Chapter 7: Trap
They entered the house. Sable's ears were alert as she followed behind Neo and Ruby, the former who scanned the house for any signs of danger.
Ruby glanced at Neo, silver eyes dark. It was quiet in the house, peaceful. Yet both girls felt a sense of trepidation fill them as they moved through the door and up the staircase. 'Here should be his office if I remember correctly.' Ruby signed. Neo nodded and stepped aside. Ruby turned to the mute and fox faunus before nodding and pushing the door open with one hand, the other drawing Dark Glory and getting ready to attack.
But they were met by a woman who was not their target. Sitting in the office chair was a woman with dark green hair and the badge on her chest made Ruby's heart stop in her chest for a moment before beating faster.
Neo and Sable entered close behind, and Neo's eyes widened. "Oh? There's more of you." The woman nodded to Neo and Sable. "When I was told I'd find Red here, I was overjoyed. But it seems I've found a White Fang member and a wanted murderer as well! You'll be nice little bonuses. The chief will be very pleased with all of this."
"You were told I'd be here tonight?" Ruby growled, taking a step forward. To her horror, Neo gasped and the girl spun around to see a device binding Neo's arms to her sides. "Neo!" She growled, but the distraction had been complete and something slammed into her. Ruby fell to the ground, gasping as her arms were forced behind her back. She activated her semblance to escape and turned around to see a mammoth of a man slam to the ground. Ruby's mind was racing as she looked around her, three police officers were handling Neo and Sable, but the green haired woman was rising from the desk chair.
"Indeed I was. Please stop resisting arrest, Red. It only makes things harder." She pulled out a pistol and aimed it.
"You have nothing on me. A pistol. That's pathetic." Ruby laughed, trying to ease the panic in her chest as she heard Neo and Sable struggle.
"Red!" Sable called, reaching for Ruby. She turned around and saw a flash of dark skin as the man who tried to pin her from before was running at her with a device Ruby recognized as binds used by Atlas military.
She ducked under the man and heard the woman discharge her weapon. Ruby jumped back from the bullets as Sable head-butted one of the officers with Neo kicking another in the groin.
The red cloaked girl whirled around to try and reach her companions but the green haired woman's discharging weapon hid the sound of a binding whistling through the air. Ruby staggered as something whipped around her arms and locked in place. "No!" She gasped, feeling the force of it knock her hood back right before she lost her balance due to the man getting back up and slamming a foot into her back and pinning her.
Ruby looked up to see Sable run her way, but the three officers plus the green haired woman had blocked her. To the silver-eyed girl's dismay, the faunus's gaze hardened and Neo moved so her back was against Sable's. Neo's eyes held a promise as they both started melting into shadows.
"Stop them!" The woman screeched. The officers ran towards the duo, but it was too late as Neo and Sable escaped. "Dammit!" She snarled, but her mood changed. "At least I have you. You have so much to answer for, missy. I look forward to seeing what the rest of the department has to say to me catching the famous Red!" She smiled. "Allow me to get the scoop first. Who are you really?"
"I'll tell you jack shit when hell freezes over, you bitch!" Ruby spat. "But I have one question for you: Who told you I'd be here?"
The deputy squatted down in front of Ruby's face and tapped her nose with a finger. Ruby snapped her jaws at the offending finger, only to be met with a chuckle as Ruby's teeth clacked together with such force she was worried they'd chip. "Sorry dear, but I wouldn't dare reveal who informed us — even if I knew." She said. "Anonymous tips are usually bullshit, but I had a gut feeling that this one was true. And it led me right to you." She smiled.
"Go to hell!" Ruby spat.
"And take your spot there? I think not." The woman chuckled again and ruffled Ruby's hair.
"Ma'am. We should take the prisoner to the transport." One of the officers said.
"Oh hush Holly." The woman rolled her eyes "I'd rather not ruin the moment of capturing the murderer of my husband." She sighed. "I'm sure you remember him? Owned a nice little shop downtown. You came by and killed him before taking everything he had. My daughter has no father now because of you. How does it feel?"
