Ruby was at her wits end. The tests had been disappointing, she had been forced to concede the spar due to wanting to maintain control and afterwards her sisters had done nothing but baby her. She was used to it, being the youngest of what was essentially five sisters meant that she had been through more babying than she would like to admit, she would be lying if she said she didn't sometimes take advantage of this, but it could get annoying quickly. After the incident her sisters had asked her non-stop if they would like one of them to cover her shift at the club tonight. Luckily Melanie and Miltia had the same shift so she managed to convince them that if she felt off, she would just leave, and they could keep an eye on her. It hadn't been an immediate agreement, but she had managed to win out in the end. However, she was well aware that since the start of her shift the twins were constantly looking over at her to see if she was okay. At first, she had been fine with it, but they had seemingly gotten progressively closer to her, as if worried she would flip at any moment. Little did they know they weren't helping the situation.
It wasn't until she had gone to the bathroom that for the first time that night, she felt truly alone. She had sat in the stall massaging her temples and doing breathing exercises for a solid twenty minutes, trying and failing to will the stress away. Why couldn't I have been a normal girl? Ruby had never regretted doing anything in her life, except maybe collaring Nora, but sometimes she wished that she could let loose just once. To feel the sweet release that Nora described when she went all out, to, for a moment in time, just be herself. To not feel the mounting pressure in her head as her Grimm begged and clawed for release. It would listen to her if she forced it to stop, but like a caged animal it grew hungry and frustrated with being constantly held back, she would like to get along with it, like Nora and Raijin. However, doing so would mean she would have to stop holding back and she couldn't risk it, no matter how much she wanted to.
She finished up in the stall and moved to the sinks, examining herself in the mirror. The dull music, thumping through the walls did little to calm her head and if she wasn't used to it, she may just leave. Truthfully, she almost accepted her sister's offer to take her shift; she was tired and was just about ready to throw in the towel, restraining herself taking a lot more of her remaining willpower than she would like to admit. However, she wouldn't go back on herself after making such a fuss over her sisters over-coddling her. She splashed her face with water, savouring the cool embrace the liquid offered her even if only for a moment.
After her third splash she realised the music had stopped, the mirror no longer quietly humming from the amplified base and the dull sound of the over-simplified lyrics completely absent. For a moment she dismissed it as simply the DJ changing tracks, but after the silence persisted for another minute her brow furrowed. That was odd, they shouldn't be closing down yet. She looked at her phone, she still had another four hours before the club closed, two before her shift ended. What's going on? Her thoughts were violently shaken from her head as a thundering boom shook the mirror. After she recovered, she rushed out of the bathroom to a scene she hadn't been expecting, gasping at the sight she beheld.
There stood in the middle of the dance floor was a tall blonde woman wearing form-fitting and rather revealing, brown biking leathers. She wore disarming lilac eyes and a cocky, toothy grin as she looked down on the twins who were sprawled in front of her and Junior staring dumbfounded from behind the bar. What was most eye drawing however was the hints of moving tattoo that coiled along her exposed skin, Ruby could barely make out its design from the distance between them, but it seemed to be covered in some kind of golden feathers?
The twins luckily stood up, mostly unfazed from their tumble. From the looks of things, they had been taken unaware by the blonde, their weapons not drawn, though this quickly changed. Both girls slowly circled the newcomer until they settled on either side of her, meanwhile the stranger simply watched in amusement as they worked around her. Ruby may not have seen what had been exchanged, but for the blonde to take both of her sisters unaware before they could react meant she was dangerous.
