A/N: Hey guys, It's Sera with a newchapter.
Though I have some announcements first.
I realized I kind skimped on Weiss and Rose totally-not-a-date-partner's-day and I feel kinda bad, so I'm gonna make up for it next chapter.
Second announcement, This chapter contains a huge scene I've been planning since the beginning and I'm sure all of you have been more or less waiting for.
Be warned, none of you are ready for this.
Please enjoy!
I don't own RWBY or RT.
Guilty Rose Chapter 14
"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck! How'd she find out about Rose!"
Yang kept staring at the message on her scroll and working on wrapping her head around all the implications of it. This left her an utterly ragged mess.
"C'mon, calm down, let's take things one at a time. I need to contact Rose and Weiss now."
She took a breath to calm herself enough to at least comply to the first part of the message. She didn't know why the White Fang would be so interested with her sister, but her mother wouldn't lie to her.
She tapped away at her contacts until she found Weiss' contact. She tapped the call button and held the device to her ear.
It rang, and every time it did the pit in Yang's stomach deepened. Unwarranted images of her sister and teammate being at the mercy of bloodthirsty faunus played in her head. She almost gagged when the next ring sounded. Then, to wipe away every concern she had, the line was picked up.
"Yang, did you need something?"
"Weiss! Thank Oum you picked up! I just got a message from my mom. You and Rose need to get back to Beacon, now."
"But our da-I mean partner's day isn't over yet. I was going to take Rose to the movie theater."
"Weiss, you two need to get back here now!"
"Yang, what is this about?"
"Would you stop asking questions and get back here already?"
Weiss made a sound like she was going to respond, but was interrupted with what sounded like the scroll being stolen from her.
"Yang, what's going on?"
Yang bristled in irritation.
"Why won't they just listen, it's like they don't know!...OH...shit."
"Sorry, I got caught up in the moment. Mom sent me a text. She said the White Fang were interested in you and that you and Weiss need to get back to Beacon. Now."
Rose breath hitching could be heard across the line.
"She knows about me?"
Yang sighed, she almost forgot Rose's pathological fear of being found out by her mother.
"I don't know. She sent another message that she wants to talk with me about you. Just get back here and we can discuss this more."
There was a long pause that was filled with muffled conversation.
"We're heading back now."
"Thank Oum."
….
"Cinder...are you sure about this? The plan was to wait for the Vytal dance."
Cinder let out a long sigh and massaged her temples. Salem forcing her to advance the plans like this. It was dangerous and outright foolhardy. It was like Salem wanted her to get caught, but that was outrageous.
"No, it's really not. But she won't get rid of me, yet. This is probably another of her cruel tests."
"I honestly feel the same Emerald...but Salem wants us to plant the virus as soon as possible. This faculty inner is the best opportunity that isn't the dance. It's less than ideal I know."
The dorm's atmosphere got heavy as the team digested everything again.
"Let's just go through the plan one last time. We need to be sure this will work."
There was a collective sigh of semi-relief from the rest of the team at Mercury's interjection. Cinder had almost forgotten that this was one of the reasons she recruited him. He was a trained hitman. He knew how to handle stupidly high-risk missions like this.
"Alright. After the CCTT staff leave for the dinner, I go in and use my semblance on the remaining security to get them to leave."
I then come in and use my semblance to make it look like there are still guards there. Just remember I can only buy you 10 minutes and I can't make my images do anything but stand there.
"That's where I come in, I'll pretend to be a guard and keep people out like the actual guard would tonight."
"And I upload the virus at the top. Any questions?"
"What if someone important comes in? Someone Merc can't just send away?"
"I'll give you guys the best warning I can, but it'll be up to you to delay them or get out."
"Alright, we'll start at eight o'clock."
"Woooo, go team."
"Shut the hell up Merc."
The order from Emerald was punctuated by thrown pillow from the resident mute.
….
Rose and Weiss finally walked into the dorm after being forced to resort to public transportation to get to the airfields. Rose was a little worried about Weiss because the heiress deemed the seats on the bus far too filthy for Rose to sit on and would not let Rose sit or stand anywhere else besides her lap. They were delayed further when they had to wait another twenty minutes for the next airship to take them up to beacon. Thus they arrived at the dorm at a little past seven-thirty.
Rose looked around the room until she finally spotted Yang sitting on her bed staring at her scroll like it was a live grenade.
"Alright Yang, we're back. Tell us what's all going on already."
The blonde jumped when Rose called out to her. Yang recovered relatively quickly, but was still breathing hard.
"Rose, don't scare me like that."
"Yang, you're just overreacting."
Yang looked at Weiss and sighed.
"I really don't know if I am or not. I called you right after I got a message from mom."
"Did you try getting a hold of her for clarification?"
Yang gave the heiress a deadpan look.
"Do you think I'd be freaking out this much IF I HAD TALKED TO HER MORE!"
Weiss recoiled at Yang's violent outburst. But then Rose stepped in front of her and glared at Yang. It wasn't very convincing as Rose was shaking, but not from anger.
