Trapped
Chapter 8: Prelude
By Lightningstrxu
Weiss opened her eyes sitting up with a stretch and a yawn. She shivered as she got out of bed, feeling unusually cold. Looking down at herself she remembered.
Weiss was as naked as the day she was born, and more importantly as she looked back behind her. So was Jaune. They had slept next to each other in that state, and it was perhaps the best night's rest she has had in years.
"Morning Weiss." Jaune said groggily as he opened his eyes sitting up in bed.
Weiss brought her arms up to her chest to cover herself suddenly feeling self-conscious before him, whatever magic that had come over her the previous night had run its course.
"Hey, Jaune." She replied nervously.
Jaune laughed and shook his head.
"Doesn't that seem a little unnecessary at this point?" Jaune smiled. "I've seen everything already."
Jaune pointed at her still exposed lower half.
"You also forgot everything."
It was quite an amusing sight watching Weiss fumble with her hands trying to best find a way to cover all of her private areas, before giving up and just standing bare before him.
"I guess you're right." Weiss sighed.
"You're beautiful you know." Jaune said as he got out of bed as well and walked over to her. "I didn't say anything last night because I didn't want to make it any more awkward. But you really are like a snow angel" Jaune reached out and cupped her cheek.
Weiss's gaze flickered up and down Jaune's body.
"You're not so bad yourself." Weiss quipped before standing on her toes to kiss him, wrapping her arms around his neck.
This was dangerous territory, feeling him against her, his growing ahem excitement, her own arousal building.
Weiss pulled back from the kiss, looking up at Jaune through half-lidded eyes.
"Did you want to go back to bed?" Weiss breathed out in a low whisper.
Jaune shook his head, surprising her.
"As much as a certain part of me would love to continue." Jaune said with a smirk. "I'd rather wait till this whole ordeal is over. I don't want our first time to be associated with what happened with Dirge and your sister."
Weiss nodded; as much as her body wanted him, she agreed that perhaps the circumstances were not ideal.
"The fact that you're so noble just makes me want you more you know." Weiss smiled confidently. "But I can wait, but when all this is over I'm going to rock your world."
It was Jaune's turn to blush hearing such a bold statement come from Weiss's mouth.
"Well then." Jaune blinked a few times.
"Well, I am going to get a very cold shower." Weiss sauntered over to the bathroom, putting a little more wiggle in her hips than was needed as she walked. She looked back to Jaune. "Well?"
"Well, what?" Jaune asked confused.
"Care to join me for another shower?"
"Wouldn't that just make problems worse?"
Weiss shook her head.
"I actually rather enjoyed showering with you last night, I wouldn't mind making it a thing for us. Just maybe establish a few ground rules."
"Such as?"
"No matter what it's never sexual, no touching other than to wash each other's back. We never bring anything in with us."
"Well it's a shower, what would we bring in with us."
"Emotionally you dolt. Last night I was angry, I was frustrated. But when we were together I forgot everything, you were all that mattered to me. The fact that you trusted me enough to even be in there with me." A smile formed on her face. "To let your guard down completely, that meant everything to me."
Jaune nodded.
"I couldn't believe you trusted me that much as well." Jaune walked over to Weiss taking her hand. "Shall we?"
"We shall." Weiss replied as they walked into the bathroom.
True to their words once again it was just a shower. Any feelings of longing or stress washed away, although the ice cold water almost certainly helped.
As they exited, they were startled when they heard someone banging loudly on their door.
"Just a minute!" Jaune called, looking around the room they quickly found a set of complimentary bathrobes and donned them. Jaune walked over to the door and opened it.
"Jaune!" Nora yelled almost as soon as it opened. "We've been knocking for ten minutes." Nora stood with hands on her hips tapping her foot on the ground.
"Be glad I was here." Ren said dryly from behind the bubbly hammer wielder. He was carrying a small wrapped package "She nearly broke the door down a few minutes ago."
"Oh sorry Nora, we were in the shower, so we didn't hear you." Jaune replied casually.
It was only upon seeing Nora's eyes light up and hearing his girlfriend facepalm, and sigh did Jaune realize the error of his words.
"Wait, Nora, I meant…" Jaune began.
"You guys did the do!" Nora shouted.
Jaune slammed a hand over her mouth before her dragging her inside, Ren following behind her, using his feet to kick the door shut.
"Nora it's not what it looks like." Jaune tried to explain.
But Nora wasn't listening as she marched up to Weiss.
