Hello everyone! How are you doing? I hope you are all great.
Without any further ado, chapter 76 is here. I hope you enjoy it!
Thanks again for reading/ following/ favoring the story. It means a lot and I really appreciate it.
See you al next week with chapter 77. Until then, be well and have fun!
March 18, 86
Yang stared behind once more, piercing lilac eyes travelling across the sunny corn-filled plains in search of any scarecrows. To her relief, there seemed to be none. Heck, she could barely see the mill anymore.
She put her hat back and turned around to the expectant gazes of her teammates. She gave them a quick thumbs up and they all returned to walking, the blonde taking her place along Weiss behind the other two.
Unlike yesterday, the weather was nice and temperate; the humidity was moderate and allowed them to enjoy walking as much as possible and that lifted their spirits quite a lot.
The tall girl's ears caught a tiny cute sound; her fiancée was humming. Yang sent her a side glance and saw a determined smile formed on her thin pretty lips. That made her own curl upwards as well.
"Enjoying the walk, are we?" she joked. "Well" Weiss blinked a couple times "what happened yesterday was mostly unbecoming of me; no matter the enemy, getting scared like this is unacceptable."
Yang giggled "so, you decided to fight fear with singing? I can so get behind that" she replied, reminiscing of the nights she spent lullabying her little sister to sleep. "Oh, trust me I know you do" the white girl shot back and then returned to humming.
Striding a few meters ahead of them, Blake and Ruby decided to ignore the conversation and focus on their path instead. "Is it me or are the corn stalks getting thicker and thicker as we move?" Ruby asked Blake.
"That they do" the faunus checked the map and looked around them for a brief second. "Which is weird; I don't know much about corn but Chief Bright said it prefers drier places."
"Maybe it's a special kind of corn?" Ruby asked again. "Does it even matter?" Weiss' asked back from behind them.
"At this point I am willing to check out everything that even comes close to being unusual" the reaper replied to her partner. "Including the growing habits of corn, if necessary" she half joked, smiling weakly.
"I wouldn't go that far, but I agree with Rubes" Yang added. "Besides, we have to-" "Hey everyone!" Blake's voice interrupted Yang, sounding from a few meters ahead where the fauns had walked to.
All three of them turned around to look at the faunus who was now kneeling in front of a mass of tangled stalks. For a moment, it seemed like they were looming over her, waiting to attack. The mere thought made Weiss shiver again and she went back to humming.
The black-haired beauty stood up, holding a small device in her arms. "Is this a scroll?" Ruby asked. "Yes" the faunus walked back towards her team "it was stuck on the ground, just behind the roots."
"I won't even comment on how you managed to notice it from here" the pale girl replied. "Can you open it?" Ruby was heard again. "I don't think so- it's coded" Blake apologized.
"Can I give it a try?" Everyone's gaze fell on Yang, staring at the blonde in various ways expressing confusion and disbelief. The cat-girl gave her partner the scroll, curious to see what would happen.
"You are not going to tell us that all of a sudden you have turned into a skilled hacker, are you?" "No, I won't baby" she replied, while fiddling with the scroll. "But…"
She grinned and turned the screen so that the others could see the device getting started. Three sets of shocked eyes stared at Yang. "How?" Was the only thing Ruby managed to ask.
"According to Lumia" the blonde's smile slightly dropped "almost half of Remnant's civilians are using a star, a triangle, a square or a cross as their unlock code. I just thought I would give it a try."
"I honestly don't know what to say…" Weiss responded. "How about 'Oh Yang, you are awesome!' That would be amazing." "Enough basking at your success; let's see if there is anything important inside."
"Yes, Ms. Killjoy" she stuck her tongue out at her partner, who rolled her eyes. Yang found the image file and opened it.
The only thing inside there was a really impressive collection of photos of different types of ore and rock. "They were really into it" Ruby said.
"Yeah; the file is as big as your 'Weapons' one" Yang skimmed through the messages, but nothing of importance came. The only thing they managed to find was that the owner of this scroll was a girl.
"Why don't you check the audio files?" Weiss asked her and the tall woman complied. Much to her surprise, there were three recorded audio messages. Her eyes narrowed as she saw their dates.
