AN: Bet you didn't expect this so soon huh?
"What the hell is this thing? And why did we have to almost die to get it?" Jaune asked as Ludo smiled looking at the laptop before him pressing a few of the keys and smiling to himself as he sighed.
"Well, now that is a simple story, Mister Arc. There is no truly exotic explanation for this. It simply contains the names and locations of several of the Mistral council members that would oppose Bastion's reveal and further expansions into the world of hunters and huntresses. That is all. It also has some rather juicy bits of information on them just in case diplomacy fails and we have to resort to other less noble actions to get out point across."
"So we went to get dirt on them?" Jaune asked as Ludo rolled his eyes, as he closed the laptop with a firm click!
"Oh the folly of youth, I would not use such a vulgar word such as dirt but I do suppose that it fits the description aptly. Now you may all return to your dorm. I have no further use of you for now." Ludo said as Jaune nodded taking a moment to think before-
"You have another question for me Mister Arc? If you do please tell me. I will be glad to answer it for one. Though I make no promises that the answer will be one of your liking." The man said flashing Jaune a toothy smile as he sighed.
"We are getting closer to the return to Beacon and I was wondering about the Vytal festival."
"Oh, that! If you are worried about your upcoming performance at the festival I would assure you that you should have no need. I am well aware of the quality of your opponents of the other schools. And I can almost guarantee you that you are made of sterner stock than they."
"That was not what I was going to ask but at least you believe in us."
"Oh? Then what is it? Please ask away, but like before I make no promises that you will like what I have to say."
"When we participate in Vytal are we still students of Bastion? Or are we going to be officially brought back to Beacon once we are back home?"
"Ah that, you will be full students of Bastion for the entire tournament, you will fully represent the school and all of her skills and students. But do not fear like I said before I am a man of my word, and I will allow you to be free once the tournament is over regardless of your performance in it. Whether you win the entire thing or fall short all I need is for you to represent our school. Have no fear should you get to Vytal your freedom is secure."
"That is what I wanted to know thank you."
"Of course, your welcome Mister Arc, I am glad that I could help you, now have a good day."
"I don't see why people would have a problem with us, I mean we are just a school like all the others! I mean what's the big deal?" Mika asked humming to herself as the team walked past the dim torchlit halls of the school. Their footsteps echoed down the long halls as the soft light of the torches began to cast long shadows down the corridor as they walked as a unit back to their home.
"I think they would find our methods less than appetizing," Kage said as Jaune nodded once.
"He has a point, Bastion has a more... blunt method of training its students. And I think that many of the other kingdoms would protest the way that we treat our students."
"Blegh! They are such party poopers! I mean it's not like we force people to be here! You can come here willingly!"
"Or not," Ruby whispered her robotic eye retreating deep into her skull as she pulled her cloak over her chest as Mika sighed.
"Oh don't think about it like that Ruby! You might not have wanted to come here but now look at you! You came here a scared regular girl with regular knees now look at you! You are a badass cyborg killer! You are so cool! There is no way that you would be this cool back at Beacon!"
"I... I didn't want to be a cyborg."
"But now look at you! You can't say that it is not a major improvement over what you used to be!"
"I think Ruby was fine the way she was, no matter how much more abilities she may have thanks to her implants," Jaune said making the small girl blush as Kage sighed.
"Well either way it is way above our paygrade to get involved with the politics of this school. We should just keep our heads down do as we are told we can keep living another day and be fed well for our troubles."
"Is food all you think of?"
"Yes Red, it is one of the only things I think of," Kage said sarcastically as Mika grinned.
"If you want something to eat then I know-"
"Not you."
"Hey!"
"Look, it doesn't matter, Ludo is going to use us however he sees fit. He does not need to tell us anything else besides what he has already said. So let's just get back to the room and get some rest before we have to do another mission ok?" Jaune asked as all three of his team nodded as he forced a smile on his face.
"Good. Now let's just forget about Ludo and focus on taking a well-deserved break."
Ruby was enjoying a small break on her own seldom-used personal bed, a cigarette on her lips, and her scroll in hand as all the members of Arkham lay on their individual beds before-
Ding! Ruby blinked as her scroll blinked as a message appeared from an unknown sender.
"What?" Ruby asked as she looked down to the scroll clicking it and-
Meet me in the cafeteria. Alone. Merrick. Ruby narrowed her eyes as she let out a deep sigh.
