Hey everybody, what's going on. I'm M12R0R. And welcome back to another chapter of Brightest in the Dark. I kinda got excited to get back in the groove of this story and instantly started on this chapter the moment I uploaded Chapter 4. I got super excited and the continued support for this story I've received will have me happily working on making this the best I can. We've managed to climb well past 100 followers. Thank you all. Please remember to leave any comments or questions you have, if you'd like to follow and favorite please feel free to, and please enjoy this next chapter!
The Vex Mind, Cronus, rose back to its feet, it's claw-like appendages digging into the ground, the wrecked Sparrow dematerializing behind it. It didn't move, not even when Ruby slid up the wall to her feet did it's optic refusing to look away from Thorne. She was still in some pain and possibly shock, but nonetheless, she looked at the cyborg defiantly.
"What do you want? Why are you doing this to people?" She winced when she spoke, reaching up and holding her hand to her throat. Thorne looked to her, his lense containing worry. However, he wanted to learn more about this strange being.
"What's your game, Vex?" The Vex being only glares daggers at the Ghost. And he felt it's gaze, piercing him like a sword.
"Are you scared, Ghost. This is the second time you failed to protect the one you care for." The Vex took a step forward.
"How do you know about that?" The Vex took another step forward. Thorne's lense blinked rapidly with worry as the memories from that day began to flood back.
"Because I was there. In the Gate, when you opened it. You awakened me...142..." Another step was taken. Ruby and Thorne slowly started to back away.
"142?" Ruby asked confused. The Vex shot a look to her.
"...That's the number of lives your friend has allowed me take single handily. Law enforcement, Huntsmen...Guardians..." Thorne's lense widened with fear. "Not to mention all those who perished because those "defenders" weren't there to protect them. Those lives are countless. Lost, all because of you." Another step, the Vex was closing in, he stomped in the puddle of Radiolarian fluid it left earlier. "You should run while you have the chance, child, before he allows you to fall as w-"
"Thorne!" Ruby called out, to the side of her the Sparrow came back into being. Thorne vanished as Ruby jumped on.
"Go!" He yelled as a voice in her head. She activated it's thruster, the fire burst out, but they didn't go flying off. They were anchored in place. She looked back and saw that the Rogue Mind was holding onto the back of the vehicle with its left hand. She looked down and took notice of how surprisingly human it was. No exaggerated proportions, just human. Cronus effortlessly began to raise the Sparrow into the air.
"Thorne, I'm gonna need that backup you had." Ruby said to herself in her head. She hopped up from her Sparrow, she planted her feet on the seat and vaulted off, she flipped back, looking at the Vex the entire time. She held her hands in the position they would look if she had a weapon in her hand. Suddenly, Light from Thorne began to gather and materialize. As the Shepherd's Watch sniper rifle finalized in its creation, Ruby pulled the trigger, sending forth a round that struck the Mind in its fan-like crown. It didn't pierce it, but did cause it to appear in a daze
"That's one shot. Three to go, I only had the one clip."
"That's all I'll need." She said back to him confidently. She redirected her sights to the Sparrow, she fired, the round struck through the main part of the vehicle. It erupted in an explosion that engulfed Cronus. Ruby landed on the fire escape where it was initially perched. There was a cloud of debris, Ruby scanned it, looking for the Vex's light. "Did it teleport?"
"No, I would've detected it. Motion sensor is clear. Unless...BENEATH YOU!" She looked down and saw a rising bronze figure. She looked up and started to climb, Cronus was right behind her, tearing through the steel that made up the escape. It saw that she was getting away, and it threw its right arm upward, the barrels on its arm beginning to spin.
"OH MY GOD IT HAS A MINI GUN!" He shouted out as a torrent of molten rounds mowed through the steel. He wasn't aimed at her, but wanted to destroy the part where the escape connected to the brick building. It succeeded, the brick gave way and the escape started to collapse. Cronus leapt off, slamming its arm into the brick and hooking itself and watched for Ruby falling, she jumped up again, reaching up with a hand trying to grip the top of the building. She threw the rifle up and pulled the rest of her body to the top. She dusted off her cape, grabbed her rifle, and readied herself. She aimed the gun at the ledge, waiting for the Vex to rise over it. "It teleported! Look out!" Ruby turned around and saw Cronus reentering reality. She shot at him again, this time not for its abdomen or its head, but for the knee in its leg. The round struck, and the Vex fell to it. "Last shot, we have to make this count." Cronus stumbled up to its foot, but it's leg was weak, it's steps were extremely heavy. It shuffled towards her, as if it was going to lunge at her. She raised her weapon, trained on its optic. Cronus suddenly threw its right hand out, as if it was catching something. Ruby didn't know what it was doing.