The blonde seemed to grow bored of whatever inner amusement she had been revelling in and opted to instigate by lunging at Melanie. The twins instantly swapped places allowing Miltia to block the punch that came high, aimed at her face. The red twin made to grab the blonde but had been forced off balance by the strength of the hit, instead only managing to grab her wrist, hoping it was enough she told Melanie to attack mentally. Her sister immediately did so, only to have Miltia's grip reversed and the blonde to throw the red twin at the white twin. There was a moment where Ruby anticipated a collision between the two, but she was surprised when they swapped places allowing Melanie to connect a blade kick to the blonde's shoulder. She howled in pain and retreated, allowing Miltia to regain her balance. The strange blonde held her hand over her shoulder and hissed as it came away coated in her own blood. She looked over to the twins, eyes shifting to a deep, blazing red.
"You bitch!" At the insult the air seemed to get thicker, heavier and… hotter. Before she realised the blonde assailant had burst into flames, becoming wreathed in golden flames, her hair seeming like a golden river of flame. It would have been beautiful to behold if not for the threatening gaze that had been locked onto her sisters. The girl stepped forward and Ruby gawked at the way the floor momentarily came with the girl's foot as a mixture of melted black and silver tiling and her step caused the ground to sizzle and hiss from the heat. The twins watched, enthralled entirely by the horrific majesty that was displayed by the girl before them. Their thoughts turning dark and panicked. "You're dead!" the girl held out a hand, fire pooling in the palm, before hurling the flames at the twins.
They managed to roll out of the way but weren't prepared for the small explosion from it hitting the wall behind them. They were sent sprawling forward, landing just a few meters from the blonde berserker. It was at this point Ruby snapped out of it running over to her sisters to offer what little help she could. She drew her pistol and fired at the girl's shoulder, only to watch in disbelief as the bullet melted inched from the girls face. The blonde didn't seem to care or notice instead walking slowly closer to the twins, eyes boring into Melanie. Ruby thought quickly and teleported between the girl and the twins, crouching low into a stance she knew was made sloppy by her fear.
"Look you don't wanna do this!" her voice trembled as the blonde barely hesitated walking forward, taking in the appearance of the new girl as nought but measly obstacle between her and her quarry. Ruby swallowed. "Look I'm warning you." She could feel her mark writhing and lashing out at the invisible cage of her skin, wanting nothing more than to leap to her defence, but she couldn't listen to it. If she let it go and people found out, she would be in big trouble. The blonde drew close and reared her fist back, engulfing it in molten fury as it reached her shoulder. Ruby could only quiver as she pleaded "P-please…" The fist flew forward and Ruby raised her dagger feebly and closed her eyes preparing for scorching pain of the strike. Only for it to never come, a pained grunt replacing it.
Ruby opened her eyes, and immediately regretted it. All she could make out was a black suited back with arms spread wide in a protective stance a fist emerging from the centre, sizzling and charred flesh surrounding the curled digits. Ruby looked up and struggled for breath as she witnessed Junior's pained face as he held the arm currently piercing his torso. The goliath man let out a feral roar and reared back his own fist delivering a powerful haymaker to the surprised blonde's face. She was sent flying several meters from the strength of the blow, her fire temporarily winking out as she flew. The forceful ejection of the arm from his chest caused junior to lurch forward, breathing heavy as he cradled his injured chest and spluttered up blood.
He had taken the hit for her… She had just stood there… doing nothing but waiting to die… and yet he had jumped in front of her to take the hit instead… he who had no powers… he who had already given her so much… he who had pulled her from the darkness… he who had given her a home… all because she was weak. The word resonated with her as she beheld Junior on his knees, only to stumble and his body still.
She was weak… weak.
Rip, tear, rend, flay, thresh… Destroy!
Ruby looked over to the blonde who was recovering, still nursing her jaw from Junior's punch. Her mind suddenly cleared, a high-pitched ringing drowning out all other sound in the room. A snarl plastered itself across her face… and the room exploded into black.
Qrow shuddered. It had washed over him like a crashing wave over a protruding rock along a shore. He had to grasp the side of the car he was seated in, in order to steady himself, a sudden nausea overcoming the forefront of his mind. At first, he had thought maybe it was the remnants of that morning's hangover, but after it did not subside, and in fact grew worse as they approached their destination, dashed those hopes. Bart noticed the prince's momentary weakness and nervously fidgeted at the potential cause of such a state.