"Congratulations Weiss!" Nora beamed.
"Nora…" Weiss started to speak.
"So was he a real stud? Was he gentle? Were you gentle?" Nora babbled on a stream of various questions about Weiss and Jaune's theoretical first time.
Weiss turned bright red as the questions became increasingly more specific and graphic.
"Nora!" Ren said sharply as Nora took on a grayed out appearance, causing her to calm down.
"Sorry." Nora held her head down.
Weiss let out the breath she didn't know she was holding.
"It's fine Nora, but just to clarify Jaune and I have not had sex." Weiss said calmly.
"Then why were you showering together?" Nora asked confused.
"Well, you see." Jaune began.
"You don't need to say anything Jaune." Ren cut him off. "Nora it isn't any of your business what Jaune and Weiss do when they're alone." Ren chided his partner.
"I know." Nora sighed. "Sorry again."
"It's fine Nora." Jaune shook his head smiling. If he got upset every time, Nora blew something out of proportion he'd most likely never smile again. Jaune noticed the package Ren was carrying. "What's that you have there Ren?"
"Oh, this?" Ren looked down at the package. "The concierge asked us to bring it up, it's addressed to Weiss." Ren walked over to Weiss and held the parcel out to her.
"For me?" Weiss to the package from Ren confused.
Slowly Weiss opened it up, her blood running cold as she saw the contents of the package.
"No!" she whispered.
"Weiss, what is it?" Jaune asked concerned.
With hands shaking and she removed the box's contents and held up a long white coat, torn to shreds.
It took a moment for Jaune to recognize what it was, and he swore when he realized it.
Blake's coat.
#####
Meanwhile Yang Xiao Long marched through the halls of Tempest General Hospital determination evident with every step. She reached her destination and opened up the door.
"Ruby!" Yang shouted as she opened the door.
Ruby didn't get the chance to respond before being set upon by her older sister and pulled into her powerful embrace.
"Yang I can't breathe." Ruby gasped out, causing Yang to let go of her.
Yang looked down at her sister, eyes narrowing as she examined the bruise around her neck.
"Are you okay?" Yang asked concerned.
"The doctor said I would be fine, I'll probably be out of here by the end of the day." Ruby said not quite meeting her gave.
Yang placed a hand on Ruby's shoulder.
"I didn't ask if you're fine, I asked if you were okay."
"No." Ruby said as she curled up into a ball hugging her knees. "He was just so nice Yang."
Ruby let out a long sigh.
"He was so nice; he helped me when I was in trouble." Ruby closed her eyes. "Then again I guess he was the reason I was in trouble in the first place, so he wasn't actually nice."
"Ruby…"
"Let me finish Yang." The younger girl glared at her older sister. "But he knew about guns like his gun was…" Ruby's eyes brightened slightly. "…it was just super cool, it was this huge revolver, but it used the same ammo as Crescent Rose."
Tears started to form in Ruby's eyes.
"The worst part Yang…I actually kind of liked him…"
Yang blinked a few times in stunned silence.
"Obviously not for what he is, but for who I thought him to be." Ruby let out a sad little chuckle. "He said I was pretty and beautiful. Guys never say that about me."
"What are you talking about? People…" Yang began.
"No, they don't Yang!" Ruby snapped. "I'm always just cute, or adorable. Never beautiful."
"Since when do you care about what guys think you're just…" Yang stopped herself from finishing that sentence.
"I'm just a kid, is that what you were going to say. I'm seventeen Yang!"
Yang stared at her sister, it was true. Ruby may have not grown up as much as she would have liked these past two years, but she was not a kid anymore.
"You're not a kid Ruby." Yang shook her head. "I'm sorry."
"No, I'm sorry…I'm just so angry Yang." Ruby scowled. "I'm angry at him for what he did to me, to all of us, every Huntress he's ever done that too. I'm angry at myself for being so stupid. I just…I just felt so helpless Yang. I never want to feel that way again."
Yang pulled Ruby into another embrace.
"You won't." Yang whispered. "We're going to track this guy down, and when I find him I'm going to shove his tail so far up his ass he'll be able to taste it, and then I'm going to beat him till he begs for mercy."
There was knock at the door.
"Excuse me." An orderly poked his head inside. "I have a package for a Miss Ruby Rose."
"That's me." Ruby perked up. The orderly walked over and handed over the package to Ruby. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." The orderly nodded before leaving the room.
Ruby and Yang looked curiously at the package.