"Arhhh! He's got me!" Her eye widened, she looked to where it's hand was again, and it was filled with glitching Light, the same as when Thorne vanishes. Cronus yanked, and ripped Thorne back into the visible plain. "Shoot it, Ruby!"
"If you shoot me, and fail, which you will, I'll crush him like a can."
"Just do it!" Thorne and Cronus' words made Ruby extremely indecisive, she looked panicked. She shot looks between the eye of the Vex and Thorne. Cronus squeezed, a crack forming in his new shell. She fired the round.
"Wrong choice." Cronus bragged. It went to crush Thorne, but it couldn't muster the strength. It looked to it's hand, and noticed a gaping hole in its wrist. It's hand fell, and it released the grip of the Ghost. Thorne flew away and to Ruby's side.
"We're out. Anything else." Ruby looked to her friend.
"I got nothing. I'm sorry." He sounded defeated, like it was his fault they wasted the round on saving him.
"How heartwarming, you put the life of your friend before those of the entire universe. Very selfish of you." Cronus held his right arm up, its barrels beginning to spin. The two looked as the barrels glowed yellow with energy. Thorne flew in front of Ruby, floating in sounds of the mini gun releasing its hailstorm went off, and Ruby grabbed Thorne and pulled him in and closed her eyes. The gun continued to fire, but nothing hit them. Ruby opened her eyes as Thorne did with his own. They looked up to see if the rounds were passing overhead, but they weren't, but they saw a purple energy that was stopping the molten bullets in mid air. They went to look at the Vex, but the sight of a tall blonde woman blocked their path. She held her arm up, holding what appeared to a riding crop as she pointed with two figure, this stance was to hold up a rune-like shape that was catching the rounds and collecting them into the center.
"A Huntress?" Thorne said with some relieved surprise. Ruby's had a similar expression, but awe was present as well.
The light from it eye intensified, and the rate of fire did as well. The rune got smaller, but only to focus higher on the intense gunfire. Cronus ceased, seemingly void of any further ammunition. The woman pushed her glasses she wore up higher on her nose. The rune vanished and all that remains was the cluster of ammunition. With a wave of her crop, the rounds condensed into a serpent-like shape, and shot forward at the Vex. It didn't move as it approached in a winding succession. The top of its arm, the lid of the canister fell, the metal flew forward , going around and trying to confuse Cronus, but the Vex knew regardless. It turned, all of this attack entering its canister. The lid snapped shut, and the barrels started to rotate, heating up its center.
The woman, seeing that she's reloaded the monster's weapon, decided to end things before the metal could be smelted down again. She pulled her crop back, her body became engulfed in a fuchsia glow, and she threw it forward, shooting forth a magenta energy into the sky above. Thick thundering storm clouds condensed above Cronus. The woman threw down her crop, pointing it to the rooftop beneath her. From this storm, icy spear bombarded the Vex like a hailstorm. The metal within its canister was not heated to its proper temp, so Cronus took the full force that the icicles offered. The sheer impact forced it to the ground, they penetrated it's back, making it a cybernetic pin cushion. Sparks went off in its chest, it's eye flickering rapidly.
It powered to its feet. It moved its arms back, causing the ice to fracture and fall to the ground. It looked down to its damaged left arm. It tightened the grip on its hand, clenching it into a fist. The Huntress kept her weapon trained on the Vex, her face cold and emotionless.
"Looks like you've gotten the better of me. To be fair, these things are over in a few moments, and I have to use minimal effort..." A bright purple light begins to resonate from the left hand of the Vex. This energy traveled all the way up its body and into its torso, however, it's legs, head, and right arm were not infused with this energy. "Guess I've gotten lazy." Cronus drew its arm back, an orb of this glistening energy condensing into its palm. Thorne's lense widened, getting a sense of deja vu for what was coming.