"She has recorded three messages dated after the group went missing" her tone had changed, matched by the serious expressions the others now had on their faces.
"Play them in order" Ruby commanded. There was no reason not to, so Yang opened the first message with slightly trembling hands.
There was some static for a couple seconds, but before they could even register it, a girl's voice sounded from the scroll.
"I don't understand" the vice was rasped and heavy; possibly due to the girl being scared or anxious Blake thought. "Why is the compass not working? It shows we are back in Lakkard! But this place isn't Lakkard!"
Team RWBY's members exchanged worried stares witch each other. "It isn't just the compass. Everything has stopped working since yesterday- watches, computers, radio! The only things functioning are our scrolls except they can't use GPS or connect to the net!"
"It's probably due to the hard light technology" Weiss said "whatever was affecting their systems possibly couldn't affect Dust." A sorrowful sigh was heard from the others as Yang opened the second message.
"This can't be happening!" the voice was heard after the static "I must be having a nightmare… Those things! Oh my Dust… They got Danny… Jenny's missing too… we- we are all gonna die!
Professor Crem is gone too; went off on her own to find Jenny. It's us three now and Professor Blau! He… he says he's going to keep us safe but no one believes him! I am scared… I want to go home!"
The message ended and Yang stared at the others who were looking on the ground, saddened. "Those people were not huntsmen or soldiers" Ruby said sternly "they were killed by someone luring them here."
"Someone?" Weiss asked raising an eyebrow. "Grimm don't mess with pieces of equipment, baby" Yang replied "only humans do- even in Grimmwater it was Red and Cherry's spells blocking communications."
"Open the last one Yang" Blake skipped the dialogue and cut directly to the point. The blonde nodded and pressed the button, the static once more introducing the girl's trembling voice.
"It's been more than a day. Or has it been two? I don't know- I don't want to know. The stalks seem like moving without air and the area is so thick with plants and so stale; I think I am going crazy!
Not to mention those things are after us; moving behind and haunting our every step. Every time we try to move north, they appear and hunt us down until we retreat I never knew Grimm were that smart…
We left the mill yesterday and left a message for Professor Crem and Jenny to find in case they reach it. Professor Blau says we must keep moving to Cornfield, find a place to rest and make a plan.
My name is Martina Waite. I am leaving my scroll here in case anyone finds it. Please, if you are a huntsman, save us! I don't want to die here! I want to see my family again! I- want to go home; please, I beg you!"
-o—
"I was thinking" Weiss finally said after a few silent minutes of walking towards where Blake believed Cornfield was "there is one thing in the messages that bugs me and can't seem to get out of my mind."
"And what is it?" Yang asked her, always guarding the back of the team formation. "If what Martina said was true, why didn't we find the one message they left behind?" her fiancée asked back.
"Maybe Janet found it before dying?" the blond replied nonchalantly. "I doubt she had he time to search for the message if she reached the mill in that state" Ruby replied from ahead of them.
"And if she had reached it in good shape, she wouldn't have stayed in place but moved at once to find them" Blake added, earning a nod of approval from Weiss.
"And let's not forget the effect of any non-dust dependent system malfunctioning" the ex-heiress raised her own scroll to emphasize her point, making Yang instinctively rub her metal arm, thankful for Atlas' dust-powered technology in prosthetics.
"There is, however, another thing that bugs me even more than that" Ruby commented again. "Where are the huntsmen? We have found bodies and trails of the students, but none of the rescue team- why?"
"They couldn't have been slaughtered" the tall girl commented "there would be traces around; empty cases, broken stalks, corpses, blood, torn pieces of cloth, weapons… anything. Dead people don't just…"
She stopped for a moment and stared forward, her eyes locking with a pair of bright yellow ones as Blake had thought the exact same thing with the blonde.
"No" Ruby's voice was flat and emotionless "I don't think Nyctos has to do anything with this. We would have felt its presence and would have seen traces of battle if the dead were turned into Ghouls" she added.
"How can you be so sure?" Weiss asked her, moving forward to catch up to her partner. "Call it a hunch, but I don't think that's the case" she replied, gently rubbing the red-white scars the Eldergrimm had left on her neck.
