Last Huntress - Chapter 9

-In The Dirt-

When Ruby awakened, there was no way to tell how much time had passed. She didn't know if it had been hours or days since she had last been conscious, able to do little more than lift her arms. An ache in her shoulder spoke of the drug that had kept her docile for so long, and even now the after effects dulled her mind and slowed her reflexes. She lay against the wall of a cell, back aching from being pressed against the rough concrete for so long. Her palms were pressed against the sides of her head, as if to contain that pain that came in thundering waves. Her eyes were screwed shut, the embrace of darkness more comforting that the glaring blaze from the light in the hallway.

Again, she opened her eyes, but her vision swam as her depth perception was thrown out of whack. There was only darkness on the right side of her vision, and it wasn't difficult to figure out what had happened. The only good news was that they hadn't just torn the cybernetic implant out of her eye socket, but whatever had disabled it had also taken out Spring's capabilities. She had been trying to get the virtual intelligence online in an attempt to contact someone to let them know what had happened. No answer came from the program, as whatever had fried the circuits of her eye had done the same to her glove.

So she sat quietly, anger simmering in her chest as she internally berated herself for her own foolishness. Lack of self preservation was only so much of an excuse. Even if she could escape, Torchwick knew who her friends were. He had fought them nearly as much as he had fought her. Simply by being here she had endangered others. Now she was half-blind and alone, and her captor had made it clear she was to be part of a great spectacle. And she was certain that he meant for her to die in there. Even if she managed to cut down every last opponent that was sent her way, he would send down that psychotic midget to finish the job.

She would fight wild animals, the starved captives from the world outside the Barricade. Then the poor, the addicts, and those left forgotten by society. Then would come the ones who had survived before, hardened by battle and driven by bloodlust. Her fate, as she stared with her one good eye at the useless glove covering her hand, was effectively sealed.

With that thought, the anger grew. She hadn't wanted to come to this place. Ever. But running afoul the White Fang had forced her hand, as she had the choice of either walking into this nest of vipers and maybe keeping her head, or watching Faunus gangsters tear apart those she still called friends before ultimately killing her. It had always been a gamble, and at this point, all she could hope for was that Torchwick's taste for blood would be sated when her heart beat it's last shuddering beat. Just the way the cards had been dealt.

What kind of shit hand was that?

A sigh fell from her dry lips at that thought. Fate hadn't dealt her any favors her whole life, today was no reason to expect anything different. She let her head slide back until it knocked against the stone wall, the vibrations tearing through her skull in such a way that they silenced her wandering thoughts, just as she had intended.

It wasn't much, but it was a moment of peace from herself.

Yang's thoughts were fuzzy as her mind slowly crept back into consciousness, a scattered collection of the previous day's events replaying as she felt a gentle rumble against her chest answer her every sound of rain gently pattering at the window filled the room, creating a deceptively calm ambience, as if the world was no longer there outside of her awareness. Her eyes shot open at the thought of her sister, but she was met only by a darkness that indicated it was still night.

Even more confusing to her senses were two furred ears that slowly fell back against her face before twitching away, repeating the process several times before she glanced down. It seemed that the bartender had stayed with her long after she had fallen asleep, and had even curled up next to her. However the Faunus had laid down on the bed, Yang was certain it was her own fault that Velvet was now pulled flush against her, with an arm wrapped over the rabbit-girl's stomach. She had always been overzealous when it came to cuddling.

Extracting herself carefully from the small, warm body that lay in her bed, she pulled away until she could straighten into a sitting position. Her hair was a mess, requiring a hand to push it out of the way as she swept an exhausted gaze across the room. She was still disoriented from being woken up, but the thought to find the time dominated her current goals. The memories might have been fragmented by the haze of sleep, but if she had slept long enough, she would be able to see if Blake had been successful or not.

Finally turning and straining to pull her alarm clock closer to the bed from the nightstand, she blinked a few times before her mind could gather the information she had sought. Yang grimaced, finding it had only been a couple of hours since she had suffered an emotional breakdown. There would be no news yet, and that thought alone would have reduced her back to tears if she had any left. It seemed she had sobbed them all away earlier. The edges of her eyes ached with a telltale puffiness.

A part of her yearned to disregard all that Blake had said, and charge off to rescue her little sister. But the realist in her mind repeated what she already knew, that any such course of action would likely only end in both of them being dead, and ruining any chance her old partner had of mounting a successful strike. It was a problem she couldn't just swing at until it caved beneath her, and Yang truly did not know how to process it.

