In the lobby at the base of Beacon's central tower sat Blake and Yang. The purple and green cushioned chairs offered a surprising amount of comfort and support and if it were not for the situation at hand, Blake would be struggling not to slip into a nap right then and there.
A chime sounded from the central elevator as the metal doors slid open. Blake and Yang stiffened up as the two armored Beacon security guards emerged followed closely by the gurneys pushed by a pair of coroners. Draped in white sheets, the gurneys transported the two fallen guards through the eerily silent hall. Outside the security force lined up, ready to honor their comrades.
After the procession left the pair of girls were left alone in silence, Blake stared at her hands while Yang gingerly held her sister's folded up scythe in her arms.
Blake's trance was broken by the sound of Yang rising to her feet. She spun her gaze over to Yang as the blonde spoke up.
"Its messed up you know? All of it. Blake she didn't even take her scythe with her. Ruby was never without it. She called it her sweetheart for pete's sake, and yet she ran off without it, only stopping to kidnap Weiss."
She plopped down into a chair opposite Blake, a sorrowful look across her face as she laid her sister's possession across her lap. "She told me once that she believed our weapons were an extension of ourselves." A small laugh escaped her lips. "I wonder what that says about her. She chose a weapon whose original purpose was the harvest grain. In the beginning this was meant to do something good. A scythe helped people, it allowed them to harvest food to feed the hungry." Yang laughed once again. "Oh but my little sister, always the engineer, always the dreamer. She takes this simple tool and attaches a gun to it. Now all its good for is killing. All it does is take lives."
"Yang please." Blake reached forward, resting her hand on the red metal.
Standing up once again, Yang tossed the scythe onto the chair behind her. She turned towards the exit and just stared. "I don't know what to do Blake. What am I supposed to do? I let that thing just take Weiss and there was nothing I could do to stop it. Now Ruby is gone and we know what's going to happen to Weiss. I can't keep losing people Blake!"
"Don't do this to yourself Yang."
"I don't know if I can do this. Why must I be so powerless to protect the people I love. Someone did this to my own little sister and there was nothing I could to save her. Now Weiss has been taken who knows where for the same fate and there's nothing we can do to save her. But even then, what's it matter? If we save Weiss, what then? Ruby's gone. My little sister is gone and this thing is walking around with what's left of her."
"I can't answer that for you. But I still need you, Weiss still needs you."
"Maybe," Yang's eyes were wide when she spun around and looked at Blake. "Maybe there's still some of Ruby left inside her. Maybe there's a way to reach her!"
"Yang stop!" Her voice was firm and forceful. "Please Yang just stop. Look at this, look at everything that has happened. Two people are dead Yang. Do you think even for a moment that she could do this if there was even a trace of our Ruby still inside her? She's gone Yang."
"No!" Yang shouted as she marched towards the exit. "I refuse to except that. As long as she is still here I will find a way to bring my sister back."
"Yang wait."
"Blake stop. Please Blake, don't you dare try to stop me." Sorrow filled her voice. "Don't you dare. I couldn't handle you doing that to me."
Weiss huddled on the carpeted floor between the large bed and the wall. Although she was no longer bound, she was still a prisoner. Her freedom cut off by the creature in the kitchen, the one that called her friend. Friends don't kidnap each other, and friends don't turn each other into monsters. That is what she was now, or at least what she will be, a monster, the same kind of monster that was currently making a racket in the kitchen with a pair of bodies.
After a series of random crashing noises Ruby came bounding into the bedroom with a guilty look on her face.
"So Weiss I may have made a huge mess in the kitchen," she said as she sat on the bed.
'This murder is talking to me like she just spilled some milk. Unbelieveable.' Thought Weiss.
"You see I wanted to put those bodies in the fridge like they do in the movies, ya know so they don't smell so I pulled everything out and tried to shove them in but it turns out they're really really heavy and there's not much room in the fridge." Ruby took a deep breath to recover from her rambling. "So now there's food everywhere and two dead people halfway in a fridge and I don't what to do Weiss."
