Umbra Hart

With the sun back in the sky, Umbra chose to stick to the shadows. He wasn't going to bet his freedom on a single threat. If those Huntresses caught up with him, he wanted to be able to get away quickly. Next time they met, getting away might not be so easy. Fighting one of them was hard enough, so Umbra wanted to avoid fighting all four at all costs.

As he was walking through the forest, the sound of crying and screaming caught Umbra's attention. Can't I just get a moments peace?, he thought. Moving towards the commotion, Umbra eventually ran into two kids. They both crashed into Umbra, nearly knocking him on his back. Not all that far behind them was an Ursa Minor. Quickly prying the two kids off of him, Umbra unsheathed Ignition. Rushing towards the Ursa, Umbra used his Semblance to get behind it. With one clean slice, he decapitated it. Turning to Grimm dust, what remained of the Ursa Minor got carried off by the wind. Sheathing Ignition, Umbra turned his attention towards the two kids.

Both of them were still crying their eyes out. Umbra knew that if the brats didn't shut up, they'd draw in even more Grimm. If they weren't kids, he'd probably leave them to fend for themselves. But, seeing as how they were just kids and couldn't properly defend themselves, he'd essentially be leaving them to die. Walking up to them, Umbra knelt down to their level.

"Hey, kids, look at me. It's over. I took care of the Grimm." Though they sniffling now, both kids had at least stopped crying. Snot ran down their faces. Disgusting, Umbra thought. The girl was the one to speak up.

"Our parents are… Our parents…" Before she could get any further, the kid started to cry again. This set her brother off as well. Umbra wasn't the best with kids. He wasn't good with people in general. But he knew that if they didn't stop crying, more trouble was just around the corner. Trying his best to console the kids, Umbra suppressed his temper.

"It's okay, I told you, I took care of it. You guys are safe now." Umbra knew why they were really crying. It wasn't just because they were scared. "Listen, I know you guys are scared. I don't know what happened, but you don't have to tell me right now if you don't want to. For now, let's just focus on getting you guys somewhere safe." This had the effect that Umbra was going for. Both kids seemed to calm down. Putting on the best smile he could muster, Umbra stood up. "Come on, let's go." As he turned to continue walking, the little girl tugged on his jacket.

"Mister, do you think… I could hold your hand? It would make me feel better." Jumping to his feet, the girls brother also tugged on his jacket.

"Me too! Me too!" Sighing, Umbra ran a hand through his hair. This was beginning to feel like a lot of work.

"Yeah. Sure. Just… make sure your hands are clean first." After wiping their hands, the kids each took a hand of Umbra's. Together, the three of them walked through the forest. Not wanting to babysit the kids forever, Umbra wanted to get them somewhere they'd be safe. "So, do you know anybody nearby that can take care of you?" The girl pipped up.

"We live in a village that's nearby. Our family was out collecting some herbs when…" Fearing that the memory was going to trigger another episode, Umbra tensed up. "We live with our grandparents. They can take care of us." Umbra felt bad for the two. He knew how much they must be hurting, considering he also lost a parent at a young age. It wasn't easy.

"How old are you two?" It was obvious to Umbra that the boy wasn't doing well. The girl however was doing her best to remain calm.

"I'm twelve, my brother is nine." Just as Umbra guessed, the girl was the older of the two. "My name is Catelin by the way. My brothers name is Mag." Not knowing how to respond to that, Umbra chose to stay quiet. "What's your name mister?" That was a question Umbra wasn't sure he should answer. Knowing how curious kids could be, since he was a curious kid himself, Umbra decided to tell them.

"My name's Umbra." Not telling them his last name, Umbra didn't know if they knew about his father. If they did, he didn't want to scare them into crying again. After Umbra told them his name, they were able to walk in silence for awhile. It didn't last long before Catelin spoke up.

"Are you a hero? Like from the stories?" Biting his tongue, Umbra almost said something he shouldn't.

"No, I'm not a hero. I'm just someone who was passing by is all." Hero's were nothing but fantasy. In reality, there were no such thing as hero's. Umbra wasn't about to make the kids day any worse however, so he didn't tell them that. They would have to learn that themselves someday.

