The next chapter will be through Ruby's group's POV. By now, they should be on route to Vacuo. As I intend to use elements of Volume 9 onward, I'll need to wait until the part in RWBY where Vacuo is portrayed in canon is released. I assume this will occur with Oscar, Ren, Nora, and so on while the rest are in the void between worlds. Therefore, this chapter will mark a hiatus that will last several months at the very least. I hope nobody is bothered too much by such a long wait.
No matter how many monitors Grimm Ruby smashed or shoved away, Dr. Merlot always had another way to keep in touch with it. A loudspeaker, a recorder there. It was already cruel enough that the only person that broke its loneliness on a regular basis was Salem and her twisted ideologies. The last thing it needed was another demented fiend spouting more self-justifying nonsense, even if his ranting actually did help it get its bearings in this enormous laboratory. Speaking of which, it only had a faint idea of where its final destination was. Not once did it pass by a map or even a sign that reads "You are here."
After following the negativity aimlessly for what felt like hours, it ended up passing the same hallways, the same elevator, and the same Reapatorium over and over again. Since it knew how accurate its sensory usually was, it figured Dr. Merlot probably had some way to throw it off. Once it was sufficiently frustrated, it chose to actually ignore its instincts and move away from the negativity, if only to find a way out of this maze.
"And for the next stop of our grand tour," Dr. Merlot said over what should be the tenth or so piece of technology he used to communicate, "you've reached the information center. To put it simply, it's my own little library. You may be interested to know—"
An irritated grimace crept across Grimm Ruby's face. It wasn't the least bit interested. It sank its claws in the metal sliding door that separated it from this room, then pried the entire door off and tossed it behind.
"—that the door you so casually tossed aside leads to one of the few places in the laboratory completely free of your species. I'll be the first to admit the security here is rather light. I used to have much higher standards in that regard, but I've had to stretch my budget after my last laboratory went under. Since no Grimm would ever be drawn to this room, I decided to cut from this room. At least, no Grimm was drawn here until now. That begs the question…what could have drawn you here?"
Grimm Ruby rolled its eyes. Nothing drew it here. It was simply lost. And after dozens of Grimm traps, an entire chamber dedicated to testing his new Grimm, countless cameras and monitors, and a presumably formidable array of scientific equipment, security was what he chose to cut down on? It took its first step in the dark room. It saw its red eyes glow faintly across the reflective surface of the floor.
"Your enmity toward your species is apparent, as is your attempts to salvage life instead of snuffing it out. But you'll find neither Grimm nor guest here, which means there's more to you than a desire to hunt. Intriguing…"
There wasn't so much as a claw mark that marred its immediate surroundings. Though it was difficult to see ahead, it couldn't sense anything here. Not another trapped victim, not even another Grimm desperately trying to hide. It was mostly just an assortment of terminals, radios, and shelves filled with scrolls and audio logs. Some hand tools, batteries, and memory cards settled on one of the terminals, presumably for the doctor to take apart and put together certain pieces of equipment as needed. Grimm Ruby considered moving on, but just before it took its last step out of this information room, it gave one of the terminals a long stare. It was likely older than the others as so much dust coated its surface that it was visible, even with such little illumination.
"Ah!" Dr. Merlot said. "I see my findings have piqued even your curiosity. As a man that devoted much of his life to researching your species, I'm truly flattered that a being like yourself can appreciate the time and labor it takes to amass such a collection."
Grimm Ruby flipped a nearby light switch on, but kept its angry eyes on the terminal. It was interested, but not in the way he thought. It walked toward it slowly, its claws curled tightly inward like fists.
"That database contains some of my earlier findings. For instance, did you know the warehouse above predates the Great War? It was actually a place where soldiers that rebelled against the man that would one day unify the warring continents garrisoned. This used to be a whole village long ago, but it had since perished from the Grimm. I thought it would be a suitable place to continue my work, so I…spruced the place up."
An irritated growl left Grimm Ruby's lips. This man just wouldn't stop talking.
