Last Huntress - Chapter 11

-Beaten Down-

Pyrrha Nikos rubbed at her thigh with a palm, attempting to calm the aching muscle that bridged the gap between the flesh and metal of her leg. The movement caught the attention of her husband, who took her hand in his own, flashing her a small smile that lit up the soft blue of his eyes. "Have they been acting up?"

"It's the stress, nothing to worry about." Even so, she could not help but to squeeze lightly at the fingers laced with her own. They were leaning against the side of a strip club only a block down the road from the 'Jack o' Hearts', beneath an awning to keep dry from the storm that raged overhead. It had been a day since word had reached her of Ruby's predicament, and all attempts to obtain a warrant to storm the place and rescue her had been stonewalled by judges and city officials on the payroll of Roman Torchwick.

Even the Commissioner had politely 'suggested' that she cease looking into it, that the risks of tangling with the gangsters was not worth the life of a Faunus, especially a washed up bounty hunter. She had angrily replied that she would continue to address the matter to the full extent her position demanded. For all that had transpired between her and Ruby these last four years, she could not abandon her friend to the torments of The Gentlemen.

"I do worry. You lead a stressful life, we both do." Jaune was perceptive enough to know that it was her anger at the absolute lack of options for them. Even the judges that weren't in bed with the Crimson Quarter's resident gang refused to touch the situation with a ten foot pole. No one wanted to put their neck out for an ex-Huntress. Not when the reward was putting their families at risk.

So Pyrrha stood there, listening to the cheers coming from the Pit, and fumed. She pulled her hand free of the embrace her husband had provided and continued to rub at her leg. It always worried Jaune to see her like this, she knew it reminded him of those long months after the Breach. She had been injured during the evacuation of the Commercial District, pinned beneath a fallen column inside a bank and cut off from rescue until the Grimm had been driven back.

By the time she had been found, Pyrrha had been barely alive, and her legs had been the price to get her free. The cybernetic replacements she had received were not from the program to provide maimed Hunters with new limbs, but top of the line Atlesian implants paid for by her parents. She had been walking again without an aid in the span of a few months.

Jaune had been by her side every step of the way, one of the few involved in the tragedy to walk away with his body intact. His unending support and optimism made all the difference in the world during her recovery, and it had continued since. "I will.. Try to relax." She curled her fingers into a fist before releasing the tension, stopping just in time as another officer approached.

Shaggy blonde coyote ears poked through the holes in a wide brimmed hat, and the woman nodded to each of them as she approached. "Captain, we aren't able to reach Judge Onyx. His secretary said he isn't taking calls at this time."

"Convenient." Pyrrha sighed out the word, weary of the corruption that had dug its roots through their society. The good were scared and everyone else was paid off. "Thank you, Whiskey."

"Well, that's the last one we know is clean." Jaune's resigned tone mirrored her own feelings on the matter,

There was no reply from the other officers that stood near her, nor from her husband. They knew as she did, that even if the did arrest Torchwick, there was no one willing to prosecute him, and no judge willing to take the case. At least, not one that wasn't going to turn around and let him go.

"So we just leave her in there?" Jaune's question came with no judgmental bite, just that same helplessness that she felt with the situation. She did not reply, there was nothing else to say. Even if they disregarded the law and forced their way in, she was certain that she would find many police officers inside that outranked her, telling her to stand down. Without a judge behind them, there was no course of action here that ended in them rescuing Ruby.

Pyrrha was just about to give the order for her officers to pull back from the club when the doors burst open, and dozens of civilians flooded into the street in a panic. The entire block was worked into a frenzy of screams as the line to enter the exclusive viewing scattered in every direction. Hundreds of people ran from the club, and even before she could raise her scroll to announce for her officers to move in, she could see them pushing through the crowd to get to the entrance of the 'Jack o' Hearts'.

Whatever had happened, it was likely it was either someone attempting to disrupt the fighting and rescue Ruby, or Ruby herself had attempted an escape. Either way, Pyrrha knew they had to get in there before the gangsters took matters into their own hands. A new surge of bodies emerged from the club, dressed in black suits with red ties, many of them wielding firearms as they pushed through the crowd.

She heard only snippets of their yells through the din of the screaming crowd, but it was enough to guess their intention. They were trying to head off someone who had escaped into the sewer, it wasn't difficult to guess who would generate such a response. Raising her scroll, Pyrrha nearly had to yell to make sure her orders were clear. "All units move in, I don't want anyone leaving this block until the situation is contained!"

