In my defense, I did initially say that I would post some time during the weekend….

Anyway, enjoy the new chapter. And I'm sorry about the later upload. Let me know what you all think.

Chapter Eight

Two weeks had passed and Ruby was out of the hospital. Physically, she was fine. Had some scars on her stomach, but that was it. She had become more isolated after the incident, stopped talking to Blake and Weiss. Even Yang was beginning to feel shut out. Same couldn't be said for Crimson, as he kept his distance from the girl. Something changed within him.

Blake could tell. How he was always the first out of the door every morning and last back every night. How he sat on the other end of the group, the farthest from Ruby, during lunch. At least, on the days that he DID eat with them. Most of the time, at least according to Yang, he eats alone. Outside.

Away from the rest of the team.

The one that he's supposed to be teaching.

That was something else that had begun to bug Blake. The only reason that Team RWBY had even met Crimson was because of Ozpin's Senior Shadow Program. Implying that the less seasoned team would follow and learn from the older and more experienced. They've done neither as he's kept his distance from them. So that's what Blake decided to do: follow and learn. Though, not necessarily with Crimson's permission.

It was Tuesday. As far as she knows, he always visits Team CFVY first to do… something. They were never around to see what it was that Crimson did. But, Blake intended to find out. Ozpin paired him with them for a reason. But, why? Why him? Yes, he has a troubled past, but there was more to it than that. There's more to HIM than just that.

Blake kept her distance as she tailed him down the halls of Beacon's dorms. However, if she was caught, he would naturally question why she wasn't with the team. Her response, though complete and utter bullshit: she forgot her book.

He was walking roughly five meters ahead of her, and she was keeping that distance constant. Then, he rounded a corner. She waited around the bend a little bit, but when turning to continue following him, Blake came face to face with the red eyed half-faunus. Naturally, she jumped.

"Are you following me, Ms. Belladonna?"

Here it was, time for her perfectly constructed lie. "No, I was just on my way back to the room real quick. Forgot my book."

Crimson chuckled, but didn't let her pass. "I'm apologize. I should rephrase. You're following me." This was not a question. It was a statement of fact.

She had been found out. Now, to improvise. "You're right. I'm… I'm sorry. It's just, I wanted to ask you a few things about…"

Think, Blake, THINK!

"About?"

Something! ANYTHING!

"About… human-faunus relations. For the school paper."

Where in the hell did that come from?

"What? Like do I think there's a chance for peace between the races?"

He bought it?

"Yeah… I guess so."

This time, he didn't chuckle. He laughed, but not necessarily at her. "I am the shining example of the possibility of peace between the races!" He did have a point. Human mother. Bat faunus father. He gestured for her to walk alongside him. "Damn shame that my father isn't able to see me now. His own prodigy… training to become a huntsman." This wasn't the plan, but if it kept him from becoming suspicious of her, then she would have to entertain him.

"Why's he not able to?"

Crimson sighed heavily, and Blake was expecting him to lock up. "He died when I was five. Shot in the chest by another faunus. Some extremist asshole with a gun and an ego."

No… not them.

"The White Fang?"

"Yep. Killed one of 'their own kind' because father wouldn't step aside. Dumb fucking reason to get shot."

"Or maybe a dumb reason to shoot someone."

"Maybe. But, that's why I'll never join those White Fang supremacists."

Crimson opened the door to their dorm. "Because they killed your dad?"

"Because they think that violence solves everything. Especially with that Taurus shit wagon rolling about."

He knows about Adam?

"You ever meet this 'Taurus' character?" Obviously, Blake won't let on that SHE knows Adam… personally. Or even professionally. Or even at all.

Crimson leaned in close as he closed the door, something was off. "Don't think I don't know about your involvement."

Fuck.

It was at this point that Blake immediately locked the door, grabbed Gambol Shroud, and punched Crimson in the face. The blow sent him reeling back, giving her the window needed to bring her blade up to the half-faunus's neck. Unfortunately for her, Crimson's recovery time was extremely fast, as he already had his katana unsheathed and brought up to block her. Still, Blake demanded answers. "Is that why you're here?! Did Adam send you?!" If he knew where she was… then he'd come for her. He'd hurt the people she cared about. He'd take her back and… and he'd… Blake couldn't finish the thought, the reality of her past too horrid to remember.

Crimson said, "No. I want nothing to do with that man."

"Then how do you know about me?!"

Crimson pushed against her blade a little, almost as if he was testing it. "Put the sword down and we'll talk." Reluctantly, Blake sheathed Gambol Shroud, as did Crimson with Timepiece. He indicated toward one of the bunks. "Take a seat. CFVY can wait." Blake stood, refusing to make herself any more vulnerable. "As you will, mind if I sit?"

Crossing her arms over her chest, Blake nodded. "How do you know about my involvement with Adam?" She asked again.

"First name basis, I see. Anyway, I was still living in Menagerie when I had heard that the Belladonna's girl had run away. This was three years before I left for Signal. At this time, your father had just stepped down from his position at the head of the White Fang. Sienna Khan had taken his place, and her second-in-command was a one Adam Taurus. Now, with Ms. Khan, she favored violence when necessary. I didn't always agree with her application of force, but I couldn't deny that she got results. However, what really caught my attention was Mr. Taurus." Crimson spat his name, clearly hating the horned faunus. If only he truly knew Taurus. "Him and his cat-girl… sidekick."

"Sidekick?"

He just shrugged. "It's the best word I could use to describe you. But, anyway, three years of living with him leering over my shoulder. Over my mother's shoulder. I didn't want that."