The professor looked up to see the club come into view. His jaw dropped as he witnessed the swarm of club-goers run down the road, away from the establishment. The car stopped with a jerk, as to avoid hitting anyone as they filled the roads with a sea of bodies.
"What's going on?" Qrow groaned as he nursed his pounding head, his tattoo writhing and crawling across his body as he winced in mental pain. Bart looked on in worried horror as many a familiar face scrambled down the street in desperate, panicked fervour.
"I-I don't know." His curiosity and dread, like usual, won out over his fear causing him to open the car door and run towards the club. Qrow watched slightly dumbfounded but eventually opened his door and followed after. He struggled to keep up with the historian, despite his rather thin frame he was surprisingly spry and disappeared behind the large double doors leading into the club a whole twenty seconds or so before he did. As Qrow burst through the doors he was halted by what he saw. Bart was equally stunned beside him, brain simply overloaded by the scene before him.
The floor was completely enveloped in a thick black substance and rising from the seemingly bottomless pool were equally dark figures, each different from the last. Close to them was a tall, bipedal, lupine monster which snarled and howled as it drew to its full height of roughly six and a half feet. Long, razor sharp claws flashed from amongst the shadowy hair that coated its form. It beheld them for a moment, head tilting slightly to the side as it beheld them, assessing them. It drew a conclusion and instead turned hastily around to face a blazing fire that was struggling against its brethren. It howled and sprinted towards it, being joined by countless other beasts of various shapes and sizes.
Qrow leaned over in an attempt to make out the source of the flame, only to have his eyes widened in shock. There battling the beasts, in what was clearly a losing fight, was his niece Yang Xiao-Long. The wolf-like creature leapt at her jaws and claws spread wide in a ferocious zeal, no interest in guarding its own health. The fiery blonde managed to pivot and blast the beast away but still got caught by the dagger length claws that had sliced at her stomach. She let out a pained cry but redoubled her efforts to burn away the endless monsters that blood-lusted after her. She seemed, for a moment, to gain ground and a cocky grin regrew along her mouth as she melted beast after beast as they drew close. The grin disappeared as she was sent flying into a table beside the bar by thick, black, serrated vines.
He turned to see something that took whatever remaining breath he had away. There, stood amidst the hellish shadow, was a young Summer Rose. She wasn't exactly the same, she wore different style clothing, she had different colour eyes and was clearly several years younger but otherwise she was an exact replica. However, what made the scene so unbelievable was the fact that he could feel the source of the shadow, the pressure in his head and the tide of monsters, was her. He had half expected Bart to be exaggerating her power and her relation to him, perhaps she could be a bastard of a branch family that was simply very genetically similar to him. Yet, when he saw her, any and all doubt was cast from his mind.
Bart was more concerned with what was happening. Ruby stood there an arm pointed towards her blazing opponent who struggled against the endless mass of vines and beasts. However, after a roar of defiance the blonde girl erupted into golden flame, completely enveloping everything around her in the inferno. Bart lost sight of her temporarily before the smoke cleared. His eyes widened as he saw the girls tattoo had come to spread across her whole body, wings of fire protruding from her back and a halo of flame hovering above her head. Despite the heat, a cool, cold anger had entered her glare as she swept a hand in front of her. As the hand sailed through the air Bart could feel the temperature skyrocket, each and every vine and monster between her and Ruby was incinerated instantly, leaving nought but ashes. The girl floated forward, a few inches from the floor her flaming wings flapping to keep her airborne. Bart could see as the floor melted beneath her.
