining some of the years that had been taken from her due to tragedy and conflict. Thus far things had remained largely platonic between the pair despite how obviously enamoured with one another they each were with nothing more outward than hugs or blushing furiously as their hands brushed against one another until one of the pair finally plucked up the courage to hold the others' hand occurring between; a display of maturity from two girls who each understood that in addition to the distance that would soon be between them they each had their own personal issues that needed to be resolved before anything more serious, Ruby still struggling to process unresolved grief and trauma from the fall of Beacon whilst Ilia understood that she needed time to heal and move on from the person she had been.
None of that stopped her from chewing her lip nervously as she caught sight of Ruby below.
A sudden glimpse of distinctive red emerging from the stations' gift shop was enough to send Ilia hurrying from the walkway where she and Blake had been standing and down into a throng of bodies that she slipped and hastily squeezed between until finally she grew close to where Ruby was standing close to her friends and family, only to almost stumble ad trip over her own feet at the distinct feeling of being watched by a particularly intense gaze.
Following the source of the sensation Ilia caught sigh of both Qrow and Yang not quite glaring at her, but certainly watching her closely enough to convey a silent message; Ilia resolutely straightened her back, rolled her shoulders and set her jaw as she held Yang's gaze, having spent enough time around the blonde now to at least understand some of what it was that drew Blake to her partner; an admission that no longer stung as it once would have.
Slowly Yang gave a nod which conveyed another silent message, one of sisterly approval; which only caused the tingling numbness that spread through Ilia's body with nervous apprehension to multiply.
Until it was promptly squeezed out of her the moment Ruby caught sight of the freckled girl, crossing the space between them in a blink of an eye to throw her arms around Ilia's shoulders.
"Hey" Ilia mumbled as her arms looped loosely around Ruby's waist "I wanted to see you before you left"
"Yeah I wanted to see you too" Ruby's tone wavered with sudden uncertainty, her eyes remaining downcast and away from Ilia's gaze "I uh, I got you something….It's a friendship bracelet"
"You're adorable" Ilia managed a weak smile as she reached into the bag that Ruby held out to her, producing the brightly coloured accessory from with and examining it, enjoying the bittersweet moment "You were definitely memorable anyway….But I'll be thinking about you kicking ass and saving Remnant in Atlas when I wear it"
"Yeah about that" Ruby trailed off and took a slow breath as if to steady herself, the action causing Ilia's stomach to plummet until she spoke again "I don't know how long we're gonna be in Atlas for….And I won't be able to message you while the CCT's still down"
"Yeah, it's gonna suck" Ilia nodded glumly "But this is it….I wish I could come with"
"I don't want this to be it" Ruby's voice hitched and wavered before she took yet another steadying breath, visibly mustering up all of her courage before finally meeting Ilia's eyes "I know everything's weird right now and we don't know when that's gonna change but if….no, when I see you again I uh….can I take you on a date?"
"Are you asking me out Ruby Rose? Right before going to save Remnant?" Ilia asked, using the question to buy herself a few seconds to try and maintain her composure and keep herself from letting out a gleeful squeal at odds with the image she had managed to garner for herself even as a hot pink blush spread from her freckles out to cover her entire body.
"Yep" Ruby nodded enthusiastic, popping the P
"I'd like that" Ilia managed to answer eventually "I'd like that a lot….But, wait before you go there's something you need?"
"Like what?" Ruby asked nonplussed until Ilia slipped her leather jacket from her shoulders and gently wrapped it around the shorter girl, adjusting it to accommodate her signature cape.
"It's cold in Mantle" Ilia shrugged in explanation, smile tugging at her lips "And you look good in that"
Ruby's only response was to throw her arms around Ilia's shoulder and pull her into another crushing hug, practically melting into the Faunus for a moment before leaning up on the tips of her toes to gently press her lips against Ilia's cheek, leaving her utterly dumbstruck for several seconds as her mind simultaneously failed to process and let out a chorus of entirely private cheers at the situation. Slowly Ruby pulled back, expression nervous until the movement brought Ilia back to some semblance of her senses and prompted her to gently cup the shorter girls cheek, hand trailing slowly down to Ruby's chin and tilting it upwards slightly as she brought their lips closer.
The kiss was a short thing, impossibly tender and gentle and it was simply everything that Ilia had hoped for.