Blake eased on the brake until the motorcycle came to a stop in front of their destination, a hand darting out to wrap around the stomach of the smaller woman who almost slid off of the vehicle. Ruby had been unconscious since their stop in the sewer tunnels, secured during their ride from the Crimson Quarter by a ribbon lashed about their waists, which Blake now untied.

She caught the wolf-girl and lifted her free from the bike, a pained groan betraying the limp lifelessness of the body that she carefully cradled in her arms. The white plastic of the motorcycle was now stained in a macabre red that dripped down the side, the blood still wet due to the rain that was coming down in buckets. Even with the Aura infusion, Ruby's health was still up in the air as far as longevity went.

They were both soaked through by the storm, their clothes sticking to the skin beneath with every movement, and a deep chill had set in. A strained cough set a spray of warmth across Blake's sleeve as the younger Faunus drew in another gurgling breath, doing little more than staining the fabric further. The wolf-girl's remaining lung was on its last legs, and only the small burst of energy that she had forced into the bloodied and battered body of her old friend was keeping it going.

She took the steps two at a time up the rickety fire escape of a broken down building. This was one of her safe houses, a place she had set up in case she needed to lay low after carrying out a hit or to patch up after a street brawl. In fact, it was one of her most hidden. To most, the entire structure would simply look condemned, and anyone who was curious past that would be discouraged by the decrepit interior. The state of disrepair would make even the most foolhardy consider their health, or at least enough to never go up to the second floor, where she was now headed.

But this safe house had one major flaw, due to her attack on the 'Jack o' Hearts'. Adam Taurus had caught her once after she had disobeyed him, and the punishment she had received for such had scarred more than just her body. She refused to think what his demonic mind would conjure up for her this time, and she would die before subjecting herself to his will again.

Strangely, it was more important to her that she was uncertain of whether or not he would try to save Ruby, as she now was. He had expressed an interest in the young wolf, enough so that Blake was certain she would never feel comfortable leaving her old teammate in his hands.

The front door to the abandoned building was of little consequence, easily opened with a rough shove of her shoulder against its rusted metal surface. She quickly made her way through a few rooms before gently laying the wounded Faunus down on a couch just outside another door.

This was the true safe house, a single room stocked with enough first aid supplies to fix minor injuries, a small cot, and some rations to lay low for a few weeks. More importantly, it contained a scroll, the item she had come for. This was her ultimate defense if she ever needed to escape from the Fang, something Adam wouldn't see coming.

It was a burner, registered to an alias that no one else knew. It contained dozens of unnamed numbers, most of them random decoys in case someone else tried to dial one. But there was one she had kept since before Beacon, a friend who would pull her out of the fire without a second thought. As Blake gathered the scroll from the rotting drawer of the desk in the room, that was the number she pressed the pad of her thumb against.

Neo tilted her head as she stared up at the open door of the abandoned apartment building. Somehow the stench of sewage had lingered on her, after trudging through the pipes after her prey. Her pursuit of the two Faunus had led her well over the line that separated the races of the a Residential District, but she was not concerned with her wellbeing. If any of the animals tried anything, she'd paint the street with them, maybe leave a nice mural for the police to find.

She mimed a giggled at the thought. It had been far too long since she had truly terrorized the innocents of Vale. Roman didn't approve of her killing random citizens for fun anymore, not since he had started building the empire he dreamed of. But if they attacked her first, who was he to complain that she had defended herself, even if she did dip her fingers into the mess afterwards?

'We don't want people too terrified to walk out their doors, now do we?'

I painted it for you. I thought you'd like it.

Not that she ever said anything back, but he always seemed to get the gist of why she did the things she did. He understood where she was coming from, and she understood him. It's how they made things work, even if he had gone a little soft when they went from being a duo to an organization. With a silent sigh, she began to stealthily ascend the stairs of the fire escape.

Oh, how we used to paint this town red. Now I've got to kill Red. Maybe I'll even paint her a rose on the wall.

Her private joke made her mime a giggle, and the thought of plunging her knife into that self-righteous annoyance's chest and watching the light go out in the girl's silver eye was satisfying. But for this one, she really felt she should take her time, really carve into the girl to make her scream. Maybe even keep her alive by sharing some of her Aura. The notion of several hours of playtime with the cute little wolf gave her a wide, uncontrollable grin.