"Something wrong Rubes?"
"Just... just feeling a bit hungry I'll go the cafeteria and grab a quick bite," Ruby said as Mikra perked her head up.
"Oh! I'll come with you! We can have some girl time together!"
"I... I'll be right back, so don't worry about me! I can go on my own!" Ruby said as Mika paused and shrugged.
"Well ok then! Bring me back something sweet!"
"Sure thing! I'll be right back!"
"Don't take too long."
"I won't Jaune just be good while I am back!"
"Like that is ever a problem," Kage grumbled as Ruby skipped out of the room and began her trek to the cafeteria.
"Ah, there you are Ruby. How are you today?" The albino leader said as he smiled at Ruby, she narrowed her eyes her hand falling to her sidearm as she narrowed her gaze at him.
"What do you want Merrick? I don't want to be jerked around today ok?"
"My, aren't we the feisty one today? Sit, I got you some cookies so you can thank me later ok?" The boy asked as he pushed a plate of chocolate chip cookies to Ruby who eyes them suspiciously before sitting down next to him as he grinned at her.
"And don't forget the milk." He said sliding a tall glass of the white liquid to her as she nodded her head.
"So what do you want from me? I don't want to be led around with my head in the dark so what is it?"
"Oh not much, I just need you to look into a little problem of mine, nothing serious."
"Problem? What kind of problem? The last time I was looking into a problem for you it was about something eating the students."
"And I do thank you for your work and help in contributing to our resolving of said problem. I have not forgotten that I'll have you know."
"So like I said before what do you want?" Ruby asked as she took a bite out of her cookies as Merrick smiled at her.
"Well it is simple, there have been reports of... strange occurrences in one of the more useful settlements near our lovely school and I just want you to look into them."
"Wait you want me to leave the school? Can I even do that without Ludo giving me permission?"
"Oh don't you worry about that I have cleared things up for you, so you don't have to worry about that. I just need you to go there, tell me if anything is amiss and report back, all in all, it should take your four hours at most. You will be back by the end of the day so don't worry about it ok?" Merrick said smiling as Ruby sighed and rolled her one biological eye, her mechanical one attempting to and failing to mimic the motion only succeeding in shaking and whirring a bit in her skull as she bit into another cookie.
"So I go there and make sure that nothing is wrong, and then I report back? That's it?"
"That is it."
"And this is not some kind of trick or trap for me?"
"Oh, Ruby you are so paranoid that I am out to get you! Why is that? Have I not given you perfect transparency and honesty since we first met?"
"I do not trust you Merrick and I never will. But please just tell me where I am going and I'll be back for dinner right?"
"Of course you are and since I know that you are a bit shy about going there alone so I will be sending someone with you to make sure that you are ok. Is that alright?" He asked taking a sip of the small glass of water as Ruby glared at him.
"And just who are you sending with me?"
"Someone that I know that you can trust."
"Great. It's you." Ruby said as she stepped into the bullhead her eye narrowed as her companion flashed her a smile.
"Well if ain't Little Red! How the hell are you kid?"
"Zach, why are you here? And why are you looking so happy to be here?" Ruby asked as the back hatch of the craft began to lift up as Zach smirked at her.
"Well you know the answer to that Red, Merrick told me to escort you and to make sure that nothing bad happens to you. So that is what I am going to do."
"Great! I feel so safe!" Ruby said sarcastically as she walked past him as he sighed.
"You know I just want to get back to my room right? I don't give two shits about some random settlement but if me and you are going to get along together again let's at least try to be friends ok?"
"The last time we got together I almost got killed so you will forgive me if I do not seem too thrilled about this."
"And if you do remember I also saved your life from that, your welcome by the way," Zach said as Ruby frowned turning her head as she looked away from him.
He mocks us. Her eye said as Ruby sighed.
I know but there is nothing that we can do about it for now.
He is not well-liked in school. We could eliminate him on this mission.
What!? No! We are not going to do that to him! He might be a jerk but he is right, he did save my life and I owe that to him ok?
If you say so, Ruby. I will trust your judgment as you trust mine. Her eye said as Zach narrowed his dark black eyes at her as he sat down at the opposite seat to her and frowned.
"Red you sure that, that eye is not talking to you? Like you know if it is you really have to tell someone about this. If you don't things will get ugly and I don't think that you want that."