"Well, maybe they just ignored the corpses and moved to the town at once" Blake, still ahead, pointed towards a small cliff. "It sounds so unprofessional and wrong" Yang made an expression of disdain.
"It doesn't mean it's impossible though" the black-haired faunus led them up the cliff and noted in the map that Cornfield should be visible just as they reach the top.
She moved ahead, feeling the humid, cool air fill her lungs and whip her eyes. She lowered her cat ears to cover them; the antithesis to the fields' climate was impressive now that she could take a look at the-
"Wow!" the rare expression coming from Blake's mouth forced all her teammates to make haste climbing the cliff to see what made the faunus act like this.
"What the heck?" Ruby blinked a few times.
"Is this even possible?" Weiss asked, not expecting any answer.
"Are we starring in a post-apocalyptic movie or something? Yang joked.
Crone Ridge was closer than they expected; a massive slope made of gray-blackish rock, covered in large forests. Running down the slope was a wide river that poured into a large, dark blue lake- Lake Weave.
On the shores of Lake Weave, surrounded by a thick mist, was a small town- no, the dreadful ghost of what must have once been the small town of Cornfield.
Thick, dark-green overgrown vegetation covered the wooden remains of many buildings and the extended docks, reaching down to the murky waters of the lake, like a massive verdant carpet engulfing the town.
Small dark purple tinges adorned the thick mass of vines. Blake's eyes saw they were flowers, growing on top of the monstrous mass, mostly close to whatever buildings had survived the onslaught.
The buildings themselves were in such a sorry state that made Mount. Glenn seem like a field trip. Collapsed masses of wood and rock were scattered around, occasionally breaking the green monotony.
The ones still standing had walls missing, windows broken and rooftops collapsed on the ground. Dark purple flower petals could be seen burst from the open roofs and shattered panels, having replaced humans as the habitants of the place.
Even the once-paved roads hadn't survived the immense destruction, tiles and vehicles protruding through the now yellow-gray mist, slowly succumbing to the creeping mold and the swirling flower vines.
On the other side of the lake, the outlines of a large building could be barely seen through the mist; Blake checked her map and decided it should be the old power plant.
"I know that nature finds a way" Ruby commented, quoting one of her favorite movies "but this is too much! Are plants supposed to grow that fast?"
"I don't think so" Weiss answered, gazing at the monument of decay and ruin spreading in front of them. "Well, here we are" Yang decided to try breaking the tension once more "what's our plan, Rubes?"
The silver-eyed girl rubbed her cheeks while trying to formulate a plan as reasonable as possible. "We have to establish a safe zone as quickly as we can and then start searching" she finally said "but…"
"But?" "I don't think we should do our usual 'split and search' tactic. We are looking for survivors, yes, but this is a type 0 disaster zone. We only split when I decide it's absolutely necessary, is that fine?"
Feeling a shiver running down their spine as they felt a wave of humid air pass through their bodies, all three girls nodded in agreement and then team RWBY started their descent towards the ruins of Cornfield.
Weiss was the last on to advance; for a mere moment her eyes saw a small flicker of green light shine behind them. She stopped at once and stared around, mismatched cyan orbs in full alert.
"Baby? Is something the matter?" Yang asked her in concern. Blake and Ruby ceased moving and turned around to look at the pale girl. Said girl rubbed her prosthetic eye in an attempt to focus, before she replied.
"No; it's nothing. I thought I saw a green light flash from behind, but as you can see there is nothing there. My eyes must be playing tricks on me" the answer came, but her tone betrayed her uncertainty.
"As if" Ruby stomped back to her partner. "Let's take a good look here before we advance; I don't want anything spawning, moving or crawling behind us this time. Blake, come with me."
She smiled, gently tapping Weiss' shoulder as Blake passed by and the black-red duo moved up the cliff, making sure to thoroughly check the entire cliff.
Yang walked and tenderly caressed Weiss' forehead, playing with her braids, as Weiss put a couple drops in her eye. "There is nothing here" Blake's voice echoed about a few minutes.
"I told you my eyes must be playing tricks on me" the ex-heiress replied to the two girls climbing back to the couple. "I wish that was the case" Ruby replied "but I am not so sure even now."