For the rest of the way to the village they were able to walk in peace. The boy trembled the entire way, but they were able to make it in one piece. With both his hands preoccupied, Umbra was worried about any potential Grimm attacks. Or worse, Huntress attacks. Not able to access his weapons or Semblance, Umbra wouldn't put it past them to pull a sneak attack while he was weighed down. When they made it safe and sound to the village, Umbra relaxed. Letting go of their hands, Umbra was glad to have made it without incident.

"Alright you two, why don't y-" Before he could finish, Umbra was cut off.

"Hey, get away from those kids!" Knowing already who was yelling at him, Umbra turned to face his pursuers. Ruby and the rest of her team looked like they were ready to brawl. Damn Hunters… They're gonna make the kids cry again. Umbra thought. Looking down at the kids, Umbra sighed.

"You two find your grandparents. I've got something I have to deal with." Mag ran off and didn't look back. As for Catelin, she hesitated.

"Are you going to be okay? Those people don't look too friendly." Holding back his laughter, Umbra pat the girl on the head.

"Yeah. I'll be okay. They just… want to talk with me, is all." Still hesitant, Catelin looked between the Huntresses and Umbra. "Once we're done I'll… stop by and meet your grandparents." To sell it even more, Umbra gave the kid another forced smile. Umbra felt bad for lying, but he really needed to move things along.

Nodding her head, Catelin took off after her brother. Alone with the Huntresses now, Umbra felt nervous. He was outnumbered and didn't have access to his Semblance. The white haired one scoffed.

"Not only are you a murderer, but a liar as well. I hope you feel good about yourself, lying to a kid like that." Choosing to stay quiet, Umbra tried to come up with a plan that could get him out of this mess. As of now, he could only really think of one thing. Looking over at her teammate, Ruby said something.

"That's enough, Weiss." The now named Weiss crossed her arms and huffed. Returning her attention to Umbra, Ruby reached for her weapon. "Please just come quietly Umbra." Having a hard time reading the girl, Umbra wasn't able to look at her for long. Ruby reminded him too much of Carmine. Keeping his gaze low, Umbra finally came up with a plan.

"I have no intentions of just letting you arrest me… Of letting you take me to my death." If that happened, then everything would have been for nothing. It couldn't be for nothing. "At the same time, I don't want us to fight out here in the open. Where those kids could see us. If you allow us to change locations, I'll go with you if the four of you can beat me." The four of them seemed to ponder it. When they were done, Ruby was the one to speak.

"Alright. But if we're gonna do this, you have to stay in the middle of everyone. We don't want you running off." Now that Umbra and Ruby knew about each other's Semblance's, he knew running off wouldn't be so easy. Doing as he was told, he allowed himself to be escorted away. They walked in silence to their location. Once they arrived, the four Huntresses spread out. Reaching for Ignition, Umbra felt his heart start to beat faster.

"I'll be fighting as if the four of you are trying to kill me…" Slowly unsheathing Ignition, Umbra looked around at the Huntresses. "I suggest that you do the same, because if you don't… Well… I can't guarantee you'll all make it out alive." Holding tightly onto his sword, Umbra got into his stance. Since they were in the forest and in shade, Umbra was able to use his Semblance now. Using his Semblance to sneak behind the one in yellow, Umbra got the first hit in. Slashing and moving, Umbra decided to use hit and run tactics. If he were to even stand a chance against all four of them, he would need to constantly be on the move.

Dodging a barrage of bullets from Ruby and the one in black, Umbra had to use his Semblance in order to avoid getting shot. When he reappeared, he was behind Weiss. After delivering a quick slash Umbra dodged a swipe from her Rapier. Quickly going in for a stab, Weiss tried to impale Umbra. Parrying the attack, Umbra slashed at Weiss while she was unbalanced. This managed to knock her to the ground. Locking onto a new target, Umbra vanished into the shadows and avoided more gunfire.

Appearing in front of the one in black, Umbra surprised her with an upper slash. Before he could do anything else, the blonde one jumped in to her friends rescue. Blocking her punch with the flat side of his blade, Umbra crashed into the one in black. Not wanting to go down with the girl, Umbra used his Semblance to escape. Reappearing, Umbra was immediately rushed by the blonde brawler. Ducking and weaving her attacks Umbra got in a slash where he could. Since she was focusing more on offense rather than defense, it was easy for Umbra to hit his mark. Tripping the one in yellow as she went in for a strong punch, Umbra moved onto the next.