"What do you think it is?" Ruby looked at her sister.
"Open it and find out."
Ruby tore open the wrapping and lifted the lid as she and Yang peered inside.
Ruby's heart sank as she saw the box's contents.
Yang's eyes burned red.
The shattered remains of Gambol Shroud.
#####
Blake's head swam, everything hurt.
"Ugh!" Blake groaned as she slowly opened her eyes.
Only to find Dirge staring at her mere inches from her face.
"Mornin Darlin." The snake drawled out. "Have fun last night?"
Blake's eyes widened as her ears flicked back, her whole body went into a panic, and she struggled to run only to topple over, realizing she was bound to a chair.
"What did you do to me?!" Blake struggled against the bonds, even trying to summon up aura but none came.
"Hush now lil kitty." Dirge smiled. "I ain't the kind of man who would take advantage of a girl while she's knocked out." Dirge walked over and crouched down next to her. "I want them to know I'm taking advantage of them. Man's got to have his morals after all."
"The fact that you can say those words Dirge and not burst into the flame is a miracle." Another voice called as Blake heard someone enter the room behind her.
Blake felt the chair she was on shift as she was gently lifted back into an upright position.
"Are you alright Blake?" A young man asked as he came into Blake's view.
Blake stared at the man, he couldn't have been any older than Ruby, dressed in standard white fang attire, his face adorned with thick black glasses giving him a bookish quality.
He looked at her with concern in his eyes.
"He didn't do anything to hurt you did he?" his voice was soft and kind.
"I don't think so." Blake shook her head.
"Good." The man smiled, revealing several rows of shark teeth. His faunus feature clashed horribly with his kind demeanor. Most would have recoiled at the sight, but Blake having been born and raised on Menagerie knew he had just as much choice over his teeth as she had over her ears.
"You're relieved of duty Dirge."
"But Miss Belladonna and I were gonna have a little fun." Dirge cackled wildly.
Blake recoiled trying to move away, but only succeeded in nearly toppling herself over again just to be steadied by the man.
"Now Dirge!" The man glared at the snake causing him to back up a step.
"Fine, I hear ya." Dirge slinked away like the snake he was.
"I'm sorry about him." The man shook his head and sighed. "I'm not sure why Dr. Serqet keeps him around, but I know better than to argue with her."
"Who are you?" Blake eyed the man warily. "Why am I captive?"
"Oh dear." The man said worriedly. "I must have struck you harder than I thought." His hand reached out to graze her forehead; she winced as she felt a spike of pain. "You were tailing Dirge, I had to stop you, I managed to catch you off guard and knock you unconscious. Do you remember?"
"Vaguely." Blake spat out.
"Unfortunately we had to give you aura suppressants for safety's sake, or this would have healed up by now." He took a step back. "Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable, besides letting you go? A drink of water, a tuna sandwich or I could read to you if you would like. I do remember you loved books."
"You're name; I would at least like to know what I can call my warden." Blake stared at the man.
"Oh, of course, where are my manners. I'm so concerned about your needs I haven't bothered to introduce myself." The man gave a bow. "I am Tuscan, Tuscan Samehada at your service."
Blake felt her blood run cold upon hearing the name.
"You're Tuscan?" Blake asked trying to suppress her fear.
"That is what my mother named me, so yes." Tuscan smiled again showing his teeth. "Is it hard to believe I am me?"
There was no way this soft-spoken, polite young man could be Tuscan Samehada, he was a monster in every sense from what she had heard.
"In a sense, the others they always called you…" Blake hesitated. "The Butcher."
"Hmm, that makes sense." Tuscan shrugged. "I tend to lose control in battle; it's a good thing I knocked you out so quickly, or I probably would have disemboweled you."
The casual way he relayed that information was perhaps the most unnerving thing Blake had ever experienced.
"Yeah, I'm not usually the guy you call when you need to leave somebody alive." Tuscan shrugged again. "But anyway would you like a sandwich?"
Blake nodded. It would be good to eat, no matter the situation.
"Wonderful, we don't have much here, but I always bring a few cans with me, and I would be more than happy to share."
Tuscan walked out through the left side of the room. Not through the door as Dirge had, but through the wall.
Blake blinked, that would explain how he was able to sneak up on her so effortlessly. With Tuscan gone, she took the time to observe her surroundings. She looked like she was in some kind of office. She wiggled on the chair.