"I don't know what you are talking about Zach, my eye is not talking to me."
"Well if you say so. Let's just hope it stays that way." He said as the sound of turbines firing up filled the air, the ship shook as it began to take off the craft lurched to the left before it began to sail off as Ruby sighed.
"So what do you know about the mission? Has anything happened in this town?"
"Far as I know it's just a simple check-up in and out. Easy as cake." Zach said as Ruby sighed as the ship took off. She crossed her arms over her chest not wanting to look Zach in his face as the ship began to take off and fly.
Luckily enough for her, the ship's journey to the location of the mission was not long, only an hour in the air before they had reached the location. There was a small outpost that Ruby could see from the window. The entire area looked like a small town that was hastily set up and put down all in one day. She frowned as the ship touched down the back door falling as Zach groaned.
"Ok let's get it to it. Let's just find out what the hell is going on here so we can both go home. I'll take North you take South?" The boy asked as Ruby nodded, the plan was simple enough and she was in no mood to argue.
"Sure, fine. I can deal with that. Let's just get this over with." Ruby said as she left the ship with him there was an individual in a strange full bodysuit he was waving them down as Zach walked past him, the turbines still blazing as he put a hand on the man's shoulder.
"Hey there big fella, I'm just gonna have a look around, official Bastion business here no need for us to have a talk ok?" Zach asked as the man did not respond his head covered in a large white mask that looked like the kind that a motorcyclist would war gave him a long stare as the boy smiled.
"Goodman! Now if you will, I just have to get to my job so I'll leave you to yours!" Zach said walking away from him as Ruby paused, she left the ship as the masked man turned to face her. His deep black face visor glared at her as the man did not move to greet or do anything really. He did not seem to want to even talk to her.
"Um hi? I'm Ruby Rose, part of team Arkham from Bastion. Nice to meet you?" She said offering a hand to the man, he simply stared at it, his visor's all-consuming darkness sending a shiver down her spine as several long seconds passed before Ruby slowly withdrew her hand as it looked like he was not going to shake.
"Well... ok then, be that way." She said as she walked past him the man's head-turning to track her following her as she walked past him her legs shivering as a cold gust of wind came making her shiver as she just knew that she was going to hate this assignment.
"This is going to be a shitshow. As Kage would say." She said to herself as she knew that no matter what happened that day she would soon learn to hate it with a burning passion.
Ruby's exploration of the town was not long, she stalked the strange shantytown for an hour or two before finding out that she was not in fully bad company as a faunus man had waved her into the house of them.
Ruby was now sitting in a warm room with several laughing humans and faunus males. They all sat by her as she was given a thick cup of hot chocolate and was enjoying the company of the faunus and humans.
There were four of them, a tall deer faunus with dark hair and antlers named Kyle. His eyes were a light blue color and he was apparently some kind of settler to the lands that were simply happy to be there.
The man next to him was a human named Berry, his head a rough op of dirty blonde hair his eyes a deep dark color and he seemed a friendly sort.
Next to him was a cat faunus named Hale he was drinking his own cup of hot chocolate his skin a deep brown color as he sat next to her.
"So tell us why did Bastion send a team here? Did something happen?" Hale asked his eyes alight with kindness as Ruby sighed.
"Well, now that I think of it I don't know. For sure there was some reason but I was just ordered to come here. So don't to me too badly!" Ruby said smiling as-
Ruby. These four are dangerous. You are going to need to run. Now. Her eye said as Ruby paused she saw the last member of the four a human named Carl bringing over a pair of plates with fresh meat on them as-
What the hell are you talking about Eye? What are you on about?
That meat that he is serving, that meat is human. Ruby sighed as she knew that the other shoe had just dropped as she was offered a bit of it.
"Here! Have a taste! It's fresh!" The boy said and he was a boy no more than fourteen said as Ruby gave him a smile.
"Hey tell me, Carl... did you cut this meat yourself?"
"Sure did! I cut and carved it myself!" The boy said as Ruby paused.
Is he telling the truth?
Yes. He is not lying, he cut that meat himself.
Good. Good. Well, now it's time for the rough part.
"Hey, Carl lean down here for a second," Ruby said as the boy blushed a light color of red flashing over his cheeks as Hale winked at him.
"Uh oh! It looks like you are going to get a smooch!"
"Shut it!"
"Just lean down here, it won't take long," Ruby said as Carl leaned down as she brought up her arm to him.
