New Divide
It was a shabby run down motel that Winter found herself in front of a few hours later after her meeting with Ironwood. She looked at her scroll then to the building and then looked back down at her scroll. The address matched…which did not make her feel much better. Sure, Qrow didn't have a lot of money, however there were other nicer arrangements that he could have gone to in Atlas instead of…well this.
Shaking her head, she walks on to the premises. Finding the correct room, she knocks on the door and waits, "Who is it?" She hears his voice from the inside.
"It's me." Winter calls out.
She hears movement from the inside and slowly the door cracks open, then it opens wider, "Were you followed?"
"Excuse me?"
"Followed. Stalked. Hunted. Tailed. Take your pick, I am using them in the same meaning."
Winter narrowed her gaze at him and crossed her arms, "No I was not subjected to any of those things. Are you going to let me in?"
Qrow stepped out further and looked around. He ignored Winter's huff of annoyance and observed their surroundings. Sensing nothing out of the ordinary, he motioned her in, "After you, you're majesty." Rolling her eyes, she stepped into the room and Qrow followed after her and closed the door, locking it behind him.
The saying is true, she thought as she looked around, you really do get what you pay for. The room wasn't big by any means. It had a twin size bed, a small desk that had a small TV sitting on it. It had an extra small mini frig, and she saw the bathroom barely had room for the toilet and shower, "Qrow please tell me you had a reason for choosing this motel."
"Don't like my taste in vacation destinations?" He asked sarcastically, motioning her to sit on the bed while he pulled the chair up from the desk.
Winter hesitated for a brief moment before sitting, "I know you don't make a lot, but surely you could have stayed somewhere more…" She takes a moment to look around in distaste, "civilized."
"Is that an offer to stay with you? Why Ice Queen you do care." Qrow said smiling. Seeing her unamused look, he sighed, "Alright calm down. Yes there was a reason for this, I figured it would give us some extra privacy since it is so rundown and uninviting."
"Or it just invites just the right crowds of people that would want to come to a 'rundown' and 'uninviting' establishment to talk about clandestine information and espionage." Winter countered. It was meant to be said sarcastically, but there was a definite weight of truth behind her words, and in a more hushed tone, she says, "Really Qrow, the office would have been better to have this conversation."
Qrow shook his head, "No it wouldn't have. I have no trust in the military right now except for you and Ji…General Ironwood. Speaking of which, did you talk to him?"
Winter sighed and pulled out three envelopes from the inside pocket of her jacket, "Here one is for Ms. Rose, the other is a personal note for you from General Ironwood, and the other is to be delivered to my sister." Qrow took them and gave her a grateful nod, "Do not thank me just yet. I am only doing this so I know what my sister is getting involved with."
"Oh sure, not because you aren't the least bit curious yourself." He scoffed lightly. Winter had nothing to say to that, since she was curious, "Alright Ice Queen; what I am about to tell you is strictly confidential; as in my niece told her father and myself in confidence that it would not be repeated." She saw him now look visibly uncomfortable, "However you also make a point in which that you deserve to know what is happening since it does involve your sister, meaning I hope you would treat me with the respect I am giving you in breaking my word to my niece."
Winter kept face neutral as she was giving him her full attention. She sensed it was something major that he was about to tell her. She had been brought in to the inner circle that Ironwood, Qrow, and the others were involved. Surely it couldn't be anything that major could it? Seeing that he was pulling out his flask, she said, "I really do not want a drink, I'd just like you to get to the point."
"Oh no, no disrespect intended, I wasn't going to offer you any." Well that's new, she thought, "It's been like what? Eight hours now since I saw you?"
The specialist looked at her scroll and mentally counted the hours, "Roughly, why do you ask?"
"I've been sober for eight hours. I haven't had a chance to refill this." He swirled it and she didn't hear any liquid inside, now what parallel universe did I enter, "So what I am going to reveal, I am not drunk. I will do a breath analyzer if you'd like."
"Damn it Qrow! Just spit it out already!"
"You did the dossier on Ruby. Did you come across the incident with the Ursa while she was at Beacon?" Qrow asked leaning forward getting to the point that requested (rather demanded) of him.
Winter crossed her legs and arms cocking an eyebrow, "Yes I did."
Qrow closed his eyes and sighed through his nose, praying in silent forgiveness, "Well when Ruby woke up…she hasn't been the same."
"So I gathered from the reports I've managed to get. So what is the point?"
"The Ruby that went out with her class that day didn't come back. Instead a different Ruby emerged. A Ruby that…well," Ruby forgive me please, "is from ten years into the future."
Winter blinked once, then twice. The only crack in her expressionless mask was a slight raised eyebrow, "Excuse me? Time Travel? That is what you are going with?"
"It's the truth. She is from the future where we fail in our mission." Qrow said as the elder Schnee got up from the bed and stormed towards the door.