Sneaking up behind Ruby, Umbra was surprised when she blocked his attack. Snapping out of his confusion quickly, Umbra traded blows with Ruby. Because of her speed, she was the only one able to keep up with Umbra so far. Though Umbra had a feeling it was because everyone had been holding back.

Suddenly, the one in yellow caught Umbra's eye. She had begun to emit a burning yellow aura and her eyes had changed colors. At least one of them is getting serious, Umbra thought. Knowing that she was about to, or was currently, using her Semblance, Umbra figured he'd use Ruby as a test subject to find out what exactly the one in yellow was capable of.

Getting rushed by Weiss and the one in black, Umbra had to fend off three of the four Huntresses. Umbra figured they were either buying time for their friend or they wanted to draw his attention away from the one in yellow. Either way, Umbra would have to play along.

"Weak…" Ducking a slash from the one in black, Umbra parried another stab from Weiss at the same time. "All of you are so weak." Spinning around Umbra clashed with Ruby. Raising their weapons up, Umbra delivered a kick to Ruby's gut. "I told you that if all of you wanted to make it out alive, you'd have to give it your all." Spinning Ignition around Umbra walked towards Ruby. Without looking back Umbra reached behind him and grabbed Weiss's weapon, preventing her from stabbing him. Blocking an attack from the one in black, Umbra was stuck in place. "In this world, you have to be willing to kill in order to survive. Willfully being able to kill someone is what separates the weak from the strong." Sensing that it was time, Umbra vanished. Moving behind Ruby, he swung downwards and clashed blades with her. Yelling out to her friend, Weiss almost ruined Umbra's plans.

"Yang! Don't!" It was too late however. Dodging Yang's attack at the last second, Umbra slipped into the shadows.

Instead of punching Umbra, Yang slammed her fist into Ruby. The punch was strong enough to shatter her Aura as it sent her slamming into a tree. Hitting the ground, she didn't get back up. Panicked, Yang dropped out of her Semblance.

"Ruby!" Rushing to her friends side, Yang seemed to forget that she was in the middle of a battle. Walking back into the physical world, Umbra rested Ignition on his shoulder. Blocking Umbra from Ruby and Yang, Weiss and the one in black got in his way. Rolling his eyes, Umbra scoffed.

"The four of you aren't worth my time. Well…" Looking past the two in his way, Umbra watched as Yang tended to Ruby. "Three now…" Keeping her guard up, Weiss shouted at Umbra.

"Be quiet you scum! Nothing's over yet!" Keeping eye contact with Weiss, Umbra sheathed Ignition.

"If the four of you couldn't bring me down, what makes you think two of you can?" Turning his back to the Huntresses, Umbra got ready to leave. "When you draw your weapon, you draw it to kill. It has no other purpose. None of you seem to realize that. For that reason alone, you'll never beat me." Vanishing before Weiss or the one in black could try anything, Umbra left.

Moving as fast as he could, Umbra stuck to the shadows. Just like last time, he wanted to put as much ground between him and them as he could. Pushing his Semblance to it's limit, Umbra moved through the Shadows until his body couldn't take anymore. Stepping back out into the physical world, Umbra almost collapsed. Leaning onto a tree, he vomited. His body hurt all over. Shaking from exhaustion he didn't dare sit down. Pushing the limits of his body now, Umbra kept moving forward. If Ruby had truly died and wasn't just badly injured, the rest of her team would surely be after him. Controlling his emotions as best he could in order to avoid drawing in any Grimm, Umbra carried on. I hope that brat didn't actually die. If she did, I can forget about reaching Atlas.

Ruby Rose

"When I get my hands on him, I'm gonna…" Pacing back and forth in their room, Yang's eyes kept shifting between her usual lilac to a bright red. She hadn't been able to get her anger in check ever since their last battle. Getting annoyed at her teammates pacing, Weiss stood up and walked over to Yang.