So she slumped back onto the bed, wincing as the Faunus next to her stirred at the disturbance. She knew Velvet would be eager to help her, that she could confide all her fears in the other woman if she so desired. But for now, she wanted only the silence of the night, and her own company. Yang waited until the brunette's breaths faded back into a normal rhythm, before adjusting her placement on the bed until she was once again close.

Ruby wasn't sure when or how she had fallen asleep, but a sharp intake of breath brought her back into the conscious world. Without a way to reliably tell how much time has passed, she settled on it being a few hours. The drug that had kept her down had mostly worn off, but the last vestiges remained in her system, dulling her senses as she struggled to her feet. A groan filled the tiny space of her cell as she laced her fingers together and stretched skyward, generating a loud series of pops as the joints in her back loosened up.

As she let her limbs ease back into a comfortable range, she gingerly lifted her shirt to expose her ribs and stomach. While the wound that Yang had stitched shut still remained, several of the stitches had popped in the time since then, identifiable as small spots of dried blood at this point. The bruising she had suffered from her fight with Russel had mostly turned to a subdued yellow coloring, and had shrunk from the last time she had examined it. A few fingers pressed into her ribs revealed that the tenderness was gone as well, her aura having taken care of most of her injuries in the time she had been out cold.

It was a mixed blessing. She wouldn't be going into a fight already injured, but her ability to manipulate and harness Aura had diminished greatly in the past few years. Like a muscle, the energy needed to be worked and practiced in order to function to its highest potential. While her limited use still put her miles ahead of those who had not been trained at an Academy, being hopelessly outnumbered in the Pit was going to tax it beyond its capabilities.

With a heavy sigh, she rolled down the edge of her tanktop and adjusted it to fit over the hem of her jeans, only to be startled by a low laugh from outside her cell. "Come now Red, the boys were enjoying the show." Roman Torchwick was partially shrouded by shadows as he spoke through the bars, but she could spot the two wide grins of the men that flanked the gangster. The glare she shot their way was enough to convey to both of them exactly what would happen if they dared enter the cell. Or at least, she hoped it was. "Now now, that's no way to react to an audience. After all, you'll soon be the focus of thousands! Do try to put on a good show for me."

"When I get out of here," Ruby approached the bars of the cell slowly, keeping her voice low in a dangerous growl, "I am going to tear you apart." While the two men flanking her captor moved up to place themselves between her and their boss, her words caused only a mocking laugh to escape the man himself.

"And how are you planning to get out of here, Red? By yourself? Got some friends coming to help you, maybe?" Roman waved his hand irritably to get his men out of the way as he approached the cell, stopping just out of reach so she had no hope of getting to him. He gave her a self-assured smile, removing his bowler as he leaned in a bit further. "See Red, I put out some feelers after you showed up here, trying to get some info on what you've been up to. Turns out you aren't very popular anymore. Your little Schnee girlfriend hasn't talked to you in four years, and even your sister is on her last rope. Drugs, drinking, fighting.. Almost makes me wish I hadn't met you when you were so determined to be a big damn hero, would've loved to have someone like you on the payroll.

"But alas, here we are." Torchwick leaned away from the cell, extending his arms as if to encompass the current situation. Always the dramatic, he even looked around the length of the cell before his dark green eyes met hers. "And no one is coming for your worthless pelt."

Ruby gripped at the iron that separated her from the man insulting her, the fire of her rage at his comment burning out as she found she could not disagree with his assessment. She wanted to tear his throat out and silence the truth in his words. No one would be coming for her, and the fact she did not blame any of them did not even generate a minute amount of shock. he paid her no mind and left down the long corridor that lay outside her cell, leaving her alone once again.

"Do you even deserve to be saved?"

It had been a long time since she had heard that voice, that judgemental annoyance in the back of her thoughts. It was usually silenced with drink, something she hadn't gone without for more than a day's time in over two years. She slumped against the cold metal bars of her cage, pressing her forehead directly against one of them as if it could help her banish this devil that had finally caught up to her. In only a moment, all of the rage that had filled her and all of the fury that had fueled her was swept away.

"Look at you, trapped in a corner and already giving up."

Ruby only felt weary at hearing that voice, her voice, again. The last remnants of her moral center that had driven her to the darkest of lows and haunted her sleeping hours. She had thrown everything at it in an effort to silence it, even briefly. Drugs had worked, for a little while. Then that strategy had become prohibitively expensive, and she had adapted to drowning it out with alcohol. To hear it again, after all she had done to avoid it, it hit a nerve that had not been strung for a long time.

"Good riddance, the world will be better off without you."