"Well they certainly know how to keep someone restrained." Blake quipped to the empty room as she sighed. Her hands bound behind her back, and legs to the chair itself she would not be getting out unaided.
"I'm back!" Tuscan announced his presence as he slipped back through the wall, carrying a small plate. He grabbed a nearby chair and sat across from her. "Here." He held the sandwich up to her face.
"Can't you undo one hand so I can eat?" Blake eyed the sandwich, she would not be fed."
"Believe me, Blake, I don't want to do it this way either?" Tuscan sighed. "But I would get in a lot of trouble if I did that, and if you tried anything I would have to kill you, and I really wouldn't want to do that."
Really the Butcher didn't want to kill.
Blake wanted to argue the point more, but a loud rumble in her stomach told her otherwise. Slowly she leaned forward and took a bite.
"See it's pretty good right?" Tuscan smiled that dangerously sharp smile.
Blake could only nod as she chewed and swallowed.
"Yes!" Tuscan's eyes widened, shining with pure happiness. "I knew you'd like it."
Blake took another bite, eyeing the shark faunus curiously, this young man didn't seem like someone who could so callously slaughter battlefields worth of people.
"You're a lot nicer than your reputation would suggest." Blake asked intrigued.
"Oh well, I'm only bad when I'm fighting." Tuscan sighed. "I don't really like killing, I just can't stop myself. Once I start fighting it's like a switch gets flipped in my head."
He flicked the side of his head for emphasis.
"That's why I'm so happy I didn't kill you."
"Uh huh." Blake nodded slowly. "I'm glad you didn't either."
"It would be a shame for someone so pretty to die." Tuscan turned red. "I just said that out loud didn't I?"
Blake inwardly screamed, was she a magnet for overly affectionate psychos. But maybe she could use this to her advantage.
"Oh thank you." Blake smiled at him, batting her eyelashes causing Tuscan to look away embarrassed.
"You're welcome." He whispered.
Blake took another bite of the sandwich.
"If you hate hurting people so much, why even work for the Fang?"
"Well to help Dr. Serqet." He said with pride. "She's working on a cure to help me, but until she can make one, she helps by pointing me in the right direction. So only people who deserve it are killed."
"I see." Blake's eyes narrowed.
The door opened.
"Tuscan how is our patient faring." Said a woman as she walked in.
She was older, looking to be about middle-aged, her short black hair only just showing signs of graying. She wore a uniform different than the others, it appeared Atlesian in style. A tattered lab coat hung from her shoulders.
Blake scowled. She knew this woman.
"Dr. Serqet." Tuscan stood placing the remaining half of the sandwich on a plate. "She's doing very well, the wound on her head is healing nicely, and she's eating well."
"Very good." Serqet smiled walking over to Tuscan and ruffling his hair. "You're a perfect assistant Tuscan. But I would like to consult privately with her if you could leave us."
"Yes, ma'am." Tuscan nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow for breakfast okay Blake."
To Blake's utter horror he walked over and hugged her before slipping through a wall.
"It seems young Tuscan is quite smitten with you." Serqet commented amusedly. "You certainly have a way with men."
"He needs help." Blake glared at the older woman.
"I am helping him, my dear." Serqet smiled. "That boy has a gift; he kills without thought and remorse. He's like a weapon, perfect for our cause. I have given him purpose."
"Real help Serqet, from an actual doctor." Blake struggled against. "Not someone who would use him for their own ends."
Blake felt something sharp poke underneath her chin, she glanced down to see a scorpion's tail with stinger poised to strike at her throat.
"You're in no position to tell me what to do traitor." Serqet used her tail to lift Blake's chin up to meet her gaze. "Adam won't save you this time; you burned that bridge a long time ago. Although he is a traitor too, working with humans to further our goal, disgusting."
"Your cause is wrong!" Blake stared defiantly at the scorpion faunus. "We can work with humans to achieve peace; there are greater threats out there. Threats that we can't beat if we're divided."
Serqet cackled loudly.
"Oh, I needed that child." The doctor wiped a tear from her eye. "Do you think I was born hating human's, I gave peace a shot. I Worked for it with all my heart, and humanity turned their back on it."
Serqet sat down across from Blake, the tip of her stinger never leaving Blake's neck.
"Let me tell you a story, Blake."
Serqet crossed her legs and settled her hands into her lap.
"Have you ever heard of Longitude?" Serqet asked in a hushed tone.
Blake shook her head.
"I thought not." Serqet sighed. "It was before your time, you probably were not even born yet when Longitude fell."
