Chapter 10: Reflection
Her summoned Beowolve's had done a remarkable job stowing off the White Fang as she uses her glyphs to take them far away as possible before having an Ursa as a mode of temporary transport. This relieves Ruby, suddenly she feels that her entire day was running and fighting and the moment she relaxed within Weiss's arms who held the reigns of the Ursa, she sighed in contempt. Removing the hooks on her own (much to Weiss's strong disagreement) had contributed to her fatigue. She leaned forward to just let her upper body lay on the familiar while Weiss kept Ruby balanced.
"Are you sure we shouldn't contact Ironwood?" She asked, her hand flinching towards her teammate when she thought she saw her tipping off the side.
Ruby had demanded she shouldn't relay anything, not even her other teammates which would have given the Heiress something to argue about half the time. But Weiss showed no intent on pushing the subject further.
After a far considerate amount of traveling, they reached a small abandoned dockyard. Making sure they were absolutely safe it has come to a decision that Weiss will treat Ruby before trekking back to the center of Vale. Weiss had tactically used one of her summons to make fake tracks earlier, conveniently leading their enemies off their tail and enough time to catch wind.
Lifting an arm, a white pet-sized Nevermore was conjured on top of it, reading into Weiss's eyes for orders. It only took a few seconds and soon enough the familiar lifted off into the skies to scout the premise of the dock.
The site was deserted, traces of human activity left for the mind to guess. Strangely enough, no Grimm has appeared to attack, ambush or even stalk them and Weiss wasn't sure if she should be relieved or worried. Before her mind could dwell on her speculations any further, her Nevermore returned and Weiss lifted an arm for it to perch on once more, it made a short caw and flapped its wings once before disappearing. Its place of interest: the warehouse.
Ruby sat on a desk, grunting at the areas where a dull ache was emanating around her stomach. Without Weiss's healing, the process of her wounds closing on itself was a little slower than usual, not to mention the strange contraption they forced her into, who knows what else that thing could have done to her body. Anyone suffering gravely for this kind of injury was fatal, even for a certified Huntress. But Ruby, with the Dust inside her chest, was specially designed to survive them. On the downside, she wasn't immune to feeling the pain when it hurts.
The warehouse was not broken down unlike the rest of the buildings they often see at the outskirts of Vale. There was a sign of haste from the way papers were strewn, construction helmets were left laying on the floor and a cargo in the air suspended by a forklift.
Weiss had managed to find an untouched medical box in the office they were in, taking only what was necessary before returning to the redhead's side.
It was quiet for the both of them as Weiss helped Ruby remove her upper clothing before beginning the traditional treatment. The thing that attached itself to Ruby's back clung itself tightly that Weiss had to actually cut the fabric just enough for her to slip out off.
"Wh.. where's my cape?" Ruby says, turning her head around in hopes of spotting it. When she sees no red or the cross pins on her shoulder, her eyes had suddenly flicked towards Weiss in nervousness and dismay.
"Ruby. Shh.." Weiss hushed gently, holding her shoulders in a firm but soft grip to coax her shaking body. "I know how important that is for you, but now is not the time."
"But-"
"We'll find it." She gives a little squeeze. "And I'll make sure of that. Okay?" She tries to give a small smile with a look of confidence in them, hoping to lighten her partner's mood. At first, Ruby had hesitated and looked down, thinking, adjusting, before those silver eyes came back to meet her blue ones and returned with a smile of her own. "Okay."
It was forced, but Weiss understands. The redhead treasured that cape of intricate value and Ruby wasn't able to function quite right without it. Whatever adventure she went in, the cape followed.
Refocusing back on the treatment, Weiss studied the wounds. A hole had made itself on the lower right side and another on her upper left. Her brow knitted deeply at the sight of it. Her partner can heal without a scar, but she never ever liked the thought of Ruby hurting in any way.
She didn't know how long she was looking into them until Ruby brushed her fingers on the side of her cheek sending shivers down her spine, it was to tell her that Ruby was doing okay despite the nuisance of discomfort. The armored plates that covered the backside of her hand had come to her attention and she holds it. It was cold and alien.
What did they do to her partner?