The thought of murder always did.

"I'm giving you access to my accounts. Use it, all of it, whatever you need." Blake stuffed a box of ammunition into the duffel bag she was holding, taking a moment to readjust the scroll pressed to her ear before continuing. "You know where to meet me."

She pressed the button to end the call, slipping the slim device into the bag before zipping it up. It now contained the entirety of her safe house's stockpile; first aid kit, a couple thousand lien in physical bills, the rations, and some extra rounds for her pistol. Enough to buy her a couple of weeks before coming up for air. It would have to do.

Setting down the bag, she retrieved the bundle she had brought in. Unraveling it took only a few seconds, and soon revealing the item wrapped within the white jacket, a mask made of the white bone plate of a Grimm. It's winged design was unique among the White Fang, like all high ranking members of the gang. The visage of a monster to terrorize their enemies. A symbol of the fear she struck into the heart of her victims.

A reminder of those she had killed.

She set the mask aside and took up the jacket, pushing her arms through the sleeves one after another, then she pulled her hair free to let it cascade down her back. This way it would cover the severed Beowolf head emblem that identified her affiliation with the Fang. It had once been a symbol of peace, white on a blue background. Now it was an angry red color, the head snarling as three claw marks slashed through it, as bloodied as the hands of its members.

But it held power, something she could use to get to her next destination without interruption, and so she donned the mask as well, fitting it over her face until she could only see through the large slits cut into the bone. The winged edges were formed perfectly to fit her features, with her bangs hanging over the top edge while the tips ran parallel with the angle of her second set of ears. Once it was set in place, she strapped on the harness for her sword and turned to exit the safe room.

Yet even as she moved to leave, she sensed that something was amiss. Her catlike ears twitched for any sound, leave her with the distinct feeling she had just heard something scurry across the floor towards her. She couldn't be sure, going off a distracted memory, but it was better to be cautious. She set the bag down on a nearby counter slowly, her other hand moving to draw the handgun strapped to her hip.

There was no threat in sight as she looked through the open door, and only the sound of Ruby struggling to breathe greeted her as she took her first step out of the room. At least, until the sound of boots hitting the wooden floor caused her to try and swing her aim around to the side.

She was too late, as a heel collided with her wrist and slammed the back of her hand into the frame of the door, causing her to cry out in pain as the bone threatened to snap behind the force of the blow. Small fingers wrapped around her forearm while a tiny form smashed into her chest and then redistributed both their weights, sending her tumbling into the back of the couch where she had lay the other Faunus.

Before she had a chance to wrap her mind around where she had been thrown, a boot smashed into her ribs twice in quick succession, forcing the air from her lungs. Aura could protect from many things, the shielding would keep her skin intact and her bones from breaking, but the blunt force behind the blows would transfer through unhindered by the violet energy that shimmered around her.

Blake caught the boot on the third kick by wrapped her arms around it, jabbing at the knee from the side with the reinforced steel that covered the knuckles of her glove. Against an opponent without Aura, she would have shattered the kneecap and crippled her attacker, but that did not mean she had no effect. Each successive hit caused the smaller form to become further off balance, until she could throw her assailant back.

It was then she got a good look at the multicolored hair and the wide, surprised eyes with pink irises, as Neo scrambled back across the floor to put some distance between them. "You!" Blake realized her luck now, having emerged from the back room when she did. It was likely the tiny mute would have finished Ruby off slowly before she could interrupt. That thought caused her to glance behind her as she rose up and leaned against the back of the couch for support, finding the wolf Faunus in as much pain as ever, but alive.

She snapped her gaze back on Roman's little henchwoman, glaring through the slits in her mask as she took a deep breath to steady herself and advanced. They had never fought before, but she had come across the members of the White Fang that had. Ears torn off, intestines ripped out and arranged to spell something derogatory, gallons of blood used like finger paint. Even if she had renounced the group by saving Ruby, she was going to enjoy this.

From what she knew from the few surviving reports of Neo, the tiny woman was a nimble opponent who fought by avoiding attacks until her prey made a mistake. But the hobbled limp as the mute stood back up told Blake that her punches to a knee had done enough damage to hopefully nullify that advantage. Clenching her fists, she advanced.