"There we go just like that," Ruby said as she flashed him a radiant smile and ground her wrist up under his chin.
SLICK!
There was a pause as a blade shot up through Carl's head, his braids burst from his skull as the blade shot out of her arm! There was a pause before the others finally snapped out of their shock and began to shout!
"Kill her!"
"You can try," Ruby said grinning as she was about to blow off some steam.
The boy died in a moment the plate of meat he had fallen hard and shattered on the ground as Ruby removed her blade from his head before she leaped up! Ruby kicked over the table with her boot, her free hand gripping the sidearm on her side as she reached up and began to spray!
The harsh bark of her weapon filled the room as she blasted at the three remaining boys in the room. There was the sharp crack of flesh and bone-cracking and being ripped in two as her heavy flechette rounds kicked in! The bullets ripped apart the boys without them ever getting a chance.
Kyle apparently had his aura unlocked by it flashed briefly for a second before it was broken! Shattered in a second before the bullets ripped melon-sized holes in his chest and sent him flying back through the window!
After the first half of the magazine was empty there was only one boy left alive, bleeding in the corner of the room his hands over his stomach as he groaned in pain.
Ruby was on him in a second before he could move again he tried to move but she kicked him hard in his face! Sending him flying down to the ground before gripping him by the back of his head as her blade broke it in two!
"Well, that was fun! I never thought that cannibals would be an issue here. It's just another day in Bastion!" Ruby said as her eye shot out from her skull, the eye scanned the area around them as it looked around the area. Ruby took a deep breath after killing the cannibals as she inhaled sharply.
"Ok, that was something. Now we have to talk to Zach!"
Friend Ruby, there might be a problem.
"And that is?"
I might have misread the meat... it was not human.
"I... what!? Did I just kill some innocent people!?" Ruby shouted as the eye narrowed itself as it began to hum.
Check the nearby cupboard, I think that will vindicate me.
"It better!" Ruby said as she stomped over and flew the thing open! She saw several bones, human spines, strange meat and-
"So they are cannibals?" Ruby asked as her eye looked over the human and or faunus remains as it began to vibrate.
That meat is most definitely human. But the meat on the plate is not, that was my fault I am sorry for that friend.
"I... I guess so! But really don't do that again ok? This could have been really bad for us ok?" Ruby said as several more gunshots were heard from the other side of town as her scroll began to beep with a call.
"Yes?" Ruby asked as she picked up the call and several grunts were heard from the other side of the scroll.
Hey Red! You still there? What the hell are those gunshots that I just heard?!
"That was just me dealing with some problems here, as it turns out we have cannibals that are messing with things so that's not too bad!" Ruby said as she heard Zach swear.
What the fuck? Cannibals!? That is not good, but we have other problems to deal with and I could really use your help over here ok!? Ruby paused as more gunshots were heard as she frowned.
"Wait if you are not dealing with cannibals then just what are you dealing with?"
Some kind of Grimm, nasty buggers like to nest in people, could you please come over here and help me out for a bit!? I could use some help! Zach shouted as Ruby sighed and began to prepare herself.
"Hold on! I'll be there in a second!"
Don't take your time! This is getting messy! Ruby hung up the scroll as she burst out of the door, she was drawn to the sounds of gunfire activating her semblance and bleeding across the town in a wave of red rose petals!
Soon Ruby was near the strange small building that was the chaos that was brimming. She saw the man that had waved down the bullhead at the near front of it. His visored head turned to face her as she fell out of her semblance to warn him.
"Get out of the way! We have Grimm!" Ruby shouted as the man paused in a strange jerky movement he grabbed a pistol and pointed it at her as Ruby sighed.
"Oh well, I guess I've always had to do this the hard way," Ruby said as she activated her semblance again, she blurred up to him before appearing right behind him appearing like a reaper itself! Ruby slashed down cutting him down his side, no aura activated as she cleaved him in two!
"Gotcha!" Ruby shouted as she pulled back her blade, Ruby paused as the first thing she noticed was that there was no blood? Ruby blinked she knew she had cut him and she knew that he was either dead or dying. He should have massive internal bleeding but the blade on Crescent Rose was mostly clean of blood? There might have been a drop of it but-
"What the heck?" Ruby asked as she barely caught movement, she jumped back as she saw the man turn to face her. His body was cut in two from the right shoulder down. He looked like a torn doll that had been ripped by an angry toddler, his body was full of things...
