Whilst departing from the Vytal Festival Dance with General Ironwood, Ruby could only muse upon how little fanfare had been made regarding the event itself. Whilst certainly there were several students that had noticed her departure and outright made to go up and speak to her about it, none had managed to make it close before wilting under the harsh glare emanating from the Atlesian Headmaster- such was his power.
"A stern expression can accomplish much more than simple words, especially when dealing with certain individuals that enjoy dancing around an issue rather than combating it directly." was all that had been said at the time, when she had bothered to question him about the matter.
Ruby supposed that a man running both a military and a huntsmen academy likely had to deal with a great many politicians over the course of his career. Easily enough to have developed more than a few strategies to combat himself against their meddling. She wondered if it was at all possible to adopt some of the strategies in her career. Being able to prevent any more people from asking her about Kirakishou would certainly ease the stress on her mind.
Kirakishou… I feel really bad about leaving you at the party… I hope you're doing okay… I'll be back soon. Don't you worry…
The first year huntress-in-training had found herself being led outside the dance venue, General Ironwood departing through the front door with Ruby in tow. During their walk through the entrance, they had happened upon Headmaster Ozpin, but the man had remained silent and merely handed them an umbrella each with nought but a smile.
His smiles were nothing like those of her precious doll. They seemed remarkably vacant. Empty, almost. A small part of her felt sorry for the man, to have developed a smile that pathetic and worn out. Although perhaps her perception was a little biased? What little pleasure is there to be gained in the mediocre, when you have chanced upon something as pure as the Rozen Maiden that had bound herself to Ruby?
Ruby found a smile similar to Kirakishou's crawl upon her face at the mere thought alone.
"...We will be having this discussion within the Cross Continental Transmit Tower. It will only be a short walk. I hope you don't mind."
She turned slightly, not directly meeting the steely gaze of the military man but merely demonstrating that she had been paying attention. It was something she had picked up from Blake during their team discussions.
"If this is about Kirakishou, then-"
"-Stop." The Atlesian's voice cut through her own like a sharp blade. "I did not pull you away from the dance simply to discuss matters regarding your partner. Given Ozpin's methods, no doubt you have suffered far too many questions regarding her already."
Clutching the umbrella tightly, she fought to maintain a soft smile. This man had forced her away from her date in a manner of minutes using sheer words alone. He was skilled in interrogation and diplomacy, perhaps even moreso than Headmaster Ozpin. Dealing with a foreign matter that she may be uncertain about, without the assistance of her doll, was not how she had wanted to be spending her night. And yet, Kirakishou had seen something in this man. There was no other explanation for why the doll had folded so quickly and urged Ruby to cooperate.
Something, whatever it was, had persuaded Kirakishou to display an interest in this man. This Atlesian Headmaster. Just like how Kirakishou had acted around Penny, that odd little ginger-haired girl, for the first time. Upon merely glancing upon the girl, Kirakishou's entire demeanour had changed- she had fought for Ruby, persuading the girl to open up and constantly pushing the ginger-haired girl for more information.
But what had it been that Penny-
"General James Ironwood of the Atlesian Military. The hero. Your uncle."
That was it! Kirakishou had learnt, somehow, that General James Ironwood was Penny's uncle. She had found out that the man was protective over his niece, directly requesting that Penny speak to them no further following her involvement defending the docks against the White Fang incursion.
It had been the signature reaction of an overprotective parental figure.
Many a time had Yang Xiao Long acted similarly, before Kirakishou came. It was actually rather surprising that Ruby hadn't recognised Ironwood's behaviour beforehand. Had she really been that unfocused as to ignore such a major piece of information?
Yet, for some reason, the man himself personally pulls Ruby away from her date regarding some vague notion of a sensitive piece of information that he wished to discuss with her. Was it regarding Penny? Did he find out that she knows about Penny being his niece? If so, how? She hadn't even thought about the girl since that meeting on the docks, let alone spoken to anyone about it.
