Hello everybody! I'm back! It's been a year since my last update, but no longer! I went through what I've written and fixed some things (mainly grammatical and superficial fixes) and decided to put this story in the RWBYxSlender crossover section because it would be a better fit here.


Disclaimer: They always watch with infinite eyes, waiting to see if we try to claim copyrights on their things so they can sue us. I'll beat them eventually, and then I'll be the one watching!... in my dreams...


Edit: Thanks to the random guest that caught my mannequin/manikin typo.


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Is this the Emerald Forest? It looks different. And why am I out here at night with only a flashlight? Where's Crescent Rose?

Somehow that didn't concern her as much as it would have before. She started walking inwards to where the ruins might be for some reason. She really didn't know the route since she took the Nevermore Express with… W? Weiss. Yes, Weiss. Why was that so hard to remember? I think she's special for some reason…? Oh well.

The trees and bushes all started looking the same, but she didn't care. I'm looking for something. Somethings? Anywho, I better start looking! She looked around before picking a random direction and started walking that way.

She kept walking and looking around, searching. The moon seemed muted and distorted, the only light being from her flashlight. Everything started to feel as if it were closing in around her: the trees looming over her, the bushes stopping her from going a certain way. The very air seemed like it was suffocating her.

I need to hurry. I need to hurry. That was her thought. She started running, but she felt like she was going no faster than a light jog even though she was running as fast as she could. My Semblance isn't working! Panic started to set in, fogging her already addled mind. Let me find something! Anything!

She fell to the ground, tired and breathing heavily. She looked around and then saw the shadows start to shift, as if color dye was being added to water, spreading out like spider webs. Darkness reeked off of it. The thing shifted then something started to slither out into the air. Then another and another…

Then something grabbed her leg.


"GYAHHHAHHHH!" Ruby bolted upright in her bed, crying out.

"Ruby!"

"Wah! Whatziz?"

"Son of a-!" Came the three different cries of Blake, Weiss, and Yang respectively. Ruby didn't really hear them as she sat on her bed panting, sweat dripping down her forehead. What? What was that? She quickly looked under the covers to her legs, but there was nothing there except fabric.

"Ruby?" Came a voice. She looked over and saw her team in various states of disarray, all looking at her in concern.

"Huh?" Was Ruby's eloquent reply.

"What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?" Yang asked from her bed.

"…Oh, yeah, I'm sorry about that," Ruby said, now a little bit more coherent. She wiped her forehead, then she looked around and saw that it was still dark. "Um, what time is it?"

"About 3:30," Weiss said, sounding understandably grouchy.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry!" Ruby said starting to panic again, this time on being the focus of the team's wrath. Weiss grumbled and crawled back into her bed, falling to sleep as soon as she pulled the blankets up.

"Don't worry about it," Yang said, also lying back. "What was the dream about? Nora eating all your cookies again?" She teased.

Ruby opened her mouth to explain but then stopped. What will she think that I've been having nightmares about a video game? She'll probably poke fun at me before giving me a hug. Well, a hug does sound nice… nah, not this time unfortunately. I don't want to bug her. Plus… well, it's embarrassing. "No it was the cookie monster one," Ruby said, using her fallback don't-want-to-talk-about-it nightmare avoidance scenario. It's worked every single time for the past few years.

"Ah," Yang said in an off hand tone, then rolled over and immediately went back to sleep with a slight snore. Blake was laid on her bed too, but in the moonlight Ruby could see the slight glow of her yellow eyes, signifying that they were still open and she was awake. She looks like she's thinking about something, Ruby observed. She herself laid back on her hanging bed and sighed.

And today was going to be an exciting day with our big plans to find out what the White Fang is doing. And it starts off like this? All because of a stupid video game giving me a nightmare. And I haven't even beaten the game yet! I need to put that on my to-do list… Ruby closed her eyes and somehow was able to go back to sleep for a couple of hours before classes started.


And those classes took forever. First there was History with Prof- Doctor Oobleck, which is terrible to have first thing in the morning since he talks faster than a racecar on a Vacuo desert track, and moves at about the same speed around the classroom. Ruby liked the class and had always found history interesting and she was one of the few people who could keep up with Oobleck, both physically in note taking and mentally in understanding him, since her Semblance was speed.

