Here we are again.
Side note but I've been going back through the older chapters and update them a little. Plot will remain unchanged, just making it not as shitty to read now that my writing is improved. First 6 or so are already done, the ones left are the later chapters that don't have as glaring issues as the first couple.
Glad to see people still enjoying this though. Truth be told I wasn't sure about continuing this after all this time but hey, happy to say people still reading this.
So here we go.
The flight to Mountain Glenn was a long enough one that Ruby was beyond relieved when the pilot informed them the failed city was coming into view. Between having to deal with Yang fretting over Zwei, Weiss doting over Zwei, Blake hissing everytime Zwei looked at the faunus girl, and Zwei's apparent obsession with Ruby.
Ruby loved dogs. She found them cute, helpful and beyond loyal. Normally, she'd have been enthused to play with the dog, but between the unknown and uncertainty at Mountain Glenn and where Roman and Neo were if he knew about something here, the fact Weiss would give her glances as if accusing Ruby of stealing the corgi from her, Yang's regular confused stares that she constantly caught and their professor, or Doctor as he always insisted, non-stop recounting the history of the fallen city supposedly for her team's benefit?
This corgi was definately pushing that mentality as her temper slowly frayed, stuck in the metal box that was a Bullhead.
A hand tapped her shoulder, pulling her out of her thoughts.
"Ruby? I have to ask but..." Blake trailed off as Ruby looked over at her teammate, who was glancing down at Ruby's clothes for some reason.
"Uh..." Ruby began with a confused tilt of her head, looking down at her clothes to see if something had stained them or something. Had her one of her Dust Cylinders leaked over her...?
The faunus bit her lip in reluctance before pointing at her.
"Are you sure...that is appropriate for this kind of mission?" Blake asked with an embarrassed wince.
Huh? Her clothes?
Looking down, she tried to work out what Blake meant. What was wrong with a fine rose red dress shirt under a custom designed jacket a darker shade of red with a black lining, that bore a passing resemblance to Roman's own coat if it was unbuttoned and had a few more extra pouches attached to it and pockets. Under that a black and red combat skirt that trailed down into stockings with her emblem masterfully sewn into them before ending in a pair of comfy and fashionable dark grey combat boots.
What was wrong with her clothes? She looked sharp, neat and professional, even with her cape around her back on top of that!
Weiss, noticing the two's shared confused looks, looked up and down Ruby with a professional eye.
"While definately suitable for a social function or operating from a properly established base, Blake does has a point considering we are going to be hunting Grimm and the White Fang in the ruins of a city." Weiss explained while Blake nodded along in agreement.
"Hey, your wearing nice clothes as well..." Ruby complained with a pout at the heiress, who merely gave her partner a pleased smirk.
"These clothes, while fashionable, are perfectly designed for ease of cleaning as well being perfectly fitted and made to resist wear and damages." The heiress continued as she gestured grandly at her own outfit.
Ruby grumbled at her partner before Oobleck suddenly decided to speak up about the conversation.
"While Miss Belladonna and Miss Schnee are not entirely incorrect I would like to remind you all that a Huntsmen or Huntress' duty is to inspire and protect the people. While normally a more practical outfit would seem to be a correct choice I'd remind you all that a professional and clean choice of ensemble will better aid you in standing out during a Grimm attack as well as help civilians believe the situation is being handled with ease which would aid in reducing negativity amongst the civilians." Doctor Oobleck rattled out with barely a pause. Ruby smirked victoriously at her teammates before the Doctor continued, "However for a mission such as a Grimm extermination out in the boonies such an appearence is unnessecary however we will not be going back based on Miss Roslinen's outfit choice."
Before anyone could reply, a speaker in the passenger compartment blared to life as the pilot's voice could be heard.
"Alright, we almost at the dropzone, Doctor Oobleck. I'll be letting you all out in three minutes. After that I'll be heading back to Beacon for a resupply before waiting at a nearby waystation. Should you guys need an evac or emergency air support, just give me call." The speak cut out as the pilot switched the speaker off.
Team RWBY and Doctor Oobleck stood up from their seats while Yang grabbed Zwei from where he was laying on Ruby's boot, holding the corgi in her arms.