'Even in this state she still acts like a child who's afraid of getting in trouble with her parents.'
"What do you expect me to know!" Weiss snapped. "Do you think I have much experience dealing with bodies!"
"I'm sorry Weiss," she said softly. "I know I'm not very good at this, thing. This is all kinda new to me. But don't you worry Weiss," She said with growing excitement. "Ruby Rose is gonna figure out everything we need to know about our new superpowers!" Ruby then leaped to her feet. "You just concentrate on getting used to all this stuff. I know its a lot to take in, but don't you worry I'm gonna be there with you every step of the way. When you're ready you can help me show Yang and Blake how absolutely cool this all is. Soon team RWBY will be back together and super awesome!"
Following Ruby's escape and kidnaping of Weiss, professor Ozpin insisted that the remaining members of team RWBY be moved to a secure location for their own safety.
Fortunately for Goodwitch, Ozpin did not agree with James notion that the most secure location available would be the general's airship. During their meeting Ironwood made a compelling case for transferring the girls into his care. He argued that what better place to hide from someone who can walk through walls than thousands of feet in the air behind an army, failing to take into account that the girl in question could fly.
Soon after Weiss's kidnaping Blake and Yang were transported to a remote brick cabin in the Emerald Forest. It was a simple two story abode built long before Ozpin's tenure as headmaster as a training outpost. Thick walls and barred windows rendered the cabin impervious to all but the most powerful of grimm attacks.
Once there was a defensive clearing cut into the forest encircling the stone structure, allowing grimm no cover or hidden approach to the cabin. But as the years passed on, the safe haven fell into disuse and the artificial clearing was soon consumed by the forest. Trees and thick underbrush encroached on the cabin, enveloping it, hiding it from the world. A lone structure in the woods, forgotten in time, a perfect hiding spot.
A perfect place for Ozpin to store two children in need of protection. Someone of course needed to watch over the pair, and that duty fell to Goodwitch.
Unfortunately for Goodwitch, the news of protective custody did not sit well with Yang. Just waiting around while people she cared about were in danger went against everything Yang stood for. More importantly, it made her feel like a victim, someone to be protected.
This lead to a heated argument between the professor and her student. Yang argued that, "just sitting around is what lead to Weiss being taken in the first place." A sentiment that, while Goodwitch could sympathise with it, but not fully agree with.
Goodwitch knew that miss Xiao Long was too young and inexperienced to fully understand the situation at hand. Staying put and biding their time until a solution could be found was their best chance to help her teammate.
Luckily miss Belladonna was much more understanding and level headed than her partner. Blake reacted to her confinement in the Emerald Forest in a more solemn state. As the hours ticked by Blake turned her attention to reading and occasionally keeping her partner's agitation in check.
After arriving at their hideout the trio of huntresses went about the task of clearing out the long decayed furnishings. The first floor consisted of a single room with a fireplace on the right hand side, a kitchen with counter space ancient looking oven and broken down refrigerator to the left, and a pair of couches and a coffee table in the center. Those couches were the first to go.
Yang hurled the decomposing couches deep into the woods, but not before she heard what might have been something living in said couches. The mission at hand served to keep her mind occupied and away from her sister's situation.
Once they were finished disposing of the furniture on the lower level they moved onto the second floor. Much like the previous one, this level also consisted of a single room. Blake quickly surmised from what was left of the files of rotten wood and fabric that this was once the bedroom.
That was how they spent the first afternoon at their safehouse. They spent hours turning that rundown shack into a place that was "somewhat liveable" as Goodwich put it.
By the time night began to fall Blake and Yang had moved on to gathering enough wood to light the cabin's fireplace. During their cleaning Blake even managed to uncover an old ax that was perfect for the job.
Yang channeled her frustrations into each swing of the ax into the logs they gathered. Even though they had already prepared more than enough firewood for their needs, after each strike Blake would place a fresh log upon the tree stump Yang was using as her station. Her heavy breathing, the sweat dripping down her face, the primal yell marking each swing, Blake recognized the signs of someone desperately needing to release the pent up rage and frustration inside her. So there she was, piling up split log after split log, just to be there for her friend.