RWBY and JNPR had two running bets: who was faster (Ruby obviously betted on herself, but it wasn't as if they were going to find out since they didn't just ask a Professor, or teacher, to race a student), and what exactly Oobleck had in his coffee (Ruby bet on Grimm Energy Drink, but Yang insisted it was FireDust Whiskey, which would be completely unprofessional according to Weiss, not to mention against school alcohol rules).

Anyway, after a grueling session about various expansions out of Vale, they had the mysterious Professor Peach for general survival techniques in the wild. By mysterious meaning that no one has seen Professor Peach at all. They would walk into the classroom and once they sat down a piece of paper with the instructions for the day would appear on his or her desk. Either that or a video would start playing, detailing their lecture or scenario. A rumor was that Peach was Ozpin's alternate identity just so he could mess with the students more than he did already (Ruby remembered the ticking clock sound during initiation after Yang wanted two seconds for things to calm down). Today they needed to write down a preliminary essay for a scenario of being lost in the mountains and how to survive.

Combat training with Professor Goodwitch was either tedious or exciting. If two people were paired up it was either a good show or just a quick smack down depending on their strengths and weaknesses. Yang and Nora hadn't been paired up since the first time during their second month (they almost ruined the entire building), which was a relief for the student body. The next worse paring was Nora and Ruby. Less said about that the better. And don't even ask where the maple syrup and cookie crumbs came from.

Today was a rather boring day with only a few spars and they were (no offence to the students) rather lackadaisical to watch. Then they had Professor Port and Grimm studies. Or rather, story/nap time. Every class seemed to start off well, but then descend into personal stories, or boasting, that sometimes ended with a moral. But today RWBY was too preoccupied with what was going to happen tonight to pay attention. Even Weiss who was the one that enjoyed Prof. Port's classes the most was just staring at the clock.

Ruby glanced over and saw that Jaune was talking to her, probably trying to get a date with her again, she thought with amusement. Even Ruby knew Jaune was going at it the wrong way. And as Yang had put it previously, "Snow Angel probably wasn't the best start." And that name fits… only when her walls are down though.

The chime for the clock sounded, bringing Ruby out of her thoughts and smirked as Prof. Port was cut off from his story. They started filing out of the room and she heard Jaune ask Weiss, "Did you hear me?"

Weiss was walking away and she listed off, "No, no, no, yes." Jaune groaned and thumped his head against the desk. Ruby rolled her eyes at Jaune's cluelessness at Weiss' complete non-interest. Seriously, even I know that Pyrrha's pining over you Jaune. You have a much better chance with your partner than mine. Besides Weiss is mine anyway… not like that!... She heard Yang say a few comforting/pitying words to him but they continued on without stopping.

Now that classes were out of the way, they headed back to their dorm and changed into different outfits. She still kept her red cloak on though; she would never be separated from it. There was a minute where they recovered from the antagonizing long school day.

There was a general sigh all around. "I thought that class would never end," Blake commented, breaking the silence.

Time to get this show on the road, Ruby thought. "Alright guys," she started, getting their attention, "today's the day. The investigation begins!" She declared and jumped from her bed, earning a yelp from Weiss, striking a pose.

"I'm glad to see we're taking this so seriously," Weiss sarcastically said.

"Hey, we got a plan," Yang said, "that's… moderately serious."

"Right," Ruby said, wanting to go over everything again, "everyone remember their roles?"

"You and I will head to the CCT to check the Schnee records for any other Dust robberies or inconsistencies. Seeing as I'm in the family it shouldn't be a problem," Weiss bragged a bit. Ruby stopped herself from rolling her eyes and the snootiness.

Blake spoke next. "The White Fang has regular faction meetings to hand out orders and recruit new members," she said without any humor, completely down to business. "If I can get in I can hopefully find out what they're planning."

Yang was next. "I have an old friend on the shady side of town that typically knows everything going on in Vale. Getting information out of him shouldn't be too hard." Ruby had a sneaky suspicion about whom Yang was going to see. And if I remember correctly, she ruined his club the last time she was there. He'll be glad to see her. That was sarcasm there.