"Yang, don't yell at her for asking a question."
It looked like the wind had been completely taken out of Yang's sail as she deflated.
"I'm sorry, I'm just really stressed out by all this."
"We all are. Now, just start from the beginning."
"Okay, I was just sitting in the dorm getting ready to head to the cafeteria for supper when I got a message from mom. Here it is."
Yang showed her scroll to the pair.
Yang, tell you're teammates that they need to head back to Beacon NOW. Apparently, the White Fang in Vale are really interested in your team's leader.
And that's another thing we need to talk about!
I'll call you tonight around 9. Be ready to tell me everything.
Rose read the text on the device multiple times, each time her breath became more irregular. After one more read, she looked at Yang.
"How does she know?"
Yang was taken back by the clear accusation in her sister's tone. When she didn't recover fast enough, Rose spoke again. This time her voice was a more potent mix of fear and accusation.
"Yang. How does she know."
Yang recomposed herself this time.
"I don't know."
Rose searched her sister's features, but didn't find any trace of a lie.
"Okay...if you don't know that's fine...just don't tell her anything she doesn't already know."
"What?"
Yang couldn't believe this. Rose had been making so much progress. This was a great chance to reunite her with her mother.
"You heard me."
"Why though? This could be a chance for you to meet her again."
"I don't deserve to meet her Yang. And I really don't want her to know about me."
"Why! I've met you now and know about you. And none of it has changed the fact that you are my sister and I love you. I know mom will feel the same."
"I told you I didn't want you to meet me or know about me!"
Yang's heart nearly stopped. She remembered Rose saying something along these lines after initiation, but she couldn't believe her sister would say it outright.
"I-what?"
Words were failing Yang.
"I didn't-I don't deserve you or...my mother. Not after all I've done."
Yang's jaw started working but no words came out for a while.
"Rose, your my little sister and nothing will ever change that."
Rose looked Yang in the eyes with a look that promised the next sentence out of her mouth would only hold pain.
"Ruby is dead Yang...she has been for years."
Rose spun around and marched out of the dorm with no destination in mind.
Her only plea was that the night would take her somewhere pleasant.
….
Emerald sat in the shadows on the top floor waiting for the CCTT to finish emptying out. And all according to plan, there was only one guard left. Emerald felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to find her multicolored accomplice holding up her scroll with a mirthful look on her face.
I just realized...they're complete morons! They are leaving the most valuable building in the entire kingdom with the defense of ONE guard.
"You're not wrong there Neo. But this building is right in the center of Beacon Academy, which is full of huntsmen and huntsmen-in-training."
Emerald watched as Neo's face scrunched up and she began typing up a new message.
So what you're saying is only an idiot or insane person would try this?
Emerald sucked in her lips.
"Or we're just smart enough to figure out to do this?"
Neo only responded with a deadpan look and raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, I know, I wasn't convinced either."
Both girls sighed.
"Let's get to it."
Neo gave a halfhearted thumbs up.
The two girls began creeping up on the lone guard. Once they were in range, Emerald began focusing her semblance on the guard, making him see her as the guard that was relieving him for the night.
"Oh, you're here finally."
"Yeah sorry, I got held up by the chief. You know how it is."
"Yeah, he's full of hot air. Well, see ya later."
"Bye...shmuck."
That's not nice!
Both girls looked at each other for a moment before the cracked up.
"I'm so glad you're not anything like Roman."
He's an acquired taste, I know.
Emerald chuckled a bit more before calling Mercury.
"You girls took your sweet time, did you paint your nails and talk about boys up there?"
"And here I was having such a good mood."
"Glad to help."
"Oh, shut the hell up and get into position already."
"Yeah, yeah."
"He's such a douchebag."
"Still on here honey."
"Okay then. You're such a douchebag."
Emerald tapped the end call button and made sure the call ended properly before groaning. A quick calming breath later, the green haired girl call Cinder.
"Everyone is in place?"
"Yes, Come on up."
….
"Why won't she understand?"
Rose questioned again. She couldn't really understand why her team accepted her after she told them about her past, but she also didn't think about it too much with everything that was going on. But now, with the last few being how they were she couldn't help but think about how easily they accepted her. It was like they had just ignored everything she had ever done. Blown it all off like it was something that just happens.
One does not just kill hundreds of people though.
"Why can't they understand that I'm a monster and treat me like one?"
She gripped at the vacant spot were Cin's Charm once was. Tears began making their way down her cheeks as she continued to wander around campus.
Rose remained like this until she heard the telltale sounds of heels. Heels she knew well because they always promise an encounter with Cin. Only now, the sound was getting further away. Something in her gut wasn't sitting right.
"What is Cin doing out here this time of night? I know I'm out here to get away from my sister, but she's kinda close to her team to do that."
Rose followed Cin for a minute until it was clear where they were headed.
"What are you doing at the CCT tower tonight? Everyone was told the building was closed tonight."
The faunus started to get nauseous as her mind came up with possible reasons that Cin would be heading there. Unfortunately, almost all of them weren't innocent mistakes.
