Chapter 4
"Come on let's go, they said. It'll be fun, they said." Weiss mocked the girls as she walks through the dark, dank hallways with her arms crossed over how disgusting and moldy this part of the area is. This was certainly not the best way to get extra credit for...
She stops by one of the office doors and peered inside for any clues. Nothing of anything interesting of course, but before she closes the door she spotted a rusted plaque with the letters: G E R.
Weiss pulls out her handkerchief and carefully wipe the grime and dust off the plaque revealing a few more faded letters.
G. E. R. A. L. D.
"Gerald... Professor Gerald! Blake said he had other offices." Weiss said as she opens the door again and searches the room. She first walk over to the computer to see if it still works, although the broken monitor screen tells her otherwise. It seems that someone punched it with the old, dried blood on one of the broken shards. "Whatever happened here?" she thought to herself.
Weiss soon dismisses the thought and began pulling the desk drawers for any papers that can explain about the whatever she had read about from Blake's findings. Suddenly Weiss found one of the drawers have a folder with the name: Xi89.
Xi80? Wasn't there something with a similar name to it? Weiss realized as she takes out the folder and began reading.
Test Substance-Xi80
This drug once started as a simple mind reliever when it was first introduced to me by one of my colleagues. He believed it can put both the mind and the subconscious of a monster to a docile state. We tested this drug sample on a beowolf, but it created... difficulties. Needless to say, I became the only one with the formula of this drug.
I brought the formula to the facility, Varren. I wanted to see if it has different results to other types of monsters of grim. However, it only seems to make them even more aggressive. So I brought together my close friends and well known researchers to see what we can do about this formula. Some said it was impossible to work anything with it, like working on a math problem without a solution.
But I saw something different in this formula. Something that can shape the future. It just needs assistance, ways to improve... That's when I concluded that maybe it was being used on the wrong subject. Maybe it wasn't monsters we were looking at, it was something more.
The thought first came to me when one of our men accidentally ingested the substance and remained comatose for weeks. We came together and made a new ideal project that can shape our generation to the next level: Instead of training kids to become hunters; why not create them?
Once we fully develop Xi80, we'll create powerful soldiers that'll stand against all kinds of monster the world can throw at us. All it'll take is patience.
Test Substance-Xi81
An update has been applied to the drug. The substance has provided promising results, the researcher who came in contact with it died of an aggressive tumor. While it's true that the drug didn't cause it, since Mr. Washington had a tumor before he worked in our facility, it actually dramatically increased the progression of the tumor. We're not looking to use terminal-ill people to test on, but we didn't want to take any chances. After many attempts, we have successfully created Xi81.
During our studies of children's nature and behavior, we learned that the best way to influence new behavior is usually discipline like punishing a child for simply breaking a plate and he'll know not to repeat the same mistake. But I have thought of a better idea: trauma is the best teacher. I have seen many bright and cheery children who had experienced traumatizing events that changed their total personality. Xi81 will prove to wield the capabilities of allowing us to break down the children's mind.
But everything we have planned to do is of course highly illegal and our facility will not be able to keep it as a secret. Recently, we have learned that there was once a cave dug out by monsters that once inhabited beneath our facility. We can expand the facility and use the resources from research lab to further enhance our project.
I'll pay the expenses myself. But before we can use this drug on the children, we should first update it to make so the children's body will be able to endure it.
Test Substance-Xi82
It was amazing how many children we were able to collect, illegal of course but still it's stupendous. Many of our workers claimed ownership of many orphanage and tapped into the Foster Care services. Needless to say, we have over 500 subjects ready for testing.
First Subject-001-This child was given an estimated amount of dosage showed promising results. However, our smiles quickly faded as the child began having a violent seizure with excess foam running out of his mouth. The child died before the guards was able to open the door.
An autopsy has been performed but it seems that the drug has liquefied his fatal organs and thickened his blood to the point where it's impossible for the heart to pump through the body. It was the most grotesque result we had. I had wished we have only tested to only him instead of nineteen other children...
Test Substance-Xi83
It took quite a few months, but we were finally able to conceive a non-lethal drug that cannot harm the inside of their organs. We injected the Xi83 into 30 children and awaited results. 18 out of 30 has shown to be in a relaxed state, all of their senses numbed to the core. However, the remaining 12 were still active and began having hallucinations. We sent men down there to restrain the kids but they were attacked like rabid animals. We were forced to execute them on the spot.