She put aside her thoughts and focused back to the present. "Great! We'll meet up tonight near Yang to go over what we've found. Let's do this!" This is going to be great.

"Yeah!" Came a new voice from… outside?

RWBY looked out the window to see Sun hanging on a tree branch by his monkey tail.

"Sun?" Blake exclaimed in confusion. They all took a step back in surprise.

"How did you get up there?" Yang asked.

"Ah that's easy, I do it all the time," Sun said nonchalantly.

Weiss took that a different way. "You do what?!"

"I climb trees all the time," he responded. Nice save, Ruby amusedly thought. "So, are we finally going to get back at that Torchwick guy?" He asked as he flipped inside.

"We are going to investigate the situation… as a team." Blake emphasized.

"Sorry Sun," Ruby shrugged apologetically, "we don't want to get friends involved if we don't have to." Less of a hazard for them.

"Pshh, that's dumb," Sun scoffed. "You should always get friends involved; that's why I brought Neptune," he thumbed back outside.

"Wait. Neptune's outside?" Weiss asked eagerly, then coughed. Ruby stopped herself from scowling.

"Yep." Sun answered. Team RWBY brushed past the monkey Faunus to look. Sure enough, Neptune was just outside standing on a very small ledge that ran across the building.

"'Sup," the blue haired man said in greeting.

"How did you even get up here?" Ruby asked the question that was going through everyone's heads.

"I have my ways," he shrugged. Then, "Seriously though, could I come in? We're like, really high up right now."

Ruby looked at the rest of her team. If we invite him in, then he and Sun are going to end up helping us… ah, what the heck, why not? Seeing the rest of the girls receptive to the idea, they moved back and let Neptune shimmy his way inside where he almost collapsed to the floor in relief.

"Took your time getting in here," Sun commented to his teammate.

"Not all of us are as able climbers as you Sun," Neptune shot back.

"So, how much did you two little eavesdroppers hear?" Yang asked.

"I heard all of it," Sun said.

"Most of it," Neptune admitted.

Good enough, Ruby thought. "Alright, I'll go with Weiss. Sun, you can go with Blake." Ruby then got behind Neptune since he wasn't moving and started pushing him across the room. "And Neptune, you can go with Yang since she doesn't have a partner. Everyone good?" she asked, knowing she wasn't going to change her mind unless it was serious. I want to go with Weiss, she thought. We need a little more… partner bonding, yeah, that's it!

"Actually Ruby," said partner started, "why don't you go with Yang? After all, she is your sister."

Ruby managed to keep the frown off her face, "But, Weiss, who would go with you then?" Stop being so difficult!

"Well… I guess Neptune could come with me?" She said, it coming out as a slight question.

Quick Ruby, what should I go with? Leader Ruby? 'I've already decided and you have to deal with it?' No, that's not my style. Kicked Puppy Ruby? 'But, don't you want to come with me?' Eyck, too obvious. Oh! I got it, Oblivious to Crush Ruby.

Ruby forced a snort and cackle. "Nah." She walked over and grabbed the back of Weiss' coat and started dragging her out of the room, ignoring her protests.

After they turned around two corners Weiss slumped and then grumpily said, "Alright, fine. I can walk you Dolt."

Ruby stopped and waited for Weiss to get upright before letting go. "I never said you couldn't. Now come on, let's go!" She eagerly said. She grinned a bit when she heard Weiss muttering behind her.

The CCT was basically a giant tower built for communications between the four kingdoms. It was a major hub of activity since that was the place where long inter-kingdom calls were made from, and basically what allowed the kingdoms to stay in touch.

And Ruby really enjoyed being there. "Wow! I forgot how big the transmit tower looks so close!" She was craning her neck to see the top of it glowing green even in the light.

"You should see the one in Atlas," Weiss said, a slightly boastful tone in her voice.

"That was the first one right?"

"Correct. Atlas developed the cross-continental transmit system to allow the four kingdoms to communicate with one another. It was their gift to the world after the Great War."

Geeze Weiss, you don't have to sound like a teacher, I know all this! Ruby couldn't help but poke fun at Weiss, "Ooo, look at me, my name is Weiss, I know facts, I'm rich!" She couldn't hold it and started snorting to herself.