Perhaps Kirakishou had spoken to Penny afterwords? With the Rozen Maiden being confined to her room for the most part, there was a significant amount of time where Kirakishou was essentially unsupervised. Following the reveal about her ability to appear in different areas using her N-Field, there was no telling what she had done. She doubted the two guards outside had any clue about such an ability nor how to even handle it in the first place.
"...You're rather quiet, Miss Rose. I expected you to be rather, hm, energetic following the events at the dance. You looked to be enjoying yourself before."
Ruby snapped out of her little reverie, stopping to match the general's sudden halted pace. Sometime during her internal musings General Ironwood had seemingly noticed her behaviour and thought to question her about it. How quaint.
"Is there any point to be acting in such a way, sir?" she answered morosely, glancing out into the distance. They were just passing the gardens now. Even with the violent storm whipping up against her aura and ruining the serenity of the scene, there was a certain beauty held within such a force of nature. "You don't seem like a man that would interrupt a girl's date for something of little importance. Getting upset about it won't change anything."
Staring out at the storm seemed far more interesting to her, than bothering about the petty annoyances of an adult interrupting her fun time. Once this was all said and done, she would return to Kirakishou and greet the doll with a big kiss. Perhaps she would do it in front of Yang, too. At just the right angle to see the look on her face. Oh, Ruby craved to savour that expression right now, to drink in her agitation and hopelessness. Perhaps that would improve her mood.
I'm my own girl now, Yang. No more coddling. This is what you get. What, you think I wouldn't know what you're doing with Weiss? Sending her after me? Please. I'm going to be happy, with Kirakishou, whether you like it or not. Come the end of my time in Beacon, you'll probably never have to see me again.
Lightning struck in the distance. It was beautiful to her silver eyes.
You'd probably like that, wouldn't you Yang? Less stress for you after all. You could stop being the mom of the family and be your own person. Even if you don't deserve it, I'll make you have it. And I'll smile.
Hm. She was feeling rather vindictive this night, wasn't she? It was a vexing sensation, but she rather enjoyed the pleasant tingles than ran down her body when she imagined various fantasies involving her annoying older sister. She idly wondered if Kirakishou had similar thoughts when thinking about her own sisters and their treachery.
It would certainly be fitting. Besides, she would enjoy to have yet another common ground with her doll.
"Understandable." the general said at length, stroking his chin with a thoughtful expression. Ruby thought the gesture seemed rather odd when holding an umbrella with the other hand. "You surprise me, Miss Rose."
Her eyes narrowed, but the distant smile on her face did not diminish in the slightest.
"Oh? In what way?"
Ruby bit her lip as she tried not to stare. It was a bad habit, she knew. One that she had developed as a kid and never truly suppressed. Both the staring and the biting her lip. Other kids often told her that it made her look weird.
General Ironwood's face was as impassive as stone. A true testament to his name. "You are not like many other girls your age." was all he said, momentarily turning away to stare at the very same garden that had captivated her gaze previously. "...Most experience some difficulty in containing their emotions and keeping a level head in the battlefield. Yet, you seem to have recently developed an almost disturbing ability to compartmentalise your feelings. Not even Summer was like that, you know."
She followed his gaze to the garden, taking a moment to sigh. It was not untrue, what he had said. Perhaps rather biased, as many of his perceptions of her were either gleaned from various student files or the choice few times they had met. During all of which her thoughts predominately had been focused on ending the conversation as quickly as possible and returning to more important matters.
"I doubt you brought me out here to stand in the rain and talk about my personality." she purposefully began to walk again in order to distance herself from the man, gesturing towards the transmit tower in the distance. It was barely even visible under the blanket of heavy rain. "Shouldn't we continue moving?"
Ironwood approved with her suggestion with all the military politeness of a nonverbal response, nodding gruffly and stepping in tow in order to follow her footsteps in a sedate pace. It was distinctly uncomfortable to be leading a military general in such a manner, so she allowed the man to gain the lead once more.
Part of her was beginning to understand why Kirakishou was interested in this man. His behaviour was odd. Formal at times as if following a strict decorum, yet there lay a nervousness underneath the cold exterior. In no way had Ruby been expecting her rude behaviour to go without reprimand, yet the Atlesian man hadn't said a word.