She closed her eyes against the world, willing her mind to go blank as the sweat that had meandered down from her forehead mingled in with the first of her tears. For years she had been haunted by the harshest of abusers and critics, and this resurgence felt like a knife twisting in her heart. Ruby didn't cry out, or begin to sob, she had been through this far too often to be so affected by it. Yet still the tears came, bitterly ignored until a hand gently touched on her own, over the bars of her cage.

Ruby wasn't sure what she had expected, but a scantily clad fox-girl was not it. She recognized the other Faunus immediately, having seen her up in Torchwick's penthouse, the eye candy with the collar. Dressed in the same revealing leotard with the symbol of The Gentlemen displayed upon her stomach, the other woman gave her a sad, knowing smile. "I'm glad you're awake," Auburn's voice was smooth as silk, but quiet as if she were afraid to draw attention to them, "I was worried he would keep you drugged until the fighting."

She wanted to pull away from the other Faunus, especially one who had submitted so subserviently to her enemy, but the proximity of another had calmed the voice in her head. For now, she tolerated the contact with all her usual hospitality. "Why are you here?"

The blunt question was answered by a more energetic smile as the fox-girl backed away and bent down, retrieving a tray that she had previously placed there. "I brought some food! It's not much, but it's what I could steal without being noticed. Also this." Auburn waggled a flask in her direction, the movement causing the liquid inside to slosh around noisily. While the promise of something to eat caused her stomach to churn in empty discomfort, it was the container being offered that Ruby snatched through the bars, twisting the cap off with practiced ease.

Taking a long drink of the bitter whiskey held within, she slumped back against the bars when she had finished. Her antics caused a small chuckle from other woman, enough that she cracked open her good eye to watch the fox with a curious expression. "You're Ruby Rose." Knowledge of the name itself didn't surprise her, she had figured that Torchwick would be bragging about her to all of his pals in the penthouse, but the way that Auburn had said it caused her eyebrows to furrow. She couldn't recall the last time someone had said her name with such enthusiasm. "I used to have a poster of you on my wall, I even went to the Vytal Festival your second year to watch you fight!"

Downing another gulp from the flask, Ruby twisted the cap back into place as she let out a wry chuckle. She remembered that tournament well, having watched from the sidelines while her teammates had competed. A broken ankle had taken her out of the fight the day after the first team round, all the way until the singles, but they had agreed that Yang would continue on from there. "I'm sure that was a disappointment."

The fox-girl bent down, dismissing her negativity with a wave of her hand as she slid the tray of food under the cell door. After a moment, she straightened and brushed her palms together. "Anything but! I was there for the team round so I got to watch you, and your sister did really well from there." Auburn leaned closer to the bar, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Truth be told, I had a bit of a crush on Yang."

"People always do." There was no bitterness to Ruby's words, as it was a fact of life that her half-sister received much more attention than herself. It had bothered her during the first couple of years into puberty, but acceptance of this common occurrence came around the time she and Weiss started dating. "I must not have been a very good role model, considering the collar."

"Oh," Auburn's fingers ghosted across the surface of the leather band, and a sad expression crossed the other Faunus' face, "This. You were actually magnificent. I mean, all my friends looked up to you for how brave you were. Showing off your ears, beating down criminals, even dating a Schnee! Every Faunus at school loved you! But.."

As Ruby's eyes studied the paisley patterned leotard that clung to the slender fox-girl's body, Auburn continued. "I used to live here, back when it was just another neighborhood. After they evicted everyone, I came back to get some things before they tore it all down.. I'm not like you. I can't fight, but I didn't want to back down either!" Her gaze slowly matched the angry glare of the other Faunus, an eyebrow quirking as the tension in the younger woman's voice rose. "I caused enough trouble that they took me to the Pits, But then they made me an offer: Die in the mud or wear a collar. We all do what we have to."

"I mean, look at you." That got Ruby's attention, even in mid drink from the flask she had been given. "You've changed too."

"Having your life ripped down over the course of a few days will do that to you." Growling as she bit back the last drops of whiskey, she tightened the cap back into place and tossed it through the bars. She refused to feel guilty for another's problems. If Auburn was weak enough that being a slave was preferable to death, it wasn't her place to judge. Not anymore. "Thanks for the drink."

There was a pause as the other Faunus stared at her, rolling the flask over in unsteady hands and biting at her bottom lip. "I.. I wish I could do more."

"Get out of here, before someone finds out you came down." The fox-girl's eyes went wide as she spoke, a brief expression of hurt crossing over pretty features. "Torchwick would hurt you if he knew, maybe even kill you. Don't try anything like this again, not where it concerns me. He hates me enough he'll gladly kill a pet to see if it would upset me."