"Now go get 'em" she gave Ruby a cocky wink, which the silver eyed girl responded to in kind before speeding off to where her friends were preparing to board the train to Argus, Nora dramatically giving Ruby a high hive for her achievement. The moment was over far too soon and before long Ilia was standing alone in Mistral's train station, vaguely aware of Sun calling to her from somewhere close by whilst the Argus limited and with it Ruby, Blake and the rest of her new friends departed into the distance.
Ilia sighed wistfully, wondering exactly when she had become a lovesick puppy as she realised that it was going to be a painfully long wait until she saw Ruby again.
Author's Notes:
Okay so, I had some time to write something that wasn't MARZ Rising in the break between Volume 02 and 03 of that story which naturally meant I could take something off of my "Ideas for a rainy day" shelf.
As I said on Tumblr, for those who follow me there; it is my firmly held belief that if Ilia and Ruby were allowed to interact, Ruby would have a massive crush because Ilia is basically a grab-bag of traits from people Ruby loves and respects: Her weapon is a flexible Myrtenaster, she has quite possible brooded on more rooftops than Blake, she can throw hands like Yang (And break bones like Nora) and she's got freckles like Penny.
Also something I said on Tumblr was that this story was given its' initial spark by Arcane, which everybody should watch if they haven't; basically the music video to 'Enemy' by Imagine dragons features a shot of a young Vi shadow-boxing which made me think of a younger Ilia in Mantle….Also it was a good chance to write some visceral, up close and dirty fighting.
Funny thing….I envisioned this as a fluffy one shot, then I decided to introduce tension in the form of another White Fang splinter group and well….From there I did exactly what you'd predict if you know my writing.
But anyway let's summarise, shall we?: (Fair warning this is a long one, 'cos the story is a long one)
So first off, I don't hate on Vol.05 as much as everyone seems to but sweet fuck trying to figure out what happened between the end of the finale and the start of Vol.06 and where everyone's head was out in those first few hours was tricky.
Although the fact that Ruby would be firing on all cylinders, even when about to collapse from exhaustion is pretty much a given.
Lionheart was a bitch….But come on, they're not gonna throw his body in a closet and set up in his office.
Seeing as Ruby's left handed, Weiss should probably be on the other side….The gesture still counts.
Look it took Jaune a while to heal that guy's busted arm in Vol.06, this is his first night with his Semblance and Weiss was using her Aura to power her own Semblance instead of healing up….He's taking no chances.
Qrow was doing Uncle duties and understood the assignment, I stand by it.
We all talk about how Yang should be beefy (She should and you're right) but Ilia 'Arm-bars for everybody' Amitola has absolutely got some guns.
Oh you think I forgot was an emotional wreck at this point?
"I paid for an illegal flight into Mistral, I can pay for one back out of Mistral" I honestly feel like this was beautifully in character.
Ghira's reading glasses, just because I remembers they were a thing as I was writing.
I didn't watch the Grimm Campaign RPG, but didn't Qrow canonically send a message out to any remaining Hunters in Mistral post Vol.05?
Yeah Yang's had a really rough night and the new girl just lipped off to her uncle, she's allowed to be pissed….But at the same time there is no way Yang would go passed, through or around Blake to argue with Ilia.
Wonder how many other tribes are out there on Anima, wonder how many members of said tribes or mixed-heritage kids live in Mistral; or how the Kingdom treat them.
"What's that supposed to-" it had to be done and you know it.
"Interesting conversations" indeed.
Yay time for Faunus Ocs….Because it's me and of course.
There are so many stories to be told in what was happening in Mantle prior to RWBY and co getting there and things like Dahlia's obvious malnourishment, paleness and gang tats along with bits of her outfit like her coat being stolen from an Atlas officer are also bits of world building; also Dahlia's design takes a lot of cues from Jinx in Arcane, especially her hairstyle and pirate boots.
I have a headcanon that Adam was actually never a member of the Mantle White Fang and that's why Sienna put him in charge of Vale.
Of course the kid who wants to look like more than the street tough that she is gets a Cruella Deville style cigarette holder.
Little Happy Huntresses nod.
So this is just my way of tying up all the loose ends and showing how the White Fang presence in Mistral was pretty much completely taken apart by Adam's mismanagement, getting us up to the start of Vol.06 where he cleaned out a room of his own people.
Dahlia's story is an interesting way to look at the White Fang from the perspective of someone caught up in it and how the progression into more violent tactics felt justified; as well as how Adam became the figurehead he was seen as compared to to what he actually was.
