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RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth.
Chapter 21: Contractual Obligation
It was night when the girls returned to Beacon. Most of the students and staff on campus were asleep. The girls probably wouldn't be sleeping all too well that night either. After all, it's a bit of a shock to the system to learn that we are real, and knowing Famine, that their end is inevitable.
Blake grabbed a book, and lay back on her bed. Ruby didn't think she was reading it. Weiss just went into the bathroom, the sound of the shower could be heard a few seconds later. Yang just stared out the window for a bit. Eventually, she got up and walked out of the room. Ruby quietly followed. Yang led Ruby through the halls and up the stairs. They were soon on the roof. Yang walked to the edge and sat down. She just watched the moon as it made its nightly run across the sky.
Ruby sat next to her. The situation was a little confusing for her as well, but for different reasons than Yang.
"You ok?" Ruby asked.
Yang sighed. "I don't know."
"You don't know?" Ruby questioned.
"There's just so much. The woman I thought was my mom isn't really my mom. The four horsemen exist. I'm the daughter of one of them. The world is destined to end. Other worlds exist. Take your pick." Yang elaborated.
"Honestly, the existence of other worlds should be the least of your issues. It's been a speculation amongst the science community for years." Ruby stated.
"Not the point." Yang snapped.
"All right, calm down. First off, the end of the world should be common knowledge. According to dad, nothing in the mortal realm is infinite. Secondly, you now know your birth mother is alive and loves you." Ruby replied. "One up on me, my birth mom is dead and I barely remember her."
"Yeah, but my mother is War. Like the actual embodiment of war… and your dad is Death. How does that not bother you?" Yang asked, turning to Ruby. "Death and war aren't good. Neither is famine for that matter."
"You're not talking about the people, right?" Ruby asked.
"No, what they embody. But even then, how can they be good?" Yang asked. "According to Famine, their original purpose is ending worlds. They bring the apocalypse. How many worlds have they ended before Remnant? How innocent worlds have they destroyed?"
"Well… to answer your last question, none." Ruby replied.
"None? They haven't destroyed a single innocent world?" Yang asked incredulously.
"Nope." Ruby replied. "Every world they've brought the apocalypse to has always been deserving in some way or another."
"A whole world deserving of destruction?" Yang asked.
"Maybe, but who are we to judge?" Ruby asked. "Not even dad, Aunt War, Aunt Famine, or Uncle Conquest choose. But that's beside the point. I think you're approaching the four horsemen from the wrong angle."
"How so?" Yang asked.
"First off, you're approaching them from the point of view of someone who knows pretty much everything there is to know about them. You don't. I don't either." Ruby replied. "Second, you're making the assumption that they are all-powerful, all-knowing deities, which they aren't."
"Then how should I think of them? How do you see them?" Yang asked in a quiet voice.
"Not like Famine." Ruby replied. "The best and most accurate way to think of our family is to take the same or similar view as mom. The four horsemen aren't embodiments of what they bring to the apocalypse. They're the balance of reality. The balance between what their names are. Dad, Death, for instance isn't so much the embodiment of death as he is the balance between life and death. The same goes for War, she's the balance between war and peace. The same goes for Famine and Conquest."
Ruby turned to watch the moon.
"They aren't evil and neither are their aspects. Death is a natural part of life. Besides, dad isn't what kills you. If you get fatally mauled by a Grimm, then your death is caused by the Grimm, not my dad swinging his scythe at you. He merely severs your soul so that you move on." Ruby continued. "The same is for the rest of them. They don't cause what they are. War isn't the cause of wars. Famine doesn't cause famine. They have the power to, but they don't. The only times they actually actively use such power is when they are bringing the apocalypse or someone is violating the balance of their domains."
"Who told you all this?" Yang asked.
"Mom and Dr. Ozark. They've known the horsemen for many years. Ozark is a bit more cynical about it, but I believe they've got it right." Ruby replied.
"And you?" Yang asked.
"Me?" Ruby questioned.
"Yeah, you told me how your mom and some guy named Ozark view them, but what about you?" Yang asked.
Ruby paused. "They are my family. A flawed imperfect family, but still family. They aren't perfect. I could never expect them to be. I mean, look at Famine, great teacher, but not the best with mortals, on top of that she's got a split personality. Aunt War has little to no restraint. Uncle Conquest is apathetic and rather uncaring. Even my dad isn't perfect. He very zealously guards the balance of life and death, but he's scared of his own power. Flawed, but still family."
"That's one way to put it." Yang replied.
"Look, Yang, I'm not telling you to think of them like any other person, but they aren't evil. At heart, I believe they are good. What they represent is ultimately good." Ruby replied.
"How?" Yang asked. "How can what they represent be good?"
"Is life precious?" Ruby asked.
"Uh… yes?" Yang replied. "How is that relevant?"
"Because dad put it like this, life is precious because it ends. That's all death is, the end of life. Death is why life is precious. The fact that life ends gives life a value that you'd lack otherwise. Peace is the same way. War gives it value." Ruby replied. "Dad says that you never realize how valuable something is until you don't have it. Its end gives it value."
"I suppose." Yang sighed. "At least you've given me something to think about."
"At the least, don't cut your mom out." Ruby said as she stood up.
Yang didn't respond as Ruby left. She just continued to watch the moon.
Honestly, I thought Yang took the revelation about her mother rather well. While, granted, it wasn't what War was hoping for, it certainly could have been worse.
So, there's really no way to nicely transition from this to the other important event of the night… so we transition to a Valean cell containing Roman Torchwick. He was simply lying on the small cot. Waiting for time to tick by.
The opening of a portal alerted him to the new arrivals. He turned to see a nervous but happy Neo and a thoroughly unimpressed James.