"Fools!" Roman shouted, shooting glares at his battered henchmen who all looked down despite the mask covering most of their faces, scared at the outburst with each their own nervous fidgeting. "You let her get-" he swings his cane at a Faunus's stomach, "away!" Then smacks another on the leg.
"Honestly, the lot of you. The girl couldn't even lift that gardening tool of hers and you let her escape?"
"Mr. Torchwick, sir.." a girl with the deer antlers spoke, flinching when his glare landed on her. "We had her, when the Schnee girl appeared.. sir."
Roman clenched his hands, the one on his cane tightening the most. "Well, that's bad. Considering our work is still all over the little brat, we'll be damned."
He hummed to himself, tapping his cane on the ground in thought. "Fetch me our scientist, would you?" He asked in disguise of an order. Immediately they obeyed and two soldiers dragged Davin by the arms, his legs sliding across the floor. He catches himself before his face hit the ground, slowly climbing to his knees to look up at Roman who took out a cigar and lit it with ease. "I always thought of you as a traitorous kind of type." He commented. "But that was crossing the line."
Davin chuckles before turning it into a loud laugh, every sound tinged with the intention to mock and taunt. "You'll have a hard time taming that one." He sneered. "I'm done working for you."
"Oh, it's not you to decide when you're done," Roman disputed, snatching a stun rifle from a soldier's hand. "You barely scratched the surface of your hard work." He points the rifle at him and pulled the trigger.
Davin's body jerked backward, blood splattering on the floor where the hole was created on his head. A soldier had retreated from the scene to vomit.
Roman looked surprised himself, double taking on the rifle he held and back to the body. "Oh, was this not a stun gun?"
The owner's weapon slowly shook his head.
"Shit. That wasn't supposed to happen. Oh well." He tossed back the weapon. "We'll find another one."
Roman turns to walk away, adding his last command. "Take care of them. All of them."
A ringing of gunshots rattled the vicinity, killing the last of Davin's fellow men.
Yang was terrified. Ruby was missing, again.
She rips a Beowolf's head from its neck, tossing it away for the thing to scatter into the wind. Her hands had clenched, gnawing at her teeth as negative thoughts about her sister's condition worsen every passing minute that not even pulverizing Grimms out of existence was helping. She shoots out an arm at her side, her fist going through a Beowolf's chest. Before Dusts could form, Yang had blasted a scattering ammo inside, sending bits of pieces to the trees and grass.
"Yang."
The Blondie looked up, familiar eyes were staring at her behind those visors, worry etched within them. Blake had returned to rendezvous with her partner once a section of her forest was scouted, which also resulted in zero clues about Ruby's whereabouts. This frustrates Yang who has said nothing, only walking forward and marking the area as clear. Blake lands in front of her to stop the girl for a moment, but Yang spared no expense and only went around. She then catches her arm to return Yang's attention towards the Faunus once more.
Blake was expecting a retaliation, an argument or another rebellious pull like before. She waited, and when nothing came, she took the opportunity to step closer, pulling her cheek for their eyes to meet again.
"I want you to calm down." She coaxes before setting a hand on the girl's shoulder. "We'll find her. Ruby is strong and independent. We just have to believe she's handling the situation like she always does."
Yang had always put trust in her little sister, but sometimes she wondered if she overdid it. What she felt was reflecting in her red eyes, and Blake was all too familiar of its scent.
The day was still bright, the trees shadowing the cascade of lime like color reflecting beneath the leaves. It was going to blind her still, yet she pressed a button on the side of her visors, revealing the golden orbs with a permanent black slit of a pupil in contrast to Yang's lost, nonexistent ones. "I'm scared too." She whispers. "But we're not giving up. Right?"
Yang's gaze softened at the action and the weight on her shoulders began to lighten. "Right," she answers.
Blake nods. Her mouth was opened to speak, but she quickly closes it as her cat ear twitched. Closing her visor and stepping away to gauge her senses as her ear panned left and right, the sound of chatter and footsteps becoming clearer. Yang made no sound, aware of what the Faunus was doing.
"These tracks are getting us nowhere." A female.
"We have to keep looking or we'll end up like them," a male this time.
Blake hears other feet stepping on the branches that were circling in their radius, rifles made a subtle clicking sound that told her they were armed, counting at least four of them in total. She looks at Yang who was watching her. "I think we might know what happened to Ruby."