Which meant that he wanted something from her. Nobody was this kind unless they wanted something.
"...You knew my mom, didn't you?"
"Correct." General Ironwood affirmed with a nod, never taking his eyes off the road even as his voice gained a noticeably distant tone. "She was... a renowned fighter and a highly skilled investigator. Possibly one of the most powerful huntresses to journey the earth of Remnant. That is all that most would remember of Summer Rose." He trailed off for a brief moment, before chuckling and shaking his head. "Not many would bother to remember that she would come up with the worst jokes and somehow always managed to find herself in the most bizarre situations. How Tai could handle her and her antics for more then ten seconds, I'll never know. But there was no denying that she was special."
"You sound like you knew her very well." Ruby observed, a slight tremor in her voice as she tried not to choke up at the mention of her mother.
"Indeed I did. Her passing effected a great many events. She was remarkably close with many powerful individuals during her time and privy to a great many secrets- including those belonging to the man who would become known as Beacon's Headmaster. Which makes Kirakishou's decision to supposedly revive her, or in the very least a duplicate containing a fragment of her memories and personality, all the more suspect."
Duplicate. There's that damnable word again. If he knows about the interrogation that I had with Ozpin about Kirakishou's powers, then he has to know that mom is real. Not some fake. Why bring that up with me? I made it pretty obvious during the talk about how much I hate it when people call mom a fake. Or is he just suspicious? Doesn't he believe me?
"… I thought you said that we weren't going to talk about Kirakishou." Ruby said, voice hard.
"No, we aren't. I do not doubt your continued association with Kirakishou following these recent developments and all that you have uncovered. I merely wished to tell you that I have been made aware of your discussion with Ozpin which led to Kirakishou's admittance to the Vytal Festival Dance."
Ruby glanced down, a thoughtful frown on her face. Of course Ozpin had shared what he had learned about Kirakishou with his fellow headmaster. It made logical sense, even if some base instinct deep inside her felt distinctly uncomfortable with the revelation.
Something about this person, this man standing beside her and speaking amicably… was distinctly odd. Unsettling, almost. It was as if she couldn't believe what she was witnessing, despite it happening right in front of her. Where almost every other person she had spoken to regarding Kirakishou had responded with an overwhelmingly emotive response, General Ironwood remained calm and collected.
Trusting, even. A man in his position, with his stature, would never be so trusting. Even if he had known her mother at some point.
Why did he have so much faith in her? Why tell her any of this? What was the point? He hadn't believed her statement about Summer Rose being real in the interview with Ozpin, after all. What was going on?
Even with her knowledge regarding interrogation and investigation being mediocre at best, originating mainly from various films and books she had seen as a kid, even Ruby knew that it was a massive no-no to reveal pretty much anything regarding a pending investigation to a close confidant of the suspect. Considering she was actively dating Kirakishou, there was no reason why General Ironwood should have believed that telling her about his knowledge of her and Ozpin's discussion was a good idea.
Because, inevitably, she'd be telling Kirakishou. Pretty much right after she was done with whatever Ironwood wanted with her, come to think of it. She wasn't going to be like Yang and just hide things in fear of hurting her feelings. No. Ruby would tell Kirakishou about everything. Because that's what real people are meant to do.
General Ironwood should know that's a possibility, considering her relationship with Kirakishou. If not assume it's a downright certainty that Kirakishou will find out... and yet he was telling her anyway. Was it a ploy to gain her trust? Or just a way of showing that he trusted her?
Why was he so calm about any of this? Why was this man, who she had never even met before until a couple days ago, able to act in a way that escaped so many others?
What did he know?
"You seem surprised." Ironwood noted, chuckling deeply. It was just loud enough to be heard over the sound of the heavy rain against their umbrellas. "It was good, what you did. Staying with her, supporting her. Any other in your position might have acted differently. But you chose to stay. That takes heart."
Ruby looked down, feeling uncharacteristically cold despite the warmth her aura was generating in excess. Her heart pounded fiercely in her chest.
"I-I don't know what to say..."