"Ironically, I had to lure your species back here by taking in guests. You see, the old grudges of war can only linger for so—"
Grimm Ruby lifted a leg up and slammed its heel down on the terminal twice. The force of the kick, along with the usual dark flames, left nothing but charred scraps of metal behind.
"What…what do you think you're—"
No matter what his justifications were, one thing was certainly clear: this knowledge was far too dangerous in the wrong hands, and perhaps even in the right hands. It needed to go. The terminals, the scrolls, the audio logs, all of it. Dr. Merlot could run his mouth all he wanted for all it cared.
"You've destroyed most of my cameras, butchered a countless number of my specimens, yet you leave my guests unscathed. And now, you're deliberately tearing apart my library? You…you really are sentient!"
A smirk crept across Grimm Ruby's face. This was the first time this demented doctor lost his composure. It was also the first time a villain openly acknowledged it as a sentient being, instead of a pawn or a monster.
"If you truly are a thinking being, then think about what you're doing! You're not merely destroying research and formulae. You're destroying the solution to the nightmares that have plagued our world since the dawn of mankind, the knowledge that can truly give purpose to famine and annihilation! Without my work…without me, this world will never be made whole! The Fall of Beacon was just a taste of the horrors to come! If the Creatures of Grimm can't be made to serve us, what hope do the remaining Academies have? And what about the future? If later generations don't learn from my work, they won't be prepared for the future, the age of advancement! Remnant will be its namesake: a forgotten shadow of what it could be, and you shall be the one to blame!"
"Oh. My. God," Grimm Ruby's mouth went agape. "How much garbage can one guy shovel? I think you might actually be worse than…"
It stopped, not wanting to let him know about Salem. The last thing Remnant needed was for him to seek her out. It's now official. This man is insane. He actually believes in what he's doing. Given how passionate he felt about his work, his rant almost sounded like one of the original Ruby's idealistic speeches. Regardless, his grandiose words went unheeded by another word or pause. In the span of mere minutes, months of Dr. Merlot's work went down in flames by the whim of a sentient creature that was just plain done with this scenario. Meanwhile, it actually reveled in the misery it caused someone. In this case, listening to Dr. Merlot's increasingly pitiful whimpers felt cathartic, considering everything he's done up to this point. It grabbed each audio log littered across the floor and snapped them in half, one by one, with all of the casual attitude of a child peeling off sticker after sticker.
"That's enough!" he exclaimed, then displayed a tranquil fury. "I may have had the foresight to back up most of my work in advance, but still…you've set me back weeks. Are you satisfied? Was your appetite for destruction sated?"
He was too pathetic to even acknowledge anymore. It wasn't entirely sure if it was because it had a chance to let off some steam or because it was completely trolling a madman. Either way, this is the first time since it was lured into the laboratory that its thoughts weren't fully concentrated on anger or fear. In fact, it was relaxed enough during its rampage through this library that its mind wander back to a conversation it had with its original self. Among the many subjects that were said that night, one in particular stood out: their shared love of weapons.
Once Ruby realized her Grimm self fashioned its scythe from other Grimm parts, she pointed out that it could also customize its scythe however it wished. Looking back now, the subject hadn't been brought up again since that night. The favorable outlook it had for scythes over all other weapons was something it inherited from the original. Having witnessed the effectiveness of a hammer striking an armored opponent compared to a scythe, however, it now realized the practicality of being able to change weapons to fit the situation. The more it thought about it, the more interesting the idea actually was. Maybe it would actually get around to putting wings on it like a Nevermore after all…
"I can see you and I will never see eye to eye," Dr. Merlot said, "and I can't simply leave you to your own devices. I wonder…how to contain you. Your strength and ferocity are certainly unmatched. None of my specimens could hope to best you, but…considering your recent actions, I wonder. Could the solution really be that simple?"
Grimm Ruby didn't care what he had in store for it. He even admitted to going cheap on security in certain parts of the laboratory. What could he possibly try now? He was practically given the chance to flee for his life while his work was being demolished. However, it couldn't help but wonder if this kind of overconfidence is like a hope spot that makes it look like everything would be okay, only to be cruelly subverted at the last moment. It was about to destroy the last terminal, but the sight of a newspaper clipping taped on it stopped its rampage cold. In particular, it was the title that grabbed its rapt attention.