But Neo was fast, very fast. A tiny fist darted out as she approached, dipping beneath her defenses and smashing into her gut. It was followed by a kick, one designed to push her back rather than do any serious damage. Stumbling a few steps back, she saw the next kick coming and correct her stance, catching the leg as it slammed into her side. The threat to Ruby, and the pain that now ached in a half dozen joints, caused her to let loose a feral growl.

Digging her fingers into the taut muscle of the leg she had secured, Blake turned and threw the smaller woman with all her might. Her opponent cleared the couch, sailing through the air only to come crashing down on top of a metal beam that had fallen through the rotten ceiling years ago.

Placing a hand on the back of the couch, she jumped and activated her semblance, using a shadowy image to propel herself forward. Neo was only just recovering when Blake closed a hand about the tiny throat, lifting the smaller woman clear of the ground as she clenched down on her attacker's windpipe. She had always been a fierce fighter, more vicious in the recent years of being and enforcer of the Fang, but this was a new savagery far above her usual professionalism.

She could stalk and kill her prey without a second thought. She didn't enjoy it, she didn't listen to the pleas for mercy. For years she had worked as Adam's tool, dispensing his fury with a wave of his hand, and she had done so without emotion. This was different, it was personal. The tiny psychopath had been dispatched to undo the entirety of her effort tonight.

The tendrils of rage had taken hold in her mind, driving her to snarl as she used her advantage of strength against the smaller woman, even as Neo kicked at her in an attempt to get free. Shifting her weight, Blake slammed the mute down onto a nearby table. Her free hand curled into a fist, and she brought it down into the exposed stomach of her enemy.

She smashed her knuckles into the woman's abdomen in rapid succession, delivering a half dozen hits before the diminutive mute was able to mount a defense, fending her off while trying to squirm out of her grip. She was so distracted by her own anger that she didn't see the knife that had been drawn until her opponent tried to shove it into her leg. It cut through shielding of her Aura, scoring through a shower of violet sparks and scraping against the armor that covered her skin.

Even then, the Dust that coated the blade's edge allowed it to slip through a gap in the armor, slicing into the flesh of her thigh. Crying out in pain, Blake released her grasp on her assailant and took a step back, reaching back to draw her sword and finish off the injured woman. In the time since, Neo had drawn a large revolver from a holster that looked a size too big for the mute.

Rolling to avoid the shot, Blake heard the distinctive crack of Ice Dust snap freezing the wall behind her. She lunged forward to grab hold of the weapon, pointing it upwards as another round was detonated into the ceiling, the close range causing it to shower them with shards of ice. Twisting the gun to the side in order to wrench the wrist holding it in the wrong direction, she saw the shorter woman's eyes go wide as the battle for control turned in her favor.

Her feline ears laid back as she bared her teeth in a growl, relishing in the fear she saw as her attacker knew that there was no way to win this fight without the element of surprise. She knew from the reports from other Fang members what Neo was capable of, and that she would try to run at the first sign of being outmatched. Blake was ready when the mute dropped her grip from the revolver.

She lunged forward to establish a hold on the human as the short woman tried to leap back from her, managing only to catch the edge of the belt of the holster that had contained the firearm. Tiny hands reached to unbuckle the leather band, allowing the mute to slip from her grasp.

Snarling in frustration as she chased after Neo, she waited until the human bolted for the door to activate her semblance. Using the shadowy apparition to give herself a boost, she jumped into the air and extended both feet forward. The back of her boots collided into the other woman, sending her opponent through the open doorway and flying into the rusted banister of the stairs. The metal broke free of the rest of the structure, and Torchwick's assassin slammed into the wall of the building next to the condemned apartment before falling to the alleyway below.

Blake was panting as she stood and risked a glance below to see if Neo was still conscious. Confusion set in as she saw only the displaced bags of garbage that had been strewn about by the fall. There was no sign of the mute, but she was certain she had dealt a devastating blow to the human, enough to force a retreat if nothing else. The sound of curious civilians drifted in from the street, causing one of her feline ears to twitch towards the growing crowd.

Glancing over for a moment, she quickly slid back into the room to avoid being seen. The moment she crossed the threshold, she was greeted by the wheezing gurgle of Ruby's breathing. The sound was considerably worse than it had been before she had been ambushed by Neo, the fight having cost her and the wolf-girl precious time. But as she turned her gaze to the Faunus on the couch, she found the chest of the Faunus still weakly rising and falling, despite the gaping wound that had be carved into it.