"Understandable." replied Ironwood, voice crisp and analysing. "To explain, once word of Kirakishou's ability reaches certain ears there will be… developments, of sorts. The ability to revive fallen comrades has been a simple fantasy in the past- an errant delusion locked away by grieving minds in hopes of quelling the pain. People will go to great lengths to attain such a power for themselves once they hear about it, no matter the cost."
The cold spread across her body in an instant.
"Y-You're saying that… that people might try and steal Kirakishou's power?"
Her head darted up to meet fierce ice-blue eyes. His gloved hand grasped her shoulder. It was cold. Colder that Kirakishou's hands, if such a thing was even possible. She shuddered at the expectation.
"...At this point, it is only a matter of time." Ironwood answered sympathetically. "Ozpin is a great man with a keen political eye. He can shield Kirakishou, for a limited time. But not forever. He can only prolong the inevitable. No-doubt such a mindset was what originally led to his decision to confine her to house-arrest whenever necessary."
She scoffed inwardly. Ironwood had only seen the practical benefits of Kirakishou's house arrest and hadn't seen the downsides. Confining her girlfriend to her room had ruined everything- all because people only cared about her power. Even a house arrest it did offer some mediocre form of protection, it wasn't worth it in the end. All it did was temporarily forestall a problem without fixing it at the source.
"Why are you telling me all of this?"
Ironwood retracted his hand, but their gazes did not part. His eyes were cold. Freezing, almost- much like his hand. Chilling to the point where she wanted to run away and hide. He seemed almost faintly disappointed for an instant.
It was a peculiar reaction from a peculiar man. Her doll had understood. She had seen something. Something valuable in his frozen eyes.
In order to repay her doll, she would find out what had interested her doll no matter what. After everything that Kirakishou had done for her, it was the least she could do. Then, they could finally get to fixing all of this madness one step at a time.
"Ozpin believes the best course of action is to shelter Kirakishou away and bear the brunt of the coming storm within his fortress. I believe in a more offensive approach." Ironwood countered swiftly. "There is no denying that, eventually, those that skulk in the shadows will search out the girl that can revive the dead. They will not care for the girl, only her power. Through her revival of Summer Rose, a possibility exists that such forces will also target Summer's daughter."
"...Me." Ruby squeaked, face paling rapidly. She was just beginning to recognise the scope of the matter that Ironwood was attempting to explain.
"Exactly. As a result, you will need to defend yourself. Allying with Kirakishou was a logical decision- it is better to face an adversary together than alone. Which is why I have come to speak with you tonight. The fact remains that the longer Ozpin attempts to stall and drag things out, the higher the chance that an attack is imminent. We shall need to act swiftly if you have any help of defending yourself."
Ruby swallowed, but her voice came out crystal clear. "...What do I need to do?"
Bodies. There were so many bodies.
She could see them all, splayed out on the floor like discarded garbage. Soaked rather profusely due to the current downpour. Some had clearly been injured quite recently, as the surrounding rainwater was tinged a deep red colour.
"Spread out. Check the bodies."
Ironwood's voice was firm in the midst of this sudden development. Ruby did not think she would be able to speak at the moment. Not whatsoever. Not in the face of so many wounded, staring right back at her with their glazed eyes.
How had this even happened? One moment they had been enjoying a solemn walk through the rain after exhausting their conversation, before an odd sound in the distance had drawn their mutual attention to the horror in front of them. Both trainee and General alike had moved silently, careful not to rush forward and slip in their haste to uncover what had transpired.
Their uniforms were a vibrant white hue, blatantly apparent even in the dead of night- in partial thanks to the flickering lamps illuminating the walkway. Ruby remembered her original awe at seeing the Cross Continental Transmit Tower up close and personal several weeks ago during her outing with Weiss. Now, in the middle of the night with a storm raging above them, her beautiful memory had been turned into a horrific scene.
Cold. Not breathing. No pulse.
Dead. He's dead.
There were dents in the man's armour, with several bruises and scrapes apparent on the pieces of flesh left exposed to the elements. This was not some accident, as her mind had desperately been craving. No. This man had been attacked and killed. Hunted down like an animal and slaughtered for some unknown purpose.