Update on Bloody Massacre in Aisufurawa!
Just like that, Grimm Ruby's confidence shattered completely. It couldn't keep its own claw steady as it grabbed the clipping as gently as possible. Even then, it left a slight tear in the corner where it grabbed it.
(In our last report, the survivors of the massacre that destroyed Aisufurawa were placed into intensive therapy. Local Huntsmen claimed that the destruction of the forest village was the result of a Grimm attack, but many details contradicted this theory. The autopsies of the victims revealed wounds left by weapons and tools owned by those living in the village, suggesting the massacre was the result of infighting. When questioned by local authorities, each survivor displayed symptoms of schizophrenia. Doctors are still unable to discern the cause.
In response to the massacre, Team SAFR, a Huntsmen team that operates in Mistral, was assigned to investigate the ruins of Aisufurawa. Those that have kept themselves up-to-date with recent events would know that Team SAFR had recently returned to active service, over a year after the purge that resulted in the mass murder of nearly every other Huntsmen in Mistral predating the failed attack on Haven Academy by the White Fang. Before embarking on the mission, Arrastra Skye, leader of Team SAFR, had this to say:
"Since we don't have a complete grasp on what happened, my team and I took the time to listen to what the survivors had to say. There was a lot of jumbled muck to go through, but one thing stands out. Each one recalled this feeling of hate course through their hearts, like something was making them fight amongst themselves. If my suspicions are correct, and there's a Grimm out there that can actually influence people's minds, we'll need to take special care not to fall into its sway ourselves. Fenix already has a hot temper as it is. I can only guess what could happen if he lost control of it!"
None of the other members had anything to add. We'll keep you up to date on their status in future publications.)
"That's…" Grimm Ruby whispered in horror. "How?"
Though the idea of anyone learning what really happened was absolutely horrible, let alone a man like Dr. Merlot, a potentially hopeless problem seemed to have a solution. As much as it loathed to admit it, it was now very interested in the knowledge that may be lurking within the mad scientist's mind. If he was anything like a normal scientist, he kept anything related to this newspaper recorded in some manner. Notes, graphs, and even computer terminals, anything that could retain information.
"I…I have to know," it said. "If anyone knows how to overcome this, it's him."
It found no papers regarding the destructive influence that followed it, aside from the newspaper clipping, so it resorted to turning on the terminal itself. Booting it up was simple enough. There was a big green button with the word "Power" engraved near it. As it waited, Grimm Ruby went to sit on a nearby revolving chair only to find the chair bent inward under its body weight. With a sigh, it was cruelly reminded of the fact that its dense body was just one more thing that set it apart from a normal human. It pulled itself back up, giving an apologetic glance to the chair that was so easily crushed beneath it. Once the computer finished booting, all of its attention was focused squarely on the monitor and the password screen that stood in the way between it and the answers it sought.
"Uh…well, he is obsessed. Maybe it's something to do with the Grimm."
It gazed upon the nearby keyboard, pondering which password it would guess first. After a few seconds, its left index claw touched the "G" key and snapped the "F" and "T" keys off in the process. It looked at the monitor, noting the four asterisks on the screen. Even being as gentle as possible, it couldn't interact with a computer without snapping the delicate plastic that operated it. With an annoyed groan, it turned away from the monitor. This was yet another reminder that it wasn't human.
As unjust as this was, that was nothing compared to the thought that just occurred in Grimm Ruby's mind. It couldn't find an answer to its problem itself, and it was unlikely that anyone imprisoned here would have the mental fortitude to even turn a doorknob, let alone operate a computer. There was only one man that might have any chance of helping it control the vile influence that drove those around it insane—Dr. Merlot himself, of all people. When it was first created, it felt that it had no hope at all. Now it was under the realization that any hope it could have was behind the huge moral boundary of accepting the torture of so many innocents as a necessary sacrifice; one that no Ruby Rose, Grimm or otherwise, could justify. This was just one more sick joke in the pile of terrible comedy.
