After classes the next day, the girls set out to find their 'windmill'. An abandoned chemical factory in Industrial was the perfect setting. From there Weiss, Blake and Reaper went to work on the first part of their plan. Weiss began setting up the trap itself, while the scythe master was tasked with searching for Creature so she could lead him there when the time was right. Blake was going along as Reaper's chaperone, since she still wasn't allowed to wander Vale alone.

Weiss watched them leave and set to work filling one of the chemical tanks with water. The plumbing for the factory was out of order, which is why Weiss had to stay behind for the plan. Using ice dust and slowly melting it so it didn't evaporate in the process was how she had to get the water in place for their plan. Five minutes in she got a call from Reaper. "Did you find him?" Weiss asked as she picked up.

"Yes, we definitely found him!" Ember's voice replied.

"Well keep an eye on him until I call you to come back." Weiss told her. She then heard an explosion in the background of the call and realized it was Ember she was talking to.

"Yeah, not gunna happen!" Ember shouted over the line.

"What the hell happened?" Weiss asked.

"We found him, because he found us first! We're bringing him back, going to hold our parry match in front of the factory until you're ready for him!" Ember hung up before Weiss could respond. The heiress cursed under her breath and doubled her efforts for the trap. Moments later, Ember and Blake sped into the courtyard, with Creature hot on their trail.

The beast of a man roared at them. He was going to kill Reaper for what she did to him. It was all he knew. He brought up his cannon and fired on the scythe master. She jumped toward him, over the blast, and clipped him with Brutal Thorn as she sped by. She knew it wouldn't do anything, but she had to keep his attention focused on her. If he noticed the heiress (or worse, an unarmed Neo) nearby, Reaper and Ember were afraid he would go after them.

Blake fired on him with Gambol Shroud. The two huntresses figured that, between them, they could continually divert his attention back and forth before he focused on a single one of them long enough to do damage. He turned on his heel and fired at the assaulting faunus. A stone after-image took the blast for her. Ember approached from behind and brought her scythe blade across his side.

Again, he roared in anger. He shifted his arm into its blade form and brought it down. Ember barely avoided the strike. She seized the opportunity to grab his mechanical forearm and jam the blade into the concrete. With Creature crouched over, Ember rolled onto his back and fired barrel-down to launch herself through the air and away from Creature. Blake jumped into the air, passing by Ember and over Creature. Sending a Burn-after image down at the latter, Creature was brought to his knee by the fire based attack.

He ripped his blade from the ground and aimed his swing for where Blake would land. Ember didn't want to watch her lose another leg, and raced toward the beast of a man. She used Brutal Thorn as a hook around his arm and pulled with all her strength, stopping the swing dead in its tracks. The force should have torn the arm off, but it seemed true that his shield covered his cybernetics as well. Blake landed safely and jumped away.

Creature roared and pulled with his arm, ripping Brutal Thorn from Ember's hands. His blade came back at the scythe master, and she barely avoided it. It passed inches from her chest as she back hand-sprang away, adding a flip after to bring herself further away. She felt a hand on her shoulder as she stood and saw Neo next to her. Creature swung at the pair, and they shattered on impact.

Neo sent Ember to her scythe and nodded, accepting an unspoken thanks. Ember picked up her weapon and jumped back into the fray. Creature knew something wasn't right when there was no blood. He turned and saw his quarry racing back towards him, blade in hand. He shifted him arm to cannon mode and fired at the approaching huntress. Ember dropped to her knees and slid under the blast, her scythe blade sparking on the ground behind her. As she came back up, she pointed the barrel down and shot herself completely over Creature, outside of his blade's range. As she landed, she heard Weiss call out, "Now!"

Ember smiled and folded Brutal Thorn into its sheath. "Come on, Franken-fucker, you can try harder than that!" She goaded, making her way to the factory. Creature chased after her through the halls and railing, growing more agitated the longer she refrained from turning to fight. Ember spotted Neo next to the target position. It would have an 'x' on the ground in a cartoon, she mused. She also saw the vat of water that was tinted slightly yellow. Everything was in place.

Ember stopped short on her imaginary 'x'. Her eyes found Creature chasing her and speed, blade out. At the last second Neo teleported the pair away again, leaving Creature alone on the walkway. His eye couldn't even track Reaper's aura in the area. He found someone's though, and looked up to see a giant crane hook coming his way. Blake had held it until he showed up from a higher railing, and let it go to swing into the angry goliath. No matter how good a shield, it couldn't stop all the momentum from a 100-plus pound chunk of metal.

He was knocked over the railing and into the water. His loose wires set off the lightning dust Weiss had so carefully managed to mix in without setting off. For a brief few seconds, the vat looked like a mass of sentient electricity, flashing brightly and continuously. Creature's screams could be heard throughout the factory, confirming to everyone the success. The light flashed for the last time, and Ember entered the area to see the water had completely evaporated from the energy that just passed through it so intensely. Creature lay at the bottom of the steaming vat, unconscious.

Unconscious…

But alive.