Serqet took a deep breath.
"Longitude was a settlement in southwestern Solitas, built by the faunus for the faunus, to escape the oppression of Atlas."
"What happened to it?" Blake asked.
"Genocide." Serqet stated flatly.
The doctor pointed to her captive.
"I was from Longitude you know, I dreamed of making it a better place and so against all the odds I made it into Atlas Academy, to become the first true Huntress from my village."
Serqet smiled as she remembered happier times.
"It was challenging for a faunus like myself, much harder than it is today, I despise Jim for what he did to me back then, but I will say he is much more progressive than his predecessors."
"General Ironwood?" Blake interrupted. "You knew him?"
The look that came across Serqet's face was complicated, to say the least. Ranging from thoughtful to hatred in a moment.
"You could say we were...close back then." The doctor whispered harshly. "I worked myself to the bone at Atlas, harder than any other student, until I graduated and joined the military directly. I continued to work tirelessly there as well."
Serqet spread her arms wide a smile gracing her face.
"Then finally I achieved it, my dream. I became Special Operative Sahara Serqet, and a few years later I became Dr. Serqet as well, a specialist in the application of dust in the fields of biochemistry and medicine."
Serqet's expression turned somber.
"Then Longitude found the dust vein." Serqet sneered. "And Jacque Schnee refused to pay a fair price for the mining rights; he wanted to steal it from us."
Blake hung her head down.
"What happened?" Blake asked genuinely intrigued.
"Jacque lined the ruling council of Atlas' pockets, and they blockaded Longitude. Slowly starving my hometown."
Serqet sighed.
"My people would not stand for it, they fought back, I became a pariah to them for working with the enemy. I sought a peaceful solution. Using my expertise, I began working on a formula, a gas that would knock out any who breathed it in. But engineered in such a way that only faunus would be affected by it."
Serqet stood and finally removed her stinger from Blake's neck.
"A non-lethal weapon to end the conflict." Serqet swallowed the lump that was slowly forming in her throat. "When my superiors came to check my progress, I had only gotten as far as the gas exclusively affecting faunus. Making it non-lethal was weeks away."
Serqet slammed her tail into the half sandwich that Tuscan had left behind.
"They launched the gas anyway, and in one night…" Serqet picked up the plate and held up the sandwich to Blake, it was dark and looked dry as if every drop of moisture had been siphoned from it. Serqet picked up the sandwich. "Longitude crumbled and was as dust in the wind."
Serqet crushed the sandwich in her fist and blew the resulting dust in Blake's face.
Blake coughed and sputtered.
"Needless to say I wasn't happy with that decision." She gave a cruel smile. "So I destroyed every scrap of research on the applications of biochemical dust, killed the other scientists and burned down the lab. Atlas never recovered from that loss, they've haven't looked into it since."
Blake looked at the older woman as Serqet glared back at her.
"So don't say I never gave peace a chance, I gift-wrapped it for them, and they rejected it."
Serqet turned on around and made her way to the door.
"It won't be long now Blake. Soon Tempest will know the same pain Longitude once did."
Serqet opened the door and turned back to face Blake.
"And Remnant will not forget it this time."
The door slammed shut leaving Blake alone.
The genocide of Tempest would soon begin.
Well so ends another chapter. Lots of things going down. It was an interesting one to write, while we definitely got that white knight fluff we all enjoy, I did like going more into Ruby's character especially her being older. Although sadly as much as she wants it, Ruby lacks a ship to call her own, as my preferred White Rose and Lancaster are currently off captaining their own ship.
And what's this Tuscan has rowed his boat against the mighty fleets of Bumblby, Blacksun and Reading Rainbow (Blake x Illia) seriously though don't ship them.
Serqet posed an interesting debate in my head, I originally came up with her sometime around the end of volume two, and then Tyrian showed up. It was simultaneously great because hooray proof of concept for a scorpion faunus, and saddening because I was afraid if I ever used her I would just be accused of ripping off Tyrian. I thought about changing her faunus type, but her being a scorpion was just so intrinsic to her character and mannerisms that I decided to keep it that way.
As always read and review, let me know what you think. Do you like Dirge, Russytt, Serqet and Tuscan, the relationship between Jaune and Weiss?
And I said it before I believe but any artists want to draw anything for the story go nuts, you have my full permission to fanart away.
Well Ta Ta for now.
Happy Birthday Ruby and Happy Halloween.