During the mess, the 18 children were awakened and thankfully didn't show the same results. We weren't able to subdue them long enough to start the Welding process. So we're looking for a way to extend the duration and prevent the outcome from happening again. Although we found an interesting note that this drug somehow affected their aura wavelengths. It seems Xi83 can somehow affect their energy, if we're able to change or, to even extreme measures, mutate it we could create a breakthrough in the history of science! And not to mention that this will dramatically improve Project-
VOSSLER!
Weiss gasped and accidentally knock the papers all over floor. "Ah, no!" she cried silently as she can hear the footsteps going through the hallways. She quickly crawl towards the doorway and nearly closes it just enough for her to peer through the cracks.
She can almost make out what appears to be a man standing around with a long trench coat. Is he the man from the radio? Weiss thought then suddenly heard another pace of light footsteps behind him.
"Hey, what are you doing?!" cried a familiar voice.
"Ruby!?" Weiss cursed silently. Of course this girl would be a hostage for Weiss to come and save the day. She would simply go in and take out the bad guys but she hesitated as a thought came to her. Didn't that Dante fellow said something about a hunter? Since it looks like the man is the only one there it could be possible he's the one.
Regardless of her cautious nature, Weiss must save her friend and whipped out her Myrtenaster. "Ruby get back!" she calls out as she charges at the man.
"Huh," Ruby peeks behind her as Snow Angel zooms by her with her weapon poised, "Wait Weiss!"
Vossler turns around in time just as Weiss was prepared to strike and dissipated into bats. The girl stop and screams as the flying rodents brushes by her body in a disorientating fashion. Weiss shook her head after being confused of what happened when suddenly the tall shadow befell her and felt a firm hand grabbing her wrist.
Weiss' other free arm, the one with the Myrtenaster, tries to riposte to the man's side but was knocked out of her hand by Vossler's dagger. "Just calm down!" he struggled with the girl as she repeatedly pounds him against his chest.
"Stop Weiss! He's my friend!" Ruby pleaded.
"What?" Weiss pauses and stares at the man's face who smiles in return. Somehow it seemed familiar to her...
"It can't be... YOU!?" she pull back her arm away from the confused hunter. Vossler scratched his head as Ruby mimics while Weiss rubbed her sore hand. "I'm sorry, have we met before?" he asked.
"Well, you might be familiar with my family name Schnee, the owners of Schnee Dust Co." she said with a proud grin, "But I know exactly you are! The long hair, the trench coat, the ability to turn into bats... You're Count Vossler! AKA the 'Dracula of Grimm'!"
Ruby looks at Vossler who smiles embarrassingly at the title then stared at Weiss, "Who?"
Both Weiss and Vossler fell down.
"Count Vossler!" Weiss pointed out again, "He isn't a regular hunter, he's the hunter! He took part in one of the great battles against the creatures and legend has it that he drinks their blood."
"Eww..." Ruby groaned, but she thought to herself exactly what it would taste like since she does like having rare steak.
Vossler however let out a small chuckle, "Do you believe everything the rumors told you?" he questioned.
"Only if they're about mysterious men who mysteriously disappeared for years." Weiss snapped.
"Oh, so I guess you're into mysterious guys?" Vossler joked. Weiss rolled her eyes but she can feel her cheeks getting hot. Ruby, as innocent as ever, crossed her arms at him "What does she mean disappeared for years?"
"No offense, but isn't it rude to ask about what a person does in his free time?" said Vossler, obviously avoiding the question now enticing both girls to wonder. Weiss then suddenly remembers about where he come from.
"Wait, what are YOU doing here?! This place is suppose to be off limits to anyone who is not affiliated with Beacon Academy!" Weiss questioned the man.
"Weiss, it's alright he's just a hunter traveling through infested areas-"
"No, Ruby! He's not some drifting hunter who came here by complete chance! Our security has been ATTACKED by mercenaries! And one of them told us about a hunter roaming through this area!" Weiss exclaimed.
Damn it, Dante. Vossler wished he gave that mercenary child a piece of his mind.