Weiss wasn't amused. "Don't be a pest! Besides the only reason we're here is because you like the tower so much. We could have just as easily made a call from the library." Well not the only reason, I get to spend time with you.

"I know but it's so cool!" Oh, I have an idea! "I'm going to take a picture! Get ready to smile!" Ruby reached into her pockets but somehow missed and fumbled with her Scroll. "Ah!" The item flew out of her hands and bounced across the ground until it hit someone's leg.

"Oh!" The girl picked it up and held it out to Ruby. "You dropped this."

"Penny?!" Ruby exclaimed. Wow, it's been a while since I've seen her. Where did she go? "Where have you been? We haven't seen you since the night at the docks," Ruby said.

"S-sorry. I think you're confused," Penny said slowly, not making any sense. The orange haired girl then gave a hiccup and tossed the Scroll back to Ruby. "Uh, I've got to go," she said hurriedly, then walked away briskly.

"What was that about?" Weiss asked.

"I don't know," Ruby honestly answered. "She seemed kinda' nervous, and I'm going to find out," she decided. Sorry Weiss, but I'm concerned about Penny right now. "You go make your call, I'll meet up with you later!" She started going after Penny, ignoring Weiss' protests (again).

She caught up with Penny pretty quickly, and noticed the other girl was ignoring her presence. "Penny! Where have you been? It's been weeks!"

"There seems to be a misunderstanding," Penny said, looking around, not making eye contact with Ruby. She started walking again.

"What?" Why is she trying to brush me off? "Penny, is everything okay?" Ruby asked once she slid down the railing to try and get in front of her friend, but she kept walking. "Penny please stop!" Ruby grabbed her arm to stop her. Penny seems very withdrawn right now. And I need to talk to her about what happened that night. "Look, I don't know what's wrong, but you have to listen to me. Those guys we fought at the docks, we think they're up to something big. Something bad! I need you to tell me what happened to you that night, please." Ruby begged. "As a friend." She pulled out her ace.

It seemed to work as Penny sighed, then looked around and leaned forward. "It isn't safe to talk here. Let's go to Vale and then we can talk."

Ruby looked into Penny's green eyes, looking for something that would tell her Penny meant it. She found the sincerity in them. "Alright, lets catch a Bullhead and we'll talk later."


Ruby hadn't found much out when they actually got around to talking, and when they did, she was distracted by the latest robot defense forces exposition that Atlas was showing off. And she was ashamed to admit she was almost drooling at the complexity of the machines.

It wasn't until she saw that Penny had bolted and two soldiers were running after them that she realized she had gotten caught up in the show. Ruby took off after her friend and caused a blockage but causing a pile of crates to fall down in the way of the soldiers. Seeing Penny was too far ahead to catch normally, Ruby activated her Semblance and caught Penny, pushing off of the wall. "This way!"

She pushed against the wall. Wow Penny's heavy! Not even Yang's this heavy! They took off in a burst of speed and rose petals. I can't hold her any more, she's too heavy! Ruby sagged and let the momentum fall and they hit the ground. Unfortunately, Ruby started bouncing and rolling along the ground and she skidded to a halt in the middle of a street.

"Guhhh…" she moaned and looked up and around.

Then she froze.

Her glance had happened across a clothing store display window and there were several mannequins in different styles in the front. But the one that caught her attention was the tall one in a full suit and tie. It was normal looking, but the head of it was what caused her to freeze and recoil.

It was faceless and porcelain white.

She was reminded of the character in the game she had been playing that followed her around. No. No no no. It's just a mannequin. It's not that thing! She started panicking and somewhere heard static from a T.V getting louder.

She didn't hear the horn of the truck, nor the screeching of tires trying to stop the vehicle; she was consumed in fear.

Then she felt a pair of arms wrap around her and shove her away from the store and out of the street, breaking her out of her panic. She looked and saw Penny, with her arms outstretched, the pavement cracked and breaking under her, the truck stopped cold.

Her shock was replaced by a different kind. "Penny…?"

"Are you okay?" She heard Penny ask the driver. The driver nodded and Penny stepped back, looking into Ruby's eyes, then looked around at the attention they had gathered and seemed to withdraw. The girl took off running and brushed past Ruby.