Grimm Ruby was drawn here by torment. It's only goal was to end it at the source. Even if Dr. Merlot would even think to help it after it just left most of his library in a simmering ruin, it still had to consider what it would do with the man himself. If it spared him, he would surely find a way to conduct more cruel experiments, even if it literally dragged him hundreds of miles to the nearest Kingdom to be properly jailed. That assumes, of course, that he doesn't go mad from its presence. If it killed him, however, any hope of controlling this vile influence may die with him aside from Salem herself, but that prospect was even worse. And if it didn't, there was no telling how many more people would fall into hate-filled insanity, even with its efforts to stay away from others. There was no good choice to make.
It left this specific terminal in this otherwise ravaged library intact, to keep its options open, and explored the laboratory even further. The negativity that surrounded it still lingered that whole time. Among these feelings, one stood out in particular: the frustration of losing so much progress. It was Dr. Merlot's anger, no doubt. It stuck out so much from the rest of the sorrow and fear that Grimm Ruby could actually estimate his location, two or three floors below it. Getting to him was still a problem, though. Even without proper security to oppose it, venturing through hallways it hadn't been through before still led it every which way.
"You'd need a map just to go to the bathroom," Grimm Ruby whispered to itself. Kind of makes one wonder why any faction from the Great War would build a secret base like a labyrinth…
After five or so minutes of aimless wandering, it felt a strange sorrow surround envelop its senses. It was a bit like the people imprisoned here, but there were faint traces of hunger, like from a Grimm. The way this sorrow formed came from every direction at once, which made it difficult to get a good grasp of where the source actually came from. Eventually, it wound up in a room with many giant capsules positioned across the circular wall; most of which were filled with a blue liquid. Some of them even had Creatures of Grimm trapped in some kind of stasis, presumably an effect of the blue liquid. Whatever it was, it was different from the glowing green that the Mutant Grimm displayed.
The room itself was a dead end. There was no way out aside from where it came in. At first, it considered trashing this place like the library before it left, especially the Grimm that were frozen. It looked around the room for any sign of whatever caused this sorrow, with emphasis on the capsules. It thought perhaps the close proximity of someone hiding next to a Grimm might have thrown off its senses. Though it didn't find anyone after a short, but thorough search, that sorrow pervaded its senses more and more. Whatever it was, the source was getting closer.
"Well, we've had a memorable time together," Dr. Merlot said, over what should be the eleventh or so piece of technology he used to communicate, "but all good things must come to an end. And what a memory this was…"
Whatever anger he displayed earlier was nowhere to be heard. Grimm Ruby uncoiled its scythe and stood firm in the center of the room, suspecting he must have one more trick up his sleeve. There was a terrible anticipation to this. It was almost exciting. After two Mutant Deathstalkers and a long battle in Dr. Merlot's so-called "Reapatorium," what more could he have to throw at it? When it saw a long black arm curl around one of the walls, it felt that the wait was over. It was hard to believe any Grimm would still have the nerve to face it openly by this point. Regardless, it burned with the same vicious fury it had for the rest of its kind.
Instead of what should have been just one more monster to add to its kill list, it saw a human leg shamble slowly around the wall, followed by a sickly Grimm-like leg. Grimm Ruby's fury fizzled as soon as it saw the approaching being. Aside from its arm and leg, it looked very much human. Its face was stained with tears as red as blood, while its mouth was agape, like a zombie. It seemed like an Apathy with flesh at first, but its moaning sounded more human than bestial. Its sorrow was entirely focused on being made into something it never wanted to be—something Grimm Ruby could emphasize with.
"It's…a person," Grimm Ruby's eyes widened in horror.
"This…is not exactly what I consider an accomplishment," Dr. Merlot said with uninterested annoyance. "I thought I could use the primal essence of the Grimm to enhance and embolden human flesh. All I needed was just the right amount of essence: not too little for the human antibodies to purge, but not too much to kill them outright…or so I theorized."