"I'm not running" Y'know I didn't mean for Dahlia to be as much of a mirror to certain parts of Team RWBY as she is.
"Adam's a sick fuck but he knows how to grandstand and put a show on" and there it is, there's his character.
One day I will write a story about the gang's in Mantle that were just doing their own thing until the actual plot happened.
"It's our generation's turn now, we're gonna change things" literally the plot of RWBY.
Okay so skipping forward to the day after tomorrow so that we're on the day Dahlia's attack is happening.
Yeah I can only imagine having to deal with politicians and casual racism in Mistral would have Ilia wanting to go back to breaking teeth within five minutes.
There is no way that Blake leaving so soon didn't sting like hell and at the same time, Ilia has probably spent a lot of time alone….So that would probably be more comfortable than hanging around Blake's parents all things considered.
Sun just doing Sun things.
You think the White Fang or Mantle street gangs had counselling? Come on, it was a matter of toughening up and getting back in the fight.
Oof….Ilia is dealing with a lot right now, however her completely missing the shot and tripping over herself the instant she thought of Ruby was funny.
And now we get into the rematch between Sun and Ilia, a little more visceral even though it's just sparring.
This is probably the closest thing to an earnest conversation Ilia has had about feelings in a very long time.
Of course Sun knows what's going on in Ilia's head.
And we have Ruby, realising that she might just be cut out for this leadership thing after all.
I feel like if Cinder wasn't presumed dead then they would have had gotten into basement containing the vault and sent Qrow down in bird mode to check.
Qrow playing politics whilst Ozpin, through Oscar does a little subterfuge was an interesting role reversal.
I refuse to believe that Ruby and Yang haven't spoken about what happened in the vault to some degree.
Awkward Bees, Ren and Nora being Oscar's bodyguards and Jaune working himself to collapse all seem pretty on brand.
Get Ruby therapy challenge.
Ruby is sixteen at this point in the story and was fifteen at Beacon….Let's be honest at fifteen and sixteen we all had pretty solid ideas of what we found attractive and knew what crushes were. Also the headcanon that Emerald was Ruby's first real crush is one I adore.
My Nuts & Dolts trash self had to give one emotional gut punch.
What are partners for if interrupting your train of thought two stops before bone-town?...Besides the callback to Vol.05 was nice.
Yeah Weiss has seen her entire family in bits for too long to let Jaune carry on down the road he was on at this point, she's also a lot more willing to force answers out of people than Ruby.
Ruby using her cape to hide a blush might be my favourite headcanon with no canon basis that I can think of.
Vaccuan and Mantle boneheaded bad-ass attitudes meeting head on….Totally not foreshadowing for Vol.09, what on Earth do you mean?
Ilia re-enacting that one scene with Randell from Monster's Inc was inspired and I stand by it.
Ilia went full UFC and that alone made me want to see more of her fight scenes in canon.
Well….this was a fun way to meet up.
Of course Ruby thinks Ilia's colour changing is super cool, this is Ruby we're dealing with.
The Albain brothers absolutely showed Ilia the Vytal Tournament footage to get into her head.
And now we have Ilia's perspective on Ruby.
"If they don't then I'm not spending my lien there" was the correct answer Ruby.
"My highest honour in life, being Blake's friend" ah yes a precursor to telling Neptune "It's not about that".
I feel like that was the PERFECT moment for Ilia to find out that Yang and Ruby are sisters.
Of course the date was set to happen around the same time the White Fang were rolling out.
A little petty rivalry between the people Dahlia is leading to make them feel real and drive home that they really are child soldiers.
Mulch's gun is based on one of Jinx's guns from Arcane, since I didn't give it to Dahlia.
So there's Dahlia's plan….Not the most imaginative, but it definitely works as the start of a PR campaign to build up her own brand within the Fang.
The Assault Batteries are basically a budget and blunt-force version of Neptune's weapons when you get right down to it, made from stolen and reworked parts….the name comes from a joke I made years ago that Nora x Ilia as a ship should be called "Assault & Battery"….Also yay for weapon symbolism.
"With Sienna Khan's death Dahlia had no heroes left, instead she realised that she would simply have to be the force for change she needed" she really did end up being a dark mirror for Team RWBY.
The only thing that could stop Ruby from rushing to tell Yang about having a 'Not date' is seeing Yang and Blake finally talking.
Jaune has already proved his skills as a wingman, he was a support role before his Semblance.
Ilia's Vol.06 outfit that we saw for roughly a minute.