Qrow quickly stood up now and blocked her path, "Move willingly or I will move you." Winter commanded now, hand resting on the hilt of her saber.
"Look I am being straight with you. You asked me a question, and I am leveling with you. Hear me out."
"Please. Time Travel? Do you know how ridiculous that sounds?"
"Oh yea, because the story of the Four Maidens and magic sounds a lot more realistic." He countered back with sarcasm.
Fair point, she huffed to herself choosing to not admit that she slightly was quicker to believe a child's fable than what he was currently telling her now. Looking at his eyes, she closed her own and took a deep breath. Opening her eyes back up, she slowly backed away from him and re-took her seat on the bed. Checking the time on her scroll she said, "You have twenty minutes to tell me what you were told. If I still do not believe you, then you will not stop me from walking out that door and will not come to me for another favor again."
"I still keep the letters and you still do not tell anyone anything that I tell you."
"Fine, like anyone would believe me anyway. Your time starts now." She said glaring at him, daring him to change her mind.
-SNOOPYKID-
"Wait a minute. You stole from my wardrobe-"
"Please you haven't worn these pants in forever."
"Not the point. You stole from my closet-"
"Yang that is so far from the point."
"Shut up. It's my closet."
It was like watching a mini tennis match as they looked between the sisters. Ruby had made a hasty explanation on how she had left Vale, gotten Team SSSN out of a prison, and disobeying an order to leave the airspace.
Ruby shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose, "You would be more upset with the fact that I took a pair of pants from your closet and not the fake ID to get into Junior's club, or the jail break, or never mind the fact that I had your…mother…hold you all hostage."
"No I am still mad about, we all are." This the group nodded to the blonde's correction, "However you invaded-"
"Enough. With. The. Closet." Blake enunciated, "No buts!" She added seeing that Yang was about to open her mouth. Then looking to Ruby, she asked, "You mentioned that Sun's team owed you for their rescue and you made them jump out of the plane. Why?"
"More accurately…" Weiss cut in now before Ruby could have a chance to answer Blake's question, "when the hell did you learn how to pilot a plane?"
"A plane is just like a large weapon of sorts…it's not that hard if you understand the mechanics. Besides video games do somewhat come in handy." It really didn't answer her question, and Ruby was given an expression that said as much from the group who crossed their arms. Even if she was being slightly honest with the answer; Maria had taught her well, it was skill taught out of necessity one that she quickly had managed to grasp.
However the much larger answer was going to cause a lot of problems. Oh boy, how is Blake going to take this? Ruby thought to herself while internally gulping, "To answer Blake's question," the group waited patiently, "I have them going on a mission. An important mission…in…Menagerie?" It came out as a question.
Five.
Four.
Three.
Two.
One.
Zero-
"WHAT?! ARE YOU INSANE?!"
"Scary kitty." Yang got out as she gripped on to Weiss's arm as Blake was sitting next to her, the normally quiet and reserved faunus now emitting a dark aura glaring across the fire at the red cloaked leader.
"Get off of me." Weiss ordered firmly shaking the blonde off of her, however giving Blake a wary look.
The others backed away slowly towards the other side of the fire, away from Ruby as Blake stalked towards her, "Ok hold on-"
"Why are they in Menagerie?" Blake nearly snarled out.
Ruby bit her lip and stole glances at the others. She did not know how much Blake had told them about her home life aside from the fact that she had been part of the White Fang; not who had originally once led the former peaceful organization. Well, she considered, no time like the present or past in my case, "I had gotten intel that Adam Taurus is trying to take out Sienna Khan." Blake's eyes widen at this information and she slowly sits back down, not taking her eyes off of Ruby, "If he succeeds, he will be-"
"The high leader of the White Fang." Blake breathed out. Then shaking her head she asks, "How did you get that information?"
"It doesn't matter. What matters more is that we cannot allow that to happen. In fact I sent SSSN to Menagerie in hopes of getting the faunus there to rise up against the White Fang and join our fight in Haven."
"Just how do you plan for that to happen?" Jaune asked, "And why do we need the faunus at Haven to begin with?"
Ruby placed her bowl aside. After they had gotten away from the blast zone of her plane, they had made camp and prepared dinner. That was when Ruby had started her tale, "Well to answer the second question, my intel also stated that the White Fang was going to strike again at Haven. To answer the first question…" She looked right at Blake, giving her a meaningful apologetic expression.
Blake just looked at her not fully understanding, "What?" Nora asked, "Why are you looking at her like that?"
Ruby watched as the cat faunus realized why she was apologizing, "No." Blake breathed out.
"I'm-"'
"YOU ARE GETTING MY PARENTS INVOLVED NOW?!"
"Wow second time she has shouted like that." Nora commented lightly to Ren, "That's a record!"
"I'm not entirely sure that is a good thing." Ren said. Jaune and Pyrrha nodded in agreement at his statement and wisely kept quiet.