"Just a little longer, Ruby.." Blake's own whispered words surprised her, not used to having to dole out reassurance for herself. It was true though, as their next destination would truly be safe. From Torchwick's assassins, from the White Fang. All she had to do was get the other Faunus there alive. Gritting her teeth, she moved towards the back room where she had gathered the supplies.

It was time to go.

Yang was stirred back to the waking world by a gentle hand that pushed against her shoulder, drawing her further from a very pleasant dream of chasing Ruby through the forests of Patch. Her eyes fluttered open as she sought to orientate herself, and found the culprit who had pried her from such blissful things. Velvet was leaning over her, a sweet smile played out over the rabbit-girl's lips. Like being greeted by the sun at the break of dawn, it filled her with a deep sense of hopefulness to see her friend so passively happy. "Sorry to wake you, there is someone here to see you."

"Wha-?" Blinking what sleep she could from her eyes, Yang rose to a sitting position and glanced around. It was still night, and it was still raining. The ache of exhaustion in her head told her that she had still not had enough sleep, but anyone coming around at this hour to speak with her must have had a good reason. "Who.. Who is it?"

Velvet's fingers laced with her own and pulled her from the bed, that warm smile never fading the Faunus turned to answer the question. "Pyrrha is here, she has news. Come on."

The gentle encouragement spurred her onward, down the hallway and stairs. Her hand was released as she stepped up to the bar, observing the woman standing on the other side of the counter through tired eyes. Fiery red hair was pulled back into a long ponytail, and the bangs left to sweep across the woman's forehead only accentuated the emerald irises that stared back at her. "Yang."

She returned the nod the other woman gave her, leaning into the bar as she stifled a yawn. "Pyrrha, Velvet said you had news?" The police captain was still in uniform, with a armored vest buckled over her chest. It seemed as if each article of clothing was soaked through by the storm that had hit the day before, but her old friend didn't seem to notice the cold. She just stared at her with lips set in a grim line. "She's not..?"

"I don't know." The words came out rushed and jumbled together, the redhead seeming disappointed at the answer. "Something happened in the Pits. What witnesses I could detain gave conflicting reports. A lot of them said the White Fang attacked but Torchwick's men weren't scattering in all directions, they were moving to an objective when we stopped them. I.. I don't know where Ruby is, or if she is even alive.. I'm sorry, Yang."

Pyrrha moved up to the bar and took her hand, clasping it gently as she stared at it. She had been nearly comatose since hearing what had happened to her little sister, unable to cope with the utter helplessness she had felt. The idea that there was a small chance Ruby had gotten away, it was enough to stoke the coals of hope within her mind. "Don't apologize, Pyrrha. Any news is.. Appreciated."

As she softly squeezed the hand in her own, Velvet moved up next to her, setting three glasses on the counter. The rabbit-girl spoke quietly, eyes set on the bottle of whiskey that she poured from. "It was Blake. She came to see Yang last night.. Said to stay out of it, that she would rescue Ruby."

Pyrrha's eyes went wide for a moment before narrowing. "Blake? Blake Belladonna?" A ponytail of deep red swayed from side to side as the Captain shook her head. "We haven't seen her in.. What, six years?"

"Seven." Yang failed to repress her bitterness as she spat the word before taking a long draught from her glass of whiskey. It had been her partner, her responsibility. For a long time she had focused all that resentment inward, blaming only herself. Not since the other night. Blake had chose to run, chose to abandon them. Her fingers tightened around the container as she slammed it down into the counter, causing other drinkware to rattle from the force behind it. "She went running right back into the White Fang, too."

Pyrrha was quiet for a moment, fingers playing over the edge of the glass without taking a drink. "So.. It was the Fang that attacked the club?"

"No, just Blake." Finishing off her drink, the brawler pushed the glass away, her tired mind already aching from the fact she had only had alcohol for almost a day now. "Said there would be 'consequences', that she was going to go to ground after this."

"Even if she was working alone, The Gentlemen won't take an attack like this lightly." The police Captain downed her ration of whiskey in a couple of gulps, making a face as it burned down her throat. "There'll be war on the streets, just like before the treaty. I need to get back out there." Pyrrha stepped back from the bar, straightening the vest that covered her torso before looking Yang in the eye. "If she's out there, I'll find her. If I can't, I'll occupy the people who are looking for her."