"Can you please get a hold of yourself Yang? If you do anything drastic, you won't be any better than Umbra." This seemed to have the opposite effect that Weiss was going for. As if saying his name made her even more angry, Yang's hair looked as if it was on fire. Her Semblance was on full display.

"Well maybe that's exactly what we have to do! He said it himself, if we want to beat him, we have to be willing to kill him!" Putting her hands on her hips, Weiss didn't back down.

"You'd be playing right into his hand! He wants us to stoop down to his level! Either way, that isn't the mission! We're supposed to bring him in alive, remember?" Waking up to the sound of her teammates fighting, Ruby started to stir. Hearing the sound of bed sheets rustling, Yang turned to look at her sister. Seeing that she was awake now, Yang rushed to her sisters side.

"Ruby, I'm so glad you're awake! When you didn't get back up, I thought… I thought…" Dropping out of her Semblance, Yang had finally cooled off. Still feeling sore, Ruby sat up.

"You guys… Please don't fight. We won't be able to catch Umbra if we're too busy fighting with each other." Ruby felt responsible for the current state of her team. As team leader, it was her job to keep situations like these from happening. Before she could say anymore however, there was a knock at the door. All the members of Team RWBY shared a look. Going over to the door, Weiss peeked through the peephole. On the other side was an older looking women. Wondering what she could want, Weiss opened the door. Standing next to the older women was a familiar looking child.

"Hello, you wouldn't happen to be the team of Hunters my granddaughter was talking about, would you?" The older women looked around the room. "She saw the four of you return, and she was wondering if a man named Umbra was with you." Rubbing her granddaughter's head, the old women smiled. "Truth be told, I want to meet him myself. If it wasn't for him, I'd have lost more than just my son and his wife today." Crossing her arms, Weiss felt her annoyance begin to turn into anger. Everywhere they went, it seemed as though people were fooled by the criminals façade.

"No, we-" To Ruby's surprise, Blake had interrupted Weiss. Blake had gotten up without anyone even noticing.

"We got separated by some Grimm. He distracted them so that we could get our injured friend back here. I'm sure he's okay and just went on ahead of us." Releasing Weiss, Blake went back to her book. Disappointed that she couldn't meet Umbra, but glad to hear he was okay, the old women nodded.

"If that's the case, I hope that you're able to catch back up with him. Well, we'll let your friend rest. When you see him, tell him thank you for me, will you?" With that, the women and her granddaughter took their leave. Closing the door, Weiss shot Blake a glare.

"What was that for? Don't tell me his fake act of heroism bought you over." Only giving Weiss a quick glance, Blake kept reading.

"No, not at all. It's just that they're probably already are having a crappy day. So telling them that their savior was a murderer would only make it worse." Not wanting to start another argument, Weiss chose to drop it.

"He could have killed me…" Looking down at her hands, Ruby felt herself tremble ever so slightly. "I was unconscious and defenseless. With his Semblance, he could have easily killed me. But he didn't…" Having the answer to Ruby's question, Weiss spoke up.

"That's because he thought you were already dead." Saying this, Weiss spun around to face Ruby. "Wait a minute… He thinks you're dead… We can use this to our advantage!" Smiling, Weiss moved towards Ruby and Yang. "If he truly believes that you're dead Ruby, then he'd never expect a sneak attack from you!" Standing up Yang ruffled Ruby's hair.

"Yeah, that could work. If the three of us distract him, he'd never even see Ruby coming. But before that, I think we should let our secret weapon heal up." Laughing as Ruby waved her away, Yang eased off. "Once you feel like you're ready Ruby, we'll go after him. Just don't feel like you have to push yourself, okay?" Nodding her head, Ruby laid back down.

Each time they fought, the more confused Ruby grew. For someone who was supposed to be a cold blooded killer, he sure didn't act like it. Not only has he saved multiple people, but he's sparred Ruby's life twice now.

"…I won't give you a second chance." Maybe Weiss was right, Ruby thought. But at the same time, wouldn't someone like Umbra want to be certain that Ruby was dead? Why leave it up to chance? Especially when it only would've taken him a few seconds to do so. Not knowing what to think, Ruby sighed. Turning onto her side, she looked out the window. Once they caught Umbra, maybe then she'd finally get the answers to all her questions. Until then, Ruby would just have to wait.