Weiss stood up now and glared between Blake and her partner as Yang also flanked Blake's side, "Ok let's all calm down and talk about this rationally."
Blake shook her head, "No I've tried to defend her and now-"
"Defend me? Why-?"
"Don't you get how much you are hurting us? There is more than you are telling us and we have not pushed. Do you have any idea how much you've been hurting Yang?!" Blake demanded.
Ruby looked at Yang and the elder sister raised her hands, "Hold on a moment, do not get me involved in this yet. You and I will have our time."
Ruby rolled her eyes briefly, "Look I am sorry but this was the-"
"I have not spoken to them since they left the White Fang." Blake clenched her fists at her sides, "As far as they are concerned I am still with them. I had said many terrible things to them. Why?" Ruby did not need a clarification of the question, but she had gotten one anyway, "Why send them when you should have sent me?"
"Ok wait and hold on a moment." Pyrrha said motioning to Ruby to not answer right away. She then looked at Blake, "What do your parents have to do with this exactly?" Giving Blake an apologetic look, she adds, "I'm sorry if this is really intrusive but it's just so we can all keep up here."
Blake sighs and says, "My parents are Ghira and Kali Belladonna…my father was the high leader of the White Fang before he named Sienna Khan his successor once he decided to become the…" oh here we go, she thought dreading revealing this part of her family's history, "chieftain of Menagerie."
There is a pause as this sinks in for the group, "YOU'RE A PRINCESS?!" Nora and Yang both shouted in shock having heard this.
"Why the hell can't we come from a royal family?!" Yang demands looking at her sister.
"I am not a freaking princess!" Blake yells.
She is ignored however, "Yang, Raven is a tribal leader of bandits. That is like royalty in a sense." Ruby stated in a deadpanned tone that could rival Weiss in every aspect.
"No! That does not count!" Yang stated, "Weiss is an heiress, Blake is princess-"
"Not a princess!" "Not the same as royalty!" Called the black and white pair at the same time.
Yang continued as if nothing was said by their respective partners, "Why do we have to be the peasants?"
"So do you have any secret linages?" Nora asked Ren, Jaune, and Pyrrha as Team RWBY started to debate a bit amongst themselves about this new revelation.
Jaune shook his head, "Nope just come from a family with seven sisters and a great-great-great grandfather who fought in the Great War."
"You've know me since we were kids." Ren said smiling lightly.
"I come from a modest background honestly." Pyrrha said looking over at their sister team who was in a heavy debate, "Nothing to really brag about."
Nora nodded, "So going back to the whole Menagerie thing…" She called out lightly as team RWBY halted their heated debate to give her their attention, "wouldn't your little mission have a more successful outcome if Blake had actually gone? Since well they are her family?"
Blake motioned Ruby to answer, "Well you all were here and I was there. Downed communication remember?" Ruby said as she pulled out her scroll and waved it in front of them, "Besides Sun can be very charismatic, and I wrote a note trying to explain everything."
"Great so while we were here battling the wilds of Mistral and just got done with a Nuckelavee; you figured that you would just have a random team talk to my parents. Yea great plan." Blake said sarcastically, '"What pray tell was in that note of yours anyway?"
"Well it was just information regarding-wait what?!" Ruby demanded now, her own astonishment coming in as she heard the last part of Blake's sarcasm, "You guys fought the Nuckelavee?!"
"Yea! It was fantastic. Ren was out of control." Nora exclaimed.
"Yea I apologize for that. I lost my temper." Ren commented.
"I think she meant that as a compliment." Jaune said placing a hand on his friend's shoulder as a sign he had nothing to apologize for.
Nora nodded enthusiastically, "Oh well thank you." He said rubbing the back of his head.
"You were really a bad ass." Yang said arms crossed, "You gave me a run for my lien. I was impressed." They all nodded in agreement, giving their friend a small smile.
"Focus!" Ruby demanded now giving them a stern look, in which she was returned with their frowns, "You passed through Kuroyuri already?"
"Yes." Weiss answered, "That is where we fought that creature. Why do you ask?" She asked in turn not liking the way Ruby paled at this information.
Ruby got up now and started pacing in front of the fire, eyes darting into each part of the forest surrounding them, her hand twitching to reach Crescent Rose that was strapped to her back under her cloak. The movements made them twitch for their own weapons, ready for some sort of incoming attack that only Ruby could sense. Ruby stopped for a moment and looked at them, her glare making the hairs on their necks stand up, the scars adding to her intimating look, "Before you went to Kuroyuri, did you run into a man-" the way she spat out 'man' made Yang remind her of when Ruby would mention Raven as her mother, "named Tyrian Callows?"
They looked at one another, trying to think over the weeks after they left Raven's camp and all the towns they had come across the way, "Can't say we did." Pyrrha said slowly looking at her teammates, "Why?"
"You mean to tell me, you didn't come across a psychotic scorpion faunus?" Ruby asked slowly.