"We need to move! You can't block what's coming!" The woman turned and looked at Ruby, but noticed the Ghost floating just in front of her. She seemed surprised by this for a moment, but chose to take his words seriously.
"Goodbye." Cronus threw its hand forward, and from it casted a massive ball of Void energy. The woman waved her crop back, and a force pulled Ruby backwards, the two falling from the rooftop. Thorne vanished and flew down after them. The Nova Bomb tried to chase after them, but it's trajectory caused it to collide with the edge of the building. The Void force imploded on itself like a black hole, then it expanded rapidly, causing a massive explosion that devastated the side of the building, ripping a massive hole in its upper half. The Huntress held her crop up, catching the debris before it fell onto them. As she slowly lowered it onto the ground away from them, Cronus peered over the edge, glaring down at Ruby, clearly an intensity in his optic. He turned his body digitizing and vanishing from reality. The woman stood, watching the rooftop as the Vex departed. Ruby managed to her feet, and looked to the woman with astonishment.
"Your a Huntress..." the woman looked down to the girl with a scowling stare. "...can I have your autograph?!" She held her hand up just below her chin, like a puppy begging.
"I hope you realize that your actions tonight put your life and possibly the lives of dozens of innocent people in harms way. Your lucky that building was a vacant one." The woman paced back and forth, hands behind her back as she lectured the young girl. Thorne hung behind Ruby, remaining concealed since they fell from the rooftop, hoping that the woman would've chalked him up to an adrenaline induced hallucination.
"That thing started it.!" Ruby tried to plead her defense.
"To be fair, our whole "shoot first, questions later" attitude didn't help much." Thorne added his two cents in through Ruby's thoughts.
"If It were up to me, you would be sent home...with a pat on the back..." She looked down see a smile on her face forming.
"Phew, for a second I thought she was going to hit you wi-"
"...and a slap on the wrist!" The woman attempted to hit Ruby's hand with her crop, but she pulled away just in time.
"Eeek!" Ruby and Thorne both released high pitched squeaks at the same time, Thorne's especially squeaky.
"But...there is someone here who would like to meet you." The woman moved out of the way, behind her a door, one where a gray haired man entered. In one hand, a mug, in the other, a tray carrying sweets.
"Ruby Rose..." The man leaned forward, inches from her face, studying her. Ruby pulled away slightly, a little concerned for her personal space.
"Woah, okay. He's already a bit too friendly."
"You...have silver eyes." Ruby, obviously confused, couldn't say much other then make a few attempts at forming words.
"So. Where did you learn to do this?" He gestured back to the woman, who was holding a tablet up. On its screen it displayed an angled view looking down of the alley opposite of the building that was destroyed. It showed her fighting Cronus after Thorne came back, the video starting when she attempted to escape using the Sparrow. "Also, if you don't mind, explaining..." The video rewinded back, to when the Sparrow first crashed into the Vex. It zoomed in on Ruby, the video clarified, and obviously displayed what was Thorne, hovering by her side. "What this is..."
"Oh no. Busted." Ruby's eyes grew wide slightly, but held her composure just enough to not draw their attention.
"Umm. Well, okay you see...that is a...drone...that..."
"Ms. Rose, there is no reason for you to be nervous. We aren't going to say anything to anyone. You have my word." Those his words were sincere, Ruby still wasn't sure about revealing her secret.
"Okay." Thorne's voice resonated within her head as normal, but the man and woman both looked around for the source of the voice, meaning he wasn't speaking just in her head. Suddenly, to the side of her head, a familiar Ghost reappeared "What is it that you wanted to talk to us about?"
Within a dark room, a man stood with a tool in hand, tinkering with some sort of machine, while he himself was quiet, the melody of classical music was being played softly in the background. There were a multitude of machines and works in process placed in organized and neat fashion. A magnifying lamp was held in front of his face. He was clearly middle aged, tanned skin and dark hair, with a well groomed mustache to match. He wore a gray overcoat with yellow accents, a magenta vest, matching yellow dress shirt, and a black neck tie. He also had on a pair of wielding goggles, his only protection for his green eyes as sparks flew from the project he was working on. As he was about to preform a precision step in his process, the lights in the room overhead started to flicker on and off in rapid succession, the machinery started to go haywire. The tools on his workbench started to vibrate, and the ground began to shake slightly. The man sighed, as if he knew what this was. A bright light emerged behind him, and an emerging form a damaged Cronus stormed in, visibly as upset as it was injured.