Looking over his charges, Oobleck took a quick sip from his thermos before crossing his arms.
"Alright Team RWBY we will be deploying from the air. Expect the Grimm to be on us within moments and remember your training," The huntsmen paused for dramatic effect before finishing, "Or else you will die."
A few minutes of silence passed before a light flicked on with a green light. The door to the Bullhead opened, revealing ruined building surrounded by debris and scattered belongings littering the ground. A few Beowolves, Ursa and a large Boarbatusk noticed their arrival and started charging towards them. Leaping from the Bullhead and drawing Crescent Rose, she let her baby roar as rounds flew through the air, striking down some of the wolves that began crumbling into smoke.
Landing beside her, Weiss flourished with her rapier, letting several bolts of Dust streak through the air and smashing against the side of the Boarbatusk, knocking the Grimm into ruined shop with a pained roar.
Above them, Ruby could hear the excited woop of Yang as she launched herself above them, Ember Celica blasting to maintain her launch until, with a yell, she collided with one of the Ursa with a haymaker, annhilating the bear Grimm in a single blast. Another Ursa tried to swipe at her exposed back before Blake's ribbon wrapped around the Ursa's arm and pulled it off course, before the former terrorist slide forward and sliced the arm clean off with Gambol Shroud, before decapitating the beast.
Not to be outdown, Ruby lowered Crescent Rose behind her, before firing Crescent Rose and launching herself forward with her Semblance.
The last Grimm corpse began to disintergrate as Crescent Rose carved through where the Ursa's spine would have been.
"So, didn't feel like helping out, sir?" Yang snarked as she walked over to their professor, who was calmly watching some distance away while Zwei sniffed around the man's feet.
"No no that was no issue that required my assistance. This is your mission girls and my mission to watch over you all and assist only in regards to the search for the White Fang As a whole your team will be the one's dealing with Grimm." Oobleck said with a smile as he took a drink before added, "You are being assessed for the Grimm Extermination after all."
With an exaggerated sigh, Yang nodded before looking down at Zwei.
"So, remind me again, why exactly did Qrow tell you to bring Zwei?" The brawler asked as she pointed at the corgi, who was peeing against a wall.
Oobleck's smile widened.
"Ah yes Zwei well you see Miss Xiao Long Zwei here used to be a huntsmen support dog He is trained to find and aid people based on the negativity people naturally create much like the Grimm might find people. In a massive place like this hunting down a terrorist organisation his abilities will aid us in locating their base of operations." The Doctor excited explained to the girls, Ruby and Weiss slowly nodding along in understanding while Yang could only sigh and mutter quietly to herself, promises of vengence against her uncle.
Drawing a cloth from his pocket that looked like it had been torn from a White Fang grunt's uniform, Oobleck knelt down next to Zwei and offered the cloth to the dog, who sniffed it a few times before wandering slowly off to the east.
"Excellent work Zwei! Come Team RWBY we have our bearing!"
"Tell me Miss Xiao Long, why did you choose to become a huntress?"
Doctor Oobleck's sudden and unexpected question surprised Yang as she pulverized a Beowolf into smoke.
"Huh?" She said lamely before looking over at her teacher, who merely smiled and gestured for her to answer. Taking a moment to gather her thoughts, Yang looked down at her hands, Ember Celica's beautiful yellow metal staring back at her.
"Well, Mom was a huntress, dad was a huntsmen, my uncle is an active huntsmen. Guess you could say it was never really something I cared to think about." She paused briefly before smirking, "Besides, beating Grimm is wild ride and I figure the best way to remember my mom is to follow in her footsteps."
Oobleck had a curious expression on his face but said nothing as the older huntsmen merely turned and continued after Zwei, Yang's team following in the man's footsteps.
Ruby watched as the absolutely massive Grimm some distance away looked in her direction, hateful red eyes glaring into her silver ones, before turning it's head away and walking off in the evening light.
Weird...
"I see you notice the Goliaths Miss Roslinen." The voice of Doctor Oobleck echoed behind her as the teacher strode up next to the wall she was leaning against before leaning against it himself. "The reason it does not attack is because it realises that even if it managed to kill us, it would only bring more huntsmen here to kill it." He explained to the young girl, pointing to the herd of Grimm slowly walking away from them.