"So, why didn't you do something about it?"

"I did."

She never remembered him coming after Adam or her when she was with the White Fang. "What did you do?"

"I became a huntsman. To help people. To save them from people like Taurus."

Not the answer Blake was expecting. "I mean, why didn't you come after Adam?"

Crimson chuckled dryly. "Is that your answer to everything? When someone does something you don't like, you try and kill them?"

"That's not what I me-" Blake had begun to defend herself.

"That's exactly what you meant. And that's exactly why I despise the White Fang. Because they think that violence solves everything."

"It got us results!"

"It also breeds resentment. Which leads to hatred and anger. Which leads to more violence."

"You…!" Blake was about to shout at him, but realized that he's right. All Adam ever did was bring about retribution on the human's part. Or maybe, Crimson just didn't understand. "Have you ever killed anyone?" She whispered the question. Crimson was… unfazed by it. Blake's first was a PMC soldier who was guarding a Schnee oil rig. Adam was busy with the explosives. Without looking up, he grunted in recognition, and that was her queue. It was without hesitation. Without mercy. At least initially. But, when the bullet sunk into his skull, and blood sprayed over her, she vomited on the catwalk. All Adam did was sigh and told her to get up.

She had killed four more people after that. It got easier, but was never easy. She used to beat herself for being too weak. HE used to beat her for being weak. She still has the scars from when Wilt cut deep into her flesh. She didn't expect Crimson to understand. He had scars of his own, but not like hers. "Yes. Twice. Both times were White Fang extremists. First time, I saved a shipping pilot from being murdered in cold blood. Now he owes me a free ride at my convenience. The second time was in self-defense. At the time, I looked like a human. And this nutjob cornered me in an alley in downtown Vale." It was at this point that Crimson leaned in close to the wide-eyed Blake. "Both of us have our share of pain and guilt. Don't you dare think that you hurt more. You just hurt differently." And with that he left Blake alone in the room to ponder on what he had said.

Unbeknownst to either of them, Ruby was wide awake, in her bunk. Listening to all of this.

Today was the day.

Normally, it would be the other person to do this to her. But, in Ruby's… condition, that wasn't going to happen any day soon. And so, Weiss was taking the initiative.

Weiss was going to ask Ruby Rose out on a date.

She would admit that there was another reason as to why she was doing this. For the last few days, Ruby had confined herself to their room. Specifically, her bed atop the bunk which she shared with Weiss. She was still on sick leave from her classes, but soon that would end and no one, especially not Weiss, would allow that loveable girl to flunk out of Beacon Academy. This was a bid to get the girl to leave her bed finally.

And so the heiress found herself knocking on the door to their dorm. She heard no one say come in, but also no protest to her entrance. Weiss cracked open the door, peeking in for a moment, before opening it and entering the room completely. Last time, she had walked in on Yang changing. While the blonde was, for the most part, unaffected by being seen butt-naked, Weiss on the other hand, was now paranoid of a recurrence.

Weiss found her where she always found Ruby: in her bed. But she wasn't asleep. "Who is it?" she asked.

"It's Weiss. Ruby, can I… talk to you?" Ruby sat up in her bed and stared at Weiss with those eyes. Those glorious silver eyes. And it hurt to see them lose their radiance. Their shine. She was nervous before, but not anymore. Weiss was determined to see those eyes be filled with joy.

"About?"

"Ruby, I…" The words were caught in her throat. She forced them out the only way she knew how: screaming.

"I LIKE YOU!"

Ruby jumped slightly at the sudden outburst, before realizing exactly what Weiss had said. A small smile crept over her face, a blush in a shade that rivalled the girl's cape found its way to her cheeks. The same could be said for Weiss. But, what really caught her attention was the glow that had returned to her eyes. No longer were they a matte gray, but now a bright, brilliant silver.

But, then her expression took a dive. Her smile dipped. The shine was replaced with tears. A hand subconsciously made its way to her stomach.

"Ruby…?"

Ruby leapt to her feet, and, using her semblance, sped out of the room at supersonic speeds. The force of the air rushing around the crying girl knocked Weiss over. Despite her glaring inability to keep up with the smaller girl, the heiress recovered and began to chase after her.

Luckily, Ruby left behind a trail of rose petals, making her at least easy to track. Weiss had broken out into a steady jog, following the bee-line path to… The Emerald Forest?

Why would she go back there?

As she continued to follow the trail, she became increasingly aware of two things. One, she did NOT have Myrtenaster on her belt. Two, the sounds of battle grew louder.

She reached a clearing, and saw Ruby fighting Grimm. A huge pack of Beowolves surrounding her and… Crimson? Both were fighting, but independently of one another. She could only see their afterimages, as both of them were moving so quickly that she only caught glimpses of them when they were slowed by their blades cutting into a beast.

Ruby and Crimson worked their way through the horde at amazing speeds, but something was off about them. Both of them. From what glimpses Weiss could manage, it seemed as though neither were even aware of the other. Soon, Crimson and Ruby slowed down, coming to a standstill. Both still had weapons out, their backs turned to each other. Ruby was panting, a pained expression on her face. It wasn't physical, though. It was… anger. Whatever Weiss had said cut deep into the girl. And to see someone like Ruby angry…. was actually kind of terrifying.

Both of the fighters were still on edge and had suddenly become aware of the other. But, not really aware of the other. They saw each other out of the corner of their eye, and leapt at each other. A scowl on Crimson's face bore no good will for the wrathful girl he was about to engage.