Flynt Coal's Dad unofficially having White Fang protection in Mantle because of how consistently he said fuck the SDC is a long time headcanon on mine.
The comic shop was a mix of a local place near me and Forbidden Planet in London when I imagined it….Also, the closest thing to a coffee shop AU that I'm ever gonna write.
Okay get ready 'cos there's layers to this: Michael Beige ruining childhoods is me taking the piss out of the Michael Bay Transformers films, the last two of which had soundtracks featuring Imagine Dragons, which is who "Consider Dungeons" is a parody of, which because Imagine Dragons are on the soundtrack of Arcane, based on League of Legends also set up the 'Multitude of Myths' line….Which can almost be seen as a play on 'Myths and Legends' from literally the start of the first episode.
Come on, there's no way Atlas kids liked Ilia even before they knew she was Faunus...Also Blake just casually reading various political manifestos and theses at age twelve.
Ruby will absolutely use underhanded tactics for a good cause.
Oh come on if a hot girl just casually pulled a whip out in the midst of a 'not date' it would have an effect on you too.
"You should get your own comic series….and be featured in a fighting game" what the fuck is a fourth wall?
Yay for distraction in the form of ongoing bank robbery.
Jaune, Blake and Nora are exactly the three who would want updates on a friends' date.
You know exactly which spaghetti scene.
Qrow's entrance was cool….But Nora is all of us.
Yang reacted to Blake calling for her in the only way she was ever going to.
God I love writing Nora….And yeah, I think her arc in Mantle and Atlas makes it pretty clear that she's the Communist of the team.
Blue….Is a Bear Faunus and a reference to Baloo, an old friend of Ghira's.
They got this far into the plan without realising they were a team leader short.
I had to end the scene with a Yang pun, had to.
And now we're getting into it.
Well, that's the leader of the other gang Dahlia recruited gone.
I love the idea that Ruby's "Thank me later" was her trying to look cool by imitating Ilia.
And there goes Mulch, taken out by a flying headbutt; because the fact Ruby will headbutt someone despite being one the less capable hand to hand fighters
amuses me.
And look at that Dahlia made her play at the exact moment he cavalry arrived.
Sure Dahlia, keep lying to yourself.
Okay in my first RWBY story which spawned an AU that's still going five years later I gave Adam backstory that was actually remarkably similar to what Ilia's backstory ended being in canon….So consider the comment about Ilia being Adam was sold to the White Fang as being as my way of making a joke at my own expense.
Also yeah….Ilia is a legend in Mantle.
Everybody has a plan B until they get hit at Mach two.
Look, we all knew that Dahlia was going to lose but I wanted there to at least be the illusion of some weight to the fight by having it just be a, mostly grounded and nasty street-brawl rather than two superheroes fighting….Hence Ruby getting pasted in an alley.
"GET AWAY FROM HER!"….Is it a RWBY ship if you don't?
"TRAITOR!" a) Star Wars meme and b) a callback to Ilia yelling "Traitors" at the Belladonna press gathering.
Of course Ilia knows roughly who Dahlia Bone is, they're both White Fang members, roughly the same age and from the same city.
Well, this totally isn't a callback to Blake Vs Ilia.
Yay….More weapon symbolism.
Of course I worked broken teeth into an Ilia story.
"So, what're we doing for our next date, overthrowing the Atlas government?" ah the foreshadowing.
Heh 'Time to say goodbye'
Also...I kept the story almost entirely canon compliant until this point, just to change how the train station scene went.
So the politics happened and the beginnings of progress were made, but that's not what we're here for.
Also Yeah, all of Team SSSN were there in this version….Because they should have been.
Seriously, Ilia needs a proper support group in place.
Yay for awkward dorks holding hands.
Also yay for both Ruby and Ilia realising that they have their own issues to work out and being mature enough to try and do that before pursuing a relationship.
Oh come on, you know Yang is gonna watch Ruby's first date like a hawk.
It was a friendship bracelet bought from the gift shop….
Get it Ruby.
Okay, I don't know how Ilia's jacket would work with Ruby's cape….But adding her 'Not-quite-girlfriend's' leather jacket to her outfit would definitely be a look to Ruby's Vol.7 design.
Okay so the cheek kiss was shamelessly lifted from Blake's goodbye to Sun….But this is a ship I'm intending to sail so Ilia does get the girl lol.
"It was going to be a painfully long wait until she saw Ruby again" ha, fake laughter hiding real pain.
As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.