"You…" it said quietly. Neither a scream nor a growl could even begin to emphasize how much it has grown to despise this man. This Grimm reminded it so much of the Hound that its original self encountered before Atlas fell. It was only for a brief moment, but the twisted face of the Silver-Eyed Faunus underneath the Hound's flesh left an image that would never completely fade from her memory. No doubt, the transformation was unpleasant, because the sorrow that followed this particular Grimm was the last thing the person underneath felt before he was turned.
"Unfortunately, my efforts were fruitless. Instead of stronger, more capable beings, I ended up with shambling caricatures that can barely walk. Since tossing it away would be both wasteful and possibly draw unwanted attention, I had them sealed away."
It readied its scythe, silently apologizing to the person it failed to save. It took a couple steps forward, ready to cut it down and…
"HuUuUrTs…" the "Grimm" moaned. "L-lEgS…cAn'T fEeL…mY lEeEeGs…"
"He…" it stopped immediately. This was not like the Hound. "He's still—"
"To add insult to injury, these specimens are quite the chatterboxes," Dr. Merlot said. "No, really, they don't shut up."
Beings, them, they—meaning more than one? That became clear once it saw at least a dozen or so more of these beings coming from that same hallway. Each of them possessed that same pervasive sorrow: a feeling that was not the last thing they felt, as Grimm Ruby originally thought, but a feeling they still experienced even now. It stood with its mouth agape, claws shaking, as these Grimm-twisted people shambled toward it.
"M-mAkE…mAkE iT sToOoOp…" "H-hElP…sOmEoNe HeEeElP…" "SsOoOo…HuUuUnGrY…"
"I…" Grimm Ruby trembled.
"Why do you hesitate?" Dr. Merlot taunted. "Crush them! Tear them limb from limb. You know you can."
Killing a Grimm that was once an innocent person was one thing, but how could it even think to harm someone that was still very much aware of what it was being made to do? They weren't monsters. They never chose this.
"But…I…"
"You falter at the sight of them? How unusual. Judging from your performance against my other specimens, a fight with these failures should be like crushing ants. You see, I've come to understand that unlike other Grimm, the source of your strength doesn't necessarily come from rage, though you have it in abundance. Instead, there's a force deep within you that's not unlike what humans and Faunus possess: an 'Infernal Aura,' if you will. When your body taps into its innate strength, speed, or anger, your body exerts flames like a human exerts sweat."
"Infernal…Aura?" So there's actually a name for it?
"Curious, aren't we? But no, I'm afraid that bridge has burned. My point is that for a superior being like yourself, prevailing over these shambling failures should be a trivial matter…provided you have no qualms with harming them."
Grimm Ruby angrily shook its head. That's the one line it could never cross. It did approach the closest of the shambling people, but with its scythe tucked away. It grabbed him by the shoulders as gently as possible, claws curled inward, and looked in his bloodshot eyes.
"Listen to me! I know you're in there! Tell me how to help y—"
Grimm Ruby's plea was cut short when a set of deformed teeth bit down on its cheek. This was followed up by mangled hands and wicked claws that grabbed its skull, then its arms, back, and everywhere else. In the time it took to even try to find a way to help one miserable soul, it wound up leaving itself wide open to a cold, cruel embrace by the others. Though its predicament gave it the impression that it was the first victim of a zombie movie, the reality was a bit different. Their bites and scratches couldn't inflict very much damage. Its body was as reinforced as ever, perhaps more so from the sorrow that is, in its most literal definition, all around it. Its own safety wasn't the issue, however…
"SoOoOmEbOdY…aNyBoOoOdY…"
"Yes, I thought so," Dr. Merlot said. "Their very plea seemed to take all the fight out of you, but I can't be certain. I suppose I'll have to conduct an experiment to find out, won't I? For the sake of maintaining impartiality, I will answer one question I suspect has crossed your mind. The answer is this: you cannot save them."
"There…there has to be a way to…"
"You deny the truth, even when the evidence is in front of you? I've had to keep each one of them in stasis for weeks to conduct my experiments. Their DNA is warped beyond restoration, their skeletal structure is deformed, their muscles are now one with the Grimm essence I've bestowed upon them. Only death can take that away now. Knowing that, will you strike them down?"