Ember jumped down into the vat. She pulled her Burn rounds from her belt. All it would take at this point is a little fire to eat at his brain, and Creature would die. She brought her other hand up to crack open the rounds.

Ember, wait!

Ember groaned. "After everything that happened, and you want to keep him alive?"

No, I don't. But we're a huntress now, Ember. We can't just kill people, not even him.

"I think people will understand." Ember growled, squeezing the rounds in her hand.

He's subdued. He can be arrested. Ember, you know I'm right.

"He's going to come after us again later, first chance he gets. I thought you learned you lesson about being a 'hero'."

There are no heroes. But we are a huntress now. If he does come after us again, then I'll seriously consider letting you kill him. But not now. We have to prove we can be this, Ember.

Ember sighed and dropped the bullets without cracking them open. Reaper slid back to the front of their mind. "Thank you…"

Yeah, yeah… this is so gunna bite us in the ass someday…


"The past few days were quite busy for local police forces. A few notable arrests made were of one Doctor Verdant Stein, a notorious black market cyberneticist and a patient of his turned urban legend and local monster, Johnathon Wine, AKA The Creature.

"Dr. Stein will likely serve 25 years in prison for dozens of counts of performing cybernetic surgery without a license. His files are being used to track down other patients. This had led to the arrest of 5 small time crooks so far. As for Johnathon Wine, subject of the local rumor referring to him as The Creature, all non-vital parts were disassembled with the help of Stein's surgery notes on him, and he was sent to the maximum security ward of the Valen Asylum for the Criminally Insane.

"Reporters have asked the chief of police about the rumors that subject of recent controversy and supposed 'criminal-turned-huntress', Ruby Rose, AKA Reaper, AKA Ember, had a large hand in these recent high profile arrests. He declined to comment. Plenty of scroll camera images and videos propping up across the net support these rumors, but as an impartial reporter I can only say, it's up to you what you want to believe."

Reaper smiled and closed the scroll, cutting off the live news report before she heard about the weather.

We should get our name legally changed, so our future driver's license will say 'Reaper Rose'. Then maybe people will stop calling us 'Ruby'.

"Not a bad idea, actually. It would be weird for our ID to say 'Ruby' when we call ourselves 'Reaper'." The scythe girl nodded.

Currently they were enjoying the warmth of the sun in the Beacon courtyard. Reaper was waiting for the cafeteria to open for lunch so she could get her food and see if Neo was going to show up today. As she waited Sun took a seat next to her.

"I heard you stopped that big guy that hurt Blake." He said. "Good job, Reaper." With a smile, he added, "Got it that time."

Reaper chuckled. "How's Velvet?" she asked.

"She's doing better. She's a cool chick. So chill about everything, but it's fun to see her get excited about something that she really enjoys. Like her weapon." Sun answered, his smile only growing.

"I know what you mean. Take good care of her, you hear? I'm not squeamish at the sight of blood." The ex-criminal half-joked/half-warned.

Sun nodded. "Nothing's official yet, but she told me she's going to hunt out of Mistral after she graduates. She's looking at apartments close to Haven. I think it's looking pretty good."

Reaper smiled and nodded. Sun left to go find the rabbit in question. A few moments later her scroll buzzed. She saw 'Dad' calling her.

Shit, we completely forgot about that…

She hit answer and brought the device to her ear. "Hey… sorry, I meant to call sooner, but I got wrapped up in… something."

"A fight with a near-invincible brute?" Taiyang asked.

"Maybe…" Reaper realized he likely decided to call because he watched the same news report she did.

There was a moment of awkward silence before Taiyang spoke again. "I, uh… hear you're back at Beacon."

"Yeah, but a lot is different…" Reaper found the words flowing out of her mouth, almost beyond her control. "I'm sure you watched my trial… I still go by Reaper, and Ember takes over when Yang's semblance acts up. I don't lose control anymore because she can fight for us. So I'm not taking any medication for it. Sorry, but you're stuck with a clinically insane, ex-criminal 'Reaper' for a daughter… If I am still your daughter…"

"I see…" Taiyang fell quite for a few moments. "It will take some getting used to, but you are still my daughter. I lost Yang. I lost you once. I'm not letting you go again. In fact, Ozpin told me that as a huntsman, you can be placed in my custody during break, here in Patch. If you want to come home."

Reaper smiled. "I think I would like that…"

"Before I go, Velvet called me. She's mailing home your old cloak and Crescent Rose. I take it 'Reaper' isn't going to be using them?"

"No. We got all that covered already." Reaper told him. It sounded like Velvet was truly trying to move on.

Probably has a lot to do with Sun.

Good for them.

"Alright, I gotta go. I'll be out when the festival begins proper, so I'll see you soon. I love you." Taiyang spoke across the line.

"I love you too… dad." Reaper hung up two seconds before the cafeteria opened.

Reaper ran into Weiss and Blake as she approached the cafeteria door. Almost literally. "You're in a hurry." Weiss pointed out. "Going to your usual lunch spot?" Reaper nodded.