He noticed Ruby took back a few steps in caution from Vossler, "Wait... what?"
"Ruby, I-"
"And not to mention that he's going to kill them all if we don't find the Dust Storage!" Weiss shouted, now turning her eyes at the man that's responsible for this mess.
"But he would never..." Vossler closed his eyes just as he realizes how bad this has taken. His eyes then shot wide open when he registered her saying something about the Dust Storage. And before he realized it, Ruby knew it too. "Oh no..." Ruby murmured.
"What?" Weiss asked.
"The spider..." Vossler grimly answered, "That's why it fled, so it can go back and regenerate!"
"What spider?! Someone tell me what's going on!" the Snow Angel cried.
"Later! But first, where's Yang and Blake?" Ruby asked.
"Yang is trying to look for you and Blake went off to fight the head mercenary." Weiss explained. Now Vossler felt really worried. He paces back and forth trying to think of something. It would take forever to go around this blasted area to reach the top. Especially with the Dusteater making it's way to the supposed storage. He turns around and stares at the opened doorway where Weiss jumped out of. Inside, he can see the computer with a really dusty desktop next to the monitor.
"That's it!" he exclaimed as he rushes in and try to inspect the computer. Both Ruby and Weiss walks in as he carefully touch the back of the desktop for something. "Sorry, the monitor's broken. Had no idea why this guy Gerald would do it..."
Vossler suddenly froze as soon as Weiss spoke the name. He couldn't explain it but an overwhelming feeling came over him. It felt something like: Hatred. Betrayal. Sorrow...
"Vossler?"
The hunter looks up at Ruby who gave him a worried look. He shook his head insistently muttering, "I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm fine..."
"Got it!" he suddenly shouted.
"What?" the girls asked.
Vossler reaches into his coat then brought out a computer pad and lightly taps the touchscreen, "The CPU still works, it's just that our only problem is the monitor is broken. But if I can connect this device to the computer I'll be able to search it and hopefully find at least a map of the entire facility!"
"You're a genius!" Ruby gleefully shouted.
"A genius who got us into this mess." Weiss reminded the young riding hood.
"Listen, I didn't came here with these hired guns to stop your academy's excavation. I only hired protective men so I can search this building for answers that can explain about my past!" Vossler explained to them.
"You're past?" Weiss frowned at him. Ruby remained eerily quiet as Vossler slowly nodded without taking his eyes off the little screen. "When I was young, I was adopted by the mayor of a little village who said to me that I was wondering the road alone without a memory of anything... He raised me as his own and when I turned 20 he revealed to me that there was something about me that might lead to some clues about my origin. He showed me... a withered uniform with the name Varren on it."
"The facility..." Weiss mentioned.
Vossler nodded, "At the time I didn't know what it meant but the word send shivers down my spine. It was clear that it's nothing good and was probably a memory best left forgotten... but I can't live without knowing my real family's name! I thought maybe my parents probably worked here and I was born into the facility, but..."
The hunter pauses as something flashes and illuminated his face. "Found it! Now with this layout, we can easily get to Dante and the others to make sure they're all okay!" Vossler took a minute for the Ipad to install the map into its data then pull out the plug. But before he could make use of it, he spotted the papers lying all over the floor with an empty folder. In a corner of his eye, he spotted one of the papers containing a heading: Test Substance-Xi89.
Weiss stared at what where his eyes have landed on and frowns at him. Does this hunter somehow know about this horrible drug? And if it's like his story about him remembering this place as a child then...
Was he one of the children being forced as test subjects?
Vossler carefully picks up the assorted pile of documents with Test Substance-Xi89 in the front. Without a warning, he read the paper out loud in front of Ruby and Weiss.
Test Substance-Xi89
We have done it! The drug is a major success! At first, it was suppose to be a drug to make monsters to become docile but this modded formula has shown to not only surpass the subconscious barrier of the child's mind but allow us to manipulate the mysteries of aura! The drug's unintentional side effect can unlock the potential of aura, a step where even the greatest of hunters have ever dared to try!
We have gave doses to the remaining subjects and we were worried that all the children were just "leftovers" from the other past experiments. However, most of them have shown the concluded results of having a perfect hollowed mind. The Welding can now finally begin, soon we shall have the perfect hunters! Project VIRGIL will be the greatest scientific projects of all time!