"Guess they aren't entirely stupid." Ruby muttered with shrug. Oobleck, hearing her comment, laughed quietly.
"Yes. The older Grimm get the smarter they get." Moving his hand to gesture to the massive Goliath Ruby had been watching, he continued, "A Grimm that large is likely well over several decades old, with all the intelligence that entails. Instead of mindless attacking and inevitably falling itself it finds itself out here, waiting."
Ruby nodded, "Waiting for the right moment to strike." She guessed correctly judging by Oobleck's pleased smile. "So, guess you are here to ask me why I became a huntress like you did with everyone else?"
The Doctor had the decency to shrug ambigiously.
With a sigh, Ruby leaned her head back and watched as the Grimm herd slowly began to disappear behind several ruined buildings.
"I'm an orphan. Sure I have Neo and there are others that have helped look after and raise me, but I don't know if I have any family that still alive." Ruby began, eyes beginning to feel slightly heavy but thankfully not watering.
Wouldn't help to draw the Grimm.
"But I'm good in a fight, I like helping people, and when Professor Ozpin invited me to come, I decided to take him up on the offer. So I protect those I care about from what threatens them..." Ruby's voice trailed off, Oobleck politely remaining silent.
"I just...being out here is making me worry. About back home." Ruby added at Oobleck's confused but mildly concerned glance. "I'm worried that with everything we've been involved with, something might happen back in Vale before we can stop it." She paused before looking down at her feet. "Is it wrong that I'm more interesting making sure they are safe before anyone else?"
The Doctor nodded, his expression softening as he placed a comforting hand on Ruby's shoulder.
"Miss Ros- Ruby," Oobleck corrected as she looked over at her teacher, expression still lighthearted and fond, "There are many people on Remnant that desire the protection of hunters like us, but only a few capable of taking such a path, be it because a lack of dedication or a lack of capability to learn. To become a huntress to look after those that mean the world to you, even if protecting all of humanity isn't the primary reason behind your choice, does not mean you'd refuse to protect any others. It's in your nature. So long as you don't lose who you are, I think you will go far." With a uncharacteristically slow sip from his Thermos, the huntsmen hummed pleasently before standing up from where he was leaning and walked off, leaving Ruby to her thoughts.
Later that night, they had made camp in the third story of a ruined apartment block. High enough that Grimm wouldn't notice them easily, low enough in case they needed to jump out in case of an attack. Around a campfire and Oobleck asleep in a small ruined alcove above them. Ruby was currently on watch, her rifle ready and aiming outside a collapsed window a few metres away while the rest of her team relaxed next to a small fire Oobleck had permitted them to make, talking about Oobleck's bizzare question that he had been asking throughout the day.
While Weiss and Blake had admitted their responses had more to them then expected, Yang quietly sat, back against some smooth rubble to use as a rest while she watched the fire flicker and twist in the air.
"How about you Yang? What did you tell him?" Blake asked with a curious tone, dragging Yang's gaze unto her partner with a blink.
Yang didn't answer immediately, staring back into the flames for a moment.
Truth be told she wasn't sure she wanted to talk about it, but to be fair Weiss and Blake had already...
"I told him how everyone in my family were either huntsmen or huntresses so I never really thought of anything different." Yang recalled as she felt a faint smile grace her expression. "Plus fighting the Grimm is fun, and it would be the best way do right by my mom..."
Weiss clearly could see through her and fiddled slightly with Myternaster's Dust chambers while giving Yang a politely questioning glance.
Sighing deeply, Yang clentched her hands slightly before she continued, "But...ever since she died, I basically had to look after myself for years because of the state my dad was left...Not that I'm blaming him! I had Uncle Qrow to help and he got better after a few years." Yang added quickly in defence of her father before either her teammates could comment. Biting her lip, Yang pulled off one of her gauntlets and slowly rotated it in her hands. "I guess...I came to Beacon to find a purpose. Fighting Grimm is fun, and being a huntress would have made Summer proud, but until I came to Beacon? I guess I was just looking for my place on this world?"