Weiss had finish disinfecting the wounds around her waist area before securely wrapping bandages and doing the same on her left shoulder, the bleeding has lessened and only a small patch of red spotted lightly on the cloth.
"Can I at least know how you acquire those..." She gestures on the bones and spikes that protruded on the skin. "Armor?"
Ruby sighed. Why did Davin not want her teammates to know, much more her partner? What was it that she was truly hiding from them? She decided to start small.
"Well, they just." She bites her lip, thinking of a sentence that wouldn't give so much information. "They were trying to keep me prisoner." Not a lie. "And, because I was like. Strong, you know me. They held me down with this." She gestures towards her back where the metal hasn't released itself. "But I don't know how I got bones for armor." Truth, but she can give it a good theorized guess.
Ruby felt like shrinking from where she sat. She wasn't used to lying or keeping secrets that much to Weiss. In fact, the long look in her eyes kept hers from sparing a glance. Before she feels like sinking into the floor, her mouth had blurted a question. "How long was I gone?"
For some reason, that made Weiss tense and her look became a glare. At this point, Ruby wished she hadn't asked in the first place.
"You were gone for days," Weiss answered, a frown forming. "You let yourself get caught, didn't you?"
There she goes.
"What did I say about doing everything on your own?"
Oh bother.
"Ruby Rose, this is unacceptable! What if I never found you?"
Sometimes, Ruby thought the way she got upset was adorable. Guilty, she knows. The way she clenches at her hands and the habit to stomp was still there even after a few years. "But you did." She said playfully in hopes to console the Heiress.
"You don't get it, do you?" Weiss returns, a Heiress's venom tinged in those words until tears formed hearing otherwise. "I don't want to lose you again."
Weiss was keeping herself from letting those tears fall, but one blink and the rest spilled. "Of course. None of us does." She added quickly, vigorously wiping away at her eyes like some form of desperate attempt to hide it, her glove covered hand soaking the wetness of her cheeks.
Ruby pushed herself away from the desk to stand on her feet. The stinging pain had left, but the aching still occurred.
Weiss found herself being wrapped by Ruby's firm embrace who carefully maneuvered her spiked arms from touching her. Automatically, her own arms found its way around Ruby's back, the metal in shape of her spine unavoidable from being touched.
"I'm sorry," Ruby whispers into her ear. "Please forgive me?"
Weiss gave a small 'Hmph'. She wasn't going to let it go that easily. Still, she relented, giving urgency to the hug by squeezing into it a little more. Weiss missing her partner was an understatement. For Ruby, it must have felt like hours, but Weiss? She barely slept, always checking Ruby's room every time she passed it by before returning to the operation. She will always miss Ruby.
Preoccupied in her thoughts, Weiss unconsciously gripped into Ruby's bandage covered skin, earning an escaped little groan from the taller girl.
Ruby moved just enough for their forehead's to touch, longingly looking into the eyes of the other. A mesmerizing ocean blue mixing into her innocent silver ones. They find themselves pulling into each other closely by an unknown, tempting force, their lips just inches away from touching-
"Ow!" Weiss squeaked, jumping away that effectively broke the embrace. Ruby had also stepped back, her heart racing and pounding against her chest.
"Y-Your arm…" Weiss sheepishly says, rubbing at the pin pricked area on her upper arm, her cheeks burning red.
"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry." Ruby apologized, her words coming out quickly. "I-I.. I." She began to stammer.
"It's fine," Weiss says. "So the thing on your back."
Ruby nods furiously. "Yeah the thing on my back."
"Right. Wait here, I'm going to find some tools."
And with that, Weiss left the office in a hurry.
Ruby stood still before she groaned to herself, burying her face into her hands in embarrassment.
A few years ago, she wondered what her feelings towards Weiss were. Now, she knows exactly what they are.
It had only been a little over a few minutes and Ruby's face still flushed a bright pink when the memory replayed in her head over and over again, imagining how it would continue if the spikes hadn't separated them. She shakes herself to snap out of the world that was forming undesirably in her mind. Weiss wasn't interested in these sort of things, and neither should she. Now was not the time for anything romantic. However, the thought made her grimace, pacing the room slowly so as not to excite anything in her chest or make her head feel woozy than it already is. Weiss was the type of person to push her away and the last thing she wanted to do was invade her personal space.