"Doctor!" Cronus shouted out as he walked to the corner of the room, where a seemingly reinforced patient's chair sat. The Vex threw itself onto it, slamming its broken left arm into the chair's own, causing it to lose all the control that it managed to hold, making it fall limp. This only angered Cronus further. The doctor pulled his goggles down, making them rest around the base of his neck.
"Well hello to you too, Cronus. Your prey fought back tonight, I see." He spoke with a refined accent and proper way of speaking. The man walked around to the Vex's left side and grabbed hold of its forearm, examining the bullet hole in its wrist.
"I found it, doctor. The Ghost that brought me here. It's alive." The doctor looked up curiously, now fully invested in what Cronus had to say.
"It's alive? You mean that you failed to dispose of it?" The doctor walked around to its back, noticing the multitude of puncture wounds.
"It's already undergone symbiosis with someone else, this girl." Cronus looked down to its right arm and moved it at the joint. Suddenly, the massive hunk of metal fell from its shoulder, the magnetic force holding it to its body releasing. The crash caused the doctor to jolt up.
"Must you?" The man spoke with condescension and irritation, but it caused a disturbing laughter to echo from the Vex. "So you were bested by a child...and her floating ball." The man's condescending continued, but it caused Cronus to stop laughing, and glare at the doctor until he noticed.
"This child was different, there was just something...off..." Cronus looked off as if he was thinking, the man walked away while it pondered and retrieved a small, precision saw. He returned, pulling a chair to the side and began carving into the Vex's damaged wrist.
"Well, regardless of how "off" this girl was, you allowed someone to finally escape you. She will report this incident to the authorities, and it will leave the police and Huntsman academy on high alert. They'll have your description, your elements of surprise will be gone." The doctor removed the external armor from the arm, showing its internal wiring and components.
"I know. I know. I know, you don't have to tell me what I already know." If Cronus could hold a hand to rub its eye from the frustration, it would.
"You realize that this isn't going to bode well for you in the eyes of the Lady, right?" He severed the wrist, removing the hand from the rest of the arm.
"Again, I know this, I understand what she does with those she deems useless. But there is a way that I can still prove more then useful."
"Ohh? And how's that."
"Well, I am an abundant source of any information she need, in the span of the last hour I've rerouted several shipments of Dust to our associates in Vale."
"That wouldn't cut it for someone of your...particular skill set."
"I don't wish to sit on the side, however her tactics of quiet intervention don't suite me."
"So what are you suggesting?" The man looked to the Vex with a raised eyebrow and curios gaze.
"I believe that I can bring about the results of our former agreement, but in a direct approach. In order to do that...I need her to loosen the leash. I need to expand my mind."
"The few times you have even attempted to create your "expansions", she destroyed them outright without a moment's hesitation, she knows how powerful you could become, she wishes not to have the possibility of you rivaling her."
"She will need to take that chance in order for me to succeed in the understanding of the Sword Logic, and once I do I will be able to give her all she wishes."
"Speaking of which, why is it that you need to rely on this cult religion, how is it supposed to be of any use."
"From my understanding of what Quria collected and returned to the network, a being needs to ensure the destruction and slaughter of all things that cannot protect themselves, the more deaths, the stronger a being will become. This survival of the fittest, once it is mastered, one could possess the strength a god. But that is not my goal. Your master offered me salvation in the face of annihilation, for that I will offer her everything she could ever want. I must accomplish this. And to do that...well...Doctor Watts, what is your experience in the field of biomechanics." Watts was taken back for a moment, but a smile of excitement grew beneath his mustache. But his thoughts soon retracted to usual, doubtful self.
"And the Ghost, what are you to do about it?"
"I'll let it play house for now, but, when the time comes...consider it erased."