She pulled away, ignoring the stains on her dress from the blood pool nearby. Her aura would get rid of most of the damage, whilst a clean wash cycle would get rid of the rest. Combat uniforms were made to get rid of stains easily. As Ruby had purchased her dress from a store which catered to her type of clientele, that being hunters and huntresses, it was no surprise that her dress would be made of a similar material.
Another dead. Bruises around the neck. Was he strangled? They don't look like hands. Rope, maybe. A garrote? But isn't that made to cut?
F-F-Fabric could be alternated in dresses depending on their purpose. There wasn't a single option that stood out amongst the dress. Silken dresses, for instance, are a popular option in wealthier communities. They are both light and durable against dust strikes, especially when reinforced with a suitably strong aura. However, the material is weak to shearing tools. Anything with a sharp enough edge.
His eyes are still open. But he looks like he's sleeping.
Kevlar is another option. A heat resistant synthetic fibre typically manufactured in certain refined processing plants deep within Atlas. Highly sought after by professional huntsmen and huntresses due to its potential applications in defending against a variety of strikes. Cuts, abrasions and dust strikes are rendered ineffective against such a material, but running a sufficient quantity of aura through the material requires a strength of will only achieved through years of training.
Look at her. She can't even be mom's age when she had me... Probably just fresh out of training. Bruises on her legs and arms. But not bleeding. Cold as all the rest. The rain isn't doing them any good. If anything, it probably just killed them faster by sapping the heat. It's washing away all the evidence too. Fingerprints and stuff.
Leather is a popular choice as well. Her corset was made using that material, if the tag on the back was genuine. Boasting a resistance to abrasions and strong-force winds, Ruby had found leather to be the perfect choice when combined with her semblance. It had helped a lot when she was younger, to avoid hurting her chest whenever she was training up her semblance. Cheap, in good supply and perfect for her. But it did little else.
...What material could have saved these people, I wonder? Silk? Kevlar? Leather? Maybe a ceramic plating? Something stronger than the fibreglass plating on their body armour, in the very least. Would it have let them survive this night?
"Did you find any survivors?" the Atlesian general requested, the moment that she approached. He was currently crouched over a body positioned close to the entrance doors.
"...None."
Her voice sounded small. Smaller than she would like it to have been. The voice of a leader should be able to carry across the room. But in the wake of all this death, she was barely able to respond let along respond in a resolute tone.
"There's more inside." Ironwood's voice was firm. "...Here. You'll need this."
A pistol was tossed her way. Nimble hands held the metallic frame tightly. It was a solidly designed weapon, bearing an Atlesian stylistic design which favoured practicality over fanciful detailing. There were cuts and scrapes on the barrel. A sign of constant use. Yet it was well maintained for its age.
"...Your secondary?"
Ironwood nodded, drawing out his own hand cannon. "Always carry a spare." he intoned lowly, as if reciting an old phrase from memory. "Calling your weapon may alert the enemy, if they are still on the premises. Ozpin's rocket lockers were not designed for sweeps like this. I've issued a building-wide lockdown and signalled for backup. Until my troops arrive, we're on our own."
"Understood." Ruby nodded gravely, inspecting the magazine of her weapon. Twelve-shot mag from what she could see. Energy induction matrix tying into the barrel, implying the pistol fired voltaic charges instead of regular ammunition. Likely using a modified magazine filled with electric-natured dust to feed into the induction matrix. It would eliminate reloading, but would require a small amount of time to cool off after a firing enough times in succession.
A smart choice for a sidearm. No need to carry excess ammunition.
"There will be several key targets which are a prime position for a potential ambush." Ironwood explained, taking point in front of the entry doors. "The elevator, elevator shaft and the central communications room at the top of the tower. Follow my lead and keep an eye out. There is a significant possibility the perpetrator is still inside."
"...Got it." she kept close behind the general, trying to keep the bile down in her stomach. It had been her first sighting of a corpse. Well. Humanoid corpse. Dad had taken her out for regular hunting a bunch as a kid and shown her all the gross stuff, likely as an attempt to dissuade her from perusing the huntress career. At this point, she almost wished that she had listened.