"You should learn to assert your dominance."
Ruby whipped her head to the direction of the voice. Was there someone else in this building?
"No need to alarm yourself."
"Who's there? What do you want?" she questioned, her eyes scanning around the room to pick up any kind of movement. She stops in front of a square mirror where a hairline crack made itself in the middle, something looked off in her reflection, yet everything looked exactly the same from the clothes she wore, the wounds that adorned her body, and the bandage that wrapped itself. The redhead steps closer, using the palm of her hand to wipe the dust away for a clearer reflection of herself.
Her breath got caught in her throat when she meets red eyes with pupils colored in yellow, a black smear from the left side of her temple crossing in between her eyes to the right temple like someone had wiped war paint, the edges around the rims jagged outwards.
"I know you. And you know me."
The voice was coming from the reflection, from her.
The thing that was also her image moved in its own accord. She notices the animal ears on top of her head and the long fangs that appeared at the side when it smirked. Those ears only appeared at the peak of her emotion when she got too excited, but she was more threatened and ready to pick a fight when necessary.
"After 3 whole years, they finally decide to release me. But not the kind I was expecting."
While her reflection's lips moved, the voice was entirely different, as if her image was speaking someone else's words. It sounded gruff, a predatory husk sublimed in its tone.
Ruby touched her face, testing if the reflection followed suit."What are you? And what do you mean?"
"What do you think went inside when you killed me?" It asked.
Ruby wasn't entirely sure what it meant, it was being vague. The sentence had to put itself on repeat until there was some form of understanding. Something that went inside? Killed? As far as Ruby knows, never had she used her weapon or bare hands to kill anybody except Grimms.
Grimms. Was this one talking about the one that-
"Correct."
No. This can't be. Is this what Davin meant? And wait, did it just read her mind?
"Augh, get out of my head." Ruby muttered, turning away from the mirror. This has to be some form of hallucination. There was no way that a Grimm had been residing in her chest, not that Grimm. Anything but that Grimm.
"I've watched you. Studied you, ready to breathe into the human world, until your friend who calls himself Davin stopped everything. Consider you and I both lucky. You get to keep your body; I get to keep my own consciousness. I have to say though, that device on your neck won't do well for the both of us for as long as it is still attached."
Ruby snaps her head back to the reflection. "Is that what they were trying to do? Get you to take over my soul?"
"I do not know their reasons." It replied, "Just my own."
"And what happens if I don't remove this collar?"
"Do you want to be controlled? To be dictated whether or not those wounds of yours would heal? I'm sure you wondered why you were incapable to escape on your own, much less wield your weapon. The General hasn't been too truthful about what it's for, maybe you should ask him the next time you encounter the big boss." The last words were laced with sarcasm.
To be honest, Ruby wasn't sure if she should be amazed at its extensive use of vocabulary and clear form of personality, when really, she should be concerned that this thing was inside her.
She looks up to study its eyes. There was a mysterious darkness in them, one that presented blood lust and murderous intent in those yellow pupils. Ruby scowled at this, there was no mistake that she was looking into the eyes of the beast that killed Weiss's father and herself.
"I'm flattered you remember me, Ruby." It spoke once again. "I too remember how you both taste like. Almost had your sister too. I'm thinking how much sweeter you'd be if I had gone for your partner instead."
A fist came in contact with the mirror, shattering the glass that scattered the floor below it.
If Yang had taught her how to fight with her fist, she definitely knew who to call a son of a bitch.
A/N: Heeyy, long time no update. Ever since the beginning of Volume 4, I actually couldn't find myself to continue because of many reasons. I have actually written several (multiple) versions of Chapter 10 and none of them was good, then I got busy and life was hard. Even after a few years, Whiterose never fails to capture my heart due to the recent events in Volume 6. So after a while, looking back into this its just, a mess. But I'm trying as much as I can to fix things here, from the plot, timeline, and well, even how I write.
I have edited the Prologue and heavily cleaned Chapter 1: Nothing too Personal. Expect some kind of appendix added at the beginning.
Helpful criticisms are always appreciated.
Also, a big thank you to those who are still following this story and to those who just recently started. Cheers!