"Let me know if you hear anything?" Yang could not help it, that breath of desperation that crept into the shaking syllables as they slipped past her lips. Ruby may have been a burden the last few years, but it was still her sister. She'd fought off the bullies when they had teased her little Rose about the wolf ears, she had gladly followed the leader of her team against Grimm during their time at Beacon. She had practically raised her after Summer's death. All that mattered now was that Ruby came back home, excessive drinking and depression be damned.

All that mattered was that Yang was given a chance to fix her sister's problems instead of placing another gravestone on a cliff.

Pyrrha didn't mock her, did not question her desperation as she turned to leave. "You'll be the first."

Blake could hear nothing but her own panting breath as she climbed the steps of the stairwell as fast as she could manage while holding Ruby close. The wolf-girl had fallen unconscious yet again, the bleeding from her stomach stopped for now by what had been a white towel. The fabric of the makeshift bandage was now stained a crimson color in large splotches, and every movement exposed more and more of what was clean to the spreading sanguine liquid.

Those pained, gasping breaths still came from the wounded Faunus. Each wheezing intake caused her to glance down as another trickle joined the dried rivulets of red that now crowded the area around Ruby's mouth. It may have been her imagination, but the younger woman was bleeding less now. Not a good thing as the chest wound hadn't slowed the discharge with every beat of a heart.

She took a quick break to readjust her hold, straining out a groan as the weight pulled at the joints in her elbows. Glancing up the last bit of stairs revealed that she was almost to her destination, spurring her to take in a deep breath before pushing forward. Blake reached the door of the safe house in a few seconds, shifting her weight before kicking a boot at it. There was the sound of footsteps on the other side before it opened, revealing an older Faunus within. The other woman moved immediately to take Ruby from her arms, barely sparing a glance in her direction as she spoke. "You're late."

Blake let out a sigh as her joints were relieved of the pressure. Ruby wasn't heavy by any means, but a penthouse suite was a long way to go when it was up the stairs. She had entered from the back of the building, taking the stairwell to avoid being seen. Especially in this part of town, someone from the White Fang would cause a panic, drawing attention from all over the city and eliminating the purpose of having a safe house. The mask that identified her as a member was now gone, stashed into the bag of supplies she had taken from the run down apartment.

She rubbed the back of a wrist along her forehead, wiping away the sweat that now trickled down from her hairline as she stepped past the threshold. The entry opened into a long hallway, the walls adorned with paintings and a couple statues. At the end was the main room of the penthouse, an area so large it could contain the entirety of the apartment she had kept her other safe house. This was something she could never afford, a place that no Faunus could afford in recent years.

It had been a gift, from an elderly woman who had helped to fund her protest group after she had left Beacon. A human who had witnessed all the hate and could no longer sit idly by. She had passed away in her sleep only a few years ago, right before Blake had found herself captured by Adam, and had left the penthouse to be paid by her estate.

No name for the resident, no connection back to Blake. A parting gift from a woman with no heirs to a girl she hardly knew. It was humans like Valerie Snow who reminded her that the fight had been worth fighting back then.

She stepped past the worn paintings of historical figures, and into the main area of the suite. Concern for Ruby quickly overrode the nagging sense that they weren't safe. There had been no one following her, and no one else knew about this place, even the others who had joined her group. Except for..

"Get over here, I need your help with this!" The older Faunus was standing near a glass coffee table that was now serving as a place to lay Ruby, and sky blue eyes were narrowed in her direction while practiced hands filled a syringe with clear liquid.

Blake acquiesced immediately, dropping her bag on a nearby recliner as she moved to assist in whatever capacity she could. It was odd to be considering surgery in so open an area, with a massive window that covered the southern wall of the penthouse, providing a sweeping view of the rest of Vale from this high up. Ms. Snow had been quite the successful businesswoman in her day, and the rent for a room at the top of one of the kingdom's finest skyscrapers barely touched the vast fortune left in the socialite's estate.

Whatever it was that the other Faunus injected Ruby with seemed to calm the wolf-girl, as the youthful and bloodied features lost all the signs of suffering. The torn and ruined tank top was cut away next, fully exposing the gruesome chest wound to Blake for the first time, and causing both her and the good doctor to come to a sudden stop to examine it. There was always something different about Grimm wounds. Whether it was the way each strike was designed to cause the most suffering if not outright kill the prey, or because the serrated edges of the claws did such a remarkable job at ripping through flesh, it always left an ugly mark. She could even make out the white bone of a rib through all the red.