Although now that our goal is within our reach, an interesting matter has been discovered that one of our oldest subjects who have been tested since Xi84 seem to remain aware of his own surroundings. We hypothesized that he probably adapted to the drug's effect but his aura has shown unique wavelengths. Much more interesting than the ones who received the full effects of Xi89. However, he is not eligible for the Welding process and it's obvious that he is broken beyond repair.
We'll find a solution of ridding the child, but in the meantime we'll let him stay as Subject 154.
Subject 154...
That room...
Vossler's mind replayed the horrid event that took place in the strange child-sized rooms. He remembered vivid images of him staring at the camera, standing in front of the broken mirror, staring at the kid that look like him... and the room with the plaque:
Room 154.
"I... I was a test subject... orphaned... by the place that is suppose to study monsters..." Vossler murmured as he can see a child standing between Ruby and Weiss, smiling with a sorrowful expression. The child slowly mouthed out a sentence: It's not over yet.
The hunter's vision suddenly faded away and he can feel as both his legs gave up and fell towards Ruby and Weiss.
"Vossler!"
{}Blake{}
"Dance little kitty!" Dante roars as he held out the massive cestus with a gatling gun attached blazing large calibers at the fast faunus girl. Blake obviously isn't as strong as the Inferno but her speed puts her to the advantage. She pulls out her weapon in its whip form and deflects the incoming bullets before it can reach to her. "Sorry, but this 'kitty' doesn't do tricks!" she fires a few rounds at the mercenary but they were simply deflected as Dante charges in with the weapon raised as a shield.
Blake leaps forward and uses her afterimage ability to cause Dante crashing against the building's wall. Blake immediately turns around and fires a bullet, hitting between his arm and the elbow area that's shown through the cestus. The mercenary growls in pain and glares at Blake. "I would've called you a bitch, but wouldn't that be ironic?" he hissed.
"I think that the real irony here is that this is your way of talking to women." Blake grinned.
"Shut up!" he shouted as launches himself with the cestus cocked back to hit her but Blake's figure suddenly flashes again with her afterimage and hit the ground instead. The impact's recoil bounces to his injury and nearly felt like his muscles are being torn apart. Blake reappears again and kicks him across the face, sending him flying with his arm letting go of the cestus.
Dante rose up to his knee and punches the ground, but kept an eerie smile. "Heh, looks like this little kitty has some claws." he taunted.
"Yeah, and they're about to slice." Blake pointed her blade at him. "Give it up, you can't fight with that arm and I know that this weapon is only usable with the right."
The mercenary let out a small laugh then slowly stood up. "Yeah, I guess that might be the case if I was just a regular mercenary... but I am no 'regular' mercenary, am I?" he grinned even wider.
Blake frowns at him, "And what is that suppose to mean?"
"You're not the only one who could tap into their aura here." Dante replied.
Blake gasped as the Inferno suddenly slams down both his feet at the ground in a wrestling position then began growling. She feel the air around her becoming warmer as dark-red flames start flowing around his body. Blake seen this before, it's like Yang's ability but this was somehow different. The lackey that was standing back there claps his hands.
"Oh, you're in it for now!" he exclaimed excitedly, "You're about to see why they call him the 'Inferno'!"
Blake stares back at Dante who suddenly discharges massively strong waves of energy. She looks up at him and stares at the mercenary covered head to toe in dark flames. The wound on his arm began healing and his muscles seemed to be tightened and buffed. "It's over for you." he growled with a deeper, hoarse voice.
"I don't think so!" She charges at Dante and uses her afterimage to surprise the mercenary with an attack behind but the man didn't flinched even after delivering her blow. Her leg cracked as if she felt like she just kicked a brick wall and fell to the ground. Dante craned his neck and turn to her direction, "Is that all?" he said with his arms crossed.
Blake rises to her feet and unsheathes her blade to slash against Dante's skin but the opposing metal only cut through both his coat and shirt and clangs against the skin. "What in the world?" Blake growled as she pulls the sword back for another strike but only repeated the same result. Dante just stood there and let her hack away his rock-hard skin, only leaving her blade dulled. Blake couldn't believe what's happening.