The hypnotic repetition of placing, cutting, stacking, and repeating was abruptly interrupted by the voice of Goodwitch calling out to them. Their professor stood in the cabin's doorway with a bedroll under one arm as she spoke.
"Okay children, the cooler is in the kitchen and please try to control your appetites. Communications are terrible this deep. So if we have to resupply early because you two can't understand rationing, you'll be the ones hiking until you can contact Beacon and ask for more."
"Gotcha professor." Yang energetically called back.
"By the way girls," the professor said as she turned and passed back into the cabin,
"the second floor is mine. You two can sleep downstairs."
After an exhaustive afternoon filled with much trial and error, some of included carpets, couches, and some pancake batter, Ruby came to the conclusion that hiding the pair of bodies was not going work. So declared that Weiss and her were going to need someplace else to hang out for the time being, and with Ruby being short on lien it fell to Weiss to pay for the hotel room.
The Highgreen Regency, it's emerald spire shown brilliantly against the bland brown and grey buildings of downtown Vale. With big puppy dog eyes and a torrent of "please"s Ruby begged Weiss to let them stay there. To Weiss, Ruby did not appear to be fully grasping the intricacies of the kidnaper, kidnappie relationship.
Ruby wanted to see what it was like to stay in such an extravagant place with "bellhops, fancy silverware, a consegnare, and a special kitchen that will bring fresh food to your room anytime you want," as Ruby so energetically put it. Of course it was not like Weiss could refuse her. The young huntress deduced it would be in her best interest to go along with whatever the psychotic soulless vampire wanted to do.
Weiss booked the room using a corporate card her father had given her, this allowed her to purchase items and services without them needing to have her name attached. This unfortunately made Weiss's goal of being rescued more difficult as this reservation would not appear on her personal purchase history that the authorities were most certainly monitoring. If she wanted her friends to find her, Weiss knew she would have to get creative.
Per Ruby's insistence the pair received a room located on the highest floor of the atrium, twenty-two stories up with a breathtaking view of Vale's downtown. There may have been rooms on higher floors, but the excitable young Ruby always wanted to stay in a hotel with an open atrium.
"Wow Weiss, this is so cool!" Exclaimed Ruby as she leaned precariously over the railing outside their new room. "Look at the shandileer, its like an exploding sun! Or the fountain down there, can you believe they have a fountain in here!"
Weiss cautiously eyed the energetic girl from the open doorway. This situation was nothing she was ever prepared for. Growing up as someone of her status, she was made to sit through many presentations from the head of corporate security about kidnapping. Those presentations always told her the same things, "spend your time building a relationship with the kidnapper, do not let them see you as a threat, and do exactly as they tell you." Somehow though, the one time Weiss finds herself kidnapped, all those rules are thrown out the window.
Of course she already has a relationship with the kidnapper, the kidnapper was currently under the impression that the two of them are on a fun weekend in the city. This girl is an immortal huntress, in no way could Weiss be a threat to Ruby. Accomplishing these goals was supposed to ensure her safety, yet so far it was not at all helping because there she was, sharing a room with a merciless killer.
Ozpin tried his best to remain active in the search for miss Schnee and miss Rose, however after the discovery of two more victims within the city, the Vale police department started their own investigation into the slayings. With four people dead the media was now running with stories about a new sinister serial killer in the city. Detailed psychological profiles and criminal experts constantly adorned people's television sets. The media induced panic left the headmaster unable to influence quickly escalating situation.
After sending the local police a description of their suspect, Ozpin spun around his office chair to face Ironwood who was patiently awaiting the headmaster to finish his work.
"Ozpin," Ironwood started, "I trust your judgment, but not including miss Rose's name in your report to the police does not appear to be the wisest of moves. I believe it would be prudent to let the police know who they should be looking for."