Blake found herself distracted from the state of Ruby as the lynx Faunus turned away to pull surgical tools from a bag marked with a medical cross, and leaned over the unconscious wolf-girl to speak. "Dawn, I-"

"Shut it, Belladonna." Dawn turned back, her eyes never once glancing in Blake's direction as she moved to begin repairing the damage to her patient's internal organs. "We can talk after I get her stabilized. Grab some gloves and get your hands in here."

Blake felt a yawn force its way up from her chest as she scrubbed at her palms, scrubbing the crimson from her hands and staining the gorgeous marble white of the bathroom sink. It had taken almost half a day to get the bleeding under control, and a couple more to finally stabilize Ruby, but the doctor had done a very thorough job with what they had at their disposal. Several cybernetics had been used to replace the torn up organs and a couple of bones, as well as a new eye in place of the old one. After that, it was only one final Aura infusion that marked the end of their efforts, and the beginning of the waiting.

Waiting to see if any of the sutures wouldn't be sufficient to control the bleeding, waiting to see if something else could go wrong with the injuries, waiting to see if Blake had simply been too late to save her.

A sudden flare of anger drove a low growl from her throat as she threw the towel she had been using to dry her hands, instead moving to run her fingers through the black tresses of her messy hair. She caught a slight movement from her peripheral vision, and turned to find the blonde Lynx standing at the doorway to the bathroom with a raised eyebrow. "Seems a lot of effort to save one of the gang."

"She's not.." Blake turned back to the face the mirror, leaning down heavily upon the bathroom counter as she gave a long sigh. "She's not a member of the Fang."

In the reflection, she saw the subtle raise of the Lynx's eyebrows. But there came no admonishment at her actions, only a gentle palm on her shoulder and a concerned gaze that emanated from soft blue eyes. Dawn Sheppard had been a doctor in a clinic near one of her protests, and the older woman had been the one to patch her up after an altercation with a human who had come to insult their race. When the news of Faunus genes being dominant broke and stoked the old fires of hatred into a blaze, that clinic had been in the area of the city that burned down.

But Dawn had survived, due in large part to her intervention, and their friendship keeping them close until Blake had rejoined the White Fang. The Lynx had never approved of the gang and its methods, even back before it had truly abandoned its quest for equality. Fingers squeezed against her shoulder for a moment before they slid away. "So. About what you've dragged me in to."

"I know, I'm sorry." Turning to face the other woman, she placed both palms upon the counter and leaned back against it. "Torchwick will be looking for her, and the Fang will be looking for me. You have to leave Vale."

"That's why I took all the lien in those accounts you gave me. Most of it covered the implants for the girl, but the rest will get me passage to Mistral, or Atlas." Dawn's glare had become more piercing than before, forcing Blake to look away. "This makes us even."

Nodding slowly, she spoke carefully. "You should go. I can take it from here."

The Lynx let out a long sigh, shaking her head in a way that conveyed disappointment. "Like I wanted to leave Vale.. Dammit, Belladonna."

Narrowing her own eyes into a glare, Blake stood up straight and leveled her gaze upon the other Faunus. "You could have said no!" She took a step towards the shorter woman, and the doctor took an appropriate step back in the face of her sudden fury. "But then Ruby would be dead. I am sorry for dragging you into this, and I wish that I didn't have to call in a favor to do it. I couldn't just let her die."

The anger in Dawn's bright eyes lingered for a few moments later before it faded away into resignation. "I just hope she's worth it." The tufted ears atop the woman's head twitched in agitation as the doctor turned to leave, pausing once more in the hallway outside the bathroom. "Not that it hasn't been fun, Blake. But lose my scroll number."

With her fists clenched and the glare slowly faltering, Blake was unable to formulate a response as the older Faunus stepped away. She remained standing there until she heard the door open and shut, only allowing herself to relax and let the sharp pain of abandonment strike once she was alone. Dawn had been the single friend she still held on to from her days after Beacon. Everyone else had gone to ground, or died in the final days of their protesting as it turned violent.