"Neo, James." Roman greeted, slightly nervous.
"Backfire." James replied. "Shatterpoint, ensure we won't be disturbed."
James opened a portal next to the cell. The portal opened into the hall just outside. Neo hopped through and went to work.
"Now, Roman, I need you to tell me something." James began.
"Tell you what? Aren't you here to get me out of here?" Roman asked.
"Bold assumption. The answer is possibly, it all depends on what you tell me." James said.
"About?" Roman cautiously prodded.
"About how you came to be here." James continued. "You see, I trained you because I saw your potential. Until now, you've proven worthy of that training. But when we began, what was rule number one?"
"Never get caught." Roman said.
"Exactly. So, HOW. DID. YOU. GET. CAUGHT?" James interrogated.
"It was a simple job. We were tasked with obtaining a large amount of Dust." Roman began.
"A job I completed for you. That's not what I'm after, Roman. Don't give me rambling stories or useless platitudes. I only want to know how you got caught." James interrupted.
"It was a huntress in training." Roman answered. "She was in the Dust store when the crew I hired for help entered. She took them all out quickly. I almost got away."
"Not looking good for you Roman. I trained you to be able to deal with the huntsmen and huntresses." James said, a scowl gracing his face.
"I was taken by surprise. She couldn't have been older than sixteen. I certainly wasn't expecting a small girl to wield a scythe with such skill either." Roman replied.
"Scythe?" James questioned.
"Yeah, she had this sort of, I don't know, ghostly? Yeah, she had a ghostly scythe." Roman elaborated.
"Almost as if it would be made of aura?" James questioned.
"Sure, I guess." Roman answered.
"Describe her." James commanded.
"Like I said, small girl, probably sixteen. Dark hair with two streaks of silver, silver eyes, black and red getup." Roman described.
James chuckled. "Well, Backfire, you're in luck. It would appear that your encounter with the Reaperling was simply a case of bad luck. I shall forgive this infraction, just this once."
James snapped his fingers and a portal opened back to the warehouse.
"SHATTERPOINT!" James called.
The cell's door clicked and Neo walked in.
"Take your boy toy, and clean up the warehouse. I've business at The Acquisitions Department." James ordered.
Neo nodded, grabbed Roman and pulled him through the portal. James opened another portal, this one on the floor. It showed a top-down view of his chair at Archaeaic Acquisitions. He smiled and hopped through.
He landed in a sitting position in his chair.
"About time." An annoyed female voice groused.
"I had business to attend to Candlestick." James replied as he looked at the woman in his building.
In front of him was a woman with black hair and a red dress. Of course, I now know her as Cinder Fall. Behind her were her two lackeys. Silver haired assassin wannabe Mercury Black, and green garbed pickpocket Emerald Sustrai.
"What business would that be?" Emerald asked.
"Mine, Klepto. Not yours. I presume you're here with the other half of my payment?" James asked.
"After you hand over the Dust." Cinder countered.
"That is not what you agreed to." James stated. "According to my standard acquisitions contract, a contract you willingly signed by the way, states that you will pay half the agreed upon price prior to me undertaking the job. After which, I will acquire what you have asked for, then you will pay the second half of the agreed upon price, at which point, you receive your acquisition. Seeing as how you've only paid two hundred and fifty thousand lien, you still owe the same amount."
"We don't have your money." Mercury said.
"Then you won't get your acquisition." James responded.
"Where is it?" Cinder asked.
"Safe in a secure location." James replied.
"Is there any way I could convince you to hand it over now?" Cinder asked, leaning onto James's desk, allowing a peek down her dress.
James was not deterred.
"No. Though, I may be willing to lower the amount you owe if you could provide me information on the whereabouts of another acquisition for a different client." James replied, not looking down.
Cinder was stunned. Men didn't usually turn her down.
"Have you, perchance, seen this before?" James asked, pulling out the picture of the soul stealing Grimm glove.
Cinder's eyes narrowed slightly.
"And if we have?" She asked.
"Then I'd happily lower the agreed upon price to three hundred thousand lien. Which I believe is more than fair. After all, I acquired five hundred thousand lien worth in dust." James replied.
"Why such a discount for information?" Mercury asked.
"Well Chun-Li, this is for a client who is far more important than you could ever hope to be." James replied.
"Chun-Li?" Mercury muttered to himself.
"And if we don't have that information?' Cinder asked.
"Then I turn you around and usher you out the door." James replied. "Though, if you could provide me with it, I'd happily give you your acquisition in trade, plus a delivery to a location of your choosing."
"We can't give it to you, but I can tell you where to find it." Cinder said.
"That will do." James replied.
"It was a tool given to me by the Queen of the Grimm." Cinder answered.
"Salem?" James asked.
"You know of her?" Emerald asked.
"Know her? Look kid, I know basically everyone of wealth, power, or importance on this planet. If I haven't acquired for them, then I've acquired from them." James answered. "Now, since you've proven helpful, return tomorrow with fifty thousand, and I'll deliver your acquisition. Deal?"
"Deal." Cinder responded and the three left the building.
James just smiled and watched them leave.
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Data Log DoD-021
Hey, I'm back. Happy new year, all that crap. Shorter chapter to start this year. Hope you all had a wonderful merry Christmas, and a happy new year. Shorter chapter to start this year. It's been a rough week for me. Came down with some stomach bug a few days ago, nothing serious but it was a pain. Now, after the absolute crap shows that were the last two years, at time of writing, I figured the best way to start this year was with my favorite kind well wishing.
This year will be a great year, there is no other option.
Thank you to all who read this, your feedback and views are much appreciated. Feel free to leave ideas and recommendations for the future.
Goodbye viewer; Fare thee well.
End Log S.T.K.