"No, Ruby why are you asking us this?" Yang asked slowly, "What's got you spooked?"
This wasn't right and yet she was oddly relieved. She hadn't been with Jaune, Nora, and Ren this time. Qrow wasn't here with them either. In fact she hadn't even been on the continent for very long, so there was no reason for Salem to send him out to hunt her. Maybe she dodged a bullet, maybe this was something she changed.
As soon as this thought crossed her mind, it vanished. There was no way she was this lucky. In fact how had she been so careless? She started to scan the forested area. Something did not feel right and now she drew Crescent Rose forward in sniper mode, "Ruby?" Jaune questioned as they stood up, weapons drawn.
Ruby held up her hand, motioning them for quiet. She took a deep breath and expanded her already limited aura out a bit further into the forest to try and sense anything threatening. It was then that she felt it and aimed Crescent Rose towards the north side of the forest and fired, making the group jump up, "What the hell?!" Yang exclaimed as she engaged Ember Celica.
"Come out Tyrian! I know you are there!" Ruby shouted, lowering her weapon slightly as she called out into the forest.
It was silent for a moment when they suddenly heard crunching of leaves like someone running and maniacal laughter. Ruby crouched low, getting ready for an incoming attack. They look to her and follow suit. It was still and quiet all of a sudden. The hairs on their necks standing. Then out of seeming nowhere, a man jumps out from the high tree branches and starts to engage them in combat, weapons drawn and starts to attack Ruby. Ruby growls as Crescent Rose meets his claw blades. She pushes back against him and they break apart before she lunges towards him once more.
Tyrian uses his blades to block the scythe and kicks Ruby backward. She easily remains upright and they clash again. Tyrian manages to land a strike on Ruby's right arm, causing her to cry out at the pain and him to laugh. She's doesn't break stride however. Letting out a furious battle cry, she leaps back to take a swing at him with her scythe. He dodges and then lands a moving blow against the body of Crescent Rose, causing a red shimmer to cross her Aura in the area of the strike.
Yang lets out growl of her own and starts to fire Ember Celica at him with Blake offering support with Gambol Shroud. Tyrian dodges and takes a swing at them with his blades. Yang brings up Ember Celica to block him, just as Blake is able to switch her weapon from a gun to katana, but a large black glyph appears between the yellow and black duo. They look briefly at Weiss as she redirects the glyph, sending him flying away from the group.
Tyrian smirks as he uses his momentum to flip around and plants his feet on the tree trunk and pushes off. Ren intervenes, StormFlower clashing with Tyrian's claw blades. Ren attempts to both kick and shoot Tyrian, but he dodges. The two have a couple more attack and parries until Tyrian kicks Ren several feet away.
Ruby shakes her head as she looks at the scene before her. Her furious gaze meets Tyrian. The scorpion faunus smirks at her and he turns to go after Ruby again, who rushed forward with Crescent Rose to meet him once more. Jaune steps in at that moment and Tyrian climbs onto his shield and grins at him. Nora rushes in with Magnhild, but Tyrian just leaps from Jaune's shield to her hammer and up to a tree branch. Pyrrha is about to lunge forward to go after him, however he uses the moment's hesitation to drop from the branch in a front flip, landing in front of them, "Well that was a thing." He purrs out standing up right, hands behind his back, posture straight as he looks at his target, "How did you know I was in the area?"
The group looks at Ruby as if asking the same thing, "Lucky guess." Ruby snarled out, eyes narrowed in a glare.
"Who are you?" Ren asked slowly.
Tyrian chuckled, "Who I am matters not to anyone of you." He does a grand motion to the group before resting a gaze on Jaune, "You do interest me somewhat, but no…not at the moment." He then looks at Ruby, "I am only here for you."
WBY and JNPR turn to look at Ruby. For her part, Ruby glares at him in defiance, something boiling deeply in her. Something that she hadn't felt in a long time. She remembers everything this worthless and disgraceful faunus had done and if she had any say in it, he will never get the chance to do, "What do you want with her?" Yang demands slowly not liking the look or vibe her sister was giving off to look at the crazy man in front of them.
Tyrian breaks down into laughter, "I've been watching you all for a long time now. This is too good and adorable how you all haven't the slightest clue." He then looks at Ruby, "Oh, how exciting this must be."
"If you leave now," a chill went down their spines, but Tyrian just looked at Ruby with amusement, "I will let you live instead of sending you to the pits of hell. You can live another day to tell your goddess I said I am coming for her."
Weiss placed a hand on her partner's shoulder and whispered furiously in her ear, "What the hell are you doing?" Ruby however violently shrugged the hand off as Tyrian broke down laughing.
"Oh, the rose has thorns! This is perfect! I love it!" In a much darker tone he said, "As for me being a messenger to you, that is a no go. I am going to personally deliver you to her."