Ruby rolled her eyes. "I feel no emotion towards your sob story. He was getting in the way of my job." She spat.
A foot slammed into her nose, Ruby had flared her aura a moment before it connected. It hurt like a stampeding Goliath, but her aura probably just saved her teeth from getting knocked in and nose smashed.
"What? Did I offend you?" Ruby mocked.
"Kaffee. Sit her up." The woman growled. Ruby grinned, seeing anger in her captor's eyes. The man pinning Ruby grabbed her by the arm and pulled her upright. "You have the right to remain silent!"
Ruby kept her grin. "No, according to Valean law I have the freedom to speak my mind." She retorted.
The woman gave a growl and stood up. "Take her out to the cruiser." She spat.
Ruby's eyes narrowed in hate as she was lifted upwards and dragged by the man, Kaffee. "I can walk on my own." She snarled, getting her legs under her so she could walk.
The woman smiled and led the way victoriously out of the Bay estate before talking on her radio. "Chief, we've captured Red. She's coming into a cruiser as we speak. Yes, the tip was correct. I'll see you back at the station."
Ruby saw in dismay that one of the officers, a blond man, was carrying Dark Glory, her baby. She longed to feel her weapon in her hands, but seeing it in a stranger's hands made her blood boil. "Let go of my weapon! She doesn't deserve your stupid fingers all over her!" She snarled in a rage.
The officer chuckled. "Your weapon deserves to be burned to scrap metal." He smiled. Ruby let loose a feral roar and her feet tried to run at the man, only for Koffee to drag her backwards.
"Let go of me! I'm going to fucking kill every one of you!" Ruby screamed as she was hauled into the cruiser and the door slammed shut. Her chest heaved with each breath as she knew there was no way out.
"You can try." The deputy said through the window. If Ruby's hands were free, she would have flipped the woman off.
Roman dragged on his cigar, Drei next to him. The doberman nudged his leg, eyes concerned. "I know, they're taking quite some time." Roman muttered to the dog. Drei whined softly, tail wagging his agreement. "It's alright, boy. I'm sure they'll be alright." He lied to both himself and Drei. "Sora knows Sable will be back. And Sable wouldn't leave Red and Neo behind." He said.
As if summoned by their (albeit one-sided) conversation, the shadows melded into the forms of Neo and Sable. Both woman staggered a bit before Neo ran to Roman, multicolored eyes showing a panic that was quickly fading. Drei barked, running in a frantic circle around the mute.
"Sab! What happened to you?!" Sora yelled, running to her sister. Roman noticed both had police restraints on them.
"Neo? What's going on? Where's Red?" Roman demanded, getting the restraints off of her and dropping them to the ground where Drei sniffed at them before growling in disgust.
Neo pat the top of Drei's head. 'It was a trap. Someone knew we'd be there trying to kill Bay. Police were waiting in his office and tried to take us all in. Apparently the green haired bitch said she was only expecting Ruby. Ruby fought with her, and Sable couldn't get to her in time without us getting captured by the other three officers.' Neo signed, and Roman saw hate burning in her eyes.
"So Red's been captured?" He asked, Drei growled. "And who is this "green haired bitch" you were talking about?" He added.
'I have to assume so. The green haired woman could only be deputy Iris Evergreen.' Neo signed.
"Wait, the bitch whose semblance allows her to control people?!" Roman exclaimed. Drei barked.
Neo nodded, expression grim. 'The one and only. But she wasn't using it for some reason on Ruby.' She told Roman, who ran his fingers through his hair.
"Neo, you're wasting time." He stated. Drei locked eyes with the mute.
'What?' She signed, anger flickering to confusion for a moment.
"Well? Aren't you going to get her?" Roman prompted. Neo's eyes widened.
'I'll go ahead. You keep Cinder distracted and tell her something urgent came up that requires me.' She signed.
"You know I will." Roman stated. Neo kissed the top of Drei's head and picked up a run out of the warehouse.