"So this...Cronus? This being followed you when you were sent her. And this creature has somehow managed to harness this "Light" that your Guardians use in addition to its abilities to time travel, teleport, manipulate your thoughts, and an abundance of other things. Does that about sum this up?" The man sat, holding his hands folded in front of his mouth. Thorne and Ruby looked to each other, then back to him.
"Yeah that's about it."
"That covers it." Ruby said nodding slightly.
"Well Ms. Rose, and Mr. Thorne, I do appreciate your openness with all this. Especially since you have kept this secret from your family for over 10 years."
"Well, I'm surprised your so calm about this." Ruby smiled nervously.
"We sorta just...KABOOM'd your entire perception of your reality." Thorne elaborated. The man chuckled to himself.
"Yes, while this is all surprising to hear, I have seen more then my fair share of odd occurrences over my years."
"So, what's next?" Thorne asked looking to the man with concern.
"If your referring this entire situation, we will be making all professional Huntsmen and Police forces aware of the identity of Cronus, they need to be prepared for the future. And we will allow for some of the details to reach the media, however will censor the details. Meaning what Cronus is and you yourself will be left out. Vale will see Cronus as the killer it is, and that Ms. Rose was successful able to defend herself against a serial killer that has never let someone escape."
"Thank you, sir, it really does mean a lot to us." Thorne spoke with absolute sincerity, this reaction to him as truly counteracted all his previous expectations.
"My pleasure. Now, onto my other reason for my visit tonight. Ms. Rose, though your scythe was destroyed, you still showed resourcefulness and composure in the face of a greater force. It truly was astounding to see your skill for someone so young."
"I did have some good teachers." She said glancing over towards her friend. Then she reached down to the cookie tray and snatched one up.
"I see..." The man stood up from his chair.
"I did manage to recognize a few techniques in your scythe wielding, and it just reminded me of a dusty old crow I know."
"That's my uncle." Ruby said with food muffling her voice and crumbs spilled out of her mouth. Thorne rolled his lense.
She swallowed before she continued. "Sorry, that's my Uncle Qrow, he taught me how to at Signal. I was complete garbage before he took me under his wing. With him and Thorne's help I'm all like...Wahhhh...Witchaaa...Pew pew pew!" She made some karate chops, and then went to acting like she's shooting dual revolvers. The man chuckled, the woman behind stood like a cold statue with a glare to match, but rolled her eyes at Ruby's goofiness.
"So we've noticed." He placed his mug on the table and leaned onto it. "And what is an adorable girl such as yourself doing at a school designed to train warriors?"
"Well...I want to be a Huntress."
"You want to slay monsters."
"Well I do have two more years at Signal before I apply to Beacon." As she spoke her excitement grew, and she began to speak faster and faster with every passing word. "Ever since I've been little my parents taught us to help people. And when I met Thorne he told me all these stories about the Guardians and how they save people so I figured it was fate that I would help people so I was like "Eh, might as well make a career out of it." She giggled to herself, however continuing on with her rambling. "I mean the police are fine but Huntsmen and Huntresses are so much like the Guardians and are so romantic and awesome and exciting and really just GOSH! You know!" She threw her arms out, accidentally smacking Thorne in the shell.
"Ow. Ow. Ow." Thorne complained, blinking his lense rapidly as he regained his balance next to her. The two adults stared down at the duo, studying them intently. "I think their gonna whack us?" Ruby glanced to Thorne, who was shaking himself in a frantic nodding motion.
"Do you know who I am?" The man asked.
"You're Professor Ozpin. You're the headmaster at Beacon." Ruby said with a smile.
"He's a high up official, he can easily depose of us. No one will know." Thorne continued on with his nonsensical assumption that Ozpin would kill them. Ruby pushed Thorne away slightly.
"Hello." Ozpin spoke with a smile.
"Nice to meet you."
"You would like to come to my school?"
"More than anything."
Ozpin glanced back to the woman behind him, she clearly had some disapproval, but he didn't care. He looked back to Ruby, then to Thorne.
"Well I think we have room for you, and your friend." Ruby's eyes widened with a smile growing massive. Thorne's lense grew wide as well.
"So we aren't gonna die?!" The Ghost ecstatically shouted with joy. His dreams for Ruby starting to come true.