Nora scoffed. She may not know exactly what was happening between the red reaper and this psycho in front of them, but she sure as hell wasn't about to let anything happen to Ruby, "Well, what if she doesn't want to go with you?"
He stares for a moment with his lips scrunched up before answering, "Well, I'll take her."
Ruby was about to take a step forward, but was blocked instantly by her sister and her team, "Like hell that is happening." Yang growled.
"We're not going to let you do that." Jaune said in just as low as a tone.
Tyrian closes his eyes and inhales through his teeth. His eyes slowly open, and he happily growls a single word with a dark grin, "Good."
Tyrian moved fast, attacking Jaune from behind, "Jaune!" Pyrrha called out. Jaune quickly looked to her and saw that she, Ren, Yang, and Blake were aiming to shoot his shield. He lifts it as their bullets ricocheted and hit Tyrian.
Tyrian covers his eyes with his arm and then cartwheels onto Jaune's shield, using his claw blades to spin in the air against it. Ruby steps in to face Tyrian on his descent, but he just kicks her to the side. She regains her ground by using Crescent Rose to steady herself. Jaune takes a swing with his sword at Tyrian, but he simply dodges and kicks him away as well. Pyrrha and Weiss lunge forward both of Tyrian's clawed blades meeting Miló and Myrtenaster. Weapons clashed and Yang immediately fires at Tyrian, just as Blake fires from his other side. He smirks suddenly, kicking off of the warrior and heiress. Yang and Blake immediately duck to the side as their bullets missed their target and aimed at each other.
His next move is to run toward Nora. Ruby sees this and her heart pounds as she recalls from her memory of what she had done before. She takes careful aim at Nora, as she adds lightening dust to Crescent Rose. They were not fully partners this time, but she manages to catch Nora's eye. The girl sees this and cocks her head to the side in confusion, but Ruby didn't have time to call a warning as she shoots Nora. The girl is thrown backwards when the bullet makes contact, dropping Magnhild in the process.
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" Weiss demands looking at Ruby, "He was right there!"
Tyrian doubles over laughing, "Wow! Nice shot Red! Totally brilliant!"
"Seriously what the hell?" Blake demands.
"Oh this is perfect." Jaune states smiling as Ren and Pyrrha nod as they see what the rest of them, minus Ruby, are missing. Yang notices the stares but then looks closely at Nora trying to see what they see, "Just wait a moment." Jaune says in a low tone, noticing Yang's stare.
They gather closer to Ruby. Tyrian is still laughing, but then he catches the group flanking his quarry. He sobers up slightly and continues to stare at them. From behind him, they watch as the valkyrie was now standing with a determined, satisfying grin. The lightening dust had supercharged Nora and she rushes Tyrian from behind, moving over his right shoulder and coming before him just in time to hit him with Magnhild. The blast from the contact has the group covering their eyes from the backwash of dust and air, Jaune and Pyrrha took cover behind their shields.
The air clears to reveal a perfectly fine Tyrian in a crouch, using his now unveiled scorpion tail to block Magnhild. He giggles and curls his fingers at Nora, "Surprise." He kicks Nora twice in the face before leaping backwards and upward onto another branch, leaving his coat behind.
"He's... a Faunus." Blake states in surprise just as the rest of them, minus Ruby, stare in shock.
"Uh yea. I clarified my question in the beginning of this remember?" Ruby stated flatly.
"It's been a long day. Cut us a break." Jaune said coming out from behind his shield.
"Just do not get in the way of his tail." Ruby said, "It does have venom."
"Couldn't have mentioned this before sis?" Yang asked.
Ruby looked at her and said, "It's been a day Yang. I was shot out of the sky remember?"
"We fought a terrifying Grimm creature." Weiss cut in.
"Ok that is enough. It's been a day for us all. What's the plan?" Pyrrha asked breaking up what would be another fight that they didn't need.
"The plan?" They looked up at the scorpion faunus as he called down to them, "The plan is that I am taking little red here." Ruby readies herself as Tyrian leaps at her.
She tries to block with Crescent Rose, but he uses his tail to knock Crescent Rose down. Ruby doesn't lose her grip on it. The two both attack each other and miss until Tyrian kicks Ruby backwards again. This time sending her flying deep into the forest. Blake rushes forward and tries to distract him with her shadow clones. He growls in frustration and lunges, but then is met by Yang's fist.
He is thrown backwards, but once more changes direction and attacks Ren with his tail. He kicks him away and goes after Jaune. Jaune and Pyrrha stand side by side, trying to fend off the long tail with their shields. With a final push he jumps away from them, and the two collide into each other.
Weiss steps forward and aims rounds of ice dust, trying to freeze him into place. Tyrian is quick on his feet and tries to aim hits at the heiress with his tail. She uses her glyphs as quickly as she could to block his attack. However just as she told Ruby, they had been in a battle previously. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees that they are all at their limit. It was getting harder to summon the glyphs…and what's worse? She could tell that this psycho knows it too.