Together, they entered the tower through the central doors. No words were exchanged during the initial breach, only a single intense look that spoke of their mutual concern. Various corpses were spewed about the entry hall, sporting injuries of differing kinds. Evidence that the intruder hadn't settled for merely attacking the outside guards.
"...No outward visible injuries that would result in death- yet death is what occurred regardless." Ironwood muttered beneath his breath, suspicious. "Whoever fought through here used the same method as outside."
Ruby frowned. It would appear that the bodies she had inspected weren't the only ones that had suffered a mysterious demise.
Finding a good vantage point, she rushed forwards toward the wall surrounding the elevator. Whilst she certainly didn't trust the Atlesian General for garnering Kirakishou's interest and speaking poorly about her mother's condition, in a potential combat scenario there were few that could compare to having a damned military general backing you up.
"...Seems clear. No audible signs of a disturbance." she heard Ironwood muttering. No doubt he was used to having a communications piece instead of relying upon a silly little girl from Patch for backup. "The electrical grid appears to be operational. Give me a moment to inspect the elevator circuit. Don't want to risk a potential sabotage."
Wait for it...Now!
Ruby darted inside the moment the elevator door opened, pushing her semblance in a quick burst to hopefully surprise any potential intruders. The young reaper felt a moment of blur as the colours around the room fades before jerking back into reality as her semblance came to a close.
An empty elevator greeted her.
Well. Technically empty. There were three bodies on the ground- one of which she was standing on top of at the moment. All three bodies had multiple cuts and bruises littering various places, yet nothing overtly fatal at first glace. Oddly enough, she could see a few specks of-
"...Glass."
Ironwood darted in right behind her, surveying the bodies with a concealed grimace of disappointment at the loss of life. The general focused on her, a brow quirked in a silent gesture for her to continue.
"There's glass on the floor, sir. I-If you know about how I got into Beacon then-"
"-You believe there is a connection between the assailant that was behind the dust robbery you interrupted and this glass? The one that was assisted by Roman Torchwick?"
Ruby nodded resolutely. "Yes. I… recognise it, somehow. There's something about this glass. It's different than normal glass. Looks strange."
"A semblance of some kind, most likely." Ironwood theorised, rubbing his chin. "Generation-type semblances are extremely rare in this day and age. They can be quite strong, but require far more aura than typical semblances. Requires a certain frame of mind not seen in today's hunters and huntresses. If this assailant is behind tonight's events, be certain to bolster your aura as much as you feasibly can. Generation-type semblances were well-known to decimate weaker aura shields in person-to-person combat."
Gulping at the idea of potentially being shredded by glass, which she hadn't realised was a significant possibility until this particular night, Ruby did as was told and attempted to bolster her aura in the way that Ironwood was suggesting. Reinforcing aura shielding was an advanced technique that required a key understanding of ones aura that had only been touched on in recent classes.
She felt a burning sensation make itself readily apparent in her left hand, particularly her ring finger, before the telltale crimson flicker of her aura manifested over her body. The glow soon faded from her body, however the phantom feeling on her finger still remained behind as a dull warmth.
What in the world…?
"...Hm. Impressive control. Even those who would become our ace operatives in Atlas had trouble compounding their aura at your age." Ironwood remarked, sounding somewhat impressed. In an instant, his own aura compounded around him and settled. A staunch pale blue colour. "Their target is likely the central communications room if their identity is to be believed. Your previous strategy in bursting forwards with your semblance will likely be a useful strategy once more. Surprise and evade. I will back you up. Once I am inside, stand back and provide covering fire."
She nodded, before awkwardly glancing down. Her heel was digging into some poor guard's chest at the moment. "Um. Before that... Can we, uh, move the bodies out? I-I just don't feel right staying here with a bunch of corpses..."
Ironwood nodded silently as her begun moving the bodies out of the elevator, shuffling them just outside the door. Thankfully, the man seemed to be more than willing to take the majority of the heavy lifting for himself.
"...Apologies." Ironwood muttered, after heaving the last body out of the elevator. "I... I am aware that this may likely be your first time encountering the dead. For the sake of preventing any more loss of life this night, I must stress that you keep yourself focused. Will you be alright?"