She had abandoned her friends at Beacon. Ruby, Yang, Weiss. Raged at them as if they could never understand her point of view. She had lost everyone else she had known after that. Valerie Snow, the kind old human who wanted to right the wrongs between the races. Dawn Sheppard, the gentle doctor who had opened the clinic door in the middle of the night when Blake had narrowly escaped the clutches of the White Fang. She had driven the last of them away. Even if it was for a good reason, it still hurt when she finally realized the truth of her situation.

No friends, no future, no more places to hide from Adam.

Blake Belladonna was truly alone.

Ruby felt awareness ignite within her consciousness, a surprising prospect indeed considering her last memory being of bleeding out on a stained couch that stunk of decay. As the waking world slowly lulled her back into life, so too did the feeling in her extremities. With that feeling came the pain, so sudden and abrupt that it flared through her body and caused her back to arch as her eyes shot open.

Her lips parted in a silent scream as agony tore through her chest, as the wound there was torn open by the sudden movement. There was so. much. pain. But even that paled to the torture that split through her skull, bringing her hands up to grasp the sides of her head in a vain effort to quell the torment at its core.

It felt as though her brain was trying to tear itself in half as her fingers dug through the strands of hair that was pulled in her delirium. Sweat caused her skin to stick to the fabric she was laying on, and she knew what the greater pain was from as she heard a cold voice came from next to her ear.

"Did you think we wouldn't want you to suffer?"

She twisted to face the culprit, falling from the couch and landing roughly on the wooden floor that lay below it. Her vision was hazy, pulsating from the feverish state her mind now forced upon her, but she made out the clear outline of a pair of dark brown boots. Shaky palms found their way to the hard surface of the ground and pushed her up, allowing her to raise her eyes to find who was speaking.

The sight of the girl who now towered over her set a chill to her blood, as she took in the image that glared down at her. The fashionable outfit, and a tendril of hair dyed a bright caramel color, and the pale skin covered in bloody gashes. Coco crouched down to reach her height, a gloved hand reaching out to pull her chin upwards.

"Did you think we would ever forgive you?"

Ruby pushed against the girl, crying out as she tumbled to the side and felt her back smash against something solid. A groan sounded out as she rolled to look at what she had hit, finding herself staring up into the faces of two boys. On the left was a giant of a teenager, the green robe he wore torn by three claw marks that traveled down his chest, exposing the bloodied flesh beneath the cloth. The boy on the right glared at her with sightless eyes, the skin of his face hanging in shreds from the wounds he had received.

She tried to stand up, to run away from the other occupants of the room, but her legs would not support her. Her first try ended with her crashing down upon a table, the glass edge of it jabbing into her side and ripping more of the already ruptured stitches. Even as she tumbled to a sitting position, she saw that her efforts were futile. More and more of the bloodied apparitions joined the first three, and names flashed through her mind.

Scarlet.

Cardin.

Sky.

Dove.

Sage.

There were more, too many for her delirious thoughts to decipher their torn and bloodied features enough to identify. She curled into a ball and cowered beneath the table, hiding her head behind her arms to try and ignore them.

"Give up and die."

Hand clamped down on her shoulders, hauling her out from her sanctuary in a firm but gentle hold, causing her to lash out and try to separate herself from the ghost that was now attacking her. Her fists weakly glanced off of a muscled abdomen, and she looked up to face the apparition that would finally end her torment. Wide amber eyes met her frenzied gaze, and familiar features moved as the woman attempted to speak to her.

"Give up and join us, Ruby."

The chorus of voices drowned out all else, and it felt as though her heart would explode in her chest as she reached out and clasped at the shirt of the one who held her. Her fingers dug into the fabric, pulling the garment with her as black appeared at the edges of her vision. The woman who held her did not fall, holding her close. Ruby used her last moments before unconsciousness to speak the confession she had held back for so long..

"I.. I killed them."

Author's Note: It's been a while! A lot has happened in the last month, so I hope that this is adequate to your expectations. One big change is that Unjax can no longer beta for me. He was very busy and was willing but I had to release him because he was sacrificing his own writing to help me, and that just won't do!(seriously, go read his stuff, he is an amazing writer) So the quality will take a dip, and I hope that is alright with you guys. Anyway, I just wanted to thank all of you who dropped a review last chapter, your feedback is appreciated. Also a deep thank you for all the followers, favoriters, and for those people who like my other stories. I get the notifications and I recognize names, a lot of people are going through my old works and following/favoriting them, and I'm glad you are enjoying them! Hope you all have a great week, and please drop a review with your thoughts. 'Til next time! -Fox