Ruby looked out the window through the bars on the police cruiser's window. Shame burned in her chest, she fucked everything up. Of course it had been a trap. But who could have tipped them off?
The silver eyed girl slouched down farther into her seat, letting loose a low moan as her mind raced towards darker thoughts. They'll be reporting this, "Red Caught! The Face of A Killer: A Fifteen Year Old Girl!" She laughed bitterly at the thought. But... The deputy and those officers have my face. They can use technology to recreate it, and then Yang and Dad will know about me! She felt her breathing quicken.
Its over. I've doomed us all. What if they use me to find Roman and Neo? I fucked up. I'm sorry... A tear rolled down her cheek.
She felt the cruiser stop, and one of the officers started cursing. "Flat tire. Goddammit." He spat. "I'll call for a second cruiser to transport Red."
Ruby waited, and a plot suddenly popped into her mind. When they open the door, I'll use my semblance to escape and find Neo and Roman. She thought.
Now I'll wait.
Sable entered a small area of the warehouse that was turned into a makeshift office for Cinder.
"Did it all go according to plan?" Cinder asked.
"Yes. Deputy Evergreen was waiting there for Red. I managed to get Neo out before anything could happen to us." Sable informed her. Cinder nodded.
"Thank you for your excellent performance. The other half of your payment, as promised." She slid a bag full of lien cards the faunus woman's way, who bowed and accepted them.
"Thank you, miss Fall." She said gratefully.
"I hope we may get a chance to work together again in the future. Miss Kage." Cinder responded.
"I agree. If you ever need me, you know how to contact me." Sable nodded.
"Very well. That will be all, Sable." Cinder said. Sable bowed at the waist and stepped into a shadow before melting into it. "Now..." She walked out of her "office" and rounded the corner. Sora had already vanished, leaving Roman and the doberman. "Neo, you're next!" She called.
Roman picked his head up from his Scroll. "Neo left, she had something urgent to attend to." He said.
Cinder repressed a growl. "Very well..." she hissed. "Roman, can you contact her and tell Neo that I demand she see me when she is finished with this urgent thing?" She asked.
"Sure, sure." Roman replied flippantly.
Ruby saw the flashing of police car lights as a new cruiser pulled up. The deputy, Evergreen, walked up to the door and opened it with her pistol trained between Ruby's eyes. "Come quietly now, and we won't hurt you." She commanded. Ruby felt herself freeze up as she stared into venom green eyes. All of a sudden all of her previous thoughts of escape had vanished, and she complied with the command given.
Walking into the cruiser, the door shut and the spell was broken. "My semblance is "bewitching eyes", where I can put anyone who meets my gaze into a trance." Evergreen smiled and pat the window. "I'll see you in the interrogation room." She said.
Ruby slammed a fist on the window, frustration filling her. There was a low roar as the police car sprung to life and drove away from Evergreen's stranded car. But then the car turned away from where Ruby knew the police station was and pulled over by an alley.
Suddenly the officer strode out with a smirk, and Ruby saw two familiar eyes under the hat. "Neo!" She cried out in joy. Neo dropped the illusion and threw open the car door. Ruby sprung out and Neo walked behind her to undo the cuffs. Instead of throwing them to the curb, Neo pocketed them.
'They might come in handy.' The mute replied to Ruby's silent question in the form of a head tilt. Neo took out her Scroll before typing to Roman. Ruby poked her head over the woman's shoulder just as she hit "send". 'Let's go home. Drei's worried about you and Roman is too.' Neo signed and took Ruby's hand.
"I can't wait to sleep." Ruby agreed and the two thieves set off on the way home.
A/N
: (July 8, 2020) Changed the Neo and Roman scene due to a bunch of you pointing out it was strange for Neo to be crying over Ruby being captured.
To answer your questions about Evergreen not using her semblance on Ruby in the first place, its because Evergreen wanted to have a challenge in capturing Red so she could relish defeating her even more. She only used her bewitching eyes to keep Ruby from escaping so the transfer went smoothly.