A hurried nod confirmed that Auburn understood, and the other Faunus turned to leave before stopping. "Would that.. Upset you?"

Ruby shifted so she could look directly at the younger woman through the bars. Either by the constant notion that she was waiting to be put to death in front of a crowd, or the lingering realization that the voice in her head would never truly be silenced, but her ability to lie was nowhere to be found. What had become such a natural reaction to probing questions was suddenly as foreign as if she had never utilized it before.

"I don't think I can handle any more death on my conscience."

Ruby knew when the two men in suits came to her cell that time was up. As she was led through the tunnels, her mind raced through thoughts of escape and ways to incapacitate the gangsters who now held her arms. She made no such attempt, as she had a perfect understanding of what the consequences for others would be even if she were successful at getting away. If Torchwick wanted blood, he would take it. At least this way she could be sure that it was her's that he would spill.

It was a small comfort that the flask Auburn had given her had quieted the voice in the back of her mind, allowing her clarity as she marched toward her destination. The food had given her strength, but sustenance alone could not make up for four years of neglecting Aura exercises, all it had done was give her a bit more of an edge. She sucked in a breath experimentally, the corners of her lips twitching upwards when she confirmed that her ribs had healed enough to not slow her down.

The guards that held her arms paid no attention to her mental check on her body, to the way she subtly stretched her joints in an effort to limber up. They simply continued on down the tunnel until they reached a wide, circular room. It was here, directly beneath the arena, that Ruby first heard the crowd. A pounding that shook the very walls as hundreds -thousands - screamed in a raucous cheer.

Her keen lupine ears could also detect the repetitive beat of music, likely a pre-show to whip the crowd into a frenzy before the main event. In that moment, listening to those who had come to watch her die, Ruby felt only hatred. She could count on one hand the number of times she had felt so strongly in the last four years, but the anger that burned through her veins now seemed to be supplied by the very furnace of her soul. She hated them all, so much so that it caused her to shake as she was roughly stopped in the middle of the room.

A larger man than the two that held her, with a shaved head and a suit made from a much finer cloth than the regular guards' moved forward with a hand held up, palm facing her. "Hold up, Torchwick wants her served up bloody." Her confusion was a contrast to the understanding of the two who tightened their grip upon her, keeping her in place as the big one drew a knife from his belt. He placed it first against the bandage wrapped around her shoulder from a previous wound, before pressing down and sliding it against her skin.

The fine edge of the weapon cut through the soiled cloth and into her skin. She grit her teeth as she issued a low, dangerous growl. Her warning was ignored, as blood began to leak from the reopened gash and travel down her arm. The other arm was next, and this one caused her to rattle against the hands that held her in place, swinging her weight forward and pushing up on the balls of her feet.

The top of her head smashed into the bottom of the big one's head, causing him to cry out in surprise as he stumbled back, clutching at his chin and glaring at her. She matched his look of fury with a reckless grin of her own, an expression that cost her as he swung a fist at her. Her vision exploded into light as the solid knuckles crashed into her, powerful enough to have thrown her like a ragdoll if she were not firmly held down by the two guards.

Immediately she crumpled to the ground. Her vision came back in a daze as she heard all three share a laugh as they left her there, but she was acutely aware of the doors opening above her. Water came down in a tide, washing over her and causing her hair to stick to her face, further obscuring her vision as the platform she was on rose into the arena. More noticeably, the cheering grew several levels in volume to a deafening hail of noise.

As Ruby shakily made her way back up to her feet, she brushed the rogue strands of dyed hair back from her face. It seemed the storm that had arrived days ago had remained, casting torrents of rain down the hollow middle of the building and straight into the Pits. But the water could not hide the hundreds of faces that leered down on her from the lit windows of the circular structure. Far above was the penthouse she had so blithely marched into, knowing she was likely walking to her death. The distance made it difficult to pinpoint him, but she knew that Torchwick was watching her from up there.

She had thought the idea of dying would be an easy one to walk into, especially when she had been forced into an impossible choice between two powerful gangs. She had thought she could let go, let this half-life she had been leading since the academies were closed come to a sudden end. But being here, ankle deep in the mud of the Pits and staring up at the man she had expended so much energy to hunt, all she could think of was the sadistic pleasure he would derive from watching her fall to his beasts.

Perhaps it wasn't the best reason to fight for her life, but the hatred she felt now against those who surrounded her made her heart beat like it hadn't in years. A resolve washed over her, a sensation that had once come so naturally to a young Huntress, but now felt like she was receiving a desperately needed second wind.

Ruby Rose curled her fingers into fists, and glared skyward.