Blake and Weiss, thankfully, didn't comment and her partner rubbed her leg supportively.
"What do you think Ruby told him?" Weiss wondered out loud, even if the red reaper couldn't have heard her from the distance between them. A few seconds of contempatively silence grew between them, before Weiss' scroll beeped suddenly. Looking down at the device with a confused frown given their distance from the CCT, she opened the device, and through the screen Yang could see Ruby had sent the heiress a text.
"What did Ruby send you?" Blake asked with a raised eyebrow.
Weiss' frown didn't disappear as she passed the scroll to Yang without a word. Look down, it contained a simple message.
'To keep those I care about safe'.
Yang passed the scroll over to Blake, who proceeded to frown herself before tossing the scroll back to it's owner. No one said a word.
Definately wasn't expecting Ruby to have overheard them, Yang had to admit, but the vague and simple answer left Yang curious. Neo could more then look after them both, given the spar she had with the diminutive that resulted in her getting throughly trounced. Even if she wasn't used to killing Grimm, she highly doubted Neo would have any issue besting most Grimm.
But who else was Ruby talking about when she said those?
Shaking her head, Yang shuffled off to the side to her sleeping bag that Oobleck had issued them and laid down on it.
That was an issue to worry about tomorrow.
Ruby watched through her scope as a Beowolf wandered around the street below them. It would have been so easy to nail a round right between it's eyes if it wasn't going to bring every Grimm, and probably some of the White Fang as well, barreling down on them.
With an amused, and probably slightly sadistic, smirk, she lowered her gun before leaning back against the wall she was posted up against.
In a couple more minutes, Weiss would likely be up for her round on watch, letting Ruby catch some sleep in relative safety. Still, she couldn't help but worry about what was going to happen within the next few days. At least by now her family should be back and safe in Vale, as safe as a master criminal and assassin being used by some insane pyromaniac could be.
As her thoughts continued to wander, Ruby found her hand drifting towards a pocket close to her heart, slowly looking back at her sleeping friends before pulling out the contents of the pocket.
Looking down at the picture now in her hands, Ruby's focus solely on the woman on it. A much smaller and younger Ruby next to her as the two smiled brightly into the picture.
"Who's that?" A quiet voice asked curiously behind her, making Ruby flinch and swing Crescent Rose behind her with an furious scowl.
Weiss' eyes widened at the barrel pointed directly between her eyes.
"R-Ruby?" The heiress squeaked in a barely audible voice, concern and touch of fear across her face. A moment passed before Ruby realised what situation they were just in and nearly dropped her weapon in shock. Thankfully, Weiss wasn't nearly as shocked and managed to catch Ruby's scythe before it could clatter onto the ground. Putting the weapon carefully down, her partner quickly pulled Ruby around some debris before sitting them both down and pulling Ruby into a hug.
She couldn't help as her eyes watered as the realisation hit Ruby with the force of a frieght train travelling through Grimm infested territory. Pulling herself out from Weiss' arms, she quickly slid the photo into a pocket without thinking and leaned back from Weiss, who's eyes could only speak of her confusion and hurt at Ruby's reaction.
"I-I-I-I-I-" Words failed Ruby as she felt her body tremble fearfully. If Weiss got a good look at the photo she might tell Yang and the headmaster and who knows who else...
"Ruby...what is wrong?" Weiss asked slowly and carefully, as if talking to a small child or someone going through shock...well she did feel her skin get clammy and her vision was spinning so she might have been. "Take a breath, Ruby, and calm down. I'm not going anywhere or doing anything, okay?"
Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and let out a shuddering sigh as she felt her body slow down and her mind recompose itself.
Weiss, ever the loyal and dear partner and friend, remained silent, giving her a supportive if concerned smile. She slowly reached over and held Ruby's hand in comfort while the younger girl calmed herself.
After a few minutes of silence, Ruby let her head fall forwards in defeat. She was burned, out in the wild and with no way to call Neo. Weiss held all the cards at this point.