"Someone is getting tired?" He taunts her, "Too bad I'm not. I may be here for your friend, but now that I realize are a Schnee…" Her eyes widen, "I suppose I can do the White Fang a small favor and end you."
He chuckles darkly as his words caught her off guard. In quick succession, he delivers a right hook to her face and a left blow to her torso, causing blue shimmers on her aura on her head and chest respectively. He turns and swings his tail to knock her back into the air. She flies back several feet and he rushes forward to meet her before she lands. While Weiss was still midair, he kicks her right in the abdomen, causing a large blue shimmer over her abdomen and hips.
Ruby appears out of the thicket. Her aura was low, as she knew her teams' auras were as well. She needed a plan and fast. There was no way they would run and leave her to deal with him; but they needed to do something and fast. It was then she heard, "Weiss!" Ruby's attention snapped to her partner just as Tyrian approaches the heiress on the ground and stinger raised. Her blood freezes as she sees that his eyes turn a dark purple. Ruby lets out a feral growl and forces herself forward in a swirl of petals.
Laughing, Tyrian is about to strike with his scorpion tail when a flash of red appears and a metallic noise rings out as the stinger hits against Crescent Rose, "Ruby." Weiss gasps out, but there was something wrong.
Tyrian senses it too as he pulls his tail back. The group comes closer to them, "Enough." Ruby growls out dangerously.
"Are you growing tired of our game?" Tyrian taunts
"I gave you a chance. Now I am giving you one more. Leave." Ruby orders looking at her team, her back still to him. Her mind was racing. Weiss was almost stung. Her partner, her best friend was almost killed. Her heart was pounding, blood pulsing rapidly through her body. Her team was giving her a look, one that asked what she was doing.
Tyrian chortled, "And I'm afraid that is not possible. As you know, my assignment from Her Grace was to retrieve you. So, that is what I must do. One does not upset the Queen."
"The Queen can go fuck herself." Ruby snarls low.
"You dare-"
"I dare because I won't stand by and watch anyone else get hurt! NOT AGAIN!" Ruby yelled facing him now, "You want me?! Then you attack me! They are not involved."
"The hell are you doing?!" Yang demands making Ruby face back at them.
Ruby looks at her, and Yang nearly freezes at the piercing silver look she was getting, "You all are at your limits."
"So are you." Blake states just as firmly.
"It's me he wants. So you all get back. Just stay back."
"No that's not-" Weiss comments darkly before being cut off.
"That was the agreement." Ruby said reminding them just as JNPR was about to comment, "You all agreed now I am ordering you to retreat. Do not interfere."
"Ruby-" Pyrrha tried this time, but Ruby stepped away from them to face her opponent.
"Sacrificing yourself to save them? How precious and noble." Tyrian commented in a baby tone. He watches as Ruby allowed Crescent Rose to shift into full scythe mode. She twirled it effortlessly before allowing it to rest and gleam against the shattered moonlight against the setting sun. The abandoned fire pit of their camp crackled. He stretched and took a deep breath, "I guess you've had enough talking?" He asks as he crouches.
Ruby said nothing, just beckoned him forward. There was a brief pause and Tyrian rushes at her. More branches gets damaged during their fight. Ruby getting a second wind as she and Tyrian engage each other. Tyrian though uses the bullet capability in the gloves of his wrist blades, "Screw this. We are not going to stand by and watch." Jaune growls out watching the two dance their lethal dance, "Let's go!"
They nod in agreement. Ren and Nora pair up and try to join in, but Tyrian easily gets them away. Yang engages him again, trying to throw punches and kicks. Tyrian reacts in kind dodging, parrying, and blocking before going on the offensive with his own kicks, punches, and using his tail. Weiss sees the opening that Yang purposefully allowed to happen, and throws up a glyph.
Tyrian lets out a gasp as he goes flying once more against the gravity and Ruby comes out from behind, slamming the blunt end of Crescent Rose into his back and he is thrown into the woods, "What part of retreat do you not get?!" Ruby yelled.
"The retreat part!" Came Yang's smartass comeback.
Tyrian runs out, eyes seemingly glowing purple, "Get the fuck out of here! Now!" Ruby yelled and started to fight Tyrian once more, trying to give her team enough time to leave.
"This isn't working." Pyrrha said coming to Jaune as the rest of them approach him.
Jaune looks around and motions to the trees that still surrounded the area, "Blake, Pyrrha can you-"
"On it!" Blake and Pyrrha commented, knowing what he was going to ask of them.
"What are you thinking?" Weiss pants rubbing her head as a headache was coming on.
"See if they can shoot him from the trees." Jaune responded.
Blake and Pyrrha were in the same area, waiting for an opening to shoot Tyrian. However, both he and Ruby were moving too fast for them to get a clear shot. Tyrian manages to uses his tail to disarm Ruby. This slows things down enough for both Blake and Pyrrha to repeatedly shoot at him from the branches, but Tyrian just deflects each with his tail, "You are going to have to do better than that!" He taunted.
