Chapter 34 – Brothers in Arms.
Amidst the dark heavy mist of an abandoned city in the making you expect to find many monstrous nightmares roaming the barren incomplete roads beneath the towering structures of what would have been offices, businesses and homes.
A place this derelict, deserted and cast aside by mankind created a perfect atmosphere for creatures of the night. Many Grimm had made this place their home. Nested and repopulated causing an even heavier dark mist to settle upon the remains of mountain Glenn, enabling the creatures that occupy its half-finished walls to skulk through the city unnoticed by the rest of the world.
But hidden among this forgotten and abandoned graveyard of buildings, rested a single building untouched by the plague of darkness and Grimm. A small church still stood at the centre of town as one of the few buildings that had been completed before the expansion project had been abandoned many years ago.
Its windows were shattered, letting what little moonlight that shined upon this would be holy place. The heavy wooden doors pulled off their hinges allowing the mist of the city to roam free among the pew.
A huntsman team passing through the area some years ago had said that the place was filled with the ghosts of those left behind in the evacuation. Forever seeking salvation and piece.
Another warned of the mist as the hunted spirits of the slaves and workers that had died in the creation of the building. To damn those who dare tread on the only construct that still existed as part of themselves.
Yet even still, after all the warning and tales that had been told about this place. The church still accepted its first visitor within decades.
Wrapping his hands around one of the heavy wooden doors, Ruin lifted the panel and stood it back against the door frame sighing as he did so. It wasn't the first church he had seen in shambles but the sight still made what was left of his spirit sink.
Walking among the scattered pew filled with shattered glass and rubble, Ruin's bare feet slapped against the concrete loudly, echoing against the walls that would have, should have carried the chorus of a choir for those faithful to whatever god that it served.
He stopped before the he reached the back, looking up at the forgotten statue of a deity that he had no clue about. It still upset him to see a statue in such a condition. Moss grew has set into every crevice of the stone and it had started to crumble away in places more exposed to the elements and in reach of wandering Grimm.
Even still, he bent down to one knee and closed his eyes.
"Hey Mom… It's been a while." Ruin spoke softly trying to word exactly the way he had envisioned it. "I know I didn't exactly turn out how you planned but err… Well you probably know better than me what kind of state I'm in after all these years.
"Last time we spoke, I told you about the little girl I adopted right? Well, its been a while since then and I've got some good news. I'm getting married soon. To Myth. You always said that you'd only accept the one who could keep me in line as a good wife so I think you'd have liked her.
"I also plan to ask Coal to be my best man. I know he's young and rather impulsive but you probably can tell for yourself that the kid is like a brother to me so if you could, please watch over him as well as myself and Angle. Please… The runt needs someone looking out for him.
"Please Mom, forgive us for the sins we've committed, for the things we've forgotten and mostly, for the thing's we've ruined." Ruin begged. "I don't care if god, the four maidens or whoever is up there forgives me… Only that you somehow could forgive my past sins."
Ruin released a breath that had been sitting on his chest for far too long before looking up and smiling at the ghost of his adoptive mother. "And for the sins I'm probably gonna commit."
With a rekindled spirit, Ruin turned to leave the church. It wasn't often he found the time to speak to the deceased nun that was the closest thing to a mother he would ever have. But seeing the change Coal had undergone over the last year, Ruin felt that he needed the boost himself.
"Oh, and one more thing." Ruin remembered as he turned once more and continued to walk backwards amongst the pew towards the battered doors. "What the hell do I get a soon to be nine-year-old for her birthday? I'm really struggling for ideas here!"
"Have you tried a pony?" Ruin leapt 3 feet in the air at the echoing voice bouncing off the stone walls causing the source of the voice to laugh. "You didn't realise I was here?" Coal asked chuckling at his old partners antics.
"I was kind of in the middle of something!" Ruin retorted looking mildly annoyed. "I wasn't really paying attention to my sensors! Besides aren't you meant to be with your team?"
Coal shrugged, choosing to remain as close to the door and the air outside the church as much as possible. "Everyone was asleep and I was bored, it wasn't too difficult to pick up your scent and find you. Plus Yang makes for a terrible guard. The hardest part was sneaking out of Blake's grasp." Which was true, Blake had cuddled up to Coal so tightly that he spent a good hour slowly crawling out of her arms to avoid waking her up. He had no idea how much the cat Faunus liked to cuddle in her sleep. When she was awake she never really needed attention… Much. "Can we get out of here now please?" He begged looking rather uneasy. "Being the vessel for one and a half accursed sins makes me feel sick standing in this place."
Before Ruin could comment on Coal's affiliation with the dark entities knows as the accursed sins, a loud roar bellowed between the remains of the city grabbing both of their attentions.
The two looks at each other, a cocky smile growing on each of their faces.
"Once more unto the breach?" Coal quoted.
"Dear friend, once more." Ruin finished.
They dashed into the city, searching for the Grimm that made such a horrific sound.
Coal conjuring a glyph to bring forth the icicles he would use as a sword in his right hand, drawing the duel chambered revolver in his left. He used his glyphs to accelerate his movements as he dashed through the destroyed city.
Ruin however carried no weapons, nor did he need them. However, his pace matched Coal's with ease, his legs propelled him forward faster and faster with each step, cracking the road beneath his bare foot with each stride. If you listened closely, a faint electrical humming could be heard emitting from the man's chest enabling his body to surpass normal human standards and reach a level that could rival the power of the accursed sins.
Both Ruin and Coal knew of the power that their brother in arms possessed and had gone toe to toe many times under the pretence of training. Because of their combined power clashing against one another and their superior understanding of each other's skills and combat styles, they had earned the title of the strongest due in the military.
As well as being the most destructive.
A/N
Hello all and welcome back to this fic after such a long time of being away.
First and foremost, I am sooooooooo sorry that it took this long for a new chapter and for it to be so short but please just hear me out here.
I hate to be that guy, but I just couldn't bring myself to write anything after watching Volume 5. I don't know what it was but Volume 5 just completely killed my motivation to write anything and I knew that if forced a chapter out of me then it would have been terrible and I would have hated myself for doing so.
Regardless. I'm getting back into writing fan fic again and I'm going to take it at a slower pace while I get back into RWBY and revive my passion for a franchise that I still love regardless of Vol. 5.
I know Vol. 5 divided its fans a little and I'm sorry if you are one of those people who loved it but it just wasn't for me. I will be honest about that.
Thank you for your patience guys and thank you sooooooooo much for the 200 of you who favourited this fic! I think at the time I took a break (albeit a long one…) this fic had less that 150 favourites… HOLY SHIT YOU GUYS ARE INSANE!
Thank you for the love and will see you all in the next chapter which will hopefully be soon!