"Y-Yes! Uh-huh. R-Right. I can do that..." the young huntress-in-training answered weakly, although her mind was elsewhere. I might not have studied that much into aura reinforcement, but I know that it doesn't work like that. Could it be some reaction to the Rozen Maiden ring? I'll have to ask Kirakishou when I can…
Whether it be out of sheer stroke of luck or her ever-increasing social aptitude for hiding her true feelings, Ironwood did not seem to pick up on the real reason for her inner turmoil. Sure, the bodies had disgusted her but she was far more worried about the potential implications of her bond with Kirakishou potentially interfering with her aura and causing problems.
Especially if the possibility existed that the Rozen Maiden ring itself was involved. At the current time it would not even be visible to Ironwood. Who knew what would occur if she was to mention the ring directly? If past actions rang true regarding how dad had reacted to Summer's appearance, there was a significant possibility that things could get violent.
Perhaps I shouldn't have asked Kirakishou to remove the illusion on the ring before getting all the information on what it actually does, instead of only asking about what Kira had done to keep it hidden... N-No! I want this! I need to make it visible… I don't want to have to hide anymore… I'm so sick of hiding...-
The elevator chimed as it opened and Ruby reacted instantaneously, rushing forward in a burst of her semblance once again. She could feel her hands clutching Ironwood's secondary pistol in a tight grip as the wind generated by her movement rushed against her exposed skin, sending chills up her spine.
"Um. It's all clear, I think..." she announced, wincing at how pathetic her voice had sounded.
Ironwood approached cautiously, pistol held in a similar grip to her own whilst boasting several smaller changer for his likely higher calibre handgun. It had been a style originally explained to her as a weaver stance by her dad, back when he was in the early stages of training her to become a huntress before she joined a Primary Combat School and was taught formally. Before she had opted to choose a scythe as her preferred weapon of choice, pistols had been in her list of considerations and she had spent a fair portion of her time training with them.
"...There's more glass on the floor." General Ironwood remarked, carefully observing the discarded remnants around him. Huh. She hadn't even noticed all the glass in her rush to search for any potential hostiles. That could have ended poorly.
All because I wasn't focusing… I need to focus now. I can ask Kira about Rozen Maiden stuff later. I've got a job to do.
The room itself seemed remarkably pristine in comparison to the almost entirely bloodless carnage that lay below in the entry hall. None of the terminals appeared to be disturbed, nor were there any bodies on the floor. The entire room appeared to have been unguarded. Were it not for the lockdown procedures currently in place, it would have seemed almost like a normal empty communications room without any notable features. Excluding the glass over the floor.
Discarded from their semblance perhaps. They probably had it primed in case of encountering more guards.
With the lockdown currently active, all of the monitors were displaying a blocked signal- indicating that Ironwood had jammed the communications network and subsequently cut off communications to the outside world. Likely standard procedure of some sort, Ruby assumed. There were metal barricades that had slid over the glass windows. Judging by the reinforced sheen, Ruby could likely assuage them to be a steel alloy of some sort. Military grade. Nothing short of dust-charged weaponry would make a dent.
Thus ensuring that the only method of escape was either through the elevator, elevator shaft or by blasting a hole through the windows. All of which would inevitably attract attention and thus foil most infiltration missions. It was a decent enough system when coupled with their location. It could be fooled, certainly, but not without increasing the risk of attracting attention in a highly-secure area surrounded by trained soldiers.
Considering the relative silence and lack of any resistance whatsoever, it was clear that nobody else was in the vicinity besides Ironwood and herself. Which meant that the culprit had left some time ago. They had been too late. All of that effort had been for nothing.
She turned to Ironwood, angry and impatient. All she wanted was to get back to the dance and to Kirakishou. If she used her semblance, even in the rain, perhaps they would at the very least have another good few hours together before the party wound to a close.
Now, though, she needed answers. Ironwood had wanted to speak with her and it had been something important enough to attract Kirakishou's interest. Ruby would glean what she could from the man and be on her way.
"...So what did you want to-"
"Hello."