"Ruby...I know I have been difficult in the past but...people don't react like that just over seeing a picture." Weiss whispered as she stared at her in confusion. "I know you have been...experiencing some troubles...but if that has something to do with it, then as your partner, you need to tell me what is wrong." Ruby leaned back slightly, unsure to run or try to fight. Weiss' smile only grew more concerned. "Ruby, I'm not going to tell anyone, I'm your partner before anything else. Not even to the Headmaster."
Not even Ozpin...?
Weiss' smile took on a familiarly amused hint.
"Yes, not even Ozpin." She kindly whispered.
Oh, Ruby must have said that out loud.
"Yes, you did."
Ruby placed her pained face into her hands, making Weiss giggle in familiar amusement.
The Heiress pulled Ruby forward again, and this time Ruby did not shy away from her as she was pulled into a hug.
"Do...do you promise? Weiss?" Ruby asked slowly, her eyes boring into the other girl's shoulder in the darkness.
The older girl looked into Ruby's eyes and nodded.
"I'm serious, you can't tell anyone, no matter what or why." Ruby stressed, her voice audibly full of fear she couldn't keep out. Weiss, confusion still prevalent, merely nodded again.
"I promise Ruby." She promised.
With a reluctant sigh, Ruby pulled out the photo and let her partner look at it. Weiss said nothing as she examined the photo, taking in every inch of Ruby and Summer. Weiss' eyes occasionally flickered between the picture and Ruby.
With a sigh that spoke of her understanding, Weiss pulled Ruby back into a hug, the scythe wielder feeling her eyes watering again as the stress started to leave her body.
"I'm so sorry Ruby..." Weiss muttered, "I had no idea...I guess you found this and I understand how you'd feel." Weiss paused for a moment before she added, "I know what it's like to not really have mother to be there for you. My own mother was...very absent in my life, spending her days and night drinking from dawn to dusk." Ruby could hear the faint scowl in her partner's voice.
"I don't remember her...at all..." Ruby explained, "All I remember was being raised by them, taught how to lie, cheat, steal and survive..." Ruby let out a small sigh, "And we did, and we made it work and we have everything we could have ever wanted back then. Except I never got to know my mom."
"I suppose you wanted to learn more, something you thought only you could do." Weiss guessed at, but Ruby shook her head slightly.
"Yes...and no. I have learned more but I can't risk finding more or else everything will fall apart..." Ruby muttered, much to Weiss' renewed confusion.
"Why is that?" The heiress asked.
Ruby withdrew from their hug and looked over at debris seperating them and the rest of their team, Weiss followed her gaze, lack of understanding prevalent on her face.
"Summer...was Qrow's teammate and Yang's stepmother." Ruby quietly admitted, wincing as Weiss' eyes narrowed, widened, narrowed again before opening her mouth, closing it, and shaking her head. "But you can't tell her, please! Not yet!" Ruby continued, her whispers betraying her desperation.
Weiss didn't say anything for a moment and just stared at Ruby, her face a mask of confusion and shocked.
"But...wouldn't that make Yang...?" Weiss eked out, voice unsteady.
Ruby could only shake her head sorrowfully.
"I don't know, Weiss. Am I? Or was I the product of an affair? Yang's never mentioned a sister and I don't remember anything!" She quietly vented, shoulders shaking in anger as well now as she looked back down at the accursed picture.
Why did this all need to happen now?!
Weiss, seeing her partner's despair, slowly pulled the picture out of Ruby's hand and placed it down next to them, out of the way.
"Ruby...I promise, I won't say anything about this. If you need it, I'll support you every step of the way, even if Yang and Blake don't like that they can just put up with it." Weiss said, determination and honesty soaking every word.
Before Ruby could respond, a sniffing sound came from behind them.
Zwei edged around the side of the debris, noise lowered and sniffing the ground. Upon looking at the two, the small dog walked up to them and snuggled up against Ruby and Weiss, looking at Ruby with big, dopey eyes that seemed to ooze concern at Ruby. The girl, seeing the adorable dog looking up at her, couldn't help but let out a tearful giggle as she rubbed the dogs head.
"I guess Zwei is also going to keep your secret." Weiss joked with a smile.