"Tell her we said 'Thank you.'" Blake asked. "We didn't get a chance to before she ran away after helping us with Creature."

"I will." The scythe master promised. She collected her double-helping of food, filled with all of Neo's favorites, and flashed out of the cafeteria. Across campus, her and Neo's table was still abandoned by the rest of the student body. Reaper sat down and watched the tree line. Three minutes into waiting and her smile faltered. Was she not going to show today? Why not? There weren't any other beasts from the past to capture her…

Her smile returned full force when Neo rippled into view and sat down. "Blake and Weiss want me to pass on their 'thank you's for your help with Creature."

'You guys took care of me and didn't arrest me. It's the least I could do.' Neo wrote back. Reaper had a feeling Neo would have helped regardless.

The two shared a silent, yet happy lunch. There was a certain unease from the shorter girl. A subject she didn't broach until near the end of the lunch hour. Reaper looked up to see Neo writing in her notebook and waited patiently for whatever she had to say.

'I found where they're keeping Roman. I have a plan, if you want to help.' It said.

Reaper's face fell. She looked back to Neo with a sad smile. "I'm staying here, Neo… but you already knew that, didn't you…?" Neo's eyes fell and she nodded. "If you want to go get him, I won't stop you. Just… don't tell me anything about that life. Plausible deniability, you know…" Neo nodded and started gathering her things to leave. Reaper wondered if she would ever see the girl again.

You're letting her get away.

For once, please, be quiet when I ask you too.

Velvet I can understand, but Neo? Come on, girl.

I can't rejoin her in that life.

You may not have to.

She would never go for that…

You won't know until you try. She still asked about Roman, right?

Neo set her hand on the table to steady her as she stood to leave.

"Wait." She felt Reaper's hand come down on top of it. The multi-colored girl turned back to one of the few people she ever called friend.

"Look," Reaper looked unsure of what she was about to say, but barreled through regardless. "Ozpin… he's a good guy. He believes in second chances. He gave me mine. I think, if we go ask him together, he'll give you one too. You would probably have to turn yourself in, go into Rehabilitative Custody…" The scythe girl trailed off, looking up at her friend.

Neo couldn't believe was Reaper was asking of her. She had already answered this question herself before, the possible choice between Roman and Reaper. But back then, she thought, at most, it would be a choice between two criminal groups… not between the life she had always known and becoming a huntress… Could she do that?

Reaper stood and walked around the table, keeping ahold of Neo's hand. She looked her friend in the eyes as she spoke. "I know you probably won't enjoy it like I do. I know you probably won't find it… as fulfilling as the criminal life. But please, give it a chance. Stay here. At Beacon. With me."

Multi-colored eyes grew wide. With me. Two words, insignificant on their own, but could possibly breathe a whole new meaning into what Reaper was asking. Neo's answer hinged on the question of what exactly Reaper meant. Did she just want her friend, or did she want Neo by her side? Reaper saw and understood the question within her small friend's eyes. She answered the only way someone in her position and mindset should.

Reaper left arm wrapped around Neo. Her right hand came behind the illusionists head, supporting it. She drew the girl close, and their lips came together.

They had kissed plenty of times, during their occasional nocturnal activities. But this was different. There wasn't the heat, the hunger, the lust that usually accompanied their 'joinings'. There was a different kind of passion, the kind Neo had been hunting for months now in her black clad friend. Neo melted into the girl. This was it. She was asking Neo to be with her, and Neo was willing to give herself eagerly. The kiss finally broke, and not even if Creature burst from the bushes, could the smiles possibly be wiped from their faces.

Reaper took Neo's hand and led the girl to Ozpin's office. The nerves Neo felt from this sudden change in plans were beaten back by her heart being on cloud nine. Neo was really going to give up her criminal life, try and become a huntress. But whatever troubles they faced along the way, her and Reaper would face them together. Truly, finally, together.


Finally at the end... but it feels rather open, doesn't it? The reason I want to end Black Reaper is simply because it's too time consuming. Putting out an entire act week after week is pretty demanding on that precious commodity, and I really need to try and get my life on track. Also, I'm kinda out of plot ideas at the moment. That being said, just because 'Black Reaper' is over, it doesn't mean I'm done with this little world of mine. I highly enjoyed writing these characters like this, and would not be opposed to doing a sequel and/or spinoff in the future. So as always, I welcome feedback and follow if you aren't already, because if I do decide to continue this tale, the first thing I'm doing is placing an announcement on the back of Black Reaper.

P.S. Since I told you guys I would tell you more on you guys being the reason Neo stuck around (and i just figured it would be cool for you to know) here it is. The original plan for Black Reaper had Ruby returning as 'Ruby' and getting back with Velvet, with everything that happened sexually with Neo causing friction in their relationship. But then I started getting reviews with people excited for Ruby and Neo being together. By the time I released act 2 and started working on act 3, I knew I was going to end with 'Reaper' and Neo, and Reaper asking her to stay at Beacon. All because of you guys. And I honestly feel its the better story, so thank you for helping my story evolve in this way.

See you around!