Turning around in fright, she wrenched her pistol from the confines of her grip at the sound of the unfamiliar-yet-familiar voice. From the sidelines, Ruby could easily see that Ironwood was following along and-
Uncle Qrow?
Her eyes narrowed, squashing the brief flair of joy that had fluttered in her chest at the prospect of seeing her favoured uncle. There was something wrong with him. Why was he here? Why did he sound so strange? Why was he standing straight? At this time of night, come dust or high water, she knew that her Uncle would typically be found in some down-and-out roadside bar, utterly intelligible and barely conscious from the booze flowing through his veins.
Not standing in the middle of a crime scene with a creepy smile on his face.
"-Qrow?" General Ironwood asked, more out of reflex than anything. He seemed surprised to see the man, so Ruby assumed it wasn't a part of the General's supposed reason for interrupting her date. "What are you doing here?"
"What a ridiculous question." the man scoffed, looking from side to side. "What does it look like I'm doing? Looking for the culprit, of course. Isn't that what you're doing? Why, Jimmy, you're not all that smart tonight are you? Someone messing with your head?"
She noted that, despite Ironwood's grip tightening on his pistol in apparent fury, he still lowered the weapon a considerable degree. Not entirely per se, but enough to show that he recognised Qrow's particular brand of language.
But it didn't change that something was wrong. Completely and utterly twisted. She didn't know precisely how she knew, but simply looking at the man in front of her was enough to make the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.
"...This is a crime scene, Qrow. Not some place for recognisance. We don't need your games."
"I beg to differ. Games are what keep the world moving, you know. Without them, then what are we supposed to do for fun?" the man paced back and forth, his eyes never leaving the two of them for a second. "Games are necessary. Or else the world devolves into monotony." abruptly he paused in his pacing and turned to stare at the two. His eyes were red. "And here I thought you would have realised that when Summer Rose was revived."
Ironwood's grip on his pistol tightens even further. "How could you have possibly...-"
Deep in the background, Ruby can still vaguely hear the two adults conversing, but her mind is elsewhere.
How does Qrow know about Summer Rose? Why would he bring it up now?
There are only a few people that know about her.
Dad, of course. It's certainly possible that he would be able to tell Qrow. She's never been able to personally get a hold of him, but dad never had troubles inviting Qrow to birthday parties whenever the time came around for her and Yang.
Ozpin and Ironwood knew, of course. Ozpin had kept Summer Rose confined for several days following her revival and subsequent assault on the White Fang that were stealing dust on the docks. But what connection did either of them have with Qrow? Ironwood sounded if he knew Qrow personally.
Mom herself is also an option. Though from what I understand she went straight home to see dad after she was released. Could it have been possible that dad was able to send Qrow a message about Summer to get him to come back?
But that didn't explain why he was HERE. Acting all weird…
The only other one who knew was Kirakishou. She had revived Summer Rose in the first place, as a gift to me. With her ability to travel through the N-Field, could she have reached out and approached Qrow to tell him? No…. Why would she do something like that without telling me? She'd been more concerned about the adversary-
The adversary. The one that had gotten Summer Rose killed in the first place.
"Laplace-no-ma..." she whispered, a cold fury washing over her immediately.
Blazing red eyes snapped to her in an instant. They looked wrong on her Uncle's face. His had always been red, of course, but never that red.
"Ohoho? Looks like somebody knows more than what they should..."
A/N:
Laplace appears! Looks like things are finally taking a turn now! Laplace is a key figure in the Rozen Maiden side of things and his presence here is most certainly not a good thing, considering all that's happened.
Thank you all for the recent reviews. I was glad to see that readers seemed to like Kirakishou's dress from the last chapter. Laplace's arrival, like Kirakishou's dress, was an idea that I'd thought of many chapters ago. Although, originally he was to show up as per the normal time that Qrow appears as a kind of shock reveal. Having him at the top of the transmit tower was too good of an idea to pass up. Make no mistake, there's a reason that he's there however.
Please leave a review of how you all think the story's progressing. If you're curious about certain elements or want to speak about a topic, my PMs are always open. Until next time!