Ruby simply continued to stare blankly at the girl, despite silent tears streaking down her porcelain face, she took in her opponent almost nonchalantly. The rage from Yang only seemed to intensify at the lack of a reaction from the smaller girl. The blonde raised her palm, creating a large ball of fire to coalesce in her outstretched hand. Ruby made no hint of movement. Yang took it as a sign of sheer terror, the tears that she could now see convincing her the girl was simply accepting her death at the hands of her superior. With a toothy grin she hurled the fireball at the still motionless form of Ruby. She didn't see how the shadows had darkened further around Ruby.
The projectile struck true, the resulting plume of fire completely enveloping the younger girl. Yang let out a low chuckle as the black beasts seemed to back away from where their leader had stood, whimpering slightly as they did so, some even lowering their heads in submission. The smoke began to clear, and the blonde's expression dropped. There stood in the middle of the scorch marks that scarred the floor, was Ruby with nary a scratch on her. Yang couldn't help but tremble slightly, she looked down to notice the shadow that covered the floor had seemed to darken and from within its depths she could see hundreds and thousands of glowing, red, hateful eyes boring into her. The other girl simply stared at her disgust clear on her face. Ruby seemed to take the opportunity to speak, only her voice was darker, deeper, angrier than it was a few moments ago.
"Watch as the power you covet so highly is used against you. Your flames are simply a crude excuse of an imitation that you copy from a glorified slave. You shall learn how wrong you really were." Ruby raised her hand and pointed at Yang who almost recoiled at the action. At first nothing happened, and Yang prepared to laugh at the statement, but as she moved, she felt it. It started on her scalp, then her arms, then her torso and before long, her very veins began to burn and scream in pain as her own fire consumed her. Her blood felt like a stream of molten iron, weighing her down and pinning her to the floor as her flesh hardened and charred. Her own fire was betraying her. She dared to look up and noticed that the monsters had not been whimpering because of her, but rather they had sensed the dangerous change in their leader. The fire burning in the smaller girl's eyes put her own flames to shame, even as they burned her alive.
It was at that moment it finally hit her; she was going to die… She moved to beg and cry and flail for her life, but simply couldn't. Her throat croaked in protest, her tears evaporated on her cheeks and her muscles couldn't lift the simmering mass of her burning body. She was going to die… Yang Xiao-Long was going to die, in the middle of nowhere… at the hands of a nobody… with her own powers. She trembled, looking up one last time, silently pleading, only to receive a cold glare as she withered.
A black blur surged close to the demonic looking girl and Yang could hear a blunt sounding noise as the figure clubbed Ruby across the back of the head. A look of shock crossed her face as her eyes drifted closed as a pair of strong arms caught her as she fell into the darkness, where the fiery eyes awaited. The fire around Yang returned to her control and quickly made about healing her wounds, granting her a sweet breath she had be gasping for, for what felt like an endless eternity. She looked over to see her uncle holding the body and grinned as strength returned to her body and she slowly stood.
Only to be clubbed on the back of her head, forcing her into unconsciousness. Qrow looked over to see Bart holding his thermos just over where Yang's head had been and an unapologetic snarl plastered across his face, Qrow dared not push him in that moment. Opting instead for trying to distract the professor as he took in the scene around them and resting his gaze on the unconscious twins and Junior's limp form.
"Call your medical team." The professor grunted in agreement before he also noticed Junior and rushed over. Qrow decided to gently place Ruby down as he followed, wary as the shadowy creatures dissipated slowly back into the shadow that was rapidly returning to Ruby's own. Bart was hunched over Junior and trying feverishly to stem the bleeding as he pressed his phone between one of his shoulders and his cheek and shouting quickly down the line, thermos forgotten off to his side with coffee spilling across the club dance floor.
"I don't give a shit what you're doing right now! You will get Joy over to the club now! Or what?! Or Junior will be fucking bleed out you bastard! Now stop stalling and get your sister over here or, so help me, I will personally hunt you down and peel your puny genitalia like a banana!" Qrow pulled back at the graphic warning, not expecting the violent outburst from the otherwise calm man. He decided it best to leave the building, after all luck wouldn't be on their side whilst he was around them, and god knew they needed all they could get.