"To what end? You and I both know that the police do not have the resources or the abilities to capture or kill miss Rose. Initiating a full scale manhunt will only lead to more deaths." Responded Ozpin. "Furthermore, I refuse to have Ruby's name forever remembered as one of this kingdom's most vicious serial killers."
"Then what? Do you expect us to just sit around and wait while more innocent people are killed? Said Ironwood, frustration seeping into his voice.
"Look james," Ozpin said in his calm demeanor, "we just need to bide our time just a little longer. Oobleck and the medical staff are already starting to see progress in modifying existing anti-grimm toxins to target the infection. If we can just manage the situation until they finish we will not only be able to kill Karnstein and miss Rose, but treat miss Schnee as well.
"I hope you're right about this Ozpin." Ironwood replied in a sorrowful tone. "For all our sakes."
If this were any other situation Weiss would have stoutly refused to be in an establishment such as this. Thunderous dance music, twirling and flashing lights, and the close proximity to sweat drenched strangers was close to giving her a headache. Ruby was not content to spend her "partners weekend" inside their expensive hotel suite; to the heiress's dismay Ruby insisted they experience Vale's nightlife.
As she put it to Weiss earlier with her typical barely contained excitement "Its gonna be so much fun Weiss. There'll be dancing and music and cute boys. You'll love it!"
Unfortunately this meant being inside the crowded nightclub.
The pair breezed their way past the bouncer with merely a smile and a please from Ruby. Weiss figured she was using the same mind altering semblance that Ruby used on her. Once inside Weiss swiftly surveyed the scene, looking for any exits or ways to escape. Ruby caught on quickly however and pulled her friend into a close dance. She leaned in and spoke with a sinister grin upon her face.
"Don't be a party pooper Weiss. We were just getting started with our fun. Man if you ran off I don't know what I would do." Ruby then made a show of looking around the room before closing the distance between them and whispering into Weiss's ear. "Who knows how many people might be 'accidently' hurt or worse if you run off and leave me all alone." Ruby pulled back from a stunned Weiss with a smile full of glee.
"Oh!" Ruby exclaimed. "Let's get something to drink!"
She lost track of how long she and Ruby danced, or in her case watch Ruby do something akin to having a seizure while Weiss herself maintained some form of rhythm and decorum.
Afterwards Weiss positioned herself on a stool along the bar. She briefly contemplated slipping a note to the bartender informing her she was kidnapped, but decided against it. Who knows how Ruby would react to a direct confrontation. Weiss looked back to see Ruby flirting a guy in his twenties. The vampire swayed her hips to the music and batted her eyelashes while trying to make small talk. Under normal circumstances Weiss was certain that Ruby would be in no danger of being successful in such an endeavor, but these were not normal circumstances.
In a frantic pace Weiss tried desperately to come up with a plan to escape and stop the vampire from claiming another victim. All these people around her, none of them knew she was a hostage in plain sight. If she tried to run, so many of them would fall from that creature's rage.
As she scanned the room it hit her, it may not have been a way to stop Ruby, but it was a way to let her friends know where to find her. She grabbed a tall fresh drink and reached into her pocket to retrieve a thin plastic card.
A group of rambunctious women stood at a table near the bar celebrating and drinking. Two of them were actively recording the festivities with their scrolls. Without warning a girl dressed in white slammed into one of the women splashing her drink all over the rest of the group. Weiss staggered backward and started drunkenly screaming at the group.
"How, how dare you!" Weiss stumbled backward before stabilizing herself and yelling again. "You bitches! All of you are bitches." By now more people started paying attention to the seemingly inebriated girl in white cussing out the relatively peaceful group of women.
Weiss grabbed an unattended drink off the bar and threw it's contents all over the group, causing a torrent of incoherent screaming to erupt between them.
"I'm Weiss Shnee, the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company." Weiss declared, waving her arms about, as she got into the face of one of the girls recording. "What are you going to do about it?" With a loud huff spun on her heels to strut away, only to end up face to face with a rather large man wearing a shirt that said "Security" across the front.