Ruby's mind seemed to restart and everything caught up to her. "Penny come back!" She shouted after the girl starting to go after her.

She spared a glance back into the street at the damage and the site of her near death experience, then looked at the mannequin that caused her panic attack.

It looked like it was staring right into her with unseeing eyes.

It wasn't looking that way before.

Ruby stumbled back and ran after Penny, partly to check on the other panicking girl. Mainly just to get away from that thing.

When it always watches with no eyes.


Hours later…

"What a day," Yang groaned as the team walked back into their dorm room. An hour ago they had been fighting a giant robot piloted by Roman Torchwick and managed to destroy it, but Torchwick escaped with the help of a new henchman. Henchgirl technically.

Ruby on her side-quest had discovered Penny was actually a robot girl, which now that she thought back on it wasn't completely out of left field. Penny didn't have any clues, and Ruby promised to keep her knowledge of her being a robot a secret, even from her team as it was Penny's tale to tell.

"I say that we go over what we found tomorrow," Ruby said.

"Ditto," Weiss said, still a little grouchy that her pun didn't work with half the team. I liked it, Ruby thought to herself.

"Fine," Blake agreed and flopped on her bed, tired. They had called Sun and Neptune earlier to make sure they were all right after they fell off the freeway and discovered the two idiots (using the term endearingly) were eating noodles at a restaurant. They were fine, so RWBY went back to Beacon after answering some questions for the Vale Police… again.

"Who's up first?" Yang asked about who was going to use the bathroom.

"I'll go," Ruby volunteered and gathered her pajamas and changed inside the room. After brushing her teeth she changed places with Blake and crawled up into her bed. Ahgh, what a day.

She found her diary again and started writing.


Today was interesting, more so than the day at the docks. We all went out today to find out what Torchwick and the White Fang were doing. I didn't find out much on that front, but I did learn something about Penny…. She's a robot! She can use Aura! It's incredible! She doesn't think she's real but I'd like to think I put her straight on that regard. She's like us, just with nuts and bolts and wires instead of blood and guts… I wonder if she drinks motor oil?...

Anyway, we fought Torchwick again after Blake and Sun found him at a White Fang rally and destroyed the war-bot he was in, though he got away again, thanks to a bodyguard he had. We'll go over what we found tomorrow, except for the Penny's a robot thing. I'll have to make something up. Can do!

… There's something else. I think that Slender game is getting to me. There was a moment that I completely froze because I saw a mannequin that looked like the Slenderman thing. I almost got hit by a truck if it weren't for Penny saving me. It's… disturbing that I think I see it now. Probably just my imagination playing tricks on me *nervous laugh*. I still need to beat the stupid game someday… but not for a while, ha ha!

That's all for now-

Ruby stopped writing when she realized that when she was thinking she was doodling on the side of the page. It wasn't that she was doodling; it was what she was drawing.

She was drawing scratchy stick figures with disproportionate arms that almost went down to the 'feet', and there were circles with 'x's in them. That's… the things that are on the pages… In the game…

Frantically she scribbled over the sketches and closed the diary momentarily to think straight. What's the matter with me? I'm not even thinking about it and I'm drawing those things. Maybe I do need to beat it, just to get it out of my head.

She reopened the page.

I just scribbled out the doodles on this page. I'm… a little scared that I'm doing that without thinking. I guess that game is getting to me. Maybe I should beat it just to put it out of mind. Then I'll uninstall it and throw it away! Worst 8 Lein I've spent.

Okay, now that's all!

She closed the diary for good this time and tucked it into her little book hole she made. By this time everyone was done. "Everyone ready?" Weiss asked. Everyone gave an affirmative and she turned out the lights, plunging the room into darkness.

She didn't know about anyone else, but Ruby had a hard time falling asleep that night.


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I didn't want this just to be a rewrite of the episodes so I cut quite of bit of things in it to make it flow better. You guys probably don't mind, right?

Once again, sorry for the long wait, but chapters will come with more frequency now.

Don't have much left to say, so until next time, R.R.F.F. (Read, Review, Favorite, Follow)

-OrangeGalen