The corgi's head swayed to the side slightly, eyed the small photo off to the side, before getting up and sniffing it. Before either girl could react, the dog's ears and tail suddenly shot up and the dog took off running down the stairs. The two girls, seeing the dog's strange reaction, immediately got up and stealthly followed after the dog, making their way to the open street below.
Thankfully no Grimm were in sight, and Zwei was waiting for them down the road, tail wagging as he waited for the girls as they walked up to him.
"Why did he run off?" Ruby mused to Weiss, who could only frown before shrugging. As they got closer, Zwei took off running again, zipping away towards another street, this process repeated a few times before Zwei stopped, looking down a road with a tilted head. As the girls finally caught up with the dog. As Weiss leaned down to fuss over Zwei, Ruby took a peak around the corner before immediately ducking behind the corner building.
"Weiss! Quiet!" She whispered fiercely to her partner who, to her credit, immediately stopped and moved beside Ruby, hand on Myternaster. "White Fang grunts." Ruby explained, pointing around the corner. The two partners looked again as they spotted a pair of terrorists walking down the road, armed and looking around but otherwise bored, as if it was a routine patrol.
"Should we follow them?" Weiss whispered. Ruby nodded.
The White Fang members lead them to a ruined building, not very large by any stretch of the imagination, but clearly some kind of outpost or base. As the two entered the building and closed the door behind them, Ruby's eyes narrowed as she assessed the situation.
They knew where the Fang was operating out of, or at least somewhere they did. And like all things, you find one detail and it can lead you to the rest. The question was, however, what do to right now to best make use of it.
"Guess we found them. We should head back and wake the others." Weiss offered, Ruby seeing the wisdom in her words. Extra numbers, plus a full huntsmen, would make the fight a cakewalk. Plus it was night and only Blake was a faunus, meaning the rest of them would be at a disadvantage.
However, what if this was just a rest stop? Maybe they were just taking a break and would move on before they could get the others. One of them could wait and watch but what if they did move? Or if whoever waited was seen?
Ruby wasn't sure which call to make when Zwei started growling and looked at the concrete beneath them.
Weiss, seeing the dog's reaction, opened her mouth to silence the dog.
The ground beneath them then suddenly cracked and shook. Ruby barely had to piece of mind to pick up and throw Zwei before the very floor beneath her split apart, sending the two huntresses plummeting down into the inky darkness.
Yang woke to someone shaking her shoulder.
Opening her eyes, she saw the concerned frown of her professor looking down at her.
"Miss Xiao Long, I'll be needing you wake up now. Your teammates are missing."
Roman was having a bad day.
The White Fang, as incompetent as they were, seemed incapable of actually loading a damn train with Dust, probably spent too much time emptying them, and thus here he was, late at night trying to direct the stupid animals.
Well, to be fair, that Perry fellow was actually pretty useful with organisation, and their Lieutenant with that gigantic chainsaw was definately pulling his weight with keeping the Grimm off their tracks, so sure, maybe not ALL the faunus here were entirely useless, Perry just lacked the authority while the big bastard was a combat leader before a logistician.
With a frustrated sigh, Roman finished organising the Dust within a car so it didn't preemptively explode and send them all sky high, stretching his back slightly. Behind him, out the open door to the car, Roman heard footsteps coming up to the train.
"Hey Boss?" Perry's voice echoed behind them slightly, the cavern they were set up in amplifing his voice. Honestly, knowing the Fang, they probably would have been set up outside for anyone to see if Roman hadn't smacked some heads together to make them realise how stupid it would have been loading an underground train and not making the room underground to do it in safety. "Got something you are going to want see..."
With an exaggerated groan, Roman leaned against the wall of the carriage and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Is it good or bad Perry? Because I'll tell you know, I am having a day..." He responded with an falsetto tone.
"Uh...it's a pair of girls?" The White Fang member explained with a cautious tone, likely expecting Roman to shout at the man.
A pair of girls though? Roman frowned and quickly popped his body out, hanging out from the side of the carriage.
Behind Perry, held by a quartet of grunts, was Ruby and one of her teammates.
He felt a vein bulge on his forehead.
"That...would be extremely badly Perry..."
Oh dear, isn't that bad Perry?