Never before had Weiss been quite literally thrown out of an establishment. That week was most certainly full of firsts for her, none of them in a good way. She looked back at the club and sighed. Assuming it worked, explaining this to her father was going to be a memorable experience.
Even outside there was still a cacophony of noise emanating from the dance club. Weiss knew that at Beacon or anywhere else for that matter it would have been a wonderful night to be outside. The air was still and the sky was as clear as it could be with the shattered moon hanging high in the sky.
"Weiisss." Ruby's call from the darkness broke Weiss from her thoughts. Weiss missed it, but somehow during her commotion Ruby slipped out of the club. The girl in red stood half concealed in the shadow of the alleyway adjacent to the club, her smiling face, glowing against the darkness.
Weiss approached as Ruby waved her over, her legs wobbling out of fear as she neared the vampire. She knew that child like smile hid something sinister.
After Ruby lead her around the corner, what she saw there made her freeze in shock. Slumped down, hidden behind a foul dumpster was the boy Ruby was flirting with earlier. His slow breaths and gash on his neck told Weiss everything she needed to know about unconscious boy.
As much as it horrified and disgusted her, Weiss found herself transfixed by the bleeding young man. It's vivid crimson color, the way it pulsed and flowed, oozing from his flesh like a fresh spring. She could not look away, she did not want to look away. It was there, alls he had to do just be closer. To feel it, to taste it, it's wonderful euphoric flavor. Warmth flowing all over her form.
Weiss threw herself off the young man to the cold ground. With a constant series of rapid breaths she scurried to the wall behind her. She could not speak, her head spun with conflicting thoughts and emotions. Such a rush she never felt before, yet so unspeakably horrible. She could only stare at him, slumped there, barely alive.
Stepping in between the two blocking her view was the giggling form of Ruby. "A little much for your first time? Don't you worry Weiss, it just takes practice. You'll get the hang of it."
Upon receiving only a blank stare, Ruby smirked and leaned in closer. "Well if you're done lets head back to the hotel, I'm thinking cartoon marathon." Ruby then turned around and casually snapped the young man's neck before strolling out of the dark alley.
Inside their cabin deep within the Emerald Forest, Yang stared into the crackling fire while Blake watched from a distance. Yang's behavior was troubling her partner. She seemed distant, preferring to spend her time in solitude. But what was most concerning to Blake was the way she had taken to wearing her sister's sniper scythe across her back like a fashion accessory.
Blake watched as Yang sat staring into the fireplace, the unknown thoughts running through her partner's head worried her to no end.
It took some gentle coxing but Blake eventually to lay in one of the sleeping mats and try to get some rest. Blake stayed awake for a time, just watching her partner as she slowly drifted off to sleep.
Something was wrong. Blake blamed it on her huntress instincts stepping in to wake her from her slumber. She bolted upright and scanned the room. The place next to her that should have held a sleeping Yang was empty. She hoped her conclusion was wrong, she desperately hoped it was.
But from where she left it by the fire before bed it was gone, Yang took Crescent Rose with her. Yang had taken the scythe, she was going after Ruby.
Through the dark forest Yang marched. She was on a mission and she was not going to let anything get in her way. She had to find Ruby first, she knew she had to find a way to get through to her. She did not know how she was going to do it, but she could not abandon her sister.
The shattered moon bathed the clearing in front of her in ghostly light. an unsettling silence fell upon world as she stood in the center. The only noise came from the circle of trees around her moving with the breeze.
She was not alone.
"Now now, if you're about to do what I think you're gonna do..."
Yang spun around to face the owner of the sinister voice.
"... I would suggest otherwise."
Standing before her with her jet black hair and deep blue eyes the speaker smirked.
"Hello, you must me Little Rose's big bad sister. I guess its time for us to finally meet."
Author's notes:
I was planing on making this longer but since it had been so long since an update I decided to cut the next chapter in half and give you this bit. So I guess I'm delaying the grand finale until next time. Enjoy.