"Ask and you will receive." He turns at Ruby's comeback and is met with her fist to his face. Using her semblance, she lands her blows, before she finally finishes with a kick to his abdomen. With Tyrian down, Ruby retrieves her scythe. The two continue to battle, their fight taking them to the trees. Pyrrha and Blake join the others on the ground, "That's it. No more bullets." Blake said to them.
"I'm out too." Pyrrha said.
"Then we wait to for the next opening." Jaune says, "But we are not leaving her."
They listen to the clangs of metal and the bangs of Crescent Rose. Briefly they watch as Tyrian falls off a branch just as his tail wraps around her foot sending the both of them into the ground. Both of them are slow to get to their feet. Ruby flickering red and Tyrian flickering purple.
They take a few steps away from each other. Jaune briefly looks to the others, they are spent. His hand grips Crocea Mors. As the two begin to strike again, he jumps in between and deflects Tyrian's blades, "Jaune!" Ruby gasps.
He groans against the pressure, "Why do we have to keep reminding you that you are not alone in this?"
"And why can't you all just listen to me?" Ruby demanded. None the less, together they fought the faunus back; but Ruby knows that Jaune isn't able to hold up much longer.
Tyrian's eyes flash purple again. He aims his stinger at Jaune and strikes, but Ruby blocks it, "Jaune get back!" She pushes him out of the fight.
He lands hard against the tree and sinks to the ground, "Jaune!" They yell. A large branch starts to fall off the tree and aiming towards him.
Ruby is briefly distracted by their shout of surprise. She looks over at her friend. This was the distraction that Tyrian needed. He flips and sends her back with a two-footed kick just as Pyrrha grabs Jaune and they roll out of the way, "Thanks." Jaune breathed out giving her a smile.
"You're welcome." She smiles at him in gratitude and affection. This lasted only a few moments before she lets out a gasp of pain.
"PYRRHA!" Jaune yells as she takes a knee gripping her abdomen. They run over to them. She winces in pain as he holds her close, seeing the blood and black liquid coming from her wound.
Tyrian pulled his tail back as it flicks behind him in triumph, "That'll teach you all to interfere in matters that do not concern you." He chuckles as Jaune looks up at him.
The knight gently passes Pyrrha to Nora, his eyes blazing with such anger and hate. However before he could get up to lunge towards the faunus, a blur of red appears from behind the man and the next moment-
Tyrian reels back and cries out from pain. The attention is taken off of Pyrrha in that moment to look at him and then to the tail as it bounces, spurting purple liquid, to the ground where the offending stinger lays, "Ruby…" Yang breathes out as they now focus on the red reaper.
Standing, he whirls to face Ruby, infuriated, "You bitch!" Tyrian yells out, "Who the fuck do you think you are?!"
Ruby's head was bowed, her grip on Crescent Rose tightened. The brief small gust of wind billowed her cloak just a bit with the shattered moonlight fully illuminating the area, "I am known as a lot of things." Her voice was now void of emotion. It was cold. Distant. Something that neither members of the team thought was possible for the girl to have.
Pyrrha managed to shift in Nora's arms to look at the cloaked girl as she spoke in the same haunting tone, "I am blood." Ruby paused and raised her head, "I am…Death." Her eyes snapping open, eyes glowing silver and red. The fire that managed to keep burning helping to illuminate her face, the gleam of her blade enhancing the menacing aura she was now fully allowing to consume her.
Blake and Ren sensed the aura first. The two stoic members now pale and frightened as they looked at her. This feeling was making their skin crawl as Ruby was using a tone that seemed like she was now seriously willing to take the life of her opponent in front of her.
Looking at Tyrian now, Blake saw that he clearly had come to the same conclusion. The scorpion faunus started to slowly slink away, "She'll forgive you." He says out loud to himself, "She'll forgive you. It's alright. She is a merciful Queen. She'll forgive you."
He turns to run, but they watch as Ruby dissolves into petals and then reappear in front of him. Without so much as a thought, she slams Crescent Rose once more into him, his aura shattering completely as he hit the opposite tree from where her team was, "She doesn't know the meaning of the word 'mercy'." Ruby said stalking forward, "In fact neither do I."
Tyrian fights to stand up, "You bitch. I am going to kill you now."
"You are mistaken. Those are my words." Ruby snarled out twirling her scythe before allowing it to rest at her side, looking every bit like the personified version of Death Incarnate, "Now get up so that we may end this once and for all."
"What just happened?" Pyrrha asked shakily as she gripped Jaune's hand, "What happened to Ruby?"
"She's snapped." Nora said, no trace of humor in her tone, instead adapting one of rare seriousness, "She is out for blood this time."
"She's like this because I got hurt?" Pyrrha asked shocked.