"Alright," Dante said as he crack both sides of his neck, "my turn!" And with a swift motion, Blake was sent flying off her feet by a smack with the back Dante's hand. Blake's body slides against the ground then skids to a halt with her right arm scraped and her face bruised, still stinging from the blow.
"Anymore tricks?" the mercenary taunted.
"Eat this!" she shouted and fires two clips of rounds at Dante's chest. Of course, the bullets cannot pierce through his skin yet he staggers back by the impacts. However, it only seem like she just fired paintballs at him.
"It's quite a unique ability," Dante said as if Blake asked about his strange power, "my aura doesn't heal wounds just as fast as what others' can do but in exchange it turns my skin's hardness into the hardest material! Sort of like a swelling on a bruised area to prevent the tissue from getting damaged even further."
Blake charges again with her blade but Dante blocks the attack then counters with an uppercut with the blade spinning in the air and harmlessly landed on Dante's shoulder despite it's sharp edge slicing through the cloth.
"You can't cut me, kitty!" he laughed.
"Maybe not 'cut', but how about impacts?" Blake coughed.
Dante irks an eyebrow as Blake looks up and shouts, "NOW YANG!"
"HI-YAAAH!" the girl shouted as she delivers a full burst punch to Dante's face.
The mercenary kept his feet on the ground but was pushed back at least five feet by the impact and felt like his neck has been dislocated. He jerks his neck bone back in place and stares at the yellow-haired hunter with red glowing eyes. "But when, where, HOW!?" Dante stuttered as he noticed the lackey that was watching the fight now beaten to a pulp.
"Good call on the plan." Yang commented to Blake as the faunus girl slowly rises.
"WHAT PLAN?!"
"You honestly think I'd fight you alone?" Blake said to the mercenary, "Originally, Yang was suppose to look for her sister but I came up with a plan for her to let herself get captured so she'll be brought to you. We knew we had to act fast so we couldn't lose any lives..." She looks at the Head of Security's body still sitting there in its place.
"Face it, Flamer. All of your men are down and there's no way that Hunter of yours will be able to stop us!" Yang snickered as she prep up for a fight.
"Haha... HAHAHAHAHAHA!" the boy cried out in a maniac laughter. Blake looks at Yang who gestured a "cuckoo" sign.
"As if I needed anyone to take care of a couple of girls!" Dante charges in with both his fists ready to strike but Yang launches herself at the mercenary and delivers another full-burst punch across his face. The impact didn't connected like it should, but it did hurt the Inferno enough to tick him off.
Dante charges in with his right arm cocked back but such a move was easily predictable by the girl who trained in boxing. She deflects the attack then counters with a left hook followed by a right across his face. Dante lowers himself and delivers a kick to her side but the young girl catches it then threw him against his own ship. Even with his tough skin ability, he was no pushover to Yang Xiao Long.
"Man, now this is just getting sad." The huntress student now realizes the mercenary's potential. He's the type that only uses weapons and abilities without relying on any skills. A girl like her who knows close quarter combat can tell that this guy is not even a novice. Blake was beginning to see it as well and knew that they can use it to their advantage.
"C'mon, Flamer! I thought you were better than that!" Yang taunted.
"SHUT UP!" the Mercenary cries as he picks up the airship with great difficulty and throws it directly at the group. Blake jumps in front of Yang and uses her blade to cut the entire ship in half with both of the shells flying outward. Leaving a pathway through the wreckage for Yang to charge in for another attack but Dante suddenly maneuvers out of the way and grabs her by the hair and flings her against the ground.
The mercenary let out a cocky grin as he watches Yang rubbing the back of her head then paused, staring at the few strands of yellow hair in Dante's hand.
"Big mistake." Blake commented.
"What are you talking abou-hey! Is it getting warmer?" Dante turns and stares at Yang's hair as it's now engulfed in flames with her eyes burning in dark crimson colors.
"Uh oh."
"NOW I'M REALLY PISSED!" She shouted as Yang appears right in front of Dante with a sharp uppercut sending him flying in the air. The girl then jumps up and delivers a full barrage of punches against his chest then finishes him off with both her fists clasp together and hammers him back to the ground.