Blake Belladonna had done many reckless things in recent years, but she had never so willfully traveled into the Crimson Quarter. She had been here before, ironically on the run from the White Fang. Even then it had been her last remaining option. She hated this place, she hated the people who came here and just ignored all the injustice around them for a few passing pleasures.

The whole Quarter left the taste of bile in her mouth. From the haze of musky sweat that permeated every street, to the sounds of various whores peddling their services in alleys and doorways. It was amusing, in a more cosmic way, that when inhibitions were removed, even humans became little more than animals.

But her disgust as the revolting hedonism was tempered by her reason for coming here. She had heard the news that was whispered on the street corners of Vale by mouths covered by hands, that a Huntress, one of the once-legendary warriors of Remnant, was to die in the blood soaked mud of the Crimson Pits. More importantly, she had followed the young woman here two days ago.

After all, Ruby had marched right into the pit of The Gentlemen for answers, her hand forced by the likes of Blake and the rest of the White Fang. It may have been the nagging voice of guilt, but she felt responsible for the other Faunus. She wasn't sure if she could quite count the wolf as an old friend, as their parting years ago at Beacon had been less than cordial, but at the very least she felt she owed her this.

So Blake had ditched her mask and white jacket in a nearby garage, two pieces of gear that would firmly identify her as a member of the Fang, and ventured into the den of her enemy. A black, hooded coat helped to conceal her identity as a Faunus from those she passed in the street. Most had eyes so wide and bloodshot that she was sure they wouldn't notice her even if she had walked by without any clothes on at all, while the few that weren't drugged out of their minds glanced at her with a passing interest until they noticed the blade she carried. Held by its scabbard, the sheathed sword was enough of a statement to ward off any questions of her destination or intent.

After all, no one wanted to risk their life when they weren't the target.

Blake rounded the corner to see the massive crowd that had gathered around her destination, the club that housed the Pits. The streets surrounding the Jack o' Hearts were packed from wall to wall, a general buzz of excitement hanging over the people in line as the men working the door slowly admitted those on the approved lists.

So many had turned out for the event, and even on the short walk from a nearby garage where she had hidden her things to this club, Blake had heard multiple denizens of the Quarter proclaiming this the fight of a lifetime. A Huntress. In the four years since the Hunters were disbanded, they had gone from rock star heroes whose exploits were reported in international media and immortalized in the latest holovids to disgraced warriors of legend. So low was public opinion of Hunters that the event of one's violent death was now a social spectacle. Blake wouldn't be surprised if it ended up being televised in all four kingdoms.

It was here, at the edge of the crowd that was positively boiling over to watch a young woman die, that Blake realized she had no idea what she was doing. A coat had gotten her this far, but there was no chance that The Gentlemen would leave Torchwick's prize unguarded. That meant a fight, which exponentially increased the odds of her discovery. They would know who she was, and that she was a Fang. The treaty between the two organizations would ensure that her options became quite narrow at that point.

She shook her head, not permitting the thoughts to advance further. Even if it brought her life crashing down, even if her chances were abysmal, she couldn't abandon Ruby to the fate that awaited her in the Pits. Things had changed in the years since Blake had last spoke to the girl, that much was certain, but it had been the younger brunette who had hung on the longest. Who had sent message after message to her scroll, begging that she return to Beacon. That she understood the frustration that had driven Blake away in the first place.

Her fists clenched, tightening around the scabbard of her blade as she stalked the alleyways on the perimeter of the club. She had been such a fool then. Throwing away friends out of anger, and all it had gotten her was this life. She was a rabid attack dog whose leash was held by a man she had once admired for his views, but who had since turned into the very problem they had once strove to solve.

It was surprisingly little to lose when it all came down to it, Blake decided. Plan or not, she had to do something.

She rounded another corner and stared down the alley at the two bouncers who were talking near what had to be an employee entrance. Blake carefully leaned her sword against the wall, and took a step forward. The only warning the two men ever got was the sound of her knuckles cracking.

Author's Note: This chapter was about halfway complete when I switched to do Chapter 8, hence the really quick update. Happy 4th to my fellow Americans, I hope you all have a safe holiday, even those who aren't celebrating it! Special thanks to my awesome beta, Unjax, who will forever be dear to me because he challenges the stupid things I write when I'm tired so I can fix them(seriously guys there was a line in here that was just terrible that he caught. Thank goodness). As always, shoutout to the followers, favoriters, and especially the reviewers of this story. You guys remain as awesome as always and I love how many of you are enjoying the story! Definitely motivates me to keep writing.. Anyway, drop a review with your thoughts, I'm always happy to hear from you! 'Til next time! -Fox