Weiss shook her head, "Not just you. I think this was escalating the moment the fight began. I may have briefly felt this…aura when Ruby had blocked Tyrian from using his stinger on me."
"Either way," Ren said his breath hitching as Tyrian got to his feet finally, "we have to snap her out of this…"
"Or?" Jaune asked sensing the word hanging in the air.
"Or we may not get Ruby back." Ren finished.
The two lunge once more. There are multiple clangs as metal meets metal. Blood red petals fall around them as Tyrian tries in vain to land a blow on the red reaper. Yang tries to keep Ruby in her sights, but even she was having trouble despite having helped the girl unlock her semblance. However it was easy to see that Ruby had no inhibitions. Her sister's moral considerations were non-existent. Even in the brief pauses they could see that Ruby's movements were becoming more pragmatic, ruthless, and vicious in nature.
Finally Tyrian slipped up. Ruby landed another blow, sending him backwards against another tree, releasing his weapons in the process. He fell to his knees and Ruby stalked forward. Yang got to her feet followed by the others, with Pyrrha leaning heavily on Jaune, "You're finished." Ruby announced, "Your pathetic miserable life is now over. This is for the crimes you have committed and the innocent souls you have tortured."
Weiss covered her mouth to hide her grasp while the others could barely make a movement. Yang felt her stomach drop at what was coming as Ruby raised her scythe, "Ruby stop!" She managed to fight her exhaustion as she ran and shielded the disgraceful man.
Ruby stopped her movements looking at her sister, "Yang. Move. Now."
"No! This isn't what we do." Then pressing the matter home, she adds, "This isn't you."
"You know nothing about me. Now move."
"No. Please Ruby, do not do this."
"DO YOU KNOW WHAT HE HAS DONE?! WHO HE WORKS FOR?!"
"So that means taking his life is justice?!"
"Do not talk to me about justice."
Yang gives Ruby a look of pity, "Ruby please. We are not a judge or jury or executioners." Ruby looks away, her scythe was still raised, "This isn't who you are."
Ruby slowly lowers her scythe, "Do you know what you are asking of me?" Her tone was emotionless.
Yang winces but sees that Ruby was waiting for a response, "Yes."
"You are asking me to spare his life."
"Yes."
Tyrian had no aura nor energy to even think of moving, he was whimpering and muttering about forgiveness and mercy. To who? No one knew. The area was mainly silent, except for the occasional crackle of the fire pit. Everyone holding their breath to see what would happen.
Ruby took a deep breath, trying to rein herself in. Her mind was going to a dark area. One where she had come to be reborn after having to steel herself from the weight and guilt of her fallen teammates. Creating a sense of justice to avenge them. She took another deep breath, trying to ground herself to the current timeline she was in where they were all alive. Looking at her sister once more, Ruby stepped passed Yang to look at the pathetic faunus on the ground, "Leave. Now."
"Wha-"
"Leave!" Ruby yelled slamming Crescent Rose into the ground causing everyone to wince at the severity of the sound and Ruby's order, "Before I change my mind."
Tyrian tried to get to his feet but was really struggling. Finally he manages and scampers away. Yang was about to make a comment to Ruby when she is cut off by the cloaked girl first, "Do not get in my way again." Looking at Pyrrha she says to Jaune, "Get her on her sleeping bag. I also need my bag and I need someone to start cleaning the wound. I also need someone to start boiling water and keeping the fire going." Yang just stood there watching as everyone moved despite the utter exhaustion and beating they just took. It chilled her to see Ruby like this; things were coming to head and she knew that she wasn't going to keep her mouth shut anymore. Blake was right earlier, enough was enough; but then again that would have to wait. She started to help Blake collect the water that Ruby asked for, while Jaune and Ren went to gather more wood for the fire.
Weiss brought Ruby her bag and then proceeded to help Nora clean Pyrrha's wound, and Ruby began to dig for her first aid kit. After this incident the first time, Ruby took care to ensure that she was educated for any type of scenario that could have arose, including getting her hands on antivenom. A medical nurse had once told her that based on the severity of the sting there was a relation to the presence of neurotoxins in the venom that can cause a sudden release of neurotransmitters from the autonomic nervous system, predominantly sympathetic.
Ruby quickly started to prepare the antivenom for Pyrrha. She recalled that Qrow had been grazed, but based on the wound Pyrrha has, she knew that there was only a limited amount of time before several of her vital functions will start to be effected, including the cardiovascular, respiratory, and neuromuscular systems. She just hoped that the warrior wouldn't have any adverse reactions to the antivenom. Without saying a word, Ruby administers the antivenom carefully while Weiss and Nora continued to dress the wound.
Ruby just watched as Pyrrha winced throughout the process and then looked at the rest of her team closely, before looking back at Pyrrha's flushed complexion. With all the dark thoughts that were swirling in her head, one was now echoing loud and clear: this was the second time that Pyrrha's life was potentially spared…will there be a third?