Blake cover her eyes as smoke and dust flies everywhere then pulls away revealing Yang standing on the crater with Dante burrowed beneath her feet. She couldn't believe how strong Yang's temper is but apparently it's enough to knock the hardskin aura out of the mercenary.
Dante groans as all the pain he was supposed to receive suddenly came to him like a bad hangover. He looks up at the blondie who kicked his ass still pissed off and her fists tightened. "Hey now!" he flinched as she was about to seal that stupid mouth, "Listen! I know we-said somethings we're not proud of! How about... we bury the hatchet and call it truce? We could be friends!"
Yang took a few seconds of thinking then turn to Blake, "Wanna see me turn this Inferno to toothpaste?"
"Just don't kill him..." Blake replied with a cold expression.
"Of course, it's more fun for him to still feel it after all." the girl cracked her knuckles before the beatdown.
"NOT THE FACE!"
{}Ruby/Weiss/Vossler{}
"Alright, we're almost there!" Weiss groaned with a feeling of her endurance failing on her.
"You're okay, Vossler?" Ruby asked as she got the right side of his arm wrapped around her. The Hunter nodded silently but with a warm smile.
"Come on, Ruby! Pick up the slack!" Weiss shouted.
"Hey! You're not the one who's carrying him! So what n Earth are you tiredfor?!" Ruby snapped at Ice Princess who is standing in front of them with only the map in her hand.
Weiss crossed her arms at her in annoyance, "Excuse me? Did you happen to miss all those stairs we had to climb through?!"
Oh believe me, I DIDN'T. Ruby growled in her mind then went off of thinking of heinous actions she's about to commit. While Vossler could tell of the uneasy tension going through her head, Weiss put her attention to the digital map layout and noticed that they're just near the entrance.
"We're here!" Weiss exclaimed. Finally she can have a shower to wash all the dust and grime (that hadn't really touched her) away. That is if she can get to it before Yang uses all the hot water to shampoo, condition, and whatever else she does with her hair.
Ruby beams at the good news but Vossler, suddenly getting enough strength, stood up remembering what Dante would do. "Wait! I can't let you see him. He's an animal and probably have your friends being attacked as we-"
Weiss opens the door leading to the entrance lobby letting all the sounds from the helipad of what seems to be someone getting pulverized.
"OW! GAH! S-STOP! AGH! UNCLE! UNCLE!"
"Uh... is that the mercenary you're talking about?" Weiss smiling at the confused hunter.
"No wait! I don't think it's suppose to bend that-AAHHHH OH GOD!"
"I know that cry of ruthless beating anywhere my sister would be! YANG!" Ruby ran outside as the elder sister stops and turns her head to where she heard her name. "RUBY!" the girl drops the broken mercenary to run and give her sister the biggest squeeze of her life. To which the little one now regretted showing up for.
Blake chuckles then looks at Weiss walking in and secretly placing her hand over her heart. "What a tsundere..." Blake commented loud enough for Ice Princess to hear. Her smile suddenly faded once she saw Vossler walking out behind Weiss and pulls out her katana. "Weiss, behind you!" Blake charges in directly at Vossler.
Ruby looks over Yang's shoulder and shouted to Blake, "No! He's our friend!"
"WHAT?!" Yang shouted as she lets go of Ruby while Blake suddenly pauses as she felt a blade point directly under her chin. The wielder smiles softly and shook his head, "It's alright, I'm not looking to beat children. Look, I'll drop mine." he said as he obeyed his own words. Blake stares at the man waiting for him to do anything then slowly sheathes her weapon.
The three other girls knew this wasn't like Blake to act so hostile. "Blake, are you okay?" Ruby asked, sincerely.
"The Captain... he didn't-" Blake looks away in the opposite direction where the body is located. Weiss ran to the man and checked his pulse and any signs for heartbeats.
Nothing. He's dead.
"This... THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" Weiss snapped at Vossler who staggered back as she approaches him with her finger poking sharply at his chest. "First, you showed up with those idiots and took out our security escort, had this MERCENARY killed an innocent man while also trying to kill our friends, and you have the nerve to act like a nice guy!?"
Weiss stops to take a good look at the man. A Hunter... Of all the bad guys there could have been, it had to be a Hunter. A hero they're all trying to become. "What are you?" Weiss growled.