Strange black chattery things moved in his skin, strange feelers and signers shot out of his mostly hollow inner core as the man or what had once been a man looked at her. His insides hollowed as whatever was controlling him began to pull his body together, claws and tendrils stitching him up and-
"Oh, that is just not good," Ruby said as she raised her gun to it and began to fire dead into the thing's chest!
Crack! The monster screamed as it flew back from the impact of her rounds!
"Well, you should not have started what you could not finish!" Ruby shouted as she sprinted to the small house where Zach was.
She ran up sprinting with her semblance as she kicked the door down! The wooden door frame splintered as she kicked it down to see Zach in the middle of a chaotic middle fight with three of the strange hollowed-out humanoids.
The boy hissed as he shot the head back of one of the creatures, the thing fell back as he fired on it! The other ones attacked from his sides getting slashed down by his strange scythe blades as Ruby aimed her rifle at him.
"Duck!" She shouted as the boy hit the floor in a second! He hit the floor in a moment as she fired twice hitting the two wounded? Ruby was still not sure how she could really kill these things for good. She did not know if she was doing any real damage to the monster but she was going to shoot it until it was dead! If she had any say in it that is. Two of the beasts fell down as Zach rolled onto the floor before leaping up and jogging to Ruby gasping as he smiled at her.
"Well nice to see you Red! Took your time getting here I see!"
"I got here as fast as I could, but what the hell are these things!? And can they die?" Ruby asked as the monsters that she had just shot had just begun to rise up. Zach groaned shaking his head as he narrowed his dark eyes onto the things that seemed to be undulating with anger as they began to approach them again.
"Honestly I have no damn idea, I think that if we can kill the things inside of them that can put them down for good. But we have to hit them all first! I have no idea how many of the little bastards that are struggling around in there but I guess that we have to kill them all!" He hissed as Ruby sighed knowing that she had to just keep slashing and shooting until things turned into their favor as she narrowed her eyes at the monsters.
"Well, I guess that I'll just keep slashing and shooting until they all die!"
"Good! You do that and I'll help! Just keep them off my back!" Zach said as the two of them leaped into the fight!
The strange hollowed-out things did not truly know how to fight. They did not fight with any true coordination that could be called human. They moved with awkward jerking motions as they tried to attack them with random blunt and bladed weapons. The two of them moved towards them as Ruby and Zach easily dodged and slashed around them. Her Crescent Rose made quick work of the body parts of the things, the strange chittering things inside of them could not pitch together with the lost limbs and Ruby was finally able to see one of the things in a good light.
It was small, no bigger than a small to medium-sized dog, almost Zwei-sized. They had the body of what looked to be a stingray, with a long swishing forked tail and even several strange crab-like legs that extended down from the main body as its four red eyes glared daggers at Ruby as she shuddered.
"That is just gross!" Ruby shouted as she aimed her rifle right at the things opening, and fired! The gun kicked hard into her shoulder as her sniper round tore open the things on the inside of the monster. The things screamed in pain as her bullet tore them into little pieces, the strange caricature of a body seized and fell over like a sack of bricks as most of the small creatures that were piloting it was turned to mush!
"I got one!" Ruby shouted as she turned to see Zach remove the head of another before pushing the barrels of both of his pistols down its neck and firing! The body of his opponent shook and shuddered as he blasted down the thing! The monster turned still and fell down hard on its back as Zach groaned in frustration.
"And I just got another, so let's finish off the last one then check this town over so we don't have to do this shit twice!" The boy said as Ruby nodded picking up her pace as the two of them kicked out of the house was the original thing that had greeted them was still pulling itself together, the thing did not stand a chance as Ruby narrowed her eye at it and blasted it with a blast of pure crimson power. The thing burned to death in a second as she sighed in frustration.
"Why can't it just be a simple mission!? Why is it always something complicated in this school!?" Ruby groaned as Zach sighed and shook his head.
"It's just the life we live kid, there is nothing more to it. Now come on we have to do a sweep of this place so we don't have to come back here. God knows that we don't want to be back here after this bullshit." Zach said as Ruby nodded as the two began to do a sweep of the town...
AN: And there it is! Like I said this story is being picked up by someone that is very into it so I hope you like it and I thank you for all the help and support, and well wishes that you have given me over this wild journey!