It couldn't do it, not now, not ever. After the way it gave up so easily when it discovered what its presence did to others, after it considered suicide to ensure nobody else would suffer, it was the original Ruby that talked it out of such a thing. She had given it a sliver of hope, and now it was expected to snuff that out of others that were made to harm against their wishes? To do such a thing now would betray everything Ruby stood for. There had to be a better way…somehow…
"In case you were wondering," Dr. Merlot said, "I did consider one use for these specimens, despite their overall failure. After my island and my first ultimate specimen were lost, and to a team of Huntresses that weren't old enough to have graduated, no less, I knew I couldn't leave anything to chance again. I've decided I could use them as…insurance: a way to keep any self-righteous 'heroism' at bay. If I had known from the beginning that they would pacify you so utterly, I would have released them from their capsules hours ago."
"You…you coward."
"Really? Is that all? No threats, no flames, nothing?"
The very thought of flames made it think of Jaune. The way his skin burned so easily all because of a careless mistake. All because it was too quick and too close to him. It was too afraid to take that chance again. To tap into even an ounce of its strength could make these tortured souls truly know hell. It couldn't relive that guilt all over again, and so it remained bound.
"MaAaAkE iT s-S-sToOoOp…"
"To be completely honest with you," Dr. Merlot said, "I'm a bit disappointed. All that power, all that rage, and you can't bring yourself to fight back. No, that's not it. It's not that you can't. It's that you won't. These specimens are frail, bogged with human imperfections. Is it some misplaced mercy on your part? Or are you so compelled to play the role of 'protector' that you are, in fact, mentally incapable of breaking away from such falsehoods? Either way, one thing is now made clear to me."
Grimm Ruby felt something sharp pierce the back of its neck. At least, it was much sharper than the claws and teeth that still scraped at its skin. It was too small to be a knife, though.
"Nothing in all of Remnant could sway you. Not hate, not your predisposition toward violence, not even fear. And because of that, you are not the perfect creature that I believed you to be. At least, not yet. But with a little work, who knows? The Grimm are not sentient, by nature. If we assume that your sentience was somehow implanted in your mind, then perhaps it can be…taken out."
"What?" Grimm Ruby's quiet voice did little to hide its horror. Those last two words made it recall the degrading ritual the original Ruby endured—the very thing that gave it life was the result of taking her innocence, in every possible way. Just what did this madman plan to do?
"But first, I'll take my time studying you. After all the effort I put to claim you as my prize, all the fruits of my labor you've burnt to ashes, it would be a waste to simply kill you. No, I'll see with my own eyes just what makes you tick. And when I do…well, the possibilities are endless."
Something was wrong. Its body felt weak, even with the sadness that surrounded it. In mere seconds, it fell to its knee and its claws felt like weights. In its stupor, its eyes wandered upward. By chance, it happened to see a robotic arm with a syringe attached to the end sticking from the ceiling. It was no knife that pierced its neck. Dr. Merlot injected something into it, but what syringe would be sharp enough to do what teeth and claws could not? It didn't have the strength to ask, as its body soon grew numb and its head fell to the floor. Even the angry hunger that clawed from deep inside its heart grew dull from this injection.
"You still refuse to tap into your power, to make even the slightest attempt to escape, just because you'd endanger these failures by doing so? You really are a noble specimen…too noble. That's your weakness, isn't it? You force yourself to hold back even when it would cost you…everything."
Grimm Ruby tried to make a difference. It tried to make up for its mistakes, but its situation reminded it just how alone it really was. Nobody, not even its original self, could have any idea of where it is. Not now, not after it had to cut ties with everyone to protect them from this Infernal Aura. And yet, it couldn't get those twisted amalgamations of Grimm and human out of its mind. In its final lucid moments, it looked at one of them squarely in their tear-stained eyes.
"I…I'm…sorry," it closed its eyes. Any awareness it had of the world around it soon faded. Even the voices around it grew muffled and indecipherable—all save one.
"Do not think it ends here. You still have a role to play. I will see to it."