"Let's move then" Yang commented. "Whatever that was, we can't do much if we can't sense it." "Blake; guard the rear" Ruby commanded "I will lead the way. We wasted enough time here."
Walking in a tight and careful formation, the team descended the cliff to Cornfield, blissfully unaware of the barrier they had just stumbled upon- and the green-eyed person maintaining it.
-o—
"That is mostly fascinating." Glaucous announced in satisfaction as he finished reading this morning's report. He turned around and looked at the two people accompanying him in silence.
The first one was a tall and broad-shouldered man one wouldn't easily take for a scientist despite his lab coat, named Grease Fowler. He was staring in utmost seriousness, while tying up his greasy black hair.
The other one was a short and well-built woman around 40, with neck-short cream white hair and well-shaped jaw. Her skin was pale and her eyes were large with huge black irises, giving her a menacing, void look.
She wore a combat uniform in a distinct black color and had a large rifle with a long cylindrical barrel strapped on her back. "I am glad you are satisfied, Professor" she said in an empty, monotonous voice.
"The subjects you provided me with are excellent, dear Vivian" he said "the data we obtained just from one experiment is fascinating and will certainly speed up our progress; of course I am satisfied."
"Does the test subjects' age have to do with their quality?" Fowler asked, checking the data after Azure passed them to him. "Most likely yes" the blue-haired man smirked, pointing at a diagram on his PC.
"Young individuals have an extremely malleable mind that can process and absorb information in a much faster pace, unlike our previous test subjects" he explained.
"Thus, the possibilities of them utilizing the concoction and managing to synchronize with the mind of Grimm via it are much higher" Fowler nodded in approval at his superior's quick explanation.
"Exactly; it's a pity it is so tough to acquire young subjects without issue" Azure remarked. "But thanks to dear Vivian, we now have not one, but three of them- how promising!" The woman calmly nodded.
All of a sudden, the door slammed open. Azure groaned in displeasure, seeing Cherry walk inside in a brazen manner. "Did you grow up in a cave, Ms. Itazura?" he asked, making his disapproval clear as day.
"In a remote monastery in the mountains" she nonchalantly replied "but this is not the reason I am here." Grease and Vivian stared at the young girl who had brushed away the insult as if it was a trivial matter.
"My time is precious; speak quickly." "The barrier I erected around the town just informed me of the arrival of three humans and a faunus" she announced, making the old man groan even harder.
"Could it be them?" Fowler asked his senior. "I have a hunch they are" Cherry replied. "Hunches mean nothing to us, Ms. Itazura" Azure cut her off "but the possibility is still too high to ignore."
He narrowed his eyes and turned to the cream-headed woman. "Go to the town; find out who they are. If they are no-name huntsmen, lead them here. If they are team RWBY, deal with them."
Cherry raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment. She knew Azure would either demean, insult her, or do both. Instead, she decided to satisfy her curiosity "how is she supposed to deal with them on her own?"
"I have my ways" the pitch-black eyes stared at Cherry "and Cornfield has its own too" she added, before stepping out of the room.
Cherry followed suit soon enough, after voicing her displeasure about how Azure kept her around as a guard dog. After both girls had left the room, Fowler spoke, his voice significantly lower.
"Do you think we should start thinking about plan D, Professor?" he asked. The man stood up, brushed his long blue hair and picked a small talisman out of his pocket.
It was a pendant, in colors of gold and green. It represented a King Tajitu's two heads, intertwined with their mouths open as if they were trying to devour the hapless soul who intended to stare at them.
"If Vivian doesn't return, this is what we will do. I will start backing up all files to my laptop at once. Can I trust you with the main sample, Fowler?" he asked, earning a nod from the tall man.
"As soon as you give the command, I will move it to the underground passage. What about the test subjects though?" Azure scratched his chin "what about them? I told you, I will back up all files, didn't I?"
There was no reply and the older man took it as a sign of approval as he pointed towards the door "go; and make sure Cherry doesn't even suspect what plan D is- if it comes to that, we must act at once."
Fowler smiled and nodded once more "as you desire, Professor" before he left the room, leaving his satisfied superior behind him.