"That's what I'm asking myself right now..." Vossler choked as he's on a verge of tears. Everyone, even Dante as he slowly raises his head to look, was taken back on how a strong looking man is now crying. "This man might have a family that will mourn for him, but what do I have? I was found by a village, raised by the mayor who was the only one that treated me like I belonged. I don't have a last name and I can't even settle down and raise a family because there's something wrong with me... This facility is the only thing that has any ties to my past... and now I'm afraid to know, but I must! This stuff about: Xi89 and Welding! This godforsaken facility is hiding dark secrets and I want to know what EXACTLY they did to those children!"
Ruby looked at the others as she can tell what's exactly in their minds. Blake walks away to the Captain's body and found the transmitter, Yang scratches her head as she's the only one who doesn't know what the facility is, and Weiss stares at both Dante then back at Vossler with hatred burning in her eyes.
"He saved me..." Ruby called out. Yang and Weiss both looks at Ruby now except for Blake, who's trying to work the transmitter but kept her ears open.
"I would've been dinner to those spiders if he hadn't showed up and got my scythe back! And not to mention that twice he also saved me from a larger, dust-eating monster! There's nothing worst than passing away without knowing at least who you're really are, right?" Ruby pleaded.
Yang understood from Ruby's perspective as she's the only one who truly knows about her. She gave Weiss a look who rolled her eyes then clenched her teeth, "Alright..."
"Blake?" Yang called.
The faunus student know got the device working and began calling for backup. She looks back for a second and slightly nodded. Vossler smiled at them as he felt the warm tears streaming down his cheeks.
"But," Ruby interrupted, "once you found out about this facility and when backup arrives. I want you to turn yourself in."
Vossler nodded then reached out his arm to touch her shoulder, "Thank you." he whispered. Ruby silently shrugs his hand off without another word or further eye contact.
Suddenly Weiss now registered what Ruby said before, "Wait! A DUST-eating monster!? Was that the spider you guys were talking about!?"
Both Vossler and Ruby nodded sheepishly. Weiss couldn't slap her own forehead hard enough.
"Hold on! Isn't it impossible for grimm creatures to use or eat dust?" Yang brought up as if she's pulling everybody back into reality.
"That's because it's not a creature of grimm. It's an artificial monster." Vossler explained. Blake walks back into the group with her arms crossed, "But there wasn't anything that said about MAKING monsters. Especially making one that can use dust!"
"That's what I'm trying to figure out... It's strange, but it seems familiar somehow..." Vossler stared off into the distance then shook his head, "While I was fighting it, I noticed it was absorbing the electric dust and healed itself. It's likely that the storage contains a large amount of that dust and is making its way there as we speak!"
"Then what are we waiting for!? If we let that bastard eat all the dust then it'll get stronger and our mission will be meaningless!" Yang waved at the others to follow her then runs into the building ignoring both Ruby and Weiss shouting at her to wait.
"Somehow we couldn't tell her we had a map to get there..." Weiss mutters irritably. Ruby looks at Blake who is now untying the rest of the security team that are still knocked out. "Go on without me, I'll be here and message you guys once transport gets here." she said, "I'll clean up this place..." She stares at the mercenary who is currently trying to crawl out of the crater.
Ruby nodded and runs off to catch up with her sister. Vossler follows behind but was immediately stopped by Weiss as she held his dagger against his chest. "Listen, Vossler. You may be a hunter, but I have put my trust into this team. If you try to cross us... don't make me do anything I'll regret later." She twirls the blade to hand it back to him. Vossler took it then felt the computer pad being shoved against his chest.
"Take us to the storage." Weiss demanded.
Vossler nodded as Weiss walks away then began searching for the storage area. However, the lowest floor level appears and labels one that caught his eye.
Gerald's Main Office
"Gerald... one of the founders of this facility? His office might have something about the projects relating to the Welding..." Vossler carefully inspects it and notice that it will be impossible for him to get to the area before the academy's team gets here. If he wants to learn about his past, he's need to find a way to abandon the girls. But what about Ruby?
"Let's go!" Weiss called back at him.
Vossler hesitated then hurried inside the building.
Forgive me, Ruby...