Rose continued to follow Cin unnoticed all the way to the tower. When they got there, her fears were confirmed even further. The guard that was supposed to turn Cin away let her in like she was expected. It only took a moment for the faunus' keen senses to identify the guard as Mercury Black.
Rose was now starting to get short of breath.
She turned to her old infiltration knowledge from her time with the Oni and made her way to one of the tower's external fire exits. She produced a lightning dust kunai and disarmed the fire alarm on the door. She made a mental note to tell Ozpin that this fire escape would need repair.
Rose entered the building and immediately found herself looking at the stairwell. A quick inspection was all it took for her to discern that it indeed went to the top level.
"Cin's probably using the elevator, I have to get up there fast."
The faunus took a big breath, she knew this was going to be exhausting.
Rose took her stance and readied herself for extended use of her semblance.
SMACK
She leaped up the first flight of stairs and hit he back wall feet first. And then she leaped again before gravity had any affect on her.
She repeated this process of bouncing wall to wall all the way to the top of the stairwell where she found herself facing the last flight of stairs and door. She walked up ever so silently and drew her kunai again. The alarm was disarmed with practiced ease.
Upon opening the door, what she saw made her sick.
Cin was there in the control room uploading something.
"No."
It was not more than a pained squeak, but it was more than enough to get Cin's attention. The ashen haired girl spun around and summoned her bow. But once precious metal met precious metal, Gold filled with horror and silver with pain.
"Rose...i-it's not what i-it l-looks like."
"Cin. You don't have to lie to me...just tell me what you're doing."
As the words left her mouth she moved her feet to get ready to charge.
"I-I-I-"
"The truth Cin, please."
Cin looked positively panicked. Then the words started spilling out.
"I-I'm uploading a virus to the CCT network that will give me control of almost everything connected to it."
Rose glanced at the screen. It read thirty percent and was moving. It would only take a little more than two minutes to finish.
"Why?"
"The person I work for…she said I had to do this."
"No, why are you doing this?"
Cin didn't answer at first.
"Because if I don't, I won't get to see you anymore."
The two stood staring at each other for a few seconds. Then Cinder's scroll came alive. She broke eye contact to check the message. A message that only reading aloud could help her understand it.
"Ironwood and Ozpin are on their way up. ETA thirty seconds."
Rose's breathing stopped for a moment and both girls checked the screen. Cin would be caught if she waited for the upload to finish.
With so little time, Rose could only think of one option. A plan she heard a tribe member bragging about before Hannya got a hold of him.
She dashed up to Cin, snatched the scroll from its port, and pulled Cin by the collar in for a kiss.
And thus when the elevator chimed and opened, The two headmasters came out to see this seemingly intimate scene. Neither man knew quite what to make of the scene.
It wasn't until Rose feigned the need for air that she seemed to notice the two men.
"Professor Ozpin!"
Rose feigned a blush while Cin's was so much more real.
"Rose? Why-how-what are you ladies doing here? The CCT tower is closed tonight."
Ozpin obviously didn't know quite which question was the more important.
"That's why we're here...we wanted a bit of privacy."
"We can see that. How did you get past the guard though?"
Rose shuffled under the general's stare before producing her lightning dust kunai and noncommittally gestured to the open fire escape.
"I disarmed the fire alarm and we came up that way."
"That's...a very handy ability."
"It's a security risk Ozpin. we're lucky that it was two teenagers wanting to have some alone time, and not someone trying to destroy the tower or worse!"
Cinder gulped at that comment.
"So then can we go...the, um, mood is kinda ruined."
"Fine, just next time, go to the cliff or Vale like normal students for this kinda thing."
"We'll be sure to keep that in mind, professor."
Rose and Cin scurried to the elevator and hit the button for the ground floor. When the doors closed, the pair both let out sighs of relief.
"Thank you Rose...I would have been caught if you hadn't...done that."
Rose only responded by presented Cin's scroll to her without looking at her.
"Here, tell your team to go back to your dorm."
There was a short pause as Cinder sen a message to her team.
"Are you mad at me?"
"I don't know."
Rose's tone cut the conversation there. And it wasn't until the elevator chimed that one of them spoke to break the silence.
"Cin, I don't know who you work for...but you need to start asking yourself if it's worth it. Because if you continue working for them...I won't be able to protect you...And I may even be sent to...kill you."
With that said, Rose left to head back to her dorm.
A/N: And there we have it.
Plot progression and drama. Both in one chapter.
Shout out to KHARAKI TAKAN who gave me the idea for Yang to try and play the sister card again, only to have it backfire horribly.
Firecat21870 left a review about Rose not being old enough to remember Silent Blossom's kama form. I'd like for everyone to know that is correct. She never actually remembered Summer's weapon. But when she had to pick hers, the kama and knife were familiar to her.
Now for the next chapter.
It may or may not come out later than planned as classes start Monday. And I have some heavy hitting classes this semester.
That's it as far as I can remember.
I hope you enjoyed!
Please follow, fav, and review! I love hearing from you guys! I get a lot of ideas from you guys who review and PM me!